L&P Remark on Pastry - French Pastry Makes Them Très Heureux

We may have left Paris, but we sure aren't done talking about it.

Let us have a moment of silence for all the Pastries that are born each day in France. Each of them, an individual wonder. Creations that defy logic. After all, who in the world has the patience to create those miniature works of art? Just the skill to patiently prepare a single pastry alone would send most people screaming for a cake mix. Which by the way, are hard to find in France. No Betty Crocker there. And a good thing. The French take their pastry seriously. As seriously as wine and cheese I suspect.

L&P have preferences. The first favorite for them is the croissant which is not necessarily a pastry, as in, say Opera cake. Next they enjoy the macaroons, again a biscuit, not a pastry really. But given free choice day, L&P would pick a framboise tart. And so would Momo. Those can be spectacular. A wonderful shortcrust pastry filled with pastry creme and the freshest, fattest red raspberries you ever did see.

Drooling yet? No? Well, then.

How about a delicate petite chocolate layer concoction with sponge cake, a bit of liquor, creme again, chocolate, and the delicate thin thin thin bittersweet chocolate top. Opera cake. Drooling now? Then how about an eclair, made with the freshest pastry choux, not too chewy, not too sweet, filled with chocolate pastry creme, and topped with bittersweet chocolate, the kind you can run your finger through and come away with enough chocolate to make your swoon.

Yep, you are too drooling. As you can see there are pastries to fill any one's cravings.

The best part of the pastry world in Paris is that because you have to walk everywhere, you can have a pastry every couple of hours and never gain an ounce. And fortunately there are plenty of pastry shops to accommodate that effort. But get there quickly. It is hard to find anything worth eating after 2PM. You have to go early, buy plenty and keep moving until you have sampled a variety of shops. After all, no two are the same. Well, ok, if they are Au Bon Pain, they are, but don't go there for pastry - although their croissants are pretty good. Find the little shops. And don't forget the famous ones too like Laduree and Angelinas and so many others.

L&P and Momo find that pastry stands alone. Well, not exactly alone, because one pastry is lonely. It should have the company of a few more to round out the table (and your waistline says L who is missing hers - has anyone seen it?). Momo hasn't had a waist in several years so that is not an issue.

In France, one eats the pastry and then one goes somewhere else for cafe express. While in America and other places perhaps, one has pastry and coffee, not so in France although tourists try to do that. You should see the painful looks they get when they try. Mon dieu. Melting looks. Seriously, do not ask for coffee with your pastry. If you must, take it to go and it will get wrapped up in a cute little funnel box, or paper and then you can take it anywhere - even to a table with a cup of coffee. But just don't ask anyone French to serve you coffee with your pastry. That would be wrong. Kind of like asking where Champ Elsie is........

L&P and Momo have sampled almost all of those pastries starring in our photos, and more than once. After all, several times a day for almost three months is a lot of pastry. Très très bon. A lot of happy happy pastry moments.