Archive for August, 2010

Damyel Kosher Chocolates

Sunday, August 29th, 2010
Facebook Twitter Linkedin

Bag of Damyel Chocolates
(c) Discover Paris!

Damyel Chocolates, located at 29, rue Richer in the 9th arrondissement prepares parve chocolates that contain no animal fat or milk protein. We stopped by and selected five different confections to sample. All have dark-chocolate coatings containing dark-chocolate ganache.

The first we sampled is a rectangular-shaped confection displaying the molded image of a leaf. It contained a whole, blanched almond nestled in the ganache.

The second was in the shape of an artist’s palette. Similar in taste to the first, it contained morsels of pistachio that were layered between the dark-chocolate shell and the ganache.

The third, in the shape of a dome, displayed a molded flower. I identified the bits of nuts that it contained as crushed hazelnut.

The fourth, chestnut shaped, contained bits of crunchy cocoa.

The fifth was dome-shaped and topped with a swirl. It reminded me of the standard shape of a chocolate-covered cherry. However, in this case it contained not a cherry, but a whole hazelnut.

We found the dark-chocolate shells of all of the confections to be fairly firm, and the ganache to be almost as smooth as gianduja. While they are delectable sweets, we were disappointed that the only difference from one chocolate to the other was that different nuts were used. The taste of the chocolate shell and the ganache was the same.

Like our blog? Join us on Facebook!

Big Tweet-up Yesterday at Café Charlot

Thursday, August 26th, 2010
Facebook Twitter Linkedin

Tweet-up at Café Charlot
(c) Discover Paris!

A lively tweet-up took place yesterday at Café Charlot in the 3rd arrondissement. Organized by Kathryn Reichert, about fourteen persons attended. Most of those attending blog about Paris, or tweet about it. Shannon, for example, has a blog called “Je ne sais quoi,” and Erica’s blog is called “HiP Paris.”

Pictured (clockwise around the table starting from the left) are Shannon, Jodie, Sion, Kasia, Lindsey, Chris, Erica, Kathryn, and Forrest. Not pictured are Monique and I.

A good time was had by all!

Like our blog? Join us on Facebook!

The Hanging Gardens of Ivry-sur-Seine

Sunday, August 22nd, 2010
Facebook Twitter Linkedin

Downtown Ivry-sur-Seine
(c) Discover Paris!

In May 2010, I went on a guided walk with the Conseil d’architecture, d’urbanisme et de l’environnement du Val-de-Marne (CAUE 94), an organization whose objective is to promote the quality of architecture, urbanism, and the environment. This particular walk was called “Vues plongeantes sur la Vallée de la Seine” (Plunging views of the Seine Valley), and was the opportunity to go to the top of a number of tall buildings for some panoramas of the area that lies just outside of Paris.

One of the buildings that we entered was the Lenin Tower in the town of Ivry-sur-Seine, where we took the elevator up to the roof garden. The garden is normally off limits to individuals, but we had special permission to enter as a group. From the top, we had a spectacular view of the city, including an amazing sight: the hanging gardens of the apartment blocks and commercial complex of downtown Ivry. During the 1960s, this area was a run-down neighborhood. The city engaged two architects, Renée Gailhouster and Jean Renaudie, to renovate the area, and the project that they devised took about twenty-five years to complete!

The apartment complexes are in the shapes of stars whose points jut into space. On the Internet, I found one writer who declares that these buildings colonize the territory like a rhizome; another says that the architects conceived of the town plan as a combinatorial arrangement. (Cobinatorics is a branch of mathematics that studies the enumeration, combination, and permutation of sets of elements.)

In 1978, the French Ministry of Culture awarded Jean Renaudie the Grand Prize of Architecture for his life work.

Additional information about this architectural project can be found on the blog entitled Brian Goes to Town.

Like our blog? Join us on Facebook!

Le Forum des Images—A Cultural Mecca for Cinephiles

Thursday, August 19th, 2010
Facebook Twitter Linkedin

Le Forum des Images
(c) Discover Paris!

Founded in 1988, the Forum des Images has amassed a great collection of films about Paris, as well as works drawn from various audiovisual collections. Recently remodeled, it reopened in December 2008 with an annual operating budget of 7.5 million euros, enabling it to propose an ambitious program of activities and events to an appreciative, film-loving public.

Read about this culture Mecca for cinephiles in this month’s Paris, Past and Present, a special feature of our newsletter Paris Insights.

To view the newsletter abstract, click here.

To enter a subscription to Paris Insights, click here.

Bonne lecture!

Like our blog? Join us on Facebook!

Coffee Tasting at Café Procope – Part 2

Sunday, August 15th, 2010
Facebook Twitter Linkedin

Ready for Tasting
(c) Discover Paris!

The cupping began in earnest. The tasting was a blind one, with the coffees unidentifiable except by number. We first looked at the unroasted beans to determine whether there were any blemishes. We then inspected the roasted beans. These were ground, and we inspected the quality and aroma of the grind. Then each grind was put into its own French press, and hot water poured in. We sniffed each brew and noted our observations about the aromas that we perceived. Then the brew was stirred and we sniffed again. Finally, each brew was poured into a separate cup. Since there were eight persons, this required forty cups!

At the end of the cupping procedure, the coffee growers were asked to leave the room and I never saw them again. After they left, there was open discussion about the coffees that we had just had tasted. The verdict about the best coffee was unanimous: it was the Geisha coffee from the Don Pachi Estate. What each person perceived in aroma and taste, however, varied widely from person to person. Comments on this coffee included “good equilibrium,” “beautiful complexity,” “body not too strong,” and “extremely floral.” Others identified specific aromas, such as malt, caramel, and Muscat grape. Indeed, it was one’s duty to identify specific aromas, as there were aromas listed on the evaluation sheet to be checked. I, for one, failed at this. The best that I could truthfully say was that it tasted “fruity.” To be sure, I found this coffee to have a wonderful compelling flavor. I would like to be able to try it again and again until I can identify specific aromas. Unfortunately, Geisha is a rare bean in the world of coffee, and I probably will not come across it again.

At the end of the cupping exercise, which lasted about two hours, Gloria announced that we had just attended the longest tasting in the world. She explained that at professional tastings, where coffee is selected for purchase, the tasting is very rapid, because a lot of coffees have to be sampled. I was happy to have gotten the opportunity to participate in this slow tasting and to have sampled the marvelous Geisha bean!

This is the last post in the series entitled “Coffee Tasting at Café Procope”.

Like our blog? Join us on Facebook!

Armen Petrossian

Thursday, August 12th, 2010
Facebook Twitter Linkedin

Armen Petrossian
Proprietor of Le 144
(c)Discover Paris!

In this month’s Le Bon Goût we write about Armen Petrossian, proprietor of Le 144, a fine-dining restaurant located in the 7th arrondissement of Paris. Located just above the Petrossian boutique, a caviar shop founded by his father and uncle in the 1920s, Le 144 serves a balance of foods and spices from different cultures, notably French and African.

Read our article in the August edition of Paris Insights. To enter a subscription, click here.

Bonne lecture!

Like our blog? Join us on Facebook!

Coffee Tasting at Café Procope – Part 1

Sunday, August 8th, 2010
Facebook Twitter Linkedin

Interior of Café Procope
(c) Discover Paris!

In July, I participated in a professional coffee tasting at the oldest coffee house in Paris. Organized by Gloria Montenegro of La Caféothèque de Paris, the event is part of an ongoing effort of an association called Connaissance du Café to teach the art of tasting and appreciating fine coffees grown on specifically identified plantations (cafés fins provenant de terroirs d’appellation). Eight persons showed up for the tasting, plus two coffee growers from Panama—a husband and wife team from the Don Pachi Estate in the Boquete region of the country. They brought with them four different coffees, one of which is the almost-mythical Panama Geisha, considered by some coffee lovers to be the best coffee in the world. There were two “amateurs” at the tasting, a young man named Tony, who wants to open a coffee shop, and me. The others appeared to be professionals in the field of coffee selection by their demeanor, by the content of their conversation…and by the brown aprons that they wore bearing the words “L’Académie de Caféologie.” As the tasting unfolded, I realized that I had a lot to learn about coffee!

The Distinguished Coffee-tasting Panel
(c) Discover Paris!

First of all, coffee tasting is properly called “cupping.” During cupping, one evaluates coffee by the look of the bean before it is ground, the aroma after it is ground, and the aroma after hot water is poured into the grind. Then each participant is poured a small amount into a cup, from which the aroma and taste are judged. During this evaluation process, one records his appreciations on a specially printed table called “Critères de qualité” (quality criteria). The criteria are quite numerous, and include such things as altitude at which the coffee is grown (in the case of Geicha, it is 1650 meters), visual inspection of the grain, and references to different aromas (spices, flower, cereals, dried fruit, and so on).

We judged five different coffees, the four that the Panamanian couple brought with them and a fifth that was a coffee that can be purchased at supermarkets. Before the tasting started, Gloria introduced the couple and asked them to talk about their coffee plantation. They produce seven or eight different varieties of coffee on their 45-hectare estate whose soil is rich in volcanic minerals. Seventy-five tons of coffee are produced each year. Impressive!

Francisco and Ivette Serracin
Coffee Growers in Panama
(c) Discover Paris!

To be continued…

Like our blog? Join us on Facebook!

Our Free Weekly Restaurant Review – Au Boeuf Couronné

Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010
Facebook Twitter Linkedin

Au Boeuf Courroné
(c) Discover Paris!

Located on avenue Jean-Jaurès, just across the street from the former site of the Villette slaughterhouse and meat market, Le Boeuf Couronné is a nostalgic reminder of what bourgeois Parisian dining must have been like in the late 19th century.

See our review at the following link: http://www.parisinsights.com/restaurants.php.

Four Chocolates

Monday, August 2nd, 2010
Facebook Twitter Linkedin

Four Chocolates
(c) Discover Paris!

Yesterday, we purchased four chocolates from Mococha, our favorite chocolate shop on rue Mouffetard: Dôme praliné fondant, Carré blanc avec pépites de praliné, Ganache pain d’épices, and Dôme vert avec caramel. All are made by Patrice Chapon, who won the Grand Prix de la Mairie de Paris 2003.

The Dôme praliné fondant (upper right in photo) has an assertive flavor. It is composed of a crispy mix of nuts (almonds, hazelnut, and pistachio) enrobed in dark chocolate. A touch of salt (sel de Guérande) gives it zest.

The Carré blanc contains a sweet hazelnut filling. The confection is topped with grains of crunchy hazelnut seed. The subtle flavors of the white chocolate and light praliné filling blend into a delicate taste sensation!

The Ganache pain d’épices with its intense spice-cake flavor of cloves and nutmeg stirs memories of the Christmas season!

Finally, the Dôme vert avec caramel (lower left in photo), is made with smoked and salted butter, lime, and dark chocolate. The finely speckled, tangy lime-chocolate dome contains a soft filling of delicious caramel.

Marie Gantois, proprietor of the shop, told us that it will close for the summer holiday from August 9 through August 23.

An Interview with Dante James

Sunday, August 1st, 2010
Facebook Twitter Linkedin

An award-winning, independent filmmaker, Dante James recently wrote and directed Harlem in Montmartre, a documentary that traces the phenomenal development of jazz in France from the end of WWI to the end of WWII. We had the opportunity to interview him shortly after the presentation of his film at the France Noire/Black France Film Festival in Paris. Read our article in the August edition of the Paris Insights newsletter.

Access to the newsletter is by paid subscription. Click here to view the newsletter announcement. Click here to enter a subscription.

Bonne lecture!