October 2012 - Paris Insights - The Blog Paris Insights

Archive for October, 2012

Cupcake Camp III
By Monique Y. Wells

Tuesday, October 30th, 2012

The third annual Cupcake Camp Paris was held at Le Comptoir Général, a cultural center in the 10th arrondissement, on Saturday, October 26th from 3 PM to 5 PM. While entry was free, all proceeds from cupcake sales went to support the non-profit organization Make-a-Wish France.

This was my first time attending – the event has gained so much attention over the past couple of years that I felt that Discover Paris! should cover it this year. I arrived at 3:10 PM and was surprised to see a line stretching down the block. I thought that the queue was for the popular bar inside the center. So I walked up to the front of the line where I realized that it was indeed the entry point into the event.

Entrance to the Cupcake Camp
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Amazed that the line was so long, I went back to take my place in it. The queue had grown considerably longer in just the few minutes that I was gone!

A Big Turnout for a Chance to Buy the Best Cupcakes in Paris!
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

It was the first wintry day of the year and an occasional drizzle punctuated the wait. An hour later, I finally got to the front of the line. I purchased tickets to buy three cupcakes, a box in which to carry them home, and a raffle ticket for drawings that were being held every 15-20 minutes.

The camp was held in a large area of the cultural center that served as a classroom and dining room. It was packed with people and it didn’t take me long to figure out that the theme of the event was Halloween. I was surprised to see that the vast majority of the attendees were adults! Hostess Cat Beurnier of the American bakery Sugar Daze and her daughter made a fine pair of witches. The other children that I saw were dressed in costume as well.

A Very Young Witch
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Where Are the Cupcakes?
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

There They Are!
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Of course, the main attraction of the day was the cupcakes. Numerous bakers contributed and the array of cupcakes presented was absolutely stunning! I made my rounds and took lots of photos before making my selection.

I was fortunate to be able to purchase one of the last three cupcakes that won the Best Cupcake competition – it was a Scottish recipe made with chocolate, caramel, and whisky with a Bailey’s cream cheese frosting. A chunk of Scottish shortbread and shortbread crumbs adorned the tops of these cupcakes, which were scrumptious!

Scottish Cupcakes – Judged Best Cupcake
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

My other two selections were the Casse-Tête, a blond beer-flavored cupcake with rum and lychee buttercream frosting.

Casse-tête Cupcakes
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

And Jumpin’ Jack Flash, a pumpkin and spice cupcake.

Jumpin’ Jack Flash Cupcakes

Both of these were also quite delicious.

The most unusual cupcakes that I saw were made from kale, beets, and cocoa powder. I was intrigued by this combination, but stuck with my initial choices.

The Kale Project Cupcakes
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

The first Cupcake Camp Paris was held on July 4, 2010 at the Bistrot Vivienne and proceeds (~1200€) were donated to the non-profit organization Rebuilding Haiti Now. Last year’s camp was held at Le Comptoir Général and proceeds (~6000€) were donated to Make-a-Wish France. This year’s camp raised just over 5500€ for Make-a-Wish France.

I look forward to attending the camp next year!

Monique Y. Wells is the creator of the Entrée to Black Paris blog, selected as one of the 10 BEST Paris blogs by 101 Holidays.

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Tags: Cupcake Camp Paris
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By Monique Y. Wells

Entrée to Black Paris Blog is One of 10 BEST Paris Blogs

Saturday, October 27th, 2012

Monique Y. Wells’ Entrée to Black Paris blog is finally getting the recognition we believe it so richly deserves – it has been named one of 10 BEST Paris blogs by award-winning travel writer Mike Gerrard!

Gerrard is a full-time, award-winning author, blogger, and publisher. His numerous publications about Paris include the Top 10 Paris – Eyewitness Top 10 Travel Guide (DK Travel; penned with his wife, Donna Dailey), Colors of Paris (Thunder Bay Press), and Paris: A City Revealed (Metro Books). As a man who knows the city intimately, he recently made his selection of 10 best Paris blogs. We were thrilled to find our blog among them!

Here’s Mike’s description of Entrée to Black Paris:

What it is: Monique Y. Wells covers a fascinating niche subject – black history, culture and contemporary life in Paris.

Why we like it: Specialist passions make for some of the best blogs, and the relationship of Paris with its black population (for better or worse) provides some stimulating reading. Monique doesn’t just cover the well-documented ground of black writers, musicians and other artists in Paris’s past, like Chester Himes and Josephine Baker, but keeps it current by interviewing black chefs, lawyers and other prominent figures.

Find Mike’s entire list of 10 BEST Paris blogs on the Web site 101 Holidays.

Tags: Entrée to Black Paris, Monique Y. Wells, Paris blog
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Tasting Rrraw 88% Cacao Pépites

Wednesday, October 24th, 2012

Rrraw 88% Cacao Pépites
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

We stopped by Marie-Hélène Gantois’ chocolate shop Mococha just yesterday to learn about a new product that she is featuring. It is called Rrraw and is produced by local chocolate-maker Frédéric Marr. He is one of the few in France who transform cocoa beans into chocolate and then into chocolate confections, rather than creating chocolate confections from chocolate that has already been processed from the bean.

Even more exceptionally, Marr’s chocolate confections are made from cocoa beans that have not been roasted, hence the name “Rrraw” (meaning “raw”) that he gives to his chocolate. Most chocolate makers roast their cocoa beans—Frédéric Marr does not. The resulting raw-chocolate confection has a pronounced earthy flavor.

We purchased a 50-gram bar called 88% Cacao Pépites. True to its name, it is a dark chocolate with grainy texture and an earthy taste that is neither too sweet nor too bitter. Its only ingredients are raw cocoa-bean, cane sugar, cocoa butter, and salt.

Rrraw chocolate is available at Marie’s shop until December 15.

Mococha
89, rue Mouffetard
75005 Paris
Telephone: 01.47.07.13.66
Open Tuesday through Sunday from 11:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m.

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Tags: Frédéric Marr, Mococha, Rrraw
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Young Designers Get Boost with Prize in Paris
By A. D. McKenzie

Tuesday, October 23rd, 2012

2012 Dorchester Collection Fashion Prize — Grand Final
Photograph courtesy of Plaza Athénée Hotel

Every young designer probably dreams of receiving a huge check one day from sponsors to boost a fledgling clothing or jewelry line. Last week the dream came through for designing duo Annelie Augustin and Odély Teboul (known as Augustin Teboul), who won the second Dorchester Collection Fashion Prize and a check of 30,000€ in Paris.

The Dorchester Collection is a group of hotels that includes the iconic Plaza Athénée on avenue Montaigne in the French capital, the Hotel Principe de Savoia in Milan, and The Dorchester in London. As the hotels are located in three of the fashion centers of the world, their managers decided that sponsoring fashion would be a good fit for the group.

“We’re very much aware that young designers sometimes struggle at the beginning of their business, and those first years are very important, so we’ve been looking to help these designers, particularly with their first collection,” said Julia Record, director of communications for the Dorchester Collection.

“Hopefully that 30,000€ check will allow them to take that next step forward and help to provide a global platform,” she told Paris Insights.

Dorchester Collection’s chief executive officer Christopher Cowdray added that the group was “inspired by the creativity coming to the fore.” He said the group was confident that the winners would have a “thriving career.”

The contestants for the prize had to meet certain criteria, the organizers said. They had to have managed their brand for at least two years, they had to be based in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, or Switzerland, and they had to show “original flair, a possibility for commercial distinction as well as reflecting the values of the Dorchester Collection — heritage, craftsmanship, individuality, creativity, and innovation,” Record said.

The five finalists displayed their creations at a catwalk show on prize night, which took place this year at the Plaza Athénée. The luxury hotel dates from 1913 and boasts of having been the favorite hangout of luminaries such as Josephine Baker, Maurice Chevalier, and Christian Dior. The young designers did their best to channel this history.

Ranging from classic outfits to an edgy gangster look, the collections delighted spectators and the panel of judges that included Elizabeth Saltzman, contributing editor to Vanity Fair; Kenzo Takada, founder of Kenzo; and Nathalie Rykiel, CEO of Sonia Rykiel.

Fashion by Quentin Veron
Photograph by Jade De Clercq

The loudest applause went to Quentin Veron, a thin, tattooed designer who drew on his fascination with fur, the gangster era, and the Middle Ages to present a striking collection, with models in stockings, hats, and fur vests. He seemed the front-runner, but after a deliberation period, the judges agreed that the collection displayed by Augustin Teboul best evoked the spirit of “individuality, luxury, style, and craftsmanship, which characterizes Dorchester Collection’s iconic hotels.” The duo’s work also demonstrated critical distinction and the potential for future commercial success, the organizers said.

“It’s been a really great competition,” Veron told Paris Insight. “The other designers were really good too, so it has been very interesting. Even though I didn’t win, I’m of course going to continue my work.”

As well as receiving an engraved Baccarat crystal trophy, the winners will be able to stay at a Dorchester Collection property in either Paris or Milan during spring Fashion Week 2013.

We wish to thank A. D. McKenzie for her contribution to the Paris Insights blog.

Tags: A. D. McKenzie, Dorchester Collection Fashion Prize
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By A. D. McKenzie

Lemon & Pepper Chocolate

Wednesday, October 17th, 2012

Cachet Lemon & Pepper
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

While exploring the chocolate boutique Ambre & Sucre on avenue des Gobelins in Paris, I came upon a dark chocolate called Lemon & Pepper. I purchased a tablet and took it home to taste.

The tablet has a matte finish and contains a minimum of 57% chocolate. To the taste, it has a light lemon flavor with a long, slightly hot, peppery finish. The chocolate melts slowly in the mouth and has little crunchy pepper granules, like grains of sand, that “tickle the tongue.”

This is one of the nicest flavored chocolates that we have tasted in a long time!

Ambre & Sucre is the sole distributor of Cachet brand chocolate in Paris.

Ambre & Sucre
10 bis, avenue des Gobelins
75005 Paris
Tel.: 01.43.37.39.64
Open Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Metro: Gobelins (Line 7)

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Tags: Ambre & Sucre, Cachet, Lemon & Pepper
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Marie-Antoinette Makes an Appearance at the Fête des Vendanges de Montmartre

Saturday, October 13th, 2012

Zélie la Chocolatière and Marie-Antoinette
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Zélie la Chocolatière and Marie-Antoinette made an appearance yesterday at the Fête des Venganges de Montmartre to publicize a play in which they will perform at the Salon du Chocolat, opening in Paris on October 31.

In this photo, Marie-Antoinette seems to be complaining about a pain in her neck, while in the background (upper left) one of her compatriots, apparently indifferent to the Queen’s fate, unconcernedly swills a glass of wine (click on image to enlarge).

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Tags: Fête des Vendanges de Montmartre, Marie-Antoinette, Salon du Chocolat
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Tasting Vin Crémant de Neuilly-Plaisance

Wednesday, October 10th, 2012

Vin Crémant de Neuilly-Plaisance
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Last Wednesday I blogged about my visit to the hidden vineyard of Neuilly-Plaisance where Pierre Facon produces a sparkling wine called crémant. Following his presentation, I purchased a bottle from the 2010 harvest and took it home to taste.

I chilled it overnight in the refrigerator and pulled it out the following evening to serve with dinner. Monique took the bottle and proceeded to remove the cork. All of a sudden—pow! About one-third of the crémant shot out of the bottle in a burst of foam and wine. (See the photograph of Mr. Facon opening a bottle in last week’s blog.) That wine was under a lot of pressure!

Tasting it, I found that it didn’t have the dry, yeasty taste that I like in champagne. I suppose that I shouldn’t have expected it to taste like champagne, but I was hoping that it would. Its flavor was round and somewhat fruity, not dry.

The following day it was still fizzy in the bottle (we had corked it with a special stopper that retains the pressure). We tasted it again and found its flavor closer to that of champagne. We figured that the flavor of the previous day could be attributed to the excessive effervescence in the wine.

Tasting this wine was an adventure. Here’s to future harvests at Mr. Facon’s vineyard—may the crémant flow abundantly!

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Tags: crémant, Neuilly-Plaisance, Pierre Facon, sparkling wine, vineyard
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The “Belly” of Paris Is Being Gutted Again

Sunday, October 7th, 2012

Les Halles de Paris
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Forty years ago the city ripped the guts out of its central marketplace and tore down Victor Baltard’s famous iron and glass pavilions. Now the city is at it again, promising to put in something better than the mediocre park that replaced Baltard’s splendid structures. Whatever the city puts there, nothing can redress the irreparable damage done to Paris’ patrimony in 1971-73.

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Tags: Les Halles de Paris, Pavillons Baltard, Ventre de Paris, Victor Baltard
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A Visit to a Vineyard in Neuilly-Plaisance

Wednesday, October 3rd, 2012

La Grappe
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

In mid-September France celebrated its cultural patrimony by opening buildings and gardens that are normally closed to the public. This year’s theme was “Hidden Patrimony,” and I profited from the occasion to visit a 600 m2 vineyard that is tucked away in the nearby town of Neuilly-Plaisance.

Getting there by public transportation was a challenge, but I was up to it: a metro ride to the Châtelet station, an RER train ride to Neuilly-Plaisance, a local bus ride to a spot several blocks from the vineyard, and then a walk uphill to the rendezvous point.

After a long wait for a group to gather, Pierre Facon, the owner of the vineyard, gave an overview of the history of wine production in Ile-de-France. He then took us along a hidden path to his vineyard where he talked about wine growing.

Pierre Facon in His Vineyard
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

His presentation was extensive and quite technical. To be mercifully brief, he has operated this vineyard since 1995, where he harvests four kinds of grape: Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir, and Arbanne. He transforms these grapes into sparkling wine, called crémant. (The process of transformation is the same that is used for making champagne.) The 2010 harvest yielded about 780 bottles of bubbly.

Wine Cellar
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Following his presentation in the vineyard, he took us down the road to his house, where he has installed his grape-processing equipment in his converted garage. There, he gave a presentation about how the grapes are de-stemmed, crushed, fermented, and transformed into sparkling wine. He has invested in an impressive amount of equipment, including a manual grape press, a grape crusher, a de-stemming tray, and a couple of stainless-steel vats. During the presentation he demonstrated how to use a refractometer to determine the amount of sugar in the grape juice.

Opening a Bottle of Crémant
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis!

Then it was time to sample the wine! In front of the garage, he donned slickers to protect his clothes from the wet froth, and then opened a bottle. There was a loud pop and an impressive spray of mousse. The wine was poured and a good time was had by all!

A Glass of Bubbly
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Thank you, Mr. Facon, for allowing us to see your hidden vineyard and for your very informative presentation!

Pierre Facon has a blog (in French) about his vineyard. Click here and scroll down to see photos of this year’s joyous harvest.

Next Wednesday: our impressions of the wine from the 2010 harvest.

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Tags: crémant, Neuilly-Plaisance, Pierre Facon, sparkling wine, vineyard
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Paris Insights - The Blog

Archive for October, 2012

Cupcake Camp III
By Monique Y. Wells

Entrée to Black Paris Blog is One of 10 BEST Paris Blogs

Tasting Rrraw 88% Cacao Pépites

Young Designers Get Boost with Prize in Paris
By A. D. McKenzie

Lemon & Pepper Chocolate

Marie-Antoinette Makes an Appearance at the Fête des Vendanges de Montmartre

Tasting Vin Crémant de Neuilly-Plaisance

The “Belly” of Paris Is Being Gutted Again

A Visit to a Vineyard in Neuilly-Plaisance

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