MesVitrines NYC

Tea at Petrossian, original watercolor, 9" x 11"

Not many admit to 'doing windows', but that's exactly what Parisian Anne Conners does. Anne goes around NYC, analyzing, shooting the fashion windows for her blog, MesVitrinesNYC and for a French online fashion publication, Fashion- Addict.

Anne visited PB. After several blog visits back and forth we agreed to meet for tea. I suggested Petrossian Boutique, one of New York's Frenchiest cafs - 911 7th Avenue. We did not get Petrossian's caviar proudly displayed in the windows - it's sitting on faux diamonds not ice. Nor did I buy these lovely Petrossian cups for a still life. Quelle triste. Instead we go to their tiny tea salon and get tea for two.

The staff sends us down to the front window to pick out desserts. Anne chose the gateau coulant au chocolat on the right.Miam miam!

I'm passionate for anything passion fruit since gobbling Pierre Herme's divine passion fruit macarons so I get the passion tarte on the right.

Competing desserts - an apple tarte.

A black berry thing. Too many choices.

Anne, ever the discerning Parisien, inspects her dessert.

Ah ha! Success!

Anne is happy.

She tries to explain what 'coulant' is with sloopy hand gestures.

I guess wildly - a ski slope? a hill? a valley?

Getting nowhere fast.

I found out today that a gateau coulant au chocolat means MOLTEN CHOCOLATE!You can find a nice recipe at La Tartines

The "demise" of our desserts.

Anne, in true French fashion, leaves 1/2 uneaten.
While I as usual leave the crust and scoop out all the tart's innards...hmmm

Anne said when her Parisien friends come to visit, they all HAVE to go to Magnolia Bakery! They are just as in love with Cary and Sex in The City as we are.

Please visit Anne's blog, MesVitrines NYC if not to see how Anne manages to make New York windows look exactly like Paris windows. You'll never get never lost in tranlation at chez Anne.
MILLE FEUILLE
Comme le mille-pattes n'a pas mille pattes, le mille-feuille n'a pas mille feuilles. Mais Presque. Au minimum, le gateau vedette de notre patisserie hexagonal comport trois couches de pate feuilletee, deux de crème patissiere et une de glacage. Il aurait ete cree par Pierre Francois de la Varenne, auteur du Cuisinier Francois, en 1651, et perfectionne par Antonin Careme (1784-1833), le cuisinier de Tallyrand. Mais c'est en 1806 qu'un certain Rouget publie la recette du mille-feuille. Il faut ensuite attendre 1867 pour qu'un patissier de nom de Seugnot la propose a ses clients de la rue du Bac.
Le nom du gateau fait, bien sur, reference au nombre impressionnant de feuillets de pate qui le composent, resultant des six d'etalage et de pliage en trois necessaires a la confection du'une pate feuilletee dans les regles. Le nombre de feuillets reels attaint ainsi le chiffre, si l'on compte bien, de sept cent vingt-neuf! Pas tout a fait mille!
La recette du Café de la Paix, place de l'Opera, est mythique...et secrete. Le 500 feuilles >trouve-t-on parfois...ou careement plus riche: le "2,000 feuilles" de Pierre Herme. Moi je dis: faut tout gouter!