Parisian Goodies pour la St-Valentin

31 January 2004 by Clotilde Dusoulier    1089  
Parisian Goodies pour la St-Valentin
What better place to celebrate Valentine’s Day than Paris? The light in February is gorgeous and the air crisp and elating. The weather, a little chilly, makes you want to cuddle up against your darling ; but there is also a good chance for a ray of sun, shy as it may be, and this warms the heart like nothing else.  Or rather, it warms the heart as much as something lovely and delicious, made especially pour la St-Valentin, and I have worked hard to select my favorite Valentine’s Day specials. A tough task indeed, but my sense of duty knows no bounds.  Featured in this article :– Pierre Hermé, le génie de la pâtisserie– Jean-Paul Hévin, la passion du chocolat– Boulangépicier, for a Valentine’s Day picnic– zChocolat, the best French chocolate, anytime, anywhere Pierre Hermé, le génie de la pâtisserie Surely you must have heard of pastry chef Pierre Hermé, our very own Picasso of Pastry : he creates new collections of pastries and macarons twice a year, adding to the fascinating array of his “classics”. He is very inventive and particularly talented for unusual flavor pairings. Tasting his pastries is a truly unique experience : an explosion of savors and textures, playing with each other, blending and whirling on the roof of your mouth. They are also beautiful, but in the sober and elegant way that shows he wouldn’t dream of sacrificing the taste for the look. And Pierre has a sweetie of his own, the talented cook Frédérick Grasser-Hermé, so he took it upon himself to create seasonal specials that would speak to the heart. In the beautiful rue Bonaparte boutique (do not be intimidated : step inside, the staff is very friendly), between the 10th and the 15th of February, you will have a chance to grace your loved one with boxed sets of two heart-shaped macarons. I particularly recommend the “Marron et Thé Vert Matcha” flavor, a delicate chestnut macaron, sprinkled with gold dust, filled with both chestnut cream and a luscious green tea cream.  Or maybe you will fall for one of the four cakes he makes in the shape of hearts, especially for the occasion : the green Coeur Sarah, a chestnut and green tea cake, or the red Coeur Rouge, a berry nougatine cake with lemon zests and a vanilla hibiscus cream, or the pink Coeur Ispahan, a macaron-like cake, flavored with rose petals, filled with raspberries and litchis. But my heart belongs to the Coeur Aztec, a quite breath-taking layered arrangement of muesli biscuit, orange and balsamic vinegar compote, flourless chocolate cake, and chocolate mousse with specks of fleur de sel. Each bite is a sensory firework, and really : doesn’t your sweetheart deserve at least that much?  Pierre Hermé72 rue Bonaparte75006 Paris01 43 54 47 77Tue-Sun 10am – 7pmBoxes of two macarons : 11 eurosHeart-shaped cakes : 16 to 50 euros, according to size(Photo courtesy of SOCREPA)  Jean-Paul Hévin, la passion du chocolat Jean-Paul Hévin is one of the best chocolatiers in Paris. A real passionate since an early age, he elaborates his chocolate confections with the care of an artist. He comes up with creations that surprise and delight, showcasing the best of ingredients, which he insists on tasting personally. His repertoire includes classic chocolate bites and ganaches, chocolates with ginger or nuts, chocolate spreads, truffles, lollipops, caramels and glazed chestnuts, chocolate bars of varying strengths and origins, as well as the incredible cheese-flavored chocolates, an appetizer your guests are sure to remember. For Valentine’s Day this year, Jean-Paul has created a new chocolate bite called “Coup de Coeur”, a passion fruit juice and chili pepper ganache in dark or milk chocolate, sweetly decorated with little hearts, the taste of which is complex and ravishing. He has also come up with a beautiful “Coeur en Dentelle de Chocolat”, a heart-shaped edible box made of chocolate lace and filled with all his best specialties. Delicately wrapped in blue satin paper and a light pink box, this is a real jewel and a true delight for chocolate lovers.  Jean-Paul Hévin23 bis avenue de la Motte-Picquet75007 Paris 01 45 51 77 48 Tue-Sat 10am-7:30pmLace heart : 6.20 to 80 euros according to sizeChocolate assortments : 7.40 to 114 euros according to size  Boulangépicier, for a Valentine’s Day picnic The Boulangépicier store, a.k.a. “Be”, opened in 2002 in Paris, and is owned by Alain Ducasse and Eric Kayser, the famous restaurant and bakery emperors. The name, as well as the concept, is a fusion of “boulanger” and “épicier” — baker and grocer. On the grocery front, they sell a range of gourmet goods (unusual spices, condiments, jams, chocolate, candy, pasta…), a small selection of organic produce and dairy products. On the bakery front, they sell the fantastic Kayser breads, made on the premises, an array of superb lunch items (soups, salads and sandwiches), as well as a few pâtisseries and desserts (tartlets, cookies, chocolate mousse, fruit salad…). For Valentine’s Day this year, they have developed the fantastic idea of a romantic-dinner-in-a-box, under the name of “la box St-Valentin”. Delightfully wrapped, the package includes a half bottle of rosé Champagne, mini brioches of foie gras and apple chutney, a prawn and ginger salad, a honey and spice duck magret with glazed vegetables, a heart-shaped baguette (and they make the best bread), a truly excellent heart-shaped chocolate tart and a chocolate lollipop to top it off with a wink.  My advice to you is : treat yourself to the Be box, buy a couple of candles, and stay in on the 14th. Spread a blanket on the floor of your living-room (or even more romantic, your hotel room), put on the soft music of your liking, wrap yourself in a shawl, eat with your fingers, and enjoy the most wonderful Valentine’s Day picnic of all times. Boulangépicier73 boulevard de Courcelles75008 Paris01 46 22 20 20Mon-Sat 8am-9pmBox St-Valentin for two : 80 euros zChocolat, the best French chocolate — anytime, anywhere I have saved this for last, because it will undoubtedly come to alleviate the grief of…
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By Clotilde Dusoulier