Monday, February 15, 2010

Day Five: Chausson aux Pommes, Le fournil de Pierre

Quels Horreurs! Our international alarm clock malfunctioned this morning, setting an hour back at some point during the night and thus waking us up at 8:20, rather than 7:20! Yours truly, Wonder Woman, still managed to pack all three Davidson-Rothmans out of the house (with both breakfast AND lunch for Josie) by 8:40 and deliver our little musical prodigy to school by 9:03.

That put me, however, in the 15eme unshowered, unfed and un-caffeinated at 9:04. There was rien to do but head to the organic boulangerie on Rue de Commerce. Thus today's pastry is actually my breakfast, a very healthy Chausson aux Pommes. (poor photo quality due to the fact that this is taken with my iPhone under fluorescent lighting!)

Let me preface this review with my general take on organic bakeries. I don't know what the standards are for making baked goods "bio" in France but they generally take whatever the original product was and stomp it into the (windpower-irrigated, composted, biodynamic) ground. It took us several trips to our Sunday bio market's bakery stand to learn our lesson. Generally the baguettes are as hard as rocks, the croissants taste like particleboard and the quiches are limp and, well, tres triste.

Both of the boulangeries within spitting distance of Josie's maternelle are bio, so I chose the one by which I had not been already disappointed, Le fournil de Pierre. And to assuage my guilt at having pastry for breakfast I went for a fruit option: in this case the Chausson aux Pommes (apple slipper). I have tried these at various breakfast outings and they have always reminded me of Hostess Apple Pies (in a good, comforting Dad-got-us-sugary-treats-after-swim-class way). This morning I am particularly famished, so probably not the most sublte palate in the quartier, but I have to say I am pleasantly surprised by the pastry's buttery, flaky outside as well as its quite tender, fresh appley insides. Paired with a "creme" (cafe au lait), it nearly makes up for the morning's hectic start. Nearly.

I may have to retract my general dismissal of organic boulangeries/patisseries. Call me "Cendrillon": Le fournil de Pierre's slipper fits quite nicely.

1 comment:

  1. Beth, I am so in love with this project! Keep it going. My mouth is watering and I would love to be in the tea room of Dallyou with you. Enjoy.

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