Movable Feast

Pierre Herme Desires - 2005 Autumn/Winter Collection

Pierre Herme launched the Autumn/Winter Collection of his 2005 Desires line this past Thursday. In an unprecedented move since he started the revolutionary cake-/cat-walk in 1999, PH previewed his coveted sweets to the worldwide press not in Paris but Tokyo the preceding Monday.

On opening day, Clotilde and I diligently tasted four of the latest creations: the Dune, an Emotion Mahogany, the Instant, and a Plenitude macaron. On Saturday I went back with friends Liz and Leah and we had one other new item: the Emotion Orientale. Lest you fear we were deprived, we also had the classic Ispahan, Plenitude, a macaron with milk chocolate and passionfruit - which Leah declares as "the perfect fruit", the olive oil and vanilla macaron, and Jeffrey Steingarten's favourite white truffle and hazelnut macaron - just back in season.

Both days we set up our precision mobile pastry-tasting unit at the sidewalk tables of Cafe de la Mairie - the legendary low-key Left Bank literary cafe - which you may also remember as an Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations location. A drink buys you a prime patch of Paris real-estate for as long as you like.

Below is a snapshot tour of the new pieces available last week in the flagship boutique on rue Bonaparte - handily flagged with the season's signature blue. As always you can click on each photo to enlarge.

Above is the Surprise Yu. The official description says it's "crisp meringue, stewed and raw apples with yuzu, mousseline cream with yuzu."
And the official Pierre Herme tasting notes say it's "a cake like bonbon that contrasts tartness and sweetness. The acid taste of the apples is reinforced by yuzu juice with bitter mandarin orange and lime. The slightly buttery taste of the cream competes elegantly with the crispy texture of the meringue."

Following, I'll list each new item by name, the official description, PH's tasting notes, and my own notes as applicable.

Enjoy.

Millefeuille Caramel: caramelised puff pastry, marscapone cream with caramel
PH: "A pastry chef's dream?...An exercise in provocation?...the crunchy quality of the puff pastry and the creaminess of the caramel cream unite in this outrageously delectable caramel treat."

Emotion Orientale: creme brulee with gingerbread, tender fruits and dates simmered in tea, lemon gelee
PH: "A colorful palette of tastes: dried or candied fruits, oranges, apricots, dates simmered in tea awakened by a touch of lemon gelee, followed by the final spicy note of creme brulee to prolong the pleasure of the taste experience."
LC: The top cover looks like foam but it's actually a thin, crispy wafer. Nice trick of the eye.. Spoon down deep and come up with tart, clean wobbly gelee - beautiful contrast to the warm tones and textures beneath. I loved that Leah loved this - because she adamantly said she's "not a pastry person"! Another convert...;)

Emotion Mahogany: stewed litchis, stewed mangoes, coconut dacquoise biscuit, marscapone cream with caramel
PH: "Exotic yet reassuring, this dessert composed of very distinctive flavors features caramel as a minor theme while giving free rein to fruit notes dominated by mango and litchi."
LC: Very reassuring with deep caramel flavour in soft marscapone. But sorry - I beg to differ - caramel is the major not minor player here. Enjoyable but the dacquoise and even fruit flavours not distinguishable, And those marshmallows - perfect consistency and coated in coconut powder for even more textural interest - fun but not cohesive - they keep tumbling off. How are you supposed to get your spoon through those roadblocks? Nice but is it the dessert that was intended?

Dune: pistachio dacquoise biscuit, light pistachio cream, praline with roasted corn kernels
PH: "A great cake with the powerful aromas of dried fruit and roasted, torrified corn. The spotlight is on bitter almond, pistachio, praline and corn. A cake that generates sensations, at once moist, tender and crisp."
LC: The one I wanted to try the most. Corn might sound off-putting but from its taste it could be one of the most successful for Americans. The corn comes in the form of crispy bits of puffed caramelised corn - Corn Pops crossed with Sugar Smacks! With its stark appearance and minimalist meringue shards, it's like a sophisticated adult with a secret inner child. I want this one again soon.

Tarte Mogador: shortcrust pastry, milk chocolate and passionfruit ganache, roasted pineapple, flourless chocolate biscuit
PH: "An elegant, sophisticated tart with complex, acidulated fruit tastes. While chocolate predominates, a concentrated pineapple note is heightened by a veil of spices, while the passion fruit is softened by the smooth fullness of the caramel."

Instant:  Earl Grey tea gelee, ganache flavoured with tea, chocolate mousse and tender chocolate biscuit
PH: "The powerful dark chocolate ganache is 'refreshed' with Earl Grey tea (steeped when cold to prevent tannins from forming) and its gelee an acidulated note. The intense, fleeting notes of a pleasure that is all lightness."
LC: Second most desired Desire item. Looks so aggressively modern but the flavours are so mild and texture too familiar. The gelee's on the top interior layer and just gets lost under the chocolate shell. I told Clotilde that it was like getting into a Ferrari and discovering that it drives like a Volvo - sedan. Good, reliable but tricked me with that flashy look. I do really want to know how it's constructed though...

Macaron Plenitude: chocolate macaron biscuit, chocolate ganache, caramel and chocolate chips with fleur de sel
PH: "Heads or tails...Is it chocolate with caramel or caramel with chocolate? A macaron for contrast and simplicity."
LC: I'm so utterly disappointed. The Plenitude - which debuted with 2003's Kawaii line - is my very favourite PH item. It's dense, rich, chocolatey, creamy, and crispy - with those beautiful dark chocolate shards - offset by the single piece of white chocolate. This had none of that restrained complex elegance. It's again, quite good as it is but if you're calling it a Plenitude, I don't get it. Perhaps if the ganache were thicker and more elastic?

Also released but unavailable opening day:

Mr. H Mogador: lemon biscuit, passionfruit gelee, milk chocolate ganache and passionfruit
PH: "This taste experience starts when you bite into the milk chocolate shell, with its sweet flavors and brittle texture. Next comes the soft texture and fruity acidity of the passionfruit gelee inside the cake. The contrast between flavors and textures makes this Mr. H not only delicious but fun to eat."

Cake Sarah: green tea biscuit, candied chestnuts, passionfruit gelee
PH: "The biscuit flavoured with green tea contributes a dominant bitter note balanced by the sweetness of the candied chestnut. The powerful acidity of the passion fruit gelee is projected on to a background of chlorophyll notes."

Truffes Nature (Plain Truffles): bitter chocolate ganache coated with cocoa
PH: "A powerful dark chocolate aroma enhanced by the bitterness of cacoa powder. A truffle made for true connoisseurs."

Truffes au Praline (Pralineed Truffles): praline ganache coated with cocoa
PH: "A dark chocolate full of character with, inside, tender praline ganache."

Garance: candied fig paste, chocolate raspberry ganache with cinnamon, coated with dark chocolate
PH: "When the fig's tenderness and texture blend with the snap of acidity contributed by the raspberry, the intensity of the dark chocolate reaches its peak."

Glace Plenitude (Plenitide Ice Cream): chocolate ice cream, chocolate chips with pure unrefined salt, caramel ice cream made with lightly salted butter and caramel bits.
PH: "An ice cream with the powerful flavors of chocolate with caramel...or perhaps we should say caramel with chocolate?"

For release early October: Truffes au Chocolat au Lait et The Vert Matcha (Milk Chocolate and Matcha Green Tea Truffles)

For release December 10th: Wild Rose & Chestnut Macaron, Buche Dune, Buche Azur, Buche Sarah, Buche Ispahan, Buche Plenitude, Buche Envie. PH is already accepting orders for all of the buches.

Pro PCs, you can learn how to make your own through Pierre Herme's professional classes at the Ferrandi school in Paris. There are still places available for the this year's "Noel et Fetes de fin d'Annee" (October 3-5) "Macarons, Fours Secs et Gateaux de Voyage" (October 6-7), and November's "Best Of" (November 16-18).

Even more new items are coming for the New Year - but for those you'll have to wait. What's desire without a tease?

Pierre Herme
72 rue Bonaparte
Paris 6th
01 43 54 47 77

185 rue Vaugirard
Paris 15th
01 47 83 89 96
(Both Paris locations open Tuesday to Sunday 10AM to 7PM, Saturday to 7:30PM)

The New Otani
4-1 Kioi-Cho, Chitoda-Ku
Tokyo
03-3221-7252

319 Ikspiari 1-4 Maihama
Uraysu-shi, Chiba-Ken

La Porte Aoyama
1F-2F
5-51-8 Jingumae, Shibuya-Ku
Tokyo
03-5485-7766

Atelier de Formation a la Haute Patisserie Pierre Herme
Ecole Ferrandi
28 rue de l'Abbe Gregoire
Paris 6th
Contact: Karine Rousseau
01 49 54 28 96
krousseau@ccip.fr

Previous Pierre Herme posts:
Pierre Herme & Hot Live Girls
Pierre Herme Classics
Pierre Herme Buches de Noel 2004 - the Photos
Pierre Herme Buches de Noel 2004 - and East Does Not Meet West

Let Them Eat Cake - at Xavier Le Quéré

Marie-Antoinette didn't say it - but it's fun to think that she did - in that we-can-look-back-at-it-now-and-laugh kind of way. I didn't plan to eat cake today - Bastille Day - but I discovered a beautiful new pastry shop - all of 14 days old - so I did.

I was running the gauntlet down rue Mouffetard - La Mouffe - known more for its touristy street market, sidewalk cafes, and crepe and panini stands - when I was stopped dead in my tracks by a glimpse of a gleaming huge display case standing square and center inside a sleek, stark space.

I walked around mesmerised - heavy white pots filled with chocolate cream, housemade peach and verbena preserves, fat handmade marshmallows tumbling off tropical fruited cakes. What was this place? And the kitchen was clearly visible through glass walls at the back.

And then I did a double-take at the prices - make that a triple. With the shop's passing resemblance to Pierre Herme and Fauchon, I'd guessed close to that level of pricing. But a tarte sablee a la fraise - golden butter-rich sweet crust crowned with radiant summer strawberries - only 1.95E. And the creme de chocolat? Only 2.50E. Including the pot. That's less than some nothing-special neighborhood patisserie - not that you'd find a pot de creme chocolat in a modern ceramic pot there. What was this place?

I asked the chef-coated guy filling the case - turns out he's the namesake chef himself - Xavier Le Quéré. He was last the Pastry Chef to the Prime Minister and previously to Christian LeSquer - now Chef at the Michelin three-star Ledoyen here in Paris - and whom I'd met at my Cordon Bleu graduating class dinner. They'd earned two stars together at the InterContinental's former restaurant Opera. I commented on how I thought getting the second star was in a way harder than the third. He asked where I worked - then kindly invited me back to see the kitchen. His philosphy - transparence.

First he plated up a Rocher - his creation with a flourless chocolate cake base, topped with a cube of hazelnut mousse, garnished with a caramelised hazelnut crumble and all enrobed in chocolate. He added a scoop of vanilla bean-flecked ice cream - sold by the cone and pot - for good measure. The rectangular plate - which looks a lot like the Bernardaud ones at the Crillon - he sells as well - small for only 3 euros, big for 5. They're loaded with pastries - sold separately of course - which he presents in clear plastic box wrapped with a narrow pale green vellum band.

I spooned into the Rocher, softly revealing its hidden layers of pale mousse and even darker cake, and picked up a few fallen pieces of crumble. The rich chocolate cake was balanced by the creamy mousse with a hint of nuttiness, offset by the buttery, crunchy crumble - and none of it was overly sweet. I asked what kind of chocolate they used. Valrhona. How can they afford to use Valrhona! And looking around the kitchen, they had every state-of-the-art, top-of-the-line gadget and appliance - including a bank of satellite-monitored KOMA blast freezers.

Miraculously he's doing all the production with only one assistant. We commiserated about long hours - they work roughly first Metro to last - that's a brutal 6AM to midnight. But they still were excited to show me their sous-vide sacs of ripe peaches - cooked in vapour in their combi-oven - and to happy to stop and smell the fresh lemony verbena.

Here's the chef keeping a watchful eye on a his plated pastries.

Their website is currently under construction. Clients will be able to order online - or ogle from afar - minimum purchases will be eligible for delivery for only 5 euros - within Paris only.

Xavier Le Quéré
121 rue Mouffetard
75005 Paris
Phone 01 58 10 00 32
Fax 01 58 10 01 70

Open 10:00 to 20:00. Closed Mondays.

Closed 01 to 20 August 2005 for their summer vacation - and do they deserve it.

Krispy Kreme - Off the Menu

At the risk of compromising my on-going, clandestine (klandestine?) Krispy Kreme operation, after reading recent odes to the Original Glazed by both Clotilde, on Chocolate & Zucchini, and Adam, The Amateur Gourmet, I'm compelled to divulge my Krispy Kreme secret - I order off the menu. How? Why? The "how" might be complicated - I hear it's actually forbidden in some locations. It may require targeting a susceptible doughnut operative - or slowly developing a relationship of trust. And why? Because - as always - I'm testing the boundaries of gastronomy it's fun and it tastes and feels really good.

Here's what I do. First, I only go to Krispy Kreme when the Hot Light is on - never when it's not. There are too many calories in play to waste them on a cold Original Glazed. Then, I park the car - yes, I actually walk inside - I know that not going through a drive-thru is borderline un-American, but yes - I repeat - I park the car and walk inside. Because I know it's inside where one receives a free, hot Krispy Kreme Original Glazed to sample. Like any good dealer, the first taste's free my friend. Next, I order - always at least one dozen - a few OG's, a couple of the extra-special-limited-edition-featured-doughnut - currently it's a visually appealing but rather disappointing Cookies & Cream - er, Kreme - and a few assorted to round out the dozen.

And then I veer off menu. It's then that I order unglazed Originals - with a cup of glaze on the side.

Occasionally I get the resistant counterperson - who whines, "We can't do that," typical troublesome FOH/Front Of the House style. But after a few words with the doughnut cook manning the doughnut-making machine - the laidback BOH/Back Of the House - I can see that spark - that common bond amongst all cooks - that says, "Yes, let us play with our food today."

At this moment they will skillfully pluck a few unglazed Originals off the conveyor belt - after the bath of hot oil and before the waterfall of glaze - with a long plastic stick deftly threading through the hole. They will then take a small coffee cup and carefully fill it with said warm white lavaflow.

I pay, rush over to the nearest table, open my treasure chest, then position the warm cup of glaze. I pull out a hot unglazed doughnut - tear off a morsel - dunk one curving end into the glistening glaze - raise my prize in honour to my Krispy Kreme kitchen comrade - usually watching curiously at this point from behind the glass wall - and then bite. I have all the warm sweet crisp softness of an Original Glazed - but to my own measured taste.

I do like the Original Glazed just fine - though I understand the critics who say it's too sweet. This offers perhaps an alternative. But for me it's a multi-sensory pleasure unto its own.

If you do attempt to order off the menu, I ask for your discretion. I know I took a chance in telling you this, but like all good food, it's best shared with friends.

Pierre Herme Classics

Pierre Herme currently offers 10 flavours in small macarons. The white one on top is his most infamous classic flavour - white truffle with grilled hazelnuts.

The Ispahan.

And La Cerise sur le Gateau - the Cherry on the Cake. Hazelnut dacquoise; thin milk chocolate shavings; lightly sweetened whipped cream; milk chocolate ganache; topped with a stemmed, candied cherry on the cake.

Yes, the buches will be gone within the next 24 hours or so - until next year. I hope this provides some consolation - and reassurance.

Pierre Herme Buches de Noel 2004 - the Photos

Buche Ispahan: rose-flavoured macarons; raspberries; rose cream with lychee; white chocolate; fresh rose petals, each with a single glucose dew drop.

Buche Aztec: chocolate macarons; meusli butter crust; orange and balsamic vinegar jelly; flourless chocolate cake; chocolate mousse with fleur de sel.

Buche Sarah: chestnut macaron pastry; cream of candied chestnuts; matcha green tea cream; passionfruit compote. Candied chestnuts are called marrons glacés in French. They're a holiday delicacy - traditionally individually wrapped in gold foil.

Buche Plenitude: dark chocolate macaron pastry; fleur de sel chocolate; bitter chocolate mousse; chocolate ganache; crisp caramel bits; garnished with dark chocolate and one single white chocolate shard.

Buche Envie: dacquoise; crushed, grilled almonds; cassis compote; violet and vanilla flavoured cream; garnised with fruit rouges and candied violets.

Buche Azur: dark chocolate ganache with lime. I don't have my Pierre Herme catalog with me - so I don't know what the other elements are here. Will add them as soon as I can.

Merry Christmas from me to you.

Pierre Herme Buches de Noel 2004 - and East Does Not Meet West

I spent the day criss-crossing the city - scouting locations for Tony - or rather Anthony Bourdain's Top Secret Paris Project. Along the way I just had to stop into Pierre Herme - his new buches de Noel just hit the stores yesterday - buches de Noel just being the French name for those familiar Christmas log cakes. He has six out this season - but only four were in the store. They expect to get the other two maybe today - but they didn't know yet.

The four I saw were the Buche Envie - dacquoise - a crispy-crusted meringue; with crushed, grilled almonds, a compote of cassis - those pleasantly slightly bitter round red berries; vanilla cream delicately perfumed with violet - that's purple prose translated from the catalogue; decorated with "fruit rouges" - literally red fruit - which is a common general term used for strawberries, raspberries, cassis, etc.; and he had some candied violets sprinkled across too.

He also has a Buche Ispahan - based on one of his most famous pastries - the Ispahan. It's a fancy cookie sandwich - two big pink rose-flavoured macarons - macarons are big round delicate cookies that have the texture of a very good underdone brownie; those sandwich a ring of raspberries around edge; with a hidden heart of rose cream - studded with morsels of the lychees - the French love lychee and love pairing it with rose; and it's decorated with a single perfect red rose petal - with a faux dew drop - made with a dot of clear glucose. The Ispahan buche has all of the above elements - but in the shape of a buche/log. Pierre Herme will also have an Ispahan galette des roi for the first time too this season - available starting January 2nd. I'll explain more on the whole galettes des rois deal later - just know that it's a pastry had the first Sunday in January - puff pastry usually filled with almond cream AND a hidden prize - my kind of food.

They also had the Buche Plenitude - based on one of my favourites of his works - because it's so beautifully chocolate. Dark chocolate macaron; crushed fleur de sel chocolate - fleur de sel being the most prized type of French salt for its delicate crystals; bitter chocolate mousse; chocolate ganache - think thick chocolate frosting; and crisp caramel bits. I thought this one was the most stunning - of the four so far - decorated like the Plenitude - with irregular, wafer-thin shards of dark chocolate - with the occasional puncuation of a white chocolate shard. When he first released the Plenitude - in Winter 2002 - I happened to be walking through the Champ de Mars - the big park in front of the Eiffel Tower - and noticed a frozen over pond - that had just started to crackle - and I thought this must have been his inspiration. It really captures that pristine random natural beauty.

The last one in today - the Buche Aztec. It's a muesli butter crust; with a gelee of oranges and balsamic vinegar; flourless chocolate cake; and chocolate mousse studded with crushed fleur de sel chocolate. Don't get all freaked out by the balsamic vinegar - it's very reduced and adds a subtle but complex sweet-tart note.

All of the buches are available in 3/4 person size - for 30 euros; and 6/8 for 52E.

Before I left I got one of each of his infamous small macarons - 10 total for about 13 euros - they're 68E/kilo - a bit of a heart-attack but really a small price to pay for pure pleasure.

Afterwards, I trekked down to old Chinatown - in the 13th - which by the way they curiously call Chinatown and not Ville de Chine or something else French. At Tang Freres - the biggest grocery store down there - the Cantonese-speaking cashier asked me about my Pierre Herme shopping bag. They are some of the most beautiful shopping bags in the world - thick paper patterned with teardrop cutouts and heavy corded handles. She'd never heard of the place.

On my way home to the 7th - I had people gawking at my Tang Freres shopping bags - bright yellow plastic emblazoned with red Chinese characters. And geez - I only had two. I hear from so many French friends how they've heard of the place = but never venture down there - and I guess this was further proof.

I promise to post pics ASAP.

Pierre Herme
72, rue Bonaparte
75006 Paris
01 43 54 47 77

185, rue Vaugirard
75015 Paris
01 47 83 89 96

Tang Freres
48, ave Ivry
75013
01 45 70 80 00
www.tang-freres.fr