Seattle: Maximilien Restaurant has Spectacular View of Puget Sound

When I was still in Michigan, I made a reservation at Maximilien Restaurant in Seattle for the Saturday just after I returned. It was to celebrate being together for the second half of the summer and put us right in the heart of the Seattle waterfront and Pike Place Market.

There is a large rooftop garden adjacent to Maximilien's patio and the public is welcome to explore, take pictures and admire the view from up there.

There are vegetables growing, flowers blooming and a smattering of kooky art installations.

You must stop and see this beautiful outdoor patio before having a lovely French meal.

We both ordered French Onion soup, a summer halibut dish and an icy drink. I think this would be a wonderful place to enjoy a cheese plate, fresh bread and a bottle of wine. Bon appetit!

#pikeplacemarket #maximilienrestaurant #seattle #seattleblogger #foodandwine #cigarboxpurse #makersgonnamake

Making the Perishable Permenant: Photograph Your Bouquets

I bought this stunning bouquet of tulips on April 27, 2015. I loved it then and I love it now - proof that my concept of using photography to "make the perishable permenant" is part of living a delightful life. 

It may be snowing here east of Seattle, but I can enjoy these parrot tulips all day long.

Palm Beach Gardens: Paris in Town restaurant

It was the perfect spot for a girly lunch. Who can resist a crepe? My aunt was in town for Easter and suggested that we peel away from the large group for a couple of hours and have lunch. 

With my mom and her sister in the car, I headed toward our favorite place for lunch in Palm Beach Gardens: Paris in Town, located at Downtown at the Gardens.  This lovely little bistro has outdoor seating and we chose a table with a nice breeze in the shade. 

Look at our magnificent lunch! They chose French Onion soup and a Quiche Lorraine, each with a small salad, and I had a Ham & Swiss crepe. Ooh la la, as they say. 

Paris in Town is a quiet restaurant with a menu full of your French favorites. I often suggest it when I want a cafe au lait and something wonderfully sweet in the afternoon.

My cousin came to the area for the first time in years and when she called, she said she found a cute place that I had to try. It was Paris in Town's other location called the cafe on US1 and PGA Blvd. I told her she had found a gem.

Northwest Flower and Garden Show: Viva la France

The Northwest Flower and Garden Show...a French influence. Today I will highlight the booths and displays with a decidedly French feel. 

I was so happy to see Woodinville Lavender at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show in Seattle. I spent a lovely afternoon there last June when the fields were in full bloom and it looks just as beautiful as their poster - breathtaking. I was also impressed with the extensive selection of lavender products in their shop and vowed to come back to the farm to purchase even more. Lucky for us, they brought the store and more to the garden show. Sachets, tea, culinary lavender, soap and even an array of lavender-themed dishtowels, porcelain mugs and books. Look at the table (below) brimming with live lavender plants. 

Every garden deserves as touch of ooh-la-la and lavender provides it.

Rose Marie Designs' booth was teeming with women imagining themselves in lace-trimmed dresses, fabric flower coursages and white-on-white ensembles. The effect of white parasols and fairy lights drew women to her booth like moths to a flame. Gardeners love beauty and Rose Marie has it.

My husband actually saw this booth of fine French linens first and waited to see my reaction as I came upon it.  Be still my heart.  If I remember correctly many were made by Garnier Thiebaut and all of them were of the highest quality. It is times like this that I curse myself for not logging my kitchen and dining room table dimensions into my phone. The image above is the display of dishtowels - I recognized several that I have and several that I have been coveting. 

Honestly a girl needs to be warned before she is faced with such a selection. I did not expect to find French linens at a Flower and Garden Show, but they are certainly welcome in my book. The booth was named MD Arts and Linens, but unfortunately the referenced website (www.provencedecor.com) is not active, so I can't send you to his shop. Come back to the show next year? You bet!

Caramel Coated Cream Puffs: A Croquembouche Deconstructed

I ate. I swooned. I asked where I could get more cream puffs.  

Last fall, my friend showed up at my door with the top tier of a croquembouche. Have you ever seen a croquembouche? The name comes from the French phrase that means to crunch in the mouth. A croquembouche is a glorious tower of cream puffs dipped in a hard caramel shell. 

My first exposure to croquembouche was watching a Martha Stewart Christmas VHS tape when I was in high school. Yes, it was way back when. The video was compelling and I have never forgotten how Martha made it look easy to waft spun sugar onto the tower of cream puffs. You can watch a portion of it here - the construction of the dessert begins at time marker 4:20.

Until last fall, I had never had the opportunity to taste a croquembouche and the "cream puffs" I had tried were merely puff pastry shells with flavored whipped cream inside. Meh.

Then my friend stopped by and told me that she had brought me a treat from a party the night before. Her friend had ordered an enormous croquembouche from Le Petit Prince for the centerpiece of a buffet and it had been treated more like art than dessert. She sent the entire top of the tower home with my friend. French pastries wait for no man and you have to eat them while they are fresh. Twist my arm.

When I reached to pull a puff from the tower, I had no idea that I would think back to this dessert time and again. Rum spiked cream inside a tender puff coated in a crunchy caramel shell. Oh me, oh my. No wonder Martha Stewart took the time to make this for her video, it is delicious! Here is a recipe from Saveur magazine if you want to try it.

So the other day I broke down and called Le Petit Prince in Birmingham Michigan to ask about that glorious croquembouche. Is there anything similar that they make and sell separately?  I told them that I didn't have an event worthy of an entire tower, but that I really wanted to eat a puff again! If I'm thinking about a dessert 6 months later, I've got to have it again. I was thrilled to hear that the puffs are sold individually and I ordered a dozen on the spot. Happy Valentine's Day to us.

It may seem outrageous to order a dozen French pastries on a whim, but I'll tell you why I did it. 

#1 A business that makes labor intensive dessert needs support. 
#2 If I'm going to ask them to make a special order, the order need to be worth      their while. A dozen made sense.  
#3 Life is for living.

 Remember, it's the 12 Days of Valentine's Day and everything counts

Seattle: The Lavender Heart in Madison Valley

I chose this photo of lavender heart-shaped soaps to introduce my post on a delightful shop in the Madison Valley area of Seattle.  The Lavender Heart is a French-inspired gift shop featuring everything from French mustard and truffle salt to gorgeous coffee table cookbooks and lavender sachets.

I love this store and find the owner, Holly, so friendly and interesting that I always talk to her more than I focus on shopping! This last visit I was under strict "weight restrictions" for our luggage, so I soothed myself with a small purchase of LePaludier grey sea salt, for my salt collection.

Holly's shop has beautiful magazine-worthy displays and her inventory is unique and thoughtful. I have seen shop-after-shop in my travels, and the selection of French products and touches at The French Heart is unrivaled. Pick any item in the store and ask Holly about it - it's fun to hear the who/what/when/where and why of the product and why she chose it for the shop.  I plan to work my way around the store, buying some of the beautiful culinary choices that I have never seen before, like drinking balsamic.  I can't wait to try it.

The Lavender Heart also offers French antiques, beautiful cards, artwork and design touches to add interest to your home. I know you are going to love it here.  A shop full of delights on Madison Street.

City Series: Dallas: Rise No.1 Souffle

My friend, Carol, was full of good ideas for how to spend our day together in Dallas.  When we were standing in a recreation of the Bush Oval Office, she mentioned that she hoped we'd have time to get souffles later that afternoon. I always have time for a souffle!

We walked into Rise No.1 on a quiet afternoon intending to catch up over a coffee and dessert souffle.  We ended up ordering a light meal, which became the culinary highlight of my trip to Dallas.

It started when the waitress mentioned their Rise No.1's famous "Marshmallow Soup."  Carol urged me to be hungry because she thought I would really like this creamy tomato and carrot soup with 3 perfect goat cheese souffles floating on top.  

When it came, I was struck by how much they really do look like marshmallows.  The soup was creamy, but not rich and had a depth of flavor that still has me puzzling, how did they do it?  I am the salt police and often find dishes to be heavy handed.  No, this soup was perfect - probably the best I have had in the cream category.  Rise No.1's Marshmallow Soup comes with a tiny pitcher of pesto oil to drizzle on top.  I tried it, but found the spongy goat cheese souffles were just the right complement to the soup - it didn't need anything else. It was magnifique. 

We rounded out our meal with a small "Rise No.1 Salad" (baby greens, roasted pecans, matchstick-cut Granny Smith apples and blue cheese - optional) dressed with a Pecan Vinaigrette in which I detected notes of vanilla.  I ate every bite.

Near the entrance (and within view of our table) was a beautiful display of French dishtowels for sale.  Aren't they lovely?  My favorite thing about French dishtowels is the imaginative and happy color combinations.  Orange, aqua and plum.  Red and bright pink.  Taupe, apricot and purple.  If I hadn't "organized" my dish towel collection lately and seen for myself just how many I have (forty? I might actually have 40), I would have bought myself one on the spot. They were gorgeous.

The restaurant has a very French-feeling sink area just outside the restrooms that is surprisingly beautiful.  The dim lighting, lavender-scented soap and basket of French linens to dry your hands gives a charming farmhouse feel to the area.  Never underestimate the power of a linen hand towel to make an impression.

Yes, we had dessert too.  Carol had a Tarte au Fruit (apple) and I sat cross-legged in the middle of this Chocolate Souffle, complete with chocolate sauce to pour inside.  Yum yum yum.

Linger is a good word to sum up our afternoon at Rise No.1 souffle and wine bar in Dallas, Texas.  Carol and I talked and talked and talked.  It was wonderful to reconnect - how can it be 5 years since we first met in a cooking class in Paris?  We picked up right where we left off and it was so much fun.  I must get back to Dallas...and quick!

A Pastry on Your Time

When I see a pastry like this and know that the baker must have been up late the night before baking them, I have a hard time resisting.  Blueberries were in season and this simple shortbread crust masterpiece had to be mine.  It was made by Pleasanton Brick Oven Bakery in Traverse City and sold at the Sara Hardy Farmers Market.

What's funny is that while I took this beautiful photo to show you, I actually ate it "on the fly" over two days.  A bite when I passed by it on the way to do laundry; another bite as I headed back to take a shower.  Then I covered it and put it in the fridge.  The next day it was much of the same.  A bite here and there until it was finished and I enjoyed every bit of it.  

It became like a box of 6 chocolates, that I ate over time. Do you know what I mean?  Sometimes when you each a gorgeous dessert stem-to-stern, you talk and chew and miss how delicious it is.  Every time I took a bite and moved on, I was happy that I had splurged on a blueberry tart.  You don't always need embroidered napkins and monogrammed silver to eat something this beautiful. Enjoy it in a way that works for you. 

I made the immediate gratification of a French pastry last.  That is delight!

Las Vegas: Bouchon

The theme? Pretending we were in France.  

Dan and I had reservations at chef Thomas Keller's Bouchon (within The Venetian Resort) in Las Vegas and were looking forward to a simple and delicious bistro meal.  

Five years earlier, we had come specifically for Bouchon's Steak Frites (Steak Frites: Roasted flat iron steak, caramelized shallots, maître d’hôtel butteror sauce Béarnaise served with French fries) and fond memories of our wonderful meal brought us back. 

Wine was served with a dish of pistachios and loaf of bread called an "epi."  
Here's a quick video I found on YouTube to showcase how an epi is cut before baking to create this classic French loaf.  It has a marvelous crust and is delicious with butter.

Dan ordered Gigot d’Agneau, roasted leg of lamb with sweet potato pain perdue, wilted Swiss chard, confit of chestnuts, spiced quince & lamb jus and a side of sauteed spinach.  I assure you, enjoyed every bite.  
   
I loved my Poulet Rôti, roasted chicken with caramelized savoy cabbage, forest mushrooms & whole grain mustard jus.  The cabbage and mushrooms were a nice addition to the perfectly roasted chicken.  Merci!

After dinner, we wandered through The Grand Canal Shoppes in the Venetian, window shopping and listening to the gondoliers singing to their passengers.

City Series: Las Vegas, Payard Patisserie

You ask if I just wandered Las Vegas tracking down all of the French masters?  Pretty much, but would you expect anything less?

On this particular day, I was focused on Francois Payard.  A friend in my book club gave me an autographed copy of his book, Simply Sensational Desserts and I have been swooning over the recipes for months.

This heavenly display was at the Payard Patisserie and Bistro within Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas.  I arrived at lunchtime and ordered a Crepe Supreme (Chicken and Mushrooms in a Mornay Sauce).  It was made in front of my eyes (see below) at the cafe counter and it exceeded my expectations.  It was divine, truly. 

I walked around inside Caesar's Palace, the pool area and down into the large gallery of shops - it was fun to browse inside a Judith Leiber handbag shop - I saw all of these $5,000 purses in person - my pick? The Beehive. 

After an hour, I wandered back to Payard and tried 2 of his homemade ice creams - pistachio and tres leches.  I was hot and cool ice cream sounded wonderful.  I enjoyed them, but looking back at my photographs, I can see now that I should have tried the pear millefeuille (shown in the center).  Next time!  

City Series: Las Vegas, A Little Paris

Sweet, no?  I had to stop by the hotel, Paris Las Vegas, while I was in town.  You can't drive by the Eiffel Tower all week and not go in, at least for a croissant, right?  The shopping area is cobbled streets, false storefronts and as you can see, the ceiling is painted like the sky.  It really is neat and a fun place to stroll after dinner.  I found the casino, which is directly behind me in this photo, to be not too loud or smokey, so this stroll was very pleasant.  The shops here used to sell authentic French merchandise (dishes, tea towels, mustards and such) but I didn't see anything in the shops worth visiting.  If you come, make sure it is for a sweet treat and casual stroll, then you will not be disappointed. 

When we were in the cab heading back from the Stratosphere, the cab driver knew where I wanted to go, but was urging me to stop and see the new Cosmopolitan Hotel instead.  I appreciated his enthusiam, but I told him, "You can never talk a girl out of Paris."  Ha!

City Series, Houston: Criossant Brioche

Ooh la la.  Take me for a lunch inspired by France and I am happy!  When shopping in Rice Village, we only had to read the sign "Croissant Brioche" to know that we were destined to have our lunch there.

Quiche, jambon et fromage on a baguette, fresh green salads with nut-oil vinaigrette - we were in heaven.  We could choose anything from the case to accompany our entree and I was completely happy with this luscious apple pastry.  Bon appetit!

French Pastries

Do you love it?  I have placed some "Sweet Treats" decals by Graphique de France in my kitchen and it looks like I have spent the day putting my pastry skills to work!

I happen to have a 2-tier hot pink glass cake plate (doesn't everyone?) that I loaded with apples, lemons and clementines to extend the look into reality.  Neat, eh?  It really makes you stop and look when you walk into the kitchen.

Love it!  And since the red-wine poached pears looks so tempting, I want to direct you to a quick and easy poached pear recipe from Martha Stewart Everyday Food - they are delicous.

Doux & Delicat

Isn't this pretty tea packaging? My hotel in Paris gave us these herbal teas to try and I loved them on sight, strictly because of the packaging. Is that so wrong?

I want to shake hands with the person that proposed this color palette. It is very Laura Ashley meets House Beautiful and I love it! The one I am drinking today (center top) is Tilleul (Linden) which is described as doux & delicat (smooth & delicate).

My Petit Dejeuner Magnet

Do you remember when I showed you this super-sweet "Petit Dejeuner" magnet in a shop window in Paris?
My best friend and I were out to lunch at Nordstrom's when she handed me a box wrapped in pretty paper and tied with a bow. She got a sheepish look when I discovered that the box underneath was covered with postage marks and import stickers. When I opened the box and saw my precious magnet, my eyes welled up and I couldn't say a word. She had ordered it all the way from France for me. I cried, she laughed and her whole demeanor said, "Mission accomplished."
Thank you, Kim, you are magnifique!

And for Dessert?

How could we resist this dessert tray? You can always steal "a moment in France" by having lunch at PAUL. With over 360 locations worldwide, PAUL has expanded to the United States by opening 6 cafes in Florida.

My mom, aunt and I drank cappuccinos under a canvas umbrella on the patio and split the sugared almond torte on the bottom right.

Life is good.

Crafting with French Zing

Want to add a little french zing to your Fall wardrobe? It is as easy as knitting a scarf (Lion Brand Thick & Quick in garter stitch on size 13 needles) and adding a super-cool resin pin. 

 The secret? Choose an unusual color (Citron) and then make your own coordinating pin. Michaels is featuring a new brand of jewelry components called Fresh. 

Take one of their resin pendants ("Rectangle Purple Damask") and hot glue a pin back to it. Suddenly, your super-easy-but-in-a-fabulous- color-scarf has a coordinating damask print pin. 

You'll be so left bank!