Mangez!

       What can be said about a nation famous for pastries which are 50% air? Genius! If you are lucky enough to have a French patisserie close by, as I am, then you can appreciate the advantage of serving some of their delectations in all their glory. If you think about it there are many occasions to avail yourself of this delightful resource such as breakfast, lunch, dinner and anytime in between. Do I exaggerate? Hardly. Not every selection is a desert load of sugar, confectioners and otherwise. Some of the croissants and brioches provide a wonderful foundation as accompaniments to a salad, as serving platforms for fruited preserves or as the foundation of a sandwich. If they also make bread then that opens up whole new avenues for enjoyment but that is really a boulangerie.

       It is hardly a coincidence that so much of the vocabulary of cooking, gastronomy, has French origins. The high priests of western cooking have traditionally been French and the cordon bleu has been their assignment of excellence. No one will deny that they have codified many worthy dishes, much to their eternal glory. Here is the modifier for some dishes described as using truffles: Financière, Maréchale, Périgord, Régence, Reine, Rossini, Royale, Suvarov and Zingara. That shaves it pretty fine indeed and that is just for truffles! The big and little tweaks that we appreciate so much in cooking are pretty much frowned upon by the standard bearers of French tradition.

       The fabulous expansion of the influence of world cuisine in recent years has been a tidal wave of novelty and experiment which has overtaken a lot of traditions. Have the French stood still through all of this? The answer is no. Change is hard. To embrace new cultures and new methods requires a bold unselfish commitment. Without trying to put too fine a point on it, I mention that the origin of the word chauvinism is in France.

They actually have not stood manning the barricades against assault by the forces of ‘mediocre’ modernity. In the cosmopolitan cities there are abundant examples of very fine new approaches to cooking. And yet there are some things that they get right and don’t require tinkering in my estimation. Your patisserie has just the thing to enliven any occasion and enchant your guests. Some arrays of pastry offerings are overwhelmingly beautiful, not to mention delicious. You may select petits fours, tartes, tartelettes, macarons, meringues, mille feuilles (also known as Napoleons), verrines or operas. The list goes well beyond these but they are the basics to expect at any self-respecting patisserie. There may also be the permutations of croissants and brioches with added fruit or chocolate but the basics should suffice to enhance your table, whether for a particular occasion or not.

      Part of your hospitality mission is to engender delight in a beautiful presentation and the use of any of these pastries is sure to make a special visual statement with a yummy payoff. Maybe the first day of summer is a good reason to celebrate! Why wait for Bastille day?

Still,

Celeste