Still Life: Placeholder with Baked Goods

For the next few weeks, AFIEP will be on vacation.  We're going to the West Coast, but bookending it with brief trips to Vermont.  We'll drive up today, hitting the Southern Vermont crafts fair in Manchester as well as the fave diner in Bennington; tomorrow we'll fly to Oakland from Burlington.  We enjoyed our Bay Area vacation last year so much that we decided to do it again.  An added bonus, of couse, is that the weather there is apparently hovering around 68 degrees and sunny, so that denizens of that zone are probably frolicking in the lovely summer weather rather than baking alive as we've been doing here in the east.  I'm packing a jacket or two for when the evenings get even cooler, hallelujah. 

As for the above pic (which I put in for you to have something pretty to look at while I'm gone), yes, even people who make homemade goodies all the time do frequent bakeries upon occasion.  As a matter of fact, some of us (and I'm not saying whom) are known for our inability to pass a likely bakery by.  This is actually a very good policy, especially when it's about a hundred degrees out.  As a matter of fact, I recommend that in such weather, that's exactly what you do.  Go into the nice air-conditioned bakery, try some free samples, and get some cakes or some tarts and some croissants and whatever else looks good.  Girls and boys, please avoid lighting your ovens when the mercury goes above ninety.  It's just not a pretty sight when your house heats up and everyone becomes more irritable than they already were.  Even if you're handing around freshly-baked something-or-other. 

The picture is actually from a few Saturdays ago when I was at the Union Square Greenmarket.  I noticed a shop across the way that was new to me.  There were artful gold letters above the door which said Tisserie.  "Tisserie?"  I said to myself.  "As in RO-tisserie?"  But no, it was as in PA-tisserie.  So instead of a roasted chicken, I brought home the box of goodies pictured above as well as some croissants and pains chocolats and such.  The bakery is French-style, with some interesting South American resonances (apple pastelitos, for example), and has one other outpost in Venezuela.  The NY shop is their second shop.  Not everything is stellar, but the croissants were good, and that little oval cake filled with chocolate is excellent.  It's called a cats' eye, and it's a kind of almond pain de Gênes with a little pool of ganache in the center.  What could be bad? 

I may do a bit of blogging while we're gone, depending of course on internet access, time, inspiration, and inclination.  I do know of one post somewhat in advance -- but I wouldn't want to spoil it for you.  Let's just say that another installment of "Meetings with Remarkable Bloggers" may be coming your way soon...

 

Comments

[sam]

but it is FREEZING here now!
good luck with your travels
see you on monday
sam

[Bakerina]

Oh, my dear,

Leave it to me to get kicked to the curb by circumstance this week, and thus not thank you once again, both for hosting me during Blogathon and for your very sweet recap of the evening. We didn't do you a proper bon voyage, either. So I will merely ask that you say hello and blow kisses to the remarkable bloggers for me, and to get ready for some good victuals when you get home. :)

[Zarah Maria]

Have a great trip Julie!:-)

[Lindy]

Have a great trip. Envy. Looking forward to your reports from away.

[jenjen]

have fun trip!
That tisserie loot looks amazingly delicious, especially that opera cake!