Delights From the City of Lights

This is another long-overdue post.  Much earlier in the summer, my cherished pal Ernestine, known in the comments section of this blog as Ernie, had herself a lovely fling visiting family in France.  Always one to share the wealth, she came back with all kinds of treats for her friends, among whom I'm clearly lucky to count myself.  After her return,  I met up with Ernie as well as our mutual and also delightful pal Andrea for a farmers' market excursion and lunch on a horrendously hot summer day.  As we desperately tried to restore our fluid balance and get in a little nutrition at 'wichcraft, I unpacked the seemingly never-ending bag of goodies that Ernie had brought me.  All I can say is if this is what she brought just for me, I can barely begin to imagine what her luggage must have looked like.  It's a good thing that she's both beautiful and charming, since a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do, especially when it comes to those stern customs officials. 

So, clockwise from the upper left-hand corner of what is not the world's clearest nor best photo, we have a gorgeous set of tiny mustards from Maille .  Continuing on, a pineapple-vanilla conserve from none other than Christine Ferber .  Long thin Carambar candies are a delight to any lover of chewy, caramel treats -- and some of them have (or I should say, had) a nougat center.  A beautiful bag of violet-flavored hard candy is next, and then something I have absolutely never seen -- sugar in lemon and violet flavors.  Here's where the quandary sets in -- what to do, what to make with these glorious treats?  From sugar to salt and spice:  three of the little bags contain mixtures of fleur de sel -- one scented with vanilla bean, one mixed with smoked paprika and another labeled simply "aux epices" which I think is mixed with a quatre epices mixture.  The last little sack contains an amazing curry powder with rose petals and mint, which I used to great effect in a shrimp makhani not long ago.   

I need no advice for the delights in the middle -- the first, a glorious tube of gianduioso, which I first saw on Chocolate and Zucchini, and lusted after.  Ernie somehow telepathically knew this and brought it to me.  And the last treat, something I'm still savoring in small bites -- a bar of Nougat "Decouverte" from Arnaud Soubeyran, makers of gorgeous Montelimar nougat.  This particular confection is composed of dark chocolate nougat with toasted almonds and candied orange peel.  Ever since I opened it and began to dole it out to myself in carefully rationed portions, many of my waking hours have been spent in trying to figure out how to get some more. 

So to Ernie, merci mille fois for the gorgeous goodies I'm still enjoying.  And as for the rest of you, put your thinking caps on (the schoolteacher does rear her pince-nez at the worst moments).   I'm thinking tiny butter cookies sprinkled with lemon and violet sugar on top or maybe on the  sides like sablée cookies.  And maybe the vanilla fleur de sel gets scattered on that bread and chocolate and olive oil thing I've always meant to make and never have.  Smoked paprika fleur de sel would have to be good on lots of things -- but what?  And the quatres epices I don't have much experience with, but it smells heavenly. 

Let me know if inspiration strikes, or if you've used any of these lovelies yourself.  In the meantime, you'll find me taking a tip from Clotilde and pointing the tip of the gianduioso tube directly mouthward...

Comments

[Lea]

Oh, that Ernie! She's so thoughtful! I remember you were telling me about the treats she brought back for you when we were at lunch last month. It's fun to see a picture of your goodies.

Lea xo

[Creampuff]

It is amazing! When I went back to Paris this Spring, I brought home a remarkably similar goodie bag for myself.

I am going to try to use the vanilla salt flavored with flowers in a smoky caramel.

I like the more savory salts in some of my egg dishes. I have smoked paprika (which I brought home from Spain) and I use it any time I want to give a vegetarian dish a more "smoked" flavor as well as on paellas.
I imagine you could use the paprika salt the same way.

I bought 2 tubes of the chocolate paste as well as the flavored sugars and they will probably meet the same fate as you are planning for yours.

I got the violet and raspberry Ferber jam. My teenagers know that to flitch any from the pot means no allowance for a week.

Enjoy!!!

[Ernie]

Julie, you are so right, you should have seen my luggage, I had to sit on the suitcase to close it and I had to buy another small suitcase to bring the goods back. Of course a lot of the chocolate items never made it back home. If anyone had opened my luggage, they would have thought I was opening a gourmet shop. I also had a few cans of pate, some Cantal cheese and Roquefort as well.

I'm glad you're enjoying the booty, the smoked paprika salt is excellent with potatoes.

[Julie]

Lea, it's generous folks like you too that makes having foodie friends such fun.

Creampuff, how interesting that you brought back almost the same goodies. Sounds like you're enjoying yours, which I'm certainly doing as well.

Ernie, you practically ARE a walking gourmet shop in and of yourself. You're certainly a compendium of fabulous gourmet experience. I'm going to use the smoked paprika tomorrow, when I make twice-baked potatoes (a request from G -- we need comfort food these days). Thanks again for the fabulous treats -- see you soon!