Paris Places: Croissant Quest

How do you know when you're a Parisian? When you can pass a bakery without buying a croissant. Because you just know it won't be worth its weight in butter.

But when my favorite food blog, Chocolate and Zucchini, ran the article “My 6 Favorite Croissants in Paris,” I told the family we were going on a mission.

Out in the suburbs where we live now, a croissant is hard to find. Let alone a good one. And it has been months since I've had a croissant, since I usually eat dairy-free (long story).

My daughter was on spring break, and we weren't going out of town, so why not trek into town?

So off we went last Saturday to the closest of the six bakeries on C&Z's list, Des Gâteaux et du Pain. My husband was hoping to savor his pastry with a tiny French coffee. My daughter needed a restroom. I just wanted a croissant that was worth the trip, as the Michelin man might say.

What would be worth it? A croissant that isn't burnt, crushed, saggy, or greasy, and that doesn't flake all over your clothing before it gets into your mouth. A croissant that can live up to the guilt of 400 empty calories.

OK, so I'm picky, as they would say in Pittsburgh, where I learned a thing or two about pastries. While in high school, I worked as a clerk at Karhut's Bakery in Mount Oliver, and became very close with donuts, coffee cakes, and Danish. About 20 pounds too close.

We arrived at Des Gâteaux et du Pain and stopped at the window. This was no ordinary bakery. We were almost afraid to go in, as if it were Chanel or Cartier. I bravely opened the door. The pastries were arranged artfully in one case, and the cakes in another, like jewelry. The loaves of bread were tiered against a wall.

In most bakeries, there is a counter separating you from the goods. From actually seeing what you are buying. Here, you could pick them up yourself, if not for the very attentive clerks in black aprons and black gloves.

We asked for our three croissants, and what the heck, a fougasse—olive bread. I noticed how the clerk carefully set each croissant into the paper bag, so they wouldn't crush. Good sign. Because there was neither restroom or coffee, we scurried home with the goods.

Still being very French about it all, we first examined our still uncrushed designer croissants. They were an evenly baked gold and noticeably striated.

We bite into a crunch of crust that yielded into a soft springy center. No flakes! Better yet, the croissant had actual flavor, with a strong nutty wheat that didn't let itself be overwhelmed by the slightly sweet butter, just happily sandwiched. This might not be everyone's idea of a croissant, with more cake than crust.

C&Z didn't steer us wrong. This one was worth the trip, the calories, the quest. I have been to croissant heaven.

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Rose Marie Burke, an editor and journalist, writes the blog Paris, Pittsburgh and More about her personal insights into life in Paris. After 20 years in the City of Light, she still calls her native Pittsburgh "home." Want to follow this blog? Send me a request at rose.burke89 "at" yahoo.fr.

Pittsburgh Pretzels or French Galettes?

Gontran Cherrier, frenchforfoodies.com

If there's one thing that Paris and Pittsburgh can agree on, it's cake and parties.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, http://bit.ly/1OcCxEw

While Pittsburgh has its New Year's pretzel, here in Paris we feast on "galette des rois" – King's Cake – starting on the Epiphany, officially speaking. But any day in January is an excuse!

On the face of it, the galette is different than the New Year's pretzel, which I remember from my days working at Karhut's bakery in Mt. Oliver (a little enclave in Pittsburgh that never managed to incorporate itself into the city).

This special pretzel is a huge coffee cake twirled into a pretzel shape, laced with icing and sprinkled with candied fruit.

The galette is wheat taken to an extreme. Think of a round croissant with almond custard filling.

There's a lot of speculation about the origins of the French galette and the New Year's pretzel. My theory is that they have one common European ancestor. A lot of butter left over from Christmas and a few more days of vacation!

Seriously, as you move down to southern France, the cake becomes more breadlike, looses its middle and looks more like a crown, and is iced and dotted with fruit. You'll find similar holiday cakes from the shores of Portugal to the northern reaches of Sweden.

What makes the galette even more fun, however, is that buried inside each one is a prize or “feve” (literally bean) but these days a small porcelain figurine. The idea is that whoever receives the slice with the bean inside becomes king for the day. And the king chose a queen--and might even steal a kiss.

We love this game, as you can tell from our huge collection of feves.

Any way you cut it, the galette and the pretzel are great ways to party in the New Year and enjoy every one of the 12 days of Christmas.
 
Rose Marie Burke, an editor and journalist, writes a blog about her personal insights into life in Paris. After 20 years in the City of Light, she still calls her native Pittsburgh "home."