Photo: Strawberry cake at Fauchon. Do not try this at home.
Foodie alert: If you want to go to the chicest, most over the top gourmet food stores on the planet, then a trip to Paris is in order, toute de suite. And they’ve made it easy for you: the two most famous ones are on dueling corners on the same square, Place Madeleine.
La Place Madeleine is a posh spot, with fancy shops and restaurants surrounding that imposing temple that pays homage to Napoleon's army. But I go straight for the gourmet shops, Fauchon and Hediard. I like Hediard's store better, but Fauchon also has a casual lunch spot with trendy treats and a bakery/patisserie that will knock your beret off.
Talk about food porn! You can kill a couple of hours, just drooling over the obscenely beautiful offerings. Most are priced accordingly, but hey, this is Paris after all. Still I always seem to find a few little gifts for friends. Or for moi.
The other famous foodie destination is of course La Grand Epicerie, but that is in a league all its own, and a post for another day.
Meanwhile, here’s a preview, photos I snapped at Fauchon and Hediard, to incite your lust.
The fruit display at Hediard
Edgy chocolate, From Fauchon. I call this the Mistral Cake.
Of course there are tastings all over the stores. Here, house made jams at the ready.
A little boisson to go with your goodies.
Jars of exotic spices (and where do they get those great jars?). On the right: Yuzu, a Japanese spice made of wild mandarin and lemon.
Coffee beans from all over the world, roasted and ground on site, in the formidable looking machine below, at Hediard.
Top off your visit with a cone of artisanal ice cream at Fauchon.
In the COMMENTS: RE our pigs, Caterina is living the life in the country, and raising pigs herself--still, if I visit you, Caterina, I'll take some of that trout! Veronique of French Girl in Seattle is French but like me, she'll pass on the pig party. Artist Colleen (see her beautiful paintings here) has family from Germany who did their own butchering, as did Herm of Poems, Photos and Stuff. Meanwhile Mark is making deer burgers! Christine of Pen at the Ready, I promise to get back to French recipes soon!
If you're lucky enough to be in Paris soon: Our reader Priscilla of the great blog Weekend in Paris is sponsoring a Paris Tweetup, and you're invited! The event is designed especially for tweeters and bloggers.
Favorite Reads: It seems like a good week to mention David Lebovitz, who blogs about Paris and has written many fun cookbooks, including the The Great Book of Chocolate
