On our second morning in Paris, we had arranged to meet with a couple of very good friends, she an old classmate from our high school days, and we suggested an early lunch in the Marais district, in the 3rd arrondisement. I wanted to check out a market in the area, as suggested by “mikel” a long-time reader with extensive knowledge of the local food scene. But wandering from the metro station on the way to the market, we passed by a bakery with an utterly stunning display of pies and tarts in the windows…
We stopped briefly then kept walking down the street, only to circle back and check out that bakery again. A serious line was forming outside the bakeshop and the last time I saw a line of customers outside a Parisian shop, it was tourbus loads of Asian tourists lined up outside the Louis Vuitton main branch… So we figured they must be doing something right and decided to get in line, whatever the brouhaha was about.
We bought a box of assorted fruit tarts and other goodies and since everyone seemed to be buying baguettes, Mrs. MM had them throw half a baguette into our purchases for good measure. We decided to enjoy the pastries for dessert after lunch, but as soon as we got outside the doors of the store, pulled out the french bread and tasted it…
…SUPERB! One of the finest baguettes I have ever tasted. It’s amazing how something so basic, and made millions and millions of times a week can be so incredibly superior to the average specimen. The crust was crisp yet yielded to a chewy, light and tasty interior. Amazing. Some things I would never aspire to make. Expecially if you can go out every morning (if you lived in this neighborhood) and just buy it! I looked the bakery up later and it seems that they are quite well known for amazing pastries and bread. If I’m not mistaken, the owner even won some award for some of the best baguettes in France. A serendipitous discovery. Don’t miss La Fougasse if you visit the Marais.
25, Rue de Bretagne
75003 Paris
48 Responses
THANKS FOR THIS POST MR MM. I thought we would NEVER get out of the last one. Ü
good thing the last post is finished.. it’s about time to move on, it was a haywire, really.. enough of meat.. now let’s focus on the bread..lol
Next time try the fougasse as well.
Mmm, so comforting to my tummy.
I love french baguette and the ones we get from the Vietnamese bakery here are just like that (probably because Vietnam was under France for a time) – very crisp on the outside and soft in the center and very tasty and definitely better than the ones in groceries. Very good with a little brie.
Off topic Marketman, but just wanted to let you know I made your Callos recipe today and it was so delicious! Thanks for the recipe.
Who needs “palaman” when you have such a scrumptious-looking baguette? Yum!
One of the things I learned to appreciate and enjoyed while living in a French territory for a year: bread. None of the sweetness, melt in your mouth, crispy if it’s meant to be…
Our Sunday market Vietnamese suki sells the Vietnamese Pork roll. She mostly uses the Vietnamese bread roll, similar to the baguette. In it are humba-type pork, cucumber, coriander, and atchara type vegetables – julienned carrots, papaya and pieces of fresh chilli with a sprinkle of her special (Vietnamese) sauce. I find it fulfilling and also very cheap.
Diday, is that in Salcedo Market?
Diday and Cai: the special Vietnamese sauce is none other than MAGGI SEASONING! A good friend of mine (she’s Vietnamese) sells Vietnamese subs. Another really good friend whom I taught baking and she has her own home based business now taught me in turn how to make Vietnamese Pork Roll from scratch.
Diday: have you tried doing the Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken I shared while back?…excellent as a subsitute for Pork Roll. I bet it will sell at your Sunday Market!
MM, a quick question…your bacon recipe. Somehow Marisse was under the impression you used cardamom. I asked her green or black. I went to archives but no cardamom , Marisse! Did I miss it, MM?
Anyway, your package of fennel, caraway, green and black cardamom is on its way, Marisse. If there is no cardamom in the recipe, Marisse, you can use the green cardamom (squash a few pods) then add it to orange pekoe tea in a pot, a few whole cloves, some lemongrass (the trimmings), squashed, whole milk and honey and you have a good Chai tea. You can also add a few star anise if you have it.
Cai, not at Salcedo but in my neck of the woods – in Australia.
betty q, really? Maggi! Maybe this is the reason why she discretely places it in a container & covers it with a piece of cloth. I thought it is for hygienic grounds.
Would you know how the pork is prepared? It is better and tastier than the humba (Cebuano pork stew)
I liked those sweets! i can eat many portions of it in seconds!
Yup, Diday…Maggi seasoning is the secret ingredient. I usually buy 10 subs at a time for I get them in Vancouver and I have to travel about 30 minutes to get there. I asked her what she squirts on it and she reaches down in the cupboard and pulls out the MAGGI bottle. Now, she didn’t tell me not to tell anyone, so I think it is safe to say that it is Maggi!
The Pork Roll I am talking about is one that looks like a Bavarian meatloaf sliced thinly It comes sometimes steamed with banana leaf wrapped around it and sometimes as thick as a hockey puck , oval and deep-fried. Are you referring to the one that is rolled like pancetta?
betty q: i would like to thank u for your chocolate recipe.. i just made it a a week ago.. and it was soooo good.. i feel like i’m a pastry chef with the result.. lol. thanks betty q! btw, is your ensaymada recipe as tedious as time-consuming as MM’s? do u mind sharing it with me?? thanks!
Sanojmd: You’re welcome! Yup, it is time consuming to make ensymada. It takes me 8 hours from start to finish. But you have to remember…what takes time is for the yeat to do what it is supposed to do. But otherwise, the dividing, rolling, and shaping the rolls isn’t difficult to do. Can you please just check the archives? Marisse said it is in there. If you cannot find it, let me know! if there is anyone who is sooooo efficient in bookmarking anyone’s recipes shared here, IT IS MARISSE! I think she has about 3 or 4 notebooks by now!!!! If she says it is somewhere in here, then it is here!
ok. thanks! i’ll try to check it out.. thanks so much.. you are one of the reasons why i keep coming back on this blog.. generous people like you.. thanks! cheers!
marisse, can i ask for a favor? do u know when is betty q’s ensaimada recipe posted? can’t seem to find it.. thanks!
Hi BettyQ…can I also ask for your special chocolate cake recipe? My wife’s birthday is coming up in 2 days and she loves chocolate. I want to surprise her with your cake.
With reference to ensaimada, one of the tricks that i do is keep some of the ensaimada dough already shape (coiled) in the freezer. When I want to bake some, I just take them out, put them in the mold, defrost and let them rise, then bake. Wala!!! no more 8 hour waiting time. The dough also develops the flavor over time.
MM, that baguette looks awesome!
uy! when I saw those pies and tarts, I recall having eaten them like there was never a tomorrow! Not in La Fougasse though but up north of France. I was not a sweet tooth and actually never had been after that…but the French pies and tarts were just sooo good! Also, my special treat whenever i get really homesick would be a tart in a pastry shop on my way to classes. Gosh…it was heavenly!
Gee bettyq,thanks for the spices. The bacon of MM came from Saveur and he referred to it sometime in December (gee i failed to mark the date). It asks for 1 tsp fennel seed and 1 tsp carraway seeds. I must have gotten mixed up with cardammon and carraway. These are the three spices I look up at every grocery I go to but havent found them. Thanks…now I can make the bacon. Hope it wasn’t such a bother bettyq. Much obliged.
My ntbk says Ensaymada of bettyq Nov 28,2008 but I dont know if it was from MM site (fr bettyq) or from bettyq email.
Anyway,for bettyq links which MM made,please see Jan 31,2009 post of Marketman.
Thanks Artisan Chocolatier for that tip of freezing ensaymada. Want to try that.
Sanojmd,hope you find it. The recipe is so long…as long as the procedure….I will try to go thru the archives–but am not so patient so when there’s a recipe I really intend to do,I write it in my notebook right away…will see…if I find it..will let you know…my ntbk says nov.28,2008. Thanks!!
Hi MM,
I Know this is a little bit off the topic but maybe you can help me answer this question. What really is the difference between Caldereta, Afritada and Mechado? All I know is Caldereta should be spicy but I could be wrong. I’ll wait for your reply. Thanks!
Ha ha..got off track MM. I love french bread and the Vietnamese do it so well also because they were under French rule for some time. When I need to fast and just take bread and h20–it shouldn’t be French Bread as it’s never a sacrifice…love them!!!
I love those pies in your photos. I love making pies and I have recipes dating back 1983 from a good friend in my old,old,old yellowish ntbk–pineapple and apple pies. I try to keep improving on them. I’ve tried your crust MM. I also did the Pecan Pies I got from a Saveur issue but which I modified thru bettyq’s help.Hubby loves Pecan Pie so I have to make good ones. Pie baking-thon? I’ve never tried making egg pie.
Lillibeth,I want to improve my callos so will try MM’s as well…will look for it in the archives.
bettyq, somehow I didn’t get to try banh mi in Vancouver although there are so many Viet restos there. Neither did I try it when I was in Ho Chi Minh some years back, considering it’s street food over there. Finally, a good friend of mine bought me one when I was in San Francisco. Since then, it’s one of my kids’ baon to school. I will try to locate your lemon grass chicken recipe. But, really, the best for me is the pork roll because of the what else? pork fat! Yum!
BettyQ., would appreciate it if you can post the recipe for your chocolate cake. So far, the best I’ve eaten was from Black Dog bakery in NYC, but unfortunately, the store was closed.
Marisse: AC is right. Freezing the shaped dough is a time-saver. Just make sure that it is COMPLETELY THAWED OR DEFROSTED before you start the proofing process. I usually let it defrost in the cooler. If the weather there is hot, then what may seem a softened surface, the center may still be frozen. If you let it defrost in the cooler, no need to put them in the mould first unless you have a walk-in cooler and you have lots of room!…my dream house….walk-in cooler and freezer walk -in pantry, brick oven..ok…it is time to wake up!…back to reality!!!!
We did this at Sutton Place where I used to work at. Brioche and croissants (frozen) are taken from the freezer by late shift guys and placed on trays and on a rack and wheeled in the cooler. When I come in the morning, I put them in the proofer. Oh. make sure you when you arrange your coiled dough …single layer on cookie sheets and freeze. When frozen, then pack them in zip plock and freeze
Corrine…sayang. Had I known you were here, I would have taken you to these places. If you want to do a homemade version, mayonnaise on 1 side, pate on the other. Now, make pickled daikon/carrots…julienned, then soak it in 2 cups white vinegar, 5 cups water, pinch of salt and sugar to taste. Then add a splash of fish sauce. Let it sit there for a few hours and squeeze and stuff it in the sandwiches with sliced lemongrass chicken, thinly sliced onions, cilantro sprigs. Don’t forgt to squirt with Maggi seasoning! Wrap in parchment and don’t forget the rubber band. There….your kids will think you bought them!
Angwela…our favorite taho place moved to 1436 East Pender…one block east of Clark. I went there the other day …much bigger place now!
MM, you have Bernard Clayton’s book, right? I think the recipe is in there. I am just relying on my memory. My book is over at MIL’s and I was browsing through it the other time I was over there. I have no more room in my bookshelf here at home.
Speaking of Vietnamese bakeries in the Philippines, there’s a good one in Puerto Princesa, Palawan. Great noodles for lunch, and yes, they have very good oven-fresh French-style baguettes!
as the thread to the steak post is (finally!) closed…
answer to bettyq:
Papaya seeds probably aren’t the best for tenderizing meat, if they are ripe they will have little latex in them which is where the papain is most concentrated. I do use them in salad dressings or marinades for their peppery taste. For tenderizing meat, the fruit especially closest to the skin is better.
marissewalangkaparis: In case you have not found it yet, here’s the link https://www.marketmanila.com/archives/callos-a-la-madrilena-tripe-stew-madrid-style. Instead of beef shank, I used ox tail. I also used only 1/2 cup of Chardonnay because I have hyperacidity and I also used lots of El Rey chorizo. It’s delicious!
Hey BettyQ..funny..I did the same work (ala Sutton Place) as you, during my stint at grains of olde at coral springs, florida.
bettyq…I have been reading this blog site on and off and really could see your generosity. I have tried your Hainanese chicken but lacked some of the ingredients like the ox sauce, and the 5 spice. Still it came out good. I am here in Custer close to Bellingham. Must get some of these spices next time I cross over to the North. Our Vietnamese grocery does not have the dried scallops.
I really enjoy reading this blog. Even tried MM’s leche flan but just used heavy cream. Am looking forward to trying bettyq’s ensaymada recipe and MM’s callos. See how it compares to my Aunt’s recipe.
Thank you..
marissawalangkaparis: For pecan pie I suggest you use1 1 1/2 c.pure maple sirup grade B instead of corn sirup. Boil the maple sirup and the 1/2 c.sugar for 1 min. Cool and add 3 xl beaten eggs and 2 tsp. vanilla and 2 tbsp. of bourbon or rum and the 2 tbsp. melted butter. Drizzle over concentrically arranged pecans in a 10″ tart pan lined with pie dough that has been prebaked blind for 20 min. Bake at 400 F on low bottom rack on a cookie sheet for 20-25 min. until it starts to bubble. Serve warm with cold whipped cream. It makes an outstanding pecan pie!
Correction: Use 1 1/2 c. maple sirup only, sorry for the typo.
MM, those pies look soooo good! ginugutom ako sa mga posts mo. I keep coming back and forth to the different posts!
bettyq, I have the cookbook of Angela Nguyen and I don’t think it mentioned fish sauce but hey, I will try that. I didn’t know I have to squeeze the pickled carrots and daikon before putting in the sandwich although I strain it a short while…will do that too. Hope to meet you in the near future. I loved Granville!
jade186. Yes, Palawan had a Viet refugee center some years back. I was told you can still have good Viet food over there…the same with Bataan. Funny that some years back, we had a Viet resto near our house and I was not familiar with Viet food at that time, so I didn’t go there ever. It was very simple and unassuming place. It closed down because I guess nobody really went there because of unfamiliarity with Viet cuisine. Later on, I read in a magazine that the owner was a good Viet cook. Super sayang! The Viet chef I met naman in San Francisco came from Bataan Refugee Center!
sanojmd, ping my email pwrofted@yahoo.com and i will send you BettyQ’s ensaimada recipe, i’ll even include the link on the pictures i took while making it for the first time, lol
Hey Ted…you’ve been quiet lately….check your inbox!
Sanojmd: I think there is nothing special about the ensaymada I make. The ensaymada I make is similar to MM’s family recipe….in that I use the sponge and dough method. Even if you use the straight dough method, you still have to wait for the yeast to do its job. It really takes patience to make it as Sister and all the bakers out there have said…you have to let the yeast do its job.
Maia Clara once told me that the difference with what I make and the others is that I put my soul into whatever I am making. Yoou know how some people talk to their plants….I have this sort of positive energy…I cannot articulate it. Basta, it turns out well!
OK…send me an e-mail:mymudcake@hotmail.com
If you have a recipe you are currently using and have problems with it, I might be able to help you trouble shoot. But I think Artisan is the BEST TROUBLE SHOOTER!!!
BettyQ, lol to the rubber band on bahn mi,,,that made it authentic vietnamese sandwich to go.
bettyq, the world needs more positive energy transmitting people like you. :)
I will try sister’s pecan pie recipe soon. I just have to see where to buy pure maple syrup in Manila. Eversince, my sister introduced me to Canadian pure maple syrup, I never bought Karo for my pancakes. Iba talaga!
corrine, they sometimes have pure maple syrup at Metro Supermarket at Market!Market! Mall or the Metro in Ayala Center in Cebu.
Corrine: if you still cannot find maple syrupand would want to bake that pecan pie soon, ..
1. You have to roast the pecans. It make a huge difference in taste…nutty aroma.
2. Then, instead of corn syrup, use Golden Syrup. The brand name escapes me now but it will come back to me. I have recycled the bottle already. it comes in a glass bottle. The Golden Syrup is the next best thing to maple syrup in pecan pies in my book. I know others will beg to differ. It has that toffee-y like flavour.
3. A pinch of salt…not much will still help cut the sweetness a bit.
4. Here is where mine makes a difference…BROWNED BUTTER! Melt the butter but watch it doesn’t get burnt!. …just melt it and wait till it gets nice ang golden. You will smell a nutty aroma emanating from it. Take it off the heat since it will contimue to cook. Once it gets to light caramel, immediately take it off the heat source.
5. These alternatives will make up for the lack of maple syrup although nothing beats using the real stuff. But hey, you do with what you have and still make a really good pecan pie that you will be proud of! That is what I call being resourceful!
Here is tha BAKYA version as Apicio would say!
If you have a 9 inch pie plate, 2 cups of roasted pecans is enough. If a tad bigger than 9 inch, adjust the pecans accordingly.
1 cup of the Golden Syrup (aha,…I remember…either Roger’s or Lyle is good!)
3/4 cup dark brown sugar…I use demerara
2 tiny pinches of salt…(ladies’ pinch and not Artisan’s pinch!)
1/3 to 1/2 cup melted butter (preferably BROWNED BUTTER!!!). DO NOT SUBSTITUTE MARGARINE…no, no, no!!!!
1 tsp. pure vanilla
1 tsp. butter pecan extract (only if you have it!)
3 eggs.
1-9 inch unbaked pie shell
Pecan pie is best when baked slooooooowly so the pecans at the surface of the pie doesn’t get burnt and the filling is custard-y which I much prefer! Besides as it cools down, it will just be right!!!!please bake it 325 degrees maybe 1hour to 1 1/4 hours. Remember the leche flan? …bain marie but gentle baking = REALLY SMMOTH
sorry for all the typos…really smooth, silken leche flan.
If you want to make a chocolate pecan pie, then let me know!
woow! thanks for the recipe bettyq. I would really want to bake it soon! :)
MR.Marketman do you or any of your family speak french? Our friends were in france last summer and they had a hard time going about the city (buying things, ordering, directions, etc..) because they don’t know how to speak french and everybody seems to despise it when they hear you speak english
chocolatesky, actually, yes. Mrs. MM did her graduate degree in Paris and is quite fluent in French, with the appropriate Parisian accent, I am told. And yes, I agree it helps to speak the language. I took three years of classroom French but don’t speak it at all, and comprehend just enough to understand simple situations like restaurants, groceries, etc.
Wow! what a great pastry spread on your top photo. Salivating here. :D