Comments on: STOHRER Pâtisserie Traiteur, Paris

By: Footloose

Footloose — Sun, 23 Aug 2015 19:10:41 +0000

Came across somewhere that gypsum was used in England in the eighteenth century to whiten bread. Boy, it must have turned out chalky bread that was hard to masticate thoroughly.

By: Khew

Khew — Sun, 23 Aug 2015 14:30:43 +0000

Nearly 3 centuries ago, they probably didn’t have the kind of ingredients we take for granted today, and certainly none of the Escoffier organisation and methods which are the basis of contemporary patisserie classics.

I’m guessing they had bread which weren’t too white even as they tried their best; very rough cakes due to the lack of refined flour and no granulated sugar; spicy, rancid cocoa products because there was neither dutching nor separation of the cocoa butter and certainly no chocolate; and gelatines which still tasted of animal. Vanilla was used very sparingly while rose and citrusses did most of the flavouring.

By: -g-

-g- — Wed, 19 Aug 2015 13:40:41 +0000

Ah, what a thrill to discover Stohrer many moons ago. Every year I go to Paris for a break and I always stop by here to buy goodies. Then I walk to G. Detou to buy some more!

By: peg

peg — Wed, 19 Aug 2015 13:13:44 +0000

happy happy birthday, MM! :)

By: Footloose

Footloose — Wed, 19 Aug 2015 09:09:48 +0000

Yes, they dispatched members of the aristocracy at a newly discovered industrial pace so Stohrer and his ilk just probably laid low. Besides, precious white flour was in short supply and had to be used sparingly. The newly liberated citoyens of course did not have brioche to eat as their former queen callously suggested, had to adjust their taste to bread made from a blend of rye and whole wheat flour. Max Poilâne was asked to revive the recipe as part of France’s bicentennial celebrations in 1989.

Incidentally, many highly skilled culinary artisans of course lost their patrons from high nobility and so started offering their expertise to the newly empowered bourgeoisie by opening restaurants.

By: Lee

Lee — Wed, 19 Aug 2015 04:37:10 +0000

Another lesson learned from Footloose. Did the “less fortunate” also benefit from the absence of refrigeration and had a steady supply of perishables like meat and fish at the end of the day?

By: Marketman

Marketman — Wed, 19 Aug 2015 01:29:59 +0000

Footloose, doesn’t it surprise you that the shop survived the Revolution? I mean if cake/bread was such a rallying point, don’t you think this kind of place would have been miserable with no clients for years and years… :)

By: ami

ami — Wed, 19 Aug 2015 01:11:45 +0000

Just had to laugh at Footloose’s Cosette reference.

By: Artisan Chocolatier

Artisan Chocolatier — Wed, 19 Aug 2015 00:37:08 +0000

Speechless!!!

By: Junb

Junb — Wed, 19 Aug 2015 00:26:53 +0000

Thanks footlose for another great inside story !!!