Veronique Mauclerc

Today I went off to the 19th to visit the much revered boulangerie Veronique Mauclerc, noted for her wood-burning oven and fabulous breads.

Veronique Mauclerc

83, rue de Crimée

75019

Metro Laumiére

My nose was pressed so close to the window looking at all the goodies...

I didn't realize I was reading the labels out loud in wonderment...

"Crumble Rhubarbe!

Éclair Chantilly Fraises!

Pamplemousse Pistache!"

A young man passed by laughing.

A woman passed by with her little dog and paid no nevermind...

Enfin I tore myself away from the delicious window and went inside. It's positively dreamy. All the right touches for a traditional old fashioned French boulangerie.

The breads looked exceptional and sounded exceptional.

Pistache-Amandes-noisettes, pain à l'épeautre, au lin, sarrasin aux amandes, seigle raisins..

They serve afternoon tea in the back near where the baking is done on the premises.

It was the tartes that won my heart - the irresistable tarte pamplemousse pistache and a crumble griottes(cherry). Both were not overly sweet, even tart and very fruity. The shortbread crust was too good to leave uneaten as I usually do.

The cover of today's Stylist was graced with a picture of a be-wigged Steven Spielberg, president of the Cannes film jury this year, with the line,

"Et s'il avait été une femme?"

(And if he had been a woman?)

There's been a lot of talk of the paucity of women directors competing in this year's film festival and rightly so.

The same goes even more so in the pastry world. Very few women can break through 'the oven door'. Almost no women get a chance to compete for the highly desirable MOF award. And very few were competing at La Coupe du Monde de la patisserie in Lyon. Veronique Mauclerc's boulangerie is exceptional as is Claire Damon of des Gâteau et du Pain. Both should be supported and are worth going out of your way for. So please visit. You won't be disappointed I promise.

And you'll see interesting shoes on the #5 Metro to Laumiere.