Les Tartes de l'Eté

Les Tartes de l'Eté

Today's post is strictly for your edification so don't start salivating. As I was running by my local boulangerie (Alsacian R.Maeder) on the corner...

I noticed a mess of fruity tartes glowing in the window. I had to go back for a closer look...

Last week I met Veronique Marot and Carla Carlson for tea (none of us had dessert by the way). They mentioned in passing how French summer desserts were so much better, since they are just a pate sablée base (or a cookie) piled high with fresh fruit and not a lot of extra sugar. Hmm, interesting...

This does seem to be the case. Could they squeeze any more fruit on these things? I doubt it....

Fasten your seatbelts PBers. This picture was shot by the young man behind the counter! He took pity on me and said

'Give me your iPad".

It's true. I do think he was thrilled to try out a mini...

I asked for a box for my 2 small fruity pastries, but no way. You have to buy more than two.That's how it goes in a boulangerie. They don't give away their boxes and fancy ribbons just like that.

My pastries made it home safe and sound but take a good look. These are a bit 'plain Jane' and the fruit is a tad uniform and ordinaire...

When compared to the carefully constructed works of art of Frederic Cassel - definitely haut couture in the pastry world. The point being there is quite a difference in quality and design between the two. The price tag is different too. But in both cases you're getting a lot of fruit and not a ton of icing or other sugary stuff.

Something else made me think...

How come Parisian pastries get to stay nice an cool in glass cases, but Parisians have to suffer the blasted heat sans cesse?

After looking at fans all week and deciding on none, late yesterday I went foraging. It was cooking out there, but Castorama, the Home-Depot of Paris was cleaned out.

"Oh we had 100 fans this weekend but they went. We hope to get more in on Monday or Tuesday".

What? 100 fans only? Grrrrrrr

When I returned to the apartment I noticed some rubbish from renovations. And next to it sat a perfectly good fan. I took it upstairs and 'Ca marche' as they say. It works!
OK it does make a TERRIBLE racket.
Any hints PBers how to fix a noisy fan? 
Does it need a bit of A-1 oil (or is that steak sauce?)

Dog-of-the-day looking cool on the very cool aclimatizatee #2 train. Lecons to be learned:

Don't wait for a heat wave to buy a fan

And eats LOTS of fruity French desserts. It can't hurt.