Around Le Marais, Paris: Maison George Larnicol

French macarons and chocolates "go together like a horse and carriage!" That's what I have been finding out. For a sugarholic and a chocoholic, like me, that can be dangerous! But, I am delighted to share my new find with you at Maison George Larnicol.

George Larnicol is a confectioner and chocolatier from Brittany, who has set up shop in Paris. He has earned the prestigious Meilleur Ouvrier de France award, given to artisans for their exceptional craftsmanship. While walking on the rue de Rivoli, I noticed how his store was a bit different from the other confectionery shops.

This is what got me so excited! After reading the signage on the window display, there was no stopping me. "We guarantee that all our macarons have no animal fat - 0% dairy - 0% creme - 0% butter." That means they make the healthiest macarons, right?

Furthermore, they guarantee that they only use natural, vegetable coloring agents.

Choices, choices, choices! 

I picked rose, vanille, framboise (raspberry), and caramel. I delightfully ate each piece, as soon as I paid for them, with no guilt feelings. The flavors were fresh and light, sweetly refreshing.

With Easter just around the corner, his fancy chocolate designs were all over the store:

a hatching Easter egg...

 a mother hen sitting on her Easter eggs...

shoes, Easter eggs, little animal characters, and boats - something fun and entertaining for the children.

Here's another specialty product at Maison George Larnicol:

Les kouignettes are made from a redesigned recipe of Kouig Amann  by monsieur confiseur, George Larnicol. It's a kind of butter cake, a butter roll, or however you want to call it.

With this exotic sounding name, I was wondering about the origin of this Breton pastry which dates back to 1860. To my surprise, it is derived from two words in the dialect of Brittany: "kouig" means cake and "amann" means butter. This is some kind of a cake with lots of butter in between dough layers! And let me add that it has a good amount of sugar, too. 

The above sign reads that sixteen natural flavors are used to make the caramel au beurre salé (caramel with salted butter, or something we know as toffee) as it is typically found in Brittany, a region in the northwest coast of France. And that's what makes this so amazingly good. 

They come in a variety of flavors. I took home two kouignettes: Rhum and Raisin; and Framboise. Oh, there are almost no words to describe the caramel at the bottom of these rolls. Simply divine. I was unstoppable! It's a good thing I only bought two. This brought back fond memories of my favorite pecan rolls from Cinnabon, with the caramelized sugar and butter in the sticky bottoms.

There is a wider repertoire on the shelves of caramels, chocolates, cookies and other candies, some in bins and some pre-wrapped.

At the top are the caramels - in salty, nutty or fruity flavor; and below are the mini boule bins - balls of chocolate-enrobed truffles, nuts, fruits and caramels. 

Packed in wooden containers are galets - chocolate-dipped glaced fruit and whole nut; rocher - chocolate rocks made with glaced orange peel and puffed rice; and some  mini boule - chocolate speckled eggs, all ready for Easter gift-giving and celebration. 

You can also buy them by weight.

To round up their selection, they also have chocolate chip cookies and merengue. 

Here is my candy bag!  

As an artist, George Larnicol makes fan and sculptural pieces. On display were...

this extra big ladybug...

 a fashionable lady...

and a floral arrangement, all made with organic white, milk and dark chocolate.

And if you have any special occasion to celebrate, for your centerpiece or giveaways, George would be happy to design and create them just for you. At the maison, they boast that their chocolates are 100% natural and animal fat-free. 


Here is another discovery I made - their prices are 25% to 40% cheaper than most places. For all the sampling I did, the damage was below 10 euros. On my designated decadent days, I can see myself going back there.

Maison George Larnicol

14, rue de Rivoli Paris 4e Arrt. 
Tel. +33 (0)1 42 71 20 51
Métro: Saint-Paul
Hours: Mon. to Sat. 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

At Marché des Enfants Rouges...for Some Moroccan Food

Markets in Paris have quite a history. This particular one, Marché des Enfants Rouges on rue de Bretagne, was the first covered market in Paris and was built in 1615 under the reign of King Louis XIII, for a newly established neighborhood - Le Marais. 

When looking for this place, do remember that you can only get here through this gate and another one on the other side. You can easily miss this entrance if you are not minding where you are passing.


What's with the name of this place? There was a nearby orphanage that was established by Marguerite de Navarre - where the children wore red coats, that was closed in 1534. In memory of the orphaned children, the residents started referring to the the market as the Marché des Enfants Rouges (Market of Red Children). It was ceded to the city of Paris in 1912 and declared a historical monument in 1982.

That was more than 500 years ago, and it is still here! It continues to be a popular market - a center of much activity from Tuesday to Sunday, where the local residents and others come to get their supplies from the green grocers, the vintners, poissonerie, fromagerie, boulangerie and the florists.

The market gets unusually crowded from noontime to 2:00 p.m. when the locals and the tourists stop by for some of the best tasting food. There are several restaurants and caterers who have set-up shop, offering international gourmet menus. You can pick and choose - Japanese, Italian, African, Moroccan and more. I am here with my friend to have some Moroccan delicacies!

Here, the meals can be ordered to go (à emporter) or served on site (sur place). Looking at this menu, there is a variety of good ones to choose from.

 For dessert, we will be having a piece, each, of these two from their Sélection de Patisserie Marocaine.

 Orders are served on a clay plate.

Here is how the Tagine slection looks like:

Lamb Tagine with prunes, apricots, raisins, almonds, semolina and vegetables 

Chicken Tagine with olives, lemon, semolina and vegetables 

 Tajine Kefta (ground beef) with eggs, onions, tomatoes

I have tried them all. For today, we went for the Tajine d'Agneau!

Traiteur Marocain is one of the places I go to for good Moroccan food. A "traiteur" is a place that serves prepared food. Unlike in a fast food, the food is brought to your table when you decide to dine sur place.


I thought to peruse a Lamb Tagine recipe and it looked like a bit of work.  I have not made it but it will definitely take some time, 2 1/2 hours. For a big group, it is worth the effort. For one or two people, I think it would be more economical to eat at the traiteur rather than to buy all the ingredients.

At the Traiteur Morocain, what can I say about their Tagine creations? Tout simplement délicieux!

If you have some extra time to spare, visit some of the stores along the sides, in the interior of the market. There is a shop that sells old, old pictures - here I got a glimpse of the olden days. Just look in and you may find something you like, in the other stores, too. Make your visit here a part of your walking tour of  Haut Marais!

Le Marché des Enfant Rouge

39 rue de Bretagne Paris 3e

Hours of operation:

Tuesday - Thursday: 8:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.; 4:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Friday - Saturday: 8:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.; 4:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Sunday: 8:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

A Fine Dining Experience: Maison de la Truffe, Paris

If you have the urge to have a fine dining experience, may I suggest that you go to La Maison de la Truffe (The House of Truffle). For truffle lovers or adventurous palates, there is a choice to dine in or go home with their specialty items to make your own gourmet meals.

In 1932, the brokers for the truffle gatherers of Carpentra decided to bring their products directly to the Parisian market. They came up with the bright idea of opening Maison de la Truffe in Place de la Madeleine. That was an instant success. Their know-how and expertise got the attention of the gourmets in introducing this "black diamond."

Forty-six years after, in 1978, Guy Mornier - a chef by profession, took over as the new owner of Maison de la Truffe and redesigned it with his own concept. He put up a tasting area and transformed it into a luxury, gourmet, specialty shop, with truffles as the center of attraction: white truffle from Alba, Italy,  also known as "Piedmont truffle" available from October to December; black truffle from the Perigord area, "black diamond" - from December to March; winter truffle - "Musky truffle" - from December to March;  summer truffle - "St. John's truffle" - from May to August; and Burgundy truffles - "Grey truffle" from September to January. The truffles come from France, Spain, Italy, Croatia; and now it is being farmed in Australia.

It continues to be a family-owned business, up to the present time. A second location on 14 rue Marbeuf 75008 Paris opened a couple of years ago.  Other locations have been added to this restaurant chain in Taipei and Hamburg, and very soon in Geneva and Zurich.

Truffles are considered as the "diamond of the kitchen," as described by French gastronome, Birillat-Savarin, in the 18th century. As you will find out, they cost more than real diamonds! Once you eat them, they are gone, but the memory of a gastronomique experience lingers on.

It is more of the aroma, rather than the flavor, that makes it a much-sought-after ingredient in haute cuisine. From the sense of smell to the sense of taste, you are in for a treat.

What's for lunch? Here's what I have had at different times of the year.

SUMMER SEASON

L'Huile de Olive Extra Virgine ala Truffe Noire et d'arome

(Extra Virgin Olive Oil with Black Truffles, with the truffle aroma)

This is the first taste of something with truffle that you get, the moment you are seated. The truffle aroma sets the mood. But soon, I, found out that the aromatic ingredient is a synthetic reproduction of the taste and smell of white truffles.

 Gazpacho 

A cold soup - tomato based plus other raw ingredients (green pepper, onion, garlic) that have been food-processed. The cucumber ingredient, typical in this recipe, was served as a scoop of sorbet. How refreshing!

Salade de Roquette et Coupeaux de Parmesan 

(Arugula Salad with shavings of parmesan and black truffle)

Omelette a la Truffe de Saison et Salade Verte
(Omelette with seasonal truffles and a green salad)
The truffle flavor is enhanced when the truffle-flavored EVOO is drizzled on the omelette.

Trio de Sorbets
(Flavors: strawberry, pear, peach)

This was palate cleansing.

 WINTER SEASON

Creme de Parmesan Truffé
(Creamy parmesan with truffle flavor, served with little slices of toast, or with French baguette slices) 
What a fine way to tease the palate.

 Oeuf  Poché Truffé en Gellee
( Soft-Boiled Egg with truffle presented in aspic, and a side portion of arugula salad)
It's another unique way of serving a soft-bolied egg.

 Pizza a la Truffe Noire Melanosporum, Mozarella et Roquette

(Pizza with Black Truffle Melanosporum, Mozarella & Arugula) 

Carpaccio de Boeuf Roquette et Parmesan
(Beef Carpaccio, topped with arugula, parmesan cheese, and shavings of black truffle)
The truffle mushroom is a nice addition to the carpaccio.

 Crème Brûlée Parfumée à la  Vanille
(Vanilla flavored Creme Brulee)
This was good, as expected. Although when the server realized this was not what I had ordered, it was replaced with...

 Crème Brûlée Parfumée à la  Truffe
(Creme Brulee with Truffle Flavor)
The truffle flavor was very distinct. I had to adjust my taste buds from savory to sweet. This was, rather, a surprise! 


LUXURY-FOOD SECTION
Here is a whole line of their specialty products. Every item here is truffle flavored.

Pasta, olive oil, breadsticks, foie gras, mayonnaise, risotto...and more. 

 Above are some items conveniently gift-packaged. On the lower shelf are cheeses with truffles.

Or, you can always buy the fresh truffles and make your own truffled-flavored ingredients/food items in your own kitchen. 

The price for black truffles is on an upward trend in the wholesale market.  The prices vary, depending on the truffle variety. You can check the retail prices on the display window.


As you can see, this place is all about truffles. What are truffles?  Simply put, they are an underground version of a mushroom found in the root systems of beech, poplar, oak, birch, hornbeam, hazel, and pine trees, planted in properly drained, clay-type, rich in calcium and magnesium, alkaline soil. They are "mychorizzal" - meaning that there is a mutual symbiotic relationship between the fungi and the plant root, for it is through the fungi that the nutrients from the soil are abosorbed by the root system of the plant. The animals that dig up and eat truffles are responsible for the spread of the spores. Truffle farms, for a more steady truffle supply, have now been organized as far down as Canberra, Australia, in partnership with La Maison de la Truffe. You might get a better idea by watching this video.


If you have not tried truffles, be adventurous and look for something that is truffle-flavored. You, too, may be pleasantly surprised!

La Maison de la Truffe

14 rue Marbeuf 75005 Paris

Tel. 01 53 57 41 00

19 Place de la Madeleine

Tel. 01 42 65 53 22