Creating with Photographs

Hello Dear Readers!

As Christmas starts sneaking up over the horizon, it is time to start thinking about unique holiday gifts. In a fit of creativity I have posted many of my lovely travel photos for viewing and purchasing on my web site called http://www.sacredpoolimages.com/ 

 If you find an image you cannot live with out there you can either purchase a digital file or a print or even merchandise in the form of calendars, mugs, t-shirts and all sorts of other delightful items. Please check it out even if only to enjoy the travel pics themselves. I am also writing an e-book in time for the holidays, filled with little uplifting stories and it will be for sale on Amazon.com. Check back here to find it soon!

French Teas Series - LADUREE

The first time I experienced LADUREE was on the Champs-Élysées in Paris. I went in for the pastries that had rose petals on the outside and rose essence on the inside! I soon discovered another floral glory there when looking at the list of teas. They offered a Violet tea that was a mix of black tea and Violet flowers and essence. This was a heavenly combination with the rose pastries. They also make a Rose tea for your floral enjoyment. In conjunction with the release of the movie Marie Antoinette directed by Sofia Coppola in 2006 they started offering a special tea blend by the same name which includes extracts of rose, jasmine, dried fruits (such as lime and orange) and a touch of honey with black china tea. One other floral treat I discovered was a Rose Petal Jam that is sheer bliss and not to be missed. The tea salon in the shop is covered in Belle Epoch styled velvet furniture and chandeliers that evokes a more elegant era and the beautifully designed packages let you take some of that feeling home with you.

At the writing of this blog ordering from LADUREE directly from France to the US was not an option but some US vendors and independent entrepreneurs on eBay have made these items available.

I'm not going to quote any prices here since the range will be too wide depending on timing and source.

The Perfect Cup

There is a company in the UK that makes the perfect drinking cup for your morning cuppa. Dunoon.

I love a real french Limoges porcelain tea cup to drink out of - don't get me wrong - but when it comes to pouring something really hot into it you must be very careful or it will crack. Our grandmothers knew you had to take a small amount of hot water and swirl it rapidly in the cup or pot before filling it to prevent this. It can be really really tricky.

So on the days you don't feel up to this challenge or you just can't go for the price of expensive porcelain thats when you turn to these guys. Dunoon uses porcelain that is double and sometimes triple fired porcelain so you can add boiling water straight into the cup without danger. The reason you want porcelain is because there is something about it that makes the drink seem brighter and crisper than with other materials. The thinner the porcelain the more pronouced this experience is.

Dunoon can be found here in the US by vendors that specialize in imported teas or tea cups and coffee mugs. I got hooked on them for their artistry when I was vacationing in the UK and fell in love with their wonderful selections. They do beautiful floral designs as well as historical and furry themed motifs. They run about 10 pounds UK each, which is about $16 US dollars at the time of this writing. They will last you forever, are beautiful and light to the touch!

A Loaf of Bread ...

Sometimes something so simple as a beautifully made loaf of artisan bread can fill your heart with a sense of well being. When you add some European style butter to it, it becomes a short journey into Ecstasy! They cost about $4.50 each but can last long enough to make that a good value.

After seeing the movie The Julie/Julia Project and then reading both Julie Powell's book and the Julia Child's book My Life in France where there is an unbelievable amount of talk about butter I had to go in search of the perfect butter and the bread to go with it. I chose a locally made Seeded Rye bread that was still warm from the ovens and picked up the french butter President to spread on it. And while the french butter was delicious I feel that the Irish butter Kerry Gold has a lighter whip to it and can be better for breads and pastries.

French Teas Series - Fauchon

I have to admit that I my initial exposure to exotic teas beyond Lipton occurred on my first trip to the UK in 1980 and I fell in love with them. Having said that, a trip to Paris in 2004 got me started on an even bigger adventure.

Going to all the wonderful tea shops in Paris such as LaDuree, Palais Des Thes' and Fauchon exposed me to something we don't have here and that is floral blends with black tea. The use of flowers & citrus in their teas is the result of the influence of Russian teas that are very popular in France and for obvious reasons have never had much exposure here in the US.

In this blog entry I am going to discuss Fauchon's. I discovered Fauchon's next to the fabulous Paris landmark Le Madeleine which looks like a Greek temple. They not only have a shop there where you can pick up wonderful treats such as their own brand of teas, jams & madeleine cookies, they also have a proper tea salon over looking Le Madeleine.

Everything is so beautiful and elegant. It was a cool windy day in November so sitting outside wasn't really an option so we sat inside the beautiful salon. Afterwards we took a stroll through the tea section of the shop and I came across one really special tea blend of China black tea, sweet Florida orange, Madagascar vanilla extract, Bulgarian rose petals & rose oil. This magical concoction is called "Un Apres Midi A Paris" known to us as "Afternoon in Paris". How cool is that??

I have found a location here in the US that offers many of the Fauchon items including "Afternoon in Paris". You can speak with Arnaud at L'epicerie De Paris on 310 N. Camden Drive in Beverly Hills. Tel: 310 271 2981.

Courtesans

I've talked about coffee, macarons & perfume. Now you need something to read to go with all that. So sit back on your chez lounge and pick this book up. Courtesans by Katie Hickman.

I found this book in Scotland while on vacation in 2004. It was hugely popular in the UK and appealed to a wide variety of people.

This is a beautifully written book that is gossipy and filled with historic detail all at the same time. The author's research is very apparent without being dull or plodding.

Find out what these five "ladies", Sophia Baddeley, Elizabeth Armistead, Harriette Wilson, Cora Pearl and Catherine Walters mentioned in this book used to hold sway over their men. This book is for historians, feminists, fashionistas, politicos and students of human nature.

French Macarons

I'm going to be sharing all the super cool little treats I discovered in Paris and when possible share where to find them here in the US.

One really super rare treat not easily found here or even shipped here because of its perishable nature is the delightful "macaron".

The Macaron cookie was born in Italy, introduced by the chef of Catherine de Medicis in 1533 at the time of her marriage to the Duc d'Orleans who became king of France in 1547 as Henry II. The term "macaron" has the same origin as the word "macaroni" -- both mean "fine dough".

I love these little delights with a fine French tea. I first discovered these at LaDuree in Paris and I still think theirs are the best. Not since the Victorians has the trend of using flowers as food been popular here but I have to say it is still very much alive in Europe! And that makes the violet flavored and rose flavored macarons all the more special.

I have found a local supplier who makes them the french way and loves doing them in floral flavors such as rose and violet but she also does lavender, orange blossom and many more! For more information about Maison Burdisso in Houston you can go to their web site.