Monday, March 10, 2014

Common sense is not so common.







Bob and Angus head off down the motorway to the hardware store. In  these parts we're off to what passes for a big city. One of those sleepy market towns with a sluggish river, a bridge, an over sized church, and a market square. And, of course, a hardware store. Dusty and quiet. The sign outside the mairie says, with a mixture of pride and precision, that the town has a population of 8,329. This morning 9 of them seem to be up and about.

On the way home time for a quick coffee. We park in the shade outside an old fashioned patisserie. There is no one inside. The owner is delighted for Bob to join me. We settle at a table in the heavily mirrored Salon de The. This is screened off from the rest of the patisserie by an orange nylon curtain. I have a watery coffee and a chocolatine, Bob has a bowl of water. The owner shows me a letter of recommendation sent to his grandfather by a Parisian hotel fifty years ago - " Monsieur Albert est correcte, serieux et propre ". High praise indeed. The sixth generation of artisinal bakers. A world of colours, shapes and textures that other cake makers have long forgotten. 

We leave with  a box of pommes en chemise and very strict instructions that they should only be warmed in an oven that is cooling down not heating up. '' If the heat is too strong the flavours will not suffuse ". Not the sort of comment you would expect to hear anywhere else other than deepest France profonde.

As we drive off Bob turns his head, licks his lips and looks at the patisserie man as if to say '' we'll be back ".


17 comments:

CheerfulMonk said...

You're making me hungry!

WFT Nobby said...

I am sure the pommes en chemise did not disappoint.

Bella Roxy & Macdui said...

Don't think Bob wants to wait for any heating up.

XXXOOO Bella & roxy

Heda said...

Bob's manners are impeccable.

Whispering Walls said...

Love it! He's not shy with his colourings!

VirginiaC said...

I'm sure that the Font and Sophie have got it covered regarding the baker's instructions for reheating the pommes en chemise.
They'll be "warmed in an oven that is cooling down not heating up" and they will be delicious.

Angus said...

Red, green and blue !

Angus said...

Only where food is concerned.

Angus said...

They were ! Bob and Sophie agreed .

Angus said...

Wait ?

Angus said...

You're right.

Julie said...

I had to look up pommes en chemise (hangs head in shame ) but what I saw looked very, very nice, bit like my Mum used to make when there was an abundance of apples in the autumn, hope yours tasted as good. And the smell when they were cooking, mouthwatering !

tammy j said...

i thought ... WHAT??? no illicit croissant?
then i saw the answer to virginia c's comment. ahhhh. all is well. they got a taste of the perfectly warmed pommes en chemise!
how could i have doubted?

Kari said...

Oh Angus......exquisite!

fleurlilian said...

Gourmet dogs... greetings Susanne, Daisy, Kiri and Dandy - LION

~Kim at Golden Pines~ said...

After a mass produced so called 'cinnamon roll' that we indulged in on Saturday at a mall, it's good to know that somewhere there are still artisanal bakers taking pride in their work and creating exquisite desserts.

Angus said...

Those ''cinammon rolls" are taking over the world.