Le Foodist Paris Cooking Class



What to Expect at a French Patisserie?

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Along with wine and cheese, France is best known for its delectable traditional pastry selection. From the ubiquitous croissant to the distinct paris-brest, patisseries craft some of the most intricate and delicious baked goods in the entire world. 

Although most bakeries will carry a standard selection of traditional fare, they'll vary a bit from region to region. In Paris, you may find a variety of bakeries that fuse traditional techniques with modern or foreign flair, but in the countryside, you might find a simple shop that specializes in a handful of mouth-watering traditional goods. Furthermore, in border regions, you'll find influence from neighbors like Germany, England, Spain, and Italy. Stop somewhere in each town that you visit to admire the unique variations.

All of these delicious options can be a bit overwhelming, so in order to get the most out of your patisserie experience, spend a day taking a guided tour or a pastry class. Additionally, while you're in the shops, don't be afraid to ask for recommendations from the staff - they're highly knowledgeable and will help you find the perfect confections for your taste buds.

what would you find in a french patisserie

Classic Staples

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For the most part, you'll easily find a standard array of traditional goods in any French bakery. These treats are a central part of the country's astounding food culture, so be sure to try as many as you can.

Although listing every single classic dessert is a near-impossible task, most traditional desserts fall into one of the categories below:

Bavarois

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Bavarois, or Bavarian creams, are cold desserts set in a mold with gelatin. They may contain fruit, whipped cream, liqueur, or other ingredients.

Cakes

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In olden days, cake - or gateau - referred only to bread-like confections with nuts and fruit. However, from the 18th Century onward, sweeter gateau have become standard. Traditional gateaux include the Opera Cake, which includes thin layers of confection soaked in coffee syrup and layered with chocolate ganache and coffee buttercream, and mille-feuille (known commonly as a "Napoleon"), which layers thin pastry with creme and marbled icing.

Charlottes

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Charlottes are always first dipped in a liqueur, molded, and then often filled with like mousse, fruit, or even creme. Famous cookies like ladyfingers and macarons as well as breads like brioche all fall into this category.

Choux

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Commonly referred to as "puff pastry" in English, choux refers to the airy shell of dough found in eclairs and profiteroles. Choux requires particular precision to make correctly as it must first be cooked on a stove and then baked in an oven. Many French bakeries feature elaborate choux creations like the St. Honore or the religieuse, and traditional wedding cakes often feature this confection.

Cookies

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Bakeries will also feature many cookies such as madeleines, palmiers, and the classic macaron.

Creams

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These are rarely served on their own, but they provide a basis for many desserts. Four primary cremes are used to make desserts: anglaise (custard-like), patissiere (pastry cream), frangipane (almond flavored), and au beurre (buttercream frosting). Additionally, ganache can be categorized as a type of creme because it is a combination of chocolate and whipped cream.

Entremets

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Entremets refer to desserts that aren't made from dough, such as flans, puddings or charlottesCreme Brulee, for example, along with other egg-based desserts fall into this category.

Petits Fours

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These small desserts are similar to cookies, but they are typically made of fondant-frosted genoise gateau.

Viennoiseries

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This category encompasses baked goods made with yeast, which include croissants and pains au chocolat. These will be less sweet than most other items found at patisseries, and they are often eaten at breakfast.

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Regional Distinctions

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Although most patisseries will carry popular traditional pastries, many regions have their own traditional goods and dessert customs.

The North

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In the north, you'll find the origins of many traditional baked goods as well as unique flavors from Alpine and Germanic-influenced regions. Classic confections like the paris-brest and mille-feuille have their roots in the north. Additionally, alpine regions often use local walnuts in their creations, and desserts from Alsace and Lorraine show their Germanic roots by using spices like cinnamon. 

The South

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In the south, the more temperate weather and influence from countries like Spain and Italy heavily influence its style of baking. Confections like flan patissier and pastis landais - a brioche-like gateau - have similar counterparts in Spain, for example. Local ingredients like anise and fresh fruit are commonly used in dishes such as clafoutis and gibassier.

Paris

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As a large and diverse city, Paris has a patisserie scene all of its own. Not only can you find a variety of confections from across the country, but you can also find amazing bakeries that fuse tradition with modern and foreign influences. Sadaharu Aoki, for example, learned the art of baking in both France and Japan, and he wonderfully fuses Japanese ingredients with traditional Parisian treats, such as his black sesame eclair. For diversity and creativity in baking, visit Paris.

Tips for Appreciating French Baking

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If you're a baking fanatic looking to get the most out of your bakery experience, you should make time to take a guided tour or even take a baking class. During these experiences, you will learn valuable information about the history behind various confections, how they're made, and how they should taste.

When sampling without a guide, you should first aim to try as many treats as possible. In order to taste a wide variety without going overboard, go with a group; purchase an array of goods; and then sample each one. This way, you can try multiple fresh baked goodies without as much of a sugar hangover.

You can (and should) also pair your pastries with wine from France's famous wine regions. Some places may offer formal tastings, but with a little help from a knowledgeable sommelier, you can find the perfect champagne to complement a delicious array of desserts

For more information, please refer to the following pages:

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More About Our Baguettes Classes

Getting a bit technical during our Baguette Class in Paris

The French baguette, actually probably better known as the Parisian baguette has beome a true symbol of French popular gastronomy. A true icon of French life even - look around and you will see the Parisians strolling back home with their baguettes under their arm. But if you are French why would you learn how to do this? You can buy a baguette at any corner of Paris for about one Euro a piece.  But in our Baguette Class in Paris  you will learn how do this from scratch. It is somewhat technical, but also full of tips and tricks. But when you leave, it will have not secret left for you. From the original mix to the famous "scarification" through adding water to your oven through baking, you will see and do it all.

Learning more during your Baguette class in Paris: Croque Monsieur Bread and Brioche

This class is like all our other baking or cooking classes: totally hands-on. So you get to practice from beginning to end - and to taste at the end. But not only will you learn how to make Baguette, but you will also learn to make two more types of bread: the French Croque Monsieur bread. The basis for the classic French bistrot appetizer. And in your Baguette class in Paris you will also learn how to make your own Brioche. Probably the most indulgent bread you will find in France - if not the lightest ...

And you might learn some history during your Baguette Class in Paris

While you will learn the techniques to create - and get to taste - three classic types of French breads, you will also learn some of the stories on the origin of the baguette. Just beware it is still being quite hotly debated. What is for sure though is that the Baguette is absolutely part of today Parisian's life. A classic you will be able to take back home with you.

More About Our Wine and Cheese Lunch in Paris

Cheese and Wine in Paris

The pleasures we can derive from French cuisine can seem endless.  However two of the best known and loved French gastronomic heroes are French cheese and wine. Whether we talk about a Brie which actually comes from very close to Paris, to a creamy Camembert from Normandy, or a Comté from the Alps, French cheese has a delight for all palates. And of course, French wines are even better known whether from Bordeaux great wines or Burgundy sophisticated whites – all of which enthral wine lovers.  Well, at our course on cheese and wine in Paris you will come to appreciate that although each is delicious on its own, properly matched cheese and wine together can make the experience of each even more enjoyable and an absolute delight.

How to pair French cheese and wine

Because not all pairings are actually what people expect, at Le Foodist we have decided to call these experiences 'Daring Pairings'. Maybe because we like to step out of the ordinary to challenge our taste buds, but really all we try to do is give you the perfect match fo cheese and wine in Paris.  So not only will you learn how to select the best wine to go with your cheese, but you will also learn what are the big cheese families in France – there are actually only five, and this is one of the keys to great pairing. In discovering all these pairings of cheese with wine you will be convinced that indeed two things together can be better than the sum of their parts.

It is important to have fun with pairing cheese and wine in Paris

Beyond the tastings though, we have found that the best way to help our clients remember and re-use their experience is to vary the way to approach both wine and cheese.  That is why during our courses on cheese and wine in Paris we share sensory games and many an anecdote to bring the produce to life in your mind as well as on your palate. Overall we will feature four excellent wines, one Champagne and demonstrate to you how best each combines with cheese, letting your taste guide you along with our teaching.

Understanding cheese and wine pairing while in Paris

While for many top Parisian wine stores and restaurant wine lists can be confusing and even intimidating, we believe that after our lunch learning how to pair cheese and wine in Paris, you will feel much more comfortable navigating all of those.  And we sincerely hope your knowledge will help you unlock a door to a whole new world of enjoyment of French wine and cheese pairing.  At every step of the way our sommelier will also share unique tips and tricks to understand wines better and how culture and wine are so related in France; hopefully enriching your own experience as well.

And they do not have to do with what you will find in those markets. They have to do with when you can go shopping there. Open Air markets are only open in the morning. Typically from 8:30 am to 1:30 pm. And they are not open every day. As a matter of fact for the vast majority they are open either open every other day (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday or Wednesday, Friday, Sunday), or sometimes only twice a week. 

This is the case of the Bastille Market (Metro Bastille and Metro Bréguet Sabin )which is open only on Thursday and Sunday morning. We like to send people there because it is a very big market with over one hundred vendors. And it has a nice stand of Crêperie in the middle. Here you get a video of a lady preparing a crêpe there; and you can get that crêpe for only 3 Euros!
There is only one Open Air market open every day of the week, it is called Marché Aligre (Metro Ledru Rollin or Metro Faidherbe Chaligny) which happens on the eponymous street. It is an interesting market because you find all kinds of quality in that market – the good, the bad and the ugly. There is also a nice covered market in the middle of it called Marché Beauveau – sometimes called Marché Beauveau Aligre. On the contrary, Covered Markets are open every day, and not just in the morning, but also in the late afternoon. Typically from 4:30 pm to 8:00 pm.

We are blessed with two markets close to where Le Foodist is located, so we can walk to a market every morning – sometimes it is the Maubert market, and sometimes it is the Monge market. Both nice with their own specififies. Last but not least, none of these markets is open on Monday. Do not sign-up for a Market Tour on Monday, you might never see that money again …

Choosing Ingredients in Paris

While all markets are different, they also have some things in common. First they work on specific schedules as explained before. But also you will find always at a minimum the following vendors: a Maraîcher – this is the name we give to people selling fruits and vegetables, a butcher, a fishmonger, a cheesemonger and a baker. Normally you will find several of each, with different levels of quality, organic or non-organic, local or not local (but mostly not local unfortunately).
And we explain how to recognize each of those of course during our Market Visits and Cooking Classes in Paris. But choosing ingredients can be daunting at first, because of the variety that is on display. A typical fishmonger will carry 20 different types of fishes, and as many shrimp and shelf fish varieties. A good cheese monger will easily carry up to 100 different types of cheese and obviously you could get over 100 different cuts of meat at a butcher (from the type of meat to the cut itself). And a normal Maraicher will carry between 50 and 100 fruits and vegetables as well.
This is what makes these markets so exciting – the variety of products, the beauty of their display, and the exchange you can have with most of the vendors. We give you tips though on how to make sure that exchange with the vendors go well – a few magic words, and everything will be fine!

Cooking in Paris

Obviously going to markets is nice, but actually knowing that you are going to cook what you find there is even more exciting. It is not uncommon for Parisians to buy a little bit too much food because they get so excited at the idea of cooking it all! But as most of us have hardly any space where we live, that can limit the enthusiasm sometimes. Because of the lack of space, Cooking in Paris can be quite different from cooking in the rest of France. And there are also dishes that are typically associated with regions which the Parisian will not cook at home – but taste when they visit friends or families in the various regions of France. However our kitchen has plenty of space, so we can cook traditional French dishes without a problem – whether they come from Paris or any region. And the most important part for us is to ensure that we share techniques much more than just recipes. As a matter of fact, we love to share a bit of the science behind what we do so people can better remember the “what” by understanding the “why”.

Sharing Stories

In November 2010, some experts from the UN cultural organisation, decided tha France’s multi-course gastronomic meal, with its rites and its presentation, fulfilled the conditions for featuring on the “world intangible list” of the UNESCO.
In this list you can find all kinds of cultural practices, including Mexico Day of the Dead festival for example. Importantly this is not suggesting French cuisine is better than other cuisines (even though we the French tend to believe that …). It is only saying that the gastronomic meal and what it entails is a very vivid cultural practice which people in France partake into on a very regular basis. That is why the same experts indicated that the French gastronomic meal is a “social custom aimed at celebrating the most important moments in the lives of individuals and groups”. And in that social custom, there are many parts: the attention we pay to the way we choose ingredients, how we pair wine with food, how many dishes we will present to our guests, how we lay the table, etc… But one big part of the cultural practice is that commensality (the fact of sharing the food) is always accompanied by sharing stories about …. Well, you would have guessed it, Food of course!
To us it is THE perfect example of how Food and Culture come together – actually we decide to share food is a considered a cultural practice. I would argue that it is true of all countries, regions, etc… As the way we relate to Food is such a big part of anybody’s identity. But as a result and to make sure you have the most genuine experience of French culture, after the a coking class in Paris at Le Foodist, you will share a gastronomic meal at a common table with your Chef and fellow participants to the class.

French Wine and Food Pairing

As mentioned above, one of the big cultural practices in France is choosing how to pair Wine and Food in general and Wine and Cheese in particular. We actually have a class which focuses specifically on this. As it is so important though, we always make sure we share white and red wines during our meals, chosen to pair well in our opinion with the food we cook. And being at the table together is a good opportunity to discuss about wine as well, with concepts such as “terroir” (to simplify, terroir means “what you do depends on where you are”) which are essential to grasp the way the French think about Food.
And all this will always go with a cheering “Santé” – which quite simply means, to your good health!

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