This one is for Carollina, who asked what we brought back from the trip and wisely encouraged us to bring an extra bag.
Merci for Merci, one of my favorite places in Paris. These small enamel bowls are so rad.
Christine Ferber preserves for Pierre Hermé. The lady knows how to preserve fruit. I am always amazed when jars of jam survive air travel.
I have a plate problem. I just can’t stop myself from buying them. I justify it by saying I could photograph something on it. This plate from Liberty is especially charming because the pattern is the UK!
Seriously good spice bread from Poilâne. The label says it has Szechuan peppers in it, which add a nice heat. I will try to recreate it.
I finally splurged on copper canelé molds. Just look at how beautiful they are! I bought them from one of the charmingly grumpy men at E.Dehrillen who seemed somewhat impressed by my interest. They don’t look like this anymore because I have seasoned them, but they are still beautiful. I can’t wait to start using them.
My riskiest import, Bordier butter. Worth the risk, as it seemed to survive the trip unscathed. All of the other butters are sad they are not Bordier butter (so am I).
Another beautiful thing from Merci, this time new napkins. I wish they sold their linens online.
See, I told you. This beauty is from Astier de Villatte. I love this pattern, but why do they have to be the most expensive plates in the world?!
Prunes stuffed with prunes from G. Detou. If you love prunes, these are for you. Really, really delicious stuff.
Sasha says:
November 15th, 2011 at 12:12 pm
Kudos for bringing back butter!
Those yellow bowls alone are worth the trip to Paris.
Erin Orr says:
November 15th, 2011 at 12:24 pm
Oh! Prunes stuffed with prunes! How lovely!
Kathy says:
November 15th, 2011 at 12:33 pm
would love to see a Paris guide from you!
Claire says:
November 15th, 2011 at 1:08 pm
Those prunes are like the Xzibit meme of prunes
talley says:
November 15th, 2011 at 4:46 pm
I was just thinking a trip to Paris for delicious goodies was in order. I’m super impressed by the range of things you found to bring back, from spices to butter to prunes-in-prunes to plates and more plates. I generally get too fixated on one time and have a hard time diversifying my hunt. I will certainly be putting this butter on my list. I wonder if it’s better than Swiss butter? Probably, the French know their butter.
Carollina says:
November 15th, 2011 at 5:24 pm
Hey, thanks for the shout-out, and boy did you do good. Great, actually (bringing back butter, why didn’t I think of that?)! Looking at pix of your stash brings back memories for me of my husband prowling the arrondissements of Paris with a giant wheel of pain Poilane under his arm & my stack of copper pots from the Dehillerin (and yes, the staff were charmingly grumpy). I was going to ask you why your return luggage didn’t include something from Robert Linxe, but I remembered you don’t live for chocolate. We bought a lot from Linxe’s Maison du Chocolat, and proceeded to rent a car to drive south to Provence. We soon were reminded that chocolate + car trunks + balmy summer days DON’T MIX. All those boxes of beautiful candy, melted together into amorphous blobs. Sigh; it’s been nearly twenty years for us and I still remember. Glad you had better luck with your butter than we did with our chocolate.
BTW, I took a bread baking class at the French Pastry School with master baker Pierre Zimmerman, and he raved about Christine Ferber’s preserves, and about her cookbook (although the books is apparently not written for beginners.)
Congrats again and best wishes to you and your husband for a life together full of sweetness and joy.
Tim says:
November 15th, 2011 at 6:18 pm
Talley- Swiss butter sounds good, too!
Carollina- Your poor chocolate! But at least you were in Provence? You could comfort yourself with olives and wine? I have the Christine Ferber book, it is great, but yeah- maybe not for beginners. Thanks for the good wishes!
Run Fast Travel Slow says:
November 15th, 2011 at 8:45 pm
nice picks — those copper molds are gorgeous. i love the culinary theme of your souvenirs… i brought back silver straws when i was in buenos aires. they’re for drinking mate (and i don’t even drink mate…)
Magda says:
November 16th, 2011 at 7:37 am
Tim, these are fantastic purchases. I know exactly what you mean about the plate addiction. My boyfriend gets crazy every time I buy a new plate claiming that I’m gonna use it some day for photographing food for the blog. The pile gets bigger and bigger. I think we need to move to fit all my plates :)
I was in Paris this summer and splurged too on sweet little things form Mora and E.Dehrillen and various other places. The fortunate thing is that I live in Holland and Paris is only 3 hours by train. I can visit often. Sorry I don’t mean to rub it in. Anyway, enough said!
Enjoy your goodies!
Emily says:
November 16th, 2011 at 9:40 am
O! This is the more glorious loot!
Nisha says:
November 16th, 2011 at 3:09 pm
Hi! I love your blog and your photos are incredible. I can definitely appreciate bringing back kitchen related mementos from your travels. In my last 2 trips to India I have brought a stash of my own – cast iron cookware, seasoned for many many decades by my grandmother’s cooking and lots of tools to make South Indian dishes that I just can’t find in the states like a brass press for making string hoppers. Definitely worth the extra packing care and sore back from lugging suitcases half way across the world. Oh and I just saw this book review on Remodelista, which you might like since you collect plates: http://remodelista.com/posts/required-reading-dish-by-shax-riegler
Have fun with your new treasures!
Beth says:
November 16th, 2011 at 7:21 pm
Of all of these I am most jealous of the butter! Perhaps there are some delicious viennoiserie in the future? Or maybe just savor it on good bread? Either way enjoy!
Sivan Harlap says:
November 17th, 2011 at 7:23 am
now this is the best post! i love it! good idea!! i want doubles of everything you bought. esp that uk print plate! and those yellow enamel bowls!
Gail {astackofdishes} says:
November 17th, 2011 at 7:24 am
As a China-aholic myself I can totally relate to your bringing home the plates. I am in LOVE with the Astier de Villatte plate! Though I would never think to bring back butter, how did you do it? I mean, how did you get it back without it melting all over your things? I think a post on how to successfully smuggle food would be beneficial :)
Stephanie E. says:
November 17th, 2011 at 1:05 pm
I seriously covet that Liberty plate. Want!
Row says:
November 17th, 2011 at 1:38 pm
Pure awesomeness… I must get myself to Europe on of these days. I’m especially digging the UK plate… totally cool!
Ms. Nožisková says:
November 17th, 2011 at 5:15 pm
Tim, you always have such impeccable taste – I envy each one of these purchases! And I’m with Kathy, think a Paris (or any city guide) from you would be something we’d all love to see!
A belated congrats on the wonderful new changes in your life!!
jonahliza says:
November 18th, 2011 at 12:29 am
congrats on all the new and fun stuff! i am a bit jealous of the copper canele molds.. one day. teehee. great finds <3
kickpleat says:
November 19th, 2011 at 10:20 pm
Those bowls are rad. Love the yellow. And the butter. I’m jealous :)
schneiderluvsdoof says:
November 28th, 2011 at 2:00 pm
Beautiful.
Stephanie says:
December 1st, 2011 at 10:46 pm
Both of those stops are in my top 5…but Merci has been, and always will be, #1. Heaven.on.earth.
kimberly says:
December 8th, 2011 at 4:52 pm
I brought back white bowls from Merci and a number of those fabulous tea towels. Isn’t it divine???
Courtney says:
March 28th, 2012 at 10:43 am
Oh my goodness!! Your success with Bordier Butter makes me so happy for you and hopeful for myself- I’m living in France right now, but my tenure is about to end in, oh gosh, a month and 4 days. And I have a picture in my head of the suitcase I return to the States with, and it is not filled with my clothing. It is filled with certain French treats that I’ve come to love so much, and Bordier is sososo among them. Other butter is not the same (the demi-sel, especially, is its own lump of luscious art). But I didn’t know if it was possible/legally risky to transport. Did you wrap yours in any particular way, or pack it specially?
Tim says:
March 28th, 2012 at 11:34 am
Hi Courtney- I didn’t do anything special. I put the butter in a ziplock bag and packed in the luggage I checked (thinking that where they keep the luggage is usually cold). It was still cool when I got home. If you could find one of those cold freezer pack things, you’d be in good shape for sure. Good luck with your move home, and enjoy these last weeks in France!