Macarons and Scorpions
Taking a little break here from usually having to post my own work, today I’m going to let out a sigh of relief and post some works of other people. I took a quick trip overseas for a couple days around my birthday this month (2 days, 1 day each in Paris & London) to see my parents in London for dinner (haven’t seen them for a while, they’ve been traveling) but after my parents and I split, I ventured out and peeked into some stores. I was curious to see what foods were available and how things were packaged and presented. Though I wish I had some extra time to venture out to DSM this trip was not only abrupt but very food centered. I was keen on bringing back snacks I can’t find here in the US (Fauchon store midtown closed soon after it opened) ….though I had a great meal at Yauatcha (one of Alan Yau’s successful chinese restaurant ventures, next to Wagamama which is another popular noodle chain in London)… I can’t bring back the deliciousness from that restaurant with me. I tried taking pictures at Yauatcha but they have a very strict no picture taking policy which was totally confusing because I always check flickr if there are images from the restaurant…??..anyway they said no..sucks being a commoner. I was secretly happy about this, I’m really annoying when I take food shots and I can’t enjoy my food at restaurants if I know I’m taking pictures (too damn anal!)…the dinner becomes like work. I highly recommend Yauatcha for anyone who lives in London because they make the thinnest peking duck wrappers I’ve tasted (not an expert restaurant-wise in London so I may be totally wrong but around here they don’t make them THAT thin.)
Also, this post has quite a lot of animated GIFS. I had so many pictures that I thought it’d be best to make half of them into animated gifs. I’m a sucker for never-ending posts and I really should learn how to EDIT photos… for now these animated gifs will do. This page may give you eye-related seizures, view with caution, don’t forget to watch out for the animated gifs.
Ah! cute choco-pops with cutesy little drawings on them. I picked this one up from Selfridges in their boutique-y food section.
Assorted mustards from Fauchon, my favorite was the herbes de provence. << pretentious sounding I know but what else would you call it. Herbaceous? Dunno..next!
Always looking at packaging as if its really that important (the way it tastes is far more important) but if the packaging is good too it gets me even more excited about the product. This one’s got a more traditional and more old fashioned vibe..I love the bright stickers and the drawing that goes with the description of the flavored mustards.
An animated gif below. The quality of the photos changed when I animated them in photoshop. Not a photoshop expert but this will have to do. The mustard was extra tasty slathered on chewy ciabatta with breseola. My love for cold cuts and cured meats makes me so un-feminine.
Fauchon was the main place I went to for snacks in Paris (the line went down the block) and they have the best little snacks and hors d’hoeuvres. Here is another shot of their branding details. There are so many great brands today, but the food brands that have a slight advantage over new ones is the history behind them. Same goes for fashion brands like Chanel, no new brand will be able to compete with the history behind what the Chanel logo represents. Like the humble origins of “Chanel” (most of you already know she was an orphan so I won’t even get into these cliched details) Auguste Fauchon started out as a street vendor. This just proves luxury has NOTHING to do with where you came from or what kind of family you were born into.
Though I wish I could have gotten some more (I don’t like to travel so I should have gotten more) here are some of my favorite snacks from Fauchon! The mini crepes are just amazing. Kind of like Cheez-its but … on crack… or as INA GARTEN says, “with the volume turned up” …
My favorite crepe flavor, Roquefort. (Same thing as bleu cheese, basically)
The salty crackers are best served with a very cold and dry beer, Duvel is one of my favorite Belgium brews.
I also picked up this key/bottle opener from Selfridges . Would make a good pendant, perfect for happy hour. It works very well too.
(gif below)
Another snack I picked up was their Gouda Cheese + Herbes de Provence Batonnets, they’re basically the same as cheese sticks here in the US. From the layers of this shot, you can see the texture is almost like a hardened croissant…I still love cheese sticks here too.
Roquefort mini crepes, the exterior is very crispy and light and inside Roquefort flavored creme. Roquefort tastes a lot like bleu cheese, right?
I also picked up a very small jar of Foie Gras from Fauchon (one of my favorite foods). I love it served with toasted bread, or just out of the jar!
I found this clever little balsamic tasting package in the artisanal foods section of Selfridges. Its a varietal presentation with four different aged Balsamic vinegars, the whole package is very small 100% transparent integrating the contents within as part of the “package design”.
What I love most is how these are so tiny, and the packaging makes it look like nail polish.
This is the only food package that incorporates time, each bottle is stamped with the number of years its been aged.
I chose #40 (40 years). The longer it sits, the sweeter the Balsamic tastes. Goes great with sliced tomato and watermelon, a dish constructed by Jose Andres (an Adria disciple) that was then presented by Giada DeLaurentiis on the food network. This one’s another animated gif.
A major stop in Paris, yes its touristy but still worth it! Laduree, I’m obsessed with their shopping bags. They’re unique, because the depth of the bag is really long, almost equal to the width of the bag so it becomes like a square.
(animated gif below)
Another animated gif, its too easy to tell if a macaron is decent. If it crumbles to the touch, its a good one. You can tell the interior is extremely chewy/supple. The crust is very light and breaks easily.
Another delicacy from Laduree, a red lip cake. Just a white chocolate shell.
Inside is a strawberry shortcake, but this one tasted kind of different from the other ones I had, in a good way. The cake was extremely dense and buttery.
The Cherry box. Chocolate covered cherries with liquer.
(animated gif)
Another thing I have wanted to try was their facial products. I only picked up one cause I wasn’t sure what the quality is like. The creme is extremely dense and smells like macarons (sorta). I think I’m into it.
They are meticulous with their packaging and I appreciate it.
The patent shopper bag which was wrapped inside packaging featured above. No wonder why Japanese people are obsessed with Laduree, as they are obsessed with presentation + packaging as well.
Cute to-go picnic package filled with ketchup, olive oil, freshly ground pepper, salt, and a tube of mustard. Silver mustard tube looks too industrial for food. From Sur Les Quais in Paris (animated gif below) but they stock it in the gourmet foods section of Harvey Nichols as well.
This is also from Harvey Nichols, its a colorful Indian spice wheel for “Chickpea Curry”. I’m well aware that there are large indian communities in London and in the UK, I keep thinking of the movie “Bend it like Beckham” (this whole movie reminds me of my upbringing, what with the strict asian family thing and all) the packaging here is reflective of its culture. Each spice is like a pigment of color.
In France they sell Nutella that comes in single serving packages. Functional for the subway/bus/plane.
Delicate chocolate box (very small, 2 by 2 in) from Selfridges in London, by the company “Artisan du Chocolat” have no idea if this is a reputable brand I just know that the chocolates are very tasty! This package below came with its own label made out of fabric! The effort!
These are little “chocolate pearls” they have metallic dust on them. I like the salty caramel bite inside.
More from the Selfridges gourmet food counter, this “pearl dust” from the brand “EDIBLE”. Okay its gimmicky but I love the packaging.
It says, to put it in Champagne, its supposed to “increase passion”. It didn’t get me worked up but maybe it only works for men.
Once you put it in an alcoholic beverage it starts to bubble.
Scorpion Vodka from the same brand, “EDIBLE” from the Selfridges gourmet foods section. I asked the sales associate if this stuff actually sells, he said they sell very well. Again anything scorpion related is supposed to make men “last longer”. Its popularly dubbed nature’s own viagra (or at least this is what it says on the bottle ). I’m single so I have no need for this.
Vodkalix. Vodka flavored scorpion pops. My pie pops look real pathetic right about now. This piece of edible art gives a slight nod to Damien Hirst’s animals floating in Formaldehyde… I actually finished this one. To my surprise this has 0% alcohol content which is why I’m confused about the name. I love the packaging though. Again, by the food company “Edible”. The scorpion tastes close to a dried squid/crab/shrimp, expect chewing on its exterior/claws/limbs too. It is a delicacy in China but not so much here in the US. This is as far as I’ll go in my quest to mimic Andrew Zimmern of “Bizarre foods“.
The “edible” food packaging is really ‘futuristic’ ’spacey’ and all that..just minimal, all white or transparent and scientific. This one’s a chocolate covered scorpion, I let my dad have this one.
I’m older than the swift/talented tween bloggers so I knew nothing about how to build animated gifs. Here was a site that really helped me, just follow it step by step, I’m sure there are better ways to do animated gifs but this was one way that worked if you were about to ask me “HOW DID YOU DO AN ANIMATED GIF?” in the comments section.
**VISIT HERE if you want to know more about the EDIBLE FOODS brand in the UK***
Also I haven’t been able to catch up on e-mails all weekend but if I haven’t gotten back to you I will get on it, not that I even get that many e-mails anyway…
Category: Food | Tags: feature 146 comments »
January 25th, 2010 at 5:32 pm
i knew it was your birthday, not rockys!
haha
looks like you had an amazing time.
we have the single serves of nutella in australia too.
Cheers,
Madeleine Louise
http://www.wekilledcouture.com
January 25th, 2010 at 5:35 pm
FIRST
January 25th, 2010 at 5:37 pm
Ahhh sorry that was juvenile of me. EDIBLE looks like an amazing brand; do they have many more relatively unusual products?
January 25th, 2010 at 5:38 pm
so pretty! i will never have the guts to eat scorpion though ): did you go to that famous macaroon shop near harrods? i don’t remember what its called ): it’s in the same building though.
and how did you manage squeezing london and paris into 1 day each?? envy.
January 25th, 2010 at 5:41 pm
Love this note
sorry that you did not try PIERRE HERME macarons.He is the one who relaunched LADUREE a few years ago . He owns his own stores now and his macarons are the best best best in the world.
January 25th, 2010 at 5:41 pm
I MUST have those macarons. Oh my.
January 25th, 2010 at 5:42 pm
My favorite post yet! Everything’s so beautiful.
January 25th, 2010 at 5:43 pm
I know I didn’t have time…I am desperate to try his chocolate/foie gras macarons. The lines are long at Herme too.
January 25th, 2010 at 5:46 pm
Pearl powder is a chinese thing – you can buy packets of them in small vials from chinatown herbalist I think, or HK.
January 25th, 2010 at 5:52 pm
Love the post! If you like Wagamama, you’d love Busaba Eathai in Soho…it’s a Thai restaurant by the same guy and it’s amazing.
As is De Hems for great Belgian beer.
January 25th, 2010 at 5:52 pm
…That’s Soho in London, not NYC
January 25th, 2010 at 5:52 pm
I think you over did it a little with the gifs… kind of gave me a headache. That said, these look lovely especially the ones from Laduree!
I can’t believe they sell facial products!
January 25th, 2010 at 5:58 pm
well, I presume you like to stroll in La Grande Epicerie de Paris, don’t you ?
January 25th, 2010 at 5:59 pm
As if I wasn’t already spending enough time on your site, your Games tab just tripled the average length of my stay!
January 25th, 2010 at 6:07 pm
my comment disappeared again ji…
January 25th, 2010 at 6:08 pm
So weird!!! I’m sorry!!! Let me see what’s going on !
January 25th, 2010 at 6:08 pm
can i just say that i am incredible jealous of your ability to eat and review all of this gorgeous and seemingly delicious food while maintaining a perfect physique?
yeahh, so unfair.
p.s.- you should totally edit this and take out the “not that i recieve that many emails anyway” because you’re totally going to get like 2382309 bajillion now.. lol
January 25th, 2010 at 6:10 pm
p.s. the toolbar looks AWESOME.
January 25th, 2010 at 6:10 pm
Wow. My eyes. The food, everything is so pretty!
January 25th, 2010 at 6:12 pm
fauchon!!! i miss their apple tea, it’s hard for me to get easy access to it here in the states.
i mix pearl powder into my facial cream, actually- helps keep my skin clear and seems to do it some good. helps keep my face more matte on hotter days.
January 25th, 2010 at 6:13 pm
no fair when my fridge is empty!!
all look so perfect and beautiful!
(i have the same problems with gifs, the image loose quality, i think there is no good solution to arrange this problem…)
January 25th, 2010 at 6:19 pm
In East Texas, lollypops with scorpions in them are readily purchased at most gas stations.
January 25th, 2010 at 6:23 pm
Thats cool! I had no idea.
January 25th, 2010 at 6:33 pm
Sensory overload!
I’m sure you’ve seen this- http://lovelypackage.com/
Easy way to blow a few hours.
Glad you were able to squeeze so much into your short trip, and I *love* the gifs. I can’t wait to see what else you do with them. (I”m thinking time-lapse everything!)
January 25th, 2010 at 6:37 pm
Looove your site and you recommend some really neat stuff in these sorts of posts, but I have to ask – do you get anything from the companies from recommending them so strongly like this? If not, you def should.
January 25th, 2010 at 6:39 pm
1. Yauatcha cakes and macaroons are excellent too.
2. L’Artisan du Chocolat is definitely reputable.
3. If you ever make it back to London, Melt in Westbourne Grove is another great place for chocolates.
4. Jean Paul Hevin does the best chocolates in Paris, alongside Satie chocolates from Tokyo. Don’t get me started on Tokyo, Saduharu Aoki, and La Boutique de Joel Robuchon win hands down. Mmm.
5. Sounds like you had a great trip, I miss London way too much. On the quest for such places in Philadelphia; haven’t been too lucky with that…
January 25th, 2010 at 6:41 pm
Wow! Amazing foods. I am now hungry and totally fascinated. I am also hugely fond of nice packaging (as long as the item packaged lives up to it…) so this was a treat for my eyes. I ate a grasshopper inside a lollipop once that looked just like that scorpion version. But who cares- a lame grasshopper is nowhere near as cool as that.
I have a huge question that I’m sure others are wondering (or they’re geniuses and I am just dim,) how much of this did you transport back to the states with you? Lots or just some? Did you photograph it immediately? Or once you arrived. And concerning whatever you did bring home with you- how?! That sounds like a massive headache.
xo
January 25th, 2010 at 6:43 pm
I love you, but I could not help screaming at the scorpion. I couldn’t get past the fact that it’s a bug.
aauuuughghhhhhghghghgg
but kudos to you for eating that!
what did the ice looking stuff around it taste like? didn’t you say it had 0% alcohol in it?
January 25th, 2010 at 6:49 pm
everything Laduree and those chocolate pearls look delicious, a chocolate covered scorpion kinda scares me though
January 25th, 2010 at 6:50 pm
Artisan du Chocolat are definitely reputable – they’re my favourite UK based chocolatier. There are a few with better reputations, but Artisan walk close to the ‘affordable’ line – my favourites are their liquid caramel balls, with sea salt and balsamic vinegar. They’re divine, and much copied…
Also, the Indian spice thing that you show is common in many supermarkets in reasonably sized towns these days – you can’t separate a Brit (of any background) from curry by far, and the interest in cooking and food in general in the last five or so years has made for all sorts of similar things. She says, having made herself curry for tea (I’m not of any asian background, though India in particular fascinates me and I spent 6 months there once). Not that I used a mix, but that’s because I like to live dangerously!
I’m going to Paris the week after next, and have been meaning to try the Laduree Macarons for AGES. More impetus…
January 25th, 2010 at 6:53 pm
lux-such a great post! i love seeing what other ppl are into. love all the packaging of the items. i wonder if i would eat scorpian. just cuz i hate insects.
January 25th, 2010 at 6:53 pm
Next time you’ll go to Paris, try Hediard, and Berko, which is a really cute store that sells adorable sweet yummy cupcakes.
January 25th, 2010 at 6:59 pm
lovely photos! the macarons especially look delicious. laduree is so nice, as is herme! the ispahan is my favorite, lucky for me they also have hermes in tokyo (where i just was). its a shame you didn’t get to jean-charles rochoux, my favorite chocolaterie in paris, amazing things there! next time!
January 25th, 2010 at 7:09 pm
Wow I think you basically went and did everything I’ve been meaning to do for the next time I manage to get to Europe. The pictures are insane! Love them all.
January 25th, 2010 at 7:18 pm
Love your post as usual. I also LOVE to hear what bloggers think and do when in France (my country) especially in Paris (my city for 10 years). It’s so different, and interesting. I think that packaging is totally a big part of the pleasure of eating. I can’t imagine something good without a good presentation, even if it’s simple, in a peasant (French) way. I remember Pierre Herme’s boutique without anyone in there. Must have changed.
As for the scorpions, well I have an insect phobia, not for me.
January 25th, 2010 at 7:28 pm
It’s so nice to see a post that mentions London- I’m sure that like me, your other UK readers were happy & a little proud to see stuff we recognise and love (like Yauatcha, and Bend It Like Beckham!)
January 25th, 2010 at 7:34 pm
god this post made me HUNGRY. the mustard seems so good. also, i love the wax seals on the bottles.
gifs compress differently than jpgs….i think they use indexed color which is why the photo quality degrades. if you have an image with a small number of colors and no gradients, gifs work best (you’ll have a smaller file size!) otherwise a jpeg is probably better. but i guess if you need to animate something, it doesn’t really give you a choice
in short, i don’t think there’s any solution. haha that went nowhere.
January 25th, 2010 at 7:42 pm
okay that emoticon wasn’t supposed to be a smile.
but i’m commenting again because i totally missed the foie in a jar. i love foie even though it makes me feel guilty and i’m starting to panic because it’s going to be banned here in less that 2 years.
also, when i went to italy i got a shit ton of those little nutella packets and two of them tore open in my luggage. sticky and gross. smelled pretty good though.
January 25th, 2010 at 8:10 pm
haha yes I figured there was a huge compromise with gifs, I don’t know that gifs necessarily work for people like me who want to post huge images, so I will probably revert back to my posting style.
January 25th, 2010 at 8:11 pm
ahhaha glad you feel that way! Yea I always love it when people blog about things I recognize..
January 25th, 2010 at 8:12 pm
hahahhaha I do too actually. I hate BUGS. I mean I find them fascinating, but I want to try things at least once..
January 25th, 2010 at 8:15 pm
Laduree’s packaging far exceeds that of Pierre Herme, but if you’re going to be adventurous with macarons make sure to go to BOTH shops. Pierre Herme has way more “exotic” flavor combinations. I’m sure the spice is common, but I actually really love the setup, we don’t have anything like that around here. Thanks for the tip on “artisan du chocolat” this is the first time I’ve encountered the brand.
January 25th, 2010 at 9:27 pm
I thought it was interesting how you mentioned that usually cold cuts and cured meats are considered unfeminine…where in Italy Bresaola is actually a more “girly” option because of its delicate taste (oft served with a dribble of olive oil and lemon juice)!
(Guys usually prefer the more savory, fatty options like Ciccioli or an aged Prosciutto Crudo).
I think you really should try Ciccioli if you can get your hands on it. it’s sinful.
January 25th, 2010 at 9:30 pm
Amazing <3 I love all this packaging it's so beautiful! Thanks for sharing
January 25th, 2010 at 10:15 pm
ah , that sounds like the place I should live. Around here its weird if you order anything else besides a salad with grilled chicken (if you’re a girl). I love too many of those fatty cold cuts, esp for being a girl, thats not really normal… I used to bring packages of salami to school when I was in 1st grade when other kids were eating PBJ sandwiches..I mean I just don’t know what I was thinking.
January 25th, 2010 at 10:17 pm
My favorite Yauatcha cake is the blue tea cake, and yes their chocolates and macarons are great. Just beautiful in the way they are set up. I love that Yauatcha is also a dim sum restaurant and then there’s the contrast of parisian delicacies integrated within the restaurant. Thank you so much for your recommendations, I’m pretty “in the dark” when it comes to these things, usually I filter out all the
department stores because its easy to access.
January 25th, 2010 at 10:24 pm
holy shit, all I want to do is pack up and go back to Paris right now. being a pescetarian (hate that word!) and finding it hard to get anything meat-free in France, I (happily) lived on nothing but pastries, macarons and tea.
did you get any cupcakes from Lola’s in Selfridges? kind of schmaltzy and overdone I guess, but their red velvet was perfect – really springy and nutty with a perfect cream cheese icing.
I can’t believe I just began that comment with ‘holy shit’… that’s the kind of passion good food inspires in me.
January 25th, 2010 at 11:15 pm
First time commenting, long time reader. Such a fabulous post, your attention to nuanced details always astounds me. As for your love of cold cuts and Italian cured meats, makes you a well rounded foodie extraordinaire and no less feminine in the end, sensible choice. If ever in Vancouver, pm me and I will give you the low down on the food and urban chic scene, many tasty delights to be found in this part of the world.
Your passion and vision are a pleasure to witness, thank you for sharing. Eagerly anticipating the next post.
-A
ps- lark.me =current employer
January 25th, 2010 at 11:55 pm
have you ever tried “dulce de leche”?
January 26th, 2010 at 12:00 am
wow this is so much awesomeness packed into one post!!!! the macaron lover in me just died a little… btw the ones at eleven madison park were not the best i’ve had unfortunately. some flavors fared better than the others. i did have some amazing pistachio ones recently at burdick’s in cambridge this past weekend while i was visiting my sister’s school.
um and can i just take a moment and say… nutella to go mini pouches seem like an absolute necessity in life. can’t believe i never thought of it before but it makes so much sense!
January 26th, 2010 at 12:49 am
So beautiful! I’m jealous! I can only relate by saying that I had to bring bag these little caramel and chocolate tarts from a Parisian grocery store. We had them on our picnic at Versailles, so there were some little stow-away grass with it too!
Silly, but it’s those little things you appreciate when you get back home from somewhere almost magical.
January 26th, 2010 at 12:56 am
January 26th, 2010 at 12:56 am
Wow, I forgot how much I miss Fauchon in New York and those little Roquefort crepes! And those pearl truffles look divine.
xx
Tiffany
January 26th, 2010 at 1:18 am
I loved everything but the scorpions. The packaging is fabulous and your photographs are amazing.
January 26th, 2010 at 1:36 am
I totally saw the same scorpion vodka when I was at La Grande Epicerie in Paris (an AMAZING supermarket, which I’m sure you know of). (I’m drooling thinking about it).
I thought it was so bizarre, nothing like I’ve seen here. But when I went back to the same store a few years later, I couldn’t find it ANYWHERE. I asked the employees and they looked at me like I was crazy.
Anyway. So glad you found it! I thought that I had imagined it this whole time.
January 26th, 2010 at 1:43 am
I have the same SUCK UK bottle opener. I love it. It feels good in the hand.
January 26th, 2010 at 1:46 am
Call me a coward, but I soooo prefer your pie pops to arachnid pops.
January 26th, 2010 at 1:53 am
what a yummy post!
i’m usually a healthy person…you know…trying to get all the rights vitamins, nutrients and stuff. but it doesn’t mean i don’t eat any food on the higher part of the food pyramid. I mean, you gotta taste life! I was reading this post and i could feel my things expanding slowly haha…kidding of course. You stay so very thin yet you seem to eat a whole box of macaroons (i’m assuming)! very jealous! keep up with the good work
January 26th, 2010 at 2:39 am
wow, amazing. i wish we could get things like that in australia!
xx
January 26th, 2010 at 4:16 am
CANNOT BELIEVE TODAY I JUST GOT MY SCORPION VODKA, TEQUILA-LIX LOLLIPOPS, AND GIANT QUEEN LEAFCUTTER ANTS COATED IN CHOCOLATE!!!
STRANGELY I WAS THINKING OF YOU WHILE EATING AND SAVORING THEM.
January 26th, 2010 at 5:58 am
Great post! It made feel so hungry…
Have you tried foie micuit with red berry jam? I think this is one of the best combinations ever, I always have it this way. You just have to be careful not to add too much jam so you still feel the foie flavour.
By the way, Jose Andres used to have a TV program here in Spain, so you may find many of his videos in Youtube with recipies. They are in spanish, though
January 26th, 2010 at 6:42 am
Aren’t scorpios suppose to make you feel warm too? My sister had some insect delicacy in Seoul, it made her feel awfully warm. And I say awful because she said it tasted horrible, she puked. Can’t remember what it’s called.
Anyways, this post (especially the scorpio) is very Luxirare. Are we going to see some weird/fascinating food post from you then? =)
January 26th, 2010 at 6:56 am
This is such an interesting post, in particular since I live in London but travel to Paris regularly to visit my parents! I was curious to discover what you selected from both cities.
It’s such a shame you didn’t make it to DSM, one of the most exciting retail experiences in the UK, I would have loved to read your thoughts on the place. Maybe next time?
2 days is definitely not enough for a European trip!
January 26th, 2010 at 7:34 am
Er, the gifs make my head spin… >.<
January 26th, 2010 at 7:56 am
you have balls for eating the scorpion! i think the chocolate covered scorpion packaging looks especialaly rad… it makes for a great photo.
January 26th, 2010 at 10:29 am
i feel all light headed and my limbs are all tingly from imagining eating the scorpion but one day….
January 26th, 2010 at 10:31 am
Thanks Avarine!
January 26th, 2010 at 10:32 am
Its … kind of… scary!! I will admit I dreaded sucking down to the scorpion part..
January 26th, 2010 at 10:43 am
hors d’oeuvres not hors d’hoeuvres
interesting post!
January 26th, 2010 at 11:29 am
Grounded pearl dust are common in chinese herbal stores as it is said to provide good benefits to our complexion or something? I use to have a quater of a table spoon of pearl dust and water everyday when I was young so I might try if it sizzles in champage!
January 26th, 2010 at 11:31 am
hahhahaha yes another commentator just said that, that it is common in Chinese culture. This is why comments are good, for naive people like myself I can always learn something, thank you for letting me know, wish I had known this before I posted so I could reference the pearl dust back to China, but I don’t know that much about food…
January 26th, 2010 at 12:59 pm
ack, so hungry now…love the packaging on the mustard.
much more interseting than the standard “i went on vacation and this is what i bought” post!!
January 26th, 2010 at 1:18 pm
Far from perfect. I don’t have a great figure at all.
January 26th, 2010 at 2:09 pm
My problem with buying beautiful treats like this is….I end up not wanting to eat them, because I want to save them!
January 26th, 2010 at 2:41 pm
Gorgeous, as usual. I think you should take a couple of these ideas and use them.. Like make vodka-pops with alcohol content!
January 26th, 2010 at 3:40 pm
So much eye candy! Thanks for sharing! I think the gifs are a little overwhelming. It would be awesome if you blogged about making macarons. They look absolutely divine!
January 26th, 2010 at 3:41 pm
Love you site and esp. love this post. By the way, you can buy the mini-Nutella packs at Cost Plus World Market (at least out here in Southern California) – they have ‘em in the bins!
January 26th, 2010 at 3:43 pm
They don’t have em around here! Thanks for the tip though!
January 26th, 2010 at 4:55 pm
For the record, they sell the individual packages of Nutella in the states. At least, they do in Atlanta, so I would assume they do elsewhere : )
January 26th, 2010 at 5:16 pm
You are UNBELIEVABLE, you always brighten my day!! I’d like to know how the scorpion pop tastes! x
January 26th, 2010 at 5:23 pm
Yes someone already noted that in the comment above! I am going to go look for some now.
January 26th, 2010 at 5:58 pm
Mmm so much food… I don’t know about yours but my dad would be weirded out if I gave him a chocolate covered scorpion, haha
January 26th, 2010 at 7:46 pm
Amazing photos yet again, you can almost taste/feel/touch everything. Not too keen on the animated gifs though, they kinda gave me a headache. I prefer to look at your photos as is. They are so rich by themselves that having them animated like that is almost too much.
January 26th, 2010 at 9:10 pm
Would your mother happen to work in a library in Ft. Worth, TX? Far out there question I know.
January 26th, 2010 at 9:15 pm
hahaha no, why do you ask?
January 26th, 2010 at 10:23 pm
I find cold cuts and cured meats sexy.. love your work.
January 27th, 2010 at 12:13 am
ahhhh, the packaging is sooo dreamy. <3
January 27th, 2010 at 1:47 am
Oh how I love Laduree! I think I ate my weight in macaroons the last time I was in Paris. The caramel ones are my favorite. It is hard to decide what is better the product or the packaging. I bought a beautiful candle from their shop on the Champs Elysee. Thanks for bring back many wonderful memories for me!
I tried a large raspberry macaroon filled with raspberries and rose cream from Pierre Herme. It was wonderful and was topped with a rose petal and drop of sugary dew. Such details! No one does it like the French!
January 27th, 2010 at 2:59 am
the italian shop inside the chelsea market carries the to-go pouches of nutella!
January 27th, 2010 at 3:09 am
i just came back from a dinner and your post has my mouth watering already! everything looks delectable! even the scorpion pop (but i consider myself a relatively adventurous eater).
breseola is fantastic. i highly recommend serving it over a bed of baby arugala (or herbed spring mix) a healthy dose of shaved pecorino, a litttle lemon juice and olive oil… oh and lots of black pepper =)
January 27th, 2010 at 6:24 am
the BF and i will be spending some time in london in march and i can’t wait. it’s one of my fave cities. reading this made me crave those cheese sticks and i went to my local fancy pants cheese shop to find some but alas, there were none. making a note to myself to raid selfridges as soon as we land. and oh yeah, i can scarf down a package of salami like nobody’s business so if you’re not ladylike then i’m a straight up DUDE.
January 27th, 2010 at 7:47 am
I read today that Adria will be closing his restaurant El Bulli for two years. During this period he will keep working, trying to improve his creativity and make another step forward. I wonder what he will come up with.
Well, whatever, I read the news and immediately your blog came to my mind.
January 27th, 2010 at 8:21 am
L’Artisan du Chocolat is indeed excellent! You’ve brought back some fabulous things!
January 27th, 2010 at 8:46 am
Yauatcha has since stopped their patisserie section so the restaurant is now considerably less pretty than when you visited.
The ground pearl, like mentioned, is a traditional Chinese medicine ingredient. Other than consuming it for supposedly good complexion, you can also make a face mask by beating some egg white and adding the pearl powder, applying the concoction on your face then wash/peel off when dry.
January 27th, 2010 at 10:51 am
I am enamored with the edible presentation!
January 27th, 2010 at 11:33 am
http://cudge.net/catering_detail9.html
nutella packets
January 27th, 2010 at 11:51 am
thanks!
January 27th, 2010 at 3:33 pm
Not sure if this has reached you yet, but I just found out that El Bulli is to close in 2012 via luxist.com
January 27th, 2010 at 4:58 pm
Ahhh Lauduree! I totally agree; Duvel & Chimay, any day… So didn’t mean to rhyme there!
January 27th, 2010 at 5:44 pm
I am sooo impressed by your work. Bravo !
Just a thing : why do you always write “its” and not it’s” ? (typical question by a French math teacher !!!)
January 27th, 2010 at 5:54 pm
where and what did you study at university, if you went?
January 27th, 2010 at 6:34 pm
Ha You know your beers! Chimay is the best!
January 27th, 2010 at 6:35 pm
eh because I’m always in a hurry to write the post, I don’t necessarily look over every thing. I should be more careful, thanks for leaving your comment.
January 27th, 2010 at 6:35 pm
Parsons School of Design.
January 27th, 2010 at 10:25 pm
i’m drooling! magnificent!
January 27th, 2010 at 10:29 pm
This post is perfection
*sigh*
January 28th, 2010 at 10:12 am
Amazing post!! I love being visually bombarded by beautiful food. I want to return to Paris so badly just to go to Ladurée. Definitely not into the scorpions, but I’m sure that’s an acquired taste.
January 28th, 2010 at 2:31 pm
was going to recommend la grande épicerie the minute i started reading that post, but i see i’m not the first one
Your mention of wagama made my heart sink a bit because i have strong cravings for their chicken tama rice now that I am back living in paris… anglo saxon countries have such a knack for delicious, simple take away food, which the french don’t have at all (as they feel it would be some sort of sacrilege to eat from a cardboard box and spend 10 satisfying minutes on a meal…), and which always makes me long for us and uk-oriented foods such as good sandwiches and burgers. So it’s funny to see you look the other way round into parisian delicacies…
i am looking for some appreciation words on your work, but everything sounds corny, so let me just tell you that I have never come upon anything as mind blowing (i think it is a very fitting word) as your blog on the internet, so thank you for that!
January 28th, 2010 at 7:22 pm
Again…. Great post……!!!!!!!
i will love to go to Europe….
hey Im sure you can find the Nutella mini pack on NY, if we have it on Mexico on the corner store…….. or if you really want some im sure we can mail you some hahahahahaha
you are incredible!!!!!! thnkx for shering with us!!!!
xoxoxoxoxox
B!
P.S. by the way you should visit Mexico im sure you love it (or maybe you already been here )
January 28th, 2010 at 9:37 pm
Cute stuff!! Haha i no bout the nutella, I went to aussie this break and found individual nutella packs and bought them and brought them home!!!! haha I still have some, yum. I wish the us had them.
January 28th, 2010 at 9:40 pm
You have inspired me to make some Parisian macaroons this weekend!!! I am a huge nutella fan, and love it on toast. I really think you should also look up kersthagel (sprinkles especially for toast, from the Netherlands) Great post, I want to go to Laduree now. Too bad I’m not in France.
January 29th, 2010 at 12:46 am
[...] from Luxirare. Outfit clockwise from top left: J.Crew Tuesday Strappy Heels (on sale!); Calypso Keri Sweater; We [...]
January 29th, 2010 at 10:18 am
I love this post, can’t believe you were in London.. if I’d seen you in the Selfridges Food Hall I think I would have *died* !
January 29th, 2010 at 11:50 am
I will definitely look into kersthagel, sounds cool. I know Laduree is the best. I like it better than Herme.
January 29th, 2010 at 9:36 pm
Happy, Happy Birthday, dear Luxirare!
Thank you for sharing your memories.
I am surprised you didn’t chance over to Hediard or Dalloyau whilst frolicking in Paris. I, too, adore Laduree’s packaging, which is your favorite flavor macaron?
Meilleurs voeux,
GG
January 30th, 2010 at 11:06 am
Hi !!
another very interesting post!!
especially the scorpion stuff, man that’s weird. It reminded me also of Damien hurst. Actually I collect animals in formol jars, stuffed animals etc myself :p. The vodka-scorpion would be a great item for my collection, thanks for the info!
PS: Ofcourse Belgian beer is the best!!! Duvel is ok, but did you ever try Westvleteren, Leffe, Orval, La Chouffe, Augustijn, Karmeliet??? Delicioussss hehe
Love,
La fille from Belgium
January 30th, 2010 at 12:55 pm
It all looks so delicious, but please…make the GIF images smaller…they gave me a headache too
January 30th, 2010 at 9:19 pm
how were you able to get laduree goodies?! i have been trying forever to try to obtain them but with no such luck.
January 31st, 2010 at 4:18 am
i love these kinds of posts where you just cram a whole lotta new, interesting stuff into one post! going to cook up anything interesting with these? i’d love to see a luxirare twist on those chocolate pearls, hint hint ;]
also can i say i’m not a big fan of the .gifs? they flash by too fast for me to really soak in the image, that’s why i like stills better. :]
January 31st, 2010 at 5:11 pm
My OH bought me lots of Pierre Herme things for my birthday. They do mail order. Sadly, we all HATED the macaroons. The texture is wonderful but the flavours were horrible. The mint ones were toothpaste-y, the caramel tasted burnt etc…no-one I let try them liked them. It was a real disappointment as I wanted to like them, very much. It’s upsetting to picture the remaining macaroons going stale in the back of my kitchen cupboard as I don’t have the will to throw them out.
On the plus, the Raspberry and rose cake is delicious! His chocolates are ok. For me, no chocolates come close to those of Prestat. They’re always so simple, fresh and bursting with flavour. Worth every penny. The best chocolate house in London!
February 1st, 2010 at 5:11 pm
Chez Laduree, did you try the liquorice macaron with salt caramel filling? Exquisite. Black. My favorite.
It’s funny, today I went to the Pierre Herme shop, rue Bonaparte, empty shop and four salespeople waiting for clients…The best Herme macaron flavor is definitely passion fruit/milk chocolate, always available.
February 3rd, 2010 at 12:24 am
You have made me miss Fauchon so much – I still cannot believe they took it out of NY – It was my go-to spot for a treat on a bad day, a good day, a rainy day..you get the idea lol. I will definitely have to track down those balsamic vinegars when I am back in Ldn..I have never seen a neat little kit like that before and I love the stuff. Keep up the good work.
February 3rd, 2010 at 5:28 pm
wow, i’m obsessed with the choco-lolli! what brand is it? i wonder if they have them in the US…
February 3rd, 2010 at 11:06 pm
there are so many things i LOVE in this post that i don’t know what to with myself. wow.
February 4th, 2010 at 1:44 am
Laduree would have to be my favourite place on the whole freaking planet! I love it. And those fouchon mustards are amazing – I brought some back to Australia as a present for my cousins and was so glad when they asked me to share with them!
Those scorpions scare me though.
February 4th, 2010 at 3:13 pm
hmmm…the belgian golden ale and the macarons – they’re too die for!
LOVE THIS POST!
February 5th, 2010 at 12:33 am
Because of this post I have been constantly craving macarons, so much so that I have decided to attempt making them… Oooh would love to see a luxirare post on macarons, I’ll bet you would come up with an amazing flavour or way of presenting them!
I hope you don’t mind, I have used one of your pictures in a ‘macaron inspiration’ blog post, and, of course, have linked back to your site. As always love your posts, ideas and photography! you are very talented.
February 5th, 2010 at 12:41 am
[...] photo from: luxirare [...]
February 6th, 2010 at 8:51 pm
I dream of Laduree Raspberry Macrons…
February 6th, 2010 at 9:31 pm
Erm…scorpions? I dont think I can manage that
All the sweets look so good-maybe I’m just too young
February 9th, 2010 at 1:37 am
This is my first comment but I have to say that you are crazy and super talented! It blows my mind every time. And the attention to detail and the creativity??? Too much.
February 10th, 2010 at 7:12 pm
LADUREE IS MY FAVORITE THING IN THE WORLD! it can brighten up even my shittiest of days. my friends know my obsession so anyone that passes through Paris always picks some up for me. and ummmmmm what the eff dude. SINGLE-SERVING-NUTELLA. there should be one of those cheese dip and cracker snack packs with nutella and pretzel sticks. my favorite nutella combo. the saltiness of the pretzels + the hazelnut and chocolate…..mmm….
February 17th, 2010 at 10:38 am
Speechless!!! Absolutely amazing! As a scorpio, my best pleasure is macaron (than chocolate)! All of them together. Nora from İstanbul… Try my city…
February 17th, 2010 at 7:21 pm
the packaging in all of the shots is amazing, all very typography-based. your packaging is seamless! did you study graphic design? your blog is quickly climbing its way to my top favorite spot.
February 17th, 2010 at 8:46 pm
No I did not, but I enjoy graphic design…
February 19th, 2010 at 8:39 pm
[...] Trip to Paris and London [...]
February 28th, 2010 at 5:26 pm
THIS POST WAS AMAZING + BEAUTIFUL + ALL OF A SUDDEN I’M STARVING!
March 5th, 2010 at 3:45 pm
YOUR WORK IS SUPERB, THANK YOU !!!!!!
March 7th, 2010 at 12:59 am
thanks for sharing this, but now I have a headache from staring at the moving pics please just post regular pics.Thanx again
March 14th, 2010 at 1:10 am
Isn’t pearl dust mostly calcium carbonate ( I know it has some organic concoction as well)? Oh well, I guess I will start having powered chalk for passion….
I found one of your blogs on stumble by chance and now I think I found my favorite blogger.
Congrats,
March 19th, 2010 at 8:44 am
the chickpea packet is a gimmick, you can make a better tasting chickpea curry with three basic spices without all the assault on your taste buds.
March 19th, 2010 at 9:23 am
hahah
April 5th, 2010 at 8:19 pm
Hi! First off I would like to say your blog is amazing! I am a bit of an arts junkie ( this includes fashion, photography, blogs, music, art, and food) and yours is one of the best blogs I have ever seen. I am from America however most of my relatives live in other countries not to mention continents and I am half English. I have been to London (and in the country thereabouts) on several occasions and must say Laudree is far better than Pierre Herme. I too love their packaging and find that presentation is a great aspect of food. As long as the food live up to or surpasses the presentation I am happy, and those macaroons certainly do… L’Artisan du Chocolat is one of my favorite chocolate places ever and while I am not sure if they are a big name in England I certainly love them as do my cousins. This last summer during a visit to New York I discovered this little whole in the wall restaurant that is absolutely delicious. It is called Rubies and has both delectable burgers as well as incredible pasta and salads ( the burger is what made it special). I was surprised to find it was not expensive at all and yet had some of the best food I have ever tasted. I apologize for making this kinda long it just sorta flew out of my hands and onto the keyboard! Thanks again for spending the time to make this incredible site it is quite a feat!!!
April 6th, 2010 at 8:39 am
[...] Via et Photos ©http://luxirare.com [...]
July 7th, 2010 at 1:09 am
[...] and Fine cuisine”. I love love love the photos. Amazing. Check out some of my favorite eye candy posts (especially those pie pops; a must try [...]
August 20th, 2010 at 11:36 am
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