Food, Fabulous, Festive Food

For those unable to get away for the holidays, this chocolate landscape by Patrick Roger can give you a taste of what those lucky enough to hit the slopes are enjoying in Gstaad or Chamonix.  And although it has gotten really cold and snow is forecast for this week, this is not what the streets of Paris look like at the moment.  But edible wonders do seem to be filling the shop windows this month.

 

The windows of Dolce & Gabbana on the rue du Faubourg St-Honoré don't give more than a nod to the clothes; it's all about the food.  These apparently represent most of the 13 desserts traditionally eaten in Provence at this season.  It's cold there too; they need the calories to keep warm, no doubt.

 

And if candied fruits aren't your thing, our old favorite chocolate is out in full force, including these chocolate-dipped apples sold at the Champs Elysées Christmas market.

 

The traditional Bûche de Noël isn't the only option anymore.  These contemporary versions are offered by Jean-Paul Hévin.

Ladurée has a boutique inside the über-hip concept store Colette and goes with a bright young pink and blue theme for the macarons there,

while at the mothership on rue Royale, things are a bit more fin de siècle.

 

Trying to decide which of Gerard Mulot's delectable pastries to take home can be a challenge.  One I'm willing to undertake of course, but a challenge nonetheless.

Of course the everyday wonders of non-famous patissiers' windows are still available, like this Carmen Miranda-like goodie,

and these too nod to the season.  I can assure you that these penguins waddling among the tartes citron and tartes au poire aren't available in summer.

These adorable little baking bears are only turning out fabric doughnuts, but I found them irresistible anyway.  Probably the only non-caloric window that's called to me recently though.