Meg Zimbeck » Pierre Hermé

March 20: Free Macarons in Paris!

Meg — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 07:42:27 +0000

Macaron lovers rejoice—March 20 is the Jour du Macaron in Paris. This annual celebration, dreamed up five years ago by the famed pâtissier Pierre Hermé, finds pastry shops giving their meringue-y little delights away for free.

Customers are encouraged to make a charitable donation on their way out the door. It’s a sweet idea in celebration of spring and in support of research to treat rare diseases.

The crowds will be large this Saturday at Pierre Hermé, with fans lining up to choose any three of his famous macarons. Tempting flavors for spring 2010 include white truffle with grilled hazelnut and foie gras with chocolate, along with traditional favorites like coffee, caramel, and three kinds of vanilla. But Hermé isn’t the only one sharing his cookies…

> For a list of participating pâtisseries, continue reading at Budget Travel.

> For a report on last year’s celebration, check out Dorie Greenspan’s post here.

Edible Advent: Dec. 17

Meg — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 07:17:06 +0000

Today’s challenge as part of the Edible Advent Calendar:

Can you name this treat?

Leave your answer (product and location) in the comments section below. The reader who has accumulated the most victories by December 24 will receive an edible Christmas present from me. I’ll keep your guesses hidden until the answer is revealed tomorrow on Budget Travel, then I’ll publish the comments and name the winner for this challenge.

YESTERDAY’S WINNERS: Chestnuts roasting on an open fire brought points to Lil, Loulou, Sophie, Anne, Christopher, Sarah C, Shelli, Jamie Samons, Theresa and Kelaine. These particular nuts came from the Christmas market at Saint-Sulpice. The full description can be found on the Budget Travel Paris Page.

Free Chocolate (and other goodies) in November

Meg — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 07:56:47 +0000

No sooner had I posted my list of Top 5 Free Events in November, than I saw this from Secrets of Paris:

Next Thursday (November 12), some of the city’s sweetest men will be presenting their chocolate creations and signing books at Galeries Lafayette. From 5-9pm, you’ll be able to steal samples from Sadaharu Aoki, Pierre Hermé, Jean-Paul Hévin and five other master chocolatiers.