La Boutique Francais Blog

Holiday Giveaway!

2011-11-23T11:53:00.000-05:00

Free $10 gift card giveaway to our loyal bloggers. Just write a comment to this post and send us an email @ laboutiquefrancais@gmail.com with your full name and mailing address and we will mail one per household. Hurry limited quantities available. Happy Holidays!

How to open your Limoges Box

2011-10-12T20:16:00.001-04:00

How to Open Your Limoges Box

Before attempting to open your Limoges box, please carefully read these instructions:

Make sure clasp on front of metal band is facing you.
Place thumbnails in between the two halves of the metal bands.
Gently pull thumbnails in opposite directions until box opens. The clasp is decorative only and does not cause the box to snap open or closed.
NEVER pull on the porcelain to open the box. NEVER pull on the clasp. NEVER try to force the box open. NEVER use a knife blade or sharp object to open the box - it may scratch the rim or puncture your hand!
Once opened, never pressure the hinge to go backwards if there is resistance... that is designed into the box. NEVER slam the box closed, as this may cause the porcelain to crack or break.
Invariably, your friends will want to open your boxes, and that's generally asking for trouble. It's best if you open the box for your friend, and hand it to him or her open.

The Many Glorious Shoes of Paris

2011-07-29T22:24:00.003-04:00

This is the Holy Land, the city that shoe lovers all over the world dream about. Paris is a great shopping mecca, with more stores per square mile than any other city in the world. But for shoe fanatics, it’s paradise. High fashion shoes for women prevail and the high heels match the high prices. Whet your appetite in the swanky shopping districts along the Avenue des Champs-Elysées, Avenue Montaigne, Louvre-Tuileries, and Place Vendôme. Don’t forget the funky independent designers in Abbesses, the Marais, and Saint-Germain-des-Prés.

The essential destination for any fashionista in Paris is Christian Louboutin's flagship store. There's always something magical about visiting the first/original flagship.

This cozy store displays one-of-a-kind shoes in an intimate, exhibit-like environment.
Not only are the red-soled heels beautifully crafted and flattering, somehow the designer’s creations manage to be comfortable, too. With shoes lovingly presented on illuminated shelves, Louboutin’s Left Bank boutique looks more like an art installation than a shop.

The Café Terrace At Night

2011-03-07T21:23:00.001-05:00

Vincent van Gogh's The Cafe Terrace is one of the painter's most remarkable and famous works as well as the first in a trilogy of starlit skies. More than one hundred years after Vincent painted it, the Cafe Terrace is still in Arles, now called the Cafe Van Gogh.

When you see the café today, the outside walls are bright yellow, which is what it looks like in the painting. But in Van Gogh’s time, they weren’t in fact yellow, but a dull sandy color like a neighboring building. The yellow in the painting is Van Gogh’s interpretation of the light cast by a big gas lamp. This was the painting he did with the candles stuck to his felt hat so that he could see his canvas.

The original The Café Terrace at Night is currently on display at the Kroller-Muller Museum in Otterlo, Netherlands.

Fromage - Reblochon

2011-01-24T16:38:00.002-05:00

Cheese monger Steve Jenkins, author of The Cheese Primer, describes Reblochon as “a triumph of cheesemaking—its rind is like the velvet on a deer’s antler, its flavor like filet mignon.” Reblochon (ruh-bloe-SHAW), which comes in 1”-high, 5 ½”-wide wheels, is a raw cow’s milk cheese from France that is aged about 50 days—ten days shy of the FDA's minimum requirement for legal sale in the U.S.

Reblochon comes only from the eastern slopes of the Haute-Savoie – plus one small adjacent valley in Savoie near the swiss border, high in the Alps. The cheese is made by mixing the milks of three different breeds of cow : abondance, tarine, and montbéliarde.

The birth of this fascinating cheese is due to the ingenuity of the Savoie herdsmen. In the 13th century, the farmers were completely dependent on landowners who insisted that all the herd's milk was their property. At milking time, the herdsmen did not quite complete the milking. After the controllers had left, the herdsmen finished the milking. From this the cheese was made with the creamy milk of a second milking. Reblochon derives from the word 'reblocher' which when literally translated means 'to pinch a cow's udder again'.

The Makers - Artoria Limoges

2010-11-05T22:18:00.004-04:00

One of my personal favorites and easily distinguishable by bright, vivid paint colors is Artoria Limoges. Artoria has aquired exclusive licenses to retail some Disney and other copyrighted icons. Most Artoria Limoges boxes are numbered, limited editions in lots of 1000 or 2000. Artoria Limoges is the largest manufacturer of porcelain giftware in Limoges, France, located on the banks of the Vienne River. It has been a family-owned business for generations, and has become known for the outstanding quality and fine craftsmanship of its hand-painted Limoges boxes and other collectibles. Artoria performs all aspects of porcelain manufacture - sculpting, molding, finishing, decorating and accessorizing. Its artisans are among the finest in Limoges, and many are the sons and daughters of Artoria craftsmen. They also offer tours of their factory in Limoges.

The name Artoria was adopted in 1990. The factory was founded in 1957 by Robert de Merindol as Manufacture Nouvelle de Porcelaines. Merindol had been director for Camille Tharaud. The factory was expanded in 1959 (architect J. and J.L. Picot) and again in 1973 (by G. Boineau). R. de Merindol's son Thierry inherited the company in 1983, incorporated it in 1985, and changed the name to Artoria in 1990. The number of employees was 22 in 1965, 75 in 1988, 110 in 1990, 55 in 2003.

Artoria expanded to the USA in 1982 and opened a showroom in New York City in 1995. In 2005 American operations relocated to Northern New Jersey, actually five minutes from me in Morris County, to stop in and check them out is definitely on my 'to do' list!.

The World's Most Famous Bookshop - Shakespeare & Co.

2010-10-14T16:46:00.002-04:00

For half a century, a crowded bookshop set on the Left Bank opposite Notre-Dame, has offered food and a bed to penniless authors - the only rule is that they read a book a day. "Be not inhospitable to strangers lest they be angels in disguise" is the revered bookshop's motto.

In 1951 after World War II , George Whitman a demobbed GI, had decided not to return to America, had chosen Paris as his home and decided to open a bookstore. George opened his doors midday to midnight, and the deal then is the deal now: sleep in the shop, on tiny beds hidden among the bookstacks; work for two hours a day helping out with the running of the place; and, crucially, read a book a day, whatever you like, but all the way through, unless maybe it's War and Peace, in which case you can take two days.

George took in the beat poets Allen Ginsberg and Gregory Corso. Henry Miller ate from the stewpot, but was too grand to sleep in the tiny writers' room. Anaïs Nin left her will under George's bed. There are signed photos from Rudolf Nureyev and Jackie Kennedy, signed copies of Jack Kerouac and William Burroughs.

Thousands of people have come through his doors, slept in his shop, eaten at his table, and many of them still write to him, or return.

The Empire Bee

2010-09-19T09:04:00.001-04:00

Napoleon I, Napoleon Bonaparte, has become a worldwide cultural icon who symbolises military genius and political power. The golden bee became the symbol of this iconic French Emperor.

There are several theories of how this came about. One interesting theory is when he overthrew the French government and took up residence in the Royal Palace at Tuileries he refused to spend money on new decor. However, he could not allow the curtains - with their embroidered fleur-de-lis (the French Royal emblem) - to continue to hang in the windows of the palace. His solution was to have the rich and elegant velvet drapes turned upside down. The inverted symbol of the overthrown monarchy looked like a bee.

Symbol of immortality and resurrection, the bee was chosen so as to link the new dynasty to the very origins of France. Bees have been featured in royal coats of arms in France since the Merovingian era. They were considered as the oldest emblem of the sovereigns of France.

Boulangeries in Paris

2010-08-25T20:16:00.000-04:00

A Baguette, croissant, a pain au chocolat - are all a part of daily French life. Purchased in the morning before breakfast, and again in the evening before dinner. Often placed on Paris street corners, the city abounds with boulangerie - baker shops - of all different types and styles.
In America, most bakeries sell both bread and pastries. But in France, the two specialties aren’t always combined. Pastries are sold at pastry shops or patisseries, and bread is sold at bakeries or boulangeries.
Many of France’s best bakers are fourth or fifth generation, and baking is a well-respected craft in France. In fact, the French government confers a special designation – Meilleur Ouvrier de France (MOF) – on the most skilled practitioners.

The most revered bakery in Paris is Poilâne. Established in 1932 by Pierre Poilane, they still use a wood-burning oven that dates from 1789. Poilâne's bread has won him famous fans over the years: Frank Sinatra and Lauren Bacall used to enjoy a loaf from time to time, and Robert De Niro is a customer. The most devoted patron, however, is a gentleman in New York who wants to remain anonymous. In 1997, he agreed to pay Poilâne $100,000, asking that his children and grandchildren receive a loaf a week for the rest of their lives. "Can you imagine?" Poilâne says, with obvious pride. "In 50 years, he'll be dead, but his grandchildren will be feeding our bread to their children and explaining how they are eating the bread of their great-grandfather!"

The Perigord Walnut

2010-08-01T16:49:00.002-04:00

Perigord is the ancient name of the area that is also known as Dordogne in the Aquitaine region in the southwest corner of France. Drive through the valleys of the Perigord and you cannot help but be struck by the majestic groves of walnut trees that grace the landscape. Although the trees you see today are newer, there is evidence that the walnut has existed in this corner of the world for 17,000 years or more.

Denizens of the Perigord have the second-lowest rate of heart disease in the world despite living on a diet most would consider rich, and they ascribe their health and longevity in no small measure to the walnut, which is known to have cholesterol-lowering properties. High in potassium, zinc, and copper, walnuts impart energy, and rich in magnesium, they fight stress.

There is an old Perigordian axiom that nothing is lost of the walnut but the sound of its shell being cracked. Regional furniture has long been made from the hard, beautiful wood. Whole walnuts go to fine restaurants, where chefs combine them with butter and Roquefort and serve them as appetizers on thin slices of artisanal breads, tuck them into stuffings for baby duckling, and whip them into frozen mousses. Whole nuts are also used to make the delicious chocolate-dusted walnuts displayed in confectionary stores region-wide. Broken nuts head to the walnut mills and are pressed into the sweet oil used in Perigord cooking and salad dressings; to distilleries like La Distillerie Roques in Souillac, where they metamorphose into aperitifs, digestifs, and liqueurs; and to small producers who turn them into delectable jams and spreads, often combined with local honeys. Nuts not good enough for these applications are ground and used in making walnut bread (a favorite accompaniment of pate de foie gras) and other confections.

And what to do with the mountains of shells when all the kernels have been picked? The locals grind them to use as kitty litter. You can pick up a sack at the Saturday market in Sarlat.

Chocolat de Paris

2010-06-22T22:23:00.004-04:00

The art of chocolat is a high calling in Paris, with chic boutique chocolate shops all around town catering to the chocophile in search of new sensations. The best Paris chocolate shops are still generally small, family affairs, where techniques and recipes have been handed down through generations - and sometimes over the centuries. Their secret is simple: quality ingredients and painstaking workmanship. Shortcuts and easy methods are shunned.

Robert Linxe, proprietor of the Maison du Chocolate on the fashionable Rue du Faubourg St. Honore, is Paris's undisputed king of chocolate. His wares are very fine chocolates by which one may easily judge the others. All are made by hand, by Linxe and his assistants, in the basement of this former wine and spirits shop.

Taste them and you know what the French demand in chocolates: They are dark and strong, but not overwhelming, and neither bitter nor sweet, but a perfect compromise of flavors, shining with the glow of extra cocoa butter. They are unfussy and neat, and, best of all, they are smooth, with no hint of grit or grain.

The Faberge Imperial Pansy Egg

2010-05-14T09:31:00.004-04:00

The House of Faberge produced it's most famous eggs for Alexander III and Nicolas II of Russia. These eggs are made of precious metals or hard stones decorated with combinations of enamel and gem stones. Of the 50 made, 42 have survived.

The 1899 Pansy Egg pictured here is formerly known as the "Spinach Jade Egg", is made of nephrite, silver-gilt, diamonds and enamels. This egg stands on golden twisted leaves from which five enameled pansy flowers and buds emerge. The top part of the egg can be opened to reveal the surprise, a gold tripod on which is located an heart lined in diamonds and surmonted by the imperial crown with eleven scarlet medallions decorated with monograms. By pressing a button the tiny medallions are all opened, and portraits of each member of imperial family become visible.

Originally presented by Nicholas II to Dowager Empress Maria Fyodorovna in 1899, this egg was one of the ten Eggs sold by the Antikvariat to the Hammer Galleries, New York in 1930. In 1947, Matilda Geddings Gray, oil heiress, from New Orleans, Louisiana purchased this egg for her neice, Mrs. Matilda Gray Stream as a wedding anniversary present. The Pansy Egg is one of the few significant Imperial Eggs to remain in a private collection.

The House of Faberge recreated this exquisite egg in Limoges porcelain which retails today for an affordable $4000.

Ronsard's Rose

2010-04-22T08:51:00.003-04:00

Pierre de Ronsard (1524-1585) was one of the stars of the Pléiade, French humanists who were inspired by classical culture. His poetry is wonderfully musical, sensuous, pagan and romantic. His most famous sonnet, "Mignonne, allons voir si la rose", set to music, sung and recited by generations of schoolchildren, is an ode to Cassandra, the daughter of a wealthy Italian merchant. The theme is basically to enjoy your youth, as your life and youth is as ephemeral as the rose. Hence, live life today - Carpe Diem.

This most diverse, accomplished, and influential poet of Renaissance France is the inspiration for the Ronsard Limoges pattern painted on porcelain as well as the Eden Ronsard Rose, a climbing, large old fashioned double rose in pastel pink, cream and yellow.

Sevres

2010-04-03T22:07:00.001-04:00

Sevres porcelain is widely known to be both the French porcelain of royalty and the royal porcelain of France. King Louis XV, known as the most notable art patron in modern history, became the major customer and joined as a shareholder of the factory in 1745. The factory had a goal to deliver a superior product in order to compete with the early Meissen, Berlin, and other continental porcelains. By 1752, the king became the major shareholder. He deemed that this porcelain to be designated as royal, or Manufacturer Royale du Porcelaine. He conducted annual sales from his palace grounds at Versailles, encouraged his court and other royalty to buy his product, and even restricted other porcelain factories from using gilding or colored grounds on their porcelains.

When the operation ran into financial troubles in 1759, King Louis XV acquired the factory as royal property. The king took over the manufacturing operations, and considered himself the principal client and salesperson of these extraordinary porcelain creations. The factory was moved to the village of Sevres southwest of Paris; a location near to the palace of Versailles and close to the home of Madame de Pompadour at the Chateau de Bellevue. From that time the porcelain became officially known as Sevres porcelain.

The earliest Sevres had graceful shapes and soft colors. Sevres pieces produced from 1750 to 1770 were decorated with brilliant colors and heavy gilding. Many of these pieces had richly colored backgrounds and white panels painted with birds, flowers, landscapes, or people. Sevres is also noted for its fine figurines of biscuit (unglazed porcelain). The Sevres factory introduced hard-paste porcelain in the 1770s and soft-paste porcelain production ended in 1804.

The artists decorating many modern day Limoges boxes were inspired by the early intricate patterns and elaborate gilding of the Sevres era, thus the creation of pattern commonly known as Sevres. Pictured is a modern example of a Limoges box from Limoges Imports - a footed urn. Also pictured is an example of what may have inspired the pattern: a Sevres Beau Bleu Dejeuner c1780, which sold for $6000 at Christies, New York in May 2008.

The Glamorous Game of Roulette

2010-03-17T21:37:00.005-04:00

There are many theories as to the origin of roulette. There are rumors that the game was invented in China and popularized in Europe by traders who were trading with the Chinese. However, most agree that the game did begin in France. In French, the word roulette means "small wheel". The idea of a spinning wheel with numbers may be old but evidence suggests that the first Roulette wheel was invented by the mathematician Blaine Pascal in 1655, who was supposedly inspired by his fascination with perpetual-motion devices. In 1842, fellow Frenchmen Francois and Louis Blanc added the "0" to the roulette wheel in order to increase house odds. Some call roulette the "King of Casino Games", probably because it was associated with the glamour of the casinos in Monte Carlo.

During the 20th century, roulette has remained a hugely popular casino game. From Las Vegas to France, roulette has retained its mystique as a glamorous game for high rollers.

Grab the Brass Ring

2010-02-28T14:27:00.002-05:00

The beginning of the carousel as we know it today most likely had its origin in France about 300 years ago. During that time, the French built a device to train young noblemen in the art of ring-spearing. The device consisted of carved horses and chariots suspended by chains from arms radiating from a centerpole. The object was to spear the ring. This is also the source of the phrase "grab the brass ring."

By the late 1700's there were numerous carousels built solely for amusement throughout Europe. It was apparent that other members of nobility, particularly ladies and children, and the general public were both eager to climb aboard this new "carrousel,'' (the device having taken the name of the royal pageants which inspired its creation.) The advent of steam power made possible the more elaborate machines we now associate with carousels.

During the late 1800's, many skilled European carvers immigrated to the United States to produce carousels. The carvings of these immigrants were a great improvement over the first efforts of unskilled carvers. Usually the side of the carousel horse facing the audience, the "Romance" side, was adorned with carved decorations, while the inner side received little attention. The golden age of carousels only lasted 25 years, but still brings back wonderful childhood memories today.

Today, a number of charming carousels may be found in Paris. Carousels may be found in the Jardin Des Tuileries, in the Parc du Champ de Mars, at bottom of the hill of Sacre Coeur in Montmartre, and in the Luxembourg Gardens.

Daudet's Windmill

2010-02-10T08:19:00.002-05:00

Ribet or St Pierre wind-mill, as it was formally called, was built in 1814 in Provence, France and ground wheat during one century. In 1935, the association "Alphonse Daudet's Friends" , decided to restore it and create a museum dedicated to "Les Lettres de mon Moulin", Daudet's most famous work which is a collection of wryly humorous stories admired by Flaubert, Dickens, and Henry James. It evokes the vital rhythms of Provençal life and Daudet’s youth in the mid–nineteenth century. The building is a symbol of the writer and his work.

Daudet is as important to the French as the windmills of Cervantes' Don Quixote are to the Spanish. The stories won French hearts, and they have now become an essential part of French cultural heritage. The tower windmill is typical of those found throughout southern France. Unlike windmills in northern Europe, those of southern France use a sharply peaked conical cap and blades with sails of equal dimensions on either side of the stock or blade spar.

Bar Hemingway

2010-01-25T19:12:00.005-05:00

The hotel Ritz has always been a favorite of many of the world's wealthiest people and famous people that include King Edward VII, Elton John, Princess Diana, Greta Garbo and Charlie Chaplin. Luxurious suites have been named after some of its previous guests such as Coco Chanel who made the Ritz her home for more than thirty years and Ernest Hemingway who had a bar named after him.

The Bar Hemingway that was named after Ernest Hemingway, as it was his best loved bar, has been restored to its original appearance, with rich wood panelling on the walls and deep leather arm chairs. Adorning the walls there are original photographs that were taken by the author and they provide a record of places that inspired this famous writer.

The Bar Hemingway at the Ritz has been ranked as the best bar in the world by Forbes magazine, plus it is situated right in the heart of Paris near place de la Concorde square.

Under a sweeping decree in 2006, smoking has been banned in every commercial corner of “entertainment and conviviality” — from the toniest Parisian nightclub to the humblest village cafe.

No matter that cigarette is a French word. Or that the great icons of French creativity — Colette to Cocteau, Camus to Coco Chanel — all smoked. Or that Paris boasts a Museum of Smoking.

“We are not taking sides,” said Colin Peter Field, the head bartender at Bar Hemingway who was voted the world's best barman in 2001. The bar will continue to sell 40 to 50 types of upscale cigars and is studying plans to renovate its outdoor spaces to accommodate smokers.

To date there is no ban in effect on porcelain cigars....

Apricot Confiture

2010-01-10T08:16:00.014-05:00

Fresh apricots are plentiful and at the their peak in June in France. Apricot jam is one of the easiest jams to make because apricots have a medium amount of pectin so they do not tend to underset or overset. Jam making is a tradition well worth keeping when produce is in season to extend a little bit of summer all year long.

Apricot Confiture [kawn-fee-TYOOR] French for “jam” or “preserves”

2 1/2 pounds apricots, just ripe
3 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup of water
1 lemon, juiced

Place a few small saucers in the freezer to use to check the setting point.
Cut the apricots in half and remove the pits. Reserve four or five pits, and discard the rest. Cut the apricots into 1-inch pieces. Wrap the pits in a kitchen towel, and hit them with a hammer to break the hard outer shell, but keep the soft inner seed, which resembles an almond, intact.

Note: In France, the apricot pits are used in confections and confiture for flavoring. Remove them from the jam before ladling them into the jars, however, as they are poisonous if eaten.

In a large heavy-bottomed pot or jam pan, combine the apricots, sugar, soft inner seeds and water. Stir to combine.

Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook, stirring occasionally with a long wooden spoon skimming foam as necessary, until reduced and thickened, about 15 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice. Test the jam when the juice has thickened and the bubbles are large. The setting point has been reached when a drop placed on a chilled saucer forms a skin that is visible when lightly pushed. Remove from the heat and ladle into dry, warm jars and process as normal.

The Fragrance of Grasse

2009-12-10T19:46:00.007-05:00

Grasse has been a perfume town ever since the 17th century, and today as the world's perfume capital, its reputation speaks for itself.

Despite being so close to the fine sand beaches of Cannes, with their stifling heat in summer, Grasse at an altitude of 300 - 400 meters enjoys a fresher climate all year round. The plentiful sunshine and mild temperatures make the town and surrounding areas ideal for flower growing, and thus ideal for the production of perfume.

Every year some two million tourists arrive from all over the world to visit the perfume museum, perfume factories and perfume shops. The three historic perfume manufacturers - Fragonard, Galimard and Molinard - open their doors to provide free guided tours. You will learn all about the mysteries of how a perfume is made, from the raw materials to the perfume itself, by means of distillation and enfleurage.

Chanel No.5 is the best-selling perfume in the world and its principal ingredients are rose du mai, jasmine, and a synthetic musk. A few years ago jasmine production was disrupted by bad weather and Chanel took the precaution of buying their own farm in the Grasse area. Run by the Muhl family it produces 20 tons of jasmine and 50 tons of rose du mai annually, exclusively for Chanel.

Initially, scents were only the privilege of the wealthy, but François Coty from Ajaccio in Corsica changed that by making perfume affordable for the masses in the 1900s. A first cousin of Napoleon de Bonaparte, he studied for a year under the expert tutelage of perfumers in Grasse before opening the 1st mass-production perfume factory on the outskirts of Paris in 1905. After the 1920s many other countries began to manufacture perfume but French perfume is still regarded as the best in the world by scent connoisseurs.

The World's Most Famous Brandy - Cognac

2009-11-28T23:27:00.004-05:00

Cognac is not just a drink, it's a city in southwest France that's filled with cobblestone streets, museums and shopping. And, of course, there's also cognac. The town of Cognac sits on the banks of the Charente River, about a three-hour TGV train ride southwest of Paris. The region may be known for its brandy, but you don't have to look far for its other charms.

The pace is enjoyably slow, the climate pleasantly mild. The river winds through the countryside, its tranquil waters reflecting images of vine-covered hillsides, small towns, well-tended farms and weathered châteaux framed by geraniums, pink roses and oleander bushes.

Tours of one of the great Cognac houses: Hennessy, Martell, Rémy Martin or Courvoisier range from about $10 to $25 --
including tasting... The region's Cognac houses play host to
about 200,000 visitors a year, many of them Americans.

All cognac is brandy, but not all brandy is cognac. Like champagne, cognac has to come from a designated area of France by law —the Charente region near Bordeaux. It is also made according to strict, legal guidelines. Once blended, cognac has to be matured in oak barrels for a minimum of two years. The spirit’s quality is measured by the average age of maturation—VS is usually aged 2 years and is perfect for mixing with soda, ginger ale or as part of a cocktail. VSOP (Very Special Old Pale) is aged around 4 years and can be enjoyed mixed or neat. The highest grade, XO (Extra Old), is aged a minimum of about 10 years and should be savoured on its own.

Le Soufflé Paris

2009-11-14T14:05:00.005-05:00

There are few things more quintessentially French than the soufflé. So, when in Paris…eat lots of them! Many seasoned travelers to Paris know the 1st arrondissement as the district where the Louvre, one of the most famous museums in the world, is located. Yet a fine dining experience awaits you at a small restaurant that is only a ten-minute walk away from the museum.

Named Le Soufflé, the restaurant serves the world-renowned French specialty called the soufflé. This delicate dish is often served as a warm dessert, with chocolate or Grand Marnier as the dominant flavor. But soufflés may also be served as a savory main dish, prepared with meats, vegetables, fish and cheese.

This is a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach; one gets the sense that the waiters enjoy parading past carrying soufflé after puffy soufflé, incorporating an element of performance into grandly delivering and preparing the dishes at the table.

Strawberry Soufflé with Sliced Strawberries
Recipe from Epicurious

Ingredients:

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
2 12-ounce baskets strawberries, hulled
7 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon grated orange peel
4 large egg whites

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray 6-cup soufflé dish with vegetable oil spray. Coarsely puree half of berries, 3 tablespoons sugar and cornstarch in processor. Transfer to small saucepan. Stir over medium heat until mixture boils and thickens, about 3 minutes. Whisk in peel. Cool completely.
Slice remaining berries. Transfer to medium bowl. Add 1 tablespoon sugar; toss to blend. Beat egg whites in large bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add 3 tablespoons sugar; beat until stiff but not dry. Fold puree into whites in 3 additions. Transfer to prepared dish. Bake until soufflé is puffed and golden, about 18 minutes. Serve immediately with sliced berries.

A French Potpourri

2009-10-24T21:11:00.012-04:00

In early 17th Century France fresh herbs and flowers were gathered and used to make potpourri which was set out in special pots to perfume the air in their palaces and cottages. Potpourri is made by mixing oils, leaves, and/or dried flowers. When prepared, the mixture is enclosed in a bottle or jar, and allowed to sit for several weeks. During this time, the potpourri may smell rotten, however it soon improves.

The word "pot" in French has the same meaning

as it does in English, while the word "pourri" means rotten. The term "rotten pot" probably refers to some fermenting which may enhance the natural fragrances of a potpourri's ingredients.

In ceramics manufacturing, a potpourri vase is a vase specifically designed for holding potpourri. In the traditional designs a potpourri container is provided with a pierced fitted lid, through which the scent may slowly diffuse. This pretty potpourri diffuser is a trunk shaped Limoges Box made by Chamart with a porcelain top hand decorated with a pansy design and a pierced metal bottom in which to place scented potpourri.

Marché aux Puce St. Ouen - Paris

2009-10-12T12:28:00.005-04:00

The marchés aux puces, or flea markets, of Paris are legendary. In fact, the name itself originated at the biggest and most famous, St.-Ouen, just outside the city’s ring road at Porte de Clignancourt, where back in the 1880s an “unknown bargain hunter” looked down from nearby fortifications, observed junk dealers selling scrap metal, rags and old furniture, and exclaimed, “My word, but it’s a market of fleas!”

The same vendors have occupied some of the market stalls for decades, even generations. The scale and scope of the entire Marche aux Puce is initially overwhelming, but actually quite manageable in one to two days. The great variety of items and styles, from all periods and countries as well as its unique atmosphere, put this spot at the forefront of the world's antiques markets. More than 2000 traders set up throughout the fifteen markets and in the many surrounding alleyways. The Marché aux Puces is not only very popular with the people accustomed to going there, but also with those who love to take a walk with a difference.

France: The Oyster Capitol of the World

2009-10-01T16:30:00.005-04:00

France and oysters go way back. Since Roman times, the coast of France has been the place of choice where prime oysters can be found. From North to South there are seven distinct growing regions: Normandy, North-Brittany, South-Brittany, West-Central, Marennes-Oléron, Arcachon, and the Mediterranean. Although some of these areas are far more famous than others, they all produce excellent oysters.

The European oyster (Ostrea edulis) is the native

oyster of France. It is called "Huître plate" or simply "Plate". The European oyster is often considered the classic oyster of France as well as the most expensive oyster in France (or in all of Europe for that matter).

The coast of France offers fantastic oyster experiences. Virtually anywhere along the

French coastline (including the Mediterranean) delicious oysters are served. Much like French wine growing areas, oyster cultivation areas are

often informally refered to as "crus". The best

part about the French coast is, however, the price of oysters. They usually cost half of what is charged in Paris.

As oysters go, the French have long been the undisputed leader in all of Europe. In France more than 143,000 tons of oysters are produced and eaten every year. It may take only about three seconds to swallow an oyster, but it takes three to four years to raise one. Like wine, oysters have different flavors depending on the region where they are raised.

Caviar Kaspia

2009-09-24T07:40:00.005-04:00

A landmark at the Place de La Madeleine, since 1927, dining at Caviar Kaspia has been synonymous with luxurious pleasure and refinement.

Today this Parisian landmark has become the meeting point for writers, artists, food connoisseurs, fashion designers, influential style icons and Hollywood movie stars such as Valentino, Anna Wintour, Gwyneth Paltrow, Katie Holmes, Mick Jagger, Keanu Reeves and David & Victoria Beckham, who appreciate edible luxury of the finest quality.

It is a place of luxury and refinement with its
woodwork and old pictures, porcelains and art objects. The menu is an invitation to taste authentic flavors from the sea and from the land. In addition to caviar as the specialty of the house, a rare assortment of smoked fish, wild salmon, and duck Foie Gras are served. Vodka, the drink of choice at Kaspia, allies itself perfectly with caviar and over 100 different varieties are available.

The caviar jar pictured is actually a Limoges Porcelain Box from Eximious of London.

The Artists - Merry Scotland

2009-09-17T16:22:00.011-04:00

As a child, Merry Scotland developed what has become a lifelong interest in animals, particularly horses and dogs, as a subject of art as friends and companions. Early on, Merry began painting, drawing and sculpting these animals which had long been so important in her life. Her earliest works were executed in pen and ink. She quickly progressed to acrylics, starting with head studies and moving on to full figure portraits with landscape backgrounds. Soon interested in several other facets of the visual arts, she began to treat her subject matter in sculpture, starting with clay and leading to limited editions in bronze.

Merry's chief influences as a young artist were Roger Troy Peterson, Bob Abbott, Guy Coheleach and a number of other noted wildlife and animal artists. She has always been primarily interested in the realistic rendering of her subject matter. A career in breeding, training and rearing race horses, jumpers and American Saddlebred show horses enabled Merry to develop a more thorough and discerning understanding of these animals. She has also owned dogs of many breeds, including Labrador retrievers, Dachshunds, Irish Setters, terriers and mixed breeds throughout her life. It is this close association with animals that has enabled Merry to portray them so successfully in her art. Merry's work is included in private collections throughout the world, including those of Oleg Cassini, Alfred Vanderbilt and Burt Reynolds. She has designed jewelry for Gucci.

This box has a charming painting of a West Highland White Terrier dog, inside is a painting of a leash & collar as well as a personalization as this particular box was a custom order.
Merry's porcelain boxes are Limoges porcelain blanks purchased from France on which she paints in the USA out of her studio: Scotland's Yard.

God Bless America

2009-09-09T20:52:00.009-04:00

Commemorative Limoges Boxes are designed to honor a specific historic event. Events such as the French Revolution, the sinking of the Titanic, the Millennium and as depicted here, 9/11, produce an unique opportunity to reflect upon and preserve a piece of history. This piece honors the brave and heroic firefighters of New York. An American flag, glorious in its red, white and blue waves proudly from inside this magnificent piece.

Excerpt from:

Angels Over America ™

by Carolyn K. Long

"And show us how to honor all the souls we lost that day

From the Towers and our Fortress and the Farmers Field,

we pray, So the anguish that unites us as one people to the core

Rises as an anthem we'll hold sacred ever more."

Cherry Clafoutis

2009-09-03T20:36:00.005-04:00

If you mix plenty of unpitted black cherries into what may best be described as a slightly thickened crêpe batter, you will have the makings of a traditional clafoutis (a type of batter cake from the farm country of southern France). The recipe is old but not ancient, probably dating from around the 1860s. The unusual name (sometimes spelled clafouti) comes from clafir, a dialect word meaning "to fill".

According to Larousse Gastronomique, when the Académie Française defined clafoutis as a "sort of fruit flan", inhabitants of Limoges protested, forcing the institution to change the definition to the more acceptable "cake with black cherries". Black cherries are the meatiest, juiciest, and sweetest of all cherries and they're left unpitted because the pits are thought to enhance the flavor of the batter with a perfume faintly reminiscent of almonds. Whole cherries are also less likely to bleed into the batter.
A perfect clafoutis has a deep golden brown crust on both the bottom and the top. And the only way to achieve this is to bake
it in a sufficiently hot oven. At too low a temperature, the flour
separates from the rest of the batter, settling at the bottom of the
pan and leaving a pale custard behind.
Though black cherries are the classic addition, clafoutis is made
today with all kinds of fruit.

Julia Child's Cherry Clafouti Recipe
1½ hours 10 min prep
SERVES 6 -8 , 4 for breakfast
1 1/4 cups milk
2/3 cup sugar, divided
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup flour
3 cups cherries, pitted
powdered sugar, for garnish
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Using a blender, combine the milk, 1/3 cup sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt and flour, and blend.
Lightly butter an 8-cup baking dish, and pour a 1/4-inch layer of the blended mixture over the bottom. Set remaining batter aside.
Place dish into the oven for about 7-10 minutes, until a film of batter sets in the pan but the mixture is not baked through. Remove from oven (but don’t turn the oven off, yet).
Distribute the pitted cherries over the set batter in the pan, then sprinkle with the remaining sugar. Pour the remaining batter over the cherries and sugar.
Bake in the preheated oven for 45 to 60 minutes, until the clafouti is puffed and brown and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve warm.

Lily of the Valley

2009-08-28T19:20:00.016-04:00

A symbol of love and friendship, Lily of the Valley
flowers are sold in the streets of France every year on French Labor Day (La Fête du Travail), on May 1st. Friends and families exchange the flowers as
sentiments of good luck and prosperity in life and love. Lily of the Valley is referred to as a "porte-bonheur"--literally, "bringer of happiness" or perhaps what
we would call a good luck charm.

This tradition of exchanging a small sprig
of Muguet-du-Bois is believed to have been
begun by Charles IX in 1561 after he was
given a small bouquet as a symbol of good luck
and Spring time. He was so delighted
that he in turn ordered several bouquets
to be made up, one for each Lady in his Court.

Sunflowers

2009-08-22T21:46:00.003-04:00

Fields of sunflowers are everywhere in the South of France – and not just growing in the ground. Provencal linens, pottery and tile seem to echo the bright blues and yellows that Van Gogh talked about when painting in the region.
The latin name for sunflowers is Helianthus annus – which comes from the greek word helios (sun) and anthus (flower).

The French word for sunflower is tournesol, and is literally a perfect translation. “Turn sun” illustrates the fact that young sunflowers orient themselves towards the sun, which is exactly what they do.
Provence is the land of Van Gogh – who lived in the area and was inspired by the light and the sunflowers as you may know from his famous sunflower series of paintings.

Wedding Cakes in France

2009-08-20T20:41:00.006-04:00

The French lay claim to starting the tradition of the wedding cake. There are two main styles of wedding cake in France. Regarded as more traditional is the croquembouche, a cone made of round cream-filled pastries which is dipped in hot toffee. Croquembouche comes from the French words "croquant" meaning crunchy and "bouche" for mouth or "cracks in your mouth." A cone of cream puffs is filled with French pastry cream coated with carmelized sugar and decorated with elegant marzipan roses made petal by petal. The croquembouche is often the dessert at a French wedding, baptism, christening, and other family gatherings. Its origins date back to the medieval tables of the French Royalty and Nobility.

The second style involves multiple round sponge cakes each cake a smaller size than its predecessor. These are placed on a stand with the smaller cakes on top. The number of layers can go up to ten, and often a support which cuts through the middle of the cakes is used. The tiered cake symbolizes prosperity.
In Anglo Saxon times guests brought little cakes to the wedding and piled them into a heap over which the
Wedding couple would try to kiss. This was later turned into tiered cakes in France. The European tradition in
Wedding cakes is mostly white, as a symbol of purity. Wedding cakes in other cultures are often more colorful.

La Maison des Trois Thés

2009-08-08T20:32:00.009-04:00

Deep in the heart of Paris's Latin Quarter, lies a tea-house with more fabulously expensive tea than anywhere else.

La Maison des Trois Thes, an exclusive
tea shop and importer, supplies the
restaurant at the Four Seasons George V,
Pierre Gagnaire, Alain Senderens
and many other top Paris tables,
and is considered to be one of the four or
five most knowledgeable tea merchants
in the world.

The shop was born of Taiwan native
Yu Hui Tseng’s passion for tea.
Tseng comes from a family that’s
been in the business of growing
and selling quality tea for generations
and is considered to be one of the finest
tea tasters in the world. Among the
rarest types on sale are the very best
Oolong teas as well as an intriguing
selection of white, yellow, and aged
black teas.

Pizza can be French, too!

2009-08-05T21:16:00.007-04:00

The nutty, buttery flavor of semi hard cheeses distinguishes much French pizza from Neapolitan-style pies made only with milky mozzarella. When the cheese is spread over a thin round of dough coated with tomato and herbs and then subjected to the relentless whoosh of heat in a brick oven, the result is a bubbling, molten masterpiece.

In the South of France, especially in Provence (pictured) and along the Côte d'Azur, they understand tomatoes, basil, olive oil and anchovies. The region's proximity to Italy and its influx of Italian immigrants, vacationers and retirees has, over the decades, provided a steady supply of pizza cognoscenti.

The divinely thin crusts constitute the hallmark of the best wood-fired French pizza: crisp but not hard, delicate but not brittle, charred but not burned, flour-powdered but not dry.

Violets

2009-07-29T08:27:00.006-04:00

The French have been using violets for centuries to flavor everything from cough syrup to bonbons. During the middle ages, when sugar was still very rare and reserved only for the elite of society, apothecaries were the principal creators of sweet treats that were supposedly recommended for health problems. It was at this time that the druggists concocted violet syrup which was believed to smooth the voice.

Violets were Napoleon's favorite flower and in the 19th century a thriving violet agriculture began to take hold in France, notably in the area around Toulouse. The flowers were used for their perfume, but they also were used in French cuisine.

Every February in Toulouse, the violet festival honours this famous fragrant fleur with showcases
of the best bouquets as well as a violet market and
violet-based sweet treats.

Berthillon - The World's Best Ice Cream

2009-07-21T15:52:00.006-04:00

Berthillon is widely believed to be the best ice cream in France, and according to many ice cream fans, possibly the best in the world. Berthillon has been making ice cream since the 1950’s when Monsieur Berthillon started selling his homemade ice cream out of a small shop in the heart of Paris. Today, that same ice cream shop
started by Mr. Berthillon is still open and run by his descendants.

The Berthillon ice cream shop is located on the popular

little tourist destination of Ile Saint Louis,

or Saint Louis Island. Ile Saint Louis is

actually a real island located in the middle

of the River Seine which divides the city

of Paris in two, creating the famous left and

right banks.

Like most things European, ice cream is served in smaller portions that you get in the US. But what some might think is lacking in quantity is definitely made up for in quality. The proof is that no matter what time of year or time of day you go to the Berthillon ice cream shop in Paris, you’ll find a queue of customers waiting to try the famous French ice cream. What makes Berthillon particularly appealing is that the ingredients are all natural. There are no preservatives or artificial flavors that you find with other ice creams.

Perhaps this ice cream cone box was inspired by

the famous Berthillon. Made entirely of porcelain but

so deceptive that it looks and feels as if the wafer cone

is real. The pistachio and chocolate swirl looks creamy

and luscious.

Art Appreciation - Venus de Milo

2009-07-11T15:58:00.010-04:00

Both the Artist and the lover of fine art will delight in the beautiful hand painted miniature Limoges Box reproductions of the great masters such as Renoir, Monet & Van Gogh.

This statue of the Greek goddess of love, currently on display at the Louvre in Paris, France, was discovered on the island of Melos in 1820 ( Milo in modern Greek). The Marquis de Rivière presented it to Louis XVIII, who donated it to the Louvre the following year. The statue won instant and lasting fame. The Venus de Milo is famous for its skilled rendering of the female form, imbued with sensuality and nobility.

The goddess is shrouded in mystery. The missing pieces of marble made the restoration and identification of the statue difficult. According to whether she held a bow or an amphora, she was Artemis or a Danaid. She is popularly thought to represent Aphrodite, because of her half-nakedness and her sensual, feminine curves. She may have held an apple — an allusion to the Judgement of Paris - a crown, a shield,
or a mirror in which she admired her reflection.
However, she might also be the sea goddess Amphitrite, who was venerated on the island of Milo.

The French Baguette

2009-07-03T08:15:00.003-04:00

Here we have a porcelain example of that sinfully delicious baked treat - the French baguette. French "une baguette" is translated into English as "stick" which truly describes the unique form of this most popular French bread. French law governs on what can actually be sold as bread, i.e. it only contains flour, salt, water, and yeast.

The real baguette is a small pleasure and a huge part of French culture. France eats approximately 30 million baguettes a day. Wow! (that's a half a baguette for everyone every day).

What makes a great baguette?

The first sign of quality is a hard crust of a rich, dark caramel color. A flimsy crust, a pale, straw yellow color and an underside marked by tiny dots all indicate that the bread has been cooked in an industrial oven often from frozen dough.

The inside (or "mie" in French) of a good baguette should be a creamy color with large irregular air holes. The industrial loaf, on the other hand, will be cotton white, with tiny, regular air holes.

The texture of a good baguette should be moist and slightly chewy with a full, almost nutty flavor. The industrial version is cottony, tasteless and dry.

Hôtel de Paris

2009-06-25T21:40:00.005-04:00

There are some exceptional places which one day cease to be merely an address and become a legend. The Hôtel de Paris is one of them. This sumptuous palace is situated on the Golden Square of the Place du Casino and was the first hotel built in Monte Carlo in 1864. Russian Tsars, the Duke of Windsor and Winston Churchill stayed there to enjoy the splendour of the hotel itself and the stunning views of the azure blue sea.

This Limoges Box captures the elegance and ambiance of an European breakfast as well as the white glove service that one would find at such a sophisticated and grand setting.

A Taste of Paris

2009-06-18T08:30:00.011-04:00

A heavenly selection of teas, coffees and pastries from around the world can be found at Cafe Verlet, a traditional French Cafe and coffee emporium in the heart of Paris. Verlet, in business since 1880, is situated near the Louvre and the Palais-Royal.
This Limoges Box appears to be a French Apricot Tart baked to perfection. Below is Verlet's recipe for a similar
Apricot Tart provided by Epicurious.

Apricot Tart

For pastry
8 tablespoons (4 ounces; 12 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/2 cup (100 g) sugar
1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 1/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon (180 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons finely ground unblanched almonds

For filling
1/2 cup (25 cl) crème fraîche or heavy (whipping) cream
1 large egg lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons full-flavored honey, such as lavender
1 tablespoon superfine flour, such as Wondra
About 1 1/2 pounds (750 g) fresh apricots, pitted and halved (do not peel)
Confectioners' sugar, for garnish

Preparation
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch (23cm) fluted tart pan with removable bottom. Set aside.
Make the pastry:In a large bowl, combine the melted butter and the sugar, and using a wooden spoon, stir to blend. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to form a soft, cookie-like dough. Transfer the dough to the center of the buttered pan. Using the tips of your fingers, evenly press the pastry along the bottom and up the sides of the pan. The pastry will be quite thin.
Place the pan in the center of the oven and bake unitl the dough is slightly puffy and set, 12 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle the ground almonds over the bottom of the crust. (This will prevent the crust from becoming soggy.)
Meanwhile make the filling: In a medium-size bowl, combine the crème fraîche, egg, extracts and honey and whisk to blend. Whisk in the flour.
Pour the filling evenly over the pastry. Starting just inside the edge of the pan, neatly overlap the halved apricots, cut side up, at an angle. Arrange in two or three concentric circles, working toward the center. Fill in the center with the remaining apricots.
Place the tart pan on a baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the center of the oven and bake until the filling is firm and the pastry is a deep golden brown, 55 to 60 minutes. The apricots will shrivel slightly. Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Place the tart on a rack to cool. Sprinkle again with confectioners' sugar just before serving.

Jardin de Paris

2009-06-11T19:32:00.008-04:00

This Limoges Box depicts the famous poster
by Henri Toulouse-Lautrec that advertised
the debut of Jane Avril at the Jardin de Paris,
a café-concert on the Champs-Elysées. The
daughter of a demi-mondaine and an Italian
count, Jane Avril grew up poor, beaten, and
disturbed. She began her career as a dancer
at the Moulin-Rouge in 1889, developing a
relatively refined style that contrasted with
the vulgar exhibitionism of La Goulue.

A publicity photo of Avril performing
a high kick from the quadrille is thought
to have served as Lautrec's model for the
poster's preparatory oil sketch.

This piece, from Porcelaine Pierre Arquie,
is a limited
and numbered edition and inside the box
'Jardin de Paris' is painted.

The Retailers - Eximious of London

2009-06-06T21:02:00.004-04:00

The word Eximious is defined as "excellent, distinguished & eminent". In the 1980's, Josephine Louis founded a charming and elegant shop while she lived in England which she called Eximious. Ms. Louis was so inspired by this little shop which became famous for gifts & monogrammed accessories that she decided to open a catalogue and shop in the United States. Eximious of London has become synonymous with the understated good taste of British traditions.
At the heart of the catalogue, is the extensive Limoges collection. Eximious commissions artisans in Europe to produce unique and visually charming pieces that truly reflect a commitment to excellence.
It is with great sadness to report that on the Eximious website it is noted that they are going out of business.

Love Those Fruits & Veggies

2009-06-02T08:30:00.005-04:00

Traditionally, most French vegetables are grown in family gardens or potagers. With urbanization many have fell by the wayside but can still be found in the French countryside. For the most part, French vegetables are grown on a smaller scale and tend to produce a tastier version.
A Parisian Farmer's Market of delectable fruits and vegetables at their peak makes a fascinating, rich & colorful display. There is no limit to the variety & selection, each one detailed in miniature perfection.
Here are some of my favorites: an artichoke, a shallot & an amazing purple plum. Bon Appetit!

The Makers - DuBarry

2009-05-23T15:05:00.003-04:00

DuBarry, makers of Limoges Porcelain de France, has been owned by the same family for the past 46 years. They have always specialized in the making of hand painted boxes as collectibles but are relatively new to America introducing their boxes here in 1996. Prior to that time they were sold exclusively in Europe and Great Britain where they were, and are now, well known as makers of Limoges boxes.
The DuBarry collection is quite varied but always has included a very large selection of classic boxes, exquisitely painted in the most traditional designs, often based on the original 18th century Sevres and Vincennes patterns. Unlike other makers who limit production on many of their boxes, DuBarry prides themselves on offering continuity in their classics.
DuBarry was chosen by The Prince's Trust, the world renowned charity which is headed by Prince Charles of England, to produce The Mask Boxes; boxes all based on the same concept but each individually designed by
world famous celebrities
such as Sir Elton John, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Sting,
Bette Midler, Placido Domingo, Stirling Moss,
Paloma Picasso to name just a few of the five
hundred masks in the collection.

Rasberry Charlotte

2009-05-17T19:07:00.005-04:00

Yes, it was the French that came up with this
delightful dessert, as beautiful as it is tasty.
A Limoges box is pictured
preserved in porcelain by Chamart.
Try the easy recipe below, may not look as nice as the Limoges and certainly has more calories but is
sure to please!

Easy and Quick Recipe from Epicurious :

yield: Makes 6 servings
active time: 15 min
total time: 50 min

Ingredients
7 ounces savoiardi (crisp Italian ladyfingers)
1 tablespoon Cognac or other brandy
1 pint premium vanilla ice cream, melted
10 ounces frozen raspberries (not in syrup)
1 cup water
Rounded 1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup chilled heavy cream

Equipment: a 7- to 8-inch soufflé dish

Preparation
Layer ladyfingers in soufflé dish. Stir Cognac into melted ice cream and pour evenly over cookies. Let stand 10 minutes.
Purée, raspberries with water, sugar, and lemon juice in a blender until smooth.
Beat cream with an electric mixer or a whisk until it just holds stiff peaks, then add 3/4 cup raspberry sauce and continue to beat until mixture holds soft peaks.
Lightly press on cookies with a spatula to compact slightly, then drizzle 1/2 cup raspberry sauce over them. Spread raspberry cream evenly on top and chill, covered, in freezer 30 minutes.
Serve charlotte with remaining raspberry sauce.

The Makers - Pierre Arquie - PPA

2009-05-14T15:16:00.005-04:00

One of the few companies left in the heart of Limoges that produce genuine Limoges Boxes is PPA - Porcelaine Pierre Arquie, which was created in 1996. Mr. Arquie, the owner, along with his 11 collaborators manufacture top quality hinged boxes. Mr. Arquie himself designs each piece and personally oversees it's creation until completion. Their specialty appears to be animal boxes. This tiny ladybug box is only 1" across and has a suprise inside - a colorful caterpillar.

The Makers - PV

2009-05-07T08:17:00.005-04:00

The letters PV stand for Parry Vieille, one of the finest makers of Limoges boxes. Their designs are all original; they lead and others follow. Unlike others, they make their boxes from start to finish. Every piece is designed, fabricated, decorated and mounted in their own factory located in Limoges, France. The partners have recently separated and are no longer in production.
The sweet teddy bear pictured here is representative of the atelier's attention to detail. Note the expression, the tiny stitches & how puffy the pillow looks.

The Makers - La Vie en Rose

2009-05-02T07:39:00.004-04:00

La Vie en Rose is a major manufacturer of Limoges Boxes that bears the same name as the 2007 Oscar winning movie featuring Marion Cotillard as Edith Pilaf. They produce high quality boxes under their own label as well as boxes for importers such as Rochard, Carenton and Wiseowl in Japan. They also produce dinnerware under the label Porcelaine Du Site - Corot. Located in Saint Junien, France, they also produce porcelain jewelry, apothecary jars, lamp bases, gift ware, jars & vases.

The box featured here is a deep cobalt blue with a wonderful gold and platinum design in relief. A brass ring sits inside to hold the fluted pink glass perfume bottle which has a red cabochon glass stone in the brass filigree top. A rich red tassel hangs from a ring at the top making for a truly elegant presentation.

The Makers - Chamart

2009-04-27T07:47:00.013-04:00

Chamart was founded by Charles Martine in the early 1950's. The name is derived from a combination of Mr. Martine's first & last names. In 1965, Chamart designed a collection of Limoges Boxes for Tiffany & Co. which became immensely popular and introduced the American public to the Limoges box.

Martine’s marked taste, devotion to crafting quality, and insistence that each piece be meticulously handpainted from start to finish, made the Limoges Box become a product for which Chamart is now world famous.

The Importers - Rochard

2009-04-22T22:53:00.009-04:00

Limoges is like champagne - both are associated with the ultimate in quality, brought out on celebratory occasions when only the very best will do.
But while sparkling wines are made in many parts of the world, only those born and bottled in the Champagne region of France are legally allowed to be called Champagne. Thus, while porcelain is made in many countries, only porcelain made in the Limoges region in west-central France may be called Limoges.

Rochard has been importing Limoges Boxes to the US

since 1973 and claim to be the first to introduce the idea of placing little surprises inside the box. There are exclusive designs and color pigments only created for Rochard. The emphasis on attention to detail, superior painting and workmanship including the hinge and latch set Rochard pieces apart from other Limoges boxes. Rochard pieces are some of the best quality pieces. Consistency is of the utmost importance when it comes to Rochard Limoges boxes. Collectors know and see the difference in the painting on a Rochard Limoges box.

Camille Le Tallec

2009-04-19T06:11:00.001-04:00

Camille Le Tallec took over the familial hand painted porcelain studio in Paris after graduating from the Ecole de Louvre 1n 1929. For thirty years he continued in the tradition of Vincennes and Sevres porcelain creating treaures for famous individuals such as Queen Elizabeth II and King Mohammed V of Morroco. In 1961, one year prior to his death, Tallec started a fruitful collaboration with Tiffany & Co. Each piece is marked with a L & T motif with two sets of letters. The upper part is a dating code indicating the date of production and the lower code is the initials of the piece's painter. This pretty piece with a ballet motif is dated 1993.

Fabergé Limoges Boxes

2009-04-13T18:30:00.003-04:00

You may recognize Fabergé as the Russian company famous for making those fabulous jeweled eggs for the Russian Czars. Today, the modern Faberge company reproduces those famous eggs acheiving a quality rarely seen elsewhere.
Fabergé Eggs made in France of Limoges porcelain for The House of Fabergé are designed and completed in the Fabergé workshops. The example provided is retired, the metalwork is sterling silver, plated with 24k gold. The quartz clock has a Swiss movement. The little gadget in the top of the egg very cleverly would hold the egg open to display the timepiece, if desired, or would fold inside to close the egg completely. This particular design came in several colors: blue, pink, green & yellow and retailed in the $500 range.

The Designer - Fiona Saunders

2009-04-10T17:45:00.003-04:00

In the late 1990's British Artist Fiona Saunders, famous for her art prints featuring elaborate ladies' shoes, was asked to design a series of shoes for Limoges Boxes. The result is a stunning collection embellished with an array of fabric & faux stones. Each design was produced in limited quantities of 300.

Fiona Saunders was born in 1965 in Harrow, England. She was educated in London at St. Martens School of Art and at the Royal College of Art, England's most prestigious post graduate art College. Since then she has worked as an illustrator and graphic designer.

To produce her series of shoes as art, Saunders traveled to historic homes of shoemaking such as Northampton, England where she found an inspiring collection of shoes. She also studied the works of twentieth century masters including Vivier, Blahnik and Ferragamo, paying homage in her work to the many artists and artisans throughout the ages who have inspired her.

The Artists - Francoise Vialard

2009-04-08T07:39:00.009-04:00

Françoise Vialard has an outstanding international reputation in the world of porcelain painting.
She was schooled from childhood by her grandmother, a water colorist, and at 14 she began study at an art school in Paris. Her talent for porcelain painting was discovered in this period and it ultimately became her primary focus.
In her studio in the 7th Arrondissement she works alone and designs and paints each piece herself. Her colors are more subtle than most and she achieves a depth of color and glaze that very few others attempt. She fires a piece, in the course of painting, as many as four times in order to achieve the colors that are her ultimate goal. Few ateliers will do this because each firing puts the porcelain at risk but she is willing to risk the destruction of a piece to bring it to the level of perfection that she demands of her own work.
If you study her pieces you will notice the exquisite detailing, the layer upon layer of color to arrive at the depth that her pieces have, the originality of her designs and the strong sense of antiquity that pervades all of her work. Like the miniaturists who painted portraits on porcelain in the 17th and 18th centuries, to Madame Vialard concern for detail is everything.
She is quite innovative in her overall approach to porcelain miniature objects and it was she who first designed a Limoges box with a working timepiece in it as well as being the first to place a music movement into a Limoges box. She was also the artist who revived the fashion of the tiny 'perfume boxes' which were so sought after in the 18th century. Her perfumes boxes are extraordinary today. They are far and away the most imaginative and the most beautiful in the market place.
Madame Vialard's mark is: "Peint Main" in script, her signature "F Vialard, Limoges" in script, France, in print. The mark is black in its entirety.

The Makers - Sinclair Limoges

2009-04-06T15:54:00.004-04:00

Sinclair is an importer & distributor of fine Limoges Porcelain. Sinclair's founder & president, Hughes Longelin-Pingle has been at the helm since 1995. He has been a passionate collector of Limoges Boxes for over 10 years and personally owns every number 1 of all the limited edition Boxes Sinclair has created. Sinclair also creates fine dinnerware & jewelry boxes.

Here is the lovely Marilyn Monroe, note the special attention to the detail on her face and the hue of her skin. This is a fine example of an exquisite mold, artistry and detail. The chain around her neck is real, and the clasp adds to the overall effect with the delicate fan shaped filigree.

This particular box was created in 2000 and is numbered 18 of a total of 750 created. The black sunglasses inside add a bit of movie star whimsy.

Sinclair is based in Hollywood, Florida and has a great deal of boxes with themes influenced by the United States.

Currently, I have two Sinclair boxes in my booth at Bonanzle, both with limited quantities of 750.

Welcome to My Blog

2009-04-04T19:13:00.003-04:00

I cannot recall when or why I became fascinated with French Limoges Boxes. It all started with a self indulgent moment in 2005 when I decided to search for an affordable one on eBay. I found a tiny black and tan dachshund ( another passion of mine, more on that sometime later). I ended up bidding and viola the beginning of an addictive collection. Well, several months later, I had accumulated quite a few so I decided to try selling one. The one I decided to sell was a pretty pink floral pillow shape that spun around on my shelf and I was afraid it would break. That $25 box ended up selling for almost $100. I was hooked! That led to several good years on eBay, achieving PowerSeller status and opening a store, but I recently became frustrated with the venue, high fees and DSR's among other things ( I will go into THAT someday, too!) . The fun was gone.
In December 2008 I found the best Christmas present ever, Bonanzle, a new selling format just launched several months earlier with a supportive grassroots community, chat features and founders that have a vision to make selling & buying online fun again. I set up my 'booth' uploaded to Google Base, joined Plumdrop, Linkreferral & Facebook. Then I started Twittering and now decided to Blog. Why? Several reasons, one being that there is very little published reference material on Limoges Boxes. I have accumulated a lot of information which I would like to share. Second, I would like to network with others that share similar interests such as collecting, online selling, and of course, Limoges Boxes. I have a vision for this blog which will most likely grow and change with time, just as we all do.