This morning I woke up and wiped the sweat from my brow.  A February heat wave in Paris, you ask? Nope, it was a frigid 24° Fahrenheit when I popped my eyes open. Perhaps the apartment was much too warm? Never! I have decided the French don’t believe in insulation. The windows seep so much cold air that I chill my Sancerre wines under them. The drafts drive me and my derrière  to firmly attach ourselves to one of the old water-heated radiator units anytime I am upright. No, alas both are not true. The reason  my heart went racing this morning was none other than an important, pending decision: What name will I chose for my camel!? (Dah dah dah dah)

Thanks to the incredibly creative effort of my friends and family, I gathered up the 30+ names submitted to my camel-naming contest and headed to a place that was sure to produce clarity of thought and decisiveness, the famed patisserie of the great and legendary chef de pâtisserie, Jacques Genin! On y va!

Before combing through the names, I ordered a little somethin’ somethin’ to sustain myself through the arduous task.  Jacques Genin creates a Baba au Rhum that is so special he refuses to allow anyone on his team other than himself to create it.  Soaked in 30 year old rum and topped with decadent vanilla Chantilly, this cake dessert has been described as “meditative”.  Hmmm, sounds perfect!  Uh, what, Madame Serveure? Monsieur Genin does not make the Baba the entire month of January…including the first day of February? Oh la la (although most French would use the catch-all “Putain” here)! I guess I will take a tarte au citron instead. *sniff*

Slightly pouting, I started to sift through the names.

Tawny, Jewel, Belle. Ah, so cute!

Lady, Jolie, Creamsicle. Lovely!

Sandy.

Sandy again. Popular!

So is Camela.

Casino. Huh?

Chewie. Double Huh? Alright, I am open minded.

I added all to the list.  

Gigi, Mona, Passepartout. ADORE!

Oh, this is going to be harder than I thought!

Clementine, Chameau…..

The tarte au citron arrived at the most perfect moment…I needed the break.

Ideal thinking food!

Although I wasn’t fated to experience the fabled Baba au Rhum this afternoon, nothing that Jacques Genin produces is less than memorable. His tarte au citron masterfully balanced the flavor of lemon and a hint of basil (oui! basilic!). The texture was light and creamy and the crust so delightful that I think I let out a little whimper after the last bite. And to top it all off, he served it with two of his scrumptious chocolates. Magnifique!

The crust, being the color of camel fur(?), jolted me back to my duty at hand…

With the list of names by my side, fork and knife in hand and a sizable bite of citron goodness in my mouth, I started the serious task of contemplation.  Oh, but there are so many I like! How do I decide? Is there one that inspires me over the rest? 

I came to the conclusion that the process was a bit like shoe shopping in Paris!  There are too many to chose from and, worse, too many I like!  How is it even possible to chose just one?! My brow furrowed with fret, I took another bit.

Then it hit me! It is JUST like shoe shopping in Paris…and what happens when I can’t make up my mind between two incredibly indispensable, unforgettable, perfect pair of shoes that literally speak to me when I try them on? It is obvious…I chose them both.  Or in the case of the no-longer-nameless camel, I chose all 4!

So it is with much pleasure and pride I present to you…..*drum roll*

CHARLOTTE “BON VIVANT” DJENNÉ  from the SAHARA

For short, she will go by “Bonbon” (which also means candy in French).

My bevy of creative geniuses include Mark, Dayna, Brynn, Drew, Amy, Vincent and Mom….all will have something postmarked from Paris in their mailboxes by the end of this month!  Félicitations!

Thank you to everyone for indulging me with your participation and wonderful ideas.  Each one was received with sincere delight.

On the metro ride home, after Bonbon’s name had been chosen and the final crumb scraped from my porcelain plate, I sat across from two young boys speaking Arabic. They were enthusiastically counting and recounting stacks of used metro tickets. Their tallying seemed like a sort of competition so I reached in my pocket and pulled out all the used ones I could find and handed them to the youngest boy (whose pile looked the most pathetic). His eyes lit up and he heartily grabbed my hand and said, “Shukran” and “Salam Alaikum” (Thank you and Peace be Upon You).  Likely coming from a country near or in the Sahara, I thought this young boy wrapped up my sentiments exactly as I now close this camel naming contest….SHUKRAN and SALAM ALAIKUM!

Bonne nuit! Biz!

Plan YOUR adventure:

Jacques Genin

133 Rue de Turenne

75003 Paris

phone: +33 1 45 77 29 01

 

My favorite Paris Pâtisseries blog:  www.parispatisseries.com