Today begins Montmartre's much-awaited grape-harvest vendanges celebrations.
Above: members of the exclusive Clos Montmarte, symbolic vineyard of the days of wines and vines, start to gather
LA VILLAGE EN FÊTE
Fête des Vendanges 2025
Ends Sunday October 12
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Amlou in Paris.
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Paris’ love affair with the croissant has just taken yet another detour. The “Croissant Amlou,” a modern fusion pastry that's essentially a classic French croissant au beurre spread and/or filled with amlou, started as a nutty dream that's now gaining traction. The traditional Moroccan/Berber nut butter is a simple, nutrient-dense spread made from just three or four ingredients:
1) Roasted almonds (often Beldi variety from the Atlas Mountains) for a toasty, earthy base, 2) Argan oil (culinary-grade, cold-pressed from kernels in Essaouira) to provide richness and a subtle nutty depth - distinct from the cosmetic version used in skincare, 3) Honey (typically orange blossom from Souss) for natural sweetness, and 4) A pinch of sea salt for zing.
The result: a smooth, creamy paste with an almond-butter-like texture but with a unique, slightly floral, aromatic profile from the argan tree’s oil that takes the coffee/tea+pastry experience to new heights. - BPJ
The Forêt Noire, sharing the border with France's Alsace region, is not all hiking, Schnaps fountains in the woods, vineyards, and half-timbered hamlets. With pop-up market stalls everywhere touting colorful seasonal vegetables from surrounding farms, we knew that wholesome meals couldn't be far. But on this trip we were especially on the lookout for Salate.
Living in Paris spoiled by a great variety of beautiful salads in restaurants and even modest cafés, we didn't suspect that if we veered off the beaten German potato-wurst-red cabbage-salads trail, exciting creations would be waiting to be discovered. On menus - and it wasn't obvious unless we asked - leafy giant Salate bursting with nuts, fresh herbs and fruits, piled high and tossed with light hazelnut oil vinaigrettes, quietly kept their distance from the Schnitzel and Schweinshaxen on the facing page. A "chicken salad" turned out to be an entire skinless breast poached in broth then served sliced atop a vibrant mix of at least ten different crisp veggies and fruits.
Returning to Paris inspired, we made a beeline for our local markets, ready to craft our own salads and bring some of that Black Forest magic to our Montmartre table. - BPJ
October newsletter
Below: French village in Alsace
Gemütlichkeit among the vines.
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Ahead of Montmartre's own Fête des Vendanges that begins next week - and to avoid Oktoberfest madness - as an overture we decided to head to Germany's Schwarzwald (Black Forest) to savor regional wines (including seasonal Federweisser*) and local dishes, hike through forests and vineyards (there were "Schnaps fountains" on trails and organized "Schnaps hikes"!) while getting in a bit of Gemütlichkeit surrounded by flower-draped Fachwerkhäuser, half-timbered houses. - BPJ
October newsletter
