Sunday 18 November 2007
Fanny is baking eight days a week

Most of my friends spend their weekends partying at night and sleeping during the day. This doesn’t seem to be valid for me though. While I do party with them, I love to wake up early, grab my bike, go to the farmers market, rush back to my apartment and bake like crazy until it’s dark outside.
Trust me, my flatmates love me. On Monday, we celebrated autumn with yummy butternut squash muffins with a frosty top. On Tuesday, a spicy yet comforting black pepper and honey apple tart warmed our days. On Wednesday, I kept complaining about how boring it is to have a cold but still enjoyed a lovely honey, rosemary and gorgonzola loaf cake. On Thursday, we all went out to celebrate the launch of Beaujolais nouveau with some shallot and parsley small bread rolls, which I posted about on Friday. On Saturday, I shared a piece of my memories – and more importantly – some moist coconut balls that look like snow balls. On Sunday, well, I’m going to ask you a favour.
There isn’t one day during which I don’t receive emails from you guys – totally *heart* you by the way. Whether you’re just saying hi, asking questions about a specific recipe/ingredient/pastry, wondering how I learnt to take pictures… These make me happy. I just love to know I’ve helped or inspired you in some ways.
Now it’s your turn to inspire me.
Is there anything that you would like to see on this blog?
May it be a recipe – one you’re too scared to try or one you dearly love and would want to share, a topic – like Erin who’d like to hear more about my culinary endeavours in France or food photography… Actually, anything will do. Just tell me what makes you happy, what inspires you, what your fears are. This way, you’ll contribute to foodbeam and I’ll be able to give you some of the tips I’ve learnt either from experience, my internship or my classes.
I so can’t wait to see what you come up with! This is going to be great fun.



Sunday 18 November 2007
Bonsoir Fanny!
If you want to see how much you inspired me, tu ne seras pas déçue! il y a quelques mois je t’envoyais un mail pour te dire tout le bien que je pense de ton travail, et aussi pour rechercher quelques encouragements dans la création de mon blog. je crois que je vais incessamment sous peu me lancer, malgré la frousse, les questions… That’s how much you inspired me!! (not in the sense that it will be like your work,I respect you too much for that, god save me, but in the sense that I will try to live up to my dreams..)
Je vais penser à ce que j’aimerais voir sur Foodbeam!
(quelle belle écorce!)
J’ai trop hate de voir ton blog. Et oui je milite pour la réalisation des rêves.
Let me know when you come up with suggestions.
Sunday 18 November 2007
Bonjour, Fanny. I am afraid to try macarons, or really any cookies that require piping or precision dropping. Any suggestions?
I’d also love guidelines on how to frost prettily.
elarael said something sweet:Sunday 18 November 2007
An interesting buche de Noel would be fun. Is that too boring for you, though? They are not very common in the US. and though I see them every Christmas on a few blogs, they have been mainly photos of those in shops.
You must have read in my mind. Can you believe that I’m already thinking about the menu I’ll be serving on Christmas?
As you can guess my favourite part is the bûche [litteraly, log].
Your comment is so inspiring; I’m already thinking of:
- making a list of killer flavour combinations for bûches
- visiting every pastry shop in Toulouse and making pictures of their signature bûches
Sunday 18 November 2007
Hi Fanny,
I love your blog!
I find it indeed very inspiring. I love to wake up early in the morning and spend hours in the kitchen too. (Ask my husband :-))
Please tell us some more on what you learned at Pierre Herme or if you have some more receipes you can share from the laboratoire. He is my idole.
Oh I can so understand how you feel about Pierre Hermé. Regarding my intership, I intend to write a post about what I learnt during the two weeks I spent at the tour – where the croissants, pains aux chocolat, pâtes feuilletées/à foncer, biscuits… are made.
ps. I checked your website. Your pastries look gorgeous!
Sunday 18 November 2007
I don’t know why (except for one, because you told me so), but the three things I associate with Foodbeam are:
Milk chocolate
Gingerbread
and Soft fruits
So, anything with those will be fine. You have 24 hours, lol. And just so you know that I’m serious – You have 12 hours.
Graeme, you are killing me. But well, vive le chocolat au lait. Sooo yummy. What happens if I go past 12 hours. Death by foil?
Sunday 18 November 2007
This foil thing is killing me. Honestly, I took my gloves off today and I had woolen bits “in” the wound. That’ll teach me to not buy plasters.
2 comments on one post, not good. Sorry.
Please, please, please. Head to the nearest Boots and spoil yourself with some cute plasters. If you happen to buy Hello Kitty ones, be nice and send me a box.
Sunday 18 November 2007
I would love to hear more about your internship– not only what you learned there, but how you found the internship in the first place. Or rather, how you got started on the path to professional cookery.
There seems to be so much excitment around my internship (count me in ;).
Although, I’ve been an intern at Pierre Hermé Paris, I’m still nowhere near the professional cookery. I’m currently completing my fifth year of studies – marketing in the food industry – and will have to do another internship (6 months this time). Nothing’s sure yet, but that internship might make my dreams come true.
Monday 19 November 2007
I really would love to hear more about your Pierre Herme internship. Once I get my french up to speed, I’ll try for a stage at Lenotre.
S. said something sweet:Monday 19 November 2007
I must say… Macarons would be awesome! And be super descriptive. Those are so darn hard to make.
Also I really want to hear more about your internship! I’d love to be in your shoes!
Malini said something sweet:Monday 19 November 2007
Marketing in the food industry sounds like a very interesting field to specialize in.
I would love to hear more about it.
Knowing baking/cooking and marketing might just equip you to start and run your own food business.
Fleur said something sweet:Monday 19 November 2007
Bonjour fanny,
I would really like to know how the room where you make your heavenly food looks like. And what your essentiel ingredients are,the things you always have in stock. And what the kitchen tools are you can’t live withouth.
A lot questions…sorry!
x fleur
That’s a great question. My student kitchen is far from being glorious. But well, you’ll soon find out about it.
Monday 19 November 2007
dear fanny
I love it that you are posting everyday. you are giving me so many great ideas! I was wondering on a much more mundane note than the other requests that you have had what you rustle up quickly for dinner on cold nights after your classes?
Beijinhos,
Jennifer
Céline75 said something sweet:Monday 19 November 2007
Alors sur ma liste de demandes au Père Noël… oups pardon à Fanny ;o), il y a une chose qui m’intéresserait bien : quels sont tes plats principaux salés préférés (inratables et pratiques à faire lorsqu’on reçoit des amis) ? Autant côté dessert je ne manque pas d’idées, autant pour le plat principal (viande-légumes), j’avoue que je sèche très souvent…
Aurais-tu des conseils-miracles sur le sujet ?
Et d’autre part, je suis aussi intéressée (comme beaucoup de monde apparemment) par ton internat chez Pierre Hermé : les recettes que tu as déjà partagées sont extras ! Si tu en as d’autres, ou des “coups de main”, ce serait vraiment super…
Désolée pour toutes les questions, ne prends que ce qui t’inspire !
Céline
Heather said something sweet:Monday 19 November 2007
Fanny,
I love reading about your foods. It’s a very fun page to visit. And you have my kind of sense of humor! Hee Hee
I hope your feeling better.
I’ll be making the honey gragonzola rolls soon. I’ll let you know how they turned out!
Cecilia said something sweet:Tuesday 20 November 2007
Oh fanny thank you or giving us this oppurtunity!!
There’re SO many things that I want to known and learn from you (you’re my personal fav pattisser) and I think I’ll list them all down as below :)
1. Show us how to make macarons (esp the folding stage)
2. Tell us (with pictures) about your internship at pierre herme!! it must be a bakers heaven in there…I don’t think I can be let in without a chain tied on me – imagine unleashing a beast … it’ll get VERY UGLY if I’m allowed to enter FREELY..
3. Show us your favourite and ‘MUST EAT before you die food’ in france!!
4. Tell us about your favourite kitchen tools and also a picture of your kitchen!!
5. and oh!!! you in that chef’s uniform …tsk tsk tsk…. I want to see a picture of you in that … i bet you’ll look just adorable
6. and lastly… any chance for you to give us an insight for making the PERFECT canneles – you know, the ones that pierre herme make?!!! OH fanny i’m dreaming of the crisp exterior and custardy interior of canneles now!!!
Phew… thanks sooo much once again for giving me this oppurtunity!! I love you fanny … one day when i’m rich I’ll visit France and go to your pattiserie everyday!!
I’m waiting for you ;)
Thanks for your GREAT suggestions. Regadring the must-eat-before-you-die food, I’ve already made a post about my absolute favourites. You can find it here.
Tuesday 20 November 2007
Fanny, If I were Pierre Herme, I would offer you a job:) Lovely sweets.
Jef said something sweet:Tuesday 20 November 2007
More pastries! I love seeing the unusual and specialty pastries from France. Recipes would be good but even if you give descriptions and pictures I’m sure I could come up with something.
Sounds great.
Tuesday 20 November 2007
I would love it if you posted a full recipe for macarons with tips on how to get them just right. This is one thing I am determined but scared to make, so i’d love to have your tips.
Julie
I’m pretty sure that making macarons with my tiny (and yep, I do mean tiny) student oven would be a disaster.
I could try though, that’d be funny – and messy!
Wednesday 21 November 2007
I like your website a lot, thank you for your recipes. How about some barbecue!!! :)
I do love barbecue, during, ahem summer. So I guess you might see some vegetarian barbecue recipe next summer. Keep tuned.
Friday 23 November 2007
I too enjoy reading about your culinary experiences and looking at your lovely photos. I would love to see your take on vegan baking or even just desserts with a healthier tone to them, so we don’t have to feel so guilty about eating them! ;)
I am actually thinking about vegan baking a lot those times. So many things to do, yet so little time.
I’ll let you know when I put up some vegan recipes on foodbeam.
Monday 10 December 2007
Fanny,
Yours is just a fun with many photo website. I found you originally in a web search for marmalade. My wife thought it super that you always served your special marmalade to your love. I guess what I would like, if I had some choice, was more of your preserve, jam, or pickling recipes. Yours are probably different than those found in the States. I have saved both your preserve recipes to my computer and a step away from making your chesnut and vanilla spread. I just need the vanilla bean. Chesnuts are only available here about one month a year and I already have them. Please keep up this page. I don’t think you would even have a clue how much we enjoy it in Southern California. Regards & best of luck in your creative future – Jim
Jim. Thank you so much for all your wonderful comments. I hope you have fun making the “jams”.
xxx