Review of À la Mère de la Famille: Recipes from the Beloved Parisian Confectioner

a la mere de famille exterior

French culture is in my blood. My name, Dédé (pronounced DayDay) is French. My father lived in France for decades and was actually engaged by the OSS and later the CIA because he was an American who could speak French with no discernible foreign accent. I grew up with French language in our household, an abundance of French food and several trips to France as a child. My interest in desserts came early and so when this book, A la Mere de Famille, came to my attention and introduced the fact that there was a confectionery store in Paris that had been around since 1761 that I had never heard of, I was a bit surprised. As I delved into the book and the history, all I could think about was visiting and experiencing it for myself.

a la mere de famille cover

Luckily for us this book is not only filled with recipes but tons of history and background, of both the physical location as well as the families that have kept the store going since the time of Napoleon. Kudos to the publishers as the design and format come together with the text and images to beautifully recreate the feel of a classic Parisian institution. The page edges are dyed a rich orange to capture the color of the store’s ribbons, which are used to tie up one’s purchases. The rich green cover visually mimics the storefront, each depiction of a window featuring one of the sweets inside. Every city has its own flavor, and if you have ever been to Paris you know the “je ne sais quoi”, the “I-don’t-know-what” quality that makes each and every storefront and shopping experience so Parisian in nature. This book captures that essence. And if you have never been to Paris, then this book will provide some armchair travel.

a la mere candies

This book exudes what it is to be in Paris and visit a confectionery shop. The recipes are presented in chapters such as Chocolates, Candy Making, Candied Fruits and Such, Cookies, Tuiles and Meringues, Jams and Spreads among others.

a la mere chocolates

The photos are straightforward, highlighting the item at hand such as Rochers, Black Current Marshmallows, Pâte de FruitSablés Breton, Candied Kumquats, Morello Cherry Financiers, various flavors of Caramels, Chocolate Mendiant Lollipops as well as the Calissons and Montelimar Nougat, recipes for both of which we have included. But what brings the book alive is the timeline that is sprinkled throughout the book.

a la mere timeline

Covering 10 time periods it begins by introducing the advent of the store in 1761 when Pierre-Jean Bernard discovers a small farm on what is now the Rue de Provence in the Faubourg-Montmartre area. He opens a grocery store – an ancient régime – that belongs to the apothecary guilds. With tiny wood hewn rooms and a dirt floor he sells everything from hams from Bayonne to vinegar, flour and a selection of sugared almonds, jams and pastries. The business thrives, he marries and his wife Marie-Catherine Fossey joins him in the day-today affairs, they expand and put in a confectionery counter in 1779.

a la mere pages

 

Their three daughters become involved. One marries into a family of grocers and she and her husband eventually take over the store in 1791. The daughter met an untimely death but the husband continued to run the store along with one of their daughters. When he remarries, his second wife Marie-Adélaïde Delmarte becomes the iconic figure associated with the store. By 1807 her husband has died and she not only carries on the store’s tradition, but brings it to new heights by working day and night. She lures apprentices, stocks confectionery from all over France introducing them to Parisians. She becomes a critic darling and the store establishes itself as a landmark.

a la mere image

The store passes in and out of families. In the early 1900s a young boy who loves the store tells himself that one day he will own it, and it comes to be. The history of subsequent generations running the store continues, and in one case it is an adopted daughter and husband who carry on the legacy. These timelines are sprinkled with details about what each subsequent owner brings to the store. In one instance brochures and advertisements are begun for the first time; for another it is the inclusion of international confections. Another owner wins awards for jams. During WWII the windows are whitewashed, but the store continues to provide rations. No matter who has been at the helm, preserving the look, feel and soul of the store has always been a priority and in 1984 it was listed in Paris as a monuments historiques. Today it is owned by Etienne Dolfi and his three children, Sophie, Jane and Steve. Confectioner and chocolatier Julien Merceron is producing classics as well as new sweets, maintaining legacy and creating heritage. There are now several locations but if you are lucky enough to be in Paris, a visit to the original is in order.

The book’s recipes are brief, in some cases deceptively so. This is not a beginner’s book but if you like French baked goods and candies and have a love of French culture, particularly when it relates to food, this book is highly recommended. It is one of those books that could be considered a “coffee table book” as perusing it for sheer pleasure is enough of a satisfying experience, but it also happens to hold delectable recipes. Use this book in and out of the kitchen.

Top 2 Images: the publisher

Other Images of Book Interiors: Dédé Wilson

4 Responses to Review of À la Mère de la Famille: Recipes from the Beloved Parisian Confectioner

  1. Rick Rodgers March 10, 2015 at 10:44 am #

    I love this book. In fact, I was so obsessed with it that I bought the original French edition to compare the measurement conversions in the US translation. I thought that it was strange that Chronicle didn’t publish the metric measurements for this book when they do with the vast majority of their cookbooks. So, I am in the middle of making Pâte des Fruits, and notice that the sugar is off…WAY off. The French version calls for 500 g each sugar and fruit puree, which is a common formula for these candies. The US recipe makes an obvious mistake, and uses 50 g of sugar (1/4 cup). In other words, the translator accidentally left out a zero from the 500 g listed in the French book. Hey, it’s human error, and it happens. But I have to report that there are three recipes that will not work because the sugar is off by 450 g (2 1/4 cups). It cost me $20 just for the yellow pectin in the recipe, so it had better work! (The reason I’m making this is because I have both mango and passion fruit purees leftover from another recipe and I need to used them up, otherwise, I’d be out more cash.) It is a gorgeous book…but be careful with the recipes.

    • Dede Wilson March 10, 2015 at 11:52 am #

      Rick, obviously you and I have a road (plane) trip we have to make together:). Thank you for this info. You and I have had this convo before about translating volume to metric – even within the same language – being problematic. Would love to hear the follow-up about your pate de fruit experience…my two favorite tropical flavors by the way along with guava!

  2. Rick Rodgers March 14, 2015 at 4:20 pm #

    With the correction (I added 2 1/2 cups more sugar), it was delicious. Next time, I will increase the pectin slightly because it was a very soft set. The recipe calls for yellow pectin, and for all of my research, I cannot ascertain if this is regular pectin (made from citrus, as in Sure-Jel), or something else. So, I had to buy from the only source, lepicerie.com, a wonderful supplier but costly at $20 a pound for the 4 tsp in the recipe. Looks like I will be making a lot of pate de fruits to use it up. But with the correction! I was pleased to see your comment that the book isn’t for beginners. It was only my professional experience with candy that made me realize that this formula was off from the usual ration of 1:1 sugar:puree.

  3. IreneEllis July 8, 2016 at 7:26 pm #

    I also noticed that one of the marshmallow recipes called for way too much gelatin. I WISH they did this cookbook in metric…then Dede could do a series on “make it in metric” for those who need it.

    Yellow pectin is apple pectin (common grocery variety is citrus pectin). Apple pectin can be made from Granny Smith apples. Cook chopped whole apples with water and let drip like grandma did for apple jelly.

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