Très Calme, Figcannelle

Last Sunday, in response to their cake-off win the previous day, I visited Très Calme, by bicycle, and chose a new cake to try. I went with the Figcannelle, which is fig, red wine, and cinnamon. Though it's pretty solid, the top half, under the coating, is actually a thick white cream-like layer, which was probably for balance, since the main ingredients are strong. It was excellent. The fig flavor was central, but not too strong and clearly balanced and smoothed by other flavors, which were not obvious. Unfortunately, I was tired, so I forgot to get a picture for presentation, so I'll slip in the picture from the shop (unlike some shops, no sign saying not to photograph) that I actually just to remember the name. 

Blondir, Bourgeonner

Monday, I worked late, so I did some neighborhood course confirmation near Tokyo Midtown and stopped for a croissant from Sadaharu Aoki, since they don't have any fresh cake that I haven't had. It was excellent. It says that it was imported from France, but I expect in the form of butter and flour, not already baked, though they could import frozen dough. I completed confirming the Minami-Aoyama east loop and the Roppongi 7 west loop and did the Roppongi 7 east clockwise (all in the National Art Center clump of three loops).

Tuesday, I ran down to the Sadaharu Aoki at Shibuya Hikarie ShinQs and got their exclusive Tokyo-yaki Macaron Chocolat, which is a traditional Japanese cake made from batter and a mold with a macaron inside instead of bean paste. Also, the cake part was mochi-like (chewy) and green tea flavor. I microwaved it for 20 seconds as recommended, and it pretty much recreated the traditional texture despite having a macaron for filling. I'll never do that again. I'll call it good because it was as designed, but if I try another flavor, I'll have it cold, though I don't expect it would be better. Hopefully I'll find better things elsewhere. For the running, I did a one-way neighborhood course run to formally add the newly designed Shibuya east loop and well as confirm my knowledge of it, which completes the Shibuya Station Southeast clump of two loops.

Wednesday, I got cake at Isetan from Blondir, as a third cake from a seemingly quite good shop. This is supposedly pistachio ganache with strawberry soaked in red wine, but then there is Kirsch in there somewhere, maybe in the raisins on top, as they were definitely soaked in something. The feeling was more like a rum raisin cake, but then pistachio is the fruity nut. It was interesting and I approval of the design. Definitely wouldn't mind having it again, so excellent: Blondir will make the cut. Now on to the "C" quite good shops. Running was to Ginza, touring from Mitsukoshi and then (walking underground) to Viron and to 14 Juillet, none of which had anything unexpected.

Avranches Guesnay: Opera Figue Vin Rouge

Wednesday, got cake again at Isetan, this time from Avranches Guesnay as a fifth cake from an excellent shop. Did less cycling than other days, due to rain, but still went down to Midtown to check out the day's line up (I suppose I could just ask about the whole week all at once, but that's not very interesting and I perhaps wouldn't remember anyway). I went with Opera Figue Vin Rouge. Fig is good for dense cakes and I used to appreciate it more. This was definitely good and they did have a good harmony between the fig and red wine.

Thursday I went to Il Pleut sur la Seine and confirmed one good cake as available and got the Croissant aux Amandes, again, because I keep forgetting to rate it. This is the kind of almond croissant that seals in the filling by an outside layer. And this almond filling is deliciously moist and quite sugary. I'm going to say that it was excellent. I feel like being a sugar bomb is almost cheating, but it was not poorly done. My night photography, however, needs some work. Look at the phone manual is on the to do list.

Saturday: Viron

No running, of course, but definitely a week-on-week improvement in my right leg. Friday, by walking only somewhat more slowly than usual, I could arrive at work without pain, and other walking pain that day was more numbness than tear-inducing pain, so I'm optimistic that I'll be able to run again. I'm hoping that I'll be able to walk normally for reasonable distances by next weekend. Still working out inside, both upper-body exercises (although I'm doing push-ups from the knees) and a lot of squats.

Saturday, I went out to Mitsukoshi for another form for tarts (not actually a tart form: Cuoca lists it as for brioche). I wanted exactly one more, and that's exactly what they had of that size, probably because I bought seven last weekend. And I bought another half kilogram of pecan halves.

At Mitsukoshi, I got also a Dalloyau croissant, which was great (but no picture, sorry), beautifully layered and flaky and only 216 yen. So they and Fraoula have the best croissants that I've found, and I need to try Lettre d'Amour's again.

The store cake for today was from Viron again, Chiboust Poire Vinrouge for 648 yen. Inside the chiboust are large slices of wine-red pear (I assume from red wine, but I haven't read the card all the way through yet). It's both simple and complex. I don't think this is a regular item, so get it while you can.

At home, I made pecan tarts using my small forms. I used a pecan pie filling from Better Homes & Gardens and the crust is from one of my mixer cookbooks, although it came out very crumbly this time, due to being very cold in the room, so I didn't really mix until smooth, but just until I had fine crumbs that I could form into balls with the heat of my hands. I wonder if my cheap 100-yen shop eggs are also a factor, since maybe other eggs have bigger yokes. Anyway, I'm not sure that a more solid crust would be better (and I don't know how to make flaky crusts).

Also, I made pizza. It's the best use of cherry tomatoes I know and shiitake are great, although I'll try pre-grilling them a couple minutes less next time, and I'll take the trouble to make garlic and red pepper tofu cubes instead of using almonds.