This is a tiny little jewel of a book. Its size and graphic quality are both things I like. Quite a few tricks in eclair making with great step by step photographs of the entire process.
Christophe Adam the author, was "director artistique" of Fauchon at the time. He had risen through the ranks of Fauchon's pastry team, working under pastry chef extraordinaire Pierre Hermè. He has since gone on to be have his own shops called L'Eclair de Genie (selling just eclairs) here in Paris, opening soon in Tokyo. He's also appeared here on french television in a reality show about french pastry making.
It was quite a privilege to work with him on Eclairs !
La Martiniere, the publisher, put our team together with care and inspiration. Laurent Rouvrais, the photographer and I knew each other quite well. We had been working together for quite some time but had never done a book together so wow! Freedom ! Great graphics from Carin Turin of la tête moderne . And certainly Chris, a modern guy if ever there was one. We all took our inspiration from his visual world.
Christophe Adam loves cutting edge design. Brilliant color, incredible textures. He looks for the surprise of unexpected techniques. Remember his Mona Lisa printed eclair ? I do ! It goes without saying that everything he makes is also wonderfully delicious ! Technically speaking, he is a high flyer. Total dedication to technical perfection. This is french pastry making at its most modern and technically proficient.
Christophe Adam loves cutting edge design. Brilliant color, incredible textures. He looks for the surprise of unexpected techniques. Remember his Mona Lisa printed eclair ? I do ! It goes without saying that everything he makes is also wonderfully delicious ! Technically speaking, he is a high flyer. Total dedication to technical perfection. This is french pastry making at its most modern and technically proficient.
Sounds like Chris was all alone out there in his laboratory building these things. That is far from the case. He works with a talented team. Benoit, his second in command, Cedric, the young apprentice that did all of our step by step photos, have the hands of surgeons, assured and professional like their boss. The precision with which the entire team makes these creations isn't a one off. They do this day in day out. And can reproduce everything ad infini. Pretty miraculous.
What does a food stylist like me do when working alongside these two powerhouses? Essentially come up with ideas of presentation and the objects used for each recipe.
Chris and his team made 5-6 new recipes daily that were delivered each morning to Laurent's studio in Montrouge. Then together, he, Laurent and I we tried to figure out a story for each eclair, each recipe. We wanted each photo to offer one aspect of the wider story of the eclair. All reflecting Chris's vision, his personality.
These beautiful bijoux (jewels) had little stories inside each one. They challenged your conception of what an cclair should be. Have you thought eclair's were only chocolat or coffee flavored and sweet?
Like an Eclair ChocoCoco !
toasted coconut on the outside, creamy milk chocolat pastry creme inside.
Or the Eclair Mimosa?
One of Chris's salty eclairs. This is basically an egg salad filling with chives and other goodies
I added a little salad of alfalfa sprouts and itty bitty threads of red radish.
Oh. And a fork! We took this photo this right before lunch time!
The Eclair Mini Hot Dog's ? These were the sweet ones!
So amazing. Chris and his team came up with the idea of making rasberry /chocolat pastry filling an edible casing. As I recall the "mustard" and "ketchup" were really a colored icing. Then they split open a small eclair shell and popped their "mini hot dogs" atop.
Talk about surreal!
Or the Eclair TomateMozza
This is another riff on a classic. With a tomato glaze, slice of mozzarella in the middle of an eclair sandwich.
I added a little sundried tomato, small fresh basil and little japanese wooden picks.
As I'd recently come back from a visit to New York, that is a Crate and Barrel aperitif plate.
Chris riffing on eclair sizes and shapes. As the shoot progressed, we were pretty surprised at the variety of sizes and shapes that Chris and his team were coming up with. I saved out a few of the shells in each size and did this shot on the last day. That background is a bakers silicon non stick sheet. So it's a part of the story too!
We did graphic step by step photographs of some of Chris's most elaborate inventions for Fauchon.
This tricolor eclair he called "L'Aquatique". What a spectacular thing ! And an incredible invention.
Think you can do this at home? Only the bravest of the brave! One eclair by one eclair by one eclair.
I remember asking him if he really wanted to divulge his secrets for these complex recipes and fabrication? He replied : "We are so proud of what we have developed, of the techniques that we have invented as a team ! I want to show that."
Hats off to you Christophe Adam !
What does a food stylist like me do when working alongside these two powerhouses? Essentially come up with ideas of presentation and the objects used for each recipe.
Chris and his team made 5-6 new recipes daily that were delivered each morning to Laurent's studio in Montrouge. Then together, he, Laurent and I we tried to figure out a story for each eclair, each recipe. We wanted each photo to offer one aspect of the wider story of the eclair. All reflecting Chris's vision, his personality.
These beautiful bijoux (jewels) had little stories inside each one. They challenged your conception of what an cclair should be. Have you thought eclair's were only chocolat or coffee flavored and sweet?
toasted coconut on the outside, creamy milk chocolat pastry creme inside.
One of Chris's salty eclairs. This is basically an egg salad filling with chives and other goodies
I added a little salad of alfalfa sprouts and itty bitty threads of red radish.
Oh. And a fork! We took this photo this right before lunch time!
So amazing. Chris and his team came up with the idea of making rasberry /chocolat pastry filling an edible casing. As I recall the "mustard" and "ketchup" were really a colored icing. Then they split open a small eclair shell and popped their "mini hot dogs" atop.
Talk about surreal!
This is another riff on a classic. With a tomato glaze, slice of mozzarella in the middle of an eclair sandwich.
I added a little sundried tomato, small fresh basil and little japanese wooden picks.
As I'd recently come back from a visit to New York, that is a Crate and Barrel aperitif plate.
We did graphic step by step photographs of some of Chris's most elaborate inventions for Fauchon.
This tricolor eclair he called "L'Aquatique". What a spectacular thing ! And an incredible invention.
Think you can do this at home? Only the bravest of the brave! One eclair by one eclair by one eclair.
I remember asking him if he really wanted to divulge his secrets for these complex recipes and fabrication? He replied : "We are so proud of what we have developed, of the techniques that we have invented as a team ! I want to show that."
Hats off to you Christophe Adam !
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