CW: We are in the best kosher French patisserie in New York. Where are we?
Judd: Gourmandises-de-France.
This is a Strawberry Tartlet. We out it on mousseline vanilla cream, which is lighter than a custard cream, so when you taste it, you can feel completely separately the taste of the dough, of the vanilla cream and of the strawberry.
We call that Religieuse. Religieuse means religious. Because of the kind of hat that she has on the top. This one is actually filled with pistachio cream.
CW: This is not like, oh this is pareve but it’s good for pareve. No, this is classic French, delightful, and you wouldn’t know the difference.
The first thing I want to eat is called Creme Caramel. Yo, it’s a cream caramels, ok? If you’re in the midwest, they would say: “Oh, it’s like a puddin’ with the caramel. I’m a big fan of the jello, set pudding, agar agar, all that stuff. I like a custard jiggle. I love that kind of deal.
Judd: Framboises tartelette.
CW: No, it’ not Tara-tene – there’s no “n”.
This is a beautiful, a beautiful, like custard in there and blueberries. And they’re not working like fake flavors, fake colors. They’re getting all the fruits, they’re throwing them in there. This is a beautiful French classic. I’m taking a bite. Classic French tartlet with blueberries.
Can you say this one?
Judd: Passion.
CW: I got the passion, you got the passion. I got a passion for a cake. They’re using real passionfruit thrown in there. There’s like three layers of that sweet, fruit, sweet, fruit, sweet, fruit, cake, sweet, fruit and then a glaze. The glaze has a lingering aroma, almost.
Employee: This is Mille-feuille. It has cream in it. Vanilla base with chocolate.
CW: What does Mille-feuille mean?
Employee: Mille-feuille is like Napolean. Americans call it Napolean, French call it Mille-feuille.
CW: It’s beautiful. It’s just layer upon layer upon later of very thin dough, very thin dough, laminated through butter. Butter, dough, butter, dough.
Employee: Not butter for us.
CW: Yeah it’s pareve, bro! But you wouldn’t know it! So, we’ve got some custard, we got some crunch. This is what you guys call Napolean. You gotta eat this kinda thing fresh. ‘Cause the most important stuff is the?
Employee: Mille-feuille.
CW: Mille-feuille. Which makes you go?
Employee: Crazy.
CW: Ah, I was gonna say crunchy.
That’s a real egg custard. You can tell by the color. You can tell by the texture that it probably took them 40 minutes to cook it correctly. And it’s no fun ’cause you have to stir it and stir it. Try making custard, have a good time, it’s a pain in the butt. This is not a cream. It’s not a cream anglaise. It’s not one of those. It’s a custard, it’s supposed to taste like eggy.
This place, you need to come in here and just garner an education on what French pastry can be. It tastes like we’re not in the States right now. This is the real deal.
They have take out, grab and go lunches and sandwiches and vegetarian stuff too.
You grew up in the baking industry?
Judd: Yeah.
CW: You grew up with more the American baking. Totally different.
Judd: Yeah.
CW: Would you think that you’re a pastry expert?
Judd: No.
CW: No. Do you think that you’re a baked good eating expert?
Judd: Hells yeah.
CW: Hells yeah. Does this fall under baked goods?
Judd: Yes.
CW: Is it fancier than what your mom used to make?
Judd: You fall under baked goods. Sometimes…
CW: I do, we’re usually baked goods.