The Bread, The Butter

“So you think I should go to the westside just for some bread? haha.”

That was the response I received in a recent email correspondence with my advisor/friend/food confidant, who is safeguarding L.A.’s food scene while I reside in Paris. I had urged him to eat the bread of Sycamore Kitchen, which is indeed on the West Side, especially for him, who lives in Pasadena. But this raises the ever-present question these days surrounding food’s role in our lives. Many publications have written articles about “foodies,” particularly the twenty-somethings who spend equivalent amounts of money on rent and food and treat meals like jobs—each one meticulously researched and planned out; a stepping stone on the path of life.

My personal opinion is basic: “to each his[/her] own.” But as this blog will exemplify, money and time are necessary instruments for my own personal sustenance, which I don’t treat as sustenance, but rather, sensory experiences for my eyes, nose, and obviously, mouth. For this post alone, I took an hourlong detour to pick up this bread before class and spent even more hours in search of a particular butter that I had on good authority made a heavenly combination when paired with the Pain Des Amis of Du Pain et Des Idées.

Typically my hunts and dollars are well spent (and this occasion wasn’t any different). My mom often advises me to have more negative reviews on my blog. But the truth of the matter is that I don’t get paid for what I do and I love eating delicious things, and every meal is an opportunity to do so. Consequently, I methodically plan all my meals. I’m afraid positive words will mostly likely continue to pervade my blog. So let’s get started!

Outshone by the famous Poilâne bakery, Du Pain et Des Idées has a vehement cult following. Somehow I managed to photograph the boulangerie without the recurrent queue, giving me plenty of time to carefully pick out what I would be eating for this post. The Pain des Amis was a simple choice as it is the boulangerie’s specialty. The crust is very hard—you have to gnaw off each bite and chop through each chew, but the perfect burnt flavor makes it entirely worth every laborious bite. The bread is so thick that I didn’t feel guilty dismantling the crusts and eating the innards separately. The inner bread is so soft and gummy that you can punch it and it’d bounce back to the same form—a sign of a perfectly constructed dough. This bread really is worth all the hype. It’s a bread that is a meal in itself. There’s so much flavor and body, I really cannot imagine serving it along with food or even eating it with cheese. Butter is the way to go. And le beurre bordier aux algues is the butter route I was advised to take.

The combination of the seaweed infused butter and charred, yeasty bread was certainly potent. A tasty combination, but something that pertains to a particular mood. This bread can be extremely comforting, but that it is not when slathered in beurre aux algues. The pair is more suitable for a heavy appetite seeking a refreshing novelty.

Doughs baked with olive oil are some of my favorite things in the world. The resulting crispy, greasy texture flakes apart with each bite and the salty taste brings out the subtleties of the flour in the dough. Caraway seeds coated this pastry, adding more complexity to the potent flavor of olive oil.

The boulangerie sells a selection of these small rolls stuffed with a variety of ingredients. The version with lardons (bacon) and Mimolette cheese tastes as close to a calzone one can get in Paris at a Parisian establishment. The bread even resembles pizza crust with its soft and chewy texture. Similar to Parmesan, while slightly nuttier in flavor, the dry Mimolette pairs well with the saltiness of the lardons.

Escargots (snails) of all colors and flavors adorn the pastry section of the boulangerie. The spiraling mollusks consist of the same dough used in their croissants—flaky, buttery, and everything a croissant should be. Sweet pistachio paste and rich chocolate chips bring life to this snail, the most popular of Du Pain et Des Idées’ sweets.

Open until 8 p.m., Du Pain et Des Idées stays open much later than most Parisian boulangeries, but you’ll need the extra hours as queues can plague the small shop. For more information visit their English friendly website.