Ispahan

I love that the world of roses is so diverse.  Those of us who consider ourselves “Rosarians” often are totaly ignorant of the broader world around us.  Who knew that there was a world of rose pastries?  

While in New York for the Great Rosarians East lecture in early April, Priscilla and I had breakfast with an artist friend of Priscilla’s.  For those not acquainted with my life, Priscilla is my house mate and someone who is very important to me.  

Carol is an artist who specializes in painting French pastries and has a blog entitled Paris Breakfasts.  Carol, lives in New York, and travels frequently to France to explore the streets and bistros of Paris for subjects to paint.  She specializes in French pastries, yes it is a niche, but she fills it with élan.

Priscilla and I met Carol at Artie’s Delicatessen around 83rd and Broadway on the upper East side.  Artie’s is one of my favorite places to have breakfast. Try the bagels and lox.  We had a great conversation that morning and Carol directed us to a number of places to visit on our free day in the city.  But the important   thing for this blog is that Carol, who paints pastries, and I discovered we shared a connection over roses and specifically the rose ‘Ispahan.’  Go figure, who would have thought that a rosarian and and a Francophile pastry artist would make such a connection.  Carol shared her recent Paris adventure and it became evident that we had much in common — rosewise.

Her blog, Paris Breakfasts is a charming stream of consciousness on her trips and experiences in Paris exploring the world of French pastries.  In search of her art, Carol explores and samples the art of French baking and then renders her subjects in water color…consuming the product once it is rendered to paper.

Carol’s current facination with the world of pastry is Pierre Hermé, whom Vogue magazine called “the Picasso of Pastry.”  The topic of Carol’s most recent visit to Pierre Hermé is the Ispahan series of pastries. Her blog of April 11, 2008 explores in depth these delectable delights. Carol was as unaware of the rose ‘Ispahan’ as I was of Pierre Hermé’s pastries!  What a delight to learn and share our mutual experiences!

Do check out Carol’s blog Paris Breakfasts and explore Paris as few have experenced it and discover this hidden world of roses.  She also reveals a world of French florists that I had never seen and one we all can learn from.  The French have a way with flowers and these boquets bring a fresh Parisian charm to the table.

The next time you sit down over breakfast with a stranger don’t be reluctant to bring up your love of roses…you never know where roses will take you.

 

Illustrations by Carol Gillott.