110 days to go. . .

French Tarte, December 19

This past saturday at the Winter Farmer's Market was another rousing success for the French Tarte -- and once again she sold out of nearly everything. Susie definitely has a solid following and the number of people who discover her tasty pastries seems to grow each week. Pretty cool, eh?

In addition to her staples of tarts (pistachio-raspberry and caramel nut tart most recently), croissants, pain au chocolat, and croissant amandes, here are three of her latest creations:

cocoa caramel hazelnut financier

"sugar buns," or what you can do with scraps of croissant dough

Legs at Hope Artiste Village. . .

. . . or what happens to mannequins who misbehave, at least in Pawtucket:

Found sitting in front of the New Harvest coffee booth at the Winter Farmers Market. Now don't you wish you'd go there more often?

Grocery truck in downtown Providence and the Gallery in RISD Museum

On my lunchtime walks downtown I often go to the RISD Museum to lose myself for 15 minutes or so. Anyway, on my way there a week or so ago I came across not just a food truck, which are pretty ubiquitous around here these days, but a grocery food truck. Only fresh produce and fruit, nothing packaged. Prices were not bad either.

On this particular foray into the museum I just sat in the center of the Grand Gallery -- modeled after the main gallery in the Louvre -- and stared at one of the most inriguing paintings on display, the "Salon d'Or Homburg," by William Frith.

Manet will be in London

Running from January 26 to April 14 is an exhibition of Manet's work at the Royal Academy in London. Starring Victorine Meurent, Berthe Morisot, Manet of course and a cast of dozens other Parisians from the middle to late 19th century, this collection is touted as being one-of-a-kind. Here's a preview, of sorts:
Visit the royal Academy online for more information