Salon du Temptation

They say if you draw the food you crave you will forget about craving it.

In fact drawing your favorite foods can be a mood booster. Drawing pizza makes you feel 28% happier. Who knew?

At the SALON DU CHOCOLAT I wish they would hand out sketch pads and pencils at the door to help us control our cravings. Walter Mischel talks about the15-minute marshmallow test he gave kids years ago. He has a book coming out on self control shortly. The chocolate salon is kind of 3-4 hour 'marshmallow test'. You are bombarded with temptation right and left.

We are all reduced to 5 years old at the show and smart vendors know that.

This sign is for adults.

I stood and flirted with this tropical baba concoction from Laurent Duchene for easily 5-10 minutes. Then I sent this picture to Jill Colonna and she went and ate it for me. Too kind.

I wish more tasty items had glass bell jars protecting them.

One of Mischel's techniques is distracting yourself by singing songs or looking elsewhere. Carl Marletti's tartelette citron is resistible when surrounded by the distraction chocolate aromas.

Clever pastry chef Sadaharu Aoki always has macarons baking onsite at the show. You can buy big ones hot off the griddle for under 5€. He appeals to all your senses. Irresistible.

Some pastry chefs like Hugo and Victor create something special each year like this faux sweet hotdog under 5€. Raspberries and mango instead of catchup and mustard.

I remember eating these Belgian crispy waffles last year and can't resist this year. Memory comes into play in the game of temptation. It was from the same vender too. She had complimented me on buying the waffle plain with no extras.

Last year and the year before I ate Arnaud Lahrer's wonderful caramelly Kouign-Amann. This year I practiced some resistance and walked away. Not easy.

My waistline since I've moved to Paris now looks like this. M.I.A.(gone missing).

Meanwhile the toasting almonds churn in sugar at Mazet Confiseur's stand. We look on and salivate. Choices, choices.

Pralus, as usual is baking his special praline bread on site. It smells and tastes divine.

You used to be able to buy a half. Now they sell only the whole loaf, so it's easier to resist.

The jam people have figured it out unlike many others at the show.

Taste to your hearts content. No limit on the number of spoons.

A long bank of jam jars. A flavor for everyone. I bought their hazelnut spread.
As Oscar Wilde said, "The only way to get rid of temptation(tentation) is to yield to it... I can resist everything but temptation."
What's your irresistible temptation? Do tell all.

For some this is lunch or research. A chance to fine tune the taste buds. Speaking of choices, I've now got an archive of 6 past Paris sketch letters you can now buy all at one time as a gift or give to someone else yourself one at a time.