Fortunately, I have developed coping mechanisms after 12 years of living away from home in three different countries. My go-to source of happiness - chocolate! As pure, dark, and French as possible. I'm not an expert on the Tel Aviv patisserie scene, other than a Toronto-priced cupcake that was good but not mind-blowing, but Jerusalem's scene leaves me in despair, that is, when I can even find French-style pastries. I was intrigued to read about a place in Ramallah called Cafe de la Paix, which was supposed to be a western-style cafe (with Western prices) and French pastries. As luck would have it, Cafe de la Paix was located around the corner from the Sakakini Cultural Center, where I was going to see a concert in the garden. Imagine my delight when I arrive and see in the display case, the pastry shown above. After over ten years of eating this delightful concoction, I still have no idea what it is called, but I call it a chocolate mace. My beloved Premiere Moisson in Montreal used to bake this pastry, and attribute, in part, my affection for my first boyfriend to his habit of buying this pastry (and many other forms of chocolate) for me. Of course, once I moved to England and he moved to Toronto, the chocolate supply chain dried up and, predictably, the relationship ended in flames. Back to the chocolate mace at Cafe de la Paix...90% as good as Premiere Moisson's. Excellent chocolate quality, the chocolate mousse inside was slightly less dark than I would have preferred but not very sweet and held together very well. There were no small caramel delights inside the mousse, but the spikes were dense and a slightly chewy contrast to the soft mousse. Best of all, chocolate in this part of the world (in the summer) can almost always be paired with tart limonana (lemonade with mint, the greener the better). And thus, all was well in my world. Now, if only peace would come to the Middle East, driving into Ramallah, a mere 10 kms away from Jerusalem, be faster and checkpoint-free.Sunday, August 8, 2010
Cafe de la Paix, Ramallah
Right on schedule, just a week shy of the six-month mark of my sojourn here in Israel/Palestine, homesickness and a touch of loneliness hit me.
Fortunately, I have developed coping mechanisms after 12 years of living away from home in three different countries. My go-to source of happiness - chocolate! As pure, dark, and French as possible. I'm not an expert on the Tel Aviv patisserie scene, other than a Toronto-priced cupcake that was good but not mind-blowing, but Jerusalem's scene leaves me in despair, that is, when I can even find French-style pastries. I was intrigued to read about a place in Ramallah called Cafe de la Paix, which was supposed to be a western-style cafe (with Western prices) and French pastries. As luck would have it, Cafe de la Paix was located around the corner from the Sakakini Cultural Center, where I was going to see a concert in the garden. Imagine my delight when I arrive and see in the display case, the pastry shown above. After over ten years of eating this delightful concoction, I still have no idea what it is called, but I call it a chocolate mace. My beloved Premiere Moisson in Montreal used to bake this pastry, and attribute, in part, my affection for my first boyfriend to his habit of buying this pastry (and many other forms of chocolate) for me. Of course, once I moved to England and he moved to Toronto, the chocolate supply chain dried up and, predictably, the relationship ended in flames. Back to the chocolate mace at Cafe de la Paix...90% as good as Premiere Moisson's. Excellent chocolate quality, the chocolate mousse inside was slightly less dark than I would have preferred but not very sweet and held together very well. There were no small caramel delights inside the mousse, but the spikes were dense and a slightly chewy contrast to the soft mousse. Best of all, chocolate in this part of the world (in the summer) can almost always be paired with tart limonana (lemonade with mint, the greener the better). And thus, all was well in my world. Now, if only peace would come to the Middle East, driving into Ramallah, a mere 10 kms away from Jerusalem, be faster and checkpoint-free.
Fortunately, I have developed coping mechanisms after 12 years of living away from home in three different countries. My go-to source of happiness - chocolate! As pure, dark, and French as possible. I'm not an expert on the Tel Aviv patisserie scene, other than a Toronto-priced cupcake that was good but not mind-blowing, but Jerusalem's scene leaves me in despair, that is, when I can even find French-style pastries. I was intrigued to read about a place in Ramallah called Cafe de la Paix, which was supposed to be a western-style cafe (with Western prices) and French pastries. As luck would have it, Cafe de la Paix was located around the corner from the Sakakini Cultural Center, where I was going to see a concert in the garden. Imagine my delight when I arrive and see in the display case, the pastry shown above. After over ten years of eating this delightful concoction, I still have no idea what it is called, but I call it a chocolate mace. My beloved Premiere Moisson in Montreal used to bake this pastry, and attribute, in part, my affection for my first boyfriend to his habit of buying this pastry (and many other forms of chocolate) for me. Of course, once I moved to England and he moved to Toronto, the chocolate supply chain dried up and, predictably, the relationship ended in flames. Back to the chocolate mace at Cafe de la Paix...90% as good as Premiere Moisson's. Excellent chocolate quality, the chocolate mousse inside was slightly less dark than I would have preferred but not very sweet and held together very well. There were no small caramel delights inside the mousse, but the spikes were dense and a slightly chewy contrast to the soft mousse. Best of all, chocolate in this part of the world (in the summer) can almost always be paired with tart limonana (lemonade with mint, the greener the better). And thus, all was well in my world. Now, if only peace would come to the Middle East, driving into Ramallah, a mere 10 kms away from Jerusalem, be faster and checkpoint-free.
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