Hi PQ,

>canned foie gras, fresh fois gras should be confiscated just for animal cruelty...<

Are you saying that canned FG is less cruel than fresh?

The Paris Ile de France Tourist Office and Paris Convention & Visitors Bureau say:

"THE BEST GROCERS IN PARIS"
Fauchon, 26 pl de la Madelaine www.fauchon.com

La Grand Epicerie, 73 rue Saint-Antoine
Les Crus de Soleil, 21 rue d'Aligre www.crusdusoleil.fr

Hediard, 21 pl de la Madelaine www.hediard.fr

Lafayette Gourmet, 40 blvd Haussmann www.galerieslafayette.com

(I especially like the latter for my foie gras i always bring back)

"THE BEST WINE SHOPS"
Julien de Savignac, 73 rue Saint-Antoine

La Cave des Abbesses, 34 rue des Abbesses

La Garde-robe, rue l'Arbe-Sec

Les Crus du Soleil, 21 rue d'Aligre www.crusdusoleil

and FOR CAVIAR
they recommend "New! Black Pearls - a new shop in Paris with a caviar bar where you can have an on-the-spot tasting of different caviars and smoked fish. Caviar House et Prunier, 15 place de la Madelaine.

Source: Paris Convention & Visitors Bureau and Paris Ile de France Regional Tourist Board's publication: Paris In & Around: A Guide to Paris and the Ile-de-France

Ira - i'm not going there - i take Eskrunchy's admonition to get back to OP.

bookmarking

Right, Ira. Glad to know you have done an informed tasting of the various brands. Duval pastis is very much available in the US, distributed by Southern.

Cepes and porcini are also available in the US but you are always touting bringing them home! Yet bringing home pastis available in the US is a no-no. I do not get your logic. And furthermore, I think pastis is not the best idea in reponse to the the original poster's questions about ingredients for an aspiring chef.

Lots of us who cook use Pastis in our recipes.

PQ - what was that little animal cruelty rant all about? and then to post about bringing foie gras home?
If you aren't careful (watch your peas and cues) people will think you are just being an SD. LOL

Yes, I know that, but the OP, a self-described "wanna be chef" is asking for "one or two" items. I think there are better choices than a bottle of pastis. Just my own opinion.

I buy my foie gras from the foie gras guy at the Pl Monge Sunday market. He sells Lafayette and is a hoot.
I also buy my cooking stuff at Monoprix or Franprix. They have good things that are fun. One year I brought back a lot of dried morels from the Franprix--no weight!!
Buy your chocolate bars there also.

Gretchen - I think it is Lafitte and I'm surprised I haven't bumped into you there! What a great guy.

Jody, I certainly got a "bargain!" The salt with herbs I bought in La Rochelle was 9 euro for 350 grams and comes in a reusable cork-topped glass jar. We can buy the Fleur de Sel from Camargue here in New York, for $10.00 for the round cork-topped carton. It makes a very popular gift, even if it might not be one of the two best items for the OPs son to bring home..

I was enjoying this thread..anyone else??

Hi PQ,

Didn't mean to sound aggressive.

>I was enjoying this thread..anyone else??<

So was I, until I learned that I had made a great faux pas by suggesting a bottle of pastis or some dried cepes.

I'm pleased to see that olive oil is acceptable.

Getting back to the OP's question, packages of dried herbs are very light weight and not expensive.

No Ira, I was letting you know that one of the pastis you said in unavailable in the US is, indeed available. And I questioned why you say it is ok to bring the cepes, which are available here, but not the pastis which are also available. You are inconsistent in this case and have made a small, rather minor, error.

Robjame, he's a neat guy. He was on Racheal Ray's show about Paris.
Herbs? The only one that might be remotely worthwhile would be saffron.

G mentions,

>Herbs? The only one that might be remotely worthwhile would be saffron.<

Very good idea.

It's funny, I brought Pom Potes back from France (I love them - they are applesauce packs you can just squeeze into your mouth, like some types of juice). I put a couple also in my backpack to take onto the plane. Once in the air, I started worrying that someone would think I smuggled liquid aboard.

Pom Potes - solid or liquid? I have no idea!

Saffron from France?

We always bring home Albert Menes saffron (Safran en filaments) from Paris - 10 individual capsules inside a regular AM spice jar. A very convenient way to package it, and at a fraction of the cost for saffron in NYC. Yes, it's imported, but who cares?