By Darius KADIVAR, Paris

Creator of the Famous French Chocolate Brand Ispahan® (Isfahan)
to create Oscar ® chocolates at the 78th Annual Ceremonies.

Pierre Hermé, dubbed the Picasso of Pastry by Vogue magazine, as well as The Haute Couture Pattsier and the Desert Magician in various French magazines is a fourth-generation pastry chef. Raised in Alsace, he apprenticed to the legendary Gaston Lenotre when he was just fourteen and at twenty-four took over the famed pastry kitchens of Fauchon in Paris.

It was at Fauchon that his extraordinary dessert repertoire began gaining worldwide attention. In 1997 he was decorated as a Chevalier of Arts and Letters and named France' At the end of 1996, he leaves Fauchon to create " Pierre Hermé Paris" with his business partner Charles Znaty. Their first shop opened in Tokyo in 1998, followed by a Salon de Thé in July 2000. 2002 marked the return of Pierre Hermé to the Paris scene. The pastry shop at 72 rue Bonaparte in Saint-Germain-des-Prés was an instant success. Daily, enthusiastic gourmets rediscover his creations and connoisseurs from the world over flock to this temple of sweet delights. In late 2004, a second boutique with very innovative interior design opened at 185 rue de Vaugirard in Paris, in addition to a pastry training workshop set up jointly with the highly reputed Ecole Ferrandi. Finally, in early 2005, Tokyo saw the inauguration of the latest Pierre Hermé Paris in the Omotesando district, where all the great fashion.

Chic Parisians as well as foreign visitors line up daily at Pierre Hermé's pastry boutique on the Left Bank in Paris to sample the chef's latest unusual creation. The 40-year-old chef is setting new standards in the world of French pastry. "I want to create a modern image of pastries, not the dated, sugary, rich desserts of the past," he says.

French Téléstar coverage of Pierre Hermé
©TéléStar.fr

The pastry that made Pierre Hermé famous has been Ispahan -- his signature pairing of rose, litchi and raspberry -- and the wide range of variations he has weaved around it over time: macaroons, entremets, tarts, chocolate, jam, ice-cream, and even a (non-edible) lucky charm.

Hermé's recalls with amusement that he invented the Ispahan as he was working for Ladurée. It wasn't a popular pastry back then and he sold very few. But still, he persisted and kept making them, because he thought the flavor pairing worked well, and he felt sure the public would come around eventually. He was right of course: when he set up shop under his own name on rue Bonaparte, the Ispahan quickly became -- and remains to this day -- his absolute best-seller.

Hermé has lately been making headlines in the French press for he has been selected to create a new brand of 24 Oscar statue chocolates to be given as special gifts amongst other items to the 24 lucky awardees during the gala dinner of the 78th Annual Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Ceremonies to be held on Sunday March 5th, 2006. "Sadly" concludes the Chef in a recent interview to French TV TéléStar magazine  "My only regret is that I wasn't able to add my favorite recipes that is  Ispahan as well as another one the  Celeste to the honorary package …"

ZUT !!

Authors Notes:

Pierre HERME Official Website: http://www.pierreherme.com/

Oscars Official Website:  http://www.oscar.com/

About the Author: Darius KADIVAR Is a Freelance Journalist, Film Historian and film editor/contributor of Namak magazine in LA/USA.