French food and wine connoisseurs will make their way to the LSU Museum of Art tonight.
The museum’s French Culinary Series set in conjunction with the Toulouse-Lautrec and La Vie Moderne: Paris 1880-1910 exhibit ends this evening with wine and food pairings from Les Amis Bake Shoppe.
The series includes chefs from local French restaurants guiding event goers through wine and food pairings, and this time it will feature items from Les Amis Bake Shoppe.
LSU Museum of Art coordinator Renee’ Bourgeois said the series was born out of wanting to get people in the gallery doors to see the exhibit and engulf themselves in French culture.
“We were trying to think of different programming ideas and what we could do to get people in,” Bourgeois said. “People really like food and drink events, so French pastries and French wine and food is such an appealing idea. I said, ‘Why don’t we do a French Culinary Series?’”
Because the exhibition would remain open for three months, Bourgeois decided it would be best to do three installments of the series — one in September, October and November.
The first installment featured Galatoire’s Bistro, and the second featured the French Culinary Institute.
Because the first two were more devoted to savory food and wine pairings, Bourgeois said the third and final series entry would be for those with a sweet tooth.
“We decided to go with Les Amis because we had done two savory nights, and so we wanted to do a sweet night,” Bourgeois said. “It’s also going to be paired with French cheese and different fruits and also meats like breadsticks wrapped in prosciutto.”
Robin Bueche, mother of Les Amis Bake Shoppe owner and LSU alumna Stephanie Bueche, said everyone at the bakery is happy to be included in the series.
“We wanted to be involved with that because we’re very interested in the arts,” Robin said. “Every cake we make is a piece of art, we feel like. Stephanie is a cake artist. We’re just very much into the community events.”
Robin, who helps around the shop when Stephanie is away, said Les Amis does a lot of events at the Shaw Center for the Arts with Heirloom Cuisine, a catering company the center frequently employs. Heirloom Cuisine also sponsors and provides food for this installment of the French Culinary Series.
Bueche said Les Amis and the French Culinary Series are a perfect marriage and fitting well with the bake shop’s French-inspired name and theme.
“We say, ‘Les Amis,’ which means ‘the friends,’” Bueche said. “That’s what we focus on, is our friendships with our customers and having ladies come in, sit down, eat a pastry and be able just to visit in a quiet place.”
For the event, Les Amis will provide four different types of French desserts, including Parisian macarons, opera cake, apple galettes and eclairs. There will also be one savory food option of jalousie with sauteed wild mushrooms.
Opera cake is the richest of the desserts, and it’s essentially a coffee cake, but Robin said it is still light and delicate. To make it, Les Amis will soak three thin layers of almond sponge cake in coffee syrup and then layer the cake with espresso-flavored buttercream. The layers are then topped off with a bittersweet chocolate ganache and chocolate buttercream frosting.
The final entry of the French Culinary Series begins tonight at 6 p.m. Tickets are available through calling the museum store.

Gallery • 11 Photos

Karen Welsh

Les Amis Bake Shoppe offers many pastries such as cheesecakes, cupcakes, cake-balls, macaroons, and ice-cream sandwiches and is located on Coursey Blvd.