Sunday 23 March 2014

MAKING MACARONS


Macarons a true French classic, so well know around the world, a little luxury we can enjoy ever so often. The first time i tried them i was hooked. Of course there are flavours I prefer to others, for example pistachio and Salted caramel. I would never choose Rose or Licorice, but they are all incredibly popular. Laduree are the market leaders, Pierre Herme is more experimental, but many bakeries are making macarons. I always wanted to be able to bake my own. The first time I tried it was a catastrophy. They looked like a colourful flat biscuits that stuck to the baking sheet. I was very disappointed and demotivated and it took another few years before I tried again.


Practice makes perfect, as the saying goes and after few times I had some positive results. My colleague was organising a Hen night at the beginning of march and she mentioned to me she wanted to get some macarons from Laduree. I offered to make some for her. It was an exciting challenge. And I had to make them all Lactose free, which isn't easy as the non dairy product don't have the same rich taste. In the trial I made Lemon and raspberry, but eventually we decided to make pistachio and salted macarons. I enjoy the process of making them. It takes time and I am always improving my skills.

Sunday 2 March 2014

THANK YOU MY DEER, PARIS


Recently, while Barbora was visiting in Paris, we paid a visit to very special little Cafe/Restaurant. Thank you my deer was set up by 2 Slovak girls and they specialise in Gluten free cuisine. The Cafe is relatively new, but already enjoying success from locals, but also diners searching for delicious gluten free alternatives. Everything is made from scratch on the premises to ensure no trace of Gluten is found. They perfected a recipe for bread which is delicious, but also variety of cakes and pastries. They offer brunch and lunch menu daily, but they also serve fine coffee and fresh juices. Menu is seasonal with focus on fresh local produce.