Merveilleux macarons

A few years ago my husband and I were shopping on the fashionable rue Saint-Honoré, an ancient street in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, known for its high-end boutiques, cafes, and hotels, when the skies opened and a veritable ocean of water poured down. It was a bit of a disappointment as we had planned to spend a leisurely morning window-shopping, or faire du lèche-vitrine (literally translated from French to mean window-licking).

It was my fourth trip to Paris, my favourite city in the whole world, and as soon as I got there I was jumping out of my skin with excitement. I wanted to cram every second of the day with shopping, eating, wandering, something - anything!

Rather than let the rain dampen my spirits or grab a cab back to the hotel, I grabbed my dripping husband and we ducked into a chocolatier - pâtissier's shop where I purchased a few truffles and one, single, perfect macaron. I ate it standing, and soaking, on the street corner in Paris. It is one of my favourite memories of that trip, perhaps even beating the time I got drunk on beer in our Christian Lacroix-designed hotel room and sang "Caramels, Bonbons et Chocolats" while looking out onto the street in the Marais district.

Let's be clear here, a macaron is NOT a coconut macaroon. It is a French confectionery made of almond flour, egg whites and sugar; and it's delicate, shell-like crust yields to a moist interior. In the first bite, it manages to be enchanting, remarkable, and unexpected all at once. It is also extraordinarily difficult to make and relatively expensive. One macaron will set you back anywhere from $2 to $5 and up, depending on where you purchase it, and it is one of my biggest indulgences. I have been known to unabashedly buy a few and hide them in my house.

This is not a sweet treat you can chomp on while sitting on your sofa watching "The Bachelor." Small and fluffy as they are, just a couple are enough to fulfill your fix. While macarons have become somewhat of a trendy confection in North America over the past few years, I have sampled several macarons in Toronto and few of them measure up to their French cousins.

But I was lucky enough to stumble upon a Toronto-based company, Bakerbots Baking, while researching designer cakes for my son's baptism. Lo and behold, Rosanne not only made gorgeous cakes but macarons as well - delicious, moist, airy, heavenly macarons. In the photo to the right, you can see the tower of 150 pistachio, vanilla bean, coconut with lime, and caramel fleur de sel macarons that she created for Baby A's baptism this past weekend. My guests seemed as thrilled as I was to sample something new and I was happy to share one of my favourite indulgences with them. I know what you're thinking. What about the cake? More on that to come in another post.
It was stunning.

Devil's chocolate cupcakes with chocolate ganache and salted caramel filling

I made these Devil's food cupcakes with chocolate ganache frosting and salted caramel filling for my parents' annual Christmas Day lunch from Martha Stewart's "Cupcakes" books. You can also find the recipes for the cupcakes and the frosting through these hyperlinks to her website. Rather than topping the cupcakes with chocolate shavings as pictured in the book, I used shards of the hazelnut brittle I had made earlier.

Substitutions:
None, although I also used the salted caramel filling in these cupcakes though the recipe didn't call for it.

Would I make this again? Yes, especially the chocolate ganache. It was easy to make, had a lustrous sheen, and kept well in the fridge in an airtight container ... even when I had to mix it again a couple of days later to top these cupcakes. It is one of those frosting recipes that holds mass appeal among both children and adults alike. And you will probably still have a whole container of leftover frosting you can use to make a sheet cake for your kids or for another cupcake recipe.

While the salted caramel filling is a recipe from the same book, but was filed under another cupcake recipe, it was a nice addition as it offset the tooth-tingling sweetness of the chocolate ganache frosting and elevated the taste to a more-adult flavour combination. Don't be fooled into thinking it's a syrupy caramel filling, however; the texture is more like a hardened maple syrup or honey and it's a pleasant surprise after that first bite.

I have to admit that the hazelnut brittle with the chocolate ganache and the salted caramel may have been a bit of flavour overload, but I assumed that not too many of my family members would be chomping on the hazelnut brittle as it is rock hard and really - I just wanted it to look pretty! And I have to say, I'm just crazy about the way the light filters through the amber shards. You can also make chocolate curls for decoration, which is the expected route, or perhaps use some pretty silver dragees.

Grade: These cupcakes were foolproof and a good standard chocolate cupcake recipe. They were moist, light, and froze well. If you plan to freeze them a few days in advance, like I did, you can wrap each one in plastic wrap, and then either put them in an airtight lidded container, or pop them back in the muffin tin, and cover that with foil. Take them out of the freezer a couple of hours before frosting them and they are as good as new.

If you haven't already read my previous entries on Martha Stewart's "Cupcakes" book, you can revisit them now: Christmas tree cupcakes with coffee-flavoured buttercream; lemon meringue cupcakes; tiramisu cupcakes; and chocolate spice cupcakes.

Come out, come out wherever you are!

So apparently I missed Delurking Day by one day. Please don't hold it against me. It's a good day when I can take a shower with a 5-month-old crawling in the house.
I'm dying to know who my lurkers are! Apparently I have readers in Croatia, the Isle of Man, the Palestinian Territories, Bulgaria, Sweden, Malaysia, Egypt, Armenia, and on and on - so please, please reveal yourselves!
I won't bite, I swear!
If you can, tell us:
Your name, where you're from, your favourite street food, and what you had for breakfast.
I'll start.
My name is Mary, I was born in Toronto, my favourite street food is a hot dog with mustard, ketchup, hot sauce, sweet corn relish, and sauerkraut.
I had Kashi cereal for breakfast. Not very exciting, I know. I had pecan chocolates and brioches for dinner. The photo is of me stuffing my face at my bridal shower. I'm happy because there are cupcakes (thanks, Mom). I have braces. (They're off now). Well? what are you waiting for? G'head! Spill!

Emerging Trends: Keep it simple, stupid

The latest foodie forecast from SideDish, from the U.S. Center for Culinary Development, predicts that 2010 will mark a return to simplicity.

More and more brands are introducing simpler versions of their products, such as the Milky Way Simply Caramel bar. New candy bars include Twix Java Chocolate Cookie Bars and the 3 Musketeers Truffle Crisp Bar, "both illustrating the growing sophistication of flavors in the candy bar world."

Meanwhile, Target is unveiling its Archer Farms Simply Balanced private-label line extension with products free of artificial flavourings, synthetic colours and trans fats.

Simplicity also means a return to comfort food classics like childhood favourite mac and cheese, with variations on the traditional recipe being featured in new cookbooks such as Michael Symon's "Live to Cook" or "Two Dishes" and also at hip restaurants in New York City and beyond; new global variations on fried chicken; and chefs embracing oft-overlooked, affordable and sustainable fish like the mackerel.

Even the pancake's more sophisticated spherical Danish cousin, the aebelskiver, which is served with syrup or jam, is being introduced to North American palates with Williams-Sonoma featuring pans and mixes for the unique pancake and New York magazine is reporting "that a Brooklyn saloon, Henry Public, also offers the treat dubbed Wilkinsons. They are served with rum-caramel dipping sauce or jam."

Not to forget the ultimate comfort food, artisan pizzerias are popping up across the United States and fuelling the renaissance of the pizza pie with "with creative chefs updating pies with long-fermented dough, hand-made cheese and rustic toppings baked in 900-degree ovens."

Hazelnut brittle

Over the years I've tried to make brittle several times. And every one of those times, it's turned into a gloppy sticky mess that I've had to scrape off the cookie sheet. And every time I've bemoaned to myself that I should have had a candy thermometer.

Finally this year, my husband crossed one of the items off my Christmas wish list and bought me a candy thermometer as a stocking stuffer.
Lo and behold, on my first try using the thermometer, my brittle was a success.

Sorry I ever doubted you Lucy Waverman. Although I must admit your instruction to watch the syrup turn into the colour of a light amber didn't work the first time around, I did some Googling and found out the "hard crack" stage was about 290-300 degrees F and my trusty digital thermometer beeped when it reached that stage.

I also looked at several other brittle recipes, such as this one from Martha Stewart, before I embarked on Brittle Experiment # 4,238.

Be warned, though, candy is quick to burn so it can go quickly from brittle to a hot mess if you don't keep your eye on it.

And don't be like me and stir the syrup out of impatience. Swirl the pan, gently.
And your efforts will be worth it.

I used this brittle as a sophisticated cupcake topper (more on that to come) but you can also break it into smaller pieces and use it between layers of cake, or pulverize it to add crunch to any sweet treat.

Christmas tree cupcakes

Maybe one day I will be able to look back on these cupcakes as a learning experience. For now, though, all I associate them with are sobbing over a double boiler of separated green buttercream while holding my baby in one arm and a wooden spoon in another.

I made these chocolate cupcakes with coffee-flavoured buttercream for Christmas Eve with the in-laws. I thought I had everything under control. To maximize my time, I made everything in batches. Cupcakes one day. Buttercream, another. I planned to decorate and pipe the buttercream just before leaving for the party. I had even done my own mise en place with all my dragees and other decorations.

I thought to myself: Buttercream is invincible, right? If it separates, or "curdles" just heat it again in the double boiler and whizz it about in your trusty KitchenAid mixer to make it smooth again, right? Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.

Maybe it was because of the food colouring bottles I emptied into the buttercream to mask the coffee-coloured tinge the espresso powder left behind, or maybe it was because this was a new recipe I was trying, but the buttercream separated once it thawed, and so just a mere couple of hours before Christmas Eve dinner, I was making tree-green buttercream from scratch while trying to pacify my 4-month-old, packing a month's worth of clothing and wipes into a diaper bag and fielding calls from relatives wondering about our plans.

If I hadn't been so short on time, and if I hadn't splattered green food colouring all over my tumbled marble backsplash, then maybe I would have taken a photo of the final product, with the yellow chocolate hearts that served as tree toppers and the Lindt chocolate Santa I perched behind the cupcakes. But this photo will have to do. It will have to serve as my reminder that sometimes planning ahead just isn't enough. Sometimes you need to adapt or die. A little morbid, I know. But buttercream is no laughing matter.

You can find the recipe for Martha Stewart's Swiss meringue buttercream here. If you are not a big fan of buttercream like me, you can mask the buttery flavour by adding a couple of teaspoons of instant espresso powder to the vanilla before dumping it in. I have to say though, that this buttercream did not keep its shape as well as the brown sugar buttercream recipe I learned at Bonnie Gordon's School for Confectionary Arts. Nor was it as tasty.

Martha Stewart, I am a little disappointed from this recipe in your "Cupcakes" book, especially cause your lemon meringue cupcakes, and chocolate spice cupcakes were so appetizing and lived up to their promise.

Cookbook Review: Michael Symon's Live to Cook

When I first got my hands on this new cookbook from Iron Chef America's Michael Symon, I was skeptical. According to the publisher's promo copy, Symon showcases the "heritage" food based on the recipes beloved by his Greek-Italian-Eastern European family and also tells the story of his meteroric rise to fame from working-class Midwestern boy to Iron Chef superstar in "Live to Cook: Recipes and Techniques to Rock Your Kitchen" (Random House). That's a tall order for just one book.

After all, how many more stories can we read about the American dream coming true? But the book cover did this cookbook no disservice. Not only does his personal story ring true with anecdotes about his humiliating mistakes and his mother's home cooking, his cooking philosophy also shines through and through.

Symon is adamant about using only the best ingredients, seasoning foods properly, and cooking at the right heat. Sure these are tips we have heard before but where others have sounded patronizing, Symon's words are motivating, inspiring even. Keep a highlighterhandy, you will need to mark his "Symon Says" tips on cooking like a pro: He recommends salting vegetables that are to be grilled or sauteed about thirty minutes in advance while salting seafood right before it goes into the heat.

He also extols the virtues of the lowly coriander seed, an oft-neglected jar in my spice cabinet, and defines the differences between sweating (cooking it gently until becomes translucent) and caramelizing (cooking veggies until they brown). This isn't a cookbook aimed at winning over the domestic divas or burnt out moms or even "good food fast" gourmandes.

Rather, it is evident this is a passion project for Symon, a real chef's chef, who isn't afraid to get his hands dirty, with whole chapters dedicated to pickling and charcuterie, and recipes such as Poached Foie Gras Bratwurst or Braised Rabbit Thighs with Olives and Orange or even Pickled Lamb's Tongue.

Sure, some of these recipes may not be standard dinner fare but he also offers down-to-earth recipes such as "Mac and Cheese with Roasted Chicken, Goat Cheese, and Rosemary" that will win over your most picky family members.

Quick and dirty reviews of recipes I tried:

Mac and Cheese with Roasted Chicken, Goat Cheese, and Rosemary: Oh. Em. Gee. My favourite part of this recipe was buying the ready-made roasted chicken. This recipe literally took minutes and even won over my husband, who doesn't like goat cheese on the best of days. Don't serve this to any guests who are on a diet. It is rich, it is decadent, it is comfort in a Dutch oven. And don't be surprised if you stand over the stove top shovelling it into your mouth before it's even had a chance to cool.

Red Pepper Relish: Be warned: This will only yield a small amount of relish. But the good news is that every teaspoon packs a flavourful punch, so it will last you a while. Good thing, too, because it takes longer than you might anticipate to make this relish. Fortunately, I already had two red bell peppers, cored, and seeded in my freezer after a marathon roasting session during my prenatal nesting phase this summer. And the effort paid off. I've used this tangy, sweet relish since in sandwiches, alongside shepherd's pie, on top of cheese and crackers...you name it. Symon recommends using this to liven up eggs, sandwiches and for grilled fish.

Veal Chop Milanese: Sure, this is a traditional recipe and purists may scoff that it is hard to mess up frying meat coated in bread crumbs. But Symon elevates this dish by using panko crumbs (which are now readily available at any supermarket) and using both olive oil and butter to fry the chops. This turned out to be maybe the most tender, but crispy piece of meat I have ever had the fortune of frying.

Keep reading to find a recipe from Symon's book for Roasted Dates with Pancetta, Almonds and Chile, courtesy Random House.

Roasted Dates with Pancetta, Almonds, and Chile These are incredibly simple—sliced almonds and red pepper flakes are added to sautéeing pancetta and then spooned over roasted dates—but so addictive. The beauty of this preparation is the intensity and concentration of all the flavors: the sweetness of the dates, but also the savory saltiness of the pancetta, nuttiness of the almonds, and spicy heat of the chile. It's the perfect balance of the taste elements I love. Your mouth will just pop with these flavors.
At Players restaurant, my first restaurant after culinary school, chef-owner Mark Shary used to stuff a date with an almond, wrap it in bacon, and roast it. These morsels were served on toothpicks. This is my interpretation, turning a little snack or hors d'oeuvre into a bona fide starter. Leftover dates can be puréed and used as a spread on croutons or served as a condiment with a cheese course.

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:
2 cups pitted dates
3 ounces pancetta, finely diced (1/2; cup)
1/2; cup sliced almonds
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup Chicken Stock
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Put the dates on a small rimmed baking sheet and roast in the oven until heated through, about 5 minutes. Turn off the oven but leave the dates in there while you cook the pancetta.
In a medium sauté pan over medium heat, cook the pancetta until it is three-quarters crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the almonds and continue cooking until they brown, a few minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or so. Add the red pepper flakes and stock and bring to a simmer, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the butter, stirring continuously until the butter is melted. Stir in the lemon juice and parsley.
Add the dates to the pan and swirl and toss them in the sauce. Divide the cooked dates among four to six plates and spoon the sauce over them.

Excerpted from Michael Symon's Live to Cook Copyright © 2009 by Michael Symon with Michael Ruhlman, Foreword by Bobby Flay. Photo by Ben Fink. Excerpted by permission of Clarkson Potter, a division of Random House of Canada Limited. All rights reserved.