Friday, May 29, 2015

Macaron Food Camp

It has taken me some time to recover from the Bubblypalooza French Food Camp.  We started at noon and the last guests left again around 9pm, not counting the house guests who sat up later drinking Krug and Ruinart with me….a most memorable day that I was unfortunately unable to photograph because I was hosting.  But we had thirty guests, and it was crazy fun.  When the guests were seated, all at one long table under the loggia, it looked like this….with incredible peonies and lots of silver and crystal and generously oversized napkins at each place setting.


It was luxe. It was divine.  It was sumptuous and organic and local.  It was outstanding, if I do say so myself.  After our eight Champagnes and eight organic chickens, homemade pasta and duck fat croutons made from the magnificent Bread Artisan Bakery miche, we had dessert.   I kept it “simple” with flourless chocolate cakes in various sizes, organic cherries dipped in chocolate, a trio of lemon verbena, rose geranium and peach-champagne sorbets, and 150 Paris-style macarons.  The week before I made 900 twelve inch crepes, which I have yet to blog about, but  the thought of making 150 macarons wasn’t all that daunting.  They were slightly irregular as I wanted some to be bite-sized. 

I made Pierre Hermé chocolate macarons, and filled them quite generously with coffee buttercream, and when the buttercream ran out I added chocolate ganache to the pastry bag and made coffee-chocolate swirl.  These were a bit chewey, but also delicious~

There were passion fruit and lemon and a raspberry buttercream; various flavors to suit every taste….and at the end of the day, every single macaron was gone….eaten or taken home.   The tray by the way is from Mary of QStreetQvale….made for eggs, but don’t they work for macarons as well???


France, and Paris especially, loves color.


 For macarons, colors and flavors, nature inspires~


Though I’d also say, in France and Paris in particular, interior decor inspires.  Pink and pistachio Empire chaise…

Pillow…macaron…?  Oui.

  
or pistachio…make mine the real deal ones from Sicily, raw like this and true green. Note the price of the best…around $38 per pound....

Each French Food Camp is a logical progression from the last, and for one last month we will delve into the world of macarons.  Don’t call it a cookie, it’s not a cookie.  It’s a pure Parisian confection, and it can be finicky.
 
For our next event, Saturday June 20th, we will focus solely on the beloved Macaron.  I’ll show you all the secrets of how to mix the batter, how to get the coveted foot, and how to dress, fill and store them.  What to look for and what to avoid…you will learn it all.

If you love Macarons and make them at home, bless you…if you buy them for $3 each and want to know how to make them yourselves, this class is for you.  We will have a simple lunch of salmon caesar salad, and tea with all the trimmings, but we will spend a solid three+ hours on how to make, fill {and eat} macarons.  The class is $65 and you can sign up HERE

Have a lovely weekend, and be sure to indulge in something sweet!

9 comments:

  1. Another special event I wish I could attend, Andrea; however I know this Macaron Class will fill up quickly!!

    Xoxo
    Karena
    The Arts by Karena
    Coco Chanel: Three Weeks

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Andrea, Just to get ready, I decided to try to make some Macarons myself. Did not have Almond flour so I ground up some almonds into meal in my food processor. So far, so good. The big mistake I made was to add the sugar to the flour and powdered sugar mixture. BIG mistake. The granulated sugar should have been added to the egg whites so it would dissolve. I ended up with a sweet, mealy and slightly crunchy "magma" that spread out too much. I did, however, get a nice foot and the resulting little disks were tasty even without filling. Going to try it again using the correct technique to see if I get better results.

    Looking forward to YOUR Macaron class because I don't know how to make the filling. As always, I know the class will be FAB! No one, absolutely, no one should miss it!

    Smiles from Charlotte Des Fleurs

    ReplyDelete
  3. Yummy, the macarons looked delicious. Wish I was close to attend another one of your feasts.
    Will you be bringing any wooden spoons feom France?

    Sheila in SF

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good Morning Sheilaa, oui, I will be making a special stop in Paris just for the spatula spoons for you! I have something else here for you that I will mail this week. Bon Week-end!

      Delete
  4. Ok twist my arm!
    Sign me up and maybe a few friends of mine too!
    We are going to visit our Boy on Tues and will return on the 10th. I am going to get a head count for you asap! I simply cannot miss another French Food Camp!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Just dropped in to say Hello.
    My spirits are up after that Triple Crown winner.
    What a race. Have a great Sunday.
    yvonne

    ReplyDelete
  6. Andrea, I want to Thank you so much for the Shalimar perfume, my Mother wore that.
    It arrived and at 79 years old I still act like a child at a gift. Thank you so much and I will send you something different, hope you like gardens. Much love yvonne
    I had my step son for a visit and all the art shows are coming so I am pretty busy, can't keep up with the grass.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thanks so much, I thought it was Shalimar. Now I will use it today. Sending you some seeds Lupin's
    and Blue Indigo, easy to grow and comes back every year. I have a new cook book on Macarons
    scared to try it. Love and will get back soon. yvonne

    ReplyDelete