Hidden In France

gorgeous citrus cake

Hmmm beautiful summer day in Los Angeles.  It's is warm enough to be live in a bathing suit, but not so warm that we have to lock ourselves up with the air con full blast.  Instead all the windows are open to let the breeze move thorough the house, the pool is at lagoon temperature, and there is nothing to do and nowhere to go since the freeway is temporarily off limit.  

I'm loving Carmageddon. One, it allows me not to feel like a loser for not doing something glamourous over the week end. Two it is quiet, the air is clean and everyone is rediscovering their own neighborhoods. Yesterday we walked to the farmers market and stocked up on fantastic organic peaches and cherries.  Today we're washing the car and doing some light gardening.  I think there should be carmageddons once a month, at least.

I was going to make a clafouti but I found this amazing cake in Coco and Kelly (who happened to be blogging about their wonderful trip to Italy just to make me envious), and it's so beautiful -- the cake-- it seems to embody summer. Here are the picture but for the story and recipe, hop on to Apollina's blog. 

The cake was inspired by a Stella McCartney dress or print (I don't know which one)  I love this!

Macaron color

I know I'm not around much.  You'll see why very soon, I promise.  And no it's not only because I'm glued to the Huffington Post watching every development in Japan, like that's going to help anyone... And it's not only because I found all past seasons of Sex in the City for free on YouTube. And it's not because I'm lazy although this is all so, so true. It's because I'm working on something.. you'll see, you'll see...

So as a form of apology, here is a very bohemian house in South Africa.  The article describes this decor as "explosive colors" what? where?  I found it quite subdued. 

More explosive images and text on Marie Claire Maison.

Speaking of colors, here is a little gift from France:  a video via Côté Maison revealing the secrets of the making of LaDurée Macaron. You can't still be mad now that you can prepare your macarons in industrial quantities thanks to me. 

 

Canelés are the new macarons

Mover over macarons ladurée.  Get out of the way Magnolia cupcakes.   I'm making a prediction that Canelés de Bordeaux are soon to become the new sexy things to eat.  

 

I had canelés once in my life.  ONCE.  The experience was unforgettable.  Caramelly and crunchy on the outside, incomparably bouncy and goey and doughy on the inside, with a hint of rum... heaven of the mouth...drool...

 

And now, slowly but surely, Canelés are making timid debuts on American soil.  Mark my word, soon we will all be obsessed.  They are as close as San Francisco.  Do any of you know a place to get them in L.A?

 

These pictures are screen grabs from the Chow video of the canelés being made in the San Francisco Boulette's Larder.  This restaurant/ bakery makes them using the traditional method, over a few days and using copper molds.  They only make twelve a days.  You read correctly: twelve! And they are tiny. Here is the video, wear a bib while watching, seriously.

Cooking in French! (warning: shameless self-promotion)

I've been all over the place busy.  But in a good way.  I've been doing this fun thing, and by fun I mean terrifying.  I started doing groups which I call 'Cooking In French.'  

Here is the cool logo devised by moi. (with the helping hand of Isabelle.)

C'est quoi ça?  

Let me explain. Cooking in French are small group classes for grown ups taking place at my house, and where I teach French and French cooking at the same time.  Yep.  If you don't think that's fun then I don't know what to do except for crawling right back into my shell.  

This is how Cooking In French was born:

A few months ago, I asked myself "How come no one is offering a combination of French language and cooking class?"  Then I answered to myself:  "Obviously, if no one is offering it it's because it would be no good."  But then the first self asked the second self "and why in the hell not?"  and the second self answered. "well it would require someone who can both cook and speak French and we don't know anyone like this."  Then both the first and second self looked at each other and in unison turned toward the third self, the one who gets enthusiastic and doesn't understand simples words like non or pas possible, the gullible self, the gregarious and hard working self, the insane self who promptly said "I'll do it!  It's so moi!"

But seriously,  isn't there learning and learning?  There is the infinitely tedious way of learning that makes you want to jump off a cliff, and there is learning in a way that is hands-on, playful and directly applicable to real life.  After all, don't we all learn to speak our language around food?  The French especially. All three selves agreed this would be a wonderful way to learn.  A way where you get to speak food, prepare food, laugh and eat food all en Français.  Learning while cooking engages all the senses and helps the lesson stick.  Cooking in group breaks barriers of self-consciousness or shyness. Also accent issues are greatly diminished when one is dealing with a mouth full of Boeuf aux carottes--the world's foremost accent equalizer. 

The truth might as well be told that unpublished writers, it turns out, cannot live on paper and ink alone.  Also some unpublished writer's children are growing up, becoming independent and giving their (unpublished) mother more time to do things like Get a Job.  But I'm too fiercely independent to work for a boss, also, writing is and always will be my first priority (before the children.  Kidding.  But almost.) So I wanted to do something fun yet meaningful that took no more than a few hours a week.

So here is is, Cooking in French! of course I started the Cooking in French blog right a way. Once a blogger always a blogger.  

So if you know someone who wants to learn French cooking while learning the French language and if that person lives around Los Angeles, give them my email address.  It's a blast (metaphorically and and figuratively you should see the kitchen afterwards) and a really good value methink.  Right now I'm putting together a beginners adult group and need four more people to get it started.  There is also a intermediate and advanced group.

Voila.  I'll keep you posted on the progresses of this project as it evolves.  So far I love it.

Gluttony 101.

All right, so my mother has come and gone and all I got to show for are  approximately 2.5 lbs in each thigh.  

I'm not going to whine about it, no not me.  I'm going to indulge just one more time, and then go on a diet.  Unreasonable people would say,what's the point? Thanksgiving and the holiday are just around the corner, just start dieting after that.  And I'm tempted to be unreasonable. 

But no! This French woman WON'T GET FAT. This French woman refuses to buy the next size jeans.  No way.

So here is my last indulgence before Thanksgiving.

Here is via viacomit

Here from the food stylist Victoria Granof

I'm not done yet...

burp.

Okay, I'm all done.

I don't want no diamonds. Just give me cupcakes and a baby blue Smeg.

Here are the latest delights from Le Cupcake and Kylie Lambert, the Australian cupcake queen. All her latest creations and the stories behind them can be found on Le Cupcake flickr page.

Eat right away, because I can't put them in the refrigerator. (More on that below)

Packaging heaven.

Cows for a Christening.

The cake she threw together for her daughter's birthday.. no biggie.

Butterflies made out of sugar paste.

Kylie made one hundred of those for a charity bake-off.

So cute for Halloween

And if I had to get married all over again:

So, my refrigerator/freezer is playing a sick joke on me. It's not cooling and it is FULL to the brim. The repair shop is generously offering to come NEXT THURSDAY. What to do! What to DO!

Well, this could be the gods of refrigeration telling me it is silver lining time?

$1999? That would be morally reprehensible.

...Oh but baby blue Smeg, how do I want thou!

edible devotion

This morning on a NPR I heard about a Japanese phenomenon called Charaben, or the art of the Bento Box. Japanese mothers in an effort to amuse their children into eating their school lunch will wake up before dawn and spend as much as two hours carving, cutting, slicing and arranging they children lunches into edible work of art.

Insanity? I won’t throw any stones though. I’ve done my share of demented things in the name of motherhood. Such as 24 hour labor without drugs, to name just one.

Here are some of the cutest ones I found.

Pictures found here, here and here. I wish I read read Japanese to give these pictures proper credit. Mostly I am so curious about the psychology behind it. It is an art form? Is it about selfless love? Is it a form of competition between mothers? It is a popularity contest between the children? There is a book about it called face food by Christopher Salyers but it's apparently out of stock.

A date to remember

For Many Americans, March 20th is a date to remember as we celebrate our fifth year of Saving Iraq Against Its Will.

For the French, this too is a crucial date. March 20th has been declared, the national ‘Journée du Macaron.’

Which commemoration is more worthy a post?

hmmm... let's be shallow just this once. It has been suggested that I stuff a sock in my mouth re: politics. But what about a compromise: I'll stuff this in my mouth. Best of both worlds.

Relais-Desserts. net , the pre-eminent French website about the best Patissiers-Chocolatiers of France is worth an extended visit. There I found the macaron cake above by Pierre Hermé's The cake, named Ispahan, is 'a subtile alliance of rose petal cream and litchis surrounded by a crispy macaron'

on the website you can order a set of 20 macarons for 34 euros, all especially created for the 'journée du Macaron' celebration.

Laurent Duchêne, whose shop can be visited virtually here features so many dreamy desserts i didn't know which one to post, so i encourage you to explore.

But never have macarons been so gorgeously photographed than on the city of Lyon's ownMaison Bouillet website. Their macaron specialty is the Maca'Lyon which 'combines macaroons with salted butter caramel (i think they mean salt water taffies) covered in cocoa chocolate and goldleaf."

What do you think? Varnish? Lip gloss? I wonder what the photographer used to increase the shine. I hope it's edible or I'll have to weep.

I'm okay now

Friday, i took it upon myself to trudge through the house with a ladder twice my weight and dislodge cobwebs in those hard to reach high ceiling area. After an hour or so of dragging, pulling, climbing and reaching and dealing with all the dust I sneezed. It was once of those great big sneeze Ah-ha HAAAAAAAA….. shoooooOOOOOOO !

Hu-oh!

I threw my back out in horrible ways and could hardly move all weekend. I could not sit at my desk, hence the lack of posts. The only way my spine accepted to bend was in the fetal position. I never watch TV but I made up for lost time and caught up on serious garbage such as ‘make me a supermodel’, ‘the 20 riches heiresses,’ and ‘millionaire matchmaker’. (Oops, looks like that show is actually financing part of our très glamorous lifestyle. Ahem…)
But mostly I watched food shows: 'top chef', 'food challenge', 'iron chef'. Since all I was able to do was be flat on my back and drool, at least there was an excuse to my drooling.

I liked the show ‘ace of cake’. About a bunch of friends who run Charm City Cake in Baltimore. They are kind, funny and love what they do which gives the show a 'myth buster' flavor. What a fun bunch. I can't think of a better job than to make cake with friends for a living. I’m thinking of asking them to adopt me.

Here are a few cakes I found on their website:

(dead?) armadillo cake

globe cake

roller skating cake

a pretty cake

Valentine's day dinner in Topanga Canyon

Here is a scoop for all you foodies. There is a brand new, nearly unknown French restaurant in my neck of the woods and the food is AMAZING. There are no other words for it. It's a small totally unpretentious place called the Canyon Bistro. It's tucked in Topanga Canyon, so hidden and out of sight no one knows about it yet unless they live there. I just received an e-mail featuring a special prix-fixe, five course dinner for Valentine's day. Here is the menu, and I'm telling you for 65 bucks and free corkage it really is a bargain. 'm going. And no I'm not paid to say this.

.. they had me at Amuse Bouche.

Let them have cake.

Shh.. I’m hiding. I’m hiding from the horrible, no good, very bad job that awaits me.

I’ve only recently begun to see the difference between real problems and mere roadblocks, and that new skill is coming handy this morning.

The downpours of the last few days have not only flooded the garage and revealed a nasty crack in the foundation of the house, but we woke up to the worst ant infestation in the story of our family. I’m not talking about a few ants here and there; I’m talking about an entire ant colony taking over the house. The floor in the living room and kitchen is literally black with ants, every kitchen cabinet, every surface of the kitchen is infested. They are in the pantry, even, somehow, inside the refrigerator. (They have even taken their eggs (!) with them, so I believe they are planning to be here for the long haul. Yikes!)

So I'm hiding, blogging my problems roadblocks away like the true addict that I am. I would take pictures it is not to be believed, but it’s too ugly so instead I’m going to dream of a better world. A world without ants, the beautiful world of I Dream of Cake for example.

By the way, would you wear these shoes?

What about these purses? Would you wear those?

I'll tell you what the ants and I would do: we'd eat them! Yes, they are cakes too, isn’t it amazing?

Now I must go back to the front. Did I ever mention that I keep my house pollutants free? Yep, I don’t spray. All I can use is a vacuum cleaner, a sponge, vinegar, castile soap and water. No wonder the ants like it here: they are guaranteed a strictly organic diet. *#@&!

all pictures courtesy of I Dream of Cake.

Macaron alchemy

You might remember a slight obsession of mine. It's good to know that others share my mad passion for Ladurée macarons, the Rolls Royce of cookies. They are as delicious as they are chewy and melty and gorgeous, and the boutiques, and endroits de dégustations are so beautiful it makes me shiver.

If you don't already read Alchemie, check out her blog. She is devoting an entire week to Ladurée Macarons. I had no idea there were Ladurée boutiques outside of Paris and France. Below are photographs taken directly from Alchemie's lovely blog where she gives the matter the serious and historical precision it deserves, whereas, as a French person, I am rendered speechless by such good looking food. The only words that come to mind are "Miam miam!" "oui" and "encore un petit pour la route."

The first two photographs of macarons on this post were found on Flikr

Le art of Le cupcake

Le cupcake is a blog dedicated to the most ephemeral art of them all: Cupcaking. Yes this is art! I insist. Making this kinds of pastries requires the soul of an artist combined with the dexterity of a watchmaker.

I've made cupcakes in my life, and trust me if I tell you they didn't look like this.

Have you ever seen better looking edibles? Kylie Lambert is from New South Wales, Australia and she is my artiste du jour. Yes, artist! Forgo the art gallery or the museum today, and check out her flikr page instead.

call me Oprah

There were slight warning signs: the clientèle did not wear flip flops, and the bathroom... well I’ll get into what went on in the bathroom later, but overall, the meal at Montecito Inn was lovely. A light meal, sandwiches that were delicious no doubt, albeit a bit fancy in the descriptive: His was Sandwich of Roast Lamb, Grilled Eggplant, Marinated Peppers & Gouda Cheese , mine was Grilled Chicken Sandwich, Fried Brie, (FRIED BRIE?! I had to check that out.) Mushrooms & Onion Sauté & Herb Mayonnaise. Petit Chéri had the $9 kid's burger (!) The fries rocked.

When the bill came: $37.34, I placed a crisp one hundred dollar bill in the tray. The good looking waitress took the $100 dollars and asked sweetly, “Will you be needing any change?”

Ahem…

Will I need change?

Within instants, my mind was assailed by maelstrom of conflicting emotions.
-Should I be honored to be perceived as the kind of woman who leaves a $62 dollars tip FOR A $37 MEAL?
-Is she INSANE?
-Am I insane?
-Are there really people in this world rich enough to think nothing of a near 200% tip (Oprah Winfrey who bought a fifty million dollar house in town maybe?)
-How many people feel intimidated into saying yes, so as not to look like losers?
-Do I look at all like Oprah?
-Should I say," no, really, please, keep the change," like is the custom here in Montecito?
-How often does the waitress pull that trick? Even if it only works 5% of the time, it’s worth it.
-Should I work here?

I am proud of myself. I mirrored her delightful, effervescent tone and said, “You betcha!”

Now the bathroom: Maybe one should know better than to eat in places where they do this:

I think it’s considered toilet paper roll abuse in some countries in Europe. Maybe they should be reported. Maybe I should call Oprah.

Fauchon

What is this store? No it isn’t Sephora. It isn’t a fancy Parisian lingerie boutique either.
It's the new and improved Fauchon Place de la Madeleine in the eight arrondissement of Paris. Fauchon is the place for extravagant, over the top, and wildly over priced food glamour where you can find the ultimate in fruit basket, chocolates, spices, and patisserie de luxe.

A new blog about France and design (written in French and English,) city rats, posted pictures in April of those hip looking éclairs.
The sight and thought of éclairs threw me back twenty years, at a time when I lived within five minutes walking distance from Fauchon. A time when a single éclair was equivalent to my daily food budget. I remember peeking in the window in awe, and trying not to look entirely pathetic doing so.
Now I can afford Fauchon’s éclairs every day if I darn well please, but what gives me trouble is the twelve hour plane ride.
When it comes to éclairs actual taste, I’d stick to the tried and true coffee or chocolate flavor that can be found at any corner boulangerie. But if you’re visiting Paris and can’t shop at Hermes of Chanel you can still indulge in a little luxury, by going to Fauchon and purchasing one of the following designer's edible:

Will it be marzipan dots and green tea filling?

Or mango?

Nah... boring. How about these, then?

Or, if you are in a nautical kind of mood:

berlingots

Berlingots are a specialty of Carpentras, here are a few pictures. They're a delight to the eye. I found most of the pictures below on Google image.

Macaroons, Exclamation point!

I was lucky enough to come across Leesa's blog. She is a California native who did what I did, only the other way around. She married a French Man (and does not seem to be complaining, by the way, quite the opposite.) and she now lives in Paris. I find that Expatriates have some of the most beautiful photographs of their country of adoption because they are able to look at things with a fresh eye and take nothing for granted. Leesa, who happens to be a heck of a good photographer is to blame for my latest wave of homesickness.

She and I seem to share a strong bond: Macaroons. The French call them Macarons. At the base of the recipe are egg whites, meringue style, and almonds. They are crispy/crunchy and gooey, and esthetically speaking, they belong more at the center of a mantelpiece than in a kitchen cabinet.

The best of the best, the crème de la crème in matter of Macaroons is La Durée, here are pictures taken from Leesa’s blog.