TODAY LONDON NEXT WEEK PARIS

a.k.a. My Love Affair With the Macaron

So how many people have I told the same story to over and over

I'M GOING TO PARIS TO LE CORDON BLEU TO LEARN "THE SECRET OF MACARONS".

I was talking to Mum on the phone this morning asking her "What other kind of cake is hard and a bit fiddly that you have to practice loads to get perfect and even go to a class?" and she said "Profiteroles?" I told her I already made those and they were easy. Maybe not perfect, but successful enough on the first go to not feel challenged. Sponge cake - I have totally cracked it. I have struggled with cannellés and clafoutis - maybe that is the kind of thing - but nothing like a macaron. If you serve a macaron, people are amazed and always say "HOW DO YOU DO THIS? Is there a mould? Do you drop it into something hot? How do you get it so smooth?" etc etc etc. Anyway I have no clue as to what I will learn in Paris but I am getting HELLISHLY excited. And I feel a bit sick/nervous about it. The confirmation letter even tells you what you have to wear in the kitchen.

So - with this level of thrill in mind let me tell you first of all about Mrs K MEETING PIERRE HERME at the new Selfies consession where she had to photograph him for work. I had about 5 missed calls from her that day as she attempted to tell me "MOVE YOUR ASS HERE IMMEDIATELY" and as I said in my previous post about it [and apparently MISQUOTED and then got berated for it afterwards and I told her "Okay woah like fine but I will just blow it up all over the blog about how you yelled at me LOL brb gtg my nbff just logged on bye".

Oh Buddah where was I? Oh - about to eat this gift of personally selected macarons by Mrs K from Pierre Hermés own hand.





Here are a few views of the macarons at The Cardinals house. Please note the china. Also in bottom photo bottom left please note the sliver of marmite toast available for palate cleansing.



You may remember if you even care, these were the ones I had in Paris when I was there last from Pierre Hermé shortly after getting silly stringed by three pre teens on a skateboard outside the the Pierre and Marie Curé University mineral and gem museum.

So The Cardinal and I were in a gifted position to be able to truly assess the macarons in the privacy of her living room in front of an open fire, sipping Earl Grey Tea from china cups and a variety of cutlery to best perform the operations of peeling apart the layers.



Not the first time I have done this. Remember Nantes?



Sorry lost in a K-HOLE of macaron reminiscing and checking on the Danish cabbage in the kitchen.

Back to Pierre Hermé. There seems to be a whole divide between Pierre Hermé vs Ladurée and who's is better and whatever. I am going to say that on the whole, I prefer Ladurée. I like to know that what is labelled as Rose is going to taste like Rose. Admittedly I do admire the adventure of P.H.'s "collections" but I think the ratio there is too much filling to macaron and I am not a big fan of chocolate & fruit together at the best of times. I think they are both marvellous though. The only macarons I ever that that were awful were the ones in Nantes - the really tasted like lipstick, shampoo and shower gel.

With all this preamble, lets get ourselves to Sunday afternoon when I had a tea at The Crib with a selection of O.G.'s in attendance: Covvo, Alex T [the sub editor], Ella, Fi and the Cardinal. Hobart was also there but her presence was only felt when she scratched the Cardinal and singed her whiskers on a candle. For my guests I presented my take on cream cheese & radish and egg mayonaisse & quails egg sandwiches. Followed by a selection of macarons made in my own exclusive kitchen and two cakes. Oh and Champagne and tea.



These were Bailey's and Hazelnut. Total fail in my opinion but Alex T was more than happy to take the ones we didn't eat home with him at the end.



These were Campari and Blood orange on the left and Lavender on the right. Both lovely.



These were Basil, Pinenut & Honey with Lime. They totally cleaned up. Unfortunately they are a visual fail - see the brown bit? Slightly over done but did not affect taste.

The success of these makes me feel a bit less nervous about the class in Paris. I have to say, I had a very jolly afternoon after heinous weeks at work. The cookbook was planned. I will even be doing a chapter on Chinese food. It will be one page long.

"Don't fuck with it and leave it to the Chinese."

Although since then, I have been thinking about macaron recipes on that theme.

My lunch is ready now - braised fennel and Danish cabbage. I'm going to go eat it. You can be rest assured that I will be reporting back in detail from Paris all about how I go. PLUS I have been in touch with Goon already to discuss the restaurants we will be visiting! YERRRRRR.

xx Lektrogirl

£169

£169, originally uploaded by Lektrogirl.

Yeah - in lieu of posting anything for a while -and the last two posts were a bit heavy - here is one of my usual frivolous titty posts.

Yesterday I went to Harrods and went 'shopping' which is my new hobby. This Dior bra is SO HOT! I LOVE it! Although the fitting rooms in the Lingerie Department there are ice cold [I have a heart as cold as ice I heard] and I wondered if it was to make everyone's titties pert and the turn down the sweats, but then maybe the air con was just bunk.



I also went and had a very late lunch in Ladurée and earwigged on a middle aged woman take her parents out for lunch and guffawed to myself as they chattered away in French. I got to sit in the black room this time which was a first. I liked it in there. Possibly this was the best club sandwich I ever ate.



A visit to Ladurée of course is not complete without buying some macaroons - which I scoffed before going out to meet The Cardinal and the Air Commodore for drinking and fun at Cocadisco. Complexxion was DJing and I didn't know anything about him before last night other than he has something to do with my friend Manuel's label Citinite. I was pleased cause he played Destiny by Two Sisters, which is one of my super favourite 7" records that I always forget about.


Complex Simplicity

After his set he got talking and - this doesn't happen often XXCENSOREDXX. [I can't remember his exact words.] Anyway, Complexxion is JOKES. XXCENSOREDXX.

But back to matters of a more ladylike nature:



I went again to Le Péché Mignon the other day for a Croque and a coffee. The man in there remembered I wanted some chestnut paste but they had already sold out again since I had been in last. He went upstairs and got me some anyway and I am SOOOOO thankful. I also could not resist the Confiture pour Madame [rose hip jam.] The Cardinal and I keep talking about afternoon teas. I have been feeling so stink bad mood lately with bad dreams, grinding my teeth, angst and anger that a quick lunch at Le Péché Mignon was really all I needed to cheer me up. And even better news - they are opening the garden at the back of the place! I can't wait! I wish I knew their names, I can't keep saying 'the man' and 'the woman'.

And being a total glutton, later that night The Cardinal and I went to Bodeans for dinner.


Check The Cardinal's hand - she has hand cramps from knocking one out over the size of the ribs.

I got to tell The Cardinal my story about Guy Ritchie. One time I was in there eating dinner and Guy Ritchie and his minder came in. Ritchie surveyed the menu from his seat and called out to the kitchen staff "Is this place Kosher?". Which is fucking hysterical given there is a giant neon pig in the window. Mega lolz all night about that.

xx Lektrogirl

MADAME A TROIS

So the latest venture from Shop At Maison B - Pippa and I have been going demented over vintage china lately. And the shop is under the jewel that is Maison Bertaux, with the finest cream cakes, croissants and pastries in all of London town! What makes a cake? Why, a cup of tea! A drink is too wet without one don't they say? So it follows that we are fans of the tea set, especially if it's mismatched crockery trios. If you're stuck for the perfect gift we say a pretty trio called MADAME A TROIS (teacup, saucer and cake plate), packed in a cake box to go, with a bow on top for £29 will please most ladies... especially those who we've come to love as "our" ladies!

Some of them are so gorgeous I just want to be sick in the same way I get when I see fancy bra's [OMG did you see the new collection at AP? The green leopard print with burgandy bow!!! I need one!! Only it is three times more expensive than a Madame A Trois. OMG I could sit in my underwear and drink tea in the summer!!! ]



I just want to drink Gin cocktails out of this one.



Hello - so nice! This is the kind of tea set a guy should have so that he can be cool but not look too nancy.



There are loads of different styles of Madame A Trois trios from the 1920's to the 1960's. This one is a hand painted job from the 1930's.

In the black cabinet in the first photo on this post, are loads more trios to choose from which Madame Pippa will be happy to unlock for you if you want to torture yourself further with the delights of the treasures contained within.

xx Lektrogirl