Tuesday, 9 February 2010

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

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Friday, 26 September 2008

Хорватия июнь

I love it when I find a new photostream to subscribe to.

Today I calculated I was happy to wake up to banana muffins. I deliberately didn't take my sunglasses or my camera to work so that I could take my £1 junk shop book "Faces, Figures And Feelings: A cosmetic Plastic Surgeon Speaks" by Leslie E. Gardener published in 1959. Dr Gardener has very bushy eyebrows a bit like Sam The Eagle from the Muppets. The book is illustrated with all kinds of before and after pictures which I will no doubt at to my Flickr or blog at some stage while referencing another bleeding heart story from my tragic life. Anyway - as it transpired The Cardinal came into town and met me for lunch. AND SHE IS NO LONGER A VIRGIN!!! After our bacon and avocado salads we went down to Ladurée in The Burlington Arcade. Her favourite is pistachio. A discerning palette. The statement of the afternoon had to be when she said "I didn't even know all this was here in the Burlington Arcade. Last week if I won the lottery I'd have gone off shopping somewhere else. This Saturday if I win the lottery, I'll be coming here first. Look at all the bling." Sadly, the harlequin pendant for £9500 I had my eye was was gone. I could settle for an antique Rolex. And we sat in the sun [very shiny today!] and she took some pictures and we discussed a friends wedding that we heard of where the venue alone will cost £20,000. A lot. But yerrr I could have used my sunnies and my snapper today.

Speaking of a lot, this is my most viewed picture in my photostream:



Watching the pair of them dance was such a funny night.

xx Lektrogirl

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Monday, 18 August 2008

8:30PM FEELING LIKE 2:00AM



By the end of the day today I was totally starving and I got the C2 bus home from Oxford Circus like greased lightening cause I knew what I had in the fridge. As you can see in the picture above, here is the leftover's from the lunch on Sunday I made that I was bragging about. Everything on the plate tasted even better after a day to marinade in the own juices and I fried the pork again and hot it was EVEN better. I think it would be great hot with puy lentils etc. Will definitely make that again.



On the way to Ladurée the other day, I saw Barbara Windsor get out of a taxi and I swear she had a chicken head! It was really good. She was also wearing mega heels and in all light coloured clothing. What a woman. Later that afternoon I saw that REALLY tall guy from The Office with his short girlf walking down Wardour Street. Hmmm... when was that? Thursday maybe on my way to the George and Dragon to the launch party for Paul Gorman's / Nigel Waymouth's / Granny Takes A Trip / The Look Presents t-shirt range for TOPMAN. Yerrr I know - TOPSHOP - totally against everything I believe in. However what I can appreciate is the history of the British fashion retail and design industry being visited by Paul Gorman which is what I grew up revering reading i-D and The Face back in 1988 in Tasmania thinking "OMG I CAN'T WAIT TO GO TO LONDON!!!" LOLZ. Apparently the rain was so heavy the roof leaked at Mum's all over my old magazine collection. FUCK.



Here I am looking a total babe as per usual in a t-shirt I wouldn't normally wear because I made the decision a while ago to stop dressing like a man but this picture shows that my lipstick is looking pretty hot. Probably I was pretty pissed by this stage from drinking Koko Kanu and Coke. I mean Max and I were topless in the George changing from our regular clothes into the t-shirts from The Look Presents range. If you want to check them all out though, look here. Some of the designs are actually reproductions of the original Granny Takes A Trip store front back in the 60's [like the one I had on]. You didn't know that Granny Takes A Trip was a shop back then? Ohh... God... where do I begin? Not even worth it...



So, mega day today back at work. Feeling hyped but can't believe how tired I am so early. I'm looking forward to getting paid. I want to go to a restaurant The Cardinal visited with her family recently:





Nearly as good as the instrumental to Hairbraider by my main man Kelz!

xx Lektrogirl

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Thursday, 14 August 2008

YERRR


am90_burger, originally uploaded by marisaolson.

I'm so hungry I could eat an old shoe.



Oh yeah and today at work continued with further tribulations. The light relief was provided by talking about videos like this:



I mean FFS!!! 'Chrome Dome' YGM. Not on.

And I know it isn't funny or clever to swear, I can't help but refer to this track Move Bitch by Ludacris



cause I am so feeling it right now about a few people, piles of paperwork, maybe even myself.

I had a coconut macaroon today from Laduree and it was gross.

xx Lektrogirl

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Wednesday, 6 August 2008

THE PARADOX

Today I was up early, I had meeting in town. I was tired. I watched the new series CSI Miami that started tonight [H has a son! OMG! Acting still as terrible! The plot thickens...] I am THRILLED to learn that the new series of Law and Order Special Victims Unit starts on Friday night [The one with Ice T in it.] But now, I can't sleep. I'm trying to get back into normal sleep pattern. It's hard. I also got my period today and I have a bit of a headache. I don't think I drank enough. But I sure had some good eats:

Breakfast



Laduree in Burlington Arcade. Amaretto, Roseanis and Salted Caramel. I also picked up a present for a friend and I am dying to give it to him. It can wait of course but because I know he will absolutely shit I cannot wait to give it to him!!

Lunch



Madame arranges our lunch on the lace doily even though I have eaten half mine. The sandwiches were already perfect. The only addition we could think of to the Salmon Tartar and the Chopped Herring was perhaps some beetroot? Coffees were of course from Milk Bar.

Dinner was at Taro. But I didn't take a picture.

Oh I just wish I could fall asleep.

xx Lektrogirl

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Saturday, 7 June 2008

£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

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Wednesday, 9 April 2008

SORRY ABOUT THE ECLAIR

Important things to note when watching the new Shop At Maison B advertorial movie of the Spring Summer 08 APC:

1] I don't look like that while having sex, I promise.
2] Check out the china 'Madame A Trois' trios that the shop is now selling. Vintage t-sets [teacup, saucer and cake plate] in a gift box and a free gift card and a couple of other treats inside for I think about 29.95. I LOVE THEM.



I wasn't going to go into town today but I got to the post office and I thought 'I just can't go home now. I just can't go home.' So I decided to go into Soho and do some shopping, hanging out and eating. I realised by my reflection that the unbrushed hair and a hoodie look wasn't actually doing anything for me so I stopped off in Liberty, walked in the door and stopped at the Shuemura counter for some lipstick. An assistant carefully painted on my chosen shade, and I could feel a burning in the back of my neck. It turned out there was this pensioner woman totally captivated by the whole show. She even thanked me - she said 'I have just been lucky enough to stand and watch the show. It was incredible. That colour really suits you. You look incredible.' I mean LOL - Granny out for gash? Sorry Nan, I wasn't interested. So I bought the colour and went off to Flat White on Berwick Street for a flattie and took one along for Pippa too. In the shop Pippa was showing me the 'Madame A Trois' tea sets on the lace tablecloth which I ogled over the coffee and some cardomen biscuits from Yauatcha [mint green coloured shortbreads - kind of sweet and kind of savoury. Only 3.50 and and almost as nice as rose macaroons from Ladurée] Then it was so cool cause Sarah Lee dropped by and I haven't seen her for ages. Even though she will hate me for saying so, she had this spot on her chin that she was going on about, but she had done a great job of coverup that she looked as amazing as ever. I mean, it was hardly like the man with the thing in his neck [see a few posts below...] Sarah made me do some ridiculous posing with a shirt and I did some equally ridiculous things to her but shall not mention them here as I wish to retain some of my dignity.

More later cause I'm also gossiping in ICQ with my friend drx about a friend of his wife's who is from Arizona USA who was shooting empty cans at the age of 8.

xx Lektrogirl

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Wednesday, 13 February 2008

ONE DAY TO GO

No ladies, I'm not talking about the A.P.C. delivery at Shop at Maison B though I understand from Pippa that this is going to be at any second. I am talking about the second most important thing after a new season of A.P.C. and that is VALENTINE'S DAY. So this message is not only to celebrate the most romantic day of the year, but to let anybody out there know that I am here and waiting ready for your Valentine's cards.


A beautiful song most suitable to get everyone in the mood.



And if anyone wants to go further and send along a gift with their card I just wanted to drop a few hints. It has to be said, I'm a more practical girl. I would rather have a gift I can use or eat.
1] Macaroons from Ladurée - rose are my favourite
2] De Walt Cordless Drill - my old one got lent to someone who messed the motor. Furious!
3] Madeleine Tin
4] Any vintage dress from between 1940 and 1959
5] A jigsaw - the electrical kind

But to be honest, I'll take anything I can get.

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Sunday, 16 September 2007

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!!

The show will be open!

This weekend, Bex and I put together the stand for London Fashion Week. Bex is the new girl and she is learning fast - check her out - she already has the new office throw mastered!


Two in the pussy and one in the butt.


We spent hours with the spray glue putting up all the posters on the wall at the back of the stand. We didn't forget to tag the wall underneath btw - Emma and Bex was here 2007 BIG UP US!! It was a bit gross though, I kneeled on a broken of drill bit still jammed in the floor and punctured my knee. I had to go and see the first aide man and get it all swabbed out with disinfectant. Of course I got the tee tree oil on it when I got home and that was way better. But my knee is still feeling weird now.

After, we strolled down to Ladureé for some macaroons - Bex never went to Harrods before!! And the windows were all dolled up in Harvey Nichols for London Fashion Week.

My first job in London was in Harvey Nichols. It was still fancy then - we weren't allowed to wear open toed shoes!

And finally - from the desk of the biggest pimp in London:

Desktop courtesy of DJ Goon and DJ Koyote from Diamond Grilling.

xx Lektrogirl

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Sunday, 20 May 2007

Paris pour Le Weekend.



So there I was in Paris with Goon and Koyote who be runnin tangs in their neighbourhood. We were all pretty chill compared to the last time I was in Paris for the Diamond Grills at Le Tryptique. I won't go into the full story again - but you can read it in my first post on this blog ever - only it was a bit embarressing a few times at this this most recent party. I was getting introduced to people and I was like "Oh great! So nice to meet you!" and these people were like "Errrr I met you last time you were here..."


One person I was sure not to forget is Teki who I love! He is so sexual!!He just has a new single out with Lio [who sang Banana Split in the 80's] We had a special moment together when Jean Nipon was DJing some [euro]Trance. Teki was telling me he loves how positive it is and so romantic. Right at that moment I was feeling the vibe. By then though I was pretty busted. The club was so hot and so sweaty. And these are the toilets:


And then the French wonder why the English have a lot to say about the French hygiene.



So other than to see my friends, I went to see Dance Mania DJ Nephets. It was maximum party zone. See above.


Here is Goon and Nephets. Nephets looks like a big Gingerbread Man.

On Saturday I went shopping. I was in the Lingerie department at Le Printemps and nearly puked all over the Christian Lacroix bras that I found I was so excited. Soon after I realised it was cause I was so hungover. I spent some money on a lot of fancy knickers and went out into the fresh air. I really had a happy happy heart walking along the streets of Paris in the sunshine eating
a rose petal flavoured Ladurée macaroon.

This was my breakfast on Sunday morning:

It was in a place at Marché des Enfants Rouges. So it wasn't cheap - but it was totally phenomenal. That pink stuff in the middle is tomato and ginger soup! I had chestnut jam! Cornichons any day of the week!

After breakfast I got lucky and discovered I never had to think of U2 ever again:


And then soon it was home time. So I got back in my little UFO and headed back to London. J'aime Paris:


But I got let back down gently - my first stop in London was Yautacha for dinner. YUM.

There are a gang more pics on my Flickr btw.

xx Lektrogirl

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