My Weekend In Chicago: Part 1, "French" Snacks

G has been in Chicago for business. I flew there for a little visit Friday night. En route in the cab, I called him to tell him about the traffic and the fact that I had a minor headache with a touch of hunger.



He was so sweet to have fries and Champagne when I arrived. Fried potatoes and bubbly is the best treatment for a headache.



And in the room, the hotel supplied apples and MACARONS! More macarons! How funny and sad. They were nowhere nearly as good as the Laduree I was just gifted the day before (and had to put in the freezer before my trip). Sigh. But they were a very pleasant surprise and enjoyed nonethless.





A great start to the weekend. We then went on to dinner at (ostensibly) Avec ...(see Part 2)

(BTW, I dropped my camera again. The lense is acting up. So it was difficult to manage good photos. I need a new one. Preferably an SLR. Any suggestions?)

*Image source for skyline photo here (post processed by moi).

We have the best friends--friends who will smuggle things for us!

As you know, my obsession with macarons, Laduree macarons, is deep, shameless and abiding. So it is no trivial matter when someone presents to me said macarons. First of all, they cannot be shipped to the US because of their extreme perishability. Second, and relatedly, it's hard to get them into the country because they're considered a fresh food item, and thereby are not allowed through customs.

Well, our friends, who shall remain nameless (but who are French and recently got engaged) just got back from a trip home to visit their families (to officially announce their engagement) and brought back LADUREE macarons--in tact and uneaten!!!!
They are so delicious. I've never had their summer flavors--which include lemongrass, Moroccan mint, coconut. They are just as good as their permanent flavors of violet blackcurrant, orange blossom, and salted caramel! All in this beautiful boite! Absolute heaven and a real treat!
Thank you C & A!

Macarons! ACKC, Not Just for Chocolate Phalluses Anymore

As I mentioned in my previous post, we stopped by ACKC (Artfully Chocolate, Kingsbury Confections), a "cocoa bar" that serves hand-made chocolates and other sugary treats (as well as drinks) in a cafe setting. (They somehow blend art into the mix as well.) Brightly colored in pink and yellow with bistro seating inside and outside along the sidewalk, the shop is vibrant and cutesy.

It reminds me of Ethel M's, a chocolate "bar" out in Las Vegas, where they offer couture chocolates and gourmet drinks. Anyway, the concept is still relatively novel in this part of the world, so there's that kind of appeal. However, since I'm not a chocolate lover--save for the occasional dark chocolate--it's lost on me. That is, until I saw this sign:

So many times, I've walked by our gayborhood's sweet shop, which has been known to display chocolate penises, just to turn my nose up! This particular evening last Friday, they were advertising some macarons that they got in from Michel Patisserie (who?). So we had to try it out. There was a nice assortment of colors and flavors...even these Bastille Day red white a blue (which looked more like hot pink and turquoise).

We opted for a classic pistachio; a funny speckled passion fruit and chocolate; and a brightly hued raspberry.

We ate them the next morning. They were definitely created using the French method, which yields a flatter top and granier texture (whereas the Italian method results in a smooth and puffy hamburger-bun product). Though I like the texture and appearance of French method, there was something missing with these. Don't get me wrong - they were good (and bravo to anyone who can make these impossible treats). But I prefer the ones at Kafe Leopold's (even though they're of the Italian variety) - they have a really nice, rich nutty flavor.

I would, however, go back to ACKC to try out something dark chocolate-y.

Marriage License, Morons, and Macarons

We were really excited to check "marriage license" off our to-do list today! During lunch, we went to the Arlington county courthouse to get it.

We were happy and felt like we accomplished an important milestone!!!! BUT when we got home and looked closely at the marriage license information, it read that it was good for sixty days. Then the two morons (that's us) counted the days til the wedding: over sixty days away. IDIOTS!!! So we'll have to either go back or get an extension or something. Surely others have made the same mistake!

However, one bit of very nice news came in the way of a surprise gift (with a thank you card) from Lindsey Ryan, our invitation designer: a box of macarons!! They were delivered (still chilled) today! So nice!!! I should be thanking her!

And it was fortuitous, because I was planning on doing another trial run (my third one in about a week and a half) of the macarons (they're going to be favors at my wedding); and the Payards version would be a good comparison. I had left out some egg whites to age...and the results: THIRD TIME'S THE CHARM!!! Success!! (More on those later). Here they are:

I just practiced the cookie part and added some red food coloring. Instead of a real stuffing/center, I just put blackberry jam between the two cookies. Here they are compared to one of the Payard macarons Lindsey gifted. What do you think?

Failures, surprises and success all in one day!

Fabu Food Favor: Strawberry and Vanilla Cream Macarons

Source

I'm so inspired by good food...and pretty pictures. Especially pretty pictures of good food. I stumbled upon this gorgeous foodie blog today. The author made strawberry and vanilla bean macarons.

The little meringue pastries were filled with a home-made strawberry pate de fruit and white chocolate & vanilla bean cream. Um...really? She just "whipped" these together for her camping trip. What? I love (read: am jealous of) amazing/talented people such as Aran!!

Source

Anyway, I previously mentioned my dreams of having Laduree macaron favors (they come in such cool, novel flavors!) at my wedding...if only they delivered to the U.S. But now I'm thinking, Who needs you Laduree, I have this neat recipe!

It would be really great to have some home-made food to gift...given that I'm all like, "Hey I'm a foodie, y'all. Love me." Problem is, I can't bake...So, we'll see if I'll be able to pull it off. Will try this recipe and test my skills and this cookie's shelf-life/freezablility.

(I think I need to go drink some hot cocoa and read a book to ease my giddiness now.)

If Laduree shipped internationally, I'd get about 17 dozen macarons

...six dozen of which would be favors at the wedding.

Is it cliche to love Paris--that city of baguettes, bicycles, and berets; that city of the most iconic of all radio towers...of gauzy dreams of strolls in le parc? Do people who make the pronouncement of lurving it remind you of that lonely middle-aged woman in the 14e arrondissement-story of Paris, Je T'aime? Maybe? Just a little?

Having said that (and at the risk of sounding totally banal) I secretly love certain Parisian experiences...shhhhh. Like the Laduree tea room tucked away in the heart of the Saint-Germain-des-Pres district. Those lovely little macarons (not to be confused with coconut macaroons) in the heavenliest of flavors--to include rose petal, salted butter caramel, and pistachio--along with the glorious empire decor give me goose bumps!

Even the confection-colored packaging is beautiful. I'd really love two things: a) Laduree macarons at the wedding and b) invitations inspired by this confectioner's palette. Oh the dreams.

(Source for pics here)

By the way...I just sent out the invitations: