It's funny but a year ago I had macarons on the mind too.On August 17, 2006...
Pierre Herme Macaron photo by Fanny Zanotti of Food BeamAnd then I read about Fanny Zanotti's 6-week stage at Pierre Herme on Food Beam. Fanny goes into delicious detail of what goes on behind the closed kitchen doors at PH...She tells us of the bucket where all wrecked macaron lids (coque/shell) end up = a sort of circular file. How we would love to get our hands into that bucket!
I also learned from Fanny that the baked macaron lids are called coques - meaning shells..
Immediately I thought of CLAM shells!
Am I alone in seeing the resemblance?
Two lids containing a delicious filling...
I was reminded too of when Barbara Bleu (shown here) and I went to Bofinger and shared a plateau a coquillage - a yummy melange of shelled goodies.
Clam shells were also used by 18th century British watercolorists
to hold their paint splodges when they painted outdoors.
So clams + macarons + watercolors are all kind of related
if you see what I mean...
After all, a lot of architecture comes right out of nature.
I can only think of the macaron/clam combo at the moment,
but I'm sure this is the case...
So the next time you're about to bite into that macaron...
Think CLAM please/S.V.P.
PS!
Dorie Greenspan has written a wonderful history of the macaron
you can chew on, while digesting this clam-mac thought... 
Oh this makes me SO excited! We are off to Paris and Rome for a fortnight later this year and I am really looking forward to visiting Laudurée again! :)
ReplyDeleteEek, small child hit the keyboard as I was typing and added a superfluous 'u' in Ladurée!
ReplyDeleteThe shame and ignomy! :)
Bonjour Carol,
ReplyDeleteYesterday I saw the film, Julie and Julia. I LOVED it! I have to see it again. I hope you get a chance to see it (if you haven't already - it opened last Friday). I didn't see any macarons but lots of other food and scenes of Paris in the 40's and 50's.
Margaret in Atlanta
I Loved it too!
ReplyDeleteI saw it Friday opening day bien sur :)
I drew Julia once for an invitation and got a nice thank you note from her.It's here somewhere...ahem
Good Morning Carol:
ReplyDeleteIn steamy NYC!
FYI: the url you have embedded below is incorrect and leads to the dreaded 404 error message.
With a bit of sleuthing, I found it at
http://www.doriegreenspan.com/2007/08/french-macaroons-a-tale-of-thrStefee-cities.html
Merci
ReplyDeleteDori rearranged her blog to my consternation and it's hard to find stuff now IMO
All is corrected now thanks to my astute PB readers! :)
Tanks again
I have used shells to hold watercolor paint before when I'm sketching! Lovely!
ReplyDeleteoh yum: clams and macs
ReplyDeleteLOL... this reminds me somehow of "the time has come to talk of many things."...of clams and cooks and macarons...
ReplyDeleteJust beautifully done, MS. Agog. Beautifully done. :)
Carol, I'm so glad you added your link to my Paris Week list! And I am now following you, too. Bonjour! :)
ReplyDeleteCarol,
ReplyDeleteNew boxes from Laduree...
http://www.luxist.com/2009/07/30/laduree-and-louboutin-collaborate-on-gift-boxes/
Thought you might like this!
NOTHING beats the seafood in Spain.
ReplyDeleteNAVAJAS rock.
xxx
Bofinger was the very first restaurant we visited during our first trip to Paris (almost 2 years ago). I cannot wait to return---and have some macarons as well!
ReplyDeleteI love the watercolor!
ReplyDeleteSuch an intellectual post, Carol!
I love it :-)
I don't know about you but moi, next time I eat a clam, I'd rather think MACARON !
ReplyDeletePS Next you'll be telling us this:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/recipedetail.cfm?objectid=33F3CDB6%2DE1E8%2D78A4%2DCFD6616D514EA23F
was inspired by bees.
Attention les dents!
ReplyDeleteOh my lord you are killing me. I'm so far from Paris, and there's not a decent macaron to be found in New York City!
ReplyDeleteOoh wonderful post!! Loved the section of shells holding paint colors!!Macaroons on my mind as well!
ReplyDeletexoxo
Karena
Art by Karena