Monday, April 19, 2010

MAC ATTACK!

I had a Mac Attack last night and raided the refrigerator. Isn't it thoughtful of La Maison du Chocolat to wrap each Parisien macaron individually?I had a Mac Attack on Saturday when I read in the NY Metro that St. Regis Adour chef, Sandro Micheli said, regarding the making of macarons,
"What I absolutely hate is when people put butter cream in between. There is NO butter cream in macaron!
Butter cream is for cupcakes!”
Wha'?

I went to Google to check about buttercream in macarons.
Next I called Adour to see if I could come buy some of his buttercream-FREE macarons. You can only
order them 24 hours in advance (sight unseen I might add!).
Micheli's recipe at the Metro is for raspberry macarons which require a filling of raspberry jam n'est pas? T
here are not many macarons with a jam filling. Check out Pierre Herme's list of saveurs.
How REAL ganache macaron filling is made here.
 I put on my coat and went to La Maison du Chocolate, where you can see Macs, feel Macs (after you buy them natch) taste Macs etc. The shells are flown in from Paris every week, so they're 50% 2/3rds Parisien I guess. On the question of NO buttercream in macarons, Bear quietly reminded me of the massive hunks at The Ritz macaron class and he wasn't talking about The Ritz Bears. Can you imagine caramel au beurre sale macarons made with no butter? All these Parisiens are waiting outside patisserie Pierre Herme on Jour Du Macarons For butter-free macarons right?
It reminds me of the lines from When Harry Met Sally.
Harry: There are 2 kinds of women: high maintenance and low maintenance.
Sally: Which one am I?
Harry: You're the worst kind; you're high maintenance but you think you're low maintenance.
Sally: I don't see that.
Harry: You don't see that?

Waiter, I'll begin with a house salad, but I don't want the regular dressing. I'll have the balsamic vinegar and oil, but on the side.
And then the salmon with the mustard sauce, but I want the mustard sauce on the side. "On the side" is a very big thing for you.
Buttercream on the side svp.
By the way wildly generous Pierre Herme sent out a Thank You to Us!? for attending his amazing macaron marathon
Meanwhile David Lebovitz on Saturday demonstrated the macaron recipe from I Love Macarons. I had Mac Attack.
I bought the original Japanese version (not that I read Japanese).
Master macaron-chef, Pierre Herme brought out his macaron cookbook in Japanese? No English edition yet.
No wonder I had Mac Attacks all weekend...
Mactweets is having a Mac Attack on their site?
The Mac Rage is contagious.
Meanwhile Bear is singing to himself
an ode to Macarons with deepest apologies to The Who.
See Macs
Feel Macs
Touch Macs
Eat Macs
See Macs
Feel Macs
Touch Macs
Eat Macs
Listening to you, I get the Mac music
Gazing at you, I get the Mac heat
Following you, I climb the Mac mountain
I get excitement at your Mac
FEET!
Right behind you, I see the millions of Macs
On you, I see the Mac glory
From you, I get Mac opinion
From you, I get the Mac story

36 comments:

  1. Loved the post - and thanks for using ONE of my favorite lines from When Harry Met Sally (there are 524 other favorite lines). Regarding a previous post: have you become a brunette yet? Can we see?

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  2. Love the new mac version of the song. I'm sure Pete Townshend goes wild for macarons! ; )

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  3. j'adoooore when harry met sally! my mother and aunt and i quote it constantly.

    i also love that this post is dedicated to macarons. i'm experiencing serious withdrawals since i'd returned from FR last month.

    and lastly, i truly A D O R E your blog and your photos. it totally gives me my france fix! merci!

    xx s

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  4. Dear DIANE - I bought the bottle of Brunette and then lost courage. THANKS for the reminder...must become a brunette, must become a brunette...must must

    ANALI - why do I hear music when I think about macarons? Where is Beethovan when we need him?

    SHELBY - will any of us ever forget the lines from WHEN HARRY MET SALLY? every?

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  5. Laura L.11:21 AM

    Dear Carol,

    I think there is a little misunderstanding going on between you and the Chef. A buttercream is not a filling with butter and cream like a ganache or caramel, but a name for the kind of icing used on cupcakes and cakes which I, luckily, never seen in between two halves of a macaron, and if I did I would be outraged too.
    Here is a typical buttercream recipe

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  6. Hmmm...I partially agree with your point Laura.
    But don't you think Chef Micheli should get his terminology right if he is referring to icing?
    Anyway who puts icing inside of macarons?
    Not Martha.
    I've yet to see it even on this side of the pond.
    They simply would not support the shells.
    It's an architectual issue - that pony don't ride.
    Carolg

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  7. Butter cream frosting is so sweet--I don't think it would be good in macarons, but I sure could go for a macaron (or two)right now, after your post here. I'm trying to be good, woman, and you are not helping! hahaaaa! Happy Monday!

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  8. Michele in Chicago11:30 AM

    You have the greatest posts!!!! I have a post idea ????
    How about showing the clothing/hairstyle differences of women in their 20's 30's 40's 50's 60's and 70's?
    I'm 48 and sometimes feel like I'm 20ish, I surely wouldn't want to dress improperly from a french perspective!!!
    CHEERS!

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  9. butter , smutter...just want some of those macs...:0

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  10. Laura L.12:24 PM

    Buttercream icing is known and regularly referred to as buttercream, even by home bakers. I imagine he did eat some macarons with a buttercream filling somewhere, poor thing, and was defending the purity of the macaron. Nevertheless, I do fear with the growing popularity and mainstreaming of the macaroon that such offenses will become all too common. I, of course, am not referring to our dear PH and some of his experiments with ketchup, foie gras and so on, but rather some supermarket version full of chemicals and additives with a shelf life of seventeen years labeled "macaron".
    And a properly made buttercream could hold up the shells (at least it holds up masses of jelly beans on my kids' birthday cakes).

    And to take it one step further, not that you asked, a proper buttercream should be made with all butter, never any shortening. My father, from a long line of professional bakers, once walked out of his own birthday party at the Fountainebleu a million years ago after taking a single bite of his birthday cake and in disgust said "Shortening in the buttercream".

    Better,
    Laura

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  11. My first job at 16 was working in a bakery, and we had these enormous vats of buttercream frosting in back. I don't believe they needed any refrigeration, so were probably loaded with preservatives and other assorted junk. Extremely sweet but vapid, I still can't stand the taste of it. Now the interior of a true macaron... that's a whole different story!

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  12. If only the chef Micheli knew what a fuss he's caused!
    Maitress of Macarons, My Tartelette uses the word "Buttercream" all the time so...
    doodly...doodly...do

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  13. I have to have a mac! Never had one - maybe I should look for a Japanese girl?
    (Same question: are you a brunette?)

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  14. Love the new profile photo, BTW!!

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  15. I am going to be a good girl and not order them online and just wait out my five months and four or five days until I get there to taste these delights. I am not going to even attempt making them, even though one can find French macaroon recipes online. I hear it's more of a technique than a recipe that makes them just so...maim maim!

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  16. Mmmm speaking of raspberry macarons (with rasp. jam bein sur!), I had one (or two or three) at the Paris hotel in Vegas yesterday. The champagne brunch was simply divine, and my favorite part was the pretty looking plate of rasp. macarons! Of course I thought of you as I bit into one with fervor. Nothing like Paris, I imagine, but for Vegas, not so bad!

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  17. Those macs get under my skin! ;-)

    When I was in Lyon I had the best dessert ever, at Brasserie Georges, a "Mousse au chocolat au lait et au caramel au beurre salé" - un delice!!

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  18. FoodWalker3:30 PM

    You're certainly UP today! Gracious. I was out of breath just reading today's blog.

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  19. Misha in Paris3:30 PM

    MARS attack will be worst !
    YOU will be eated this time !
    so, have a good time right now!
    A+C++++++++++

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  20. I just downloaded my essential Who (tossing out cassettes, donating many CDs..) so this cracked me up. Now back to bed, not fffffeeeling great.

    Chef M is being awfully cranky (& incorrect in his usage...)

    Groan. Hi to Bear from moi & Julie....

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  21. Michelle5:15 PM

    Counting down.....four weeks and six days until I have Macarons in Paris. Will be arriving on Sunday -- with Pierre Herme closed, should I have Macarons at Laduree or Carette?

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  22. fatbear5:19 PM

    So first "Burning Down the House", now The Who - as we said in the day, cool

    I saw a performance of Tommy at Fillmore East back in the Stone Age (1969, to be exact) - one of the most uplifting concerts I've ever seen/heard - when leaving, I felt elated, even though (as a friend pointed out) the story is a real downer

    Next up:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UP0fy-FKrTY

    There are newer versions, but David still had hair and it's acoustic too.

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  23. Dear Carol,
    I love your blog and your Mac attack made my day.
    Keep up the great work.
    My Lauderee' painting is one of my favorite pieces and I treasure it.
    Stay well,
    Dorry

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  24. MICHELLE!!!
    MACARON NEWS ALERT!
    Who said Pierre Herme was closed on Sunday?
    NOT TRUE!!
    72 rue Bonaparte 75006
    Ouvert TOUS les jours de 10h a 19h
    et le samedi jusqu'a 19h30
    Mon dieu!
    By all means go to Carette- a very FAB place and go to Gerard Mulot, nearby PH.

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  25. Secret Admirer6:06 PM

    Carol,
    Your songwriting skills are racing neck n' neck with your painting/photographing/wit & humor skills!
    Can you Dance With The Stars too?

    Glad to see you removed yr winter beret-very nice indeed.

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  26. this entry made me laugh! :)

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  27. Thank god im eating breakfast while reading this otherwise id have to run out a find some macarons! Absolutely mouth-watering post! xx

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  28. I must disagree with your math...if the 2 shells come from Paris and the 1 filling is made in the US, the macs are sans doubte (SP?) 2/3 FRENCH!
    As for La Maison's impeccable packaging...I have a complaint to register with Dean and Deluca...they put their macs in a flimsy fold-up box- LOOSE! Hmph! They probably think us midwesterners can't tell la difference! Double Humph!
    And finally, I bought the english version of "I heart Macs" and I SWEAR I am going to make them this weekend.

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  29. Michelle10:28 PM

    Carol,
    I am saved by the news that Pierre
    Herme is open on Sunday! MERCI!! The incorrect info. came from "The Patisseries of Paris" (p. 139). "Paris Patisseries" has more detailed info. I will not be staying too far from Pierre Herme and I will visit Gerard Mulot, Laduree and Carette to do my own research on the beloved macarons. Can't wait!

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  30. I absolutely love your blog and look forward to your posts all the time! I used to live in a Paris for a few months-- and re-visted many times after that. I am trying to convince my family to take another trip this summer to the wonderful city, my dad has an apartment there, so I would stay with him.

    Unfortunately, when I go there, I do not get to go to all those adorable cafes and bakeries you blog about! I have been to Laduree many times and, of course, I love it. I wanted to know about any other "underground" places you like to recommend or visit when you're in the area.

    Please let me know!
    -Bita

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  31. Mmmmmhhh j'ai faim maintenant... :o(

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  32. My mouth is watering...

    On another topic, I have an award for you on my blog:
    http://www.blog.virtuosewadventures.co.uk/wordpress/2010/04/20/beautiful-blogger-award/

    You don't have to join in if you don't want to, but it gave me a wonderful opportunity to say thank you for the hours of entertainment I have had from reading your posts!

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  33. ilana in SA5:42 AM

    Dear Carol,
    I'm a huge Paris Breakfast fan, just about the highlight of my day when I get you post!
    Thanks so much for sharing your love for all things Paris!
    Hope you have a wonderful Tuesday
    ;-)

    Kind regards,
    ilana

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  34. Lyn M. from Minnesota!10:04 PM

    Say just found your lovely site!!!

    Macarons, the very heavenly treat that makes my day!

    I was shocked to a machine making macarons!

    Do they make this machine in France? Do you know a brand name?

    I am learning French in a couple weeks..a seven week crash course..

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  35. You are too funny Carol...I love it!!

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  36. Okay Carol, your devotion has me wanting to make these little gems..What's your favorite recipe? I will give it a go here in Hawaii... Lilkoi, Guava, Mac Nut, Kona Coffee...coconut.. what are your fav flavors... I'm home alone for the holidays and want a project... too funny..Champagne and Macaroons...très approprié pour la saison… une bonne idée

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