Saint Emilion Old-fashioned Macarons

Down in good 'ole Bordeaux rests the beautiful region of Saint Emilion, a medieval treasure with villages, vineyards and the original macaron. I'm not referring to the Ladureé macaron mecca; these old-fashioned "biscuits" originated in the village of Saint Emilion centuries ago! 

Here's a sweet bit of history I scavenged:

"The recipe, believed to include the mix of sweet and bitter almonds, was a secret closely guarded by this small religious community and passed down through generations of the order until, in 1930, it passed into the hands of Madame Grandet. With the help of her family she opened the Blanchet Bakery at 9 rue Guadet. Three generations later and this small maison artisanale is a thriving business, where the recipe remains unchanged and the preparation and baking is still done by hand. Even the almonds are selected, roasted and powdered on site. Whilst other bakeries exist in St Emilion none have the right to bear the name St Emilion Macaroon (macaron in French)."     -Kerry Swash

We tried a bite of Madame Grandet's during our wine tour, and I was immediately determined to try these at home.

We were informed that old-fashioned macarons only require almonds, egg whites and sugar. This is true. However, after Googling the Saint Emilion recipe throughout my afternoon, I finally came across a European baker whose conversions threw me for a loop. Little did I realize how mathematical a baker must be. I acquired more research on conversions (I bookmarked this page for future reference) and, luckily, the ratio worked perfectly in my adapted recipe.

See those brown almond shell speckles in the macarons below? Yes, that's right. I made my own almond powder. It was a simple step that made all the difference in the consistency and taste.

My parents and I agreed, upon trying our macarons, that the Saint Emilion flavor was indeed present. Plus, they're only 105 calories per macaron biscuit! Bon Appetít.

saint emilion old-fashioned macarons

Makes 12 macaron biscuits

Per serving: 105 cal. | 5 g fat | 14 g carb | 3 g protein

6 oz. packaged sliced almonds
3/4 cup sugar, divided into two parts
2 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1. With a food processor, pureé almonds to a "powder" consistency (see photo above). Measure 1 1/4 cups of almond powder and place in medium mixing bowl.

2. Mix half of sugar with powdered almonds, add one egg white and stir well. Mix in second half of sugar before adding second egg white and almond extract.

3. Once ingredients are completely incorporated, leave to sit for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 300 degrees.

4. Lightly grease or place parchment paper on a baking sheet. Use a tablespoon to scoop dough and drop 2 inches apart on baking sheet.

5. Bake for 20 minutes, opening oven door from time to time to help develop a crisp shell for the soft interiors.

6. Cool macarons completely on a wire rack before serving.

adapted from kerry swash at suite101.com

Rainbow Trout with Sugar Snaps and White Asparagus

Although I ate enough fine fare in Paris last month for an army, there's something about a home cooked summer meal that I still managed to crave. On the night I arrived back in Memphis, my mother handed me piles of magazine recipe cut-outs she had been collecting over the course of the month. Here's what we chose for the first July homemade dinner of many.

We managed to find some gorgeous black wild rice in the back of our pantry, which I simmered for an hour in organic chicken stock. It was a hearty bed for the trout and vegetables; not to mention, the colors contrasted nicely.

I will let you know that the cumin seasoning was not favored by my family members (my ultimate critics). Next time, under our roof, we are going to leave out the cumin and simply load on salt and pepper before broiling the trout. Do as you wish!

rainbow trout with sugar snaps & white asparagus

Makes 4 servings

4 whole rainbow trout
Cooking spray
4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1 lime, halved
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups sugar snap peas, trimmed and halved diagonally
1/2 cup shallots, sliced vertically
Small bundle white asparagus, peeled and cut into 3 inch pieces on the diagonal
1/4 cup pine nuts
2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill

1. Preheat broiler to high.

2. Arrange trout fillets on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Squeeze lime juice over trout, then sprinkle with cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Broil 5 minutes until fish flakes easily with a fork.

3. While fish cooks, heat a medium skillet over high heat. Add 2 teaspoons olive oil and shallots. After two minutes, add asparagus, snap peas and pine nuts. Cook 3 minutes or until peas are bright green and nuts are lightly toasted, stirring frequently. Stir in dill and remaining salt. Serve over trout.

adapted from cooking light magazine

Bread and Roses (Paris)

In the heart of the Madeleine/Concorde districts, Paris meets Beverly Hills. Designer boutiques and frilly cafés welcome the classiest array of Parisians and tourists. Needless to say, I felt a bit out of place arriving in my white jeans and tank, but Bread and Roses' reputation and gorgeous menu convinced us to enter. We wanted to splurge on a delicious salad and chic lunch experience. And we got just that.

Although the mediterranean vegetable tart is a typical entreé, we split it three-ways as an appetizer. The rich goat cheese, buttery pastry crust and lightly roasted veggies combined effortlessly. The fresh fig slice on top was a sweet extra touch.

The restaurant is also known for its fine salads. I had trouble choosing between the ten options because, honestly, every single one sounded delicious. Madison and Hannah both ordered the grande salade of shrimp, avocado, grapefruit, haricot verdes and grilled chicken. The vinaigrette was super light, highlighting each ingredient well. I enjoyed the buratta des pouilles salad, which was served deconstructed to showcase each element. The red, green and yellow field tomatoes were beautiful, the olive tapenade was addicting, and the bundled buratta in olive oil was gooey yet mild. My only complaint was the dryness of the cornbread, but I just used the table bread instead.

We loved our lunch so much...we had to come back for breakfast!

They're known from their brioche (tea bread), and now I see why. It's like a buttery, flaky version of challah. I couldn't get enough of it. The portion was so large, Hannah, her mom and I couldn't even finish it!

The fresh pressed orange juice was delightful. Bread & Roses stresses that they do not make this juice before it is ordered! I believe it. It tasted just like my orange-grapefruit pressed juice at Colette earlier in the week. I wish Paris adopted the concept of free refills...

Ah, the scone. This Bread & Roses specialty is served with strawberry jam, butter and real whipped cream. The pastry is dense but sweet with huge raisins. I was demanded to try a scone before leaving Paris, and I'm so glad it was my final meal before heading to the airport!

And Just Like That, Au Revoir, Paris

How could this be?!

I blinked, and my summer abroad was over.

Five weeks flew faster than any other trip I've been a part of, and it's still all soaking in. I have handfuls of more restaurants to tell you about and even more memories to share. Despite its overwhelming nature, Paris is awesome. I've fallen in love with it; everything except the metro (I was so squished this morning that I thought my feet would actually levitate from the ground!).

Hannah and her mom took me under their wing for the loveliest last full day I could have dreamed of. We ate very well at Le Village and L'Avenue, discovered that Ladurée has ice cream with a macaron on top (could it get any better than that?) and enjoyed each other's company throughout the Champs Elysees and Le Madeleine neighborhoods.

artichoke, asparagus and parmesan salad from le village

Just because I'm heading home to Memphis does not mean I'll stop talking about this European paradise. I have a few critiques to catch you up on; and if you're in need of tips or travel advice, just let me know and I'll be happy to share.

Au revoir, Paris. I'm not even gone yet and I already miss you!

thai chicken spring rolls from l'avenue

strawberries and burrata from l'avenue

seabass from l'avenue

Georges (Paris)

Talk about a view.

Besides the once-in-lifetime Eiffel Tower setting at Le Jules Verne that my parents and I enjoyed earlier this week, our dinner on the roof of the Pompidou museum was quite possibly the neatest venue in Paris. We took six sets of escalators to reach Georges, a glass window-enclosed dining spot with sleek decor, modern art and 300 degree views of the entire city.

The Justin Timberlake music made me feel like I had entered a nightclub, but the single rose on each white-lit table and backdrop of the Parisian sunset felt like a romantic escape.

To begin, I ordered the lobster salad. Can't go wrong with that. Hannah had the coolest appetizer by far: Caesar salad rolls. Instead of the Vietnamese rice paper roll ingredients, chicken, lettuce and Parmesan were tightly wrapped in rice paper with a tangy Caesar dipping sauce on the side. Such a creative concept.

For the entree, I was impressed by my shrimp risotto: jumbo shrimps covered the plate with the richest, most unbelievable risotto I have ever tasted. Ever. And if you've read this blog, you've seen how often I order risotto. The texture, flavor and temperature made this risotto number one in my book.

The sweetness in our millefeuille and berries & cream was top-notch, and the sparkling Eiffel Tower (which only happens at 11 p.m. and midnight each evening) made our dessert course even more magical. I was so excited to be with my Memphis "family" in Paris!

Le Jules Verne (Paris)

Eating inside of the Eiffel Tower is an absolute treat. There's no doubt about it. After escalating 125 meters in the exclusive Le Jules Verne elevator, we entered a classy dining room and were greeted by about 10 servers as we were led to our window table.

Now, since this is a "critique," I must fill you in on a few details that most reviews won't tell ya.

1) The restaurant is so high in the air...I felt as if I were in an airplane. Couldn't tell many buildings apart, unfortunately.

2) The meal is outrageous. Yes, you're paying for one of the "best" views and dining experiences in Paris...but, come on, a 25 euro glass of wine and 88 euro lobster appetizer is a bit ridiculous, in my opinion.

But now, I'll quit my complaints and show you some of the best quality food and presentation I have seen this trip.

I did mention that each glass of wine was 25 euro on average, yes? Well, we didn't take the (half) glass for granted, ha! A gorgeous basket of breads, ranging from croissants to whole wheat rolls, began our lunch. The embossed butter was a fabulous touch.

Mom ordered the chicken and duck fois gras with purslane and country French bread. We were disappointed with the consistency - I was looking for something much smoother and spreadable. But you have to admit: how gorgeous is that plate?

Dad's salmon marinated in lemon, caviar and vodka with mimosa garnish had killer presentation as well. He described it as "pretty good!" We'll take it.

I saved my appetizer for last, cause it was out of this world. I picked the chilled garden pea soup with wild mushrooms and farm egg, which was lightly fried on top. I enjoyed the contrast in texture and found it interesting that the peas were served whole and as a pureé. I truly loved this.

For our main course, all three of us got the John Dory fillet (cooked in a cocette) with spring vegetables and "condiment." It was grilled to perfection, and we all enjoyed the mix between warm roasted tomatoes and cold cabbage. The dish was light and very tasty!

On a side note, please excuse the photo...I started eating before taking a picture! Welcome to the life of a foodieholic.

For dessert, fruit was the main ingredient. While the portions were tiny, the strawberries were fresh and each complimentary baby macaron and vanilla bean marshmallow popped in my mouth in one bite.

Our unique lunch at Le Jules Verne was a memorable final date with my parents in Paris - we made the most of every minute from the height of the city!