Three Blue Ducks

Here we are, I've thawed this post from the archives (read: lazy bones)! Three Blue Ducks is lauded as one of Sydney's finest cafés and I can understand why. Opening back in 2011 (the dark ages by today's standards) it is now a treasured part of Bronte and a must-visit. When descriptors like 'honest' are used for food it does make me cringe (can food somehow be deceptive then?) but I'm happy to make allowances for this suburban gem. This is a little café on Bronte's main strip that is definitely making waves.

As soon as this cookbook was announced I bought myself a copy, bringing a bit of the TBD philosophy into the home kitchen. The back stories are a fun read and the recipes delicious! Credit: Three Blue Ducks

I had been looking forward to FINALLY trying this place out for an age. Masterchef 3 also bolstered their popularity where the team delivered some fabulous food and beautiful plating, I suppose working in Tetsuya's is a good start (!). Three Blue Ducks is the product of a collaboration between 5 mates (so Five Blue Ducks, really) including chefs Darren Robertson and Mark LaBrooy. Sam Reid-Boquist is front of house, barista Chris Sorrell and Jeff Bennett put together the wine and craft beer list. 

The distinctive graffitied interior, which was largely done by the Ducks themselves. Pretty good handiwork I must say. The café is spread over two shopfronts with an adjoining portico Credit: The Australian

One thing that appeals about Three Blue Ducks is it's accessibility.  You have laid in front of you what could be restaurant quality food in a place where you could clearly wear flip-flops. TBD was constructed with not only a food philosophy in mind but an entire lifestyle (involving lots of sun and surf). It's no secret that the boys love to surf, so a beachside café starts to make a whole lot of sense. What's more, they also have an urban garden in which they grow a lot of their fresh produce and keep chickens in the "Chook Mahal" along with a bee hive. Not too shabby!

Eel, green tea and kombi. Perched atop daikon. I confess, I am a total sucker for eel, especially Japanese style Unagi-Don...AAAAh. The eel portion was rather on the meagre side here but the combination of flavours was intriguing but harmonious all the same

The menu is divided into small, big plates and sweets. Make of it what you will, you have free reign over the menu - have as many (!) or as few (boo) as you like. In the early days they did a dinner degustation where you chose your courses (up to 4), each costing $17. I for one never thought I'd write café and degustation in the same sentence but there you have it. The menu is literally your oyster (they're also on the the menu). It was a pretty sweet deal at the time; they must have cottoned on to how labour intensive degustation-anything is.

Calamari and smoked corn. By golly miss molly. This dish is a CRACKER. A smudge of corn purée (not enough) with perfectly fresh & tender squid laced with corn kernels. It is so light and delicious I could easily have had bowls of the stuff!

During daylight hours the coffee machine is busy whirring away but at night it takes on a different hat. It becomes the casual restaurant serving restaurant-quality food and that's the truth. The  formative years in fine dining establishments have clearly shaped the food at TBD. The technique certainly shows and speaks for itself. As you'll see, plating is elevated to an art form (watch out  Quay! Only joking). You almost forget you're in Sydney suburbia. They prefer the big plate, food on the side approachThis is classy, well thought out food without any of the fuss. Versatility is key here; being able to offer breakfast, lunch and dinner is surely an asset.

Mushrooms and grains: a generous pile of shredded mushrooms on grains cooked al dente? Err what's not to love?

Black cake, fried egg, apples and beets (left) and mussels, clams and lemongrass (right). The black pud, delicately hidden by the egg was so smooth and goes perfectly with apple (weirdly). The raw onions were not really my cup of tea

Wagyu, bone marrow and kale. Of all the dishes, this was perhaps on the plainer side flavour-wise but the cooking of the wagyu was faultless

Duck, rhubarb and licorice. Just. Wow. The duck breast was super tender, like unbelievably so. I could not get over that...dying to know their secret!

Orange, chocolate parfait and ganache. A tried and tested combination that totally works

Lemon, meringue and celery. The star dessert, by a mile. This looked stunning when it was presented. The skewed plating is almost a trademark, maximising the effect. The plating would probably have taken ages!!

This dessert was a big highlight for me, one of the best desserts I've had in a while. It is a take on a lemon meringue pie (deconstructed) with a dash of candied celery. The latter sounds bizarre but it did add a refreshing crunch to the dish. Curd? Tick! Meringue? Tick. With candied zest and lemon jelly, it was an intricate piece of handiwork

Expect the unexpected, that's what I took away from TBD. As I'm sure many Bronte locals do, you could easily drop-in several times a week. Finding excuses: the morning coffee run, brunch on a Saturday, the can't-be-bothered-to-cook night... is just too easy. Unsurprisingly, the Ducks have done so well that they've opened another café in Falls Creek which opens to during ski/snowboard season (another fortuitous venture? I think not). There's also another Inner Sydney café planned for Bondi Beach which is one to watch out for. Exciting times ahead for the Three Blue Ducks and their loyal fans.

Credit: Three Blue Ducks Instagram (@joelbennetts)

Thanks for reading!
xGourmand

An Apple Cake for the Afternoon

There's nothing quite like settling down to a cup of tea at 3 in the afternoon with a wee slice of cake. Afternoon tea is an incredibly English institution (nothing wrong with that) which I've taken into my own hands. Here is a recipe adapted from The Real Food Companion by Matthew Evans a.k.a. The Gourmet Farmer. The result is a deliciously moist cake with a fine crumb that you don't have to do the hard yards for i.e. my kind of recipe. Enjoy this one, especially as the days get cooler.

"Just a small slice": the best thing about this cake is certainly the apples. Cut into generous cubes, they are the star of the show here. Land yourself some apples from you local farmer's markets, the growers can advise you on which are best to use

Ingredientsss

1kg cooking apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1.5cm dice

200g raw sugar

2 eggs, lightly beaten

A few drops of vanilla extract

125ml extra virgin olive oil

200g walnuts, roughly chopped

250g self-raising flour

1.5 tspn ground cinnamon

A pinch of salt

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees, grease and line a round 28cm cake tin (I've used a loaf tin out of convenience)

2. Mix apples in a bowl with sugar, egg, vanilla, oils and walnuts

3. Sift in flour, cinnamon and salt and stir

4. Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for ~45 minutes

5. Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 5 minutes until turning onto a wire rack to continue cooling

6. Serve that baby up!

Don't be alarmed by the apple to cake batter ratio, it does seem like an awful lot of fruit to be baking in there. Miraculously though, it just works with beautiful results!

This cake is just one of those recipes that are handy to have around, when friends drop by or you're craving something to tie you over until lunch time. It will keep for a good 3 days in a container  too. Can't go wrong with this one!

Thanks for reading and happy baking!

xGourmand

A Kinfolk Salad

I don't know about you, but I adore receiving things in the mail. Snail mail, as it's come to be referred. Call me a nana but in an age where everything is about instant gratification, a small reminder of the old ways is a welcome relief. The day I was delivered The Kinfolk Table was a particularly exciting one. A self -proclaimed disciple of the Kinfolk camp, their philosophy is all about simplifying in the best possible sense. Singing the virtues of the shared table where time itself is the greatest luxury.

To my excitement, the Kinfolk Table is quite a tome to be pored over again and again Photo: Kinfolk

I want to cook everything in this book, the recipes are not there to challenge or dazzle you with technique but to simply enjoy the process: the market shop, the meander in the kitchen almost an idle.  Here is the first thing I made from the cookbook at home, it was a pleasure to put together (because that's all it was really) and to devour. 

Hearty Barley Salad with Broiled Feta and Tomatoes
Recipe by Nathalie Schwer

The finished product, a serving of deliciousness - and sort of healthy too!

Ingredientsss
Don't let this longish list of ingredients deter you!

230g feta cut into small cubes
230g small ripe tomatoes, halved
70g pitted black olives
1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs e.g. rosemary, oregano, thyme
60ml (1/4 cup) extra virgin olive oil
200g pearled barley
2 cups water
Salt
2 ripe avocados, cut into cubes
455g marinated artichokes, in wedges
1 cucumber, seeded and chopped
2 cups fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
30ml (2 tbspn) fresh lemon juice
Freshly ground pepper

Method
1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees, position rack in centre of oven

2. Combine feta, tomatoes, olives, herbs and olive oil on a foil lined baking tray and toss to mix

3. Bake for 25 mins or until the feta has melted and the tomatoes soft and brown

Oh man, just imagining this as a tart/quiche filling right now...

4. Meanwhile, bring barley, water and 1/2 tspn salt to boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, cover and simmer for 20 mins or until tender. Fluff barley with fork and transfer to a salad bowl

Believe it or not, I haven't actually cooked with pearl barley before. I had to buy it from the trusty health food shop up the road. It has a texture very similar to brown rice, slightly nutty

5. Add avocados, artichokes, cucumber, basil and lemon juice to barley and toss to combine

Any other day, I would happily sit down and polish these off just as they are

6. Stir in the feta mixture. Season to taste with S & P

Be aware that feta tends to be quite salty so don't be too heavy handed with seasoning

7. Serve warm with bread and/or charcuterie (whatever's lying around) and a glass of wine

A hodge podge of veg and colour! I found the feta let off a lot of oil once baked, add the pan juices to the salad with care

There's a lot going on with this salad flavour wise. The feta offers a real kick that is tempered by the sweetness of the tomatoes and cucumber. Add in those divine artichokes and the occasional olive saltiness. The freshness of the basil features with almost every mouthful. The recipe apparently serves 4 but I stretched it to 6 pretty generous serves. Great as a party starter!

Thanks for reading!
xGourmand

A Long Lunch with Matthew Evans

Sydney's Good Food Month has kicked off with a bang, and a spit roast. Oh yes, you read right. This momentous (and lamby) occasion was to mark the release of Matthew Evans' a.k.a. Gourmet Farmer new memoir, The Dirty Chef. His latest book documents his bold tree change from bustling Sydney to the tranquil of the Huon Valley in southern Tassie. And what better way to enjoy the October sunshine than a lamb spit roast and a long lunch? Warning: this post is not recommended for vegetarians.

Taming the Beast: this was our welcome. Hot fat drips into the coals and plumes of smoke puff back at you, tauntingly. Want a piece of me? [That was rhetorical, obviously]

Our luxuriously long lunch was hosted by The Commons, the 'local eating house' of Darlinghurst. A venue much suited because of their philosophy of sourcing food locally and knowing its origins. Ethical food choices are what they are all about and this is a message that Evans' also endeavours to get out there. Much of the produce from the lunch was sustainably sourced by providore Feather and Bone, whom you can find at Pyrmont Markets. I've written a bit about these ideas in a post that you can find here. Glass of La Zona prosecco in hand, you can't help but enjoy the surrounds!

The outdoor courtyard at The Commons, home to the spit roast lamb for this afternoon delight.

We were in for a looong lunch, 4 courses of a sharing style menu designed by Matthew in conjunction with the Commons kitchen. A veritable Spring feast i.e. the best. Here's my photographic rundown... Bon appetit!

Fried local zucchini flowers stuffed with ricotta and herbs. Plump and stuffed with creamy-as ricotta, these babies were a delicious and crispy starter

Charcuterie board (left) and Chicken liver crostini (right). The charcuterie by Feather and Bone included bresaola (a favourite amongst us), prosciutto and salami - cured meats that were surprisingly sweet and mellow. I'm a bit of a closet paté/terrine fan so this smooth liver crostini was lovely

Grilled mackerel stuffed with salsa verde. A sustainable fish course presenting a vibrant green hue. This was one of my personal favourites, with a squeeze of lemon and a smear of aïoli the little mackerel packs a punch

The mackerel (left, ain't it pretty?) and right, seasonal vegetables - a warm salad of asparagus (new in season), heirloom carrot and broad bean

Le pièce de résistance: whole 2 week dry-aged biodynamic White Suffolk lamb from Lynden Farm, Oberon NSW. Carved up with expertise by Matthew and Grant from Feather and Bone. Boom.

The lamb, in case you were wondering was the star. Rather tender, rather crispy skin, rather amazing. If we only had one plate for lunch, this would be more than enough. But no, we've gone for seconds and thirds and fourths...It makes me smile :)

For dessert we had a cheeseboard of Marrook farm biodynamic Brinawa (Tilsit style) cow's milk farmhouse cheese but this was the main event: blood orange, polenta & olive oil cake with mascarpone. Oh boy, this was a thing of beauty. The occasional crunch of the polenta grains was a nice textural touch.

Three glorious hours later we were nursing our food babies and listening to Matthew tell us about the highs and lows of working the land (he now has 2 farms to keep him busy) and a sneak peek into his upcoming project (which smells a bit fishy, hint hint). Evans is as down-to-earth and hospitable in real life as he seems on our TV screens. This afternoon was a wonderful feast of ideas, great food and good company. What more could you ask for?

Evans' new memoir, The Dirty Chef - a rather curious title indeed! I've got my signed copy next on the reading list ;)

Thanks for reading and Happy Long Weekend!

x Gourmand

Black Diamonds

This could quite possibly be the world's most expensive breakfast. There's no other ingredient around that is as prized as the truffle and now 'tis the season. Presenting, a truffled omelette [emph-A-sis on the truffle part ;)] cooked with a bit too much butter and crowned with slithers of fresh black truffle, the eggs still a bit runny of course. It's a once a year occurrence and a culinary splurge, for sure. Miam-miam! 

Omelette with fresh black truffle: it's a deadly simple recipe to really show-off the flavour of the truffle. Now I know what it really tastes like!

Costing a very pretty penny (for a black diamond!), truffles can be found at our local farmer's markets for a strictly limited season. The truffles (or should I say truffle chunk) that we got our hands on were from Lowes Mount Truffles in Oberon, NSW. Another more famous Australian truffière (or whatever they are called, 'cultivators') is Manjimup Truffles from WA. Black truffles or Tuber melanosporum really are such beautiful things, organically formed and speckled white but etched inside.

Hai ya! This photograph is just pure indulgence. Photo credit: Fx Cuisine

'They say' that truffles taste differently to each individual, they are perhaps an acquired taste. They're earthiness and texture really is something entirely unique. A true gem in the foodie world. And it's no wonder, because they only grow amongst specific trees - hazelnut and oak for example and found only by trained dogs or pigs (although the latter tend to scoff them, unabashedly). Finally, we have started to grow them on our shores, Australia being the largest producer outside of the EU. These days there's even the annual Truffle Festival with truffle hunts and cooking classes held in the Canberra region. We can definitely hold our own!

RECIPE - it's a cinch

Truffled Omelette from Andrew McConnell's Cumulus Inc.

Serves 1 (greedy guts)

Oh, this is making me hungry. The foaming butter just tops it all off, not to mention those truffles!

Ingredientsss

2 eggs (choose free range or organic, you know the deal)

1 tbsp milk

pinch of salt

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp olive oil

pinch of chives, chopped

1 tsp parmesan, finely grated

10g sliced fresh truffle (go nuts, i say)

1 tsp crème fraîche

pinch freshly ground white pepper

Method

1. Whisk eggs, milk and salt together at high speed for 2 mins

2. Melt butter with oil in pain over medium heat

3. Once butter is foaming, add egg and stir before reducing the heat to low

4. Sprinkle over chives and parmesan, then scatter truffle slices evenly on top

5. Dollop over crème fraîche and sprinkle over pepper, then cook for ~30 seconds

6. When underside of omelette is golden, and the egg is almost set, fold omelette in half and cook for another 30 secs before turning out

To appease my obsessive-compulsive streak I have collated a number of truffle/egg recipes from the interwebs. Choose your poison...

French Food Safari with Guillaume Brahimi (video) Scrambled Egg with Truffle

Gourmet Traveller's Truffle Omelette

and...

Oh mercy. Katie Quinn Davies' Black Truffle Fried Egg, with the addition of blue cheese and mushies. Source: What Katie Ate

From the lauded truffle shops in Paris to the humblest jar of truffle honey, everyone can savour the flavour of truffles. The magic of this ingredient is that you only need a few grams to really transform a dish, a light dusting over egg pasta or risotto is all that required. Bellissimo.

Sniff it out! Why have a truffle dog when you can have a truffle pig? Infinitely cooler. Photo credit: The Times UK

Thanks for reading!
xGourmand

A Mostly Latin Lunch by The Selby

Here's a nice 7 minute culinary diversion for you...
Filmed in the distinctive style of Todd Selby, a pioneer in interior design photography and portraits of creative/famous folk; this themed lunch is hosted by NYC chef Ignacio Mattos and his family including Paco, his baby son with blazing eyes (see for yourself). Other guests are David Tanis (cookbook author) and chefs Fernando Aciar and Pam Yung. It makes for a very professional outfit whipping up just a "casual" lunch. Looks bloomin' amazing if you ask me...

Ignacio's Mostly Latin Lunch, A Selby Film. Presented by T, The New York Times Style Magazine from the selby on Vimeo.

The menu included Piexe com Banana (seabass stew with fried bananas), farofa (an intriguing side dish with cashews, aromats and Yuca flour), salad of onions, radish and avocado and Farofa Doce (dessert of lime sherbet, coconut mousse and grilled pineapple). These were accompanied by starfruit caipirinhas (love that word) - a Brazilian classic! Anyway, the whole shebang looks peachy perfect for a summer's day. Too bad it's about -5 'round these parts at the moment.

It is a Selby tradition to have his subjects draw or hand write their answers to interview questions but on this occasion we're made privy to the recipes. HaHA!

Looks like food fun-times ahead! I love the hand painted elements to the clip, the watercolours give this film a vibrancy that suits it to a 'T'. I look forward to Selby's second book release in October, Edible Selby which is dedicated to the shoots he's done at restaurants/kitchens like with chef Inaki Aizpitarte of Le Chateaubriand in Paris (no. 15 in the World's 50 Best Restaurants) and providores Mast Brothers Chocolate in Brooklyn.

The Edible Selby began as a foodie spin-off but now caters to the old school book lovers (of which I am one). The cover features Eric Werner chef-owner of Hartwood in Tulum, Mexico. Image poached from Hype Beast

Thanks for reading! M.

VEG (almost)

Gee whiz, doesn't time fly... Sunday was Xmas day and soon I'll be hitting my mid 20s! Nothing like a quarter-life crisis to throw into the mix. I've been a busy little bee recently and will only tease you with une salade.


Zucchini and Green Bean Salad with Tahini dressing

I'm partial to a nice macro shot, and this veggie creation

Serves 4

Ingredientsss

Salad

2 tbspn olive oil

3 medium zucchinis (400g) sliced thinly into rounds

Juice 1/2 lemon

1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

125g french beans

4 handfuls of salad leaves

12-18 oven dried tomatoes (chuck in halved tomatoes in oven at 100 deg C with some sugar, thyme sprigs, bay leaves, olive oil and some S & P for as long as you can muster). Alternatively, use semi-dried tomatoes

Handful of shredded mint (optional)

3 chicken thigh fillets (optional, for the carnivore in each of us)

Dressing

1/2 garlic clove, crushed with coarse salt

2 tbspn light tahini (sesame seed paste)

Zest and juice of 1/2 lemon

Juice 1/2 orange

1/2 tbspn honey

2 tbspn olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

• Pan fry sliced chicken thighs in olive oil and salt and pepper. Note: add the oil etc to the chicken before putting in the pan. Once cooked, set aside
• Heat 2 tbspn olive oil in a large pan over high heat and cook the zucchini slices in batches, until tender and browned on both sides. Transfer to a bowl once cooked and season with S & P, lemon juice and chilli. Toss together well
• Bring a pan of salted water to the boil. Tip in French beans, return to boil and blanch beans quickly (but depending if you like them crunchy or soggy and limp, lol)
• Drain beans and rinse in cold water  to stop coooking and refresh. Drain and pat dry, add to zucchini
• For the dressing: put the crushed garlic into a small bowl with the tahini, lemon zest and juice, orange juice, honey and some black pepper. Stir well. If the dressing is thick and grainy, thin with 1 tbspn of water at a time. Stir in olive oil and season to taste
• Assembly: spread salad leaves in the serving dish, scatter over zucchini and beans, tomatoes and shredded mint. Top with chicken pieces and dress generously. Et voila!

It's a little 'rustic' but I'm not complaining. This photo was taken literally about 5 secs before I launched in. The dressing tastes awesome and the salad itself has the right balance of texture and flavour. Props to Hugh

This plate of deliciousness was conjured by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, of the River Cottage empire (coming in a close second to Jamie's diabolical plan for world domination). Restaurant openings (and closures, for that matter) have been gracing our media all year - Jamie's Italian in Pitt St is no exception. Pity, it's not exceptional, according to grand master Durack [13/20]. 


I first heard about Hugh when I watched an ep of his River Cottage series. It was a rerun from 50 billion years ago but I thought it was rather charming, especially the huge garden that supplies the restaurant fresh fruit/veg/herbs bit. The English countryside is always a winner too. I bought this cookbook, cheap as chips off the interweb and it has served me well. Who knew there are so many ways with the humble bean, or beetroot! Btw, the baby beet tarte tatin looks fan-freakin'-tastic. There are plenty of recipes to whet your appetite for greens, but I usually add a smatter of meat (like pan-fried chicken pieces par example) for something more substantial . There really  aren't any rules so cook what and how you feel like!

When Hughie cut off his luscious locks (see his former glory here), I must admit I was a little shocked and appalled. It was akin to Enrique Iglesias having his face mole lasered off...it's not like we didn't notice! Source Le Delicieux

Another list: What I like about Hugh F-W

His honesty: a bit corny I know. F-W is not a trained chef but has made a profession out of his passion. There is none of the pomp or pretence that comes with your Ferrans, Hestons or Redzepis - many of whom have become too big for their boots.

He doesn't want you to sous vide anything

His food philosophy: he is a big believer in cooking and eating more vegetables (hence, the vegetarian cookbook) but is definitely not veggo (see this installment). Yotam Ottolenghi, a UK chef is on the same page with Plenty (def on my wish list). True, it 'tis the usual, sourcing the freshest in-season ingredients yada yada (rant) but it all rings true.

Hugh F-W's hair, in the early days (pre-2011) - see caption above. It became a sort of trademark for him and signified his hobo-esque image of "the farmer who could cook". Well nevermind, now he just looks like your average joe in a cabbage suit...

Dapper as anything. If ever you are in some sort of culinary crisis or in need of some comic relief. ..this is your man. Source The Guardian

Happy silly season! Peace out.

, but a morsel

I see you note that puzzling use of punctuation there - I'm taking a little artistic license and asking for a wee pause. I can do that. This post would mark a (sort of) momentous occasion I believe! The first of a brand new venture, and step (or should I say, giant leap) in a more culinary direction. I've decided to do a little show and tell today. I was standing in the cookery section in the book shop (one of my happy places), having a squiz when a little stack of biccies catches my eye - macarons that is, people. 

Said, stack

Now see here, the correct word is 'macaron' not 'macaroon' (yes you, australian women's weekly). Macaroons are chewy little biscuits with desiccated coconut through them. I'm alluding to the soft shelled almond discs filled with smooth-as-silk ganache or cream of the francophile variety. They're actually from Italy originally. It would seem that zumbo fella is onto something, he's struck a patisserie gold. People have officially gone ga ga for macarons. Why now? Because never could you have gotten so much satisfaction out of a single mouthful. Well you could of, but obviously no one wanted to.


Purveyors: zumbo in sydney has been hyped to the hilt. he's gotten rave reviews about his macarons in sydney because he's practically the only one marketing them. plus, there's 'macaron day' at his balmain patisserie which makes the crowds go wild (riding that sugar high). All i'm going to say about his are that the flavour choices are great, but the high sugar content detracts from this. They're just too sweet! He has perfected the crunchy outside and soft, chewy inside but my poor arteries give a yelp at the sight. Anywho, I'm reserving my final judgement for when I hit the macaron 'houses' (yes, i'm equating to fashion) in fair Paris i.e. Ladurée (king macaron) and Pierre Hermé (big daddy). Let the games begin...(in January, that is)

The shop window of Ladurée, I die.
Photo credit: Mariam Sitchinava

So let's stick with I've tried a fair few macarons in my day. You'd actually be surprised at the triumphs that can be made in the home kitchen (when it all works out). But I have never personally made them before. It's like the final frontier. So on a bit of an impulse today i purchased a cookbook dedicated to macarons (so sue me for buying into the hype). This one was accompanied by at least 5 other books with exactly the same agenda. But why 'Secrets of Macarons' by José Maréchal? Well a) he's actually french b) he's a patissier with a cafe in paris c) the book is pretty damn good looking (i'm such a sucker for food styling, i tell you) d) his surname is the same as a french teacher i used to have. And sold! 

Re: 'c)' See what I mean?!

José writes the book more as an all encompassing manual to perfecting the art rather than including the 50 gajillion different flavour combinations you can have for your macarons. I'd want to nail the basics before i move on to any tricky stuff. my piping bag cost $2 for chrissakes...i might need to upgrade. anyway, he makes an effort to explain the science behind the almonds, eggs and sugar etc so that it all makes sense when it comes to working them into the batter or meringue. once you've got the plain macaron figured, then you can move onto flavours. the book features 9 basic macaron flavours like pistachio, lemon and coffee and then moves on to the more advanced like double pistachio (can it get any better?), hazelnut and honey. 

Had enough yet? I'm only teasing :P

It's all pretty enticing really. and did i mention the book is beautiful? I'm not sure if this book needs any more spruiking. Hopefully justice can be done in the kitchen. I shall report on my macaron cherry-popping, when and if I get around to it. Until next time! 


Stills from book: Booktopia