Happy Bastille Day!

Happy Bastille Day, friends!  We're on Day One of our annual family vacation to Oregon and California*, and I'm already feeling myself relax as we get further and further away from the hustle and bustle of NYC (which, consequently, I am addicted to).  But let's talk about Bastille Day...

Last Sunday, I finally had the chance to take part in the Bastille Day celebration on 60th Street, hosted by FIAF (French Institute: Alliance Francaise).  Adam, our friends Jen and Phil, and I spent a decadent day eating duck confit on a baguette (with cornichons tucked in)....

...wine-tasting...

 ...checking out French books (they didn't have it, but I'm dying to buy a copy of Ramona la Peste)...

...and buying jewelry, which Phil insisted wasn't really French...

But my favorite thing?  I FINALLY ATE MACARONS!!!!

Um, do you think I'm excited much in this photo? And check out the selection:

Thanks to The Culinary Librarian, I made a beeline for the MacarOn Cafe tent.  I decided to buy a pack of six, and I was able to choose any that I wanted.  Here's what I got:

From the bottom up, I chose Pistachio, Nutella, Creme Brulee, Dark Chocolate, Violette, and Rose.  The Violette was first - it just completely intrigued me, but Jen was worried it would "taste like perfume."

We both agreed it didn't.  I loved the crunch on the outside and the soft cake-y interior, and the violet flavor was subtle and delicate; the textures and flavors really came together perfectly and it was so well-balanced.  And for a gal like me who has a tiny little sweet tooth, it wasn't too sugary-syrupy sweet for me.

Next up was the Rose.  It was truly like eating a rose petal, which I couldn't decide if I liked or not.  Ultimately, it was unusual, interesting, and very fragrant; I think I liked it.  Jen...well...Jen said it tasted and smelled "like old lady."  See why I love her?

The other macarons were lovely, but didn't really compare to the Rose and Violette.  I enjoyed the Pistachio, in particular, as it had the same well-balanced deliciousness as the Violette.  It was all just so lovely.

Eat, drink, and vive la France!


* Previous posts on our West Coast adventures include: The Wild Pear, Oregon 2009, and California 2009.

Best Dessert

It has been well-documented here how little I like to bake.  And my complete lack of a sweet tooth.  I know I sound like a proverbial broken record - how many times have I talked about this?

All my blah-blahing aside (because, yes, there is part of me that takes a little pride in my love of all things savory), there is one dessert that I cannot resist: strawberries tossed with balsamic vinegar.  And preferably spooned on top of vanilla ice cream.

Thanks to this past Saturday's Union Square Greenmarket, I had three pints of strawberries.  One whole pint we ate on Saturday, of course, while still sitting in the park.  One pint would be eaten on Sunday morning.  But Saturday night we had a pint for dessert.  Here's what you do:

Hull the desired amount of strawberries.  If they're very large, feel free to halve them but, otherwise, you can keep them whole.  Place in a large bowl.  Add good-quality balsamic vinegar* and sugar to taste.  I know my lack of measurements may be frustrating to some of you but you've got to trust me on this.  Some people like it more vinegary, some with lots of sugar.  It's up to you.

Okay, you need measurements?  Here's a good place to start: I recommend a pint of strawberries with a half-tablespoon of vinegar and a 1/2 teaspoon of sugar.  Taste it.  Want more bite?  Want more sweetness?  Adjust accordingly.  Did you add too much vinegar?  Easy fix: add more sugar to even it out.  Spoon it over vanilla ice cream...and make sure to get the juices from the bottom of the bowl and drizzle that over the strawberries and ice cream.

Easiest dessert ever.  And the balsamic is a surprising addition that your dinner guests may not expect at first bite, which makes this seem much fancier than it really is.  The other thing is that if you're one of those people who insists on buying strawberries from the supermarket in February (rather than when they're in season), then this is one of the only acceptable ways to eat them.  Me, I wait until those first strawberries in May or June - there's nothing like them after eating no other fruit but apples all winter.  I was in heaven eating this dessert.

Eat, drink, and lick the bowl clean.


* Don't know if you have good-quality balsamic vinegar?  A good test is whether it's the consistency of syrup.  It should have a thick, syrup quality to it and, for heaven's sake, it should never leave your mouth feeling sore!

Foods I Haven't Tried: Macarons

Several weeks ago, I came across this post at The Culinary Librarian about NYC Macaron Day.  First, I didn't even know there such a day in New York (March 20th).  Which is bad.  But then....here it comes...my big confession: I HAVE NEVER HAD A MACARON.

It's purely circumstantial. They weren't on my radar when I was 17 years old and staying in Paris - at the time, I only ate white foods (don't get me started...).  I don't have a sweet tooth.  No one in my circle of foodie friends introduced me to macarons.  I don't frequent bakeries.  If I'm going to have a macaron, I want it to be the right one.  Not to be crude...but when you have sex for the first time,  you want it to be right: lighting, emotions,timing.  That can be the same with food.  If I'm going to try a fresh oyster on the half-shell for the first time, I want it to be right.  I want quality, I want the sea, I want a glass of bubbly, I want the right person next to me.

Which is how I feel with this whole macaron issue.  I regularly shop at Eli's Manhattan, where they have macarons on display.  But are those the best?  Do I really want those macarons to be My First?  Probably not.  But I feel like I'm missing out.  Not to mention that now I feel like I've built macarons up so much in my mind that they can't really live up to my expectations.

Tell me I'm not alone in this, guys.  What haven't you tried?  Share!  Divulge!  And when do you plan on rectifying it?  Or when you finally did have that First Time, was it really as great as you had hoped?

Eat, drink, and have lots of Firsts.


Image from Macaron Day NYC website