Cuisine
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Baking Croissants at La Cuisine Paris
How much more Parisian can you get than baking croissants in Paris? Well, perhaps Discovering the Secrets of Macarons would do it but I think it’s a pretty close race. Having already mastered macarons, I decided it was time to move on to the buttery, golden viennoiseries – pastries. So on a hot, sunny day in May, I made my way to the charming French cooking school, La Cuisine Paris, to attend their ‘Le Croissant and Breakfast Pastries‘ class. Tucked in behind Paris’ stunning Hôtel de Ville – City Hall – on la Rive Droite – the Right Bank – of the Seine, La Cuisine Paris offers a wonderful selection…
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Truffle Cashews ‘Comme Le Ritz’
If you’ve read my post titled ‘The Ritz Paris for a Light Lunch’, you may remember the Truffle Cashews that I enjoyed during that lovely meal. They were such a tasty, sophisticated treat, and one that seemed relatively easy to replicate, that I decided to experiment when I returned home to see if I could do just that. I am happy to report that, with minimal effort and ingredients, I have succeeded! If you too would like to experience a little taste of the Ritz, just follow the quick and easy recipe below. Ingredients: 350 grams salted cashews (I used sea salted but I’m sure regular salted ones would work well…
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Baking Sweet French Classics at the Ritz
After enjoying a light lunch on the patio of the Ritz’s Bar Vendôme, I was kindly guided down the elegant, toile-adorned staircase to the kitchens of the École Ritz Escoffier. I was on my way to attend their ‘Sweet Classics’ baking class. Earlier in the year, as I was planning this trip to Paris, I had discovered that the Hôtel Ritz had just re-opened after an extensive four-year renovation. Always on the look out for new French baking and cooking class opportunities, I began to wonder whether they might not offer some. Happily, a quick look at their website confirmed that indeed they do. So, of course, I had to…
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A Buttercream Snow Day
For anyone living in southern Ontario, this past weekend was definitely a time to stay inside. The forecast called for a major wintry April storm, with temperatures in and around the freezing mark and a wide variety of non-stop precipitation. This included rain, snow, freezing rain and ice pellets to be accompanied at times by heavy winds. And Mother Nature did not disappoint. The rain began Saturday morning and by the end of Sunday evening my gardens were frosted with a covering of snow topped with a layer of ice. And the rain continued to fall. So as I prepared to cocoon myself for the weekend, I decided it would…
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Discovering the Secrets of Macarons
While planning a recent visit to Paris I was looking for a more unique way to experience an authentic piece of that wonderful city – one that would help satisfy my interest in French cuisine. That got me wondering if Le Cordon Bleu, the world-renowned culinary arts school founded in 1895 by journalist and culinary magazine publisher Marthe Distel, offered classes to amateurs. A quick search of their website confirmed that indeed they do. Delving a little deeper, I discovered that one of the courses offered is called ‘Les secrets des Macarons‘ – The Secrets of Macarons. It seemed to me that one could not get much more Parisian than to bake macarons,…
