Laduree- the one stop destination for the best macaroons in Paris

Show me one person who doesn't adore a macaroon and I will show you Peter Pan! There is just something about a macaron with its crispy outer crust and its deliciously moist filling that the mere thought of it is enough for a person's mouth to start watering. It is mildly moist and when you bite into it, it simply melts in the mouth.All macarons are fabulous but there is something even more special about French macarons and that is what I will try and briefly touch upon here. According to the Wikipedia, a ‘macaroon’ is a sweet meringue based confection made with eggs, icing sugar, granulated sugar, almond powder, orground almond and food colouring. It is also called Luxemburgerli. The macaron is commonly filled with ganache, buttercream or jam filling sandwiched between two bicuits. The name is derived from the Italianword macarone, maccarone or maccherone, the Italian meringue. The confection is characterised by smooth, squared top, ruffled circumference (referred to as the "foot" or "pied"), and flat base. Macarons can be found in a wide variety of flavors that range from the traditional raspberry, chocolate to the new. (foie gras, matcha) And if we are talking about French macarons, no post can be complete without mentioning Laduree, the ultimate destination for a 'foodie's Paris visit. The true story of the Laduree macaron starts with Pierre Sesfontaines, second cousin of Louis Ernest Laduree, who at the beginning of the 20th century, first thought of taking two macaron shells and joining them with a delicious ganache filling.

To read more details, you will need to visit this site and I can assure you that you will love what you read! http://www.laduree.fr/en/histoire/macaron

On the three occasions I visited this Laduree, I literally found myself spoilt for choice- did I want the macarons or did I want one or all of these decadent goodies? Believe me when I tell you that for that moment in time, all that one can think, feel and of course see, is this mouthwatering spread, that just cries out to be eaten. One box of macarons just isn't enough, and that's also when you think of friends and family who might be looking forward to goodies from Laduree and you ask the sales girl for a second and then quite possibly a third....and a fourth box as well Looking at these pieces and thinking they look better than jewels Entering Laduree in the Carousel, next to the Louvre Just before I sign off for today, I must give you the best tip that I can think of. The tradition of Laduree is one that will go on and on and one of the most important things is that of sitting down together to enjoy a delicious cake. And that's exactly why Laduree is inviting all cake lovers to join the Laduree Club.

Here's where you can sign up for the newsletter which apart from giving you all news updates about Laduree, will offer you exclusive recipes, tips and tricks from the world renowned chefs. http://www.laduree.fr/en/club/newsletter Why wait...?

Revisiting- Food for Thought Turns 1 and a Ramadan Special

Its now three years since I started 'Food For Thought', but here Im re visiting the first anniversary special.

Time flies and here we are on the 25th of June, 2014. (Oman time) Today, its exactly one year since I started 'Food For Thought' and this also happens to be my 50th post. I've had a really great time writing each and every one of these posts and my journey through this year has taken me to kitchens in France, Oman and India in addition to my very own.

However, 'Food For Thought' is not merely about cuisine- I have also tried to share my love for art and culture through some of these posts and am fairly satisfied with the outcome. I've received feedback from readers as well as many of the restaurants and locations that I've featured. Best of all, I know for a fact that I've learnt a great deal as well! Top of mind, I recall the three sessions I had at Paul Muscat, with Pastry Chef Mohammed Kessrwani who unhesitatingly shared his Chef's secrets, special tips and allowed me to ask him "anything at all". Similarly, a Chocolate fondue making experience at the Al Bustan Ritz Carlton, the delightful new Anar Cafe, Caramel Bakery, Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, I could go on and on....

A special occasion ought to be marked by something special and I'm going to try and do exactly that. Oman is currently in the grip of Football as well as Date fever and we are enjoying the very best of both. There are so many uses of dates in recipes and over a period of time, I will share some of these with you. Meanwhile, here's a glimpse at what most of the date palms in Oman look like at the moment.

Ripe for picking As mentioned in my previous post on Pre Ramadan musings, I'm going to to write about some of the Ramadan Specials that various hotels and restaurants in Oman will be offering during this one month period.I will also try and get into the kitchens of some of these places and watch the chefs at work creating the most amazing delicacies and share that with you as well. To start with, I've got some special Iftaar recipes which Erika Anggreini, the Public Relations Manager at the Al Bustan Palace, A Ritz-Carlton Hotel has very graciously shared with me. The first one is a Rose Water Rice Pudding served with Mango compote Rose Water Rice Pudding Ingredients · 114gr Arborio Rice · ½ Ltr water · ¼ Tblspn Salt · 1 Ltr Milk · 57g Powdered Sugar · 118 ml Heavy Cream · 60 ml Rose Water · 1 tbspn Cardamom Seeds Procedure Combine water, salt and rice.Cook until rice is tender, adding milk, cream and sugar and continue cooking on low heat until it becomes a pudding consistency. Add the rose water & cardamom seeds and cook for 10 min. Finally, chill before serving. Mango Compote Ingredients · 4 Mangoes · 2 Oranges/ Juice · 100gr Powder Sugar · 1 Vanilla bean stick Procedure Cut two mangoes. Place all ingredients in a pot and caramelize for about 10 minutes, then blend to make sauce. Once the sauce has chilled, cut the remaining two mangoes into small cubes and mix in with the compote. In a bowl serve the rice pudding and mango compote garnishing with pistachio crumbs. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx And here is a great Summer cooler, a very special Ramadan inspired beverage also from the Al Bustan itz Carlton. This is Coconut Ice Tea which is really simple to make. Try it, I'm sure this will immediately become a family favourite! Coconut Ice Tea · ¼ cup of coconut puree · 8 black tea bags · Lemon for flavor · Sugar · Ice cubes Fill a blender with ice and blend all the ingredients. Finally, sit back, relax and enjoy!

To close for today, here's wishing all of you Ramadan Kareem and peace, happiness and joy in the month ahead and looking forward to hearing from you on what else you would like to see in Food For Thought. The Taimur Mosque -Muscat

French pastry and Neha's graduation from Le Cordon Paris

“The fate of nations hangs upon their choice of food, wrote Jean Anthome Brillat Savarin, the great philosopher of gastronomy and nowhere is this statement more accurately reflected than in Paris.Paris breathes culinary excellence at every corner: its open-air markets, bistros, and boulangeries, the ideal location to learn about gastronomy, regional products and to absorb France’s culture. And I'm not wrong when I say that the best place to learn about all this and then some is at the Le Cordon Bleu, and  has seen thousands of the best chefs in cuisine and pastry all over the world, walk out of its doors.

Founded in 1895, with its motto ‘A commitment to excellence since 1895’ Le Cordon Bleu Paris attracts students from all over the world. The best students can obtain internships in Parisian establishments, an invaluable work experience which will reflect in future professional pursuits. All courses are taught in French and translated into English.Pâtisserie Supérieure student exams are judged by Chef Instructors as well as guest judges from the culinary industry, who grade each entry on presentation, organization, presentation, and taste. 

On this trip to Paris, we had the privilege of watching our daughter Neha graduate from this very world renowned Le Cordon Bleu, Paris with a Diplome de Patisserie on June 6, a glorious afternoon at a beautiful and touching ceremony held at the Westin Hotel. Watching her receive the medal, the blue ribbon and the chef’s hat was one of the most memorable moments of our lives. Since then, Neha has started an internship at a leading patisserie in Paris and is putting all the skills learnt at Le Cordon Bleu to very good use.

Neha graduates from Le Cordon Bleu, Paris

Here’s a very interesting little story about the origins of this blue ribbon.In 1578 King Henri the third of France established the Holy Spirit. The knights of this order were identified by wearing a cross on a blue ribbon.This elite group set very high standards in matters of the table and soon the notion of this blue ribbon became synonymous with skills of the highest caliber in culinary excellence.

While I have done an exclusive feature for the Oman based 'Woman' magazine for its August issue due out shortly and will share the link on 'Food For Thought' once the issue is released, this post is based on my meeting and interview with  two of the most senior chefs at the school-Chef Jean –Francois Deguignet, Chef Patissier and Chef Philippe Clergue, Chef de cuisine and got some very interesting insights from them. I'm sharing some excerpts with all of you here -

Chef Jean –Francois Deguignet, Chef Patissier and Chef Philippe Clergue, Chef de cuisine

To my query on what it was at  Le Cordon Bleu  that really sets them apart from all others Chef Deguignet told me, “It is the sharing of passion, focusing on technique, training, visualising and practice that sets us apart. These are short and very intensive courses and it is the hands on practical classes that teach a great deal to all students.”

Chef Phillipe Clergue added,“The basic level is extremely important as it is a really big job for the chefs and instructors to bring and put all the students at the same level. In any practical batch, there are only between 10-14 students and that is what makes it really unique. In the Superior cuisine one of the exercises is to create a recipe from a list of ingredients provided. In between, the students are encouraged to come to the chefs , discuss the details and then create  their recipe”.

Chef Deguignet- “In Superior Pastry it is different as its not about their creations, This is where they have to precisely follow what the recipe says. It is good to use the Internet and learn more and more that way. It is really great for visuals and everything can be experienced online, except for the taste. That is why we encourage students to go in for an internship where they have a chance to learn more as well as practice what they have learnt.”

I was keen to learn  that over all their years of experience of 20-30 years, how many and what kind of innovations had been introduced in the curriculum and techniques at LCB and was delighted with their responses.

Chef Philippe- “Molecular gastronomy is being introduced at a rapid pace. While the chefs at LCB are the ambassadors of classic techniques, they have to keep up with the changing trends over a period of time. e.g vacuum packing and molecular cuisine all come under that umbrella. We are all open-minded and this is particularly evident when the students reach the Superior level. What is really most important is to learn the classical techniques and once they master it, they can move on. It is just like in music, once students learn the DO- RE-MI, they can learn more as well as differently.”

Chef Deguignet“It is comparatively easy receive a Diploma but difficult to stay in the business. As part of my own personal growth and development I am a part of a group called the ‘Sugar Men’ who meet periodically and discuss the ever growing trends in the Pastry business.”

And finally to my query on how they compare French pastry to that from the USA, UK or other countries?

Chef Deguignet sealed it with a superb response- “There is a very famous old saying, ‘ Desserts are universal but pastry is French!”

Need I say any more?

PS This article was originally written for the 'Woman' magazine, Muscat

Learning more about French Pastry and Bread-My visit to Caramel French Bakery and Pastry, Muscat

What does it really take to perfect a flawless chocolate éclair? A delicious baguette?To pipe dozens of macarons? To bake an amazing 'melt in the mouth' Opera cake? Questions like this have come to my mind frequently, and in order to find answers to all these and many more, I spent a delightful morning at the Caramel French Bakery in Muscat yesterday.

The first thing that hit me as I entered the bakery in Al Ghubra, was the delicious aroma that floated all around. It was a combination of bread, pastry, chocolate and cheese all rolled into one. Must confess, if I hadn't eaten breakfast before setting off, it would probably have had me salivating! 

Caramel Bakery-Packed with the best quality eclairs, pastries, cronuts, tarts, breads and so much more

I was greeted by the very polite French manager Mr. Pacombe who gave me a short brief about the place and introduced me to Eloise Traboulsi, the owner of Caramel. Caramel opened its first boutique and kiosk in Muscat in January 2010.  The initiative of Eloise Traboulsi, a French citizen living in the Gulf for the past 7 years, was the driving force and today Caramel combines her passion for pastry and bakery into a very successful business model for aspiring youngsters.

I was informed that in order to make such exquisite creations possible and produce the very best of traditional French bakery and pastry products, Eloise has introduced top of the range equipment and the finest ingredients coupled with the long experience of Caramel’s professional team.One look as I entered the Bakery and Pastry sections and I knew that it was truly a labour of love combined with the highest standards of professionalism reflected in the cutting edge technology of the machines and equipment being used by them. 

Eloise Traboulsi -the founder 

With their  motto,' Your satisfaction is our challenge' Caramel takes pride in sharing the fact that they cater to many Corporate and Private companies around.They have a standard menu for customers ready reference or their product range can be catered based on personal preferences as well.

Tempting treats and breads 

It was only 10 am and the shop was already packed with goodies.
In addition to  breads, and regular pastries I found cronuts, a new addition.
The Cronut is a unique creation by Chef Dominique Ansel that many have 
described to be a croissant -doughnut hybrid.After its launch in May 2013, 
cronut pastry fans were created all over the world, making it the 
most virally talked about dessert item in history.

A wide range of cronuts

I was introduced to the team working at the bakery and just ten minutes 
later, I understood exactly why Caramel is such a success.
Simply put, they have the most dedicated team of professionals
and the bakery works 24 hours a day. Add to it
smiling faces and effortless ease at their job and
there you have it!

  

Breads which taste even better than they look-The Bakery works 24 hours a day

Spinach Quiches just before baking

Pastry Chef Sebastian Gomes working on a Birthday Cake 

 

 All Smiles- while Chef Makram works on the day's plan 

Thank You Mr Pacombe- I really enjoyed the visit!

You really could be in Paris

I really could have spent a lot of time there 

but since I had other things planned, I had to leave.

I was really and truly happy, having learnt a great deal 

as well  tasting some French delights.

  

And if any of you are wondering how you can 

make your way to Caramel 

I've added the location map just below for your convenience. 

Would love to know what you thought...

The Location Map- Caramel

Christmas comes to Paul Bakery, Muscat

The taste of Christmas 

Back home after almost a month, it was high time to take stock of how things are shaping up for Christmas in Muscat and a place that readily came to mind was Paul Bakery.For those of you who have followed my blog, you might have read my earlier posts on Paul Bakery  at the MGM Mall in Muscat, you already know that I absolutely love it, Chef Mohammed Kessrwani showed me how to make a great french milefoit and they bake glorious bread! 


It has also truly become the benchmark for what good food, service and a sense of 'joie de vivre' is really all about. From seating customers to bringing out the delightful and complimentary bread baskets along with the little bowls of unsalted butter and olive paste to taking the order and detailing what each dish is, the staff really do know how to meet and sometimes even exceed customer expectations!

My mid morning delight- A Paul Cappuccino

Meeting Andre, the friendly and efficient restaurant manager this morning  over coffee was  very interesting as he told  me about their  very special Christmas range.The bakery  is ready to hit the Festive Season with Raspberry and Pistachio Yule logs, Igloo cake (chocolate duo) or chocolate truffles, among many others. 

The Buche- incomparable!

Pictured above is the chocolate buche, a conoisseurs delight. According to Paul, the traditional shape and rich chocolate flavor make this bûche an ideal treat for any chocoholic. Even better, if it’s Christmas, how can there not be a touch of something snowy? Which is what is provided by the 'Igloo' a combination of dark and white chocolate mousse and delicious hazelnut croquant.

And this is what I came home with...

 Despite all that I looked at, I finally decided to go for my old  favourite at Paul, the assortment of macarons. You see, I actually have plans to make my very own Christmas cake and an assortment of other Christmas treats this year, so  do watch this space for more.