Macarons are the new cupcake, haven’t you heard? Well, actually according the the New York Times, whoopie pies are the new cupcake. But I stand by my macarons. They are experiencing a renaissance, showing up in pâtisseries and bakeries as well as at weddings as favours. Now that Edmonton has finally opened a few cupcake shoppes, it signalled the end to that trend.

First: let’s get one thing straight. Not macaroons. Macarons.

Although macaroons are not without their charms. I used to buy the Neilson brand for $0.97 a box at Zellers during summers in Thunder Bay. It’s funny the things that thrill you as a child.

Macaroons are coconut based chocolate-covered candies or cookies, available at your local dollar store. Macarons are originally from France, and are meringuey light sandwiched cookies, with fillings. A world of difference.

Although I had never tried a macaron until this February at Bouchon in Las Vegas, I had long been interested in them. They’re just so damned pretty! And the flavours are insane. Earl grey, caramel fleur de sel, filled with jam, ganache, buttercream; even ketchup (yes you read correctly)…they are a baker’s dream of customization.

Then I started to research them, and I realized what kind of a baking challenge they were. I put off baking them for months out of fear of failure, which is a common reaction judging by all the blogs I have read about macarons. Some people report six or seven attempts to get something close to edible.The problems never end: too fresh of egg whites, under beating, over beating, under and over folding, humidity, wrong pans… Macarons are all technique, unlike many cookie recipes.

Macarons should be chewy, sweet, airy and with a bit of a crunch when you bite in.

Macarons gone wrong on other blogs:

I will not shame the bakers of these for they were brave enough to post their mistakes, but see what I mean? These suckers are a challenge!

However, I am happy to say, they were not as frightful as I had feared. While they are a bit advanced, I think anyone with a decent oven, electric beater/stand mixer, scale, piping bag and a bit of patience can make these.

I pulled my recipe from a number of sources. There are a few versions floating around the web, and I found the most successful recipes required weighing. I went to my parents house, where they have a convection oven, numerous baking pans, kitchen scales and most importantly: counter space and a KitchenAid stand mixer.

I started a day previous by aging my egg whites on a counter at room temperature. Some people age their whites up to three days. Why is this? According to Harold McGee in “On Food and Cooking“, it is complicated. Basically, the fresher the egg the easier to separate from the yolk. However, it can also be harder to get them to foam and stiffen, hence the artificial aging. One day on a counter at room temperature is equal to four days aging in the fridge.

McGee does say a stand mixer will whip even the freshest eggs, however. So the forced aging does have a reason and is not superstition, as many bloggers believe. The funniest thing about macarons is that everyone has their ‘trick.’ Some beat eggs for a certain number of minutes. Others dry roast their ground almonds, or add powdered egg whites to unaged fresh whites. Yet others let the piped cookies stand for over an hour to form a skin on top, then pray for the best.

Basic Macaron Recipe:

(# of sandwiches made depends on the size of your cookies. I got about 24 2″ cookies, to make 12 macarons)

• 225 grams icing sugar
• 125 grams ground almonds
• 110 grams egg whites (about 4), aged overnight at room temperature
• 25 grams granulated sugar
• Pinch of salt

Weigh the icing sugar and almonds, and sift into a small bowl. Weigh the granulated sugar and set aside. Finally, weigh the egg whites.

In a clean dry mixing bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium to beat the egg whites. Add a pinch of salt before you beat. The eggs should quickly become frothy.

At this point, slowly add the granulated sugar, and speed up the mixer slightly. The mix will become opaque and stiffen. Continue beating until peaks form and hold, and the surface becomes shiny. The whites should stick to the bowl and hold a well defined edge.

Gently fold in the almond/icing sugar mix with a spatula. I did mine in three portions. Here’s the tricky bit: “fold until the ingredients are incorporated, but do not over fold.” Some say you should get something like lava: a gentle crust on top, with liquid motion, and peaks that flatten.

When I filled my piping gun, the mix seemed so thick! I was certain I had failed, to be honest. I piped 1.5″ circles onto parchment paper, smoothing any nipples on top with a moistened finger. I put the macarons into a preheated 350°F oven for 11 minutes.

7 minutes into baking, I saw feet popping up on my little macarons so I was feeling pretty proud. I did have some cracking (mostly in the second batch) but overall, success! I think I might let the macarons sit before baking a little bit longer next time. I think it might stop the quick spreading, and cracking, in the oven. If you have trouble with your macarons, try the Italian meringue method. Some have better luck with that.

The stages of the eggs:

At the start.

Getting foamy now, almost ready for sugar….

Sugar added, and whipping into stiffer foam.

Finally, success!

Piping the macaron batter:

Look at those damn near perfect feet!

It’s citrus season and while I love RioStar grapefruit and naval oranges, I have a special spot reserved for blood oranges. They’re really spectacular. I decided to make blood orange curd for the middle of my macarons.

My initial curd recipe was a DISASTER and so I have this FAILcurd:

It looks like a prop in a horror movie.

One redo later, and I had something much better.

Blood Orange Curd

(makes 1 1/2 cups)

• 3 eggs
• 1 tablespoon fine orange zest (TIP: zest before you juice the oranges, it is easier)
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed blood orange juice
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar (I might use less next time)
• 4 tablespoon cubed room temperature butter

In a small saucepan, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and juice until blended. Cook, stirring constantly (to prevent it from curdling), until the mixture becomes thick (like sour cream or a hollandaise sauce), about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in butter pieces. Add the zest and let cool. When cool, cover and put in fridge.

Next time I will include less sugar. Lemon curd demands a high amount of sugar to tone down the tartness, but blood oranges are so sweet they do not need the help. The leftover curd is great on toast.

My sources for my successful macaron making:

• David Lebovitz: Instructions and recipes for making French macarons
• Serious Eats: How to make macarons
• Translated from French, Mercotte: Desperately Seeking Macarons

Also, how wrong is it that making these macarons made me long for a new camera and a kitchen with natural lighting?

Prohibition Speakeasy Pub :: 11026 Jasper Avenue, Edmonton

On tap: wings, nachos, deep fried dill pickles and Creemore Springs draft beer

In attendance: Evan, W.M. & Kelly, visited in March 2009

Wing rundown: $10 for a pound of wings (8-10 per plate). Flavours limited to hot, salt & pepper and Thai chili. There seem to be no special wing nights or happy hour pricing.

Nacho libre: A plate of nachos is $10 and change. Chips topped heavily, but simply, with two cheeses, tomatoes, red onions and pickled jalapenos. Sides of sour cream and salsa.

Ambience: Music was played a bit too loudly for the mostly empty bar, a selection of alternative newish rock. Pretty black and red decor, with mostly booth seating.

Would not eat again, ever.

Prohibition is a stylish, loungey bar that drew the club in with a sign posted on their billboard advertising “Dill Pickle Chips.” I was not aware that Prohibition served any food, so this came as a surprise to me. We visited on a Thursday night and promptly ordered nachos, some wings and the pickles with pours of Creemore Springs.

Shortly after our order went in, the waitress informed us the kitchen was out of dill pickle chips. I was surprised to learn from the waitress that they came out as whole dill pickles (but we suspect they may be spears.) Every other rendition I have tried (sampled at Stripburger and BLT Burger in Las Vegas) came out as, well, chips. These little bites of sour dill pickle wrapped in fluffy batter can be as delicious as they sound, if you are a pickle lover. Perhaps I will return one day to try the dill pickles, as there are not many places in Edmonton that serve them.

Prohibition's hot wings

In place of the pickles, we ordered another flavour of wings. Overall, the wings were substandard, considering the price, and were lacking in the meat department. Evan referred to them as “…pterodactyl wings” and thought there was too much joint to gnaw on. They seemed to be hot and freshly cooked, yet they still managed to be soggy and cartilagenous and were not very good as they started to cool. Sauce distribution on the hot wings was a bit lighter than most places in town and lacked the kick these spicy morsels can have. The salt & pepper were crispy, and not overly salted, so they did not leave us parched or with the dreaded salty mouth corners. The wings came with pepper ranch dip, and were served on a bed of sad looking lettuce.

The nachos were promising; they came out smothered simply in two kinds of cheese, jalapenos, red onions and tomatoes. The cheese on top was melted on the whole chips, hiding the travesty below: confetti chips and unmelted shreds of cheese. There is little as difficult to eat as broken nacho chips with no cheese to bind them. A spoon is the only thing that helps in this situation, unless you do not mind eating straight out of your hand. A delicious heaping serving of unique garlicky salsa was alongside thick sour cream, but that did not offset the disappointment of broken chips.

With heady short-poured pints of beer, a lack of deep fried pickles, half-decent nachos and substandard full priced wings, the club will never return to Prohibition.

ADDITION: April 20, Prohibition has renovated to add two bocce ball lanes inside the bar. The bar seemed a bit busier with this new addition, so maybe they’ll have better turnover in the restaurant now. Seems to be attracting new people anyhow.

Read other Calorie Consumption Crew ratings.

March’s Real Simple magazine is full of ideas on saving money in your everyday life. A reader wrote in with this suggestion:

Rather buying the same items separately, my friends and I buy in bulk from warehouse clubs and share the cost. We buy chicken, bags of fruit and vegetables, packs of hair products and condiments. (Yes, we have bought a gallon of mustard and separated it into smaller containers.) Not only do we save but we also get to spend time together, even if it’s just running errands.

Brilliant, and right up my alley (aisle?). Of course, this works best if someone already has a card and doesn’t mind sharing, or if everyone pitches in for the cost of the membership. 

Plus: samples! 

[via Consumerist]

We ate other things on day two of our trip, but only one meal bears mentioning.

After buying some tickets to Penn & Teller’s show at 9pm (I highly recommend using Tix4Tonight for discounted tickets), we were on a bit of a time budget for the night. I called Restaurant Charlie at the Palazzo cautiously. As I booked dinner for 5:30 pm, I asked if that was enough time to experience their 14-course kaiseki menu. “Well, it is a bit closer to 3 hours,” said the hostess, “but I will tell Chef you have time constraints.”

Three hours may be cutting it close for a meal? What.

Bar Charlie is a restaurant within a restaurant, in this case, Charlie Trotter’s Restaurant Charlie which is inside the Palazzo. Bar Charlie is a kaiseki restaurant, a sort of cuisine normally confined to Japan. One of my true regrets about our trip to Tokyo was missing the opportunity to stay in a ryokan, or traditional Japanese inn. Sort of like a bed and breakfast. Kaiseki meals are very common in them.

With five, eight and fourteen course menus, Trotter has allowed his executive chef Hiroo Nagahara to really have fun and exercise his knife. Sometimes dishes are served in the Restaurant Charlie side, but mostly the chefs are working for you.

It’s extremely intimate to be the only two patrons at a restaurant. Even if it was filled there would only be room for fifteen to eighteen people. Later, as we were leaving, a couple came in and were seated, but for the most part it was one-on-one service. When I got my camera out to take some photos, Mike referred to it as the fifth person in the room. The normally super quiet lens opening became nails on a chalkboard. As such, I did not interrupt our dining pleasure with taking too many photos. But let it be known we were eating art that night.

Chef Nagahara was amazing. As the meal ended, we talked with him for some time. He told us he spontaneously comes up with many of his dishes, and the menu is never the same, which is a shock when you find out what they are and the complexities involved. His hope is that no one will ever experience the same meal twice at his restaurant. His meticulous care and preparation show in every step of the meal. He recognizes Japanese traditions in food (especially in kaiseki, where care is taken to present food as nature) and takes time to source seasonal ingredients straight from Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo. The glee in his voice as he described a still-in-rigour tuna he got in for Valentines Day was palpable. He implored us to come back and make special requests for next time. We also found out one of Chef Nagahara’s favourite cuisines was Ethiopian!

I’m not sure how long Bar/Restaurant Charlie will be around as it is definitely among the more dear restaurants in Vegas (and that is saying something) and it is pretty quiet. But it is definitely an amazing place. I am no critic, so just some photos and what I recall from our meal, below:

“Buttery Potato” cocktail. I have to say that savoury cocktails blow my mind. At $19, they should. The cocktail list at Restaurant Charlie is worth a visit on its own. They serve modern and vintage “pre-Prohibition” cocktails.

One of the two chefs working for us that evening. He never introduced himself!

“Cherry Blossoms in Snow”

Blue fin tuna tartare, with greek yogurt disc, seaweed tuile and pickled cucumbers

A new dish: cuttlefish, deconstructed.

The body, in the center there, made into a dumpling that was meant to have the texture of an egg. The wings, the lightest tempura you’ve ever had. The tentacles, grilled.

From pastry chef Vanessa Garcia, a series of desserts including:

Basil-infused blueberries with semolina pudding, tarragon semi freddo and lime-basil sorbet

Dark chocolate cocoa sponge cake with citrus salad, candied oro blanco (a variety of pomelo) peel tuile and oro blanco sorbet

Petits fours: Cookies and cream, fresh marshmallow, candied ginger and a gorgeous iridescent green truffle

Each dish was prepared fresh, right in front of us. When presented on the bar, the chef would explain every single component of the dish. The ones I recall, some better than others:

• Japanese tai (red snapper) with black grape reduction, black grapes and kalamata olive gelee
• An aji, or Spanish mackerel dish
• Trout three ways: ice cream, roulade and ravioli filled with trout head (the ‘pasta’ was made of trout stock) with crispy trout roe and skin (this was my personal favourite dish, if only because it was so bizarre to eat fish flavoured ice cream)
• Two different tuna courses, including bluefin tuna tartare, the other as “Cherry Blossoms in the Snow”, above
• Carbonated carrots and scallops. The carrots were in a liquid and carbonated, so that it danced on your tongue.
• “Oysters on the Beach”: Razor clams and oysters with horseradish granules (representing sand) and a sea water foam to represent the ocean.
• Sushi rice risotto with wild mushrooms
• A piece of two-day braised Kurobuta pork belly on a confit of quinoa and Fuji apples.
• Finally, a sorbet, two desserts and a sampling of petits fours.

Every dish was unbelievable and had several mouth feels, tastes and flavours going on. Everything ranging from bubbly, soft, firm, crunchy, chewy, sour, bitter, sweet, cold, gelatinous, umami… a true experience.

I regret not taking notes, but it really was nice to just sit back, relax and take the entire experience in. For such a complex – at times esoteric – meal that may never be replicated this may have been a mistake, but I am certain I will remember it for a long time.

PS: We made it to the show on time after our two and a half hour dinner: Penn & Teller were great.

At first, it was a joke. But deep down, I knew it was the truth. The reason for such a quick return trip to Las Vegas: to eat at the Border Grill.

Of course, there were other reasons, and other restaurants. But after hearing my parents gush about their amazing dining experience at the authentic Mexican eatery in Mandalay Bay, I knew we had to return. We ended up eating a few hours before our flight home (note to self: get entrees to bring home next time!) and I wasn’t feeling very well, so no photos. However, here are some of the other dining experiences:

Day 1: Ping Pang Pong

Inside the Gold Coast Casino (west of the Strip, at the corner of South Valley View Boulevard and West Flamingo Road) We had a car, but a cab or even the Rio or Gold Coast shuttle will get you there as well.

Drawn by rave reviews of the dim sum, we visited Ping Pang Pong as soon as we had our car rented. The Gold Coast casino is one of the sadder places I’ve been, but full of interesting folk and free giveaways: I saw many people walking around with “Swiffer” duster knock offs.

Since it was mid morning on a Sunday, the place was packed. We waited nearly 30 minutes for a table which was the only disappointing part of our meal. We gorged ourselves on seafood, dumplings, rice noodles, taro and BBQ pork buns. Everything was fresh, the sauces were incredible and were not just plain mayo or soy. The tea was a step well above average and stayed super hot in its cast iron pot. Even the smell of cigarette smoke from the adjacent casino wasn’t even that bad. The dining room was efficient, and shaped into a lucky number “8″ with most seating reserved for large groups, naturally. It wasn’t the best dim sum I’ve ever had, but I would eat there regularly if I lived in Las Vegas. The total came about $30, I believe. It was a steal.

Unassuming entrance. There were at least 15-20 people waiting at any given time for a table.

Ceiling decor.

Day 1: Daniel Boulud Brasserie

(Inside Wynn Las Vegas)

It took a long day of shopping to be hungry for our late dinner reservation at the Wynn’s Daniel Boulud after eating at Ping Pang Pong. We had a hard time deciding where to eat. A return to Le Cirque, following our last triumphant meal? Perhaps a trip to the newly opened Sinatra at Encore? Mike read the description of the restaurant from the oversized glossy magazine promoting Steve Wynn’s twin properties earlier in the day, and it was incredibly persuasive. In the end, the promise of house made charcuterie at Daniel Boulud won us over, however.

Chef Boulud just took over Rob Feenie’s Lumiere in Vancouver. I had dined there nearly two years ago, in a meal that still remains fresh in my mind. As does seeing Feenie himself pushing dishes out of the swinging door to the kitchen. Boulud is a busy fellow and I doubt he is in his Vegas or Vancouver kitchen with any frequency, but I could be wrong. Either way, his direction has served well at Daniel Boulud Brasserie and the meal was great value and executed well.

To start, west coast oysters and the charcuterie board. The large glossy magazine had told us earlier that the Wynn has its own marine biologist to care for the multitude of lobsters and sea animals that are used in the hotel. The oysters were okay; nothing mind blowing here. The charcuterie, however, is worth a visit. There is an outdoor patio that was warm, even in Feburary, and I was fantasizing about returning to have a mid afternoon snack of pate and foie gras with a glass of wine on the patio. Meats of the day included chicken liver mousse, pâté of some kind, pistachio sausage, fig and duck terrine as well as a variety of cured meats, served with house made pickles and mustard.

Pickle platter

DB Burger

Skate grenobloise

(As you can see from the photo, it really needed more brown butter)

Mike went with the signature DB burger as a main, and I kept with the sea creature theme and had skate grenobloise. The burger was amazing: stuffed with braised short ribs, black truffle and foie gras, making it kind of hard to eat. It was shockingly juicy and meaty and a very over the top preparation for a burger. My skate was amazing; served in a rich brown butter sauce on a bed of roasted cauliflower, radishes and potato puree. Lobster is fine, but skate is finer. It has long been considered a ‘trash fish’ but it has a sweet, flaky texture and I would order it again if I ever saw it on a menu. The portions were a bit modest, but perfectly filling. I had no desire to feel nauseatingly full after with a visit to a tequila bar on tap, and instead just felt pleasant. Our server chatted with us for some time about Canada’s Yukon and the time he had spent there. It was a relaxed evening.

The patio overlooks the Wynn’s “Lake of Dreams” and there is a cheesy half-time show of sorts. Videos, music and inflatable animals are used to entertain the crowd for a few minutes every half hour. I found the food to be attention worthy enough and found the shows distracting. If you want to see it, however, it is also visible from the Parasol Down bar and SW steakhouse.

One of the shows at the Lake of Dreams

These always go quickly when I bring them into the office. They’re super sweet, melty morsels with a chewy base. Great with a glass of milk; they are a true Canadian classic.

Nanaimo Bars

(Makes 16 squares, more if you cut them smaller)

Bottom Layer

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar
5 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 egg beaten
1-1/2 cups graham wafer crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped cashews (use whatever nut you like though)
1 cup finely shredded coconut

Middle Layer

1/4 cup unsalted butter
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon 35% cream
2 tablespoons vanilla custard powder
2 cups icing sugar

Top Layer

one entire bar of dark chocolate, 225g (I used Nestlé Noir, the “intense” 70% cocoa version)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1. Melt first four ingredients of bottom layer in top of double boiler.
2. Add egg and stir to cook and thicken. Remove from heat.
3. Stir in crumbs, nuts and coconut. Press firmly into an 8″ x 8″ pan with clear wrap laid on the bottom. Chill while you prepare the middle layer.

Middle Layer

1. Using an electric mixer, cream all ingredients together, beating well until light in colour.
2. Spread evenly over chilled bottom layer. Place back into fridge to chill while top is being prepared.

Top Layer

1. Melt chocolate and butter in a bowl over a double boiler.
2. Cool slightly – the chocolate should still be pourable.
3. Spread gently over second layer so as not to mix the two layers together. I find tapping gets a smoother layer. Refrigerate until set.

Cut into bite sized portions with a hot knife. Some people cut HUGE portions, but I prefer little bites. I find the bars extremely rich and almost too much to handle.

In this layer: cocoa, butter and chopped cashews. I’ve made them with pecans and hazelnuts. Cashews are my favourite.

It’s hard to get homemade custard to the right consistency in Nanaimo bars, so you pretty much have to use “Bird’s Custard”. I find it sickeningly sweet, even when you cut back on the powdered sugar required. In fact, I would say I don’t even really like Nanaimo bars. Can you believe it?

This is my favourite way to cut Nanaimo bars. They are incredibly messy, so before I start to lay down my layers, I put down clear wrap in the base. Then, when the layers have solidified, you pop out the sheet of Nanaimo and cut on the plastic. The chocolate is contained!