rows and rows and rows of yumminess...
Whew. I spent 5.5 hours getting in the way of the fantastic bakers at Pistacia Vera today. I am hoping that I will remember even half of what I learned so that I will be able to share some secrets with you! And yes, I got a few recipes and yes, I learned how to make macarons!
So here are a few things I learned today: get a candy thermometer. there is no end to the possibilities with eggs, sugar, flour, and chocolate. the simplest things are the best. most bakeries don't make their own laminated dough, but it makes all the difference if they do. I learned how to temper chocolate, how to make nougat (well, kind of - I don't foresee myself trying anytime soon), how to properly pipe, and how to have patience when baking. I learned that things get better as they age, and that good chocolate makes all the difference in the world. I learned that a bakery is a much more peaceful place than a restaurant kitchen - it is also cleaner, more orderly, and everything isn't covered in a thin film of grease and dust like in a restaurant kitchen. I learned that Pistacia Vera sells a lot of macarons, and that it takes days and days to make Husband's favorite treat, the canele.
Of course there will be more, much more, coming soon. Stay tuned!
