Pistachio Macarons…Addicting
I haven’t had a genuine French macaron since I was in Paris at 16 years old. What do I remember? Vivid pinks, browns, and greens adorning these delicate sandwich cookies. Crisp outside, chewy center…mmmmmm. At the time, I didn’t know they were called macarons, I just thought they were these amazing cookies.
In college I found a recipe for Chocolate French Macarons. I had no idea what they were but decided to make them. Of course, when you don’t know what the end result is supposed to look like, and when you don’t have a foundational knowledge of baking, who knows what you get? I ended up with some really delicious but decidedly sticky and cracked, flattish sandwich cookies. The frustration with the general mechanics and required amount of time made me vow not to make them again for a long time.
Come Mother’s Day, I wanted to make something special. Now knowing what macarons are, and being a bit more experienced in the baking department, I decided to attempt them again. It was doubly sweet because the macarons and that Paris trip were a fond memory for my mom. Macarons are typically made with almond flour, a giant no-no because my dad is allergic to all nuts except pine nuts, macadamia nuts, and pistachios – we don’t really get it either. I found a recipe made entirely out of pistachio flour and was very pleased with the results.
They look big in the picture, but they were slightly smaller than 1″ – still working on my measuring skills. I made about 180 halves (also brought a batch to a work bridal shower) and filled them with pistachio buttercream.
Let’s just say 90 cookies doesn’t last long in my circle of family and friends. Yum.
Want to make them? http://joakitchen.blogspot.com/2005/11/pistachio-macarons.html
Filed under Cookies, Mother's Day | Comments (3)I Love Me Mommies
Happy Mother’s Day, biological and adopted mothers!
This marks the 3rd annual joint Mother’s Day celebration with our mothers. We had an extra challenge (and celebration) this year – a baptism ceremony to attend right before lunch. The added requisite planning and prep were well worth it – cleanup was a breeze! I think we’re going to try to do this even if we don’t have a pre-event obligation because appetizers were ready right away, and the only thing to cook was the protein. Ahhh I love a clean kitchen (especially when you have an open floor plan, with no doors to hide unsightly dishes).
We forgot to take pictures of the appetizers, but we took a couple of baguettes from our favorite local European bread bakery – with a couple of croissants to breakfast it out – and turned one into crostini. I made a crabcake-like mix for the top, yum-o. Since it was so simple and easy, I’ll share it with you.
Crabcake Crostini
original recipe
Crostini
1 baguette
Olive oil
“Crabcakes”
8 oz. lump crabmeat
Juice from 1/2 a lime
1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
3 T red onion, finely chopped
1/4 c. cilantro, finely chopped
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed, finely chopped (optional)
Slice baguette on the diagonal into 1/2 inch thick slices. Arrange on a baking sheet and brush both sides with olive oil. Broil for 1.5-2 minutes on each side until golden brown but not burned. Remove and let cool.
Combine all crabcake ingredients in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight to allow flavors to develop. Serve on top of crostini.
The main course:
- Grilled scallops marinated in blood orange, lime juice/zest, red onion garnished with mint
- Shaved local asparagus salad (Mario Batali)
- Roasted beets with balsamic reduction
Hubby and I have a HUGE thing for roasted beets. Not boiled, not canned, roasted. Super simple and one hour’s worth of roasting can give you beets for the week. Just be wary of the dye-namic effect it has on your poo…
I thank God that I have a spouse that loves to grill and kicks butt at it. I have an innate fear of fire and the grill is no exception. Those beautiful grill marks (and btw, the exhausting asparagus peeling as well) I must credit my better half.
Tip: Go local or use a trustworthy food source where possible. The asparagus is grown on a farm a mile away, and the scallops come from the local fishmonger. Like butta.
Dessert:
Strawberry and Pastry Cream Tart
This tart probably had the best crust I’ve ever made – but was a pain to cut. Avoid using gigantic Costco strawberries if you want to impress your company with picture perfect slices. I also skip the currant jam or whatever other gunk they recommend you put on top. Slimy stuff.
Our mommies went home with flowers, cards, and their own box of pistachio macarons (post to follow). We love you ladies!
Filed under Fish, Mother's Day, Recipe | Comments (2)I Love You, Mom
Yesterday was Mother’s Day and my mom and my new mother-in-law both suggested celebrating together since we all live relatively close to one another. Yay…FANCY LUNCHEON! Time to break out the fine china – thanks baby for handwashing all of the dishes afterward. 
The menu actually came out very well-balanced – miso-marinated grilled pork tenderloin (adapted from Epicurious), grilled corn and edamame salad (Epicurious), grilled tomatoes stuffed with crabmeat (my recipe), and goat cheese and ricotta with lemon and basil on grilled crostini (Giada DeLaurentis). Served with some peach bellinis that were a little thick but tasty. Of course I only took two sips because life doesn’t want me to enjoy much alcohol without spending time afterward on our comfy couch.
Dessert featured some fresh berries (courtesy of my sister-in-law) and a semolina custard cake covered in phyllo dough, with honey syrup and honeyed pine nuts (Martha Stewart):
