Comments on: Bloggers' banquet, Melbourne

By: Duncan

Duncan — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 23:56:45 +0000

Thanks clb. Yes, the shells were just plain, and the raw sugar crystals were sprinkled over just before baking.

By: clb

clb — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 15:55:29 +0000

Just found your fantastic website through David Lebovitz! The macaronicite you pulled together is really brilliant!

For the salted caramel macarons, do you just make plain shells? No additional flavoring? What is sprinkled over the top - crystalized sugar? At what point to you sprinkle over the shells to make them adhere? Thanks so much for any additional information you can provide.

By: Duncan

Duncan — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 00:47:24 +0000

Welcome LeeLin. Glad you enjoy reading the various food blogs and thanks for the compliment. The knife is particularly scary when holding it in front of your eye during a photoshoot! LOL

and for everyone else: La Macaronicité has commenced here!

By: LeeLin

LeeLin — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 15:59:55 +0000

I am not a food blogger but definitely a big fan reader of food blogsites.. a true food lover will know that the pleasure is not just the end result but the journey taken to reach there..
New in Melbourne (about a year) and find these Melburnian blogs very helpful ie places to eat, food tips, recipes, etc
Love your style of writing and insightful reviews. However that knife looks a bit scary

By: Stickyfingers

Stickyfingers — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 06:39:05 +0000

Noisette near Chateau Sticky in Port Melbourne make a yummy range of the petite Macarons in a range of pastel couloured flavours. The Patissier was Laurent's head man until he opened his own venture in Bay Street.

By: Duncan

Duncan — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 00:44:43 +0000

Good comment, Ed. (And thanks for the newspaper mention yesterday.) I knew D Chirico was doing them (haven't tried them yet, so thanks for the info), and Laurent (disappointing), and I think Cacao does them. I wonder if people have had them in restaurants? I would assume that Fenix/VdM/Becasse get them right, given the talent (though that need not mean their published recipes are the real deal).

Part of the reason I've encouraged Vida to try a different one is because there are so many factors that can influence success/failure in these, so the experiment is useful. Even experienced home bakers of macarons report occasional failures despite using the same recipes/techniques.

@Vida: no, no driving for me.

By: Ed

Ed — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 00:36:21 +0000

Duncan, please don't ruin a good thing by trying any new recipes. Please! BTW, I have been unfaithful with a pistachio macaron at Baker D Chirico. Good but not that good.

By: Vida

Vida — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 23:20:25 +0000

Duncan, I was thinking of driving there anyway. Do you not drive? Vida x

By: Duncan

Duncan — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 11:58:49 +0000

@grocer — on the surface, that's very easy… it's just the French word vs the English word. But in English people have tended to use the French word for the sort of beast that I made.

@Vida — cool:) I look forward to the report. Alas, I've never been to Harvest Picnic. Public transport to it absolutely sux (or has done previously), so I never make it. I know people who enjoy it greatly, and others who are indifferent. Go once so that you can decide who you agree with!

By: grocer

grocer — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 11:49:59 +0000

please also include the defining distinction between a macaron and a macaroon as i still don't quite get it.