Master of Macarons

Last Friday the Master of Macarons; Pierre Herme visited the big yellow store on Oxford Street to see his new chocolate & macaron boutique in the Confectionery hall. Whilst there he caused a confectionery queue of epic proportions for macaron box & book signings...

......the new space opened in Selfridges last Friday and is a feast on the eye and the taste buds, nestled alongside Pierre Marcolini, and L'artisan du Chocolat it really is a chocolate lovers paradise.
Pierre was delightful, in his unassuming style, modest and a little shy.  I am sure he is the polar opposite in the kitchen, when he is developing and creating his confections, but completely made my Friday.... another Food hero met :-)

So next time, if you are passing through the confectionery hall of the home of Mr Selfridge stop and gaze at the chocolatiers confections.... gorgeous and decadent treats galore.

Balthazar...

Is the name of all foodies lips this March, it's been the most sought after dinner reservation in London with food critics falling over themselves to talk about it. Balthazar is the brainchild of Keith McNally who's original Bistro opened in New York in 1997 and even 15 years later it is still one of the most sought after reservations in the city. London is quickly following in the wake of the success of its sister site in NY.

A couple of Mondays ago I secured an early evening dining spot to see if the London site was as good as the New York eatery.
Stepping in through the large wooden doors, I felt like I was in New York. The glamorous fixtures and fittings mirror the NY site. What Balthazar does really well is create a secluded atmosphere in areas amongst the large dining space.
Seated in a corner of the restaurant allowed me to people watch and even with an early dining slot the restaurant was soon full. With a complimentary glass of champagne and keeping the french theme I opted for the mussels and fries.

With a basket of freshly baked bread from the Balthazar bakery it was the perfect accompaniment to mop up the delicious juices from the mussels. The service was superb and the food delicious.
After a short hiatus my dinner was finished off with coffee and a gorgeous cheesecake with cinnamon swirl and warm apple doughnut.... Oh my I could have eaten a bowl of the mini doughnuts on their own... Melt in the mouth mini balls of perfection.
I thoroughly enjoyed my evening at Balthazar and look forward to its forthcoming openings for brunch and afternoon tea... Will be booking again soon!
If you can't get into the restaurant then head next door to its Bakery which is open between 7am & 8pm for the most amazing bread, pastries, and lunch treats. I picked up a box of raspberry macarons for work which were a huge hit, melt in the mouth moments of decadent deliciousness.

Both Balthazars were a huge hit for me and will be back again for future visits...

Christmas catch-up...

I know its January but I didn't want the month to pass without sharing a few pictures from Christmas. Christmas is quiet for me, its just a day as I work Boxing day which is usually a little hectic.

I'm not sure where the time went on the run up to Christmas, as it felt that i just got back from new York and then it was Christmas eve. After a whirlwind of delivering presents, I ended up at my last stop and spent Christmas eve with my brother & family .. This has turned into a bit of a a tradition.

Christmas day was spent at home, lazing in my Onesie, cooking Christmas dinner and chilling on the sofa watching Christmas TV! Christmas Day did involve a little baking... Christmas morning muffins & my nans special seasonal sausage rolls! I had a very chilled and relaxing day which was lovely.

Santa was very kind to me this year with lots of lovely pressies... there were variations of themes threading through my gifts...

"Fashionista" which included Mulberry gloves, Ugg slippers, Mcqueen scarf & Michael Kors document holder & DVF book
" New Yorker" ~ New york pj's, scarf, Kenneth Cole NY mug, & coffee,Tiffany treats, and New years eve DVD.

"Bond Girl" ~ License to thrill notebook from Smythson, Daniel Craig bond collection and martini!

"Macaron mania" ~ Macaron kit, Lauduree baking book, Macaron bag charm, macaron coffee and paris notebook.

Along with these i got some other lovely gifts which included Afternoon tea at Claridges for later this year..

Boxing day saw me and Florence driving into Central London for a 7am start, where we were greeted by people queueing around the block for the start of the Selfridges sale.... the morning started on the balcony overlooking the handbag hall along with the TV crews to record the first customers through the doors!...

after a busy day it was time to drive home and chill out on the sofa Boxing day Bubble & squeak with cold meats & pickle!... perfect Boxing day dinner.

Mad about Macarons...

Nothing for me will eclipse the Cupcake, but I must confess that Macarons are an indulgent treat for me. With Pierre Herme on my doorstep, the macaron master, this indulgence can be satisfied often. Last Tuesday was Macaron day, and in all Pierre's stores a donation was made to children's autism charity for every macaron purchased... it was rude not to support the charity so a box of treats was purchased featuring; Pistachio & raspberry compote, Chocolate & Earl grey, Sea Salted Caramel, Milk Chocolate & Passion fruit.... yum yum... they disappeared before I could take a picture!

recent Macaron treats are the fabulous notecards & bookmarks along with a couple of macaron books, all bargain pick-ups from TKmaxx & Homesense...

If this has wetted your appetite for the macaron, and you want to smell like one then how about the 3 new limited edition fragrances from DKNY!... I'm loving them just for the design & colour alone!...DKNY have launched 2 spring fragrances Pink Macaron, Yellow meringue & Tart key lime...

the advert is delightful and ... New York & Cupcakes what more could i ask for!