hot chocolate

Today was the first real of sign of fall here in Texas. That's right—the third day in November! I woke up in a hurry, walked outside feeling the cool crisp air, looked up and saw a cloudy gray sky. A smile quickly warmed up my face as I thought about coming home later to a nice cup of hot cocoa. I began thinking, what are some varieties of this beloved libation?
Mexican hot chocolate is made with chocolate, cinnamon, vanilla and—depending on how spicy you like it—a pinch of chile powder. American hot chocolate generally consists of a chocolate powder, which is often mixed with hot milk or water. Marshmallows are sometimes added, not only to make ourselves feel like we came up with the warm sweet concoction all by ourselves, but to add a nice creamy contrast in color and texture. In Europe hot chocolate is taken seriously and literally. Their winter drink is made with real chocolate, giving it a nice thick consistency. Just imagine walking around the Marais district, bundled up in a chunky knit sweater and cashmere coat, and coming back to your Parisian loft for a hot cup of liquid chocolate—c'est parfait (perfect)!!

Here's a recipe to for Parisian Hot Chocolate (David Lebovitz):

Four ‘Parisian-sized’ Servings

2 cups (1/2l) whole milk
5 ounces (130 g) bittersweet chocolate, (with at least 70% cacao solids), finely chopped
optional: 2 tablespoons light brown sugar

1. Heat the milk in a medium-sized saucepan.

2. Once the milk is warm, whisk in the chocolate, stirring until melted and steaming hot. For a thick hot chocolate, cook at a very low boil for about 3 minutes, whisking frequently. (Be careful and keep an eye on the mixture, as it may boil up a bit during the first moments.)

3. Taste, and add brown sugar if desired.

Laduree and the Macaron

The way the French say "macaron" does not, at all, sound like the English interpretation "Macaroon." Nor is this dessert anything like the typical coconut macaroon you can find in a can at your local grocery store. This dessert is seriously transcending. Since I knew I was going to the famous Laduree (a Parisian 'tea salon' specializing in this french treat), I had to try a macaron at a local shop first so that I could compare. I really enjoyed my first chocolate macaron, with its chewy chocolate filling sandwiched between two impressive meringue cookies. But, I had no idea what was coming. The next day, we arrived at Laduree in the morning and waited in line for this specialty. The salon was so beautiful, with warm gold and pink colors covering ever inch of the walls and floor. I felt like I was in a dream. I got three mini ones— chocolate (to compare to the traditional macaron I first tried), vanilla and pistachio. I took the chocolate macaron, closed my eyes and went for it. The texture of the meringue was not too hard which made for a clean eating experience (that's always a plus for me). The flavors began bursting in my mouth as my spirits, which were already high, lifted. When I got to the ganache, the soft and creamy filling, I realized why Laduree was so famous. Out of the three flavors I tried, vanilla was probably my favorite since it had little specks of the vanilla bean in the filling. If you ever make your way to Paris, you MUST have a macaron (or three) at Laduree.

j'adore paris

Patisseries and boulangeries on every street ('rue' would be more appropriate) sounds like an ideal world. Welcome to Paris. My favorite breakfast treat when I was in Paris was a pain au chocolat— a chocolate croissant, with the perfect balance of butter, flour and chocolate...better than you can ever imagine. I wasn't my typical mess when eating this treat because the croissant wasn't too flaky (like the ones that fall apart in your hands or the ones that are too soft it's like eating a stick of butter...aka the poor attempts of Americans to recreate the French pastry). If there are laws for crossing the street, there needs to be a law for bakeries in America. It seems like quality of ingredients is top priority in Paris— at least in the pastry shops and bakeries. I propose a change in the government. There should be a committee of special tasters, which would include the best chefs from every country and a few obsessive foodies to go around to American eateries (just to be sure they are providing us citizens with the best food). Can you imagine waking up every morning knowing that in twenty minutes you will be eating a beautiful perfectly-baked, pain au chocolat? (sigh) If only.