Love is in the air, as they say, particularly as we are approaching what is, arguably, the most romantic month of the entire year: February. But romance is certainly not limited to a single day, or month for that matter, as the very words, love and romance inspire hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of sonnets and ballads, songs, paintings, and notes and declarations at any given time.
For love is entirely a matter of the heart, apart from all that is grounded and tangible, and perhaps that is why great minds, for decades, have tried to capture its very essence.
And with the lifting of the winter's cold, afresh with the promise of Spring, we may welcome romance in all its forms, be it a quick expression of appreciation, written by hand, and left on the bedside table, or a dazzling bouquet of fragrant blossoms wrapped in tissue, or the simple joy of spending time walking, in the intimacy of fresh air, talking and dreaming together . . .
No winter evening's rendezvous on the Champs-Elysées, with its glittering shoppes and glistening holiday lights is complete without a stop at our most favourite "fabricant de douceurs & gourmandises": Ladurée, in all its gilded grandeur.
In the early 1900s, Pierre Desfontaines, cousin of Ladurée's founder, Louis Ernest Ladurée, took two almond meringue cookies and joinied them with a divine ganache filling, creating the macaron as we know it.
Prior to that, macarons were simply cookies, which were first brought to France by Catherine di Medici and her pastry chefs in 1533.
These little round cakes, which made their onscreen debut in the film, Marie Antoinette, are crisp on the outside, smooth and soft in the middle, and are made every morning by Ladurée’s pastry chefs who measure precisely, the required amounts of almonds, eggs and sugar, and a touch of magic . . .
Ladurée, which began as a tea room near the Place de la Concorde in 1862, has since expanded within Paris, then to other parts of the world, including England, Monaco, Japan, Luxembourg, Italy, the Arab Emirates, and its most recent location, in New York's Upper East Side, where we met Ladurée's owner, Elisabeth Holder, who is also the sister of the Chairman of the company.
The NYC shop, located just down the street from Dior and Chloé, is a jewel box of pastel green, displaying traditional decorative accents, busts, mirrors and classical paintings, showcasing chocolates, crystallized flower petals and of course macarons, all imported from Paris each day.
Elisabeth, who began her career working in the fashion industry for the likes of Hermès, moved to New York recently to run the affairs of the newest Ladurée boutique.
Elisabeth has said that "The macaron is a grand classique of the pastry arts -- it's not an accessory. It's an experience of pleasure." And so, during our meeting with her, we just had to ask for her:
Perhaps the single most important of details before you depart for your trip, [besides your packing list!, of course], is taking care of the things you treasure most of all: your home and the loved ones in it, and the details of your life.
Many travel for business and/or vacation without giving much thought to possibility that something might happen to them while away, and though it is never favorable to think upon, it is important to take extra measures to ensure everything is in order, and so, today’s {take me away} column discusses some of the important details one must take care of beforehand, as well as a few other important things to take along on the voyage . . .
T H E · T R A V E L · IN F O R M A T I O N · L I S T
Each destination [as there could be multiple destinations planned for one trip] would have its own set of details [repeated for each destination] that should include the following information:
destination: be specific, i.e. London, UK method of travel: car rental company & contact information, train or flight details, airline and contact information, etc. destination accommodations: where you are staying, be it as a guest with family or friends, hotel, rental home, etc. along with name and address, website and/or telephone number
departure date: when you expect to arrive at the given destination date of return: day, month, year method of travel: which flight, with details; or car, train, etc. with details, if different from above expected arrival time: by estimation [vital to include]
It is important to leave your emergency contact information with whomever is staying at your home while you are away -- be it a neighbor, family member, or a trusted friend. Feel free to use this list as a starting point for your own. You may wish to customize some of the notations, especially if you have numerous pets, children at home, and/or additional people living within your home.
