Interview With Macaron Specialist Dorie Greenspan
Although you may have gotten the impression that my brain is bursting with macaron knowledge, the information I know is just an insignificant crumb compared to the macaron database stored in Dorie Greenspan's head. Her culinary prowess encompasses seemingly all things sugary and delicious, as seen in her library of publications, which focuses on three of the most mouthwatering topics in the world: baking, chocolate, and Paris. Knowing that she had worked extensively with the macaron king Pierre Hermé and written two of his recipe books, there was no question that she was the perfect macaron specialist for me to talk to.
How did the macaron craze begin? What in God's name caused me to having a giggly conversation (the giggling was just on my end of the phone, by the way) about a sandwich cookie? According to Dorie, I could partially blame it on Hermé. She explained that when Hermé opened his shop in Paris in 2001, he was the first person to hold a show for his seasonal desserts in a somewhat unconventional style.
Pierre Hermé's hazelnut white truffle macaron.
"It was held like a fashion show. The desserts were brought out by models and the last new pastry was the new macaron, which in that year was hazelnut white truffle. I think he started the macaron flavor craze with the opening of his store and fabulous idea to show the collection the way you show fashion."
Featuring a special macaron for the season brought up new possibilities. "'OK, what else can we do with a macaron? What would Ladurée do? What would Lenôtre do?' I think that's when it got wild."
Although macarons may be gaining popularity Stateside, Dorie explained that the macaron obsession can't fully set in until you've visited its birthplace. "You'll have to have gone to Paris and fallen in love with them. It's not the same as hearing about tasting a tarte tatin or a brioche or any other French pastry that we know well. Macarons are really a little esoteric and certainly would've been before this craze."
For all the times that I've struggled trying to describe the perfect macaron, Dorie had no problem painting a picture of her ideal specimen: "The Mallomar-shaped cookie must have a 'foot,' a crackly ringlet that surrounds the flat side. The outer shell is thinner than an eggshell but has an eggshell-like quality. Poking through the shell gives way to soft, almost-meringue texture. The macaron is just a tiny little thing made of only sugar, egg white, and almonds, yet it has bunches of texture and flavor that you can play with ad infinitum."
"The macaron is remarkable for its creative possibilities," she added. "For instance, there's a candy bar in Paris called Bounty; this summer Pierre Hermé made a macaron just like that. It's such a giggle to have that fabulous play of elegance and delight."
A better example of her experience with macarons as a vehicle for elegance and delight came during a meal at Jean-Gorges. One of the macarons on her tray of petit fours came decorated with a tiny photo of her head. Such personalized service isn't normally done in the restaurant—Dorie is friends with head chef Jean Georges Vongerichten and pastry chef Johnny Iuzzini—but if any dessert were to be played with, it would be the macaron.
Since she splits her time between Paris and New York, I wanted to get her opinion on the unimpressive state of pastries in our city, at least compared to Paris, where its maddeningly easy to stumble into an amazing bakery or patisserie. Unsurprisingly, because she goes to Paris so often and can make most pastries herself, she doesn't feel the urge to buy pastries in New York. How does pastry culture differ between the two cities?
"The French don't bake at home—they buy dessert and they eat it without saying, 'I feel so guilty.' It's really a part of their culture. We don't have that—we don't stop at 4 'o clock to have a little store-bought snack or a pain au chocolat. We don't have tea and macarons in the afternoon," she explains.
I think now would be a good time to instate a nationwide "Mandatory 4 p.m. Snack Time." Surely no one disagrees with me? Yup, I didn't think so.
Last, I asked her a question about making macarons: What's up with the aged egg whites?
"You can get more air into old egg whites. Chefs never use brand-new eggs. Eggs are kept at room temperature; they keep them out for three days."
So that's their secret. My mom would be happy to hear it; she doesn't even like keeping refrigerated egg whites for three days.
Thank you, Dorie, for expanding our macaronic horizons. If you've never had a macaron before, I would agree with Dorie that the only way to experience its magic is in Paris. If you have already indulged in Parisian macarons and failed to see the big deal, that's fine too—it just leaves more macarons for the rest of us.
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6 Comments:
See what I mean? Let's pull the curtain back on this "craze" already...
Sandro at 5:50PM on 10/25/07
oh man, robyn. I'm taking you with me and we're going to paris.
...as soon as I finish up these financial statements!
Kathy YL Chan at 5:57PM on 10/25/07
There are many french pastry chefs in the US and patry chefs who trained in france in the US. One does not need to make a trip to find great macarons. Robyn listed a few days ago many places with great macaron offerings right here in old US. I personally think that most of you are capable of making a regular batch with a decent filling with the knowledge aquired right here on SE. In the tradition of Daring Bakers I think we ought to do just that. Make a macaron day and post your recipe and your pic of them. Would be fun.
JerzeeTomato at 6:26PM on 10/25/07
Robyn makes an interesting observation...the French (and other cultures) do have a tea time practice that allows for the enjoyment of these little snacks in the afternoon. In my brief time in the U.S. I recall this behaviour to be States-side as well but the snacks are more often pre-packaged and sitting in the pantry area waiting to be unwrapped and consumed.
Store baked fresh pastries vs Twinkies...1:0 for Fresh pastries. (sorry for the generalization...just exaggerating to make a point)
It depends on location I suppose. France is literally littered with patisseries everywhere you go...city or country.
In the U.S. these are fewer and farther between...the actual penetration of bakeries is much lower, and oftentime are housed with the bakery sections of supermarkets...not quite as accessible than walking down the street and popping into a store.
The actual city planning plays a role too. Especially in places like California (say, the Bay area), where it's fairly hard to go anywhere without popping into your car and driving, going 'down the street' is a much more involved process than exiting front door and walking down the pavement.
I think there are great pastry chefs in the U.S. and there's nothing wrong with the American palate. However these legacy conditions (urban planning, retail logistics, availability and popularity of certain types of packaged foods) make it more difficult for many Americans to access and enjoy good pastries than people in other luckier locales (i.e. Paris or Tokyo).
Sorry if this bores you. Thought it might shed light.
Great series on macarons Robyn keep it up!
bigyam at 11:41PM on 10/25/07
"...the French (and other cultures) do have a tea time practice that allows for the enjoyment of these little snacks in the afternoon. In my brief time in the U.S. I recall this behaviour to be States-side as well but the snacks are more often pre-packaged and sitting in the pantry area waiting to be unwrapped and consumed."
Heh. So true. It's called microwave popcorn hour, based on many of the offices I've worked in. It most often happens around 4 p.m.
Adam Kuban at 11:55PM on 10/25/07
Bravo Robyn for the great work you’ve been doing to bring us so much information about macaroons.
However, I’m afraid that in the excitement of telling you about macaroons in Paris, their abundance, their variety and the obsessive way in which Parisians follow their favorite chefs and the newest flavors, I may have given you the wrong impression about the state of macaroons in America: I think macaroons are alive and well and doing very nicely in the USA!
There are so many chefs who are making terrific macaroons – including Johnny Iuzzini, whose teensy macaroons you posted about – and there are home bakers, among them The Daring Bakers, who are turning out macaroons as beautiful as any pro’s.
I think the difference in the States is that macaroons are not as easy to find and, consequently, not as well known. (In fact, what’s funny is that macaroons of the “Parisian” type are not as easy to find outside of Paris either.)
The reason I wanted to talk about Parisian macaroons – rather than the ones made in America – was that I eat more macaroons in Paris than I do in New York and so I know them better. I’m sorry if this left the idea that I don't like Stateside macs or that I prefer one over the other, it’s not what I meant. I’m delighted to have a good macaroon on either side of the ocean and, happily, there are great macaroons to be had in both places.
dorie at 3:46AM on 10/26/07