Macarons

The first issue of Paris-based Desserts Magazine is devoted to the wondrous macaron. Not to be confused with the leaden coconut macaroon, this delectable filled cookie is found all over Paris in a variety of flavors.

People travel all over the world to sample Laduree's macarons (various locations), which are offered in a rainbow of 13 permanent and 6 seasonal flavors. The salted butter caramel is an intense taste sensation, and the chocolate amer melts in one's mouth. A box of six or eight makes a delightful gift (I know, because my recipients were absolutely delighted)!

Chocophiles will be enamored of the macarons of chocolatier Jean Paul-Hevin (various locations). He features unique chocolate combinations like chocolate-passionfruit, chocolate-pistachio and chocolate-tarragon. Chocolate-cardamom macarons are included in the gift boxes near the entrance of La Grande Epicerie du Bon Marche (38, Rue Sèvres, Paris - +33 (01) 42-22-10-12).

Those who crave something more exotic will appreciate the the brightly colored macarons of Sadaharu Aoki (various locations). In addition to offering traditional French flavors, Aoki also serves up matcha, ume plum, hojicha, and black sesame macarons.

(Note: Dessert Magazine includes recipes for Aoki's matcha macaron and Hevin's chocolate macaron. If you can't find a copy, just E-mail me!)

Japanese Chefs in Paris

Although it's very difficult to find good Japanese food in Paris, Japanese chefs are turning out stellar French food in the city. Tateru Yoshino is the chef at the vaunted Stella Maris (4 rue Arsène-Houssaye, +33 (01) 42-89-16-22), and I just had a delightful lunch at Chef Hide Kobayashi's eponymous Le Hide (10 rue du General Lanzerac, +33 (01) 45-74-15-81). The "menu a midi," which includes appetizer, main course and dessert, was only 26 euros, and featured such dishes as a tartine of escargots appetizer, steak prepared with sel de Guerande for a main, and desserts like chocolate millefeuille and orange creme brulee. I chose a layered shrimp salad with shredded endives and a kicky avocado vinaigrette for an appetizer; the shrimps were plentiful, plump and sweet. Next were a couple of sturdy monkfish medallions on a bed of penne in a light, parsleyed cream sauce; a crisp potato gaufrette lay atop the hearty fish, adding some nice texture. My dessert, the Mont-Blanc (often found at Japanese pastry shops) was another study in layers of flavor. Buttery pound cake was the base for a dense chestnut mousse, which was balanced by a sweet, light homemade vanilla ice cream scoop on top.

After all of this, another dessert may have been a strange objective, but I set about finding Sadaharu Aoki's patisseries. I ended up at the northwestern outskirts of Paris before giving up on that particular location, then took the metro all the way to the Les Gobelins stop. Finally, success! Jars of green-tea milk jam, a paintbox of beautiful macarons in traditional and Japanese flavors (matcha, black sesame, even ume), and scrumptious eclairs greeted me. The neon-green matcha eclair was amazing - the cream oozing out of the rich pastry was mild and sweet, but with an unforgettable herbal aftertaste. The next day, still thinking about that unique taste, I trekked over to the gourmet cave at Galeries Lafayette - but that location was all out of eclairs.