In paris, there’s always something to do… as long as you manage to get your ass out of the door. 

This is how I spent my Saturday:

1. took an ID photo down the street

2. head to metro La Muette to go to Musée Marmottan Monet and saw the newly opened Yamazaki; bought a green tea chiffon and a yuzu, green tea choux… finally some great chiffon!!

3. go lost (as always) while heading to Musée Marmottan, two old french ladies gave me direction in great details…

4. entered the museum without cuing!

5. dreaming in Lahlah land… it’s so beautiful, simply mind blowing.

6. got distracted by the gift shop, spent 32E

8. got disturbed by a group of tourists with a tour guide who talked as if she is outdoor in a stadium

9. came out (saw a long cue!!) and went for coffee and snack at an Italian cafe

10. somehow wandered into Jacque Genin; bought tarte citron, tarte au caramel-miel, and tarte au chocolat to share… for me the citron tarte is overrated, the taste of basil was to empowering that it became the focal point.. (my favorite is still from PH and the one from Sebastien Gaudard second that)..  the other two tartes did not impress me either, shall go to La Maison du Chocolat for chocolate tart!

It all started with a bag of potato,

I try to find a good recipe with some variation, away from the mash, the curry, the salad…

Then I imagined this scenario: I’m cooking for my family, in my dream house by the sea, waiting for my hubby and kids to come home and be amused by the new dish…..

okay,,, maybe a little too carried away

but I wish to share with you this:

http://trendland.net/potato-head-beach-club-bali/

Potato head beach club in Bali

grateful for the past, ready for the new!
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Have you ever wondered why your chocolate doesn’t crystallize properly or harden without a shine?

the key lies within tempering, aka, bringing the chocolate to the right temperature and keeping it that way.

To avoid all the confusion, the general rule for 65% dark chocolate (as an example) is melting it at 55°C, bringing it down to 29°C and up again/ keeping it at 31°C. Each type of chocolate has a slightly different crystallization curve and is usually printed on the box.

now you can pour the tempered chocolate in mold of choice and start making some simple bonbons!

oh, last but not least, keep the chocolate away from any water source! and beware of the steam in a double boiler, as a drop of water can destroy a whole pot of chocolate!

the above is my chocolate egg attempt # 3, still long way to go

when people say this is it, I say this is just one of them

The cerise cake is invented by our chef for a cake competition

He ended up getting the second place, and surprisingly, the first place was won by a younger chef who did the same cake with a different touch……

青春无敌用在这儿是不是很合适？