crabe in Paris

If you love sea food this is the place for you ! I really enjoyed their crabe with sauces and potatoes, and their shrimps with salted butter and black bread.. this place is very easy and friendly, so come here if you want to spend a funny sea dinner in Paris but Bretagne style!

ready

..go!

A train full of princesses

 

yes.. a gingerbread train full of princess cupcakes (vanilla)! This will be the birthday cake for a little customer girl tonight.. it has been a tricky job but I can’t stand to see her face when she’ll see this birthday cake!!

Siamo o non siamo tutte delle principesse in viaggio su una locomotiva di biscotto?

ready to go

 

princess before dressing and makeup!

hot chocolate in Paris

 

Oh yes (oh no) autumn is coming here in Paris, today is raining and I’m afraid it will rain for a while! but there are some positive aspects here when wheatear is not nice.. one is hot chocolate from Angelina. This famous pastry shop (mont blanc cake is their must) make a great hot chocolate to taste with or without cream, I choose the first option, of course.

Delicious cake

 

Yes it is trust me, and it’s elegant too. You can prepare it for a romantic dinner to conquer the heart of your beloved or for a minimal chic crazy party, in any case it will be a success!

If you are practical person and you don’t want to dream about magic dinners or unforgettable parties just think that you have all that meringa left and this is a good way to use it.. you could always eat your cake while watching a movie..

How to make your terrific cake come true:

Melt 200g dark chocolate with 2 tbsp milk. Beat 200g soft butter, 200g caster sugar and 4 egg yolks until smooth. Add melted chocolate and 2 tbsp rum, beat. Prepare your cake mould with parchment paper and make a floor of cream then a floor of meringa, floor of cream, floor of meringa.. and so on.

Freeezzze overnight.

 

Please note that this is a mamma’s recipe since 1978, all rights reserved

meringa

Meringa is the easiest sweet ever; it’s really sweet, almost pure sugar. Usually I don’t make it but when I have some egg whites left I make some meringa. You can also use it to put into a cake or as a base for a red fruit tarte

Beat 500g egg whites, when they mousse add 500g sugar, beat, and when you reach soft peaks stage add 500g icing sugar, vanilla or lemon zest and mix with spatula (at this stage you can also add food colors)

tarte base

 

Do shape with a poche and bake in the preheated oven 80°C for 2/3 hours, it depends on how big are your meringa

Artistic paintbrush

 

Following mood of the artistic party I made some gourmand paintbrush to dip into icings, colored sugar.. to eat, to have fun or just to give a colored touch! Enjoy..

Tarte aux figues roties

 

I really feel into the season with this tarte, you can use different types of figs, roast it 5 minutes in the oven with some caster sugar and 2 tbsp of Porto liqueur.

Bake short pastry dough for your tarte in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Add almond cream and roasted figs and bake for 20 minutes more (until almond cream is gold)

I love autumn fruits, makes me think about Tuscany, about countryside of Genoa where I use to pick up a lot of them in my long walks.. and their colors are so beautiful!

Summer treats from Sicilia

 

After Palermo I moved for some sea days to Favignana, a beautiful island rich of crystalline water and hard rocks! I was not impressed by food there however there is an ice-cream boutique that really deserve a daily visit!:) in the menu.. brioche with ice cream, granite (crushed ice with fruits and sugar.. with or without cream), cassate siciliane and cannoli…

brioche with icecream (taste pistacchio)

almond and fichi d'india granita

coffee granita with panna

L'arte del gelato boutique

cassatine and cannoli take away

And if you feel guilty because you eat too many sweets you can always take your bicycle and go to visit Fabio in his big orange, fresh orange and lemon juices guaranteed!

Fabio into his orange

 

Palermo mon amour!

A Edo, maestro di vita palermitana

 

What do you need to visit Palermo?  a vespa, open mind spirit and open mouth body.. yes because this is the city to taste, not only to see! You know that my favorite cake is cassata siciliana and this summer I finally decided to visit Palermo in Sicily, the temple of cassata. My friend Edoardo lives there and with his wonderful vespa we discovered all narrow streets, markets, bakeries, churches, views.. just one advise, if you’re not a professional vespa driver you better do your sightseeing by walking because here its moving guys!

Palermo is a complex mix of norman, byzantine, Romanesque, gothic, renaissance and baroque styles.. yes all this in a unique city! But I will not make the list of “things to see” because you can easy find them in a touristic guide… just some “views” and of course many food tips!

TRATTORIA DEL PESCE FRESCO

pasta con i ricci di mare mmmm che buona!

This trattoria serves amazing pasta with seafood, if you like fish try also "street fish food" of La marina foro italico..

GELATERIA ILARDO

scorsonera e cannella icecream (jasmin and cinnamon)

gelso nero icecream (mulberry)

brioche filled with icecream

icecream stop!

 

I felt in love with 2 pastry shops, one in Palermo, the other in Mondello (the beach close to Palermo). I really wanted to try and eat everything there.. I spent so much time to take pictures, eat, discuss.. about pastry and life that I felt part of the staff! Pastry chefs you do a WONDERFUL job, please continue like that, I will never get tired to taste your delicious cakes..!

PASTICCERIA COSTA

cassata siciliana

cassata siciliana

setteveli

setteveli inside

cake with jasmin and watermelon (mellone!)

cannoli with sheep ricotta

Frutta martorana are traditional marzipan sweets, in the form of fruits and vegetables, from Palermo (originally created at the Convento della Martorana)

fichi d'india

mandarini

pomodori

nespole

 

..and many other fruits

PASTICCERIA ALBA (Mondello)

Mondello

cassata siciliana

..a view!

mellone tarte

 

this one is crazy: inside sheep ricotta cream, outside crunchy dough with an idea of pistacchio, on top a cinnamon line.. you could loose your senses!