Patisseries & Bakeries @ Not Quite Nigella

Category Archives: Patisseries & Bakeries

Adriano Zumbo Summer 2008 collection: Please sir can I have some more!

Reserved! And an audible sigh of relief…Do you like my bag on the right?

For those of us, and there are many, who look forward every 6 months for Adriano Zumbo’s new “Please sir can I Have Some More!” cake collection, today is the culmination of many ruminations, conversations and pontifications on what he may come up with next. Today, to add a bit of chaos to the whole collection, Reem and I thought we should do a food blogger’s meet. Reem organised it all and so we thought 7 of us would be seated in the Cafe, having bought our cakes and delicate morsels from the shop nearby. For those of you who haven’t heard of Adriano Zumbo, the man is the Australia’s answer to Pierre Hermè.

Craigie bam: chocolate dacquoise, chocolate sabayon with salted caramel debris, chocolate caramel cremeaux, caramel mousse $7.50

On the Lounge with Zumbo: Mango financier, rapsberry and liquorice jelly, fresh mango slices, liquorice mousse, mango caramel glacage $7.50

Miss Marple Cheesecale: Orange Cheesecake with orange strawberry compote, cream chese crème legere with crepe and maple glaze $7.50

And then 20 or so of us showed up. Thankfully Adriano had reserved the alcove area for us which I am thankful for as walking towards the cafe, we see that every table is full. We make our way to the shop and make our selection, I pick up 3 cakes, Reem 5 (some to take home, I should add) and we ponder the new collection. Even at 11am, many of the cakes have sold out or only have 1 or 2 left in the display so calling ahead to reserve is definitely recommended.

Charles, after whom the Charles du Jour is named

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44 comments | December 2nd, 2008 by Not Quite Nigella

Adriano Zumbo Café Chocolat, Balmain

I could subtitle this: the world’s (or ok Sydney’s) most anticipated cafe opening. After waiting for weeks and penciling in several possible opening dates, holding time slots open on busy weekends and having each pass by without a hint or sniff of a glorious cake, here we are, 3 weeks later, sitting in the Zumbo Café Chocolat. With who else of course but fellow bloggers and Zumbo addicts Suze from Chocolate Suze, Belle and William from Ooh Look… and bloggers I am meeting for the first time, Richard (Ffichiban) from Here Comes the Food and Chris and Tim from The Way That It Crumbles.

For the men

The cafe is small but sumptuously furnished with red chandeliers, flocked cushions, dark wood paneling and banquette seating. The men aren’t forgotten with section featuring a petrol pump and bar seating.

Humbug lights and counter display

At the front there is the chocolate, pastry and macaron selection with some great lights (reportedly the starting point for decorating the cafe), which resemble humbugs without ever verging into the “cutesy” territory. For a cafe open only 3 days earlier it is pretty full the entire 1.5 hours we are there.

Photo by Belle from Ooh Look…

The talk of the room is the Cameltoe chocolate. Yes you heard correctly. It is a chocolate in the shape of a cameltoe. Belle and Suze show us photographic evidence of the graphic and yes, it is a very cameltoe-ish shaped red wine chocolate. For those of you unfamiliar with a cameltoe, google it if you’re not at work. And if you’re my parents, don’t google it and forget you ever read this.

Photo by Belle from Ooh Look…

The chocolate itself begs the question where does one find a Cameltoe shaped chocolate mould? I’ve seen penis and boob chocolate moulds (I may admit to actually being given some penis chocolates at some stage in my life but will deny it if you ever ask me). Rachel, the lovely manager of the cafe tells us that they’re actually a fairly common chocolate mould and when they saw it the resemblance to a Cameltoe was so remarkable that they named it the Cameltoe. We preferred to call it the “CT” as there are others about that are perhaps not aware that we are discussing one of the menu items. And the blush inducing moniker works as today they have sold out of it!

Sweets menu

Savoury menu

There’s no menu yet as the cafe only opened on Thursday a few days ago but the wait staff come over to us to let us know what there is available. We order one of each type of dessert as well as some of their drinks. As well there are also pastries, filled rolls and Elmstock teas in intriguing sounding names like Green Gunpowder and Barbados (reportedly very nice as an Iced tea). We’re given Splayds (yes Splayds-that fabulous retro cake fork invention) and real linen napkins (oooh yes proper napery).

Iced Cherry chocolate $4.50

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34 comments | November 2nd, 2008 by Not Quite Nigella

SMH Good Food Month Shangrila Hotel Sugar Hit 2008

There’s nothing quite like playing tourist in your own city. Sure, I was born and bred in Sydney and love it to bits but there’s always something that I discover that makes me find it endlessly fascinating again. Queen Viv, Miss America and my husband and I are walking the short distance from a restaurant to the Shangrila Hotel for a Sugar Hit. Along the way we walk traverse some back streets, not usually somewhere that we’d go but we are feeling perhaps foolishly brave because of our numbers and the consumption of alcohol. I contemplate my weapons should anyone untoward attack us-I have at my disposal…a pair of heels. Hmm they are heels but they’re wedges so perhaps not quite the weapon I need. I also have my bag and a camera bag and that looks to be about it. It’s too late to turn back anyway and we’re reminded of our Jack the Ripper tour in London. Luckily the lane ways are warmly lit and have names such as Long’s Lane, a tilted brick lane.

We reach the Shangrila at 10:05pm exactly for our 10pm booking. My phone vibrates in my bag-the waiter is calling me and I tell him that we are in the lobby lounge waiting for someone to show us to a table. He tells us “Oh you didn’t know about the 15 minute rule? If no-one turns up then we give the table away”. Hmmm fair enough, except we are only 5 minutes late so it seems like an overeager gesture.

Brown Brothers Cienna Dessert wine

Interestingly, our dessert wine is a chilled red wine, not the usual golden sweet nectar we are usually served. It’s light and sweet and reminiscent of redcurrants.

Heavenly Bliss Mocktail $12

We sit down and contemplate the strawberry themed Sugar Hit. One of my readers flapflap had said that it was good for Strawberry lovers and we are indeed that (Queen Viv doesn’t like chocolate so we gave the chocolate themed Sugar Hits a wide berth). We also order a Mocktail, a Heavenly Bliss with a fruity and antioxidant packed sounding blend of fruit. It has mango, pineapple, strawberry, cranberry, orange with fresh blueberries. I don’t really see the blueberries in this, perhaps there aren’t many of those. It is rich, viscous and of course very fruity.

Strawberry and rhubarb mascarpone dacquoise with creme fraiche ice-cream accompanied by licorice infused strawberries complemented with Brown Brothers Cienna Dessert wine $20
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16 comments | October 27th, 2008 by Not Quite Nigella

Pierre Hermé, Paris

Pierre Hermé needs no introduction to macaron lovers – I’ve yet to meet a food lover or blogger that doesn’t adore these delicate little sweet morsels from heaven. Interestingly, Pierre Hermé Paris stores began in Tokyo, where most things French will receive an appreciative audience. He has been called anything from “the Picasso of pastry ” (Vogue), “pastry provocateur” (Food & Wine), “an avant-garde pastry chef and a magician with tastes” (Paris-Match), “kitchen emperor” (New York Times), “The King of modern pâtisserie” (The Guardian). High praise indeed. So it was with curiousity and excitement that I visited the main store on the Rue de Bonaparte.

It seems that on the smallest and most inconspicuous of streets in Paris lies a treasure trove of fantastic artists or designers that specialise in food. Case in point, Pierre Hermé’s shop is on a smallish street, unannounced when you’d think they would be shouting it from the high rooftops of Paris. The only hint is the minimalist words “Pierre Hermé” and the crowd. And what a crowd it is, it’s a tight fit to get into this tiny little store, outfitted like a designer set from Ugly Betty where 5 men in designer black outfits behind the counter take your precious order. It’s a little extreme and makes me giggle, especially when I am served by a very serious young man with one of those Kylie Minogue stretch headbands. Even the staff at Louis Vuitton weren’t this serious.

Keeping in mind my splurge at Laduree the other day and for good measure, a parting reminder of it before he exits the crowded shop by my husband, I select comparatively few things. Just a Desire, a 2000 Feuilles and a selection of 7 macarons in a box. I could get them packed in a plastic bag but given that the counter guy has just tried to pick up three with his tongs only to have them crumble right in front of me, I ask for the box. It’s extra of course like all nice boxes here in Paris (grrr). I feel proud that I’ve only chosen a few things and my total is only €22.88.

2000 Feuilles €6.20

We don’t have long to go home and once we do I take them out of their boxes. As the weather was a warm 25 degrees today we have to act quickly, the 2000 Feuilles is on the verge of melting. In fact just seconds after the photos were taken, it collapsed. It doesn’t stop me from sticking my fork into it and plundering its many layers. It’s absolutely gorgeous, the pastry perfectly crispy despite the custard layers (how do they do this in Paris? Everywhere else it goes soggy) and the cream is a rich caramel cream with a chocolate crunch at the bottom. The bottom layer is brushed on the base with butter and sugar. The textures on this pastry are incredible and should you ever come face to face with this pastry, open your mouth and take a bite-I dare you to stop at just one forkful.

Desire €6.60

The Desire, a fitting name is a sponge filled with cream and raspberry jelly, a lovely light concoction but I have the feeling I should have chosen a more exotic offering.

Close up with focus on the Jasmin silver dusted macaron

Macarons 7 boxed for €10.00

The macarons are what made him famous so the flavours I tried were: Eden (Peach, saffron and apricot), Jasmin, Rose, caramel a la Fleur de Sel, Mosaic (Pistachio, cinnamon and griottines aka french morello cherries), grapefruit, Mogador (chocolate and passionfruit). The Eden with apricot is my definite favourite, it is so definitely apricot-ey followed by the delicate Jasmine and Mogador (chocolate and passionfruit). The trends for these gorgeous little things are edible metallic dusts, seen most distinctly on the Jasmin macaron.

I hate to be one of those people who always has a suggestion or always harks back to something “back home” but in Tokyo, one isn’t charged for getting something in a lovely box, and this box is also functional in that it preserves your goodies perfectly so that they can be consumed with both visual and palatable pleasure. There’s nothing worse than reaching home and finding that your food has been smashed to smithereens. It upsets me in fact, that I’ve paid a premium for something that looks perfect only to eat something that looks like it’s through the spin dryer. Another thing that they will also do in Tokyo, if you’ve got a long trip home, is put in a packet of dry ice which would have helped save the 2000 Feuilles should I have wanted to bring them to someone else’s house for dinner.

In any case, my husband, my very own Louis XIV, the man whose mantra is “quantity over quality” finds himself enraptured by the macarons. When someone brings up Pierre Hermé, he startles awake and says in a very impressed tone “that Pierre guy, he makes really good biscuits”.

Pierre Hermé

72 rue de Bonaparte, 6th arrondisement 75006 Paris
Tel : +33 (1) 43 54 47 77
Open 7 days 10:00-19:00 (Saturdays open until 19:30)
http://www.pierreherme.com

40 comments | July 29th, 2008 by Not Quite Nigella

Laduree on the Champs Elysées 2008

On my last trip to Paris, Laduree was one of my fondest memories. The Salon de Thé was an elegant, Belle Epoque place to stop by when shopping at the huge LV store on the Champs Élysées gets too much and all you want to do is rest your weary legs and feet. Unlike last time, which was on a Saturday, there isn’t a line although there is a sign in French that I think means that for the comfort of other patrons, cameras aren’t allowed. So as any good food blogger does, I bought an array of cakes to take away with me, to be savoured in the hotel room where eating these delicate morsels and licking cream off your hands and moaning and groaning with pleasure won’t be frowned upon.

I can’t choose so I just keep choosing and before I know it I’ve amassed a €76.46 bill of cakes, macarons, pastries and petit fours. I will admit that two of the purchases were cooler bags, one for me and one for my sister so don’t think I’m mad ordering that many cakes and pastries.

Le Haul

Taking these goodies back to the hotel we eagerly take these out of the boxes (and please tell me I’m not the only bag lady that saves these lovely boxes-clean ones only obviously!).

St Honore Pistachio and Strawberry €5.20

The St Honore is a devoted poem to whipped cream and strawberries. The cream is a little excessive but the strawberry choux underneath is perfectly dry, not soggy in the slightest and filled with strawberry gelee and dipped in a deep strawberry icing.

Religieuse de la Violette €4.30

My favourite last time was the Religieuse de la Rose but as I am also a Violet fan, I choose this one. Out of the two, I admit I favour the Rose purely for the flavour but the Violet is sweet and lovely and the choux remains dry whilst still filled with the violet flavoured custard (unlike the variations of this I’ve found in Australia which are a soggy mess).

Ispahan €5.90

The Ispahan, a creation I believe was masterminded by Pierre Herme, is a raspberry macaron sandwich, filled with lychee and raspberries and a lychee/rose custard and topped with a perfect rose petal and raspberries. It’s squidgy, divine perfection.

Boxed Macaron selection (€14.10 for 8 )

The challenge for me was remembering which macarons I had bought in my selection. Luckily, the flavours are strong and I have ordered strawberry licorice, coconut, blackcurrant, citrus, lime, raspberry, licorice with just one macaron unnamed (pale cream with pale jade filling). Of course being macarons I love them and eat each one with small bites to prolong the taste.

Petit fours €7.40 for 100grams (€10.36 total 6 Petit Fours)

The mango topped domed tart is delicious and moist and filled with sweetened, dessicated coconut as is the pineapple mint tart. The second from left, the biscuit sandwich is less successful with the biscuit soggy against the raspberries and smear of buttercream. The coffee walnut dome is strongly flavoured with walnut and coffee although this has suffered in transport and the icing has stuck to the paper.

Petit fours €7.40 for 100grams (€10.36 total 6 Petit Fours)

The issue with icing and transportation has also occured with the chocolate chestnut dome with the chocolate icing sticking it to the pistachio and wild strawberry macaron sandwich. The macaron sandwich is delicately sweet and delicious.

Kougin Amman €1.70

Not the most glamorous sounding, the girl behind the counter asks whether I really want this and I do most certainly. She says it’s just sugar flavoured but having had this before, I need to have another. The only two flavours are sugar and butter but the texture is crisply gorgeous and layered. I find this way too easy to eat in one go despite my best intentions to share this with my husband.

Mini croissant Nut €1.10

The mini nut croissant is glazed with sugar and features a small smattering of chopped nuts. It’s a bit more exciting than your regular croissant although I don’t think I’d buy one again, instead favouring the other divine pastries.

Cannele €1.80

The chewy spongey Cannele is well liked my husband. I find the outer a littel too caramelised for my taste but apparently these are a national obsession.

Abricot Pistachio snail €2.00

This delicate layered pastry with strong with sweet apricots with a touch of pistachio. Absolutely delicious and a lovely alternative to a cinnamon snail.

And don’t worry, I didn’t eat these all in one day and I did share these with my husband. After all there is clothes shopping to be done tomorrow!

Laduree

75, avenue des Champs Elysées, 75008 Paris
Tel : 01.40.75.08.75 – Fax : 01.40.75.06.75
The Restaurant is open daily from 7.30am to 12.30am – The shop is open daily from 7.30am to 11pm except on Saturday 8.30am to midnight and on Sunday 8.30am to 10.00pm

33 comments | July 23rd, 2008 by Not Quite Nigella