• preparation

Dice and freeze fatback. Dice the veal and pork. Heat oil in skillet. Sauté the onions. Combine meat, onion, and seasonings in a bowl. Mix cream and egg whites. Pour over meat. Refrigerate for a few hours.
Marinate artichokes in wine, brandy. Season with salt and pepper. Puree the meat with fatback. Add the pistachios and ham.
Grease a 5 cup mold and line top and bottom with pastry dough. Alternate forcemeat and artichokes ending with forcemeat.
Cover pâté with pastry. Brush with egg yolk.
Cut an opening in the center.
Bake at 350 degree for about an hour. When cold, fill the pate with sherry wine aspic.

• preparation

In a large, shallow dish, separate the kataifi dough into individual threads using your fingers. Add the basil and chives and toss to distribute throughout the pastry.
In a shallow bowl, beat the egg with the water. Spread the flour in another shallow bowl. Season the salmon cubes with salt and pepper. Dredge them in the flour and shake off the excess, then dip them in the beaten egg and roll in the kataifi; press to help it adhere.
Set a rack over a baking sheet. In a large, deep skillet, heat 1 inch of vegetable oil to 350°. Fry 4 or 5 salmon pieces at a time until the kataifi is golden brown and crisp, about 2 to 3 minutes minutes. Drain the salmon nuggets on the rack. Season with salt. Serve the nuggets with your favorite dipping sauce.

• preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking pan, 8-inch by 12 inch with parchment paper. Brush with butter.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine dill, parsley, parmesan cheese, egg yolks, and cornstarch. Whisk egg whites with the cream of tartar until medium stiff. Fold into the herb mixture.
Spread evenly over the surface of pan. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven, and turn the pan over a sheet of wax paper or parchment paper. Peel away the paper lining. allow to cool.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, capers, salt, pepper, and seasoned salt. Spread over the surface of the baked roulade. Arrange the slices of smoked salmon over the cream cheese mixture.
Roll up tightly from one end, jelly roll style.
Enclose in the wax paper or parchment paper and refrigerate for 2 hours or more.
PRESENTATION
Unwrap the salmon roulade, and slice into 1/4 inch circles. Arrange on a serving tray, and serve cold.

• preparation

Dice and freeze fatback. Dice the veal and pork. Heat oil in skillet. Sauté the onions. Combine meat, onion, and seasonings in a bowl. Mix cream and egg whites. Pour over meat. Refrigerate for a few hours.
Marinate artichokes in wine, brandy. Season with salt and pepper. Puree the meat with fatback. Add the pistachios and ham.
Grease a 5 cup mold and line top and bottom with pastry dough. Alternate forcemeat and artichokes ending with forcemeat.
Cover pâté with pastry. Brush with egg yolk.
Cut an opening in the center.
Bake at 350 degree for about an hour. When cold, fill the pate with sherry wine aspic.

• preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Roll puff pastry sheet on a floured work surface to a thickness of 1/8 inch. Cut into 4-inch squares.
Cut cheese into fingers about the size of asparagus spears.
Spread each pastry dough evenly with mustard.
Lay an asparagus spear and a strip of cheese on each pastry square. Roll them up, seal and place seam side down on a buttered baking sheet. Brush rolls with beaten egg.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until pastry is brown and cheese is melted

• preparation

combine apple cider, kosher salt, garlic, thyme and rosemary in a glass bowl. Add pork chops and mix well with marinade. Marinate for 30 minutes to one hour, refrigerated.
Remove chops from the marinade and pat dry.
Broil or cook pork chops on an open grill for approximately 10 minutes, turning as needed. Serve with red onion marmalade.

RED ONION MARMALADE:

(marmalade may be made up to 2 days ahead).

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
10 cups red onions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
to taste salt and white pepper
3/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 1/4 cups red wine


Heat olive oil in a large heavy bottomed saucepan and add the onions. Cook over medium heat until they begin to soften, about 10 minutes, then add the brown sugar and stir to coat. Season with salt and pepper.
Continue cooking over medium heat, stirring frequently, or bake in a 350 degree oven until the onions are golden soft and brown.
Add the vinegar and cook until it has completely evaporated, then add the red wine stirring the onions frequently to prevent sticking and burning. When the red wine has evaporated, taste and adjust the seasoning. Remove from heat and keep warm

• preparation

Cut the carrots into julienne strips. Blanch in salted boiling water until barely tender. Drain and set aside.
Cut 8 slices of ginger on the diagonal, then cut into julienne strips. Snap off the stems from the snow peas and remove the string.
Chop the scallions including some of the green top. Cut the pork into thin slices and then into 1/4 inch strips. Stir-fry.
Heat the oil in a frying pan over high heat. Add the pork and stir while cooking. After 1 minute, add the blanched carrots, the snow peas, and the ginger. Stir and cook for 5 minutes. Add the scallions and the garlic and then the wine and the soy sauce.
Simmer for 5 minutes.

• preparation

Wash and mince leeks. Heat butter in a large frying pan. Add leeks and sauté over low heat. Do not color.
In a large saucepan, combine leeks, chicken broth, and potatoes. Simmer covered for 30 minutes. Serve hot with croutons.

• preparation

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Brush the interior of 2 4-cup soufflé molds with the softened butter. Dust the bottom and sides with flour. Set aside.
Bring a kettle of salted boiling water to a boil, drop in the pieces of asparagus, and cook until tender. Drain and cool under cold running water. Purée in a blender. Save in a bowl, cover and set aside.
In a heavy saucepan melt the butter. Stir in the flour with a wooden spoon and cook over low heat for 3 minutes. Add the milk. Cook over medium-high heat while whisking until sauce becomes thick and bubbly.
Transfer the sauce to a large mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper and nutmeg.
Separate the eggs. Mix egg yolks and cheese in the thick cream sauce. Stir in the asparagus purée. (can be prepared 2 hours in advance up to this point.)
In an electric mixing bowl, whip the egg whites with cream of tartar until the whites are firm fluffy. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the whites into the cheese mixture.
Pour soufflé mixture into mold.
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. after 10 minutes Soufflé should rise two inches or more above mold. Serve when ready.
I serve cheese soufflé with tomato basil sauce or melted brie.

• preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Wash salmon; pat dry. Remove any bones and skin and cut in equal halves. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice.
Sauté onion in oil. Add the mushrooms and parsley. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Mix in the cooked rice and 1/2 cup velouté sauce.
Roll out brioche dough into a rectangle 1/4 inch thick. Place on a baking sheet. Arrange a layer of onion rice mix , over the whole length of dough to within one inch from edges. Top with one piece of salmon.Place hard boiled eggs over salmon and top with second piece salmon so that eggs are sandwiched between salmon .
Brush edges of dough with egg. Fold over mix. Seal all edges and roll pastry so that seam is underneath. Brush dough with egg. Decorate with pieces of dough. Let rise at room temperature for 30 minutes. Bake at 375 F for 30 minutes.
To serve:
Place the whole coulibiac on a platter for display. Slice into portions. Serve on warm plates. Serve velouté sauce separately.

BRIOCHE DOUGH FOR COULIBIAC

1/2 cup warm water
1 tablespoon yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup flour

3 eggs
1 cup flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
6 ounces soft butter
1 1/2 cups flour

PREPARATION
In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in the water with the sugar. Add the flour to make a soft dough. Set the dough in warm place until it doubles in volume.
Beat in the eggs, flour, sugar, and salt. Gradually add the butter and remaining flour and mix well. Transfer the dough to a working surface. Knead for about 10 minutes. Form into a ball. Place into a clean large bowl. Cover with film wrap. Let rise at room temperature until dough doubles in volume. Punch dough down. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

• preparation

Beat eggs and cream until just blended. Season with salt and pepper. In a medium nonstick skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Pour in the beaten egg mixture, increase the heat to medium-high, and stir with a wooden spoon until the eggs thicken. Remove from the heat.
Divide the eggs between two warmed plates and top with caviar. Serve immediately, accompanied with the toast points.

• preparation

In a coffee grinder or spice grinder, grind dried mushrooms to the consistency of coffee. Set aside.
Beat egg in a bowl, with salt and pepper. Dip lamb in flour, shaking off excess. Dip it into egg, and then into mushrooms.
Pat mushrooms to adhere; coat lamb heavily. Refrigerate for about 1 hour or up to 4 hours.
Cook leeks in salted boiling water. Drain, and puree with butter. Season with salt and pepper. Reserve. In a medium skillet, heat half of the oil. Saute mushrooms, garlic and thyme until mushrooms are tender.
Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Place remaining oil in an oven-proof skillet. Heat to medium-high. Add lamb.
Cook for 2 minutes on one side. Turn and place skillet in the oven for 5 to 6 minutes for rare, medium-rare, (125 degrees) or longer for medium. Let lamb rest for 5 minutes then cut into 3/4-inch-thick slices.
Place a dollop of leek purée on each plate; top with portions of mushrooms. Place lamb on top.

• preparation

Prepare the pastry and fillings:
The frozen puff pastry usually comes in sheets.
Two in each 1-pound package. Thaw pastry. Unwrap each sheet. Sit a 10-inch round cake pan on pastry.
With a sharp knife, cut out pastry sheets into 10-inch rounds. Lightly score a 4 by 3-inch rectangle in the center of each pastry round. Do not cut through the pastry.
Extend the lines of the rectangle and cut out the corners as shown in sketch.
Use scraps to cut out 12 leaves or other shapes to use as decoration. Layer the pastry rounds between sheets of wax paper.
For the mushrooms:
Slice the portobello into strips. Heat a heavy skillet over high heat. Add oil, garlic, mushrooms, thyme and rosemary.
Stir until mushrooms are brown. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl.
For the onions:
Melt butter in a heavy skillet. Add onion and cook over low heat until onion are caramelized, stirring occasionally. Add Sherry wine and cook until pan is dry. Season with salt and pepper.
Set aside to cool.
For the fillets:
Heat a heavy skillet over high heat. Add oil and sear fillets 3 minutes on each side.
Season with salt and pepper. Transfer fillets to a plate. Refrigerate until ready to use.
For the sauce:
Pour 1 cup red wine in skillet. Cook for 5 minutes. Stir a package of brown sauce mix in cold water. Pour in skillet with wine. Whisk until thickened. Set sauce aside.
Assemble the wellingtons:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line the prepared pastries on a work surface.
Spread half of the well drained spinach over center of pastries. Divide blue cheese and well drained onions into six equal portions and spread over spinach.
Top with fillet, mushrooms and remaining spinach. Fold each side panel onto top to seal the content of pastry.
Turn the packages and arrange on a baking sheet seam side down. Decorate with pastry cut outs Brush pastries with a beaten egg.
Bake in for about 20 minutes or until the internal temperature is at 110 degrees. Be sure that the tip of the thermometer is inserted in the center of the package.
Set cooked wellingtons aside no longer than 10 minutes. The sealed fillets continue to cook out of the oven.
Cut each wellington in half. Arrange on warm plates and serve immediately.

• preparation

Cut the back fat into small strips 3 mm (1/8 inch) wide and 2.5 cm (1 inch) long.
Make deep incisions all over the surface of the beef and insert the back fat.
Prepare the marinade:
combine all of the ingredients except the olive oil in a non-aluminium container.
Immerse the beef in the liquid and drizzle the olive oil over the surface. Leave to marinate for at least 12 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Remove the beef from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Strain the marinade reserving the vegetables and bouquet garni; drain well. Reserve the marinade.
Heat the vegetable oil in a cast iron casserole over high heat. Add the meat and brown on all sides.
Remove the meat from the pan; set aside. Add the diced bacon to the pan and brown it.
Then add the reserved vegetables and cook until golden. Sprinkle with the flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
Add the marinade and stir to blend. Return the meat to the pan, along with the tomatoes, the bouquet garni and a pinch of salt. Add a little water if necessary to cover the meat.
Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, cover and place in the oven for about 3 hours, turning the meat every hour, until it is very tender when pierced with the point of a knife.
Do not allow the liquid to boil. If the olives are salty, simmer in water for 2 minutes.
Drain and refresh under cold water. When the meat is tender, remove it from the pan and cover with a warm damp tea towel, to prevent it from drying out.
Discard the bouquet garni. Skim the fat from the cooking liquid. Add the olives to the pan and cook over medium heat until the sauce thickens slightly. Adjust the seasoning.
To serve, carve the beef into thin slices. Arrange overlapping slices on a deep serving platter.
Spoon the vegetables and sauce over the beef

• preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Skin the salmon fillet. Remove all bones. Rinse fillet under cold water, and pat dry.
Cut the fillet in half across. Season with salt and pepper.
To make the stuffing:
Combine the fresh breadcrumbs, almonds and parsley in a food processor.
Process to a coarse texture until well mixed. Blend in the tarragon, grated lemon zest, lemon juice, and butter. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper.
Spoon the stuffing over the surface of one fillet. Top with the other salmon fillet, pressing the fillet to adhere to the stuffing. Tie the stuffed fillets with butcher twine to keep the shape
of the fish.
Place the fish on a baking sheet. Measure the thickness of the stuffed salmon at the thickest part. Pour lemon juice, melted butter and wine over surface of fish.
Bake about 15 minutes per inch of thickness, until the flesh is barely opaque throughout.

To serve:
Cut the fish crosswise into 1 to 11/2 -inch-thick slices.
Arrange in center of warm plates. Spoon the cooking liquid over each portion.
Garnish with steamed asparagus or other green vegetables. Serve hot.

• preparation

Wash potatoes with the skin. Cook potatoes in salted boiling water until tender. Drain well. Peel and cut crosswise, into thin slices.
Slice onion thinly, crosswise.
In a frying pan, heat olive oil; add onion and sauté until lightly browned. Stir in potatoes and sauté for a minute. Stir in cheese to melt and add parsley. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Lay out crêpes on a working surface.
Using a pastry brush, lightly coat one side with melted butter.
Divide stuffing in 6 equal portions and place a portion in the center of each crêpe. Fold the sides of the crêpe over the filling. Starting from one open end, roll up each crêpe to make a firm but not tight cylinder. Again, brush them with melted butter.
Place on small nonstick baking sheet. Bake in a 300 degree F. oven for 10 minutes.

To make crêpes, use a 6 or 7-inch crêpe or omelet non-stick pan.
Combine egg, milk, flour and salt in a blender or food processor and whip until batter is smooth. Heat crêpe or omelet pan.
Lightly brush pan with butter, and heat pan over medium heat. Pour in about 1/4 cup batter. Tilt the pan in all directions until the pan thoroughly coats the bottom.
Pour off any excess of batter (crêpe should be thin). Cook on one side over medium heat until lightly brown (about 20 seconds) then turn over and cook to brown the other side.
Turn the crêpe out onto a plate and repeat the process until all the batter is used. Stack the finished crêpes on one another; they don't stick.
Note:
crêpes can be made several days ahead. Cover the plate tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until use.

• preparation

In the bowl of a food processor, fitted with a steel blade, chop finely parsley, dill and watercress. Transfer to a mixing bowl.
Process spinach in the same way and add to herb mixture. Add scallions, mayonnaise and sour cream. Season to taste with salt and ground black pepper.
Refrigerate until ready to use

• preparation

Wash tomatoes. Cut the tomatoes in half crosswise, discarding the cores.
Put them in a buttered baking dish. In a separate bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, garlic, parsley, salt, pepper, and oil, blending well to form a crumbly mixture.
Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture over the tomatoes. Bake at 350 degrees until the tomatoes are tender.

• preparation

Steam or boil cauliflower and garlic until soft. Drain, add buttermilk, light butter, salt, pepper and purée with a hand blender or regular blender.

• preparation

Cut potatoes into large cubes. Boil in salted boiling water until tender. Drain and put through a ricer.
Combine potatoes and choux pastry (See recipe below). Mix well. Season to taste with salt and nutmeg.
Preheat deep fryer to 350 degrees. Spoon the potato mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a plain 1-inch tip. While pressing the mixture out, cut into round balls with a small knife and carefully drop into the hot oil. Continue dropping balls into oil. Do not overload fryer.
After a few minutes, the potatoes will puff and float, and turn golden brown. Transfer to a tray lined with paper towels to absorb oil. Keep warm. Continue with potato mixture.

CHOUX PASTRY:
Heat water and butter in a saucepan, until butter melts and water comes to a boil. Remove from the heat and add flour all at once. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon over low heat until mixture no longer sticks to pan and forms into a ball. Remove from heat.
Beat eggs in thoroughly, one by one. Beat mixture until smooth.

• preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Toss pumpkin seeds and 1 tsp. oil on a rimmed baking sheet; season with salt and pepper. Bake until golden brown and puffed, about 5 minutes; let cool. Finely chop 2 Tbsp. pumpkin seeds. 

Whisk chopped pumpkin seeds, lemon juice, mustard, maple syrup, vinegar and remaining oil in a medium bowl; season dressing with salt and pepper.


Combine fennel, Asian pear, celery root, Granny Smith apple, most of the Manchego, and remaining pumpkin seeds in a large bowl. Drizzle dressing over top and toss to combine; season with salt and pepper. Top with remaining Manchego.

• preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut potatoes into large cubes. Boil in salted boiling water until tender. Drain well, and put through a ricer. Mix well and combine with butter, egg yolks, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Mixture should be thick.
Cool the prepared mixture and shape into small logs, (1 inch round by 3 inches long).

Coat the logs in flour, dip and cover in beaten egg mixed with oil and roll in breadcrumbs.
Deep fry at 350 degrees F. until golden brown.

• preparation

Trim stalks from spinach and shred leaves finely. Place in a large bowl. Cut smoked salmon and cheese into matchstick strips.
Heat the dressing ingredients in a pot. Bring to boil. Pour hot dressing over spinach and toss well.
PRESENTATION
Divide spinach among cold salad plates. Top with salmon and cheese. Vary the amount of spinach and cheese if desired.

• preparation

Slice potatoes very thin. Wash under cold running water. Place in a saucepan. Cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain in a colander. Add potatoes to a mixing bowl. Mix in the garlic, 1 cup Swiss cheese, cream, salt and pepper. Spoon in an oven proof baking dish. Top with the remaining cheese.
Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until top is brown and potatoes are fully cooked.

• preparation

Preheat oven to 400°F. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean with a knife into a small bowl, discarding pod, and stir in sugar and cinnamon.
On a lightly floured surface roll out pastry 1/8 inch thick and drape pastry over tart pan, pressing dough gently onto pan.
On pastry arrange plum and apricot slices, overlapping them slightly, in rows and sprinkle with sugar mixture.
Bake tart in middle of oven until pastry is golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.
Cool tarts on a rack and brush with jam. Serve tarts warm with ice cream.

• preparation

Makes: two 1-quart soufflé molds
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter the bottom and sides of 2 1-quart soufflé molds. Sprinkle with sugar; shake out excess. Place dishes on a baking sheet and set side.
Melt butter over low heat in a saucepan. Stir in the flour and cornstarch; stir until smooth. Pour in the milk and sugar. Whisk over medium heat until thickened. Remove from heat. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Mix in the egg yolks, sugar and vanilla. Blend in the Grand Marnier.
In an electric mixer, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar to until soft peaks form when beater is lifted. Add sugar gradually while beating constantly until the egg whites are firm. Fold the egg whites into the Grand Marnier mixture. Divide the soufflé mixture between the two prepared molds. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving. Serve with Macademia nut sauce.

MACADEMIA NUT SAUCE
Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend at high speed until the sauce is smooth and medium thick. Transfer to a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Serve with soufflés.

• preparation

Whisk egg yolks and sugar in a mixing bowl until creamy and white Heat cream and milk in heavy saucepan. Pour over egg yolk mixture and mix well. Stir in vanilla extract.
Pour mixture in saucepan. Heat slowly over low heat while stirring until mixture coats the back of a spoon, about 8 to 10 minutes. DO NOT LET BOIL. Cool completely in refrigerator.
Freeze according to manufacturers instructions.

• preparation

Crêpe batter:
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, eggs and milk until the batter is smooth. Stir in the cool melted butter and orange zest. Let the batter rest for 30 minutes.
Heat a 7-inch nonstick pan until a drop of water will sizzle on it. Then ladle in 2 ounces of the batter, tilting the pan to coat the bottom. Cook the crêpe until golden brown (check the color by lifting the edges of the crêpe with a metal spatula). Then flip it with the spatula and cook the other side. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Continue cooking the other crêpes. Stack the crêpes as they are made.
Pastry cream:
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring the milk to a boil. In a mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until light and creamy. Add the flour, cornstarch and vanilla. Mix well. Pour the scalded milk over the egg yolk mixture, and whisk well to blend. Return the mixture to the saucepan. Bring to a boil, while whisking constantly. Reduce the heat and simmer 5 minutes, whisking to reach all parts of the pan.
Transfer the pastry cream to a mixing bowl. Mix in the vanilla extract and Cointreau. Cover with a film wrap to prevent a crust from forming. Let cool.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Beat the egg whites and the cream of tartar with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.
Whisk 1/3 of the egg whites into the pastry cream mixture to loosen it; fold in the remaining egg whites.
Line 8 crêpes on a working surface. Divide and spoon the soufflé filling on one-half of the crêpes and fold the opposite side over.
Bake until the crêpes have risen and puffed, about 10 minutes. to serve, transfer the crêpes to individual hot plates. sift confectioner's sugar over each crêpe. Serve immediately.

• preparation

1. In a food processor, add in icing sugar, ground almond powder and pulse for 30 secs into fine powder.
2. Put the mixture through a sieve and remove any lumps. Transfer to a mixing bowl and set aside.
3. In a mixing bowl, add in egg whites, cream of tartar. Using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer, whisk until foamy.
4. With the mixer on low speed, add in the sugar slowly and whisk until soft peaks.
5. Drizzle in rose water essence and turn up the mixer to high speed. Continue to whisk the meringue until stiff peaks.
6. Add in pink color gel by using a stick or skewer.
7. Turn on the mixer and mix until the color is well combined.
8. In 3 batches, fold the meringue with a spatula into the icing sugar and almond powder.
9. It should resemble a lava-like texture. When you raise the spatula, the batter should flow down slowly and perfectly okay if it breaks in between.
10. Pipe the meringue onto a baking tray lined with non-stick baking sheet.
11. Rap the tray a few times on the counter to remove air bubbles. Use a skewer to break up large air bubbles.
12. Set it to dry at room temperature for 45 – 60 mins or in an oven preheated at 40C for 15 mins.
13. While waiting, prepare the buttercream filling by creaming the butter and icing sugar together till light and fluffy.
14. Add in melted chocolate and rose water essence. Continue to whisk for another 1 min.
15. Fill the buttercream in a piping bag.
16. Check the meringue by gently touching the skin of the meringue. It should be dry to the touch.
17. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 305F (150C) for 15 minutes.
18. Cool them on a wire rack completely before piping the buttercream filling.
19. If making ahead, store the cooled macaron shells in an air-tight container.
20. Macarons always taste better the next day so you could make them a day in advance and store them in air-tight containers before serving.
21. If you are staying in humid environment, store them in the fridge.

• preparation

1. Place the milk and eggs in a bowl. Whisk to combine.
2. Add the butter, rum or vanilla and whisk it in.
3. Place the flour, salt and sugar in a large bowl.
4. Add about ¾ – 1 cup of the liquid and mix gently to form a smooth paste.
5. Add the rest of the liquid and mix to form a smooth, watery batter. You can put it through a fine meshed strainer, and it will come out lump-free.
6. Cover the batter and let it rest for at least 20 – 30 minutes. The batter can be kept in the refrigerated for a day.
Cooking the Crepes
1. Preheat a 10-inch non-stick pan over medium heat.
2. Brush butter on the heated pan.
3. Always mix the batter first, before you make each crepe.
4. Pour ¼ cup of the batter into the hot pan, and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Swirl and spread the batter along the edge of the pan first and then fill the middle with the remaining crepe batter. Make sure the batter is as evenly spread as possible.
5. Place the pan back on the heat to let the crepe cook.
6. cook the crepes until the edges are starting to brown become a little crisp (about 40 seconds). Flip the crepes over and cook for a further 10 – 15 seconds on the other side until the crepes has turned light brown Repeat until all the batter is used up.
7. Stack the cooked crepes on a plate. Cover with film wrap when cold. When ready to use, you can warm them up gently in a frying pan withor without butter.