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A Lesson in French Macarons

Posted by Tracey | Jun 19, 2014 | In The Kitchen | 0 |

A Lesson in French Macarons

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About The Author

Tracey

Tracey

Join me on my journey as I taste and drink in all that life has to offer!

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I’m a food-and-wine enthusiast turned storyteller, always chasing the perfect pairing of flavor and humor - so let’s savor both #lifefoodwine
A fun work day! A fun work day!
#yountvillearts miss you already #30daysinwinecoun #yountvillearts miss you already #30daysinwinecountry #lifefoodwine #napa
#30daysinwinecountry 2026. Day 30. A day of fun, i #30daysinwinecountry 2026. Day 30. A day of fun, indulgence, and saying goodbye. ❤️🍷 Well, here we are. Day 30. Somehow this month flew by at breakneck speed. Our final Napa day started exactly as it should: brunch at the bar at Bouchon Bistro. A grapefruit mimosa was ordered immediately because farewells are always easier with bubbles. We shared the shrimp cocktail before I settled into one of my favorites, the salmon tartare with capers, red onion, crème fraîche, and toasted croûtons. Joanne went with the beef tartare, which was equally delicious. It was the perfect slow Napa morning. Next up was my final tasting—and Joanne’s first—at Hill Family Winery. The sun was shining, the patio was beautiful, and we happily worked our way through the lighter side of the portfolio. Rosé of Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Cuvée Charlotte, Carly’s Cuvée (now officially a favorite of both of ours), Reserve Chardonnay, and then a few reds including Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Cabernet Franc. We spent hours chatting with McCoy and Bob, laughing, sipping, and doing what Napa does best—making time disappear. One last stop in downtown Napa for a stroll along the riverfront, a little boutique browsing, and soaking up every last bit of sunshine before dinner at the brand-new Normandie. The restaurant is elegant, cozy, and exactly the kind of place you hope to discover. We started with a beet and goat cheese special, followed by mushroom risotto, and then a sea bass special served over creamy béchamel potatoes that I simply could not stop eating. At that point, any plans of moderation had officially left the building. And just like that, 30 days of wine, food, laughter, friends, long walks, too many outfit changes, and a healthy dose of Napa-lepsy came to an end. Thank you to all of my wonderful friends who visited and helped make this trip so special. Until next year, goodbye my sweet friend, Napa Valley. You were absolutely wonderful. ❤️🍷 #lifefoodwine #yountville #winecountrylife #foodandwine @hillfamilyestate @bouchon_bistro @normandienapa
#30daysinwinecountry 2026. Day 29. A beautiful day #30daysinwinecountry 2026. Day 29. A beautiful day of baked goods, bubbles, and fried chicken. 🍷✨ The temperature was climbing again, so Joanne and I set off on what can best be described as a “moderately ambitious” morning walk. Not quite enough to justify what came next, but we did it anyway. A stop at Bouchon Bakery for blueberry muffins and Quiche Lorraine was non-negotiable. We carried our treasures home and enjoyed breakfast in the backyard sunshine, convincing ourselves the walk had completely balanced everything out. Science. Summer dresses were then donned for a visit to the gorgeous Domaine Carneros where we enjoyed sparkling wine flights and learned the Art of Sabrage—the dramatic practice of opening a bottle of sparkling wine with a sword. Because apparently opening wine normally is for amateurs 🤣. Alongside a beautiful platter of smoked sturgeon pâté, caviar, charcuterie, cheese, nuts, and dried fruit, we sipped our way through several gorgeous bubbles. Favorites included a beautifully dry 2019 Taittinger and the late-disgorged Rosé, while the 2018 Le Rêve provided a spectacular finale. Then came the sabrage demonstration. Let me tell you, that sword was significantly heavier than expected. After holding it, I can confidently say I would have been a terrible musketeer. Back in Yountville, we indulged in a little shopping where Joanne found a stunning Panama hat at Montecristi that looked like it had been waiting for her all along. Dinner was at Charlie’s where any remaining restraint completely disappeared. Crispy globe artichokes, asparagus flatbread, their famous fried chicken with hot sauce, and roasted St. Helena carrots all found their way to the table. It was enough food for four people, but somehow two determined women gave it a very respectable effort. At this point, I’m not saying I’m afraid of my scale when I get back to Chicago... but I am considering leaving it unplugged for a week. 🤣🍷❤️ #winecountrylife #lifefoodwine #napafoodie @charlies_nv @domainecarneros @bouchon_bakery
#30daysinwinecountry 2026. Day 28. The last leg of #30daysinwinecountry 2026. Day 28. The last leg of my 30 days 🙁🍷 Joanne arrived from Boston mid-afternoon and with zero afternoon plans—which in Napa usually becomes the best kind of day—we decided on an impromptu tasting at Stewart Cellars, a tasting room I walk past almost daily and always admire. Naturally, we chose the giant comfy outdoor sofa because apparently we like to wine taste as if we live there. Hosted by the lovely Mark, we worked our way through the Portfolio Flight starting with the Brut Cuvée, then a gorgeous Sonoma Mountain Rosé and Oakville Sauvignon Blanc that we both loved. The GSM blend was so good a few bottles may or may not now be heading toward Chicago, while the Tartan red was slightly too bold for Joanne… and honestly maybe for my personality before coffee 🤣 A perfect spontaneous afternoon. Then came dinner at RO Restaurant & Lounge, Thomas Keller’s caviar-focused restaurant. And my friends… when I say the place was empty, I mean we were essentially being hosted like two very confused billionaires. The staff outnumbered us and honestly? We leaned into it. We started outside with Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé before moving inside to bar seats because apparently we now make executive seating decisions. Then came the caviar service with Ossetra piled onto warm potato blinis with crème fraîche, egg mimosa, and chives and let me tell you… I get it now. I fully get caviar. At this point we lost all sense of restraint and ordered enough food for what looked like a small royal gathering: uni toast, spicy tuna rolls, uni on brioche toast topped with more caviar, scallops, turnips, tempura vegetables… and eventually had to cancel dishes because even we realized things were getting out of hand 🤣 An indulgent, hilarious, delicious evening and such a special birthday dinner with Joanne 🍷Thank you Joanne ❤️ #winecountrylife #lifefoodwine #napafoodie @stewartcellars @ro.lounge
#30daysinwinecountry 2026. Day 27. Bubbles, brunch #30daysinwinecountry 2026. Day 27. Bubbles, brunch, and binge watching. 🍾🍷 Our day started with a 10am pickup and a little jaunt up to Calistoga for a cave tour and bubbles tasting at Schramsberg Vineyards. Our host, Lisa, was an absolute delight with just the right amount of sarcasm to keep things entertaining while guiding us through caves holding more than 5 million bottles of sparkling wine patiently waiting to appear at someone’s celebration somewhere in the world. Casual 🤣 The girls learned all about Méthode Traditionnelle sparkling wine making, while Deb bravely attempted riddling—the bottle-turning process—which honestly looked much easier after two glasses of bubbles. The tasting itself was fabulous with rosé, brut, and extra dry sparkling wines flowing freely. Cynthia was absolutely in her happy place because the woman genuinely loves bubbles more than oxygen. Back home for what became our second outfit change of the day before brunch at Clementine. Sadly the weather turned chilly and rainy, but we stubbornly committed to outdoor dining while strategically dodging raindrops like seasoned professionals. Cocktails arrived first—Clemencello Drop for Cynthia, Aperol Betty with grapefruit for me, and a fun cocktail we can’t remember the name of for Deb. Brunch followed with my leek & aged cheddar quiche, Cynthia diving happily into the asparagus & mushroom flatbread, and Deb raving about the perfectly poached egg on her steak and eggs. Rain eventually won, so we headed home, curled up, and binge-watched the rest of Widow’s Bay. I have to admit, the show is hilarious… but I still refuse to watch it alone because apparently I’m both a grown woman and deeply afraid of fictional suspense 🤣 Naturally, there was also a third outfit change before we ended the evening bar dining at R+D Kitchen. The perfect ending to Deb and Cynthia’s Napa visit ❤️🍷 #winecountrylife #lifefoodwine #napafoodie @schramsberg @clementineyountville
#30daysinwinecountry 2026. Day 26. Walks, Oakville #30daysinwinecountry 2026. Day 26. Walks, Oakville, Darioush, a dive bar, and Bistro Jeanty. 🍷 Yesterday was one of those “how is this all happening in one day?” Napa days. We started virtuously with a long walk before immediately undoing all our good work at Oakville Grocery with gourmet sandwiches, orzo salad, and a bottle of Scribe Rosé shared on the patio while battling dramatic wind gusts and pretending we weren’t cold. Next stop: Darioush Winery for a wonderfully grown-up afternoon tasting with the incredibly knowledgeable Brendon. The Viognier once again reminded me exactly why I joined the club in the first place. Deb fell hard for the Cabernet Franc, while Cynthia remained loyal to the crisp, beautiful Viognier. Back home for a quick change before introducing Cynthia to Yountville’s only dive bar, Pancha’s of Yountville. Deb and I attempted pool, which quickly became less “cool dive bar energy” and more “middle-aged women aggressively missing easy shots.” Apparently I used to be good at pool. There is currently no evidence of this 🤣 but, Deb did get in some amazing shots. Dinner at Bistro Jeanty can only be described as deliciously irresponsible. We started sensibly… with duck liver mousse and brioche. Then instead of making balanced choices, we fully committed to rich French comfort food chaos. I ordered the cassoulet packed with duck confit, sausage, pork belly, bacon, and basically every delicious thing known to mankind. Deb devoured steak tartare like a woman on a mission, while Cynthia spent a solid hour emotionally attached to her beef cheeks and mashed potatoes. By the end of dinner we could barely stand up, yet somehow still made it home for two more episodes of Widow’s Bay, where I once again forced Deb and Cynthia to warn me before scary parts because apparently I am both brave enough for cassoulet and deeply terrified of fictional television 🤣🍷 What a ridiculously fun day. ❤️ #winecountrylife #lifefoodwine #napafoodie @darioushwinery @bistro.jeanty
#30daysinwinecountry 2026. Day 25. Hill Family, Do #30daysinwinecountry 2026. Day 25. Hill Family, Downtown Napa, and a Scala 🍷Our morning started exactly as all great Napa mornings should—with Oprah Winfrey Loving Muffins from Model Bakery - thank you Cynthia for picking them up. First stop: Hill Family Estate for a tasting at the winery itself. Exclusive patio access overlooking the vineyards? Don’t mind if we do. Hosted by the wonderful and storytelling McCoy, we spent the afternoon sipping Albariño, Rosé, Cuvee Charlotte, Cabernet Franc, and a special pour of Carly’s Cuvée that Bob kindly brought over for us because apparently Napa people are just lovely like that. Next stop: Downtown Napa because Cynthia had never been before and this simply needed correcting. We wandered boutiques, admired all the pretty things we absolutely didn’t need, and stopped into Bazan Cellars after a recommendation from Bob. The Rama Rosé Sparkling was an instant favorite, alongside their Rosé and wonderfully rich Cabernet Sauvignon. Dinner was at Scala Osteria where the vibe was buzzing and we scored the perfect round table for maximum people-watching. Naturally, I ordered the branzino because at this point it’s less a menu choice and more a personality trait. Cynthia eventually landed on the spaghetti with clams and shrimp after what can only be described as a lengthy negotiations process with herself 🤣. She loved it. But the true star of the evening was Deb’s “pizza.” What arrived looked less like pizza and more like a giant edible throw pillow. Once sliced open, molten ricotta, pancetta, pecorino, parmesan, and crispy bacon came pouring out like a beautiful Italian cheese avalanche. She somehow ate the entire thing and honestly, respect. We rolled ourselves home, and sat around the firepit crying laughing over a game of Heads Up. But the evening still wasn’t over because, hysterically, it was only 8:30pm 🤣. I was then talked into watching the first two episodes of Widows Bay and let me just say… while it is quite funny, I personally found it absolutely terrifying. Nope, will not be watching that show alone - EVER! 🍷😳 #downtownnapa #winecountrylife #lifefoodwine @hillfamilyestate @scala.
#30daysinwinecountry 2026. Day 24. Chicago is in t #30daysinwinecountry 2026. Day 24. Chicago is in the house, Frog’s, and Bouchon. 🍷 The Chicago ladies, Deb and Cynthia, arrived mid-afternoon and immediately mastered the “drop bags and keep moving” strategy because we were rushing off to one of our favorite places, Frog’s Leap Winery. Escorted to the members patio, we settled into a leisurely, wonderfully unstructured afternoon of ordering whatever sounded good—which honestly is my preferred wine tasting style. We sipped Rosé, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and the Flycatcher, a ridiculously easy-drinking chilled red blend that reminded me how much I love it. Naturally, I ordered more bottles because apparently shipping wine to Chicago has become one of my core personality traits. We wandered through the gardens while Deb expertly explained flowers and plants to us like the very delightful garden nerd she is 🌸🤣 After a quick patio reset at home, we headed to my beloved Bouchon Bistro where dinner quickly became what I call “ordering emotionally.” Warm braided bread and salty butter started things off perfectly, followed by pâté de campagne, salmon rillettes, deviled eggs, and ultimately what became full-on girl dinner energy: salad and French fries. Honestly? Elite combination.The Salade Lyonnaise with crispy bacon and poached egg paired with salty fries absolutely hit the spot, all alongside a beautiful Bordeaux-style Sauvignon Blanc and long conversations about our favorite movie star. A perfect first Chicago-in-Napa evening ❤️🍷 #winecountrylife #lifefoodwine #napafoodie #foodandwine @frogsleap @bouchon_bistro
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