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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
#30daysinwinecountry 2026. Day 11. La Grenouille R #30daysinwinecountry 2026. Day 11. La Grenouille Rougante, Charlie’s, and birthdays. 🍷 Julie and Mike’s last day started perfectly lazily with strong coffee and Oprah’s favorite English muffins from Model Bakery. We then headed to Frog’s Leap Winery, where I’ve proudly been a Fellow for years. Within seconds of arriving, Sauvignon Blanc magically appeared in my hand. My kind of welcome. Because we were slightly late for the tour, we did that thing where you casually join the group pretending you’ve been there the entire time. Janet, our fabulous host, walked us through the gardens, barns, bottling process, and several beautiful wines including the Shale & Stone Chardonnay and a deliciously fruity Merlot. But the real star for me was La Grenouille Rougante Rosé—aka “The Blushing Frog” and one of my favorite summer wines. Sunshine in a bottle. So good we bought one and lingered happily on the patio pretending we had nowhere else to be. Dinner was at Charlie’s, which somehow always feels both lively and cozy at the same time. We devoured BBQ oysters with Nashville hot sauce, grilled asparagus, and roasted carrots that honestly had no business being that exciting. Mike immediately claimed ownership of the famous beer can chicken, Julie loved her radiatori pasta, and my steelhead trout was so good my plate looked licked clean by the end. Then came surprise mini birthday cupcakes for both Julie and me, which felt like the perfect sweet ending to such a fun few days together. 🍷 #winecountrylife #roséallday #napafoodie #lifefoodwine @frogsleap @charlies_nv
#30daysinwinecountry 2026. Day 10. A full #LifeFoo #30daysinwinecountry 2026. Day 10. A full #LifeFoodWine day. 🍷Our day started with Oprah’s favorite English muffins from Model Bakery. Trying to describe these things is difficult, but imagine if an English muffin met a donut and then had a slightly naughty affair with a crumpet. Close enough. Properly carb-loaded, we headed to Davies Vineyards for a leisurely sparkling wine tasting. Everything was outstanding, but the 2022 Blanc de Noirs was the clear favorite for all of us. Lunch followed at Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch on an absolutely stunning sunny patio. We started with deviled eggs topped with pimento cheese and crispy ham—which may have ruined all future deviled eggs for me. Mike and I then happily devoured Dungeness crab rolls with crispy fries, while Julie went for the brisket hash with mushrooms, asparagus, crispy potatoes, and hollandaise. Lunch was phenomenal. Next stop: Foreman Vineyard, a small boutique winery making Cabernets that honestly make you question every other Cabernet you’ve ever had. Hosted once again by Gabe, we toured the caves while hearing entertaining Napa Valley stories before settling in for a truly fabulous tasting. And because apparently we felt no need for moderation, we ended the evening at Bouchon Bistro where the indulgence continued with French onion soup, pâté de campagne, warm goat cheese salad, and mussels steamed in white wine, Dijon mustard, saffron… plus fries again because apparently potatoes are part of my wine country personality now. We waddled home in a full food coma. Absolutely no regrets. 🍷 #sparklingwine #napafoodie #winecountrylife @schramsberg @longmeadowranch @bouchonbistro @forman_vineyard
#30daysinwinecountry 2026. Day 9. Julie and Mike a #30daysinwinecountry 2026. Day 9. Julie and Mike are in the house, Hill Family, and Clementine. 🍷 I woke up ridiculously well-rested—hello again, Napa-lepsy. A long walk around Yountville was in order and thankfully it’s tiny because I regularly get lost in Chicago and there’s basically zero chance of that happening here. By mid-afternoon, Julie and Mike arrived and birthday celebrations for Julie officially continued (because one day simply isn’t enough). We kicked things off in the backyard with sunshine, comfy patio sofas, and a bottle of Hill Family Estate Winery Rosé of Pinot Noir. Bliss. We then wandered over to the tasting room where our wonderful host Kaitlynn guided us through Tiara, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Cabernet Franc, Red Door, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Mike became very attached to the Zinfandel and I suspect a wine shipment may soon appear at his house. Dinner was at Clementine for my second visit of the trip. Rosé for me, an espresso martini masterpiece for Julie, and cider for Mike. The burrata and zucchini vanished in record time. Mike’s pork chop left nothing but the bone, Julie loved the fig & prosciutto flatbread, and my Arctic char with almond-caper tapenade was honestly incredible. We ended the night in sweats around the firepit—which, as Mike perfectly described, is “slightly menacing to light” and feels one wrong button away from launching us into the neighbor’s vineyard. Thankfully no eyebrows were lost and we solved absolutely none of the world’s problems. Honestly, a pretty perfect #lifefoodwine kind of day. 🍷#winecountrylife #roséallday #napafoodie @hillfamilyestate @clementineyountville
#30daysinwinecountry 2026. Day 8. Work, walks, and #30daysinwinecountry 2026. Day 8. Work, walks, and a podcast dark enough to pair with Cabernet. 🍷🎧 Friday was long, busy, but made infinitely better by a glorious 75-degree Napa day. I worked outside for part of the afternoon, which honestly should be mandatory for my mental health. After work, I headed out for one of my long Yountville walks and decided on five miles, which of course required a good podcast. I settled on Blood Vines, one I started earlier this year but never finished. Big mistake. Because wow… this thing is twisty, dark, fascinating, and completely addictive. Hosted by investigative journalist Chris Walker, the podcast dives into one of the largest wine fraud scandals in U.S. history centered around the powerful Licciardi family, whose grape deals helped fuel America’s White Zinfandel obsession in the 1980s. What started as a sweet blush wine Americans couldn’t get enough of eventually spiraled into greed, fraud, lies, suspicious behavior, and murder. Yes… murder. Apparently even White Zinfandel has a dark side. Honestly, if Paul Giamatti saying “I am not drinking any f***ing Merlot” in Sideways damaged Merlot sales, this scandal multiplied that wine drama by about a thousand. The storytelling is fantastic—part true crime, part wine history, part family dynasty imploding in spectacular fashion. Even if you know nothing about wine, it completely pulls you in. By the end of my walk, I had my exercise, my step count, and approximately 47 new conspiracy theories about the wine business. Napa continues to educate me 🍷 #bloodvines #winepodcast #truecrimepodcast #yountville
Day 7. R+D, Azur Rosé, and Asian noodle salad with Day 7. R+D, Azur Rosé, and Asian noodle salad with a kick. 🍷It was a productive workday, although much to my colleagues’ amusement, I am apparently absolutely hopeless at time zones. Trying to schedule meetings in ET while living temporarily in PT genuinely hurts my brain. And to think, I was once a very competent EA back in the 1800s 🤣 Thankfully, after a little AI assistance today, I’ve learned the sneaky computers will supposedly help me with that now… although I remain suspicious 😳 Anyway, conspiracy theories aside, Napa delivered a perfect 75-degree day and I felt strongly that early casual outdoor dining was necessary for morale. Naturally, R+D Kitchen was my pick. Shocking to absolutely no one. The evening called for a crisp glass of Azur Rosé paired with their Asian noodle salad with chicken—and honestly, this salad deserves its own fan club. Every bite is a flavor bomb with crunchy vegetables, tender chicken, fresh herbs, and a chili dressing that sneaks up on you in the best possible way. A little kick, a lot delicious. Back home by 7:30pm, in pajamas by 7:45pm, and fully committed to BritBox because apparently even in California, my British TV obsession remains strong. A very good Napa day. 🍷#yountville #rdkitchen #roséallday #napafoodie #britbox @therdkitchens
#30daysinwinecountry 2026. Day 6. Jen left. A looo #30daysinwinecountry 2026. Day 6. Jen left. A loooonnngg work day, a wine-free night in… and a little wine movie review for you 🍷🎬 After five days of nonstop food, wine, and fun, Jen headed home and reality briefly entered the chat in the form of work. Lots of work. The kind where suddenly you remember emails exist and wonder why nobody warned you. By evening, I was fully committed to stretchy clothes, leftovers, and a quiet night in. No wine tasting. No fancy dinner. Honestly, my body probably appreciated the evening off. Instead, I rewatched The Mostly Serious History of Wine, a documentary I absolutely loved the first time around. Directed by Jim Hodgson, it humorously explores the history of wine—from accidental discovery by early humans to the global wine industry we know today, with stops in Egypt, Rome, Spain, and France along the way. The opening line hooked me immediately: “Wine is so deeply fascinating… I love that every bottle of wine is a piece of art made by an artist who had to count on the weather.” I mean… yes. What makes the documentary so enjoyable is that Hodgson openly admits he knows almost nothing about wine and therefore decides to make an entire documentary about it anyway. Honestly, confidence goals. Filled with Master Sommeliers, wine experts, funny reenactments, fascinating facts, and a lot of humor, it never takes itself too seriously—which is exactly why it works. Even non-wine lovers would probably find themselves entertained. A perfect cozy night-in watch before diving back into Napa adventures tomorrow. 🍷#napafoodie #lifefoodwine #historyofwine @historyofwine #seriouswineforunseriouspeople
#30daysinwinecountry 2026. Day 5. An attempt at ex #30daysinwinecountry 2026. Day 5. An attempt at exercise, bubbles, Bouchon, and Jen’s last day. Our morning was gloriously leisurely. Think staying in pajamas until 11am leisurely, eating avocado toast and fruit salad while pretending we had nowhere to be. Eventually, we decided we should probably move our bodies, so off we went for what can only be described as a “wellness-adjacent” walk through Yountville. Forty-five minutes later, we returned feeling extremely accomplished for minimal cardio 🙂. Then it was time for our Cave Tour and Tasting at Schramsberg Vineyards. Joined by six others, we wandered through caves lined with hundreds of thousands of bottles of sparkling wine quietly aging away. It’s honestly kind of magical down there. Our guide was fantastic (and sadly my brain failed me on his name). We learned all about traditional sparkling wine making, why it absolutely cannot be called Champagne unless it comes from Champagne, the riddling process, and the slightly terrifying fact that hundreds of bottles explode during production. Sparkling wine really likes drama. Deep in the caves, a tasting table awaited us and honestly… happiness. While everything was delicious, both Jen and I fell hard for the Nobles Blanc de Noirs. Absolute perfection. After bubbles, we headed home to get ready for Jen’s final dinner, which of course had to be at Bouchon Bistro. You’re going to hear about my mini obsession with this place a lot over the next month. We grabbed seats at the bar (my favorite place to dine), studied the menu for approximately 10 seconds, then ordered exactly what we already knew we wanted. First up: the salmon rillettes with toasted croûtons—a magical little mason jar of happiness. I then went straight for the trout amandine with haricots verts and beurre noisette, while Jen ordered the steak frites… which quickly became our steak frites because I helped myself to more than a few fries. The perfect ending to five fabulous days filled with food, wine, laughter, and just the right amount of Napa-induced sleepiness. 🍷 #sparklingwine #napafoodie #lifefoodwine @bouchon_bistro @schramsberg
#30daysinwinecountry 2026. Day 4. Darioush and The #30daysinwinecountry 2026. Day 4. Darioush and The Charter Oak. Our morning started with coffee… and then, very naturally, wine 🍷. After easing into the day, we headed to Darioush Winery for a late morning tasting. Pulling up to what can only be described as a Persian palace in Napa, we spotted the flame lit out front—always a good sign that Darioush is in residence. Due to a little chill, we were seated inside and once again hosted by the wonderful Mike. We kicked off with their Signature Chardonnay—crisp, elegant, and not overly oaked (my kind of Chardonnay). Then onto the reds: the Signature Shiraz (light, fruity, very drinkable), followed by a Cabernet Franc that both Jen and I loved so much… we ordered extra bottles. Naturally. We couldn’t resist sneaking in a taste of “The Duel”—their Cabernet Sauvignon collaboration between father and son—and yes, still as good as we remembered. We wrapped with their Signature Cabernet and a cellar tour, including a peek at Darioush’s personal collection… let’s just say, it’s not hurting. All paired with a delicious mezze—Persian pistachios, crusty bread and dips, pomegranate olives, and lamb chops. Casual perfection. From there, we Ubered over to The Charter Oak. Cozy bar seats were required thanks to rain (and more rain), but honestly, not a bad place to be stuck. We kept it light-ish with a Folk Machine Rosé, then shared their signature garden vegetables with fermented soy dip—which, as Jen perfectly put it, is “a great vehicle for getting healthy vegetables into our body with a very unhealthy dip.” Accurate. Trying to stay on track (sort of), I had the Yellow Miso Caesar with grilled Gulf prawns—so good—and Jen went for the grain bowl with chicken and a mustard vinaigrette where every bite was a different taste adventure. By now, the rain was fully committed, so we lingered… because if not, wine not? 🍷 Eventually we called it, headed home, polished off leftover flatbread from Clementine (still excellent, no notes), and watched The Fall Guy—which we both loved. Rainy Napa day done right. #darioush #napafoodie #lifefoodwine. @darioushwinery @the_charteroak
#30daysinwinecountry 2026. Day 3. Spa day and fine #30daysinwinecountry 2026. Day 3. Spa day and fine dining at Violetta. Ahhh… a day dedicated to life, food and wine —my official Napa mantra. We kicked things off at Silverado Resort for a spa day. Wrapped in the fluffiest robes known to mankind, we split for treatments and re-emerged relaxed, glowing, and slightly horizontal. My massage (with a head massage add-on) had me basically melting into the table—zero regrets. Post-treatment tea in the lounge, then into swimsuits (a bold choice after a long hiatus) and down to the pool. A little too chilly for full sunbathing, so naturally we migrated to the hot tub—priorities. Followed by lounging in robes, soaking up just enough sunshine to feel smug about it. Keeping the indulgence going, we grabbed a picnic from Oakville Grocery—BLTs, orzo salad, and a glass of Scribe Rosé—then back home to the patio… where we both promptly fell asleep outside on the sofas. Napa does this to me. No complaints. Refreshed (again), we dressed up and headed to Violetta for a very indulgent evening. Intimate, refined, and definitely a “whisper-level conversation” kind of place… which, for Jen and me, is aspirational at best. The lighting? Moody. The photos? Questionable due to the lighting. The food? Absolutely incredible. We went for the four-course prix fixe with wine pairings. Highlights: Tembrink Farm asparagus, housemade scarpinocc pasta, and a perfectly cooked Liberty Farm duck for me, ending with a dreamy truffle cheese plate. Jen went all in with beets, a spring risotto, melt-in-your-mouth halibut, and a citrusy Arancia Fizz to finish. Every course paired with perfectly curated 2oz pours—dangerously seamless. By the end, we were fully rejuvenated, extremely well-fed, and ready for pajamas and a slightly ridiculous movie—The Running Man, naturally. A very good day in wine country. 🍷#napavalley #spaday #napafoodie #finedining @violettonapa @silveradoresort
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