Sweet Perfection

One of my favorite things to eat in France are these perfect little cookies called Macarons. Somewhere between a crisp meringue and a moist sandwich cookie, they come in all different flavors. Chocolate, Vanilla, Rose, Caramel, Lemon and Lavender are just some of them. My personal favorite are the Pistachio. I cannot even describe how wonderful these taste!! Little discs of absolute perfection. Pastries and confections are a real art form in France. It's not just about the taste, it's also about texture, scent, and appearance. All these elements come together to make some of the most divine dessert experiences I have ever had. Even the way the people at the pattisseries wrap your selections is completely meticulous. From the moment you choose a glossy parcel from beneath the glass to the moment you pick the crumbs from the crumpled wrappings and lick your fingers for every last delicious and scintillating morsel, it is a full blown sensory experience. I only wish I could find some place close to me that sold them. In the absence of any French Pattisseries in my neighborhood, I have decided to try my hand at them myself. I'll let you know how they turn out, and if I find a good recipe, I'll post it here!

Portrait with Attitude

I have to confess I have always had a problem with taking people's portraits. I feel that, unlike painters, photographers often fail to capture something of the person they are portraying, and instead capture only an image. Which is why I have a tendency to frustrate many of my friends and family by confining my travel photographs to Landscapes and Architecture. I have recently decided that maybe, I need to return to portraits and see if I can't manage to improve my technique a bit. Which is why I am so happy with this photograph. Anyone who knows my friend C. will tell you that this displays a great deal of his personality, from the pose, to the location (read the sign, he is the type that would create some noise), to the knowing smirk that his inner circle is oh so familiar with. This has inspired me to work a bit harder, and see what I can come up with.

M.I.A.

So far I have been failing miserably at this blog thing. I love to read others' blogs, and think of endless things to post on my own, and yet never seem to get to it. But I have recently returned from Paris and that City, teeming with
Art and Artifice, has inspired my creativity and motivated me to begin anew and post all those things I have been thinking of. So keep watching this space. I will be Missing In Action no more.