I'm a moron. I somehow managed to deep fry the skin on my hand that only a moron could. How did I brilliantly managed to do this? One special Saturday night (last night), we decided to stay in. In the midst of my Pork-Tenderloin-in-a-Shallot-Merlot-Country-Mustard-Sauce-with-Red-Himalayan-Rice
oeuvre, and whilst immersed in my own manic thoughts, I grabbed a hot skillet with my naked hand. A skillet that just came out of a 500-degree-Fahrenheit oven. I actually heard my palm sizzling. So, I did what made sense the most: dropped everything and ran to immerse the injured hand in ice cold water. 3 hours and a very pruny hand later, it still felt like it was f***ing on fire every time I removed it from the ice bath. Since no amount of cold water and Aloe could soothe the burning sensation, I begged my husband to take me to the hospital Emergency Room. As soon as the doctor on-call checked (and chuckled) and bandaged my hand in Polysporin and special burn pads, it felt much better, although I still need to see a Plastic Surgeon! A Plastic Surgeon. To monitor any infection and to follow the healing, in case the new skin has malforming effects. Seriously, I am a moron.
However, one of the advantages of being injured and taped up like a mummy is that you get spoiled. Seriously. I told my husband I wanted a heart-warming, decadent breakfast. He drove to my favourite pâtisserie,
Nadège, on Queen Street West and came back with this package.
Now, you have to understand that Nadège Nourian, pâtisserie owner / pastry chef, hails from Paris, France - my favourite city in the world for anything sweet. Yet she does not concern herself with the conventional image of the wicker-chaired, pressed-tin-ceilinged Parisian café that most Canadians have. She brings modern Paris to Toronto. And having worked at Michelin-rated Hakkasan in London as Executive Pastry Chef, there's something about her pedigree that brings legitimacy to her shop.
I love everything about Nadège the pâtisserie and Nadège the artist. Not only did she bring her right-hand woman, Sous Pastry Chef, Laur Larrose, to Toronto, but she also imports her ingredients from France (i.e. butter and chocolate, etc.). Is it any surprise that this is one of the most authentic French pâtisseries that ever graced our city?
Even at $7 CAD a piece, I highly recommend their savoury breakfast croissants. They have bacon, egg, and tomato; smoked salmon; ham and cheese; and vegetarian - all wrapped in her signature flaky butter croissant. But don't be fooled by the simple description. The ingredients are of super high quality and they are elegantly presented - like most things French!
Delicieux! Seriously. This is not your regular Tim Hortons, Au Bon Pain, or Starbucks sandwich. This is Paris!
Oh, and their
viennoiserie and desserts are just absolutely heavenly. Layers and layers of flaky, buttery crust imbued with fresh, deluxe fillings that are NOT the usual sugary stuff that North Americans are barraged with. You actually taste the fruits and the spices themselves, not the fake stuff laden in sucrose.
This chocolate pear croissant dusted in dark cocoa powder is absolutely divine, without making you feel like you've just eaten a kilo of sugar and were about to go into a diabetic coma. The croissant is light with airy layers. The pear filling is actually made of fresh pears, sweetened only by nature's touch (not the artificial stuff). The dark chocolate is smoky and spicy - like it should really be - not too sugary.
The fig crumble square and raisin brioche are quite the perfect breakfast alternatives as well, although there's something else that I supremely adore.
The French macarons! My fave Nadège flavour? Salted Caramel. Don't be fooled by the yellow cookies. Inside, it's a perfect brown caramel
brûlée intensified beautifully with
fleur de sel. This is some serious desert!
And don't even get me started on their fancy sweets and
haute mini cakes!
So I can't help buying a pack of four macarons to give away to my office mates and friends. For them, I selected these flavours (from top): Olive Oil, Dark Chocolate, Blackcurrant, and Salted Caramel. 'Tis the season to be sharing anyway. Seriously.
