[Sca-cooks] Macarons

[Johnna Holloway]

Supposedly (and take this also with a grain of salt,
they have been in France for centuries prior to Catherine de Medici.
The latest Larousse Gastronomique ststes:
"Some authorities  claim that the recipe fo macaroons of Cormery, in  
France, is the oldest. Macaroons have been made in the monastery there  
since 791 and legend has it they used to be made in the shape of  
monks' navels.

Towns or villages associated with the cookie include:
Montmorillion, Niort, Reims, Pau, Amiens, Melun, and Nancy.

Waverly Root mentions the Italian town-
"Salsomaggiore is famous for its little almond-sized macaroons..."

You might want to hunt up the following article from the journal
Gastronomica
Spring 2009, Vol. 9, No. 2, Pages 14–18.

The Macaron and Madame Blanchez by Cindy Meyers.
"At the end of a month-long journey around France to learn about the  
centuries-old almond cookies called macarons, the author interviews  
Madame Blanchez, a baker who continues to make them in a traditional  
manner in Saint-Emilion. Her methods and ingredients, along with the  
history of her recipe and the macaron in general, are discussed. The  
phenomenon of the macaron parisien, a newer version of the traditional  
macaron that has been causing quite a stir in Paris, is also examined."

I've found that issue and will take a look at it in a few moments.

hope this helps

Johnnae


On Jul 18, 2010, at 1:13 PM, Susan Lin wrote:

> We are trying to find some additional period information on macarons  
> - the
> almond cookies from France.  All we seem to be able to determine is  
> that
> Catherine de Medici brought them with her. If anyone has anything  
> more informative we'd be grateful. Shoshana