Jean-Georges, Johnny and the Macaroon

It’s not easy to take a good picture when both you and your subjects are laughing too hard.  Did I press “macro” instead of “auto”?  Was it something with the flash?  Who knew a point-and-shoot digital could make such a fuzzy picture?  Worse, who knew that I’d think the picture was just fine until I got home and looked at it without jolly tears of laughter rolling down my checks?  Here’s the offending photo:
 

The guy in soft focus to the left is world-class and world-traveling chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, and the equally fuzzy guy on the right is J-G’s pastry chef, the super-talented (super-cute) Johnny Iuzzini.  I’ve known them both for a long, long time (I met Jean-Georges when he first came to New York in 1986 and I worked with Johnny when he was the pastry chef at Daniel and I was writing the Café Boulud Cookbook), but I still couldn’t have predicted what they were about to do.

Before lunch was served, Johnny, my friend Rica, who was also in Daniel’s kitchen and also part of the cookbook project, and I were just catching up. I talked a little about what I’d done in Paris the week before and mentioned the pastries I’d seen, tasted and heard about, among them personalized macaroons.

We had a great lunch – no surprise, I know – and way too many desserts, then it was time for the petits fours parade: chocolates, marshmallows and a silver tray of the tiniest macaroons imaginable.  My back was to the room and Rica and I were chatting when the waiters walked over and fussed uncharacteristically to find just the right place for the plates.  They put the dishes down, but they didn’t really move away.  When I looked down I could see why.  Again, it’s a very fuzzy photo, but here’s the macaroon tray:

That little spot on the lime macaroon?  That’s a picture of me that Johnny grabbed off the internet, shrunk down, down, down and stuck on the fragile cookie. 

Keep your monogrammed Hermes bags, Turnbull & Asser shirts and Cartier bracelets – anyone can have them.  I’ll take my one-of-a-kind picture-perfect macaroon, please.  Thanks guys!

Comments

[Dorie]

Mary, there is a recipe for chocolate macaroons in the book Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Herme. There is also a very, very long thread on www.egullet.org(search for macaroons) that covers macaroons extensively and includes recipes. I think you'll find it really, really helpful.

[Mary]

I am looking for french macaroon recipe. Do you by any chance have it, if so do you mind sharing? I have been looking at book stores and library but in vain..including websites.

Cheers for your help.

[laura @ cucina testa rossa]

wow! this is about as cool as it gets!

[Freya]

I'm looking forward to the day when you can buy a whole series of them, featuring Mario, Bourdain, Nigella and James Beard.

[Brilynn]

That is so clever! There's no end to what creative people can come up with.

[Rona]

Too funny! I love JoJo. He is my favourite NYC chef. Johnny is an amazing pastry chef...very creative and yes, tres adorable. This might start a new trend, photo's on pastry. Did you eat the macaroon? Since the photo is a bit fuzzy (although, it's fine with me-any photo of them is better than no photo) you'll just have to return to take another. Sounds good to me.