Tea, Treats and Temptations
Pigeon recipes, prized for their rich, sweet and nutty flavour which works perfectly in combination with autumnal flavours like earthy beetroot, sweet butternut squash and umami-packed mushrooms. Pigeon might be a small game bird but what it lacks in size it makes up for in flavour and sustainability. Cheap, lean and gamey, wood pigeon is a wonderful bird to eat as the seasons change. Rachel shows how to prepare pigeon breasts in a tasty and colourful salad. I love eating wood pigeon. It is cheap, lean and gamey, but not in the same overpowering way you can get from pheasant. It is more robust.
Professor and the Pigeon is tucked into the West Point Grey neighbourhood, full of artsy decorations and a casual vintage vibe. Here, coffee and tea sippers are encouraged to make themselves at home, drink finely roasted beans, sample some of the fresh sandwiches or kick back with a book and read on the comfortable sofa. It feels like a great café should;: welcoming, inviting and full to the brim with treats for the taste buds. The walls are full of curios, from a framed typewriter attached to the drywall to their impressive book wall.
Started in 2014, the Professor and the Pigeon is run by Tim O’Brien, an Australian native who operated several successful restaurants in his native country. With a passion for the science and magic of cooking, he sought to show others how to make the most of their kitchen. “Once you start cooking, you need to understand why things work, so the science comes into a lot of it,” says Tim. The café name is a throwback to his “Professor” nickname when he became known for educating apprentices on the cooking craft.
It’s a bit of everything for everyone. We have students, adult workers and families. The main thing is it’s relaxing a great place to chill out.- Tim O’Brien, manager
Fuel for Foodies
Professor and the Pigeon is a home for the local foodie. Sandwiches are made on fresh bread daily and their cookies, macarons and squares are worth the trip alone.
For the customer who has children, Professor and the Pigeon offers something for the whole family, with a special kids area stocked to the brim with toys, trains and books, keeping little ones entertained while parents sip and socialize.
“It’s a very easygoing workspace and family space,” says Tim. “It’s a bit of everything for everyone. We have students, adult workers and families. The main thing is it’s relaxing a great place to chill out.”
Cookies and Classes and Consulting
For those not satisfied to with simply sampleing the latest pastries, cakes and delicacies, the Professor and the Pigeon offers cooking classes after café hours, educating workshop attendees on the finer points of macaron-making or ganache creation. They’re also innovating new classes that are in demand by their customers, with upcoming lessons for children’s lessons, lessons on making choux pastries and more.
When he isn’t busy operating his thriving café, Tim is always looking for new ways to create, be it with new classes or a favourite new recipe. He’s even busy preparing a consulting workshops, showing potential owners all that it takes to run a successful food and beverage business. “I want to help people understand what it takes physically, as well as mentally, to operate a cafeé and help them succeed before they throw themselves into it,” says Tim.
In a city full of café options, Professor and the Pigeon prides itself on a unique blend of offering tasty eats while teaching customers to create their own. So whether you’re looking to enhance a new skill or simply have a relaxing cup of tea on a rainy day, a visit to Professor and the Pigeon will appeal to the reader, writer, or relaxer in you.
> > > French Macaron Recipes
Photo: Sara HarrisTRADITIONAL FRENCH RECIPE: The intricate confection is characterized by smooth, squared top, ruffled circumference (referred to as the 'foot' or 'pied'), and a flat base. It is mildly moist and easily melts in the mouth.
Macarons can be found in a wide variety of flavors that range from the traditional (raspberry, chocolate) to the new (foie gras, matcha).
They are often said to be difficult to make.
The macaroon is often confused with the macaron; many have adopted the French spelling of macaron to distinguish the two items in the English language. However, this has caused confusion over the correct spelling. Some recipes exclude the use of macaroon to refer to this French confection while others think that they are synonymous.
In reality, the word macaroon is simply an Anglicisation of the French word macaron (compare balloon, from French ballon), so both pronunciations are technically correct depending on personal preference and context.
In a Slate article on the topic, Stanford Professor of linguistics and computer science, Dan Jurafsky, indicates that 'macaron' (also, 'macaron parisien', or 'le macaron Gerbet') is the correct spelling for the confection.
Skill Level: | Time:3 Hours |
Price: | Makes: 50 Macarons |
Ingredients:
Conversions |
Directions:
01 - Prepare 3 oven trays covered with baking paper.
02 - Into a large bowl mix well the Almond Meal, Icing Sugar and Cocoa.
03 - Pour 1 portion of Egg Whites, Coffee and Vanilla over the Almond Meal mixture without mixing and set aside.
04 - In a saucepan, put the Caster Sugar and Water and stir well. Place over a medium heat. When the Sugar reacher 120C / 248F turn off the heat.
05 - Very quickly, using another bowl and an electric mixer, mix the remaining portion of Egg Whites at high speed until they form very soft peaks.
06 - While the Egg Whites are being beaten at high speed, pour the sugar syrup in, very slowly and continue to beat until the mixture cools.
07 - Now, fold this mixture into the Almond Meal mixture until well incorporated and smooth.
08 - Spoon everything into a piping bag fitted with medium round nozzle and pipe small 3cm / 1in rounds of mixture onto the lined trays, allowing a little room for spreading. And start squeezing the Macarons on the tray.
09- Set the trays of macarons aside for about 30 minutes so they can develop a thin skin.
10 - Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F.
11 - Bake the Macarons for about 12 minutes, opening the door at the 8 minute mark and the 10 minute mark, letting out excessive steam. When they over-grow and you can gently lift one off the tray without leaving anything behind, they are ready.
Easy Recipe For French Macarons
12 - Set the Macarons aside to cool.
For the Chocolate Cream:
13 - Bring to boil the Cream and pour in the chopped Chocolate, stiring until the Chocolate is melted and incorporated with the cream.
14 - Turn the heat off and add the Butter to the Chocolate Cream and mix with an electric mixer or by hand until fluffy.
15 - Let the cream cool in the fridge for a while, until it becomes firm.
16 - Pour the Chocolate Cream into a piping bag fitted with a medium round nozzle.
17 - Sandwich everything together. Serve.
Perfect Macaron Recipe
Notes:
Professor And The Pigeon Macaron Recipes
- Keep the Macarons refrigerated.
Vanilla Macaron Recipe
Written by: Uncut Recipes | Disclaimer |