My love affair was kindled in France.

I was walking around the streets of Paris when something shiny and colorful caught my attention at a shop window. When I realized what it was, I couldn't believe my eyes.


A box of perfectly shaped, smooth little mounds of brightly colored macarons with lustrous filling were calling out my name.

And I simply had to have one. Or two, and eventually an entire box of these flavors- from salted butter caramel, to raspberry, strawberry creme, coffee, pistachio... All I wanted was all of it.


Soon, I became a little obsessed. I was not just enamoured with the taste of macarons. I wanted to know everything about them. I wanted to know how to make these dainty little bites of French perfection.

But how? I knew cooking and baking classes in France would cost a fortune. So I decided to try my luck by asking for an apprenticeship with a Cordon-Bleu trained chef in Versailles. By nothing short of a miracle, chef Patricia of L'atelier Cuisine de Patricia welcomed me into her mentorship. I learned how to make French food and pastries. And a few months later, I finally got my initiation into creating these prized, well-loved and often elusive macarons.


What makes macarons so exceptional?
First of all, they are incredibly difficult to make. I've spoken to a few pastry chefs in France and it took them a long time to master this art. Making them is nothing short of a science and if you deviate from the recipe, or make even the slightest mistake, your macarons will turn into a crumbly mess.