The Theoretical Shopaholic

How did I not know Montreal macaron maker Point G has white truffle and foie gras flavours along with their classics (above)? And why is tumblr still underlining macaron like it’s wrong? It’s 2012, t-dog. It’s not missing an ‘o,’ it’s a different dessert.

Maybe it’s all those reality shows I’ve watched about Victorian homemaking and cuisine, maybe it’s just because I’m a glutton, but I’ve got to try a DIY cheesemaking kit ($29) from Etsy vendor Urban Cheesecraft. (There are also equally adorable ones, including a mozzarella kit and even a poutine kit, from Make Cheese.)

Apparently the stuff you get, as a beginner, is quite mild and creamy, so not exactly the stinky aged stuff I dig, but like homemade ice cream or butter there’s no way it won’t be delicious in its simplicity.

Stop slogging through 24 thankless days of waxy, chalky chocolates and get an advent calendar full of something good and good (right?) for you ($34.50) from David’s Teas.

Okay fine. I got it. Umami Paste (while at Harvey Nichols in Edinburgh – I had to get something, right? And it was either this or a $2,000 Vivienne Westwood coat).

Now what the hell do I do with it?

Though I’m currently subsisting solely on ice cream and popsicles, I could be convinced to add one of these ice cream-themed lollips, 6/$10 (Vintage Confections) to my diet.

Sometimes all it takes is a mini cupcake ($1.50) to make everything all right. Just had the one above from local cupcakery Petits Gateaux and, even though taste is usually inversely proportional to looks with these things (am I using that right?) it was pretty damn good.

(Site’s only in French, sorry – as if you’re going to do more than look at the photos.)

It’s a testament to the skills of the sweet ladies behind Jane Donuts that, not only did I buy a bourbon and maple bacon-flavored donut ($2.50) when, really, I don’t care for bacon or donuts, but that I’m considering going back to Puces Noel 2010 today to get another. Dammit. Culinary vixens.

The only thing getting me through this sudden, severe cold is the set of 10 different honeys ($8) I bought in the Uzes market. Each tub is only about 2-3 tablespoons, but it’s really fascinating tasting them all as each one is monofloral (rather than blended). ‘Chataigne’ (chestnut) is dark and tart, almost bitter. ‘Tilleul’ (linden) is delicate and, so far, my favorite. They work, too, on the sore throat.

Did I mention I’m sort of obsessed with bees and beekeeping and want to hop on the urban apiary bandwagon next spring?

(Photo c/o Etsy vendor LunaChica – I’d buy that 1 lb honeycomb, only $12, if they shipped to Canada!)

So I was thinking to myself, ‘Sure, I enjoy truffles and foie gras, but shouldn’t I find something else that is delicious, expensive and often difficult to find?’

So I tried some of this Balik smoked salmon (16 GBP) at Caviar House & Prunier in Heathrow’s Terminal Five, that den of indulgence that hits you right when you’re tired and still figuring out currency conversion. To be fair, I’d just spent the week in Sweden and was planning to eat salmon every day of my life anyway (I assume that’s how all those model citizens get their hair/faces/personalities so shiny), but my, won’t this be expensive. Creamy, smooth, melt-in-your-mouth expensive.

On the plus side, I still have no interest in caviar, cheap or premium.

Okay, okay, enough with all this frou frou-erie. Soon. I swear. I’ll be so practical and butch you’ll think you’re reading an L.L. Bean catalogue. But how adorable is La Biscuiterie? When I visited it in Sete in October the one-of-a-kind shop had just opened. Aside from oodles of madeleines, they make sweet and savoury ‘zézettes,’ cookies native to the area. They’re good for coffee and tea, but a bit dry for me, so I left with a very reasonably-sized bag of salty caramels (about 8€).