Take a trip to Paris and skip the jet lag.
Sweet Caribou desserts, which focuses on Parisian macarons and other tasty treats, will be at this week's Center Market in Anchorage with a taste of the City of Lights.
The baking team from Sweet Caribou recently returned from a trip to Paris. Owner James Strong says the trip was inspirational and will be reflected in this week's menu.
The team took two courses at La Cuisine cooking school: a macaron technical course covering six techniques including meringue Française and meringue Italienne and a macaron decorating course.
And they took a little time to visit some of Paris' top macaron boutiques. Here is Strong's rundown:
"Pierre Hermé: The sexiest of the macaron boutiques with exotic fillings like rose with quince and vanilla with olive oil. We even tried the white-truffle macaron with notes of garlic and a hazelnut center, but that was one flavor that we are content to leave in Paris!
Ladurée: The venerable macaron maison, founded 162 years ago, now perhaps trendier than ever with lines of candles, fragrances, etc. More traditional flavors, still very tasty, though rumor is that Ladurée now machine forms its macarons instead of piping them by hand.
Lenôtre: Visited on a recommendation from a customer who's in Paris often. The presentation was très chic, and the flavor and texture did not disappoint. I also picked up a Lenôtre macaron coffee cup to make sure I'm caffeinated at the Center Market (working as primary caregiver of two kids under three and on a new business requires lots of coffee!)."
Strong says the trip was tasty, educational and allowed Sweet Caribou to procure "many new French colors for our macarons! And some secret ingredients."
Look for these highlights at this week's markets: milk chocolate passion fruit, which includes cocoa dusted shell and milk chocolate passion fruit ganache; rose lychee with rose scented shell and lychee white chocolate ganache; chocolate raspberry, a sugar dusted shell, Belgian dark chocolate ganache and fresh raspberry; and chestnut, a macaron with an almond shell and chestnut buttercream. Cupcakes include a spiced pumpkin cake with vanilla bean cream cheese buttercream and a vegan chocolate cake with strawberry vanilla bean frosting, and they will also have Belgian chocolate brownies.
"Chocolate raspberry is a classic Parisian flavor, while chestnut and rose lychee were found in the shops such as Pierre Herme's, who looked to expand beyond traditional macaron combinations," Strong says. "Milk chocolate passion fruit, however, was the pastry flavor of the day. Nearly every bakery featured multiple pastries featuring this delightful combination, and after trying them, we knew why!"
Center Market
The market is on the move this week. Don't fret, it's not going far.
"Because of BurgerFi and Santa Claus house, we are moving the market to the main hallway adjacent to Carrs and Wells Fargo," says market organizer Duane Clark of Country Health Foods.
And there will be plenty of vendors in addition to Sweet Caribou.
Look for Earthworks Farm and its lineup of natural beeswax and honey body care products on Wednesday. Some of the popular items include moisturizing cream, lip balms and deodorant sticks with lavender or honey/beeswax scent. The farm will also be at the Arts and Crafts Emporium during the weekend.
On Wednesday, Alaska Vegan & Gluten Free's menu includes vegetable lentil soup, red lentil dahl, carrot ginger soup, roasted beets and sweet potato soup, lemon garlic hemp seed salad dressing, pico de gallo, bread and a frozen bread dough ball.
Heather Kelly's Heather's Choice booth is scheduled to be at Wednesday's market with Snackaroons and buckwheat breakfasts, which Kelly describes as "just a couple of the dehydrated meals and snacks I make for backcountry adventures. Everyone is encouraged to stop by and stock up on goodies for the trail."
Rempel Family Farm will have carrots, a variety of beets, cabbage, kale, collards, daikon radishes, snow apple turnips, rutabagas, sugar pumpkins, several kinds of winter squash, parsnips and 12 kinds of potatoes at Saturday's market. "Our sugar pumpkins are great for making Thanksgiving pies," Mark Rempel says.
Alex Davis will have goat and pork. Goat options include chops, roast and soup bones, while the pork lineup includes chops, roast, steak, fresh side pork, Italian sausage, spicy sausage, breakfast sausage patties, hocks and fat. He also will have vegetables (beets, potatoes, cabbage and Brussels sprouts), fresh mussels and oysters, and barley items including barley flour.
Drool Central will be back at the market with dog treats and meals.
Farm 779 will have its Autumn, Karnivore and Winter Berry krauts, along with coconut kefir in plain, citrus and double thick. Also look for ginger-carrot and root beer kefir sodas, two kinds of kvass, coconut bacon and rosemary magnesium body butter. They also will be at Friday's Top Shelf Artisan Market in Palmer.
La Grassa's menu includes spinach, original hand-cut and Alaska barley hand-cut pastas; vegan basil strozzapreti; kale and ricotta gnocchetti; mushroom and ricotta ravioli; A.D. Farm roasted golden beet, goat cheese and almond ravioli; and Rempel Family Farm roasted squash and pecorino ravioli.
Local farmers markets
Monday: Mat-Su Farm Market, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Palmer Depot
Wednesday: Center Market, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Mall at Sears, Benson Boulevard and Denali Street
Friday: Top Shelf Artisan Market, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., 550 S. Alaska Street, Palmer
Saturday: Center Market, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Mall at Sears, Benson Boulevard and Denali Street