Growing up, there were quite a few things on my “don’t like” list, and several have been revealed here on the blog: lemon or lime, raw onions and anything spicy (the latter still holds true today).  Coconut was also on that list, yet is one of the ingredients that was omnipresent throughout my childhood.

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You may have noticed the buzz about a certain sweet theme lately – on Twitter, Facebook and really all over the internet.  March 20th is an important day after all.  Only once a year do some of the most sought after pastry shops actually hand out free macarons! Aha, an important day for those of us with a (24/7) sweet tooth, that is!   The mastermind behind this Jour du Macaron, none other than Pierre Hermé, will be handing out not one, but three free macarons on Saturday, March 20th in Paris.  If you thought the line was already long at his boutique throughout the year, well just imagine…!  Even more fun, if you can make a stop in all of his six boutiques across the city, getting a card validated at each one (La Carte du Macaron), you’ll be rewarded with a box of 35 macarons at the end. Wow is all I can say to that!

New York City is joining in the festivities this year too, with François Payard at the helm and participating shops including MacarOn Café.  The slogan for Macaron Day NYC… “macaron – the new cupcake” !  I’m just relieved they aren’t calling them macaroons !

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If there is one thing with a mind of its own, it’s the weather.  It’s mid-March and I have seen the snowflakes fall here quite often over the past few weeks.  (And again as I am writing this!) But there were also days even in February when everyone in Zürich was outside, having lunch at sidewalk tables with jackets draped over their chairs, or strolling along the lake.  Not because they all believed it was an early spring… but rather, they knew that it wasn’t, and they’d better take advantage of the beautiful weather while it lasted.  Because back would come the flurries to remind us all… winter’s not quite over yet.

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I don’t know what you were thinking from the title of this post, but I’m talking about caramel and salt.  Chocolate with caramel and salt, that is.  If ever there were a trend to take off unanimously, this would be on top of that list.  With macarons and designer cupcakes just below.

As you all know, I have my chocolate radar on 24/7, always on the lookout for new chocolate bars, whether in my local Coop or around the world.

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