Eight years or so ago, I walked for the first time into the Parisian Latin quarter boutique of superstar pastry chef Pierre Hermé and asked for one of my favourite cakes – a coffee éclair. “I’m terrible sorry,” said the nice young man behind the counter. “Coffee éclairs are not in our current collection.” I left a little dejected. | 大约八年前，我生平第一次惠顾顶级糕点师皮埃尔•艾尔梅(Pierre Hermé)开在巴黎拉丁区(the Parisian Latin quarter)的甜点店，想要一份我最爱吃的咖啡爱克力蛋糕(coffee éclair)。“很对不起”，柜台后的年轻伙计彬彬有礼地对我说。“咖啡爱克力蛋糕如今不在我们的糕点名录中。”我略显失望。 |
The other day I went to visit Hermé in the elegant town house he has converted into his office and workshop in the more subdued but equally fashionable bit of the 17th arrondissement near the Parc Monceau. The Rue Fortuny is filled with history. Edmond Rostand, author of Cyrano de Bergerac, lived here. So did Marcel Pagnol, the Marseille novelist and playwright, and Caroline Otero, one of the Belle Epoque queens of the Parisian night whose breasts are said to have inspired the two cupolas on top of the Carlton Hotel in Cannes. | 前几天，我去拜访艾尔梅先生，地点就在他城中豪宅内，他把它改成了办公室兼操作间，地处蒙索公园(Parc Monceau)不远处第十七区(17th Arrondissement)很不张扬但又颇为时尚的区域。福图尼街(The Rue Fortuny)具有深厚的历史底蕴。《大鼻子情圣》(Cyrano de Bergerac)的作者艾德蒙德•罗斯丹(Edmond Rostand)曾居住于此，来自马赛的作家兼剧作家马塞尔•帕尼奥尔(Marcel Pagnol)与卡罗琳•欧特侯(Caroline Otero)也曾住于此，卡罗琳•欧特侯是19世纪末20世纪初巴黎“美丽年代”(Belle époque)时期夜生活中的交际名媛，据说戛纳卡尔顿酒店(Carlton Hotel in Cannes)顶上两座圆屋顶的设计灵感正是来自她那一对酥胸。 |
It seemed a fitting setting for a creative talent of Hermé’s calibre. After all, this son of an Alsatian baker, who started making cakes with his father when he was only nine, has been at the vanguard of turning pastry into the culinary equivalent of haute couture. | 艾尔梅这种高水平的创意大师居住于此是再合适不过了。毕竟，这位阿尔萨斯面包师的儿子9岁时就开始跟着他的父亲学艺，并把甜点变成“餐饮界的高级时装”之翘楚。 |
Now 50, Hermé trained under the late Gaston Lenôtre, the Paul Bocuse of pastry and Hermé’s greatest influence. “He made me start from zero, teaching me the importance of quality, rigour, organisation, and the attention to detail.” He then went to work for Fauchon, the luxury grocer in the Place de la Madeleine, and later at Ladurée, which was famous for its macarons, though Hermé has since developed them into an even finer art. | 今年50岁的艾尔梅曾师从已故贾斯通•雷诺特(Gaston Lenôtre)，贾斯通•雷诺特被誉为甜点界的保尔•博古兹(Paul Bocuse)，（编者著：保尔•博古兹是法国名厨），对艾尔梅的影响最大。“他从头开始一点点教我，教会我质量至上、一丝不苟、井然有序以及精益求精。”他随后来到位于玛德莲娜广场(Place de la Madeleine)的奢侈果蔬店馥颂(Fauchon)工作，之后又到以马卡龙甜点知名的拉度雷(Ladurée)店高就，尽管之后艾尔梅把甜点的制作工艺日臻完美。 |
Then, in the 1990s he met Charles Znaty, an advertising and marketing expert. The two became friends and business partners – they share the same office – and Znaty persuaded the chef to establish what he calls “une grande maison de luxe à la française” to revolutionise the world of traditional pastry. Hermé has since adopted the techniques of the fashion business so successfully that he is known as “the Dior of desserts”, “the Picasso of pastry-making”, “the virtuoso of sugar”, the “Kitchen Emperor”, and “the Hermès of macarons”. | 到了上世纪90年代，他遇见了广告及营销高手夏尔•泽拿蒂(Charles Znaty)，两人成为至交以及商业合伙人——他俩在同一办公室办公——泽拿蒂说服艾尔梅一起创办他所谓的“法式奢侈甜品屋”，对传统甜品来一次天翻地覆的革新。从此，艾尔梅把时装界的手法运用得炉火纯青，他被誉为“甜品界的迪奥”，“甜品界的毕加索”、“食糖艺术大师”、“厨房皇帝”以及“马卡龙大师艾尔梅”。 |
For all these lofty epithets, Hermé was not the intimidating and capricious personality that I first imagined. Far from it. Yes he is a large individual, who clearly enjoys his food and wine and his own cream cakes. But he is soft spoken and has the gentle eyes of a great big cuddly teddy bear. I could not resist telling him my disappointing coffee éclair experience. “Oh dear, we did do four annual collections in those days: summer, autumn, winter and spring. But since 2006 we have moved on and we now constantly adapt and change our range of pastries, biscuits, chocolates, jams, pâtes de fruits every month.” | 尽管头项层层光环，但他并非如我想象中那样咄咄逼人与反复无常，他根本就不是这号人。但是，他个性十足，看得出来，他对美食、葡萄酒以及自己制作的奶油蛋糕自豪之情溢于言表。但他说话细声细气、眼神柔和得就象笑容可掬的玩具熊。我忍不住告诉了他8年前那次买咖啡爱克力蛋糕不愉快的经历。“哦，那时我们每年推出4大系列：春夏秋冬各一系列。但自从2006年后，我们不断与时俱进、推陈出新，如今每个月都要换甜点、饼干、巧克力、火腿以及水果软糖的花样。 |
Such constant innovation is increasingly the norm, though the pressure doesn’t seem to bother Hermé. If anything, he appears to enjoy the challenge. As we talk, he asks me to try a lemon sable. “The lemons come from Menton, some of the best. The juice and the rind give the biscuit its tang. As for the texture, it is all a question of how it is baked.” I then get a glimpse of his passion for his craft. He jumps up, disappears into the next room, and comes back with a new “discovery”. | 这种不断推陈出新俨然已成为常态，虽说这样的压力似乎对他根本算不了什么，要说有的话，那就是他喜欢不断挑战自我。我们交谈的时候，他让我尝一下柠檬酥饼。“这柠檬产自Menton，质量上乘。汁与外皮赋予饼干特殊风味。至于纹理，则完全取决于如何烘烤。”接下来我算是有幸目睹他对这一行的执着与热爱。他突然起立，进到旁边的房间，随后拿来了他最新的“发现”。 |
“This is Peruvian pepper, it is simply delicious and I am going to use it in a new creation,” he says, tossing me a couple of peppercorns to taste. “I found it in Verona where there is a fellow who sells the best peppers in the world. I’ve just cleared out all the pepper I had for this.” | “这是秘鲁胡椒，味道无与伦比，我打算用到新开发的甜点中，”他说，并掷给我几个干胡椒让我尝一下。“我在维罗纳(Verona)碰到一个伙计，他卖的是全世界最上乘的胡椒。我刚弃用了其它品种，决定改用这种胡椒。” |
No less significant is his realisation that sugar, like pepper, is no more than a “seasoning” – albeit a crucial one – for all his sweet creations. “I have made a rupture,” he says, because he “no longer considers sugar the spinal cord of pastry.” | 更重要的是他意识到在所有的甜品中，糖与胡椒一样，虽说至关重要，但只是一种调味品而已。“我做得与别人都不一样，”他说，因为他“不再觉得糖是甜点中的精髓。” |
He also uses olive oil for his “huile d’olive à la mandarine” macaron. A few months ago, he was in Spain drinking an Americano – a cocktail of Campari, sweet vermouth and club soda – before dinner. “In a flash I thought this would make a perfect macaron”, he says. And so, since October, his boutiques in France, Japan, and London have been selling an Americano Pamplemousse, a delicate pink macaron combining orange, pink grapefruit and Campari. | 他还把橄榄油放到橘子里，做成独特风味的马卡龙小甜饼(macaron)。几个月前，他在西班牙赴宴时，喝了一种由堪培利开胃酒(Campari)、甜味美思以及苏打水调制出的、名叫Americano餐前鸡尾酒。“当时我脑海中突然闪过一个念头，用这种鸡尾酒可以制作出精美的马卡龙小甜饼”，他说。因此，今年10月以来，他在法国、日本以及伦敦的专卖店开始推出“美国葡萄柚”的甜饼(Americano Pamplemousse)——这是一种揉合橘子、粉红色柚子以及堪培利开胃酒于一身、做工精细的粉色马卡龙饼。 |
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His most famous creation is undoubtedly the Ispahan rose, raspberry and lychee macaron cake that he likes to describe as “my Chanel tailleur”. Like many fashion designers, he has adapted this bestseller into an endless range of accessories including an Ispahan croissant, a jam, a pâte de fruit, yoghurt, a chocolate, and many other variants. | 由伊斯帕罕玫瑰(Ispahan Rose)、山莓与荔枝做成的马卡龙无疑是他最有名的甜点，他喜欢称之为“我的香奈儿定制女装”(my Chanel tailleur)。与其它时装设计师一样，他由这款风靡一时的甜饼派生出了很多附属的门类——包括伊斯帕罕羊角面包、火腿、水果软糖、酸奶、巧克力以及许多其它品类系列。 |
He also works like a top couturier by first designing his new creations on paper and then testing them in his penthouse atelier. There, on a shelf, are not only cookery books but also biographies of Karl Lagerfeld, Yves St Laurent and Jean-Paul Gaultier – the “unofficial ones because they are far more interesting”. | 他的工作流程与顶级女装设计师相似，先是在图纸上构思出新产品，再在自己屋顶工作室里反复试验。工作室的书架上，不但有各种烹饪书，还有卡尔•拉格菲尔德(Karl Lagerfeld)、伊夫圣洛朗以及让•保罗•高缇耶(Jean Paul Gaultier)等人的传记——都是些“让人欲罢不能、离经叛道的设计师”。 |
Once tested and approved, the recipes are then sent out by computer to his executive chefs in Japan, London and France for execution. | 一旦试验好并经认可，配方就由电脑发送至日本、伦敦以及巴黎各分店的首席糕点师，再由他们付诸实施。 |
Hermé and Znaty now run a little epicurean empire employing around 400 people with a turnover of about €30m a year. They are thinking of expanding their culinary “maison” in the US and China to turn it into an even more globally recognised luxury brand. And to achieve this, Hermé has now branched out into the ultimate of haute couture – creating exclusive bespoke cakes and patisseries for individual clients. | 艾尔梅与泽拿蒂如今经营着自己的美食帝国，他们雇了约400名员工，年营业额约为3000万欧元。他们打算把甜品门店开到美国与中国去，从而把它变成一家全球知名的奢侈品牌。为此，艾尔梅如今已把触角拓展至甜品界的最高领域——为客户专门定做甜饼及法式蛋糕。 |
These clients – among them former James Bond girl Carole Bouquet and IMF managing director Christine Lagarde – meet up for lunch with the pastry artist in his atelier in Rue Fortuny and discuss what they want. He then draws up a number of suggestions and they can pick and choose. “Ms Bouquet loved all three proposals and decided she wanted them all,” Hermé smiled. “And we had an English captain of business who flew in with his private jet to choose his cake. You know, we then produce that specific cake or patisserie for that client alone whenever he wants it.” | 这些客户（其中包括前邦女郎(James Bond girl)卡洛尔•布盖(Carole Bouquet)以及国际货币基金组织(IMF)总裁拉加德(Christine Lagarde)）会来到艾尔梅位于福图尼街的甜点店，向他讨教午餐该吃啥。艾尔梅会推荐几样东西，由对方挑选定夺。“拉加德女士对我推荐的三样甜品都喜欢，于是她一股脑儿全要了，”艾尔梅笑着说。“我们有位客户是英国的商界巨擘，他开着自己的私人飞机前来挑选自己中意的蛋糕。于是乎，任何时候只要客户有需要，我们就会专门为他制作好那种甜饼或蛋糕。” |
Yet isn’t it all frightfully expensive? After all these are not simply puddings, pastries and confectioneries. They are luxury goods. | 然而，这岂不是太过昂贵了？毕竟这些东西不是一般的布丁、甜点或者糖果，他们是奢侈食品。 |
“It is not cheap,” Hermé admits with a twinkle in his soft eyes. “But you know, someone quite modest came along and ordered such a cake for his old mother.” | “的确不便宜，”艾尔梅坦承，眼睛温柔地眨了几下。“但你知道吗，一般食客也光顾我们店面，为自己的老娘定制这种高档蛋糕。” |
“And by the way,” he adds, “this is the most democratic form of luxury.” After all, who cannot afford €1.95 for an haute couture macaron? | “顺便说一下，”他补充道，“这是最为平民化的奢侈品。”毕竟，哪个人买不起一个售价只有1.95欧元的高档马卡龙甜饼呢？ |
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Mogador macaron | 摩加多尔马卡龙甜饼的(Mogador macaron)做法： |
Milk chocolate and passion fruit | 准备时间：约1小时 |
Makes about 72 macarons (about 144 shells) | 焙制时间：约25分钟 |
Preparation time: about 1 hour | 等待时间：30分钟 |
Cooking time: about 25 minutes | 冷冻时间：2小时另加24小时 |
Standing time: 30 minutes | 300克杏仁粉 |
Refrigeration: 2 hours + 24 hours | 300克冰糖 |
For the macaron shells | 110克蛋清 |
300g ground almonds | 牛奶巧克力 |
300g icing sugar | 约5克柠檬色素 |
110g “liquefied” egg whites (method below) | 0.5克红色素（约半咖啡勺） |
Separate the whites from the yolks. Weigh out the necessary quantity of egg whites into two bowls. Cover the bowls with cling film. Using the point of a sharp knife, pierce the film with holes. It is best to prepare the egg whites several days in advance, preferably a week, so that they “liquefy” and lose their elasticity. Set the bowls aside in the fridge. | 300克细白砂糖 |
5g approx. lemon yellow food colouring | 75克矿泉水 |
½g approx. red food colouring (½ coffee spoon) | 110克“液化”蛋清 |
300g caster sugar | 10个百香果(passion fruit)（用来榨出250克果汁）：压榨新鲜百香果时，必须要保证榨出250克果汁。有时在熟食店里可以买到冰冻百香果汁，但要仔细看清说明，含糖不能超过5%。 |
75g mineral water | 100克维耶特(La Viette)黄油（产自法国夏朗德大区(Charentes)的甜黄油）在室温下晾放； |
110g “liquefied” egg whites | 550克法芙娜吉瓦纳(Valrhona Jivara)巧克力或牛奶巧克力，含量40%的固态可可（牛奶巧克力可以让百香果的各种风味呈现出来：芳香味以及只可意会的强烈甜味。） |
For the passion fruit and milk chocolate ganache | 可制作72个马卡龙甜饼 |
100g La Viette butter (sweet butter from Charentes) at room temperature | 方法如下：把蛋清与蛋黄分开，称出足够数量的蛋清至两个碗中，再用薄膜覆盖。用锋利的刀尖在薄膜上刺孔，最好是把蛋清提前醒上几天（一周最佳），这样它们就能充分液化，不再有弹性，最后把碗放在冰柜中。 |
550g Valrhona Jivara chocolate or milk | 把冰糖与杏仁粉筛选出来； |
chocolate, 40% cocoa solids | 把色素放入第一份充分液化的蛋清中，并把它们浇到冰糖与杏仁粉上，但请勿搅拌。 |
(Milk chocolate brings out every aspect of passion fruit: its fragrance and its subtle, tangy sweetness.) | 把矿泉水与糖加热至摄氏118度，当糖浆达到115度时，同时开始搅动第二份充分液化的蛋清，直至呈软性发泡状态(soft peak)。 |
10 passion fruits (for 250g juice) | 当糖温达到摄氏118度时，就把它倒到蛋清上，并不断搅动，直到其温度降至摄氏50度，然后再把它们拌入杏仁粉与冰糖的混合物，用勺子把糊状物放至只有一个喷嘴的裱花袋(piping bag)中，吹出直径约为3.5厘米的圆状物，在铺着一排排烘烤纸(baking parchment)的盘中以间距2厘米依次排开。用餐布盖住操作台，再把烤盘放在上面，再用筛网在蛋塔上轻轻撒上一层可可粉，然后让蛋塔至少晾上30分钟直至结成一层外壳。 |
Make sure you weigh out 250g of juice when you strain the fresh passion fruit. You can sometimes find frozen passion fruit juice in delicatessens. Check that it contains no more than 5 per cent sugar. | 把风式烤箱预热至180度，然后把托盘放至炉内，烤上12分钟，期间快速开启与关闭炉门两次，取出烤炉后，让甜饼层滑至操作台上。 |
To finish | 把马卡龙搁到冰柜里24小时，在烤之前2小时取出焙烤即可。 |
Cocoa powder | 制作木头形蛋糕 |
To make the macaron shells | 把黄油切成块状，并用带锯齿的刀把巧克力切开。 |
Sift together the icing sugar and ground almonds. | 把百香果对半切开，用勺子把籽舀出来，挤出250克果汁，称重后把它煮开。 |
Stir the food colouring into the first portion of liquefied egg whites. Pour them over the mixture of icing sugar and ground almonds but do not stir. | 在平底锅里微微煮开的水里，把放至碗中的块状巧克力部分融化，然后把煮开的果汁一次三分之一（分三次）浇到巧克力上。 |
Bring the water and sugar to boil at 118C. When the syrup reaches 115C, simultaneously start whisking the second portion of liquefied egg whites to soft peaks. | 当混合物的温度升至60度后，把黄油块加进去（一次只加几块），搅拌后就能得到了光滑的ganache浆。 |
When the sugar reaches 118C, pour it over the egg whites. Whisk and allow the meringue to cool down to 50C, then fold it into the ground almond-icing sugar mixture. Spoon the batter into a piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle. Pipe rounds of batter about 3.5 cm in diameter, spacing them 2cm apart on baking trays lined with baking parchment. Cover your work surface with a kitchen cloth and rap the baking trays on it. Using a sieve, sprinkle the shells with a light dusting of cocoa powder. Leave the shells to stand for at least 30 minutes until they form a skin. | 把ganache浆放入烤盘(gratin dish)，再在ganache上包一层保鲜膜，放至冰柜中让它慢慢变浓。 |
Preheat the fan oven to 180C then put the trays in the oven. Bake for 12 minutes quickly opening and shutting the oven door twice during cooking time. Out of the oven, slide the shells on to the work surface. | 用勺子把ganache浆放在只有一个喷嘴的裱花袋中，把圆堆状ganache浆吹至一半饼层上，然后再把剩余的饼层盖在上面。 |
To make the ganache | 由皮埃尔·艾尔梅所著《法国甜点马卡龙》(‘Macarons’)由格拉布街出版(Grub Street)（售价25英镑）。 |
Cut the butter into pieces. Chop up the chocolate with a serrated knife. | 译者：常和 |
