iEat Green - Interview with Chef Pierre Thiam - 03.26.15

This week, my guest on the Progressive Radio Network is Chef Pierre Thiam, the restauranteur and owner of Pierre Thiam Catering. Chef Pierre was raised in Senegal, and brings the robust and ethnic flavors of Africa into his contemporary creations. He opened his first restaurant, Yolele, in Brooklyn in 2001, and his second restaurant in Clinton Hill in 2004. Currently, in addition to running his catering company, Chef Pierre lectures and teaches classes at the Institute for Culinary Education, The French Culinary Institute and the Natural Gourmet Institute. Please join me for what promises to be a great show!

The Best Vanilla and Almond Macaroons

Ingredients

4 organic eggs

1 ¾ cup organic sugar

1-1/2 stick butter (12 Tbs)- melted and cooled

5 cups unsweetened shredded coconut

3 tsp. Vanilla extract

1-½ tsp. Almond extract

Directions

In large bowl, beat eggs. Add sugar and coconut. Add melted butter slowly, while stirring. Add 2 tsp. vanilla extract. Remove half of the mixture into another bowl. Add 1 tsp. almond extract to one half of the mixture, and the remaining teaspoon of vanilla extract to the other half.

Place macaroons on oiled cookie sheet in shape of little peaks. Add a slivered almonds to the top of the almond ones. You can drizzle melted chocolate, or add choc chips to the vanilla ones. 

Bake 10 minutes at 350°, then reduce the heat to 250° and bake another 8 minutes. Makes 50-60 macaroons.