Profiteroles & Ponytails

Things you should know about me: • While this blog is called Profiteroles & Ponytails, I rarely make profiteroles or complicated desserts and dishes. This is largely due to my two ponytails (ages 6 and 3) and full-time job in downtown Toronto. • Inspired from a one-day course at the Ritz Escoffier Cooking School in Paris and armed with my new copy of The Best Ever French Cooking Course Cookbook, I made profiteroles for the first time for a dinner party I hosted for a few girlfriends, more than 13 years ago. My interest in cooking has continued to grow from there. • I believe that food brings people together, shaping our memories and traditions in an understated yet powerful way. While we remember the conversations, the laughter, the warmth… a good meal is always there smiling in the background, likely holding hands with a good bottle of wine. • I like to cheat...when cooking of course! If there is a short cut, I am very likely to take it, given that I spend so much of my life stretched for time. (Think bottled roasted peppers, prepared mayo, and spaghetti sauce in a jar.) Although I do believe that some things are worth the extra effort. (Think flavoured butters, homemade granola and real mac & cheese.) • I am a big fan of dashes, splashes, handfuls, sprinkles, and glugs. Don’t be alarmed—I never use these measurements when baking. Precision is a must when it comes to baking, so I leave my dashes and splashes on the shelf where they belong when I bake. • I have to come clean. My girls don’t always wear ponytails—one wears a pony every day and the other will only wear one when she feels like it. • When I get run down or take on too much in my life, I get grumpy. And, I am known to be run down or guilty of taking on too much quite often. Fortunately, a less-than-perfect attitude