This recipe comes to us courtesy of Chef Angela Garcia of Lovely Daze Desserts.

These macarons are very delicate and take a lot of time to make. They are, however, the best macarons you will ever have, and are well worth the effort. Make sure to read the recipe before hand and give yourself a few days to prepare everything. For example, start by separating the egg whites from the yolks, and let them age overnight. Both the macaron shell and ganache should rest overnight, which adds another day. These will make a lovely presentation for a wedding, baby shower, or other formal romantic engagement.

180 grams almond flour
240 grams powdered sugar
140 grams egg whites, aged overnight
80 grams sugar
3 drops rose oil*
Optional garnishes: candied rose petals and gold dust**

In a large bowl, sift together the almond flour, powdered sugar and sea salt. Set aside.
Whip the egg whites with a handheld mixture, adding the sugar very slowly.
Add a few drops of rose oil (from Big Magic Ocean) and continue whipping until the egg whites form stiff peaks.
Add the almond flour and powdered sugar to the meringue and fold with a spatula until a shiny mass forms.
Transfer the batter to the pastry bag with a medium sized tip and pip small mounds onto sheetpans lined with parchment paper or silpat.
Let them dry at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
Have the oven preheated to 350º F. Place the sheetpans in the oven and reduce the temperature to 300ºF.
Bake for 10 minutes and rotate the sheetpan and bake for another 5 minutes.

Rose Petal White Chocolate Ganache
250g white chocolate
200g cream
2 drops rose oil

Put the white chocolate into a bowl. Boil the cream in a saucepan and pour over the chocolate. Let it sit for a minute and stir until the chocolate is completely melted.
Set aside. Add a few drops of rose oil into the ganache.
Let this ganache sit in the refrigerator overnight (to achieve the right consistency).
Arrange the macaron shells in pairs, with a more attractive one for each top half.
Pipe a dollop of ganache onto the bottom macaron shell and sandwich with the top. Repeat for all of the macarons.
Let rest for a day (if you can) in the fridge, and store for up to 7 days.

* You can purchase rose oil from Big Magic Ocean or a health food store with essential oils.
** You can purchase candied rose petals from gourmet markets or online, and gold dust at gourmet markets or Michael's.

South Beach Fish Sandwich

South Beach is definitely the land of sandwiches. Not only are they on every menu, but there are plenty of small sandwich joints that specialize in them. Because there is a heavy Middle Eastern influence around here, I thought I would make a healthy fish sandwich bringing in some of the fresh flavors of the Mediterranean. You can find fresh fish daily on the Rickenbacker Causeway that leads to Key Biscayne. Ask them to filet the snapper for you on the spot, so that all you have to do is pop it in the oven when you return home. The tahini sauce is full of different herbs- the more the merrier.

4 pita breads (whole wheat or white)
1 medium mutton, red, or yellowtail snapper, filleted
4 tablespoons tahini herb sauce per sandwich (recipe follows)
1 medium tomato, medium dice
¼ cup Kalamata olives, small dice
½ Kirby cucumber, medium dice
1 medium eggplant (optional)

If you want to include the roasted eggplant in your sandwich, begin by slicing it into very thin rounds. Bake on a lightly oiled baking sheet at 375°F for 20 minutes, or until soft and cooked through.
Line a baking tray with olive oil and place fish filets skin side down. Season well the filets with salt and pepper and bake for 20 minutes at 400°F, or until cooked through.
Remove from oven, turn off heat, and slip pita breads in the oven to toast in the residual heat. Place 2 slices of roast eggplant followed by half a filet in each toasted pita. Top with about 1 tablespoon tahini sauce per filet and some of the diced tomato, cucumber, and olives.
Makes 4 sandwiches. If you are only making this for two people, just use 1 filet of fish and 2 pitas.

Tahini-Herb Sauce
Small handful of each: dill, cilantro, parsley, mint
1 clove garlic
1 cup tahini
3 lemons, juiced
Olive oil
Water
Salt

In a food processor, start grinding up the garlic, followed by the herbs. Add the tahini, a couple tablespoons of olive oil, and continue to blend. Add the lemon juice, and enough water to loosen up the mixture. Adjust the taste with the salt.