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Mastering Puff Pastry: Palmiers, Mille-Feuille & Galette des Rois with Mardi Michels
Description
Puff pastry, palmiers, mille-feuille, tarte tatin, and the legendary galette des rois take centre stage in this episode of Fabulously Delicious, as Andrew is joined by Australian-born food blogger, MasterChef contestant, and French cookbook author Mardi Michels. Mardi demystifies puff pastry — one of the most celebrated and feared techniques in French baking — explaining exactly what it is, why croissants are absolutely not made from puff pastry, and why the French themselves simply buy it from the supermarket rather than make it at home.
Mardi shares her expert tips on laminated dough, rough puff pastry as a brilliant shortcut for home bakers, the thumb print method for keeping track of your folds, and why a cold kitchen and cold hands are non-negotiable. Her favourite puff pastry recipe is the palmier — also known as elephant ears — and she walks through how to make them sweet or savoury, with everything from sugar and Nutella to pesto and tapenade. She also discusses the history of puff pastry, which first appeared in a Spanish cookbook in 1607 before making its way to France some fifty years later.
Born in Adelaide and now based in Toronto, Mardi runs the long-running food blog eatlivetravelwrite.com and teaches French at a Toronto school — a combination that led naturally to writing her cookbook of French recipes designed for kids and families. She is also a MasterChef Australia alumna and is currently working on her second book. The conversation covers her love of the simplicity of French food, the French kids' after-school snack tradition of le goûter, and the best places to find French pastry in Toronto.
Mardi also shares the moment that changed everything — when a friend finally demystified shortcrust pastry for her, opening the door to choux, puff, and the full world of French patisserie. A warm, practical, and genuinely delicious conversation for anyone who has ever been intimidated by the pastry section of a French cookbook.
My book Paris: A Fabulous Food Guide to the World’s Most Delicious City is your ultimate companion. This is a new 2026 update for the book and you’ll find hand-picked recommendations for the best boulangeries, patisseries, wine bars, cafés, and restaurants that truly capture the flavor of Paris. You can order it online at andrewpriorfabulously.com
For those who want to take things further, why not come cook with me here in Montmorillon, in the heart of France’s Vienne region? Combine hands-on French cooking classes with exploring charming markets, tasting regional specialties, and soaking up the slow, beautiful pace of French countryside life. Find all the details at andrewpriorfabulously.com
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