The story of Ladurée started in 1862 when Louis Ernest Ladurée opened a bakery in the heart of Paris at 16 rue Royale. In 1872, following a fire, the little bakery became a pastry shop and the decoration was then done by Jules Cheret, a famous painter and poster-designer of the time. Jeanne Souchard, Ernest Ladurée's wife, then had the idea of combining the Parisian café with a pastry-shop, thereby creating one of Paris' first tea-rooms. In 1993 Ladurée was bought by Francis and David Holder and becomes one of the best-known gourmet addresses in Paris, a veritable institution with its famous ?macaroon? as its emblem. In 1997 Ladurée opened a tea-room/restaurant on the prestigious Champs-Elysées, followed by another in the Printemps department store and on the Left Bank as well as the beginning of their international adventure with branches in London, Geneva, Monaco and Tokyo. In this book Philippe Andrieu, the Pastry Chef at Ladurée, reveals 100 of the most famous Ladurée recipes, adapted for the general public. From the Strawberry Cake with Rose Choux Pastry to Pistachio Financiers and the world-famous macaroons in all their variety, this icon of French ?art de vivre? is brought to life in a pallet of pastries the colour of powder pink, light green, bright purple, and lemon yellow. AUTHOR: Philippe Andrieu has been the Executive Pastry Chef at Ladurée since 1998. Beforehand he perfected his art in such reputable establishments as Fauchon and worked with chefs such as Michel Bras and Georges Blanc. Twice per year, like fashion collections, he imagines new flavours and colours for the cakes such as Religieuses, Saint-Honorés, macaroons for all the Ladurées around the world. Sophie Tramier is a photographer who specializes in food and lifestyle. She regularly contributes to magazines such as ELLE Déco, ELLE à table, Maisons Côté Sud, Maison française and Marie-Claire Idées. She has done the photography for many books including Verrines glacées et autres douceurs (Marabout), Le Canard de Julie (Marabout), Pêche de haute-mer: 126 recettes autour du monde (Minerva), Les douceurs de Kenza (Minerva), Carnet de recettes d'une femme raffinée (Mango), Magie gourmande (Seuil) and Meilleures recettes de soupes (Flammarion). SELLING POINTS: . A must-have with scrumptious recipes from the world-famous Ladurée tea shop . Ladurée reveals the secrets of their magical macaroons . Features padded cover, gold edges, and a beautiful gift box 102 colour illustrations