Anna Curran and Emily Ziemski of Cookbook Create, along with Leiti Hsu, organized the kitchen tour of a lifetime. Clay Williams, photographer, was there to document it as we were welcomed within the walls of Bon Appétit magazine, The Daily Meal, and Food52, where we were given the inside scoop–and a little taste of what goes on behind the scenes. What an experience!

Dawn Perry and Matt Gross of Bon Appétit

The tour began at Bon Appétit’s headquarters in the Condé Nast building in Times Square. Dawn Perry, food editor, and Matt Gross, web editor, fielded our questions in the lobby, offering valuable insights.

Magazines, unlike blogs, need to plan pretty far ahead. At Bon Appétit, that means working on issues 3-4 months in advance, with testing done most days on site. How do they keep so fit with all that food around? Tasting, not eating. I can see how that would be important!

Which comes first: the chicken or the egg? They usually begin with the story idea, working together to develop recipes that fit after that. Recipe developers do not test their own recipes–that is left to a recipe tester, as testing is its own skill set. Recipes will be tested anywhere from 3 to a dozen times (though most fall somewhere in the middle). It could be a hit on the first try–it could take 11 attempts and be a lost cause. Their thoroughness means more successes for their readers.

The test kitchens consist of 8 bays that are laid out like the average home kitchen. They may have a little more counter space than I do, but they’re equipped similarly with the typical tools a home cook would have: electric oven, gas stove, microwave, mixer, blender, etc. Despite their gourmet reputation, Bon Appétit wants their recipes to be replicable by their readers–of course, that makes sense! Great effort is put into selecting ingredients most people can find and avoiding fancy chef-centric appliances.

The events kitchen, however, had all the glamor I expected. If I could obtain a Wolf range like theirs in my lifetime, I would die a happy lady. Two islands and a spacious dining area were perfect for mingling. It was also where we were treated to an appearance by Adam Rapoport, Editor in Chief of the magazine. A very down-to-earth guy, he had the demeanor of a man who had far less on his plate than a whole magazine empire to run. He does it with style.

We could have stayed at Bon Appétit all day and noshed on their pea crostini, deviled eggs, and sipped their homemade ginger soda, but it was time to move on. Traveling like a 5th Grade field trip, we took the subway heading south and re-convened at The Daily Meal.

The Daily Meal’s test kitchen is a newborn, only just starting to be broken in, but they have big plans for this space. Outfitted with the best of the best from sponsors like KitchenAid, Silestone, and Plain and Fancy Cabinetry, it is a sight to behold. (Oh, how I want their corner cabinet pull-out so I don’t have to crawl in up to my hips to grab party supplies out of the back of mine!) Anne Dolce, Cook Editor, prepared Sauteed Fava Beans and Greens on the induction cooktop while the editors spoke with us and explained how it all works at The Daily Meal.

With 250-300 articles a week, it’s impossible to test all recipes on site. In fact, they rely mostly on contributors to test the recipes for them. But the new kitchen, fitted out in a previously vacant portion of the office, will allow them to do more in their own space. It also doubles as a studio for video and photography with the excellent overhead lighting installed.

With this much content, you can imagine that they’re planning ahead. Far ahead. Their editorial calendar is plotted out a year in advance, in fact, with all 5 channels collaborating on the bigger topics and events. (Those would be Eat/Dine, Cook, Drink, Travel, and Entertain, by the way.) I can’t even imagine that level of work–even with contributors, Colman Andrews, Editorial Director, stressed that the editors are busy doing their own astounding amount of writing, as well.

Ali Rosen, Video Editor, took advantage of a room full of food bloggers to ask us what our best tips were for those who are new to blogging. You can find our answers here: http://www.thedailymeal.com/tips-blogging.

While the wine was quite lovely, it was time to continue our journey once again. We walked from The Daily Meal, past Madison Square Park (and Mad. Sq. Eats!), to our last stop on the tour, Food52.

Walking into Food52 was like entering my fantasy workspace. Large windows illuminated bright, white walls spotted with vintage kitchen tools and reclaimed wood shelves. There were large tables around which the staff worked, with the kitchen in the back. The kitchen didn’t scream look at me!!–rather, it was easy to envision it as part of a house in the country, somehow transported to the 13th floor of a building that overlooks Madison Square Garden. The disconnect was quite welcome.

The kitchen island was crowned with a dark walnut butcher block, and the walls behind were lined with props that aren’t merely props, as all pieces are used functionally, as well. A stainless fridge was tucked away further down the wall, past the hanging linens in shades of white and cream and beige. As Merrill Stubbs, Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief, described it, it was “clean and modern with a warmth.” You just wanted to grab a cup of coffee, lean against the counter, and take in the sun, now peeking through the dissipating clouds, breathing in the moment.

Food52 started as a place for Merrill and Amanda to hang out online and became a way to help others who are passionate about food to come together and expand their reach. Food52 crowdsources their content. In fact, their first cookbook came from weekly contest entries over the course of one year–or 52 weeks. They continue to gather content  in this manner, utilizing contests to inspire contributors. It’s a beautiful thing.

Commerce is the next step for Food52. While they have curated deals available on the site currently, Provisions will be launching soon, featuring products they love paired with ideas on how to use them. Merrill was quite excited about this new venture–I can’t wait to see how it works out!

Kristen Miglore, Senior Editor, prepared a chilled pea soup with buttermilk and pickled ramps for us to try. Vibrantly green, it was the epitome of spring. So many flavors mingled together–this bore no resemblance to the mushy, yucky stuff that comes from a can! I tried to find the recipe on their site and discovered a multitude of options to try; so many subtle variations on a combination that clearly works well together.

It was now time to go, the tours having been completed, the day soon turning into night. Fast friends said their good-byes, hoping to see each other again soon. The #FoodTourIWNY brought more than a sneak peek to these women’s lives–it brought a new set of friendships to be made. Food is pretty awesome like that–it brings people together.

Want to know more about the participants in #FoodTourIWNY? Check out their blogs below!

• Alejandra Ramos – Always Order Dessert
• Amie Valpone – The Healthy Apple
• Caroline Hurley – Taste Love & Nourish
• Daina Falk – The Hungry Fan
• Diana Kuan – Appetite for China and Brooklyn Atlas
• Heidi Bayer – Brooklyn Allergy Mom
• Jennifer Farley – Savory Simple
• Jennifer Pelka – Champagne Problems
• Kimberly Coleman – Foodie City Mom
• Lisa Scotto – Nutcase Crunch
• Mary Frances – LOVE – the secret ingredient
• Melinda Strauss – Kitchen Tested
• Sloane Miller – Please Don’t Pass The Nuts

You can find the photos Clay captured on flickr here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ultraclay/sets/72157633655724004/

As I mentioned in my prior post, Friday night I learned that I was one of the bloggers chosen by Cookbook Create to tour the test kitchens of Bon Appetit, Food52, and The Daily Meal. Yes, me! I will be joined by a baker’s dozen of bloggers in this adventure. But we’re not going to keep it to ourselves–no sirree! All you need to do is check Instagram or Twitter this afternoon for the #FoodTourIWNY hashtag to see what we’re seeing; read what we’re hearing. We’re generous like that. Later this week, I’ll have a recap post so you can get the nitty gritty details. I wouldn’t want you to miss out on that!

How do Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies play into this? The recipe I adapted comes from Bon Appetit Desserts: The Cookbook for All Things Sweet And Wonderful. I had a request at work for peanut butter cookies–peanut butter chocolate chip cookies, to be exact–the favorite of a newish employee. Surprisingly, I don’t have a go-to peanut butter cookie recipe in my arsenal. It must be that the locusts known as my children snatch up all the peanut butter before I can get to it, but the only peanut butter cookies I make with any regularity are peanut blossoms, and those aren’t what I wanted this time. What to do, what to do? I decided where better to go than to a recipe developed in one of the test kitchens I’ll be touring! There was a classic peanut butter cookie that would make the perfect blank canvas. All it needed were my personal touches.

Unlike the Bon Appetit test kitchen, I don’t always have the time to extensively test a recipe before I post it. My primary purpose with this blog is to share my experiences in the kitchen–I make no claims to be any sort of expert. Good or bad, I feel we can all learn from others’ baking adventures and take something valuable away from them. In this case, I had been hoping for a softer cookie (hence why I increased the brown sugar), but they were more sandy. In a good way. I used semi-sweet chocolate chips, but I would probably try milk chocolate next time. They’re peanuty yet simultaneously subtle. A great tea time snack or paired with a glass of milk after dinner. Classic indeed. I will continue my quest for the perfect peanut butter cookie, but that doesn’t mean these don’t have their place. They’re still pretty darn good!

Why don’t you take your butter out to soften, preheat your oven, and bake a batch? Then you’ll have a snack ready while we share #FoodTourIWNY this afternoon.

I’ve often dreamed of living in The City, but I don’t know that I would adjust well to the crowds. It’s nice to visit, but I need personal space, clean air, and green to feel right. Still, in the last few years, I’ve found my visits increasing in frequency, made all the more enjoyable by my increasing knowledge of what I can find. I rarely use a mode of transport other than my own two feet once I leave the train behind at Grand Central Terminal, and I usually don’t have any time constraints, affording me the opportunity to play explorer and map it out the old-fashioned way–by discovering with my own eyes, ears, and nose what gems await me. Sure, there are neighborhoods that are less fortuitous finds, but there are treasure troves, too, just waiting to be found. Point your feet in any direction and see where they take you!

On Saturday, my husband and I went into The City to celebrate our 12th wedding anniversary (which is really on May 19th). Our plans almost were abandoned due to a train derailment on Friday night between Fairfield and Bridgeport. Service into NYC was suspended beyond South Norwalk and we had no idea what kind of mayhem awaited us with South Norwalk becoming the end of the line–so many towns and cities removed from the path, so much slack to be picked up. We checked the forecast, saw there was a 10% chance of rain, and decided to go ahead with our plans anyway. It would require driving 6 exits further down I95, but that was a small price to pay, considering what those on Friday went through.

You may not know that right now I am auditioning for a blog ambassadorship for Stonyfield Farms. Part of the audition involves participating in their daily #WakeUpWithStonyfield posts, sharing photos meeting their theme of the day. Saturday’s theme? Being spontaneous. The spirit of spontaneity ultimately guided our day, with excellent results.

We hit the subway first and got off at Union Square, as I wanted to share the greenmarket with my husband. We stepped out of the station and into drizzle–not what we expected at all. I also had no idea which part of Union Square we came out into. As we walked along, we happened upon a parade–the 7th Annual Dance Parade, as we learned later. The costumes were mesmerizing and we were treated to dance styles I had never even dreamed of before! We stopped so I could take some photos, but then we spotted the greenmarket and moved on.

The greenmarket in Union Square amazes me. Such a plethora of fresh food at extremely reasonable prices. Seriously. I can’t get the same produce at our farmers’ market for such a bargain! City residents should rejoice–out here where the food is grown, it costs us more. So much variety, so much to see. I love just walking through it, watching what other people are sampling and buying, taking it all in. But then the rain began to fall a little harder.

I spied across the street Heartland Brewery, so we ducked in there to get in out of the wet for a bit. I’m a sucker for breweries, and this one did not disappoint. We were seated in the upper level at a fantastic vantage point to check out the action below. We shared a voyage of beer, which included 5-ounce samples of 6 of their brews: Indian River Light Ale, Cornhusker Lager, Harvest Wheat Beer, Red Rooster Ale, Indiana Pale Ale, and Farmer Jon’s Oatmeal Stout. I paired my beer with fried pickles, a treat I haven’t enjoyed since my sister-in-law graduated from York College over a decade ago. The service was fast–the food was out in less than 15 minutes, and piping hot!–and attentive. We were impressed! I liked the Red Rooster Ale the best, though the chocolate notes in the Oatmeal Stout were definitely appreciated.

It was my intention to show my husband Pommes Frites in the East Village, a place I happened upon a few years ago when I attended some FringeNYC performances, but I got disoriented and discovered we were heading in the wrong direction. Instead of turning around, however, we found a street fair and decided to check that out. Go with the flow, after all. There wasn’t much to see–many of the booths repeated themselves–but it went on for many blocks, which I found fascinating. Walking down the middle of the street is a small joy rarely indulged in, but I love the change of vantage point.

Eventually, we turned off from the street fair and decided to try to get ourselves into a recognizable area. That’s the great thing about midtown–the grid makes it easy to get back on track. That’s not what happened this time, but we did have another fun discovery–Mad. Sq. Eats. Mad. Sq. Eats is a month-long food truck celebration, providing a pop-up of foodie pleasures contained in Worth Square. We hit it at the wrong time–we were both still full–but we did grab a margarita from Mexicue and a box of assorted chocolates from Nunu Chocolates (I’ll admit–I was sucked in by the idea of absynthe and mezcal-chili ganaches–I haven’t opened them yet, for I fear I will eat all 12 in one sitting!). I will return when I go back to NYC on Wednesday!!

We headed North from there only to make it about a block away before we got stuck in a congregation of people. Those who visit Northern New England know about moose jams–places on the road where cars come to a halt to check out moose as they wander out of their natural habitat. In NYC, you get movie jams. I had seen one before, but there weren’t any big names and I didn’t hang around to watch it. This time, following the spirit of the day, we halted, wondering what the fuss was about. Across the street we could see old Checker cabs and cars from before I was born lining the street. A giant scrim was set up in the northwest corner of Madison Square Park, facing them. Extras in costume queued up next to 24-Hour Fitness, standing out like a sore thumb.

It was difficult to make out who was there across the street, but I heard murmurs of Steve Carell and my husband heard Paul Rudd. Then Will Ferrell crossed–I could tell, it was him!!–and I really got excited. This wasn’t just a random TV show or commercial–this was the real deal. A movie filming! It didn’t last long. In fact, I think they were only getting promotional shots at that point, as the stars posed in the crosswalk Beatles-style and disbanded shortly thereafter. Equipment breakdown began immediately. We tried crossing over to see what was happening–to catch a glimpse–but we were told to move along.

We did move along, following East 26th Street on the border of the park, but we didn’t see anything else. We rounded the corner, intending to circle back to Madison Avenue. Instead, we found all the classic cars, waiting to be trailered or driven away. Cougar, Beetle, Camaro, Coronet, and more. Hot pink papers fluttered in the breeze all along the street, proclaiming no parking for a production called Teaching Manheim. A quick google search on the iPhone returned the missing piece of data confirming our sighting–Teaching Manheim is also known as Anchorman 2, set to be released in December 2013. How exciting!

From there, I had no idea what else to do. We walked into Times Square, but part of it is blocked off right now for road construction and the feeling of being herded like cattle was never more present than that night. We ambled over to the ticket booth for last minute deals, wondering what we could find, but decided not to shell out the cash. Now what? We wanted to go to dinner at some point, but it was only 6:30 and the restaurants would be full of theater-goers eager to grab a bite before showtime.

Funny thing about social media. Some people say it’s too much, that we’ve become over-sharers of our lives, inundating others with the most minute of plans. But the intention of apps like FourSquare was to help us connect with our friends, aiding us in discovering if they were nearby or giving them the opportunity to share insights with us if they saw we were somewhere they’d been before. I don’t always check in on FourSquare, but I had been all day. Serendipity was the word of the day, and it delivered us into fortunate circumstances once again. A friend we had made on a ski forum happened to be in the area chaperoning a school field trip. They were going to see Disney’s Newsies at 8PM and had extra tickets. Did we want them?

And that’s how we ended up seeing a Broadway show on our anniversary trip without even planning on doing it.

The day had gone so well that I decided not to push our luck. After the show ended, we walked back to Grand Central Terminal. It had been a full day and had gone so much better than the last time we went to NYC together. Why spoil it?

Wednesday I will be back! I was lucky enough to be selected by Cookbook Create to join them on tours of the test kitchens at Bon Appetit magazine, Food52, and The Daily Meal. I’ll be tweeting and Instagramming throughout the tours, so watch for it. You can also follow #FoodTourIWNY on Twitter. In the meantime, we’re enjoying a much quieter day for our real anniversary. A dozen years later, and I love him even more!

What do you love about where you live? Have you ever been to NYC? What do you love/hate about it?

Last week was a bit too hectic. #BrunchWeek, as much as I loved it, brought on a slew of daily promotion at a more feverish pace than usual. Add to that 4 nights of going to bed at 1:30 AM, only to awaken at 6 AM, and a night out with my husband checking out a new band and the next thing you know, my shoulder is screaming in defiance and the muscle spasms in my leg and ankle are practically preventing me from walking. Enough is enough. The body will be ignored no longer.

I have a bad history of pushing aside my problems until they cannot be ignored anymore. Even when the shoulder issue presented itself, instead of attacking it right away, I began internet research. I can see it now: someday, I’ll have a heart attack and instead of calling 911, I’ll be on google trying to see what else my symptoms could signal, convincing myself it’s nothing more than a bad lunch or lack of sleep that’s the cause. It’s ridiculous how much I’ll minimize my own needs! When I decided that I wasn’t, in fact, dying (it was my left arm, after all), I signed up at my favorite wellness center–A Healing Trail–for the next available appointment.

Massage therapy isn’t new to me. When I was pregnant with my daughter, I started having sciatica issues. The pinched nerve would crop up from time to time, but a massage or three would work it out and then I’d return to my routine. I love massage, but with a tight budget, it’s been too much of an extravagance to indulge in regularly, even if it’s helped my health. Sadly, when I signed in to the online scheduling website, I discovered it had been 3 years since my last rub down. Years full of post-surgery pain that could have been addressed without popping pills. Ridiculous!

Given my need for immediate care, I saw a new massage therapist this time–the owner of the facility. She was kind and considerate, running at a much slower pace than my frantic one. When she asked what was wrong, I rattled off a litany of issues so fast, I’m surprised her head didn’t spin. Then she asked how much water I had been drinking. I answered her honestly–I knew they recommended being well-hydrated before massage therapy, and I knew I was nowhere near that. My sheepish answer of “a couple cups so far” was given with the expectation of receiving harsh judgment, but she gave me the gift of education instead. I’ll admit that I was a little impatient at first when she discussed the function of water in the body–I only had a half hour for my appointment, after all, and I wanted to make the most of it–but I began to see the point, and understood that she was trying to help me, not lecture me. Water is essential. And if you don’t drink enough of it, the body will act out. Those muscle spasms I suffer from? They’d likely be lessened by a proper intake of water every day. And no, I wouldn’t have to take up residence next to the toilet to achieve that. In time, my body would adjust.

upgrading from my cup to a water bottle!

She left and it was time for me to strip down. In retrospect, I’m amazed at how easily I did this, given she was a new therapist for me and I can’t even pick out a new doctor because of how hard it is for me to trust new people. (A whole other long story with insurance changes being the catalyst… needless to say, I haven’t seen my PCP in quite a few years, another error I must remedy soon.) Still, I climbed up on the table, covered myself up, and let the warmth wash over me. I closed my eyes, desperate for relaxation to come. Funny thing about that–you cannot will it to happen. And with a busy mind, it’s frustratingly elusive.

The massage therapist returned and got to work. She explained how I could help relieve some of the tension at home, especially in the muscles around my shoulder blade, where they are in a horrible knotted mess. She stressed how important it was to work both sides, as tension on one side could be pulling the other, knocking the body out of whack.

My mind refused to empty and I kept worrying there wasn’t enough time. Still, the kneading and prodding felt fantastic, albeit a bit painful in the tight areas. The next thing I knew, 30 minutes had passed and she had touched on far more than I thought possible in the time frame allotted.

I didn’t jump off the table ready to leap over small buildings, but there was a definite improvement. One that, in order to continue progressing, will require more care. Stretching. Drinking plenty of water–half my body weight in ounces, every day!! Moving. And coming back in 2 weeks for more kneading. Because I need it. Badly.

I put myself last all the time, but this time, I need to do this. I need it for my well-being, both of body and mind. To renew my spirit, to help me get back on track with my fitness goals–derailed time and time again by pain–and to assist me in refocusing and growing. It’s time to be good to myself. It’s time to take care of myself. Because if I don’t, nobody else will.

How are you good to yourself? What do you do to love your body, mind, and spirit?

You baked that brioche from Wednesday, right? Good, because it should be just the right consistency now for one of my favorite ways to eat brioche–Stuffed French Toast.

One of the down sides to homemade bread is that you have to use it quickly. Since it’s full of the good stuff, it’s also more likely to go moldy or stale within a matter of days instead of weeks. You’ll have to bake more often to fill demand, but you’ll also be avoiding additives and chemicals, so it’s worth it. Plus have you ever eaten a loaf of grocery store bakery brioche? Blech. That is not what bread is supposed to taste like!

What do you do when your brioche has turned stale? Transform it into French toast, of course. Many of you are already keen on this, given the comments I’ve read this week, and I’m glad that you haven’t been kept in the dark. You can’t beat brioche when it comes to French toast. But we’re talking Mother’s Day here, so we want to make the ordinary extraordinary. This is where stuffed French toast comes in.

A bit of a hybrid between grilled cheese and French toast, stuffed French toast puts the ooooh! in ooh-la-la! Perfect for a brunch celebrating Mom and all she’s done for you! Show her that you care and go the extra mile. She’ll love you even more for it!

In this case, I chose to add some chopped California walnuts to the filling, providing textural interest. The walnuts complement the sweet/sour cherry preserves and smooth cream cheese beautifully, creating a memorable dish. Don’t be surprised if this becomes Mom’s favorite part of her special brunch. You’ll be making it over and over again!

Are you curious about who won the giveaways we’ve been promoting all week?

Join our PinChatLive from 2-3PM Eastern Time today to learn who won. You don’t want to miss these announcements–you could be a winner! Good luck and thanks for joining us for #BrunchWeek!

What did everyone else make to close out the week…?

Brunch Drink Recipes

Cherry Sangria by Cooking In Stilettos
Frozen Grasshopper by Amanda’s Apron
Gin and Sparkling Red Wine Cocktail by Take A Bite Out Of Boca
Vanilla Pomegranate Mojito by Noshing With The Nolands

Potato Brunch Recipes

Parmesan Roasted Red Potatoes with Vidalia Onions and Thyme by Cook the Story
A Salad Called German Potato by The Vintage Cook

Breads, Grains, Cereals and Pancake-type Yums

Biscoff Walnut Granola Parfaits by White LIghts on Wednesday
Carrot Cake Pancakes by Love and Confections
Chocolate Chip Craisin Granola Bars by Big Bear’s Wife
Dandelion Pesto Pizza by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Pina Colada French Toast by The Domestic Mama & The Village Cook
Sourdough Epi Baguettes with Rhubarb Blood Orange Ginger Jam by Spontaneous Tomato

Spreads and Dips for Brunch

Grilled Pineapple and Walnut Dip by Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
Strawberry-Kiwi Jam by Sweet Remedy

Brunch Dessert Recipes

Chocolate Trifle {kid friendly} by Real Housemoms
Florida Strawberry, Lavender Farmers Cheese and California Walnut Braided Pastries by Vanilla Lemonade
Raspberry Sweet Rolls with Meyer Lemon Glaze by by Cravings of a Lunatic
Sour Cream Coffee Cake by Savory Sweet Eats