raspberry eggplant

My Favorite Bites at Choice Eats 2012

2012-04-03T01:10:00.001-04:00

Choice Eats 2012 took place three weeks ago (in fact, it was the day I started my new job!) and this year's edition was the biggest to date, with more than 80 restaurants in attendance.

JoeDough's The Strong Island sub

Unfortunately, more restaurants did not equate to more vegetarian options - in fact, there were fewer vegetarian dishes this year as compared to last year. And, unlike last year, I didn't have a VIP pass, so I didn't have access to the subterranean vault full of sugar (which was probably a good thing). We had about 15 dishes, maybe a third of which were sweets. Keep in mind there were more than 80 restaurants there! So there were slim pickings for vegetarians. But among the few dishes we had, there were several standouts.

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A Tasting of Shawn Gawle's Desserts at Corton

2012-03-12T10:09:00.002-04:00

For years, I’ve lamented the fact that dessert gets the short shrift. It’s not that I have a sweet tooth – I’m more of a savory craver – but, as an avid baker and scientist, I really appreciate the skill, precision, creativity, and beauty of a well-executed dessert. Why, though, is it that dessert is always an afterthought, even in restaurants with dedicated and talented pastry chefs? Many restaurants relegate dessert to a separate menu that is often not seen until after several courses have already been consumed. Why isn’t the work of pastry chefs given equal attention? This holds particularly true for restaurants with only a prix fixe menu, leaving those of us who have no desire to wade through multiple courses of seafood and meat (or not terribly inspired last-minute vegetarian substitutes) unable to indulge in the exquisite creations of renowned pastry chefs.

Several weeks ago, I asked that question out loud with respect to Corton’s pastry chef Shawn Gawle, who was recently named one of the best pastry chefs in America by Food and Wine magazine, and his gorgeous “Birch” dessert. I was beyond surprised to get the response that I did.

The Village Voice's Choice Eats 2012

2012-03-05T22:19:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year again...80+ restaurants dishing up amazing food in the massive 69th Armory means only one thing: The Village Voice's Choice Eats!

I was totally overwhelmed last year - and I didn't even eat about half of the offerings - but this year's event, which is the 5th annual and is taking place next Tuesday, March 13, at 6:30 pm - is bigger and better than past years.

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Jackson Heights Indian Food Crawl - Sunday February 12

2012-02-07T13:58:00.003-05:00

A few weeks ago, my friend Amy asked me if I wanted to host an Indian food crawl in Jackson Heights in February and there was no way I could say no to her.

So, this coming Sunday, Februrary 12, at 1 pm, I will be leading a small group on a culinary tour of Jackson Heights. We'll stop at three places to sample samosas, chaat, dosa, and sweets such as gulab jamun, kulfi, and falooda, and we'll cap off the trip with a visit to my favorite grocery store in the neighborhood, where you can stock up on ingredients to try your hand at making Indian food at home (or just buy a bag of Lays Magic Masala potato chips, which are apparently my kryptonite).

Killed by Dessert, Part 2

2012-01-24T00:52:00.000-05:00

Hopefully a break over the weekend was sufficient time to recover from all that dessert. I only had about 20 minutes before embarking on the second half of the 12 course dessert feast so imagine how I felt. Here's part 1 in case you need a refresher on where we left off.

After six desserts, we got our sixth savory course (the one that we thought was missing from the cocktail hour).

Intermezzo
Spaghetti pomodoro
Brooks Headley
Paired with Budweiser (in an 8 ounce can)

Spaghetti pomodoro - when made well - is one of my favorite dishes. So I was really excited for this course, especially because it was coming from Brooks Headley, the pastry chef at Del Posto, and also because I needed something savory after six courses of dessert. Not to mention the whimsical presentation and beverage pairing, making this course a somewhat highbrow version of a late night drunken meal. (Someone told me about that, I have never made spaghetti at 2 am after an evening of drinks. No, not me, never.)

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Killed by Dessert, Part 1

2012-01-19T00:56:00.000-05:00

On Monday night, I was one of the lucky few to get Killed by Dessert.

The product of a collaboration of some of the country's best (and some of my favorite) pastry chefs, Killed by Dessert was an occasion for these six pastry chefs to share with us some of their favorite things. More precisely, one savory appetizer and two desserts per person - which, yes, is six savory courses and twelve sweet ones. The ticket price seemed steep, but it was far less than you would pay for 18 courses from the restaurants at which these chefs provide the final sweet bites. (Moreover, the proceeds benefited Share Our Strength.) Given that I have been known to go to restaurants just to get to the desserts and sometimes order only dessert when there's really nothing on the menu I want to or can eat, there was no way in the world I was going to miss this event.

Celery Root, Apple, and Fennel Soup

2011-12-08T07:26:00.001-05:00

I always make soup for Thanksgiving, and it's usually of the butternut squash or cauliflower variety. As I mentioned before, this year I was really trying to use as much of my CSA share as possible for my Thanskgiving meal and make only a few supplemental purchases from the Carroll Gardens and Union Square Greenmarkets, which meant I had to be strategic about my menu planning.

My CSA share didn't provide us with cauliflower this year or the last (although though they do grow it at the farm) and I had already planned to make butternut squash ravioli and was making a kabocha squash cheesecake, so I didn't want to overdo it on the squash. What else could I use for an autumnal soup? The big celery root staring me in the face answered that question.

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Fonduta-Filled Gougeres

2011-12-04T21:15:00.000-05:00

And so my Thanksgiving recipes begin. First up: the gougeres that were the amuse for the meal.

For the past few years, I've made gougeres every year for Thanksgiving as part of the lineup of the snacks before our Thanksgiving feast. But this year I decided to make them even better by filling them with a rich, gooey, cheesy fonduta. Sort of like a cream puff, but savory and melty.

The Cookie Takedown!

2011-12-02T08:09:00.001-05:00

I was all set to start sharing my recipes from my Thanksgiving extravaganza today, but then I had to go and get distracted by a food competition.

I know I said that The Food Experiments National Championship was going to be my last competition (and yes, I know I have yet to post my recap of it), but when I heard that The Cookie Takedown was happening in a few weeks at one of my favorite venues in the city and my favorite venue for a food throwdown, The Bell House, I couldn't resist entering my favorite cookie recipe.

A sneak peek of what I'm making for The Cookie Takedown

The Cookie Takedown is on Sunday, December 18, at 3 pm at The Bell House in Gowanus, Brooklyn. $15 gets you 30 cookies and an hour of Bulleitt Bourbon eggnog (if you're into eggnog - I can't drink that stuff - but Bulleitt Bourbon is good stuff, and I don't drink just any brown spirits). Vegetarians, this is one of the best food competitions for you to go to because you'll probably be able to eat most of the offerings (although I'm sure there will be a few bacon-studded cookies...).

Get your tickets now before it sells out - which it will, and soon, at that. I will be wearing my sparkliest holiday finest and serving up some seriously delicious cookies, so I hope to see you there!

Thanksgiving: a little recap

2011-11-27T19:26:00.001-05:00

Well. I hope all of you are recovered from your Thanksgiving. I think I finally am, after sleeping nearly 12 hours the Friday after and being relatively slothful all weekend.

Ten courses, plus an amuse and bread basket. Not pictured: sweet little mignardises.

This year, I decided to do something I've wanted to do for a while now, albeit not necessarily for Thanksgiving: prepare and serve a 10 course meal.

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Butternut Blondies

2011-11-21T22:00:00.001-05:00

I’ve never been a fan of blondies. They’re usually just overly sweet little blobs packed with white chocolate chunks (which I do not at all care for) and maybe some nuts. There’s no real flavor there, at least not in any of the blondies I’ve ever eaten to date, and, as a result, I’ve never been compelled to make my own.

Mango-Pistachio Crunch Cake (Mom's Birthday Cake)

2011-11-09T14:16:00.000-05:00

Today is my mom's birthday, and what sweeter way to celebrate than with a cake made just to suit her palate.

My mom loves mango, pistachios, saffron, and cardamom, and I've made her birthday cake using these ingredients in previous years. But this year, I wanted to shake up this cake, and this is what I came up with.

A monkey cake for the sweetest little monkey

2011-11-03T07:45:00.001-04:00

My brother's daughter turns 1 year old today. Over the past year I've fallen head over heels in love with this little squishball and have delighted at watching her grow. We celebrated her birthday this past weekend and, yes, I brought a cake. But it couldn't be any old cake for this little girl.

Pardon the messy board, this cake traveled 200 miles on a bus

A brief hiatus for a Mediterranean holiday

2011-09-30T05:45:00.000-04:00

I don't know where the time has gone, but I've been so busy these past few weeks that I didn't realize it will be October in just a few days. It feels like Labor Day was just a week ago.

I had planned to get a few posts lined up for the next week, but I failed miserably at that, so this post is my official hiatus for the next week, as I'll be frolicking in Greece with my mom! (I'm actually there right now - I managed to get this little post together before I left.) I'll make sure to eat lots of interesting, delicious food and share it with you when I'm back. That, and visit the Acropolis.

When I get back, I promise a few posts on the Food Experiments National Championship, a giveaway, and more recipes using my CSA share as well as some autumnal baking.

Brooklyn Pour: a bevy of beers in a beautiful space

2011-09-27T03:54:00.001-04:00

In case you haven't already heard about it, there's an amazing event coming up in a few weeks -

On Saturday, October 15, the Village Voice is presenting its first annual Brooklyn Pour craft beer festival at the gorgeous Skylight One Hanson in the Fort Greene neighborhood of my beloved borough of Brooklyn.
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Grilled Peaches with Summer Greens

2011-09-13T06:42:00.000-04:00

Here's yet another salad inspired by my CSA share. Over the past year, I've gotten so much better about using each week's share more efficiently rather than attempting to make one dish with each ingredient and then buying a ton of stuff from the farmers' market or supermarket to supplement and support each ingredient. A few weeks ago, I got all of these items (well, not the cheese or the dressing) in my share and I figured that since they're all growing at the same time, wouldn't they probably taste good together? There was only one way to find out.

Raspberry Lemonade Cupcakes

2011-09-08T05:30:00.000-04:00

Here's the second of the three flavors of cupcakes I made for Matt's brother's wedding a few months ago. They're a variation on my vanilla cupcakes and the frosting is my standard Swiss meringue buttercream with an ample dose of fresh raspberry puree to make the frosting not only a vibrant shade of pink but also tart and redolent of raspberries. They're light and bright and perfect for a party.

Chocolate Coffee Porter Cupcakes

2011-09-06T06:45:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was my 2nd wedding anniversary, so I figured this would be a good week to share with you some cupcakes I made for another wedding.

Matt's brother got married in late June and, as you may have seen, our wedding present to his brother and his wife was the wedding cake. Well, not exactly. Instead of a cake, they decided to serve tons of mini cupcakes.

Peach Blueberry Tarts with Brown Butter Almond Crust, Bourbon Mascarpone, and Basil

2011-09-01T06:54:00.013-04:00

A few weeks ago, a wonderful French-inspired patisserie/boulangerie opened just a few blocks from me. Their croissants are perfect - in fact better than those at Bouchon Bakery - their breads are excellent, and they have a wide array of little pastries. Among them are seasonal fruit tarts with combinations such as blueberry, lemon, and lemongrass and cherries with rosewater. I've been there a few times and have loved their breads and croissants, but have not yet been bowled over by the tarts, which, at $6.50 a pop, are not cheap. So I decided to make my own.

Chioggia Beet and Yellow Plum Salad

2011-08-30T05:43:00.008-04:00

Well look who it is. I'm back from my accidental hiatus, and I've got a ton of recipes to post courtesy of the cupcakes I made for Matt's brother's wedding and some excellent meals I've made courtesy of my CSA share. I have no real reason for disappearing other than neglect and preoccupation with other things, but I've refocused and am hoping to get back into my regular blogging groove once again.

First up: this simple yet stunning salad. It came together on a whim while I was searching my fridge for items to make into a pretty plated salad.

Zucchini Carpaccio with Lemon and Herbs

2011-06-21T07:00:00.005-04:00

It’s nearly July but it feels like summer just started. [Probably because technically today is the first day of summer, and also because it was so chilly until just a few weeks ago.] My CSA share is still all about late spring - lettuce, strawberries, herbs, radishes - which further reinforces this "it's barely summer" feeling, but the Carroll Gardens greenmarket looked a little more summery this past Sunday, what with piles of zucchini and their blossoms.

Super thin slices of market-fresh zucchini dressed simply with herbs, lemon juice, and olive oil

Asparagus, Leek, and Herb Frittata

2011-06-16T08:17:00.001-04:00

Our CSA is back! The CSA to which we belong delivers shares from early June until the end of December, which means we’re back into the routine of having more of our meals dictated by what we get each week rather than entirely by my whims. We’re definitely eating more seasonally and locally now – there’s not a whole lot of diversity of what’s in season in New York the winter and there are only so many root vegetables one can eat before succumbing to imported produce. And I’ve gotten much better about using multiple items of our share in one meal rather than deciding on something to make for dinner and figuring out how to incorporate one item from the share.

Asparagus, leek, and herb frittata - an easy and tasty way to use up vegetables from your CSA share.

Masala Chai Shortbread Cookies

2011-06-14T08:47:00.000-04:00

I first made these cookies for my New Year’s Eve party at the very end of 2010. The menu for my party had a bit of an Indian slant, so I took my Earl Grey tea shortbread cookies and simply swapped out the Earl Grey tea for regular black tea and added all the spices that go into a comforting mug of Indian masala chai. [Please, folks, don’t call it “chai tea” – chai means tea in Hindi so you’re calling it “tea tea” – masala chai is the correct term for the now-common Indian beverage of milky, spiced black tea.]

Masala chai shortbread cookies, redolent with the spices of a warm mug of masala chai

Vegan Coconut-Mango Pudding with Rose Gelée

2011-04-22T07:45:00.009-04:00

My dad's birthday was a few weeks ago, and, as I do for everyone in my family, I make them a birthday cake. In the case of my dad, I always make his favorite cake - my signature pistachio-cardamom cake with rosewater frosting - but even though I love it, too, I was starting to get a little tired of it. I considered making a mango kulfi cake, but that's my mom's birthday cake, and I was also just not in the mood to make a cake this year (I blame it on the interminable stretch of damp grey days).

Choice Eats 2011: Extreme Gluttony & the Resulting Bellyache, Part Two

2011-03-31T13:59:00.001-04:00

In case you missed it, here's Part 1 of my recap of Choice Eats. I was so stuffed and comatose Tuesday night that I couldn't finish writing up the full recap. That's how bad the situation was. But it seems that I wasn't the only one who went totally overboard, so I feel slightly less disgusting about my behavior. Anyway, let's pick up where we left off, shall we.

After waiting in line for about 15 minutes for Del Posto's eggplant dessert (which wasn't really worth the wait), we got the remaining vegetarian savory items.

Lots of vegetarian Mediterranean dips from Kashkaval - beet skordalia, babaghanoush, tzatziki, olive tapenade, and muhammara. We've never been there and it is now on our list of places at which we must eat in 2011.

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