Blondie and Brownie

Checking Out Pizza and Dessert at Donatella

2012-01-27T05:04:00.000-05:00

New York is filled with Italian restaurants. Most offer the same basic menu hovering around the same price point, but few are actually something to seek out. There are a number of good Italian restaurants that stand out above these "dime a dozen" ones, but they'll usually cost you a pretty penny. Last week, I was turned onto a good Italian spot that won't break your bank: Donatella.

When Donatella opened in October 2010, almost all of the press was about its gilded pizza oven, all sparkly and gold. It's still a sparkly, sitting at the back of the restaurant. But for my group, we were mainly there for dessert, not the oven or to really load up on the savory offerings. We did, however, get the fried calamari along with two pizzas. The calamari was expertly breaded and fried--a crunchy exterior without getting greasy--with enough round and tentacle pieces for everyone. Don't you just love the tentacle pieces?! Of the two pies, I preferred the day's special which was topped with prosciutto and Brussels sprouts. Slightly charred chunks of sprouts nestled in with excellent mozzarella topped with lean thin slices of prosciutto should make anyone happy.

But the most exciting part of our meal was the *PHENOMENAL* desserts. Pastry Chef Andrea Jarosh is doing good things in that kitchen. I knew I was going to like the zeppoli and cannolis--they're my two most favorite Italian desserts, but I was shocked to fall in love with their tiramisu, a dessert that is commonly mediocre at best. The mousse is light and yet still decadent, and perfectly complemented by the layer of house-made chocolate ladyfingers. Chef Jarosh also gives the bottom layer the soaking it deserves complete with Frangelico. If you're a tiramisu-lover, you should definitely make a point of stopping by for this.

Another dessert that blew us away was the off-the-menu cupcakes. Chef Jarosh sent out a plate of three: red velvet, pistachio, and Nutella praline, each with the perfect amount of delicious Italian meringue buttercream frosting. All three were gobbled down, but the clear winner among my group was the Nutella praline. Chocolate cake with a Nutella and wafer filling topped by gilded hazelnuts allowed for an enjoyable experience with various textures. It's easy to see that her inspiration was the Italian candy, Baci, and she definitely pulls it off.

For more on Chef Jarosh and the desserts at Donatella, head on over to DessertBuzz where there's a more complete rundown of their dessert menu, and an interview with the chef.

Donatella
184 8th Avenue
(212) 493-5150
donatellanyc.com

Did You Buy Your Choice Eats Tickets Yet?

2012-01-26T06:11:00.000-05:00

Every year we warn you, but this year I hope you'll take us seriously. Tickets for the 5th Annual Village Voice Choice Eats are on sale and they are on the verge of selling out. VIP tix are already gone and if you don't get on it you'll miss out on the General Admissions tickets, too...

Yesterday they announced the first round of participating restaurants. And it's already looking like a great event. Check out this list...

Ample Hills Creamery
Buka, Chinese Mirch
Court Street Grocers
Dean Street
Doughnut Plant
Edi and the Wolf
Fatty 'Cue
Gregory's 26 Corner Taverna
Jane's Sweet Buns
Kafana
Kelso Restaurant
Nom Wah Tea Parlor
Northeast Kingdom
Ovelia Psistaria Bar
Singh's Roti Shop
Sparrow Tavern
Spicy Bampa
Tanoreen
Tenpenny
Testaccio
The Meatball Shop
This Little Piggy Had Roast Beef

Hungry? Less than 1/4 of all the General Admission tickets are still available. "Choice Eats" will be held on Tuesday, March 13, 2012 from 6:30 - 9:30 PM at the 69th Armory on Lexington Avenue in New York City. VIP hour will take place from 5:30-6:30 PM.

Why are you still reading this? Go get your tickets!

Travels with Blondie: I Forgot About the Donuts!

2012-01-25T05:06:00.000-05:00

After my post went up last week about my adventures in San Francisco, I realized that I totally forgot to tell you all about the doughnuts! How can I be so silly?! The doughnut theme started when my beautiful cousin specifically asked that some Peter Pan goodies be in my carry-on. In return for that, she took me to the best place ever.

The Krispy Kreme/In-N-Out in Daly City as we were on our way to Pacifica for some grand coastal viewing! Can life get any better than eating a cheeseburger animal-style and following it up with doughnuts? I think not!

gratuitous In-n-Out shot

I also stopped by Dynamo Donuts where I faced one of the harder decisions of my life! How do you pick just one or two? Gah!

I picked the maple glazed bacon apple and doughnut bread pudding. The bread pudding was good with a fantastic crunchy top crust and custard-like interior, but it could have won even more points were they able to warm it up a bit. As for the bacon doughnut, I have fortunately been spoiled by Flex Donuts' bacon cruller. Don't get me wrong, it's good; the bacon is still crunchy, the glaze isn't too sweet. If I hadn't had so many great doughnuts in New York in the past year, I'd been thoroughly impressed. But I have had fluffy yeast doughnuts, and that bacon cruller. I won't trek across town for Dynamo, but if I were in the neighborhood again, I'd definitely stop by.

Dynamo Donuts
2760 24th Street
San Francisco
(415) 920-1978
www.dynamodonut.com

It'sTime for the Winter Edition of Real Cheap Eats!

2012-01-24T06:46:00.000-05:00

The Winter edition of Real Cheap Eats is up and live. Thanks to the efforts of James Boo and his team, this guide to the tastiest meals in the five boroughs under $10, has a 22 dish winter update, including my contribution, the $6 whole roasted chicken from Brancaccio's...

As I write this post I've just finished a meal consisting of my second whole roasted chicken from Brancaccio's for the week. Between working full time, writing for three blogs and working on our book, the amount of time I have to spend in the kitchen is severely limited. Did I mention that my oven is also completely broken? Thankfully Brancaccio's has saved me more than once with their dependably delicious and thrifty $6 whole roasted chicken. Dressed with lemon, garlic, herbs and spices, then roasted perfectly so the skin gets crispy but the meat remains tender and moist--never dry, even if I weren't so busy I'd still want Brancaccio's to make my chicken for me.

Brancaccio's Foodshop
3011 Fort Hamilton Parkway
(Between East 2nd and 3rd Street)
Brooklyn, New York 11218
Email: info[at]brancacciosfoodshop.com
brancacciosfoodshop.com

Please Help Us Get to Seattle!

2012-01-23T05:27:00.000-05:00

Last week, Brownie called me up and asked "Do you want to go to Seattle with me?" "Is this a joke? I'm a broke grad student now." "I'm in Cakespy's contest and the winner gets a trip for two to Seattle!!!" "Oh, fuck yes!" We've been working our Twitter and Facebooks for days now, and as of last night, we were 100 votes out of first place! Jesse Oleson aka Cakespy is picking a winner today so please head on over and "like" Brownie's Cookie Time cookies!!! If we win, here's what I want to visit in Seattle:

I will definitely stop by Trophy Cupcakes. After Brownie visited over three years ago (!), we've regularly gotten their newsletter. Every now and then I sneak a peek, wishing I could just stop by the bakery for some treats. Except the bakery's 2,800 miles away. Also on the list is Seattle Pie Co.'s marionberry pie! I had to keep reading about this recently, and it killed me. For savory, I'll have to turn to Marination Mobile. Korean tacos!

So please, please, please, help a freelancing (broke) grad student who's also trying to co-author a book get to Seattle!

NYC Foodie Weekend

2012-01-20T05:12:00.000-05:00

Well, the pleasant faux-spring weather doesn't look like it's going to be making an appearance this weekend. Fortunately there's some good foodie fun to be had around the city...

SATURDAY & SUNDAY
Children's Food Festival in Bryant Park
The inaugural, Kids Food Festival starts on Saturday. Free samples, food for sale or other activities to help kids make fun and smart food choices.

SUNDAY, SUNDAY, SUNDAY
Cochon 555: 5 Chefs, 5 Pigs, 5 Winemakers
Porkafiles, this is your weekend. Blondie and I attended Cochon 555 two years ago and it was EPIC! So many piggies. So much good eating. This year promises seven whole heritage pigs and a butcher demonstration from Cesare Casella of Salumeria Rosi. Tickets: $125 per person/$200 for VIP.

TUESDAY
Ok, it's not the weekend, but this Afternoon Tea at PARK HERE in Nolita sounds awesome. Tea by Tiffany founder Tiffany Denise will be hosting afternoon tea from 1-5 pm on Tuesday. Tickets are $25 and include a selection of organic teas, sandwiches, petite fours, biscuits, scones and chilled drinks.

Travels with Blondie: San Francisco Sweets

2012-01-19T05:17:00.000-05:00

You guys didn't really think I'd go to San Francisco and not eat sweets, did you? One of the reasons I love heading out to SF a lot is that I can eat to my heart's content every time and not scratch the surface of what they have to offer. Within the first few hours, I got another taste of Humphry Slocombe in Blue Bottle's affogato. Espresso and ice cream, best of both dessert worlds.

That wasn't the only encounter with Mr. Slocombe. This time I had my heart set on trying Mr. & Mrs. Miscellaneous except they were closed for winter break! Epic sadness. I comforted myself by heading over to the shop (I had Secret Breakfast with Blue Bottle Coffee ice cream!)

It also showed up in Magnolia's ice cream sandwich. Yes, it's deconstructed a bit with makes it perfect for sharing. Another great dessert there is the Strawberry Shortcake.

During both of my Ferry Building visits I stopped by Miette Bakery. The first time I picked up an ice cream sandwich consisting of their graham cookies and Straus vanilla ice cream. So good, and the perfect size. The second trip I went for the cupcake. And every cupcake lover *in the world* needs to have this cake. They have chocolate cake down-pat; it's perfectly moist, doesn't fall apart after unwrapping, and chocolatey without being cloying.

Something that was CRAZY decadent was my slice of chocolate cake from Tartine. Every visit there, I try to get something different besides my regular morning bun. Now I can normally throw back any slice of chocolate cake, but this went beyond the beyond. Halfway through I needed milk to help me out and there was just no way I was going to power through. It's just that rich. Delicious, moist, and completely shareable.

One of my last bakery visits was Inner Sunset's Arizmendi where they are known for their shortbread cookies. I had one; it's buttery, crumbly, and you'll probably never look at Trefoils again after. I also couldn't resist picking up this chewy chocolate chunk cookie. When you head out for their shortbread, get one of these bad boys too.

Blue Bottle and Miette have various locations throughout the Bay Area.

Humphry Slocombe
2790 Harrison Street
San Francisco
(415) 550-6971
www.humphryslocombe.com

Magnolia Pub and Brewery
1398 Haight Street
San Francisco
(415) 864-7468
magnoliapub.com

Tartine Bakery
600 Guerrero Street
San Francisco
(415) 487-2600
www.tartinebakery.com

Arizmendi Bakery
1331 9th Avenue
San Francisco
(415) 566-3117
www.arizmendibakery.org

Help Us Win a Trip to Seattle!

2012-01-18T05:15:00.000-05:00

So remember when Blondie was on vacation and I was bored and lonely and made CookTime Cookies? Well, my cookies have been chosen as a finalist in the So You Want to Be a Cakespy Contest. The grand prize is a trip to Seattle to visit the über-awesome HeadSpy herself and we need your help getting there...

Here's the drill, you can show your support for #teamsendB&BtoSeattle by any of the following:

Click here and like the photo of our entry on Facebook.

Post a lovely comment about our entry here.

Or favorite and comment on the pic of our entry on Flickr.

Thankyouthankyouthankyou!

Travels with Blondie: Boom! Fried Chicken Ramen in SF

2012-01-17T05:11:00.000-05:00

Those of you following along on Twitter might have seen me tweeting from my second home, San Francisco last week. Yup, I took a week off of the computer and ate to my heart's content in the California sunshine. While almost everything I had was delicious, the biggest highlight was Hapa Ramen's Fried Chicken Ramen. Our good friend Clay recommended them to me the night before I bounced, and he has yet to steer me wrong. I got it at the Tuesday Farmers Market at the Ferry Building and it was salty delicious goodness. So much so that, though I was supposed to check out some trucks immediately after, I said "F that, I'm eating all of this."

This did end up being the trip of Ferry Building visits. The day I landed, I was lucky enough to make it to one of my most favorite places in the entire world, the Saturday Farmers Market there. Clay had also suggested 4505 Meats, and wanted me to pick him up a bag of chicharrones-a bag he needs to claim before it's in my belly. Since I was beyond starving, and spied slow-roasted pig on the menu, I got their pork sandwich. Oh. My. Fucking. God. The perfectly roasted, tender pork. The crunchy slaw. The coriander aioli. I will be getting so fat when I move to SF because I will be eating this as often as possible. There are few sandwiches comparable to this in New York, most are a bit on dry side or slathered in excess sauce. Not this, I ate up every last bit.

I had hoped to stop by Una Pizza Napoletana since I only had them once or twice in New York, but they were on vacation. As a back-up, Delfina was suggested. My group arrived there at the exact wrong time: 8:30 on a Saturday night. A hour and a half wait greeted us. Yay. The special pizza of the night involved egg and (I think) radicchio, and I wanted in on it. My dining companions were all "Ew, gross, I don't like egg on pizza," but I know that this is spectacular especially when the yolk is all runny and gets soaked up by the crust. I even saved a bit for my breakfast.

On my last day there, we went to Stacks for some weekday brunch action. Though the waiter was up-selling me—God do I hate up-selling—when the platter of huevos rancheros came out, I was pleasantly surprised. This is like two breakfasts for the price of one, no joke. Though this time is was me saying "Ew, gross." Apparently there is such a thing as a crab omelette which my fellow bruncher got. I was not aware of this. After returning, I questioned a few friends more inclined to brunch than myself; none of them had heard of a crab omelette. Maybe next time I'll return to see what all the fuss is about this and Stack's banana pancakes.

Hapa Ramen is at all three Ferry Building Farmers Markets-Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday-while 4505 Meats is only there Thursday and Saturday.

Delfina Pizzeria
3611 18th Street
San Francisco
(415) 437-6800
pizzeriadelfina.com

Stacks
501 Hayes Street
San Francisco
(415) 241-9011
www.stacksrestaurant.com

Travels with Brownie: Portuguese Rotisserie Awesomeness Abounds at Montreal’s Coco Rico

2012-01-16T06:20:00.000-05:00

On our recent trip to Montreal, I don’t think that we had a bad meal the entire visit. Some of our dinners were a good bit fancier than what we typically go out for in the city--we’re cheap eats folk through and through--so it’s not surprising that one of my fondest meal memories is the combo platter we shared at Coco Rico...

Lawman lived in Portugal for several years during high school and the tales of the meals they enjoyed there, particularly the rotisserie chicken. When we were researching where to eat in Montreal and discovered that there’s a fairly large and vibrant Portuguese community, we had to seek out some Portuguese food.

Our dinner at Coco Rico was the cheapest meal of our trip and among the most satisfying. For $9.99 (Canadian! though these days that’s pretty much the same as American…) we got their #2 combo: a quarter chicken, ribs, and roast pork plus their tender little roast potatoes.

These weren’t any ordinary roast potatoes, you see, at Coco Rico, they line the bottom of their roasters with the potatoes so they are slow cooked in the fatty meat drippings making for a super flavorful carb fix. Lawman and I shared this with Little B, who was a big fan of their roast pork and it was enough for the three of us (and we’re talking three people with very healthy appetites).

While the space isn’t ideal for if you’re looking for a sit-down experience, it’s more of a take-out joint, however, there is a narrow bar and high stools. If you’re looking for cheap eats in Montreal, you can add this to your must list along with Schwartz’s Delicatessen just up the road.

Coco Rico
3907 Boulevard Saint-Laurent
Montreal, QC H2W 1X9, Canada
(514) 849-5554

The Special Pork Hamburger at Bark

2012-01-13T05:37:00.001-05:00

I met friends at Bark in Park Slope last week hoping to try their hot dog, but my eye got caught on one of their specials: a pork hamburger. If you know Bark, you know that this wasn't just any pork, it was delicious heritage breed pork. I bit the $8 bullet and got it.

First thing, if you're someone who has issues with appearances, you might want to skip this. Years of conditional training that hamburgers should not be pink made me second guess my choice. The burger was good, well-bred pigs always having a bit more taste than conventional ones. And I liked the addition of sauerkraut into the mix--it was a nice texture contrast. But I don't know if I would run to try this. I wasn't full afterwards, and definitely needed more food if I was going to make it through to dinner. Next time, I'll finally pony up to try their dogs.

Bark Hot Dogs
474 Bergen Street
Park Slope
(718) 789-1939
barkhotdogs.com

Pies-n- Thighs Chicken Biscuit Still a Winner

2012-01-12T05:37:00.000-05:00

It's been over a year since I first tried the Chicken Biscuit at Pies-N-Thighs and though the price has crept up, at $6, it's still an awesome deal and a must-eat breakfast...

My mom took a pretty liberal view on breakfast when I was a kid. Cake was perfectly acceptable. As were cookies. But fried chicken? For breakfast? I didn't even know such a thing was possible (which means that I have a good number of years of fried chicken breakfasts to make up). The chicken cutlet at Pies-n-Thighs is nice and spicy from ample hot sauce and comes bedecked with honey butter then sandwiched between a perfectly flakey biscuit. Breakfast sandwich heaven.

Pies-N-Thighs
166 S 4th St
Brooklyn NY 11211
(347) 529-6090
www.piesnthighs.com

Travels with Brownie: Schwartz's Delicatessen in Montreal

2012-01-11T05:05:00.000-05:00

When I first started planning Lawman's surprise birthday trip to Montreal, I knew it was a food-loving city, so I was looking forward to some serious recreational eating. Visions of poutine and croissants danced in my head. I didn't anticipated chowing down on a glorious smoked meat sandwich, but I did. Oh, yes, I did...

Midtown Lunch founder, Zach Brooks, has never steered me wrong with a food pick before, so when I discovered he wrote a 48 hour eating guide to Montreal, I bookmarked that sucker. Lawman loved him some good deli and he rarely indulges in the city, so I put the historic delicatessen Schwartz's on our must-list.

When we arrived there were two lines out the door. One for the takeout lunch crowd. The other for the eat-in crowd. Thankfully the eat-in line moved fairly quickly an we were ushered to a table in the back.

The menu is fairly simple. Sandwiches take center stage with smoked turkey, smoked chicken and salami on offer, but it's the smoked meat that draws the crowds. Smoked meat; the name sounds so dull and generic when it's anything but. Beef brisket is cured with spices and marinaded for 10 days then smoked. When it's ready to serve they steam it for a couple hours before it hits your plate. Taste and texturewise smoked meat is closer to corned beef than pastrami. You choose your fattiness level: lean, medium, medium-fat, or fat and moments later and overstuffed sandwich on rye arrives.

Lawman went with the medium-fat, pictured above, while I went lean, pictured below. Lawman won. Fat is goooooood.

And makes for a more moist and drool inducing 'wich, while my lean sandwich was on the dry side. Don't get me wrong, it was still delicious, but I was more than a little grateful for the generous schmear of mustard.

As someone who hasn't eaten beef in years--like maybe fifteen years--this was a can't miss sandwich and I'm glad I gave it a try. At $6.15, it's a bargain for a filling lunch and worth including on your Montreal itinerary.

Schwartz's
3895 Saint-Laurent boulevard
Montreal, H2W 1X9, Canada
(514) 842-4813
www.schwartzsdeli.com

It's Cookie, Cookie, CookieTime!

2012-01-10T05:01:00.000-05:00

If you've been following our Twitter, you know that Blondie is away in lovely San Francisco. Eating fabulous things like Animal Style In-N-Out burgers and morning buns at Tartine. I can only hope that she stuffs her suitcase with Dynamo Donuts for a certain friend back home (ahem). Any way, with Blondie away, Brownie will play...and embark on a crazy late night baking project...

On a whim I decided to enter Instructables' Cookie Contest. This is how my brain works cookie-->Cookie Monster-->cookie time-->CookieTime. Yes, once the image of Cookie Monster on an iPhone on CookieTime entered my brain, I had to make it happen. If you need a little CookieTime in your life, check out my Instructable and feel free to vote for my cookie or one of the other awesome entries. Enjoy!

Mac & Cheese Pizza in Williamsburg!

2012-01-09T05:15:00.003-05:00

I've passed Vinnie's Pizzeria on Bedford Ave in Williamsburg many, many times, but never did I bother to take a step in. I knew it's considered one of the better pizzas, which is also evidenced by the constant crowds. It wasn't until one of the holiday nights over the break where every other restaurant was closed did I take a step into Vinnie's. And I found Mac & Cheese pizza!

Brownie and I have a dream trip planned to Wisconsin, partly for mac and cheese pizza, and I hope that Wisconsinites know how to heat up pizza because this probably tastes better heated. After placing my order, my two slices went into an oven for less than 30 seconds. When you have something like mac and cheese, you need to get it good and hot to get melty. Neither of my slices were sufficiently warmed. This made me sad. I ate them regardless while wondering how a place is so popular and yet doesn't know how to warm up pizza?

Vinnie's Pizzeria
148 Bedford Ave
Williamsburg
(718) 782-7078
www.vinniesbrooklyn.com

Who Do You Bake For?

2012-01-06T06:47:00.001-05:00

Right now it's 12:49am and I'm up baking. It's not surprising to find me up at a late hour baking, though since Little B's arrival I've cut back on the crazy baking hours just a little bit. But for me it's never baking just for the sake of baking because I don't bake for myself. I bake for people I care about...

All of my best creations are recipes I've thought up for friends and families. I came up with the Elvis cupcake for Rachel from Cupcakes Take the Cake.

I made a bannana-rific monkey cake for Little B's first birthday.

And pirate monkey cupcakes for my nieces piratical 10th birthday.

Tonight I'm wishing, hoping and crossing my fingers that by the time you read this tomorrow morning I'll have a beautiful monkey bread to share with one of my dear friends on her last day at work tomorrow. She's long been one of my biggest baking champions and I couldn't let her leave without one last treat-to-end-all-treats.

Who's your baking inspiration?

Travels with Blondie: Heading on Down to Reston, Virgina

2012-01-05T05:15:00.000-05:00

Last year, Big Bobo really flew the nest after taking a job on the outskirts of DC. Now he lives happily in the 'burbs of Virginia, walking around semi-wooded areas, entertaining the idea of taking up running, quitting his 20 year long smoking habit. I dare say he's officially a 10 o'clock bedtime adult. I went to visit him for a break from my life with a few nice nights in a hotel room (indoor pool!), and I found that there's a thriving Farm-to-Table diner chain! Color me impressed Virgin-Mar-Jersey!

I spotted a Silver Diner or two on the way to my brother's house and thought that it was just some diner chain, but my sis-in-law told me they were so much more than that. They try to buy fresh and local, working with farms who practice sustainable agriculture, with some meat coming from Kansas' own Creekstone Farms. Everything we had was fresh, delicious, and affordable. The best part is they have a rewards card where if you show up 5 times in three months, you get $5 off your bill. When we went the diner was thriving, and I was proud to see people embracing the farm-to-table movement (or just simply enjoying a good breakfast in the 'burbs.) If you find yourself in the DC Metro area, you should totally stop by for some breakfast.

Another highlight of the trip was stopping by Red Velvet Cupcakery in Reston's Town Center. I went for their cookies and cream cupcake: chocolate buttermilk cake with cookie pieces topped with their smooth American buttercream. They are gorgeous little cupcakes, and they use quality ingredients, but I found it hard to justify this small thing for $3.25 each. That price would cause outrage and rioting in the streets in New York, and here we were in Northern Virginia. Though, I wouldn't mind having their cakes again.

Silver Diner
Locations throughout Maryland, Virginia, and New Jersey
www.silverdiner.com

Red Velvet Cupcakery
11939 Democracy Drive
Reston, VA
(703) 464-7075
redvelvetcupcakery.com

Browned Butter Bacon Doughnuts

2012-01-04T05:48:00.000-05:00

No one told me when I started making doughnuts that it was habit forming. Now that I've tackled Potato Doughnuts and made a Pumpkin Doughnut topped Chili Chocolate Pudding Pie, I was feeling full of bravado and ready to face my greatest doughnut challenge. Yes, this Christmas I took on yeast doughnuts...

I don't have the best track record with yeast. I've killed more than my fair share of yeast beasts due to overheating, but with these doughnuts I got a nice double rise with a packet of instant yeast. By the time the doughnuts hit the oil however they weren't quite as poofy as I would have liked. Inspired by Blondie's drool-inducing Flex Donuts post on Midtown Lunch I dipped these in browned butter glaze and sprinkled with bacon. They weren't half-bad (though I'll admit that even cardboard wouldn't be half-bad after some browned butter glaze and bacon).

Still, there's room for improvement. So, I'll put it to you, dear readers. Do you have a great yeast doughnut recipe you can recommend? I want to perfect these babies so they are light and tender. Help a girl out!

Locande Verde is Officially on the "Must List"

2012-01-03T05:18:00.003-05:00

Every now and then we get emails asking where we think a New York visitor "must" go when in town. We'll generally respond with the same list of places, mostly our favorites. Now we have another to add to the list: Locanda Verde. Until a few weeks ago, I wasn't aware that their awesome food did not come with an outrageous receipt: perfect for locals and tourists.

When Locanda Verde opened awhile back, I wrongly assumed that it's TriBeCa address and swanky clientele meant it was totally out of my limited budget. Then a few friends of mine found out I'd never been, put my fears to rest, and off we went for dinner! I don't have a picture, but we started with their homemade sheep's milk ricotta. Creamy, fluffy, and beyond delicious, I wanted to lick the plate. I'm serious.

Our dinners to share were their Orecchiette with fennel sausage, Spice-Glazed Duck, and a side Roasted Brussels Sprouts with pancetta. The sprouts were roasted to perfection and had pancetta, need I say more? The duck came with skin, very juicy, and flavorful. The orecchiette's ample amount of sausage and rapini made it quite the filling meal on its own. I wouldn't say no to having either of these dishes again.

Pastry Chef Karen DeMasco desserts also really shine here. Don't worry about having an awesome meal only to be served a half-assed dessert. All three we got were excellent: Toffee Date Cake, Maple Budino, and La Fantasia di Caramello. If I'd *have* to pick one to eat again, it'd be the La Fantastia. It's a great size and has perfect textural differences to make it a truly awesome dessert. But I'd totally each all three again.

Locanda Verde
377 Greenwich St
(212) 925-3797
locandaverdenyc.com

What Was Your First Meal of 2012?

2012-01-02T05:22:00.001-05:00

Hello, 2012! You look all shiny and new. And if my first bites of the year are any indication, you're going to be delicious....

Lawman and I rang in New Year's with our favorite pizza from Di Fara's, a round pie topped with semi-dried cherry tomatoes. It's hard to find words to describe how good this pizza is. In fact, I'm surprised that I haven't blogged about it already. After all, this was my first meal post-hospital after Little B was born. I've never been a fan of sundried tomatoes. Too sweet. Too many memories of the late 80s/early 90s when they worked their way into everything from dips to bagels to crackers. But semi-sun dried tomatoes? That's an entirely different story.

Lawman and I first discovered these in Ireland and it's a pity that they aren't widely available here in the States. Basically tomatoes are half dried then preserved in olive oil. They are sweet, but not cloyingly so, and burst in your mouth. When these lovelies adorn a Di Fara's pie they inevitably get a little char from the oven.

It was hard not to polish off the whole pizza on New Year's Eve--especially with Little B agitating for "MOAR" but inspired by some fellow patrons who have a tradition of eating Di Fara pizza for their last meal of the old year and the first meal of the new one, we managed to save a slice and a bit. Popped it in the toaster oven on 300 for just a few and voila--best New Year's breakfast ever. What did you have for your first meal of '12?

Ho Ho Ho! "Astounding" Multi-flavor Holiday Joe Joe's

2011-12-29T05:40:00.000-05:00

Trader Joe's has my number. I go with a list and I come out with plenty of unintended purchases like these "Astounding Multi-flavored Joe Joe's," as soon as I saw the giant display, I had to try them, I mean they're astounding, right...?

Here's what you get: chocolate covered peppermint Joe Joe's, chocolate covered peanut butter Joe Joe's, chocolate covered chocolate Joe Joe's, and white chocolate covered ginger Joe Joe's. I was most excited by the ginger Joe Joe's--so different. So Christmasy, but alas they were a tad too sweet for me. A friend did liken them to the ginger Newman's O's, which I hear are quite good, so if you don't mind white chocolate these are worth a try. I was also expecting to love the peanut butter Joe Joe's, but they weren't peanutty enough for me. Lawman loved the chocolate covered Joe Joe's, while my hands down favorites were the peppermint ones. It's a fun box and a good assortment for company, but for me in this case the astounding marketing overplayed the product. I think my expectations were that these cookies would be utterly mind blowing instead of just pretty good. Sigh.

Mmmm, 2011 in Food

2011-12-28T05:30:00.000-05:00

If you didn't already know, I love eating. For the past three years, I have been consistently amazed at the amount of food I've eaten when reminiscing over the year. My year started with Shake Shack's take of the Shamrock Shake and some of the most delicious doughnuts ever. Somehow, my year only managed to get better.

In February, Shake Shack brought back their peanut butter & bacon burger. Your life isn't truly complete unless you've dashed through the city on a blustery winter day to stand amongst the Upper West Side crowds for this. And then there was Choice Eats. I loved Choice Eats this year.

Then our summers changed forever. First Brooklyn Flea opened on Sundays in Williamsburg, and then Smorgasburg came along for Saturdays. With the East River Ferry dock right next door, this has become a favorite spot for tourists and locals. By the end of the summer, I found myself wandering down to the water for a good, quick lunch.

Also notable this summer was the awesome personal ice cream cakes from Quality Meats. I'm not so secretly hoping that this will continue next year.

The Vendys helped lift my September funk, and the NY Food Film Festival kept me crazy busy and was an *incredible* ball of fun—these are two events I will not be missing in the new year. Then I was right back where I started, gushing over Chef Zac Young's Flex Donuts. I'll be stopping by tomorrow. Happy New Year everyone!

Baking with Little Ones

2011-12-27T07:30:00.004-05:00

As of this very moment over the course of a few short days, I've made: stained glass window cookies, potato doughnuts, monkey bread (twice!) and concakes all with the help of some young chefs in-training...my nieces...

This year we're spending Christmas with my in-laws which means a full house and plenty of small helping hands in the kitchen. My nieces, ages 10, 9, and 6 all love cooking and over the years I've seen them grow in their skills. The oldest two are proficient in measuring ingredients and excellent at whisking. It's been exciting for me to see how they've been able to master tasks and take pride in serving their creations. The stained glass window recipe I recently blogged for Serious Sweets is an ideal recipe to make with even wee cooks. It's a no bake recipe (you just melt the chocolate in the microwave), but there's some good stirring involved, so even my 4 year old nephew felt like he was able to contribute. Plus, it's made of two very important food groups: chocolate and marshmallow.

What are your favorite recipes to make with kids?

Happy Boxing Day!

2011-12-26T09:35:00.002-05:00

Oops, sorry I'm a little late today. I was drunk last night—act surprised! I was invited by my good friend, Donny, to a wonderful Christmas dinner. And let's just say there was pie to be had, especially Four and Twenty's special Egg 'n' Grog. I was nervous it would be too full of eggnog, but it wasn't. Just a nice custard pie in a gingerbread crust, perfect for dessert or morning-after breakfast. And now I'm off for a holiday road trip!

The Festivus for the Rest of Us

2011-12-23T06:24:00.001-05:00

Happy Festivus! If you need a break from all the shopping and wrapping and endless loops of Mariah Carey Christmas music, scoot yourself on over to the Big Gay Ice Cream Shop for the first annual Big Gay Festivus Extravaganza going on TODAY. Grievances will be aired, feats of strength will be performed and Festivus Miracle Cones will be consumed...

The miracle cones consist of vanilla ice cream (dyed green) and topped with red sprinkles ($6) and all proceeds from the cone go to New York Cares. You get ice cream, NY Cares gets donations, it's a win/win. And if that's not enough, you can air your grievances, yes, all of them, via their webcam. It's your last chance to get your Big Gay Ice Cream fix in '11. What are you waiting for?

Big Gay Ice Cream Truck
125 East 7th Street
(1st Avenue & Avenue A)
New York NY 10009
212.533.9333
Winter Hours: Open Daily 2pm-11pm
Closed 12/24/11 through 1/1/12
http://biggayicecream.com

It's Almost Choice Eats Time Again!

2011-12-22T05:30:00.000-05:00

Choice Eats is our second most favorite event of the year (first being The Vendys, let's all be serious now) and we received word the other day that tickets will be going on sale in less than a month! What does this mean for you? Well, you need to make sure that you have fast interwebs ever because these tickets will sell out faster than all the hipster music concerts have been. (Sidenote: it is just me, or are concerts in NYC selling out lightening fast lately? Is there some Williamsburg-based ticket broker buying up EVERYTHING?! /rant) And when exactly should you be prepared to test your CAPTCHA skillz......

The 5th Annual Choice Eats is going to be held a few weeks earlier this year, on Tuesday, March 13th, again at the 69th Armory on Lexington Avenue between 25th and 26th Streets. Tickets will be $50 for general admission, $80 for VIP (I *highly* recommend VIP) and will go on sale on Wednesday, January 18th. Village Voice isn't spilling the beans just yet on which restaurants will be participating this time around, but rest assured you will be able to eat and drink to your heart's content. Need proof? Go through our archives of the last three Choice Eats', or click through to the Voice's slide shows! Of course, we'll try to keep you up to date with all the latest Choice Eats information as it becomes available!

Travels with Brownie: It's a Small (Cupcake) World After All

2011-12-21T05:43:00.002-05:00

Last week while wandering around Montreal with Lawman and Little B, I noticed a small cupcake shop on Rue St. Denis. Now the siren song of adorable cupcakes is mighty powerful, so I had to give it a closer look. Turns out the owner, Robert, had met our über-cupcake blogger pal, Nichelle. It truly is a small cupcake world after all...

Made with all natural ingredients--we're talking real butter and cream, the cupcakes at D Liche were light, moist and not terribly sweet (always a plus in my book). The minis were $1.50 each or 6 for $8, so of course we had to go for the six.

The carrot cupcake was awesome. Nicely spiced with little raisins.

The vanilla cupcake was mild and pleasant. Like a perfect party cake.

Even Lawman, who's generally a coconut avoider, loved this one. No fakey-fakey suntan lotion flavoring here. Yum.

The Red Velvet had a vanilla buttercream frosting instead of the traditional cream cheese. It was different than what I've come to expect in a Red Velvet, but a tasty gamble.

No need to adjust your monitor. This chocolate cupcake was made with 99%% cacao! Nom.

Two kinds of peanut butter + two kinds of chocolate = yes, please!

D Liche Cupcakes
3964A Rue St-Denis
Montreal, QC H2W 2M2
514-500-2505
http://www.dliche.ca

Brunching in Brooklyn Heights

2011-12-20T05:30:00.001-05:00

Remember how Brownie, Little B, and I ate waffles *after* brunch? Well, this is the brunch in question. Sorry for the slightly blurry photographs. Little B has learned things like how to eat my half of the shared doughnut, and when you're trying to fight off a 18-month-old you tend to say "Yea, whatever, shot's good. That's not your half of the doughnut, Little B." We had decided to meet that day for brunch at Colonie, a newer restaurant—it opened last February—on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn Heights.

We knew we had to try the homemade doughnuts, one of which was available in their basket of baked goods ($7), so that was to split. Besides the doughnut, it came with a lemon muffin and an almond chocolate brioche. The muffin was moist and tangy, the doughnut sugary fried goodness (yes, Little B did eat most of my half), but the chocolate brioche just didn't do it for me. It was dry and needed a good amount of butter and/or jam to make me happy. I could have easily skipped it.

For our main meals, I got the Biscuits Benedict while Brownie got their Mushroom Egg Toast. Both were simple done up a wee bit fancy. Perfectly poached eggs covered in rich hollandaise were soaked up nicely by dense biscuits. And that's not bacon in the middle, it's heritage ham. Brownie seemed to love her dish. The fried eggs and toast were covered in (I think) slightly sauteed shimeji mushrooms and a generous amount of parmesan. As for price, I'd say they were about in line with what you'd expect from a classier spot; my dish was $14 while hers was $12. I don't know if either of us will run back, but it's a definite spot to keep in mind for date nights.

Colonie NYC
127 Atlantic Avenue
Brooklyn Heights
(718) 855-7500
colonienyc.com

Travels with Brownie: Pastries at Olive & Gourmando in Montreal

2011-12-19T05:50:00.000-05:00

Just got back from a quickie vacation in Montreal with Lawman & Little B and I'm still stuffed. Man, oh man, those Québécois are serious about food. And there are few spots as charming as Old Montreal's Olive & Gourmando to settle in for a nice cuppa and a breakfast pastry. Like their fab chocolate brioche...

When I went to order my pastries I'll admit that the Chocolatines (aka pain au chocolates aka chocolate croissants) immediately caught my eye. But then I spotted the enormous chocolate brioches ($3.95) and remembering my experience with Colson Patisserie in Park Slope where their chocolate brioches were described as "like the pain au chocolat but more flavorful". A quick tête-à-tête with the lady at the counter confirmed that for maximum tastiness it was, indeed, a chocolate brioche that I was after.

This was unlike any chocolate brioche I've had before. It was wound up like a cinnamon roll, but instead of a dusting of cinnamon, each of the inner spirals was full of little bits of Valrhona chocolate. Sheer heaven.

Also, worth a try are the apple turnovers with cinnamon sugar. The pastry is so light, so buttery, so flakey and the filling so melt-in-your mouth tender, that these are near impossible to share. Just build some extra walking into your trip so you can enjoy both without hesitation.

Olive & Gourmando
351 Rue Saint Paul Ouest Montreal, QC, Canada
(514) 350-1083
http://oliveetgourmando.com/

Van Leeuwen's Serving Up Fresh Waffles!

2011-12-16T05:30:00.000-05:00

Brownie, a sleeping Little B, and I found ourselves heading into Van Leeuwen's Cobble Hill shop this past weekend with the specific goal of eating waffles. Mind you, we just had brunch. That's how we roll, folks! We had known that this and their East Village shop had begun waffle service, but I had been staging a one-woman, pro-Greenpoint boycott. But once I saw the day's special, I broke. Mmmm, caramel.....

The waffles are made fresh-to-order which always makes me a happy camper. They come out with fluffy insides, and are done enough outside that there's no topping-related sogginess. Though they are a bit pricey at $8.50 a pop, this amount of waffle, banana, and caramel—and if there wasn't a nut allergy at the table, walnuts—are sure to please. The bananas were perfectly ripe (yes, I judge banana-ripeness) and the caramel was absolutely divine: great color, great texture, sweet without being cloying. I don't know if they make it in-house, but it's totally worth the splurge. I'm hoping that this means I can get a Van Leeuwen Ice Cream waffle sandwich with toppings! Crazy talk!

Van Leeuwen Ice Cream
81 Bergen St
Boerum Hill
(347) 763-2979
www.vanleeuwenicecream.com

And We're Writing a Book!

2011-12-15T05:30:00.000-05:00

Mid Christmas Blizzard '10, Blondie texts Brownie: "I want street meat tacos. Oh, lightbulb! Street Meat Cookbook!"
Brownie texts back: "That is awesome. We're doing it!"

And an idea was born. For the past year (basically) we've been working on a book proposal chronicling New York City's current street food scene. It's hard to imagine, but there's no book just about NYC's street food, and there's definitely no book about the vendors complete with recipes. We want to change that. Of course, we've been tight-lipped about what we've been up to (a few VIPs knew like Zach from Midtown Lunch, the Street Vendor Project, and of course the vendors we've contacted), but yesterday the news broke on none other than Eater NY. To celebrate, I had the Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunchcrete at the Upper East Side Shake Shack.

We hope to have a book telling the vendors stories, has delicious recipes that anyone can make, opens the eyes of some non-street meat eaters, gives tourists new guides and maps, includes a few celebrities, and just an all-around super awesome book that everyone and their mother will want. We've already got some pretty big name trucks and carts already on board, so it looks promising! Of course, more information is to come. And we're not the only ones getting into the book game lately, our friends over at Four & Twenty Blackbirds and Nachos NY *both* got book deals too! It's all so exciting!

Also, that Crunchcrete was fabulous. Nice crunch toffee chunks, chocolate sprinkles that add nothing but childhood joy, and sticky peanut butter topping--can't beat it! I'm a sucker for anything chocolate and peanut butter, and this just might be my most favorite concrete. Of course, there wasn't enough add-ins for me--there never are--but enough that I had pieces until through about 3/4 of the cup.

Cook Like a Rock Star, with Bacon

2011-12-14T05:30:00.000-05:00

Remember how Frigidaire was in Times Square on Thanksgiving Eve and I got to meet Chef Anne Burrell and eat turkey?! Well I do. As I was leaving the event, I was handed a bag that contained none other than her latest cookbook, "Cook Like a Rock Star". And this, our dear readers that we love so much, can be yours! And it's signed too! Happy holidays! Here's how to win it:

Leave us a comment here for entry #1. For entry #2, click on over to our Facebook and leave a comment on this post's link (it should be up sometime before 10:30am today if my morning goes well). While you're at it, like us too! On Monday morning, the 19th, I will pick a winner at random! It's that easy, so check back here to see if you've won, or leave us your email in the comment and I'll email you to let you know. You probably won't have this in time for being under the tree, though if that's what you really want, we could try to make it happen. So get to commenting, people!

It's Holiday Baking Time

2011-12-13T05:50:00.000-05:00

Lately I've been going through more than the usual amount of unsalted butter. Now this is speaking as a woman who gets her butter in Costco sized quantities, so it can only mean that it's holiday baking season...

If you have a hankering for mint and chocolate, this Peppermint Crack recipe I whipped up for my American Classics column over at Serious Sweets, is easy and addictive. If you're craving a darker chocolate fix, these Mint Sticks are intensely fudgy and oh, so satisfying. Both will be getting reprises before the holidays are through.

What's on your must-bake list this holiday season?

Unlimited Tacos at Tacombi

2011-12-12T05:30:00.000-05:00

Talking about tacos caused quite the stir with my friends. Almost each one had their favorites, and a few asked why theirs didn't make my top 5 list?! Well, I haven't eaten EVERY taco in New York is the simple answer. At least one friend decided to use this as an opportunity to hang out and eat his favorite tacos. Being the super sweetheart that he is, he surprised me with two hours of unlimited tacos at Tacombi at Fonda Nolita. We tried to eat our weight in tacos.

I had heard of Tacombi before, I just didn't realize where it was or I would have stopped by sooner. For my first round of tacos, I went with all their fish options, while he went with al pastor (marinated pork) and picadillo (ground sirloin). I have to say, their fried fish taco is definitely one of the best in the city. The beer battered fish is balanced with cabbage slaw, and is the perfect size for a two-taco meal. Any bigger and it would be a gut-bomb. Any smaller and you'd feel gypped. Their other two fish tacos have seared fish as a base, and both are equally delicious. I was especially drawn to the pescado a la plancha con piña with involved a grilled pineapple salsa. This'll be good when I'm in the mood for tacos, but on the diet (you all know the post-holiday diet is coming!)

My other favorite went to the breakfast taco, sorry for the blur. I'm not doing unlimited tacos without getting my chorizo, avocado, potato, and egg on! And dear God, this is a hangover dream. A good amount of spicy chorizo and topped with creamy, ripe avocados are what I wish I ate every morning. Since I can't eat this nearly as often as I'd like, and probably neither can you, I'll leave you with Hilah Cooking's video on how to make your own. Just top that sucker off with avocado and you won't even need to take a shower to have some chorizo breakfast taco deliciousness.

For those of you wondering how much it costs to have two hours of unlimited tacos with a six pack, it was $50. Halfway through, they turned the lights down low and the Christmas-y overhead lights came on all romantic-like for those of you looking to make the moves on a lady, or want to feel like you're at a beach-side taco joint.

Tacombi at Fonda Nolita
267 Elizabeth St
(917) 727-0129
www.tacombi.com

Cafe Steinhof Still Makes a Rockin' Brunch

2011-12-09T06:23:00.000-05:00

I love brunch. I really do. But brunch is serious business. Long lines. Long waits. Big bills. If you're watching your wallet brunch can easily blow your budget. Fortunately Park Slope standby Cafe Steinhof has an excellent (and ample!) brunch menu with plenty of under $10 options...

It's been awhile since we've checked in at Cafe Steinhof for brunch, but a recent visit has confirmed that their brunch is still an excellent deal. The smoked pork loin with two eggs, roasted potatoes and salad was a steal for $9. As much as I love brunch, I'm usually starving a few hours later and long before dinner. Not so here with the smoked pork loin platter, there's plenty here to keep you going. The slightly crispy, pleasantly salty roasted potatoes are a must, and if pork loin isn't you're thing, the spicy debrecina sausage is worth a looksee.

Cafe Steinhof
422 7th Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11215
(718) 369-7776
http://www.cafesteinhof.com

Craftacular is Crafty, and Just My Type

2011-12-08T05:30:00.001-05:00

During Madison Square Eats, I became aware of another holiday market, Bust Magazine's Craftacular, and guess what's going on this weekend. If any of you are like me and haven't even begun your holiday gift shopping yet, you might want to stop by to check this out and eat some mighty delicious food. You can even eat some cupcake partially made by my fabulous self via the Robicelli's booth.

The Craftacular opens at 11am both mornings, and the first 300 get free goodie bags. While you're checking out eco-friendly posters and postcards among other unique gifts, there will be a DJ spinning tunes, raffle prizes, and book signings. As for food, I know that besides Robicelli's cupcakes, Kors d'Oeuvres, Liddabit, Macaron Parlour, and Red Hook Lobster Pound's truck will be there *PLUS* a beer garden. Gift shopping + beer garden + maybe a free goodie bag if you're not hungover or brunching = awesomeness. This is all going down at 82 Mercer Street, from 11am to 8pm Saturday and until 7pm Sunday. It is $3 to get in, fyi.

A Farm Grows in Bushwick

2011-12-07T05:53:00.000-05:00

There are many great projects on Kickstarter, but the Bushwick Campus Greenhouse is particularly awesome. The goal of the recently-founded Bushwick Campus Farm is to help students connect the dots between the food system, economics, health, the environment, social justice, and sustainable agricultural practices. They've already broken ground on the greenhouse which will be a hands on teaching space and they need funds to help complete the project...

So far they have just over $3,000 of their $15,000 goal. The way that Kickstarter works is all or nothing--if they don't receive pledges for the full amount of funding they won't get anything. $15,0000 will allow them to complete the project and additional funds raised beyond their goal will go towards developing their summer Food Justice Program at Bushwick Campus Farm and Bushwick Farmers’ Market and allow them to pay the students for their work. If you're looking for a gift for someone who has everything and doesn't need another tschotske, perhaps you might consider making a donation in their honor.

Eating Everything at Dominique Ansel Bakery

2011-12-06T05:45:00.000-05:00

Well, not everything, but near enough! A couple of Saturdays back, I met up with a few friends including Niko from DessertBuzz, and we ate a crazy spread of food in the quaint backyard of Dominique Ansel Bakery. We were spurred on by promises of Black & White Eclairs and Dominique's Kouign Amann, and ended up going a little overboard. Luckily for us, Chef Ansel had a few moments to chat with us too, and threw in a few extras like the packages of Mini-Mes! Here's what you need to go try now!

The DKA, Dominique's Kouign Amann is a win and a half. It's made from their croissant dough with an ample of sugar on the outside that caramelizes into a fabulous crunchy layer. Some people are calling this the next big thing, and I'd have to agree.

As a life-long fan of black and white cookies, trying the black and white eclair was basically my reason to wake up that morning (also because I love meeting up with friends). The filling inside is split between vanilla and chocolate. It's delicious, and since they're only making 30 a day, a must for those of us who love limited editions.

Another fantastic reason to stop by: the Cannelé de Bordeaux. It's double caramelized causing the dark and incredibly hard outer shell--don't try to cut it, it *will* break plastic utensils. Inside is the softest, crumbly center I've ever seen, an absolutely perfect complement to the exterior. This was so wonderful that Niko got a second one on the way out! It's definitely the sleeper hit, and I expect it to be on at least one "Best of" list coming out soon.

This wasn't all we ate, for picture of more, click here.

Dominique Ansel Bakery
189 Spring Street
(212) 219-2773
dominiqueansel.com

Lounging and Lunching at Spa Castle

2011-12-05T06:17:00.002-05:00

For ladies of leisure on a budget, Spa Castle in College Point, Queens is like the Disneyland of spas. For just $35 during the week ($45 on the weekends) you get unlimited access to their heated pools and seven themed saunas. You can stay a little while or make a whole day of it--they're open from 6am until midnight! This past weekend was the second annual Spa Castle jaunt for me and the Doc, my bestie since childhood. And no trip to Spa Castle is complete without some Korean food for lunch...

The "Sky Restaurant" on the 3rd floor at Spa Castle has a limited but decent menu of traditional Korean dishes for lunch and dinner. The Spicy Pork Lettuce wraps will run you $17, but it comes with a small soup (seemed to be beef broth with tofu and veggies), white or brown rice, banchan, and a hefty plate of daeji bulgogi aka spicy pork. The pork had just a bit of heat and was moist, tender and super flavorful.

We thought we'd split the pork wraps and the $12 spicy pork and kimchi soup (kimchi jjigae) and ended up with way more food than we bargained for. The kimchi jiigae was spicy and substantially filling. They didn't skimp on kimchi, so true kimchi fans will be most pleased. Next time we'll probably go for just the lettuce wraps shared between the two of us to leave more room for the shaved ice ($12) which came topped with pinapple, kiwi, orange, strawberry, mango, mochi and red bean. A very pleasant and refreshing way to end an intensely relaxing day.

Spa Castle
131-10 11th Avenue
College Point
(718) 939-6300
nyspacastle.com

Two Events That Should be on Your Calendar

2011-12-02T05:07:00.000-05:00

One of the many blogs that inspired us to start Blondie & Brownie, ~~the blog to end all blogs~~ our little love child, was Cupcakes Take the Cake. It's hard to believe that CCTTC is turning 7! To celebrate they're having a party Monday night, and you should all go. It's $10, and there will be raffles and prizes and cupcakes, and it's going to be awesome. Buy your tickets here! But that's not the only sweet sensation going on this month. The other one involves cookies, lots of cookies. Nom nom.

Sunday, December 18th, the Bell House is going to be transformed into a cookie wonderland with 30 different contestants vying for your cookie love. It'll be $15 to get in, eat until you swear off cookies forever, and enjoy an hour of free Bulleit Bourbon eggnog. What's not to love about this afternoon? By the by, if you don't know about Bulleit Bourbon, you need to backtrack and click that link. Click here to buy tickets for the cookies.

Catch Us Tonight on Eat St!

2011-12-01T05:08:00.003-05:00

This past summer we were interviewed Eat St. about our love of all things Treats Truck (remember our "Taking on the Treats Truck one treat at a time" series?). And for you lucky duckies with cable the episode is re-airing tonight on the Cooking Channel at 10pm EST. In honor of the show, here are a few of our very favorite Treats Truck treats...

I can't help but be rather partial to the Peanut Butter Jamwich, cause it was my entry in the Treats Truck's name-a-treat contest. While top honors went to "The Nutty Co-Worker" a cookie loaded with almonds, cashews, and hazelnuts, the peanut butter jamwich has had staying power and been part of the regular rotation since 2008. The peanut butter jamwich consists of two peanut butter cookies sandwiching a thin shmear of both creamy peanut butter and of raspberry jam. Nom nom.

If you love carrot cake the Treats Truck version is a MUST. Perfectly moist. Perfectly spiced. Just the right amount of sweetness in the frosting. You've be hard pressed to find a tastier carrot cake in the city.

ZOMG. Nostalgia alert! Did your mom ever make you conecakes for a special bring-to-school birthday treat? 'Cause my mom did. Yeah, she's that awesome. These cupcakes are the perfect handheld treats for the kid within.

Last, but certainly not least, how could we forget the epicness that is the Treats Truck nachos. CHOVEMBER may have drawn to a close, but Treats Truck nachos live on. These chocolate and caramel creme cookie “chips” topped with brownies, crispy treat pieces, drizzled with chocolate sauce and bedecked in whipped cream and sprinkles! Let's just call it like it is...full on win.

Don't forget The Treats Truck Baking Book by Kim Ima is on sale now, wherever books are sold. Makes for a sweet holiday gift for your favorite baker.

GLAD's Holiday Cookie Exchange!

2011-11-30T05:14:00.001-05:00

A few weeks ago, I was chosen by Foodbuzz to host a GLAD Holiday Cookie Exchange! Through November and December, GLAD has been holding a virtual cookie exchange on their Facebook page as part of their Glad to Give campaign. For every cookie exchanged, they're donating 10¢ to Cookies for Kids' Cancer. So click on over there and raise money for the children! To help us spread the word about the campaign, Brownie and I hosted our own cookie exchange with a little help from GLAD and Foodbuzz.

For our exchange, we didn't want to get too seasonal. Everyone's going to be eating gingerbread men and snowflakes for the next month, so we went a little wackier route with two Momofuku Milk Barnge, then keep track of the cookies exchanged! inspired cookies, plus a few simple others. The first Momofuku cookie was the Cornflake-Chocolate Chip. Caramelized cornflakes, chocolate chips, and gooey marshmallows make this one perfect cookie. The best recipe out there can be found on Momofukufor2.com.

The other one I brought was the imitation compost cookie. This was a *huge* hit last year and I plan on giving out more than a few this year. The recipe was made public on Live with Regis and Kelly a few years back, and I still use it (via Amateur Gourmet) despite the official cookbook coming out earlier this year. One of my favorite at the exchange ended up bring drool-worthy Snickerdoodles. One of the best recipes I know of for these is found in the classic "Joy of Cooking".

One of Brownie's friends also dropped off some moist Pumpkin Spice and Apple Oatmeal cookies. These ones help offset the sweetness from the others, and made us feel a little bit healthier about sitting around and eating cookies all afternoon. Anyone can hold a bake sale or cookie exchange to help raise money for the charity. Simply go to GLAD's Facebook app, and register your excha

*Full disclosure: I was sent a huge box of goodies from GLAD including containers, snowflake cookie cutters, a Williams-Sonoma cookie sheet, an OXO cookie flip and 5-quart mixing bowl, and I am receiving a stipend from Foodbuzz to cover the cost of ingredients. This exchange and post were done as part of Foodbuzz and GLAD's Tastemaker program.*

Le Paddock Brings Under $10 Brunch to Windsor Terrace

2011-11-29T05:29:00.001-05:00

Sigh. Thanksgiving is over. It's full throttle holiday season from here on out. Maybe you hit up Black Friday or Cyber Monday or maybe you're a wait-'til-the-last-minute shopper. If you want to save your coin for ye olde holiday gift budget, Le Paddock's under $10 brunch menu is well worth a look-see...

As a rule I typically don't brunch in the Slope much anymore. The places get crowded. Brunch is expensive. And waiting to eat when you have a hungry toddler in tow isn't awesome for us or the people around us. For quality sub $10 brunches we typically head in the direction of Ditmas Park. Mimi's Hummus and the Farm on Adderly are favorites. And recently we discovered the wonders of Brancaccio's in Kensington.

Le Paddock on Prospect Ave and Reeve in Windsor Terrace combines a charming French bistro with down to earth prices. Here's le menu...

EGGS BENEDICT: poached eggs with Canadian bacon, hollandaise, roasted sweet potatoes 8.95

EGGS FLORENTINE: poached eggs with spinach, hollandaise, roasted sweet potatoes 8.95

EGGS NORWEGIAN: poached eggs with smoked salmon, hollandaise, roasted sweet potatoes 8.95

BAKED EGGS: two eggs baked in cast iron pan with feta, ratatouille and herbs 8.95

FRENCH TOAST with Fresh Fruit and maple syrup 8.95

EGGS ANY STYLE with bacon, roasted sweet potatoes and toasts 8.95

PANCAKES with Fresh Fruit and maple syrup 8.95

OMELETTE OF THE DAY 8.95

You can upgrade any of the above with American coffee, fresh squeezed orange juice, Sake Mary or Mimosa for 12.95. They also have a few a la carte brunch options like, including a Croque-Madame (aka an open faced sandwich with ham, gruyere, bechamel, fried egg) for 9.95.

We were pleased with our trip to Le Paddock for dinner and brunch didn't disappoint. It's hard to beat a good Croque-Madame. How could you go wrong with melty cheese, salty ham, topped with a perfectly fried egg. Open faced sandwich bliss.

I'm looking forward to making a return trip to try more of the brunch menu.

Le Paddock
1235 Prospect Avenue at the corner of Reeve Place
Brooklyn, NY 11218
lepaddockbrooklyn.com

Frigidaire was in Times Square

2011-11-28T05:07:00.000-05:00

Last Wednesday, Frigidaire set up a tent in a very rainy Times Square to launch their "Double or Nothing Holiday Challenge." Dun dun. Chefs Anne Burrell and Geoffrey Zakarian had to prepare holiday feasts using only Frigidaire's Symmetry Double Ovens (which I desperately want if anyone out there's listening) while Claire Robinson had hosting duties. Of course, this was broadcast live over the internet on Facebook and on a few of the massive screens around Times Square. But it's all to raise money! And you can help!

Through this week, you can vote for which chef had a better menu on Frigidaire's Facebook page, and for every vote, Frigidaire's going to donate $1 to Save the Children. So go like their Facebook, watch the video taken on Wednesday, and vote as many times as you'd like! And enter for a chance to win one of these *awesome* ovens. Seriously, look at that thing! It can hold two turkeys! It has convection! It's smudge-proof stainless steel! I love it.

Full of Pie? Cookie Monster Isn't...

2011-11-25T06:17:00.000-05:00

Oh, Cookie, you so crazy! Seriously, is it just me or did Cookie Monster used to be even more ridiculous...

Was it just me or did this persnickety librarian annoy you, too as a kid? Me would like glass of milk, too.

Hope you're rewarding your post-Black Friday or pre-Cyber Monday efforts with a nice big cookie!

Gobble, Gobble

2011-11-24T09:34:00.001-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Thank you for stopping by and reading our foodie nonsense! We love you all, even you gogglebot.com! Now go eat some turkey!

Save Some Mashed Potatoes!

2011-11-23T06:44:00.001-05:00

Mashed potatoes. Simple and comforting, they're definitely a favored Thanksgiving side dish in my family. But this year I'm going to be skipping seconds and hoarding my 'tato leftovers. Why? Because mashed potatoes make for mean doughnuts...

Made with mashed potatoes in place of a portion of the flour, potato doughnuts are surprisingly light and fluffy. Inspired by my dog-eared 1967 copy of the All-Maine Cooking by Ruth Wiggin and Loana Shibles, I developed a recipe for Potato Doughnuts for a recent installment of my American Classics column for Serious Sweets. I'd always been a bit intimidated by frying. So much oil! So much potential for spattering/bodily injury! Yet, I found doughnut making to be remarkably easy and actually kind of relaxing. There's something very satisfying about watching dough turn perfectly golden. And there's something even more satisfying about eating fresh doughnuts.

With a dusting of sugar and a hint of spice, these doughnuts lack the heaviness that often accompanies cake doughnuts. And no one will ever guess that spuds lie within. If you're getting up early for Black Friday, all the more reason to start your day right with a satisfying breakfast.

Chicharron Salad in the Middle of the Night

2011-11-22T05:25:00.000-05:00

Oh, it's possible. Chicharrons in salad. Chicharrons are Latin American fried pork rinds, and I can think of no better place to put them. Neither can Coppelia, the new Cuban diner open on 14th Street. Recently a few friends and I found ourselves STARVING after an event, and Coppelia saved our lives with something delicious to eat.

I had already heard that their nachos are supremely awesome, and was fully prepared to get those when we sat down. But then I saw the salad: the chicharrons, avocado, blue cheese, peppers, and, one of my latest favorite salad toppings, a fried egg. Delicious and decadent without stuffing myself to the gills late at night. Had I been under the influence, I might have gone heavier, but this was just perfect. I'll be stopping back soon!

Coppelia
207 West 14th St
(212) 858-5001
coppelianyc.com

T-Minus Three Days 'Til T-Day, Do You Know What Kind of Pie You're Making?

2011-11-21T06:01:00.001-05:00

Thanksgiving. It's this week. Yeah, I know, the crazy weather has thrown me off, too. But it's game time. Sure turkey may be the "star of the show," but you and I know it's not about the bird. It's about the pie. And while you could go the regular old pumpkin and apple route, why not mix it up? Here are some off beat pies that will be welcome additions to your Thanksgiving table...

Let's start with Pear Gruyère Pie. This is my signature pie. I created the recipe as a tribute to the brilliant and dearly departed tv show Pushing Daisies. The gruyère and butter crust is a surprisingly perfect complement to the spicy, sweet, boozy poached pear filling. Make a double batch of crust and use the extra for an awesome leftover turkey pot pie.

Next up Chili Chocolate Pumpkin Doughnut Pie. I created this for Jackie Gordon and Ken Leung'spie potluck at Rodeo Bar last month. This may very well be my new signature pie. Start with chocolate graham cracker crust. Add homemade chili chocolate pudding (way easier to make than you might think). Top with homemade pumpkin doughnuts (how good would these be for Thanksgiving breakfast? Soooo good. That's how good.)

Looking for an apple-ish pie without having to peel, core and slice apples? Try these two recipes I recently cooked up for my American Classics recipe column for Serious Sweets...

The first pic above is the famous (infamous?) RITZ Mock Apple Pie, that you may remember from off the back of the RITZ cracker box. Warning, this pie contains no apples. But it tastes like it does. No, really. Due to the presence of vanilla, lemon and cinnamon, the filling tastes remarkably similar to a tender apple pie.

If you're not up faking out your guests, but still want an easy pie in the apple realm, try this Cider Custard Pie. Slightly sweet, with a puckery finish, this creamy pie takes your standard custard to the next level.

Got some kid helpers coming over for Thanksgiving? Cakespy's Magic Cookie Bar Pie is quick, easy and fun to make.

Not into making your own pie? You could try to get one of the limited pies that Four & Twenty Blackbirds will have available on Wednesday the 23rd and Thursday the 24th. They'll have Brown Butter Pumpkin, Salted Caramel Apple, Bittersweet Chocolate Pecan, and Salty Honey. Just be sure to set your alarm for EARLY. Blondie braved the lines last year and they completely sold out. The early bird gets the pie.

What are you planning on making for Thanksgiving?

Kansas City 'cue in N-Y-C?

2011-11-18T04:51:00.000-05:00

All those trips to Kansas did yield one good thing, I was spoiled with Kansas City barbecue. If my last trip had taken a few different turns, I would have more to say on the matter—I was secretly planning a little KC BBQ tour for myself. Before I went, a few friends had told me about a new place in LIC, John Brown Smokehouse, that was supposedly serving up Kansas City-style 'cue. Since I thought I had access to the real thing, I wasn't all that interested. And then I didn't really want anything Kansas-related for a few months. Then I began missing ~~my ex-boyfriend~~ delicious Kansas City burnt ends! Yup, pretty much that and Iwig Dairy ice cream! Onto the 'cue!

When I went they were already out of burnt ends for the day (fail), so I went with the sweet rib tips. People, this sandwich fell apart in more ways than one. I should have gotten the platter or asked for it on a roll. It was good, but I wasn't overwhelmingly impressed. Neither was a big fan of the mac 'n' cheese. I like mine more cheesy, a little more melty. A friend says this is how her Jamaican relatives make it, and maybe this is Kansas City-style too. I was always focusing on the fries and meat to pay attention to other sides. I will try John Brown's again specifically for the burnt ends because I now have a hankering for them. Or expect an impromptu secret KC jaunt.

John Brown Smokehouse
25-08 37th Avenue
Long Island City/Lower Astoria
(718) 361-0085
www.johnbrownsmokehouse.org

Let's Hear it for Jiffy Mix!

2011-11-17T05:23:00.000-05:00

Whenever I see the old-fashioned 30s era Jiffy Mix box, I get a little twinge of nostalgia. You see, Mama Brownie, loves Jiffy Baking Mix. Loves it. You might even call her the Jiffy Mix Queen...

The Banana Bread recipe and the Dumpling recipe on the back of the box are two of my Mom’s favorites. Mama Brownie makes a mean chicken and dumplings. I’ve seen her do this with one of those leftover grocery store rotisserie chicken. Here's how you do it...

Procedure:
Place in a large soup pot the following -
One Chicken carcass
2 stalks of chopped celery
2 smashed cloves of garlic
1 chopped carrot
1 medium onion - chopped of course
4 cups of water
2 cups store bought chicken broth
Salt and white pepper to taste (if you want it like Mama Brownie’s--lots of white pepper)
Place the pot on medium heat. Cook until the chicken falls apart.
Turn off the soup. Take out the chicken and all the bones and place in a bowl. Set the soup in the pot aside. When the chicken is cool enough to touch, take all of the meat off of the bones.
Transfer the chicken meat back into the pot with the soup.
Make the Jiffy dumplings (recipe on back of the box)
Turn the heat up under the soup pot till it is gently bubbling.
Drop the dumplings in by the spoonful. Reduce the heat to a simmer.
Put on the soup pot lid. DO NOT LIFT THE LID till the 12-15 minutes have passed.
Serve immediately.

Mama Brownie’s Chicken and Dumplings tastes like a chicken pot pie filling gone to heaven or as Lil’ B always says: "Yum!"

Lobster Rolls in Greenpoint

2011-11-16T05:15:00.000-05:00

Lobster Joint has been open for a while now in Greenpoint, but since it's on the other side of the neighborhood and they didn't offer delivery until recently, it was only recently that I got to stop by and try their rolls. For this roll with fries, it's $17, a steep splurge lunch for me. But it was soo worth it. Also delicious there, fish and chips.

I'm not sure how Brownie would find Lobster Joint's lobster roll. It wasn't saturated with mayo (plus) and on a buttered bread bun (another plus), but included celery (Connecticut style minus?). I like the crunch of the celery, and sweet succulent claw meat. I could see myself craving this at the most inopportune times like when I don't have $20 to drop on lunch. My lunch date got the fish and chips platter which for $14 is quite the deal. Two *large* pieces of beer-battered fresh fish topping their outrageously crisp and awesome fries. Next time I stop by, it's going to be hard to choose between the two. Guess I better get used to walking all the way down Manhattan Ave to satisfy my cravings.

Lobster Joint
1073 Manhattan Avenue
Greenpoint
(718) 389-8990
lobsterjoint.com

It's Hard to Get More Chocolatey than Brancaccio's Pain Au Chocolat

2011-11-15T05:28:00.000-05:00

My love for pain au chocolat is deep and abiding. Almondine in Park Slope makes a terrific pain au chocolat (one that’s best paired with their popular raspberry filled beignets) and Colson Patisserie just down the block makes an excellent brioche Suisse, which in their words is “like a pain au chocolat but better.” Turns out that Brancaccio’s in Kensington not only has a super Thanksgiving dinner deal, but last weekend I discovered that they also make a mean pain au chocolat...

Buttery and flakey, the photo above is no illusion, the middle is absolutely stuffed with chocolate. There’s nothing more disappointing than biting into a pain au chocolat anticipating chocolate-y bliss and discovering a pathetic, hard little lump of chocolate. With the housemade pain au chocolat at Brancaccio’s that’s not a concern--no bite will lack for chocolate and that’s a-okay in my book.

The pain au chocolat are baked throughout the day in small batches, but your best bet is to go early.

Brancaccio's Foodshop
3011 Fort Hamilton Parkway
(Between East 2nd and 3rd Street)
Brooklyn, New York 11218
Email: info[at]brancacciosfoodshop.com
brancacciosfoodshop.com

Cheap Fish Tacos on the Lower East Side

2011-11-14T05:00:00.000-05:00

God, I love fish tacos. Especially when the fish is fried. The fish has to be fried. Grilled fish tacos are trying to hard to be healthy. Fry those babies! A few weeks back, I came across Taqueria LES, on Orchard just downtown from Houston. Though it's an offshoot of a Jersey City spot, you'd think the owners were from LA with the crazy amount of 80s/90s Southern California decor. They were also playing "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" when I stopped by, and that wins you instant points.

The tacos there are all $3 and under, and I hear that the rest of the menu is stellar too. I focused on stopping by to try the fish. Though not the crazy size of Rockaway Taco, for $3 it was pretty awesome. Freshly fried with not too much breading, it's a compact, delicious little taco. Enough for a snack and small enough to mix and match for a meal, I'm surprised that more people haven't been singing their praises--it might just be one of the best fish tacos in the city.

Taqueria LES
198 Orchard Street
(212) 677-3910

Totally Tempted to Let Brancaccio's Do Thanksgiving for Me

2011-11-11T05:26:00.001-05:00

I love Thanksgiving. I do. I love the food. I love spending time with family. I love the satisfaction of a delicious homemade meal. But dang. It's a lot of work. Lawman and I actually use a whiteboard to coordinate all the dishes and timing to make sure that everything hits the table when it should. That's why I've been very, VERY tempted to reserve a complete Thanksgiving dinner (for six!) for only $150 from Brancaccio's Food Shop...

Here's the menu...
10-13 lb Turkey with Aromatics
1 lb Focaccia Bread Stuffing
1 lb Cornbread Sausage Stuffing
1 quart Turkey Gravy
1 pint Cranberry Sauce
2 lbs String Beans
2 lbs Maple Glazed Baked Apple and Sweet Potato
2 quarts Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
2 lbs Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
1 dozen Caputo Bakery Dinner Rolls
Apple or Pumpkin Pie

Wow. I'm getting hungry reading from typing that list. I think I would miss cooking, but...still that's a super good deal for the amount of food. And everything I've eaten from Brancaccio's has been delicious. Very tempted. Very. According to their site all orders need to be placed by November 18 for November 23 pick up.

Brancaccio's Foodshop
3011 Fort Hamilton Parkway
(Between East 2nd and 3rd Street)
Brooklyn, New York 11218
Email: info[at]brancacciosfoodshop.com
brancacciosfoodshop.com

You Should Have Ordered!

2011-11-10T05:29:00.000-05:00

Minutes before I was supposed to be at Salsa Slam, I made an impromptu stop at Four & Twenty. I couldn't help myself. But the stop did let me know that they are officially booked for their Thanksgiving orders. Yes, you can no longer order your Thanksgiving pie from Four & Twenty, but there will be a few pies available the Wednesday the 23rd and Thursday the 24th. The pies available will be:

Brown Butter Pumpkin, Salted Caramel Apple, Bittersweet Chocolate Pecan, and Salty Honey. If last year's lines are any indication of what will go down this year, I recommend you getting to the store in the early morning hours because they *will* sell out.

Four & Twenty Blackbirds
439 Third Avenue at 8th Street
Gowanus
(718) 499-2917
birdsblack.com

Goodbye My Lover, Goodbye My Friend

2011-11-09T06:20:00.001-05:00

I remember the day we met like it was yesterday. Standing on line at Rock Center’s now long gone Citarella, I was about to order my usual toasted whole wheat bagel with lox cream cheese when I spotted you all decked out in Valrhona. You were all I had ever dreamed of in a doughnut. Over the years we’ve shared some special times--summer picnics, holidays, but now I fear our love has grown stale and I need to let you know that I’ve met someone new...
I’ve struggled with this for some time, I didn’t walk into Dough expecting to fall in love, but I’ve been swept away. Dough is just, well, more exciting. Their lemon--it’s lemon-ier. Their chocolate is not just dipped in chocolate, it’s positively slathered in it. Slathered. And if we’re talking cheap date, let’s just say that my dollar goes a good bit further with Dough. As much as this pains me to admit it, I know now that you’re no longer number one in my heart.

I’m sorry it’s come to this, but I suspect you’ve known this was coming for a while and I wanted to clear the air. I don’t want it to be awkward when we run into each other in Dean & Deluca or on the Lower East Side. Maybe with time we can be...friends...

Thanks for the memories, Doughnut Plant.

xo,

Brownie

Salsa Slamming

2011-11-08T05:35:00.000-05:00

This past Sunday, I had the fortune to attend NachosNY's Second Annual Salsa Slam. There were an ample amount of chips, salsa, and beer (and football if you went into the main room of The Bell House) so everyone got to eat to their heart's content. I found that most people went traditional, and quite a few were heavy-handed with the heat. Thank God for the extra chips after the especially hot ones. And bonus points when two of my favorites won prizes!

My boss, Matt Robicelli, entered with "Bieber Fever" a red plum and pineapple salsa. It was very cooling and still had a little kick from the ghost chilies. It was pretty awesome for a non-traditional salsa, and I'm not saying that because he pays my bills. It ended up winning "The Greatest Stretch."

#2: Roasted Tomatillo and Chipotle was another favorite of mine. I love the smoky taste from roasted tomatillos, so I knew I would love this salsa. It wasn't overwhelmingly hot which is also a good thing in my mind (and my stomach agrees), and had a little bit of savory-sweet to it. I did wish that my cup held more salsa!

For more on the winners, head on over to NachosNY.

Cranberry English Muffins, Where Have You Been All My Life?!

2011-11-07T06:14:00.000-05:00

In the interest of full disclosure, I do not like English muffins. There's something about the tangy, slightly sour aftertaste that I just find rather unpleasant. And don't tell me I'm the only one that was traumatized by those saccharine Thomas' commercials from the 90s with the terrible child actors. Let's put it this way, if English muffins are on offer for breakfast, I'll take a pass. But Lawman likes his English muffins and in recent months, I've begun to warm to the fiber-licious, light multi-grain Thomas' English Muffins. When I stumbled upon limited edition Thomas' Cranberry English muffins, I was torn, would my love for seasonal products/good marketing outweigh my aversion to English muffins?

I'm not even joking when I say that I had to do a couple laps around the grocery store before I decided to put them in my cart. I told Blondie how excited I was to try the cranberry muffins and the first words out of her mouth were "well, you're going to put something more interesting than butter on them, right?" Ummm. Errr. Butter was exactly what I was thinking of. "How about cream cheese?" I offered. She did not look impressed. "Peanut butter?" Not moving the dial at all. I took this problem to the fridge, where I encountered a tub of Gorgonzola spread that I recently purchased from East Village Cheese. Fruit and cheese go together, right? Sold!

I did one half butter (sorry, I'm boring) and one half Gorgonzola. The muffins are studded with cranberries...not just a couple cranberries but lots of them. Sweet, but not too sweet, they work well with both butter and the sharpness of the Gorgonzola cheese. I'm down to my last muffin so I went back to the store to try to restock and they were GONE. GONE! If you have spotted these muffins give a shout out in the comments (and if you have any suggestions for more exciting toppings feel free to share that, too!)

Pierogi and Blintzes in Greenpoint

2011-11-04T05:33:00.000-04:00

Many people think I moved to Greenpoint for hipster cred or its proximity to Williamsburg and everything it has to offer. Reality is I moved here so I could have my sort of comfort food always available. That and my cheap rent. See I spent my teenage years living next to a former Greenpointer and Polish immigrant. Every few weeks her and a friend would get together to make TRAYS of pierogi, along with other beloved Polish food. Being from a Czech family, this made us happy and brought us together. Her pierogi are still the best in the world, in my mind at least. The ones at Pyza aren't even close, but their blintzes are pretty nice.

While I was doing my research for Cheap Eats in Greenpoint, a friend and I stopped by Pyza to check out their offerings. I had been hearing about them for a while now, but the source wasn't as well-versed in exceptional pierogi eating as I am. Pyza will regularly serve up their pierogi steamed, not fried which more than irritated my dining mate. Aside from that, the smooth and creamy potato filling was pretty great, but I found the dough a little too gummy for my taste. On the other hand, the blintzes were perfectly pan-fried, with thin skins and filled with farmer cheese. The generous dusting of powdered sugar also helped. I would visit Pyza again in a heart-beat since this stick to your ribs meal was all of $14 with two drinks.

Pyza
118 Nassau Avenue
Greenpoint
(718) 349-8829

Travels with Brownie: Bananas for O'Roukes

2011-11-03T06:19:00.000-04:00

What could be more delicious than French toast covered with caramelized bananas? How about French toast that's made from banana bread THEN covered with caramelized bananas? Yes, oh, yes, I'm talking banana bread French toast and you can get this deliciousness at O'Rouke's Diner in Middletown, CT...

If you love diners, O'Rouke's is a worthy spot to visit. Located in downtown Middletown, the diner is deeply rooted in the community and a beloved hang out joint for students at nearby Wesleyan University. Opened by John O'Rourke in the 40s, it's been run by his nephew Brian O'Rouke since the 70s.

In August 2006, the diner was catastrophically damaged by a fire and it's future seemed precarious. The restaurant didn't have fire insurance and the cost to reopen was estimated at $350,000. The community pitched in a la It's a Wonderful Life and these days you can still find Brian O'Rourke manning the grill whipping up creative takes on breakfast classics banana bread French toast topped with bananas O'Rourke. For $12 you get a hefty serving and one that's best enjoyed with a crowd on account of the sweetness. Next time I visit I'm going for the babka French toast...

O'Rourke's Diner
728 Main Street Middletown, CT 06457
(860) 346-6101
orourkesmiddletown.com

Oooooh, Frankies Sausage Sandwich

2011-11-02T05:54:00.000-04:00

I recently spent a couple of my meals in Carroll Gardens researching the best cheap meals in the neighborhood. I made sure to stop by Frankies Spuntino 457 to have some simple Italian goodness. With fresh bread from Grandaisy and meats from the great Faicco's Pork Store in the West Village, I spied the sausage and broccoli rabe sandwich for a tasty lunch. For $12, it was an absolutely fabulous lunch.

I was always under the impression that Frankies was in the $$$ range, but when I looked up their menu, I was pleasantly surprised to see entrees under $20, and sandwiches $12 and under. Sure, a dinner there could add up, but if one was looking for a nice spot for lunch where they just want a sandwich and maybe dessert, it's definitely in the $-$$ range. The sausage sandwich was full of fennel and evenly spiced, with all the excess oil being soaked up by the rosemary bread. Their light on the broccoli rabe and it added a nice bittersweet taste to the sandwich. Of course, the vegetable makes it feel a little bit healthier. I also spied big bowls of soup on a neighboring table, and hope to stop by again soon for some late fall soup goodness.

Frankies Spuntino 457
457 Court Street
Carroll Gardens
(718) 403-0033
www.frankiesspuntino.com

Zuppardi's Apizza = Clam Pie Perfection

2011-11-01T06:33:00.001-04:00

If Blondie’s recent pizza excursion to Otto was somewhat of a fail, let’s talk epic, epic win. Pizza is serious business in New Haven. There are Pepe’s fans and there are Sally’s fans. I was born to a Sally’s family. My grandfather grew up on Wooster Street, the first born son of immigrants from Southern Italy. When my mom was growing up he took the family out to Sally’s every Friday night. A white clam pie was a must. My mom’s first meal after giving birth to me was a white clam pie from Sally’s compliments of Flo Consiglio herself. The arguments between fans about whose pie reigns supreme can get heated. Coming from a Sally’s family, the mere thought of trying Pepe’s lauded white clam pie seemed like a betrayal on par with turning my back against Red Sox Nation to root for the Yankees. Inconceivable. And yet…though I loathe the Yankees with every fiber of my being, I can respect that they have some talented players. While my heart belongs to Sally’s, I appreciate that Pepe’s makes their clam pie with freshly shucked clams rather than canned clams and I was ready to cede them the title of best clam pie in New Haven…until I tried Zuppardi’s….

Ok, Zuppardi’s technically isn’t in New Haven, it’s in West Haven, but I’d venture to say that their clam pizza is the best in the New Haven area (and therefore the world). Growing up outside of New Haven, Zuppardi’s wasn’t even on my radar. If we weren’t getting pizza from Sally’s we’d order from Modern or one of the many pizza places in my home town. But when I read Serious Eats overlord Ed Levine call it “the grand slam of clam pizzas, the best clam pie I've ever had,” I knew I had to give it a try. The clams are freshly shucked to order and the pie is sold at market price. On my first attempt, we had some seriously poor timing…coming in at the end of the night on the day of the West Haven Italian festival. They had run out of clams at lunch time.

A recent trip home with Blondie was more successful. Clam pie perfection. The crust was thin yet chewy and the pie was loaded with tender clams and tons of garlic. So much garlic. Whoever it was that decreed that cheese and seafood shouldn’t mix, they can shove it. Zuppardi's for the win!

Zuppardi's Apizza, 179 Union Avenue West Haven, CT 06516
(203) 934-1949
www.zuppardisapizza.com

Finally Eating at Otto's

2011-10-31T05:25:00.000-04:00

Until last week, I'd never eaten at Otto's. I don't know why. Maybe because there's a famous chef's name attached to it and my friends and I have always assumed it was too pricey for the likes of us. Maybe because you need a reservation, and my life is more spontaneous. Maybe because it's where you take your boyfriend for a nice birthday dinner after you've been dating for a year or so, and I've never had that opportunity. Maybe because it's for bourgeois yuppies who instantly know it's pronounced "Oh-toe", and I'm certainly not one of those people. Whatever. I went for a birthday dinner, and I can decisively say that my pasta was undercooked.

Of my meal, the dessert was better. I went with the Black & White: milk chocolate chip gelato, hazelnut croccante, crème fraiche gelato, chocolate sauce, and caramel crema. Of the desserts I tried there—we all shared on the dessert front—I deemed it the best. And I wasn't blown away by any of them. The gelato was creamy and smooth, very well made by anyone's standards. But for $11, I expect to be blown away at least a little bit. It didn't help that I had had real New Haven clam pie the night before, so when I saw Otto's version of clam pie I thought it was a joke. There weren't even clams in all of those shells! At least now I know that if you go to Otto's get the pizza or the braised pork shoulder pasta. Maybe now that I know it's not as expensive as I once believed I'll actually make it back there. But I'm not rushing.

Otto Enoteca Pizzeria
1 Fifth Avenue
(212) 995-9559
www.ottopizzeria.com

Zabar's Toasting Bagel Giveaway!

2011-10-28T06:03:00.004-04:00

There are few foods as quintessentially "New York" as bagels. And there are few shops as quintessentially New York as Zabars, the 70+ year old Upper West Side institution. While bagel-love may spread across the nation, let's face facts, it's not easy to get a great bagel outside of the city. So when the folks at Zabars.com offered to give us two orders of their toasting bagels for our readers, we had to say yes!

First let's talk toasting. Some bagel purists may balk at the mere suggestion of toasting a bagel. Sure a fresh out of the oven bagel is just about perfect and ready for a schmear, but how often do you really get a fresh out of the oven bagel? And sometimes you just want that perfect crispy crunch of a toasted bagel. Zabar's toasting bagels are made from a special recipe designed for your toasting pleasure. "Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside - just like most New Yorkers." (Aw...)

So, how do you win an order of toasting bagels? Leave us a commenthttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif telling us about your favorite bagel toppings. How do you like your bagel? (I'm rather partial to lox or lox spread myself). You can get a bonus entry by liking us on Facebook and posting your response to our wall (if you already "like" us you can post to our wall and still get an extra entry). I'll come back and pick two winners at random (via random.org) so if you don't leave your info or some way to contact you, please come back Tuesday AM to see if you're a winner next week!

UPDATE: To clarify, one of the winners will be from Facebook and the other from the comments below. Good luck!

Fine print: Winner must live in the United States. Bagels will be shipped directly by Zabars. We were not compensated in any way for this post.

Treats Truck Book!

2011-10-27T05:37:00.000-04:00

Brownie and I have been *BIG* fans of The Treats Truck ever since it began way back when. We've eaten almost everything off the menu, and still stop by for a treat every now and again. I knew that Kim Ima had gotten a book deal, but I didn't realize that the book would be ready soon. And by soon, I mean next week!

The same day I stopped by to pick up my annual pumpkin sugar cookie-it's just too cute-I saw that Kim's book is ready! Starting Tuesday,November 1st, you can make Treats Truck classics at home using her recipes. I, for one, can't wait to get my hands on a copy! Kim will also be making stops around the city on her book tour starting with Posman Books in Grand Central on Tuesday, and WORD in Greenpoint next Thursday! So exciting!!!!

Brooklyn's Got Balls!

2011-10-26T06:33:00.000-04:00

Recently I read that the Ben & Jerry's SNL inspired limited edition "Schweddy Balls" was getting pulled from some supermarket shelves due to controversy over the names (just locating this link required me to search "Schweddy Balls Eater"). Thus far I'd only seen the flavor in the Rock Center scoop shop, but last night I spotted more than a few pints at a Park Slope bodega. Oh yeah, Brooklyn's still got balls...

Village Market on 7th Ave in the Slope is like the Holy Grail of pint ice cream. It almost seems hand curated with mix-in laden Ben & Jerry's limited edition batches. I've been on the lookout for Late Night Snack--vanilla ice cream with a salty caramel swirl chocolate covered potato chips, since it was launched in March with no success and there it was, surrounded by pints of awesomeness like Bonnaroo Buzz, Clusterfluff and Boston Cream Pie. At $5.49 the pints aren't cheap, but you don't go to a bodega expecting to get a deal on ice cream. As of last night they had eight pints of Schweddy Balls. If you've been dying to hit that, the time is now.

Village Market
368 7th Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11215
(718) 832-6916

4 & 20's New Fall Pie & Thanksgiving News!

2011-10-25T05:35:00.000-04:00

A few weeks back, I was delighted to see that Four & Twenty Blackbirds had started doing a bit of their pie production in the same kitchen where I work for Robicelli's. This has meant more than a few minutes lost to me admiring their gorgeous pies. Last Friday, Melissa said she was making their newest flavor, Brown Butter Pumpkin. Matt Robicelli and I let her know that she had a whole kitchen of taste testers to her avail should she need feedback. I might not have gotten a taste Friday night, but Brownie, Lawman, Little B, and I all stopped by on Saturday for the new pie!

(gratuitous shot of my favorite, black bottom oat)

Some of you might know that I'm late to the pumpkin game. I only started liking it about six or seven years ago, and I still won't say I'm deeply in love with it (or any other fall flavors for that matter.) But this pie tried to change my mind. The pie is creamy and silky, with just the right amount of spices added, an all around win. I wasn't able to pick up a lot of nuttiness from the brown butter, but I might have if I'd been allowed to eat the whole slice-a certain blogging partner of mine ate more than her fair share leaving the rest of us with the crust. I do think I'll be stopping by again for a piece of pie without said blogging partner in tow.

Melissa also let me in on how they'll be running the Thanksgiving show this year. To do away with the crazy around the block lines of last year, they are taking Thanksgiving orders.

Four & Twenty Blackbirds
439 Third Avenue at 8th Street
Gowanus
(718) 499-2917
birdsblack.com

NYCWFF 2011: Carts in the Parc

2011-10-24T06:26:00.001-04:00

Editor's note: Please welcome Brownie's little brother, Lil' Bobo for some more tasty NYCWFF coverage...

After a full weekend of NYCWFF events, Carts in the Parc was just what I needed to cleanse my palate from the "Grand (after) Taste"....

Ok, that was a bit harsh. It wasn't that I thought The Grand Tasting was bad, I just wasn't feeling the vibe. I guess sampling food in a big trade show fashion just isn't my thing. The way I see it, if I wanted a food sampling experience with the decor of a warehouse, I'd go to Costco or BJ's. They may not give you a grab bag or feature some big named celeb, but they won't ask you for a ticket either, I'm just saying...

On the other hand, Carts in the Parc was something I felt more a part of. The moment I walked into the event, I was presented a NYWFF Carts in the Parc casino chip for voting. Carts in the Parc, you get check-plus for the to-the-point-voting-system, well done indeed.

Now, here was the event I was looking forward to. For starters, several of the carts are vendors I like to frequent when I'm in town. Add to the fact that they are all in one location, and it has quickly become recipe for a delicious time. And what a delicious time it was.

The breakdown:

Savory:

The lamb or chicken kati roll from Biryani Cart were easily two of my favorites. Perfect blend of savory and spicy. I'll say it, I got back in line a couple of times for this.

Equally as savory and satisfying. There's something about a crispy pork chop, over white rice with a Taiwanese pork gravy. I would have gone back for more, but Bian Dang had a long queue. With a dish that good, the line was understandable.

Spicy:

I like spicy food and I am also a fan of good tacos. This spicy pork taco from El Rey de Sabor did not let me down. Spicy, bold and the only true way to have a taco; with cilantro and onions.

Sweet:

A ginger curry shake was just what was needed after a spicy treat from El Rey Del Sabor. As it turned out, Big Gay Ice Cream Truck had just the shake I was looking for. Sweet, gingery and cooly delicious.

The Chosen One:

I don't know if it's in poor taste to say who I voted for...but in the age of tell-all blogging, I figure I might as well join in. I cast my vote for...

After my third kati roll (or was it my fourth, it's all blurring together...) I thought the chip was going to go into the Biryani Cart fishbowl.

But then I had the souvlaki from Souvlaki GR. After one bite, my sentiments were something similar of Ken Griffey Jr.'s in that Simpson's episode. In my opinion Souvlaki GR delivered The Chosen One.

Carts in the Parc was deliciously amazing, just about every dish I had was a winner in some way or another, and more importantly, what a way to wrap up the NYWFF. Once again, thank you Blondie and Brownie.

What Else I've Been Eating...

2011-10-21T05:48:00.000-04:00

Between Madison Square Eats and NYC Food Film Festival, it's been a full month of eating and drinking. But those weren't the only two things going on in my food schedule (yes, I'll admit to a food schedule.) For Midtown Lunch, I recently check out two offerings from Pizza by Cer Te: their Tony Manero slice, and their Fried Spaghetti Balls. I've been craving both since I had them. I also found the greatest ceiling ever....

It's at Whiskey River in Kips Bay. When I finally snag my millions and buy a house with a game room, this is going on the ceiling, for reals. Complete with the canoe. Though I might try to stick some people in it. For those of you interested in Potbelly Sandwich Shop's dessert options, I ate my way through those in my "post-breakup only eating dessert" phase.

That apparently gave way to nachos. A couple of months back, I signed up to write a couple of pieces a week for CBSLocal.com. Of what I've written so far, I'm most proud of my "NYC's 5 Best Plates of Nachos", where I got more than a little help from Rachel of NachosNY.com. It's hard having to be the one to eat all the nachos, but someone has to tell you where to eat. I also got to sample a few breakfast places! Watch out for a series that's going live next week, it involves some of the best food (and dessert!) in the city!

Also, there's still time to win Cakespy's book!

CakeSpy's Tour de Sweet: Magic Cookie Bar Pie and Book Giveaway!

2011-10-20T06:58:00.001-04:00

This weekend the fam and I hit Jackie Gordon and Ken Leung's pie potluck at Rodeo Bar . In addition to creating a Chili Chocolate Pumpkin Doughnut Pie for the occasion and I also made CakeSpy's Magic Cookie Bar Pie. If you're familiar with Magic Squares aka Seven Layer Bars aka Hello Dollys you know that this pie is gonna be 100% awesome...

I first encountered Magic Squares in college. Sweet, chewy, and ooey-gooey, they were just the perfect fuel for late night study sessions. I've added crushed potato chips, pretzels, and chopped peanuts to make Kitchen Sink Bars, but it was the Head Spy herself, the fabulous Jessie Oleson, who opened my eyes to the possibilities of a Magic Bar Pie.

As Jessie said in her new book, CakeSpy Presents Sweet Treats for a Sugar-Filled Life, "Magic Cookie Bars are, as their name might imply, no ordinary treat. Starting with layer upon layer of unrelentingly rich, buttery graham cracker crumbs, toasted coconut, chocolate and butterscotch chips, and nuts, they get even better when they’re smothered in rich sweetened condensed milk. With all that awesome, some might argue that a small serving is best. But I disagree, and to prove it, I’ve created those magical bars in pie form, which is naturally best served in thick, fat wedges. You’re welcome."

CakeSpy's recipe includes brilliant addition of peanut butter in place of plain chopped nuts which ups the saltiness factor. As much as I love sweet treats, I tend to knock my magic bars down just a bit. Here I substituted unsweetened coconut for sweetened toasted coconut, upped the amount of chocolate chips and took down the amount of butterscotch chips. The result was ab-so-freaking-lute-ly delicious.

For the crust:
3/4 cup (11/2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, divided
13/4 cups finely ground graham cracker crumbs

For the filling:
1/2 cup peanut butter, smooth or chunky
1 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup butterscotch chips
One 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch pie plate.
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan pan over low heat; add 1 cup coconut and
graham cracker crumbs and stir until the mixture is well combined. Let this
mixture cool until it is still warm but not too hot to handle; using your hands,
press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the pie plate.

Refrigerate the crust for 15 minutes, then bake it for 10 minutes, or until golden
brown. If the crust slumps at all, just wait until it is not too hot to touch, then
pat it back into place with your fingers. Let the crust cool at room temperature
for at least 20 minutes.

Increase the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.

Place the peanut butter in teaspoon-size dollops, evenly distributed on top of
the crust (think polka-dot pattern).

Scatter the chocolate chips and butterscotch chips on top of the peanutbuttered
crust.

Pour the sweetened condensed milk in a slow, steady stream over the filling,
then gently shake the pan to make sure the liquid has settled evenly. Scatter remaining coconut on top.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbly.

Remove from the oven, transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before
serving.

You can get this and 59 other amazing CakeSpy recipes in CakeSpy's book wherever books are sold. And thanks to Jessie's publisher, Sasquatch Books we have a copy of the book to giveaway.

Leave us a comment with your thoughts on butterscotch chips, yay or nay? To double your chance at winning go like our Facebook Page and leave us a comment there, too. I'll pick a winner at random on Monday morning, so be sure to come back and check to see if you've won. Good luck!

My Weekend at the 2011 Food Film Festival

2011-10-19T05:32:00.000-04:00

A little less than a month ago, I let you guys know that I was officially under the employ of NYC Food Film Festival, and what a fun month it was! I'm already suppressing the memory of that one week where I averaged five hours of sleep a night. But one of the perks was having the chance to go to this past weekend's events! I stuffed myself silly, cried a bit, laughed more, and still managed to get TWO naps in! It was wins all around! Here's what I ate...

The picture at top was Amanda Freitag's braised pork shoulder from Sunday night's "Farm to Film to Table". I had two helpings. I also had two Ronnybrook ice cream sundaes. I couldn't help myself, it was sooo delicious. The film about Ronnybrook, "The Big Table", ended up winning Audience Choice, and luckily for us, most of the Ronnybrook clan was there.

This is Ronny, the patriarch of the happy cows. Visiting Ronnybrook has been on my "to do" list for years now, and I have a feeling it's moved up more than a few notches.

"The Big Table" edged out "Truck Farm" which was OUTSIDE! And we all got herbs from the truck farm handed to us by none other than Marion Nestle. It was to. die. for. I was all sorts of food-starstruck. My +1 did the whole "I'm going to make you introduce yourself" bit, even though I was blushing, extremely quiet, and saying "please, no, please, please, no."

Earlier on Sunday, Brownie and I got to attend the "Di Fara Pizza Lunch" and it was great too, even though Dom wasn't there. Afterwards, we enjoyed a bit of Taiwanese shaved ice from our boys at Wooly's!

And Saturday was "The Tribeca Taco Takedown". Epic tacos, people. This one was from Rockaway Taco, fresh fried fish in my belly. Completely worth the half hour wait. One of my favorites, Dos Toros, won the entire event. But everyone here was winners. Especially The Food Bank for NYC, who received a portion of the proceeds.

And here's the NYC Food Film Festival crew that I was crazy glad to be a part of. Hopefully, they'll have me back next year!

Elevate a Classic Dessert & Win $10,000

2011-10-18T05:33:00.000-04:00

I could use $10,000. Every year the fine folks behind Scharffen Berger chocolate throw a dessert contest, this year it's "Elevate a Classic Dessert". You take a classic recipe, and give it an all new spin with Scharffen Berger chocolate (obviously), impress their team of esteemed judges, and $10,000 could be all yours. Second and third place take home $7,000 and $3,000 respectively (still more than what's in my wallet). Every year, we've been invited to the official launch party for the contest. It's one of the highlights of my year because it means I can stuff my face with chocolate and dessert and call it dinner. Let's see what I had, shall we.....

This year, the celebrity chefs participating were Johnny Iuzzini and Elizabeth Falkner. Brownie and I ended up getting split up on teams, me ending up with Chef Iuzzini. I didn't impress him with any of my skills. On Johnny's team, we made Chocolate Pudding with Passion Fruit Gelée, Whipped Chocolate Crème Fraîche and Cacao Nibs. It was interesting learning about making the gelée with gelatin sheets, and he did teach me a better way to use an off-set spatula. The recipe itself is a bit elaborate, but is easy for an amateur baker, and it presents quite a fancy dessert.

On Chef Falkner's team, they created Chocolate Gelato Sundaes complete with marshmallow cream. Her recipe is a little more complex, especially with the making of the cream and gelato, but is definitely worth a try if you're an ice cream sundae fan like myself. I won't tell anyone that you bought the gelato at a store.

If you're one of these creative cookies that thinks they have the best recipe, be sure to enter the contest! Entries will be accepted through January 2nd!

Pie Party Live!

2011-10-17T06:26:00.003-04:00

I'm ashamed to admit that once upon a time, I did not like pie. Not at all. Not even a little. #TeamCake4Life. But then I gave pie another chance. And I had really good pie. And I discovered that good pie could be spectacular. This past weekend was a pie lover's dream come true. The über-fabulous Jackie Gordon and Ken Leung threw a pie potluck at Rodeo Bar and there were dozens. DOZENS of pies (and awesome bloggers in attendance)...

You can get a taste of the variety of pies at the party--we're talking everything from a savory winter squash and cabbage galette to Keffir Lime Meringue Pie with caramelized ginger graham cracker crust (!). I wasn't sure of my weekend plans so I was a very last minute add to the shindig. And I was stumped about what to bring. So many awesome pies were already spoken for by other bakers. Lawman and I were tossing some ridiculous ideas around and I came up with a doughnut pie. Wait, back up the tape, a doughnut pie?! With my recent success making mashed potato doughnuts for my American Classics column at Serious Eats, I felt emboldened to give the doughnut pie a shot. The result a dark chocolate graham crusted, chili chocolate pudding filled pie topped with homemade spiced pumpkin doughnuts aka the Chili Chocolate Pumpkin Doughnut Pie. Let's just say that this is a recipe I'm going to be making again. Soon. And now you can, too...

For the crust:
2 cups crushed chocolate grahams
3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
12 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Mix together grahams, cocoa powder, and salt. Add in melted butter until crumbs are thoroughly moistened. Press crumbs into the bottom and sides of a 9 in baking dish. Bake for 10 minutes. Then cool completely before filling

For the pudding filling (adapted from John Scharffenberger via smitten kitchen)

1/4 cup cornstarch
1/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder
1/2 teaspoon ancho chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups whole milk
4 ounces 62% semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a medium saucepan whisk together: cornstarch, cocoa powder, sugar, salt and spices.

Slowly whisk in the milk. Whisking constantly bring to a light boil. Once pudding has thickened to desired consistency (usually a couple more minutes) remove from heat and pour immediately into the cooled pie shell. Quickly whisk in chocolate and vanilla.

Place a piece of waxed paper or plastic wrap on top of the pudding to prevent pudding skin from forming. Refrigerate for at least an hour (but preferably overnight).

For the Pumpkin Doughnuts (adapted from the Potato Doughnuts recipe I developed for Serious Eats)

4 cups all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons buttermilk powder
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2 large eggs
2 cups sugar, divided
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Corn oil for frying

In a medium bowl whisk together flour, buttermilk powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.

In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine eggs and 1 cup sugar beating until combined and slightly foamy. Add 1 cup water, melted butter, vanilla and pumpkin puree. Stir until smooth. Slowly add flour mixture and stir until just incorporated. Lay out two large sheets of plastic wrap. Spritz plastic wrap with canola oil). Divide dough and form dough into two balls. Wrap in plastic wrap then flatten into discs. Refrigerate for at least two hours or overnight.

Generously flour a large work surface. Take one of the discs and turn out the dough to coat with flour, sprinkling the surface of the dough with flour to lessen stickiness. (Note the dough is EXTREMELY sticky, don't be shy about adding flour until it's workable). Gently pat the dough to about 1/2 an inch thick. Use a floured 3 inch doughnut cutter to cut out doughnuts and place cut doughnuts and doughnut holes on a well floured sheet of parchment paper.

Fill a Dutch oven or large cast iron skillet with 2 inches of oil. Heat oil over medium high heat until 360°F. Drop doughnuts in the oil and fry until a deep golden brown on both sides (about 2 minutes per side, use the color as your guide as the oil temperature can very with time). Use chopsticks to turn the doughnuts. Be careful not to crowd the doughnuts in the pan (no more than 2 to 3 douughnuts at a time). Remove doughnuts immediately from the pan using a heat resistant slotted spoon or spatula. Set on paper towel lined baking racks to cool. Once cooled slightly toss in a paper bag with remaining cinnamon sugar.

Slice doughnut holes in half and use to top pie. Add doughnuts immediately before serving so they don't get too soggy.

Enjoy! I also made Cakespy's special Magic Cookie Bar Pie found in her new cookbook. I'll be posting the recipe AND giving a copy of Cakespy's book away on Thursday, so be sure to come on back for seconds. ;)

Thanks again to Jackie and Ken for a super fun and well put together event. Can't wait for the next Pie Party!

Make it an Apple Picking Weekend!

2011-10-14T06:58:00.001-04:00

'Tis the season to pick apples. And pears. And pumpkins. And if you need a weekend out of the city and a super adorable 365 year old family run orchard to visit, fire up that Zip Car and hit 95 headed towards Rose Orchards in Branford, CT...

In the interest of full disclosure my high school English teacher's family owns the orchard, but as fond as I am for my former teacher, the orchard is certifiably awesome all on its own. How is it awesome? Let us count the ways...

5) Apples, Pumpkins and Pears, oh my!: This isn't just a pick your own apples spot. They have pears and pumpkins, too.

4) Homemade pie a la mode: Yes, oh, yes! Homemade pie + rich and creamy vanilla custard = win.

3) Corn maze: Just the right size for wandering, but not so big that you'll embarrass yourself by getting lost and calling 911.

2) Pumpkin head!: Jack the Pumpkin King look alike buzzes around on a John Deere. Seriously, pumpkin head is so fast that it was hard to get a good snap of him riding by.

1) LLAMAS!!: Who doesn't love llamas?! Especially llamas that you can watch while eating pie.

The farm market is open from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. seven days a week.
The Creamery is open from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 pm.

And after some apple picking get some New Haven pizza on the trip back.

Rose Orchards
33 Branford Rd,
North Branford, CT 06471
(203)488-7996
http://roseorchardsfarm.com

Unicorns! We Have Unicorns!

2011-10-13T05:10:00.001-04:00

I'm interrupting our haphazardly scheduled editorial calendar to bring you some very important news. It involves unicorns. And you thought unicorns didn't exist! Well, they probably don't (sorry, Spatula Queen), but yesterday Roberta's stand at Madison Square Eats had Unicorn pizza! No real or imaginary unicorns were hurt in the process of making this pizza—though one of the guys from Roberta's butchered my name and, as a result, was not offered cupcakes.

For the past two months, one could say that my diet has gone off the rails. Total shit is more how I would put it. Almost every day has involved fried food, excessive sweets, and/or beer. Yesterday morning, I decided it's time to reel it back in. So when my post-run hunger pangs hit within the first hour of my shift at Mad. Sq. Eats, I wanted to keep it slightly on the healthy side i.e. no meatball or pastrami sandwiches! I ran over to Roberta's stand and saw the day's special. It's small, there's dairy, and yay for vegetables! And it was every bit as delicious as it could be. The chard had been slightly roasted, and was perfectly accompanied by the onions. I didn't taste the chili flakes or any real sort of heat at all, and I was happy about that. It would have overpowered the chard, onions, and garlic. I *really* need to make the trip out to their Bushwick home, like stat.

Madison Square Eats is in Worth Square (5th Avenue between 25th and 24th), 11am to 9pm until next Friday, the 21st.

New York Wine & Food Festival: SWEET 2011

2011-10-12T06:20:00.001-04:00

Editor's note: Please welcome Brownie's little brother, Lil' Bobo for some tasty NYCWFF coverage...

On evening of September 30th, Godiva was hosting the SWEET dessert party of the New York Wine & Food Festival at 82 Mercer. Brownie was away, Blondie was busy, Lawman was with Brownie, and given that it was a 21+ event...well Lil' B is 20 years too young. So! Lil' Bobo stepped up to the dessert plate, as it were...

That Friday night it also rained. A lot. In fact, the moment I emerged from Broadway-Lafayette, the downpour began. I was already running a little late, but waiting an additional 25 minutes for the rain to calm, cost me big time; in the form of a crème brûlée donut from Doughnut Plant. I blame it on the rain. Thanks, weather.

Be that as it may, my sweet tooth was satisfied. Here's my top three:

Sweetest:

Donatella may be better known for their delicious pizza, impressive bar and lovely restaurant. But, should you find room for dessert… no, scratch that… make room for dessert, especially if you're in the mood for a cannoli. Fresh ricotta, orange blossom, pistachio and Godiva bittersweet chocolate. Sweet, slightly salty with the pistachios, crunchy, creamy - this one had it all. I will not admit how many of these I consumed. Donatella - thank you.

Homage-est:

Why, Fat Witch Bakery! You shouldn't have! Flattery, will get you everywhere.

In all seriousness, it was a really good Blondie and Brownie - a caramel brownie and a sea salt, cranberry blondie. Soft, doughy, caramelly (new w0rd), chocolatey goodness.

Dangerous:

e.e. Cookies. It was what they brought to the dessert table that made them dangerous; a plethora of assorted cookies the size of Nilla® Wafers. Cookies in miniature form, is danger in disguise. You're not going to have one, you're going to have like 12 or 20, or the platter. "These are free right? Great, thanks." This is how addiction starts; eating a couple of small cookies, totally in control… and then you wake up one morning to find yourself as the Robert Downy Jr. of cookies. I exercised will power and kept it to three; it was difficultly delicious.

Victorious:

The victory was announced by Sandra Lee. Her attempt to quiet down an alcohol and sugar rush fueled crowd was akin to an Elementary School Principle trying to quite down an gymnasium of children. Her address to the audience was something along the lines of this, "guys… guys come on now. Please quiet down. No seriously. *laughs* Ok now. Yeah, I've kind of lost my voice from talking all night so if you could just quiet down… …ok I'll just start…" For whatever it's worth Sandra, I piped down for ya.

Sandra Lee went on to introduce the CEO of Godiva, James Goldman, who ultimately announced Mark Israel as the new SWEET champ.

Big thanks to Blondie and Brownie for letting me have a SWEET time. Doughnut Plant... I'll get you next time

A Few More Weeks of Smorgasburg

2011-10-11T05:06:00.001-04:00

It's definitely hard to believe that the outdoor market schedule is winding out, despite the crazy warm days we've been having. This past Saturday I took advantage of the warm weather and brought one of the newest members of my family, the Farmer, out to Smorgasburg for a little lunchtime treat. Maybe since the L was down, or because people decided to skip town for the weekend, or because there was a small music festival going on, there was barely any line at Dough. So I finally tried them out. And all I can say is yes, I'm sold. It was fluffy goodness, completely on par with Doughnut Plant. But that's not all we ate.

We also stopped at Anthi's booth and picked up dolmathakia and spanakopita. Anthi is a restaurant on the Upper West Side which I have never visited, and after eating these I am totally going to make the trip up there. The dolmathakia, rice wrapped in grape leaves, actually had a good amount of flavor. But it was the spanakopita that won me over. Flaky pastry with rich and ample spinach filling, I sort of wished we had bought two squares. At $5 for a square, it was definitely a good size lunch treat. I can only hope that Anthi plans on staying around for the rest of the Smorgasburg season, which I believe will be in finishing up on November 19th.

CakeSpy's Tour De Sweet!

2011-10-10T06:17:00.000-04:00

Chalk full of unicorns, robots and of course, incredibly original desserts--Cadbury Eggs Benedict, anyone?--CakeSpy Presents Sweet Treats for a Sugar-Filled Life is a must, must, must for any true sweets lover. Jessie's going to be headed to the northeast on her Tour De Sweet bakery book tour next month, but in the meantime you can follow along as we host one of the stops on her tour de blog...

Here's a little taste of some of the recipes in the book, tasty pics courtesy of the HeadSpy herself...

Cookie Cake Pie

S'moreos

Cadbury Eggs Benedict

Follow along on the blog tour here...

October 10—Cupcake Project

October 11—Bake It in a Cake!

October 12—Culinary Concoctions by Peabody

October 13—Dessert First

October 14—Cookie Madness

October 15—Bake and Destroy

October 16—Piece of Cake

October 17—Not Martha

October 19—Big Girls, Small Kitchen

We'll be rounding out the tour here next week on the 20th so stay tuned for a recipe and book giveaway (win for us and win for you!).

There's a Bazaar at Night in Brooklyn

2011-10-07T05:07:00.000-04:00

One of the bigger events this summer was the opening of the Dekalb Market in downtown Brooklyn. Made from recycled shipping containers, it allowed more small businesses to enter into the market in a fostering environment, including the wonderful Robicelli's. Well, I've visited a couple of times now, and I can say it's definitely worth visiting especially this Sunday night during Brooklyn Night Bazaar!

Sunday night, the party will add about 50 vendors to the mix already there, so it's a definite must on your foodie weekend schedule. But there are some highlights if you feel like stopping by before then. One of which is Cheeky's Sandwiches. I started craving Cheeky's while working on Real Cheap Eats. Time and time again, I saw the picture of their chicken sandwich, and salivated over it into the wee hours of the morning. You'd best be sure that I made a bee-line for their container as soon as I could. The fried chicken sandwich is not to be missed: moist, tender chicken sandwiched between buttery and crumbly biscuit halves with a nice slaw adding texture, color, and a vinegary kick. Delicious.

Another winner is Cuzin's Duzin Doughnuts (which is also currently at Madison Square Eats.) Mini doughnuts made fresh on a little doughnut flume. You can get a half dozen of fried, lightly sugared goodness for $2. It's worth it.

And of course, there's a little place called Robicelli's. They make cupcakes, brownies, and whoopie pies, plus they carry marshmallows from Kitty Lee Thomas Sweets.

Dekalb Market
138 Willoughny St
Downtown Brooklyn
dekalbmarket.com

Paletas, Paletas, Paletas!

2011-10-06T06:16:00.001-04:00

As a kid I preferred orange popsicles to all others. Instead of pacing myself and taking a lime one everything now and then, I always rushed through all the orange ones immediately and then slowly slogged through the rest until my mom bought a new box and the whole cycle started all over again. Alas, as an adult, my sweet tooth has somewhat dulled and those bright orange popsicles no longer tempt me like they once did. I'll take a pass on colored sugar water with "natural fruit flavors," but if you show me paleta made of real fruit--bonus points for extra interesting flavors like green mango--you have my attention...

I was thrilled to finally try La Newyorkina's lauded paletas at the Vendy's last week. In flavors like Mango - chile, cajeta with pecans (above), tamarind, fresh coconut, horchata, and pineapple-jalapeno. This pops were bursting with flavor and the mini ones came in just the right size for a small treat (or to try several flavors at once).

The treats from La Newyorkina very much reminded me of the amazing paletas I tried while visiting Lawman's family in Colombia. These ice pops also came in that perfect mini size and besides green mango (served with a teeny tiny salt packet!), there were plenty of exotic fruit flavors to try like lulo, guanábana (soursop), mora (blackberry), cherimoya among others.

One of the highlights of the trip was discovering Helados San Jeronimo, an ice cream company that makes tiny paletas and ice cream bars just the right size for a sweet cap to a big meal. Their ice cream was incredibly creamy and smooth. The arequipe (a Colombian equivalent to dulce de leche) and coco were my hands down favorites. Alas, as far as I can tell, Helados San Jeronimo doesn't seem to have distribution here in the States. Sigh. I suppose I'll have to book at return trip to Colombia for more research and in the meantime get myself some more paletas from La Newyorkina stat! I hear Fany Gershon makess a mean toasted coconut paleta...

Debate Red Velvet Cake!

2011-10-05T05:33:00.000-04:00

We here at Blondie & Brownie are a little obsessed with red velvet, for two very different reasons. Brownie, because she loves red velvet; me, because I don't understand the *massive* appeal of it. It's cocoa cake with food dye. Granted it's usually pretty, but it's because of food dye that may or may not contribute to developing cancer. And I don't want cancer. Our friend Nichelle Stephens of Cupcakes Take the Cake also sees this conflict and has decided to hold a RED VELVET CAKE DEBATE!!!!

Yes, next Friday, you can sit in on a panel with some of New York's choicest dessert folks—Nicole Taylor, Allison Robicelli, and Shari Ledgister—as they debate red velvet cake: it's pros, it's cons, and it's grey areas. Of course, there will be red velvet cake to be had. Best part is tickets are only $5. Yes, $5. If you're a dessert person and want to know what the experts think (and have a chance to meet them live and in person), you should definitely stop by. Plus, you'll probably get all the cake you can eat.

Red Velvet Cake Debate is going on Friday the 14th at 6:30pm, at 412 Broadway. Click here for more information and to buy tickets!

Travels with Brownie: Arepas con Huevo

2011-10-04T06:19:00.000-04:00

It's been close to three years since I visited my Lawman's family in Colombia, but I still think fondly of the Arepas con Huevo that we had our first morning in Bogotá. The direct translation (corncake with egg) fails to convey the intense deliciousness that this breakfast treat packs...

Arepas can be found in Colombia, Venezuela, and Panama and regional variations abound. On a basic level it's a flat, round, pancake of sorts made from cornmeal or flour. Some arepas are thick and sort of poufy while others are thin and crunchy. They can be grilled, baked, boiled, or fried. You can put a topping like meat or cheese on top or split them in the middle and stuff them like a sandwich.

The arepa con huevo is a twice fried dish from the Carribean coastal region. Made from a special ground cornmeal called masarepa it's first fried and then split, filled with beef and a raw egg, sealed up and refried until golden brown. Lawman's aunt's housekeeper, Faudie, gets up before dawn to grind the cornmeal to make the arepas con huevo that you see here from scratch. The perfectly crisp exterior cradles a runny egg and tender shredded beef. While one arepa with more than satisfy you it's hard not to indulge in seconds and thirds. Faudie is just that good a cook. I've been to a number of the Colombian restaurants in the city both in Queens and Brooklyn and I have yet to find one that serves arepas con huevo. I'm counting down until my next visit to Colombia, but in the meantime anyone know where I might be able to get a fix?

Eating Out at Madison Square Eats

2011-10-03T05:27:00.000-04:00

For the next three weeks, I'm going to be spending a fair amount of time at Madison Square Eats manning the Robicelli's stand. So of course I'll be getting a lot of meals there as well! I've already tried a few things that really stand out, and should definitely be tried before it's all over on October 21st.

The first thing I tried this season was "The Rapture" at Roberta's. At $11, it was hard for me to justify this in my mind, but one bite and I was convinced this was worth it! It was topped with caramelized onions and kale in addition to the mozzarella. Roberta's, always for the win.

Another big hit with me was the Moroccan Meatball Sandwich from Almond. Lamb meatballs are perfectly made, they're not over-spiced or dry, smothered with a sweet red sauce, and then everything's topped with a generous amount of cheese. The green sauce added a nice spicy kick to everything. Since it was were all of the spice was coming from, you didn't have to worry about your mouth being on fire.

And for dessert, you should check out Macaron Parlour's HOMEMADE peach poptarts. Not too sweet, a delicious peach filling, and flaky crust. Two seconds in the toaster, and it's everything you wish we'd had when we were kids.

Le Paddock Opens in Windsor Terrace!

2011-09-30T06:56:00.001-04:00

In what feels like the quickest renovation job ever, Le Paddock, Windsor Terrace's new wine bar and bistro, opened its doors right on schedule...

Taking over the spot that previously housed neighborhood stalwart Laura's Gourmet, the place was already hopping. Open tables didn't stay open for long as Windsor Terraceans flocked to check the new spot out.

The menu includes French classics like escargot and Soupe a l’ognion gratinee (French Onion Soup, baby!) and an assortment of thin crust pizzas made in their brick oven. Their formages are curated by Saxelby Cheesemongers.

We tried their deviled eggs which had a nice mustardy kick.

And their Flammenkuech, a traditional Alsatian tarte flambée (sort of like a French pizza) topped with leeks, gruyere and bacon. Nice thin crust. Ample perfectly melted gruyere cheese and, thick cut bacon with leeks. What's not to love?

The food was delicious and I heard nothing but glowing praise from diners on their way out. They are still getting their footing with service and managing the kitchen, so we'll give them some time before paying a return visit to check out the rest of the menu.

Le Paddock
1235 Prospect Avenue at the corner of Reeve Place
Brooklyn, NY 11218
lepaddockbrooklyn.com

Shake Shack Has Fruit?!

2011-09-29T05:00:00.001-04:00

With everything going on at Madison Square Eats the past few days, I wasn't so shocked to learn that the line at Shake Shack was nearly nonexistent. Well, you can go to one of the other locations, and if you have the chance to eat outside, wouldn't you want it to be Roberta's? So when a couple of friends and I were hanging out last night and hunger started to hit us, we didn't get something the market of course. We headed over to the Shack.

Where much to my surprise they had something listed as "Seasonal Fruit"?! What the what? Apparently they have started this as a topping for the custards. Yesterday's was Peach Compote, and lover of peaches that I am, I bit. Vanilla custard topped with some peach compote and shortbread cookies. I don't know if this whole thing was worth $6.25-I'm leaning towards the negative side of that-but it was surely delicious. I did want some more peach compote on top, and I was sort of tricked into buying a double scoop. This is definitely a hold-out dessert for times when it's your *FAVORITE* fruit topping.

Another important Shake Shack note: Shacktoberfest starts next Friday!!!

Shake Shack
Various Locations Throughout NY and the World
www.shakeshack.com

Travels with Brownie: Pizza Bianca and Pizza al Taglio from Forno Campo de' Fiori

2011-09-28T06:43:00.000-04:00

After two years I still haven't figured out the algorithm of how my default screen saver pulls up the photos to flash across the screen. For some reason no matter how many new photos I take it seems quite heavily weighted to the trip to Italy that Lawman and I took in the summer of '09 which marked the first time I tried pizza bianca, so if you'll indulge me, here's a little screen saver inspired trip down memory lane...

Though my personal pizza preference lies with the Neapolitan style pie, when in Rome you do as the Romans do and that means pizza al taglio (by the slice) and pizza bianca. With our pre-trip research we heard nothing but good things about the Forno Campo de’ Fiori and when pizza maestro, Paulie Gee, tweeted that we should check out the pizza bianca there, we knew it had to be a sign.

The bakery is right on the Campo de’ Fiori square and with the famed Roman farmers market just steps away it’s the ideal spot to start your hunt for picnic fixings.

Forno does a brisk business and if you go at peak feeding times you might have to wait and/or elbow your way in to place your order. Don’t be deterred, the pizza bianca hot out of the oven is well worth it. The bakery makes pizza bianca and pizza al taglio fresh throughout the day closing briefly from 2:30pm until 4:30pm. Be careful not to arrive too close to their mid afternoon closing time, as there’s a less robust selection of pizza al taglio and the pizza bianca.

The pizza bianca had a crispy, olive oil kissed exterior while the insides were pleasantly chewy. It was lighter and a cut above the other pizza biancas we tried in Rome, which could be a little dry and tough.

While the pizza bianca was the standout, their pizza rossa and pizza al taglio were also quite good. Their crust is very thin and held up well under the tangy red sauce.

The crust on the pizza with funghi was a little thicker than the pizza rossa , but still very tasty.

We also tried a pizza bianco sandwich filled with mozzarella cheese and tomato. All the ingredients of a great sandwich were there, but honestly as my husband would say, “the moisture from the cheese and tomatoes undermined the structural integrity of the sandwich” especially if you didn’t eat it right away. I recommend getting some pizza bianca for munching and then a generous amount so you can make your own picnic with the cured meats and cheeses from the farmers market right on the square. Pizza Bianca + gorgonzola cheese + honey = to die for.

Forno Campo de' Fiori, www.fornocampodefiori.com
Campo de' Fiori 22, Rome

So Maybe Levain Has One of the Best Cookies in Town

2011-09-27T05:27:00.000-04:00

When I first tried Levain Bakery three years ago, I wasn't impressed. And for three years, I've wondered if I tried the wrong cookie. So, when I found myself a block away from Levain a couple of weeks ago, I decided it was time to stop by and try again. All of their accolades can't be for nothing!

I knew that the most popular and famous cookie was the Walnut Chocolate Chip, not one of the ones I tried. If I was going to be wrong, it was all on this cookie. As I tore off my first piece, an inside filled with gooey chocolate chips and walnut chunks was exposed. And that first bite was filled with them too. Unlike the others I tried, this cookie was chewy and moist--maybe it's the walnut oils seeping out that make all the difference. The size is still ridiculous; this is a cookie meant to be shared, but you'll want to eat it all.

Levain Bakery
167 W. 74th Street
(212) 874-6080
www.levainbakery.com

The 2011 Vendys

2011-09-26T06:17:00.002-04:00

If I had to recap this weekend’s Vendy Awards in just one word it would be: EPIC. Saturday’s gathering of 21 carts and trucks representing the best in street food in New York (and NJ!) was a day filled with more good food than you can imagine. As much as the Vendys is "the Oscars of street food," being there in the center of all that deliciousness was a tangible reminder of the simple truth: if you love what you do, it shows...

Korilla’s line started when the early bird ticket holders hit the gates and didn’t slow ‘til the votes were being tallied. Little B enjoyed his first taste of daeji bulgogi and bulgogi tacos as well as Killa Sauce. His reaction? MOAHR! That’s my boy. Note to the Korilla boys, you need to make those “I Korilla NY” t-shirts in baby sizes!

Our second stop was Solber Pupusas where we narrowly missed their massive line. They put out a real spread (tamales, pupusas, and sweet maduros).

Little B loved the falafal from Taim...

...and he was a fan of Sunrise Grill as well...

...especially their curried goat.I was impressed by the little taste of fruitcake--it's co-owner Tara Graham's mom's secret recipe. Fruitcake doesn't have the best of reps here in the States, but I assure you this one would inspire hoarding (as opposed to regifting).

Little B is a huge Souvlaki GR fan, so naturally we hit them up for pork pitas.

We loved their Loukaniko Platter, perfectly charred homemade Greek sausage with fries.

And their Horiatiki, a traditional Greek salad (no lettuce here!) was intensely refreshing.

To cap it off they had a wandering bouzouki player. Impressive. Very impressive.

While I tried to pass on dishes that I've already tried, there was no way that I could say no to Eggstravaganza's Mexican Grilled Cheese (chorizo and bacon FTW).

Comme Ci Comme Ça dished out Chef Samir’s fluffy couscous with tender chicken, beef or veggies and topped with an array of delicious sauces--I can’t resist the spicy mint sauce. Chef Samir’s mom came all the way from Morocco to see her son compete!

Sam’s Falafel prepared generous combo plates with freshly fried falafel balls, smoky baba ganoush, fried eggplant, salad and plenty of tahini dressing.

Last year I fell in love with the vegan donuts from The Cinnamon Snail. This year they didn’t disappoint, returning with a Vanilla Bourbon Crème Brulee Donut, their entry in the Maker’s Mark Challenge (spoiler, alert: they won!).

They also made a terrific roasted red pepper and bean tart and a seitan wrap. Word is they’re getting a permit for the city so they’ll be crossing the river with those awesome donuts soonish. We’ll keep you posted.

Blondie couldn't get enough of Tamales Guadalupes. If you want a real, authentic, addictive tamale you have to seek her out in Brooklyn on Knickerbocker & DeKalb Avenues.

Chef Fany Gershon's paletas from the La Newyorkina Cart were a must. I had the roasted plum and regretted not making it back in time for seconds.

Blondie was very pleased with her pick: Cajeta with Pecans.

Miss Softee spread sprinkles and lots of glitter.

While we loved her creative cone flights (hello, who would say no to multiple ice cream cones?!), her entry in the Maker's Mark Challenge was to die for: crumb cake with a bourbon glaze, topped with vanilla soft serve, drizzled with bourbon dulce de leche and capped with bourbon soaked raisins. Wowsa. Another dessert I'm sad I didn't get seconds of.

Speaking of desserts that I could use a lot more of...Woolys Ice, oh Woolys Ice. Your Green Man (green tea ice, mango, mochi and sweetened condensed milk) rocked my world.

Eat Here Now Now Eat Here had little egg burrito "sushi bites" which proved to the perfect size for sampling.

Just when I thought I couldn't eat another morsel I was waylaid by a tiny Maple Bacon cupcake from the Cupcake Crew. So small. So tasty. I liked how there was candied bacon both on top and inside.

Silly me, I didn't read the Vendys flier so I had no idea that Gayle King was one of the judges. So naturally I freaked out when I randomly found myself behind her. (OMG. Gayle King! My childhood newscaster! Love her!)

Host Sunny Anderson got the festivities under way.

Drum roll please...

Woolys for Dessert!

The Taco Truck won for NJ

Korilla took the crown for the Rookies!

Souvlaki GR was the People's Choice!

The King of Falafel was on hand to pass the Vendy Cup to...

Two-time Vendy Finalist, Solber Pupusas!

Special thanks to the Street Vendor Project team at the Urban Justice Center, the volunteers and of course the vendor finalists, many of whom enlisted family and friends to serve up great food. Each and EVERY participating cart and truck put their heart into making fantastic food and ensuring a great day for everyone. Marking my calendar now for Vendys 2012!

The Vendys Are Coming! The Vendys Are Coming! The Vendys are Almost Here!

2011-09-23T06:17:00.001-04:00

We're in the final countdown for the 2011 Vendy Awards. In a little over 24 hours Blondie and I will be hitting the ferry to Governors Island to volunteer at the awards. For a great preview of the event check out Blondie's post over at CBS Local (woot, woot!). And for a tasty look back, clickity click here...

Yeah, we're talking Vegan Doughnut Goodness from The Cinnamon Snail! These s'more doughnuts blew me away last year. Super excited about the New Jersey category and trying out Two Pitas in a Pod, and the Taco Truck

And so happy for our friends at Souvlaki GR. Last year, Rookie Winners this year they're competing for the Vendy Cup!

Last year's late September heatwave made for long, long times at Dessert Winner, Kelvin Slush. Perhaps the sun will shine on newbie Dessert nominees of the frozen nature, I'm looking at: Miss Softee, La Newyorkina, and Wooly's Ice.

Besides seeing some old favorites I'm thrilled that a few of our must-eat spots have been recognized with the Vendy nod.

We've long been fans of the Chorizo & Bacon Grilled Cheese and everything else Arturo and his sister cook up at the Eggstravaganza Cart.

And have been rooting for the fabulous Trini Paki Boys for years--you can't say no to their addictive doubles (which I wrote up in Time Out NY). So happy to see Fatima and her son get this well deserved recognition.

While the focus of the day is on the food, the event has a greater mission as a fundraiser for the Street Vendor Project, a non-profit organization that's part of the Urban Justice Center, and provides legal representation and advocacy on behalf vendors. A portion of your entry ticket is a tax-deductible contribution to SVP, so it's a win all the way around. While regular tickets are sold out you can still get your hands on an extremely limited number of VIP table service and early entry tickets (you get into the Vendy Awards an hour early--skip the lines!) still available. You know you're going to be jealous on Monday when we post our recap. Doooo it. Doooo it! Hope to see you on Saturday!

Also, The NYC Food Film Festival is Coming Up!

2011-09-22T05:30:00.000-04:00

Oh man, is it high season in the New York foodie world. The Vendys on Saturday, the NY Wine & Food Festival next week, and in less than a month, the Fifth Annual NYC Food Film Festival! All the better to forget about nasty little things like breakups (yes, don't expect any more Kansas posts, people.) Anyways, the best part about the NYC Food Film Festival, they hired me to work with them! Woot, woot! Last year I only had the chance to attend the Food Truck Drive-In, this year, I plan on hitting up as many events as I possibly can!

Robicelli's: Making Every Dessert Known to Man in Cupcake Form from SkeeterNYC on Vimeo.

Though there's no Drive-In this year, there is A Cheers to Burgers and Beers. Now this is normally on a night where I work in the kitchen for Robicelli's (if you were wondering why I don't post about them either anymore, there's that answer), but if you guys all start a letter writing campaign to Matt & Allison to let me have the night off, I will eat multiple burgers and drink numerous beers in your honor. You can even come take pictures to put on the interwebs of me doing such things! Added bonus points if you remind them that I'm a mess more nights than most, though I am taking baby steps to move on from just topping the cakes.

If not that, then I will most certainly be at The Tribeca Taco Takedown! I've loved the Takedowns ever since we did the Chili one way back when, and this will be just as awesome as the rest. But of course you guys should also take a look at the films-it IS a film festival after all-and buy some tickets!

YES! There's a Concrete at Citi Field!

2011-09-21T05:11:00.000-04:00

One of my only gripes about the Shake Shack at Citi Field was the lack of their own signature concrete. Every other Shake Shack has at least one! Well, it looks like things changed this season, and you still have a few chances to score the Nut-thing But Amazin'! Hopefully, the boys will win one for you too!

The Nut-thing But Amazin' is vanilla custard with a hot fudge swirl, peanuts, and crushed sugar cone. I loved the peanuts and crunch from the sugar cone, but I did wish the peanuts were roasted as the saltiness would play well with the sweet. That would have taken the concrete to another level and really made it a treat to be had. I was firmly disappointed with my lack of fudge swirl. It was subtly present, but I was hoping for a real, visible swirls of fudge. But I have another notch in my concrete belt, and for that I'm happy. The quest to eat them all continues!

Travels with Brownie: Ariel's Hummus, Portland, Maine

2011-09-20T05:57:00.001-04:00

This little New England gal's heart swelled with pride when Bon Appétit named Portland "America's Foodiest Small Town" a couple of year's ago. But as much as I've enjoyed the rise of the local food scene, I'll admit that there still is plenty of open space for top notch ethnic eats. I'll never say no to good hummus and pita and in New York there's both supply and demand aplenty. But authentic, Israeli hummus in Maine? This was something worth checking out...

I spotted the Ariel's Hummus tent at the Freeport Farmer's Market (Fridays from 2 to 5:30 p.m. in Discovery Park by L. L. Bean). Amit Glazer (pictured), Ariel's brother was generously offering samples. The preservative-free, hummus is make with organic chickpeas and a generous pour of olive oil. In addition to the original hummus they also make a Chipotle Cilantro, a green tinged fresh yet spicy twist on the classic dip. Their smooth and satisfying hummus is quickly earning a following. Right now it's distributed at select grocery stores including Freeport's Bow Street Market and Royal River Natural Foods.

Lawman gave two thumbs up to their homemade baklava. Loaded with walnuts and pistachios and cut into bite-sized morsels, he called it a fitting end to a perfect picnic lunch.

They don't have a full website yet, but you can keep tabs on them by liking Ariel's Hummus on Facebook.

Peach Doughnuts at Northern Spy!

2011-09-19T05:00:00.001-04:00

I absolutely fell in love with Northern Spy Food Co. when I had lunch there back in the spring. I wanted to return during the summer since their menu does change with the seasons, but it wasn't until the season was almost over that I finally got the chance to stop by again. And yet again, it didn't disappoint.

A dear friend and I met up for a little lunching-we were both delighted by our brunchy meals-but it wasn't until we got to dessert when we were floored. The special of the day was a peach doughnut. It looks simple enough, right? Well inside was a lovely peach jam filling, and as one who isn't so fond of doughnut fillings, I ate this up like it was the last one on Earth. That's why there are no inside shots. I'm already anticipating my next lunchtime visit.

Northern Spy Food Co.
511 East 12th St
(212) 228-5100
www.northernspyfoodco.com

Thai Tea Tapioca

2011-09-15T06:11:00.002-04:00

I like Thai Iced Tea...in theory. Or shall we say I really, really wished I liked Thai Iced Tea because it seems like a fun thing to have with takeout. But with copious amounts of sweetened condensed milk, the reality is, Thai Iced Tea is just too sweet for me. Still the idea of a sweet accompaniment to a Thai dinner is appealing and while I love mango sticky rice 1) some places only carry it in season and 2) at $5 a serving (you won't find me sharing more than a bite of my mango sticky rice) it's expensive. Enter my newest dessert concoction: Thai Tea Tapioca...

If you can have tapioca pearls IN your Thai Tea, why not make tapioca pudding OUT of Thai Tea? Inspired by a 1920s Coffee Tapioca recipe I wrote about as part of my weekly American Classics column over at Serious Sweets, this recipe is super easy and super tasty.

Serves 4
Time: 15 minutes active, 2 hours and 15 minutes, total

2 cups strong Thai Tea
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup instant tapioca
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup heavy cream (optional)
1 tablespoon sugar (optional)

In a medium saucepan combine tea, sweetened condensed milk, tapioca, vanilla, and salt. Stir well and let sit for 5 minutes.

Bring mixture to a full boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. You'll know it's ready when the mixture continues bubbling while being stirred. Remove from heat and divide among 4 serving glasses (highball glasses work well). Chill for 2-3 hours.

In the bowl of a stand mixer combine heavy cream and one tablespoon of sugar. Using the whisk attachment whip until peaks form. Divide whipped cream among chilled portions.

The whipped cream is totally optional, always welcome, but there's no need to gild this lily. These cool and light treats are most refreshing. Enjoy!