Eat Sweet or Die Bitter

Alright, I took some time off from blogging to just breathe a little. Big things are happening, and time seemed to be running away from me. But I did have time to try out a b&w cookie, at Crumbs.

I’ll be honest, it was ok. The cookie was very biscuity, the icings/frostings were too sweet and too thick. And if there is one thing I hate, HATE,  its coffee flavored chocolate icing. Adding espresso powder to boost the chocolate flavor is fine, but too much and it tastes like coffee. Work this out Crumbs! I’ll be going out to try some more cookies and I’ll get back to you. Hopefully I can find some more contenders, cuz Crumbs isn’t cutting it.

Now on to gnocchi. I’ve had gnocchi only a few times in my life, only made it once before in pastry school when I made it into chocolate gnocchi with candied figs and strawberry balsamic gelato rolled in strawberry chips… Ah memories. Anyway, Top Chef All-Stars got me really interested in learning to make gnocchi the savory way, so I had to give it a try. (Btw, here is a pic of me and Top Chef All-Star winner Richard Blais)

So, my pastry chef friend Sam and I went to work making delicious gnocchi and a nice marinara. It was awesome to say the least. You can find a basic recipe for gnocchi here which is what I used, although we added some grated pecorino romano. It was by far one of the best dinners I’ve made in a while. Thanks Sam!!

Now, as a pastry maiden, I love the idea of being able to cook in the quiet and peace of my home, fulfilling orders and sending them out. It seems quite nice in many ways. But on a larger scale, it seems terrifying. I’m a bit of a perfectionist so it would take me a while to make something I consider good enough to send out and then package it so that nothing bad happens to my sweet babies. Which is why I leave this kind of work to Suzanne’s Sweets, who does an impeccable job.

Now, having heard of the B&W cookie project, a few bakeries contacted me to come taste their cookies or to send their cookies to me. I’ll always accept cookies. Always. But I have to be fair as well, and give honest to goodness reviews which I fully intend to give. It just so happens that my first package of cookies were uniquely exceptional.

Suzanne’s Sweets is a nice online business and as such, they have the packaging and sending down to a “T”. I got purple gift paper in mine; my favorite color! Already off to a good start. There was a nice note, and three cookies. I dug in with my roomie. I said Suzanne’s Sweets b&w cookies were uniquely exceptional for a reason. They are the fluffiest darn cookies I’ve ever had! Seriously ever. Now my roomie hates b&w cookies, but was willing to give it a try since she doesn’t want to see me wolf down three cookies which I am sure to do if someone doesn’t step in to take them away. She loved these cookies. The only flaw with the cookie, and I’m nitpicking to find one, is that the white/vanilla icing is a little thicker than the black/chocolate side, which can seem a bit gummy. But even then, it’s miniscule.  Because the cookie is so fluffy, bouncy, with great flavor on the chocolate side, it’s in it’s own league. Nearly every other black and white cookie I’ve had has been more cakey or dry, this was very different in the right kind of way. So this is going to the top of the list with Glaser’s Bake Shop on the cookies to beat- if you combine these two together, I think this would be the b&w cookie that would rule this world. 

Btw, I did my homework on Suzanne’s Sweets website which you can find here- there is a recipe on her site for an apple cake. I had to try it- so I made it one afternoon and Suzanne, that recipe is deliciously wonderful. I urge everyone to try it, seriously, it was a big awesomely awesome cake that my staff ate like it was the last time they’ll ever eat. Now I have to try your rugelach, expect an order soon!

On to the next B&W cookies, hopefully I’ll be heading out to Queens and Brooklyn soon. I have high hopes for the other boroughs.

When one does an online search of the best B&W cookies in NYC, William Greenberg, Jr. Desserts name pops up a few times. It’s won awards and people love their cookies, and apparently they are the best. Notice a pattern? Everyone says they have the best, but that’s my job to find out.

I have to admit here, I loved the staff. The staff was terrific; helpful, friendly and spunky. They made buying a few cookies at a bakery really awesome. So service-wise, you guys are the best. The cookie on the other hand…. not so much.

The cookie is nice; spongy, dense, cake-like cookie. However, the icing loses me. The ratio of cake to icing- 2.5:1. And the worst part is, I could forgive this if the icing rocked my world. But it didn’t. The flavor was sweet, the chocolate was bland, the vanilla was gummy. I don’t like having to chew my icing or having it stuck to the roof of my mouth, and that is weird considering there really wasn’t that much of it. The texture is fondant like with a combo of royal icing. I wanted to love this cookie, really because the staff were so darn awesome, but the cookie fell short. And also- they cost $3.50 a pop, which although the sizing was big for sure, just didn’t translate as being worth the money. All I can say is- on to the next one.

I’ve got my cookies cut out for me, all I need to do is get to them all without adding a few inches to my waistband and of course, still finding the best B&W cookie in NYC. This mission is on!

Well as you may remember, I am in search of the best Black & White Cookie in NYC. So far I’ve tried Ruthy’s of Chelsea Market and now to add to that, Glaser’s Bake Shop on the Upper East Side. They have probably one of the most popular B&W cookies in Manhattan, and after trying it, I know why.

I’ll admit, the inside of the Bake Shop is a bit dark, spacious and to be honest, boring.  But their B&W isn’t boring at all. The texture is perfect; cakey without losing it’s cookie quality. The icings are the best yet; flavorful, fresh and not fondant! It was an absolute sensation, especially the fudge side which was perfectly gooey and had great chocolate flavor which most B&Ws I’ve tried lack . Another plus? This was by far the cheapest B&W I found in NYC; $1.50 a pop. The only bad thing, and it’s really not even that bad, I can say is that they are a bit smaller than most B&W cookies. But this could be that it was just so darn tasty that I couldn’t get enough. Whatever the case, these cookies should not- EVER- be missed. On my experiences so far, this is the cookie to beat.

This is a hard job, but someone has to do it. Looking forward to the next Black & White Cookies project post. It’s the only time I get to eat them!

I’m going to be honest with you- I’ve never really liked Irish Soda Bread. I always found it dry and too tangy, I know these are terrible accusations. You tell this to other traditionalists and Irish people (and there were never a lack of em’ in Boston) and they’ll tell you, “Oh I’ve got a recipe” or “My grandma makes the best.” Yeah, yeah we know already but give me something flavorful and moist and I’ll  be on it with a Guinness in a pub with live folk music.

So here is the best Irish Soda Bread you might ever find, have or make. It’s got the cross on top and sure it’s got raisins and baking soda, but adding golden raisins, brown raisins and craisins really make it pop. That and the addition of sour cream (a perfect scone making tip) add moisture, flavor and deliciosity. Yeah, that’s a word.

Irish Soda Bread

• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick unsalted butter, cut into small cubes and frozen, plus more, softened, for skillet
• 1 (8-ounce) container sour cream or plain yogurt
• 1 large egg
• 2 cups raisins/craisins
• 1 cup buttermilk

How to make:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees with a rack set in lower third of oven. Lightly butter little tins; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. Add butter, sour cream and egg; mix, using a pastry blender, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
4. Stir in raisins/craisins, buttermilk, and caraway seeds, if using, and mix until a sticky dough forms.
5. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Using a floured bench scraper, form in small round loaves; score a large “X” in the center.
6. Place in prepared tins and transfer to oven. Bake until loaves are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Enjoy!

So I was watching Chopped All-Stars , and I thought DAMN Chefs Robert Irvine and Anne Burrell are pretty awesome. Sometimes I don’t like Food personalities- people like Rachel Ray, Guy Fieri, Nigella Lawson…. and it’s not because they aren’t chefs, it’s because they are quite obnoxious. They are everywhere, don’t show proper cleanliness in their kitchens, and although they love food, I’m sure they love the money more. Anyway the point is, Chef Robert Irvine and Chef Anne Burrell are the kind of chefs you love; sure they are in the spotlight but they can back up everything they do with just amazing talent. It’s inspiring to watch their passion shine through in so many formats. 

For me, I’m learning my formats. I’ve done food writing, I love it but I haven’t gathered what exactly I want to write about and write about well. I’m finding that out as I go, which is probably why I’ve taken some time off from blogging. I’m going to be throwing a lot of posts on here soon featuring restaurants, recipes, and more in search of the best black & white cookies posts. 

I’ll also be positing every two weeks my dinner parties- this upcoming Friday I hope to make traditionally Irish lamb stew and brown bread. So stay tuned, and thank all of you!

New York City is known for their black & white cookies, and goodness gracious, they are good! But who has the best black & white cookie in the city? Good question. I’m on the prowl for the best of the best, because I want to beat it. Yes, I said it. I want to try the best damn black & white cookie I can find and then I want to outdo it. It’s Throwdown without Bobby Flay. And I should preface, this is the first of many, many projects that will have me all over NYC in search of the best pizza, burger, chocolate chip cookie, gelato, German chocolate cake, etc.,etc.,.

So my first review is of Ruthy’s in Chelsea Market. I heard from a source they are good,so I gave it a shot. But let’s get something straight first- everyone has a different idea about black & white cookies. Here are the basics; they have a cake-like texture, soft and fluffy. On top, they can either have fondant (that hard white paste that’s more like white sweet dough than real frosting) or they can have fudge or icing, it’s up to the makers really. The only thing that matters is that one side is black, the other white. That said, I’m partial to a difference in flavor, my black side should be chocolaty and the white should be sweet and vanilla-y. I also really like the texture of fondant on top though too, I don’t need something cakey or gooey on top of an already cakey texture now do I?

So here goes. Ruthy’s of Chelsea Market offers a nice, traditional and extremely boring black and white cookie. I found it bland, there wasn’t much difference in the flavor between the black and the white, although the texture was perfect, more flavor please! Now it could have been worse, but a few steps up in the flavor department and it would have been the cookie to beat. So they get a score of C-.  My search continues……

Btw, I ate a ginger cookie from Eleni’s of Chelsea Market as well. It was perfect! I’ve never really had ginger cookies before, and although it’s similar to my fave-molasses cookies, it’s still too different to compare. That said, these were great (mildly) flavored ginger cookies that gave enough of a punch to really enjoy them. They were chewy and terrific. Definitely an A in my book.

Until next time.

In order to teach myself more culinary technique, I decided to begin throwing dinner parties where I can improve and learn. And thank goodness, I am learning. The first dinner party was kind of an experiment, and the second was a success. The first one had some mango and basil bruschetta (seen left) on homemade whole wheat baguettes, chicken pot pie with a twist, and German apple pancakes for dessert. Easy and fun. The first one was great for learning pot pie, there are a lot of steps to it. But the second one was all about flavors.

Salmon and Cream Cheese crudites:

It’s so simple really. Just grab some thin baked pita chips, some smoked salmon, half a block of cream cheese and some diced chives. Mix together the cream cheese with some diced chives, reserving some of the chives as a topper. Layer a piece of salmon, a small dollop of cream cheese and chives, and then some chives on top. Easy and delicious.

Pizzas!

I made a very basic whole wheat pizza crust, sprinkled with crushed red peppers and garlic before everything goes on top. You can find a basic recipe here, although I have made some revisions based on personal taste.

For the spicy veggie pizza, I chopped up some asparagus, onions, and tomatoes. I added some basil and thyme and olive oil and let it cook so it was a bit of a nice sauce. I removed from heat, added some peppers, more herbs and seasonings, a little oregano and adobo do the trick. I put on top of my pizza dough and placed some sliced tomatoes on top. I sprinkled some fresh mozzarella on top, you can grate it but I just cut it into small cubes. I sprinkled some more basil and voila! Beautiful and really tasty.

Now, the goat cheese and spinach pizza was a big hit. In fact people cut into it before I could grab a picture the first time, but I made it again only not as pretty. Here is what I did: I took half a bag of spinach,  tossed it with a Tablespoon or 2 of olive oil and placed it on my pizza dough. I topped it with some diced tomatoes tossed with adobo and salt & pepper. Then sprinkle a generous amount of crumbled goat cheese and boom! Amazing.

Now, in a few days you will have my post about black & white cookies in NYC. It will be lots o’ fun.

You know as of late I’ve been asked a few times what the difference is between a chef, a cook, and a foodie. As a chef, we like our distinctions for a lot of reasons. A chef has formal/ professional training, a cook is someone who cooks perhaps not professionally but lacks the education, and a foodie is someone who may like to cook, maybe a chef, but mostly they are the lovers and connoiseurs of food. See this is all really tricky because I like to think chefs and cooks should be foodies too, I mean hopefully they are passionate about cooking because they love food so darn much. But that’s not entirely true; I’ve met a few chefs that make amazing food but don’t really care about dissecting it or eating it. Strange right?

When you go through extensive culinary/pastry training you find yourself with a more discerning palate, a bit egoistic, and definitely arrogant. That is, in fact, the nature of chefs. Now this is not so sweeping of a generalization. Consider for a moment how much bravado it takes to walk into a fancy schmancy restaurant and bench test (make an amazing dessert/entree for the executive) for a position. You have to be confident, and we know this, but unfortunately there is not always an off switch.  So foodies should never despair, if a chef seems like an absolute ass, it’s not you, it’s them. No one wants to be showed up by someone without training but que sera sera. I think we all need to get to the point where we are ok with learning from one another because no matter how much training a chef has, no one is an absolute expert on all things food.

Now here is a thing to remember people, chefs have egos and we don’t like when you talk down to us about food. I am definitely aware that your grandma made the best pecan pie, but I’m not your grandma and I’m not competing against her. So don’t go telling me how she made it and why I should do it her way. We have our own ways. This is a big thing to know, foodies and chefs alike; whenever you eat something, try not to compare it to other things, appreciate the differences because every cook, chef and foodie is different. If you don’t marvel in the differences, you never really broaden your palate.

Now back when I was a kid watching Julia Child on PBS, I knew food fascinated me. I am a proud chef but even more proud to be a foodie. What would Julia say if she saw so many more people fascinated by food? With all these food blogs popping up, instant critiques of restaurants by absolute nobodies, and classes like food photography and styling being offered, we are in the midst of a food revolution. It may seem chaotic in some ways because we used to give all the authority to food critics and chefs, but with the inclusion of self-titled foodies, the food world as we knew it has expanded beyond our dreams. Now we have Top Chef, Cooking Channel AND Food Network, celebrity chefs, not to mention countless wedding cake shows and TLC branching out with that Buddy dude. Being a foodie, a chef and a cook has never been so popular, and is it a good thing? We’ll see. But I do know I love this food world, and we need to keep having dialogues about food because it’s beautiful, it’s wonderful, it’s necessary. Julia would be proud.

Now, the search for the best Black & White cookie continues…..

ESDB

If you have ever loved something – truly loved it, you would say that it holds a special place in your heart, that your life would be less meaningful without it, and even things aren’t as great as you know they could be, you are willing to keep trying sans reluctance. There are very few things I feel that way about – in fact, there are just three: 1. myself, 2 my relationships, and 3. FOOD.

It’s remarkable how unconditional my love is for food. It’s hard to say when it happened for me, but each morning for as long as I can remember, I had cooking shows on before school. It was then that I became acquainted with Julia Child, who of course, was by far my favorite. She made food less serious, she made mistakes and she made people fall in love with her while she fostered their love of food. I didn’t know then that I wanted to become a chef, not even that I  wanted to make what she made, but fascination took over from there. I couldn’t just have peanut butter and jelly sandwiches after that, no no, I had to have layers of meats, vegetables, sauces just a certain way on my wheat bread. Making sandwiches became a favorite pastime.

It was only when I incidentally exploded a cookie in the microwave that I began to branch out more with my own creations. Cookies became a gateway to bigger and better things. I learned that I could follow recipes, but that I subconsciously steer away from it. Now I’ve come to understand that cooking is a way of personal expression. I don’t want to make something someone else created good, I want to make something I created great. I want to see the best of the best and come close to it, if not better than it.

It’s not about ego, I know I’m talented but talented people are all over the world. When it comes to talented chefs, pastry chefs are everywhere, clawing at each other for the top spot because there aren’t many top spots. You can have the four-year degree, and to my knowledge, not many do, or you can work your way into it. I’m the former for so many reasons. I want to know the science of food, how it works and how you can use that to create. The foundations and fundamentals of food are necessary for success and innovation, at least to me.

As this begins the new year, it’s time to decide on new things to jumpstart my personal expressions. What to expect? I want to take on culinary technique, I want to go to the best places for the best things, and find a way to equal them if not outdo them. But mostly I want to have conversations about food, experiences, places and ideas with you. So welcome back to Eat Sweet or Die Bitter where the posts will change, but the sentiment is still the same. It’s all about love and finding new ways to express it.