Weekend Reading

Chocolate cream pie at Robicelli's

What are you up to this weekend? Perhaps off to grab a slice of that delightful chocolate cream pie or any of these — shameless plug — decadent cocoa desserts? I'm kicking things off with midnight ramen at Takashi this evening, followed by a trip to Smorgasburg on Sunday. Excited to see what's new this year.

Hope you have a great one!

I first read about Peter Chang — the elusive Chinese chef who has garnered a cult following — in the New Yorker and was happy to hear from NYT critic Pete Wells that he's settled down... kind of

Speaking of Chinese food, the General Tso's chicken documentary is set to premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival and it sounds like a very fascinating look at the evolution of Chinese-American cuisine.

When Eater announced that they were bringing on three full-time restaurant critics — all of them men — many wondered why there was such a big gender gap in the world of food criticism. This week, Grub Street interviewed female critics past and present on why they think the divide exists and whether the media should consider it when making new hires.  

As old New York continues to disappear, a group of NYC-born photographers have taken on a project to document the city's old-school pizza joints.

Finally, one of my favorite finds in Italy was cacio e pepe, an extraordinary simple pasta made with just a handful of ingredients, so I was thrilled to see Food Republic's illustrated guide on how to make the Roman specialty at home.

Snapshots: Noodle Soups

Noodle soup weather is finally moving on — though to be fair, I eat bowlfuls of this stuff all year round, scorching summer months included. Here are four I recently slurped down to conquer this winter's never-ending cold.

Pho tai nam gan sach at Xe Lua
While this wasn't the best pho I've had, it certainly was the largest. The bigger-than-your-face bowl — with slices of raw beef, tripe and onions bobbing throughout — could easily feed two. It's a good option if you're downtown for jury duty and looking for a quick, filling lunch. 86 Mulberry St between Bayard and Canal Sts. (212-577-8887)

Beef hand-pulled noodle soup at Lao Bei Fang Dumpling House
"Dumpling" may be the in the name of this mom-and-pop operation, but the belly-warming niu rou shou la mian — brimming with brisket, bok choy and pliant hand-pulled noodles — is not to be missed. But if you really are craving juicy, meat-filled pockets, go for the fennel-flecked pork dumplings, instead of the typical pork-and-chive variety. 83-05 Broadway at Cornish Ave, Elmhurst, Queens (718-639-3996)

Spicy ramen at Totto Ramen
A new second outpost means double the chance at scoring a seat. The best perch is still at the blonde wood bar, where you can watch chefs torch fatty pieces of char siu for their rayu-slicked ramen. The crimson-colored chili oil definitely gives the bowl a bit of a kick, but not so much that you can't taste the deep chicken-based broth. 464 W. 51st St. between Ninth and Tenth Ave. (646-596-9056)

Chicken burdock dip soba at Cocoron
Dip, slurp, repeat. Burdock root gives this bubbling, meatball-studded broth an herbal edge, but doesn't overwhelm the light buckwheat flavor of the noodles. Remember not to leave the strands in there for too long or they'll lose that wonderful al dente snap. 37 Kenmare St. between Elizabeth and Mott Sts. (212-966-0800) 

Weekend Reading

San Francisco's Chinatown

Spring at long last! With the days growing longer and some warm weather finally ahead of us, I'm excited to crawl out of my polar vortex hibernation and start ticking off restaurants from the long to-try list that's been building up all winter.

Hope everyone gets to enjoy some sun this weekend — have a great one!

The NY Post rings in the start of spring with a round-up of buzzy new dishes, including the latest from pastry wizard Dominique Ansel: the cookie shot. 

Another place to check out as the weather warms up and the hike to Hell's Kitchen feels less like a trek through the tundra? Gotham West Market, one of the many sprawling spots fueling the food hall revolution. (Don't miss the shio ramen at Ivan Ramen Slurp Shop!) 

There's a boozy boba shop in Los Angeles, shaking up drinks like Heineken-infused green tea and a soju margarita with lychee jelly.

Speaking of the West Coast, check out artist Wendy MacNaughton's illustrated documentary on San Francisco's Chinatown and its unique — sadly, vanishing — culture.  

Finally, my local doughnut shop was profiled by the NY Times this week by fellow NYDN alum Rachel Wharton. Like most places in New York, the beloved neighborhood spot has quite the fascinating story.

Dumplings for Days

Pork and leek dumplings

Pork and leek dumplings

To celebrate the Olympics, the Cooking Channel kitchens whipped up a world's worth of stuffed, pleated deliciousness, from Russian pelmeni to Japanese gyoza. The timing is perfect, as I've been trying to replicate one of my favorite childhood dishes — mom's homemade pork and leek jiaozi After a few attempts, I'm starting to get the folding down, but the flavor isn't quite there yet. When I finally get the seasoning right, I'll post a recipe and how-to — in the meantime, dig into these sweet and savory morsels.

Weekend Reading

It's been a long slushy week — kick off those snow boots and unwind with a cup of hot cocoa, plus some food reads.

Over at Eater, Robert Sietsema looks at Sunset Park's dim sum renaissance.

Old-school is new-school — see which retro desserts are making a comeback.

Real Cheap Eats rolled out their winter guide, chock full of noodles, burgers and babka.

My Cooking Channel colleague Amanda pulled together this gorgeous round-up of cozy, chai-laced treats.

Finally, food photographer extraordinaire Daniel Krieger shares his favorite Brooklyn haunts — and some gorgeous snaps, of course — with Food & Wine.

Have a great weekend!