I had the opportunity to shoot some photos for my Zagat round-up of decadent chocolate desserts and had a ton of fun meeting some of the great minds behind the sweets. The slideshow required just one photo per dish, though, which leaves me with a lot of extras.
Instead of letting them collect (proverbial) dust in my hard drive, I thought I'd share some of the outtakes here. Take a scroll through and let me know what you think. Which dessert are you most excited to try?
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.
And here we thought — with temperatures hitting the 40s and all — that the end of winter was finally in sight. But the weather gods don't seem to agree and they plan on hitting the East Coast with yet another round of chilly weather next week. On the bright (albeit cold) side, that means it's still prime hot pot season, which makes my friend Elyse's handy guide to Japanese shabu shabu all the more useful.
Stay warm out there!
"Something appealingly unexceptional can provide a great deal of pleasure." That's Grub Street on Junior's iconic cheesecake. News broke this week that the Brooklyn standby is selling its flagship building to... a condo developer.
Time magazine picks the Kit Kat as the most influential candy bar of all time. Do you agree? (Japan seems to.)
Ever wonder what happens at the end of a restaurant shift? Edible Manhattan pops into Louro after-hours.
If you haven't already, check out the Piglet, Food52's annual cookbook face-off. The latest installment, written by Cherry Bombe EIC Kerry Diamond (she also co-owns Seersucker and Nightingale 9 restaurants), is fun and more importantly, pro-cupcake.
Finally, That Food Cray put together a list of her must-try Kyoto eats. I also loved the soy milk doughnuts at Nishiki Market and the soy milk dashi ramen at Mamezen (above). Sense a theme? Find more Japan photos here.
Another snow day, another batch of treats — this time red velvet crinkle cookies via Classy Cooking. I made a few small tweaks, like swapping out half the white chocolate chips for semi-sweet pieces, which gave the cookies a stronger cocoa flavor. I pulled them from the oven at the suggested 13-minute bake time and they came out perfect — soft on the inside with a slightly crusty top and bits of chocolate throughout.
Since it is Valentine's Day, let's end the week with the latest sweet reads.
Serious Eats takes us behind-the-scenes of Roni-Sue's Chocolates' truffle-making operation.
Ligaya Mishan — the writer behind the New York Times' Hungry City column — samples the city's plethora of dessert tastings. Anyone up for a trip to Patisserie Tomoko?
According to Time Out New York, the cookie plate is making a comeback.
Oh Joy whips up a batch of edible valentines.
Finally, Thrillist has your NYC hot chocolate checklist.
Have a great weekend!
Guys and gals, it's not too late to pick up the perfect Valentine's Day gift — and by perfect, I obviously mean one that's chocolate-y and loaded with sugar. Luckily, there's no shortage of unique chocolate-makers in New York City, which means it's time to think outside of the (Godiva) box.
P.S. Dominique Ansel — yes, he of cronut fame — is bringing back his once-a-year collection of all pink pastries, including this adorable cupid religieuse. Get in line early.