Blogger Bake Sale

Mark your calendars! Next month, a team of NYC food bloggers are throwing a bake sale at the Brooklyn Flea to raise money for No Kid Hungry. There'll be plenty of delicious confections, including items from many of the talented Sweet Sensations participants. I still haven't decided on what to make, but it'll likely be these red velvet crinkle cookies. They were a huge hit last time and well, you can't really go wrong with chocolate, right?

P.S. Make a donation now for a chance to win some awesome culinary prizes.

Weekend Reading

Salted crack caramel at Ample Hills

Salted crack caramel at Ample Hills

What a gorgeous weekend! I spent both days in Brooklyn, grabbing coffee with my cousin Kevin at Milk & Honey Cafe on Saturday afternoon, then in the kitchen for most of Sunday testing out recipes for an upcoming project. More details on that to come — meanwhile, here are some reads to catch up on during your Monday morning commute.

Ice cream season is finally here and A Fork in the Road chats with the owners of Ample Hills Creamery — purveyors of the aptly-named salted crack caramel — about their popularity and upcoming expansion

Like Girl Scout Cookies, Mallomacs are available just once a year. WNYC follows one fan on his quest to find the chocolate-covered treat.

Gothamist has a fascinating interview with bitters expert Mark Bitterman (that's really his name!) on the herbaceous tinctures typically used in cocktails.

Former TONY editrix Jordana Rothman looks at the legendary families of the restaurant world, including Brooklyn's own Di Fara's.

Finally, head over to Ms. I-Hua for a two-part photo tour of Penang, Malaysia — the first is full of mouthwatering food shots.

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.

Weekend Reading: Valentine's Day Edition

Red velvet crinkle cookies

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!

Snow Day Snickerdoodles

Speculoos snickerdoodles

When we were pummeled with nearly a foot of the white stuff two weeks ago, it seemed like a good time to whip up a few batches of my favorite cookies: chewy, cinnamon-laced snickerdoodles. I followed this recipe from Smitten Kitchen and loaded the batter up with two heaping spoonfuls of Trader Joe's addictive speculoos spread because, well, you really can't go wrong by adding some cookie butter.

With another snowstorm set to hit the East Coast, don't be surprised to find my stand mixer whirring away this weekend. I have my eye on a few of the sweet treats featured in the Cooking Channel galleries I recently threw together, including Kelsey Nixon's s'mores pudding pie and Bobby Deen's coconut tiramisu. What are you craving?