Weekend Reading

Creme brûlée French toast at Green Eggs Cafe

It's been a pretty hectic week — I spent two days running around New York City shooting some desserts for an upcoming story — and tomorrow, I'll be off to Philly for an early birthday weekend with two lovely ladies. Lots of good eating to look forward to, including creme brûlée French toast at Green Eggs Cafe and pastries at Federal Donuts. If you have a favorite spot I shouldn't miss, let me know!

The final season of Mad Men kicks off on Sunday. Check out my contributions to Zagat's round-up of 50 places to go retro in the United States: Alaska, Delaware, New Hampshire, Vermont and Washington.

Grub Street has a fascinating look at how the front-of-house staff at Eleven Madison Park has modernized old-school service. 

Kat Cole — the president of Cinnabon — isn't your typical fast food CEO, according to this fascinating profile by Fast Company.

A comic book-inspired banner, gyoza-making GIF, plus Justin Warner's guide to molecular gastronomy — if you're a curious cook, be sure to check out Cooking Channel's latest package of kitchen adventures.

Finally, I'll always be a Brooklyn girl, but Thrillist says Queens is the best borough — they do have superior dumplings.

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: Chinese New Year Edition

Shrimp and snow pea leaf dumplings at Nom Wah Tea Parlor

We're still a week away from Chinese New Year and I'm already thinking about all the delicious things to be devoured, from the reunion feast to the turnip cake and nian gao that my aunt and grandma whip up just once a year. To get in the spirit, here are some festive posts — both new and old.

First We Feast gathered some fantastic black and white photos of old Chinatown from the New-York Historical Society.

Do you know the difference between har gow and fun kor? YumSugar breaks it all down in their ultimate dim sum guide.

Speaking of dim sum, Nom Wah Tea Parlor — home to the amazing dumplings above — was my pick as one of the best Chinese restaurants in New York City back in 2012.

New York's Chinatowns keep on expanding. Check out the good eats in one of the newest: Elmhurst.

Last year, I interviewed food bloggers Jessica Lee Binder (Food Mayhem), Kian Lam Kho (Red Cook) and Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan (A Tiger in the Kitchen), who all shared delicious and auspicious recipes to ring in the new year.

If you want to let others do the cooking, Pok Pok and Xi'an Famous Foods are joining forces for a five-course Thai and Chinese dinner.

Gong hay fat choy!