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.
Grapefruit tiramisu
There are some things you expect to be amazing in Texas, like smoky, melt-in-your-mouth brisket and hearty, belly-busting Tex-Mex. But dainty French macarons? Flaky, orange-scented morning buns? That's not what usually comes to mind.
So imagine my surprise when I stumbled upon Bakery Lorraine, a cozy French-American sweets shop hidden from the hustle and bustle of the Riverwalk by two criss-crossing highways. During a week-long stay in the San Antonio-Austin area, we briefly became regulars, stopping by in the morning for breakfast, then again in the afternoon for a much-needed pick-me-up.
Chocolate cream pie
Our favorite of the bunch was the chocolate cream pie, a mound of velvety cocoa custard and airy whipped cream piled in a chocolate-lined shell and topped with pearls of chocolate crunchies. Every spoonful was cool and creamy — and reminded me oh-so-fondly of the chocolate haupia pie from Ted's Bakery that I've not-so-jokingly claimed as my future wedding, er, pie.
Tiramisu and French toast macarons
Macarons always flew quickly out of the display case and by late afternoon, there was often few in sight. So what does one do to get a taste? Have them for breakfast, of course.
The selection rotates daily — highlighting seasonal ingredients like lemon and black currant — and I went with two of the richer ones available that day: tiramisu and French toast. The light-as-air shells were crackly, the buttercream was silky and both were balanced in flavor — the tiramisu had a surprise dab of chocolate ganache in the center, while the French toast boasted light hints of cinnamon.
Orange cardamom morning bun
Who exactly is turning out top-notch baked goods in such an unexpected place? Husband-and-wife team Jeremy Mandrell and Anne Ng, both alums of Thomas Keller's Bouchon Bakery. When I finally read up on the two, it suddenly made sense why the focus on tarts and macarons seemed a bit familiar (Bouchon's chocolate tart is one of my favorite rough day cure-alls). But it's also clear from the steady stream of customers filling up box after box of macs and the positive local media attention — not to mention a shout-out on CNN's Eatocracy — that the duo have put their own mark on the pastry world. Now, if only they would open up an outpost in New York City — I'd happily become a permanent regular.
Bakery Lorraine, 511 E. Grayson St., San Antonio, Texas (210-862-5582)
If you follow me on Twitter and Instagram, you probably noticed that I was down in San Antonio and Austin this past week, stuffing my face with BBQ, tacos and ridiculously cheap avocados (58 cents!). I have a ton of reading and blogging to catch up on, so I'll keep this week's post short, sweet and dedicated to — what else — Pi Day.
Celebrate this once-a-year convergence of math and dessert with a slice at one of NYC's top pie shops. The leader of that bunch — Gowanus' beloved Four & Twenty Blackbirds — opened a second cafe at the Brooklyn Public Library's Grand Army Plaza HQ today.
Hankering for a specific type 'o pie? My former NYDN colleagues Jake and Amanda tracked down the cream of the crop for the now-retired Best of New York column. Here's where to go for the very best of apple, pumpkin and key lime.
If you rather make your own, Food 52 rounded up 14 recipes that may suit your dough-rolling fancy, while Food & Wine gathers technique tips from experts.
Finally, Brooklyn Daily sits down with pie maven Allison Kave — one half of boozy baking team Butter & Scotch — to chat about her new book, First Prize Pies.
P.S. The slice you see above? My take on Alton Brown's Super Apple Pie (and yes, it's quite super).
I've made coconut panna cotta two weeks in a row now — using a ridiculously easy recipe from Gourmet — as a way to inject a bit of summer into this brutal New York winter. To help fend off the cold-weather blues, try these tropical recipes from some of my favorite food bloggers.
Smitten Kitchen doubled down on island flavors for her coconut tapioca pudding with mango.
This passion fruit tart by Little Box Brownie looks truly exquisite.
In an extra summer-y twist, Aliya adds pomegranate and mint to a classic warm-weather drink, the Arnold Palmer.
Kayley of the Kitchen MacCabe calls key lime the "queen of all citrus pies" — do you agree?
I eat ice cream no matter how cold gets (what polar vortex?) and the pineapple gauva sorbet from Insatiable Munchies sounds absolutely refreshing.
Have a great weekend!
