Betty Bakery

Peanut butter chocolate pie at Betty Bakery

Send me out to run errands and I'll inevitably make a pit stop for dessert. That's how last weekend's trip to Target lead to a slice of peanut butter chocolate pie from Betty Bakery.

The Boerum Hill bakeshop has become quite well-known for its versions of Hostess treats (food writer Rachel Wharton featured their Ring-A-Ding and Twink in our Eating Along the Q column last summer), so I was pretty disappointed that the one I got was crumbly and overly sweet. 

The pie was much better, but still not as good as the one at Billy's Bakery. Topped with a chocolate syrup and crumbled bits of peanut butter cup, Billy's version is about as decadent as they come. Though their location is far more out of the way, I'd much rather trek to Chelsea than get the one from Betty's again.

Betty Bakery, 448 Atlantic Ave. between Bond and Nevins Sts., Brooklyn (718-246-2402)

Shaved Asparagus Pizza

Shaved asparagus pizza

I spotted this on Gail's Instagram yesterday — she's the fabulous baker and decorator behind One Tough Cookie — and suddenly had a craving for shaved asparagus pizza.

The original recipe comes from Smitten Kitchen, one of my favorite food blogs. I had the pleasure of interviewing Deb, the writer behind all of the deliciousness, last fall when "The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook" came out and she's the same in person as she is online: cheerful, witty and incredibly humble.

Snapshots: Chicago 2012

With a long weekend to Chicago booked for April, I'm already starting to cobble together a restaurant list. My three day jaunt to the Windy City last February (note: dead of winter is probably not the best time to go sightseeing in Chicago) only gave us enough time for a handful of meals, but boy, were they good ones.

While Stephanie Izard's Girl & the Goat met expectations (order the roasted pig face), The Purple Pig was my favorite.

We stumbled into the restaurant — located right along the Magnificent Mile — on a blustery night with no reservations and managed to snag seats at the cozy communal table. The roasted bone marrow was decadent and delicious, but it was, surprisingly, a non-pig dish—the calamari with fregola, radishes and pistachios—that ended up being the most memorable.

Cinco Jotas Jamón Ibérico

Jamón Ibérico

This is what happens with a dangerously sharp knife meets a huge hunk of Spanish jamon. Paper thin slices of salty, fatty deliciousness.

The master carver at work here is part of a team from Spain's Cinco Jotas, a company famed for its pure breed Ibérico pigs. They were in town a few weeks ago to hold a press tasting at Despana, a colorful sandwich shop on Broome St. that sells everything from handmade chorizo to Spanish cookbooks, and I was lucky enough to sit front row as the cutting action began.

The master carver in action

The master carver in action

So what makes this jamon better than, say, prosciutto or (not that it can really compare) good ol' American ham?

Experts could probably go on and on about how each pig roams freely across two acres of land and dines on three varieties of acorns, but I think the Cinco Jotas rep summed it up best: "They're happy pigs."

Dominique Ansel Bakery

Cupid religieuse at Dominique Ansel Bakery

I've never cared for Valentine's Day as a so-called holiday, but I do love all the sweets that have become associated with it. My favorite this year: Dominique Ansel's Cupid Religieuse. The French pastry chef went all out this February 14th, filling up his cases with pink versions of the bakery's best-selling treats. 

I stumbled across a video of Ansel at work and his whimsical approach to the timeless French pastry makes me appreciate his bakery even more. I've been a huge fan of the charming SoHo spot since I stopped by for the first time last June (late to the game, I know) and had the made-to-order madeleines. It takes five minutes to prepare, but the piping hot mini cakes are well worth the wait.

Dominique Ansel Bakery, 189 Spring St. between Sullivan and Thompson Sts. (212) 219-2773