Weekend Reading

Tortellini at All'onda (Photo by Nathan Rawlinson)

I spend a lot of time pouring over newspapers, magazines and blogs in the name of work, which means I'm always stumbling across interesting articles and posts. If you have some free time this weekend, check out some of my favorite food reads of the week, plus a shameless personal plug. 

Don't these chai-spiced cream puffs sound amazing? I'll be giving this recipe a try over the weekend.

Nuggets of dining wisdom from restaurant critic Robert Sietsema on the new glossy Yahoo! Food.

A chat with Chika Tillman, the powerhouse pastry chef behind Chikalicious Dessert Bar and Dessert Club.

Just in time for Chinese New Year, Time Out New York looks at restaurants revamping Peking duck.

Finally, my first piece for Zagat, a round-up of 8 pastas to try right now.

Happy Friday!

Los Tacos No. 1

Tacos at Los Tacos No.1

Tacos at Los Tacos No.1

A perk of working inside Chelsea Market for the next few months? Plenty of lunch breaks at this Cali-inspired taco stand. The handmade tortillas—slapped on the grill right after you order—are small, but heavily packed. My go-to fillings are the carne asada and spicy adobada, a version of al pastor made with nuggets of spit-fired pork and sweet pineapple batons. Lately, I've also been drawn to the milky horchata, which has a light rice flavor and strong cinnamon notes.

Los Tacos No. 1, 75 Ninth Ave. between 15th and 16th Sts. (212-256-0343)

Currently Loving: Food totes

Photo by Plate & Pencil

Photo by Plate & Pencil

In my few years as a features and food writer, I've amassed quite a collection of free tote bags, but none are quite as cute as these three. Each has a culinary theme: one features dumplings from around the world, another highlights round things that are tasty (doughnuts! pies! egg tarts!) and this final one, a recipe for pasta bolognese. Best part? They're all by New Yorkers, so shoppers will be supporting some great local talent.

Happy 2014!

Mong Kok, Hong Kong

At the start of 2013, I was navigating the busy streets of Hong Kong, sampling just about every box drink and Asian-inspired ice cream cone in sight. I'm spending the beginning of this year at home in New York City, ushering in 2014 with far less fanfare (and sadly, no claypot rice). After a tremendously rocky few months, here's to hoping the new year will bring some much-needed stability and even more deliciousness. What are you looking forward to?

Chelsea, New York

Snapshots: Sweet Sensations

Way earlier this year, I was invited by the lovely Hazel of Tasty Pursuits to bake for Sweet Sensations, a charity event that benefits C-CAP (Careers through Culinary Arts Program). I was supposed to post a re-cap many moons ago, but let it slip as I was trying to play catch-up with work and help my parents move. It's more than a little late, but I gathered some shots from the day.

Strawberry mint mojitos

My grasshopper bars

Stephen Colluci, pastry chef extraordinaire, in action

Lillian with chef Stephen Colluci's brownies

​Savory and sweet scones by Jacqueline

Hazel's smoked Sumatra coffee cupcakes

Jacqueline handing out our cookbook door prizes

​Joanne's wasabi and ginger brownies

​Guests taking photos of Josephine's matcha pot de creme with black sesame glass

​Alejandra's springtime Italian rainbow cookies

​Fruit tarts with lavender lemon cream by Louise

​The Old Bowery Station

As a home baker (and to be honest, not even a frequent one), I had no idea how difficult it would be to cook in bulk. Part of it was my own fault: I had my heart set on these grasshopper bars, but had to bake the morning of since there was a wedding to attend the night before. It didn't allow for much trial and error (I discovered very last-minutely that the buttercream should be whipped in batches because a giant bowlful wouldn't aerate properly) or leave enough time for the bars to set thoroughly. Despite a few mini-meltdowns, I managed to send out the incredibly messy (but thankfully, still pretty tasty) squares and got to sample everyone else's delicious treats. I have so much respect for all the wonderful bloggers who participated—they not only produced some amazing sweets, but also kept their cool the entire time.