Weekend Reading

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.

Snapshots: Noodle Soups

Noodle soup weather is finally moving on — though to be fair, I eat bowlfuls of this stuff all year round, scorching summer months included. Here are four I recently slurped down to conquer this winter's never-ending cold.

Pho tai nam gan sach at Xe Lua
While this wasn't the best pho I've had, it certainly was the largest. The bigger-than-your-face bowl — with slices of raw beef, tripe and onions bobbing throughout — could easily feed two. It's a good option if you're downtown for jury duty and looking for a quick, filling lunch. 86 Mulberry St between Bayard and Canal Sts. (212-577-8887)

Beef hand-pulled noodle soup at Lao Bei Fang Dumpling House
"Dumpling" may be the in the name of this mom-and-pop operation, but the belly-warming niu rou shou la mian — brimming with brisket, bok choy and pliant hand-pulled noodles — is not to be missed. But if you really are craving juicy, meat-filled pockets, go for the fennel-flecked pork dumplings, instead of the typical pork-and-chive variety. 83-05 Broadway at Cornish Ave, Elmhurst, Queens (718-639-3996)

Spicy ramen at Totto Ramen
A new second outpost means double the chance at scoring a seat. The best perch is still at the blonde wood bar, where you can watch chefs torch fatty pieces of char siu for their rayu-slicked ramen. The crimson-colored chili oil definitely gives the bowl a bit of a kick, but not so much that you can't taste the deep chicken-based broth. 464 W. 51st St. between Ninth and Tenth Ave. (646-596-9056)

Chicken burdock dip soba at Cocoron
Dip, slurp, repeat. Burdock root gives this bubbling, meatball-studded broth an herbal edge, but doesn't overwhelm the light buckwheat flavor of the noodles. Remember not to leave the strands in there for too long or they'll lose that wonderful al dente snap. 37 Kenmare St. between Elizabeth and Mott Sts. (212-966-0800) 

Weekend Reading

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Lobster roll from Red Hook Lobster Pound at Smorgasburg

Another week, another batch of reads. Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Outdoor market season is soon beginning and Zagat kicks things off with a huge preview of the 20 new vendors hoping to make it big at Smorgasburg, making its return next Saturday. Which are you most excited to try?

For their debut sweets column on Eater, food writers Charlotte Druckman and Gabriella Gershenson visit the baklava specialists at Gravesend's Mansoura. In other dessert news, the New York Times ponders whether the race to make the next hybrid hit is a real treat or half-baked.

Slate has a fascinating look at the female abalone divers of Japan, while Serious Eats gathers some very interesting stories from the diner's most essential player: the short order cook.

Matcha fans, head over to Gotham magazine for an emerald-colored round-up of the best green tea drinks in New York City.

Finally, Bon Appetit pokes fun on all those studies claiming to reveal exactly what it is that millennials love to eat and drink. Hint: it seems to be everything.

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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.

Bakery Lorraine: A Taste of France in Texas

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)