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.
Ask a candy lover what their favorite holiday is and the answer usually seems to be Easter — it is, after all, the time of year when cult favorites like Cadbury creme eggs and Peeps are back on the market. But as I learned last year while working on this piece about upgraded Easter sweets, there are also some really unique options.
One of my favorite stops for the story was Sockerbit, a Swedish candy store in the West Village. According to the owners, Swedes have a huge sweet tooth and it's an Easter tradition to give kids paper-mâché eggs stuffed with candy. If you're in the neighborhood this week, make sure to stop by and fill one up.
Sockerbit, 89 Christopher St. between Bleecker St. and Seventh Ave. South (212-206-8170)
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.
Mark your calendars! Next month, a team of NYC food bloggers are throwing a bake sale at the Brooklyn Flea to raise money for No Kid Hungry. There'll be plenty of delicious confections, including items from many of the talented Sweet Sensations participants. I still haven't decided on what to make, but it'll likely be these red velvet crinkle cookies. They were a huge hit last time and well, you can't really go wrong with chocolate, right?
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