Desserts of Childhood Past

When I was a teenager, my sister and our best bud, Matty, created a aptly-named dessert, The Fun Dessert of Fun. It was a gut-busting blend of as many sweets we could find: raw Pillsbury Brownie batter mixed with chocolate pudding, chocolate sauce, ice cream, sometimes even crumbled E.L. Fudge sandwich cookies. We were blissfully unaware of adult worries like expanding waistlines and salmonella. All that mattered was the chocolate and the accompanying sugar high; we were nerdlings who didn't booze, but we'd get smashed on sucrose.

As an adult, while my savory palate is more diverse and adventurous, my sweet tooth craves the homey, simple flavors from my youth. However, on menus around town, desserts have become unrecognizable, as mirrored in Adam Gopnik's recent New Yorker article, where he laments "It was as if dessert chefs had given up on dessert and produced something else in it's place." Restaurants are serving architectural concoctions of foams, cakes, and cream that are aesthetically pleasing yet taste nothing like the ingredients of which they are made. Thankfully, a handful of pastry chefs are bringing desserts back into familiar territory, creating delectable treats with a nod to the nostalgic.


Bar Breton
Flatiron
www.barbreton.com


Known for their galettes, savory buckwheat crepes from Brittany, it's no surprise that Bar Breton serves a phenomenal Nutella crepe. They kick it up a notch by adding cocoa powder to the batter, so that the crepe itself is chocolate-y goodness. By serving the crepe sliced in mini-roulades (pictured left), each bite is jam-packed with warm, gooey Nutella. Like an Oreo Double Stuf, an abundance of the filling proves you can't have too much of a good thing




Lupa
Greenwich Village
www.luparestaurant.com

At Lupa, Mario Batali's convivial Roman trattoria, the focus is on wonderfully executed Italian standards like Veal Saltimbocca and Pasta Carbonara. After devouring these hearty dishes, there often isn't room for dessert, but I urge you to make space for Lupa's transcendent Tartufo. A globe of luscious, hazelnut gelato is coated in hard chocolate--think Magic Shell, gourmet style--then dusted with crushed hazelnuts. A pool of bittersweet chocolate sauce brings a hot yin to the gelato's cool yang. In the center, crumbled biscotti and candied cherry give good crunch and sweet.


El Porrón
Upper East Side
www.elporronnyc.com

In America, French toast is reserved for breakfast, yet, other cultures believe this doughy treat belongs at the end of the meal. I had my first taste in Paris, where I devoured pain perdu (lost bread) bathed in crème anglaise. At El Porrón, an authentic Spanish spot, they serve torrejas doused in red wine. While I normally object to boozy desserts--where often alcohol overpowers the dish--these Rioja-soaked beauties are sublime. Like all quality french toast, the bread has been browned to buttery caramelization and you can truly taste the grape's sugar in the syrupy sauce. It all pairs perfectly with a creamy house-made, vanilla ice cream.


Breslin
NoMad
www.thebreslin.com


At the Breslin, April Bloomfield's bustling, pubby restaurant, she revamps a classic, British dessert: syllabub. For you Yanks, syllabub is a whipped delight of cream, sugar and booze. Here, its one part of a 21-and-over, sophisticated sundae. The parfait is composed of layers of chocolate syllabub, stout, crunchy chocolate nibs, boiled caramel and whipped cream I suggest dipping your spoon to the bottom of the glass to ensure warm stout imbues each bite.

Farmhouse Fantasy

ABC Kitchen Flatiron 10 December 10
www.abchome.com
eat: Chicken Liver Toast, Crab Toast, Squash & Ricotta Toast, Waldorf Salad, Cauliflower Soup, Mushroom & Farm Egg Pizza, Sundae, Pumpkin Cake


ABC Carpet & Home has made its name selling shabby chic furniture and home goods. This rustic appeal comes with a luxurious price tag, so it is no surprise that the in-house restaurant, ABC Kitchen, is run by famed chef, Jean-Georges Vongrichten. His first foray into locavore cusine has found a fitting home in these country- fabulous surroundings. In true Jean-Georges style, ABC Kitchen showcases its sustainable style down to every last detail. The plates are handcrafted by a local artisan, the ingredients are locally sourced when possible, and the wine list features bio-dynamic and organic wines. In honor of the holidays, I was invited to lunch with Toni, my sister's mother-in-law and John, an old family friend.


As we enter ABC Kitchen one blustery afternoon, the lovely, zen space provides a welcome respite from the bustling street. The room exudes countrified charm á la Nancy Meyers; like her romantic comedies, this gorgeous, fairytale farmhouse is pure fantasy - no actual barn is this swanky. Wood accents abound, from the salvaged tables to the exposed wood beam ceiling. Nature is brought indoors: fresh-cut flowers are sprinkled in diminutive vases, white birch branches blossom from giant urns, and nature photographs decorate the walls. Old-timey bulbs cast a warm glow in the room. The waiter's uniforms--mismatched, slim-fit plaid shirts (think John Varvatos not John Deere) and stylish jeans--embrace the outdoor-couture vibe. Even the diners seem to have been selected from a casting director’s curated picks of naturally beautiful, stylish people. It's no wonder that our leisurely lunch became a three-hour tour...we didn't want to leave!



We begin with a trio of crostinis, which are available separately, though we couldn’t chose just one of the tempting options. A rosy pink Chicken Liver Paté is sumptuously smooth yet packed with chunky, gamey flavor. A fried sage leaf garnish adds a touch of fall while the olive-oil bathed toast reminds me that one can never have too much fat





Next, a Roasted Kabocha Squash Toast With Fresh Ricotta and Apple-Cider Vinegar. This brilliant, Hermès-orange crostini actually beckons us from the neighboring table; without our fellow diners' savvy ordering, we would have missed out. The comforting combo of sautéed onions and squash paired with creamy cheese and bracing vinegar made me not miss meat.




With the Peekytoe Crab Toast, the mouthwatering crustacean is just-picked fresh. This is high-caliber crab showcased simply with a dollop of lemon aioli. Although the presentation is unfussy, my friend, Toni, reminds me of the painstaking labor involved with picking this much meat from the crab. "Just the knowledge of how much work went into this makes it taste better" she exclaims.



Curious to see Chef Kluger's take on this classic New York dish, we order the Grilled Chicken Waldorf Salad. Fresh greens arrive topped with a medley of textures and flavors: moist, chicken tenders,, crisp julienned apples, salty pistachios, crunchy slivers of fennel, and sweet raisins. Instead of the usual addition of heavy mayonnaise, a cider vinegar dressing keeps this light and healthy. Since my tastes tend towards stick-to-your-ribs food in the winter, I wouldn't order this salad as a stand-alone dish, but it is a refreshing compliment to our other decadent dishes.


Upon John's suggestion, who had adored a carrot soup during a previous visit, we shared the Cauliflower Soup, Rye Croutons, and Rupert Cheese. If, like me, you are crazy about this cruciferous veg, this sublime soup is for you. Each slurp is packed with intense, creamy cauliflower oomph. The croutons are naughtily drenched with olive-oil and add delicious crunch. The Rupert, an aged, raw cow's milk cheese from Vermont's Bardwell Farms, is a nod to the oozy comfort of melted Gruyère traditionally found in French Onion soup.



Mushroom and Farm Egg Pizza This gussied-up white pizza features creamy ricotta, tangy parmesan, woodsy morel mushrooms, and a sunny-side-up fried egg, who's bright yellow yolk adds necessary moisture to an otherwise dry pie. I dig the light and airy whole-wheat crust, which is charred to a perfect crisp.





The sizable sundae, a destination-worthy knockout, is a welcome respite from frou-frou desserts. The winning combo is a four-part harmony of salty, sweet, chocolaty, and crunchy: Salted Caramel ice cream--the über-trendy flavor which has yet to bore me--, Caramel Popcorn, Candied Peanuts, bitter, rich chocolate sauce and a quenelle of luscious whipped cream. To illustrate this sundae's greatness, though Toni said she just had room for one bite, she almost polished it off (with my help, of course!)



Pumpkin Cake with Maple-Buttercream Frosting and Pistachios My relationship with maple is tenuous; I adore the autumnal-flavor, yet loathe the stickiness of syrup. Here, I happily get my maple fix --in a heavenly, buttery, not-too-sweet icing--which pairs perfectly with a moist, firm pumpkin cake.




After such a pleasurable lunch, I can see why ABC Kitchen has topped so many "Best Of" lists in NYC. It has heightened the locavore movement to a whole new level, all while maintaining delicious, unfussy food. Sure, you can enjoy fresh-picked produce at the farmer's market or in the comforts of your own home, but if you're looking for a treat, this place is for you.

An Apple a Day

Northern Spy Food Co. East Village 13 November 10
www.northernspyfoodco.com
eat: Housemade Granola and Yogurt, Kale Salad, Corned Beef Hash, Biscuits
sip: Strongtree Coffee


My apple fetish began with an October road trip upstate. Surrounded by stunning fall foliage, I munched apple donuts, sipped hot cider, and chomped on freshly-picked apples. Back in the city, I baked comforting crumbles weekly. Even my Halloween costume - a leafy homage to autumn - was inspired by apples. When New York Magazine published Beyond Delicious, a visual apple-ography of Greenmarket offerings, it was exciting as the September Issue of Vogue. As I scanned the myriad of heirloom apple varieties, one name caught my eye, Northern Spy, both for the mouth-watering description and also because it had a familiar ring to it. Where did I know it from? Then I remembered that East Village restaurant that kept catching my eye: Northern Spy Food Co.


Named after the aforementioned New York apple, Northern Spy Food Co. is a welcoming, neighborhood restaurant that focuses on local, seasonal fare. Last weekend, I dropped by for brunch with my amigas. It is an adorable joint that brims with homey cuteness - vintage wallpaper, Robin Egg blue benches, even an apple-scented bathroom air freshener - without being too precious. Their sustainability credo extends beyond the food; most of the interior design stems from salvaged materials, including the wooden dining tables made from bowling alley lanes. We are seated in a cozy nook (pictured above) who's diminutive size is well-suited for sharing and gossip.



Our brunch begins with warm, house-made biscuits and pear jam. Normally, I'm such a butter-junkie that I tend to spread it on any breakfast pastry, but these golden biscuits taste as if a pat of butter went into each bite. The accompanying pear jam is just-plucked-from-the-tree fresh. Dare I be so bold in saying these are the best biscuits I've had in NYC so far....




Housemade Granola and Yogurt The whole-milk, organic yogurt is European-style, aka runny, which is a welcome change from the popular, dense Greek version . Sweetened with honey, the toasted granola brims with pecans, oats, and cinnamon-y goodness. If the granola was served atop ice cream, it would be dessert, but yogurt lets it sneak into the "breakfast" category.






Corned Beef Hash The ubiquitous brunch dish is a standout here. No dry, canned cubed beef of lore, but hefty chunks of brined Heritage Beef Brisket. The meat is so juicy that a pool of beefy gravy bastes the confit potatoes and perfectly poached, Feather Ridge Farm eggs.




Kale Salad We round out our meal with a seasonal salad: a mountain of frazzled kale, ribbons of clothbound cheddar, chunks of delicata squash, and crunchy almonds. Kudos to the chef for this preparation. By shredding the kale, this hardy roughage is less overbearing and mixes well with the other ingredients Per our waitress' suggestion, we order two baked eggs atop the salad. Their runny yolks make an egg-y dressing creating a Caesar salad-brunch style. Looks like I'm not the only fan - the recipe was just posted in NY Magazine.


In addition to the food, Northern Spy Food Co. has other benefits that make for an enjoyable brunch . The Strongtree Coffee is tasty and mirrors the local/organic vibe of the foodstuffs. There were wooden benches outside to help make the brunch wait bearable, and once inside, we ate at a leisurely pace without ever feeling rushed. If I lived in the neighborhood, I could see myself frequenting Northern Spy Food Co. often. It is high-quality, low-cost grub served in a friendly environment. Like it's mascot, it is the kind of place you should have once a day.

Seven Meats In Heaven

Má Pêche Midtown 8 October 2010
www.momofuku.com/ma-peche
eat: Beef Seven Ways
sip: Bayerischer-Bahnof Leipziger Gose

This is Sammy. He is holding a rib which glistens with crispy fat and tender meat. This isn't just any rib, nor is it the only meat he will devour tonight. He is midway through the gluttonous feast, aptly titled Boeuf Sept Façons, offered at Má Pêche, David Chang's French-Vietnamese restaurant. Last week, I was graciously invited by my fellow foodie friend, Jeff (who is Sammy's dad), to celebrate my birthday - and our shared carnivorous worship - along with his girlfriend, daughter and her friend.


Má Pêche is the first restaurant in Chang's empire located away from the East Village. In spite of it's Midtown location, it still bustles with the same downtown energy as his other restaurants, albeit in a brighter, slightly more upscale environment. I tend to prefer beer to wine when dining on Asian cuisine, so I order a Bayerischer-Bahnof Leipziger Gose, a citrusy, herbal wheat beer that is refreshingly bubbly - almost champagne-like - and yeasty. Gose beers are brewed with the non-traditional addition of coriander and salt, so I find it to be a tasty meal-accompanying brew, but some non-salt addicts may find the saltiness overbearing.



After reading the Beef Seven Ways Menu, which honors the meat's provenance by listing the farms where the beef is sourced, we decide to order a salad to supplement the veggies in our meal. The Heirloom Tomato Salad (Eckerton Hill Farm, PA) features last-of-the-season tomatoes and watermelon rind with an Asian influence of basil and yuba, dried beancurd. It's a bright palate-cleanser that is the perfect start to the sumptuous meal.




Tongue (Creekstone, KS). Admittedly, even I, the adventurous meat-lover, find that the idea of eating tongue makes my stomach queasy; consequently, my previous experience with tongue was limited to lingua tacos, which were smothered with spicy salsa that disguised the meat. However, this dish has made me a new fan of tongue. In fact, the entire table was all surprised and impressed with the tasty tongue, who's heft and texture I would liken most to Jewish deli meat. Served with a mountain of spinach and whole basil leaves, crunchy peanuts, and a plum vinaigrette, this savory salad is an encouraging omen for what's to come.



Wagyu (Imperial Beef, NE) America's version of Kobe, the exquisitely-marbled, high-quality Japanese beef, is seared slightly and served with radishes, scallions, ginger, and cilantro. This uncomplicated presentation highlights this magnificent meat; like fatty tuna, the Wagyu's richness is heightened when barely cooked.




Cote de Boeuf (4 Story Hill Farm, PA) and Sausage (Niman Ranch & Imperial Beef). Next, a mouthwatering platter of meat arrives with succulent, bone-in rib-eye (featuring the aforementioned rib), roast garlic, and amazing, house-made sausage that bursts with flavors of Thai lemongrass, basil, and shallot. A tray of accoutrements - pickled veggies, chili paste, fried garlic, homemade hoisin and fish sauce, bunches of fresh cilantro & basil - plus a head of butter lettuce accompany the meat. This is when the meal truly evolves into a festive, family-style feast - we are laughing , sharing our favorite flavor combos, eating enthusiastically with our hands, and licking our fingers as if we're at home rather than in a public place.




Oxtail and Shank (Pineland Farm, ME) The piece de resistance is the Flintstone-size beef shank that has been braised all day with crab paste and chili and arrives smothered in onions. The shank is so tender that no knife is required - a set of tongs is all you need to pull the succulent meat off the bone. Nestled next to the shank are plump oxtails packed with flavor from soy, sherry and apple juice. If you have always been hesitant to try oxtail, I urge you to taste these, which are, like the rest of the meat, outstanding. When we finally wave the white flag of food surrender, Jeff asks to take the mammoth shank bone for his homemade ragù. Turns out this is a common request - though the waiter warns us of stuffing the greasy bone in a purse (!) which has been the regrettably inane choice for previous diners.




Consommé (Pineland Farm, ME) The meal concludes with a delicate, short rib consommé brightened by the traditionally Vietnamese melange of cilantro, lime and basil. Although we are all stuffed like sausages at this seventh and final course, this simple soup is surprisingly, stomach-soothing. As I sip the savory broth, I'm reminded of the Bull Shots (Bloody Marys made with Beef Broth instead of Tomato Juice) I served as a hangover cure in my bartending days. Like that restorative cocktail, this consomme relieves our bursting bellies.


No dessert is offered for the meal, nor at the restaurant a la carte - though a massive wheel of stinky Epoisses is available if you're craving a non-meat finale. However, you can get your sweets fix upstairs at Milk Bar, Chang's decadent, dessert wonderland. There, the desserts are so damn delicious, that we ignored our full tummies and ordered their trademarked Cereal Milk Ice Cream and Birthday Cake Truffles (think Funfetti cake donut holes). Unfortunately, no photos were taken since we were busy gobbling up the goodies, but take my word for it, there's a reason that Milk Bar has a cult following.

All in all, Boeuf Sept Façons is one of the most memorable meals I have ever had. Singularly, each dish is a bovine masterpiece; together, they are beefy bacchanal that needs to be put on everyone's bucket list. Indeed, the $85 price tag may seem high for a Vietnamese, family-style meal, but how many tasting menus involve finger-licking, chin-dripping, mouth-watering wow?

Pancakes Make People Happy

When I was at NYU in the mid-1990's, one of my favorite haunts was the now-defunct Royal Canadian Pancake House, a bustling joint that served gargantuan portions of breakfast classics, including manhole-sized pancakes, whole loaves of French toast, and the appropriately-named "womelette" - an omelette-topped waffle. Their slogan, "Pancakes Make People Happy", was simple, yet it's a belief that I've embraced throughout my eating life. Considering that most cuisines worldwide have their own regional form of pancakes (like French crepes or Chinese scallion pancakes), I've been fortunate to sample these tasty griddle treats in all shapes and sizes. Following is a smattering of my faves:

Maybe it’s my Jewish heritage, or simply my love of all things fried, but potato pancakes, or latkes, are always welcome on my plate year-round, and not just as the traditional Hanukkah meal. These beauties to your left were devoured at Norma's, the breakfast-centric restaurant at the Parker Palm Springs Hotel (a decadent oasis of Moroccan, desert chic). Norma's elevates breakfast to a gourmet level; amuse-bouche smoothies begin every meal and the menu features such fancy items as Foie Gras Brioche French Toast and a $1000 Lobster & Caviar omelette. However, Norma's version of gourmet isn't stuffy; there is a whimsical playfulness to the dishes and the food is more haute-comfort (and huge portions) than fancy five-star French. Norma's latkes are hefty cakes of shredded potato and onion that are perfectly fried on the outside, yet surprisingly smooth and doughy on the inside. I tend to prefer savory to sweet with my latke condiments (i.e. sour cream over applesauce)so I adored pouring the accompanying Sweet Carrot Payasam, a creamy, earthy Indian soup, over my latkes. If you have a sweet tooth, you'll dig the homemade Cranberry-Apple sauce, but I found it overly sugary even in spite of the tart cranberries. FYI, there is also a Norma's at the Parker Meridian Hotel in NYC, a memorable spot for my family because it is where my sister's hubby surprised her with a proposal in front of me, my mom, my Bubby, and my aunt.

Living in Echo Park, a Latino-filled neighborhood of Los Angeles,
I’ve been blessed with Latin-American eats right at my doorstep. It is here that I discovered pupusas and the aptly named pupuserias (I love how ethnic eateries often specialize in one dish and then name their restaurant after said dish, making it an easy find for the food explorer). Traditionally from El Salvador, the pupusa is a thick tortilla made from masa de maiz (corn flour) and stuffed with various savory fillings like my favorite chicharròn, fried pork rinds. These heavy, doughy cakes are normally served with curtido (pickled cabbage relish), and a runny tomato sauce. Like many pancakes, pupusas are comforting and filling, yet I find they are best followed by a nap or other leisurely activity due to their tendency to weigh down your stomach.

One of my latest discoveries is the arepa, a cornmeal cousin to the pupusa originating from South America. Depending on the region, arepas can be found in a varitey of thicknesses, size, fillings and garnishes. I tasted this version, a Blue Corn Arepa topped with melted cheese, at the Savory Cafe, a cozy joint in downtown Ventura, CA. The blue corn infused the arepa with earthiness while the oozy cheese complemented the crispy pancake perfectly. While a quesadilla has a 2:1 tortilla to cheese ratio, I liked the 1:1 balance of this dish, allowing for more gooey cheese per bite.

Last, but not least, my good friend, and culinary companion, Barndi,just turned me on to ho-dduk, a sweet, Korean pancake made from rice flour and stuffed with a gooey,brown sugar filling. I had my first taste chez Barndi, but my next stop is to head to L.A's Koreatown and taste these goodies piping hot from the street carts.


Post Update: My friend, John, sent me this amazing recipe from the NY Times http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/17/magazine/17food-t-000.html for Heavenly Hots. These creamy, dreamy, little gems are surprisingly light (not "thuds in your bellies", the author's accurate description of pancakes) thanks to the use of cake flour and sour cream. FYI, don't be intimidated by the warnings about how hard it is to flip these beauties; I found it unexpectedly easy, and I'm far from an expert pan-wielder.