The Blue Apron, in Park Slope, has long been a haven to Brooklyn-based epicureans. On a recent visit, the Dish discovered, and devoured, a few finds herself.
Ines Rosales Sweet Olive Oil Tortas are a perfect accompaniment to coffee in the morning. Hand-pressed and made with extra virgin olive oil, the crispy, thin flatbreads are made in Seville using an original 1910 recipe. Señoras are trained for three months prior to being inducted into the dough-kneading production line. They are taught how to properly flatten and give sugar baths to the small doses of flatbreads they prepare. The breads crisp up in the oven and are doused with sugar crystals; the result is a sophisticated sweetness that cuts the acidity of a cup a’ joe.
If coffee and flatbread isn’t enough for your morning break-fast, pick up some Bay’s Original English Muffins. The muffins origin lies in Chicago with a man named George Bay, who founded a bakery that sold his muffins with orange marmalade in 1933. The muffins sold fast and soon Bay was distributing to restaurants and hotels. Five years in, he incorporated and began distributing nation-wide. His muffins were so popular that they were used in the original (and probably much tastier) McDonald’s Egg McMuffin in the 1970s. Bay’s claims that using Hawaiian cane sugar, Minnesota spring wheat and whole milk, Wisconsin AA butter, and potato flour are cornerstones for perfect English muffins. The top grade ingredients plus the fact that all muffins are distributed within 24 hours of their baking—whether to a grocery or a restaurant—in refrigerated trucks makes Bay’s a delight to any breakfast.
Muffins and flatbreads aren’t for everyone though; and if you’re more of a sweets person in the morning, pick up a packet of Baked Vanilla Marshmallows. Six fluffy, homemade marshmallows come per pack from the Red Hook bakery Baked. The bakery claims to be neither pretentious nor cautious, which clearly comes through in their goodies. Who else would dare make something as humble as a marshmallow? Baked does it to perfection: add one or two of these pillowy, fresh squares to your hot chocolate, and you’ll be floating on a sugar high all day.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Capon
One of our clients mentioned capons to me, and I was fascinated by what I learned. Hailing from La Mans in France, these castrated, male chickens are incredibly tender chickens. Their succulent texture comes from their unique upbringing, which causes the chickens to retain fat. Capons can weigh up to fifteen pounds!
Capons are cooked the same way that one would cook a conventional chicken. However, this über-breed will feed many more people.
Larousse Gastronomique suggests steaming capon breasts in banana leaves or poaching and roasting a whole capon and serving it with pumpkin gratin—sounds like someone’s vying for a spot at Thanksgiving!
Capons are cooked the same way that one would cook a conventional chicken. However, this über-breed will feed many more people.
Larousse Gastronomique suggests steaming capon breasts in banana leaves or poaching and roasting a whole capon and serving it with pumpkin gratin—sounds like someone’s vying for a spot at Thanksgiving!
Coffee Cup of Excellence
Every year, coffee growers world wide harvest, sort, roast, and taste through literally thousands of batches of coffee before they submit what they hope will become the Cup of Excellence, an annual award given to the best cup o’ joe.
Last year, a Brazilian cup called fazenda cafundo took its place at the top of the ranks. And after sipping through, I can see why. The beans, sifted, dried, and prepared by Coffee Masters come from the Santa Mesquita family farm. Once turned into liquid form, they have a long, rich quality. My morning coffee wasn’t bitter or acidic. Instead, the Brazilian beans were sweet and chocolate-y. The taste stayed with me without drying out my mouth or turning acrid.
The coffee comes from Coffee Masters Private Reserve collection and can be purchased from The Café Connection for $15.95 for 3/4 of a pound.
Last year, a Brazilian cup called fazenda cafundo took its place at the top of the ranks. And after sipping through, I can see why. The beans, sifted, dried, and prepared by Coffee Masters come from the Santa Mesquita family farm. Once turned into liquid form, they have a long, rich quality. My morning coffee wasn’t bitter or acidic. Instead, the Brazilian beans were sweet and chocolate-y. The taste stayed with me without drying out my mouth or turning acrid.
The coffee comes from Coffee Masters Private Reserve collection and can be purchased from The Café Connection for $15.95 for 3/4 of a pound.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Insomnia Cookie to the Rescue
Insomnia Cookies, the perfect name for this burgeoning company, is the answer to every college student and night owl’s late-night dreams. Created to cater to such desires, Insomnia Cookies satisfies your nocturnal cravings for warm desserts. This all-natural cookies-and-milk delivery service began in 2003 by then-UPenn junior Seth Berkowitz, who began by baking for his friends. Once word got out that there was someone on campus handing out cookies in the wee hours, demand grew high enough for Seth to expand his services to the entire UPenn campus, sometimes hand-delivering hundreds of cookies.
Seth and his company have now translated this late-night collegiate craving into franchises on twelve college campuses around the country. Even though the original Insomnia crew now has to hire outside student managers and bakers to run their franchises, the dough is shipped wherever it is needed, including all the way down to Tulane in New Orleans, where they are about to launch their newest station. Balancing the intimate vibe of the company at its beginning with its new corporate direction is what makes Insomnia a unique hybrid of student entrepreneurial ingenuity and Big Business prowess and maturity. This free delivery service runs 7 days a week from 8pm until 2:30am, with its New York delivery range extending beyond the original NYU zone, its only New York baking site, to the surrounding area spanning Houston to 19th street, and crossing from Avenue C to the West Side Highway.
Two of Insomnia’s most popular treats, the white chocolate macadamia cookie and their signature brownie with a cookie dough topping, were both customer suggestions that remain in high demand. Other cookies include double chocolate chunk (a favorite), oatmeal raisin, chocolate chunk, M&M, sugar, and peanut butter. The company’s classic taste originated with Seth’s grandmother’s recipe, with which he tinkered to achieve the satisfyingly gooey but sturdy Insomnia Cookie.
The Insomnia team has branched out into corporate catering and gifting, now serving law and PR firms as well as faithful hungry college students and downtown locals. Since each batch is baked to order, don’t forget to give them 45 minutes delivery time.
Seth and his company have now translated this late-night collegiate craving into franchises on twelve college campuses around the country. Even though the original Insomnia crew now has to hire outside student managers and bakers to run their franchises, the dough is shipped wherever it is needed, including all the way down to Tulane in New Orleans, where they are about to launch their newest station. Balancing the intimate vibe of the company at its beginning with its new corporate direction is what makes Insomnia a unique hybrid of student entrepreneurial ingenuity and Big Business prowess and maturity. This free delivery service runs 7 days a week from 8pm until 2:30am, with its New York delivery range extending beyond the original NYU zone, its only New York baking site, to the surrounding area spanning Houston to 19th street, and crossing from Avenue C to the West Side Highway.
Two of Insomnia’s most popular treats, the white chocolate macadamia cookie and their signature brownie with a cookie dough topping, were both customer suggestions that remain in high demand. Other cookies include double chocolate chunk (a favorite), oatmeal raisin, chocolate chunk, M&M, sugar, and peanut butter. The company’s classic taste originated with Seth’s grandmother’s recipe, with which he tinkered to achieve the satisfyingly gooey but sturdy Insomnia Cookie.
The Insomnia team has branched out into corporate catering and gifting, now serving law and PR firms as well as faithful hungry college students and downtown locals. Since each batch is baked to order, don’t forget to give them 45 minutes delivery time.
Choco-Mame
This week, the dish gals are munching on edamame in a non-traditional way. If you are the type who likes to combine the savory and sweet, Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Edamame, will become your new favorite snack. They look like chocolate covered raisins, but the surprise inside is much more sophisticated. Each dry roasted soybean is enrobed in dark chocolate to create a highly addictive nibble.
Set them out at your next get together as a classy way to start the evening. The bite sized treats get everyone’s attention and even the most willful skeptics love them.
Next up, we are waiting for them to appear as bar snacks. And then you’ll always know where to find us!
Set them out at your next get together as a classy way to start the evening. The bite sized treats get everyone’s attention and even the most willful skeptics love them.
Next up, we are waiting for them to appear as bar snacks. And then you’ll always know where to find us!
Wine Cellar Sorbet
The fellows from Wine Cellar Sorbets are certainly onto something with their wine sorbets; however, they claim they aren’t doing anything new. “Escoffier wrote about wine sorbets a hundred years ago,” remarked Dave Zablocki, the sorbet sommelier of the two-man team behind the boozy pints. Bret Birnbaum—partner in crime—explained that we are in the “golden age of wine,” and people are ready to experiment and have fun with terroir and tannins.
The Dish gals got the scoop—quite a few actually—on the duos flavors; our favorites were Riesling, which was so smooth that we swore it was gelato, Champagne, which was not cloyingly sweet and instead possessed a sophisticated dryness, and a secret new flavor being kept under wraps until it is perfected. We took a vow in frozen sweets to keep our mouths shut (save gobbling copious amounts of sorbet), but Wine Cellar Sorbet is certainly a company to watch!
The Dish gals got the scoop—quite a few actually—on the duos flavors; our favorites were Riesling, which was so smooth that we swore it was gelato, Champagne, which was not cloyingly sweet and instead possessed a sophisticated dryness, and a secret new flavor being kept under wraps until it is perfected. We took a vow in frozen sweets to keep our mouths shut (save gobbling copious amounts of sorbet), but Wine Cellar Sorbet is certainly a company to watch!
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Blaue Gans
Kurt Gutenbrenner is the long-time reigning king of Austrian cuisine in Manhattan. His empire ranges from the Upper East Side, where Café Sabarsky entices Neue Gallery patrons, to the West Village at Wallsé, his fine dining establishment for those looking to impress their in-laws or indulge in a divine brunch. I’ve always been a huge fan of both of these spots; always taking the opportunity to treat myself to his fine pastries and desserts.
When his Lower East Side spot, THOR, opened up with The Hotel on Rivington, I went within the first week. However, I’ve always forgotten to stop in at Blaue Gans, his airy Tribeca rendition.
When I finally went several weeks ago, I was reminded of Gutenbrenner’s expert skills with savory sausage and fresh fish. I sat at the bar with my copy editor and took in the atmosphere, which Gutenbrenner left intact from the location’s previous permutation, Le Zinc.
Blaue Gans has an exceptional wine list, featuring—of course—wines from Eastern Europe. When I last dined, I drank an outstanding Anton Bauer Berg Vineyard 2006 Riesling.
As far as food is concerned, don’t miss whichever seafood carpaccio appetizer he is featuring at the time. Also, be sure to try at least one of the featured house made sausages. The pork and veal sausage that comes with a pretzel and sweet mustard is outstanding.
Order at least one dish that comes with spaetzle—Gutenbrenner has the knobs of pasta down to a science. And of course, a meal is not complete without a dessert or four.
The salzburger nockerl is a meringue-like, airy puff of cream and eggs. It blankets a spread of fresh berries beneath that serve as an ethereal end to any meal. The one-bite chocolate lollipops (that come with a vanilla milkshake) are another no-fail finale. The mini vanilla milkshake is the perfect accompaniment to four miniature chocolate covered sponge cake-like biscuits.
Though I've yet to go to Austria, Gutenbrenner has certainly brought the rich and authentic cuisine back to me here in Manhattan!
When his Lower East Side spot, THOR, opened up with The Hotel on Rivington, I went within the first week. However, I’ve always forgotten to stop in at Blaue Gans, his airy Tribeca rendition.
When I finally went several weeks ago, I was reminded of Gutenbrenner’s expert skills with savory sausage and fresh fish. I sat at the bar with my copy editor and took in the atmosphere, which Gutenbrenner left intact from the location’s previous permutation, Le Zinc.
Blaue Gans has an exceptional wine list, featuring—of course—wines from Eastern Europe. When I last dined, I drank an outstanding Anton Bauer Berg Vineyard 2006 Riesling.
As far as food is concerned, don’t miss whichever seafood carpaccio appetizer he is featuring at the time. Also, be sure to try at least one of the featured house made sausages. The pork and veal sausage that comes with a pretzel and sweet mustard is outstanding.
Order at least one dish that comes with spaetzle—Gutenbrenner has the knobs of pasta down to a science. And of course, a meal is not complete without a dessert or four.
The salzburger nockerl is a meringue-like, airy puff of cream and eggs. It blankets a spread of fresh berries beneath that serve as an ethereal end to any meal. The one-bite chocolate lollipops (that come with a vanilla milkshake) are another no-fail finale. The mini vanilla milkshake is the perfect accompaniment to four miniature chocolate covered sponge cake-like biscuits.
Though I've yet to go to Austria, Gutenbrenner has certainly brought the rich and authentic cuisine back to me here in Manhattan!
Fennel Gratin
After a Culinista returned from teaching in Tuscany, we knew that new and flavorful recipes would be abundant. Here is one of our favorites, Finocchi Gratinati, a.k.a., Fennel Gratin.
8 fennel bulbs
4 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano- Reggiano
fresh thyme
salt & pepper
1. Preheat oven to 350˚.
2. Thinly slice all fennel.
3. Parboil the fennel in salted water for about ten minutes, until soft. Drain.
4. Toss with salt and pepper, olive oil, and half of the cheese.
5. Arrange on a baking sheet and flatten with a spatula. Top with cheese.
6. Bake for 20 minutes or until the top has browned and bubbled.
Serves 4.
8 fennel bulbs
4 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano- Reggiano
fresh thyme
salt & pepper
1. Preheat oven to 350˚.
2. Thinly slice all fennel.
3. Parboil the fennel in salted water for about ten minutes, until soft. Drain.
4. Toss with salt and pepper, olive oil, and half of the cheese.
5. Arrange on a baking sheet and flatten with a spatula. Top with cheese.
6. Bake for 20 minutes or until the top has browned and bubbled.
Serves 4.
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