Dos Caminos Classes

A friend mentioned taking a few classes at Dos Caminos this fall. At $65 each, the restaurant is offering a lot of bang for the buck.  Check it out and then start salivating. Mmmmm, corn festival...

If you just want the book, get it here.

Where are the WAFFLES?

About three weeks ago, I got an intense craving for a waffle.  I was in Sweden at the time so the craving just grew and grew.  Later, in Switzerland, I sort of sated the craving at Zum Guten Gluck.  The waffle was really tasty - the batter soft and sugary.  But what I wanted was really something more doughy.  I'll be officially back in NYC next week and I need help.  Serious help. Where can I get the best waffle - the kind with that doughy texture that's almost like a griddled sticky bun. Wafels & Dinges - is that truck good?  What about that place on 14th Street - Petit Belge? Or Petite Abeille? Does Resto serve waffles?  Please - I need your thoughts!

After reading the extensive Wikipedia article, I think what I want is the Liége.

Brat, Zurich

Last meal in Zurich. We had to do it. You thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?

Terrior, Zurich

Terrior, a restaurant, take-away, sundries shop, on Ramistrasse turned out to be the ideal place to stop for lunch before visiting Zurich's fine art collection at Kunsthaus. It's always a treat to walk through an art museum with Taylor so I wanted to be energized.

Terrior's restaurant was closed but their prepped food was available. On a whim the counter lady let us in on the terrace garden above and we took our picnic al fresco. Taylor scored a gruyere sammy while I went for a seeded roll and a bowl of basil-flecked tomatoes and flash-pickled cucumbers. For dessert I couldn't resist the vogelsomething... A flat biscuit topped with a piped almond cream and dotted with rasberry jam. As good as it looked. We sipped Gazosa- a Swiss flavored sparkling water worth the flight over- and flauder, which turned out to be elderflower flavored!

Onward to Kunsthaus!

Hiltl, Zurich

An incredible vegetarian buffet at Hiltl in Zurich led me and Taylor to overflowing plates. Guess whose plate is whose :-) No matter your taste, very worth a visit.

Volkshaus, Zurich

Dodging an out-of-nowhere downpour upon arriving in Zurich, Taylor and I found ourselves in Volkshaus. It's an old school restaurant plus new school bar & lounge. It's also a concert venue and sauna. Whatever it is, nearly everyone in the joint was attractive and we made it in to dry off fifteen minutes before the kitchen closed- niiiiice. A balsamic-doused salad with sprouts, ruccola, broccoli and cauliflower plus some garlicky meatballs later, we were happy campers. The cherry on top was free wifi. So far, we heart Zurich.

LE YUM - Bobo

Holy insano appetizers!!!
Chef Patrick Connolly's ahi tuna with crispy tofu, avocado and cilantro is... is simply... mindblowing!

Jill got to sample the goods one night at a Supper Club event at Bobo, and knew instantly we had to hook this up, Le Yum style. In this exclusive video, chef Patrick walks Jill through the process of preparing his signature dish. Tasting is believing!

Tapas Party

I was just invited, by my Spanish friend Teresa, to a tapas party! I'll bring one of my favorite apps ... easy to make and sooo delicious! Slice red, orange and yellow peppers, add some thinly sliced serrano or jalapenos on to a baking sheet. Add lots and lots and lots of crushed garlic and pour olive oil over all. Add salt and pepper to taste. Roast in a low -250- oven for a couple of hours. That's it! Serve on crackers or thinly sliced french bread or bruschetta.
Or get creative: I've grilled eggplant, placed a spoonful of peppers on top and melted goat cheese over it. People raved.

Skipping Stones, Sweden Edition

Something familiar? In honor of my last week helping out at Appelfabriken, I decided to treat family and guests to our signature DISH Skipping Stones. These little wafers pack a punch with espresso, cinnamon and black pepper. Looking good on the dessert table, huh?

Greenhouse Dinner

Now doesn't that look lovely?! A simple salad from the garden plus bruschetta. I sat next to a Green Zebra vine.

Rosendal Trådgarden

I've been pretty stoked about my brother arriving to Sweden for quite some time. I just knew that any Donenfeld in his/her right mind would love this country. It's a perfect blend of adventure and pleasantry. The people are incredibly friendly. They go heavy on the seafood. A major national dish is cinnamon buns (kanelbulle). Though I am yet to experience it, winter is all about skiing here. And the entire country looks and smells like camp. It makes me wonder how much my parent's Scandinavian honeymoon in 1976 has effected my upbringing... Us children were tucked into a rotating selection of Maremekko sheets each nights- trucks, Teddy bears ... They even starched said sheets to our rooms as wall paper. Hmm. We're all really into crispy flatbreads, too.

This is all to say that my running list of 'Stockholm stuff for Jeff' to see got pretty long in the last month. From the Ikea exhibit to design stores to island hopping/camping, when I drop him off there at the end of our week together (I head to St Moritz to meet Mr. Taylor; Jeff has two solo days before heading home), he'll have no shortage of activity ideas.

AND NOW TO THE POINT: One more place I'm adding to the list is Rosendal Trådgarden. Like a larger Appelfabriken, RT is a garden center, boutique, cafe, picnic spot. It's located in Stockholm-proper on Djuragarden, an island that's mostly green which hosts the amusement park, a few museums and some spectacular houses in which live either very old or very wealthy people.

Rosendal is a bit of a hike to get to but arriving there is arriving to paradise. There's a manicured lawn covered in picnic tables and well-placed trees ideal for shade. There's a large garden around which people are encouraged to stroll. There's a covered outdoor plant center as well as a tomato hot house. There's a boutique where the likes of oils, lotions, pottery and teas are sold. And of course there's a cafe complete with cakes, biscuits, sandwiches and soup. Everything made here is made from the ingredients they grow. Carrot cake with fresh pulled carrots, etc. If it's not grown at RT, like wheat for flour, you can rest assured that all bread is baked on premise. Talk about local.

It's an ideal place to spend an afternoon. A book and good walking shoes are all you need.

The Perfect Lunch

It's pretty tough for me to get shrimped out. Behold the perfect lunch. Baltic shrimp + sliced boiled egg + mayo + lemon + petit salad all piled on soft bread. I've eaten this for four meals in a row thus far. Going strong.

The Dying Art of Recipe Cards

A while back I worked at I M P. It's the company responsible for numerous continuity programs, the most famous of which are it's cooking series and Wildlife Explorer- a never ending subscription to various one sheet card stock of well, wildlife.

In any event, when I was working there, I headed up recipe development and adaptation for two products: Home Baking and Great American. Development was a continous round table discussion of what else we could possibly do with chicken. Adaption involved examination of recipe cards from the company's other markets and seeing if we could rework them, without changing the photo. Recipe cards streamed in from around the globe; my job was to measure if they'd go over well stateside.

Why am I revealing this now? Well IMP happens to be a Swedish company. As a result, I spent a fairly lengthy amount of time looking at Swedish recipe cards. They always looked so odd to me- the photo was so stylized. And always so much lace and powdered sugar! Well after cooking at Appelfabriken for almost a month, I had a chance to see the card in context! Flipping through a recipe book, my coworker Judith found a recipe for Kanelbulle, perhaps the most classic Swedish sweet. As a met her at the table, I saw the recipe was in fact not from the book but instead an IMP card that had been wedged into it! I recognized it instantly. I'd adapted it two years prior (to Cinnamon Buns). After speaking with Katarina I learned that though she was no longer receiving the cards, she had for a good stretch. I was unflinching with respect to the imagery on the card- seemed normal from here! What do you think?

Jill & Jeffzilla

Jill's brother Jeff arrived in Sweden yesterday and they officially hit the road today. Here's an excerpt from his blog describing the first day of their adventure. Click here for the original post with pics.

Eggs and toast this morning at the Appelfabriken, then Jill and I hopped in the car, bound for Gothensburg.

The first stop of the day was Drottingholm Slott, the Swedish royal family’s day to day home. Great gardens, a huge lake, and we found a giant hedge area, with hollowed out hedges and secret pathways inside….nifty.

Our next stop was in Gränna, a small town on the edge of lake Vattern in central Sweden. Granna is known for their peppermint sticks, and the whole town looked and smelled like a life size candyland. We chatted with the locals for a bit, then had lunch on a deck looking out on the lake. Seating was a little tight, so to get us a table fast, I friended the bus girl and helped bus a few tables. Before leaving Granna, Jill got some tasty ice cream from a little booth, and the girl working there, our age, let Jill practice the Swedish ice cream scooping herself!

Back in the car on our drive to Gothensburg, the highway cut through some spectacular evergreen forests. Right before getting into town, we stopped at a gas station to economically fill up our flex fuel VW Golf with E85 – ethanol.

In Gothensburg, we’re staying at a friends apartment (while they are away on vacation), and are walking through downtown now, on our way to dinner. Free wifi on the streets is great!

LE YUM - Vutera

Back in April, Jill & I had our worlds rocked by Vutera's almond panna cotta. Soon after, Jill managed to sweet talk chef Molly Del Monte, the dessert's creator, into giving us a peek backstage where the magic happens. Better than a lady sawed in half, this week's Le Yum features exclusive video of Molly teaching Jill how to conjure up this divine dessert, step by step!



or watch it on youtube here.

TV Dinner

With Lars & Katarina gone to Spain, it's been me + my three housemates/coworkers at Appelfabriken the passed week. We've been managing everything from weeding to watering the greenhouse, from baking 10 rhubarb crumbles for the weekend to meticulously labeling all of the new vinegars, saft and jam produced.

We've also been running the house- meals, cleaning (the Russian girl truly is a godsend), laundry, closing windows, opening windows, cats... You get the point. I decided to surprise everyone with dinner one night (it's usually a group effort) so I drove to the store (big minivan, no rearview mirror) to pick up my ingredients. Simple. Tomatoes, cucumbers, lox, cream cheese, homemade thick bread. When I returned, I sliced the bread and began toasting. I peeled and sliced the cucumbers, sliced tomatoes and put the lox on a platter. I found a nice bowl for the cream cheese. I picked a huge salad from the garden- Bibb, arugula and purple lettuces.

When I returned from the garden and had plated it all, I called everyone to the living room. We're home alone- I figured a TV dinner wouldn't hurt! Everyone loved the lox/cream cheese/veg/toast combo- a surprising percentage had never had it... But I think they loved the TV factor just as much! It looks basic, and it IS but I'm telling you they RAVED!

Elderflower Part II

Those elderflowers I picked were put to good use. After soaking them with lemon, sugar and water for days, we strained them and boiled the reserved water down to saft (a light syrup/juice) and a very limited run of syrup. Check out the sweet bottles in the shop!

Fläderbloms = Elderflowers :-)

IKEA retrospective

Sure it may not really have to do with food... But the Ikea, 69 Years exhibit at Liljevalch Konsthall was complete with many a dining surface. The retrospective recapped Ikea history from it's 1950 inception up through the present day. It was fun to learn about when my catelogue favorites came into existence and to pick out coveted discontinued/limited edition pieces. In typical Ikea manner, children were well accounted for- from the play spaces to a full-on Ikea style arts and crafts zone. There was even a little cafe where Ikea fans sat on PS collection chairs while nibbling on Ikea cookies. Oddly, they opted to leave the famed meatballs for the true in-store experience.

A Berry Good Idea

At the height of blueberry season, the prices are low so now is the time to freeze all of your favorite berries for wintertime smoothies! I love the way my smoothies taste and my good friend - a gastrointerologist - loves all the fiber in them. I squeeze a cup of fresh orange juice every morning, but on the mornings that I want a vitamin rich breakfast in a cup to go, I make a smoothie. I take my oj - pulp included, place it in a blender and add a handful each of FROZEN blueberries, strawberries and raspberries and blend. I like my drink the consistency of frozen slush. And sometimes I'll add a spoonful of protein powder to keep me satiated.

Props from Lucky!

Kendall Herbst, Fashion News Editor over at Lucky Mag, hooks it up!

You rock Kendall!

Late Night Snacks

My new neighbor, Gary, is one of the most fabulous men you'll ever meet. Not only does he dress like he owns Bergdorf's (in fact, he did a stint there as a personal shopper) but the man can cook. Last week, Read and I went out for a night on the town with our new neighbor. We crawled back to Gary's third floor apartment around 3am, all of us starving and nothing worth eating open in the vicinity. Not to worry! Gary had a few tricks up his sleeve and within 15 minutes we each had two perfect tostadas in front of us.

Corn tortillas went for a quick trip in a warm oven just to toast up a little while he worked on the toppings. He cubed up a block of mild Monterey Jack cheese, which he placed on the warm tortillas and popped back in the oven. Meanwhile, he whipped up a quick salsa of a couple of tomatoes we bought in a bodega in Times Square, red onion, hot green peppers and scallion. He browned a handful of ground beef and sliced a perfect avocado. All ingredients were placed on top of the melty-cheesey goodness and topped with a dollop of sour cream and a squeeze of lime. I have never eaten so well, so late.

So, this got me thinking--tostadas may just be the perfect late-night, go-to meal. The possibilities are endless. I'm thinking black bean and corn, or maybe some olives, or cojito cheese? Keep your fridge stocked with some corn tortillas, because you never know when you'll come home hungry.....and feeling inspired.

Photo courtesy of foodchannel.com

Pimm’s (is) No. 1

Pimm’s No. 1 Cup is the popular British liquor behind the iconic Pimm’s Cup cocktail served at stodgy events such as Wimbledon. In the bottle, the liquor shines with such an otherworldly shade of dark ruby red that one immediately wonders “What is this stuff distilled from?” Unfortunately, the label primly refuses to divulge this secret leaving curious drinkers to consult the Internet to discover that Pimm’s No. 1 Cup is primarily gin and a proprietary blend of herbs.

[caption id="attachment_2848" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Pimm's Bottle courtesy of flikr user teamperks."][/caption]

In other words, it is a relative of Campari, a bracing apertif concocted from innumerable herbs and aromatics, which is enjoying a renaissance in serious bars. Understandably, the bitterness of Campari and its signature cocktail, the Negroni, make it a perfect ideological fit for the edgy bartenders and loyal denizens of subterranean cocktail lounges seeking to escape too many years of appletinis and cosmos.

Pimm’s, traditionally served with lemonade and fruit, requires a far less contemplative setting.

[caption id="attachment_2849" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Pimm's Cup courtesy of flikr user {dvc}."][/caption]

So as summer peaks, I urge all devotees of Campari and its bitter ilk to enjoy the sun and remember their fun loving cousin – Pimm’s.

What's your favorite Pimm's cocktail?

Pimm’s Cup: 1 part Pimm’s No.1 Cup, 1 part lemonade, 1 part club soda. Garnish generously with apples, nectarines, limes, oranges and/or watermelon.

Changes in Latitude, Attitude

Last week, I had plans to eat out with my pals John & Sarah. Where to go? We wanted something local, something interesting, and hmm... maybe spicy? A few minutes of online research had me curious about a Pan-Ecudorian joint nearby called Zero Latitude. My shiny LCD screen reflected back to me a menu that was loaded with killer options. The name of the place sounded a little Jimmy Buffet-esque, giving me pause, but I just kept that to myself and hoped for the best... Hey guys, meet ya there!

The overall vibe is very low key, unassuming. It's an open air space, and we pretty much had it to ourselves. Our waiter, a charming and cute fellow from Peru, donned a Hooters t-shirt, without irony, and guided us through the menu options. I loved seeing so many riffs on incorporating plantains! Oh and when I say "guided" I mean it. We asked about some dishes and he'd scrunch his nose, enh, it's okay. We'd ask about others and he'd be like, yes yes, oh my god it's sooo good. Awesome.

We shared a bunch of stuff, including the Latitude Zero Crab Salad. On a warm summer night, this was a refreshing way to start. The mango, papaya, red onion, and cilantro mixed well. Each bite went a different way on the savory/sweet train. Nice.



Next up we dove into the Black Bean dip with plantain chips. Yowza! Yummy but definitely richer than one might expect. Was there sour cream in there? A hint of some kind of mayo? I don't know, but the flavor was terrific - and the textures, mmm... the salty crispy chips with that rich, creamy, spicy, dip. Order this one if you go.



We had to sample a plantain empanada. We opted for the crab & sofrito. It was tasty, but I honestly I haven't enough empanadas in my lifetime to really weigh in on the nuances. But hey, we all liked it. It was gone in 2 seconds.



Sarah ordered the avocado & ginger vichyssoise. A treat. It was served hot, which was a little surprising, but the fresh, unique flavors and foamy-ness made for an overall light summer night dish.



The shrimp ceviche was definitely a disappointment. It was too soupy for my tastes. Shrimp too small. Not very appealing presentation. And so on. Besides, my standards are very high when it comes to ceviche.





Sarah ordered the chicken risotto, on the recommendation of our waiter, and it was the hands down winner of the night. Arborio rice, peppers, onions, tomatoes, sweet plantains, and a little bit of South American magic totally delivered the goods. Hearty, comforting, and so real deal. Do it up!



We were too stuffed for desserts, but they sounded amazing. Will definitely return, for the chicken risotto, the bean dip, and a few other dishes I'm still eager to try. Overall, it's a little hit or miss, but ask your server for their input. Just look for the guy in the Hooters t.

Jill makes OJ fun!

Jill's nickname when she was little was "silly Jilly." And she still knows how to make almost anything fun. Including a glass of orange juice. When she mentioned her ORANGE JILLIUS idea to our local coffee shop, Coffee Emporium, not only did they love the idea, but customers have made it the number one drink (I have to admit - outselling the Beryl Mocha by a little). Make your own by mixing O.J. and soy milk and a dash of vanilla. Shake well and voila! So easy, it's silly!

A Waste of Space?

Due to infamous only in NYC kitchen space constraints, most of my appliances and tools are multi-purpose.  I do not have a garlic press, a tomato peeler, or cheese knives.  But tucked between my plates and the corner of the cupboard is a milk frother.  A frother looks like a French press with a more complex mesh/strainer apparatus that magically transforms a generous splash of milk into luscious foam.

[caption id="attachment_2757" align="aligncenter" width="199" caption="Bonjour! courtesy of fliker user bonsai hiker."][/caption]

That’s it.  Milk to milk with air bubbles.

But even at my most bleary eyed, scraping the last bit of foam from the bottom of my Ikea mug lets me pretend that I am actually sitting in an outdoor café, soaking up the sun and drinking café au lait from a delicate cup.  On especially distressing mornings, I sprinkle maple sugar on top to heighten the effect.

[caption id="attachment_2756" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Cafe au lait courtesy of flikr user xb3."][/caption]

My frother is a the BonJour Caffe Froth , but I’ve also used the Bodum Chambord Milk Frotherwith success.

Speaking of Tomatoes ...

I had an interesting and very delicious appetizer at a funky little "joint" across the street from the Ohio River... Since you probably won't be coming to Cincinnati soon, you can make this at home in a flash!
Slice a tomato. Add a dollop or two of guacamole. Top with a few slices of seared tuna! I could make that dinner!

Herman's in Stockholm

I met a friend in Stockholm yesterday for a run in Djuragarden but on and off rain showers derailed our plans. Luckily Stockholm is a city in which plan B is always just as good. We decided to grab a bite at Herman's in Södermalm.

Herman's is a buffet style restaurant that looks out onto the water offering a fantastic view of Gamla Stan as well as myriad ships of all makes and sizes dotting the space between. 135 krona (about $17) gets you access to about 20 vegetarian options. Friendly, young, good looking people rotate around the offerings, most taking a little of each. There's excellent tabbouleh, roasted sweet potatoes with pumpkin seeds, pepper sauteed eggplant and tofu and a number of pickled dishes. There are also three kinds of tomato salads with varying herbs - my dream! (and apparently my mothers as well :-)
Nice homebaked bread is in bounty at the end of the spread.

Beyond the food-simple and plentiful-the layout of the restaurant nourishes as well. Half of the tables are indoors and half are out, beneath a covering. Though raining, we opted to sit outdoors with the protective awning. Cozy to boot, to top things off, Herman's also supplies fleece blankets stacked at the doorway for chilly (jilly?) girls to use! I'm not really sure why ce n'existe pas in the states. It really sugar coated the experience. After eating, we sat for a long time enjoying cinnamon tea with cream.

I only got one quick shot of my mountain of food... But it should be enough to get you to stop in next time you're in Stockholm (and a little burnt out on lox!).