My Favorite Doughnuts!

If you have been following my blog, it is easy to see that I have a pretty big sweet tooth. I love all sort of cakes, cookies, cupcakes and candies, and I have a very special spot for donuts.

There’s nothing better than the combination of the warm dough and the sticky and sweet glaze of a freshly-made doughnut. I would go to the 23rd Street Krispy Kreme every week to get my doughnut fix. I became such a loyal customer that one of the night employees would call me when the shells came off the conveyor belt, because I thought the shells were the best part.

I was really sad when the “Hot” light on 23rd Street went out for good. But, just when I thought I would have to be satisfied with the memories of the best donuts I’d ever tasted, I found something even better!

The Doughnut Plant, located on 379 Grand Street in New York City, opens its doors at 6 am and closes when their daily batch has been sold—which is not long since customers are lining up out the door. All of their treats are made with all natural ingredients and fresh fruits are used to make the glazes. My favorite is their new Crème Brulee yeast doughnut. The puffed dough is full of creamy custard with a toasted sugar topping. Stop by their bakery to try other fun flavors like Tres Leches, Banana Pecan, and Vanilla Bean, but don’t forget to get there early!

75th Anniversary of the Apollo Theater

I designed the 75th Anniversary Gala of the Apollo Theater, which took place in Harlem on Monday night. One of the most interesting things from the night were the fun take-out boxes that Great Performances provided for guests. There was plenty of food laid out on the buffets, but if you didn’t want to sit and eat you could pick-up take-out containers full of crispy fried chicken, collard greens, and mini waffles or catfish and mac n’cheese to eat as you swayed to the music. Great Performances also re-invented the traditional po’boy and created new ones with coleslaw and shrimp.

All in all, the food was a fun take on traditional soul food and was a fantastic addition to the great décor, atmosphere and positive energy in the room. It was a fun party, and a great celebration of an important milestone for the historic theater. (Stay tuned for pictures – we’ll post them soon!)

Put It In Ice

Memorial Day weekend marks the beginning of the summer—a time of warm weather, outdoor gatherings, and seasonal food. (I, for one, could not be happier that the summer is finally beginning!) Whatever your plans are to celebrate the three-day break—whether you’re hosting or attending a party—here is a quick and visually-appealing tip that can have a big impact.

One of my favorite ways to jazz up a drink is by adding decorative ice cubes. All you need is fruit pieces of your choice, water, and ice cube trays. Place the fruit in the trays, fill them with water, and within a few hours you’ll have fun drink décor. As the ice melts there will be an edible surprise at the bottom of your glass. And, it's a great way for you to use some great summer fruit that you may have around the house.

Marshmallow Cake

On Monday night I had the pleasure of having a piece of a much unexpected dessert. I designed a 50th birthday party at The Modern restaurant, where pastry chef Marc Aumont created a marshmallow tower in place of the traditional celebratory cake. The coconut, vanilla, and pistachio marshmallow pieces were made out of real fruits instead of extracts.

After the incredible dinner Executive Chef Gabriel Kreuther created, I’m surprised I had room for dessert at all. We were all excited to hear that a week before the party Gabriel won the James Beard Foundation’s award for Best Chef in New York City. The food, plus the décor and guests, made for a wonderful evening.

La Esquina

I recently discovered a very popular restaurant here in New York City that I thought I would share with all of you.

La Esquina, or “The Corner” in Spanish, reflects the traditions of a classic Mexican restaurant food, with an updated atmosphere and food and beverage preparations presentations. These elements are derived directly from the food and social scene happening in Mexico City today. Neighborhoods like Condesa and Polanco in Mexico City are experiencing an influx of international influences and a bold resurgence in the Arts and Food.

The food at La Esquina, reflective of Mexico City itself, draws influence from multiple regions around the country with emphasis on Oaxaca, Puebla and Veracruz. Our drink list and offerings rely heavily on Tequila and Mezcal to be consumed in the traditional way – with a sangrita chaser. Our wine list has been chosen both because the selections complement our menu and because the selections are derived from both Latin and old-world regions around the globe.

Centrally located at the south end of East SoHo's Lt. Petrosino Park, the Corner Deli is a turn of the century landmark structure. The Manhattan Diner or Luncheonette is one of the last examples of a vanishing breed. Tucked in below a fashionable loft building, the 200 sft. wedge shaped structure has been serving customers for a century, 24 hours a day 365 days a year. This charming piece of old New York has gotten a new lease on life with an extensive renovation, and an expansion into the basement vault space below. The new and improved Corner Deli serves delicious Mexican food inspired by the simple home cooked cuisine of the Mexican street vendor. Simple, but intensely flavorful variations of Mexican street food, is the perfect match for the busy bustle of a restaurant that provides dine-in, take-out, and delivery service.

Go to http://www.esquinanyc.com/ for more information.

Soak up the Sun with a Sponge Cake

With the weather heating up (it’s going to be 80 degrees in NYC this weekend!), I thought it would be a good idea to share a good picnic food idea with all of you. Here is a great recipe for a cake that can be easily taken outdoors and enjoyed in the shade of a beautiful leafy tree.

Perfect for picnics, this easy sponge cake can be carried in the springform pan in which it is baked. Pair it with fresh fruits such as sweet cherries, strawberries or peaches and it makes a perfect snack.

Sponge Cake
For 1 cake (6 to 8 servings) you will need:

2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
Dash of salt
1/2 cup milk
2 tbsp. butter

Beat eggs and sugar until thick and pale. Beat in vanilla. Mix flour, baking powder and salt. Add to egg mixture and mix to blend. Scald milk in small saucepan. Add butter, stirring until melted. Add milk mixture to flour mixture, mixing just enough to blend. Pour batter into a greased 8 inch springform pan. Bake at 350 degrees until top of cake is well browned and cake tests done when a wooden pick is inserted at center, about 35 minutes.

You Heard It Here First

If you read my blog often, you know that I have a penchant for anything sugar related. I once blogged about whoopie pies and how I had discovered the perfect whoopie pie in the city.


Well, it seems that the New York Times has caught on to the delicious whoopie pies that true dessert aficionados like myself have known about for years. Last week, Micheline Maynard wrote an article called “Whoopie! Cookie, Pie or Cake, It’s Having Its Moment” that explored the origin of whoopie pies. It was quite interesting to learn about the origins of whoopie pies since I grew up enjoying them. Now all of New York will know what I knew already–that whoopie pies are truly a fantastic and delicious treat.

Go to my previous blog to find out where in NYC you can get the best whoopie pies: http://davidmonn.blogspot.com/2008/03/whoopie_28.html

Tea Time

I recently heard of Tracy Stern, a tea lover like myself. She is the creative force behind the famous Salonteas and has a tea salon in NYC.

Tracy’s inspiration was based on old French Salons and the most elegant tearooms of the 1600’s. Tea was a social connector for artists, musicians and socialites who would all come together and discuss the topics of the day. Although times have significantly changed, Tracy hoped that style, art and tea would still bring people together.

Salonteas are hand-picked from the finest private estates throughout the world and given cute names such as, “The Fashionable Dandy” and “The Romantic”. Tracy really gives the teas a personality. And her salon in New York City has bright colors and antique accessories that really make the environment unique and fun to be in while enjoying a good cup of tea.


Visit http://salonteas.com/ to get custom-made teas and tea drinking accessories.

Via Emilia

If you happen to be in New York, here is a recommendation for a great Italian restaurant I discovered a few months ago:
Via Emilia, on 21st Street between 5th Avenue and Park Avenue, is a great authentic Italian restaurant. It has a modern look to it and is very appropriate for a twosome or small group to have dinner. The food is fantastic and very affordable.

I would definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone who is in the area. However, be warned that they do not accept reservations and will not take credit cards—it’s cash only at this typical Italian eatery.

http://www.viaemilianyc.net/

The Complex Flavor of India

Not a single recipe in Rahgavan Iyer’s wonderful book 660 Curries: A Gateway to Indian Cooking contains curry powder, he explains, because authentic Indian curry is a sauce-based dish with endless distinctive variations—nothing like the generic blend of spices found at your supermarket.

He said that Indian food has eight building blocks. They include the five basic tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and “umami,” whose existence was confirmed in 2000, when scientists discovered receptors for it in the human tongue. (Nuts and cheese are among foods considered very “umami,” which has been described as “savory” or “satisfying.”)

The other three elements other than taste that define Indian fare include an astringent element (turmeric), pungent elements (peppercorn, chili, garlic and cloves) and aromatics (cardamom, cumin, coriander and cinnamon).

Thanks to this complex blend, Iyer says, Indian food is the world’s most sophisticated cuisine. I think he makes a good argument.

An Innovative Way to Use a Lemon

Last week we had a staff breakfast in the office. We called the Brooklyn Bagel Company to deliver bagels, cream cheese and lox – a typical New York City breakfast. When the food arrived, we discovered that they had come up with the most innovative way to present the capers on the lox platter: they had put them in a hollowed-out lemon.

It was really a great idea, so I decided I had to share it with you.

Check out the picture below:




Do you have any other cool food presentation ideas you'd like to share? Please comment.

Spanish Peanuts

A couple of weeks ago I decided to get away from the city and go on a little vacation to the Caribbean. While I was there, I had a great snack of Spanish peanuts that were different from the usual peanuts I eat. They were very small and quite tasty—definitely the best peanut variety I’ve tried. If you’re ever at a gourmet grocer, see if you can find tiny Spanish peanuts. They are definitely a fabulous snack!

And, did you know that peanuts aren’t actually a nut? They are a legume since they grow on vines or stalks.

The Stinking Rose is an Aphrodisiac?

In preparation for Valentine’s Day, I thought it would be fun to list foods that have aphrodisiacal properties. Some of the foods are not surprising (like the tried and true chocolate), but others are unexpected (garlic anyone?).

If you’re preparing a special dinner for your significant other on the 14th, make sure to incorporate some of these ingredients into your cooking!

Aniseed
Asparagus
Almond
Arugula
Asafetida
Avocado
Bananas
Sweet Basil
Broccoli Rabe
Chocolate
Carrots
Coriander
Fennel
Figs
Garlic
Ginger
Honey
Licorice
Mustard
Nutmeg
Oysters
Pine Nuts
Pineapple
Raspberries
Strawberries
Truffles
Vanilla
Wine

Go to www.gourmetsleuth.com/aphrodis_foods.htm to read more about these foods. And make sure to let us know what recipes you like that involve some of these ingredients!

The Amazing Cocoa Bean

While out to dinner with a good friend this past weekend, I learned something new about a food I am very familiar with; the cocoa bean. Turns out, the quality and taste of chocolate has everything to do with where the bean was grown. Just as grapes become Cabernets or Pinot Noirs depending on the conditions of the exact hillside on which they grow, the origin of a specific cocoa bean determines the type of chocolate it will become. I found all of this so interesting I thought it would be great to share it with my readers!

Both grapes and cocoa beans are greatly impacted by factors like climate and soil, as well as quantities of sunlight and rain. Cocoa beans are generally catagorized into three types: Forastero (accounting for 85% of the world's cocoa), Trinitario (about 10%), and Criollo (less than 5%). As with most things, the rarer the better, and Criollo beans are considered to make the finest, most expensive chocolate in the world.

Like wine connoisseurs, chocolate aficionados pay attention to aroma, taste and look. The flavor of Criollo is described as delicate yet complex, low in classic chocolate flavor, but rich in "secondary" notes of long duration, with a reddish coloring.

The largest areas of cocoa bean growth

Next time you bite into a piece of chocolate, take a moment to reflect on one of nature's great marvels: the amazing cocoa bean!

What is your favorite place to get chocolate? Please leave a comment.

The Fast Track to Healthy Eating

Today's blog is not about food per say, but rather the lack of food I've had this week! My best friends and I are doing a five day cleanse together and... today is day three. I agreed to take part to wean myself off the large amount of sweets I consume.

The cleanse we chose is the Organic Avenue Five Day LOVEdeep fast. Instead of eating solid foods, every day we drink a series of seven "elixirs," each providing a different nutrient. The fast is designed to drench your body with vital nutrients while giving it a break from digestion. The best part? Each day, Organic Avenue delivers your drinks in this chic burlap bag, and takes the previous day's bottles to be recycled!

I have to say it has been extremely hard giving up coffee but I am feeling energized and healthy! Only time will tell if it ends up helping curb my sugar habit. I'll let you know...

Have you ever done a fast? Please share your stories!

Travel Fast, Eat Light

Last week, while on a business trip, I realized something about our airports: ALL of the food is carbohydrates or sugar! While waiting for yet another delayed plane I was looking for something healthy to eat. Hidden behind the Cinnabons and Sabarro pizza all I was able to find was a soggy sandwich and a browning salad! I love sweets just as much as anyone else (maybe a bit more) but the last thing I want before boarding a plane is to be loaded with sugar and bloated from carbohydrates!

My suggestion for staying away from the unhealty food that controls the airport... eat a full meal before you leave home. And, if you know you have a layover or there is a possibility for a delay throw a few heatly snacks in your bag! As much as the smells permiate the air try to aviod that cinnabon and pizza because eventhough they may seem like a good idea at the time, you will regret it once you get on the plane!

What are your suggestions for getting around the tempting unhealthy airport food? Please leave a comment!

Hug a Mug

One of my favorite ways to warm up during the dreary winter months is a warm cup of hot chocolate. Something about the smell and taste is so comforting and instantly warming.

Max Brenner, a man who shares my love for sweets, is the owner of an ingenious chain of restaurants with a menu comprised of nothing but chocolate. With two locations in New York City I am lucky to be able to stop in on a cold winter day and get my fix of hot chocolate, plus anything else I can think of made of chocolate. Not only does his hot chocolate cure my craving but he has developed the “hug mug”, a mug that is the perfect shape for cupping both of your hands around it. He even has the mug for sale in his “chocolate shop” located in his restaurant and online.

If you are in New York you must check out this fun spot; if not, don't worry you can find a lot of his products at his online store, just click here.

Hug Mug - $8.90

Visions of Sugar Plums

One of my favorite things about the holidays are the abundance of sweets that are around! A great activity to do with your children on this Christmas Eve is make sweets for Santa. Below you will find two of my favorite recipes for Sugar Plums and Fresh Ginger Cookies, two very seasonal and delicious treats that the man in the red suit will be sure to enjoy!

Sugar plums

Making sugar plums is a perfect holiday project for kids: It takes a bit of time, the work’s a trifle sticky, and it requires neither cooking nor sharp utensils. Sugar plums can be stored in an airtight container with wax paper between the layers, or they can be wrapped in aluminum foil, then brightly colored tissue paper.

1 (24-ounce) container pitted prunes
4 ounces whole blanched almonds
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut (4 ounces)
1/4 cup of sugar



Stuff each prune with an almond, molding fruit around nut into a nice plum shape. In a small bowl, toss coconut and sugar. Roll stuffed prunes in mixture. Store in an airtight container or wrap some or all individually.

Fresh Ginger Cookies

Prep: 5 minutes

Chill: 1 hour

Bake: 8 to 10 minutes

Makes: about 60


1.5 sticks (6 ounces) butter, softened
1 cup sugar1 cup unsulphured molasses
2 eggs
4.5 cups flour
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons baking soda
1.5 teaspoons cinnamon1 teaspoon salt

1. In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Blend in molasses. Add eggs on at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon and salt, stirring until well combined. Cover and refrigerate one hour.

2. Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease cookie sheets. Roll dough into 1.5 inch balls and place 1 inch apart on cookie sheets. Flatten balls slightly with bottom of glass or palm of your hand.


3. Bake 8-10 minutes. Remove racks and let cool.

What is your favorite Christmas Cookie recipe? Please leave a comment!

Paper Perfection

My favorite holiday centerpiece is my home-baked ham. Having a delicious, moist ham fills not only your stomach, but also your house with the aroma of warmth and the feeling of celebration.

The rule that I always live by in cooking the perfect ham is to place it tightly in a paper bag. This keeps in the delicious juices necessary for a soft ham. And considering ham is a dish that is also enjoyed for the days following the holidays, using a paper bag allows the meat to excite your taste buds even after it has cooled!

Holiday Drop-Ins

The holiday season is famous for unexpected drop-ins by friends and family. It is always a horrible feeling to know that you are not prepared to host friends. In order to avoid panic attacks and make you look like you’re always expectant of the unexpected I have included some quick last minute recipes perfect for these friendly visits!

20 Minute Artichoke Dip
1 C. Mayonnaise
1 C. Parmesan Cheese
1 can Artichoke Hearts, diced
Pinch of Garlic Powder to taste
Mix all ingredients and place in casserole dish.
Cook at 350° for 20 minutes (until golden brown).
Serve hot with a freshly sliced baguette or crackers.

Getting fancy with Bacon
Cut slab of bacon into ½ inch chunks. Cook on skillet or broiler until crispy. Skewer with grape tomato.
Or
Cut just ripe pears in ½ inch cubes. Sprinkle with salt, sugar and cayenne. Spear with bacon.

Edamame
Boil fresh or frozen edamame in pods for approx. 3-5 minutes.
Sprinkle with coarse salt.

And if you are really out of time buy pre-made finger foods and just brush them with truffle oil to dress them up!

Have more quick appetizers? Let us know!