International Association of Culinary Professionals Culinary & Book Expo 2012

Palm Sunday was the last day of the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) Conference in New York City. With the last day of festivities came the culinary and book expo smack dab in SoHo. The culinary expo served as a smorgasbord of local, national, and international exhibitors of food & beverages and equipment for food professionals. KitchenAid and Cuisinart, big names in the food tools field, were there as well as Vitamix--unveiling their newest blender. The high power emulsion of the Vitamix 5200 blender created some wonderful chocolate fondue using chocolate from fellow exhibitor Guittard brand chocolate. Overall the texture was so smooth that you just wanted to slurp the sample and not be held down by a pretzel only providing bits of deliciousness. Another big name in the baking field, King Arthur Flour, was present promoting their latest catalog filled with not only ingredients for baking but equipment as well including pans, racks, and great tools for slicing and dicing. I gushed to representatives that I've been using my mini doughnut pan pretty steadily since purchasing it from their site.

The culinary expo was a carb and cheese fest, and I am not complaining about that at all. Light flavored cheeses such as goat cheese were paired with full-flavored ones like blue, soft cheeses like brie were paired with harder ones like Parmesan to show off the range of tastes and textures when it comes to the cheeses that can enhance a recipe. One of my favorite uses of cheese, and a nice way to spice up an old favorite English muffin, was the goat cheese, marmalade, and walnut which pairing on a whole wheat Bays English muffin, kept warm under a heating lamp. It was the perfect kind of treat to make you feel like you wanted to curl up on the couch and watch TV with some nice warm Runa "tea" on a rainy and chilly day. Any food dish that evokes cozy fantasies is a good one.

The Savory 

Kikkoman had a booth showcasing their variety of panko bread crumbs as well as their newer sauces both spicy and mild. The salmon burger with slaw made with Kikkoman panko bread crumbs and spicy chili sauce was a hearty & filling item that hit the umami spot. Soft bun, warm meat, tangy slaw, amazing.

I spoke to Kikkoman representatives and let them know I often use their brand of plain panko as a topping for baked mac and cheese as well as breading for chicken. Once you start using panko you cannot go back to regular bread crumbs. It's very light and crunchy without being grainy. One of the Kikkoman reps suggested I also use it for french toast. Having just made french toast with cornflakes I can only imagine the added crunch factor with panko. Yet another item to add on my To Do list.

Canadian Lentils served a phenomenal lentil and cheese quesadilla while also offering a sample recipe book for more uses for lentils including appetizers, soups, main courses and desserts.

Soon after trying the quesadilla I stopped by The Regal Vegan's booth to taste the toasted walnut lentil pâté that had a great savory kind of meaty taste to it without the meat of course. The texture was of a creamy spread and it was a huge favorite among attendees. After a minutes consideration I purchased some on the spot. Ella Nomcova, executive chef and founder for The Regal Vegan line, created the pâté after huge demand grew from customers that wanted to take it home rather than only try it at the restaurant she worked at. It's vegan friendly and tastes good fitting The Regal Vegan's philosophy of love, respect, and other nutrients as food honors the person eating it.

At the book expo where cookbook authors were set up to talk about books ranging from gluten-free to sensual cooking aphrodisiacs to all kinds of desserts to BBQ cooking to international fare. The tabbouleh with roasted walnuts was available from the book One Tribe Gourmet by Sara Hafiz. This tabbouleh was not as oily as ones I have tried in the past. It was more herb than olive oil and had a pungent taste due to the greens of mint and flat leaf parsley, while also introducing me to the cereal grain of bulgur.

Top Chef season 1 finalist Dave Martin was with the Nueske's booth where he made chicken jerky and also a chicken mesclun green salad with shaved parmesan and a light vinaigrette. This was a great, lighter contrast to much of the items available because carbs  (read: baguettes) were there aplenty as was cheese in the steady pairing of the two. Again, not complaining as all were delicious.

I also couldn't get enough of the lamb jerky provided by American Lamb. I know people may be on the fence about lamb and also veal but I have to say the jerky I tried was not too salty but also had a good range of spices and smoky flavor in it. If you've had real jerky you know that it's not as nicely packaged, nor should it be, as a Slim Jim. It has a rough exterior but a chewiness to it. It's hearty and filling and cured and dry so that it keeps well with age. In the case of jerky aging it is a good thing. Where USA Lamb's jerky was more in line with what I've seen Chef Martin's was done as an after thought so as not to waste Nueske's left over chicken but was a good taste as well and not as dry.

The Sweet 

The Rescue Baker Lisa Camerlengo presented her campfire cookies (a s'more cookie essentially with marshmallows and chocolate chips) as well as flourless chocolate cake (a dense dark chocolate delight), and her lemon bundt cake (a great citrusy treat within a moist cake).

Artopolis Bakery Patisserie specializes in Greek desserts and offered many items including baklava and melomakarona. I tried the melomakarona another dense but moist cookie with cinnamon, brandy, and honey included that reminded me of gulab jamun in texture and taste.

Artopolis Patisserie - A Citysearch find!

One of my favorite sandwiches which I'm unsure fits into the sweet or savory category is the peanut butter and jelly sandwich offered by Peanut Butter & Company made with their Smooth Operator peanut butter. Their store is also located in downtown Manhattan and their biggest seller is the Elvis inspired peanut butter and banana sandwich. PB & Co's peanut butter is as natural as it gets with a handful of ingredients, all of which you can recognize and pronounce. Good stuff.

I loved, loved, loved Wisconsin Cheese's dessert panini "The Mackenzie" made with pound cake, rosemary butter, fig spread, and Wisconsin brie. This was a super warm item where everything melded together and the fig and pound cake had a nice sweetness that melted in your mouth and the brie, being light in flavor and texture, worked well with it overall. I'm not a fan of figs, but it really enhanced this item and I couldn't get enough of it, especially being so toasty right off the grill!

I also enjoyed samples of the chocolate cake available in the book expo by the author of Sweet Home Rebecca Miller French. It was the last thing I tasted before leaving the expo and it definitely stuck with me.

The Information

It was great to speak with many of the exhibitors about more of the variety of uses for their goods and how much they encourage those to alternate their way of cooking within the food industry but also extending this to how people cook and bake in our everyday lives. Speaking with Chimere of Clean Plate Company we considered how great it would be for people of various backgrounds and communities to visit the culinary expo to not only taste new things but see and learn how different flavors can create something very powerful in a dish. There's a big hesitation once we get older to divert from what we grew up with. Chimere and I agree that it starts with children, from there we all grow into our own tastes. I know I experimented more with foods in college than I ever did when I was younger.

In discussing the best types of pears to use for baking at the USA Pears station I was informed that the samples they had of anjou and red anjou as well as bosc would be great for pies, particularly bosc if you wanted to retain a firmer texture within a baked item. Judging the ripeness of a pear includes touching the neck and feeling for firmness or not. If it's firm then that extends to the body of the pear as well. Pears are great for their crispness and get ripe once they are removed from the tree. They're in the apple family and also have a similar texture to the apple when baked, softening with the sweetness intensifying when cooked.

Canola Oil is one of the better oils being discovered by professional chefs. It has less of the solid saturated fats and more of the omega-3 fatty acids than even olive oil. It's being touted as one of the more versatile oils out there with a neutral taste. Canola Info is pushing it more for other uses as well as baking (in lieu of vegetable oil used in many cakes and cake mixes). I'll dig deeper into Canola and see how it may enhance the health factor, particularly for vinaigrettes.

I was happy to meet Luane Kohnke author of Gluten-Free Cookies which was the book I based all my cooking for last August when I did only gluten-free baking. I admire the fact that Luane has a full-time job at an ad agency and that she developed these recipes out of a pure love of baking and wanting to provide more options for those with celiac disease or who were just interested in using other ingredients and seeing how they work together. The mixture of flours she uses work really well together to create a great taste without taking anything away from the cookie itself just because it's gluten free.

Lentils are not beans technically, they are pulses but considered in the legumes family. Canada Lentils spreads the word about their various uses and how filling they can be. The goal of The Big Book of Lentils is to show that lentils work in desserts as well adding more fiber and protein to goods overall. It doesn't serve as a replacement for anything within the dessert frame but adds that healthier ingredient to enhance the nutritional content.

Runa, which isn't really a tea, is a leaf brewed like tea. Runa had their warm and cold bottled teas available and the traditional guayusa is divine! It's not reminiscent of a tea you may have tasted like earl grey, which many teas are based on, or english breakfast but holds its own with a subtle but lightly sweetened taste in the cold form. It does not have caffeine in it so don't expect an extra jolt to the senses to keep you up, but the all natural taste is said to aid digestion and boost metabolism being a welcome addition to the bevy of teas (or tea like) beverages on the market. And Runa is now available at Whole Foods. Chambre du Sucre also had a lovely tasting hibiscus raspberry tea that was a divine thing to taste after having many cheeses and sweets throughout the day.

As is always my wish when it comes to conferences it would've been great to have more time to explore what each booth had to offer. Compared to conferences like Book Expo of America this was not as hard to get through in terms of seeing everything and getting as much information as possible as it was on one floor. Yet, three hours wasn't enough, hard to believe. Seeing and tasting different olive oils infused with great flavors like BBQ bacon and curry and discovering more about endives (their variety and tastes in recipes) and tasting walnut foccacia I have to say I came out of the culinary & book expo much wiser and more excited to try other recipes to expand my own cooking and baking habits. Here's hoping IACP returns to NYC next year. New York City seems the prime place to connect culinary enthusiasts and professionals alike.

Clinton Street Baking Co's Pancake 'Topping' Month 2012

Today marks the last day of Pancake Month at Clinton Street Baking Company in New York City's Lower East Side (LES). Today also marks the Leap Day, which comes every four years. (Happy official birthday to all the Leap Year babies!) To provide a bit of background I'm pretty sure Clinton Street has Pancake Month all month long in honor of the holiday in England called Shrove Tuesday that takes place the day before Lent. And on this day, pancakes are consumed! Well, the European version of the pancake which is what we Americans know as le crepe (equally tasty). I went to Hereford, England a few years ago to research a novel and happened to be there on Shrove Tuesday and got to partake in the holiday of consumption. Good times.

I'm a huge fan of Clinton Street Baking Co. They've been on my last two annual baking reviews and I did a mini-post alerting people as to the awesomeness of Pancake Month last February. And I ended up going to Clinton Street Baking Co. not one, not two, but three times this month. (No, this was not planned.)

I went on the first day of Pancake Month with my friend Anna and her boyfriend. We partook in the crunchy banana and cinnamon chocolate sauce pancake. When the pancakes arrived, literally a mound of pancakes with another mound of toppings (deep fried battered banana pieces with chocolate swirls), I was excited to delve in. But when I did, while fluffy and tasty and all, I noticed there was no banana in the pancake. Eating the fried banana pieces as a side was quite filling in itself and in all honesty I am not one who'd be able, as hard as I try, to finish a whole stack of pancakes from Clinton Street. I wouldn't even dare you to do it, they're so filling.

I slathered a bunch of maple butter on my pancakes, ate half, took the rest home, got some complimentary scones, and was satisfied but hoped that the next time I came I'd get to indulge in more flavor in the pancake.

Skip ahead to a week later when the pancake du jour was the almond frangipane with fresh raspberries, sliced almonds, and chocolate sauce. I am not a fan of almond flavoring too much, so I decided not to purchase the pancakes. Instead I went with the staple of buttermilk chicken and waffles. Amazing. I did cop a taste of my friends' though and was disappointed again that most of the flavor was in the toppings and not within the pancake itself. Though there seemed to be the hint of an almond flavor in the middle, but if so it was faint. My friends liked their pancakes well enough so there ya go.

The following week. My friend Bonnie really wanted to try the pumpkin pancakes this year and being that we are two peas in a pod when it comes to that how could I say no? I was excited because even though the pancakes may not have been what I expected the service is often very good at Clinton Street Baking Co.

Our waitress seemed somewhat frustrated that evening and perhaps it was because of the fact that the pancakes were sub par. Even the woman next to Bonnie and me did not seem satisfied with her pancakes, eating only a portion and choosing not to take the remains home. She said she was disappointed about the flavor having thought that there would be pumpkin inside the pancake. The waitress asked the cooks if there was pumpkin inside and returned to say that it was in a slight dose within the pancake. What that means I have no idea, but I should've taken that for what it was instead of ordering my own plate.

Again, there was no specific flavor inside the pancake. Cold pumpkin chunks were on top of the stack with some streusel accompanied by some splotches on the plate that tasted like peanut butter (we were told this was pumpkin seeds ground up into a paste.) This was a major concern as Bonnie is allergic to peanuts. So anything that even tasted like peanuts should've had a huge warning informing customers that it was in fact pumpkin seed. I was not a fan of the pancake and so sent it back in favor of their other staple the blueberry pancake that actually had blueberries incorporated into the pancake.

From that point on our waitress basically ignored us for the rest of the night. Bonnie had to flag her down for our bill. My tea had been forgotten, my utensils taken when I asked for a new order, and an attitude given when I asked for new utensils. Tsk tsk. I've been to Clinton Street Baking Co. on super busy days, slightly busy days, and light days and received friendly service each and every time. What gives? I've given steady patronage to this location since I found out about it almost two years ago. I've taken long lunches from Tribeca just to get the food and bought pancakes for a friend as a present! But that ill-fated pumpkin pancake day was just not good. I did complain on their Facebook page, no response of course.

So let me explain why I'm somewhat up-in-arms about this. The year prior Bonnie and I had had the pumpkin streusel pancake and there was pumpkin in that bad boy. The pancake was orange in color and the praline streusel was a great compliment and there were pumpkin seeds inside the pancake as well. Delish! But this year, that was no more. Clinton Street Baking Co. went on to post pics of their daily pancake offerings on their Facebook page and you can see that it's all topping heavy. There seems to be no specificity to the pancake itself. It looks like they use a core pancake recipe, perhaps adding light touches here and there but nothing more than that for flavoring of each pancake and again if it's in there it is subtle. I'm not saying it's not good per se, but it's not what I expected having had a much more pleasant and flavorful experience the year before during Pancake Month.

I do have qualms when something is advertised as banana and instead just has banana toppings. IHOP (International House of Pancakes) has also done this as well as many other eating establishments, I'm sure. Apple pancakes do not necessarily have apple inside but on top. To me that is not an apple pancake, that is a pancake with apple topping. Let's call a duck a duck shall we?

So my request to Clinton Street Baking Co. is that next year go back to new fillings and such for the pancake. If it's a chocolate chunk pancake make sure the chunks are melting within the fluffy, chewy pancake and melts in my mouth with a merge of flavors. Not me having to scoop the topping onto my pancake and make sure to get it all in one gulp. Or, if this may not be the way to go call Pancake Month, wait for it, Pancake Topping Month. I'm game and I'll know what I'm getting.

Again, I am a fan of Clinton Street. This is no way sways the fact that they do have very good food--particularly their scones, biscuits, and waffles--and often times friendly staff. Every place has a bad day, with off service, and perhaps less than spectacular food from what consumers may have experienced. But that doesn't change the fact that it is a staple in LES and a welcome one. I look forward to returning and delving into something else on the menu.

Interview with Allison Kave of First Prize Pies (Keeping baking in the family, yet sharing the secrets of good, fun pie-making.)

I first learned about First Prize Pies when watching PBS's Food Curated one lazy Sunday. Not only was I happy to hear about another NYC bakery but seeing a friendly face talk animatedly and lovingly about her passion for pie made me excited to try her creations. Then I had the pleasure of meeting founder Allison Kave at Jackie's Pie Party Live last October.

Allison was super-friendly and very generous in her pie knowledge when I asked her about crust techniques (me being super insecure about my own attempts). And I got a first taste of my new obsession in one of her trademark pies. I went on to purchase several pies from Allison's shop. And I'm telling you now I intend on trying many more.

Allison was kind enough to answer some questions and provide great pictures! I am super-excited about her revelation of creating a cookbook. It's on my mental 'must have' list.

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First Prize Pies is a relatively new company. And I see that food runs in your family. Did you find it difficult to start up First Prize Pies? Or did you find it easier to start a new business with culinary arts running in the family coupled with how much the Internet and social media have become?

Running a small business is always a difficult proposition, but having my mother and brother to consult with for advice was definitely an enormous help. I bake out of my mom's shop, Roni-Sue's Chocolates, and that also saved me a lot in terms of the start-up costs of renting a kitchen. My first big piece of press was an article in DailyCandy, and that definitely launched me into a new level in terms of sales and recognition—I can't overstate the impact that the web and social media have had on my business.

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It’s great that you offer in-home instruction on pie making. After having a pie themed party some of my friends actually made pie for the first time, which was great. But many seemed intimidated by pie making in general let alone baking. Did you find that when you made pies initially there was a learning curve or did you really delve into it?

I've been baking since I was a kid, so my learning curve was really gradual. It was something I always enjoyed doing, and starting as a young novice, I didn't feel much intimidation because I wasn't expecting much of myself! I just embraced it for the experience and the pride I felt in my results. As the years went on, I got more serious and took baking classes and pushed my technique. Pie baking has always been an outlet for my creativity, and a meditative practice as well. I try to encourage my students to let go of their inhibitions and insecurities about achieving the perfect crust, so they can focus on actually enjoying the experience.

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What do you think is the most important part of a pie? Is it the crust, the filling, or how both work together? Have there been pies that you have created, or tasted, that didn’t work because filling and crust weren’t gelling together?

Pies are all about the relationship between the crust, filling, and topping (if you're using one). I don't think any one element is more important than the other, and I'm very passionate about finding the most complementary flavors and textures possible. With cream and custard pies, sometimes a cookie crumb or graham cracker crust is best, other times a pate brisée  is better. It's all about tasting and testing to achieve that perfect harmony.

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Speaking of elements of a pie, I notice you sell your pie dough online. Not to ask any hard-fast secrets but do you have a preference in regards to lard, butter, Crisco, or a mixture in making pie crusts? There seems to be a key balance in capturing the right texture and taste, especially for old-school fruit pies.

My standard, go-to pie dough (the one I sell, and the one I teach) is a pretty classic pate brisée, made with high-quality, high butterfat European-style butter. I used to use a combination of butter and leaf lard (the very fine, lighter lard from around the kidneys of a pig), but once I started making a larger volume of pies I simplified things to work for a larger group of consumers. All-butter crusts require slightly more care to achieve that perfectly flaky, light texture, but it is definitely possible and I think my pies prove that! It's all about keeping things cold, using quality ingredients, and having a very gentle hand when making the dough.

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One of my favorite pies of yours is Jay’s Apple Cider Cream Pie, as well as the S’mores Pie. You created the Samoa pie based on the popular Girl Scout Cookie. Now that spring is rolling around, or has kind of arrived, what will you be working on with the new crop of items in-season? Do you tend to create new pies by season or try to offer a good amount year-round?

Sadly, spring has definitely not arrived yet! It feels like it has as we're in February and not even wearing hats, but it will be awhile before I have a new crop of good local fruits to work with. The first ingredient of spring is always rhubarb, which is one of my favorite flavors in the world. As it takes awhile for strawberries to come into season to hang out with the rhubarb, I always roll out my Rhubarb Frangipane as the first springtime flavor. The warmth of the toasted almonds, sweetness of vanilla, and bite of orange zest really enhance the rhubarb's natural tartness. I get soooo excited when I first see those pink stalks show up at the market! As for seasonality, I have some flavors that I offer year-round, but many that are season-specific and only available for a short window of time.

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Do you think you’ll have a storefront for First Prize Pies in the near future or do you prefer to have it available online with the delivery/pick up option?

I like the flexibility of things as they are now, but I would love to have my own shop one day. It's all a matter of finding the right space, and the financial backing to make it happen.

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Beyond Twitter, Facebook, and your website are there other social networking sites (like Tumblr or Food Blogger Network) where people can get more information or connect with First Prize Pies and where you may appear in regards to markets, food festivals, and such?

Twitter, Facebook, and firstprizepies.com are the best places to find out what I'm up to right now. I'm in the process of building a blog that will be available through my website, which I'm really excited about. I'm currently working on my first cookbook, and I plan to use the blog to track my progress, get my friends and customers involved in the recipe-testing process, and host some short instructional videos for home bakers. I can't wait!

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Thanks so much, Allison for agreeing to an interview, sharing your knowledge of pies, and providing great web-ready pics! I'll be preparing my credit card for the rhubarb frangipane as well as the First Prize Pies blog.

2011 Year in Review of NYC’s baked good offerings.

Another year has come and gone and I have done a boatload of dessert eating, my friends! And with that brings another annual review of baked goods I tried, mainly in NYC, sometimes a rogue item gets in from another state (see Red Hen Baking Company's fantabulous maple bun!) I tried new faves and old haunts and wasn't disappointed, well most of the time anyways.

These are listed in no particular order but I definitely suggest trying them at least once. It's nice to get around the city every once in awhile.

Cream Cakes from Flushing mall (Delmanco) - I was first introduced to these when I first went to the Flushing Mall in Queens. As someone who went to high school in Flushing I was saddened I was just finding it. Especially after hearing last year that the mall would close in 2012 due to a bunch of unnecessary government intervention. Of course, that's going off topic.

Prior to entering the food court on the first floor you will see a Delmanco booth where they make these tasty sponge cakes with custard filling. You can get them hot off the presses which is a real treat. They are small in size but have a great buttery, vanilla flavor that is pure but also really addictive. I could eat a box full (24 count) and have. The light sponge cake is a delicacy in a lot of Asian desserts you may have. Fay Da Bakery and other places in Chinatown tend to have cakes in a similar consistency.

Baked - Soon after 2011 had begun, well like a week into January 2011 I went to brunch with Yoshie of Ramen & Friends, her husband, and her baby CK soon after the new year began. Since we had a car at the time it was cool wandering around a week after the blizzard in Brooklyn. And a place to hit up at the top of my list was Baked! Since I didn't know when I'd be in Red Hook again I bought a bunch of items. First up was the brookie (brownie/cookie), which was wonderful! An even mix of a brownie and a cookie in one with a cookie crust and brownie filling. As advertised on The Best Thing I Ever Ate with Claire Robinson noting that the salty and sweet brownie was the best thing she's ever had. For me it was good, not the best thing ever. The consistency was there with the more fudgy texture to the brownie but because it was more dark chocolate it lacked an additional sweetness that I enjoy in brownies. I also tried the pumpkin chocolate chip loaf, which stayed moist after a week when well sealed. The loaf had an even amount of pumpkin and chocolate, though there were a bunch of chocolate chips.

Dessert Truck - The Dessert Truck was MIA for much of 2010 due to licensing issues with parking and such or whatever food trucks have to get to to own their turf. With the return of the dessert truck I introduced my friend Ric to it. He had the creme brulee which was extremely tasty, perfect custard texture and not too thick of a sugar charred topping. I had the chocolate bread pudding, perfection with the creme anglais and some choco wafers atop. The donut squares with nutella didn't taste too great. I held them for the next day and toasted in the oven. Perhaps something about that took away from the taste as the texture was fluffy like a yeast donut and the nutella was good, but there was a somewhat metallic taste to the donut after I toasted it in the oven. And I had placed it on parchment paper so that was a bit odd. An additional bonus is that the Dessert Truck has opened two locations called DT Works in the Lower East Side and in Brooklyn.

Fat Witch Bakery - At my blondie/brownie themed birthday party last year a friend of mine introduced me to Fat Witch. She brought brownies (walnut & regular) and blondies. It was a good thing that I read that molasses was in the blondie because I didn't taste it and may have hesitated beforehand since I loathe the stuff. The blondie was brown sugar goodness! Fat Witch has nice bite-sized goodies that were like homemade in singularly packaged bits. Both the brownies and blondies are moist with a chewy consistency not too cakey and stayed moist in tightly sealed wrapping. My favorite was the walnut.

Steve's Authentic Key Lime Pie - As per the name their specialty is key lime pie/tart. I got the mini version. The filling was nicely tart and very creamy in texture (since I carried the stuff home from Red Hook, Brooklyn to Jamaica, Queens). So it held up pretty well! The graham cracker crust is mighty thick for containing the filling and can withstand storms! The crust may be a bit much for some but it can be a good balance, especially when you need your key lime fix.

Butterlane - I was disappointed in Butterlane in years' past because of the fact that I got a stale cupcake and the icing was pretty mediocre, even by pumpkin standards. I tasted the cupcake with chocolate icing and toasted peanuts. This time around the cake was much better and moist. The way it should be. So I may give them another try.

Cake and Shake New York - Their stand is set up right outside of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. They had a big crowd so I decided to give it a try. Cake & Shake offers savory and sweet cupcakes and also cupcakes for dogs. Go figure. I tried the moon cake (yellow cake that the menu said there was vanilla cream inside, but is probably baked into the dough). It was pretty big and moist enough, but they kind of over did it with the mountain of icing on top. However the butter cream frosting was darn tasty. My friend Jen can attest to this. This was not the best cupcake I've had and for the price I may be hesitant to try another.

Big Gay Ice Cream Truck - After stalking them or really it's called following for a reason when it comes to food trucks. I stood online for what seemed an obscenely long time (It was 4th of July weekend) and had the "Bea Arthur" (vanilla ice cream cone with crushed Nila wafers and dulce de leche). The guys running the truck are uber-friendly and sweet, which probably added to the line wait. They put dulce de leche inside the ice cream as well as on top and inside the cone! It's not an overly outrageous choice but a good solid one that I did not regret. Time goes faster when you have company.

Babycakes - I tried Babycake last year and had a half/half like/dislike with their cupcakes. During a Ramen & Friends outing to Far Rockaway beach there was a stand. I have to say I was very disappointed in the frozen cookie sandwich (no ice cream, vegan icing and refrigerated). I was pretty irritated with the cashier that she gave me an overcooked cookie. Someone else in our party had a better one, but in the end the dessert itself was not that tasty. The missing element being the dairy for me unfortunately on top of a rock hard cookie.

Motor Boat and the Big Banana - The Far Rockaway outing also proved to have a favorite place many people went to. The day was really hot and so a frozen banana seemed an ideal treat. I purchased the frozen chocolate covered banana with peanuts and sea salt. It was good but the tastes kind of fought each other in my palate. I probably would have enjoyed the chocolate and peanuts and sea salt and then the chilled banana separately. But, it did cool me off on a hot day.

Blue Smoke Bake Shop - Went to Blue Smoke during NY Restaurant Week in the summer. When you enter you pass by their Bake Shop right across from the hostess stand. As soon as you walk in you get sugary eye candy! The Bake Shop is across from the hostess stand. I bought a few things. My favorite was the mini pecan pie. My first taste of pecan pie believe it or not. It was sweet but not overly so as I imagine it could've been. It had a nice flaky crust that was not overly buttery but worked for the pie itself. The mini tollhouse cookie pie was a bit much in pie-form. The choco chunks and cookie were overwhelming and I could barely taste the pie crust. I've had truffle pies which are brownies in a pie and think that may have worked better. Upon next visit I wouldn't mind trying their cookies on their own.

Sweet Chef Southern Styles Bakery  - I tried their offerings when I was uptown near Grant's Tomb for Harlem Week. Now that I work very close to Harlem (literally a few blocks) I was excited to try some places in the area. I bought a handful of goods. One of which was their chocolate chip cookie. It was chewy, but didn't taste like your run-of-the-mill cookie. The sugary butter taste just wasn't there. Depending on your palate that may be a good thing. One of my faves was their mini sweet potato pie, perfection. They got it right with a buttery crust (which may have been made with lard to get the crisp texture) and the sweet potato filling reminded me of Grandma's. Maybe not my own, but someone's. Also a hot pick was the apple crumb pie! (I seem to have a preference for crumble pies these days. Particularly Mrs. Smith's Dutch Apple.) The crumbs were a good standard to which all should be held since it's mainly butter, sugar, perhaps some flour and lemon zest. The apples inside had a working harmony of sweetness and cinnamon flavor that wasn't too overwhelming. Again, perfect crust! The pecan pie (my second after having Blue Smoke's)  was gooey, sugary goodness.

Clinton Street Baking Company - Just wanted to reiterate how much I LOVE the scones and blueberry pancakes here. By the by, Pancake Month is being held in February. Go! That is all.

Bread Alone Bakery - My mom purchased a pie from here at the farmer's market that regularly visits areas in Manhattan, particularly during the spring/summer. She got the apple crumb pie. As mentioned I'm more partial to a dutch type of apple pie than the regular these days so a crumbly/praline crust is right up my alley. The crust is the best part of a pie, for me, and the fact that Bread Alone's was sweet and crumbly was the ultimate test for me.  I should also note that Bread Alone uses local ingredients from upstate New York. Good stuff and they use local ingredients.

Coolhaus Truck - The arrival of the Coolhaus truck was a nice surprise once I started my new job uptown this summer. They primarily sell homemade cookies and ice cream. So there may be a lull in service during the winter months, maybe not. They serve these items separately or as ice cream sandwiches and are pretty heavy handed with the ice cream when they make it. I was interested in trying the red velvet cookie (red dyed chocolate cookie with cream cheese icing) with red velvet ice cream (vanilla ice cream w/ red velvet cake chunks). But figuring that may be a bit much I ordered the maple white chocolate cookie with Tahitian vanilla bean ice cream. The ice cream was creamy and reminded me of Breyer's with the vanilla bean specks. The maple white choco cookie was amazing! Super chewy, lovely crunchy white chocolate bits, and the maple flavor was spot on! Not too subtle and not too overwhelming. Perfect cookie. I ordered the cake "pancake" cookie which was similar in taste to the maple white chocolate cookie. Red velvet cookie was chewy and chocolate-rich. Streaks of hardened cream cheese icing are okay but don't really add much to the cookie and flake off easily. Their snickerdoodle is good, pretty basic sugar cookie with a bit more crunch than the other cookies. Cinnamon sugar on top is not too heavy, which is good for a snickerdoodle.

First Prize Pies - I had the pleasure of meeting Alison at Pie Party Live in October. Her contribution was a s'mores pie at pie party live. Ridiculously delicious. So of course, I had to try her other offerings. I bought three mini pies to enjoy on my lonesome. And I guess share. Of the three I purchased my new favorite is Jay's cream apple pie. The crust is perfect buttery Graham cracker mix with apples and a cream topping that balances out the tastes with some cinnamon on top. Her samoa pie encompasses many of the pieces of the girl scout cookie and is also good. Especially for those that love their Girl Scout Cookies. As a fan of the peanut butter chocolate combo I liked this pie also but found with the dark chocolate it was a bit more bitter for my tastes. The peanut butter filling was light in fluffy texture but tasty.

Little Pie Company - Mom bought Sour Cream Apple Walnut Pie! I had tried this for the first time last year during Just Desserts Day. I had it several times over the Christmas holiday so I'm a bit stuffed. Mmm, praline topping. Mom also bought the Mississippi Mud Pie, which is uber chocolatey. It tastes like a concentrated brownie and is very good warm/room temperature with vanilla ice cream to offset how intense the chocolate is. Crust, filling, topping the chocolate is everywhere!

Chipsy - Via a MunchOnMe coupon I got to try the newest deep fried shop's hot item: deep fried oreos with nutella. These are far superior to Chip Shops as the batter was more cake like and reminded me a of a donut which was a nice compliment to the oreo which got chewy inside. The nutella had a nice sugary addition and all the flavors meld well together so you can taste everything. Chip Shop had one bland batter that they seem to use for everything from the savory items to the desserts and it adds no taste to the overall dish. I'd go back to try Chipsy's deep fried candy bar as well. And they have a range of fries. Good stuff.

Spot Dessert Bar - I have passed this place many, many times and always said to myself "I'm going to go in there one day." Well, with a coupon for a free macaron that day came! I really enjoy the East Village and think this is a great addition. I had a red velvet macaron which truly captured the light cocoa flavor of red velvet cake with a sweet cream cheese filling. Not too sugary, but crispy and chewy. Perfect macaron. And since I was there I purchased the apple crumble cupcake. It was a moist yellow cake with cream cheese icing (light and fluffy) which was reminiscent of cheesecake and sweet apple bits on top. It was good and I'll definitely frequent this place again, but I would've liked apples inside the cupcake as well.

Apple Cafe Bakery - Again with the MunchOnMe coupons! After frequenting a bunch of places and getting free items I couldn't help but also purchase something else to get a sense of what their offerings were. Apple Cafe Bakery is brand spanking new, opening last fall. I had a peanut butter cookie, perfectly peanut buttery, nutty, and chewy! It was also pretty oily, so much so that it started to seep through the paper bag. A treat for those that enjoy peanut butter. I also got a sugar cookie which was fine, sort of lackluster in terms of taste, very basic but sugary. Lastly I got a white chocolate macadamia nut cookie which was tasty and very chewy (more so than the sugar cookie) and had a good balance in taste. Had more macadamia nuts than white chocolate which was fine. Tasted this thanks to MunchOnMe coupon. They also have pumpkin & red velvet cheesecake and pumpkin whoopie pies which I may be inclined to go back and try.

Soul Snacks NYC - This is a small operation and gets distributed through many locations in Harlem. At Manna's I saw the sweet potato cookie. In texture and taste it reminded me of  one of my favorite cookies: pumpkin chocolate chip sans chocolate chips. It's more cakey than crispy and a nice size and bits of sweet potato in it. It's on par with pumpkin but the after taste is definitely sweet potato. It's a great balance of sweetness for this type of cookie. I'm very interested in trying more from Soul Snacks.

2011 Wrap-up! My year in baking...(part 2)

And thus we come to the latter half of the year in my annual baking review. July 

As posted I proclaimed July Gluten-Free baking month! And as noted flour substitutions for gluten-free items from the book Gluten-Free Cookies by Luane Kohnke got kind of pricey. In particular xantham gum ($13 at Whole Foods! Aye!).

First up was jam thumbprints.

These were tasty! Nice butter cookies with a granular texture. Many enjoyed them and I'd make these again. Thing with gluten-free dough from this book was that all doughs needed to be refrigerated for at least an hour. So no baking and then going on the run. You had to let things sit for a bit. And also the mixing of flours and thickeners gets kinda messy. Just sayin'.

Next up was macadamia white chocolate blondies. These were super sweet even for me. Because of the lack of thickener from regular all-purpose flour and the fact that the measurements didn't provide for a lot of substitutes of gluten-free items it was quite dense, more so than you may want in a blondie with a kind of doughy, undercooked texture to it which increases the sweetness of it. My co-workers enjoyed it though.

Follow up to that was sweet cinnamon snickerdoodles. These were good and very much like what you'd expect a snickerdoodle to taste though add the granular texture and them being a bit lighter as well. Whereas the Sweet Melissa snickerdoodles I made had more bite to them these didn't leave you feeling as heavy. I made them for a friend who is a snickerdoodle addict and loves it in all forms. Something else to note with these gluten-free cookies is that they are precious cargo. So make sure to pack them tightly and carry carefully. I gave a couple to a friend who then stuffed them into her purse and then had crumbs within the hour.

After that was flourless peanut butter cookies. I added chocolate chips just 'cause. These were interesting to do as there are a handful of flourless recipes in Gluten-Free Cookies. And it introduced me to the fact that you can make items without flour that aren't meringue. You have to watch these cookies while they bake because they will burn in seconds if you do not take care. Also the peanut butter flavor was booming! With nothing to combat it (even the chocolate chip cookies were dormant) it was all peanut butter in every bite. Again, delicate to transport but good to eat!

And the last item for gluten-free baking month was chocolate peanut butter cups. A chocolate cookie with peanut butter filling inside. Any leftover peanut butter filling can be used to make flourless peanut butter cookies, but these were lighter because the peanut butter filling had egg whites in it.

I liked these. The cookie isn't overly sweet due to the unsweetened cocoa powder so you kind of rely on the peanut butter to give you a kick on the sweet side. Good and not chewy really, a disappointment for me, but somewhat crispy cookie. Better to transport because it's packed more but a big hit with my co-workers at the time.

And although this item was not gluten free I did owe two of my buds (shot out to ALev & Dessert Landscape) for their impending nuptials and so made them one of my fave recipes: dulce de leche & chocolate chunk bread pudding courtesy of Bon Appetit Magazine (March 2008 issue).

This is all kinds of perfection. The perfect solid yet chewy texture that makes a great bread pudding. The mixture is made of a crapload of caramel with cream and you use challah bread to soak up the mixture which is sweet and buttery in itself. Add in chocolate chunks and then sprinkle powdered sugar when done and you have yourself the perfect bread pudding in my opinion. In all honesty I have yet to try one that even compares to the one I've made from this recipe three times. I certainly need to make it more often. But it's hard to part with. Every time I make it I have to give the bulk of it away and only get a taste. Perhaps it's for the best...

August

I improvised a recipe from the basic chocolate chip one and made white chocolate macadamia nut cookies since I had items left over from the blondies I made in July.

These were okay. I found that with using only white sugar instead of brown sugar it took away some of the flavor you get from the cookie so I'll have to work out the recipe again since I am a fan of the combination. Plus I had less macadamia nuts than I'd like.

Another item was double chocolate muffins from one of my go to books Cakes and Bakes. I had to stay up to make these and I have to say I was none too happy with the results. Even for a muffin they weren't very sweet. The double chocolate comes in because the muffin itself has chocolate and you top it with a white chocolate frosting that's really melted down white chocolate via a double broiler (or in my case a makeshift double broiler).

The unsweetened cocoa powder was something you tasted more than anything and could've used more sugar or chips or something inside to pump up the chocolate flavor. Also the white chocolate did not melt as easily as bittersweet or milk chocolate has for me which made the smearing on top quite difficult and irritating late at night. My new co-workers enjoyed them enough as I had made them for my boss before he "retired" but I felt as though I could do better. And I will. This...I vow.

September

This month brought birthdays and fall! So you know that meant some pumpkin cookie action. All good things to those who wait...

Before pumpkin there were Chocolate (chocolate) chip cookies. I added nuts inside to add some crunch and because I just like nuts. This was a recipe from Cakes and Bakes and inside the cookie you had the addition of almond extract instead of vanilla. This made these cookies a hit!  I made these for a friend's birthday and she and her fiance enjoyed them thoroughly. I was informed in many Jewish treats almond extract is a key ingredient. The cookie itself was chewy but firm and the nuts and chocolate chips inside made these a nice treat when biting into it. Add in the almond extract and you get a new flavor that you weren't expecting and all of them work together yet don't overpower one another. Very nice.

Next up is another Cakes & Bakes recipe which was cinnamon seed bars (sans seeds). I'm not a fan of seeds in my goods so I don't really use them even if called for. Perhaps one day I will. This was more cake than bar I have to say and that may be because of the fact that sour cream is involved which automatically enhances moisture. These were very light so I just started calling them cinnamon cake after awhile. And while there is a boat load of cinnamon (a few tablespoons) it has a great taste and cinnamon doesn't seem like the only thing you savor. You get moist cake and cinnamon and it's great with tea/coffee/hot chocolate. And they keep well. I sent them to a friend in Australia (yes, another continent) and her and her husband enjoyed them a couple weeks down the line. Of course I saran-wrapped the hell out of the tupperware holding said cake. Nothing was getting in that box.

And to end September with an Original Creation! As blogged about previously I made a couple cookies based on books I enjoyed this year. The Cold Kiss coconut cookie is something that I have to give credit to the author of Cold Kiss Amy Garvey for creating such a lovely book and for letting me know she's a huge fan of coconut.

This is a soft cookie (you know I love those!) with a nice balance of coconut and vanilla. I wanted to make sure not to overdo the coconut so used coconut and vanilla extract but for the glaze atop it used vanilla only and sprinkled with coconut flakes. It worked perfectly and I wouldn't change a thing about this cookie. You can read Amy's responses in my blog post on these. She's a fan. Again, just sayin'.

October 

October was a heavy baking month for me.

As with the Cold Kiss cookie, I made a book based on another fave young adult novel that released this year. This one by Laini Taylor entitled Daughter of Smoke and Bone called the Blue Karou chocolate hazelnut cookie.

Again, rather than repeat myself from my earlier post in October I am going to provide you the link here. As mentioned I was somewhat disappointed with this cookie as all the flavors I had hoped would come through didn't. But I was quite happy with the picture. Did you see it?

Next up was my latest attempt on the banoffee pie.  I love banana and toffee and all things sugary sweet. So this is a fun pie to make. It came out better than the one I made via the Claire Robinson recipe last year. This time I went with the tride and true Paula Deen. And yup, this recipe had a boatload of butter. Seriously, it was oozing out of the graham cracker crust. As mentioned I made this pie for the Pie Party Live event that Jackie (aka The Diva that Ate New York) started with Ken (HungryRabbitNYC). It was super fun and I met super great people. It was a great and fun-filled as well as food filled time. Really great.

The problem with banoffee pie is that it is meant to be eaten immediately and needs to stay chilled. Since this was a pie party there was a lot to choose from and while it tasted fine after a couple hours it became a soggy mess. Lesson learned. I really need to make banoffee pie that will be eaten soon after I make it rather than piecemeal or at a large convention o' pies. Still sweet and good and everything you'd expect from Paula Deen in the dessert category.

Last but not least was one of my first new pumpkin recipes of the year: pumpkin snickerdoodles. My best friend sent me this recipe via recipegirl.com knowing my love of all things pumpkin.

These were interesting to try. They aren't overly orange and the pumpkin taste is light but there even though you have the standard pumpkin powders. Not only do you put them in the cookie dough but you roll the cookie in sugar, ginger, cinnamon, and allspice.

And going back to the FoodNetwork I plucked a nice banana bread recipe (I replaced pecans with the ever indelible chocolate chips) from The Neely's. I had a bunch of bananas left and didn't want them to go to waste and made some scrumptious banana bread that also called for sour cream in the recipe. These became a fast fave and I ate half a loaf for dinner with milk. So good. The chocolate added to it. If you like bananas and chocolate this is the perfect recipe because the moisture is there. It's very much a bread and not a cake but is so delicious and sweet (in a subtle not overt way) that you cannot help but continue to gorge on it. I can't wait to make this again.

November and December were months I baked but nothing new. I baked a couple days of lemon ricotta cookies for friends and as christmas gifts. You can see from last year that these are a fast fave of mine and anyone who tries them. Thanks Giada! I also made some stuff from boxes. I had intended to bake something new this past weekend but a sudden hospital emergency threw that off. I doubt I'll do any new baking this year and will make sure to get right back to it in January. I mean I have to make up for lost time after all.

While I may be done with baking there are plenty going strong. Particularly one of  the new baking blogs I enjoy Mercedes' Satisfy My Sweet. She has a bunch of pumpkin recipes. Hoorah!

I leave you with a lovely and wonderfully good linzer sandwich cookie my aunt made that I thoroughly enjoyed when she had us over for lunch one day. I have to credit my aunt with my interest and perhaps borderline (read: full on) obsession with baking. My earliest memory is of her helping me bake brownies using an EasyBake oven. Man those were tasty. She got the recipe for this cookie from The Barefoot Contessa. Another one who could do no wrong.

Peace and love and lots of baking to you and yours!