#NYCBakeSale 2014: Back at Brooklyn Flea

This counts as the one month (or specifically the 29 day) mark before the NYC Bake Sale strikes again! In previous posts from 2013 and 2012 I have volunteered and baked desserts. While I may not be baking this time around I will definitely be behind the scenes helping and this blog post is just one way of advertising. The NYC Bake Sale, and other bake sales around the nation, make sure all proceeds go to No Kid Hungry's campaign to end child hunger in America. Last year NYC's bake sale raised over $4,500 for this mission and we hope to raise that much more in 2014.

Food bloggers and culinary professionals are donating freshly baked goods that will include gluten-free and vegan items as well as lactose-filled deliciousness. The spread will be amazing and remember all monies raised go to a great cause.

You can visit the NYC Bake Sale's Tumblr site for updates on raffle prizes (win Le Creuset cookware or cookbooks from King Arthur flour!) and on who will be donating goodies. The bake sale will run from 10am to 5pm on May 3rd or whenever we sell out.

If you want to be part of the Twitter discussion and further publicize the event please use the hashtag #NYCBakeSale. You can also get updates and show support by attending via the Facebook event page.

Hope to see you there in May!

Village Voice's @ChoiceEats 2014

Once again the Village Voice held one of the biggest vendor events on a really blustery "spring" evening this past Tuesday. The new venue for Choice Eats was Pier 36 on South Street right next to the water. If you were waiting outside you were hit with all kinds of cold winds coming right off the Hudson. But what would keep you warm, or at least hopeful, was knowing that soon, soon, you would be immersed in a smorgasbord of vendors for savory and sweet treats as well as a variety of alcohol (beer, liquors, and wine). One of my first impressions upon entering the building was how much bigger Pier 36 was and how welcoming it felt. The dull colored carpeting and the expansive space allowed for more movement among the several hundred people in attendance. Much more so than the Armory in the Flat Iron District in years prior. This does not mean it didn't get packed, however. By 8pm it was hard to get through sections or view what vendors were doling out because lines extended past one booth and merged with others for booths parallel to the one you may have been interested in in the first place.

What's great about Choice Eats is it allows for attendees to sample items from new or established eateries around NYC. Ones you may not have known existed. Places from Queens, Brooklyn, and all over Manhattan had large display signs in yellow with red type advertising their dish(es) and people with smiling faces trying to feed the masses as quickly as they could.

If you purchased general admission you got in at 7pm. If you opted to go for VIP status you got in at 6pm, got to sample vendors food without the larger crowd, got a goody bag, and a private lounge to sit in. Again this one was swankier than at the Armory. Whereas the Armory's lounge was downstairs away from the bustle Pier 36's was above the bustle so you could still survey the scene and not feel left out.

For me, this year was a bit hit and miss. Many dishes I wasn't a fan of or were too salty or too spicy taking away from actual taste of the dish for me. But, one of my favorite new finds was the first table my friend Joy and I hit, Cafe Glechik.

Cafe Glechik had the largest portions and were well stocked--even at 8:45 (the event ends at 9pm) they had a whole sheet of Napoleon Cake as well as many blinis and dumplings available whereas many places had run out and bolted. The blini is essentially meat in a crepe and then fried on either side to get that nice warm taste inside. It was well seasoned and not at all spicy. The Napoleon Cake was other-worldly and my favorite dessert. Several layers of phyllo dough with light vanilla creme between each layer was delicious. The only downside was the portions were so huge I couldn't finish. I did see some people bring Tupperware so perhaps that's an idea if you can't sample it all in one day; try and take what may be reheatable home. Just a thought.

Other standouts were Bien Cut's apricot danish. A croissant with apricot cream filling. Fantastic and light, they ran out of it fast. Bien Cut also had corn biscuits with a sweet puree on top that had a nice organic taste to it not like your boxed, run-of-the-mill cornmeal but something much more of the earth. Bien Cut's items were perfectly bite size and lovely to look at.

Other items I did like was the array of soul food proteins and sides from Charles' Country Pan Fried Chicken. They had a nice small plate of down home cooking that included candied yams, collard greens, cornbread, fried chicken wings or baked chicken bits, rib tips, and mac n' cheese. This was one of the longer lines as they had the most offerings. In fact if you visited more of the ethnic fare like Ethiopian or Indian eateries they may have had several items, and ultimately served attendees buffet style rather than focusing on one standout dish. This choice can be good or bad for the vendor but at least more items gives a broader sense of what's available.

There were also old faves like Fay Da Bakery. I love the lightness of their sponge cakes, the fact that they have honey tea and bubble tea, and also their egg custard tarts all in small sizes but in large quantities. And the people at the Fay Da booth are friendly every year.

There was also chocolatey goodness of a chocolate chip cookie with a layer of caramel and a layer of chocolate from Robicelli's. Liddabit Sweets served chocolate caramel bonbons with pistachio and salt atop. Butter & Scotch had their Dark & Stormy flavored popcorn that has been gaining speed since they debuted it last year at the food fairs. And there was La Newyorkina whose line was ridiculous by night's end once people diverted from the savory and sought to fulfill their sweet tooth. One day I shall have Newyorkina. It will happen.

What makes Choice Eats great is the variety, going with friends, enjoying food and some alcohol and learning of new places to dine. The vendors are eager to get their name out there and you're looking to eat/drink so it's a win-win situation really. What I would point out is that this is not necessarily a vegan-friendly or gluten-free (GF) friendly event. Many items are meat and do have dairy. As my friend Joy said at one point, "I'm filled with meat." Vegetarians may fair okay, especially in the dessert realm, but if you're vegan or lactose or GF there may be very slim pickins for you here. As is there were several ice cream vendors and many of the cakes, including Fay Da's and Cafe Glechik's had cream. Vendors don't readily advertise what they'll be giving out beforehand, but for the most part there'll be good eats if you're ready to throw down and get in as much as there is to offer.

Tickets for Choice Eat's sister event Choice Streets will be going on sale on April 2nd. And tickets for Choice Eats tend to go on sale in January.

@IvyBakery Closing March 9th, Bake Out Event March 7th-9th

Sadly, one of my favorite bakeries in NYC Ivy Bakery will be closing its doors on Sunday, March 9th. However, you can still get the delicious goodies (savory and sweet) that owner and baker Daniellan Louie makes via private catering or personal orders. I interviewed Daniellan last fall for Ivy Bakery's 13th anniversary and learned more about the what items Daniellan would like Ivy Bakery to be remembered for (buttermilk pie) and the vast menu she makes (includes paleo desserts and dinners with the baker!). I'm saddened that another great business in NYC is closing but I am glad that Daniellan's goods will still be available, feel free to contact her at ivybakery (at) gmail.

As Ivy Bakery sets to close there'll be all-day Bake Outs on March 7th, 8th, and 9th where visitors can get their hands on the goods Ivy Bakery is known for or should be known for. Daniellan's Bake Out will be just that, baking until she's all out of ingredients so definitely get there while you can if you have any preferences for goods. There'll be live music and on Saturday, March 8th the monthly Bakery Lockdown will happen starting at 8pm where you can get all-you-can-eat goods for a flat fee of $20. And I'm sure there'll be many goodies available on the last day as well.

I hope you'll come out in droves to send Daniellan off in style and get to enjoy the laid back atmosphere that Ivy Bakery has offered for the last several years.

#NYCRestaurant Week! (Feb. 17-Mar. 7th)

A brief note that NYC Restaurant Week starts up on Monday, a few weeks later than usual (this may have been because of the NY/NJ Super Bowl craziness of late January/early February but it will be here! You can get the break down of restaurants participating and see their Restaurant Week menus here: http://www.nycgo.com/restaurantweek. I'd highly recommend Mesa Grill and Red Rooster as places to dine.

So, go forth, make reservations, and enjoy some fine dining, people!

2013 Year in Review of NYC’s Dessert Offerings (2 of 2)

Fairytale Brownies: Brownies sent via mail? Yeah, I'd be suspect too, especially individually packaged and mass distributed but these brownies were amazingly good and like getting some freshly made. Chewy not so much fudgy, chocolatey, and a variety of flavors in bite-sized morsels (to be consumed in a speedy manner) are a treat for those who receive them. An author sent a bunch of these minis to an editor at my office and after one I had to get a couple more, for posterity. I sampled the caramel which had a line of caramel in the middle and the walnut. These brownie bites literally melted in my mouth upon eating. I would purchase dozens of these for myself and friends, but mainly for myself. (Minis come in a variety of flavors such as chocolate chip, raspberry swirl, peanut butter, expresso, and cream cheese as well as others. They also sell blondies and cookies.)

Ivy Bakery: Another interviewed vendor. Daniellan was nice enough to answer questions right around her 13th anniversary celebration. The standout item are the butter gooies and this summer Daniellan had cinnamon butter gooies. In general the butter gooie is a bar with butter and buttermilk, add in some cinnamon and it has a nice taste that ramps it up a notch in terms of reminding you of cake or coffee cake to be more precise. On a savory note: the vegan items available at Ivy Bakery are fantastic! Daniellan's crust on the spinach & cheese quiche was superior to any I've had and certainly any I have made making it the standout part of that dish. And the vegan mac n' cheese?! Yes, vegan mac n' cheese has me a convert for something that delicious that doesn't quite remind you of old school baked mac n' cheese but something a bit tangier with some kick to it and the addition of soy meat, whoa on all levels.

Pain D'Avignon: Another Smorgasburg find! The bread pudding with creme anglaise. I was eyeing this and kept, purposely, walking by the booth. It looked like it was made in a gigantic loaf pan since it holds the shape of a long loaf of bread, yet, and yet, it had the perfect bread pudding consistency and holds up well outdoors. It was solid but moist like bread pudding should be, had chunks of apples in it that were a tad tart so guessing granny smiths. There was also a lemony zing from either juice or zest but not too heavy. A great creaminess to it and heavy stuff so it's filling as a meal in itself and the portions (for $4) were wonderful. Love it!

Trois Pommes Patisserie: A co-worker shared another Cronut knockoff from this bakery in Brooklyn. Trois Pommes was filled with a creamy (kind of pudding-like) chocolate and had a harder shell and soft yet dense interior. This faux Cronut had more of a croissant flavor compared to the Crumbs doughnut flavored Crumbnut. Trois Pommes version was not very sweet which is why the chocolate ratcheted it up and the chocolate was in spades! Lots of it in the middle and between a couple layers. I prefer the Crumbs bavarian cream since it's sweeter but this is good for people who like less sweet items.

Tonnie's Minis: I like visiting the bakeries in and around Harlem and so had to make time to go to Tonnies. I purchased the sweet potato cupcake, which was adequate. Like Red Rooster the cream cheese icing was fabulous but there was a tad bit too much spice in the cupcake, perhaps too much clove? There was a slightly moist, crumbly texture which was okay but not amazing and the cupcake did contain bits of sweet potato. Perhaps their minis, not regular sized cupcakes, contain moisture better in the cake? A find cupcake but not the best NYC has to offer.

Chokolat: Again, a patisserie. However, this was a very disappointing experience for me. I got their brownie, which was huge for $2, but lackluster. What did it have? A chocolatey taste. It had the look of a dense brownie. But it did not have the goods of a good brownie. Texture makes huge difference when it comes to brownies and the texture was way too cakey for me which leads to a kind of dry tasting feel to the overall confection, meaning you need liquids to even get the darn thing down. There's another Chokolat a few blocks south of the one I got it from (closer to 125th Street) and perhaps that place makes it fresher so that I wouldn't get day-old goods.

Macaron Parlour: Like with Butter & Scotch I kinda went to town when Macaron Parlour popped up at Grub Street and Madison Square Eats last summer. And so the list goes:

• The 'Elvis' (peanut butter & caramelized bananas) macaron. Amazing! They have yet to let me down in terms of the balance of flavors in their macarons and this one is just phenomenal with the exterior crisp to the cookie and internal softness and that interior to the sandwich of the French macaron that imbues the flavor desired. I tasted the bananas and peanut butter in this one for sure, which has come to define the late King.
• The caramel apple was PHENOMENAL. (caps intended) This French macaron had sweet apples in the macaron so it was like an apple pie. I don't know how they do it but they really capture their flavors so that tastes natural. God, they're good.
• The s'mores macaron had dark chocolate and marshmallow inside the filling with a brown sugar cookie and honey cookie sandwiched together. It was fine but not my fave because of flavor combo, not necessarily the execution. The brown sugar is somewhat intense in this one from the cookie.
• The Giggity which also had marshmallow inside with chocolate but different taste from the s'more, again not a stand out for me.
• The red velvet which I still and will presumably always love. That cream cheese filling and the cookie are just divine reminding me of a good red velvet. I should bring these to my grandma and hear her verdict on them.

Levain Bakery: What defines Levain? Big ass cookies, that's what. At first I thought I was staring at scones until I realized these were the cookies (at $4 a pop). I got my cookies right out the oven so the chocolate chip walnut cookie (trademark) was melty and gooey. Even the next day the crispy exterior was no force for the chewy interior of the cookie cooled down. Delicious and very filling. A nice splurge but nothing orgasmic in terms of pricing. I may still go to old reliable Insomnia which is cheaper and closer, but Levain is worth a look-see and a once-in-awhile splurge for that cookie.

Fruition Chocolate: Their toasted white chocolate and milk chocolate are delectable. Fruition even placed in the International Chocolate Awards for their white chocolate. Their confections melt in your mouth, without the granular texture of processed chocolate, and the white chocolate has a slight dulce de leche taste to it. Milk chocolate is just fan-freaking tastic. So good. And I have to thank Jackie for introducing me to Fruition at Chocabaret.

Bibingka-esk.com: This is a Filipino dessert and I wonder what type of flour is used because the texture reminded me of a financier, which is made with almond flour. It is a homegrown business and these are quite tasty with a good consistency. I tried the minis with coconut (such a great combo) and chocolate chips. The chocolate chips overwhelmed lots of the flavor so I'd suggest some of the more subtle ones without chocolate.

Thumbs Cookies: Another new business at Grub Street. I tried the thumbs pie (two cookies put together with frosting). These are cute size, small like your thumb hence the name, and is basically a sugar covered shortbread that has a nice, buttery flavor. The filling got lost in the rest of the cookie which may be a good thing but this is a homemade dessert that definitely has that taste to it.

Eric Kayser Artisan Boulanger: And we have, yet another patisserie people. This one opened up in midtown right across from Bryant Park and is in good company with Lady M, Pain Quotidien and other sweeteries. On a walk one morning I decided to stop in and try their financiers (plain, chocolate, and pistachio). The pistachio was my fave for the nice flavor, and usually I'm not digging pistachio but the melding of flavors here was good. Just like Financier's financier there's a good balance of sugar, almond flour, and butter in small, one bite quantities. It's a nice little nubbin' of a treat. The chocolate was too chocolatey and rich for me. I like my financiers with less flavors taking away from the butter. Their plain was fine but I kind of prefer Financier's plain because of the softer quality to the cake. In addition, because I can't just get one thing at a French bakery, I got a brioche de cannelle which has cinnamon and apple. The brioche de cannelle was quite tasty but should have more bread & apple filling than crumb topping. It's a nice dessert or even brunch time treat with the brioche, cinnamon, and apples working together like a lighter fritter with the crumb topping that isn't too sweet but sorta thick. Very small in size too for the $4 price tag but delectable nonetheless.

Hot Bread Kitchen: Many of these may not be desserts but they are baked and delicious and they need to be mentioned! As you saw in my Tour of HBK I was lucky to try their freshly baked bread and more and more and more! Since then I've been addicted to their stuff since venturing during my lunch hour downtown just to get some filled m'smen and pain de muertos and Nan-E-Barbari! Cause I need this bread with my tea, people. If you want a breakdown see my tour but good God also hit up their store in East Harlem or visit them at the green markets they're at during the week. And get yourself some filled m'smen (it has kale and butter!).

Vosges Haut Chocolate: If you like Godiva then Vosges may give it a run for the money. One of the fancier flavors at Vosges is the Milk Chocolate Bacon bar. Yup, bacon is all the rage these days. But a friend introduced me to Vosges because of my love for the combo of chocolate and peanut butter in their Organic Peanut Butter BonBon Bar (which is a big seller). Vosges is luxury chocolate and you definitely taste it as the back of the packaging of any bar encourages you to invoke all your senses to the sensuality of this particular (and somewhat pricey at $8-9/bar) chocolate. The PB BonBon lives up to the hype. In one weekend I had Reese's and then the BonBon and kept going back to the BonBon bar because it had a richer/deep milk chocolate (45% cacao) taste and the PB is within the bar itself, not a slather of PB in or atop the bar. Decadent, y'all! I also had the Bapchi's Caramel Toffee Bar which is good but I may not be the biggest toffee fan when it comes to my chocolate. And I also recently had the Barcelona Bar with hickory smoked almonds and sea salt and lordy I think this is a new fave. The crunch of the almonds with the tinge of smoke to it and the sea salt with this chocolate was dinner for me one night. A $9 chocolate bar dinner that I will not soon forget. Indulge on this, y'all. At least once if you can.

Crumbs: With many places in the U.S. let alone NYC going into the Cronut craze why wouldn't Crumbs through their dough in the ring? Theirs is named the Crumbnut and I would recommend the one with bavarian cream. The cream in particular had a nice vanilla-y taste to it. Even with the flaky layers added in the Crumbnut tasted more doughnut than croissant but still very tasty and soft once you chewed it. Though it's somewhat hard to cut. The plain Crumbnut with powdered sugar is good as well but the bavarian cream makes the other Crumbnut. The plain Crumbnut tasted a bit dry without the cream in comparison.