I have a secret crush on Daniel Boulud

http://losangeles.grubstreet.com/2010/07/daniel_boulud_loves_providence.html


http://www.hulu.com/watch/13945/after-hours-with-daniel-providence

Invite me to your after hour parties! I'll show you a good time!

New Chicken Wings Marinade Kicks Ass!

Good squirt of Sriracha hot sauce (if you don't know then get outta here!), squirt of lemon juice (add it if you have it, if not no worries!), sprinkle of Nando's peri peri lemon grinder (I think I might have bought the last case of Nando's grinders in all the flavors, sorry! If you can't find it use any kind of powder chicken seasoning that you have), and garlic powder. Marinade and then load up the Ronco Showtime Rotisserie oven and get ready for some kick ass wings! If you don't have the Showtime Oven it'll come out just as great in the oven placed on a rack over a sheet pan. This marinade is very versatile as you can see. I've tried it with a whole chicken and just wings and both came out really delicious. It's so simple but the results are surprisingly very complex in flavor.

Même dans mes rêves, je rêve de la nourriture

Even in my dreams I dream of food.

I've been studying for organic chemistry which is so dry and bland I equate it to eating unflavored rice crackers in the middle of the desert. When my head is buried in the books my mind can't help but daydream about things I could be eating. After 4 hours of studying Sn2 substitutions with primary substrates and polar aprotic solvents I was sleepy so I took a mid day nap. I had this wild dream that I was in chinatown visiting a friend who was working in a bakery, which he really doesn't. I ordered steamed buns and cha siew bao to go and he gave me a bag of sweet bread filled with coconut paste. In my dreams I can taste and smell food and even feel the texture of it in my mouth. This bread was warm, soft, and sweet. After the bakery I went to get churng fun from this place my friend introduced me to which makes it the best in chinatown. I ordered 2 lbs and she yelled at me for not giving her correct change. After that I rushed to go get dao foo fah (soybean pudding/gelatin) from the doa foo fah lady but she was gone =( I felt sad. And then I was on the train going to meet my friend somewhere. I woke up with some crazy cravings after that.

I wonder how I look when I'm dreaming about food? Am I smiling? Am I chewing like a cow? Who knows. But man that bread was good!

The interesting thing about chinese bread which we call "bao" is that it's a bread but it's sweet. It's not like French baguettes or Italian bread. It's more along the lines of brioche but not as bready. It's very soft. I wouldn't consider it a pastry either because to me pastry makes me think of flakey, like a croissant, which is it not. Sometimes it is sweet and sometimes it can be slightly savory. They are many different types. Some have sweet toppings or sweet fillings, some have savory toppings, some are just strange weird like corn and dried meat floss... but I digress. I'm just babbling now. Time to get back to my date with stereocenters, R and S rotations, and enantiomers!

Best Brussel Sprouts NYC

Alta
64 W 10th Street
NY, NY 10011
212-505-7777

Crispy Brussel Sprouts, Fuji Apples, Creme Fraiche, Pistachio Nuts

Momofuku Ssam Bar
207 2nd Avenue (13th Street)
NY, NY 10003

Crispy Brussel Sprouts, Fish Sauce, Mint, Spicy Rice Puffs



Brussel Sprouts has to be one of my favorite vegetables and side dishes. I never get sick of them roasted with a good sprinkling of salt. The above two places are my favorite for B sprouts. It's so good you are going to want to order one plate per person. Too bad the dish is a seasonal item on Momo's menu.

I make them at home quite often. I cut them in half, flash boil then give them a good drain, generously coat with olive oil and a good sprinkling of salt, laying them flat side down and broil or roast them in the oven depending on how much time I have and how hungry I am. I like them slightly charred and nicely browned. Momofuku does theirs with a diluted sauce of fish sauce and sugar with a sprinkling of chopped fresh mint. Alta does theirs with a sauce of balsamic and honey with apples, pistachio nuts, and creme fraiche. Both are amazing. If you find baby b sprouts or fresh ones still on the stalk get 'em because they are awesome!

Bien que ma tête est dans les livres, mon esprit est dans les nuages rêver sur les aliments

doughnuts, pizza, pho, onion rings, burger, ramen, grilled octopus, korean bbq, vietnamese spring rolls, waffles

I skipped lunch today so I'm very hungry.

Craving

Cookies

Hell Yea Daniel has THE BEST BREAD!

That's exactly what I said when I read this post on New York's Serious Eats. I was very lucky, my first fancy restaurant experience was at Daniel and it captured my heart and was the inspiration for my cooking career. Before I graduated culinary school I did my stage at Daniel and it was an amazing experience that I've written about before on my blog. Not only does Daniel have great food, the best plated dessert in NYC by my favorite pastry chef, they also make the best bread! Their breads are inventive and so tasty they can stand court on their own. It doesn't win awards as a supporting actor. It's the main f*cking star!!! I've worked at one place *ahem I don't want to name names* but it's supposed to be one of the best restaurants in the US and I really thought their bread was B for boring. Not because their bread department lacked skills, they were top notch bakers, but because the owner *no longer in the kitchen* celebrity chef felt that the bread shouldn't overshadow the food in flavor. So thus that place churned out some bland bread which really makes me weep inside. Man, Daniel's bread is so good. The only problem is everything there is so good you don't want to miss a beat. The bread AMAZING, the food AMAZING, the dessert AMAZING, the madeleines at the end of the meal AMAZING! But how in the world can I fit all of that in my stomach. That is the only dilemma with Daniel. It's just too good.

Daniel's bread department is right next to the pastry department. I remember getting there early and smelling the garlic and rosemary roasting in their large bread ovens getting all caramelly and fragrant for the rosemary bread which is my favorite. Once in a while I would steak one for lunch. Sometimes I would be even luckier and be given a loaf of their delicious raisin nut bread to take home! Good for you restaurant Daniel. You guys deserve the praise! I'm always very proud when I see them in the news!

Cravings

I have a craving for a good muffin. I have a recipe in mind that I've been dying to try. When I find some time I'm going to make it. Until then I'll just have to dream.

Just a thought

Bond St in NYC makes the best lobster chawan mushi.

Sushi Yasuda

Oh blog of mine, have I abandoned you?

It's not that I don't love you anymore or that I don't love food anymore. I just hate taking pictures! I'm a live in the moment type of girl. When I see good food I just want to dig in. It's really all about the food for me. All the primping and propping it takes to get a good food shot is just too much work! I just want to EAT! And eat I have =)

But I didn't want to abandon you and sometimes I have foodie thoughts in my head that are so overwhelming that I need to shout it out to the world. So I hope you don't mind that there are less pictures. I just need to jot this down before I forget because there's just so much to eat in this world.

Sushi Yasuda. I think the S stands for sex because it is that good. Yes the receptionisto speaks to you rather hastily, is hard to understand, and informs you that your reservations are only for an hour and a half. It's okay keep going (at any other place I would have just hung up). Sit at the bar. Order the scallop sashimi, squid sashimi, and mackerel sashimi. I would stick to the sashimi instead of getting rolls. Watch your sushi master as he dabs one drop of lemon juice on your exquisite piece of fish along with a fleck or two of salt.

It's been more than a month since and I haven't stopped thinking about it!

Sushi Yasuda
204 W 34th Street (between 2nd & 3rd Ave)
(212) 972-1001‎

I heart my bartender

I bartend at this wedding hall near my house sometimes. It's open bar. I would think people who are drinking for free would at least be kind of enough to drop a tip. Do you people not know that this is how some people make a living? Most of the money we are making comes from the tip you give us. $1 per drink is the normal. Anything more is greatly appreciated. It's open bar, come on, you can't fork over $1? If you tip your bartender more than $1 per drink he/she will most likely remember what you are drinking and have it ready for you before you even reach the bar. He/She might even have a few free shots with you. He/She won't give you the crap we keep in the speed rack. He/She might even make you look cool in front of the girl you are trying to hook up with. He/She might not give you dirty looks when you turn around and walk away.

Another thing I hate are kids at weddings. No I don't think your kid is cute. Yes when you come with your kid and ask for an orange juice for him/her you should tip. Yes if your kid comes alone to the bar you should equip him with some dollar bills to tip us. No your kid shouldn't be having 7 cokes. Yes your kid is annoying because he keeps coming back for virgin pina coladas. Yes your kid is super annoying because he is drinking all of my mixers and eating all of my marachino cherries. Please people teach your kids to say please and thank you.

I know it is open bar but no I will not give you a whole bottle of Hennessy.

Ladies I know you don't like carrying your purses but coming to the bar all drunk without your purse and asking for a malibu baybreeze and not tipping is not cool. Just because you have a vagina doesn't mean the world caters to you.

Yes I will gladly pour shots for your party of 10 rowdy guys. I will even have one with your insistence. And no that shot I just poured for myself doesn't count as my tip.

Be kind to your bartender. For those who drop a $5 or $10 without asking for change thank you. You don't know how much we appreciate it!

Spoil Me

My good friend brought this all the way from Paris just for me! How lucky am I? How jealous are you? Le Bordier Butter isn't available here in the US. That's because Jean-Yves Bordier makes them in small batches by hand in a small shop in Brittany. He use the best cream from select herds of Holstein and Norman cows that graze in pastures not far from Rennes, in Brittany. The cream is allowed to sour for 36 hours to develop its flavor. Every batch is finished using a wooden device called a malaxeur, which grinds the already churned butterfat particles at a very slow speed to yield an extra-smooth butter. He learned this skill from his grandfather and father. Each piece is then cut from a freshly made motte and shaped by hand with wooden paddles and carefully wrapped in wax paper. My favorite flavor is beurre aux algues. Flecks of green and purple seaweed, harvested by Bordier's friend, add just the right amount of salt and subtle umami flavor to the already sweet and creamy butter. I can just imagine how good it is in L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon's delicate scallop dish. Me I just cut it up like charcuterie and layer it on top of a slice of good baguette. Now I know what heaven is like.

CAKE

I'm thinking about cake this morning. This year for my birthday I would like a cake or slice from each of the places that I love!

Strawberry Shortcake from Dubois
Green Tea Cake from Yeh's Bakery
Cheesecake from Eileen's Cheesecake
Green Tea Millefeuille Cake from Lady M
Lemon Cake from Del Frisco Steakhouse
Chocolate Cake from ?

I'm still on the search for my favorite chocolate cake. Since I lean more towards fruity light flavors I usually tend to buy those and I don't give a chance to the chocolate cakes. But I do love me some chocolate cake. I'm looking for one that is not too sweet or heavy. Something with a chocolate cake layer, dark chocolate mousse, and ganache. Does anyone have any suggestions? Leave a comment and let me know where you get your favorite cake!