Monday, May 25, 2015

En Vacances

Madame Marigot est alle en vacances a l'Orient et en Europe jusqua mi-aout.

Sunday, May 10, 2015

A Hunger for Pad Thai

Mad Square Eats comes around twice a year with all kinds of foods, some tried and tested, or new ones that pull at your purse strings to enjoy on your own or with friends. Bangkok B.A.R. serves a pad Thai that is nothing short of perfection. One may ask how can a simple bowl of stir fried rice noodles mixed with a melange of sauces, sliced chicken, and vegetables taste so scrumptious? Each bite is luscious with the right amount of red pepper sprinkled on top. The chef is entirely to blame and if I could, I would hire him to make it for me once a week. With a sticker shock price of $12, it is expensive but worth every heavenly bite. Share? Not likely. Get your own!

Sunday, May 3, 2015

Orgasmic Popsicles

ABC Cocina is a haven of edible delights with a cuisine so luscious that memories are etched from the first visit. When dessert comes around, make a beeline for the popsicles. Current flavors consist of strawberry shortcake, kiwi-citrus, and chocolate coconut. Wrapped delicately with gold ties, each flavored ice looks like a gift from a lover that yearns to be unwrapped gently before taking that first bite. The flavors will entrance and moans will emit from your throat, eyes will flutter, and then when you have recovered from this sensation, you will take the next bite.

Sunday, April 26, 2015

Nibbling on a Lazy Sunday Afternoon

Lazying on a Sunday afternoon nibbling on a Canadian bar of bespoke chocolate aptly named "Oh Mama!" from the Hummingbird Chocolate Maker. 70% dark with creamy buttery notes....what more does one need?

Thursday, April 16, 2015

Celebrate at Beaubourg

The taxes have been done. Those of you who got a tidy refund, it may be time to celebrate. Where? Head on down to Brookfield Place's Le District, the "Paris" of New York City where Beauboug is located. Classically French, this menu will tempt you with escargots, Tornedos Rossini, and frog's legs. Remember that this is a celebration and not a gala all-out break-the-bank fiesta. The succulent steak frites hits all the right notes with a rich meaty flavor and just the right touch of caramelized fat around the edges that will make your mouth swoon. A mound of crisp yet tender French fries and a blade or two of salad greens rounds out this stunning dish. A glass of rose champagne or rich Burgundy elevates the meal to a higher plane. Shall we make a reservation?

Sunday, April 12, 2015

Morceau de Chocolat

Many times a week all I want is a piece of pure dark chocolate. What do I choose? Royce Chocolate from Japan. Boxes containing individually wrapped pieces of dark or extra bitter chocolate melt in my mouth and bring happiness to my whole being. With locations on Madison Avenue and on Bleeker Street, a box containing Venezuelan or Ghanaian chocolate is reasonable and even if you eat just one piece a day, it will last you forty days! Now isn't this delightful?

Sunday, April 5, 2015

Raspberry Caramels

Did caramels feature at your holiday feast this weekend? No? You need to fix this right away. Head over to 2Beans, a European style chocolatier and coffee establishment that stocks a large variety of candy and chocolate that are hard to resist. And why should you? The raspberry caramels from Lackerli Huus are irresistible. Pricey and not always in stock, pick up at least two packets at a time. You'll thank yourself when you take your first bite - satiny with a rich framboise flavor. Now don't finish it all in one sitting. Keep it in an airtight container so that next time the craving strikes, all you have to do it open the bottle.

Thursday, March 26, 2015

Pass me a another piece!

Mast Brothers make an assortment of chocolate bars. Several of them are too tannic which may not suit everyone's taste. There is one exception - the vanilla & smoke bar. Here is a chocolate that is smooth with subtle vanilla notes and a pleasant smoky after-taste that lingers on the tongue long after the last swallow. Stretch out your hand to take one more piece and then quietly another......



Sunday, March 22, 2015

A Shower of Macarons

A macaron a day will keep you on cloud nine every day. This is my philosophy.

Did you have a macaron on Friday? The first day of Spring also falls on "Macaron Day" and several patisseries were handing out free macarons to rapacious customers. Blueberry and pumpkin spice at Mad Mac, yuzu at Bisou Ciao, honey-cognac at Milles-Feuilles, chocolate-mint at Todd English. Salivating?

Mine is even though I ate my way through fourteen of them. 

You should too!





Sunday, March 15, 2015

Honingwafels

Honingwafels are similar to stroopwafels and simply yummy. A pair of thin waffles encase honey or caramel. Instead of eating it plain, have it the way the Dutch enjoy it. Place one stroopwaffel over a hot cup of coffee or tea and let the stiff filling soften. Now take a bite and swoon. Available also from Belgium, Canada, and now in America, the best ones ideally come from Holland. Garden of Eden seems to be the store that has this honingwaffel that is particularly tasty.

Next time a friend is flying to Europe, you know what to ask for!

Sunday, March 8, 2015

An abundance of oranges

Clementines, mandarines, minneolas, tangelos - winter brings an abundance of these richly hued segments of juicy flavor. Go ahead and indulge. Have one for breakfast, tuck one in to take for a snack during the day. Add them to a bowl with flambeed bananas and topped with mounds of whipped cream touched with a hint of creme fraiche. Place a few on a table next to a lit candle before going deep into a meditative state.

Feast your eyes and your taste buds.

Sunday, March 1, 2015

A Day in Italy at Eataly

Yearning for a taste of Italia? Avoid the high price of flying to Rome and instead spend a day in Italy at Eataly. I decided to do just that and invited a friend, M, to join me. We decided not to go overboard, so we planned a budget for the whole day, which we hoped to stick to.

We met for breakfast, and shared the panino Tirolese, a tiny semi-sweet baguette buttered liberally and encasing a small slice of speck and Asiago cheese which was smoky flavored and appetizing, but at $4.80, seemed quite expensive.


We also shared an apricot croissant at $2.80; it was a tad soft and the tasty apricot jam was not spread uniformly. M had a rich-looking hot chocolate, regally topped with a puff of thick whipped cream ($3). I had a bicerin, which was a mélange of hot chocolate and coffee layered delicately in a glass, $4.25. In total, breakfast came to $17.80. I couldn't resist the baci situated in front of me as I was paying our bill, so I picked up two pieces. The man at the cash register told me that he could give me kisses!


After chatting for a while, we decided to tour the large emporium. First we passed the chocolate and turrone displays, and could imagine buying everything as it all looked so inviting.


Then we made our way past the second coffee stand and the panini counter where sandwiches featuring cold cuts are the major stars, costing as much as $10 and more. Vegetarian sandwiches are slightly cheaper.

Lunch time was approaching and so was our hunger. Where should we eat? The La Pizza & Le Pasta restaurant won hands down. As no reservations are taken, we gave our names, and within fifteen minutes had a table all to ourselves. Lunch was our main meal of the day, so we decided to splurge. We shared a salad of arugula, fennel slices, Parmesan shards and a simple vinaigrette.


M had linguini with cockles and I chose the quadrati ravioli filled with spinach and ricotta and lemon. The citrus scent was heady, perfuming my pistachio-sprinkled dish. The fragrance made us happy! We drank wines with our pastas and polished our plates clean. This was an expensive meal at $78 for two.


As we skipped dessert at the restaurant, we decided to enjoy gelatos. M had the raspberry sorbet and I had the pistachio gelato cone. The cones were a reasonable $3.90 each.


Next we decided to go on an imaginary shopping expedition. We took a cart, allotting $25 to the top basket for sensible shopping and $50 to the lower basket for more festive eating.
The sensible basket had a jar of Prosecco jelly and sun-dried tomatoes in extra virgin olive oil to go with a box of tiny toasts, all to be washed down with a bottle of Aranciatta Rossa. A pound of blood oranges and a small box of Venchi chocolates rounded out that basket.


The splurge basket was altogether more festive, with both prosciutto and speck, an excellent goat cheese, a Charentais melon, one passion fruit, a box of figs, and lastly a large box of Venchi chocolates.
We then returned all the items to their respective shelves and spaces. Who knows what the security cameras must have made of us!


By now it was late afternoon and there was no place for a siesta and the weather not conducive for a walk in the park. So we decided to end our day at Eataly with a final cappuccino and a pastry. We had a smashing day and our total was below budget but still extravagant in some ways...and far cheaper than flying to Italy.

Honey Bar Jr.

Bees & Beans from Portland, Oregon make Honey Bar Jr. A deceptive hand crafted 7 oz bar of dark chocolate encasing hazelnut nougat and honey caramel that is simply orgasmic.

Sit in a comfortable armchair, switch off the phone, no noise anywhere. Then open the bar. Now take a bite. Close your eyes and begin to chew slowly to savor each and every gooey luscious bite. When one bite finishes and only then, take another one. Repeat till it is all eaten.

This delightful bar will transport you to chocolate heaven where you can relish the medley of flavors and then hoard the rest for the next appointment to be seduced.

Sunday, February 22, 2015

Addicitive snack

Have you eaten any of the Sahale snacks? My favorite is the Pomegranate Pistachios, a blend of flavors with almonds, black pepper, and cherries. This has a tangy flavor that I simply cannot resist. I have to ration it out as it is pricey but one bite fills me with such pleasure that I find myself reaching out for yet another piece. In order not to go bankrupt, sometimes I have to hide it on the top shelf of my cupboard so as not to over-indulge. Alas, I have been known to climb a ladder to retrieve it so that I can have another tangy bite and then when when the packet is finished, I make sure the packet is licked clean. Be warned!

Sunday, February 15, 2015

Chocolates Worthy of Many Bites

Heart shaped chocolates, always appropriate for St. Valentine, are also superb all year long, especially when they come from Chocolat Moderne. Whether sufficed with raspberry, whiskey or dark chocolate ganache, savor them. Eat one before breakfast, sneak it at the office, quietly after finishing lunch, and definitely in the afternoon for a quick "pick-me-up."

Share? Never!

Friday, February 6, 2015

This winter weather may be gloomy and bitterly cold. Naturally, we would reach for a warming drink but wait.....how about sipping a long cold coffee inside a warm cafe and looking at people bundled up walking by?

Thursday, January 29, 2015

Available in assorted flavors like chocolate fudge, dulce de leche, and raspberry-rose, these caramels are bursting with flavor. Get them at the newest chocolatier in Soho "Stick with Me Sweets." Buy a dozen and share gingerly.

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Sugar brioche

Arcade's sugar brioche is tasty for elevenses or as a light refreshment in the afternoon with a cuppa. Crisp on the exterior and flaky inside, this simply cannot be shared nor will you want to.


Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Chateau Yquem

A sip......memory......a smile...!

Chateau Yquem.

A Sauternes, at once exotic and pricey. I yearned for a taste. On the hunt, I spied it at a tony wine store midtown. There it was enclosed in a glass cupboard with a lock and key. Lock & key? Like Picasso's "Nude, Green Leaves & Bust"? I peered inside and then courageously asked for the price. $500 for half a bottle! My head spun and I tried to steady myself. I didn't want to give the wrong impression though if I was stinking rich, I probably would asked just asked for the bottle and not the price.. Then I spoke to my friend and colleague, L, and told him that as he, too, wanted to have it, we could each fork out $125 and then find two rich silent partners who would be willing to chip in the remaining money but their religious aspirations would not allow them any alcohol. It seemed like a perfect idea - too perfect and obviously unattainable. Where would I find two such fools? This idea then gathered dust in my mind.

Till the fall of 2014 when I was doing a wine course of "Food & Wine Pairing" and asked if one of the wines we were sampling included a Chateau Yquem. Unfortunately not but as the sommelier who was teaching the class also had not tried it, she arranged for a private tasting. At $25 each, there were six of us who gathered one evening for this holy tasting. The sommelier had paired this with foie gras no less and I had bought plain dark chocolate bonbons so as not to mar the flavor of this glorious wine. V had magically made my dream come true.



Friday, January 9, 2015

Cafe Integral

Cafe Integral's coffee is nothing short of perfection. Rich and smooth, this is ambrosia in a china cup. I wait for weeks till I am in the neighborhood so I can sip this nectar and have even walked ten blocks to have it.

Monday, January 5, 2015

Traderspoint Creamery Yogurt

Traderspoint yogurt is a yogurt and dessert all rolled into one. 4 flavors and recommended are wildberry and banana-mango. Enjoy plain, with a canelle of sorbet, resting on a bed of berries, or eaten with a favorite butter cookie. Sit back & enjoy!