Life always tastes better with a sense of humor and people who possess one seem to enjoy life to the fullest.
My first dinner at Locanda Verde, located in Tribeca, was compliments of the Naples Italy Chamber of Commerce several weeks ago, and I couldn't wait to return. On the menu, each of the many courses had three choices, and as I started the difficult deliberation process of selection, I soon discovered that, in fact, everything was being served family style and that I was going to be able to taste it all! It was abondanza par excellence and everything was fantastically good. But no wonder! The chef is Andrew Carmellini whose food I adored at A Voce.
The salumi was some of the best I've had in NY, the lamb meatball sliders were heavenly, the branzino (fish) was moist and flavorful, the pasta dishes were fantastic, and the pignoli tart perfection. The little graham cookies were so compelling I asked the celebrated pastry chef Karen DeMasco for the recipe for my next book!
So when my dear friend Nathan Fong, whom I call Mr. Food Vancouver, came to NY to celebrate his birthday (which is today) I made a reservation at Locanda for last night for us and two of his accompanying friends also from Vancouver. (By the way, those of you who are members of IACP be sure to vote for Nathan for the board!)
Everyone loved the ambiance and adored the food. My choice was the burrata, an incredibly creamy soft cheese, served with roasted, marinated peppers, and the fonduta ravioli with wild mushrooms (stuffed with meltingly soft cheese) but I really wanted the short ribs braised in wine. My new friend Craig offered me a sizable piece of his. I knew I wouldn't be able to finish a whole dish and still have room for dessert--my favorite of which was the one we didn't think to order--a lemon tart with tangy buttermilk icecream.
The highlight of the evening, however, was at the very onset, when special event planner Marie Lyons (whom I first met on this blog when she asked me something about marzipan for a cake she was making, resembling the NY subway map) brought out a special and totally unexpected present for me! It made us all laugh so hard it opened our senses fully to the meal ahead! If you've been following this blog it will need no explanation. If you'd like to see a picture of the present, click on continue reading below.
I met the very talented and charming Carlos in Montréal back in October at Appetite for Books. Here are two photos of his incredible cake:
Félicitations Rose ! Can't say I'm really surprised about RHC's nomination- it is sincerely a remarkable work of art that benefits so many people.
And so in honor of you and your oeuvre, and since the event will be taking place on Earth Day, here's a picture of a cake I baked for a friend's birthday last year : Chocolate Butter Globe with raspberry "lava" + buttercream oceans and continents. (The 2 candles represented my friend whose birthday we were celebrating here in Montreal and the other was for her lover who was in working in Dubai and whom she missed terribly.) Here's hoping that this image will be some kind of omen come April 22nd !
Mar 14, 2010 | From the kitchen of Rose
in Announcements
Several people voiced a desire to vote for the book and my response was that I wished there were a "popular vote" or "people's vote." Just received a mailing from the International Association of Culinary Professionals that there is indeed a "people's vote" so you can vote from this link! You need to cast your vote by April 5.
Here is a story borrowed from my future memoirs that Raymond of "Your Just Desserts" (one of the Heavenly Bakers on the Heavenly Cake Bake Along inspired me to share because of his insightful comments. He wrote on his blog about the Jancsi Torte saying:
This is the recipe that made we want to buy Rose's book and made me want to join the Heavenly Bakers. Years ago when Food Network was actually about food instead of silly contests to see who the next giggling, simpering wanna be chef personality will be or which no talent hack was going to put their name on anything to make a buck there was a show called The Two Fat Ladies. Now, I am not saying that these ladies were not about entertainment because they certainly were entertaining BUT they were also about the food. They cooked honest food with butter and cream and sugar and bacon and they made no apologies for it. An important thing to note here is that while they were entertaining you, they were also teaching you how to cook. They were showing you techniques. They weren't trying to sell you pans and beakers and camp stoves and worthless cookbooks. They weren't featuring their husbands, sons, daughters, nieces or nephews on every show. They just cooked and had fun doing it and we watched and learned and had fun learning. Isn't that what its all about? At any rate, I am getting off onto one of my rants about things that none of you care about. Back to this recipe.
The Fat Ladies motored around the English countryside on a vintage Triumph motorcycle with a sidecar and they stopped off at various places and cooked for people and special events. One of these special events was a village fete and they were asked to bake cakes for a bake sale. One of the cakes they made was called Rigo Jancsi Chocolate Slices. Rigo Jancsi, it turns out was a gypsy fiddler who was beloved in polite society in Budapest in the 1920's. It turns out the it was rather more than his music that was adored by the ladies of polite society and a huge scandal ensued. None the less, we got these fabulous slices. On one of my European trips, I happened to be in England and I just happened to have these delicious morsels. I looked and looked for a recipe and low and behold here were the Fat Ladies giving me one. I have made them often ever since. Imagine how intrigued I was when I saw this version of one of my favorite recipes. This torta is slightly different from the Fat Ladies chocolate slices. Their recipe uses only 3 eggs and also has a bit of flour in it. It is baked in a sheet pan and the sheet cake is sliced in half. A chocolate filling is spread over one half, then apricot jam and then a bittersweet chocolate icing. The second layer is put on and then they are cut into rectangular slices and dusted with cocoa. They are marvelous."
Mar 12, 2010 | From the kitchen of Rose
in New Products
Little things can make a big difference. Here's one! My favorite plastic wraps, Stretch-Tite and Freeze-Tite have an inexpensive optional little device called a "slide cutter" that is easily attachable to the box and then "glides across the wrap in either direction resulting in a smooth, even cut ever time".
i can't tell you how many times a day (and night) I tear off plastic wrap and struggle to get an even piece that doesn't crinkle up in the effort to cut it free from the box. No more! This is a dream device. It is reusable and costs a mere $3.00. I was alerted to its existence by a blog comment and am most grateful. It's one of those how did i live without it things.
I also have the Stretch-Tite Wrap'n Snap 7500 which is a dispensor that, when closed, neatly cuts off the wrap, but it is not available for the freeze-tite.
When you go the the site, scroll down to the cutter and go to the "please select" button. Use the arrows to scroll up or down and chose either Stretch-Tite Slide Cutter or Freeze-Tite Slide Cutter.
The food community is largely a friendly and supportive place. Wherever in the world I've traveled chefs have always been welcoming, accommodating, and happy to connect and share all manner of food experiences. After all, it's in the nature of the hospitality business to be... well...hospitable. And people who are drawn to this profession more often than not have nurturing and generous spirits.
When Lutèce was in its hey day as top New York restaurant, André Soltner allowed me to bring a special birthday cake into the restaurant. When editor Pam Chirls and author Lisa Yockelson and I went to Restaurant Daniel for an after event nightcap, not only did Daniel Boulud voice no objections to my having brought a piece of coconut cake from my then upcoming book, the wait person graciously insisted on plating it for us. Scott Conant had no problem with my bringing an entire birthday cake into Alto for lunch.
Welcome to the new rude reality where it's cool to be cruel: the world fashioned after Simon Cowell of American Idol, where mean insults and sarcasm rule... the world of Gorden Ramsays, David Changs, and restaurants like the Spotted Pig, a world where guests are made to feel lucky they managed to get a seat, even though that seat more often than not has no back, surely to encourage the eater to leave as soon as possible to make room for the next desperate one who has bought into the hype du jour.
The Breslin, sister restaurant to the Spotted Pig, was recommended by a food friend so I lost no time in arranging a lunch date for two other favorite food friends while Woody was in town helping me film a video. Typical of the new trendy restaurant style, The Breslin did not accept reservations, so we agreed to meet at noon before the crowd (which never materialized). Nancy arrived a little early but they would not seat her (writing on the wall...).
Here's the secret and it was before I created Rose's Heavenly Cake Strips--the silicone bands that encircle the cake pan and require no moistening or fastening.
Mar 06, 2010 | From the kitchen of Rose
in Baking Science
For years I have been saying how important it is to use bleached flour in cake baking and I still prefer it, but after making the fortuitous mistake of using unbleached flour in a cake baked in a tube pan, and discovering that the pan's center tube kept it from falling, I have revisited the subject and made some very interesting and ground breaking discoveries.
Woody and I have conducted numerous tests using bleached cake flour, bleached all-purpose flour, and unbleached all-purpose flour in a solid (unmelted) butter layer cake using my one bowl mixing method.
Our Conclusions 1. bleached cake flour is suitable for cakes where a very tender texture is desired. 2. bleached all-purpose flour and 15% potato starch to simulate cake flour results in a more even cake with smoother crust and better taste than cornstarch, but is not quite as tender. 3. bleached all-purpose flour is preferable for cakes that benefit from more structure. 4. bleached flour results in the best flavor. 5. bleached flour results in the best volume. 6. bleached flour results in the most tender and velvety texture. 7. unbleached flour results in less volume.
..................................................................................................................... 8. unbleached flour results in a coarser, chewier texture. 9. unbleached flour results in a cornbread-like flavor. 10. cornstarch substitution for part of the flour for bleached or unbleached all-purpose flour is less effective to improve structure than decreasing leavening, and alters the flavor. 11. potato starch substitution for part of the flour for bleached or unbleached all-purpose flour is even more effective than lowering the baking powder as it softens the crumb. 12. decreasing baking powder by 1/8 teaspoon:200 grams/7 ounces flour will limit dipping should it occur.
Mar 05, 2010 | From the kitchen of Rose
in Did You Know
Decorative cookie cutters are great fun to use making extra special cookies that are ideal as gifts!
Betsy Cukla of Hammersong, creators of the most exquisite cookie cutters I've ever seen, has also created a great bunch of tips to help you get that cookie dough out the cook cutter in one perfect piece!
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