According to the National Confectioners Association, the most popular Halloween treat is the Snickers bar. Although I'm not a fan of that particular candy, I am most fond of the chocolate hazelnut pralines at Jacques Torres! Rich, silky chocolate enrobes a crunchy hazelnut paste center, resulting in a mouthful of sweet pleasure. Unfortunately, the limited-edition chocolate praline bars are no longer in production; call up and demand their return!
Jacques Torres: 66 Water St., Brooklyn, (718) 875-9772.
Thursday, October 30, 2003
Monday, October 20, 2003
Trends In Chocolate
It's never too early to start planning for The Chocolate Show! For those of you who are still unfamiliar with this annual event, it's the chocoholic's equivalent of the Super Bowl. I am particularly excited about the "New Taste Trends in Chocolate" lecture which will be given by Chocophile.com editor Clay Gordon on Nov. 13th at 5 p.m.
Recently, I've done my own informal research into chocolate, and I've noticed two opposing trends: the trend towards purity and the trend towards exotic innovation. In the first category is the single-bean phenomenon; chocolatiers from Valrhona to Guittard are marketing chocolates produced with cacao beans from specific locations. The descriptions of these chocolates often read like travel brochures, making me want to fly to "Western Venezuela, South of Lake Maracaibo" for a Sur Del Lago bar (Guittard) or Ghana for some Omanhene chocolate. The International Chocolate Company offers Mexican, Ecuadorian, and Ivorian single-bean bars.
Chocolate is also being paired with more exotic flavors for truly unique tasting experiences. Former pastry chef Eric Gererd has created a whole line of truffles with flavors like wasabi and curry. He has even pioneered a new assortment of chocolates for Brooklyn's own Bierkraft (a shop with 900 varieties of imported beers). These chocolates include flavors such as Abita Purple Haze, Remsten Winter Wheat, and Sierra Nevada Porter.
Some other delicious taste innovations are the Naga bar (sweet Indian curry powder, coconut flakes and Belgian milk chocolate) from Vosges and the Peruvian chocolates with caramel and prunes from Helena's Chocolatier (special thanks to California chocoholic Dana Colligan for this last recommendation).
I look forward to doing more research of this nature!
Recently, I've done my own informal research into chocolate, and I've noticed two opposing trends: the trend towards purity and the trend towards exotic innovation. In the first category is the single-bean phenomenon; chocolatiers from Valrhona to Guittard are marketing chocolates produced with cacao beans from specific locations. The descriptions of these chocolates often read like travel brochures, making me want to fly to "Western Venezuela, South of Lake Maracaibo" for a Sur Del Lago bar (Guittard) or Ghana for some Omanhene chocolate. The International Chocolate Company offers Mexican, Ecuadorian, and Ivorian single-bean bars.
Chocolate is also being paired with more exotic flavors for truly unique tasting experiences. Former pastry chef Eric Gererd has created a whole line of truffles with flavors like wasabi and curry. He has even pioneered a new assortment of chocolates for Brooklyn's own Bierkraft (a shop with 900 varieties of imported beers). These chocolates include flavors such as Abita Purple Haze, Remsten Winter Wheat, and Sierra Nevada Porter.
Some other delicious taste innovations are the Naga bar (sweet Indian curry powder, coconut flakes and Belgian milk chocolate) from Vosges and the Peruvian chocolates with caramel and prunes from Helena's Chocolatier (special thanks to California chocoholic Dana Colligan for this last recommendation).
I look forward to doing more research of this nature!
Saturday, October 18, 2003
NYC vs. Miami: Let The Best Entree Win!
This year, it turns out that foodies have as much invested in the World Series as do baseball fans.
Wednesday, October 15, 2003
Titan Foods
I now understand how the Titans earned their appellation; they probably lived on a luscious diet of deep-fried, honey-drenched pastries! I ballooned up to my own titanic proportions visiting Domna's Bakery at Titan Foods, a Greek supermarket in Astoria.
My shopping bags almost broke with the sheer weight of everything I had purchased. At Domna’s, I had loaded up on touloubakia, striated cylinders of sweet fried dough, and assorted soropiasta, delicious packages of filo wrapped around coconut, pistachio, and walnut fillings. I had also bought many jars of preserved fruit (kumquats, rose petals, candied citron, figs with cloves, sour cherries) to mix with creamy strained yogurt. There were bags of rusks, Greek cheeses, bottles of olive oil, some Cretan thyme honey, and a box of loucoumi souzouki, a jelled candy rolled in sesame seeds with walnuts inside. Grape leaves and quince paste completed my shopping list. Oh, and I forgot to mention the wonderful spinach feta pie.
Titan Foods: 25-56 31st St., Queens, (718) 626-7771.
My shopping bags almost broke with the sheer weight of everything I had purchased. At Domna’s, I had loaded up on touloubakia, striated cylinders of sweet fried dough, and assorted soropiasta, delicious packages of filo wrapped around coconut, pistachio, and walnut fillings. I had also bought many jars of preserved fruit (kumquats, rose petals, candied citron, figs with cloves, sour cherries) to mix with creamy strained yogurt. There were bags of rusks, Greek cheeses, bottles of olive oil, some Cretan thyme honey, and a box of loucoumi souzouki, a jelled candy rolled in sesame seeds with walnuts inside. Grape leaves and quince paste completed my shopping list. Oh, and I forgot to mention the wonderful spinach feta pie.
Titan Foods: 25-56 31st St., Queens, (718) 626-7771.
Thursday, October 09, 2003
Smorgas Chef
If you're starving for Swedish but don't have time for Aquavit, you'll be delighted at the recent opening of Smorgas Chef. This charming newcomer to Stone Street features the typical open-faced sandwiches of Sweden. A thick slice of sourdough can be topped with lobster, meatballs, shrimp, a codfish patty, or my choice: smoked salmon and scrambled eggs. You can also opt for a soup or salad, but whatever you do, leave room for a sweet vanilla waffle smeared with cloudberry jam!
Smorgas Chef: 53 Stone St., (212) 422-3503. Grand opening on Saturday!
Smorgas Chef: 53 Stone St., (212) 422-3503. Grand opening on Saturday!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
