List | The Blog-Shy of 2011

Just like I did for 2010, I wanted to create a post detailing some of the dishes I had during 2011 but failed to blog about it in Four Tines and a Napkin. These were the most memorable to mind, as there were times I felt I was definitely eating faster than I could write (though I must say that I did much better of managing this in 2011 than I had in 2010 -- 102 posts versus 81 posts, respectively)! As I know I will say this every year, one of my resolutions for 2012 is to make sure I don't fall too far behind on blogging and updating Four Tines. Busy season in the bean counting world has already commenced, so I will do my best to keep up! In the mean time, here are the ones that "got away" --- the ones that were shy (I call it "blog-shy" -- kinda like "camera-shy") of making the cut.

{1} crepes from Viva La Crepe -- typically ham, mushroom, and Gruyère cheese or sugar and butter / {2} Eat Drink Art Design exhibit at the Museum of Arts and Design / {3} Park Avenue Winter seared scallop "sandwich" -- an open-faced sandwich consisting of toasted bread topped with slices of seared scallops, crispy hash of potatoes and bacon, and cream sauce / {4} flash-fried mushrooms with truffle oil at Il Tre Merli Bistro / {5} honey-rhum glazed pot roast of pork with sautéed shanghai bok choy, fried plantains, and enoki mushrooms at Asia de Cuba during Restaurant Week: Summer 2011 / {6} souvlaki pita -- charcoal grilled chicken wrapped in a warm pita with fresh tomato, red onion, two french fries, and tzatziki sauce -- from Soulvaki GR at the 2011 Vendy Awards on Governors Island (winner of People's Taste category) / {7} Rib of the Tiger taco -- bulgogi with Korilla sauce, shredded Monterey Jack cheese, tomato salsa, and lettuce -- from Korilla BBQ at the 2011 Vendy Awards on Govenors Island (Rookie of the Year category winner) / {8} Asian pear gelato from Capo Giro in Philadelphia / {9} Philly cheesesteak wit' onions, mushrooms, and American cheese from Pat's King of Steaks / {10} duck confit pasta with cranberries and pine nuts at SD26 / {11} The Frenchie burger at DBGB Kitchen & Bar -- 6-ounce beef patty with confit pork belly, arugula, tomato-onion compote, and Morbier cheese on a peppered brioche bun, served with cornichon, mustard, and fries / {12} truffle egg toast with shaved bottarga / {13} three-course prix fixe lunch at JoJo -- for the main course, slow-baked salmon with truffled mashed potatoes, brussel sprouts, and a truffle vinaigrette / {14} shot taken from Mia Chef Gelateria gelato-making class (aka, "Mia Academy"), while making Snickers gelato / {15} classica pizza with marinara sauce, fresh tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and fresh basil, topped with truffle oil from Posto

{1} Nova Scotia lox and cream cheese on a pumpernickel bagel at Zucker's / {2} bacon-wrapped dates and olives stuffed with almonds from Alta / {3} book signing with food writer, David Lebovitz, at BabyCakes / {4} miniature ice cream cones from Burger & Barrel / {5} Creekstone Farms filet mignon with asparagus, butter-whipped potatoes, and crispy fried onions at Emeril's Chop House / {6} speakeasy-style cocktails at Milk & Honey

--circa 2011

Viva La Crepe (Nolita)

51 Spring Street

New York, NY 10012

http://www.vivelacrepe.fr/index.html

Museum of Arts & Design

Eat Drink Art Design

2 Columbus Circle

New York, NY 10019

on exhibit from September 21, 2010 thru February 13, 2011

http://www.madmusem.org

Park Avenue (Winter)

100 East 63rd Street

New York, NY 10021

http://www.parkavenyc.com

http://www.parkavenyc.com/winter

Il Tre Merli Bistro

183 West 10th Street

New York, NY 10014

http://www.itremerlibistrony.com

Asia de Cuba (now closed)

Morgans Hotel

237 Madison Avenue

New York, NY 10016

http://www.morganshotel.com/en-us/#/explore/?id=/morgans-new-york-asia-de-cuba/

Soulvaki GR

116 Stanton Street

New York, NY 10002

http://www.souvlakigr.com

for daily locations of food truck, follow Soulvaki GR on Twitter

Korilla BBQ

http://www.korillabbq.com

for daily locations, check website and follow Korilla on Twitter

Vendy Awards

http://streetvendor.org/vendys

check Facebook page for updates

Capo Giro (13th Street)

119 South 13th Street

Philadelphia, PA 19107

http://capogirogelato.com

Pat's King of Steaks

1237 East Passyunk Avenue

Philadelphia, PA 19147

http://www.patskingofsteaks.com

SD26

19 East 26th Street

New York, NY 10010

http://www.sd26ny.com

DBGB Kitchen & Bar

299 Bowery

New York, NY 10003

http://www.danielnyc.com/dbgb.html

'inoteca liquori

323 Third Avenue

New York, NY 10010

http://www.inotecanyc.com/liquori/home.php

JoJo

160 East 64th Street

New York, NY 10065

http://www.jean-georges.com

Mia Academy

Mia Chef Gelateria

379 Third Avenue

New York, NY 10016

http://www.gelatomia.com/#!mia-academy

Posto

310 Second Avenue

New York, NY 10003

http://www.postothincrust.com

Zucker's

146 Chambers Street

New York, NY 10007

http://www.zuckersbagels.com

Alta

64 West 10th Street

New York, NY 10011

http://www.altarestaurant.com

The Sweet Life in Paris: Delicious Adventures in the World's Most Glorious - and Perplexing City

David Lebovitz

http://www.davidlebovitz.com

available here on Amazon

BabyCakes

248 Broome Street

New York, NY 10002

http://babycakesnyc.com

Burger & Barrel

25 West Houston Street

New York, NY 10012

http://www.burgerandbarrel.com

Emeril's Chop House

Sands Casino Resort

77 Sands Boulevard

Bethlehem, PA 18015

http://www.emerils.com/restaurant/17/Emerils-Chop-House

Milk & Honey New York

134 Eldridge Street

New York, NY 10002

http://www.mlkhny.com/newyork

List | 2011, in summary

What I have learned from my nearing 2-years of blogging experience is that there are few (but not entirely scarce by any means) dishes/meals/culinary experiences about which I am able, and almost effortlessly, to wax poetic. The past year has been quite generous (a serious understatement, haha) to me, allowing my palate to experience so many enriching things running the gamut of the five tastes, particularly the realm of umami, where things can get euphoric very quickly.

That being said, I wanted to recapitulate the culinary and gastronomic highlights of 2011 -- the things that made my mouth water, the dishes that nearly sent me into an intoxicating state, and the courses that took me by surprise.

I started off 2011 with two amazing birthday dinners -- one with my best friend, Lisa, at Sushi of Gari, and another with Marcus at The Four Seasons.

Sushi of Gari: {1} broiled squid with sea urchin sauce / {2} kinmedai (golden eye snapper) with crispy seaweed / {3} yellowtail with jalapeño sauce / {4} torched uni / {5} salmon with sautéed tomatoes / {6} tuna with tofu sauce

The Four Seasons: {1} The Four Seasons of Hope, Robert Diana / {2} sirloin steak with bone marrow tempura in an onion-beef broth / {3} Four Seasons chocolate soufflé served with freshly whipped cream and chocolate sauce / {4} grilled octopus with white beans and Meyer lemon vinaigrette / {5} tuna-sea urchin ravioli with a diver scallop tartare, caviar, and chervil crème fraîche / {6} The Pool Room at The Four Seasons.

2011 also permitted me to diversify my NYC brunch repertoire (still a long ways to go!) to narrow down to my top five spots.

Clinton Street Baking Co.: {1} classic pancakes with wild Maine blueberries and warm maple butter / {2} fresh hot apple cider / {3} sugar-cured bacon

Essex: {1} "unlimited" mimosas / {2} grilled ribeye and eggs / {3} Manchego macaroni and cheese with chicken apple sausage

Calle Ocho: {1} "house rules" at Calle Ocho about brunch sangria / {2} unlimited sangria bar of 6-7 varieties / {3} vaca frita -- Cuban skirt steak with Latin fried rice, tomato escabeche, avocado, and fried eggs

Tea & Sympathy: {1} Full Monty Breakfast with Heinz baked beans -- scrambled eggs with English bacon, a banger (i.e., a sausage), and grilled tomato and includes a glass of fresh orange juice, choice of coffee or a pot of tea as well as choice of white or 7-grain toast / {2} teapot full of tea! / {3} traditional scones served with strawberry jam and clotted cream.

Moving in together with Marcus this year allowed for me to explore more things in the kitchen (during the latter part of the year, at least) as I finally had my own personal space tailored to my tastes, filled with my very own tools. I even started an ad hoc supper club, Table Conviviale, with Lisa so we could together learn to make some of our favorite courses that we like to have in restaurants all over in my modestly-sized city kitchen.

tako (octopus): {1} one tentacle of octopus / {2} plated shiso leaves / {3} tako with sesame dressing

white truffles: {1} Buitoni wild mushroom agnolotti with mushroom gravy topped with shaved white truffles / {2} porcini mushroom risotto topped with shaved white truffles / {3} about 12 grams worth of a whole white truffle

foie gras: {1} truffle-flecked foie gras mousse spread over a thick slice of brioche bread / {2} roasted Gascogne quail with grapes, foie gras, and Armagnac / {3} seared lobes of foie gras with caramelized fruits and a Port reduction

macarons & soufflés: {1} DessertTruck Works macaron-baking workshop / {2} DessertTruck Works chocolate soufflé-making workshop / {3} Classic French Macaron class at the Institute of Culinary Education

Marcus and I also took our first vacation together in 2011 -- all the way to the San Francisco Bay Area and the Napa Valley. Here are some highlights of our amazing trip!

San Francisco and the Napa Valley: {1} view of the Golden Gate Bridge / {2} morning bun with orange cinnamon sugar from Tartine Bakery + Café / {3} happy hour oysters with hogwash from Penn Cove, Washington at Hog Island Oyster Bar / {4} maitake fritters with truffle salt from Izakaya Sozai / {5} The Ferry Building clock tower / {6} local Marcona almonds seasoned with homemade Vadouvan spice and sweet herbs at Ubuntu / {7} fresh extruded Seville orange fregola with Hakurei and Scarlet Damsel turnips, green garlic, and Parmesan broth at Ubuntu / {8} croque monsieur -- an open-faced sandwich of ham and swiss with Béchamel sauce on toasted pain de mie -- at La Boulange Bakery (de Cole) / {9} arcobaleno ice cream at Marco Polo Italian Ice Cream / {10} Omnivore Books on Food / {11} St. Helena Olive Oil Co. in St. Helena

While we were in the Napa Valley, we had the lucky opportunity to dine at The French Laundry, our first visit to a three-starred Michelin restaurant, both solo and together, and had a Chef Thomas Keller sighting (he signed our menus)! Then we went a little tristar-happy nearing the end of the year, celebrating Marcus's birthday at Le Bernardin (discovering that its head sommelier, Aldo Sohm, is a master sorceror with the art of the wine pairing) and my new bean counting role at another firm with Eleven Madison Park (still remains my favorite restaurant of all time).

The French Laundry: {1} Marcus and me at the entrance to The French Laundry / {2} the classic sesame tuile "cornets" of salmon tartare with red onion and crème fraîche / {3} the signature clothespin napkin holder at The French Laundry

Le Bernardin: {1} inside the newly renovated Le Bernardin / {2} charred octopus with purple basil, fermented black bean, peach sauce vierge and ink-miso vinaigrette -- paired with a 2010 Sauvignon Blanc produced by Nautilus from Marlborough, New Zealand / {3} Yellowfin tuna, thinly pounded with foie gras atop a toasted baguette covered with shaved chives and extra virgin olive oil -- paired with a 2010 Moscatel Seco produced by Botani from Málaga, Spain

Eleven Madison Park: {1} warm gougères filled with cheese / {2} variations of carrots roasted in duck fat with dates and wheatberries / {3} duck, roasted with lavender honey and accompanied by turnips (baby turnips, roasted turnips, and a turnip purée) and roasted figs

Along with the extraordinary pairings I had at Le Bernardin, 2011 marked an enlightening year in terms of learning more about oenology -- which for me, was dipping my toes in general knowledge of wine nomenclature -- mainly focused on geography and grape varietals -- as well as slightly more complex rules of thumb for pairings. I've definitely come a long way, from just knowing how to pronounce popular wines, where I feel a little more at ease being in a wine shop and somewhat knowing what to look for aligned with what I know I like. During the course of the year, I took four or five 2-hour wine classes at New York Vintners (my review on the shop and its classes will be posted in a month or so!), which generally got me interested in truly understanding a wine bottle's label as well as a wine menu in a restaurant. It was at JBF LTD where I had experienced a food-and-wine pairing that had the intense persuasion (i.e., really awoke something inside of me that rendered me speechless) to have me enduringly convinced that the two things can indeed have a syngergistic relationship -- given you know what will work with each other. The course pairings at Le Bernardin solidified my beliefs even further, so much that I attempted my own pairings in the kitchen.

JAQK Cellars / Tartine: {1} wine tasting at the now-shuttered Bacchus Wines with design-savvy JAQK Cellars and its entire collection of wines / {2} its flagship wine, the High Roller -- a 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon from the Napa Valley / {3} pan-roasted duck with a resulting confit sauce, peppercorns, assorted herbs, apples, and a variation of au gratin hash at Tartine -- paired, BYOB-style, with the High Roller
JBF LTD: {1} JBF LTD's glass window countdown of its life in days as a pop-up restaurant at Chelsea Market / {2,3} Chef Laurent Gras' butter poached Jonah crab with red togarashi bouillon and celery -- paired with a 2008 Montagny Blanc (100% chardonnay) produced by Albert Bichot from Burgundy, France

pairings in the kitchen: truffle-flecked foie gras mousse spread and brioche (not pictured) and {1} seared lobes of foie gras paired with {2} a brut crémant produced by Cave L'Aurance from the Bourgogne region of Burgundy, France and with {3} a 2007 Girasole red blend of sangiovese, cabernet sauvignon, and merlot grapes, respectively.

2011 was also a year filled with many vineyard/winery visits, learning more about American winemaking, both on the East (Finger Lakes and white wines) and the West Coast (Napa Valley and reds).

the Finger Lakes: {1} minimal intervention wine-making at Fox Run Vineyards of Torrey Ridge / {2} new wines produced from classic European grape varieties at Goose Watch Winery of Cayuga Lake / {3} famed rieslings (from full dry to sweet ice) at Wagner Vineyards in Lodi / {4} Glenora Wine Cellars, the first winery of Seneca Lake

the Napa Valley: {1} Del Dotto Vineyards' St. Helena Estate Winery location, housed over a man-made cave in which its aging oak barrels of free-run grape juice are stored / {2} Duckhorn Vineyards' estate house, where tastings are hosted / {3} tasting at the Swanson Salon -- Swanson Vineyards and its 2006 Crepuscule dessert wine (whose name has a special meaning for Marcus and me)

2011 was a year of finding some lovely hidden gems as well -- here in NYC and elsewhere.

{1} niku-uni -- chuck flap served on leaves of seaweed and shiso topped with raw sea urchin and fresh wasabi from Takashi / {2} scallop special with homemade penne pasta, leeks, and cherry tomatoes in a light cream sauce at Cellar 58 / {3} tripe in tomato sauce with pancetta, white wine, and fresh pecorino from 54 Mint in San Francisco / {4} oxtail-stuffed squid with with squid ink steel-cut oatmeal risotto and garlic aioli from Degustation / {5} slice of the bittersweet chocolate cake, à la mode with vanilla gelato at ChocoBolo (fka, The Best Chocolate Cake in the World) / {6} crispy chicken tacos from Dos Toros Taqueria

Besides San Francisco, I did some traveling to nearby cities outside the Tri-State area.

Philadelphia: {1} grilled truffle flatbread topped with arugula and fontina cheese, served with shaved Parmesan at R2L / {2} inside R2L, the restaurant on the 37th floor of Two Liberty Place

Washington D.C.: {1} Tessita cupcake -- vanilla cupcake with dulce de leche filling and chocolate hazelnut satin frosting -- at baked & wired / {2} chai cupcake from baked & wired

2011 gave me the chance to meet three world-renowned chefs (and to add some more signed cookbooked/memoirs to my shelves).


Grant Achatz: {1} Chef Grant Achatz at his Life, on the Line lecture at the New York Public Library Mid-Manhattan, signing copies of his memoir / {2} Life, on the Line: A Chef's Story of Chasing Greatness, Facing Death, and Redefining the Way We Eat / {3} my signed copy of Life, on the Line by Chef Grant Achatz

Ferran Adrià: {1} The Family Meal: Home Cooking with Ferran Adrià / {2} my signed copy of The Family Meal by Chef Ferran Adrià / {3} me with Chef Ferran Adrià at his cookbook signing at Williams-Sonoma Columbus Circle

Jacques Pépin: {1} me with Chef Jacques Pépin at his cookbook signing at Williams-Sonoma Columbus Circle / {2} my signed copy of Essential Pépin / {3} Essential Pépin: More than 700 All-Time Favorites from My Life in Food

During 2011, I ventured to some of the notable "new" spots in the city.

Ciano: {1} gnudi "tre-colore" -- a "nude" ravioli (just filling, no pasta) comprising of three "colored" flavors: parmigiano (white), chevril (green), and black truffle ("red") / {2} rotolo di pasta -- a pasta roll that contains broccoli rabe, sweet sausage, and tomato ragù / {3} ravioli con carbonara -- a combination of pecorino, smoked guanciale, hen egg, fried parsley, and black pepper

The Dutch: {1} 2007 Furmint Sec from Tokaji, Hungary produced by Királyudvar / {2} little oyster sandwiches / {3} black cod with smoked mushrooms and yuzu-chili broth
David Burke Kitchen / Ai Fiori: {1} duck meatball lasagna with herbed striped pasta, ricotta, and quail egg / {2} gnocchetti -- semolina saffron gnocchi with blue crab, sea urchin, tomato, and fresh herbs

La Promenade des Anglais / Veritas: {1} farrotto with braised veal cheeks and spinach / {2} short rib raviolo served with oyster mushrooms and pickled red onions

Outstanding in the Field returned once again to New York City, though this time to Brooklyn Grange over in Queens, to host another farm dinner, making it my second OITF event.

Outstanding in the Field 2011: {1} the rooftop of Brooklyn Grange at sunset / {2} long tables set up through Brooklyn Grange's rooftop farm / {3} arugula salad with strawberries from Mountain Sweet Berry Farm, Lynnhaven Farm goat cheese, mint, and lime / {4} steamed halibut with Maxwell's Farm goldbar zucchini and nasturtium vinaigrette, topped with toasted pumpernickel chili bread crumbs / {5} Katy Oursler, the Director of OITF's Private Events, and Jim Denevan, the founder of OITF, saying a few words to the farm dinner guests / {6} grilled housemade chicken and pork pistachio sausage served over Brooklyn Grange warm field greens, crispy prosciutto, sherry vinaigrette , chives, and cheddar-style cheese / {7} the chefs of ABC Kitchen hard at work on the rooftop of Brooklyn Grange preparing the farm dinner

Marcus and I celebrated Macaron Day NYC and also tried genuine Parisian macarons, both for the first time in 2011.

{1} Macaron Day NYC 2011 promo in a participating shop's window / {2} assortment of uniquely flavored macarons from pop-up shop Cours La Reine -- two complimentary on Macaron Day NYC / {3} free salted caramel and praline macarons from DessertTruck Works on Macaron Day NYC/ {4} the entire assortment of macaron flavors (as of September 2011) at Ladurée, that are flown in directly from Paris

And always last, but not least, 2011 had a lot of things in store for my inner sweet tooth.

{1} Beard Papa's eclair puff with classic vanilla custard / {2} Pistachio Premium -- a gelato poposicle covered with freshly chopped pistachios and half-dipped with signature dark chocolate -- from popbar / {3} crème brûlée doughnut from Doughnut Plant / {4} The Salted Pimp -- a combination of vanilla soft-serve with dulce de leche, sea salt, and chocolate dip -- from The Big Gay Ice Cream Shop

Sprinkles Cupcakes: {1} red velvet cupcake -- Southern-style light chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting / {2} dark chocolate cupcake -- Belgian dark chocolate cake with bittersweet chocolate frosting and dark chocolate sprinkles / {3} chai cupcake -- a spiced chai tea cake with chai-vanilla frosting

...and that, ladies and gents, is 2011, in summary!

List | 2011, best eats on a dime

Here's a rundown of my favorite eats on a dime of 2011, somewhat by category. I've also included an honorable mention or two for each category, as well as a "possible contender" that I hope to try and compare during the new year.

Best Burgers on a Dime

Shake Shack will always be a proud guilty pleasure of mine -- the Shack Burger is my "poison" of choice. It not only has an amazingly tasty patty but also three other things that make it that awesome of a burger. First is its perfect size -- that way, after eating the deliciousness that is the Shack Burger, you won't feel as greasy afterwards yet you'll still feel comfortably full. Second is that the bun is buttered and toasted, adding another dimension of supreme awesomeness to the burger. Lastly is the Shack Sauce -- a mystery until you have a bite of it on a Shack Burger -- which rounds out the burger by bringing all of the flavors into a cohesive vessel. At $4.55 a pop, you cannot go wrong with a quick stop at Shake Shack. Just be wary of long lines during prime dining hours. If you're going to the Madison Square Park location, check the Shack Cam on Shake Shack's website to see where the line is at.

Honorable Mention: Mark's bacon sliders (with the bacon infused within their patties).

Possible 2012 Contender: Corner Bistro's Bistro Burger (a cheeseburger with bacon).

Best Ramen on a Dime (how oxymoronic that sounds, haha)

Totto Ramen is an equatable alternative to the pricier (and longer-wait laden) Ippudo. If you get here early enough, the wait shouldn't be more than 10-15 minutes (remember, this space is much, much smaller than Ippudo is). For about $10 (compared to Ippudo's $16 per bowl), you can get yourself a hefty bowl of ramen noodles with a densely flavored soup base and accoutrement of additional ingredients, too. You can wish for it to be spicy or just regular miso, and you won't feel cheated with the amount of ramen included. Totto Ramen even blowtorches its char siu (broiled pork) before it is served alongside the ramen noodles.

Honorable Mention: Rai Rai Ken's miso ramen (soybean-based noodle soup with bean sprouts, cabbage, onion, crispy garlic, chicken, and scallions).

Possible 2012 Contender: Ramen Misoya - mame ramen (ramen noodles topped with ground pork, mung bean sprouts, cabbage, scallions, bamboo shoots, and a panko encrusted fried shrimp) with a side of charshu.

Best Meatballs on a Dime

The Meatball Shop has a wittily written menu from which you can order "balls" with a dry-erase marker (yup, you write on the menu!) -- either as a hero (seen above), as a slider (one meatball on a miniature bun), as "naked" (just sauce with a side of focaccia), as a smash (meatballs on a hamburger bun), or as an "Everything-but-the-Kitchen-Sink" salad (meatballs served over a bed of salad and vegetables). If you're moderately hungry, the hero or the slider is the best way to go. More decisions are to be had after this -- the kind of ball, the kind of sauce, and the kind of cheese you wish to have all together. Along with the regular offerings, there are weekly/daily "specials" that encourages a dynamic menu at The Meatball Shop. If it's your first time, I highly recommend just getting the classic meatballs with classic tomato sauce just to showcase how great the guys at The Meatball Shop are at making some delicious meatballs. Venturing out will shortly ensue during your subsequent visits, which I know will be inevitable :P!

Honorable Mention: Potbelly Sandwich Works' meatball sandwich (my version: meatballs with Swiss, mushrooms, and Italian seasoning).

Possible 2012 Contenders: Frankies 570 Spuntino's meatballs with pine nuts and raisins.

Best Hot Dogs on a Dime

Asiadog offers Asian-inspired twists on the New York classic hot dog with a toasted bun. My continual favorite is the wangding hot dog -- beef hot dog with Chinese barbecue pork belly in plum sauce and a cucumber slice, topped with scallions. It is essentially a Vietnamese banh mi sandwich in hot dog form! Plus, you can get 2 for a mere $7! So if you're itching to try something outside the realm of ketchup, mustard, relish, and 'kraut, Asiadog has what you're looking for.

Honorable Mention: Gray's Papaya's hot dog with onions.

Possible 2012 Contenders: Crif Dogs' chihuahua (bacon-wrapped hot dog covered with avocados and sour cream) or tsunami (bacon-wrapped hot dog with teriyaki sauce, pineapple, and green onions) hot dog; Japadog's terimayo hot dog (all-beef hot dog with teriyaki sauce, mayo, and seaweed).

Best Tacos on a Dime

Dos Toros Taqueria and its incredible crispy chicken tacos are worth a detour on your way home from a late night out. They also make for a great quick meal without the typical fastfood grease and lower grade ingredients. Besides the freshest, local ingredients, what makes these crispy chicken tacos receive such high praise is that the tortilla is toasted with a sprinkling of cheese before filling it with protein and the assorted token condiments. That way, the tortilla has a balanced crunch to counter the more moisture-inducing ingredient-heavy taco filling for a longer period of time. The melted cheese, as opposed to being just a loosely topped, is a fitting addition as well. Lastly, the protein is not overpowered by the condiments of sour cream, salsa, and guacamole. The taco experts behind the counter have a system of closely making sure that the condiment to protein ratio is not overdone. Priced at little over $7 a taco, not a bad way to go!

Honorable Mention: Korilla BBQ's Rib Eye of the Tiger tacos (bulgogi with Korilla sauce, shredded Monterey Jack cheese, tomato salsa, and lettuce).

Possible 2012 Contender: Toloache Taqueria's carne asada tacos (chile-rubbed skirt steak with avocado and tequila salsa borracha).

--circa 2011

Shake Shack (Theatre District)
691 8th Avenue
New York, NY 10036
http://www.shakeshack.com

Totto Ramen
366 West 52nd Street
New York, NY 10019
http://www.tottoramen.com

The Meatball Shop
84 Stanton Street
New York, NY 10002
http://www.themeatballshop.com

Asiadog
66 Kenmare Street
New York, NY 10012
http://www.asiadognyc.com
available on Saturdays at Brooklyn Flea, 11 AM - 5 PM
for other locations throughout the week, check here

Dos Toros Taqueria (West Village)
11 Carmine Street
New York, NY 10014
http://www.dostoros.com

List | 2011, best restaurants for dinner

Here's a rundown of my favorite restaurants of 2011 by my very own "award categories":

Most Innovative Omakase

Sushi of Gari takes the cake on having the most innovative omakase offerings I've had in New York City. Sushi Yasuda and 15 East are my other favorites for fresh varieties of fish, but Sushi of Gari really showcases the potential of where you can take raw fish and transform it with some simple dressings. The chef can broil squid directly with a sea urchin sauce on top. He can also add another dimension to tuna with rich creaminess and a nice grainy texture. Uni can also be blow-torched slightly before serving. Sautéed tomatoes can transform raw salmon into something savory and slightly sweet. Golden eye snapper can also have a nice crunchy finish with crispy seaweed sprinkled atop. Lastly, the neighborhood vibe at Sushi of Gari makes it very unpretentious and comfortable for its patrons. Everyone is so friendly and happy, which is quite contagious during any meal there. And as with any great sushi spot, please request for seats at the sushi bar. It'll make it more dramatic and theatrical as well as personal (since you get to talk directly with the sushi chefs).

Best New Restaurant

The Dutch is a great all-around New American restaurant to satisfy any palate, generous or fastidious, where the menu's cuisine, created by Chef Andrew Carmellini, has clean and fresh flavors with ingredients that are "new" and refreshing for traditional American cuisine. Highlights include a nice glass of Furmint Sec (a Hungarian white wine) on the list of wines by the glass -- a great alternative to my usual Rieslings. The starting courses on the menu boasts a fun list of snacks and appetizers for sharing, like the Little Oyster sandwiches, which are scrumptious and a must-order! The fish "second courses" are perfectly silky with subtle Asian flavor influences like the black cod in yuzu-chili broth. Ideal place to go with friends to catch up over some solid grub.

Best Ingredient-Focused Tasting Menu (Pasta!) and Most Practical Wine Program

Chef Shea Gallate's Ciano boasts a cohesive five-course, pasta-inspired (more pasta-centric, if you ask me) tasting menu for lunch and dinner for a bargain price of $79! Highlights include a ravioli con carbonara -- combination of pecorino, smoked guanciale, hen egg, fried parsley, and black pepper, which was the pasta version of a perfect brunch on a relaxing Sunday morning; gnudi "tre-colore" -- a "nude" ravioli (just filling, no pasta) comprising of three "colored" flavors: parmigiano (white), chevril (green), and black truffle ("red") that were densely savory; and a rotolo di pasta -- a pasta roll that contains broccoli rabe, sweet sausage, and tomato ragù, which was just the right amount of deliciousness inside the roll. The portion of each course was manageable (pasta even influence the last "dessert/sweet" course), and the featuring of pastas that aren't typically seen in nearly every Italian restaurant (spaghetti and meatballs, chicken parm, penne alla vodka, etc.) makes the pasta tasting menu that much more appealing.

John Slover, the restaurant's wine director, instilled "half bottle" program at Ciano. Essentially, every single bottle of wine in the cellar is up for grabs as either a whole bottle or a half bottle! How freaking awesome is that?! You don't have to commit to the entire bottle unless you wish to, plus you can opt to try something else if you're not totally feeling the first half of the bottle. Additionally, you can "shop" off the "already open" bottle list for wines that strike your immediate fancy! So practical and simple -- one more reason to get to Ciano, pronto!

Best Seafood and Extraordinary Wine Pairings

Le Bernardin is definitely up there on my list of "Best Meals I've Ever Had" -- the seafood courses are ethereal and explosive with multi-faceted flavors, textures, and temperatures. What made this meal so memorable and share-worthy were undoubtedly the wine pairings throughout the course of our dinner. Two courses particularly come to mind, as the pairings could not have been more spot-on -- I've never reacted this way to a wine pairing, where I was shockingly wide-eyed with my mouth gaping in a lauding awe. Aldo Sohm, the restaurant's wine director (and world-renowned sommelier -- in fact, named the best one in the world in 2008) certainly has a knack for synergizing the cuisine of Chef Eric Ripert with the magical powers of the fermented grape.

Under the "Almost Raw" section of the menu (i.e., the first course at Le Bernardin), a classic is the Yellowfin tuna, thinly pounded with foie gras atop a toasted baguette covered with shaved chives and extra virgin olive oil. The restaurant typically pairs this course with a Moscatel Seco from Málaga Spain, a dry muscat that works really well with the tuna-foie gras combination as the little bit of residual sugar "connects" (Mr. Sohm's words) the richness of the foie gras with the tuna marinated in lemon juice.

From the "Barely Touched" section of the menu (i.e., second course), you must have the charred octopus with purple basil, fermented black bean, peach sauce vierge and ink-miso vinaigrette. Paired with a Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand, the octopus will become simply captivating to the palate, almost like you're tasting glorious octopus for the first time ever, being able to truly grasp all of its intricate flavors and nuances in the same way a colorblind individual sees colors for the first time.

Le Bernardin is the perfect place to commemorate a special occasion. Plus, many of the popular dinner items are offered on the not-so-abbreviated lunch prix fixe for a relative bargain price of $70 per person, so maybe play hooky from work and indulge in a fine lunch.

Best Overall Dining Experience

Eleven Madison Park offers what I believe to be one of the best dining experiences in New York City. The cuisine performs at the highest marks, and the service is impeccably welcoming without being overwhelming or too hovering. I always feel completely at home and relaxed, as the service team is so incredibly excited that you're there to share a culinary experience with them. In Chef Thomas Keller's words, it's all about finesse, andEleven Madison Park has always got it. This place will always have my heart (and my beloved tummy).

As the unconventional matrix-format menu changes every season, here are some highlights from the fall-driven prix fixe menu: lobster poached with sherry butter, served alongside with a medley of autumn mushrooms, spinach, and a sabayon of mushrooms -- a velvety finish, both rich and buttery, and the flavor carried throughout each tenderly soft chunk which melts with the creamy sabayon; variations of carrots roasted in duck fat with dates and wheatberries -- an ode to the fall season with its hearty choice of ingredients with the carrots' texture caramelized with a blast of savory flavor like a subtle curry; and the whole duck roasted in lavender honey with figs and turnips -- presents beautifully with a pink center, incredibly crispy skin, and a succulent taste and tender texture as the spices and herbs work harmoniously. Before the last course (i.e., dessert), you will receive an instantly made egg cream (made right before your eyes) -- whole milk, orange syrup and oil, cocoa nibs, and seltzer. It is courses like the duck and the egg cream that makes Eleven Madison Park even more special -- the performance aspect of the dining experience is incorporated so seamlessly into its multi-course prix fixe line-up.

Any meal (whether it be dinner or lunch) should not be missed at Eleven Madison Park. Just like Le Bernardin, the restaurant also offers a relative bargain brunch at a not-as-hefty price of $74 per person. Only difference at Eleven Madison Park is that the menu choices/options are not abbreviated -- lunch has the same exactly offerings as the dinner menu does (maybe just not as many "in between"/ad hoc courses as dinner does).

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Brushstroke

David Burke Kitchen
Degustation

La Promenade des Anglais

Veritas

--circa 2011

Sushi of Gari

402 East 78th Street

New York, NY 10075

http://www.sushiofgari.com

The Dutch

131 Sullivan Street

New York, NY 10012

http://www.thedutchnyc.com

Ciano

45 East 22nd Street

New York, NY 10010

http://www.cianonyc.com

Le Bernardin

155 West 51st Street

New York, NY 10019

http://www.le-bernardin.com

Eleven Madison Park

11 Madison Avenue

New York, NY 10010

http://www.elevenmadisonpark.com

List | 2011, best spots for brunch

Here's a rundown of my top "brunch bunch" of 2011, somewhat by specialized category:

Best Brunch Cocktail Offering goes to Calle Ocho, located inside The Excelsior Hotel.


Its infamous unlimited sangria bar makes Calle Ocho's brunch special (i.e., each brunch main course includes "unlimited" access to the sangria bar consisting of about 6-7 varieties of sangria, so long as you abide by "The Rules" stipulated on the menu) the best deal in town for a "smashing" brunch! Expect to be tipsy, if not happily drunk, by the time brunch is over as the afternoon rolls around. Also, the restaurant's Latin American-driven brunch cuisine is a nice change of pace, to the traditional American brunch offerings (waffles, eggs, omelets, pancakes, French toast, etc.), with an eclectic flair of flavor. Like the vaca frita, which is a Latin American take on the usual American "steak and eggs" -- Cuban skirt steak with Latin fried rice, tomato escabeche, avocado, and fried eggs. Amazingly delicious! Be sure to reserve a primetime brunching reservation (I believe the restaurant takes reservations several weeks out). Or else you will be dining at an odd hour, if at all.

Best Pancakes (and Best Accompanying Side Order) undoubtedly goes to Clinton Street Baking Co.


Its classic pancakes (with wild Maine blueberries and a side of warm maple butter) and opting for a side of sugar-cured bacon (there should be no objecting here) makes for a satisfyingly sweet-and-savory brunch that just hits the spot of a classic American brunch dish. So either get here early, close to when it opens (or during "off-hours"), or risk waiting for what will feel like eternity for tables in this intimately seated joint to open up (on a weekend, be wary that a two-hour wait is not uncommon) as they do not formally take reservations.

Best English Breakfast & High Tea Shebang goes to Tea & Sympathy.

The Full-Monty Breakfast with beans (always opt for them -- I promise they will change your life if you haven't already had them) encompasses the epitome of a classic English breakfast. The breakfast consists of scrambled egg with English bacon, a banger (i.e., a sausage), and grilled tomato and includes a glass of fresh orange juice, choice of coffee or a pot of tea as well as choice of white or 7-grain toast. All for under $20! In addition to this wonderfully complete breakfast, the traditional scones are just divine, served with clotted cream and strawberry jam. Almost like dinner biscuits, the scones are dense, buttery, and soft in texture. Spread with the clotted cream and topped with strawberry jam is a heavenly bonus -- creamy, tart yet sweet -- balancing out the richness of the scone. These are the two dishes that you must order for the table (at least one of each so that everyone in your party can sample it). Particularly, the breakfast beans will change the most hesitant of minds (i.e., those that dislike beans normally) into true believers that when prepared well, they are in fact pretty good! Also like Clinton Street Baking Co., expect crowds to congregate outside whilst waiting for a seat in this 6-8 table spot.

Best Traditional-eqsue Brunch goes to Essex.

The brunch prix fixe special at $22.95 includes choice of brunch main course and three glasses of brunch cocktails (mimosa, bloody mary, and/or screwdriver). However, you may get lucky with your service that day, they may refill your flutes/cocktail glasses more than three times during the course of your meal. So brace yourself! As for brunch main courses, a surprising favorite is the Manchego macaroni & cheese, a fried delight! For $2 extra, the grilled ribeye and eggs is a great brunch waiting to happen, too, especially if you like a manly start to your Sunday brunch! Very tender meat -- not at all chewy or overcooked.

Last but not least, Fanciest Innovative Brunch Menu goes to Norma's of Le Parker Meridien Hotel.

The menu has some fun offerings, but the foie gras french toast, the savoriest of the savory, will certainly be one of the biggest pampering jobs you can do for your stomach during a weekend brunch. Plus, each patron gets a complimentary smoothie (even if it is shot glass-sized) before selecting a main course.Norma's also happens to be the place that offers a "secret omelette" (a name which I dubbed because it doesn't appear on the printed menu) which has a going rate of $1,000, comprising of eggs, lobster, and approximately $995 worth of caviar. So no matter what you go with, a food coma immediately following this meal is not unexpected.

--circa 2011

Calle Ocho
The Excelsior Hotel
45 West 81st Street
New York, NY 10024
http://www.calleochonyc.com

Clinton Street Baking Co.
4 Clinton Street
New York, NY 10002
http://www.clintonstreetbaking.com

Tea & Sympathy
108 Greenwich Avenue
New York, NY 10011
http://www.teaandsympathynewyork.com‎

Essex
120 Essex Street
New York, 10002
http://www.essexnyc.com

Norma's
Le Parker Meridien New York
118 West 57th Street
New York, NY 10019
http://www.parkermeridien.com/eat1.php

List | 2011, best bakeries for dessert

Here's a rundown of my favorite dessert spots of 2011, somewhat by category:

Best Overall Cupcakes

If you're looking for some moist, delectable cupcakes (and aren't from California, Chicago, DC, Texas, or Arizona, haha), please go to Sprinkles Cupcakes and treat yourself to one of the following:


The chai cupcake (only offered on Fridays) with spiced buttercream is probably my favorite, followed by the classic standard offerings of dark chocolate with dark chocolate sprinkles (you need to get it with these sprinkles, I insist) and red velvet (that cream cheese frosting is amazing).

Best French Macarons
If French macarons are more your style, and you're wanting the "real deal" all the way from Paris, then you're in luck. Europe-based Ladurée opened shop for the first time in the U. S. (more specifically, New York City) back in 2011, where they fly in the treasured and delicate macarons directly from its bakery in Paris. How crazy is that? That je ne sais quoi about Parisian air appears to hold true (at least to me, haha) for the texture of these particular macarons. Never could I have imagined to have tasted anything so fluffy and light, yet utterly delicious. Here are our (i.e., for Marcus and me) all-time favorite flavors from the mint-green (and multi-faceted pastel) shop:


Ladurée has a vanilla (vanille) macaron that will knock your socks off -- it is by far the truest tasting vanilla-flavored macaron that Marcus and I have had in our macaron madness of tastings. The lemon (citron) is tart and refreshing, but just enough so that it's not overly sour. The caramel (caramel à la fleur de sel) is stellar, and the chocolate (chocolat) has a creamy, bittersweet ganache at its center. Last but not least, the pistachio (pistache) is, simply put, poetic and dreamy, with its pleasant playfulness dancing on your palate with each and every bite.

While Ladurée is the place to go for more "classically driven" (both in regards to texture and flavor) French macarons (the everpresent line out the shop's French doors is a testament to this), La Maison du Macaron holds a special place in our hearts. Our first visit to a macaron shop (i.e., one that offers macarons) together as a couple was to this very spot (formerly known to us as Madeleine Patisserie). It was also, coincidentally enough, my first time (as well as Marcus's) ever having these delicious meringue delights -- who knew it would add to an obsessive mission of ours to find the best ones in New York City!

What we like most about La Maison du Macaron is the rotating list of flavors -- and not just a rotating smorgasbord, either. There are some flavors that are offered quite frequently (i.e., raspberry, pistachio, cassis, vanilla, chocolate, etc.), of course, but there are seasonal flavors, particularly the very innovative ones, that always keep us coming back for more. While we appreciate the classic French flavors, we like having a little twist in our occasional macaron intake. Here are the flavors to look out for (that we've already tried):


Pepsi-lime still remains Marcus's overall favorite. As we've only seen it (and had it) once at La Maison, it is almost as if it disappeared into the abyss as an urban myth. We swear it existed at some point, hoping that it'll make a gallant return to the patisserie's daily jewel box of macarons. Just to catalog: Cointreau, pink champagne, lychee rose, pistachio-lemon, Nutella, mango, kir royale, raspberry, and rum-cola.

Most Creative Gelateria

Now if you're jonesing for some gelato, I know the exact place you should visit: Mia Chef Gelateria over in Kips Bay. Like La Maison du Macaron with its eccentrically-flavored macarons, Mia Chef does the same with gelato.


Offering classics like pistachio, stracciatella, Dutch chocolaate, etc., Mia Chef balances these out with some unconventional flavors (almost twists on traditional gelato ones) with the popular Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Captain Crunch as well as fig & tequila (the gelateria's take on rum raisin), strawberry margarita, and Ferrero Rocher (a twist on Nutella and hazelnut).

Best Moderately Priced Gourmet Bakery
For some fun, pretty affordable gourmet treats, DessertTruck Works is your best bet.


Among the various desserts offered by DT Works, our favorites are its assortment of French macarons (specifically, salted caramel and praline), the warm molten chocolate cake, and the yeast-risen doughnuts with Nutella filling. In conjunction with these awesome desserts, DT Works offers baking workshops for French macarons and chocolate soufflés, which Marcus and I found to be enjoyable, informative, and easy to follow -- highly recommend to sign up for these workshops if you're hoping to learn how to attempt at creating these from scratch!

Best Innovative Dessert Combination
Now title for best innovative dessert combination goes to popbar in the West Village, for combining popsicles and gelato in a scrumptious dessert.


Pistachio Premium is a wonderful choice -- especially for the freshly crushed pistachios and chocolate -- among its treasure trove of colorful offerings. Not only do you get the wonderful creaminess from the gelato, but also the frozen goodness from a popsicle.


HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Beard Papa

Big Gay Ice Cream Shop

Choco Bolo (formerly The Best Chocolate Cake in the World)

Doughnut Plant

Wafels + Dinges

--circa 2011

Sprinkles Cupcakes (New York City)
780 Lexington Avenue
New York, NY 10065
http://www.sprinkles.com

Ladurée (New York City)
864 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10021
http://www.laduree.com

La Maison du Macaron (formerly Madeleine Patisserie)
132 West 23rd Street
New York, NY 10011
http://www.nymacaron.com

Mia Chef Gelateria
379 Third Avenue
New York, NY 10016
http://www.gelatomia.com

DessertTruck Works
6 Clinton Street
New York, NY 10002
http://www.dt-works.net

popbar
5 Carmine Street
New York, NY 10014
http://www.pop-bar.com

Cooking Class | DessertTruck Works macarons & soufflés

Happy Belated New Year to the readers of Four Tines and a Napkin! Just wanted to start this post by saying this will be my last full, unabridged post for 2011 food happenings. Stay tuned for "Best Things I Ate in 2011," a few "Best Of" lists, and a conglomeration of "Blog-Shy" posts during 2011.

After taking the advanced baking class, "Classic French Macarons," at the Institute of Culinary Education, I stumbled upon a Groupon deal for a macaron-baking workshop at DessertTruck Works (DT Works). While Marcus and I learned quite a bit behind the "science" of creating the perfect macaron, it was still a lot of information overload, and attempting to make any on our own would still be a cloudy endeavor. As such, I felt a fresh new perspective from a rather hip and fun bakery like DT Works would help us better grasp "the moodiest cookie in the world" (as dubbed by our instructor at ICE). This was back in June.

As I've mentioned before in my Macaron Day 2011 post, Jerome Chang, former sous pastry chef at Le Cirque, left in 2007 to start DessertTruck, a high-end dessert truck at "dressed-down" prices, with his business school friend, Chris Chen. It became a smashing success, leading them to open up this store front, DT Works, on the Lower East Side with two former Le Cirque alumni, Susana Garcia and Vincent Jaoura.

Inside DT Works, with an "island" baking prep station set in the middle of the shop, ready to be used by workshop participants.

Chef Chang started off the class immediately with a brief introduction about the macaron, how it is typically prepared in the culinary universe, and his experience with it as a pastry chef. He also asked if anyone had attempted to make them, and if they had, what problems had they run into. Then he followed this discussion with how we'd be addressing those problems in the workshop. He was very easy to understand as he was very straightforward with the process. Also, throughout the class, Chef Chang addressed many, if not all, of the "things that could go wrong" during the baking process. For these reasons, this workshop is great for beginners that are hoping to learn something as advanced as baking macarons.

We began by preparing the meringue. {1} After briefly whisking 50 grams of egg whites in a large heat-safe bowl, we put it over a {2} simmering water bath, whisking together with approximately 1/3 of 110 grams of granulated sugar. We then continued to gradually add the remaining sugar, {3} as the whites increase in volume, whisking until hot to the touch. {4} Removing it off heat, we continued whisking until the meringue became stiff.

{1} We were given a well-mixed bowl of 125 grams of blanched almond flour and 125 grams of confectioner's sugar, already blended in a food processor for 20 seconds, with no lumps. We finished the macaron mixture by {2} using a rubber spatula {3} to mix in another 50 grams of egg whites into the almond flour mix. {4} Next, we folded the meringue into the almond flour mixture, until it was all well-incorporated into the meringue, regularly running the spatula along the very bottom of the bowl. The final mixture was homogenous with a thick viscosity -- if anyone had a mixture that was too stiff, they added about 1 tablespoon of egg white at a time until the proper consistency is reached.

{1} After finishing creating the macaron mixture, Chef Chang gave us a choice of three shades of food coloring to add to the mixture -- red, green, and yellow. {2} Marcus and I picked red, adding few tiny drops to be sufficient. {3} We all thoroughly mixed the food coloring into our mixtures until {4, 5, 6} an even shade was produced.

{1} As far as piping goes, Chef Chang showed us an easier way to transfer the macaron mixture into a piping bag fitted with a straight tip (size #805) inside. He put a piping bag over a solid, plastic container that was deep enough to hold up the piping bag with most of the macaron mixture. {2} Cutting an appropriately sized hole and onto sheet pan (18" x 13") lined with a Silpat baking mat, we piped silver dollar-sized disks, {3} keeping the piping tip about 1.25" away from the surface of the sheet pan to ensure rounded tops of the macaron disks. {4} Normally, we would set the sheet pan aside to allow the surface of the macarons to dry (anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours, depending on the humidity). In a preheated oven at 300 degrees Fahrenheit, the macarons were baked for approximately 7 minutes, turning the pan halfway through the duration. The macarons are typically "deemed finished" when the tops are firm and dry, and the "foamy" base is dry as well. Upon completion, let the sheet pan with the macarons cool.

Marcus and I's finished sheet pan with piped macaron disks.

However, due to time constraints of the class, Chef Chang had macarons, baked and ready for us to which we would add center fillings. He removed the macarons by gently running an offset spatula underneath each one. Each macaron was then paired by size, lined up next to each other with one facing up in each pair.

We piped our desire filling (our choice of buttercream, marmalade, and ganache) onto one half of the macaron pair, then sandwiching each with the other half of the pair.

So woohoo! We successfully "made" macarons at DT Works, leaving with a half dozen each!

Several months later in October, I found another class deal offered for DT Works on Groupon, but this time for a chocolate soufflé-making class. I immediately nabbed two Groupons (one for me and one for Marcus) for this deal and signed up for the next available class in December. Since we had such a great experience with Chef Chang during the macaron-baking class -- he's a great teacher (as I've already illustrated above), especially for beginners for he is very precise, succinct, extremely knowledgeable, and patient -- I figured tackling something as notoriously challenging as making chocolate soufflés would be something he would teach very well, too. Plus, I've always wanted to learn how to make a great soufflé (I've never attempted before this class, actually), but I've always been too intimidated to do so. This was my chance to do it (and to do it right)!

The same "island" prep station inside DT Works, laden with the first ingredients and tools needed for the first steps of the soufflé recipe. Similarly to the macaron-baking class, Chef Chang discussed the history behind the finicky yet coveted dessert, debunked some common "myths" behind it, as well as his experience with this particular dessert. He also told us the recipe we would be using is adapted from the one used for the chocolate soufflé served in the past at Le Cirque.

After preheating the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit, Chef Chang had us {1} label our ramekins with some painter's tape, writing our names in marker over it and adhering it to the side. {2} Then we brushed the interior of our ramekins generously and thoroughly with softened butter (about 4 tablespoons), ensuring the entire interior was buttered (including the rim), followed by coating the buttered ramekin with sugar (about 1/2 cup), knocking out any excess sugar. The reason for doing this is so that the soufflé batter can rise easily within the vessel as it bakes in the oven.

We did the same with the foiled "ramekins" that Chef Chang said we'd prepare the batter for, but would be saved to bake at home. The soufflé within the porcelain ramekin would be eaten at the end of class.

Next, we placed 250 grams of egg whites, 3 grams of cream of tartar (lemon juice can substituted), and a pinch of sugar in a large bowl, {1} whipping (you can also use an electric mixer for this, haha) the egg whites, gradually adding 120 grams of granulated sugar to the mix {2} until we got stiff peaks (evidenced better in 3). This became our meringue.

While we were whipping the whites, Chef Chang had his assistant melt 150 grams of 70% dark chocolate over a double-boiler over simmering water, stirring occasionally. Chef Chang said it was very important that the chocolate still be warm/hot from the double boiler when combining it with the meringue. Same goes for the meringue -- he emphasized that we should not wait too long before combining with the chocolate. Otherwise, the chocolate fails to cohesively meld with the meringue (and instead, yielding chunks of chocolate chips in the mixture), and the meringue risks becoming too stiff.

{1} Similarly to how we transferred the macaron mixture to the piping bag, Chef Chang showed us the same method for transferring the soufflé mix for us to pipe into our ramekins. {2} Only difference is we used the same piping bag without the straight tip, just cutting a half-inch hole at the closed end of the piping bag. We piped straight down (90 degrees) into the ramekins, {3} using an offset spatula to level the tops of the ramekins so that the soufflé mix is evenly lined up within the ramekin. {4} There was one final touch we

had to do before we could put the ramekins into the oven -- we ran our thumbs along the inside edge of each ramekin rim. This is done so that the soufflés can properly rise without sticking to the rim of the ramekins. {5} Our ramekins were ready to be baked on the middle rack of the oven, {6} until they rose, forming a crust on top, but were still "jiggly" in the center, approximately 10-12 minutes, depending on the size of ramekins used.

And voilà! Marcus and I successfully made some pretty awesome soufflés -- they rose and everything :P! Plus, they tasted absolutely delicious, if I do say so myself! Sufficiently moist with an smooth and airy texture -- fluffy as can be and perfectly rich (just the right amount of bittersweet) chocolate. Almost like biting into a cloud, as I've heard someone describe before, only slightly firmer. I left, in awe, of the wonderful soufflés that Marcus and I made at the workshop together. So I guess the near impossible reputation and fastidious nature of the soufflé can be, indeed, conquered.

Findings: I have to say, after all this, DessertTruck Works offers some pretty comprehensive advanced baking workshops, easily accessible by baking novices and experienced baking veterans alike (more emphasis on the novices, of course). Chef Jerome Chang has a no-nonsense approach to the bakery's intensive workshops (whether it be for the fussy macaron or the scrupulous soufflé). His straightforward recipes and succinct explanations (for both background and procedure) during the workshops are key to their success. Chef Chang was able to say exactly why the recipe is written a certain way (e.g., why we use room temperature egg whites, why we butter and sugar ramekins) -- this makes for a more effective understanding of why the said recipe works, and it'll help you remember in the future when you're tasked with executing the recipe on your own. I also liked that it wasn't just a "demonstration" but a very hands-on experience -- your hands will get messy with flour and all sorts of baking tools and goodies.

In summary, I highly recommend the two current workshops (i.e., macaron-baking and soufflé-making) offered at DT Works, especially if you can nab a Groupon deal or two for them! Definitely go accompanied (makes it more fun!), and I promise you'll learn a lot, make great baked goods, and eat deliciously!

Price point: a two-hour macaron-baking class (and a half dozen macarons) for $45, a two-hour chocolate soufflé-making class (and two soufflés -- one baked and one unbaked to take home) for $85; $22 and $39 with Groupon, respectively.

--June 5, 2011 and December 27, 2011

DessertTruck Works
6 Clinton Street

New York, NY 10002
http://www.dt-works.net

Groupon

http://www.groupon.com

DessertTruck Works macaron-baking and soufflé-making class deals available here* and here*!

* These deals are no longer available at the moment, but keep your eyes peeled! Sign-up for Groupon, and maybe they will offer the deals again soon. Since taking this class, I've seen Groupon offer the deal one more time, so chances are, they'll be back!