Much as we love it, The New York Times food section is not infrequently guilty of intentionally provocative "You'll never believe this...." stories, such as this seemingly improbable Smith Island Cake recipe. Sure, in their quest to track trends and break news from the frontlines of gastronomic innovation they're to bound to … [Read more...]
FLAN DE COCO: A LOCO DESSERT
I am currently in the thick of putting together our third annual House Beautiful Kitchen of the Year at Rockefeller Center this July. Each year, seeing this amazingly beautiful building pop up practically overnight, like a mushroom after a rain, is incredibly exciting. A showcase for stunning kitchen design, original gourmet recipes and famous … [Read more...]
STRAWBERRY SOUFFLE – EUGENIA BONE’S ORIGINAL GOURMET RECIPE
Putting together a dinner for our dear good friend Eugenia Bone, author of the fab Well-Preserved (James Beard Award finalist), At Mesa's Edge and Italian Family Dining (this last one co-written with dad Ed Giobbe), is always cause for something special. Her original gourmet recipes (like this Strawberry Soufflé), bringing together her Italian … [Read more...]
CHOCOLATE OF THE GODS MOUSSE
No, I created neither the name nor the recipe. Yes, it lives up to its mantle, and then some. By a mile. The May '10 issue of House Beautiful (my employer) features this chocolate mousse recipe supplied by Mary Richardson Kennedy (aka Mrs. RFK, Jr.). Whoa -- talk about a textbook example of the "this is so crazy, it just might work" … [Read more...]
DULCE DE LECHE de EVITA PERON
It won't be easy / you'll think it strange / when I try to explain how I feel / that I still need your love after all that I've done. So sings María Eva Duarte de Perón in the legendary Broadway hit Evita. Well Eva dear, you do have some explaining to do regarding a certain dulce de leche recipe... One of the highlights of Buenos … [Read more...]
CHOCOLATE AND BLOOD ORANGE MOUSSE
And what the heck, let's throw in a lemon granita to give this icy phantasmagoria a bit more panache. Serving them in the the citrus shells subtly announces, "Hey, this is truly special and was pretty intricate to create." You want the food to announce that... it would be unseemly to actually give voice to those sentiments. The chocolate … [Read more...]
ÎLE FLOTTANTE
It's been a snowy winter and recently, looking at the pristine heaps surrounding our house, thoughts lazily drifted to oeufs a la neige. Knowing it's a close relative to île flottante, I dug out the cookbooks and poked around the Web to see what the differences are. There doesn't seem to a complete consensus. Both are meringue … [Read more...]
BLUEBERRY ZABAGLIONE TARTLETS
Bought these tartlet molds in Bloomingdales in the '80. Originally intended to make clever little savories for hors d'oeuvres. Never happened. Got inspired by House Beautiful's Blue issue (March '10). Wanted to make something blue. Love zabaglione, don't come across it often enough. Would it make a good pastry cream base? Turns out … [Read more...]
TARTE CARAMEL AU CHOCOLAT
Rising above the crowd in the world of chocolate desserts -- and remaining there -- is no easy feat. Case in point: the molten chocolate constructions which originated in the most rarefied restaurants can now be had at Domino's and Costco. Of course these inexpensive heat-and-serve quickies don't provide best in class renditions, … [Read more...]
MRS. MERINO’S FRUITCAKE
The long-running tradition of fruitcake-bashing seems to have abated somewhat of late. Probably because the joke was beyond tired, it exhausted itself to death. Throughout these dark years of ridicule, fruitcakes carried on, making their annual appearance and enjoying the appreciation of loyalists. And yet, like so many other … [Read more...]