Wednesday, April 25, 2012

The one with Death & Co.

Tonight, I was taken to a bar with one of the most consistently authentic & intensive atmospheres which I've ever seen. Death & Co. in the East Village is a destination to be experienced!
Death & Co. does not take reservations. When they open at 6pm, a sharply dressed doorman will walk out & take parties on a 1st come 1st served basis. If they do not have accommodation for you, he will take your name & mobile number, & call you once a table is open. Once you enter the assuming & dark door you're transported into another era. This is an atmosphere which is controlled & intense. There are no windows within, deep mahogany ceilings reflect from the mirrors behind the bar. The entire place is steeped in shadows as lighting is low with only one small oil candle on each table & 3 small chandeliers over secluded table spaces. The seating is likewise low & all gives to an air of seclusion & mystery. The Bartenders wear 3 piece suits or suspenders over a sharp button-down & tie while the waitresses all wear black dresses, black stockings, their hair pulled back with daring red lipstick donned.    
Jazz & folk music play with the sounds of Ratata & Goyte softly lingering in the air to the same decibel of the shakers which the Bartenders wield. Looking around I found myself forgetting exactly when or where I was, I contemplated several times whether I had been transported to a 1920's speakeasy rather than a NYC bar.





We had several drinks, but one was by far my favorite: The Joker's Wild. It was like no drink I had ever had! It's pictured above & is a combination of a dry anise-flavored liqueur (Pacharan) as well as vanilla syrup, lemon juice, & absinthe, topped with an egg-white & seltzer froth. I was skeptical, but it is addictive-ly good -- as is how simply being in Death & Co.! 
I was likewise amused by the quotes used within their menu, such as my favorite below. If there's one thing which Death & Co. is good at doing besides their drinks, it's providing a flawless experience. I can't wait to go back! 


Sunday, April 8, 2012

The one on Easter

One of my favorite things about holidays (besides spending time with my family & celebrating gratitude) is Brunch! As of the last few years, my siblings & I have taken to making mimosas an integral part of our holiday Brunch traditions. This year, I enjoyed them with fresh squeezed orange juice & homemade beignets. I found a delectable recipe for ricotta beignets which were light, fluffy & a perfectly sweet treat for Easter.
After generously powdering the beignets with confectionery sugar, I paired them with a side of Nutella & Raspberry jam. Yum.
By the time they were gone I was ready to take a mid-morning sugar-induced-nap & was fully satisfied. Buona Pasqua everyone!

Saturday, April 7, 2012

The one with new French Toast



Today, as I went to eat my breakfast, I was faced with the challenge of under-ripe Bosc pears. I was so dismayed because all I wanted was their sugar-textured sweetness; yet alas, they were green & hard. In a moment of improvisational brilliance, I decided to finely slice them & throw then into a pan with a tbs of butter. As their flesh slowly broke down & became more familiar, I added a generous tbs of dark brown sugar & allowed them to continue to cook down. Looking around my kitchen for an accompany, I spotted some day-old bread & quickly whipped up an amaretto French Toast base. I also found some slivered almonds & stirred them in with the pears. Six slices of baguette quickly turned into six fluffy slices of French Toast. I overlapped three slices & spooned on a generous portion of what had become a caramelized pear & almond syrup -- then I repeated the process. :)
The still slightly structured pears contrasted perfectly against the fluffy French Toast & caramelized almonds. From having cooked down it provided a perfect ratio of syrupy sweetness to doughy toast. A fully satisfying & indulgent breakfast!

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

The one with Buttery-Limoncello Cookies

I was struck today with a baking idea (dangerous ones those are), to make a light butter cookie...& then to use a Limoncello cream filling to make delightful cookie sandwiches.
Well.....ideas are rarely as easy execute as they are to come by. The first batch of cookies I made were to crisp: they wouldn't facilitate biting into if a filling were between them. I tweaked the recipe & baking conditions slightly & was able to get more of a chewy cookie. Check numero uno.
Next was for the filling. This proved to be a frustrating as well as sugar-over-loading test. The first heavy-cream based which chocolate ganache proved to be too soupy due to the vast differences between white & semi-sweet chocolate. The second was thicker, but still held no form similar to the cream texture which I had envisioned. Finally I stumbled across the idea of ditching my vision of a cookie sandwich & instead decided to try a Limoncello glaze. BINGO! It set well & rang true to the taste of Limoncello. IN my first batch I simply drizzled the glaze on; however, I didn't think the Limoncello taste translated strong enough. On a secondary attempt, I dipped them & found utter spring heaven via cookie format.
Lesson of the day? If at first you don't succeed......try something else! Lol & then enjoy the sweet victors of your efforts :)