Horrible Crepe at Max Brenner in New York!

Yes: I said in the past that I was a fan of Max Brenner's hot cocoa. But I guess it is stopping there! Between the savory food that was not good at all and now the crepe I tried there, I think he should definitely stick with the hot cocoa and forget the rest! The crepe was not good at all and finished in the trash! My wife was even surprised to see me throw food! The crepe had an off taste; the chocolate in it was not good. I only liked the bananas...For close to $10, I am sure I can get bananas at Whole Food around the corner of Max Brenner! If you want crepes, avoid it and go to Bar Suzette at Chelsea Market: It is much much better!!!!

Beware!

Mexican sushi and Japanese tacos at Taka Taka in New York City

There are more and more restaurants proposing fusion cuisine, but it was the first time that I heard about Mexican - Japanese cuisine. That is what Taka Taka in New York City is proposing, highlighted by the sign "Japanese Cantina" above the kitchen. At first the restaurant looks like a Japanese restaurant with a conveyor belt sushi (aka Kaiten sushi). But if you pay attention, you will start noticing some Mexican touch such as the granite mortar to make guacamole!

So, for food, you have two choices: the kaiten sushi or the menu. For those who never tried Kaiten sushi, this is how it works: the kitchen prepares different sushi (no fusion at this time, the sushi were quite standard) identified by a number (Photo 1 - the description of the dish is on the table set) and put them on a conveyor belt. The color of the plate determines the price (photo 2) and once you ask for the bill, the waiter will simply add up the cost of each plate you took based on the color. It is an interesting concept and intriguing: I was constantly looking at what was passing by!

For the Mexican - Japanese fusion, you then have to check the menu: each dish will have a bit of each cuisine. On the Mexican side, you will find for instance guacamole or jalapeno and on the Japanese side, yuzu sauce or wasabi mayonnaise. Here is what we had:

• Guacamole-Tuna Tataki: diced tuna tartar with avocado, onion, cilantro, tomato and serrano chile. This was very good. I love the combination of tuna and avocado! The first time I tried was in a cafe next to the Louvre Museum in Paris. I then had it at Remi, an Italian restaurant in New York. So, nothing very particular to the Mexican-Japanese fusion for that one, although I really enjoyed this very refreshing and light dish!
• Miss Carnitas: fried tuna carnitas in a yuzu-soy marinate with guacamole and pico de gallo in corn tortillas. Good but overpriced. The tuna was slightly overcooked.
• Inclan: fried rice roll with hamachi, tuna, avocado and jicama with spicy sriracha mayonnaise. I liked it.The crunchiness of the rice added another dimension to the dish.
• Tempura Helado: tempura ice cream with strawberry sauce or melted dark chocolate. We picked the chocolate. It was very good but they were kind of cheap on the chocolate!

Concerning the service, it was weird: plates arrived one by one. It started with the tacos, then the tuna tartar, then the rolls. It was not that fast and I am wondering if it was not done this way so we would try some of the Kaiten sushi...

Although the food was not as expected (I was expecting an explosion of flavors), I would probably go back to check some other dishes. They definitely have some creativity there and some of the dishes on the menu that we did not try look appetizing. 

Last, I liked their take out menu: not the traditional piece of paper as you can see below!

Enjoy (I did)!

Hot cocoa at Crumbs

On a day like this, a hot cocoa is welcome! The one from Crumbs is just ok: they put milk at least and not water (hello!), ghirardelli chocolate powder (better than Swiss Miss), but could have more chocolate and be thicker...

Le Pain Quotidien...au Quotidien!

A lot of people think that Le Pain Quotidien (The Daily Bread in English) is French: it is in fact Belgian.  I am not that chauvinistic so I would not go there to eat some great bread, croissants or pastries! 

Le Pain Quotidien is a franchise; they have restaurants all over the world: France (I had to say it!), Australia, Bahrein, India, Mexico, Russia...And of course in the US, in several locations: NYC, Philadelphia, Pasadena, Washington DC, etc...Normally, whatever you find in one location can be found in another, the same way. As if it was the Mac Donald's of bakeries! 

Le Pain Quotidien uses organic ingredients as much as possible and bakes bread and pastries every day.  Their bread is delicious: they serve different kinds, from the baguette to the rustic loaf. They also have buttery and flaky croissants that are to die for! Their restaurants have a rustic and homy feel with bricks on the walls, wooden floors and wooden tables that have an unfinished look (they are made of reclaimed wood). They all have a large communal table for those who like to listen to people's conversation...

Le Pain Quotidien is one of my favorite place for a casual brunch or lunch. Besides the bread and pastries, they have great tartines (open face sandwiches). My favorite is the one with ricotta, figs and honey! It tastes so fresh and all these ingredients pair very well together. It is also very light and the figs add a nice texture to the tartine. It is the perfect meal for a picnic in a park (you can have it to go). They also have a great cheese plate and good salads. Then, you find the traditional brunch dishes: french toasts, omelets or soups. I like the way they serve their food: tartines and plates are served on a breadboard that give a plus to the presentation. If you really like the plates, breadboards and bowls, you can buy them. On top of that, they sell jams, coffee or chocolate. 

Last, they apparently give some cooking classes! I may check this out one day!

Enjoy (I did)!

And remember: I just want to eat!

Disappointing Almond Croissant!

As mentioned in a prior post, Freshdirect has some very good chocolate croissant. They are also selling almond croissants, that are croissants filled with some almond paste and with something made of almonds, if not almonds, on top. I was very excited to try their almond croissant! What a disappointment! First of all, during the transport, all the almonds fell off! Then, the amount of almond paste is ridiculous! You can only taste it in the middle of the croissant! I think I understand now, why it is called "Almond croissant" without a "s" at the end of almond!!!

I think I will stick to the croissants and chocolate croissant and go to the Old German Bakery in Hoboken next time I want an almond one!

Enjoy (without almond, I did)!

Recipe: Macarons

Macarons start to be popular in the USA: you can find them in stores like La Maison Du Chocolat, Macaron Cafe or Bisous, Ciao. I even found some (not so good), in the Korean Food Gallery 32 on 32nd street! They are not to confuse with the coconut macaroons commonly found here. I have tried them with jam as a filling and one time, my sister made them with creme fraiche and smoked salmon. I thought it was an original idea! 

Here is an easy recipe:

For 12 macarons:

- 1 cup of ground almonds (I used almonds slivers).

- 1 cup confectioner sugar

- 2 eggs

- 1/5 cup granulated sugar

Sift the almonds and the confectioner sugar. Mix them together.

Whip the egg whites on medium speed. When it becomes a foam, add 20 drops of food coloring. Increase the speed to high and add gradually the granulated sugar. Continue to whip until the eggs are firm and shiny (photo 1).

Once the egg whites are ready, incorporate little by little the almond / sugar mixture prepared earlier.

Put the mixture in a piping bag and create 1 inch circles on a parchment paper (photo 2).

Rest for an hour.

Cook in the oven at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 to 20 minutes. Once cooked, put them on a cooling rack. When cool, use a knife or a spatula to remove from the parchment.

For the filling, I used:

- cream cheese and smoked salmon.

- gorgonzola and sour cream.

Just create small sandwiches!

The mix between salt and sweet is great but remember that these are still cookies before eating 20 of them!

Bon appétit!

Recipe: chocolate truffles!

Chocolate truffles are the perfect treats for the Holidays! It is easy to make and, if well done, delicious!

Here is a simple recipe!

For 24 truffles:

- 0.5 lb (250 g) of dark chocolate semi-sweet

- 0.25 lb (125g) of unsalted butter

- a packet of vanilla sugar

- 0.2 lb (100 g) of confectioner sugar

- 2 yolks

- cocoa powder and shredded coconut for the decoration

Melt the chocolate (cut in small pieces) in a double boiler (see below). Incorporate little by little the butter. Once the butter is fully melted and well incorporated to the chocolate, remove the bowl from the stove. 

Add the sugar, vanilla sugar and yolks. Stir until completely integrated with the chocolate.

Put the bowl in the fridge for one hour.

After an hour, remove the bowl from the fridge. With your hands (be prepared for a weird texture!), make little balls of chocolate. Once formed, dip them in the cocoa powder or in the shredded coconut. Once all the truffles are formed, put them back in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours so they become hard. Et voila!

Double boiler: also called "bain marie", this technic prevents from burning ingredients and is used to make delicate sauces or melt chocolate. It consists in putting a bowl (where the ingredients will go) in a pot of water brought to a boil.

Brunch at 3 Forty Grill in Hoboken, NJ

We were looking for a place for brunch in Hoboken: something new with an appealing menu. After looking at different alternatives, I saw the menu of the 3 Forty Grill restaurant. I just needed to see that they had Truffled Eggs Benedict to be convinced that it was the place to go!

I did not think the restaurant was the way it was: the dining area is separated from the bar and has stunning views of the New York skyline. Tables are not right next to the others that is something I appreciate: I do not need to listen to people's conversation nor do they have to listen to mine! The service was courteous and efficient.

So of course, I picked the Truffled Eggs Benedict made with prosciutto di parma (from parma if you have any doubt) and a black truffle hollandaise sauce. It was also served with a salad and hash brown that were great: well cooked, no greasy with some burn part that I loved! As soon as they brought the dish, I could smell the truffles! I tasted it too! This dish is amazing! If you like eggs benedict and also like truffles, you have to try it! It was earthy and savory. 

We also had the salmon platter served with a bagel, cream cheese and 2 boiled eggs. The presentation was very appetizing and there was a lot of smoked salmon on the plate! I loved the presentation!

It was definitely a good brunch and I will certainly go back there to either eat again the eggs or try another specialty! 

Enjoy (I did)!

And remember: I just want to eat!

Cupcakes at Sweet in Hoboken, NJ

When I came in this country, I did not know what cupcakes were. They are still today a novelty in France; not surprising considering the number of pastries we have there! I could spend weeks eating every cake in patisseries! But cupcakes are fun: you could imagine so many variations of it! I love watching, for instance, Cupcake Wars on the Food Network: they have to be so creative. Imagine that: they have to make cupcakes with ingredients like avocado!

The first time I had a cupcake in New York, it was not good: sweet and too much cake: you need a good ratio cake / frosting! A little more than 1/3 frosting, 2/3 cake is perfect (although I would go with 2/3 frosting and 1/3 cake...). I then had a second one at Crumbs and still did not like it. Same issue with the frosting / cake ratio. Finally, I tried Sweet. I remember: we were having a wine and cheese party at our place and a friend of us, Kristen, brought this small box that contained several lovely mini cupcakes. Everybody was ecstatic when eating them. So I could not resist to my curiosity and picked a red velvet one: it was a revelation! The cake was moist and delicious and the frosting amazing (cream cheese frosting). Thanks to my good manners, I did not shank anybody that day so I could have a second one!

We then became regulars. My favorites are the red velvet and the banana one. They also have one with chocolate ganache and marshmallow. I just wish they had some special cupcakes more often. My big regret is the Nutella cupcake: I tried it once, but they never made it again. They said they would do it again in the winter! So I have a personal message for Sweet: please make the nutella ones on a regular basis!

So, if you do not like cupcake or are not sure, go to Sweet in Hoboken: it may change your mind! 

Enjoy (I did)!

And remember: I just want to eat!

Restaurant Information

tabelog.us

	* Restaurant Name
	Sweet
	* Overall
	★★★☆☆
	* Neighborhood / Cuisine
	New Jersey / American New / Desserts
	* Street Address
	343 Garden St., Hoboken, NJ 07030
	* Phone
	(201) 420-0111

Recipe: Italian Mac and Cheese!

Mac & Cheese are close to the pasta gratin we know in France, but the way I learnt to make gratin was different: it was one layer of macaroni, one layer of cream fraiche, one layer of cheese, repeated few times. 

Mac & Cheese are good when well prepared, unfortunately, a lot of restaurants are using either already prepared ones or make it with processed cheese! There are two places were I had memorable Mac & Cheese: The Old Homestead Steakhouse in New York with their amazing Truffle Mac & Cheese and Dino and Harry's in Hoboken. It is in the latter that I had Italian Mac & Cheese, that is creamy Mac & Cheese but with orzo for pasta. So I tried to re create it at home. Below is the recipe:

For 4 servings:

- 8 oz orzo

- 0.25 lb of aged gruyere or comte

- 0.25 lb of sharp cheddar 

For the bechamel:

- 6 table spoons of butter

- 1/5 cup of flour

- 1 pint of whole milk

- salt and pepper

Cook the orzo in boiling water with oil and salt. Cook them al dente. Once done, strain them.

Prepare the bechamel sauce: in a pan, low heat, melt the butter. Add salt and pepper. Incorporate the flour and then the milk until obtaining a creamy sauce.

Incorporate the grated cheese in the bechamel sauce and then put the orzo in the pan and stir until the sauce is all over the pasta. Put the pasta in a dish that can go in the over (ramequins are good for individual serving) and gratine in the oven (broil). Et voila!

Now, one thing you can do it to put some truffle oil (1/8 cup) with the butter when preparing the bechamel sauce! You will then have some delicious Truffle Mac & Cheese!

Bon Appétit!

Japanese food in Korea Town, New York City

We went back to the Food Gallery 32 in New York City. I love this place! Some people may think its white walls and furniture remind of a hospital; I just think it has a modern look and offers any foodie who enjoys asian food a good alternative at a very reasonable price. 

This time, we decided to go for Japanese and went to O-De-Ppang. Bad choice! I got shrimp fried rice (not bad and not greasy), spicy tuna rice balls called Onigiri (bland canned tuna...) and veggie teppan-yaki (better forget it). The only thing I truly appreciated was the miso soup! It was cheap but not enough of an excuse!

Perfect day for a hot cocoa!

Bring it on Max Brenner!!!!
Best hot cocoa in NYC!

Macarons pas tres bons

After the so so lunch we had, we decided to go on the third floor of the Food Gallery 32 in NYC, to check for some sweets. The only appetizing sweets were macaroons. I asked for a cookies and cream one and they did not have it. Then banana...and they did not have it! Finally they told me what they had and we ended up with strawberry and a vanilla one. They were very gummy and not good. There are days like that....

I just wanted to eat!!!

Back from Vermont!

Although back few days ago, I wanted to do a recap of the food I had in Vermont. I had quite different choices and made sure that my stomach was part of the trip....

Cheese Fondue:

I am going to start with the cheese fondue: we bought at the supermarket a pre-packaged Swiss fondue. Making fondue is not difficult, but the pre-packaged ones are pretty decent and even better than the fondue I had one time at the restaurant The Melting Pot in Hoboken (way too much garlic)! You just need a fondue pot, put the fondue mix in it, heat it and enjoy! Of course, you need bread to dip in the cheese: I either have some old hard bread or some fresh bread. If you do not have a pot, you can use a pan, but need to eat quicker as the cheese has to be well melted. The legend says that you should not drink water during the meal otherwise it will be like plaster in your stomach! I am wondering if it is not to make people drink more wine (white of course and dry)!

The Whip Bar and Grill at the Green Mountain Inn:

I was surprised by the quality of the meal! This place looks like a casual restaurant, but their menu is pretty elaborate and I had an excellent dinner there! The Gorgonzola crusted filet mignon was delicious; I was surprised considering the fact that it was not a steakhouse. The truffle scented mash potatoes were amazing too! I hate when they announce that there is truffle and you cannot taste it! This time I did! Then I got the duck: I love any type of poultry and duck is no exception. The difficulty is not to overcook it: it was perfectly done! I also had a butternut squash and cider soup that was very good. Not as good as the one I had at Art Smith's restaurant in Washington, Art and Soul, that was served with gingerbread and creme fraiche (type of sour cream).

Ben & Jerry's:

Now that I went to the Ben & Jerry's factory, I have a different perception: I did not know that they were promoting fair trade (and that they are from Vermont)! 

The factory tour was only worth it for the sample at the end (Milk and Chocolate - excellent!): the factory was not running and you do not walk on the floor so you are losing some information there. I then tried the Jimmy Fallon creation: Late Night Snack that is vanilla ice cream, fudge covered potato chips and a salty caramel swirl. I love the sweet and salty taste. The ice cream is more on the sweet side, but it is fine: after all it is an ice cream!

The Hourglass Lounge at the Stowe Resort:

We went for a quick snack and I had a burger. The meat was tasty, moist and perfectly cooked. The fries were kind of crispy, nothing worth to remember. 

Mac Donald's and Burger King:

Do you really want me to do a recap on that? Only few words: I would eat there only when necessary! The meat was tasteless! Once you have tried a good burger, you cannot go back to this!

I had other great food: the fruits, snow and maple syrup, as well as the Thanksgiving dinner (shall I say feast?) with our friends are memorable. 

I hope you too had a good time with friends and Family around a good dinner!

I just wanted to eat!

Lisa's Italian deli in Hoboken, NJ

Lisa's Italian deli is a great Italian deli in Hoboken. I have tried both their sandwiches and their pasta and was never disappointed! 

For sandwiches, the selection of cold or hot sandwiches is quite big! After you pick what you want, you can choose the bread: ciabatta, French baguette, soft Italian bread, wrap, roll...All the ingredients taste very fresh. Their baguette or soft Italian bread are delicious!

If you are vegetarian, there is a large choice for you: swiss cheese hero, ricotta hero, fresh mozzarella cold sandwich...

My favorite sandwich is the "Lisa's American Hero Boy" combo that is made with with turkey, roasted beef, pepperoni, Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, roasted peppers, mustard or mayo. The sandwich is huge, but tasting so good that I could eat it at once! All the layers work so well together!

When ordering pasta, you can choose between ziti, penne or spaghetti. There too, they have a large choice: alfredo, a la vodka, with meatballs, with eggplant parmigiana, etc...My favorite is the Pasta gorgonzola that contains capers. This dish is incredibly good! I have never tried to mix gorgonzola with capers: very tasty! 

I am definitely a fan!

Enjoy (I did)!

And remember: I just want to eat!

BK?

After the Mc Rib, the junior whopper. I did not have Burger King in a while. The last time was in Paris, probably 10 years ago, before they closed their restaurants in France because they were not profitable. I have to say that in the world of fast food, I prefer Mc Donald's
over BK! But, do not worry, I will not change the name of this blog to "I just want to eat fast food": only when necessary!!!

Sushi at Go Sushi in New York

I went for a quick lunch to Go Sushi, a Japanese restaurant suggested by Alfred, a great app on my phone. When we arrived, the place was empty, but then people started to come. You can either order and they will prepare the food fresh or you can pick some already prepared dishes. The menu is standard: sushi, sashimi, rolls, teriyaki, etc....

For lunch, they offer menus at a good price. I picked the sushi platter and my friend chose the salmon teriyaki (he asked them to change one item and they did it). The sushi and rolls were good: the fish did not look suspicious and had a nice color that make me think that it was fresh; I just regret that they made one of the sushi with a shrimp... It was served with a salad and a miso soup that was delicious (it had some mushrooms in it). It was good but I have to say that I was still hungry after....

Last thing to mention: you have to order at the counter and apparently, if there is a lot of people, you need to make sure that you know what you want if you stand in front of it. They will give you a number written on a piece of cardboard. 

I would probably go back there, but will order some additional rolls next time to match my appetite....

Enjoy (I did)!

And remember: I just want to eat!

Another Thanksgiving dinner!

This is going to be a feast: turkey, pork shoulder, corn bread, Italian Mac and Cheese, mash potatoes, meatballs, spinach deep, cranberry chutney...and stretch pants! I probably forgot something!

Natale's, Italian Bakery in Summit, NJ

Natale's is an Italian bakery located in Summit, New Jersey that opened in 1938. We ended up there after our so so experience at the Huntley Taverne. We needed something good and sweet to forget...My wife's cousin, Jessica, proposed us to go there. That was a brilliant idea! Anyway, how could we refuse to go to a bakery??? 

They do have a large selection of typical Italian cookies, but also some cakes inspired from French pastries. What I likes is that they were proposing, for some cookies, a small and regular size: I think it is great, because it allows people to try different things. I mean, with so many cookies, I did not know what to choose! So I picked a mini cannoli and a mini cream puff! They were good but missing a little bit of sugar: funny because usually, I complain about too much sugar! The sprinkle cookie was good and everybody loved their cookies. So Jessica: mission accomplished!

If you are in Summit, try Natale's and have a cannoli for me!

Enjoy (I did)!

Thanksgiving dinner at The Whip bar and grill in Stowe, VT

That was a delicious dinner! Read this: amazing butternut and cider soup, delicious Gorgonzola crusted filet mignon with truffle mash potatoes and incredible honey roasted smoked duck breast with a duck confit leg and an apple and beet marmalade. Loved it!!!