November 13, 2011
With creative concoctions such as crack pie, cereal milk and compost cookies, (just noticing my unintentional alliteration) pastry chef, Christina Tosi has developed quite a following at Momofuku Milk Bar in New York. With the release of her new cookbook, Christina embarked on a nationwide book tour and brought her east coast treats to the Bay Area.
Her stop at Williams-Sonoma Union Square, San Francisco included a demo and samples of her famous cookies. No thanks to city rush hour traffic, I only caught the last bit of her demo, but the cookies did make up for it. FYI, I did not eat all of these on my own. I spread the love for Milk Bar to a few friends  Here are my notes on each one.
Taste Test:
Compost Cookie- chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, graham crumbs, pretzels, potato chips, coffee grounds and oats. Sounds like something you’d make when you have too many expired things in your pantry, but every one of these ingredients are essential to the incredible flavor of the cookie. The most immediate flavors I tasted were the graham/brown sugar and coffee. It was comforting. My favorite cookie of the bunch.
Corn Cookie- like a sugar cookie but with the sweetness from corn, easily recognizable when eaten but in no way overpowering. It makes for a very interesting cookie.
Chocolate-Chocolate Cookie- so intensely chocolatey, the name needs to repeat the word twice. It is actually not too sweet. There is much more focus on the cocoa. Must be eaten with a cold glass of milk.
Cornflake, Chocolate Chip, Marshmallow Cookie- this one reminds me of a rice krispie treat. Christina first bakes a sugared cornflake mixture that gets folded into the cookie dough. Its gives a crispy, chewy texture like in a krispy treat.
Blueberry & Cream Cookie- had a bit of cookie overload so I didn’t get one, but I did get it from the actual Momofuku Bakery in NY. Its like a blueberry muffin in cookie form. A bit sweet for me but I love the concept.
Christina Tosi’s tips for great cookies:
- 10 minute creaming process! I have never heard of creaming that long but if that’s what it takes to create her delicious cookies I won’t argue.
- Refrigerate for 1 hour before baking so the butter in the cookies can firm up again after the creaming process. The cookies will then bake before spreading. From experience, unless you like a sheet pan of one cookie, this is an important step.
- Pat down cookies slightly before putting in the oven. This will help the cookies have an even spread.
If you can’t make it to NY, luckily Momofuku cookies can ship!
Momofuku Milk Bar
251 e 13th st
new york, ny 10003
Order online
April 3, 2011
It was Chocolate 101 at Williams-Sonoma in Union Square as Yigit Pura stopped by to wow us with his expertise. We were treated to a real Master Class as he incorporated several techniques into his demonstration of two great recipes, Earl Grey Chocolate Truffles and Chocolate Cremeux.
He walked through tempering, transfer sheets and emulsions. When asked questions he was ready to go with explanations on the chemical makeup of ingredients and proper technique. My poor hand could not write fast enough. It was truly inspiring to listen to him speak so passionately about his craft and I am all the more eager to get in the kitchen to re-create everything myself.
Demonstrating how to use chocolate transfers, plastic sheets “printed” with designs made from a mixture of cocoa butter and food coloring.
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January 21, 2011
This past weekend I was at the Williams-Sonoma Union Square store to check out out the monthly Artisans Market. Each month the store features food products from local vendors that you can sample. Here are some of my favorite finds.
 
Tell Tale Preserve Company’s Meyer Lemon Yuzu Curd
I didn’t want to seem greedy so I narrowed down my tasting to two flavors: Meyer Lemon Yuzu and Chocolate Red Wine with Pear. The addition of the Japanese citrus, Yuzu, to the Meyer Lemon added another tart flavor to the curd. It was creamy and had just the right amount of zing. The Chocolate, Red Wine and Pear was an interesting, wintery concept. The wine added an earthy element to what could have been a traditionally sweet chocolate pear combination. Read more →
December 23, 2010
“I’ve been on National TV and you get used to the cameras but this is overwhelming.” Yigit exclaims as over a hundred fans look on while the talented Top Chef: Just Desserts winner demos healthy holiday treats at Macy’s Union Square this past Saturday.
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September 29, 2010
In last season’s finale of Gossip Girl we found out Blair & Serena would take on Paris for the summer. Already incredibly stylish in Manhattan, imagine them with their Chanel and Louis strolling along the Champs Élysées or sipping tea at a cafe. If I had my Paris vacation two weeks earlier, I would have been there during filming (darn!). Nevertheless, the city was every bit as wonderful as shown in the show. There is something about the city, a certain aura where the people and everything are just so much more glamorous. With tonight’s season premiere, I relived belle Paris in the eyes of Blair & Serena. Where did they wine and dine? Here’s a recap.
Blair “sampling sugary snacks like a modern Marie Antoinette.”
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December 16, 2009
image courtesy of gilmoregirls.org
I’m a huge fan of TV dramedy, Gilmore Girls. I love the quirky town and the relationship-centered story lines. Lorelai and Rory, the mother and daughter duo were written to be big eaters and capable of large consumptions of sweets. Sounds like me.
One of my favorite food moments is in Season One. Luke’s diner is their usual eatery where they consume burgers, fries, donuts, and pie on a daily basis. Lorelai wanted something festive for the holidays, thus the creation of the Santa Burger. Gross but entertaining.
Santa Burger ingredients: Wonder bread, two buns, ketchup, cream cheese, patty, olives, cherry tomato
See the clip from the episode below:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiWMKHpbeNE]
December 5, 2009
We’re expecting rain all next week which is perfect for watching my favorite holiday food specials. I’ve gathered up a list of all my favorites for this month. Hope they bring inspiration to your holiday planning. Happy TiVOing!
image left: marthastewart.com, right: Citronelle, facebook.com
Martha Stewart’s Christmas Special (Fine Living Network)
December 5-24, multiple airings
Highlight: Meringue Snowmen with Michel Richard - Every year I re-watch this part of an old Martha Stewart Living episode. The snowmen are the most adorable things ever.
UPDATE: I found a close up of the snowman on Michel Richard’s Citronelle restaurant Facebook page (shown right)
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November 29, 2009
I almost left my post-Thanksgiving shopping trip empty handed, but with my exceptional eye for anything sweet, I happily carried a bag with cupcakes back to my car. I made a trip to San Francisco and after 4 hours of browsing I was bagless and was ready to give up. While maneuvering out of the insanely busy Union Square, I spotted… cupcakes!
A girl was holding the most beautifully browned swirled S’more cupcake. I walked 10 steps before turning around and asking where to get them. That’s how I discovered Cako cupcakes.
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June 19, 2009
NOTEWORTHY
From NY to LA… the dessert truck fad hits the west coast with the popular Sprinkles cupcakes.
POOLSIDE READ
For even more cupcakes, Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes, came out this week.
If you’ve always wanted to read the book before the movie comes out…a month and a half before Julie & Julia hits theaters (August 7th).
LOCAL & FRESH
We’re hitting the first part of summer which means sweet, fresh berries. Perhaps a berry shortcake for Father’s Day? You can pick your own berries for the ripest and sweet tasting ones. Look for a u-pick farm in your area. If you’re a strawberry freak like me get them fast, their picking season is very short (May/June).
ON THE TUBE
Just in time for the grilling season, Food Network’s airing All-Star Grill Fest Saturday at 9pm. It is a repeat but I love these specials when all the stars get together to cook. My favorites:
Paula Deen’s Chocolate Chip Cookie S’mores, look completely decadent and over the top.
For something lighter, I do like Bobby Flay’s Grilled Bananas with Maple Creme Fraiche.
Happy Eating,
Jenn
June 16, 2009
Yes I was one of the thousands of festees who eagerly arrived to the Great American Food & Music Fest on time to make the most of the festivities, only to see things unravel with all the technical difficulties. Somehow in the midst of all of that I said to myself that despite the chaos, I was going to EAT and ENJOY.
We were in a a foodie’s version of Disneyland and I was going to go along for the ride. This was my first foodie event and it was exciting to see thousands of people come together for the love of food and to taste some of America’s greatest eats. It is a food event unlike any other and a wonderful concept of Ed Levine, founder of food blog Serious Eats and visionary of the event. I think after working out the kinks, it truly has the potential to be a GREAT American Food Fest.
Here are my highlights (will have them all up early on in the week):
Good Eats from the Fest
Charles Chocolates S’mores Demo
Bobby Flay’s Burger Demo
SF Weekly’s Burger Challenge
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My life is food and I am lucky to experience it in San Francisco. Williams-Sonoma is my 8-5 and more because I dream the store is my kitchen. The Ferry Building farmer's market is my inspiration for baking in my half-sized apartment. When I'm not there, I'm out searching for the city's best eats, with special attention to sweets. I hope in perusing my blog, you are inspired with ideas for cooking, entertaining and tasting new things. Email me
baking: chocolate chip cupcakes, giada's parma style carrot cake
in my market tote: panettone from Acme Bread
reading: momofuku milk bar
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