Sweet Perfections at Lady M Confections: Mille Crepe Cake

Big Apple Bites

As I've said before, my sweet tooth is out of control. I stalk every dessert shop that I hear about in NYC. So, when Ted Allen presented Lady M's Mille Crepe Cake on Food Network's "The Best Thing I Ever Ate," I dropped dead. Not only is this cake aesthetically perfect, but it tastes immaculate.

Composed of 20 paper thin, handmade crepes layered with light pastry cream.

Last Friday l was lucky enough to try this irresistible treat...

Every. Single. Bite. Was. Amazing.

The crepe layers are so thin that they simply hold together the custard cream. The top of the cake is flaky and caramelized to perfection. When your fork sinks into a slice, the ethereal light pastry cream oozes out the sides of the stacked crepes. The best part is the cake also comes in Coconut, Chocolate, Chocolate Banana, Green Tea, Marron, and Strawberry...

Although the Mille Crepe 'takes the cake', Lady M offers more than 20 other tasty desserts. Next time you're in New York City head up to 41 East 78th Street to satiate that relentless sweet tooth.

Did I mention Lady M Confections got a 29 out of 30 on Zagat? I didn't even know that was possible...

Mom's Famous Chocaramel Chip-Filled Brownies

Sweet Treats

After such positive feedback about the Carmelitas, I've decided to write about a similar recipe today. The brownie I'm about to share is Carmelita's brother from another mother. Like Carmelita, these brownies are filled with melted caramel and chocolate chips, but unlike Carmelita, the caramel center is surrounded by ooey-gooey, rich chocolate brownie. See for yourself...

I love these like a fat kid luv cake.

My brother's soccer team is like a garbage disposal. My mom used to make batches and batches of these brownies for them after every game and, without fail, NO leftovers...I promise, people will worship you for this tasty treat.

Yum-gredients:

• 1 box of devil's food chocolate cake mix
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips (My mom uses Ghirardelli)
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/3 cup evaporated milk (for brownies)
• 1/4 cup evaporated milk (for caramel)
• Roughly 20 caramels (from a 14 ounce package), unwrapped

Recipe:

Base

-In a bowl, stir together the box of cake mix, melted butter, and 1/3 cup evaporated milk. Mix well (batter will be thick).

-Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan and spread half of the batter in a thin layer. Bake at 350 for 6 minutes.

Caramel Filling

-While the base of the brownies is baking, combine the unwrapped caramels and 1/4 cup evaporated milk in a saucepan. Cook over low heat, stir often, until smooth and melted. Keep warm.

The Rest

-When the base has set, remove from the oven. Sprinkle the white chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate chips evenly on top of the base.

-Drizzle the melted caramel over the chocolate chips.

-Drop the remaining brownie batter in spoonfuls over the caramel filling and pat the batter down so it is evenly spread over the top.

-Bake for another 15 minutes or just until the top layer of brownie is set.

-Cool completely before cutting (this is important) then DIG IN!

Madison Square Eats!

Big Apple Bites

Writing this blog has brought something to my attention: in New York City, most activities revolve around food. Madison Square Eats is no exception. As I was walking to Eataly for dinner last Friday (yet another food-related activity), I ran right into Madison Square Eats...

This awesome foodtivity is open from 11AM-9PM every day until October 19th! So, Nat and I went for lunch the very next day. This outdoor market is essentially a cluster of food trucks representing 26 of the city's "most raved about eateries" (namely: Momofuku Milk Bar, Roberta's Pizza, and Red Hook Lobster Pound).

Our plan was to share one thing from each vendor - that didn't happen, so we strategically picked four.

Mexicue

At Mexicue, we chose the BBQ pulled-chicken sliders with chipotle mayo.

DELISH!

Evidently, Nat was a fan.

Mighty Balls

They had me at the name "Mighty Balls"

At Mighty Balls, you can choose between a meatball sub or just straight up meatballs. We chose the meatball trio with a pork, beef, and veggie-ball topped with tomato sauce and shredded Parmesan.

This plate was licked clean in less than a minute.

Calexico

Next up, some classic tacos from the Calexico cart...

Reminds me of the taco stands at home in So Cal!

We went for one Pollo Asado and one Carne Asada taco. Delishhhh. They also offered a variety of burritos, quesadillas, and burrito bowls - all of which were topped with their special "chipotle crack sauce".

Nom. Nom. Nom.

Momofuku Milk Bar

The whole time we were there, I had my eyes on the Momofuku dessert truck. They had everything from their famous "crack pie" to the "cereal milk" soft serve and "compost cookie". We indulged in the Birthday Cake Truffles...

Every bite of these mouthwatering truffles was delectable.

All in all, Madison Square Eats was a success. If you're in the area, make sure you go there and stuff your face.

How to "Healthify" Pizza: Three Ways

Savory Eats

Whether it's for dinner, late-night drunk munchies, or leftovers for lunch, everyone loves pizza. What's not to like about hot doughy crust, fresh tomato sauce, and melty cheese stacked in one divine bite?

Oh My Yum.

But, like everything else that tastes this good, digging into a cheesy pizza pie is accompanied by lots and lots of guilt (unless you don't remember eating it the next morning). To create a guilt-free pizza-eating experience, I present to you...

Cauliflower Crust Pizza...Whole Wheat Pizza Dough...Portobello Pizza Cups

Cauliflower Crust

This recipe involves making pizza dough out of "riced" cauliflower (aka shredding fresh cauliflower with a cheese grater). Yes, the pizza comes out delicious and cheesy and it does hit the spot. No, it doesn't taste exactly like real-dough, but it's a great alternative.

Crust-gredients:

• One large head of cauliflower
• Enough to make 2 cups of "riced" cauliflower
• 1.5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1.5 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon crushed garlic
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt (or garlic powder + salt)

Pizza Toppings:

*These are the toppings I used, but you can use whatever toppings you like!

• Marinara sauce
• Italian cheese blend (or any cheeses of your choice)
• Fresh basil
• 1 zucchini
• 1 carton of sliced mushrooms
• Sun-dried tomatoes
• 1 cup steamed broccoli, finely chopped

Recipe:

-Rice the cauliflower by taking one large head of cauliflower and grating it with a cheese grater...

It will look like shredded cheese.

-Microwave the riced cauliflower for 4-5 minutes.

-Mix 2 cups of the riced cauliflower, 1 beaten egg, and 1.5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese in a bowl. Add oregano, crushed garlic, and garlic salt. Stir.

-Transfer the faux-dough to a baking sheet and pat out into a 10 inch round. I used a baking dish, but found that the crust came out better when put on a cookie sheet (or greased aluminum foil).

-Brush the top of the crust with olive oil to help with browning.

-Bake in the oven at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.

-Remove from the oven and add sauce, toppings, and extra cheese.

-Place pizza under the broiler at high heat until the cheese is melted (about 5 minutes).

Voilà!

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

Trader Joe's dominates all other grocery stores. I spend an embarrassing amount of time there every week. One of their many amazing items is the Trader Giotto's Whole Wheat Pizza Dough.

Simply leave the dough at room temperature for 20 minutes. Then, spread out or roll the dough on a lightly floured baking pan so it is 12 inches in diameter. Brush the top with olive oil and add toppings of choice. Bake in the oven at 450 degrees or cook on a grill for 8-10 minutes (until cheese is nice and bubbly).

I suggest roasting some garlic in olive oil and spreading it on the dough before applying toppings of choice. I added a few dollops of ricotta cheese on top and it was delicious.

Portobello Mushroom Pizza Cups

Ingredients:

• 4 large portobello mushrooms
• Marinara sauce
• 1 cup shredded Italian blend cheese
• Olive oil
• Pizza toppings of choice

Recipe:

-Remove the stems and gills from the mushrooms. Brush the caps with olive oil.

-Place the mushroom caps, round side down, on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 5 minutes.

-Remove from oven. Spoon sauce, cheese, and toppings into the mushroom caps.

-Return to the oven for 5-7 more minutes.

-Optional: top with some extra Parmesan cheese and broil for a few minutes until cheese is browned and melted.

ENJOY!

Oyster Festival 2012: Saturday, September 22

Drunktivities

Calling all young professionals and post-grads in New York City! If you were on Stone Street in FiDi this past Saturday, it was hard to ignore the herds of Wall Street Bros and twentysomething Hoes crowding the streets. Why? We were celebrating Stone Street's 9th annual Oyster Festival, Duh!

Oktoberfest meets the Financial District.

Luckily, my guy friends from college are aggressive day-drinkers, so we had quite the fun-filled day...

What I call a Cloyster-fuck.

Some of the boys + Aleksa :-)

The website claims that Oyster Fest is "an all day event with live music, lots of oysters, and even more beer"...and they were pretty spot-on with that description. Although I think oysters taste like spit mixed with sea water, the abundant beer tents and great company made up for it. This was the perfect way to kick-off the first weekend of Fall!

The Delicious, 4-Ingredient Ice Cream Cake

Sweet Treats

First things first, Thank God It's Friday!

Now, onto the sweet treat for today: Food Network's Ice Cream Sandwich Cake...

Warning: this cake is so delicious it will start a raging party in your mouth.

Before I start rambling about how incredibly yummy (and easy to make) this cake is, I must give credit where credit is due. My aunt, Lori, whipped up this masterpiece for my grandma's birthday in May...

Meet my beautiful grandma and adorable little cousin.

The cake was obviously devoured, so I needed the recipe. Much to my amazement, there is NO BAKING INVOLVED! Without further ado...

Fungredients:

• 10, 3.5-ounce rectangular vanilla ice cream sandwiches
• 1 pint ice cream flavor number one (ie. strawberry), slightly melted so it's easy to spread
• 1 pint ice cream flavor number two (ie. chocolate), slightly melted so it's easy to spread
• 3/4 cup finely crushed chocolate wafer cookies (or any cookie if you want to get creative)
• Chocolate shell topping

(For those of you who don't know what chocolate shell syrup is)

Recipe:

-Line a 9x5 inch loaf pan with aluminum foil (leaving an overhand on all top-edges of the pan).

-Arrange 5 ice cream sandwiches snugly on the bottom of the pan.

Yummy!

-Spread the first flavor of ice cream (we used strawberry) in an even layer on top of the ice cream sandwiches.

-Press the remaining 5 ice cream sandwiches on top of the strawberry ice cream.

-Spread the second flavor of ice cream evenly over the second layer of sandwiches.

-Top with an even layer of crushed cookie and press gently.

-Cover the cake with plastic wrap and freeze until the cake sets (minimum 2 hours).

-Take cake out of the freezer, uncover, and lift the foil to remove the cake from the loaf pan. Invert the cake onto a platter (cookie crumb side down).

-Remove the foil and spread chocolate shell topping over the cake. Serve immediately or cover and keep frozen!

Our finished product!

Melty ice cream layers with a cookie crust!

Not only does this cake taste amazing, but you can get pretty creative and customize the cake by changing the ice cream flavors and type of cookie crust. You can even top the cake with some crumbled candy or sprinkles! Next time, I am going to layer some Cookies&Cream ice cream with Health Bar ice cream, use Oreos for the crust, and top with crushed Health Bar. Can you say YUM?!

Too Early for Two Soups?

Cheers to the First Day of Chilly Weather: Savory Eats

1) The weather forecast on my walk to work this morning read clear skies and 55 degrees.

2) This fabulously crisp weather calls for a celebration. The season of boots, scarves, trendy coats, soup, and pumpkin spice lattes has officially begun!

3) Thus, I bring you SOUP RECIPES!

Carrot, Chickpea, and Barley Soup

If you like carrots, carrot juice, and carrot cake...listen up! This soup is hearty, refreshing, nutritious, and most importantly, delicious.

Soup-gredients:
(makes 6-7 servings)

• 6 cups chicken broth
• 2 cup carrot juice (I used Odwalla Carrot Juice)

• 1/2 cup barley, rinsed
• 4 cups diced carrots (to make your skin look like an Oompa Loompa)

• 2 cups canned chickpeas, rinsed
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
• 6 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 1/4 cup Parmesan (or more to taste)

Recipe:

-In a saucepan, combine chicken broth, carrot juice, barley and chickpeas and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.

-Add carrots and return to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to low heat, cover, and continue to simmer for 15 minutes. After those 15 minutes, remove from heat.

-Using a strainer or slotted spoon, remove 3 cups of the solids (the cooked carrots/chickpeas) and place them in a medium bowl. Mash these solids with a fork. Return the mashed veggies to the saucepan - this adds a bit of thickness to the soup.

-Stir in vinegar, parsley, and pepper.

-Add salt to taste.

-Top with grated Parmesan cheese. Enjoy.

***NOTE: This soup is also great when chilled. Leftovers are perfect for lunch the next day!

Lasagna Soup

I found this recipe on Crackterest Pinterest...and it is definitely a keeper. One bowl of this delicious soup is a hearty, cheesy, rich meal in itself. Not quite as low-calorie as the Carrot Barley Soup, but when something tastes this good, it's very worth it.

Thanks for the recipe, Farmgirl!

Ingredients:

• Soup-gredients:

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1.5 pounds of Italian sausage (I used Trader Joe's Sweet Italian Style Chicken Sausage...you can also try TJ's Spicy Italian Sausage)
• 3 cups chopped onions
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1, 28-ounce can Fire Roasted diced tomatoes
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 8 ounces mafalda pasta (I used whole wheat)
• 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
• Salt and pepper (to taste)

Whole wheat mafalda pasta. It's a bit tricky to find, so try Whole Foods.

• Gettin' Cheesy:
• 8 ounces ricotta (I used low-fat)
• 1/2 cup Parmesan, grated
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Recipe:

-Cut up the sausage into bite-sized pieces. Heat olive oil in a large pot and add the sausage. Brown the sausage for 5 minutes.

-Add onions to the pot and cook until soft (about 5 minutes).

-Add the garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute.

-Add tomato paste and stir. Cook for 4 minutes (until tomato paste is a rusty brown color).

-Add diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken broth. Stir. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer for 30 minutes. Set aside.

-Cook the malfada pasta in a separate pot (as directed on the box) until al dente. Set aside as well.

...Onto the CHEESE!

-In a separate bowl, combine ricotta, parmesan, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and a touch of pepper.

...How you serve the soup is important...

-In each bowl, place a dollop of the cheese mix and sprinkle some mozzarella on top. Add some of the cooked malfalda pasta on top of the cheese. Then ladle the hot soup over the cheese and pasta...devour immediately!

The Beast: NYC Speedboat Ride

Funtivities

What do the words, "The Beast" make you think of? Definitely not an embarrassing, fugly, green speedboat painted to look like a monster that whips around on the Hudson River. Yes, this exists and yes, it's an f-ing blast.

THE BEAST.

I am fully aware how lame this sounds (let alone how dumb it looks). But, don't knock it till you try it. My brother, Jack, visited me in the city last summer and he happened to come during the record-busting heat wave in July. My mom mentioned she read about an obnoxious, green speedboat that jerks you around the Statue of Liberty and soaks you with the sewage-infested water from the Hudson.....sign me up!

I'm sure you can see us on this boat if you squint...

All in all, not only was it a perfect way to escape the heat, but we legitimately had a great time (and have an overpriced picture to prove it).

Don't look too excited, Jack.

I recommend going to a booze-filled brunch beforehand to enhance the fun. You have TEN DAYS left to ride The Beast this year (it runs until September 30th). If not, there's always next summer!