Pancakes with Warm Maple Syrup & Coffee Butter (Chef Richard Blais)

Posted on February 23, 2013 by threetoone

My patience was gone. I’d been waiting for Richard Blais’ first cookbook for what seemed like years, and I’d just about given up hope. In fact I’d retreated, drawn the shades, let the cat get his own beer, cancelled my subscription to the world, and crouched, hidden behind the kitchen door, suspicious at anyone who came to my door, who wasn’t the delivery man.

And then it appeared. Like a bright yellow flower blossoming on the long cold walk down a stoney, snowy, path. It came. Clutched under the arm of the delivery man amid the icy, and slippery pools that exist when the dew subsides to a watery melt. One bright dot on this grey, late-February horizon. The Richard Blais book! And it was bigger and more interesting than I could have ever imagined! So darn clever! Richard has outdone himself.

THE SKINNY
Reading this cookbook at times feels like you’ve been privy to a mad professors secret notebook. A print-version of all we loved while watching him on the Top Chef episodes, but unlike the Science classes I remember back in High School, Richard’s kind of science, mixed with food, is fun. You can literally hear his brain ticking as you wander through each recipe, like he’s plotting it out, step by step, and it’s beautiful, and wondrous and original.

Of course there is a whole section on what to do with liquid nitrogen. (Because it’s Richard, so what would you expect?) and if we use it, he teases, we’ll be able to make ice cream in 5 short minutes, but as soon as he mentions Cryogenic Gloves, and sourcing it from an Industrial Gas Supplier, I’ll admit, he kind of lost me. Likewise with the recipes that require a Sous Vide machine. Yes, I would like one of those, for sure, but I remember clearly the waffle machine that is taking up space in my kitchen, that I still haven’t used. But that’s me.

The book is only part chem lab, though, in fact he shows real restraint in that area by sticking with the conventional method for most of the dishes. There is a side panel to some recipes called 2.0 where he takes the recipe one step further by introducing a new ingredient or a more challenging way to make the recipe. Like the Green Gazpacho, that a home cook will love, and the more adventurist cook can shift up by freezing the top of it with liquid nitrogen, by following the 2.0 version.

His voice throughout is honest and charming; for instance when he provides a Swedish Meatball dish, (it’s easy, no sous vide required, nor liquid nitrogen, and you can even sub out the xanthan gum for cornstarch), while acknowledging that after years of thinking he was Swedish, he’s not, after all, but rather Norwegian.

While it’s hard not to read this book and not feel inspired and awed by his wicked cleverness, (Macaroni and Headcheese, “Everything Bagel” Vinaigrette) there are still things like plain old ‘Spaghetti and Meatballs’ which make me in some banal way know that Richard Blais is a parent like the rest of us, has the same issues with his kids eating habits and yet loves preparing something so simple yet satisfying.

Yay Richard Blais!

Ok, I need to lie down now. Take a couple of Aspirin, or something. And delivery man you can leave now, thanks, my February is now much brighter.

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PANCAKES with WARM MAPLE SYRUP & COFFEE BUTTER
From the new book Try This at Home by Richard Blais.
Copyright © 2013 by Richard Blais.
Serves 6 (makes about 18 pancakes)

If I entered a competitive-eating contest, it’d be one for pancakes. I like mine crispy edged, yet soft and tender inside. After years of tinkering, I’ve found that the best way to get this texture is to start with a fresh pancake batter, but you don’t even have to make it yourself. (I love the buttermilk-based Robby’s pancake mix available here, or Amazon.) If you can, let the batter sit overnight in the refrigerator to hydrate and swell—that extra time makes for the fluffiest pancakes, I promise you. I love the play of the sweet maple syrup with the creamy, slightly bitter nature of the coffee butter in this recipe.—Richard.

2 cups high-quality store-bought pancake mix (such as Robby’s pancake mix)
1⁄4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
2 large eggs
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1⁄2 cup brewed coffee
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Pure maple syrup, warmed, for serving
Sliced fresh strawberries or blueberries, sprinkled with sugar, for serving

1. In a medium bowl, whisk the pancake mix, flour, milk, eggs, and melted butter together until smooth. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, and as long as overnight.

2. Put the coffee in a small saucepan, bring to a simmer over medium heat, and cook until reduced by about half. Remove from the heat and cool completely.

3. Put 4 tablespoons of the softened butter in a small bowl and whisk in the cooled reduced coffee until completely incorporated. Set aside until ready to serve.

4. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter on a pancake griddle or heavy skillet over medium-low heat. Add the batter by ¼-cup amounts to make 4- to 5-inch pancakes and cook until bubbles appear on the surface and the bottoms are browned and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the pancakes and continue cooking until browned on the bottom, 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer to a plate in a low oven to keep warm until ready to serve. Continue with the remaining batter, adding the remaining butter as needed.

5. To serve, put 3 warm pancakes on each plate. Top each serving with 1 tablespoon of the coffee butter and some warm syrup, garnish with the fruit, and serve immediately.

2.0 Whipped Maple Syrup
Maple syrup is sweet and delicious, but I give it more textural interest by using Versawhip, a soy protein. It’s one of the cooler so-called “molecular” ingredients that chefs play with; it’s probably no coincidence it’s also one of the most forgiving and easy to use. It aerates maple syrup until it’s the consistency of whipped cream, without using any cream. Versawhip is available from the manufacturer WillPowder (WillPowder.net); the online gourmet retailer L’Epicerie (Lepicerie.com); and Amazon.

To make whipped maple syrup, put 1 cup of pure maple syrup and 2 teaspoons Versawhip in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Mix on low speed until dissolved, then increase the speed to medium-high and whip until the syrup holds soft peaks. The whipped syrup can be held at room temperature for up to 1 hour.

Makes about 3 cups

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PHOTOGRAPHS BY JOHN LEE

To purchase this book, click here

Ecuadorian Chicken Stew

Posted on February 18, 2013 by threetoone

The wind was howling and soft snowflakes were swirling from the sky when I arrived at the Jersey Shore last night to cook dinner at a friend’s new beach house. They’d just purchased the place, so understandably they hadn’t used the stove before, nor knew how the oven worked. The kitchen utensils, left in the mad dash by the previous owners were somewhat limited but after a small search we found a large skillet, and with another shallow pan, made a makeshift ‘lid’. Paper plates acted as a cutting board, and without a can opener, we pried open the tomato paste with a pair of industrial pliars. Luckily I’d bought most of the ingredients with me from New York, as a quick whip around in the car last minute, would only glean us a can of watery peas and a dusty box of ‘boiled rice in a bag’. Unfortunately the major supermarket is still closed there, shuttered sadly since Hurricane Sandy.

I decided to cook everyone Ecuadorian Chicken Stew, inspired from the recipe from Jose Garces’ cookbook, The Latin Road Home. Jose’s stew is intensely flavored and an easy weeknight option. After browning the chicken pieces you literally pop all the diced-up ingredients in the pan, and let it simmer for 40 minutes. The strength of the dish comes from the combination of Achiote Paste + Smoked Paprika, which gives a deep, slightly-smokey flavor that’s not at all spicy, so it’s ideal for a possibly-fickle crowd. As one guest said “It’s so comforting, almost like an Latin Chicken Cacciatore.”

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ECUADORIAN CHICKEN STEW
Adapted from Chef Jose Garces recipe for Chicken and Rice Soup with Achiote (Aguado de Gallina) from his wonderful book “The Latin Road Home”.

Season 3lb’s of bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and legs. Heat Vegetable Oil in a heavy cast iron skillet or Dutch Oven (that has a lid) and gently brown chicken till golden. Set aside. Turn the heat down to medium-low and add 1 chopped Spanish (Red) Onion, 5 or 6 minced cloves of Garlic and 1 diced Red Bell Pepper. Cook, stirring, until translucent. Add 1 tablespoon of ground Cumin, and 2 big heaped tablespoons of Achiote Paste and 2 big heaped tablespoons of Tomato Paste and 1 teaspoon of Smoked Spanish Paprika and cook, stirring for 3-5 minutes. Return chicken to the pan, and add 1 quart of Chicken Stock (or more if you like a soupier stew) and 2 fresh bay leaves and bring to a low boil over medium heat. Stir in 3 diced Plum tomatoes, 1 cup of Long-grain Rice, 3 large Russet Potatoes, peeled and cut into a small dice and 1 large Carrot, also peeled and cut into a small dice. Cook, uncovered until the stock begins to reduce and the dish begins to thicken. Then add the lid back on, and cook until the chicken is tender and falling off the bone and the rice and potatoes are cooked through. (About 30-40 minutes). Stir in 1 cup of frozen peas, a small handful of roughly chopped Flat-leaf Parsley, a small handful of fresh Cilantro and season to taste with Salt and Pepper.

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Notes:

Achiote Paste (Recado rojo) is crucial to this dish. Achiote is a Mexican spice blend of Annatto seeds, All spice, Garlic, Oregano, Cloves, Cumin, Cinnamon and Salt, and will give the dish flavor, as well as a rich mahogany hue. It’s available at any Mexican grocery store. In New York I found it at Kalustyan’s. Click here to get directions and store opening times.

To make your own Achiote Paste, click here.

Because the dish has peas, potatoes and carrot already in it, we saved time and money by skipping side dishes and just served our chicken stew with plain boiled rice. You could also serve it with grains, or even pasta. We drank a nice Spanish Grenache with it, and as you would expect, the stew tasted even better heated up the next day.

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Photograph by Jason Varney
Prop Styling: Heather Chontos

Photograph ©Jason Varney from Jose Garces cookbook “The Latin Road Home”
To purchase this book, which contains the original version of this recipe as well as other great weeknight options, click here.

Make Your Own: Nut Milk

Posted on February 9, 2013 by threetoone

New York based fashion stylist and writer Jennifer Smith decided to give up cow’s milk some years ago when I doctor suggested she ‘lay off the dairy’. Not a huge fan of black coffee, Jen’s daily dilemma was how to get that milky taste she craved in her morning cup o’ joe, but without using regular milk.

On a recent visit to Jen’s cute, 6th floor walk-up apartment in the East Village, she talked me through the steps of making her daily nut milk. Jen uses it in any place she would ordinarily use milk, and finds it quick and easy to do.

JENNIFER SMITH’S NUT MILK
Jennifer Smith uses a variety of nuts for her ‘milk’ based on what she can source at the time. At any given time she has used raw almonds, cashews, macadamia, brazil, walnuts and hazelnuts (seen above) for this recipe. Not pecans, though, as Jen says they will make the milk bitter.

Take a 1 Quart Mason Jar and fill half (2 cups) with raw hazelnuts (skin on, or off the hazelnuts, it doesn’t matter). Cover with water and soak the nuts overnight, or for 8 hours. This softens the nuts making them easier to grind in the blender, but it also allows them to possibly germinate, making them a living food which is supposedly a health benefit. Put the soaked 2 cups of nuts in the blender. Add 2 cups of water. (Jen likes a 1:1 ratio of nuts to water, because it makes for a creamier ‘milk’. If you like a lighter milk, add more water to taste.) Add to the blender 1 tablespoon of Coconut Oil, a splash of Vanilla Essence, and a pinch of Nutmeg, or Cinnamon and Salt (optional). Blend. Strain through a fine mesh strainer nut bag. Wring to release liquid. Store in the fridge. Jen likes to drink her milk the first 2 days. Wash and dry bag ready to use again.

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What to do with nut ‘milk’? You can use the milk wherever you would use regular milk. It makes a delicious hot chocolate. For a savory dish, Jen sauté’s some mushrooms with onion, some cut up chicken, and herbes de provence and then stirs in a little almond milk and some fresh ground pepper to make a nice gravy. (A perfect fix for those who are trying to avoid dairy but still crave a creamy taste).

What to do with the leftover nut ‘pulp’? After you’ve squeezed out the milk you will be left with a lot ‘pulp’. Check out this cool tumblr site that has a collection of recipes that includes cookies, whole-wheat berry muffins, and even an avocado, almond and sun-dried tomato spread. Click here.

Also here, you could also use leftover pulp to make your own Pistachio Almond Biscotti.

Need a nut bag? Jen recommends this one from Etsy, it’s undyed, unbleached, and 100 percent organic, so that you know there’s nothing other than nuts going into your milk. Click here.

Almonds: If you are going to make your own milk, why not take the opportunity to make it as healthy as you can. The best nuts to use are non irradiated, non-pastuerized. You can find raw almonds at WholeFoods and Trader Joe’s, or a regular supermarket, but if you want to be completely pure, you can try a place like Organic Pastures. Which has non-pasturized almonds. Click here.

Coconut Oil: Jen prefers raw, unprocessed coconut oil. She buys the Organic Virgin Coconut Oil from Trader Joe’s. Click here.

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JENNIFER SMITH: is a New York-based fashion editor, stylist, writer and consultant for a number of online magazines and shopping sites. She is also the ex-Fashion Director at the now defunct “Cookie” magazine (RIP). She is an obsessed researcher in the worlds of fashion, beauty, interiors and photography and adores cake, especially layer cake. She loves spice cake with vanilla frosting straight out of the Duncan Hines cake mix box, or a homemade Betty Butter cake from an old Betty Crocker cookbook with chocolate frosting. Jennifer’s grandfather owned a bakery in Tucson, Arizona, so she was weaned early on hand-baked products. Her mom and aunts would pile the family into the car and drive downtown to the bakery where they would position the kids on the steps behind the screen door and hand each one of them a hot glazed doughnut fresh out of the oven, which of course they devoured. To this day, Jen concedes that there is nothing like the smell of an old-fashioned bakery. Jennifer’s grandmother, who is from Mexico, would make the family homemade tortillas. She would line up flour balls on the counter like little soldiers, and then pat them out and cook them on a huge, thin, cast iron griddle her father made for her. They also had homemade tacos every Saturday night growing up, without fail. Check out Jennifer’s beautiful work here.

Short Rib Banh Mi with Quick Pickles and Fresh Herbs & Ice-Cream Bonbon Pops

Posted on January 27, 2013 by threetoone

I love the beautiful shots from photographer Line Klein in the latest (February) issue of Food and wine magazine.

Photo editor Sara Parks, (ex Martha Stewart alum) is an expert in searching and finding great new photo talent, and she discovered Danish Photographer Line Klein via Pinterest, of all places! “I followed a beautiful picture that someone had pinned to her site, and immediately hired her to work on the latest issue.” Says Parks, “I have been finding lots of new talent lately on Pinterest and Instagram, but she’s my favorite find, by far.”

Parks, who’s first job was in the style department at Martha Stewart Weddings, switched over to the photo side of things after she got her feet wet on a huge Larry Fink shoot and decided that’s where she wanted to be.

Parks hired Klein to photograph Food and Wine‘s new Handbook section in the magazine. “I was drawn to the richness of her work. Her photo’s are very clean, and pared down, but then they have great saturated colors which elevate them up.”

Line Klein who is a Copenhagen-based photographer shoots lifestyle, portraits and food, including food dishes for NOMA lab. (NOMA being the 2 Michelin starred restaurant run by chef René Redzepi, which has also been cited as, you know, the best restaurant in the entire world, several times.)

“The shoot went really well,” said Parks, “she nailed what we were looking for: delicious, warm-looking food. Line is very hands-on with props, as she styles most of her photo shoots back in Denmark by herself, so we loved that she bought that to the shoot.”

The current issue of Food and Wine containing Line Klein’s photographs is on newsstands now.

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To get the recipe for the Ice-Cream Bonbon Pops, pictured above, click here.
To get the recipe for Short Rib Banh Mi with Quick Pickles and Fresh Herbs, pictured at top, click here.

To check out Line Klein‘s work, click here.
To subscribe to Food and Wine magazine, click here.

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Photographs: Line Klein
Food Styling and Recipes: Kay Chun
Prop Styling: Kristine Trevino

The Best Citrus Recipes for Winter

Posted on January 23, 2013 by threetoone

So great news; I’m now contributing to ArchetypeMe.com! I have a bi-weekly column called “Dim Some”. (My friends all agree; the best name ever for my column). I’ll be posting links to interesting food recipes, every second week. Look out for it!

Check out my most recent post here.

What is Archetype Me? It’s a new website that daily, creates new content tailored to your architype. It’s fun and it’s free. You take the quiz, then get privy to great stories that suit who you are. Check out the site, here.

Three to One: The Best Chicken Liver Mousse Recipe, ever.

Posted on January 13, 2013 by threetoone

THREE TO ONE: A lot of people ask me why I called my blog “Three to One”. It was based on the idea that there are a lot of recipes on the web, and that if you search something simple, like ‘chocolate cake’, for instance, you’ll get a barrage of well meaning and possibly amazing ideas, but how do you know which is the best? How do you know which one will taste great? And which one do you try without wasting money and time on ingredients and cooking? What if someone were to test and take all of those, and reduce them down to just one? Since it seemed, (to me, at least) that recipes usually take three different tacts. I wanted to create a site that was taking the three tacts, and reducing them to one. Thus was born, Three to One…

THE BEST CHICKEN LIVER MOUSSE RECIPE (from MARLOW AND SONS)
Marlow and Sons is a restaurant based in South Williamsburg, Brooklyn, that has had Chicken Liver Mousse on it’s menu for as long as I can remember. So I decided to spend some time hunting down the recipe, and here it is. I found it in Diner Journal, Issue No. 9 Fall 2008, and Issue No. 14 The Poultry Special Edition 2010. The recipe is from Caroline Fidanza, Ex-Chef of the restaurant and it’s truly unique. I’ve made the recipe three times now, and it really is the best chicken liver mousse I’ve ever eaten. I love the way the recipe is written too, it’s very intuitive, and If you follow it step by step, you can’t go wrong. It’s perfect for New Year’s Eve, or in fact perfect for any gathering.

CHICKEN LIVER MOUSSE
Serve with plenty of toasted or grilled baguette. Chicken Liver Mousse will hold in the fridge for about a week.

1 Spanish Onion, sliced
4 Shallots, sliced
6 Cloves of Garlic, sliced
1 pound of Chicken Liver
Half a cup of Brandy
Unsalted Butter
Sherry Vinegar

In a heavy bottomed sauté pan heat one stick (or a quarter pound) of butter until it sizzles. Add the onion, garlic and shallots to the butter. Season well with Salt, turn heat to medium low and allow to slowly and deeply caramelize. Drain the chicken livers through a strainer and then lay them out on paper towels to absorb any blood or moisture. Look over the livers and remove any unpleasant things hanging off them. Season the livers well with Salt and Pepper on both sides. In a separate sauté pan, cook the livers on high heat in a combination of olive oil and butter, about 3 tablespoons of each to start. Cook the livers fast allowing them to brown on the outside but remain pink on the inside. Cook livers in small batches being sure not to overcrowd the pan. Deglaze the pan inbetween batches with sherry vinegar. Transfer the cooked livers and onions to a bowl until everything is all cooked. When the livers are cooked, deglaze the pan with Brandy and then pour the Brandy over the livers and onions. Allow everything to cool.

Note: Don’t be afraid to add a lot of butter to the pan to cook the livers and the onions. This is where a lot of the flavor is going to come from. This is not a low-cal, low-fat dish so you may as well make it taste good.

Once the livers and onions are cool but not cold puree them in the food processor. Put everything in at once and let the motor run, you want this to really smooth. Season with sherry vinegar, salt and pepper, tasting over and over again until you don’t feel that it can taste any better than it does. Chill.

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To get info on how to visit Marlow and Sons, click here.
For info on how to purchase containers of this chicken liver mousse at Marlow and Daughter’s (their nearby butcher shop), click here.
To get info on chef Caroline Fidanza, who is now running the sandwich shop, “Salty”, click here.
To subscribe to the Diner Journal, click here.

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Photograph: Daniel Håkansson, check out his work, here.

Diner Journal. Issue No. 22. “Town & Country”

Posted on January 1, 2013 by threetoone

From Anna Dunn.
Editor-In-Chief of the Diner Journal…

“This journal amounts to the traingulation of a moment. Like trying to hold a bubble in your hand or committing on summer’s sunset to memory. This is about longing, to go back to stretch one perfect moment into an eternity, to return to a taste, to stay always with friends as the soft night sifts into the sky. Our lives, in this way, are a series of exquisite losses. Ones we are thankful for.

Orange and blue are the colors of nostalgia, the way a lense catches light or flame spits from the fire, the way a wave reaches for a moment toward the sky. Nostalgia, the word and the sum of all its parts, derives from the Greek word for home and the Homeric word for ache. We are a population of perfect storms forever wanting to be captured and then set free. A photograph never does it. Neither does this Journal.”

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The Diner Journal is a quarterly magazine from the folks over at Marlow and Son’s restaurant, under restaurateur Andrew Tarlow, and editor in chief, Anna Dunn, and this is the one journal I always buy, no matter what, as they nail it, in every respect. 1. Editorially, it always has a really strong focus; and it’s usually themed. (whether it be Fall, Spring, Summer or Winter, etc. They also did a Poultry issue, once, which I have, and their current issue (above) it titled ‘Town and Country”, which merges images, literature and recipes from the city and the land and 2. The recipes are always from their chefs, or cooks who work for the restaurant, so you know they’ll work, and also they are usually something you’ve never heard of before. You’ll want to pore through and bookmark them, and keep turning back to them, time and time again and, 3. the photography and art work are always cutting edge and inspiring

They’re current issue, No. 22. “Town & Country” (with pics above) has recipes such as Grilled Sardines + Eggplant w/ Bone Marrrow Agrodolce, Grilled Corn in Clarified Lobster Butter and a ridiciously easy Smokey Eggplant Dip that I want to make right now.

The Diner Journal grew out of the creative flow of the restaurant staff working together everyday, and they hope this independent spirit shines through. There’s a certain intangibility to the feeling of dining in a restaurant at night, and the journal editors confess, they both hate and treasure; that the sensation is fleeting. Diner Journal was partly created as a print object that hopefully embodies and continues that feeling and mood from the restaurants. The goal was to make every page something that they would want to pass on and save and come back to, which is why they don’t have any advertisements.

The themes of each issue are decided organically and their contributor list is too. Many contributors work at their restaurants (Marlow and Sons, Diner, Roman and Reynard), or are people they know professionally in the industry, or are customers, even. The journal gives them the platform to work with different types of writers and creators; from poets and water colorists, to photographers and micro-finance wizards turned cheese-makers. Sometimes when they decide on an article, they can often base the theme of the entire issue around it.

How to get it? The journal is for sale within the cafe at Marlow and Sons, and they can also be bought online at Marlowgoods.com, as well as all over the US and internationally hand picked bookstores. They are also carried at Anthropologie. The diner journal comes out several times a year but if you order a subsription you will get 4 issues. To order the journal or to see their website for a full list of stockists, click here.

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Pic 1: Cover paintings: Blaze Lampert (scales) and Sope Phang (gratin).
PIc 2: Steamer illustration by Lars Goran Karlsson

Pic 3: Spit-Roasted Lamb photograph by Julia Gillard.

Pic 4: Braised Squid in Grilled Tomato Sauce by Jenna Ransom

Pic 5: Country photo by Julia Gillard at Blooming Hill Farm

PIc 6: TOC illustration of the map by Tessa Basore and Becky Kirsten Johnson.

The Mast Brothers (For the “Brooklyn Makers” Book)

Posted on December 16, 2012 by threetoone

“Somewhere as a society, we seem to have lost the connection with our makers. This is particularly true in a big city, surrounded by so many busy people, who are just trying to make rent. “ —Jennifer Causey

At various times of her life, photographer Jen Causey has wanted to be an archeologist, a doctor, an advertising executive and a make-up artist.

During the process of shooting “Brooklyn Makers” her book, Jennifer had the opportunity to go into the studios of a thriving and inspiring Brooklyn-based artisan community and it was there that she found herself wanting to become a ceramicist, a florist, a baker, and a tie-dyer.

When Jen had the idea for her book she bounced it off some friends, who told her to jump right in, and from there it became a domino effect; While eating at Paulie Gee‘s (A Greenpoint, Brooklyn pizza haven), she inquired about their interior designer, and found out it was the Haslegrave brothers from hOmE. Then while shooting the Haslegrave brothers, they suggested she shoot their friends Agatha and Erin bakers, at Ovenly (who are known for their cherry cheddar basil scones and spicy bacon caramel corn) and so on. Word of mouth, not social media, is perhaps still, the best source of recommendations, and the best way to build up a community.

When Jen shot the Mast Brothers for the book, (the pics above), she spent the morning in their space and was able to follow the entire chocolate making process (from bean to bar). The Mast Brothers (Rick and Michael) moved from Iowa a decade ago, and started making chocolate just to share with friends. They quickly turned it into a business. The brothers are committed to sustainable methods of producing and sourcing, buying their beans directly from small organic cocao farmers in the Dominican Republic and Central and South America. Each chocolate bar is hand wrapped in gold foil and then a custom paper designed by themselves, their friends, and their employees. Their sense of community extends way beyond their production line too; every day, the entire crew sit down to a family-style meal. Sometimes made themselves, sometimes ordered in.

This book is divided into two regions, North and South Brooklyn and investigates what their various ‘makers’ are up to. After I reading it, I was inspired, excited and I couldn’t wait to begin making something. This book is fascinating—and it’s transporting. And it’s also important. In my mind, we need to honor, support and get behind our local craftspeople as much as we can. Long live the makers!

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To purchase Jen’s book, click here, or click on the link on my homepage where Jen’s book is listed as my top 3 favorite Amazon.com book purchases.

To learn more about Jennifer Causey and see her other photography work, click here. Jen is also responsible for the kick-ass blog, “Simply Breakfast”. click here to see the blog.

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JEN CAUSEY: is a food, travel and lifestyle photographer. She was born in the South and grew up playing in creeks and running in the woods. Although she has been residing in Brooklyn for the past 10 years, she is still a Southerner at heart; she will eat grits any time, any day, especially if they are covered in cheese at the Waffle House.

Roy Choi & An Asian Baby Back Ribs Recipe too.

Posted on December 11, 2012 by threetoone

A bright glimmer in an otherwise set of gloomy days here in New York! Great to see the Roy Choi Hawaii story that I designed for the December issue of Food and Wine magazine is on newsstands now.

In terms of the type, I wanted something a little less classic to match the edgy feel of Roy, so I re-drew an old Hawaiian-inspired font, then gradated it, to hopefully give it a retro surf vibe.

Photographer Bobby Fisher shot all the location shots, (the ones above included) and Con Poulos photographed the interior food pics (including the rib shot, above). Anna Last cleverly prop-styled the food pics, using nostalgic Hawaiian postcards, and bright plastic tableware, and Alison Attenborough styled the food.

The story in the magazine was written by Pulitzer Prize-winning author, food critic and Los Angeles Times writer, Jonathan Gold.

The December issue of Food and Wine magazine is out now, chock-full of Holiday recipes, so run out and grab yourself an issue. (Yay for a little bit of sunshine in December!)

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To get the recipe for the Asian Fried and Glazed Baby Back Ribs,
(pictured above) click here.

(Note: I made these ribs last week, and their pretty easy to do, and very tasty! They do need some time to rest in the fridge, so note the total cooking time. I omitted the spicy Sriracha, to make it more kid-friendly and even if you don’t live in a very ethnically inspired neighborhood, all the ingredients are pretty standard asian grocery fare and easy enough to find. I actually baked the ribs in the oven, for health reasons, instead of frying them in the oil, and had great results.)

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To subscribe to Food and Wine magazine, click here.

What I’m obsessed with now: (#369) The Autumn Pudding with Orange Toffee & Caramelized White Chocolate Ice Cream, at Whitehall, NYC

Posted on December 7, 2012 by threetoone

Pastry Chef Ryan Butler takes the comfort desserts, from his childhood, and gives them a modern twist.

My current obsession is his Autumn pudding with Caramelized White Chocolate Ice-cream and Citrus Toffee Sauce. It has ingredients like Orange Juice, Apple Cider, Brown Sugar, Brown Butter, Salt and Pepper, Medjool Dates, plump Sultanas and wonderful chewy Candied Orange Peel (that Ryan hand makes from scratch).

Ryan first soaks the puddings in toffee sauce, then pours more toffee sauce over the top (yes, really!) This pudding, like most of his other desserts uses his signature mix of warm ingredients, mixed with cold. The warm fragrant pudding and hot citrus toffee sauce, mixed with the cold white chocolate ice-cream.

This dessert will be on the menu at Whitehall till mid December, where he’s switch it out for a Winter Dessert, so get it while it’s hot! (and cold.)

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AUTUMN PUDDING WITH CITRUS TOFFEE SAUCE.
Chef Ryan kindly agreed to part with the recipe for his pudding. These make about 12 from a regular size muffin tin. Serve with the best Vanilla ice-cream you can find.

5 ripe bananas
9 medjool dates , chopped and soaked in boiling water
2 tbs candied orange peel
4 eggs
1 tsp of cinnamon
11/2 cups of sugar
1/4c raisins
2 tsp of baking powder
11/4 cups of vegetable oil

Mash the bananas, add all the liquid ingredients then add all the dry ingredients allow the batter to sit over night. Bake the puddings in prepared molds or muffin tins at 325 for ten minutes or until golden brown. Unmold and soak in the citrus toffee sauce.

Citrus toffee
2 cups orange juice
1 cup apple cider
2 cups dark brown sugar
2 cups butter
1 tbs salt
Combine all the ingredients and bring to a boil. Set aside. There will be extra sauce.

PHOTOGRAPH BY LINDA PUGLIESE

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RYAN BUTLER: is a pastry chef responsible for the desserts at Highlands as well as Whitehall restaurants in the New York’s West Village. The desserts he does at Highlands are a more pub-style dessert, the ones at Whitehall, are a more composed modern take on classics. To get info on Highlands, click here. To get info on Whitehall, click here.

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LINDA PUGLIESE: is a food photographer and aspiring professional pasta maker. Originally from Annapolis, Maryland, she grew up surrounded by sailboats & picnic tables covered in piles of crabs. Her favorite guilty pleasure, is really good vanilla ice cream with a sprinkle of maldon sea salt on top. She will gladly set an alarm hourly through the night to wake up and stir the ragu in winter and could easily live off yogurt topped with blueberry jam. And some days she does. Click here to check out her work.

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