Back in the kitchen and baking

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I have now settled into the new flat and the kitchen (most important obviously) and have therefore started to bake for the office again.

Since it was the first time I used the new oven for baking I made sure to use tried and tested recipes.

I made a classic Victoria sponge that at least my office never can get enough of and the lovely chocolate cake with the most amazing chocolate frosting, a cake impossible to grow tired of. I also made some fresh lemon cupcakes with lemoncurd whipped cream as frosting. They were really yummy too!

I also tried one of my birthday presents when I decorated the chocolate cake; a cake stencil from a set Laura gave me. I love how the cake so quickly transformed from boring to stunning just with the stencil and icing sugar. 🙂 Thanks, Laura!

Lemon cupcakes with lemoncurd whipped cream, makes 12

The cupcake recipe is courtesy of the Hummingbird Bakery

Cupcakes, makes 12

120 g plain flour

150 g caster sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

2 tbsp grated lemon zest

40 g softened butter

120 ml whole milk

1 egg

Pre-heat the oven to 175 C. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, zest and butter in a bowl with an electric whisk. Add the milk while beating. Then add the egg and mix well. Divide into 12 cupcake cases in a cupcake tray. Bake for 10 minutes or until done. Leave to cool completely before decorating.

Lemoncurd

50 g butter

1 egg

100 ml caster sugar

1 medium lemon

Grate the zest and squeeze the juice from the lemon. Place in a sauce pan with the butter and half the sugar and bring to the boil and cook until the sugar has dissolved. Leave to cool.

Beat the egg and the remaining sugar pale and fluffy and add to the saucepan. Let the mixture thicken on low heat while stirring. It must not boil. Leave to cool. Will keep for a week in the fridge, covered.

Lemoncurd whipped cream, for 12 cupcakes

1 batch lemoncurd (see above)

300 ml whipping cream

Whip the cream and fold in the lemon courd using a rubber spatula. Pipe onto the cupcakes once they’ve cooled completely. Decorate with candied citrus peel.

New York: Baseball

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Our last evening in the big apple was the third game in the row between New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox. The teams had won one game each which made this a big game. Claes was super excited and although excited, Emma and I were a little bit calmer.

But it was such a cool experience to go and see this baseball game. It is just sooo American and we loved the atmosphere. First the subway ride there with everyone in a Yankee jersey from the age of 3 to 75, youngsters going with their grandparents, some people going alone and some whole families going.

The stadium was also impressive and it was full this particular evening, of around 47, 000 people. When Yankees made a homerun everyone cheered and it was just amazing.

Being hangover this day we also really appreciated the food. We had lots of nachos with lots of guacemole, hot dogs, coke and beer, popcorn and sweets. The Yankees one and this was so the perfect activity for a Sunday evening and also our last evening in the city.

The first plate of nachos.

One of many vendors coming to your seat this various edible things (they sold beer, ice cream, peanuts etc). Good service but quite annoying when trying to watch the game.

The game has finishes and Yankees won.

New York: Picnic from Bouchon Bakery and Magnolia Bakery

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One day when walking around Rockefeller Plaza I noticed the Bouchon Bakery and got really excited. I absolutely adore Thomas Keller and his cookbooks.

So when we wanted to have picnic in Central Park on our second to last day in New York, we went here to buy sandwiches and to the famous Magnolia Bakery fpr cupcakes and cookies.

Some Sundays the roads in Centeral Park are closed for car traffic so it is perfect to go here then. And as you can see, we were not exactly alone.

Picnic!

The sandwiches from Bouchon Bakery were delicious! Sour dough ciabattas filled with a moist chicken salad with apple and cranberries. Such a great sarnie!

Cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery. Red Velvet at the top and German Chocolate cupcakes underneath. I have to say it is hard for me to write this, but I was sooo  very disappointed with these cupcakes. The actual cake was a bit dryish and not exactly full of flavour, and the red velvet frosting tasted artificial with an after taste of margarine. The German chocolate topping was nicer (sticky syrup and shredded coconut) but far from amazing.

I just don’t understand how the Magnolia Bakery can be so popular with ordinary bakes like this?! I expected something more along the lines of British Hummingbird Bakery, but these were not even close to being that good. I actually think Tesco make nice cupcakes than Magnolia Bakery…

We also had some cookies from the bakery and thankfully they were a lot better than the cupcakes. Well, the chocolate chip cookie was average too, but the brown sugar cookies (left) were very nice.

New York: Lunch at Battery Gardens

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The first whole day in New York, when we went for our super long walk, we stopped for lunch in Battery Park. It is a lovely park just by the water front but there weren’t many food options. Mainly a few kiosks that only sold snacks and then the proper restaurant Battery Gardens. It could have been a real tourist trap, but I think it was a bit too expensive to be that, luckily.

We started off with a glass of white each, a Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zeeland that was very refreshing.

We sat out on the patio underneath an umbrella and shading trees and it felt like a real oasis in the August heat. Really nice surroundings!

Claes had the spaghetti bolognese, and he was very pleased with it. It looks really good, don’t you think?!

I had a cobb salad with cold smoked salmon and roquefort, which was a great combination. It also came with a boiled egg in slices and avocado which made it more substantial. The only thing I thought odd was the bacon which I actually removed. I don’t know, salmon and bacon, does that work?

Emma also had a salad, with very succulent chicken confit and quinoa.

Happy campers!

All the food was very frash and nice, but what really made it such a nice lunch was the ambiance and stunning surroundings.

Battery Gardens Restaurant
Inside Battery Park ,  Opposite 17 State Street
On The Water,  New York, NY 10004

 

New York: Brunch at Norma’s

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When I ask my ex-New Yorker friend Caroline what she’s been up to at the weekend or when she’s been in New York, I always get the same answer: We went for brunch. So I understand that this is a big thing in the Big Apple. Located in the same hotel as Burger Joint, you find the restaurant Norma’s who offer of course, brunch.

We went to Norma’s at 09.05 in the morning, as we had a table booked for 9am, but it wasn’t ready until 15 minutes later. The staff was apologetic and we were not the only ones waiting. but when starving after a night out the day before, waiting was the last thing we wanted to do.

The waiter was then quick to offer us tea, coffee and freshly squeezed orange juice and a complimentary mini blueberry smoothie. We ordered our food and then the waiting began. It took the kitchen about 40 (!) minutes to get our food on the table. It was nothing complicated or something not on the menu, so we still wonder how it could take so long.

And for the kitchen to be backed up at 9 in the morning, that just shows that something isn’t right. The waiting staff was very apologetic, and quite embarrassed but it was out of their control.

The food was actually very good, but it couldn’t make up for the bad experience we had here. I really do hope it gets sorted out as Norma’s has great potential.

But back to the food. Emma’s granola with berries and yoghurt was a huge portion with the yoghurt on the side and lovely homemade granola. The boys had Belgian waffles that were huge, served with whipped cream, berries and a caramel sauce. I wanted something savoury first thing and had a breakfast quesadilla with crambled eggs, crispy bacon, cheese, avocado and salsa. Really yummy!

To summarize: greta food, good waiting staff, nice ambiance, but very slow kitchen and way too long to wait.

Norma’s
Le Parker Meridien Hotel
119 West 56th Street  
New York, NY 10019

New York: Dinner at CafĂ© Gitane, the Jane

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Café Gitane has a café in Nolita that seem to have reached cult status; everyone talks about it. But they also have an outpost in the Meat Packing District, in the Jane, a hotel just by the waterfront.

We had supper her one evening an enjoyed the nice food, cosy ambiance and nice company. The food was good, but lacked some wow factor, although some dishes were really good. But we all felt the food felt more like what you have for lunch than dinner.

We started with some nibbles to share, and they went down really well. They were simple dishes, but really good! The aioli gratinated focaccia was amazing (must try this at home) and the baked feta with tomatoes, olives and capers was really nice too.

We also had a fresh and a little zingy carrot salad to counteract the heavy cheese and bread. We were really pleased with the nibbles, it was more the maincourses that we were not completely in love with.

Linus and I chose the haché which was like a cottage pie. Nice but not wow.

Claes had a pasta gratin with serrano which looked nice, but also lacked a little oomph.

Emma’s chicken salad actually looked really nice and fresh. Perhaps they’re better at nibbles and small bites than proper mains..?

Emma and Claes decided to share a pudding, and Linus had one as well. I opted for a glass of Bailey’s instead as I was full. And the pudding they all chose was a monster. A delicious monster. A huge helping of chocolate bread pudding with an equally large serving of whipped cream. It was nice, very rich and way too big.

After supper we found a lounge area in the restaurant were we continued with drinks before heading to the nightclub in the same building.

I wasn’t as bawled over by CafĂ© Gitane as I expected to be, but it was still a lovely evening. it is perfect to go here for nibbles before a night out, but I would like them to improve their maincourses. But please keep the aioli focaccia just as it is! Yum!

Café Gitane  (MPD branch)
The Jane
113 Jane Street
New York, NY

New York: Great burgers at Burger Joint

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Going to NYC without having a burger is just not an option, so I did some research and although I found quite a few good ones, we only had time for one this time. Will save the others for next trip (there will be a next trip!).

The place we did have time for is called Burger Joint, a small restaurant within a glamorous hotel. The restaurant (not the rest of the hotel) has writing on the walls and feels quite grunge, reminding me of London’s MeatLiquor and MeatMarket.

The menu is very short and not very elaborate. You can choose a burger, witho or with out cheese, decide how you want it cooked and what toppings you like. They also have fries and drinks but that’s all.

I had a rare burger with cheese and the works( mayo, mustard, pickles – really nice, lettuce, tomato, onions etc), a coke and some fries.

The burgers weren’t massive ones, instead they were a good size and really tasty! The patty was juicy and full of flavour, the brioche style bun soft and buttery and that’s all you need really, apart from the toppings. The pickles were homemade and really nice and fresh, also very thin slices which I prefer. Hands down it was the best burger I’ve had.

Burger Joint
Le Parker Meridien Hotel
119 West 56th Street  
New York, NY 10019

New York: The Highline and Meatpacking District

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It wasn’t just the first day we walked a lot in New York; we thought it was the best way to get around town. And when the feet got sore, we could easily just jump in a cab.

Cool wall painting

There is A LOT to see in NYC and although we did a lot, there is still so much we didn’t have time for. One thing Emma really wanted to do, and that we all appreciated, was to walk The Highline, a park situated on an old railway track above ground between Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District and West 34th Street, between 10th and 11th Avenue. We started on West 34th Street and walked towards MPD. It was a lovely walk andyou get a different perspective from above ground than in between tall buildings at street level. We saw a lot of cool modern buildings, the waterfront, Empire State Building and when getting closer to MPD a lot of cute cafĂ©es and restaurants.

Empire State

Cool design

Skyline

The waterfront

We also walked around Meat Packing District for a while and got a feel for the area – so cosy! We also walked straight onto Chelsea Market and had a look. It is a big food market with mainly restaurants (some sell Maine lobsters – yay), book shops, cook shops and bakeries.

Chelsea Market

Funny cupcakes at Chelsea Market

I had time for a little shopping in the cookshop and finally bought myself a Microplane grater, some escargot tongs and forks.

New York: Fine dining at Daniel

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The reason for our NYC trip in the first place is that both Emma and I turn 30 this year (exactly a month apart) and we wanted to celebrate it properly! Properly probably means over the top for anyone else but bare with me. We got each others gifts in Tiffany’s and then went for dinner at Daniel – this lovely gourmet restaurant.

We had a wondeful evening and I would recommend everyone to visit Daniel. The food was superb, the staff friendly and professional and we just had such a fantastic time.

The meal started with an amuse bouche with aubergine. Smoked salmon with aubergine confit (left), aubergine soup (middle) and octupus with aubergine (right). It was very tasty, but nowhere near as good as the food yet to come.

Emma and I chose the same amazing starter; slow baked jade tiger abalone with cinco jotas, zucchini marmalade and avocado, wood sorrel, oregano gremolata. Absolutely gorgeous! I haven’t had abalone before and Google tells me it was sea snails we had. They were served warm in its shell with a lovely avocado purĂ©e underneath. The starter was rather large but felt very light and it was nice with the contrasting textures of silky, smooth, crispy etc.

Linus chose the tasting of rabbit with terrine with curly mustard and young vegetables, en gelée with tarragon, baby leeks and carrots. It was also rather large and looked amazing. Claes chose a silky melon velouté with tiger prawns that also looked incredibly good.

Out of the many maincourses I was torn between two meat dishes. In the end I settled for the same as Claes; roasted veal tenderloin with artichoke barigoule, braisked cheeks with tomato-jalapeño chutney, crispy sweetbreads, glazed parrty pan squash, French beans. The tenderloin was perfectly cooked and was melt-in-the-mouth delicious, but what really impressed was the lovely cheeks and the amazing sweetbread.

Linus chose the other maincourse I was thinking of and the one our strong minded waiter suggested; duo of beef, braised Black Angus short ribs with romanesco purée, seared Wagyu tenderloin, tomato stuffed russet potato, glazed chanterelles. It looked incredible and Linus was very please with his choice. No surprise there!

Emma chose a Daniel signature dish of slow baked black seabadd with syrah sauce, lettuce stuffed potato, shallot chutnet cromesquis (like an unbreaded croquetas). She was very please and it looked delicious, jus like everything else.

Both Emma and I felt too full after the mains, and we noticed that even in French gourmet restaurants in the States the portions are bigger. But after a short break we still managed to eat dessert. Thank God for that, since they gave us even more desserts because of our birthday celebration – so very sweet of them. They certainly know how to make you feel special!

Emma and I chose the sama delicious chocolate pudding; warm guanaja chocolate coulant, liquid caramel, Fleur de Sel, milk sorbet a bit like a fondant but with a les cake-y texture. It was a perfect way to end a meal, and yet we had more.

The boys chose a fruity passion fruit-vanilla vacherin, mango chutney, mascarpone chantilly, meringue. Fresh and delicious!

One of the extra puddings I think was the milk chocolate dacquoise, jivara parfait, toffee tuile and salted caramel-glass. Wonderful but almost too rich.

The other surprise dish was a lot lighter and went down quickly. Strawberry granité, crème dAnjou, sacristain, szechuan eepper sorbet. Wonderful!

We also got petit fours and a bowl with mini Madeleines fresh from the oven. We felt like Marie Antoinette with all the goodies! The post-dinner slow walk was mush needed, I assure you!

I can’t find the words to describe this meal proplerly, it was just fabulous and I think you should all go! It was also not very expensive considering we had a set menu (they only do set menus and tasting menus). The food was incredible and the service outstanding. We also got to see Daniel himself as he spoke to the table next to us because they ordered the tasting menu. Star struck!

Daniel
60 East 65th Street
New York, NY 10065

New York: Lunch at Oficiana Latina

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Another must on the to-eat-list for New York seems to be CafĂ© Gitane in Nolita, but when we were in the mood for lunch so did everyone else. Instead of queueing for ages we walked around the corner and chose another cosy place to eat. That’s a great thing with New York; if an area has one nice resurant that you know of there are without a doubt more good ones in the same area.

We ended up in Oficina Latina and is a pan-Latino restaurant with a nice lunch menu. Also our friend Linus had joined the gang at this point, so I can show you even more from the menu.

Claes chose a monster of a sandwich with steak, bacon, fried egg and pickles and it seem to never end. He just ate and ate and still had the whole thing left on it plate. It seemed.

Emma chose a more normal sized chicken salad that looked really nice and fresh.

Linus portion of tuna scewers with veg and rice also looked more regular in size.

I wanted a burger and I guess you just have to take my word for it that it is what is hidden underneath all that cheese. Cheese and pickled peppers were actually really nice on a burger, just fyi.

We liked this place, and it is perfect for a laid-back lunch. That burger and steak sandwich would also cure any hangover. Promise!

24 Prince Street
New York
NY 1001
(646) 381-2555