Who's Hungry? Magazine | No 10

kathryn o’malley | Editor and Writer

Kathryn’s love of food is matched only by her passion for writing about it; as part of the Who’s Hungry?™ editorial team, she indulges in a bit of both. Her popular food blog, dramaticpancake.com, garners more than 40,000 unique viewers per month and highlights the people and stories behind great recipes.

judith mara | Editor and Writer

Judith has worked with Stephen for almost seven years and helps to lead the editorial concept and execution of Who’s Hungry?™ magazine. An award-winning former creative director for major ad agencies such as Leo Burnett and J. Walter Thompson, Judith sweats the details, pens Weather Permitting and literally hand writes How We Did It.

dannielle kyrillos | Writer and Television Commentator

A series judge on Bravo’s Top Chef Just Desserts, Dannielle is an expert on stylish entertaining, food, fashion, and travel. She appears regularly on NBC’s Today and The Nate Berkus Show, as well as on E! News, BetterTV, CNBC, CNN, and local morning programming in New York and Philadelphia. For Who’s Hungry?™ magazine, Danielle shares her top five breakfasts that take you away.

ina pinkney | Chef and Writer

After 33 years in the food business, Ina has closed her beloved Chicago breakfast spot but continues to make frequent guest appearances on local news and cable TV. The acclaimed chef has also been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Gourmet, Vogue, and many more. For Who’s Hungry?™ magazine, Ina indulges our sweet tooth with a dip into the world of chocolate.

deirdre o’shea | Production Director

If you have worked with Stephen Hamilton, you’ve worked with Deirdre. Drawing on 15 years of experience in managing photography studios, Deirdre has a hand in nearly every aspect of Stephen’s business. She’s been instrumental in organizing the magazine’s shoots, sourcing ingredients, and always keeping production on schedule.

ian law | Design

Ian designed every aspect of Who’s Hungry?™ magazine with meticulous attention to detail and typography, and helped turn static images into an interactive experience. His award-winning design work has been featured in the pages of Print,

Creativity, How, PDN and Graphic Design USA

audarshia townsend | Writer

Fueled by an obsession with Chicago’s vibrant culinary scene, Audarshia Townsend was one of the first two editors at metromix.com. And while she continues to write lifestyle features for the Chicago Tribune, Essence, Los Angeles Times, The Huffington Post and more, she also connects with readers through her dining and drinking blog, 312diningdiva.com. For Who’s Hungry? magazine, Audarshia shares a decadent French cocktail made with the nuanced flavors of cognac.

geraldine campbell | Writer

Geraldine is a freelance writer, travel enthusiast, and ex-Southerner with a love of grits and all things deep fried. She has written about everything from love and sex to beauty and fashion, but her first loves are food and travel. When she’s not writing, she’s testing recipes in her itty-bitty kitchen or plotting her next adventure— which, most recently, has meant a trip to the Caribbean for Who’s Hungry?™ magazine.

As the nightlife and events reporter at RedEye, Kate covers Chicago beers, booze, beer and restaurants. She has also contributed to the Chicago Sun-Times, Conde Nast Traveler, Serious Eats Chicago and BlackboardEats. In this issue of Who’s Hungry?™ magazine, Kate explores the darker, sultrier side of pasta.

a special thanks to: CeCe Campise, Lars Kronmark, Rodelio Aglibot, Ruth Siegel, Paula Walters, Josephine Orba, Valrhona Chocolate, European Imports, Jessica Bright, Karl Helfrich, Jackie Motooka, Rebecca Mason, Leigh Omilinsky, Meg Galus, Derek Poirier, Sarah Mispagel, Momofuku Milk Bar, Chile Pies & Ice Cream, The Iron Press, Clafouti Patisserie, Bea’s of Bloomsbury, Southport Grocery and Café, David Chhay, Sophie’s at Saks Fifth Avenue, Paul Kahan, Erling Wu-Bower, Matthew Accarrino, Tony Priolo, Jackie Doran, Tom Hamilton, Juan Palomino, David Raine, Justine Paris, Powell Jordano, Breana Moeller

Each issue of WH comes out at slightly different times so we can come up with fresh stories that are in tune with the exact season.

LETTER FROM STEVE

This has been the hardest issue we’ve had to produce. Selecting content was difficult because winter isn’t over and spring hasn’t quite settled in. Plus, spring vegetables aren’t out yet, so we rolled with contrasts of the season.

It’s that time of year when the winter blahs set in as our body, mind and palate crave spring. To fend off those feelings, we offer you fun indulgences in “Beyond the Cronut” such as Crookies, Wookies and Duffins. Then chef Ina Pinkney offers some serious balm for the blues in her essay on chocolate, “The Ultimate Indulgence.”

One way to beat winter is to travel someplace warm––at least in our imaginations. Geraldine Campbell takes us on a casual Caribbean beach trip in “Beach Vacation” where the sky is blue, the sea is even bluer and local BBQ and seafood are available in abundance.

Seafood is a wonderful way to lighten up winter meals and Italian chefs are known for seafood pasta dishes. In “In Season: Seafood Pasta,” Kate Bernot shares curious facts about squid ink pasta and some recipes collected from Italian chefs across the US.

Another way to lighten up is with the springlike colors of cauliflower. If that’s hard to believe, check out our Weather Permitting column, “Cabbage That Blooms Like a Flower.” Goes to show that signs of spring are everywhere if you know where to look. Who’s Hungry?™

Stephen Hamilton

Dannielle Kyrillos, a series judge on Bravo’s Top Chef Just Desserts and expert on all things food and entertaining, shares her five favorite breakfasts that take you away from around the country.

A Catalan might scoff at the simple breakfast she’s been eating since birth being elevated to chic restaurant fare, but Jose Andres’ team recreates this breakfast of campeones so expertly that for those few minutes, anyone enjoying it knows what it feels like to wake up in the Spanish sun with friends, somehow fresh and invigorated, even though dinner ended only a few hours ago and there was so much dancing after that. The olive oil is so splendid, the coarse salt sticks to your lips and it’s hard to understand how tomatoes could taste so sweet and so rich (peeling then grating them is the secret). A bite with Manchego, jamon and toast is heaven, and then bites of each component separately are heaven, and then you realize it will soon be time for a nap.

by DANNIELLE KYRILLOS

Portrait by Peter Hurley

In New York, Café Gitane’s petite original location has been a busy NoLita fixture for almost twenty years. But it’s the second outpost, in the quirky Jane Hotel in the Far West Village, that’s truly transporting. Bathed with magical morning light longer than seems possible, with an ancient crocodile on one wall, a fading painting of an eastern potentate on the other and a lifetime of treasures strewn in between, the spot makes even a café crème mysterious. This, and the

French-North African food put one in the buttery leather slippers of a kooky socialite playing hippie in 1970s Morocco. They serve the baked eggs all day, crinkly toward the edges and creamy in the middle, romantically spiced and sauced, with lamb-y Merguez redolent of the winding road to Essaouira. As glamorous as it all feels, one mustn’t resist sopping up everything with the classic baguette slices found alongside.

If you have spent time in Indonesia, you have fallen in love with the sublime pleasure of richly nuanced fried rice, hopefully with chicken and fried egg, for breakfast. The first time it is offered, you think maybe there’s been some mistake. Then you realize a bit wistfully that every breakfast you haven’t eaten nasi goreng was kind of a waste. It is sweet and spicy and crispy and ginger-y in every bite,

an amalgam of everything you hope the day ahead will be. Like all the best breakfasts in the world, nasi goreng is made with yesterday’s leftovers but goes far beyond saving them from waste—it makes them perfect. Borobudur is as authentic as it gets, and even though it doesn’t open until 11:30 in the morning, that’s not too late to jumpstart the day the Indonesian way.

Most chefs have intriguing backgrounds – it’s the nature of the beast. But Chef Josh Drage might be one of the most fascinating, having grown up in an electricity-less cabin in rural Alaska and learned to cook over open fire from his grandmothers. Each bright mouthful of his ruggedly elegant cooking, most especially the earthy and not-toosweet granola he roasts in a cast-iron skillet each morning, is packed with the wild and free spirit

of Early America. Crunching into it conjures blazing new trails under the big, big sky in crisp morning air, building a fire to cook the next meal, the thrill of the unknown, and infinite possibility. Wherever you woke up before eating it, you feel like you slept under the stars. So even though the original cowboys probably weren’t granola nuts, it tastes like their fearless hope lingers in Drage’s cast iron.

All food can take us to a faraway place or time, but at breakfast we are at our most impressionable. How powerfully and instantaneously that first morsel of the day can carry us off! It’s clear even driving past Willow Bake Shoppe that all of its treats inspire those journeys daily; it is a donut shop from a simpler time, when people sat and had coffee and met friends at donut shops. The donuts, in marvelous,

cake-y buttermilk and sugary cinnamon and cider, taste like Maine and writing letters to pen pals and wood-paneled station wagons. I don’t think they make them with salt water, but with each bite a chilly but entirely pleasant ocean breeze playfully slaps you in the face, even if you’re munching them 500 miles inland. You practically feel the sea spray and hear the gulls. And you are happy.

BEYOND the CRONUT

Hybrid Desserts

by KATHRYN O’MALLEY

Foodies around the world will look back on 2013 as the year of the cronut, the obsessioninspiring, black market-inducing croissantdoughnut hybrid created by New York City pastry chef Dominique Ansel. But the cronut wasn’t the first—and certainly won’t be the last—pastry remix to grace our plates. Here, a look at some more playfully innovative desserts that guarantee to satisfy your sweet tooth.

View recipe on page 66 » bread pudding pancakes

BREAD

Breakfast takes a cue from a classic Southern dessert in these pancakes made with gooey bread pudding from Chicago’s Southport Grocery and Café. Serve them warm with a swirl of cinnamon butter and a drizzle of silky vanilla custard.

PUDDING PANCAKES

This scrumptious doughnut-muffin mashup, from the London-based Bea’s of Bloomsbury, combines a nutmeg-infused buttermilk batter with a raspberry jam filling. Once baked, the duffins are dipped in butter and coated with sugar.

View recipe

LEMON BUTTERMILK PIE

Yes, this is happening. San Francisco’s Chile Pies & Ice Cream is taking two classic desserts—homemade pie and ice cream—and blending them into smooth, creamy milkshakes studded with bits of buttery pie crust. Mix and match as you please, but we’re partial to the velvety Lemon Buttermilk combined with cool vanilla ice cream. Cream

PHOTOGRAPHY STEPHEN HAMILTON

View recipe on page 72 » lemon buttermilk pie shake

Created by the geniuses at The Iron Press in Orange County, CA, this decadent dessert is made by stuffing chocolate chip cookie dough into a waffle iron. Then, once pressed, the waffle-shaped cookie is topped with French vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce that melts into every crevice.

View recipe on page 65 wookies

Cake + Truffles

Before the cronut came the cake truffle, little bites of bliss from the kitchen of Momofuku Milk Bar. Their signature dessert has everything going for it: dark chocolate cake splashed with malted milk is rolled into balls, dipped in white chocolate and showered with malted milk crumbs.

MALTED CHOCOLATE CAKE TRUFFLES

View recipe on page 68 » chocolate malt cake truffles

BEACH VACATION

by GERALDINE CAMPBELL

BEACH

VACATION

There’s a certain romance to the snowy scene here—barren boughs heavy with the weight of fresh powder, deserted stretches of sand set against a rose-hued morning sky—but two weeks in, I’ve begun to tire of nights spent swaddled in down, still shivering.

The polar vortex—and Punxsutawney Phil’s prediction of six more weeks of arctic outbreak—has me dreaming of

warmer climes. I long to trade snowcovered beaches for umbrella-studded expanses, dark, turbulent waters for tranquil, turquoise seascapes, and pale wintery skin for bronzed limbs that smart from exposure to sun, salt, and sand. In my mind, I am shedding my winter wardrobe of woolen socks and oversize sweaters and bidding adieu to root vegetables and slow braises.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEPHEN HAMILTON

This winter, I’ve decamped to the beach. My East Hampton home for the season is a single-story yellow cottage. It’s mostly unremarkable, save for a windowed wall of doors leading to a screened-in porch that lends the house a lightflooded hopefulness that is good for my soul.

It’s true that the Caribbean has not always been synonymous with good food. Fruity cocktails and ice-cold beers, sure, but the reign of continental cuisine, chewy conch, and imported ingredients has been long and misfortunate. In keeping with island time, it’s only in the past decade that the Caribbean has really started to show its gastronomic mettle. Star chefs like Eric Ripert, Alain Ducasse, and Bobby Flay have upped the ante at posh resorts from the Bahamas to Vieques, while native toques have cut their teeth at some of the world’s best restaurants—and then returned to lend their culinary chops to traditional flavors and cooking techniques.

In keeping with island time, it’s only in the past decade that the Caribbean has really started to show its gastronomic mettle.

In St. Barts, the global-meets-Caribbean fare—sashimi with green chili dressing and crunchy rice, lobster tacos, and spice-crusted snapper—at Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s On the Rocks is rivaled only by the ocean views and see-and-beseen scene. And in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Zak Pelacchio has successfully merged the Malaysian flavors of Fatty Crab with local seafood and produce.

Still, when I think of Caribbean food—really good Caribbean food—it’s not the temples of haute cuisines that come to mind. It’s the roadside shacks, beachfront BBQ joints, and fish markets where locavore dining exists in its most natural form. It’s Fisherman’s Restaurant, a humble cook shop in Jamaica’s Long Bay, where the cook, Wayne, serves goat curry cooked in a cauldron set over a car rim filled with coals. It’s Mr. X’s Shiggity Shack, a run-down beach bar on St. Kitt’s where you can find the island’s best lobster—and eat it at picnic tables with your feet in the sand.

It’s the roadside shacks, beachfront BBQ joints, and fish markets where locavore dining exists in its most natural form.

PHOTOGRAPHY STEPHEN HAMILTON

On St. Martin, the shanties and parking lot grills are known as lolos, and while they all serve variations on the same theme— barbecue chicken, ribs, fried plantains, and rice and peas—Cole Bay’s Johnny B Under the Tree is worth seeking out for chef Johnny Bridgewater’s char-grilled spiny lobster.

Ultimately, the pleasure of eating in the Caribbean, for me, at least, is about skipping the fuss. It’s the come-as-you-are attitude, the red and white checkered tablecloths, and the salty ocean air as much as the fresh catch, falling-of-the-bone meat, or potent rum punch. In the words of Anthony Bourdain, “Food tastes better with sand between your toes.” Looking out at the frostcovered lawn, I raise a hot toddy to that.

In the words of Anthony Bourdain, “Food tastes better with sand between your toes.”

In an ideal world, Stephen and his crew would jet away to a beautiful tropical locale whenever a photo shoot called for a sun-streaked, gardenlike feel. But, more often than not, the reverse is much more practical—and the location must come to the studio in the form of paintings, props and just the right kind of lighting. Here’s how it’s done.

The Background

Layers, layers, and more layers— that’s the key to creating a realistic backdrop. Behind the table of food sits a combination of carefully arranged real and artificial plants and, behind that, an intricately detailed painting in various shades of green. Taken all together, and put into soft focus, these layers set the stage for a highly convincing garden shot.

The Props

A rustic cutting board, ice-cold beer and ceramic bowl tell you two things right away: the weather here is warm and the vibe is laid-back.

The Lighting

Winter skies tend to be dull and grey, so warming up the natural window light is really important. Here, Steve uses a bright key light—streaming from the far righthand side of the scene—with just a touch of lens flare for added softness.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEPHEN HAMILTON

weather permitting by judith mara BLOOMS A

Cauliflower, like its cabbage family brethren of broccoli, kale, and kohlrabi, is a cool weather plant that is pretty much available all year. But what makes cauliflower strikingly different is its springlike colors of white, yellow, orange, purple and chartreuse. Colors so pastel pretty they could fill an Easter basket.

Not a lot has been written about the wonders of cauliflower––at least since the 1970’s when everyone in America, all at once, seemed to discover that you can eat it raw (with ranch or spinach dip, of course). And not since the Victorian era, when only the rich

could afford it, has cauliflower been considered trendy or particularly exciting.

It’s time for a cauliflower comeback. Its cousin kale has been getting all the glory, yet cauliflower is just as nutritious and certainly more flexible as far as cooking goes. The list is a long one; cauliflower can be roasted, sautéed, steamed, boiled, pureed, pickled, baked, mashed, grilled, blanched, fried, stewed, microwaved, used as a salad ingredient, or even baked into chocolate cake.

I have an unscientific theory that there are two broad camps of cauliflower, winter and summer. Winter white varieties are

what most of us can buy now––they are grown for cold storage. It is somewhat stronger tasting and may look a little dull, so if I am boiling or blanching cauliflower I faithfully soak the whole head in cool water for at least 30 minutes to reduce the acidity. Then I do what the Italians do: add a couple teaspoons of white wine vinegar to the cooking water to make the vegetable whiter and sweeter.

there’s a springlike look to these baseball-size heads of romanesco, purple, white and orange cauliflower.

Cooking Caulif≈ower

• While most people call the broken-down pieces of cauliflower “florets,” they are technically called curds.

• If a recipe such as a stew, curry or gratin calls for florets, it is best to steam or blanch the whole head first, cool it under running water, then cut it into florets.

• Prepping the whole head is simple. Cut away all the green outer leaves. Cut the stem out by cutting around it in a conical shape, then place it head side down into the pot.

• If cooking winter (typical white grocery store) cauliflower, soak the trimmed head for 30 minutes in water. Then add about 2 teaspoons of white wine vinegar to the cooking water.

• Grilling or pan sautéing/roasting cauliflower steaks is a tasty vegetarian trend. Just treat them like a steak by rubbing olive oil, pesto, or oilbased marinade and seasonings onto them before putting them on the grill or in the pan.

• The colorful varieties are not as firm as the white variety, so they will not take as long to cook al dente.

White varieties are typically more compact, crisp and firm, which are perfect for slicing to grill or to pan sauté. White cauliflower also makes a striking presentation when the entire head is steamed or roasted whole. Because it has a little more starch than the color varieties, it also makes a great substitution for mashed potatoes.

At better grocers and farmers’ markets, spring and summer varieties of cauliflower are slowly starting to become available depending where you live. There is a rainbow of colors and sizes available, which make you wonder if each one tastes different––the answer is yes, at least slightly. Plus, some scientists have claimed that the pretty ones are also healthier as they are not a result of genetic engineering, but of selective breeding.

white cauliflower can be cooked over 20 different ways, including in desserts.

The color of purple cauliflower is caused by the presence of the antioxidant group anthocyanins, which are also found in red cabbage and red wine. This variety does taste similar to the regular white cauliflower, but it is milder and tender. Watch out with this variety to not boil it or overcook it – the purple color will fade away and not look appetizing at all.

Orange cauliflower is bred with betacarotene, giving it 25 times more vitamin A than white cauliflower lending it a sweeter flavor reminiscent of a carrot. Green cauliflower is sometimes called by the trademarked name of broccoflower. It is a cross between cauliflower and broccoli and strangely enough, it tastes like cauliflower when raw and broccoli when cooked.

The most photogenic member of the cruciferous family is Romanesco cauliflower. The fractal-shaped spikes are an amazing chartreuse color, and like snowflakes, no two heads ever look the same. Many people assume that this fascinating vegetable is some sort of hybrid between cauliflower and broccoli, but it’s not – it is a species unto itself and been around since the 16 th century.

There is just a short window of time left before the markets start filling up with asparagus, peas, ramps, and rhubarb, but we can swing into spring with cabbage that blooms like a flower and looks just as pretty.

overcooking purple cauliflower will cause it to lose its beautiful color.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEPHEN HAMILTON

romanesco cauliflower is probably the only fractal vegetable you’ll ever eat.

Born in the Philippines and raised in Hawaii, chef Rodelio Aglibot, aka “The Food Buddha,” has opened over 40 restaurants across the country, including Chicago’s acclaimed Earth + Ocean and the stylish hotspot Sunda. Now, he’s putting his passion for flavor and appetite for innovation toward yet another delicious project: a dim sum restaurant called Yum Cha, slated to open early this April in Lakeshore East. We hear the menu will offer an eclectic mix of traditional Cantonese dishes—like sweet and sour pork and shrimp with lobster sauce—in addition to more playful, modern twists—such as coconut-stuffed fried taro balls and crispy pumpkin fries with salted duck egg.

do you have a culinary mentor and, if so, how has that person influenced you as a chef?

My parents have both been instrumental in developing my style and palate. My father was a cook in the U.S. Navy and he taught me at a young age how to handle a knife and get around in the kitchen. My mother is also an amazing cook. She taught me that to cook for someone else is a gift—sort of like an edible kiss or an “I love you.”

how would you describe your cooking philosophy?

I draw a lot of inspiration from the Buddhist monastery, where there is a person responsible for the cooking and nourishment of the monks known as the tenzo (which translates to “heavenly monk”). The tenzo accepts food and products with gratitude and respect, nothing is ever wasted (even the water to wash rice is used to water plants) and nothing is ignored. He cooks with intention and is connected to each ingredient, and his hands—not a machine—are used to prepare every dish.

what has been your best street food experience? Too many to share, but the one that stands out most was in Cambodia on my visit to Angkor Wat in 2006. It was dawn and 100 degrees out with humidity to match. My friends (also chefs) and I were about to start our hike through the temples but decided to eat first.

We were warned the evening before to carry small bills, since the kids from the village tend to ask for money or sell trinkets as their way to help their families. So, we obliged and took out 100 onedollar bills. As we approached the food stalls, we were mauled by some 30 to 40 kids asking for money. But, instead of handing out cash, we decided to feed them. We approached a street vendor, who let us take over his makeshift kitchen of propane burners, warped sauté pans and tray of seasonings. And we killed it. I made eggs scrambled with noodles and vegetables, enough to feed the whole crowd. Definitely a great day.

where is your dream food location?

Or, where would you go if you had one week to eat whatever you wanted?

I’ve been fortunate to travel the world and have visited over 50 countries and counting—eating, learning and most of all living. More travel to South America is in my near future, but quite frankly, anywhere new is a dream location.

tell us about your new restaurant, Yum Cha. What was your inspiration?

I’ve always loved going out for dim sum and, as a chef, have been inspired many times by my experiences. So very I’m excited to bring a refreshing and “food buddha” take on dim sum and Cantonese cuisine.

Aglibot’s signature dessert Avocado Mousse. BY STEPHEN

Hungry for more details? Dive into Aglibot’s interview led by our previously featured chef, Lars Kronmark.

View recipe on page 74 » spaghetti nero ai frutti di mare

In Season

April is a promise.

The cold winter winds begin to whisper that spring will come if we are patient. We wait as the ground still is covered in snow, the earth hard and dormant, and so we look to the richness of the sea. From the bounty of the ocean come the indulgent flavors that help us stave off late winter blues: lobster, clams, uni. Rich enough to satisfy but light enough to turn our palates toward spring, seafood pastas become our most elegant comfort food.

PHOTOGRAPHY STEPHEN HAMILTON

by kate bernot

What better way to show off what the fish market has offered fresh that day—plump, bursting blue prawns or pristine, tender squid— than against a jet black backdrop of squid ink pasta.

Its deep, uniformly dark ribbons present seafood as the star of the plate. And because the ink is nearly flavorless, it won’t distract from the Italian ingredients that we return to again and again: fragrant garlic, fresh chopped parsley, salty anchovies and tangy San Marzano tomatoes.

Visually stunning but willing to play a supporting role, squid ink pasta has long been a favorite of Italian chefs. As we wait for the colors of spring to arrive on our plates, the dark tendrils offer an unexpected intrigue.

Humanity’s relationship with cephalopod ink is an ancient one. Greek and Roman civilizations used cuttlefish ink, called sepia, for writing. Leonardo da Vinci rendered many drawings of his fantastic machines in sepia, and photographers used it to tone photographs for their archives.

In the kitchen, chefs prefer squid ink for its deep black color rather than sepia’s rusty brown hue. Once the ink sac is split and emptied, the ink is frozen and sold to restaurants and markets, usually in one-pound increments that can be defrosted and stirred into pasta flour along with eggs and water.

Finding squid ink at a market can be difficult—try gourmet Italian groceries like New York and Chicago’s Eataly—but premade ink pastas are more easily tracked down. If you do opt for the liquid, though, remember what any Italian chef knows: that ink will stain your cutting board and fingers in your pursuit of perfect pasta.

Visually stunning but willing to play a supporting role, squid ink pasta has long been a favorite of Italian chefs.

View recipe on page 75 » saffron gemelli

The seafood pasta recipes collected here from top Italian restaurants in Chicago, Seattle and San Francisco vary in difficulty. Ambitious cooks may try homemade pasta, while others can begin with their favorite fresh or dried pasta from the grocer. All recipes, though, call for the most pristine seafood possible.

These are the dishes that beg a trip to your favorite fishmonger, where your eyes scan the bushels of tight-lipped clams, the still-briny shrimp and the smooth, white calamari. The effort is returned to you in spades. As you slip the curled pasta strands into your mouth at the dinner table, indulging in the last of winter’s richness, you also will find spring’s beginning on your lips.

PHOTOGRAPHY

All recipes, though, call for themost pristine seafood possible.

HIGH SPIRITS

According to cognac expert David Chhay, during the 19th century, the exquisite spirit was regularly consumed mixed with seltzer water. It was also a widely used spirit base for cocktails.

Today, cognac—in all its pure glory—serves as a pop-culture status symbol. In A-List circles, the likes of Robin Thicke and Paula Patton are regularly spotted indulging in late-night snifters at the club of the moment.

The truly dedicated connoisseurs take their collections seriously with not only more expensive cognacs, but also limited-edition and rare selections such as L’Essence de Courvoisier ($3,500) and Remy Martin Louis XIII ($3,100). They’re aged longer than the usual 20 years to 50 years required of other cognacs, and they are also encased in more dramatic packaging.

The longer the aging process, the more likely you’ll get to experience those rich nuances of vanilla, caramel and chocolate on your tongue.

“The best way to experience cognac for me is drinking it neat as you can fully enjoy the aromas,” advises Chhay, who serves as the prestige business ambassador for the House of Remy Martin. “I approach the tasting process with what I call ‘restrained desire.’” Chhay adds that similar to wine, cognac should be consumed when the imbiber has set aside time to really enjoy it.

“The best occasion for me is when you have the time to share it,” he says. “I would share it with my friends, but also with anybody interested in wines.”

While he prefers to drink it neat, he will occasionally order cognac in a Sazerac or Manhattan, replacing the usual rye whiskey. The spirit adds richer, deeper and complex flavors to the cocktails. Bartenders at Sophie’s, the fashionable new restaurant in Chicago’s Saks Fifth Avenue, also prefer to use cognac in the following classic French sparkling cocktail:

by

AUDARSHIA TOWNSEND

PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEPHEN HAMILTON

by INA PINKNEY

“Chocolate symbolizes, as does no other food, luxury, comfort, sensuality, gratification, and love.” KARL PETZKE

Chocolate.

Nothing else soothes and satisfies with so available a combination of tastiness and taboo. For it FEELS forbidden.

For us, chocolate is more than a flavor or a treat or a dessert. It is spiritual nourishment, a ritual communion, an almost sexual submission to the powers of the subconscious.

“Your hand and your mouth agreedmany years ago that, as far aschocolate is concerned, there is no need to involve your brain.”

DAVE BARRY

View Derek Poirier, Valrhona USA Pastry Chef

The short-term reward is unparalleled. It can be a balm for the blues, a healer of heartaches, a morale booster for the melancholy baby.

For patting ourselves on the back, for doing ourselves a favor, for giving ourselves a break, chocolate has no equal.

The perils and punishment of chocolate indulgence are well known. But to us, the chocolate lovers, the pleasure in ounces consumed is well worth the price in ounces gained.

View recipe on page 78 »

valrhona dulcey mousse Leigh Omilinsky, Executive Pastry Chef, Sofitel Chicago

“Don’t wreck a sublime chocolate experience by feeling guilty. Chocolate isn’t like premarital sex. It will not make you pregnant. And it always feels good.”

LORA BRODY

valrhona chocolate ice cream with cacao nibs and caramel sauce Sarah Mispagel, Pastry Chef, Nightwood

View recipe on page 79 »

“Every now and then, I’ll run into someone who claims not to like chocolate, and while we live in a country where everyone has the right to eat what they want, I want to say for the record that I don’t trust these people, that I think something is wrong with them, and that they’re probably - and this must be said - total duds in bed.”

―STEVE THE OF

View recipe on page 80 » parfait with pickled cherries, pudding” and Rebecca Mason, Pastry Chef, Fluff Bake Bar

PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEPHEN HAMILTON

It is chewable passion, edible infatuation, a love affair that we can devour.

Whatever there is between us and chocolate may be sinful, but when we give in, it is such sweet surrender.

View recipe on page 82 »

choco macchiato By Meg Galus, Executive Pastry Chef, NoMI Kitchen

“There is nothing better than a friend, unless it is a friend with chocolate.”

LINDA GRAYSON

PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEPHEN HAMILTON

HOW WE DID IT

by JUDITH MARA

Deconstructing a shot from Stephen Hamilton’s portfolio dish

Steamed Mussels stylist Motooka stylist Walters

PHOTOGRAPHY STEPHEN HAMILTON

crookies

Lay out a square of croissant dough and place 1 ½ broken Oreo cookies in the center. Add a small piece of white fondant, then fold up the corners of the dough around the cookies and fondant. Press together to seal. Place in dough proofer for about 30 minutes, then place half an Oreo on top. Spread the top of the croissant with a bit of egg wash and sprinkle with sugar, then bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.

Courtesy of The Iron Press in Costa Mesa, CA

ingredients:

2¼ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1¼ teaspoons salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1¼ teaspoons vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1 bar Hershey’s milk chocolate, chopped

Put flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chopped Hershey’s chocolate bar. Use a large ice-cream scoop to mold 8-10 balls of dough; refrigerate dough for 15-20 minutes. Keep refrigerated until ready for waffle iron. When you’re ready to make the wookies, heat your waffle iron to the highest possible temperature (home irons will very). If you are working with a lower-temp iron you may want to do a quick spray of butter-flavored Pam. If your iron is newer and has a hightemp rate, nothing else will be needed.

Once iron has hit its highest possible temperature, open it up and drop in a cookie dough ball, centered on the iron. You don’t need to fully close the iron, but you should press it down firmly. You will be able to smell when wookies are ready and when they are over-done. (When the fresh cookie smell is in the air=good, while chocolate burning smell=bad). Cook time will range from 45 seconds to a 1½ minutes. You want to remove when the cookie is still soft, using a little shake of the iron while tilting it at a 90-degree angle. Add a scoop of fresh vanilla bean ice cream on top while freshly off the iron to shock it. Drizzle melted chocolate for garnish and enjoy.

bread pudding pancakes with vanilla anglaise sauce and cinnamon sugar butter

Courtesy of Southport Grocery and Café, Chicago, IL

ingredients :

14 slices of firm white bread, cut into 1 inch squares

· 2 ½ cups milk

3 eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

· 1 ¼ cups flour

3 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

· 1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons butter

ingredients for cinnamon sugar butter:

1/2 pound unsalted butter, cold

· 1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

ingredients for vanilla anglaise sauce:

1 pint heavy cream

1 vanilla bean, cut in half lengthwise and seeds scraped out

4 egg yolks, whisked

1/4 cup granulated sugar

Place bread in a large bowl. Add milk. Let bread soak for about 10 minutes until softened. While bread is soaking, mix together in a small bowl the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture to the bread and gently fold until just about half incorporated. Add eggs and vegetable oil. Mix gently.

Melt butter in skillet. Drop batter in 1/3-cup-fulls. Cook 3–4 minutes on each side over medium heat. Pancakes will have a moist, bread pudding-like inside.

Serve pancakes topped with cinnamon sugar butter with a ramekin of vanilla custard sauce on the side.

to make cinnamon sugar butter:

Melt 1/4 pound of butter in a small saucepan; add salt, cinnamon and sugar. Cook until the sugar is dissolved. Pour into mixing bowl and let come to room temperature. Ad d remaining 1/4 pound of cold butter. Whip with hand mixer until creamy and fluffy.

to make vanilla anglaise sauce:

Put heavy cream in a sauce pan. Ad d the vanilla bean pod and seeds. Bring to a simmer. Ad d sugar to egg yolks and whisk until all there is no clumps. Ad d ¼ cup of warm heavy cream mixture to egg yolk mixture and whisk immediately; this is called ‘tempering’. Ad d the egg yolk mixture to the warm heavy cream. Simmer while mixing with wooden spoon until thickened and coats the back of the spoon.

Chill over an ice bath.

chocolate malt cake truffle

Courtesy of Momofuku Milk Bar in New York, NY

makes 12-15 (1 oz.) balls

Combine the chocolate cake scraps and 2 tablespoons malted chocolate milk in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and paddle until moist enough to knead into a ball. lf not moist enough to do so, add up to 2 tablespoons more malted chocolate milk and knead it in.

Using a soup spoon, portion out 12 even balls, each half the size of a ping-pong ball. Roll each one between the palms of your hands to shape and smooth it into a round sphere.

Put the ground chocolate malt crumbs in a medium bowl. With latex gloves on, put 2 tablespoons of the white chocolate in the palm of your hand and roll each ball between your palms, coating in a thin layer of melted chocolate; add more chocolate as needed.

ingredients:

3 cups Chocolate Cake scraps

2 to 4 tablespoons Malted Chocolate Milk

· 1/2 recipe for Chocolate Malt Crumbs, finely ground in a food processor

3 ounces white chocolate, melted

the basics

The base: Cake scraps, the fresher the better. We stick to one flavor of cake scraps at a time.

The binder: This can be the additional milky soak from a cake assembly or a moist filling, curd, or sauce. Depending on the moist ness of the cake base, we can use more or less binder. We have recipes, but there is always a range for the binder.

The shell: To seal in freshness and flavor, we roll each truffle in melted chocolate. The melted chocolate also serves to glue the crunchy coat onto the outside. We use Valrhona 72% dark choco late or white chocolate, depending on the flavor of the cake truffle.

The crunchy coat: Finely ground crumbs or crunches work best, but we’ve even been known to use toasted yellow cake crumbs.

Put 3 or 4 chocolate-covered balls at a time into the bowl of chocolate malt crumbs.

Immediately toss them with the crumbs to coat, before the chocolate shell sets and no longer acts as a glue (if this happens, just coat the ball in another thin layer of melted chocolate).

Refrigerate for at least 5 minutes to fully set the chocolate shells before eating or storing. In an airtight container, the truffles will keep for up to 1 week in the fridge.

Steps 3 and 4 are easiest when you have a buddy: one person coats the cake balls in melted chocolate; the other tosses them in the milk crumbs.

ingredients for chocolate cake:

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, at room temperature

1½ cups sugar

· 3 eggs

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup grapeseed oil

· 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 tablespoons Fudge Sauce

· 1 ¼ cups cake flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder, preferably Valrhona

1½ teaspoons baking powder

· 1½ teaspoons kosher salt

Pam or other nonstick cooking spray (optional)

to make chocolate cake:

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and cream together on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the eggs, and mix on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl once more.

On low speed, stream in the buttermilk, oil, and vanilla. Increase the miser speed to medium-high and paddle for 3 to 5 minutes, until the mixture is practically white, twice the size of your original fluffy butter-and-sugar mixture, and completely homogenous. There should be no streaks of fat or liquid. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Add the fudge sauce and mix on low speed until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

With a spatula, stir the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. On very low speed, add the dry ingredients and mix for 45 to 60 seconds, just until your batter comes together. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and mix on low speed for another 45 seconds to ensure that any little lumps of cocoa powder and cake flour are incorporated.

Pam-spray a quarter sheet pan and line it with parchment, or just line the pan with a Silpat. Using a spatula, spread the cake batter in an even layer in the pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. The cake will rise and puff, doubling in size, but wiII remain slightly buttery and dense. At 30 minutes, gently poke the edge of the cake with your finger; the cake should bounce back slightly and the center should no longer be jiggly. Leave the cake in the oven for an extra 3 to 5 minutes if it doesn’t pass these tests.

Take the cake out of the oven and cool on a wire rack or, in a pinch, in the fridge or freezer (don’t worry, it’s not cheating).

The cooled cake can be stored in the fridge, wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to 5 days.

1¼ cups milk

4 ½ tablespoons Ovaltine

makes about 1½ cups

makes 1 quarter sheet pan cake on next page...

to make malted chocolate milk:

Combine milk and Ovaltine powder and stir until mixed thoroughly. in the fridge for up to 2 weeks; do not freeze. In a pinch, substitute 2 tablespoons corn syrup for the glucose.

ingredients for fudge sauce:

1 ounce 72% chocolate, chopped 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, preferably Valrhona 1/8 teaspoon Kosher salt 1/4 cup glucose · 2 tablespoons sugar 1/4 cup heavy cream

makes about ½ cup

to make fudge sauce:

ingredients for chocolate malt crumbs:

1/2 cup milk powder 1/4 cup flour 2 tablespoons cornstarch 2 tablespoons sugar 2½ tablespoons Ovaltine 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, melted 1/4 cup milk powder 3 ounces white chocolate, melted

Combine the chocolate, cocoa powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Combine the glucose, sugar, and heavy cream in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and stir intermittently while bringing to a boil over high heat. The moment it boils, pour it into the bowl holding the chocolate. Let sit for 1 full minute. Slowly, slowly begin to whisk the mixture. Then continue, increasing the vigor of your whisking every 30 seconds, until the mixture is glossy and silky-smooth. This will take 2 to 4 minutes, depending on your speed and strength. You can use the sauce at this point or store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks; do not freeze. In a pinch, substitute 2 tablespoons corn syrup for the glucose. to make chocolate malt crumbs:

Heat the oven to 250 degrees.

Combine the 1/2 cup milk powder, the flour, cornstarch, sugar, Ovaltine, and salt in a medium bowl. Toss with your hands to mix. Add the melted butter and toss, using a spatula, until the mixture starts to come together and form small clusters.

Spread the clusters on a parchment-or Silpat-lined sheet pan and bake for 20 minutes. The crumbs should be sandy at that point, and your kitchen should smell like buttery heaven. Cool the crumbs completely.

makes about 2¼ cups

Crumble any chocolate malt crumb clusters that are larger than inch in diameter, and put the crumbs in a medium bowl. Add the 1/4 cup milk powder and toss together until it is evenly distributed throughout the mixture.

Pour the white chocolate over the crumbs and toss until your clusters are enrobed. Then continue tossing them every 5 minutes until the white chocolate hardens and the clusters are no longer sticky. The crumbs will keep in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer for up to 1 month.glucose.

duffins

Courtesy of Bea’s of Bloomsbury, Bloomsbury, UK

makes about 22

ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour 4 teaspoons baking powder

· 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 1 2/3 cups superfine sugar

· 2 eggs, lightly beaten 1½ cups buttermilk 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

· 2/3 cup sunflower oil

coating & dipping:

2 sticks unsalted butter, melted 1½ cups superfine sugar

About ½ jar of raspberry jam 2 x 12-hole muffin trays, well greased piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle/tip

Preheat the oven to 365 degrees.

Put all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Add all the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Don’t overmix. Spoon the mixture into the muffin tray holes, filling them three quarters of the way up. Bake in the preheated oven for 22–30 minutes. A wooden skewer inserted in te middle should come out dry and crumbly. While the muffins are baking, put the melted butter and sugar in their own shallow bowls and set aside.

Remove the muffin trays from the oven and tip the muffins out. Immediately dip the muffins in the melted butter, then roll in the sugar to liberally and evenly coat. Fill the prepared piping bag with jam. Push the nozzle/tip through the top (or bottom if you want it to look neater) of the doughnut, up to midway. Pipe about 1 tablespoon of jam inside each doughnut and serve immediately.

Apple Cinnamon: Add 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom to the bat ter, and 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon to the sugar used for coat ing. Fill with apple jam or compote.

Coconut: Replace the nutmeg with vanilla extract and fill with coconut pastry cream.

lemon butter pie shake

Courtesy Of Chile Pies & Ice Cream, San Francisco, CA

serves 8-12

to make milkshakes:

Place 4 scoops of vanilla ice cream, 1 slice of Lemon Buttermilk Pie and 1 tablespoon whole milk in a blender. Blend until mostly smooth with some bits of pie remaining. Pour into pint glass and top with whipped cream.

ingredients for butter pie crust:

3 ½ cups all-purpose floured 1/4 teaspoon salt

· 1/2 pound Straus or other good quality butter, cut into 1” cubes

1 cup + 3 tablespoons cold water

ingredients for lemon buttermilk pie filling:

· 1 cup sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon corn starch

· 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup melted butter

to make butter pie crust:

Place flour in salt in a large bowl. Place half of flour/salt mixture and half of the cubed butter into a food processor. Then top with the remaining flour/salt and butter. Pulse/process until small, pebble-sized pieces of butter remain.

Dump into large bowl and use pastry cutter to add in cold water, one tablespoon at a time, until the dough just begins to clump. You may or may not need the full 3 tablespoons of water.

Gather dough into ball; shape into flattened 4-inch round on lightly floured board. Using a floured rolling pin, roll the dough into a circle 2 inches larger than the base of your pie pan. Roll from the center outward in light strokes. As you roll out the pastry, periodically rotate it a quarter of a turn.

As needed, lightly flour the board so that the pastry does not stick. Occasionally, flip the pastry. When completed, gently fold the pastry into quarters (fold the pastry in half and then in half again); place the folded pastry into the pie plate with the point in the very center and then unfold it in the pan. Trim overhanging edge of pastry 1 inch from rim of pan. Set aside in refrigerator while you make the pie filling.

to make lemon buttermilk pie filling:

Bring all ingredients to room temperature. In a large bowl, mix together sugar, flour and cornstarch. Add the vanilla and beaten eggs. Whisk. Add buttermilk and lemon juice and whisk together. Add warm melted butter, whisking again until filling is smooth.

to make lemon buttermilk pie:

Pour filling into unbaked Butter Crust. Top with Candied Lemon Slices (6 per pie) or fresh fruit (blueberries or raspberries). Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes, then reduce to 300 for 38–40 more minutes.

to make candied lemon slices:

Bring 2 cups sugar and 2 cups water to a boil. Cut 6 lemons into slices and simmer on in the syrup on low heat until translucent.

spaghetti nero ai frutti di mare by Tony Priolo, Picoolo Sogno serves 1

ingredients:

2 ounces cleaned calamari, sliced into rings 3 Manila clams in the shell, washed 3 Prince Edward Island mussels, washed 5 shrimp, peeled and deveined 1 ounce dry white wine 2 ounces shellfish stock 1/2 ounce brandy

In a small pan over low heat, mix the breadcrumbs with olive oil and toast, frequently stirring, until golden brown. Remove from heat and season with a pinch of salt and lemon zest. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season with salt. Stir in the pasta and cook until al dente, 3 to 4 minutes. In the last minute of the cooking time, add the raw broccoli florets. Drain, reserving about 1/2 cup of cooking water. Re turn the pasta to the pot and add spoonfuls of the braised squid until the pasta is evenly coated.

3 ounces Mt. Vesuvius cherry tomatoes 1½ ounces extra virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic, sliced 1 tablespoon butter, unsalted pinch of Italian parsley, washed and chopped · sea salt and black pepper to taste

4 ounces fresh black spaghetti, cooked for 1 minute in boiling salted water

saffron gemelli by Paul Kahan and Erling Wu-Bower, Nico Osteria

Start pancetta in a cold stainless steel sauté pan with a bit of olive oil. Heat on high, being sure not to stir until pancetta has created a fond on the bottom of the pan. Flip the pancetta once, adding squid, fennel and onions. Create a second fond with the squid and vegetables, sea son with salt, pepper and chili flake. Add garlic and toss once to toast lightly then add rosemary and tomato conserva. With the back of a wooden spoon, mash the tomato into the mixture. Allow the tomato sauce to caramelize further, it should be a deep brick color. Deglaze with vermouth and simmer until the alcohol has burned off. Drop pasta into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add fish fumet and but ter to the pan and reduce until emulsified. When pasta is perfectly al dente, strain from cooking liquid and dump into sauce. Add a little bit of pasta cooking water to the pan and reduce on high heat. Toss the pasta at least 25-30 times to release the starch and properly emulsify the sauce. Once sauce is at the correct consistency, finish with aged balsamic and adjust seasoning with salt and chili, and acidity with lemon. Spoon pasta onto a plate and top with breadcrumbs, drizzle a bit of good olive oil to finish the plate.

ingredients:

1 Ounce pancetta, sliced into 1/2” x 1/2” x 1/8” pieces

1/2 Ounce fennel, sliced wafer thin

1/2 Ounce knob onion, whites sliced wafer thin

1 Ounce squid tentacles

1 Ounce squid tubes, sliced into 1/2” x 2” strips (squid marinated in thyme, garlic, chile and extra virgin olive oil)

1 Teaspoon garlic, minced

1 Pinch chili flakes

· 4 Leaves rosemary

2 Tablespoons tomato conserva (recipe to follow)

3 Ounces vermouth

· 6 Ounces fish fumet

2 Tablespoons butter

1 Teaspoon aged balsamic

· Lemon to taste

Salt and pepper to taste 90 Grams gemelli noodle

· Small handful of toasted breadcrumbs

Extra virgin olive oil to finish

ingredients for tomato conserva:

32 ounces good quality (or homemade) tomato sauce

4 ounces extra virgin olive oil

to make tomato conserva:

Heat olive oil in a saucepot until smoking hot. Carefully dump tomato sauce into hot oil so as to “fry” it. Reduce to a simmer, stirring con stantly. Continue to slowly cook the tomato sauce for 3-4 hours until reduced by 3/4 and has turned brick red, taking care not to let the bottom burn.

french 76

Courtesy of Sophie’s at Saks Fifth Avenue

Shake all ingredients in shaker. Pour into champagne flute; top with champagne. Garnish with lemon twist.

ingredients for brownies:

10 ¼ ounces pecans chopped ¼ ounces Valrhona Ivoire 35% chocolate, chopped

7 eggs ½ ounces brown sugar ½ ounces butter ¼ ounces Valrhona Nyangbo chocolate ¼ ounces flour

· 1 ounce Valrhona cacao powder

ingredients for caramel:

13 ½ ounces heavy cream vanilla beans, split down the middle cinnamon sticks ½ ounces glucose (or corn syrup) ¼ ounces sugar ½ ounces good quality salted butter

to make brownies:

Chop the pecans and Ivoire chocolate together and set aside. Whisk the eggs with the brown sugar. Meanwhile, melt the butter and the Nyagbo chocolate together in a double boiler. Once it’s melted and uniform, add it to the egg mixture and whisk together.

to make caramel:

Heat the cream and infuse it with the vanilla and cinnamon sticks. Warm the glucose, slowly adding the sugar and cooking until you have a light caramel. Remove from heat and deglaze with butter. Slowly whisk in the infused cream, then strain. Cook until caramel reaches 320 degrees.

Mix in the flour and cocoa powder with a spatula, then add the chopped pecans and lvoire chocolate. Pour into a half sheet pan greased and lined with parchment paper and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 17 minutes.

makes about 12-16, depending on size

brownies with caramel by Derek Poirier, Valrhona USA Pastry Chef

by Leigh Omilinsky, Executive Pastry Chef, Sofitel Chicago

ingredients:

9 ounces whole milk

9 ounces heavy cream

· 1/2 ounce sugar

11-12 egg yolks

1/4 ounce salt

· 35¼ ounces Valrhona Dulcey 32% blonde chocolate

1 ½ packages gelatin powder, bloomed

31 2/3 ounces heavy cream, whipped

2 ounces Whiskey dulcey mousse

Bring the milk, cream and half the sugar to a boil. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks, salt, and other half of sugar together. Pour the hot milk mixture over the eggs, whisking constantly to temper them. Pour back into the pot and return to heat, cooking to 176 degrees.

Strain mixture over the chocolate and whisk to combine. Scale 61 ounces of this base into a bowl. Whisk in the bloomed gelatin and add to the scaled chocolate base. Fold in the whipped cream 1/3 at a time. Add the Whiskey last. Chill until set and serve in glasses.

to serve:

Place the ice cream in a dish with caramel sauce and garnish with candied cacao nibs.

ingredients for ice cream:

2.2 quarts whole milk

3 ½ ounces sugar

3 ½ ounces Trimoline 1/3 ounce stabilizer

3¼ ounces milk powder

· 1/3 ounce salt

12-13 egg yolks 35.2 ounces Valrhona Bahibe 46% chocolate, melted

to make ice cream:

Warm the milk to 100 degrees. Stir in the sugar, Trimoline, and stabilizer. At 158 degrees, add the milk powder and salt. When the mixture reaches 186 degrees, whisk in the egg yolks and pour over the chocolate. Mix it with a hand mixer until completely blended. Let sit in the refrigerator overnight. Process in your ice cream machine according to manufacturer instructions.

ingredients for caramel sauce:

24 ounces glucose (or corn syrup) 35 ounces sugar

· 5½ ounces butter 36 ½ ounces cream

to make caramel sauce:

Boil the glucose then slowly add the sugar. Cook to 350 degrees until you reach the desired color of caramel. Take it off of the heat, whisk in the butter, and then slowly add the cream while whisking constantly. Heat it back up to 248 degrees. Reserve.

ingredients for candied cocoa nibs:

3 ½ ounces sugar

2¼ ounces water

2 cups Valrhona cacao nibs

to make candied cocoa nibs:

Boil the water and sugar together. Add the cacao nibs and stir until very thick. Transfer to a Silpat or aluminum foil to cool.

valrhona chocolate ice cream with cacao nibs and caramel sauce by Sarah Mispagel, Pastry Chef, Nightwood

to assemble:

Spread the brioche “Bread Pudding” on a plate. Place a slice of the Tainori Parfait on the plate and top with the Pistachio Crumble. Scatter cherries around the plate.

tainori parfait with pickled cherries, “bread pudding” and pistachios by Rebecca Mason, Pastry Chef, Fluff Bake Bar

ingredients for tainori parfait:

3 egg whites

3½ ounces sugar

· 7 ounces heavy cream

5½ ounces Valrhona Tainori 64% chocolate, melted

to make tainori parfait:

Make a Swiss meringue by cooking the egg whites and sugar in a double boiler. When the sugar dissolves completely, pour into a stand mixer with the whisk attachment and whip to stiff peaks. Remove from mixing bowl, then pour in the heavy cream, whipping to stiff peaks on medium speed. Fold the melted chocolate into the Swiss meringue, then fold in whipped cream. Pipe the mixture into fleximolds, ring molds or even a spring form pan and freeze. When they are completely frozen, unmold and return to freezer until you are ready to use.

ingredients for “bread pudding”:

19 ounces stale or toasted brioche bread

19 ounces heavy cream

3 ½ ounces sugar (plus or minus, depending on taste)

A few pinches Kosher salt to taste

ingredients for pickled cherries:

3/4 cup sugar

2 ¼ cups white wine vinegar

· 2 cloves

4 peppercorns

1 cup water

1 pound pitted cherries

ingredients for pistachio crumble:

· 2 ¾ ounces pistachios, roughly chopped and toasted

5 ½ ounces pistachio paste

2 ½ ounces feuilletine or corn flakes

· 1¼ ounces powdered sugar

Kosher salt to taste

to make “bread pudding”:

Break up the brioche and put into a food processor. Scald cream with sugar and salt; pour it over the brioche and let sit about 4 minutes. Process the brioche in food processor until smooth. Place the puree into quart containers and set aside. to make pickled cherries:

Bring all but the cherries to a boil, then remove from heat and let cool completely. Pour over cherries and let sit overnight. Cut cherries in half to plate.

to make pistachio crumble:

Mix everything together by hand. Reserve in quart container.

By Meg Galus, Executive Pastry Chef, NoMI Kitchen serves 6

ingredients for coffee cream:

0.35 ounces crushed coffee beans

· 24 ounces heavy cream

0.35 ounces instant espresso powder

1 ½ ounces corn syrup

12 ¼ ounces sugar

4 ½ ounces butter

15 ounces Valrhona Jivara Lactee milk chocolate, melted

Bring the coffee beans, cream, and espresso to a boil. Cover and let infuse. Meanwhile, melt the corn syrup in a pot. Slowly scatter in the sugar. Melt the two together and cooking until you reach a dark caramel. Working quickly, remove from the heat and whisk in the butter until smooth. Whisk in the infused cream and bring to a boil. Strain into melted chocolate and mix with a whisk or hand blender. Let it set overnight in the refrigerator. Whip it lightly on a low speed until it lightens in color and and is a bit fluffy.

ingredients for nibby shortbread crunch:

4 ½ ounces powdered sugar

4 ½ ounces butter

2 ounces graham flour

1 egg pinch of salt

· 8 ¼ ounces cake flour

ingredients for whipped panna cotta:

35 ounces heavy cream

1 ounce crushed coffee beans

1/3 of a lemon, zested into strips

1 vanilla bean

0.35 ounces (approx. 1 ½ envelopes) powdered gelatin

Bring the cream, coffee, zest, vanilla and sugar to a boil. Take it off the heat, cover and let it steep for about 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, whisk in the gelatin. Strain the mixture into a container and let it set overnight in the fridge. The next day, whip it in a stand mixer until stiff peaks form. Reserve.

Beat the butter, sugar, and graham flour in a stand mixer until combined. Add the egg slowly while mixing. Slowly add the salt and flour until combined. Spread it on a sheet pan lined with parchment or silpat and bake at 300 degrees until golden. Let cool. Crush in a food processor until you get crumbs.

mix the crumbs with:

2 ounce Valrhona cacao nibs

2 ½ ounces Feuilletine (or corn flakes)

7 ounces Valrhona Jivara Lactee milk chocolate, melted

2 ounces Valrhona Caraibe Milk Chocolate, melted 1/4 ounce instant espresso powder

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Spread out on a Silpat or aluminum foil and separate into chunks. Let it set.

to assemble:

Serve in a small glasses or a trifle dish. Sprinkle some Nibby crunch on the bottom. Fill the glass 1/3 of the way with Coffee Cream. Top with some Nibby Crunch. Pipe or spoon some Whipped Panna Cotta on top. Finish it with some more Nibby Crunch.

choco macchiato

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