NYC Whirlwind Trip

I got back last night from a whirlwind week in New York City to promote my new cookbook and attend The James Beard Foundation Awards.

Some food highlights:

Hen Consommé at L'Ecole, The Restaurant at the French Culinary Institute
Oysters and Pearls at Per Se
English Muffins and Jam at Sarabeth's.
Hanger Steak with frites at Terrance Brennan's, Artisanal
Pumpernickel bagel and lox from a deli on Third Avenue
Everything on the menu at ABC Kitchen but especially the chicken liver toasts, the ramp and goat cheese toasts, the whole wheat pizza with dates and prosciutto and the beet and homemade yogurt salad. I happily confess I had lunch there two days in a row. It's one of the few restaurants in New York that serves a lot of veggies.

At the two James Beard Foundation events (Friday night's Broadcast, Books and Journalism Dinner and Monday's Awards Gala) our local SF chefs did us proud:

Mourad Lahlou (Aziza, San Francisco)- Braised Beef, Smoked Green Farro, RAs el Hanout Sauce
David Lawrence (1300 On Fillmore)- Maple Syrup Braised Beef Short Rib, Horseradish Creamed Anson Mills Stone Ground Grits
Yigit Pura (Taste Catering)- Tonka Bean Infused Dark Chocolate Cremeux, Organix Mulberry Compote, Floral Red Fruit Tea, Chocolate Puffs
Alex Ong (Betelnut)- Tumeric Marin Sun Farms Lamb Belly with Jalapeno Vinegar

Flying to New York and back I got my fix of Biscoff cookies on Delta. Those cookies are good and not only when you are stuck on a plane at 38,569 feet. To keep myself amused on the journey home I came up with five things to do with Biscoff cookies:

Break into chunks and layer in a glass with berries and whipped cream or plain yogurt
Dip half way into melted milk chocolate. Let harden and eat.
Make ice cream sandwiches with your favorite vanilla ice cream
Grind up and use as a cheesecake or banana cream pie crust.
Break up and put in streusel for a fruit crisp.

I'm glad to be home but can't wait for my next trip.