Category Archives: dessert

Churros Con Chocolate at Casa Aranda, Malaga, Spain

Growing up in what was a Spanish colony for 300 years, one would think that I would have grown up with ready access to churros con chocolate, but I didn’t. There was one restaurant I knew I could get it (Dulcinea), but other than that, if I craved churros, I had to make it myself, which I did once when I got my first pastry bag and decorating
tips. I deep-fried some curled and etched batter and dusted it with sugar and ate it heartily. There was no time for chocolate.

Churros dipped in thick, rich chocolate. Drool.

A week or so ago we were in Malaga, Spain, looking desperately for what was to be our first meal of the day. The first open restaurant we saw that Sunday was still warming up when we ran into a very crowded street cafe. The cobblestones were lined with discarded tissues, wax paper and cigarette butts. To and from the kitchen busy waiters
carried cups of chocolate and plates of gigantic churros and we found ourselves a table to share some treats.

Out came three cups of chocolate and a steel plate of churros which we dipped and ate. The chocolate was thick, rich, and not so sweet. The churros were not sweetened and were simply deep fried large loops of donut dough. We fell in love and wanted to stay there all day but the cafe was closing at noon. With warm bellies we got up from our seats and walked around until we got hungry for our next tapas meal at El Marisquero. Continue reading

Sky Ice Northern Thai Cooking, Park Slope Brooklyn

Have you ever fallen in love with a restaurant? It happens to me sometimes, not very often, and especially for places I would have otherwise ignored if not for someone else’s feedback or my own curiosity.

Chicken Satay and Peanut Sauce

Sky Ice is one of those places. Looking mostly like a dessert place, the ice cream counter overshadows its meal offerings we only realized existed after reading reviews online.

Cozy interior of this family-run joint.

Asian food always makes me suspicious, and I personally come up with a very biased set of criteria which includes whether a particular dish is something I could easily replicate at home. If I can make it, you’d better not charge me too much for it, or else you’d better blow me away. This is why we were disappointed in the last famous Thai restaurant we tried. Maybe my judgement is just flawed. Everyone else seems to love that place, except of course all the credible Asians I’ve asked. 🙂 Continue reading

Apple Cider Donuts at Soon’s Orchard, New Hampton NY

I’m not a sucker for sweets. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it, even if this blog is full of dessert posts. But the truth is that I don’t seek out cakes, pastries and pies, and I would be as happy with fruit after a meal. Dessert I feel is a moment to share as a separate meal sharing a slice with tea and conversation, or as a second destination after a restaurant meal. Anyway, where was I? (Lost in sugary lies!)

Oh yes, warm apple cider donuts. From Soons Orchard, these are about the best donuts I’ve ever had. Ever. Would I lie to you? Maybe for a donut.

At 31 cents apiece, they’re not bad! They have them with brown or powdered sugar. I prefer them as a classic brown, and freshly made from the Soon’s country store. Continue reading

Coolhaus Ice Cream Sandwiches

Did I tell you about ice cream sandwiches? I think I did here and here. But I need to tell you again, and more specifically about the wonderful thing that is Coolhaus that allows you to select your cookie and ice cream combinations on the spot. WHUT WHUT is right!

Potato chip and Skor bar cookie and Oreo coffee ice cream sandwich

Continue reading

Bierkraft Shameless Ice Cream Sandwich

Is an ice cream sandwich too decadent? Or is that the point? Combining two rich treats together might be the reason getting a perfect match is such a challenge. A lot of them turn out too sweet and too overwhelming to eat. Bierkraft‘s ice cream sandwiches are gigantic, but are subtle enough for an average eater to make enough damage.

Bierkraft Shameless Ice: Peanut Butter Gelato on Brownie

The brownie sides of this peanut butter gelato and brownie ice cream sandwich were chewy and did not crumble to the bite. Did I mention it’s about as big as my hand? I recommend it be shared, either cut in half with a knife or shared bite-by-bite with a person whose cooties don’t scare you. Continue reading

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