eat your chow.

Hot Pot at XO Cafe, Chinatown

New York’s trendy restaurant scene is a lot of fun, but this year I’m making an effort to try as many authentic ethnic restaurants as I can. I’ve lived on the cusp of Chinatown for almost two years now and feel pathetic that I’ve not taken proper advantage.

Thursday nite I was invited along to XO Cafe for hot pot, the Chinese version of fondue. Luckily I was with a cast of characters who knew what they were doing, so I sat back, sipped my almond bubble tea, and enjoyed hot pot without any worries.

Hot pot starts with a pot of spicy broth boiling in the center of the table. You order all the ingredients you want; we did tofu, chicken, beef, scallops, clams, dumplings, and a wide array of veggies. Some participants ordered tripe, or cow intestines. I definitely was not ready to try that.

The contents come to the table raw. You throw whatever you want into the pot, let it cook, then fish it out to enjoy.

It was a feast for the ages.

Although so far on my cultural culinary trail I would say I enjoyed my dim sum brunch a wee bit more, this was a unique experience and I would definitely return. The $24 all-you-can-eat hot pot includes beverages, appetizers (like the pan fried dumplings, below), and dessert.

10am

Free Coffee this Month in New York

Enjoy my little caffeine fiends!

9am

Molly's Kitchen: Cinnamon French Toast Cupcakes

Wowza! If you’re a sugar fiend like me, these cupcakes are going to change your life. French toast is emulated with vanilla cinnamon cake and maple brown sugar frosting. I think they’re my best recipe yet, just beating out peanut butter/chocolate. Make sure you eat one fresh out of the oven; the top is crunchy and the inside is warm, really making them taste like french toast. I finished them with a little sprinkle of cinnamon sugar on top. Enjoy!

Vanilla Cinnamon Cupcakes

• 1 Stick Butter
• 1 C Sugar
• 2 Lg Eggs
• 1.5 C Flour
• .75 Tsp Baking Powder
• 1 Tsp Ground Cinnamon
• .25 Tsp Salt
• .5 C Milk
• .75 Tsp Vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Cream the butter until light and fluffy. Add sugar and mix until fully incorporated. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each.
3. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon together.
4. Combine milk and vanilla together.
5. Alternately add the flour and milk mixtures to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
6. Pour into a 12 well cupcake tin. Bake for about 30-35 minutes until lightly golden brown.

Notes: The cake does turn out on the dense side. I still liked it, but in the future I might try to find a fluffier vanilla cupcake recipe and just add cinnamon.

Maple Brown Sugar Frosting

• 2.5 c confectioners’ sugar
• 1/2 c dark brown sugar
• 4 T unsalted butter
• 1/8 t salt
• 1/2 c real maple syrup
• 1 t vanilla
• 1 T whole milk

1. In a medium bowl with a mixer set on medium speed, beat sugars, butter, and salt until combined.
2. Continue beating and add the maple syrup in a slow steady stream.
3. Add the vanilla.
4. Increase speed to medium high and continue to beat until light and fluffy.
5. Add 1 T milk to achieve a smooth spreading consistency.

Notes: The original recipe is actually for icing, but I prefer butter cream. The above recipe includes my changes to make butter cream frosting. Also, if you follow these recipes exactly you’re going to end up with 12 or so cupcakes and double the frosting. Either double the cupcake recipe or half the frosting recipe. Otherwise you’ll end up eating maple frosting on graham crackers for the next couple weeks…not that I’m complaining.

Recipe from Ice Cream Before Dinner.

9am

Cochon, New Orleans

My other over-the-top New Orleans meal was at Cochon. This was by far my favorite dining experience of the trip, and is now added—with Mr. B’s—to my ultimate New Orleans restaurant list. Also please note: this is the meal when I ate more red meat in one sitting than I have in my entire life.

Let me set the scene. It’s around noon on Friday, and although I had already had breakfast and a bag of M&Ms (not to mention over-indulged for three days prior), embarrassingly, I was ravenous. This is also around the time that I started thinking, “Screw it, there’s no turning back. If I explode, so be it.”

First we checked out Butcher, chef Donald Link’s new, more casual meat market. It smelled like southern heaven. The place was packed, with no open seats. I started to panic. I wanted meat, and I wanted it now.

Chefs prepping food at Butcher

Unfortunately it wasn’t feeding time yet. First we were to take a tour of Chef Link’s operations. Not exactly looking forward to seeing how the meat I was soon to devour was prepared, I spent a lot of time in the pastry room, collecting more smells, wanting to die a little bit more each minute. But it was interesting to learn that Chef Link does most of the food preparation in house.

Chef Donald Link’s meat locker

FINALLY it was time to sit down. I thought I was going to eat my menu, but the food started rolling out and it was no holds barred in my race to stuff my face. This is a restaurant I hope to revisit often, and what’s more, it’s extremely affordable. Here are the highlights.

Black Eyed Pea and Pork Gumbo. This was insanely good. The recipe’s here!

Wood-Fired Oyster Roast. As much as I wish I liked slimy oysters, they just don’t do it for me. Oh well, pretty presentation.

Cochon Muffaletta from Butcher. House made meats, provolone, pickled peppers, and olives. One of the best sandwiches of my life.

Fried Alligator with Chili Garlic Aioli. I ate alligator. YES! And it was my favorite dish, outside of dessert! Granted it was fried and tasted like Chinese food, but that’s not the point. Notice the glazed over expression. I was in the zone.

Time for dessert. I vaguely remember shouting out, “let’s get one of each!” Oops. What follows are some of the best treats I’ve ever had.

Cochon Cookies.

Pumpkin Pie with orange whip cream and pecan toffee.

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake with coconut-lime sorbet and dulce de leche.

3pm

Commander's Palace, New Orleans

I had two splurge-doesn’t-even-begin-to-cover-it meals while in New Orleans. Last time I was in the Big Easy—after various people witnessed my eating style (hot, steamy love affair)—I was told that I must have brunch at Commander’s Palace.

Now Commander’s is kind of like the holy grail of New Orleans dining. First off, the turquoise palace has been around—same location—since 1880. Secondly, the three course jazz brunch is the most expensive I’ve ever had to date ($75 including two mimosas and tip). This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime (or once every couple years) splurgetastic occasion.

My thoughts? For what we paid, I wouldn’t say the food blew my mind. Of course it was delicious—OF COURSE—but I’m sure you can have the same quality food for much less somewhere else. I was also a little bummed the service wasn’t as “refined” as I was expecting. Granted, we weren’t the typical ladies who lunch, but I was a little surprised when our drink runner asked if we wanted to take tequila shots. Anywho, no big deal. The jazz trio came over and played me my favorite Iko Iko Jockamo song and all was well.

Let’s get to the good stuff. I’ve captured my own decadent meal and my friend’s, Molly #2.

Appetizers

Oops sorry, no pics. We both decided to start out as healthy as possible with salads. Also, garlic bread was served with a side of butter. Of course.

Molly #1: Champagne and Sugarcane Salad: Winter greens and ripped herbs with blue cheese, barbecued onions, crispy sweet potatoes, and champagne-molasses vinaigrette. Had a great kick to it, delish, didn’t taste healthy (yay!).

Molly #2: Honey Satsuma Salad: Local Mandarin oranges dressed in citrus honey with petite greens, praline granola, sugared dates, and Grand Marnier vinaigrette. Positive reviews from Molly #2.

Entrees

Molly #1: Wild Shrimp and Grits: Rosemary and garlic crusted Louisiana shrimp over yellow stone ground grits with Vidalia onions, peppers, pickled garlic, and New Orleans barbecue sauce. I don’t know why I always order shrimp and grits. I don’t love them and I’m always somewhat disappointed. But these were the best I’ve had, and the barbecue sauce added some nice flavor.

Molly #2: Pecan Crusted Gulf Fish: Topped with champagne poached jumbo lump crab, spiced pecans, and crushed corn sauce. Molly hit it out of the park with this order. I mean, LOOK AT THAT BUTTER/CORN/CREAM SAUCE POOL! And topped with crab no less. This was one of the most decadent, rich, unbelievable things I have ever tasted, and definitely would be my order if/when I ever return.

Desserts

Molly #1: Pecan Pie: Warm pecan pie and vanilla bean ice cream with melted chocolate, candied pecans, and Fleur de Sel caramel sauce. If pecan pie is on the menu AND I’m in the south, I can’t order any other dessert. The picture speaks for itself.

Molly #2: Creole Bread Pudding Soufflé, the Queen of Creole Desserts: Finished tableside with rum cream sauce. This sucker was gigantic, delicious, and very rum heavy. I’ve never been a huge soufflé fan, but Molly #2 loved it.

2pm