A Passion For Pancakes APlenty

So I hope, dear readers, that there is nary a doubt in your mind about our passion for pancakes. And while Pancake Month ends in just a few days, we'd like to call your attention to a *free* event happening on March 7th.

Lady chef? Check.
Pancakes? Check.
The warmth of an open fire to get us in the mood... for pancakes? Check, check, check!



The New York Nineteenth Century Society and The Old Stone House present: Pancakes APlenty. Sarah Lohman will recreate three historic pancake recipes - save room because all three sound amazing: pumpkin cornmeal, apple/ sour milk and clove/rosewater. What?!

March 7th, The Old Stone House, New York. 11am. See you there!

What Your Kids Are Eating (It Ain't So Great)

School lunches suck.  We grew up on Straw Hats, aka Frito Pie, (read, Fritos with re-fried beans, cheese, taco mystery meat, Iceberg lettuce, and tomatoes. And Tabasco.) They were delicious, but not so good for our young bodies.

Always With Honor, the design group that did the ever delicious A.M. / P.M. badges we posted about a while ago, has done some work for the ever ethical magazine/blog GOOD to show what goes into a typical school lunch. Scary.  They also illustrate a more healthy alternative, with, gasp, FRUIT!

 

Click to Enlarge - or view it on the GOOD Website.

Violent Mugging

Things that could happen when you don't get your coffee in the morning.

1. Violence.

2. Despair.

3. Violence.

Avoid at least two of the above with these weaponized beauties. Are you the kind of lady who believes in efficiency? Precision? Then these are the mugs for you.

Or maybe you're not the sharpshooting kind. Maybe you're more of a ... "hands on" kinda girl.

Because let's face it. Sometimes the first thing you want to do when you get up in the morning is put on your gold knucks.

Don't forget your coffee.

Available here.

Death By Chocolate

This was just too good to pass up.  We know we are supposed to be focusing on things like, women, and food, and culinary greatness, but really sometimes we have to give some credit to the more masculine, and thereby rougher, trends.  Camo cupcakes anyone?

After a rough hunting trip, think dirt, mud, dead animals in the back of your pickup, you can satiate your cravings with none other than Chocolate Weapons.  Yep. Chocolate guns, chocolate bullets, chocolate grenades.  Genius we say.

  

 

Chocolate Swirl Full-Sized Handgun

Chocolate Grenades

Chocolate Bullets - The Collectors Edition

   

Chocolate Peanut-Butter Filled 12 Gauge Shotgun Shells 

Where the Great Women Chefs Are

In spite of the fact that we are a website devoted to women and food, and all of our articles are written by women – a chef, a cheesemonger, a sommelier, a food stylist, an architect and a filmmaker – we have chosen to spend most of our time celebrating the astonishing women in our field (the Widow Clicquot, Rainbeau Ridge cheesemakers, cookbook writer Lauren Braun Costello) and articulating our tastes (an arrestingly artful video of pig butchery, knuckle tattoos, Tecate, knives, a seat you can eat meat on) rather than bemoaning the state of the culinary landscape – virtually lady-free at the highest professional level.

One of our favorite celebrated ladychefs, Anne-Sophie Pic

art via Gastronomica

Charlotte Druckman, a New York based food writer for the New York Times' T Style, contributed a very thoughtful article to the Winter 2010 Gastronomica (no relation, though we’re long-time readers, and we’ve always loved this cover), which we urge you to read the article in full here, entitled “Why Are There No Great Women Chefs?” Druckman reviews several important indicators of success and prominence in the culinary field:

• Anne-Sophie Pic was the first female French chef to receive 3 Michelin stars in over 50 years, to extraordinary fanfare and fuss. Pic is amazing. We have written about her here, and we share her love of neon. In our minds, she and Arzac are the two women we can really look to for roll models amongst fine dining chefs. Unfortunately, we don’t have a fine dining chef on American soil who fits the bill.
• At the 2009 “Women in Food”-themed James Beard Awards, only sixteen of the ninety-six nominees were women, and only two went on to take a prize. We thank Susan Ungaro (President of the JBF and an awesome woman herself) for supporting women in the culinary arts, but we’ve clearly still got a way to go.
• In Phaidon’s stylish and influential Coco: 10 World Leading Masters Choose 100 Contemporary Chefs, ten of the grandest chefs on the scene each profiled the work of ten promising upstarts. Only one master Chef was a woman (Alice Waters), and collectively, the group selected fewer than ten total female nominees. A sign that no only is our current generation of master chefs heavily male dominated, but the demographic of the pool of promising talent isn’t dramatically divergent.

In many ways, Druckman’s thesis mirrors that of the article which inspired hers, Linda Nochlin’s 1971 “Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?” As a community, our language is pigeonholing women into a secondary feminized role of Suzie Homemaker; even when they put forth the same dish as a man, ergo, women: man as cook: chef. Women exist in the culinary field, but the way that we are talking about them is shaping their role in the community. It inevitably comes down to something as fundamental as the different vocabularies we use to describe men’s and women’s cooking; as Druckman explains, the same Bolognese dish might be called, “‘in your face’, ‘rich’, ‘intense’, ‘bold’, while a woman’s plateful of the same could be described as ‘home’, ‘comforting’ fare, ‘prepared with love.’ The former becomes an aggressive statement, a declaration of ego, while the latter is a testament to home cooking.”

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But we have ego. We are bold, intense, aggressive, competitive and professionally hungry. Many of us are. We’re out there. We’re just still making our way up: fighting our way through culinary school, proving our way in the old-guard French brigade system (with our burns and bruises like everyone else), butchering whole animals, tinkering around with molecular gastronomy, not bitching or moaning (or at least not any more than our male counterparts). These things take time.

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The thing is, there are many successful women who are restaurateurs, television personalities, and food writers; however, there are no prominent female fine dining capital-c “Chefs” in America. No female authorities to turn to at the highest levels of cuisine. Not one woman who even closely approaches Daniel Boulud, Thomas Keller, Jean Georges Vongerichten, Eric Ripert, Charlie Trotter or Grant Achatz.

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But these ladies are on their way. My proof: the interest by young American women to participate in the Bocuse d’Or, the world’s most prestigious international culinary competition, hosted every two years in Lyon, France – the defining celebration of fine dining as spectacle, grid-iron, and ego.

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At last year’s US competition to select the American delegation, while none of the eight chef leaders of the two-person teams were women; three of the eight commis (assistant) competitors were women. The commis must be 23 years or younger at the time of competition, so it is wildly encouraging that nearly half of the competitors eligible at that level were women. One commis, Adina Guest, a line cook at The French Laundry, won “Best Commis” and went on to represent the United States in Lyon as commis to Timothy Hollingsworth (now Chef de Cuisine of the French Laundry).

Thomas Keller coaching Timothy Hollingsworth and Adina Guest

at the French Laundry, where he built a Bocuse d'Or Culinary Training Center

via The LA Times

Chef Jean Georges Vongerichten, Timothy Hollingsworth and Adina Guest

in the heat of the moment at the 2008-2009 Bocuse d'Or USA Competition

...

Because the competition is performed live in front of a deafeningly loud audience of thousands of spectators blowing air horns and whistles, the Bocuse d'Or is most often compared to a rowdy World Cup soccer match. The intensity on the competition floor is unparalleled, and nearly every competitor leaves the floor with exhausted quotes to the enormous press core about how it was their most challenging lifetime experience – both professionally and personally.

At the competition, 24 countries are represented by two-person chef teams, who are allowed 5 ½ hours to prepare two elaborate platters, one a presentation of fish and the other meat, each accompanied by three intricate and complimentary garnishes. The platters are paraded in front of a panel of intimidating culinary luminaries – panel members have included Thomas Keller, Daniel Boulud, Heston Blumenthal, Charlie Trotter, the Arzaks, Anne-Sophie Pic, in addition, of course, the honorable Chef Paul Bocuse at the helm.

The Judging Table

Participation in the Bocuse d’Or requires rigorous training for those who are already among the most elite chefs – chefs do numerous repetitious timed trials, not only fine tuning the flavor, presentation and cuisson of the dish, but building in efficiency (reducing the total number of trips to an oven or sink) in order to add time to their own clock. In the end, they must turn out picture-perfect platters for the judges to scrutinize. To learn more about the fascinating journey it takes to get to a platter like this, read Andrew Friedman's book, Knives at Dawn: America's Quest for Culinary Glory at the Legendary Bocuse d'Or Competition (Free Press, December 2009), which follows Team USA on their journey from their selection through months of training to Lyon.

The beef platter of Norway's Chef Gier Skie, the winner of Bocuse d'Or 2009

...

Each delegation is supported by hundreds of fans, wielding flags, banging drums and hoisting signs into the air in honor of their team's culinary reputation.

Chefs Adina Guest and Tim Hollingsworth with Coach Roland Henin
waving to their fans after the most greuling six hours of their life
via Andrew Friedman's Toqueland

At this year’s Bocuse d’Or USA national selection competition, held in early February at the CIA at Hyde Park, one woman competed as chef – Jennifer Petrusky, Sous Chef at Charlie Trotter’s in Chicago - and two more as commis contenders. It is exciting that the competiton was this year hosted at the CIA, in front of a live audience of inspired young chefs, many of whom will no doubt go on to compete themselves. Petrusky also competed in the former year’s competition, serving as Michael Rotondo’s commis, and she struck back as a chef competitor in her own right. If that doesn’t show a competitive edge for the sake of it, as well as an aspiration to make a mark on the world of fine dining, I don’t know what does. The thing is, ladies, many of us are fully devoted to the idea of greatness. But greatness takes a lot of work. That is why it is great. So, to answer the question: “Where are the great women chefs”? They’re working their way up, just like everybody else.

Fire & Knives

Introducing Fire & Knives, an incredibly sexy and smart quarterly food magazine being produced in London. Edited by Tim Hayward of the Guardian, the magazine focuses on topics such as cooking with tobacco, the food production system, the awesomeness that is quail eggs, and Thermos flasks. Designed by the firm Supermundane and produced by the idependent print shop Present Joys, Fire & Knives is printed on 130gsm stock set in Gill Sans and Perpetua.

So hot. Subscribe here.

Real Men Eat Cupcakes

Today we were reminded of our very first post at Gastronomista profiling Lynn Bianchi's amazing portraits of real women eating cupcakes.

Lynn Bianchi's Ulah Crossing the Delaware

Apparently we are in good company.

Introducing Butch Bakery, a manly baked goods delivery service in New York City. Founded by former asset backet securities attorney, David Arrick, the company is "Butching it Up", eschewing all things pink, sweet, cute or magical.

You've got to admit, though, these things are damn cute and pretty sweet too.

The cupcakes come in 12 flavors, including many that are really rather boozy. (Three times = a trend: booze and cupcakes officially pair, via our friends at the Red Velvet Lounge and Sweet Revenge.)

• B-52 Kahlua-soaked madagascar vanilla cake with Baileys Bavarian filling.


• Rum & Coke Rum-soaked madagascar vanilla cake with cola Bavarian cream filling.


• Sidecar Brandy-soaked lemon cake with orange-infused white chocolate ganache filling.


• Old-Fashioned Orange-soaked whisky cake with a lemon curd filling.


• Mojito Rum-soaked lime cake with mint white chocolate ganache.


• Beer Run Chocolate and beer-infused cake and with a beer buttercream, topped with crushed pretzels.


• Driller Maple cake with milk chocolate ganache and bacon bits.


• Home Run Peanut butter cake with banana Bavarian creme and bacon bits.


• Camp Out Graham cracker cake with a filling of marshmallow and chocolate ganache.


• Jackhammer Chocolate cake with hazelnut filling.


• Big Papi Cinnamon spice cake with a dulce de leche filling.


• Tailgate Caramel cake with a salted caramel filling.

They're styled out in Woodland Camo, Wood Grain, Houndstooth, Plaid, Checkerboard and Marble.

Clockwise from top left:

Houndstooth, Checkerboard, Plaid and Marble

Now we're just waiting for a portrait of gorgeous naked men eating these things. Yum.

Slap and Tickle

No one has a stranger sense of humor about the sexuality of food than the British. I'm sure you are familiar with national delicacies such as spotted dick, bangers and toad in the hole, but have you been titillated by Ticklemore, from Sharpham Dairy?

Ticklemore is a pasteurized goat’s milk cheese that is fresh, light, and mild. The paste has small holes throughout it and can have quite a pronounced cream line depending on age. As cheeses age, they loose moisture, but not fat, from the outside in, creating all sorts of variation in texture from rind to center. Look for smells of light straw, grass, and stable boy to denote readiness and be delighted at the subtle sweetness on the pallet. Some goat’s milk cheeses can really smell overly ‘goaty,’ a totally turn-off, and I am pleased to report that Ticklmore does not.

Ticklemore is a cheese with great history in Devon, England. It was first made in the 1970s, by Robin Congdon, at the Ticklemore Dairy. Congdon has been a front-runner in small, artisanal, dairy production in this region since that time and eventually passed on the Ticklemore name to Sharpham Creamery when he wanted to focus more seriously on making blue-veined cheeses. The odd flying saucer shape is a mark of the Sharpham Dairy and they create other cheeses in this shaped mold as well.

Ticklemore goat cheese is readily available at most, large cheese retailers and will make and excellent addition to the cheese board at your next tarts and vicars party!

Knuckle Sandwich

We're kind of obsessed with knuckle tattoos. We're not the only ones. First of all, there are of course the people with the actual ink. And then there are the devoted bloggers at and contributors to KnuckleTattoo.com, a website devoted entirely to the bad ass tats. We scoured the Internet for our favorite food knuckle tattoos, and here you go:

Do you think we should get "I ♥ TECATE"?

We should at least have some fingerless gloves made up for us by the team at Father Panik Industries.

Thanks, Needles and Sins!

Americana Redux - Montana Knox

Every once in a while we come across an incredible artist who is creating really great work that is, gasp, humorous! no! blasphemy! We laughed out loud when we saw this bandana by New York artist Montana Knox.  A re-patterning of the Americana classic - with all sorts of food paraphernalia - juicy burgers, ice cream cones, doughnuts, hot dogs, mustard!  Yes! Mustard!

Doughnut Bandana for Bandits
(click for a larger, and thereby better view)

 

 A Tasty Close-Up

Our Sentiments Exactly

The Store: Art and Apparel (Read: Hot Steez)

We like your style, Mr. Knox.

(and your neon)

Photo by Saul Simon-MacWilliams

Go visit Mr Montana Knox at the best address in NYC:  

4 Extra Place, off E. 1st St.
(212) 529-5669
www.montanaknox.com

Meat - All We Want

That's right. We want meat. We crave it, we think about it, we lust after it.

That's exactly why we appreciate the showing of Kady Grant's meat paintings at Gourmet Garage in SoHo (it's pathetic that we eat lunch there every day, we know).  None the less - check it out - up until the end of the February. 

More glorious meat paintings on her website.

 

  

  

 

images via Sweet-Station

Yo Quiero Pancakes! Donnez-moi Pancakes!

In the words of our dear Stewie, "I Want Pancakes."

New Yorkers have only 10 days left to enjoy the bounty of Pancake Month at Clinton Street Baking Co. The doors open for dinner at 6, and you should plan to get there early. The line is around the block, as per usual.

Clinton St. is serving its Pancake Month flavors Monday through Friday from 8am-4pm and 6pm-11pm, at 15 bucks per piled-high plate. We realize we missed the ball on the first part of the month, but we'll relive it all in anticipation of next year's chocolate blood orange extravaganza. We applaud the joint for going in for the truly delicious stuff - the desserty stuff - and none of that bacon-with-my-banana baloney. We'll take our pancakes sweet, not savory, for all time to come.

The Entire Calendar:

• February 1, 2, 3: chocolate & blood orange pancakes w/candied orange glaze
• 4, 5: poached pears with vanilla bean whipped cream & warm maple butter
• 8, 9: fresh coconut pancakes with passion fruit syrup and bananas
• 10, 11: roasted apples with candied walnuts and warm maple caramel
• 12, 15: chocolate chunks, fresh raspberries, and raspberry-caramel sauce
• 16, 17: brown sugar pecans, bananas and cinnamon maple butter
• 18, 19, 22: classic chocolate chunk
• 23, 24: fresh blackberries, pecan streusel, warm maple butter
• 25, 26: crunchy bananas with cinnamon-chili-chocolate sauce

Oh, it is a crime that Pancake Month falls on the shortest of all months. Check it out at:

Clinton Street Baking Co.
4 Clinton Street
New York, NY 10002
(646)602-6263

Happy Valentine's Day from Julia Child

Paul and Julia Child's 1956 Valentine's Day Card

Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Harvard University

How to Eat Cheese For Breakfast

In many parts of the world, cheese is an integral part of breakfast. Fresh, soft and mild cheeses are drizzled with honey and scooped up with bread. Hard and nutty ones, chunked off, to be nibbled with slices of ham and more bread. In fact, one of my favorite things about traveling abroad is the guilt-free way I enjoy cheese in the morning. Its richness and protein content keeping me fuelled and satisfied for long days of sightseeing or backpacking. In the U.S. though, we seem to only invite cheese to the breakfast table if it is either melted in our rubbery omelets or as low-fat curds, plopped into half a grapefruit when we are feeling badly about our waistlines. Luckily, times are a changing.

I was recently surprised when out for breakfast to see fresh ricotta on the menu. A signature item of Falai Panetteria, I was informed, and not to be missed. What a wonderful way to start the day! Mild, creamy, and wholesome, how had I not thought to enjoy this cheese for breakfast before? Honestly, the ricotta was so fresh and so delicious, they need only to have served it plain and I would have been satisfied. But smothered in poached figs and candied walnuts with just that drizzle of wildflower honey, I was blown away. This was certainly the best breakfast I have had all year.

Don’t forget, you can always pack up, head to Cormayeur or Chamonix, and enjoy some breakfast cheese in one of their many adorable cafes – but for those of us who can’t seem to find the time to get out of Manhattan, a morning in Falai Panetteria will surely take you away.

Falai Panetteria

79 Clinton St

Open 7 days, breakfast 7 am – 5 pm

Caffe Falai

265 Lafayette St

Open 7 days, breakfast 7am – 12pm

Valentine's Day: Heartburn Relief

Candy Hearts and TUMS

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And if you're feeling down, take a listen to All Songs Considered's Breakup Songs: A Valentine's Day Mix. You're not the only one.