I don’t make the rules… If the July Bakeover recipe is a banana split ice cream sandwich that looks like a hot dog, then the July Coffee + Cookie recipe has to be an icebox cookie that looks like a hamburger. Don’t worry, though, the similarities between a hamburger and this cookie end at aesthetics. It’s an icebox cake made from soft amaretti cookies and whipped dark chocolate ganache. When chilled, it eats like a feather-light truffle.

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New Jersey in July is–quite simply–too hot for any cookie straight out of the oven. In fact, on some days it’s too hot for a cookie at room temperature, I want one cold. The cookie this month was inspired by icebox cake, a cake made from cookies (generally thin and crispy ones), layered with whipped cream, and then left to set up in the fridge. The cream softens the cookies, the cookies firm up the cream, and the final result is delicious. This recipe is just like an icebox cake in sandwich cookie form.

The almond cookies here are a bit softer than the crispy cookies we usually use for an icebox cake. This cookie recipe originates from an amaretti morbidi (soft amaretti cookies) recipe but has a few tweaks for added airiness (and reduced sweetness). That added airiness allows for the moisture from the cream to infuse throughout the whole cookie. The final cookie texture, once it’s rested with the cream, is so soft/airy/pillowy and has the faintest crisp shell at the outer edge.

The amaretti cookie is predominantly almondy in flavor, but is lovely when supported by just a bit of orange to round it out (I like a touch of orange blossom water, but orange zest would be splendid if you have one on hand). To complement the soft almond cookie, we have a whipped dark chocolate ganache – yum.

When the cookie is served cold, the whipped ganache is a bit firmer, and the cookie becomes like a luxuriously rich chocolate-almond truffle. When you eat them at room temperature (after storing them in the fridge), the ganache will soften, and all the flavors will become more pronounced. I suggest trying it both ways and seeing which you prefer more. Either way, it’s sublime with a coffee. Because of the heat, I went for iced espresso with Sicilian almond cream (to reference the cookie, of course), although I would imagine this would be delicious dunked into a warm coffee if you make this in cooler times. Whatever milk you do use, don’t be afraid to add too much; it softens the bitterness a bit, which is nice with the dark chocolate.

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Makes 6 ‘hamburger’ cookies (you could also make them smaller, and make more, these are rich)

Amaretti Morbidi-Inspired Cookies:
100g almond flour (blanched if you don’t want any speckles, like mine)
25g cornstarch
25g all-purpose flour (I think you could probably replace with GF flour quite easily, but I have yet to test this)
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
65g egg whites room temperature (from 2 large eggs +/- 5g)
1/2 tsp white vinegar
75g powdered sugar + more for dusting
25g liquid honey, corn syrup, or agave syrup, etc.
1/2-3/4 tsp almond extract (I did 1/2 as this felt balanced to me, but if you like a really pronounced almond flavor, use 3/4 tsp)
1/2-3/4 tsp orange blossom water or the zest from half an orange optional

Whipped Ganache:
100g 70% cocoa chocolate (you’ll want to use the good stuff for this!) broken or chopped into small pieces
200g heavy whipping cream (divided 75g and 125g)
20g corn syrup, light agave syrup, or substitute with sugar
Pinch of salt

Tools:
1/4-cup ice cream scoop (for scooping the cookies; you could also use spoons or a piping bag)
Piping bag + piping tip for the ganache (Atecco 844 is the one I use, but you can use any tip! OR you could use a 3-tbsp ice cream scoop for more of a ‘hamburger’ effect)
Bread knife
Sieve (for dusting powdered sugar)
Hand mixer or stand mixer
Blender or personal-sized blender totally optional, but if you have one, use it!

You can find ingredient information and tips for conversions on my conversion cheat-sheet page. If you have any further questions, please feel free to leave a comment!

Cookies!

Grab a rimmed baking sheet and line it with a piece of parchment paper. Make some space in your freezer for the sheet + an extra 1” of height at the top, and let the baking sheet sit in the freezer while you prepare the cookie batter.

If you have a blender, place your almond flour, cornstarch, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt in the blender bowl. Give the bowl a good shake, so that the flour and cornstarch are really coating the almonds, then give it a quick blend to grind up the almond clusters a bit finer, and to distribute everything. Don’t blend for too long, as it will begin to clump and make almond butter (how quickly this happens will depend on the almond flour and how fresh it is). As soon as you notice it beginning to clump, stop the motor. Set aside.

If you don’t have a blender, whisk the almond flour, cornstarch, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium-sized bowl until everything is fully combined and well distributed. Set aside.

In a medium-large bowl, or the bowl of your stand mixer, add in your 2 egg whites (make sure to get no yolks in). It should weigh ~65g (if you’re under 60g, add more egg white, and if you’re over 70g, remove some). Add your white vinegar. In a separate medium-sized bowl, measure your powdered sugar.

Grab your hand mixer, or the whisk attachment for your stand mixer, and mix the egg whites at the lowest setting for 30 seconds. Then go up a level and mix for another 30 seconds. Then go up another level and mix for another 30 seconds. Slowly increasing the speed like this leads to a more stable egg white. Continue doing this until you get soft peaks (you should be at or near the highest speed at this point), then add in 1/3rd of your powdered sugar, fully incorporate it in, and repeat until all your powdered sugar has been added. The egg whites are properly whipped when they are shiny, have tiny and uniform air bubbles, and there is a sudden shift in texture. It should seem thicker/stiffer, and when you lift the beaters out, it should hold a tall peak (curving just at the tip) and not slump over immediately. Once you’ve noticed all of this, your egg whites are done. Do not continue, or you risk over-whipping them. When over-whipped, they will lose their shine, becoming cloudy and cottage cheese-like.

Grab that medium-sized bowl we used to weigh the powdered sugar and place 75g of the whipped egg whites in there (this is a little more than half). Add in your honey/corn syrup/agave, almond extract, and orange blossom water/orange zest (if using). Fold to combine and loosen up the whipped egg whites. Then add in your dry ingredients. Use a soft spatula to fold them in until thoroughly combined. Do so gently; we want to preserve some lightness while ensuring there aren’t any large clumps remaining. You might be worried about deflating the air bubbles too much–do know they will deflate quite a bit– but that’s why we saved half of the meringue!

Once the dry ingredients have been incorporated into half the meringue, gently fold the batter in with the remaining meringue to lighten it – be sure to be gentle here! You want everything to be mostly incorporated – it’s okay if a few streaks of meringue remain. I would rather it be under-mixed than over-mixed at this stage. If you fold too much or too vigorously, the batter will loosen up, making your burger bun flatter and wider (still delicious, just less bun-like, and a little more difficult to slice).

Once the batter is ready, grab your 1/4-cup ice cream scoop and your tray from the freezer. Scoop the batter and level it off on the side of the bowl. Scoop 6 cookies onto the tray (if you over-folded your batter, one cookie might be a little small, but if you folded it right, your final cookie may be a bit big; that’s okay).

Transfer the cookies to the freezer for 20 minutes to firm up. In the meantime, preheat your oven to 300f. While the oven warms, and the cookie batter cools, wash your dishes, and grab your sifter/sieve and some powdered sugar.

Once your timer goes off, take the cookies out of the freezer, dust a little bit of powdered sugar on top of them, and transfer them to the oven. Set a timer for 15 minutes. Mine took ~17 minutes: once done, the cookies will be puffed, golden with light brown bottoms, and soft but not raw when gently poked. Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet to room temperature (20-30 minutes). Then transfer the tray with cookies back to the freezer for ease of slicing (30 minutes).

As soon as the cookies go back in the freezer, begin your ganache.

Whipped Ganache!

Take 75g of your heavy cream, and your corn syrup/light agave syrup/sugar, and heat over the stove or in the microwave until just beginning to simmer. Remove from the heat and add in your chocolate and salt. Let the mixture sit for 1 minute and then stir to combine the chocolate into the cream. Once the chocolate is fully mixed in, add the rest of your (chilled) heavy cream and mix to combine thoroughly. Transfer to the fridge to help it chill quickly.

Set a timer for 25 minutes – this is for the cookies in the freezer and your ganache. Once the timer goes off, give the ganache a stir, and check on its temperature, we’re looking for it to be somewhere between 60-67f. If it’s not there yet, put it back in the fridge. Check every 10 minutes until it is. In the meantime, you can move on to the prep for assembly (see below) and return here once the ganache is ready.

Once the ganache is between 60-67f, grab your hand mixer and whip until the cream holds a stiff peak. There is a risk of over-whipping and going grainy here, so whip until stiff peaks just hold – see the video above (it likely will require less whipping than you think!). Use the whipped ganache immediately.

Prep for assembly!

Grab your cookies from the freezer, and peel off the parchment paper. Use a bread knife to slice each cookie in half (like a burger bun). I find it looks best when the bottom is a bit thinner than the top. Do this gently and try not to squeeze the cookie too much (also, of course, be careful not to cut yourself).

Keep the cookies on the tray with the tops next to them.

Prepare your piping bag by fitting it with your piping tip of choice.

Decorate!

Transfer the whipped ganache to your piping bag, and pipe a shell border close to the edge of the cut side of each bottom cookie half. Then fill the center with more of the whipped ganache. If you feel like you didn’t pipe close enough to the edge, you can squish a little extra into the center, and it will push the shell border out to the edges. See video above for piping reference!

Repeat with all 6 cookies. You may have a little ganache left over; it depends on how much you pipe into your cookies. You can either transfer the cookies to a smaller container (a 9x13, 2 storage containers, or something like that) and cover with a lid or cling film to let the cookies set up. Or–alternatively–you can just wrap your baking sheet with cling film.

Transfer the cookies to the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours to set up, preferably overnight. Once the cookies have been set up, they can be transferred to a smaller container and stacked inside it (be careful not to squish them, though).

To serve, I wrapped a cookie in a napkin to keep my fingers clean and paired it with an iced espresso with a whole bunch of Sicilian almond cream (some of it whipped). It was perfect. I adored these cookies both chilled and at room temperature. Chilled is more truffle-like and rich, while room temperature leads to fuller flavor expression and a softer texture.

Store cookies in a container in the fridge for up to a 5-7 days. Enjoy!

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My love for food can sometimes make me a difficult dining date. When I love a food so much, I will go out of my way to try it, bringing a date along with me. Once we have received the item I will open up my phone, and begin taking scrupulous notes on the dish (in my defense I’ve seen others use spreadsheets). This is annoying (I know I should put my phone away while eating and enjoy the company)! But when a dish is truly great, it is so exciting to celebrate a chef’s genius (down to each little detail) together! This is how I am with ice cream sandwiches.

Ice cream sandwiches–in theory–are amazing. Two great components, ice cream and cookies, should make the other doubly great. However, this is not always the case. There is an art to ice-cream sandwiching: most cookies we bake at home, once they come into contact with ice cream, harden. A cold and hard cookie is often a sad cookie, as not only is its lovely soft texture compromised but it also loses its depth of flavor (chilled things have less aroma and thus taste flatter). Furthermore, you go to take a bite, and the ice cream comes out the other end and onto your hands and clothes – doubly sad. This version, I can assure you, has none of the above problems. And it’s delicious.

P.S. If you want more ice cream sandwiches without these problems, see here:

This year’s ice cream sandwich is inspired by two iconic summer treats: banana splits and hot dogs. I have always thought a banana split and a hot dog look alike, with long ovals sliced in half and stuffed. I had been toying with the idea of stuffing a whole banana split sundae in a freezer-soft bun for this month’s recipe, but I knew that wasn’t right. Then I realized that bananas are great for an ice cream sandwich as the natural sugars in overripe ones reduce the freezing point, keeping the crumb soft even when frozen. With that being said, a classic banana bread (the initial idea) is on the denser side, and this cake would have to be incredibly light and fluffy to stay soft even when frozen. So this banana ‘bun’ recipe stems from castella cake, the lightest, fluffiest, and moistest cake I could think of.

The banana castella cake batter gets baked into bun shapes (ending up just a bit lighter and smaller than a standard hot dog bun), and then stuffed with three tiny scoops of ice cream. These buns are also baked in a liner, ensuring that no ice cream drips on you or your clothes.

Most importantly, however, the texture and flavor. The banana cake is so fluffy, so soft, so spongy (not crumbly), and even when frozen, it doesn’t firm up too much. It’s actually totally edible straight from the freezer, but if you let it sit out for 5 minutes, it is like eating it fresh (maybe even a bit moister/better if you ask me)! As for the banana, the flavor is there, but it doesn’t overpower the ice cream – any ice cream flavor you pair it with will be balanced. That’s the word I would use to sum up this dessert: balanced. With textures in support of one another and flavors in harmony, this is an excellent ice cream sandwich.

P.S. I’ve topped this cake off with whipped cream and a smear of frosting, and can confirm it’s also a delicious snack cake recipe!

Makes 10 ice cream sandwiches (note that these sandwiches are pretty light as far as ice cream sandwiches go)

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Arriving at the Union Square Greenmarket at 8am in June the glossy red berries at each stall reflect the morning’s warm light and glint like garnets. Amoon and Norwich’s mini Mara des Bois strawberries remind me of rubies - so small, so sweet. Locust Grove’s currants glow fiery hot. Caradonna’s rows of wooden boxes spill over with sour and sweet crimson cherries. Cherry Lane, Eckerton, and Phillips Farms present precious baskets of raspberries spanning from blush to burgundy.

This month, I basked in the berries and cherries, which will soon be gone. Having them as a little luxury, for breakfast or as a snack, with my coffee. But, beyond those delectable berries June was full of lovely lunches of legumes, lots of linens, wildflower bouquets and baby birds - more on all that below.

Reminder that I’m offering a 1-month comped subscription to those who donate to, or get involved with, an organization fighting food insecurity. Find out more below.

Free Month

Berries

Berries in baskets turned into various afternoon sweet treats. There were Lofthouse cookies sliced open and stuffed with berries, jam, and cream (like a hand-held berry-basket shortcake), as well as berry basket marzipan loaf cakes. For more on all things basket and berry, check out the In Season newsletter.

Berries + (almond) cream, a small twist on the classic combination made for lovely, and quick, afternoon pick-me-ups. Almond cream with strawberries (stems on for easy dipping); a coupe of black raspberries with the cream lightly whipped; and almond granita with sweet and sour cherries. Then too as drinks, a rhubarb syrup seltzer and almond cream float (syrup leftover from the rhubarb-stuffed madeleines recipe); strawberry-jam-sorbet with almond cream and matcha; and cherry and almond cream with espresso over ice.

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Linens + baskets

The berries and cherries weren’t just in fashion on the plate – they inspired a bit of this month’s looks too. I had seen a video where bitten cherries were used as lipstick and blush. I tried this out, and it did not work (maybe because they were sour cherries), but I was still in a silly mood and wanted to play with my food. I hooked the double-stem cherries over my earrings, letting them dangle, this worked. This worked so well – next time I’ll wear them out.

On a warm sunny morning, I sat down at the dining table for a breakfast I had been craving all winter long. The window was open, my WNU linen set was on, my coffee was made, and the strawberries were just washed. As I leaned back in my chair, I noticed a little red stain on the shorts of this set I had kept tucked away for a year because I was scared of exactly this. Succumbing to the stain, the clothes gathered more throughout the day. Thankfully, my husband worked his magic, and the stains came out beautifully (I don't ask questions, some things are meant to remain mysterious in marriages). I continued to wear the set all month long, and with each new wrinkle from the wash, I loved it even more - more lived in. Why was I waiting so long?

Speaking of linen tops, they pair lovely with a basket bag.

Seeing all the berries in their cardboard and wooden baskets at the farmers market inspired me to use a basket I had sitting around in the basement. The basket came with a plastic liner, so I filled it with water and turned it into a vase for Feverfew flowers picked up from Luna Family Farm.

If you would like some second-hand basket vases of your own (in all different shapes and sizes): Angled and wide (like mine); tall, narrow, and square; short, stout, and round; vase-shaped; and one for flowers

Legumes

A week or so ago, a whole bunch of us market-goers were crowded around a mountain of sugar-snap peas at Migliorelli, talking about how this is the best time of the year. We were jumping over each other with additional points: ‘the sweet strawberries,’ ‘new potatoes & peas,’ ‘the longest days of the year.’ We had one dissenter pipe up, saying he prefers July, once the corn arrives, and no one could really disagree. I’ve heard it’s just arrived - can’t wait for my first ear. In the meantime, I’ll savor the legumes a bit longer: shelling peas, green beans, romano beans, and favas to be exact. These were incorporated into just about every savory dish I ate.

Egg salad was spruced up with sliced and blanched sugar snaps, breakfast radishes, chives, and tarragon. I ate this atop toast, and turned it into a new potato (my favorite kind of potato) salad.

Carbonara, complemented by shelling peas that were stirred into the pasta water just before draining and making the sauce (many more pork and pea pairings in last year’s June Chef’s Kisses newsletter). Seared striped bass with potatoes the size of peas, tossed in butter with blanched peas and favas.

There was a grilled chicken (served with a swoosh of garlic yogurt) atop a spring-time panzanella that featured blistered romano beans and blanched snap beans. Made by following 's guide to panzanella,

Risotto so nice we had it twice. Both with summer squash and a poached egg, but one with peas and the other with favas. I used some tips and tricks from ’s recipe for soupy summer orzo, principally around lemon and when/how to add summer squash. This made the risottos so lovely.

Finally, a picnic, before Shakespeare in the park in Garrison, NY (the views during dinner!): a cottage cheese, green goddess, chicken salad sandwich featuring sugar snaps, scallions, and sliced baby fennel. For dessert, a giant cherry, chocolate, frangipane pie inspired by Lauren Schofield – braided and basket-woven.

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Best Bit: Baby Birds

Baby goslings laying on the grass, snacking on flowers, and taking a golden hour nap.

On my parents’ dock there was a dead flower basket, but it’s being brought back to life - a duck has laid her eggs there. To give her some privacy during incubation my father has arranged plants around the basket, then he set up a little plank from the dock into the water so the babies can easily get from the lake and back to their basket-nest. So far, there are 6 eggs in the basket. Now we watch and wait!

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Baskets literally and metaphorically conceal and reveal, store and care for, contain our treasures and trash, and carry our objects and traditions. They’ve inspired idioms, shrines, still-lifes, poetry, and (I say this humbly and sheepishly) the food I made this month.

Below is the full moodboard that started it all, the curation that spurred the creation: baskets (with berries, cherries, eggs, etc.) in art, writing, pottery, and cookbooks. Then, for the ‘main course,’ the menu: every basket dish that came from the moodboard. From eggs in a brioche basket to berry basket cakes, cookies, and cruffins. Plus a berry ice cream recipe from Marie Frank’s (of ) new cookbook.

On The Moodboard

Bountiful baskets – Painting at the Pinacoteca di Brera + a photo from Stissing House’s Instagram. I love all the different shapes and sizes of overflowing baskets and the stacking of plates. The hands in the upper left of both images feel caring, while the goods on display feel so generous.

Whimsical baskets – A picnic-themed garden party I catered a few summers ago where every item on the checkered tablecloth was placed in a basket, including a build-your-own hot dog station in sourdough potato buns. Plus this painting of waffle cookies and candies at the Museo Nacional del Prado.

Cherries and porcelain bowls and/or baskets (clockwise from upper right) –

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While this new series is called Coffee + Cookie, it may as well be called, ‘What else can I do with this mold I own?’ 1. I’m not quite sure if this recipe–or the last one–is more of a cookie or a cake, and 2. both recipes utilize molds for other desserts.

This month’s recipe turns a Lofthouse cookie into a ‘berry stuffed basket.’ Similar to last month’s recipe, where ladyfingers are baked in a madeleine pan (and then stuffed with a pearl of mascarpone cream and dipped into coffee to turn it into hand-held tiramisu), this recipe bakes Lofthouse cookies in mini tartlet tins. They get their lofty tops sliced off and cut in half on an angle, and the bottom half of the cookie gets topped with cream and jam. When the top is placed back on, you get an open, overflowing, double-lidded ‘basket’.

This cookie formula is very similar to a classic Lofthouse recipe, just with yogurt in lieu of sour cream. It is also, of course, baked entirely differently. The Lofthouse crumb is airy and cake-y yet sturdy, making it great for slicing and delicious when stuffed with jam and cream (reminiscent of shortcake). Pair this with an iced espresso for a bit of a bitter note, and you have the perfect pick-me-up.

These cookies can be baked in advance and frozen. You can also store the cookies covered in the fridge. For best aesthetic practices, bring them to room temperature and then pipe and fill your cookies right before serving (you can fully assemble them and then store them in the fridge, but the jam may stain the whipped cream).

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Makes 11-12 cookies

Lofthouse-ish Cookies:
1/2 tsp Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt
100g butter + more for lining the tartlet tins room temperature
100g powdered sugar
75g yogurt ideally room temperature (Greek or plain both work, but will lead to different results. Greek yogurt = tighter crumb that makes the cakes easier to slice, while plain yogurt = a slightly fluffier crumb that is slightly harder to slice.)
1 large egg room temperature
8g (or 2 tsp) vanilla extract
175g all-purpose flour
10g cornstarch
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda

Whipped Cream:
250g heavy cream cold
25g powdered sugar
5g vanilla extract

Finishing:
125-150g jam of choice
12 pretty pieces of fruit to match the jam optional
Powdered sugar optional

Tools:
11-12 miniature tartlet tins preferably nonstick

I made 2 versions, the 1st used tall, but narrow, tart tins makes a full 12 cookies, while the 2nd used wider, but shorter, tart tins making 11 cookies. With whatever tins you use, make sure the volume is 55-65ml.

3-tablespoon ice cream scoop optional but helpful
Small piping tip (I used Ateco 842)
Piping bag
Hand mixer or stand mixer
Bread knife sharp!

You can find ingredient information and tips for conversions on my conversion cheat-sheet page. If you have any further questions, please feel free to leave a comment!

Cookies!

Begin by thoroughly buttering your tartlet tins. We do not want these cookies to stick (none of mine did, but my tins were also nonstick). Place the buttered tins on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Add the salt and room temperature butter to a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a paddle. Beat for 1-2 minutes to soften fully, add in the powdered sugar (sifting it in is even better, but this isn’t mandatory), and whip to lighten and dissolve the sugar. Add the yogurt, egg, and vanilla, and beat until combined. If the egg or yogurt is cold, the mixture may look curdled, but that’s fine for this bake.

Straddle a sifter over the bowl and weigh in your flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and baking soda. Give the ingredients a good stir in the sifter to ensure they are evenly distributed. Then sift the dry ingredients into the batter and fold them thoroughly to combine (no mixer here; we don’t want it to be too tough). The dough should be soft, almost like a cake batter. You will notice in the video above that the texture looks a little different; that’s because it was an earlier version of the recipe. Your batter will be looser and fluffier. Additionally, the molds in the video are less full. Your batter will pretty much fill the tins.

Grab your prepared molds and use your 3-tablespoon ice cream scoop to add the batter into each tartlet mold (if you don’t have a scoop of that size, use a spoon to weigh out ~45g per mold for the smaller molds, and ~50g for the larger molds). Once all the batter has been scooped (evenly disperse any leftover batter), use your fingers to smoosh the batter down flat.

Transfer the cookies to the fridge for 30-60 minutes to set up. While they set, preheat the oven to 350f with a rack set in the lower 1/3rd of your oven.

Once the cookies are done setting, transfer them to the oven and set a timer for 17 minutes. Once done, the edges will be lightly browned, the top puffed like a muffin, and they will gently spring back when poked with your finger. Remove from the oven and set aside to fully cool for ~1 hour.

Cooled cookies can be wrapped in cling film and frozen (if you want to prepare in advance); just be sure to bring them to room temperature before assembling and serving. To release them from their tins, I rewarm the bottom slightly (place them on a preheating oven).

Keeping the cookies in their tins, and using the tin as a guide, slice the tops off with a bread knife. Cut them flush with the top of the tartlet tins to get a smooth, even layer.

Then take the top bit and slice it in half (if you used plain yogurt, and you’re having difficulty slicing without the cookie crumbling, make sure you are using your sharpest knife; if that doesn’t work, place the cookies in the freezer for 30-60 minutes to firm up). Trim the inside of each half at a 45-degree angle to help to ‘prop’ the baskets open (leftover slices are a chef’s treat, enjoy). These directions may be confusing, please refer to the video above.

Flip each tin over and give it a hard tap. The cookie should slip out. If not, warm the outside of the tin up (with a warm oven or blow torch). If this doesn’t work, the tin probably wasn’t buttered enough, and try using a small knife/toothpick to get it out :(. Place the 2 top halves with the bottom half and set those aside while you repeat these steps with the rest of your cookies.

Assembly Prep!

Optional: You can place some powdered sugar in a bowl and give each top half and bottom of the cookie a spin in the bowl to coat the outside in powdered sugar (do this one at a time).

Grab your jam and a small spoon, and wash and dry your fruit.

Only move on to the next step when you are ready to pipe and serve the cookies!

Whipped Cream!

Prepare your piping bag by fitting in the tip and setting aside. (P.S. you will need to pipe quickly here, as the cream is not stabilized, though you could make a stabilized whipped cream if you don’t want to rush.)

Place all the ingredients for the whipped cream in a medium-sized bowl and whip with a hand mixer until you have stiff peaks. Fit the whipped cream into your piping bag and get ready to pipe!

Decoration!

Take a cookie and remove the top halves. Pipe a border of whipped cream (in any style that suits you – I did a classic shell border); this border will act as your ‘well’ to hold your jam. Fill the whipped cream border with your jam, and then take your 2 top basket halves - angled cut sides touching - and smoosh them into the middle of the cookie and the jam and whipped cream. Make sure they are touching in the center and are propping open.

Repeat with your remaining cookies, working quickly (to avoid the whipped cream getting too hot). Once done with all the cookies, you can pipe a little shell at the top seam of the ‘basket’ and add on a piece of fruit in the middle, or leave it plain.

Plate up and serve along with an iced espresso and some milk or cream. I love the way the bitter espresso and short drink format plays with the cake-y, creamy, and (a little) punchy cookie. Any leftover cookies can be stored in a container in the fridge, just bring them to room temperature before enjoying again!

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There are so many things to love about June, but the best things for me are the warmth (yes, the temperature, but the warm golden light, too), all the late-spring produce–including my favorite sweet peas (stuffed into nearly all sandwiches and salads)– and, of course, the berries.

With all the green, long days, and warm weather, I think the most sublime way to spend a day is outdoors (probably with friends), enjoying strawberries straight from the blue cardboard farmers market basket. If you are also inspired by this special summer moment–and fancy yourself a little bit of a baking project–I suggest this delicious berry basket cake.

What I love about this cake is that it really is just an almond loaf cake, but the aesthetic twist turns it into a berry ‘basket’. This cake is also deceptive in how much harder it looks to make than it is. In fact, the decoration is far less time-intensive than a layer cake. You take your loaf cake, add a layer of jam and marzipan, top with your berries and handles, and it’s done! All in all (according to my video recordings), it’s about 20 minutes of active decorating, though there is a fair amount of baking and cooling time (it’s inactive time, but be sure to allot for it).

The cake is a simple loaf cake adjusted to include marzipan (which took nine trials to get just right, but was so worth it because it adds that delicious almond-y flavor and creates the fluffiest, moistest, hefty-yet-tender crumb I’ve ever had in a loaf cake). You can add whatever jam you prefer, and then a blanket of marzipan mimics the linen in a basket as delicious fresh fruit spills out over the top. Marzipan pairs so well with so many summer fruits. Resident recipe cross-tester, Cara, noted how great this would be with other stone fruits and blueberries later in the summer. I 100% agree.

More marzipan-forward recipes:

Serve this alongside some whipped cream, and you have the best combination of all time: berries and cream (the light, vanilla-scented whipped cream perfectly complements the sweet-tart-punchy jam and fresh fruit), plus a plush-moist-marzipan-y loaf cake.

Makes 1 Marzipan Berry Basket Cake

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I thought I was done with the soufflé series, but I am back with one more. Given the season, I really couldn’t help myself (again), but, to be fair it really isn’t much like a soufflé at all – it’s pretty much a semifreddo made to look like a soufflé.

Since it’s June, it’s most definitely berry-semifreddo season. I was really inspired to make this frozen, because: 1. In my (‘recipe’) book, we have entered chilled-dessert-season and 2. Those floral, volatile aromatics that make in-season fruit so magical evaporate with hot oven temperatures, so I prefer not to cook them at all in June.

If, like me, you love to preserve that fresh berry flavor to enjoy for months to come, here’s a strawberry freezer jam recipe:

So, with June’s berries in full swing, I bring you a simple frozen soufflé. Just blend and strain the fruit, heat up whole eggs and sugar, whip until light and silky, and make some whipped cream. Fold all the components together, pour it into your prepared serving dishes, and freeze. Those are the only steps between you and this frozen-fruit soufflé. The texture is like ice cream meets granita meets mousse: it’s ice cream but lighter and airier, and a little icy (in a refreshing granita-like way). Enjoy!

P.S. This recipe is made to be used with local, in-season fruit. If you want, I can also provide directions/quantities for frozen fruit (only one extra step, and it’s also super delicious)! Just ask in the comments :)

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Recipe

Makes about 1 quart of mousse.

Enough to fill 4 of these lovely rose-colored champagne flutes from Emporio Sirenuse (¾ cup each + another ¼ cup for the ‘soufflé’ coming out of the top). Or 3 of these stemmed glasses (with a tiny bit leftover).

Strawberry Frozen Soufflé:
(The strawberry flavor is more subtle than the raspberry: more floral, but a bit icier. This isn’t bad; I like the refreshing nature of it, but I want to set expectations. If you want to pump up the strawberry flavor, add jam.)

275g strawberries fresh, seasonal
10g vanilla extract or a mix of vanilla extract and lemon juice
60g strawberry jam optional but recommended (this bumps up the strawberry flavor and reduces iciness)
Pinch of salt
2 large eggs
90g caster sugar (reduce to 60g if using jam)
125g heavy cream cold

Raspberry Frozen Soufflé:
(Raspberries are more acidic, and this–coupled with their thicker texture–makes this version creamier than the strawberry. Raspberries also have a sweet-tart balance that gives it more punch.)

275g raspberries fresh, seasonal
10g framboise or Cointreau or vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
2 large eggs
100g caster sugar
125g heavy cream cold

Tools

Digital food thermometer
A metal bowl that fits nicely over a pot (bain-marie)
Hand mixer or stand mixer
Personal-sized blender or regular-sized blender
Strainer/sieve
Glasses or ice cream cups (holds ½-¾ cup, see serving notes at the top)
Parchment paper or acetate (acetate preferable)
Tape

You can find ingredient information and tips for conversions on my conversion cheat-sheet page. If you have any further questions, please feel free to leave a comment!

Prep!

Take your glasses and grab a piece of parchment paper (it will be easier with acetate, if you have it), and cut as many strips as you have glasses, making each 3” tall and long enough to wrap around the glass.

Then wrap your parchment or acetate around each glass, leaving equal lengths on the top and bottom. Wrap the parchment or acetate tightly, then hold it with a piece of tape – it needs to be secure. Set the glasses aside while you prepare the frozen soufflé. This collar will hold the extra semifreddo, giving the dish that classic ‘soufflé’ look.

Frozen Soufflé!

Start by washing and drying your fruit (and removing just the tops of the strawberries). Then blend it up with your vanilla extract or liqueur, your optional jam if making the strawberry version, and a pinch of salt until completely broken down. Take a strainer and place it over a medium-sized bowl. Pour in your fruit, then pass it through the strainer into the bowl to remove the seeds. Set this fruit purée aside.

Grab a metal bowl (it conducts heat better than glass) that fits well over a pot. Fill the pot with 2ish inches of water. Set the pot over high heat and–while the water comes to a boil–crack your eggs into the metal bowl and add in your sugar. Whisk to combine fully. Then set the bowl over the pot of water and whisk constantly while the eggs heat. Once hot to the touch, insert your thermometer; you’re looking to get the eggs to 160-165f. This will take some time (especially is using glass), just be patient.

Once the eggs have reached 160-165f, remove the eggs from the heat. Grab your hand mixer (or pour into the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment). Whip the eggs and sugar until light, fluffy, cooled to room temperature, and at the ‘ribbon stage’ (when you lift the beaters out, the eggs should fall slowly into the bowl like a ribbon). Once all these requirements are met, you can set the eggs aside (no need to clean the beaters).

In a separate, medium-sized bowl, pour in your heavy whipping cream and use the beaters to whip the cream until you have soft peaks (hard peaks and you will have difficulty incorporating it into the blended up fruit). Get rid of the beaters and pour in your blended up fruit. Fold the fruit into the whipped cream to combine. Then pour the whipped cream into the whipped sugar and eggs and fold to combine.

Pour the ‘soufflé’ into your prepared glasses (I find it easiest to use an ice cream scoop). Pour over the top of the glass and into the parchment lining about 1/4-1/2” high. Place the soufflés into the freezer to set for at least 5 hours. If setting them up overnight, cover them so that you can trap in all of those delicious aromas.

To serve, remove the soufflés from the freezer. Warm them up at room temperature for 5-10 minutes and serve! Enjoy!

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Where + Worn!

Special thanks to J.Crew for sponsoring this section

1. Wore the J.Crew Daisy Scarf Dress + matching Printed Silk Scarf to one of my favorite annual summer destinations: Coney Island. While there, a stop for lunch at Nathan’s Famous (the glizzies are glistening, golden, snappy, and light) and Luna Park for some rides. A cone on the beach to follow, and some pizza on the way home – I love Totonno’s or a square pie from Di Fara (iykyk)!

2. This sequin Tory Burch skirt turns your lower half into a mermaid’s tail. While sold out in yellow, the green is great if you’re feeling a little more King Triton. It looks like there’s a very similar, slightly less expensive one in pink also from Tory Burch (with a matching tank!). Paired here with the Simone Rocha egg-pearl purse.

3. This outfit went to the Brooklyn Museum’s exhibit Iris van Herpen: Sculpting the Senses. The exhibition explores the interconnectedness between the natural and the manmade, fashion and the environment. The pictured dress in particular felt like it was about to pulsate and flutter like a jellyfish swimming.

4. Pleats Please reminds me of many things: my grandmother-in-law (who has kindly begun sharing her collection with me, this top was one of hers), florals, and with its scalloped texture and shiny/pearlescent hues - the ocean.

   This exact top isn't easy to find online, but this one from Depop and this one from TheRealReal are the same silhouette, just with long sleeves. Fastened closed with a Mejuri pearl earring from my wedding, and paired the look with these pink Saks Potts pants (also in lighter pink).

5. This outfit was worn to Lindsay Vrčkovnik’s pop-up for her brand, Verconiik. The fabrics are fantastic: so comfortable, durable, and–quote–“made for mermaids.”

6. Recreated(ish) this dress + sandals look in aquamarine to make it a little more mermaid (and less checkerboard). Dresses like this Pleats Please one in seafoam blue are comfortable-versatile-and perfect for hot days (from a beach cover-up to paired with flowy pants and a heel on a night out), and looks great with this J.Crew purse (it comes in blue too). These big-sale Toteme sandals are similar to mine, but if you want something with a heel, these Alohas are worth coveting (ps. if you haven’t worn them before, Alohas are so comfortable).

7. Wore outfit #6 to a Razza pop-up for Hillary Sterling’s cookbook AMMAZZA! These provolone “alla nerano” cannelloni swimming in butter were sublime and are in the cookbook (p.s. this cookbook is massive, with so many recipes bookmarked - can't wait to start cooking from it).

8. Around a decade ago, I scored this Adam Selman sheer sequin suit set at an Opening Ceremony sample sale (a shame it doesn't come out more often, as the compliments always flood in from kind strangers on the street). There are a handful of similar ones on Depop and eBay. To let the pants shine, I wore all black to complement, including a current favorite pair of shoes (these are so comfortable and chic!) and a very versatile and often-worn top.

And, for a bit of beauty…

9. To complement the black top and shoes, on went a new pair of Dior sunnies. And, as always, Dior Forever Skin.

10. A black pearl makeup look followed, using Violette Fr’s Poussière de Lune (designed for those of us who have no clue what they are doing – just may be a shadow convert now).

11. A decade ago, I would go to the salon every 6 months and dye my hair red, but because I don’t bleach my hair, the color was hard to hold and usually gone within two months. It was too expensive to keep up or do as often as was needed, but it's been missed. Some auburn hair gloss did the trick of turning things back into Ariel this month + a reminder of how much fun I used to have playing with my hair.

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BONUS: No feet pics in a food newsletter, so a quick written shoutout to ‘Babes in the Booth’ by Essie, which I chose for my first pedicure of the year. While the star from the Chanel cruise show was the toeless shoes, the colorful, pearlescent, slightly sheer, multicolored nails put me under a spell. This Essie color is iridescent-bubblegum (so fun and flirty), but next time - each toe in a different color.

Best Bit(e)s!

• A bit (not bite) of heaven on earth this month was being on a run and listening to the sounds of songbirds and seagulls at the mouth of the Hudson River Estuary, smelling the sulfur and the sea, and feeling the hot sun and beads of sweaty sunscreen rolling down the face. So excited for the rest of summer.

• Shrimp cocktail (to share, I love horseradish) + a cocktail cocktail (alla verde for me, takishīdo #2 for the rest) at Swan Room.

• Chilled sweet cherries + salty Marcona almonds + whipped (homemade) almond milk over iced espresso as a muggy afternoon pick-me-up while going through emails. Romanticized and mermaid-icized by plating it up in a shell and using the Sirenuse ashtray for the cherry pits.

• Go to Wanglang (if outdoor dining in summer is your thing, they have it!) and order the soft-shell crab mun-pu. It’s so light and crispy – be sure to soak up every little bit of the crab paste with a side of rice. Also a great order: jor sai-ua (classic lemongrass-y chiang-mai sausage with crispy tofu skin on the outside) and kor moo yang (grilled pork jowl and nam jim jaew).

• My father’s favorite food is pizza, so Una Pizza Napoletana was the perfect place to celebrate his birthday (a big one). Don’t skip the almond cremolata or seasonal sorbetto; they momentarily transport you to a beach in Italy.

• If you want to feel like “the world is my oyster, baby, come touch the pearl,” highly recommend a solo dance party to Addison Rae’s Addison, followed by Madonna’s Ray of Light (equally slinky and wet).

• Like a siren’s song, the Coucou Intimates NYC pop-up is impossible to walk past. Never have I felt so confident and beautiful in a dressing room trying on their new cotton voile items.

• Go with friends to drink & dine at Dean’s and start with the oysters and a shot of Guinness (very fun), and be sure to order the fish and chips as a main with a side of their mushy peas (best I’ve had in NYC).

Spotted + Saved

• ’s recipe for “oyster delights” + this shell cake

• Lucia Zolea’s shell collection + browsing mother of pearl dishes on eBay

• Scallops swimming + starfish dancing

• Emporio Sirenuse silk blouse with a mermaid print + dreaming of wearing it to their newly opened beach club

• Gohar World shell napkin rings + July Rose shell-ring-rings

• Mermaid food: here + here

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+ More mermaid food from Playing With Food & Instagram:

• In Season + pasta shells + flaky pastry shells + seashell sandwiches + rhubarb-stuffed madeleines

• Proust’s Madeleine

• Tiramisu Shells

• Choux-Shell Profiterole Pearls

This month’s obsession kicked off last year when Frieze asked me to select five favorite works from their art fair. Here is what I said about Aya Higuchi’s work, eggs in the backlight (2024):

“I have seen this scene many times in my own dining room: a hard-boiled egg perched on a cream-coloured plate. Yet, through painterly brushstrokes and bright white light, Aya Higuchi transforms this mundane and monochrome moment into an ethereal scene. Here, the humble breakfast egg is like a prized pearl, emphasizing the beauty in the little things (and the importance of eating breakfast).”

I really do love the notion that if you look at something just a little differently, or alter the light/your position ever so slightly, what once felt mundane can become something special, something to treasure. Just like a pearl, hiding in plain sight at breakfast.

And so, this month, this artwork (and the many other items on my moodboard) inspired me to make every meal look like a pearl in a shell, treating my food like the nourishing gem that it is. This meant turning my breakfast, lunch, and dinner(s) into shells, in addition to developing two pearl-in-a-shell dessert recipes this month: choux-shell profiterole-pearls and tiramisu shells.

Below is the full moodboard that started it all - the curation that spurred the creation: shells in art, architecture, cookbooks, and century-old ceramics. Then the main course, the menu: every pearl-in-a-shell meal that came from the obsession, from a boiled egg on a sourdough muffin to handmade pasta stuffed with mascarpone. Plus a rhubarb madeleine recipe for dessert.

On the Moodboard

1. Lily of the valley in my mother’s Lenox nautilus bowl.

2. Simone Rocha egg pearl tote bag.

3. A window crown in Paris (I notice that if I look down while walking, I tend to think about myself/internal things far too much, but if I look up, I’m constantly struck with new ideas, beauty, and wonder).

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An afternoon coffee is one of my favorite daily pleasures, and it’s made all the better when paired with a cookie. You can get so creative with a cookie recipe, and they are a low-stakes way to play around in the kitchen. So, starting today, a new series here: Coffee + Cookie. Once a month, I’ll share a cookie recipe that pairs really well with that afternoon coffee. If this first recipe is any indication of how the series will go, it should be a huge success :)

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Last year, I published a handful of shell cookie/cake recipes. First there were madeleines, then madeleine ice cream sandwiches, and then shell fraisiers. This year, I found myself on a bit of a kick again, shell-ifying different desserts. It all started with choux-shell profiteroles featuring an ice cream pearl swimming in a sea of chocolate sauce.

I recently got my madeleine pan back out and wondered what other uses it may have (it can’t be taking up that much room in the cabinet for only one type of cookie!). So I baked up some ladyfinger batter in the madeleine pan (ladyfingers are a very different cookie, using a fraction of the same ingredients and relying on whipped egg whites for a fluffy texture). Ladyfinger batter made me focus on one dish in particular: tiramisu. I ended up sandwiching two ladyfinger cookies (baked in the madeleine pan) around a mascarpone cream pearl and dunking the whole thing into a little bit of espresso with a splash of Marsala wine.

While these are inspired by tiramisu, they are just that – inspired. Each component keeps its texture a bit more than the real thing, the cream is a little firmer, the espresso a little wetter, and the cookie a little chewier.

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Other tiramisu-inspired recipes:

Makes 12 cookies

Ladyfingers:
2 large eggs
1 large egg white (save the yolk for the cream)
75g powdered sugar
5g vanilla extract
25g cornstarch
20g all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
Baking spray or butter for lining the madeleine pan

Mascarpone whipped cream (this will make a bit more than needed; any extra is delicious in a morning espresso):
1 egg yolk (*This recipe uses a raw egg yolk for traditional tiramisu flavor and color. Raw egg carries a risk of salmonella, so please do your own research and use your judgment before including it. The yolk can also be omitted entirely; the whipped cream will still be delicious.)
65g powdered sugar
125g mascarpone cold
125g heavy cream cold

For serving:
Cocoa powder optional but recommended
Cups of espresso
A tiny bit of sweet marsala wine optional but recommended

Tools:
Hand mixer
Sifter
Madeleine pan
2-tablespoon ice cream scoop

You can find ingredient information and tips for conversions on my conversion cheat-sheet page. If you have any further questions, please feel free to leave a comment!

Ladyfingers!

Preheat the oven to 400f and set up a rack in the middle of the oven.

Grab 2 medium-sized mixing bowls, crack 3 egg whites into one and 2 egg yolks into the other (set that third egg yolk aside for later). Set the egg yolks aside, and add the extra egg white to the medium bowl.

Grab your hand mixer and mix the egg whites at the lowest setting for 30 seconds. Then go up a level and mix for another 30 seconds. Then go up another level and mix for another 30 seconds. Slowly increasing the speed like this leads to a more stable egg white. Continue doing this until you get soft peaks (you should be at or near the highest speed at this point), then add in 1/3rd of your powdered sugar, fully incorporate it in, and repeat until all your powdered sugar has been added. The egg whites are properly whipped when they are shiny, have tiny and uniform air bubbles, and there is a sudden shift in texture. It should seem thicker/stiffer, and when you lift the beaters out, it should hold a tall peak (curving just at the tip) and not slump over immediately. Once you’ve noticed all of this, your egg whites are done. Do not continue, or you risk over-whipping them. When over-whipped, they will lose their shine, becoming cloudy and cottage cheese-like.

Take the bowl of yolks, add the vanilla extract, and give everything a quick mix with your hand mixer to break it up. Then take about 1/3rd of the whipped egg whites and use a soft spatula to fold the whites into the yolks to lighten them. Then grab your sifter and sift into the lightened yolks the cornstarch, flour, baking powder, and salt. Fold the dry ingredients into the yolks until almost entirely combined. Then add the remaining egg whites to the stiffened yolks and fold to lighten, making sure no streaks remain.

Grab your madeleine pan, and lightly–but thoroughly–cover it with nonstick spray, or use cold butter and work it into the divots of the pan with the butter wrapper (this is my preferred method as the spray tends to pool). Too much butter/spray and the cookies will become discolored, but too little, and they will certainly stick!

Grab the batter and your ice cream scoop. Scoop a heaping 2 tbsp (probably closer to 3 tbsp in total) into each divot, and use a spoon to gently spread the batter out across the mold, covering the entire surface evenly. I like to then run my index finger just along the inner edge of the sides and bottom of each madeleine mold (not the top ribbed part) to make the shell shape more defined, but this is not necessary. The batter should be level with the top of the mold or just a little taller to get an extra fluffy cookie.

Transfer to the oven and bake for 6 minutes (trust me here, they cook very quickly!). While the first batch of cookies is baking, put your things away, clean the dishes, and grab a cooling rack or baking sheet.

The cookies are done baking once they are puffed and golden, and when pressed with your finger, they should bounce back. Once done, take them out of the oven and remove the ladyfingers from the pan by gently pinching the bottom and pulling up. If your batter was slightly taller than the mold, you may need to use a knife to pull the cookie away from the edges. Place them onto a cooling rack/baking sheet, shell side facing up.

Clean the pan, then repeat the process of buttering/spraying the pan, shaping the cookies, and baking until all of your batter is used. This should make 2 batches of cookies.

Mascarpone Whipped Cream!

Take your extra egg yolk and plop it into a medium-sized bowl along with the powdered sugar and mascarpone. Use your hand mixer to whip until combined and thickened. Then add in the heavy whipping cream and whip until you have stiff peaks (depending on the mascarpone, this might take a little while, we want them firm here). Transfer the bowl to the fridge for 15 minutes to thicken. In the meantime, you can make your espresso and begin your assembly process.

Assembly!

Pour your espresso into espresso cups and add a tiny splash of sweet marsala wine if you so desire.

Grab your ladyfingers and place a cooling rack over a baking sheet. Dust with cocoa powder. Then, working one at a time, flip one ladyfinger over, tap on the cookie rack to remove excess cocoa powder, and repeat until all of them are flipped over (otherwise it will get all over your clothes). Feel free to sift any leftover cocoa powder back into your container so that you can re-use it (note that it has come into contact with gluten now, so you may want to note that or decant it into a separate container).

Divide your total ladyfingers up into the prettier half and the less nice looking half (12 each).

Take the less nice ladyfingers and turn them over so that the shell side is facing your work surface. Grab your chilled cream from the fridge. Use your 2-tablespoon ice cream scoop, scoop the mascarpone cream, plop it onto a less nice looking shell, and toggle the lever on the scoop to release the cream. Position the pretty shell on top. Then repeat until all of your shells have been assembled. Serve alongside the cups of espresso; these are perfect for dunking!

Cookies can be kept in the fridge, but they are best eaten the same day as they’re assembled.

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More shell recipes:

I was just about to retire the soufflé series (explore a bit of the series below) until I found not one, but two bags of overripe bananas while doing my annual spring clean of the chest freezer. These are the kinds of bananas that are so overripe and mushy they are only good for banana bread/banana cake (so banana-y, soft, and sweet), but I wondered if I could blend them into a banana custard and fold in egg whites to make a soufflé… The answer was a big, big yes. The end result is super fluffy and tastes like hot banana bread fresh out of the oven.

To up the banana-y-ness, I baked it over Bananas Foster ingredients (not using the same method, but yielding a pretty similar taste). You get a layer of bubbly, hot, and saucy bananas on the bottom, with the banana bread-y soufflé on top, and a scoop of ice cream. It is most definitely in mine and Théo’s top three soufflés of the series. Enjoy!

Highlights from the soufflé series:

Recipe: Banana Bread Soufflé

Makes approximately 6-7 4.5oz soufflés or 5 7oz soufflés (depending on how much banana you put at the bottom of the dish)

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This time last year, I published a recipe for a shell-shaped fraisier made of two piped dacquoise sponge cakes perched open and filled with a well of mascarpone cream and a strawberry filling. They are not only so scrumptious, but also so (for lack of a better word) sweet.

I felt tempted to make another shell-ified dessert again this year, leading into summer, and profiteroles immediately popped into mind. This time, the choux pastry is turned into a clamshell and served with a pearl of ice cream perched inside, emerging from a sea of (chocolate) sauce.

Not only is this recipe just as delicious as last year’s version, but it is also easier. The piping is a bit more forgiving here, takes less time, and there’s one less component to make (unless, of course, you fancy making some homemade ice cream). And, just like last year’s recipe, there is a thorough piping video and written directions so that you can get the same results at home.

One quick note: For any experienced choux bakers here, this choux method will break a lot of rules because we’re trying to control the rise to keep that shell shape. Just trust in the recipe, please!

All of the components can be made in advance and assembled right before you plan on serving. This makes it a very fun option for any mermaid-themed dinner parties you might be planning.

The choux-shells can be baked a day in advance, held in the freezer, and refreshed in the oven the day of. The chocolate sauce can be made days in advance, kept in the fridge, and simply warmed before serving. And you can even scoop the ice cream in advance if you so please (just prep a tray in the freezer, scoop, and freeze)!

The recipe from last year:

Recipe: Choux-Shell Profiterole Pearls

Makes 18-25 small profiteroles (if you use the same piping tip), AKA dessert for 5-7 (I know this is a wide range, it just depends on your piping pressure)

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Chef’s Kisses has always done too much. It’s a bit too long, has too many themes, and contains too much information. So, I’ve now split it into two letters – the first half was sent out over the weekend, in the perennial April In Season newsletter, and this is the second half.

In this half, I’ll keep sharing some *chef’s kiss* moments from the month (things from both ‘the moodboard’ and ‘the menu’). It includes cookbooks galore, seven sandwich shops, and some fantastic bites out and about in NYC (including some new openings).

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On the Moodboard!

At the end of March, I set a weekend afternoon aside to browse through some of my vintage cookbooks and see what might pique my interest for the spring. Just the day before, I had unfurled my new Nordic Knots rug, so I spread my cookbooks out and sat on the pecan-colored rug to browse. With all the florals, Martha Stewart’s Entertaining was the biggest source of inspiration this month. Pages from that browse (and the omelette it inspired me to make) are below.

More (mostly florals) from the moodboard:

• Interior designer, Alyssa Kapito’s, daffodils in bud vases – it looks like these are the ones she has

• Athena Calderone’s Art Deco vase collection

• Floral artist, Brittany Asch’s, peeled-petal pink rose arrangement

• Castor-fleuriste’s ice cream scoop hydrangea

• Simnel cakes from Lannan Bakery + Katie Merchant’s newsletter on simnel cake

• Katerina Shukshina’s tulip as a hair bow

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On the Menu!

Spring’s sweet vegetables

Despite it being spring, the iconic spring veg that I love are not so readily available at the farmers market yet (with the exception of asparagus and rhubarb, which just popped up this past week). However, in this interim spring period before sweet peas arrive, the vendors at the Union Square Greenmarket have been blessing us with overwintered greens. I’ve written about overwintered greens a handful of times before on this Substack (I included a recipe for them in last April’s Chef’s Kisses newsletter).

For those who haven’t tried overwintered greens before, think of a candied version of a hearty veg like broccoli rabe, spinach, or kale. While that is a wee bit of an exaggeration, being left in the ground winter-long means these vegetables actually produce more sugars (to keep them from freezing). Which makes them far sweeter than their summertime counterparts.

The labels at the market may not advertise that something is overwintered and extra sweet, so just ask if you’re unsure. And, once you know what to look for, you’ll start spotting it yourself. The spinach, for example, is larger than usual, with dark green, sturdy leaves that look almost too robust for spring (see the giant spinach leaves from Halal Pastures below).

I’ve been adding handfuls of spinach to braises and stews to get a little extra iron in. Similarly, this pasta with a sauce of overwintered and blanched broccoli-kale hybrids in anchovy butter is such a great way to incorporate greens (normally something like this would be far too bitter for me, but I promise it was fantastic).

Théo and I also ate 1 1/2lbs of the greens in one sitting. I used Trinity Mouzon Wofford’s recipe for bitter greens with black vinegar from her fantastic new cookbook, Eating at Home.

Eating at Home is all about making easy, delicious dish components that you can mix and match all week long. Add her recipe for shoyu butter rice to the greens, top it all with shiro-dashi scrambled eggs, and dinner is on the table in under 30 minutes.

7 sandwich shops

At the top of the month, I finally got tired of cooking winter food–and I wanted to get outside and see spring–so I started lacing up my sneakers and made it my mission to eat a whole bunch of sandwiches.

From top left to bottom right:

You may know Bánh’s (UWS) more popular sister restaurant downtown, Bánh Anh Em. They regularly have three-hour-long lines, but you can get their same fantastic sandwiches in under 20 minutes at their uptown location. All the sandwiches are excellent, but the brisket holds a very special place in my heart. I recommend eating them in the park for a pretty damn-near perfect spring afternoon.

The rest of these sandwiches are in Jersey City–yes, cross the river, it’s worth it!

Venti often comes up on lists for the best chicken Caesar salad sandwich in the region, and I can attest, it’s great - the crunch on the fluffy sesame-seed-coated bread takes it to another level.

Second Street not only makes their bread in-house, but also makes a sandwich that feeds two for $12. I order pastrami, egg, and provolone, but there is a sandwich for everyone here.

Cangiano’s: I selected the porchetta with pickled peppers and burrata because it sounded delicious. It most certainly was, but I have since learned (from a very reliable source) that the eggplant parm is the best in the city. So I guess I will be going back again soon!

Jersey Bánh Mì makes a mean bánh mì. The chicken is juicy and smoky, and the bread is chewy and squishable. Also, don’t sleep on the spring rolls. Much gratitude to the team who cut holes in the corners of the take-out box so that the steam can escape, preventing sog but keeping them warm <3.

Bread and Salt: If you’ve heard of sandwiches in Jersey, I’d bet that this is the one, and for good reason. We always get the mortadella and the sausage with pecorino, but there are no wrong orders. Bonus points in my book for their bombolone, caffé leccese, and half a red pie to take home, re-warm, and snack on throughout the week. Plus pick up some pantry goods while you’re there. I love taking home a new pasta or canned tomato company during my visits.

Mordi’s: The chicken parm is what they’re known for, and I get why. Even with the punchy-tangy sauce, the cutlet stays crispy. The bread is also so fluffy-soft-chewy, and there is a perfect bit of torch on the mutz.

Best Bites!

• This month’s daily breakfast: coffee with homemade almond milk + a perfectly ripe mango.

• A single bouquet can fill your whole home. Split it up between vases on the dining table and champagne flutes across the apartment (I keep one in the bathroom, and one above the headboard, with 1-3 stems in each). This was inspired by Alyssa (see the moodboard section). And, if you don’t have champagne flutes, use your next celebration as an excuse to pick up this vintage set on eBay (this set surely would be lovely for florals) or this one on Etsy.

• Canyon Coffee just opened in Brooklyn. Not only is the coffee delicious, but their pastry case has baked goods from so many fantastic bakeries in the city. It’s a great place to stop for a coffee and a treat before heading to the botanical garden, museum, or park.

• Idea for a nice evening: text a friend (or five) to go to dinner at Mission Chinese. Sit at the bar (or banquette), and prepare to share a delicious meal. Be sure to order the green beans and mapo tofu.

• I think Bar Contra is the perfect cocktail bar: the drinks are classics decomposed and rebuilt so they’re familiar, fun, and–most importantly–delicious (we tried four). There is also fantastic food (we had about 3/4ths of the menu – don’t skip the scallop), and a great playlist to match.

• Not food, but all about springy-fun and creating with your hands: Violette FR‘s new eyeshadows come in the most beautiful, flowery colors, and are buildable and designed to be applied with your fingers.

• The Jubilee was such a phenomenal day. I got to learn so much–with friends and fellow food lovers–in such a fun and supportive environment. I really enjoyed the conversation in the breakout session on sustainability. I keep coming back to this note I took: “It’s important where you spend your dollars, if we shift the demand, we shift the supply chain.”

• Depop hosted a dinner where John Fraser prepared a low-waste meal from rescued end-of-season fruit, top to root vegetables, and a delicious Hudson Valley Fisheries trout – which, despite seeing them just about every week at the Greenmarket, I had no idea how sustainable their practices were (nor how delicious the fish scales are).

• I’ve gushed about it so much already, but Lucie is having the most fun book tour with some of the best people and places in the city, including hosting a joyful, whimsical tea party with Ashley from L’appartment 4f, a book talk at OUTLINE, and a brunch party at Sézane’s Nolita location.

• Speaking of OUTLINE, it’s a must-go to if you’re looking to shop a really great selection from brands like The Row and Pleats Please. I’m not just saying that because it’s owned by one of my bffs for over a decade – I’m not biased, it’s just that great. Plus they stock my favorite hair clips by Undo. I’ve shouted them out in my gift guides. After Lucie’s aforementioned talk, I snagged two more in navy and green.

• And speaking of long-time bffs, I’ve been watching and loving Margo’s Got Money Troubles – congrats, Briar!

• Love this quick reel brimming with wisdom + this longer podcast from On the Media on how beauty is in the process (not the product) and how that process can be play!

• And speaking of play, I loved looking at all of these Easter parade costumes. They inspired me to dress up like a rhubarb stalk I saw at the Greenmarket.

See you for more play next month <3

From the archive

Related posts

Hello, friends! New newsletter alert! My previous monthly roundup, Chef’s Kisses, has always had too much going on – I’m simply too excited to share all the things I’ve been making, eating, and seeing! So, I’ve decided to split it into two newsletters, and you’re getting the first half this week.

Each month, I tend to go in-depth on a cooking theme. February was cabbage, December was puff pastry, and November was all about a soft scramble. This month, my inspiration was the pastel petals popping up each day this spring.

Tulip toast, cakes with Lucie, and morning coffee with mango.

This year, I’ve been tracking all the new blooms on my phone. March 25th, while on a run listening to Minnie Riperton’s Les Fleurs (my favorite song this month – a poem of hope, inner beauty, and transformation), I noticed the first budding trees. Just six days later, these magnolia blossoms went into full bloom.

On Easter weekend, some sculpted trees began to blossom into pink eggs (just in time for the holiday), and fluffy, mushroom-like trees of petals appeared. This was followed by the forsythia and cherry blossoms. Then last week, on a mild evening walking home, I was absolutely engrossed in my phone until I smelled it. I put my phone down and looked all around, but couldn’t find the source. It was only upon turning the corner down the block that I saw it, the lilac was blooming!

Spotting these new blooms out the window, walking down the street, at the park, and at the market have brought me so much excitement and joy. These perennial petals didn’t just brighten every day, but inspired the food I cooked, the clothes I wore, the cookbooks I admired, and even a whole dinner party.

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A Feast of Florals

The month started off on a high note with the first dinner party I’ve hosted in a few years. I have generally opted to host pancake breakfasts over dinners as they’re more casual and fun, but equally as delicious. But on a walk home from the grocery store, I saw the first crocuses emerging from the flower beds, and I felt the inspiration springing forth. I wanted to host a dinner party.

Still wanting to keep the evening casual, I set out to cook a seasonal Sunday supper where many items could be prepared in advance, popped into the oven (or stove), and brought fresh to the table right before we all sat down.

The star of the show was a pork collar, which had gotten a massage of anchovy, rosemary, fennel seeds, and garlic the day prior. It got seared off and roasted at lunchtime, and then was slow-roasted all afternoon in a puddle of rosé. This pork roast was paired with roasted rhubarb and folded with rosé-sautéed cherries, a recipe from The King Cookbook (a new favorite).

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I am a creature of habit, and every morning I, without fail, have a cortado with homemade almond milk and a piece of fruit. for the last two months, that fruit has been an orange - so it was only a matter of time before the orange made it into the soufflé series.

This recipe stems from the lemon soufflé recipe from earlier this month, but features orange. It uses more juice (as it’s less acidic) and some of those little juicy bits (also known as juice vesicles). I love a nice cold orange in the morning, so I wasn’t sure I would like it warm, but I was wrong – I prefer this version to the lemon!

In addition to being delicious, I just find the plating so *whimsical* for this soufflé. Which other soufflés can you bake up in it’s own flavor? The orange is not only sturdy enough but also the perfect size - I used Sumo’s (for larger servings) and Minneola tangelo’s (for mini soufflés). Both were excellent, but this is, of course, optional – find all the details in the recipe below.

The full soufflé series:

Makes 4-10 individual-sized orange soufflés (see the Serving Dishes section below)

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There is an image on pinterest that has been stuck in my head for the last two years: it’s a series of three descending cakes, each bell-shaped and decorated with an upside-down fondant flower. This cake was a contender for me and Théo’s civil ceremony, as the flower reminded me of my bouquet flower, lily of the valley (a symbol of good luck in France). I decided to go for a more traditional French wedding cake, but the bakery forgot to even make one in the end. Either way, I still hadn’t scratched the itch of some florals covered cakes.

As someone admittedly terrible at decorating, I knew I would never be able to make the cakes look exactly as they do in the photograph – decorated with a tutu of buttercream and perfectly cut, scalloped, and layered fondant. I sat with this thought for so long, until spring arrived this year, and I realized I could just let the natural beauty of real flowers do all the work.

The flower for this cake had to be magnolia: it’s one of the first blooms of spring; the flavor is a wonderful mix of rose, cardamom, and ginger; its long tear-dropped petals that cup inwards make it a perfect candidate for flipping upside down and onto a cake; the petals’ color is on the outside, allowing us to see its beauty when turned upside-down; and the thickness allows it to hold up for a couple of hours.

The base of this cake is a pound cake, buttery and somewhat neutral, letting the magnolia flavor shine. A pound cake is also a fantastic vehicle for the magnolia flavor, as magnolia compounds are fat-soluble, meaning their aromas release into the butter as you whip it (extensive butter beating is essential for achieving the pound cake’s texture).

To accommodate the size of the magnolia blossoms, these cakes are to be individually sized. I baked mine in a popover pan, although a cupcake tin or muffin pan would also do. Once the magnolia pound cakes are cooled, they get a white chocolate ganache drip-glaze (pairing a light white chocolate flavor with the floral notes). The ganache is optionally dyed and flavored simply with a bit of (Meyer) lemon and vanilla to complement the cake. The whole thing then gets finished with an upside-down flower, placed as if it is just about to open up.

More flower-y/spring-y recipes:

Makes 6 individual-sized cakes

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Now that spring is here–the days are getting brighter and longer, the weather is still a bit nippy, and the sunlight is becoming a warmer shade of yellow–there is one soufflé on my mind that will usher in the season best: a bright lemon soufflé over a punchy coulis.

I love how the addition of just one ingredient, a lemon (zest and juice), can transform a vanilla soufflé base into something so much brighter. While lemon can make a soufflé extra delicious, it can also absolutely ruin soufflé. Too much lemon and the acid overworks the starch making it gummy (my first test was ultimately a lemon curd folded with whipped egg whites – it currently holds the #1 spot for worst baking failure of ‘26). I worked my way down, 5g at a time over a half dozen tests, and finally landed at 25g. This amount of lemon is the sweet spot, not changing the texture too much, but still adding a bit of lemon zing.

To brighten the soufflé up a bit more, I added a coulis/compote underneath, and it is fantastic (just like the Salzburger soufflé). A raspberry or strawberry coulis transforms this into a soufflé dessert version of pink lemonade, and baking it over a blueberry compote or kumquat marmalade beautifully amplifies those tart, citrusy notes (my and Théos’ preference).

I couldn’t help but match these springy-zingy soufflés with the lightest-bounciest dress in my closet. I love how all the color blocks of yellow, red, blue, and orange match the brightly colored compotes and souffle. The dress was a major score back from February’s trip to Tokyo. I found some gorgeous second hand alternatives here, here, and here, if you love Pleats Please as much as I do.

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Makes 4 6oz soufflés (underfilled or makes 3 + a little extra when properly filled)

Lemon Soufflé:
Butter and sugar for the ramekins
Custard:
115g whole milk
1 large lemon (zest + some of the juice)
10g cornstarch
4g all-purpose flour
10g sugar
1/4 tsp Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt
35g egg yolks (~2 large)
6g butter
3g vanilla extract optional
Egg Whites:
50g powdered sugar
120g egg whites (~3 large) room temperature
1/4 tsp vinegar (or substitute with lemon juice if you have more)

Optional Compote/Coulis:
60-80g of any of the following:

• Raspberry coulis from the Salzburger recipe

• Strawberry coulis (use the Salzburger recipe but eliminate the water and liqueur + reduce the sugar to 60g)

• Kumquat marmalade from my J.Crew collab

• Blueberry compote from the Blueberry Crumb Pancake recipe (cut the recipe in half and replace the maple syrup with sugar)

Tools:
Hand mixer or stand mixer
4 ramekins for baking, or jars (mine were 6 oz, but you could use even smaller ramekins or make 1 soufflé in a large ramekin – just note it will change the bake time)

You can find ingredient information and tips for conversions on my conversion cheat-sheet page. If you have any further questions, please feel free to leave a comment!

Prep!

Make the coulis/marmalade/compote of your choice (see links in the ingredient section).

Preheat your oven to 400f, and place an oven rack on the lowest rung, leaving ample room on top for the soufflé. Take a baking sheet and place it in the lower rack of your oven. Grab a small baking tray or cake pan (8x8 or 9x9), fill it with 3 cups of water, and place it at the bottom of your oven. This will add steam, leading to a more even cook on the soufflé.

Take your ramekins and butter the sides (I usually use a butter wrapper, but for a more traditional method, melt the butter and brush it upwards). Then add some sugar and turn the cup to coat all of the sides. Tap out any excess. Add your compote/coulis into the bottom of each ramekin, dividing it equally. Set the ramekins aside in a cool place so the butter doesn’t melt while you prepare the soufflé.

For the jars: I found that the souffle liked to rise so high it would spring out of the jars. To stop this from happening you can omit the butter and sugar entirely, or you can butter and sugar and just cross your fingers. (I usually use a butter wrapper, but for the jars in the picture I needed to use melted butter and a pastry brush).

Thickened Base/Custard!

Grate the zest from your lemon into a medium-sized pot and add your milk. Set over medium-low heat on the stove while you prepare the rest of the custard. Grab a medium-sized mixing bowl and add your cornstarch, flour, sugar, and salt. Whisk to combine. Then add in your egg yolks (reserve the whites for the soufflé) and whisk again to thoroughly combine.

At this point, the milk should be steaming. Slowly pour in a stream of milk while whisking the yolks to temper. Once you’ve added about 2/3rds of the milk, pour the egg/milk mixture back into the pot, and use a soft spatula to add every last bit of egg mixture from the bowl. Set the bowl aside and return to the stove. Continue whisking over medium heat until it thickens into a homogenous paste.

Remove from the heat and scoop the cooked custard back into the bowl that you whisked your egg yolks in. Add the butter, and add 25g of lemon juice (no more or it will affect the texture). Add your vanilla extract if using.

Whisk thoroughly to thin out the custard, getting rid of any lumps. Then set aside while you prepare the egg whites.

Egg Whites!

Grab the sugar for the soufflé and measure it into a small bowl. Set aside until ready to use.

In a large mixing bowl (or in your stand mixer bowl), add the egg whites and vinegar (or lemon juice). Grab your stand mixer or hand mixer and mix the eggs at the lowest setting for 30 seconds. Then go up a level and mix for another 30 seconds. Then up another level and mix for another 30 seconds. Slowly increasing the speed like this leads to a more stable egg white. Your egg whites will thus be stronger when you go to fold in your custard. Continue doing this until you get to soft peaks (you should be at or near the highest speed at this point), then add in 1/3rd of your powdered sugar and repeat until all your powdered sugar has been incorporated.

The egg whites are done and properly whipped when they are shiny, have tiny and uniform air bubbles, and there is a sudden shift in texture. It should seem thicker/stiffer, and when you lift the beaters out, it should hold a tall peak (curving just at the tip) and not slump over immediately. Once you’ve noticed all of this, your egg whites are done. Do not continue, or you risk over-whipping them. When over-whipped, they will lose their shine, becoming cloudy and cottage cheese-like. Please refer to the video in Baking Blocks Pt. 1 for a visual of properly whipped whites!

Assembly + Bake!

Grab the beaters with the egg whites on them and use them to loosen up the custard, mixing on low – this is important. Add 1/4th of the whipped egg whites to the custard, and gently whisk to incorporate and loosen it further. Then add the loosened/lightened custard to the bowl of the remaining egg whites and fold until combined.

Place your butter and sugar-lined ramekins on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Gently scoop the soufflé batter into each ramekin, up to the rim. Level the top with an offset spatula. Run your thumb along the top inner rim of the ramekin, creating a little trench to help release the soufflé (otherwise it will stick and lead to an uneven top). See the video above for a visual!

Transfer to the oven, placing the baking sheet of ramekins on top of the pre-warmed baking sheet (this helps with rise). Close the oven door and decrease the oven to 350f. Set a timer for 15-17 minutes for 4-5 oz ramekins or 18-20 minutes for 6-7 oz ramekins.

While the soufflés bake, this is a great time to clean your dishes and prepare your serving plates.

When done, the soufflés will have risen significantly with a set top. Transfer the soufflés to your serving plates and enjoy immediately! While this soufflé is less temperamental than the Salzburger, it is still best enjoyed quickly out of the oven.

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The full soufflé series:

More soufflé content:

Below is a selection of favorites in case you want to save them for your own trip. This is not a comprehensive guide, but rather a collection of some great (mostly food-related) moments from our vacation. This trip was planned almost entirely by my husband, in less than two weeks (thank you, Théo!), with help from Eric on where to eat, what to order, and making reservations (thank you, Eric!).

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A Note On Packing

This past summer, I wrote about how I usually only travel with carry-on luggage. However, because of the different climates of this trip (Hong Kong was in the high 60s, and Beijing never warmed up past freezing temp), I was able to convince Théo to let me bring a larger suitcase.

This meant I could have a little more fun with what I packed. Almost all the same packing rules applied since I wasn’t able to pack much extra due to bulky coats and boots, but I did change up my strict color scheme. Instead of just packing black, white, and neutrals, I swapped out the neutrals for red, blue, silver, and packed a whole bunch of fun color stockings. It all started when I realized my L’eggs tights matched my J.Crew sweater (it seems to be all sold out in red, but they have many other red sweaters, and this one is at the top of my list – perfect for spring and matching with colored tights). Adding these pops of color was such a fun way to liven up my outfits.

I was also happy to notice this matching of tights and sweaters at the FFORME show back in February, so I have a feeling I’ll be doing it again next fall. Where should I get more great tights from?

Hong Kong

This was my first time in Hong Kong, but I hope it will not be my last. I loved it. While we averaged 4 copious meals + 1 egg tart a day, we barely scratched the surface of our saved spots. I can’t wait to come back, return to our favorites, and try some new places.

FAT J Char Siu – Simply divine Char Siu. Get the combo that comes with rice, vegetables, and an egg. It’s the perfect plate.

Big JJ Seafood Hot Pot – The broth is so good: a little briny (from the clams), a little sweet (from the corn), and truly delicious when paired with the veg, meats, and seafood. Our only regret was not traveling with friends so we could order more!

Seventh Son – Phenomenal. There are two items in particular that are musts in my book: the vegetable dumpling and the half suckling pig - cannot wait to return and have them again.

Mak An Kee Noodle – Light and bouncy all around (shrimp wontons, noodles in a light broth, etc.). The gai lan with hoisin was also cooked to perfection.

Jus – There are only three noodle dishes on the menu. I can confirm the two we tried are incredible. I’d pick whichever of the options speaks to you.

Forum – We truly loved every single dish we tried here, and we will be returning to savor the following again: deep-fried turnip pastry, crispy rice rolls with Hokkaido scallop, sweet and sour pork, char siu bao, and steamed eggplant. All are a must order in my book.

Oi Man Sang – Was so much fun. I would order the same meal again: clams with chili and black bean sauce (get the smaller razor clams or regular clams), typhoon shelter seafood (we got the mantis shrimp, but think we would have preferred regular ones or the crab), black pepper beef and potatoes, and gai lan with wine and ginger.

Bolton Cafe – On our last morning, before heading to our flight, we went to the closest cha chaan teng to our hotel. We tried our first light and fluffy, crispy-topped pineapple bun, and a Hong Kong style french toast stuffed with peanut butter and fried to perfection. We washed it all down with a delicious milk tea.

Egg Tarts – I planned to try two versions on this trip. I picked up a traditional crumbly pastry crust version from one of the oldest bakeries in the city, Tai Cheong Bakery. For the version with a puff pastry crust and more caramelized top, I went to Hashtag B. I enjoyed them both equally, but for different reasons. I loved the savory/saltiness of the traditional crust, but enjoyed the depth of flavor from the puff-crusted tart. I’m interested to hear which kind you prefer!

Activities:

• Running along the waterfront every morning at dawn

• A walk to see a view of the city at night (stunning)

• Vintage shopping at HULA (one of the best vintage shopping experiences I have had – the location in Quarry Bay is massive)

• Going to M+ and Hong Kong Palace museums

• Stopping at I love Cake for baking supplies

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Beijing

Xin Rong Ji – Our first meal straight from the airport. They have a beautiful dining room with food to match. My favorite dish of the night was the raw drunken mud crab with amber wine. The squab, hairtail (belly and flesh), scallop, and a baby yellow croaker are also musts.

Huaiyang Fu – Their signature shengjian bao (pan-fried pork soup bun) is one of the most heavenly bites I’ve had in recent years (I’ve been trying to find one as good back home, and I have tried some really delicious ones & Shanghai Time is next on my list, but please drop any recommendations you may have in the comments). Also, do not skip their sublime, jiggly-melty arrowroot braised pork.

Lamdre – They focus on a seasonal, vegetarian tasting menu, where they perfectly pair 3-4 vegetables in a dish, and prepare them absolutely sublimely. Each veg. is given the breathing room to shine in its unique, beautiful, textural deliciousness, while also working in harmony with other ingredients to create a dish that feels both familiar and refreshing. My high school English teacher always said that poetry is the best words in the best order – that was this meal, undoubtedly one of the best meals I will have all year.

Peking Duck – While in Beijing, we made sure to eat one of our favorite foods, Peking Duck, twice. At Da Dong, we ordered the suckling duck, which is the perfect size for two. It has lots of thick, crispy, crackly, and crave-able skin. At Siji Minfu, the skin was thinner, and the very juicy and tender meat was emphasized more.

Jichuan (located inside the Atour hotel) – The snowflake beef mapo tofu is the best I’ve ever had. Also order the chongqing chicken and the cold noodles.

Activities

• Mutianyu Great Wall of China was absolutely incredible, a memory I will cherish forever

• The Forbidden City is wonderful, especially with a tour.

• The National Museum of China is incredible. Personal highlights include their phenomenal collection of ancient bronzes, terracotta, and porcelain. Be sure to set aside at least 4 hours to try and see as much as possible.

• The Capital Museum also has some lovely gilded works (look at those boots!)

Tokyo

We were in Tokyo this year on nearly the same dates as our honeymoon last year. You can find all of our favorite spots from that trip (which also has our favorite spots from Hokkaido and Kyoto) on the AMIGO app (use code: PARISGO to skip the wait).

This year, the new J.W. Marriott Tokyo hosted us, and it was a really fantastic stay. The views from every single space are absolutely remarkable: you can see Mt. Fuji from the gym, Tokyo Tower from the pool, and cityscapes at breakfast and from your room (we kept the curtain open every night to look at it as we went to sleep). All the amenities–the breakfast, the bar, the spa, etc. were so thoughtfully done (I got to experience the comfiest massage table I’ve ever been on). Additionally, the hotel is conveniently located right off two metro lines, making it easy to get around for all your activities.

400C – While we loved last year’s itinerary so much, we wanted to try some new spots. This was the one exception. Last year, we loved their pizza for the balance of salt and olive oil (high in both), as well as the giant, fluffy, airy, and burnished crust. On this second visit, we noticed a lot of the pizzas also had capers, something I will now be incorporating in my own pizzas for a little salty brininess.

Yakiniku Kokoichi – We adored last year’s Yakiniku meal at Jumbo Hanare where we feasted on tender and flavorful premium cuts of meat. This year, we wanted to try more cuts we don’t get to have very often, so we went to Yakiniku Kokoichi and got some tongue, liver, and stomach lining (in addition to ones we eat more often, like short rib, beef cheek, etc.). All the meats were delicious, well marinated, and really opened my eyes!

Sushi Nogi – A new spot offering a great deal on an omakase sushi lunch. I am so happy we went. The chef beautifully balanced creativity with technique. There were hand-shredded, raw, marinated scallops, mackerel paired first with sudachi and then with chives, and baby eels blanketing rice with a bit of uni tucked in between and shaped with shiso leaf for a floral-bitter-sweet finish.

Osaba no Kouga – Here, I got to indulge in much more uni. I ordered the cold soba loaded up with a mound of it. It has just a hint of wasabi and thinly shredded nori on top to season. It tastes just as amazing as you would imagine.

Saki – There was another delicious uni dish (yes, I was very spoiled on this trip) at Saki, where I was invited to dinner by JW Marriott. One of the first courses included an aspic of uni and surf clam in a savory-sweet, tomato-seaweed broth. I wish all aspics tasted this good; if they did, I would eat them far more often. I also loved all the tuna courses, but the hand roll with Szechuan peppercorns, leek, and perilla was especially delicious. Then there was also tuna sashimi with each of the three types (akami, chutoro, otoro) treated differently. My favorite, as always, was the chutoro, plus it was served to look like a cup of ice cream – major bonus points. Speaking of dessert, the pastry chef is phenomenal. Despite being stuffed to the brim, I could not help but polish off both the strawberry tart with soy milk custard and the chocolate-tea ganache.

Ponta Honke – This place has the best vibes, and I thoroughly enjoyed the scallop (lots of little baby scallops bunched together and fried – so sweet and so perfectly cooked) and the pork (the thin and lean cutlets allow for maximal crunch and intense pork flavor). I <3 katsu.

Yakitori Omino – Here, the skewers only stop when you say you’re done. At lunch service, Théo and I were proudly the last two standing at 20 skewers each. The cook, flavor, seasoning, and texture were fantastic on all of them, and I got to try some new cuts I’ve never had before.

Teuchi Oyatori Chūkasoba – On our final day, we had ramen booked, but realized with a flight change, we would no longer be able to make it. I suggested we go here instead, and I am so happy we did. The noodles are thick, chewy, and bouncy perfection, and are paired with a rich, layered, and complex chicken broth. Théo ordered the special, which was indeed very special - if we had had more time before heading to the airport, we probably would have gotten a second bowl to share.

Activities

Tokyo has so many phenomenal museums. I suggest checking here to see what is up while you are in town, and pick whatever looks interesting to you. On this trip, we averaged about two museums a day.

• A favorite was up at the Mitsui Memorial Museum, where a collection of classical poetry cards left my jaw dropped (sorry, no photos were allowed in that specific room, but I added a photo from another room).

• We also love the Nezu Museum, which not only has a phenomenal garden and collection of ancient Chinese bronzes, but a divine exhibition of textiles (again, no photos allowed, sorry).

• Tokyo National Museum consists of 4 buildings with so many wonderful pieces. It’s a must-visit. I suggest getting a sweet potato at the little truck parked outside after. It’s the perfect treat and is as sweet as honey.

Shopping + (More) Sweets

If you find yourself at Isetan for some shopping, go to the basement and head into the depachika (prepared foods wonderland) and get a selection of things that stand out to you. I love the banana cream cake at Nihombashi, which features a whole banana enveloped in a ~2” thick cloud of whipped cream, with the lightest, hot-dog-shaped sponge you have ever tried. I also tried the chestnut tart from Pomology, which I believe came with a chestnut frangipane on the bottom (I would love to try making this myself).

We wanted to take a knife-sharpening class while in town, but the company Théo found was off that week, so we decided to just head to Hands and pick up some knife-sharpening equipment for dummies like us. Hands is a variety store with carefully curated sections for just about every part of your life. It’s truly worth taking some time to browse all the shelves and get yourself a few items.

While I do love a well-selected variety store, I also love a store extensively dedicated to one item. Kanya Brush specializes in all things brush: pot scouring brushes, vegetable scrubbing brushes, wet and dry body brushes, lint brushes, hair brushes, and brushes for cleaning your brushes. I have loved using all the brushes I got.

The internet will probably have far better vintage and secondhand shopping recommendations than I will, but I would suggest looking at vintage and secondhand items in the Koenji neighborhood (I just did a Maps search for both ‘vintage’ and ‘secondhand’). I got a wild Pleats Please dress (you’ll see it next month), and Théo snagged a thick vintage roll neck sweater and a reversible light coat. All for great prices – score. I’d also check out the RAGTAG locations in Shibuya and Harajuku (among other secondhand stores), which are incredibly well curated!

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Related Posts:

Past March Posts:

I wondered at first if it made any sense. After all, soup is a thick liquid, and soufflé is a light and airy solid. However, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that they actually have a bit in common (and make a fun pun!).

One soup in particular, French onion soup, had just enough similarities with soufflé to convince me it was worth a try: both are characterized by an oven-finish that creates a risen or boiled over look, and comté/gruyère are integral for flavor.

Because of my extensive deep dive into soufflés (see the bottom of the recipe for links to the entire series), there were only a couple of tweaks to be made. Last week’s soufflé recipe focused on adding morsels of flavor, and I can think of few morsels that pack as much punch as sweet-savory-rich caramelized onions. From there, the only other (new) tweak was to the béchamel: swapping some of the milk for homemade beef stock, and adding a splash of sherry, a little beef bouillon, and some herbs. This deeply flavorful, beefy béchamel tastes just like a concentrated French onion soup.

Upon taking the tureens spilling over with soup-fflé from the oven, I knew that the whole cheese-crusted-dish-vibe of French onion soup was really coming alive, and after the first spoonful, I knew that my initial hunch was right; it was indeed meant to be.

P.S. A lot of French onion soup dishes are already oven-safe, but always check the individual make/model before baking.

P.P.S. This soup-fflé will likely spill over (nearly all of mine did). My theory is that as the onions retain some moisture, they create steam and make the soufflé base less sturdy. Thus, when it rises, it will also slide around and slip over the edge. There’s nothing you can really do about it (I tried), so just enjoy that this soup-fflé mimics how a normal French onion soup bubbles over the edges.

Makes 4 6oz soufflés

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It made me realize how delicious that would be, and I decided to develop a *soufflandwich*.

This series was, in large part, inspired by some delicious savory soufflés I had at Auberge Bressane in Paris. They have seasonal/daily specials of savory and sweet soufflés. When trying both the morel and the crab versions, I learned that their cheese soufflé is sturdy enough to add ingredients inside, allowing for delicious, flavorful morsels dispersed throughout each bite of light and fluffy cheese soufflé.

So, with the egg and cheese base already there, I decided to transform two delicious breakfast sandwiches: sausage, egg, and cheese, and spinach-artichoke.

These sandwiches can be baked in a brioche or choux bun, or *could be* baked in ramekins and served with toast/baguette (for a little scoop and spread situation).

P.S. The recipes for brioche and choux are in my archives and are linked below in the recipe.

Makes 3 bread bowls from large brioche/choux buns or 3 8oz ramekin soufflés.

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