Kitchen Interview at Maria’s Pastry Shop
February 28th, 2009 § Leave a Comment
A fluffy, demure kitchen cat named Cookie, the best Sfogliatelle this side of the Atlantic and a passionate Neapolitan artisenne completes the divine experience called Maria’s Pastry Shop.
Straight from the heart to your mouth, Maria, her daughters, sister and mother run this unpretentious gem of a bakery in a quiet strip mall that forms a southern border for the loft-laden North End district of Boston. That’s where my dear friends Lauren and Tyler live. (If you haven’t been there, picture a quainter Tribeca.)
A little context. I’ve known these classy newlyweds since my New York days. Lauren and I were teammates managing the Mr. Clean account for several years together. Let’s just say that strong ties quickly develop when you spend time at NASCAR races and work the Hamptons party scene together as handlers for the public persona of the Mr. Clean brand. I’ll also have you know that anything Lauren (and Tyler!) recommends is a knockout. She has the classic, graceful style of Audrey Hepburn with an eclectic jolt. Grade A+ taste. And Lauren certainly wasn’t about to let me down with this recommendation for a quick bite of breakfast around the corner from her apartment.
In so many words, Maria’s Pastry Shop is heaven for lovers of authentic Italian desserts and pastries that taste of the old world because of the care and time-honored traditions baked into them. Maria’s black and white photocopied menu on the front counter reads like a bible of Italian sweets, with a calendar of specialties only available during their corresponding holidays throughout the year. And the best part is that they ship these babies anywhere in the U.S.
The star of the shop, along with Maria herself of course, is her Sfogliatelle. Maria emphatically proclaims, “Nobody makes Sfogliatelle like me.” Hers is the only one I’ve tried, but I’m sure she’s right. Literally meaning “little sheets,” referring to the infinite layers of thinly rolled-out dough, this clam shell-shaped treat is baked to a golden crisp and contains a subtly sweet filling of mild cheese, semolina flour and candied citrus fruit mixed with eggs and sugar. As you bite into the crunchy (“crocante”) shell, the contrast against its melt-in-your-mouth interior (mine came warm, fresh from the oven) is transporting. Just look at the pictures and you’ll know what I mean.
There were so many more things I wanted to ask Maria, but I was short on time to catch the 8:15 a.m. Acela to New York City where I will be spending the rest of the weekend visiting friends, returning Monday night to Miami (that is, if don’t get snowed-in.) I’m so happy to have been able to capture what I could though, which, for me, was an awareness and appreciation of this woman, her story and what she passionately stands for. Buon appetito, e ciao bella.
Click here to listen to Maria’s interview
Maria on technology and communication
on molecular gastronomy
February 27th, 2009 § Leave a Comment
Last Friday, I attended a South Beach Wine and Food Festival event launching the Biltmore Culinary Academy, a new cooking school where ordinary people can take professional quality cooking classes from the acclaimed chefs of this historic Gables hotel (CulinaryAcademy@BiltmoreHotel.com or phone: 305-445-1926.) It was not the event at which orange-Croc’d chef Mario Batali dropped the f-bomb TWICE in the presence of Spanish royalty, but interesting nonetheless.
Culinary Conversation: The Relationship between Spanish Chefs and Scientists featured a panel discussion on molecular gastronomy with Daniel Garcia (a chef that claims to have first incorporated liquid nitrogen into cooking in Spain,)Katsuya Fukushima (Culinary Director of ThinkFoodGroup, the management company for José Andrés restaurants,) Ruben Garcia (Director of Research & Development of ThinkFoodGroup,) Harold McGee (author of On Food & Cooking and the Curious Cook column for the New York Times, considered an authority on the science of cooking) and moderator Josh Ozersky (Restaurants Editor for Citysearch and seen helping Anthony Bourdain inhale impressive amounts of meat, even for him, on this past Monday’s No Reservations on the Travel Channel.)
The big take away? It’s not about conducting science experiments with food, although it often feels that way. Like when a panel member demonstrated how to make olive oil popcorn, an icy snack made with tomato water in a cauldron full of cryogenic liquid. But what the generationally diverse panel unanimously agreed on is that it is about what all great cooking is about: letting the ingredients speak for themselves. It’s just that they are showcased in a not previously attempted and clearer, if not more deliberate, way.
Now, once you’ve digested that, the good news is that you can sample this daring fare without emptying whatever is left of your savings on a ticket to Spain (although that may not be such a bad idea.) There are local joints practicing this culinary hoodoo. Inside Neomi’s, Miami’s Trump International Beach Resort main dining room, Executive Chef Kurtis Jantz and Chef de Cuisine (and food blogger,) Chad Galiano, have developed what amounts to an experimental test kitchen restaurant within a restaurant, called Paradigm. Restaurants with multiple personalities is an emerging trend that I’ve noticed cropping up with heavy hitters like Tom Colicchio at Tom: Tuesday Dinner at Craft in New York City, as well as the José Andrés concept Mini Bar at Cafe Atlantico in D.C. Paradigm is only “open” once a week (Tom’s is only every other Tuesday, with the master himself behind the stove,) usually Fridays at 7:00 p.m., serving whimsical fare from a prixe fixe dining menu. I plan to take a dip into their chemical romance at next week’s performance.
18001 Collins Ave (between 178th and 183rd)
Sunny Isles, FL 33160
305-692-5645
Kitchen Interview at Brosia
February 25th, 2009 § 1 Comment
Executive Chef Arthur Artiles of the Design District Mediterranean oasis, Brosia, talked to Kitchen Interviews about digital water pouring, wascally wabbits and really tight cooking quarters. And of course, what’s getting him excited in the kitchen these days. While drawing on his roots for inspiration, (including a long-time apprenticeship with New World Cuisine pioneer Norman Van Aken,) the Cuba native is expressing a decidedly old world - and refreshing - point of view at Brosia.
A quick note about the audio portion. The editing leaves something to be desired. Please bear with me. And I will also try not to swallow the microphone next time.
KI: Ok, so Arthur, here are my questions.
AA: Shoot.
KI: So I was doing a little research. I went on your website.
AA: How did you get your water? Ice, no ice, bubbly or flat?
KI: [laughs] I got it bubbly with no ice. I was wondering what that was about. [There is a flash app on http://www.brosiamiami.com where visitors can customize and pour their preferred water service.]
AA: Just something to pull everybody in. Something a little different on the website.
KI: It is interesting. I won’t ask you how you technically got it up there.
AA: Yeah, [Owner] Scott [Engelman] and the guys who designed the website… we all sat down together to make it a little interactive. The glass that’s in there is one of our glasses as well, so it’s in-keeping with the restaurant. Before you get into the website you have to chose your water so, you know, at that moment, everyone’s clicked into their thing.
KK: A personalized experience using water preferences. Cool. So, tell me a little about your inspiration here.
Click here to listen to more with Arthur
And here to get up close and personal with the kitchen
