my snacks

i've gotten into the expensive habit of having afternoon snacks. while i have been known to get sudden "pregnant woman" cravings (one time, i wanted to eat an entire pie from the middle with a spoon), i usually don't have much of a sweet tooth. i am, however, a sucker for carbs in all their glorious forms.

lately, i've been popping into bakeries between running errands. i figure my body deserves a little something to keep up its energy. if i'm willing to make the 10 block trek, my dessert dealer of choice is silver moon bakery. their decor is delightful, their baked goods are consistently tasty (though a little overpriced), and the staff is cheerful (though they could stand to give you a few minutes to decide between the 724809278348 choices available). i can still remember the taste of the juicy raspberry tart i had there last year. i can't wait for fresh fruit to be in season again.

unfortunately, the lemon tart (4.50?) i had there some time ago was tough and unpleasant. the crust was very hard and the plastic fork they gave me could barely pierce the armor-like shell. lemon curd is difficult to get right and this one was too eggy and too acidic, making for an unsavory sensation in your mouth. even the blackberry was shockingly sour:



last saturday was saint patrick's day, and i was in the grand central area, distributing brochures for columbia japan society's matsuri. i traveled further north and east, into the "turtle bay" neighborhood. it was there that i was bombarded by masses of out-of-towners, decked in green and laden with beads, stupid hats, and obnoxious novelty sunglasses. they were everywhere: pouring out of taxis, tripping over the piled up snow, screaming from bar balconies. manhattan had turned into a big drunken high school sleepover and everyone was invited.

during my wanderings, i found buttercup bake shop, magnolia bakery's arch-rival. now i really don't get why specialty cupcakes have become such a big deal, but i do admire their clever marketing strategy. it's brilliant, creating an adult/luxury version of happy childhood treats that they can sell at $24 per dozen.

i chose to bypass the rows of cupcakes slathered with green, paint-like frosting and went for a slice of red velvet cake (another inexplicably widespread cake fad):



my slice (4.95) was ridiculously large since it was left over from the previous cake rather than cut from the one on display. my first bite was nondescript, but as i chewed, i found the cake to be very moist and rich, with a lightly sweetened (though otherwise heavy) cream cheese icing. i was surprised that the cake did have a distinctive flavor of its own, a hint of dark cocoa against all that dense, buttery comfort.

the cake was good, but the massive slice was simply too much for one person to handle. i made it through maybe 2 of the 3 layers before i gave up and reluctantly tossed the rest. maybe i will go for a cupcake next time.

this past week, i've been frequenting the local french joint, le monde. moderately priced, but still out of the range of most collegiates, the bistro is known for classic, though unremarkable, french fare. however, after reading in our campus paper that the chef de cuisine used to be a champion patisserier, i was convinced i needed to sample all those gleaming confections in their pastry case.

on wednesday, i had an intense craving for macaroons. real macaroons, not those silly mounds of coconut that come in cans during passover. i couldn't think of anywhere around campus that would have them and i wasn't too keen on making a special trip all the way to columbus circle just for a bag of bouchon's. i walked into le monde and sure enough, they had a few pastel-colored macaroons on display, next to a row of similarly pastel éclairs.

i bought one of every flavor: strawberry, vanilla, pistachio, chocolate and lemon (not pictured). they were small, not quite 2 inches in diameter and sold six for $5. the adorable korean girl behind the counter was really nice and threw in an extra macaroon for me.



the strawberry and pistachio ones were my favorites. the lemon one was kinda weird. i may try to make my own sometime though they're quite difficult to master. i've also not had a good relationship with egg whites in my past. heavy cream and i get along fine, but eggs are rather tricky. i learned that the hard way when i was trying to make madelines and they came out with hard little clumps of flour baked in.

yesterday, i made another le monde trip to tide me over between proper meals. the weather was nice so i didn't wanna coop up in the library but it was also too cold out to wander ‘round the city. thus, i gathered my books and had myself a little snack & study session at le monde. the hostess was reluctant to give me one of the prized window tables, but couldn't really refuse me as it was only 4 pm. i ordered a pain chocolat (3) and cafe au lait (3.50) and started reading. service was kinda off since my waiter didn't bring any water until asked and never bothered to remove the menus. he also asked if i wanted any sugar even though it was already at the table.



i finished the croissant in just a few bites (flakey, buttery, but cold and a little dense). several pages later, i was in need of more sustenance, so i foolishly ordered their gigantic napoleon (5):



the marbled icing was a little on the sweet side (i prefer my treats very faintly sweet). the pastry layers were a little tough and i struggled to cut them with my fork, but that's to be expected of a mille feuille that isn't assembled to order. the pastry cream was heavenly: light yet custardy, gently sweetened, and not too eggy. i couldn’t finish the whole thing right then, but now i crave more. i was surprised at how big this thing was, considering the rest of le monde's pastries came straight from munchkin land: baby fruit tarts, mini-éclairs, not even the madelines were full-sized.

...and then later that evening, i made gougères for the first time! (yes, i'm tacking the photo onto this post cause i can't be bothered to do a write up for it)