Archive for Try This In Massachusetts!
My Meeting With a Super-Star Pastry Chef!
Waayyyyyy back in April, I wrote a post about a chance meeting I had with Jorg Amsler, the amazing Pastry Chef and owner of Truly Jorgs in the Boston area as well as frequent contestant on the Food Network Challenge. In the post I wrote that I would upload the pic. of Jorg and I and now I finally can. When I took the photo with Jorg, it was just after his Food Network Challenge Win of the Horror Cakes Challenge and we took the photo in front of his winning check. Well I was unable to post the photo until now because it would have spilled the beans about his big win! Well since the episode finally aired, I can finally post the photo! Yippee!
This pictures makes me so happy! I had such a wonderful afternoon at Jorg’s Patisserie and he was seriously one of the nicest chef’s I have ever met (his pastries were super delish too!) And, Jorg’s cake for the Horror Cake Challenge Kicked Ass! It was this gruesome looking skeleton riding a bad-ass motor cycle! Jorg totally deserved to win! Congrats Jorg!
Don’t forget to check out the Food Network Challenge every Sunday Night! It’s my favorite way to end a weekend!
Happy Baking and Watching!
-Kristy
An Iced Coffee Conundrum!
I am Lucky enough to have Friday mornings off and usually try to get bills paid and run errands before heading into work for noon. I love to treat myself for being so productive with a morning or afternoon coffee trip. I especially LOVE iced coffee in the summer… actually I can drink it all year round… anyways…Iced coffee is probably my favorite kind of coffee. Being an East Coaster, I am pretty much obsessed with Dunkin’ Donut’s Iced Coffee. The town that I grew up in literally had Dunkin’ Donut’s across the street from each other. Its been a struggle for me here in LA living without a daily trip to Dunks, so I have been on a search for the next best thing to my Medium Iced French Vanilla with extra cream and one equal… and it has left me with much to be desired!
So here’s my issue. I go into the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, and request an ice coffee. Instead, I was served espresso, with a splash of water over ice… NOT iced coffee. I can do the Starbucks iced coffee from time to time, buts its much stronger in flavor than what I am looking for. I go to a cafe across the street from me, and again am served with espresso over ice. This past Friday morning I decide to try a small cafe about two blocks from my apartment. I go in, ask the nice lady behind the counter if she offers iced coffee, (I thought I was being soo smart– asking if they served it or not…) She replied ‘yes.’ (JACKPOT!!!) I ordered a small iced coffee to go. And won’t you know… I was again served espresso with a splash of water over ice…. DAMMIT PEOPLE I WANT COFFEE NOT ESPRESSO!!!!
So after another failed attempt to get iced coffee, I thought I would do a little research on the topic. Here is what I learned from wisegeek.com. 1.) Both espresso and coffee are essentially made from the same kind of bean, but the beans are prepared differently. 2.) Coffee is usually made with the drip or peculator method, where gravity helps move hot water through the coffee grinds. 3.) Espresso is made by using finely ground coffee beans in which super hot water under high pressure is shot through it, creating a thick and highly concentrated beverage. 4.) Espresso is served both as a shot and or with milk, while coffee is generally served on its own. 5.) Although both coffee and espresso, again are made from essentially the same thing, here in America we differentiate the two beverages while in Europe the term ‘espresso’ is synonymous for all coffee related beverage.
Well… I have news for you… WE LIVE IN AMERICA PEOPLE NOT IN EUROPE! IF I ASK FOR ICED COFFEE I WANT COFFEE AND NOT ESPRESSO!!! My apologies… but this issue really fires me! So all you fancy cafe owners please bid me this one favor… If I ask for iced coffee and you don’t serve it, just tell me! I will gladly order an iced soy latte instead (My second favorite iced caffeinated beverage!)
Alas… my search for the perfect iced coffee here in LA continues… If anyone has any good recommendation for iced coffee, PLEASE send it my way!
Happy Baking and Sipping!
-KM
A Child’s Candy Fantasy!
One of my fondest childhood memories was spending an afternoon at a place that I like to refer to as a Child’s Candy Fantasy… The Hebert’s Candy Mansion in Shrewsbury, MA. Yes, I said— CANDY MANSION! This place is literally an old Mansion that was converted into a candy store/candy factory/make your own sundae cafe/a child’s fantasy/a dentist’s worst nightmare! Hebert’s is most well known for their deliciously smooth chocolate bars and decadent homemade fudge. The owners were serious Smart Cookies when they added the make your own sundae cafe—especially since Massachusetts consumes the most ice cream all year round compared to any other state! It’s a fact– I swear!
Even though going to the Candy Mansion was about 20 minutes or so out of the way, my father took me there prior to heading to the airport for my flight back to LA. Hebert’s Chocolate, and some pure maple candy made the perfect treats to bring back to my friends in LA. To order your own Classic New England Chocolate, Candy and Fudge, Click here!
Happy Baking!
-KM
Meet My Other Boyfriend… Mike!
If you’re a Bostonian at heart- you know my other Boyfriend… Mike’s Pastry! For those unfamiliar with Mike’s, allow me to make an introduction. Mike’s Pastry is a landmark of the North End, or Boston’s Little Italy. The bakery makes THE BEST traditional Italian pastries in the world! Yes, I am a bit biased but their desserts are seriously good! Its family owned, cash only, with lines always running out the door (Its SO worth the wait!). Behind the counter is the same group of women in the same blue aprons—and nothing could be better. When you leave with your white and blue Mike’s Pastry box and hop on the T, anyone getting a glance of that box is so jealous!
Well I couldn’t be in Boston without a visit to my Boyfriend’s! My sister and her new husband invited my real boyfriend and myself over for dinner… and picking up a box of Cannoli’s was the perfect thank you and dessert all in one. Two traditional ricotta cannoli’s with chocolate chips, one chocolate covered and one chocolate filling… all simply delish! If you ever visit Boston—this place is a must see and taste!
Here’s the best part- Mike’s Pastry recently starting shipping pastries! YIPPEE! Next time I need a Cannoli fix, it’s just a click away! We’ll visit soon Mike… real soon!
Happy Baking!
-KM
My New Food Network BFF!
Although I currently live in LA, I grew up in Boston, MA. Go Red Sox!This week I am home visiting my fam. and convinced my mother to take an hour long drive to check out Truly Jorg’s Patisserie. This is no typical bakery– this is the shop of Chef Jorg Amsler, a well known pastry chef and participant in many Food Network Challenges (clearly the Food Network is my fav. tv channel!).
Well today was my lucky day! Jorg had just returned from filming in NY and was back in the shop! My mother and I ordered a few pastries, had some coffee and out of the back kitchen he came! “I hear I have a fan in the room!” Jorg greeted me with, and I was star struck! (or would it be chef-struck?!) Jorg was so friendly, warm and welcoming— He answered all of my many questions– and even listened to my crazy mother brag about her 3 children (Yes- I am 25 and still get embarrassed to be seen with my mother!) Jorg let me take tons of pictures- and I even snaged one with him! (to be posted ASAP!)
Jorg’s desserts and cakes were amazing! He had many photo albums of his pastry history from here in the US and from Switzerland, where he learned his craft. He has a few cakes up around his cafe which were quite impressive as well.
After the chatting, my mom and I got down to eating… and I have only three letters to describe his desserts… O-M-G!!!! These pastries were SO GOOD! (SO GOOD,
SO GOOD!) First was a traditional Chocolate Cup Cake with Chocolate Ganache (left). It was light and fluffy, yet perfectly moist. Then was the Flourless Chocolate Mound (top)– not too rich and perfectly delicious. And a perfect ending to all that chocolate was a Lemon Tart (right)– it was sweet and refreshingly lemony.
After spending an hour in the cafe chatting and eating… it was time for the visit to end… but not without buying a few more desserts to take home to my father! Another Flourless Chocolate Mound, Key Lime Cheese Cake, and some cookies– all were simply fantastic! I said ‘Good-Bye’ to Jorge, told the intern how lucky she was to work there (Yes, I am somewhat jealous!) and left with a HUGE smile on my face! In the world of semi-professional bakers- this day totally take the cake!
Happy Baking!
-KM
