meringue

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The best in the world?

Behold, the so-called best of its kind

Naming something the “best in the world” is a sure fire way to guarantee that it’s not, in fact, the best in the world. I mean, really. The world? That’s just kind of a heavy title to be throwing out there.

But… it’s also a pretty smart business move for luring curious suckers like me in to prove it for themselves.

Such was the case with The Best Chocolate Cake in the World, the small Nolita shop with the big claim where I found myself on Christmas Eve (you know, treating myself to an early Christmas present). Originally, the cake was from Portugal, where it started as a dessert item on the menu of a restaurant in  Lisbon, but then it spread to Brazil and Madrid before coming stateside to New York. Continue reading →

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Suites and Sweets

The biggest perk of my job is that I get to attend lots of cool lunches, gatherings and soirées. Last night, for example, I went to an event at The Palace Hotel. The Dorchester Collection, a group of luxury hotels in Europe and the US, was hosting a special reception to showcase some of their glitziest suites in Milan, Beverly Hills, Paris and London. As a play on the word suite, they also highlighted the mouthwatering work of their pastry chefs.

Everything was beautiful, each creation a bite-sized edible work of art. But more than that, everything, both the savory and the sweet, was delicious.

Carrot and saffron marshmallow

Chocolate lollipops with marzipan roses from the Hotel Plaza Athènèe, Paris

Cassata siciliana from Hotel Principe di Savoia, Milan

Pumpernickel with Gruyère and salmon roe

Meringue tart with orange center from The Beverly Hills Hotel

Macarons from Le Meurice, Paris

Now if only my job only involved stuff like this. Wouldn’t that be sweet?