Hartley Confections

My adventure in brownies has officially begun. Although it all started with Ellie Krieger, my brownie baking has quickly taken a Paula Deen turn, and hopefully for the better. After much brownie thought, I decided to create the most flavorful brownie combination I could think of, which led me to Bacon & Sea Salt Brownies.

Indian is one of those cuisines that intimidate home cooks everywhere. And the reason is due to the “exotic” spices and ingredients that we believe are used in Indian cooking. Although Indian flavors might be a bit different than what we use in American cooking, they are no more exotic than cinnamon is in banana bread.

I was perusing Wine Spectator at the physical therapist’s office a few weeks ago when I came across a recipe from Andrew Carmellini, famous chef and owner of the infamous Locanda Verde.

Some things just taste better when someone else is making them. And for me one of those things is pancakes. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve put in the effort. I’ve made quite a few pancakes in my day but they never seem to taste quite as good as Clinton Street Baking Company’s pancakes.

Although its true that I don’t diet or skimp on meals its my mission in life to bake healthfully. And as many of you out there already know, baking alone is not an easy task. Baking is a science that requires precise measurements and ingredients to be prepared in an orderly sensical way. The problem is, I am not sensical. I like to make things happen as quickly as possible. I enjoy immediate gratification. But as I’ve learned over the past few years – practice makes perfect in life and in baking.

Love, or at least lust was in the air last week at Hudson Terrace’s Cocktail Series Event. Chocolate and wine were the two stars of the night – with the Chocolate clearly outshining the wine. And this luxurious rooftop bar was the perfect setting for an extravagant food like chocolate.

With Valentine’s Day right around the corner I figured I’d round up the best ways to celebrate whether its a home cooked meal, a night on the town, or a sweet gesture.

Last week I was privileged to attend SensofWine USA, one of the most unique and sophisticated wine tastings I’ve ever been to. Cipriani (midtown) hosted this immaculate event that featured over 70 wines from some of Italy’s top wine producers, I had my work cut out for me.

Superbowl is one of those occasions that calls for a good recipe. A recipe that will satisfy the masses and not stray too far from what they already know – chili, buffalo wings, seven layer dip, etc. Because when you’re going to a pot luck Superbowl party, there’s bound to be competition. And being a food blogger and somewhat of a food expert I needed to put my best foot forward and legitimize my expertise.

[SD26] Although these photos clearly speak for themselves, it would be selfish of me not to share the incredible meal I experienced this afternoon at SD26.