What Are Your NYC Michelin Star Predictions?

New York: concrete jungle where dreams are made of. And for most of the world’s best chefs, those dreams come in the form of a coveted Michelin star.

An early indicator of potential new winners can be derived from the recently-announced Bib Gourmands: awards that recognize establishments that offer “exceptional good food at moderate prices.” It’s an honor to receive a Bib, though restaurants on this list are not eligible to receive a star. This means that excluded restaurants from years past may finally be getting the star treatment this time around. Of course, there is always the shocker: first-year restaurants who get awarded, as well as tried-and-true classics either losing stars or never getting them at all.

There’s quite a bit of controversy surrounding Bib Gourmand eligibility in NYC, simply because it’s damn near impossible to enjoy a three-course meal for under $40 (the requirement) at many of these locations.

Newcomer Atla, led by Chef Daniela Soto-Innes (one of Chowhound’s four featured chefs as part of our Cuisine d’Auteur series), is the only new restaurant on this list with Basil Brick Oven, Coppelia, El Atoradero, Il Buco Alimintari, Lil’ Frankies, Little Pepper, and Porsena failing to make the cut (last year’s Biang!, Gastronomia Culinaria, Lulo & Po, Manila Social Club, Pearl & Ash, Phoenix Garden, and Thelma on Clinton all closed their doors in the Big Apple’s competitive restaurant market). This could either mean one of two things: single star contention or a complete demotion.

We won’t find out the official results until Oct. 30, but we encourage lovers of fine dining to sound off with their predictions on our community board. Are there any Manhattan favorites that are deserving of their second or third star? What about those that no longer live up to the hype? We want to hear from you!

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19 Pies You Need on Your Thanksgiving Table This Year

When you think of Thanksgiving dessert, the number one pick is always pie. Here are 19 kinds that would be a welcome addition to any Thanksgiving menu, including everyone’s favorite, pumpkin!

1.Spiced Pecan Pie with Star Anise

Chowhound

Add intense flavor to classic pecan pie by cooking down maple syrup with star anise to create a thick, spicy syrup that’s the base for Cookbook author and New York Times columnist Melissa Clark’s recipe.

2.Dutch Apple Pie

Chowhound

A crunchy walnut streusel topping and the addition of cider vinegar to the filling set this apple pie recipe apart from the traditional double-crust version.

3.Peanut Butter Chocolate Pie

Chowhound

Peanut butter and chocolate lives in our dreams as one of the best mashups in human history. We’ve combined them here in pie form in our peanut butter chocolate pie recipe.

4. Bourbon Pear Crumble Pie

Joy the Baker

Set aside those apples and use pears instead this year with Joy the Baker’s pear crumble pie recipe. Pears spiced with ginger, brown sugar, and bourbon – what’s not to love? Top it off with a crunchy pecan and oat streusel topping it’s sure to be a winner.

5.Banoconut Cream Pie

Chowhound

For many fans of cream pie it’s almost impossible to choose between the tropical headiness of coconut and the delicate fruitiness of banana. Our banoconut cream pie brings both of these flavors together so you don’t have to choose.

6. Pumpkin

Chowhound

It’s the classic choice and it’s the only time of year you get to eat it. Try our traditional pumpkin pie recipe or live on the edge and try our outrageously rich eggnog pumpkin pie recipe.

7. Pecan–Sweet Potato

Chowhound

A layer of spiced sweet potato purée gives this beauty the suggestion of pumpkin, while pecans give it the texture and nutty sweetness of Thanksgiving’s other essential pie. Connecting both: a brown sugar and bourbon filling that’s all about sweetness and nuance and deep, in-your-bones comfort. Get our Pecan–Sweet Potato Pie recipe.

8. Banana Pudding

Chowhound

A pie so firmly in the Southern tradition you can practically hear its drawl. A buttery, crushed–Nilla Wafer crust is the landing pad for a creamy pastry custard, upon which sweet, ripe, fragrant sliced bananas exude charm. Crowning everything is a light, crisp-topped, and beguilingly sweet meringue. Get our Banana Pudding Pie recipe.

9. Chocolate Pudding Minis

Chowhound

Flaky pie pastry cups baked in muffin tins are only the beginning. A rich, velvet-smooth chocolate pudding is spooned into said pastry cups, and a soft, lightly sweetened and vanilla-scented whipped cream is spooned gently on top of each. Kids and other dedicated pie fans love these—who doesn’t love getting his or her own individual pie, no sharing necessary? Get our Chocolate Pudding Mini Pies recipe.

10. Apple

Chowhound

Thanksgiving comes toward the end of apple picking season, so apple pie is a fresh and seasonally appropriate choice with so many different recipes to try out. Give our fresh apple pie recipe a try.

11. Salty Honey

Lottie + Doof

Brooklyn’s Four & Twenty Blackbirds’ salty honey pie is one of a kind, but thanks to the shop’s recent cookbook the recipe is out and you shouldn’t hesitate to add it to your repertoire. Sweet, salty, and perfectly smooth and creamy, it goes great with coffee and is a lovely end to a big meal.

12. Pecan

Chowhound

Whether you’re making a classic pecan pie or adding a Southern touch with a bourbon pecan rendition, this pie is a favorite in the South, with a rich, buttery crust and toasted nuts. Try our recipe for “John Thorne’s Best-Ever Pecan Pie” for a classic take, or experiment with a bourbon pecan pie or even chocolate pecan pie.

13. Sweet Potato

Chowhound

A cousin of pumpkin pie, sweet potato pie is packed with holiday spices (allspice, cloves, and cinnamon) and is a beautiful color when it comes out of the oven. Try our recipe and see for yourself.

14. Cranberry

Bon Appétit

Make this pie ready for winter with cranberries (fresh or frozen). The berries are a great pairing for vanilla ice cream, and since it’s fruit it’s almost good for you, right?
Photo: Cranberry Pie / Bon Appétit

15. Pear-Rosemary with Cheddar Crust

The Bitten Word

Change up the traditional pie crust with this cheesy substitute. Pears and rosemary are an unusual combination and the sharp cheddar crust is so good you’ll want to eat this pie for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

16. Brown Butterscotch

Chowhound

Our brown butterscotch pie is nutty and sweet, with a smooth custard filling. It’s a great alternative to pumpkin and you can make it again and again throughout the year.

17. Mile-High Chocolate

Bon Appétit

Everyone loves chocolate, so why not put it into a pie? This recipe has fresh whipped cream as a topping and is absolutely luscious.

18. Apple Tarte Tatin

Smitten Kitchen

With a premade puffed pastry crust, tarte Tatin is a beautiful and impressive dessert that comes together quickly. The syrupy caramel that forms in the skillet goes great with a dollop of crème fraîche.

19. Buttermilk–Lemon Chess

Chowhound

Our recipe for this Southern classic doesn’t require blind baking the crust so you don’t need to plan ahead. The egg and buttermilk custard mixed with tangy lemon zest is a refreshing end to a heavy meal.

Header: Pie Party / Libbie Summers

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6 Ways to Add Vegetables to Buttercream Frosting

The history of frosting is a long and storied one. It was not cake or cupcake that was first slathered in icing but rather French marchpanes, an almond and sugar paste also known as marzipan that were iced for the first time in the 15th century. Frosted cake found its way to the dessert table in the 16th century and elaborately frosted wedding cakes were all the rage by the mid-19th century. The buttercream frosting that the sweet-tooths among us indulge in today first emerged in the 1950s.

Even though buttercream is known for its sweet flavor, it doesn’t mean it can’t be tempered and even made healthier with a dose of vegetables, which aren’t just for savory dishes. With a little creativity, they’re also an interesting dancing partner for buttercream. They can be used as a garnish or tucked into a batch for a nutritious secret addition for even the most vegetable-averse person at your dessert table. Here are six sneaky (and not so sneaky) ways to incorporate vegetables into your next batch of buttercream.

1. Candied: At Heston Blumenthal’s restaurant The Fat Duck, in Bray, England, vegetables find their way into several desserts. One of the most dramatic and fun are the candy cane beet lollipops. Candy cane beets are already whimsical with their pink and white spiraled interiors. To candy them, peel the beet then thinly slice it using a mandoline. Dip each slice in simple syrup and arrange on a lined dehydrator tray. Dehydrate until crisp and dry, about 12 hours. This step can also be done on a Silpat in a low oven for approximately the same amount of time. Use the candied beets as a garnish in your buttercream, which is the perfect base for holding the candied beet upright. This technique can be applied to other vegetables such as carrots, parsnips, and sweet potatoes.

2. Simple Syrup: Simple syrup is an easy way to slip a healthy amount of vegetables into a buttercream recipe. To prepare a vegetable simple syrup, add a half cup of your preferred vegetable puree to a saucepan along with one cup of sugar and one cup of water. Simmer over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved and the puree is incorporated. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and cool to room temperature. Add a drizzle of syrup to buttercream for flavor, color, and a secret of dose of nutrition. Stir until incorporated. The syrup can also be drizzled over the top of a frosted cake or cupcake.

3. Powder: It was New Nordic Cuisine that put “vegetable ash” on restaurant menus throughout the world. Chefs sprinkle it on everything savory, but there’s no reason it can’t also be stirred into buttercream or sprinkled on top of a frosted cake or cupcake. Root vegetables work best for powder, such as parsnips, carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, and beets. They are also sweet enough to pair well with buttercream. To turn a vegetable into powder, first thinly slice it using a mandoline. Next, arrange the slices on a parchment-lined dehydrator tray and place the tray in a dehydrator until completely dry, about 12 hours. This step can also be done on a Silpat in a low oven for approximately the same amount of time. Cool to room temperature before blitzing to powder using a spice grinder or Vitamix.

4. Puree: This is a fairly straightforward way to incorporate vegetables into buttercream. Puree should be strained through a fine-mesh sieve before being stirred into the frosting. It adds flavor, a pop of color, and healthful virtues and because of the sweetness of the buttercream, finicky eaters won’t even know they’re enjoying vegetables in their dessert. A good ratio is one quart of buttercream to 1/3 cup puree.

5. Infused Milk: Infuse milk with vegetables before adding it to your buttercream recipe. Sweet vegetables such as beets, squash, sweet potatoes, parsnips, Jerusalem artichokes, celery root, and carrots are ideal for this technique. Coarsely chop about one cup of vegetables and add the pieces and two cups of milk to a saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer, reduce the heat to low and continue to cook for 15 minutes, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon. Do not let the milk boil to prevent scorching. Refrigerate until chilled to allow for additional infusion. Strain and add to your buttercream recipe.

6. Seeds: Seeds add crunchy texture, a flash of flavor, and nutrients to buttercream. Before sprinkling seeds into your buttercream, sweeten them by drizzling them with simple syrup. Stir a small handful into your buttercream before frosting or sprinkle them on top for an unexpected garnish. Small, chewy seeds such as carrots, broccoli, and fennel work best.

Basic Buttercream Recipe

Two Sisters Crafting

This is a classic buttercream recipe to get you started on your buttercream and vegetable journey. Get the recipe.

Chocolate Beet Cake with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Heartbeet Kitchen

What better way to tuck not one but two vegetable servings into a dessert recipe than to do it with chocolate? This scrumptious cake recipe includes beets that add both flavor and a hint of red color. The buttercream is a standard one but it could be gussied up with the incorporation of vegetables. Get the recipe.

Carrot Cake with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

The Faux Martha

This recipe also creates an opportunity for a double serving of vegetables with a carrot cake base and a brown butter cream cheese frosting. Swap out the cream cheese frosting for buttercream but don’t leave out the brown butter. It deepens the flavor and adds a soft caramel hue. It also pairs well with vegetables. In this recipe, carrots seem to be the natural choice. Get the recipe.

Chocolate Fudge Brownies with Chocolate Buttercream

Eats Well With Others

Chocolate pairs well with vegetables because its rich flavor is only enhanced when it meets the natural sweetness of certain vegetables such as carrots, beets, and sweet potatoes. This recipe includes a double dose of chocolate and the addition of vegetables in the buttercream is the ideal way to reduce the guilt you might feel for indulging in chocolate twice in one recipe! Get the recipe.

Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies with Vanilla Buttercream

Pinch And Swirl

Vegetables are a natural partner for oatmeal and when they’re tucked into buttercream nestled between two chewy oatmeal cookies, they’re positively addicting. Parsnips, celery root, or Jerusalem artichokes would be ideal for this recipe. Get the recipe.

Watercolor Cake

Style Sweet CA

This whimsical cake is frosted in an ingenious way. The multiple colors are perfect for adding a trio of vegetables into your buttercream before frosting. Get the recipe.

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What Is the Difference Between Canned and Homemade Cranberry Sauce?

Canned cranberry sauce—it obviously comes from a can, it might contain cranberries, but it sure doesn’t look like a sauce. Yet for all my striving to consume more fresh vegetables and other whole foods, I still have a special place in my heart for that sweet jellied cylinder and its signature can-lines.

But, in the past few years, I’ve noticed homemade cranberry sauce beginning to show up amongst my family’s Thanksgiving dinner dishes. And it’s sometimes, heaven forbid, replacing the canned cranberry sauce I’ve grown to cherish. Is this a big deal? What makes these two variations so different?

Texture and Shape

Canned cranberry sauce has a ‘bite’ like firm jelly. And, while most dishes can’t be characterized by a ‘shape’ (what’s the shape of mashed potatoes?), canned cranberry sauce is immediately distinguishable by its cylindrical, ridged shape, and its telltale hockey-puck slices.

Homemade cranberry sauce is effectively a sauce. Depending on the recipe, there may be more fresh bites of cranberry, or the fruits may have been cooked down to a saucier consistency. Homemade cranberry sauce fills a pretty Thanksgiving bowl gracefully, whereas canned cranberry sauce stands obstinately in the center, neither conforming to the bowl’s shape nor to society’s definition of a sauce.

Color

Canned cranberry sauce is the color of red wine. Some homemade cranberry sauce is, too, but it might have some pops of citrus orange. Or it might be darker, if a recipe calls for bourbon and brown sugar, like this recipe for Homemade Cranberry Sauce. With homemade, the colors may deviate from the steadfast, smooth maroon created with machine-canned precision.

Taste

Like color, taste all depends on the recipe you are using for homemade cranberry sauce. Many concoctions introduce citrus flavors, like our Cranberry and Citrus Sauce recipe. Orange and grapefruit elements make cranberry sauce a little more interesting and fragrant. Very sweet or not-so-sweet is up the cook—I tend to incorporate less sugar than most recipes call for, in favor of focusing on the tangy fruit flavors.

Convenience

Opening a can and shaking canned cranberry sauce out of its tin home seems pretty easy, but is it really easier than our Easy Cranberry Sauce recipe? The answer, of course, is a resounding yes. Canned cranberry sauce is probably the lowest effort Thanksgiving thing-that-can-still-be-considered-a-dish. We’re talking a matter of a few minutes to go from pantry to table with the aid of a can-opener, though 35 minutes and one saucepan isn’t too shabby, either, in this battle of man vs. machine.

Nostalgia Factor

This will be different for everyone. For me, it’s the factor that defies logic and perhaps even taste buds. I just can’t quit canned cranberry sauce, even though its real fruit ingredients have been pulverized beyond recognition and blended with not-my-favorite-sweetener: corn syrup. Truthfully, I have had some really tasty homemade cranberry sauces, but the heart wants what it wants, even if what it wants has been stripped of all nutritional value through processing.

We’ve covered the basic aspects of both types of cranberry sauce, but for a concise guide touching on most of the above topics, feel free to note down some of the below differences (and please also feel free to use these in your office’s next PowerPoint presentation about cranberry sauce):

Canned

Shutterstock

• Jiggly, jellied texture with classic can ridges
• Very sweet
• Made from cranberries and corn syrup
• Utterly convenient
• My first love

Homemade

Shutterstock

• More sauce-like (perhaps truer to the name) with some bites of cranberry
• As sweet as you choose
• Made from cranberries, sugar, and other citrus or sweet additions
• Versatile, relatively easy to make
• On paper, the superior cranberry sauce

So, you can see these two versions are quite different, and probably shouldn’t even be called by the same name. I’ll concede that homemade can keep the title of ‘cranberry sauce,’ and perhaps we can rename the canned version to…‘holiday cranberry jelly’ or ’cran-gel’ or maybe ‘crandy can’—who’s with me???

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One-Pot Chicken and Rice Soup

This easy one-pot chicken and rice soup is one that definitely deserves to be in your collection. It’s just the thing for warming you up on a cold night, or providing comfort when you’re feeling under the weather.

The best part? You literally throw all the ingredients in the pot and let them simmer in the stock until the soup is done. No sautéing or browning. So easy.

Continue reading "One-Pot Chicken and Rice Soup" »

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Black Sesame Ice Cream

While living in Japan, I fell in love with black sesame sofuto (soft-serve), which has an all-natural charcoal color and an unbelievably rich and nutty flavor that any fan of peanut butter will love. The secret is Japanese black sesame paste, made from roasted, un-hulled sesame seeds for maximum flavor. Get Recipe!

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Organic Food and Beverage Markets Expected to Grow

Fruits and vegetables constituted the largest portion of the organic food market, accounting for over 37% of revenue share in 2015.

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Collagen Creamers

Vital Proteins' Collagen Creamers come in natural Coconut, Vanilla, and Gingerbread flavors with only one gram of sugar and 140 calories per serving.

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Taylor Farms Foodservice Vegetable Noodles

The new line of products gives more options to health-conscious consumers looking for a lighter base for meals when they eat out.

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FODMAP Friendly Dairy: Green Valley Organics

FODMAPs — a scientific acronym that stands for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols — are poorly-absorbed carbohydrates that ferment in the gut.

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Good Foods Introduces Refrigerated Dressings

Good Foods dressings are made with simple, real ingredients including fresh herbs, produce and cold-pressed juices.

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