A different kind of "Pigskin"

This past Sunday (yes, I gladly skipped the Giants and Patriots games for this pigskin) I was both honored and ecstatic to serve as a judge at Cochon 555 here in New York City. If you happen to live on the west side of Manhattan, your nose probably directed you straight to the event (I still smell like bacon). If you aren't familiar with Cochon 555, here's how it went down: Five chefs, five pigs and five winemakers took over the lighthouse at Chelsea piers and turned manhattan into a pork paradise. Each chef created a menu from a heritage breed pig and I was more than impressed with the talent in the room. This year's roster of chefs included Marc Forgione of Restaurant Marc Forgione, Bobby Hellen of Resto & The Cannibal, Ralf Kuettel of Trestle on Tenth, Shaunna Sargent of Betto, and Damon Wise of The Monkey Bar. All of these chefs could have been the champion in my opinion, but the amazing Marc Forgione brought home the bacon. He also had one of my favorite dishes, Pork Consomme With Rillette Tortellini. Because I'm generally a sweets kinda gal, I couldn't resist the salted caramels From Trestle On Tenth (I may have stashed a few in my purse for later). The best part is that chef Forgione now gets to compete against the nine other regional winners at the finale Grand Cochon event at the FOOD & WINE Classic in Aspen, June 17, 2012. Hope to see you there! Here's to Cochon 555 for raising awareness about sustainable agriculture and for allowing me to be part of such a great event! 

 

Who knew pork could be so beautiful? the deviled egg topped with cracklings was a favorite from Betto.

Bacon Popcorn and yummy salty caramels from Trestle on Tenth.

Well, It's about time.

I know, I know...I'm a bad blogger. It's been months since my last post and I feel pretty darn bad about it! I probably could get away with some sort of a "summer break" excuse, but I have actually been quite busy. My husband, two black labs and I moved back into the city and it took a while to get settled in. Granted, we were only moving 20 minutes away, but condensing our lives into a small apartment took some real anti-hoarding skills. Take a look how we managed to de-clutter.

My husband Tom channeled his inner-carpenter and built this space saving breakfast bar. I think the wainscoting is a nice touch and makes the place really feel like home. This bar functions as our dining space, work space, holds our liquor cabinet, wine fridge and several books! (The only thing we haven't put in there is a swimming pool). Anyway, now that we're all settled in, let's get back to baking!

Eloise!

Recently, I was lucky enough to make a baby shower cake based on the adorably adventurous Eloise. Eloise at the Plaza was one of my favorites when I was a little girl, so I hope this cake awoke some childhood nostalgia in the women attending the shower. Looking back at these books, I realized how incredible Hilary Knight's illustrations are. I wish I could have translated more of her illustrative style into the cake, but I still love the way it came out.


I also created mini dark chocolate covered pretzel gift bags for the attendants! I think I ate at least half of the first batch I made. Luckily, my wonderful friend Marney helped me perfect these tasty treats. If you don't want to bother with tempering the chocolate, just melt the chocolate in a double boiler and add a tablespoon of shortening to every 12 ounces of chocolate (It makes for a smooth and shiny coat!)