Mas (la grillad)

A few weeks ago I had a chance to go to Mas (la grilled) for lunch.
http://www.maslagrillade.com/home/

Mas (farmhouse)
http://www.masfarmhouse.com/
was my favorite restaurant in NYC but they don't have lunch.
But they opened second location close to farmhouse and they have lunch!! And they have prix fix menu too!!!
I went there for Tuesday lunch so when we got there, there were only us in the restaurant. It was weird but I enjoyed it:)
The food was so good as I expected!! And my friend liked there too:)
That was nice lunch:) I can't wait to go back there soon:)

grilled octopus salad

beet salad

duck confit

soft shell crab 

carrot cake

(I'd never tried this much fancy carrot cake!! It was so good:)

Recent cakes that I made at work

Empire Cake NYC

Today I went to Empire Cake in Chelsea.
http://empirecake.com/
Before their name was Lulu's or something like that if I remember right but they changed.
I thought new shop opened after the pastry shop but they said it was the same owner but they just changed the name.
Anyway today I tried hazelnut cupcake and some other cookies.
Cupcake, it was soft and moist and the butter cream had praline topping and it was really good!!
And cookies... I haven't tried their cookies but they were so good!! Especially "Apple Raison Oat cookie" (the name might be different but something like that) was so good!!! The size was not too big but bigger than our cookies at One Girl Cookies. You can buy them by weigh so that was reasonable:)
I wish they had cafe space also but you can buy some sweets there and go to Highline!! haha
Also they have crazy cakes too!! (You can see on their website) I had this image so I didn't expected their cookies were that good. This was good surprising!! :)

They put one cupcake in this container!! I felt bad... 

Sweet, Sour, Savory: Talk with Eric Ripert & Christina Tosi

Last night I went to this event. 

http://www.fiaf.org/events/spring2012/2012-06-13-taste-talk.shtml

When I hear about Chef Christina I always surprised how her pastries are unique.

I had no idea how her ideas come up. So I was so curious about how they talk about flavors.

And Chef Eric and Chef Christina had opposite childhoods and they both are in Food industry and succeeded. I enjoyed so much hearing their interesting experiences in France and in America.

What Chef Christina said was so American to me for example, her memorable childhood flavor was "cookies dough" which I've never had in Japan. And also she used to be picky eater and grew up with snacks and junk food. But after she grew up she tasted so many things for the first time. And that made difference how taste flavors from others. That was so interesting story.

Also what made me happy was both of them were talking about Japanese cuisine and ingredients a lot.

They started to talk about "Umami" and they ended with Ponzu and Miso.

Because of I'm in NY I can hear so many impression about Japanese food, flavor and culture from many people who is not Japanese. And always this makes me think about our culture again and I learn from them. And always make me happy to be Japanese.

So last night I could enjoy so much their talking from totally opposite back grounds in America and France  and opposite food they make savory and sweets and also I could get so much inspiration from them.

Rucola in Brooklyn

There is a cute restaurant in Cobble Hill.
Rucola
http://www.rucolabrooklyn.com/
It's just 2 blocks from my work. It's hiding in apartments so I knew this place long time after I started to work there. But one day I walked home and I took the way I didn't take before and there was restaurant on the corner... But after that always I pass there it was so crowded even it's hiding. So I thought it must be so good!!
And now I tried there a few times and always I could get good food!!

Four & Twenty Blackbirds in Brooklyn

I heard this place many times before and it's so close to my apartment but I didn't have chance to go there for long time but one of heavy rainy day. I craved to sweets and finally I decided to go there.
Only a few blocks walk, and I could get there. Even rainy day it was crowded.
Four & Twenty Blackbirds
http://birdsblack.com/

I heard when you go there around 4pm always the pies are sold out!!
I tried salted caramel apple pie.
Not too sweet but a little bit too much salt for me but it was very good.
And this cafe gave me many ideas.
In NY there are so many types of cafes and they have many different of ways to run cafes so see the cafe, pastries, kitchen always give me inspiration!!
Ummmm, now I started to crave sweets again!!!

Rainy girl...

I'm a "Rainy Girl' from I was child. And these days this power is getting stronger.
Last Sunday one of my friend had a baby shower at Central park and we went there in nice weather. Actually it was perfect weather!! But 10 minutes after the sky got dark suddenly and started to rain... and we heard thunders too. So we decided to moved. More than 20 people moved in the rain with subway was so much fun!! lol And while moving I could talk many people who I didn't know so that was good.
And the end of the day, we saw amazing double rainbow!!! It was just amazing.
I felt sad whenever I go somewhere rain chase me... but this time I thought I was lucky to be "Rainy girl"!!! :)