​Legend has it that when asked about her starving citizens, Marie Antoinette scoffed, “Let them eat cake!” This, of course, was one of the factors that might have led to her decapitation. If Fattycakes were around in France back then, perhaps Marie would have suggested “Let them eat cookie cake,” and she might have kept her head. For if the starving citizens of France actually tasted one of Fattycakes’ delectable creations, there would have been cheering her name from the Eiffel Tower to the Champs de Elysee.
Though it has been centuries since the days of the guillotine, I would suggest sinking you cake knife into one of the countless custom cakes available from Fattycakes. Founded by Jennifer Taylor-Miller in Brooklyn in 2009, Fattycakes emerged out of a gustatory dare from her former colleagues who would challenge Jennifer to create insane cookie recipes using unlikely ingredients, such as bacon, popcorn and Swedish fish. Today, the recipes are a bit more subdued, but all the more tasty, losing none of the original, energetic drive to be the best.
Through the website fattycakesny.com, customers can purchase made to order cakes that begin with a cookie flavor, then a frosting, then extra treats at $5 each. Thus, my sample creation might be the following:
Red Velvet Cookie Cake
Vanilla Confetti Sprinkles
Topped with –
Cherry Jam, Gummy Bears and Stout Caramel
 
The choices are endless, the tastes unique and totally luxurious, and the danger to diabetics, extreme. But if one lives only with moderation, then, perhaps, one is not truly living. With that in mind, Fattycakes offers a Cookie Cake of the Month club with 3 month, 6 month and 12 month options.
For a sweet and romantic addition to your wedding celebration, Fattycakes can provide mini-cookie cakes that would serve as wonderful favors, or a made to order wedding cake that would be as memorable as the live band and the honeymoon.
Fattycakes ships nationwide. Follow them on Instagram and Facebook @FattyCakesNY
Website: Fattycakesny.com

     No journey into the land of Washington Irving, Thomas Cole, and that radical music concert during the Summer of Love, would be complete without some fresh produce.  As I screeched my car to a stop at the quickly approaching roadside market, I thought about my own backyard garden, which is beginning its swift demise as September nears to a close.  By the time I returned to my car, my arms were laden with two plump eggplants and a small basket of Fuji apples. I resisted the home-baked pies and rows of chow-chow, apple butter, and peach salsa.
            My produce choices were guided by two recipes that I have grown to love, and that I have perfected over time.  They came to me many years ago in a different life, or so it seems, and like Rip Van Winkle himself, I feel as if I have woken from a 20 year sleep.  However, there is something so special about the produce I procured.  The eggplant comes in many varieties and can be found in the cuisine of countries across the globe.  Fuji apples, though originating in Japan, were introduced in the US in the 1960s – apropos for the Woodstock region from which I purchased them.
            I chose these particular recipes because they first hit my palate during the aforementioned years when, coincidentally, I last drove through the beautiful Catskill Mountains.

​Dinner: Eggplant Parmesan
Choose eggplant(s) that are black (if you are buying that variety) with somewhat of a tinge of purple. The eggplant itself should be slightly springy rather than hard, which tells you it is ripe. The top of the eggplant denotes its sex. The indented tip denotes a “female” eggplant which contains more seeds, and the smoother domed tip denotes one that is “male” and thus having fewer seeds. The fewer seeds the better, but this is not a necessity.
Make sure you have the following ingredients on hand:

Eggs
Milk
Flavored bread crumbs
Olive oil (not virgin or extra virgin)
 
Garlic powder (lots)
One garlic clove
Dried parsley flakes (lots)
White flour
 

 
 Step 1: Slicing the eggplant

• No need to peel the eggplant. I actually prefer to keep the skin on so that the meat of the slice stays intact.
• Cut off the stem end of the eggplant.
• Then cut a thin slice, the long way, along the body of the eggplant so that you have created a flat surface…this way, the eggplant will not roll as you are making your meticulous slices.
• Make cross-section slices that are about 1/16th of an inch thick…not paper thin, but not so thick it breaks when you bend it.

Step 2: Treating the slices

• On a flat surface, like a table top, lay down long strips of paper towel.
• Lay the slices of eggplant on the paper towel (close but not over-lapping).
• Sprinkle salt on the slices.
• Place another layer of paper towels on the salted eggplant slices and press down on all of them.
• Let that sit for about a half an hour. You will return to find the paper towels damp…that’s normal, and important for getting the bitter juices out of the eggplant.

Step 3: Preparation of the slices

• Put about a cup of white flour into a bowl. You will use this to further dry out the eggplant slices.
• Into another bowl, mix eggs (I usually start with 3-4 for an average to large size eggplant), milk, an obscene amount of garlic powder, and a likewise inordinate amount of dried parsley flakes.
• Onto a flat plate, put a generous amount of flavored bread crumbs, but add more garlic powder and parsley flakes…no, I am not crazy. Mix the bread crumbs by hand to ensure the ingredients you added are evenly distributed.
• First press both sides of the eggplant slices (one at a time) into the flour.
• Then dip the slice into the egg mixture so that it is entirely covered…let some gooey stuff drip off.
• Next, coat the egged eggplant slice on both sides with the bread crumb mixture by laying it on the bread crumbs and flipping it over. You might need to press down on the slice just a bit.
• Place these prepared slices on a plate prior to the next step.

Step 4: The oil

• Use pure olive oil only…not virgin or extra virgin olive oil, as these will give an added taste that might overwhelm the great work you have done up to this point.
• Put enough oil in your fry pan to just have the slices float and bubble, but not swim and drown in the oil.
• Heat the oil on a medium flame (important – do not put your slices into the oil until it is super-hot…more on that in a second)
• Optional – crush or slice some fresh garlic into the oil as you are heating it...but don’t let the garlic burn.
• Test the oil by sprinkling a few bits of the bread crumbs into the oil…if the crumbs immediately sizzle, then the oil is ready.

Step 5: Cooking the slices

• Place the prepared eggplant slices into the oil (fill up the fry pan but don’t let the slices overlap).
• Turn the slices over when they are light brown. Fry on the other side so that the sides are evenly cooked.
• Have ready a new plate with paper towel on it so that you can place the finished slices on the paper towel and drain out the excess oil.
• Use a new layer of paper towel for every four or five slices.
• You will likely need to add more olive oil during the frying process. This is normal. Try not to pour additional oil directly on the slices…instead, aim for the spaces between the slices.
• If, for some reason, there are a great amount of loose bread crumbs getting burnt in the fry pan, I advise cleaning out the burnt bread crumbs (carefully) and starting with a clean, oiled pan.
• Once all the slices are fried and nestled safely in the paper towels, prepare your Pyrex dish or aluminum pan. (next step)

Step 6: Putting it all together

• Coat the bottom of your dish/pan with a high quality tomato sauce.
• Put a layer of the fried eggplant slices on the sauce.
• Spread on a layer of shredded mozzarella cheese
• Then put on a layer of the sauce, then another layer of eggplant, then cheese…and so on.
• With each layer, press down to be sure the sauce is evenly spread.
• When you reach the top of your dish/pan (or you feel you have a sufficient number of layers), top with some optional items such as fresh basil, or locatelli cheese.
• Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 45 minutes or when the sauce is nicely bubbling.

 
Dessert: Intoxicating Apple Pie
Along with apple pie comes America’s policy of freedom and liberty…that includes the freedom to include all the alcohol you like into an apple pie recipe, and the liberty to eat it with gusto and enthusiasm. (actually, the alcohol is removed during the cooking process).
Here is a dessert that is both intoxicating in all senses of the word.
Ingredients:
6 cups of peeled and thinly sliced apples (I prefer Fugi, but Gala can also be used, but not red delicious…too grainy).
3 teaspoons of cinnamon
¾ cup of milk (or cream for a richer flaor)
2 eggs
3 tablespoons of butter
1 cup of sugar
½ cup of Bisquick
½ cup of Amaretto (you can also use Grand Marnier)
Topping: 3
Tablespoons of butter
½ cup of packed brown sugar
1 cup Bisquick
½ cup of finely chopped almonds
Steps:

• Lightly butter ceramic pie plate or quiche dish
• Marinate apples, sugar, and choice of liquor
• Beat remaining ingredients until smooth
• Press apple-booze mixture into the plate (sample if you must)
• Pour in the batter
• Mix topping ingredients until crummy and sprinkle them evenly over the pie
• Bake at 350 degrees approximately an hour (inserted knife should come out clean

Hint: Line your lower oven rack with a cookie sheet, as this tends to overflow and get messy…but I once heard it has to be messy to taste good.

​ - Michael Alpiner

   This new joint located in Williamsburg takes a new and exciting spin on the Korean dish: pork belly. BELLY Korean Bacon Shop opened a little over a month ago and is reframing how people eat Korean barbecue.
     Typically, Koreans eat pork belly by going to a restaurant and grilling it themselves. They wrap this pork belly with lettuce, which can also include rice, kimchi, green chili peppers, and other side dishes. South Koreans are huge on side dishes. Rather than having a grill-it-yourself method like they do in South Korea, this restaurant developed the Omakase menu: a 9-course meal to fill up your belly. Yep, you read right, 9. If 9 seems intimidating, do not fret. The restaurant also allows individuals to order certain dishes from the A La Carte menu.

     The first dish was a simple combination of a buttery breakfast toast top with pork belly. The combination of different textures and spices creates an explosion of flavors on your taste buds, giving you a glimpse of the rich flavors that will come.

     The next dish was quite simple. Served with a sweet ball of rice and topped with a thinly sliced pork belly. Pork Belly Sushi was a clever combination of a Japanese dish with a popular Korean ingredient. We see the blend of Korean and Japanese food again in another dish: Bacon Schnitzel, which was a spin on the Japanese dish called tonkatsu. A piece of pork chop was deep fried and served with a very popular Korean sauce, red pepper paste. This red pepper paste was different from the store bought red pepper paste because it was sweetened and the level of spiciness was toned down. Thus, making this blend a whole new creation.

     The Grilled Korean Bacon was a light salad with a great first impression. Right when it came to our table, the sesame oil scent was oozing from the plate. Although the smell was strong, it came with a nice zesty and fresh sauce that made the salad savory yet refreshing.

     Two of my favorite dishes from the Omakase menu would be the Pasta alla Belly and the Chef’s Bacon Steak. The interesting thing about the pasta was the noodles the chef used. The dish did not come with Italian spaghetti, but the noodles felt more like Korean ramen noodles. This was definitely a creative way to incorporate another aspect of Korean cuisine in addition to the pork belly. The Chef’s Bacon Steak was another great addition to the menu because it showcased the pork belly itself. In Korean, pork belly is called Samgyeop-sal-gui (삼겹살). The “sam” means three. Once you cut into this juicy piece of pork belly, you open up its three delicious layers.

     Getting close to the end of the meal with the Bacon-Eggplant Steamed Rice. Once you combine the rice and meat with the poached egg and the sauce, you are in for a treat. The steamed rice and meat may seem simple. However, once you break open the egg yolk and combine that with the rice and the housemade soy sauce it is a dish of no other.

     To end the night, you are given a dessert with a one of a kind - savory whipped cream. Typically, desserts are supposed to be sweet. However, the chefs decided to continue with the savory route and kept the dessert on the same lane. The donut was crispy on the outside and sweet, but once you eat more of the donut, it is spicy and rich. Plus, with the spiced infused whipped cream on top, it really is a dish like no other.

     This restaurant is located on 219 Grand Street in Brooklyn and is open from 5:30pm to 10:30pm Monday to Sunday. The wait staff is extremely nice and explains each dish with a succinct description. Another interesting thing to note about this restaurant is the Karaoke options. The restaurant can be split so that individuals can have a Karaoke session post dinner, which is another approach to incorporating the Korean culture.

     Overall, this restaurant does an amazing job of reinventing the way people eat pork belly. It is astonishing the different approaches they use to blend different cuisines together. Plus, the setup of the restaurant shows you the immediate blend of different cultures.

 - Vivian Chow
​
​
​