The Joy Of Maman

 If you want good French inspired pastries go to Maman. This  sweet coffee shop is popping up all over and features such treats as Kouign amann and pain chocolat. It'sa great place to go to if there's one on your neighborhood. Visit and have a treat if you want a taste of France.

I went to the one in Princeton, new Jersey located a few blocks away from the famed university. it's like being inside a Versailles garden with flowers oeverywhere and lovely  delicately printed china. Of course its' the pastries that shine. There is the to die for Kouign amann from Bittany . This is a coil of pure butter pastry , sweetned with a thin caramel syrup along with chocolate croissants. There are also slices of various sweet loaf breads to try as well.

                                            There are all sorts of cookies, especially chocolate chip and oatmeal. Try their ginger molasses snap. It;s a sweet  fiery bite, good with a cup of  their wide variety of  herbal teas.

You can biu a boy of their teas. I loved their ginger tisane which was a lovely , hot hit of spice on a frigid day (perfect when I was racing around the campus snapping pics). The teas are supplied by Sloane's, an American tea company.

Keep in mind Maman's are mostly in New York City but you can visit them also in Philadelphia, Princeton and Madison,New Jersey. they also have a wide array of salads and soups as well along with sodas and lemonades.

Visit Mana's if you want a taste of France. It's a calming haven to enjoy a tisane and a croissant. it's une oasis parfait.

In Celebration Of Ukranian Food

 Our hearts and prayers are with the people of The Ukraine right now.This country was the birthplace of Russian culture and some of their classic foods. They have contributed immensely to the international table.

New York City has the largest Ukrainian populations in the United States. If you live in or near New York, please show your support and visit the many eateries owned by Ukranian-Americans. Try  Vesslega  on Second Ave for borscht and pierogi.Also on Second is Ukranian East Village restaurant. What is good at these recipes and in the cuisine? Start with borscht , the famed beet soup. It's a mix of sliced beets,beef shanks  or ribs and potatoes. Carrots, tomatoes and the Slavic staple cabbage are also added along with garlic and red wine for flavor.each bowl is topped with a generous dollop of sour cream. This can also be made at home for a different type of  week day dinner.The Ukraine is also known for their dumplings or varenyky . They're identical to their Polish cousins the pierogi. The dough isn't a simple one. Sour cream, butter and milk are added for a rich , chewy dough. The fillings can be potato or an indulgent cheese one made with cottage or farmer's cheese. There is also a sauerkraut one , that's also filled with onions and butter and a sweet one made with blueberries, cinnamon and lemon zest.

Of course the best known and loved recipe of the country is the Paska or Easter bread made for the Russian Orthodox Easter.It' is a light sweet bread , baked in special tall tins and decorated with a glaze and sprinkles>lemon zest or orange peel give it extra flavor. There are other  recipes too, including deruny from northern Ukraine. They are similar to potato pancakes found in Germany and Poland , with the shredded potatoes mixed with onion and eggs to form cakes. These are fried and served with either sour cream or a mushroom sauce.Nalysnyky are another sort of pancake or crepe. Traditionally they're made with buckwheat flour, flour or cornmeal and filled with sweet cottage cheese and berries or fried mushrooms. what would Ukrainian cuisine be without chicken Kyiv? It's known the world over and served in the finest restaurants. Parsley is finely chopped with a clove of garlic and added to six tablespoons of butter. A pinch of hot pepper is added as is salt.  This is shaped into a cylinder and chilled. While it's sitting in the fridge, chicken breasts are tenderized with a mallet  The cylinder is then sliced in two and the breasts are wrapped around them. They're then dipped in egg , followed by bread crumbs and fried. They're a lovely , elegant Sunday supper , served with a simple salad.

Our hearts stand with this culinary giant. Their recipes stand tall like the proud , brave people. Honor and support them and their dishes.

Hypes For The Best

Like the latest celebrity or fashion trend, food, and especially restaurants get hyped. This is true in any big city , mostly in Manhattan. There's always a buzz around a certain product or eatery. Even foodies get all hot and bothered for certain sections. The question is are these worth it?Are they worth the hype? Or is it just hype?

I asked myself this the other day on a trip to New York's famed West Village area. This section was made popular during the TV program "Sex and The City"'s long run. There are even tours based on it, where Carrie Bradshaw affectionados get to dine the way she did.All very well but in reality the restaurants are usually very over priced , extremely noisy and worst of all - just over promoted. I found one restaurant, formerly the beloved Hudson Corner very much like this. My dish of gnocchi were one of the best dishes on the menu, tasting wonderfully home cooked. My friends didn't fare as well. One had to send back her pork chop twice before switching to a linguine. My other friend had only four ravioli for eighteen bucks ( that comes to $4.50 a ravioli seriously?????).

After dinner both had wanted to go to that famed West Village bakery, The Magnolia, This was another place that was immortalized in the series. People are allowed in , club style with only one or two at a time. I guess this adds to the mystique. Jersey bakeries have never done that even at the busiest time- Christmas. The cupcakes were three dollars a piece. I had hoped that they would have improved from the last timeI bought them, about seven or eight years ago. They did not. The icing was too overly sweet and the cake was none too special. It tasted like a mix.I hate to poison pen any establishment, however it was just not good. Yet , thanks to endless hype, The Magnolia is one of the world's most famous bakeries and has branches worldwide.

All I can say is don't believe what you hear. For anyone, whether foodie or just curious, rely on your own tastes. Don't go by if it was mentioned in any magazine or is a fave amongst celebrites.T ry it for yourself. If it's good, then make it one of your favorites. if not - move on.