Not just gingerbread houses...

Today I came across this amazing video that shows the progressive build of a 17-ft. gingerbread tree at Disney's Contemporary Resort in Orlando, FL. The tree is made up of only 6 ingredients, but check out the quantities:

1,050 pounds of honey
800 pounds of flour
600 pounds of powdered sugar
35 pounds of spices
600 pounds of chocolate
180 pounds of apricot glaze

As someone who enjoys building gingerbread houses, but to put it nicely, lacks the architectural prowess it might take to construct these seasonal builds, I'm in awe of this production. Check out the time lapse video below (and if this doesn't put you in the Christmas spirit, I don't know what will).

Kings of Pastry showing at New York's Film Forum

For those of you that enjoy the extremely niche food film genre, you must make a point to check out the Kings of Pastry, showing at Film Forum.

The folks at Film Forum describe the film as:

From the makers of the documentary classics DONT LOOK BACK and THE WAR ROOM. Pennebaker and Hegedus are simply the best — so when they turn their sights on the competition for the Meilleurs Ouvriers de France (MOF), France’s Nobel Prize for pastry, you’re in for a treat. Sixteen chefs whip up the most gorgeous, delectable, gravity-defying concoctions, and there is edge-of-the seat drama as they deliver their fantastical, spun-sugar desserts to the display table. The inevitable disasters prove both poignant and hilarious. When the film played in the U.K., critics dubbed it “the culinary HURT LOCKER”; “gastro-porn of the highest quality…as thrilling as any Olympic final”; and “quite possibly one of the most delicious films ever committed to celluloid.”

Additionally, filmmakers D.A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus, along with film subject Jacquy Pfeiffer and award-winning pastry and found/owner of Jaques Torres Chocolate chef Jacques Torres, will be on hand Wednesday, September 15, for the 6:30 and 8:20 shows for a Q&A session following the film

Pennebaker and Hegedus will also be on hand on Thursday, September 16, for the 6:30 and 8:20 shows.

For those of you that need a little more convincing to see the film, you can view the trailer here.

Kings of Pastry

Wednesday, September 15 – Tuesday, September 28
Two Weeks
Showtimes: 1:00, 2:50, 4:40, 6:30, 8:20, 10
Click here to purchase tickets. 10

Did I mention that I'm going to be on a Japanese game show?

Did I mention I'm going to be on a Japanese game show called Clash of the Foodies? Well I am...

Fingers crossed my future career as a Japanese game show contestant isn't like Chris Farley's experience...




CLASH OF THE FOODIES!
Live Game Show
4:30-5:20 pm

Colorful teams of showbiz stars, wrestlers and food experts across the city, featuring cabaret superstars Kenny Mellman (aka Herb of Kiki & Herb), Bridget Everett, and Neal Medlyn of Our Hit Parade, pro wrestler extraordinaire Queen of Squeeze Amazon Annie & Her Lobos Locas and daring bloggers squad The Taste Buds will gather to compete in a live game show that will challenge all five senses. It'll take stamina, lightning-fast reflexes and a connoisseur’s palate to emerge victorious!  Hosted by culture clash comedian, Kenji America. Tickets are released at 12:30 PM.

Counter Space, a new kitchen design exhibit, invites us to dinner on September 15, 2010

Example of the "Frankfurt Kitchen" design.

One of my goals this summer is to make my first trip to Washington, D.C. to see Julia Child's kitchen at the Smithsonian. However, if I don't end up making the trip, I'll have a nice substitute as of September 15, 2010, when the MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) in New York opens the exhibit Counter Space: Design and the Modern Kitchen. Here is how the folks at MoMA are describing the new exhibit:

Counter Space explores the twentieth-century transformation of the kitchen and highlights MoMA’s recent acquisition of an unusually complete example of the iconic “Frankfurt Kitchen,” designed in 1926–27 by the architect Grete Schütte-Lihotzky. In the aftermath of World War I, thousands of these kitchens were manufactured for public-housing estates being built around the city of Frankfurt-am-Main in Germany. Schütte-Lihotzky’s compact and ergonomic design, with its integrated approach to storage, appliances, and work surfaces, reflected a commitment to transforming the lives of ordinary people on an ambitious scale. Previously hidden from view in a basement or annex, the kitchen became a bridgehead of modern thinking in the domestic sphere—a testing ground for new materials, technologies, and power sources, and a spring board for the rational reorganization of space and domestic labor within the home. Since the innovations of Schütte-Lihotzky and her contemporaries in the 1920s, kitchens have continued to articulate, and at times actively challenge, our relationship to the food we eat, popular attitudes toward the domestic role of women, family life, consumerism, and even political ideology in the case of the celebrated 1959 “Kitchen Debate” that took place between Richard Nixon and Nikita Khrushchev in Moscow at the height of the Cold War.

Featured alongside the Frankfurt Kitchen is a 1969 mobile fold-out unit manufactured by the Italian company Snaidero. These two complete kitchens are complemented by a wide variety of design objects, architectural plans, posters, archival photographs, and selected artworks, all drawn from MoMA’s collection. Prominence is given to the contribution of women throughout the exhibition, not only as the primary consumers and users of the domestic kitchen, but also as reformers, architects, designers, and as artists who have critically addressed kitchen culture and myths.

This exhibition is organized by Juliet Kinchin, Curator, and Aidan O’Connor, Curatorial Assistant, Department of Architecture and Design.

For more reading on the "Frankfurt Kitchen" design, check out this 2006 article from The New York Times that touches on the subject: Kitchen Aide by Caroline Roux.

What happens when you spend an afternoon eating cookies?

This video, that's what! Gimme Jimmy's in New Jersey recently sent me some of their cookies to sample and review and I decided this would be a great opportunity to put a few more miles on my Flipcam. Ever wondered what I look like eating? Watch this - mystery solved!


Gimmee Jimmy's Cookie Review: The attack of the mall cookie! from Mary Ann Porch on Vimeo.

Technology! Cookies! Together as one!

For those cookie eating nerds out there, I dedicate this Vimeo find to you.  You're welcome.


Adobe Photoshop Cook from Lait Noir on Vimeo.

It's not officially Christmas until...

...a little bit of domestic violence humor pops up. Thanks Betty Crocker!

Validation!

This is an update to my last post...

I WON 2ND PLACE IN THE BON APPETIT BLOG ENVY BAKE-OFF! Sorry about writing that in all capitals, but I can't say the sentence without hopping around in my apartment, full of excitement and validation that Bon Appetit Editor-in-Chief Barbara Fairchild, pastry chef Francois Payard, and Fox 5 news anchor Dari Alexander thought that my cake was pretty good.

Some people have asked me if I'm upset I didn't win first place, but I can say that I never cared about the competition part of the event. The fact I was even one of the 25 bloggers they invited was enough for me. That invitation alone made me feel pretty cool, but now that I know that I was in the top three desserts is...I'm so sorry that I have to say this...the icing on the cake.

This isn't TOTALLY pastry/baking related...

...but I'm attending the #140conf in Los Angeles this week on behalf of my company, Ask.com, and I had this terrific video made by the brains behind Mashcat. Since it features a doughnut, I thought it kind of fit on Puff and Choux. Enjoy!

October 14th is National Dessert Day!

I have to make this a quick post as I'm running into the office, but today is National Dessert Day! I couldn't pass up the opportunity to alert all my readers to this obviously amazing holiday, so enjoy that piece piece of cake today. Indulge yourself with come crème brûlée . Have a couple extra macaroons. It's our day - we earned it!

And thank you to Foodimentary for alerting me to my new favorite day of the year.

Food journalism event at the New School in NYC on June 11th

Joe Zeimer over at Triple Point PR pointed me in the direction of an awesome food event taking place this week at the New School here in New York City. Check out the details below - I'll be there so be sure to say hello:

WHAT: Craig Claiborne and the Rise of Food Journalism

WHEN: Jun 11, 2009, 6:00PM to 7:30PM

WHERE: The New School, 55 West 13th Street, 2nd floor, New York, NY USA

COST: $5

DETAILS: Called the nation’s preeminent food journalist, Mississippi-born Craig Claiborne trained in Switzerland as a chef on the GI bill after World War II. On his return to the United States, he began writing articles for Gourmet and became an editor at the magazine. His career skyrocketed when The New York Times hired him as its first food columnist in 1957. Claiborne's columns, reviews and cookbooks introduced Americans to a wide range of international and ethnic food. Other newspapers followed The New York Times’s lead, and soon a cadre of authoritative newspaper food writers helped attune millions of Americans to the finer points of good food and cooking. Our panel explores Claiborne's life, work, and his seminal influence on food journalism in America. With Molly O’Neill, former New York Times columnist, and author of the New York Cookbook; Betty Fussell, author of The Story of Corn and Raising Steaks: The Life and Times of American Beef; Anne Mendelson, author of Stand Facing the Stove and Milk: the Surprising Story of Milk Through the Ages, and a contributing editor to Gourmet; David Leite, publisher/editor-in-chief, Leite's Culinaria, and author of The New Portuguese Table; John T. Edge, Director, Southern Foodways Alliance, University of Mississippi, contributing editor, Gourmet, author of Southern Belly. The panel will be moderated by Andrew F. Smith, editor of the Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink, and Food Studies professor. Sponsored by the Food Studies Program at The New School.

BOX OFFICE INFORMATION: In person purchases can be made at The New School Box Office at 66 West 12th Street, main floor, Monday-Friday 1:00-7:00 p.m. The box office opens the first day of classes and closes after the last paid event of each semester. Reservations and inquiries can be made by emailing boxoffice@newschool.edu or calling 212.229.5488.

For events scheduled during the summer term, the box office will open one hour before each event. During this period only, reservations can be made using the above contact information.

Great pastry quote.

"The fine arts are five in number, namely: painting, sculpture, poetry, music, and architecture, the principal branch of the latter being pastry." ~ Antonin Carême

Exciting upcoming dessert events at the Astor Center

The month of May is full of exciting dessert related events in New York City, and the Astor Center is proving to be the hostess with the mostess.

First up, on May 21st the Astor Center, along with Citysearch and iSi North America, will present "Sugar & Whips," in what is being described as an "evening of pure decadence." Six renowned New York City pastry chefs will be serving up desserts, cocktails and even a coffee concoction or two for your pleasure and celebrating the finer (in my opinion, the finest) things in life: Dessert! Pastry chefs in attendance will include Dominique Ansel of Daniel, Heather Bertinetti of Convivio and Alto, Johnny Iuzzini of Jean Georges, Michael Laiskonis of Le Bernardin, Nancy Olson of Gramercy Tavern, and Robert Truit of Corton. Also, the French Culinary Institute's master mixologist, David Arnold, will be showcasing his incredible skills throughout the evening.

I saw Michael Laiskonis last month when he was part of a food blogging panel at the New York Institute of Technology, so I'm excited to see him again, but this time, more in his element i.e. making desserts instead of chatting about technology and blogs.

"Sugar and Whips" takes place, as mentioned, on Thursday, May 21st, in the Astor Center Gallery from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. The cost is $25. You can purchase tickets by visiting here.

Next up is "Marshmallow Fluff: A Gastronomica Forum," featuring Cathy Kaufman, Darra Goldstein, Katie Liesener, and Mimi Graney, on May 26th.

I for one am stoked for this particular panel, because as you may recall, Marshmallow Fluff is the key ingredient in one of my all-time favorite recipes - my grandmother's fudge. You can see the recipe by clicking here.


According to the event description, this event will cover everything you wanted to know about Fluff Marshmallow Crème - the origins of this illicit "food" product, what exactly makes Fluff, the controversy behind this delicious sweet treat and how at the end of the day, you either love it or hate and how even the government chimed in on this most random of ingredients.

A fluff cocktail will be served, as well as fluffernutter sandwiches and other fluff-inspired snacks.

"Marshmallow Fluff" will take place on Tuesday, May 26th, from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Astor Center Gallery. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased by clicking here.

She did it again! Thank you Julia Child!

Before it becomes cliche to say that Julia Child changed your life, I'm going to state right here that I'm claiming this before the film came out.

BUT HOLY HELL I JUST SAW THE TRAILER AND I CAN'T WAIT FOR THIS MOVIE!

A quote to live by...

“Dost thou think because thou art virtuous there shall be no more cakes and ale?” ~ William Shakespeare

Julia Child - you know how to make my day

Even though she's been gone since 2004, Julia Child always finds a new way to pop up in my life and remind me how much I admire her. Today, I stumbled upon the PBS web site for Julia Child, which features full-length episodes of her legendary shows Cooking with Master Chefs, In Julia's Kitchen with Master Chefs, Baking with Julia, and Cooking in Concert. With over 65 master chefs featured alongside Julia, these online videos are a great reminder of how Julia Child revolutionized the cooking world and is still making an impact on today's kitchen enthusiasts.

Be sure to check out the site and watch all her wonderful episodes on how to make puff pastries, tart shells, chocolate dome cake, deep friend chocolate truffles, genoise cake, chocolate tulles, sweet potato pie, creme fraiche ice cream with almond roasted figs - the list goes on!

Also, after looking at that Time Magazine cover above, I never realized that Julia Child was the Serpent Fish Queen - what's with that scary fish drawing? And with all those boiling pots around her hovering head with a red background, apparently some editors thought she was the second coming of Satan. They probably had bad taste in food. Pft.

31 Cent Scoop Night at Baskin Robbins!

Be sure to get on down to your local Baskin Robbins tonight as it's 31 Cent Scoop Night!

31 Cent Scoop Night runs from 5-10pm tonight! You can get up to three (3) 2.5oz scoops for each time in line.

Great dessert quote...

"Part of the secret of success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside." ~ Mark Twain

Food for Thought Film Festival today in New York!

I'm volunteering at the Food for Thought Film Festival today in New York City, so in case any of you New Yorkers are looking for a fun Saturday activity, the details are below. None of the films address desserts, but I thought it would be a great way to become more involved in the NYC food community, so I'm out the door right now to head up to the festivities!

April 18, 2009
1pm- 8:30pm
Columbia University Medical Center Alumni Auditorium
650 West 168th St.
Between Broadway and Ft. Washington Ave

Directions:
A, C, 1 to 168th St. Station

Schedule:
1:00pm - Welcome and opening address by Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer

1:30pm - Screening: Farm to Cafeteria: A Red Hook Lunch followed by Asparagus: Stalking the American Life

2:45pm - Post screening discussion led by Directors Anne de Mare, Kirsten Kelly with Kimberly Vargas

3:45pm - Screening: New Amsterdam Market, Hotbread Kitchen & Eating Alaska

5:00pm - Post screening discussion with Karen Washington

6:00pm - Screening: Trailer for Fresh followed by FLOW

7:30pm - Post screening discussion with Tara Collins and Rachael Richardson

Dessert Quote of the Day

"You know an odd feeling? Sitting on the toilet eating a chocolate candy bar." ~ George Carlin