Well it’s still 2020, and we’re all coping with covid, politics, seasonal depression, unemployment, and now trying to enjoy the holidays. Truly it’s all so overwhelming. Monday was my birthday. 29 years old. I won’t go down the rabbit hole of what I thought I would be doing right now, but rather find the bright side, a ray of hope layered with European Butter. My mother asked me what I wanted her to bake for my birthday. Well I have been dying to try my hand at a New York Delicacy, THE CRONUT. Created by Dominque Ansel in 2013, this hybrid of the donut and croissant went viral, with lines wrapped around the building every morning, and has become a world wide beloved pastry. When I am in New York I will literally plan a day to visit this bakery. Each month a new flavor is released. I have had the privilege to try three in my lifetime so far including: Pumpkin and Rice Pudding (September 2020), Strawberry Honey Walnut (February 2020), and my first the July 2019 Lemon Wildflower Honey!
​
     The effortless beauty this pastry exudes is not as easy to accomplish, so rather than diving into the 3 day complex recipe we started with the DIY “Homemade Cronuts” by Brett Moore on Spruce Eats. The first step is to make the filling, fairly simple. The difficulty really lies in the dough. If you’re a bread baker the first part will be pretty easy. But if you are not, keep in mind you want the yeast to react. Baking is a lot of fun, but very scientific. Measurements, temperatures, and timing must be exact to get the formations you want. After we created and proved the dough then came the lamination process. This involves several repeated steps with a butter block, folding, rolling, proving, etc. In the end you'll cut and fry the donuts, fill with cream, roll in cinnamon sugar and glaze. We did a maple glaze with maple syrup I brought back from the Berkshires, and it was delicious! So there you have it. When New York reopens you must travel to experience THE CRONUT! Locals who live within range can even have them delivered to your door now. SO JEALLY! Till then, make them at home to cure any 2020 symptoms you might be having. After all butter is the secret to happiness.

      For starters we enjoyed the Burrata and Polipo e Patate (Potato and Octopus Salad). I’m always here for a fancy vegetable plating, and the grilled asparagus and cauliflower was unreal. Also I’m a sucker for a well executed octopus dish. Whether its Mediterranean, Spanish, or Italian do not shy away from the octopus! I promise you will not be disappointed. We then had the Atomica pizza which was delicious. The pasta though is what will send you straight to Italy. We ordered the Granchio & Tartufo (Parmesian Tagliatelle, Brown Butter, Lump Crab, Truffle) and Papardelle al Cinghiale (Papardelle, Bell Pepper, Wild Boar). When our server came out with a giant parm wheel and tossed the pasta then shaved truffle on it I almost creamed myself (see Reel on IG). Finally, we wrapped up the night on the rooftop with Tiramisu. It was all truly delicious, rich, and a wonderful evening downtown. Now That’s Amore! ​

    Ok, ok I’m definitely having a Texas moment, but hey I’m spending 2020 living at home. Here in the lone star state our food scene is bomb, so what better way to calm down in these uncertain times than feed the soul! I spent Halloween weekend in Austin, Texas. My bestie and her roomies, who happen to be food industry alum, had a lot of great input on where to eat. We stumbled on “The Odd Duck” and it truly did not disappoint. Founded in 2009, Bryce and Dylan Gilmore started out in a Food Truck. The now brick and mortar became well known for locally sourcing ingredients to create their tasty cuisine. I learned that they are also role models for the Austin food industry. The restaurant not only serves loyal customers, but also goes above and beyond taking care of its employees. 

     So now the food. My friend Hannah and I came in for Sunday brunch. We started with fresh  and smokey Bloody Mary's garnished with a pickled beet, and reusable metal straws (YAS environment). For food we ordered the Cajun BBQ pickled shrimp and grits, Pork belly in a coconut-black garlic rice bowl, and Bourbon pecan chicken and waffles with CARAMELIZED GRAPEFRUIT. Yes, that deserves all caps. The nuances of flavors in each of the dishes was astounding. The waffle was light and airy with crispy fried chicken, the pork belly tender and smokey, and grits creamy but not heavy. On top of that the servers and host accommodated us with outdoor seating, and were nothing but kind. I can’t really put into words what a gasm these flavor profiles combined create in your mouth, so you’ll just have to come down to Austin and find our for yourself! @oddduckaustin