Beard Papa Is A Gazillion Times Better Than Grom

Every time I see the gaggles of people on line at Grom (Broadway @ 76th Street), I want to start screaming that the gelato is not that good–it is most definitely not worth the money or the time it takes to wait in that ridiculous line.  Apparently there are a lot of lemmings in New York City.

But, what they SHOULD do is go next door to Beard Papa’s and get a mango ice shower and delectable cream puff.  The mango ice shower is so refreshing, with lots of chunks of fruit, and still satisfies the sweet tooth.  The cream puff is gooey and messy and made fresh (read: warm!).  I’ll take both of those over melting gelato any day.

Ain’t that beautiful?

Kyotofu: Soy Vay

Don’t go to Kyotofu unless you have a sweet tooth, or you really like peach bellinis (in this case, blood peach, prosecco, and white sesame shochu) because I drank mine in probably 3 minutes and wish they weren’t $9 each or I definitely would have ordered a second.

Kyotofu offers a 3-course prix fixe for $15 and its a lot of fun. The first course, a tofu-base dessert with a sweet maple-tasting topping is exciting after the first few bites (in other words, once your palette gets acclimated to these different dessert flavors).

The second course dessert sampler offers a toasted walnut Tahitian vanilla parfait, which is probably the most familiar to your taste buds. Its sweet, but refreshing. The sansho-pepper cheesecake takes a bit more time to get used to but is worth the push (or so says my dining companion, I must confess, I only had one bite and didn’t love it). The warm chestnut mochi chocolate cake is definitely reminiscent of molten chocolate cake. But, this one has a sticky raspberry center and delicious green tea ice cream on top (if you order it individually, that is). Save room for the petit fours–the savory/sweet combination is flawless and the best part of the meal. Very inventive cookies that don’t look like anything special-partially due to my incompetence as a food photographer-but are delightful “meal” ender.

Kyotofu would be fun for a date, but I probably wouldn’t go back just for fun. Well, unless I really wanted something sweet. Okay, hm, then maybe I will go back.

Where: 705 9th Ave @ 48th St, http://www.kyotofu-nyc.com/

Price: Moderate

Rating:

What’s Better Than Pie? Little Pies!

The Little Pie Shop makes these adorably cute little pies-perfect as a sweet snack to share with a friend. And, a great small gift to someone when you just want to give a little thanks. Don’t worry, they make big pies too.

Above: Chocolate Cream Little Pie

www.littlepiecompany.com, 407 W 14th St. at 9th, 424 W 43rd St. at 9th Ave.

Nestle European Style Mousse Mix

This was the easiest thing to make ever.  Add 2/3 cup of milk (any type) to the mix, put in the electric mixer for 3 minutes, chill for an hour, and voila!  Very rich tasting and filling.  This is not a light mousse.  Given the simple preparation process, the mousse mix is quite the rewarding treat.

Price: $2.49

Where: grocery stores

Rating:

Belizza Mango Sorbet

I’ll finish the pint but probably won’t buy it again. The sorbet had a nice flavor (and color-deep purple!), but the texture was too strange and gritty. Instead of having bits of fruit or something to that effect, it was stringy and too uneven. The sorbet is in a weird middle ground-not completely smooth but also not chunky. I’ll stick to Edy’s.

Price: $3.49

Where: Trader Joe’s or Wild Oats, www.belizza.com

Rating:

Betty Crocker Warm Delights

***Featuring guest blogger/cake aficionado/avid eater George!***

If you like cake and you’re in a hurry, then boy howdy Betty Crocker Warm Delights microwave cake is the dessert for you. At first I was extremely skeptical. I am not one to mess around regarding sugary comestibles. That’s why when I removed the shrink wrap and found a plastic bowl and a package of dry, supposedly microwavable cake mix, I was less than enthused. I added the required amount of water to the powder, and stirred thoroughly to remove any lumps of powder left swimming in the mixture. I then added the package of “fudge” to the top of the now thick solution. Knowing my microwave to be extremely weak (it’s a hand-me-down), I set the timer for a little over the recommended cooking time. Following the important directions from the back of the box, I did “not leave [the] microwave unattended.”

Watching the cake bubble though the almost opaque glass lessened my expectations for the cake even further, especially once I started the smell the slightly burnt aroma beginning to come out of the fans in the back of the microwave. When it was finally done, I removed it, burning my hands on the thin plastic bowl that was basically full of near molten almost done cake. The directions called for leaving the cake to stand on a heatproof surface for five minutes, so I went in the other room and watched some television. When I returned to my kitchen, I found that the previously puffy looking cake had flatted significantly, and was actually starting to resemble something I might try and eat. I grabbed a fork and took my first bite.

The cake was fantastic. Well, it was about as good as one might think a microwave cake could be. Due to my awful microwave, the cake was right on that thin line between gooey and cakey, something I have often striven for in my own conventional baking. Not only was the consistency good, but it was still warm from the oven, something I’ve always liked from a good dessert. All that, complied with the fact that I bought the cake on sale at Giant at a price of three for five dollars on a half joke, half bet, left me feeling pretty damn good. And to think, I still have six other flavors left to try.

Price: $1.50-$3.00

Where: most supermarkets

Rating:

-George

Lake Champlain Filled Truffle Bars

 

My chocolate mantra is pretty simple: the darker, the better. Lake Champlain Filled Truffle Bars were definitely rich enough, with the dark chocolate filled bar actually being almost too bitter, a phrase I never thought I would utter. The raspberry-filled bar, however, tasted lighter and nicely balanced out the heaviness of the outer chocolate. I appreciated the division of the large bar into 8 smaller sections that are easy to break off. For the milk chocolate lover, the bars might be a little too bitter.

Price: $3.89 each

Where: most specialty grocery stores. Refer to www.lakechamplainchocolates.com for store locations or online purchasing, as well as their other products.

Raspberry Filled:

Dark Chocolate Filled:

-Carey

Edy’s Whole Fruit Bars

Better than fruit. Edy’s Whole Fruit bars are a delicious way to stay cool in the late summer months. Each bite literally melts in your mouth, with a smooth texture unique among popsicles. Act like a kid again; focus more on the sharp fruit flavors than your waistline. With only 80 calories in each bar, they are also a great means of staying fit. Available in a variety of fresh flavors such as Creamy Coconut, Wild Berry, and Peach. Lime is particularly delicious.

Price: $3.49

Where: Available in grocery stores nationwide.

Rating:

-Kate J