Wedding Dress Search: The Awesomely Weird Ones

I've lost count of how many dresses I've tried on. I've been to twelve bridal salons (one of them twice). Tried on an average of eight dresses at each. Really ... over 100 dresses?? 

If you said that to me two months ago, I would have thought that was insane. Are dresses really that different? Yes, they are. Very much so. And if you let yourself believe that this dress is the MIDOYL (Most Important Dress of Your Life), then the pressure is very on. (I've chosen to believe this, though I recognize you can be way more chill and will not live a lifetime of debilitating dress regret.) 

D and I decided that he wouldn't see my dress until the day of the wedding, so don't expect to see The One here or on Instagram. But, man, I have SO MANY others to show you! 

Today's post will be...the weird ones! If you know me IRL you know that I like to experiment with fashion and have been known to wear very directional things: turbans, a leather breastplate, puffy armored boleros...you get it. 

I'm naturally drawn to quirkier styles and in bridal, these designs can be so refreshing amongst a sea of sweetheart/strapless cupcakes (no offense to those, they are lovely, but not for me). 

Here are some delightfully weird dresses that I would love to wear if I were, say, doing an editorial shoot. They're just a little too funky for our wedding and my somewhat traditional fiance and family. 

The Fin-de-Siecle Dress

I dug the debauched, deconstructed glamour of this. A little Moulin Rouge, a little garbage pail after you've had a cold. Monique Lhuillier Bouquet Gown at Glamour Closet. Similar here.

The Sexy Jane Austen

A sheer-paneled silk taffeta powder blue gown...with pockets! This had the right mix of sexy/sweet/avant-garde...but for the wedding itself, I think I'd have to line the sheer elements, which kinda takes away what makes it so great. Schone Bride. Similar here, here, and here. 

The everything's-coming-up-roses

Would you believe this dress is practically weightless? Those silk rosettes were so touchable and the cowl neck is such an unexpected bridal neckline. Lakum Suzanne Gown at Schone Bride Trunk Show. Similar here and here.

The Textural Marvel 

This Carolina Herrera had amazing 3d flowers made of petal-like sequins at the waist and shoulders. Everytime you looked at it, there was something new. The super-soft overlay and lace met chunky, crafty detailing. Art teachery vibes, almost Marni-esque. Carolina Herrera Cassidy Gown at Glamour Closet. Similar in black here. (wow those model arms, yeesh)

The Boho Muppet

There are plenty of times when I'd want to look goofy and muppet-like. But probably not my wedding. Temperley Leigh Gown at Glamour Closet. Similar here and here.

I still don't have a dress and the timeline is as tight as can be. Made-to-order gowns can take 6-12 months to make, then alterations take another 1-2 months. (Yes, this is crazy!) We are 7 months out. Defcon 1 ("nuclear war is imminent") as my visibly distressed Kleinfeld consultant told me. 

Truth is...I think I know what dress I want. I'm just letting it marinate a little to make sure I love it tomorrow and the next day and hopefully forever. 

I won't show you that dress until after the wedding...but I already have more wedding dress search posts planned: Gorgeous Dresses I Want But Not For a Wedding, Dresses I Thought I'd Love But Look Terrible On Me, and Dresses That Were Almost The One. 

What do you think of these dresses? Would you go "weird" at your wedding?

Los Angeles Eats: Sqirl in Silverlake

New Yorkers visiting LA, here's a tip. On your first couple days, don't worry about adjusting to the new time zone. Get to Sqirl early -- it opens at 6:30am for drinks and pastries during the week, and the kitchen heats up at 8am. No line, just morning light and the best breakfast in your recent memory. (Or in my case, maybe ever??) 

I like breakfast/brunch as a social event, but as a meal, it's not my thing. Pancakes and waffles knock me out for the rest of the day. I love eggs, but they get boring easily. Benedict, omelette, with a side of bacon (even if it is maple-glazed, submerged in a Bloody Mary, thick cut from a heritage pig...) Meh. I'd rather have an interesting dinner plate. 

But Sqirl! I will fully admit that I'm a sucker for avocado toasts and chicory lattes, handmade almond milks and jams. But even D who is wary of anything hyped and twee loved it. We went twice over four days. 

Here's what Mark Bittman said of Jessica Koslow's cooking in the NY Times: 

Instead, it’s a kind of gentler version of dinner food, with little or no meat, but often with eggs and seasonings from the southern and eastern Mediterranean and much of Asia, and yet somehow, in the end, quite American. Nothing is bland or insipid, and much of the food is laced with a sharpness that comes from lemon juice and hot sauce and garlic and pickled things. For breakfast food, it’s downright revolutionary. 

Yep. We're used to breakfast "notes": cheese, potatoes, hollandaise, bacon, buttery carbs, maple syrup. But what Koslow brings is something else entirely. 

Take the "Green Eggs and Jam", caramelized onions, creamed spinach, wild arugula, and a toad in the hole in Clark Street Bakery bread. It's addictively savory, without crutches of cheese or pork. The bread is key, soft and pillowy, just a whisper of sour. Each bite hits on every register from sharp and peppery to sweet and slow-cooked. 

And then there's the sorrel bowl, with Kokuko Rose brown rice, sorrel pesto, preserved Meyer lemon, lacto-fermented hot sauce, pickled radish, sheep's milk feta and poached egg. I won't go into the hot sauce, pickles and feta, which are riotous players that add heat, brine and funk. But preserved lemon! What? The flavor -- sour, bitter, salty -- makes this breakfast one for the books. The sorrel adds an apologetic weedy note (not marijuana...the other type of weed, jeez). 

The avocado toast (top) presently features JJ's avocados, hot pickled carrots, green garlic creme fraiche, wood sorrel, and house za'atar. This is served all day (as opposed to the breakfast items, which are only available 'til the leisurely hour of 4pm).  I'd venture to say this is the oddest avocado toast I've ever had, and that's a good thing...like I've been listening to flutes and clarinets -- sweet, mellow, easy -- and finally someone plays the oboe -- sharp, strange, memorable.  

Here's the "Famous Damus", soft scrambled egg, Surryano ham, chives, ciabatta. We liked this one, though it's definitely more familiar in flavor than our other dishes. 

Sqirl also serves lovely drinks and pastries. The almond milk is made in-house (so no worrying about weird emulsifiers). 

This has become our dream wedding cake flavor combo: chocolate with blood orange. The best part? The crackled cacao nib crust. 

Sqirl historians will know that it actually started as a jam business. If we went a third time, I'd surely get the burnt brioche with almond hazelnut butter and jam. Instead, I have two jars at home: the rather romantic-sounding Moro Blood Orange and Tonga Vanilla Marmalade and Rhubarb and Meiwa Kumquat Jam. I can't wait to try them in yogurt, on ice cream, or let's be real, by the spoonful. 

Word to the wise -- jams are considered liquid and cannot be taken in carry-on luggage! I learned this the hard way. The TSA woman at the Long Beach airport saw me go from okay to grief-stricken in record time. Don't do that. 

Book Club Bites Readers Edition: Lavender Peach Macarons from Lena's Lunchbox

"We had ordered the shaved ice and candied tropical fruits, the curry ice cream with mini brioche puffs, and the lemon basil profiteroles with blueberry-oatmeal brittle. But a small army of servers brought out even more: chocolate fondant sandwiched in coconut crisps, cinnamon apple churros with maple syrup tapioca, chocolates, macarons, marshmallows. Felix delivered the petit fours himself, and whispered to me, “I’m sorry for the delay with the truffles. Try the lavender-peach macarons. They’re my favorite.” Then he smoothed his bangs back and gave me an extra-long look that made my hair stand on end." - Food Whore, Chapter 14

This scene at Tellicherry was one of my favorite to write. This is Tia's first on-the-job dinner with Michael Saltz and there's something fishy about the service. So many desserts, each more delicious than the last. 

This actually happened to me when I ate lunch with Tim Zagat as an intern at Zagat Survey. We ate at Jean-Georges and the desserts kept coming, a seemingly endless parade. 

I'm so glad this scene resonated with others, including Lena of Lena's Lunchbox who made an IRL version of my fictional creation.

Aren't they gorgeous??? See below for the full recipe and check out Lena's incredibly creative and playful recipes (I'm partial to the Big Mac(aron) and the Brown Sugar Honey Cake with Carrot Ganache and Crushed Honeycomb). And -- get this -- she's only 16. Next Christina Tosi anyone?

---

photos and words from Lena's Lunchbox

baking with lavender always makes me feel a little weird. it has a lovely taste, but using even a quarter teaspoon too much can quickly make a flavor go from ‘delicately floral’ to ‘hotel soap.’ in this recipe, finely ground lavender buds add character to the simple, meringue-based macaron cookie, and any soapiness is offset by a filling of assertive cream cheese frosting and bright peach jam.

these cookies were inspired by jessica tom’s food whore! in the book, the main character works as a secret assistant to the new york times’ food critic. their cover is blown while dining at a super nice restaurant called tellicherry, and the waiter brings them plates upon plates of desserts to try to leave a good impression: curry ice cream with mini brioche puffs, cinnamon apple churros with maple syrup tapioca, chocolate fondant sandwiched in coconut crisps, and lavender peach macarons!  it was one of the more mouthwatering chapters.

read food whore and make these (4 star) macarons!

macarons (adapted from entertaining with beth)

• 3 egg whites, room temperature
• 50 g (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
• 1/8 tsp salt
• purple (or red and blue) gel food coloring
• 120 g (1 cup) almond flour
• 200 g (2 cups) powdered sugar
• 2 tsp dried lavender buds

filling

• 4 oz cream cheese
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp heavy cream or milk
• peach jam

line two baking sheets with parchment paper. beat the egg whites in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until frothy, about a minute. add the sugar, cream of tartar, and salt, and turn the mixer to high speed. whip for 8-10 minutes, or until very stiff peaks have formed (think seattle space needle). add the food coloring, making the color a little darker than desired (it will fade as the macarons bake).

combine the almond flour, powdered sugar, and dried lavender in a food processor. pulse until the lavender turns to powder, then sift the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a medium bowl. discard the larger almond pieces that remain in the sieve.

gradually fold the flour mixture into the egg whites with a spatula. be careful!! undermix and the macarons will be lumpy and cracked, overmix and they’ll be flat and won’t have feet. about 60-75 turns of the spatula when folding is the right amount of time. the batter should be thick but runny.

transfer the batter to a pastry bag fitted with a medium round tip. the easiest way to fill the bag with batter is to 1) twist the end of the pastry bag nearest to the tip (this prevents batter from leaking out before you’re ready), 2) place the bag in a large drinking glass and fold it around the rim, then 3) pour the batter in. pipe one-inch rounds onto the parchment-lined baking sheets, then rap the sheets on the counter to pop any air bubbles. let the macarons sit, untouched, for 30-45 minutes. this allows them to develop a skin; when they dry out, they’re forced to rise up and not spread out, giving them the trademark macaron “feet.” they should be tacky to the touch, but not stick to your fingers. during the last 10 minutes of letting them sit, preheat the oven to 300º.

bake for 20 minutes. don’t open the oven door while they’re baking. remove and let cool on pans for 20 minutes, then remove to a rack.

for the filling, beat together the cream cheese and butter in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. after a few minutes, add the powdered sugar, then the vanilla and salt. beat for 5 more minutes. add the cream and beat for one more minute. transfer the frosting to a pastry bag fitted with a small round tip.

to assemble, pipe a circle of frosting around the edge of half of the macarons. fill the hole with peach jam, then sandwich another macaron on top. makes 30 sandwich cookies. 

Thank you so much Lena!

See more Food Whore-inspired recipes here. Do you have a Food Whore-inspired dish you want to share? Email me at jessica@jessicatom.com and I'll feature you here.

Parsing the Per Se Review

There is one fewer 4-star restaurant in New York. The NYT review of Per Se: https://t.co/D8Lf9A8D3B pic.twitter.com/q1EuoGVMOR

— The New York Times (@nytimes) January 13, 2016

Last Tuesday, my Twitter feed read like this: tributes to David Bowie, the State of the Union, and the one that beat everything—Pete Wells slaughtered Per Se in the New York Times, downgrading Thomas Keller's Central Park temple from a vaunted four stars to a humiliating two.

If I didn’t already write a book about this exact scenario, I’d be inspired anew. In an age where we discover restaurants on Yelp, Instagram and blogs rather than crusty old media, why such a frenzy? Even people who have no desire to dine at Per Se are weighing in. How come?

We might not look to the New York Times as the final word on a restaurant’s worth, but restaurant reviews matter for other reasons: 

#Laksa #Kuching Breakfast of the Gods

A photo posted by anthonybourdain (@anthonybourdain) on May 28, 2015 at 6:57pm PDT

·       Chefs may be rock stars, but critics are the real idols. When people eat for sport, their idols aren’t really chefs. Of the hundreds of thousands of people who have posted about the #cronut, how many have followed Dominique Ansel's recipe and spent the three days to make it? My guess: next to none.

 But critics! Those professional eaters: Anthony Bourdain, Andrew Zimmern, Gail Simmons, Jonathan Gold, Ruth Reichl, Kate Krader. They travel the world, savoring the world's most extraordinary cuisine. Let's be real, though critics insist eating for a living is a tough gig, it sure beats the antiseptic office jobs most of us have. We’re fascinated by critics—their power, their disguises, their company credit card—and, if we’re being honest, we probably want to be them.

·       Restaurant happenings are deliciously dynamic and gossipy. In certain cities, among certain circles, restaurant blogs are like sports pages and reservations are courtside seats. We track where chefs are headed, what places are shuttering, the debut of a chicken sandwich/veggie burger/bone broth menu. And when a four-star restaurant is stripped of half its stars, that’s the stuff of scandal.

Mr @pete_wells before you try to destroy a restaurant like Per Se + others, you show know the odds of owning one @DanielBoulud @ChefBianco

— François Payard (@francoispayard) January 14, 2016

·       Critics are not normal journalists, so it’s easy (and fun) to theorize on their motivations. People treat reviews like literature or Supreme Court rulings, reading between the lines. Does he have an ax to grind? Is she cozy with the chef? Why such spiteful language? Whether he likes it or not, a critic reveals more than the meal in his writing.   

A naïf might assume reviewers are objective and fair, that they come to the table with no biases. But what is a review except for a written declaration of bias? There are clear fails (a hair in your soup, a delayed dish), but the rest is pretty subjective. Where's the line between too salty and well-seasoned? Aloof and respectful of your space? “Limp and dispirited" and elegantly draped? The decision comes down to perspective, a plate through the lens of personal experience. After all, one man's bong water is another man's ambrosia.

·       There may be more voices, but that doesn’t mean there’s more criticism. Instagrams tend to be fanatical and food porny (like flies, it’s easier to attract “Likes“ with oozing honey rather than vinegar). Yelp has a star system, but there's no standardization. Per Se has 4.5 stars, but so does Cheesecake Factory.  For a measured, informed, and trustworthy review, you'll have to look elsewhere.

A critic is like a personal trainer. We might not love them and often they spoil the fun. But sometimes we crave that rigor. Critics—good ones—are immensely knowledgeable and aren't afraid to call out bad form.

·       Restaurants are about status. We read reviews to see how the other side lives, to imagine an existence in which we can afford to spend $3,000 on a dinner for four. Maybe you enjoy the absurdity, a la Real Housewives. Or you're incensed by the social injustice. Or perhaps you pin this experience to your “Someday” dream board.

NYT Per Se review reveals a world so different frm my own I feel Ive glimpsed another planet https://t.co/mQczLXnbkM pic.twitter.com/TsSmXaSMQP

— travis lupick (@tlupick) January 13, 2016

Many of the Times' most iconic reviews touch on wealth and entitlement. Ruth Reichl's dinner as herself and her Midwestern alter ego “Molly“ at Le Cirque. Sam Sifton's takedown of Lavo, where bankers dine as a prelude to clubbing. Pete Wells and his surprising admiration of the anti-Per Se, Señor Frog's.

New York City runs on money and access disguised as art, style, and culture. Prime Hamilton tickets, the latest Mansur Gavriel bag, an 8pm at Polo Bar. It's exhilarating or exhausting, depending on who you ask.

In his book, How to Lose Friends and Alienate People, Toby Young recounts a conversation with his boss, Vanity Fair editor and man-about-town Graydon Carter. It's called the “Seven Rooms Theory" and postulates that in cities across the globe there are seven connected rooms, each more exclusive than the last.

"You think you've arrived, doncha?" he said. "I hate to break it to you but you're only in the first room." He paused. "It's not nothing — don't get me wrong — but it's not that great either. Believe me, there are plenty of people in this town who got to the first room and then didn't get any further. After a year or so, maybe longer, you'll discover a secret doorway at the back of the first room that leads to the second room. In time, if you're lucky, you'll discover a doorway in the back of the second room that leads to the third. There are seven rooms in total and you're in the first. Doncha forget it."

 When we hear that a lofty restaurant like Per Se is “among the worst food deals in New York“, we can breathe a sigh of relief. Perhaps the things/meals/jobs/lives we strive for aren't worth the anguish and feelings of inadequacy. For the moment, we can be satisfied with our current room. At least for now.    

The 2015 #FoodWhore Awards

Confession: when I first thought of possible cover designs, I was inspired by Instagram. You know, all those flat lays of beautiful fruit, on a pristine white background. I pictured something super tactile, a little messy, vibrant, exotic but relatable. 

Did I think people would take that cover and create their own Instagrams, often with food? Maybe? I didn't really think about it, in the way a restaurant might create a dish that screams Instagram fodder. 

But, now, looking at readers' #FoodWhore Instagrams is one of the best surprises and rewards of publishing a book. There are so many great ones, but here are some that made me heart-eye emoji like mad. 

Best Food Pornographers

Oozey, gooey, sticky bites that hit on all our pleasure points. Food whore indeed! 

A photo posted by #feedyoursoull (@feedyoursoull) on Oct 27, 2015 at 9:37am PDT

A photo posted by Food Porn Share (@foodprnshare) on Nov 19, 2015 at 9:27am PST

A photo posted by @foooodieee (@foooodieee) on Dec 21, 2015 at 10:52am PST

Best Beach-Envy Shots

Author life: sitting in leggings in Brooklyn. Reader life: lounging on a tropical beach. Hm.

A photo posted by Tracy Memoli (@tracymemoli) on Nov 22, 2015 at 9:29am PST

A photo posted by Unbuttoningpants.com (@unbuttoningpants) on Dec 8, 2015 at 1:14pm PST

A photo posted by The Brunch Brat (@brunchbrat) on Dec 27, 2015 at 7:19am PST

Best Flat Lays

'Grammers who make true art. 

A photo posted by Folded Pages Distillery (@foldedpagesdistillery) on Oct 16, 2015 at 6:02am PDT

A photo posted by Ursula (@ursula_uriarte) on Dec 21, 2015 at 5:55am PST

A photo posted by Liz Clayman (@lizclayman) on Dec 15, 2015 at 10:52am PST

Best Way to Start the Day 

Forget checking your email. Start your day with a book. 

A photo posted by Books are for sharing 📚 (@readthisnext) on Dec 22, 2015 at 9:08am PST

A photo posted by A Duncan (@slamduncalot) on Nov 8, 2015 at 8:11am PST

A photo posted by Deb Christensen (@debinhawaii) on Oct 29, 2015 at 8:09pm PDT

Best Putting the OOO in Food Whore

Like peas and carrots (or foie and Sauternes), donuts are the most common food to be posed with Food Whore. 

A photo posted by Natalie_wannes (@natalie_wannes) on Dec 21, 2015 at 7:38am PST

A photo posted by Lenmeistergram (@lenmeistergram) on Dec 9, 2015 at 7:39am PST

A photo posted by #satisfeed (@satisfeed) on Oct 28, 2015 at 7:12am PDT

Best Carby Delights

For the savory tooths among us... 

A photo posted by @clairesees on Oct 27, 2015 at 5:08pm PDT

A photo posted by THE SWEET LIFE OF LINA 🎈 (@thesweetlifeoflina) on Nov 21, 2015 at 12:53pm PST

A photo posted by Tom Nakanishi (@tnaka83) on Dec 16, 2015 at 7:34pm PST

Best All-Natural Sugar High 

... And those who go a little lighter. 

A photo posted by christine yi • NYC food+travel (@cy_eats) on Dec 2, 2015 at 8:58am PST

A photo posted by Pichet Ong (@pichetong) on Oct 23, 2015 at 10:41am PDT

Best Coffee Break 

I liked these a latte.

A photo posted by Krista Soriano (@kristaaa) on Nov 4, 2015 at 6:34am PST

A photo posted by Hungry Hipsters (@hungryhipsters) on Oct 25, 2015 at 10:05am PDT

A photo posted by Kaitlin (Carniv)Orr (@carnivorr) on Nov 19, 2015 at 8:33am PST

Best Sweet Teeth 

Because the book *did* come out right before Halloween... 

A photo posted by #EatingNYC: NYC Food & Travel (@eatingnyc) on Nov 6, 2015 at 10:30pm PST

A photo posted by POPSUGAR Love (@popsugarlove) on Oct 16, 2015 at 2:14pm PDT

A photo posted by @wmmorrowbks on Oct 29, 2015 at 1:16pm PDT

Best Nightcap

What's better than eating and reading? Reading then sleeping.

A photo posted by Taste The Style (@tastethestyle) on Oct 25, 2015 at 4:56pm PDT

A photo posted by abigail (@abigailfortunee) on Nov 18, 2015 at 7:03pm PST

Obsessed with #foodwhore by @jessica_tom! Makes me miss NYC... and makes me hungry every time I read it. 😁 pic.twitter.com/owhlAoBpi7

— Chelsea Foy (@lovelyindeed) November 19, 2015

Food Whore (and me) in 2015

I’ll stop saying this in a couple days (even I'm annoyed by it), but 2015 was a biggie for me. I’d been looking forward to my book release since 2009 (when I first started writing the book), or you could even say 2004 (when I first entertained the thought of becoming a novelist).

There were the blockbuster happenings, but also a lot of smaller (yet still cool) steps along the way. Here are some highlights.

JANUARY

“Hey Jess,

Happy Friday!

So Stefanie and I had lunch yesterday and got down to some serious brainstorming. And…we came up with something that we LOVE. Brace yourself. What do you think of: Food Whore – a novel.”

— - from my editor Chelsey Emmelhainz on January 30

My editor proposes changing the title from BAD TASTE to FOOD WHORE. I reply: “hahahahah you ladies are nuts.” (After a lot of thought / design mockups, I agree in February.) 

FEBRUARY

first pass design // the final design

I receive two possible cover designs. The first one -- a table covered in pomegranate seeds spelling Food Whore -- is strikingly on-point. We have no revisions except for the addition of two plates, adding texture to the tablecloth, and lowercasing WHORE on the spine. (The second one was nice, but depicted… a waffle?) Here's more about the entire cover design process. Yes, the designer placed actual pomegranate seeds on a table and photographed them. 

MARCH

With edits, marketing/PR ramping up, and a pestering feeling that this is my one-and-only debut novel and I need to give it my all, I leave my job at a hospitality startup and focus on the book full time.

APRIL 

I hand in final copyedits. Barring major issues (oops, that's illegal, that error dismantles the whole story) I can't change anything in the manuscript. 

MAY 

the line for my autograph (and I kept signing until after my timeslot)

a very organized woman prioritizes my signing

I attend my first book signing at BEA, the largest book convention in the US, and am insanely excited and a little bewildered. 

JULY 

Look what arrived from my editor @ck_femme!! The real-thing book covers, hot off the press. #foodwhorebook cc @wmmorrowbks @harpercollinsus

A photo posted by Jessica Tom (@jessica_tom) on Sep 22, 2015 at 3:00pm PDT

I receive cover mechanicals and see the back cover for the first time. 

AUGUST 

A photo posted by Jessica Tom (@jessica_tom) on Aug 13, 2015 at 4:59am PDT

I get engaged to my boyfriend, best friend, and unofficial book strategist in Aruba. 

SEPTEMBER

A photo posted by Jessica Tom (@jessica_tom) on Sep 9, 2015 at 8:30am PDT

Entertainment Weekly publishes an exclusive excerpt of a critical scene between Tia and Michael Saltz. Now things are cooking and more press hits follow. Behind the scenes, producers and film agents come calling. 

OCTOBER 

The book is out! A flurry of press follows, including this in PopSugar and this in the NY Post: 

A photo posted by Jessica Tom (@jessica_tom) on Oct 29, 2015 at 7:09am PDT

NOVEMBER 

My official launch party takes place at powerHouse Arena (my first choice venue, and in one of my favorite Brooklyn neighborhoods). Here's the full Q&A with my friend and host of Heritage Radio's WORD OF MOUTH, Leiti Hsu. And here's a 3-minute sense of the vibe: 

DECEMBER 

Food Whore is reviewed in the New York Times Sunday Book Review by none other than the actual New York Times restaurant critic, Pete Wells (!). 

A photo posted by Jessica Tom (@jessica_tom) on Dec 7, 2015 at 2:31pm PST

The review ... unnerves me. But the very next day, Variety makes it official: DreamWorks optioned the rights and Lisa Rubin is writing the screenplay. I had known about this since the week before launch, but couldn't tell a soul. 

What's next in 2016?? 

A wedding, some movie progress and more writing. I don't really believe in astrology unless it's convenient to me. Here's what's on deck for Aries: 

An abundance of energy and ideas will carry you through this year. 

Let's hope! Coming up next on the blog ... another highlight, but deserving a post of its own -- all the great #FoodWhore posts from this year. 

Food Whore ... the Movie! DreamWorks Lands Rights

Have you heard?? Food Whore is one step closer to becoming a movie!!!! 

I'll write a longer post about this later (things are a bit crazy now. Game: changed). But for now here's the announcement in Variety. 

DreamWorks Lands Jessica Tom’s ‘Food Whore: A Novel of Dining and Deceit’ (EXCLUSIVE)

by Justin Kroll Film Reporter @krolljvar

DreamWorks Studios has acquired the rights to the novel “Food Whore: A Novel of Dining and Deceit” by Jessica Tom, sources tell Variety.

The book was published this past October by publisher William Morrow. Lisa Rubin has been tapped to adapt the screenplay for the studio.

The story follows Tia Monroe, who after graduating college has every intention of taking the New York City restaurant scene by storm. But after a coveted internship goes up in smoke, Monroe is suddenly just another food lover in the big city. Everything changes when a legendary New York Times restaurant critic lets Monroe in on a career-ending secret: he’s lost his sense of taste. Now he wants her to serve as his palate, ghostwriting his reviews.

CAA brokered the deal on behalf of Tom. Tom is also represented by Stefanie Lieberman at Janklow & Nesbit.

Rubin is adapting the Gayle Forman best-selling novel “I Was Here” for New Line and is also developing an original feature for producers Anthony Bregman and Stefanie Azpiazu. She is represented by UTA and Brillstein Entertainment.

DreamWorks also recently optioned the yet-to-be-published Dennis Lehane novel “Since We Fell,” which the author is adapting for the studio.

To answer your quick questions: 
- Yes, I am crazy excited. 
- No, not sure when it'll come out.
- Sure, you can have a cameo. After I figure out mine first. :P

What else do you wanna know? Let me know in the comments! 

The #FoodWhore Holiday Gift Guide

You can’t go wrong with food-related gifts. From the lavish to the practical to the unexpected, a food gift covers all bases. Here are some of the things I have on my wishlist (er… I mean, what I’m getting other people).  

via Food52

Is there anything chicer than a white marble kitchen with copper accents? Short of a kitchen remodel (and maybe buy a house first), this serving board is the next best thing. $130-$150 at Food52

via La Boîte

La Boîte creates nuanced spice blends for top kitchens. Rose oil : perfume :: cumin : a La Boîte blend. I’m partial to MishMish N33 (crystallized honey, saffron, lemon, spices), Orchidea N34 (Sichuan pepper, lime, orchid root and spices), and Pierre Poivre (8 different peppers and spices). Here’s the full collection. Starting at $15, La Boîte

via West Elm

I thought of something better than white marble and copper. White marble, copper, and coffee. I live in a decaf/caf household with high coffee intake, so we can never have too many French presses. Bodum, $30-$60, West Elm

via Amazon

Can a restaurant be your favorite if you've only been there once and live 3,000 miles away? Gjelina is like your summer camp boyfriend... short-lived, long-remembered. Food Whore and the Gjelina cookbook had the same pub date and I think I was more excited about the latter. $19, Amazon

via Terrain

These petrified wood serving boards have so much character and are a nice break for when you're done with marble and copper. $78, Terrain

via Williams-Sonoma

A good gift-buying strategy. What does the recipient like? And what's the luxe version of that? Maraschino cherries are delicious, but dye-soaked child's play. Get this. $20, Williams-Sonoma

via Papa Bubble

The Papa Bubble store in NoLita is the most austere, semi-intimidating candy store I've ever encountered. But the candies! They are miniature masterpieces with delightful, if not totally thematically appropriate flavors. To whit: the Safari Collection: Lions (Mango), Giraffes (Passionfruit), Monkeys (Banana-Pineapple), Elephants (Coconut) and Zebras (Kiwi). Starting at $6.50, Papa Bubble

via Sakara Life

If the definition of a great gift is something that a person wants but would never buy for him or herself... then meal delivery from Sakara Life is a great gift. Single days start at $99 (three meals, two snacks, and morning and night water). But let's go all out and get the 20-day package, which includes model and Taylor Swiftian food like Turmeric Spiced Eggplant + Ginger-Lime Dressing and Protein Bagels with Cashew Cream Cheese. 20 days, $990

Bourbon and maple syrup ... two brown liquids that, together, turn into gold. $16, Dorset Maple Reserve

And of course... for the food-lovers on your list, might I recommend the Food Whore x Tilit apron and a book? I'll even sign it for you if you email me here. 

Other Ideas: 

A meal delivery subscription to Marley Spoon (example dishes: Cauliflower Steak with Almond-Olive Relish, Spicy Shrimp Tacos with Radishes, Cucumber and Chile), about $10.25 per person, per meal

Zingerman's Culinary Adventure Society, filled with global goodies curated with Midwestern heart, $175 per box

Assuming the recipient has a frozen stocking or you can keep it cold, Roberta's frozen margherita pizza (the best frozen pizza ever), freshdirect, $10.99

Sfoglini seasonal pastas in flavors like porcini trumpets and Bronx Brewery radiators, starting at $7

Beet ketchup from Brooklyn Beet Company, so much better than HFCS, $9

Pics from Thanksgiving 2015

Like Tia, my family celebrates with a semi-traditional Thanksgiving meal. There are some non-negotiable classics: turkey, sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts, cranberry sauce. Then there are Tom-family classics, curried beef samosas, foie gras, lots of veggies. Here's how I do turkey day. 

Whatever's on the menu, these samosas always steal the show. We call them "shambosh" -- wonton wrappers stuffed with curried beef and scallions, a bite-size Indian/Chinese ethnic makeup of Madagascar, where my mom was born. You might remember this wrapping technique from my Deep-fried Nutella and Raspberry Samosas video.  

I actually served these at my launch party, but told my mom to only bring 50. Otherwise, no one would eat the other food and it'd all go to waste. They are that good.

Pre-dinner we also snack on foie gras (yes, like Tia's family). I have family in Montreal and France and they bring us the good stuff. Not shown: shrimp cocktail. 

Meanwhile, my grandma and her buddies post up and play mahjongg. They play in a separate part of the house, but man between the tile clanking and lady cackling, this is very noisy (but isn't every Thanksgiving?). 

They play upon arrival, eat apps at the table, break for dinner, play again, break for dessert, then play again. One of the ladies won $97 and for some odd reason, they left $3 on the table when they left (presumably a tip???). The woman in purple is my grandma. 

Okay, dinner! Let's start with the proteins. 

My dad smokes the turkey in a jerry-rigged smoker in the backyard. It's basically one smoker that feeds into another smoker and though the house smells like a cedar shed for days, the turkey is tender, flavor-packed perfection -- even the white meat. 

We also ate roast beef (with gravy and dad's famous "horsey sauce"). These garlic-ginger-ketchup shrimp are on the table year-round, but they're great enough for a special occasion too. 

We got greens... brussels sprouts, zucchini, cucumber.

Pickled veg... a welcome sharpness during a rich meal. 

And some classics to round it out: cranberry sauce with Grand Marnier and orange peel, stuffing, sweet potato, marinated beets. Sometimes we have corn and I think at some point we had mashed potatoes, but they were phased out.

And now dessert! This is my domain. Depending on when I get in, I may do sides and dessert, or sometimes only dessert. This year, I got in at noon on Thursday (following a Frogger-like runaround with the Thanksgiving Day parade on 6th Ave), so just did desserts. 

I made these two from Pichet Ong's The Sweet Spot: salt and pepper cashew dragees with a sesame oil base note, and pistachio raspberry-rose cookies, a butter cookie fortified with cream cheese. 

This recipe came from Claudia Roden's The Foods of Spain: an almond chiffon cake with a whiff of orange and lemon peel that also happens to be gluten-free. The recipe headnotes tell me this is a Passover cake, but I liked the sound of it (and it was suitably light(ish)) so why not.

And my last contribution: an apple crisp from the Tartine cookbook. Despite its homeliness, this was the only dessert that was finished in full. You basically top apples with rounds of butter-saturated, cinnamon-scented dough. Over 90 minutes, the dough drips its flavor into the softening apples. 

Grandma brought a cream cake and we drank ice wine (another piece of Montreal in New York, I guess). 

My uncle's friend is also a major dessert contributor. Here's the oh-so-appreciated tropical fruit salad. 

And dinner and activity in one: creme brulee. 

Hope you had a great Thanksgiving too! Isn't it the best?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Life kinda crept on me and now here's Thanksgiving! I sadly have no designated turkey day recipes on the blog this year, but I will be cooking/Instagramming today at @jessica_tom. Follow me there! 

Made last night and shown here... shellacked cashew dragees, piqued by salt, pepper, and sesame oil. A recipe developed by Nicole Plue and included in Pichet Ong's excellent cookbook, The Sweet Spot.

Wishing you and your loved ones a happy holiday!  

Food & Art: An Afternoon in Chelsea Itinerary

Without trying at all, I always seem to end up in Chelsea. Probably because I lived in Gramercy when I first moved to New York, just crosstown. I’d creep over 23rd, then down to Union Square, and make my way west, always stopping at the same spots and always discovering new places on the way, too.

Every now and again, I like to take an afternoon or even a whole day to wander around the city. The French have a word for this person, a flâneuse (masculine = flâneur): the urban explorer, a connoisseur of the street.

Nothing clears my head more than a good walk with good food, art and some pretty clothes mixed in, too. If you have a free afternoon, might a suggest a trip to the west side?

Start at Jeffrey

(which doesn’t allow photos inside)

Despite what you might think from Food Whore, Bergdorf Goodman wasn’t my first luxury retail experience. I bought my first pair of designer shoes here in high school: wooden block-heeled Jil Sander sandals with thin navy macrame straps. I still wear them! (And no, it's not an accident that Tia's first designer outfit is also Jil Sander.) 

Jeffrey isn’t as avant-garde as Opening Ceremony or as blue-blooded as Bergdorf Goodman. It’s somewhere in between, which I like. A live DJ is there all day (but it isn't clubby) and the staff is nice. Fifteen years ago, the man who sold me the sandals mailed me a thank you note and I guess I've been hooked since. Browsing is totally okay! I do it all the time. 

Flowers at Chelsea Market's Mrs. Bloom's 

Make your way to Chelsea Market

I love that food halls are popping up all over NY (Gothamist has an excellent overview of the top ones as of November 2015 here). Chelsea Market is a first-generation food hall, and the one that I return to again and again.

Sure, there are tons of tourists there, but there are also a lot of locals, too. I buy gifts at Buon Italia, Chelsea Market Baskets,  and The Filling Station. Posman Books is theoretically a general bookstore, but slants food in this location. If I’m putzing around Union Square, Meatpacking, or Flatiron I always find myself here for a quick snack. When I lived closer, I’d pop by almost every weekend for groceries.

Here’s what’s going on!

EATS 

There's always something new to try. Here's just a fraction.

From Los Tacos No. 1: Carne asada taco with a corn tortilla. Zagat and Infatuation called them the best tacos in New York. The Daily Meal calls them the best tacos in America. 

And?? These are transcendent. I'm kicking myself that I haven't visited sooner. But nevermind. These are classic, unfussy tacos where everything is bringing its A game. I got the steak: deeply marinated with just the right chew to say it's not too precious but not so much you're wrestling. Salsa, guac (yes, I know it looks a little pasty here, but it worked), lettuce, cilantro, lime. But the thing that did me in was the corn tortilla, pressed to the platonic ideal thickness, around 1.5mm. Did I know this was the ideal thickness? No. But it just felt good and right, like the steering wheel of a sports car or the arms of your partner (aw). 

From Beyond Sushi: the Pickle Me, with six-grain rice, gobo, pickled daikon and carrot, avocado and carrot ginger sauce.  

I first discovered these at a party and they were gone in two seconds. They're beautiful, healthy, clean, and surprisingly filling/ texturally exciting. 

At Bar Suzette, you can get crepes that are sweet, savory or something in between, like this apple, brie and honey beauty.

I'm not sure anyone just buys Eleni's Cookies for themselves (too pretty, like walking out in full makeup/heels/dress when you should just be chilling in jeans). But they make cute gifts. 

How does Fat Witch do it? Their brownies are top to bottom, left to right the same consistency, as if they were sous-vided to the exact texture between cake and fudge. If you like some textural action, they also sell the castoff ends (one man's trash is another man's...) 

Liddabit Sweets makes thoughtful yet straightforward candies. Not yuzu lemongrass or tallegio truffle ... more like beer, pretzels, caramel. I love these honeycomb ones because they utilize negative space in the way the best candies do (think: Kit Kat, Ferrero Rocher, Aero). This is a sucking, savoring candy rather than a chomping one. 

 

 

 

 

Groceries 

What sets Chelsea Market apart from the other food halls is that it's not just a fancy food court. You can get your knives sharpened, pick up a picnic for the Highline, get gourmet ingredients (Food Network shoots upstairs and you'll sometimes see staffers getting ingredients in their chefs' coats). And unlike Eataly or Le District, which also sell cooking ingredients and home goods, Chelsea Market is, on the whole, actually affordable (as far as "gourmet" ingredients go in NYC). 

Rana makes fresh, playful pastas in a range of flavors and colors -- and in a tasteful way that (I'd assume) wouldn't anger Italians though. 

Dickson's Farmstand Meats is a butcher shop selling beef, pork, lamb and poultry. I also love their jerky and how that confit looks like the meat is covered in fluffy mashed potatoes but it's really covered in fluffy fat. 

You'll find a good percentage of people at Chelsea Market licking their fingers, poking at a lobster carcass from Lobster Place. Obviously a strong order. Short of going to Hong Hong Supermarket in Chinatown, I don't think you'll find a larger selection of seafood in NYC. The chowder and sushi is also great here. 

Buon Italia is my spot for random Italian goodies. Could be pasta or Doppio Zero 00 flour or Sicilian pistachios. Like a present for your pantry. 

Manhattan Fruit Exchange is the best. I've seen chefs start at the Union Square Greenmarket and then follow up here for additional items. It has everything, includinghe little things you'd be hard pressed to find at a general market: baby corn in baby husks, fresh crosnes, wine grapes. I get my whole spices here. 

CAFFEINATE

But wait! You didn't have coffee! Ninth Street Espresso is in Chelsea Market and is great, but you've been there awhile and you'll be back. Try Blue Bottle. 

The thing to get here is usually the pour-over, but I am impatient. In the summer, I like a shakerato (though to be honest, I have yet to find an NYC shakerato with the same fizzy body I had a couple years ago in Puglia (sorry that was obnoxious)). Come winter/fall I go for a latte. 

The guy ahead of me got this and I asked what it was. "A Gibraltar," the barista said, and I nodded, pretending like I knew what that was. "It's like a cortado," she said, because my knowing face sucks. 

But I don't feel too bad. The Gibraltar is an off-menu Blue Bottle invention favored by staffers: a double-shot of espresso and a bit of milk, served in a Libbey "Gibraltar" tumbler. 

And don't sleep on the pastries! They are an attraction themselves. Though NYC doesn't have the pieces of edible art that the SFMOMA once had, the pastries are ever-so-slightly unexpected: a Parmesan-fennel shortbread, stout coffee cake with pecan and caraway streusel, I opted for the coconut rocher, coconut shavings just barely bonded by a chewy/soft cloud of meringue. 

Head to the Highline

You're here and you should go. Again, it's slightly touristy and when it's crowded you will feel like shrub-gazing cattle... but it's also spectacular and so well-done. A NYC institution just as much as Central Park. 

Snake your way around the Chelsea Galleries

You don't have to plan anything... just wander. All you have to do is zigzag your way between 20th and 25th St (north and south) and 10th and 12th Ave (east and west). Here are some of the galleries and pieces I liked, but of course these exhibits are all temporary and will be different in a couple weeks or months. I also included some gallery press release copy because, like restaurant reviews, I love how one art (words) can be used to described another. 

Wolf Kahn at Ameringer | McEnery | Yohe
"...his signature palette prevails - alizarin crimson, thalo green, and dioxazine purple." 

Sheila Hicks at Sikkema Jenkins & Co.
"supple and flexible...to explore infinite possibilities in form and movement." 

Louise Fishman at Cheim & Read
"Brushed, scraped, layered and smeared....the grid itself seems torqued and unhinged."

Natvar Bhasvar at Cara Gallery 
"...both vibrancy and life, and in another sense, imminent or implied destruction." 

Jeff Koons at Gagosian Gallery
"...viewer and painting are reflected in the gazing ball...reunited for maximum sensory perception." 

Some gallery-hopping tips:

• Think of each gallery as its own mini museum with its own point-of-view. One gallery might have lush jewel-toned canvases. The gallery next door might have ten-foot barbed penis sculptures. You don’t know! And that’s the fun.

• You’ll surprise yourself and discover new artists. With the exception of music that’s played for you (on the radio, at an event), we rarely encounter art with a completely blank slate. We’re geared to learn and research, to pay attention to the pre-hype. But when you’re wandering galleries, you probably won’t know who’s showing where so you’ll just get to consider/appreciate the art in a clean, unprejudiced way. Do you like it? That’s all that really matters.

• After the Chelsea Market crowds, Chelsea galleries will feel positively cavernous. Sometimes you will walk into a gallery and you won’t see one person, or just one person who doesn’t even look at you. Enjoy it! There are few places in NYC where you can get solitude and beauty in equal measure.

• I know it can seem intimidating to walk into a gallery, especially if there aren't many people inside. But don't worry about it. Art needs buyers, but it needs appreciators more. And chances are, the people inside those empty galleries want you to come in (even if they act snobby). 

And now, my galleries of note

My favorite discovery of the day: Ha Chong-Hyun at Tina Kim Gallery
"... a rough matrix of paint that is pushed through the picture plane....that broke radically with art tradition and poignantly evoked the poverty and raw physicality of postwar Korea."

Artist at a gallery that always takes my breath away: Teresita Fernández at Lehmann Maupin

Who knows how I first started following Lehmann Maupin. I think I came across their booth at an art show, loved the work but didn't do anything about it. Then I went to another show, loved the work, and looked up to see it was Lehmann Maupin. By now I know I love everything LM exhibits. Takeaway: when you find a gallery you like, join the mailing list. 

"...scale as an elastic concept, and the correlation between the immense and the intimate; the vast and the miniature; the macro and the micro."

A Breather

By now you'll be around 26th and 10th. When are you ever here? Make the most of it and head to Martha Stewart Cafe. Despite the pedigree, it's not that special. But you're here so maybe grab a tea and head back up to the Highline. 

Other places of note 

Comme des Garçons (photo on top) for black high-concept wear and also very wearable shirts and accessories with the CDG heart
HARBS for beautiful and light Japanese pastries
Printed Matter for art books (books about art and books that are art)

What did I miss? What are your favorite places in Chelsea?

Pics from the #FoodWhore NYC Launch event

I'll let the photos speak for themselves. It was a great night! 

Venue: powerHouse Arena in Dumbo, BK
Moderator: Leiti Hsu
Food: Fitzcarraldo (white bean crostini, stuffed dates, gravlax and cucumber); Mom (beef curry samosa)
Drinks: Cachaca 51
Dress: Heidi Merrick // Harness: Zana Bayne // Shoes: Marni (similar) 

See the full album here. And watch the Q&A here. 

Smorgasburg at Industry City

In my book, I may write about Manhattan exploits and designer threads, but part (most?) of me is wholly Brooklyn: maker culture, craft fairs, warehouses, and yes… artisanal products.

Back in another life, I was the Marketing & Events Director at 3rd Ward, a creative workshop in Bushwick, Brooklyn. It was basically a mega creative co-working space with a wood/metal shop, textile studio, jewelry studio, media lab, photography studios, and over 200 classes a quarter. I loved being surrounded by makers and entrepreneurs of all types, people who took a creative (not to mention financial) risk to make their mark. It was a big change for me -- I had to temporarily retire all my Manolo Blahniks. They don't do well in Bushwick warehouses -- but that BK DIY spirit became a part of my DNA.

I adore all the Brooklyn Flea/Smorgasburgs, but especially the new one in Industry City for purely nostalgic reasons. The warehouse reminds me of 3rd Ward and our annual Craft Fair (check out these pics and you'll see why). It's been open for less than a month and people aren’t quite holiday shopping yet, so the space is thankfully not too crowded.

Side note: Eric Demby, one of the Brooklyn Flea co-founders called me when he was first developing Smorgasburg (then simply “a Brooklyn Flea” but only with food). He wanted to know if 3rd Ward had any artists who’d like to contribute “an iconic piece of work” for this new project. I talked to a couple metalworkers and an inflatable sculptor, but alas nothing panned out. Still regret not becoming more involved early on. 

How much do I love this location? I went there two days in a row. Here's the weekend, in pics. 

Are you into rugs? I was skeptical, too, until I was in the market myself and got sucked into the mania. Knots per inch, silk, wool, kilim, Moroccan, Irani, Tibetan ... it's a whole world. I'm definitely not alone in this passion. The central node of this Brooklyn Flea includes these two swoony rug vendors. 

These butterfly dioramas by Flutter by Katie stopped me dead in my tracks. D and I are butterfly people (because of their beauty, grace, and metamorphosis...that is some crazy isht). These would make stunning gifts and unlike terrariums, they truly are foolproof and cannot die (RIP all my terrariums). 

But anyway, onto FOOD!

I always gravitate to Adobo Shack (the nomadic sister of Lumpia Shack in Greenwich Village). This is a brown rice bowl with chicken, coconut milk, pickled jalapenos, coconut yogurt, shrimp chips, and a fried egg. Filipino food, man. So good. Bright and brassy. Nothing murky here, just flavors as clear as a (slightly funky) bell. 

The next day, we went to Lucy's Vietnamese (I guess I was in an Asian food mood). D occasionally orders from them at work and I had to try it for myself. Due to a small ordering mix-up, we got the tofu pho and tofu banh mi. First, pho > ramen during these warm fall days. You want something cozy and nourishing, but without the slicks of fat and porky breath. Pho hits the spot. The banh mi was also great. The soft bread with the ever-so-thin-crust makes it. Next time I'd order a meat one though. 

We also had this vegan "Sloppy Jane" from Tamarack, the Smorg-arm to Willow and The Pines.  Jane, you are sloppy. This was vegetarian -- a mushroom sludge ground up and presumably cooked low and slow with tomato paste. The bun, kindly, is just as soft as its innards so as to avoid excess slop. 

I'll admit I didn't eat the following dishes, but they are duly noted for next time. 

It seems these are the Ramen Burger (which is also there) of Industry City. Behold the WOWfulls, a Hong Kong-style eggy pancake with ice cream and mochi. I'm into this whole creamy/crisp/chewy/eggy thing. Anyways I've always thought waffles are better than anything in the pancake/crepe family. 

Oaxaca Taqueria has eleven (!) locations. And yet, sadly, I haven't been to one. Despite the straight-forward name, the restaurant has a bit of a selective Korean spin. Above, a classic tlayuda/"pizza" with black bean puree, Oaxaca cheese, lettuce, cabbage, red onion, queso fresco and crema. And tacos. (Yeah, didn't pick the best Korean-influenced dishes to photograph.) 

Barbecue is well represented, with Fletcher's (left), Grandpa Val's (top right), and Monk's Meats if you wanna go vegan.

Plus, there are old-school vendors like Anthi's Greek Food and another Italian place whose name I didn't catch and I can't find online. (Help in comments?) I like seeing new Brooklyn and old Brooklyn mix like this.

On the left are "buns" from Ramen Burger. The rumors are true -- you can get them here without a line. On the right is a pan con queso from Santa Salsa (Venezuelan street food) with grilled white latin cheese, onions, cabbage, chips, ketchup, mustard, and a parsley/cilantro sauce. 

Once all the other Smorgasburgs close for the winter, I expect many vendors will move into Industry City. For now, there seems to be a disproportionally high number of hot sauce vendors and a low number of dessert vendors. There's Blue Marble, Alchemy Creamery, The Brooklyn Baking Barons, Vendome Macaron Bar, and Dough Doughnuts (above). 

Um, so I guess there are a good number of dessert vendors. But I just wanted more! Have you been to Industry City yet? Who's your favorite Smorgasburg vendor? 

Watch the #FoodWhore Q&A with Leiti Hsu at powerHouse Arena

Aagh, what an incredible, incredible night!! Thank you so much to everyone who came out. I loved seeing old friends and meeting new ones. My heart is filled with so much appreciation and love. 

For those of you who couldn't make it (or those who could and want to relive the moment), here's the entire Q&A with my friend, Leiti Hsu, host of Word of Mouth on Heritage Radio Network, plus some audience questions. I love this sort of format (as opposed to a reading) because I get to have a little fun with the crowd. 

I'll have some more stills and behind-the-scenes stuff coming soon!

I know it's pretty long, so here's a rough outline if you wanna skip and jump: 

- lowest point of writing
- how the restaurant Daniel helped me get my novel published
- how I reacted when the title FOOD WHORE was proposed to me
- how the distinctive cover art came about
- my take on the state of the restaurant review
- would I want to be the New York Times restaurant critic
- how similar am I to Tia Monroe
- how I came up with the idea of FOOD WHORE
- my background in restaurants and how I was able to get the vibe right
- have I ever dated a chef
- what the original title was
- love lessons I learned as the community director of an online dating site
- (bonus) the story of my engagement
- my writing process
- my biggest takeaways from my 3-year study under Amy Bloom
- the spectrum of insider to outsider -- where do I stand on that?

photo by @j.k0ng

What you need to know about the #FoodWhore NYC Launch Event

Tomorrow is the official Food Whore launch event! Here’s what you need to know.

• The Basics: 
  Monday, November 2
  powerHouse Arena, 37 Main Street, Dumbo, Brooklyn (just one stop into Brooklyn on the F) 
  7-9pm
  RSVP here (not necessary, but appreciated)

• PowerHouse has a history of hosting food-related book launches, including the Van Leeuwen Cookbook, the Food52 Cookbook, and Thug Kitchen, as well as fashion books like Amy Odell’s Tales from the Back Row, Simon Doonan’s The Asylum and Sophia Amoruso’s #GIRLBOSS. It's my dream venue.

• I’ll be chatting with my friend Leiti Hsu, host of Word of Mouth on Heritage Radio Network. She’s one of the hardest hustlers in the NYC food game (see: this Cosmopolitan “Get That Life” article about her) and knows restaurant culture inside out.

• Obviously, there will be food! Bites will be provided by Fitzcarraldo:

from @fitzbk

White Bean Crostino - Roasted garlic, parsley, lemon
Cucumber & Gravlax - Mascarpone, pickled shallot, black pepper
Stuffed Dates - Curried eggplant, thai basil

• There will also be drinks! Wine and cocktails from Cachaca 51. I can’t decide whether to serve this or this. What say you?

• I’ll be signing books. You can buy them at powerHouse, or you can just bring books you’ve already purchased elsewhere. (We’ve cleared this with powerHouse and they’re cool with it.) The holidays are coming and I hear the books make great gifts… especially personalized…

• You can win a sweet Food Whore x Tilit apron in a flash giveaway!

I am so completely obsessed with this exclusive Food Whore Apron, a collab with Tilit Chef Goods (who also dresses the staffs at Cosme, Blue Hill at Stone Barns, and tons of other top restaurants across the country).

For one, it’s red and black (très NYC). And then it’s the details: the handy pocket, the waxed cotton bottom half which looks almost leather-ish (and stands up to spills while still being breathable and light), proportions that flatter.

Soon, you’ll be able to buy one online. But for now -- you can win it!

HOW TO ENTER: 
Tag your Food Whore-related photos with #foodwhore, @jessica_tom and @tilit_chef_goods. And that’s it. The apron will be at the event (and of course event photos make great entries), but you don’t have to be there to win it. The contest ends on Wednesday, November 4th at midnight (it’s a flash giveaway, remember).

Nitty-Gritty:

- Your account must be public, at least to me. A private entry is no entry.  
- I’ll scour Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for entries. Every social media network is considered one entry (ie: the same photo posted across three social media networks is three entries).
- The winner will be selected at random and contacted by the end of the week.
- You may enter multiple times.
- Photos must be be posted between 9am Sunday, November 1st and midnight Wednesday, November 4th. Photos posted before the contest announcement are not eligible.
- The apron is valued at $85 and will be shipped to the winner at no cost.

I can't wait to see all of you. 'Til then!

#LaunchWeek Highlights

Uh, so my book launched this week.

It is/was at once surreal and also expected (I guess like the best stories, which end with a feeling of surprise and inevitability).

Here are some highlights.

Reviews! From the article above in the NY Post (FASHION PLATE ... gotta love those Post copywriters) to this awesome review and recipe from Kahakai Kitchen (when I saw her Instagram with kale, blistered berbere chickpeas, and a fried egg, I totally forgot that’s a dish in my book. I just thought, wow, that looks good). Here’s all the latest press: www.jessicatom.com/buzz

Instagrams! You guys are the best. I love, love, love seeing your book pics. And it warms my heart that so many of you have styled them with food. Here are just a few of my favs. See the whole collection over in the #foodwhore hashtag gallery here: www.jessicatom.com/hashtaggallery

Food Whore by Jessica Tom. Christine: "I just started. The book is about a grad school student who becomes the ghostwriter behind a famous New York Times restaurant review column. I worked with the author and it's her first novel which is exciting. I'm a blogger and sometimes I wish I had a ghostwriter." @cestchristine #jessicatom #foodwhore #newyorktimes #food #dining #novel #thedevilwearsprada #newyork #manhattan #subwaybookreview #happymonday

A photo posted by Subway Book Review (@subwaybookreview) on Oct 26, 2015 at 6:25am PDT

It is #autumn now #inseason for #book new from @jessica_tom hot off @harpercollinsus #foodwhore debut #foodie @yale #alumni @genevieve_ko #asianwriters #nyc #industry #foodporn #kabocha #tamarind #persimmon #beauty #cheflife #picoftheday #literature #geek #love #iphoneography #asianfood #pastrychef #instabook #instagramhub #chef #sex #liveauthentic #dining #scene #thesweetspot

A photo posted by Pichet Ong (@pichetong) on Oct 23, 2015 at 10:41am PDT

Just served up a dish of the new book #FoodWhore by @jessica_tom with a side my Rice Krispie "Whore" Snack (slutty brownies are so last year).🙊 Get a copy of Food Whore today to find out what happens when Tia Monroe becomes the new "palate" of Michael Saltz, "a legendary New York Times restaurant critic," who has "lost his sense of taste" and wants Tia to ghostwrite his reviews. (A foodie's worst nightmare, just in time for Halloween!) #feedyoursoull 👻

A photo posted by #feedyoursoull (@feedyoursoull) on Oct 27, 2015 at 9:37am PDT

So nice of @jessica_tom to name her new book after me

A photo posted by #satisfeed (@satisfeed) on Oct 28, 2015 at 7:12am PDT

TV tapings -- The thing about television is that people are basically in a big room with little dioramas. You think they’re in a powerful command center, but they’re more like those little Polly Pockets that you just fold up and put in your backpack. It makes the whole thing way less intimidating than you might think. I did two shows last week.

One with Lola Ogunnaike and Shannon LaNier at Arise 360.

And this one with Ryan Kristafer at CT Style.

My friend Jen and I also had too much fun playing around. It was super relaxed on set (though, yeah, I was a tinge nervous ... live TV!) 

Random dudes asking you out on Twitter -- This isn’t so much a highlight as a weird side effect.  

I didn’t realize until now that “Tom” is right next to “Tolstoy."

Sweet congrats from people who have known you from the beginning -- For most of the world, this is new book. But people who know me know this is a 6-year old book that has had many ups and downs. They say things like, "I remember when you first told me about this!" and "I'm so happy all your hard work has paid off." I've heard from teachers, elementary school classmates, former co-workers. So if you have an old friend who has done something interesting -- reach out! It'll make them feel really great (and maybe you too). 

Connecting with readers -- This has been the coolest thing so far. When you write a book, you kind of have a general idea of your reader, but that didn't prepare me for the people themselves. Retirees, young mothers, chefs, students ... even men and bankers!

I decided early on that I want to be a very present and approachable author (YA authors like Rainbow Rowell, John Green, Jenny Han, and Maureen Johnson are great at this.) So definitely reach out using your means of choice. I'd really love to hear from you. 

It’s gonna be another big week next week… some big announcements and my LAUNCH party on Monday at powerHouse Arena with Leiti Hsu, Fitzcarraldo, Tilit Chef Goods and Cachaca 51. 7pm. Hope to see you there!!

Book Club Bites: Cauliflower Soup with Balsamic-Olive “Caviar”

People have asked me why there aren’t more modernist cuisine (aka molecular gastronomy) dishes in Food Whore. You know, foams and clouds, things made with aerators and anti-griddles. I find that type of cooking extremely fascinating, but looking back, I must have subconsciously only included dishes I know and understand. I’ve never experimented with sodium alginate or soy lecithin. Never made a consommé with a centrifuge.

But there is one exception -- “potato pearls with black, green, and crimson ‘caviar’ in a cauliflower cream nage”, which pops up in Chapter 14. You can easily make “caviar” using agar-agar, a plant-based gelatin that’s available in health food stores, gourmet shops, and Asian markets. It looks fancy, but it’s not. And the process is so fun. 

INGREDIENTS

A video posted by Jessica Tom (@jessica_tom) on Oct 15, 2015 at 8:08am PDT

“Caviar”
8 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons Kalamata olive brine
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 grams powdered agar-agar
vegetable oil

Soup
1 head of cauliflower (about 1.5 lbs)
2 shallots
1 large white onion
5 cups of water
olive oil
salt
ground pepper 

Fill a tall glass with vegetable oil and place in the freezer for 30 minutes. Briefly boil the balsamic vinegar, olive brine and fish sauce with the agar-agar, until dissolved. Using a pipette, drop the liquid into the cold oil. The drops will immediately solidify and turn into spheres. (If yours don’t, try chilling your oil longer or using a taller glass. The droplets need to cool and congeal by the time they reach the bottom of the glass). Refrigerate until ready to use.

In a large pot, heat olive oil and sweat chopped shallots and onion on low for about 15 minutes. They should be translucent and not brown (you want the soup to be as white as possible so the “caviar” will visually pop).

Add diced cauliflower and water and boil on medium-high for 20 minutes, until cauliflower is very soft but not sulfurous (as overcooked cauliflower is prone to be). Add one tablespoon of butter and blend on the highest setting your blender has. You want the soup very, very smooth.   

Let the soup cool for 10 minutes, so the “caviar” doesn’t melt. Spoon the “caviar” on top. Serves 4-6.   

Book Club Bites: Sweet Potato Flowers

What was your first fine dining “wow” moment? Perhaps it was a duck confit, made from a recipe that hasn’t changed in generations. Or an elaborate 30-component dessert. Or a simple bite of the world’s best ingredients.

In Food Whore, Tia's eyes are opened by a simple amuse bouche: a sweet potato flower with sesame-honey stamens.

Unlike some of the other dishes in Food Whore, which are based on real-life dishes I’ve seen or eaten, this one came entirely from my imagination. I’m no restaurant chef, and if you’re making this as a snack for your friends or family, you probably don’t want to spend restaurant-level time on this. So here’s my at-home version of Tia’s fine dining bite. The inside is soft, while the ends are crisp like chips. If you’re timing this to the book -- this dish appears in Chapter 11!

INGREDIENTS

sweet potatoes (this recipe will make enough seasoning for 4-5 potatoes, but you can make fewer)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons paprika
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Slice the sweet potatoes very thinly, preferably with a mandolin (I used the 1.3mm setting). On a non-stick baking sheet, fan 7 sweet potato slices into a circle.

In a bowl, mix egg, oil, salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and cayenne. Mix well then dab onto the sweet potatoes with a silicone brush (or even your fingers) until evenly covered. Make sure sure to get where the slices meet, too.

Place in oven and bake for 12-14 minutes, or until the slices are slightly golden and very pliable. Remove from the the oven, then raise heat to 400 degrees.

Once cool enough to handle, pick up the circle and detach two of the slices so you have a broken circle. From one end, curl the perimeter of the circle, holding at the base and letting the top fan outwards like petals. Use two toothpicks in an X shape to secure the bottom.

Once you’re done, replace all your flowers on the baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 5 minutes, or until the ends of the flower “petals” are crisp. Remove and let cool. Before serving, remove toothpicks. 

How to juice a pomegranate

Did you know that this is how a pomegranate is juiced in Tel Aviv? 

Fresh pomegranate juice at the Carmel Market in Tel Aviv. #shabbatshalom

A video posted by Brett Konner (@konnartist) on Oct 9, 2015 at 5:18am PDT

Tbh... right now if I need pomegranate juice (like for these pomegranate-lemon bars), I use Pom juice (you know, the one in the snowman-like bottle). I've been meaning to steal my parent's potato ricer. You just plop the seeds, and then squeeze. 

But this looks so much better -- no de-seeding needed. To my eye, this just looks like a citrus juicer. I'm into it for the most part, but I feel like there would be hidden chambers of seeds/juice that you wouldn't be able to reach. 

Engagement Dinner at Blue Hill at Stone Barns

Over the weekend, my parents treated Dave and me (and my brother and his gf) to a meal at Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Dan Barber’s uber farm-to-table restaurant.

It was my fourth time -- and by far the best. This was also the first time I had the Grazing, Pecking, Rooting menu (In fact, this is the only option. The shorter Farmer’s Feast is no longer available).

A couple general thoughts before we get into the play-by-play.

• Dinner was an epic 29 courses and took four hours. We got there at 4:30, which seems like punishingly early. But, if you’re coming from NYC, that means 4:30 is the perfect time to start if you want to get home before midnight. Plus, the natural light makes for better photos.

• Even my Dad liked it, which is a shock because he notoriously hates: small bites, long menus, expensive meals. This was all three and he loved it. Take note if your Dad is the same way!

• Service is virtuosic, like all fine dining restaurants. Though here, the waitstaff is a little looser, part theater ushers, part sustainable farming advocates, part normal people-touchstones during a meal that is, after all, very long and somewhat studious. I was wondering out loud what Blue Hill at Stone Barns to-go would be like (they’d need a lot of containers… here’s one for the log, the bed of nails…), and one waiter overheard and chuckled along.

• Speaking of theater, I found this to be is a little similar to immersive shows like Queen of the Night and Sleep No More. You have to give up control. You use your hands for 20 out of 29 dishes. You search for little breadsticks inside a thicket of decorative moss because someone told you to. Even the tables along the wall face inward, as if the dining room was a stage (which, it is).

A few disclaimers:

• This is not a review. An interviewer once asked me if I ever wanted to be the New York Times restaurant critic (as Tia does in Food Whore). And the answer is…no. Sure, I love the idea of expense accounts, the power and platform. But I identify more with the chef than the critic. The two need each other, of course. But I’d rather be on the side of creation rather than critique.

• Though we started early, it did get dark. So the lighting is not ideal starting at around course 18. Obviously I didn't use flash inside.

• I stand by everything that's bolded (minus what's followed by a ?). But any other thoughts on ingredients and prep are just my (educated) guesses.

Ok, and let's get into...

DINNER

1) Vegetables from the farm - white radish, tomato, boy choy, pattypan squash

An iconic Blue Hill at Stone Barns dish that sets the tone for the rest of the meal. You may indiscriminately throw these very same ingredients into your build-your-own salad (though they will be of a much lesser lineage). But these vegetables are meant to be considered. From the moment you pluck them off their nails, like artwork off a wall, your senses are on alert. Each bite was lightly slicked with a salty/sour vinaigrette. But it’s just a whisper. Enough to say, a chef was here.

2) Radish with poppy seed butter and poppy seeds

Another clue to what’s to come. An everything bagel in a bite the size of a large multi-vitamin -- the poppy seeds of course, plus the pepperiness of the radish, the creaminess of the butter. Ie: We might be eating veggies in ways you never expected, but that doesn’t mean you won’t recognize and enjoy these flavor profiles.

3) Tondo Scuro Di Piacenza Squash with shiso honey

Prepped and served with a slicer/corer, this was surely meant to conjure autumnal memories of dipping apple slices into caramel. The squash was subtle, a vehicle for the Julianne Moore of honeys, fragrant and mild, but with surprising presence.

4) Needles in a haystack (breadsticks)

This reminded me of this Alan Cumming story about how he accidentally ate dirt at a $5,000 Noma dinner. Who could blame him? These breadsticks were kinda cheesy, with a rustic grainy flavor (cotton : white bread :: tweed : these breadsticks).

5) Flaxseed sunflower crackers with cured egg yolk and bresaola

Depending on your frame of reference, these either tasted like cheez-its, the inside of a salty egg mooncake, or a cracker made by your raw foodist aunt.

6) Speck and peaches

The heat turned the speck into a savory shell, drying and concentrating what is already dried and concentrated. The char had equal billing with the speck and peaches, a technique that lives as flavor. (Note the charred bones on the bottom… more on that later.)

7) Forage - berry vines covering fennel and wild berry tarts

My mother “foraged” this for my side of the table, and I felt a little cheated, as if she blew out my birthday candle. But nevermind. These may look like traditional canapés, but they had a very outdoorsy flavor. Maybe because the berries retained their stems, a little wild greenness that complicates an otherwise classic bite.

8) Deep-fried sunchoke flowers

At first, you only get the tempura flavor. But it only takes a second to get the gestalt. Did you know that sunchokes are part of the sunflower family? And, what do you get when you take the artichoke flavor of a sunchoke + fat + nutty crunch?

A sunflower seed. This wasn’t like a tempura at all -- a vegetable covered in a batter. The batter and the main ingredient clicked into something unified, as sure as a handshake.

9) Cucumber rings and yogurt

Looks like carnival candy and was just as fun to eat. I think the cucumber was vacuum-sealed or something. This had a watery but thick toothfeel… as if eating a cucumber Chuckle. The yogurt was also really fun -- a powder that liquified upon touch. I may have dipped my fingertips into it multiple times.

10) Pig heart pastrami

The opposite of cooped-up chicken or a wobbly-legged lamb. This muscle works every single day...until it doesn’t. In turn, it tastes purposeful. I can appreciate this, but heart just isn’t for me. Maybe I’ve been watching too much Walking Dead (we’re catching up before Season 6 starts).

11) Ham sandwich

What’s not to like? Silky ham with slightly melted lard on a textured, rough cracker. Not sure what the green is, besides the aesthetics of lichen simulcritude. But my guess is that it’s some sort of tomato essence wash. (When we went in the kitchen, I saw a cracker with a red wash.)

12) Brussels sprouts with charcoal mayonnaise

These stalks were slow-roasted with some goodness (possibly just olive oil and salt?). Great. Then you slice them off with a mini-sickle. Fun. Then you dip them into a umamied-out charcoal mayo. Fantastic.

Plus, you have to appreciate dishes like this that amp up the interactive element. You need some sort of action to break through the monotony of chain-eating.

13) Tomato burgers

Another classic and one of my favs. Tomatoes are slow-roasted until they are thick, jammy, and very sweet. The “buns” are buttery like a brioche, but pop like a wafer. This whole thing is like a savory macaron. More please! 

14) Pork pate with chocolate

This was very rich and smooth with the slightest whiff of funk. A micro-crisp of chocolate added a welcome bitter tonic.

15) Tomato, hyssop and horseradish

This looked like a beef tartare, but it was all tomato -- boiled, softened and skinned. You could go down a rabbit hole thinking of the origins of this dish. Is it an ode to Ferran Adria’s tomato tartare at el Bulli? Or is Dan Barber riffing on the classic recipe: horseradish instead of whole grain mustard? Or is he riffing on tartare and tartar, sauce made with horseradish? Or maybe because they just taste good together and are in season. Who knows.

16) Farmer’s cheese with plums and bone marrow

This looks runny, but was actually pretty firm. A nice somewhat Asian riff on a caprese, with sesame oil instead of olive oil, plums instead of tomatoes, watercress instead of basil. I still don’t know where the bone marrow is, but my guess is that it was used to fortify the cheese, much like cream fortifies burrata.

17) Swordfish and corned beef burritos wrapped with cilantro and daikon (?), blood lime tapenade

Not much to look at, but a delightful and simple surf and turf using somewhat humble proteins. Seasoned daikon did double duty as a receptacle and pickled crunch factor (I feel strongly that pickled crunch is the sandwich X factor).

18) Herb-charred string beans and snow peas with apricot yogurt and flowers

Another one of my favs. You know how cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower) transform into addictive savory/sweet bites when roasted? This had a similar effect, but even more profound (possibly because the beans inside contain more sugar).

19) Potato pizza with tomato, mushrooms, beets and cheddar foam

Delightful. This tasted like a real pizza, but one that was given the Roger Rabbit villain treatment: flattened to a literal crisp. You don’t miss the carby bulk or the heavy cheese or the meat for that matter. Everything I love about pizza is here.

20) Beet and pork hot dog on a whole wheat bun, served with beet ketchup and fermented apple mustard

Two-thirds in, we went on an excursion to the outside patio. The sun was setting. We ate hot dogs, drank beer, warmed up next to a volcano-like grill. It was kinda perfect. I’m not sure how much beet was in this hot dog (certainly enough for color, but beyond that, I’m not sure). But it was pretty delicious either way.

This is also when we started getting pretty full.

And, remember those blackened bones in course 6, the speck and peaches? They’re carbonized out here--bones, corn cobs, crab shells. It’s a little morbid (that’s the Walking Dead-head of me talking), but I can appreciate the 3-dimensionality of the nose-to-tail-to-bone ethos.

21) Berkshire pork with grapes and apricot fig pudding

This was my dad and brother’s girlfriend’s favorite. Meat! Crispy pork skin! Perfectly distributed fat! But by this point, we were kinda trained to expect (and enjoy) vegetables (hot dog field trip notwithstanding). My favorite parts of the dish were the grapes, mixed with that sweet and irony blood pudding.

22) Barber Farm sourdough with cow butter, lard, and fennel salt

Thick and chewy and a tiny bit rubbery, in a good way. Both spreads were great. If they served the bread course at the beginning of the meal, people would most certainly gorge on it and spoil their appetite for the rest of the meal.

23) Tromboncino squash, beet bolognese, Malabar spinach

Here we got a bit of the Blue Hill at Stone Barns manifesto. This is the tromboncino squash. Though it grows abundantly, people rarely eat it and many regard it as purely ornamental. But at Blue Hill, a plentiful vegetable like this becomes the centerpiece while something that is not so plentiful (meat) is used more as a condiment.

I think this was cooked sous-vide. It had a flavorful density, almost like asparagus.

24) Honey and barley cake with almond blossom tea

Light and malty. Might look like a cheesecake, but it was much airier. If the tea looks like hot water, that's because it practically was. It had a very ephemeral quality to it, a breeze from the herb garden and then it's gone.

25) Blueberries, milky oats, chestnut

A crowd-pleaser, with a pb&j vibe (note all the cozy references in this meal: bagels, cheez-its, pizza, hot dogs and beer). I liked how this wasn’t a sugar/fat bomb. The sweet side of breakfast. The nourishing side of dessert.  

26) Zucchini cake

Not your typical Z-cake. This was moist inside, like a custardy bread pudding, which leads me to believe that the zucchini was pureed and used as you would eggs, oil or milk. Then with the stiff golden crust, this was almost like a green cannele (hey if you can have a green smoothie, why not?).

Also, only upon writing this post did I realize that we had four zucchini courses. But they never felt redundant or overkill or that we were paying for garden offloading.

27) Sunflower praline with whole grain shortbread

The obvious praline accompaniment would have been chocolate. But here, the biscuits are barely sweet, earthy and gritty against the roof of your mouth.

28) Chocolate mints 

With fresh mint embedded, reminiscent of Stone Barns’ beautiful bread plates with leaves and wheat stems pressed into the clay. (sorry don’t have a great pic of this)

29) Grapes - Jupiter, Canadise, Himrod (?)  

Probably not a coincidence that this mimicked the first baby vegetables course. You pluck a very local product. Your senses are heightened -- what’s the difference between these grapes? How do their skins slip off? This one is more oblong, this is more spherical.

But unlike the first course, this hasn’t been touched by a chef. It’s like when Broadway actors take their bows, then point to the orchestra, the crew, the audience: the components that make the show what it is. In this case, we taste, simply, the ingredient.

CONCLUSION

At Jean-Georges you’ll get sparkling finesse. At Daniel, French precision. At Le Bernadin, a Zen-like meditation on seafood and the things that effortlessly fall into its orbit. Ko has its explosive flavors and textures. Alinea, wizardry.

But at Blue Hill at Stone Barns, you get a bucolic theater--from the cows at the entrance to the bone candle votives to a meal that is at once challenging and simple. And maybe that’s the point: elevating and sharpening the pleasures of the farm, while also dampening the chef’s urge to manipulate.