May 2012
1 post
April 2012
5 posts
March 2012
2 posts
Lone Star Bakery, Austin, TX.
Since we were in Austin two years ago and a donut-loving friend brought us one of Lone Star Bakery’s famed Texas-sized donuts, I’ve been theoretically smitten. Said donut was the size of an ample birthday cake and was a delightful raised confection, feeding a dessert-hungry rock band and then some.
So this time around, now that we’re here in Austin for SXSW for the week...
606 R&D, Brooklyn.
Here are my belated critical takeaways from 606 R&D, the new cocktail place/restaurant/donut shop in Prospect Heights:
-The shop is lovely. The donuts — three perfectly-sized cake varieties: plain, cinnamon and powdered sugar — are light and delicious. AND a perfect not-too-big-not-too-small size. The coffee is beyond decent and served in a French press. And — possibly...
February 2012
1 post
This week: A pictorial roundup.
My friends: there is an ANGEL OF DONUTS. Our Lady of Donuts? Saint Doughnut? Found completely by accident (slash by way of a total TWIST OF FATE) at an awesome DIY space we played in Bethlehem, PA.
Dough: Outtakes. Apparently there is something EXTRAORDINARILY funny about these donuts.
I’m a little bit too embarrassed to reveal exactly HOW many people sent me this today. Also,...
January 2012
3 posts
A Hole in Three: Leah Koenig, food writer
In which I talk to donut-passionate people. To the tune of 3 questions. And a donut self-portrait.
Leah Koenig is a food writer, cookbook author, and budding donut genius. Her cookbook is available for purchase HERE. (Full disclosure: she is also my sister-in-law.)
Q: As a food writer who just made it through to the other side of Chanukah donut season, you’ve had to do your share of...
La Churreria, Brooklyn, NY.
So a guy walks into La Churreria, the new and charming ‘lil Nolita spot for piping hot churros at most hours of the day. He says “I gotta girl at home who’s had a really rough day at work. What do you have that might cheer her up?” The people behind the counter — understandably, I think — look a little bit confused that this is even a question, ...
This weekend: Donut lessons learned.
I am lucky to be surrounded by people from whom I have a lot to learn. About donuts. And, you know, about other things. But for our purposes here — really, let’s face it —about donuts. Accordingly, this weekend I learned some things.
Like, for example, did you know that the kosher chain Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf just opened a store in midtown NYC and that they are...
New Year's Raise-olutions.
[OK, so this was a contentious pun among my loved ones, but when a donut pun strikes you, I think you kind of just have to let yourself be struck].
1. I WILL MAKE MY OWN DONUTS.
I will, even if it kills me. Maybe these. Or these. Or, by god, these! Mark my words. And by all means, HOLD ME TO IT. In fact, go ahead and WITHDRAW YOUR TUMBLR READERSHIP if I don’t follow through. Do...
December 2011
2 posts
Eight Things.
For Chanukah, of course. 8 things, of little to no import, and in no particular order:
1. In which I got to talk to Fany “These Donuts Belong in an Art Museum” Gerson, the owner of and donut genius at Dough.
2. Apparently, we have ourselves a new VEGAN donut shop, Dun-Well Donuts. I can’t say I’m *super* excited about trying a donut called “faux gras,”...
November 2011
1 post
Donut; Donutness.
“What is the donutness of a donut? What makes a donut such?”
Thus asked a wise friend of mine Friday night as we ate them, leaving me somewhat pitifully — my mouth, of course, full of fried dough and nutella — devoid of snappy answer.
It’s remarkably sad; I do, after all, have a reputation to uphold. And sure, I can sing the praises of rosewater-glazed donuts...
October 2011
1 post
I toured the country and all I ate was one lousy...
OK, to be fair, it wasn’t ONE, exactly.
But my band went on a five-week national tour and, admittedly, I can count the donuts I consumed on one hand. What happened, you ask? The honest answer is that I can only guess. Possibly it was the result of being distracted by other shiny things (dear god, breakfast at Ria’s Bluebird in Atlanta). Possibly I was flirting with other pastries...
February 2011
1 post
Of Pancakes and Other Distant Cousins.
Undoubtedly, It is I and I alone who loses sleep over my Tumblr. A humblr Tumblr has probably never seen the light of day than this, the shoddy-if-well-intentioned outgrowth of a lifelong obsession. However, I would be lying if I said I *didn’t*. Lose sleep, I mean. What kind of neurotic donut blogger would I be otherwise?
What, you might ask, replaces those golden zzz’s? Well:
...
December 2010
2 posts
Honeycrisp. (AKA, my reluctant produce crush)
True to my Saturday morning tradition, making my way through the jam jars (blackberry butter sample to die for), the pickle samples (okra is good post-fermentation: who knew?) and the fishmonger (I have never bought the fish they mong, but one of these days I’ll take culinary ambition to that level) to the stand at the tail end that features All Things Apples to buy my weekly apple cider...
The Hole Megillah.
Starting today and for the duration of Chanukah (that is, 7 days to follow), I’ll be donut yente-ing at The Jew And The Carrot, offering you my unsolicited opinions in honor of the holiday about where the donuts are Really Good (Today’s post featured none other than my personal all-time fave, The Doughnut Plant). It’s a humble and far-from-exhaustive list.
See, even The New...
November 2010
1 post
1/3 of a year in donuts.
(pictured: exterior of the strange - yet somehow inviting - Fractured Prune location in Rockville, MD.)
August
I’m pretty sure it was too hot to eat much at this point in the year. My devotion to avocados and uncharacteristic addiction to fresh fruit was personally unparalleled. My most frequent trips to the freezer happened circa 2:30 am nightly - NOT to take a mid-night bite...
July 2010
2 posts
The Impossible.
As you’ll note in the underexposed and pixellated yet well-intentioned photo below, I attempted the impossible today.
For those of you who have ever met me or even those who have ever caught a glimpse of my online ramblings, you know that if I’ve ever charmed anyone, it’s not a result of my baking skills. Largely due to my impatience with such pesky things as...
In the market.
To be perfectly frank here, donuts have never really been my go-to summer snack. I don’t know that they’re anyone’s. I mean, the thought of a dense, melt-in-your-mouth, deep-fried sweet cinnamon-y or drowned-in-frosting or direly chocolate Thing is a sheer dream in November or in February, but the thought of one in the dead of summer is sometimes a bit too much for even *me* to...
June 2010
1 post
Confessions of a Donut Fiend, Installment #1.
So I have a few important confessions. I have to come clean, to let the proverbial donut out of the proverbial deep-fryer. I need to talk to you. About 4 crucial things, to be precise.
1. Since I returned from my band’s most recent tour, I have not had one - count ‘em - ONE donut. Not one. This from someone who fancies herself some sort of Professor of Donut, a PhDonut on my...
May 2010
2 posts
Donut Whole, Wichita.
I am pretty sure that, as far as multi-sensory snacking experiences go, The Donut Whole is absolutely my new favorite donut place of ever. A picture, in this particular case, is worth a thousand sugar granules:
I can’t begin to try to recreate the gorgeous assortment of vintage eye-candy, enticing edibles and artfully arranged furniture (did I mention there’s a table with Fred...
Ronald's, Las Vegas + Sundry.
They were actually vegan, these donuts, which astounded me. They were cloud-soft and perfect. We nearly didn’t make it, being kind of Vegas’ed out, but we had heard one too many things about these Can’t Believe They’re Vegan donuts not to try. And, um, WHOA. The most unbearably good was the endless soft cinnamon/chocolate braid I had, though of note: they have...
April 2010
4 posts
Rick's Bakery, Fayetteville.
I spent the good part of a day yesterday at the illustrious Rick’s Bakery. I did my best to stay focused on the task at hand ((donuts)) but - you’ll understand - I could not help but get distracted by accoutrements ((donut lipgloss I’m not kidding)) and cupcakes ((not usually my cuppa but unexpectedly captivating in crayon-colored bouquet arrangements)). It was kind of a...
Donut Drive-In, St. Louis.
Assuming it would be a drive-THRU, I flexed my window-rolling-down muscles as we approached St. Louis’ Donut Drive-In earlier this eve. While a ‘drive-in’ - in this particular case - is apparently distinct from a ‘drive-thru,’ (only momentary disappointment) we *were* welcomed by one of the more spectacular donut marquees I’ve seen, thus making the actual...
World's Fair Donuts, St. Louis.
Swoonworthy storefront. It was the kind of storefront that made it feel like An Eventworthy Event, such that we had driven 20 minutes in our van just to spend all of our loose pennies on fried good-ness. We had totally Arrived.
We went into the tiny shop and ogled the glass case of sugary bounty a bit longer than we should have, ending up with bagfuls and bagfuls of donuts for a mere $4 +...
How it Came to Be.
I would be lying if I said it didn’t start with Entenmann’s. Before there were apple cider donuts, fancy cake donuts, oversized yeast donuts and specialty donuts doused in whiskey, maple syrup and grilled strawberries, there were Entenmann’s Rich Frosted. They are, officially, my Donut Root.
It’s why I will eternally be comforted by the perfect combo of...
