food

{You Pick Six} An Interview with Pastry Chef: Naisbel Azarak

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Pastry Chef Naisbel Azarak

When out of this world amazing cakes started showing up at family events, I wondered who had made them.

Turns out it was Pastry Chef Naisbel Azarak! After seeing her work, I now believe that she can turn anything into a cake and the only limit is the imagination.

Her creations will astound and delight you. Take a look at her Instagram!

Plus, she got some big recognition last year when chosen to create a cake for Pedro Martinez as he celebrated his entrance into the Baseball Hall of Fame. How cool is that?!

Let’s learn a little bit more about Naisbel in number eleven in the interview series, You Pick Six!

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What is a favorite simple recipe to prepare at home?
I love to cook chocolate vegan cake! It’s easy and super delicious! It goes great with anything you combine it with and it’s rich and moist! Indeed my favorite thing to do.

What is a favorite snack?
Venezuelan tequeños!!! These are some amazing cheese sticks covered with a lightly sweet yet salty dough that gets wrapped around the stick then deep fried and the center cheese gets melty and delicious! I love that with a good cup of coffee or in the winter I like it with hot cocoa.

What brings you peace every day?
Knowing that I indeed do what I absolutely love! In times, it can be really hard, no sleep, no rest, but the satisfaction of seeing the result of my work, and the happiness in my clients’ faces is so rewarding that it takes all the pain and exhaustion away and reconfirms that I’m doing what I’m meant to do.

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What three people do you admire most?
Duff Goldman! He is the whole reason I found this passion! Though his legacy (and show Ace of Cakes).  Ron Ben Israel, his amazing flowers and extremely neat work keeps my breath away! And Frank Haasnoot. This man is an UNBELIEVABLE pastry chef! Every time I see his work I feel a tear will shed out my eye! His work is out of this world!

How did food become an important part of your life?
My mother is probably one of (if not the) most amazing cook in this world! She is adventurous! She is vegetarian! But she has never stopped cooking my beloved meat dishes! And she can make magic out of any ingredients! There is always a variety of flavors on our table! She has learned a ton from cooking shows and applies it in a personalized manner! My brother inherited the same skills! Those two are the savory team and I am the sweet one!

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Tell me about what you’re working on now?
Currently I belong to the pastry team at the Mandarín Oriental Hotel in Boston, but I’m still working on the growth of Nais Cakes, which I am planing to open next year!

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Thank you so much for participating Naisbel!

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Photos: Provided by Naisbel Azarak.

Recently on Craving Boston: Power Café

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*Updated 2/15/2020: Unfortunately Power Café has closed.*

Power Cafe

In case you haven’t seen it yet, I hope you’ll take a look at my most recent article on Craving Boston, where I interview Galit Schwartz. She opened Power Café, a new bakery in Watertown founded on good food and inclusion of those with developmental disabilities. Two things that are very important to me.

You may recall my fundraising for All Aboard The Arc! and my affiliation with the Brockton Area Arc, whose mission is “to work in partnership with, and for, the community to provide advocacy, information, and direct services for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and their families.”

Speaking with Schwartz and learning how she became involved with the disability community and creating a cafe was so inspiring. I hope you’ll be inspired too!

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Screenshot: Craving Boston

Today’s Breakfast

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egg sausage apple breakfast

So glad the cold spell has broken! This past weekend was scary cold and then yesterday was such a relief.

In one day, the temperature in the Boston area went from a wind chill of around -25 degrees to in the 50s!

It rained and most of the snow melted away. Today is sunny and is supposed to be in the 40s. I started my day with a nice breakfast and some yoga and meditation. Now I feel grounded and ready for the day.

Happy Wednesday!

{You Pick Six} An Interview with Founder of Boston Foodie Tours: Audrey Giannattasio

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Audrey Giannattasio_Boston Foodie Tours If you follow Audrey Giannattasio on Twitter, you can see that winter weather isn’t stopping her from leading her food tours!

However, it was on a very warm summer day back in 2011, when I first met Audrey. As part of a small group of food bloggers, we had a great time touring specialty shops and restaurants in the North End, experiencing authentic Italy in Boston.

Since then, Audrey founded her own successful business, Boston Foodie Tours. For three years in a row, she has won TripAdvisor’s Certificate of Excellence. She was also featured on Chronicle, a local television program bringing us stories about New England.

If you’re visiting Boston during a vacation, for a business trip or just taking a day trip into the city, you’ll have a great time on one of her tasty tours!

But now, let’s get to know Audrey a bit better. She’s number ten in the interview series, You Pick Six!

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What is a favorite simple recipe to prepare at home?
Toast with mashed avocado, Kosher salt, freshly-grated pepper, and olive oil. Lunch nearly every day!

What is some of the best advice you’ve ever received?
“Don’t let anyone define you.” I’m just sorry that it took me fifty years to get it right! No one will ever care about you and your future as much as you will. If you’re truly going to reach your maximum potential, you must tune out the naysayers, leave any emotional baggage behind, and run your own race. When you find that place where you’re meant to be, the world will embrace you, and you will embrace yourself!

What is a favorite childhood food memory?
Picking large, purple grapes from the backyard vines in East Boston with my Italian-speaking, maternal grandmother, and my mother’s Sunday dinners, with freshly-made “gravy” – including meatballs and my beloved pig’s feet – and mostly store-bought pasta.

What do you think that most people don’t understand about food?
That creating good food isn’t necessarily about being an accomplished cook. Rather, it begins and ends with quality ingredients, such as a freshly-made mozzarella or a true Extra Virgin Olive Oil. What you put in is what you get out.

GoodHousekeepingCookbook

What is a favorite cookbook?
My favorite, most-used cookbooks are Ina Garten’s, whose recipes are both simple and reliable. My most valued and cherished cookbooks, however, are Marguerite Buonopane’s the North End Italian Cookbook, from which I learned as a young woman how to cook my mother’s Italian-American peasant dishes after she passed away; and my mother’s 1955 Good Housekeeping cookbook that I inherited.

How did food become an important part of your life?
My mother! Cooking was her way of demonstrating her love for others, and, perhaps, the only skill in which she had great confidence. Though we were on a tight budget, she could always stretch a meal for last-minute guests, who were often sent home with freshly-picked vegetables from our garden, and/or food gift bags.

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Thank you so much for participating Audrey!

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Photos: Provided by Audrey Giannattasio.

Frozen Pizza Taste Test ~ Red Baron v. DiGiorno

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DiGiorno vs Red Baron pizza taste testThe wind is blowing like a freight train outside and the snow has started falling. Inside, the heat is turned up and I am feeling nice and cozy. I finally have some time to blog and I’m listening to a Jess Lively podcast. Life is good!

I had brunch with some friends this morning and will hopefully blog it within six months. I have to stop fooling myself and pretend like I can blog like I could before. I just don’t have the time and have to accept what I can do. I have a seafood post from this summer that I still cannot believe I haven’t written yet. *sigh*

This post wasn’t even planned, but just happened. G came home with two frozen pizzas and asked if I wanted to try them. Today I’m carbo loading like a marathoner, but I’m not a marathoner. Good thing I did some walking to and from the T! Maybe I can do a yoga session today too.

Anyway, the pizzas are Red Baron and DiGiorno. Both pizzas are the same flavor, Supreme, so I removed the sausage and pepperoni. I don’t eat meat, unlike G.

Both of us had similar reactions to these pizzas. Red Baron has a nice crispy crust, but DiGiorno has a better flavor.

G asked me which one would I buy. I told him Newman’s Own. It’s the truth! He said that the others are cheaper, which may be true. But it’s only by a few dollars. I don’t buy frozen pizza very often, so when I do, I want it to be an all-around good experience.

A favorite flavor is White Thin & Crispy Pizza with spinach. I wrote about it before and how I had a “What Would You Do?” moment in the grocery store. My preference for Newman’s Own also is because I like that their profits goes to charity. It makes me feel even better about buying it.

So there you have it. Newman’s Own wins!