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Latest Culinary e-newsletter

Local Restaurant Week
Share this on facebook Want a taste of the good life without busting your budget? Local Restaurant Week is your answer. From March 26 to April 2, more than 200 Western New York restaurants will offer complete meals for $20.12.
Amy's Place

BREAKFAST
Bacon or homemade tofu sizzle strips? Meat-lovers and vegans find common ground at Amy’s Place.

Pizza Plant

LUNCH
At Pizza Plant, everything’s fresh, nothing’s fried and the beer list is incredible. Try their signature “pods” or their eggplant stuffed pizza.

Black Rock Kitchen & Bar

DINNER
Duck leg confit, fois gras French toast, roasted pork enchiladas…comfort food goes upscale at Black Rock Kitchen & Bar.

NICKEL CITY CHEF: Balaton Cherry Challenge

Buffalo’s Nickel City Chef series = top chefs, secret ingredients and fast-paced culinary magic. The 2012 season may be sold out, but you can get a taste of the action with this recipe from the official NCC cookbook:
Nickel City Chef Krista Van Wagner (Curly’s)
Vanilla Bean Mousse with Balaton Cherry Compote

Total prep and cooking time: 1 hour (resets in refrigerator overnight). Serves 6.

  • 1 cup half and half
  • 1/2 cup mascarpone
  • 1 tbsp New York State honey
  • 1 vanilla bean
  • 1 egg white
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 Tbsp Oregano
  1. Cut the vanilla bean in half and scrape the seeds from one half of its interior. Place the seeds and half of the bean pod into a sauce pan with the half and half. Warm over low heat until it just begins to bubble. Remove from heat and let cool.
  2. Combine mascarpone cheese and honey. Add 2 tbsp of cooled vanilla bean cream. Set aside.
    3.
  3. Add heavy cream to a chilled bowl. Scrape remaining half of vanilla bean into the cream and whisk until it forms soft peaks. Refrigerate until chilled.
  4. Whip the egg whites and sugar until it forms a glossy, loose meringue. Gently fold in the mascarpone and honey mixture. Once combined, fold in the whipped cream gently. Refrigerate overnight.
  Cherry Compote

Cherry Compote

  • 2 star anise, whole
  • 2 cloves, whole
  • 1 tbsp white peppercorns, whole
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 cup dried Balaton cherries from Singer Farm Naturals
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1/3 cup New York State honey
  • 1 tsp orange zest
  • 2 oz Kirschwasser (cherry brandy)
  1. Combine the star anise, cloves and white peppercorns in a grinder and grind until they become a fine powder. Measure one teaspoon of spice powder and reserve the remainder in an airtight jar for later use.
  2. Melt the butter in sauce pan, along with one teaspoon of spice powder, cherries, honey, and cinnamon stick. Deglaze the pan with Kirschwasser brandy and simmer 5 minutes. Cool.
 Chef Krista’s Plating Notes: This mousse can be molded into a large ring and turned out on a plate, with the compote served on the side, for presentation, or spooned into individual dishes and topped with the cherry compote. Chef Van Wagner wowed the judges by serving it with delicate white cake and garnishing with a small amount of peppery micro watercress from Lockport’s Flavor Farm.

  Cherry Compote*For this recipe and more, order the Nickel City Chef cookbook.

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