Big Bite of the Big Apple (NYC)

New York City is known as the "Big Apple"—but I ate everything in sight except the apple.

We all know that New York is a food paradise. But I never imagined just how fantastic the food could be until four days and eight restaurants later—from the Bowery to the West Village; from the Meat Packing District to the East Side.

So here's a taste of my New York.

When we landed in the city on Christmas morning, Pulino's in the Bowery was our first stop. Bloody Marys, mussels and creative pasta dishes kept us in the holiday spirit after a long morning of traveling. My favorite was the cappalletti di zucca: a sweet and savory squash-filled pasta with brown butter and pomegranates. Unbelievable.

Chinese food and Jews on Christmas clearly go hand-in-hand; so we just had to check out Zagat's top-rated Chinese spot for 2012. We were five of 42 people in the cozy West Village Red Farm NYC restaurant. And, oh, did this restaurant win the top spot in my book.  The highlight was the Katz's Deli pastrami eggroll with a spicy mustard sauce.  How "New York" is that?! It was so delicious that we had to order another halfway through our meal.

Chelsea Market, if you haven't been, is a gourmet food court of restaurants. I was having trouble deciding which to choose, until I noticed a woman walk by with a full lobster on a paper plate.  Decision made.  The picture below doesn't even do it justice.  The Lobster Place is the way to go.

The award-winning db bistro menu on Wednesday evening brought instant satisfaction before even tasting the dishes, simply because every dish included mushrooms (my favorite)! Their special db burger, stuffed with fois gras and black truffle, melted in your mouth (if you could manage to get your mouth around it!).

Todd English Food Hall, housed in the basement of the Plaza Hotel, was the most overwhelming lunch I’ve had in a while. Why? The “dining hall” set up offered everything from sushi to homemade pastas and salads.  Whoa.

BLT Fish served seafood elegantly and provided a fabulous dining experience, even with a cotton candy finale. The pacific hamachi appetizer matched the avocado and grapefruit with perfection. The cheddar cheese biscuits also hit the spot.  Our waiter provided us with the take-home biscuit recipe, so I'll be sure to whip up some of those before heading back to Austin.

The meat-packing district, a gem of the city I wish I had discovered sooner, became my favorite area for its quiet atmosphere and high-end scene of restaurants and shops. At Fig & Olive, we started with a cucumber martini in the middle of the day.  How fun is vacation!  I kept my eyes peeled for celebrities, since I have heard this was a hot spot; but no luck.  At least the crab salad was tasty.

Hungry yet? Some caramelized critiques are coming your way in the next few weeks! Put these on your list for your next visit to NYC.

Cookies with Mrs. Fields

Yesterday was such a “treat” in countless ways. I had the privilege of baking cookies with the cookie master, Debbi Fields Rose, famously known as the one and only “Mrs. Fields.”

When you think of the iconic Mrs. Fields character, you’re probably in for a shocker. She is definitely not a tollhouse elf, but indeed a woman with more energy than I could ever convey—maybe it’s all the sugar? Heck, she even climbed Mount Kilimanjaro last year and will judge a new TLC show next season!

peanut butter with hershey bars.

Mrs. Fields has discovered that the perfect cookie requires dancing to the Kitchen Aid for a full ten seconds before turning off the mix master. She vouches that you can never have too much butter, vanilla extract or chocolate (Guillart is her favorite milk chocolate; Bakers is her favorite white chocolate). She believes that sweetness—literally and aesthetically—and joy are key assets to baking in the kitchen.

Clearly, there’s something behind the cookie.

And while I can’t go into too much detail on exact measurements and steps to make these irresistible, buttery, rich cookies, I can tell you that my sister Julia, Cassidy and Carly Gubin, and I learned many baking tips that will carry us through the holidays and beyond.

Taste testing the cookie dough perfection. Debbi approves as well.

- The vanilla extract should overflow in the measuring spoon. Trust Debbi.

- Cut the butter in small pieces before adding them to the blender. And keep the butter cold.

- After blending butter and sugar, make sure the butter pieces are “no larger than the size of a pencil eraser."

- Dancing to the Kitchen Aid adds entertainment and preciseness!

- Use a scooper to perfect your cookie’s roundness.

Baking cookies with Mrs. Fields is like throwing a football with Tim Tebow or discussing politics with President Obama.  Basically, you won't find a better teacher and expert in the field of cookie making.

I deeply appreciated her approval regarding this blog thus far.  She shared with me the value and importance of creating a "brand" that an audience can connect to.  I am taking her words to heart and hoping to make this "brand" a successful and enjoyable one.

We laughed.  We danced.  We shared baking secrets.  We ate too much cookie dough.  We were so full, we didn't even have room to try to the cookies after they cooled.

Thank you, Debbi, for the extra two pounds I woke up with this morning...and the friendship we have formed.

[Make sure you follow Debbi on Twitter or Instagram - her name is @butterisbest.  Fitting, right?]

Team Slender

My friend, Claire, has an unbelievable blog called The Slender Student.  It has hit big in the UT community and beyond, and I am fortunate enough to be part of her new guest blogging crew, "Team Slender!"  I'll be writing for her blog throughout the year with healthy recipes, restaurant reviews and exercise ideas. [But don't worry, chocaholics: I will be posting baking recipes from Martha Stewart's cookbook on here too.]

The Slender Student posted my introduction today [http://www.theslenderstudent.com/team-slender-cara/], which I have copied below.  Be sure to check out her blog today and every day!

http://www.theslenderstudent.com/team-slender-cara/

Any healthy recipe ideas for me to blog about on The Slender Student? Let me know!

Sweet Beginnings

When I was young, a family friend in Memphis, Leigh McLean, created a new nickname for me: caramel. For my "sweet disposition."

I’ve come to love the comparison of my name to the sweetness of caramel. First, the name fits because I have more than just a sweet tooth—ask anyone. I even have a preference for caramel over chocolate (your jaw is probably dropped!).

But on a deeper note, I enjoy looking at life’s experiences with an added touch of sweetness and appreciation. Whether it’s my obsession with Instagramming pictures of my three f’s (family, friends and food), trying new restaurants or finding creative outlets in my hectic life, I think adding the extra touch is simply worthwhile. That is caramelization if you will: seasoning and simmering an ingredient to achieve a sweeter taste.

So join me in making life a little sweeter. Let’s look at life caramelized.

P.S. Get to know me. Click here to read my story.

P.P.S. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!