A Spekuloos Spectacle

Just before my latest trip to New York, I heard about Wafels & Dinges, an uber-popular food truck serving up authentic Belgian-style waffles all over Manhattan. I had heard they served amazing waffles with all kinds of wonderful toppings and decided I wouldn't leave New York without trying it out.

I'm fortunate enough to have actually tried waffles in Belgium, and I must say they were the best waffles I had ever tasted. They were crisp and golden on the outside, light and fluffy on the inside. Most shops or carts that sold them offered to top them with jam or chocolate for a few cents more. Wafels & Dinges takes this concept and turns up the volume. It serves up two main kinds of sweet waffles- the Brussels and the Liège. The Brussels is basically the one I had in Belgium, while the Liège is thick and chewy. In addition, there is a variety of toppings, or Dinges, on the menu for you to choose.


My friend and I tracked down the truck just after we had dinner. Instead of picking my own Dinges, I asked Waffle Guy for his recommendation. He said he would make me something delicious, and a few minutes later came out and handed me my treat and said, "This is our Liège waffle topped with spekuloos spread and bananas." My friend and I just looked at him blankly. "What is spekuloos spread, you ask? It tastes a lot like graham crackers," he said. So I dug in. And it really was like graham crackers in sauce form, perfect on top of the soft and chewy waffle. The bananas paired wonderfully with it, as would strawberries, whipped cream, Nutella, or any other topping on the menu. It was a truly creative combination of flavors. I could hardly believe how happy one little waffle made me, and I will gladly run around Manhattan again to find this truck and try the other Dinges.
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Wafels & Dinges
wafelsanddinges.com
twitter.com/waffletruck

Un Postre de Costa Rica

I recently went on vacation in Costa Rica and couldn't wait to try out Costa Rican desserts. A popular dessert among Costa Rican locals is the rice pudding. I tried some and liked it, but it was nothing spectacular. Instead, since Costa Rica is quite famous for the quality of its produce, I'd like to tell you about a unique banana flambé I had in the small town of Brasilito Beach, on the Pacific coast.

The main street of Brasilito, or Little Brazil, is lined with restaurants serving mostly local fare with a little Brazilian food sprinkled around. My travel companions and I blindly chose one, sat down, and ordered some Costa Rican cuisine like arroz con pollo, as well as some some surf and turf for good measure. I wasn't planning on ordering the banana flambé, but when I heard they made it with a Costa Rican liqueur, I was sold.

Most banana flambé recipes I've seen call for some banana liqueur, rum or Grand Marnier. Café Rica, however, is a coffee liqueur, and its flavor worked surprisingly well with the dish. I got a tiny bit of butter flavor mixed in with the liqueur and I didn't taste tons of sugar, so the coffee and banana flavors were not overpowered. The sweetness of the liqueur was perfect for the banana. The just-ripe banana was cooked the way I like it- not mushy but giving just enough yield, and it was served in the open-faced banana peel, just enough to remind you you're in a sleepy and picturesque beach town. A hefty scoop of vanilla ice cream and a bit of chocolate syrup rounded out the dish. A delectable dessert with a Costa Rican twist!

Side note: I normally give addresses where you can find these treats, but I was surprised to find out many locations in Costa Rica don't have street addresses! And anyway, I don't expect my friends to go all the way to Central America for a banana flambé. So if this dish piques your interest, I really suggest ordering some Café Rica (or something similar) and making your own variation.

A Little Chocolate Cake

Today I'm reviewing a small chocolate treat at Palomino, an Italian restaurant in Westwood Village. This place has a great wine selection and appetizers that make me melt. I came in with a friend for drinks and asked the waitress what her favorite dessert on the menu was.

Palomino's chocolate cake is quite small, but it's so rich and flavorful that you don't care. The inside of the cake is soft and gooey, while the outside has a nice crispy feel to it. I didn't feel that the cake was overly sweet; it has just the right balance of cocoa and sugar. I only wished it had been warmed up a bit more.

The cake comes with a rich chocolate sauce, berries, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The flavor of blackberries plays quite well off the chocolaty tastes of the cake and sauce, but I felt the ice cream left a little to be desired. It wasn't as creamy as I like ice cream to be. While I like a good vanilla ice cream to balance out a chocolate cake, this one was a bit too bland. The cake and the berries are pretty delicious on their own, so next time I order this dish, I will be skipping the ice cream.
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Palomino
10877 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90024