Back in 2006 I was partner in an avant-garde dessert bar called “Room 4 Dessert” in New York. It was a molecular think-tank for people with a sweet tooth and while things didn’t always run smoothly it was a very interesting experience for all of us involved. We didn’t have what it took to turn it into a commercial success but for the two years we were open we managed to attract a lot of attention from the medias, and visits from chefs like Thomas Keller, Jean-Georges and Grant Achatz among many others. I wasn’t doing the cooking but one of my favorite dessert from the opening menu was what we called “chocobubbles” and consisted of a warm chocolate “foam” with apricots, cocoa crispies and Pedro Ximenez sherry. It was one of our simplest but most clever menu item.

The hot chocolate mousse could be enjoyed all by itself but feel free to add layers of chocolate chunks, rice crispies or macerated apricots or cherries for texture and surprise. Of course you’ll need a iSi thermo whipper and some N02 chargers. Just pour the hot chocolate in the bottle, charge it with two N02 charger, shake it hard, and keep it warm in a bain-marie if not using right away. This is also a great hot chocolate recipe on its own, if you don’t have an iSi whipper. Enjoy!

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I recently received an email from someone who had almost a nervous breakdown from having to make a simple lasagna for a family gathering. There was nail biting and tears which is exactly the opposite of what I’m trying to teach on this blog. It made me realize that simple recipes that I take for granted are sometimes a source of great stress for people who have never made them before. The process of making lasagna should be all about relaxing and having a good time. If you need to pop a valium you’re missing the point. Be Zen.

This is my favorite lasagna recipe, it contains fresh ricotta, parmegiano, montasio cheese and fresh mozzarella and it’s layered in between pasta sheets with tomato sauce, basil and oregano. It could be adapted a myriad of other ways but this is the one I love the most. Just make sure to cook it long enough to get that nice crust on top.

I won’t write much but I will let the photos do the talking. This is how to assemble the perfect four-cheese lasagna. Now pull up your sleeves, pour that glass of wine, take a deep breath and let’s do it.

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I haven’t been to Morimoto in a while but I remember one of the best appetizers I tried was a “tuna pizza” with tuna sashimi, jalapeño, red onion, olives and an anchovy aioli atop a crisp, thin flour tortilla. Rather to go back and pay the hefty price I figured out how to make it myself. Yes, I’m cheap that way.

The genius here is to brush the top of the tortilla with “eel sauce”, the classic BBQ sauce that goes with Japanese unagi, before grilling it. The rest is easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy. The hardest decision you’ll face will be to either go with a swirl or criss-cross pattern with the anchovy aioli. You don’t like anchovies? No problem. Use sriracha instead. You don’t like sriracha? Stick to Domino Pizza. You arrange harmoniously a sprinkling of colorful vegetables and olives on top, slice and go. It will be the most delicious two-minutes you ever spent.

Who said that cooking was difficult?

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I can’t think of a name for this dessert so I need you to imagine a finely broken-up caramelized gaufrette fan wafer sandwiched between a luscious gianduja mousse, a chocolate brownie and cocoa powder. Does it sound delicious enough? Feuilletine are flakes of Brittany lace crepes that are commonly used is chocolate and hazelnut desserts in France, they add a nice crunchy textural element and a bit of sweetness and tend to stay crispy once in the center of a cake. Even if it’s an anonymous cake.

It’s surprisingly good for a nameless dessert. So good in fact that one of my co-worker who had a taste of it proclaimed it the best nameless cake she ever had. Probably the only one too. This could be adapted with a coffee mousse for an equally delicious version, or even a sweet Marsala flavored mousse for a fancy version of tiramisu. At least that would solve the name issue. Okay, maybe I’ll just do that next time.

Oh, and you can make it ahead and keep it in a freezer. It will stay there and wait for you like a good puppy. Enjoy!

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After a feast of sea urchin crostini with lardo I still had half a tray of sea urchin left, and faced with the tough decision to either eat them with a spoon or whip up this easy and tasty pasta dish, I went with the latter. It’s simple, but the richness combined with the oceanic flavor is just extraordinary. And to make things come full circle a handful of slightly blanched julienned snowpeas are thrown in to add a little refreshing “bite” which counteracts the creaminess quite perfectly. I posted a similar pasta inspired by the one served by Dave Pasternack at Esca in NYC a few years ago but the “bowiesque” photography at the time convinced me it was time for a little update.

Next time you plan on cooking shrimp, buy them head-on and save the heads to make a quick and flavorful shrimp stock. It’s a great thing to keep in the freezer when making dishes like this one. All I had to do is puree the sea urchin in a food processor with softened butter and piment d’espelette and added it to the reduced broth. It emulsifies to create the creamiest of sauce deliciously flavored with shellfish and uni with the gentle heat of the piment d’espelette.

And for an extra oomphff of umami I sprinkled the pasta dish with dried shrimp roe which can be easily found at your nearest Chinatown. Enjoy!

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