Latest news with #Morgenstern
Time Out
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Morgenstern's Ice Cream and Crystal Hot Sauce are teaming up for a free spicy sundae collab
If your sweet tooth also has a spicy streak, mark your calendar for July 19. Morgenstern's Finest Ice Cream is teaming up with New Orleans legend Crystal Hot Sauce for a scorching summer sundae collab—and for two glorious days, they're giving it away for free. Introducing: The Crystal Brown Sugar, Chicken and Waffle Sundae, a limited-edition masterpiece that sounds like it was dreamed up during a fever dream in flavor heaven. The base is Morgenstern's Brown Sugar Brown Butter Ice Cream (a.k.a. dessert royalty), topped with a golden homemade waffle, whipped cream, maple syrup and crispy fried chicken skin. The kicker? A generous drizzle of Crystal Hot Sauce, the Louisiana staple beloved for its smoky-sweet balance of heat and tang. It's the kind of combo that shouldn't work, but somehow, absolutely does. The sundae will be available for purchase at Morgenstern's starting Saturday, July 19, for one week only. But if you're smart (and punctual), you'll snag it for free: The first 150 guests in line at noon on Saturday, July 19, and again on Sunday, July 20, will get the sundae gratis, along with a limited-edition Crystal x Morgenstern's cap to complete the lewk. This isn't Morgenstern's first foray into pushing the boundaries of what an ice cream sundae can be. Founder Nicholas Morgenstern—part mad scientist, part sundae historian—has long believed that dessert can be a full-on meal. From the brown banana-fueled 'Apocalypse Sundae' to his sardine-and-hot-sauce snack hacks, he's always been a flavor maximalist with a nostalgic streak. The Crystal collab feels right on brand. As for Crystal, it's not just another hot sauce. The nearly century-old condiment has its roots in New Orleans but a fan base that spans the globe. It's a staple in kitchens from Metairie to Riyadh (popularized by oil rig workers from Louisiana), with a flavor profile that's bolder than Tabasco but restrained enough to pair nicely with dessert. If you show up, you're getting sweet, spicy, crispy, creamy, and a hat, so line up early—and maybe leave the lactose-intolerant roommate at home.
Eater
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Eater
The Ice Cream Cookbooks of Summer Are Here
An ice cream cookbook holds an implicit promise: We're going to have fun. Ice cream, in its many permutations, is arguably the most fun food we have: It is childhood, it is summer, it is a rainbow that melts on your tongue and down your arm. But actually making ice cream? That, at least according to Nick Morgenstern, is a different story. '...I am not going to tell you to have fun,' he writes at the end of the introduction to his new cookbook, Morgenstern's Finest Ice Cream . 'Eating ice cream is fun. Making it is serious business.' Morgenstern's is one of three new ice cream books to be bestowed upon us in time for ice cream season (though as we true ice cream freaks know, ice cream is every season). In March, Pooja Bavishi published Malai: Frozen Desserts Inspired by South Asian Flavors ; a month later, Tyler Malek followed with Salt & Straw: America's Most Iconic Ice Creams , written with JJ Goode. Morgenstern, Bavishi, and Malek are the owners of successful ice cream establishments: Morgenstern has two eponymous shops in Manhattan; Bavishi's Malai is a well-loved draw in Brooklyn; and Malek, the co-founder of Salt & Straw, now presides over a growing network of storefronts in several major metropolitan areas. Ice cream says a lot about the personality of its maker, so it follows that ice cream cookbooks do, too. Opening one is a little like going on a first date: Will you find connection here? Is this relationship material or a quick, unsatisfying fling? Will you feel supported, shown a good time, made to want to learn? The same can be said for any cookbook and its author, really, but ice cream is special: If it's a food that evokes simplicity and innocence, it's also one that comes with an intimidating learning curve. As someone who has made a fair amount of ice cream at home, I didn't feel intimidated; I just wanted to know if these books would make good and wise companions. I started out with Morgenstern's Finest Ice Creams . Glutton for punishment that I am, I was drawn in by the whiff of proactive disapproval in its author's tone — how dare you think this is going to be fun, you simp? — but also, full disclosure, because several years ago Nick Morgenstern took me to lunch to discuss the possibility of co-writing this very book. Nothing came of it; Morgenstern appears to have written the book without a co-writer, and his tone will likely be familiar to anyone who's visited his flagship shop in Lower Manhattan. The ice cream he serves is very, very good, but there's a ramrod perfectionism that underscores the immaculate white-tiled space. That air defines the book. I say that with a certain admiration: Again, making ice cream can be tricky business, so it can be helpful to have someone tell you to do this and absolutely not that. That said, Morgenstern isn't here to hold your hand. Consider the recipe for his salted caramel pretzel ice cream recipe: Cook 'the caramel as far as it can possibly go before it becomes burnt or even slightly bitter,' he writes. 'This can only really be achieved through practice.' There are basic guidelines for making caramel, but it's really up to you to figure it out. This is a book of strongly held opinions. 'Life in NYC has deluded its residents into believing that the Union Square farmers' market is amazing,' Morgenstern writes in his introduction to strawberry ice cream. 'Is it better than the Soviet-style shopping experience of supermarket chains…? Sure, but it does not compare to the farmers' markets in France, California, or Tokyo.' The hot fudge sundae, meanwhile, is The Most Important Sundae in America (fair); the quality of a scoop shop's vanilla ice cream will 'tell you everything you need to know' about the shop's quality (also fair); vegan food 'is annoying,' an 'unnecessary obstacle on the road to deliciousness' (unfair, and also prehistoric). I appreciate these opinions, even if I disagree with them: Give me a cookbook with personality any day. I was less appreciative of the book's photos of the ice cream itself, staged as it is to look less like a food you'd want to eat and more like an installation that should be sitting on the floor of DIA: Beacon with a title card next to it. And the ice cream recipes? Delightful in both abundance and variety. Morgenstern likes iterating on a theme. So he provides six types of vanilla ice cream, five each of chocolate, banana, and strawberry, innumerable spins on tropical flavors, nuts, and caramel, and a rogue's gallery of both classics and wild cards like french fry, burnt sage, and tahini and jelly. Morgenstern mostly doesn't use eggs in his ice cream — they get in the way of the ice cream's flavor, he explains — or a ton of sugar. In the s'mores recipe, the sweetness comes from only a half-cup sugar, a small dose of glucose syrup (which also helps create a smooth texture), and marshmallows, the latter of which you toast and broil (I blow-torched mine) and then blend into the hot ice cream base. Sounds complicated but isn't, really; this is where Morgenstern's straightforward, no-nonsense style really sings. I wound up with a supremely smooth, not-too-sweet scoop that really does taste like a s'more, and even if Morgenstern insists — as he does in the book's introduction — that there 'is absolutely no screaming for ice cream,' I, for one, think that's worth shouting over. From Morgenstern I went to Malai . The name of both her book and shop, Bavishi writes, comes from 'one of my favorite food words since I was a kid. It's the cream that I would steal from the top of the milk when my parents were not looking.' Having grown up in the U.S. as the child of Indian immigrants, she continues, she uses ice cream as a 'platform to express my whole self,' and to 'tell the stories of what it was like for me to embrace the Indian flavors in my suburban American upbringing.' Thus, the book is full of recipes that incorporate traditionally South Asian flavors: there's ice cream flavored with turmeric, masala chai, jaggery, fenugreek, hawla, and gulab jamun, shrikhand frozen yogurt, cardamom kulfi ice pops, and nimbu pani sorbet. A sense of warmth pervades Bavishi's book; unlike Morgenstern, she wants you to have fun. Family is also a constant presence: a photo of Bavishi and her parents opens the book; her mother's dudh keri, a summertime dessert, shows up in the headnote for mango and cream ice cream; a disastrous white chocolate cheesecake she made as a child resurfaces as inspiration for a flavor. And carrot halwa ice cream is on Malai's menu, she explains, because her father will only eat his carrot halwa (a carrot pudding) with a scoop of vanilla. Ice cream, in Bavishi's portrayal, is a romp — to talk about, to make, to eat. In this sense, it's more of a traditional ice cream book than Morgenstern's, which makes its emphasis on non-traditional flavors (at least to the average white American palate) even more refreshing. Like Morgenstern, Bavishi doesn't use eggs in her ice cream base; instead, there's a bit of cornstarch for thickener, along with milk, cream, honey, sugar, and cream cheese. The cream cheese lends the base a pleasant tang and cuts its sweetness, though even without it, the base is far from cloying. I was initially wary of using cornstarch in the base, as it can create a chalky flavor, but in the jaggery ice cream recipe, it created a noticeably thick, rich texture. The recipe is dead simple — you just add powdered jaggery to the base, then cook, chill, churn, and enjoy — but results in exceptional flavor, with a depth and warmth to its sweetness, and the cream cheese provides a refreshing counterpoint. I can see eating this throughout the summer, topped with a few Luxardo cherries. And since I bought about a pound of jaggery, I will. Last I went to Salt & Straw: America's Most Iconic Ice Creams . Born in Portland, Oregon, the ice cream chain has become synonymous with innovative — detractors might say over the top — flavors and mix-ins; it's the type of place that uses ice cream as a vessel for bone marrow, black olive brittle, and caramelized turkey with cranberry sauce (not all together, but never say never). In this cookbook, the company's second, Tyler Malek acknowledges his proclivity towards the unconventional. '[W]e've always avoided making the classics,' he writes. 'That is, until now.' This book is dedicated to 'the epic Salt & Straw version of 10 of the country's most famous flavors.' Malek prefaces his recipes for chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, coffee, pistachio, and green tea with a breakdown of the different kinds of ice cream makers (Morgenstern does this too), as well as recipes for different bases: custard, gelato, sorbet, ice cream, and coconut. He also includes a sidebar about how to serve ice cream, something that may initially read as a 'no shit' moment but is actually informative and oddly moving. 'The thing is,' he explains, 'at our shops we put so much care into our scoops, we want you to experience them at their best.' Malek is a true ice cream freak, and I ate that enthusiasm right up. Tell me the ratio of water to fat to milk solids to sugar in your ice cream base! Regale me with a discussion of why you use xantham gum in there! Speak to me of the 220 flavor compounds found in a vanilla bean! The book's claim to provide the classics is a true one, but, well, Malek is going to Malek. Yes, there's a recipe for French vanilla, but there's also smoked cherry vanilla and vanilla with sticky croissants and caramel swirl. There's chocolate chocolate chip, but it's a prelude to a Wonka-like tidal wave of black pepper goat cheese ganache, chile crisp chocolate peanut butter cup, and fig and sesame peanut butter cup. And green tea? Why stop at matcha when you can have chocolate earl grey and lemon shortbread, or smoked black tea with black sesame marshmallows? This book is a bit like a fun house, insofar as it distorts your idea of what reality can and should be. I had a particularly hard time deciding what to make, but finally settled on bananas foster rum caramel. This is, not incidentally, one of the book's vegan flavors. Morgenstern asserts that vanilla is the true test of an ice cream shop's mettle, but I'd argue that the quality of its vegan scoops are equally important. Malek's vegan base is made of coconut cream, a scant half-cup sugar, xantham gum, and light corn syrup. From there you heat, chill, and freeze it like you would a dairy base. It's quite creamy, and makes a good blank palette for the bananas foster rum caramel. The resulting ice cream was as smooth and creamy as the dairy versions I made, and altogether a real joy to eat. 'Joy' aptly sums up everything I made. That's the beautiful thing about ice cream: Just as there's something for everyone, there's a cookbook that can answer your particular cravings and sensibility. It's extremely democratic. It is also, with apologies to Nick Morgenstern, fun. See More: Cookbooks Eater at Home How to Cook What to Cook
CBC
04-04-2025
- Business
- CBC
It took over a year, but Hamilton's popular Charred restaurant reopens after destructive fire
Over a year after smoke and flames nearly destroyed Mark Morgenstern's rotisserie house, the only thing that's charred today is the chicken. The James Street N. charcoal barbecue restaurant, Charred, re-opened Friday at noon for the first time since a fire on March 7, 2024. Originating in the kitchen ductwork, the flames caused extensive damage throughout the restaurant and the apartments above. Morgenstern, who's owned Charred for over a decade, said at the time he was filled with worry over if staff and customers would return. "I have no idea what's going to happen," he said. In the months that followed, Morgenstern said he was on site every day overseeing renovations and upgrades. Now he's back to serving customers. While "everything is brand new" the restaurant looks the same as before, he said. Nearly all of his 17 workers also came back, he said. He was able to continue paying them despite the restaurant being closed because he had business interruption insurance. "You have to take care of the people who work for you," he said. For a limited time, Charred will keep menu prices what they were in 2023 as a way to welcome customers back. The costs of doing business has increased since the fire, Morgenstern said. For example, a full chicken costs $2 more than in 2023 and Charred buys at least 600 a week, totalling an increase of about $1,200. Family bought building in 1968 Sticking by the business was worth it to keep the family memories alive, he said. His parents bought the building in 1968 where they opened a clothing and shoe store called Morningstar. His family eventually rented it out to different businesses throughout the years until Morgenstern opened Charred. Tenants and their pets were living in four upstairs units when the fire took place, he said. No one was hurt, but the homes were severely damaged and all moved on. Wynne Baker was among them, as she didn't know how long repairs would take. She said she's since settled in another apartment downtown. She told CBC Hamilton in the days after the fire that her unit and belongings were destroyed by fire, smoke, grease and water. The units have been restored and mostly rented out, said Morgenstern. On Friday morning, he stood at the counter, getting ready to open Charred for lunch. After that, it will return to being open seven days a week, except for Christmas, Boxing Day and New Years Day. "No matter how slow it is, I always want people to know we're open," he said.
New York Times
06-02-2025
- General
- New York Times
5 Decluttering Books to Bring Order to Chaos
Tyler Moore was two days into a mental health leave when inspiration struck. He and his wife, Emily, were crammed into a small apartment with two young children; the 38-year-old educator was craving order. He asked his wife if they could rearrange the apartment, swapping bedrooms with their children. Mrs. Moore liked the idea but begged him to hold off. When she went out with the kids, however, he started 'imploding' their home, he said. Mrs. returned to a mess and told him they were going to need some help. They checked out two Marie Kondo books from the library: 'The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up' and 'Spark Joy.' This, Mr. Moore said, was the first step in organizing their space. Now a tidying expert himself, Mr. Moore runs a popular Instagram account called Tidy Dad and recently published his first book, 'Tidy Up Your Life: Rethinking How to Organize, Declutter, and Make Space for What Matters Most.' But he still remembers the chaos in his New York City apartment, and how Ms. Kondo felt like 'an impartial person who could step in' and guide them, he said. Books can provide strategies and emotional support when we're trying to organize our lives. So we asked professional organizers and other experts to recommend their favorites. The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning by Margareta Magnusson One day, we will be gone — but our things will still be here. This 2017 book, a favorite among all the experts we spoke to, is a call for people to declutter while they still can. 'No one wants to think about their own mortality,' said Patty Morrissey, the program director of the KonMari Club, an organizing community created by Marie Kondo. But this book helps present organization in a positive way — as a 'life review,' she said. For example, Ms. Magnusson recommends designating a 'Throw Away' box for personal items that have sentimental value — but may not for anyone else — and then labeling it so that your loved ones can discard it when you're gone. Organizing From the Inside Out, by Julie Morgenstern Ms. Morgenstern is known as 'one of the OGs in organizing,' Matt Paxton, author of 'Keep the Memories, Lose the Stuff,' explained. In this 1998 book, Ms. Morgenstern presents an organizing strategy called S.P.A.C.E., which stands for: Sort, or group items; purge, or get rid of unnecessary things; assign a home, or designate a specific place for every object; containerize, or organize items with the help of bins, boxes, and other containers; and equalize, or check in regularly to tweak the process when needed. This framework, however, isn't meant to be rigid. The book 'helps us organize in a way that's right for us,' said Gretchen Rubin, host of the 'Happier' podcast. For example, Ms. Morgenstern encourages people who are chronically late to store essentials (like keys and wallets) near the door. This practical guide, full of insights, shows that there's no one-size-fits-all solution to organizing, Ms. Rubin added. How to Keep House While Drowning, by KC Davis Tidying up can be difficult for anyone, but it can be uniquely challenging for people living with A.D.H.D. and mental health conditions like anxiety and depression. For those in search of judgment-free guidance, this 2022 book offers a simple approach. While Ms. Davis recommends breaking things into small, manageable tasks, she stresses the importance of not being too hard on yourself, by doing things like running the dishwasher before it's completely full. The book is also written so people can skip around, diving into the section that they need, which can be particularly useful for people who find focusing difficult. Ms. Morrissey recommends it to clients who aren't 'striving for aspirational levels of order,' but are 'just trying to get through the day.' What We Keep, by Bill Shapiro with Naomi Wax This book, published in 2018, isn't a decluttering how-to. Instead, the authors interviewed hundreds of people, including truckers and nuns, asking them whether important items symbolize pivotal moments or help them remember relationships and people who are no longer with them. Each story invites readers to consider what their own objects mean. When you start to think about 'what you've chosen to keep and interrogate the 'why' — whether for utility or sparking a memory — that is really beautiful,' Mr. Moore said. ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life by Kathleen Nadeau and Judith Kolberg This 2002 book offers people with A.D.H.D. flexible ways to approach organizing. For example, many people experience the 'out of sight, out of mind' phenomenon, where they might forget about items they don't see regularly. The authors, however, suggest transparent storage containers or open shelving to keep important items visible. It is 'even written in A.D.H.D.-friendly language,' Ms. Morrissey said, adding that it includes helpful charts and illustrations, too. This book, she added, 'is a great way to help people who struggle with the execution and completion of a task get their clutter under control.'
