Chocolate Bouchon

The first time I had a chocolate bouchon was when we visited Thomas Keller's Bouchon Bakery in Yountville around ten years ago. The little brownie-like cake was such a delight. Soon after the trip, I purchased Keller's Bouchon cookbook, which included the recipe for the bouchon. I always thought about making the bouchon but somehow never did. Maybe I was deterred by the 3 sticks of butter (2 tablespoons per bouchon) that's required in the recipe. Actually it was just as well that I didn't since the recipe in the first printing of the Bouchon cookbook had the wrong amount of sugar: 3/4 cup instead of 1-1/2 cup.

Two years later, Keller opened a branch of Bouchon Bakery in the Time Warner Center in New York City, which meant I could just buy a chocolate bouchon when I needed a fix. Alas, when I moved to Taipei, bouchon, along with many other things, is no longer available. Therefore, if I want a bouchon I need to make it myself.

Recently I finally decided to take the plunge. I even bought a silicone mold from Williams-Sonoma that's specifically designed for the bouchon. I figure if I am going to do it I might as well go all the way. The recipe I use for the bouchon is from Keller's latest book, Bouchon Bakery, instead of the old book. Keller made significant changes to the recipe for a dozen bouchons – sugar is reduced from 1-1/2 cup to 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon and butter is reduced from 12 ounces to 5. It is interesting to note that the amount of sugar is now closer to the previously incorrect number in the Bouchon cookbook. Besides the reductions in fat and sugar, the new recipes have the ingredients by weight, which I much prefer over the measurements.

The bouchons are actually not too difficult to make. Melt the butter (141g) and in a separate bowl sift flour(50g) with cocoa powder(50g) and a little salt(.4g); combine eggs(75g), sugar(162g) and vanilla paste(1.5g) in a stand mixer and whisk on medium-low speed; add butter and flour mixture in six alternating turns; remove from the mixer and fold in chocolate chips(112g); let the mixture rest in a cool spot for around 2 hours; transfer the mixture into a piping bag and pipe into the molds (I find using the piping bag to be easier and cleaner than using spoons); bake for around 12 minutes in a convection oven of 350 degrees Fahrenheit; remove from the oven and let the bouchons rest in the mold for 10 minutes before unmolding (the resting time is required for the cake to set); dust with powder sugar before eating.

The bouchons are just delicious and definitely plenty rich in taste. It is hard to imagine how the bouchons would be if I had made it with the old recipe. Now when I make the bouchons they are mostly for an afternoon snack or as petit fours for a dinner party. However, when I eat a bouchon I am still reminded of the take-out lunches I had at Time Warner Center; I would order a sandwich with a bouchon as the dessert. It is always nice to have a little sweetness in life.

The Savoir-Faire of Olivier Jean

Last late September I was informed that chef Xavier Boyer of L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon Taipei was being transferred to the London branch of the restaurant group. Upon hearing the news I couldn't help but let out a long sigh. Boyer was a wonderful and creative chef who seemed to really enjoy being in Taipei. I had many memorable meals with Boyer at the helm; he was always happy to see me and let me try some new dishes. While I know that a change of chef at L'Atelier is not unusual – Boyer is the third chef de cuisine in four years – nevertheless his short tenure in Taipei was a big surprise. I had expected Boyer to stay for at least two years, similar to his predecessor, Angelo Aglianò.

News of Boyer's move coincided with the release of the 2014 Michelin guide for London, in which L'Atelier London was demoted from two stars to one. While no one officially gave a reason for Boyer's departure from Taipei, it wasn't hard to decipher that he was tasked with gaining the Michelin star back. Boyer was the chef de cuisine in L'Atelier London before moving to the branches in New York and Taipei, therefore, it was logical for Robuchon to ask him to go back to right the ship. However, Robuchon is essentially signaling that London is more important than Taipei; frankly, I understand his position. London is one of the world's food capitals with the likes of Alain Ducasse, Gordon Ramsay, and Heston Blumenthal, all competing for well-heeled customers and media attention. Financially the London branch of L'Atelier probably does more covers and generates more revenue for the Robuchon group than Taipei. Therefore, if I am Robuchon I probably would have made the same decision. But, what about Taipei?

"Taipei is the luckiest, always with a new chef", Chef Yosuke Suga half-jokingly said to me in October when he and Robuchon made their annual visit to Taipei. The new chef de cuisine is Olivier Jean, who was previously a sous chef in L'Atelier Étoile with Suga in Paris. He is from Valence, a small town in the south of France, best known in the food world as the location of the 3-Michelin-star restaurant Maison Pic. He is certainly well trained and worked at Louis XV prior to joining the Robuchon group. Jean is very tall and young, only 27 years old. When I first learned about his age I was slightly taken aback. At 27 I was only two years out of graduate school. On second thought, chefs typically have a different timeframe. Many of them start their work in the restaurant when they are still in their teens. By their late 20's they already have ten years worth of experience. Robuchon received his first head chef job when he was 28. When Suga was tapped to run the first L'Atelier in Tokyo, he was also only in his late twenties. Hence, one shouldn't be too surprised that Jean is given the job to run the L'Atelier in Taipei.

There is definitely some truth to Suga's assertion that the changing of chefs at L'Atelier Taipei certainly makes the restaurant more interesting. Just before Jean arrived in Taipei I was asked by a staff at the Le Salon de Thé on the third floor of Bellavita, which of the three chefs (Suga, Aglianò, Boyer) I like the best. Caught off guard I actually paused for a bit before I was able to answer her. I never thought they were in competition. In my mind each chef brought his own sensibility to the restaurant. Suga had the tough task of setting up the restaurant and establishing and enforcing the Robuchon standard. While his cooking is definitely French, he has a Japanese sensibility of simplicity and precision. Being Italian, Aglianò brought an Italian and Mediterranean feel to the cooking, some of the dishes he served at L'Atelier can still be found at Aglianò's eponymous restaurant in Taipei. Also, as Aglianò got to know Taiwan better, he was able to introduce more local ingredients into the dishes. Similarly, Boyer has a fondness for local ingredients and was always excited to tell me about a new fish or shrimp he found at the market or a new farmer that's growing vegetables for him. In contrast, his cuisine was a bit more complex than Suga's and Aglianò's, and incorporated a geographically wide-ranging of flavors and textures.

So what kind of sensibility does chef Jean bring to L'Atelier? Based on some recent meals in the first few months of his tenure, I would suggest, in a very general manner, the restaurant is becoming more French. Since Jean is from the south of France, this is not a surprise; frankly I quite welcome this direction. While there are dishes on the menu that reflect influences from other countries, there is a return to exploring some of the recipes and flavor profiles of traditional French cuisine. At the same time, these familiar dishes are executed with contemporary techniques and made lighter. Furthermore, the dishes by Jean always seem to be plated beautifully and very art-like.

The return to France was evident in the first lunch my wife, Maria, and I had under Jean's direction in late last November. We tried some of the new dishes on the menu starting with a mackerel and potato. The fish was cooked perfectly with a crispy skin. The different temperatures of the fish and the potato provided a nice contrast. The plate was beautifully decorated with dollops of condiments in varying sizes.

For the main course I selected the chicken fricassée, which was just delicious.

The pastry chef Kazuhisa Takahashi sent out a perfectly executed passion fruit soufflé that was just a sheer delight. The iPhone picture really doesn't capture the glory of this dessert. I could never get my soufflé to not collapse like the ones professionals make. The lunch was just a pleasure and provided some insights into chef Jean's thinking.

The reassertion of France, perhaps with a more rustic feel, was also played out at another lunch, where I started with the jamon and leeks. The plating is certainly pretty and the leeks were delicious. The dish was very good, but not as interesting as some of the other appetizers on the menu.

For the main course I went with the braised pork cheeks with lentils from Le Puy, a very satisfying dish.

Similar to last year, my wife and I celebrated our anniversary with a dinner at L'Atelier. Chef Jean offered to do something special, which was music to my ears. It is always best to just trust the chef and be open minded about food. Also, I am always happy to be surprised.  

We started with some beautiful asparagus served with an egg, cheese, black truffles, and jamon.

The second course was a delicious gnocchi with leeks and black truffle.

In contrast to the richness of the pasta, the next course was a fish simply fried and served with tomato, capers, arugula, and lemon juice. I feel this dish is actually quite indicative of Jean's or Robuchon's approach, which is to allow the ingredients to be the star. The dish was skillfully executed, simple yet full of flavors and aroma. 

The last savory course was a ballotine. The combination of poultry with foie gras is an idea that gets played around quite a bit in L'Atelier. In our previous anniversary dinner Boyer served us quail with foie gras wrapped in cabbage. With Jean the ballotine was chicken with foie gras wrapped with chicken skin. At first I thought it was cooked sous vide, but it actually was not. The ballotine was served with the famous mashed potato and the endive with herbs provided a little bitterness to contrast with the richness of the dish.

Since the restaurant knew it was our anniversary, chef Takahashi sent out a little strawberry tart with a sugar flower on the side – just a wonderful gift. We took the sugar flower home and kept it on our dining room cadenza inside a cake dome.

The dinner ended with two more desserts that were both delightful and beautiful. Furthermore, chocolates are now served with the mignardises and coffee at the end of the meal, which is a most welcomed addition.

My anniversary dinner was fantastic and memorable, but in a dinner a few weeks later Jean made a dish that truly won me over. In the early part of that dinner, Jean said he would make a dish à la minute and it would be a surprise. Sometime during the service, Jean slipped into the back kitchen to prepare the dish. As Jean presented the beautiful tourte for two at the counter, I couldn't help but muttered, "Ah, a pithivier!" Jean gently corrected me that the dish should be called a tourte chaude since it is not sweet. The tourte was sliced in half and plated at the pass. As if the tourte was not enough, Jean made a jus with black truffle for us to drizzle over the tourte. It was simply yummy or as the French would say, "miam, miam." The sommelier Benoît Monier walked by and said this is a very traditional dish in France and we both marveled at the dish for a moment. What Jean and Monier didn't know is I love pâte feuilletée and en croute dishes. As much as I like modernist cuisine and have fun messing around with my immersion circulator and iSi whip at home, I absolutely adore some of the traditional dishes of France. I half-jokingly said to Monier that perhaps one day, the restaurant should consider serving the poularde en vessie; after all, Robuchon used to serve the dish at Jamin. The dish is also in Daniel Boulud's new book, therefore, what's old may be new again.

While the dishes at L'Atelier involve high level of cooking techniques, there is a clarity to the food. You can easily identify the ingredients and the flavors have integrity. There is also an elegance to the presentation of the dishes coming out of Jean's kitchen. In the meantime Jean is eager to learn about the customer's preferences in Taipei as well as incorporating local products into the menu. As time goes on it will be interesting to see how Jean evolves. When Suga introduced Jean to me, he again half-jokingly said, "If there are any problems with Olivier, you let me know". Robuchon and Suga should be quite happy with Jean, we certainly are.

While Jean is the leader in the restaurant, he is quick to acknowledge his team in the kitchen. He also credits his sous chef Frédéric Julien (ex-Taillevent) for creating some of the dishes, including the langoustine carpaccio over lobster gelée that I had a dinner. The sommelier Monier remains peerless in Taiwan; a sentiment shared by my wife and my cousin. I always tell Monier that I don't know anything about wine and will happily drink whatever he chooses. He is always nice to allow me to try various wines by the glass and provide some guidance. Furthermore, only recently did I find out that besides his expertise with wines he is also very skilled at deboning fish at table/counter side. While there are some new faces in the the front of house team, the service led by Vincent Hsu and Grendy Yang is still as smooth as ever. The visit to the restaurant bookends with a warm welcome by the hostess Nana Kung and a send-off by Jean and Monier with even a few parting words in Mandarin. L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon takes the business of pleasure professionally and always manages to thrill.

New Year Fireworks

Since 2005 Taipei 101 has been setting off fireworks at the beginning of the New Year. The rooftop of our building has a nice view of Taipei 101, therefore our family always gather at New Year's eve to view the fireworks and ring in the New Year.

However, after a few years of watching the fireworks shooting off the building, I feel the show is getting a bit old and tired. Part of the problem is the fireworks is only coming from Taipei 101 and the typology of the building puts a lot of limitations on what can be done. The bigger problem is the duration of the fireworks is just too short.

It seems to me that of all the major cities in the world, only the fireworks in Taipei has the duration measured in seconds instead of minutes. For 2013 the fireworks lasted 188 seconds while this year it was 218 seconds. In contrast, the new year's fireworks at Singapore was 8 minutes, at Sydney was 12 minutes, Brazil was 16 minutes, and Dubai was a whopping 30 minutes.

The adage of "Go Big or Go Home" should be applied to the fireworks of Taipei 101: either produce a bigger show, or stop and do something else.

Arbitrage: Books

Despite the fact that I have an iPad and read e-books with the Kindle app or iBooks, I still like physical books. I like the construction and feel of a book as an object and enjoy the act of flipping through the pages. Therefore, I still buy many books every year, especially hardcover English-language books. However, I almost never buy them in Taiwan, neither online nor at Eslite bookstore. The reason is simple, the hardcover books are almost always cheaper at Amazon.com.

Recently I purchased the new cookbook by Daniel Patterson of Coi Restaurant in San Francisco. This book is available at Eslite for NT$1,521 at a special discount of 21% off the original price. At first glance the discount seems to suggest this might be a good deal, but it is actually not.

At Amazon.com, the same book is available for US$33.33 (33% off the list price). Since the book needs to be shipped to Taiwan, there are additional shipping charges of US$4.99 per shipment and US$4.99 per book. The total cost of the book purchased on Amazon.com is US$43.31 or around NT$1280.

Eslite would have to discount the book by around 33 percent from their list price to make the price to be about the same.

The cost difference between Eslite and Amazon is greater the more expensive the book because the shipping cost becomes a smaller percentage of the overall cost. Also, if one purchases multiple books in one shipment, the cost will go down as well since one of the shipping cost is per shipment. Furthermore, Amazon often offers greater discount for Best Sellers (around 45% off list) or for pre-ordering. Not only is pre-ordering cheaper but one also gets the book much sooner than the local stores. I pre-ordered Daniel Boulud's new book Daniel a few months ago, which Amazon was offering for 50% off list for US$30 or US$39.98 with shipping. I received the book a few weeks ago after it was published; as of today neither Eslite nor Books.com.tw have the book yet.

I am not sure why the local bookstore cannot be more competitive on price; then again, not too many companies anywhere can compete with Amazon. I just know I am not buying foreign books via a local seller.

Angelo Restaurant

Angelo Restaurant 安傑羅 is located on the ground floor of a nondescript, tiled six-story apartment building inside a narrow alley off the bustling Zhongxiao East Road. The black awning of the restaurant marks a complete break from the building above; the wall and some of the window frames enclosing the restaurant are also in black. The fact that the stylish and a little mysterious outward appearance of the restaurant reminds one of L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon at Saint-Germain in Paris is probably not a coincidence. The chef patron of Angelo Restaurant, Angelo Aglianò, worked for many years as a chef for Joël Robuchon at several different locales. Just prior to starting his eponymous restaurant, Aglianò ran the Taipei branch of L'Atelier. Instead of transferring to another branch in a different country after completing his two-year contract, he decided, with Robuchon's blessing, to go out on his own and to realize his dream of owning and running his restaurant.

Angelo is my most anticipated restaurant opening in Taipei this year. In fact I have been waiting for this ever since my last dinner at L'Atelier with Aglianò at the helm in October 2012. At that time, Aglianò didn't have anything concrete yet. He only had plans to talk to some investors for the new restaurant and even the location may not be in Taipei. Since Aglianò left Robuchon, I heard different rumors about where he would land. One of them suggested that he would take up the toque at the Italian restaurant at the new Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Taipei. Even Aglianò's ex-colleagues at Robuchon didn't seem to know, or at least were not willing to spill any beans.

It wasn't until August this year that by chance I saw someone "Liked" Angelo Restaurant on Facebook. Intrigued, I clicked on the page and at first only saw a bunch of construction photos. Scrolling through the photo album I came across a picture of Aglianò in a black t-shirt sitting at a table trying out the place setting in the middle of the construction site. Finally, I had the confirmation I needed. At a time when talents in different fields tend to leave rather than stay in Taiwan, I am glad Aglianò decided to remain in Taipei. I also applaud his partners for helping him make the restaurant a reality.

Since the restaurant is not too far from my apartment, from time to time I would stop by on my way to Dunhua Eslite bookstore and peek through the windows to see the progress of the construction. The space that is now Angelo used to be occupied by Papa Giovanni, an Italian restaurant that began in 1996 and later became Papa Gio'. It is very nice to see the Italian flag continue to fly at that location. However, besides staying as an Italian restaurant, everything else is changed with a gut renovation.

One enters Angelo Restaurant via a set of wood sliding doors on a small raised terrace with potted plants. A decorative and translucent glass screen separates the reception from the dining area. On the left of the reception is a small bar with a lit up Peroni tap handle; a nice little area to grab a drink while waiting for friends to show up. The setup of the restaurant takes a page from the L'Atelier playbook with counter seating overlooking the open kitchen. In fact the kitchen at Angelo is almost completely open except for the dishwashing and the cold storage areas. The different stations of the kitchen are laid out in parallel bars perpendicular to the counter area with the kitchen pass and heat lamps located at the end of the counter. The kitchen staff, except the pastry chefs, are all dressed in black.

Just like at L'Atelier, I prefer to sit at the counter at Angelo. I like to watch the kitchen in action and to see my meal being made in front of me. I enjoy cooking and know enough about it to realize that I will never cook like a professional; sitting at the counter is as close as I will ever get. Probably due to the lack of space in the kitchen, when one is seated at the counter, the dishes are served from behind the customers, rather than served directly in front like at a sushi bar or at L'Atelier. This is not a problem per se since if one is seated at a table, the dishes would be served from behind as well. However, it may mean the restaurant will not be able to seat the customers at the counter as tightly as currently laid out.

Besides the counter seating there are also table seating divided between two areas of the restaurants; the area at the back has banquettes. Also, unlike L'Atelier Taipei, Angelo has three private dining rooms of different sizes; this should be good for business.

The overall palette of the restaurant consists mostly of different shades of grays, dark wood, and beige, which reminds me a bit of the style of Armani Casa. The tables and counter are done with light grey stone. Similar to L'Atelier, there are no tablecloths but placemats in shades of dark and light grey stripes. The dinnerwares are strictly in white. While one can tell there wasn't a carte blanche budget, nevertheless, it was money well spent and not over designed. The overall appearance is simple and elegant.

The only downside to the space of Angelo is the ceiling, which is a bit lower than one would like. This is not a problem with the design, rather an all too common issue with restaurants located in existing residential buildings in Taipei. The designers mitigate this issue by making the space continuous and open. The filtered natural light from the windows also helps make the space bigger and more comfortable. I certainly enjoy lingering in the restaurant especially in the early afternoon, sipping an espresso and munching on a biscotti after a long lunch.

Angelo's logo has the color of the Italian flag in a wave-like ribbon so it is obvious that the restaurant serves Italian cuisine. While Aglianò is from Sicily, the food is not limited to southern Italy, in fact it is not even limited to Italy as mini-baguette, Spanish ham and foie gras are offered. Some of the dishes on the menu are from northern Italy, perhaps as a reflection of Aglianò's time spent in Milan. The risotto alla Milanese is served with osso buco on top, and is simply delicious. The beef carpaccio is served with artichokes hearts and deemed by my good friend, Alfred, as the "best carpaccio ever". The tiramisu is placed on a plate dusted with chocolate and accompanied by a scoop of coffee ice cream.

Southern Italy is represented with a tasty spaghetti with clams and bottarga shavings. There is also the melanzane alla parmigiana with a soft egg. The baba au rhum is more in the Neapolitan style with ricotta cream. Also present on the menu is a wagyu beef rib that Aglianò used to serve at L'Atelier. My friend and I shared this once; it was expensive but fabulous. Seafood accounts for a large portion of the menu and Aglianò sources his fish, shrimp, and squid locally. The seafood is mostly prepared with a light touch, allowing the flavors of the ingredients to come through cleanly.

What makes me really happy is that unlike many western restaurants in Taiwan, Aglianò loves to serve pork. I don't know why western restaurants prefer to serve imported beef instead of pork. For instance when STAY first opened in Taipei, there was no pork on the menu. There are so many things that one can do with pork and they are all more interesting than a fillet of beef. I like steaks, but Taiwan has great pork so why not use it? I was once told that Aglianò's old boss, Robuchon, said of all the countries he has restaurants in, Taiwan has the best suckling pig. Maybe we need the western chefs to show us how pork can be done in western restaurants in Taiwan. Or we can learn from Homer Simpson, who once referred to the pig – the source of ham, bacon, and pork chop – as "a magical and wonderful animal." At Angelo, one can start a meal with some jamon Iberico, albeit imported, the hard-to-find in Taiwan product is arguably the best ham in the world. The primo can be the maccheroncini with pancetta. The secondo can be a pork chop Milanese style served with some arugula, peeled cherry tomatoes, and Parmigiano shavings on the side. All three pork dishes are terrific. And if they are not enough for a pork lover, there is also a roasted suckling pig on the menu.

Over the years of visiting L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon Taipei, I have come to know chef Aglianò and consider him to be a friend. I have also grown to know and recognize some of the other staff at Robuchon, who have joined Aglianò at his restaurant as manager, sommelier, sous chef, pastry chef, captains, and servers. When I go to Angelo they take good care of me, therefore, I am not an anonymous diner with an unbiased view. Nevertheless, I will still offer that Angelo is already the best Italian restaurant in Taiwan. For the moment, just consider the four-course lunch set that I had recently. Where else can one find a selection of exquisitely done antipasti being offered like they do in Italy? Where else can one find such high quality risotto that is creamy, al dente, and served all'onda? Where else can one find fork tender beef cheeks cooked with the modern sous vide technique served over a bed of polenta cooked for four hours in the the traditional manner? Where else can one find a beautifully plated crispy sfogliatelle? Not only is the food wonderful, the value conscious diners would be pleased to know that the aforementioned four-course lunch costs NT$980 plus 10 percent service charge, and includes some great bread baked in-house, an amuse bouche, and coffee with cookies.

Angelo opened in the middle of September. The restaurant continues to make adjustments to be better. The service is pleasant and cordial but some of the junior staff are a bit hesitant and not as confident in their abilities yet. The wine list is still being put together. The kitchen is staffing up and the junior cooks are learning to work at Aglianò's standards. Aglianò says he is not firing on all cylinders yet. He asks his regular customers as well as himself to be patient. In time the food will be more consistent and ambitious. Already, I had some off-the-menu specials, including a sexy risotto with Sicilian flavors of sea urchin and cuttlefish.

I can only assume that Aglianò is not looking to just be the best Italian restaurant in Taiwan, but to have a restaurant that is worthy of Michelin stars; frankly, I expect nothing less. For the time being it is actually quite interesting for the diner to be part of the ride and to see how the restaurant is improving little by little everyday. Needless to say I will be dining at Angelo as often as possible.

Porthole Kickstarter

The first time I saw the Porthole was on the September 2011 cover of Food Arts magazine. The Porthole with herbs and fruits sandwiched between two round pieces of glass looked stunning. The Porthole is a cylindrical glass vessel custom-designed and made by Martin Kastner of Crucial Detail, and used at the Aviary Bar for various infusions. Aviary is operated by Grant Achatz, who also owns the famous 3-Michelin star restaurant, Alinea, in Chicago. I came to know Kastner's work through the various serving pieces he developed with Achatz for Alinea, which were well publicized along with Alinea's innovative cuisine. However, the Porthole was something that I actually want to get. Unlike some of the Alinea serving pieces, the Porthole seems like something I can use at home. It turns out I wasn't the only one thinking about a Porthole. Many people who frequent Aviary asked about purchasing the Porthole. There are even stories of some guests trying to take the Portholes home.

When I found out on the Internet that Kastner was doing a Kickstarter project to fund a commercial version of the Porthole, I was happy to make a pledge. Before I signed on I have never used Kickstarter before. I have also never been or wanted to be a venture capitalist. In other words, I didn't have much of an idea of what I was getting myself into. Nevertheless I made a pledge in mid-August 2012 for two Portholes. I bought two mainly because the cost of shipping for one to Taipei is US$50 while for two is only fifteen dollars more. I also thought that since the Porthole was scheduled to be delivered before Christmas, perhaps I could give one to someone else as a present.

Christmas came and went and the Porthole was nowhere to be found. About once a month, Kastner would send an update and the delivery date would keep moving back. There always seemed to be some kind of problem with the manufacturing process. Since I am an architect, I can sort of understand the problems Kastner were facing; stuff happens. However, he was way too optimistic with initial estimate of delivering the thousands of Portholes before Christmas. Nevertheless, it was nice of Kastner to provide updates on his progress – informing us about his various problems and keeping us in the loop. I felt like I was part of the venture. Unlike buying a product from a store, the Kickstarter project is really an adventure of making a new thing. You are along for the ride and you have to think people are doing their best to deliver the goods. Frankly, there wasn't much one could do but to be patient and wait.

It wasn't until June this year that I was notified that my Portholes would be shipped soon. I received the two Portholes via DHL in July. The packaging was quite nice. Along with the Porthole, Kastner also added two asymmetrical tumbers that are very beautiful.

The Porthole also came with a few recipes for drinks served at Aviary. The recipes are complicated with many ingredients, similar to some of the dishes served at Alinea. The problem for me is many of the ingredients are very hard to find in Taiwan. I can't even find white verjus, let alone dried elderflower or rare tea cellar berry meritage tea. After looking through the recipes a few times I basically gave up. I can only hope that one day someone from the States can bring some things back for me. With my dream of reproducing the drinks from Aviary dashed, I started to look on the internet for simpler things to do.

Before I did any infusion I filled the Porthole with water to make sure I was doing things correctly and with no leakage. The Porthole consists of only a few parts: two round plate glass covering a round frame and connected by a short stainless pipe via screws on the outside. The first time I assembled the Porthole together and poured some water inside, I actually couldn't get a good seal and the water started to leak out at the bottom. The trick to sealing the Porthole, as per the instructions in the box, is to press hard on the glass in order to compress the gasket all the way around the circle. The instructions also said the screws should not be over-tightened. However, I don't really know what that means. In my experience I felt I had to tighten the screws quite hard so the two pieces of glass remain pressed against the gasket. After a few trials with water, I decided to do my first infusion.

I started with some vodka infused with pineapple slices and mint. I let the Porthole sat in the fridge for three days.

The second one I tried was some bourbon with apple. This would form the basis for some apple honey toddy.

I am not sure what's the next infusion I will do. Instead of alcohol perhaps I might start doing some fruit infused water. The Porthole with things inside is also so pretty to look at that I will probably use it as some kind of table centerpiece the next time I have friends over for dinner.

Even though the Porthole was delayed by more than half a year, I am still quite happy upon receiving the vessel. Nevertheless, I don't think I will support projects on Kickstarter on a regular basis. It was an interesting experience but for now I will just focus on making drinks.

Four Freedoms Park

Ever since my first encounter with a building by Louis Kahn, the library at Exeter Academy, I have always admired Kahn's work. At that time (I was a high school student in summer school), I didn't know much about architecture nor about Kahn. Nevertheless, the library's elemental forms, soaring space, beautiful light, and strong materiality made a powerful impression on me.

While I don't make pilgrimages to see Kahn's buildings, I try to see as many of them as I can. This summer when I was in New York City for vacation, I visited the "new" Kahn project, Four Freedoms Park, on Roosevelt Island. Kahn designed the project around 40 years ago, but the construction did not begin until March 2010.

The 4-acre park is located at the southern tip of Roosevelt Island. The easiest way to get to the park from Manhattan is to take the Roosevelt Island Tram on Second Avenue and 60th Street. From the tram station on Roosevelt to the park is a just a short walk with great view of the Manhattan skyline.

The first things one sees at the park are five large tress followed by a monumental stairway.

The stairs are tall enough to block some of views ahead but the presence of the linden tress above invite one to climb up to discover what's behind.

The handrail for the staircase reminds me of the ones at the Kimbell Art Museum.

At the top of the stairs, the triangular space of the park is revealed with allée of trees on two sides.

One can walk across the lawn but it was nicer to walk under the trees with views on the side.

The allée leads to a large granite niche with an oversized bronze head of Roosevelt and s simple inscription:1882 -1945.

From the two sides, one enters a three-sided room open to the sky. The south side of the room is completely open to the expanse of the water. The square room is about 60 feet on each side and the walls are 12 feet high and made of solid granite blocks, each weighing around 36 tons.

The granite blocks are each separated by an one-inch gap. The wall on the back side, behind the Roosevelt sculpture is an excerpt from his "Four Freedoms" speech in 1941.

The square room is really a contemplative space that is both open and protected, with views of the river and the cityscape.

I am amazed that the park was completed forty years after it was designed. Kahn essentially went back to the basics of architecture with the triangular garden and the square room. The design is also full of complexity and subtlety in terms of the orchestration of the progress of spaces and the detailing. With the abstract and powerful design, Kahn was able to achieve a much admired timelessness to the architecture.

Cronut

The New York City-based pastry chef Dominique Ansel invented the Cronut in May this year. The Cronut is a hybrid of croissant and doughnut - a laminated dough that is proofed, fried in grapeseed oil, rolled in sugar, filled with cream inside, and topped with a glaze. Ansel said it took him over two months of experimenting with time and temperature to create this new pastry. Since only around 300 Cronuts are made everyday, they quickly sell out within a couple of hours. Ansel's pastry shop opens at 8am but a line of customers is formed much earlier. People have waited hours to get their hands on the Cronut. There are even scalpers who camp out to sell their spots at the front of the line. The Cronut has not only taken off in New York, but has become a global phenomenon, including being featured on the news in Taiwan.

In a recent trip to New York, we decided to try our luck and see if we could buy some Cronuts. Since we were jet-lagged, getting up early was not too hard. Actually, we dragged our feet and didn't get to SoHo until around 7:45am. By then the line had already curved around Thompson Street to the playground. The store opened at 8am and shortly thereafter the line started to move. By the time we got near Spring Street, a baker from the store came out and handed everyone mini-madeleines, which greatly delighted my two young daughters. The mini-madeleines were perfect, a reminder of our meals at Daniel, where Ansel was the pastry chef.

The store let around 10 people to enter at one time. Therefore, the line moved in large blocks instead of steadily, and it took us about an hour to get inside the store.

Once we were inside, we basically waited for people to pay. While the store had already boxed a lot of Cronuts which were ready to go, it simply took some time to run the customers' credit cards through the registers. As we waited in line inside the store, we could see the Cronuts behind the counter. Sadly, each person is only allowed to buy two Cronuts.

Each Cronut costs US$5. The aforementioned scalper asked for US$30 for his spot on the line. We bought a few boxes and took the Crounuts home to enjoy them.

There is only one flavor per month and for July it was Blackberry. In short, the Cronut was delicious. Croissant and doughnut are two of my favorite things, and to have them be combined in a pastry is just a delight and such a treat. Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin once remarked that, "The discovery of a new dish confers more happiness on humanity than the discovery of a new star." I can't agree more. Ansel is a genius. I only wish the line wasn't so long to buy the Cronuts.

Pâte à Choux

Last month the newspapers in Taiwan reported that the food company I-Mei used expired soy protein isolate to make millions of packages of cream puffs. Almost no one expected a company like I-Mei would put people's health at risk for a little extra profit. The news also reminded me that I haven't made the pastry dough, pâte à choux, in a long time.

Pâte à choux is not difficult to make and I am always amazed that it is made with just four basic ingredients: flour, eggs, butter and water. Pâte à choux is a great dough to master because of its versatility - the basis for cream puff, eclair, Paris-Brest, gougère and Parisian gnocchi. Recently for a dinner party, I decide to make the classic bistro dessert, profiteroles.

Pâte à choux is made by first melting some butter with water and a little sugar and salt. Some recipes call for using water with milk to create a richer dough. However, Taiwan is too humid so I only use water. Flour is added to the liquid all at once and mixed rigorously to cookout the moisture, making a paste called the panade. Eggs are then added one at a time and mixed thoroughly. One can use a food processor or mixer to beat in the eggs, but typically I just do it by hand. I figure I should burn some calories before enjoying the finished product later.

I use a round tip with an half-inch opening to pipe the dough on to a Silpat. After tapping down the tips of the round pieces of dough with a little water on my finger, they are baked in an oven for around 35 minutes.

After the puffs are cooled, slice them in half and insert a small scoop of vanilla ice cream in between.

The warm chocolate sauce for the profiteroles is made by melting the chocolate with some honey and butter and then smoothing it out with a little milk.

I really enjoy making profiteroles, a very satisfying dessert to end a meal. I am a little rusty with using the piping bag so my puffs are not as uniform as I like. However, I don't think I will be so finicky about uniformity to pipe the dough into a silicone mold as suggested by the Bouchon Bakery cookbook. A little homemade-ness is not such a bad thing for a dinner party at home; certainly better than any puff in a sealed bag made with soy protein isolate in a factory.