FOOD SKETCH #55: Motorino Pizza

Margherita pizza pie from Motorino.

Motorino was one of the few places open in the East Village, right after Hurricane Sandy. With no power, pizza dough was mixed by hand and pies were served by candlelight. Tonight, only margherita pizzas were being served (with an option of a soppressata topping). All proceeds today went to the Red Cross.

More restaurants helping out with the hurricane relief effort here.

Featured in Elle Girl Korea

FOOD-SKETCHES is featured in the September 2012 issue of Elle Girl Korea!

FOOD SKETCH #54: IKEA Swedish Meatballs

It's been an insanely busy summer**, and I've taken a small break from posting here this past month.

But I'm back! I have a bunch of sketches lined up, and am starting off with your typical IKEA fare: swedish meatballs, cream sauce, mashed potatoes and lingonberry sauce. From the Red Hook, Brooklyn IKEA.

**I've been training for the NYC marathon. Please visit my donor page here and consider joining me in giving to cancer research. (Also, donors who give $100 or more will receive a limited edition 8x10" screenprint I am designing; more details will be announced on my blog in the coming week).

FOOD SKETCH #53: Momofuku Milk Bar Grasshopper Pie

Grasshopper pie from Momofuku Milk Bar. With a graham cracker crust, mint cheesecake and brownie filling, toasted marshmallows, drizzle of mint glaze and mini chocolate chips on top.

Click here to see a photo of this pie and read an interview with Milk Bar's pastry chef, Christina Tosi.

FOOD SKETCH #52: Levain Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookie

The legendary chocolate chip walnut cookie from Levain Bakery, Upper West Side, NYC. It's $4 and feels like it weighs a pound, but it's worth it. Not sure why it took me six years in the city to finally try it.

FOOD SKETCH #51: Kung Pao Pastrami at Mission Chinese Food

Kung Pao Pastrami with peanuts, celery, red peppers and Tianjin chiles.

From Daniel Bowien's Mission Chinese Food on the Lower East Side, NYC.

FOOD SKETCH #50: Egg Custard at Mission Chinese Food

Savory egg custard with scallop, roe, green apple and basil seeds.

From chef Daniel Bowien's Mission Chinese Food on the Lower East Side, NYC.

Pete Wells just reviewed the restaurant in the New York Times yesterday. Read his piece and see a photo of this dish here.

FOOD SKETCH #49: Sullivan Street Bakery Strecci

Tomato strecci from the Sullivan Street Bakery stand at New Amsterdam Market, NYC.

Their pizza bianca dough is shaped into these chewy sticks, studded with tomatoes, brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with salt.

FOOD SKETCHES #47 + #48: Dragonfruit

Dragonfruit, outside.

Dragonfruit, inside.

FOOD SKETCH #46: Taiwanese Shaved Ice

Taiwanese shaved ice (tsua-bing). A mound of finely shaved ice topped with condensed milk, azuki red beans, mung beans, tapioca balls, mochi and a scoop of green tea ice cream. You can order it with any number of toppings, including fresh fruit, taro, lychee and coffee jelly, grass jelly, sweetened peanuts or fruit syrup. This one is from a little cafe in the East Village, around St. Marks.

FOOD SKETCH #45: DiNic's Roast Pork Sandwich

Roast pork sandwich with sharp provolone, broccoli rabe and red peppers on a hoagie. From DiNic's at Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia.

FOOD SKETCH #44: Federal Donuts

Fancy donuts from Federal Donuts. Pomegranate-Nutella with sesame seeds on top and Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie with rhubarb glaze, crunchy pie crumbles and strawberry icing.

See photos and read Pete Wells' article in the New York Times here.

FOOD SKETCH #43: Salted Caramel Budino

Salted caramel budino at Barbuzzo, in Philadelphia.

Dark chocolate crust, vanilla bean caramel and sea salt served in a small mason jar. Whipped cream and cookie crumbles on top. Had heard so much about this dessert and I am happy to report that it was really, really good.

Bon Appétit published a recipe for this budino here. Can't wait to try making it.

FOOD SKETCHES #41 + #42: Bacon & Eggs

Bacon and eggs.

These were created for a show called Primaries at Yes Gallery.
Available for purchase here.

(Limited edition bacon & egg screenprints will also be sold packaged together as a set in my shop soon. They are 18x18" and an edition of 50).

(Bottom photograph courtesy of Yes Gallery)

FOOD SKETCH #40: Talula's Garden Cheese Plate

Cheese plate from Talula's Garden, with berries, candied nuts, and drops of jam and honey.

FOOD SKETCH #39: Dim Sum Chicken Feet

Chicken feet in black bean sauce. A classic dim sum dish, not for the faint of heart. At Grand Restaurant in Flushing, Queens.

FOOD SKETCH #38: Olive Oil Gelato

One scoop of olive oil gelato from the Otto gelato cart in Washington Square Park. Served with droplets of olive oil on top.

FOOD SKETCH #37: Sunday Suppers' Berries and Vanilla Mascarpone

Berries with Citrus and Vanilla Mascarpone, served at a Mother's Day Brunch at Sunday Suppers in Brooklyn. This dessert looks like it's easy to make, and trust me, it tasted divine. Find the recipe here. If you can, try to attend an event at Sunday Suppers (here is a list of their upcoming events), it's such a special experience.

FOOD SKETCH #36: WD-50 Cold Fried Chicken

Cold fried chicken, buttermilk ricotta, tabasco, and caviar from WD-50, NYC. This was on their old menu; the chef, Wylie Dufresne, recently came out with a completely new menu. Read more here.

FOOD SKETCH #35: WD-50 Peekytoe Crab Roll

Peekytoe crab roll, celery mayonnaise, mini salt and vinegar chips, and celery root noodles from WD-50, NYC. A dish from their old menu; the chef, Wylie Dufresne, recently came out with a completely new set of dishes. Read more here.

FOOD SKETCH #34: Black Sesame & Green Tea Gelato

Scoops of black sesame & green tea gelato from Il Laboratorio del Gelato in the Lower East Side, NYC.

FOOD SKETCH #33: Veselka Pierogi

Boiled potato and cheese pierogi with sour cream, applesauce, and fried onions from Veselka, in the East Village, NYC.

FOOD SKETCH #32: Blueberry Apricot Popsicle

Blueberry-apricot popsicle from People's Pops, at the outdoor Brooklyn Flea.

FOOD SKETCH #31: Lard Bread

Slices of lard bread from Mazzola Bakery, in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn. The loaf is filled with diced salami, provolone cheese and black pepper.

FOOD SKETCH #30: Peeps

Leftovers from Easter, yellow bunny Peeps.

FOOD SKETCH #29: Grandma-style pizza

Grandma slice at Mariella's Pizza on 60th Street on the Upper East Side.

FOOD SKETCH #28: Sockerbit Licorice Mix

Licorice mix from Sockerbit, a unique little candy shop in the West Village. It's like the better-quality Scandinavian cousin to Sweet Factory. The wrapped candies have beautiful packaging, and they carry sour gummies that are mostly made with natural colors (which makes me feel less bad about eating a big bag of them).

FOOD SKETCH #27: Asian Scrambled Eggs

Eggs, lightly scrambled, with soy sauce, scallions, sesame oil and sliced grape tomatoes.

TO MAKE: I thinly slice one garlic clove and sauté it in sesame oil. I add a handful of grape tomatoes that have been sliced in half, and heat both for a little bit before cracking a few eggs into the pan. I lightly scramble the eggs with a rubber spatula, and then add thinly sliced scallions, a small drizzle of soy sauce and a pinch of salt. This egg scramble is good with a lightly toasted slice of shoku pan (you can buy a loaf at any Asian bakery, like Takahachi Bakery, Paris Baguette, or Cafe Zaiya, etc).

By the way, some of my breakfast illustrations are featured over on Simply Breakfast, along with a Q&A.

FOOD SKETCH #26: Jalebi

Jalebi from Al-Naimat Restaurant & Sweets in Jackson Heights, New York.

FOOD SKETCH #25: Indian sweets

Indian treats from Al-Naimat Restaurant & Sweets in Jackson Heights, New York.

FOOD SKETCH #24: Strawberry Kiwi Nougat

Strawberry kiwi nougat with pistachios, from Economy Candy. Lower East Side, NYC.

FOOD SKETCH #23: Gumballs

Gumballs by the bag from Economy Candy, my favorite candy shop on the Lower East Side. I really like this drawing -- I wish someone would commission me to turn this into a HUGE print.

FOOD SKETCH #22: Beer and Pretzel Caramels

Beer and Pretzel Caramels from Liddabit Sweets. Brooklyn Brewery beer is mixed into the caramel along with organic barley malt syrup and chunks of Martin's pretzels (sold at the NYC Greenmarket).

Check out this lovely photo essay about the ladies behind Liddabit Sweets on the Makers Project site (by Jen Causey).

FOOD SKETCH #21: Ring Ding

Ring Ding, from Smith Canteen, a lovely coffee bar in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn. Chocolate enrobed cake with white buttercream inside, a classier, yummier version of the Hostess snack cake you grew up eating.

FOOD SKETCH #20: Matzo Ball Soup

Matzo ball soup from Untitled, at the Whitney.

FOOD SKETCH #19: Bubby's Sour Cherry Pancakes

Had a lovely Sunday brunch with old friends and ordered these Martha Washington Sour Cherry Pancakes from Bubby's (the President's Day special).

FOOD SKETCH #18: Taiwanese Te-Bao

Taiwanese Te-Bao from BaoHaus.
I like Jeremy Lin.
I like Eddie Huang.
I like Eddie Huang's Lin-spired sandwich: a Taiwanese fried pork chop with curry seasoning, pickled daikon and carrot, aioli and cilantro stuffed into a steamed bun.

FOOD SKETCH #17: Superbowl Snacks

Face-off XLVI. Giants v. Patriots. Carrot sticks v. Cheese Curls.

FOOD SKETCH #16: Two Eggs + Hash Brown

Two eggs, sunny side up with a side of hash browns from Pancake Haus in Edmonds, Washington. We were recently back home to visit my in-laws, and had breakfast at this neighborhood spot which has been around forever. I love this kind of place. It's the sort of restaurant that has old carpeting and fake plants, where seniors and families with kids congregate, where you can get a full breakfast with free refills of coffee for under six bucks, and where you can get the best hash browns ever. It's a simple brick of shredded potatoes, McDonald's style, perfectly crisp.

FOOD SKETCH #15: Peels Graham Cracker

Whole wheat graham cracker from Peels, NYC.

FOOD SKETCH #14: Papabubble Melon Mix

A mix of melon-flavored hard candies, handmade at Papabubble, one of my favorite candy shoppes in NYC. If you can, visit the store during their candy-making hours. It's amazing to watch how they create intricate shapes and designs in their tiny candies. It would be so fun to illustrate all of their candy designs.

FOOD SKETCH #13: Katz's Pastrami Sandwich

Hand-carved pastrami on sandwich bread with mustard, at Katz's Delicatessen. Lower East Side, NYC.

FOOD SKETCH #12: Deviled Eggs with Benton's Ham

Deviled eggs with Benton's country ham and chives, from JCT Kitchen & Bar, in Atlanta, GA.

FOOD SKETCH #11: Black & White Cookie

Black & white cookie from Star Provisions in Atlanta, GA.

FOOD SKETCH #10: Parm Birthday Cake

Today was my sister's birthday, and we celebrated with a perfect slice of birthday ice cream cake, made in-house, at Parm, NYC. Layers of pistachio, strawberry and chocolate ice cream with chocolate crunchies, rainbow sprinkles, and a maraschino cherry on top.

FOOD SKETCH #9: Pretzel Croissant

Pretzel croissant from City Bakery

FOOD SKETCH #8: City Bakery Iced Coffee

Iced coffee to go, from City Bakery.