I have a few (New York) secrets for you:
–Sheep Meadow in Central Park. Like a triple cross between Berkeley’s famous Memorial Glade and San Francisco’s Dolores Park and Paris’s Luxembourg Gardens. Maybe I’m feeling nostalgic or something… Sheep Meadow is a large flat park surrounded by trees and tall buildings and beaming with sunshine in the summertime.
–Per Se. “The urban interpretation of the French Laundry [in Napa, CA].” The wine list is on an ipad. The cocktails are out-of-this-world. The servers are dressed in fancy suits. Sitting at the bar and ordering a drink is what you need to do. NOW. You will pay for your expensive cocktail and your server will bring you popcorn with truffle oil and large roasted peanuts. Sitting at the bar is actually sitting at your own private table. What a steal!
–Bakeri and CB I Hate Perfume Gallery. Bakeri is a cute cute cute little shop with a blue painted entrance and an outdoor garden with a mini waterfall. Grab a light lunch, a coffee, and a little sweet snack and bask in the adorable-ness of this little joint. CB I Hate Perfume is right down the street from Bakeri. Tantalize your nose with perfumes that literally smell like Roast Beef, Bell Peppers, Graham Crackers, Snow, Rain, A Walk on The Beach, and Burnt Leaves. How does he do it?!
-Peeping at naughty nude bodies in the Standard Hotel’s Boom Boom Room. You are on the street. Nude bodies are way up at the top of the hotel. Voyeurism at it’s finest.
When I’m not exploring the “secrets” of New York City, I am exploring how to better myself in the kitchen (both at home and at work). I present to you an ice cream flavor that lies in the realm of decadence and sin and a pleasure that is meant to make you want to rip your clothes off.
Caramel-Buerre-Salé. Salted Butter Caramel. This ice cream tastes exactly how it sounds. Totally rich. Totally in love.
After tasting the famous ABC Kitchen Ice Cream Sundae (salted caramel ice cream, popcorn, candied peanuts, chocolate sauce, whipped cream) last week, my mind started to race. I began reminiscing about the Caramel-Buerre-Salé ice cream that I licked right off the cone last summer in Paris at Berthillon. How have I not already re-created this mind-blowing experience in the form of ice cream yet?
Here you go:
Caramel-Buerre-Salé Ice Cream (Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream)
From David Lebovitz
**A SECRET FROM DAVID LEB.: “The secret is to cook your sugar into a caramel far enough so it’s very-slightly burnt; otherwise it just tastes like syrupy sugar. You want to take it to the edge of darkness, then stop it there with the addition of a few pads of salted butter.”
makes 1 generous quart (liter)
2 cups (500 ml) whole milk, divided 1½ cups (300 gr) sugar 4 tablespoons (60 gr) salted butter scant ½ teaspoon sea salt 1 cups (250 ml) heavy cream 5 large egg yolks ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract approximately 3/4 teaspoon fleur de sel or Maldon salt flakes
Make an ice bath by filling a large bowl about a third full with ice cubes and adding a cup or so of water so they’re floating. Nest a smaller metal bowl (at least 2 quarts/liters) over the ice, pour 1 cup (250 ml) of the milk into the inner bowl, and rest a mesh strainer on top of it.
Spread 1½ cups (300 gr) sugar in the saucepan in an even layer. Heat the sugar over moderate heat until the edges begin to melt. Use a heatproof utensil to gently stir the liquefied sugar from the bottom and edges towards the center, stirring, until all the sugar is dissolved (Or most of it—there may be some lumps, which will melt later). Continue to cook stirring infrequently until the caramel starts smoking and begins to smell like it’s just about to burn. It won’t take long.
Once caramelized, remove from heat and stir in the butter and salt, until butter is melted, then gradually whisk in the cream, stirring as you go. The caramel may harden and seize, but return it to the heat and continue to stir over low heat until any hard caramel is melted. Stir in 1 cup (250 ml) of the milk.
Whisk the yolks in a small bowl and gradually pour some of the warm caramel mixture over the yolks, stirring constantly. Scrape the warmed yolks back into the saucepan and cook the custard using a heatproof utensil, stirring constantly (scraping the bottom as you stir) until the mixture thickens.
Pour the custard through the strainer into the milk set over the ice bath, add the vanilla, then stir frequently until the mixture is cooled down. Refrigerate at least 8 hours or until thoroughly chilled.
Freeze the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. While the ice cream is churning, drizzle in about 3/4 teaspoon of flaky salt.
**Even in the freezer, the ice cream will stay quite soft, which is exactly how I LOVE my ice cream texture to be. Perfect.
Care for another stellar albeit less decadent-tasting caramel ice cream from David Lebovitz? You are just one click away.
Figsinmybelly 
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