Debra’s Ponzek’s Chocolate Espresso Bars

One of my favorite restaurants in New York in the 1990’s was Montrachet, a three-star restaurant in Tribeca known for its innovative, Provence-inspired cuisine. Not only were the food and ambience amazing, but it had the distinction of having a woman chef at its helm, unusual for a French restaurant. Debra Ponzek was a pioneer, and happily, her cooking gained the praise of customers as well as 

critics. Her food was intensely flavored and simply presented – no gimmicks, just well perfectly prepared Meditterranean dishes such as her coq au Riesling (a twist on coq au vin). 

            I was the editor of Chocolatier magazine back then, and we named her pastry chef, David Blom, one of the Ten Best Pastry Chefs in America, so I got to 

meet Debra and see her in action in that small, hot Montrachet kitchen. She was unruffled. Eventually she moved on – got married, moved to Connecticut and opened Aux Delices, gourmet food shops in three locations in Connecticut. Here Debra offers delicious food including main courses (Pork Scallopini with apple raisin chutney), salads (Bloody Mary Tomato Salad), sandwiches and tea 

sandwiches and, of course, dessert. They also offer cooking classes and catering. If you live anywhere near Greenwich, you know all about Aux Delices – Debra’s food is simple and inspiring.

            And now she’s just released a cookbook, written with Mary Goodbody, The Dinnertime Survival Cookbook: Delicious, Inspiring Meals for Busy Families (Running Press, 2013; $22). The recipes are for the same kind of food you’ll find

at Aux Delices, things like Charred Pepper, Tomato and Sourdough Bread Salad, Roasted Cod with Bacon and Leeks, Chicken Paillard with Nectarine Chutney and Baked Wild Mushroom Risotto (I’m getting hungry here). There aren’t a lot of dessert recipes in the book (the busy family doesn’t always have time for sweets), but she does have a few favorites, like Apple Bars, Chocolate Marshmallow Pudding, Coconut and Lime Cream Pie and Chocolate Espresso Bars, which are really espresso-flavored brownies. I chose these because I was craving a good brownie, and I’m always curious to try new brownie recipes. Debra’s version is indulgent and rich with a strong hit of espresso flavor to round out the intensity of the chocolate. I cut them into squares, wrapped them individually and frozen them so that I could enjoy them whenever I got the urge.  Looking forward to trying lots more recipes – sweet and savory – in this book by one of my favorite chefs.

Caramelized Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake

Driving around in my new tropical habitat yesterday, I came across a little produce shop that carried farm-fresh veggies and fruit. I asked the proprietor if he had any rhubarb and he said, “We carried it for a while, but it just rotted because no one was buying it.” Imagine that! Local taste be damned. Undaunted, I 

continued the hunt and found some at a nearby “gourmet” supermarket. My first thought was to make a lovely rustic pie, but I wanted something that would be done sooner, as I needed to clean out my kitchen in preparation for some renovation that was about to happen (nothing major – just replacing an appalling 

backsplash). An upside-down cake was just the ticket. I based it on a recipe that appeared in my cake book, the Peach Tatin Cake, which also works well with rhubarb. Because rhubarb is a bit tart, the sweet caramel balances it beautifully. Serve it warm with rhubarb sauce, if you like (email me if you want the recipe), 

and certainly some vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Even the locals are bound to love this one.

Key Lime Bars with White Chocolate Whipped Cream

Here’s my piece of advice for the day: avoid moving at all costs. It really stinks. It’s as stressful as surgery and, just as honest doctors will they tell you to avoid being cut open unless absolutely necessary, I suggest you avoid relocating your domicile for the same reason: it may just kill you. That being said, I’ve arrived in Florida, the Sunshine State, and so far, so good. Though many New Yorkers turn their 

collective noses up at the thought of living in a place where residents ride their bicycles to pick up their prescriptions at the local pharmacy, I say what’s not to love? The weather’s amazing (though I may be singing a different tune towards the end of August), people are unbelievably nice, and there’s always an early bird special to be found. Paradise, non? Yes, life here has its unpleasant moments – 

this morning, for example, I found a dead lizard floating belly-up in the pool – but mostly it’s a happy environment and I embrace it.

In honor of my new home I decided to make Key Lime Bars. To be technical, they should really be called Persian Lime bars, as I couldn’t find any Key limes at my local Publix supermarket (give me some time, already). But they are still quite 

wonderful, particularly topped with White Chocolate Whipped Cream. One bite, and you may just feel a warm, poolside breeze brush your face as your stress floats away. Just like the dead lizard. You may even find yourself smiling, though not as brightly as I did when I realized I wouldn’t have to pay New York State taxes anymore.

Moving!

People say that moving is one of life’s most stressful events, along with divorce, retirement and death (not your own, because, after all, you can’t be stressed if you’re dead). Well, I’ve never been divorced, so I can’t comment on that. But my husband recently retired and I’d say he’s looking pretty relaxed – no sign of

agitation there. We’ve also decided to move, and the stress factor has just kicked in for both of us. I confess that I’m a bit of a pack rat, probably owing to the fact that I grew up in a big house with a big basement and we kept e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g. 

My family read a lot, so the house was filled was books on just about every subject. Biography of Sigmund Freud? Check. Textbooks on exotic dermatological diseases (one of my faves)? Check. Medical book of case studies on sexual deviants? Check 

(this was another fave for the Boyle offspring). And cookbooks, we had those, too, though not as many as I seem to have accumulated today. Over the course of his life my husband has also accumulated hundreds of books, most of which are 

about military history, so those also need to be taken into account.  I live in an apartment (largish by NYC standards), but it’s crammed to the gills with stuff – books under every couch and chair and a storage room brimming with all sorts of 

collectibles. All this is fine and dandy when you’re staying put, but when the time comes to move, everything has to be carefully picked through and then packed up and protected from the brutality of the modern mover. As a result of all this unpleasant activity, I’m having a mini nervous breakdown and wake up at 4 am

 every morning in a cold sweat just thinking of all sorts of grisly scenarios involving broken valuables, missed flights, forgotten cat, etc., etc.

In light of my fragile mental state, I’ve decided to suspend blog activities until sometime in April at which point, God willing, I’ll be back to my chipper, carefree self and able to resume blogging duties. Please excuse my absence during

 this period and wish me well on my journey. We’re heading for Florida which, according to my husband, is the U.S. center for man-eating gators and sharks, blood-sucking insects, poisonous snakes, hurricanes, blazing tropical sun, and oranges. I’ll need some good wishes, as well as some luck fighting the elements. See you in the spring, in my new home. It’s got a great kitchen, so hopefully this will all be worth it. If not, we can always move again…