Completely Modern or Completely Not?

Tim Zagat, co-founder and CEO of Zagat Survey, “the world's leading provider of consumer survey-based information on where to eat, drink, stay & play worldwide” recently visited Columbia Business School for a discussion with the Gourmet Club. Zagat was founded as a hobby in 1979 and its stickers showing consumer-ratings grace the windows of many restaurants in New York and around the world.

In this fast-paced digital world, one might wonder how relevant Zagat still is, and if it can keep up with an ever-changing changing business environment. Mr. Zagat brought along his social media guru, a Darden MBA, who explained that although Zagat has been on the web since 1999, it has recently completely rebuilt and relaunched its website. They are particularly proud of the homepage, which is focused on 3 “pillars”: restaurant search, NYC Buzz (a restaurant blog) and star members. Zagat has, like many other companies, openly borrowed from other important social media player such as Foursquare and Yelp, the concept of “badges” to recognize the contributions of its members. In an article entitled “Skate Where the Puck is Going”, Mark Suster argues that it is not enough to merely integrate current buzz- (and cringe-) worthy terms into your business if one is to innovate and stay relevant.

When asked about Zagat’s social media strategy, Mr. Zagat said simply, “I ask my wife”. I think it’s great that a man puts trust in his obviously intelligent and competent wife, but seriously, where is Zagat really going with social media? The Guru said they “dabble in most major social media networks” including youtube, flickr and foursquare, but are most focused on Twitter and Facebook (like everyone else, though they do have a somewhat incomplete blog going). Zagat has over 200,000 followers on Twitter where according to them, they aggregate and curate the best food content on the web, including that of their competitors (content which I have yet to find, though maybe I just need to dig more). They also have a smaller following on Facebook (14,000+ likes), which to be honest, was not super simple to find. One staff member manages social media activities, freelancers contribute day to day, the Buzz (blog) team also contributes and it generally sounds pretty ad hoc to me. Supposedly the main difference between their Twitter and Facebook activity is frequency of posts. Ironically, I find that their Facebook wall posts are more “engaging” than Twitter links to articles easily found on its main website.

Yelp has over 40,000 followers on Twitter and over 35,000 likes on Facebook. Foodspotting, a much younger company, has over 27,000 Twitter followers and 601Facebook likes. I’ve heard that size doesn’t matter, so which company do you think will best survive the digital battle? Zagat’s “premium membership required” website and somewhat scattered social media campaign makes me hesitate between shelling out for a classic paper Michelin guide and fiercely snapping pictures of everything I eat with my phone to try to dominate the Foodspotting universe. One confusion breeds another…

Cookbook roundup time is here!

It may not be on this list, but I'm wanting the new Jamie Oliver cookbook. I'm also excited to try out my still unwrapped "Larousse Comme un Chef" brick (which has to weigh more than 5 pounds) that I shipped all the way from Paris, once I go home for the holidays.

http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2010/12/favorite-cookbooks-of-2010/

New York Blues

Now that I've landed in New York City for business school (banker to commis to student... again), I find myself eating more like a poor student than a real food lover, which breaks my heart. I'm living on lecture notes and drowning under endless emails, and am being force fed pizza or vending machine meals several times a week. I'm ashamed. Where is that golden, buttery, perfectly flaky croissant I need to get back my munchie inspiration?

I want one of these:
http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2010/12/how-much-butter-can-be-in-a-croissant/

Photo du Jour: V'ery original

Lyon has " vélo v " (aww...)

Avignon has " vélopop " (nice brights!)

Marseille has " le vélo " (not so original)

Aix-en-Provence has " v'hello " (pronounced "vélo", for bicycle - brilliant!)

And my everyday weightlifting device, the Parisian " vélib' " (or freedom from métro strikes!)

Gelato al Limone

After a strenuous session with the cute though slightly smelly kiné, I decided to stop by my favorite Italian traiteur for a little caffè. One thing led to another and when Francesco proposed a taste of the freshly made (by a Chinese dude might I add) pistachio gelato, I gave in without much hesitation. I don’t usually like pistachio or any nut unless it’s in the form of Nutella, but when it’s gelato and it’s free, I do not say no.

I should have remembered that my food-willpower is really quite below average. After tasting the fresh, creamy non-nutty pistachio gelato, I had to spring for a trio of lemon gelato made with fresh lemons from Sorrento in the south of Italy, a streaky soft caramel gelato and of course Bacio (from the famous “Baci by Perugina” chocolates, made from dark chocolate and finely chopped hazelnuts). I of course dug in with gusto before remembering to whip out my crackberry to record the moment...

What started this “débauche” were the damn lemons. I didn’t think of myself as a picky eater but I’m actually not a lemon person either. However, seeing the basket of beautiful Sorrento, also called “femminello” lemons (what a luscious sounding name to the untrained ear!) on the counter, convinced me to give the lemon gelato a try. At first I was not taken with its tanginess, thought I don’t know what else I was expecting from something lemon-flavored…then I was pleasantly surprised by a slightly sweet aftertaste which rounded it all out nicely.

As a non-lemon expert, maybe that’s how it’s supposed to taste anyway, but I have a hunch that what made this gelato special is the use of those gorgeous Sorrento lemons, which reminded me of a past sun-drenched vacation along the Amalfi coast. These lemons have earned IGP (Protected Geographical Indication) recognition and are most commonly known for making limoncello liquor (I’ll have another!). The fruit is medium- to large-sized, elliptical in shape, very fragrant and has a characteristic combination of citrus acid and sugar. They are only grown in the Sorrento peninsula and on the island of Capri, of Blue Grotto fame.

I must have looked quite happy savoring my mountain of gelato because I managed to convince another customer to join in my gourmandise and subsequently share his life history with me… Guess that guide to schmoozing really came in handy! It also earned me the comment that women are the source of all temptation and that the Chinese are going to take over the world, but that’s another story!

Photo du Jour: Street Dancing at L'Opéra de Lyon

Imagine the French hip hop music, tons of sunshine and a slight food high and you're there!

Amazingly Addicting Carrot Cake

Lately I feel somewhat like a wandering minstrel, moving from town to town every few days, except my true art is simply displaying what has been called an “extraordinary” (read: “maybe you should go on a diet”) appetite for such a small girl. Hey, I can’t help it if I’m always hungry! Thanks to my piggyness, those around me tend to find themselves with a constant supply of baked treats – some successful, others less so… (see the crazy frosting in the picture?)

Whenever I’m feeling a bit restless, bored, happy, sad or whatever’s in between, my favorite thing to do is to get in the kitchen and make a BIG MESS (or alternatively, pour myself a large glass of something…like milk. Ha!).
One of my favorite “beat-whatever’s-ailin’-ya” treats is Belinda’s amazingly addicting carrot cake. I mean, before I tasted this slice of springy tender deliciousness, I didn’t even know I had a weak spot for carrot cake, much less a frosted one!

Due to popular demand, here is the precious recipe. Once you try it, you will never go back to boxed mixes (yes, I loved them too) and won’t even be able to stomach the thought of spending mucho euros/dollars/pounds/etc. on a store-bought version again!

"C’est un gâteau à se damner! "

** Carrot Cake **

Ingredients :
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 ½ cups oil

2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon

3 cups carrots, grated (approx. 3 large carrots)

Icing

Technique:
1. Peel and grate the carrots. Reserve. Grease a baking tin (a loaf pan works well) and preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F.
2. Preparing the wet ingredients: In a [large] bowl, whisk the eggs until just light and fluffy. Slowly mix in the sugar in small batches, then add the oil.
3. Combine the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon) in a separate bowl.
4. Pour the egg mixture (wet ingredients) into the dry ingredient mixture in small batches, combining well without beating.
5. Fold in the grated carrots using a rubber spatula.
6. Pour the batter into the baking tin. Bake for approx. 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the tin before removing. You can add your favorite icing to the top of the cake when cooled.

Ya-mi! Enjoy!

Note: If the middle of your cake collapses like mine did the first few (ahem!) times, it may be undercooked. Also, make sure not to open the oven door before half the baking time has elapsed. When you do check on it, do so while the tin is still in the oven, to avoid knocking the cake around before it’s had time to set. Oh, and don’t slam the oven door!