Cereal MILK
It's official. I have a new chef crush...it might even be love. I wanted to know more about Momofutku Milk Bar (two locations in New York) and I discovered this interview by Robin Raisfeld and Rob Patronile of New York Magazine with Chef Christina Tosi, the 28-year-old pastry mastermind behind all things sweet served at Milk Bar, Noodle Bar, Ko, Ssam Bar, and Ma Peche.
Tosi worked under Wylie Dufresne (molecular gastronomy genius) at WD-50 before Momofuku chef, David Chang asked for her help in creating a HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) plan for his Cryovac machine which he was having a hard time with after being questioned by the health department.
Before long, Tosi was creating desserts like cereal milk-flavored soft serve with cheddar popcorn topping, compost cookies (a mixture of potato chips, pretzels, coffee grounds, chocolate chips, graham crumbs, butterscotch chips, and a little bit of flour), crack pie, fried apple pie with sour-cream ice cream, and zucchini bread soft serve.
In the New York Magazine interview, Tosi was asked, " Cereal Milk?" and her response was "I never drank milk when I was a kid unless it was with really sweet cereal, and the only way that I'd actually drink the milk out of the bowl is if I'd had like three bowls of Lucky Charms". This woman was destined for a sugar-charged career and as the Momofuku brand has continued to grow, so have her ideas. Back in January, Tosi added online and take-out orders for pies and cakes which means I can enjoy her wonderful treats without having to catch the next flight to NYC... praise the heavens!
Tosi also disclosed how she makes her infamous cereal milk (get out your pen and paper!). She takes corn flakes and toasts them and then steeps them in milk, strains them, and then adds a bit of sugar and salt for balance. She mentioned another secret ingredient that she utilizes in some of her other recipes...milk powder. Tosi calls milk powder the "MSG" of baked goods because it adds a "really interesting depth of flavor".
As the interview came to an end, she was asked "What did you have for dinner last night?" and she answered, "Cool Ranch Doritos in bed and then some Ben & Jerry's cookies and cream". She clearly doesn't take herself too seriously and for that, I love her.
Photo Credit: Hannah Whitaker
Sarah Simms