Mmm, Mama's! I love Mama's Food Shop. I've been eating there since they opened many years ago and have stuck with them through new owners, new locations, closures, and menu changes. Mama's can do no wrong (except for my waistline!) in my book.
I was attending the first communion of my goddaughter, Samaris (an 11-year-old cupcake enthusiast), at the church across the street from Mama's when I noticed something new yet familiar in the window. Was that a...cupcake? Yes! Cupcakes at Mama's? How odd. They've never had cupcakes before, and it's been at least 15 years of business.
Samaris' communion. (Cupcakes were served afterward, of course!)
Mama's!
I stopped by to chat with pastry chef (and wife of the new co-owner of Mama's) Carla Perez de Clancy.
Carla Perez de Clancy and Brendan Clancy, co-owners (along with Brendan's brother, Jeremiah) of Mama's. Brendan cooks, Carla bakes. And boy does she bake!
Carla grew up in Mexico, where she admits there were no cupcakes, except for select occasions at the American school she attended. After moving to the states (Chicago), she became a classically trained pastry chef. Carla (who's 30 years old now) eschewed cupcakes in favor of other treats like her fabulous coffeecake.
This coffeecake smelled heavenly! But I was saving myself for the cupcakes.
Carla is also the pastry chef at Chestnut, a Brooklyn hot spot. She creates fancy pastries there, but no cupcakes. When I asked her why she'd not offered cupcakes before, she spoke about their trendiness and her desire to offer "home cooking." I mentioned that cupcakes were most definitely "home cooking" and she told me the tale of how cupcakes came to be at Mama's.
It was August of last year, and she was hired to cater a baby shower where the mom-to-be wanted cupcakes. She sent her husband out to buy cupcake liners and he returned with Halloween-themed liners. (Isn't that just like a husband??) She shelved the Halloween-themed cups and went on to bake the baby shower cupcakes, not giving the liners a second thought. Fast-forward to Halloween last year, when she decided, last minute, to bake Halloween cupcakes for Mama's on a whim. For the kids, she thought.
She was shocked that they sold out immediately, and just flew off the shelves. No fool she, Miss Carla decided then to add cupcakes to the Mama's menu. After tinkering with recipes, she settled on a few standards: chocolate, vanilla, butterscotch, caramel, marble and chocolate chip. Usually two flavors each day.
Carla at work with her vanilla-vanilla cupcakes.
The cupcakes are baked according to what's fresh and available. The day I interviewed her, she had vanilla-vanilla (my control flavor) topped with mini chocolate chips and a positively sinful chocolate with strawberries and cream mousse on top.
Cupcakes are priced between $2 and $3, depending on flavor. The vanilla was $2, and the chocolate strawberry was $2.50. Very affordable!
Carla's secret weapon: her friend Laena McCarthy at Anarchy in a Jar, who supplies her with scrumptious jellies, jams and preserves, with which she creates her fruit-flavored cupcake frostings and fillings.
Between Laena and Carla, I must say this coupling works wonders. I know I've said this time and time again, I am not a chocolate cake fan, but Carla's chocolate cake with strawberries and cream mousse (made with the Anarchy in a Jar strawberry preserves) was a wonder to behold.
The cake, made with 24% butterfat dutch process cocoa powder, was incredible! Moist and light and rich and sinful. And not at all dry. Her secret? She takes the cakes out a few minutes early and lets them finish cooking on the counter. This prevents overdrying. (I plan to try this at home.)
The frosting, which really isn't frosting at all, but a light mousse covering, was out-of-this-world fantastic. I cannot say enough about how amazing this topping was. Light and airy and creamy, and tasting of fresh strawberries (the kind you pick yourself and eat on the spot). I could have consumed a bucket of this stuff. Maybe two buckets. I didn't want to appear piggish, but I wanted another cupcake!
Chocolate cupcake demolished. I even thought, briefly, about licking the plate. I refrained. I usually just try a sliver when tasting, so this was somewhat surprising. While Carla was speaking, I could barely takes notes. I wanted more of that chocolate strawberry delight!
The vanilla cupcake was also quite good, and I would have been happy with it had I not tried the chocolate strawberry. I quizzed Carla on the vanilla -- had she put any fruit in it? I swear I tasted fruit: Strawberries? Bananas? Lemon? Something. But she swore there was no fruit in it. The frosting was an American buttercream, made with 10x, although she also makes an Italian meringue, which wasn't available the day I stopped by. The mini chocolate chips gave some needed texture to the cupcake, but I would have preferred them with nuts, I think.
Carla's favorite cupcake is chocolate cake with vanilla buttercream. She's very insistent that cupcakes are a portable sweet that require no silverware, and do not need to be shared. (As if I would have shared these!)
Adorable countergal, Emery, confided that the cupcakes sell out just about every day, so get there early if you want to try them.
Emery.
Another thing I liked about Carla's cupcakes were the size. Carla makes traditional cupcakes, not giant, Texas-size, nor minis. She uses a taller baking cup, so the frosting is supported. (Especially helpful when using the mousse.) This also helps prevent doming or overflow. Another trick I plan to try at home.
Carla claims that cupcakes are pecaditos, or pequeños pecados, "little sins." And that they should be a sweet indulgence with which to finish a meal. Mama's portions are usually huge (and I mean HUGE), so having this smaller dessert, an individual portion as opposed to its usual plate to be shared by many, was a departure. One that I support fully.
Not only did Carla generously treat me to cupcakes, but she and her husband (who'd been busy making brunch) sent me home with enough food to feed an army! Thanks, Carla, and I'll be back soon for more. Could you save me a bucket of that strawberry mousse? Be your best friend...
Mama's Food Shop
200 East 3rd Street
NYC 10009
212.777.4425
Monday through Friday: 5:00 pm - 11:00 pm,
Sat + Sun: Brunch Noon - 5:00 pm, Dinner 6:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Catering available; cupcake delivery upon request, please call for quotes.
To see the entire set of photos click here; all images by Stacie Joy for CTTC.
Note: Blogger won't allow me to post any tags, so unfortunately, I can't tag this post with Mama's Food Shop (or anything, really). Bummer.
I was attending the first communion of my goddaughter, Samaris (an 11-year-old cupcake enthusiast), at the church across the street from Mama's when I noticed something new yet familiar in the window. Was that a...cupcake? Yes! Cupcakes at Mama's? How odd. They've never had cupcakes before, and it's been at least 15 years of business.
Samaris' communion. (Cupcakes were served afterward, of course!)
Mama's!
I stopped by to chat with pastry chef (and wife of the new co-owner of Mama's) Carla Perez de Clancy.
Carla Perez de Clancy and Brendan Clancy, co-owners (along with Brendan's brother, Jeremiah) of Mama's. Brendan cooks, Carla bakes. And boy does she bake!
Carla grew up in Mexico, where she admits there were no cupcakes, except for select occasions at the American school she attended. After moving to the states (Chicago), she became a classically trained pastry chef. Carla (who's 30 years old now) eschewed cupcakes in favor of other treats like her fabulous coffeecake.
This coffeecake smelled heavenly! But I was saving myself for the cupcakes.
Carla is also the pastry chef at Chestnut, a Brooklyn hot spot. She creates fancy pastries there, but no cupcakes. When I asked her why she'd not offered cupcakes before, she spoke about their trendiness and her desire to offer "home cooking." I mentioned that cupcakes were most definitely "home cooking" and she told me the tale of how cupcakes came to be at Mama's.
It was August of last year, and she was hired to cater a baby shower where the mom-to-be wanted cupcakes. She sent her husband out to buy cupcake liners and he returned with Halloween-themed liners. (Isn't that just like a husband??) She shelved the Halloween-themed cups and went on to bake the baby shower cupcakes, not giving the liners a second thought. Fast-forward to Halloween last year, when she decided, last minute, to bake Halloween cupcakes for Mama's on a whim. For the kids, she thought.
She was shocked that they sold out immediately, and just flew off the shelves. No fool she, Miss Carla decided then to add cupcakes to the Mama's menu. After tinkering with recipes, she settled on a few standards: chocolate, vanilla, butterscotch, caramel, marble and chocolate chip. Usually two flavors each day.
Carla at work with her vanilla-vanilla cupcakes.
The cupcakes are baked according to what's fresh and available. The day I interviewed her, she had vanilla-vanilla (my control flavor) topped with mini chocolate chips and a positively sinful chocolate with strawberries and cream mousse on top.
Cupcakes are priced between $2 and $3, depending on flavor. The vanilla was $2, and the chocolate strawberry was $2.50. Very affordable!
Carla's secret weapon: her friend Laena McCarthy at Anarchy in a Jar, who supplies her with scrumptious jellies, jams and preserves, with which she creates her fruit-flavored cupcake frostings and fillings.
Between Laena and Carla, I must say this coupling works wonders. I know I've said this time and time again, I am not a chocolate cake fan, but Carla's chocolate cake with strawberries and cream mousse (made with the Anarchy in a Jar strawberry preserves) was a wonder to behold.
The cake, made with 24% butterfat dutch process cocoa powder, was incredible! Moist and light and rich and sinful. And not at all dry. Her secret? She takes the cakes out a few minutes early and lets them finish cooking on the counter. This prevents overdrying. (I plan to try this at home.)
The frosting, which really isn't frosting at all, but a light mousse covering, was out-of-this-world fantastic. I cannot say enough about how amazing this topping was. Light and airy and creamy, and tasting of fresh strawberries (the kind you pick yourself and eat on the spot). I could have consumed a bucket of this stuff. Maybe two buckets. I didn't want to appear piggish, but I wanted another cupcake!
Chocolate cupcake demolished. I even thought, briefly, about licking the plate. I refrained. I usually just try a sliver when tasting, so this was somewhat surprising. While Carla was speaking, I could barely takes notes. I wanted more of that chocolate strawberry delight!
The vanilla cupcake was also quite good, and I would have been happy with it had I not tried the chocolate strawberry. I quizzed Carla on the vanilla -- had she put any fruit in it? I swear I tasted fruit: Strawberries? Bananas? Lemon? Something. But she swore there was no fruit in it. The frosting was an American buttercream, made with 10x, although she also makes an Italian meringue, which wasn't available the day I stopped by. The mini chocolate chips gave some needed texture to the cupcake, but I would have preferred them with nuts, I think.
Carla's favorite cupcake is chocolate cake with vanilla buttercream. She's very insistent that cupcakes are a portable sweet that require no silverware, and do not need to be shared. (As if I would have shared these!)
Adorable countergal, Emery, confided that the cupcakes sell out just about every day, so get there early if you want to try them.
Emery.
Another thing I liked about Carla's cupcakes were the size. Carla makes traditional cupcakes, not giant, Texas-size, nor minis. She uses a taller baking cup, so the frosting is supported. (Especially helpful when using the mousse.) This also helps prevent doming or overflow. Another trick I plan to try at home.
Carla claims that cupcakes are pecaditos, or pequeños pecados, "little sins." And that they should be a sweet indulgence with which to finish a meal. Mama's portions are usually huge (and I mean HUGE), so having this smaller dessert, an individual portion as opposed to its usual plate to be shared by many, was a departure. One that I support fully.
Not only did Carla generously treat me to cupcakes, but she and her husband (who'd been busy making brunch) sent me home with enough food to feed an army! Thanks, Carla, and I'll be back soon for more. Could you save me a bucket of that strawberry mousse? Be your best friend...
Mama's Food Shop
200 East 3rd Street
NYC 10009
212.777.4425
Monday through Friday: 5:00 pm - 11:00 pm,
Sat + Sun: Brunch Noon - 5:00 pm, Dinner 6:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Catering available; cupcake delivery upon request, please call for quotes.
To see the entire set of photos click here; all images by Stacie Joy for CTTC.
Note: Blogger won't allow me to post any tags, so unfortunately, I can't tag this post with Mama's Food Shop (or anything, really). Bummer.
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