AlwaysInformed: Spekuloos for Sale from Wafels & Dinges
Arthur Bovino — July 14, 2010
A Liège Wafel with Spekuloos Spread and Strawberries from Wafels & Dinges.
There it is in the in-box, sweet, sweet news: “IT’S NOT PEANUT BUTTER, IT’S SPEKULOOS!” Wafels & Dinges is now selling their secret weapon, Spekuloos, the “winning ingredient” used in their victory over Bobby Flay on Food Network’s Throwdown.
While it may not be being popularized across the country at quite the breakneck pace the press release makes it seem— “And It’s Spreading Across America”— (look out! it’ll be on your jelly sandwich in the lunchroom tomorrow!) this is exciting news. If you’ve missed our previous coverage, basically, Spekuloos (or Speculoos), tastes like Golden Grahams Cereal in dessert sauce form. Spekuloos didn’t originate as a spread, but as a cookie— for the full details, read all about it here.
Previously, finding Spekuloos was tough. You could buy the cookies at Le Pain Quotidien and at Walgreens which sells Lotus Bakeries’ ‘caramelised biscuits’ rebranded in the United States as Biscoff. As far as we can tell, before this, getting the spread meant ordering a 28oz jar for $7.58 through the airline food supplier, Gourmet Center.
Now you can buy Spekuloos through Wafels and Dinge’s website, at their truck, and at their new stands at the South Street Seaport, Riverside Park, and at the Arcadia Gift Shop on Eighth between 21st and 22nd Streets. “It leaves Spekuloos-virgins in awe,” their site claims. Indeed.
AlwaysPartying: 2009 Vendy Awards
The Hungry Goat — September 28, 2009
New York City’s love affair with street vendors was on full display at Saturday’s 2009 Vendy Awards. A crowd of over 1,000 hungry New Yorkers—a record high for the event—filed into historic Corona Park to sample and support the eleven contenders by way of an hours-long eat and repeat marathon.
Highlights included: Biryani Cart’s kick-ass Kati Roll, the chorizo huaraches by Vendy’s winner, Country Boys/Martinez Taco Truck, Big Gay Ice Cream Truck’s Caramelized Bacon Ice Cream Sandwich, and “Freddy” The King of Falafel’s unforgettable performance with two lovely belly dancers.
Top, Country Boys/Martinez Taco Trucks’ Chorizo Huaraches. Bottom left, Chicken Tacos.
2009 VENDY CUP WINNER
Country Boys/Martinez Taco Truck – Fernando & Jolanda Martinez
Served: Fernando said he selected his clients’ favorites, Huaraches, Quesadillas or Tacos with a choice of chicken, beef, or vegetarian filling.
AlwaysHungry For: Anything with seafood.
AHNY Notes: Fernando said his favorite restaurants are El Viejo Yayo, and Barzola.
HungryChefs: StarChefs.com’s International Chefs Congress (Day One)
Arthur Bovino — September 21, 2009
Norman Van Aken, Charlie Trotter, Emeril Lagasse and panel moderator Clark Wolf.
AlwaysHungryNY.com attended Day One of StarChefs.com’s International Chefs Congress at the Park Avenue Armory on Sunday. Aside from tasty delights like “The Egg” by Le Bernadin’s pastry chef Michael Laiskonis, Rougié‘s seared foie gras, and a Leffe beer milkshake, there were noteworthy presentations. Events included panel discussions about food trucks and American cuisine, Chris Young and Dr. Nathan Myhrvold’s entrancing presentation of their upcoming book on modernist cooking techniques, and demonstrations by David Bouley (Sea Urchin Terrine), April Bloomfield (Pork Belly Roulade), and Pierre Gagnaire (Iron Chef-esque cooking challenge) among others.
Click for chef & food pictures from Sunday's StarChefs.com International Chefs Congress >>
AlwaysLearning: Speculoos
Katie Reisert — August 26, 2009
Speculoos. What is it about Dutch and Belgian food words, like Speculoos (or Spekuloos) and Kapsalon that make them sound so epic? If you’ve eaten a Spekuloos covered waffle from the Wafels & Dinges truck you may find that the taste is epic too. It’s like Golden Grahams Cereal in dessert sauce form. But as good as it is, Speculoos didn’t originate as a spread.
Where it’s from: The Netherlands and Belgium.
What it is: Speculoos is actually a cookie, similar in composition to a biscuit or shortbread. Traditionally, it was baked to be eaten on St Nicholas’ Eve in the Netherlands (Dec. 5) and Belgium (Dec. 6). These thin, crunchy cookies are typically made using butter, sugar and a combination of spices including: cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, cloves and sometimes ginger. They were then stamped with depictions of St. Nicholas. These days the cookies are available year-round. But they typically remain stamped with images, sometimes relating to the story of St. Nicholas, sometimes featuring representations of people, animals and daily life.
It’s not clear exactly where the word Speculoos comes from. Some speculate it originated from the Dutch word for spice, specerij. Another possibility is the Latin word for mirror, speculum, which could refer to the mirrored wooden stamp relief which was used to decorate the cookie.
Where to get it in New York: You can find packaged Speculoos cookies at Le Pain Quotidien (pictured above). Their renditions are like thin cinnamon sugar cookies with tiny bits of lemon. Lotus Bakeries have been making their ‘caramelised biscuits’ since 1932. After being discovered the cookies were rebranded in United States as Biscoff (Biscuit + Coffee = BISCOFF), which you can find at Walgreen’s.
A Liège Wafel with Spekuloos Spread and Strawberries, $6.
As mentioned above, spreadable Speculoos (we’re talking delicious, next-level stuff, here) can be found at the Wafels & Dinges truck. They actually label it on their menu as “our favorite.” And believe it or not, you can get it for free —well, technically that is— because when buying a waffle, your first ‘dinges’ (topping) is on the house, or the truck rather. The Wafels & Dinges version is in the peanut butter and Nutella school of the spreadable world. It has hints of caramel and cinnamon, is thinner and lighter than peanut butter and more gooey than Nutella. But it’s less sweet and a tad saltier. Unlike a heavy hot fudge sauce that can hide the waffle’s flavor, Spekuloos complements it perfectly.
If you want to keep some Speculoos Spread on hand at home you can order a 28oz jar of the spread for $7.58 through the airline food supplier, Gourmet Center which distributes Lotus’ products in America.
AlwaysInvestigating: Belgian Waffles
The Gluttoness — May 28, 2009
With Jacques Torres dishing out ice cream waffles at his Hudson Street store and the Wafels & Dinges Truck giving away free “wafels” (above, their Liège Wafels) for an hour today between noon and one o’clock at 45th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues, we have waffles on the brain. If you can’t make the trek to Hudson or you miss the Wafels & Dinges freebies, but now you too have a craving, check out some of these more convenient places that serve good, quick waffles.
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