dining

Check out These Peepers! Try a Houston Chef's Winning Food Network Dessert

Check out These Peepers! Try a Houston Chef's Winning Food Network Dessert

HOUSTON’S OWN RUCHIT Harneja, executive pastry chef of Musaafer, won this week’s episode of Spring Baking Championship on Food Network. And foodies have a chance to try his winning dessert at the Galleria restaurant, now through Easter Sunday!

Harneja’s playful creation is an innovative spin on a honey-glazed ham. He translates all the flavor profiles of the classic Easter dish — hickory smoke, honey, pineapple, cherry, cloves, and even the ham itself — into a sweet treat. The dessert highly impressed the professional judges on episode three, which aired March 20.

He used his experience with heterodox food pairing — a yin and yang theory in which two opposing ingredients are combined to create a harmonious dish — in the dessert. A surprising blend of hickory-smoked honey cake, pineapple-and-clove Peeps and cherry pâté de fruit is topped with a ham crumble (there’s a plant-based version available, too). “I enjoy pushing the boundaries to explore more interesting flavor combinations, and this dessert is no exception,” he says. Jaipur-born Harneja is known for interesting flavor combinations and presentations as seen in a few of his signature — eye-popping and beautiful — desserts at Musaafer.

Harneja and contestans on 'Spring Baking Championship'

From Your Site Articles
Related Articles Around the Web
Food
promoted

Fall Philanthropy Report: Children’s Assessment Center Touts ‘Healing’ for Child Abuse Victims

Fall Philanthropy Report: Children’s Assessment Center Touts ‘Healing’ for Child Abuse Victims

What is your mission? The Children’s Assessment Center (The CAC) provides healing services to over 6,300 child sexual abuse victims and their families each year. We offer forensic interviewing, family advocacy, mental health services, medical care, and court services at no cost. We facilitate community outreach and prevention training to raise awareness about child abuse in our community and how to keep children safe. Last year, we provided prevention training to over 35,000 community members, including 23,500 children in schools.

Keep Reading Show less
parties

Go Inside Houston Ballet's 'Golden' Evening that Raised $1.65M!

Dave Rossman and Melissa Taylor

Lauren Anderson and Fady Armanious

EVER A GLAMOROUS event, the Houston Ballet's annual black-tie ball was a glimmering affair at the Wortham, where 500 guests joined event chairs Kristy and Chris Bradshaw and Melissa Juneau.

Keep Reading Show less
Art + Entertainment
parties

At Posh Tony’s Fete, Baly’s New Doctorate and Life of Service Honored

Alejandro Olivares

Gayla Gardner, Jacquie Baly and Julie Baker Finck

THE DOCTOR IS in! One of Houston’s most engaged civic leaders, Jacquie Baly, has a new title after earning her Doctorate in Education and Organizational Change & Leadership from USC. And some of the city’s heavy hitters turned up for a swanky reception at Tony’s to congratulate her. “Education and community leadership go hand in hand,” said Dr. Baly. “This honor fuels my continued mission to create meaningful change.”

And they weren’t alone in their admiration. Both the City of Houston and the State of Texas declared the day of the to-do “Dr. Jacquie Baly Day,” complete with official proclamations.

Keep Reading Show less
Style+Culture