Lisa Nieschlag - In Love with New York: Recipes and Stories from the City That Never Sleeps

New York may not be Paris, Rome or Venice, and the Big Apple certainly has its rough side, but despite that (or maybe because of it) it is a magnet for romantics, as the countless Hollywood classics filmed against this breathtaking backdrop testify. Just the name New York conjures up unforgettable images of famous love stories. You instantly picture the Manhattan skyline, romantic horse-drawn carriage tours in Central Park, yellow taxi cabs or a red heart projected onto the front of the Empire State Building. When you are actually there, it feels so much like being on a film set that you sometimes want to pinch yourself.

Probably the most iconic metropolis in the world, New York dazzles at any time of day, in any season. When you are bowled over by the incredible energy of this city, thrilled by its tempo, inspired by its unique joie de vivre, scents and colours, or carried away by the feeling that you are a player on what must be the most exciting open-air stage on the globe. When you come across a small green oasis in the heart of the city, discover the perfect restaurant or the most beautiful sunset, or have the opportunity to experience a tiny but inspiring cultural detail. When you seize the chance to discover another language, another cuisine, another lifestyle that is only a short subway ride away. When you enjoy meeting people from every corner of the globe who live above, below and cheek by jowl with each other. When you open your eyes and take in all that there is to see, experience and love here then New York has you under its spell.

Join us, and be guided and beguiled and share our love for

New York!

As soon as you hear Moon River, you cant help but think of AUDREY HEPBURN and GEORGE PEPPARD kissing passionately in the pouring rain among New Yorks iconic skyscrapers. Few classic films share such an intimate connection with the city as this romantic love story, which was based on Truman Capotes novella.

Enchanting party girl Holly Golightly shares a small apartment on the Upper East Side with her cat (named simply Cat). She eats breakfast in front of the display window at Tiffany & Co, the upmarket jeweller, sleeps until midday and is taken out to dinner by one of her many gentlemen friends in the evening.

Paul Varjak, a young and ambitious writer who is also financially dependent on a wealthy patron, rents the apartment above Holly and is immediately fascinated by her.

A close friendship quickly develops between Holly and Paul, and she affectionately names him Fred because he looks like her brother. However, she refuses to admit to any romantic feelings as she has bigger fish to fry and wants to find a rich husband.

One day, Doc Golightly, an older man and country vet, turns up on Hollys doorstep with the intention of taking her back to Texas; she had married him at the age of 13, but soon fled from the restrictions and impositions of rural life and escaped to New York.

Holly decides to stay in New York and, after a wonderful day with Paul, they spend the night together. As they are both penniless, however, she insists on going through with the wedding she has planned to a Brazilian landowner until news of her brothers death turns her life upside down. Shortly thereafter, she is arrested by the police on suspicion of having links to a powerful mafia boss. Paul collects her from jail and confesses his love for her in the cab, and they eventually embrace as they scour the streets for her lost cat.

Holly discovers a copy of the only book Paul has ever published in the New York Public Library.

Tiffany & Co is located on Fifth Avenue and you too can now enjoy breakfast there, at its Blue Box Caf.

30 g (1 oz) unsalted butter

30 g (1 oz/ cup) pecans

2 extra large eggs

teaspoon salt

200 ml (7 fl oz/scant 1 cup) milk

175 g (6 oz/1 cups) plain (cake) flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

30 g (1 oz) sugar

1 packet (2 teaspoons/8 g) bourbon vanilla sugar

50 ml (1 fl oz/3 tablespoons) orange juice

70 g (2 oz/ cup) pecans

2 tablespoons sugar

pinch of salt

3 oranges

3 tablespoons honey

teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon cornflour (cornstarch)

clarified butter, for cooking

To make the batter, melt the butter and chop the pecans very finely in a food processor. Separate the eggs. Whisk the egg whites with the salt to form stiff peaks. In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks with a little of the milk. Mix the flour, pecans, baking powder and both sugars together. Stir the flour mixture, the remaining milk, and the orange juice alternately into the egg yolk mixture, using short, slow movements to prevent the batter becoming heavy. Finally, mix in the melted butter and lightly fold in the beaten egg whites. Cover the batter and let it rest for 30 minutes.

To make the topping, preheat the oven to 180C (350F/gas 4) and line a baking tray (pan) with baking parchment.

Roughly chop the pecans and scatter over the prepared tray. Pour 2 teaspoons of boiling water into a bowl, stir in the sugar until dissolved and then pour over the nuts, mixing until they are well coated. Caramelise in the preheated oven for approximately 10 minutes. Remove the nuts from the oven, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and allow to cool.

Halve and juice one of the oranges. Peel the remaining oranges, divide them into segments and cut into cubes. Bring the orange juice, honey and cinnamon to the boil in a small pan. Stir the cornflour into 1 tablespoon of cold water until smooth. Add to the simmering liquid and stir continuously for approximately 2 minutes until thickened. Add the cubed orange segments and keep the topping warm over a low heat.

To cook the pancakes, heat a little clarified butter in a large frying pan (skillet) over a medium heat. Cook 23 pancakes at a time, adding 1 large tablespoon of batter to the pan for each and frying over a medium heat for 12 minutes per side until golden brown, turning once. Continue until all the batter has been used, keeping the cooked pancakes warm in a low oven, at around 70C (160F/gas ).

Pile the pancakes onto a large plate and top with the orange and honey mixture and the caramelised pecans before serving.

100 g (3 oz) softened unsalted butter