552700 Wed Aug 27 12:19:28 -0700 2008 11 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 3991700 Here's the deal. Visiting friends on Martha's Vineyard and they've asked for a surprise pastry/sweet as I come from NYC. I happen to know they love both the above. I would have to get it first thing AM Friday (possibly even Thursday night); keep in fridge in office; then take direct flight that afternoon. So, it would be unrefrigerated probably 3 hours max. Which do you think would travel best and stay freshest? The sfogliatelle has cream and a light pastry so I am thinking tarte tatin would be heartier. However, I think one could more readily get a decent tarte tatin on island vs. a Brooklyn sfogliatelle. Wed Aug 27 12:19:33 -0700 2008 24925 chow_gal 1 3991746 I think the sfogliatelle would travel better. Plus, unless there is a decent Italian population with Italian Bakeries where they live, a sfogliatelle is a wonderful treat. There are woefully few and far between where I live. www.houndstoothgourmet.com Wed Aug 27 12:31:52 -0700 2008 3991700 65673 monavano 2 3991773 I have to say that I agree with monavano. Sfogliatelle are indestructible, but more to the point, tarte tatin can be pretty easily made at home, while sfogliatelle are pretty much a purchase-only item. Wed Aug 27 12:39:49 -0700 2008 3991746 34558 roxlet 1 3992379 Sfogliatelle would travel much better, remember the cheese is cooked so it will last, they are also very popular in the Boston area. Tarte Tatin would be more unique, keep it in the pan and turn it out when you get to your destination. Wed Aug 27 16:09:21 -0700 2008 3991700 149836 cstr 1 3992569 You can buy zippered insulated bags at Trader Joe's and Costco for about $6.00. They are good for several hours. With that you wouldn't have to worry about spoilage. I sometimes put blue ice in mine to increase the time. We used one and flew across country and everything was still cold when we got home. Wed Aug 27 17:35:53 -0700 2008 3991700 10921 Janet 1 3993102 If you decide to bring along sfogliatelle, it's best that you *don't* refrigerate them at any time. When you refrigerate sfogliatelle they become hard and lose their crispy exterior. My advice is that it's probably best that you purchase your sfogliatelle the same day you intend to consume them. If you're lucky, your bakery won't sell you tired day-old ones as "fresh". Be sure those shells are *very* crispy, and you'll be fine for hours. Wed Aug 27 21:53:23 -0700 2008 3991700 10609 Cheese Boy 1 3995465 I have personally travelled with sfogliatelli in nothing but the pastry box in a big plastic bag on a plane, and they survived a four hour flight, plus the airport to/from, just fine. There is not enough creme/custard in there to worry about. Go for it. Thu Aug 28 18:30:40 -0700 2008 3991700 87837 RGC1982 1 3995512 sfogliatelle And if you ever come to the SF Bay Area you could probably pay for your airfare by bringing a good supply of sfogliatelle with you and selling them here. I can see a tart tartin falling apart with a little abuse. As other have said, people can make that themselves and they are probably easier to find. I lived in Boston ... granted it was a while ago .. . but the sfogliatelle in NY always made the Boston version seem like a pale comparison. As others have said, don't refridgerate and try to buy that day ... for either dessert. Man, now I have a major craving for sfogliatelle. Thu Aug 28 18:57:41 -0700 2008 3991700 10264 rworange 2 4000531 This thread makes me want to cry. We bought a bunch of stuff last year but snarfed it down the night before we got back on the plane. There was powdered sugar all over my side of the bed. My vote is now and always (probably) will be: sfogliatelle (and as I know I've mentioned, we call it SHVEE-A-DELL. I mention this because I want people to be able to say it as incorrectly in their head as I do aloud.) Sun Aug 31 18:31:40 -0700 2008 3995512 110426 Boccone Dolce 3 4001086 Actually, that is decidedly NOT the correct pronunciation. That is more in the nature of an Americanization of the Italian which is pronounced something like s'foal-ya-tell-ee. My family Americanized it to s'foal-ya-dell. I've never heard the Shvee-a-dell pronunciation before! Mon Sep 01 06:23:39 -0700 2008 4000531 34558 roxlet 2 4001045 Yah, what's with you folks in SF, when I go back to the east you can buy the large ones for under $2. and in SD the bakery robbers there charge over $4, I don't understand. I always bring a small inventory back. Mon Sep 01 05:52:15 -0700 2008 3995512 149836 cstr 1 4001098 chow gal, don't worry about healthy. MV has one of the best ice cream shops around (it's across from Carousel, which USED to be the best ice cream shop) and some of the best donuts are at Mad Martha's (nope, still not the ice cream place but they bought another shop's donut concession) and a really good biscuit and gravy place -- I don't think they worry about healthy too much. Are the sfogliatelle's Lobster Tails? I 'might' put them in a cooler for the trip. Otherwise, plain old sfogliatelle will travel in the bag they came in, as others have observed. Obviously, my vote is for sfogliatelle. I've never tasted an extraordinary tarte tartin. Enjoy your trip, MV is a realllllllllllly fun place. Mon Sep 01 06:33:44 -0700 2008 3991700 11104 dolores