Katie Q in the city

Foggy Air

2012-01-12T18:16:00.000-08:00

The ordeal started off funny enough. Our cable and internet weren't working so my roommate, Celeste, called our service provider to troubleshoot the issue. We had a good laugh as she over pronunciated commands into the phone, addressing the automated operator on the other end.

Our giggles turned to confusion when we finally got a human to talk to. Our service had been "voluntarily terminated"--it hadn't, because we didn't request that--so here we were, without cable and (more significantly) Internet. Half of my day's to-do list relied on the web: booking a flight for a late February long weekend warm weather escape, responding to emails, ordering prints of pictures, (unrecorded but implied: waste time on Facebook). To get our service back, he explained, we had to prove we lived at our apartment--a cramped but homey 3-bedroom in Park Slope, Brooklyn--and that would require some evidence that, at the moment, was out of our reach because our previous roommate, whose name was still on the account, now resided in France. We hung up the phone and began to fret. How could we survive without cable and Internet and how dare they and what idiots and this isn't our fault! My other roommate, Eva, the one who took over for mon aim Parisienne's part of the lease, paused and said, "This is when my mom would say, 'Suck it up. Welcome to being an adult!'"

This is this sh*t I have to deal with as an adult? I'm 25 and I think I have a pretty good grasp on adulthood, but I guess some things just never come naturally. So despite the unseasonably warm day--57 degrees on January 7 in NYC--with no cloud to be found in the sky, a gloom of responsibility entered the horizon. My day seemed to be eddying in a downward motion.

That morning I was awoken by a jackhammer outside my boyfriend's apartment and while he was able to drift back to sleep after a quick visit to the loo, I lay thinking about how sleep deprived I was and why, oh why, did I have to be awake at 8am on a Saturday morning?

I took the train back to Brooklyn and walked into a vacant apartment. My roommates had partied in Harlem the previous night with some friends who were hosting a housewarming and they spent the night there. Just after I realized I would not be able to fall back asleep in my own bed, they arrived home, with Dunkin Donuts coffee and breakfast wrappers in hand. Before long, we realized the cable and Internet were out and set out to fix the problem, as we were clearly crippled without either (even on the most gorgeous day we were sure to see all winter). That is when the "shit I have to do as an adult" sequence of events was put into motion.

Our lives, as mid-20 somethings in New York, are exciting and exhausting, thrilling and perplexing. We are adults, unquestionably (some of our high school classmates are married and onto baby number two), but we are in a limbo. A vast question mark of what we want our lives to be, what we're working toward and why looms overhead and weighs heavily on our hearts. Romantic uncertainty and professional restlessness define our day-to-day. I'm not just describing myself and my roommates, I'm referring to my entire group of close friends and acquaintances, too.

In limbo, everything is a contradiction. I subscribe to The New Yorker because I like feeling informed and educated but sometimes I just can't handle it so I switch to my iPod and listen to the audio version of the juvenile fiction series, The Hunger Games. What am I, a professor wearing a head-to-toe Eileen Fisher outfit and bifocals or a pimply teenager with stars drawn on her Converse? I'm neither. I'm both.

One thing that I routinely do, which I consider rather adult behavior, is that I listen to Fresh Air with Terry Gross on NPR every morning as I get ready for work. I learn about people and events in this fascinating and curious world. I admire Terry Gross for her piquant questions and just wish for the clarity that a name like Fresh Air suggests. Instead, I look at myself in the mirror, apply a final stroke of mascara to my eyelashes, and walk down five flights of stairs, direct myself to the subway and feel the air of my reality. It's uncertain. It's hard to see through. It's foggy. Foggy Air.

Conscious Eating Essay

2011-02-13T08:34:00.000-08:00

My former boss, Tim Peek, is one of the most visionary people I know. We've had many conversations about living consciously and how this helps improve life on a personal and professional level. Being the foodie that I am, he encouraged me to write an essay about what we discussed as "conscious eating."

Here it is:

Conscious Eating

“As for flavorsome and solid bodies, the teeth must cut them up, saliva and the other taste fluids must soak them, and the tongue must roll them against the palate so that they exude a juice which, by now sufficiently sapid, is appreciated by the taste buds which in turn give to the mashed food that passport it needs to be admitted to the human stomach.”

-Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, The Physiology of Taste

We’ve all had the moment when conversation—even the most compelling discussion—is abruptly halted by an “Mmm” or a jumbled mouthful declaration, “Oh ma gawd.” A bite of something that has refocused our attention to the present and has inspired us to express a truth in that moment: I am experiencing a damn delicious morsel of food.

In the case of what I’ll call conscious eating, food can be a tool to shift gears from the cerebral demands of the day. It can help us drop those burdened thoughts that twirl relentlessly in our minds by attending to a specific sensation. I suggest that the next bite you take, if taken consciously, can help you feel life in the present moment and therefore, in a more broad and significant way, help you experience life to the fullest.

It’s easy to be distracted by what food has become; it’s Food with a capital F. It has become entertainment, from Iron Chef to The Biggest Loser. It is both lauded and vilified. In the past decade, Food has morphed into a national obsession, representing the best of human talents and the most detrimental of human faults and addictions. Reign in your associations with celebrity chefs and the McDonalds $1 menu, but think beyond simple bodily sustenance, and somewhere in that balance you will find that food offers us a unique opportunity to live in the moment and to appreciate.

Food naturally offers itself for this living consciously because, firstly, eating is a universal practice, and secondly, it is entirely guilt-free (in moderation) yet can be intensely pleasurable. Sara Murray Jordan, a gastroenterologist and food writer, said, “He who does not mind his belly will hardly mind anything else.”

Yet, I could not count how many meals I have absent-mindedly scarfed down while fretting about some past or future occurrence that stressed me out. I would have hardly noticed that the mozzarella in my panini (for instance) was stunningly fresh and perfectly melted. Instead, my increasing anxiety would work my shoulders all the way up to my ears, I would look down at my plate, see the reminiscent crumbs, and feel full, but not satisfied. I bet you can relate. Think about lunch at the office: How can you appreciate that sweet/tangy combination of your Tomato Basil soup when you are toggling between work email, personal email, two spreadsheets, and five websites?

If you’re on board with me, then let me offer you some tips. It helps to be sitting upright while you eat, which facilitates breath and therefore helps you relieve some of that tension that builds up throughout the day. Take in a deep, gratifying breath of the food’s aroma before, during, and after each bite. Here’s the tricky part: try not to think too hard about eating consciously. Over-analyzing each fork-full is just as detrimental as ignoring it. The goal is to savor it without making it a mental exercise. A tactic for those of you who find it hard to disengage in this way is to approach it with a sense of curiosity, “Hmm, I wonder how my body will respond to this taste?” It’s rejuvenating to submit yourself to current senses.

I propose this: let’s all take one bite at a time, and enjoy it! Sometimes, as people who are complex, intricate, and emotional, we need to get out of our own way.

Eat your cake and have it, too.

The MTA Is Harsh:

2011-01-26T19:59:00.000-08:00

Dippin Dots: The Philosophy

2011-01-22T07:08:00.000-08:00

Yesterday my co-worker looked up from her desk and said, "You know when you have a whole spoonful of Dippin' Dots and it's really satisfying, but if you just have one it's not that exciting? I just had a moment like that: it's like I just had one Dippin' Dot." She was referring to some work-related mini-triumph that resulted in an anti-climax (can I use more hyphens in this sentence?), which many of us experience daily. But it got me thinking:

Dippin Dots is so much more than just ice cream, it's a philosophy! A philosophy of satisfaction.

I see two key take-aways from la philosophie de Dippin' Dots:

1. When you really want to feel satisfaction, you have to go for it whole-heartedly, in a significant way. The go big or go home sentiment.

2. It suggests that we have to know what we really want to be satisfied. A spoonful of Dippin' Dots is satisfying because it quickly becomes the consistency of regular ice cream. Before that, it's just a unique, innovative means to an end. When we eat those little frozen orbs of dairy and sugar, what we really want is just ice cream. Good ol' fashioned, predictable ice cream. Therefore, one little Dippin' Dot, when popped into your mouth, is just a melted Dippin' Dot. In such a small quantity, it's hardly ice cream. So why beat around the bush with an ice cream wannabe? Skip it and just go for Ben & Jerrys.

....but now I'm craving Dippin' Dots. So maybe I'm full of sh*t.

The Invisible Dog

2011-01-17T07:44:00.000-08:00

In New York City, you are never entirely sure what you'll see behind a door or through a window. For a pedestrian, surprises populate even the most routine of routes: from home to the subway. Real estate here has an elastic tendency, with abandoned buildings or lots next to the most trendy restaurant in the neighborhood. Several months later that space will be occupied by anything from a pet store to a massage parlor to a coffee shop. Often, due to the high cost of rent, that business will close and leave the space a ghost of what it tried to be.

This weekend I met my friend in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn for coffee. On our way to caffeinate, we walked past a building with a sign in front that read, "The Invisible Dog." My friend lives in the neighborhood had been there before and suggested that we pop in: it's an art gallery! Left to my own devices, I would have never thought to go in, briskly walking past it without even noticing its beautiful, historic wooden doors.

The gallery was enjoyable and interesting, with a photography exhibit in the basement and an installation called "(Naked) Absence -- (Blinging) Presence...(Dis) Appearances" on the first floor (the photo above, taken on my iPhone, shows part of this installation It was a dark smoke-filled room with the only light shining directly on a plastic life-size naked man. There was surround-sound music that resembled a beating heart.)

For me, the building itself, an old factory that lay abandoned for many years, was the most intriguing part of the gallery, although it only offered a backdrop to the art it housed. On the The Invisible Dog Art Gallery website, the history of 51 Bergen Street is described as the building that manufactured the invisible dog trick: a stiff leash and collar surrounding the empty space where a dog would be. This gimmick struck gold in the 1970s. The website recounts, "A mixture of party-hearty silliness and tongue-in-cheek trompe l’oeil, the [invisible dog] trick became an icon of its era. But eventually public taste moved on; meanwhile, over the years, the Brooklyn neighborhood was changing. The factory closed its doors in the late 1990s; the boarded-up building was a blight on its quiet Brooklyn block." As an homage to the building's history, they sell invisible dog leashes in the gallery.

You never know what is behind a door, or what you'll see if you turn to look in a window (hopefully it's not a fresh-out-of-the-shower toweled neighbor, as I did this morning, across my apartment courtyard. Pull your curtains down, please!). Here's a quote that resonated with me, from The Invisible Dog's website:

One of the most complex and crucial questions of twenty-first century culture is how to preserve history while simultaneously making way for the new. Nowhere is this dilemma more peaked than in New York, where constant motion and blink-and-you’ll-miss-it change have long dominated the ethos. But today New Yorkers are increasingly aware of the value of preservation, of both the natural world, our city’s legacy, and our communities. Recent civic projects like the High Line signal a subtle but undeniable shift in New York culture: now, repurposing already-existing architecture seems more of the moment than does anything brand new. Call it gentrification backlash, call it environmentalism, call it recession chic, but its effects are palpable, and sometimes, startlingly touching.

Food Photography: My Latest Serious Eats Article

2010-03-09T07:30:00.000-08:00

Doesn't this picture make your mouth water? It does mine. Did this lucky photographer get to eat the food after the picture was taken? Click here for my latest article on Serious Eats, about food photographer Robert Caplin.

How Much Do You Know About Chocolate Chip Cookies?

2010-02-22T18:31:00.000-08:00

My reign as Quizmaster for Serious Eats continues! (I write a new quiz for them weekly, posted on Mondays). Today's quiz was How Much Do You Know About Chocolate Chip Cookies?

Be forewarned: taking this quiz may make you crave a cookie hardcore.

Take it here!

Photo courtesy of Robyn Lee @ Serious Eats

Sixpoint Craft Ales Fifth Anniversary Celebration at Roberta's Pizzeria

2010-02-18T10:33:00.000-08:00

Last night I went to Sixpoint's 5th Anniversary Celebration at Roberta's in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Unlimited Sixpoint brews and unlimited Roberta's pizza, straight out of that glowing, magical pizza oven at the front of the restaurant? Yes, please! Read my review of the event for Serious Eats here.

Potato and Mushroom Salad

2010-02-14T18:31:00.000-08:00

I made this the other day and it was delicious. More importantly these days, it's SO EASY! (Healthy, too!) Get some red potatoes, I had six from the Farmer's Market, and cut them into four. Drizzle some olive oil on a pan, put the potatoes on the pan, and pop them in the oven at 450 degrees. Get some oyster mushrooms, I just had a package from the ever-classy C-Town grocery store, de-stem them and put them on a pan with some olive oil just like the potatoes.

While those are in the oven getting nice and browned/crisp, put a couple tablespoons of capers and some chopped up parsley into a bowl.

Once the potatoes and mushrooms are out, about 15 minutes, toss them with the capers and parsley, add a bit of red wine vinegar and a dash of salt and pepper...BADA BING BADA BOOM! It's tasty, filling, healthy, and simple. Why can't everything be this easy?

My Article About the 'Today' Food Stylist for Serious Eats

2010-02-10T14:50:00.000-08:00

This is Bianca Henry. She is the long-standing Food Stylist for NBC's 'Today' show. I went to the studio and talked with her the other week, following her into the kitchen and learning about her job and her career path. The ensuing article was posted on Serious Eats today. Click here to read it!!

Dark Chocolate Dreams

2010-02-08T19:15:00.000-08:00

Say hello to my newest addiction. Peanut butter mixed with dark chocolate: two of my favorite things in life...together. I have Peanut Butter and Co. to thank (and blame).

An Ode To Restaurant Week

2010-02-04T20:06:00.000-08:00

Inspired by my Restaurant Week lunch at Quality Meats

A rustic wooden door in Midtown West:

Quality Meats, distinguish from the rest.

I anticipate a feast,

Or an above average meal, at least.

The appetizers: scallops--seared, not greased--

Once inside my mouth they melt.

Then comes the skirt steak, whose mere sight is felt.

I challenge you not to unhook your belt.

A subtle gravy, it's mate.

Out pops dessert, and not a second late.

Three courses, plus Malbec, at such a rate!

I bow to you, Restaurant Week.

Food this good is worth losing your physique.

How did I become such a foodie freak?
Cheers to you, New York City.

Note: I am aware that this is an irregular ode since it lacks the three-part form of the classic Pindaric ode.

Brooklyn Taco Experiment

2010-02-01T13:11:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending the Brooklyn Taco Experiment, a cook-off hosted by Nick Suarez and Theo Peck who together have created "The Food Experiments." Cheese, chocolate, and beer are all endeavors they have conquered, and yesterday marked their foray into cocina Mexicana: TACOS! All of the thirty competing chefs were giving the same tortillas to serve their fillings on, to even the playing field, so the competition was all about the fillings. The above picture represents a mere seven of the thirty tacos I ate yesterday. Needless to say, I left the cook-off venue, The Bell House, bursting at the seams, but extremely satisfied.

For my review of this event on Serious Eats, click here.

Vampire Weekend

2010-01-30T09:15:00.000-08:00

Vampire Weekend at Webster Hall on 1/18/2010

Last year I went to Webster Hall with my older brother, Brian, to see Nikka Costa perform. It was a great show, showcasing the tunes of some legitimately talented musicians. The venue complimented their style of music: funky tunes with a groovable bass line and soulful vocals. When I walked into Webster Hall a couple Mondays ago with my friend Japhet (who I am now indebted to for turning me into a true VW fan), I had positive memories of the Nikka Costa show and was wondering how a band like Vampire Weekend--more alternative, indie rock--would fare in Webster Hall.

They rocked it. Webster Hall may not have been the most perfect venue for Vampire Weekend (whose name, by the way, has nothing to do with the recent vampire craze), but they still managed to convert me from a sporadic listener to a fan. I got their newest album, Contra, as soon as I could and now have a playlist devoted to them.

And the drummer, Chris Tomson, is really hot. Had to throw that in.

I Came For the Bread Basket

2010-01-26T08:25:00.000-08:00

The Farm on Adderley is one of my favorite restaurants in New York City. I am seduced by its charm: the big wooden tables, mismatched chairs that look like they are from another era, quirky modern designs on the walls, and in the summer, their quaint, flowery garden. Everything about it is inviting, from its open kitchen to the earthy exposed brick. I walk in and I feel comforted, even condoled.

Then there's the food. It is New American style cuisine, with a constantly rotating menu based on the season. Fresh food, amazing tastes. (Grilled char with roasted beets, green lentils, and pickled garlic. Acorn squash tart with carmelized onions, goat cheese, and frilly mustard greens). Their brunch is no less impressive than dinner, and they have just announced a breakfast menu, which I am excited to try--even if it means waking up at an ungodly hour to make it to Ditmas Park before catching the Q for my journey into Manhattan.

The other night I went for dinner with a group of friends (one of whom had never been and admitted, after the fact, that with a name like "The Farm," she was expecting haystacks and plaid). We settled in with aromatic glasses of swirling red wine and I thought I knew exactly what pleasures awaited me. I was wrong. Our complimentary pre-dinner bread basket arrived as a plate stacked tall with rosemary focaccia bread.

Hot-from-the-oven, made in-house, moist, rosemary focaccia bread. It was so delicious that I was tempted to fill up on it and take my dinner of pork meatballs on a bed of winter vegetables back in a doggy bag. So although I did not go to The Farm for their bread basket...I will go back for it. Not exclusively for the bread, mind you, but the more I eat it the more I crave it.

This bread basket surprise was the impetus for an idea that I pitched to my colleagues at Serious Eats: what is the best bread basket in New York? We posted this question on the site and are asking readers to give their opinion, which we will hopefully further explore and do a round-up. Stay tuned...

DuMont Burger

2010-01-23T08:06:00.000-08:00

DuMont Burger is one of the super-hyped burger places in the city. It's in Williamsburg and is swarming with both local hipsters and other boroughers who make the trip on the L to get their fix of this acclaimed burger in a brioche bun. It's sister restaurant is the fancier DuMont, also in Williamsburg. The burger is supposedly the same at both places, but (obviously) DuMont Burger has dedicated itself solely to the burger/fries/onion rings/mac 'n cheese cuisine.

Does their dedication pay off? To answer simply: yes. The food was delicious, although a little heavier on the grease than I would ideally like, but then again maybe the grease is why it had that crack-like quality: I was full but kept eating until there wasn't a single crumb left on my plate. The burger itself was thick, much thicker than burgers of the Shake Shack variety. The onion rings were the best I've had in a long time (granted, I don't eat onion rings incredibly often). The freshness of the burger and rings were evident; no frozen patties here, no heat lamp radiation. Not to mention the crisp lettuce and juicy, red tomatoes.

The reason I qualified my answer with "to answer simply" is because there are definite draw-backs. For instance, the price. Yes, we live in New York City and everything is absurdly expensive, but I feel a little foolish for dishing out $14 for a burger. Really. I can get a heaping bowl of pasta with goat cheese and eggplant from Mario Batali's restaurant Otto for $9!

Despite the price, DuMont Burger has lines out the door most days. The restaurant is composed of two small dining areas, and you have to walk outside to get to the other. One is a little classier and more of a dining out experience, the other is kind of the over-flow room and feels a bit more divey. I actually like both spaces quite a bit, and they both seduced me with the dark wood decor, per usual. It's too bad that the restrooms are only in one of the dining areas because there's nothing worse than feeling warm and satisfied after a burger and beer and then stepping out into negative degrees just to use the john. Talk about a jolt from post-dinner bliss.

My vegetarian friend came with us to DuMont Burger and ordered the vegetarian burger, which he'd had before. He had raved about the veggie burger (so much so that I considered getting it), but when it came to him, he realized that they changed their recipe and he felt that the new one was not nearly as good as the old one. Hm...good thing I'm not a vegetarian.

Babies Like Rock N Roll

2010-01-21T05:20:00.000-08:00

I recently went to the Brooklyn Museum for the photography exhibit Who Shot Rock And Roll. The photos were incredible: lively, erotic, surprising, sweaty, tender. The exhibit is over January 31 and is definitely worth the trip. (If you show your Metrocard at the ticket counter you get two tickets for the price of one, which means only $5 each!)

No photography was allowed within the exhibit, but one thing I got a kick out of was the huge area blocked off for "Stroller Parking." Babies love hardcore rock....who knew?

Serious Eats!

2010-01-19T18:35:00.000-08:00

Since I moved to New York City, my appreciation for food has intensified. I have discovered food as the ultimate hobby and form of entertainment. As my interest grew, so did the number of food blogs that I bookmarked and checked regularly. The site that quickly became my go-to source of food entertainment, news, commentary, and resource was Serious Eats. One section of the site in particular, Serious Eats: New York, gained my loyal readership.

Now I go to the Serious Eats office after my 9-5 job at the Peacock channel (Conan O'Brien, I'm so sorry) and help the team continue to churn out great content. I just started at the first of the year and look forward to much writing (and eating!) in the near future.

I'll post links here to any articles I write that appear on Serious Eats. For now, you can go here to take the quiz I made testing your knowledge on winter vegetables. You have to create a login in order to take it...but it will take two seconds and I suggest you do it because I'm making a new quiz every week--posted every Monday on the site!

Banh Mi...Gimme, gimme!!

2010-01-18T09:12:00.000-08:00

I had heard all about banh mi, the Vietnamese baguette that has become a favorite among NYC foodies (especially those of us who appreciate a standout cheap eat), but I had yet to try it. The Vietnamese population in New York City is not as prominent as in Houston, Washington, and certain hubs in California, so it took a little while for this trend to make its name known here.

A big question needed to be answered: where should my first banh mi (pronounced BUN-mee) experience be? I decided on Baoguette on St. Marks. Yes, I have heard great things about Baoguette, but I must admit that the reason I patronized this particular spot was because I was starving when I got out of yoga and Baoguette was conveniently across the street. My grumbling stomach decided without hesitation. Forget reviews, I was ravenous.

Never heard of banh mi? Let me quote an article from the New York Times, "If you haven’t tried a classic banh mi, imagine all the cool, salty, crunchy, moist and hot contrasts of a really great bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich. Then add a funky undertone of pork liver and fermented anchovy, a gust of fresh coriander and screaming top notes of spice, sweetness and tang."

Yeah. Are you salivating yet? The banh mi I had was surprisingly excellent, with pork terine, pate, pulled pork, and fresh herbs. (It was huge, for a mere $5!) If you want to try this delicious flavor combination but are put off by the meat situation happening between the buns, I have heard that they also offer the Vaoguette, a vegetarian take on the classic banh mi.

Some time I may venture out to Queens or Sunset Park in Brooklyn, for a more authentic (defined by the fact that Baoguette is an NYC chain restaurant) experience. In the mean time, Baoguette will more than suffice.

Animal Collective DJ Concert at the Museum of Natural History

2010-01-11T19:17:00.000-08:00

The Museum of Natural History in New York City is the coolest venue for a concert/dance party of all time. Last Friday was One Step Beyond in NYC, essentially a huge museum party DJed by Geologist from Animal Collective and Fischerspooner. I was expecting more of an Animal Collective presence but it was truly a random dance party. The novelty of being welcomed by dinosaurs and walking through the cosmic tunnel while nearing the venue and feeling the bass bump of the dance party below.
We walked around carrying beers I just could not get over that. Read about the galaxy, take a sip. Learn how much you would weigh on Mars, go boogie down to some sweet jams. That was my night. The energy was high, the excitement was stimulating, and I am so happy that I live in New York (and that I have awesome friends who hip me to these sweet events).

The Bagel Hole < Terrace Bagels

2010-01-06T19:05:00.000-08:00

Several weeks ago I posted a raving review of Terrace Bagels (and I stand by that review) but I felt a nagging inside me that insisted I had no right to post such a deliciously positive review without having tried The Bagel Hole, which is also touted as Brooklyn's best bagel place. Nearly every bagel article I have read gives kudos to both places, deeming them the reigning kings of this niche in Kings County, and hardcore fans would go as far as saying their kingdom expands through all five boroughs. To say that The Bagel Hole and Terrace Bagels are direct competition, or that they're feuding hole-in-the-wall joints, would be hyperbole. After patronizing both, I think they go for different audiences.

As you can undoubtedly tell by the title of this post, I am in the Terrace Bagels camp. The Bagel Hole is more of a throw-back to how the classic bagels of yesteryear were made. They are smaller, slightly crunchier on the outside, and a bit more dense on the inside. My sesame seed bagel was good, but not my ideal bagel. I guess it just comes down to preference. One interesting fact, and case-in-point of how The Bagel Hole targets that nostalgic "yesteryear" demographic: they don't toast! Not a big deal, but c'mon...

The Holiday Cheer Hasn't Ended!

2010-01-05T19:28:00.000-08:00

"New York, Interrupted"

2010-01-04T19:14:00.000-08:00

Last Tuesday, during the week in-between Christmas and New Years, the New York Times wrote an article about the state of the city during the holidays. It was titled, "New York, Interrupted: In Between Holidays, Nothing Happens But Magic."

I loved this article because it so accurately portrays the city at its calmed and, ironically, most tourist overwhelmed. Write Mandy Fernandez writes:

"This is a week of suspended animation in the city, in between holidays, when the great systems of New York — the schools, the courts, the communications media, Wall Street, City Hall, the bodegas in Queens — slow to an administrative crawl or shut down altogether, when New York City belongs not to New Yorkers, but to Spaniards, Italians, Canadians, Germans, Californians. Tens of thousands of people have left town to go back home, while tens of thousands of others have left home to come to town."

She goes on to quote tourists about why they love New York City. "It's the energy," said one guy who hails from Rome. For a man from Rome to comment on New York's energy gives it a bit more weight than someone from Townville USA. This Italian put his finger on what I love about living here. The energy is palpable current running through the streets, through the subways, in the restaurants and bars, and in the people. Whether you are a native New Yorker, a new resident, or a passing tourist, you get caught in the flow.

I came back to NYC a few days after Christmas and was one of the few people working in 30 Rock last week. The city still managed to keep its movement alive despite the mass exodus of many of its natives. It wasn't so back-breakingly kinetic, though, but rather more of a calm, powerful stream. It was a pleasant adjustment.

Today when I went back to work I could feel the city's surge. I was curled up in a blanket watching movies and reading for the whole day Sunday in my lovely Park Slope apartment, so this jolt was particularly apparent. It's like the city chugged a dozen Red Bulls as the sun was rising. Needless to say, I had more coffee than usual just to keep up!

No-Knead Hard Crust European Loaf

2010-01-03T15:26:00.000-08:00

For Christmas my parents got me a Dutch Oven, which is probably the best "practical" gift I have ever received! I call it a Dutch Oven, but it also goes by French Oven, or in the UK I believe they just call them casserole dishes. They are a heavy-duty kitchen staple. They are large cast-iron pots, and depending on the brand, are covered with enamel or ceramic. It's great for long, slow cooking like stews and roasts, but my crock pot is great for those, so I am most excited to use it for BREAD! You can make incredible no-knead breads in a Dutch Oven that you can't make any other way.

Making no-knead hard crust European bread is incredibly simple but you just have to be aware of timing in order for it to be a success. It takes some thinking ahead and with my schedule it may, unfortunately, be relegated to weekend activity.

I find it absolutely amazing that simply flour, water, salt, and yeast, can create the most delicious bread ever! I would argue that there is nothing better in the world than this bread with some baked brie! Yummm.

My mom got this recipe from a 2006 article in the New York Times by Mark Bittman about baker Jim Lahey. Here it is:

3 cups all-purpose flour or bread flour (more for dusting)
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
1 and 1/4 teaspoon salt

1) In a large bowl, combine flour, yeat, and salf. Add 1 and 5/8 cups water, stir until well blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperatures, about 70 degrees.

2) Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more lour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let it rest about 15 minutes.

3) Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not a terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran, or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let it rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

4) At lesat a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6-8 quart heavy covered pot (this would be my new Dutch Oven!) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up: it may look like a mess, but that is OK. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

I'm Type A and Not Ashamed

2009-12-31T16:18:00.000-08:00

For my last blog post of 2009 I would like to brazenly admit that I am Type A. My best friend from college told me that I would know that someone was a true friend when they knew just how obsessive-compulsive and anal-retentive I can, at times, be. Most people would probably classify me as laid-back and go-with-the-flow but I have those gullible people fooled!

When I read that David Chang looks down upon his customers who stop to take pictures of his food before they eat, or "Type As who take pictures and notes on the food at [Momofuku] Ko," (Chang said of this process, "The food's getting cold.") I decided to embrace my Type A tendencies right here, publicly, on my blog! No more denial for me!

While your point of view is understandable, Mr. Chang, every time I look at a picture of food I particularly enjoyed, I can almost taste it on my tongue all over again. And that's worth the extra 5 seconds to wait before I dig in.

An homage to my food pictures of 2009:

Peek-a-boo! Subway I Spy...

2009-12-30T20:10:00.000-08:00

Banana Bread (for a Christmas Cookie Exchange Party?)

2009-12-29T20:31:00.000-08:00

While I was home for Christmas my mom and I went to a cookie exchange party. It is an annual tradition, hosted by my best friend's mother, who is the Martha Stewart of my hometown. I arrived in town at 5am on December 23rd after renting a car in Brooklyn and driving through the night with a couple of my road warrior friends, and the event took place that evening. Needless to say, I slept half the day, but when I awoke, I was ready to hit the kitchen.

Much to my dismay, my mother had planned ahead (of course) and had already made the cookies we were going to take to the cookie exchange. She did mention that her batch made slightly less than anticipated, and it would not hurt to have an additional little contribution.

This was perfect because I was still able to add my own delicious creation but it took the pressure off and gave me the freedom to made something that may not have perfectly suited the Christmas cookie tradition. I looked around the kitchen and saw a group of browning bananas and knew what to make: banana bread! It came out wonderfully and was surprisingly a much appreciated addition to the cookie arrangement.

I got this recipe from Epicurious and chose it because it got rave reviews. I must say, I was very happy with how mine turned out and this will be my go-to recipe for banana bread in the future. I (predictably) added chocolate chunks to the recipe, which made it passable as a dessert in the cookie exchange. I'm sure with just toasted walnuts, as the recipe calls for, would be great, too.

Here is the recipe:

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs at room temperature for 30 minutes
2 1/3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 cups coarsely mashed very ripe bananas (6 large)
1/4 cup crème fraîche (I used sour cream)
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/3 cups walnuts (4 ounces), toasted and chopped
(I added 1 cup of dark chocolate chunks)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 2 (9- by 5- by 3-inch) metal loaf pans, then dust with flour, knocking out excess.
Sift together 3 1/4 cups flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt into a bowl.
Beat together eggs and sugar in bowl of electric mixer at medium-high speed until very thick and pale and mixture forms a ribbon when beater is lifted, about 10 minutes. Reduce speed to low and add oil in a slow stream, mixing, then mix in bananas, crème fraîche, and vanilla. Remove bowl from mixer and fold in flour mixture and walnuts gently but thoroughly.
Divide batter between loaf pans, spreading evenly, and bake in middle of oven until golden brown and a wooden pick or skewer comes out clean, 1 to 1 1/4 hours.
Cool loaves in pans on a rack 10 minutes, then turn out onto rack. Turn loaves right side up and cool completely.

Holiday Treats Ohio Style

2009-12-28T18:05:00.000-08:00

Christmas just ended and, as usual, I have eaten more desserts in the past month than I do all summer long. There's something about the holiday cheer (and cabin fever) that encourages the consumption of sweets. Lots and lots of sweets.

My roommates and I are all from Ohio. We love the city, but we also love talking about all things Ohio, so when my lovely roommates set to make cookies in the spirit of an Ohio Christmas--revving up the anticipation for the trip there--they made Buckeyes! Most people know of these as Peanut Butter Balls, but to Ohioans, they're Buckeyes, and they're a holiday staple.

I am back in New York after a lovely escape to beautiful, rural Athens, Ohio. It feels great to be back in the city but I just may start another batch of Buckeyes (yes, post-Christmas) just to ease me out of my wistful Ohio reminiscing.

Brooklyn Flea for Last Minute Holiday Shopping

2009-12-23T09:08:00.000-08:00

It's December 23rd. If you haven't finished your holiday shopping, don't feel bad, you're not the only one. But don't let the time crunch be an excuse for shopping at lame default stores. Haste and convenience are not excuses for generic gifts. For unique, quality gifts (often sold by the artisan himself or herself) go to the Brooklyn Flea!!!

The Brooklyn Flea presents "Gifted," their holiday flea market that is, oddly enough, not in Brooklyn. It's in the East Village, on E. 4th Street and Lafayette Street, which makes it much more convenient that its Saturday and Sunday pop-up flea market relatives in DUMBO. You can take the 6 to Astor Place, the R/W to 8th Street/NYU, or the B/D/F/V to Broadway/Lafayette.

Another distinction between "Gifted" and your typical Brooklyn Flea experience: it's INDOORS! A necessity for perusing the goods at this time of year. And if you still aren't warmed up once inside, then stop by the Brooklyn Brew Shop station a cup of free beer. It's a nice amber beer and makes the whole experience feel more like a casual get-together among artist friends than hectic Christmas shopping.

West Indian Rice & Beans: Quick Easy Dinner Part III

2009-12-21T18:23:00.000-08:00

Third time's a charm! This is the third installment of my "Quick Easy Dinner" recipes and it it by far my favorite. It has that crack quality that makes you lick the last bits of sauce from your bowl (I think it's the coconut milk and allspice that do the trick).

I got this recipe from Serious Eats sometime last year. I printed it out and threw it in my recipe book...only to unfold it last week and rediscover why this recipe caught my eye in the first place. It's fast, it's easy (you don't even have to precook the rice), it's healthy, and it's ethnic. All good things.

My only amendment to this recipe: it supposedly serves 4 but I say it serves 2, and that's not just me being a fatty. (I honestly could have eaten it all in one sitting...and I guess that is me being a fatty).

WEST INDIAN RICE & BEANS

2 cups vegetable broth
1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
1 jalapeno, deseeded and minced
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
3/4 cup medium-grain white rice
1 cup thinly sliced green onions

1. In a medium/large saucepan, combine everything but the rice and green onion and bring to a a boil. Stir in rice, reduce heat to a gentle simmer, and cook until the rice is almost tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.

2. Stir in most of the green onion, reserving some for garnish. Continue cooking until the rice is completely tender.

My First Michelin Experience: Insieme

2009-12-20T15:35:00.000-08:00

I wondered if I would ever eat at a restaurant with a Michelin rating. As much of a foodie that I claim to be, my culinary expertise lies with the city's bargain deals and happy hour specials that beget NYC's "cheap eats." Any restaurant endowed with a Michelin star would most certainly be out of my price range.

On Friday, my moment came. My generous boss invited me to a holiday lunch with my supervisors at Insieme, an Italian restaurant on 777 7th Ave (between 50th and 51st streets). It is a part of the Michelangelo hotel, although when you come in through its independent street entrance you would never know it. Most hotel restaurants are generically decorated, with dark carpeting, low-lighting, and folded white napkins propped at each place settings. This is not Insieme.

When you walk into Insieme from the bustling streets of Midtown you feel like you have walked through a portal, rather than a door, that has carried you to a different part of the city entirely. Moments before, you were dodging Times Square tourists and passing Italian restaurants of Sbarro status, now you are courteously escorted to a table of bleached white oak and presented with a menu that displays an appreciation of traditional Italian favorites (lasagna, risotto, ravioli) as well as more modern innovations (grilled shrimp with chickpeas, spinach, and preserved lemon, sea bass with broccoli and potatoes).

Outside the restaurant is crowded, fast-paced, and gritty. Inside is a studied minimalism and lightness that exhibits elegance in its more simple form. With open tables throughout the dining space and booths along one wall, it is a great venue for a professional meal, as I had, but also would be great for a date. The booths offer some semblance of privacy and intimacy, separated by hanging white fringe. Perhaps this is my imagination getting the better of me, but this fringe was reminiscent of flapper dresses and added a bit of fun to the decor.

My only critique of the ambiance is that it is so modern and minimalist that it lacks warmth, which seems unnatural for what I associated with Italian cooking: the "Eat! Eat!" mentality of my Italian grandmother and big simmering pots of red sauce. For that reason I would not call it authentically Italian, although this may be my inaccurate presumption of what is "Italian."

Now let's get to the food. WOW. Marco Canora is the chef and owner and this man knows what he is doing. He got his start with celebrity chef Tom Colicchio's restaurant Craft and he also owns Hearth, a restaurant in the East Village.

We started with appetizers: pear and pecorino salad with frisee, escarole, and walnut, and a plate of prosciutto, sopresatta, and mixed olives. The quality of the food was obvious and made these simple, sparse appetizers absolutely delightful. Even the complimentary French bread and oil and vinegar were noteworthy.

For the main course I got the Lasagna verde alla Bolognese (spinach pasta with bechamel and meat ragu). I decided on it after the waitress suggested it, and later learned that New York Magazine deemed it the best lasagna in New York City and it was endorsed by Ruth Reichl, the reigning queen of New York food. It was indeed extraordinary, but I'm glad I did not know just how touted it was before I tried it as I am not sure it could have lived up to such hype. The portion was just right and the ratio of pasta, succulent meat, and bechamel sauce was spot on. The bechamel was the cohesive device in this dish, acting as cement does between bricks, and it also provided a touch of creaminess that made this more special that your momma's lasagna. This is fancy lasagna, and it's darn good.

You know the food is good when conversation stops with each new bite. Dialogue was often interrupted with, "Mmm." Moments later, "What was I saying?" Or the previous topic was entirely abandoned to discuss the food (and this food could usurp just about any subject).

Just as standout as the lasagna were the small cream-filled yeast donuts (Bombolini) with caramel dipping sauce we had for dessert. I tend to be a chocolate girl post-dinner, but I would choose these Bombolinis over most chocolate dishes (anyone who knows me knows that is a hefty statement). We shared a couple of other dessert spreads: A Cotta Alla Vaniglia with strawberries and raspberries, which I think was a custard, and a trio of gourmet sorbets including, pear, black currant, and Granny Smith Apple flavors. I could not put my finger on exactly what the Granny Smith or black currant flavors were and had to defer to the menu, but the pear was recognizable, pure, and hands-down my favorite of the sorbets. It was the perfect taste to end a truly wonderful meal.

I can see why Insieme made the Michelin cut. And now I can check another thing off of my bucket list!

St. Patrick's Cathedral Concert Series

2009-12-17T19:22:00.000-08:00

St. Patrick's Cathedral retains its majestic impression in the midst of the insipid Midtown. The first time I walked down Fifth Avenue my eyes bounced from one elaborate window display to the next until they abruptly landed on St. Patrick's. I literally stopped in my tracks. It is so wonderfully different than everything anything else in Midtown that it (almost) inspires me to go to mass.

Tonight I had the pleasure of going to St. Patrick's for the annual Christmas Concert. The concert was free to the public but there was priority seating to people with special passes, which my roommate, Natalie, happened upon (one of her coworkers is in the St. Patrick's Cathedral Choir!).

The choirs sounded great and there was a perceptible rise in good cheer throughout the evening as Christmas tunes were sung to the hundreds of people gathered. The cathedral was packed to maximum capacity! Every seat was filled and people stood elbow-to-elbow along the entire periphery.

Throughout the concert the church organizers passed around thin white candles to everyone. I was wondering how and when they would be utilized. During the last song, O Holy Night, they dimmed the lights and lit the candles of the people on the aisle, who then passed the flame down the row. As the song continued, the congregation brightened in waves of light slowly converging in the middle.

Three choirs sang: two adult choirs and one children's choir. The children's choir was my favorite because I am endlessly amazing by children with exceptional musical talent. I also found myself in a trance by watching the conductors. They move and express with such passion! What a great profession!

I left St. Patrick's humming Christmas tunes and more excited than ever to be in New York City during the holiday season!

Little Cupcake Bakeshop

2009-12-16T17:34:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I helped throw a surprise birthday party for one of my good friends, Janelle. I was in charge of the guest list, but her little sister was the actuating force behind the party and planned the details such as food, party horns, etc. After I accompanied the birthday girl into her ambush her sister emerged with huge trays of cupcakes!

Janelle is what I would call a cupcake addict. I can't think of a more perfect way to welcome this girl into her own birthday party than to present her with over two dozen cupcakes (with lit candles, no less). She loves cupcakes. I would venture to say that she has one a day. (How she stays thin I'll never know). Offer her a cupcake, she can't say no. Walk past a cupcake shop, she has to go in.

It's a good thing she lives in New York City, the cupcake capitol of the world. I bet she has been to the majority of those shops, which is why I was surprised to learn that her favorite cupcakes are from a small bakeshop in Brooklyn (Yelp says it's in the Fort Hamilton neighborhood but I'm not sure about that) called Little Cupcake Bakeshop.

Upon learning that Janelle is addicted to these cupcakes in particular, I knew I needed to try them. As luck would have it, these glorious, moist, sugary treats came to me!! Knowing that no other cupcakes would do for her special day, Janelle's sister brought these cupcakes from Brooklyn into Manhattan for the shindig.

Peering at the tray I did not think I could make up my mind about which to have. Just as I was reaching toward a good old fashioned vanilla cake/chocolate frosting cupcake, Janelle kindly redirected my selection to her personal favorite: STRAWBERRY!

These cupcakes are something to write home about. They have slightly more frosting that I prefer in my cake-to-frosting ratio, but the taste of each part was absolute perfection. And strawberry?! I have not been to any other cupcake shop in the city that has strawberry cake and strawberry frosting. Unique. Amazing.

If you don't mind a bit of a subway ride, take the R train to the 86th Street stop. Get the strawberry cupcake (and others to take home). I'll see you there.

Mushroom Bhaji : Quick Easy Dinner, Part II

2009-12-15T18:33:00.000-08:00

I am upholding my vow to make delicious dinner for myself even though time is hard to come by these days, considering my recent accelerated schedule. A couple days ago I blogged about my sardine adventure. While I would consider that quick meal a success, I decided to make a vegetarian dinner this time around since I was still having visions of the little delicate sardine spines I handled. Ehhck.

I got the idea for this recipe from a Serious Eats post. Mushroom Bhaji is an Indian dish that is mushrooms in a tomato-onion sauce. Go here for the recipe and the perfect description of this dish, which categorizes it as one of those "winter-appropriate, filling vegetarian dishes—the kind that are comforting enough to scare away the cold weather and yet, not so heavy they'll fill out your sweater."

I changed the recipe around a bit, adjusting it to what I had in my apartment, but I think that my final creation was very similar what it would have been if I followed the recipe exactly. I also put a dollop of plain yogurt on it, knowing that with the cayenne powder and chile pepper flakes I included I would need something to balance the spice. I sprinkled it with dill rather than chives because I had (and still have) an overwhelming amount of dill left over from the Spaghetti with Sardines, Capers, and Dill recipe.Below you can see my Mushroom Bhaji, just moments before I inhaled it.

POP!...I'm in New Haven!

2009-12-14T19:18:00.000-08:00

POP! is the aptly titled musical about Andy Warhol and his "Factory" cohorts, loosely based on the whodunnit of his non-lethal shooting. It is playing in New Haven, CT at the Yale Repertory Theater and I was fortunate enough to see it this past weekend.

It was a wonderful night, not only because the play was legitimately entertaining but also because a quick escape from the city cannot be underestimated. I have relatives that live in New Haven so the minute I stepped out of the train station I was whisked to a delicious dinner and then accompanied to the play.

Which brings up another reason it was a great night: it is nice to be treated. Thank God for family...even though I like to feel like a fiercely independent woman living in New York City, I melt with joy from the generous hand of a gratuit meal and a comped ticket. Maybe I'm not such an adult just yet.

Plus, there's not much more that can cheer me up besides choreographed dancing and tight harmonies. All in all, it was a solid Saturday night.

Sardines? Really?

2009-12-13T13:03:00.000-08:00

Life has been exceptionally busy recently. I have forsaken both daily blog-writing and a good night's sleep. When life speeds up like this, it is all too easy to drop the little things that make life marvelous. In a time crunch, convenience trumps all. I have had cereal for dinner one too many times the past couple of weeks.

Something had to change, and unfortunately I had no control to change my increasingly stressful job, so I decided to carve out time to make myself legitimate dinners. Quick dinners, but fresh and delicious.

I began flipping through my cookbooks, making a note of the dishes that took less than 30 minutes, had a manageable list of ingredients, and would give me some leftovers to take to work. I found quite a few!!

There was one in particular that intrigued me: Spaghetti with Sardines, Dill and Fried Capers. I love dill and I love capers, but I was not sure how to feel about the sardines. I did not think I was fond of them but could not remember actually having had them! Is it possible that I had never had sardines? This had to change. So although this recipe seemed questionable to my taste buds, it satisfied my time proviso and engaged my curiosity.

When I first opened the can of sardines I was disgusted. I am not a picky eater by any means, but fingering those slimy headless bodies out of the can made me reconsider my recipe choice. Forfeiting my sardine challenge was not an option. I soldiered on.

I put a bit more chopped dill, capers, and bread crumbs into the recipe, hoping to take some prominence away from my fishy foes being sauteed in the skillet. Fifteen minutes after I cracked open those sardines, I was sitting at the table about to taste my creation.

Looking down at my plate, here is what I saw:

Notice how hefty those bread crumbs are? See how much dill I added? In those ways I compromised slightly, but trust me, the fish was in there and my entire kitchen smelled of sardines.

I took and bite and...hmm... another bite...and...by golly I liked it!! Cleaned my plate, in fact! The only problem was the next day at work when I unveiled my leftovers and the entire room filled with the fragrance of sardines. Lesson learned (sorry, co-workers!).

Sardines. Check.

Biscotti!!!

2009-12-08T20:15:00.000-08:00

My Grandma Sally was is 100% Italian...and she cooks like it. One food item that I will always associate with her is biscotti, the twice-baked cookie-like treat that is heavenly paired with a cup of coffee in the morning.

The traditional biscotti is made with anise extract (my grandma usually put almonds in it, too), but there are many variations of the crunchy snack. As a chocolate addict, I love Grandma Sally's chocolate and walnut biscotti, pictured above in her kitchen, although G-ma admits that they are less than traditional "Italian." I scarf them regardless.

I always associate biscotti with the holiday season. There tends to be a volumous supply waiting for me back home for Christmas. Recently I expressed my desire to learn how Grandma Sally makes her addictive biscotti and she showed me her tricks, step by step, for several of her biscotti variations.

This weekend I will have a day dedicated to making Grandma's biscotti. Tis' the season, and I feel that it is about time I represent my Italian heritage, which, as a tall, pale blonde I do not often have the privledge of doing. I am going to recreate Grandma's biscotti and it is going to be delicious.

So Many Apples, So Many Choices!

2009-12-07T19:03:00.000-08:00

I try to visit a Farmer's Market every weekend. There are a lot of them throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn (surely the other boroughs, too, but I'm speaking from experience, here). There more than you might think, I often stumble across one just walking around.

There are so many things about the Farmer's Market that I love. Fresh, colorful produce, innovative baked goods, and little children running animatedly from booth to booth. But what I love above all are the samples, and at the top of this list is the apple samples! If you think that you do not have an apple preference, you should do a taste comparison at your local market.

My taste results:

The winner is: FUJI--They're sweet and reliably crisp. Crispness is a must-have for me when it comes to apples and Fujis never disappoint. They are popular so you can easily find them at your local grocery store and they are not "exotic" enough to be overpriced like Asian Pears (a hybrid of an apple and a pear).

Runners-up: BRAEBURN and HONEYCRISP.

The loser is: RED DELICIOUS. I'll give them the red, but to say that they're delicious is simply hyperbole. The skin is too bitter for my liking and the texture loses its crispness rapidly. If there is one thing I dislike in an apple it is mushiness, for which the red delicious apple has an affinity.

Fondly Remembering Summer Days at Habana Outpost

2009-12-04T18:14:00.000-08:00

Winter has been kind to us so far. My memories of the weather this time last year include a shivering sprint to the warm water of the shower every morning--the only motivation to pry the sheets off. Then I would make myself a big bowl of oatmeal and sip coffee. The common denominator of my morning routine: anything WARM. Why? Because it was bone-chillingly cold outside.

While this winter has not yet dipped into freezing, it is certainly no longer summer. Tonight when I got home I made myself a big bowl of pastis, the most comforting winter food and a sure indication of the season. Pastis is mini star-shaped pasta and when it's boiled with salted water then mixed with butter, an egg, and a lot of Parmesan cheese, it is strangely soothing and simply divine. As I sat enjoying my go-to winter meal, I found myself being seduced into a daydream about Habana Outpost.

So, incredibly out of season, I am dedicating this post to Habana Outpost, one of my favorite places in NYC in the summer. It is in Fort Greene, Brooklyn and it features a large, cheerful outdoor space, complete with picnic tables and decorated with flowers and brightly-colored adornments. You can even blend your own smoothie by riding a bike! It seems illogical, but rest assured, I speak the truth. It's an eco-eatery, which certainly satisfies the inner hippie in me.

Beyond the welcoming, buoyant atmosphere, the food and drinks are what make the Habana Outpost a destination worth hopping on the C train for. I did not know I liked Cuban food so much until I tasted their grilled corn on the cob. Top that off with the best frozen mojito I've possibly ever had, and you had yourself a perfect summer afternoon in Brooklyn. Or, if I was hungrier, I would go with the Chicken Diablo sandwich (blackened chicken, roasted peppers, mesclun, and chipotle mayo) and locally brewed Six Point beer that was offered here at the amazingly low price of $2.50.

So this evening when I looked down at my empty bowl of pastis, I was remembering my polished-off corn on the cob from Habana Outpost several months ago...

I Want To Cook Like My Momma In Time, Featuring: My Momma's Thyme

2009-12-03T21:55:00.000-08:00

I will consider myself a good cook when I can cook like my Mom. She has an appreciation for fresh ingredients and a knack for experimentation. In time, I tell myself, in time I'll be able to cook like her. It takes year of practice. I look forward to the kitchen romps in my future.

A featured player in this year's Thanksgiving meal was my mother's thyme, straight from her garden. The meal brought this herb back into my realm of familiarity and I tasted how it could be the defining quality in some great dishes.

Thanks, Momma...thanks for your thyme.

Amen To That

2009-12-02T18:51:00.000-08:00

Tired on the Train

2009-12-01T20:36:00.000-08:00

If you live in New York City then you know that traveling on the train is a part of daily life. I have become accustomed to the wait and the ride itself and I have learned to always be armed with a book, magazine, or newspaper, especially on the weekends when the schedule is just a guessing game. A part of me has even come to like city transit. It makes me feel like a part of New York in a unornamented, routine-based method. Beyond that, I feel connected--through habit--to other New Yorkers. It's an interesting and subtle feeling.

One thing that fascinates me about the subway is that it reflects New York City's reputation as the city that never sleeps. It might be one o'clock in the morning but there will almost certainly still be a decent amount of people on the train with you. But here's where the "city that never sleeps" catch comes in: New Yorkers DO sleep...they sleep on the train.

Case in point: the above photo I took the other week (hopefully not too creepily) with my iPhone. Almost everyone in my car was asleep, and if they were not asleep, they were playing games on their cell phone just to try to stay awake.

To conclude: NYC is a city full of over-stimulation. People work themselves to the bone but are united in their constant movements to and fro, like sailors on a ship navigating the ocean. That does not mean they don't get tired. It just means they efficiently use their transit time, often for a little shut-eye.

The Chicago Edition

2009-11-30T17:22:00.000-08:00

Chicago was the city I was planning on moving to after college graduation. It is big but simple enough to navigate without a headache. There are a lot of people but they are quick to flash easy smiles that are indicative of Midwestern friendliness. It has the opportunities of a big city but is closer to my home in Ohio. Then I got a job offer I couldn't refuse and I packed up for the Big Apple.

I love New York and could not be happier than fate brought me here, but Chicago has plenty of impressive qualities and it should not be too overshadowed by the awesomeness of NYC.

My older brother, Brian, lives in Chicago and was unable to make it back to Ohio for Thanksgiving so my parents and I hauled ourselves to him so we could all spend the holiday together. We love each other, it's true.

This visit I went to two of my favorite Chicago restaurants (yes, on top of the mass amounts of--and absolutely delicious--home-cooked Thanksgiving food that I consumed), The Chicago Diner and Cafe Ba Ba Reeba.

The Chicago Diner is conveniently located a five-minute walk from my brother's apartment. Does that justify two visits there within 24 hours? Maybe not, but you've gotta get it while the gettin's good. It's a vegetarian diner but that isn't the draw for me. I can't quite describe why this place has become my go-to restaurant in Chicago, but it probably has something to do with the incredible sweet potato fries, wraps that are so good they make you say, "This is VEGAN?", and of course their famous cookie dough milkshake.

Cafe Ba Ba Reeba is more of an event. Brian and I reserve our trip here for when our parents are in attendance. That is partly because of the price tag associated, but mostly because this restaurant is a tapas bar and therefore much more satisfying with more people. More tapas=more delight. Literally every tapas I have ever tried at Cafe Ba Ba Reeba is amazingly delicious. I want to keep eating each bite for the rest of my life...until the next tapas comes and my fixation and adoration shifts just that quickly. I would be remiss if I did not praise their sangria, of which there are many varieties, both classic and regenerated.

If you are reading this and you are in New York City, I do not blame you for cursing my exaltation of places far away. Here are my NYC-equivalent suggestions:

The Chicago Diner=The V-Spot.
Cafe Ba Ba Reeba=Alta.

Momofuku Noodle Bar

2009-11-25T13:09:00.000-08:00

David Chang is one of the few "it" chefs in New York City. His name appears in nearly every food publication and foodie blog for his string of Japanese restaurants, titled Momofuku. There is the noodle bar, ssam bar, milk bar, ko, and ma peche. The first time I heard about David Chang, about a year ago, it was in relation to Momofuku Noodle Bar. Since then, I have wanted to go but never made it there because every time I felt like a big, delicious bowl of ramen while in the East Village I would always go to my favorite, Rai Rai Ken.

Recently, on a particularly chilly, overcast November day, a couple friends and I decided to check out Mr. Chang's trendy noodle bar. We smartly went for a late lunch, thereby missing the lines that unavoidably accompany the dinner hours. We were seated immediately and had friendly, prompt service throughout our meal.

The decor in Momofuku Noodle Bar is minimalist, sleek, clean, and simple. It still manages to be inviting and not nearly as elitist as I presumed it to be, considering it's "hot-spot" status. We sat at one end of a large communal light-colored wooden table.

We started with the allspice chips and soy eggs. I would recommend the soy egg, a surprisingly delicious twist on a soft-boiled egg. For my meal I got something that was not specifically on the menu but that they were happy to adjust to my liking. I got the chicken ramen with a poached egg on top. When I tasted it, the broth was so savory and the other ingredients were so fresh that I was immediately thankful for my taste buds. The yolk that seeped into the ramen like a serum was truly the cherry on top. I ate in near silence--this huge bowl of hot, delicious noodles was precisely what I wanted on the cold, rainy day.

Although I was full and satisfied as I slurped the final ounces of broth from the bottom of my bowl, I was so intrigued by the soft serve ice cream flavors (from the attached Momofuku Milk Bar), I had to continue eating with the hopes of a home run meal from appetizer to dessert. Milk Bar is known for its innovative rotation of soft serve flavors, including past flavors such as old-fashioned doughnut, cereal milk, and salted pistachio caramel. I decided to get a twist of the flavors they were offering: pie crust and sweet potato (with toasted marshallows on top!). It was great and screamed Thanksgiving! The sweet potato was pretty dense and the little serving was extremely filling.

It was an excellent meal and I will certainly be back. If you go, you have to accept the fact that you are going to spend $10 on a bowl of noodles. Get over the price, and you will love what you eat because it is good food, prepared perfectly. Next time I hit the noodle bar, I plan on getting the renowned pork buns (and surely another helping of soft serve ice cream).

Some people think that David Chang is overrated. I'm not a food critic but I can tell you that he made my mouth happy in a pleasant environment, and for those reasons he gets my thumbs up.

Cinema Seats for the Bargain Hunter in NYC

2009-11-24T14:35:00.000-08:00

The movie theater experience is one that I will never fully shun, regardless of how unjustly the prices inflate. Since moving to New York (from a rural town in Southeast Ohio where I could get a movie ticket for $4 for matinee and evening shows alike), I have had to cut down the frequency that I visit the cinema. Granted, there are much more exciting activities going on in New York City than there were in Ohio, so I do not need to depend on the movie theater for entertainment like I once had to, but sometimes a bag of popcorn and a large Dr. Pepper in a movie theater is just what I need, and I will forfeit $12.50 for the experience.

I recently saw the new Wes Anderson film Fantastic Mr. Fox at the AMC Loews Lincoln Square 13. Yes, I really enjoyed the movie, and yes, it was much the same aesthetic and theme as every other Wes Anderson film. But this is not a film review. The reason that I am posting about going to see this movie has nothing to do with the actual movie. It has to do with the fact that I saw the movie for SIX DOLLARS! An unbelievably discounted amount to see a movie...in a theater...in NYC.

The stipulation: you have to see a movie before 12pm to get the markdown of $6. While it may feel slightly unnatural to sit in a dark movie theater before noon (indeed it did), it is worth it to save $6.50--that is if you can relate to the economic plight of me and most of my friends.

So next time you are hankering for a good cinema experience but are feeling like a tightwad, set your alarm and hit the movie theater before your brunch date. This way you can justify that extra mimosa.

The Food Issue of The New Yorker!

2009-11-23T19:49:00.000-08:00

As someone who loves both New York and food, the annual food issue of The New Yorker is something to look forward to! It came out last week and I gobbled it up like it was Thanksgiving dinner.

Here are some favorite excerpts:

"Flavor is a cognitive figment. The brain fuses into a single experience the results of different stimuli registered by the tongue, nose, eyes and ears, in addition to memories of previously consumed meals. For reasons that are not fully understood, we perceive flavor as occurring in our mouths, and that illusion is nearly unshakable, as is made clear by our difficulty identifying, with any reasonable specificity, the way each of our various senses contributes to the experience[...] Our sense of smell plays a much larger role in defining flavor than our sense of taste does."
-The Taste Makers by Raffi Khatchadourian

"The subject of food, and kitchens and cooking, can lull even the most reluctant and suspicious people into conversation, and when I add Thanksgiving, where the food is not only plentiful but familial and friendly, to that conversation, they will shed any lingering doubts as to my good intentions and tell me what I came to hear."
-Pilgrim's Progress by Jane Kramer

This article argued "the futility of thinking that something learned by rote was as good as what was learned by ritual."
-What's the Recipe? by Adam Gopnik

This quote is not food related but is certainly worth quoting. It was in The Talk of the Town section at the front of the magazine, regarding Levi Johnston, Bristol Palin's infamous boy-toy who has recently been making quite a splash in the gossip news.
"Johnston is the father of the grand-child of someone people care a lot about, which makes him, by the transitive property of celebrity, someone people care a little bit about."
- Dept. of Hoopla, by Kelefa Sanneh

Sometimes I Forget How Great Museums Can Be

2009-11-20T15:55:00.000-08:00

I like museums. I don't love them. They are fun to visit on a rainy day or when family visits the city. Typically, museums are not my priority. But the museum fairy must have sprinkled with motivating dust because inexplicably I went to not one but TWO museums this week!

I went to each because of specific temporary exhibits featured in which I was interested. Part of the reason I do not often visit museums is because I get overwhelmed and dread the endless wandering. Going with particular exhibits in mind helped to nullify that conflict. I think I've found the impetus for any future museum trip I will be making!

At the beginning of the week I went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art for the Robert Frank exhibit. His outstanding black and white photographs are spotlighted in this exhibit called "Looking In: Robert Frank's The Americans," which is open until January 3, 2010. As the title suggests, most of the exhibit features the pictures that Frank took when he traveled throughout the United States. They were taken in the mid-1950s after he secured a grant from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation.

Of all visual art mediums, photography (black and white in particular) is my favorite. I spent an exorbitant amount of time going through this exhibit and in doing so remembered why I love photography so much. His photographs were beautiful, artistic, unique, and made political commentaries on American people and culture.

Let me quote one of the accompanying plaques: "[This section of photographs implies] that the American political system drown out the voices of its average citizens; that Americans worship false icons such as cowboys and movie stars; that Americans' work is restrictive and unsatisfactory and that America's rich are arrogant, its poor are meek, and its middle class is lulled into quiet submission by a consumer culture."

In fairness, while that is a mighty harsh critique, he also portrays America's splendor.

Later in the week I went to the Museum of Modern Art for the Tim Burton Exhibit. It does not open to the public until November 22, 2009 (until April 26, 2010), but my friend, Jon, had membership tickets and was thoughtful enough to bring me and a couple of other friends along.

I have seen almost all of Tim Burton's films but would not have considered myself a dedicated fan. It was only after seeing this exhibit that I fully realized he has influenced pop culture in such an idiosyncratic fashion that he is truly worthy of this MoMA exhibit. It is dedicated to his life's work (and it's not posthumous! Impressive).

The pieces span his life, starting with childhood drawings and high school projects into his college and early professional career. By the time his works from Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, Batman Returns, James and the Giant Peach, Big Fish, Sweeney Todd, and others were presented, I felt like I understood them in context of his overall artistic vision. This exhibit helps viewers glimpse how Tim Burton expresses his genius. Now I want to go back and rewatch all of his films.

On An Abandoned Building in Queens

2009-11-19T19:49:00.000-08:00

A Fudge-Making Attempt (and Slight Disaster)

2009-11-18T13:50:00.000-08:00

There was a lone can of pumpkin puree in the cabinet. I felt like baking (well, eating baked goods, really) and started brainstorming about what to bake that included pumpkin puree. Then my roommate, Natalie, came up with a glorious idea--at least it seemed to be a glorious idea at the time--PUMPKIN FUDGE!

I had never heard of such a thing, but I was mighty intrigued. We decided that she would make the pumpkin fudge and I would simultaneously make good ol' fashioned chocolate fudge. We were even considering trying to marble the two together. Too bad we never got that far.

There were certain facts working against us as we started this endeavor. First, neither of us had ever made fudge and commenced the project with naive fervor. Second, we don't have a candy thermometer, which is a major obstacle in successfully making fudge.

We were doing alright at first...

...but it all went downhill when we had to do several steps based on the temperature of the mixture on the stove. Without a thermometer, we utilized the archaic method of dropping a dollop of the mixture in a cold glass of water. (Natalie found this technique online). Depending on what form the mixture took upon entering the water, it determined its readiness. The string phase was one indication, the balling phase was another. I don't even remember what they were supposed to tell us because whatever we thought they demonstrated was wrong.

We ended up with a sugary mess! I have kept the sad remains in a Tupperware container in case I can think of something to do with it. I hate wasting food and it really doesn't TASTE bad, it just has an awkward consistency. I am going to see if inspiration for its use hits me before I give in and throwing it in the trash. Although let's be honest, this is likely just a vicious cycle and the fudge catastrophe will spur yet another baking disaster. At least I know it!

Terrace Bagels Hit the Spot on a Rainy Day

2009-11-17T20:01:00.000-08:00

Saturday morning was overcast and rainy. It was the kind of weather that discourages leaving the house at all and I came close to succumbing. But my aunt was in town and I owed it to her to show her more of New York than my DVR playlist.

Terrace Bagels, a Park Slope hot spot and said to have the best bagels in NYC, offered the perfect motivation to leave the apartment on such a dreary day. It was walking distance (located on Prospect Park West and 16th Street) from my apartment and journeying through a bit of rain to get there seemed like a necessary sacrifice to partake in something that is so heavenly when it's in your mouth. My aunt wanted to experience New York and this tried-and-true bagel haven epitomized why bagels are such a staple of the city.

If you do go to Terrace Bagels (which you should!), I will forewarn you that there is a method to the long lines inside the shop. Order on the left, then move over to the right to wait and pay. Since I got simply an everything bagel with tofu cream cheese with chives, I didn't actually have to wait in the line to the right, which was nice. In and out, with friendly service to boot!

The tofu cream cheese with chives (heavy on the chives) was delicious and slathered on in abundance. The bagel was simple perfection: warm, slightly crispy and firm on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. I think it's better than H&H Bagels and in my ideal world I would treat myself to a bagel from Terrace Bagels every single Saturday morning.

While I indulged in the most delicious bagel I have had in a long time, I momentarily forgot about the heavy clouds overhead . My aunt Francie, fresh off the plane from Ohio, very much enjoyed her bagel, and I felt I had done my job in sharing the New York love for these boiled breakfast treats.

Roberta's Pizza

2009-11-16T15:33:00.000-08:00

After two visits to Roberta's, I can hardly wait for my third. I am actually looking for excuses to go back. I just finished reading Ruth Reichl's book Garlic and Sapphires about her adventures as the food critic for the New York Times and she put emphasis on the importance of repetition in her job: before she ever wrote a review, she made sure to visit the restaurant on several different occassions, that way no single experience could be attributed to coincidence. With Roberta's, I went once and loved it. I went twice and fell in love. I am confident that these two occassions were not flukes--it's just a great place. Don't worry, Ruth, I'll be back plenty more times to validate my decision to write such an adoring review.

Roberta's has made my exclusive list of favorite spots in the city. Allow me to extrapolate on why it ardently fits the bill.

1. The ambiance.
Put yourself in my shoes the first time I visited Roberta's. I read about this restaurant in Edible Brooklyn and after I confabbed with my foodie friend, Simon, who was also dying to try it, we got a group together to go. It's in Bushwick, which means taking the L past Williamsburg and emerging from the subway to find yourself in some mixture of hipsterland and sketchtastic territory. As I walked the several blocks from the Morgan subway stop to the restaurant, I discerned that the area was significantly more hipster than it was sketchy. Nonetheless, once I spotted the non-descript exterior of Roberta's entrance, I wondered if I was mistakenly walking into an industrial warehouse.
What did I find when I walked in? A large room with loft ceilings and eclectic furniture...mix-matched chairs and tables that looked like they were pieced together from the offerings at the local Antique store and Salvation Army. The decorations are sparce but similarly as assorted. To my left were the guys making the Neopolitan-styple pizza with a huge wood-burning oven. They were easy to smile and were clearly proud of their masterpieces. In the rear the bartender happily let me taste the beer I was torn about whether or not to get (one of the many in a great selection). The best part came when I discovered the outdoor area, equipped with not only its own bar, but a fireplace!! Warm-fuzzy memories of a ski lodge flooded my senses. This first trip was crowded yet relaxed, a testament to the overall chill vibe of Roberta's. My second visit to Roberta's was significantly less crowded (it was on a Thursday night versus a Friday night) but the same synergy of attributes made for an equally as experience.

2. The food.
The pizza was outstanding. The ingredients were fresh and the crust was perfect, but it was just slightly more expensive that I think it should have been. A margherita was $8 and the specialty pizzas range from $14-$16. They are a good size for one person and I would suggest getting a variety of pizzas with friends and trying a bit of each. My favorite was that night's special, a goat cheese, sausage, and apple delight that had a certain "crack" quality. I have heard that their other entrees are incredible and I intend to get one next time I go. Perhaps the fried chicken people have raved about. (We'll see if it beats Blue Ribbon's fried chicken at the Brooklyn Bowl).

The first time I heard about Roberta's in Edible Magazine, it said it was, "like a post-collegiate hangout with a standout cook in the kitchen and better beer." While I would agree, it hardly sums up the welcoming energy that is so key, the aesthetic uniqueness, and the feeling that you are not in NYC anymore, although you know you must be for the undeniable fact that a place this cool could not be anywhere else in the country.

A Salute to Brooklyn's Namesake?

2009-11-13T22:04:00.000-08:00

Little Buddy Biscuit Co. Gets the Gong of Approval

2009-11-12T14:55:00.000-08:00

The goodies at Little Buddy Biscuit Co. have nothing to do with dog treats, as the name may misleadingly suggest. There is also nothing little about the flavors that head chef, Pete Solomita, packs into his baked goods. I had one bite and deemed it worthy of a blog post. Seriously.

In fact, I decided to shoot a video piece about the delicious baked good in the store, it's impressive head chef/Renaissance man, and its deep-seeded roots in the newly gentrified area of the South Slope. The video will be posted here and on Trip Films soon (and a shout-out to Janelle for being my ever-enthusiastic videographer). For now, a short blog post to wet your whistle. (Below is a picture of me with Mr. Solomita).
South Slope is the up-and-coming area just South of Park Slope in Brooklyn. Park Slope is known for its top-rated restaurants, shops, and its fair share of baby strollers crowding the sidewalks. There are many prosperous Manhattanites who decided to relocate to a quieter borough to raise children and have made Park Slope their destination. Walk just a couple blocks south and you will find an ever younger group of people who have chosen the area because it is more economically sound than living in Manhattan but offers the perks of living a short walk from incredible restaurants, bars, and boutiques. Slowly but surely, stores with credentials to satisfy the neighborhood's foodies are popping up around the South Slope.

Little Buddy Biscuit Co. is one of these places. Pete Solomita has lived in the South Slope for about thirty years and has seen the neighborhood emerge culturally and economically. In 2007, the New York Times actually wrote an article about Pete and his wife, Jill, because they moved to the South Slope when it was "awash with drugs and apartments were cheap." That same apartment was the one that Mr. Solomita started his bakery out of and named it after his newborn son, Jack, who he called "Little Buddy" while he was in utero.

But let's get real, Pete's story of Brooklyn musician-turned-chef and stay-at-home dad-turned-entrepreneur is not enough to make a visit to Little Buddy Biscuit Co. We all like a good story, but what we love are buttery, sugary treats that will put a drooling grin on our faces. This place delivers. Again, I'll post my video soon, but until then, just take my word and make the trip. When you do, you'll get the "Gong of Approval" reference in my title...

Prospect Park Deserves Some Credit!

2009-11-11T15:59:00.001-08:00

Parks in New York City are glorious things. Green space is rare, which makes fields and trees a celebrated aspect of the landscape. For a gal like me who is from rural Ohio, parks offer a familiar haven from crowded sidewalks and giant metal structures. There are cute little parks sprinkled around the city, many of them are small with only a few benches, but their addition is appreciated.

The kings of New York City parks are Central Park and Prospect Park. Central Park is located in Manhattan and makes an appearance in nearly every movie that takes place in NYC. It's beautiful but the southern portions tend to be overrun with tourists or people selling knick-knacks to tourists. Prospect Park is Brooklyn's big park. Some New Yorkers would argue that Prospect Park is superior to Central Park, not only because of the lack of sightseers (although that doesn't hurt), but because its topography includes understated rolling hills and winding paths that lend themselves to leisurely strolls. Central Park attempts these attributes but the terrain does not lend itself to what Prospect Park so naturally achieves.

Poor Prospect Park is often over-looked, neglected for it's more famous brother.

Central Park and Prospect Park were designed by the same people! Their names were Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux. Central Park was first (opened in 185) and later came Prospect Park (opened in 1867). In fact, they say that what they attempted to engineer with Central Park they actually executed with Prospect Park. That's right, Brooklyn's oft-forsaken gem was the pride and joy of the designers.

Prospect Park has concerts and events throughout the summer just like Central Park does, although chances are they feature less mainstream bands and will be attended by more alternative people. It follows Brooklyn's overall vibe.

Alas, summer is over and free events of any kind are at a decline around the city. Luckily, Fall has brought with it stunning vistas in the park. These photos are just a peek at the park's beauty.

I present these pictures as an homage to Prospect Park and dedicate this post to its worthiness.

Who Knew Cauliflower Could Be So Good?

2009-11-10T18:02:00.000-08:00

Cauliflower is one of the less glamorous vegetables. I know what you are thinking and I would argue that yes, there are glamorous vegetables. For instance, eggplant is smooth, shiny and beautiful (don't deny it!). Avocados make any Mexican dish better, artichokes spice up your traditional salad, pasta, or dip, and asparagus wrapped in bacon is an unbeatable appetizer. When I think of cauliflower, though, I think of a broccoli wannabe. When it's steamed it does have a pleasant subtle nutty flavor, but that's really all I could give it.

....Until my roommate, Natalie, made the most delicious (and simple!) cauliflower dish the other night. She made cauliflower with almonds, raisins, and capers. I wish I could say that I contributed to the dish, but I happened home just before it hit the table.

Picture from Smittenkitchen.com

Regardless of whether or not you are a cauliflower fan, try this easy recipe.

One Girl Cookies. Kerri Russell and I are fans.

2009-11-09T16:42:00.000-08:00

I am slowly but surely making my way through the list of the best cupcakes in New York City, according to Gramercy Tavern's head pastry chef, Nancy Olsen. In September Ms. Olsen rated 15 of the city's cupcake bakeries in search of the best cupcake (which can become an earnest point of contention even among friends). Her ratings appeared on New York magazine's food blog, Grub Street.

Today I put a big ol' check next to One Girl Cookies. It's in Cobble Hill, which is one of the most quaint and lovely neighborhoods in Brooklyn. Cobble Hill, Boerum Hill, and Carroll Gardens are all essentially the same area. Their technical divisions are arbitrary. They all have the same great vibe. Tree-lined streets with majestic brownstones, top-rated restaurants (like Saul and Frankie's 457), adorable cafes (Cafe Pedlar), and this area also includes Brooklyn's only Trader Joe's, which is a major bonus in my book. It's on my way to/from Manhattan so I'm surprised it took me as long as it did to stop into One Girl Cookies.

Walking down Dean Street you will spot this bakery haven immediately because of the large sign that simply reads, "Cookies" in all capital letters. These people know how to attract a crowd. Only upon closer inspection would a pedestrian observe the specific bakery residing humbly beyond the enticing sign. The inside matches the atmosphere of the neighborhood, it's adorable. Light blues and off-whites color this store, which perfectly compliments the simple, sparse decorations. It is a relatively small space, so its sparsity creates the illusion of a more spacious display room and seating area. Today was a gorgeous day, I suspect it was the last Indian summer of the season, so the doors were wide open and the seating area felt even more open than it might otherwise feel.

I went with my friend Janelle and we were tempted to indulge in their whoopie pies, array of seasonal cakes and pies, cookies, and gelato, but we eventually decided to stick with the original plan: cupcakes! Per usual, I asked the woman behind the register what her personal favorite was, and she answered that she typically goes for the vanilla cake with chocolate buttercream on top. I went for it and loved every bite. I almost got a second (I would have switched up the flavors) but decided to refrain. The one cupcake was incredible and I suppose that quality beats quantity. Janelle got the vanilla cake with colored vanilla buttercream. We went simple because fancy flavors (lemon, carrot, banana), as delicious as they are, can make a strictly ordinary cupcake seem tastier than it actually is. If a simple cupcake wows, however, then you know it's impressive.

Wow, indeed. Each portion of this cupcake was just right. The cake was moist and the buttercream was rich and creamy. Most importantly: the two were ideally proportional to each other. Everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion of cake/icing ratio. Some people are cake fans (a girl I worked with used to dump her cupcake upside-down on a napkin and eat it that way because she didn't like frosting at all) while others forsake the cake entirely just to lick off the icing. I am a 50/50 gal. That doesn't mean equal amounts of cake and icing, but the two tastes have to balance each other out equally. For example, Magnolia Bakery, a favorite of many, offers cupcakes that, in my opinion, have so much frosting it overpowers the entire cupcake. One Girl Cookies has the ratio down pat.

Oh yeah, in a tiny seating area that had five people total in it, Janelle and I were surprised to discover that Kerri Russell sat down next to us with a latte, something that looked like a square chocolate muffin (from the seasonal collection, I think), and reading materials. She was chatty with the people working there and I got the feeling she frequents often. Looks like Ms. Russell is a fan, too. I should have asked her what her favorite cupcake flavor is...

The Greenmarket Experience When Green Fades

2009-11-06T20:23:00.000-08:00

The Union Square Greenmarket is one of my favorite happenings in the city. It's located in--go figure--Union Square (14th Street/Broadway) every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. It has multiple stands of everything fresh and organic your heart may desire. There is everything from cheese to veggies, from fish to apple pies, from soaps to eggs, from honey to flowers and seeds, and probably anything else (or the ingredients therein) that you would find appetizing. Beyond taste-bud titilation, there is always a great energy surrounding the market. People are happy to be there! Honestly, if I could start every day with a trip to this farmer's market I would never have a sour day.

I think most fondly of the Greenmarket on warm, lazy Saturday mornings in the summer. What could be better than fresh-squeezed lemonade while you load up on fresh vegetables to make a killer stir-fry for a late lunch?

Visiting the Greenmarket when the trees in Union Square Park have shed their leaves offers a different but equally wonderful experience. Exchange summer sweat for a scarf and jacket. Instead of refreshing lemonade, try wrapping your hands around a warm cup of Hot Mint Tea (sweetened with a bit of grape juice), Hot Apple (or Pear!) Cider, Sumac Tea, or Mulled Concord Grape Juice. If you can free a hand from the delicious beverage you are sipping, try occupying it with one of the many tempting baked goods, which are inexplicably more satisfying when the temperature drops.

When I stopped through the market today, the first chilly day that has legitimately signaled the end of all warm weather for months to come, I got some Sumac Tea and, in keeping with my pumpkin phase, a Pumpkin Spice Scone. It was huge, moist, and the inside was sprinkled with raisins. It hit the spot and I remembered that I love the Greenmarket in the Fall just as much as I love it in the summer even if a bit of brisk walking takes the place of a sticky stroll.

The Randomness of New York City Epitomized

2009-11-05T19:26:00.000-08:00

Monday morning I went to yoga at Yoga To the People. (It's a donation based yoga studio in the East Village. I highly recommend it!) I was walking from the studio to the subway and passed a film set. In New York, this is not a rare occurrence so I nearly circumvented the scene without even glancing at the action. When I did look over, though, I recognized one of the extras standing to the side. He was an extra for the Rob Thomas music video "Someday" I was in a couple months ago. I caught his attention and asked him what this project he was working on and he answered briefly before he was called to attention. I said goodbye, that is was good to run into him, and went along my merry way.

Two blocks later he came jogging up behind me. He tracked me down to give me the contact information of the casting director for the film and told me I should get in touch with him because it was a really good group of people working on the project. Next thing I know, I am working on this film for the next three days! It's been a blast! It's an indie film called It's Not You starring Steve Guttenberg and Shannon Elizabeth. The whole cast and crew was awesome. It was a small production so everyone has come to know each other and that kind of rapport has made it a truly valuable experience.

So there you have it. If being in the Rob Thomas music video wasn't random enough, how about running into an extra I met from that shoot on my way home from yoga and then working on a film with the guy who played Mary-Kate and Ashley's dad in It Takes Two. That's random. That's New York City, folks.

As a quick post script I must add that Steve Guttenberg is officially one of my favorite people of all time. He calls me "Kate!" (no one really calls me Kate but I let it slide for Steve) and is ridiculously kind and good-humored. I feel like he's my uncle. If only he were...

The Brooklyn Bridge at Sunset, caught haphazardly by my iPhone

2009-11-04T19:41:00.000-08:00

Bring On the Pumpkin

2009-11-03T18:41:00.000-08:00

For the past month I have been enjoying all things pumpkin. Pumpkin pie. Pumpkin latte. Pumpkin chocolate chip muffins (see prior post for recipe!). Pumpkin seeds. Pumpkin carving. And you know what? I am going to ride this all the way through November!

The other night I went to my favorite ice cream shop in Manhattan, Sundaes and Cones. If the smell of waffle cones doesn't suck you in, their perfectly creamy texture and adventurous flavors are a sure bet. I walked in with my mind set on the pumpkin ice cream, knowing that if I was open to the possibility of another flavor I would stray all too easily. I'm so glad I stuck to my original intention! It tasted strongly of pumpkin but had enough dairy (and at Sundaes and Cones this means thick cream), sugar, and cinnamon to avoid tasting too much like pumpkin puree. It was a fully satisfying and definitely filling dessert. I also had a bite of my friend's Red Orange Sorbet, which was much lighter in texture and perfectly refreshing! Mmmmm

Tonight I met a friend for happy hour at Tom and Jerry's in Nolita. We got the Brooklyn Brewery Pumpkin Ale to continue the pumpkin trend. The only other pumpkin beer I've had this season was the Dogfish Head Punkin' Ale. They were both delicious and I wish I could taste them in immediate juxtaposition, but from what I recall of the Punkin' Ale, it was sweeter than the Brooklyn Brewery Pumpkin Ale. Plenty of cinnamon and nutmeg in each. Since my memory fogs any further comparison, I'll conclude with saying that both were delightful and hit the spot in each occasion.

In a non-pumpkin-related note...

Awesome restaurant heads-up: Broome Street Bar. I went prior to hitting up Sundaes and Cones. A friend took me here promising a good burger and I'm happy to report that I was not misled! The burger was served in a pita, which was an unconventional approach to such a familiar meal. While some people are big on the bun, I thought this pita/burger combo was absolute perfection because the burger itself was grilled to juicy impeccability and deserved the spotlight. I got blue cheese on mine and it rocked. In addition to a delicious meal (including a side of thick fries), this place impressed me with its atmosphere. It has character! It was chill and inviting...perfect for a burger and a beer. Just be prepared to roll up your sleeves to tackle the burger! Kudos to my friend who brought me here.

Makeup, Marathon, and the Like!

2009-11-02T16:28:00.000-08:00

This past weekend was no ordinary weekend. It was epic (and I'm only being slightly hyperbolic). Two staple New York City events were side-by-side: Saturday was Halloween and Sunday was the New York City Marathon.

Going into the weekend I was excited about dressing up on Saturday, staying out too late, and waking up early on Sunday to grab coffee and a bagel from the bodega and cheer on the marathon runners. What I did not anticipate was that this city would impress me, yet again, with its community and energy. New Yorkers showed up full-force for each event to reveal what this city is all about. True, they showed up in decidedly different ways, but they shined in both.

One word to describe this city: vibrant.

Saturday's Halloween festivities began for me with the Park Slope parade in the early evening. As opposed to the notorious Greenwich Village Parade in Manhattan, the Park Slope Parade was comprised of adorably animated children, their equally as costumed parents, and danceable drum beats. Before I moved to Brooklyn, I forgot that anyone under the age of 17 even lived in the city. I scarcely saw a child and on those rare occasions I viewed them with bafflement like they had green skin and spaghetti for hair. They seemed so out of place! In Park Slope, on the other hand, they are everywhere! It somehow puts my place in life into perspective and I like that.

Later, my friends and I hopped on the subway to head into the city. The subway car was like tearing a page from every fairy tale, comic book, and gossip magazine and binding them together to make one quirky and hilarious amalgamation. Everyone was in exceptionally high spirits! They were complimenting costumes (not without some air of competition at times) and making new friends. Throw a wig and long eyelashes on someone and BAM--all inhibitions thrown out the window!

The rest of the night continued in a similar fashion. I was impressed with the creativity and innovation on display but more than anything I was astounded because the city that is typically ever-egotistical, self-protecting, and self-indulgent transformed into a community. Sure, the community included Lady Gaga look-alikes and Don Drapers...but that's not such a far cry from New York's reality, is it?

The next morning I woke up, as anticipated, earlier than I should have. I walked down to Fourth Avenue (at 13th street) in Brooklyn to catch the first wave a marathon competitors. There were already quite a few people lining the street to watch. The crowd grew as the Elite runners passed and by the time the Lottery runners reached our area, the sidewalks were overflowing with people who came out in the chilly weather just to cheer on the runners--and in that way welcome all of the people who came from around the world to our city. Signs were held up and boxes of tissues were held out for the passing runners to snatch a Kleenex if needed.

This past weekend reminded me of why this city is so special. It is not the mere fact that I live here, but the fact that I choose to participate in what the city has to offer that makes me feel exhilarated to be here. I feel like I am a part of something much bigger than myself.

It was the best way to bid adieu to October and welcome our cold-weathered friend, November.

On Anthony Bourdain's Referral....Off We Go!

2009-10-30T15:49:00.000-07:00

If you have seen Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations on the Travel Channel, you know that in his quest for a culinary experience he often stumbles upon food that is adventurous, unique, and at times downright unappetizing. He tests and analyzes when most people's taste buds would retreat at the first sniff. We can't all be as bad-ass as Mr. Bourdain...

...But we can try to be. With a group of friends to fortify my resolve, I hopped on the Staten Island Ferry and crossed the bay to our oft-forsaken brother borough to try out Jade Island, boasting the best that Chinese/Polynesian food has to offer. True, it is not as outlandish as many of Bourdain's ventures, but anything that involved the legendary "Pu-pu platter" takes some guts to try.

Once we got to Staten Island we hopped on a bus--it's only passengers for most of the ride--for thirty minutes until we reached our destination: a nearly abandoned strip mall and vast parking lot. Coming from the more densely populated portion of New York City, I felt like I was in Kansas. Or a third dimension. Or purgatory. Regardless, we were there to eat, and eat we did!

The stand-outs: their drinks (one of which is called the "Dirty Old Stinker") were incredible! DELICIOUS (which can be attributed to lots of sugar, I'm sure) and STRONG. One of them came is a whole pineapple:

Then, of course, there was the much-anticipated Pu-Pu Platter. It deserves a moment of silence.

What would this world be without a little Pu-Pu? I'll tell you, it wouldn't be nearly as wonderful...or fried. The Pu-Pu platter was delectable; an array of fried/deep-fried meats, gathered in separate departments around the central flame. We heated each piece before eating it, which was completely unnecessary but definitely added to the experience. I should also mention that the waitstaff gave us exceptionally teethy smiles (at least coming from Manhattan it seemed that way) and were prompt and congenial throughout the evening.

If you feel a lack of Pu-Pu, Staten Island, or empty parking lots OR want ridiculously strong themed drinks...head to Jade Island.

Next on our list: Tortilleria Mexicana Los Hermanos. While Jade Island was tasty but mostly hilarious, Los Hermanos was 100% tasty. The fact that it was also an incredible bargain must have added to its perfection. Please, do yourself the favor and take the L train past Bedford Avenue to the Jefferson stop. You will not be disappointed!! It's right off of the stop, walk half a block and you'll see it.

It's a garage-style joint with all of the Mexican basics for cheap cheap cheap. There are 7 different filling options -- carnitas, enchilada, beefsteak, cecina (salted beef), chorizo, chicken and veggie -- any of which can be had in taco, taquito, torta or tostada form. When I asked the man at the counter which was his favorite, he said the chorizo and thank goodness I capitalized on his suggestion! In a thick, fresh, handmade tortilla, it was one of the most exquisite things I have ever tasted.

They prep everything from scratch and you can see them washing and cutting the vegetables through the glass wall in the "garage" section (seen in the background of the picture below). Freshness that your own eyes can vouch for.

Worth noting is that although they, sadly, do not have cervezas, they have the Mexican version of soda pop, called Jarritos (I got the Lemon and highly recommend it), and it serves as the perfect compliment to a thrifty and delicious meal.

Thank you, Anthony Bourdain. Thank you.

Throw in Chocolate Chips and I'm there

2009-10-29T09:42:00.000-07:00

In a Halloween-inspired evening, my roommates and I put on Hocus Pocus and I donned my apron to cook up some Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffin Cakes.

First of all, I forgot how great that movie is. It brought back all kinds of memories, including a pre-pubescent crush on the sweaty, pony-tail rockin', young chap whose sister gets her soul sucked out in the first scene. What a heart-breaker.

Any friend of mine can tell you that chocolate is my weakness (I include Nutella in this category). I realize that this is not an uncommon vice and does not distinguish me when it comes to the question of "what to bake?" Hocus Pocus made me want to bake a loaf of pumpkin walnut bread or something along those lines, but having that irresistible urge to at least drizzle chocolate on top, I decided on Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffin Cakes. I got this recipe from Forks. Figs. & Fancy Shoes. The writer of that blog also writes for Serious Eats NY, which I follow religiously and highly recommend if you are a foodie in this city.

The muffin cakes were delicious (even though I fudged the recipe a bit...I blame my distraction on Bette Midler's freaky lips). My roommates owe me big time.

In other foodie news, one of the most fascinating slide shows I have ever seen has recently been posted online. In an adieu effort by the recently folded Gourmet magazine, they compiled a slide show called Food Online: A-Z. The pictures are excellent but don't forsake the accompanying text! They make poignant observations about current trends in the food world and how the internet has become so intertwined in culinary movements. Check out some of those hyperlinks, too. My personal favorite: Pancake For Your Face.

Watching that makes me want pancakes. With chocolate chips, no doubt. (And a dollop of Nutella?)

Hello to China from the Brooklyn Bowl

2009-10-28T19:07:00.000-07:00

This is my best friend, Jake. He's teaching English in China and in this picture he's showing me his Chinese Minute Maid orange juice bottle. Thanks to the wonders of Skype, we are able to keep in contact just about as easily as we could if he were on the West Coast. Today, while communicating through the wonders of cyberspace, he informed me that he couldn't view my blog: China forbade him. So I wanted to say hello to China. Let's be friends. Let my friend see my blog about...

THE BROOKLYN BOWL! Last week a couple friends and I went to the Brooklyn Bowl. It's right around the corner from the Brooklyn Brewery and not only has a 16-lane bowling alley but also (and if you're me, the real draw) food by Blue Ribbon. The food is haute home-cookin' cuisine and the fried chicken with collard greens and mashed potatoes were outstanding. The fried chicken made New York Magazine's Bucket List. I'm not typically tempted by fried but trust me, this fried chicken is not to be missed.

The reason my friends and I went to the Brooklyn Bowl was not for the food (although it could have been). The trip to Williamsburg wasn't even for the bowling. It was for a $5 concert that include the hilariously named DJ Shit Robot, Yacht, and LCD Soundsystem. Surprise!--Brooklyn Bowl is, in addition to everything else, a performance venue! Bowlers to the left, disco ball above. Random. Wonderful.

A great show and great food...great night.

Yacht performing

Rainy Days are A-Okay

2009-10-27T14:22:00.000-07:00

Grab an umbrella. We have things to do.

On the list:
-get a Halloween costume
-chase away rainy day blues with delicious things

I always wait until Halloween Day to piece together a costume. It is usually an amalgamation of my clothing, my friends clothing, and outlandish accessories I find, well, anywhere! This year I decided to put some (if minimal) effort into deciding a costume ahead of time. So I went to a vintage shop in my 'hood, Park Slope, called Monkey Whistles and Motor Bikes (there's another great one called Odd Twin a couple blocks away). I saw a vintage Bon Jovi 1989 Tour shirt and found my inspiration. I won't reveal more just yet.

One of the best hot chocolates in New York City is at Trois Pommes. It is thick, like a melted chocolate bar, and the chocolate they use is rich, creamy, and sweet. The best part? The homemade marshmallow on top.

The last stop was to check out the Madison Square Park Market. I have been meaning on going for a couple weeks now and seeing that it is only open until November 1st, I thought I should not delay in going. The clothing and jewelry vendors were fine. They did not carry anything particularly impressive but lots of cute knick-knacks. The obvious star of this market was the food vendors. I'm talking about Butter Lane cupcakes, Breezy Hill Orchard apple cider and donuts, and many more options for us gluttons! Goodbye rainy day blues!

Young. In the city. Lots goin' on.

2009-10-25T12:38:00.000-07:00

It isn't until I have left New York City that I remember I live in New York City.

It is not that my current reality slips my mind or that I daydream of being elsewhere. It has much more to do with the New York-centric state of mind that becomes unavoidable in residing here. Living in this city is constantly in my awareness. So much so, in fact, that I unknowingly dismiss other places that my friends and family live.

I forget that the highlight of the week for my friend who lives in small-town Ohio is the newest episode of Glee. Last week while brunching at Clinton Street Baking Co. in the Lower East Side I saw Glee star Jane Lynch. Later than day I saw Lucy Liu at Cafe Grumpy in Chelsea. While I recognize that such "sightings" are neat, I forget that they are unique to where I live.

This past weekend I visited my friend Kirby, who is a Teach for America teacher at a public school in Hartford, Connecticut. Two things about this visit were a shock to my system. One: we drove absolutely everywhere. Many times it was necessary, but we hopped into the car out of habit even when it wasn't needed. Two: We had a hard time coming up with things to do. Living in New York City, boredom is rarely if ever a problem. There are so many things to do it is legitimately overwhelming. The only problem is having the time (and money) to do them all.

Awareness of my current city is reemerging in my consciousness. The random and planned activities I get myself into are being thrown back into perspective as not only unique but downright cool. So I thought I should blog about it.

I am 23 years old. I worked as a Page at NBC Universal the first 12 months I lived in New York. Now I freelance and spend my spare time enjoying this city and its splendors. Food is my weakness. More to come.