My new home

It's happened. I've found a new home in Crown Heights, Brooklyn! I went back this weekend and signed the deal with a warming hug.

On my way to the subway (only 4 blocks from my door!!) I could barely contain my ear to ear grin. I walked into Lily & Fig and was delighted to find such a gem! I met Lily and she gave me a soothing cup of Jasmine Green Tea.

This is going to be a good thing. A very, very good thing. More to come as I start venturing around my new neighborhood!

Baba's Approval!

I called Baba this evening to see what she thought of the potato salad I made. Her comment:

"You've made it better than anyone I've ever given the recipe to. It was very, VERY good. Next, I can teach you how to make Babka. Do you want to know how to make Babka?"

Oh hell yes!

Mushroom Risotto and Chardonnay

I've been looking at apartments. Thinking about apartments. Imagining myself in a living quarters other than this beautiful kitchen that Joe and I designed. We picked out these tiles. Peeled the walls of horrid paper and chose the color for their new skin. This is our home... and now, the kitchen I've had some of my greatest times in, is going to belong to someone else.

But I think I've found a new home. Dear God, I hope I've found my new home.

Tonight I cooked mushroom risotto for works' potluck lunch tomorrow. I listened to jazz... I drank chardonnay... and now, as I'm getting ready to call it a night, the song is "It's Harvest Time". Because it is. It is harvest time. As I drove from the train to home I became so excited to stir ingredients and encourage them into a beautiful dish (I hope it holds until tomorrow!!!).

Times, well, they are a changing, but my cooking utensils and love for food are not. They remain and they will grow strong enough for me to harvest.

I'll share the recipe AFTER the Food Network face off!

Really? Really!?

Let's say some middle school kids have a food fight. No harm in this, right? No harm was ever caused in the numerous food fights that I, my friends, or generations of kids before have participated in.

Well, these 25 poor middle schoolers from a Chicago Charter School were thrown into jail! I kid you not and I'm disgusted by the authorities.

I'm not one for wasting food... but come on, how good (and how real) is the food that they were throwing anyway?

Day 1: Making Potato Salad (alone and in Queens)

Today, I make the infamous Baba Potato Salad. She has moved out and Joe is going to look at apartments in Brooklyn with his friend. Change and transition are in the air. I am on my own, but keeping positive.

I am cutting the recipe in half because after much thought, 5 lbs of potato salad in the middle of November may be a little over zealous and ambitious for one little Italian on the out skirts of Queens to combat by herself.

Today, I cook with love and all of the stories Baba has shared with me over the past 2 years. I must do her proud!

Ok... here I go. Wish me luck!

Homemade Chicken Soup & Apple/Persimmon Sauce

I'm getting my two bottom wisdom teeth extracted today - YIKES! So, this morning, I ran to the store (well, drove because it was wet and cold) and picked up chicken thighs from Marino's Italian Market and a few other necessities.

After sauteing some onions, carrots, celery, ginger and garlic in a pot, I dumped in the chicken followed by the last of my gardens' herbs. The pot was then filled with water and set to boil with the lid on.

Then, I chopped the last of my five apples and two overly ride persimmons. Added them to a bit of water, whiskey, and cinnamon and brought to a boil.

Now, I think I am ready for a rainy (and slightly painful) weekend.

Oh yes, and before I forget, DON'T leave out the freshly squeezed lemon in the chicken soup. It takes any broth from great to AMAZING!!!

Tea & Me (perhaps you too!)

What I'm loving right now are hints of floral and earthy aromas in my tea.

When I was browsing the impressive (and slightly overwhelming) tea selection at the Queens Health Emporium, I came upon Numi's Green Tea with Jasmine. I could barely wait to brew a cup and experience whatever steeps.

To my delightful surprise, the jasmine actually has a familiar gardenia scent. I've had jasmine in the past and remember it being slightly more dark in flavor. Regardless, it is delicious and it warmed me right up.

There is something about tea and timing. If you are in a mood, the right cup of tea can calm your nerves and soothe your soul. It will bring you to that quiet place within ourselves which we all need every so often.

One piece of advise I will share is to only let your bag steep for several minutes. There is a fine line between "just right" and "bitter". I believe this lesson goes well beyond tea...

Harvesting Silence

I grabbed the Epoch Times with enthusiasm from a spot that is usually crowded with Metro, AM and Korean free daily papers. This publication hasn't been free since it launched last year (perhaps even two years now). I was ecstatic.

As I thumbed through on the busy 7 train while balancing a juice box of cashew fruit and my mp3 player I came across an article in the Arts section about silence. Now, for someone who has been battling with writing demons, relationship demons, moving demons, career demons, family demons, etc, etc, this story felt like a whispering voice from God.

I committed myself to the page and took Eric Shumsky's word as guidance and advice - not just commentary on how inspirational silence is in this noisy and loud world we live in.

Being so overtaken by the notion that I have to gain control back over myself again I vowed to spend all of my evening in complete silence. No radio, the phone would be off, and I wouldn't even hum. The goal was to be a quiet observer to whatever organic sounds present themselves in the evening.

Not having cooked in a while and knowing that I had an abundance of great produce in my fridge I went on to roast some cauliflower - curry style. I was entranced by the way the water rushed over each veggie and the way it really boiled in the pot. The rhythm my knife made felt more like a tribal drum as the cutting board gently rocked with each slice.

And it wasn't just the sounds I was noticing. The aromas that were lifted out of this experiment made me think more about what to add next? Ginger, red pepper, celery, carrots, lemon? They all ended up going into a bath of olive oil, spice and garlic along with the blanched cauliflower (tip from my favorite vegan, Ryan).

As I closed the oven door on the medley to roast, I retreated to my living room and unrolled the yoga mat. The positions I contorted my body into were not real positions at all, but I could hear cracking, grinding, and then an unexpected siiiiiiiigh from the relief of stress. I even made myself stop grinding my teeth and popping my jaw.

The evening continued, the food came out of the oven and cooled, I went to bed and read some "Growth of the Soil" and then fell asleep.

Read the article, it is inspirational. I think I'm back on the right track to listening to my heart and not the static of my talkative brain.

Nothing like good ol' fried chicken!

Terry, my new friend, loves fried chicken.

Tonight before leaving work she mentioned going to Pop Eyes and picking up something on her way home. I said, I'll go with you if you are willing to try something new. Being the adventurous girl she is she replied, "Sure, but it better really good fried chicken". With little negotiating she agreed to trust me (because I really don't have bad taste).

We proceeded down 14th St and after a funny phone call with my nephew, Eliot, we approached the unassuming open doors of Dirty Bird. To me this is the BEST slow fast food in NYC. No joking.

The first step in boasted of herb-y, garlic-y, rotisserie chicken. The plump (but not unnaturally pumped) breasts were slowly turning under a slow cooker and the kitchen buzzed in the back. Without hesitation Terry placed her order and looked pleased. "Oh this is going to be good", she proclaimed. I just nodded and ordered my smashed red skin potatoes with gravy.

My favorite thing about Dirty Bird is how humane and awesome they are with the environment. Aside from their free range, vegetarian, and hormone free chicken from Amish country, they also recycle their cooking oil! I didn't realize until tonight that they give their grease to TriState Bio diesel (TSB) to turn into reusable fuel! I asked if they used the fuel for themselves and the gentleman behind the counter said, "well, eventually we would love to have our own Dirty Bird street cart!".

Holy crap, Dirty Bird on the go? That would be awesome!

Forcing Insight

I'm exhausted. Physically and emotionally exhausted.

I don't know what the heck happened in the month of October but I am left with nothing to offer. While there are people across the world starving and suffering, here I am wallowing over a crab and quail egg dinner. Shame on me.

Seriously.

I haven't been able to write what I love about because my words are beginning to feel mundane and redundant. Does anyone really care what I had for dinner? Yes, people care about the gardens but I have been uninvolved lately because work and my personal life have taken over the 24 hours I have.

I was on the Culinary Corps website today and read through each page. I finally felt something I haven't felt in weeks: yearning. I was literally lifted off of my seat while reading their projects that range from menu development to kitchen training to school garden construction and education. I can't believe I've been too selfish with my time to get back involved! Thankfully I have a meeting with Sarah this week so hopefully we can really get more Good Food Garden initiatives rolling.

What I'm trying to say is that I'm forcing insight because I know this is what I need right now. Vanity is not the answer, nor is weeping and wallowing. I need to do what my mother always told me: pull yourself up by the boot straps and start helping other people. Get your ass into the kitchen, get your hands dirty, and start!!

Thanks, Ma! That's just what I'm going to do.

Queens Health Emporium

Situated on the Horace Harding Highway in Flushing, Queens, the Queens Health Emporium is a true gem to the neighborhood. I've been living here for two years now and I randomly decided to go in about a month ago. It doesn't look like much from the outside, but then again, none of the good places in this area do.

When I first approached the corner door I anticipated a vitamin shop with some packaged "health" food. To my surprise the interior resembled more of a market from San Francisco or Lambertville's Bear Foods. I felt like a child on Christmas.

The two story store offers one of the largest tea selections I've ever seen, their own vegan deli, an awesome variety of fresh organic produce, a vitamin/pharmacy section that would give any apothecary a run for their money, and the list goes on and on. For someone who gets excited over a perfect persimmon or coconut water, this is the place for you. Most things are fairly priced and beat Manhattan's up-marking any day.

I stocked up on treats such as radishes, beets, squash, wild blueberry granola, Jasmine Green tea, and almond water, to name a few. Unfortunately I was slightly rushed, but that didn't stop the kind cashier from talking to me about the importance of ginger for a stressed immune system and as a brilliant detoxer.

Go. Now. What are you waiting for?

Tener un buen día!

This morning I stopped by my favorite Mexican lady on my way to the 7 train. She has the best tamales from anywhere I've been and makes this soul warming arroz con leche (sweetened milk with plump rice) which I crave on cold mornings.

Today, aside from the usual broken Spanish/English and smiles we exchange, we actually had a personal conversation.

She asked if my mother was Spanish and if I could understand her. I told her my mother is Italian and I am trying to learn Spanish because it is such a beautiful language. She said the best way to do so was through food, and I could NOT have agreed more!

I walked away with my arroz con leche ($1), tamale con pollo ($1), and a new phrase: tener un buen dia! Have a nice day!

Welcome to the White House!

What is most exciting to me about this NY Times article (aside from the fact that I am the Coordinator for Iron Chef America) is that I signed the petition for the White House Victory Garden!

All in all, I need a hard copy of this article for my scrap book.

I hope you enjoy!!!