You may (or may not) remember a post I did in the beginning of the month on the fabulous coffee shop, The Pulp & The Bean. P & B quickly became a morning main stay for me because they were one of the few coffee shops who honored guests with their own mugs! Seventy five cents would get your reusable cup filled to the brim with your choice of milk and a smile from the friendly staff.
Yesterday, however, my heart broke before me.
It seemed to be a normal morning. I was greeted as normal and handed over my cup with a cheerful, "the usual please!". As I moved to the register with Pablo, I gave him a dollar expecting a quarter back, INSTEAD he said "it's a $1.50."
"No," I replied slightly confused, "when I bring my cup in it's only $.75."
"Oh, well we changed it. Now it is $1.50 no matter what size."
WHAT?! I took my coffee, gave him the extra change, and gave my "have a great day". What I should have said was "have a great life!".
I think it is very sad and wrong that they ended such a great incentive... and lost such a devoted customer.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Neal Rosenthal on Terroir
It was 6:30pm at Astor Center and we were pouring our first three wines for the evening: Chaumes, Champs Gains* & Caillerets. All three are Chardonnay; all three are from the village of Chassagne-Montrachet; all three were produced by Jean-Marc Morey. However, all three were grown on different plots of land (the Chaumes was the northern most vineyard and Caillerets the southern most) and displayed incredible differences.
Neal Rosenthal poetically leads us through Burgundy with terroir, geography and history pulling the cart.
My friend, Jenna, and I sat there entranced as our senses danced from glass to glass. Rude de Chaux, Pruliers*, Vaucrains, Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru '04*, Les Bressandes '04, & Les Bressandes '05.
"We are the stewards of the vine to wine process," Neal said romantically. "It is a very spiritual, very poetic process".
I took detailed notes focusing on nose, flavor & texture. Color was secondary as we made sure to be conscious of the minerality and earthiness the wines offered to us.
The beauty of Burgundy, I've discovered, is beyond the perplexity of senses. My vocabulary and underdeveloped pallet cannot even distinguish a tenth of what is going on - but you have to think beyond "wine logic". Burgundy allows us to venture into our memories. It allows us to create new ones with those whom we are sharing the treasure with.
Everything from rich morning dew on my grandmothers farm (particularly condensing the berries and wheat) to the sea to animal scents to Ramapo College on a fall morning all appeared before me last night.
Burgundy wines, I now believe, are mirrors to their homeland that reflect the memories of our soul.
*my prefered wines of the evening.
Neal Rosenthal poetically leads us through Burgundy with terroir, geography and history pulling the cart.
My friend, Jenna, and I sat there entranced as our senses danced from glass to glass. Rude de Chaux, Pruliers*, Vaucrains, Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru '04*, Les Bressandes '04, & Les Bressandes '05.
"We are the stewards of the vine to wine process," Neal said romantically. "It is a very spiritual, very poetic process".
I took detailed notes focusing on nose, flavor & texture. Color was secondary as we made sure to be conscious of the minerality and earthiness the wines offered to us.
The beauty of Burgundy, I've discovered, is beyond the perplexity of senses. My vocabulary and underdeveloped pallet cannot even distinguish a tenth of what is going on - but you have to think beyond "wine logic". Burgundy allows us to venture into our memories. It allows us to create new ones with those whom we are sharing the treasure with.
Everything from rich morning dew on my grandmothers farm (particularly condensing the berries and wheat) to the sea to animal scents to Ramapo College on a fall morning all appeared before me last night.
Burgundy wines, I now believe, are mirrors to their homeland that reflect the memories of our soul.
*my prefered wines of the evening.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
My photos are online!!!!
Hooray!!! One of my favorite food magazines, Edible, has published my photos online!!!!
This past Sunday, Edible Queens hosted an event in Long Island City which I volunteered at. Leah McClaughlin, our fabulous editor, handed me her new camera and let me have at it! Please follow the red velvet cake (I took this one too!) to take a peek. I took all except for the last one.
Cheers!
Fighting Starvation
Here is an exerpt from the New York Times article, Fighthing Starvation, Haitians Share Portions:
"It is not, after all, just homes that fell when the earth shook on Jan. 12. Supermarkets have collapsed to rubble. Butchers and bakers are dead.
At the Dimino bakery in Bourdon, a middle class area in the foothills above downtown Port-au-Prince, five people died when the ceiling fell in. The ovens are now buried in dirt. On the floor, plastic foam cakes lie overturned, their cheerful messages made invisible.
A few doors down, Elsie Perdriel cooked up what little she could. Her one-story home with maroon trim survived the earthquake, making her one of the lucky ones. But now she has 20 mouths to feed instead of four: seven children, including her grandson, a few extended relatives, and neighbors who lost their own homes.
Ms. Perdriel, a no-nonsense cook with her hair pulled back, displayed a pot with half of a chicken cut into pieces. “This should be for two people,” she said. “Now it will have to do for 20.”
Many other Haitians, while shouting for help in ever louder voices, are finding ways to share. In several neighborhoods of Carrefour, a poor area closer to the epicenter, small soup kitchens have sprung up with discounted meals, subsidized by Haitians with a little extra money. At 59 Impasse Eddy on Monday, three women behind a blue house stirred a pot of beans and rice, flavored with coconut, spices and lime juice.
They started cooking for their neighbors the day after the earthquake. On many mornings, they serve 100 people before 10 a.m."
"It is not, after all, just homes that fell when the earth shook on Jan. 12. Supermarkets have collapsed to rubble. Butchers and bakers are dead.
At the Dimino bakery in Bourdon, a middle class area in the foothills above downtown Port-au-Prince, five people died when the ceiling fell in. The ovens are now buried in dirt. On the floor, plastic foam cakes lie overturned, their cheerful messages made invisible.
A few doors down, Elsie Perdriel cooked up what little she could. Her one-story home with maroon trim survived the earthquake, making her one of the lucky ones. But now she has 20 mouths to feed instead of four: seven children, including her grandson, a few extended relatives, and neighbors who lost their own homes.
Ms. Perdriel, a no-nonsense cook with her hair pulled back, displayed a pot with half of a chicken cut into pieces. “This should be for two people,” she said. “Now it will have to do for 20.”
Many other Haitians, while shouting for help in ever louder voices, are finding ways to share. In several neighborhoods of Carrefour, a poor area closer to the epicenter, small soup kitchens have sprung up with discounted meals, subsidized by Haitians with a little extra money. At 59 Impasse Eddy on Monday, three women behind a blue house stirred a pot of beans and rice, flavored with coconut, spices and lime juice.
They started cooking for their neighbors the day after the earthquake. On many mornings, they serve 100 people before 10 a.m."
Kimchi for lunch
Sunday afternoon snack, last night for dinner and today for lunch: Kimchi. Over arugula or straight out of the jar, kimchi is rich in both nutrition and cultural history. The Korean side dish is, most basically, cabbage which is "pickled" with aromatic heat spices.
I've had this several times at the awesome restaurants in Flushing. While walking around Fresh Fanatic on Saturday, I saw a jar in the produce fridge and decided to give it a try. Glad that I did!
If you get a chance... take a chance. Here is a recipe I found online that I am certainly going to try.
1 large Chinese or Napa Cabbage
1 gallon (4l) water
1/2 cup (100g) coarse salt
1 small head of garlic, peeled and finely minced
one 2-inch (6cm) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1/4 cup (60ml) fish sauce
1/3 cup (80ml) chili paste or 1/2 cup Korean chili powder
1 bunch green onions, cut into 1-inch (3cm) lengths (use the dark green part, too, except for the tough ends)
1 medium daikon radish, peeled and grated
1 teaspoon sugar or honey
1. Slice the cabbage lengthwise in half, then slice each half lengthwise into 3 sections. Cut away the tough stem chunks.
2. Dissolve the salt in the water in a very large container, then submerge the cabbage under the water. Put a plate on top to make sure they stay under water, then let stand for 2 hours.
3. Mix the other ingredients in a very large metal or glass bowl.
4. Drain the cabbage, rinse it, and squeeze it dry.
5. Here's the scary part: mix it all up.
Some recipes advise wearing rubber gloves since the chili paste can stain your hands and can cause after burn if you touch your eyes or your pee-pee. If you have rubber or latex gloves, you might want to wear them.
6. Pack the kimchi in a clean glass jar large enough to hold it all and cover it tightly. Let stand for two days in a cool place, around room temperature.
7. Check the kimchi after two days. If it's bubbling a bit, it's ready and can be refrigerated. If not, let it stand 1-2 more days, when it should be ready.
8. Once it's fermenting, serve or store in the refrigerator. If you want, add a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds over the kimchi for serving.
Storage: Many advise to eat the kimchi within 3 weeks. After that, it can get too fermented.
I've had this several times at the awesome restaurants in Flushing. While walking around Fresh Fanatic on Saturday, I saw a jar in the produce fridge and decided to give it a try. Glad that I did!
If you get a chance... take a chance. Here is a recipe I found online that I am certainly going to try.
1 large Chinese or Napa Cabbage
1 gallon (4l) water
1/2 cup (100g) coarse salt
1 small head of garlic, peeled and finely minced
one 2-inch (6cm) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1/4 cup (60ml) fish sauce
1/3 cup (80ml) chili paste or 1/2 cup Korean chili powder
1 bunch green onions, cut into 1-inch (3cm) lengths (use the dark green part, too, except for the tough ends)
1 medium daikon radish, peeled and grated
1 teaspoon sugar or honey
1. Slice the cabbage lengthwise in half, then slice each half lengthwise into 3 sections. Cut away the tough stem chunks.
2. Dissolve the salt in the water in a very large container, then submerge the cabbage under the water. Put a plate on top to make sure they stay under water, then let stand for 2 hours.
3. Mix the other ingredients in a very large metal or glass bowl.
4. Drain the cabbage, rinse it, and squeeze it dry.
5. Here's the scary part: mix it all up.
Some recipes advise wearing rubber gloves since the chili paste can stain your hands and can cause after burn if you touch your eyes or your pee-pee. If you have rubber or latex gloves, you might want to wear them.
6. Pack the kimchi in a clean glass jar large enough to hold it all and cover it tightly. Let stand for two days in a cool place, around room temperature.
7. Check the kimchi after two days. If it's bubbling a bit, it's ready and can be refrigerated. If not, let it stand 1-2 more days, when it should be ready.
8. Once it's fermenting, serve or store in the refrigerator. If you want, add a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds over the kimchi for serving.
Storage: Many advise to eat the kimchi within 3 weeks. After that, it can get too fermented.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Go ahead, call me a show-off...
I will admit that when I know I do something well, I like to show off... and why not, right? Not for nothing, but I think this meal would have made Diana of De'Anna's proud (I was her assistant chef for a short while and learned TONS from her).
Last nights menu for date night was all freshly prepared with beautiful ingredients:
Arugula salad with lightly sauteed onions, leeks & portobella mushrooms and lemon juice
Homemade Bolognese with spicy pork sausage over capellini and topped with shaved pecorino toscano
Homemade garlic bread with thyme and french olive oil
Carmeniere wine - a hardy, earthy, pepper-y and sightly tanic wine that stands right up to the heat from the sauce (I even used a good 8 ozs in the sauce)
(Unfortunately the picture of the meal was too dark, BUT, you should be able to sink your teeth into the salads!)
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Haiti Fundraiser Events
The devestation that errupted in Haiti one week ago today has severed itself deeply in our hearts.
If you are still looking for a place to donate to, check out a few of these awesome events from Astor Center & City Winery are putting on:
Astor Center: A Wine Tasting Fundraiser for Haiti
City Winery: Benefit Concert over 4 Nights!
Note that 100% of all proceeds and further donations will make their way to Haiti.
If you are still looking for a place to donate to, check out a few of these awesome events from Astor Center & City Winery are putting on:
Astor Center: A Wine Tasting Fundraiser for Haiti
City Winery: Benefit Concert over 4 Nights!
Note that 100% of all proceeds and further donations will make their way to Haiti.
If you are in LIC this Sunday...
AN EDIBLE WINTER WARM-UP
An issue release party and open house to benefit the Hour Children Food Pantry
Edible Queens and Presenting Sponsor L haus are excited to announce the first annual Edible Winter Warm-Up on January 24, noon-3pm. The FREE afternoon event will include local food, drinks and entertainment to benefit Hour Children, a local food pantry. Enjoy:
Food tastings from 10-15 local restaurants, cafes and food artisans, including Sweetleaf; Manducati’s Rustica; JJ’s Asian Fusion; Red Jacket Orchards; Arriba Arriba; Sage General Store; This Chick Bakes; Pestos with Panache, Dolce Nonna, LIC Market, Bareburger, Queens County Farm Museum and more!
Book signings with local authors Tamara Reynolds and Zora O’Neill, Astoria-based authors of Forking Fantastic! Put the Party back in Dinner Party.
Music to eat by provided by the Steve Blanco Trio.
SPECIAL PANEL: THE QUEENS FOOD SCENE
Join moderator Joe DiStefano, food writer and Edible Queens "World's Fare" blogger as he discusses why Queens' food tastes so good, and where the local scene is headed with:
Josh Ozersky, James Beard Award-winning food writer and founder, Ozersky.TV
Dave Cook, New York Times food writer and "Eating in Translation" blogger
Lee Anne Wong, Top Chef consultant and Astoria resident
Please bring a canned good to help support Hour Children’s food pantry.
Can't carry it with you? This event kicks off a month-long can drive at L haus.
Planning on attending? Please RSVP to ediblequeensevents@gmail.com!
An issue release party and open house to benefit the Hour Children Food Pantry
Edible Queens and Presenting Sponsor L haus are excited to announce the first annual Edible Winter Warm-Up on January 24, noon-3pm. The FREE afternoon event will include local food, drinks and entertainment to benefit Hour Children, a local food pantry. Enjoy:
Food tastings from 10-15 local restaurants, cafes and food artisans, including Sweetleaf; Manducati’s Rustica; JJ’s Asian Fusion; Red Jacket Orchards; Arriba Arriba; Sage General Store; This Chick Bakes; Pestos with Panache, Dolce Nonna, LIC Market, Bareburger, Queens County Farm Museum and more!
Book signings with local authors Tamara Reynolds and Zora O’Neill, Astoria-based authors of Forking Fantastic! Put the Party back in Dinner Party.
Music to eat by provided by the Steve Blanco Trio.
SPECIAL PANEL: THE QUEENS FOOD SCENE
Join moderator Joe DiStefano, food writer and Edible Queens "World's Fare" blogger as he discusses why Queens' food tastes so good, and where the local scene is headed with:
Josh Ozersky, James Beard Award-winning food writer and founder, Ozersky.TV
Dave Cook, New York Times food writer and "Eating in Translation" blogger
Lee Anne Wong, Top Chef consultant and Astoria resident
Please bring a canned good to help support Hour Children’s food pantry.
Can't carry it with you? This event kicks off a month-long can drive at L haus.
Planning on attending? Please RSVP to ediblequeensevents@gmail.com!
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Saturday Lunch
There are gems amongst rubble. By rubble I mean overpriced, good, fresh produce and by gem, I mean fair. Fresh Fanatic on Washington and Park in Brooklyn is that gem.
Saturday we bought lamb burgers, arugula, avocados (for $1 each!), organic fresh baked french, goat cheese, and tons of other yummies. Lunch for two which we made perfectly cost about $7 per person.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Jimmy's No. 43
Tonight I break all non-meat-eating restrictions I've placed on myself.
Jimmy's No. 43 2nd annual Greenmarket Sausage Week
All week, different sausage entrees made with Greenmarket farmer's sausages:
Like choucroute garni (small $8, main $15),
cassoulet (small $8, main $15),
bangers and mash (main$15),
lamb merguez, other sausages.
The limited German beers of B United Importers will be featured
- Reissdorf Kolsch, Schlenkerla Helles Lager lightly smoked.
What?! Pictures will be posted...
Jimmy's No. 43 2nd annual Greenmarket Sausage Week
All week, different sausage entrees made with Greenmarket farmer's sausages:
Like choucroute garni (small $8, main $15),
cassoulet (small $8, main $15),
bangers and mash (main$15),
lamb merguez, other sausages.
The limited German beers of B United Importers will be featured
- Reissdorf Kolsch, Schlenkerla Helles Lager lightly smoked.
What?! Pictures will be posted...
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Children and Meds
This may not have a ton to do with food, but it has to do with over medicating kids. I'm listening to the Leonard Lopate Show on WNYC and they are discussing the documentary, The War On Kids.
What really rustled my feathers (and often does) is how quick parents are to jump to medication for calming their children down. It's not just parents, but our culture and society.
I agree with Cevin Soling, who directed the doc, when he called this out as mind control. We are teaching our youth that a quick fix comes in the form of a pill and that as long as they take this each day they will not be held responsible for their actions. We are allowing them to be dependant on chemicals instead of them selves. Of course there are extreme cases in which a person needs medication (ie: suicidal thoughts/attempts), which researcher Dan Losen points out. However, even with this, medication should be used in conjunction with counseling and then eventually weened off of.
I truly believe that through proper diet, healthy activity, and a balanced life, the negativity a child feels could be greatly lessened. Think about it, we are feeding them sugar, salt, and starches. We are condoning excessive hours of TV or Internet usage. When they do want to run around and be energetic, we call them hyper! They are in a lose/lose situation and they depend on us to help them... but not all of us are trying.
Listen to the podcast and read the posts. Perhaps I'm just an idealist and I fantasize of the world being peaceful with beautiful flowers and birds singing, but this is an outrage and, in my opinion, an epidemic.
What really rustled my feathers (and often does) is how quick parents are to jump to medication for calming their children down. It's not just parents, but our culture and society.
I agree with Cevin Soling, who directed the doc, when he called this out as mind control. We are teaching our youth that a quick fix comes in the form of a pill and that as long as they take this each day they will not be held responsible for their actions. We are allowing them to be dependant on chemicals instead of them selves. Of course there are extreme cases in which a person needs medication (ie: suicidal thoughts/attempts), which researcher Dan Losen points out. However, even with this, medication should be used in conjunction with counseling and then eventually weened off of.
I truly believe that through proper diet, healthy activity, and a balanced life, the negativity a child feels could be greatly lessened. Think about it, we are feeding them sugar, salt, and starches. We are condoning excessive hours of TV or Internet usage. When they do want to run around and be energetic, we call them hyper! They are in a lose/lose situation and they depend on us to help them... but not all of us are trying.
Listen to the podcast and read the posts. Perhaps I'm just an idealist and I fantasize of the world being peaceful with beautiful flowers and birds singing, but this is an outrage and, in my opinion, an epidemic.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Who needs cable....
...when you work in television. Not to mention food tv.
Here is the set of Anne Burrell's Secret's of a Restaurant Chef. I probably shouldn't be admitting this but she makes the best food.
No lunch? No problem! Yesterday I had an unbelievable fruit salad, baked chicken fingers, and herb roasted red skin potatoes. I normally don't eat chicken, but I trust our ingredients. So healthy and soooo good!
Here is the set of Anne Burrell's Secret's of a Restaurant Chef. I probably shouldn't be admitting this but she makes the best food.
No lunch? No problem! Yesterday I had an unbelievable fruit salad, baked chicken fingers, and herb roasted red skin potatoes. I normally don't eat chicken, but I trust our ingredients. So healthy and soooo good!
Monday, January 11, 2010
Yummy Sunday
Yesterday was quite the adventure...
We started the day off right with a delightful brunch at Tom's. Lisa was up visiting Brooklyn for the first time and after a night of drinking wine - pancakes, waffles, sausage, and coffee were greatly needed.
Mike and I then ventured to the indoor farmers market in Park Slope. GO!!!! Every Sunday from 11am to 5pm (I think) this indoor market has live music, artisenal food, clothing, jewelry, and other fun sites. We purchased a variety of cheese (young gouda, gouda with thistle netty, pecorino toscano, and manchego), some olives and pickled tomatos from Doc Pickles (YUM!!!), Motley Cru wine from BOE, and a few sweet potatoes. We even had a cup of soul warming tomato soup!
Seriously, go if you can.
Then we decided a cold day was deserving of a brisk walk over the Brooklyn Bridge. Once we got into Manhattan we found a cigar bar and settled up to the leather bar with an "Astor" torpedo. I think I finally have figured out the basic art of cigar smoking: don't inhale!
The evening was rounded out with a little Iron Chef America Super Chef Battle. Thank you, WPIX 11!
Ciao!
Friday, January 8, 2010
Bombay Masala!
I think the best Indian restaurant is in my neighborhood: Bombay Masala.
Only two small blocks away from my home is a the sweet, unassuming joint where we feasted for an hour on palaka soup (lentil & spinach), chana masala, chana shaag, and dumpkaht (with lamb).
Seriously, not only are the spices blended and stewed together to perfection, but everything is fresh. We had a to wait a little bit for our nan but when it came to the table hot and fluffy, every second was worth it!
I have leftovers for lunch and cannot wait for 12pm!
Thursday, January 7, 2010
2 Great Food Books
Being both a self proclaimed foodie and writer, I happen to adore books about food (surprised, right?!). Well, two of the coolest gifts I have ever received from two extremely generous and cool gents are food books.
Last summer, upon my return from France, I had a hefty package from my friend Panini Pete called The Encyclopedia of Cajun & Creole Cuisine. This book is full of all these Louisiana. Recipes, stories, photos, history, ideas... you name it, it's in there.
Then on Tuesday, came another weighted Fed Ex! This time from my friend Chef Kyle at the Food Group. He sent Thomas Keller's new ad hoc at home. WHAT!?
Two extrememly generous gifts that I appreciate and love! Food stories are honest documentations of what a society felt and believed at that time of recording. Trust me, these will be passed down to my kids and I will insist that they are passed down to theirs. Super special... now, I have to start making some of these recipes!
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
The Pulp & The Bean
Having a local coffee spot is a wonderful thing. I had never been within walking distance to one, until I moved to Brooklyn.
Not far from my home and conveniently placed by the subway is my little cafe: The Pulp & The Bean. I bring in my re-usable GROUNDED mug and for $.75 I get a full cup of hot house roast with a shot of soy milk. It's a smooth, full flavor with an undertone of bitterness - resembling, but not as strong as that which I had out west.
I am a firm believer in making your own joe to save $$, but for the price and the ambiance, you can't beat it. Thanks, Pulp & Bean!
Monday, January 4, 2010
Sunday Brunch in Brooklyn
Brunch at Rebecca and Johnny's new apartment was everything brunch should be! We kicked off the cold day with mimosas, the men started cooking while Reba and I set the table. After, we drank wine and played my new favorite game, Apples To Apples. Tons of fun and the perfect ending to a wonderful weekend full of friends and great food!
Menu:
Sweet Potatoes fried with onions, garlic, thyme, cyanne, salt & pepper
Breakfast Burritos (from the Cali guy himself!) - cheese eggs, fresh guacamole, mushrooms, onions, lettuce, and HOT sauce
DELICIOUS!
Sunday, January 3, 2010
2010: The 1st Through The 3rd
2009 was a year full of growth for me and just about everyone I know. Hardships were had, obstacles sometimes stumbled over, love moved on, and the FOOD was both good and not-so-good. But, alas, we made it! We can turn that chapter marked 2009 in our books of life and reflect when need be.
I rang in the New Year with Mike. We made a lovely dinner of pesto raviolis and tomato sauce (in the beautiful new Le Creuset he gave me for Christmas). We watched Werner Herzog's film, My Best Friend, and fell asleep at 11pm. It was calm. It was relaxing. It was just about everything the previous year was not.
On January 1st, I went somewhere I hadn't expected I ever really go back: Lori Belilove's! We got dressed up, wrapped a bottle of champagne and headed over to a house party at the Isadora Duncan Dance Studio. I still wasn't able to drink wine (after a nasty stint of food poisoning on December 30th) so I sipped on several LOVELY cups of mint tea and lemon water.
Incredible homemade hummus, sharp cheeses, cured meats, hearty crackers, and delectable desserts scattered the table. In the kitchen was a brilliant pot of lovingly blended carrot, ginger, potato, leek soup! All company, except the warm hosts, were new. Is there a better way to welcome in 2010 than with new friends and fresh (not to mention inspiring) conversations?!
That evening we went to Caffe Vivaldi between Bleecker & West 4th St. Live acoustic music in a caffe/bar? Perfect, fun, and warm.
January 2cd: Tom's Restaurant. After being kissed on the cheek at the door by Tom himself, we were seated promptly regardless the line of large parties. I love this restaurant. This was the first place I went to when I moved to Brooklyn. I brought my parents here when they came to visit for the first time. Love, love, LOVE all this luncheonette stands for and represents.
I will be writing a full article about Tom's, but I'll leave you with this: I had the sweet potato pancakes and my only regret is that I could not finish them!
Today, January 3rd, is brunch with Rebecca and Johnny in their new apartment! I'm bringing potatoes and a bottle of wine.
So, here we go. Ready or not, this is the first weekend of 2010 and it's already 9:18am. May you and your loved ones have a healthy, happy, and YUMMY year!
I rang in the New Year with Mike. We made a lovely dinner of pesto raviolis and tomato sauce (in the beautiful new Le Creuset he gave me for Christmas). We watched Werner Herzog's film, My Best Friend, and fell asleep at 11pm. It was calm. It was relaxing. It was just about everything the previous year was not.
On January 1st, I went somewhere I hadn't expected I ever really go back: Lori Belilove's! We got dressed up, wrapped a bottle of champagne and headed over to a house party at the Isadora Duncan Dance Studio. I still wasn't able to drink wine (after a nasty stint of food poisoning on December 30th) so I sipped on several LOVELY cups of mint tea and lemon water.
Incredible homemade hummus, sharp cheeses, cured meats, hearty crackers, and delectable desserts scattered the table. In the kitchen was a brilliant pot of lovingly blended carrot, ginger, potato, leek soup! All company, except the warm hosts, were new. Is there a better way to welcome in 2010 than with new friends and fresh (not to mention inspiring) conversations?!
That evening we went to Caffe Vivaldi between Bleecker & West 4th St. Live acoustic music in a caffe/bar? Perfect, fun, and warm.
January 2cd: Tom's Restaurant. After being kissed on the cheek at the door by Tom himself, we were seated promptly regardless the line of large parties. I love this restaurant. This was the first place I went to when I moved to Brooklyn. I brought my parents here when they came to visit for the first time. Love, love, LOVE all this luncheonette stands for and represents.
I will be writing a full article about Tom's, but I'll leave you with this: I had the sweet potato pancakes and my only regret is that I could not finish them!
Today, January 3rd, is brunch with Rebecca and Johnny in their new apartment! I'm bringing potatoes and a bottle of wine.
So, here we go. Ready or not, this is the first weekend of 2010 and it's already 9:18am. May you and your loved ones have a healthy, happy, and YUMMY year!
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