Greenmarket Finds

I went a little overboard at the market today...
Everything just looked so good!

There were so many greens














and beautiful autumn-toned flowers



















This is what I came home with:
















*a lovely bouquet of flowers
*chive goat cheese
*burpless cucumbers
*cream
*spaghetti squash
*tri-star strawberries (!!!!!)
*red raspberries
*celeriac
*whole grain bread
*flour
*ground turkey
*dinosaur kale (because what sounds cooler than that?)
*french lettuce
*concord grapes

Recipe of the Week

I have found another use for my
delicious concord grapes.

This recipe was taken from Lottie + Doof
but I've peppered some notes in, they will
be in italics

Concord Grape Jam Tart

serves 8 to 10

Dough:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 8 oz (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1/4 cup ice water

Jam:

• 1 1/2 pounds Concord grapes, stems removed
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• Salt
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• Coarse sanding sugar, for sprinkling
• Crème fraîche, for serving

Make the dough: Pulse flour, granulated sugar, and salt in a food processor. Add butter, and process until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 seconds. With the machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream until mixture just begins to hold together. Shape dough into two disks. Wrap each in plastic, and refrigerate for at least an hour (or up to two days).

Make the jam: Combine grapes and lemon juice in a medium non-reactive saucepan over high heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until grapes release their juices, about 7 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve (you should have 1 1/2 to 2 cups of juice). Return juice to saucepan over high heat, stir in granulated sugar and a pinch of salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-high and simmer rapidly until mixture reaches 220° F on a candy thermometer, about 8 minutes. Transfer jam to a bowl to cool, stirring occasionally as it sets. The jam should be thick and spreadable.

*Due to a broken candy thermometer I scorched the first batch of jam, while trying to get it to reach 220 degrees. The second time around I made it sans thermometer and gave it about 10 minutes on the stove until it thickened properly.

Assemble: On a lightly floured surface, roll out each disk of dough to 1/8 inch thickness. Transfer one round to parchment-lined baking sheet, and fit the other round into a 9 1/2-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Trim edges flush with tart pan. Freeze both until firm. Using the wide base of 2 pastry tips, or anything else you can find, cut clusters of holes in dough on baking sheet and return to freezer until firm.

*I used a house shaped cookie cutter

Preheat oven to 375° F. Spread 1 cup of jam over dough in tart pan. Brush top edge of tart dough with egg. Slide remaining round on top. Press edges to seal and trim excess dough. Brush top with egg, then sprinkle with coarse sugar. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Bake tart for 15 minutes, then gently tap pan on counter to release air bubbles. Return to oven and bake until golden brown and bubbling, 15-20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool. Unmold, and transfer to a platter. Serve with crème fraîche.

**This recipe was surprisingly easy (despite the thermometer debacle) and delicious. I recommend serving it with just a little bit of unsweetened whipped cream, or with some peanut butter brittle ice cream.yum.

Creature Feature

I've been featured in the Crafty Questionnaire
on the NewNewNY blog!

check it out here

Go Away

Seriously, Indian Summer,
I'm not really interested in having you around right now.
If the greenmarket looks like this:















Then it's time for you to go away.

I was having a conversation with a person at my bar
last night and when I said I was looking forward to cool
weather she said "Shut up! Don't even say that!"
I'm going to assume that she did not spend the
summer in NYC, because if she did I doubt that she
would still be clinging onto summer.

I should preface this by telling you that I love the heat.
I love summer, and sunshine and everything that comes with it.
This summer was beyond hot, it was humid/balmy/
hazy however you want to say it- it was brutal.
There were too many days spent in packed subway
cars with people sweating on you, and not enough
days spent at the beach.

It's time for a change.
Send in the crisp and cool weather!

Recipe of the Week

This week will feature Beef Stroganoff.
A recipe that I have loved for as long
as I can remember, it is one of my favorite
things that my mom makes.

(As I type this, it's actually simmering
on my stove)

1 pack of beef cubes
2 c of beef stock (or enough to cover)
1 can of Cream of Mushroom (I prefer Amy's brand)
1/2 c sour cream
1 bag of egg noodles

Heat a little bit of butter in a large pot. Brown the beef cubes
a little bit and then pour in the stock. Let simmer for
45-50 minutes or until reduced.
Add can of soup, reduce.
*At this point you can start cooking the egg noodles
or at least boiling the water*
Whisk in sour cream
salt and pepper to taste.

Serve over top of a very large pile of egg noodles.

Very simple, and ridiculously delicious.

Latest Obsessions

Le Creuset sets
(only in my dreams)

Eric Ripert
(chef crush)

Polka Dot Dress
(this is clearly an expensive latest obsessions)

Queens Frozen Treats List
(I need to check this out)

Halloween Baking Decorations
(so read for halloween! I know i'm way early)

PBJ Tart
(who doesn't love pbj desserts?)

Fizzy Lifting Drinks

The bf showed me this video last night,
and I just fell in love with this man and his
soda emporium.

He fights for the underdogs, hates corn syrup,
and loves carbonation. Why can't there be an
east coast sister store??

For me, soda begins and ends with Boylans
(mainly black cherry and root beer), I'm
also a sucker for fountain cherry coke...(mainly
when I'm at Wawa at 2am- which isn't too often)
Now, in terms of sparkling water, my heart
lies with Badoit.

What's your favorite soda/sparkling drink?

Recipe of the Week

Smitten Kitchen has been one of my
favorite sites to check for good seasonal recipes.
When the Grape Focaccia with Rosemary was recently
posted, I knew that this was going to be a favorite.

** be sure that you have about 3-4 hours
to spare, there is a lot of rising that takes place-
but this bread is totally worth the wait!

Low Country Daydreams

I have Charleston on the brain. (again)
My best ladies and I are possibly
going to plan another trip down there
very soon.

I'm dying to hang out by the battery
near my favorite pineapple fountain,
















try new restaurants that I've read about,
raid Harris Teeter for cake and balloons @ 3am,

















get ridiculous frozen drinks at Wet Willie's

















and just relax with my best buds.

I've been reading over these
two guides for some inspiration

designsponge Charleston City Guidee
NYT 36 hours in Charleston

Latest Obsessions

*Alexa Chung for Madewell
(especially this)

*Concord Grapes
(you should make grape focaccia)

*The German Cookbook
by: Mimi Sheraton
(I love German Cuisine)

*Atlantic City- Bruce Springsteen

*Haunted Cut-Outs

*Cheese 101 @ Murray's
(this class would be a dream come true)

Recipe of the Week

I'm trying to make my blogging a little bit more
consistent. I don't really want to do the whole
Music Monday, Worldess Wednesday thing.
So I'm doing what works for me.


So here we are! On this beautiful
Tuesday morning, my recipe this week
is for:

Basic German Pancakes
(Deutsche Pfannkuchen)

1/2 c sifted flour 4 eggs
2 tsp sugar 1/2 c milk
1/4 tsp salt 6tbsp butter (approximately)

Sift flour, sugar and salt together. Using a beater,
whip eggs until light and frothy; beat in milk.
Turn flour mixture into beaten egg and, still using beater,
whip until you have a smooth batter.
Melt 2tbsp butter (or enough to cover the bottom of the pan)
in a 10" or 12" skillet, and pour in just enough batter
to cover bottom with a thin layer.
As soon as you pour batter, tilt and rotate the pan so
the batter will run over it evenly. Cook over moderate heat
until pancakes are golden brown on underside; turn and
brown second side. Remove to platter.

*Recipe from The German Cookbook by Mimi Sheraton


These may be my new favorite pancakes.
I topped mine with a little bit of cinnamon
sugar and folded them up. You could do the syrup thing
or add some fruit compotes, either way-
these will be awesome.

Moving On

This summer has been amazing.
Lots of travel, delicious food, and
wonderful friends. And the heat!
my god, the heat. Not always pleasant,
but compared to summer 09-
I'll take the heat over the rain any day.

While I do love summer, I am definitely ready to
move on into autumn.

I'm looking forward to:
*Getting things together with my business
*Selling at markets again
*Baking delicious pumpkin bread
*Juicing concord grapes
*Watching the trees in Sunnyside change
*Late night bonfires in our backyard
*Hot apple cider
*Halloween decorations
*The start of French 3 classes
*Seasonal menu changes
*Scary Netflix selections for October
*Being able to wear scarves again

Back from Vacation

The bf and I just got back from a week in Orlando
with my family. It was a blast. We hit all the parks,
took time to relax by the pool, drank our way through Epcot,
and got to nerd out in Harry Potter Land.

It was a perfect trip.

Aspiring Domestic Goddess

Nigella, I am not, but I'd very much like to be.
Effortlessly throwing together delicious dishes
and entertaining friends in a visually pleasing
setting? yes please! She makes it seem so easy.
And sometimes it is-sometimes dishes just come
together in the way that you hope they will.
But then there are the failures..

Over the last 4 years I've had my fair share
of screw ups, but lately I've had a lot of
mishaps in a row. In the past 2 weeks
I've managed to burn myself frying okra and
squash blossoms, I almost set off the fire
alarm making Lavender Madeleine's,
my upside down cake barely made it out of the pan,
and the attempts at vichyssoise and puff pastry
were utter failures.

Looking at the big picture, these failures are
necessary-and I accept that( or try to).
It doesn't make them any easier to handle
but I think that it's important to acknowledge them
and move on.

So that was me, acknowledging my recent
failures, learning from them, and moving on.

whew.

Latest Obsessions

The Black Swan Trailer
(Not really a fan of either actress but it looks good)

Lavender
(Liking it in my gelato, cake, soap, lotion, etc.)

Garrett Popcorn
(Caramel Crisp w/ Cashews)

Scratch Map
(Really want one)

Vacation Countdown
(9 days)

All Things Go- All Things Go

The bf and I went to Chicago.
It was a quick weekend visit,
but we had a great time.

Thursday we arrived late in the afternoon,
checked in, then went right to
Millenium Park for free music. The best part
is that they allow you to bring bottles. We had
some wine, but I saw some people with table setups
of wine and snackies. It was their own personal
living room!




















Dinner was at Mercat a la Planxa, and it was delicious.
Possibly the best Margarita that I've had, and the
Prawns a la Planxa were delicious. Not to mention the cheese plate!
(But I'm sure that everyone that reads this could have guessed
that I'd love the cheese plate..)
Dinner was followed by cocktails in another neighborhood.
I had a passion fruit margarita- I know, I was a margarita maniac.
But when passion fruit is featured I will always say yes.

The next morning we had breakfast at Meli Cafe, which was
delicious. I had the ham and swiss benedict, and I loaded up
some toast with their honey butter. So good! It was the perfect
breakfast spot after a night out.

We walked back downtown to see the museum at the Art Institute,
which I really enjoyed. If I lived in Chicago, I'd probably be there all
the time.






























I also loved these little areas attached to Millenium Park.
Past those seemingly caged in trees there is a little area
of wild flowers and a stream that you can stick your feet into.
Again, I'd be there all the time-with my feet in the stream.

The weird thing about Chicago is that it is a really vast city,
where everything is connected by train, but nothing feels close.
Maybe that was just because it was new, who knows- it just felt like
everything was connected and disconnected at the same time.
Anyway!

After some bubble tea we decided to grab a chicago hot dog.
This was never to be...they "ran out of buns". lame.
We ended up at the Goose Island Brewpub which
also had truffle fries. Win. I had the Grahampagne
and the bf had the Green Line Pale Ale.



















Later that night we had a double dinner.
One at The Bluebird and another at Big Star.
Both were awesomely delicious.
(Bluebird had a nice wine list)


On Saturday the bf / Chelsie's parents came into town
and we all had lunch @ Xoco, which
features mexican tortas and churros. So good!
Then we went out to Hyde Park to see Chelsie and
Peter's apartment, and take a dip in Lake Michigan.
Even though it was freezing it was well worth it.
The view was pretty fantastic, and the water was clear.
















That night, after deciding that I hated the CTA as much
as the MTA , we had dinner at Nightwood. Which was
definitely my kind of place. They had a big garden out back and really
focused on using local sources. Everything that we had was amazing.
I was particularly taken by my dessert which was rice pudding with
stewed peaches and creme fraiche.

Our only regrets about this trip were that we didn't eat a chicago style
hot dog or get deep dish from one of the famous places.
But at least we have things to look forward to next time.

New Shooz

I picked up some new shoes today
and they were on sale!!
(which is kinda the only way that you can
really get me to buy shoes anyway..)















The bf and I are leaving for Chicago tomorrow!!
I'm so excited to be leaving town.
See you Monday : )

Saturday

I haven't left Queens yet today,
and I don't plan on it either.

With the exception of the stressful task
of cleaning the bathroom, today has been
relaxing. I bound a bunch of new notebooks,
went to the Sunnyside Greenmarket,
watched shark shows, and had
a crab feast.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful Saturday too.

Oh and here is Sam Rockwell dancing.
(we recently watched Confessions of Dangerous Mind)

I Feel Crazy.

OK not really that crazy.
I'm just having one of those days
when nothing really seems to go
as planned.
A week from today I will be on a plane
to Chicago, and sometimes just knowing
that vacation is oh-so-close makes
everyday living that much more difficult.

I'm trying not to turn into a
grumpasaurus.
I'll just keep watching these videos over
and over. Until I am out of the funk.

Latest Obsessions

Antoine Dodson.
(run and tell that)

Arcade Fire- Sprawl II
(dance)

This wedding video.
(gets me every time)

French wines.
(going to learn about them)

Bubble Tea.
(who knew tapioca was actually good?)

Peach and Cornmeal Upside Down Cake
(so good)

NYC ICY
(the obsession continues, yesterday I got passion fruit)

The Champagne Birthday

I turned 27 on the 27th
(at 4:12am specifically)
It was one of the best birthdays
that I have ever had!
We popped a half bottle of Veuve
at midnight (I thought that a
champagne birthday called for a
proper champagne)






















The bf was in charge of planning the whole day,
and the festivities began with lunch @
M. Wells, our newest restaurant fav in LIC.
I had a chilled tomatillo soup and the pork terrine
and the bf had a breakfast hash with salted cod.
As usual everything was outstanding.

Our next outing was to Chinatown, because he knows
that I'm obsessed. We meandered in and out of
stores filled with dehydrated sea creatures and the such





















Next, we picked up some bubble tea..Just another way
to infuse a gelatinous product into everyday
consumption. I chose a passion fruit crushed
ice tea, and the bf had a peanut milk tea.
Both were delicious


































After the tea we walked through the park
and then somewhere along the way, decided
that we should stop and grab a drink somewhere.
I literally turned to my right and saw Whiskey Tavern,
who also happened to be celebrating it's birthday.
Everyone there was so nice, and our waitress brought over
a hostess cupcake with a candle and a shot of white russian.
As if she knew the favorite drink of my 19 year old self!
It was really cute, and unexpected.




















After our beer and magners, cupcake and shot
we left the bar and started walking. I was under
the impression that we were also having dinner in
Chinatown, so when I asked where the restaurant was
the bf replied with the twist.
We were not having dinner there, and we had to get on the train.
Whaaat!? He got me, I had no idea where we could possibly be going.
But was floored when we ended up at Ma Peche.

Everything was amazing, as usual David Chang did not disappoint.
Our meal went like this:

Cocktails
-Scarlet Thread: macchu pisco, crème de frais, grenadine, bitters
-Oskar blues, “mama’s little yellow pils”

Bottle of Wine
-domaine de la realtiere, “cul sec,” carignan blend, 2005 (coteaux d’aix en provence)

3 appetizers*
-Fluke with arugula, strawberry and pistachio
-Crispy Pig's Head with cabbage slaw, peach and hazelnut
-Beef Tartare with soy, scallion and mint

1 entree and 1 side
-Eden Brook Trout with long bean, chili jam and almonds
-Corn with lardo, scallion and chili

3 Cheeses
-bouche (pipe dreams farm – greencastle, pa)
-ouray (sprout creek farms – poughkeepsie, ny)
-cayuga blue (lively run goat dairy – interlaken, ny)

Everything was out of control delicious-
and it was easily one of the best meals that I've had.

Clearly, my bf is the best.

Birthday Wishlist Obsessions

Today is my Champagne Birthday!
I'm 27 on the 27th
(how time flies...)

Here is a list of things that I want
to have or do as a lady of 27.

Puff Pastry.
Yes, I've talked about this before.
It's still stewing, I've been reading recipes
and watching videos and soon, I hope to
be able to make it myself.

Charleston.
I really do miss it. That city is easy to
fall in love with. I often find myself daydreaming
about walking along the battery, eating a sammy
from Groucho's, and staying at the Mills House.

Ice Cream Maker.
Just another thing on the ever-growing list of
things that I want to master.

French 3 and 4
I'll be re-taking french 3 because the summer
course just seemed too short. I really want to take
the time and really understand what I'm learning.

Paris.
I want to be in Paris. Just the idea makes me
want to swoon. I want to sit by the Seine and
eat baguettes and drink wine, explore the maze
that is Montmartre, and gorge on rich pate's/
terrines/marrows/cheeses. ah Paris...

The forgotten shows.
When the bf and I moved in together we decided
to nix the premium channels because they were just
too expensive. Alas, I lost track of Dexter and the Tudors.
This year I want to catch up, I'm putting it on the list
because it's a must.

New Mexico.
I have a dear dear friend that moved there recently.
My first NYC friend. I miss her terribly.
I want to get out there and have western adventures.

Vintage Dresses.
Etsy is an amazing resource for vintage shopping.
I've been obsessing over these 50's style cocktail dresses
and I will get one this year.

Lucky Leo

Yesterday was my pre-birthday celebration,
and it was wonderful. A fun filled day with
many of my favorite people.

I lounged around at Spa Castle with the bf
and our friend Pete. Then we took Pete to
Flushing Mall to show him the magic that
is the food court. We picked up a red bean
cake, some Vietnamese Shaved Ice, and my
favorite little corn shaped cakes.

For dinner a group of dear friends met us at
Sripraphai for a huge mega Thai feast!
My favorites were the Crispy Watercress salad,
the fried fish topped with green mango, chinese
broccoli with crispy pork, and my usual fav
pan fried noodles with chicken, shrimp and
bamboo shoots. I wish I had taken pictures-
it was such a good meal with great company.

Dessert and Prosecco were served @ chez nous,
and when the night was over I went to bed with
the biggest smile on my face. Feeling so fortunate
to be surrounded by such wonderful people.
It was easily one of the best birthday celebrations I've had.

Now it's just one more day til my actual birthday.
I can't wait to see what the bf has planned.

Latest Obsessions

Puff Pastry.
I'm thinking that I'm going to give this a try
on Monday. Not sure how it will go-
but I am determined to get it right.

Conserving Energy
With this ridiculous heat wave it's been
necessary for the AC to be on. Our last Con Ed
bill had doubled and I'm dreading this months.
I've been trying to keep all other appliances
and lights off while it's on.

Patricia Field Store.
It's way over the top and they have a
variety of sequined hotpants.
What's not to love?

Haagen Dazs Limited Edition flavors.
So far we've had Peanut Butter Brittle,
and we currently are eating Bananas Foster.
Find them and buy them.

Tastespotting.com
Food Porn (and recipe ideas)

Sick Day

I've found myself a little under the weather
these past few days. Today was the much needed
day of rest.

I hate being sick, but I kinda love being able to
take a day and just relax. It's given me a chance to
draw up a shark and cut out some bits for collages.
Now I'm snuggled up on the couch, watching
Masterpiece Mystery (which I really need to get
on dvd) I'm normally a strict Miss Marple fan, but
this Poirot is quite good as well.

This downtime has also given me a chance
to catch up on my reading. Which right now is
My Life in France by Julia Child and let me say
that it is one of the best books that I have read.
(and I'm not even halfway through yet!)
For anyone that loves France, food, and/or
cooking this is definitely worth picking up.

Her enthusiasm for cooking is contagious
and has me thinking about puff pastry and
beef bourguignon. I might have to pull
a Julie and Julia and work my way through
one of her cookbooks. I'll put that one
on the back burner for now. Maybe that will
be my winter project...

In other news my Champagne Birthday
is just a week away! Lets hope I am 100% by then

And the Winner Might Be......

Paul the octopus is my new favorite cephalopod.
I have 3 opinions on his genius abilities.

1.)He is a picky eater

or

2.)He has been following soccer since the last World Cup
and has noted how each team has been playing. Putting one
against the other and choosing the most likely to win.
Clearly this man has a chart somewhere.

or

3.) It's a conspiracy, probably going back to the Giant Squid.

Latest Obsessions

*Brewing my own kombucha
(I recently had success with my first batch,
and am extremely proud of this achievement)

*NYC Icy
(the peach flavor changed my life)

*Washed Out-Feel it All Around

*Chinatown.
(Used to hate it and now I can't
get enough of it)

*Watching the World Cup
(Germany)

*This corset

*Visiting Charleston
(I want the bf to see how
awesome it is)

*Summer Pies
(Though my crust making abilities need
some serious work.)

Summer of Sammies #3

This past 4th of July was ridiculously hot,
possibly too hot. But the bf and I braved the heat
and headed into the city for our friends rooftop party.
Because we wanted to avoid being on a rooftop while
the sun was still at it's worst we decided to take our
good old time getting there.

We found ourselves at This Little Piggy had Roast Beef.
A tiny sammy shop on 1st Ave and 9th St that specialized in
a-m-a-z-i-n-g roast beef sandwiches. As recommended
by NY Mag we ordered the "That Way" (about $8) ,
which is a delicious roll, topped with freshly sliced roast beef,
gravy, and fresh mozzarella.
We even got a few complimentary french fries!















This sammy is a monster. I couldn't make it through
the last few bites of my half-and I was pretty much full
for the rest of the night after consuming this at
4pm. This will definitely be a place that I return to
again and again.



















The rest of our 4th was nice, we found a bar that
has a cider on tap. (It was perfectly refreshing on
a 90+ degree day) We then meandered over
to the boys rooftop, where we were met with a crowd
of at least 100, which eventually grew to about 200.
We had a few drinks and watched the fireworks, then
just as the rave began-yes some people did have glowsticks-
we made our way back to Queens for one last drink at our
favorite local bar.

It was an excellent 4th spent with friends and without pants.

It's Like Buttah.

Inspired by a recipe in Milk: The Surprising Story
of Milk Through the Ages by: Anne Mendelson
I decided to finally make my own butter this morning,
and it was ridiculously easy!

A few minutes in the food processor turns
plain old heavy cream( unhomogenized)
into 2 magical things. Butter and buttermilk.















After some mashing and draining..
Voila! Delicious homemade butter.

Summer of Sammies #1 and 2

Last Sunday the bf and I began our journey
through the 101 Best Sandwiches of NYC.

Our first sammy was at Katz's Deli on the LES.
For $14.95 you get a delicious pile of Pastrami
with mustard on rye. This was the most buttery, rich,
and satisfying deli sammy that I have ever had.



















If you have the $15 bucks to spare, this is
definitely worth trying but, if you are strapped for
cash then check out their hot dogs and soups
Much more affordable, and who doesn't love
matzoh ball soup!?

We then meandered down Orchard St
towards our next place. Cheeky Sandwiches.
If you didn't look out the window, you would
think that you were in New Orleans.
We got the Oyster Po' Boy and a Root Beer
that was only found at Cheeky's and NOLA.
*I should also note that I'm not really any oyster fan,
I've even had fried oysters that I've hated.
But this was perfection. So many flavors coming
together to make one delicious sandwich.



















After that I truly was stuffed, though I did managed to
make some extra room for a Chinatown Ice Cream Factory
cone. As we made our way into Chinatown, we continued
our search for the elusive Dragonfruit.
This time we found it!!! After months of searching
it was finally ours.
It was quite good, very kiwi-esque.























Another wonderful Sunday.

Fun Stuff

You can now find Littlebunny cards at Stray in Sunnyside!
It's so exciting to have my creations in a store!

I also received a large version of this photo
courtesy of my dear friend Carly Valentine.
It was a fun filled day in Atlantic City-
we didn't win any $ but I got to frolic
on the beach in a leotard

A Good Week

This week has been filled with good things.

*Lunch with Christina @ 5 Leaves
(allow us to recommend the Housemade Ricotta
and the Pimm's Cup.)

*2 New Dresses. Yes, I am fully aware that my fashion
choices cover all sides of the spectrum.



















*My friend Molly gave me a new scoby, so this morning
I tried to brew Kombucha for a second time. Looks
good so far, I'll keep everyone updated.


















*My second batch of strawberries is growing!
The first consisted of only 1 berry, so to have 4
is super exciting.















*One of my cupcake cards has already sold @ Stray!

*Had an impromptu night in with the bf, we made a delicious
dinner, had a bottle of Lessona Nebbiolo, and finished watching
Seven Samurai

Just have to get through one more shift and tomorrow
will hopefully be a beach day!

Latest Obsessions

*The food at Village Whiskey in Philadelphia
(This past week, a friend and I went and it was
AMAZING. The picked truffle lemon artichokes
blew.my.mind.)

*This ice cream sammy recipe.

*"Tighten Up"-The Black Keys
(The singing t-rex makes it even better)

*Milk:The Surprising Story of Milk Through the Ages
by:Anne Mendelson (so pumped to make my own butter and yogurt!)

*This print by Banquet

*Planning my champagne birthday!! July 27th is closer than you think!

j'aime l'ete.

I have my usual list of things that I would like to do,
see, eat, and drink this summer. here it is (in no
particular order)

*I need a trip to the zoo. any zoo.

*Sunday's in Long Beach (this includes a 5 guys burger
and 1 ice cream cone)

*Spa Castle trips followed by Flushing Mall binges.

*Spend a few nights @ the Mills House in Charleston.

*Visit Chelsie and Peter in Chicago, and eat these.

*Drive down to Baltimore for the Aquarium and see this.

*Have dinner at Blue Hill Farms in Tarrytown

*Explore the West side of NYC-just because I never do.

*Work through the 101 best sammies list with ZachMack

*Take Serg to Central Park

*Go crabbing/fishing

*Have picnics. fancy picnics.

*Go out to a Mets game and to the US Open

*Drink large amounts of Pratello Marzemino, Gerbino Rose, Corvina,
and U Tabarka Vermentino.

*Hopefully get down to Myrtle Beach with the fam.

*and maybe...just maybe..a girls weekend in Vegas.

I'm Calling it Summer.

It's been in the 80's the last few days,
so I'm considering it summer.

The bf and I spent the day at the beach on Sunday
and it was glorious. We got our usual 5 guys burgers,
laid out, walked around, and I got my necessary ice cream cone.
(this time sans sprinkles after the mutli-colored disaster
that happened last time) It was a great day,
and a perfect way to kick off summer.

Today in food nerd news,
I went to the greenmarket today and came home
with these things.















*Chive plant
*Peonies
*summer squash and zucchini
*beets
*cucumber
*1/4 of a tuscan bread (that I am totally obsessed with)
*asparagus
* a head of romaine and a bunch of arugula
*tri-star strawberries (seriously the best strawberries ever)

Such a good day at the market, I'm now awaiting the
comeback of peaches and berries
Once I can get my hand on some peaches, I am going
to make a Peach & Creme Fraiche pie.

Oh! and this Sunday, June 6th I will be selling my cards
down at the Fulton Stall Market @ the South St Seaport!
Apparently they have pretty good food vendors lined up for this too,
so come out and say hello!

Latest Obsessions

*The Clock Without a Face by Gus Twintig

*Sea Salted Brownies. (these got rave reviews)

*Totoro Lunch Box

*The Daytrip Society

*This crab dish on etsy

*Quarts of fresh strawberries from the market

*The Barbera d'Asti and Cannonau that we have by the glass at work.

Mother's Day Ideas.

I've been trying, for about 3 weeks,
to find Mother's Day gifts for my mom
and godmother. No store seems to have
anything that I can really get excited about
so I'm thinking that, once again, I'll
make them something.

(Last year it was a lemon/olive oil scrub-
which they both loved so much that they also
received it for Christmas!)

So here are some excellent DIY
Mother's Day Presents. I'm thinking
that I might try the teacup candles.

The ever popular Hand Scrub

Rhubarb Strawberry Chutney This can be used on toast, pancakes, yogurt. (I only used about a half teaspoon of ginger in this-I'm not a huge ginger fan and too much of it can be overpowering.)

Found Terrariums

Monkey Bread (and mimosas!)

Herbed Pickled Asparagus or Pickled Beets -I've made the beets before and they are fantastic and surprisingly easy.

Infused Sugars

Teacup Candles

Latest Obsessions

*visiting the unknown places in Designsponge's Philly Guide

*Dragonfruit Juice/ finding an actual dragonfruit

*Art by William Kentridge (been a fan for awhile but
after the exhibit at the MoMA I've become infatuated
with it all over again)

*Rhubarb Upside Down Cake Recipe from this months Living.

*Luke's Lobster Rolls. They are just so delicious.

*Salty Sea Dress from Anthropologie

Hidden City

I've lived in NY for about 5 years now,
and after that amount of time you get
pretty familiar with your surroundings.

I could basically find my way blind through
the East Village, I know the ins and outs of
Sunnyside, and I even have a handle on parts
of Brooklyn. Yesterday however, I discovered
a new part of NY.

If you asked me to name my least favorite areas
of the city I'd have to say Times Square and Chinatown.
I dislike them for the same reasons, they are crowded
tourist traps. But a friend told me that I should check out
the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory, saying that they had
delicious Black Sesame ice cream. Since we were at the
Hester St fair we decided to meander over and see
about this ice cream situation.
( but first! the delicious Luke's lobster roll we had at
Hester St, jealous?)
















Who knew that this part of Chinatown was actually
pretty cool!? A big beautiful park, cute little eateries,
asian grocery stores, (I love foreign food products.)
and fun little shops. (Oh and these.
Stuffed(?) hot orange squid.
Doesn't suit my palate but found them fascinating.)















Lets talk about the deliciousness that is
Chinatown Ice Cream Factory. I did try,
and very much enjoy the black sesame flavor.
The bf opted for a flavor called Zen Butter,
I think that this was a combo of peanut butter,
vanilla, and another zen ingredient-it was quite
good as well.
















From there we found a lush park where
musicians played instruments that you
don't see everyday, and a lady sang in a voice
that was, well, interesting. But if they had
a cd for sale, I would have bought it. They
were great, and so was the vibe at this park.































Don't get me wrong, I still loath Canal St, but
I do have a fondness for the hidden part of
Chinatown.

Happy May!

The first day of May has been a lovely one.
I spent the bulk of the day meandering around
the Brooklyn Flea. I had planned on buying
necessary presents for Mother's Day and various
upcoming b-days but no...instead I managed to
stuff my face with delicious food.
Not productive but definitely awesome.

Check out my Asia Dog. A hot dog done in
the style of a banh mi sammy.
















I also had a pretzel, some lemonade, and
I couldn't resist another bag of Liddabit
salted caramels or their new rhubarb gummies.


I came home and finally made the Rhubarb Upside
Down Cake that I've been talking about all week.
Unlike my Cranberry version, this turned out lovely!















The whole cake managed to come out of the pan this time!















After that I made a quick asparagus risotto, opened
a bottle of Corvina and caught up on my tv shows
for the week.

I love Saturdays like this.
Have a good weekend!