My never-ending love affair with Mario Batali...

Or - Check payable: Mario Batali

Lunch at Union Square Cafe

I had a great lunch recently in New York City.  All the details are at my new(ish) Wordpress site here. 

Crazy, perfect diamond

Some random, but related thoughts...  Read them here.

Don't be afraid to care

You might be noticing my recent posts are lyrics.  Did I mention I really wish I had seen last month's Roger Water's show?!?

Here's the newest post over at my place in WordPress. 

Breathe, breathe in the air

Check it out over here at my WordPress spot.

Get a room! (Part 2)

Continued from here -

For nights 2 and 3 of our winter break, we shifted our base to an Embassy Suites in the Old Town area of Alexandria, VA, a 15-20 minute ride on the Blue Line of the Metro system.  I've stayed here before and I like the location.  It is close enough to D.C., around the corner from some great retail shopping and restaurants on King Street and very comfortable.  We did, however, have an issue.  The hotel is being renovated, which meant that the breakfast service was a bit disjointed.  I don't expect to eat in a hotel using disposable flatware - call me princess if you must.  The other issue was something we had, ironically, encountered during our other stay at this particular hotel.  The pool, other than our first day, was unavailable due to maintenance.  Had I been made aware of this scheduled maintenance, we would have perhaps stayed all three nights at the Foggy Bottom location.  Here's what's cool, though. I Tweeted about my annoyance and within an hour, received an email from corporate apologizing for the situation.  Ultimately, I was credited the price of one night's accommodations to compensate me for the inconvenience, a nice gesture on their part.  I would still consider staying at this hotel in the future, but I would certainly confirm the availability of the advertised amenities.

The magnificent marble stairs at the Monaco

In Baltimore we stayed in the plushest digs of our trip, the Kimpton Monaco.  This recently opened hotel is in a gorgeous historic building and our room was fantastic!  The superior quality of this place was apparent even to my 7 y/o, who quickly declared it to be the "best place" we stayed.  Our room was spacious, quiet and included a banging bathroom complete with garden tub and walk in shower. and my favorite Aveda products as a bonus. Our two days here were exceedingly comfortable and we were very well taken care of by the staff.  Price-wise we lucked out with a deal from Hotwire and paid only $200 and change total for 2 nights.  Speaking of Hotwire, another special offer came my way while we were in Baltimore which provided me the opportunity to cancel the reservation we had in place for our final night in NYC at the Radisson.

The Hotel Belleclaire, a small boutique hotel on the UWS, was offering a special for approximately $115 a night and I pounced on it.  The hotel was just west of Broadway on 77th  Street - a great location for exploring, or revisiting, one of my favorite areas of Manhattan.  The lobby was being renovated, which made for some noise and dust upon entry, but the staff couldn't have been more accommodating, storing our luggage and providing a suite to guests complete with snacks and beverages.  The room itself was standard NYC small, but it was clean (no skeevy carpet!) and equipped with a modern bathroom and a comfortable bed.  I would definitely consider staying here again, although it is more appropriate for a couple than a family.  Guess I'd better work on that!

I've come to the conclusion, however, that my favorite hotel in New York City is the Millenium Hilton, on Church Street in the financial district.  A week after my epic train trip with my youngest, I headed back to the city with my oldest and this is where we stayed.  I believe I've stayed at this particular Hilton at least a half dozen times and I've never had a bad experience. The staff is always pleasant, the room immaculate and the location perfect for my needs. And there's a pool! I know that I've landed at this place through the luck of the draw when using Hotwire and/or Priceline, but most recently I've been booking using a combination of Hilton Honors points and cash. The going rate for this place on a weekend is often a bit less than the more centrally located Hiltons in Manhattan, generally about $250 a night, I'd say. Using a combination of points and cash brings it down to about $100 a night - a real New York bargain. The added bonus of staying in the business district is that onstreet parking is generally available on weekends and holidays, which can save you a bundle. If you're unfamiliar with this part of the city, be aware it is NOT like midtown - at all. There isn't much in the way of shopping other than Brooks Brothers (natch) and Century 21. No worries - there is a Starbuck's around the corner and tons of green space for kids and adults alike, as well as the 9/11 Memorial, the Staten Island Ferry,  Southstreet Seaport and the Brooklyn Bridge. I'm already thinking about gathering up the girls and getting down there again - asap.

Get a room!

The Westin in Boston

Radisson on Lexington, NYC

There's a part of me that keeps waiting for life to slow down a little - it has been a pretty wild ride for the last 6 weeks or so, and I really am hoping to spend some quality time at home, putzing in my front garden and getting a few spring cleaning chores accomplished.  My busy family/ social calendar has provided me with a number of recent opportunities to stay in hotels and I thought it might be interesting to relate my experiences to you all, for what it's worth.

In the last month and a half, I have stayed at 6 different hotels in 4 different states - 5, if we include the District of Columbia.  We all know that hotels can be expensive, and I'm a fan of getting a good deal in all things travel related, so let me offer you some tips. 

1. Create an email account just for travel related websites.  I receive offers from Hotwire, Hotels.com, Travel Ticker, Groupon, Living Social and Travelocity and it's nice to have them all in one place devoted to travel. 
2. Consider linking your credit card with a rewards program.  I like the Hilton family of hotels (Hilton, Hilton Garden Inn, Embassy Suites, etc) and often use my credit card to earn points even if I have the cash in my pocket to make a purchase. 
3. If there's a problem with your accommodations, don't suffer in silence!  Give the business an opportunity to correct the issue and make you happy.  That's how companies create repeat business and brand loyalty. Now, some specific hotel information from my recent travels...

I was in Boston at the end of January for a wonderful surprise birthday party. The Westin was the perfect place to stay for me - an easy walk to my transportation hub, South Station, and a Starbuck's right in the lobby.  My most favorite thing about this hotel, though, was the available map of recommended running routes.  It definitely is a niche thing, but one that I found to be the perfect amenity for me.

The first night, and also the last night, of my February train trip was booked at the Radisson on Lexington Ave in NYC.  Well, initially, that was the plan.  I had jumped on a Hotwire deal ($118 a night) and reserved the "bookend" nights of our vacation in a spot that would be convenient to Grand Central Station.  Upon our arrival, though, I began to consider other options.  The hotel wasn't bad, it just wasn't great.  The carpeting seemed dirty and the bathroom was really small.  The proximity to Central Park was good and the staff was pleasant, but, I certainly wasn't looking forward to returning to this place.  

Koi pond!

Since we were arriving in D.C. after dark, I thought we should spend our initial night in a location convenient to Union Station.  I selected the an Embassy Suites in the Foggy Bottom area of D.C. and then proceeded to navigate our way to the wrong Embassy Suites.  Oh, well, it was a lovely, mild night and we ultimately jumped into a cab to get there.  We were feeling beat and we indulged in takeout delivery, which is one of my fairly new, favorite things to do - very self-indulgent.  This hotel was nice and the standard Embassy Suites courtyard was kicked up a notch by the addition of a Koi pond, a cool bonus that came with an opportunity to feed the fish in the morning.  The best thing, though, in my opinion, about the Embassy Suites is how perfectly they are set up for families.  From the two-room suite to the generous breakfast and the evening cocktail hour (manager's reception), they really know how to provide value.  And how to address a less than happy guest, but that story is for part two of this post.

To be continued...

Let's see about the go see

It has been a very odd week. And I'm not complaining. Did you know that in the not too distant past I thought every day of my life was going to be the same as yesterday? I had a sad, sad feeling that the next 30 years of my life were going to be coasting towards the ultimate end. Yep, that was it. The life I know today couldn't be more different than what I had tried to convince myself was an acceptable reality. The life I know today is, in fact, Better Than Ever. Which brings me to my recent adventure - an interview for an upcoming article at O magazine...

My former roommate, forever friend, longtime encourager of my writing, Rachel Aydt, sent me an intriguing (don't you love this word?!?) casting call from a former colleague of hers. O magazine was looking to cast a story about women who have experienced a shift, emotional, physical, mental, or spiritual, and who now feel they are indeed Better Than Ever. I don't know if I would have naturally seen myself in this light, but when you get an email from an old friend encouraging you to submit the requested photos and accompanying paragraph, you do it. So I did.

Which brings me to one of the most interesting points of this entire experience - how people, both those of longtime familiarity and of new acquaintance, perceive you. We've talked before about the fact that I am vain and self-satisfied. I won't deny it. I've worked really f'n hard for everything I have and I've kicked myself in the ass as frequently as I've patted myself on the back. Believe me. I know where I've come from and what I've achieved and am comfortable feeding my ego internally. What boggles me is when someone tells me that I inspire them or that I am Better Than Ever. That blows me away.

image from wikipedia

So, I went to NYC on a go see, just like in America's Next Top Model. Except, I'm not 6 feet tall with perfect teeth or even a fetching space between my top two teeth. And I can't imagine walking in heels higher than 3.5". And I honestly don't know how to reconcile the fact that I'm obviously a size small to people who don't know me, while in my own mind I am perennially a size medium. I had to draw an "x" through the line on the intake form where they wanted to know what modeling agency I was with, because I'm not a model. I'm just a woman with a story. And whether O magazine sees it or not, I know that I am Better Than Ever. 

To be continued....

456 Shanghai

I happened to catch Sam Sifton's review of 456 Shanghai last week and decided to give it a try for lunch over the weekend.  Or, as I like to think of it when traveling with the girls, an afternoon food base for our evening's cocktails.  We rolled in at about 1 o'clock on a Sunday afternoon and encountered a modest wait to be seated.  We would have had our asses in our chairs a bit faster had the diners at "our" table not dawdled after they concluded their meal.  Note: when you have finished eating at a busy restaurant where there is an ever growing line of diners waiting to be seated, do not visit the bathroom one-by-one or linger to attend to personal grooming at the table.  It is just rude.

We scored a great table by the window and quickly made our decisions - scallion pancakes, soup dumplings, shrimp, pork and chicken lo mien, and sauteed green beans.  Our server warned us that the dumplings would take 20 minutes, a reality which dragged our light meal out into a 3 course affair, but no worries.  The scallion pancakes were fine - hot, kind of crispy, but not really special like the ones I enjoyed at Vanessa's.  Things picked up with the lo mien - it was flavorful, hot and with the perfect amount of oil to keep things delicious without leaning towards greasy.  I neglected to photograph the green beans which is unfortunate because they were a little different than what I have experienced in the past.  Rather than a simple garlic and oil coating, they had almost a hot and sweet flavor.  I do believe they even initiated my hiccup response to hot peppers, albeit briefly.  The sauce was a bit reddish and clung to the beans beautifully and while they were different than what I am accustomed to, they were enjoyed by all three of us.

The real star of the show, though, was the order of soup dumplings.  I've had some debate with Albany Jane about soup dumplings, and I readily admit my novice status as a soup dumpling connoisseur, but the first time I tried these lovely tidbits of yum was at Joe's Shanghai and my initial exposure is what has defined them for me.  I've had them a couple of times locally at Ala Shanghai and I wasn't particularly impressed.  I mean, it is nice to finally get a chance to have them locally, but I think the dough is too thick and the flavors weren't as concentrated as I expected.  No worries - AJ and I remain good and we will certainly continue our mutual admiration of one another!  The dumplings at 456 Shanghai were of the same ilk as those at Joe's, which means more for me 'cause AJ won't be scarfing them all down - and that girl can eat.  My Sunday drinking dining companions had never experienced soup dumplings before and they were quite smitten by them as well.  There will be more dumplings in their futures for sure.

I can see myself alternating between Joe's and 456 on future visits to Chinatown because they both provide a satisfying meal at an incredibly reasonable price.  How reasonable?  Our shared meal of lo mien, green beans, scallion pancakes and dumplings came to...$25.75, pre-tip.  They don't place an automatic gratuity on the check at 456 as they do at Joe's, just so you're aware.  I'd be willing to pay a little more for the quality of food we consumed, and would suggest they charge a couple of additional $$  and devote the extra money to restroom clean-up.  They (yep, I checked them both out) were pretty groddy and I know I enjoyed my lunch more before seeing the state of the bathrooms.  All in all, thanks, Sam Sifton, for a good find in Chinatown. 

Girlbomb Birthday Party

Me and Janice!!

Ever since I read Anne Frank's Diary of a Young Girl, I've been a fan of the memoir.  The ability of a person to chronicle and express their experiences never fails to touch me - and perhaps is the reason why I find myself sharing my own life as freely as I do here on DelSo.  A number of years ago, I read a review for a newly published autobiography, Girlbomb (A Halfway Homeless Memoir), written by  NYC native, Janice Erlbaum.  Based upon the review, I purchased the title for the high school library where I worked and when it arrived, I immediately devoured it.  Although Janice is a couple of years younger than I am, I completely identified with her experiences as a smart-beyond-her-years teen growing up with limited parental involvement during the early '80's.  Our situations certainly weren't identical, but I very much shared her experience of being "underprivileged, underage and underdressed."  When I finished the book, I visited her website, girlbomb.com and sent her an email:

             "...So much of your book described my own self-medicated adolescence in the 80's.
              I also had a life with limited stability and your memoir brought so much of the     
              confusion  and contradiction right back to me in a breath-taking way."

Janice and Rachel!!

She graciously responded and through the years we've exchanged an occasional email and are, of course, requisite Facebook friends.  A couple of months ago she posted an event to celebrate the 5th birthday of Girlbomb to be held at the Bowery Poetry Club and I just knew I had to go.  Despite having lived in Albany for 20+ years, I was still somehow able to resurrect that hip, East Village, undergraduate, English major vibe, a result I'm sure of my company (my former Chelsea roomie, writer Rachel Aydt) and my attire (primarily black).  I can't describe, without gushing in a way that would completely dissolve my street creed, how excited I was to finally meet Janice and hear the words which had leaped from the page, actually fall from her lips - it was fantastic!  The club was everything you ever imagine a poetry club to be - dark, curtained off and with an appropriately creative graffiti-filled bathroom.  In addition to Janice, a number of other fabulously talented women read their work and performed for the crowd of appreciative fans.  Here's the official event notice:

          Girlbomb’s fifth birthday party! Celebrating five years since the publication
           of GIRLBOMB: A  Halfway Homeless Memoir. Readings and performances
           by author Koren Zailckas, GEMS founder Rachel Lloyd, and biffles Dana
           Piccoli and Melissa Saunders; dancing and schmoozing also on the agenda.

It was a great event and I thoroughly enjoyed feeling as if I was a part of a "scene" in NYC, if only for one night.  Thanks, Janice for an inspirational evening - and especially for writing.



David Gray ~ Beacon Theater

                                         

About 20 years ago, when I was still in a position to make rules for "Living Silvia Style," I decided that I would never decline an opportunity to experience something new.  Other than ecstasy or other recreational drugs, that is.  As for those substances, thanks, but I'm not interested, even when it is a famous actor offering, however, that's another story.  To return to the story at hand, last week one of my best friends provided me the chance to:

• hang out with she and another dear friend of many, many years.
• visit NYC for a night, 
• check out a performer whom I've never seen before at one of my favorite venues, the Beacon Theater.

In general, the night was an educational experience for me.  For instance, I had no idea that "reluctant driver friend" doesn't have a clue about parallel parking - even when it means paying $55 to park in a convenient garage.  Guess I know what to get her for Christmas next  year - parking lessons!  Amazingly enough we scored a parking spot just west of Broadway at a cost of $2.50, which left a nice surplus for our eating and drinking budget.  Which, was a good thing as we walked a block north on Amsterdam and found our way into a pub that had terrific food matched perfectly with a nice beer selection.  The Amsterdam Ale House is one of those joints that to the uninitiated can cause a bit of angst.  You know, a place that has a promising menu and a cool ambiance but just may not be able to execute.  As we perused the food menu and ordered beers (yum, Ommegang Rare Vos on tap!), we witnessed a nearby table receive their meals and quickly decided to copy them and it was burgers all around.  We did not regret our decision - including our eclectic choice of mixing up our sides so could experience all that was offered: fries, onion rings and sweet potato fries.  Why choose when you can have everything?  We also shared an excellent salad of field greens with walnuts and crunchy rounds of fried goat cheese - a perfect starter course for three.  No disappointment at all.  Our night was going well...

After dinner we walked around the corner and got settled into our seats for David Gray's opening act, Lisa O'Neill.  I'm going to be honest here (as if I'm ever less than that!) and say that I just didn't love her.  As a matter of fact, after a couple of songs we decided that the bottle of Maker's Mark at the bar held more appeal than her performance.  Go ahead - shoot me.  Sorry.  I'd be willing to give her another listen but it just wasn't working for me that night.

David Gray, however, was a joy to listen to.  For me, his songs when played lived didn't demand undivided attention but instead provided an easy background harmony to enjoy the company of my dearest friends.  You're probably familiar with his biggest hit, Babylon, but do yourself a favor and give his latest release, Foundling, a listen.  The lyrics are poignant and his voice beautifully melodic and haunting.  I really love the words he sings in A Moment Changes Everything:

The stolen glances, broken threads

The visions looming in our heads

The years spent running parallel

To everything that might of been

                                                         

I'm not spending a lot of time these days looking backwards, but will take those words with me into the future wherever it may lead. Hopefully, additional opportunities to see David Gray are part of that future.

Trix are for kids, cocktails are for grownups

beautiful speakeasy decor

Around the dinner table last night we were discussing the respective advantages of being an adult vs. being a child.  The usual examples were thrown around; paying bills vs. nonstop playing, having a job vs. having nothing but free time, freedom to make choices vs. being told what to do... You know the conversation; I'm sure you've been on at least one side of it at some point in your life.  Well, places like Employees Only tip the scales decidedly towards the benefits of being an adult.  Can you say swank cocktail bar?     

lovely fireplace reflection

my manhattan

Let me tell you upfront that I usually select wine or beer when I'm out and about.  I certainly enjoy a cocktail (or 2) but don't always like the taste of strong liquors.  Finding a drink that is well made and tasty in a world filled with barkeeps interested primarily with providing a strong drink, is not easy.  As I was planning last week's NYC visit, I did a little research (you do know that I'm a librarian, right?) trying to find a place for a well made cocktail and this spot in the West Village (510 Hudson Street aka lower 8th Avenue) sounded interesting and we added it to our evening's agenda.

The facade of the bar/restaurant is a little bit deceiving and had I not known the address, I'm confident we would have walked right by it and ended up at the Whitehorse Tavern or the Cowgirl Hall of Fame instead.  The front window has a neon light that says "Psychic" and there is no indication that a beautiful and tranquil cocktail space lies beyond the unassuming door.  As we entered, shortly after opening time (6 pm), many of the bar seats were taken, however we found three away from the door and settled in to peruse the cocktail list.  Because I have a fondness for bourbon, I went in planning to have a Manhattan, their signature cocktail.  I was intrigued with their description of the cocktail: Rittenhouse Rye stirred with Italian Vermouth, Orange Curaçao & dashes of    Angostura Bitters.   Yes, please.  I can say without a doubt that this was the best cocktail I've ever had.  On the occasions when I do order a Manhattan, I usually ask for it to be a little sweet, generally accomplished by adding maraschino cherry juice to the shaker.  This Manhattan, though, was a dream - so incredibly well balanced and smooth that it has probably eternally spoiled me.  When Rachel joined us, she took one sip ( a small one, I was being greedy) of my drink and  promptly ordered one of her own.  Gee, Rach, we've come a long way since W 16th Street, huh?

Lisa stuck with the bourbon plan and had the Quiet Storm (Maker’s Mark Bourbon & Red Bush Tea-Infused  Vermouth served tall with Fresh Lemon Juice &  Ginger Beer), which she thoroughly enjoyed.  The bartenders were consummate professionals, perhaps not overly warm, but more than willing to indulge us when we questioned them numerous times about mysterious liquids and concoctions we observed them pouring.  We only stuck around for one drink, and didn't even glance at the food menu, but I do believe we found a winner.  And another reason to relish adulthood.  Cheers!

Otto

My most recent trip to the city involved revisiting favorite spots and exploring some new ones.  Otto (8th Street just east of 5th Avenue) is a place to which I frequently find myself returning.  Seriously, I've probably been to this restaurant more than 8 times in the last couple of years - it's just really good.  The design of the space is cool with the large bar area being designed to evoke an Italian train station, including a large destination board which taunts with the names of Italian cities I'm longing to visit.  Damn you, Mario Batali!  Perhaps if I spent less money in your establishments I could actually get to Italy with greater frequency...

We had intended to have a light(ish) lunch here prior to having something a bit more substantial later, but, we ended up making this our main meal of the day - leaving plenty of room for liquid calories. Don't ever say I'm not a planner! Speaking of liquids; I'm usually all over the wine choices when I'm at Otto. They serve their wine by  the glass selections in adorable little vessels called quartos (who knew this posting would be an education in Italian numerals!) which I love. It's like getting a milkshake with a little extra on the side know what I mean?  On this visit, however, we opted for beer, anticipating that we would be drinking bourbon later in the day and finally being wise enough to understand that it is best to stick with either grain or grape to minimize the pain of the morning after.  We only had  one beer each, but, boy were they good!  I honestly can't remember what Lisa drank (maybe a pilsner?), but I might never forget how tasty the Ommegang BPA was!  It was the perfect temperature, beautifully hoppy and served by a man with an Irish brogue.  How happy was I? 

Here's a picture of the pizza we shared - loaded with prosciutto and arugula, crispy and piping hot - divine!  An aside: I think it was only after working in restaurants (for years), and having children of my own, that I truly began to appreciate how special hot food is.  Do not underestimate the power of serving me hot food!  We paired it with a couple of vegetable selections; my favorite spicy broccoli rabe with ricotta salata and some dynamite brussel sprouts.  Can someone please remind me why I didn't like vegetables like these as a child?  They seriously rock my world these days and I am happy to say that I am now old enough that I can't remember a time when I wouldn't dive into these greens with gusto.  

                                             eat your vegetables!!

Whether you're looking for a place to have a meal with the family, drinks and a bite with a friend, or even a (gasp!) date spot, Otto just might fit the bill for you.   And, if you're looking for someone to join you there, give me a shout.  I'm always up for an Otto adventure.

Soup Dumplings

I'm sure you're all aware of Ala Shanghai and their upstate (near) monopoly on the soup dumpling, right?  I know that folks, who know way more about Chinese food than I do, love their soup dumplings, but Joe's Shanghai will eternally hold a special place in my heart when it comes to these luscious pockets of deliciousness, because it was there where I first popped my dumpling, so to speak. 

Joe's is in Chinatown on a little side street (Pell) off of Mott.  There seems to be some trickery present on this little block since there are 2 restaurants with somewhat similar names, some other Joe's place and another joint with the  word Shanghai in it.  Don't be fooled - Joe's Shanghai will be the place with line outside on the south side of the street.  Wait for the hostess to acknowledge you and give you a number. Things move along pretty fast and I always find it worth the investment of time.  Once you're seated (perhaps at a communal table with some other lucky diners), you'll be offered an opportunity to order soup dumplings - the appropriate answer is "Yes, please."  I really love the pork and crab combination, and find that one order (6 pieces) makes a great appetizer to start, for a party of 2.  If you're unable to share - get your own damn order. 

When I mentally compare these with the upstate version, I find the skins on Joe's dumplings to be more delicate and much easier to pierce daintily to release the steam than those at Ala Shanghai.  And, while the dumpling wrapper is thinner, the broth contained by the wrapper has more body and flavor than the local variation.  It just has more taste, in my opinion.  Let's agree to disagree on this point, ok?

What I will not yield on, however, is the extreme superiority of Joe's scallion pancakes.  Oh my goodness, they're hot and crispy, beautifully browned and loaded with scallions.  The limpness which I've experienced in Latham makes me think that we're not even comparing the same food item.   Get these.

kind of an oily mess, but not necessarily a bad thing.

tasty shrimp with salt and peppers.

Lisa ordered the pork and scallions and the flavor of the dish was right on.  The meat was tender and the scallions retained their beautiful color and flavor despite there being an excess of oil on the plate.  Some rice would have helped to absorb the BP spill, but we were saving our carb calories for beer, so that was not an option.  It was a dish that attracted some attention from the folks hovering while waiting for a table of their own, though. 

I went with a shrimp dish since they had sold out of their green beans.  The shrimp were available either peeled or unpeeled and I took the easy way out opting for shell off.  I  love those hot little pepper slices that were scattered throughout the dish and my plate was not a victim of too much oil at all.  A pretty basic dish, but enjoyable.

I'll be at a little party in a couple of weeks at Ala Shanghai and will revisit their dumplings, but not their scallion pancakes. I will try to remain cognizant that like bacon and turkey bacon, there will be some similarities, but that, for me, it is best to think of the soup dumplings at Joe's Shanghai and those from Ala Shanghai as being from two distant regions rather than from next door neighbors.

A black & white world

so simple ~ so perfect

If there is any single food item which I consider myself to be an expert about, it is the black & white cookie.  And - please don't call it a "half-moon" because that makes no sense at all.  I've eaten uncountable examples of this NYC delicacy and have concluded that my favorite examples are heavy for their size, frosted with an icing that hardens rather than remain ing squishy to the touch and with a faint lemony flavor to the cookie.  Pictured above is my ideal - from Rocco's on Bleecker Street, home also to the best pannetone I've ever had.  This cookie gets elevated to the top of the heap by the addition of a light layer of apricot glaze between the spongy cookie and the icing.  Unexpected to the uninitiated, delightful to the experienced.  Get yourself to Rocco's.  You won't be sorry.

Olive Greens



so pretty - so delicious



When faced with a freakishly large head of broccoli rabe, and the desire to limit carbohydrate consumption, what would you do?  If carbs were not an issue, I'd be all about making a pot of polenta, Union Square Cafe-style with milk, Gorgonzola and toasted walnuts.  I've been trying to wean my body off carbohydrate satisfaction, though, so this was not an option.  What I did have available, however, was about a third of a pint of fantastic mixed olives that I had picked up last month at Eataly.  Speaking of which, have you been there yet?  Let me tell you, it is off the hook crazy, fantastic.  When you go have lots of time and lots of money - but don't go hungry.  I personally found it a bit overwhelming because there were so many options - options for dining (eat in/take out/full service) options for products (olive oils, cheeses, meats, baked goods, pastas, wines, chocolates, etc) and beverage (vino, vino, vino).  And, my issues with making choices have been repeatedly documented of late.  I walked out with a large bottle of Ligurian olive oil and a pint of olives and made my way down Fifth Avenue to Otto where their comprehensive menu seemed inherently more manageable to me.

But, to return to the simple task at hand - greens and olives.  I heated up some olive oil (not the Ligurian which unfortunately met an untimely demise when it landed on the ceramic tile in our hotel lobby.  A sad story, but easily enough replaceable.) and made a few cloves of minced garlic golden brown.  I then unceremoniously dumped in my olives, along with the orange peel, slivered hot red peppers and unidentifiable (to me) leafy green herb which accompanied them.  Next up was the freshly washed (purposely not spun dry to add a little liquid to steam), coarsely chopped rabe.  The broccoli rabe needed to be added in batches because the head was so humongous that I couldn't have fit it all in the fairly large saute pan at once.  My "technique" was to fill the pan up, put a lid on it and walk away for a couple of minutes - at this point the heat was somewhere between low and medium, perhaps a 3.5 on a scale of 1-10.  As the rabe wilted, I tossed it around a bit and added more, trying to keep the cooked greens on top of the raw.  I repeated this until the greens were cooked al dente.  To finish, I seasoned with salt and crushed red pepper flakes.  Admittedly, these would have been divine served in a bowl crowning a mound of creamy polenta, but, I thoroughly enjoyed them nonetheless.

World AIDs Day

About a million years ago (or in the early 90's), I worked for a medical practice in Manhattan.  The offices were on lower Fifth Avenue and the four physicians sharing the suite all practiced out of the now defunct St. Vincent's Hospital in the West Village.  Three of the doctors were internal medicine guys, the other doctor was an independent (solo practice) Ob-Gyn.  This unusual combination of specialities meant that at any given time our waiting room could potentially be filled with pregnant women, elderly couples, young women obtaining routine, gynecological care and sick men - lots and lots of really sick men.

As a single 20-something year-old woman, I obviously was aware of HIV and AIDs.  I understood the need to protect myself, despite my heterosexuality. I practiced safe sex and had been tested more than once for HIV.  What I didn't know, however, were any people who had AIDs.   I mean, I heard of people who were sick, and I was aware of people I knew losing people (children, lovers, friends) to the plague, but I was not familiar with anyone I knew being HIV positive.  Well, that was about to change...

During the year or so I worked in this position, I was fortunate enough to witness firsthand amazing medical care and attention.  The doctors I worked for consistently exceeded any expectation I had for what defined quality medical care - they worked seemingly tirelessly for the health of their patients and I was forever spoiled because I truly believed that all doctors exerted the same efforts which I observed from my employers.  From doing rounds in the early morning, to seeing patients for 8 or 10 hours, to late nights reviewing charts and medications and T cell counts, these guys were warriors.  And I learned how to help take care of terminally ill people because, make no mistake, that's what they were in those days.  There were no "drug cocktails" yet, and despite the candle lit vigils and marches, things were very, very dark.

At the beginning, I was afraid.  I was uncertain if the latex gloves would provide sufficient protection from the test tubes of blood I was "spinning" prior to lab pick-up.  I was very cautious about changing the paper on the exam room tables and probably went out of my way to avoid physical contact - a touch, a handshake,  a hug, until I came to know our patients as more than a diagnosis.  A few of those men will always live in a small place in my heart, like Franklin, from Albany, Georgia who wanted to know if it was okay to smoke a little pot because it made him feel better.  Or the man with the cool name who worked in the film industry, and whose name will always make me smile when I see the credits roll at the end of many pre-1992 Woody Allen movies.  And the couple who took such amazing care of each other during that year - no married straight couple could ever surpass the love and tenderness they shared with one another.  Artists, fashion industry professionals, businessmen, teachers, students - all killed by a disease which does not discriminate. 

So, today, on World AIDs Day - I will think of the talent, the light, and the potential, lost to a disease.   I will think of the human beings taken away, T-cell by T-cell, so many years ago and silently whisper "I remember you.  I won't ever forget you."  How about if you take a moment to do the same?  Or, if you have the time, make your way to the Empire State Plaza and view the Names Project quilt while it remains on display.  Please tell Franklin I said hello.

Veteran's breakfast @Victor's

After an evening of great food and wine, we headed out for breakfast and shopping.  The plan was to head to the Meat Packing District to grab some food and then shop and sight see our way to Macy's.  In my experience any eating establishment with the word "Diner" in the name, usually satisfies, and Victor's was no exception.  The location was handy (Little W 12th and Washington), the prices were fair, the food was solid and thoughtfully prepared, and the service was stellar.  I can't remember our server's name, but she was dynamite - funny, considerate and invested in her job. 

View NE

We ordered a variety of items including a Florentine omelet (spinach and feta), eggs sunny side up, well-done home-fries, crispy french fries, toasted bagel, coffee... We were sharing some stuff (how tiresome we must be to the restaurant servers who so indulge us!) and we were given share plates without a request being necessary.  The food was hot and appropriately proportioned to give us a good foundation for a day's shopping without weighing us down. The coffee was rich in flavor, if only a little poor in body.  Not a real complaint, just an observation. 

The ideal shared breakfast.

Although I didn't think of it during the meal, as I'm writing now, I'm thinking about what a lucky group of people we Americans are.  I imagine the only thing better than living in a country which honors its patriots and warriors, would be living in a country in which veterans and war were unknown.  If everyone in the world could start their day with a breakfast as yummy as ours, maybe we could celebrate 11/11 for entirely different reasons. 

Ladies' Weekend

Okay, so maybe it wasn't really a "weekend," merely a Wednesday afternoon until Thursday evening, but nonetheless we crammed enough fun stuff and food into that window of time that it felt like a weekend.  If there was a theme to our brief jaunt to Manhattan it would be something which involved estrogen, wine, shopping, Mario Batali and bourbon.  Sounds good, right?

The gods completely conspired to make catching the 3:00 train in the realm of possibility by scheduling the annual "Go Home Early" drill for Wednesday.  Couple that factor with an Amtrak weekly special fare ($27 bought me a one-way ticket to Penn) and I was on that train, on the river side, of course, by 2:50.  By 3:05, the first of the entertaining ladies had joined the party - the widow Clicquot, in a perfect train-sized portion.  I'm sorry, but there is nothing like relaxing on the train, while swigging champagne right out of the bottle, watching the scenery roll by.  This particular afternoon involved an epic sunset, which I ended up taking about a million pictures of as I juggled the Nikon and the champagne.  No worries - I didn't spill a drop.

Heading south

Love the blurriness - it wasn't just my eyes!

Pretty spectacular, huh?

The Amtrak dropped me at Penn Station where I rendezvoused with Lisa and we shot downtown on the subway to meet up with our number 3 - she was waiting at the bar.  Do my girls know how to have fun or what?!  We stayed in a new place - the Hilton Garden Inn on Avenue of the Americas (lower 6th) and I have to say, the location (TriBeCa) was perfect!  There's a subway stop for the ACE on the block, an adorable little park area, and the West Village is within easy reach.  The room was comfortable and, hopefully without bedbugs, we'll definitely stay here again.  

image from missbeliever. com

After cleaning up a bit, we headed out for dinner.  I hadn't made reservations anywhere so we dropped in on Lupa.   What can I say?  I'm always happy when I leave this place.  We sat in some familiar seats at the communal table and dug into a variety of tasty items, including the broccoli rabe with ricotta, a salad of local fall greens, and a hangar steak.  All delicious.  We even had a genuine NYC celebrity sighting (x2) when the Olsen twins joined us (not literally) for dinner.  I can't vouch that they ate anything, but, had they been interested in eating, they were certainly in a good place to indulge. 

Post-dinner was a controlled bourbon binge and a walk to keep us from melting into alcoholic puddles.  Just kidding!!  We had a couple of nightcaps and were back to the hotel before midnight, satisfied by a good meal, some quality beverages and the luxury of being with good friends away from home and family.  Sure seemed like a weekend to me.

NYC - Just like I pictured it.

Henry Street Settlement House

Yesterday I chaperoned a student field trip to NYC.  I've been on this trip a few times and always enjoy spending the day walking around the Lower East Side with 30 teenagers - no, really, I mean it.  Most of the kids have never been in this part of the city before (other than some Canal Street shoppers) and I like watching them absorb the culture and history surrounding them  The trip is part of an elective course called History of NYC and the students are each given an assignment in advance to prep for the visit.  The walk focuses on Chinatown, Little Italy and the Foley square area and the students are each responsible to research a site or address along our route.  They then must present to the class at their location, and we end the day by walking across the Brooklyn Bridge into Brooklyn Heights, where we eat dinner and meet our bus. 



Broom and Orchard Streets

Often the large group splits up for meals since we don't make any advance reservations, and my group was the non-chain, not-available-to-eat-in-Delmar, restaurant posse.  For lunch we went to an awesome dumpling place suggested by another chaperone, called Vanessa's.    Wow !  It was everything I want in a lunch - cheap, reasonably fast and tasty.  While there is some seating available, it was more a take-away place and we ended up eating outside, co-opting some nearby stoops.  I had an order of chicken and basil steamed dumplings (8 per order) and a sesame pancake for the grand total of $5.  The dumplings were tender and filled with fresh flavor.  The pancake was a bit thicker than I'm accustomed, but, in all honesty I was expecting a scallion pancake not a sesame pancake - duh.  It was fantastic - crispy, salty and a bit buttery.  Yum!  The kids sampled a wide variety of dumplings, soups and some wonderful looking sandwiches which used the sesame pancakes in place of bread.  Dinner was a quick bite on Montague Street.  We were leaning towards Indian, however, the Indian place was closed so the students elected to have Mediterranean - how cool is that?  I had an ideal green salad and a bowl of red lentil soup, which set me up perfectly for the nap  bus ride home.  Two self proclaimed foodie girls thoroughly enjoyed an appetizer platter of assorted dips and salads, although there was no way they could finish their feast in our allotted time.  No worries - it was packed up and enjoyed on the bus ride north.  I'm not an expert on this cuisine at all, but everything was fresh and well prepared, and our group was pleased with their decision to eat at Taze. 

Below our some pictures from our very full day.  Enjoy! 

 

A really cool market filled with delicious things to eat!




Old Synagogue

 

Dragon fruit



Pomegranates

 

SVU was filming!

 

Brooklyn Bridge - random man






Brooklyn Heights



Cool view of the Brooklyn Bridge