'Twisted Applesauce' Recipe

On Sunday I went apple-picking at Sherwood Orchards, and with the extraordinary amount of apples what's a gal to do? Make applesauce, of course!

2-3 lbs apples (granny smiths, jonagolds, whatever you have in your fruit bowl)

1/4 cup orange juice

1 1/4 cups water (approx.)

1/4 of a lemon's juice

1 tsp cinnamon (or more, I eyeballed)

a dash of nutmeg

1 tsp vanilla

Peel, core, and quarter all the apples. Place in a large pot with water just enough to cover the bottom of the pot plus a little more, add the orange juice and bring to a boil. Once boiled let it simmer for 30-40 minutes until nice and soft. After 40 minutes the apples should be so soft you won't even need to put the mixture in a blender (although, I am also a fan of chunks of apple in my sauce). Add the lemon, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla to taste. Add a dash of sugar if you like your sauce on the sweet side, but it really isn't necessary.

Frittata II (bacon-cheddar-gorgonzola-feta-spinach-potato-mushroom version)

I made another frittata. I think I'm in a frittata phase. It feels like the lazy man's omelette: you just have to let it sit there! Anyway. This time a lot more food went into it. The recipe for it is pretty much the same as the previous one, except I used four JUMBO eggs, not extra large, these were big eggs, kids.

Frittata part deux

Ingredients
1 large boiled potato (cubed)
4 strips of bacon
1/2 onion (diced)
1/2 a bushel of spinach (coarsely chopped)
1/2 a pack of mushrooms (sliced)
4 eggs
milk (approx. 1/3-1/4 cup)
salt & pepper
oregano (1/2 tsp)
feta (sizable chunk, crumbled)
cheddar (sizable chunk, shredded)
gorgonzola (crumbled)
garlic (1-2 cloves, minced)

I assume you know how to boil a potato. Do it. (I always have a ready supply in my fridge as a go-to snack.)

Broiler on!

Cook the bacon to whatever consistency you like in a large frying pan, large enough to use for the rest of the ingredients. When done, take out and let de-grease on a paper towel. DO NOT DISCARD THE BACON GREASE FROM THE PAN.

Cook the onions, garlic, and mushrooms in that heart stoppingly bad bacon grease. Add oregano, salt and pepper. Cook about 8 minutes on medium-low heat.

Add the spinach and potato. Cook 5 mins, or until the spinach is bright and green.

Beat your eggs, and stir the milk and shredded cheddar into the eggs.

Crumble the bacon onto the whole concoction in the pan, and then stir in the egg mixture so that it carries the vegetables evenly. Crumble the feta and gorgonzola on top. Cook for approximately 10 minutes at low-medium heat, or until the bottom has set so that the mixture isn't so wiggly when you shake the pan.

The oven should be ready by now, so put that pan in the oven and let the top bubble and brown for about 5 minutes.

Take out and transfer to plate, then eat it any way your heart desires.

fresh from the oven (bubbly!)

All I want is food

I've been getting really into cooking and eating food as of late. All I do is think about my next meal and what I'm going to be making for it, even when I'm not hungry I want to cook (and eat). This is quite a change from just a few months ago, with my awful takeout regimens (pizza, chinese, burgers, repeat). Ever since I started running I've been eating healthier, and in order to eat better this means cutting back on all the greasy takeout (not that I don't get a pizza every now and then, or Chinese if I'm in the mood, but no more pizza for breakfast!). And I feel healthier, stronger, more awake, etc. etc. etc. Good food is good for you!

So I made a frittata the other day. It was Deelish. And my first ever (which is somewhat sad considering my lengthy history with omelettes...) So I had all these ingredients left over in the fridge from other things, feta from a Greek Salad, spinach and mushrooms from a sauteed spinach mushroom garlic thing, tomatoes for my addiction, and a few eggs left over from the farmer's market (which I'm about to head back to now, to stock up on again). It was surprisingly easy, I'd heard rumors it was difficult, lies!

Here's my recipe:

Ingredients serves 2, or one of me
mostly I eyeballed the quantities, so whatever amount floats your boat
1 tomato (diced)
1 onion (diced)
1/2 a bushel of spinach (coarsely chopped)
1/2 a pack of mushrooms (sliced)
4 eggs (I used 3, cause that was all I had in the house, but 4 would have been better)
milk (approx. 1/3-1/4 cup)
salt (duh)
pepper (duh)
oregano (1/2 tsp)
feta (sizable chunk, crumbled)
garlic (as many cloves as you want! I used two, minced)

Put your broiler on!

Lube up a large oven-safe nonstick frying pan with olive oil, cook the onion, garlic and mushrooms for about 8 mins over medium-low heat. Add salt, pepper, & oregano

Add in half the chopped tomato and spinach, cook for 5 minutes or until liquid has evaporated

Meanwhile, beat your eggs! Add milk to it! Use a whisk, a fork, whatever

After all your filling is cooked, slowly stir in the eggs to mix the ingredients evenly, but not enough to scramble

Let sit over low-medium heat uncovered for about 10 minutes, or until eggs are slightly runny on top

Take off heat, sprinkle on crumbled feta and remaining tomato

Put that pan in the broiler! About 3-5 minutes, or until your eggs are how you like 'em

Take out that pan, slice it in wedges, and EAT it

I should have taken a picture. It looked really pretty. Next time, Gadget, next time!

Over A Decade Later, I Finally Get My Wish: A Japanese Restaurant on Cortelyou!

Ever since I was 12 I'd been pining for a sushi joint/Japanese restaurant to come to Cortelyou Road. Well, as of May 16 at 5 pm, that wish has come true. Months ago Mega Hardware, sandwiched between San Remo and New Neighboor, closed its doors. Not so long after construction began, men worked behind covered windows, and it was uncertain as to what would be there. And, to my incredible delight, a red on white banner went up within a couple months saying "Japanese Restaurant coming soon!" And of course, perfect timing, the parental units arrived from the airport around 4:30 and they took The Boys and I out for the restaurant's opening night dinner. Decent prices, a large menu, lots of udon to choose from, and even two (TWO) vegetarian sushi platters. I am happy, even if it is a chain (cheaper than the one in Manhattan though!). We sat out in the garden, which needs a bit of work yet, and they need to improve their beer selection (NO Japanese beers on the menu!), but it was their first night, hopefully those things will change with time. We got there at around 5 after, and it was a good thing we did too, for when we left (some two and a half hours later mind you) it was positively packed, with a line going out the door. It was like the whole neighborhood came out to eat there, Missie and her father were eating in the front as we walked out, and Adam was waiting on line. We didn't have time to have dessert, as The Boys had to catch their bus down to DC, but what with it half a block away of course I'll be going again soon.

Cortelyou's Castello (and other things)

Jacques Cortelyou, hailing from Utrecht (and French Huguenots) came to Nieuw Netherlands, was appointed Surveyor General of the colony, and subsequently drew the first map of Nieuw Amsterdam (now more commonly known as New York City) in 1660. It is after him that Cortelyou Road in Ditmas Park, part of Victorian Flatbush, is named. The name of this map, the Castello Plan, comes from the Villa di Castello in which it was found some two and a half centuries later in 1900 after having been sold to Cosimo III de’ Medici c. 1667.



On February 26th, the aptly named Castello Plan, a wine/tapas bar, and gourmet child of (the very Dutch named) owner Ben Heemskerk and chef Natasha Pogrebinsky, opened to the public. While I'd noticed it's opening in mid March, I had not yet had the chance to check it out. Well, I must say, I am in love with this little place after having had brunch there the other day. Quaint and cozy inside, with rustic wood paneling, wonderful heavy doors, and complete with terrace outside, this little place is an absolute win. And this is from the brunch alone. I cannot wait to try out their dinner and late night menus. They make their own bacon, their own fruit preserves, serve dangerously delicious bellinis and mimosas, and entire pots of tea. The food was out of this world, and the presentation was beautiful too. Regrettably I took no photos of our plates (The Boys and I having ordered the same thing), Allison took some of hers, but I'll be sure to take pictures the next time. We all sat around the table in silence for a good while just gobbling up every last morsel on our plates. And oh, the cheese selection! We had two rounds of the Blu di Bufala, a blue cheese made from the milk of Water Buffalo, and served with raspberry preserves, rustic bread, and walnuts. We are so lucky to have a place like this in the neighborhood, and luckier still that it's open late! Everything about this place is just adorable - the menus with an old map of the neighborhood on the backs, the bottle list especially with it's cork binding - the little terrace shaded by trees, and the service was impeccable to boot. Absolutely wonderful. The people who were waiting half an hour to brunch at The Farm on Adderley have NO idea what lies just across the street! Not to knock The Farm, I love their food, service not so much, waiting so long for brunch even less. But The Castello Plan is an absolute gem, and I can't believe it took me this long to eat there!

The Return of Green Tea Ice Cream

No more limited special edition, Green Tea is a full fledged flavor now! I was so excited, I bought two. Contemplated nearly grabbing another, but it's an actual flavor now! I don't have to horde!



How I didn't discover that little Asian grocer on 7th ave sooner is beyond me. Mochi! Matcha aisu! It's I'm-going-to-pretend-I'm-in-Japan heaven!


Now, if only Häagen-Dazs would come out with a Pumpkin flavor...

Last Supper

Last night Sabine, Arjan, and I went to The Farm on Adderley for a final dinner out before they fly back to Amsterdam by way of London. The food was good as always, Sabine and I again ordered the same dish: filet mignon with a red pepper toast sauce and carola potatoes. Mmm. So good. What makes this restaurant the better choice of the street (IMO) is most definitely the food, specifically the rotating, seasonal menu and its general lack of greasiness. The atmosphere is nice, too, all that brick and candlelight. The wine was meh, that might have been because it was the wrong bottle for what Sabine & I ordered, but I hope it went nicely with Arjan's fowl. No room for their desserts, but we figured we would later, so pints of ice cream were picked up and then consumed while watching Little Britain.

I'll be sorry to see them leave, it's been a real delight to have them here. Sabine is such a sweetheart.

Unexpected Sunshine!

Omg, omg, gorgonzola mashed potatoes, omg! And black angus ribeye. And delicious shallot and red wine sauce. Yum-diddly-um! And Washington Merlot (forgot to write down the name! blast!)

What an absolutely delightful day I had! Love art. Saw so much art today. Walked so much today. Conversed so much today. And with such wonderful company! Sabine and Arjan are a delight, Sabine is darling as always, and Arjan is very nice. It's such a pleasure to have them stay here.

Started off with a nice breakfast together, then off to MoMA for so many hours and so many floors, and so many ideas bobbing around in my head and chock full o'inspiration. Oppenheim, de Kooning, Picasso, Flavin, Miro, Oldenburg, Giacometti, Dali, Mondrian, Matisse, de Chirico, Magritte, Duchamp, Boccioni, van Gogh, Goldin, Walker, etc. etc. etc. I don't think I've ever had such an appreciation for "modern art" as I did today. It's about bloody time! I always knew this time would come, just like the time when I overcame my museum boredom at Pratt and it was like a light turned on. Maybe it was because the last time I was at MoMA I was bitter, distracted, had a migraine, and wasn't allowed to photograph the Manets. The first time I went was with Eric and Jeff, and I definitely enjoyed it then. I don't know. Maybe this time I couldn't help but recognize nearly every name I looked at, nearly every room had at least one work of art I had studied in my art history classes, and just knowing that I knew what the hell I was looking at and knew something about it before I even had to read the bloody info card was a heady feeling indeed. It feels delicious. (And I found a Cindy Sherman poster on sale, score!)

Off to picnic lunch in Central Park, crazy crazy animals. I don't know what was up, but that squirrel and that little bird were NOT afraid of us, and kept coming back time after time. Nutters!

Then a walk downtown, Broadway was blocked for pedestrians, which was super sweet, chairs set up and live music playing. Off to Chelsea, a rest in a playground, my "type" at seventeen sitting on the bench next to me (Arjan, "do you want to go back?" kidder!), wander round for galleries, more Flavin, interesting video installation (wide open space, many films at once, on the same topic, from different cameras and spaced at different times, showing different frames of thought).

Ambled through the High Line, what a treat! I wish they would carry that to the actual streets of the city! Mother and child asleep, a diaper on the child's head. Cobble stones below peaking through the asphalt. No rain (unlike weather predicted), blue skies, rays of sunshine streaming between distant clouds across the Hudson.

A meander to find Gay St. It was a lot less gay than I recall. I don't know why, but I remembered cobble stones. Cobble stones there were none. Houses not as cute in the daylight. Poo-poo! But I found it, my navigation skills at least are good.

Busy restaurants, adorable inns, a party of elderly ladies at Lips. Meander, meander, and finally the Cornelia Street Cafe, getting there just in time to snag the last available table. Bottle of wine, conversation, steaks all around. Deelish. And, to top off the wonderful day, a group of men singing 'Duke of Earl' on Bleecker. Priceless!

カレーライス

Humid out. Warm and humid. Almost hot. Muggy and damp. Brings me back to Tokyo in summer, the heat and humidity, and karee raisu (カレーライス) for lunch. Mmmm. Maybe it's because I just watched "Curry and Vampire," maybe I'm just hungry, maybe it's the weather, maybe I yearn for Japan, or maybe it's all of the above. In any case, I'm craving this Japanese twist on an Indian classic. 

Gerstensuppe

Switzerland was wonderful. All white and clean. We stayed in a small town called Flims, but it didn't really feel like Switzerland there. It was just overrun by all the wintersports tourists, (mostly Dutch snowboarders there for some competition incidentally, which irked my Dutch relatives a smidge, how can they talk in private now?) and just didn't feel authentic. I mean, it felt like Switzerland, just not how I experienced it the last time when I was in Mürren and Wengen. Maybe it was because most of the buildings were built in the last century. Falera, on the other hand, was the exact taste of Switzerland I needed. Tiny little town, crooked cobbled streets, mountains peeking through the houses, and old wooden buildings dating back well over a century. 

I must have had gerstensuppe at least three times. My favorite was after the circular hike that had several forks and shortcuts through the forest (oh how I wanted to amble through, but I was not alone, and those I was with prefer not to go off the beaten path). I forget the name of the restaurant, but it translated to something along the lines of the Ostrich Nest. In any case. This was the most delicious soup I've ever tasted. Delicate herbs, barley, tiny legumes, ham, and the finishing touch: freshly shaved horseradish. I bought a Graubünden cookbook that incidentally has this very recipe (not that I bought it just for that of course). Ugh. All the food was so good. I ate so much pig it's ridiculous (I'm so bad). Every morning I'd wake up nice and early, and get a ridiculous amount of food to eat: scrambled eggs, hard-boiled eggs, nutty bread, salami, prosciutto, emmentaler, gruyere, brie, tea, and two kinds of juice. Now that's a breakfast. Spaetzle, gerstensuppe, fondue, pizokels, goulash, and so much else for lunch and dinner I can't even remember it all, but everything was delectable. The Swiss know my palate. 

Hours were spent winter-hiking, going up mountains, going down mountains, at one point crawling up a mountain, and every evening with my Dutch relatives (Uncle Rob & Aunt Beatrice, Uncle Cees & Aunt Josine, their friends, and my own mother and father). It was lovely to see them all, I hadn't seen Aunt Beatrice since Eileen got married five years ago, and I'd forgotten how much more she's like my father than their older sister (i.e. fantastic sense of humour). The only unfortunate thing about the trip was that I did not have my camera. Would have if I could have, but it was being held captive in DC. 

It ended with an overnight in Zurich, where I'd never been, but my parents have been traveling to for years. I adored Zurich. I would love to go back there when it's not so blistery out, but I thoroughly enjoyed my hours-long meander through the city. Topped it off with fondue and fingerlings. 

抹茶アイスクリーム

Best thing to be recently imported into the States? Häagen-Dazs' own Green Tea ice cream. Every day that I was in Tokyo - and I do mean every day, sometimes even twice a day - I'd buy myself a quaint little cup at the コンビニ (konbini) on my way home from class.



While scoping out the ice cream section recently, seeing as how it is summer and all, I noticed something green. And lo and behold, stood my old tasty friend in pint-size form.



Häagen-Dazs, you have made my taste buds very happy. Now cut the limited edition bullshit and make that flavor permanent.

Day Five

I just want to run around outside and play - swim, hike, roll around in the grass, you name it.

I feel so positive. Optimistic. Hopeful. It's incredible.

I watched "I Survived a Japanese Game Show." It makes me miss Tokyo like cuhrazy. Dammit. I just like to take in everything around me, and I especially enjoy myself when it's as an aesthetically pleasing place as Japan. But, more to the point, I like to absorb what surrounds me. My favorite thing to do in the pool is to just lie on my back and stare at the sky, floating slowly. I want to go stargazing. I want to go bird watching. I just wish I didn't have to do this all by myself. Yes, I'm independent, but it would be much more enjoyable to share it with someone else.

Anyway. My mind is all over the place. Evidently. Back to Japan.

I miss the temples. I miss the smells. I miss the people. I miss the FOOD. I miss the sites, the shrines, the subway, the language, the SMELLS. Fuck. The smells. The food. My top two, definitely.

Nothing like Florida to make you feel young and pretty.

summer.
in florida.
this heat and humidity reminds me of summer 2002. maybe it's the smell of tuna in the air mixing with aforementioned heat and humidity. In any case, it brings me back to Brooklyn, when Daisy and I would eat at the corner diner across from Pratt, she with her tuna sandwich and me with my tomato cheese, and both with coffee respectively. Maybe I'm hungry. I am hungry. This place has scary food in it. I'm going to see if I can't manage to eat out while I'm here. No leftovers for me, please.

私によっては東京が抜けている

Being sick has led to watching America's Next Top Model on YouTube. Which has led to my missing Tokyo.



These girls are just...uch. I like Ya Ya though, she kicks ass. In any case, Ya Ya is the only one that bloody appreciates where they are and the native customs. The other girls' just act so entitled to meet the people they meet, learn what they learn, and live where they live in Tokyo. The show is such a joke. Which is, of course, why I watch it.

I wish I had an excuse to go to Japan again. I think I'll settle by going to Uwajimaya, buying some Japanese food, checking out Kinokuniya, and then coming home to don my yukata and devour deliciousness.