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August 27, 2006
Weekend food wrap-up
We had a pretty quiet weekend--yesterday, I was happy to discover there's a branch of Cafe Zaiya in the East Village. I'd eat at Cafe Zaiya nearly everyday if I could--I just love their spicy tuna onigri sooo much. And the onigri I had yesterday was especially good--warm and stuffed with tuna. Tonight, I made a dish that I'd made once before but not as well--a butternut squash pasta dish. The last time I made it, I accidentally roasted the squash to a crisp in the oven so the dish tasted so-so but you could tell the potential was there. This time, I was careful not to leave the squash in the oven for too long and the dish came out perfectly.
Speaking of food, I thought this thread on restaurants in NYC vs San Francisco was pretty interesting. Unfortunately, my diet in the Bay Area when I lived there many years ago as a graduate student consisted primarily of burritoes and bagels so I'm afraid I'll have to defer to the posters. I had an interesting conversation on this subject with someone who just moved here from the Bay Area though last night who pointed out that a lot of people in the Bay Area generally only go out to eat once every week or even every two weeks while New Yorkers consistently go out to eat or order in so the quality of the food here is probably better.
Posted by Jennifer at 08:14 PM | Comments (0)
August 20, 2006
Weekend food wrap-up
My latest weekday lunch obsession is ginger chicken (also known as Pad Khing). It started after we returned from vacation and I tried the ginger chicken lunch special at this place. It was so good and, unfortunately, an experience that hasn't been emulated but it hasn't deterred me from my latest lunch fixation. Friday night, I had dinner at Supper. Supper used to be my favorite Italian restaurant but then it kind of fell out of favor for a while. On Friday, I ordered the spaghetti al pesto genovese and my love for the restaurant rekindled--I've had pesto in the birthplace of pesto, and Supper's pesto definitely gave the pesto dish I had in Cinque Terre a run for its money. Unlike most of the pestos I've had, this one was rich--chunks of pureed basil paired with potatoes and green beans. It was very good.
Last night, I tried my hand at risotto. Going to France definitely sparked an interest in trying new things so I've been experimenting with a few new dishes. It came out pretty well--a little too salty but otherwise good. It's labor intensive though since it requires frequent trips to the stove to add chicken broth--I think I might wait until we have another dinner party to make it again.
Posted by Jennifer at 10:37 PM | Comments (0)
August 13, 2006
Chihuly at the Garden and an interview with Holly
Went to see Chihuly at the Garden today. I thought the price for the show ($20) was pretty steep but I guess it was worth it. My favorite part (as I'm sure was the case for most attendees) was the lily pond installation--I would describe it as playful, whimsical but I'll let you judge for yourself based on the photos below:
I definitely recommend the Chihuly film for anyone who goes--I personally didn't know anything about Chihuly until I heard about the show and I found the film very illuminating. And, because a visit to the garden wouldn't be complete without flowers, here are some close-up shots I took of flowers in the lily pond.
So one of my intentions when I had started this blog was to interview some of my favorite bloggers. I posted an interview I did last weekend and managed to score an interview with Holly of Watch Holly as well. Some of you may remember I interviewed her previously when she did Watch Me Turn 30. After passing the Watch Me Turn 30 torch to Amy, she started her current blog in which she chronicled first getting married and now her pregnancy. Anyway, the interview below:
Did you miss doing Watch Me Turn 30?
I did. While it was a bit of relief not having to come up with something to say—and figuring out yet another way to take a picture of myself—everyday, I found that I really liked the self-imposed deadline. It forced me to be creative daily. And it forced me not to sleepwalk through a big life change.
Why did you take a break from doing Watch Holly?
It was an unintended break, actually. My evil host company ate my archive and the entirety of Watch Me Turn 30, too. It was so sad. I lost motivation for a while.
Did you anticipate having children at this point in your life?
I anticipated having kids in my early thirties, but it’s the “at this point in my life” part that I never really got my head around. I’m still struggling with the fact that I’ll be a mom and not own a home. In some way, I think I should be a wee bit further in my career by now. I should have more money in the bank. My 401k should be fatter. But it’s never the perfect time to reproduce. You have to just do it while your eggs are good and ready.
Tell us some things about being pregnant that most people may not know about.
I feel exactly the same. I thought I would just know that I was pregnant. But I didn’t. I was shocked to see the plus sign on the stick. Even now, I feel totally normal. If my belly weren’t growing, I’d have no clue. I guess you only really hear from people who are having a hard time with morning sickness and stuff.
What do you look forward to most about motherhood?
I can’t wait till the little person talks. I want to sit at the kitchen table and listen to him/her yammer on about whatever he/she discovered that day. I’m really looking forward to share someone’s unabashed excitement for just about everything. Plus, Christmas. How fun will Christmas be?!
Have you heard from a lot of readers who share your anxieties about being pregnant or having children?
Not so much yet. I’m hoping as the days tick on, people will share more stories with me.
Do you plan on continuing to blog after you have your baby?
I’d like to. People have been putting their requests in for me to start Watch Me Turn 1. Who knows—maybe we’ll both have blogs.
Posted by Jennifer at 08:13 PM | Comments (0)
August 12, 2006
Croton Falls
An old co-worker of Adam's was having her fiftieth birthday party today so we schlepped up to Croton Falls for her party. We had to catch a Metro-North train from Grand Central and we got there only about twenty minutes before our train was leaving. I was determined to get lunch from one of my favorite Japanese eateries though so I dashed there and back and picked up one of my favorite lunches in the process--spicy tuna onigiri, a tuna sandwich (to share), and strawberry shortcake.
The ride to Croton Falls was long but nice and the house where the party took place was also very nice--it was located in a very wooded area off a gravel road and had a lot of wooden beams, giving it the feel of a country home. What I really liked were all the birds and butterflies that frequented the backyard, assisted by the presence of a bird-feeder and butterfly attracting flowers. I watched two butterflies engage in a mating dance for at least fifteen minutes--something I had never seen before and admired the variety of birds that went to the feeder.
Lunch was pretty substantial and we grazed at the party so when we came home I decided to have something light. I ate the risotto-mushroom-asparagus patty I picked up from Whole Foods and was instantly rewarded the moment I took a bite--it really is quite sublime. Then I attempted to make the warm goat cheese salad that I fell in love with when we were in France. Didn't come out quite as well as the ones I had in France but it was still tasty. Anyhow, a photo from today's party:
Posted by Jennifer at 09:42 PM | Comments (0)
August 06, 2006
Good food, karaoke, MOMA, and an interview with Robyn of The Girl Who Ate Everything
I had such a good weekend, I don't want it to end. Friday, I interviewed this blogger at Otto (interview posted below). I've been to Otto several times now and can't help but feel slightly disappointed each time I go. I had a slice of Adam's pizza the last time we went and thought I really liked it but realized it wasn't really the kind of pizza I like when I went there on Friday. That combined with the fact that my dessert came in a tiny tea cup made me realize I should go to Otto less.
Saturday, I went to this sale at this blog's recommendation. I'm not that into vintage but the blogger's purchases looked so cute, I had to check it out. Which actually turned out to be a good thing because my sister and I changed where we were going to lunch accordingly and we ended up going to Snack, an eatery that's been on my list for a while. I'm generally not that into Greek food but the food at Snack was excellent. We shared this potato garlic puree which was so good that I had to bring one home for Adam, only to eat most of it myself. We also shared spinach triangles, a greek salad, and a chicken boureki--all very good. I'm definitely going back.
Last night, we went to the Queens branch of this place. I don't know how anyone (save for vegetarians) can not like Korean grilled meats. Then, we went to a private booth karaoke place in Flushing--the song selection was eclectic but I found a number of songs I liked and we had a lot of fun belting out tunes on the mike. It's been a while since Adam and I have done karaoke. The best part about it was that our room was about three times the size of a standard private booth in Manhattan and about half the price.
Today, I went to MOMA for the first time since it was reconstructed. A little background: I worked at MOMA Bookstore for several summers ( plus a winter holiday) many moons ago. It was a nice job--I met several people I became friends with and I liked the working environment of a modern art museum bookstore. The museum hadn't opened yet when I got there but the bookstore was so I hit the bookstore first. The current bookstore is a lot different than the bookstore I worked in--it's a lot more like the Design Shop now design-wise and merchandise-wise. I was surprised they got rid of the poster section entirely (where I had spent much of my time working) and replaced it with a self-service poster section with a lot fewer poster selections. I think the former bookstore had an intimacy that's been lost with the current space but I guess the current space is a lot more like the rest of the museum now.
As far as the museum goes--I don't like the fact that you have to check in your bag now and remove your wallet and any electronics but the actual museum itself is fine. It does seem a lot larger and they seem to have a lot more paintings/works. I loved the furniture/design section--the things in there are like eye candy.
Unfortunately, my battery on my digital camera died after we started karaoking so no karaoke photos but I have this one photo from the weekend to share.
So, speaking of food, I interviewed Robyn Lee, the weblogger behind The Girl Who Ate Everything. Robyn chronicles her experiences eating at different restaurants and eateries around NYC and NJ, complete with eye-popping photos of the food she and her companions eat. She's a great food blogger and I had the privilege of meeting and interviewing her on Friday. Unfortunately, the restaurant we chose was noisy so this is an abbreviated version of the interview:
1. First off, what's your secret? How do you manage to eat so much food and not gain a million pounds?
I actually gained a lot of weight but somehow I lost almost ten pounds in the last two months.
2. What are five foods or types of foods you’d be content with subsisting on for a week?
Japanese food, bread, fruit, rice, curry, and dumplings. Actually, for the past four days I’ve been eating mozzarella and basil sandwiches just because I like them.
3. Are there foods you generally avoid?
Raw tomatoes, shellfish, bacon, alcoholic beverages, coffee, and tofu. I’m not a huge fan of meat—-I can go a few days without eating meat and not notice.
4. What are some eating establishments in NYC you lament the closure of?
I’ve only been here for two years. I don’t know—-I heard that Shopsin’s is closing and that would suck. Polka Dot Cake Studio closed—-that made me sad. Lin’s Dumpling House.
5. What kinds of classes do you take as a food studies major?
Wine tasting, beer class, food and society, food in history
6. What do you enjoy most about blogging?
After people actually started reading it, the fact that people read it. I had been blogging about random crap for years, since 1999, and no one really read it—-I just felt like writing. I like writing but knowing that people actually read it makes me want to write better.
Posted by Jennifer at 06:43 PM | Comments (0)