During my visit to New York I went to Smorgasburg, the Brooklyn flea/food market. It was an amazingly beautiful sunny and warm Saturday and we spent half the day tasting all that the wonderful market had to offer. Smorgasburg is right by the water with a beautiful view of Manhattan’s skyline. (click on name to check out the market’s site)
We got some hash browns from the Hash Bar, a stand set up by the restaurant Parish Hall. Parish Hall just recently opened on North 3rd street in Brooklyn and sources much of its produce and meats from Goatfell Farm (click on names to check out their sites)
We also had some fried anchovies from Bon Chovie, which served Jersey Style anchovies and a Ceasar Salad on a stick.
It was a very hot day so we quenched our thirst at the cutest little lemonade stand, called ‘The Stand’ where they served flavours like rhubarb, rose and cucumber, hibiscus, brown sugar, grapefruit-rosemary and blueberry-jasmine. mmmmmmm!!!! (click on the name to check out their site)
‘Every Saturday on the Williamsburg waterfront between North 6th and North 7th St., at the East River, from 11am to 6pm, Smorgasburg brings together food entrepreneurs and established purveyors from New York City and across the region selling both packaged and prepared foods, fresh produce, and other food-related stands (kitchen utensils, housewares, etc.), for a total of approximately 100 vendors. The market is open rain or shine.’ (description from the site)
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Today for lunch I cooked up a dish I found on my new favorite food blog, My New Roots. It was the first time I had ever cooked Jerusalem Artichokes (which aren’t related to artichokes at all and are actually part of the tuber family) and it was a total success! As described by Sarah B of My New Roots, this meal is a “kick-in-the-pants, party-on-a-plate!”. I couldn’t agree more! the harissa gives it a nice kick and the lemon juice keeps it nice and fresh. This dish is sure to be a hit!
The original recipe comes from Martha Stewart’s Meatless Mondays.
Serves 6
Ingredients:
¾ cup beluga lentils, soaked if possible (you can also use Du Puy or French lentils)
6 cups Jerusalem artichokes/ sunchokes
4 cups packed shredded kale
1 large red onion
3 cloves garlic
sea salt
knob of coconut oil or ghee
1/3 cup almonds, roasted
Dressing:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. honey
1 Tbsp. harissa* paste (depending on your taste – this may be too spicy!)
1 clove garlic
a couple pinches sea salt
2 Tbsp. Lemon juice
Directions:
1. Drain and rinse lentils well. Place in a pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and cook until tender (approx. 20-25 minutes). Drain and rinse.
2. While the lentils are cooking, prepare all vegetables. Scrub the Jerusalem artichokes. If their skins are rather thin, you don’t need to peel them, otherwise do so. Cut into cubes. Wash kale, cut into small pieces. Chop onions, mince garlic
3. In a large dry skillet, toast almonds until fragrant and slightly browned. Remove form heat.
4. In the same skillet, heat coconut oil or ghee, add onions and sea salt. Cook on medium heat until softened, 5 minutes. Add garlic, cook for a couple minutes. Add Jerusalem artichokes, toss to coat with oil and leave for at least 5 minutes on medium heat – do not stir! After 5 minutes, check the bottom to see if browned. If so, stir to flip them all and let cook another 5 minutes. Repeat once more (they should not be on the heat much longer than 15 minutes).
5. Finally, add kale and toss until bright green and tender, 3 – 4 minutes.
6. While the dish is cooking, make the dressing. Put all ingredients in a jar, shake until blended (add harissa one teaspoon at a time until it is to your preferred spiciness). Season to taste.
7. In a large bowl, toss the lentil with half of the dressing. Add vegetable mix, pour most of the dressing over and lightly toss. Put on a serving dish, and drizzle the last remaining dressing over top, making sure to let some hit the sides of the plate for visual effect – the colour is astounding! Eat immediately.
mmmmmm enjoy!!!!
here are some fun facts about Jerusalem Artichokes ;)
“Despite their name, Jerusalem artichokes are actually a member of the sunflower family, and have no relation to Jerusalem or artichokes. The small, gnarly-looking tuber somewhat resembles ginger root. The flavor is earthy (which can actually be overwhelming if not complemented with the right foods), slightly sweet, and similar to a water chestnut. The texture is less starchy than a potato, and for this, they’re often recommended for diabetics.
Nutrition-wise, Jerusalem artichokes have one of the highest amounts of inulin, a special type of carbohydrate, than any other plant. Inulin is not absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract, so it’s actually considered fiber. Inulin feeds the good guys in your colon, almost like a fertilizer!” (From Martha Stewart’s Meatless Mondays)
Be sure not to overcook the jerusalem artichokes or they can get rubbery!
Saturday May 26 05:37pm
While I was staying with my friend in Brooklyn a couple of weeks ago we met up with some of her pals at Noorman’s kil, this great little whiskey bar that also serves grilled cheese! It was a quiet Monday evening and we had the entire back terrasse to ourselves. The bar offers 240 different kinds of whiskeys and a nice and cozy, yet chic atmosphere.
“Four friends with a common love for whiskey and grilled cheese recently teamed up to open Noorman’s Kil. The bar offers 240 kinds of whiskey, which range from $3 to the staggering, rare glass of $120 Yamazaki from 1984. All the grilled cheese sandwiches were named after important women in the four owners’ lives. The Jane sandwich contains New York Sharp Cheddar and My Friend’s Mustard, a Greenpoint-based mustard brand, on sourdough. On Betsy, there’s Vermont Chèvre, apricot jam, thyme, and honey on olive bread. Aside from those two, the menu features five other varieties of the classic sandwich. The cheese is from Murray’s and the bread is delivered fresh from Orwasher’s Bakery, two Manhattan-based businesses. But Noorman’s Kil isn’t just about whiskey and grilled cheese. They also have 12 craft beers on tap, and the normal selection of hard liquor besides brandy. In their vow to support local businesses, the bar uses Hella Bitter, a cocktail bitter company based in Williamsburg, and Brooklyn Brine’s pickles.The four owners plan to increase the community’s (and their own) whiskey education by offering weekly tastings.
Forsyth, who, like his co-owners, has been involved in North Brooklyn’s bar scene for some time, simply wanted a place of his own to hang out and sip his beloved drink. “We all love whiskey and we like drinking quite a bit and grilled cheese,” he said. “So we built ourselves a clubhouse that no one can take us out of.” ( from the Greenpoin Gazette)
Noorman’s Kil is located at 609 Grand Street in Williamsburg.
(image not my own)
Saturday May 26 11:51amMy friend Lucas Nathan aka Jerry Paper had a show at the Cake Shop in Manhattan while I was visiting; it was the first time I had ever heard him perform and i loved it! Cake Shop is a café/ cake shop during the day and a venue for shows at night.
check out his site to hear more of his music!
On the Sunday of my NY trip we went to the Brooklyn Flea in Williamsburg, down by the water (click on name to check out site). It’s in the same location as Smorgasburg but on Sundays it turns into a giant and amazing flea market. you can find it all at the Brooklyn Flea (and they serve food in case you need to re-fuel while you shop!)
“The Flea features hundreds of top vendors of antique and repurposed furniture, vintage clothing, collectibles and antiques, as well as a tightly curated selection of jewelry, art, and crafts by local artisans and designers, plus delicious fresh food.”
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The night I arrived in Brooklyn we went to a phenomenal restaurant called Parish Hall on North 3rd street. We had some delicious plates such as smoked brook trout with mizuna and pickled honey peppers, roasted Montauk tilefish with anson mills grits, green garlic broth, and candied rhubarb, as well as grilled rack and roast lamb shoulder, flax and nettle pesto, carrot sauce, asparagus and farro. Every bite was out of this world!!! Even their cocktails were phenomenal! I had the Winnie Palmer; bourbon, black tea, lemon, Regan’s orange bitters, and fresh mint. mmm.
Parish Hall sources much of its produce and meats from Goatfell Farm, which uses organic and permaculture methods of producing fruits and vegetables. The farm also provides food for Parish Hall’s sister restaurant Egg, which is located on North 5th street in Brooklyn and serves breakfast all day. (click on names to check out their sites).
‘This restaurant is trying to define “regional Northeast cuisine” with local ingredients interpreted by the chef, Evan Hanczor, who has foraged since childhood and most recently was the chef at nearby Egg. George Weld, who owns Egg as well as this newcomer, has a farm upstate that helps supply the restaurant. Among Mr. Hanczor’s dishes are an “underground salad” of raw roots and tubers, seared fluke in a lovage broth and lamb done up with flax and nettle pesto, carrot sauce, chickweed and barley. Only the front room of the spacious restaurant is open now; the entire place will be ready next month: 109A North Third Street (Berry Street), Williamsburg, Brooklyn, (718) 782-2602.’ (from the New York Times)
(image not my own)
Monday May 21 11:04pmOn the Sunday of my New York visit, we had a wonderful Mother’s Day brunch at my friend Grace’s place with her and her family, who were in town from L.A to celebrate her graduation from the Food Studies program at N.Y.U (crashing at friend’s who is a chef is the most amazing thing in the world!). Grace cooked up a storm and spoiled us with the fluffiest buttermilk pancakes with rhubarb sauce to go on top, as well as an arugula and pea shoot salad and the most delicious asparagus, potato and cheddar frittata. Check out her food blog to see some of the amazing stuff she cooks up.
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Tonight for dinner I cooked up a poppy seed-crusted butternut squash with kale and pomegranates. I got the recipe from My New Roots, an amazing food blog written by Sarah Britton. A holistic nutritionist and vegetarian chef, Sarah Britton is currently on assignment at Noma’s test kitchen, the Nordic Food Lab in Copenhagen, Denmark. Noma was named the best restaurant in the world for the past three years (I should make a reservation soon for when I move there next January!!)
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 medium butternut squash
4 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp. melted ghee or coconut oil
3 Tbsp. poppy seeds
couple pinches of sea salt
2 cups packed shredded kale
1 shallot
juice of ½ lemon
zest of 1 lemon
pinch of sea salt
Maple Mustard Dressing
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
pinch sea salt
1 tsp. pure Maple syrup
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Peel the squash, cut it in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Cut into cubes. Toss with oil, minced garlic, poppy seeds, and sprinkle with sea salt. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast until fork-tender, not mushy (approx. 30-40 minutes) (the first time I made this I peeled the squash with a regular peeler….it took me forever!!! Then I figured out it was much easier to do simply with a knife)
2. While the squash is roasting, shred the kale by slicing it in very thin strips. Add the juice of ½ lemon, a pinch of sea salt and massage into kale to wilt. Set aside.
3. Make dressing by whisking all ingredients together. Pour over kale, toss to coat.
4. Remove the pomegranate seeds. Fill a bowl with water, cut the fruit in half, then roughly pry out the seeds with your fingers and let them fall into the water. The seeds with white pith will float to the top – remove the pith as much as possible leaving the seeds, which will then sink.
5. When the butternut squash has finished roasting, remove from oven and let cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Add to kale and mix. Toss with sliced shallot, pomegranate seeds, and garnish with lemon zest. Season to taste. Serve.
and voila!!!
As a little side dish I made a fiddlehead and tomato salad and kept the dressing simple; i just drizzled on some olive oil and lemon with a pinch of sea salt.
And finally for dessert, some oh-so-sweet strawberries!! Oh, and I decorated the table with some beautiful white lilcas that I sneakily took from my neighbour’s tree ;)
I have made this kale, butternut squash and pomegranate salad three times in the past week, and it has been a big success each time! It’s a great summery meal.
Enjoy!
During my visit to New York I went to Smorgasburg, the Brooklyn flea/food market. It was an amazingly beautiful sunny and warm Saturday and we spent half the day tasting all that the wonderful market had to offer. Smorgasburg is right by the water with a beautiful view of Manhattan’s skyline. (click on name to check out the market’s site)
It was a very hot day so we quenched our thirst at the cutest little lemonade stand, called ‘The Stand’ where they served flavours like rhubarb, rose and cucumber, hibiscus, brown sugar, grapefruit-rosemary and blueberry-jasmine. mmmmmmm!!!! (click on the name to check out their site)
We also had some delicious hot dogs from Asia Dog; I had the Vinh veggie, which is a vietnamese style dog and is topped with aioli, veggie pate, cucumbers pickled carrots and daikon, cilantro and jalapeno. it was out of this world!!! (click on name to see their site)
‘Every Saturday on the Williamsburg waterfront between North 6th and North 7th St., at the East River, from 11am to 6pm, Smorgasburg brings together food entrepreneurs and established purveyors from New York City and across the region selling both packaged and prepared foods, fresh produce, and other food-related stands (kitchen utensils, housewares, etc.), for a total of approximately 100 vendors. The market is open rain or shine.’ (description from the site)
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Last Saturday it was a beautiful sunny day in Brooklyn and I stopped in at the Mast Brothers chocolate shop. What an amazing place! As soon as you walk in you are greeted by the aroma of dozens of different kinds of homemade chocolate, including my favorite the Black Truffle dark chocolate. Rick and Michael Mast, the two brothers who started the Brooklyn-based confectionary, make delicious organic, artisanal chocolate.
Each wrapping is designed by a local artist so each chocolate bar is uniquely wrapped and presented.
‘The life of a mariner is one given over to wanderlust—the quest for adventure, crossing unseen horizons to secure precious goods—only to bring them back to their home port. This same love of adventure and curiosity defines the brotherhood of Rick and Michael Mast. They share a fiercely independent spirit, leaping into the unknown and trusting that they’ll find the answer through endurance and dedication to their craft.
They began their voyage in their apartment, using a homemade machine to process cacao beans. Over time they cultivated their creation, sourcing beans from family farms in Madagascar, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, and Ecuador. Each bar is handmade with incredible reverence for the process and history of chocolate. They are bound in ornamental papers and golden foil like a collection of rare books. Each bar offers its own story of flavors, and no two are exactly alike.
The Mast Brothers are now planning to navigate the mighty Atlantic, sailing to the Dominican Republic in search of beans and a deeper connection with the folks who grow them. Before they begin the next chapter, The Scout spent time with Rick and Michael documenting their story.’ (words form The Scout)
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spending some dough in NY!!! white lace top and jean/suede shorts from the Brooklyn Flea Market. Black shorts from Beacon’s Closet. Blue leather clogs from Madewell.
After brunch today at ‘Le Pain Quotidien’ we went to the Guggenheim Museum to see the Francesca Woodman exhibit. It was absolutely amazing! The exhibit is running from March 16th to June 13th and I highly recommend going to see it. It exhibits the young artist’s work from 1975 until her death in 1981, and ranges from very small to large-scale self portraits, including some very large diazotype prints.
‘Francesca Woodman is the first comprehensive survey of the artist’s brief but extraordinary career to be seen in North America. More than thirty years after her death, the moment is ripe for a historical reconsideration of her work and its reception. Woodman’s oeuvre represents a remarkably rich and singular exploration of the human body in space and of the genre of self-portraiture in particular. Her interest in female subjectivity, seriality, Conceptualist practice, and photography’s relationship to both literature and performance are also hallmarks of the heady moment in American photography during which she came of age. This retrospective offers an occasion to examine more closely the maturation and expression of a highly subjective and coherent artistic vision. It also presents an important and timely opportunity to reassess the critical developments that took place in the 1970s in American photography and video.
Born in 1958 into a family of artists, Woodman began photographing at the age of 13. By the time she enrolled at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) in 1975, she was already an accomplished artist with a remarkably mature and focused approach to her work. During her time at RISD, she spent a year in Rome, which proved an enormously fertile source of inspiration. After completing her degree, she moved to New York, where she made several large-scale personal projects and experimented with fashion photography. In 1981, at the age of 22, she committed suicide. Woodman’s untimely death is underscored by the startlingly compelling, complex, and artistically resolved body of work she produced during her short lifetime. Spanning the breadth of Woodman’s oeuvre, this presentation includes more than 120 vintage photographs, ranging from her earliest student experiments to her late, large-scale blueprint studies of caryatid-like figures for the ambitious Temple project (1980). The exhibition includes two of her artist books, which were an important form of expression, particularly at the end of her career. Woodman also experimented with moving images; six of her recently discovered and rarely seen short videos are presented in the exhibition’ (description from the Guggenheim site)
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a little hello from Brooklyn. in NY for a few days of goofy fun times.
Good morning Manhattan! the view when i looked out the window this morning.
