Eating Smorgasburg: June 16, 2012

Saturday was a glorious day in NYC. We started it off by picking up our CSA share, then upped the ante with a relatively quick trip to foodie flea market Smorgasburg (I took this picture in the adjacent East River State Park). It was quick, sure, but I still had time to stuff myself with...







Brooklyn Piggies' pigs in a blanket. We got three (2 spicy, one original) with BBQ sauce. BEST OF! Seriously, these are awesome. Eat them, eat them. I didn't want to share.



I always want to drink every flavor of lemonade and limeade being served by The Stand. Today we chose strawberry-rhubarb.Though I don't think the two should be baked together, I love them smushed into lemonade together. And I love that the drinks at The Stand are never too sweet. They're perfectly refreshing.



Not pictured: another olive breadstick. Here's a correction, too. These are not from TomCat Bakery, as stated in that previous post. They're from Commerce. Sorry for the error, Commerce! The baby and I still love how tender and flavorful these are. 


 
The Maine lobster roll from Red Hook Lobster Pound might be the most expensive item at Smorgasburg ($16). I'd heard great things about it, and I finally bit the bullet. You know what? I think I'm just not that into lobster. The pickle was great. The toasted bun and toppings were swell.  The lobster was pretty good, but I kept thinking, "I wish there was less lobster and it cost less." You know what? I think I just wanted a hot dog. If you're a lobster lover, you'd probably love this. Turns out I'm not.



Two pieces of buttermilk fried chicken and cheddar waffle with maple-vinegar dipping sauce by BFC (from the folks at Buttermilk Channel). I've had Buttermilk Channel chicken and waffles before. They are famous in their neighborhood -- and beyond -- for good reason. This chicken was moist and the breading was delicious. It was a great choice (by Dan) to round out the savory part of our meal this time around.



Now, on to the desserts! We started with one of Nana's (from Cecile Dyer of Pies ’n’ Thighs) frozen bananas with crushed almonds, coconut, and sea salt.  The woman who applied the toppings said it was only the second frozen banana she had made, so she was clearly new to the stand. Her technique wasn't great, and most of our coconut, nuts, and salt blew away on the wind (the photo above is of our banana's "best side"). When she was finished, she asked the woman training her, "How was that? Good, right?" and the trainer actually said no. But we still had to pay $6 for it, so...that was a bummer. Not worth the price (though I expect she'll get better at making them). One thing I did like about it was that the banana wasn't frozen solid. I've gotten them before (from other vendors) and find them really hard to eat if you have to saw at the banana to bite through it.

 

A "Strawberry Supreme" ice cream sandwich. Visiting The Good Batch to see what they're offering has become a tradition. This excellent ice cream sandwich featured brown butter cookies, strawberry semifreddo, fresh strawberries, and Adirondack Creamery vanilla ice cream. It was good, but that salty lemon cookie ("Laughter and Lemon") of a few weeks ago still haunts my dreams...


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Baby Nibbles

Now, now.  Calm down.  This is still a food blog, and one that's not morphing into a parenting blog.  But a few weeks ago my baby started snacking -- you certainly can't call the tiny amount that gets into his mouth a meal -- so I thought I'd share.

His first exploratory tastes were of: lemon juice, avocado, guacamole, salsa, cheese grits (in Louisville, KY), and plain yogurt.

His first playful bites were of: a lime wedge, pureed carrots with a little Hungarian sweet paprika (turns out he's not so into purees), mashed potato and peas (and then I stopped making purees), pear (quarters with a finger-hold notch cut out of each side), Gala apple (peeled and served like the pear), cinnamon apple oatmeal, pasta, cucumber, sweet pickle, steamed broccoli, CSA grapes (in a mesh feeder), and scrambled eggs.

He's getting better at: bread.  I'll end this post with a video of my own Cookie gumming down (though he's got two teeth in there!) unsalted butter on toast fingers.  He's also had French toast, waffle, and toasted baguette slices with cream cheese.

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Snowy Breakfasts

(photo by Dan)

We had a blizzard a few weeks ago.  I miss it (which I realize is because I could stay inside, safe and warm and dry).  Our lazy, snowy, post-holiday mornings made for some excellent breakfast opportunities.



Ruby red grapefruit (no sugar needed) and jalapeno-cheddar bagel with cream cheese.  Thanks, Dan, for shoveling and stamping through the snow to the store to get the provisions!





"American Pancakes" from Nigella Lawson's How to Be a Domestic Goddess and homemade cranberry curd (loosely based on a recipe in the same book).

Here's a tip: if you make more batter than you need, cook up all the pancakes anyway and freeze or refrigerate them.  Throw the leftovers in the toaster to heat and eat when you feel like it.  Pancake batter doesn't keep well, but cooked pancakes do.

Let it snow, breakfast-lovers!

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I made zucchini bread.

The number of zucchinis left in my fridge, however, does not seem to have gone down.





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What summer Saturdays should taste like:

Shortcake at the Goods Food Truck

Saturday turned out to be a great day to wander around the neighborhood semi-aimlessly.  It wasn't then as hot as yesterday became (that's a clunky turn of phrase, eh?), and there was a lot going on near our house.



The Goods food truck opened recently, and on Saturday around noon they declared their yard ready for seating. We took advantage of the special on strawberry shortcakes ($4 each) and sat in the back corner, with some construction still taking place and a crew of scurrying people going about their business



The truck was (on Saturday) only serving breakfast until 11am, so they were unable to serve us a biscuit and a breakfast sausage, but soon they will be serving breakfast items until 2pm.  They also had not received their iced coffee machine, but promised that would soon be available as well.

The lunch/dinner menu focuses mainly on burgers and fries.  I do wish they had a turkey burger or a veggie corn dog on there, but I'd take fish and chips or a fried green tomato sandwich.



The yard is a good size and pleasantly appointed.







The shortcake itself was just the thing. I didn't know how badly I wanted it until I took a bite. The thick, filling biscuit was still warm, but the whipped cream and strawberries were cooler.  I felt there was just the right amount of strawberry juice soaking into the base of the biscuit as I ate.  The last few bites of the "cake" were soaked with strawberry flavor.  Even better, the biscuit was slightly salty, in a way that might have seemed extreme if it were served alone, but was perfect for serving with a sweet fruit mixture.



This is summer.  I want another.

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Pick Your Pleasure (or, if you're allergic to nuts, your poison).

Breakfast this morning: pecan stickies bought at The Green Dragon.  They needed no butter.  Delightful.

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PopLab and Potluck

Here's where you go to buy the meat bread to take to a potluck lunch.  Vegetarians, fear not!  I also bought blueberries.

A few weekends ago, pepperoni and cheese "meat bread" in hand, I attended the inaugural PopLab event, held at Judson Memorial Church.  This was a (free) day-long interactive seminar or creative think-tank of sorts, in which participants explored our pasts, presents and futures in small groups -- through the lenses and intersections of faith, culture, politics, and activism.

Here is part of how the event was described by the founders:

Ever ask yourself why the progressive left doesn't do a better job at capturing America's political imagination?
Ever reflect on why life is so interesting and yet church can be so boring?

PopLab is the place for you.  Join us Saturday, April 10th for a creative workshop/retreat.  Join us for socializing, discussion, brainstorming games, and food. (Yes, FOOD.)  Our primary agenda is a very laid back one: reconnecting, free-associating, and talking smack about the future, progressive politics, and making a scene in order to make a point.  Maybe there's a more interesting (or just more fun) way to develop our collective voice and build the kind of future we all dream of?

Also: it was always our intention to have this be the first meeting of an ongoing conversation, a kind of "artistic and political think-tank for populist theology," so if you can't make it on the 10th, but want to be in the loop on what grows out of this, please let us know.  And please feel free to email us with any questions, concerns, or ideas...

You see how "FOOD" is written in all caps in the text above?  That certainly captured my attention.  And, yeah, the rest of it was intriguing, too.  I made sure to attend.

This first event was themed loosely around the idea of "superheroes," and all that might imply/encompass.  Over the course of the event, we were asked to answer the following questions on paper and in person:

• When was the first time you can remember being politically “activated,” (however you define this)? 
• What was your earliest moment of insight (or inspiration) in regards to the spirit, God, or religion (for or against, however you define this)? 
• What was the first time you can remember being truly moved by a work of art?  Could be a book, play, song, or painting, but what was it? 
• Name one superhero you have personally known.  Imagine what his/her icon might be.

• Where are you most “hooked” politically?  What are the issues that motivate you?  Wherever possible, push yourself to ask “what am I for?” 
• What are your spiritual values (however you define that), and how do they manifest themselves (or not manifest themselves) in your life today? 
• Give an example of artistic expression that truly moves you today.  This could be a song that’s stuck in your head, a movie you saw, or something you are creating yourself. 
• What is the greatest living super villain of our times?  And what might his/her icon be?

• What next step do you see yourself taking to actualize your ideal political future? 
• What action do you see yourself taking in your ongoing spiritual evolution? 
• What creative endeavor are looking forward to most?  Is it yours?  Is it someone else’s? 
• Describe what kind of super hero you’ll be, along with one element of your costume.

Have any answers in mind?  Much discussion ensued, to say the least.  At the end of it all, I found the day challenging, exciting, fascinating, inspiring, and delicious.  And just what was so delicious? Why, that aforementioned FOOD.  We enjoyed a buffet breakfast and outrageous potluck lunch.  Take a gander:


A welcoming breakfast table.  I committed one misstep and drowned my blueberry green tea bag (brought from home) in coffee.  I thought it was a hot water urn!  Strange as it might seem, I sometimes forget people drink coffee.


What to do when your breakfast clashes with your pants?  Eat quickly.  Also, I think it was Suresh who found the sea salt in the kitchen closet.  A thousand blessings upon him!  A little salt makes tomato slices so much more divine.


Incredibly incredible potluck spread.  Ah, deviled eggs.  How you bedevil me.


Grainy phone photo spotlight on my meaty meat bread.


My delightful lunch.

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I'm looking forward to future soul-searching, stomach-filling installments of PopLab.  If you're in NYC and you'd like to know when the next one happens, just comment below.  I'll make sure you get all the details.

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Breakfast in the car.

I got flustered at the bagel shop, and couldn't buy anything there for our car ride out to Cold Spring on Saturday.  Luckily, we made a stop at Boneshakers for beverages.  Their chocolate chip scone (with oatmeal) was perfect -- sweet, but not too sweet; chewy, but not too chewy.  They made me a swell iced chai, too.


Boneshakers
134 Kingsland Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11222
(718) 963-0656

BabyCakes, meet Baby Cakes

BabyCakes vegan bakery's Banana Bread





Baby Cakes by Brad Neely, Creased Comics (watch 'em all!)

Presentation counts.

Here's an example of a cute package for a homemade snack. Inside? A small loaf of chocolate chip banana bread made by Melissa. I ate the payload too quickly to get a photograph, but you can take my word for it.

My birthday just won't stop happening.

At our most recent knitting/crafting night, Jenny G. gave me this lovely belated birthday gift of some of my favorite things -- socks, nail polish, and chocolate. The last is from Mast Brothers, local chocolatiers I've been wanting to try.

Jenny's an expert at stylish packaging. Her fashion sensibility shows in the gifts selected and the card she made. I hardly want to disassemble this gift (but I will).

Not pictured: homemade banana bread from Melissa.

Thanks, friends!

Beauty is in the mouth of the beholder.

Philadelphia is but a hop, skip, and a jump from New York City. It's a deafeningly easy day trip to make by bus (with tickets as low as $8!). Yet yesterday was my first real trip to Center City (outside of a couple of dips into the neighborhood around the train station on the way to visit my parents in the 'burbs).

If you'd told me about Reading Terminal Market you might have gotten me to the city sooner. It's a cavernous, warehouse-sized space full of vendors selling food (ready-to eat and ready-to-cook), books, candies, and sundries. It's similar to Zern's, also in Pennsylvania, but there is a much greater emphasis on food at the Terminal Market, which is more like a giant food court with a few other shops sprinkled in.

Dan and I were a little enchanted by a crowded seating area near the entrance, where an older lady sat behind an upright piano and played live music for the people shopping, talking, and eating. It just so happened that we were also near, and stumbled upon, Miller's Twist, a booth of Amish-capped women (and one man) hand-rolling, cooking, and serving fresh pretzels and pretzel-wrapped sausages.

As you can see from the video above, my pretzel-wrapped turkey cheddar sausage was not particularly photogenic, but, man, I tell you. It was filling, hot, and delicious. Even better, the just-made soft pretzel Dan ordered to go with my sausage (and his Philly Cheesesteak-wrapped-in-pretzel) was the perfect combination of soft, tender, chewy and bready, with an out-of-this-world, buttery flavor.

The lemonade was a bit sweeter than I normally like it, but at this point, who cares? I'm all about the pretzels. They sure beat the soft pretzels I ate at Towne East mall in Wichita, KS when I visited Grandma K. as a child (sorry, Grandma).

For goodness' sake. I'm still thinking about them. Amazing.

Grandma, I wish you could have been there.

Dear Beyonce: If I like it then I'm gonna peanut butter it.

Banana bread with crystallized ginger and chocolate chips.




Toasted; with peanut butter.

In case you're worrying, peanut butter and ginger are rawther nice together.

Come over and have some! I'd rather apologize for the rough song lyric pun in person anyway.


[This snack is dedicated to Laura R.]

Congratulations, Eleanor!

When Ed made the announcement in church, his words were that we were all invited to "an Ecclesiastical Council - now there's a jawbreaker for you -- " for Eleanor Harrison (who has been going through the UCC ordination process). The phrase "now there's a jawbreaker for you" got stuck in my head on a little loop for a few minutes.

Jawbreakers...jawbreakers...

Well, as it turns out, there were no jawbreakers for us at the Council, which was held last night, but there were breads, cheeses, brownies, and cookies. Breaking bread seemed an especially symbolic reception action, given that Eleanor has shared several times (and beautifully) how meaningful the experience of communion has been for her during her journey.

By the way, she recommends this book very highly. I bought a copy but haven't read it yet.







Of course, the important part of the evening was the culmination of it in a unanimous vote to ordain Eleanor as a UCC minister. But the brownies Ed made ran a close second.



I had emergency snacks in my bag, just in case I came out of the meeting and was starving, but I didn't even need them.

p.s. I ate the almonds this morning. Not bad, but not bold enough. More chili and lime, please!

Lunch Club round-up: Week 2

Lunch Club continues to be a hit at work, and though I am not participating every week (too many leftovers to consume on my own), I will share with you the weeks that I do partake.

This week, we lunch-clubbed-it for four days (Tuesday - Friday). I took Tuesday.



Tuesday - Me.
Turkey Chili with cornbread and caramel apple cheesecake bars.




Did you hear me?




I said, caramel apple cheesecake bars!!





Wednesday - Erin.
Baked macaroni and beef (I admit to picking around the beef), tomato and bean salad with homemade dressing, and a brownie.





Thursday - Dave.
Pasta with tomato sauce and chicken, served with Parmesan cheese and homemade chocolate chip cookies. I use the plural because I had two.





Friday - Jane.
Sandwich of turkey, bacon, tomato, lettuce, white cheddar cheese, mustard, mayonnaise, and avocado. Plus, a peach!