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You can call me SL, this is about living.  |
Pale Male's offspring, Buffy, a Red-tailed Hawk Upper East Side in Central Park, NY from my 2011 archive 
neighborhood hawk Astoria, NY from my 2009 archive August 30, 2011 Pale Male After the storm, all is calm.* Damage has been assessed, the majority of public transportation is running, and the skies are clear blue with wispy white clouds. While tirelessly preparing for the hurricane, I looked out my apartment window and wondered about where the city's wildlife was going to take shelter, and as with earthquakes, did they have a sixth sense that a hurricane was coming. There are a flight of pigeons who nest in the building across from mine. I am not sure why they prefer the building across the way, but they do. It may have something to do with exposure. They wander over on rare occasion. I once woke to pigeon sex on my windowsill. I quickly shooed them away... Although pigeons are easily the most detested of birds, these birds are neighbors. So watching the weather worsen, I was worried for them. But then I thought to myself, pigeons are sort of the cockroaches of the bird world. They are survivors. During the lighter moments of rainfall, I looked out and saw them swooping around, unfazed. I was, however, still worried about a cast of hawks that live in Central Park. A little more than a week ago, I had the amazing fortune of spotting one of Pale Male's offspring, Buffy. Wow, what a beauty. She was a striking sight, and I could have stood there for hours watching her. But she flew away. Hawks absolutely fascinate me, and there is one that lives in my neighborhood. It is fairly easy to know when (s)he is in the area, all the birds start to call and warn each other. It is impressive. And loud. Most of the time, I can only hear the warnings, but twice, I have actually spotted it. The first time, the hawk landed on the neighboring building's antenna, the other time it was swooping around and around, presumably sizing up its next meal. Besides the pigeons and squirrels one normally expects, it is nice to know that other wildlife can thrive in a metropolis. *The Swede and I fared well during Hurricane Irene except for a roof leak, and a collapsed trellis and a few snapped plants in Plot95. We know we are lucky and our thoughts go out to those who were affected. archives: Miscellaneous |
recommended shopping list Union Square Manhattan, NY from my 2011 archive August 26, 2011 Irene I am from California, so earthquakes...a part of life. We had earthquake practice drills in school about as often as we had fire drills. But never, never have I ever thought an earthquake could occur in New York City. Then it did, on Tuesday. I was on the subway, did not feel a thing. People in New York were evacuating buildings. I was calm and quickly dismissed it. It was minor by California standards. However, today, I am preparing for a hurricane. "Hurricane Irene" as it is named. I stocked up on bread, apples, and peaches at the Union Square Farmers Market; water, batteries, and candles at Ride Aid; and granola bars, peanut butter, and apple sauce at Key Food. At Rite Aid, I bought the last two packs of generic C batteries and there was not a flashlight to be found, anywhere. People at Key Food were stocking up on things like ground beef, fish, and frozen foods which seemed like the wrong approach. Stick to non-perishables. The Swede and I already had other things at home like canned beans, dried fruit, and nuts. We also have several small flashlights, varying sizes of candles, and a radio. The city is literally coming to a standstill starting noon tomorrow. For the first time in its history, the MTA is suspending all subway, train, and bus service. And very likely, all bridges will be closed once winds reach 60mph. This evening I went to Plot95, where the mosquitos have seemingly not be given notice that a hurricane is coming, to harvest tomatoes, beans, bell peppers, eggplants, and lots and lots of basil, oregano, marjoram, tarragon, thyme, rosemary, and lemongrass. Unfortunately, Plot95 is located in Zones B and C and has the potential to flood...if it does, I fear contamination. Think stagnate water in NYC, not pretty. And not safe. Let us prepare for the worst and hope for the best. Be well. archives: Miscellaneous |
Manhattan skyline as seen from Brooklyn Bridge Park
Brooklyn, NY from my 2011 archive August 22, 2011 View The last few days have been quite an adventure. My sister, my nephew, and my niece are visiting from the West Coast, and we have been spending quality time together throughout the boroughs of Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn. My five year old nephew has taken an interest in photography and this photo was taken by him. It was taken from the promenade at Brooklyn Bridge Park looking towards Manhattan. He was interested in the airplane in the distance (middle of frame). In an environment like New York City, it will take a while before he runs out of subjects to capture. The adventure continues. archives: Miscellaneous |
 8 varieties of tomatoes from my 2011 archive
August 18, 2011 Variety The last few weeks, I have been forced to minimize my time in Plot95. I had a severe allergic reaction from too many mosquito bites, particularly around my ankles. They swelled, similar to when you have an ankle injury or when you are in the last stages of pregnancy. I had to continuously ice my ankles for nearly a week before they went back to their normal size. The other night, The Swede came home with several pounds of tomatoes (squeal). The harvest he brought home contained eight varieties. Most I can identify. The others are a mystery. We should know one from another since we marked each plant with a popsicle stick bearing the variety name. But in the process of weeding, some of them were pulled. Not sure how that happened. A weed looks nothing like a popsicle stick. The tomatoes I can identify are Purple Cherokee Heirloom, Black Plum, Sugar Lump, Early Girl, Chadwick Cherry, Amish Paste, and possibly Arkansas Traveler. I cannot remember if the Arkansas Traveler seedling survived or not. The Purple Cherokee is my new obsession. It is a large variety that is prone to cracking along its shoulders. The interior is another story. It is smooth, very meaty with a few seeds along its outer rim, and has a gorgeous mix of purple, red, and green flesh. They are undoubtedly special, I can now understand why people are willing to pay $4 a pound for these tomatoes. They are well worth it. archives: Garden |
exterior of Clinton Pottery
Clinton, NY from my 2011 archive 
pottery
Clinton, NY from my 2011 archive 
"Berry Bowl" line
Clinton, NY from my 2011 archive 
pitchers
Clinton, NY from my 2011 archive August 15, 2011 By Hand I needed a break from the city and a friend needed help moving, so I made the five hour journey on the train to Upstate New York to the Utica area. As soon as I disembarked the train, I knew I was in for an interesting weekend. Within minutes, I spotted an Amish family, the males wearing brimmed hats, the females wearing bonnets, and they were carrying luggage. Not rolling suitcases, but leather luggage of a reasonable size that you carry by hand. The little boy, probably three years old, kept curiously looking at me, and me at him. He was a real cutie with his blonde ringlets flowing out from under his straw hat. The highlight of the visit, obviously, was not the act of moving. But the many finds that my friend and I discovered just driving from one place to another. The local library was hosting their annual book sale where I picked up Paula Deen's "Living It Up, Southern Style" for $3, Alicia Silverstone's "The Kind Diet" for $4, "Lowney's Cook Book" (inscribed 1914) for $1.50, and Roger Tory Peterson's "A Field Guide to the Birds" (1947 edition) for $1.50. Believe me when I say I could have bought many, many more books. At that point, I could foresee more finds in my future, so I withheld. On the way to a farm market and a farmers market, where I hoped to find unique types of garlic bulbs to plant, my friend and I found a roadside dish sale. There was a table set up with dishes, prices, a metal box for the money, and no one around. This was a "honor system" yard sale. As we perused the offerings, a woman came out of the house and asked us if we were looking for anything specific, she hinted she had many more dishes. Naturally curious, I asked to see the others. She led us down the driveway to a small barn and opened the barn's doors. Gasp. The entire barn was stacked thigh high with dishes. Her late husband was a dishware dealer. She joked the stockade was her inheritance. I walked away with eight Syracuse China dessert plates for $0.50 a piece and a smaller creamer, made in India. The uncontested discovery of the trip was a visit to Clinton Pottery. Upon walking into the studio, I was in awe. The English Potter, Jonathan Woodward is a true craftsman. He clearly has been honing his craft for years. His business card reads, "Twisting Clay for 38 years." At one point, he even impressed himself. While I compared pitchers, he was suddenly struck at the consistency in the form and size of his works. Each piece is thrown by hand, no molds, including the plates. I purchased the "Berry Bowl" and the middle pitcher in the photo above. If you were to visit my apartment, you would find the bowl alternately filled with garlic or tomatoes from Plot95, and the pitcher filled with iced tea every day, without fail. archives: Art |
foreground: the lamb roasting on a spit
background: guests huddled under the grape canopy, meats cooking in the smoker Astoria, NY from my 2011 archive 
gazpacho
Astoria, NY from my 2011 archive 
carving the lamb
Astoria, NY from my 2011 archive 
lamb thighs and arms
Astoria, NY from my 2011 archive 
lamb neck
Astoria, NY from my 2011 archive August 12, 2011 A Day of Indulgence Part II The second half of the day turned out to be equally indulgent as the first half. When I said a lamb roast was serious business, I was right. The Swede and I were invited to a barbecue by "a stranger" I met in the garden several weeks ago. Obviously, he is a stranger no more, he has fast become a friend. He is a graduate of The French Culinary Institute, so after trying his cured meats, we dared not pass up his invitation to a lamb roast. By the way, the salumi, I still have some in the fridge. They are neverending and that is a good thing. The barbecue took place in a one bedroom ground floor apartment with the largest backyard I have ever seen in New York City. The Swede and I could not stop talking about how wonderful the yard was, it was about four times the size of the apartment. A true luxury. Anyone who lives here knows how rare or nonexistent outdoor space is or indoor space is for that matter. The average New York City apartment is not even close to how it is portrayed on television or in the movies. Unless you are a millionaire, you live in cramped quarters. For the first two hours of the party it rained. Half of the guests spent their time huddled under a grape canopy, the other half huddled under a tarp where the lamb was roasting. (Smart guests arrived later in the night after it stopped raining.) The Swede and I went back and forth between the two, alternately watching the lamb turn and sampling meats pulled from the smoker. Although everyone invited knew they were attending a lamb roast, it was interesting to witness people's reactions when they actually saw the lamb turning on the spit for the first time. By far, the strangest/funniest reaction came from a girl who shrieked, "Is that a dog?" Once the lamb was finished, everyone gathered around to watch the lamb being carved. It was wonderful. I learned a fact, lamb becomes mutton when it reaches 35 lbs. Likely due to its age, the lamb was extremely succulent and not gamey at all as lamb usually tastes. My favorites of the night were the smoked pork ribs and a piece of lamb crackling. The crackling was crisp and full of flavor. Shamefully, The Swede and I ate chips and ice cream when we returned home. I have no idea why, we had gorged ourselves all day. Here is a rundown of everything we ate the second half of the day: pulled pork buns gazpacho smoked sausage link smoked beef short rib pulled pork plate with homemade pickles and pasta smoked pork ribs lamb (part unknown) lamb neck lamb crackling cheddar and sour cream chips Häagen Dazs coffee almond crunch bars archives: Food |
Smorgasburg
Williamsburg, NY from my 2011 archive 
Switzel drink made with organic black tea, organic blackstrap molasses, ginger, lemon, honey
Williamsburg, NY from my 2011 archive 
pork belly, kimchi, cucumber, perilla chimichurri and a watered down Switzel
Williamsburg, NY from my 2011 archive 
beef bulgogi, sesame apple slaw, cilantro, hot sauce
Williamsburg, NY from my 2011 archive 
balsamic vinegars
Williamsburg, NY from my 2011 archive 
garlic dill pickles
Williamsburg, NY from my 2011 archive August 9, 2011 A Day of Indulgence Part I This past Saturday, a planned long distance bike ride with friends was canceled, so the day was wide open for The Swede and I. We decided to venture to Smorgasburg, a new open air food market in Williamsburg. For the evening, we accepted an invitation to a barbecue with lamb on the menu. A whole lamb that was to be roasted on a spit. Serious business. The Swede wanted to bike from Astoria in Queens, to Williamsburg in Brooklyn which is a 30 minute bike ride. Not so far. It is scenic and easy, the ride takes you through Long Island City, over the Pulaski Bridge into Brooklyn, through Greenpoint, and then into Williamsburg. The weather forecast predicted 85 degrees with 80 percent humidity. Gross. I convinced The Swede to take the subway instead. Once we arrived, we quickly discovered the forecast was wrong. It was overcast, cool yet warm, with a breeze. We should have ridden bikes. It was perfect biking weather. Next time. We did a loop around the market to scope out each stall. Along the way, we sampled olive oils, balsamic vinegars, pickles, and jams. We ended up purchasing a bottle of "Traditional Style" balsamic vinegar and a jar of pickles. The vinegar, which is reduced by 30 percent is amazing. It is extremely rich, flavorful, syrupy and decadent. The pickles have a nice garlicky brine which is unusually tart, even for pickles. Love them. (I did choke on them a little since they were so sour.) My favorites of the day were a beef bulgogi bun and a beverage with roots in the West Indies and the American Colonies. The "Switzel," as it is named, is made with organic black tea, organic blackstrap molasses, ginger, lemon, and honey. Going on taste alone, it is average, but somehow familiar and refreshing. I recommend it, it is different which I appreciate. We also waited in an insanely long line for donuts. They were a little oily for my taste when it comes to donuts. I prefer Donut Plant but am willing to give Dough a second chance. They had a Chocolate Earl Grey flavor that sold out, and I have a weakness for anything tea flavored. Here is a rundown of everything we ate the first half of the day: breakfast (at home) olive oil tastings balsamic vinegar tastings pickles tasting jam tastings blackstrap molasses tea beef bulgogi bun pork belly bun grapefruit basil soda hibiscus donut lemon poppy seed donut To be continued, the lamb roast... archives: Food |
background: Mexican grilled corn known as "elote"
foreground: fried eggs, lettuce, avocado, tostada, sweet potato puree, black beans Astoria, NY from my 2011 archive 
fried pollack, citrus habanero aioli, cilantro, onion, tomato
Astoria, NY from my 2011 archive August 6, 2011 Ancho Battered Pollack After almost a decade of living without fish tacos as part of my regular diet, I have found one that excites me. I typically prefer fish tacos unbattered with a fish like wahoo or mahi-mahi, but Pachanga Patterson's are genius. They use pollack with an ancho batter. They are delicious. The ancho is fragrant and adds a little heat to the mild pollack. Add pickled red onions and succulent tomatoes and you have perfection. The dishes are Mexican in origin with influences from other cultures. The dish, "Veggie Jenga," pays homage to the game because of its layered stack. It is quite beautiful to look at and is still hearty despite being a vegetarian dish because of the fried eggs and beans. The elote was fine, not great but satisfactory. In its defense, I ate it at the end of my meal. So it was cold, which is probably not the best way to experience grilled corn slathered with mayonnaise, Cotija cheese, chili powder, and lime juice. All the flavors had coagulated by the time I was ready to eat it. As a California native, I have had a long love affair with Mexican food. I would not say that my expectations are unrealistically high, but I yearn for what I know as Mexican food. Or specifically what is probably better described as California Mexican food. During my childhood, I remember the only food trucks in town were Mexican food trucks, just bare bones, mobile trucks with no frills. They were nowhere near the haute food trucks that I see around New York City today. They served things like beef tongue and brain tacos. During high school, I developed a fondness for one particular Mexican restaurant that without fail, always gave me food poisoning. A wise person would never go there again. But my taste buds and hunger for this place was intense. I continued to frequent the place and continued to be sick from it...not recommended. On one trip to Rosarito, Mexico during my college days, I dared to repeat my ill judgement. Across the street from my group's usual eating haunt, I noticed a taquería that was frequented by locals. My sister warned me not to stray, since the place where we were eating was designated by tourists as a place known to be "safe." But I could not resist. On the last day, I gave in. No one would join me. The tacos were delicious but I paid the price. For the next week, I was sick. Again, not recommended. Lessons learned and my love for Mexican food continues. archives: Food |
Roa's work (Title Unknown) altered by some local street artists
Astoria, NY from my 2011 archive August 2, 2011 Street Art continued... The Swede and I were walking to Costco (I love that place, sorry but I do) and he suggested we take a detour to see the updated Roa. I had been avoiding it, fearful that the work had been ruined. I am conflicted. The new additions are beautiful, but Roa's work is Roa's work and powerful on its own. Not sure if I like this version or the original. In the end, I realize they are two different works. I think it would be easier for me to swallow if I knew it was a collaboration. I doubt it and that bothers me. Perhaps I think it is disrespectful, although I think the new additions are done in a thoughtful way. As I said, I am conflicted. Street Art is temporal and I need to remember that. I guess that applies to most everything in life, to remember to live and appreciate things in the moment. archives: Street Art |
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