Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Monday, November 28, 2011
Quark deliciousness
Sitting on the couch doing my French devoirs while enjoying a snack of dense German bread with Belgian speculaaspasta and a cup of Dutch anijsmelk after a delicious four-day Thanksgiving long weekend. R and I stayed in the city, making several daytrips to escape the hustle and bustle and take in the mildest autumn weather I've ever experienced in the Northeast. With no particular plans, we ended up in:
- Hoboken, NJ for a view of the NYC skyline and the Empire State Building lit up in Thanksgiving colors. After watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, R and I walked downtown to catch a ferry over to Hoboken, a cute little city directly across the Hudson. It has an open waterfront area with public and green spaces, tall residential buildings, and the beautifully renovated Lakawanna train station which also has the NJ Path to WTC.
Two blocks away from Hoboken's waterfront is Washington Street, a cute residential/downtown area with brownstones and shops, including an authentic German bakery. The proprietors are a German/Armenian couple from Cologne who live right above their bakery and have clearly have found their calling. Breads, pretzels, pastries—they do it all with love. Though I'm not a fan of dense German bread (being a fan of lighter French bread), I love bread that is baked with care and love.
If you're in Hoboken, stop by for a chat with the friendly owners and order the puff pastry with raspberry and quark, a light and creamy cheese that reminds me of French fromage frais. The owner/baker says everything (except for the beverages) are imported from Germany. I'm not an expert on German pastries but I thoroughly enjoyed biting into the flaky exterior that yielded into a creamy raspberry center. Perfectly tart and creamy and not too sweet. This place is a true gem which I plan on revisiting soon.
- The upper Bronx where there's a long stretch of paved cycling paths. R says there's about 60 miles up there and we may return next spring for some long rides.
- Cold Spring, NY for a hike and a bit of fresh air. For the past few months I've been starving for a bit of nature, wide open space, and quiet. Cold Spring was definitely the answer....the train ride there via Metro-North Railroad was an easy 70 minutes from Grand Central Station. We sat on the left side and had nice views of the Hudson and the mountains surrounding it. It reminded me a little bit of the countryside in France, but the Hudson highlands are much smaller than the mountain ranges in Rhone-Alpes.
The hike was listed as strenuous because of a steep 10 minute climb at the beginning. The rest of the hike was nice with long views of the Hudson and the small towns dotting both sides of it.
Being in Cold Spring made me more nostalgic and homesick for France and our simple life there. Tomorrow will mark 6 months since my move back to the States. Not a day passes by that I don't think of the amazing year R and I spent together and everything I learned on our adventures. When I daydream, I often think fondly of our house, the mountains, and the people (and animals) I came to know and love in la campagne. I count the days until our visit in February when I can see them again!
- Hoboken, NJ for a view of the NYC skyline and the Empire State Building lit up in Thanksgiving colors. After watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, R and I walked downtown to catch a ferry over to Hoboken, a cute little city directly across the Hudson. It has an open waterfront area with public and green spaces, tall residential buildings, and the beautifully renovated Lakawanna train station which also has the NJ Path to WTC.
Two blocks away from Hoboken's waterfront is Washington Street, a cute residential/downtown area with brownstones and shops, including an authentic German bakery. The proprietors are a German/Armenian couple from Cologne who live right above their bakery and have clearly have found their calling. Breads, pretzels, pastries—they do it all with love. Though I'm not a fan of dense German bread (being a fan of lighter French bread), I love bread that is baked with care and love.
If you're in Hoboken, stop by for a chat with the friendly owners and order the puff pastry with raspberry and quark, a light and creamy cheese that reminds me of French fromage frais. The owner/baker says everything (except for the beverages) are imported from Germany. I'm not an expert on German pastries but I thoroughly enjoyed biting into the flaky exterior that yielded into a creamy raspberry center. Perfectly tart and creamy and not too sweet. This place is a true gem which I plan on revisiting soon.
- The upper Bronx where there's a long stretch of paved cycling paths. R says there's about 60 miles up there and we may return next spring for some long rides.
- Cold Spring, NY for a hike and a bit of fresh air. For the past few months I've been starving for a bit of nature, wide open space, and quiet. Cold Spring was definitely the answer....the train ride there via Metro-North Railroad was an easy 70 minutes from Grand Central Station. We sat on the left side and had nice views of the Hudson and the mountains surrounding it. It reminded me a little bit of the countryside in France, but the Hudson highlands are much smaller than the mountain ranges in Rhone-Alpes.
The hike was listed as strenuous because of a steep 10 minute climb at the beginning. The rest of the hike was nice with long views of the Hudson and the small towns dotting both sides of it.
Being in Cold Spring made me more nostalgic and homesick for France and our simple life there. Tomorrow will mark 6 months since my move back to the States. Not a day passes by that I don't think of the amazing year R and I spent together and everything I learned on our adventures. When I daydream, I often think fondly of our house, the mountains, and the people (and animals) I came to know and love in la campagne. I count the days until our visit in February when I can see them again!
Friday, October 14, 2011
More on foraging and mushrooms
This Saturday I'm heading to the Bronx with the NYMS to do some foraging.
This is a placeholder blog for photos and stories from that day.
To tide you over, here are some foraging and mushroom porn links!
On FB: Foragers Unite!
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/
http://foragingpictures.com/
http://www.avachin.com/
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/
http://66squarefeet.blogspot.
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.
This is a placeholder blog for photos and stories from that day.
To tide you over, here are some foraging and mushroom porn links!
On FB: Foragers Unite!
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/
http://foragingpictures.com/
http://www.avachin.com/
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/
http://66squarefeet.blogspot.
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.
On baking bread
Recently I started making bread again. With the cooler temperatures we've been experiencing in NY, it's bearable now to use the oven and what's better than a fresh baked bread you made yourself?
Although NYC may have great places to eat, it's not easy to find good French bread. You know, the kind that uses only water, salt, yeast and flour and has a thick crust that crackles when you bite into it. Something with a bit of chewiness, and that just tastes damn good.
Cannelle Patisserie has some nice looking loaves, and I'm sure Epicerie Boulud, Bouchon, Sullivan Street Bakery have good breads too, but most places have appallingly bad bread that has too many additives. Not only is there lack of crunch, but the whole thing is pasty white and stays moist for way too long (i.e. there are preservatives, or it's high in fat which helps keep it "fresher" longer). Surprisingly I found a pretty ok baguette at Fairway Market on the Upper East Side. Fairway also has a pretty nice cheese selection just like Whole Foods and Trader Joe's. Unfortunately the only NYC locations are in the UWS, UES, and Red Hook, Brooklyn. I'm hoping that a Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, or Fairway opens soon near Jackson Heights.
Though I haven't baked for Alice Waters like this woman who wrote about it in the Atlantic Monthly...I did find a quick and easy, No Knead recipe in Alice Waters' Book entitled "In the Green Kitchen: Techniques to Learn by Heart". The recipe (in the book and) below is adapted from Jim Lahey of Sullivan Street Bakery. I recently made a loaf using all purpose flour, and today I started one using 100% whole wheat flour. I can't wait to try it tomorrow, after a 14 hour rising period.
No Knead Bread
Adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery
Time: About 1½ hours plus 14 to 20 hours’ rising
3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
¼ teaspoon instant yeast
1¼ teaspoons salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed.
1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.
2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.
3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.
4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.
Yield: One 1½-pound loaf.
Although NYC may have great places to eat, it's not easy to find good French bread. You know, the kind that uses only water, salt, yeast and flour and has a thick crust that crackles when you bite into it. Something with a bit of chewiness, and that just tastes damn good.
Cannelle Patisserie has some nice looking loaves, and I'm sure Epicerie Boulud, Bouchon, Sullivan Street Bakery have good breads too, but most places have appallingly bad bread that has too many additives. Not only is there lack of crunch, but the whole thing is pasty white and stays moist for way too long (i.e. there are preservatives, or it's high in fat which helps keep it "fresher" longer). Surprisingly I found a pretty ok baguette at Fairway Market on the Upper East Side. Fairway also has a pretty nice cheese selection just like Whole Foods and Trader Joe's. Unfortunately the only NYC locations are in the UWS, UES, and Red Hook, Brooklyn. I'm hoping that a Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, or Fairway opens soon near Jackson Heights.
Though I haven't baked for Alice Waters like this woman who wrote about it in the Atlantic Monthly...I did find a quick and easy, No Knead recipe in Alice Waters' Book entitled "In the Green Kitchen: Techniques to Learn by Heart". The recipe (in the book and) below is adapted from Jim Lahey of Sullivan Street Bakery. I recently made a loaf using all purpose flour, and today I started one using 100% whole wheat flour. I can't wait to try it tomorrow, after a 14 hour rising period.
No Knead Bread
Adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery
Time: About 1½ hours plus 14 to 20 hours’ rising
3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
¼ teaspoon instant yeast
1¼ teaspoons salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed.
1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.
2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.
3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.
4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.
Yield: One 1½-pound loaf.
Is it October already?
Welcome to October! I've been busy the past few weeks...all good things I promise you. First after renting out my Boston apartment, I revved my job search into high gear. I looked for jobs, contacted recruiters, researched companies, updated my resume, wrote cover letters, did phone interviews, met hiring managers at onsite interviews...sometimes I even had two three-hour long interviews in one day.
It was an exhausting September. In the end I received two, almost three job offers. I'm happy to say that they are all good companies. I decided on one stellar company and I am so excited to begin the next chapter here in NYC.
Naturally (and sadly) it also means my one and a half year sabbatical is about to end. I return to work as a project manager at an interactive agency on Monday!
So what have I been doing lately besides job searching and interviewing? I spent the past few weeks recuperating from a bad cold, visiting Queens County Farm's apple festival, and foraging for mushrooms in Staten Island & Forest Park, anticipating the iPhone 5 (which turned out to be the iPhone 4S), mourning the demise of Apple's genius, diving into retail therapy (after a year of not shopping except for food), it felt nice going out to the city. I met R several times in the city to have lunch, met my friend M in the city to do some bridal shopping. M and her French fiancé are engaged to be married next July in Ile de Ré, France.
Also I started French classes at Alliance Française. I'm taking Conversation and Grammar, Niveau B1. More to come on that!
Here are two interesting articles about foraging:
Nona Brooklyn: free range chickens in the park? Yes, you bet.
One Hungry Chef: I like his theory on shopping and foraging.
It was an exhausting September. In the end I received two, almost three job offers. I'm happy to say that they are all good companies. I decided on one stellar company and I am so excited to begin the next chapter here in NYC.
Naturally (and sadly) it also means my one and a half year sabbatical is about to end. I return to work as a project manager at an interactive agency on Monday!
So what have I been doing lately besides job searching and interviewing? I spent the past few weeks recuperating from a bad cold, visiting Queens County Farm's apple festival, and foraging for mushrooms in Staten Island & Forest Park, anticipating the iPhone 5 (which turned out to be the iPhone 4S), mourning the demise of Apple's genius, diving into retail therapy (after a year of not shopping except for food), it felt nice going out to the city. I met R several times in the city to have lunch, met my friend M in the city to do some bridal shopping. M and her French fiancé are engaged to be married next July in Ile de Ré, France.
Also I started French classes at Alliance Française. I'm taking Conversation and Grammar, Niveau B1. More to come on that!
Here are two interesting articles about foraging:
Nona Brooklyn: free range chickens in the park? Yes, you bet.
One Hungry Chef: I like his theory on shopping and foraging.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Mushrooms on my mind
The seasons are changing here...there's a nip in the air in the wee hours of the morning. I've recently joined the NY Mycological Society and am back in mushroom heaven. Recently R and I went to NJ in search of mushrooms, namely the maitake, or hen of the woods mushroom. I found a big one, and at Monday's forager's meeting, a very nice woman brought big chunks of one she had harvested in Pennsylvania.
Most days whenever I'm walking, I have my eyes focused downward, and then once in a walk, high up. I'm hunting for mushrooms. I'm wild about them actually. Wouldn't you be? In these modern times when we more often than not source our food from the supermarket, it's nice to be able to find your food right at the source.
Mind you, I stay clear of eating mushrooms that I find right next to walking paths or on side walks. And of course, before I eat, I make sure to find a few specimens to bring to my local mushroom experts for identification and confirmation. And I do a spore print!
I've got mushroom mania...the colors, the smells, the patterns. I met an artist recently who does spore print art...now how cool is that?
A slideshow of some mushrooms I've found in NYC and NJ
Most days whenever I'm walking, I have my eyes focused downward, and then once in a walk, high up. I'm hunting for mushrooms. I'm wild about them actually. Wouldn't you be? In these modern times when we more often than not source our food from the supermarket, it's nice to be able to find your food right at the source.
Mind you, I stay clear of eating mushrooms that I find right next to walking paths or on side walks. And of course, before I eat, I make sure to find a few specimens to bring to my local mushroom experts for identification and confirmation. And I do a spore print!
I've got mushroom mania...the colors, the smells, the patterns. I met an artist recently who does spore print art...now how cool is that?
A slideshow of some mushrooms I've found in NYC and NJ
Babar celebrates his 80th birthday
September 10, 2011—R and I were so thrilled to have met Laurent de Brunhoff and his wife Phyllis Rose at Books of Wonder in NYC. Laurent graciously signed and illustrated my copy of his latest book, Babar's Celestville Games. Phyllis Rose autographed Babar's Yoga for Elephants, a project that the de Brunhoffs worked on together. The couple took our address in France and will be sending us a paper invitation for Les histoires de Babar exhibition in Paris which is planned for later this year.
We recently found out that our Babar is special—not only is he proportionately made and the best example of a Babar toy the de Brunhoffs have ever seen, Babar speaks and sings in French. We put some batteries into him and he recounts 5 or 6 stories and sings about 15 different songs en français. Magnifique!
Links:
The 80th Anniversary of Babar
Les histoires de Babar at the Les Arts Décoraftifs Musée in Paris
Saturday, September 17, 2011
A roundup of cool edibles
There's a statistic out there that New Yorkers eat half of their meals out—whether it's at the local deli, a street vendor, food truck, or at one of the 13,000 bars and restaurants in NY.
In recent months R and I have been dining much more outside our home...first out of necessity when we were still apartment hunting, and now because there are so many temptations in our neighborhood. While NYC has many options, those in the know come to Queens which is sort of like a small version of the UN. Walking down the streets below the 7 line, there's no shortage of places to whet your appetite.
Queens is a food mecca of sorts and you don't have to empty your wallet for a delicious dining experience.
Consider Flushing Mall's Food Court. I hear it's closing at the end of this year to make way for a parking lot for the new Flushing Commons development. Before I say goodbye to this place, I'm planning on eating there as many times as possible....and try stinky tofu for the first time!
Or the Roosevelt Food Court which closed down a few years ago. What a shame we never got to try the goodies there.
Here's a quick round up of eats and culture from the past few weeks.
Xi'an Famous Foods
81 St Marks Pl
(between 2nd Ave & 1st Ave)
New York, NY 10003
Neighborhood: East Village
(212) 786-2068
Concubine's Chicken Hand-Ripped Noodles ($6.00).
Verdict: Xi'an, home to one of China's most amazing treasures, the terracotta warriors, is also known for its yummy spicy cuisine. The spicy chewy noodle has a great texture and is very different than the hand-pulled noodles from Lan Zhou. M and I only scratched the surface of this little resto's offerings. Next time I promise to sample the lamb buns and other not so spicy noodles.
Verdict: "A balanced diet is holding a cookie in each hand"......a sign seen at Martha's Country Bakery. R and I visited it for the second time in as many years. This time we had just finished dinner so we only wanted a small nibble and settled on a smallish cherry tart for $3.95 + tax. The results: a flaky but not overly buttery crust, a great cherry not too sweet fruit filling, none of that canned mess. A bit on the expensive side compared to the delicious fruit tarts in my small town in France but I wanted to do a tasting. Besides Martha's, Forest Hill is home to a few other places I'd love to try next: World of Cheese and Homefront.
150 E 46th St
(between Lexington Ave & 3rd Ave)
New York, NY 10017
Neighborhood: Midtown East
(212) 922-9677
Verdict: Situated across the street from the Grand Central branch of the NY Public Library, it's a small unassuming place except for the large signs outside which enticed me inside to try their little Japanese tapas dishes. A bit cold that day, I had my mind on a big bowl of hot udon soup to warm me up. First, I love the vibe of this place...the entire crew shouts a welcome whenever anyone enters, then you're seated and served a hot cup of green tea right away. I ordered chicken teriyaki which came with jasmine rice, a salad, and miso soup. The chicken was moist, juicy, with the right ratio of salty and sweet. The salad was fine but the miso was delicious! It was clear they don't make miso from a bag, or a can...it tasted fresh, deep, and briny.
In recent months R and I have been dining much more outside our home...first out of necessity when we were still apartment hunting, and now because there are so many temptations in our neighborhood. While NYC has many options, those in the know come to Queens which is sort of like a small version of the UN. Walking down the streets below the 7 line, there's no shortage of places to whet your appetite.
Queens is a food mecca of sorts and you don't have to empty your wallet for a delicious dining experience.
Consider Flushing Mall's Food Court. I hear it's closing at the end of this year to make way for a parking lot for the new Flushing Commons development. Before I say goodbye to this place, I'm planning on eating there as many times as possible....and try stinky tofu for the first time!
Or the Roosevelt Food Court which closed down a few years ago. What a shame we never got to try the goodies there.
Here's a quick round up of eats and culture from the past few weeks.
Xi'an Famous Foods
81 St Marks Pl
(between 2nd Ave & 1st Ave)
New York, NY 10003
Neighborhood: East Village
(212) 786-2068
Concubine's Chicken Hand-Ripped Noodles ($6.00).
Verdict: Xi'an, home to one of China's most amazing treasures, the terracotta warriors, is also known for its yummy spicy cuisine. The spicy chewy noodle has a great texture and is very different than the hand-pulled noodles from Lan Zhou. M and I only scratched the surface of this little resto's offerings. Next time I promise to sample the lamb buns and other not so spicy noodles.
Martha's Country Bakery
70-30 Austin St
Forest Hills, NY 11375
Neighborhood: Forest Hills
(718) 544-0088
70-30 Austin St
Forest Hills, NY 11375
Neighborhood: Forest Hills
(718) 544-0088
Verdict: "A balanced diet is holding a cookie in each hand"......a sign seen at Martha's Country Bakery. R and I visited it for the second time in as many years. This time we had just finished dinner so we only wanted a small nibble and settled on a smallish cherry tart for $3.95 + tax. The results: a flaky but not overly buttery crust, a great cherry not too sweet fruit filling, none of that canned mess. A bit on the expensive side compared to the delicious fruit tarts in my small town in France but I wanted to do a tasting. Besides Martha's, Forest Hill is home to a few other places I'd love to try next: World of Cheese and Homefront.
150 E 46th St
(between Lexington Ave & 3rd Ave)
New York, NY 10017
Neighborhood: Midtown East
(212) 922-9677
Verdict: Situated across the street from the Grand Central branch of the NY Public Library, it's a small unassuming place except for the large signs outside which enticed me inside to try their little Japanese tapas dishes. A bit cold that day, I had my mind on a big bowl of hot udon soup to warm me up. First, I love the vibe of this place...the entire crew shouts a welcome whenever anyone enters, then you're seated and served a hot cup of green tea right away. I ordered chicken teriyaki which came with jasmine rice, a salad, and miso soup. The chicken was moist, juicy, with the right ratio of salty and sweet. The salad was fine but the miso was delicious! It was clear they don't make miso from a bag, or a can...it tasted fresh, deep, and briny.
Friday, September 9, 2011
Cool edible NYC, Queens-style
In the few months that I've been here, I've found so many cool new places to try in the greater NYC area. We all know that NYC has always been cool (loud, dirty, but cool). And in recent years Brooklyn has become super cool. But what about Queens?
I'm a fan of Edible, a publication about local, sustainable food. This week I found out that there's an Edible Queens!
I'm a fan of Edible, a publication about local, sustainable food. This week I found out that there's an Edible Queens!
A new season in NY
Bonjour septembre! With all the moving, settling in, and frequent trips from NYC to Boston, this summer slipped by too fast. Then it was the Labor Day long weekend. Before summer escaped us, R and I decided to visit Luna Park, a new amusement park situated right along the beach in Coney Island, Brooklyn.
If you're in Manhattan or Brooklyn, and itching to get out of the city, it's a nice ride on the F train to Coney Island. From Queens or beyond, be prepared for a lengthy subway ride. Despite the distance it was worth the trip, if only for people watching, walking through the flea market next door, or watching riders on The Slingshot get shot up in the air. Imagine a reverse bungee cord ride. No thank you!
What will I remember from my first trip to Coney Island? Luna Park with its amusement rides and many games and fried food stalls, typical of any amusement park you might visit in the U.S. Anticipating unhealthy options and succumbing to fried stuff at Luna Park, we actually ate in Koreatown before hopping on the F train. However I secretly wondered what a deep fried Oreo would taste like.
There on Coney Island we said goodbye to summer by taking a walk on the boardwalk and pier where locals were throwing in lines. I saw bait and lines, but no actual fish being caught.
I'll miss summer but autumn is one of my favorite seasons anyway. Besides fall fashion, I like smelling the crispness in the air, the leaf peeping, and the mushrooming! With the rains this past summer, most notably from Hurricane Irene and then Tropical Storm Lee, I predict a good crop of mushrooms this month. Even in a city as large, sprawling and dense as NYC, mushrooms are growing for those who know where to look. If only I could predict where to find them...
If you're in Manhattan or Brooklyn, and itching to get out of the city, it's a nice ride on the F train to Coney Island. From Queens or beyond, be prepared for a lengthy subway ride. Despite the distance it was worth the trip, if only for people watching, walking through the flea market next door, or watching riders on The Slingshot get shot up in the air. Imagine a reverse bungee cord ride. No thank you!
What will I remember from my first trip to Coney Island? Luna Park with its amusement rides and many games and fried food stalls, typical of any amusement park you might visit in the U.S. Anticipating unhealthy options and succumbing to fried stuff at Luna Park, we actually ate in Koreatown before hopping on the F train. However I secretly wondered what a deep fried Oreo would taste like.
There on Coney Island we said goodbye to summer by taking a walk on the boardwalk and pier where locals were throwing in lines. I saw bait and lines, but no actual fish being caught.
I'll miss summer but autumn is one of my favorite seasons anyway. Besides fall fashion, I like smelling the crispness in the air, the leaf peeping, and the mushrooming! With the rains this past summer, most notably from Hurricane Irene and then Tropical Storm Lee, I predict a good crop of mushrooms this month. Even in a city as large, sprawling and dense as NYC, mushrooms are growing for those who know where to look. If only I could predict where to find them...
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