I don't know about you, but it's definitely hot enough for me this summer. Last year we didn't need air conditioning because mountains and trees cooled us. Here in the city, even with the plethora of trees in Jackson Heights, the heat and humidity have been stifling.
When the heat's on, I usually don't feel like turning on the stove, and absolutely not the oven! Do you feel the same way? But recently I started stocking my pantry and added essentials like good sea salt, light soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, distilled vinegar, olive oil, sesame oil, vegetable oil, and fish sauce. And for any good pantry, you must have garlic, shallots, onions, lemons, limes, cilantro, scallions, couscous, and jasmine rice. And oatmeal and prunes too. Not to mention butter.
With this and all the good stuff I picked up at this weekend's farmer's market, I've started cooking in my small NYC kitchen and I can't stop! A quarter the size of my French kitchen, it's much smaller and the layout is not great but it'll do for now. There's a full size fridge, stove with microwave on top, and a half size dishwasher. I lament the fact that there's not enough storage or counter space. And no disposal but that's ok. I'm collecting fruit and vegetable scraps for composting which I can donate on Sundays to the farmer's market. Even though I'm back in the States I still would like to hold on to several things I started doing while in France like composting, living simply and as close to nature as possible.
At the farmer's market, I was enticed by the many offerings. Without any recipes in mind, I picked what was visually pleasing. Vivid yellow summer squash, bright red onions, tiny MacIntosh and green pears, and some cucumbers. We couldn't pass the Red Jacket Orchards stall without taking home their delicious all natural rhubarb juice and plum stomp made in Geneva, NY. On our way out, we stopped to purchase Ronnybrook Farms' all natural yogurt drinks and a bottle of milk. Buying the milk in a glass bottle reminds me of the times R and I bought fresh fromage blanc, bleu de Gex, crème fraîche, and raw milk from our local fromagerie. If you bring back your bottle, you get your bottle deposit back. We still have our milk bottles in my kitchen in France, which means we have to visit le fromagerie when we next visit!
With my bounty, I've made lots of salads and eaten a mostly vegetarian menu this week including an easy salad of cucumbers, red onions, and tomatoes. I dressed it with some extra virgin olive oil, pink salt, a little twist of pepper, and lemon rinds, left over from making strawberry lemonade. For R, I made a no-mayo potato salad using baby red potatoes dressed with a vinaigrette with herbs de Provence, olive oil, a drop or two of distilled vinegar, and two big heaping tablespoons of whole grain French mustard. I also braised some romaine lettuce with garlic, shallots, and the leafy greens from the farmer's market red onions. I used the yellow summer squash in a quick ratatouille cooked in my favorite pot, a 5.5 quart cherry red Le Crueset which my sister gave me one year for Christmas.
To beat the heat and humidity, I pureed the remaining strawberries in a blender, tossed in a bit of sugar, and then added some rhubarb/apple juice. Then I poured this mixture (seeds and all) into some popsicle molds. Voila! Six hours later, R and I enjoyed our strawberry/rhubarb pops! Sweet, tart, and cold enough to cool us down in this city heat.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Transplanted in new soil
Today someone I met recently asked for a link to my blog and I happily shared it with the knowledge that it's been a long time since my last update. I've taken a respite from writing because I've been preoccupied with moving and planting roots in new soil. Moving and setting in is a process, and moving to NYC has been both an exhilarating and exhausting process.
Since moving back to the States two months ago, R and I traded our big country house and garden in the Juras for a small 1 bedroom in the quaint neighborhood of Jackson Heights, Queens. For those of you who have visited NYC and not ventured out to Brooklyn or Queens, you are missing out!
R and I are getting to know our neighbors and the neighborhood which we chose for many reasons: its proximity to the city, the many trees that provide natural air conditioning, the farmers markets nearby, and its closeness to a certain yummy French patisserie and boulangerie. We've also noticed it's not as noisy here (relative to Manhattan and other areas in the city). There's a bit of craziness that comes with the quaint—within a 10 minute walk to Roosevelt Ave is probably the most culturally diverse part of Queens, where you can hear Hindi, Arabic, Chinese, Spanish, Nepalese, and much more.
Small adventures await outside our door step, no passport required! If we head in one direction, we're in Little India, where every single inch of sidewalk seems to be taken up by ancient men with long interesting facial hair selling whatever your heart may fancy. Their sidewalk tables are covered in jeweltone scarves, prayer rugs, sunglasses, plastic toys from China that squeak, move, and flash. If nothing strikes your fancy at these tables, don't worry. There is something for every impulse you may have....something for every sense. If you're a Bollywood fan, then you need to make a trip out to JH and rummage through the CDs and DVDs for rent and sale.
I'm sure one of Little India's stores and grocers will catch your attention—here you can find everything from the haut de gamme to the bas de gamme in flowing saris, head scarves to spices, Indian pickles, aromatic boxes of Indian mangoes. I've found myself returning a few times to Patel Brothers, which is an Indian supermarket chain much like Hong Kong Supermarket is for Chinese groceries or HMart is for Korean goods.
R and I have become big fans of Indian sweets which are very close to Middle Eastern sweets which we enjoyed in France. We're (quite) fond of (mango) kulfi, a delicious ice cream treat which you can buy on most streets in Little India. So far we've tried mango, vanilla cardamom, and pistachio. More to come of Little India in upcoming pieces.
Heading north, we cross over to the Spanish speaking part of Jackson Heights. A short walk away is Elmhurst and then Flushing, home to probably the largest community of Chinese in NYC. Just this weekend, after a delicious breakfast of croissants and apricot tart at Cannelle over the Sunday New York Times, we followed the music to Northern Avenue and watched a parade celebrating Ecuadorian culture. Unbeknownst to me, I picked the right color to wear that day: yellow, for Ecuador!
Now that we've mostly settled into our new home, I have a bit more time to write and enjoy NY. And also to cook. I have an enviable number of ethnic markets to browse and shop from. I was thinking of starting a new version of my blog to capture my adventures in NYC but for now I am resting here. I hope to share more with you in the coming weeks and months! R and I are here to stay for a while, so there are many adventures ahead of us.
Since moving back to the States two months ago, R and I traded our big country house and garden in the Juras for a small 1 bedroom in the quaint neighborhood of Jackson Heights, Queens. For those of you who have visited NYC and not ventured out to Brooklyn or Queens, you are missing out!
R and I are getting to know our neighbors and the neighborhood which we chose for many reasons: its proximity to the city, the many trees that provide natural air conditioning, the farmers markets nearby, and its closeness to a certain yummy French patisserie and boulangerie. We've also noticed it's not as noisy here (relative to Manhattan and other areas in the city). There's a bit of craziness that comes with the quaint—within a 10 minute walk to Roosevelt Ave is probably the most culturally diverse part of Queens, where you can hear Hindi, Arabic, Chinese, Spanish, Nepalese, and much more.
Small adventures await outside our door step, no passport required! If we head in one direction, we're in Little India, where every single inch of sidewalk seems to be taken up by ancient men with long interesting facial hair selling whatever your heart may fancy. Their sidewalk tables are covered in jeweltone scarves, prayer rugs, sunglasses, plastic toys from China that squeak, move, and flash. If nothing strikes your fancy at these tables, don't worry. There is something for every impulse you may have....something for every sense. If you're a Bollywood fan, then you need to make a trip out to JH and rummage through the CDs and DVDs for rent and sale.
I'm sure one of Little India's stores and grocers will catch your attention—here you can find everything from the haut de gamme to the bas de gamme in flowing saris, head scarves to spices, Indian pickles, aromatic boxes of Indian mangoes. I've found myself returning a few times to Patel Brothers, which is an Indian supermarket chain much like Hong Kong Supermarket is for Chinese groceries or HMart is for Korean goods.
R and I have become big fans of Indian sweets which are very close to Middle Eastern sweets which we enjoyed in France. We're (quite) fond of (mango) kulfi, a delicious ice cream treat which you can buy on most streets in Little India. So far we've tried mango, vanilla cardamom, and pistachio. More to come of Little India in upcoming pieces.
Heading north, we cross over to the Spanish speaking part of Jackson Heights. A short walk away is Elmhurst and then Flushing, home to probably the largest community of Chinese in NYC. Just this weekend, after a delicious breakfast of croissants and apricot tart at Cannelle over the Sunday New York Times, we followed the music to Northern Avenue and watched a parade celebrating Ecuadorian culture. Unbeknownst to me, I picked the right color to wear that day: yellow, for Ecuador!
Now that we've mostly settled into our new home, I have a bit more time to write and enjoy NY. And also to cook. I have an enviable number of ethnic markets to browse and shop from. I was thinking of starting a new version of my blog to capture my adventures in NYC but for now I am resting here. I hope to share more with you in the coming weeks and months! R and I are here to stay for a while, so there are many adventures ahead of us.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Boston and New York, New York
It's been about a month since I last wrote here...so much change has happened. First R and I have since moved back to the U.S. I traveled in late May, first to Boston where I have an apt, and then just this past weekend to Brooklyn where R and I are staying in a hotel temporarily until we can find a new home in either Queens or Manhattan.
Instead of the clanging of cowbells and the church bells on the hour every hour, I've heard techno music blaring at 8am on a Sunday morning. Yes...unbelievable. We're on the 7th floor of a brand new business hotel in Brooklyn so the noise is muffled a bit, except for a constant buzz from traffic and people down below. And today there is some work being done in the hotel, so I hear drilling every so often.
Anyway R has started working and I am spending my time looking for work and for an apt, as well as new tenants for my Boston home. So I'm quite busy and haven't had time to focus on writing as much as I'd like to.
The past few weeks have again flown by...and I already feel nostalgic for the countryside of France, and the gentle life we had in the mountains. But alas New York calls (sometimes too loudly) and France is only a plane ride away. Also if all works out, R and I may be living a few blocks away from the best French bakery in Queens...Cannelle Patisserie in Jackson Heights. The baker is from Bretagne (or Brittany) and has worked for Chez Henri in Cambridge, as well as the Waldorf Astoria here in NYC. Feast your eyes on these treats....
Instead of the clanging of cowbells and the church bells on the hour every hour, I've heard techno music blaring at 8am on a Sunday morning. Yes...unbelievable. We're on the 7th floor of a brand new business hotel in Brooklyn so the noise is muffled a bit, except for a constant buzz from traffic and people down below. And today there is some work being done in the hotel, so I hear drilling every so often.
Anyway R has started working and I am spending my time looking for work and for an apt, as well as new tenants for my Boston home. So I'm quite busy and haven't had time to focus on writing as much as I'd like to.
The past few weeks have again flown by...and I already feel nostalgic for the countryside of France, and the gentle life we had in the mountains. But alas New York calls (sometimes too loudly) and France is only a plane ride away. Also if all works out, R and I may be living a few blocks away from the best French bakery in Queens...Cannelle Patisserie in Jackson Heights. The baker is from Bretagne (or Brittany) and has worked for Chez Henri in Cambridge, as well as the Waldorf Astoria here in NYC. Feast your eyes on these treats....
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Mushroom club and Marie-Christine
Last September, four months after my arrival in France, Richard and I just happened to catch the last hour of a local expo on mushrooms. We agreed to go, expecting to spend 20 minutes or so looking at whatever specimens were on display. I thought there might be a buvette or something featuring local food made with mushrooms. But what we found was much much more.
I was totally surprised at the huge variety of mushrooms that the club had gathered in only 2 days! There were about two hundred different kinds of mushrooms, all arranged neatly by family and color. Besides the chanterelles and porcinis, I saw many new shapes and colors, even vivid purple, green, and flourescent mushrooms. Roger, the co-president of this club and also the mushroom expert for our region was there with his microscope and mycology tomes.
At this expo I met the club's secretary Marie-Christine who answered my mushroom questions and welcomed me to join them on their next sortie. I jumped at the chance to go on my first ever mushroom foray. After that first sortie Marie-Christine added me to the club's email list and Richard and I were both invited to every single outing and meeting.
Marie-Christine and the others took me under their wing..perhaps it was my enthusiasm for learning. Or my youth because the rest of the members were in the 60s and 70s. Or the fact that I usually arrived at meetings with baked goods. Whatever the case it was, it doesn't matter because I was happy that I got to know them. I later found out that you can't just join this club...you're invited at the request of the members. Knowing this, I feel extra warm and fuzzy knowing they adopted me.
I was totally surprised at the huge variety of mushrooms that the club had gathered in only 2 days! There were about two hundred different kinds of mushrooms, all arranged neatly by family and color. Besides the chanterelles and porcinis, I saw many new shapes and colors, even vivid purple, green, and flourescent mushrooms. Roger, the co-president of this club and also the mushroom expert for our region was there with his microscope and mycology tomes.
At this expo I met the club's secretary Marie-Christine who answered my mushroom questions and welcomed me to join them on their next sortie. I jumped at the chance to go on my first ever mushroom foray. After that first sortie Marie-Christine added me to the club's email list and Richard and I were both invited to every single outing and meeting.
Marie-Christine and the others took me under their wing..perhaps it was my enthusiasm for learning. Or my youth because the rest of the members were in the 60s and 70s. Or the fact that I usually arrived at meetings with baked goods. Whatever the case it was, it doesn't matter because I was happy that I got to know them. I later found out that you can't just join this club...you're invited at the request of the members. Knowing this, I feel extra warm and fuzzy knowing they adopted me.
Thursday, May 12, 2011
One year anniversaire
One year ago today I arrived in France. My year has been so beautiful and memorable because of everyone in my life—my R, my family, my friends here in Europe as well as the ones back home.
I've laughed, loved, traveled, learned to drive a manual, mushroom hunted, hiked, eaten great food, absorbed history and culture, gardened, cooked, read, written, and generally loved all of it.
March, April and May have been incredibly full—the beautiful weather has continued and my garden is flourishing. I've been so busy the past few weeks, with a project I've been working on as well as with the garden and some travels.
Busy, but not too busy for cooking or for eating, mind you.
Last week I made an entire pot of braised lentils from Le Puy. I thought I had made way too much, but I need not have worried. My friends and I ate almost the entire pot of lentils with our barbecue.
Using some fine cornmeal I had in the pantry, I made baked polenta from scratch. It was much easier than I had expected though I did have to spend some time stirring it quite well and them breaking up the chunks that had somehow formed despite my constant stirring. Today I panfried thin squares of the polenta, laying whole sage leaves on each side, so you end up with slightly crispy sage in each bite. There was still cornmeal leftover after the polenta which I used for a savory cornbread. For a bit of kick I crumbled up some bleu d'Auvergne. And for a bit of color, I cut some of the young green shoots from the scallions in the herb container on my balcony. All in all it turned out light, fluffly with a bit of savory in it—it suited my salty side, but R's sweet side thought my sweet version of cornbread was better. To each his own :)
Way back in February I bought two bags of soybeans with the intention of making tofu from scratch. I also bought a tofu mix in a box...the box contained two bags of powdered soybean (which you add to boiled water and then stir like mad to break up any chunks that may form) and two bags of coagulant (which you have to add after you remove the tofu from the stove to firm it up). I have to say that it looked looked like tofu and moved like tofu—but it tasted off. I'm not sure what I did exactly in what seemed to be a simple process, but I will try again.
The other night I felt like making something with my various jars of Indian spices. I decided on this Red Kidney Beans Curry because I had all the ingredients at hand and it sounded exactly like what I was looking for. The dish came out very well, but instead of 2 large tomatoes I chopped up 5 or 6 plum tomatoes. I omitted the red chili powder because it came out very savory and spicy on its own.
Because R requested red bean ice cream the other day, I decided to make some Tsubushi-An, a chunky version of red bean paste using some Japanese Azuki beans. I used a very simple recipe, and it came out delicious. Perhaps the paste will find its way into steamed buns for red bean buns, or maybe into red bean ice cream as R hopes.
And for my sweet tooth, as well as to thank all my neighbors and friends for all their help and warm welcome since I arrived a year ago, a lot of cookies!
I've laughed, loved, traveled, learned to drive a manual, mushroom hunted, hiked, eaten great food, absorbed history and culture, gardened, cooked, read, written, and generally loved all of it.
March, April and May have been incredibly full—the beautiful weather has continued and my garden is flourishing. I've been so busy the past few weeks, with a project I've been working on as well as with the garden and some travels.
Busy, but not too busy for cooking or for eating, mind you.
Last week I made an entire pot of braised lentils from Le Puy. I thought I had made way too much, but I need not have worried. My friends and I ate almost the entire pot of lentils with our barbecue.
Using some fine cornmeal I had in the pantry, I made baked polenta from scratch. It was much easier than I had expected though I did have to spend some time stirring it quite well and them breaking up the chunks that had somehow formed despite my constant stirring. Today I panfried thin squares of the polenta, laying whole sage leaves on each side, so you end up with slightly crispy sage in each bite. There was still cornmeal leftover after the polenta which I used for a savory cornbread. For a bit of kick I crumbled up some bleu d'Auvergne. And for a bit of color, I cut some of the young green shoots from the scallions in the herb container on my balcony. All in all it turned out light, fluffly with a bit of savory in it—it suited my salty side, but R's sweet side thought my sweet version of cornbread was better. To each his own :)
Way back in February I bought two bags of soybeans with the intention of making tofu from scratch. I also bought a tofu mix in a box...the box contained two bags of powdered soybean (which you add to boiled water and then stir like mad to break up any chunks that may form) and two bags of coagulant (which you have to add after you remove the tofu from the stove to firm it up). I have to say that it looked looked like tofu and moved like tofu—but it tasted off. I'm not sure what I did exactly in what seemed to be a simple process, but I will try again.
The other night I felt like making something with my various jars of Indian spices. I decided on this Red Kidney Beans Curry because I had all the ingredients at hand and it sounded exactly like what I was looking for. The dish came out very well, but instead of 2 large tomatoes I chopped up 5 or 6 plum tomatoes. I omitted the red chili powder because it came out very savory and spicy on its own.
Because R requested red bean ice cream the other day, I decided to make some Tsubushi-An, a chunky version of red bean paste using some Japanese Azuki beans. I used a very simple recipe, and it came out delicious. Perhaps the paste will find its way into steamed buns for red bean buns, or maybe into red bean ice cream as R hopes.
And for my sweet tooth, as well as to thank all my neighbors and friends for all their help and warm welcome since I arrived a year ago, a lot of cookies!
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Tulip fields near Hillegom
Tulip fields near Hillegom and colza fields in France. Breathtaking in every sense.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
More Keukenhof and tulip fields
The Keukenhof's many greenhouses were exhibiting different flowers and arrangements, many of them playful. R and I played dress-up at one of the exhibitions, with me donning a bright yellow boa, then picking up an accordion. This was so much fun!
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| Narcissus and daffodils in an interesting shape |
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| Cyclamens in hot pink |
Monday, May 9, 2011
Champs des fleurs: Keukenhof
I've always wanted to visit the tulip fields of Holland. Lured by dreams of colorful champs des fleurs, and a well-timed canal tour outing with R's family and aunties, R and I headed north.
Driving through the beautiful French countryside, we couldn't help being thankful for the continuing great spring weather and the thousand shades of green in the fields, meadows, and mountains. At this time of year, the green is cut with vivid blazes of yellow colza, a plant that is grown en masse in France, Germany, Belgium as well as the Netherlands for its seed which is turned into cooking oil. With the windows rolled down, the scent of colza permeated the air as we drove by fields of it on both sides of us.
In the Netherlands we visited a number of places, including Leiden a cute university town with many cafes and canals...more canals than in Haarlem and Amsterdam. While there we visited the nearby Keunkenhof, a stunning garden/art space set next to the tulip fields.
Driving through the beautiful French countryside, we couldn't help being thankful for the continuing great spring weather and the thousand shades of green in the fields, meadows, and mountains. At this time of year, the green is cut with vivid blazes of yellow colza, a plant that is grown en masse in France, Germany, Belgium as well as the Netherlands for its seed which is turned into cooking oil. With the windows rolled down, the scent of colza permeated the air as we drove by fields of it on both sides of us.
In the Netherlands we visited a number of places, including Leiden a cute university town with many cafes and canals...more canals than in Haarlem and Amsterdam. While there we visited the nearby Keunkenhof, a stunning garden/art space set next to the tulip fields.
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