Eat NYC

One of the best things about living in New York City is undeniably the food. The food here is so good. It's SO good. So unlike food I've had anywhere else. Seriously, the possibilities are endless, and the convenience is ridiculous. I honestly don't know how I'll ever live in a city where my quick and easy (and usually vegan!) lunch options are so limitless (Hale and Heart, Chop't, Pret, Organic Avenue - I'm looking at you).

Not that's lunch. Let's move on to dinner where the true magic happens (well, and brunch, too, but that's a whole 'nother post...). After a bit of hiatus, I'm re-embarked on my mission to taste as much good food as the city has to offer. In the last couple of months, I've been lucky to dine at:

• Birreria (lovely spot, delicious beer, but I wasn't crazy about the eats - I mean, how many fried mushrooms can one gal eat?) 
• En Brasserie (very interesting and unique menu; cool space)
• Luke's Lobster (best lobster rolls I've had yet and DEF. the best deal)
• Cédric (fantastic French bistro - I can't wait to go back)
• Peacefood Cafe (seriously I could eat their dumplings every. single. day. and the fact that they're vegan is just plain ridiculous and ahmazing)
• Café Cluny (adorable adorable adorable - I'm going back for brunch this weekend)
• Todd English Food Hall at the Plaza (my new favorite space)

And coming up in the next few weeks?

• Scarpetta (probably my favorite Italian restaurant in the city - I've been once with a dear amie who has since moved to DC and am going back tomorrow night avec une autre dear amie who's visiting from Austin)
• Candle 79 (stellar, albeit pricey, vegan restaurant; going avec Lauren - yay!)
• Salinas (I have high hopes, especially since this one's in the 'hood)

And last, but certainly not least... 

• Gramercy Tavern (a splurge for sure, but I've been dying to try it since moving to the city!)

I'm also taking a pie-making class at Havens Kitchen in a few weeks, which is beyond exciting because I've always wanted to learn how to make pie AND Havens Kitchen sounds like just my cup of tea (and is also in the 'hood).

P.S. I realize this is an absurd amount of eating out that I'm doing, and no, it's not my norm (nor will it be because there's only so much 3x weekly visits to the gym can do to counteract the ridiculous, buttery rich foods at this restaurants, and that's if I actually make it to the gym 3x a week which... yeah.). I have no doubt in my mind all this indulgence will end by the end of August, and then it'll be back to cooking simple, easy meals like Trader Joe's cappellini and roasted brussels sprouts. (And hopefully by then it won't be 150 degrees in my apartment, and turning on the stove/oven won't be the worst idea ever. Because right now? It is.)

 

Life Lately

It's no surprise that so many of my original blog friends bid farewell to blogging (at least for now). It's more or less what I've done as well despite many half-hearted attempts and promises. The reality is that life is full and gorgeous, and although there are aspects of blogging that I miss (like the friends and connections!), it's just not the right time for me right now. That being said, I'm going to write now because I feel so compelled, and perhaps I'll drop by time to time (or maybe I won't).

Unlike my last summer in the city, this summer has been a blur. A chaotic, fun and somewhat exhausting mix of brunches, dinners, museum visits, long walks, old friends, new friends, a busy new job, jury duty (yes, I got picked!), oodles of reading, countless visits to Laduree, rooftop bar soirees and the like. Tonight was my first night off in awhile, and it was much needed and deserved. I came home and promptly fell asleep for an hour and a half. Since then I've been lazing about, enjoying having the apartment to myself, reading blogs, listening to Birdy's album (obsessed) and doing laundry. And since I have a little time to breathe, I want to fill you in on my latest loves, passions and pursuits...

Paris, je t'aime
I've been a self-declared francophile for quite some time, but after reading Amy Thomas' Paris, My Sweet, my love for this city is reignited and has pretty much consumed me. Since reading inhaling her delightful memoir, I've been to Laduree at least four times and visited places like La Maison du Chocolat (ridiculously expensive chocolate; heavenly and better-priced eclairs), Levain Bakery (insanely good chocolate chip walnut cookie) and Lady M (famous for their Mille Crepe cake) for some sweet treats of my own. I've also dined at Cafe Cluny (absolutely adorable - the wait staff all wear striped Saint James tees, and the french fries and ice cream are to-die-for) and Cedric (ah-mazing gem in Harlem - merci, Tiffani!) in the hopes of recreating a little Parisien bistro magique in the City That Never Sleeps.

I've also been going through Amy's blog archives, and by doing so, discovered the British delight that is Rachel Khoo. I've no idea how I've never heard of her until now, but I am in love (and full on stalker-mode). I've watched all her episodes of The Little Paris Kitchen and can't wait until her book is published in the States.

And I'm going to sign up for a French language course at alliance francaise this Fall.

AND I'm planning a trip to Paris and London for Spring 2013. :)

Art
I've always enjoyed museums and have made the requisite trips to the Louvre while in Paris, the Galleria delgli Uffizi in Florence and the Tate Modern in London. But since moving to the city and particularly in the last six months, I've been having a bit of a love affair with museums. The Frick, the Met, the MoMA... j'adore them all. Last Friday I got out of jury duty early, so I hopped on the subway and headed uptown to spend some time with my favorite European artists at The Met. I spent hours wandering around the galleries, spending quality one-on-one time with Manet, Monet, Degas, Renoir, Mucha, Vuillard and of course, my favorite Bonnard.

Tomorrow I'm visiting the Neue Galerie to see the Klimt exhibit and dine on some Viennese delights at the gorgeous Cafe Sebarsky. Still on the list? The Guggenheim, the Whitney, the numerous Chelsea galleries and a trip to the Bronx to see a recreation of Monet's Garden at the NY Botanical Gardens.

After reading Object of Beauty (a tres interesting book on the art world in NYC by Steve Martin (yes, that one), I've been more inspired than ever to take a course on art history. Regrettably I never took one in college and am hoping to find a continuing education course here in the city, one that actually works with my schedule.


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 


It's not all Monet and macarons though. In other news...


- I've also recently developed a rather unhealthy obsession with The Vampire Diaries and all things Stefan/Paul Wesley. I mean, with a jaw like that, how can you not?


- My poor white craptastic macbook is on its last leg. I think a shiny new macbook pro is going to be my birthday present to moi this August.


- I have a new roommate, and I'm not a big fan. Our little friend (read: MOUSE) absolutely refuses to eat the delicious peanut butter in the fancy new traps I purchased and instead enjoys making random appearances in the kitchen and in the hallway (only, of course, when I'm looking) causing me to scream, shout, jump on the bed and generally act like a crazy person. Le sigh.


- I actually have another new roommate whom I adore who's subletting for the summer. She's a wicked smart Harvard and Oxford grad who is currently getting her MBA at Wharton, interning at Godiva. She's lived in London and Mexico City, is from the Bay Area and loves good food as much as I do. We have a date at the esteemed Gramercy Tavern in July, and I cannot wait. 

Gros bisous, mes amies. I hope life is good.




 

Catch Up: What I've Been Eating, Thinking and Doing

Bonsoir, mes amies! Yesterday I realized that I completely dropped the ball on blogging, and for that, I apologize. I'm especially sorry because there are SO many things that I've wanted to discuss! First things first: let's chat briefly about what I've been eating.

Despite a few hiccups in the road (I'm looking at your apple pie a la mode at work!), I've been doing pretty well with the vegan eating.  And, unsurprisingly (and yet it always still manages to surprise me a little), I'm starting to get that inner and outer vegan glow.  I'm feeling good, y'all, and the fact that I've dropped a few pounds is the icing on the already moist and delicious cake!

Peacefood Cafe
Friday night I had a dinner date avec a dear friend from work, and she took me to Peacefood Cafe where I had a FANTASTIC meal.  We got the dumplings to start, and holy crap, they were some of the best dumplings I've ever had.  And let me tell you something - my mother makes some pretty killer (and pork-filled) dumplings.  And these?  These vegan dumplings?  They were just as good.  I'm kind of obsessed with them and can't WAIT to go back for more.  We also split the caesar salad (who knew tempeh bacon could be so good??) and the mushroom panini (ummm heavenly).

To be honest, the part of the meal I was looking forward to the most was dessert, as I'd heard so much about their delectable offerings.  Unfortunately, we didn't have as good of an experience there.  We got the peanut butter cheesecake (the peeps on Yelp love that stuff) and the raw key lime pie.  I'll give the key lime pie (pictured below) a solid B.  It had great flavor and an excellent balance of sweet and tart, but I couldn't get past the texture.  It had the texture of butter which, depending on who you are, could be a good thing.  But it just wasn't doing it for me (my friend loved it though).

Now, the peanut butter cheesecake was straight up NOT good.  There was some flavor going on in there that I couldn't get past (maybe the silken tofu??).  I decided to give the desserts one last try and snagged the last slice of ginger spice bread to-go and was barely 3 steps into my apartment before busting it out.  It was INSANE GOOD, y'all.  Peacefood Cafe definitely redeemed its dessert reputation there.  I need that recipe!!

Taim
Definitely some of the best falafel I've had.  Tucked away on a quiet street in the West Village, this place is a gem.  It's a bit pricey, but 99.9% of their menu is vegan and absurdly delicious so I'm okay with it.  Get the date, lime & banana smoothie!!

Baking Treats
On Sunday, I was feeling particular Fall-esque and wanted to bake some Fall treats to celebrate.  First things first, my roomie and I roasted the pumpkin seeds we gathered from a pumpkin carving party the day prior.  I'd never roasted pumpkin seeds before - they took forever, but were well worth the wait.  They filled our apartment with a warm, Autumn and comforting aroma and are tres tasty.

I also made Alicia Silverstone's chocolate peanut butter cups (a HUGE hit at the office today) and pumpkin chocolate chip muffins (I'm not sharing the recipe for that one b/c I'm not a huge fan).  I heart baking!

Colleen, Gabby and Kimberly
I went to Colleen Patrick Goudreau's presentation of Animal and the Arts at the Alexander Gray gallery last week, and it was one of the best nights I've had since moving to NYC.  I plan to devote an entire blog post to this, but suffice it to say that Colleen is warm, endearing and inspirational, and I kind of love her.

I had my last group coaching session with Gabby Bernstein tonight.  I've definitely learned some valuable tools from her, but overall I'd have to say I'm a little disappointed.  More on this later as well.

Thursday night I take the train to D.C. for the National Conference to End Factory Farming where I'll be selling TranquiliT with Kimberly - I CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!!

Have a BEAUTIFUL week, friends.  Gros bisous!

Fear & Equinox

Long time no write.  I know.  Life's been busy, per usual, but really, I've just been scared to write what I'm about to write.

The Austin Half-Marathon is now less than 3 weeks away.  Actually, it's only 2 weeks and a few days away.  And I am scared.

Terrified, really.  Because I don't feel prepared at all despite weeks and weeks of training.  It doesn't help that the last few weeks have been subpar, at best.  My training runs have been cut short, and as a result, my long runs have suffered.  My 10-miler last week on the dreadmill was a struggle to say the least.  This weekend I have 12 miles to tackle... 12 miles.  That's only 1.1 miles shy of the Half.  I plan to attack said miles in Central Park because I haven't been out there in weeks, and I need some hills work.  The Austin Marathon is scary hilly, and I can't force myself to the do the kind of hills on a dreadmill that I am forced to do when running in the Park.  So the Park it is!  Current forecast is most sunny with high of 36 and low of 32.  I can handle that.

Last night I started my 7-day pass to Equinox, the queen of all gyms.  I currently belong to NYHRC but have a number of complaints about it and have considered switching to Equinox.  Many of my work friends work out at Equinox, and one used to be a personal trainer there, so she scored me a 7-day pass to check it out.  Equinox does have a lot to offer, and last night's experience was more than pleasant.  I lifted weights with a coworker for about 30 minutes and noticed just how much nicer and easier-to-use all the machines were.  Also?  They were SO clean.  Major plus plus plus.  Then I pounded out 2 speedy-ish but painful miles on the treadmill (did 3 on Wed so had to make it 5), did about 15 minutes on the rowing machine (my new love!) and stretched. 

The gym is pristine, with the newest, nicest equipment, an awesome stretching area (the entire floor of the area is squishy mat material so all you need is a towel), and a GORGEOUS locker room.  Seriously, there were 3 people in the bathroom at all times cleaning, cleaning, cleaning.  The OCD in moi really loved that.  They also use Kiehl's products and have a spa-quality sauna and steam room.  I have yet to use them, but once I do, I know I'll be hooked.  On top of that, I was there at the busiest time of day, and there were plenty of machines available.  I also hear the classes are quite nice, but I've yet to try them.  Oh and they have a boutique (dangerous) and a smoothie/burrito/salad bar.  Ridic.

Will I switch?  I've no idea.  The gym is, quite literally, twice the price (if I want access to all locations, which I think I do).  Therefore in my mind, it has to be twice as nice.  If my mom and sister are reading this, I know what they are thinking.  Why on earth do I need such a nice gym?  Especially considering my considerably reduced income and expensive lifestyle (not really, it's just more expensive because this city is so darn expensive).  Well, here's the thing: the gym has become an important part of my day-to-day life, and I want to keep it that way.  What better motivation than a nice, fancy gym?  ;)

I'm returning to the beautiful Equinox on 50th/Broadway this evening to pound out 5 miles.  There's not much else I'd want to do less on a Friday evening after work.

10k, Veggie Burgers & Question 4 Runners

My Sunday in a nutshell (or not...):

10k - I decided to run my 10k "race" along the West Side Highway instead of going all the way to the Park.  The WSH is a mere 10-15 min walk from my apartment, and I thought it'd be the perfect place to to get in 6.2 miles as easily as possible.  After a very large everything bagel and a Bones episode, I got dressed, filled my camelbak for the first time ever, and headed out.  It was beautiful, sunny and a frigid 35 degrees with a windchill of who-knows-what-but-it-was-friggin-cold.  My run was so-so.  Not particularly good, not particularly bad (no bra strap-snapping - hooray!).  I was pretty much frozen by the time I was done, and when I spotted the new New York Burger Co. at 10th Ave, I knew I had to stop in.  After defrosting, I ordered a black bean burger and fries (best fries EVER) and headed home.  Which brings me to my next topic...

Veggie Burgers - Why can't anyone in NYC make a decent veggie burger?  I've ordered several, and they are all the same - MUSHY, blah, and incapable of staying together.  SO annoying.  Austin, on the other hand, makes EXCELLENT veggie burgers.  Hut's, P. Terry's, East Side Cafe... I miss you.  NY Burger Co's was, of course, a massive disappointment.  Never.  Again.

Question 4 Runners - My runs this week were all less than stellar.  More than anything, I just felt tired and unable to master the distances each required.  I want to blame the fact that this is the first week I've actually done all the other workouts I'm supposed to for my training, and because of that, my body is tired, sore and flipping out at the thought of having to run on top of yoga, pilates, 30 Day Shred, pushups and then some.  Runners, please tell me that's what it is and that my body will catch up and realize all this other stuff is supposed to make me a better runner instead of a runner who wants to die at the thought of running more than 1 mile at a time??  

Weekend - The rest of my weekend has been productive, relaxing and shop-y.  I scored some nice spin shoes at Sid's Bike Shop for 40% off (plan to go to Spin on Wednesday and can't wait!!), and I bought a waterproof/wind-shielding and incredibly cute and surprisingly flattering running jacket at Lululemon for a kind of outrageous price.  BUT, in my defense, these are two things that have been on my list, AND they completely fit into my budget.  So THERE.

EXCITED to have Monday off!!!  I plan to meet my friends in TriBeCa to WRITE and then to go to a hot yoga class at my gym.  Do you have Monday off?  Any fun plans??

RUN: Adventures in Central Park

or...

Why I Hate MTA on the Weekends

or...

Why I Fear Public Transportation

or...

How I Went to Central Park to Jog 4 miles and Got Lost

Okay enough of that.  Ready for my silly little story?  As planned, I woke up Saturday morning ready to tackle 4 miles in Central Park.  I was NERVOUS and EXCITED (yes, I tend to overreact over petite things - makes life more interesting?).  I got up early and got a bagel from Brooklyn Bagel (ironically not in Brooklyn, but in Chelsea) since I knew I'd need some energy and heard that white carbs were better to eat pre-run since they break down so easily.  I woke up extra early to eat since I have a tendency to not run well post-eating.  Anyway, suffice to say, I was READY, y'all.  Then I debated about what to wear.  The forecast called for sunny skies and temps in the lower 50's.  After much debate, I settled on running shorts and long-sleeve cotton tee.  I get SUPER heated when I run so I figured that I'd be fine despite the chilly temp.  Boy, was I wrong!  But more on that later.  First, the commute...

I headed down to the 23rd street stop to hop on the C line and take it all the way up to 72nd street and Central Park West.  When I got down there, I saw that an A train was approaching.  Okay... A train is an express train and therefore doesn't normally stop at 23rd street, but then I heard on the loudspeaker that A trains were making all local stops.  Sweet!  I hopped on and grabbed a seat.  Everything was great until we got to the Columbus Circle stop.  My stop was next - yay!  But the train wasn't slowing down.  In fact, it was speeding up.  And there went 72nd st... then 81st st... then 96th st... then 103 st... then 110th, then 116th, then FINALLY, we stopped at 125th.  Um, seriously?  SERIOUSLY?  This is why I hate taking the subway on the weekends.  So I got out and waited for entirely too long (another thing I hate about weekend subways) for a C train to arrive.  Hopped on the C and got out at 72nd.  FINALLY.

Of course, at this point, I really had to pee.  But there were no restrooms to be found, and I really wanted to get this party started.  Oh, I was also freezing.  I turned on my Garmin and waited for it to find satellites... well it proceeded to find satellites for the next 5 min to no avail.  Argh!  I couldn't wait any longer so I pressed START to start the timer and started running.  About 5 minutes later, my navigation finally kicked in, but at that point, it was totally off in regard to mileage and pace since I made the mistake of starting the timer before the GPS.  Dummy.

I planned to do the 4-mile loop aka the route marked with red dashes in the map above (except for the last bit on the right side).  According to everyone, the loop is easy to follow, and it is very obvious as to where/when you need to turn.  But stupid me... stupid me was not paying attention.  I saw the 102nd street transverse, I know I did.  It wasn't terribly obvious and I don't think it was marked as 102nd St, but I remember passing it thinking, "WHOA that's a big hill - good thing I don't need to turn there!"  Uh huh... stupid.  Because I proceeded to then run up to the very top of the park where there are even bigger hills - hurray!  And because I couldn't remember that I was supposed to turn and not run up to the very top of the Park, I was completely unaware.  Also?  As you can see by the white upper loop in the pic above, it's super twisty turny up there, so I couldn't figure out which way I was going.  I just assumed I would hit 4 miles and find myself exactly where I started.  Nope...

Instead, I ran and ran and then realized that 40 minutes had passed.  I typically run around 10 min miles when I do my long/easy runs at the gym so I figured I should be somewhere near ending my loop.  But it was nowhere to be seen.  In fact, nothing looked remotely familiar.  I decided to run for a little longer in case my pace had just significantly slowed, but finally, around 43 minutes, I decided I was in need of some Gatorade and a friggin' map.  So I stopped, walked up to a vendor and bought a Gatorade and asked him where I was.  84th street.  EIGHTY-FOURTH STREET.  WTH?  I'm supposed to be back on the WEST SIDE of the Park at SEVENTY-SECOND, not on the EAST SIDE at 84th!  I was tres confused.  And FREEZING. 

At this point, I was completely frozen, exhausted, and confused.  I wanted to hail a cab and call it a day, but I knew there was no reason whatsoever to take a cab, so I crossed back to the west side and made my way to the 72nd street stop.  Luckily, a C train was approaching right when I got there - my first bit of good luck all day - yay!

Once I got home, plugged in my Garmin and looked at a map, I realized where I went wrong.  I was on the 6-mile loop, not the 4-miler, and my mileage/pace was all out of whack b/c the GPS didn't kick for several minutes.  Whatevs.  I inhaled some food and took a very, very hot shower.

As for the run itself, well it was fantastic.  Seriously, the Park was GORGEOUS, fall foliage everywhere, and people-watching was so fun!  Runners, bikers, families, couples, friends - everyone was enjoying the Park - it was lovely.  And the 4 miles flew by, even with the hills and completely lack of knowledge as to where the hell I was.  I was in love.  Oh, and yes, I was completely and totally freezing the entire run.  It was windy, and I was in a cotton tee which meant that whatever little I did sweat did nothing but make my shirt very cold and wet, which made for a tres uncomfortable subway ride home. 

So I did what any normal girl would do.  I got home, ate, showered, got dressed and then headed straight to Lululemon where I invested in some running tights and a jacket.  :D 

In other news, according to my Garmin (which I'm going to name btw... any suggestions?), these are my stats:

Distance: 3.47 miles (LIE)
Avg Pace: 12:53/mile or 4.7 mph (LIE)
Max Speed: 9.7 mph (seriously?? that's awesome!)
Calories Burned: 450 cals (LIE... was definitely more which is AWESOME!)
Ascent: 804 feet (um, is that a lot?  b/c it sure does sound like a lot)
Descent: 826 feet

Needless to say, j'adore my Garmin.  I just wish it wouldn't take so darn long to find satellites!!!

Autumn Love

I love the word autumn although I feel that it's infrequently used. I've been loving this Autumn, and despite how little free time I have now that I'm working (forgot just how time consuming a full time job can be :P), I try to stop and enjoy the beautiful season surrounding me.  My Autumnal life looks a little something like this...

admiring the foliage

decadent brunches at cozy neighborhood eateries

This mushroom toast (thick grilled potato bread topped with ricotta, soft scrambled eggs, and oodles of wild mushrooms) was absurdly good.

running

(and icing painful shin splints... ouch)

(yes, those are frozen TJ veggies)

spending quality (and sorely missed) time in funky 

lower east side salons

late meals with long lost friends

How are you filling these beautiful fall days?

R to the Zoe: Halloween NYC-Style

I'm not gonna lie - by the time Saturday night rolled around, I was in NO MOOD to go out. I was tired and wanted an early night. But. I rallied. And my roomies and I kicked off the party with pizza and booze. :D As I sang along to Lady Gaga and Britney, I did Roomie Deux's makeup. Can you guess who she is?

Here's another hint...

That's right... she was JEM!  I think I want to be Jem next year because hello, she wears nothing but hot pink.  Didn't I do a good job on her makeup?  I was pretty impressed with myself, if I do say so myself.  ;)

My costume was super easy because I already owned everything!  I tried to find some cheap blonde hair extensions, but it just wasn't happening.  I decided to go as a brunette, Asian Rachel Zoe.  :D  

The real RZ...

And moi!

Costume included:

- signature RZ faux fur vest (this is actually the RZ brand haha)

- big sunnies

- giant Starbucks cup full of tea

- big hair (or at least she used to have big hair...)

- gobs and gobs of gold and sparkly jewelry (you can't see, but I'm wearing 3 necklaces, one watch, 3 oversized rings, and about 10 bracelets)

- oversized bag (hers is the Birkin, mine is Mulberry for Target... b/c I didn't have $15k to spend)

- burgundy lips

- dark nails (Chanel Vamp is actually a shade Rachel wears - I'm authentic like that)

My dates for the night are childhood favorites...

I even hung out with Snooki!

Later that night, at another party, I ran into my old friend Harry Potter.  He did his thang and turned my tea into something a bit more festive.  :)

And THEN my hubby Rodger walked in!  He was cracking me up...

(This guy wasn't dressed as Rodger, but he kind of looks like him, AND he said he dressed like him last year, so I figured I'd play along.)

All in all, it was a pretty fabulous night!

I Hate NY

Y'all, I'm not gonna lie, it's been a challenging week. And I'm really, really hating NY right now and really, really wishing I lived in boring but easy and happy suburbia right now. Indulge me for a bit and allow me to vent, yes? Thanks.

I'm sick of sweating the minute I step outside. I'm sick of not being able to wear cute clothes or my hair down or accessories b/c I know, I KNOW, that I'll end up a hot, sweaty, stinky mess. The 90+ degree temperatures have arrived, and let's be honest, even when it was "only" in the 80's, the humidity here is so ridiculous that I sweat anyway. I'm over it. I want highs of 60's. Hell, I'd even settle for highs in the 30's right now (although I really, really need to do some shopping first).

I'm SO sick of the miserable people who work in the service industry here. Anyone from your local Duane Reade cashier to the hostess at Pipa (who was a ginormous bitch. I don't like using that word, but she was. She WAS.) to the completely and totally inept customer service people working at Time Warner New York... I can't stand any of you. I realize you're miserable and hate your lives, but MUST you be so awful? (I will, however, say that I've never had a less than pleasant experience with the cashiers at my Trader Joe's, so THANK YOU! Whole Foods? You're another story...)

I'm sick of people here in general.

I am really sick of how expensive everything is. It's just... ugh. I can't leave the house without money FLYING out of my wallet. Guess what, NYC? You're not worth it sometimes.

I'm sick of my little room and overstuffed closet. Yes, I have a darling little room and more than decent NY closet space. But. I used to have shoe shelves and a ginormous walk-in closet, and well, I miss them.

I'm sick of having to walk everywhere. The idea of living in a walkable city was one of the most appealing aspects of NYC. But now? I'm over it. And you know what, taxis suck - the drivers are insane and I almost puke every time I get in one. And normally I'd be a huge fan of the subway, but they're like mini saunas in the summer AND they're getting more expensive. (Because, ya know, this city isn't expensive enough. Adding insult to injury... ugh.) I miss my car. (Thank goodness it's now my sister's car so I will be driving it in about a week.)

I'm sick of being so far away. I want to see my Mom damn it. I want to hug her and kiss her and eat her delicious food and sleep in her bed. And I don't want to wait until Thanksgiving to do so.

I'm sick of not being able to wear my heels here unless I want my feet to die. Due to a combination of uneven sidewalks, and well, having to walk everywhere, my killer heels are doing little more than collecting dust.

I'm sick of living in a house whose filth I'm not entirely responsible for. While I adore my roomies and we had a super fun wine & tapas dinner last night, I don't love cleaning up after them. So much so that I've pretty much given up on the kitchen floor. People who wear shoes inside their homes are guaranteed disgusting floors, that's all I'm sayin!

Honestly, I could go on and on, but I don't think you want to hear it (and I don't think it's healthy). I'm holding onto the fact that in one week, I will be in California, in Ma Soeur's beautiful San Jose home, soaking in a ginormous bath tub with all kinds of LUSH goodness, cuddling with my darling Lola bear (who, btw, my sis and bro-in-law have started calling Lola Ebola...), cooking in her gourmet and meticulously clean kitchen, driving my car, visiting Tarjay on a daily basis and enjoying cool evenings (and even some lows in the 30's when we go to Tahoe!).

Hope your week/life's been better than mine lately. ;) Love you!!

The Art of Eating In

So, remember that book I said I couldn't wait to review and discuss? Well, it's finally here! The Art of Eating In is a kind-of-ah-mazing mini memoir that chronicles Brooklynite Cathy Erway's 2 years of not eating out in NYC. Yes, TWO YEARS! I had heard about Miss Erway months ago, as her name and book came up in a few of my magazines. I'd always torn out the pages to remind myself to read it, but with the move and all, it just slipped my mind. Enter: my NYPL membership.

I absolutely ADORE the New York Public Library and can't believe it's taken me this long to get on the library bandwagon. So long are the days of card catalogs and making multiple trips to various branches (although, admittedly, this can be fun, too). You can now search and reserve any book/dvd/cd/whatever you want online and have it sent to your local branch (which, conveniently for me, is on my block). I've been on a library spree since joining, and when The Art of Eating In came in, I immediately picked it up and took it with me to the beach last weekend.

I pretty much read the entire book that day. I remember my friend Steph looking over at me a couple of hours into our beach loungin' and being surprised at how far I had gotten. First, I'm a fast reader. Second, when I like a book, I LIKE a book. I couldn't stop reading and the only thing that forced me away that afternoon was the siren call of the chilly-but-refreshing waves. When I got home, I picked the book up once again and finished it. And now, I'm reading it a 2nd time...

The Art of Eating In, like many nonfiction books these days, began as a blog. Not Eating Out In New York is an immensely popular blog still maintained by Cathy and still fabulous. The book, however, is not merely a regurgitation of the blog, but a story that includes not just food and cooking, but tales of romance, friendship, family and Brooklyn. (Oh Brooklyn... I realize Brooklyn has become very much romanticized over the past few years, but I'm, like, in love. I can't wait to explore more of it and already have a dinner date in Williamsburg scheduled for next week.)

Cathy makes a number of valid points in her book, one of which really hit home for me. She explores how much waste is created by takeout in this city, and she couldn't be more right. Anytime I order takeout, I'm appalled by how much trash I create. From the plastic bag AND paper bags holding the containers of food, the containers themselves, the plasticware, the napkins, the excessive sauce packets... it's no wonder our kitchen trash fills up on a daily basis. Even though I try and request NO plasticware, 1 or 2 sets always finds their way in my multiple bags. It kills me. At one point in the book, Cathy decides to compare how much waste is created between ordering in and cooking at home. The dish of choice is chicken with broccoli, and the results are astounding.

{photo credit: marieclaire.com}

The book also made me examine the whole "ordering in" thang that is so prevalent here (and admittedly, so appealing... at least, at first). You know I kind of died when I realized I could order whatever kind of food I wanted (online, no less!) and have it delivered to my front door. But then I got to thinking... how good is the food I've ordered in? Some of it has been great and has certainly hit the spot (great Thai food, excellent NY-style pizza). But quite frankly, most of it has been disappointing in some aspect or another. Furthermore, I realized that even though the food was relatively cheap, it probably wasn't made with the best ingredients nor was it particularly healthy. And, most importantly, I could probably make it and make it better. So why did I keep doing it? The novelty has worn off, and honestly, I'm sick of eating food prepared by someone else. And I am SO excited to get back in the kitchen.

Another aspect of the book I loved was the emphasis on the social nature of food. "I don't think there's anything more I could have wished for on that night. I had everything that I loved about life: good people (and not too many of them) and really good food (too much of it, but that was okay." I couldn't agree more. Some of my warmest and fuzziest moments from college and law school involve dinner parties, not going out to eat, but a group of us cramped around a too-small table, eating delicious homemade food and genuinely enjoying each other's company. Those were the best times.

Naturally, after finishing this delightful book, I immediately wanted to: (1) cook my heart out; and (2) throw a dinner party. #1 has been well underway, what with my kitchen clean-out and reorg. and my purchase of essential kitchenware. As for #2, it gets un peu trickier, as we don't really have a dining table, and let's be honest, I'm not keen on entertaining here. It's tres devastating, as I adore nothing more than cooking and entertaining for dear friends, but luckily, my friend (and fellow foodie) Stephanie has a fabulous apartment all to herself AND a wonderful outdoor patio (she's the one who threw me a dinner party on my first night in the city - love!). We immediately scheduled an intimate patio dinner party for next week, and guess who's in charge of the entree? Oui, c'est moi!

Cooking for friends who are not vegetarian (let alone vegan) presents a bit of a challenge. I knew my dish probably wouldn't be vegan, but I really REALLY don't feel comfortable cooking meat (let alone eating it). After scouring my fave food blogs, I stumbled across this tasty looking Spanish Tortilla with Kale and knew I had to try it. Simple but tasty ingredients make the best dishes, and Erin's recipes never fail. Still, I felt bad about using eggs... after all, Jonathan Safran Foer makes it a point to state in Eating Animals that eggs are probably the worst animal products to buy in terms of animal cruelty. But hey, I'm living in NYC now! Surely I can find eggs that come from a humane farm in which the hens live happy, pleasant, grassy lives. I found a number of suppliers at the Union Square Greenmarket and plan to do some research on the farms before buying any eggs. (Note: I realize there are still issues w/ buying these kinds of eggs, but I don't want to get into it here. I also realize I could prepare a vegan dish, but I'm not going to get into that here either. Sorry if that offends you...)

{image credit: fresh365online.com}

So, if you enjoy food and cooking, then I highly suggest you read The Art of Eating In. I fell back in love with food and cooking and fell super hard for Cathy. Her fun, quirky personality is most appealing, and let's be honest, she's just adorable (half and half... always beautiful!). I've already ordered my own copy from Amazon (used for only $5!), as I know I'll be re-reading it frequently and trying out some of the recipes (yes, there are recipes in the book!). Don't you just love a good book? Especially one about FOOD?? Check it out, and let me know what you think!

(Note: I originally wrote this post on Saturday. On Sunday, I woke up with a massive sore throat and an ache-y body - no bueno. I immediately declared it a sick-bed-feel-sorry-for-myself-day and spent the first half of the day dozing in and out of sleep and swallowing painfully. Finally I got up and downed several cups of water and coconut water (the only liquids I had in the house) and realized around 5 p.m. that I was starving. Wanting soft comfort foods (think: mashed potatoes), I hopped onto seamlessweb and surfed for literally an hour trying to find something that sounded remotely appetizing. I finally settled on a comfort food/bbq joint from where I ordered a selection of sides and banana pudding. Ugh - this little experiment only further proved my point that restaurant food is rarely, if ever, better than home-cooked. This place was pricier than normal and had received rave reviews so I had high(er) hopes, but the sides were overly salted, heavy, and left me with a bad feeling in my tummy. The banana pudding, luckily, wasn't bad and soothed my throat. But it doesn't matter - I am so not ordering in again for a very. long. time. And I plan to whip myself up a comforting bowl of polenta later.)

(Oh and also? I requested no plasticware, but nonetheless found not one, not two, but three sets of plasticware in my bag. *shakes fist in air* Why?!)

Exploring the City: LES

One July goal I didn't quite reach was that of exploring NYC neighborhoods. The wonderful and dangerous thing about Chelsea is that pretty much everything you need is just around the corner. I rarely have to leave my comfy 5-block radius! Fortunately today, I had a specific destination in mind.

This morning I completely cleaned out and reorganized out kitchen cabinets (not really as hard as it sounds since we have very few of them). I'm determined to start cooking again (big post coming up on this and that book review I mentioned!), and so I knew I'd have to get this pathetic kitchen organized. My Mom sent me my chef's knife and a small pot, but I need more. The frying pan these girls have is... well, let's just say I could whack myself on the head with it and not feel a thing. But I don't want to spend any money so until now, I've just been sort of heating things up and "cooking" complicated dishes like grilled cheese sammies. Fortunately, I stumbled across this article by Mark Bittman and thanked the heavens that I now live in NYC! I quickly changed into a light sundress and headed out.

The Lower East Side is very New York City in a incredibly diverse, gritty yet trendy kind of way. It's not as obviously charming like the West Village nor is it as light and fun as Chelsea, and it's worlds away from the Upper East and West Sides. Stuffed with Asian groceries, tons of fabulous lighting shops (chandeliers galore!), and tiny hole-in-the-wall eateries, the LES has got its own unique charm and feel that I totally dig. After I stepped out of the very hot and steamy subway, I immediately found my way to Quickly, a tiny bubble tea shop full of thirsty Asian customers (a good sign!).



(Please ignore my chipping nail polish.) One lychee milk tea later, I was feeling MUCH better and headed to my primary destination: Bowery Restaurant Supply.

I guess I shouldn't have been surprised that it's owned and run by Asians. Inside was hot and cramped and un peu tense (tiny grandfather looking Chinese man started yelling at a rude customer as I checked out), but I found my necessities (oven-safe fry pan, small baking sheet, tongs, etc.) at seriously bargain prices. Ah-mazing! Afterwards, since I was in the 'hood and all, I figured I should make a pit stop at Babycakes.


I haven't been to this darling vegan bakery since moving here, and I was eager to try one of their cupcakes (last time, I only had donuts). I picked up one lemon spelt and one banana berry (and okay, yes, i got some donuts - cinnamon sugar and lemon coconut) and headed back to flat to admire my goodies (and play with the hipstomatic app - i need work).

Sadly I wasn't in much of a sweet mood so my cupcakes are still chillin' on my desk. They'll make an excellent breakfast though! :)

Scenes from Le Weekend

Quel weekend! My beach day was exactly what I hoped it would be, and I plan on making a trip back very, very soon. Friday and Saturday night both involved entirely too much vodka, and Sunday morning/afternoon was more than painful, but the dancing Saturday night made it totally worth it. What were you up this weekend, mes amies? Whatever it was, I hope it was exactly what you needed.








P.S. Happy August! It's my birthday month - wheeeee!!