City Sidewalks, Busy Sidewalks

A winter chill blew into the city last night along with gusts of rain, sleet, and snow.  I'm sitting here, cozy in one of Mike's fleece-lined flannel shirts and wrapping my hands around mug after mug of coffee to stay warm.  I have the next few days off from work and I'm looking forward to catching-up with friends, resuming our wedding planning, and spending lots of time organizing everything from the past year.  After a very hectic, very draining holiday season, these next few days will be just what I need to refuel for a new year.

I have lots of fun things to share - including a very special Christmas gift! - in this little space that I love so much, but feel as though I have neglected a bit this month.  But for today, I will just share one of my favorite photos from the season.  Stay cozy and warm today friends!

Hot Bread Kitchen's Night Market

Last Thursday night, I headed uptown to Harlem for the annual fundraiser at Hot Bread Kitchen.  Not even an incredibly pesky, lingering cold could keep me from enjoying the evening.  My boss introduced me to this amazing organization almost two years ago and I have so loved learning more about their programs, success stories, and impacts in the community.  Hot Bread Kitchen is a bakery (and so much more) that employs immigrant women who might traditionally have difficulty finding work in a new country, or might be chastised for even dreaming of doing so.  These women share and produce the breads of their homelands and childhoods and, in turn, receive culinary training, English classes, and job-placement assistance.

The evening was filled with many supporters, lots of delicious dishes, and a bubbly glass of hard cider.  Perhaps my favorite moment was watching the hands-on demonstration of making m'smen, though not more than eating a piece right off the griddle.  Afterwards there were more treats – cookies from Dorie Greenspan and a tour of the tiny kitchen that now produces all things sweet for her newly launched company, Beurre & Sel.

If you would like to learn more about this organization, FOOD & WINE wrote a great piece, complete with a few recipes, on Hot Bread kitchen a few years ago.  Or you can head straight to the official website.  And if you are in New York City, you are lucky enough to have their breads offered at many retailers and green markets!

Hurricane Sandy

At about noon yesterday, Mike and I were going a bit stir crazy having been hunkering in our tiny (yet resilient!) apartment for close to 48 hours.  We put on our rain jackets and boots, then ventured outdoors to assess the damage in our neighborhood.  We were not alone: throngs of people were walking the sidewalks, squinting at just a hint of sunshine peeking through the rain clouds.  

The Upper East Side of Manhattan fared incredibly well - somehow the raging winds spared almost every tree and our block did not experience any flooding.  We slowly walked east, towards the FDR and East River, which we knew was underwater the day before.  It was eerie to see this thoroughfare completely empty, except for the occasional police vehicle that appeared to discourage people from hopping into the middle of the street to take photos.

We know how lucky we are to have power and no damage.  Most people we know in other neighborhoods have no power.  Our subways and trains remain at a standstill.  Residents of Hoboken are trying to evacuate, as their food and water supplies are dwindling.  But I woke this morning to the loud sound of sirens and honking cars, a sure sign that our city is beginning the long road to recovery.

Haven's Kitchen

Haven’s Kitchen is a relatively new shop, as well as a recreational cooking school and event space, located near Union Square. A surprising amount of sunshine streams through ground floor shop and the interior is clean, fresh, and welcoming. I’m pretty confident I could have spent hours happily snapping photos of every detail in the space, before retiring to the community table with a good book and foamy latte. Visit Haven’s Kitchen at 109 West 17th Street, New York, NY 10011 or havenskitchen.com.

New York City | Ladurée

Ladurée
http://www.laduree.fr/en/scene
864 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10021
P: (646) 558-3157

S'More Bakery

As I closed out 2011, I found a few collections of photographs which I meant to post during the year and, for whatever reason, simply forgot. One of the forgotten collections was these photos from an October trip to Smorgasburg in Brooklyn. Among the many vendors was S’More Bakery who was serving up their signature S’moregasm - two homemade cinnamon-sugar graham crackers, one smeared with chocolate, sandwiching a toasted-on-spot homemade marshmallow. The best part of camping enjoyed overlooking the Manhattan skyline - sign me up!

The S’moregasm was just as delicious as it looks - my favorite dessert, made from scratch, and all I had to do was enjoy every bite! While Smorgasburg has closed for the winter months, you can still check out S’More Bakery on select weekends at SmorgasBrewery at Brooklyn Brewery.

Pin It

Smorgasburg

Last Saturday, Mike and I ventured over the bridge to walk around the food-only portion of Brooklyn Flea, Smorgasburg. Talk about a haven for food lovers! A collection of tents offer endless choices of some of the city's best food options to the hungry masses, while the Manhattan skyline glimmers in the background.

The guys at Porchetta offer a beautiful, you guessed it, porchetta sandwich, perfectly sized for walking while exploring:

It is hot in the city. H-O-T. But the guys at People’s Pops knew just the way to cool us down: hand-shaved ice with rhubarb syrup:

Even if you don’t fall head-over-heels in love with The Meat Hook's sausage (it is DELICIOUS), you have to love a grill master who can keep a sense of humor on a hot summer’s day:

There are so many vendors to explore, so be sure to bring your appetite and, preferably, someone with whom you can go halfsies and try twice the goods!

Smorgasburg

http://www.brooklynflea.com

East River Waterfront, between North 6th &7th Streets

Saturdays 9 AM to 5 PM

Birreria

After a long, thirsty wait, Birreria, the rooftop beer garden on top of Mario Batali’s Eataly, finally opened in June. This new outdoor drinking space collaborates with Dogfish Head Brewery, Baladin, and Del Borgo to brew their own beer right on the roof of the building. You might imagine Mike’s pure jealousy as he wishfully peaked through the glass into the brewing operations.

Besides fantastic beer and wine options, the space also offers an incredible food menu, from meats and cheeses to filling entrees, all of which enhance the experience of sitting outside, sipping on a drink, and taking in the view of the Flatiron Building.

Birreria

http://eatalyny.com/eat/birreria

200 5th Avenue

New York, NY 10010

212.229.2560