Hurricane Preparedness, Shopping for Irene and An Agonizing Decision

Most of our summer has been spent elsewhere, Europe or the shore.  As a consequence, our pantry and cupboards are shockingly bare.  Of late, I have been making daily shopping trips and haven't replenished any dry food goods and other staples.   With all of the panic and hoopla surrounding the impending arrival of Hurricane Irene, I decided to make an emergency trip to Shoprite, a place I have managed to avoid for the better part of the past year.

I went there with the intent of picking up water, batteries, cleaning supplies and some canned goods.  I assumed others there would be doing the same.  What I found however, were shelves empty of gallon water jugs and shoppers piling their carts with all manner of junk food.  An acquaintance, whose cart contained the spray cheese of my youth (oh so delectable on a Ritz cracker during those summer camp days of yore), and all sorts of other goods out of my realm, tried to persuade me to throw out my foodie/organic convictions and just stock up.  After all, this was about survival.  I explained that I didn't just want to buy food that I wouldn't eventually use.  Her rationale (and a good one at that), was that if we didn't end up using the food, we could just donate it.   Yet I looked around and saw the carts stuffed with all manner of processed foods and couldn't exactly follow suit.  In my own fashion, I did shop with abandon, as I purchased some things that would not ordinarily find their way into my cart.

With Izzy at my side, we carted home the following: 13 bottles of fizzy water, a lone bottle of Fiji water,  hearts of palm, water chestnuts, olives, chickpeas, cannellini beans, olive oil, canned pink salmon, coconut water, organic granola, blueberry pomegranate juice, organic rice milk, coconut milk and whatever else you seen in the picture.  I marveled at the spread and how it differed from what I saw in the carts of my neighbors.  I knew that come what may, would we still manage to eat healthfully.

Not only did we shop for groceries, we also managed to snag the last light stick at Sears, get a bag of ice from the bodega and stop at the bank.  Yet my efforts were for naught.  I have been tracking the storm and reading the dire predictions, wondering if we needed to evacuate or not.   This morning, A. insisted that Izzy and I leave Jersey City.  

After much agonizing, I have left my stocked pantry and made the decision to leave my kitties and house behind.    A. has remained home, guarding the house and the kitties.  We chose to go stay with my brother since Flemington is merely a tropical storm zone instead of a category 1 hurricane site.   Though the rain is falling steadily around us, inside my brother's kitchen feels like a pretty safe place to be.

May everyone left on 8th Street and elsewhere stay safe and dry.  My thoughts are with all of you.

p.s. Thank J. for sharing your bedroom with us!

Paris - Eating In

For me a trip to Paris usually means a scramble to eat as many fabulous meals as I can.  This time was slightly different, given my many and various food limitations, which is one reason I chose to stay in an apartment, allowing me the ability to prepare meals at home -which we did for all breakfasts, most lunches and some dinners.  Going to the French market is always fun for me and Izzy got a kick out of helping me select the ingredients for our meals..from gorgeously sweet grape tomatoes to sparkling red currants.

Arugula Salad with Tomatoes and Chickpeas/Green Beans Vinagrette

As you can see, I didn't really do any heavy duty cooking but more of an assemblage - salads, pate, bread and fruit - and one pasta dinner.

Red Currants Snack

Arugula, Cherry Tomatoes,Cucumbers and Tinned Fish

Steamed Artichoke, Rabbit Pate, Duck Rillettes, Beet Salad

Our new Italian friends wondered where we would eat better, in Italy or in France.  They were certain the food is better in Italy.  What do you suppose they will say now?

A Room With A View (and then some) - Our apartment in Paris

Whenever I visit Paris, I try to stay either in, or near the Marais ( 4th arrondisement), where I lived many years ago.   It was, and still is, my very favorite place to be.  This time I selected a little apartment on the Rue des Tournelles, just a few doors down from where I lived way back then.  Among other essential features like free Wifi, the apartment offered a classic Parisian street side view.  And as Izzy later discovered, a bit more...

We were playing scrabble in the living room the other evening, when out of the blue,  Izzy looked up at me, with quite a grin on his face and asked, "Why is the lady across the street cleaning her apartment completely naked?"

Why indeed!  It wasn't even particularly hot out (in fact, au contraire) yet there she was, with her backside to us, washing her dishes.  Together we giggled over this and Izzy suggested I photograph her for the blog (not a good idea, I explained).  He continued to glance over at her and we watched as she turned toward us to sweep the floor. Eventually she realized she was being watched and disappeared into another room, only to return in her pajamas.  

Of course I was then left to explain why she might have been cleaning in the nude.  I could have chalked it up to a, "Only in Paris" occurrence.  However I had to confess that on sweltering days in New York City, long before he was born, when I lived on the 9th floor and the shades were drawn, I had been known to do some cleaning, similarly clad.  And so I told him that it was likely she was most comfortable that way and probably didn't realize that all eyes were upon her.

He hoped to catch another glimpse tonight but clearly, she was on to him and didn't make an appearance.

Leaving Praiano - was it meant to be?

Ancient tower - Praiano

Neither one of us wished to leave Praiano but sadly it was too late to change our plans.  We were resigned to leave as planned, far too early on Sunday morning - by taxi at 6 a.m. to catch a 9:20 flight from Naples.

Getting up at 5 wasn't as bad as I thought and Izzy awakened easily.   It was getting the hotel staff up to help assist with dragging our luggage up the stairs that proved challenging.  In fact, when I told them of our early departure, they seemed quite surprised that anyone would consider leaving so early. They made our early departure seem unheard of and were unsure as to how I would manage.  One suggestion was that they carry my baggage up the steps in the late evening, leaving it near a locked gate (no thanks).  I was baffled as to their response and as I was recounting this tale to some other hotel guests, a kind fellow from Australia offered to wake up and carry our bags for me.  He said he was going kayaking and needed a wake-up call anyway.  Ah the kindness of strangers.  With that settled, Izzy and I went off to our room.  On our way, N., one of the hotel family, stopped me to let me know that HE would be getting up to help with our bags.  I was skeptical but he insisted...so I canceled with the Australian and we went off to bed.

The morning of our departure, Izzy and I put all of our bags outside of our room, walked up to the reception area (locked) and peeked around for someone to help us.  Nobody was there but I figured N. would arrive shortly.  Meanwhile we walked up all of steps in search of the car service - not there either. We walked back down and still nobody had arrived to help.  I sent Izzy up and down a couple of more times in search of the car service  and still nothing.  At that point I began to fear we would miss our plane.  I also began to see the error in taking an early flight from Italy.  I had no signal on my phone so I couldn't contact the car service and there was no sign of N. to help with our luggage.  Little by little, Izzy and I inched our luggage up a few stairs at a time, until we got it to the reception area (not even halfway, mind you).  Our car was scheduled for 6 a.m. and it was 6:15.  All remained quiet as Izzy and I pricked our ears at the sound of each passing car.  Finally we heard a door slam.  We ran up the steps to meet Giovanni, our driver.  He apologized for his tardiness and came down to carry our luggage (phew).  We piled into the car and we were off.

Turns out my worries of lateness were unfounded.  The car service had booked us at 6 but it didn't take us very long to get to the airport, even with a stop along the way for Izzy.  It seems the early wake-up and winding roads = car-sickness for poor Izzy.  Our driver was most sympathetic and helpful with the clean-up, which more than compensated for his tardiness.  Not only that but he is an excellent driver, taking extra care along the narrow coastal roads.

In the end, we arrived at the airport with plenty of time to spare and boarded our flight - destination Parigi-  on time.  As we settled into our seats, I finally began to relax and the fact that we were really leaving this magical locale began to sink in.  As the plane took flight I stared out at the shining blue sea and wished we had remained as we were earlier, stuck in Praiano, baggage and all.

Arrivederci Italia.

p.s. When we arrived in Paris, I received a very apologetic email from N., from our hotel in  Praiano who had set his alarm to help us with the baggage but never heard it sound - apologies accepted; we love you anyway!

When Life Gives You Lemons - Loll: Of our days in Praiano, Italy - Lemon Groves and Locanda Costa Diva

Night falls on the lemon grove

We arrived in Praiano a week ago and here we have stayed, nestled amongst lemon groves in our most adorable hotel,  La Locanda Costa Diva.  It is in fact, a restored farmhouse and the rooms seem to be built around the lemon, olive and other fruit trees which grace this cliffside retreat; the entire property boasting spectacular views of the sea and other local scenery.

Praiano is a small, quiet village along the Amalfi Coast - an easy distance (along narrow, harrowing roads) from its more boisterous neighbors, Positano and Amalfi.  At first I wasn’t sure how Izzy and I would fare here, as there is little more to do than go to the beach and figure out our next meal.

For our first 4 days we befriended a traveling mother and her teenaged daughter from Calgary, also at the hotel.  It was nice to exchange tales of our daily adventures with them, breakfast time or dinner each day.  Once they left I wondered if we would find some other travelers to entertain us, as many of the other rooms here are occupied by honeymooner types. In fact one evening, we heard some loudish music emanating from a room below ours and Izzy went to peek out over the balcony only to discover a couple in their private jacuzzi (not as private as they thought!).

We settled into a routine and each day we have come to appreciate our surroundings all the more.  Each morning, we sleep until 8 (or Izzy later if I don’t awaken him accidentally).  We make our way to breakfast at around 9 where a copious spread awaits us in the dining room.  There is plenty to fuel us for the day - yogurt, blood orange juice, croissants, rolls with jam and butter, fresh fruit cocktail, assorted farm fruits - plums, cherries, etc, cereals, cappuccino, tea and specially for me, rice milk.
After gorging on these delights we usually spend some time in dining room while I use the WiFi hotspot - as there is no free internet in the rooms (something that distressed me at first but is probably for the best as I am forced to limit my time at the computer).

After breakfast we usually meander back to our room and either take a bus on an excursion or go to the beach.  Each day there is some small discovery to be made.  Often, Izzy wanders along the paths created in and amongst the lemon groves, and takes great pleasure in snitching lemons (which we use in our endless bottles of fizzy water) and other fruits.

Lizards flit along the paths, surprising us at every turn and the hotel dog, “Billy” is our constant companion whenever we approach the dining room.  I think he must appreciate our truffle scent  (I packed truffle salt in our luggage as gifts and all of our clothing carries the aroma).

"Billy" rolls over for a scratch

The more we learn of this charming locale, the more we have come to love it. We have gotten to know our surroundings and the super-friendly and accomodating staff and we will certainly be sorry to leave here on Sunday.

Travel Indecisions/Decisions: Where do we go from here?

 It has been four years since Izzy and I made our first journey to Europe.  Far too much time has passed since that trip and we have longed to take another one.  This year, in celebration of my one year cancerversary (Yes! June marked one year since I finished cancer treatment) I decided we would go on a long voyage.  Where we would go?  I wasn't exactly sure but I knew we would go to Europe.

At home I planned the first and last weeks of our trip.  We would start out in Germany where we would visit with Aunt B. and Uncle Rabbit in Altotting. This would be relaxing, or so I had hoped. At the end of our trip we would visit with our old Jersey City friends, Helen, I. et al. in London.  We would be gone for five weeks total.

With the first week and the last week of our trip  planned, we left Jersey City.  I spent that first week in a state of agitation as I tried to resolve the question of where we would actually go.  As I had packed far too much luggage, we were somewhat limited to places that would not involve too many train/plane transfers and other maneuvers that would involve carrying the luggage.  I had initially imagined a stay in just one place - renting a house or an apartment and exploring one town for a month. I mulled over places like Provence (been there), Apulia (saw great article in the NY Times about it) and Sicily (intriguing), Ischia (worried about getting around) a farmstay in the Sora (sounds wonderful) and Praiano - a small coastal town between Amalfi and Positano which seemed to have the most appeal.   I tried to book the farmstay as well as a week in Praiano.  At first this appeared to be the perfect plan but I began to worry about the luggage situation and felt that the traveling between place to place would be less relaxing than what I had intended.  In the end I  booked a ticket from Munich to Naples and we took a car service to Praiano where we would stay for 11 days.

Our flight to Naples was uneventful.  We found our luggage and our driver from Italy Limousine,  met us and whisked us off to Praiano.  He was an expert and I never once felt uncomfortable as we wound our way around the narrow main road of the Amalfi Coast.  The scenic drive was merely an introduction to the beauty of this area, where houses are built into the rocks of the cliffs. We arrived at our hotel, La Locanda Costa Diva, at about 8:30 p.m... We set our bags down and looked around.  I was relieved to find that I had selected a most beautiful and peaceful locale.  Perhaps I would finally be able to relax...

We have now be at La Locanda Costa Diva since July 7th.  This small coastal village is a quiet respite from life as we know it... to be continued...

Antics in Altotting: of biking, hiking and picking, or living the country life June 28-July 6 2011

For the 8 years since Aunt B moved to live with her Rabbit in Germany, I had a certain image of where it was she lived.  My mind’s eye envisioned a small, stand-alone house quite like the one she lives in, though hers is attached.  Here it is, on our final day.

Little House On the Stinglhammer

The house has three floors.  On the first floor is a living room and kitchen, bathroom and backdoor which leads out to a lovely backyard.  The second floor houses a sitting room/office and the master bedroom and top floor contains the guest quarters.

During our stay Izzy and I shared the upstairs quarters.  Attic bedroom with street view, small bathroom and a room in which to leave our luggage.  The light (sometimes sun) shone brightly into our room each morning, awakening me earlier than I would have liked.  Though somehow not interrupting Izzy as he slept on.

Each morning Aunt B. prepared our breakfast - for Izzy, a bowl of fruit and yogurt, for me a bowl of fruit and tea.  On nice days we could have our breakfast in the backyard - gazing out at the large sunflower patches, mint and other assorted flowers which decorated the grasses. Chickens occasionally clucked by, stopped for some crusts of bread

Each day was a lazy one, in which we wouldn’t usually get out of the house until 11.  Should we go to market? Go out to lunch or have an adventure? Before any of that, we stopped at the local bakery to select our daily pretzel snack.  Sesame, poppy, salted or pumpkin seed?  Izzy and I favored the sesame seed ones which came pretzel-shaped or round, which I daresay are true kin to the bagel.

After our snack we chose an adventure.  Our first outing was a visit to the local Wednesday market in Neutotting.  There we bought some fixings for lunch etc. - head cheese, bread and other tidbits. That afternoon Brooke and Isadore went for a walk in the woods in search of frogs. 

Next day was bike riding in the fields and woods. We met some cats along the way.

Izzy and his new cat friend

One day we visited Burghausen - to see the castle


A highlight of our trip was blueberry picking at a nearby field where rows and rows of plump, juicy berries were ripe for picking.  Izzy, Brooke, Peter and I managed to collect about 10 lbs. of berries on our first outing.  Half were given away and we managed to eat 5 lbs. in 2 days.   They were a steady part of our diet and we liked them so much that we went back a second time to collect more so that we had extra to take with us on our trip to Italy.

Blueberry fields forever

Last but not least,  was our hike in the Bavarian Alps, worthy of a post all its own.

 So much more to say but have to get to the next part of our trip. Thank you Aunt B. and Uncle Rabbit for a most unforgettable visit.  See you next year :)!

 

July 4th BBQ Celebration: Altotting

Uncle Rabbit grilled pork filet.  Izzy assisted.  He especially enjoyed fanning the fire.

There were roasted potatoes and salad too.

I contributed my version of German bruschetta - stale bread, sliced, grilled, rubbed with garlic and topped with chopped salami, basil and olive oil.

For dessert - Toasted Marshmallows!

The evening ended with sparklers - in the light, and later on when it got dark.

Happy Belated July 4th!

Jet lag lazy: First days in Altotting

My friend H. had counseled me to fly to Europe on a daytime flight, something that in all my days of traveling I had never done or even considered before.  We took a 9:00 a.m. flight and arrived at our final destination at 9 p.m.  There was no place to get dinner so we had to order room service which turned out to be pricey and mediocre.  During past travels, I always enjoyed arriving in Europe for breakfast, where I could have a fresh croissant or baguette to begin a lazy, tired day.  This was indeed different though I am still uncertain as to whether it was better.

The rationale for taking the daytime flight was that Izzy's jet lag would be less problematic.  I am not sure which I prefer as he now enjoys staying up until midnight and sleeping until 10:30.  I, meanwhile can't seem to sleep past 6 a.m. and then become exhausted throughout the day.

Since we are staying with Aunt Brooke and Uncle Rabbit I have had the luxury of just lolling about.  I have been mulling over the possibilities for our upcoming travels whilst at times, Brooke entertains Izzy.  They have visited a nearby creek in search of frogs and together we have gone bike riding.  We biked near farms, passing some chickens and barn cats along the way.  Then through a forest where Izzy and I were eaten up itchy by some tiny black insects.  On our way out of the forest we stopped at a "Pick your own flowers" farm where Izzy insisted on buying one daisy with some euro change he had in his pocket.

We have also been eating in style, thanks to Miss Brooke who has been cooking up a storm while I sit idly by.  She showcases local produce, fish and meats.  Dinner our second night...

Moroccan Vegetable Stew, Couscous and Turkey Breast

Dinner our third night...

Trout with Riesling and Shredded Carrots

Tomato and Green Bean Salad

Oh and I forgot to mention our first meal in Altotting... We went to dinner at a local Beer Garden within a forest...quite a Bavarian meal.  A very porky experience to say the least!  Tomorrow's agenda is too include a visit to long Bavarian castle...stay-tuned.

Wake me up before my blog goes...(New adventures on the horizon)

This blog has remained dormant for too long.

Why? You ask.  I can't say for sure.

I have begun many a blog post, only to leave it dangling, unfinished.  Good Eggs have been eaten.  Praying Mantises have hatched.  Each moment has a story.  Thoughts come and then they go.  New ones arise and I leave them too. And I do regret not telling many a tale.  For several months, the urge to tell tales has fizzled. Perhaps I have need to be quiet.

I started this blog in part as a way of chronicling Izzy's childhood through the perspective of food;  which I have tried to maintain throughout.  My other goal was to share how I turned the idea of raising a child who is willing to eat most things, and revel in it,  into a reality.

My eight year old Izzy, yes indeed he is now EIGHT, is a very fine eater.  He regularly orders escargot at our favorite local French restaurant, enjoys making and drinking fresh carrot juice and considers Swiss Chard to be one of his favorite vegetables.  I still love the idea of sharing tales of Izzy and his eating adventures yet I also wish to share more.

The good news is that right now I couldn't ask for more inspiration as Izzy and I have embarked upon a month-long adventure in Europe. We arrived in London on Monday, June 27th for an overnight stay at an airport hotel (something I have never done before and hope not to do again) and then a flight to Munich.  We are now relaxing in the small Bavarian town of Altotting, where we are staying with my most gracious friend Brooke and her husband, Peter Rabbit.

In the meanwhile, as I seek more blog inspiration, I wonder if I need to begin a new blog, one which will encompass more than just Izzy and our adventures.  I hope to share more than just food tales as I make new discoveries of all kinds.

And so dear readers - if there are any of you left.. I turn to you for new blog name suggestions -the sooner the better, as I do plan to keep you abreast of our latest adventures and beyond.

A Visit with Uncle G.: Stockton Market and Howell Living History Farm

The weekend before Halloween, we made a trip out to see my brother G., who just happens to live in the land of farms and pumpkin patches.  It is somewhat surprising to find that in less than an hour and half from Jersey City you can be surrounded by, clucking chickens, oinking piggies and horse manure, but indeed we were.

We arrived at my brother's house and quickly started out on our adventures.  Our first stop was a pumpkin patch, which we spotted along the way.  There Izzy selected a 75 lb. pumpkin to adorn our front stoop.  Luckily S. managed to help us take it home!

Our outing continued with lunch and shopping at the Stockton Market,  which holds a treasure of tasty comestibles, including local meat, dairy, vegetables, soaps and more.   My brother supplied me with yogurt, eggs and other goodies from the market while I was sick and it felt good to finally be able to shop there myself.  I even got to meet the folks from Flint Hill Farm, who supplied the luscious yogurt my brother delivered to me on a weekly basis, while I was ill.  Their yogurt was one of the few foods that sustained mean while I was unable to eat very much. 

After our delicious meal and some shopping, we continued on to our final destination, the Howell Living History Farm, where my brother G. and his wife M., had spent many a day with their own children.  It was a glorious fall day and the foliage viewing added additional beauty to the experience.  Izzy and I were both entranced by our surroundings.  We could not get enough of the country life.  To begin with, the chickens were awfully compelling.  Izzy took great pleasure in feeding them greens and listening to the sounds of their clucking.  When he tired of the chickens, he spotted this red-handled water pump.

 He spent a good, long time pumping water from the well.  He filled bucket, after bucket, which he carried over to "water the horses",  just the way it is done in the Little House on the Prairie books that we have been reading daily.  Izzy and I have been immersed in these books for more than a month 

 now so it was nice to come and get a taste of what life was like so long ago.  Pumping the water proved so exciting for Izzy that it was difficult for us to get him to go elsewhere.  We did take a break to remove dried kernels from the corncobs for the pig feed - watching them laze about in the mud was also stop on our tour - but  what finally managed to draw his attention away from the well was going to see "Daisy" the resident milk cow in action.

I personally found this to be the highlight of our farm visit.  I was positively giddy with excitement as I watched the milk spurting into the pail.  I even asked the farmer for a turn but apparently visitors are not permitted to touch the teats!  Oh! I did wish to try the milk but alas, that was not permitted either.

After Daisy was walked back to her pasture, it was time to leave so as to have time to visit the farm's corn maze,  located a ways down the road.  Izzy had been looking forward to it all that day and he couldn't have been happier. This large and well-conceived maze, took about an hour to navigate, by which time I was completely worn out, Izzy completely content.

We all piled back into the car for the trip to Uncle G,'s house and then home.  Izzy already looking forward to his next trip to the farm.

My Little Bat-Witch Celebrates Halloween

Izzy awoke slightly sulky on Halloween morning.  Instead of eagerly awaiting trick-or-treating, he was fretting over his costume.  He had thought he would be his favorite heroine, Franny K. Stein, mad scientist, but decided that since he had already sported that costume for his birthday (and several other times thereafter), it was no longer very interesting.  In search of new costume ideas, he emptied out his drawers and turned his room upside down.  It was then he came up with this fetching get-up, that of a "Bat-witch".  With that out of the way, he could concentrate on the days amusements.

First up was pumpkin carving with this papa.  Leave it to A. to come up with a biting pumpkin.  Exactly what we needed to complete our festive front stoop display.  Seeing it illuminated was even better.

After pumpkin carving, Izzy spent the early afternoon at his friend J's birthday party, revving himself up by eating eyeball cupcakes.   After the party, at 5 p.m. it was time for trick-or-treating.  Oh, the creatures we saw!  In less than two hours, Izzy amassed enough candy to rot his teeth for years to come.

Back at home, warm and cozy, Izzy dumped his spoils upon the floor and sorted them out, putting most of it aside for the Switch-Witch.  He knew he could keep a small bowlful for himself but I didn't even have to tell him that he couldn't keep it all.  He was more than happy to give it up for the promise of books.

May future Halloweens prove so simple and easy. 

Friday Afternoon Excursion: Starn Brothers Bambu Exhibit at the MET

As Izzy and I walked home from school today, he seemed a bit forlorn.  He was feeling left out as he watched his classmates walk off for a playdate, knowing we had no particular plans.

I thought I would cheer him with a cup of hot vanilla (warm milk, honey and sprinkle of cinnamon dust) which we both sipped as I looked through the Weekend section of the New York Times.  Yes, I still read the hard copy of the paper. Am I the only one left?

I immediately honed-in on Last Chance section of the Art listings, where I noted that the Starn Brothers Bambu exhibit on the rooftop of the MET would be closing this weekend.  I suggested we go since the MET is open until 9 on Fridays and Izzy quickly agreed.  We made it there by 5:30, just in time to catch the gorgeous sunset upon the foliage of Central Park.  Better yet, A. happened to be working nearby and joined us.  Not only did we catch Bambu - which is a wondrous configuration of bamboo poles - but we also managed to peek in a few other places, including the Egyptian section - where Izzy clamored to see the mummies.  Izzy was skipping from room to room but I had to cut our visit short since it was already 7 p.m. and we needed to eat dinner.

We hopped in a cab across the park and made our way to Gazala Place which I have been meaning to write about for ages.  I discovered this narrow storefront in Hell's Kitchen in springtime and somehow managed to eat there during my treatments.  I ate there a couple of times on the days my treatments were canceled and I actually had an appetite.  This delicious Middle-Eastern spot features Druze cuisine and it was so delicious, I was eager to have Izzy and A. join me there.  We ordered the Mezze plate which showcases many of the wonderful offerings, including the smoky baba-ganoush, meat-filled cigars, Kibbe, falafel and hummous, served up with their incredible version of pita bread, made on the premises.  This paper-thin delight is addictive and Izzy held onto the bread basket to make sure he got the last bit before the waitress cleared the table.  Meanwhile, we polished off a fresh Fattoush salad (cucumbers, tomatoes, scallions, lettuce, crisped pita), a roasted fish and a lamb/beef kafte platter.  By that time, Izzy was falling asleep in the noisy restaurant and it was time to waddle along.  Taxi to the Path and we were on our way.  Certainly a memorable afternoon/evening for all.

Gazala Place will probably be around for awhile but you can only catch the Starn Brothers exhibit until Sunday.  If your kids are over 10 you can even go on the guided tour atop the bamboo poles for a real adventure. Definitely worth the trip!

ABC Kitchen: An Altogether Perfect Birthday

Pretzel-Dusted Calamari

Let's go back in time to June, when I set out to chronicle my birthday.... Yes, I managed to make it one more year and my darling friend L. helped me celebrate in style.

First, she took me to dine at ABC Kitchen and we both were bowled over by the entire experience. This restaurant promotes local, sustainable, organic ingredients and products, right down to the bathroom fittings. It is an airy space and our meal was superb. The menu was such that nearly every item was something we wanted to try.

We shared a few dishes, all of which were devoured with relish.  Some are chronicled here.

Wood-roasted Maine Lobster

The desserts were inventive and remarkably delicious.

Market Strawberries and Juice, Poppy Seed Sorbet

Sundae - Salted Caramel/Peanut Ice Cream, Candied Popcorn

Belated thanks, L. I could not have asked for a better birthday meal and I must get myself back to ABC Kitchen as fast as I can.

La Festa Italiana 2010: The Tradition Lives On

Aunt Mary's rice balls are back at the Holy Rosary Church and Izzy and I walked over in the rain, post-fire, to grab a few for dinner the night of the disaster.  Somehow they had lost their allure.  Perhaps eating them on the couch, after the day's trauma didn't help.  Or perhaps just eating them away from the noise and lights of the feast didn't improve their flavor.  Whatever it was, I knew that when we returned for a feastly encore I would need to eat something else. 

Pure and Simple Flatbreads

I immediately zeroed in on something that I would have to try next time:  Pizza from a traveling wood-fired oven, something I have never encountered before.  The pizzas emerging from within looked awfully tempting.

When we returned to the Festa tonight I headed over for a closer look.  The kiosk for Pure and Simple Flatbreads (no website to be found) offers pizza and pizza alone.  The only accompaniment seemed to be large bunches of basil which were set out along the counter.  I watched as pie after pie emerged from the oven, looking slightly charred and inviting.  I ordered one for Izzy and me and was quite pleased to find pizza far better than any in Jersey City.  The $10 price tag might seem a bit steep for a personal-sized pizza but it was definitely worth it.

We took our pizza, along with my glass of peaches and wine and found a place to sit with our friends amidst the exceedingly large crowd of revelers behind the church.  Our friends were all about the rice balls which still seemed to delight them,  while Izzy ended up sharing pasta with his papa.  Dessert was also part of my agenda and I managed to find some just-filled cannoli and some chocolate cream pie.  The line was too long for Zeppole  which is a good thing since we already ate some on Thursday and I imagine one hunk of fried dough a year is probably sufficient. 

Grateful for the short time meeting up with friends (wished it had been longer) but by the time dessert was finished, the lights and noise had begun to overwhelm me.  So bellies filled, Izzy hopped on his papa's shoulders and we made our way home.  If you haven't made it over there, you still have tomorrow to try out that pizza.  In the meantime, I hope that pizza truck makes jersey city its permanent home. 

Things Can't Get Much Worse, Can They? Of Kitchen Fires and Other Calamities

I had been attempting to make today a "lazy day of summer". Izzy and I had no particular plans as we were recovering from an eventful though tiring day spent in the city. We finally got to experience Traveling the Silk Road, an exhibit at The Museum of Natural History (go now it closes Sunday) and today we were just going to take it easy.

We spent the morning reading and Isadore was still in his undies and a t-shirt when I put some frozen pizza (leftover from Di Fara) and some frozen Yonah Schimmel's knishes in the oven for our lunch. We were sitting in the living room reading and I was just getting to the end of The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles by Julie Andrews when Izzy said, "Mama, I smell something". "What ?" I asked. He just insisted it was "Something" and he looked uncomfortable about it so I ventured into the kitchen.

It was then I saw cascades of thick black smoke emerging from the oven. I just stared, then picked up the fire extinguisher, knowing full well that in my crazed state I would not have the wherewithal to use it.

I instructed Izzy to run outside and ring a neighbors doorbell as I, with extinguisher in hand, grabbed my phone and wallet and followed. I frantically dialed 911 and we stood waiting barefoot in the street. I accosted the first passerby (a young woman who I had never seen before) and asked her if she could operate the extinguisher. She said she would give it a try and entered the house. When she saw the smoke she thought better of it and we both went back outside. She looked at me a moment and then said, "I feel terrible. Can I give you a hug?" Of course she could and she did and went on her way.

Meanwhile, Izzy was hopping on his toes, frightened and nervous. The sirens began wailing and we knew the trucks weren't far behind. At least three trucks arrived and fireman began to flood the house. While they were inside dealing with the smoke, Izzy and I paced about, uncertain of where to go or what to do. Just then, Miss S. arrived to save the day. She is the Director of Izzy's school which is located just a stone's throw away. When the teachers noticed the commotion at our house, she immediately set out to rescue him. She asked if she could take him over to the school and she had him hop, barefoot, on her back and off they went. Never mind that he was still in his undies!

And what was the cause of this unexpected disaster? I had no idea until the firefighters presented the charred remains...which can be explained here.

A few days ago, A. had washed up some grilling utensils (tongs, spatula, etc.) and when I saw them dry in the drainboard I decided they needed a new home. I thought I had found the perfect spot. I placed them in the broiler drawer, not realizing that they weren't fireproof. Why would grilling tools not be fireproof? I haven't any idea. But I digress...

When the firefighters finished their job, I was left with a sooty, filthy kitchen. The white stove was blackened, the walls tinged with dirt and the floors muddied and wet. I didn't know where to turn. Just as I was pondering what to do, the phone rang. It was S., who has been helping us out since I haven't been well. I asked if she had some time to spare and she agreed to come over and help clean up. She scrubbed and mopped, mopped and scrubbed, pouring buckets upon buckets of sooty water down the drain. She took apart the stove, down to the knobs. I worked alongside her, doing the less gritty tasks of cleaning the counters and bric-a-brac. Without her, my kitchen would still be in disarray.

At around six-thirty, I went out to pick up Izzy from his friend I.'s house and to round up a few rice balls and zeppole from this year's Festa Italiana (more on that tomorrow). I walked carrying my money and iphone on a wristlet. When we returned with our spoils, S. was finishing up mopping the kitchen (which is now gleaming) and there was a large bucket of sooty water near the table. When I leaned over to put down the food, the wristlet slipped off and into the water, iphone and all. Just the icing on the cake of a most disastrous day.

And so, weary as I am, I am compelled to tell this tale, as my iphone sputters, soggy and most likely useless on my dressing table and Izzy sleeps peacefully beside me (the trauma of the day keeping him from his own room). May tomorrow bring a hint of sunshine our way.

First Grade Over: Izzy's End Of Year Picnic and Mini-Strawberry Cheesecakes

Izzy officially completed First Grade. Granted this is old news as we are already close to mid-July but when I began this post it was a milestone, not to be forgotten.

I had been eagerly awaiting his annual end-of-school-year Potluck picnic and was terribly disappointed to discover that it had morphed into a byop (bring your own picnic) event. No sharing of all manner of ethnically diverse foods and bringing desserts.

I couldn't imagine going to a picnic and not sharing so instead of making my usual large Strawberry-Cheesecake, I made mini-cheesecakes, about 30 of them and we were able to share quite a bit.



Making them was much easier than I had anticipated. I used this recipe, an old stand-by. Instead of making the large crust, I pressed an ample amount of the crumbs into muffin tins. I pre-baked the crusts for about 7 minutes and then poured in the batter as the directed. I adjusted the cooking time to about 30 minutes (check for doneness but it has been over a month and my memory is fuzzy).

The minis worked out just fine, perfect for serving to a large crowd as no messy cutting is involved. Another benefit is that I was able to have more servings which is a huge plus when feeding a crowd. Izzy was able to share the cheesecakes with all of his teachers and the highlight of the picnic was when a butterfly landed on Miss B's head! I guess that was her send off, as sadly she will not be returning to teach at his school next year. She will be missed!




Izzy's teachers will also be pleased to know that we began Izzy's summer vacation with a visit to the library, as per his request. We came back with some of my childhood favorites by
Beverly Cleary; The Mouse and the Motorcycle and Runaway Ralph.

Ah summer...a fine beginning.

Still Life With Chicken Hearts

What more could I wish for than a friend who would prepare a slew of skewered chicken hearts for me during my time of need?

The call for liver went out and it was answered with hearts, another great source of iron, in case you were unaware. My friend "X" who would rather remain nameless and initialess, invited Izzy and me to dinner the other night. I don't think I have dined at a friend's house for at least six months which made the dinner a real treat. I haven't been able to go out much but since A. was out of town and I was having a good day, I figured I could muster the energy to take the three minute walk to get there.

I had no idea what she was cooking up but was overjoyed to find her grilling several skewers of organic chicken hearts when we arrived. I wasn't even aware that she ate chicken hearts so they came as quite a surprise. And that was only one part of our dinner. She had also prepared a lovely Turbot en papillote along with sauteed spring vegetables.

Now the meal was delightful but the chicken hearts stole the show. I have never seen so many chicken hearts gathered in one place. Yes, I have nibbled on the occasional roasted chicken heart while preparing chicken at home but I am quite certain I have ever ingested as many chicken hearts in all my life as I did the other night. To top it off, I even was able to take some hearts to go since Izzy was not quite as smitten with them as I.

Thanks X for contributing to my (hopefully) rising hemoglobin. Here's to chicken hearts and livers!

Of Blood and Liver: (Looking For Liver In All The Wrong Places)

You see of have a bit of a problem. My chemo sessions are coming to an end ( only three left, YIPPEE!) which is wonderful but my body is done with it now. My blood counts have dipped so low that I skipped my last session. I was given what I like to call my "get out of chemo free card".

Even though I was thrilled to skip a week, having low blood counts is really not good because I am now scheduled for a blood transfusion, which I would like to avoid if at all possible. Which is where the liver comes in. The doctor has told me that there isn't anything I can do to raise my hemoglobin, which registered 7.5 last week (normal is 11.5-16), and needs to be above 8 to avoid the transfusion. I have trouble believing that nothing will help and have heard tell that copious amounts of iron-rich foods might actually help raise my hemoglobin. Liver tops the list but finding the grass fed/local/organic variety in Jersey City is a different story.

I put out a plea on Facebook and made a few phone calls. A couple of offers came in. M. a teacher at Izzy's school offered to bike some over from Brooklyn and E., a neighborhood friend, offered to make some for me. I was holding out for some from my sister who works at a veritable mecca of local livers and other meaty bits. Sadly I never saw that liver and was forced to send A. out foraging this morning. He went to every local supermarket on his scooter and only unearthed livers of questionable provenance. Best not to eat those conventional livers as they would only be adding more toxins to my body which surely doesn't need any extra. I resigned myself to being liver-less, and continued to gorge on lentils, Floradix, quail eggs and greens.

In the late afternoon, my luck changed. The phone rang. It was E. and she made my day. She was checking in to see if I had procured any liver. When she heard that I hadn't, she offered to stop at Whole Foods and bring some over. She also offered to cook it but I declined, welcoming the opportunity to cook something new with the bit of energy I had. She showed up at my door with a bag filled with the fixins for a Greek feast; a pound of local veal liver, baby spinach, Brussels sprouts and an onion. She explained her method for making liver Greek-style and I followed her instructions. Her liver recipe is quite similar to this one, only she substitutes lemon juice for the vinegar. The heaps of onions are the best part!

She also shared her recipes for the side dishes. The first was Jasmine rice with Baby spinach. I cooked 1.5 cups rice in one pot and in another pan I sauteed 1 diced onion until tender, added a heaping tablespoon of tomato paste, a bit of water, and two large packages of spinach which I cooked briefly until wilted. I sprinkled the spinach with plenty of salt, pepper and chopped fresh dill. Then mixed in the rice and the juice of one lemon.

The other side were simple Brussels sprouts which were blanched and tossed with sauteed garlic, olive oil and lemon.

Aside from a slight overcooking of the liver, the meal was a success. As I ate I imagined each bite of liver boosting my blood cells and I was grateful for having someone like E. to make my liver wish come true. This livery meal is only the beginning of my liver experiments as I am expecting liver deliveries from my brother G. and my friend Y.

Tomorrow I will find out if the liver did the trick. Fingers crossed!

Mad Science Birthday (My Boy Turned 7)

That was April 19th, 2010, party April 17th. Old news, but still news, even a month later...

Celebrating and preparing Izzy's birthday parties is always great fun. This year I wondered how I would pull it off but I knew I had to, someway, somehow. I figured I could manage since the party fell on one of the better weeks in my treatment schedule.

Izzy requested a "Franny K. Stein" mad science party. I know he was conjuring up explosions in the living room and I knew I wouldn't have the wherewithal to create them. Instead of doing everything myself, I hired a "mad scientist" to help out. I also enlisted the help of friends and family and all I had left to do was bake the cake (with test tubes - which Izzy declared he needed two days before the party), cupcakes and pop up the popcorn. All important to my party plan was keeping the party no longer than two hours (something all parents should consider).

Easier said than done. It was more work than I anticipated but it all came together in the end and I was able to sit through it for the most part.

The party was supposed to begin with snacks but Izzy and friends were so over-excited they had to be herded into the backyard where mayhem ensued. When the mad scientist arrived (which wasn't soon enough) the children settled into rapt attention.

From bubbles to explosions it was just what Izzy had in mind.



Experiments over, next on the agenda was cake and dessert.
My friend L. assembled a most professional-looking fruit arrangement, with beautiful organic fruit.


Too bad Izzy and his pals thought to use the skewers as weapons.


As for the cake it was similar to the one I made last year, Chocolate Layer Cake with Raspberry Filling and Chocolate Frosting. This one was a more classic layer cake, adorned with test tubes which my dad found for me at a medical supply store. Perfect!



Much giddiness ensued and then it was time to sing "Happy Birthday".



So glad it turned out to be just the party Izzy had wished for. So glad that I could be there.