trying new things

On Friday, after months of thinking about it, I finally decided to buy a pomegranate from Whole Foods Market in Union Square.  I know what you're thinking- something as simple as a pomegranate can't be that fun, but believe me, it was definitely an adventure for me and the kitchen.  

My pomegranate!

Yes, I know; I cut it the wrong way at first, but I still was able to get the seeds out!

Yummy pomegranate seeds!!!

I had never had just plain pomegranate seeds before, only flavored juice or pre-mixed things.  While it is definitely the messiest fruit I have ever eaten; my kitchen was covered in purple juice and my face dotted with purple freckles... and even though it took nearly half an hour to get all the seeds out- I can't wait to buy the next one!! The seeds are so yummy, sweet and juicy!! 

On Saturday, I took a trip to Central Park to try and take pictures of the leaves changing, however, for some reason, I live in a stubborn city and the leaves only want to turn from green to yellow.  It's not the same as New England, however, it was still a lot of fun.  I managed to see 3 or 4 different couples getting married in the park- they were lucky since it was such a beautiful day and I was able to explore my favorite parts of the park!

Bethesda Terrace packed with people as always...

Blowing giant bubbles on the terrace...

I would like to think I have my dad's eye for photography.. :)

View from Bow Bridge in the park... pretty leaves!

beautiful day for a wedding....

Mini Sailboats in the Conservatory water...

I honestly couldn't have asked for better weather or a nicer day.  I love Central Park- there's always something to see, a place to sit and think, or endless paths you can just wander down.  It was a nice, relaxing weekend and still warm enough to wear flip flops! Regardless of how much I love the fall, I'm still trying to hold onto the summer!!

Can't wait to see what NYC has in store for me this week!!  

fall in the city

It's safe to say that fall and especially the month of October is one of my favorite times of the year.  If it were a perfect world, I would have the rest of the year be like the months of June-August and I would keep October just the way it is.  Fall in NYC is a little different than in New England.  For one, I don't care where you're from or what kind of trees you have, but the leaves changing in New England are unlike any other place in the world. I don't exactly have access to tons of trees in the city, but Central Park will have to do.  And, as I sat and thought of Halloween costumes last week, I began to wonder where in the world do the kids living in the city go trick or treating?  It's kind of hard to ring the bell of an apartment complex and there aren't many houses- when I find out, which I'm still trying to do, I will have to let you know! Overall, I would say my fall experience is pretty complete.  I attended the art festival and got a nice bag of my kettle corn, I've drank enough apple cider and eaten enough apples to turn into one, I've baked cookies and made homemade soup, I've sampled everything pumpkin flavored from lattes to scones, I carved a pumpkin and had seasoned pumpkin seeds, and even got to visit Zack during a college's best time of year!  And, as of last night, I was even able to watch my favorite Halloween movie: Hocus Pocus!  I swear that movie never gets old; reminds me of the times my brother and I would watch it everyday when we got home from school living in North Providence!  As my favorite month comes to a close, my last thing to do is dress up and go out for Halloween... any costume ideas would be much appreciated!!

Trees are finally changing in Park Slope!

family weekend at UD

This past weekend, my family and I took a trip down to Newark, DE to the University of Delaware where my younger brother goes to school.  Home of the Blue Hens, UD is a gorgeous campus; red brick buildings, grass lush enough to lay in, and of course, Main St.; a college street lined with shops, restaurants and bars, a staple at any school!  We got to campus on Friday, and after surprising him by bringing his girlfriend, the fun began!! We hung out with him all night, followed by dinner at the Iron Hill Brewery!  Dinner was delicious and it was great to be back together as a family again!  I missed my brother... a lot would be an understatement!

meeting zack outside his dorm

walking down main street the first day there, love mom's face!

frankie, zack and me at dinner!

On Saturday, we explored Zack's campus- he showed us where his classes are, the other dorms, the bookstores (had to get some shopping in) and where all the college kids hang out!

pretty campus!

UD!!!

meant to be :)

After walking around campus, we discovered a small arts and crafts fair on Main Street!  Frankie and I made scarves- simple silk carves literally dipped in acrylic paints sitting on the surface of water.  They were beautiful!!!

adding color...

making my design- this is what the scarf looked like!

dipping my scarf in my design!!

After walking around all day, we went to dinner at an Irish Pub!  On Sunday we went to brunch with Zack at his dorm and had to say our goodbyes... We had a great family weekend and I can't wait to go back and visit again!! I'm so proud of my brother, and it was awesome being able to finally visit him at school!!!  

Come to think of it, I liked it so much I plan on being the mascot next year- make sure you look for me on the field....

a chocolate lover's dream and a taste of asian fusion

So I said to myself when I started this blog that I wouldn't turn it into a blog strictly about food.  However, I live in a city where you could eat out every night for the rest of your life and you still wouldn't be able to visit all the restaurants in the city, never mind making it through the 5 boroughs.  Last week, I was able to sample two of New York's finest, in my opinion.

The first was Max Brenner; a chocolate bar located at Union Square.  Walking in you got the impression that you had truly found Willy Wonka's chocolate factory; I mean there were huge vats of chocolate, the walls were even painted the color of a hershey bar.  The food was unbelievable and don't even get me started on the chocolate- I wanted to order the entire dessert menu!  The restaurant was created by a man by the name of Max Brenner who was an aspiring writer, and although he was never able to write, he was able to express his love of chocolate by opening this restaurant.  The menu contains anything from hot chocolate served in "hug" cups so you can literally "hug" the mug with your hands, to chocolate pizza, to European fondue!

The idea behind the chocolate culture of Max Brenner:

Chocolate is not just about taste

It's not only about mixing exotic spices or creating delicate mousses. It is more than just an excellent gourmet product. Chocolate, more than any other food, is integrated in to many aspects of our lives. It is a symbol of contradicting emotions and sensations. On one hand, it is the most romantic gift, on the other hand it is a commodity which is traded on the stock exchange. It is sold like a prestigious piece of jewelry carefully selected from a glass case but also as an addictive snack available at every corner store. It is tasted like a fine wine and licked off of fingers dipped straight in to the bowl. It is sexy, nostalgic, and forever an object of fantasy for children and grownup children. These diverse chocolate associations are the inspiration behind Max Brenner's new chocolate culture.

fondue

from the outside

a glimpse inside!

I highly suggest that if you're in the city, you make a stop in to this place, especially if you have a sweet tooth!! And if you do plan on going- make sure you bring me!!

The second restaurant I was able to try was called Buddakan.  Located on the West Side in the Meatpacking District, Buddakan is an asian fusion restaurant.  It was slightly more upscale than what I'm used to; but that was because my friend and I were playing event planner for Rex; a company that helps Topps with the graphic design for the cards.  So Rex paid and we ate for free!! Nothing beats that. We tried sake, lobster fried rice, and then an appetizer sampler that had boneless spare ribs, lobster rolls, cantonese spring rolls, shrimp, and tuna tartare!  It was delicious- hopefully this wins the holiday Christmas party location for Rex and we can go back!!

bar area

dining area

It was an amazing week to try some new restaurants in the city; don't worry, I am a member of the gym and do go on a regular basis!!

Columbus Day Weekend

This past weekend, for the first time in 4 years, I was finally able to go home and attend the Scituate Art Festival.  With October being one of my favorite months, I was able to really soak in the beauty of New England and experience a location with a little bit more foliage than NYC.  On Saturday, to kick off the weekend, I attended the grand opening of the RI Foods Exhibit at Johnson & Wales Culinary Arts Museum.  I was commissioned to write the food panels and was finally able to see the exhibit come to life! It truly was amazing seeing my writing up on the wall, and after all the hard work I put into writing the panels, and all the hard work my Dad put into the exhibit, I'm proud to say that it looked amazing!!  Great job Dad!!

The t-shirts that were made with the image Don Bousquet designed!

My name on the writer's panel!

Dad and I at the opening!

gotta love RI!

A glimpse of the exhibit- Del's cup to the right had my writing on it!

On Saturday, Mom and I spent some quality time together.  After the exhibit, where we sampled all of the local fare and had one too many pieces of fudge from Wright's Farm and one too many NY System Wieners, we shopped and went out to eat!

On Sunday, after a 4 year wait, I made my debut at the Scituate Art Festival.  And much to my surprise, it's the same old art festival I've been attending since before I could walk!  Same vendors, same kettle corn, same apple dumplings, same high school students meeting at the rock wall in front of the library and same 5 mile walk just to get to the church from your parking spot! 

Couldn't leave without my kettle corn!!

Since I took the day off Monday and spent it at home, Mom and I decided to go to Pezza farm to pick out pumpkins.  And since you're never too old to carve one, I put my skills to the test and attempted an owl!  We even visited the animals I never even knew existed at the farm- they were quite the friendly bunch!

Mom giving the pony kisses!

The pig trying to give us kisses!

my pumpkin!

pretty pumpkins!

he was standing on top of his house!! 

After getting home, I carved my pumpkin! Let me know what you think!! It took a while, but I think I can put it into the jack-o-lantern spectacular at Roger Williams Park!

getting the seeds out..

hard at work!

my pumpkin!

the finished product with the other pumpkins we purchased!

It was a great weekend at home, and I was so excited to be able to spend it doing all the thing I love about the fall; family, festival, food and fun! Thanks to all of you who made it special!

would you care for a cup of tea?

If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is because everything would be what it isn't. And contrary-wise; what it is it wouldn't be, and what it wouldn't be, it would. You see? - Alice from Alice and Wonderland (1951)


Last night Robyn and I ventured to the upper east side, where we were transported back to the days when we were young enough to only worry about which stuffed animals we would be inviting to our tea parties...  what little girl doesn't love the concept of Alice in Wonderland?  While many of us probably wish we could just fall down a rabbit hole and be transported into a world only imaginable in dreams, at Alice's Tea Cup, yesterday evening, we managed to get pretty close....


Alice's Tea Cup is every little girls' dream spot; a haven for after school worries where you can feel like a princess drinking from pretty china and pouring tea out of brightly colored pots.  The walls were adorned with fairy wings, images of Alice and her friend the Mad Hatter, and inscriptions from the movie and books.  It was as if we had stepped off the hectic streets of NYC and into a different world! 


We even decided that it would be better to just order tea and scones for dinner!  So with pumpkin scones and wedding chai tea we relaxed for a while and enjoyed our own "grown up" version of a tea party!

 Scones and tea!

Just remember; no matter how hard or stressful the day is, it's always nice to unwind and at least pretend that if only for those hours, you have nothing to worry about... 

but at the moment, excuse me... I'm late, I'm late for a very important date!!!

No time to say hello, goodbye!!

I'm late, I'm late, I'm late!!!

my secret spot

This weekend, my roommate and I discovered our new secret spot; our roof.  We didn't realize that the narrow ladder leading up to the ceiling led to a latch that would be unlocked- how lucky!  We have one of the best views in Brooklyn, of course that might just be my biased opinion, but take a look for yourself...

 all of Manhattan laid out before you....

a glimpse down prospect avenue....

so amazing!!

Now is my opinion biased...? or is my view amazing??