Happy Halloween

clearly more than inspired by smitten kitchen


open face egg salad sandwich with arugula and tomatoes

Happy Halloween everyone!! Today started at the Union Square Green Market - wow - brussel sprouts, broccoli, pumpkins and squash, hydrangeas, potatoes, cauliflower, herbs - it was major. At home, I made egg salad sammies for lunch, pictured above. (I modified this recipe, using six eggs, less mayo and a 1/2 tsp of mustard). Meanwhile the apple cider doughnut dough was chilling in the fridge. We finally got to frying, then topping, then EATING!! Followed by pumpkin carving. All the time in costume. And it's not even dark outside yet.

Green (and red and orange) Market...









Making doughnuts...







Pumpkin carving begins...





The four faces of our pumpkin...

system:system at The Convent

Curators Adam Henry and Christina Vassallo, of Super Square, put together a show called system:system in a former convent in Greenpoint featuring installations by over 30 artists. The most successful installations were interventions, subtle and bold, that engaged or took advantage of the convent's uniqueness. The weaker work, hung innocuously on the walls as if this were any other exhibition space. In the end though, I was so excited about the show that I went twice. With buildings and spaces like this going unused and falling into disrepair, it is pretty thrilling to see proprietors who have the insight to give them over to artists and curators.

The opening was really fun, packed, but not sardines, everyone filing through hallways, in and out of little rooms, discovering installations and performers around every corner.


Installation in the foreground by MiYoung Sohn


One of my absolute favorite pieces, by Adam Henry, 7 balloons rested on the basement floor and 7 balloons were nestled in a skylight in the ceiling, connected by 7 strings, 4 stories long, suspended in the stairwell; This is the view looking up from below


Looking down; and Ben :)


The chapel where bands and films played


Yeni Mao's I ain't afraid of no ghosts, in the basement, a complex composition of mousetraps and a pile of crystals in the center


Deborah, looking pretty, on the phone, and clutching our local pride, Brooklyn Lager

I took Mike back on Sunday since he missed the opening. While the night-time had a kind of haunted feeling, the day revealed an entirely different exhibition, afternoon sun streaming through the windows.


Former convent of the St. Cecilia Parish


Space altering installations by Kai Vierstra (front); SOFTlab (back)


The hall looking back toward the entry


Melissa Brown installed a series of faux stained-glass windows like this throughout the building


GORGEOUS installation by Studio Mode; It's fall outside!


Lisha Bai altered the floor tiling in this room; In a show full of bold statements, this is one of the more subtle and effective installations


My Space installation by e-team, a durational performance in which someone stood behind the door pushing back as visitors pushed inward trying to enter


Installation by Derick Melander, amazingly executed, clothes folded and stacked immaculately; In the back, the stack is perfectly fit inside a closet

I'm Smitten

I'm smitten with the blog Smitten Kitchen. My BF Heather sent me a link to this post about apple cider doughnuts, which she knows I love. Now I'm in love with SK. And I'm planning to make these doughnuts on Saturday. I already bought the shortening! Also, I can't resist the jalapeño-cheddar scones, especially having just bought jalapeños at Rooftop Farm this weekend. I'm literally making them right now.


This gorgeous photo is via Smitten Kitchen and is just one example of their stunning food photography.

Farming on the Rooftops

how often do you walk upstairs to get to a farm?

I can't believe it took me all summer to go five blocks, but I finally made it out to Greenpoint's Rooftop Farm on this particularly dazzling, sunny Sunday for the last volunteer day of the season. I've read articles and seen photos, but I was still completely blown away. It is 6,000 square feet of donated space turned functional farmland, green roof, green market, compost pile, sustainability, and community. I spent some time picking seeds from marigold plants to save for next year and then did a bit of shopping - bought green tomatoes, jalapeño peppers, and the most luscious and tangy mixed greens. You can still visit the farm (and get inspired for Thanksgiving) on their last market day of the year on Sunday, November 22, 10am-4pm when they will sell what remains of the harvest.


6,000 square feet of farmland and a stunning view


rainbow chard soaking up the sun


the market...


the produce

Lamb Chops

There is a new meat seller in town, Dickson's Farmstand Meats, located inside the glorious Chelsea Market. About them: "At Dickson’s, we search out farms doing something a little differently, whose value doesn’t easily fit into the big business mold. Heritage breed, grass-fed or organic? These are our farms. We select them based on quality, commitment to sustainable land use, and humane handling practices." The Dickson's store itself is minimal and actually really beautiful. A butcher works at a counter in full view - skillfully wielding a meat-hook and knife. I was easily convinced to buy a rack of lamb and told to do nothing but salt and pepper, sear on the fatty side for 4 minutes, oven at 450 for 20 minutes, fatty side up, rest for 10 minutes. I was skeptical and thought we would want to dip in mustard. But these lamb chops were so tasty on their own! I served them with these mashed potatoes and an arugula salad with shaved parmigiano-reggiano.

Dickson's is not alone in their mission to get away from mistreating animals and poorly processing meat. Read more about the other new butchers on the block (and how to become one yourself) in this article from Sunday's New York Times.

Here is a satisfied customer...


And a close up...

Making Breaky

How pretty is this! Mike made a veggie hash to go along with my scrambled eggs and cheese on onion rolls.



Thinly sliced butternut squash, yukon gold potatoes, and red onions with garlic, rosemary, s+p, butter, and extra virgin olive oil.

Friday at Swiss Institute

Swiss Institute is one of my favorite art spaces in New York. Their programming is unique, eclectic, and many artists they present are working outside the white box. I also love their soup lunches, which happen a few Fridays throughout the year and include a curator-led tour of the current show. Last Friday, the soup was forgettable, but the installations were great. My favorite was Serge Becker's Reading Room. As they describe him, Becker is more of a downtown legend than a practicing artist, but SI Director Gianni Jetzer commissioned him to make a work, and he chose to create this highly interactive bookshelf. Instead of being in a room surrounded by books on shelves, the bookshelf sits in the center of the gallery and you surround it. Additionally, the interior is straight out of a fun-house, meant to quench a child's curiosity but also fun for adults. Gianni mentioned that they will be donating the bookshelf to a school when the show comes down - a perfect continuation.

Eating at Eat Records

My most recent and favorite discovery in Greenpoint is Eat Records. (I have to thank Gareth for being so persistent about our visit.) A few blocks off the main drag of Manhattan Avenue, on Meserole Avenue, is Eat Records. It is now under the oversight of Jordan Colom who has taken great care to make this a special place. Even the tiny details, like linens and silverware do not go unnoticed. The furniture is hand-crafted in Pennsylvania by Jordan's brother and it is stunning, like something you might find in a Unitarian church. The lighting, created from interlocking colanders, was designed by a friend. All ingredients are locally sourced, directly from farms, except for the salt and the olive oil. (The olive oil, we were told, comes from the most recent pressing of Sagittario and it is emerald green.) Finally, the meal. Every night for dinner, there is a price fix, $20 for 3 courses - 3 choices for appetizers, 3 choices for entrees, and 1 dessert. For brunch there is similarly digestible pricing. The menus are seasonal and change daily. The food is refreshingly simple - for dinner, the lightest gnocchi made from purple potatoes over a bed of wilted hearty greens. For brunch, a fried egg with the brightest orange yolk I have ever seen over black beans with hot sauce. And the creamy root vegetable soup is like velvet, so light, but so creamy.

Here are some highlights from a recent brunch...

2nd Place Pie!

On Saturday, after years of perfecting my filling and my crust, I won 2nd place in the Enid's 7th Annual Apple Pie Bake-Off out of 50 pies! I won't lie, it was a sweet victory. Special thanks to Team Pie (you know who you are) for seeing it through until the very end. After judging, Mike snagged my winning pie off the table and eight of us devoured it with only six forks in about four minutes.


#29 = #2

I've entered this Bake-Off three times before, but this year was different. I picked the apples myself the previous week at Bushy Hill Orchard in Granby, CT. I made a test pie as part of an early autumn feast. And I relied heavily on Martha for inspiration, combining elements from two of her apple pie recipes, deepest dish and spiced with a top crust of fluted round cut-outs, with my own twists here and there. Some secrets: A little bit of cardamom goes a long way. So do a few extra tablespoons of butter in the crust. Grating your own cinnamon and nutmeg is key. And adding some brandy can never hurt.

I don't enter food contests as a hobby (though I did participate in friend Meat Yourself's Mac and Cheese off this weekend too!), but I love Enid's Bake-Off because it takes advantage of the season: Apples are peaking in the North East, and it's cold enough outside to crave warm apple pie.


Signing in...


The prizes


The party


My pie on the judges' table, a very exciting moment



Nervously awaiting the final announcements with Team Pie


2nd Place Winners!


The trophy