Gotham Gal

School Auctions

There is nothing quite like a school auction to get a community jazzed.  Our school is on a trajectory upward.  It is really fun to be part of it.  I like to compare it to a start-up company.  We have finally got out of the box and our product is running full steam ahead.  Everyone is psyched.  You can't beat it. 

Last night we went to the annual auction at the kids school, LREI.  It was so exciting.  Our school is incredibly diverse across the board.  So, having an event where everyone in the school feels like they are part of of the whole is hard to pull off. 

Most school auctions raise money for the financial success of the school be it scholarships, operating budget or endowment.  Private schools count on this money.  Money from private school comes from the families that attend and the families that still feel connected to the school and are gracious enough to write a check every year in support.  Hence, auctions are key.  Successful auctions are not only about how much money you raised that night but also about how the community feels when they wake up the next morning.

This year, our school definitely had a lot of happy faces walking to school this morning.

New Cookbooks

I hold myself back buying cookbooks.  Initially they look so appealing and then I find that they sit on the shelf collecting dust.  So, I opt for the magazines like Food & Wine, Gourmet and Bon Appetit to make their monthly visit in the mail.

I was at my brother's house and he had 2 new cookbooks that he was given as a gift.  I became quite absorbed in them.  One is written by Mark Bittman, who wrote one of my favorite cookbooks.  How to Cook Everything.  A must for every kitchen.  He has now written a book called,  The Best Recipes in the World.  It is a fantastic culmination of classic dishes around the world.  It is worth the purchase.

The other book is called The New Best Recipe.  This is put out by the people behind the magazine Cooks.  Cooks tests every recipe until it is absolutely perfect.  I have made about 4 things so far out of the book.  Each one has been good and the recipes are very detailed.  A true winner.

So, if you are perusing the cookbook sections, stick with these 2.  They are winners.

The Food Bank

Sometimes we go to friend's fundraisers and other times we just send in some support, that would be financial support.  Last night we went. 

The Food Bank for New York City had their annual fundraiser last night.  Their mission is to provide food to the cities hungry people.  They coordinate the procurement of food from different organizations around the city.  They also raise private money to make this happen.  They distribute the food through pantries, soup kitchens etc.  It is an organization that every city needs. 

The board is diverse which I really like.  There are obviously people involved from the food industry but also the business community too. 

Our friends, husband and wife, happen to chair the event last night.  He sits on the board.  He is a big celebrity so his reach out to their food and friends community truly helps this organization pack a big punch at the annual fundraiser.

I met a few bigwigs last night which is always fun but I did have a favorite incident which I will share.

I met Rachael Ray.  She is absolutely adorable.  Her energy level is incredible.  I was introduced and the first thing she says to me is "omigod, your jacket, I own that jacket" and she gives me a high five.  It was hilarious.  Then she proceeds to tell me how often I will wear the jacket and with what.  She gives me a huge hug.  Could not have been more delightful.  What you see is what you get.  She's charming, cute and looks like an all American girl.  Not a skinny girl but a regular girl.  I love it!  I am her newest fan.

I hope to go again next year.  From what I understand, Patti Smith got on stage later in the evening and started singing to the audience.  Unfortunately at that time, I was off in the land of nod.

BLT Fish

Our second outing to BLT Fish was like going to a completely different restaurant.  We sat upstairs in the more intimate setting vs. downstairs in the "shack".  I like them both.  Different menus, different vibe but both have good food.

We started out in a table that was right when you walked in from the elevator. Didn't love the location. They happily moved us when someone else got up.  It was worth the move.  The entire vibe of our meal changed.  We sat at one of the long banquettes on the side.  We could peak into the open kitchen in the back.  The lighting changed too.  All and all, the move was the right one.  As you can see from the picture, the space is beautiful, modern and simple. 

Round warm spicy cheese rolls come out first served with salted butter to start.  Wow.  Great tasting.  Nice kick off.  It was hard not to just keeping eating one after another but luckily they only serve one to a customer. 

I wasn't the wine orderer but we had 2 excellent red wines from the Santa Barbara region.  Big, spicy, red and delicious. 

We began with a mixture of appetizers.  2 people ordered the spicy tuna dish.  A square mound of chopped tuna tartare that is spicy and served with small greens, avacado and a tiny  scoop of caviar on top.  Really well done.  Fresh and tasty.  Someone else had the grilled ocotpus salad which I didn't try but I liked the way it was served.  The octopus was cut up in chunks through out the salad.  I had the Hama oysters. I think that is what they were called.  Big and yummy from the Northwest served with the mignoette or classic tomato horseradish sauce.

For dinner we split 2 fish between the four of us.  Crispy Cantonese whole fish.  They fillet the fish for you.  Not to heavy on the fry.  Light and crispy with a simple soy based sauced surrounding the fish.  We also had the baked Black Sea bass with 2 sauces.  Lemongrass curry and soy citrus wasabi.  I really liked the taste of the curry.  It was not too heavy handed.  This fish was ok not great.  A bit bland hence the sauce but the presentation wasn't that great either.  Disappointed on fish number 2.  We also ordered some vegetables on the side.  Roasted fennel and boy chok.  The fennel was a tad overcooked and the cheese bread crumb topping didn't really pop the flavor.  The boy chok was boring and pretty tasteless.

We all split one dessert.  Rocky road cake.  Layers of cream and chocolate cake with tiny marshmallows on top.  Good but not an omigod.

All and all, the company was fantastic.  The vibe in there is really nice.  The food is simple. Doesn't rock your world but I wouldn't refuse to return. I'd go back but I think I might be tempted to reserve a table at the Shack downstairs again and see how that goes.

Tsotsi

I had wanted to see Tsotsi for some time.  Jessica, our 15 year old, had a woman come from South Africa to their school, LREI, and discuss the Botha years.  This woman's father was a professor at the University then and she wrote about book about her life growing up during this time.  As a family, we had been to South Africa 2 years ago, so Jessica was really taken with this woman who recommended she go see Tsotsi.

What a heavy powerful movie.  The movie is set in Johannesburg in a township following a young thug over a few days.  He steals a car which happens to have a baby in the back. 

As Tsotsi takes care of this baby, there are flashbacks to his life as a young boy that gives the audience insight into how Tsotsi's life got to where it is. Living in the townships, stealing, killing and with no productive life on the horizon.  The introduction of a baby in his life in some ways, gives him hope for redemption.

The baby is from an affluent black African couple.  There is such a huge gap between the rich and poor in South Africa and the movie slaps you right in the face with it. 

The movie moves quickly with a variety of interesting characters.  It is intense.  It haunts you.  The movie has opened up the door for the rest of the world to see the social issues that haunt South Africa today.

To eat or not to eat

There are those that enjoy food.  Look forward to going to great new restaurants.  Savor delicious delicacies.  Talk about the next meal.  Some food people go to the next level. Looking forward to the next food magazine coming in the mail.  Buy new cookbooks and read each recipe.  That person would be me. 

Good food has always been important.  My mother is an excellent cook.  My grandmother was a great baker.  Not to pass judgment here, but Jews in general, like food.  Vacations, family outings, holidays, etc. are all centered around the meal. 

This accounts for the constant discussion of food.  The constant diet.  To me, it is just a fact of life.

Fred, who is now a true foodie, grew up in a house where food, to him, was more a source of nutrition.  After all, you can't survive without food and water.  The meal was just something you had to do. 

When 2 worlds collide, it is funny what type of habits or interests you take on from your significant other. 

As we were having dinner last night, we were talking about the post-winter plump. Fred turned to me and said "I didn't eat until I met you".  It just made me laugh out loud.

Eisenberg's Sandwich Shop

Second Avenue Deli is gone.  Such a sad closing.  They owed over $100k in back rent and the rent was being raised.  Not good.  My guess is that Abe, who was killed years ago ( an awful crime that has never been solved ), was the guy who ran the business.  The other members of the family were obviously not as savvy, hence the back rent.  I figure that if you are selling a corn beef sandwich for $18 and always packed, you should be able to run a decent profit.  But, what do I know.

Katz's Deli is still on Houston Street, thank god.  BTW, Katz's has been around for so long the link sends you to Wikipedia. We make a pilgrimage at least once a year.  But I have to say, one of my favorites is also Eisenberg's Sandwich Shop.  Eisenberg's Sandwich Shop is a New York classic.
You are walking back in time the moment you enter the door.  The tuna fish is excellent.  I had breakfast there the other morning and forgot what a great place it is.

So, if you are having that deli hankering, more on the side of Second Avenue Deli, stop in to Eisenberg's.  It is a true New York institution.

Umbrellas

Through the wonderful world of the Internet, we have made friends everywhere.  Fred and Josh took in a Suns game when were in Arizona due to someone that reads Fred's blog.  We listen to a podcast called Mass Hysteria which is a great show outside of Boston by Paul and Janine.  Good music, funny banter.  They found ours, Positively 10th Street, which we have been very remiss about lately.  In the world of Blogs and Podcasts, we link to each other.  So, we found some new friends. 

Paul sent me and Fred an email about a friend of his, Dave Kahng.  Dave has come up with the ultimate umbrella.  It is sturdy, high end and fits into a briefcase.  He has boot strapped his company and would either of us be interested in giving Dave some advice.  I took him up on it. 

I was a former retailer and wholesaler so I have an interesting perspective after seeing the world from both sides.  Dave asked me a million questions about selling, mark-up, shipping, etc.  The retail jargon.  I had such a great time talking to him and hoped that my experience would help in the success of his company.

He got an order from Bloomingdales and Takashamaya this week.  I am thrilled for him.  I have never met Dave or Paul or Janine face to face, but it is a pretty amazing thing how through the medium of the web, we have found new friends.

Movies

At this time of the year, there aren't a lot of new movies making their way into the theater.  As a movie going family, we have been stumped on what to see.  We ended up seeing 2 movies this past weekend which were pretty good.

The first one was Lucky Slevin.  I had read a lot of the pre-hype in all the magazines about Lucy Lui and Josh Hartnett.  Emily, Jessica and I went to see it.  Josh and Fred went to see Ice Age 2.  They said Ice Age was ok but definitely sent out a good message about global warming to young kids.  Lucky Slevin was actually quite good.  A real twist and turn movie.  Great actors.  Clever.  Incredibly gory and some explicit sex scenes.  This movie actually should be rated R.  At the beginning I wasn't so sure but I had my popcorn so I stayed with it.  In the end, we really liked it. 

As a family we went to see The Inside Man.  I have seen the majority of Spike Lee movies over the years. Some have been great and others have been awful.  The Inside Man is pretty good.  Much more big Hollywood than his films of past.  It will be interesting to see what direction he goes after making this film.  The acting is really good.  There are a variety of funny lines relating to NYC and the daily life here which I thought were clever.  The story makes for a good movie.  Again, twists and turns.  This was rated R.  Only one scene where there is a shooting but otherwise no sex and no other true violence.  You have to be able to follow the story. 

Josh really liked it and he is 10 but again he sees a lot of films that most 10 year olds probably shouldn't see.  He likes the thought process but doesn't really dig the violence and I dont' think he needs to see the sex so we try to flush out the R rated films before he sees them.  He watched One Flew Over the Cuckcoo's Nest the past weekend and loved it.  You forget how fantastic Jack is. 

Surf City Squeeze

Surf City Squeeze just opened on Bleeker between 7th and 6th avenue.  Adding to the new food frenzy on Bleeker.  The smoothies are really really good.  A franchise yes, but good, clean, well-priced and a great addition to the neighborhood. 

Enjoy!!