Gotham Gal

Highway to Hell

I know, everyone should have such problems but getting into Aspen during the winter months is pure luck of the draw.  Unfortunately for us, and our friends, we all drew bad cards.

The plane from Newark to Denver was fine.  Got in on time, lots of turbulence but that is pretty much status quo when flying into Denver. Once we got in , we walked over to the gate to board our flight to Aspen.  Not only was the flight full, there were 86 people on stand-by.  Yes, 86. We had boarding passes, thank god, that I had printed out that morning with seat assignments.  The seat assignment is key.

We walked out to the tarmac to get on the small planes that they fly up to Aspen.  The wind was so intense that went through my mind is that this is what a hurricane must feel like. We boarded, we waited, the pilot said forget it.  Cancelled due to 35 mile an hour winds.  So sorry.  Go see customer service. The customer service line had at least 75 people in line.

Fred had been on the phone with Colorado Mountain Express to drive us up there but I70 is closed.  Ugh. I called American Express.  Got a car and driver to take us up there when we needed and the concierge was about to make hotel reservations for the night in Denver.  As I was doing this, Fred flagged me down, "quick, there is a bus on the tarmac and they have 5 seats left and they are ours". 

The plane representative was making us run with her. We get on the bus.  A greyhound bus that is packed to the gills with awful hard straight back seats and we are all spread around the bus.  Then someone mentions since I70 is closed and that this ride will probably take about 8 hours.  Omigod. 8 hours?  You are kidding me?  Jessica is frantically IM'ing me from her seat "get me off this bus". We begin our ride.  The roads are awful.  Scary actually. 

Our friends who fly Newark to Chicago to Aspen were rerouted to Grand Junction and then bussed to Aspen which is about a 3 hour drive.  Our other friends were delayed from NY and missed their transfer and rented a car to drive half way, stay in a hotel and drive up in the morning.

So, the entire journey from leaving home in the morning to getting to our final destination, our friends house, took 18 hours. Next year, the Carribbean.

Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies

We are huge fans of dried cranberries in this house, craisins.  Can't get enough.  Today I put them in oatmeal cookies which turned out really delicious.  The sweet of the cranberries changes the entire cookie.

2 sticks unsalted butter
2 cups light brown sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. warm water
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 ground cinnamon
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
2 cups old fashioned oats (do not use instant oatmeal)
1 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 375. 

In an electric mixer, mix the butter and brown sugar until creamy and fluffy. 

Dissolve the baking soda in the warm water.  Add that and the salt and cinnamon to the butter mixture and beat.  Add the eggs and vanilla.  Beat again.  Mix in the flour, one cup at a time.  Then add in the oats, one cup at a time.  Then add in the cranberries and beat until everything is mixed thoroughly.

One big tablespoon scooped onto a prepared baking sheet.  Bake for about 12 minutes or until browned.

FYI - I doubled this recipe and had no problems.

Happy Birthday Josh

Josh turned 11 yesterday.  We went to The Strip House for a really good meal and a great time.   Happy Birthday Josh!

We are in the playoffs

What a season.  All the kids play basketball.  Josh plays soccer and baseball too.  I believe I have been on average this season to at least 5-7 games a week.  Fred and I really try to go to every single game.  If there are 2 games on one day, we do the conquer and divide method.  It is tough but well worth it on many levels.  It means a lot to the kids and they are fun to watch.
(the picture is Jessica making a foul shot)

Yesterday both kids got into the semi-finals.  Emily, who is Captain of her 8th grade team (last year of middle school) has gone  10-1 this season.  I have high hopes of taking it all this year.  We will soon find out.

Jessica has been the only kid on the varsity basketball team that plays the entire game.  It has been a tougher year for them.  Winning yesterdays game was huge.  They are now in the semis. 

Josh is only doing the intermural (5/6th) grade at school which is a great community event on Friday afternoons.  He also plays in the Carmine League on the weekends in basketball and indoor soccer at Chelsea Piers on the weekends too.  Baseball try outs were this past week and he was drafted in to Major A's as a pitcher.  Our lives this spring will be filled with baseball.  2 games a weekend and 2 practices during the week. 

In a city that appears to be quite big, it is actually quite small when it comes to sports.  Each kid knows kids all over downtown Manhattan and even kids through the schools uptown that they play.  It really makes for small town living on some level.  I am amazed walking through the streets how many kids they know from everywhere.  So, not only is it great for exercise and learning how to work with a team, the social is key too.

More games to come....crossing my fingers through the semis.

Happy Valentines Day

I definitely have a soft spot for Valentines Day.  I know it is just a Hallmark event but it gives everyone a day, in the middle of winter, to lift spirits with a little chocolate, a few flowers, a happy card, etc.  Silly but nice.

I always get the kids a bunch of goodies.  One year I had their names engraved on fake Oscars, one year red pajamas, one year their own chef jacket with each of their names on them.  This year, I went simple.  Breakfast chocolates.  Chocolate covered cheerios, chocolate covered corn flakes and breakfast bars (chocolate covered bars with raisin bran, rice krispies and cornflakes as the base). 

One thing that was really nice this year is that the kids got into the giving game.  Josh made cards for his sisters, Jess and Em made cards and gave chocolates to Fred and me which was a real treat.  I guess eventually the traditions become part of the kids lives which is so nice as they will pass it on too.

Valentines Day is special for us because it is also Josh's bday.  11 years.  Tonight we are going out to celebrate. 

Tabla

I have been really wanting to make the rounds at Danny Meyers restaurants again since reading this book, Setting the Table, a few months ago.  A definite worth while read. 

Last night, we went back to Tabla.  Fred has beat me to the punch and has already starting making the rounds without me.  Alas.  We got in a cab to go up to Tabla and when we told the cab driver where we were going, 24th and Madison, he said "are you going to Tabla"?  Ok.  You gotta love it.  I don't think in all of my years taking cabs, the driver mentioned the restaurant by name. When he dropped us off, he said "have a good meal".  I love it.  Good karma...right?

You walk in to Tabla, which is architecturally done like no other restaurant.  The combination of the Indian colors against the modern look is really nice.  The bar downstairs is hopping.  I like that you can just come by the bar and eat, no reservations necessary.  The main dining room is upstairs, where you do need a reservation but there is an opening in the ceiling which allows the main room to peek downstairs.  Creates a more communal feel from upstairs to downstairs. 

The service is a little slow.  I realize that the staff is trained not to interrupt and to allow the diners to enjoy their meal but at one point, they really need to push us along.  We were so enjoying ourselves, we would have ignored the staff all night.  In fact we were there from 7 - 1030 which is quite a long time.  Also, the staff, probably more like India, is very soft spoken and subdued. It was actually hard to hear our waiter. 

The meal starts with a treat from the chef.  Last night was a small cup of chestnut soup.  A little too rich for me but tasted delicious.  They also gave us shrimp chips in different sizes rolled in cumin and other spices served with a tomato chutney.  We went through 2 bowls of that and could have probably gone through more.  Really good and pretty too.  Lots of different colors. 

Next up, before our appetizers came, they served us some breads ( my favorite part of Indian food ).  One was a crispy bread and the other was a warm sour dough like pita bread that was puffy.  When you opened the bread, steamed poured out.  This was served with a puree of green apple chutney.  Delicious.  The bread in particular was a true winner. 

I started with the green salad.  Simple.  Greens put inside a long peeled cucumbers that were shaped into a round circle.  Really pretty and clever.  The salad had small bits of puffed rice and pomegranate seeds in it with a spicy lime based dressing.  Light.  It was an interesting combo of flavors.

For my main course, I went with the oxtail.  This was absolute delicious.  One of the best oxtail dishes I have ever had.  Basmatic rice mixed with peanuts, peas and leeks served in a circle about 1/2 inch high and the oxtail over it.  The oxtail had been braised and came off the bone easily.  The spices were just as it said, sweet and spicy at the same time.   Excellent.  The breads that they served at the table were just as the last round of breads but only the soft this time.  My favorite.  I made sure the plate of bread wasn't sitting next to me or I would have eaten the entire thing by myself.

We bagged dessert.  Honestly I was sick last week and still not 100%.  They gave us a plate of small treats instead.  The lemon tart was delicious and so was the tiny piece of caramel.  The chocolate cakes had Indian spices in it which is always an interesting flavor combo.

On another note, the wine was delicious.  We had a sauvignon blanc from Coopers Creek Cat’s Phee on a Goosberry Bush (Marlborough, New Zealand) 2005  which was one of the wines they offered by the glass.  Screw off top.  Getting used to that.  I am going to try and get a case of this today.  Really good.

It was nice to go back to Tabla.  I bet I haven't been there in five years.  Not only is the food good and different but it is a treat to have a New York restaurant survive over the years and be able to return and recall the meals you had there and not have to worry if the place has changed or if it is as good as it was.  There is no doubt that Tabla has retained the level of food and service you come to expect from any of Danny Meyers restaurants.  And they still give out matches! Next time, I won't wait so long.

Bombay Talkie

The neighborhood of west Chelsea has changed dramatically in the past 4 years.  Mostly 9th Avenue between 14th and 23rd.  As the Meatpacking Area has emerged and the galleries above 23rd street have grown, the area in the middle has opened up to new stores, new restaurants and more residential housing. 

Bombay Talkie opened over a year ago at 9th and 22nd.  Indian Street Food is the concept.  I heard rave reviews when it first opened.  No reservations, get there early, etc.  Small.  Everytime we had an opportunity to go, it was too late to wonder how long we might have to wait so we just passed. 

This past Friday night we were driving down from Emily's basketball game on the upper Westside and tried to decide what to do for dinner.  It was quite comical.  We got on the blackberry and went to menupages.  First we went through all the different cuisines available.  That alone was amazing.  You actually can eat about anything in New York.  Afghan, African, American (New), American (Traditional),
Argentinean, Asian, Australian, Austrian, Bagels. Bar Food, Barbecue, Belgian, Bistro, Brazilian,Burgers, Burmese, Cajun & Creole, Californian, Caribbean, Chicken, Chinese, Coffeehouses, Cuban, Delis, Desserts & Bakeries, Dim Sum, Diners & Coffee Shops, Eastern European, Eclectic  & International, English, Ethiopian, Filipino, French, German, Greek, Haitian, Hawaiian, Health Food,
Hot Dogs, Indian, Indonesian, Irish, Italian, Jamaican, Japanese, Korean, Kosher, Latin American,
Malaysian, Mediterranean, Mexican, Middle Eastern, Moroccan, New England, Noodle Shops, Pan-Asian, Persian, Peruvian, Pizza, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Sandwiches, Scandinavian, Seafood,
Soups, South American, Southern & Soul, Southwestern, Spanish, Steakhouses, Sushi, Swiss, Tapas,
Thai, Tibetan, Turkish, Vegetarian,Venezuelan, Vietnamese, Wild Game and Wings.  Wow.  After narrowing down our choices, we went with Indian.  Bombay Talkie was en route.

The restaurant is adorable.  The smells of delicious Indian food overtake your senses the minute you walk in the door.  The lighting is low.  There is probably enough room for 40 patrons, at most.  The bar is at the end of the restaurant, no seats, and the seating is in booths, tables and one long communal table in the square room.  The Indian inspired paintings are key too.  We went to the back and ordered to take away.  Emily and I watched each plate come out of the kitchen and smell the aroma as it passed us.  We were thrilled we stopped by.  About 15 minutes later, our food came out.

The portions are small and costly for the amount you get but well worth it.  We got a mixture because for the first time in a long time all 5 of us were actually going to eat together on a Friday night. 

We had 2 chutneys.  Tomato chutney.  Simple yet perfect to cool down the spices of the food.  Tomatoes, onions and ginger.  We also had the cucumber raita which was lightly spiced plain yogurt with pureed cucumbers.  Really good.

Lamb Biryani was one of the entrees we got.  Nice sized pieces of lamb, cooked perfectly and mixed in with a yellow basmati rice that had absorbed a variety of spices with pieces of cashews.  It was delicious.  The rice alone was a treat.  Our other dish was large chunks of chicken cooked in a tomato based sauce that used turmeric, cordianer, cumin, chili and garam masala for flavorings. Really spicy (at least for us) yet the flavors came through perfectly.  The combo of the cucumber raita with this and some bread worked great.  We also had the Tandoori Shrimp.  Really spicy and delicious too.  This was served with slices of lime which was a great accompaniment. 

We got the buttered lentils which were not spicy at all but quite delicious mixed together as a side for any of the entrees. The other which was really good and had a zing to it was the smoked eggplant that had been cooked so long that it was like a thick soup mixed with ginger, coriander, cumin and chiles. 
Unfortunately we only ordered one stuffed naans.  Gobi Ka Naan.  Indian pita bread stuffed with cauliflowers, onions and cumin.  This alone makes a great lunch for one.  We all loved this.  More next time.

Lots of spice and lots of taste.  I really liked the vibe in the restaurant too.  Particularly the large flat panel over the bar playing Bollywood films with Indian music piped over the sound system.  A winner.

A political rant..

Eliot Spitzer is going to change the way New York Government works if it is the last thing he does.  I have to hand it to him.  He got slapped in the face by his fellow cronies who did not vote in any of the recommendations from the committee who looked at all the possible Comptrollers.  Although everyone said they were going to vote for Eliot's pick.  Instead they opted for an old time insider who wasn't even recommended.  Eliot is being public about his disgust in the way that the representatives just rolled over and played dead.  He denounced a local assemblymen, I quote, "Bill Magnarelli is one of those unfortunate Assembly members who just raises his hand when he's told to do so, and didn't even bother to stand up and say, 'whose interest am I representing?'"  Wow.  That is huge for Spitzer to be public usually this type of conversation is held for backroom negotiating.  Good for Eliot.  Go get them and change the way we do business.  I agree with him this week when he said that the vote for an insider was basically a sad depiction of Government at work. 

Paul Krugman wrote in todays New York Times about John Edwards health plan.  Krugman broke it down in layman's terms so we can understand exactly what Edwards is proposing.  Very clever actually.  Edwards strategy enables everyone to have health care and force the way Insurance companies work now to change and spend their money in more productive ways vs. advertisement and making sure people are actually eligible to get their insurance (hoping they are so healthy they will never cash in).  Everyone is covered.  I won't go into the details but I do like the plan. 

What I also liked about Edwards health plan is that he has one.  He is the only candidate so far who actually has set forth some initiative to explain what he would do.  I am not saying that I am supporting Edwards but so far Hilary and Obama have just given speeches with no clear cut visions or strategies just rhetoric.  Totally politics as usual.  Do they both get up in the morning, read the polls and just talk about what people want to hear that day?  Where is their strategies to get us out of Iraq?  Where is their health care plans?  They are Senators now and can work on strategies with fellow Democrats.  Don't have they have some clout to get something done in Washington today?  How can we get behind either Obama or Hilary, give them a donation, when they haven't said anything. 

Both of them could use a good dose of Eliot Spitzer.  You might not like what Eliot stands for but at least he stands for something.  Edwards too.  This election I am all about change.  Someone who actually has the ability to stand up and say what they believe in regardless of the latest opinion poll.  A true leader who is going to lead us down a different path.  Not a path based on what they think the people in this country think they need.  After all, the people in this country voted for George Bush not once, but twice.

The Scene

The Scene, which actually closes this Sunday, Feb 11th, was an interesting slant on one of the many lives being lived in New York City. 

The four actors were excellent.  Patricia Heaton, who plays Stella is stressed out in her career booking talent for TV shows and in the middle of trying to adopt a baby from China, Tony Shalhoub who plays the main character, Charlie,  who is going through a path of self destruction and a mid life crisis is superb.  He gives a soliloquy which is so brilliant that it is worth the price of admission.  Christopher Van Welch, who plays Charlie's best friend Lewis makes faces that says a thousand words but the one who seriously stole the show is a young actress named Anna Camp who plays Clea, a destructive sexy dumb blond ladder climber who ends up not being so dumb afterall.  You will be hearing much more about Anna Camp in the future.

The play  had many holes and frustration but the acting outweighed the script.  Tony is a out of work actor who actually had a career at one point of his youth but is not just angry, bitter and frustrated with the successes of other people and having to play the game.  He is disgusted by the phoniness of it all.  The stars and fame that everyone aspires to.  He finds himself in a 14 year marriage, supported by a woman he loves but unhappy with his life.  Misery basically exudes from his body.  You can see it written all over his face.  His best friend Lewis sympathizes but he works, we think, because he has a sweet pad.  His wife is pushing him to connect with old friends who had the ability to get him a role in their latest creations.  It is humiliating, at least to Charlie.  Then comes along Clea.  Clea is a hot young girl who speaks like a Valley Girl who just stepped off the boat from Ohio.  She is all about how to get to the top of the ladder which she eventually gets to by using what she had, a fantastic figure and an understanding of how to navigate the political climate which disgusts Charlie. 

The play is actually a dark comedy about  love, self loathing, hollow lives seduced by the world of media and celebrities, relationships and jealousy of money, stardom and success.  There are some great lines.  Some great performances.  But it is just one mark away from a really good play.  I can't put my finger on it.  I won't give away the end, but if Charlie has just committed suicide in the end it would have been a much better ending for all of us.

Short Ribs

Short Ribs are a once a year must make.  It takes an entire year to forget how fatty they are. Next year,  I must do a better job at cutting away the fat.

I have been home in bed for the past two days, literally.  Bronchial flu.  Totally sucks.  I attempted to do a few things today, one of them is cook dinner.  That put me over the edge.  Back to bed.  Alas, everyone did enjoy my hard work even though the recipe couldn't be simpler.

Beef Short Ribs Braised in Beer

5-6 lbs. short ribs (TRIMMED OF FAT)
4 large onions sliced
2 T. sugar
2 T. flour
3 bottles dark ale/beer
6 cups chicken broth
4 bay leaves
salt and pepper

Coat the bottom of a Dutch oven or very heavy duty casserole with vegetable oil.  Heat over a medium heat and cover the bottom with with short ribs an brown for about 4 minutes, then turn and brown another 4 minutes.  Transfer these ribs to a plate and complete all the ribs.  I needed to do 2 batches in my sized pot.

Pour out the remaining oil and add some fresh oil to cover the bottom of the pot.  Don't scrape down the pot because you want the flavors to remain.  Add the onions and cook over a medium heat to soften and brown.  About 10 minutes.  Then add the sugar and cook for another 5 minutes and the onions will caramelize.  Then add in the flour until completely mixed in and browned.  About 3 minutes.  Add one bottle of beer and increase the heat to high.  Bring to a boil scraping the bottom of the pot.

Return the ribs to the pot.  Add in the rest of the beer and chicken broth.  The ribs should be covered.  Add in the bay leaves, bring to boil and then simmer.  Cover and let cook for about 2 hours or until the meat is falling off the bone.

Then, take the ribs out.  Take the meat off the bones and cut up and discard as much fat as possible.  If you are going to serve this the next day, keep the ribs on a separate plate from the pot.  Put the pot on the refrigerator and take the fat off the top when cold.  Put the meat in when you rewarm the broth.  If you are serving today.  Take out the bay leaves and ribs.  Boil down for about 15 minutes or until the broth becomes thick or coats the back of a spoon.  Try and take as much fat as possible out with a spoon.  Put the ribs back in (boneless) and serve. 

I served this over egg noodles.  Serve also with a crusty loaf of bread.  Perfect when it is 10 degrees outside.