Gotham Gal

"calendar girls"....counting down to fashion week

This is the second in a series from closettour which I will continue to post as they go live. 

CLOSETTOUR: "Calendar Girls," featuring Julie Gilhart from Jenni Avins on Vimeo.

barbara kruger at guild hall

one of the nice things about the hamptons besides the beaches is that there is actually some culture.  guild hall does a great job from the museum to theater.  small and intimate but they are in many ways the place where all people connected to the art world out here supports.  they are, for lack of a better word, the rock.

barbara kruger is the exhibit right now which runs through october.  i have always been a fan of her work even thought it really has not changed that much in 30 years.  she basically does work that is based on cultural observations through her eyes.  one of my all time favorites, "I shop, therefore I am" is spot on and just pointing out the obvious imho.  the wording around the wall is "money makes money but a rich man's jokes are always funny".

this particular installation really points to excess.  do you need that next purchase, do you need that botox, do you need re-hab, do you feel better because you do yoga but make a million bucks? it is about the high end wealthy culture of excess today.  certainly installing this in east hampton hits right to the core of the group of people she is making observations about.  it might be about the world we live in that wants instant gratification including the access to texting and social media right now.  the relevancy of the haves and have-nots too.  is she is making you think or more to the point hitting you right between the eyes.  

regardless, i got a kick out of it.  jessica found it annoying and ridiculous.  i guess that what art is all about.

2010 Hamptons Burger Bloodbath

Yesterday was the fourth annual Hampton's Burger Bloodbath.  Always a great event.  Yesterday might have been my favorite of the four.  Beautiful day.  Nice crowd.  Everything seemed to go smoothly.  The hardest part is personally scoring a burger to eat after the judges have announced the winner.  When some of the chef's choose to use a skillet or frying pan over their coals, it makes it tough to cook up 50 burgers at once.  But that is part of the fun and after all, chef's choice.

There were games.  Can't remember the name of the game but a golf balls are attached to both ends of a rope.  You hurl the rope towards the stand and get points for where the ball lands.  Keeps you entertained.

The grills are set up and every chef is on their own.

Guests mulling in the yard, having a drink and watching the festivities.

Cobi Levy and Andew Pressler went for an Asian twist on their burger.  Pickled ramps, crispy Japanese cucumbers, a hint of cilantro, ginger and asian spices.  Very nice.  Keep an eye out for Cobi's next restaurant, Niko, opening in Soho this fall.

Joe and Mike Tremblay of Bay Burger went with a classic with many twists.  A slice of yellow tomato, crispy bacon, blue cheese, and a zippy ketchup.

Larry Kramer and Dan Hartwick from Whitmans.  A recently opened American restaurant located at 406 E. 9th Street.  They made their juicy lucy.  Beef short rib blend stuffed with pimento cheese, caramelized onions, tomatoes, lettuce, spicy pickles and a mayo sauce.

Mo Koyfman and his sidekick this year, Sophie McNally with the classic.  Lettuce, tomatoes, crunchy bread and butter pickles, ketchup, mayo and the burger on a potato bun.  He has been the longest running chef in the event and was the winner of the first Burger Bash.  

Patrick Connolly and Carlos Suarez from Bobo with the summer corn burger.  A relish of fresh corn on top of the burger.  

The judges took the event very seriously.  We had Kate Krader of Food and Wine who definitely knows her burgers. Anyone who loves food should follow Kate on twitter.  Pat of Pat LaFrieda who provided all the meat for the event.  Each chef had Pat provide their own special mix.  Lee Schrager of all Food and Wine festivals and the last judge was Josh Capon, last year's winner, from Lure Fishbar on Prince and Mercer.

Mo attempts to explain the nuances of his burger to the judges as Ben Leventhal of Feast ( who puts the festival on ) watched. 

And the winner was.....drum roll please....Mo Koyfman with the classic burger that he has brought back year after year. The fans gathered around his table waiting for their own burger.

Personally, I really liked the Juicy Lucy. 

Fred loved the Bay Burger because he loves blue cheese.

Although at the end of the day, regardless of loving one burger one day and a different one the next, it is all about the classic.  It always works, it is always good and you can't go wrong.  Congratulations to Mo.  A very nice showing by all.

The night ended back at the Crow's Nest for a Curbed after party.  The sun set was magnificent.  People were letting off white air balloons filled with fire.  They are for making a wish.  Really pretty watching them launch individually into the dark sky. 


A very long day.  One of my favorites of the summer.  Next year, maybe Josh and I will enter ourselves in the competition and see how we do.  I am sure Josh would love to!

Peach Cake

Emily and her friend wanted to make a pie.  I suggested making the peach cake from Lisi's Luscious Desserts.  You can never go wrong with her recipes.  And so, they did.  The only thing that we didn't cook it as long as she called for.  After 35 minutes, because we had to run out of the house, we took off the tin foil.  Then let is cook around 30 minutes.  It was plenty.  We are out at the beach so the salt air might have something to do with that but it is definitely important to make sure the top doesn't burn and a toothpick comes out clean. 

1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk

4 cups peeled sliced peaches (from about 3 pounds)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly butter a 13×9x2 inch glass baking dish.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

With the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until smooth – and a little lighter.  About 3-4 minutes.  Add the eggs one at a time on medium speed, and then the vanilla.

Scrape and mix again.

On the lowest speed, add 1/3 of the flour mixture, followed by 1/2 of the buttermilk, repeat and finish with the flour.  Scrape and mix again – until all comes together.

Pour the batter into the prepared dish.  Spread with a spoon or palette knife.

Arrange peaches over the batter – it is OK if some overlap.

Spray or lightly butter a piece of tin foil. and cover the cake with the foil (butter side down)  - and seal tightly.  Bake for 45 minutes covered.

Remove the foil carefully, then bake another 40 minutes or so until the top is a nice golden brown and the edges are crusty.  A toothpick should come out just barely clean.

Cool for about an hour – then serve warm with whipped cream.  Yum.

Enjoy-

Crow's Nest

After many stops to say hello to Chef Jeff and not finding him there at the moment, I finally got to the Crow's Nest for dinner.  He is always there for that.  A wonderful menu that makes it very hard to decide what to get.  And the food is delicious.  Simple, flavorful, summery, well-presented, just all around yum. 

There were four of us.  We all had a little tastebof each others plates.  Here is the rundown.  Beginning with squash blossoms stuffed with ricotta and basil.  Simple, fresh, crispy and just plain good.  Super hot when they come out so wait a few seconds before jumping in.

Chunks of watermelon mixed together with crunchy pieces of cucumber, mint and a sherry vinegar.  I particularly like the old school plates.

Roasted baby beets with fresh yogurt and a handful of crunchy pumpkin seeds.  I loved this.

Homemade lemon pasta with parmigiana and arugula.  A nice summer pasta...and I do love lemon.

Whole fluke that serves two, roasted with a seasoning that gives it a bit of a kick served with smashed crispy roasted potatoes and arugula. 

Moroccan lamb chops served on the side is a local bean salad and a charred eggplant sauce.  Excellent.

Dessert should not be missed.  Olive oil cake.  Moist and flavorful.

Grilled peaches with a touch of rosewater, lavender, a dab of yogurt and a few pistachios on top.  

The coup de grace is the chocolate brioche pudding topped with a ice cream.  Not to be missed.  We have been discussing this for days.  The whole meal could be bad but the chocolate brioche would make up for everything.  The good news is that the meal if excellent too.

Looking over the water in Montauk, with a big bonfire and a circle of chairs before entering the restaurant.  You really feel as if you are not only at the beach but you are on a really nice vacation.

a quick trip to montauk

Every Thursday morning through September there is a farmer's market in Montauk.  Small but packs a powerful punch.  My friend and I went to Montauk and I gave her a quick tour of my favorite haunts in Montauk.

Heirloom, golden and red cherry tomatoes and cherry husks from Amber Waves.  

Fresh bread from Eli's.

Pickles from a small company that I had never heard of ( and can't remember their name ) in Long Island.  Killer firecracker pickles.

Intense cheese.  The fresh ricotta is some of the best I have ever had.

Really good olive oils and vinegars from California.  Excellent balsamic.

Over to Tauk Coffee for a mid-morning fix.  Serving up my fave, Gimme Coffee. Directly across the street from South Edison.

A peek in Jonis.

Checked out Tauk, an eclectic shop across the street from the movie theater. 

Over to Hideaway to check it out.  Kitchen wasn't open yet. 

Next stop, Crow's Nest which looks better each time I stop by.  The menu is mouth watering.  This picture of Yoko and John which I would have stolen off the wall if Jeff wasn't watching!

Back to Hideaway for lunch.  Fish and shrimp tacos.  The fish are better.

Felt like a short vacation.  I do love Montauk. 

Blueberry Jam

I made Blueberry Jam yesterday.  It is really thick.  Maybe too thick but delicious.  More canning this week.  And yes, I had the labels made at the beginning of summer.  Always planning ahead!

Stinky Dog

God knows what Ollie has managed to get himself into our here but he smells terrible.  Bath time is called for. 

He was actually quite sedate.  Not shaking.

Now a little rest and relaxation in the sun. 

Closettour

Jenni Avins is creating short videos leading up to fashion week.  This is the first of the series.  I am going to post them as they come in.  I really like what she's doing.  Hoping you will see these videos more places than my blog in the next few weeks...maybe taxis?

CLOSETTOUR Coming Soon: pre-Fashion Week Webisodes! from Jenni Avins on Vimeo.

matt satz, art

I met Matt about 11 years ago when he came over to our house to hang a painting.  Feigning that he knew what he was doing and our friend hired him for the job.  The good news is just as the painting fell to the ground, two people were standing underneath him and caught it.  The other good news is I went to his studio to see what he really does, art. 

We own a few pieces of his work and it is wonderful to see his work continue to grow in different directions.  His only issue is that he has never wanted to deal with the gallery world to get his work into more collectors hands and have someone represent him.  Unfortunately, that is the way the art world works. After yesterday's visit, I hope a gallery will convince him otherwise.  His work is fantastic and in over 110 collections.  The pictures don't do the work justice. 

His web site isn't up to date and is the dreaded flash but he is working on changing that in the very near future.