Gotham Gal

mini banana muffins and a weekend of stuff

friday afternoon was spent having lunch at jeffrey's grocery with a few friends and catching up. always nice. 

met fred for a movie.  we saw it's kind of a funny story.  really liked it.  a total feel good movie that definitely hits on the topic of insane pressure that high school kids go under because of who they are and expectations that their parents put on them.  zach galfianakis is hilarious and keir gilchrist we will probably see more of in the years to come.

after the film we walked over to prune where we actually grabbed a table for two.  love that place.  makes me feel like i am in paris. 

speaking of zach, i love that he lit up a joint on the bill maher show.  it's absolutely fantastic and worth the watch.

saturday was spent doing errands and nonsense and of course finishing sundays crossword and saturdays.  saturday night we went to an annual halloween carving party.  great concept.  everyone carves a pumpkin while drinking and eating an incredible spread of food cooked over an entire week by our hosts.  been doing this party off and on since the 1980's. 

today was purely relaxation.  got up and noticed 6 rotten bananas.  made mini muffins for the 6 kids that spent the night in random places around the house.  not a great recipe so i won't share but nobody seemed to mind.  finished a book, read another while watching the jets game. 

halloween in the village is a time you either join in the party or hunker down indoors.  we are going for the latter.  i figure saturday night was our halloween. 

 

life style businesses

More and more people are starting businesses.  Entrepreneurship is in the air.  For our economy that is great news.  For investors, it can be good news and it can be bad news. 

Everyone has an idea but executing on an idea is a completely different thing.  I have met with a variety of people over the past six months.  Some have killer ideas that could possibly scale while others have solid ideas that have the potential to be great life style businesses. 

What do I mean by life style businesses?  A life style business is a business that generates enough money to sustain a life style for yourself and perhaps your partners, that's it.  Many of these businesses start with seed money from family and friends that over time are paid back.  There is something to be said for these type of businesses.  You run them and nobody else has a say in the decisions that you make.  Being your own boss is a beautiful thing.  Once you begin taking angel or VC money, your business needs to grow to a completely different level.  Perhaps it will, perhaps it won't.  All new businesses are risky no matter what they are.  The question is always scalability.  VC's like to see businesses that have potential to be worth millions of dollars and hopefully at least many times their original investment. 

There are always problems that can arise with life style businesses particularly when you have a partnership.  Sometimes the partnership doesn't work out.  When you have a board, they not only give advice but are responsible for the governance of the organization.  They can make decisions about partnerships that aren't working like getting rid of both of you, bringing someone else in to run the business or choosing one to stay and another to go.  Sometimes it is a wonderful thing to have a board because they generally provide a support system based on their experience.  They are in essence mentors.  When you have a life style business there isn't anybody to come to for advice and help dissolving a messy partnership. 

There are certainly pros and cons to both but as more and more people jump into the game of new businesses, there should be some thoughts about life style businesses.  There are many businesses in the tech world through blogging or apps that provide enough income for one person or maybe two.  Sometimes taking money on a business that might not have the potential to truly scale is best making it your own and enjoying the fruits of your labor. 

wine tasting

A group of people get together ever few months to have a wine tasting.  I love the concept.  Everyone brings a bottle.  The bottles are brown bagged.  Everyone gets a piece of paper and a pen.  As you taste the wines, numbered 1 - 11 last night, you write down your thoughts on each glass.  At the end, votes are tallied up for the top three favorites.  Interesting how different everyone's palette is and then of course how wine tastes different when eating food.

The event was at our house last night and this is the first one I have been to.  Pizza was the food.  I made eight different pizzas.  The dough should really be made the night before.  Makes for a much better dough.

Recipe for the dough:

Take 1 1/2 cups really warm, almost hot water and sprinkle 1/4 tsp. of yeast on top.  Let that sit for about 10 minutes and the water should turn foggy and feel a little thicker.  If it doesn't do this, the yeast isn't active.  Then add 2 tsp. olive oil and 2 tsp. kosher salt.  In the mix master, put in 4 cups all-purpose flour and pour the water mixture over the top.  Mix with the kneader for 10 minutes at medium low speed.  The dough will form a ball and completely pull away from the bowl.  After 10 minutes, take the bowl off the mix master and put a damp towel over the top and let it sit for 5 minutes.  Then, put the bowl back and knead again for 10 more minutes.  Once this process is over, take out the dough, fold it over to make a ball, cover with olive oil, put into a new bowl, cover with plastic wrap ( tightly ) and put in the refrigerator over night.  In the morning, pull the dough out, fold it in half and put back in the refrigerator for 4 hours to 24 hours.  About 2 hours before you are ready to use the dough, roll the dough out, just a little, and cut it into 4 equal pieces.  Make each piece into a ball and set on a floured surface ( put it on a cutting board ), each piece far away from each other to grow.  Put a damp cloth over the four balls and let sit until you are ready to use.  At least 2 hours in advance so the dough can riseIngredients were all over the place. 

I prepped mushrooms, broccoli rabe mixed with shallots, pine nuts, fontina, goat gouda, mozzarella, roasted cauliflowers, tomato sauce, prosciutto, pancetta, spinach, Parmesan, basil, caramelized onions, marinated artichokes and crushed pepper flakes and set them each in a separate bowl for easy fixings. 

Here are the pizzas:

Goat Gouda, mushrooms and spinach

Tomato sauce, mozzarella, proscuitto and basil

Cauliflower, fontina, artichokes and pine nuts

 
Tomato sauce, broccoli rabe, chili peppers

Tomato sauce, mozzarella, pancetta and onions

Cauliflower, Parmesan, cauliflower, artichokes, fontina

Mushrooms, spinach, broccoli rabe, onions, mozzarella

Cauliflower, onions, mozzarella, pine nuts

The winning wine was the Neo.

Great night. 

the war on pot

Image via Wikipedia

My brother has been living in California for the last couple of years.  We have talked many times about the politics in California, the diversity of the state, the short-fall of the budget ( like every other state ).  The question both of us have asked since the pot stores have opened on streets corners across the state is how much money could the state reap if marijuana was legalized? 

All the hoopla over legalizing pot, to me, is ridiculous.  Conversations range from drug abuse to the Federal Government continuing to pursue even small time dealers no matter what the outcome at the polls in November.  The answers I am interested in are the points that Nicholas Kristof writes about in his editorial in the New York Times today.

I want to know the numbers.  How much tax revenue will be generated with legalizing pot?  How much money will be saved in the "war on the drugs"?  How much money will be saved in the police department because the cops can use their time focusing on crimes of more significance.  Kristof points out that over 750,000 Americans are arrested each year for a small possession of marijuana.  That is astounding. How much does that cost our system not only for housing people in jail but the havoc is wreaks on families if the major bread winner is hauled off to jail for a small bag of pot they smoke at night.  Needless to say, more African-Americans are arrested by sevenfold as compared to the white population.  BTW, that does not mean that more African-Americans are smoking pot it just means that they are the ones being arrested. 

There is no doubt that for certain people smoking marijuana can lead to harder drug abuse.  Yet, in areas where pot has been legalized such as Amsterdam and even Portland, Oregon there has not been a significant increase in drug abuse.

I believe the pro's outweigh the cons.  Legalizing pot makes for a huge cash surplus which this country needs badly.  I am not so sure it is any different than prohibition.  After all, alcohol is the worst drug ever if abused and it is legal. 

In the Times today there was also an article about all the marijuana url's being snapped up for the possible future of pot being sold online.  Pretty damn smart.  I actually do believe that in my lifetime we will see that happen.  Call me crazy. 

I totally agree with Kristof as he ends his editorial with "One advantage of our federal system is that when we have a failed policy, we can grope for improvements by experimenting at the state level. I hope California will lead the way on Tuesday by legalizing marijuana."

 

 

emily is in a photography show

Emily was asked to submit her work for a photography show.  The show opens on Thursday night.  The concept behind the show is this....G/IRL: Women Photographers Emerging in Digital Culture brings internet stars and emerging talent to Chelsea for a pop-up exhibition showcasing artists using social media sites like Flickr, Tumblr, and blogs to explore and establish a life in photography.

I am really excited for her. 

 

weekend in wesleyan

this past weekend was parent's weekend at wesleyan.  we went up to see jessica and emily joined in the fun.  josh chose to stay in the city and do his thing.  it was a perfect fall day. we sat out on the hill and had a picnic with jess and her friends including friends parents.  it was really nice.  people came and people went.  i got to do one of my favorite activities which is feed the troops. 

we took a stroll down to the water front. 

this picture kind of defines middletown.

a really nice day.  knowing that emily is about to be the next to make the leap to college is kinda of bittersweet.  josh will be the last at home holding down the fort.  i love watching them grow but there is that very tiny part of me that still pines for the days when they would just crawl up into my lap and cuddle.

quiche?

Question of the morning....what does everyone want for dinner tonight?  Answer...I don't care, I don't want chicken, I don't want steak, please not fish...hmmm, whatever. 

Today I decided to be creative.  Who knows why.  I made quiche.  Frightening as it is, I had a frozen ball of previously made pie dough in my freezer so I put it in the refrigerator for the day to defrost.  When I got home, I made the crust in a tart and let it cool. 

On the side I sauteed half a Spanish onion sliced, one yellow pepper and one red pepper until everything was soft.  About 5 minutes.  Then I added about 5 cups of spinach and sauteed that until soft.  I let this cool.

In the crust, I sliced pieces of unsalted mozzarella that were way too thick.  I sprinkled grated parm over the bottom of the crust and then placed the mozzarella on top.  Then topped that with the vegetable mixture.  Took 1 1/2 cups of skim milk and 3 eggs, beat them and then poured it over the top.  Baked at 375 for 45 minutes.

Not so sure putting this in a removable tart bottom was so smart.  The milk/egg mixture leaked through.  The cheese on the bottom made the crust super soft and crispy at the same time.  Getting it out of the pan proved to be questionable. 

Bottom line...tasted great but not attractive.  Lesson learned.  Mellow out on the liquid.  Don't put cheese that thick on the bottom. 

As for the troops....it was a thumbs up!

Spark Summit Conference

Women, women, women...and girl power.  That seems to be on the radar these days not only in tech but all over the place.  My head is spinning. 

This past week I went to see my husband get interviewed by Rachel Sklar discussing how to Change the Ratio.  Love that name. 

On the other hand I am also involved with a conference in January that focuses on Women Entrepreneurs and Investors which I am really excited about.  Showcasing a variety of people, men and women (mostly women) who have created interesting properties from an idea.

Then I went to the Spark Summit Conference on Friday, hosted by Hunter College.  The event was mostly academia focused on sexualization protest: action, resistance, knowledge.  The day was focused around different panels and workshops pertaining to supporting womens well being.

I didn't love the prominent scientists panels in hindsight.  They each shared their latest research findings about the sexualization of girls in our culture.  How young girls see themselves after looking at certain pictures such as athletes who are made to look sexual vs in their true environment doing sports.  Barbie's sexuality who has the perfect body which is completely unattainable including her molding feet that always fit into a high heeled shoe.  A lot of their findings I found just confirmed most things that I fundamentally think I knew. 

My favorite panel was Girls Activitists Speak Out.  Shelby Knox moderated a panel of young feminists (per se ) and what they are doing to feel confident, sexual and smart.  These women ranged from 18-24.  The constant theme was that our generations conscious groups are accessible on Twitter, Tumbler and through blogging.  They are using the Internet as their platform to create communities.  As one person said, "I would not be as strong as I am without the Internet". 

Best part was going to a cocktail party after the event and meeting Gloria Steinem.  She is so beautiful and articulate that it isn't surprising she led an entire generation to speak out for women's rights.

Then Sunday there is an article in the New York Times called "Calling Mr. Mom" by Lisa Belkin.  Belkin writes that women are actually already empowered in the workplace and she sites a variety of statistics.  Her theory is that until men change, like women have changed when it comes to the workplace and balancing the act between family and work life, nothing will change.  Empowering women must focus on men too.  Men's expectations for themselves must change in order for everything to change. 

In Sweden, the policies have forced men to change.  They are giving a certain amount of Daddy leave that they lose if they don't take it.  Now 80% of Swedish men take that time.  In essence, forcing men to be part of the whole family picture. 

What is interesting is most women entrepreneurs start their businesses as second careers around 40-60 years of age.  Many of these women have higher degrees of education and on their second career decide they'd rather work for themselves.  Hard to compete against 22 year old men sitting in a room hammering out ideas doing laundry on occasion and not having the same financial needs as a 40 year old woman including fewer responsibilities.  Not having enough women entrepreneurs in any industry is not as simple as providing mentoring and funding particularly when you look at the statistics.

So what is in store for the next generation of feminists?  Will they never get off the ramp even when raising a family?  Will they start their own businesses at an earlier age?  Will they be able to do it all such as bring home and bacon and fry it up in a pan?  I certainly don't know the answers but I do know that there are many more choices available now than there was even 10 years ago.  There are also many more women in the tech industry getting back in the game at a later stage who have some terrific ideas that will be funded because they are great ideas not because they are women.  Going under the theory which is show me a good idea, someone will be interested in funding you. 

This is a multi-layered topic that I am thrilled to part of.  Not sure there are any simple answers but hearing many women at all ages roar is part of the ever changing cultural shift that we witnessing right now.  Where it ends up, who knows but my gut tells me that I should pay attention to the four women on the panel at the Spark Conference on Friday.  Their youth and confidence was exhilerating. 

 

morrocan lamb shanks

Lamb shanks tend to be really fatty but if you take the time out to strain all the fat out at the end, it makes all the difference in the world.  This is what the lamb looked like before cooking.  Picture below is before serving for dinner. 

8 Lamb Shanks

2 Spanish onions thinly sliced

20 dried pitted prunes

1 cup golden raisins

1 blood orange - slices and roasted in the oven for 6 hours until dry

2 boxes grape tomatoes - mixed with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and dried rosemary roasted in the oven for 6 hours

one bottle red wine or possible more

2 cups chicken broth

1 tbsp. sweet paprika

In a spice bag - Bay leaf, 2 cinnamon sticks

salt and pepper

The day before roast the blood oranges and tomatoes.  I put them in the same oven on different cookies sheets ( lined with parchment paper ) and roasted them for about 6 hours at 200.  The tomatoes didn't get as dried up as I had hoped but that was ok, it was time for bed.  I put the sheets aside on the counter to use the following day.  I didn't put this in the refrigerator.

In a large Le Cruset pot ( the key to life for winter cooking ) cover the bottom with olive oil and heat.  Salt and pepper the lamb shanks.  On a medium high heat brown the shanks on all sides and set aside. 

Add the onions and saute until soft and beginning to carmelize. 

Put the shanks back into the pot.  Add everything else.  I felt like I needed more wine because I wanted to make sure that shanks were really covered so I added another half a bottle of wine.  So in essence, I used one and a half bottles of red wine.  Cover the pot and turn the heat down to simmer and let it hang out on the stove anywhere from 3-4 hours.  The meat should almost be falling of the bone when done. 

When the lamb was done, I took the shanks out and put them on a serving platter that could be put in the oven for later.  I took the broth that the lamb cooked in and strained it into a large bowl.  Putting the raisins, prunes, tomatoes and blood orange slices aside.  Take out the spice bag and throw out.  Take the strained broth and put it one of those glass containers where the grease comes to the top.  This takes several times to get through the whole pot.  Pour out the grease each time and then put the clean broth in another pot.  I did this three separate times to make sure the grease was really gone.  Then I added back into this broth the tomatoes, raisins, prunes and blood oranges that I had set aside.  This takes some time to do but well worth it. 

I put this mixture that is now in a separate pot back on the stove and boiled it down just a little bit until it got thick.  5-10 minutes. 

Before dinner, I put the shanks that are on a serving plate in oven already warmed at 350 degrees.  Warmed the broth up until hot.  Then I put already made couscous on each plate, a hot lamb shank on top and then poured the warm broth over each shank.  On the side I served an already made pan browned cauliflower. 

It is really filling and delicious.  Best part, not as fatty as it would be if I had not taken out all the fat before serving. 

 

arugula salad with artichokes, ricotta salata, and pumpkin seeds

Yes, another recipe from The Essential New York Times Cookbook.  What I really liked about this recipe is I learned something that I will use time and time again.  I love artichokes and usually serve them whole.  In this recipe you make the whole artichoke but only use the heart for the salad.  The broth that I cooked the artichokes in served as part of the vinaigrette I made.  That is really the whole key to the salad.  Made me think about how to use other broths in salad dressings for the future.

This served 8 for a first course ( I didn't use the exact recipe from the book but this is mine below)

4 large artichokes

1 lemon halved

2 whole shallots sliced

1 1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup champagne vinegar

1 bay leaf

8 springs thyme

10 black peppercorns

4 cups chicken brother

2 cups water

VINAIGRETTE:

1/4 cup grapeseed oil

1/4 cup olive oil

SALAD:

arugula - enough for 8 people ( think two handfuls per person )

1/4 lb. ricotta salad cheese, shaved

1/4 cup toasted green pumpkin seeds ( I bought them online at nutsonline)

pumpkin seed oil

 

Slice one third off the top off each artichoke.  Take out all the outer leaves ( as many as possible on the bottom area ).  Rub down with the lemon.

In a large pot, barely cover with olive oil and heat.  Add shallots.  Saute for a few minutes.  Add the wine and vinegar to the pot and bring to a boil.  Keep that going until it is reduced in half.  About 10 minutes.  I used a spice bag and stuffed that with the bay leaf, thyme and peppercorns.  Add that and the broth and water to the pot.  Add the artichokes too and bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer.  Let simmer for about 30 or so minutes or until you can stick a toothpick through the bottom of the heart easily.  Set the artichokes aside and let cool.

Strain the mixture and measure out 2 cups.  Simmer on the stove and reduce to half a cup.  Set aside to cool.

Remove the artichoke leaves until the heart is left.  Put the reduced liquid in a blender with the grapeseed oil and olive oil and mix until thick.  The best way is to blend the liquid and then slowly add in the oils.  Season with salt and pepper. 

In a large bowl place the arugula.  At this point, I sliced the artichoke hearts into thin pieces so they were tossed through out the salad.  Add the dressing, mix.  Put a serving on a plate, put cheese on the top, then sprinkle with pumpkin seeds and drizzle pumpkin seed oil around the plate. 

A winner salad.