• Last Books Read

    (K) Case Histories - Great character development ties together unsolved mysteries
    ***

    (T) (K)The United States of Arugula - An exhaustive look at the food revolution in the U.S.
    ****

    (T) (K) French Women Don't Get Ft - Almost funny, almost informative self-help/dieting book
    **

    (T) Busting Vegas - True story of MIT grads that beat the odds in Vegas
    **
  • Last Homemade Meals

    (T)Turnip puree & chicken with hunter's sauce - Diesel finally shows me what he's been learning in cooking class

    (T) Chicken Chili - Bought a whole, uncooked 2lb chicken and shredded into your standard chili base with the addition of some Vermont Porter.

  • Latest Restaurants



    Spicy and Tasty - Well worth the 1 hr train to Flushing. Best lamb ever; just like the name says: spicy and VERY tasty...and cheap!
    ****

    Babbo - Batali does what he does best in this legendary Italian restaurant. We got the amazing pasta tasting menu - 5 pasta dishes, 3 desserts
    ****

    Momofuku Noodle Bar - Delicious noodle soups and Chinese classics reinterpreted by an FCI alum
    ***

    Casa Mono - Mario Batali's tapas restaurant
    ***

    Clinton St Baking Company - An LES brunch favorite, the pancakes and crab cakes are some of the best we've ever had, but the line outside on a weekend make it something only worth it on the weekday.
    ***

    Chickie Pig's - Literally across the street, Chickie Pigs servers up thin, oval-shaped pizzas in a brick oven. Focus is on the crust and not the toppings.
    **

    Banjara - Finally! Good Indian. Embedded in the 6th St Indian madness is Banjara with delicious curries, dosas and samosas.
    ***

    The E.U. - A new chef prepares European comfort food including a thick and rich cassoulet, braised short ribs and Chicken and Dumplings along with a wide assortment of european beers. Very good.
    ***

    Falai - Modern Italian. Homemade Pasta. Creative Dishes like Beet & Lobster Risotto. One of the best meals had in NYC so far.
    *****

    Cafe Glechik - A Ukrainian cafe in Brighton Beach known for their dumplings. Try the veal and the Siberian.
    ***

    Rosario's Pizza - A tourist favorite of the LES, we read about this in one of our guide books. Pretty good pizza, but nothing special. Stay with the cheese.
    *

    Trattoria Spaghetto - Also mentioned in our guidebook, this Italian eatery actually turned out a better than expected lunch.
    **

    NY Noodletown - A decent Chinatown stop for Shrimp Wonton Noodle Soup. Reminds me of Canton Wonton Noodle House in Seattle
    **

The Mighty IKEA Bus

I was dreading that moment. But alas, on the very last day the superfluous IKEA stuff that Diesel and I bought on move-in day was eligible for a return, I finally decided to bite the bullet. Yes, I found myself in no other than the famous IKEA bus.
People in NY learn how to [...]

My Pick for American Idol This Year…

is David Archuleta. With a voice that tickles your ears, and looks that make your heart beat faster, he’s become one of the judges’ darlings and will certainly become one of America’s sweethearts. Plus, doesn’t he remind you of a young John Mayer (pre-bimbos such as Jessica Simpson)?

Must. Find. This.

So I’ve been reading blogs from random women who are part of a design/sewing/arts/crafts community. It’s all fascinating…
I came across this toy, which I think would be PERFECT for any of my little nieces.

The only problem is, I’ve only found this Mausens Klamottenkiste on German online stores…Anybody knows where I can find this here [...]

New Running Partners

As it turns out, Doree, whom I had been running with, can no longer do morning runs. Luckily, I had several runners respond to my Craigslist and RoadRunner “Looking for running partner” ads, and after my vacation and recovering from a weird bug, I decided it was time to start a little e-mail list [...]

NY Library Card!

Last month, I got my NY Library card. This month, we’ll be reading Middlesex for our book club, so I went online and got the book from my local library. As it is in Seattle, everything is so easy (reserve it online, pick it up in person), not to mention environment-friendly, clutter-free and [...]

The Bet

Tonight on the way back from dinner, Diesel and I somehow got to talking about our friend Cyrill and his dad. Neither of us could remember Cyrill’s dad’s name, and the following conversation ensued:
K: “His name is ‘Heiko’”
T (rolling his eyes): “What? It’s not; it’s ‘Hirim’.”
K: “What [...]

Currently Obsessed with…

Recognize the catchy tune? That’s cuz it’s the song, “New Soul,” that is in the new MacBook Air commercial.
If you haven’t heard the other stuff by the Israeli-born Yael Naim, check out YouTube for a clip of the French singer’s unplugged version of her other single “Far, Far.” YouTube also has Yael’s live performance [...]

Restaurant Reviews: Pigging out with Jing

Diesel’s co-worker and friend Jing was here for work this week, so she stayed with us over the weekend. The big plans for that girl included 6 hours of power shopping (she did get some good deals and miraculously was able to fit everything into one suitcase!) and food. LOTS, and LOTS of food.

La Technique: Pastry

I’m going to lump these two days into one post because I honestly I don’t remember what all we did during our week of pastry. There was lots of flour, eggs, a little water, some cornstarch, some more eggs, a pinch of sugar (those French don’t like things very sweet - not that I blame [...]

On Shadiness (With a Capital “S”)

Ever heard the story of the company that despite being the largest online bookseller still has tables made out of doors? I guess my company is legendary for being cheap (so I guess I’m at the right place). And cheapness extends to our little 5-person NY office, where we all take care [...]