Sunday, August 31, 2008

Gimme Some MoMa!

                   (Above: I just wanted to reach down and pet these little guys)
                                   (Above: Are these lit-up Tylenols?)
                            (Above: Picasso loved monkey business)
                                            (Above: Comfy living room?)
                                (Above: Uhhhh, not sure, but me likey)

I just had to show y'all (in Indiana terms) other sights I saw at the MoMa! This is just a little taste of what was in there. We got there around 3:30PM and they closed at 5:30PM, so we didn't have a lot of time to wander. Next time I go, I will pretend to be a current student and receive my discount....sneaky.

More MoMa!

                                   (Above: Even the people are artwork here)
       (Above: All of these little symbols made up the picture below)

                                (Above: A piece from Pablo Picasso)
(Above: Looks like I'm standing under a spiral staircase, but really it's a piece of artwork shot straight ahead of me.)

After spending a good portion of our day at the Dali exhibit, my friends and I needed to explore more of the MoMa. We ended up exploring a futuristic furniture exhibit, which also displayed past inventions that may or may not have been used to date. Some people hate modern art, I actually love it! Although The Met was very interesting, I had more fun at MoMa. I could spend all day exploring this museum and I intend on returning shortly. After seeing all of  this splendid artwork, I want to go to The New Museum in L.E.S. as well. This trip has definitely sparked my art interest, just another thing to add to my "To Do" list. 

MoMa: Salvador Dali

                        (Above: Huge photo of Dali in front of the exhibit)
 (Above: Dali's work in the dream sequence of Alfred Hitchcock's Spellbound)
                        (Above: The Lobster Phone....awesome!)
                        (Above: The white image is said to be the profile of Dali)
     (Above: Dali & Disney's ultra trippy animation "Destino")

I have been in NY for over a year now and I have only been to one museum, The Met (the Metropolitan Museum). I must be crazy because NY has so many museums and galleries to explore and appreciate.  After a recommendation from Ms. Courtney to see the Salvador Dali exhibit at the MoMa (Museum of Modern Art), my friends and I decided to go this past Saturday. After hesitating on whether to show my expired student ID to get a discount or not (I chickened out), we headed to the 6th floor to the Dali exhibit. Wow, what an awesome display it was. It was compiled of a few rooms, each with it's own era of Dali's work as well as his participation in many films over the years. I had known of some of his artwork, but I had no idea about his love of motion pictures. My favorite was his collaboration with Disney called "Destino", which was the trippiest, most beautiful animation I have ever seen. I also noticed his signature illustrations he placed in his artwork, like a shoe, glass of milk, melting clock, his use of blue, gold, and red...and so much more.  How intriguing! I don't know enough about artwork to critique it, but I do know I loved the Dali exhibit!

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Eeewww Yuck!



                                                                   A few weeks ago, my boyfriend Rob and I went to Monster Sushi for lunch. When we go out to eat, we go all out. We ordered a plethora of sushi, one of which was Uni (sea urchin). Not only does Uni look like an alien fetus, but the texture and taste is something to get used to....if you like eating something that looks like yellow dog poop. I have never been a picky eater, and I will try anything. After trying the Uni (to make things worse, it was topped with a raw quail egg) I could not take more than a tiny bite. Gross-o-rama! Uni goes on my small list of foods I dislike....1 being Bitter Melon and 2 being Uni. 

I Love Pizza!

Pizza is probably my all time favorite food, and I could probably eat it every day of the week. I like deep dish, stuff-crust, thin crust, french bread pizza, pita pizza, and pizza bagel. I love it all!
I do however, like to mix up my ingredients. Sometimes pepperoni, sometimes sausage, sometimes all veggie, or sometimes a combo of everything. I think you get the point by now. 

So after my shopping adventure, I went home and made myself a pizza. This is one of my most favorite recipes (and it is sooo easy). I buy the Pillsbury pizza dough from the refrigerator section in the grocery store, pop it open and roll it out onto a greased pan. I stick it in a 425 degree oven for five minutes to rise a bit and then take it out to put the sauce and toppings on. Today I put mushrooms, red onion, sliced cherry tomatoes, and goat cheese on my pizza. After putting on the toppings, I stick it back into the oven for about 10-15 minutes. Presto pizza...I think that is what I should call this recipe. 

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

A Lovely Tuesday Indeed!



After work, my friend Megan and I met up at Cha'an on 9th St. in the East Village for some tea and dessert. I think I've told Megan about this place for months now, but we had never gone until today. All I can say is "Wow". I have read about how wonderful this place is, and now I can be one of those who rave about it. You walk into the Japanese tea house, go up the stairs, and find yourself in a quaint little room with approximately 10 tables and a little kitchen. The decor is simple yet tasteful, and the music was nice and relaxing as well. 

We started off our evening with tea; I chose Jasmine Pearl and Megan had the Dragon Pearl. The tea came out with cute little cups that fit perfectly in your hands without burning you. I love Jasmine tea, so I had no complaints. We both ordered the Chef's Dessert Assortment which was $16 for a three course dessert plus any tea. The server said that both of our courses would be similar, but were going to be surprises. 

First Course 
I was given a berry ice cream and Megan the Jasmine ice cream (which both came with a sesame brittle crisp...yum!).  

Second Course
In the second round, I was given Black Sesame Creme Brulee and Red Bean filled Mochi with Crushed Toasted Soy Bean (see above photo)....Woowwwzzerrs! Megan also had the Black Sesame Creme Brulee, but received a profiterole-like pastry filled with berry ice cream and a berry drizzle (see above photo). The creme brulee had a perfectly burnt and crunchy top, and the creamy sesame center was to die for! However, my one issue was the dessert being served in square cups, in which our spoons had problems getting the cream from the corners. So what did we do?...we decided to turn our spoons upside down and use the back end to scoop out whatever we could from our cups! We were one step shy of sticking our tongues in those square cups and licking the rest out.

Last Course
We were both given a chocolate cookie and a little loaf of goodness. The loaf was a Financier, which is a French pastry....crunchy on the outside, soft and flavorful in the center. I wanted to savor every bite of this little guy! The cookie looked like it would be hard as biscotti, but to our surprise, it flaked apart and melted in your mouth. Those two pastries were the perfect ending to our dessert bliss. 

You thought our night ended then? No way Jose! We were fiending for some salty goodness and decided to have some Japanese Ramen at Rai Rai Ken. No, this is not the $.25 Ramen you buy at the grocery; rather, it is a Japanese fast food that is a whole meal in a bowl, and it was oh so delicious. Megan had some curry ramen, and I had a cold ramen (not in soup form) that had apples, cucumber, egg, seaweed, sundried tomato, soy/vinegar dressing, and all of those flavors went sooo well together. At under $10 a bowl, I would say it was a delicious and inexpensive meal.


Not Dog

In light of my at-home-vegetarian diet, I decided to feed my hot dog crave with some Not Dogs, veggie hot dogs. They look like hot dogs, they have the texture of a hot dog, but they most certainly do not have the full flavor of a hot dog. I didn't mind it though. I decided to top them off with some spicy vegetarian chili (365 Organic brand), chopped red onion, and some bread and butter pickles. With 0 gms of fat in the hot dogs, 2.5 gms in the whole wheat bun, 5 gms in the chili, and some additional calories from the pickles and mustard... this veggie-version was a pretty low fat, low cal dinner. 

Monday, August 25, 2008

3 Types of People

My friend read an article stating there are 3 types of people in Manhattan:
1) Those born, raised, and who remain in Manhattan tend to take it for granted.
2) The bridge and tunnel people who are guilty of bringing in the traffic; therefore, causing the street congestion.
3) Those who are transplants, who moved from somewhere else; they bring passion to this city.

Being from Indiana, maybe I'm a bit bias, but I think there is some truth to this statement.
In response to the above three statements:
1) I work with many people who have lived in New York City their entire lives and they have not been to many of the places I have been (and I've been here for a little over a year now).
2)Most people in Manhattan do not have cars; therefore, how could we cause all the traffic?
3) I love this city, and although I no longer claim myself as a tourist, I have no shame in whipping out my camera on the streets, looking up at the Empire State Building, and window shopping on 5th Ave.

Call me corny, but I love the following about NYC:
* The Statue of Liberty -She is beautiful, just admit it. There is nothing touristy about seeing Lady Lib and what she stands for. We are truly lucky to live in this country...bad economy and all.
* The City Skyline - My BF lives in Jersey and I can't help but stare at the cityscape while I'm heading out of the Lincoln Tunnel. If you have seen the Chicago skyline, or any other skyline, there is just no comparison to NY.
* Manhattan is an island - I have lived in Indiana my entire life before coming to NY, and there is nothing more claustrophobic than living in a flat, boring, land-locked state. Although there many lakes close by, and I am from the city "famous" for their 3 rivers, the flat farmland is just so blah. Manhattan, on the other hand, is of course surrounded by water, and crossing bridges and going into tunnels is actually exciting to me. I love looking over the Hudson when crossing the GW Bridge, or being amazed going underneath the Hudson via the Lincoln Tunnel. Water....not only can you drink it (although I do not suggest drinking out of the Hudson), but it is a refreshing sight to see.

Friday, August 22, 2008

The Secret Village





Courtney and I were walking home from work on Monday when we came across a secret village. It was as if we had been transported to another time, another world inside NYC. I did some research and discovered it's called Deutsches Haus of NYU. I'm not sure of its purpose, but it was a very neat sight indeed. What an interesting discovery. This city never ceases to amaze me, and I can never walk down the same street and not notice something new. How wonderful!

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Duh...I Must Mention My Meals


Food positively consumes my life. I guess you can say it is my one true passion. I always thought I never had one hobby or interest I really enjoyed, and then I realized that I love food! While some people go gaga over running into a Gossip Girl set or the cast of the Real Housewives of NYC. I get giddy over the possibility of running into Bobby Flay or Masaharu Morimoto while eating at their restaurants. I'm constantly thinking of new recipes throughout the day, and I consider my weekly grocery trip a "night out". My girlfriends (who equally love food as much as I do) enjoy meeting at Whole Foods on Houston St. just to get some dinner and go shop together, where we share new recipes and seek out new foods.

Wednesday's Dinner (8/20/08): Roasted Red Pepper Brown Rice and Meatballs
So when I said I haven't purchased or cooked raw meat it, I meant it. However, a co-worker of mine was given a few bags of Cosco (bulk shopping store not found in NYC) meatballs, of course I offered to take a bag off her hands. These tasty licks have been useful in pasta dishes, but I decided to switch it up a bit and use them with some brown rice I had. While the rice was cooking, I sauteed some red onions, chopped carrots, and spinach. When the rice was just about done, I threw in a few frozen meatballs to thaw out (since they were already cooked), and then I combined the veggies, rice, and meatballs with roasted red pepper sauce (365 Organic brand from Whole Foods) and voila! Just to add a little richness, I threw in some shaved parmesan. "Yummo" as Rachel Ray would say!

Thursday's Dinner (8/21/08): Freeman's
I went to Freeman's tonight (located on Freeman's Alley off Rivington) with my friends Stephanie and Sue from work. They have both been there a few times, and I have been meaning to, but there has always been a crazy wait. We went after work, thinking it wouldn't be crowded, but little did we know everyone must have gotten off work early because this place was packed at 7PM. However, we were lucky to score a little table up front and we gladly took it (See photo of Freeman's above).

The ladies raved about the Hot Artichoke Dip, so we started with that, and it was definitely delic! Being from Indiana, the artichoke dip is mostly cheese, but this had tons of artichoke in it, which I liked. We each got a drink, Sue and Steph got a little concoction with fresh raspberries, and I got a glass of the house Sauvignon Blanc. Sue ordered the Mac n Cheese and a house salad, while Steph ordered the truffle mashed potatoes and the salad, and I ordered the fried chicken with chive waffles, pickled green tomatoes, and lavender honey. OMG....delicious!! It's meals like this that make me realize I could never become a full-time vegetarian.

More P.D.A.

       (Above: Sheridan Square Park)(Below: Christopher St Station)
                                              (Below: Christopher St. Station)
                                             (Below: Freeman's Alley)
                                                       (Below: Freeman's Alley)

Call me a loser, but I cannot get enough of the free art I see each and every day. Why have I not stopped to smell the roses until now? The art I have found around the city has been as elaborate as a large one-of-a-kind masterpiece or the work of an ornery teen with a can of spray paint. I believe I'm slightly jealous of the creative minds people have, because quite frankly, I am not artistically gifted. Sure I can put together a somewhat clever outfit and can somewhat think creatively outside of the box, but I can only dream of having the ability to draw, sculpt, and write eloquently. I took the above pictures just walking around last night and this evening, and oh do they make me smile.

Breaking Free of the Indiana Choke-hold


Being from Indiana, there is not a lot of room for freedom of expression. It's as if I lived in a beehive of drones; people who all graduated high school, got a blue collar job at the age of 18 or went to the local college, got married by 19, and have at least one child by the age of 21. Don't get me wrong, it can be a happy life for some, but for me, no way! There was no way I wanted to live my life like everyone else in my small hometown they call the second biggest city in Indiana. I always craved more, more culture, more diversity, more livelihood. Some people are happy with a "simple" life, but I think my life is pretty simple. I wake up, eat a bowl of cereal, go to work, perhaps go for a drink or dinner with friends, come home, go to bed, start all over again in the morning. I guess the difference between a NY simple life and one from Indiana, is that I have more options to explore here. There is more to do in NY than go up to the lake house in the summer or take country drives.
Like I said, some people find those activities to be the best feeling in the world, but me, I need more.
The one thing I am happy to take with me from the Midwest is my ability to be more conservative with my money. In NY, a polyester dress from the 70's could be sold at a vintage shop in the L.E.S. for $150, and I could get the same dress in Indiana for $2 at the Goodwill. I know how to stretch my dollar more than many people I know in this city. Maybe that is more of what my parents instilled in me over what the Midwest is about, but none-the-less, Indiana does not like to splurge on restaurants and clothing...two things I spend a majority of my money on. Just tonight, me and some work friends went to Freeman's for dinner and spent about $40-$50 for a random night out. Spending this amount of money for one meal in Indiana is reserved for birthdays and anniversaries, not just any night out. To me this is not indulging, it is enjoying oneself.

I am not totally bashing the Midwest. I have an amazing family there (see photo of my house above), great friends, and many fond memories. I was able to live a stereotypical all-american life, and I have no regrets on being born and raised there. It has made me who I am today, and I enjoy who I am! I don't think I would appreciate all this city has to offer if it wasn't for my Midwest upbringing. I am truly blessed!

Mobile Treats













I know how expensive the rent is for my West Village apartment, but can you imagine the rent for a retail/restaurant space? Not to mention all the furnishings, decorations, and equipment needed to run the business. With New Yorkers always on the move, why not make a business that is also on the move...literally. That's when smart people elaborate on the idea of the Halal cart or ice cream truck and put a bakery on wheels....the Treats Truck (and Dessert Truck). The Treats Truck is located on 38th and 5th Ave on Tuesdays and Thursdays (1-5PM), and is an easy 4 block walk from my office. They serve delicious baked goods, most notably the Oatmeal Jammy and Cran Almond Crispy, as well as cookie sandwhiches with creamy centers, 4 types of brownies, and much more. They are focused on simple baked goods rather than an elaborate dessert.

Which now brings me to the Dessert Truck, who sells each dessert for a measly $5...creme brulee, chocolate molten cake, chocolate bread pudding, and much much more. These are fast, yet delectable treats that beat out many of the desserts I've had at proper restaurants. They are currently located at 51st and Park Ave during the day until 5PM then move over to St. Marks Place and 3rd Ave during the evenings until about midnight Monday-Friday.
In the words of Wayne and Garth, "Shwiinng Shwiinng Shwiinng!" for mobile treats.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

A Beautiful Day for a City Saunter












So a cold front came through the Tri-State area making this day a sunny 77 degree day; perfect weather in my eyes. After work, I decided to take a West Village adventure, exploring various streets and peeking at menus and store windows. I then walked down to Tribeca, finding it a bit boring, I crossed up and over to Soho where I came across a mariachi band playing in front of a hat shop. I overheard some people wishing a lady in a sombrero a Happy Birthday as she dished out margaritas to the crowd. Free margs?! Of course I grabbed one. 

Through all of the pinatas and streamers hung up around the outside of the store, I noticed various people in the crowd wearing amazing hats. Makes sense, we were in front of a hat store. I had to whip out my camera and attempt to not look like a creep (see above photos). I could not help but smile at the scenario. It's this kind of randomness that makes me fall even more in love with this city. 

P.D.A - Publicly Displayed Artwork




How many times do New Yorkers take a good look at their subway stations? Did you know the city has commissioned many artists to fill the underground, smelly, and hot subways with beautiful, one-of-a-kind, pieces of art?I have noticed the artwork at various stations, but I have never stopped to look at them. On my way home from the U.E.S. Tuesday evening, I transferred at the Times Square Station where I actually stopped to look at the dozens of pieces lined up in between the NRW and the 123. Wooow what detail these works of art have in them! If you haven't seen them, there are numerous mosaics displaying people of all ages, shapes, and ages doing different activities (first and second photos above). On the opposite side of the mosaics is a tiled wall with tiny dioramas all filled with different scenes, from figures of women in a cabaret scene to abstract boxes filled with many shapes and colors to a scene with a bird sitting on a bowl (last photo above). So next time you are in the subways, take a look and maybe you will admire these works of art as you would a Matisse or Dali, because they are truly beautiful things we New Yorkers take for granted. Here is a cool website with more subway art than I can talk about!


Monday, August 18, 2008

"I'm a Half-Vegetarian?"


So as much as I enjoy going out for my meals, I equally enjoy conjuring up new recipes in my oh-so tiny kitchen (picture of mi cocina above). Because I have limited preparation space, I have decided to not purchase, prepare, or cook raw meat at my apartment. Call me a slight germaphobe, but I think putting raw meat on my kitchen table (even on a cutting board) is a bit disgusting. Don't get me wrong, I still eat meat, but I now choose to enjoy it on the weekends....already cooked.

With that said, I have turned into a half-vegetarian where I only eat meat on the weekends. I discovered the alternative meat section at Whole Foods.....seitan, tempeh, flavored tofu, even fake bologna! To my great surprise these new found proteins are quite delicious, and I have figured how to incorporate them into dishes that usually contain meat. So I am taking the opportunity to share my simple vegetarian dishes for all of you meat-eating or non-meat-eating people.

Sunday's Dinner (8/17/08): Seitan Summer Rolls
Boy do I love summer rolls (called 'goi cuon' in Vietnamese). I bought a pack of rice paper (called 'banh trang') in Chinatown for $1.25. To bring these round pieces of hard rice paper to life, all you need is a bowl filled with about an inch of water, then place the piece of rice paper in the water and let soak for about a minute. It will get softer in the water and is ready to blanket any tasty licks you have. I decided to fill my goi cuon with chicken-like seitan (wheat protein), cilantro, cucumber, fresh spinach, and white nectarine. Yes people, fruit is a great thing to wrap in these savory bites (peaches, mango, nectarine, etc). To roll the paper to keep your filling on the inside of the roll and not on your plate is to place your filling to one side of the paper, take both ends to make an envelope for your filling, tuck and roll...then you are good to enjoy!! Dip them in a little hoison sauce/Sriracha hot sauce mix, and Mmmmmm!

Monday's Dinner (8/18/08): Coconut-Curry Rice Noodles
I am Vietnamese and am fortunate to be knowledgeable about rice noodles. When purchased in Chinatown, these easy-to-make noodles are super cheap at less than $1 a bag. Also purchased during my Sunday stroll through Chinatown was cilantro, cucumber, sliced bamboo shoots, summer squash, and coconut-curry paste (Lee Kum Kee brand). I combined all of these tasty ingredients with some dried mushrooms (cooked at the same time with the noodles to re-hydrate), sweet soy sauce (also purchased in Chinatown), toasted sesame oil, and my secret...peanut butter... to make a delectable sweet and savory noodle dish. I don't use any form of measuring, so a dash here and spoonful there works for me.

Tuesday's Dinner (8/19/08): Refried Pinto Bean Nachos
I looovveee taking something unhealthy as tex-mex and making it a bit more healthy by adding lots of veggies, and using low fat dairy items. First off, Whole Foods' brand Organic 365 has awesome refried bean varieties. I usually get vegetarian refried black beans with red jalapeno, but decided to try the pinto beans with smoked chile and lime. I chopped up some red onion, tossed it in a pan with olive oil, added some frozen corn, then put my refried beans in the mix. I took this bean mixture and put a large spoonful on a plate, topped it with fresh cilantro, salsa, cheddar cheese (full fat), and topped it with some non-fat plain yogurt (tastes just like sour cream, but sooo much better for you). I had some three-pepper blue corn nacho chips to dip, and enjoyed my mini Mexican fiesta (all of which took about 10-15 minutes to make).

Jumping on the Bandwagon

According to Wikipedia, the Bandwagon Effect "is the observation that people often do and believe things because many other people do and believe the same things." Perhaps you can call me a technological lemur of sorts who decides to follow the blogging bandwagon. So here goes nothing!

As a rather new person to NYC, having lived here for about a year now, I have noticed how important blogging is to this city. With millions upon millions of people living in this city, I suppose blogging is a way to make this place feel smaller, to make a person feel more acquainted to their surroundings, and to allow each person to be a critic in their own right. How could anyone decipher on their own which bar has the best Happy Hour, or which Vietnamese restaurant has the most authentic Pho? I trust the comments I read on NYMag.com or Yelp.com, and I like to read the opinions of my fellow New Yorkers. There is something comforting about finding common interests with hundreds of people you've never met, yet discover many like the same chocolate-foie gras dish from P*Ong, or find you are not the only one who knows about MGMT. 

So if I am so interested in reading blogs, why haven't I joined one myself? I guess it's because I lack writing confidence, but I have finally decided to come out from behind the computer screen and become a participant in the cyber world. I want to share my views about this ever-growing, over-crowded, and highly expensive city. I want to share the beautiful, interesting, and thought-provoking things I come across each day.  I want to express my gratefulness for each breath I take, each sight I see, and each taxi horn and police siren I hear. So thanks for reading mis amigos!