What am I?

Here’s what went into this salad:

I love cabbage — red or green — and make many different variations of this salad.  And even though I also love mayo, I almost entirely stopped using it for slaws once I invented this dressing which has become my go-to formula for cabbage-based delights:

It’s nice to let the cabbage ‘pickle’ in the dressing ingredients for a few minutes.  That’s why I . . . CONTINUE READING → red cabbage and edamame salad]]>

I improvised this salad for lunch yesterday and was very surprised how filling it was.  I didn’t feel hungry the entire afternoon and attribute it to the protein-rich edamame beans. (Of course I also ate twice as much as I chose to capture in this uncharacteristically elegant presentation.)

Here’s what went into this salad:

• Shredded red cabbage (read about its miraculous health benefits)
• Sliced persian cucumber
• Sliced celery
• Cooked edamame (green soybeans)
• Sunflower seeds

I love cabbage — red or green — and make many different variations of this salad.  And even though I also love mayo, I almost entirely stopped using it for slaws once I invented this dressing which has become my go-to formula for cabbage-based delights:

• Rice vinegar;
• Oil (fragrance-free or nutty: canola, walnut, grape or pumpkin seed; I never use olive oil for this dressing);
• A tiny bit of sesame oil (optional);
• Brown sugar, ground ginger, salt, chilly paste or powder — all to taste;
• Fresh minced garlic;
• Fresh cilantro (which I didn’t have this time)

It’s nice to let the cabbage ‘pickle’ in the dressing ingredients for a few minutes.  That’s why I usually shred the cabbage first and immediately mix it with the dressing; then proceed to slicing and prepping any remaining vegetables.

Closely monitoring Pat Kiernan’s coverage of the Shuttle’s baby-monkey ride from DC to NYC, I went up to our building’s roof terrace with my big old camera in hand… It was very windy up there and a little crowded: a bunch of excited neighbors with their cameras and phones told me that I just missed it — but it’ll be looping back in about 10-15 minutes.

So, I waited and then it came.  Riding backwards on a pig… never mind…

See a little piece of The Intrepid in the lower right corner?  That’s where the Shuttle’s new home will be.  So close to our house, yay!

But first it had to land at JFK and will be . . . CONTINUE READING → Space Shuttle in our backyard]]>

New York is a very cool and exciting city but even here we don’t see space shuttles fly by our houses every day. But today one was circling around Manhattan as if it were some kind of an intergalactic hub.  Super cool.

Closely monitoring Pat Kiernan’s coverage of the Shuttle’s baby-monkey ride from DC to NYC, I went up to our building’s roof terrace with my big old camera in hand… It was very windy up there and a little crowded: a bunch of excited neighbors with their cameras and phones told me that I just missed it — but it’ll be looping back in about 10-15 minutes.

So, I waited and then it came.  Riding backwards on a pig… never mind…

See a little piece of The Intrepid in the lower right corner?  That’s where the Shuttle’s new home will be.  So close to our house, yay!

But first it had to land at JFK and will be delivered here later on a barge.

This is the closest close-up I could get with my camera.

It flew much higher than I thought it would… But it was still pretty low and these buildings let you get a sense of its altitude.

If you didn’t follow the news this morning and just happened to look out your window, I wonder what you would think?  There was a woman in our the gym working out obliviously until she finally took off her headset to ask what all the commotion was about…  Sadly, she’d already missed it.  The moral of the story? — less gym, more TV!

I was surprised that you couldn’t really hear the normal jet noise that you hear at or close to an airport.  Maybe because it was so windy.

A few more shots…

And then the Space Shuttle piggyback/baby-monkey ride was out of my sight and on its way to JFK.

Bye, Space Shuttle prototype (oh, I forgot to mention: it wasn’t a totally real SPACE shuttle)! See you soon back in the hood!

What’s growing? Rhubarb is getting bigger but not quite there yet. I spotted 2 tiny asparagus spears (we won’t be harvesting them for 2 more years though). Most peas I planted in March have sprouted. But not the radishes, kale or cabbage — I covered them with some garden cloth and will give them a few more weeks. But arugula and some cilantro are already coming up.

Garlic seems to be doing quite well. I planted some more radishes between its rows (White Icicle and French Breakfast)

Also sowed some carrots (the Atomic Red, of course), beets, lettuce (Sea Of Red), dill, mustard, collard greens, sunflowers, and some more peas.

And I also did a lot of cleanup this weekend… Spring cleaning in the garden – boring but necessary! Thankfully I had some miniature daffodils to cheer me up along the way.

The harvest: a bunch of chives, a few ramp leaves) and a big bag of young stinging nettles! (Made some lovely green soup with them last . . . CONTINUE READING → What’s growing and sowing: mid-April report]]>

This is the garden yesterday morning, before we went back to the city.

What’s growing? Rhubarb is getting bigger but not quite there yet. I spotted 2 tiny asparagus spears (we won’t be harvesting them for 2 more years though). Most peas I planted in March have sprouted. But not the radishes, kale or cabbage — I covered them with some garden cloth and will give them a few more weeks. But arugula and some cilantro are already coming up.

Garlic seems to be doing quite well. I planted some more radishes between its rows (White Icicle and French Breakfast)

Also sowed some carrots (the Atomic Red, of course), beets, lettuce (Sea Of Red), dill, mustard, collard greens, sunflowers, and some more peas.

And I also did a lot of cleanup this weekend… Spring cleaning in the garden – boring but necessary! Thankfully I had some miniature daffodils to cheer me up along the way.

The harvest: a bunch of chives, a few ramp leaves) and a big bag of young stinging nettles! (Made some lovely green soup with them last night and can’t wait to make some stinging nettle pesto.)

As you might know I’m totally addicted to stinging nettles and will put them anywhere.  And because I happened to forage them on Passover, I woke up determined to incorporate them into our Seder.  You have to eat a hard-boiled egg anyway, right? Why night make it ‘deviled’ (oy!), green, and, most importantly, delicious?!

So, here’s how I did it: 

But fate decided differently.  I returned home to a tragic sight:  all of the shishito seedlings were dead, withered within a day and lay lifeless in their little cells. It was very sad…  What happened? I don’t know. It might have been a few things: a disease (a virus or a fungus), a sudden change in temperature, something in the tap water, or something else.

Now, of course, I’m very worried about my other seedlings — what if it was really some seedling blight?  But my these lacinato kale babies seem ok a week after the tragedy (they also have grown significantly since this picture).

The tomato seeds, saved from last year’s harvests and tastings, have also mostly sprouted but I’m not taking any photos anymore because of my new superstition.

My fushimi peppers that sprouted a . . . CONTINUE READING → some new seeds and some dead seedlings]]>

Last Friday morning I took this photo of my shishito pepper seedlings before venturing out to see the orchids at NYBG.  They looked so cheerful that I was going to write a post about all the seeds I had started later that day.

But fate decided differently.  I returned home to a tragic sight:  all of the shishito seedlings were dead, withered within a day and lay lifeless in their little cells. It was very sad…  What happened? I don’t know. It might have been a few things: a disease (a virus or a fungus), a sudden change in temperature, something in the tap water, or something else.

Now, of course, I’m very worried about my other seedlings — what if it was really some seedling blight?  But my these lacinato kale babies seem ok a week after the tragedy (they also have grown significantly since this picture).

The tomato seeds, saved from last year’s harvests and tastings, have also mostly sprouted but I’m not taking any photos anymore because of my new superstition.

My fushimi peppers that sprouted a few weeks ago are slowly getting bigger and, knock on wood, look healthy.

Let me express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who expressed their facebook condolences for my seedling loss. As I said in response, no need to panic yet — there is still time to sow new seeds and I promise that we won’t be left shishitoless.  I started a new batch; this time having microwaved the soil mix to kill any disease, mixing it with some used tea leaves and some ground cinnamon.  The seeds haven’t germinated yet, so let’s keep praying…

In the meantime, more seeds have arrived! Here’s my order list from Kitazawa:

1. Mosaic Bean, Yard Long Bean
2. Georgia Southern Collard
3. Red Giant Mustard, Broad Leaved Mustard
4. Red Beard Bunching Onion, Red Bunching Onion
5. Taichung 11 Pea
6. Ginkaku, Hybrid Melon, Oriental Melon
7. Hime Kansen, Hybrid Melon, Watermelon

Yes, that’s right! I’m going to attempt growing melons and watermelons this year!  I selected the smallest varieties available — the large ones don’t have time to mature in colder climates — but they also happen to be the sweetest ones.

I still need to do some more seed shopping: rainbow chard (this Bright Lights variety performed beautifully last year), Petite Yellow watermelon, San Marzano tomatoes (great for making sauce and canning), some onion sets, and, knowing myself, there probably will be a few more additions to the list.

For now, however, I should go outside and do some gardening for the seeds I already have…  It is a bit chilly here today (39F) but really sunny!

Below are some close-up portraits that I took last Friday at The Orchid Show: Patrick Blanc’s Vertical Gardens, an excellent exhibit at the New York Botanical Garden.

. . . CONTINUE READING → Some Orchid Photos from the New York Botanical Garden]]>

Orchids are fascinating. Enough said.

Below are some close-up portraits that I took last Friday at The Orchid Show: Patrick Blanc’s Vertical Gardens, an excellent exhibit at the New York Botanical Garden.

The experience is well worth a trip to the Bronx (in my orchid-junkie opinion) and the commute is much easier than some people realize – just follow the directions on NYBG website.

Last summer I found this amazing manual for an amazing kitchen gadget called Hotray on the cookbook shelf.  No one could recall ever seeing said appliance around the house; it must have been discarded a long time ago.

First of all, what is the intended pronunciation of the compound ‘hotray’? Is it ho-tray or hot-ray? I prefer to believe it’s the former…

And second of all, doesn’t the hotray lady on the cover look a little like Betty Draper?

Anyway.  Hotrays became popular in the 1950s and were completely eradicated from the market by the hot rays of the microwave oven technology.  (I wonder how the first microwaves were marketed.)

But I’m certainly glad this booklet survived. It is a marketing masterpiece and a remarkable piece of women’s history.  (Shout-out to Stacie!)

In this case, you have every reason to judge the book by its cover.  What do you read in her facial expression?

Let’s take a look inside though and find out what Hotray is and what how it can change your life:

“Now, with . . . CONTINUE READING → A Piece of History: Hotray]]>

Here’s my little present to all the Mad Men fans out there, on the night of its 5th season premiere!

Last summer I found this amazing manual for an amazing kitchen gadget called Hotray on the cookbook shelf.  No one could recall ever seeing said appliance around the house; it must have been discarded a long time ago.

First of all, what is the intended pronunciation of the compound ‘hotray’? Is it ho-tray or hot-ray? I prefer to believe it’s the former…

And second of all, doesn’t the hotray lady on the cover look a little like Betty Draper?

Anyway.  Hotrays became popular in the 1950s and were completely eradicated from the market by the hot rays of the microwave oven technology.  (I wonder how the first microwaves were marketed.)

But I’m certainly glad this booklet survived. It is a marketing masterpiece and a remarkable piece of women’s history.  (Shout-out to Stacie!)

In this case, you have every reason to judge the book by its cover.  What do you read in her facial expression?

Let’s take a look inside though and find out what Hotray is and what how it can change your life:

“Now, with a Salton Hotray® or Hotable® automatic food warmer you can enjoy a new era of convenience.

You can keep food piping-hot without risk or worry – for hours on end – it will stay just as tenderly succulent, flavorful and appetizing as it was at that peak-of-perfection moment it left the oven or cooking range.
You can cook more leisurely, prepare meals in advance, serve when convenient.
You can prepare lunch or dinner for your husband or children, leave it on your Hotray warmer and go shopping – it will stay hot and nutritious for them for hours.“

Now, can your microwave oven do any of this?   I doubt it.  Let’s keep reading though:

“You can sit down and enjoy meals having second helpings and courses at the table ending trips back and forth to the kitchen.
You can save meals when husband or guests are late… no sad disappointments with your Hotray server handy.”

That is really nice. I hate to imagine what happens when husband gets sadly disappointed…

Finally…

• You can enjoy your own parties, serve simple snack or elaborate buffets right from your Hotray warmer.
• You can linger over cocktails and pre-dinner conversation when entertaining
• No need to rush – your dinner will keep its peak of flavor perfection till your guests are ready.

You can use your hotray literally anywhere:

IN THE KITCHEN. Use it as a range extension. Transfer your quick-cooking dishes to it for safe-keeping when everything must be brought to the finish line at the same time.
IN THE DINING ROOM. Place it at your elbow!  Eliminates up/down, up/down, back-and-forth mealtimes.
IN THE NURSERY. Keeps a dawdler’s meal hot right down to the very “last” spoon full!

The manual comes with some recipes.  I scanned the entire thing, in case you are looking for some fresh ideas for your own hotray: Hotray / Hotable by Salton With Handling Instructions and Recipes

Below is one of the recipes (some of them actually look quite interesting — but have absolutely nothing to do with the hotray until the very last step):

Carre d’Agneau Roti (Crown Roast of Lamb) 

Have the butcher prepare a 16-rib crown roast by shaping a whole loin of spring lamb in a semicircle with the ribs outside, and then sewing or tying it together to form a crown. Wrap strips of bacon around the lower part of the crown. Trim the ends of the bones evenly; they should not be too long. Wrap the bones in aluminum foil to prevent them from burning. Place the roast on a rack and sear it for 10 minutes in a hot over (450° F.). Reduce the heat to moderate (350° F.) and roast the meat for 15 minutes to the pound. Puree 1 pound each of cooked potatoes and celery root. Blend the hot puree with 1/2 cup hollandaise sauce (page 72) and season to taste with salt and pepper. Fill the center of the roast with the puree and brown the filling lightly under the broiler. Remove the foil from the bones and substitute mushroom caps or paper frills. Place on pre-heated Hotray warmer, covered with alumi­num foil. Serve hot with gravy made from the strained drippings in the pan and a little veal stock.

…

Historical reference:

“…in the 1950s the Salton Hotray became a staple in many U.S. homes. Two factors influenced early sales. Products like the Salton Hotray existed in Europe, and imports in the 1950s helped create a demand. Then Salton scored influential free advertising with a Ladies’ Home Journal feature on the device. Stressing the convenience of the product, the article concluded with a woman declaring she would rather be without her front door than without her Salton Hotray. After the article appeared, sales tripled.”

(Read more: http://www.answers.com/topic/salton-inc#ixzz1qBsLeSKZ)

Hellebores, also known as Christmas roses, are our first flowers.  Even if it’s still freezing outside (unlike this year), helleborus don’t care!

Contrary to my initial surmise, the origin of the name Helleborus has nothing to do with the sun (Helios): “late 14c., from O.Fr. ellebore, from L. elleborus, from Gk. helleboros, perhaps meaning “plant eaten by fawns,” from Gk. ellos/hellos ”fawn” + bora ”food of beasts,” from bibroskein ”to eat,” from PIE root *gwere- ”to swallow.” Among the ancients, the name given to various plants of both poisonous and medicinal qualities, reputed to cure madness.”

So, look but dont’ eat.  Not yet, at least.

A few days ago I improvised this side dish based on a distant memory of a red-wine-braised cabbage recipe that Murzik once sent me.  James and I really loved it, and will be making it again.  We had it with some delicious boiled potatoes and slow-cooked pork (the shredded meat you see in the middle of the pan in the photo).

Directions:

Ingredients: