Old King Cole, Cornmeal, Compost...
Okay, readers, some weeks there just isn't any cohesion. One might argue that, as a writer, I should be able to find some fine thread that ties up my weekly gastronomic experiences into a neat little tapestry with a common theme. But, this is a blog. And, are there really any rules in this new age of social media!? Okay, one could argue that maybe there are, but I am my own rule maker, and as such, I refuse to comply! (...like using a compound sentence. I know it's not grammatically correct, but it suits my mood.)
Why, the resistance you might ask... Because. Because Old King Cole, cornmeal and compost are resistant to a common theme like native American grape vines are resistant to Phylloxera. So, here they are, each presented separately for your liking or disliking. (Not knowing your preference also suits my mood this evening.)
Old King Cole
In 1906, Maxfield Parrish completed a painting of Old King Cole that was commissioned by John Jacob Astor IV. In 1955, that painting became the centerpiece behind the King Cole Bar at the St. Regis Hotel on 55th Street between 5th and 6th Aves. The St. Regis is one of New York's opulent hotels with a grand old bar that was once graced by famous writers and artists.
The painting features Astor, its commissioner, as the king. Bar legend has it that the look on the king's face and the reaction of the soldiers closest to him are due to the fact that the king has just farted. Parrish's depiction of the event supposedly made him the winner of a contest among contemporary artists. Is it true? I have no idea, but you can read about the painting in the 2007 New York Times article: King Cole, a Grimy Old Soul, Heads for a Cleaning. (Further research does not suit my mood either.)
I was at the King Cole Bar with friend VS who suggested we check out the space because of its elegance and for its claim to have served the first Red Snapper (aka Bloody Mary) in the States. VS decided to give it a go since it was their signature drink. After Monday and the pitcher I split with the girls over brunch, I needed something different... a Belvidere martini.
The bartender seemed rushed and a little inattentive, which I think accounts for the so-so Red Snapper. A few good shakes to the bottle of tomato juice and spices would have brought the horseradish up from the bottom. Or, maybe they don't use horseradish in their Red Snapper.
The bar itself is beautiful, though, and the snacks were a step above your usual bar munchies -- wasabi peas, pretzel nuggets and mixed nuts with macadamias. My martini was giant, which was reasonable, considering the $21 price tag. I do quite enjoy the occasional martini in one of New York's opulent historic hotel bars. And, VS, with her elegant style was the perfect companion for such a visit.
Cornmeal
Thursday evening I texted V. from the office asking if she was free for a drink. We met at 5 Ninth, where we ran into friend R. (pleasant surprise), and where we each enjoyed a glass of wine and two glasses of champagne. The champagne was a celebration of V.'s last day at her current job. (Congratulations, V. on the new job!)
From 5 Ninth, we wandered over to Two Boots for pizza on West 11th Street and 7th Avenue South. Now, I am from Illinois not far outside of Chicago. The pizza of my childhood was skillfully crafted with serious consideration for taste and style. You cannot buy pizza buy the slice. It is the whole pie or nothing. Pizzas are cut into squares, not long triangular slices that are folded and eaten like a sandwich. The cheese is fresh, the sauce tasty, the crust never chewy, and above all else, cornmeal is placed on the pan before the dough. Pizza made without the cornmeal will always, in my mind, be substandard. And, despite New York's proliferation of pizza joints, the good ones are hard to find.
I took a bite of my Night Tripper slice in Two Boots on Thursday and felt the heavenly crunch of cornmeal. It made me happy the way that something as simple as texture and taste can make one simply delighted to be alive on a planet with so many things to eat. The Night Tripper has a white sauce with roasted garlic and is prettily drizzled with a fantastic jalapeno pesto, which I am determined to try making at home. (I will confess to you here that I did indeed fold my slice and eat it like a sandwich, but I would never do that at a pizza place in Chicago.)
Compost
On Friday, V. sent me an e-mail asking whether I was interest in participating in a Compost Cycle being hosted by the Lower East Side Ecology Center on Sunday. Yes! I was. My thighs have become embarrassingly squishy. (It's true, if you could see them, I would be embarrassed.) And, my bike has been collecting dust since I liberated it from LA's shed several months back. Plus, I thought it would be fun to learn about compost.
The Lower East Side Ecology Center began as a community recycling center on 7th Street between Avenues A and B in 1987. Over the years, the organization grew. The recycling center still exists, and it also serves as a lovely community garden. During our visit, a giant poplar tree was gracefully snowing seed puffs, turning the garden into a fairytale vision not often seen by the likes of us urban dwellers.
As we enjoyed the shower of puffs, the garden's hostesses pointed out several clever re-use art projects including a shelter whose roof was made from tomato sauce cans discarded from Two Boots pizza. (Yes, it's the start of a theme, but not enough. If you can figure out how to relate it all to Old King Cole, I will buy you a drink.)
The LES Ecology Center now also runs an environmental education center and a compost processing site in East River Park. They are champions of composting in New York City, collecting literally tons of food scraps from New Yorkers each week in Union Square to turn into compost and potting soil. They also host workshops on how to compost at home.
The bike tour began in Union Square where we spotted the colorfully painted truck responsible for hauling all of that food waste. From there, we visited the community garden on 7th Street and then rode on to the environmental education center and the composting site in East River Park. At each site we learned about the history of the Ecology Center and the great work they do in the City. Our guides then led us on to the ferry to Governor's Island where enjoyed a picnic lunch and rode around.
If you live in the area, I highly recommend a tour with the Lower East Side Ecology Center. But, watch out. You may be talked into saving your food scraps for composting. I will now be keeping mine in a giant ziploc in the freezer so I can deliver them to Union Square once each week. Learn more about composting, other programs and opportunities to volunteer on their web site.
There you are. Three unconnected tales. Perhaps next week, the gastronomic occurrences in my life will be more cohesive. One can never tell. Stay tuned!
P.S. I added some new pics to my www.chrissaylor.com.
Okay, readers, some weeks there just isn't any cohesion. One might argue that, as a writer, I should be able to find some fine thread that ties up my weekly gastronomic experiences into a neat little tapestry with a common theme. But, this is a blog. And, are there really any rules in this new age of social media!? Okay, one could argue that maybe there are, but I am my own rule maker, and as such, I refuse to comply! (...like using a compound sentence. I know it's not grammatically correct, but it suits my mood.)
Why, the resistance you might ask... Because. Because Old King Cole, cornmeal and compost are resistant to a common theme like native American grape vines are resistant to Phylloxera. So, here they are, each presented separately for your liking or disliking. (Not knowing your preference also suits my mood this evening.)
Old King Cole
In 1906, Maxfield Parrish completed a painting of Old King Cole that was commissioned by John Jacob Astor IV. In 1955, that painting became the centerpiece behind the King Cole Bar at the St. Regis Hotel on 55th Street between 5th and 6th Aves. The St. Regis is one of New York's opulent hotels with a grand old bar that was once graced by famous writers and artists.
The painting features Astor, its commissioner, as the king. Bar legend has it that the look on the king's face and the reaction of the soldiers closest to him are due to the fact that the king has just farted. Parrish's depiction of the event supposedly made him the winner of a contest among contemporary artists. Is it true? I have no idea, but you can read about the painting in the 2007 New York Times article: King Cole, a Grimy Old Soul, Heads for a Cleaning. (Further research does not suit my mood either.)
I was at the King Cole Bar with friend VS who suggested we check out the space because of its elegance and for its claim to have served the first Red Snapper (aka Bloody Mary) in the States. VS decided to give it a go since it was their signature drink. After Monday and the pitcher I split with the girls over brunch, I needed something different... a Belvidere martini.
The bartender seemed rushed and a little inattentive, which I think accounts for the so-so Red Snapper. A few good shakes to the bottle of tomato juice and spices would have brought the horseradish up from the bottom. Or, maybe they don't use horseradish in their Red Snapper.
The bar itself is beautiful, though, and the snacks were a step above your usual bar munchies -- wasabi peas, pretzel nuggets and mixed nuts with macadamias. My martini was giant, which was reasonable, considering the $21 price tag. I do quite enjoy the occasional martini in one of New York's opulent historic hotel bars. And, VS, with her elegant style was the perfect companion for such a visit.
Cornmeal
Thursday evening I texted V. from the office asking if she was free for a drink. We met at 5 Ninth, where we ran into friend R. (pleasant surprise), and where we each enjoyed a glass of wine and two glasses of champagne. The champagne was a celebration of V.'s last day at her current job. (Congratulations, V. on the new job!)
From 5 Ninth, we wandered over to Two Boots for pizza on West 11th Street and 7th Avenue South. Now, I am from Illinois not far outside of Chicago. The pizza of my childhood was skillfully crafted with serious consideration for taste and style. You cannot buy pizza buy the slice. It is the whole pie or nothing. Pizzas are cut into squares, not long triangular slices that are folded and eaten like a sandwich. The cheese is fresh, the sauce tasty, the crust never chewy, and above all else, cornmeal is placed on the pan before the dough. Pizza made without the cornmeal will always, in my mind, be substandard. And, despite New York's proliferation of pizza joints, the good ones are hard to find.
I took a bite of my Night Tripper slice in Two Boots on Thursday and felt the heavenly crunch of cornmeal. It made me happy the way that something as simple as texture and taste can make one simply delighted to be alive on a planet with so many things to eat. The Night Tripper has a white sauce with roasted garlic and is prettily drizzled with a fantastic jalapeno pesto, which I am determined to try making at home. (I will confess to you here that I did indeed fold my slice and eat it like a sandwich, but I would never do that at a pizza place in Chicago.)
Compost
On Friday, V. sent me an e-mail asking whether I was interest in participating in a Compost Cycle being hosted by the Lower East Side Ecology Center on Sunday. Yes! I was. My thighs have become embarrassingly squishy. (It's true, if you could see them, I would be embarrassed.) And, my bike has been collecting dust since I liberated it from LA's shed several months back. Plus, I thought it would be fun to learn about compost.
The Lower East Side Ecology Center began as a community recycling center on 7th Street between Avenues A and B in 1987. Over the years, the organization grew. The recycling center still exists, and it also serves as a lovely community garden. During our visit, a giant poplar tree was gracefully snowing seed puffs, turning the garden into a fairytale vision not often seen by the likes of us urban dwellers.
As we enjoyed the shower of puffs, the garden's hostesses pointed out several clever re-use art projects including a shelter whose roof was made from tomato sauce cans discarded from Two Boots pizza. (Yes, it's the start of a theme, but not enough. If you can figure out how to relate it all to Old King Cole, I will buy you a drink.)
The LES Ecology Center now also runs an environmental education center and a compost processing site in East River Park. They are champions of composting in New York City, collecting literally tons of food scraps from New Yorkers each week in Union Square to turn into compost and potting soil. They also host workshops on how to compost at home.
The bike tour began in Union Square where we spotted the colorfully painted truck responsible for hauling all of that food waste. From there, we visited the community garden on 7th Street and then rode on to the environmental education center and the composting site in East River Park. At each site we learned about the history of the Ecology Center and the great work they do in the City. Our guides then led us on to the ferry to Governor's Island where enjoyed a picnic lunch and rode around.
If you live in the area, I highly recommend a tour with the Lower East Side Ecology Center. But, watch out. You may be talked into saving your food scraps for composting. I will now be keeping mine in a giant ziploc in the freezer so I can deliver them to Union Square once each week. Learn more about composting, other programs and opportunities to volunteer on their web site.
There you are. Three unconnected tales. Perhaps next week, the gastronomic occurrences in my life will be more cohesive. One can never tell. Stay tuned!
P.S. I added some new pics to my www.chrissaylor.com.
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