Misshapen-taschen

It's a little late for Purim. But it's perfect for rhubarb season.

I was making Deb's apple cake for work (we raised £800 for Comic Relief on Red Nose day), and flipped to the recipe for Rhubarb Hamantaschen. (Recipe's not on the web...you'll have to buy the book! Her other hamantaschen recipes are here.) I suddenly had a rather overwhelming urge to make some. We used to buy them at Riesterer's Bakery in Garden City, where they were always perfectly shaped with pretty, glassy centres. However, they're traditionally either filled with prunes (blech) or apricots (meh). But Deb says we can make them with rhubarb. I LOVE rhubarb!

Onward, then.

Here they are before being folded:

And here they are fresh from the oven. Apparently my shiksa hamantaschen-crimping skills need work.

Some of them turned out quite pretty. We're not really in commercial-bakery-on-Long-Island territory, though.

I can verify that the rhubarb hamantaschen still taste excellent, regardless of shape. In case my New Rochelle Jewish-food credentials were in doubt, I make excellent latkes.

I can also verify that rhubarb appearing at the farm shop also means spring is coming, despite the fact that we had about 3 inches of snow yesterday and today. Blech.

Pasta for Christy

I wasn't sure if I should write about this on the blog or not; it's not really my story. I decided to, because it's something that so many people have gone through, and also because I just really need to write it out.

My friend's mom lost a long and extremely spirited battle with brain cancer on Tuesday. She was given 3 months to live, shortly before this picture was taken, when we were in New York, nearly four years ago.



My friend and I met on the first day of high school - we had both competed in the same regatta during the summer and she was wearing the regatta t-shirt (which I had begged to wear to school that day; my mom had set a "no shirts with writing on them for the first day of school" rule). We started talking ("Hey, where'd you get that shirt?!") and that was that. We were friends all through high school, taking part in musicals (she with the lead, me in the pit orchestra), then kept in touch through college, and then moved to New York City around the same time after college. She was living on the Upper East Side when I was living in Tudor City, and we'd randomly meet up for lunch or brunch or drinks (fabulous 20-somethings that we were).

[As a side note, our dads worked together for nearly a year before realising that we were such good friends. "Oh, you live in New Rochelle, too?" "Yep, I do. My daughter is a sophomore at NRHS." "Really? Mine too!" Then, later, to me, "Do you know a girl called Liz? Her dad and I work together!" "Dad, that's Lizzie. She was here for supper yesterday." (I have since been told a similar conversation happened at their house.)]

My parents were living in Florida when we were both in college, and Lizzie's parents decided that I really shouldn't be left to fend for myself in the Big Wide World on Sunday nights. So we'd take Metro North out together for pasta dinner at her parents' house. I don't really remember specific evenings - they all blended together into one long comforting pasta session with parents who weren't exactly mine but were just as loving and caring.

When I was home last month, we knew that the end wasn't far off, so we spent as much time as possible with them. Mostly brief visits, since we didn't want to wear Christy out, but the day before I flew back to the UK, we spent the whole afternoon together. It was heartbreaking, to see her in such bad shape, but also restoring to see the love surrounding her - whenever we were there, there were family and friends either just leaving or about to arrive.

After she passed away this week, I had an overwhelming urge to go and make pasta. With meatballs. For Christy. Because of all the times that she fed and nourished and loved me, the least I could do from the wrong side of the Atlantic was try and feed and nourish and love my family just a little bit extra. So here they are.

Christy, thank you for everything. For being a wonderful mom, a wonderful not-mom-but-helping-out, a fighter against the horribleness that is brain cancer, and an inspiration to us all. We're going to miss you.

New York Vol. 2 (aka I Ate New York)

Like Rrufus before him, Snoopy enjoys his morning walk with my dad to pick up breakfast from the Starlite Diner. I went with them a few of the days I was home (not every day...although it was tempting!)

Oooh...the anticipation!

Sigh. In order to replicate this in the UK, I need: streaky bacon, American cheese, and a soft kaiser roll. Not going to happen. Definitely worth the trip, though!

This was the inaugural self-portrait on my new S95 (thank you David Pogue...seriously, he wrote a love letter on his blog). I need to sort out the winking feature (so cool!) and this one would have been improved by a fill-in flash. Oh well. Emily and I look fab anyway. In case you can't see, her dress is a vintage-bicycle print (white on navy). I *nearly* stole it from her. I only restrained myself because she would have had a hard time finishing out the work day in only her underwear. Apparently it's Anthropologie from last year and cannot be purchased anymore for love nor money.

She works close to to the Time Warner Center, so we went up to Landmarc for lunch. At her suggestion I had the nicoise salad. HOLY MOLY it was awesome.

After lunch, I strolled across town to meet up with The International Book Group That Doesn't Read. I can't believe we've been not-reading together for almost 10 years. WHAT?! (Another self-portrait, hence the slightly-off-center poses.)

The day after, I had a meeting on Long Island for work, so we made plans to meet up with my mom's high school friend and her husband for lunch. (Bonus: she's Gnomemade's mom and the recipient of this amazing quilt, which I can attest is even more amazing in person.)

Yes, that's another self-portrait, but we all needed to be in the picture!

Jane made the most fab lunch - I think the best way to describe it was Emphatically American. The pasta salad was, I think, an amalgamation of a back-of-the-pasta-box recipe with some other additions. It was delish: chicken, broccoli, oranges (!?), flaked almonds, bowtie pasta, and honey mustard dressing. Honestly, not a combination I would have ever thought of, but we'll definitely be making it. Future visitors, be warned.

She also made devilled eggs, which I hadn't had in years. My grandma used to make them all the time and I should make them more - they're one of my favorite foods. My grandma always used dry mustard powder, but Jane used grainy mustard, and it really gave them a good zing. These where the only two left. Ahem. Not that I ate 4 (or 5) or anything. Nope. Nothing like that.

See? I really did eat New York (and it was delicious).

Gabi's birthday bag

This is a birthday present, but the recipient doesn't read the blog (yet - she's only 2) so I think I'm safe. Her mom & grandma both read the blog (hi E. and A!), but I think they'll keep a secret until Sunday.

I used the tutorial for Molly's Little Purses from the Purl Bee, with some modifications at the end from the Twenty Minute Tote.

Basically, I didn't have the super-cool handles from the MLP, and my liner fabric is directional so I didn't want to have upside-down bits of it on the outside.

Both prints are from Ikea, and the handles are red binding material that I had from some unknown previous project. I sewed them into the linings - I pinned them upside-down in between the lining and outer fabrics before I sewed them together. LOVE the pocket.

I really love the whole project, actually - I kept running in to the other room to show John. "Have you seen THIS part? How CUTE?!!" Teehee. I'm hoping she uses it to carry her books to and from the library, or to carry around those IMPORTANT things that you need to keep with you when you're two. You know the stuff...random bits of string, assorted teddy bears, the odd pinecone or acorn...

New Rochelle Noms

I discovered a new favorite meal while I was in New Ro. My parents sold the Big Yellow House last fall, and have been living in a surprisingly nice (for downtown New Rochelle) apartment near the station.

My first morning in, my mom suggested that I head around the block to the Starlite Diner. My dad is a regular customer (probably more regular than his doctor would like...), and it was the perfect re-entry into NewYawk.

On the front door, there is a sign that says "Breakfast Special: Bacon, Egg & Cheese on a Roll with Coffee: $3.50". Mmmmm. It doesn't actually come with a coffee, it comes with a caaawfeeee. The bacon is super-crispy and entirely un-English, the cheese is solidly American (and gloriously melty), and the roll is one of the quintessentially New York squooshy ones.

Here's a picture my dad took, last week, of Michael, the dispenser of bacon-egg-and-cheese-on-a-roll-with-a-cawfee.

I think it's probably good that I don't live in New Ro any more - the temptation to go every morning would be more than I could resist.

End of an era

When my parents were first married, they lived in on Central Park West. Then the call of the suburbs became too strong and in the 70s they bought a house in New Rochelle.

My parents have all kinds of stories about the house when they first bought it - the seller left them with the advice that they "might have heard a mouse last night," which turned out to be several mice, a squirrel or six and a number of raccoons. Mmmm. Also, all of the windows had been painted, although they were all either painted open or shut and were destined to stay as painted until one of my parents un-painted them. They all work now!

Here I am, with my mom, in my nursery. I loved those yellow pjs - they had scritchy-scratchy feet that were warm on the inside and non-slip on the outside.

Over the last 30+ years, we've all moved out a number of times - first to come to England in 1989 (rented to tenants), then I moved out to go to college in 1999, then they moved to Florida (rented to tenants again) in 2003, then I moved to England in 2005, then they moved SOME stuff out in 2007 when they bought the house in Rhode Island.

I've lived all over the place - New Ro, Waterville ME, England (currently in UK location #5), Paris, New York City, but the big yellow house has always felt like 'home'.

Now that my brother and I are settled elsewhere, my parents have sold the house. I totally understand the reasoning behind it: it's way too big for the two of them and Rrufus, it's a ton more maintenance than they want, it costs a fortune to heat in the winter, they love the house in RI, they don't want my brother and me to have to clean it all out in 30 years (they've both cleaned out their parents' houses).

But the Little Kate in me wants to be able to go HOME. Not to go right now, but to know that the big yellow house is there, waiting for me. With my bedroom with the green carpet that doesn't go all the way to the walls (and has long been the TV room), the slippery wood floors, and the saggy but never going to fall down front porch.

They've found awesome buyers - a young-ish couple with a little boy who looks exactly like my brother did at 2 and who already has all the neighbors lining up to babysit.

Oh, and Mom and Dad said that they "might have heard a mouse last night..."

NYC Recap 2 - SMILE!

After our adventures in Rhode Island, we went back to New Ro for the rest of the vacation.

We also spent the first afternoon back in the city - we took the train in, and were completely flabbergasted by the 75 cents Family Fare kid's ticket (one way, off peak only). John and I were on a ten-trip and so the whole thing cost $11.75 each way. Do you HEAR me, National Express East Anglia? OFF PEAK family travel can be reasonably priced! Sorry, rant over.

We subwayed ourselves up to the Met, where James extended his run of blue-tongued ice creams.

Exhibit A: blueberry Del's in Rhode Island

 

 Exhibit B: Inspecting his pre-Met ice cream with a taxi in the background.

 

Exhibit C: At the end of the pre-Met ice cream. Man, was he sticky.

James had never been to the Met, so we paid our $5 each (it was 3:30 and they were closing soon - the $20 suggested donation is just that - suggested), and zipped through the museum. Ancient romans, the temple, and a search for the Frank Lloyd Wright house (being renovated - sad!). We found a really funny Egyptian statue of a hawk, who was wearing what looked like a cross between a fez and a birthday hat, and had the most hilarious expression on its face. It was sort of a "you're REALLY not going to sculpt me for all eternity with this stupid hat on my head, are you?"  I couldn't get a decent picture without the flash, otherwise it would definitely have been LOLcat worthy.

On our way out, James spotted a sign for their SuperHeroes exhibit - he got to see the "real" Iron Man costume and various other Super costumes. It was a small exhibit but quite cool.

After the museum, we met up with Andrea and Liz in the city for some Yama crispy-shrimpy love. Mmmm. James decided at the last minute that he wasn't going to eat sushi, so he wolfed down some edamame and had teriyaki chicken while the rest of us ate the sushi.

On Thursday afternoon, Mom, Dad, James and I headed to Playland. Here we are, trying to decide what else to do (besides the Dragon Coaster, which James and I rode three times):

 That's me, waving to Dad!

Here we are, after the log flume. Man, were we WET!

 

And here we are at the end - James was a little overwhelmed by the whole thing but we *think* he had a good time. He was frowning in all of the non-candid pictures, though!

 

On our last day, Mom and Dad threw a porch party. It was an eclectic mix (as ever) of family, neighbors and friends. It was great to see everyone and round off our vacation!

Bunny Cake

It's been a pretty crazy few days so far - I saw Andrea and Kim on Saturday and then went to the 10 year CT '97 Lochearn reunion. I spent 6 summers at Lochearn Camp in Vermont, and loved (almost) every second of it. There were so many great women that I met there, and it was amazing to see a few of them on Saturday night.

Sunday was Easter, so I went to Redeemer and then came back to New Ro for a family easter and the famous Bunny Cake. My mom's been making this cake since before I can remember...no bunnies were harmed.


John's busily unpacking - for those of you who need a house fix, here's the view out of the kitchen towards the back yard.