Destination: Brooklyn

Sunday, June 30, 2013 – Destination: Brooklyn

Just back from a quick but very productive trip to New York.  Unlike previous visits, I spent most of my time in Brooklyn.  Although I lived in the New York area for the first eighteen years of my life, I moved to the Long Island suburbs when I was three years old, and I can only remember being in Brooklyn twice during my childhood.  I have a vivid memory of my seventh birthday, when my family went to the aquarium in Coney Island and then to Nathan’s for hotdogs.  The other time may have been even earlier.  My grandfather had a brother who lived somewhere in Brooklyn and we went there once to visit him and his wife.  That experience stuck in my mind and formed the basis for my impressions of Brooklyn:  block after block of prison-like red brick buildings; a dim apartment with dark mahogany tables and tatted antimacassars (never thought I’d use that word!  If you’re under the age of 60, you’ll probably have to look it up.) on the chairs and sofas; elderly relatives nibbling on dry cookies; the combined smells of cigar smoke, my great-aunt’s Arpege perfume, and last night’s stuffed cabbage dinner.  Since it was a world I had no desire to revisit, I avoided Brooklyn for decades. 

Then a few months ago, Elisa and Christian informed us that they were looking at potential wedding sites in Brooklyn.  Once they settled on a specific venue in the Carroll Gardens neighborhood and confirmed the November date, I decided to go up and see this area for myself.  Since I knew so little about the borough, one of my first tasks was to study a map.  Names I’d heard before, like Bensonhurst, Brooklyn Heights, Crown Heights, Brighton Beach, and Park Slope, stared back at me. 

It was with great hopes that I hopped off the subway at the Carroll Street station last Friday and started my exploration of Carroll Gardens, Boerum Hill, and Cobble Hill in western part of Brooklyn.  My primary goal was to scout out hotels where wedding guests might want to stay.  Over the course of a few steamy hours, I traipsed along Union Street, Smith Street, Court Street and countless side streets.  Along the way, I discovered that Smith Street is home to trendy new restaurants, cafes, bars, and shops.  Court Street is still lined with old-time Italian bakeries, restaurants, and coffeehouses.  It’s also where I found the upscale Union Market grocery store.  While charming row houses abound on many side streets, I found that walking a few blocks east, past the infamous Gowanus canal (reportedly quite toxic), brought me to grimy clusters of high-rise apartment buildings, warehouses, and other less attractive industrial sites.

Back on Smith Street, it was hard deciding where to eat lunch.  The French café sounded tempting, as did all of the wood-burning pizzerias.  But in the end, the heat and humidity made the decision for me.  Instead of eating a real lunch, I settled for a tall iced coffee at an Italian coffeehouse where the aroma of freshly roasted beans was heavenly.  When the weather cools off, I’ll definitely be back to sample the restaurants.  

A French bistro on Smith Street (Brooklyn)

As for my day’s work, by 2 p.m., I had identified two hotels in the general vicinity that would acceptable for the wedding guests.  The first was a boutique hotel on Smith Street just above Atlantic Avenue, within easy walking distance of all the action on Smith Street.  The second, a little further north, was a Marriott with all of the expected amenities that some guests might prefer.  With that mission accomplished, I could relax and spend the remainder of the afternoon at play. 

A short subway ride from Borough Hall brought me to the doors of the Brooklyn Museum of Art.  The light and airy entrance area, filled with the sounds of Brazilian jazz, was the antithesis of the stuffy Upper East Side Metropolitan Museum of Art.  I joined a tour focusing on links between creation stories and art in various cultures, and learned about Northwest Coast Indians, ancient Egyptians, the Dogon people of Africa.  One contemporary piece the guide showed us was an Aztec-influenced disk by a Central American artist.  It’s made entirely of corn kernels and includes some very modern objects, such as Coca Cola bottles.  The guide also mentioned that the BMA has one of the world’s finest collections of Egyptian antiquities.  After the 45-minute tour, I continued exploring the museum on my own.  I was mesmerized by a temporary installation of large-scale sculptural pieces by the West African (born in Ghana, lived in Nigeria) artist El Anatsui.  These dazzling works are made entirely of recycled scraps of metal trash, held together by twists of wire.  

A contemporary piece at the Brooklyn Museum

Sculpture by El Anatsui at the Brooklyn Museum

It was back to Manhattan for dinner with Elisa, Christian, and my brother, who took the train down from Westchester.  Crave Fish Bar on Second Avenue, just above 50^th Street, was crowded and noisy, like many New York restaurants, but the food was imaginative and delicious.  Grilled octopus was meltingly tender, and the halibut with preserved lemon and delicately spiced chickpeas was equally impressive.  For dessert, I noticed something called affogato on the menu.  I thought I was ordering some Spanish cookies (later, I remembered the word was alfajores), but my language skills are a bit rusty.  I was really surprised when our server brought out a short glass that contained a scoop of vanilla ice cream and then poured a shot of espresso over it.  It was a rich and satisfying dessert, but the caffeine kept me up well into the early morning hours. 

Nevertheless, I managed to sleep late (until 8 a.m.!) and was full of energy for a Saturday excursion to Brooklyn.  Elisa, a friend of hers, and I had an ambitious goal, i.e. to find a wedding dress for Elisa.  None of us had ever gone bridal gown shopping before.  (About a month before my wedding in 1983, Elliott and I went to an antique dress shop and I found a simple 1930s dress of unbleached muslin that I wore as a bride.)  Elisa had been doing some online research and had some pretty firm ideas about what she wanted.  The shop where she made the appointment was in Brooklyn, but nowhere near the areas we were familiar with.  A 30-minute cab ride from the Lower East Side took us over the Manhattan Bridge and along Ocean Parkway, through completely unknown areas with what seemed to be a large Orthodox Jewish population, until we reached Avenue U in the Sheepshead Bay neighborhood.  Here, many of the store signs were in Russian, with plenty of Chinese and Vietnamese mixed in.

Looking through the racks of wedding gowns at Lotus Bridal Salon was an eye-opening experience.  First of all, I was nearly blinded by all the sequins, rhinestones, and other glittering objects sewn onto the fabric.  Even more shocking was the weight of most of the gowns and the complexity of their construction.  How could a bride even feel comfortable wearing one of these, I wondered, as I sat back and waited for Elisa to appear in the first of the dozen or so gowns she’d selected.  Not surprisingly, she looked lovely in several of them, but it was clear right away that one gown was very special.  When she put it on for a second time, she didn’t want to take it off.  Seeing her in it, seeing her truly transformed into the bride, was an indescribable and magical experience.  And amazingly, it took less than 90 minutes for Elisa to find The Dress!      

Getting back from Brooklyn was even more challenging than getting to Brooklyn.  Since there are no yellow taxi cabs in Brooklyn (hard to imagine), we had to call Uber, a car service.  When we got back to the Lower East Side, Christian joined us for a walk to the Hester Street Market and then a quick bite to eat at one of their favorite Greek places.  I had to rush off by cab for my 6 p.m. bus back to DC. 

Elisa, Christian, and Elizabeth at Hester Street Market

While I was away, Elliott managed quite well.  He had dinner out with Matt one night, and dinner out with Marshall another night.  Not surprisingly, the broccoli I had cooked was still in the refrigerator.  Elliott had no problem keeping occupied during the daytime hours.  As soon as I left, he started dismantling our bathroom.  I came home to find a hole in the wall (dating back to the installation of the bathroom in the 1960s) and the floor strewn with tools, pieces of cabinetry, and plumbing fixtures.  But he’s eager to go up to New York with me later in the summer.  And I’ve promised to share “my” Brooklyn with him. 

Summer 2013 Begins

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Wednesday, June 26, 2013 – Summer 2013 Begins

Most teachers, even when they’re retired, get excited about summer vacation, and I’m no exception.  School hadn’t been out for more than a couple of days when Elliott and I set out on our first road trip of the summer.  It’s been a while since we’ve taken a road trip that was longer than a couple of hours in duration.  But with frequent stops for caffeine, food, and stretching, I was able to make the drive down to Yorktown, Virginia, a distance of 167 miles.  After a brief but delightful visit with our daughter-in-law Jean and grandson Tyler, we moved on to the home of Teri and Dave, our future machatunim.  (This is a very handy Yiddish word, which means the parents of your child’s spouse.  English has no such term, but in Spanish, it’s consuegros.)  Elisa and Christian flew down from New York to join us there for the weekend.  

Visiting Tyler in Yorktown

Tyler and Jean

Teri, Dave and Christian

Thanks to all of our hosts for welcoming us so graciously.  And a special thank you to Jean and Teri, both master gardeners, for helping me expand my horticultural knowledge.  Before this trip, the only mimosa I knew of were those bright yellow blossoms that blanketed the hillsides in the South of France every February.  Now I know that there’s an American version of mimosa, it’s not yellow but pink, and it blooms in the early summer.  And I also learned that “encore” azaleas bloom two or three times per year.    

Of course, family time means good food.  When we went out to eat with Jean and Tyler on Friday evening, Tyler tried his first Caesar salad.  I’m happy to report that he liked it.  On Saturday, I could hardly contain my excitement when Teri offered us three different kinds of hummus!  Later in the afternoon, she and I spent a couple of very contented and productive hours in the kitchen.  We baked an impressive looking and delicious tasting pie filled with strawberries, blueberries and blackberries.  Topped with vanilla ice cream, it was the perfect dessert after our grilled marinated salmon and vegetables.  The following evening, Teri and Dave introduced us to Tidewater-style barbecue at a local restaurant called the County Grill. 

Looking out from the front porch at Teri and Dave's house

Elisa helped get ready for dinner at Teri and Dave's house

 I don’t have to go far from home, however, to feel that special summer vacation mood.  Eating out, especially when it involves new restaurants, is an important part of my summer holiday plan.  With Elliott, Marshall, and Matt, I brunched out at Matchbox in Merrifield – wood-fired pizza because it was lunchtime for me, and cinnamon rolls served piping hot in a cast-iron skillet because it was the first meal of the day for a couple of family members.   

Post-pizza family portrait at Matchbox

 At Alegria, a relatively new Mexican restaurant on Church Street in Vienna, my friend Lilia and I sampled some terrific tacos:  portabello mushroom with chihuahua cheese, chipotle, browned onions, toasted pumpkin seeds; crispy battered fish with cabbage, lime, mayonnaise and pickled jalapeño; and fish a la plancha with Mexican salsa. 

A trio of mini tacos at Alegria

Not all of our summer activities are food-related.  One day last week, I took Elliott for a walk through Greenspring Gardens, where we noticed several interesting plants that we couldn’t identify.  One looked like an artichoke, but we were told it wasn’t edible.  I asked about an unusual blue flower.  The woman manning the desk in the welcome center wasn’t sure but she thought it might be called Peter Pan.  And when I remarked on the striking shade of blue, she confided that when the flowers lose their color, the garden staff spray paints them with blue paint.  Hmm, that’s an idea I should consider.

Do you know the name of this blue flower?

Actually, I’ve been fairly lucky with my garden this year.  Most of the plants I put in, such as vinca in the sunny part of the yard, coleus in various colors in the semi-shaded area, and a mixture of caladium and begonias in the pots that sit under the shade of the portico, are doing quite well.  I’ve tried to remember to give them water on these scorching summer days.  This morning, I even watered a new plant with pretty pink flowers that suddenly appeared in my yard.  Maybe it’s a weed, but it certainly was an attractive one.

Celebrating an Early Midsummer

Wednesday, June 19, 2013 – Celebrating an Early Midsummer

One of the reasons spring is my favorite season is because I take great pleasure in earlier sunrises and later sunsets.  The process of lengthening daylight hours culminates with the summer solstice on June 21.  Since pagan times, the people in Scandinavia have celebrated the summer solstice as a fertility festival with all-night celebrations.  Traditional rituals include building bonfires, dancing around decorated poles, singing folk songs, and decorating homes inside and out with flower garlands and wreaths.  Of course, eating and drinking play a big part in the celebration, as well.  Typical food would be herring, potatoes, smoked fish, and fresh fruit, consumed along with plenty of beer. 

With Elliott’s Norwegian ancestry and my experience as a university student in Denmark, we both have strong associations with this holiday, but we haven’t had an opportunity to celebrate it in many years.  Then IKEA came to the rescue!  Our local IKEA announced that it was hosting a Swedish Midsommar (mid-summer) Smorgasbord in honor of the summer solstice.  Although the event was scheduled for June 14, a week before the official solstice, we had no trouble summoning up the requisite midsummer spirit.  We invited Marshall to join us for the full-scale Scandinavian feast, which took place at 6 p.m. rather than at midnight.  

Here are some of the dishes we enjoyed:  salmon, salmon, and more salmon – in three different forms including gravlaks; the ubiquitous herring, prepared two different ways; crayfish (more interesting visually than in terms of flavor); cheeses; a variety of salads, including pickled cucumbers; Swedish meatballs with gravy and lingonberry preserves; new potatoes; marzipan and chocolate logs.  Even without the bonfire and the beer, our midsummer celebration was a festive event.

Lavender Season

Friday, June 14, 2013 – Lavender Season

Seven Oaks Lavender Farm

It’s lavender season, and while a trip to the lush lavender fields of Provence is out of the question this year, a visit to Seven Oaks Lavender Farm in Catlett, Virginia is definitely within the realm of possibility.  So with friend Eleanor acting as my navigator, I headed out Friday morning in search of the fragrant purple blossoms. 

Suburban sprawl is extending its reach, but within 30 minutes of home, we felt as if we’d entered a quieter, gentler world.  Route 28 South brought us past typical subdivisions and Civil War markers and then through the city of Manassas Park.  There’s nothing park-like about Manassas Park.  It’s basically an extended strip mall, where half the shop signs are in Spanish.  We were intrigued by one particular restaurant that featured Chinese/Tex-Mex/Salvadoran cuisine.  They even offered a lunch buffet.  We tucked that tidbit of information away for later consideration.  There would be no stops until we reached the lavender, and we were already a bit behind schedule due to some erroneous signage that took us several miles off course. 

After a 25 mph crawl through downtown Manassas (the quaint historic city, which would be worth exploring on foot), we were in farmland.  Rolling hills, green fields, bales of hay – all under a brilliant blue sky dappled with painterly clouds.  The previous night’s storm had ushered in cooler, dryer weather, perfect for outdoor activities.  According to the Seven Oaks website, the least crowded time of day for lavender picking is between 9 and 11 in the morning, and we pulled into the farm’s gravel driveway at approximately 10:30 a.m.  

Eleanor in the shop

  After a brief stop in the shop (we’d return before our departure), we headed up the hill towards the lavender fields.  We could already see several lavender ladies (alas, there were no men) making their way among the plants.  The farm is a popular place for families with young children, as it provides a play area and picnic tables.  After learning about the farm’s four types of English and French lavender (some especially suited for cooking, others for sachets), we grabbed baskets and scissors.  My goal was 50 stems from 50 different plants.  

How can I describe the delightful sensation of the warm sun on my back as I stooped to examine the blossoms?  I was searching for stems where only a couple of blossoms were already open.  The colors ranged from very pale to brilliant purple.  Meanwhile, I jostled plump bumblebees searching for nectar and creamy butterflies flitting from blossom to blossom.  When I glanced up into the golden light, I almost felt like I was back in the South of France. 

Once we’d filled out baskets, Eleanor and I both picked out pots of lavender plants to bring home.  Mine is the Provençal lavender, of course.  After all of that physical labor, we needed a hearty lunch.  Shortly after we got back onto Route 28, Eleanor spotted a sign for a place called The Chuck Wagon.  Cowboy cuisine sounded perfect.  I turned off Route 28 and followed a narrow road across some railroad tracks into downtown Nokesville.  The Chuck Wagon’s décor and menu lived up to its name.  I had an excellent garden burger while Eleanor indulged in – oh, let’s just say that it was impossible to figure the Weight Watcher’s points.  However, to our credit, we skipped dessert.  

 

The trip back had an unexpected moment of excitement when I noticed a herd of alpaca alongside the road.  It’s amazing what you can find within an hour of home.  I’m looking forward to more adventures in the wilds of northern Virginia.  Meanwhile, Elliott and I are enjoying the lavender, which I placed in a vase that belonged to his mother.  

Keeping Up with Elliott

Wednesday, June 12, 2013 – Keeping Up with Elliott

Elliott enjoyed brunch at Circa.

On the terrace at The Kennedy Center

Christian, Elisa and Matt getting ready for brunch at home

I’ve been busy keeping up with Elliott, who simply refuses to act his age!  We’ve been brunching out (last Saturday at Circa in Foggy Bottom), brunching in (last Sunday with Elisa, Christian and Matt) and entertaining ourselves with activities such as a ballet performance at the Kennedy Center and the occasional movie.  Elliott even joined me for a vegetarian Indian lunch at Woodlands Restaurant. 

With Elisa and Christian visiting from New York this past weekend, I finally had some company in the kitchen.  This inspired me to prepare portabella sliders, a culinary experiment that turned out to be a big success.  I stuffed the caps (about 2 or 3 inches across) with a mixture of shallots, roasted plum tomatoes, panko bread crumbs, and garlic and herb infused oil, topped them with shredded cheese, and baked them in the oven.  We also discovered that the combination of goat Brie and figs makes a great hors d’oeuvre, along with a glass of crisp Sauvignon Blanc.

In addition to all the food-related activities, we’ve been making the usual rounds of Lowe’s, Home Depot, and Ikea as we continue our quest to remodel the bathrooms.  We’re currently stalled somewhere in the beginning stages of bathroom #3, which is the master bathroom.  Before we started, I didn’t realize how exhausting this process would be. 

Subbing has given me a wonderful opportunity to escape temporarily from dealing with the remodeling issues.  It’s been an especially pleasant distraction because I’ve been subbing frequently for my friend Georgi, an AHS ESOL teacher, and have gotten to feel very comfortable in her classes.  In fact, I found myself thinking of them as “my” classes this week.  It’s funny how easily I fell back into the old routines from my teaching days.  Even the early morning alarm no longer bothers me.  It’s just a chance to get outside before sunrise and appreciate the sights, sounds and smells of the day as it awakens.  Of course, I was all caught up in the end-of-school-year excitement, too.  Now that classes have ended for the year, I’m actually looking forward to the start of the new school year in September so I can sub again.  I was even momentarily tempted to offer to return, on a part-time basis, next year.  But sanity returned before I made any commitments I would surely regret.

There’s a lot going on at the moment and the intensity will only increase over the next five months.  Elisa and Christian are planning a November wedding in New York and I’ve volunteered to help in any way I can – shopping for a wedding gown, checking out area hotels, choosing a menu, etc.  It seems like a lot more work than when Elliott and I got married back in December, 1983, a mere six weeks after we got engaged.  

The Eternal Optimist

Wednesday, June 5, 2013 – The Eternal Optimist

Elliott with a couple of his new purchases

  I think Elliott qualifies as the world’s greatest optimist.  Today, at the age of 101, he went out and bought several new items for his wardrobe, including a sports jacket, a couple of dress shirts, two ties, and two designer nightshirts.  This is in addition to the new khaki trousers he bought a couple of weeks ago.  Maybe the reason for this splurge is his recent weight loss.  In any case, I guess I’ll have to take him out somewhere to show off his new trim figure.  But I’ll have to keep an eye on him to make sure he behaves.  He has always been attractive to the ladies and he obviously hasn’t lost that allure.  

Elisa, Caroline, Elliott, and Lauren

  Here’s a photo of Elliott surrounded by a few of his long-time admirers.  It was taken this past weekend when Elisa was visiting, and her friends Caroline and Lauren came over for Sunday brunch.  

Maria, Elliott and Emmy

  And today we met up with two lovely ladies from Norway who are here in the U.S. for a short vacation.  Emmy (on the right) is Elliott’s cousin and Maria (on the left) is a friend of Emmy’s.  This photo was taken at La Tasca, where we enjoyed a tapas feast at lunchtime. Since there were five of us (including Marshall), we ordered more than a dozen different small plates, all of which were delicious.  Favorites included Berenjenas Fritas (fried eggplant slices – crispy and not at all greasy – served with a warm Cabrales cheese dip), Patatas Bravas (fried potatoes with spicy tomato sauce and garlic aioli), Tortilla (traditional potato and onion omelette), and Garbanzos con Espinacas (Andalusian chickpea and spinach stew).  

 

photo taken by Emmy

 Elliott and I started the day with a walk (about ¾ of a mile) across the National Mall from the Smithsonian Metro station to the National Gallery of Art where we saw the Dürer exhibit.  Marshall joined us at the museum and we then walked up to the restaurant – another ¾ of a mile.  After lunch, Elliott still had the energy to walk at least a quarter of a mile to Metro Center and to shop for an hour at Macy’s.  Not bad for 101! 

After an hour-long nap, he’s feeling fit again.  However, he plans to stay closer to home tomorrow while I’m subbing at AHS.   I'm sure he'll find activities around the house to keep him busy, and he'll also be resting up for our next urban adventure.