hi everyone! i decided to give myself an early xmas present and take off for a whopping two weeks as i try to get everything ready for the holiday (and finish up this massive way too academic project i have at work). i have been doing lots of cooking, both for christmas dinner as well as for gifts (my favorite has been this incredible olive oil granola and some super spicy pecan nuts (i’ll post the recipe sometime) delivered in some cute ball jars from park delicatessen and brooklyn kitchen). next week, we head off to salt lake for some family time and hopefully a little bit of skiing (we’ll see how the nearly 3-year old fares) and i will dream for a little relaxation (not likely).
i hope you all have a super holiday, lots of enjoyable down time and of course good food. i cannot really believe it is going to be 2010. that seems completely bizarre but i guess this is what happens. fortunately, s’s birthday is on new year’s eve so that will be our party focus out in utah. see you in january with some great interviews and of course a bunch of excellent shops and restaurants — new york fortunately is full of those things.
with two small and darling kids and one lovely husband who all occasionally need some amount of tending to as well as a full-time job, this blog is an excuse for me to explore the streets of new york, with a focus on brooklyn -- my home -- and manhattan, for those great little finds that seem to appear randomly on all sorts of blocks around new york but are sometimes hidden from plain view. i gravitate toward small, beautiful, independent places with interesting things, fantastic and friendly service and mostly affordable stuff (or at least an excellent value) and food that is extremely tasty, reasonable and in a great space -- though taste will trump design every time. to help put all these ideas in one place, i also will provide a series of new york mini-guides. in each of these, i will highlight something fun to do and then give some food, shop and doing suggestions nearby. these mini-guides, soon to be accompanied by mini-maps, will help to fill an afternoon -- where to pick up a snack, what shops to check out nearby and is there a really sweet little park along the way for a much needed rest. and i am always looking for ideas -- so if you have any suggestions for where to eat and shop or what to do please let me know. . you can also follow me on twitter at cherrypatter.
and for those of you more interested in the photos, i have absolutely no photography training and while i have been picking up a few tidbits here and there, mostly i think the credit for the photos goes to my lovely camera. it is a canon rebel xti, and the lens i use most of the time is the 50 mm 1:1:8. i also have a 75-300mm 1:4-5.6 for longer views.
Excited that modern Chinese takeout spot (whatever that really means) might have a soft opening tomorrow in Gowanus next to fav 4&20 bbirds
Enjoy your break! I envy you your ski trip. And 2 words if you want a little fun of your own: ski school.