Staying In

New Year's Eve kind of snuck up on me this year. After such a hectic holiday, we don't have anything special planned. This has never been one of my favorite holidays, unless we're somewhere warm like Brazil all dressed in white. New Year's Eve is always a lot of fun when we're there. Here, it's usually too cold, everything is unbelievably overpriced, and don't even get me started on Times Square. I'd rather do just about anything than celebrate New Year's Eve there. Last year, we didn't do much either. I was pregnant and happy to stay home. Daniel, these pork banh mi meatballs and The Hangover made it one of my best ones yet.

Friends invited us over for ropa vieja in Ft. Greene tonight, but since our regular babysitter is on another coast at the moment, it looks like we're staying in. Now I need to think of something fun to make. Any suggestions? I have a few bars of dark chocolate and a fridge full of fruit, so there will definitely be a big pot of fondue for dessert. 

What are your plans for New Year's Eve? I'd love to hear!

Trail of Inspiration

Daniel and I bought our current apartment almost 4 years ago, transforming it from a very sorry state into a place of our own. Before having kids, I would pick pieces of lint off the floor and sweep our kitchen every night. Tiny scratches on our freshly painted walls made me freak out and I almost had a nervous breakdown after seeing a water ring on our wooden bathroom shelf. I even let my cousin convince me to buy a white couch. My friend Kristen intervened at the last minute saying this was a terrible idea. I'm prone to spilling, and she knew I wanted kids.

I'm thankful I listened. Times have certainly changed. The chocolate couch I went with has seen smashed blueberries, spit-ups and all sorts of other stuff. In most rooms there are legos, train tracks, cars, trucks, diggers, back hoe loaders—I could go on and on, but I'll spare you—scattered everywhere. EVERY FREAKIN WHERE. An exersaucer—an eyesore if there ever was one—in our kitchen, a jumperoo that we move around from door to door, and an army of winter coats smothering beautiful antique hooks that partially block access to our bathroom.

As much as I love this apartment and all of the memories we've made in it, I'm very happy that we've decided to move in a few months. I don't think Daniel and I have another gut renovation in us, at least not now. I'm already counting on not finding a kitchen I love as much as ours. More space is the biggest priority.

One thing's for sure: I'm getting the itch to redecorate. I don't have the funds for many big changes, but a girl can dream, right? Today I found Lulu de Kwiatkowski's blog Trail of Inspiration and am sure I'll refer to it a lot when we find our new place. My cousin might have convinced me to buy a white couch, but by introducing me to Lulu DK fabrics she redeemed herself. Together we picked out this one for two slipper chairs and this one for some pillows. If I had space and money to spare, I would have bought a lot more. In October, Lonny Magazine had an article about Lulu and I loved seeing her LA home. She has two little boys and it barely looks lived in, but that's the beside the point. With lots of white and pops of color everywhere, it's sophisticated and fun. I still have a few more months in very tight quarters and no need or desire to buy anything new. For now, I'll keep tripping on legos and just live very vicariously through Lulu.

First photo via Trail of Inspiration. All others by Patrick Cline via Lonny.

The Bright Side

Last night was perfect. For my Mom, and me.

For days, I'd deliberated. Taking two kids to the city at a time when they were usually both in bed didn't seem to make sense. Lack of sleep, stomach bugs, and a holiday without heat and hot water had me on edge. The snowstorm only complicated things. Our car was buried in a few feet of snow and taxi services were beyond overwhelmed. I considered going alone, but knew how disappointed my Mom would be. When Daniel came home from work, Leo and Nico had major meltdowns at the same time. We both started to feel very negative about the whole situation.

I escaped to the shower. As hot water drowned out the noise in the next room, I gave myself a little pep talk. I knew it was a special night. Maybe everything would go off without a hitch. Maybe the subway wouldn't take forever and we'd have no trouble finding a taxi to take us from Lexington Ave over to York. Maybe the boys would be fine going to bed much later than usual. Maybe they'd both behave and I'd have a much needed night with adults, good food, and even a little wine.

Being positive was a good idea.

Nico, my little party animal, was as happy as could be all night and still in good spirits at 11pm as we were getting ready to leave. Leo hung out with us at the dinner table for the first few courses before taking a nap on my Mom's cozy bed. The food (wild mushroom soup with a pear puree and cumin oil, mache salad with a goat cheese medallion, filet mignon with tomato Madeira confit, stuffed tomatoes, asparagus gruyere, wild mushroom bread pudding, and a gorgeous custom cake from Pink Cake Box) was excellent, friends and family made touching toasts, and my Mom looked more beautiful and exuberant than ever.

I even taught myself a little lesson. When something seems really hard, and I feel like I might crack, it always helps to look on the bright side and forge ahead.

Sixty

Today my Mom turns 60. Already, her new decade is off to a good start. She recently reunited with an old love, her fourth grandchild arrived yesterday, and in a few weeks she's moving to a new apartment. I haven't seen it yet, but a kitchen with a view of the East River sounds nice to me.

Together we've taken many trips that revolve around restaurants—she joined me and Daniel at El Bulli, followed by another multi-course dinner at El Celler de Can Roca in Girona the next night. I've tagged along on some of her European adventures, including a weekend in Dublin where we ate mostly French food. In NY, we've asked for doggie bags at Per Se and other places where most wouldn't dare. At Jean Georges, we cut a 7-course tasting menu short because we were late to the opera. We returned a few hours later to pick up where we'd left off.

At her apartment and mine, we've shared many meals. Pasta or roasted hens that she's made on the spot, and others with many courses that she's planned and prepped for days. At 33, I still crave her grilled cheeses and carefully composed salads. Her lasagna and meatloaf have won awards, and her stuffed tomatoes and linguine with clam sauce easily could. Tonight, she's cooking her own birthday dinner for me and my boys and some family and friends. With many courses, it's sure to rival tastings at some of the city's best spots. Prepared in a small kitchen where most might get flustered, she'll make it seem simple, I'm sure.

As my present, I want to take her to dinner somewhere special. It's been awhile since we've had a few hours together, just the two of us, to eat and catch up. I miss those trips we used to take together before I had kids. I'm considering Corton, but I'll probably give her some choices and let her choose. For now, I want to wish her the happiest 60th birthday ever and thank her for filling my life with a lot of love and such incredible food.

Sledding Envy

 It's day three without heat or hot water over here. Last night I put Leo to bed with a hat and mittens and when he woke up at 3am, his little nose was as cold as mine.

Outside Prospect Park is covered with snow and the wind is whipping. Daniel returned to work this morning, his Mom is spending her last day in the city, and I'm back on my own with the boys. It looks beautiful outside and I'm contemplating bundling us all up and braving the cold. But coming home to a freezing apartment after frolicking in the snow seems strange. Then again, we did that yesterday and once we finally got out, it was wonderful.

What I really want to do is go sledding. I just spotted this family and their yellow sled as I was peeking out the window and wish I could join them. I'm just not sure how to sled with a toddler and infant on my own. Leo in the Ergo and Nico on my lap? Maybe, but doesn't sound the safest. For now, we're stuck inside watching movies, building train tracks, drinking hot cocoa, and wearing layer upon layer of clothes. When Leo wakes up from his morning nap, we'll see.

Staying Warm with Sugar Cookies

We haven't had any heat or hot water for the past two days. It wasn't too bad on Christmas, but today there's a monster snowstorm and it's cold. Sipping lots of tea and eating what seems like a never ending supply of cookies has helped. Now my thoughts are on dinner. I'm thinking fondue.

On Christmas Eve, we made sugar cookies with Nico before he went to bed. I was inspired by these stunning ones, but making cut-out cookies and royal icing with a 2 1/2-year old when it's already past his bedtime can be tricky.

Ours weren't quite stunning. Not even close, but with a hint of almond extract and lemon zest, they were delicious. I love the the cookie recipe I finally settled on, and to make the icing, I went with this one from Alton Brown. It was my first time making royal icing and worried about it being too runny, I made it too stiff. Putting it into squeeze bottles as Emily (the girl with the stunning cookies) instructed made it easier to work with.

Some day we'll make stunning ones. This year, with stomach viruses and sleep deprivation and all sorts of other obstacles, I've been embracing imperfection. And chaos. Especially when it keeps us happy and well fed.

Dub Pies

Decaf mocha lattes from Dub Pies have been keeping me warm this winter. I  just wish I didn't feel like a bull in a china shop every time I go there with my kids. Getting in with a double stroller is kind of tricky since the door opens into the shop and not toward the street and once we're finally in, we take up half the place. On most visits, I feel like that Mom. I could always go to Connecticut Muffin across the street, but everything at Dub is so much better. Good thing Prospect Park is nearby. I get my mocha to go, and usually a few of their flaky and filling New Zealand-Australian meat pies (refried beans/jalapeno and chicken thai curry on my last visit, plus a few mini ones which are perfect for kids) and enjoy everything there. For movies at The Pavilion, I like to sneak in some of their sweet treats. Anzac cookies with oats, coconut, and what seems like a lot of sugar are delicious, and I'm hoping the mini fruit mince pies will be around after the holidays, but something tells me their days are numbered.

Dub Pies
211 Prospect Park West (corner of 16th Street)
718-788-2488

Lunch at Five Leaves

 I remember hearing about Five Leaves when it first opened. Heath Ledger was involved somehow (and happened to live down the block from me at the time), but it was in Greenpoint and I didn't pay much attention. It was a neighborhood I barely visited. Fast forward a few years and I've been there three times in the past week. Nico's new favorite place to play is in Greenpoint and Five Leaves is a block away. On Monday, I finally went there with him, my friend Karlyn, and her son Fox.

Worried about disturbing people, we decided to sit outside. Even though it was cold, the sun was shining, and we were all bundled up.

Had we timed our order better, Karlyn and I wouldn't have had to inhale our lunches (merquez scrambled eggs with spiced chickpeas, avocado and sourdough for me and a burger with a pineapple ring and fried egg for her), but our boys demanded fries the minute we sat down and they'd devoured a big bowl of them long before our food arrived. Nico requested dollops of Dijon mustard, ketchup and mayonnaise for his.

Once the rest of the food came, Fox was passed out in his stroller and Karlyn had to give Nico her iPhone to keep him entertained. It wasn't long before he started begging to go home and our food was cold.

Sitting outside wasn't the smartest idea, but wreaking havoc inside wouldn't have been any better. There was one good thing about our decision. Kiefer Sutherland happened to be outside which we didn't notice until after we'd settled in. I swear—that he was out there and that we didn't see him until after we sat down. In fact, he and I bumped into each other. I was coming out after asking for some menus and he was on his way in to use the bathroom (or so our server said). Karlyn considered asking him for a photo, but before we knew it he and the woman he was sitting with were whisked away in a cab. It's funny how something as silly as seeing a celebrity can make my day. It seemed to make Karlyn's too, and probably made our husbands wonder how we can ever complain about having hard days when we're having leisurely lunches next to famous people.

While we were getting ready to leave, two guys sitting next to us said we'd inspired them to sit outside. We all agreed that it wasn't ideal, but as one of them said, it was an experience we'd always remember. They'd seemed genuinely entertained by our little boys and their comical banter, and probably didn't even notice Kiefer, which is saying something, don't you think?

Some day, I'd like to go back to Five Leaves, with Daniel and a big group of friends. Inside looked warm, cozy, and a very fun place to be. And the menu? Don't even get me started. I'd be happy with just about anything on there, and they serve breakfast all day.

Five Leaves
18 Bedford Avenue
Greenpoint, Brooklyn
718-333-5345

The Brookie

Meet the brookie, a brownie cradling a chocolate chip cookie from Baked. It's dreamy. For weeks I had a note to buy 4" pie tins on my to-do list so I could make a batch myself. I'd found the recipe, and it seemed easy enough, but I knew having six Brookies in my apartment would be dangerous. Daniel has restraint when it comes to desserts. I don't. 

I tried my first one after a visit to the Waterfront Museum, a barge at Pier 44 in Red Hook that my friend Caitlin told me about. She said it was a great place to take kids, especially on Thursday afternoons when admission is free. 

I like to plan outings that are near good coffee shops or bakeries or other special spots for food. With an infant and toddler, it's hard to sit anywhere and have a full meal, so I look for places where we can linger for just a little while. Plus, what could be better than a floating museum followed by brookies at Baked? Not much. We had the perfect afternoon. 

To get to the barge, we parked at Fairway and walked toward the water. We met the cheery captain who let Nico ring a bunch of bells, and were all mesmerized by the Rube Goldberg-style ball machine, a Dr. Seuss-like contraption. 

After, we played in the gardens nearby, sat by the water and watched the sun set. Thanks to Baked, I have a new favorite dessert. Thanks to Caitlin, I found my new favorite place in Brooklyn. 

Waterfront Museum

290 Conover Street at Pier 44

Red Hook, Brooklyn

718-624-4719

Baked

359 Van Brunt Street

Red Hook, Brooklyn

718-222-0345

Mango Chutney, Prosciutto and Paneer Pizza

Lately, while reading other food blogs, I find myself wondering: How on earth do all these people take such perfect photos of everything they make?

In my world, cooking tends to go like this. I start a recipe. Almost instantly, Nico decides it's time for us to play hide and seek. I play along because it keeps him occupied while I attempt to make a decent meal and our apartment is small enough where I can quickly leave a sauce simmering to go and find him (which isn't hard since he always lets out a devilish laugh whenever I come anywhere close to where he's hiding). Around the same time, Leo usually has a meltdown. The happiest baby as long as we're on the go, he's my 6-month old wannabe toddler who seems offended when I try to contain him in an exersaucer, bouncy chair or other baby-friendly device. Before you know it, Daniel needs to swoop in and take over. And play photographer, too.

That was the case the last time we made this pizza. He actually took a bunch of photos, but it was nighttime and there wasn't good, natural light. Not to mention that by the time this was ready, both of our children were finally in bed and we just wanted to eat.

So, I'm sorry the photo isn't better. But take my word for it. This pizza rules. I recently wrote about it for my blog on iVillage and you can get the full story and recipe there. We've been making it about once a week and if the Park Slope food coop hadn't stopped carrying paneer and I had mango chutney and prosciutto on hand all the time, I'd make it way more than that.

It's quick and easy, but feels kind of exotic. Growing up, I went through a pineapple pizza phase. With mango chutney and prosciutto, this is similar, but more sophisticated. Try it yourself and you'll see. And don't worry about taking photographs. Just eat.

Wine-Stewed Prunes with Mascarpone

I first tried these a few years ago at Frankies 457, a Brooklyn restaurant I used to visit a lot. I finally made them myself last night. Just as I remembered, they're incredible. 

This recipe elevates the prune, a dried fruit I love -- that so often gets a bad rap -- to new levels. Completely no-fuss, it combines a pound of them with dry red wine, sugar and cinnamon sticks. After simmering for about an hour on the stove, the prunes start nestling together in a striking plum colored syrup that I wanted to lick from the spoon. Wine-soaked prunes would also make a lovely nail color, I have to say. Or maybe wine-soaked dried plums sounds better?

They couldn't be easier to whip up, either for a dinner party or a late-night dessert. For the wine, I used a Malbec which worked well. The original recipe said to use 1 1/4 cups sugar. That seemed like a lot, so I used 1 cup and still thought they were a bit too sweet. Next time, I'd use even less.

Rich with a deep, jammy flavor, they also feel kind of festive and would be a nice end to a holiday meal. They were perfect last night with a few spoonfuls of mascarpone. Later, I'll see how they taste cold on top of some plain yogurt.

Wine-Stewed Prunes with Mascarpone
Adapted from Frank Castronovo and Frank Falcinelli via The New York Times 
Serves 6

1 pound pitted prunes (about 40)
1 cup sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
2½ cups dry red wine
2  8-ounce containers mascarpone

1. Combine prunes, sugar, cinnamon and wine in a pot over medium-high heat. When mixture boils, reduce to simmer and cook 45 minutes, until liquid has turned to syrup.
2. Remove from heat, and rest at least 15 minutes. Spread a mound of mascarpone on each serving plate, top with 6 prunes and drizzle with syrup. Serve immediately.

The Perfect Play Kitchen

Christina's Kitchen, Nova Natural

For Christmas last year, I gave Nico this play kitchen. It's still one of his favorite toys, which makes me very happy. Toddlers have a tendency to be very into something one day and completely over it the next. Especially a simple, wooden toy that doesn't make noise or blink. 

At first I started him out with mini pots and pans from Acorn, some eggs and a few pretend food sets from Haba. For his birthday, I got him a mini toaster. He hijacked my kitchen timer and some pot holders and is often begging me to give him our lemon juicer and tongs (which he prefers to call "pinchers"). 

Today, he served me this breakfast which he described as a salty pretzel, a pizza sandwich, six eggs and a pie. My kind of meal. Sometimes, before we go out for the day, he places a bunch of his stuffed animals around a tray and piles it with food. I love that he wants to make sure his little friends are well fed. 

While giving him a bath last night, I asked what he wants to be when he grows up. Expecting his usual answers (fire man, garbage man, construction worker), he surprised me with a new one. He told me he wanted to be a cooker who makes delicious things.  

Holiday Cookie Crawl

With one child, it didn't seem as crazy to take the subway 12 stops (or more) in search of really good sweets. With two, things are more complicated.

So, while I really would love to bundle up my boys and have them sample holiday cookies all over the city with me, it's just not going to happen. Not this year.

Instead, I'm dreaming about where we'd go if we could. For my latest Mommy Poppins post, I checked in with seven of my favorite spots and found out what they're baking this year. Because in my opinion, a cookie crawl is the perfect way to spend a holiday weekend. Or any weekend. Actually, make that any day of the week.

I did try these mini fruit mince pies at Dub Pies and thought they were delicious, but to make sure there are more holiday sweets in my future, I'm going to christen some new cookie cutters next week. But first, I need the perfect sugar cookie recipe. Any suggestions?

25 NYC Food Gift Ideas

I love giving people gifts and I usually find a way to work food in somehow. For weddings, I send couples to special restaurants (Mas in the West Village, usually), and I've planned a few surprise trips to Shinn Estate.

For the holidays this year, I want to give friends and family some of my favorite NYC foods. Bars of chocolate made in Brooklyn by two brothers, hand rolled pretzels that rival the stale ones sold all over the city, and boxes of brownies from a place I visited way too often during the four years I worked in Chelsea Market.

For my latest Mommy Poppins post, I shared these and many other local gift ideas that would make anyone who likes food very happy. Because let's face it. No one really needs more stuff. But we all need to eat!