The Blog

Took a trip with my cousins to upstate New York. We stayed with Tangie’s friends, in their home in Woodstock. On the way back to the city, we stopped at Minard Farms in Clintondale for apple picking.

My tomatoes are turning red! Horray! Puttanesca, tomato-basil sauces! Yippee! Fresh cut slices of tomato! Joy!

I guess I spoke too soon the other day.

It doesn’t sound very glamourous, or gourmet. I’ve long read many blogs and Yelp-like sites which proclaim Japanese noodle bars trendy in the quick, dine-alone food scene. And usually food trend stories send me running — away from the superficiality and perversion of foreign food cultures. What’s “hot” today is soon to be yesterday’s crepe stand or waffle cart.

Sigh. Who am I kidding? I gave in.

I went to Momofuku. A bowl of the signature ramen contained two pieces of slow-roasted pork shoulder, a parboiled egg, small bits of cabbage and a few other garnishments. All of that served in a very tasty light brown soup-stock. Cost: $16.

Did I think the price was a bit much? Sure. Was I dissappointed? Nope.

My home garden is doing great, but I’m learning a few things. My basil plant nearly went to seed. Seems I missed the part about cutting any flowering that begins to show during the summer. So I cut them the other day. Hopefully I’ve saved it and will continue to get big basil leaves through the summer.

My tomatoes are doing great. I’m starting to see a few nearly ripe fruits on my cherry red plant. The Early Girl plant looks like it’s got a ways to go. Looking good, though.

If you were Facebook friends with my mom, you’d know she’s got a green thumb and then some. This spring I decided to do a little gardening of my own. So I planted two varieties of tomatoes, Italian parsley, thyme, sweet basil.

Here’s my plants exactly a month ago:

And here are my plants a couple of days ago:

Where the flowers are, tomatoes will grow. I should be able to harvest late next month, or sooner. I’ve already used some basil leaves and parsley. They’re great.

A must have when I’m home (San Francisco). Crustacean. Thanks to my Aunt Vienna for treating me, just before I left for the airport. Amazing, as always. Roast garlic crab and garlic noodles.

When I think of home, I think of a place where there’s… lots of delicious reasons to eat badly for 10 days straight. And that’s exactly what I did during my trip home late March.

First up, fried chicken at mom’s. And then gumbo at dad’s.

Then my sister and I hit San Francisco for my favorite comfort food. Yamo. I used to eat there one or twice a week during my last year of school.

And then, over the course of several days, I had Wing Stop. Mountain Mike’s Pizza. Nacho cheese sauce over chips from Costco. Buttered popcorn. Crawfish and crab.

And probably a few more things that I’m forgetting. I was home, and I probably won’t get a chance to eat like that again for a long while.

I did end the trip on a high note. See post above.

I was expecting her call. My iPhone began ringing and I reached for my voice recorder. I’d been waiting weeks to talk to and meet my favorite food TV personality, Lidia Bastianich. I’m professional enough to not gush on the phone or in person when I meet people I admire.

I watch Lidia’s Italy almost every week. I’ve paid more visits to Eataly than most New Yorkers. I’ve incorporated a couple of Lidia’s simple pasta sauce recipes into my repertoire. And, last week, I held her attention for 15 minutes. She later told me my questions were very thorough.

Always nice when you meet your idols and the experience isn’t disappointing or underwhelming.

Thanksgiving was great this year. Missed my CA family, but had a great time with my New York family.

Menu: Nine-pound stuffed whole salmon, turkey, seafood dressing, mac and cheese, sweet potato casserole, greens, brussel sprouts, cranberry sauce.

Of course, Ailey was the main dish.

Cousins Tangie, Ailey and I hit the streets recently the Carroll Garden Soup Festival. We tasted at least 10 soups from various restaurants along Smith Street in Brooklyn.

The best soups we tasted were a pasta fagioli at Lunetta and a roasted squash puree from Bombay Dream. The exact recipes, of course, aren’t on the web.