OTTO

Uggghhh. Why is the light so bright? And how can these kids have so much to say, so enthusiastically, so early in the morning? Put in a late night in NYC, but with little hesitation I say it was totally worth this morning's slo-mo feebleness.
We were a few minutes late for our 9 pm reservation at Otto Pizzeria and Enoteca. Noemi, our sometime foodie accomplice, was waiting for us at the door with a huge smile on her face, excited about the eating adventure we were about to take.
Otto is loud and crowded, but friendly and hospitable as well. Despite being late, there was none of that NYC 'tude, we did have to wait a little- but were seated before our drinks arrived from the bar (blood orange bellini for me).
Otto is Mario Batali's take on pizza, and pizza is just about my favorite thing to eat in this wide and varied world. My tastebuds were greedily anticipating a full frontal assault. We started with an assortment of Verdure, the trio of olives were meaty and nicely brined Other delicious culprits were the broccoli with pecorino. However, the brussel sprouts in a vinegary glaze stole the verdure show.
Next up, pizza and pasta. We chose 2 pizzas: Funghi and Taleggio, Pane Frattau. OK, here we go- thin crispy crust, the size of a dinner plate, totally delectable. The Funghi Taleggio was a white pizza that featured perfectly sauteed mushrooms and tangy Taleggio cheese. It was nice and savory, and would have been fantastic were it not served alongside the Pane Fratta. I guess I'm a pizza traditionalist because I loved the tomato sauce base, it was full of herbs and spices and just wonderful, the layer of melted pecorino was sharp and almost cheddar-like in flavor. But the sunnyside up egg shining happily in the center made it really special. Let's pause for a moment here and zoom in on the scene. Me alternately sipping my bellini and savoring pizza heaven. Noemi with her Negroni on the rocks, in a gorgeous silky blouse-might I add, enjoying her pizza. Hub, and his red wine, tentatively approaching his slice of Pane Fratta due to a bad experience he endured involving a fried egg pizza in Dahab, Egypt many years ago. Thankfully, he now has a delicious experience to replace the gut churning memory.
OK back to the meal. The Penne Puttanesca was flavorful- but not overly anchovied, a good thing for me. Blah, blah, blah...Dessert. The menu featured a large and exotic selection of gelato. I foisted my sweet tooth on the table and ordered the salted peanut, burnt caramel, and taking a chance- the olive oil. Salted peanut- good. Burnt caramel- good. Olive oil-phenomenal! In that dollop of gelato there contained several wondeful flavors; sweet, fruity, olive oil, creamy, unexpectedly amazing! Hub declared it was the best part of the meal, and he's not known for his sweet tooth.

The morning after may be as rough as the oatmeal I made the kiddles for brekkie. The sun is much more blinding than that sunny side up egg that graced the center of last night's pizza. And the pickings from my pantry are much less interesting than Mario's options. Yet, last night's lofty meal was well worth this morning's tumble.

A Birthday For Girlette!

Yesterday was girlette's birthday. Wary of another kiddie party where I would have to come up with a theme and amusements, all the while spending needless amounts of money, I offered her the option of going into the City for a manicure and lunch and playtime with her brothers in Central Park and FAO Schwartz. Done and done, I didn't have to ask her twice. The manicure would have been enough, as I'm a real girlie-girl grinch and save nail polish for just for special times like birthdays.
We began the day by being dropped off on my beloved UWS, and to our great good luck right in front of Loehmanns! I could definitely not miss the opportunity to share a Loehmanns moment with my daughter, as I had with my mother many times before. It being her birthday no less! We dragged les boys into the store, Boy 1, grumbling the whole time, and almost ruining it. I got her a sparkly long sleeved tee. And for me a woollen winter cap and cat's eye sunglasses. Fun! Despite the boys.
Then off to her first real-life/big-lady manicure. She went straight for the gold colored polish and sat at the table like she'd been doing this for years. I wanted to get one too, as my nails look like some lazy goth girl's . But les Boys insited on acting like the boys that they are- and alas my chipped-off nails remain. Then we met my brother, also a boy, at Crumbs cupcake eporium on Amsterdam and 75th. Wowee! I had a golden cupcake with chocolate frosting and sprinkles YUM! My brother had one named the Artie Lang which was appropriately overladen with junk (but delicious I hear). Here's were the day gets New Yorky but not in a good way. I wanted to take Girlette for the perfect ladies lunch (despite the Boys tagging along). Initially I called to make a reservation at Sweetiepie for the Eloise experience, but like Museums they are closed on Mondays-boo! Then I tried Alice's Tea Cup, despite the fact that I swore never to darken their tea cup again. Well, they showed me- no reservations, not even for a party of six in the middle of a recession. Apparently, Manhattan really is a magical island that is not affected by a recession that gnaws at the rest of the country. Or maybe just parts of NYC?
Next defense was Sarabeth's- and if Alice's Tea Cup doesn't take reservations, her all-grown up sister Sarabeth's sure as hell won't. I'd have to chance it. Suffice to say we ended up lunching with Hub at Le Pain Quotidien which was perfectly fine and the fudge fallen souffle delighted Girlette regardless. However, next time I take Girlette to the City it will be any day but monday.
We then spent time at Central Park, for the children to observe how city kids live and play in their habitats, and to enjoy the differences. We ended the day at FAO Schwartz and by this time Munch had fallen asleep, mouth ajar in the stroller, and Girlette and I had a... disagreement. The perfect time for Hub to pull up and whisk us back home to the country.
Because I'm a guilty Jewish mother, or maybe because you can't take the Celebration out of Celebrationist, tomorrow I'm serving lunch to both Kindergarten classes at her school. Mac 'n cheese (Girlette's fave) and cupcakes are on the menu. Easy, fun, festive, convenient, and inexpensive for everyone. Happy Birthday, Girlette! Life with you is a wonderfully female experience!

Georgia O'Keefe And The Meals That Followed

"One can't paint New York as is, but rather as is felt"

I fear I may have fallen out of the habit of blogging. Perhaps I have lost the impulse to record my noteworthy dishes and memorable meals? Sometimes it just feels like yet another thing that needs to be done. And I wonder if anyone is even out there anyway. But today deserves a mention- if only to commit it to memory. Despite all the UN happenings in midtown, Eustacia and I decided to check out the Georgia O'Keefe exhibition at the Whitney Museum. We parked in my old neighborhood on the Upper West Side and walked through the park in pleasant early autumn weather.
The exhibition was incredible, it focused on Georgia O'Keefe's abstract paintings. There were a number of her recognizable large scale flower canvases which were gorgeous and absorbing. But the pieces I was most attracted to were in a series called Bright Star, and her paintings on Lake George. These works did for me what I feel good art does in general- it made me see things in a different way. I left feeling "spiritually" nourished but physically starving. Where to for lunch? We were in Manhattan- and a myriad of choices lay deliciously before us. Due to time constraints we decided that wherever we went should be close to the car, as we had to make a quick getaway. I remembered a Le Pain Quotidien on 72nd Street and hoped it was still there. Mais Oui and Hell Yeah! We were seated at one of those long communal tables and I immediately ordered a cafe au lait, which was perfect. Next, I deliberated over what to eat- all I really wanted was baguette with butter, which they do well, but the adorable teenaged waiter convinced me to get a cheese platter to go with it. Memories of our recent visit to LA Burdick flitted through my mind, and the stylized French-ness of it all had me going. Going, going, gone - with a final swallow of my cafe au lait, I grabbed a piece of baguette for the road, and eyed the sumptuous pastry case on the way out. We headed to the car, got back on the road that leads out of my magical island, and straight to afternoon pick up. It was one of those perfect New York days.
The presence of Georgia O'Keefe and her artwork lingered through dinner. I made cornbread and beans as a tabletop tribute to O'Keefe's New Mexico influence. Honey butter seemed appropriate for this time of year and was a nice addition to the cornbread.

Honey Butter
Mix up 1 tbsp. honey with 4 tbsp. softened butter. Great on toast, muffins, scones, and tea bread