Slope Opera

Big summer for our hero

2010-06-23T13:59:00.001-07:00

First, Clarke will be a Counselor-in-Training at Floodwood - his dad's beloved Floodwood where he worked for 10 years and eventually ran the place. No pressure there, kid. Then, there is his first sleepaway adventure in dorms at a college. National Jazz Workshop in Virginia. Lots of talent. Lots to learn. No pressure there, kid. But I'm happy that he has this. He should know how capable he really is. And then, of course, there will be some fun and frivolity. Here's one of Clarke's audition tapes.

Not summer yet

2010-06-22T08:27:00.000-07:00

A list of randomness:

Make this school year end. NOW. NYC is nuts. See this insanity. Of course I had to add my two cents in the comments.
For those that remember, on the last day of school, I always plan a crazy surprise for the boys. This one is finally finished and is slated for Friday. Not my most outlandish but should be a fun time. Years past have included: weekend cruise to Canada, beach, convertible car rental, water park, sailing trip. Can't write details on this year of course, because I'm certain the boys read my blog....right? I am loving slipping them hints and throwing them off the scent. Much harder now that they are old and cynical.
Very happy with quick dinner last night. Ready? Turkey burgers: mix ground turkey with salt, chopped cilantro, lime juice. Grill. Fancy relish: grated red cabbage and carrots, mixed with 2 TBL mayo, lime juice, dash of olive oil, cilantro, jalapeno. Sweet potato baked fries: Try to find the white sweet potatoes (are those yams?). The trick is heat the olive oil in a baking sheet in oven at high heat (450). When very hot, add the salted sweet potatoes. Bake till they are done. They crisp up nicely this way. Broccoli. Add sliced ginger to water/chicken stock before you steam/boil. Sliced melons: why are there so many delicious melons at the co-op right now? I thought melon season was late august. Anyway, delicious.
Barn: Nada. Can't afford rental cars to get up there on the weekends. Need a solution. Very sad. But we are going for July 4th!
To be honest, I am trying to remember that summer is supposed to be a time to relax and enjoy. Getting the boys scheduled into camps etc. to keep them occupied is expensive and time-consuming. I don't have a lot of time off work and I feel the whole summer is scheduled and budgeted down to the wire. Le sigh. Check back next week and hopefully I will shake this BS and start having some fun.
I biked here last weekend and it was amazing. 12 miles from the urban jungle and you have pristine beach and wildlife. Wowza.

Notice anything?

2010-06-04T12:04:00.001-07:00

First, I know I was at the barn last weekend and yes I took some photos, but I can't find the darn cord that exports my camera so you'll have to take my word for it, that it was great. I really need to take pictures of EatnMeet next time I am there. Expect photos and details soon.

Meanwhile on the way up to the barn, I heard this great lyric. "If you hear any noise, it's just me and the boys." Made me laugh and made me happy. The storm blowing the roof off the barn thing was pretty powerful for me, for a time ( I don't think I ever blogged this but literally a piece of paper blew into my hand with that saying on it, during a pretty rough time. How. Weird. Is. That?) But now it doesn't quite reflect, so voila, a new blog tagline.

Finally

2010-05-27T06:36:00.000-07:00

Back to the barn tomorrow. So so excited. I am once again going to essentially ignore house tasks and relax and hike and canoe. At some point I really have to spend a work weekend to get the barn back in shipshape (as shipshape as the Barn can be). Scarily neglected lately. Must. Rectify. This. Summer.

So back to this weekend. We leave tomorrow in a minivan (woo woo) with 2 additional kids. Their parents are taking the train and meeting us up there. Saturday will be croquet and catch and bike rides and filming Clarke's jazz audition video ( anyone want to come over for the live shoot? We are renting helicopters and groupies). Then EatnMeet for dinner. Sunday, we are heading out to Floodwood Pond to canoe the streams and small ponds. This is our home turf for canoeing and I can't wait. We have a group of 8 so we have 2 16' canoes and 2 kayaks. We are going to set up day camp on one of the islands and let people explore from there. After that, cookout back at our place. Deciding between pork burgers with asian slaw and fennel or chocolate, stout marinated steak. Um, and quinoa, feta salad for PK. Vegetarians!

We'll see you inside the blue line!

Hey Canoe People!

2010-05-26T08:30:00.000-07:00

Here's what I need: A way to transport 2-3 canoes and/or a kayak. Here's the problem: I don't own a car so it would have to easily attach to any rental car I happen to have. Does such a thing exist?

It's very frustrating. We have friends coming to the barn this weekend and again, we have enough boats for everyone but no way to transport them all. So we end up renting from St. Regis (On Floodwood Pond). They are a great outfit but I don't need the extra expense. Any ideas?

The Music Man

2010-05-24T07:45:00.000-07:00

"Clarke has a very very high level of musical ability. I do not say this lightly. His technique and musical aptitude are very advanced." The report then goes to to report specific areas where he should focus, ideas for moving forward etc.

Finally a good report card for our hero. However, this is not the kind of report I exactly know what to do with. This is not news to me but it is an affirmation that Clarke's mind is not "ideally suited", shall we say, for Brooklyn Tech.

I am so proud of him for getting through the last 3 years of hell and for being a really good kid. I am not so proud of his academic achievements to date. And I'm no longer sure that my yelling, cajoling, encouraging, or threatening will change that much. So then what? Where is the path if you deviate from the standard? Must he forge his own or should I feebly attempt to lead him?

Geez, now I'm awake

2010-05-11T20:28:00.000-07:00

I am experimenting with food photography. Mostly because I love this new site www.food52.com. The concept is a curated place for ambitious homecooks. There is a cooking contest each week and the winner goes into a real cookbook. So cool. Hilariously, I keep missing the deadlines but end up making the intended dishes days later. Alas, anyway here are a few photos: okra with ginger/red pepper/rosewater, lamb/feta/cherry meatballs, croissant (not made by me!), barley risotto.

Oh yeah, the blog

2010-05-11T20:13:00.001-07:00

too much work. too much homework. not enough sleep. not enough frivolity. Need the barn. SOS. The end.

Jamie Oliver

2010-04-25T19:46:00.000-07:00

I know I am supposed to hate this contrived reality show, produced by none other than Ryan Seacrest but Oscar and I have watched it loyally on Hulu each week and damn, it is inspiring. I personally think Jamie Oliver is the real deal, and is authentically consumed with changing the way we eat. It is well aligned with Food Inc. and the local food movement and I am indeed appalled at the school lunch program in this country. So we are trying. What does this mean for our lives? When we moved to Brooklyn and I joined the Park Slope Food Coop, it made some very big changes in our eating. Out of my shopping cart, there are maybe 4 or 5 packaged goods, mostly healthy. The boys snacks are much better; we have healthy, creative meals. Yay me. But, we still do takeout or eat-out, probably one or two nights every week. I would like to reduce that. It's not great on wasteline, environment, budget, or health. Ironically, while I can throw down easily on 4-hour gourmet feasts, I am not great at really fast meals or meals that the boys would think are exciting so that is my challenge. Last week, I made Bittman's pork vindaloo which was 1 hour but only about 10 minutes of prep time and really easy. They loved it. Today, we went retro and I tried homemade, healthy, sloppy Joes. I must say, I think I nailed it. Start to finish, 15 minutes. Recipe: 1 lb, lean, organic, grass-fed beef, olive, oil, 1/2 onion- diced, 2 carrots-finely diced, 2 cloves garlic-minced, 1 bell pepper-finely diced, 1.5 TBSP dijon mustard, 3/4 can organic crushed tomatos (obviously easy to use food processed fresh tomatoes too) 1.5 TBSP maple syrup, dash of smoked paprika. Heat olive oil in saute pan, add onion, garlic. Saute for a few minutes, then add carrots. When carrots have softened, add ground beef and saute until brown. Pour off excess fat and then add crushed tomatoes, mustard, maple syrup, paprika. Simmer for 5 minutes. I served on these really good Brioche buns with sides of edamame and sweet potato fries (just sliced sweet potatoes with some olive oil and salt in oven. Happy boy food.

Two months later

2010-04-16T13:33:00.001-07:00

Had to post this because it made me smile and be glad I'm in Brooklyn. From Sam Sifton, Restaurant Critic at the times.

Did you grow up in the USA — with a “regular” burger, hotdogs, and mac & cheese childhood? Or what was your gastronomic experience like as a kid?

I grew up in Brooklyn, N.Y., which means there was slice pizza from Fascati and pork buns from Su-Su’s and chicken Yunan from China Chili. There was fried chicken my dad made on Sundays and my mother’s fresh yogurt every morning and big bagels still warm from the oven on Clark Street on the way to school. There were Saturday day trips all over the city to pick up sausages and cold cuts and ham, to buy bread, Jamaican ginger beer, hot dogs from Papaya King, tomatoes and greens from Norman, the hippie on Cranberry Street. There were appetizers from Russ & Daughters on the Lower East Side and sandwiches at Buffa’s in SoHo. There was always a goose at Christmas, a ham at Easter, and a hot turkey plate on white bread with extra cranberry and gravy in June on my birthday, at Junior’s, with cheesecake for dessert. There were Coke floats at diners and debates over the merits of diner cheeseburgers over the fat ones served in “real” restaurants, by which we meant bars. There were actual Merits, too, smoked by pretty girls drinking Ballantine Ale, and hot dogs cooked under the Brooklyn Bridge in the wind. There was sushi. There were tagines. Fruit rollups from Sahadi on Atlantic Avenue, halvah bars for the brave. There was rice and peas. Roti. Corned beef and cabbage. Maduros. Knishes. Some crazy brown-noodle thing at Dojo to impress a girl on a Saturday night. And then a slice from Fascati, again, on the way home. Fairly typical upbringing for a food guy out of New York City, actually.

Sunday Morning

2010-02-21T08:44:00.000-08:00

Ahhh. The boys spent last week skiing at the barn with their dad for winter break. I missed Winter Carnival again but did fulfill some wanderlust, used my free miles and scooted out of town for the weekend to Bermuda (!) with @Pk. Bermuda would require its own post but summarized by "hmmmm". The British colonial thing was freaky. But it IS beautiful and 1.5 hr flight from NYC. Not on my "must return" list. I then worked and worked and worked until the boys arrived home.

But this weekend. This weekend! Boys are home, windows open, pancakes, cooking, board games, chatting for hours with the boys. Just heaven.

Oscar and i are at the kitchen table now. He's catching up on his various communication devices and we are listening to Langhorne Slim. Great Sunday music.

Trying to make soundcloud work with streampad on blogger to share some music, but not not working...

It's not like I don't know

2010-02-02T17:25:00.000-08:00

I have wanderlust. Yes, I am enjoying being back in the routine. I'm really enjoying my great, yet intense new job, and I'm enjoying just being with the boys. But, late at night, in the dim of my computer light in my room, I start fantasizing and perusing... Homeforexchange.com and while not accepting an offer yet, I am astounded at the volume and quality of people who want to come to Brooklyn for a week, a month, a summer, a year! Even if I can't pull it off, it's fun to look. Maybe this summer....Paris....? And it's FREE! One thing I know is there had better be a bit more skiing before spring. I will save my pennies to get a few more trips in.

In the meantime, here are a few recipes I've been experimenting with:

Shredded red cabbage and celery root with lime/shallot/cilantro vinaigrette, queso fresca, roasted pumpkin seeds, roasted corn. Really really good.
Roasted pineapple with maple syrup and cayenne over pancetta. I don't have this one quite right yet but there is something really yummy here.
Puerto Rican Beans: @Pk's boss is Puerto Rican and his wife let me watch her make these incredible beans (while she made me do tequila shots - I'm not kidding.) The beans were incredible...if I remember correctly. Anyway:

First, make the Sofrito: Recau (or cilantro), onions, garlic, ajillo peppers, red bell peppers. Food processor until well blended thick, granular sauce. I didn't use any measurements, just to taste. I made a big batch and froze the rest in ice cube trays
Saute onions, add sofrito, add pink beans which have been soaking overnight, cover with water, bring to a boil, add tomato paste, and salt and simmer for 3-4 hours, until beans are tender. Add water as needed to keep saucy consistency. Add potatoes in last 15 minutes and top with cilantro before serving.

Hibernation

2010-01-24T15:32:00.000-08:00

So the excitement and travel and fun of Christmas and New Year and my birthday and the ski trip and Clarke's birthday (last Wed.) are now over. Thank. God. Now this is winter! Cold and dark and monotonous. Just the right timing. We are all ready to settle in a bit. Let's work hard and organize and get back to our routine. I (really @pk has been driving this and I am gratefully letting him) am in the middle of changing the boys room into two separate sleeping spaces and a common area. Tuesday, our friends Linnae and Sandy arrive with some tools and then the boys should have curtain panels which they can pull back when they want to be alone. Even this week with the rooms arranged with the wardrobes dividing the area, there has been a vast difference in their peace of mind. Oscar's room? Pristine, bien sur. Clarke's room looked like a mental patient lived there but it was his own mess in his own private small area, and finally even he had enough and cleaned up.... a bit. It's just the sort of January project for which winter is meant.

The Fest Is Done. Long Live the Fest

2010-01-24T15:15:00.000-08:00

In some ways, this was just like every year. Sara, Oscar, and I drove up late Thursday, got lost in NJ (don't ask), were pulled over by troopers but released with no ticket (god, I like traveling with blondes!) and arrived around midnight. The rest of the crew had rolled in at various times throughout the evening. We all said hello, agreed we were all completely exhausted, and then....opened a fine bourbon and spent the next 3 HOURS catching up and story-telling. I knew I was going to regret but was just so glad to see those faces. You know we are getting old because we talked a lot about work. With most everyone somehow affiliated with media, there was a lot of talk of the future of journalism and hilariously, many strategy discussions about twitter. The next morning we (big shock) had a late start and then headed to Whiteface. I had a very low key day helping darling Maeve learn to ski before her mom and I went off to the main mountain for a bit. The airlines lost skis, so the cross country folks waited around until late afternoon for their skis and then headed to Dewey Mountain for some lit trails. We all convened for dinner and I threw together flank steak, mushroom risotto, and some salad. We all huddled around the kitchen, and then started old jokes, brutal personal assaults etc.. As I so clearly remember doing about 10 years ago, Mark and Carter spent much of the evening trying to get a revved up Maeve into her bed. Even Oscar and Erik took turns to no avail. Clarke and @PK arrived around 10pm in a ridiculous sports car. The rental agency had "upgraded" them from economy not into SUV or something ADK suitable but a two-seater. So funny to watch them drive up. After snow angels, we all collectively crashed. The next morning we had a breakfast that I think will be a new tradition: the Irish oatmeal bar. McCann's oats with serve yourself bowls of brown sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, pecans, almonds, mangoes, apples, berries, bananas, etc. Super delicious. We were at the hill at a reasonable hour and the boys skied their legs off. Jim, dad of Erik, led the boys and Clarke swears they skied the whole mountain. Where was I? Teaching @Pk how to ski. He promised he would try. And he was valiant. Next up, he's trying cross country. So then I ditched him, and joined the rest for a few runs before we headed home. Then the last of our people finally arrived from DC, "Big Air Spider Dan" and Jill. That night, we had early appetizers of cheese (did I mention they were all from Wisconsin?) and then went to a late dinner at...you guessed it, Eat N Meet. We literally took up the entire restaurant and spent almost 3 hours there eating, drinking, and talking. So fun. We now have 16 more Eat n Meet fans. Favorite dishes included meatloaf, crab beignets, sauteed squash. The next day was sort of anticlimactic as people started to file out. Everyone had different schedules and airports. On the last full day, Oscar and I went to Cascade to ski with Sara, Clarke stayed home to study, Jim and Erik skied Whiteface with Dan and....the lawyers went to Starbucks to work. Mamas don't let your babies grow up to be lawyers. I really loved the few hours of cross country and the lodge after is such a treat. Finally, our day to return to reality arrived but I decided we'd stop at Gore and downhill ski a half day before heading to NYC. I hadn't really felt I had gotten my proper skiing in and it was a fantastic half day. So warm that I was wearing no hat, absolutely no crowds and great conditions. So worth it. So it was a typical trip in that we laughed a lot and skied a lot. It was atypical because I think, frankly, we are getting older. We cared less about the food and less about the booze, though don't get me wrong, much of all was consumed. I think everyone feels these weekends are something special and we treasure it. I know I do. I think people are definitely have fallen for the Adirondacks too. It's such a good match for the go get 'em Wisconsin mentality. There is talk of trying a summer canoe retreat, an extra weekend for Tom and Katrina to do the Loppet and extending the weekend to a week+ next year and adding on Mont Tremblant. Even if we can't pull these things off, we are going to all damn try.

Look Out Adirondacks

2010-01-13T18:58:00.000-08:00

Sixteen friends, all united by their love of Wisconsin, snow, and good food and drink, will be descending upon the barn in T-minus 24 hrs. This is our 15th annual I believe. I am so glad it is back at the barn and can't wait to see my oldest and dearest ones. As the years have progressed, there is a gentle migration from "all downhill, all the time" to cross country, napping, reading and that's ok by me. In a few more years, I am sure there will be snow-shoeing and communal BenGay ( that sounds far naughtier than intended). We don't stay up nearly as late as we used to, but we still do some damage. Or else why would I have kept the dining room trapeze installed?! Past years have included mango rum snow cones, a communal ladle, an overflowing dishwasher scene worthy of the Brady Bunch, a medical snowcat trip down the mountain, outings to a bar/taxidermy store, and a run-in with homeland security. Like I said, look out ADK.

Connor Mitchell Bower

2010-01-10T18:55:00.000-08:00

My 40th birthday aside, you know when you really feel old? When you realize your kids and nephews and nieces are way more accomplished and cooler than you are. My oldest nephew Connor was in a terrible accident at his college this weekend. He has a broken back and nerve damage and will have to drop out of school temporarily to recuperate. I am listening to my sister tell about his demeanor and his gumption and it is now crystal clear that he is way more amazing then me... and he's only 18. Arghgh -Youth! To be honest, I sort of knew this already: the fantastic grades at the competitive school, the gourmet cooking at 13, eating uni at 15 (Ok I'll take credit for that one). His wit, his open-mindededness, his winking at the world. Seriously, there's more: His two jobs, done well and without whining all through highschool. Jeez. His piano playing and his faith. His ability to watch cooking shows and retain recipes. But when I heard he was making a plan for school and contacting his advisor 1 DAY AFTER HIS SURGERY, I knew i was old and sort of a loser. Truly, if I had gone through what he had gone through, the next day, I'd be searching for my next morphine dose and trying to make sure my hospital gown was snapped correctly. I am old and withering and I have never been as cool as Connor.

Since Then

2009-12-31T05:52:00.001-08:00

Not much to report other than boys and I hauled more wood, some serious sledding was had at North Country Community College, and...@PK Arrived! He flew into Lake Clear/Saranac Lake airport which is always a treat. 8 people total on plane and flying into a snowy, windy, airstrip. I met a nice guy, "Bob" who will drive you or pick you up anywhere in the Adirondacks and beyond. Email me if you need his contact info.

We then trekked over to our neighbors Tim and Shelly LaPorte who run Balanced Bodywork massage in Lake Placid. They have a "satellite office" across from their house and we are lucky enough to live across the street.... Shelly came over after to meet Rex, our former family cat who now lives with my ex. Between his travel schedule (and cat ambivalence) and Clarke's burgeoning cat allergy, we hope Rex will be adopted and can live happily in the ADK with Tim, Shelly, and their cat, Darius. One look at Darius and I am a bit worried he will not readily give up his perch as king cat. Fingers Crossed. The fateful Meeting of the Fur is this evening...after a few cocktails.

We had a huge EatnMeet dinner last night with the Hamiltons, Williams, PK and Juli/Mike. Yes, we took up the whole restaurant. We brought great wine, the boys had fancy soda and we chatted and dined for 2 hrs. Highlights: Sweet potato, pumpkin seed empanada with spicy green sauce, Maryland crab cake, Winterhawk (e.g. Dave and Joanne!) turkey pot pie. The boys relished, more than they should have, eating the turkeys that taunted them all summer.

After that Clarke and I dominated Oscar and @PK in Pictionary and we called it a night. I am about to rouse the troops for cleaning and shopping purposes to ready for our NYE gig tonight.

Um...About Perfect

2009-12-28T17:47:00.001-08:00

So 8 hrs later, we arrived in Saranac Lake from NYC last Wednesdsay. I sort of relish the hellacious city traffic because it makes that first relaxing day so obviously antithetical to our citylife. I gainly stayed awake till around 1am finishing wrapping which is a Williams First. No more Christmas Eve wrapping hell. Christmas Eve, Oscar and I woke up and set a world shopping record at Price Chopper. Oy. Then, we all took naps, and went to Christmas Eve mass at St. Bernard. As I tweeted, the priest literally stopped in the middle of the communion line to ask Clarke if he was a skateboarder. I think Clarke's hair freaked him out. His hair freaks me out. (Note to self, keep repeating "Pick Your Battles.")
Then we had some boy-friendly appetizers and treats. I made Clarke the classic Spanish shrimp dish with sherry, garlic, red pepper and olive oil. We had lamb balls (quick made-up recipe: ground lamb, rosemary, garlic, lemon zest, bread crumbs, egg, salt. Mush, make a ball, bake..till done), baked potatoes with fixins', and good bread and cheese (thank you Park Slope Coop). We played board games and read our two Christmas books. Hilariously, the tradition continues to evolve, as Clarke started "Twas the Night Before Christmas" in the voice of Gogol Bordello, an eastern European, folk-punk (?) band. Oscar then asked that I take over and do my french accent. Bizarre and hilarious. I once again, cried at Polar Express- not sure why. The boys opened their one present from me, not Santa. Always pajamas. They love it and it makes me ridiculously happy.

Christmas was super low key. Oscar slept until 7am. Another Williams First. Hooray for Civility. We decided not to ski and were very happy to play outside and read etc. The boys were so gracious and happy with everything they received. They still love reading the Christmas tags and the various characters who dropped off presents. Clarke started downloading free books for his Iphone and is into old sci-fi and horror. He's already read about 4 Edgar Allen Poe (in lieu of his 55 geometry proofs he needs to complete this week).

We skied on Saturday - slushy, warm and no crowds. Yesterday we laid low and then went to see Sherlock Holmes. I was "eh", boys loved. My classic chic review is that I hated the violence - Sherlock Holmes a thug?- but love love loved Robert Downey and Jude Law - and the acting was good too....(thank you. I'll be here all week. Tip your waiters.) Today, Oscar and I skied our brains out. Clarke stayed in to sleep and finish homework and rightfully was pretty mad at himself for missing today. Crazy snow fall, crazy crowds and my legs are still wobbly.

I am in the process of hauling all the firewood that was dropped in a heap on our lawn into our wood shed. Bad timing and late. We are clearly not locals. Duh.

Our only issue so far is this pesky carbon monoxide poisoning threat. We had a new chimney built for our woodstove and ever since, each fire triggers the alarm. NOT. GOOD. I've tried messing with the type of wood, the settings of the woodstove, keeping door open/closed, to no avail. So tomorrow, with temps in the zeros, we will have no fire. Bill our trusty neighbor and caretaker will be over in the afternoon to check it out, but right now, i'm feeeeling sorta sleeeeepy. OK, Not funny. Sorry. No one feels sick. Fire extinguished. Minor issue I am sure. Anyone have ideas? Mr. Small Pines? MR. SMALL PINES?!

That's a few highlights so far. Tomorrow, my guests begin to arrive. The wonderful Juli (seriously, check out her organization -web still in beta- and prepare to be amazed) and Mike from Milwaukee are traveling both to see us and for their 10th wedding anniversary. Therefore, although the boys are very good at harmonizing romantic tunes, they will be staying at the Porcupine Lodge. I must say, I've never stayed and don't know well but looks lovely. Anyone have an opinion?

New Year's Eve we are having a wee get-together. Mostly a few neighbors. I will try to post some pix of the debauchery. I keep taking pictures, but it's the same thing: pretty trees, snow covered boys, fires, wine. That sums it up.

Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow

2009-12-21T20:57:00.001-08:00

I keep saying "once I get through this insane, hectic day, tomorrow will ease up and I can start to enjoy the holidays." Midnight on Dec. 22 and I've decided I am going to scale back on some to-dos or I will end up on Jan. 3rd, exhausted and regretful. So who cares if i scrimp on some cooking and maybe the presents won't be wrapped with matching ribbons. I may not get to the co-op for fancy cheese, and I may just bring my dirty laundry to the barn with me. I do have some work to do for my new job but I can handle in the days after Christmas. I have 10 rare straight days with my wonderful boys and a few days with dear friends at my favorite place in the world.

And that, my friends, is the beauty of turning 40. A little perspective.

Meringue Pavlova (As Promised)

2009-12-17T07:06:00.001-08:00

Note: this is directly from my friend and I have not given it a try.

Meringue Pavlova - for one piece. (I double this and make two)
4 egg whites
half teaspoon cream of tartar
8oz sugar
1 teaspoon of corn starch

Preheat oven to 350. Grease baking sheet and line with parchment paper. Draw an 8-9in circle on paper. In a bowl, whisk the egg white and cream of tartar until stiff. Whisk in the sugar, 2 tbsp at a time. Continue whisking until the mixture is thick, shiny and billowy. Fold in the cornflour. Spoon onto the baking sheet, following the circle you made. Make a dip in the centre (or a peak for the top meringue, if making a sandwich) and swirl the edges. Place on the middle shelf of the oven and turn the heat to 275. Cook for 1 hour then turn off the oven, leaving the pavlova in there for several hours. Remove and place on a plate (preferably the serving plate, as the meringue often crumbles and breaks easily).
To make filling, lots of choices: whip half a pint of heavy cream and pile between slices and/or on top, then add chocolate shavings, raspberries, whatever. Mix choc powder into cream. Or for our favorite,
Chestnut cream filling:
1 pint heavy cream
2oz sugar (plus more if needed)
Tin of Minerve chestnut cream (creme de marrons) - you can get it NOW on sale at Wholefoods; I don't see it the rest of the year. It's about $8 a tin. It's delicious as is, with plain yoghurt, or in this recipe. Be SURE to get the vanilla/sugar flavored chestnut cream NOT the puree, which is savory and very disappointing if you try to put it in this recipe, which I once did!
Divide about 1/4 pint cream from rest, whip, and then whisk with 1/2 or more tin of chestnut cream, and 2oz sugar. I suggest whipping the cream first. I had a problem with a drippy cake this year, as some of our kind guests pointed out.
Whip rest of the cream separately, adding 2 tbsp sugar if you like.
Place chestnut cream in center of bottom meringue, and surround with plain whipped cream so it doesn't show till you cut the pavlova.
Add top layer of meringue then pile high with yet more whipped cream, and decorate with tacky plastic Santa or your preference of seasonal whimsy. Or lots of chocolate.
Eat! (preferably all in one sitting, though it's good the next day too.)

Meringues can be kept for up to a week if stored in dry airtight conditions. Filling has to be added on the day.
Useful tips: Make sure bowl, beater and hands are dry.
Separate eggs when cold, bring whites to room temp.
Add sugar very slowly to egg whites.
Beat till shiny and stiff, not dry.
Don't try to cook extra meringue on the bottom of the oven, as I did this year (?!). It will burn and stink out your apartment.

Next Two Weeks

2009-12-17T04:50:00.000-08:00

NYC Goals: Presents shipped to family, boys presents' wrapped, house left organized and sparkling, fridge clean, 2010 budget made, menu planned for the week, specialty foods purchased and packed, freelance work complete, cookies baked, laundry finished, dry cleaning dropped off, teacher meetings finished, bills paid and then the reward: 12 Days at the Barn.

Barn Goals: Fall asleep while reading on couch, develop shaker's wrist from too many board games, an early morning snow shoe, ski till my legs shake, red wine, soup.

Holidays and City

2009-12-13T19:15:00.000-08:00

A few quick things that were great about this weekend.

Unsilent Night: A symphonic walk through the Village with 200 (?) strangers, carrying boom boxes. It's becoming quite popular; this was the first year there was a police escort. Look for it in your city. This year, it was made more hilarious because it fell on the same day as Santacon, guaranteeing we'd run into the requisite "Drunk Santa" "Chain-Smoking Santa" "Lecherous Santa" etc. etc.
British Cooking: That's riiiight. Boys and I went to annual party of friends from England and she always makes this really amazing dessert. I've just emailed her because I've decided it has to be put into the repertoire and it's perfect for the holidays. Count this as a teaser because I will post whole recipe, if given permission. It's a meringue with some sort of chestnut cream. (She also serves loads of fantastic champagne on a Sunday afternoon.)
Babies! Once per month, I work at a shelter for homeless, pregnant/newly mom'd teens and there is not an altruistic thing about it. All day I snuggle with these adorable little bundles. If you are looking for a worthy charitable donation for the holidays, this is definitely one I can endorse. These women/girls are given a furnished studio from their third trimester till the baby is one year old. They are given support, training, and resources to get them back on their feet and they are given many rules and responsibilities too. They are expected to get their GED and the staff helps place them in work. It's such a warm environment and such a change from the typical shelter scenario for these women and their babies. You can see that they have a chance.

So there you have it: Symphonies, champagne, and babies. A Christmas Trifecta!

Short, Sweet

2009-12-07T06:25:00.001-08:00

Barn this weekend was fantastic. Friday, we didn't get out of the city until almost 7pm, the boys were packed in an economy car with about 850,000 loads of laundry, and they lived to tell, although things got a bit hairy. They had managed not to kill each other for most of the drive but when we got off the highway at exit 30, a huge fight erupted. They went back and forth for 10 minutes until I employed what I have now trademarked as "Open Window Conflict Resolution". (note: I will be hosting a $500 per hour workshop for parents in spring). After starting to lose it myself, I cranked down all four windows. Imagine the bracing ADK air at midnight. The boys sort of shrieked and then I screamed, and I quote. "I am cranky enough and crazy enough to drive with these down until we get home, unless, I hear two boys apologizing and yelling 'I love my brother.' They could barely do it because they were laughing so hard. Finally, victory and the rest of the 45 minutes, they were back to best friends, united in their conviction that their mother was the craziest of all mothers. We arrived around 12:30am. Saturday morning, I let the boys sleep and went to get early breakfast and pick up a few groceries. After pancakes, we bundled up and went to Moody Tree Farm. Ten minutes later, we had found a gorgeous 7 ft. Frasier Fir at a good price. Usually, I'm pretty picky and take my time but the great guy helping us showed us a tree he was going to get but it was too big for his ceiling. Who could argue with the personal pick of the tree farm dude? I picked up some boughs and wreaths... and a few homemade cookies. Then, the boys found the Texas Longhorns, some pretty intimidating looking cattle on the premises. We ran about, grabbed a few more cookies and were back home in half an hour. A new record.

After that, it was football, hot chocolate, homework, and some house-organizing and furniture re-arranging. Of course, we also visited our neighbors at Soaring Hawk farm, saying hello to the fantastic chickens and adorable ducks and noting the mysterious absence of the turkeys :-) Before we knew it, the day was done and EatNMeet was calling. The restaurant was busy (yay!) so we waited a bit more than usual but we had some wine and soda and just chatted. Secretly, I like the wait. Then, it was steamed shrimp, sausage, burgers, and sweet potato fries, and rice and peas, and risotto, and.... Delicious.

After dinner, we put up the tree, the ornaments, the music, the candles and the boys ASKED if they could go to bed. Reason #776 that I love the Adirondacks.

Next day, the boys took on leaf clean-up (just in time), DVD/Cd organization and I finished the ridiculous amount of laundry I had hauled. We took out our ski boots and clothes and did assessment of what fit. Why must they grow so aggressively?! Then, it was decorating finishing touches: a wreath outside, some roping, candles everywhere and we were on our way back. We stopped at Cedar Run in Keene for sandwiches and made it back to Brooklyn in 5 hours flat! Always worth it, even for the short weekend. Our next trip will probably be for our 10 day Christmas retreat!

Tweet tweet

2009-11-20T13:12:00.000-08:00

I have to say, getting Adirondack tweets is even better than reading the blogs. All day long, little reminders, bits of history and news - heaven. Here's the list from @tourpro if anyone is interested http://twitter.com/tourpro/adirondacks. I was so inspired that I called the Adirondack Daily Enterprise and tried to talk the publisher into letting me consult for her on how to bring all this great local content into the website, (and more local revenue) but um, not so much. I guess the web strategy is handled in West Virginia?! Lame. Anyone want to conspire? My friend Linnae and I also want to do a podcast with John from Eat N Meet. "The Adirondack Chef" but that would require him to actually take a day off and me to be there more regularly. Neat idea though, right?

The boys will be at the barn with their dad for Thanksgiving (boo). I H.A.T.E. sharing holidays. I do hope they get a little skiing in? Maybe? Their season passes are ordered and waiting! And then it's my turn to get up to that old barn.

Live from Brooklyn

2009-11-10T17:19:00.000-08:00

He is open for weddings, baptisms, and bar mitvahs.

Hell Yes!

2009-11-04T10:05:00.000-08:00

Just sent the official email for Holidays at the Barn! All my siblings will be coming inside the blue line the week after Christmas to celebrate (early) my 40th Birthday. Planning a New Year's Bash (with food by Eat n Meet), Whiteface, full moon cross country ski at Cascade, and general fun. That would be 16 people including 8 children ages 4-18! Holy crap. I've booked "spillover housing" at http://adkoutback.com/ right down the street on Passino. (which I always thought was Pu zee' no, but it's Pass' in o) Who knew. Anyone know of other fun and frivolity we should plan that week?

Let's say a prayer to the Gods of the Yandon Well and Septic, shall we? And while we are at it. Dear St. AlGore, Please send us lots and lots of snow, even though the earth is melting. Amen.

Note To Self

2009-10-14T10:44:00.000-07:00

If I ever start ruminating about expanding OscarFest to the size of previous years, remind me how lovely this weekend was...or kick me. Three guests + Oscar and Clarke + Angus (almost family) were the perfect amount of boys for the weekend. They had enough for teams but small enough to move en masse from activity to activity. There were no outliers but there was enough for The Pack to make behavior corrections if needed. (a la Dog Whisperer) At one point, a statement was made, and the whole group descended upon the misguided soul. "you are so intolerant." "that is messed up." "what are you talking about?" Hilarious. No parenting needed...almost. The amount of food that was consumed was fairly alarming, of course, but as usual, the Adirondacks were really all that was needed for entertainment.

Catamount Mountain was great. Definitely more challenging than I anticipated for the city dudes and due to a later start and high winds we stopped short of the summit (it hurts just typing that) but made it to a bluff with a fantastic view. The guys loved the rock climbing and the picnic and felt pretty proud. Clarke and Angus wanted to continue but we wanted to descend in time to make a Whiteface Gondola ride.

During the birthday cupcake/presents celebration, Oscar cut to the chase by ordering, "Praise me!" There were late night gossip sessions, and hot cider by the gallon, and movies and gameboy talk, and most importantly, no car vomiting this year. Praise me!

Addendum...

2009-10-08T04:49:00.000-07:00

Flaming Leaves Festival? Yes please! I'm adding to the agenda. These kids better be well-rested.

T-Minus 48 Hours

2009-10-08T04:34:00.001-07:00

...Till OscarFest 2009! RSVP's in, menu planned, mountain selected (sort of). I marked a few mountains I thought would work from my ADK Mountain Club Book, "High Peaks Region." One, Catamount Mountain seemed great and then my choice was confirmed by TourPro! (Mr. Adirondack Base Camp to you). I love the internets!

Oscar is worried his friends won't be able to handle it and is suggesting Owl's Head but, yawn, so we'll see. I will appeal to their 11 year old macho male egos. Other than that, I imagine it will be hide and seek, whiffle ball, some sort of soldiering game, zipline, and maybe a trip to the bowling alley. We have movies and board games at the ready. Clarke is thrilled that his friend Angus will be up also, so he'll have some escape hatch if the middle school dudes start to drive him crazy.

See you soon Barn!

Arrghg

2009-10-01T08:09:00.000-07:00

I was trying to get to the barn this weekend but it's not going to happen. First, I need a lower cost solution for weekend transportation. Car rentals in NYC are about $300-500 and it quickly becomes prohibitive. Then, I need more hours in each day - don't we all. Next weekend is OscarFest 3.0. We are planning a short hike with Oscar's city slicker friends and then some general frivolity. I can't wait. I'm looking for about 3-4 miles round trip with a good view, but not Mt. Baker. Anyone? Anyone?

Now, for the real news. It's snowing?! That makes me incredibly happy. Ski!

No Impact Fam

2009-09-21T13:04:00.000-07:00

I saw the documentary No Impact Man this weekend and it has definitely stuck with me. If you haven't heard of it, it follows a pretty typical NYC family trying to make a radical change in their lifestyle-to have no impact on the environment for a year. It was not at all preachy due to the wife and mom who is a perfect foil to No Impact Man, and a lot of self-reflection about the paradox and motives of the year. I recommend it for entertainment and for inspiration. I immediately said "no way" to a number of the changes. e.g. no toilet paper but many more made so much sense to me, and seemed easy to do.

Mostly what stuck with me was the ridiculous consumerism that has taken hold. It makes me want to run away from it all...run away to the Barn. It makes me admire all the more, the former Brooklyn residents, new ADK homesteadkers at Small Pines. I am struggling with how to bring this awareness to the boys, without making them feel like social freaks or that they are somehow deprived. How to incrementally live in a way that is rich and fulfilling without stuff. They already have a ridiculous idea of wealth from their schoolmates and such. Anyway this is what I am thinking about today. That and...Oscar's Birthday! Waiting to frost the Chocolate Stout Cake. 11 Years Old and a wise old soul

Park Slope Restaurant Tour

2009-09-18T07:23:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Oscar and I headed out to check out to the annual Park Slope Restaurant night. Great idea and great fun. During prime time, the crowds were sort of ridiculous but we had enough to still make it worth it. Oscar thought it indeed felt like trick or treating. We had corn chowder from Rosewater, of course free ice's from Uncle Louie G's, warm homemade pretzels and german beer from Bussaco, one of my very favorites. We had wonderful cider and popcorn and empanadas from Barrio. There really is a neighborhood vibe in Brooklyn that you can't find in Manhattan.

And So It Begins

2009-09-14T20:22:00.000-07:00

Day 4 of school: Lost items, no friends, aerospace engineering class (?!), tears over homework not understood, sick teen, dinner dishes not yet done, grief about still having an afterschool babysitter ... errr...dudesitter. Good god, ya'll. Hoping this is first week transition or I may need to introduce family yoga, or family codeine. Clarke is at Brooklyn Tech, with 5,000 other kids. The place intimidates me, never mind a quiet 14 year old. Oh and yes, this is my Clarke, the musical free spirit attending a competitive math and science high school. Ahhh, the logic of the New York City Public School system. How many more days till Christmas break?

Speaking of holiday, in the past, I have rented my friend Spyder's cabin for spillover barn guests. because it's right down the street, (a beautiful walk on the dirt road toward Mckenzie Pond) and assumed I would again for my family coming up, but alas, Spyder decided not to winterize this year. Luckily, he sent me to Wendy and Tom Dupree who also have a place down the street. We are booked and ready for my siblings all!

Fall Easy Appetizer

2009-09-11T07:55:00.000-07:00

Figs and Cheese. Halve figs (yes the co-op had 2 kinds!), mound goat cheese in the middle. Stovetop, put sprigs of lavender (or rosemary) in honey and warm until taste is infused. Drizzle over figs and goat cheese. Grind fresh black pepper over figs. Serve with crusty bread. Takes about 10 minutes. Voila.

So What's Shakin'?

2009-09-10T11:01:00.000-07:00

Where do we catch up? Let's start with summer. Summer at the barn was fun + frustrating (funstrating?) I never had more than 3 days at a time there and I kept trying to cram in adventures and cooking and housework and visiting with neighbors...oh yeah and relaxing. First and foremost, I had dinner at Eat N Meet each and every time we were there. What amazing luck that such a fantastic place is right in Saranac Lake. The boys and I finally got some canoeing in, first on Lake Placid and then on Rainbow Lake, courtesy of our great friends Linnae, Angus and Sandy. Sandy even lent us his 1920's caned canoe chair. We hiked to Rainbow Falls, visited the Wild Center, ate a fair amount of Donnelly's (bien sur!), and went many many times to Wilmington Flumes for rock jumping. If you haven't been, what a magical place. We paid some visits to our great neighbors and played on their mini-farm. We already made our annual trek to the Great Corn Maze.

The boys spent a few additional weeks at the barn. The highlight being that they climbed Mt. Marcy with their dad (and survived a bear eating their breakfast.)

We lit a fire on Labor Day and started thinking about fall projects and fall hiking...and Skiing!! Next up is Oscar's 11th Birthday party.