Fresh Tart

Oooh!  Aaaah!  Despite, pouring rain (the skies cleared!) followed by a power outage (returned after a couple of hours; nothing makes one appreciate electricity as much as a power outage!), we pulled off a grand ol' Independence Day Barbecue yesterday and had ourselves a blast.  The kids swam, the adults chatted and noshed, and eventually we all dug into dinner.

After Suz's berry trifle for dessert (check out the before and 5-minutes-after pics below - we attacked it!), we headed en masse out onto the golf course for fireworks under a full moon.  (And some serious digesting.)

I've decided that 4th of July means barbecued pork ribs.  Silky, garlicky, crusty pork ribs, braised all day in the oven, then passed over the grill for a good crisp crust, slathered in barbecue sauce, and served falling off the bone.  God Bless America!  Mini-burgers with homemade mini buns were a hit too.  We countered the richness with crunchy-sweet broccoli salad (a delicious, lighter version of the classic) and garbanzo salad studded with onions and pine nuts, tossed with fresh herbs and lemon vinaigrette.

Thanks Harry (it's so much more meaningful to celebrate Independence Day with a Brit, ha!), Stephanie, Miles, Simon, Cory, Susie, Bowen, Stacey, Cooper, and David for a fabulous day!  Special thanks to Vivian for all the help, and to Sullivan for Neopolitan ice cream sandwiches and an annually memorable 4th-of-July quote:

"I love these hamburgers so much I want to marry them, but the funeral won't be long after..." – Sullivan Shubert, age 7, regarding mini-hamburgers, July 4, 2009
"They start big but end fast, like a good sneeze." - Sullivan Shubert, age 6, explaining fireworks to Cooper, July 4, 2008
“Wow, those would make Vivian feel fancy!” – Sullivan Shubert, age 4, regarding super-sparkly fireworks, July 4, 2006

Whew.  John and I are back from a whirlwind trip to NYC, boy did we have a great time.  There's always way too much to do, of course, to the degree that I go a bit blank trying to decide.  Do I want to shop?  Go to a museum?  Walk in the park?  Am I hungry for pizza?  Bagel?  Chinese?  Lobster salad?  Luckily the traveling part is pretty easy from Minneapolis.  It's only a 2 1/2-hour flight, the Northwest terminal at LaGuardia is small and manageable, and once on the ground, it's a 15-minute cab ride to John's parents' apartment.  Given that, we were unpacked and ready to hit the streets by 3:00 pm on Thursday.  So we went...nowhere!  What can I say?  We were tired, and it's comfy-lovely at my in-laws', and we knew were out the door at 5:30 pm anyhow...

...for a pre-theater dinner at Esca, followed by an off-Broadway play called Becky Shaw (which was great, enjoyed it thoroughly).  Our dinner was so lovely - Esca (which means 'bait') is an elegant Itaiian trattoria specializing in the freshest of fish.  We kicked things off with prosecco and a split of linguine with briny clams - salty, chewy, spicy, fabulous.  We followed with a whole-roasted branzino for two.  The fish was baked and presented in a salt crust, then whisked off to a sideboard where the server cracked open the crust, gently removed the bones and skin, and plated the pure-white, silky fillets in a little pool of the best olive oil I've ever had.  Bright green and bursting with fruity-spicy flavor, it was the perfect, simple foil for the fresh, sweet fish.  We ordered spicy cauliflower and tiny little roasted new potatoes as sides, both fantastic.   Needless to say, quite a meal.  So not-Minnesota.  And as such, just what the doctor ordered.  After the play, we took a long (surprisingly cold!) stroll home, through Times Square, along 5th Avenue, and straight into bed.  Great start.

Friday we got up slowly, read about the Pierre Bonnard: The Late Interiors exhibit at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in the NY Times, and walked out the door to check it out.  Love New York.  Exhibit was fabulous, and tiring in that special way that only museums are (what IS that?), so we blew out the door (literally; it was quite cold and windy) and grabbed a quick lunch at E.A.T. The lunch was tasty, but the people-watching was better - a fine display of plastic surgery, over-the-top furs, and the biggest damn diamonds you have ever seen.  Love New York.  Fortified by hot soup, we braved the chill for a walk in Central Park, because that's what we love to do (who doesn't?) and we couldn't not walk in the park just because of the cold.  It was lovely, very quiet, blanketed in snow.  Bits of greenery peeked through and warmed my color-starved heart.  Love New York.

We eventually made our way back home to rest a bit before our dinner group gathered - my brother and sister David and Etta; my friend Michelle; David and Etta's cousin Marett and her boyfriend Ian; and John's brother Tom, wife Valerie, and son Cameron - and headed over to Il Riccio (79th & Lexington) for a raucous meal.  Man did we laugh.  And eat good food.  And drink good wine.  The evening flew by, without nearly enough time to really catch up with everyone, but it was great anyhow.  Tom, Marett, and Ian walked away, while David, Etta, and Michelle piled into cabs.  And then poof, everyone was gone, and John and I walked home and slept like rocks.

Saturday we lazed around a bit more (nice!), then motivated to grab a fantastic slice of pizza (Zorba's, 93rd & Lexington) before we borrowed John's parents' car and drove out to Pound Ridge, in Westchester County, to spend the day and night with our friends Bartley and Maud and their daughters Catherine and Natalie.  We arrived around 3ish to find Natalie with an apron on and the house smelling fantastic (chili bubbling away on the stove).  We chatted around the fire until the Kimmel family arrived, then chatted around the fire some more (for proof, see Maud's blog, pretty funny) while Bartley and Maud put the finishing touches on a beautiful meal.  Chili, barbecued ribs, corn bread, roasted sweet potatoes, green salad, and a decadent chocolate cake that Barbara baked, topped with whipped cream and fresh strawberries.  Incredible.

Needless to say, we again slept like rocks, this time in Maud's airy, cozy studio.  We woke to such beautiful light - Westchester County is stunning.  The trees and rocks and hills, the twisty-turny roads, all just one hour out of the city.  Pretty perfect.  We had just enough time for a cup of coffee, and a thick slice of Natalie's banana bread (yum), and then we had to say good-bye to the Bryts (thank you, thank you!), drive back into the city, grab a (quick, still-warm) lunch bagel at H&H, return the car, grab the rest of our luggage, and cab it to the airport.  After all that, we actually made it home in time to pick up Chinese take-out (Tea House) and watch the Super Bowl with Nathan.  (Or, in my case, post trip pics on Facebook while pretending to watch the game, ha.)

And so here I am, already reminiscing.  We are so lucky to be able to sneak away like that, not to mention to have a lovely place to stay and so many cool family members and friends to visit.  Fantastic weekend.

Love New York.

Holidays still going strong here at the Levy Hacienda...  Let's see, we've pretty much been celebrating since Sunday when my bro and sis David and Etta accidentally arrrived - flying from NYC to Billings, MT, through Minneapolis, they missed their connection and couldn't secure another flight until Wednesday morning.  Woo hoo!  Well, not for them, but for Stacey, John, Nathan, Sasha, and me, it was a sweet little present.  I had planned latkes for dinner Sunday night anyhow, and since latkes are a bit labor-intensive for just four people, it worked out quite perfectly to double our group (Stacey, Cooper, plus David and Etta) and have ourselves a little latke feast.  We garnished with sour cream, skipped the apple sauce, and enjoyed every greasy, crispy, salty, glorious bite.  Happy Hanukkah!

Monday we set out for some late shopping and stopped for a lovely meatball sandwich lunch at Broder's.  Monday night I made one of my very favorite soups - Gourmet Cookbook fish soup with croutes and rouille.  I don't think there's a better soup on the planet - brothy, spicy, bright, hearty-yet-light, it hits just about every possible note.  It's also simple and pretty.  Pretty perfect.

Tuesday night we feasted on glorious take-out from Taste of India.  Then Wednesday morning David and Etta were off for Billings, sniff, and I switched into Christmas Eve mode.  Stacey, Cooper, Bowen, and Mom joined John, Nathan, and me for a simple dinner and lots of presents.  I stuck to a loosely Greek theme, with grilled pita, eggplant spread, olive spread, and raw veggies for a pre-din snack.  For dinner I made a simple shrimp and orzo dish, recipe via Bon Apetit.  And for dessert, a warm lemon souffle, big hit.  Perhaps my all-time favorite dessert.

Christmas Day John and I made what has become our annual drive out to my aunt Mary and uncle Bruce's farm, about two hours west of the Twin Cities.  We enjoyed a gorgeous, snowy drive and arrived to find the usual merriment - Mary and Bruce, of course, plus their sons Craig and Michael, and Michael's wife Amanda.  Also my aunt Marge and Uncle Jim and their daughters Kim and Kelly.  Also wine and appetizers and a roaring fire and two pretty trees and all sorts of good smells and conversation.  Dinner 'round the giant table (top pic) was prime rib of beef, sour cream mashed potatoes, Harvard beets, and green beans sauteed with red pepper and pine nuts.  I contributed crusty no-knead bread.  And Marge contributed her perfect cheese cake, with strawberries, on plates lit by little candles (LOVE those candles!).  After dinner we opened gifts (I laughed until I ached at my cousin Kelly's gift from Craig - James Lilek's Gastronomalies book, beyond hilarious) and played team Trivial Pursuits and then John and I drove home.  (Honestly, John drove home and I dozed - I'm such a good travel companion....)

And then today, to keep the merriment going, John and I dug into one of my many beautiful presents, a tin of ca-vi-ar, oh yeah.  I flipped crepes, minced some onion, and boiled and sieved a few eggs.  John popped a bottle of champagne, pried open the tin, and we dug into a little slice of post-Christmas heaven.  Holy Roly Poly Moly.  I'm digesting as I write, then we're off to our third movie of the weekend (opened with Frost/Nixon yesterday, then wandered home to watch The Counterfeiters, then this afternoon we're out the door to see Milk).  A champagne-n-caviar-fueled movie marathon?  Um, yes.

Hope you're relaxing and enjoying your guests and presents and treats and the end of 2008 as well!