Megan was one of the founders of our Restaurant Club. After a year of globe-trotting all over the world, she’s decided to move back to CA. She came back to NY for a few weeks, and lucky for us her visit coincided with November’s dinner. We went to Otto for yummy pizzas and pasta, and a bonus surprise: a celeb sighting! Not 10 feet away from us sat Ivanka Trump and her new husband. It was a great way to send off our dear friend. We’ll miss you Megan!
I’m heading out of town in a few days and will be without computer, so today was my last chance to chat with Corin for a few weeks. I’m going to miss our little talks, but I’ll be seeing him in person soon for the holidays. Today we chatted all about my upcoming vacation and how much fun he’s having hanging out with his grandma while she prepares for her famous Thanksgiving feast. Here’s Corin waving his arms in anticipated excitement for my Moroccan adventure!
When my friend Paula comes to town, it’s always a foodie adventure. We both enjoy trying new restaurants, but more than that, we really love interesting cultural flavors. I was definitely intrigued to try Kajitsu, a new Japanese restaurant that specializes in shojin cuisine, developed in Zen Buddhist monasteries in ancient Japan. Everything is seasonal, so they change the menu every month, and all the food is vegan, fresh and light. We splurged on the Hana menu, a 7-course feast for the eyes as well as the body. I started taking pictures at our third course. Here’s what we had.
Slow Braised Japanese Turnip with Black Truffle, Tokyo Negi and Lotus Root
Carrot and Shimeji Mushroom Soup with Maitake Mushroom Tempura
Fresh Diced Persimmon, Fig and Jicama with Creamy Sesame Sauce, House-made Tofu with Matcha Soy Glaze
House-made Soba Dumpling
Grilled Pumpkin Nama-Fu* with Cranberry and Sansho Sauce, Crispy Japanese Taro in Yuba and Shiso
*Fu is a wheat gluten, derived from wheat flour by separating the starch from the gluten. Nama-fu is a mixtue of gluten with glutinous rice powder. This is the same rice powder used to make mochi, and this pumpkin nama-fu had a very similar texture.
Matsutake Mushroom Rice, House-Made Pickled Vegetables
Close-up on the pickles
Chestnut “Yokan” Pastry
Rakugan Candies (by Kyoto Kagizen Yoshifusa)
Hot water for matcha (green tea)
Whisking matcha with a traditional whisk
Real matcha!
Beautiful, seasonal dishes are part of the experience of kaiseki cuisine.
Kajitsu was a wonderful decadent experience, and I’d love to go back in a completely different season to try it again. Thanks to Paula for coming to NYC to enjoy this awesome meal with me!
I mostly enjoy Halloween for the little kids, they look so cute all dressed up, and some of them have such clever and creative costumes (such as Corin!). But big kids, a.k.a. adults, also seem to enjoy the holiday as their annual chance to shed their inhibitions. My friends and I gathered for a pre-party at my little apartment before heading out for the real festivities. The quick subway ride was an adventure in itself, watching riders in all sorts of costumes get on and off along the way.
Amy and Heather topped off their costumes with temporary tattoos.
I was a leprechaun. Not sure that was so obvious, but this was the best I could put together in a couple hours.
The doc in blue scrubs is a real doc, so her costume wasn’t much of a stretch.
The ladies (never thought I could fit so many people in my apartment!)
Einat’s cute little bunny tail
Nicole was a fabulous Marilyn Monroe
On our way to the party, we met Darth Vader.
Einat and Amy, looking cute on the subway platform.
Making friends on the subway with an Indian and Woody (from Toy Story). He’s actually wearing a little kid’s costume!
Halloween revelers
Even Halloween couldn’t keep the fans away from the World Series, Game #4 - go Yankees!
This guy was (barely) dressed as the naked guy with a tire iron, from “The Hangover.” You should thank me for the censoring.
Michael Phelps, post-Olympics party boy
The ShamWow guy
Hugh Hefner found his latest Playboy bunny
Heather corrupted a priest.
This guy was a whole disco.
Gumby had some great dance moves.
Jesus Christ got some action!
I guess this guy was a d—-head?
Cheshire Cat!
Fred Flintstone on the subway home.
Despite the fact that I don’t love Halloween, I had a good time, and I was certainly entertained by some of the costumes out there. Until next year!
Halloween is every parents’ opportunity to treat their kids like dress-up dolls. Sometimes they are entertaining, others a bit humiliating. Some of my friends’ most memorable efforts have included a lobster, a chicken, a Siamese twin (the other half was a doll), and a 3-year-old daughter as Spiderman. But Corin’s first Halloween costume was so clever and funny - he dressed up as Tony Soprano, everybody’s favorite TV mobster! It’s about time Corin showed some Italian-American pride. He sure was the cutest little mobster I’ve ever seen!
Cutest Tony Soprano ever! Notice baby’s first gold chain, cigar and pinky ring!
Mini Tony with Uncle “June” (just kidding)
Pinky ring = tough mobster
Thumb sucking = sweet and innocent
Happy 1st Halloween Corin, and Happy 6-month Birthday!