When you ride your bike a lot people start thinking you're "fit."

Just be sure to leave out the part about those long bike rides to Brooklyn ending at Pies'n'Thighs.

Because what they don't know can't hurt them.

Urban Gardening in Harlem

The Tents on Broadway

Every Thursday, vendors set up tents along Broadway for the local farmer's market.
For me, that means a lunchtime walk, and $1.75 well-spent on the only apple cake I've had that rivals the infamous German apple cake my family knows so well.
Yes, world. It was that good.

Koronet Pizza

Today I learned a valuable lesson.

(Occasionally, leaving the office for lunch will do that to you.)

Koronet Pizza isn't kidding about their jumbo pizza slices.

Not kidding at all.

Somewhere between 'Snow White' and 'O Brother, Where Art Thou'

After dining at The Carlyle last night, and having a très délicieux dinner (thank you, Restaurant Week), I came to the conclusion my love of food doesn't coincide with a love of all things yuppie-related.

My East Coast upbringing has failed me miserably.

I guess I'll have to move to Brooklyn after all.

The Splendiferous Array of Culinary Tools

 The Splendiferous Array of Culinary Tools from Pop Chart Lab.

This poster from Pop Chart Lab is both beautiful and educational. You'll learn so much about more than one hundred culinary tools! Because that's what you really need in your life!

And did I mention, SO PRETTY.

More from Pop Chart Lab

Healthy Treat Seems Like An Oxymoron To Me

Rockport, MA, and the giant elephant ear I somehow had all to myself.

My sister, Amy, posted some photos she took during our weekend trip to Massachusetts for Dad's big 6-0. And they include this gem, which is even more photographic evidence that despite my best efforts to convince everyone I'm a healthy eater, I have failed miserably.

Miss Annoying-Exceptions-Food-Orderer

Over the past few years I've slowly become that person. You know, that person who can't just be happy with normal, made-as-intended meals. We've all seen them, been behind them at Wendy's, or been embarrassed to be sitting at a restaurant table with them. Rather than ordering something and being content with how it was intended to be made, they must change it. They can't be content with just eating food but must rather be an annoyance and change it all, like they have any right.

I remember being behind a man at some fast-food restaurant once during high school who insisted on changing just about everything in his meal. I can't remember exactly his order, but it was something along the lines of a hamburger minus the bun, lettuce, mayo, tomato, pickle, onion and cheese. Or in other words, not much of a hamburger at all.

The problem is, my mother, bless her soul, did great things for me. She gave me her spunk, her sass, most physical features (our school photos look scarily alike), but she also gave this gem of a genetic trait called lactose intolerance. I didn't start having issues until high school, thankfully. However, now when I eat anything dairy-related my body is all, ARE YOU SERIOUS?, DO YOU WANT ME TO HATE MY LIFE?!, and temporarily starts up WWIII in my stomach. Which is about as fun as it sounds.

Due to that I've sadly become an annoying eater. When I order hot cocoa I have to specify soy milk and no whipped cream. I don't eat yogurt anymore. I cook with soy milk. I can't even remember the last time I purchased milk for myself. A lot of soups are out too because of the cream base. And aside from the occasional bowl of ice cream and mozzarella (It's the one cheese I can't give up. What kind of an Italian food foodie would I be without it?) it's out of the question. There are supplement options like Lactaid but after you realize you'd have to eat it with almost every meal it's gets rather tiresome. So much to my chagrin, that's when you realize it's time to break up, to move on, to forget about the good times and try to live separate lives.

Local produce and I are going steady these days

Fresh corn, beans, peppers, tomatoes and more basil than you'd ever need?

Yes, please.

Tomato, Tomato

Children have the most ridiculous tastes in foods. I remember once when I refused to eat tri-colored rotini because I was sure that the green and red colored pasta tasted drastically different from the original one. I also went through a no-pancake-I'd-rather-die-than-eat-them phase. I'm still trying to figure that one out. I still have some issues with fish and seafood, but I'm working on it. Did I mention I used to also hate tomatoes. I loved marinara and tomato sauces but tomato pieces, sliced tomato, basically anything I wouldn't eat. Luckily I've grown out of that.

I'm not sure why I just included that...

Anyway,

My roommate had a few ripe tomatoes she wasn't going to eat, so I made some fresh tomato sauce and it actually turned out really delish! I don't really know when I started being able to cook things other than pasta and grilled chicken, but whenever it was I'm glad it came. It's really helping my elitist eating habits.

Urban Dining

This summer has made me think, and most of all, it has made me realize once again how much I love the little things - going to the park, the anticipation of fall football pick-up games, doing nothing for an evening but sitting on the porch with food, drinks and friends. So, it pretty obvious that I absolutely loved this article in The Times, an article reminding us all to relax, forget about being "cool", and most of all enjoy yourself. From an outsider's standpoint those interviewed for the article come off a bit elitists at times but in reality all they want is the returned simplicity of city life. The perpetual construction of condos and shoddy housing, it's all fine but there's something so sweet, so nostalgic about sitting out on the porch (or sidewalk, fire escape, etc.) and enjoying the summer heat. I love the idea they have about reclaiming the public space and using it, not just inhabiting it but really using it. That's the real city that I love. It's not Times Square or the giant tourist attractions, it's going uptown or to Brooklyn (gasp!) and seeing the people, the real element that makes it what it is.
Take time to stop and sit, watch the people around you and see the beauty in everything you see.
Next on the summer agenda: front lawn picnic! Maybe we'll even invite our crazy neighbors who call us "neighbor" (They really do. When we see them this one kid always says, "oh, hey neighbor!").

Sweet Gnocchi Heaven

For the past ten or so years of my life I've been having a slight case of identity crisis. My heritage tells me I'm English and Welsh and my taste buds keep saying Italian, but who can help themselves when your native foods are nasty meat stews and unrecognizable potato dishes. I mean really, were they surprised that the life expectancy was something like age 15 with that kind of food? With that said, anyone who knows me knows that I love food, and specifically Italian food (... and Greek. And Japanese. But who's counting really). The basics aren't that hard to come by and it's generally in the preparation that makes it delish. That is unless all you want in life is good pasta. Too bad the grocery store still wants me to pay a nauseating amount of money for a package of so-called pasta. Mhmm, yeah right.
So my only alternative to the stupid below-par pasta nazis was to try to do it myself. You could say it's the stubborn side in me, but I just like to think that any means should be taken for good pasta. I really like this recipe website and they had a great recipe for gnocchi, probably the most expensive pastas of the bunch, so I figured I'd give it a go.
Can you say sweet fluffy potato pasta heaven?!
The whole ordeal took about one and a half hours (including the potato cook time and time to boil the gnocchi) but it was absolutely worth it. It's a relatively simple recipe but the result was so good, all it needs it a good sauce and some mozzarella to top it off. It also didn't hurt that everything I used I already had in our kitchen. And if you've never had gnocchi before I highly recommend trying it. (If you're making it at a high altitude, however, you'll want to add just a bit more flour when you knead it so the dough isn't too tacky)

To sum it all up, I just wasted two hours of my life and it was so worth it

The Anti-granola Granola

Confession: I love health food.

Weird, I know, but I do. It's so good, and so good for you. I know pretty much the whole world is on a "green" trip right now, but I'm not gonna lie - I'm glad. Sure it's a fad and will probably stop in a year or two, but at least it's a fad that's healthy. I think we all remember when McDonald's had those mini Beanie Babies in their Happy Meals, and every elementary school-aged child in America suddenly gained like ten pounds from the mass consumption of fast food. Yeah, that one wasn't so pretty.

I know what you're thinking, "health food is so gross Nicole, how can you eat it?" Oh ye of little faith, for those who think health food is all gross (I say that because let's be honest, some of it is) try these sometime:

Pacific Natural Foods: They have the most AMAZING organic soups, the roasted red pepper & tomato is my favorite. And the best part is that they sell them at Costco and Smith's.

Kashi: I know they're mostly known for their granola, but try the oatmeal. It's soooo good.

Barbara's Bakery Puffins Cereal: The cinnamon flavored kind is the best. And like my roommate says, you can read about how to save Puffins while you eat some breakfast!

Whole Foods: Okay you got me, this is a store... but they have great recipes on their website.

Silk Soy Milk: In all honesty this one wasn't really voluntary because I'm lactose intolerant so I don't drink regular milk anyway. But Soy is good, good for you, and you can use the Plain kind in place of milk in cooking.

Happy healthy eating everyone!