Orange Souchong, Black Sesame and Raspberry, Honeydew Lemongrass, Salted Caramel. These are just some of the flavors that Greenpoint’s local popsicle company, Mom & Pospsicles, has been sharing in their Instagram feed (and at Sunday’s McGolrick Farmer’s Market) lately. As a self-proclaimed popsicle aficionado, I needed to know more about the person behind this pop-up, so I hunted down the little company’s founder, Eli Kaplan, and asked him to share a little about his relationship to Greenpoint and his experience owning a real mom-and-POP shop. Continue reading →
Brooklyn Cured is this week’s featured vendor at Greenpoint’s McGolrick Park Down-to-Earth Market, (open Sundays, 11 am- 4pm). This week, I caught up with BK Cured’s top dog, Scott Bridi, to learn more about his local roots and culinary experience in some of the city’s most notable food spots, and to hear his perspective on being a small-scale food producer. My advice is get over to McGolrick this Sunday to stock up on dogs for Fourth of July grilling! Brooklyn Cured’s products include sausages, hot dogs, bacon, smoked meats, classic charcuterie and more, using meat raised with no antibiotics from farms within the region. Continue reading →
Put on your friendship bracelets and grab your BFFs – our FIRST EVER Summer Market is right around the corner! On Sunday, July 20th, 2014 from 1-7pm we will transform the sun drenched Greenpoint Loft (67 West St, 5th Fl) into a tropical paradise (with a/c of course!) As always expect food and drinks, arts and crafts, gifts, photo booth, nail art AND MORE!
Need some father’s day gift inspiration? There’s plenty of cool stuff to give right here in your own backyard! Here’s a short list of ideas (which is admittedly in no way comprehensive, as there are so many more awesome small businesses here in north Brooklyn, so feel free to add to the list of ideas in the comments section).
1. Tacos, La Norteña / Vamos Al Tequila 2. Fine craft beers, Brouwerij Lane 3. Engraved biz card case, In God We Trust 4. Nice new comb, Chopin Chemists 5. Vintage VHS, The Thing 6. Slice of pizza, Vinnie’s / Franklin Pizza 7. Fine colognes, Old Hollywood 8. Coveralls, Pop’s Popular Clothing 9. Succulants (a.k.a. plants that require minimal care), Homecoming (formerly known as Spina) 10. Donut, Peter Pan 11. Delicious cheeses and Keta candy, Eastern District 12. Sweet shades, Alter 13. A funny old tshirt, People of 2Morrow 14. Fancy and rare spirits, Duke’s Liquor Box 15. Beach tote, M. Carter 16. Pour over coffee maker, Budin 17. A nice rosé, Dandelion Wine 18. Polish chocolates, Slodycze Wedel 19. A whole, fresh fish, Pura Vida Stand at McCarren Park Greenmarket 20. Stool for sitting and pondering, Bklyn Curated 21. Basketball, BQ Sports 22. Cool kicks, Wolves Within 23. Vintage vinyl, Permanent Records / Academy Records / Co-op 87 / Records Grouch 24. Portable bike pump and other biking accessories, Silk Road Cycles / B’s Bikes / Greenpoint Bikes 25. Bobbers and other fishing accessories, Dream Fishing Tackle 26. Polish sausages, smoked meats, and pickles, Nassau Meat Market / Mazur Meak Market (and so many more!) 27. A good book, like this one about the Pogues, Word.
Rainy days and Mondays…sigh… Let us consider today’s weather as an answer to yesterday’s summer-y heat and a reminder that it’s still spring, friends. I only wish I liked my raincoat more. In other news, Recipes Gone Wild is about to go on summer vacation! But in case you still want a little cooking inspiration, worry not. We at Greenpointers will still be putting up lots of recipes in the coming months! So anyway… I attended my first BBQ of the year the other weekend, where I ran into my neighbor and friend Dan. He’s been promising for weeks to send me his risotto recipe, and surprise, surprise– he came through! Loaded with fresh green veg (I’ve been watching Jamie Oliver lately and that’s what he calls vegetables), this recipe is insanely delicious and will knock the socks off of you and whoever is lucky enough to dine with you! And if you run into Dan (perhaps at one of the local beer shops), I’m sure he can give you some great ideas on what beverage to pair with this dish. Continue reading →
Feeling like a bit of a sloth this morning? Suffering perhaps from a case of the Mondays? I concur. It’s more than a little tough to feel energized knowing that you’ve got a solid work week ahead of you. Memories of leisurely bicycling, beers with buddies, ice cream in the park, strolling in the sunshine, and other weekend-ish whims linger as you fill up your “world’s best” (fill in title here) mug. No time for daydreaming now. Time now to focus, to work, to make the donuts. How can one muster the energy and positivity in a healthy way? Thanks to Karolina Gumpert of Awakening Café (on Manhattan Avenue), I’ve found a lovely way to get that healthy boost. A bit of background about Awakening if you haven’t popped into this little spa and café yet, they’ve got a wonderful fresh juice and smoothie bar as well as an extensive menu of wellness services such as craniosacral therapy, Reiki, sound therapy, and yoga. I recently ran into Karolina from the café, and she recommended this lovely recipe to me as an energizing way to start the day, so I whipped it up in the blender and gave it a go. Delicious and clean-tasting, this nutty, vegetal, sweet treat was supremely satiating as well. A nice, clean, and simple start to the week! Now, I beseech you. Go forth and blend! Continue reading →
Mother’s Day is this Sunday, and perhaps you’re looking for something fun and brunchy to make for that special lady in your life. Waffles topped with caramelized bananas? That’s been done. And she already knows you can poach an egg. So how about Toad in the Hole! No, no, no… I am NOT talking about one of those predictable (but tasty none-the-less) pieces of toast with an egg-filled hole in the middle. The recipe I’m in fact referring to is the BRITISH version, which is essentially a family-sized Yorkshire pudding topped with little breakfast sausages. And if you really want to say I love you with breakfast, top that toad with onion gravy and add a side of beans. It’s quite simple, really , I say with an unconvincing British accent. This week I went to Kate Coats, lovely Brit and mother of the ridiculously entertaining Avery and Oliver, to find out what her brood’s been eating these days. Thank god the word “nuggets” was not uttered. With a smile, she answered that Avery’s favorite dish is Toad in the Hole. Says Kate, “Avery normally makes the batter for me. It’s his favorite meal to make AND to eat. Plus we pretend that it’s real toads that we’re eating.“ You know what? Eatin’ toads with some cool kids sounds pretty fun. So grab your whisks, you Yankees, and ready yourself for a British breakfast invasion. Continue reading →
On behalf of Greenpointers Recipes Gone Wild, I spent last Saturday at the Food Book Fair Foodieodicals asking attendees to share with me the wildest thing they had ever eaten. Some of the answers were not too shocking, but most people’s wildest food stories were actually pretty incredible! I did a little photo documentation of the answers, which you can see on our facebook page, and I’ve kept anonymous the identities of those who participated (by way of some hand-painted animal masks, naturally). Special thanks to Rose D for helping me with the photography!
Happy Friday! Have you looked at your superfluous (but super cool-looking) wall of international clocks lately? Because it’s 5 o’ clock in Paris, comprenez-vous? The Manhattan Cocktail Classic, NYC’s celebration of all things boozy and bibulous, starts next week (I’ll drink to that) and there will even be a bit of Brooklyn representin’ on this side of the river. New York Distilling Company (located at 79 Richardson in Williamsburg), will be hosting a guinguettes-inspired, Parisienne-themed brunch at their distillery on Saturday, May 10, hosted by Allen Katz. But all brunches aside, why not cheers to the freakin’ weekend tonight by stirring up some lovely, springy cocktails chez vous? I asked Patrick Dacy, of Greenpoint’s own Duke’s Liquor Box, on Franklin, what sort of flavors he’s been into lately, and he sent over the specs for a gorgeous, little libation he’s deemed “Le Rana”— a nod to its mingling of French and Mexican spirits. Notes of wood, smoke, ripe fruit, and bitter quinine are brightened up with fresh citrus juice and a splash of crisp ginger beer. Allons-y! Vamos! Continue reading →
Yesterday morning I decided to go for a run along the river, and I thought to myself Oh hey! I think it’s warm enough to don my shorts today! After finding them in the bottom drawer buried under sweatshirts and long johns, I put on my running shorts, laced up my sneakers, and ran out the door. Down the sidewalk I bounded, happy to feel the sunshine on my skin for the first time this season. Along the way, I stopped to tie my shoe, and, in doing so, came face to face with my bare shins. Gasp! They were looking pretty shabby and neglected—pale, dry, and in need of some TLC. After wrapping up my run, I wrote to my friend and neighbor Adina Grigore (of S.W. Basics) to ask if she had any good skincare recipes to get me glowing again. Well of course she did! And in no time I had a recipe for a gentle exfoliating mask made from simple, basic ingredients (and on a sidenote, it actually sounds like it could be good on a slice of toast!).
