The Cider Affair

For as long as we can remember, maple syrup has been the main squeeze for our pancakes. But we have a confession to make: we've been fooling around on that sappy standby.

The nice fellas down at Court Street Grocers introduced us to Wood's Boiled Cider, a condensed apple syrup out of Springfield, VT. The company has been pressing cider and producing the brew on the same machines since 1882, and the finished product remains deliciously free of any additional sweeteners or preservatives today. Drizzled over fluffy flapjacks, the Grocers told us, the cider is heavenly.

We bought a bottle on the spot.

Sure enough, Wood's Boiled Cider is a worthy companion for Sunday brunch, but the syrup has proven a versatile partner for Old Fashioneds, Hot Toddies, and homemade sodas, as well. The company website suggests you glaze your turkey and pork loin with Boiled Cider, too, and we're dying to try it - that is, if we don't run out of this golden elixir first.

Don't worry, maple - we still adore you. But all is fair in love and breakfast.

Where Does Your Garden Grow?

We've seen myriad iterations of recycled wine bottles, but this one is really (ahem) growing on us. Potting Shed Creations, a trusted organic horticulture source, is refashioning restaurants' wine bottles into elegant herb garden "grow bottles", each outfitted with seeds embedded in clay and vermiculite.

Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. And a whole lot more. Available for $35 each.

Is It Local?

Every time we hear Carrie Brownstein on Monitor Mix or as a guest host on All Songs Considered, our little hearts race and hum with the gentle pitter patted cadence of a secret girl crush on the cool chick in class. Now, Miss Carrie has her own TV show on IFC, "Portlandia", with SNL's Fred Armisen, poking fun at the city of roses, with its bike messengers, dumpster divers and femi-nutsos. We love.

In this segment, Carrie and Fred quiz their waitress about the provinence of their dinner. In part 2, they actually head to the farm to meet the chicken. Genius.

Finally, a Classy Canteen for our Champers!

Ever wonder how you were going to transport that bottle of Chateau Margaux to the top of the slopes of Chamonix? I know, us too! All the time! Finally there is a simple solution!

The Wine Bota, a state-of-the-art thermos, inspired by the Spanish tradition of guzzling wine in the bull ring.

Step 1. Pour the contents of your bottle into your Wine Bota.
Step 2. Position Bota.

Step 3. Send the Champers on home.

Magic Carpets

We are total suckers for beautiful things.  Ok, ok, suckers is an understatement.  Some things are expected - gilded octopi - ok beautiful.  Chocolate nipples - very beautiful.  Pasta Carpets and Plastic Cutlery Tapestries - gorgeous.  

The "temporary contemporary carpets" are made by a group in Amsterdam called We Make Carpets - Stijn van der Vleuten and Marcia Nolte and visual artist Bob Waardenburg.  They "freestyle" their creations - drawing inspiration from the ready made objects they incorporate into such stunning patterns.

Behold::  The Fork Tapestry

Fork Carpet

We are loving the colors and the textures of these - but what we really love is the fragility of them.  Similar to Native American sand paintings, they are delicate and fleeting, and yet obsessively mesmerizing.   

More carpets after the jump >>

Love Letters

Two love letters, by Brusse.

Sweetest Girl

Fridge Love

Pick Your Not-So-Poison

Every once in a while, a girl just needs a break. The time comes when you need to write your poison of choice a sternly worded letter.

Dear Whiskey,

I love you, and you're beautiful - especially when flecked with Angostura bitters and garnished with a cherry, the smoldering embers of a slow-burning fire a dancing reflection on your highball - but no! I need some time off. You know. From us. I'll be back soon, I just...I need some time to think.

Love, Ariadne.

But you know how it goes. Candlelit nooks and hot toddies beckon. Everywhere you go all you see are mulling spices. The snow falls in droves and the cold weather puts your snuggle-radar on high alert. And before you know it, you and your on-again off-again cocktail are cozying up to each other at your neighborhood dive. And who's got a thudding head full of bad memories the next morning?

Luckily for this hostess, a recent evening spent at my neighborhood bar of choice felt a little more downward dog than hair of the dog. RasaLife and Williamsburg's Huckleberry Bar teamed up for a night of detoxing over drinks, with specialty mocktails created just for the occasion.

With names like Demeter's Electuary, Johnny Collins. and the Dude's resolution, the mocktails simultaneously riff on juice cleanses and artisanal cocktails. The Rogue Rouge Shrub, a savory beet drink was made with Goji Berry gastrique (Goji Berry, Caraway, Vinegar), beet juice, orange juice and smoked salt. The A-Pear-iary was delicate concoction of pear, rosewater, black pepper, honey and vanilla.

Goji Berry Love

Check out RasaLife for tips on juice cleanses and the art of nourishment and make sure to stop by Huckleberry Bar any time, all the time, for any reason. After three drinks, this hostess felt light on her feet, shiny in her brain, and maybe even a little tipsy. Who says you can't get high on life?

Make your own Demeter's Electuary
1/2 oz Electuary (rose hip, cardamom, honey)

1/2 oz Pomegranate Molasses (available at your local health food store)

2 oz Blood Orange juice

1/2 oz Agave

Shake with ice and strain over fresh ice.
Garnish with lime peel and top with some Pellegrino.

Gluten Glut

Carb-loading: It’s not just for athletes anymore.

When we received a Marcato Atlas 150 Pasta Maker from a dear friend for the holidays, we knew our pots would soon overflow-eth.

And perhaps we’ve gotten a bit carried away.

This sleek, chrome dream machine churns out tagliatelle and spaghetti for us when we need a quick pasta fix, and satiny sheets of dough for ravioli and lasagna when we're feeling more ambitious. It takes formidable elbow grease to clamp this old-school device to your counter and crank out the doughy strands, so you'll have ample opportunity to sweat off those carbs in advance.

With the kitchen covered in drying pasta, we’re starting to feel like Strega Nona with her magical spaghetti pot.

Now, who’s coming over for Linguine Bolognese?

UFD - Unidentified Flying Doughnut

Sometimes, all you need to make your day better is a doughnut.  Well, it's your lucky day, because today we bring you Kenny Scharf's flying doughnut paintings.  There are many to choose from, but these are our favorites. 

Enjoy!

 Old Fashioned Doughnut in Space - 2007

Pink Doughnut with Sprinkles in Space - 2007

Chocolate Glazed Doughnut in the Sky - 2007

Glazed Doughnut in the Sky - 2008

Coconut Doughnut in Space - 2008

Smashingly Divine

We heart NYC, but our beloved city still lacks a pleasure that other, lesser cities enjoy: Smashburger.

Until now.

The New York Times announced this week that come mid-April, we’ll be able to get our Smash fix at a new location in Ft Greene, at 80 DeKalb Avenue.

The spot is the first of three Smashburger locations to open in the next year, all of which will be in Brooklyn. In homage to the borough, you’ll be able to order a Brooklynburger, the details of which remain a mystery at the moment.

Our recommendation? Top that baby with fried McClure pickles as a shout-out to Williamsburg, My Friend’s Mustard to represent Greenpoint, and make it a meal deal by throwing in a Sixpoint Craft Ale, straight out of Red Hook.

Simply smashing.

Image via Flickr.

Canadian Made

When we came across Geoffrey Lilge's elegant handmade cutting boards and charcuterie platters, we remembered just why we love our Canadian neighbors to the North: they're understated, woodsy, smooth and reliable.

Lilge, a founder of the Canadian design and manufacturing firm Pure Design, recommends maple for cutting and walnut for charcuterie and cheese service. The boards range from $150-250 and can be ordered custom or purchased from a variety of design and kitchen shops.

We thought we were head-over-heels for the craftsmanship of the boards, and then we saw THE SPICE GRINDERS. Lordy, are they beautiful. Learn more here.

Gastronomista's Guide to Winter Hibernation

There's no denying the truth: it's winter. And what are you going to do about it? Hole up for the weekend and hibernate. This is the Gastronomista girls' guide for to staying cozy, warm and satiated during your winter weekend's hibernation. Hot Toddies, cheesy pigs in their blankets, Brussels sprouts in hazelnut brown butter, kettle corn balls, clementines, and a lover.

Check it out at the Huffington Post here.

 

Image via waysideviolet.  You too can have a sweater for your mug.

A Proper Road to Courage

Let us explain a few things to you, dear readers. We, the ladies of Gastronomista are the kind of ladies who love tea parties, making perfectly roasted chickens, and pudding. But we also love our bourbon. And please, good sir, not too much ice. You should also know, we've got some mean left hooks.

So, that would explain our absolute jealousy when we saw this AMAZING suitcase made for the very very lucky Tyler Riewer of Portland, Oregon. The "arm wrestling champion / professional bounty hunter" was given this case for his birthday. We might need to commission one for ourselves. You, my friend, are a lucky man.

Behold the greatness of a suitcase perfectly fitted for a bottle of bourbon and a pair of brass knuckles:

You Will Have Change in Your Future

Fortune cookies fortunes can be spot-on. Frighteningly so.

We've had a long-standing obsession with fortune cookies, and the little morsels of truth that come folded inside. A few of our favorite bits of prophesy:

The secret of getting ahead is getting started.

If you want the rainbow, you must to put up with the rain. -D. Parton

You are talented in many ways.

There is yet time enough for you to take a different path.

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. -Lao Tzu

Your many hidden talents will become obvious to those around you.

Your great attention to detail is both a blessing and a curse.

And the one that has sat displayed on our computer for many years:

Your luck will change tomorrow.

Speaking of change, we're big fans of the Fortune Cookie Coin Purse by Diana Eng, an adorable reminder that You Are Destined For Greatness.

$45 - currently sold out. Expect more at the end of February 2011.

Motorman's Petrol

Lately we've been drinking a lot of beer.  Maybe because it's winter, or maybe it's because beer is delicious.  We've been hitting up a lot of Dunkelweizen, Milk Stout, Black Wheat, and Black & Blues (Dark Side of the Moon) when we're out and about.  For some reason, these types of brews remind us of milkshakes - and well - we like milkshakes.

Our new taste for the dark stuff may partly explain why we instantly fell in love with Freshthrills' design for Motorman Chocolate Lager, a promotional holiday gift they sent to their clients.  The Brooklyn design firm bottled up the Chocolate Lager made by Kelso of Brooklyn, named it, packaged it in handsome wood boxes with an equally handsome stamp, designed coasters, gift tags - the whole shebang. 

The name Motorman comes "the title of a trolley engineer and during the early 1900’s, people commonly rode trolleys to get around downtown Brooklyn. In a lot of ways, the Motorman is a perfect symbol of resourcefulness because they not only operated and maintained the trolley but also acted as the conductor. It’s fair to say they had a tough, but respectable job" (Freshthrills).

We're drinking the proverbial kool-aid:  "Take your work ethic to the bottom of the glass". 
Sure, no problem.

Ps. We love the black and white baker's string.  Nice touch, Freshthrills, nice touch.

Gastronomista Girls for Blackberry & Urbanspoon

A few months back we were asked to participate in Blackberry's new advertisement campaign, and the spot is finally out for everyone to see!  The Gastro Girls did a whirlwind tour of some of our favorite restaurants in New York City - it was a delightful and delicious day.

Mixed Berry Pie at M. Wells in Long Island City

A few of our favorite shots from the spot:

Spin to Win

The Beauty at Mile End in Brooklyn

Seared Scallops and Pumpkin Soup with Truffle Marshmallows at Bobo in Manhattan

On the bridge looking back at Manhattan

*****

So much gratitude must be paid to Team Blackberry, Urbanspoon, and Lucid Inc..  A lot of work and time went into this amazing ad - and we are just tickled with how it turned out!  Thank you to everyone involved for the fantastic day and for making such a beautiful piece.

Additional thanks to Lulu Frost for the bling, Old Man Emerson for the styling, and Makeup Forever for the Glam.  And finally, we thank all of the restaurants where we shot: Mile End, Bobo, and M. Wells.  They are all fantastic restaurants, if you have not yet been, go, eat and be very very full.