New York City Highlights—Apples to Miso & Mustard
Home again after a wonderfully rich and active week in New York with our grandbaby and his parents. We walked everyday taking in New York City’s vitality, passion, excitement, diversity and great food—all the while delighting in excellent fall weather. I’ve created an A to Z list of a few New York City highlights so you could enjoy a glimpse of our week through some favorite foodstuffs, markets, restaurants, as well as parks and museums.
Divided into two parts, each list contains pictures, names and links as a guide for your next trip. Part One includes New York City Highlights from Apples to Miso & Mustard. Part 2 consists of New York City Highlights from the Natural History Museum to Za’atar, the Middle Eastern herbal blend.
Please write a comment below about New York places to visit and foods to enjoy, as I’m already looking forward to our next visit.
A . . . Apples—Honeycrisp Apples
Honeycrisps must be the largest, sweetest, juiciest apples ever. We picked them up at the Wednesday Union Square Greenmarket, each one weighing in just under a pound. Their juices glistened and ran down our fingers with each crisp bite.
B . . . Brooklyn Botanic Garden
52 acres of flowering plants, majestic trees, expansive vistas and winding trails. Plus a glass-walled conservatory, new visitor center and cafe.
C . . . Carnaroli Integrale (Brown Carnaroli Rice)
What a find at Eataly: brown carnaroli rice imported from Italy. Carnaroli Integrale makes exceptionally nutty, full flavored and creamy risotto, rice salad and rice pudding. As a whole grain, it requires longer cooking time than white carnaroli rice.
D . . . Dog Run in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park
We came over a hill to find a huge grassy area filled with people and off-the leash dogs. What a wonderful site to see dogs of every size and breed running, playing and just being dogs.
E . . . Eataly—for all things Italian
A 50,000 square foot emporium with fabulous U.S. produce, seafood and meats along with the best Italian artisanal foods. Wow, everything Italian from cheese to jams & honey 
to pasta & sauces to bread to gelato and candies to coffee, etc! For our feast, we bought three varieties of golden-hued, hand-made ravioli (rounds with butternut squash, triangles with chopped mushrooms and half moons with fresh spinach and ricotta). Never before having tried burrata, Eataly would be our source for this incredibly soft, buttery rich and creamy-centered mozzarella. For dinner, we spread the room temperature burrata on slices of Eataly’s crusty Fig Bread.
F . . . Fig & Plum Crumble-Topped Pie and Family
Four and Twenty Blackbirds in Brooklyn made this pie for our once-again celebration of Paul’s birthday. This time with our East and West Coast family and this lusciously thick and deeply flavored pie with halved figs and plums under a not-too-sweet crumble topping.
G . . . Grandbaby Cooper at 3 Months
A beautiful, healthy, baby boy. He touched our hearts with his sweet smile, downy soft hair and baby ways. We already miss him and his parents and his auntie.
H . . . Himalayan Salt
Another treasure from Trader Joe’s: pink crystals of mineral-rich Himalayan Salt in a jar with a built-in grinder.
I . . . Indian dinner from Baluchis in Park Slope (no longer open)
Take out is a New York way of life (especially with a new baby). In this case, many of our vegetarian Indian favorites from Spinach Saag to Biryani, Chana Dal to Aloo Gobi, Samosas, Tandoori Vegetables to Naan. Perfectly spiced for my taste and well-balanced with Raita, Chutney, Tamarand and Cilantro sauces. We even heated up leftovers to continue the celebration the next morning.
J . . . Japanese lunch at Fusha in the Upper West Side
Mmm. Tasteful décor greeted and relaxed us. Brown sushi rice a most welcome option. My lunch of Eel and Avocado Roll with Miso Soup and salad—light, balanced, satisfying. Fusha would easily become my favorite restaurant if I lived anywhere nearby.
K . . . Kitchen as in the Joy of Cooking Dinner in a Small Urban Kitchen
This light-filled kitchen with its limited prep and work space was otherwise well-supplied with sharp knives, a food processor, gas stove and quality pots and pans. It even had a purple Kitchen-Aid mixer with a matching purple silicone spatula 😉
L . . . Lots of Laughter
“If love is the treasure, laughter is the key.”
Yakov Smirnoff
M . . .Miso Soup and Mustard
Two products from Trader Joe’s. My favorite instant Miso Soup that I use in both of the Miso Soup Camping Version Recipes. And, full-bodied whole grain Dijon Mustard. Its sophisticated flavor and delightful texture enhances most everything from salad dressings, sandwiches, veggie burgers to egg salad.