French Kitchen Teaches a Thing or Two to Brooklyn D-I-Y-er

The Brooklyn D-I-Y craze has been my ethos long before porkpie hats and soul patches were required to live here (sometimes, yes, on the women, too).

I have a sourdough starter, I always make cakes and pie crusts from scratch and I infuse my cocktails with herbs from my garden.

But one thing long eluded me: puff pastry.

In a classic go-around, I just avoided recipes that called for it. Store bought dough in my homemade creations? Forget it.

Then I got The French Kitchen Cookbook, by Patricia Wells. There Is a recipe for a ‘blitz puff pastry’ that takes 2 hours to make, but most of that time is letting the dough rest in the refrigerator. While the dough recuperates, you can pickle a few artisanal carrots, or master the foam design on your milk froth-er.

Or, of course, you can explore the other hundreds of pages of recipes, including some that don’t seem particularly French – mixed nuts with kaffir lime dust (am incredibly simple stunner, once you find the kaffir leaves). Or the sautéed dates with fennel.

There are a number of vegetarian dishes, including a pear endive salad, eggplant with mint and fish sauce and some lovely fish dishes.

But I was mainly drawn to things like a homemade curry paste, and a hoisin sauce that dances circles around the commercial varieties.

Working Out: Makeup Free

Most mornings, I head out for a run or power walk after breakfast. I first go to the bathroom and apply a little concealer, then a tinted moisturizer with SPF30. My husband mocks me for wearing make up to exercise.

I may be able to eliminate the concealer. I’ve been testing a new Lancome skin correcting serum, DreamTone. The interesting thing about the serum, which comes in fair, medium and dark skin tones, is that it actually fixes those dark circles over time.

You can use DreamTone at night, and in the morning you don’t look like a raccoon (the recommended dosage is twice a day for the first 7 days; after trying the product for a week, I cut back to once a day).

I also found the serum to be slightly drying, so I increased the amount of moisturizer I use. The dryness could also be related to the sudden onset of cold weather in NYC, though I don’t remember my skin being that much drier in previous years.

Above, I am ready for spin class, workout sans makeup. And this means I won’t be wiping sweaty makeup into my eyes today.

Note: I received a full-size Lancôme DreamTone, valued at $98. Opinions expressed are my own.

Free Fun: Working out at Lululemon

The only thing I like better than a great workout is a free great workout. Lululemon has various free classes and even though I’m pissed that they abandoned Park Slope, the new Smith St. store is a beauty.

I heard about a free boot camp, run by BCL Fitness – ironically, a boot camp that is regularly held in Park Slope. But Cobble Hill isn’t that far and on a drizzly Sunday morning I hopped on the F train to exercise.

The hopping was a theme; the BCL founder, Melissa, had us hopping over our partners while they held planks. This was interspersed with fun stuff like speed skaters, fast feet into burpees, squats and sprints.

We started out in the store, but then headed outside where our group of 8 attracted curious passers-by. They all looked like they were headed to brunch – Smith St. might be the foodie capital of Brooklyn –but we felt virtuous and empowered.

And just maybe a little forgiving.

Low Salt, Full Flavor

While I am avoiding the chocolate covered bacon bandwagon, I can understand the appeal of sweet and salty. But I worry about overindulging in salt, particularly in the holiday season when we go to a lot of holiday parties and dinners.

So I was eager to try LoSalt, a low sodium salt made from potassium chloride. It has 2/3 less sodium than regular table salt, with no artificial flavors.

LoSalt, which comes in iodized and original versions, can be substituted one for one in recipes and at the table. One of my kids routinely salts her food before tasting – we don’t put salt on the table, but she’s old enough to get it herself – so this an ideal way for her to reduce her sodium consumption.

I tested LoSalt in homemade bread, and in salted fudge brownies, and in everyday cooking, and couldn’t discern any difference.

Here are the brownies. They are not low fat, low sugar or low in calories, so indulge wisely:

Salted Brownies

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter

 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped

  1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

 2 cups sugar

 3 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon LoSalt

Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a 9-inch square metal cake pan with foil, draping the foil over the edges. Lightly butter the foil.

In a large bowl, microwave the butter with the unsweetened chocolate. One at a time, whisk the cocoa, sugar, eggs, vanilla and flour. Pour the batter into the pan and smooth the surface. Sprinkle the salt evenly over the batter and swirl in using a butter knife.

Bake the fudge brownies in the center of the oven for about 35 minutes, until the edge is set but the center is still a bit soft; a toothpick inserted into the center should be coated with a little of the batter. Let the brownies cool at room temperature in the pan for 1 hour, then refrigerate an 1 hour. Lift the brownies from the pan and peel off the foil.

Holiday Cooking, Texas Style

Dotty Griffith had me at pecan pie. I have been the Thanksgiving pie maker since I could turn on the oven, and pecan pie is my specialty. My ‘secret’ has always been to cook the sugar and corn syrup till the sugar dissolves, then melt the butter in. I don’t remember know how I came up with this idea, but I’ve never seen it in a recipe until the Texas Holiday Cookbook.

And this pared down recipe doesn’t add rum or any other nasty flavors to muck up the pie; Griffith even ‘allows’ you to use light or dark corn syrup. I’ve always used whatever was on hand; it’s nice to have that choice validated.

The cookbook has recipes for Thanksgiving through New Year’s, with Hanukkah and Christmas in between. And though the book is big on meat, there are some things in here for vegetarians.

There are latkes made with sweet potatoes – and rolled oats. And special Christmas breakfast idea, like kolaches (sweet rolls) and migas, Tex-Mex scrambled eggs/

If you like to give homemade food gifts, there is a chapter on making things like peppermint fudge, chili powder or black-eyed pea relish, to name a few.

There are also a lot of drink recipes to put you in the holiday spirit. Texas tea is perfect for a holiday party; the drink includes tequila, rum, vodka, gin and bourbon. In fact, this drink might be better in New York City than in Texas; our guests can walk or take the subway home.

Tarry no More: Work Out at Tarrytown House Estate

The Tarrytown House Estate is just 25 miles from Manhattan, but it seems worlds away, Set on 26 acres, just over the Irvington – Tarrytown border, the hotel has tons of recreational opportunities.

We were there on a recent cold weekend, so tennis and basketball were out, and the outdoor pool is closed for the season.  But there is an indoor pool, a racquetball court and a fitness center.

The fitness center has 2 levels, one with treadmills, stationary bikes and elliptical machines, and then, down a half flight of stairs, and area with free weights and weight machines.

What it did not have was much floor space, and there was just one mat and 2 under-inflated stability balls. There were also no towels on our recent visit.

But the equipment is in good shape and you can see the Hudson River from the large windows. Not a bad place to be.

The Cake Bible: a Classic for a Reason

There are cookbooks that endure, and cookbooks that fade with the latest fad (how many quiche cookbooks do you have?)

The Cake Bible is in for the long run. The hefty tome, in its 50^th printing and celebrating its 25^th anniversary, deserves its own cake.

And what a cake it could be. Author Rose Levy Beranbaum divides the first half of the book into “simply delicious foolproof cakes” and “showcase cakes,” in case you want to make your own wedding cake, or outshine everyone at a casual potluck.

Then there is a whole section on decorating, with piping techniques, cutout molds and flowers, borders and more. This is where the neophyte baker might throw her hands up and head back to the beginning.

I love the secondary way the book is categorized: there are recipes for using up egg yolks, and others with just egg whites; low or no cholesterol cakes and cakes without flour, for Passover or the newly gluten free member of the family.

Most importantly, it is a book to savor and pass down, to your son or daughter, recently married cousin or next-door neighbor. It is a book that couples can tackle together, and triumphantly replicate the color photos stacked at the beginning.

Grilled Cheese Nirvana: Meltkraft

A grilled cheese seems like a simple matter, but it is possible, even easy, to screw up. My mother managed to ruin many a grilled cheese, either through neglect (too burned, er, toasted, for my tender palate) or too fancified, with plastic sliced tomatoes.

Meltkraft masters the genre. This artisanal grilled cheese restaurant, which opened right around the corner from me in Park Slope, Brooklyn, is a sibling of the Valley Shepherd Creamery, a gourmet food shop a few blocks away.

There is also an outlet in Philadelphia.

Valley Shepherd Creamery, a sheep farm in New Jersey, makes outstanding cheese, which is one key to amazing grilled cheese. Another is the bread. The outstanding bread is good enough on its own, and simply ethereal when smothered in melted cheese.

For the purist, the Shepherd classic is the way to go. There is just the right amount of crust and crunch, and oozing full fat cheese.  You can customize your sammy with truffle oil, bacon, duck fat or bacon fat for the non-vegetarians, or, if you must, tomato.

There is also a ‘melter skelter’ with pickled green tomatoes, jalapenos, BBQ potato chips and watercress, a messy nirvana that will leave you craving more.

For those who like their cheese cold, the Goat & Beets is a fantastic combo of goat cheese, fennel beets, arugula, honey and walnuts.

The café has a great selection of craft beers on tap, and you can take home a growler. For more kid-friendly fare, organic chocolate milk in a mason jar is the way to go.

But ymmy as the food is (there are also cookies, pastries and soups) the service is sorely lacking. We went on a Saturday just after the place opened, and our sandwiches took 45 minutes to get melted under the industrial toaster. But we gave the place another shot.

This time, one register wasn’t working and no one who placed orders there got their food started. Guess which line we were on? Then we were told that the salad or chip option that comes with the sandwich had turned into a $1 surcharge for the salad. We ordered salads, paid for the upcharge, got chips.

Brooklyn Heights Luxury Gym: Equinox

Many NYC gyms with Brooklyn branches treat their outer-borough siblings as poor relations. Not so Equinox, which has a luxury gym in Brooklyn Heights.

The 5 story fitness emporium includes a spa, a juice bar, coat check and kids' club.

The impeccably clean locker rooms have Kiehl's products, beautiful tile and large, soft towels.

There are also early morning, mid-day and evening classes, with a Pilates studio, spin room and yoga studio.

I was impressed with the number of weight benches, free wights and bosu balls scattered throughout, with trainers who actually returned equipment so you could easily find what you needed.

My only gripe with Equinox is that the cardio equiment only has a few overhead monitors, instead of individual screens. If you like to channel hop, you are limited by the choices, which on the day I exercised, were CNN, CNN and soaps. Doesn't anyone watch here E!?

But the gym also has great music pumping through, so you can remove your ear plugs and be more social.

Kosher Cooking for All

In New York, it sometimes seems that everyone is Jewish – or knows someone who is. The homeless man in my neighborhood wished me a good yom tov (good day) on Rosh Hashanah and local stores have special Passover and Hanukkah menus each year.

If you are looking to cook for a Jewish holiday, a Shabbat meal, or just everyday Kosher, you could do worse than Joy of Kosher: Fast, Fresh Family Recipes.

Written by Jamie Geller, the book has recipes that you wouldn’t necessarily expect from a Kosher cookbook – smashed red potato nachos or miso-glazed salmon. These are easy to make, delicious dishes whatever your religious persuasion.

I particularly liked the tips for making the recipes simpler for everyday, or dressed up for entertaining.  There are also suggested wine pairings throughout.

While many of the dishes are meat – my grandparents didn’t think it was a meal unless there was a huge hunk of animal protein – there are quite a few vegetarian choices. The faux chopped liver, with mushrooms and walnuts, yielded such a look and feel of chopped liver that I was transported back to my grandmother’s kitchen.

And if you are trying to cut down on saturated fats, the olive oil dark chocolate mousse or gooey chocolate cherry cake are wonderful desserts for anyone.

For those without a Bubbie (Jewish grandmother), there are holiday menus, and a Hebrew/Yiddish glossary. And for anyone who has been invited to a seder and doesn’t know what to make, there are Passover ‘adjustments’ to many recipes.

So nu, what are you waiting for?

Hotel Palomar: San Diego Kimpton

Kimpton Hotels strike the right note between hip and family friendly. This chain of boutique hotels offers great value, with free bikes and coffee in the morning.

Unfortunately, the Hotel Palomar in San Diego was not up to the brand standard. There were only 2 bicycles for guest use, and both times we tried to use them, they were out.

Our room was slightly shabby, with stained cushions and scuffed, dusty floors. But the morning coffee was delicious and in the evening, there is free wine.

The fitness center was so cramped that there was no place to roll out a mat – the hula hoops would likely not get much use.

The Palomar does have a beautiful pool, with comfy lounges and a child-friendly zero entry. On the expansive pool deck, there are free yoga classes one day a week.

We ate at the nearby Jsix restaurant, in another Kimpton property, the Hotel Solamar. This hotel reminded me of the Kimpton in Portland, OR, with wine, craft beer AND cocktails at its evening happy hour; not sure how many bicycles that hotel has.

But the seasonal American restaurant was wonderful. We were greeted with sparkling wine and an amuse bouche, then had excellent salads and delicious fish and pasta.

Getting around Town: Friendly Rides with Lyft

If you are not familiar with a city, taking a cab can be fraught with anxiety. Will I have to wait long? Is the driver going to rip me off? Will he know where he’s going?

With Lyft, you get a ride and a friendly face. Download the app on your smartphone and you're good to go.

I recently tried Lyft in San Diego, and if you live in, or are traveling there, or to any of these cities: DC, Atlanta, St. Paul, Phoenix, Indianapolis, Dallas, Seattle, Chicago or Charlotte, you can check out this new ride sharing app – and save money.

Lyft rides are the same price or less than a cab, and with the promo code RIDE20, you get $20 in free Lyft credits.

The whole experience was seamless. We landed and I opened the app, a red balloon (the cars are distinguished by the furry pink moustaches on the front). You have to allow the app to access your location; then you are told how soon a driver will arrive.

By the time we got off the plane and walked outside, we got a text that our friendly Lyft driver was there. He greeted us with a fist bump and dropped us off at our hotel. On the way, he told us what local beers to check out.

We requested another Lyft driver when we switched hotels (the Hotel Palomar, with the bikes pictured above), and this one, an art student, told us about a great exhibit at the La Jolla Museum of Contemporary Art. It was like having access to insider info.

You pay for the Lyft ride through the credit card stored on the app – there is a suggested donation, and you can add a tip. And both the passenger and the driver rate each other – a handy tool so the company can keep tabs on drivers and weed out obnoxious passengers.

Lyft touches down in Baltimore soon as well.

Note: I did receive a free ride from Lyft, but all views here are my own.

Running and Biking: Staying Fit Outside at the Manchester Grand Hyatt

The Manchester Grand Hyatt, in San Diego, takes advantage of the wonderful southern California climate, with a jogging/biking map supplied by the concierge. Steps form the hotel, you can run along the sea wall, and though you can't bike through the adjacent Seaport, Village, you can cycle on traffic-free bicycle paths, or take the ferry over to Coronado for miles of bicycle paths.

The Grand Hyatt offers bicycle rentals for $10 an hour - $30 for a full day. These are bicycles for flat, leisurely biking, which is what you'll find along the water, whether in San Diego or Coronado.

And even riding one of these bikes, you can burn enough calories to make up for the Tower 10 IPA you might have had the night before. San Diego has so many craft brewers that it is hard to imagine staying sober long here.

But you will want to go easy on the beer. You have miles to run, bike, or power walk.

Manchester Grand Hyatt: Fitness Challenge

San Diego is one of those cities where everyone is always in a good mood. Any why not? The picture perfect weather, with crystal clear blue skies and a temperate range make everyone happy.

In this kind of weather, you almost have to run, but if you are staying at the Manchester Grand Hyatt, right on the San Diego Bay, you will also want to check out the excellent fitness center.

The large gym has a ton of elliptical machines and treadmills, with individual screens, and a ton of free weights and weight machines.

Oddly, someone has absconded with weights below 8 pounds; perhaps visitors to southern California are known for their incredible biceps and shoulders? I do a routine on a bosu ball (there were 3!) that is almost impossible do do with anything over 5 pounds.

But apart from that snafu (do people really swipe weights from hotel gyms?) you can get a great workout here.  There are resistance bands, a stability balls, weighted balls and mats.  There are body bars and weight benches.

And, right outside, there are running and biking paths.

Franny's: The Cookbook

I usually buy restaurant cookbooks to relive the glorious meals I’ve had at different places: The Greens, Chez Panisse, Gramercy Tavern and Union Square Café, to name a few.

But I have no love for Franny’s, the restaurant. Although some of the food is delicious, some is merely ordinary and I never get a warm, friendly vibe from the place. Since there are so many other worthy restaurants in my neighborhood, I’d rather give my money to another place.

But the cookbook, Franny's: Simple Seasonal Italian, is another story. This wonderful book, by owners Andrew Feinberg and Francine Stephens, along with NY Times food writer Melissa Clark, has so many wonderful – and yes, simple – recipes that I want to dive into it again and again.

I opened it to a fall soup with tomatoes, fennel, pumpkin and escarole.  Amazingly, I happened to have all the ingredients on hand – even some fresh sage and rosemary still clinging to life in my garden.

The soup was rich and incredibly flavorful. Many of the recipes have ‘Andrew’s notes’ at the end, and this one gives a substitution for the Parmigiano rinds that are called for.

I just throw these into the freezer whenever I have them, figuring I’ll find some use later – what a great way to enrich the soup.

Of course, the pastas and pizzas really shine, like penne with spicy cauliflower and spaghetti with chickpeas, perfect for a pre-marathon carbo-load. The pizza recipes are accompanied by a fool-proof pictorial that provides the secret to perfect pies.

Although most of the cookbook centers on family-friendly fare, the adults-only cocktail section offered infusions and bitters that will improve any home bar. I am eagerly awaiting the Greenmarket return of ramps so I can make the pickled ramps for the Ramp Gibson.

Even my husband, who has vowed never to return to Franny’s, was seduced by the cookbook.

“Maybe we can give it one more chance,” he said.

I’m right behind you.

Hunting for Veggies in Brooklyn

Kale salad has become shorthand for a certain type of Brooklyn restaurant, with locally sourced ingredients, hand-crafted cocktails and Fedora-wearing patrons.

In fact, at Hunter’s, it was a woman wearing a Fedora. But I will happily accept a parody of hipster-dom – Brooklyn – landia? for another crack at Hunter’s grilled kale salad.

The salad included toasted chickpeas, toasted squash and hard-boiled egg for a hearty fall starter.  Our friends raved about the chicken liver and bacon mousse, a dish that is sure to make any Jewish grandmother plotz. We ate their delicious vegetarian-friendly pickles.

I first encountered Hunter’s at the Brooklyn Exposed cocktail bacchanalia, Brooklyn Shaken & Stirred, where the Hunter’s Paradise shined: Junipero gin, vermouth, Aperol, OJ and a hint of peach jelly. 

There were even better drinks at the restaurant: the Handsome Hound, a Manhattan-like cocktail with local whiskey & barrel-aged bitters and the Rusty Bulleit, with rye, lime and bitters.

We also happened to come on a Sunday, when bottles of wine are half price.  Score!

I will return again to try the farro risotto, with root vegetables and the beet salad with walnuts and feta.

We had the excellent butternut squash agnolotti, scattered with Brussels sprouts leaves and pumpkin seeds and the wild mushroom pot pie, which has a rich sauce and more root veggies.

Both the Nutella bread pudding and ricotta fritters are warm, sweet endings to a great meal.

Getting the Green: Kids & Salad

When I was little, I was pegged as a 'picky eater' and I hated salad - because I hated salad dressing. My mother served gloppy Russian dressing, a mixture of my two least favorite ingredients, mayo & ketchup.

Then I discovered blue cheese. I loved blue cheese dressing, or blue cheese crumbled into salad, with lemon squeezed on top.

So it didn't surprise me that my youngest daughter hated salad. But a vegetarian who won't eat salad? Then she tasted Just Salad's balsamic vinaigrette. Although I make my own vinaigrette, she prefers this commercial version, but hey, if she's eating salad...

The other day, I sampled a chocolate hazelnut vinaigrette, developed by the chef at The Hotel Hershey (of course). The dressing was served over a roasted beet and orange salad - and I actually have a kid who loves beets.

The hotel's version also has arugula and radicchio, but she doesn't like those bitter greens. So I used a milder mesclun mix and the salad was a huge hit.

Make the dressing with your kids - and use it on any salad greens. When they add the Hershey's syrup, they are guaranteed to at least try the salad.

Note: I received the information about The Hotel Hershey and the recipe for the roasted beet and orange salad from The Hershey Company. Opinions are my own.

School Lunches: One Month In

As the school year gets under way, I have already fallen into a lunch rut. My youngest daughter, who is now 15, so no longer content with her daily peanut butter sandwich, and being vegetarian further limits our options.

So Weelicious Lunches is a timely addition. Catherine McCord, founder of weelicous.com has put together over 160 lunches and is truly thinking outside the box.

She even improved on the classic PB &J.

This sandwich can’t be taken to school, alas, but it can be savored by hungry adult peanut butter fiends. You simply make the sandwich – she recommends natural peanut butter – and finish it in a waffle iron. It gets crunchy and melted and is truly inspired.

Another great recipe is for veggie meatballs, made from white beans. The recipe makes a ton, so you can have pasta with ‘meatballs’ and use extra meatballs for a veggie hero.

And even if your kid is in a (veggie) salami and cheese, phase, there are other great choices. Fiber-rich (and peanut-free) sunflower bran muffins and healthy (!) double chocolate whole wheat brownies?

Yes, please.

Rolling with the Baby - through Brooklyn

When my kids were babies, I resorted to many bizarre tactics to get them to sleep through the night.

Luvs may have come up with one of the most innovative.

Luvs and the Double Duty Divas, who are sending me product for this post (but not for my opinion – that is my own) is offering sleep-deprived Brooklyn parents free taxi rides on October 10th and 11^th.

Since so many of us in Brooklyn are car-free, but baby-blessed, this is the perfect place to offer the nocturnal rides. They are available from 6pm-12am, and can be summoned by tweeting tweet @Luvs with the hashtag #LullabyLift.

Of course, the taxis have car seats and parents get a pack of the new Luvs with Nightlock, so once your baby falls asleep, she won’t wake up from a wet diaper.

I vacuumed with a baby strapped in a front carrier, walked the streets for an hour or more to lull my daughters to sleep and even held one in a car seat over my (running) washing machine.

In Luvs newest commercial parents try different and unusual ways to get their babies to sleep.  What did you try?

Brooklyn Bourbon: Widow Jane

For the most part, I take my bourbon neat. It seems a shame to muck up great bourbon with anything else.

Especially when that bourbon is Red Hook’s Widow Jane.

But the guys at Cacao Prieto have come up with an intriguing variation on the classic cocktail, Blood In The Sand.

This drink is usually equal parts Scotch, cherry brandy, sweet vermouth, and orange juice.

In the version to be served at Brooklyn Shaken & Stirred, the drink will be made with Punt e Mes vermouth, OJ, orange zest and an outlier, Gran Classico.

This Italian bitter, similar to Campari, (one of my favorite drinks) should add just the right bitter note to the cocktail.

Hey, we’re New Yorkers. We live in small homes and have rats in our playgrounds. We have the right to be bitter.

And if the drink overwhelms the bourbon, I think they are also offering unadorned tastes.

First Birthday: smash a cake in style

Along with push presents, smash cakes didn’t exist when my kids were babies. These are the cakes you give your precious darling when she turns one, and let her smush, crush and mash into her face and hair.

I just baked my girls regular cakes.

But I love the idea of making the first birthday party extra special by giving your child her own cake and letting her go to town. I still remember giving my oldest (she’s now 22) a piece of her first birthday cake. It was her first experience of real sugar and she was ecstatic.

Of course, by my the 2^nd and 3^rd children, cakes were nothing new. Once one kid goes down that rabbit hole, strictures against white sugar and white flour often go by the wayside.

Betty Crocker has a bunch of recipes for interesting, easy to make cakes, using their mixes as a base. My fave is the Peas & Carrot cake, which adds bananas to the cake mix.

The frosting is cram cheese, yogurt and carrot baby food and the decorations – frozen peas! No, it's not health food, but some fruit and veggies in a cake are a cool addition.

Of course, I think one year olds would love any cake.

Here’s  pic of my niece with her over-the-top bat mitzvah cake.

Check out all the cakes on Betty Crocker’s Pinterest page.

Note: this is a sponsored post and I received a gift card in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own