m&g

red sky over the bronx

2009-06-27T01:04:00.001-04:00

red sky over the bronx, originally uploaded by gailbabes.

this june the rain has come. and while the sound of thunder and the spark of lightening has become a familiar occurance, tonight the clouds hung low over the bronx. the air was still hot and moist after a great down pour. then we looked outside our windows; the sky was painted red and purple. it lasted about 10 minutes and we were fortunate enough to be present in the middle of it all.

The Minimalist's Orange and Olive Salad

2009-02-26T23:11:00.009-05:00

New York Times Bitten Vlog. February 25th.

There is a reason why Mark Bittman has his own NYT foodie section and writes cookbooks; the man knows what he is doing. Bittman's vlog recipe is borrowed from the restaurant La Zucca Magica in Nice, Italy. Since I don't care for black olives I substituted kalamatas with happy results. If you plan on hosting more than three people I suggest doubling the Bittman proportions.

For a more substantial meal based on a similar theme I made an arugula salad for a dinner party that is worth writing down.

Step 1: Toast 8 oz of Israeli couscous with a little bit of olive oil in a pan. Then add water, bring to a boil and simmer until cooked.

Step 2: In a blender follow the minimalist recipe - adding in favorite oils, olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper. Mix in a 1/4 cup of pine nuts (keep them course), a fresh lemon juice and zest.

Step 3: Mix together the couscous and the olive mixture. Shave in a heap of aged parmigiano-reggiano. Mix some more. Add a tablespoon of O&CO's specialty olive oil Vierge Extra et au Citron.

Step 4: Set a base of wild arugula & mandarian oranges. Blend in couscous/olive mixture. I suggest an olive oil & lemon juice dressing (2 tbs fresh lemon juice/ 5 tbs olive oil / s&p)

South of France Tomato Soup with Young Chevre and Sourdough Bread

2009-01-19T20:18:00.023-05:00

My friend Paul mailed me a book after a fabulous visit to Minnesota and a long weekend on his family's old farmland in Tremont. Over the years we have talked a lot about food - our favorite restaurants, flavors, and tastes. As tried-and-true neo-hippies, we have diligently shopped and supported local coops and businesses.

Over the past few years there has been an abundance of literature and discussion on the ethics behind how food is grown, harvested, delivered and prepared. Last month at the arrival of Paul's book which speaks to the preparation of a meal as a metaphor for leading a meaningful life, I am attempting to learn how to prepare the basics - food that once seemed impossible to make.

My first conquest was Jello. How incredible to accomplish something as trivial as this. To imagine thinking for years that Jello was a mysterious powdered substance to later discover the ease in which everyone can make a more delicious and healthy version. The finding was amazing. I rediscovered the secret ingredient gelatin. Fascinating. All shortcuts had not been removed. I purchased the gelatin from Kojel - a product that shockingly resembled Jello minus the manic panic hyper-colors. Yet with the addition of fresh fruit juice, the dessert wentfrom basic to sublime.

M goal this year is to demystify everyday items and prepare food that once seemed better off purchased. Tonight I was inspired by my favorite radio food show, Minnesota Public Radio's The Splendid Table and Lynne Rossetto Kasper's subsequent book How to Eat Supper. Lynne's guests on December 15th were Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois who claimed it was easy to prepare and bake artisian bread. I thought only monks and people with influenced by early 90s bread maker infomercials could do this.

I made YEAST bread and it created an incredible sourdough result. The recipe requires three ingredients and as little mixing as possible. Apparently yeast does all the mixing for you, just at a microscopic level.

I did adapt their recipe slightly. It may be because of the gluten content of the flour I used (Arrowhead Mill's Enriched Organic Unbleached Flour) or my inexact method for determining the water temperature, but the dough was a bit to dry and I had to add a little more water to fully incorporate the flour. I also modified the cooking time after a number of unsuccessful attempts where I created a bricks instead of loaves. Using their advice to preheat a baking stone twenty minutes prior, I made a fantastic loaf of bread on day five with the temperature at 400 degrees and cooking the bread for 30 minutes. It was delicious, complex in flavor, and inexpensive. It probably cost me less than a dollar to make.

Found on page 66, the soup is worth repeating. It is satisfying and feels like a comfort food. The soup is flavored by herbes de Provence and has the added benefit of 1/3 cup dry vermouth. On my next attempt I will experiment substituting Grappa for vermouth. I'm curious if this will make the soup divine or unpalatable. Lynn says the soup tastes delicious hot or cold, but today we ate it hot and the goat cheese creating a wonderful cream. The soup combined with the fresh hot bread was a great meal.

Office Park Blues

2008-12-02T16:12:00.026-05:00

Preface: My dear friend mentioned that I might not want to publish something like the following entry. Making any negative comment about a job can be a perilous move for one's future employment. I understand what she is saying and have, in part, reworked some of my comments. I should also mention that where I work is a wonderfully rare environment; a place with a fantastic mission that is all about social justice. I believe that our company positively influences the health of the surrounding community. But within all great companies are everyday people who, in the course of doing something good, can break down a human resource. My hope is that this storytelling blog will post about lessons learned during the tough days.

____________

On days like these I try to remember that work is only part of my life even though the burdens of a job well done can be fully consuming. Some days you take one for the team. Other days you take one when it is not your fault. Today was my turn. And since I am middle and not management I sat there wide eyed and took it. It made me think about the way American companies manage people, politics, and time. Here are some things I will try to remember in a few short years when I become obscenely successful.

I will list them below even though it reads like a bad chain letter.

1. Identify and address power struggles before they negatively effect the company.

2. Hire people you believe in to help elevate the desire to over-manage.

3. Remember what it felt like to do the work if you are delegating the work.

4. To belittle someone in front of others is an act of public shaming and an abuse of power. It hurts group morale, respect and trust.

from kia to cadillac - the redub

2008-12-01T23:01:00.009-05:00

this blog originated as site to chronicle a moment in time. to be precise - our wedding. and god was it good.

but life is chock full of too much good stuff to keep it to one's self. so instead this blog is getting an upgrade. it's going to be deeply personal - stories of simple joys, momentary accomplishments, and the pleasure of the every day. some days we will talk about the profane. moments of worldwide confusion on matters such as politics, music, and food.

let's get started.

You are SO Invited

2008-08-04T14:37:00.004-04:00

Hopefully by now you are all officially invited to our wedding. We had a great time designing the invites with a letterpress house out of Minnesota. Back when I worked with the Youth and Aids Projects (YAP) in Minneapolis, I used to spend my lunch breaks outside the office in Loring Park. One of my favorite places to window shop along the park was Lunalux – a charming paper house that gives homage to the aesthetic influence of steampunk while cranking out high tech results. Hooray for our wedding for letting me put my shopping desires to use!

We worked with Jenni, Lunalux’s owner and letterpress maven to design our eco-friendly invitations. The little lovebird that you see in the corner of the invitation is an original design by Erika Buentello, a fabulous illustrator from Texas. And after an adventure that involved a craigslist and a freecycle transaction, Marisa and I were able to get our hands on a typewriter for putting on the addresses. And while there aren't a lot of stamp options these days beside cracked bells and serpentine wedding hearts, we were delighted to find that one of our options was the State of Minnesota. Our Minnesotan kittens thought the stamp was truly delightful and in dedicated to them.

We look forward to your RSVPs and don’t forget to book your hotel room as soon as you can.

Love, m&g

Events to look forward to

2008-07-25T21:45:00.002-04:00

As if Cape May wasn't awesome enough, we've got a host of incredibly fun events planned all weekend long.

Friday - Drinks at the beach. Place yet to be determined but we are thinking surf and sand.
Saturday Night - BBQ hosted by Marisa's parents. It's texas style so you better like it hot.
Sunday - Well let's just say we know how to boogie.
Monday Morning - Join us for bagels and lox hosted by Gail's mom.

Be sure to check the list of events on the website to get the exact locations. Can't wait to see you there!

love, m&g

Photo of the Atlas Inn at Sunrise

2008-07-16T18:29:00.003-04:00

Atlas Sunrise, originally uploaded by Michael/ capemayX.

Photos of Congress Hall

2008-07-07T13:37:00.005-04:00

During the summer of 2006 we road our bicycles to the Brown Room for drinks and dessert. It was already a beautiful night - temperate with salty air and a light breeze (I can say this with confidence because most nights had this type of mystique). We ordered the strawberry shortcake and it was the best thing i had ever eaten. We knew this had to be the place and that strawberry shortcake had to be the wedding cake. Earlier this year the pastry chef informed me that strawberry shortcake makes a very floppy wedding cake. Instead we tasted an equally delicious chocolate cake with buttercream frosting and sugar crystals dotting the bottom. Yum. I think you all will be equally pleased.

Our cocktail hour will be held on the outside patio.

Staying at the Hotel Macomber: A Tour

2008-07-07T13:30:00.000-04:00

Staying at Congress Hall: A Tour

2008-07-07T13:27:00.002-04:00

What does we and Star Trek have in common?

2008-06-17T18:31:00.003-04:00

Love!
September 14th must truly be a day for lovers.

Drinking at Orsay's

2008-05-24T13:25:00.004-04:00

Drinking at Orsay's, originally uploaded by gailbabes.

Bartenders are not photographers.

Orsay's Bar and Restaurant

2008-05-24T13:25:00.003-04:00

Orsay's Bar and Restaurant, originally uploaded by gailbabes.

The purchase was thrilling but I kind of needed to sit down and have a stiff drink. Luckily Orsay's was across the street and they know how to make sidecars.

Boutique Elle

2008-05-24T13:23:00.001-04:00

This is where we bought our dresses.

Wedding Dresses

2008-05-23T14:38:00.014-04:00

Two weekends ago we bought the most beautiful dresses i have ever seen. I can not even begin to express how perfect the day was. If any of you don't know, Susan Mills Birnbaum is a shopper. And not just any old shopper, but a good one. She has an eye for things that most of us would pass by. As is the story here. Sunday, late in the afternoon, Susan drove us to the Upper East Side to what appeared to be a unobtrusive dress shop. The goal was to buy a dress for Susan, but within a few moments it was clear that this was a place of great potential. The store only carried European designers and their own line. The selection was varied, but not plentiful. Only one of each dress hung on the wall, with the expectation that dresses were to be ordered from Britain, the Netherlands, Israel,and beyond.

All the dresses Marisa tried on fit beautifully, but the moment the she walked out in this gown, we knew it was the one. The gown, made of mica-colored raw silk, is the handiwork of Flemish designer Linea Raffaelli. It's exquisite - from the draping of the fabric to the detailing on the neckline. It has a totally organic and glamorous feel that is perfect for the beach. Marisa found my dress the moment we walked in. It was hanging in the corner and when we inquired about it, we were told that it was a one-of-a-kind and worn on the runways in Europe. It was designed by Rene, a fashion house apparently as fancy as Givenchy and as nameless as Prince. It has a very earthy feel - flowing raw translucent champagne silk with gold seams cascading down. It's incredibly hard to describe, mostly because I have never seen a dress with as much handiwork.

The gowns definately set the color tone of the wedding - metallic, earthy and lush.

The Tasting at Congress Hall

2008-04-28T19:41:00.006-04:00

Our visit down to Cape May was a total success. Our families sat down to a delicious tasting and luckily my mom was able to take some great shots of the local seascape. We are more excited than ever.

On The Road

2008-04-26T10:23:00.003-04:00

We are on our way to Congress Hall right now! My Dad is leading the convoy that consists of their Volvo and our Corolla. I can't wait to get to Cape May and push our planning into high gear. Our top priority this weekend... EATING, we have the tasting tomorrow afternoon. We are also scoping out accommodations for our wonderful guest. Stay tuned we will be updating the Where to Stay section of our sight.

-Marisa

Shima is helping prepare for the wedding

2008-03-11T11:38:00.001-04:00

jk. this is chicken. shima's long lost boy-girl sibling.

The anti-bridezillas

2008-02-04T09:48:00.000-05:00

On the heels of the Giants win (Marisa actually watched the game and I went to watch the L-word ok?), today's New York Times Health Blog did not resonate. There will be not crash diets or fasting. Dresses will not be purchased in ideal sizes. This is not to say that we are hyper-immune fembots; why not use the wedding as a legitimate motivational tool?

So I would like to introduce you to the new and improved m&g. What we start today will not end at our wedding. I began a 200 RYT hours to become a yoga teacher with the amazing Tao Porchon Lynch (she's 89 and flawless). And M and I have started practicing together twice a week. As Tao always says, there is nothing we can not accomplish. Just this week we both made advances that neither of us thought were possible before. We will be sure to keep you in the know. And maybe, by September I'll even lead a yoga class in Cape May...

Much love - m&g

Save the Dates are going out!

2008-01-11T22:47:00.000-05:00

Thanks to my lovely friend, Ron, who wonderously restored a mailed postcard from 1947, we have beautiful save-the-date postcards. The original postcard was bought on ebay and the woman who wrote on it spoke of the sun's healing powers. With a little SPF, I couldn't agree more. While we are experiencing a mild winter in New York, I am certainly looking forward to a little r&r by the shore. love - g

wedding dress is being shipped back

2007-12-01T19:02:00.001-05:00

Apparently their is a reason why some shmancy dresses wind up on websites - they make unpregnant women look like they are 4 months along. Back to the drawing board on that one.

Today Marisa and I gallivanted around Union Square. Winter is just starting to set in; the air is brisk, people are sipping hot things and tiny little pine trees are sprinkling the New York City streets. The Farmer's Market had the most magnificent beets and other root vegetables. There was even a stand that sold lamb and the lamb's yarn; how eco-fabulous. We headed over to ABC Carpet and Home in an idealistic attempt to register there. After finding the most amazing cappuccino cup and then turning it over to see the price, we walked away slowly. As soon as the tooth dynasty reigns, I'm sure we will be back. -g

such a girl

2007-11-25T19:56:00.000-05:00

today team mobiletek (this includes my sister-in-law mish and me) hit the 83rd annual greater new york dental meeting. mish and i didn't fair well. she ditched within the first 10 minutes and while i continued to tag along, i spaced out thinking about all the ways i couldn't use the word "mesial" in a sentence. i left marisa and david to do better things. namely, buy trashy magazines, sip hot chocolate and psychoanalyze britney spears. i wasn't feeling too guilty about it. i had devoted the early morning to reading through better media sources and listening to npr. but skimming through those glossy pages turned me into the girly girl that lives pretty close to the surface. i started thinking about the wedding. was i working out enough? and the dress. omg. what if it didn't fit? was online 21st century ecommerce too dangerous for such important tasks as designer label purchases? i mean, they only posted the measurements for a size four and left everyone else to extrapolate. i dropped the hot chocolate and left the Javits Center. i was on a mission called Macy's. now i realize this is a sickness, but even in the world's largest department store, i know exactly where they keep the Nicole Millers. in 5 minutes i found the one and only, similarly-cut NM. amazingly it was in my size and it fit perfectly. i still have to wait a week until the dress ships but at least the crazy-girl nerves are beginning to calm down. -g

The internet dress

2007-11-24T23:00:00.001-05:00

life cycles in beautiful and unexplainable ways. the 24th of november has and will be many things. my bubbie & zadie's anniversary on thanksgiving of 1938. zadie's yarzheit 50 years later. and now the day i found my wedding dress. of course the last statement is not profound but oddly comforting. my grandparents were a dapper couple to say the least and this is a lovely dress - seafoam green with attention to detail. i'd like to think that they influenced this spontaneous finding. the color reminds me of them although i can't seem to identify why. maybe it was dominant color in the rochester house at 64 rosedale. it might remind me of the 1950s color scheme that was in the kitchen. morris and rappoport family - what do you think? sound right? - g

welcome

2007-11-16T18:20:00.000-05:00

Yahhh! Thanks for visiting our blog. We are so excited to document this celebration with you. We think you will love the Cape as much as we do. It's such indulgent escapism. Now we can dream about fresh coffee, morning newspapers, salty ocean air and proud surfing bruises all day long. What could be better? - m&g