rose lemon sorbet + a bit of honesty


I've been thinking a lot about the honesty of photography. Maybe it's because I'm up to my eyeballs in 3 year old temper tantrums,  but I'm becoming suspicious. Things are looking too perfect out there... 

The other day I found myself reading a blog post authored by a woman who focuses on fashion, child rearing and life in the big city. The images were beautiful, everyone was in line, but in the back of my head I was thinking, "Oh for the love of God...how on Earth is her life so perfect? She has kids!" (You should note that my children are the greatest joys of my life and I'm still amazed that I have the privilege of raising two little humans. But it is hard work. Very hard work.) I started combing through her posts and there wasn't a single mention of any tantrums or bad behavior, no embarrassing moments that had her turning red, and never a mention of the toll children can take on your marriage if you don't nurture it and adapt to the new challenges as they come. That's when I realized that this blogger was either an alien, won the kid jackpot, or more likely, chooses to tell only half of the story (which is fine, it is her blog after all). 

Now I'm all for keeping things positive and focusing on the glass being half full and all that, but I think that as a mother-- one who is struggling a bit right now-- I've started gravitating toward writers who have a far more honest approach to life. It is more valuable for me to hear about the trials and tribulations that come with parenthood (give me something!) then to pretend that everything is picture perfect all the time.

I love to capture Otis and Theo squealing with delight as they splash in the water and have fun. And from the images in this post, the afternoon looks great. But a more accurate depiction of the day should include- at the very least- a sentence on how frustruating the two, very public, temper tantrums were right before these pictures were taken. They tested my inner strength. The elongated meltdowns would have caused a woman with the patience of Mother Theresa running for the hills. There are moments of extreme joy and wonderful tenderness. But there are also challenges and frustrations. So please know that even if I choose to capture the joyful moments, that is probably only part of the story. At least until the boys are out of their "threenage" years... 
I am now soliciting advice :)
xo, Batya


* * * 
Though we weren't able to pick fresh strawberries, we did pick up some rose petals from the Hoot N Howl farm stand, which came with this recipe (below) for rose lemon sorbet.
Notes on the sorbet: It was a total palette cleanser that also made my fridge smell amazing! The petals had a gorgeous color, which turned paler and paler the longer they soaked in the water. The water, which became dull and a little bit brownish towards the end of the process, turned bright pink once the lemon juice was added. Otis and Theo got a real kick out of that little experiment! The taste of actual rose water was really muted, but it looked very, very pretty. And it cooled us down. Next time I might add more rose petals, or top with chopped pistachios. 

Rose Lemon Sorbet (Adapted from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz by Hoot N Howl Farm in Boulder, Colorado)
Ingredients:
2 cups rose water (see below)
1/2 cup water
1 1/4 cups of sugar (1 cup for a more tangy sorbet)
2 lemons
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 6 lemons)
1 tablespoon vodka or limoncello (optional)
Preparation:
In a medium, non-reactive saucepan, combine 1/2 cup of the water and the sugar. 
Grate the zest of the 2 lemons directly into the saucepan.
Heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Remove from the heat and add the 2 cups of rose water. Chill the mixture in the refrigerator. 
Stir the lemon juice into the rose water syrup. Add the vodka or limoncello if you're using it. Freeze the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturers instructions. (It took me 25 minutes in the ice cream maker, and then I transferred the sorbet to an ice cream container and kept it in the freezer for 4 hours before serving.)

Rose Water:
Ingredients:
2 cups water
1 cup rose petals

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan. Turn off heat. Stir in the rose petals and cool to room temperature. Strain and press on rose petals to expel excess water. 


hiking mondays: st. mary's glacier (and the sprouted kitchen's ranchero black bean breakfast tostadas)


The other day, Otis turned to me and said, "Mommy, I love Colorado..." (whereby his 'r' was pronounced like a 'w'). I asked him what in particular he liked about our adopted home state and he replied, "I like the sky. I like the sunset. I like the mountains. I love the cupcakes. I like the ice cream. I like the farms. I like the rivers. I like my room. I like you. I like daddy and baby. I like the dinosaurs...(and so on and so forth)." That's when I realized that he simply loved our life here, and that we had done right by him and his brother. I also recognized that he has a serious sweet tooth.
Someone once gave me a bit of parenting advice that went something like, "start 'em young"- which is what we have tried to do with our children. We've exposed them to art and music and we hope we've given them an appreciation for books and the ability to think creatively. And every week, despite their young age, we've shown them how wonderful and spectacular their environment is, right here in this beautiful place called Colorado. On Mondays we get dressed, slather on the sunscreen, grab our hiking buckets (which aids in the collection of rocks) and set out on a trail...Nothing, and I mean nothing, can beat nature. I've often said that being out in the wilderness is the closest I come to feeling any sort of spirituality or religiosity, and it's one of the few ways I can really clear my mind. At the very least, it helps put things into perspective. The mountains here are so breathtaking, the sunsets are nothing short of spectacular...and the fact that so many incredible places are only an hour's drive from our urban oasis, makes me happy and thankful. Yesterday we went to St. Mary's Glacier. We've been once before, but this time the boys did a great majority of the ascend and descend by themselves. Theodore excitedly jumped over the boulders and Otis loved skipping rocks once we got to the glacial lake. We all got a big kick out of the snow-shoers and sledders who were having fun on the glacier (look closely and you'll see them! They are the little black dots on the widest swath of snow.).
While we were laughing and walking up the mountain, something happened that brought me to tears. As we were rounding a bend, a youthful, female Rottweiler-Labrador mix came running around the curve. She took my breath away. I was standing next to Theo who screamed out, "Omar. It's Omar, mommy. Look, you see?" But as many of you know, Omar is no longer with us. The dog, Abby, bore the most striking resemblance to Omar that I have ever seen, and as we pet Abby I began to cry. 
I thought about Omar the rest of the way up the mountain. But as we got to the glacier and saw the lake, I had this feeling that everything would be okay. The vastness and the beauty of nature makes us feel like, even in times of loss, we can still go on...because there is still so much beauty remaining. And so, as I sat with my boys and my husband by the lake, I thought about how good our life is, despite the heartache and challenges that come with the journey...and I thought about a dog named Omar, whom I still miss dearly. 


location: St. Mary's Glacier is near Idaho Springs, exit 238 off I-70 and follow the signs. 
elevation: 10,000 feet.
duration: 3/4 of a mile each way.
hiking terrain: Rocky boulders all the way up until you get to the lake and the glacier. 
things people do at the lake: picnic, walk, snow-shoe, cliff dive (I'm not endorsing this one), climb trees, sled.
other stuff: There is a $5 fee for the parking lot. Do not park on the side of the roadway or you will get towed. Walk up the hill from the parking lot. On the left-hand side, past a gate, you will see an opening and a sign for St. Mary's Glacier.
and a final caveat: The traffic coming back into Denver on I-70 can get pretty bad due to tunnel construction. Bring good music and/or a book (if you're not the driver). You'll need it!
* * *
Before heading out, I made this. It was simple, tasty, and filling-- it kept me going the whole way up and the whole way down from St. Mary's Glacier. 

Ranchero Breakfast Tostadas
barely modified from A Sprouted Kitchen: A Tastier Take on Whole Foods (by Sara Forte)
Serves 4
Notes: I used canned beans, but you could soak fresh ones overnight. I topped the tostada with a fried egg, but a poached or scrambled egg would work just as well.

Ingredients 

Black Bean Mash
2 cups cooked black beans (I used canned in the interest of time)
1/4 to 1/2 cup light sour cream (I liked it better with, not surprisingly, the 1/2 cup)
2 green onions, white and green parts, chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

8 small corn tortillas
Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
8 eggs
1 cup shredded white Cheddar cheese
2 avocados, peeled and thinly sliced
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 lime, in wedges
Hot sauce, for serving (optional)

Preparation
Whether cooking the beans from scratch or using canned, drain the beans and add them to a saucepan over low heat and warm through. Add about 1/4 cup tepid water, 1/4 cup of the sour cream, the green onions, cumin, salt, and pepper and mash with a potato masher or a large fork until coarsely mashed but not entirely smooth. Taste for salt and pepper, add the remaining sour cream if you'd like the beans to be creamier, then turn off the heat and keep covered until needed.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Brush the tops of the tortillas with a bit of olive oil and lay them on a rimmed baking sheet (it's fine if they overlap). Bake until just lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Heat a large frying pan with the coconut oil over medium heat. Working in batches as necessary, gently break the eggs in the pan and cook sunny-side up or to your desired doneness, covering the pan if you like your yolks more cooked through. Build a tostada by topping a tortilla with about 1/4 cup of the bean mash, 1 egg, and an eighth of the cheese, avocado slices, and cilantro. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Serve garnished with a slice of lime and hot sauce to taste.

diner, brooklyn. an inspired brunch (in instagram).

Last week we went back to New York City for a 10 day trip. Our little homecoming coincided with my dad's milestone birthday and the wedding of a very close friend at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens.
It's always great going home. We love seeing our family and many of our closest friends still live in the area. Sadly, since moving to Colorado almost 2 years ago, we don't get to see everyone as much as we used to. But I do think there's something special about these gatherings now since we don't see people day-to-day. We really cherish the time...  
On this trip we got to have a little vacation within our vacation. My in-laws watched the boys for the weekend and Matt and I spent Friday and Saturday night eating a lot, laughing a lot and (possibly) drinking way too much. I have to say, it was awesome. 
We also got to do something that we rarely do: we brunched! On Sunday morning! It was truly amazing. 
We went to one of my most-favorite spots in Brooklyn, Diner in Williamsburg. Since Diner can get really crowded, we made an early break for it and headed over around opening time. 
Walking through the streets of b-burg, which at 10:30 a.m. were practically empty, I was reminded of an internet show my husband once joked about starting called "Good Morning, Williamsburg." The show would have opened with a line that went something like, "Good Morning, Williamsburg. It's 1 p.m. on this rainy Sunday..."-- which is kind of a joke since people in this part of town don't really get started with their day until after noon.  Youth.
Anyway, the company was fantastic. So was the food. Diner is just one of those places. I want to recreate each and every dish, but it will be hard. This place is pretty much perfection. Thank you for the awesome brunch, Diner. See you again next year... 
1. coffee 2. lemon scones with devonshire cream and strawberry jam 3. zucchini blossoms stuffed with homemade ricotta, radicchio and mustard sauce 4. poached egg 5. the table 6. friends 7. frittata 8. duck egg with spring vegetables 9. us

denver's chalk art festival + warm garbanzo bean salad with fennel, red onion & parsley + lettuce salad with with apples, pecans and yogurt dressing


When I was a kid, I used to love making hopscotch boards and checker boards with chalk on our sidewalk or in the backyard on our cement patio. I would play for hours, sometimes making more elaborate designs long after my friends had left and the fireflies had come out. There's something very sweet about seeing my own children making doodles on the sidewalk with chalk as well. And since they're big fans of making a mess (getting chalky) and art, I though they would love going back to the Denver Chalk Art Festival, which takes place annually- the first weekend in June- on Larimer Square in Denver.

We went last year and had a blast, and this year was no different. There were so many talented artists and creative ideas. I got a kick out of the Bob Ross piece in particular, but I think some of the, erm, younger viewers just thought it was just someone's grandpa with a paint brush. There was a really awesome Chuck Close portrait and some odes to Comic-Con, which was also in Denver over the weekend. 


There were lots of people at the festival, so taking "the perfect" shot wasn't always possible, but I think these pictures give you a sense of what it was like...
(And please pardon those line-and-ball shadows on some of the photos- they're from the string lights that hang from one side of Larimer street to the other.) 
Then we walked around the neighborhood. It was really crowded because the Colorado Rockies were also playing the LA Dodgers, and the stadium is only a few blocks away from where the festival was held. Busy, busy streets...(I love it.)

After the festival, we returned home. The boys took longer-than-usual naps, so I started working on a salad and a side dish for City Park Jazz - a free event that runs every Sunday throughout the summer.  Both of the recipes come from Family Table, a truly fantastic cookbook.
Notes on the salad: The original recipe calls for escarole, but I opted for lettuce that I grew in our garden (I know, right?! I still can't believe, we have a garden!). The yogurt dressing- with maple syrup and smoked paprika- was delicious. I didn't use all of it, so you could probably adjust the measurements.

Notes on the side dish: I'm *all* about the Aleppo pepper and this is one of my favorite side dishes to make right now. The recipe elevates the standard garbanzo bean (chick pea) quite a bit and it's spicy - so it compliments garden burgers perfectly. 


Enjoy! 

xo,
Batya



Lettuce & Apple Salad (Adapted ever-so-slightly from Family Table: Favorite Staff Meals from Our Restaurants to Your Home)

1 cup of pecans

For the dressing
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 1/2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon sherry vinegar
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Approximately 1 small-medium head of lettuce (Bibb-Boston-Butter is a nice choice, though the original recipe uses 1 head escarole), coarsely chopped
1 Granny Smith apple, halved, cored, and thinly sliced
1/2- 3/4 red onion, halved, thinly sliced
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh mint

Preparation
Spread the pecans in a large dry skillet and toast over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring and watching carefully so they do not burn. Transfer to a plate to cool.

To make the dressing: Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and mix well.
Combine lettuce, apple, pecans, and onion in a large serving bowl. Toss with the dressing, sprinkle with mint, and serve.


 * * *
Warm Garbanzo Bean Salad with Fennel, Red Onion & Parsley (Adapted slightly from  Family Table: Staff Meals from Our Restaurants to Your Home)
Ingredients
2 15-ounce cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 teaspoons Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes
4 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
3 tablespoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
2 fresh sprigs of thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 fennel bulb, trimmed, cut in half, cored, and thinly sliced 
1 red onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

Drain and rinse beans and place them in a large saucepan. Cover with 12 cups of water (you could probably use less, but you're going to be adding a lot of salt, so don't use too little water either), add 1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (or red pepper flakes) and the garlic. Bring to a low simmer, and cook, uncovered, for about 10 minutes-- until the beans are tender (not mushy!) and the flavors have been absorbed.
Remove the beans from the heat (don't drain yet!), add the salt and thyme and let stand for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the Dijon mustard, the remaining 1 teaspoon of Aleppo pepper (or red pepper flakes), the smoked paprika, lemon juice, and vinegar. Whisking constantly, slowly add the oil. Add salt to taste if necessary.
In a large bowl, toss the fennel and the red onion with 3 tablespoons of the vinaigrette. 
Drain the beans and discard the thyme and garlic. Put the beans back in the pot and add the the fennel and onion mixture. Then, on very low heat, stir the beans, fennel and onion, until it is soft-- about 10 minutes or so, being careful not to burn the ingredients. (The original recipe doesn't call for this step, but I think the softer the onion and fennel the nicer the texture-- but if you like things more crunchy, you can skip this step.) Remove from heat and put in a large serving bowl. Stir in the parsley and toss with the remaining vinaigrette.
The salad can be made up to 1 day ahead, covered and refrigerated.
Serve warm or at room temperature. 
Enjoy!


Roasted Broccoli & Fennel Salad with Pickled Onion Vinaigrette, also from Family Table

omar


Ever since I can remember, I wanted a dog. I begged my parents for any breed, any size, any anything. But my mom and dad weren't keen on a four legged companion running around their home, so they got me goldfish instead. 
About 13 years later, a little bit after my 23 birthday, I moved to New Orleans to start graduate school. It took me less than 24 hours to unpack my boxes and drive down to the Louisiana SPCA, a shelter that does some pretty amazing work in a particularly hard part of town. I spoke to the woman at the front desk and told her I was interested in adoption. A042066 was the first dog I saw.
He had mange, heart worm, was terribly malnourished and was a general mess. But he had a smile, if you could call it that, and I was told he was "quite spirited," despite the grim conditions of his early years in the 9th ward of the city. There was some speculation that he was used as a bait dog, and that just made me want him more. He was scheduled to be euthanized the very next day, so time for this dog was running out. I signed the papers, paid a small fee of about $35.00, and named A042066 Omar Pedro Fiorello Stepelman, the First. 
Omar did have an unusually long name, but I was feeling indecisive and liked all of the names equally. He was named after Omar Bradley, a WWII general that I had read about as a history major in undergraduate, and Pedro Almodovar, the Spanish film maker. I decided to give Omar a third name after Fiorello LaGuardia because I was a big fan of public parks beautification project LaGuardia started in NYC, which is where I'm from-- so that all made sense. Omar had many handles. Some called him "The General" others "The Big Fella." There was "Big Delicious" too, but I usually called him Oymie. 
It's hard to write about Omar now, and I wasn't even sure if I should write a post about his passing. But this blog, while it focuses on food and our lives in Colorado, is really about our family and our journey. And Omar was our family.  
If you've never had a dog, you might just think, "oh, they lost their pet" and that might seem sad. But if you've ever had a dog, one that you loved like a child, that was there to share in all your milestones-- breakups and marriage, births and moving, home buying and job uncertainty-- then you know how truly devastating and heartbreaking their death can be.
And that's where we are today. We are so sad that we lost this amazing animal-- Omar was the kindest and the sweetest. He was the best big brother to Otis and Theodore, both of whom don't really understand that he isn't coming back. 
I tried to explain it to Otis, but he's only 3 1/2 and can't really grasp the permanence of death...which at this point is definitely a blessing. He thinks Omar is some sort of Santa-Claus in the sky who will send him dinosaur toys, books and firetrucks. And when our neighbor asked, "Where's Omar?" Otis told her, "He died, but don't worry, he'll be back on Monday." 
And that's when I really lost it. 
But the outpouring of love and support has been incredible. It is a testament to how many people loved Omar. There are friends who have called, emailed, texted, and written letters-- and I think if I had to respond to each message personally, well, it would take a lot of time. So let me just say, thank you.
What gets me through the hardest hours is the fact that I know Omar had a great life. He loved cross-country road trips, wildflowers and hiking. He loved white poodles and sour cream. And yes, he even understood Yiddish.
There's a part of me that thinks Omar waited around to see us all happy and stable. He had been creaking around for the past few months, but during his last week, he could barely even walk. After living with us in New Orleans, Portland, Brooklyn and Denver, he held on long enough to see us buy our family home-- and now he will have a permanent resting place in our garden, with a rock that will be engraved "Here lies Omar. He was the best. And he was loved."