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."

spring time in denver's congress park (with asparagus-dill bisque)

It's been almost three months since we bought our home in the Congress Park neighborhood of Denver. Our house is historic; it was built the year Grover Cleveland was President and 4 years before the Spanish-American War- so it's old. At first we were nervous about things going wrong and being responsible for repairs- all of which I think is perfectly normal for home buyers of historic homes. But I've got to tell you, now that we’re settling into things, this house just feels right. I love the character, the details and the charm. We've also been working hard at making the space feel homey, which is a bit of a challenge considering the size. But we purchased a few good pieces of furniture and I scooped up some terrific finds at a vintage shop on the outskirts of town. I've also been diligently  scouring the antique/used stores on Colfax too. Slowly our pictures are getting framed and we've begun to hang mirrors and artwork on the walls. In short, the house is beginning to have our imprint. And that feels great... 

One of the things that I love about our neighborhood is its walkability factor. My husband and I own one car, so when he drives to work (usually 1 or 2 days a week) I've still got plenty to do. I can walk to Congress Park (which has a great public pool in the summer), and City Park (which has awesome free Jazz concerts in the summer), and the Botanic Gardens too. If my kids are well-behaved, I can also walk to the Museum of Nature & Science and the Zoo. 

The Shoppe (cupcakes) on Colfax

There are tons of great places to eat close by-- cupcake shops, taco shops, speciality bakeries, Ethiopian food, sushi, Greek restaurants, music venues, wine bars, the Tattered Cover bookstore, an independent movie theater, bistro-style cafes, a bicycle shop that carries Dutch cruisers, a few independent coffee shops, a yarn store, and the a weekly farmers market on Sunday (etc. etc.). In other words, there's a lot going on.

I've met a lot of my neighbors and our kids all play together outside. And in addition to the families in our neighborhood, there are also lots of artists, chefs, designers, musicians and gardeners. It's really a great mix of everything...that's why we like it so much. I'm happy to say, that after a long and winding road to home ownership and stability, Congress Park feels like home...

The architectural mix includes (primarily) 1890s-early 1900s Denver Squares, turn of the century Victorians, and early craftsman (American bungalows). There are some deco buildings from the 1920s and 30s as well, and a few row houses are scattered throughout the neighborhood too. But unlike this Denver neighborhood, there aren't many modern structures in our part of town. Congress Park also has some pretty spectacular mansions as you head toward 8th Avenue and over into Country Club. And this (below) former fire station has since been converted into a family home. It's awesome!

Pinche Taco, amazing happy hour and...tacos. (Colfax)

East High School, built in 1921

Fat Sully's, Atomic Cowboy and the Denver Biscuit Company, all under one roof on Colfax. 

Glaze's Mini Baum Cakes: layers of lemon cake with limoncello glaze  and strawberry mousse. Their baum bites with green tea and white chocolate is also amazing. Congress Park, Madison off 12th Avenue.

* * *

And a spring time soup...

Asaparagus Bisque with Fresh Dill (Courtesy of Anna Thomas, Love Soup)

Ingredients

1 1/4 lbs. green asparagus

2 medium leeks

1 large fennel bulb

zest+juice of a lemon

2 tablespoons unsalted butter (you could substitute with olive oil)

3 tablespoons arborio rice 

1 1/2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste

2 1/2 cups light vegetable broth

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh dill, plus more to taste

white pepper (I used black)

cayenne

2-3 tablespoons heavy cream (optional)

Directions

Using a vegetable peeler or sharp knife, thinly peel the bottom 2 or 3 inches of the asparagus stalks, then snap off the toughest bits at the bottoms (peeling the bottoms first allows you to keep much more of the stalk.) Cut the stalks into 1-inch pieces; you should have about 4 cups.

Wash the leeks and chop the white and light green parts only. Trim, wash, and chop the fennel bulb. Grate the zest of the lemon, making sure to get only the yellow and none of the white pith.

Melt the butter in a large skillet or soup pot and cook the leeks over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until they are soft and begin to take on a hint of color. Add the asparagus, fennel, lemon zest, rice, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, and 3 cups of water and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and simmer uncovered for about half an hour, or until all the vegetables are tender.
Add 2 cups of vegetable broth, the dill, and a pinch of each pepper and cayenne.
Puree the soup in a blender, in batches, until it is perfectly smooth. (I usually use an immersion blender for pureed soups, but asparagus is fibrous, so you might want to use that blender in order to get it really smooth.) Add broth if the soup seems too thick. Return the pureed soup to a clean pot and stir in a couple of teaspoons of fresh lemon juice, more if you like. Bring the soup back to a simmer, taste it ,and season with tiny amounts of pepper, and more salt if needed. Stir in 2-3 tablespoons of cream if you are making the asparagus a bisque (or more precisely a "cream soup" as traditionally bisque refers to smooth, cream soups, based on a broth from crustaceans).

Ladle and enjoy!

hiking mondays: castlewood canyon state park

There's just something about tradition- those long established customs that are passed down from generation to generation. We've got a few great traditions in my family, most of them revolving around holidays, food and going to the mountains. As a kid, my brother and I looked forward to our annual summer pilgrimage out of the sweltering city. We would head to the Catskill mountains where we spent the summer in a little Swiss chalet, near a crystal clear lake, surrounded by trees. It was bucolic and very Rockwellian. My parents weren't into hiking, but we did go swimming in the lake, learned to fish and had BBQs a regular basis-- so there was a lot of time spent outdoors.
Now we don't have a summer cabin in the Rocky mountains (at least not yet, so here's to hoping!), but we've started our own springtime-summertime tradition; namely family hikes around the Denver-metro area.
My husband's jobs doesn't exactly have many perks, but there's one thing about his job that's great-- he's allowed to work a concentrated work week (four- 10 hour days) and that means he's got Mondays off. And on that day, we all go hiking. 

In the past month we've hiked trails in Red Rocks, Roxborough State Park, Eldorado Canyon and Dinosaur Ridge. This week we decided to push ourselves and do a 3 mile hike with the boys in Castlewood Canyon. It's part of the state park system (get the pass if you think you'll be using the state parks a lot this summer) and I can't believe it was under my radar for this long! Castlewood Canyon is gorgeous. 

The main gate is only 50 minutes away from our home in Denver, so it's the perfect day trip. There are paved trails that hug the canyon rim, but dirt trails take you into the canyon. There are bridges to cross and magnificent views of a running river, which is flanked by enormous boulders, pine trees and wild flowers. Did I mention that we also saw tons of turkey vultures flying around the canyon?!
At the very end of the hike we were rewarded with spectacular views of the Colorado Rockies. It was just one of those days that made me think, "I can't believe I get to live here!" 
And this is definitely one of my favorite new family traditions (which I hope will be passed on from generation to generation)...

Our trail: A to K to L.

Duration: About 2 1/2 hours.

The boys: Loved the water, skipping rocks, and crossing bridges.