peach rhubarb pie

Rhubarb has finally come to my farmer's market! I couldn't resist buying several healthy stalks last week, knowing it would force my hand to make pie this week. And what a glorious pie it was. I still haven't figured out the secret of how to prevent any of my rhubarb pies from bubbling over ... but maybe that IS the secret considering how Dory loved the gooey mess it left behind. Rhubarb will be purchased again this week, because only God knows how much longer I'll have access to a farmer's market this year.

CONSUMED: Greenpoint greenmarket; McCarren Park, Greenpoint (Brooklyn)

A Muppets Christmas Carol

There's nothing like popping the Muppets Christmas Carol into the VCR (two childhood memories at once), hands cupping a mug of spiked mulled cider, the air alight with flavours of butter cookies, and being surrounded by good friends to put you in the spirit of the season. I think my friend Emily put it best (in metered verse, no less): "And slowly but surely, Christmas love, it arrived!"

CONSUMED: Emily and Lindsy's apartment; Greenpoint (Brooklyn)

shuffleboard at The Diamond

My work's bowling night migrated-slash-degenerated to another bar where a game of a similar-but-different sort happened. The teams were Brooklyn vs. Not Brooklyn. And sadly, Not Brooklyn won (I would like to blame our loss on the fact that Brooklyn just drank more than Not Brooklyn).

CONSUMED: The Diamond; 43 Franklin St, Greenpoint (Brooklyn)

fallen leaves in McCarren Park

Despite the recent spell of warm weather New York has received over the past few weeks (which made for good street partying post-election, mind you), the trees in McCarren Park are not fooled. It's autumn. And as such, leaves must fall.

You can barely make out in the background of the picture (and you wouldn't be able to see it if you didn't know it was there) is the largest leaf pile I have ever seen. I went to the farmers market early that morning, and so the paths had yet to be cleared. There was something beautiful about riding over a carpet of leaves.

CONSUMED: McCarren Park (the side west of Driggs); Greenpoint (Brooklyn)

bowling at The Gutter Bar

Bowling. That great American pastime where even the first-timers can get a strike. And my department had a pretty good go at our first departmental bowling night. Pitchers were passed around, gutters were christened, and work was not mentioned once.

CONSUMED: The Gutter Bar; 200 N 14th St, Greenpoint (Brooklyn)

americano walk-up window

"You guys really need coffee at the farmers market." I was talking to my friend over bread loaves stacked high at his bakery stand at the Greenpoint greenmarket.

"Well at least there's Five Leaves now."

"What?"

"It's that new place on the corner. They have a walk-up window that only does americanos."

"Really?"

I was aghast. I mean, it wasn't farmers market coffee (under the rules of being local, coffee doesn't qualify), but it was the next best thing (choose the closest storefront to the park and sell coffee there). And so we went for americanos, served to us from a window on to the street. And all of a sudden, the market became THAT much more amazing.

CONSUMED: Five Leaves; 18 Bedford Ave, Greenpoint (Brooklyn)