Scouting: New York Botanical Garden

Why, you might be asking yourself, would someone visit the New York Botanical Garden on a cold, grey day in early March? What on earth could there be to see when it’s still winter?

One word: Orchids.

Specifically, The Orchid Show: Key West Contemporary, which features, surprise!, lots and lots of incredible orchids. The show was designed by the aptly named Raymond Jungles and inspired by an actual garden he created for a client in Key West, FL.

New York Botanical Garden Orchid Show; Image: Laura Messersmith

New York Botanical Garden Orchid Show; Image: Laura Messersmith

New York Botanical Garden Orchid Show; Image: Laura Messersmith

Perhaps it goes without saying, but the flowers are absolutely stunning and there are so many that the plants literally cascade from nearly every branch and trellis, and spring up from almost every surface. Extra bonus: orchids are tropical – cue the camera lens fogging up! - and were being kept warm inside the climate controlled Enid A. Haupt Conservatory.

Enid A. Haupt Conservatory; Image: Laura Messersmith

Built in 1902 the Conservatory is a beautiful white ironwork and glass structure straight out of My Fair Lady. It reminded me so much of the former Covent Garden Floral Hall (now part of the Royal Opera House) that I was curious if they were architectural cousins from across the Pond. It turns out that the Haupt Conservatory was actually inspired by the Palm House in Kew Gardens and the Crystal Palace. All three were built between 1844 – 1851, but by different architects - so maybe second cousins once removed….?

Palms; Haupt Conservatory; Image: Laura Messersmith

Anywho, enough architecture; back to the orchids! The variety of colors, shapes, and sizes in the exhibit was amazing: giant alien green orchids with strange, pointed petals and delicate yellow orchids that looked like itty bitty popcorn. As you can probably tell I took about 1,000 pictures.

The show is on until April 21st – heaven help us if spring hasn’t arrived by then – and I highly recommend it if you’re in need of a getaway that doesn’t require a plane ticket. The chance to be somewhere tropical for the afternoon was well worth the train ride north. Or, maybe you just want to pretend you’re a character in Clue. Let me guess: Miss Scarlet with the candlestick, in the_________.

New York Botanical Garden Orchid Show; Image: Laura Messersmith

Crab Cakes

Ina Garten, aka The Barefoot Contessa, and her cookbooks are already a source of guidance for basic recipes but her show serves as my inspiration for more adventurous culinary efforts.  So now that I’ve got the essentials down it’s time to branch out. I’ll choose a recipe from an episode of the Barefoot Contessa to try in my tiny New York kitchen. We’ll see if I can keep up with the Contessa!

Crab Cakes and Arugula Salad with Roasted Tomatoes: Image: Laura Messersmith

Episode: “Cooking with Tess”

The Set-up: Ina’s friend Antonia is visiting with her teenage daughter, Tess, a budding pastry chef. Ina and Tess will do some baking together after lunch.

The Menu: Crab Cakes, Celery Root Remoulade, Lemon Meringue Tart

0:09 – Ina explains that she and Tess have been baking together since Tess was 5 (she’s 14 now.) Can you imagine having the Barefoot Contessa teach you instead of an Easy Bake Oven? Lucky girl!

2:14 – Ina is making Crab Cakes to welcome Antonia and Tess when they arrive from Cape Cod. I absolutely L-O-V-E crab cakes, so I’ll be paying close attention here…

2:38 – She’s sautéing a fair number of vegetables – red & yellow bell peppers, celery, capers, onion – to add to the crab mixture. I’ve seen crab cakes served with a red bell pepper topping or an aioli but Ina seems to be incorporating these flavors right into the cake itself. At least that’s my theory.

3:02 – Annd, there’s the Old Bay! Little known fact: it’s illegal in Maryland to make anything crab-related without Old Bay. That might not be strictly true, but doesn’t it feel true?

3:16 – While veggies are softening Ina is making Celery Root Remoulade to accompany the Crab Cakes instead of the more traditional cole slaw. Celery root, according to Ina, is a “big, ugly knob,” which is the meanest thing I’ve ever heard her say.

3:22 – Harsh, but fair because this particular item does not look remotely edible. Frankly, it would never occur to me to buy celery root assuming my local store even carries it. I’m trusting you here, Ina, but I’m nervous…

4:13 – Ina is using the food processor to shred the celery root and I just figured out what that disk that came is the box is for. Glad I didn’t get rid of it when we moved!

10:07 – Now to finish up the crab cakes and I’m realizing that this is pretty similar to making meatloaf or meatballs – protein + flavoring veggies + binding eggs & bread crumbs. Shape the mixture, then bake or sauté until cooked. Light bulb moment!

11:19 – Ooh, yay! Ina’s taking a quick field trip to town - hello, Williams-Sonoma - to buy a little present for Tess: a piping bag and a set of decorator’s tips for when they make the Lemon Meringue Tart. FYI it’s this Ateco set.

13:22 – Time to make the lemon curd for the tart. Ina warns us that after adding the lemon juice & zest to the egg, butter, sugar mixture it will look curdled, and it definitely does.

13:49 – Yikes. I would think something had gone horribly, horribly wrong if anything I was baking looked like this, but heating the lemon curd seems to solve the problem and the end result looks nice and smooth.

19:09 – Egg white whisking is underway for the meringue.  Note to self: meringue and merengue are two different things.

20:12 – Tess is here!! Big hug from Ina, aww. Now straight to work, no slacking!

20:59 – Practice makes perfect, so before they get after the Lemon Meringue Tart Ina and Tess are doing a little test run on the counter with the new piping bags.

22:38 – The moment of truth: time to pipe the meringue tart. Ina starts them off with a shell pattern on the outer circle and Tess fills in the middle. I have no idea how difficult it is to use a piping bag, but Tess seems to do quite well. Good teacher I bet…

26:49 – Their next task is to make and sauté the crab cakes and then dinner is served. Antonia arrives just as they’re finishing – excellent timing on her part.

28:57 – Now for dessert! Tess reveals their picture perfect lemon meringue tart. Gorgeous. The edges of the meringue are lightly browned and the curd looks super lemony and refreshing.

29:45 – Ina gives Tess her W-S piping bags and decorator tips with a promise that they’ll bake together for a long time to come. Now that’s what I’d call an awesome present.

Final Thoughts:
I’ve never made anything involving egg whites – but that Lemon Meringue Tart might be just the thing to motivate me…

I’m still proud of myself for realizing that a crab cake is essentially a seafood meatball. No need to be intimidated!

Kinda jealous of Tess’s baking lessons with Ina – living vicariously!

Crab Cakes and Arugula Salad with Roasted Tomatoes: Image: Laura Messersmith

Lessons Learned: When I see Crab Cakes on the menu I always want to order them, so I knew this was the dish I wanted to try. I learned a few things while making crab cakes for the first time – 1. Dice the vegetables quite small so that they incorporate evenly into the crab. 2. The spicyness was a little aggressive for me, so I backed off on the Tabasco; your mileage may vary. 3. Keep an eye on the amount of breadcrumbs. I followed the measurements in the recipe, but I think another ¼ cup would have helped to keep the crab cake mixture together more firmly. Mine were falling apart a little bit which made them tricky to sauté. More practice will help me identify when I need to adjust a little for the best outcome.

This is definitely a small kitchen friendly recipe – one sauté pan (wash while the mixture is chilling), one large bowl, a sheet pan to keep the finished cakes warm, a cutting board and a few basic kitchen tools (spatulas, chef’s knife) are all you need.

The Verdict:

Mike and I both really loved the flavors in the recipe and the way this dinner came together. An arugula salad – this time with roasted grape tomatoes for extra color and bright flavor – is my go-to when I’m not sure what else to serve, and as with other rich dishes I think it’s a nice compliment to the sweetness of the crab. Now that I have a baseline I’m excited to practice my new crab cake making skills!

Book Love

Yesterday I did something truly decadent.

I sipped coffee and read a book in bed for two solid hours. It was heavenly.

Shocking, I know! Did you realize that this was the blog of a degenerate, caffeine addled, book-reader?!? (Now would be the time to clutch your pearls and search for the smelling salts.)

Okay, so maybe we have different definitions of the word ‘decadent.…’

Image and Design: Laura Messersmith

When I was in high school I used to spend a ton of time reading (the coffee drinking came later), but it’s been a long time since I’ve spent more than a few minutes with a book – long flights are the notable exception. But, as I’ve gotten a little older and the daily to-do list has gotten a little longer I don’t seem to have the time to sit still for an extended period of time anymore.

And, somewhere along the line I got into the mindset that once I had my ‘chores’ done, then I could relax. Mike teases me that I never drink hot coffee because I am forever pouring a cup and then immediately abandoning it to start an unrelated task. End result: it’s usually lukewarm by the time I get around to drinking it.

But how to put the breaks on without feeling guilty about leaving the to-do list undone (at least for a little while)? Flying more often just to read seems a bit impractical.

I think the more permanent answer is seeing reading not as a waste of time – the Huffington Post has more than a handful of reasons why it’s actually good for you – but as an activity that is valuable and worthwhile. We encourage children to read all the time, why can’t we do the same for ourselves as adults?

So, I’ll be rededicating my time to moving my bookmark a little further along in the pages of the books on my nightstand and rest comfortably in my decadent lifestyle.

Scouting: Central Park Zoo

Earlier this week I took a little jaunt across the Park to visit the Central Park Zoo. First things first, how cool is it to be able to WALK to the zoo? About 20 minutes after I stepped out the front door I was inside the front gates and strolling through the tropical zone, which is a pretty good place to be on a cold winter day, assuming you like birds. The tropical zone is open air and the birds fly freely through the exhibit. This peacock nearly landed on me while I was there - no joke - so, prepare yourself to be up close and personal!

Peacocking at the Central Park Zoo; Image: Laura Messersmith

To me there’s something so wacky and retro about the idea of going to a zoo in the middle of the city. I could picture it in the sequel to The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. Or maybe it’s the next stop after Tiffany’s and the Five & Dime on Holly and Paul Baby’s day of trying new things. Think about it. Right now there are thousands of people who have penguins for neighbors. Those penguins have some pretty fancy real estate and the snow monkeys have a great view of the Plaza.

Snow Monkeys at the Central Park Zoo; Image: Laura Messersmith

Snow Leopard Cub at Central Park Zoo; Image: Laura Messersmith

Highlights for me were the red pandas - adorable!, the sea lion demonstration, and the snow leopard cubs. What is it about taking pictures of wildlife that makes me channel Austin Powers’s fashion photographer? Check out that attitude on the snow leopard cub - I'm pretty sure this was the female and she was definitely working it. “You’re an animal, baby! Yeah, fierce, baby!” Tyra would be proud.

Naturally, Central Park Zoo is smaller than say the National Zoo in Washington, DC; but I think its small footprint is what makes it so charming. It also means that you can take your time and still see all the exhibits in a few hours rather than committing a full day. And, because it’s so centrally located - no pun intended - it’s possible to be window-shopping on Fifth Ave just a few minutes later. I really enjoyed my visit and I’d definitely recommend it for anyone who wants a little something different on their next trip to the city.

Red Panda at Central Park Zoo; Image: Laura Messersmith

Penguins at Central Park Zoo; Image: Laura Messersmith

Scarlet Ibis at Central Park Zoo; Image: Laura Messersmith