tell it like it is.

hello, my lovelies.

i've been hiding away for the past 6 months, living equally between the d train, brooklyn(home), the lower east side(babycakes) and the east village(abraço). i've barely had time to look in the mirror, none-the-less watch films and be inspired by pictures i know and love. i have had the same netflix movies since may. which is embarrassing, yes, and also why i bought 'no direction home' on itunes and carried it with me for two weeks sneaking peaks while waiting for the train. bob dylan did what only a select few have done: he went about his business trying to please himself and in turn created his own audience. its an inspiring thought. one that has lead me through the opening of abraço and seeing our new customers become our friends (while they fall for us and we for them).

we are doing an inspiring menu which changes daily, depending on the wind, our whim and the seasons. a tasting of my favorites : daily fritattas, cured olive cookies, pretty cake with house made concord grape jam, rose and pistachio baklava, olive oil cake, sage and burnt honey cookies and freshly fried zeppole. and then all the elegant caffeinated drinks to be had: espressi, macchiati, capuccini, caffè latte, house made almond milk, proper hot chocolate. all made loving made by jamie.

come visit us, please.
we are warm and so is our place.

abraço espresso
86 east. 7th street
at first avenue
new york, ny

212.388-9731

*what's the best, you ask? quix*o*tic's covers of 'tell it like it is' and 'sitting in the park.' brilliant. *

ne me quitte pas.

don't leave me. i'm working and i have news!
inspiration is only as good as the idea it fosters, no? well, lucky am i that stumbled upon this colorful tableau in nantucket a few weeks ago because it forced me to taste spicey cakes, saffron- tinted beauties and the purity of homemade ricotta. these were the necessary sparks for what will be the sweet menu at abraço, the long awaited coffee shop/café/place of food, beverage and people beauty opening soon. check out a little tease written by the tablehopper in the most recent issue: the chatterbox. come see us soon at: 86 east 7th st (at 1st ave) in the east village.

i'm also happy to report i'm keeping up with the suspicious suppers traditon (albeit with a new york twist) by guest cheffing for the ghetto gourmet. i have to admit it is nice to team up with other people (and bay area folks) eager to make an interesting evening of food and entertainment a brilliant reality. i fed thirty plus people on july 9 (one of the hottest nights yet this summer) a satisfying menu: green gazpacho with almonds, eggplant caponata with fennel and apple salad, lamb and prune meatballs and saffron couscous with pistachios, and lime mousse with gingersnaps and rose creme. i hope to find some time in between all new ventures to do it again. until then, check them out at the ghet.

*ne me quitte pas. please don't leave me. a brilliant song by the amazing regina spektor. but not to be confused with the classic (and my favorite) by nina simone. both worth the time.*

1234.

let’s keep it simple… 1,2,3,4. there are only so many hours in the day, days in the week, weeks in the month, blah blah. and once you subtract the necessary sleep (eight hours plus) and work hours (early rising baker, albeit at the best bakery this side of the seine babycakes nyc) there is nary a second to catch one’s breath, make lunch in advance or shop for a five-course dinner. making the most of my time whilst busy busy is quite a talent; one I’m working on while we (metaphorically) speak. for this reason I adore lists: shopping, to-do, not-to-do, wish, etc. even if the list is more confusing than the tasks. dinner was lovely, the squid ink paella being the highlight.

visit more pictures here.

*its a countdown to the release of feist's new album, the reminder. the single 1234, however, is already out and accompanied by an amazing video! can't wait*

ease your feet in the sea.

i first saw frederico fellini’s 8 1/2 in my eighth grade film class. admittedly i didn’t understand the storyline nor many of fellini’s very jungian, archetypal characters. but i remember being overwhelmed by a sentiment which i have carried with me since and which is echoed in pulp’s ‘monday morning’: ‘why live in the world when you can live in your head?’ it was a comfort to watch a man (the fictional reflection of fellini, guido anselmi) retreat to his childhood memories (the past), to the sea (the present) and to a fantasy world (the future?) in order to escape the pressures around him. after fifteen years of ruminating on this theme i realized how necessary a retreat from our reality truly is. suspicious suppers has become a place and time to retreat. an escape from time, a retreat to the basic elements of self: our five senses.

as we ease our feet into spring, vacations of the mind are taken with greater indulgence. whether to italy via fellini films or reliving moments abroad through photos and food. while in nice (on a healthy jaunt with martha from padova via paris to visit paige) i took this picture to remember the brilliance of a world that will never be my home and thereby always desired. home is opening the refrigerator to reveal a jar of preserved lemons and five different brands of mustard; vacation is opening someone else's ice box to indulge in tomato and endive salad. such was the case in the home where paige stayed while we visited her in paris. endive had always been a mysterious treat for me; crisp and bland, yet dignified and luscious. it seemed to be easily manipulated and gainfully employed in a gratin or simply raw, married with an avocado slice. for now i am happy to simply fixate on what this salad represents: a memory-induced retreat from today's drudgery and a soothing transition from winter to spring.

tomato and endive salad

1. start by rubbing a medium sized bowl with two crushed garlic cloves, then discard the used cloves. 2. add one tablespoon of whole grain mustard, two pinches of salt, freshly ground pepper, about three stalks of chopped tarragon and about a 1/4 cup of lemon juice or sherry vinegar. 3. combine with a whisk or fork and continue to whisk as you slowly add between 1/4 to 1/2 cup of very pleasant, mild olive oil. 4. to the dressing add three chopped medium sized endive bulbs (red and/or white), and two medium sized tomatoes which have been seeded and chopped . 5. toss, (test for seasoning) and serve on a bed of frisee with hard-boiled eggs sliced in half and covered in salt and pepper or sliced grapefruit sprinkled with salt.

*around the same time as my trip to nice i fell in love with 'ease your feet in the sea' by belle and sebastian on 'the boy with the arab strap'. for some reason it is so soothing to me.*

scenic world.

when it rains, it pours. or at least is the case today in new york where it seems the diaspora of oceans, seas and other large bodies of water to the sky has made every resident of the northeast homebound for a lazy sunday. i love the rain and the chance to watch consecutive re-runs of M*A*S*H* on tv (alan alda is a comedic genius, though my grandfather despised him). in college i became a bit obsessed with robert altman's films of the 70's (M*A*S*H*, The Long Goodbye, McCabe and Mrs. Miller) for their lyrical storytelling, serio-comedic brilliance and uniquely altman cinematography. these films pierce the same sensory memory for me as the rain. one that is also shared by richly perfumed foods; the expansive abandon of the sea; gypsy nomads; and the sound of music so ancient and transcendent it moves you from within. they all represent and stir in me the quest for self-transporting freedom.
spring is a leap into a new state. high on my long list of obsessions this spring are: 70's altman films; seafood; the black sea and its neighbors (especially georgia and turkey); lebanon; sailors and the sea; the caucasus mountains; and eastern european-inspired music. visit these places for a taste:

1. the long goodbye is playing at the film forum in new york from april 20-26. film forum
2. see recipe below
3. the black sea, beautiful.
4. arabesque, one of my favorite cookbooks, explores the food of morocco, turkey and lebanon.
5. built by wendy's spring 2007 collection is sporting nautical themes fit for any modern girl and sailor jerry channels pirates and vintage tattoos.
6. the caucasus mountains are the dividing line between europe and asia.
7. beirut, beirut, beirut. they make modern music for the gypsy, nomad soul.


i suppose this is why i turn to coastal food when i'm seeking comfort. i know most people yearn for mashed potatoes or macaroni and cheese, but i will take mussels and fries or grilled squid stuffed with feta anyday.

steamed mussels with saffron and white wine

1. add 1/2 a stick of butter and a few tablespoons of olive oil to a wok, dutch oven or stew pot and heat until butter is almost all melted. 2. add five or six cloves of garlic and two small or one large red onion cut into 1" wedges. 3. keep over medium heat until butter has completely melted down and onions begin to soften. 4. add four large sprigs of thyme, 1 teaspoon of saffron, 1/2 a pint of cherry tomatoes cut in half lengthwise, 1/2 of a bottle of white table wine and 1 1/2 cups of stock (chicken, vegetable or fish). 5. bring it all to a rapid boil over medium-high heat. 6. then add 4 lbs. of washed and de-bearded mussels. 7. cover the wok or pot and lower the heat to med. 8. check about five minutes later and add lavender salt and pepper. 9. when all mussels are open turn the heat off, squeeze lemon over the dish and sprinkle with chopped italian parsley (about half a bunch). serve with large chunks of bread or french fries.

*eat while listening to 'scenic world' on beirut's album 'gulag orkestar' and ep 'lon gisland'. they manage to incorporate eastern european sounds into modern indie music*

red, black and green.

for the love of paprika, i post. second only to lavender salt, paprika has become my seasoning of choice come lately. it harbors an earthy, bitter node with true smokeyness nothing like liquid smoke (which has ruined all things grilled and barbequed for my dear friend martha). it is a powdered jewel that sings in a hot, oiled pan much like cumin and inks its tint like saffron. old world beauties, those three are. and while it took me a bit to venture from the valencian classic, paella, with spanish paprika (pimentón) i now keep bittersweet pimentón close at hand while cooking.

fried paprika and eggplant sauce

1. lightly fry 3 garlic cloves minced or sliced to your preference in a pan generously coated in olive oil (trust your liberal hand) 2. add about 2 teaspoons or so of bittersweet pimentón (paprika), 1 tablespoon of capers, and 1/2 jar of hungarian letcho (beautiful red peppers and tomatoes). fry up nicely for a bit. 3. add a small eggplant (or half a large eggplant) cubed into suitable pieces and let sit over medium low heat, while the eggplant cooks down. should the eggplant ingest all the liquid add a bit more tomato from the jar. 4. once things have softened, salt and pepper to taste and add a tablespoon or two of white balsamic vinegar and some chili pepper flakes 5. add a tablespoon of homemade or jarred olive pate (easy to make in the kitchen, just pulse the shit out of some kalamata olives in the food processor, or stone them to a pulp with a mortar and pestle and some serious arm strength). stir to incorporate. 6. at this point add more olive oil. it should be a shiny mess of a beauty. 7. add half a bunch of chopped broccoli rabe and once that is tender, toss with pasta or spoon to mouth from the pan. cheers.

*its not just the sauce, studded with red, black and green, but another roy ayers masterpiece.*

lost at sea.

*lost at sea and dreaming: my songs for spring.*

wild is the wind.

i've long had a fascination with the high priestess of soul, miss nina simone, stemming from an interview in rolling stone twelve years ago that described a new york apartment suitable for the likes of henry miller, the heady tones of nina simone singing a bob dylan song fumigating the long hallway. it may be because of my inaugural image of miss simone's voice like a suffocating cloud that i associate the song 'wild is the wind' with all things bohemian new york (unparalleled henry miller-esque abandon), intoxicating (her deep, breathy tone) and sensual (the wind being the most forceful and alluring leader, mimicked by her piano).

taking a journey from then to now on the backs of stepping stones: i heard nina's 'wild is the wind' on december 25, 1995 and cat power's version at the hiro ballroom, february 4, 2007. the wind implies transformation and makes this song a brilliant choice for the equally alluring singer cat power, a woman who makes every cover song her own. she plays a drum beat with white jazz shoes, and throws around soft shoe moves casting her own cadence into my imagination.

my three muses help ignite a sensual vision for my first dinner, as i begin to make new york my own. i close my eyes and keeping the visage of henry miller in paris and pablo picasso in his striped shirt, channel the cote d'azur, sea breeze and salty ocean air, blackberry-stained hands of summer and the imperial perfection of this mutable force of nature.

"the aim of life is to live, and to live means to be aware, joyously, drunkenly, serenely, divinely aware."
- Henry Miller

*wild is the wind as done by nina simone or live by cat power. also, the modern lovers' 'pablo picasso' and another nina simone favorite 'ne me quitte pas'*

you keep me hangin' on.

i ran until i hit brooklyn. its only been a few hours, but saturday is always my favorite day in san francisco, so this is my sentimental list of what i will miss and how to appreciate it...

1. blue bottle coffee.
either made by my friends at the kiosk (hayes valley: linden b/w fell and hayes, gough and octavia), at one of two carts at the saturday ferry plaza farmer's market, or at piccino cafe by mister j.
listen to: stevie wonder's signed, sealed and delivered, michael jackson's off the wall or steely dan's can't buy a thrill

2. pizzetta 211.
artisan cheese salad, pizza, chimay, (blue bottle) espresso and dessert of the day. perfetto.
listen to:the big night soundtrack, bill withers' just as i am

3. mitchell's ice cream.
two scoops: mexican chocolate and toasted almond.
listen to: wilco's yankee hotel foxtrot, shuggie otis's inspiration information, or the pipettes' we are the pipettes

4. césar (piedmont)
manhattans and tapas (bring good company).
listen to: caetano veloso, gilberto gil and gal costa's temporada de verão or the dollar brand trio's duke ellington presents the dollar brand trio

5. dopo
4293 piedmont ave. oakland. impeccably perfect.
listen to: the beta bands' the three eps, or the stooges' funhouse.

*where have you all been? i moved to new york, so suspicious suppers is on hiatus until who knows when. but, since new york isn't lacking in foodies, more news and east coast events of gastronomic and aesthetic integrity to be reported soon. until then, heavens! what i think is the best cover song ever: the supremes' you keep me hangin' on, as done by hugh masekela which can be found on many albums including '20th century masters' and the compilation 'tales of afrojazz south africa.*