Currently Obsessed with…. Dining at Buvette

Despite the fact that I’ve eaten French cheese and duck rillettes, have been wearing Petit Bateau and Bensimons, am buying a baguette daily, and have salted French butter (!) in my fridge, I find myself…. still very much back in Brooklyn and no longer in France. Sigh.

So when I read about downtown French eatery Buvette in the Cheap Eats 2011 issue of New York magazine, I was ready to get my American butt there ASAP. Luckily, I had two willing dining companions on two different days last week to accompany me. Yay! (Bisous, Christina and Chrissy!)

Buvette is where the duck rillettes were consumed, and, oh my, but they were delicious. As were the rest of the charcuterie (terrine de campagne, blue cheese), and other things we sampled — salade d’epinards, ham and melon, and more.

And the space (former longtime home of The Pink Teacup) is adorable! Every detail: The long marble bar, the pretty pastries, the snug tables, the small, sweet water glasses, the blackboard map showing the wine list by region, the bicyclette out front. The combined effect is almost transporting.

Almost.

They serve all day long during the week, 8am through late supper. Weekend brunch is coming soon. I haven’t tried any of the egg dishes yet, but I can’t wait to! They sound fab.

A word to the wise mom and dad, though: Leave les enfants at home for Buvette, unless you’re just stopping in to pick up a pain au chocolat and coffee. This is one for the adults.

And a note on pricing: Buvette serves tempting, well-priced small plates, but the small plates, plus wine, etc., add up. Although it was in the Cheap Eats ish, I wouldn’t really call it “cheap.”

Definitely worthwhile, though.

For more pretty pictures of Buvette — and to see some other NYC restaurants and food you may not have encountered before — hop on over to Eric Isaac’s photography blog, Snap Food.

And get yourself and your honey to Buvette. Have being in France fantasies. Enjoy. And tell me what you thought.

Buvette is located at 42 Grove Steet (between Bleecker and Bedford).

photo: Snap Food / Eric Isaac

Other obsessions:

Porch Crawler Cocktail from Frankies Spuntino

Vintage Kids’ Books My Kid Loves

Bloch Ballet Flats

TimeOut New York Kids: Back to School Lunch-Box Ideas from NYC Chefs

Big Apple Buddies Lunch Bag from Built NY, $20

Sad but true: Sabbatical’s over, we’re back in Brooklyn, and, apparently, it’s not too soon to start thinking about back-to-school. A fat letter from P.S. 295 was waiting for me when we got home, reminding me how I could be supporting the school over the summer and preparing for the return in September, as well as telling me Magnolia‘s Kindergarten classroom number. Jasper‘s packet can’t be far behind.

So when I saw the TimeOut New York Kids article in the August issue on fresh lunch ideas from NYC chefs, I actually read it rather than tossed it on a pile to think about later.

Our regular PB&J/turkey sammie routine is way tired, and I need a few new, easy ideas to throw into the mix. Let me just say up front that I am NOT making veggie sushi for my kids (as one of the chefs suggested) — it’s just not in the cards.

Here are the ideas I found simple and inspiring, and that I plan to put into use come September.

• Just say no to sandwiches entirely and pack a whole-wheat pasta salad with veggies.
• If you do go with that old lunchbox standby — a sandwich — send the various parts separately and allow your kid to assemble them at lunchtime. It makes the meal interactive! And keeps the bread from getting soggy.
• If peanut butter isn’t allowed at your school, or if your kid doesn’t like it, as Jasper doesn’t, try this instead: Pair softened, unsalted butter with unusual, yummy jams such as wild blueberry, peach, or cherry on good bread. (We also do this sometimes with whipped cream cheese in place of the PB.)
• Dried fruit is a good substitute for a cookie or something else sweet: popcorn tossed with sea salt and Parmesan is a great swap for processed chips or pretzels.
• Cube watermelon, honeydew, or cantaloupe and put them on child-safe wooden skewers. Everybody knows it: Food on a stick is just more fun.

And here’s the full article.

Related:

BPA-Free Lunch-Box Solutions for Back to School

Tips, Tricks, and Recipes for Picky Eaters

8 Questions for a Kindergarten Teacher

Differences Between Public and Private School

(Get the lunch box from Built NY)

A No-Time-to-Post Post: Bakeri in Williamsburg

photo via Bakeri

I need TIME TO THINK in order to write a post and, for various reasons — many related to half-days and no-school days via the NYC DOE — there’s been damn little of it over the last week. But I have managed to eke out about three minutes to bring you news of an adorable little bakery we discovered in Williamsburg recently — called, simply, Bakeri! Thanks to Smorgasburg and mom-and-kid yoga at Kula, we’ve been spending more time in the nabe the last few weeks.

We sampled Spanish tortilla, mini-croissants, a white chocolate and dried cherry cookie, and a salted peanut caramel brownie. Yeah, you read that last one right. Um, YUM. And the place was bustling and super-cute. Good vibes. GO.

More again as soon as I can….

Currently Obsessed with…. Porch Crawler Cocktail from Frankies Spuntino

You may have noticed we’re spring-obsessed here at Shiny Brite — ready for sun, bare ankles, and a carefree life post-TAT. (You are coming, aren’t you? Seriously, it’s gonna be kick-ass and we want EVERY KID IN BROOKLYN there.)

Anyway, just discovered this drink — a Porch Crawler — in the April ish of Food & Wine and cannot wait to make it. It’s a blissful-sounding, muddled combination of fresh cherries, mint, hot chiles, white rum, lemon, simple syrup, and club soda — SPRING IN A GLASS. And it makes me happy that it was Brooklyn-grown, crafted by the two Frankies (Falcinelli and Castronovo) behind Frankies Spuntino right here in our home borough.

Here’s the recipe.

Maybe I’ll have one — or ten — when Touch a Truck is over.

Here’s to spring!

Currently Obsessed with…. ABC Kitchen

Chrissy and I recently managed to sneak in a moms-only lunch at ABC Kitchen, the Jean-Georges Vongerichten farm-to-table spot in ABC Carpet & Home. Oooh, la, la. Swank. And yummy.

Dying to go back. (Maggie, maybe this should be our next lunch spot?)

The food was delish and the place made for extremely entertaining NYC people-watching — it’s like a little piece of the Upper East Side plopped down in the Flatiron. Sweater sets, oversize handbags, facelifts, and ladies-who-lunch a-go-go. Apparently, celebs, too — Chrissy just *happened* to spy Stanley Tucci‘s name in the reservation book.

We popped in early, sans reservation, and sat at one of the tall bar tables up front — a perch that made the people-watching even easier. But if you want a real table in the main dining room, definitely call to reserve.

On the menu:

Roasted squash toast with ricotta and apple cider vinegar

Mackerel sashimi with ginger and mint

Roasted carrot and avocado salad with crunchy seeds and citrus (surprising and divine)

Smoky lentil soup with herb-infused oil and Parmesan

And, we had no room for it, but of extreme interest for dessert:

Salted Caramel-Peanut Ice Cream Sundae

Here’s what The New York Times had to say about ABC Kitchen…. It’s a thoroughly enjoyable review — let’s just say Sam Sifton had fun with it. And he concedes the food is very good.

Need to schedule a lunch date with a colleague or friend? Want to treat yourself while downtown for a doctor’s appointment? You’ve found your place.

Other obsessions:

Moving to Austin!

Cute Kindle Covers

Viva Zapata! Bags

Tips, Tricks, & Recipes for Picky Eaters

winged heart bento box by gameme on flickr

Jasper will eat almost anything — he’ll at least try it. Magnolia, on the other hand — who has an absolutely iron-clad will — will not. She’s not particularly interested in or motivated by food, and there are very few things (save for the above-reproach PB&J), that she greets with enthusiasm. In fact, mealtime often begins with her coming to the table and practically bursting into tears when she sees what’s being served — “oh, not that again! You know I don’t like it!”

Thus the dinner table becomes a battlefield. Her will against mine. I don’t offer to hop up and make her something else, but I do invest a lot of time and energy in trying to get her to eat what’s on the plate in front of her. I bribe, cajole, encourage, and threaten. I become exasperated. It’s exhausting.

Honestly, it annoys me that her food repertoire is so tiny. Potatoes? Hates them. Avocado? Finds it disgusting. Tomato sauce on anything other than pizza? Not happening. It’s not that I haven’t tried serving these and many other things repeatedly — I have. But we’re not making the progress I’d like. And I’m tired of arguing. So I did a little research on tips, tricks, and recipes that can help a picky eater branch out — and also help a frustrated mom take mealtimes more in stride.

Here’s the best of what I found, and what I’m going to try.

Best Brownies Ever. (and SO Easy, too.)

 

mmm....

 

Some days, you just need homemade brownies. Know what I mean?

And we happen to have the easiest, fudgiest brownie recipe ever (thanks, Julia!). We love it ’cause:

There are no fancy or surprise ingredients — you’ve got all this stuff on hand.

You can mix the batter all in one pot — no mixing bowls necessary.

They bake in a jiffy.

When Julia gave us the recipe, she wrote “The Best Brownies Ever” at the top. We were suspicious — we’ve made a lot of brownies in our time, and that’s a big promise. But they delivered. And on a chilly fall day, warm from the oven… their gooey goodness rules.

It’s ruling in my house right now.

Herewith, a super-easy, super-fast go-to sweet treat. Enjoy!

Best Brownies Ever

Ingredients

1 stick of butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

2 large eggs

3/4 cup flour

1/2 cup cocoa

Pinch of salt

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 390 degrees. (Yes, you read that right. Not 400 — 390.)

2. Melt butter in large saucepan over stove.

3. Remove butter from heat, let cool about one minute, then add both sugars (just use the pot as your bowl.) Mix well.

4. Add eggs, flour, cocoa, salt, and a generous tablespoon-splash of vanilla. Mix well.

5. Line an 8×8-inch glass baking dish with parchment paper (I trim a sheet big enough to go up the sides of the dish.) Pour in batter, pop it in the oven.

6. Bake 20 – 25 minutes. Test by inserting a knife in the center — the brownies are done when only a few little crumbs cling to the knife. (Important: do NOT overbake.)

7. Let cool for one hour (if you can wait that long!)

Get There, New York Mamas: Mario Batali’s Eataly

As you’ve probably noticed, two things that make our lives as moms better are shopping and food. No surprise, then, that shopping FOR food ranks high on our list of favorite activities.

One day this week, we stole a little time, sans kids, to head to Eataly, Mario Batali’s new Italian-themed mega-eatery and food emporium in the Flatiron District. Lunch! Browsing! Beautiful food everywhere you turn! Fun.

(And if you’re wondering about taking the kids, make your way to the end of this post. I have thoughts, people.)

But, first stop, lunch. Pappa al Pomodoro on a rainy fall day.

You’ll find restaurants and food stands by type at Eataly – pizza and pasta, panini, seasonal vegetarian fare, fish, gelato, pastries, and espresso. You can also shop — for fresh pasta, fish to take home, bread, meat, cheese, salumi, and tons of specialty food items from Italy. At the fresh pasta counter, we happened to catch an employee as she was putting out a platter of just-cooked, buttery raviolis to sample. Mmmm.

After you have something to eat, marvel at the staggering array of housewares and specialty foods — jam, pesto, canned tomatoes, spices, olive oils, fancy balsamic vinegars, cookies, crackers, candies. And honey. Beautiful jars of every kind of honey imaginable.

Before you leave, sample a chocolate truffle, pastry, or some gelato — and chase it with an espresso.

Take something home! We took a rotisserie chicken, which, I admit, isn’t particularly exciting or Italian. But it is one of our easy, no-cook dinners for a busy cool-weather day. And it was exceptionally delicious and juicy. Pair it with some veggies for the kids and dinner is DONE.

Now back to the question of going to Eataly with your kids. I have to say, I did not see a single child there. Not one. But I’m chalking that up to the fact that it was a rainy Monday, and crowds were down in general. When we go back — and we will — I would most definitely take the kids. Here’s why:

It’s big (40,000+ square feet!), bustling, and loud. Your kid making noise or getting fussy is likely to go unnoticed.

There’s lots to see — food being cooked, cool displays, a friendly guy at the fish counter making the mako shark “talk” and “eat” another fish (and that was just for the grown-ups!)

The food is kid-friendly. No, with the kids you probably won’t be dining at the fish restaurant, but there’s pizza and gelato. You’re set, mama.

One note: leave the stroller at home if you possibly can. It’s a big space, yes, but it’s jam-packed with stuff, and I think navigating a stroller on a more crowded day would be pretty un-fun.

For more Eataly deets, read New York mag‘s Q&A with Mario Batali.

Eataly is located at 200 5th Ave. at 23rd Street.