weekend + recent books

Flying visit to NYC over the weekend; Ruth and I got to see coffeeandink for Ukrainian food and then Chikalicious, which is an awesome little dessert bar place that gives off the minimalist vibe of a good sushi bar, only with much more involvement of chocolate. Their prix fixe thing made me very happy-- for twelve dollars you get amuse, choice of dessert, and petit fours.

Our amuse was cherry gelee with white corn ice cream. I had never previously thought of white corn ice cream, but it is a very good idea, sweet with the sweetness of perfectly summer-ripe corn and creamy and smooth as corn isn't. The cherry was rather overwhelmed by comparison-- I think they were trying to offset the corn with a slight sourness, but the cherries just weren't that sour. Still, I like cherry, and the ice cream was spectacular.

I got the warm chocolate tart with pink peppercorn ice cream and red wine sauce, Ruth got caramel sorbet with ginger cookies in chilled lime soup, and Mely got... oh dear, I remember it had sweet basil sorbet because I had a bite of that, but I don't remember the specifics of the rest. Basil sorbet is also a very good idea, although not as spectacularly so as the corn ice cream. I also tried a bite of Ruth's, which was obviously the sort of dessert that is the best thing ever if you like that sort of thing, but I don't really, so I sort of went 'hm. wouldn't have thought of caramel lime. okay then' and returned to making small moaning noises around my chocolate. Which was-- the tart interior was the consistency of butter, creamy, Valrhona chocolate maybe or something on that level, with the slight snap of the crust, and the sour richness of the wine present but not overwhelmingly so, and the flowery peppery sweet perfection of the pink peppercorn ice cream, which is on my list of the two or three best ice creams I have ever had. I have the recipe for Chikalicious's pink peppercorn ice cream, and when I get back to Boston I am making it. This dessert is one of the things that stays on their menu, and it is going to be hard in the future to make myself try anything else.

The standout of the petit fours was a coconut marshmallow, and you have to understand that I don't like marshmallows, but this was ethereal, lighter than foam and just pleasantly lacy sweet. Also served: chocolate cake squares with chocolate whipped cream, and anise shortbreads.

Blessings upon the Mely, without whom I would never have heard of this place, let alone found it, and who remains a delightful person to chat with and eat with and see generally.

I have gotten carried away by my food descriptions, but Ruth and I went on Sunday to ifnotnow's wedding, and saw many many people I do not see often enough. Mazel tov! Good food there, too, and lovely stained glass in the sanctuary, and what appeared to be an attempt by the groom's family to set a world record for Most Energetic Hora. And the bride was glowing, as brides should do.

Back in D.C. now, and looking for someone to see Stardust with, as I do not think B. is interested (at least, he groaned when I brought it up; B. is not overly fond of Neil Gaiman).

( Recent books, including some recced me when I asked people to rec books. )

weekend + recent books

Flying visit to NYC over the weekend; Ruth and I got to see coffeeandink for Ukrainian food and then Chikalicious, which is an awesome little dessert bar place that gives off the minimalist vibe of a good sushi bar, only with much more involvement of chocolate. Their prix fixe thing made me very happy-- for twelve dollars you get amuse, choice of dessert, and petit fours.

Our amuse was cherry gelee with white corn ice cream. I had never previously thought of white corn ice cream, but it is a very good idea, sweet with the sweetness of perfectly summer-ripe corn and creamy and smooth as corn isn't. The cherry was rather overwhelmed by comparison-- I think they were trying to offset the corn with a slight sourness, but the cherries just weren't that sour. Still, I like cherry, and the ice cream was spectacular.

I got the warm chocolate tart with pink peppercorn ice cream and red wine sauce, Ruth got caramel sorbet with ginger cookies in chilled lime soup, and Mely got... oh dear, I remember it had sweet basil sorbet because I had a bite of that, but I don't remember the specifics of the rest. Basil sorbet is also a very good idea, although not as spectacularly so as the corn ice cream. I also tried a bite of Ruth's, which was obviously the sort of dessert that is the best thing ever if you like that sort of thing, but I don't really, so I sort of went 'hm. wouldn't have thought of caramel lime. okay then' and returned to making small moaning noises around my chocolate. Which was-- the tart interior was the consistency of butter, creamy, Valrhona chocolate maybe or something on that level, with the slight snap of the crust, and the sour richness of the wine present but not overwhelmingly so, and the flowery peppery sweet perfection of the pink peppercorn ice cream, which is on my list of the two or three best ice creams I have ever had. I have the recipe for Chikalicious's pink peppercorn ice cream, and when I get back to Boston I am making it. This dessert is one of the things that stays on their menu, and it is going to be hard in the future to make myself try anything else.

The standout of the petit fours was a coconut marshmallow, and you have to understand that I don't like marshmallows, but this was ethereal, lighter than foam and just pleasantly lacy sweet. Also served: chocolate cake squares with chocolate whipped cream, and anise shortbreads.

Blessings upon the Mely, without whom I would never have heard of this place, let alone found it, and who remains a delightful person to chat with and eat with and see generally.

I have gotten carried away by my food descriptions, but Ruth and I went on Sunday to ifnotnow's wedding, and saw many many people I do not see often enough. Mazel tov! Good food there, too, and lovely stained glass in the sanctuary, and what appeared to be an attempt by the groom's family to set a world record for Most Energetic Hora. And the bride was glowing, as brides should do.

Back in D.C. now, and looking for someone to see Stardust with, as I do not think B. is interested (at least, he groaned when I brought it up; B. is not overly fond of Neil Gaiman).

( Recent books, including some recced me when I asked people to rec books. )

the coolest thing I have read today

Liv Ullmann, from Roger Ebert's memorial to Ingmar Bergman:

"When he was 60 years old he celebrated his birthday on his island, on that beach. And my daughter was there; she was five years old. And... he said to her, 'When you are 60 what will you do then?' She said 'I'll have a big party and my mother will be there. She'll be really old and stupid and gawky but it's gonna be great.' And he looked at her and said 'And what about me? Will I not be there?' And the five-year-old looked up at him and she said, 'Well, you know, I'll leave the party and I'll walk down to the beach and there on the waves you will come dancing towards me.'"

the coolest thing I have read today

Liv Ullmann, from Roger Ebert's memorial to Ingmar Bergman:

"When he was 60 years old he celebrated his birthday on his island, on that beach. And my daughter was there; she was five years old. And... he said to her, 'When you are 60 what will you do then?' She said 'I'll have a big party and my mother will be there. She'll be really old and stupid and gawky but it's gonna be great.' And he looked at her and said 'And what about me? Will I not be there?' And the five-year-old looked up at him and she said, 'Well, you know, I'll leave the party and I'll walk down to the beach and there on the waves you will come dancing towards me.'"