Ann Mah's newsletter / May 2017
May 2017 newsletter
Bonjour!
It looks like a watercolor, doesn't it? There's something about Florence that always makes me think of Edwardian ladies toting sketchbooks and paint-boxes, long white dresses, and all the repressed passion of EM Forster. In fact, I took the photo above at the Boboli Gardens during the midst of a rain shower, tramping through a muddy puddle to get the perfect leaf-framed shot. My shoes will never be the same – but Brunelleschi's dome and Giotto's campanile are preserved for time eternal!
This month I was lucky enough to travel to Florence for work – and I indulged in all the olive oil, white beans, pici pasta, and other Tuscan fare I could find. I usually go on these research trips alone, which I honestly don't mind – except for the dinners – there's something about eating dinner out alone that's pretty dispiriting. But this trip, I was thrilled to run into (by complete accident) my cousin, Jonathan, and his fiancée, who were in Florence on vacation! We shared a couple of wonderful meals and it was so fun to spend time with them. Thanks to the app, Eat Florence by Elizabeth Minchilli, and the sage advice of Florence-based food writer, Emiko Davies, the trattorias I found were filled with locals, serving delicious, honest Tuscan fare – in other words, right up my alley!
Where I've been eating
New York City
New York seems to be on a health kick (or maybe it's always been that way), with a spate of new restaurants serving lighter fare. Among them is Café Clover – where I had a delightful birthday lunch – and where the menu offers an array of tempting salads and other waistline-considerate dishes. I loved my salade niçoise, served with a bright, lemony dressing – but it's the socca pizzette (above) that was the true highlight of the meal, a Niçois pancake of chickpea flour given a New York twist with smoked salmon, dill, and fried capers! This place is great for a light and chic lunch.
New York City
In a town filled with trendy places, Vic's is a mainstay, a solid place with a solid menu – pasta, meats, pizzas, salads – nothing too adventurous, but everything beautifully prepared. Take this grilled chicken salad – nothing fancy, but the chicken was brined so that it was juicy and tender, grilled perfectly, and served over a pile of charred broccoli with pickled chiles. Nothing fancy, and sheer perfection – I can't wait to go back.
What I've been reading
If you've ever wondered what it takes to be a New York City food vendor (short answer: a lot), this beautiful New York Times article traces a day in the life.
My forays to Chelsea art galleries are few and far between, but I loved the Kevin Francis Gray show currently at the Pace Gallery in New York, whose neoclassic marble statues (above) resemble modeling clay, with deep furrows and impressions bringing passion and modernity to the form.
On my blog, I stripped my favorite Indian dinner to its bare essentials, creating a fast and easy sheet pan supper of chicken hariyali tikka and aloo gobi. And I celebrated three wonderful new books about France with a toothsome French yogurt cake with lemon curd and yogurt whipped cream.
I am so proud of my talented musician brother-in-law, Terry Klein, who just released his first album, Great Northern!
This New York Times essay, Young, Gifted, and Not Getting Into Harvard, offers some powerful parenting (and life) goals.
Last summer I made a fun and sweaty visit to St. Croix, and the result was this article on Alexander Hamilton's tragic childhood for the New York Times Travel.
A bientôt
Tonight we're having a few friends over for dinner – and I'm thinking of making radish top pesto! As I type this, however, it's 4pm, and I've done zero preparation. Alas, my kitchen duties call, so I must say goodbye – but I'll be back next month with more food and travel tips. If you enjoyed reading this newsletter, I hope you'll consider forwarding it to a friend! And if you were forwarded this newsletter, please sign up here.
See you in June!
Amitiés,
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