November » 2010 » Markets of New York

Festive Food at New York’s Holiday Markets

We are thrilled to be a part of Manhattan Users Guide’s “NYC Bloggers Do the Holidays”! Here are links to all the other dedicated New York blogs participating!

A Child Grows Where to See Santa in New York City and Brooklyn

Eater’s Digest 10 “Warm-You-To-the Bone” Holiday Eats in NYC

Give and Get NYC G&G For the Holidays: Gifts That Give Back

‘the improvised life‘ Design (or Hack) Your Own Holiday E-Cards

Manhattan User’s Guide The Gift Guide: 21 Over $21

Mommy Poppins 11 Experience Gifts for NYC Kids

NY Barfly Holiday Cocktails, And We Ain’t Talkin’ Egg Nog

offManhattan The Anti-Holiday Travel Guide: 5 Quick Getaways from NYC

the skint 11 free and cheap non-holiday things to do this holiday season

This is FYF A Drug-Friendly Guide to Your New York Holidays

Patell and Waterman’s History of New York Christmas with Andy Warhol

Walking Off the Big Apple A Mortal’s Guide to the Angels of New York City

We Heart Astoria The Best Places To Shop Local – WHA Holiday Gift Guide

Now On To The Markets!

New York at the Holidays… Miracle on 34th Street… 5th Avenue Holiday Windows… Shopping… Skating… Yeah yeah yeah. We all know – and love – these things about our fair city. But I’m here to tell you about the Food at the Holiday Markets!

The markets feature savory and sweet foods, as well as the hot drinks you need to sustain you as you wend your way through boutique after boutique. I’d like to take you on a tour of some of my favorite edible delights at the big seasonal artisan and food markets in Manhattan, plus the Brooklyn Flea, long known for it’s amazing food offerings.

Columbus Circle Holiday Market by Urban Space OPENING DAY TODAY 12/1

Crif Dogs: Yeah baby! These guys take a perfect food to a new level! Of course I’m all for healthy, local, organic food and all that. But a beef hot dog wrapped in bacon and covered in sour cream or avocado, or some other such topping? Hold me back!
Fatty Crew: Fatty Crab, Fatty ‘Cue, and Cabrito all rolled up in one booth? Yes, please. Their brisket sandwich at the Madison Square Market was so rich and delicious it almost killed me.
Sigmund Pretzel Shop: Sigmund makes some pretty amazing organic, hand rolled pretzels. I can’t stop going back for another gruyere cheese one!
Pies-n-Thighs: Even if you’ve never been a Southerner, Pies-N-Thighs will make you nostalgic for the South. Seriously. Their fried chicken on a biscuit is out of this world, not to mention all the side dishes. And the pies? Well, you just have to try them for yourself.
Raaka Chocolate – I had a sample of Raaka’s blueberry chocolate, and it was rich, flavorful and completely satisfying. They are a new bean-to-bar maker in New York. If I’m not mistaken, they are making their market debut at Columbus Circle!
Les Canelés de Céline: Canelés are delicious traditional French pastries made from crêpe batter and with a crunchy coating. Celine also makes tiny Financiers, perfect with a cup of coffee from New York’s own Ferrara Bakery at their nearby Central Park kiosk!

The Holiday Shops at Bryant Park

Daisy’s Grits: The next New York food trend. You read it here first. Try the Sausage and Pepper and the Cuban Picadillo. If you’ve never had grits, just think of them as Southern Polenta. All the ingredients are sourced locally in Queens.
Vegetarian Oasis: The name says it all. Their food is beautiful, healthy and deeelicious. I had the Black Bean Burrito with avocado, baby spinach, corn, salsa, and brown rice on a whole wheat tortilla. Ahhhh…
Kettle Corn NYC: You might recognize their HUGE industrial popcorn popper from the summer street fairs, and the fellow with a giant stirring stick and a protective visor making fresh popcorn all day long. I just love their traditional caramel corn. If that makes me boring, so be it.
Big Apple Cider: Grab a cup of hot, delicious, smooth apple cider. No bite at all. ‘Nuff said.
Yona’s Gourmet Delights: These savory, bite sized borekas and quiches are the perfect market food. You get a little bag of 5, and you can munch your way around the market. I like to pop a whole earthy, salty, buttery mushroom boreka right in my mouth.

Big Social Market by the Hester Street Fair

Macaron Parlour: You may already know how much I ADORE Macaron Parlour! They make perfect French confections, some with a distinctly American and Asian twist. Touch my S’Mores macaron and suffer the consequences. But I’ll share all the rest with you because they are so incredibly flavorful!
Luke’s Lobster: My dad’s family comes from Maine, and I know from lobster rolls. I’m here to tell you that Luke’s are absolutely sumptuous. Just warning you that you’ll want more than one.
Robicelli’s Cupcakes: Here’s all I have to say – Chocolate Candy Cane, Hot Buttered Rum, Tiramisu. And run, do not walk for a DUCKWALK: vanilla cake, blueberry port mascarpone buttercream, port glazed wild Maine blueberries.
SkimKim: Kim Chi Pot Pies? I’ll be honest and say that I never recovered from the time my jar of kim chi exploded in my market tote, but I’ll definitely try this pot pie at the Big Social!
The Regal Vegan: Yup, delicious salty and sweet foods that are also super good for us! Thank you, and can you please open up a counter at Newark Airport?
Dora NYC: In case you’re overdosing on apple cider and hot cocoa, you’ll always have Dora’s LES coffee! http://doranyc.com/

Solstice and Bell Ringing at the New Amsterdam Market

Wild Gourmet Food - Everything they bring to the market is wild crafted, or found growing naturally in, well, nature. I got some incredible chanterelle mushrooms from them and made a lovely sauce.
Shandaken Bake: I cannot wait to try these amazing baked goods. Brioche sticky buns, maple glazed crullers, and chocolate dunked apple cider donuts? Bring it on.
Bellocq Tea Atelier: I just met Bellocq, hand crafted tea purveyors newly arrived from London, at the New Amsterdam Market two weeks ago, and I am in love with their amazing products. I’ve been drinking their fragrant Bellocq Breakfast, which is wonderful for tea purists like yours truly.
The Bent Spoon: Could these New Jersey ice cream makers and bakers be bringing ice cream to the market in December?! Well, they did in November: roasted pumpkin cocoa nib, cranberry-apple-red pear sorbet, bourbon caramel sweet potato!

Union Square Holiday Market by Urban Space

Bar Suzette: This local creperie serves up perfect savory and sweet French crepes, made to order and served up steaming hot. I just can’t get a Ham and Swiss without taking home a Nutella Banana.
Stuffed Artisan Cannoli – Delicious bite sized nuggets of crunchy pastry filled with cream. I had the chocolate one filled with chocolate cream and covered in chocolate. Next time I’m trying the candy cane one.
Momofuku Milk Bar: Why on earth would you wait in line to get into Momofuku when you can just go to the market and sample their amazing Asian Fusion sweets?!
Breezy Hill Orchard Ginger Bread Cookies: Breezy Hill is a Greenmarket staple, and it’s great to see their ENORMOUS gingerbread cookies all week long at the market.
Nibmor Chocolate: All natural and organic chocolate bars to nibble on, and also delicious, rich hot cocoa served. How can something made with no refined sugar, dairy or gluten be so tasty? It’s a mystery to me.

The Brooklyn Flea’s Gifted Market

Rick’s Picks: Can I say that Rick’s Pick’s is the Gus for the New Millennium? He’s been making pickles and selling them in the markets for years, and now he’s nationwide! I reviewed his Hotties, and they were tasty and veeeery hot.
Liddabit Sweets: I cannot resist Liddabit’s signature slurtles (beer caramel + pretzel + chocolate). Or, frankly, any of their handmade candies. Great snacks and great gifts!
Fine & Raw Chocolate: I have seen people hunt down Fine and Raw at the markets to buy stacks of their bars. They use low heat processing, and so their handmade chocolates retain all of the health benefits and the intense flavor they were born with.
Nunu Chocolates: More chocolate. See why I love the Brooklyn Flea so much? NuNu Chocolates are made with care, love, and a dash of sea salt! Their salt caramels are stupendous, and their chocolate covered graham crackers send me straight over the top.
SchoolHouse Kitchen: If ever there was a reason to eat breakfast, it’s so that you can spread Schoolhouse Rosemary Peach Spreadable Fruit on your whole wheat toast! They make amazing fruit spreads, as well as mustards, chutneys, and dressings. And they give a portion of their profits to support educational causes.
Kumquat Cupcakery: A tiny cupcake from Kumquat Cupcakery was the very first thing I ate at the Brooklyn Flea when I was just starting to do research for Markets of New York City. They are compact and loaded with flavor, and my favorite is the maple bacon. I also love the chocolate lavender. And the red velvet. Oh, heck, I love them all.

And there you have it: Markets of NYC’s Holiday Market Food Picks! Now go out, eat it all, and let me know what you liked the best!

Folk Couture Designs by Grace Napoleon

Brooklyn Craft Central Holiday Market Featured Designer!

Grace Napoleon has an eye for colors. And for patterns. And buttons. And somehow she can see how they all might work together in the must unusual ways as she cuts up recycled clothing and stitches the pieces together to create an entirely new, singular design. “I make clothes from clothes,” she says.

I met Grace two summers ago at the Brooklyn Flea underneath the Brooklyn Bridge. She had a gaggle of hip girls under her tent trying on adorable mini-dresses with stripes, appliqués, and other unusual details. Grace has a lovely, fun manner, and a glorious head of long, salt and pepper curls. Her displays at the Flea are always inviting. She sells vintage items, from eyewear to kitchenware, but Grace’s clothes are what first grabbed my attention. She calls her designs Folk Couture. The concept is around creating new and fun things to wear out of previously owned pieces. They are handmade, unique and meant to be worn every day. You and I might wear a sweater for a few years and then discard it. But if you are Grace Napoleon, you breathe a whole new life into it instead.

Now that it’s wintertime, Grace has brought out her one-of-a-kind designs for colder temperatures. She’ll cut out the collar from a colorful sweater, add a beautiful button accent and some bright embroidered details, and voilá! It’s a stylish new neck-warming accessory! She cuts the sleeves from a sweater, passes a few stitches over them, and suddenly you have yourself a pair of stylish and practical fingerless gloves. Her dresses feature combinations of colors, fabrics and patterns, and they fly off her racks every weekend, both at the Brooklyn Flea and at the SOWA Market in Boston. For me, though, Grace’s sweaters are where the real fun is. She has been doing lots of scalloped cuts and asymmetrical wavy necklines, with swatches of brightly colored appliqués and vintage buttons sewn onto felted wool cardigans and pullovers. No two Grace Napoleon Folk Couture Designs are even remotely alike.

Starting in January 2011, Grace will be offering Recycle Your Clothes Classes. Invite 5 or more of your friends over for wine and snacks, and have them bring 2 or 3 pieces of clothing to turn into one great new item. Grace will spend the evening helping everyone figure out what to do and then how to put it all together. At the end of the party, everyone goes home with a great new thing to wear and a little more room in their closet. The fee is $45 per person, and Grace supplies all the needles, thread, great fabric swatches, loads of patience and great advice. If you are interested in learning more about these classes, leave a comment here. Grace will get back to you!

Come see Grace Napoleon’s designs for yourself at the Brooklyn Craft Central Holiday Market!

Final Reflections on the Markets of New York City Crowd Funding Project

I was amazed and thrilled to exceed the funding goal on my IndieGoGo.com crowd funding project, See the Amazing Markets of New York City, to enhance the site with videos and add a whole new dimension to my writing about independent designers, dedicated farmers, and innovative food purveyors. I have purchased the equipment (see photos!), and I am learning more and more about the wonders and possibilities of creating videos. I have two that I’m working on for the coming week, so stay tuned!

I knew it would take a lot of effort for my crowd funding project to be successful. I also knew that I did not want to overdo it and cause the community that I’d been building with such care and effort to get tired of seeing emails about it. I sometimes felt that I posted too frequently on Facebook and Twitter. But in retrospect, I think I probably had a bit more leeway. Nobody ever said, “Stop bugging us already!” In fact, it was quite the opposite, and I was overwhelmed by the generosity of the people who contributed, shared the link, or offered a word of support.

I recently took a good look at my stats, which revealed some interesting lessons. Here are the cold, hard numbers:

Funding Goal: $1500
Project Length: 60 Days
Team Members: 0
VIP Perks Offered: 7 (with multiples of most of them)
Updates Posted: 10
Videos I Made with My Still Camera: 5
Videos I Could Actually Post: 3 plus one I borrowed (Thank you, Hester Street Fair!)
Photos Posted: 10
Times I contacted the IndieGoGo Customer Happiness Team: 5
Number of Emails Sent to My Mailing List: 9 to 3 different lists
Frequency of Facebook and Twitter Postings: 3-4 times a week under Markets of NYC, less frequently under my personal account.

And here are the numbers that comprised my project’s success:

Total Funds Raised: $1,690
Exceeded Goal By: 11.25%
Number of Funders: 35
Number of Funders Who Selected VIP Perks: 26
Total Siblings (including In-Laws) Who Contributed: 60%
Contributors Who Are Friends and Colleagues: 91.5%
Smallest Contribution Amount: $20
Largest Contribution Amount: $500 (I was so surprised, and incredibly grateful!)

Five Things I Would Do the Same or Differently for My Next Project:

1. Definitely add team members. IndieGoGo statistics show that projects with teams are significantly more successful.

2. Offer fun perks again. One of my perks was 10 lbs. of Peanut Brittle for a $50 contribution. People loved that one.

3. Do a single really great pitch video from the beginning, rather than 3 just okay ones. It is worth taking the time to get it right once, no matter how many times you have to flub your lines and need to reshoot!

4. Send out at least an email every week to my mailing list, and even more frequently towards the end of the project. Predictably, the contributions came in groups and in response to email and personal outreach. They also came in when others shared my link with their communities. And the largest number of contributions, 20%, came in the final four days of the project. So, as I’ve said before, it is important to stay the course till the very end!

5. Work with the IndieGoGo Customer Happiness Team. They are incredibly responsive and helpful – and nice. They know their stuff, and they want our projects to succeed!

I learned a great deal during my project, and I am incredibly grateful for the support I received from friends, family, colleagues, and even strangers. If you have an idea you’d like to fund, consider doing it with others on IndieGoGo.com

Thank you! Now back to the Markets!

Nutritious, Delicious and Gorgeous Purple Vegetables

One of the greatest things about eating with the seasons is the colors of the fruits and vegetables at the markets. I was wandering through the Union Square Greenmarket last week and was gobsmacked by all the purple vegetables I saw. PURPLE!

We’ve read about the eating by color because deeply colored foods, like kale, spinach, pumpkin, and blueberries are rich in nutrients and possibly event contribute to preventing and fighting cancer. Purple vegetables have to be right up there in the Super Foods categories too. The New York Times published this “List of 11 Foods You Aren’t Eating.” Five of them are purple. Case and point.

Plus they are so very pretty! Here’s what I found:

From Norwich Meadows Farm

Purple Brussels Sprouts - That day at Union Square, I had the great good fortune to be there just in time for the food demo of Maple Glazed Brussels Sprouts. Someone in the crowd proudly showed us all the purple Brussels sprouts she had just picked up. We all ooh’d and aah’d. It was a special market moment. Then several us raced to the other side of the market and bought some. So beautiful raw, and delicious with a dab of maple syrup and butter.

Purple Onions - Flavorful and not too biting. Great raw on salads (and hot dogs too. Yeah, I said it).

Purple Kohlrabi - Nope, I had no idea what to do with a kohlrabi until I looked it up. It’s gorgeous, and apparently mildly sweet and delicious, and a member of the cabbage family. Any recipes?

From Van Houten Farms:

Purple Broccoli - Broccoli is already a Super Food, so I can only imagine that this even more deeply colored version is a vegetable Super Hero.

Rutabaga - Not fully purple, but purple enough and rich in vitamin C!

Get everything you need for a wonderful Thanksgiving at your local Greenmarket! Eat all you want, guilt free because it’s local, delicious, and nutritious. And I’ll meet you at the gym on Friday!

Video of the Day: The New Astoria Market & Yania Creations

Last weekend I headed up to see the new Astoria Market! I’m so happy to see Queens kicking it up a notch in the handmade world. The borough has wonderful food from all over the world, the glorious Jackson Heights Greenmarket, and apartments that are [relatively] affordable, and now they have the Astoria Market! Queens, you got it goin’ on!

The market takes place every Sunday in the large. wood-paneled auditorium inside Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden, the oldest beer garden in New York City. So if you’ve been there for some suds, now you can also enjoy shopping from a great selection of very talented artisans selling beautiful handmade jewelry, as well as other accessories, tee shirts, clothing, children’s toys, and a whole lot more.

I met up with Yania of Yania Creations, who makes colorful, beautiful jewelry using amthyst, garnets, citrines, pearls and other precious and semi-precious stones. Her sense of color is quite daring, with wonderful, bright combinations. I really love her work. Yania is also a member of The {NewNew} Artisan Group.

Definitely go visit the Astoria Market on Sundays from 12pm – 5pm! And when you’re done shopping, walk over to the beer garden to fondle all your new treasures.

The 2010 New York City Holiday Market Guide

Happy Holidays from Markets of New York City!!!

See you at the markets in 2011!!!

Totes To Make You LOL: Interview with Leslie Jowett Astor of Astorknot

Leslie Jowett Astor of Astorknot, Featured Vendor at the Brooklyn Craft Central Holiday Craft Market

Leslie Jowett Astor of Astorknot makes fun, vibrant, and somewhat irreverent appliqué tote bags, fusing brightly colored fabric on more brightly colored fabric. These are the totes you notice at the Greenmarket that make you actually LOL. I had the chance to ask her a few key questions.

Your totes strike a funny, ironic note. Where do you get your ideas? I have a deadpan sense of humor, and I get ideas from all over the place. My teenage nieces inspired the Text Message Totes. I’m amused by their Facebook postings, the way communicate such emotion with letters rather than words, like OMG and LOL. Pop culture is a source of inspiration.

Also, everyday stuff out of context just seems funny and maybe provocative. I like it when people on the subway start conversations about the tote bag I’m carrying. I have a friend who is a very busy mother, and knitting is her escape from the daily stress of being a parent. She inspired the tote that says, “I Knit So I Won’t Kill.”

Will you be bringing other items to the Brooklyn Craft Central Market? I only sell totes, but I’ve been playing around with other things. So I’ll be bringing some tote making kits. I sold them at The {NewNew}’s Crafts in Chelsea event, and people liked them. They are an non-intimidating way to do crafts with your kids, rather than filling your house with plastic toys. Of course, I have three sons, so my house is full of plastic toys.

Your Etsy bio says that you knew you wanted to be an artist when you received your first Crayola Caddy at age 7. What is your favorite crayon color and why? There are several new colors that are interesting, but I love the classic red crayon. Red and green are my favorite colors. Red is everywhere. Blood is red, and yet red can also be beautiful. Red is intimidating and soothing at the same time. I love red with everything. The classics never die.

Why did you choose tote bags as your artistic medium? Tote bags are another way of being expressive. Like it says on one of my totes, “Remember that you’re special just like everybody else.” I try to strike a balance between my creative life and my family life. It can be tough, but it’s so worthwhile.

You can find Leslie and her totes at these events:

Sunday, December 5th: Brooklyn Heights Synagogue Book & Craft Fair, where she’ll be selling custom challah covers.
Saturday, December 11th: Artscetera Pop Up Shop, 12 Smith Street, between Baltic and Butler Streets in Brooklyn
Sunday, December 12th: Astoria Market
Saturday & Sunday, December 18th & 19th: Brooklyn Craft Central Holiday Craft Market

Pick up a tote from Astorknot, and you’ll never want to leave home without it!

Photo of the Day – November 17, 2010: Marly Malone at the Hand Laundry

Marly Malone Sells Vintage Linens and Lace at the Park Slope Flea

It had been quite a while since I’d last been to the Park Slope Flea. So it was nice to go back and see all the great treasures there. It is a classic flea market in the playground of P.S. 321 in the heart of Park Slope in Brooklyn. I saw a lot of really great small things, from ceramic figures and old photographs to collectible glassware and beautiful vintage jewelry, including a beautiful brass mermaid pin that I totally regret not taking home with me. I should know better by now.

It was great to see Marly Malone at the Hand Laundry at the Flea. (Decades ago, her Brooklyn Brownstone housed a hand laundry, hence the name.) She sells a variety of new and vintage items. Her Brooklyn Bridge collection includes tea towels, sun catchers, and oven mitts with a drawing of the Brooklyn Bridge printed on them. She also sells Irish and Scottish jewelry and keepsakes, like Claddagh rings and silver Celtic knots. I personally love the vintage linen handkerchiefs and blouses, as well as her antique laces. Her antique silver baby spoons would be a perfect baby shower gift.

Visit Marly Malone at the Park Slope Flea or online at www.marlymalone.com.

Video of the Day: Clothing Designer Catherine Joseph at the One of a Kind Show

I went to the One of Kind Show and Sale in New York City this weekend and saw some fabulous design. I’m always enthusiastic about design and all things handmade, so trust me when I say that this show is a wealth of riches. I found my husband’s favorite clothing designer there, Catherine Joseph. She designs clothing for men in sumptuous, rich fabrics, including an updated, slimmer version of her very popular men’s shirt, which comes in check cashmere, Scottish lambswool, herringbone Donegal, and more. At the show, she is featuring her new one-of-a-kind women’s coats as well — warm, draping garments with extremely subtle, fine segments of small patches beautifully matched and masterfully stitched. Her wool and silk satin scarves are the perfect gift for men and women. Enjoy this video interview with Catherine as she shows us her designs and as I master my new video camera!

Check out Catherine Joseph and 200 others, all wonderful, all unique. Thursday through Sunday at the One of a Kind Show and Sale!

Photo of the Day + Recipe: Crispy Kale Chips!

Kale Chips - Tasty, Kale Chips - Crispy, Delicious and Healthy!

I’ll be honest: I’ve never cooked kale. I am embarrassingly unadventurous about my leafy greens, and not for any particular reason. Salad and spinach, and that’s about it. The funny part is that I do love greens, and I’ll order them at a restaurant. I just don’t cook with them. And there you have it.

However, all that changed today. This morning James and I were chatting with our friend and Abingdon Square Greenmarket Manager Craig Willingham, and he gave us this awesome recipe for kale chips. I’ve never met a chip I didn’t like (except for the fruity chutney ones in Africa, but that’s another story). And so I was inspired to give this recipe a whirl.

We raced back to Bhoditree Farms, but they were all sold out of kale. So we wandered over to the Manhattan Fruit Exchange at the Chelsea Market. We picked up a big, deep green bunch of kale and brought it home. I immediately washed the firm leaves and set about making these chips. Let me tell you, they were delicious! The texture is very delicate, and the flavor incredibly robust.

They’re great as a healthy, light, satisfying snack. I’m sure they’d also be a beautiful and delicious accompaniment to soups and salads too. Here’s how to make them:

Kale Chips

1 large bunch of kale
1 Tbs. of olive oil
Sea salt and pepper to taste.

Heat oven to 350°F.
Wash kale thoroughly and pat dry.
Tear the big leaves into chip-sized pieces, about 2″ x 2″.
Toss in a large bowl with olive oil until leaves are thoroughly coated, gleaming but not soaked.
Sprinkle salt and pepper and continue to mix.
Spread chips on a baking sheet, preferably with a Silpat. They can overlap, but it should be a single layer.
Bake for 20 minutes or until crisp.
Remove from oven and eat up!

Enjoy!