Nancy's Pig Heaven

Beautiful cuts of perfectly cooked meat hanging in the kitchen window.

I just wanted to eat it all.

How I felt looking at the beautiful duck. Yum.

I wish we could afford the duck.

The tiny kitchen with a huge cutting board, marinated in juices from countless pieces of meat.

Cumumber and bok choy seasoned like kimchi.

Spicy Pork.

Lo mein with bean curd.

Nick, our dear friend Tessa and I went to a place called Nancy's Pig Heaven on the Upper East Side last night. The entrance to the restaurant had a quaint little country deck and, as we walked in, a very sweet, older Asian woman (who we later found out was Nancy, herself) greeted us. The restaurant was decorated in a funny mix of modern minimalism and old time country.

On the way to our seats, we passed a table filled with pig figurines and statues that reminded me of my Grandmother's house. I wish I had thought to get a picture. Past the pig table was a room decorated with large, modern, turquoise coloured lamps and past that was our seat in a paneled room painted pink with pigs all along the walls. I felt like I was back in Southern California.

Across form us was the kitchen where beautiful pieces of meat hung, waiting to be consumed.

We were not particularly adventurous on this trip. We ordered spicy pork and lo mein with bean curd. My favorite part was the appetizer which was cucumber seasoned (possibly fermented) with spices similar to those used on kimchi.

Here's their website.

Tea in the Park

This is probably what I would consider a perfect afternoon; a glass of tea and food outside. There isn't much that makes me as happy as being outdoors with my loved ones enjoying food together.

That little piece of deliciousness is a tiny turkey and pepperjack sammich from Whole Foods.

Lunch 05/12/2012

Yesterday, I had lunch at Tuck Shop in Chelsea Market. It's an Australian meat pie kiosk that one might not even notice. I had the pulled pork pie with their brussel sprouts and, of course, my (unsweetened, no water) black iced tea from Starbucks.

If you are hungry and happen to be in the neighborhood, try it out. It's delicious.

"Tiny Fish"

Flushing is one of my favorite parts of New York. It's a vast amalgamation of just about every Asian culture you can think of. Last year we went on a Flushing adventure (as we do from time to time and might do again on Monday) for my friend Jihae's birthday. She took us to an authentic Korean restaurant deep in one of the residential neighborhoods. The name, printed in small, red, Korean letters above the door, escapes me.

Jihae did the ordering since the servers spoke little, to no English. Because part of Korean cuisine is something called "on the house," the meal took up the entire table and was constantly being changed and added to. I'll post more pictures of the actual feast another time (Probably tomorrow).

What sticks out most in my mind was a small dish of what I thought was a fried mix of spices and nuts. Not until towards the end of the meal did I notice that they were fish. I'm not sure what species they were, when I asked Jihae their name she said "tiny fish." I'm thinking they may be a kind of sardine or anchovy (A reference to yesterday's post? Why yes! It is!).

They were delicious little salty fish with hints of rosemary, peanuts and Korean bbq sauce. Probably one of my favorite parts of the meal.

Apothicary Bottles

I remember the first time I tried Anchovies. My dad and brothers ordered a pizza with the little fellas as a topping (or perhaps they had the anchovies in the pantry?) and I did not want them anywhere near my mouth. I was less adventurous back then. I did try them, though. I expected them to be slimy and ultra fishy/gamey, but I was surprised by their saltiness, they did have a sea-like flavour, but it was more grainy than fishy. And I discovered I liked them. I discovered I liked a lot of things after that year.

I found these beautiful jars in our local Organic Market (which is surprisingly a lot cheaper than our normal grocery store). I did not buy them, but I assume these particular fellas are, in fact, slimy. I just thought they were so lovely and I love that the fillets look kinda like eyeballs.

On one of our walks recently, Nick and I found a tiny easel on sale for seven dollars at Michaels. Of course, we had to have it. I know, it's another banana slug. But I really wanted to break my little cutie in.
The painting itself is not finished, I still have to add some details to the body, but I think I kinda like it, so far.

A Few of My Favorite Things

I've mentioned before that I have a tendency towards obsession. One of my consistent obsessions is my love of the world, but being that I'm a twenty-something college student (and will be in school probably until my mid-thirties), I can't afford to travel. Instead, when I study a new culture or region, I buy jewelry from that area. Thankfully, New York has an endlessly diverse populous.

Some of my international pieces include hand strung necklaces on cord from Nigeria, a couple necklaces made of buffalo bone from India, a Celtic stag and raven skull, Himalayan rings, Indonesian earrings, Native American earrings, Tibetan bracelets... and so on. I also inherited some jewelery from my Great Grandmothers like Israeli prayer beads and Native American turquoise/silver necklaces.

Of course, my jewelry does not exclusively reflect my fascination with culture and the world, they are also a general representation of my various interests. Like insects, anatomy and various references to books.