Recipe: Tuscany 2006 Journal Entry #1

Well, here we go again, for anyone interested in joining us vicariously as we eat our way thru NY and Tuscany!

Saturday, March 18th

Off to Tuscany again!

New York City Arrival

It's so nice to see someone standing in the baggage claim with your name on a sign after a long flight across the country! During the hour drive from Islip to our B&B room in the Upper East Side, our driver pointed out Shea stadium and the site of the World's Fair that I attended with my father when I was 8 years old. We had located the room online thru a B&B room broker called Manhattan Getaways. It is in a very nice apartment building with a doorman. The hosts are gone until the tomorrow. The healthy pizza place, Slice, that I researched online is just across the street and we plan to try it out tomorrow. Tonight we eat at the Chinese restaurant also just across the street, Hunan Balcony. DH says it's the best Pu-Pu Platter he has ever had, the shrimp toast is the highlight. I ordered Vegetable Mu-Shu and DH shared it with me. It was also very, very good.
Back to the room for a shower, some TV and sleep. Our quarters are actually two rooms, a sitting/reading/TV room and the bedroom with a queen bed. Our private bath is right across the hall. Very comfortable.

Sunday, March 19th

New York City Exploration

Breakfast items had been left out for us by our hosts before they left for the weekend. Croissants in the refrigerator, some cereals, fruit, milk, juice, etc. I stick to my oatmeal, saving up for the food in Italy! We walked to church 6 blocks away. Very good male soloist sings the words from Isaiah 40: "He shall feed his flock like a shepherd; he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his boson, and shall gently lead those that are with young." Makes me think of the flocks of sheep on the rolling hills of Tuscany where we are headed!

After church, we lunch at Viand's, another place I researched on the internet. A bowl of chicken noodle soup for me and a tomato and cheese sandwich for DH. Then we walk to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Coat check what a concept for folks from Arizona! We enjoyed the Egyptian reinstallation. Massive tomb parts, over 36, 000 objects, too much to see in one day. Is there ANYTHING left in Egypt? The Arms and Armor exhibit is also very interesting. DH enjoys the seeing the evidence of the talent of the blacksmiths of that time. The reposse work is incredible! We try to stop and have some wine at a wine bar, but when we walk in they inform us they are closed.

We instead have a couple slices of wonderful pizza at Slice. Wheat crust, kalamata olives and caramelized onions with marinara for me and a bruschetta, (wheat crust, sun dried tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, olive oil and red onion) pizza for DH. The wheat crusts are nice and thin. They also offer unbleached herb, spelt or rice crusts.

While walking we spy a Cardigan Corgi and I get lonesome for our dog. When I ask if I can pet the dog however, the owner advises that she is, "snappish", so I don't. Nice to see one though.

Our hosts arrive home with their two dogs, right after us though, so I get a "dog fix". Very nice people (and dogs).

Head out for dinner after some reading, journaling and TV. Decide to try Mo's Caribbean Mexican Grill. Share a jerk chicken dish. Spices taste a lot like the ones we had in Virgin Gorda, BVI years ago. The chicken came with fried plantain chunks, black beans and yellow rice. I think of Gladys while we enjoy the food.

Hit Maggie Moos for ice cream for DH. Udderly Cream with Teddy Grahams crushed up in it. Stop at a wine store for a bottle of Montepulcino red. Enjoy a glass back at the apartment.

Monday March 20th

Big Day in NY

Took the bus to the Empire State Building using a metro card suggested by our host. Lines aren't too bad at all. Little boy in one of elevators is stuck in the back and I worry he can't breath we are so packed in! In the next elevator the fur collar on someone's jacket ends up in my mouth! Very, very windy on the 89th floor observation deck. DH can hardly stand up against it! Cold, cold, but what a view, to say the least. On the back of the ticket is an advertisement for BH camera store. DH has been wanting a new one, so we check out this HUGE well-run electronics store. DH finds a buy and is very happy. We see Macy's on the corner and figure we HAVE to go in. Eat in the basement at the wonderful farmer's market/gourmet cafeteria. Wonderful lentil soup and hard roll for me. DH has a buffalo chicken pizza. We share oatmeal raisin cookies for dessert. Head to St. Patrick's cathedral. Beautiful, beautiful, and then some. Check out Crate and Barrel (mostly for the bathroom) and try out a $2000 leather recliner just my size. See a Peeps candy store, haven't seen one of those before! Devoted totally to the Peeps marshmellow candies! Walk by Hammacher Schlemmer and some of Donald Trump's buildings.

For dinner we try to find Bella Donna restaurant that we saw in a guidebook, but it's no longer there. Find a place called Maruzzella Ristorante. DH has Costolette Di Miale, grilled pork chops saut ed in red wine and mushrooms. I have Petto Di Pollo Alla Senape, breast of chicken encrusted with mustard seeds saut ed in white wine and lemon. Very, very good. Need to see if there's a recipe on recipe link for it when we get home! Yum!

Try to find a bakery for DH on the way home, but the one the waiter told us about is just closing. Rest didn't have anything that DH couldn't resist. Then just before the apt we find a place with carrot cake for him and a fat-free sugar-free corn muffin for me. (not wonderful and we don't waste the calories and fat grams finishing them when we get them back to the apartment). Have a glass of wine and discuss choices with the hosts of transportation to the airport tomorrow. Settle on a car service they like. Driver will pick us up at 2:30pm tomorrow. Flight is at 6pm. Alitalia. We'll see the butterfly observatory in the morning at the Natural History Museum. Now we finish re-packing. Yippee! Off to Italy tomorrow!