Posts Tagged ‘Rockaway’

There’s been a lot of talk around town about those gelatinous blobs floating in the water up at Riis Park and elsewhere. A couple of weeks back I was swimming with friends and they were suspended in every inch of the water close to shore. It felt weird against our skin but that didn’t deter our swim. Although it’s all we could talk about as we were bobbing around, trying to cool off in the water. Our first thought was baby jellyfish. But that just seemed too simple. And the […]

I feel overwhelmed by the masses coming to Rockaway the past few weeks. Last summer it was calm in comparison, due to the pandemic. The garbage, the parking situation, and the dunes problem have been upsetting. Before I scare you off though, I’d like to say,  I’m not using this forum to complain. This is not Facebook!  I’ve been thinking about it and I want to share some of the positives I came across relating to these local issues. The Garbage: A few Mondays ago I went down to the beach […]

My friend Matt Johnson stopped by to borrow a blow dryer to fix a window screen. (Yes, it’s actually a thing). As a thank you, Matt brought over homemade clafoutis. What is clafoutis? I didn’t know either until I took a bite of this decadent French pastry. The dessert is traditionally made with black cherries and placed in a shallow, buttered baking dish. It is then covered with a thick flan-like batter and topped with powdered sugar and butter. It’s served lukewarm and sometimes with cream. Matt’s been baking all […]

I saw Rockaway Rod walking his dog on the boardwalk. He waved and smiled at me. His hair was in full Rod Stewart form. That is a good sign! Spring is here and the kids are in the skate park with the bluetooths blasting. Friends are on the beach with blankets and boards. The boardwalk was crowded over the weekend with people walking, biking and enjoying the warmer temperatures. I started cleaning up my front garden. My daylilies are breaking through the soil. The crocuses have sprung in the Beach […]

I took a dip in the ocean last Sunday. As one would guess, it was quite cold. The temperature read 41 degrees. It was windy. I loved it. Artist Riitta Ikonen is the organizer of Sea Changes, the Rockaway winter swim initiative I participated in. Sea Changes is part of a global program curated by FLOCK to connect friends, family, community and strangers during our global pause. It is offered with support from the arts and cultural organization, Nordic Culture Fund and Nordic Culture Point, a cultural arts grant program. The FLOCK website reads: “Ikonen […]

Did you know that Claudette Flatow of Cuisine by Claudette (CBC) has a cooking show on Youtube? It premiered three weeks ago. It’s called Cooking With Claudette. The episodes teach you how to create delicious recipes like a pro — vegan ones too! Claudette is happy to share her cooking secrets and tips on the show, and one of the first things you learn is that it’s all about prep, technique and practice. Besides being instructive, the episodes are downright hilarious. In Episode 1: Moroccan Roasted Stuffed Peppers, Claudette is wearing an apron that […]

This past Sunday I attended a sweet event choreographed and performed by Michelle Amara Micca. It was held at the handball court on 77th Street. I didn’t quite know what to expect when I arrived. There were four stations set up with coolers, ice cream, cones and sprinkles. Micca (she goes by her last name) sat in a chair. The music began. After about 30 seconds, an audience member made an ice cream cone, walked up to her and put it upside down on her head. She slowly got out […]

A few tree-related items have popped up this week and I thought it would be worth sharing. The first is both frustrating and hilarious. I got an email from 311 in response to a request I submitted to the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation on June 22, 2018. Yes, that’s 2 years ago?? “Thank you for your street tree planting request. Pending inspection for utility conflicts, we have determined this to be a suitable location for a new tree. The next update is due within 180 days. We’ll notify […]

I had the exciting opportunity to collaborate on a design project for The Beach 91st Street Community Garden. For over a year, I’ve been eager to redesign our garden site map but haven’t had the time. I put an email out to my fellow community garden members to see if any creatives were interested in volunteering. Member Walter Meyer responded and introduced me to Diana Erazo, who he taught at Parsons New School and subsequently hired as an intern at his company, Local Office Landscape & Urban Design (LOLA). Some […]

Last week, I felt uneasy about my column on chives, given all that’s going on. I needed some time to process. I ended up rewriting this column for this week three times. It just doesn’t feel okay for me to write about gardening or cooking right now. Our whole nation is in crisis. The killing of George Floyd on May 25th and the conversation about the resulting protests for justice and equality has entered every household in America, including mine. These hard discussions often take place around the dinner table. […]