by Evyn Block

It might seem like an odd concept: an uber cool shoe design company hosting a party for a running book that suggests that we all…go barefoot. But that’s exactly what happened last night at the Terra Plana store on Elizabeth Street. Owners Galahad Clark and designer Asher Clark threw a “Bar Fuss” (German for “barefoot”) party at their store, complete with grass, sod, and gravel textures for people to kick off their shoes and experience the ground beneath their feet. Christopher McDougall, author of the bestselling book “Born to Run”, signed copies and talked with wide-eyed running enthusiasts about his experiences living and running with Mexico’s Tarahumara Indians - the tribe of ultra-runners that complete 200 miles over a 2-day run, barefoot. McDougall, who ran from Penn Station to the event in the traditional Tarahumara sandal, said he discovered Vivo Barefoot shoes by Terra Plana when he was trying to find shoes that replicated his barefoot experience.  The shoes have an ultra thin (3mm) puncture resistant TPU sole that prevents the feel-good surface from wearing down. “Vivos are really a poor second best to going barefoot” Clark said in a typically self-deprecating British manner. But judging from the number of people walking around in their Vivos last night—it seems like there’s a whole new shoewear philosophy afoot.

What I’m…

Eating:          vinegary boquerones from DeSpana on Broome Street

Drinking:        cold Muller-Thurgau and interesting Cotes de Provence

and Cotes de Roussillon reds from Wine Therapy on Elizabeth Street

Reading:        Bangkok Days by Lawrence Osborne

Watching:      Wimbledon, non-stop

by Becca Brown

This year, my “gatherer” instinct kicked into high gear and I decided to start a garden.  What started as a window box expanded quickly and soon my boyfriend and I had10 tomato, 7 pepper, and 4 squash plants along with a variety of herbs and lettuces growing on our Brooklyn rooftop.

As many learned this morning, this is quite a trend right now – people in cities across the country are in it for reasons spanning from better health to tax breaks.  Personally, I was inspired by the hope that growing my own might save a buck or two and yield tastier veggies, and by the sheer challenge of seeing if I could make it through a growing season without killing the plants.  Up until now, there have only been three casualties – a result of hungry birds.  The whole experience has been much more fun and rewarding than I anticipated and I have learned a lot.

To garden, excellent spatial organization is necessary, and you need to be able to think ahead.  Plants grow – fast.  I had heard the phrase “re-potting” before but never quite realized just how big those cute little tomato seedlings from the greenmarket would get.  After many trips to the hardware store for more containers and dirt, they are finally settled in. 

I also learned – and this may sound obvious – that soil and water are very, very heavy.  Especially when carried up five flights of stairs.  For future growing seasons I think I’ll invest in one of those handy dandy hoses that attach to the bathtub and go up through a window.  For now, I’m hoping my biceps will start to resemble Michelle Obama’s. 

But all the labor does bear fruit eventually (or in this case, vegetable).  So far, we’ve eaten lots of lettuce – a mix of arugula, romaine and red leaf – which grows with surprising rapidity.  It is delicious and I swear you can taste the extra nutrients as you bite into the leaves.

This might seem like a lot of work for a few vegetables – and it is – but the work has turned into a relaxing routine.  We visit the plants on sunny mornings with cups of coffee and look out at the skyline: a little ritual that gives those days a quiet and peaceful start.  And at night, after a day of being a busy Bullfrog, I play my new favorite game, “count the tomatoes.”  So far, we are up to 38.

What I’m…

Eating:          Wild Brooklyn arugula

Drinking:        Dubonnet with garden herbs

Reading:        100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Listening To: lots of soul music

By Sarah M. Bender

With the official start of summer just a couple weeks away, I am gearing up for some fun in the sun.  I’m looking forward to lazy Sundays in the park, spontaneous trips to the beach or perhaps my most favorite summertime activity of all, Saturday afternoon cocktail hour.  Each weekend, when the weather is warm, my friends - Carly, Alexa, Lauren, Katie - and I, gather together to catch up, celebrate the sunshine and enjoy one another’s company.

Whether we’re sipping wine or blending up daiquiris, my friends and I take our Saturday afternoon cocktails very seriously. Among the group I’d have to say we have some talented home-bartenders: Carly shakes up a killer Dirty Martini; Lauren makes a delicious White Wine Sangria; Katie blends a refreshing Margarita; Alexa mixes a great Rum Punch; and I have been blessed with the ability to make a mean Mojito. I expertly muddle the mint with the sugar, add in the perfect amounts of club soda and premium rum and squeeze every last drop out of a lime – it’s an art – but also quite a process! That’s why this summer I’ll be using PURISTA Mojito Premium Cocktail Mix to make my Mojitos. 

PURISTA Mojito Premium Cocktail Mix is an all-natural blend of fresh Key lime juice, organic sugar cane juice, fresh mint leaves and filtered water with no preservatives and no artificial anything. By simply combining PURISTA with an equal part white rum and two parts club soda then garnishing with a few mint leaves, I'm able to whip up delicious Mojitos without breaking a sweat.

Cheers!

Purista Mojito

Add 6-8 mint leaves to a glass.

Squeeze 1 lime wedge and drop into glass

Fill glass with ice

Add equal parts PURISTA Mojito and premium white rum to fill half the glass

Quickly shake

Fill with club soda

Garnish with mint sprig and lime

What I'm...

Eating: Homemade quesadillas with spicy rice

Drinking: PURISTA Mojitos

Reading: The Allen Brothers Steaks catalog

Listening to: Lady GaGa

Watching: Jon & Kate Plus 8 (I'm addicted!)

By Valerie Zweig

We’ve waxed poetic before about oysters on this blog, the briny bivalves that many of us Bullfrogs rank amongst our favorite shellfish. As such, we jumped at the chance to accompany Mermaid Inn Chef Laurence Edelman and owner Danny Abrams on a field trip to learn about oysters, from bed to table.

Bright and early one morning, we (along with five of our friends) got into an awesome Sprinter van and settled in for the ride out to Widow’s Hole Oyster Farm in Greenport, New York, on Long Island’s North Fork.  Headed up by oyster mavens Mike and Isabelle Osinski, the farm supplies many of New York City’s top seafood restaurants, including BLT Fish, Le Bernardin, Gramercy Tavern and The Mermaid Inn.

Mike and Isabel, who fell into oyster farming about 10 years, are completely self-taught.  They started with just a few cages and now, seven years later, they will harvest over 250,000 oysters in their 5-acre radius.

 Mike hauling oysters

We jumped on the boat and Mike motored us out to examine cages that had been housing the growing oysters for approximately 18 months.  We hooked the winch to the cages and hauled them on board and Mike spilled the bivalves onto a table.  Fellow Bullfrog Katie and I gloved up and started sorting, discarding the dead oysters and selecting the ones that were big enough to bring to the restaurants (all under Mike’s direction, of course).  We got back to shore and helped count the oysters into the bags that Mike and Isabel would deliver to their clients the next day.

 Val and Katie sorting oysters on the boat

Did I mention food?  We hopped off the boat and Chef Laurence was cooking up a feast (see picture)!  Amidst delicious wines from Lenz Winery and VINe, a great wine bar out in Greenport, we dined on bursting grilled sausages,  salt and pepper ruby red shrimp, grilled lobster tails and asparagus with aioli, a fiery quinoa and a capricci pasta salad with tomatoes and eggplant.   And how could I forget oysters?  We ate TONS of them—grilled and topped with a brightly herbaceous salsa verde and raw with a squeeze of lemon and hint of sea water. 

Chef Laurence Manning the Grill

Katie and I even practiced shucking (although we couldn’t quite get the hang of shucking the “French” way – opening through the side – we preferred opening through the hinge at the back of the oyster).

 Valerie shucking oysters

This was an incredible experience and we left amidst promises (alright, us begging) to return to help Mike and Isabel work the oyster harvest again soon!

Some things we learned about oysters

·         Rate of flow x density of algae = growth of oysters

·         Oysters are a natural water filter:  one adult oyster can clean between 20-30 gallons of water a day

·          The cages also act an artificial reef , providing habitat for baby local fish including bluefish, striped bass and even  dogfish

·         Click here to learn about movements to restore Manhattan as the ‘Big Oyster’ and bring the beds back to the city.  

What I’m...

Eating: Oysters at The Mermaid Inn and Marea

Drinking: the sexy cocktails at new FiDi restaurant SHO Shaun Hergatt [SHO Passion Martini: Passion fruit puree, rum and chili]

Listening to:  Eddie Money radio on Pandora.com

Reading:  Free Food for Millionaires by Min Jin Lee