Seasonal Food Finder

Just a quick post about a cool feature on Epicurious.com

Here in Toulon, it’s easy to figure out what is in season.  There’s a farmers market 6 days a week here.  Every time I walk through the market, there’s one item that seems to be at every stand.  Whatever it is will be cheap and beautiful.  By the next week, it might be hard to find anyone selling that vegetable at all. 

In American grocery stores, finding what’s in season can be a little trickier- since the produce section at Safeway sells basically the same items year round. If it’s not in season, they’ll truck it in from somewhere it is or find a green house or warehouse that still has it. America might be defined by the availability of tomatoes in December or Pumpkins in July.  Still, your best value and best quality can be had by knowing what is at it’s peak.

A lot of food websites will suggest general things like “Summer means Strawberries”, but the US is just too big for that kind of broad advice. Summer might mean strawberries in California, but it probably means something else entirely in Maine.

Enter my new favorite seasonal veggie finder. I love it.  Thought I’d share.

Spoiler Alert: Where I’m Buying You’re Next Christmas Gift

Delight.com is a site I stumbled across while shopping for Anne last Christmas. This store/blog quickly became my favorite site for unique, boutiquey, eco-friendly and design conscious stuff. The first person reviews from their staff add a much needed curatorial voice to the flood of products available on sites like Etsy. I’ve now seen several of the items they sell in real life and I am consistently impressed with their quality. And their prices are surprisingly reasonable for the kind of products they sell. It’s Design Within Reach except it’s actually within reach.

The list of people receiving gifts from me this year might be rather low (you know, like the balance in my checking account) .  However, it’s safe to say, if you are getting a gift from me this year, it’s probably going to come from Delight.com.

Envirosax-cess?

I’m sure I’ll experience some culture shock when I return to the United States, but in at least one way, my home country is becoming a little more French. No, the ban on unpasteurized cheese has not been lifted, but, like France, more and more US cities are going the plastic bag-less route. Everyone in Toulon walks around the city with colorful bags of a different sort. Big wicker baskets overflowing with produce from our outdoor market, reusable bags from Carrefour (think France’s answer to K-Mart, but complete with canned duck and 30 kinds of bread), and the utilitarian canvas tote. Customers here do all their own bagging and have for years.

For those of you living in San Francisco, Seattle, or other cities where plastic bags are taxed or unavailable, let me recommend Envirosax . If you live elsewhere, these might just inspire you to go plastic free on your own.

V: Vanderbilt Avenue

I’ve been a frequent rider of the 69 bus, which traverses Vanderbilt Avenue, for the past 2 years. The section between Grand Army Plaza and Atlantic Avenue in Prospect Heights is constantly evolving. There’s an interesting mixture of old and new–a faded ad for Brooklyn BBQ is painted on the side of a building right next to a tiny French cafe. It’s a beautiful, brownstone-y stretch of blocks, and one ripe for visiting. Next time you’re in the area, get off the bus and take a stroll.

Beer for Bags

Alright, this deserves a quick interruption of the Brooklyn alphabet–this weekend New Yorkers can trade cases of beer for bags. Crumpler bags (which makes sturdy messenger and computer carry-alls) is taking beer barters instead of money. The phenomenon is fully explained on their website and in this New York Times article. Basically, they set the price, (2 cases of x beer for y bag, for exampe) and you do the rest. Apparently, buying with beer saves around 40-50%. Plus, by purchasing a bag, you get invited to the after party where the beer is imbibed. If you’re in the market for a new laptop holder or camera case, I say check it out.

A: Artez’n

Artez’n is a fun gallery/store/studio on Atlantic Avenue between Nevins and Bond. It’s the perfect place to go when you need a creative Brooklyn gift–you’ll find everything from t-shirts silk screened with sketches of Coney Island mermaids to beer glasses imprinted with the Grand Army Plaza Arch. Almost all of the pieces are made by artists in Brooklyn, and for such unique items, the prices are very reasonable. For Christmas I bought my mom an “eau de Brooklyn” soap set, and I’ve got my eye on a tote bag printed with a Brooklyn map.

There’s also a nice selection of locally made prints, paintings, and sculptures. Instead of reusing that poster leftover from college, support a local artist and decorate with something original. At Artez’n, it won’t even cost you that much more.

And if you’re creative yourself, Artez’n might sell your work on consignment. Fill out an application and see.

Artez’n is located at 444 Atlantic Avenue and is open 7 days a week from 11am-7pm.

I’ll Only Buy a Book for the Way it Looks

I want to make a quick plug for Manhattan’s McNally Robinson bookstore. I went there last night for a reading, (check out their calendar, they have some interesting ones) and my friend Michelle showed me the sale area downstairs. Truly a bookworm’s paradise! I love the Strand, but while they have some heavily discounted books, a lot aren’t much cheaper than what you’d find on Amazon.

McNally Robinson’s sale area is different. There were hundreds of titles, many hardcover, by writers I love, like Paul Auster, Jonathan Lethem, and Zadie Smith, and by ones I’ve been meaning to read. All books are around 50% off list price. The books look new, so they’re probably overstocks. Look out for travel guides and big art books from Taschen, too. A perfect place for finding your next subway read or a gift.

McNally Robinson’s is located at 52 Prince Street (between Lafayette and Mulberry).

Airfare Made Easy

This comes from a hotel room in Chicago, so I thought I’d post our first travel entry. We plan on talking a lot about travel deals on this blog. In general, those deals don’t come on airplanes, but sometimes air travel is unavoidable.

Most travel websites focus on travel packages or travelers with very specific schedule restraints. This sort of travel works well for business travelers and families planning vacations. Those of us in the post college set will usually take a cheap late night flight and a friend’s futon over even a moderately priced airline-hotel package. Two websites cater to the cheapest among us, one you probably know about and one you probably don’t.

These are a few of my Favorite Things

When I first moved to New York, a co-worker took me aside and gave me some advice

“There are three things you need in New York to be happy,” she said. “You’ll try to get by without them for a while, but believe me, they will improve your quality of life like nothing else.”

Her three miracle objects?