Shave-Ice האָבל-אײַז

OMG shaved ice! When was the last time? I don’t even remember. You see, this is why you have to stay in New York all summer, even when the heat index is 108.

The shaved ice man uses a small hand-plane to scrape the ice block,

Then the back of the plane forms the ice-needles into a perfect cone when he scoops it into a cup,
and pours on the syrup. I chose tamarindo. Tam-gan-eydn-arindo!

I wish I could have made a sound file of the ice-planing process, because a large part of the pleasure of having the shave-ice is hearing the khromtshe, khromtshe, khromtshe of the plane scraping across the ice-block.
The Yiddish word for shave-ice is האָבל-אײַז (hobl-ayz), or plane-ice

Intriguing Street Names of New York Part VI

Troon Road, Jamaica Estates, Queens

I took a ride to the farthest-out reaches of our farthest-out borough yesterday and came upon Troon Road. This word makes me thing of small, furry and highly intelligent space aliens, but it is in fact the Dutch word for throne, appropriately enough for Queens.
I still get lost trying to find my way back from Queens, but I have learned one thing. If you come to a sign that says "Welcome to Great Neck," you are going the wrong way, unless of course you live in Great Neck, in which case welcome home.
If you find yourself in these parts, don't miss the mango pudding at Buddha Bodai.

Are You Discriminant?

Kostas Cleaners, East 33rd Street, Manhattan

More Edible Adjectives

Since I got back from Kentucky, I have been looking around for edible adjectives. There is a restaurant called Good on Greenwich Avenue, and one in Midtown called Artisanal. Miriam recalled a bakery chain called Hot and Crusty. Have a look at other comments here. Fiddlin’ Lew reminds me offline that the stuff you get at an appetizing store (smoked fish, dried fruits, candy, and nuts) is referred to collectively as “appetizing,” as in “I’m going out for appetizing.”

Here is Moyshe Nadir's poem "Adjectives" Translation pending. As soon as I do everything else.

Leviticus

Rivington Street between Clinton and Suffolk, Lower East Side, Manhattan

Intriguing Street Names of New York Part III

Verveelen Place

Kingsbridge, Bronx

Apricot Confection with Pistachios

These are from Mansoura Middle Eastern Bakery, 515 King's Highway Brooklyn. The apricot paste is face-scrunchingly sour and centrifugal with fruitiness. The blanched pistachios are very fresh and vivid. The sweetness and sourness of this candy somehow stay completely separate, not melding into any recognizable sweet-and-sour combination. A real Steeplechase ride for the palate.

זאָגט'ץ אָפּ פֿאַרטױביעכץ

BQE and Belt Parkway, Bay Ridge, Brooklyn

זאָגט'ץ אָפּ פֿאַרטױביעכץ, זײַט'ץ מקבל־באַהבֿה טעפּעכער

אָפּזאָגן
Opzogn To fire, abjure, get rid of, say no to

פֿאַרטױביעכץ
Fartoybyekhts narcotics

מקבל־באַהבֿה זײַן
Mekabl-be-ahave zayn to accept with love, say yes to

טעפּעך
tepekh carpet, rug

Intriguing Street Names of New York Part II

Old New Utrecht

Boro Park, Brooklyn

Intriguing Street Names of New York Part I

Gravesend Neck
Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn

Not as grim as it sounds. "Gravesend" means "the count's beach (graf's send)"

Hot Bird

Dean Street near Vanderbilt Avenue, Brooklyn. I like the “four blocks back” bit.

OK--It's Enough Already with the Resolutions. Come Into Eisenberg's and Get On With Your Life!

Sign outside Eisenberg's Sandwich Shop on 5th Avenue and 22nd Street, and, incidentally, my second-ever online self-portrait (here's the first). Where's the chocolate lady?

ETA: While one of the reviews on the site to which I linked describes the menu as "kosher comfort food," Eisenberg's, while a very good neighbor and a venerable landmark, is not a kosher establishment, and I do not mean to suggest that it is.

Flat-Bottomed Whisk

The preparation of this vanilla pudding I made last week, and of the sauce Mornay for the purple potato gnocchi I am making this week were both rendered much easier that they have been in the past by my nifty little flat-bottomed spiral whisk. It leaves no corner unstirred. And I am not unaware that the season for hot cocoa and hot chocolate is right around the corner, am I now? I got mine at The Peppermill on 16th Avenue in Boro Park; they will dunk it for you right there in the store, if you like.
The Peppermill
5015 16th Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11204

מײערן אײַז קרעם Carrot Ice Cream

מיט אַ פּאָר טעג צוריק בין איך געפֿאָרן אַדורך פּראַספּקט פּאַרק אין ברוקלין און זיך אָפּגעשטעלט בײַ אַ יאַריד פֿון אַפֿריקאַנער קונסט און קולטור. דאָרטן האָב איך זיך באַקענט מיטן באַרימטן אײַז קערם מבֿין אַל דוראַנט. מיר איז געװען שװער אױסצוקלײַבן נאָר אײן טיפּ אײַז קרעם, אָבער איך בין געװען שטאַרק צופֿרידן מיטן מײערן אײַז קרעם װאָס איך האָב ענדלעך באַשטעלט. אין באַנד 1,קאַפּיטל 19 פֿון מלחמה און שלום מאַכט מאַריאַ דעמיטריאָװנאַ אַ װיץ אַז זי װעט דערלאַנגען מײערן אײַז קרעם, אַ דעזערט װאָס האָט דעמאָלט עקזיסטירט נאָר אין װיצן. דוראַנץ אײַז קרעם אָבער איז אַן אמתער און געשמאַקער מאכל, אָן איבעריקע געװירצן. דער פֿרישער טעם איז נאָר פֿון מאײערן און קרעם. װאָס קען דאָך בעסער זײַן?

“You won’t ask,” Natasha’s little brother was saying; “I know you won’t ask!”

“I will,” replied Natasha.

Her face suddenly flushed with reckless and joyous resolution. She half rose, by a glance inviting Pierre, who sat opposite, to listen to what was coming, and turning to her mother:

“Mamma!” rang out the clear contralto notes of her childish voice, audible the whole length of the table.

“What is it?” asked the countess, startled; but seeing by her daughter’s face that it was only mischief, she shook a finger at her sternly with a threatening and forbidding movement of her head.

The conversation was hushed.

“Mamma! What sweets are we going to have?” and Natasha’s voice sounded still more firm and resolute.

The countess tried to frown, but could not. Marya Dmitrievna shook her fat finger.

“Cossack!” she said threateningly.

Most of the guests, uncertain how to regard this sally, looked at the elders.

“You had better take care!” said the countess.

“Mamma! What sweets are we going to have?” Natasha again cried boldly, with saucy gaiety, confident that her prank would be taken in good part.

Sonya and fat little Petya doubled up with laughter.

“You see! I have asked,” whispered Natasha to her little brother and to Pierre, glancing at him again.

“Ice pudding, but you won’t get any,” said Marya Dmitrievna.

Natasha saw there was nothing to be afraid of and so she braved even Marya Dmitrievna.

“Marya Dmitrievna! What kind of ice pudding? I don’t like ice cream.”

“Carrot ices.”

“No! What kind, Marya Dmitrievna? What kind?” she almost screamed; “I want to know!”

Marya Dmitrievna and the countess burst out laughing, and all the guests joined in. Everyone laughed, not at Marya Dmitrievna’s answer but at the incredible boldness and smartness of this little girl who had dared to treat Marya Dmitrievna in this fashion.

In War and Peace, Marya Dmitrievna, driven to the end of her carrot by Natasha, jokes that dessert will be carrot ice cream (Book I, chapter 19). Al Durant’s fresh and sunny carrot ice cream, unmasked by extra spices, is no joke, but real and delicious. I came upon Mr. Durant and his ice cream at a fair in Prospect Park, and he also has a shop.

Flavors Ice Cream and Bakery
761 Flatbush Ave
Brooklyn, NY
718-462-5575

Alice!

Look who dropped by Union Square last Friday!
I do hope you enjoyed your visit to New York, Alice, and were not too startled by the enthusiastic greetings of wild-eyed bloggers.
Whatever.

עסן אין מזרח־דערפֿל

אױף דער 8טער גאַס האָב איך נעכטן געזען אַ פֿיר־שטאָקיקע װערבע. אַזױ שײן! װי האָבן זײ דאָס געמאַכט? מיר געפֿעלט באַזונדערס װי זײ האָבן אַזױ שײן געשניטן די גזשיבע (די גריװקע).

אױף מזרח 3טער גאַס זענען צװײ נײַע אינטערעסאַנטע רעסטאַוראַנען. אײנער פֿון דער אַלטער טראַדיציע פֿונעם מזרה דערפֿל, „דער מאַמענס הײמישע עסן“, . . .

און אײנער פֿון דער נײער, „נאַש־'נאָטער”.

פֿיר־שטאָקיקע װערבע
Four-story willow

די גזשיבע, די גריװקע
bangs

Williamsburg Bound

The bicycle and pedestrian path on the Williamsburg Bridge has these vivid pink transverse beams. Of course, I want to make a salad about this view. I would use these radishes, of course, but what else? Lavender?

Pillow Blocks?

Acme Leather Belting Co. Broadway and Lorimer Street, Williamsburgh, Brooklyn.

עגראָל און עגקרים

זונטיק האָב איך געזען די דזונדזע־מאַכערקעס אױף דער עלדרידזשער גאַס. געגאַנגען בין איך אין

„Egg Rolls and Egg Creams” פֿעסטיװאַל פֿונעם עלדרידזשער־גאַס פּרױעקט דאָרטן האָב איך פֿאַרזיוכט סײַ פֿון די „עגראָל“ סײַ פֿון די „עגקרים.“

איך בין נישט מסכּים מיט זײער עגקרים רעצעפּט.

װי עץ זעט'ץ, מישן זײ אױס די מילך מיטן שאָקאָלאַדן סירעפּ אײדער זײ גיסן אַרײַן דאָס זעלצער־װאַסער, מאַכן זײ אַ ברױנעם שױם.

צו מאַכן אַן עכטן עגקרים זאָל מען בעסער אַרײַנגיסן אין גלאָז שאָקאָלאַדער סירעפּ, און נאָך דעם די מילך, און נאָך דעם דאָס זעלצער־װאַסער, און נאָך דעם זאָלמען אױסמישן די פּינע זאָל בלײַבן װײַס.

While I had a wonderful time at the Egg Roll and Egg Cream festival of the Eldridge Street Project, I cannot endorse their egg cream recipe, in which you mix milk a chocolate syrup together before adding the soda, producing a brown foam.

To make a proper egg cream

add chocolate syrup to the glass first, then milk, and then seltzer, and mix with short sharp strokes to produce a white crown.

Folks are still saying that you need Fox’s U-bet to make egg creams, but Fox’s has not really been Fox’s for years since it has been made with high fructose corn syrup. I don’t know what to advise you—I might try making my own syrup.

Zongzi (Zòngzi ) Al Fresco

Yesterday I happened upon these ladies enjoying the mild weather by preparing zongzi (zong4zi) outdoors on Eldridge Street, and they very graciously allowed me to photograph the process. Zòngzi are made of sticky rice wrapped in bamboo leaves (although outer leaves of corn husks can serve admirably, making a zongzi-tamale hybrid) and filled with sweet red bean paste, or red dates (jujubes), or chestnuts, or, in this case, peanuts (and some folks use meat).

Zongzi are now available all year round, but they are especially suited to this time of year, when we celebrate the Dragon Boat festival in honor of Qū Yuán (Qu1 Yuan2), a poet and activist of the Zhou Dynasty. Zongzi commemorate the rice dumplings thrown into the river by Qu’s supporters after his death by drowning (It is sort of like tashlikh תּשליך. ) The rice is intended to feed the fish, not to feed the poet, as I incorrectly understood when first my valiant students attempted to explain the celebration.

The filling: seasoned raw sticky rice and peanuts
The wrappers: bamboo or other suitable leaves
Take two leaves and form a cone, just as if you were making a paper cone for piping chocolate.
Fill the cone halfway and tamp filling into the tip with a chopstick.
Fill up the rest of the cone and tamp the filling with your thumb.
Fold up the top to close the cone,
and tie it up with a bit of string.
The zongzi will need to be boiled or steamed for about three hours. See recipes here, and here.
See Sweetnicks for other healthy streetside surprises!