Clinton St & Bay St, Red Hook, Brooklyn

I’ve been meaning to make my way to the much touted row of South American food trucks that line the Red Hook Ballfields for a long time. Too bad my stomach is squished into a little ball, making a true exploration of the cuisine difficult. I did however, manage an incredibly refreshing fresh watermelon juice from Victor and Ana’s Blended Wonders and a jalapeno and cheese stuffed pupusa from the Salvadorian El Olomega.

A pupusa is a thick corn tortilla filled with cheese and other goodies (Mike and Jim opted for a flavorful pork). It’s grilled and served hot with curtido (pickled cabbage) and onions. It was my first time with the dish and I can count myself quite a fan. We shared salty fried plantains from the same vendor. A creamy, spiced Horchata also from El Olomega was Jim’s refreshment of choice.

The vendors are open until October, so you still have a few more days to try authentic, amazing food you’re unlikely to find elsewhere. I hope I can make it back again this season to try more of the offerings.

Click here for the rest of Red Hook Ballfields

See more: Restaurants Food Trucks Red Hook South American

Be the first to leave a comment →
Posted on September 12, 2010

Primary Elections

If you’re registered with a party, make sure you get out Tuesday to vote in the primary! I love voting and find the less flashy elections give your vote more credence and power since, sadly, so few people turn out for them.

It’s disappointing how few people are up on politics and lack a desire to be part of the process. I have to say though, the lack of concise, unbiased, easy to find information about the candidates is a shame and makes the voting process less appealing to many. I spent the better part of a morning doing research once I could find the information about what I would even be voting on (our city’s website is messy at best).

This election we will also be using an entirely new voting system. I was initially excited until I heard about the major flaws. The font is supposed to be fairly minuscule (so bring your glasses) and if you accidentally over vote the scanning machine will greet you with the confusing option of casting or not casting. You do not want to cast – instead get a new ballot if you want all of your votes counted.

As a registered democrat, there are a few exciting competitions. I am most passionate about the one for State Committee. Lincoln Restler and Kate Zidar, who have reached out to our community are a breath of young, fresh air up against a tired machine. They are enthusiastic, environmental, and I fully endorse them. In other races, I am voting against Gillibrand, might stay with incumbent Lentol, and am not decided yet on perhaps the biggest and most up in the air race for Attorney General though I am leaning towards Schneiderman or Rice. If you have the power, I’d appreciate a vote against Pedro Espada Jr. and Hiram Monserrate.

See more: Spend a Couple Minutes Local Politicians

Be the first to leave a comment →
Posted on September 12, 2010

airing on Sundance

When I am away Jim eats bad Chinese take out, when Jim’s not around, I watch documentaries about fashion. Lucky for me, Sundance has been airing (and has available on demand) their behind the scenes series, The Day Before all this week in honor of New York Fashion Week. It’s an interesting if cursory look at the hectic day leading up to major designer’s runway shows. It reveals what anyone who has worked in the industry or knows people who do knows: that it takes a team of many to make a collection, that that team is like a family (truly the most glamorous part of a high stress fashion job – not the celebrities in my opinion), that it’s a lot of hard work and there are always upheavals at the last minute and not enough time to do everything with your sanity in tact. Perfectionist Narciso Rodriguez highlights this hair pulling reality the most. Other designers featured are Diane Von Furstenberg, Donatella Versace, Alexander Wang, Peter Copping for Nina Ricci, and Jeremy Scott.

Click here for the rest of The Day Before

See more: TV Shows Documentary Style

Be the first to leave a comment →
Posted on September 12, 2010

from Food Network

I am always intimidated to make a restaurant favorite, especially one as seemingly complex and delicate as Bahn Mi. But.. if the recipe changes things up a bit like this Vietnamese Bistro Burger, I am more up to the challenge. These are so good, Mike said I could win some sort of Food Network challenge with them.. except that I got the recipe from Food Network Ultimate Recipe Showdown. One more time that Asian flavor, ground pork and I get along swimmingly.

See more: Recipes Burgers Pork Vietnamese

Be the first to leave a comment →
Posted on September 12, 2010

by Jim Thompson (1957)

Even a lesser work by Jim Thompson is great fun to read. It is with reluctance that I admit Wild Town falls into that category, especially with such a strong set up. Bugs is a life time loser, in and out of jail with a temper and a lust for women. He wanders to an oil boom town and in the employ of local rich man, Hanlon as a hotel detective. Lou Ford is the deceptively hayseed sheriff capable of great violence.

Of course, there are dames too: Hanlon’s loose young wife whose got her eye on Bugs, the seemlingly innocent hotel maid that can’t resist a strong man, and the goodhearted school teacher that seems like the image of perfection to Bugs. The characters are colorful, they just are left in one of Thompson’s most straight forward and least bleak plots.

I can’t give too much away without spoilers, but there’s a murder, blackmail, some missing money and double crossing, it’s just missing the bleak almost surrealism that brightens the best works by Thompson (see Hell of a Woman, The Killer Inside Me). Still, fans of noir could do much worse for quick and mostly satisfying summer reading.

See more: Books 1950s Mysteries Noir

Be the first to leave a comment →
Posted on September 5, 2010