5 Things

5 happy moments from the last working week:

1. Discovering Sweetgreen's app. Lunchtime lifesaver.

2. The most beautiful golden misty morning in Prospect Park. Kicking myself for not having my phone with me to take a photo. But there was something quite magical about having that moment for just the moment, and not being able to share it with anyone.

3. The West Wing. Top telly watching.

4. B finishing his exams. Finally. And bubbles to celebrate.

5. Charcoal crusted pizza with a long lost British friend.

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China Town Explorations

New York's China Town is ever expanding. Little Italy has been reduced to just one street as Chinese shops, markets, restaurants, banks, and homes gobble up the rest of its real estate. But its rapid growth, doesn't seem to ease its busyness, its chaotic movements, its endless noise, and the vast quantities of people filling its streets. The only time I've passed through China Town and it's been empty was at 7.30am on a Saturday when I was out running down an eerily deserted Canal street.

B has finally finished his exams, so we've regained our weekends. This means we can resume spending our Saturdays exploring this crazy city we not-so-recently moved to, but still really don't know nearly as well as we knew London by the time we left, despite our best efforts. I get stopped and asked for directions in the street a lot: I'm really not the right person to be asking. I'm about as clueless as every tourist glued to their over-sized map wearing their I HEART NY tops.

Anyway, enough rambling. What I'm trying to say is today we went to explore China Town. It was as crazy as we had guessed it might be on a Saturday afternoon. We weaved in and out of the locals, the bikes, the cars, the delivery trucks, as we dived in and out of food shops, gazed at the ducks hanging in restaurant windows, tried to pluck up the courage to get closer to that bucket full of frogs (I'm terrified of anything slimy, frogs included, so getting that photo took quite a lot of courage), and bought more steamed buns from the Golden Steamer than we will possibly be able to eat over the next few days. 

Next time I'll go back with a hungrier stomach, a bolder spring in my step, and maybe some improved Chinese-speaking skills (mine have all disappeared), so I can actually ask questions, find out what most of those ingredients are, and try to understand what on earth I'm meant to do with them.

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5 Things

5 happy moments from the last 5 working days:

1. Leaving work in time to make it to yoga.

2. Honey & Co tahini and white chocolate cookie sandwiches. On repeat.

3. Silently snow-dusted Propsect Park.

4. Too many episodes of New Girl.

5. Weeknight baking.

Happy weekend friends!

X

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The Doughnut Project

The Doughnut Project leapt into top place on all foodie New Yorker's hit list when it opened late last year. Serving up mind-blowing savory-sweet flavors such as beet and ricotta, olive oil and black pepper, and maple bacon, the line was infamously long, and they reportedly have been selling out every day since that first morning

We hadn't dared attempt to taste these masterpieces yet - we're not fans of long lines in New York winter. This miracle doughnut shop then launched the Everything Doughnut two weeks ago, and the whole New York food scene refused to discuss anything else for at least five days. Although I wasn't sure about eating a doughnut doused in garlic and onion seeds, when our greedy running club suggested a Sunday morning joy over Brooklyn Bridge to end at the Doughnut Project destination, we couldn't resist.

Early last Sunday morning 20 sweaty runners swamped the Doughnut Project, our hungry bodies desperate for lots of doughnuts and lots of coffee. It was only 9.30am, and so many flavors had already sold out, and were busy being freshly made and filled by the professionals.

So no beet and ricotta, or PB&J for me this time. Instead we settled on salted chocolate with buttered pretzel crumbs, and a maple bacon bar. The chocolate salted pretzel was chocolate heaven: I felt like a small child in a candy shop as I ended up with the sweet, sticky glaze all over my face and hands, grinning like a chipmunk as I reveled in eating fluffy doughnuts for breakfast. The maple bacon bar was so much better than I could ever have imagined: it was like the most perfect stack of pancakes piled high, doused in crispy bacon, and drizzled with plenty maple syrup, transformed into a doughnut. Amazing. 

I really wanted to steal this amazing doughnut award.

We'll be back soon. Earlier this time. Ready to dive straight into a breakfast of Everything Doughnuts and vivid Beet and Ricotta creations.

The Doughnut Project, 10 Morton Street, New York, NY 10014

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