My how time flies when you are having fun. One moment you are footloose and fancy free, not a care in the world, the next…you turn 35. I am not about to say that 35 is old, because it isn’t, but it does somehow seem to be a more substantial number than I remember being before...more concrete and potentially respectable if it weren’t me writing this. But not only was it my birthday this past week, but also Easter.
I love Easter, not for the religious connotations that accompany its arrival, but for the color scheme. Soft pastel colors greet you from every end isle display at the grocery store. Chocolate bunnies, yellow chicks, kittens dressed up as rabbits…you name it and it’s there. My most favorite thing is the Paas egg dying kit. Ever since I was a little lamb I have enjoyed that slender box. It contains joy in the form of colored tablets waiting for vinegar to release their potential. Adding stickers, small round egg holders and even the box itself with it’s circle cut-outs to hold the drying eggs cause a rapture just like it did when I was six. It’s the possibilities coming along with all of those color combinations, much like buying a new box of crayons, which gets me jazzed.
As I’ve gotten older my palette has become slightly more restrained. This year I opted for only one color: pink. Some years seem more blue, some even multi-colored, but pink was all I was after. If you’ve been reading this blog, you know I have a penchant for pink and I indulge it whenever I can. I like having the option of all the colors but only choosing the one I really want…sort of like dating I suppose. This year I’m dating “pink”.
And to carry my theme through I decided to make a nice platter of Pink Petits Fours to adorn my new pink, glass cake-stand my friends Izabella and Jonathan got me for my birthday. I’ve been on a roll lately with acquiring cake stands. The more I write and take photographs of the desserts, the more I want beautiful platters and pedestals to present them on. It’s a vicious cycle. I absolutely love this cake-stand and it seems right at home in the blooming garden.
The petits fours are light and delicate little things…and a bit difficult to work with I must admit, but they sure taste great. They are created from a genoise type cake, baked in a half sheet pan for about 15 minutes and then split open and filled with cherry preserves. The cake is very light and moist. What makes the batter particularly yummy is the use of almond paste, otherwise known as Marzipan. I just love the stuff and could (and did) eat it right out of the box. Many pastry chefs use this decadent delight to create small “sugar” sculptures on top of cakes. It holds its shape beautifully and also takes luster dust and food colorings quite well. But as a highlighted ingredient, it really makes these little squares otherworldly.
The cake is cut into 1-1/2 inch squares and covered in an icing made from milk, powdered sugar and just a drop of red food coloring, giving a luscious pink sheen to an already tasty bite of sweet goodness. You could decorate the top of the squares for added effect, but I liked them just as they were: simple and elegant for a nice spring day or Easter celebration.
Along with the holiday came the first round of truly warm weather. It finally made it up into the 70’s and 80’s, and I loved every minute of it. Much of my time over the past few days was spent out in the garden tidying up and setting up new patio furniture, but also having some really great meals with friends.
On Saturday we caught up with our friends Andrea and Nathan over brunch at a fun little spot in town called Wobble Café. I had a strawberry pan per due, which was to die for. It was good to see the Jew family one more time before the inevitable labor occurs. I’m sure they are both ready for the baby to be here and quite frankly the rest of us are too!
On Easter Sunday our friends Kevin and Lisa came up for a very traditional day of brunch at a brewery and a trip to the outlet mall. What better way to spend a day of thankfulness than with good friends, eating chicken fingers and ice cream (not at the same time) and getting in on some good sales? Our brunch took us to Peekskill, about 15 minutes from where we live, and if my memory serves is also the home of the all girl’s school where the 80's sitcom Facts of Life took place. I can hear Mrs. Garret now, shouting “Girls, girls, girls!!!” …Ahhh, childhood.
And to top off all of that delicious eating, my birthday was yesterday. As I said before I turned the ripe old age of 35, and for that I am grateful. When I was younger…my early twenties let’s say, I never thought I’d live to see twenty-five. I suppose that’s the power of youth and trying to live fast and furious. I didn’t have a care in the world and didn’t think anything could stand in my way. But then I did live past 25 and decided I probably had better do something with myself, so I moved to New York and tried to learn what it means to be an adult and to achieve a few things. Here I am ten years later and realize that the wildness of my twenties translated into a passion for living which I am happy and excited to share with the many friends and loved ones I have met along the journey. Some were at my birthday bowling party last night.
Brian arranged a really fun birthday for me starting with brunch at a wonderful gastro pub in the West Village called The Spotted Pig. Randy, Brian and I had such a high-calorie, fabulous meal. I’ve been there once previous with my parents and I ordered the exact same thing as before…a grilled cheese sandwich. I don’t have the words to properly describe this sandwich. It’s ridiculous in the best kind of way, fattening at its finest and a melting treasure you don’t ever want to stop eating. This meal we happily followed up with a long walk through the city, a little light shopping and finally our arrival at Bowl More Lanes.
I hadn’t been bowling in years, but it was really a great time. I got to see some pals I hadn’t hung out with in awhile, eat pigs in a blanket and egg rolls and of course bowl my heart out. Happily I won the first game, but then it was all down hill from there. After we finished our games, we moved to the lounge area where Brian had a devilishly chocolate cake from Crumbs Bake Shop. It was so nice to have a cake made for me instead of making one for myself!!! I make cakes out of love, even for myself, but sometimes it’s nice to be given the gift of pastry.
All in all, I had an amazing few days: lots of laughs, lots of friends and lots of food. What else can I say but thank you to everyone! I’m a truly lucky guy and am most appreciative. It’s just who I am.
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