Tag: Seth Fera-Schanes

In and Out of Iceland: 48 Hours in Reykjavik

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Winter in Iceland, experiencing the darkness and chasing the Northern Lights felt like an adventure worth having.  So, why not pack that adventure into a 48 hour excursion to the middle of the Atlantic in November?  No reason not to, really.  So a 4 hour and 45 minute red-eye flight later (basically the time it takes to fly across the US) I touched down in Keflavik International Airport.

And as I stepped out of the airport into 50 mph gusts of wind and driving rain, in that moment, I was happy.

Visiting Washington Irving and the Headless Horseman at Sleepy Hollow

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It has become somewhat of an annual pilgrimage up to Sleepy Hollow Cemetery on Halloween.  And just 25 miles north of the city, it’s an easy morning or afternoon activity.  Also, since New Yorker’s love Halloween, you can make this trip and still be back into the city by the evening for ghoulish (i.e drunken debaucherous) pursuits.

Croton Gorge Park: Half Day Adventure Outside New York City

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Wanting to escape city living, at least for a couple hours on the weekend can be pretty straightforward in New York.

Case in point, Croton Gorge Park is 40 miles north of Manhattan (if you have a car) or you can take the Metro North Train to the Croton on Hudson stop.  Note: if you take the train you will then need to take a car service for the remaining 2.5 miles to the park (and remember this because I will revisit it later.)

Roasted Mini Pumpkins with Wild Rice Stuffing

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Fall is in the air with Halloween and Thanksgiving right around the corner.  Most bodegas in the city sell pumpkins (in addition to the many grocery stores and farmers markets.)  You can also head out to the Queens County Farm which is a real working farm in the borough and pick out a few which is a nice weekend date or activity with friends.

I bought a few pumpkins and put together a little appetizer that would be perfect before Thanksgiving dinner.

3 Squash Soup: Calabaza, Amber Cup and Kabocha

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There are so many varieties of squash in season right now.  I am most familiar with a handful such as Butternut, Acorn and Delicata.  However, there are many other’s I always look at but then walk right past.  I decided to make a squash soup using different squash I don’t normally buy and the end result was great.

These three squash; Kabocha, Calabaza and Amber cup work really well together. There is a natural mild sweetness in this soup which I really enjoyed.

Beer Battered Delicata Squash Chips

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Fall squash are some of my favorite ingredients to work with.  Spanning from soups to stew, roasted to mashed, there is no shortage of preparations.  So one afternoon, I was looking at a few delicata squash on my counter and asked a very simple question.  Why not fried?

My general philosophy (one of many) in life is: fried = good and beer battered + fried = better.

Brioche Doughnuts at Mah Ze Dahr in the West Village

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Sunday morning and I am lazily scrolling through facebook from my bed.  I come across a soaring review of Mah Ze Dahr in Gothamist and immediately jump up.  15 minutes later, I am dressed and on the A train heading downtown.

New to the village, Mah Ze Dahr should very quickly be placed on your bakery radar.  With a variety of both sweet and savory pastries, I opted to try one from each side of the spectrum.

That’s a Wrap: Closing Down the Garden

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If I had to rate my garden this season it would be a solid 10 out of 10.  What can I say, I have a green thumb….  Or more likely the case, my neighbors helped guide me on what to plant, how to plant it, watering when I failed and generally making sure I had a great season.

And I think that’s the point.  My little garden in central Harlem is a real community affair.  Neighbors talk with each other.  They ask how each other’s days were.  Wait, wait.  Talking? Asking?  Genuine interest in your neighbor?  In New York?  No Way!