New York City at Its Finest Hours
Dec 01, 2007 | From the kitchen of Rose
There’s no time I enjoy living in New York more than December. (By the way, when a New Yorker says New York it means New York City.) Though the city is dramatic and often beautiful in all seasons, it is at its most spectacular when dressed for the holidays.
This week I walked uptown to a fascinating Austrian wine and food pairing from the Burgenland. As it was only two blocks away from Rockefeller Center I paused to enjoy the newly lit tree for 10 full minutes, with the same wide-eyed wonder as all the tourists surrounding me. I think the tree was all of 80 feet high but rose to 84 feet with the placement of the magnificent Swarovski crystal star on top.
The Austrian wine and food pairing was most successful because it demonstrated dramatically how the wine changes with the food that accompanies it. I loved the Heinrich St. Laurent 2005 by itself and with the Viennese fried chicken and especially with the accompanying sauce of lingonberries, but not when I sipped it with the Kobe beef roast where the Weninger Blaufränkisch Reserve 2003 which initially I had found quite closed suddenly blossomed. But the two biggest surprises were the sparkling grüner veltliner that went with all the hors d’oeuvres but was also extremely enjoyable by itself as was the Kracher 2003 TBA (short for trockenbeerenauslese for those who fear pronouncing it or want to boast extreme familiarity). Many people refer to this dessert wine as liquid gold and this particular one deserved the name in full. In fact it was so perfectly balanced between refreshing acidity and honeyed apricot sweetness it needed nothing at all to accompany it other than a willingness to fall to one’s knees in gratitude (difficult to do when seated).
This morning, when I turned on the computer, I made the marvelous discovery that the article I wrote for Hemispheres, United Airline’s In-flight magazine-- “Three Perfect Days in New York,” was now on their site along with photos! check out www.hemispheresmagazine.com (You don’t even need to get on a plane to read it!)
I was very proud to have the opportunity to showcase and share my favorite things about the city in which I grew up. In fact, both of my parents were born here. My mother had her dental office on the corner of 95th street and Central Park West. My father had a wood-working shop on the Bowery next to Sammy’s Bowery Follies, and the monopoly for producing bagel peels in all five boroughs, thus becoming familiar with every joke, myth, and street in Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island. His grandmother was a landlord (or is it landlady?) on the lower east side, and her sons, his uncles, formed the tough defense gang called “The Levy Boys.” (Wonder if they’ll ever make a movie of that!)
I learned to ice skate at Rockefeller Center, enjoyed field trips to the U.N., studied ballet under George Balanchine (getting to perform in his Nutcracker Suite at City Center), studied piano at Julliard, attended Music and Art High School (graduating at Carnegie Hall), watched double feature foreign films at the Thalia and walked ever street and avenue in Manhattan.
It was an enormous challenge to concentrate all that I love most about this city into three days. I hope you enjoy reading it and that you’ll have the chance to experience it first hand as well.
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Rose
12/04/2007 07:26 PM
i'll make a note to try the tokany--thanks.
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Hector
12/04/2007 02:05 PM
Having Chinese turnip cake and sticky rice tamales for lunch, my great-aunt made some...
I love wine, and I have to declare, I think I am right, that it is VERY unfair how the USA markets wines imported from Italy. The prices are exuberantly high, I understand of the added value and expense on imports, but what I DON'T understand is that the same expensive wine in the USA doesn't mean it is expensive or of high quality in Italy. Many expensive wines in the USA are actually cheap and perhaps rated 'lower quality' in Italy. Italians joke about this by saying "we only export the junks out," in fact this joke has a lot of truth.
Barolo, Valporicella, can be found so inexpensive in Italy. And actually, even less expensive are the 'house wines' carried by many ristorantes, which in my opinion taste even better than many wines you buy bottled/labeled.
Yes, wine is a personal choice, not rated by price, so it is true that you can find good wine at low cost. I believe the USA wine import companies price the Italian bottles according to supply/demand and not according to quality!
I no longer order any expensive Italian wine at any USA restaurant, even if dining with the president.
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Dr. Elizabeth J. Farkas
12/04/2007 11:00 AM
Hello Rose, I enjoyed the article about the Vienna/Burgenland wines. I am very particular about my dessert wines and reading about the Kracher 2003 TBA wine as being like "liquid gold" reminds me of the Excellent Hungarian Tokany dessert wines of my own homeland. I wonder if, historically speaking that (once again) the Viennese are not attempting to copy the Tokany wines. Incidentally, the Burgenland region used to be Hungarian territory originally before it was given to the Viennese as part of the Treaty of Trianon.
I highly suggest you try the 5-6 different puttonyi (buttons; i.e., grades) of Tokany and compare them with the Kracher 2003.
Best Regards, E.J. Farkas
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nushera
12/04/2007 12:40 AM
how many petals a Rose can have... you are simply amazing, Rose! Hector and Bill- so are you.
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Rose
12/03/2007 01:16 PM
believe me i wanted to put chinatown in the piece but no room as this is the world's largest i've heard outside of china itself!
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Hector
12/03/2007 01:08 PM
Rose, thank you for sharing your wonderful article on NY. I love traveling by food more than traveling by foot, taxi, or plane...
I am genetically Chinese, but never been to China. Amy Tam says that you are not one until you touch the land. I wonder what will I become the day I touch N.Y. For sure I will become a bigger U.S. Citizen because of the traveling by food!
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Rose
12/02/2007 08:40 PM
patrincia that story about the tree is hilarious but understandable. i still remember my former beloved mother in law polly trying to step onto an escalator for the first time at the age of 50+. i also remember myself as a little girl with the same fearful approach.
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Rose
12/02/2007 08:39 PM
bill, i still remember how angry my big mouse in the nutcracker performance was who carried me off because i didn't know better than to jump into his arms thinking i was helping him lift me. not!
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Rose
12/02/2007 08:37 PM
jeanette, i love ny york most in spring, fall, and december holiday time.
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Rose
12/02/2007 08:36 PM
sarah--i admire and love you too!
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Bill
12/02/2007 07:39 AM
Rose:
Loved reading about your love for and relationship with NYC...I've lived here my whole life and feel so fortunate to have been given the opportunities that I have had...Played at Carnegie hall with the NYC all city orchestra, studied dance with the great Luigi and Madame Darvash, and like you, performed in the Nutcracker (although a really interesting modern dance version-I played the Mouse King and was mentioned in the NY Times...Perhaps the reason I love CHEESE cake so much). Thanks so much for this blog...I really enjoy reading it and participating.
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Patrincia
12/01/2007 07:45 PM
What a good read - the momories are flooding back.
Funny story - my mother-in-law (who is from mega smalltown PA) overheard me on the phone with my father one Christmas, "Okay, I'll meet you at the tree at 2 O'clock" I told him. When I hung up the phone she asked how in the world he would know which tree to meet me at. :)
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Sarah Phillips, baking911.com
12/01/2007 02:51 PM
Rose,
You are amazingly talented in all aaspects of the arts (and sciences with your baking)! I am continually in awe of what you have accomplished in life in so far! It's so wonderful to know you ~
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Jeannette
12/01/2007 02:26 PM
My husband and I visited NY ten years ago after driving around New England, it was a wonderful holiday seeing all the Fall colours. We flew from Boston to Newark and I'll never forget the view of the NY skyline as we drove from the airport, it took my breath away! I only wish I could have read your guide to the city before that visit. However, we did see lots, our mouths wide open in wonderment most of the time, especially when we came upon Rockefeller centre all lit up with the Christmas tree and skaters gliding around, it was magical! We intend to visit again sometime before not too long I hope. As a New Yorker, when would you say is the best time to visit, Rose?
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Zach Townsend
12/01/2007 01:58 PM
Rose,
The article is chock full of great stuff! You make NY sound more interesting than anything else I've read. No one can represent NY better than a true NYer!
I envy you for getting to see the tree this year! I saw it on TV and it's specatular.
Zach
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