Amy Feldtmann

The New York foods I miss

I’ve been back in Australia for a couple of months now, after about four months in the New York summer. There are lots of things I miss from my time in New York such as galleries, the walks in Central Park, the buzz on the street; and even the sirens scream through the avenues seemingly every minute. But I also miss the food, and there are three foods that I really miss. They are all available in some shape or form in Australia, but in New York, they seemed a bit more delicious.

Cupcakes: The Magnolia Bakery was made famous by the TV series Sex and the City, and the cupcakes are indeed delicious. But there are two other bakeries with delights I think even more delicious, that I think about often. The first is Empire Cake’s raspberry lemon cupcake with lemon curd filling, raspberry buttercream, and a drop of raspberry sauce on top. The others are the cakes from the Buttercup Bake Shop — possibly the best chocolate frosting I’ve ever had on their plain vanilla ‘Buttercup Golden’ cupcake — and a special mention to their ‘Lady Baltimore’ — an almond cupcake, topped with meringue, toasted coconut, and a maraschino cherry.

Empire Cake’s raspberry and lemon curd delight.

Buttercup Bakery chocolate frosting on chocolate, blue frosting on vanilla. — Buttercup Bake Shop chocolate frosting on Classic Chocolate cupcake; vanilla frosting on Buttercup Golden cupcake.

Lobster rolls: Lobster is something rather exotic in Australia but as it is a bit more common on the U.S. east coast, it appears in salads and sandwiches on menus throughout the city. Nothing quite beats a lobster roll in the sunshine — toasted, buttered roll, filled with large chunks of lobster in a mayo sauce. A perfect summer lunch.

Ice-cream: Ice-cream (and sorbet) is everywhere, and as this is my ‘weakness’ more than chocolate, I do have some Australian favourites (I’m looking at you Maggie Beer). I’m not suggesting that it is the best (I’m looking at you Florence) but I do miss it — there is something about the ice-creams in New York, the types of flavours, that I miss. Steve’s Ice Cream had a number of winners. Its ‘Salty Caramel’ my hands-down favourite, followed by ‘Bklyn Blackout’ (chocolate with chocolate cake), ‘Strawberry Ricotta’, and ‘Sunday Morning’ (with maple syrup and waffle pieces). But there was also the ice cream served at The Smith; and the large scoop of Butter Pecan ice cream in a cone from the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory, located under the Brooklyn Bridge. Summer = ice cream.

Trio of sorbets -- lemon, raspberry, blackberry -- from The Smith (Midtown). — Trio of sorbets — lemon, raspberry, blackberry — from The Smith (Midtown).

Steve's Brooklyn Blackout Ice Cream — Steve’s Brooklyn Blackout Ice Cream

Lookup! It’s British Airways

Having produced one of the most memorable television ads of all time, British Airways has led the way again, this time in outdoor advertising.

The airline’s new ‘#lookup’ digital billboards in Chiswick, west London, and Piccadilly Circus, central London, shows a video of a toddler who points to the sky whenever a BA plane flies above. AND it shows the people on the ground where the flight is coming from, or going to.

Very clever, and just one more way to get holiday envy.

The BA billboard in Chiswick, west London — The British Airways billboard in Piccadilly Circus (Image via Gizmodo)

Billboards in Chiswick, west London (Image from http://www.ttgdigital.com)

Page-20 girls

The Fall 2013 edition of New York’s The High Line Park’s magazine is out now, and I am lucky to have a few copies arrive in the post. I am even luckier as on the bottom-left corner of page 20 is a photo I took of two ladies enjoying the summer sun.

The High Line magazine

The two sunning-ladies on page 20.

A page of impressive numbers.

More articles about my favourite place in New York City.

The full picture and view of the city from the High Line.

The High Line is one of my favourite things in the Chelsea neighbourhood of New York (as previously written about), and is also where I took part in a very special early morning photowalk a few months ago.

You can read more about the Highline on the park’s website.

Dinner conversation topic: energy poverty

Have you heard of ‘energy poverty’?

No? Well neither had I until a week or so ago when I heard about the work of newly-formed ‘The Light Foundation’.

Energy poverty is the lack of access to clean, safe and affordable energy. It forces many of the world’s poorest people to rely on expensive and dangerous fuels such as kerosene, which negatively affect health, safety and educational opportunities. Without access to the energy grid, kerosene is causing respiratory disease that is killing more people in the world than AIDS/HIV and malaria combined.

The Light Foundation’s mission is ‘ to tackle energy poverty by improving the quality of education, health, economic status and safety for all people in the developing world by supporting and implementing long term, sustainable energy solutions.’ At the moment they are working with UNHCR on projects in Chad and Ethiopia.

Kelly Kayne, from The Light Foundation says, “When we hear about poverty, we think about food and water, but light and power has the potential to increase a family income by 50 per cent and really change a families circumstances. The health issues associated with kerosene are horrific and we have the solutions and technology to make the difference right now.”

Helping bring safe light and power to some of the more than 1 billion who are without it is obviously big task, so one of the first steps for the foundation, which launched only this year, is to raise awareness, and funds.

I’ll be attending the foundation’s first annual ‘Dinner in the Dark’ event this coming Tuesday at Raw Materials Studio in Melbourne* — and you can too. While food will be far from the basics (prepared by the likes of Jason Jones of Mamasita and B’Stilla, Jesse Gerner of Anada & Bomba, Aaron Turner of Loam, and award-winning pastry chef Pierre Roelofs), diners will experience dining in the dark. It is a great opportunity to learn about, and get your wallet out for, an issue that impacts on the lives of so many, but is rarely in the headlines.

Clockwise from top left: Aaron, Jason Jones, Jesse Gerner, Pierre. — Clockwise from top left: Aaron Turner, Jason Jones, Jesse Gerner, Pierre Roelofs.

You can read more about the Dinner in the Dark at the event website, as well as learn more more about The Light Foundation at their website.

*If you live nearer to Noosa, there will be a Dinner in the Dark event held there on the same night — details on the website.

New look for an old hall

The Dookie Memorial Hall has been around since 1897 and the site for many an old-projector-style cinema night, 21st birthday party, old time dance, and badminton practice. Not to mention the many stars that have been born at the Dookie Primary School Christmas concert.

Today, the Hall ‘re-launched’ with more of an arts bent — including live music, a talk from writer and director Justin Evans who recently filmed in the town with Peter Rowsthorn, as well as thoughts from local arts director Helen Kelly.

The kindergarten is still attached (with wooden building blocks I can officially confirm were in action in the early-1980s*), the display cabinet is still in the foyer, and the crockery in 1960s condition (as confirmed by my mum). But now there is a better sound system, a space designed to promote art creation and enjoyment; and a rather fabulous chaise lounge in the ladies’ powder room.

As well as thanks to the hard work of locals, much of this due to the Victorian Government’s recent Small Town Transformation grant, for towns with a population fewer than 1,500 people. Dookie — with less than 300 residents (including outlying farms) — was successful in receiving $350,000 and is in the midst of a little arts and culture boom. Much is planned for the coming year and I hope to write more about the coming events as they happen.

Below are a few of the photos taken pre-re-launch.

*There are also lots of modern toys for the kiddies — Dookie youngsters are not without the mod-cons — but it is nice that some of the basics have endured.