So many people comment that blogs and blogging evolve over time. I started this blog as a way to keep my family and loved one up to date on life in New York. But I learnt a long while back that my family never looks at the site and I would rather call my loved one on the phone.

So it is time for blogesphere evolution. I may still see myself as a Kiwi but certainly not a Hobbit. I got rid of the hairy feet weeks ago. I don’t really know what I see myself as today, perhaps more a Kiwi present in New York City for this little while.

So I will move the blog on. Should anyone still ever look at this space or have a morbid curiosity, I am taking my cause to a new space, www.SubstantiallyPresent.com amd naturally would love to see you there should you care.

Paul

Categories: New York
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Gawd damn, I didn’t realize that I have been devoid of posts since the beginning of the year. Well since summer has arrived in New York City it is time for more cafe visits and blogging.

I have to confess that it has been quite an adjustment moving into the Financial District. To say it is quiet is an understatement. Still this can have its advantages. Between my apartment and the harbor is, umm well, nothing, except the park. Being able to smell sea air makes this stranded NY Kiwi at least get a small sense of home. The commute to work involves a walk up the Battery Park promenade, along the river. Also there are more places in the area for food and coffee than I thought would have existed.

Anyone who knows me realizes that espresso is core to my personality (only second to fantastic fresh inspiring cooking). Moving to FiDi from the West Village was like having my life support needles ripped from my veins. Its was a serious void down here, Starbucks (not going so far as to say I “hate” Starbucks - hating is so ugly - and Starbucks is acceptable when the urge calls - just suffers big franchise problems that any corporate suffers) and tar-like muck scrapped off the street-vendors stall, mixed with hot water and served as “cowfee”. So just as I was considering topping myself (hmm well maybe not as dramatically as one of my neighbors), a friend threw me a lifeline of hope, Jack’s at South Seaport. An institution of hippie coffee culture in the West Village, Jack’s is all about authentic experience, organic coffees and great atmosphere. This has been recreated on Front Street, with a huge (well huge as compared to WeVil) space, exposed brick walls, picture windows onto the street, haha and some kind guy upstairs who hasn’t yet secured his WiFi connection (haha thanks man!). Yeah so perhaps, JUST perhaps, I may consider an apartment lease renewal for another year. Oh and other good news, Jack’s is just across the road from Nelson Blue - the other New Zealand pub/bar in FiDi.

So yes - I think I am back on the map. Oh and feel free to check out my Yelp reviews. I love Yelp, helps me find the great spots around town that locals really like.

PS - OUT IN TOWN NOW - WILL POST PIX SOON

Categories: New York
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Surprising Expiration Dates : RealSimple.com

Oh the irony - Just a wee link for someone out there who I know will find this totally fascinating …. all I’m saying is that I do think we have had that bottle of Worcestershire Sauce for more than 10 years!!!

Oh and naturally I read this first at my favourite blog, Lifehacker.com

Categories: New York
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Well I am back in New York after a six fabulous weeks at home in New Zealand. We cooked lots, drank wine every day (oops I mean evening - of course), popped to the beach and just did nice stuff without any dramas.

So I return to the Big Apple with an extra 10 pounds, a lot of staying indoors to avoid the 25 degrees ( minus 4 C ) and a healthy desire to cook lots of things. So at this moment I am standing in the kitchen waiting for my pot to boil so I can make a bacon and mushroom lasagna, kneed and prove some dough so I have fresh buns before work tomorrow morning, and then … make two types of popcorn (chicken butter; and pecan butter toffee).

LOL so I confess, the whole point of this particular dinner is so that I can make popcorn and watch a movie. I was going to head uptown to the cinema, but the thought of being cold turned me off. So then it was ‘hmmm lets watch a movie at home’ … ‘aww I wish I had same Dale & Thomas Popcorn‘ …  ‘lets make popcorn instead’ … ‘lets do the washing and have a drink’ … ‘aww what the hell, lets cook dinner’.  Popcorn is truly complex :p But I’m looking forward to it.

Categories: New York
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Well Kiora - its Thanksgiving today (think bigger than Christmas - no shopping hype - just food - fantastic)

So I thought I would give you a picture story of Paul’s New York Thanksgiving so far (its just gone 3pm)

(1) The clock bing bonged at a calm 9am - I got out of bed and went downstairs to the market to get some coffee and vegetables for my dish tonight that I am taking to Rob & Lindi’s for Thanksgiving dinner.

The market was fun. There was a hilarious woman in the line in front of me - she was all dressed up with a feather hat on, lots of make up and fur - only thing she was pissed … this made for a lot of humor at the counter. Naturally I was the one right behind her … the checkout woman looks at me and mouths “sorry”, haha im like “dont worry sweatheart, this is great entertainment for Thanksgiving morning”. So the drunk woman finally wanders out and I get up to the counter … check-out chick says “clearly the first two hours with the family were more than she could deal with”.

(2) Cooking starts - nothing dramatic, just a leek and potatoe soup with a few little twists along the way. I feel a little numb around the edges since I have been working a little on the hard side this last few weeks. So I head back downstairs for a wee coffee to try and kick start things into a better space.

(3) Note to self - don’t put too much salt in the leek and potatoe soup. Headed back downstairs to get more leeks for a second non-salted batch to water down the first. Soup tastes perfect now - porchini mushrooms have been turned into a powder, the pint of cream is ready (just so long as they don’t see me pouring it in their consciences will be just fine - yeah you know, just in the same way that the vegetarians think this is such an amazingly flavoured Vegetable Soup, even though it has 10 cups of chicken stock in it - haha go figure). The hard work is done, so time for a wee drop of champagne (yes Timmy it is the one we had at the Champagne wine tasting a couple of Christmas’s

(4) Ok, it takes a while to polish of a bottle of champagne by yourself lol, I am running late to Thanksgiving dinner, but never fear, I am not too bother because I am a little pissed. Manage to remember to take all of the additional ingredients that are needed to make this soup wonderful: porchini mushrooms, cream, truffle oil, chives. Dinner was fantastic, it took me two days to recover from so much turkey, sweet potatoes, Yorkshire pudding (lol yes this was a ring-in from the English visitor - well I thought they were just perfect to be honest - ain’t had a homemade Yorkshire pudding for years)

So that in a nut-shell was Thanksgiving. Now I just need to deal with the new temperates that have been around 2C the last few days. Winter is on its way.

Categories: New York
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