An Abundant Life - The Beauty In Pastry

There is a wonderful Pastry Chef who I met through Instagram a few years ago. I wrote a little note about him in one of my blogs early on when he had posted a recipe for a coffee cake from the New York Times that I was pretty sure was one my mother had read years before and used to recreate a coffee cake her father who was a baker from a family of generations of bakers had made when she was growing up. It's a very special cake to me and one I make as often as possible, and when I saw the post and the recipe I had had sent a note to the Pastry Chef to tell him I thought it was a recipe that I recognized. At the time I asked him if I could write a blog post about him, but he said he was just creating pastries for fun and mostly for friends and family, but that maybe one day in the future if he ever became more professional about it we could talk about a blog post. The years went by and I kept seeing his gorgeous creations. Although he said he was just doing it for fun, what he creates is always so intricately beautiful and so full of knowledge, history and craftsmanship that it seemed to me that he really was a professional although he kept saying he was not.

From time to time I saw that he was making special orders for people, and then last year I saw that he had started an online company and that he was making deliveries and taking orders for pickup, and so I reached out to him again about the possibility of a blog post. I didn't hear back and then I saw just a few months ago that he was making moon cakes for the special moon cake holiday celebration, but I had missed the post with the deadline for ordering. He posted one more time about it, saying that there might be one order available and that he would announce by Friday if there was, and whoever was the first to send him a direct message to order it would be the one who would get it. The person who ordered it would have to pick it up, but that didn't bother me. I don't mind traveling and because I haven't been traveling much these days at all it seemed like a lovely idea for an adventure. I made sure to look at his post first thing, and sent him the message, and so finally I was able to place an order, and one lovely afternoon in September I headed out to find my way to the place where he made his beautiful creations.

The moon cakes were not only lovely, but they really were delicious in a way that truly artisanal baking is. There was something that was indescribably special about them, and each one was made with such care and such artistry that when I arrived home I kept finding different ways to photograph them. Even the packaging was special and so carefully done that I felt as if I had received a very special gift. When I picked them up I was able to find out just a bit about them from from the person who met me and gave them to me. It wasn't the baker himself because he was working that day, and so I have still not met him, but what I learned in the few moments when I picked them up confirmed to me that he is a very special person. The recipe he had used for one of the cakes was from a very special family recipe, and he had taken the time to learn the tradition of what he was creating as he does with all of the pastries he makes. There is a respect for tradition and the skill of an Artist that goes into this Pastry Chefs careful work. I think there must be much love and the wish to give people something that is not only beautiful but also that will taste of the finest and most memorably enjoyable moments. In the words written on his website, "Bringing you sweet happiness is our mission." He has found the way of revealing the beauty in pastry, and in his effort and skill and remarkable creativity he has brought the tradition of a craft and artistry into the lives of those who are lucky enough to meet him.

Earl Liao

Mooncakes From Trombone e Gatto

https://www.tromboneegatto.com

Blessings,

Jannie Susan

An Abundant Life - Finding Your Place

Several months ago I was visiting with a friend and we had gone to see an art show at The Oakman in Jersey City. We wanted to go somewhere to have dinner afterward, and it was a very rainy and stormy evening. While we were at the art show it had been hurricane rains and wind, and though the storm had calmed it was still raining and at times seemed like it might become a storm again. There are two restaurants that are not far from The Oakman, one right next door and the other across the street. We thought they could at least be all right to go to because they are always very crowded although that night everything was much quieter because of the rain. We decided on the one across the street, but when we walked up to the door we saw it was closed that night, and so we settled on the other one, a place called O'Hara's. When we went inside it was very cozy and comfortable, and the staff made us feel right at home. We took a table by the bar area and settled in to look at the menu which was very full of delicious sounding options. Our server told us that it was Taco Tuesday, and when I saw the specials I was immediately in the mood to try the Biria Tacos. I love Tacos and they sounded wonderful, and I didn't know until afterward that they have become a bit of a trend.

Although tacos are always a favorite choice, sometimes they're better than others and sometimes not, and sometimes they don't really fill me up. When these arrived they were even better than the description, with rich roasted meat in a group of tacos that were so filled with goodness that I didn't have to even think about ordering anything else and I could have shared them. They came with pickled onions and some very delicious hot sauce, and the tortillas themselves were excellent. I had a feeling that night that there was someone very special in that kitchen who was making food the way they would make it for themselves and their friends.

I've gone back since and had another wonderful meal with another friend and it's become my go to recommendation for anyone who asks me and an excellent choice whenever I'm in that area. The service is always wonderful, the feeling of the place whether sitting outside or inside is so pleasant. It almost feels like I'm not in a city at all, or if I am, that I've found my place in it where I can enjoy an afternoon or evening in a way that feels just right.

Ohara's Downtown

172 First Street

Jersey City, New Jersey

https://www.oharasjc.com

Blessings,

Jannie Susan

 

An Abundant Life - Transcending Transformation

 I was walking on Grove Street from Hoboken to Jersey City one afternoon when I saw that there was something blocking the sidewalk that I usually walk on. At first I thought it was someone who was filling a van up with something from a large cart of some kind, but then when I got closer I saw that it was some kind of official city van and the cart was something that looked like it was for repairing or painting industrial spaces where leverage and height is needed. I saw that there was space to walk by and that I would't have to cross the street, and as I walked by, a man who was walking toward me stopped just before crossing in front of the open van door and motioned for me to walk by first. I thanked him and did, and when I got to the other side of the door I saw that there was another man there who was painting the wall with a mural. Jersey City has a wonderful Mural Arts Program and I've seen so many of the beautiful murals and met some of the Artists, sometimes when they're working and I'm walking by, so I asked the man who was painting who he was. He said he wasn't the Artist, that his name was Matt Wolf and he was the Assistant, and said that the Artist was someone whose street name was Cekis, and he pointed to the man who had let me walk by just before. I walked back over and introduced myself, and that was how I met Nelson Rivas Cekis.

The mural when I saw it was still in progress, but it already so beautiful and so full of life and light in the space where it was being painted. I walk that way often, and it is usually one of the parts of my trip that is the least pleasant. It's a short tunnel, but I always walk through it quickly because it's dark and loud with the light rail train going overhead and it seems very unhealthy with pigeons roosting and water damage on the sidewalk and walls. Just beyond it is an empty lot with wildflowers and trees and native plants growing, and on the other side is a parking lot that also often has plants growing wild, but until Cekis appeared to turn the darkness into light, that tunnel always seemed like a dank and dreary place. With bright colors and shapes that felt like they were living and growing and thriving plants and flowers, his mural design had completely transformed the area on both sides of the tunnel walls.

When I began to look up Cekis when I was home again I found a link to his website on his Instagram page. He has told me that he used to use the name Zeckis but that he had changed it to Cekis because it was easier for Americans to understand the pronounciation. I found a blog that he had written under the earlier spelling of the name, and he described himself in this way, "Cekis's career as a visual artist began in the city streets of his native Santiago, Chile. He started painting murals while in high school, and was inspired by the New York graffiti culture and the social mural propaganda from the heavily marked political stage in Chile in the 1980's. After graduating High School, he then decided to become an active graffiti artist. Over time, his work embodied a young generation of artists. His work transcended communities, helping to create a new massive appeal for a new street culture in Chile. In 2004, Nelson moved to New York, seeking to grow more comprehensively as a creator and adult. Due to the lack of access to paint public walls in New York, his work started to move slowly into the studio and it has broadened into an experimental and investigative collection, developing his own way to paint. His unique perspective as a foreigner only adds more intrigue. Nelson has participated in numerous exhibitions and mural projects locally and across the United States as well as internationally."

The work I saw on his website is stunning, and the images on his blog and Instagram of the festivals he's has taken part in and projects he has done are truly magnificent. Meeting Nelson Cekis was an honor and a highlight of my experience of walking around Jersey City and encountering the beauty of the Mural Arts Program and meeting the Artists who live and work and add their beauty and inspiration to the walls and fences and buildings of the city. It is always the Artists who add so much light and life who somehow are found in those quiet moments when we are simply walking by. If we're in too much of a hurry we might not even know who the Artist is because it's their art that tells their stories. They often are so quietly doing the work of transformation that if we don't take that moment to stop and ask we could easily just walk by and miss the opportunity to come face to face with greatness.   

Cekis

On Grove Street

Under The Overpass

Between Hoboken and Jersey City

https://www.instagram.com/el_cekis

http://zeckis.blogspot.com

https://elcekis.com

Blessings,

Jannie Susan

An Abundant Life - A Beautiful Adventure

A few weeks ago when a friend was in town, she wanted to walk over the Brooklyn Bridge. It's something we'd done once together before and I've done a few times since, but it had been many years since then and though I'd been going over to DUMBO recently again, I'd been taking the subway and not walking over the Bridge. There was a time when I was going to DUMBO regularly, when I was working with an Animator who had a studio there, but that was right after I was born again, and it was such a crazy time in my life when I had just gone through a time of losing everything and so I hadn't been able to really enjoy going out anywhere or doing anything except to go to work in the loft studio office of the Animator and wander sometimes on my way to the subway that would take me home again. Then over this past summer, an Artist I know started having events at 55 Water Street at the Time Out Marketplace on the top floor, and it was such a fun place to go and the events were so enjoyable, and the views were truly outstanding. So when my friend wanted to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, I told her we could go to Time Out Marketplace to look at the view, and though they have a really nice selection of food, I didn't want to have dinner with her there because we wanted to do something a little bit more special. So I looked up restaurants in the area and found one that was in the same building on the ground floor that looked like it had a waterfront view, and so I made a reservation for outdoor seating.

Cecconi's is one of those places that I was so happy to have found. We had one of the nicest evenings I've had anywhere. Our waiter was wonderful, the food was excellent and our view was completely and utterly gorgeous. Our seats were so comfortable I felt like I was sitting on my own private patio at a vacation home. The night we were there it started to rain just a little bit, it was not much, and we were so cozy and completely protected that it was beautiful to be there. I would be happy to go to this lovely restaurant any time, and I'd recommend it to anyone for special occasions or for just a special evening enjoying the special moments we've all come to treasure after having been kept out of life as we know it for so long.

We shared a truffle pizza and then had some excellent main courses, and for dessert I chose the vegan chocolate copa with coconut ice cream. I asked our wonderful waiter if he could ask the bar to suggest an amaro to try with the copa because I saw it on the menu and when I asked my friend if she'd like to have some, I discovered she'd never tried it. They have a wide selection and the bar selected one for each of us based on things they described that they thought we would like. With the view and the copa and the comfortable chairs, we could have stayed there all night. 

The next time you're looking for an adventure, try a walk over the Brooklyn Bridge and head to Cecconi's. It's lovely inside too, but when the weather is fine, that outside seat with a view is where you'll find me.

Cecconi's

55 Water Street

Brooklyn, New York

https://www.cecconisdumbo.com

Blessings,

Jannie Susan

An Abundant Life - The Hands Of A Dancer

Last summer I went to the L.E.A.F. Flower Festival in the Meatpacking District which was such a lovely experience. The weather was beautiful and everyone was enjoying being outside in the sunshine on streets filled with flowers. There were wonderful crafts being sold too, and as I walked by the tables I saw a joyfully colorful one filled with hand made cloth goods. I love textiles, and I was drawn to the table because of the fabric designs and noticeable art of the hand made pieces. I also love to cook and when I saw that there were potholders available, I knew I had to buy some because I'm very particular about the potholders I use. There is nothing that I have in my home that is not an art or design piece, and even the things that I use for functional every day use have to be something special or I won't use them. It takes me forever to pick out pot holders, but on this day at this table at the flower festival I could have chosen any of them and been happy to have them in my kitchen. As it was, I chose two each of three different patterns, making sure that I had at least one or two from the selection of Marimekko designs because those patterns are favorites since childhood. My mother always had Marimekko fabric, and my first grown up dress when I was a teenager was Marimekko. When the woman at the table saw how happy I was with the potholders, she told me that they were made by her daughter, and I took a business card so that I could contact her and follow up to find out what other wonderful things she created.

When I got home, the potholders were so beautiful that I decided I just couldn't start using them yet, so I found places in my kitchen to hang them just to view in the same way that I have other pieces of art on my walls to enjoy. I tried to take photographs of them at different times because I wanted to post them and give credit to the wonderful Artist who made them, but I hadn't found the right photograph or moment until one day when the afternoon light glowed through the window full of a rosy gold, and when I took a photograph of it as it shone over part of the kitchen where two of the potholders were hanging, I finally had a photograph to post.

The Artist who made these lovely potholders, Patricia Pazner, goes by the name of Sew Safe and Sound in her Etsy Shop, and when I tagged her on Instagram I described my experience of discovering the potholders and how I had not been able to use them because they were so beautiful. Patricia responded to my post by offering to send me more so I could start using them, and we began to correspond about her work. I let her know that I'd love to write about her, and she sent me some information to share here.

She wrote that she grew up in Brooklyn, and from age 14 through about 27 she was a professional dancer with Feld Ballets New York which was later known as Ballet Tech. She performed nationally and at the Joyce Theatre in Chelsea which was the home theatre of the ballet company. She was also a member of Cedar Lake Dance Company for a year. Her performing name was Patricia Tuthill which was her maiden name. She retired because of an injury and went back to school, to college and onto law school, and she is now a Public Defender in New York. When I began to do my own research, I discovered that she is also an award winning lawyer who is extremely well respected in her field. It is a part of who she is to be very humble, and though she is highly renowned, she did not tell me that. 

Her grandmother was born in Haiti, and she taught Patricia the basics of sewing which she had learned there. Patricia wrote that even though her grandmother passed away five years ago, she is still very influential in Patricia's continuing to sew. Patricia taught herself how to make everything using YouTube and other online videos. She makes clothes, face masks, and home decor, including potholders and quilts, and she wrote that she does it for fun and for business. She also wrote that she has started making visual art pieces with fabric which she shares on her Instagram page and that she loves making things with her hands. In her words, "it's nice to stay creative and tap into that part of my brain that was formally reserved for dance."

When I read her descriptions I had the thought that all of her pieces are works of art. Some are perhaps more functional than others, but each one is something special to be treasured. For years she was a professional dancer, creating pictures and stories with her body in visual space, and now the hands are the part that carries on the dance, creating wearable and functional art and visual art pieces by designing something new as they sculpt and cut and sew and shape and make pieces of fabric dance into life.

Patricia Pazner

Sew Safe and Sound

  https://www.etsy.com/shop/SewSafeAndSound

Blessings,

Jannie Susan

An Abundant Life - A View Of The River and Sky

Last month a friend was visiting and we had a full day planned that would end us up walking across the Brooklyn Bridge to have dinner in DUMBO. We wanted to have lunch first, and when I started thinking about restaurants near the South Street Seaport, though there are many lovely ones, I really wanted to sit outside right on the water. I started looking at different options, and then I saw a listing for The Fulton, the new restaurant on Pier 17 by Jean-Georges Vongerichten.

Although I am a professed lover of fine dining, I had never gone to any of this marvelous Chef's restaurants before, and so I went ahead and made a reservation which led to an afternoon that was one of the most memorable and lovely experiences I have had the blessing to enjoy.

The first time I went to have dinner at the South Street Seaport, I was still in college, and I went to visit a friend in Manhattan during our summer break. She suggested the Seaport for dinner, and we found a wonderful restaurant where I had such an excellent dinner that I'm still making the recipe I figured out for the dish I had that night. The Seaport will always have a special place in my heart because of that night, and because of many days and nights since when I have sailed on some of the historic ships, taken high school students sailing with the Young Sailors Program, and gone to beautiful events on shore and off. Walking over to lunch at the Fulton that afternoon with my friend brought back so many memories, and now that I've experienced a lunch at this wonderful restaurant, I'm looking forward to many more times there.

The view of course is exquisite. Located right on the water at Pier 17, with the Brooklyn Bridge and the waterfront and all of the sights and sounds of the Seaport, the choice of location is a beautiful one. The restaurant design is truly wonderful, with an open air feel to the outdoor seating area that stays feeling open through the breezy high ceilinged entrance and into the restaurant where there is a second floor with casually luxurious indoor seating and gorgeous full window views. We chose the outdoor patio which was so open and airy while still being protected, with plants that were carefully chosen for beauty as well as for their seasonal seaside feel. Every moment of the afternoon we felt completely cared for and taken care of. From the moment we walked up to the Hostess stand to the moment we walked out again, every person and every moment was carefully orchestrated to make us feel as if we were the most important guests they had. This is truly what fine dining is and should be, and I commend the staff and thank them from my heart for their excellent and caring hospitality.

And the food was all that and more. Everything so fresh and good, every flavor so carefully chosen and everything prepared with care. From start to finish I kept finding myself saying how good everything was, and every taste reminded me of just why it is that I fell in love with the way a truly wonderful Chef creates an experience that leaves you feeling so completely happy, while also giving the sense of being on a very rare and very special flavor adventure.

The Fulton is a restaurant that that I would have enjoyed visiting any time, and to have it appear now when we all need so much to feel the peace and tranquility of the waterfront and to experience the best things that life has to offer is a gift. To sit and watch the world go by with a view of the river and the sky is a beautiful thing that is made more beautiful by the gifts and talents shared by a marvelous Chef and Designer and a marvelous staff.

The Fulton

By Jean-Georges

89 South Street

At Pier 17

New York, New York

 https://www.jean-georges.com

Blessings,

Jannie Susan

An Abundant Life - Beauty And Strength And Wisdom

I received a book that I ordered this past week and though I've been busy with a big project and a presentation I've needed to work on, I kept making time to read this book. In a way I was glad that I had to fit it into a small part of my day because I love to read and it's such a lovely book that I would have read it all in one or two afternoons or evenings if I had more time. The title is "Women Of Life" and the author is Janelle Obieroma, a Pastor and the wife of a Pastor in Africa, and she is someone who I've never met in person, but somehow have felt a kinship to ever since we started following each other on Instagram.

Janelle Obieroma's posts are always inspiring, beautiful and interesting, and when I heard she had written a book, I felt like I really needed to read it and so I ordered it as soon as I had chance. From the moment I opened it and began reading, I felt right at home, as if this was a woman who was a friend who understood me and who I could talk to about the things of God and the way we as women live in this world though we are not of the world. She has such a wonderful way of sharing information, very straightforward and still full of grace and beauty. It was very affirming to read what she has written because so many times I feel like I'm the only one thinking a certain way and then here she was writing the way I think about so many things, but writing it in her own way and in her own refreshing voice.

In her Instagram posts, she sometimes will have videos and so I've heard her speak, and as I read I hear the words as if she were speaking right to me. It's been a wonderful experience, and feels as if I have a friend visiting, or someone who is calling me every day to talk a bit and give me encouragement. It's a lovely book, but also one that is very practical, and it was written by a woman who lives the life she is writing about. The family that I've seen in her posts is a beautiful one, and in her introduction to the book she talks about her families history and her own growing up, and her stories give so much insight into the woman she is and has become while helping us as readers continue walking on our own path of becoming who God has made us to be.

I think it must be a very special gift when someone sits down to put a pen to a paper, to write words or type them, because not only do we have the opportunity to experience their voice and their story once, but we can go back to it over and over again and we can share it with others, too. I do read some things online, but reading an actual book has always been one of my favorite pleasures, and to hold a good book in my hands is in a way something that I've always found extremely comforting, enjoyable, relaxing and life giving. Reading a good book helps me feel connected to the author, the characters and people who are being written about and also in a wonderful way to myself and the deepest parts of myself that no one else knows. Janelle Obieroma's book, "Women Of Life" has all those qualities that truly great books have, those books that as we read them become a part of our own life and help us to live our lives to the fullest.

Janelle Obieroma

Women Of Life

 https://www.amazon.com/Janelle-Obieroma/

Blessings,

Jannie Susan