Central Park in New York City

On April 5, 2018 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn New York19 Comments

When visiting Manhattan in New York City, taking a stroll in Central Park is a must. Especially during the summer months, it is amazingly beautiful in the center of city of skyscrapers. You can take a ride in a horse-drawn carriage, until they ban them, but we didn’t want to based upon reports we had heard about how the horses were treated. Until you actually see it from above, it is hard to believe how large Central Park actually is, which is over 843 acres. There are activities throughout the year, so it is worth checking out their official website before you come to New York to see what is happening when you are there.

View of Central Park from the Top of the Rock

In addition to special events and concerts, there is the Central Park Zoo and Belvedere Castle as well as a variety of statues located throughout the park. Renting a bike is a great way to get around and see even more of the park than just by walking its many paths. During the summer, there are many artists selling artwork or willing to paint your caricature if you have the time to sit for one. There are also ball parks and open spaces to toss a Frisbee or kick a soccer ball around. You can even rent a rowboat on the lake, which they have been doing for over 150 years, or take a ride on a gondola.

There are concession stands throughout the park as well, which is a great way to get an inexpensive meal, but there are restaurant choices as well. The most famous of which is probably Tavern on the Green, but we were warned that their reputation has fallen slightly in recent years. We enjoyed a Sunday brunch at the Loeb Boathouse, which has wonderful views of the lake and a delicious variety of food. If you are in the mood for some French food, there is Le Pain Quotidien, which features a variety of quiches, although we did not eat there.

Central Park is truly an oasis in the heart of Manhattan with so much to do that you can certainly spend a full day there. It is possible to get a walking tour of the park, which is a great way to learn more about the history of the park and see some its lesser known attractions.

Fettuccine with Pork and Spinach

On March 21, 2018 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn New York, Recipes4 Comments

Needless to say, there are hundreds of restaurants in New York, many of them Italian. Many, if not most, of them serve wonderful food from family recipes that they brought with them from the Old World. During our stay in Manhattan, we came across one of these small, family owned and run, restaurants and stopped there for lunch as we walked the streets of the city. We ended up trying a couple of their daily specials, one ravioli and the other fettuccine. Both of them were wonderful, but we especially liked the fettuccine as it was different than most pasta dishes that we have had. In our attempt to replicate it, we had little to go on other than the picture that we took during our meal, but it turned out to be delicious as well as very simple to prepare. As is often the case, simple dishes with only a few ingredients can often be some of the best.

INGREDIENTS

1 lb Fresh Fettuccine
1 lb Baby Spinach
1 lb Ground Pork – unseasoned
2 tbsp Italian Seasoning
1 tbsp Garlic Powder
1 tbsp Red Pepper Flakes – more or less depending on how spicy you would like it
1/2 cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese
4 tbsp Unsalted Butter
6 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Be sure to use plain ground pork and not a seasoned pork sausage. In a large bowl, combine the pork, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, red peppers, salt and pepper and be sure to incorporate the spices throughout the meat. It is best to work the meat and spices with your hands as you would if you were going to make meatballs. Set the pork aside for about 30 minutes to let the seasonings infuse the meat and allow the meat to come to room temperature. Heat a large skillet with 2 tablespoons of olive oil to medium-high heat. Add the pork, breaking it up into rough bite size chunks as it browns. Sauté the pork until it is fully cooked and slightly browned, about 10 minutes while stirring frequently. Remove the pork, leaving as much of the oil and fat, and set aside on a plate with a paper towel to drain. Add the baby spinach in batches and heat until it is wilted and soft. The spinach will reduce to about 1/4th as it wilts. Once all of the spinach has been cooked, reduce the heat to low and combine the pork and spinach. Cook the fettuccine according to the package directions, being sure to reserve about a cup of the pasta water. In a large bowl, combine the butter and the fettuccine and mix thoroughly until the pasta is coated. Combine the pork, spinach, and pasta water and toss gently together. Divide onto plates and shred the parmesan cheese over top and serve.

Our Version of the Fettuccine with Pork and Spinach

An Overwhelming, Emotional Experience

On July 26, 2017 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn New York, Photo Challenge13 Comments

When we visited New York City in July of 2015, we went to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. Walking through the exhibit was almost surreal. Despite the number of people, it was so quiet that you literally could have heard a pin drop as people walked to each of the displays. The museum is set up so that as you walk through it, you see events in chronological order as they occurred on that fateful day that every American who was alive at that time can remember vividly. At one point, you get to see the remains of one of fire trucks that was crushed in the collapse and your heart can’t help but sink thinking about the first responders that arrived in that vehicle. We have great respect for first responders and the sacrifices that they make. For this week’s Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge, Fire Trucks, Fire Houses, and Fire Hydrants, we have a couple of photos that we took during our visit to the museum.

One of the Fire Trucks from September 11

People Viewing the Fire Truck in the Museum

Fire in Colorado Springs is a scary thing as we have had a couple of devastating fires in the area. When a fire broke out in our neighborhood just a few days after the Waldo Canyon Fire burned down hundreds of homes, it was quite unnerving. Thankfully, the fire fighters got it under control quickly.