HAPPY NEW YEAR, 2010

HAPPY NEW YEAR, 2010, originally uploaded by prudencebrown121.

I wanted to post two final photos for 2009, part of my New York series; I'm a little late, but better late than never as the old saying goes.

This is a night shot of what was once the Radiator Building built in NYC in 1924. It is a landmark skyscraper located at 40 West 40th Street in Midtown Manhattan. It is a historic landmark which was originally build for the American Radiator and Standard Sanitary Company. The building has since been sold and it is now known as the Bryant Park Hotel.

Full of Soup recipe for Pieirogies with Jumbo Lump Crabmeat and Citrus Cream Sauce

This is a great recipe any time of year, but especially during the winter season; it is rich, filling and leaves you feeling all warm and cozy!

The list of ingredients is extensive, but the recipe is easy to make.

What you need:

- Two pound box of Mrs. T's or any frozen Pierogies ( you can make your own Pierogies if so inclined, but for the purpose of this recipe we will use frozen)
- 1/4 cup fine chopped shallotts
- 3 large cloves garlic peeled and fine chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger zested
- zest of one lemon
- 1/3 cup blended oil
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme minced
- skin of one fresh tomato finely diced for garnish (optional)
- one bunch scallions white part only minced for garnish (optional)
- 1 one pound bag baby spinach rinsed and rough chopped
- 2 cans jumbo lump crab, or you can substitute crab claw meat if you are watching your budget
- one pint heavy cream
- 1 cup vegetable stock
- salt and pepper to taste

What you will do:

Cook pieirogies in a large pot until aldente.

Transfer pieirogies from boiling water after cooked with slotted spoon to towel covered cookie sheet pan and let cool at room temperature.

In a seperate large saute or frying pan add 1/3 cup blended oil. Heat oil on medium high heat. When oil is hot, add chopped spinach, garlic, shallotts and ginger; cook til shallotts, garlic and ginger are tender. Add salt, pepper, lemon zest and thyme.

Cook for one minute stirring constantly; add vegetable stock. When stock begins to bubble, add heavy cream; stir occassionally until cream reaches a boil. Reduce mixture to simmer and let sauce thicken while stirring occassionally (about seven to ten minutes).

When sauce coates the back of your spoon add pieirogies and crabmeat.

Garnish with chopped tomatoes and scallions.

Bonn Appetite!

The Pond at Bryant Park, New York City

While on a recent visit to New York City I stumbled upon a park in the middle of Midtown Manhattan called Bryant Park. Never having been to Bryant Park, I came home and did a little research and found that the park once known as a sight for muggings and drug deals, is now a much sought location for concerts, performances, eating, drinking and shopping. It is a park that has apparently been transformed from run down and somewhat dangerous, to a place lined with food delights, hand crafted jewelry and clothing kiosks.

The park sits on several acres and from what I read is known for its French classical style showcasing beautifully manicured lawns and magnificently sculptured gardens in the warmer months. On my most recent visit, in December I noticed the park surrounds a large ice skating rink open 8 AM til 10 PM for public skating pleasure. If you are not a skater, but enjoy watching the skaters and the sheer ambiance of the winter holiday, you can sit overlooking the skaters at the restaurant connected to the rink, and enjoy a delicious bowl of cream of Pumpkin soup and a glass of fine red wine

The park was donated a finely crafted French carousel crafted to compliment its French classical style. Children clutch the wooden horses and rabbits with tiny fingers while their parents snap photos and look on with delight. The carousel sits in the center of the park. All through the park there are chess tables for playing and books for reading.

If you have a chance, while visiting New York City, I highly recommend a visit to Bryant Park.

Winds of War

Winds of War, originally uploaded by prudencebrown121.

Oh how this month is flying. It seems now that I have a job I have no time to post or even take photos.

This is a collage I put together ~ an experiment of five photos; two that were taken and intentionally blurred and three focused photos. The photos range in extremes of light from very dark to pure white light and as you can see the subject matter lends itself toward the dark side.

I like to view the basic and whether it be a tree, a flower or a street, I like to present it so the viewer can see a story in the photo.