above photo by Nicholas Paldino
Mitzy did a lovely job detailing the behind the scenes of our first Sunday event at the Brooklyn Flea Market, so I shall supplement with photos :)
7:00am
Mitzy and her husband, Ferry, picked me up from my apartment just a bit before 7am for a pre-market stop at the Doughnut Plant. Sweet fried dough = breakfast of champions :) The new crème brûlée doughnuts weren't ready at that early hour, but we were quite pleased with our selection...
...the vanilla yeast doughnut for Ferry...
...roasted chestnut cake doughnut for Mitzy...
...and roasted chestnut yeast for myself. I typically stick with the cake selections at Doughnut Plant, but was craving something plusher that morning. You just gotta go with your gut feelings. We completed our breakfast with cups of hot chai, also from the Doughnut Plant.
7:30am
Vendors starting to prepare and setup for the day. Ferry singlehandedly took care of the hard labour of setting up the (not so instant, as the box promised ;) tent - thank you!
I've been a frequent visitor to the Market since it opened earlier this year. Countless Sunday afternoons were spent browsing through housewares, vintage clothing, and of course, plenty of food. It was here that I fell in love with the lush ricotta cannolis of Salvatore Brooklyn, which I wrote up on Serious Eats New York. And while certain vendors were permanent fixtures at the market, others came and went with the season. I was lucky enough to catch Chida on their last week for a cup of the icy goat's milk cajeta. Hopefully she returns to the market in warmer weather. Nonetheless, you could always count on pupusas and huaraches from the Red Hook Vendors, rain or shine, and always with a smile. And for sweets of the baked sort, I oft head for a selection of biscotti at Whimsy & Spice or brownies from Hot Blondies.
The Market at 11:00am
It's for such reasons - small businesses, familiar faces, and good products at reasonable prices, that I return week after week. As cheesy as it might sound, labour of love, is the first thing that comes to mind when I think of each and every one of the vendors at the market. Because, truth be told, it really is. For what other reason would you get up in the wee hours of the morning, brave the winter chill by standing outdoors for 10 hours, or the scorching summer heat in the months of July and August? It's pretty clear to me that they're only here because they are very proud of, and stand by, their products whether it be chocolates, cupcakes, soup, pizza, brownies or bottled hot sauce.
Here's Mitzy - the genius behind all these fantastic macarons, setting up. This was taken around 10am, just as the Market opened for the day. Mitzy baked each macaron by hand herself on Friday night...I'm pretty sure she didn't get any sleep this weekend. She was exhausted but very happy, and deservingly so!
Macarons on display. Chestnut-Green Tea to the left, and Pumpkin on the right.
Pumpkin macaron, bitten :)
Passionfruit turned out to be one of the most popular flavours of the day...though Mitzy and I share the same personal favourite - the Chestnut-Green Tea.
I can't even begin to tell you how much work, effort, and labour Mitzy has put into these macarons. I started off as one of her taste testers two months back, after we met at the SWEET fest with Robyn, and already we've become such great friends. No one knows macarons in-and-out like Mitzy...and surely no one in the city makes macarons that taste anything like hers.
The Market was a slow for the first hour, but things picked up quickly, and we were left with only seven macarons by 3:30pm :) Huzzah! The best part was seeing smiles on everyone's faces as they tasted the macarons. For macaron newbies, their expressions went from curiosity ("this looks like a mini hamburger!") to wonderment as they pondered flavour options, and then turned to big smiles coupled with bright eyes ("whoa, this is intense!" "soo good!" "we'll take the assortment box!"). Equally exciting was the turnout of so many familiar faces - I know the Market isn't convenient for most people in terms of subway lines, so thank you A TON for your support! It wouldn't have been the same without you :D
Our six flavours for November. Clockwise from top left: Chestnut-Green Tea, Pumpkin, Coffee, Chocolate Caramel Pecan, Passionfruit, and Pistachio.
above photo by Nicholas Paldino
Here's a photo Nick caught of me when I wasn't paying attention...I must have been pondering which macaron to eat next, hehehehehh ^_^
For lunch, (which lasted on and off for a few hours as we alternated between eating and taking care of customers), we had our first taste of Pizza Moto which was crazy, crazy delicious.
I'm sure the 30 degree weather helped intensify that craving for something warm, salty and crisp. I had mistakenly thought Pizza Moto was associated with Motorino in Williamsburg, but they're two completely separate operations. I'd have say I prefer the crust of Pizza Moto, pulled thinner, nicely charred in all the right spots, and a touch less chewy than Motorino.
The huarache from the Red Hook Vendors was delicious upon first bite, but had all but cooled down by the time we found a spare second to return for another bite. Cold pizza is still delicious...cold huarache not so much. Hehe, now you know.
Done by 4:00pm, we decided to pack up from the market and say "bye" to our wonderful neighbors (we shall met again next week!). We were grateful to receive an awesome booth spot - smack in the middle of everything. Could we have asked for a better first day? Probably not :)
6:00pm
Hankering from something hot, soupy and comforting, we drove back into the city for dinner at Kampuchea.
We started with a couple dishes to share (though I'll admit to being a glutton and eating most of it, heheh ^_^) "Seared Monkfish Liver - Beef jus, macerated apples, pickled daikons, basil"
"Seared Sweetbreads - shitake mushroom broth, enoki mushrooms, and basil salad"
Then we moved on to noodle soups, the perfect dinner for such a cold day. Mitzy went with the, "Duroc Pork Katiev - Flat noodle, pork roth, braised pork belly, salted pork shoulder, sauteed pickled mustard grees, sprouts & herbs"
And Ferry had the "Bwah Moun - Jasmine rice, chicken broth, organic chicken breast, tiger shrimp, ginger, Thai chili, lime juice, sprouts & herbs"
I didn't realize just how cold I was (even with heat packs attached all over my body, and then some tucked into my coat pocket and in my boots) until I literally slurped up the broth, hot, clear, and comforting. "Chicken Katiev - Egg noodles, chicken broth, organic chicken breast, sweet sausage, sprouts, chives, sautéed shallots & herbs"
No desserts on the menu (why? :o(), but a trio of fresh fruit drinks - lychee fizz, watermelon juice, and pineapple coconut juice, was a lovely start to sweets before we headed to...
...Momo Milk Bar. If Milk Bar were a person, then I'd be stalker. And unbashfully so. Morning stops, post work stops, afternoon stops. (Pistachio) Cake for breakfast, (more Pistachio) Cake for dinner. ..tristar strawberry milk, and cereal milk...
...the three of us shared the two milks above, and then two slices of cake. First off, "Chocolate Chip Cake - Passion Fruit Curd, Chocolate Crumbs, Coffee Buttercream"
Second, the "Dulce de Leche Cake - Tres Leche Filling"...
I like my days to start off with something sweet and close off with something even sweeter. It could be no more perfect :)
So that's it, Sunday from beginning to end. Tiring, but one of the best Sundays I've had in a loooong time. Mitzy and Ferry are simply amazing, and one of the nicest couples I've ever met. We'll be back at the Brooklyn Flea Market this weekend and sure hope to see you there ^_^
P.S.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Doughnut Plant
379 Grand St
New York, NY 10002
(212) 505-3700
Brooklyn Flea Market
Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School
357 Clermont Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11238
Kampuchea Noodle Bar
78 Rivington St
New York, NY 10002
(212) 529-3901
Momofuku Bakery & Milk Bar
207 Second Ave
New York, NY 10003
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