Sausage and Peppers.....

Sorry I forgot the olives.....

 I used a mix of 3 Spanish cheeses:the smoky Basque sheep milk cheese Idiazabal, Manchego, also sheep milk from La Mancha and Mahon, a cow’s milk cheese from the island of Menorca, It is one of a few cow's milk cheeses from Spain. I topped the pie with Pamplona/Basque style slicing smoky chorizo, (it is infused with rich Pimentón de la Vera – a unique smoked paprika from western Spain), fire roasted piquillo peppers and Arbequina olives. I tossed the cheese with raw garlic and topped the pie with dried guindilla peppers for heat and parsley for flavor and color. I also pureed a few piquillo peppers and spread them on the dough for moisture before adding the cheese and toppings.

  Cooked.......

Garnished.....
 Nice.......

Tarte flambée à l'œuf.......

The other day I stumbled across the blog

http://notwithoutsalt.com/2011/05/11/tarte-flambee/

and a new pie was born. 

I skipped the nutmeg, used smoked prosciutto/speck instead of bacon and diced rather than julienned the onions...... 

I also added a light dusting of low moisture shredded mozzarella....

Plus added fromage blanc to the creme fraiche....
Oh, yes and an egg.... 

On the peel.....

Ready to bake......

Done.....

Scallions for color.....

Nice.......

Mary's NYC Pizza Birthday Bus Tour.........

Rather than have a birthday party my wife Mary wanted to go on a pizza bus tour with friends......

The tour is hosted by Scotts Pizza Tours.......

http://www.scottspizzatours.com/

I have walked with Scott a number of times and taken his bus tour......

I recommend both.......

Pictures of our day follow.....

Scott starts his pizza magic at Lombardi’s in NoLita

Our table at Lombardi’s with Scott's Pizza Tour survival kits....

Paul, Linda, Lori....

10 of us plus.....

Scott does more pizza magic....

Barry, Carol (wife) on his left serves our first pizza..........

Mary, Pat, Claire, Paul, Linda, me....

Our first pie......

A classic Margarita...

Mary with her special birthday drink....

Thanks Scott....

Our bus and Scott......

Rain and more rain.......

Pie number two at Patsy's in East Harlem......

Classic NYC pie......

Our new friend from England, Barry, Colleen, Carol, Lori.....

It is ok......

It is just a coal fired pizza oven.....

Stop three on Arthur Avenue in the Bronx.....

A classic Margarita...

Wood fired oven.......

Our last stop also in the Bronx......
A slice joint.....
The first three stops only sell whole pies......

Gas fired deck oven.......

Our last taste......

A classic NYC pie.......

My Happy Pal.....

Thanks Scott....

Goat Cheese, Brown Fig, Speck Pie......

Straight forward, Caputo Red Bag cold rise crust, fresh goat cheese, brown figs, speck.  Baked in my convection oven on a cast iron pan then broiled. 

Thin crust, caramelized figs and goat cheese with smoky speck…. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speck

“Memento Mori or the “piling field” .............

“Memento Mori, Cookman Ave, Asbury Park NJ, 2010

Memento Mori is a site specific work intended to provide a space for remembrance and renewal in Asbury Park. The site is the abandoned lot at Cookman and Heck Ave filled with building pylons. The piece consists of wrapping the pylons in colorful fabric and to some may be reminiscent of a field abloom with flowers. The piece is placed in a blighted urban site and serves as a reminder of what was, but also an evolution to what could / will be.

The site is a full city block long and wide, laying in wait for real estate development”- Marah Fellicce artist…….

Memento Mori translates- “remember you must die”
For the locals it stands as a reminder of past failed urban renewal projects.

http://gypsyartist.org/

  About the artist.......

"i am smart, sexy, cool, intellectual, a geek, an activist, an artist.

i'm headstrong, passionate and driven.
i'm a social butterfly.

i like quiet.

curling up with laptops
and books
and popcorn
and saying nothing for long periods of time.
or talking until the sun
comes
up
i paint, i bake and i use powertools. i weld in combat boots
and i ballroom dance in heels.

this is gypsyartist"
Classic......
"My first four years in NJ were met with the challenge of suburbia, cars, buying in bulk, station wagons, pets, and lawn mowers. It was a period of adjustment. I make art."

Views From The High Line Section 2......

Last June section 2 of The High Line opened. 

The High Line is an abandoned 1.45 mile (2.33 km) section of the former elevated freight railroad of the West Side Line, along the lower west side of New York City borough of Manhattan between 34th Street near the Javits Convention Center and Gansevoort Street in the West Village that has been transformed into an elevated linear park. 

It is one of two in the world. 

The other is in Paris.

http://www.paris-walking-tours.com/promenadeplantee.html

The High Line was built in the early 1930s by the New York Central and has been unused by

freight service since 1980.

The finished park portion of The High Line now runs from 14th Street to 30th Street. 

I have made numerous visits to Section 1,14th Street to 20th Street and still find the views, landscape design and the history fascinating. 

It is especially fun at sundown.

http://amusebouche1.blogspot.com/2010/07/views-from-high-line.html

http://www.thehighline.org/pdf/high-line-map.pdf

Section 2 has a completely different feel. 

 It is narrower with fewer over looks.  

The following are a series of pictures I took walking south from 30^th Street.

http://www.architectmagazine.com/architects/the-high-line-phase-2.aspx 

Just found this pic taken opening day of Section 2.....

Located under The High Line across the street from the elevator at 16th Street......