An edible vacation

After technical difficulties in London and Paris, a non-working computer adapter and then a European keyboard...typing a sentence takes an hour, I'm back refreshed and renewed and very, very well-fed. I couldn't have envisioned a better vacation than lots of great food shared with good friends. There were certainly multiple standouts on the trip. The highlight for me surely being the Bastille Market in Paris that my girlfriends and I ventured to last Sunday. It's undoubtedly the most extensive, expansive, jaw-dropping greenmarket I've ever encountered. Uber-fresh fruits and vegetables, fish, cheese, meats, breads and pastries for what seemed like miles. Having rented an awesome apartment in the Marais district, we decided to take advantage of the food and cook dinner at home that night - a full menu of gorgeous sauteed prawns and fresh ravioli with a pistou of sorts (garlic, parsley, olive oil and lemon), beet and blood orange salad, mache with the freshest French goat cheese and strawberries, and of course fresh baguette, some olives and fromage (my French vocab goes about as far as cheese). Certainly a feast, but the flavor and quality of the food was unbelievable.

What amazed me even more, and always amazes me whenever I travel to Europe, is the care, love and pride people put into the food over there. From the tiniest macaroon cookie to the most perfect produce. Oh yeah, we definitely indulged on cheese, bread, wine and of course chocolate, but as I've mentioned countless times before, the quality of food trumps the amount of food consumed. The French really are on to something. Here are a few other food and drink highlights from the trip if you're traveling in the near future.
- Itineraries -- mentioned a few months back in the New York Times, this restaurant is incredible. My 3 friends and I agreed that it was possibly one of the best lunches and dining experiences we've ever had. The menu is constantly changing with the season. Definitely worth stopping by. I'd recommend making a reservation in advance, tables book up fast.
404 -- I'd stumbled on this Moroccan restaurant somehow in doing research online and I'm very glad I did. Awesome decor and chill vibe. The tagines and lamb meatballs were fantastic. Head next door to their sister bar Andy Wahloo for a cocktail to finish your night off.

- Experimental Cocktail Club - Another discreet bar, or rather speakeasy, we stumbled on with a similar feel to the Milk & Honey family here in NYC. Killer cocktails albeit a super-small space.

- Ottolenghi -- Having read about this London chainlet of prepared food shops in Gourmet magazine, I was lucky enough to accidentally walk in while walking around Notting Hill. The dishes and pastries were ridiculously eye-catching, colorful and inventive with an Israeli-Middle Eastern twist.

- Sketch - Super cool tea house in London with a Clockwork Orange/Alice in Wonderland theme. Definitely check out the bathroom if you go, the egg-shaped bathroom pods are hilarious.

- Bumpkin - last on the list, this gastropub in London served up good, hearty, country fare balanced out by a few lighter dishes on the menu (London's not exactly known for light fare...hence my unpleasant experience of ordering shrimp 'cocktail' only to be served up a pile of teeny shrimpies doused in mayo at a high-end department store...my fault for ordering, but sorry, that's just inedible).

Not to worry, we evened out all that eating with a ton of walking, shopping and a little sight-seeing over the course of a week. All in all, a fun, delicious vaca.

Urban farming

NYC just got a little greener. Yes, it may sound like an oxymoron, but urban farming is gaining some serious ground. Urban farming brings agriculture, plants and produce to major metropolitan cities both to encourage local food production and to educate the community about healthy living and eating. Urban farms are popping up in cities across the country so to check out this growing movement first-hand, I hopped on the subway yesterday and headed over to the PS 1 Contemporary Art Center in Long Island City. Every summer, PS 1 works with young architects to create an urban oasis of sorts in the center's outdoor area. This summer, the forward-thinking architects from WORK Architecture designed PF 1 -- or Public Farm 1. So maybe I'm a bit biased (one of my closest and extremely talented friends headed up the project), but PF 1 is incredible and definitely a must-visit. With a graffati-covered brick building across the street and subway lines just down the block, PF 1 fits right in and fuses farm, function and form...with a few roosters roaming around and a kiddie pool to boot. Basil, beets, rhubarb, thyme and much more are blooming above ground, like a beautiful blanket of colorful plants and produce. I love that the farm exhibit is interactive and aims to involve and educate both kids and adults. How can you not get excited over a cardboard pillar with farm animal cut-outs that make farm-animal noises when touched?

The Council on the Environment of NYC is even partnering with PF 1 to establish a farmer's makret just beyond the center to sell produce and farm-fresh eggs to the local community. The blending of worlds here is very encouraging to see and makes this city-dweller wonder how we can do more to bring local farming and produce closer to home. What's something simple you can do you?

A Fresh Start

Welcome to the inaugural blog entry of 'DIET is a four letter word,' a sounding-board and smattering of thoughts around eating well, loving food, and living smart and healthfully without compromising fun, flavor or your sanity.

A brief disclaimer before we embark: this is NOT a blog about the best 'diet' around, the fastest way to drop 10lbs without starving yourself or suffering through a stomach virus, or the newest so-called-food on the market without calories, fat, cholesterol (or taste...I'm not a lover of cardboard myself--are you?). I AM however, a nutritionist (a nice one, I promise I don't bite). In fact, if you know me, you know that I'm just as much a nutritionist as a foodie. I love food and all that it can do--from improving your health to making events with family and friends so exciting and meaningful.



So let's kick this blog off. It's May, the spring season is in full-gear, so I figured, what better time for a fresh start. When I think of 'fresh', clearly one of the first things that comes to mind is food...and close behind is the farmer's market. My local greenmarket, pictured here, is just blocks away from my apartment smack in the middle of Manhattan (yes, I realize I'm extraordinarily lucky and I'm grateful for it). One of the first things I do on a given weekend is stroll through the market and stock up on fresh vegetables, fruits, eggs, cheese, whole grain bread and even fish on occasion. I can confidently say that you can't beat the taste, quality and often the price of grocery shopping at the greenmarket. Not only that, I'm always inspired when I walk through the market surrounded by mountains of apples and heaps of asparagus--every single weekend. I realize this may sound cheesy and trite, but it's true. Real, fresh food, good food straight from the source (whether a farm or local bakery etc) is exciting and intriguing (we'll leave the local/organic discussion for another blog). It encourages me to taste new things, get creative when cooking and get to know where my food's coming from, always a bonus. Try it sometime...hit up your own local market and challenge yourself to purchase one new food item and test it out. What would you want to try?


To find a greenmarket near you, check out the following websites:

New York City -- www.cenyc.org/greenmarket

Across the country -- www.localharvest.org


Post your comments, questions, insights, your favorite new restaurant, food, wine etc. We're in for a real tasty ride people!


for more about Marissa and Nourish nutrition counseling & communications, see www.nourish-nyc.com