But I Digress…

May 2-4, 2025 was this year’s celebration of renowned city planner, Jane Jacobs. During the weekend the Municipal Arts Society organizes a series of walking tours known as Jane’s Walks. On Friday afternoon, I joined Historic Brooklyn Heights for Cat Lovers, arriving at Walk Whitman Park a little late after dealing with the irascible subway.

Tour leader Peggy G. wore a cat hat and furry tail. (She owns three cats. Other members of our fifteen-person group each had one.) Peggy led us around Brooklyn Heights, designed as America’s First Suburb.

The group stopped at 64 Poplar Street where Walt Whitman lived and wrote Leaves of Grass, minus any cat association. (Also minus much charm; although the area has many lovely houses, Walt’s isn’t among them.)

Peggy carried a book of photos to help with context, displaying a picture of Shato Lizzie, a cat who was the official mascot of TWA and flew “all over performing in cat shows.” (Performing is something my cat, Sake, doesn’t do unless you count running through a cat tunnel when she feels like it as a performance.)

In front of the Plymouth Church is a statue of Henry Ward Beecher, father of Harriet Beecher Stow of Uncle Tom’s Cabin fame.  The story goes that Henry responded to a letter from a young boy forced to give up his beloved tabby and rescued the animal.

Henry Ward Beecher

Truman Capote lived at 70 Willow Street while writing Breakfast at Tiffany’s and In Cold Blood. A cat fancier, Capote had several.

We walked the lovely Promenade in full bloom and ended up at Borough Hall where Peggy described the work of Jerry Fox, a blind cat who wore glasses and prevented the building from burning down by meowing frantically to summon help.

Given glorious weather and a fondness for both cats and lovely neighborhoods, the tour was a success.  Anna Wintour did not grace the scene.

Now to a recipe and not for kitty chow.

Chicken Cacciatore (say it aloud to hear the cat ref)

4 chicken thighs

2 chicken breasts with skin and backbone, halved crosswise

2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

1/2 cup all purpose flour, for dredging

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large red bell pepper, chopped

1 onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

3/4 cup dry white wine

1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice

3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

3 tablespoons drained capers

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves

1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves (if you use dried, the kitchen police will not notice)

Sprinkle the chicken pieces with 1 teaspoon of each salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour to coat lightly. (Dredge= put the flour in a plastic bag. Put the chicken in the bag and shake for a bit)

In a large heavy saute pan, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Add the chicken pieces to the pan and saute just until brown, about 5 minutes per side. If all the chicken does not fit in the pan, saute it in 2 batches. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside. Add the bell pepper, onion and garlic to the same pan and saute over medium heat until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the wine and simmer until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juice, broth, capers and oregano. Return the chicken pieces to the pan and turn them to coat in the sauce. Bring the sauce to a simmer. Continue simmering over medium-low heat until the chicken is just cooked through, about 30 minutes for the breast pieces, and 20 minutes for the thighs.

Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a platter. If necessary, boil the sauce until it thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Spoon off any excess fat from atop the sauce. Spoon the sauce over the chicken, then sprinkle with the basil and serve.

Hum What’s New Pussycat.  Think and dismiss the idea of moving to Brooklyn Heights.

Here is a link to a recently published article on my trip to Cuba in February, 2025.

https://www.goworldtravel.com/traveling-to-cuba/

and a link to a review of All the Beauty in the World,  currently playing at the DR2 Theater in New York:

More Than the Eye of the Beholder

I was among the huge crowd at the protest in New York City March 5.  Being amidst a congenial group with many clever signs in front of Patience and Fortitude, the New York Public Library lions, felt exhilarating.  Despite the rain and the number of participants, which filled Fifth Avenue and

In front of the NY Public Library viewed by one of the lions

prevented moving forward to Madison Square Park at more than a shuffle, it was a friendly, spirited bunch, united in spirit and sharing a wish for change.

I’m more of an activist now than I was in my earlier years. I did go to the Women’s March in Washington, D.C.,  in 2004, probably inspired by my cousin who was always involved politically, very appropriately as she taught feminist history for many years.

With my cousin, Bonnie A., Washington, DC, 2004

.

I didn’t do anything during the Vietnam years, probably, (or maybe that’s the excuse I gave myself), because I had two young daughters and a demanding, time-consuming job. That lack of involvement has haunted me and very likely accounts for my recent selection of The Women by Kristen Hannah for my book club. The book was not greeted favorably by the very intelligent group members who meet on Zoom each month and, in fairness, I agree with them. My suspicion is I picked the book which is flat, omits many important moments in the period and is peopled with two-dimensional characters, because I have never quite shucked off my guilt about being so uninvolved in the seventies. Sorry group, I’ll hope you’ll be happier with my selection next time!

Now I march, write letters and postcards, call Senators and Congresspeople and do what I can to make my point of view known. It’s not much but, if everyone did this we might not find ourselves where we are now, a nation adrift in the grip of madmen.

Before leaving home for Bryant Park I read instructions on how to protect myself (some so ominous I wondered if they had been planted by pro-administration lackeys to instill fear and keep people home.) I notified my daughters and a neighbor in case I got swept up in a raid. I didn’t go so far as to write my personal details on my arm in permanent marker but, wrapped as I was in a hooded rain jacket, that would have been a waste of time.

I’m glad I went. Solidarity feels good.

One of the many issues we were protesting is tariffs which will inevitably lead to escalating already high prices. So, here’s a recipe for something tasty and cheap.

Lemony White Bean, Turkey and Greens Soup courtesy New York Times Cooking:

3  tablespoons olive oil

1large onion, diced

1large carrot, diced

1bunch sturdy greens, such as kale, broccoli rabe, mustard greens or collard greens

1tablespoon tomato paste

¾teaspoon ground cumin, plus more to taste

⅛teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more to taste

½pound ground turkey

3garlic cloves, minced (not in my house but fine if you like garlic)

1tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger (if you don’t have it, omit. No point buying a         large piece for a single recipe.)

1teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

1quart chicken stock

2(15-ounce) cans white beans, drained and rinsed

1cup chopped fresh, soft herbs, such as parsley, mint, dill, basil, tarragon, chives or a combination

Fresh lemon juice, to taste

Heat a large pot over medium-high for a minute or so to warm it up. Add the oil and heat until it thins out, about 30 seconds. Add onion and carrot, and sauté until very soft and brown at the edges, 7 to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, rinse the greens and pull the leaves off the stems. Tear or chop into bite-size pieces and set aside.

When the onion is golden, add tomato paste, ¾ teaspoon cumin and ⅛ teaspoon red-pepper flakes to the pot, and sauté until paste darkens, about 1 minute. Add turkey, garlic, ginger and 1 teaspoon salt, and sauté, breaking up the meat with your spoon, until turkey is browned in spots, 4 to 7 minutes.

Add stock and beans, and bring to a simmer. Let simmer until the soup is thick and flavorful, adding more salt if needed, 15 to 25 minutes. If you like a thicker broth, you can smash some of the beans with the back of the spoon to release their starch.

Add the greens to the pot and simmer until they are very soft , 5 to 10 minutes. (If greens are still tough simmer longer. Add a little water if the broth gets too reduced.)

Stir herbs and lemon juice into the pot, taste and add more salt, cumin and lemon until the broth is lively and bright-tasting. Serve topped with a drizzle of olive oil and more red-pepper flakes, if desired.

Of course our FL, aka Fearless Leader, would loathe this, addicted as he is to Mickey D’s. His loss.

Several of you out there have told me my blog is blocked.  In an effort to stop this, I have changed my email marketing service. I very much hope this gets rid of any problems you have had.

I, f in the past or recently, you were blocked and no longer are, could you take a second and let me know?

Thanks for your feedback. Enjoy Thanksgiving.

Mari

A dyed-in-the-wool New Yorker, I learned a lot at Yorkville and the Arts, a free walking tour sponsored by Friends of the Upper East Side. The Yorkville I remember from childhood centered on East 86^th Street where there were many small German shops. My

Marzipan pigs

favorite was the Elk Candy Company, home of marzipan pigs and a fried egg in a skillet.

The tour group first walked 95^th Street from Park to Lexington Avenue, a beautiful block I had never set foot on before despite living on East 94^th street in my earliest years  and later at Park and 96^th, with my husband and daughters. (How parochial is that?) We paused to admire Al Hirschfeld’s house, still looking spiffy and well-tended. Finding all the ‘Nina’s’ in his cartoon on the front page of the New York Times was a Sunday ritual.

Al Hirschfeld’s cartoon of himself–look for the Nina’s

The Marx family—Chico, Zippo, Harpo, Grouch et al and their parents—ten people altogether—lived at 179 East 93^rd. Pre-comedic success, theirs was a life of relative poverty as what income they had came from their father, Frenchie, an ‘incompetent’ tailor. According to our guide, the Marx apartment had running water but no internal toilet or shower so family members went to the 92^nd Street Y, (recently rebranded 92NY probably at great cost), to bathe.

Zeppo, Groucho, Harpo and Chico (if I got it  right)

(A link to Groucho, one of the the funniest men ever, singing Lydia the Tattoed Lady} https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVBBxptpSY8

Painter Helen Frankenthaler and her husband, painter, Robert Motherwell, moved around within the area several times. Both artists needed large spaces for their huge canvasses which accounts for their many housing shifts. Their marriage was a great success until it wasn’t as they divorced after thirteen years.

Our group moved to 87^th street to view the 1868 firehouse rented by Andy Warhol for five months until his lease was revoked. It was a bit of a wreck but for $150 a month I guess Andy made it work. In 1965, the building was bought by art dealer, Daniel Wildenstein, who made it over into a sculpture garden. The exposed east side of the building has a fairly recent caricature of Warhol’s head and wild hair which you can see with some neck craning.

Warhol’s 1960 studio built in the 1860w

The tour ended at 83^rd and York Avenue where the corner building has a mural by Richard Hass.  Called Glockenspiel, it dates to 2005 when  residents of a new luxury condo across 83^rd were unhappy with what they deemed a ‘shabby’ view from their lobby.  The condo owners had the mural painted to give the illusion that the neighborhood was sufficiently  upscale to justify the apartment prices.

The lower part of the mural could use a touch-up but the upper sections, that include images of mounted NYPD officers, gargoyles, a sewing machine, and a trompe l’oeil bay window,  are in pretty good shape.

Note the mounted police officers towards the top of the mural

I think Schaller & Weber is the only German business left in an area now given over to the likes of H&M, Shake Shack and P. C Richard’s. What’s left of the old Yorkville survives in memories like this warm German Potato Salad that would stand out at any meal.

Warm German Potato Salad courtesy Five Heart Home

Recipe serves six:

2 pounds small red potatoes

1 ½ teaspoon salt

12 ounces bacon

⅓ cup cider vinegar

3 tablespoons granulated sugar (you can get away with two or even less—taste)

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic, about 3 cloves (not as made by me)

½ cup chopped parsley

Scrub the potatoes and cut in half so that all pieces are roughly the same size. Put  potatoes in a big pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and stir in 1 teaspoon of salt. Reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are tender when stabbed with a fork. Drain.

Leaving potatoes in the pot, return the pot to the still-hot (but turned off) burner. Leave the lid off of the pot and allow the potatoes to steam dry for a couple minutes.

Set another large pot over medium heat and cut  bacon strips into approximately 1-inch pieces. Put  bacon into pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until crispy.. When bacon is done, remove with slotted spoon leaving bacon fat in the pot.

Slowly add vinegar, sugar, mustard, remaining salt, and pepper to the pot of bacon grease. With pot back on the burner, bring the mixture to a simmer, and stir for a couple of minutes. Stir the minced garlic  (if using) into the mixture and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until the garlic starts to turn a light golden.

Remove pot from heat and toss in sliced potatoes, mixing until potatoes have absorbed all of the liquid. Fold in the cooked bacon pieces and chopped parsley. Put potato salad into serving dish and serve warm. (Don’t let it sit at room temp for more than two hours before refrigerating.)

I’ve made this and it’s wonderful. Serve with sausages from Schaller & Weber or hot dogs or pretty much anything (pork loin/ chicken/lamb anyone?). I gather that Billie Eilish’s Birds of a Feather is currently popular in Germany but Bach’s Brandenberg Concerto would be just as—maybe more—pleasing to some ears. Or an oompah band. Here’s the Brandenburg: https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=Brandenburg+concerto#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:f477c2f8,vid:NCPM8DEsvmc,st:0