Cheapskate Decorating 101

Dispite years of stunted growth in my closet-like Soho studio, my houseplants made the most of their first Brooklyn summer and doubled in size. Unfortunately, this meant they all needed bigger pots, and at my cute little neighborhood hardware store, those went for the not-so-cute price of $10/each.

After rooting through every cabinet and closet in my house, I plopped down at the kitchen table and stared forlornly at my only prospect: a boat shaped plastic dessert dish. Then my eyes settled on a set of bongos in Jean’s studio. The head of the smaller drum was torn. It had been for years, and – like the shorted out pedal, stringless guitar, and cracked guiro – lived under the desk, where musical instruments went to die a slow and dusty death.

In their heyday, the bongos looked something like this:

In my container-seeking frenzy, I saw just what I was looking for. So I got the stamp of approval from Jean, and began the bongo makeover.

First, I removed all the hardware, and both drum heads. I unscrewed and discarded the piece of wood that held them together. Then I went downstairs to the dollar store and bought plastic containers that would fit snugly inside of each drum. I cut a drainage hole in the bottom of each container and reinforced them with electrical tape.

Finally, I transferred the plants and added fresh dirt.

And voila! Beautiful and personally relevant plant pots. I have practically been getting welts from patting myself on the back all day.

So, recycle. It feels good, and saves [plant] lives.

And the Cheapest Sublime Snack Award Goes to…

AJI ICHIBAN!

Where most snacks can be sampled – endlessly – for $0. That’s right: FREE SNACKS IN NEW YORK!! And they are awesome!

I have walked by this cute little shop so many times. If I’d only known, they would have posted my picture inside the door by now, with the caption “RED ALERT.”

My friend Cassie and I stumbled in there after lunch at my beloved Doyers today. I was in the mood for something sweet and crunchy and figured this would be my best bet, since all I had to spend was the loose change in my purse.

AJ, as I have nicknamed it, has an old-timey feel, thanks to oak paneling and gold accents- where rows of neat plexiglass boxes stand at the ready, chock full of a rainbow assortment of dried meats and fruits, and more exotic candies than you can shake a pixie stick at.

A little bowl atop each box offers up bite-sized tastes of what’s inside.

Goodies like:

Candied kumquats!
Coffee infused prunes!
Shrimp peanuts!
Candied tomatoes!
Dried olives!  
Fruity beef jerky! 

And, let’s not forget my favorite: mixed pumpkin and almond cracker. I even PAID to take some with me.

Other items that weren’t free, but I’ll be back for:

Grape marshmallows!
Chocolate candy-covered sunflower seeds! 
Gummi hotdogs!
Seaweed cookies! 
Kiwi gummi bears!
Pencil-shaped tubes of flavored caraageeanan! (Um, not…

…maybe.)

Aji Ichiban
37 Mott Street @ Pell
Chinatown

$6 Lunch and Pomegranate Cotton Candy

As I struggle to find my identity in the food world, like a teenager, I go through phases where I become totally absorbed with one particular thing. There was the ramen phase. Then came the picnic phase, and from that bloomed the lunch box phase.

I was mostly interested in bento boxes, but then one day, in Patel Brothers, I became transfixed by a shelf of shiny metal tins, in stacks of three, each stack fastened with a locking handle. I wheeled my cart over, picked one up, and took it apart.

It seemed like the perfect way to transport a sumptuous feast for one – with ample, separate compartments for an entree, side dish, salad, bread, or even soup – but it was too bulky to carry around every single day.

When I got home, I did some research. I found out that they were called tiffins, and, like bentos, they came in many shapes, sizes and colors, but, unlike any other lunch box, tiffins had their own, extraordinary system of transport.

L.A. Cheese-Fry Bye-Bye

Street snacks, Venice Beach style.

Luxurious sashimi sandwich served by a real live french maid at Royal-T.

BEST. BURRITO. EVER. (And vegan!)

The cake that matched my bridesmaid dress was no match for my appetite.

Kamila, bite that thing before it bites you.

Good.

Diddy Riese ice cream sangwich, attacked.

The grand finale: Animal Fries.

Early this month July, my sister Marie got married in Los Angeles. Days later, she packed up her apartment, her new PhD, and her hombre, and moved to Salt Lake City, Utah. This saddened me, as my regular visits to LA had evolved into a food pilgrimage of sorts, with each visit yielding more and more daydream-worthy discoveries.

The only local food I’d heard reports of from Salty Lake was something called “funeral potatoes.” Eeep.

So, as you can see, I made the most of my ‘last’ visit to L.A. – and approached it with full gastronomic abandon.