Sarah Eats Bread Tour

Most of my two weeks of rehearsal in New York were spent at Chipotle. I went to two really good not-chains for food, but that happened when I was sick and delirious (not related to Chipotle) so I cannot remember where they were. During that time I also found an antique store in Chelsea that I haven’t been able to locate since. Something like this happened one time senior year of college when I found this magical alleyway off of south street with pots and little doors and glass hanging things. I haven’t been able to find that place since that delirious/dehydrated day.

The first place my cast ended up was a place called DeCosta’s on Yonkers Avenue in Yonkers, or as they refer to it “Steve’s Restaurant.” I found it on Yelp while we were starving, and unfortunately we passed a bunch of other restaurants on the way to it, so the pressure was on me for the quality of the food. It was quality. Guests are almost immediately presented with a variety of breads and crackers with oil. This was the time and place that the tour was renamed Sarah Eats Bread Tour. I ordered the eggplant ravioli. You can’t see it under the cheese so you just have to believe. 

After our opening in Worcester we went to Spoodle’s Deli for some authentic New England Clam Chowder. I don’t like seafood but I liked the spoodleful of chowda I had here. This deli has a bountiful selection wraps. This is the spinach roll up that I had. It went too soon. 

Amelia and I made pancakes (from scratch), potatoes, and eggs after my first night subletting in Harlem.

The great thing about this tour is that I am able to spend a few nights in the city every couple of weeks. The morning our cast left for the capital I sat down at La Toulousaine on Amsterdam to eat this spinach and goat cheese omelette. This cafe has an incredibly tempting bakery.

I must recommend Green Leaf's & Bananas in Towson, MD. I don’t have pictures of this but my receipts tell me I went there twice in one day for a smoothie and harvest salad so it must be good.

My family came to see me at the Keswick Theatre! Also I ate this hummus wrap and smoothie at Keswick Coffee House and looked at hand made things I didn’t plan on buying.

Amelia and I went to Abacky Potluck for very inexpensive wine and lots of avocado. Get that mochi, too.

Imagine every possible sassy wall hanging because that’s what decorates the Morristown Pancake House. We had a meeting over breakfast but this omelet was so good I wasn’t paying any attention. 

Mel and Karley came to see the show in Midtown, then we went to Baked By Melissa for gluten free and gluten filled goodness.

Check out the Bedford Cafe for chicken fajitas and sweet potato fries. I tried to eat this like a taco, and after it all fell apart no one made fun of me to my face.

The the cosy wood and mosaic surroundings of The Paramount Diner warm you up before you get your potatoes and eggs.

I don’t have a picture of this, but Ray’s Cafe served me the best potatoes I have ever had in my entire life. Was that a hint of cheese sauce? I really have no idea what they did to the potatoes or my soul. 

Pumpkin Feast

Dani and I love Thanksgiving the most. It's the coziest holiday: warm hues, soft knits, and togetherness, so we decided to have a pumpkin feast. Our menu was planned via secret Pinterest board months in advance, and the day after I returned to Philadelphia we put on our cozy knits and baked, blended, and pureed pumpkins through the evening.

Dani, Rex, and noddles

Our appetizer was a roasted garlic and rosemary pumpkin hummus. I don't have a picture of this because we ate it all.

This was followed by pumpkin spice smoothies. Now. The thing is that these smoothies are essentially a less sugary version of pumpkin pie filling.

Ali: Is that the witch's brew?
More on this later.^

The main course was a pumpkin lasagna. I don't know how Mom Mom would feel about this, but it's my* kitchen and I can experiment. This dish is like if Panera tried to be Italian-American but then was like oops we put gourds in hte spagheti, which is perfect for people like me.

*my parent's kitchen

We ended the night with cheesecake filled baked apples. The website with this recipe vanished, but that's ok.

^So back to witch's brew. Thanksgiving was only days away and I was busy making some apple pecan pie that tasted great but didn't look that good.

The top was supposed to be crumbles but instead it's idk idc

Ali was hosting a party at Tristan's apartment two nights later, and I said I was going to bring pie. I had already agreed to bring pumpkin pie because 'these smoothies are essentially a less sugary version of pumpkin pie filling' was an idea that stuck with me, and it's my* kitchen and I can experiment.

*my parent's kitchen

The rest of the night went like this:
I'll look up pumpkin pie recipes
Oh ok I'll just add a bunch of sugar to this
Blind baking can't be that hard

Everything is ruined
No I'll just add more crust to the sides and never blind bake ever again
I hope this tastes good
11:45PM You know I have enough apple slices left from that pie I made earlier I may as well make another one
Why did I do this
Do you love me now Martha

Looks:

Taste:
None

Tips:
More sugar†
Never sleepy bake

Thanksgiving baking was wild and confusing, but more importantly fun and experimental. Thanksgiving is that time of year when our hearts begin to flutter with love and cheer.

†in pies and in life

I Forgot the Milk

Last time we left off, I put a leaf wreath on that hook on the door. The hook fell off, my guess is because of rain and humidity, so I bought a new hook and did that thing where you fasten a hook upside down to the back of the door and feed ribbon to the front. I didn't have ribbon and I didn't want to ask someone to take me to the craft store, but surely I could find something at Kroger while some of my house mates and I were grocery shopping. I went to the greeting card aisle, and Kroger didn't even have that thin shiny present ribbon (which I could have made work if I had to.) And one of the employees asked if I needed help. "Well-" So I explained what I was trying to do and she said we could check with floral. The floral department was selling an assortment of festive fabric bows. Perfect. I bought the bow and got a free rose! Then I went home to make Martha proud.

I've had this Pumpkin Dream Cake recipe pinned for a while, and when my director posted sign ups for the pumpkin carving potluck in her backyard I instantly knew I was going to use this recipe for cupcakes and add pumpkin spice and cinnamon to the frosting then make fondant and cover the cakes to look like mummies.

"I definitely won't forget baking soda like I did that one time in the Finger Lakes with the biscotti."

"I haven't made cupcakes in so long, I forgot how thick cake batter is! Time to bake."

That was when I began making panicked phone calls to family members because I realized I forgot to add milk.

They turned out fine. Mm. So moist.

Me adding things to the cream cheese frosting. The color is perfect for that rotting flesh look of fresh mummies.

Every time I make fondant I tell myself it's the last time I'm making fondant. Here are pictures of the cupcakes covered in fondant.

They're called nummy mummies (named by Ali Caiazzo.) If you notice, in the back especially, they are shiny mummies. Why are the mummies sweaty? Maybe this is because they sat out for a day wrapped in tinfoil? Someone help me.

I spent a long time thinking about the incredibly complicated design I would carve into my pumpkin to impress my colleagues before I decided on doing swirly eyes and a teethy smile.

In the 90s I had my Halloween costumes lined up for the next 10 years.
The costumes on the list that I can remember:

• Team Rocket
• A toy soldier

Maybe one day I'll be those.

This was the year I'd finally go to a live showing of Rocky Horror. On Halloween. Before Halloween I walked by the graveyard #festive to POPS Resale to find pieces.

"I'll make these into gold shorts! Perfect for Rocky Horror. It can't be that hard."

My spooky daytime plans included attending a children's show at work so I needed a second costume. Mac from Foster's Home! I bought a white long sleeve shirt at the Goodwill next to POPS. I needed to make a Bloo for this costume, and I needed to be glitterier for Halloween night, so Michael and I headed out to find supplies at Spirit of Halloween and Claire's.

Michael and I decided to be fancy and go to Greentree Tearoom. Tea is served at noon. The November menu was as follows:

Lobster Bisque

Sweet Potato Scone with Honey Butter & Fayette Cream

Turkey a la Turk (turkey and berry pilaf in fillo) with Cranberry Relish

Cheddar with Caramelized Onion, Curried Egg Salad, & Herbed Carrot Round Tea Sandwiches

Citrus Spice Pannacotta, Chocolate Drop Cookies & Brown Sugar Cupcakes with Caramel Frosting

Winter Blend Tea

When you arrive at the tea house you have to ring the doorbell. Then you are led in, seated, and served your tea. I want to come back and eat every month's menu.

We had some time off between performances so I visited Matt in Cleveland. He's getting his Master's at CIM. Before seeing him as the count in Le Nozze di Figaro we visited the Lake View Cemetery and saw the Garfield monument. The gravesite has bathrooms. We also went to the North Union Farmers Market and I bought some apple butter to put on everything.

B and the graveside bathrooms

I didn't buy these but look

Look at this beautiful book store. I would have spent hours in Loganberry Books but we went to the lake instead. But first I grabbed a buck eye!

Both of the buildings

Then we visited Lake Erie and Shaker Lakes Park.

She's waiting

Autumn away from home has been incredibly festive. I'm looking forward to heading home this weekend to make my first pie of the season and a feast of apples and pumpkins.