Travel After France : New York City

 I get off the plane and the melting pot that is New York City greets me.  The taxi  from the airport pulls up to Michael and Erin's door located in a  lively Dominican neighborhood.  I unpack and decide to take the first cultural plunge into the bodega on the corner. My goal is to find white corn meal. Last evening I baked Jimmy Carter's corn bread recipe from my new cookbook, Baking in the American South by Ann Byrn. This cookbook is a treasure: each recipe is preceded by a story, a legend, a glimpse into the history of the South.   President Jimmy Carter did not bake this cornbread, but his White House Chef did. White corn meal, yellow corn meal, butter, flour, baking powder, milk  and an egg. The recipe could not be simpler except for the difficulty finding white corn meal.  Bill luckily found it at Fred Meyer in Beaverton.  To my great surprise, the corner bodega does not carry it. Now I am on a mission to find white corn meal somewhere in NYC so I can bake Jimmy Carter's Cornbread for Michael and Erin before returning to Oregon.

After the bodega, I walk over to the park. Although the neighborhood  feels so different, the rhythm of the 5 P.M. hour feels the same.  Tired looking people carrying shopping bags head home.  Dog walkers talk to their pets.  Smiley kids ride bikes.  Blue Amazon  trucks make deliveries. As I stroll deeper into the park, I

Soccer in the Park

Basket Ball Fun

Houses on nearby Ocean Hill

The Corner Bodega

am pleased to see all the tennis courts in use as well as the soccer and basket courts.  But wait,  something is missing. There are no soccer moms, maybe a few soccer dads or are they the coaches? A couple of women are setting up a snack stand with dried mango. Definitely a different vibe now. I also notice I am the only white woman in the park except for a few tennis players.  

Back at the house, I wait for Erin and Michael to return from work. They work so hard those two and still remain the most amazing compatible couple ever.  We eat one of Erin's delicious  healthy home cooked dinners. My heart hums with joyful relief knowing Erin takes such good care of Michael. To witness this again and again makes the trip to NYC worth it.