Thursday, January 31, 2013

A Delicious Find at Cookbook Los Angeles

Cookbook Los Angeles Window

Provisioning a delicious picnic in an unfamiliar city can be a daunting task for even the most resourceful eater, but the job was an easy one on a recent trip to L.A. with the help of Cookbook Los Angeles, a beautifully curated shop full of local produce, meats, and all manner of tasty picnic fodder.

Founded in 2010 by Echo Park locals Marta Teegen and Robert Stelzner, Cookbook sells sustainable grocery staples and an assortment of prepared foods that are coordinated with the constantly changing dishes being served at their new restaurant, Cortez. After much deliberation, two thoughtfully prepared salads (chickpeas and fennel, with plump orange segments and black olives; rice and lentils, stained red with the juice of roasted beets) and a tidily wrapped sandwich (squash and chard with tahini and harissa) made their way into my picnic basket.

Cookbook Los Angeles Interior

Cookbook Los Angeles Freezer

Nestled between shelves of vegetable stock and handmade burrata ravioli (why didnt I buy that, too?) were several log-shaped packages of cookie dough, made in-house and sold by the pound. I grabbed a log of polenta-olive dough (chocolate chip was also available) to take to a housewarming later that evening at a friends new home nearby. What better way to warm a new house than to bake a batch of cookies?

Cookbook Los Angeles Polenta Cookies

The picnic was a hit, but the cookies were a masterpiece. The combination of cornmeal and olives was ingenious neither too sweet nor too savory but with an occasional burst of saltiness. Meyer lemon zest made the raw dough pleasantly colorful and the light citrus flavor played nicely with thyme, which offered a fragrant earthiness fresh from the oven. The texture of the finished cookies was perfect: crisp on the edges and chewy in the middle.

Polenta Cookies Cookbook Los Angeles

We munched on the cookies as we toured my friends new yard, which is enormous and features a mature citrus tree that was completely laden with ripening fruit one of Californias many winter perks. Back at home in Brooklyn, Im planning to mix up a big batch of my favorite cookies and freeze a few logs to have on-hand as a last-minute hostess gift (or to use in the event of a late-night snack attack).

Ryan Reineck is a contributing editor at Martha Stewart Living. He loves growing things, making things, and eating things usually in that order. Follow his blog at ryanreineck.com.


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Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Mensday Wednesday: New Malaysia

Roti canai is something special. Roti, a member of the illustrious flat bread fraternity (im looking at you pita and naan), is special in and of itself. But when you add a glistening bowl of yellow-orange curry to the equation, its elevated to an entirely different level. And New Malaysias roti canai is some of the best food that Ive ever eaten at a restaurant.

Roti canai, aproduct of Indian influence, is found in many incarnations and has a wide geographic reachfrom northern India, where it is commonly served with dhal, to Indonesia where its mutton currys chief co-conspirator, to Malaysia where, as in this restaurants case, youll often find it with a vegetarian potato curry. This small and cheap appetizer, as were many of the other dishes we ordered, is emblematic of Malaysias location as a crossroads. Lying smack dab in the middle of the most heavily trafficked blue-water trade route in the world, outside influence was bound to furrow, take-hold, grow, and sprout into not only a unique and cosmopolitan culture and people, but into a cuisine that embraces some of the best techniques and dishes that India, China, and many other regions in Asia have to offer.

Pataya fried chicken, squeezed with generous amounts of lime and surreptitiously dipped in our bowls of spud-stuffed curry (previously the exclusive domain of the now entirely devoured first order of roti) turned out to be winner of best dish in a supporting role. Really just a plate of fried chickenthe pieces are broken down one or two steps further than your average bucket at KFCits akin to latino chicharron de pollo or Brazils frango do passarinho.

The remaining standouts amongst a bevy of dishes (we really did go crazy, and New Malaysia is the exception to the rulethat restaurants with huge menus are invariably mediocre) were chow kueh teow and kang-kung belacan. The chow kueh teow is a flat rice noodle stir fry that speaks to the Chinese influence on Malaysian cuisine (home to a huge Chinese diaspora) and is quite similar to the chow fun you see on almost every Chinese restaurants menu; this version was exemplary. The kang-kung belacan was a vegetable side dish that broke out of the boring shackles so associated with a vegetable side. Kang-kung refers to water spinacha vegetable ubiquitous throughout east asian cookery and belacan refers to the dry shrimp paste of the same name, a powerful ingredient best used in moderation, but when employed correctly packs an umami filled punch. These two ingredients, sauteed together with garlic and chilies, helped the kang-kung belcan bully its way to the forefront of our table where it was, to everyones astonishment, immediately consumed.

There are more details I could go into, such as a good natured argument on the difference between hash browns and home fries that threatened to turn ugly and our confusion as to where exactly the restaurant is located (youll see what I mean if you ever make it down there), but an indulgence in ardent spirits at the time of eating clouds my memory, and anyway, I should save a few new things to say for the next time we go.

(About Mensday Wednesday: Being located in New York City gives us the opportunity to sample a wide array of food. After all, there are over 20,000 restaurants here and in a huge city, built on the contributions of immigrants, which continues to draw people from every corner of the world, it is statistically probable that there exists a commercial enterprise operating to meet everyones taste, as disparate as those tastes may be. There are no set requirements as to where we dine, but a sort of tacit set of rules have emerged: price is importantthe final bill should never cause us to wince, international cuisine is preferred, and in the event of a debate, byob is the trump card.)

Calder Quinn is afearlessgastronome exploring New York City one restaurant at a time andthe eldest son of Lucinda Scala Quinn, Livings Executive Editorial Director of Food.

Follow Mensday Wednesdays on Twitter @mensdae



Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Indigo Dyeing Class

A friend and I took an indigo dyeing class at LEcole Des Beaux Arts (LDBA) in Brooklyn last Sunday. LDBA is part housewares and hardware store part artist supply destination and part classroom, featuring workshops and classes taught by artists and tradespeople from the community and elsewhere. The class kicked off with a brief introduction to mixing and maintaining a vat of indigo, the dyeing process in general, and different shiborithe Japanese word for resist dyeingtechniques. (Doesnt shibori sound much more chic than tie-dye?) We then donned our matching indigo smocks and yellow rubber gloves and jumped right in. Each person brought 3 or 4 white items to dyeincluding t-shirts, pillowcases, kimonos, scarves and handkerchiefs. Silk, cotton and linenitems seemed to take and hold the dye the best. The process was surprisingly forgiving and the results, across the board, were gorgeous. My personal favorites were small accent pieces, like a handkerchief or scarf, with high-contrast patterns, and heavy saturation of indigo.

The vat of indigo dye was an unexpected bright green. The items were a sort of greenish brown color when you pulled them out of the dye but turned a deep blue over the course of about 15 minutes as the air oxidized the dye.

Everyone had a slightly different approach and was eager to experiment with the different techniques, the length of time an item should stay in the vat, and the number of dips to achieve the perfect shade of blue.

These ropes were used when we tried arashi shibori, one of several different techniques that we played around with. In arashi, cloth is wrapped on a diagonal around a pole and then tightly bound by wrapping rope or thread (depending on desired thickness of the pattern) up and down the pole. Next, the cloth is scrunched on the pole and then the entire pole is submerged in the dye. When you un-scrunch the cloth and unwind the rope, the result is a sort of pleated effect with a pattern on the diagonal. Arashi is the Japanese word for storm and the pattern is thought to resemble driving rain during a heavy storm.

These once yellow gloves show what a rich and vibrant blue you get with repeated dips in the vat.

(Photos by Ulla Johnson)


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Monday, January 28, 2013

Our Finds: 2013 Wall Calendars

With the new year come new resolutions, new travels, new projects and, to keep track of them all, a new calendar. If youre like me, you consider your annual wall calendar purchase quite a commitment (you have to look at it for 365 days!), and you may still be on the hunt. Heres a roundup of our favorite pin-up calendars for 2013 some graphic, some charming, some mouth-watering all sure to give your year a monthly dose of inspiration.

Cities Calendar from Rifle Paper Co., $26

A Year in Foodcalendar by photographer Jenna Park, $24

Adventure of the Month mini calendar from littlelow studio, $14

Chalkboard calendar wall decal from SimpleShapes, $64

Illustrated calendarby Erin Jang, $36

Office Chairs calendar illustrated by Christine Stalder, $25

Art Grid Calendarfrom Paper Source, $24.95


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Maker of the Week: Will Lisak


Will Lasik is the Maker behind ETWAS bags. The ETWAS project combines artisanal leather design, low impact business, and consistent design values.

How and when did you start the company?
I founded ETWAS in 2009, after finishing a degree in design. I had made a leather bag and so many people that I met asked me to make them one like it. The reaction was so strong that I decided I needed to pursue it; I havent looked back since.

Whats the story behind the name?
Etwas is the word something in German. I like the name because good design is not just about having a beautiful product, but designing a beautiful process. The products we make are just somethings. Its how we go about producing and employing ourselves that is important.

You take great care to explain your project statement on your site. Can you sum it up for us and tell us about the creative forces behind it?
With ETWAS, I want the product to come from a beautiful and graceful system. Every part functions well and is meaningful, from our workbenches to our windows to the tools we use.

What brought you to sustainable design?
Sustainability has always been a big part of my life. My parents were back to the land homesteaders in the 70s and I grew up on a small organic farm. They taught us to use our hands, be creative thinkers, and to enjoy and be stewards of the land. I worked on traditional sailing ships, which utilize clean technology and offer a really beautiful way of doing things. I also worked on a larger organic farm where I would bike to work in the morning.I decided I would only work a job that would be that healthy and rewarding.

You call the company light and mobile. Where does most of your work happen?
We use mostly hand tools and traditional methods, this is what we mean by light and mobile. We dont have a lot of heavy equipment. Our studio is a place for people to work, not a factory to house machines. We also use small tool bench/boxes that allow us to work anywhere, so a person can work from home if they want to. Theres something refreshing in that hardy, lasting things can be made with such light production.

You offer free repairs for life (!). What are other key elements that set an ETWAS bag apart?
Quality materials and quality workmanship. We use the best domestic vegetable tanned leather and we use time-honored methods to assemble. We use two-needle saddle stitching in a recessed groove for our seams, which is nearly indestructible. Our products are made to stand the test of time and its important to me that we stand behind that with a warranty like the ones companies used to offer.

How long does it take to craft a bag from start to finish?
It depends greatly on who is sewing it! For me, it takes five hours.

You ask customers to email you directly, since anonymity is over-rated. Has this approach reaped any interesting results?
Oh, yes. Were going to launch an e-cart option soon, but I hope people will still write to us. Weve heard from people in every corner of the globe, and have sold to all kinds of customers from award-winning actors to men working the ranches of Australia.

Has your vision for the company grown or morphed over time?
Yes and no. Ive learned a tremendous amount. I started out with an overly idealistic mindset, and Ive had a crash course in business over the last few years. Now that Ive hit my stride, Im seeing that the best way forward is not so different from what I first imagined.

Who are makers that inspire you?
Im really inspired by traditional craftsmen like George Nakashima as well as by digital craftspeople, the coders and designers that make this whole craft revival possible. They allow small-scale makers to compete with large companies and share their stories with the world. Im also inspired by other new makers, like John Neeman, a great blacksmith in rural Estonia,who is equally adept with hammer and anvil as with a camera and laptop to share his craft.

Have you received any key pieces of advice along the way?
Yes, a successful businessperson once told me that the key to success at anything is to always be in love. No matter what youre pursuing, be in love with it.

What do you consider your biggest success so far?
That Ive made this all work! Every day things are getting better, our product is more refined, our production more efficient. I love that Im able to wake up and do this every day.

Your toughest challenge?
Making careful choices. Were often presented with opportunities, collaborations, special projects, some things that would make us grow too quickly. We have to keep walking rather than try to sprint over unknown and unsteady terrain and risk falling.

Certain albums, a morning coffee ritual what gets you in the creative mood while you work?
We are really blessed that we work with hand tools. Our work is largely quiet and focused, which is perfect for listening to audiobooks, podcasts, and radio programs. I love that my body can be at work and my mind can be learning or enveloped in a novel.

What do you hope the future brings?
We are working on launching the first in a series of new designs that are scalable; the customer will be able to change the dimensions to match his/her needs. This is really exciting to me, because no two people are alike, and no two people carry the same things. In the old days, a craftsperson would make every product for the exact needs of the user, and now, thanks to digital technology, were going to be able to bring that back in a viable way.

Maeve Nicholson is a contributing editor at Martha Stewart Living. Follow her on Instagram.com @maeverz.

(photos: Hazel Kiesewetter, Steven Gerlich)


Thursday, January 24, 2013

A Homemade Contraption Kit

My super-creative friends Margaret McCartney and Jeff Rotter came up with a Christmas gift for their son that would be the perfect birthday present for any imaginative kid: a homemade Contraption Kit.

FromMargaret:

My son Felix is obsessed with building contraptions. Rube Goldberg-style machines that may or may not actually function. Just before Christmas, he made a spinning propellor gizmo using a plastic teapot, a rubber band, and the armature of a tiny paint roller. We wanted to give him a gift this Christmas that would encourage him to keep creating and building. Using a host of items my husband bought at the hardware store and a toolbox, we put together this customized Contraption Kit.

Margaret, an illustrator and surface designer (check out her inspiring website here), hand-cut this lettering out of metallic tape for a label.

She also made labels for all the compartments helpful at cleanup time!

Everything in its place!

The bottom layer.

Here are the contraption-friendly items that they included:

    • PVC pipe and connectors
    • dowel rods
    • boards
    • bolts
    • eye bolts
    • nuts
    • wire
    • rubber bands
    • electrical tape
    • magnetic tape
    • magnet
    • ruler
    • pulley
    • rop

They drilled holes in the pvc tubes and boards so that they could be fitted together using the dowels as connectors. So clever! Next theyll add thefollowing items to the kit: casters (wheels), a small motor and large wood base for structures.

The kit has kept Felix busy for hours at a time!

Thanks for the inspiration, Margaret and Jeff!


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Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Its Whats for Breakfast Lunch Dinner and Dessert

To stumble upon a great beer is to have a new adventure, and thats exactly what FoundersBrewing Companyof Grand Rapids, Michigan, offers with their Breakfast Stout.The beer is aptly named, as its brewed with oats, bitter chocolates, and Kona coffee.It looks like an espresso in a beer glass, with a creamy, foamy head.

On first taste you get those notes of fresh roasted coffee, but that mellows to finish with a slight sweetness of oatmeal and dark chocolate. As complex and interesting as an Imperial Stout, but more medium-bodied (it doesnt come with the heavinesstypicallyassociated with stout beers), itsabeer for both worlds that satisfies beer nerds and 101-ers alike. I think its great for enjoying on its own, but its also awesome for pairing with food.

Go the extra distance and pour it in your chili to add a deep, roasted flavor; scoop vanilla ice cream in your pint glass for an adult ice cream float, or serve it instead of coffee at your next brunch. Does this all sound too good to be true? It is, a little, as Breakfast Stout is seasonal and only available from September to February. My advice:Stock up now and enjoy with all the hearty lumberjack breakfasts youre eatingthrough the winter, leftover Valentines Day chocolates,or sip it at your favorite beer-friendly restaurant with a steak or chocolate cake.

Lauren Tempera is an assistant editor at Martha Stewart Living and associate brand manager ofMad Hungry. Sheloves traveling, themed-entertaining, a good sandwich, and has the ultimate snack drawer in her desk.Follow her on Instagram: @laurenevelynanne.

(photo courtesy of Founders Brewing Company by Mitch Ranger)


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Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Affordable Art

Im looking for a print to brighten up a corner in my kitchen and Im so impressed with the selection of affordable printsavailable online. Sites like Stampa and 20200offer a curated selection of art at low prices some starting at just over $20. Perfect for when you just want something to freshen up an awkward space in your home and not spend a ton of cash. Prices range based on size and the artist, but I love that you can quickly browse such wide variety of artists and have the opportunity to see the artwork framed or unframed.

Chikara Umikara

Rainfall Upstate by Chikara Umihara from 20 x 200, from $24

Neon Pink Poster

Neon Pink by Super Rural, $50

Sarah Singh Backdrop by Sara Singh from Stampa, $200

Andy Warhol The Velvet Underground at Saturdays Surf Shop

Andy Warhol The Velvet Underground from Melet Mercantile at Saturdays Surf, $575

Britt Browne

Seagrass by Britt Browne from Stampa, $200

James Graham
Apple by James Graham from Stampa, $200

Penelope Davis
Collection by Penelope Davis from Lumas, $94

Jessica Romm is the Lifestyle Editor at Martha Stewart Living. She loves discovering new shops and reading vintage cookbooks. Follow her on Instagram @jcromm.


Monday, January 21, 2013

Maker of the Week: Helen Dealtry

Todays guest post comes from designer Jenny Gordy of Wiksten. A former Brooklynite, Jenny lives in Iowa City, Iowa, where shes found a likeminded community of knitters and crafters.

Helen Dealtry, the head designer for textile company Woking Girl Designs, recently invited me to visit her workspace in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. The studio windows look out over a courtyard garden, where Helen gathers some of her best inspiration for the prints she designs. Plants and vases of flowers fill the studio, bringing natures inspiration inside.

Helen has a talent for painting lush florals, but her newer work also includes geometric patterns. As she sorted through sample yardage, I was able to peek at some of her designs printed on silk.


I was fascinated to learn more about Helens process and to watch her at work. It all begins at the mood board.

She has an ever-evolving collection of inspirational images, such as tear sheets from magazines, photos of artwork, and even little doodads like fly-fishing lures! Next to the mood board is the table where she creates the artwork.

Painting her designs on paper, she works in layers. I photographed as she put the finishing touches on a retro scenic print. On average, she completes two paintings a day.

Finished artwork is scanned into a computer and then stored in flat files by season. The clients are fashion labels, who purchase the prints for use in their collections.


As well as designing textiles, Helen has been developing some new products for Working Girl Designs. Her line of silk scarves is currently available on the companys website, and shes in the process of creating some simple garments featuring her prints.

Preferring a hands-on process, Helen drapes and sews the product prototypes herself. She also keep everything local: all production takes place close-by in order to support the community economy.

Before we finished, I asked her to answer a few fill-in-the-blanks:


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Sunday, January 20, 2013

Big Insight from a Small Kitchen

A quarter-lifer still relatively new to the Big Apple and its not-so-big apartment kitchens, I constantly turn to the blogBig Girls, Small Kitchenfor delicious yet humble recipes and tips on mastering the art of eating and cooking well with limited time, space, or money. Its print extension, the cooking primer In the Small Kitchen, outlines recipes for virtually every post-grad occasion bff catch-up dinner, Bollywood movie night, even breakup lunch for one with charming details like kitchen tools, storage tips, and authors anecdotes.

Despite its title,Big Girls, Small Kitchen offers something for every cook looking to better her know-how, regardless of her kitchen size or experience level. Here, at the mark ofBGSKs fourth birthday, co-founder Cara Eisenpress shares her pearls of wisdom and what shes cooking up this winter season

How was BGSK born?
In November 2008, I helped my best friend throw a cocktail party for her birthday. I did tons of cooking in the days leading up to the party, lugged tote bags of food to work one Friday and set up a vegetarian feast for 40 people at my friends apartment that night. I was exhausted afterwards! But I was happy, so when my co-author [Phoebe Lapine] emailed me to say that in a fit of inspiration she had bought a domain name and set up Blogger, I wasnt surprised.

Where do you find culinary inspiration?
Mostly in my cravings, and those are influenced by the season, the weather, what I have in my fridge and how much comfort I need in any particular meal. I also love rising to challenges like having dinner guests with a wide variety of dietary preferences. Figuring out what to serve a vegan, a carnivore, and someone who eats gluten-free really gets my creative wheels turning.

Whats on your grocery list this season?
Sweet potatoes. I adore making sweet potato fries. Theyre healthful, and they match well with so many main dishes. Im also buying a lot of pasta, rice, and quinoa great inexpensive bases for any meal. Ive been buying whole organic chickens to make broth, and then I use the meat for chicken salads. And I love Cabots clothbound cheddar and the Rye-Sunflower loaf from Bien Cuit in Brooklyn. If I have both of those in the house, I can always make a meal!

Whats your favorite meal for kiddos? When cooking for one?
For kids, Id have to say my mac and cheese. And strangely enough, thats also my favorite meal when Im cooking alone. Im such a sucker for rich, cheesy meals, but my husband isnt. So when the cats away

What do you think can be most intimidating about the kitchen?
Stocking the pantry can seem not just intimidating but expensive. Its least painful to buy ingredients as you need them for recipes youre making. Just remember when you freak out over paying $9.50 for a bottle of olive oil that that olive oil will last you through many recipes.

In a tiny kitchen where space is of the essence, what items are essential to your pantry or fridge?
Its definitely worth investing in good-quality plastic or glass storage. They should stack easily whether theyre empty or full. As for the pantry, keep rice, pasta, cans of beans and tomatoes, potatoes, onions, oil, cheese and milk. Outfit your spice rack with a dozen spices. Cumin, coriander, curry powder, oregano, thyme, chili powder and cayenne pepper are a good start. With those ingredients, youll always be able to make dinner from your pantry if youre desperate, or at least have a solid stash of staples so that you just have to pick up a few fresh ingredients on your way home.

Any tips for maximizing those precious square feet?
Before you buy anything new for the kitchen, picture where youre going to put it away and I dont mean stuffed somewhere so every time you open a cabinet it falls on your head!Use cutting boards like trays. So once youve laid out some prep bowls on a cutting board, say, you can move the whole thing off your counter to another surface even if its your coffee table. Then you have access to your counter again.

Whats your go-to quick and easy winter meal?
I love pureed vegetable soups. I recently madethis one, with celery root and fennel. I like to serve it as part of a simple dinner with some good bread plus hummus, cheese, and butter to spread on the bread.

Tell us about your cookbook, In the Small Kitchen.
Nearly everything within the book takes place within the boundaries of one year from Fall 2008, when we started the blog, to Fall 2009, when [Phoebe] and I left our full-time positions to work full-time on Big Girls, Small Kitchen. The stories deal with growing up, dating, and finding our places in the world after college. The sections are organized by reason to cook cooking for one, potlucks, parties, dating and they alternate among recipes, stories, and the best tips and tricks weve developed over the years of cooking and entertaining. Because our book has memoir-ish aspects, we wanted to make sure that all the recipes had really played a part in our lives. But they also had to be delicious enough to share with our future readers.

Find more BGSK recipes and tricks of the trade in this cookbook, available at amazon.com.

Kelsey Mirando is an Editorial Assistant in Books and Special Projects at Martha Stewart. Shes endlessly inspired by art, travel, and life in the Big Apple. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @kmirando.


Saturday, January 19, 2013

Wave Hills Garden Lectures

Each winter I look forward to attending Wave Hills horticultural lecture series. I always learn something new, plus its a chance to look at pictures of beautiful gardens while outside the landscape is cold and quiet. Wave Hills director of horticulture Scott Canning opens each talk with a show and tell of a few snips from plants that are doing something special at Wave Hill, such as a branch from an Idesia tree (below) reminding us that even though the garden is mostly bare, things are happening if you look for them.

The first talk takes place this Wednesday, January 23 with Stephen F. Byrns and Timothy Tilghman on the lost Untermyer Gardens in Yonkers, New York, a celebrated garden from the early twentieth century that had fallen into disrepair and is now being restored.

Annie Novak, co-founder and farmer of Eagle Street Rooftop Farm, the first greenroof vegetable farm in America, will speak on February 27 about how urban farmers are learning from looking back at agricultural history.

On March 13, Jason Eslamieh, who has a decades-long passion for frankincense, will talk about its diversity and habitat, rich history, and his hopes for its future.

The lectures take place at theNew York School of Interior Design at 6 p.m. Hope to see you there!


Upcoming Events Wave Hill - New York Public Garden and Cultural ... Events happening at Wave Hill ... Family Art Project: Give a Winter Bird a Home or a Feeder/Casitas y comederos para los pajros del invierno Wave Hill - New York Public Garden and Cultural Center Famous public garden in the northwest Bronx along the Hudson River, with flower gardens, alpine house, greenhouses, and cultural center. Visit Wave Hill - New York Public Garden and Cultural Center A spectacular 28-acre public garden and cultural center overlooking the Hudson River and Palisades in the Bronx, Wave Hill's vibrant landscape is one of the most ... Sesame and Lilies. Lecture II.-Lilies: Of Queens Gardens. John ... Sesame and Lilies. Lecture II.-Lilies: Of Queens Gardens. John Ruskin. 1909-14. Essays: English and American. The Harvard Classics Presidential Lectures: Maya Lin - Stanford University Vietnam Veterans Memorial (VVM) (1980-82), Washington, D.C. Aligning Reeds (1985), New Haven, Connecticut. Civil Rights ... About Wave Hill - New York Public Garden and Cultural Center AddressWest 249th Street and Independence Avenue (main entrance) 675 West 252nd Street (mailing address) Bronx, NY 10471-2899 View DirectionsTelephone: 718.549.3200 ... Berkshire Botanical Garden Passion for PlantsStudy Group . Join a study group taught by staff at the Berkshire Botanical Garden to consider plant groups of particular interest. In the Garden Find deer-resistant plants in New York and its suburbs, gardening calendar and Cornell Cooperative Extension and garden club news from Bill Cary, garden writer at The ...