#31: A trip to New York, old haunts, great books and more
Yes, you can go back...kind of.
Walking by the Hudson at Blithewood Gardens, October 2023.
This week: A reflection on returning to old haunts: I’ve spent the last week or so in New York City, walking around, taking the subway, and seeing friends. I also visited the Hudson Valley. This visit has triggered reflections about what it feels like to return to places where I’ve lived at different stages in my life.
Some spots have only grown more beautiful, as time now feels more scarce, and my visits are rare. Walking through The Gardens at Blithewood on the Bard College campus, where I came into my own ages 18-20, felt timeless. Here the gardens remain, as exquisite and unchanging as ever, waiting to be enjoyed, even as I age.
Another night, strolling through the East Village with my nephew, just four nights into his first solo NYC apartment (a one-bedroom, 4th-floor walkup), I was on a block where I've literally spent time at every stage of my life, from high school visitor to right now. The same echoes of history came with the room I rented this visit in a sprawling Pre-War apartment on the Upper West Side. That building was very near the office of the therapist that I visited multiple days a week for 12 years during my 20s and 30s, and yet here I was, present in another time.
Proust said, “Remembrance of things past is not necessarily the remembrance of things as they were,” but walking the streets of New York, so much seems unchanged–the differences are in me.
Walking New York's streets so much seems unchanged; the differences are within me. With the passage of time and life experience, each moment now feels more precious.
In the Hudson Valley, amidst the forests, orchards, and gardens, my sister asked if I could ever see myself living there. I said, “Yes, but in a parallel life.” As a student, I’d dreamed of a house in Rhinebeck before promptly moving to the city. I never made a choice that would have brought me back up there, and yet, in another world, it could have happened (and did not).
These streets and places stir up the thoughts of paths not taken, lives that might have been. As time narrows, the meaning of my experiences deepens, an awareness to savor it all right now, while I am here.
BOOKS AND A FILM
PAST LIVES, a Celine Song, starring Greta Lee, 2023: I watched Past Lives on my flight to New York, and it blew me away. This sensitive, nuanced story follows two childhood friends, Nora and Hae Sung, who reconnect after twenty years apart. Nora, a Korean-born playwright played brilliantly by Greta Lee, reunites with Hae Sung, now an engineer. The film deftly weaves together different stages of their lives, as the two friends (and Nora's husband, an American-born Jewish writer) explore what was, what could have been, and what is between them. Past Lives offers incredibly thoughtful reflections on the passage of time and choices around love - more nuanced than most films I've seen. HIGHLY RECOMMEND–I know I'll be watching this movie again.
Rebekah Peppler, Au Table: Recipes for Cooking + Eating The French Way, Chronicle Books, 2021. During my spring 2023 visit to Paris, while lounging in a garden, snacking on olives, and sipping Aperol spritzers, I was motivated to recreate the same easy elegance when I got home. Rebekah Peppler's new cookbook, Au Table, captures this vibe perfectly. It's full of unfussy yet sophisticated recipes and drinks ideal for entertaining friends.
Peppler makes French cuisine approachable with simple, fresh ingredients. Her recipes let ingredients shine without complicated techniques. Au Table offers inspiration to cultivate that creative yet simple Parisian feeling in your own kitchen. Bonus: Cherry Bombe Interview
MORE BOOKS
I’m currently engrossed in two seemingly unrelated books: a collection of essays by Natalie Beach and a business book by Marisa Meltzer. What has surprised me most is how similar and complementary the voices of these two writers are in the way they personalize non-fiction, immerse themselves in the narrative, and provide brilliantly accurate and comprehensive insights.
Natalie Beach catapulted to fame with her essay in The Cut, where she revealed her experience as a ghostwriter for an Instagram influencer. This essay not only led to the creation of her book but also to a contract for a television adaptation of the story. However, Beach is far from a one-hit wonder. Her wry perspective and distinct New York and Los Angeles vibe resonate deeply with me.
I also thoroughly enjoyed "GLOSSIER: Ambition, Beauty, and the Inside Story of Emily Weiss's Glossier" by Marisa Meltzer. Meltzer expertly weaves her own perspective into the narrative of a female beauty entrepreneur, effectively humanizing both her reporting and the subject matter. A New York Times reviewer aptly described the book as, "A compulsively readable narrative of beauty, business, privilege, and mogul-dom," and I couldn't agree more.
Bonus: Things I ate in NYC: Low-carb diet and some great meals
Smoked Fish for the Win! LOX at Cafe Bergson: Tucked away on the second floor of the Museum of Jewish Heritage, the kosher café LOX has amazing views and some excellent food. Chef and owner David Teyf and his crew make some of the best lox I’ve had in a long time, definitely in the league of Russ & Daughters. My friend (who works there) and I feasted on Lox Five Ways, a magnificent platter of various types of lox, slices of bread and challah, and brilliant accompaniments. And you can eat there without paying a museum fee–but the museum, especially Courage to Act, a wonderful new multi-media exhibit about the rescue of Danish Jews during the Holocaust, is worth a visit. Bonus: Menu
Szechuan at Szechuan Gourmet: Szechuan isn’t a favorite for me, and it’s hard to get great Szechuan around Oakland, but when my friend Pam said “Let’s eat at Szechuan Gourmet, I love it,” I was all in. We ordered Pam’s favorite dish, Mao Xue Wang (毛血旺), a spicy stew made with duck blood curd, tripe, seaweed, mushrooms, glass noodles, and more, simmered in a broth made of Szechuan peppercorn and chili, and also Shui Zhu Yu (Sichuan Boiled Fish, 水煮鱼) a white fish with napa cabbage and chili sauce, plus a sauteed spinach dish and white and brown rice. Definitely going back.
Rugelah at Zabars: What can I say? This was a stellar treat–a cinnamon/raisin rugelach from the amazing deli on the Upper West Side, where the fish is fresh, the bread is gorgeous, and people-watching is as fun as the food.
Because you made it this far: The trailer for Past Lives
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All best, Susan