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Friday, November 13, 2009
The Ditmas Park Blog Has Moved.
Please continue reading us at our new location, ditmasparkblog.com.
And please reset your bookmarks to http://www.ditmasparkblog.com!
Posted by Ben at 12:37 PM 5 comments
Albemarler

Brownstoner is hosting a new blog from folks renovating this big house on Albemarle, full of gory details for fans of this stuff.
The second installment includes this:
One contractor walking through remarked, "Oh yes, the old Federal Pacific firestarters." -- and that was before he saw [fuseboxes] concealed behind [a white door] which was in the back of the "hers" closet in the master suite. Yes that door is made of wood (though some cautious soul lined the inside of it with sheet metal). The contractor giddily took a pic with his cellphone and emailed it to his electrician.
Posted by Ben at 9:53 AM 0 comments
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Broomball in Prospect Park
Matt Archambault of the NYC Social Sports Club emails that if it's fall, it's "Ice Broomball" season.
His blurb:
Part casual competition and part social outing with fellow Brooklynites, Broomball is played outside and on the ice in your sneakers! Their five-week season, starting December 2nd, is perfect for beginners and non-athlete types...and if you bring a few friends with skills, you may pull a few victories along the way!He also says it's "the ultimate winter sport."
All games are followed by trips to the bar, with transportation provided!
Click here for more information and to register!
Posted by Ben at 8:47 AM 4 comments
The Yam Menu
To continue our obsession with this place, here's the menu:
Sambal, Chutney, Nam prik, Kimchi
$ 15 • Tamarind shrimp with suman sa pandan (rice cakes wrapped in pandan leaves)
$ 13 • Duck leg betutu with taro leaves (slow cooked in Balinese spices and coconut milk wrapped in banana leaves)
$ 9 • Korean meatballs with kimchi in purple yam pockets
$ 10 • Spicy tofu & Manila clams soup
The pig
$ 6 • Tocino (sugar-achuete cured pork) sliders in purple yam pan de sal, served with pickled persimmon
$ 12 • Sisig (pig cheeks, ears and snout in lime & chilies)
$ 18 • Lechon kawali (deep fried pork belly) with pickled papaya
$ 18 • Barbecued spareribs from our Chinese oven
Veggies
$ 12 • Green market veggies in green curry with Asian greens
$ 12 • Bibimbap with shitake, spinach, squash & gingko nuts (made with Philippine heirloom rice from the terraces)
$ 9 • Breadfruit & lotus root chips with eggplant caviar
$ 8 • Pomelo, green mango & jicama salad
Sides
$ 3 • Haegeen’s homemade kimchi of the day (red or white kimchi, baby radish, scallions... the possibilities are endless)
$ 3.50 sml / $ 5 large • Kimchi fried rice
$ 3.50 sml / $ 5 large • Bagoong fried rice (Philippine fermented shrimp)
Cendrillon classics
$ 8 • Ukoy, (vegetable & shrimp fritter)
$ 7 • Fresh Lumpia (sautéed Napa cabbage, leeks & mushrooms in a rice crepe) served with peanut
and tamarind sauce
$ 10 • Beef tapa (air-dried beef) salad
$ 12 • Goat curry with fresh rice pancakes
$ 13 • Wild boar pizza
$ 16 • Chicken adobo (braised in vinegar, garlic, soy sauce)
$ 12 • Pancit bihon (Philippine rice noodles with chicken, pork
& veggies)
$ 17 • Oxtail kare kare with bagoong (braised in peanut sauce & veggies. Served with fermented shrimp paste)
DESSERTS
$ 6 • Pandan leche flan (steeped in pandan leaves)
$ 6 • Halo halo (Philippine iced dessert with sweet beans, palm seed, cocogel, agar agar, coconut sport, jackfruit topped with flan and purple yam ice cream)
$ 6 • Buko pie (young coconut) with a scoop of macapuno ice cream
$ 6 • Champorrado (sweet rice in chocolate & cream) topped with coffee ice cream
$ 6 • Apple tart with macapuno ice cream
Homemade ice creams
$ 2 / scoop • Purple Yam
$ 2 / scoop • Coffee
$ 2 / scoop • Macapuno (coconut sport)
$ 6 / 3 scoops
Posted by Ben at 8:46 AM 8 comments
photo of the day.

New photos from Purple Yam including menu here
photo by flatbushnelson from the Ditmas Park Flickr pool
Posted by nelson at 8:11 AM 0 comments
Labels: Purple Yam
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Yam Open
New heights of local restaurant hype from Eater, which calls Purple Yam a "potential neighborhood gamechanger." (Not too much, I hope.)
Grub Street has a little more detail.
The hype may be deserved: The food we had Sunday was amazing, and when we returned last night for dinner, there was a wait of at least an hour. (We consoled ourselves with Farm burgers and beer.)
Posted by Ben at 9:21 AM 6 comments
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Corduroy!

Neighbor Miles Rohan emails over this invite to the Grand Meeting of the Corduroy Appreciation Club, happening tomorrow in Gowanus.
The New Yorker explains.
Posted by Ben at 12:20 PM 1 comments
P.S. 139 Book Fair
The P.S. 139 PA emails that they're hosting a Scholastic Book Fair through Sunday in the school auditorium, entrance on Rugby just off Cortelyou.
The schedule:
Tuesday November 10th 1 to 3pm and 5:30 to 8pmFunds from the event will go to stretch the budget for the Argyle yard renovation or purchase more Smartboards for classrooms.
Thursday November 12th 9am to 3pm
Friday November 13th 9am to 3pm
Sunday November 15th 9am to 2pm, including:
Story Time 9:30 - 10
PS 139 Co-President and actor, Christine Siracusa, will read popular books from the Scholastic collection.
Musical performance by Carnaval Kids! 10 – 10:30
Carnaval Kids! specializes in Brazilian and Spanish-themed musical drum parties for children.
Free used winter coats.
Available first come, first served. In good condition. Limited supply. Sizes vary.
Also, the Parents Association has a blog!
Posted by Ben at 9:22 AM 0 comments
'Peaceful' Ditmas

The Daily News has a sweet, if occasionally misguided (not sure I'd cal the co-op a "cheap neighborhood staple," plug for the neighborhood today, describing it as "a peaceful place to live."
Also, a nice photo of Picket Fence waiter Ozzie, above.
Posted by Ben at 9:14 AM 4 comments
Monday, November 9, 2009
Farm City at Vox

Sustainable Flatbush's Anne Pope passes on word of a reading Wednesday at Vox of interest to local gardeners, farmers, and eaters:
Tales of Squatting, Dumpster Diving, and other Urban Farming Pursuits: A Night with Novella CarpenterThe reading is Wednesday at 7:00.
Novella Carpenter raises pigs, rabbits, chickens, turkeys, and goats on squatted land in downtown Oakland. Her hilarious memoir, Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer, tells the real story of what it takes to grow your own food in a city.
Copies of the book will be available for sale.
Posted by Ben at 11:11 PM 0 comments
photo of the day.
Posted by nelson at 12:56 PM 1 comments
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Purple Yam, Worth the Wait

We were lucky enough to have lunch at Purple Yam today, in advance of their opening Tuesday, and Amy and Romy exceeded even the very high expectations.
I'm not sure what I expected of their Filipino-influenced food, but it wasn't quite this: It was milder, more accessible, and generally more easy to imagine eating more than once a week than we'd expected.
The likeliest hit, and popular with the kids, were the cured pork sliders, on purple rolls made with purple yam flower, with fresh, unusual vegetables and savory meat. Our platter of samples also had tasty meatballs on skewers, crunchy and fresh mung bean pancakes, and noodles with nuggest of pork and strips of chicken. There was also wonderful kimchee and a sort of slaw made from carrots and green papaya.
Nelson took a lot of photos, so look for those here soon.
Posted by Ben at 7:52 PM 4 comments
Saturday, November 7, 2009
breakfast of the day.
Grits with sundried tomatoes and poached eggs from The Farm
Posted by nelson at 12:31 AM 0 comments




