The Cloisters: A Medieval Hidden Gem in NYC

The northern outpost of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Cloisters is located in Fort Tryon Park in Upper Manhattan, and is used to exhibit the museum's extensive collection of art, architecture and artifacts from Medieval Europe. Created by the philanthropist John D. Rockefeller, Jr., Fort Tryon Park began when he purchased the Billings Estate and other properties in the Fort Washington area and hired Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr., son of one of the designers of Central Park to create a park, which he then donated to New York City in 1935. As part of the overall project, Rockefeller also bought the extensive medieval art collection of George Grey Barnard, an American sculptor and collector, who had already established a medieval-art museum near his home in Fort Washington, and gave it to the Metropolitan along with a number of pieces from Rockefeller's own collection, including the Unicorn Tapestries. These became the core of the collection now housed at The Cloisters.

The exterior of the Cloisters on the norther tip of Manhattan in Tryon Park

The imposing museum, designed by Charles Collens, incorporated parts from five cloistered abbeys of Catalan, Occitan and French origins. Buildings from Sant Miquel de Cuixà, Sant Guilhèm dau Desèrt, Bonnefont-en-Comminges, Trie-en-Bigòrra, and Froville were disassembled stone-by-stone and shipped to New York City, where between 1934 and 1939, they were reconstructed and integrated by Collens into a cohesive whole by simplifying and merging the various medieval styles in his new buildings. The area around the buildings was landscaped with gardens planted according to horticultural information obtained from medieval manuscripts and artifacts, and includes multiple medieval-style cloistered herb gardens. With over 20,000 sculptures, medieval treasures and breathtaking exhibits, we spent a whole day wandering slowly through the stone passageways and cool, castle-like rooms and exploring the museum's extensive collection of art, architecture and artifacts from Medieval Europe.

The main stairwell up to the Cloisters

Equipped with an audio guide, we were able to walk around the museum listening to interviews with curators, conservators, and educators and listen to Medieval music that punctuated the fascinating narrative. We also took advantage of a special exhibition of stained glass from England's historic Canterbury Cathedral which featured six Romanesque-period windows that had never left the cathedral since their creation in 1178–80, and entitled 'Radiant Light: Stained Glass from Canterbury Cathedral' from February 25 to May 18, 2014.

Noah, one of six Romanesque-period stained glass window from England's historic Canterbury Cathedral that have never left the cathedral since their creation in 1178–80

Ornate archway leading to the 12th-century Chapel Notre-Dame-du-Bourg from Bordeaux

The collection now contains more than five thousand European medieval works of art, with a particular emphasis on pieces dating from the 12th through the 15th centuries. Notable works of architecture include the Cuixà cloister, with an adjacent Chapter House; and the Fuentidueña Apse from a chapel from Castilla y León, Spain. Among the notable works of art are seven Flemish tapestries depicting The Hunt of the Unicorn, Robert Campin's Mérode Altarpiece, and the Romanesque altar cross known as the Cloisters Cross or Bury St. Edmunds Cross. The Cloisters also holds many medieval manuscripts and illuminated books, including the Limbourg brothers' Les Belles Heures du Duc de Berry and Jean Pucelle's book of hours for Jeanne d'Evreux. An extraordinary museum, The Cloisters will for ever be on my itinerary each time I return to New York.

The 12th-century Benedictine Cuxa Cloister

Orchid blooming in the Cuxa Colister

12th-century Spanish apse from St Martin at Fuentideuna with fresco from the Catalan Pyranees

Archway into the Unicorn Tapestries Room

The Unicorn Tapestries Room featuring the famous cycle of 15th-century Flemish tapestries

'The Unicorn is Found' tapestry shows the unicorn purifying the waters for the forest animals

"The Unicorn is Attacked' by hunters, but legend says the unicorn cannot be disturbed while performing a magical act, so it tries to leap from the pursuers

The famous 'Unicorn in Captivity' tapestry shows the unicorn resting in a peaceful meadow within the confines of a circular fence

Detail from the 14th-century Belgian Merode Altarpiece

The 12th-century Pontaut Chapter House from a Cistercian abbey south of Bordeaux served as a stable until 1930 when it was rescued George Grey Barnard

Ceiling detail of the Chapter House with iron ring where cattle were once tethered

The Early Gothic Hall with 13th-century limestone windows overlooking the Hudson River and filled with Gothic stained-glass panels from the cathedrals of Canterbury, Rouen and Soissons

Medieval wooden door leading from the Early Gothic Hall to the Cuxa Cloister

Early 13th-century Cloisters from Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert

The Gothic Chapel

One of the conservationists monitoring and preserving the Medieval collection at The Cloisters

The Bonnefont Garden Cloister

Overlooking the Hudson River

A pruned espaliered pear tree budding and ready for summer

One of the first herbs bursting out from its winter sleep

Secret doorway to the Trie Cloister, currently being restored

The late 15th-century Cloister from Trie-Sur-Baise is currently being restored to upgrade the irrigation for its flowery meadow bordered with periwinkles is usually accompanied with the sound of running water from its central fountain

The richly embellished 14th-century illuminated manuscript 'The Belles Heures'

The 15th-centure Flemish tapestry 'The Falcon's Bath'

The only set of playing cards known to have survived from the Middle Ages

Detail of altarpiece at The Cloisters

www.metmuseum.org/visit/visit-the-cloisters

Le Relais de Venise L’Entrecôte NYC

Many restaurants feature steak dishes that use the word entrecôte as part of their name, however the name L'Entrecôte has become synonymous with three iconic groups of restaurants owned by two sisters and one brother of the Gineste de Saurs family, which specialize in the contre-filet cut of sirloin and serve it in the typical French bistro style of steak-frites. It began in 1959, when Paul Gineste de Saurs purchased a small Italian restaurant called Le Relais de Venise in the 17th arrondissement of Paris, near Porte Maillot. A descendant of the Gineste de Saurs family in southern France, Paul was seeking to establish a steady market for the wines produced by the family's Château de Saurs winery in Lisle-sur-Tarn, 50 kilometres northeast of Toulouse. In place of the previous Italian menu, he decided that the restaurant would offer the traditional French bistro meal of steak-frites as its only main dish, with no other option. Whereas most restaurants served steak-frites with herbed butter, Le Relais de Venise instead served the dish with a complex butter-based sauce, often referred to as Café de Paris sauce, along with a simple starter of lettuce topped with walnuts and a mustard vinaigrette. Despite serving only one main dish and offering a very limited selection of wines, the restaurant flourished and became a Paris institution. 

Cuvée Le Relais de Venise Bordeaux 2010

Following the death of Paul Gineste de Saurs in 1966, his daughter Hélène Godillot took control of the original restaurant at Porte Maillot and now oversees all of the new global openings to ensure all aspects of the unique dining experience created by her father are faithfully maintained: from the colourful paintings of Venetian scenes that adorn the walls to the waitresses’ black and white uniforms and even down to the precise width of the hand made frites. Her branch of the family now have five additional locations operated under licence by Steven and Michael Elghanayan: three in London, one in Bahrain, and one in New York on Lexington Avenue at 52nd, conveniently located near MOMA, which is where we often dine after visiting the Museum for our annual 'fix' of steak-frites. The recipe for the sauce which accompanies the steak still remains a closely guarded family secret. Over the years, many have tried to replicate the sauce but none have succeeded.

Green Salad with Walnuts and Mustard Vinaigrette

The servers at Entrecôte, dressed in black uniforms with white aprons,  

serve the steak frites table side from silver dishes brought direct from the kitchen

Entrecôte's atmosphere is a key part of the formula, and is as important to their success as their cuisine. Each restaurant has the typical look of a French brasserie with wood panelling and wall mirrors, closely spaced tables, and bench seating in red upholstery. All the servers are women, dressed in black uniforms with traditional white aprons — no male staff are visible. The restaurants don't take advance bookings, but each time we've lunched at Entrecôte in NYC after visiting MOMA, the restaurant has been bustling. They obviously have the recipe for success. Scouring the internet for their secret sauce, Chef Marco Pierre White's recipe appears to be the most consistent ingredients for a classic Café de Paris butter — bon appetite!

Entrecote Steak & Frites with their signature secret sauce - entrecôte is the French word for ‘rib-eye’

www.relaisdevenise.com/newyork

Café de Paris Butter
Serves 6
Recipe courtesy Marco Pierre White

2 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp capers
1 shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 anchovy fillet, minced
Juice of one lemon
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 small bunch fresh parsley, chopped
1 sprig fresh thyme leaves, chopped
1 sprig fresh tarragon leaves, chopped
1 tsp ground black pepper
Zest of half a lemon
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp curry powder
Pinch cayenne
1 lb softened butter

For the steaks:
6 Rib-eye steaks, 1/2-pound each
Oil as desired
Sea salt to taste
Fresh cracked black pepper to taste


Mix all of the ingredients except the butter in a bowl and place in refrigerator overnight. Using an electric mixer with a whisk attachment, whip the butter for 4-5 minutes on medium. Blend the refrigerated ingredients in a blender to make a smooth paste, then fold into the whipped butter.  Form the butter into logs about 1.5 inches in diameter. The best way is to spoon the butter onto a piece of plastic wrap, roll tightly and tie the ends. It is best to make three or four shorter rolls. Freeze the butter until needed.

To assemble, season the steaks with the oil, salt and pepper and place on a hot grill. To achieve medium rare, cook 3-4 minutes on each side for a one-inch steak. As the steaks cook, unwrap the butter and cut three medallions for each steak. Once the steaks reach medium rare place the butter medallions on top and flash under a hot broiler just until they start to melt. Serve immediately.

The Chelsea Market in NYC's Meatpacking District

For those not familiar with the Chelsea Market, it’s NYC's historic indoor food market mecca and fairyland of fabulous shops nestled underneath the 'High Line', in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District, and located in the 112-year-old historic landmark National Biscuit Company’s factory complex — birthplace of the Oreo Cookie. A block long and a block wide and just a short cobblestoned walk from the Hudson River, the Chelsea Market has become in just fifteen years one of the greatest indoor food halls in America, with more than thirty-five vendors selling everything from soup to nuts, wine to coffee, cheese to cheesecake, along with its vegetable, meat, and seafood shops, top-notch restaurants, kitchen supply stores, and everything food-related in between.

The Chelsea Market's iconic brick passageway

The area has always been the locus of food in the city, beginning with the Algonquin Indians, who traded their game and crops on the banks of the Hudson River at this same spot. The trains of the High Line once served the wholesale butchers who lined the streets beneath the tracks and cooled their provisions with blocks of Hudson River ice, and the National Biscuit Company established its factory here, now reclaimed as the Chelsea Market, to take advantage of the butchers’ lard in the nineteenth century. This long history, and the stripped-down brick architecture of the building, gives the Market a unique character. For food enthusiasts and casual tourists, it's possible to enter the Market at one end in the morning and not exit the other end until lunchtime, without ever growing bored — and most certainly, without ever going hungry.

An overwhelming sign post shows the splendour of shops at the market

Dickson's Farmstand Meats

Mouthwatering rotisserie chicken sits in the window enticing everyone who walks by

'Spices and Tease' at Chelsea Market

Pots and pots of fragrant spices and exotic tea leaves

Tacos, quesadillas and tostadas for busy New Yorkers looking for take-away meals

Amy's Breads at Chelsea Market, another location of the one we had coffee at in Greenwich Village

Giovanni Rana at Chelsea Market where we had lunch the previous week

The Lobster Place at Chelsea Market

From New Zealand cockles, Maine mussels to Manila clams from California

Miles of oysters on beds of crushed ice

Spectacular Tiger Prawns

The Lobster Place has aisles of fresh fish from across the globe

Lobsters can be purchased for preparing at home or feasting on-the-spot

For tiny ladies, they certainly devoured their lobsters

Take-away Lobster Roll from The Lobster Place

Lucy's Whey Cheese Shop at the market

In celebration of its 15-year milestone, The Chelsea Market Cookbook collects the most interesting and famous recipes from the market’s eclectic vendors and celebrity food personalities

After exploring the market, just step outside and stroll on the 'High Line', the remnants of the old dilapidated elevated railway, which has been turned into America's first overhead park, a one-mile-long public park built on an elevated railway that hovers over the meatpacking district, with great views of the Hudson River. The 35-foot-high structure blends plant life with long, narrow planks, forming a smooth, linear, virtually seamless walking surface. It features viewing platforms, sun decks, restaurants and gathering areas used for performances, art exhibitions, and educational programs. The park includes naturalized plantings that are inspired by the self-seeded landscape that grew on the disused tracks and recall the High Line's former use. Most of the planting, which includes 210 species, is of rugged meadow plants, including clump-forming grasses, liatris and coneflowers, with scattered stands of sumac and smokebush. The success of the High Line in New York City has encouraged the leaders of other cities, who see it as "a symbol and catalyst" for gentrifying neighbourhoods. For New Yorkers and visitors alike, the park provides a unique perspective of lower Manhattan, and brings people together to enjoy a quiet oasis in the midst of a bustling city. It's a beautiful thing.

The High Line integrates portions of the original track with modern architectural details 

and indigenous planting

'Spring had sprung' on the High Line

Creative built-in bench seating integrates ipê timber and polished chrome

One of NYC's iconic water towers that can been seen all over the city, perched on top of buildings

A modern art installation along the High Line

Even graffiti makes an appearance along the walk

Glimpses of nature's colourful display punctuate the walk along the High Line 

The High Line meanders along the same route that the elevated train once took

Fragrant cherry blossoms with a backdrop of the Meatpacking District 

www.chelseamarket.com

Butternut Squash and Potato Gratin
Serves 8
Recipe courtesy of the Green Table, Chelsea Market

2 tbsp unsalted butter, plus more for the baking dish
2 leeks, white and pale green parts coarsely chopped and rinsed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tsl finely chopped fresh thyme
2 cups heavy cream, as needed
1/2 tsp sweet paprika
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 butternut squash
1-pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled
1/4 cup freshly grated hard cheese


Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat it to 400°F. Generously butter a two-quart shallow baking dish that's about two inches deep.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the leaks, season them with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are tender but not browned, about eight minutes. Stir in the thyme. Remove them from heat.

Combine the cream, paprika, and nutmeg with one teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper in a medium saucepan. Bring them to a simmer over medium heat. Remove the saucepan from the heat and cover to keep warm.

Cut the top "neck" from the squash, then peel and remove the seeds. You should have about one pound of squash. Cut the squash and potatoes into eighth-inch slices. Mix the potatoes and squash together in a large bowl. Spread one third of the potato/squash mixture in the baking dish and top with one half of the leeks. Pour one third of the warm cream mixture evenly over the vegetables. Repeat with another third of the potato mixture, the remaining leeks, and another third for the cream mixture. Finish with the remaining potato mixture. Slowly pour the remaining cream mixture evenly over the vegetables, moving them with a fork to spread them into an even layer, until they are barely covered with the cream mixture. Add more cream if needed. Sprinkle the top with cheese. Loosely cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and put on a rimmed baking sheet.

Bake for about 45 minutes. Remove the foil and reduce heat to 350°F. Continue baking until the gratin is golden brown and tender and the cream has thickened, about 45 additional minutes. If the top becomes too brown before the vegetables are tender, tent the gratin with foil. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving.