PARK SLOPE PERSPECTIVE

Top 5 Buys at The Bad Wife market, Park Slope, Brooklyn

The Bad Wife market, Park Slope, Brooklyn

    This unconventional "corner" store with an even more unconventional name offers some of the best specialty food items in the neighborhood, at reasonable prices.

What used to be a glorified bodega-like mini-market between 11th and 12th street on 7th avenue in Park Slope, The Bad Wife - re-vamped several months ago- is now a small-scale grocer that competes with the likes of Union Market, without the pretension, smooth jazz or insanely long lines. While you can't get prime cuts of meat here, many other specialty and non-specialty items abound, plus they have a juice bar and some of the most gorgeous fresh flowers and potted plants in the neighborhood.

Here are some of the goodies that draw me to The Bad Wife, besides the welcoming atmosphere and  friendly owners:

Photo courtesy of stevesicecream.com

1. Steve's Ice Cream: Mexican Chili Chocolate, $5.99/pint
This item is definitely a treat, but if you have never had cayenne pepper in your ice cream, I suggest you skip your lunch plans and dive into a pint right now- you won't regret it.

2. YAMAMOTOYAMA Jasmine Tea, $2.39/box (16 tea bags)
For Jasmine Tea addicts like myself, this incredibly inexpensive box is all you need to make cup after cup of this earthy, fragrant beverage. Simple, to-the-point and inexpensive, YAMAMOTOYAMA Jasmine Tea will give you an eye-opening morning kick that's comparable to coffee, without the comedown.


3. Dogfish Head Burton Baton and Aprihop beers, $3.60/bottle

Hallelujah!  Dogfish Head beer is more readily-available in local markets than it was a year ago, and The Bad Wife carries two of the brand's particularly unique brews. Burton Baton- now sold year-round- has the hoppy kick of an IPA with an oakey vanilla flavor to mellow it out, while Aprihop's subtle fruitiness makes it a refreshing alternative to your run-of-the-mill IPA. Both have higher-than-normal alcohol contents (10% and 7% ABV, respectively) so one or two bottles should suffice for a cheap night in.

4. Aura Cacia Candle Lamp (for essential oil diffusion), around $7.99
Realized the smell of kitty litter is taking over your house, or that your living room is missing a little "atmosphere"? Pop into The Bad Wife for a quick fix to your problem: The Aura Cacia Candle Lamp is an inexpensive way to safely burn essential oils and give your home an aroma-makeover. Plus, the market also sells a wide range of oils, so you can experiment with the perfect blend for absolute tranquility (3 drops Lavender, 3 drops Tangerine, 3 drops Marjoram, 1- drop Chamomile, in case you were wondering).

5. Mrs. Lee's Kimchi, $5.99
For kimchi fans, skip the packaged stuff and try this homemade version of the spicy, pickled Korean dish straight from the kitchen of Mrs. Lee, the "Bad Wife" herself!

The Bad Wife
378 Seventh Ave. (bet. 11th and 12th)
Park Slope
Brooklyn, NY 11215

WORD NERD

Today's Word: Ephemera

Dictionary.com defines ephemera as: "Anything short-lived...or items designed to be useful or important for only a short time."


I prefer my ephemera to be of the marine variety, which is why I was so excited to see images of seahorses, shells and coral grace the pages of many a fashion magazine this past March.

The fact that ephemera- with it's choppy/silky syllables (who can't resist whispering them aloud?)- represents the notion of impermanence rightly helped set the stage for the fleeting underwater fantasy worlds recently brought to life- with evidently pain-staking detail- by Chanel and Alexander McQueen.  

Courtesy of IMAXtree.com and Matteo Volta

(elle.com)

Elle magazine's coverage of Chanel's "silicone-and-leather handbag" illustrated the level of detail that went into creating some of these pieces. Each uniquely sized bauble hanging from the bag's delicate outer net-like structure had the undulation and texture of a precious coral branch. Perhaps the creators even went so far as to construct a fabric replica of the creature living inside the mock outer-casing? If that were true, what a wonderful surprise for us, but a torturous task for the seamstress!

The sea-maiden dresses practically shellacked onto the models at Alexander McQueen's Spring/Summer 2012 show made them appear to have just arisen from beneath the sea foam; their skin having acted as some kind of magnet drawing the minutest of shells to form a glistening exoskeleton. Ariel would have most certainly ditched Prince Eric to don one of these dresses as Queen of the merpeople- screw the chance to walk!

But sea ephemera is not just a Spring 2012 fashion trend; look back to Real Simple magazine from May 2011 and you will find a down-to-earth interiors spread emphasizing muted furniture and walls as the ideal backdrop for colorful pops of dessicated sea life. In this case, the ephemera needn't have   to be so fleeting; it fit perfectly inside an office nook as a permanent display.

Matthew Williams (realsimple.com)

There's a reason why we covet things that are meant to be temporary: Their impermanence makes them seem that much more special. So whether the ephemera is a collection of sea shells, or a stack of move tickets, they should be proudly displayed, emphasized and celebrated because eventually they will turn to dust, fade or shrink into nothingness just as their name implies- plus they're fun to look at!

BEAUTY & MONEY

Picky or Principled?

On very rare occasions, I treat myself to a pedicure. This treat is usually preceded by a checking of the bank account and an analysis of whether or not this purchase will set off a detrimental domino effect of bad purchases leading to impending debt. Usually, though, if I'm feeling especially grubby, the reality of my bank account doesn't seem to matter either way. Sometimes you gotta say screw it in the name of beauty.

Anyway, I tend to treat these visits as very precious events with one rule: they must go perfectly. That means finding the perfect polish color (and not making the grave error of pea green Essie on my toes); making sure I am thoroughly aware of every minute of pampering (which usually amounts to about fifteen); and that I have a pleasant conversation with the nail technician. All of this is usually possible, until they hand me the bill.

Dammit, I say to myself! This was all going so well; I had everything under control, was feeling relaxed and then the bill had to go and sour everything. First, let me back up and say that before I get any type of beauty service in my Brooklyn neighborhood, I coach myself by saying, "Okay, just tip twenty percent and be done with it. No more, no less. That way, you don't have to even think about it, and they will be happy too." But this dialogue with myself doesn't seem to play out the same way in real life. Usually the whole plan gets fudged midway through the pedicure's calf massage. It feels so incredible that my previously agreed upon (with myself) twenty percent tip turns into thirty percent, then forty percent, until I have to reel myself back toward my original plan.

The other reason I coach myself beforehand is because the price always changes, slightly, from what I am quoted upon arrival. It's little things like an extra dollar here and there with no description of what the charge is for. I know this sounds incredibly cheap- I mean, what's an extra dollar, really? And that is probably where I should leave the argument in my head. But on the other hand, there is the principle of knowing how much you will be paying for a service, and trusting that the proprietor will stick to that price. To me, it feels deceitful, and there's nothing like deceit to tarnish a good relaxation session.

Of course, as I melt into the giant massage chair, I can't help but recognize that these people are doing grueling work on my body: cleaning my toes, massaging my legs, and breathing in nail polish fumes all day long- why shouldn't they be allowed to deceive me a little? What's the ultimate loss here? Are my principles being challenged to the point that my livelihood is in danger? Is one or two or three unforeseen extra dollars going to put me over the financial edge, or even change the fact that these ladies are stuck crouched over on a small stool tending to people's corns all day? No. But I still can't shake the discomfort of knowing that, business-wise, my nail technician might not be totally up-front.

I guess this is the conundrum I will have to live with because no matter how much I like getting my toes beautified, I will always feel slightly wrong about the whole process, and wrong about the fact that these ladies may have to scam for extra tips because their wages aren't that great. Because the fact is that no matter how concerned I am with my own money, I am lucky enough to be choosing to go to a spa on a Saturday afternoon. And if I have to do a little mental gymnastics to justify the experience, then so be it. At least I am fully aware of the dynamics that are playing out,  and maybe that awareness will make me into a better tipper so that I can finally just relax and enjoy what I'm paying for.

CULTURE CREATURE

Practicality vs. Frivolity

As an admitted Francophile (although my blind admiration has greatly diminished) I am constantly assessing my world through the lens of a very limited binary of France vs. the U.S. Normally I would tell myself that it's unrealistic and unfair to pit these two dynamic countries and cultures against each other because there is always more than meets the eye- culture is merely a symptom of a country's complex history, language, wars fought and won, geography, etc. But, this is the Internet and what's more fun than an easy-to-read list, even if it's overly simplistic!

So, let's take some inspiration from shoe magician Christian Louboutin's interview in the March issue of Marie Claire, where he said he "prefer[s] the useless to the useful, the sophisticated to the natural." Here is the short list comparing America's proclivity for utility versus France's love for, well, the opposite of that:

1. Sneakers vs. stilettos (an easy one...just a warm-up!)
2. Supermarkets vs. incredibly specific local food purveyors (e.g. the local sausage maker- okay, Brooklyn does have those, and France does have supermarkets, but still...)
3. Monogamy vs. mistresses/open relationships/relationship gray areas (our puritanical blood couldn't handle that on a widespread cultural level!)
4. TV political pundits vs. rock star philosophers
5. Food quantity vs. food quality
6. Zero days statutory paid vacation vs. 5 weeks (2 weeks is common in the U.S., but according to this list, the U.S. minimum is actually 0 days!)
7. Mom jeans vs. mom in skinny jeans
8. Pullman loaves and chocolate chip cookies vs. croissants et macarons

DAILY

Pin-sanity?

With everyone else in New York honed in on the Lin-sanity related to New York Knicks player Jeremy Lin, I've decided to turn my focus toward another recent cultural obsession: Pinterest.

According to a story on NPR's Morning Edition, the virtual, personalized bulletin board website drew "more than 10 million unique visitors" to sign up for an account last month, which is pretty impressive considering all of the self-exploitation sites that already have rights to our limited attention spans- how do we all find the time?!

I love a good visual mock-up of ideas as much as the next person, but for some reason the ease of Pinterest irks me.  Now it seems that anyone can curate a collection of ideas and virtually represent their style simply by dragging an image to their Pinterest board- does the world really need more amateur curators on the web?

Perhaps if the social element was removed from Pinterest (which would be totally pointless), it's value, for me, would be restored because it would turn into more of a personal project that would mature over time. Right now, one's ideas are instantly available on their Pinterest board even if the idea is backed up only by a mere three seconds of thinking "Hey! That looks cool!"

Why is this instantaneous sharing of ideas and visual inspiration a bad thing, you may wonder? I guess it's really not if Pinterest can prove that its site has staying power, and that people are using Pinterest as a tool to make a meaningful impact in the real world (as opposed to virtual). But with most social web endeavors, including blogs, the fervor will spike initially when anyone and everyone jumps on-board, but it will eventually slim down to a more manageable and purposeful size, which takes nothing but time.

I guess the web has its own way of curating things.