Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree

© 2010 Brian Adams

Although Thanksgiving leftovers are still in the fridge, Brian and I took a walk down 9th street this weekend to pick up our first New York City Christmas tree and decorations to spruce up our apartment for the season. Christmas means something different to each of us who recognize the holiday, but for Brian and I, it's a time to do what we do best--celebrate the good, simple things in life. It's a time to string up lights to pull us through the dark days and remember how very lucky we are to be alive, in love, and together.

Text by Ash Adams

An Adams Family Thanksgiving

Cranberry Rasberry Sauce Photo and Table Shot © 2010 Ash Adams
All Other Photos © 2010 Brian Adams

Today, Brian and I celebrated our first Thanksgiving as a married couple in New York, and the easiest way to describe it is to say that it was distinctly us, from our early morning trek into Manhattan to watch the Macy's Day parade to the simple meal we prepared together in our junior one bedroom apartment in Brooklyn. After a day in the rainy city, it was heartening to return to our home and prepare a comforting repast of maple-dijon glazed cornish game hens stuffed with root vegetables and stuffing, garlic mashed potatoes with pepper gravy, cranberry raspberry sauce and vegan pumpkin pie. And, of course, we washed it all down with our favorite beer, Piraat, while doing the day's New York Times crossword. Will Shortz, welcome to our holiday.

Our first solo Thanksgiving as the Adams was lovely, and although we missed all of our friends and family, we are thankful to have so many wonderful people to miss. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Text by Ash Adams

Three-Month Anniversary, Two Photo Publications

Illustration © 2010 Hieronymus

Today, Brian and I have been celebrating our three-month anniversary (we will write a post detailing our celebration tomorrow; yes, we are newlyweds) but also two exciting things: today's New York Times Magazine ran one of Brian's photographs on the cover, and another photograph appeared in today's edition of The New York Times. The first is from a shoot with Sarah Palin from 2009, and the other was produced this week with our friends Chris Thomas and his wife, Julia Zimmerman Thomas, an amazing illustrator and graphic designer, respectively.

In all, it's been a crazy, wonderful week and an awesome three months.

Photos © 2010 Brian Adams
Text © 2010 Ash Adams

The Last Stop: Coney Island

It's the last stop. The waking place if you fall asleep on the F train. A boardwalk of honky-tonk and kitch, Coney Island has been an iconic destination in New York City for the past century, but as discussed recently in The New York Times, the landscape is about to change.

Yesterday was the final day for 8 of the current 11 merchants to vacate the premises as mandated by the boardwalk's new landlord, so Brian and I decided to get away from work and our lives a little early and head down to the boardwalk for one last glimpse.

A nerdy, gear-head note: Brian recently purchased an adapter for his Canon EOS 5D, which allows him to use his Hasselblad Zeiss lenses on the digital body, so the above is just a little taste of more photographic masterpieces to come.

Photo of Brian and Text © 2010 Ash Adams

Coney Island Photos © 2010 Brian Adams

GOOD

The Eskimo Cookbook, a small cookbook written by students of the Shishmaref Day School in 1951, exists as a testament to the changing world. Detailing traditional recipes of the Inupiaq village just 20 miles south of the Arctic Circle, the cookbook offers instructions on preparing the plants and wildlife indigenous to North Western Alaska, from stinkweed to polar bear and whale.

My partner and I traveled to Shishmaref in March this year to interview surviving contributors of the original cookbook as well as to work with the younger generations on writing recipes for a new cookbook. Families have been preparing these recipes for generations, but like the landscape itself, Shishmaref's foods are changing.

This week, Brian and I were happy to have our story on food in Shishmaref, Alaska featured in GOOD. We both love GOOD, and we are happy to be a part of it!