This was the Bedford Cheese Shop today around 1 pm, on the corner of Bedford Ave. and N. 4th St, in Williamsburg. Stores were boarded up, including New York Muffin, with just a doorway open for customers to enter and exit. I was surprised, however, at how many restaurants, shops, and cafes were open for business, including: Rabbit Hole, Oslo, Midori, Blackbird, Tai Thai, Dumont Burger, and all the 24-hour delis along Bedford.


So what do you snack on while you’re homebound for 36 hours watching movies and CNN? Popcorn would be a good option. Or Japanese shrimp crackers. But I had a ton of Kale I hoarded from Millennium Mart yesterday so thought I’d make one of my favorites: kale chips.

Sold in markets around the city for $8 for a few ounces, kale chips are a seriously easy and cheap snack to make yourself instead. You wash and dry a bunch of kale (drying is key to a crispy chip), cut into small pieces, arrange on a baking sheet (I used the paella pan), drizzle on olive oil and salt, and bake for 20 minutes at 375 degrees. I also sprinkled on leftover garam masala I had from the spicy coconut curry.

I can eat the whole bunch of kale by myself this way: crunchy, salty, relatively healthy, they’re highly addictive.

Other good eats this weekend: figs and prosciutto. Sardines, crackers, and Japanese mayo. Aged gouda on raisin-walnut toast. Hey, when Bloomberg said to stock up, I didn’t mess around! Bye-bye Irene.