Beach Pickles

I enjoy pickles.

I also enjoy the beach.

Luckily this summer I received a huge box of portable pickle snacks from Van Holten's-the pickle in a pouch people! I've had a love affair with these enormous pickle snacks since childhood, so I was undoubtedly thrilled to receive a giant box from the company that included one of every variety they offer and once the box of pickles arrived I always had a couple of chilled ones ready to be trhown into my bag whenever I left the house.

I obviously ate my old favorite variety first-the "Hot Mama", but when I tried the newest variety, the Sweet and Tangy Pickle I discovered a new favorite. I've just completed one leg of a loooonnnng road trip from New York to MS and I kept my eyes peeled for this new variety but never saw it....maybe I didn't look too hard since I had my own pickles from Van Holten's packed for the car ride already!

This is Going to Hurt: Saying Goodbye to Brooklyn (Brine)

In a few days I'm loading my belongings into a truck and driving back to the South with my mother and a couple of friends. I've spent almost 7 years in Brooklyn, all of them amazing, all of them full of action, adventure, love, heartbreak and hard work. I've had 1 internship, 2 jobs, a couple of romances, a few times of being adventurously single, and 5 apartments. Now I'm ready for a new adventure...but first I have to say goodbye.



Starting this blog definitely changed my whole life in Brooklyn. I was immediately welcomed into the Brooklyn and New York pickle community and every single person I've met along the way has been amazing: Pickle Girl, Jennifer Takaki from The Pickle Club, Nancy Ralph from The NY Food Museum and Pickle Festival, Rick Field from Rick's Picks, Bob and Joe McClure of McClure's Pickles, Nick Horman of Horman's Best, and George from Spuyten Duyvil Grocery.

But it's Shamus from Brooklyn Brine I hate to say goodbye to the most. Shamus and I have known each other almost as long as Brooklyn Brine has existed. Over the past year we've found ourselves at pickle events and parties, and at band shows and bars.
We always, I mean always talk about pickles, but we've grown beyond just pickle talk and being able to count Shamus as a real friend means so much to me.

Shamus' energy and enthusiasm for doing what he loves is inspiring and it's not only limited to Brooklyn Brine--he's got enough positivity to share with everyone and I feel privileged to have him as a personal supporter and friend. I've always been told to follow my dreams, but hearing it from you means more than you'll ever know.

You deserve all the success in the world and I look forward to watching you achieve it. Thank you for your friendship Shamus-I'm gonna miss you (and your pickled lavendar asparagus)!!!!

XOXO,
Katy

Welcome Home Hotties

I flew from Munich to Paris to New York City earlier this week. Returning back to Brooklyn was difficult after what was a truly magical trip to Europe. I was tired and hungry and had no groceries so I turned to the two things I ALWAYS have on hand: Pickles and Pasta.

I boiled some noodles and opened the fridge and saw my almost empty jar of the newest delight from Ricks Picks--Hotties--a ridged pickle slice flavored with Sriracha Hot Sauce and lots of garlic. I mentioned before how tired I was, so all I did was boil the noodles, drain them and then I took a spoon and got a great big scoop of the minced garlic in the reddish bottom of the jar of Hotties and dumped it on my noodles along with the few remaining pickle chips.

Perfect first meal back home.