Dounle click the arrow to watch the elephants enter Manhattan!
If you found yourself with nothing to do around 1 am on Tuesday, you could have met us in Midtown Manhattan for one of those Only-in-New York events – the Ringling Bros. Circus Annual Elephant Parade.
The elephants come into New York via train, and then need to get from Queens to Manhattan. Apparently the only way to do it is to walk. So the NYC DOT closes the Midtown Tunnel to traffic from midnight to 2 am and the elephants walk right into Manhattan and across 34th Street to the circus grounds at Madison Square Garden!
Animal rights activists aside, watching the elephant walk was one of the most fun things we’ve ever done as a family. I just can’t believe it took us 15 years to finally do it. (Although having to stay up past 1am on a school night may have had something to do with that…) Thanks to Mr TBTAM for being the energetic one to get us all going.
There were no more than a few dozen folks at the Midtown tunnel exit on Third Ave when we arrived around midnight, making it a great spot to wait for the privilege of being among the first to see the pachyderms as the exited the tunnel at 1 am. Then it was a short run up to 34th Street (those elephants move a lot faster than you think!), to join the many hundreds who gather along the rest of the route. It’s quite a surreal experience, actually, to see the animals strolling along 34th street, not to mention the fact that so many folks are out there with you at that ungodly hour.
Of course, I needed to cook a little something to commemorate the event, and found a wonderful dish from the Elephant Walk Cookbook from the chefs at this renowned French-Cambodian restaurant in Cambridge, Mass. I’ve never eaten at the Elephant Walk, but since we’ll likely be heading up to Boston on college tours next month, I think I’ll check it out then. From the reviews I’ve read, the cookbook also looks worth getting.
Elephant Walk Butternut Squash and Pork Stir Fry
This is a very simple dish, but extremely flavorful. I thought about adding more things to increase its complexity, maybe some peanuts in honor of our long-nosed friends, but in the end just left it alone as it was. (Well, I did use red pepper flakes instead of black pepper and increased the scallions…) Amazingly, my younger daughter, whose palate can be a bit limited, loved this meal. Maybe it’s the magic of the elephants….
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 garlic cloves, smashed
1/2 pound pork tenderloin or fresh ham, cut into small strips
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/4 pounds buttercup squash, peeled, seeds scooped out, julienned
4 scallions, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Cooked Basmati Rice
Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat and sauté the garlic until golden brown, 5 to 10 seconds. Add the pork, stirring well, then add the fish sauce and sugar. Fold in the squash gently and stir-fry until it is cooked through but still slightly crunchy, 4 to 5 minutes (or longer if you prefer a soft texture).
Add the scallions and pepper and stir well. Serve hot with rice.
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Recipe found at Rediff.com
OK, that sounds like one of the coolest things ever. Now I’m going to have to go to NY one of these years just to watch it!
The Elephant Walk in Cambridge is great. I live just down the street from it and wish I could afford to go every week. But it’s definitely great for special occasions.
The squash looks like elephant trunks, too. How apropos!