Church of the Affordable Swedish Design.

Ahem.

As it is Sunday, I would like to briefly direct your attention to my holy place.

Let me now sing the praises of......IKEA!

You may be thinking about now, okay, so a blog about moving to Brooklyn and discovering its rich & vibrant food culture, both traditional and trendy......shouldn't this be all posts about artisanal marshmallow makers and heritage coffee bean roasters, about re-creating at home the stunningly transcendent mac & cheese from the restaurant down the street? Shouldn't we be seeing posts about grinding your own spices, tirelessly seeking out hole-in-the-wall dumpling nirvanas and the best slice of pizza in all the land? Well, YES. And you will be! But before I can even get into any of that, let me ask you this. In what shiny white bowls are you going to lovingly place your transcendent mac & cheese, and in what plastic lidded containers are you going to store the leftovers afterwards? In what tall glass airtight cylinders will you keep your heritage whole coffee beans and handmade traditional pastas fresh? What stainless steel magnetic bar will hold the containers that keep your freshly ground spices freshly ground? What shiny aluminum stockpot will hold your homemade soups, what clear glass tumblers will deliver the homemade spiced ginger syrup and soda water concoction you love so much to your eagerly awaiting lips? What crisp striped kitchen towels will adorn your workspace and keep it free of spills?

Yep. That's right.

Say it with me now.

[In case of the zombie apocalypse, I would actually flee to IKEA.]

I can't help it, guys, I have a major crush on IKEA. Moving out here the way I did, with little more than an omelet pan and a dream, the yellow and blue Swedish megastore was an absolute lifesaver. The only one around within a thirty-mile radius is located within walking distance of my front door. Coincidence, or fate? Either way, it deserves more than just a passing footnote. Let me praise you, IKEA! I swear by St. GRUNDTAL, by St. SNITSIG and St. RATIONELL and St. OMVÄXLANDE....I never will forsake you.

Amen. :)

[The preceding post was not, in any way, at all endorsed by or paid for as an advertisement for IKEA. At least......not YET. Call me, guys.]