Happy Thanksgiving!
November 22, 2012
Wishing everyone a very wonderful and safe holiday weekend filled with celebrating everything to be thankful for! x
Apple Pie
Apple Pie & Coffee
A Taste of Cinque Terre
August 2, 2012
You can’t get much more Italian than starting off a morning with an espresso, taking a mid-day break for pizza, and cooling off with some gelato. After parting ways with France, it was Italy-bound to the little tourist destination known as Cinque Terre, most famously known for their five cliffside towns, breathtaking views and crystal clear water. Our first day we decided to hike from the town of Monterosso through the cliffs to Vernazza. Breaking a sweat and working up quite the appetite, here is all the deliciousness we were able to enjoy along the way.
Espresso at a sidewalk cafe
Espresso
Croissants
Lemons for some fresh squeezed lemonade
Honey filled croissant
Pizza
Gelato
Gelato
Chocolate Milkshake
Crillon Le Brave
July 26, 2012
The fresh air and rolling hills, the winding stone corridors, the hourly chimes of the bell tower and the to die for menus are all part of Crillon Le Brave, the quintessential Provencal destination. What was once ruled by Henri IV’s fiercest generals during wars of the 16th century has now evolved into one of Travel + Leisure’s top European hotels for 2012. And well deserved, my time spent there could not have been better. Lounging poolside, a relaxing massage and the impeccable service was all quite lovely, but of course my favorite was the fantastic food shoot that took place with the help of chef, Phillippe Zemour. After our morning at the market, it was down to business in the kitchen. Known for their elegant and refined style, the menu is all locally sourced offering a true flavor of southern France. Although it was difficult to leave, it’s certainly on my list of places that I no doubt will return to once again.
Setting the table on the terrace
Crackelin marinated red mullet and squid, nicoise socca and fennel aioli
Crackelin marinated red mullet and squid, nicoise socca and fennel aioli
Artichoke
Gratin of fish soup
Fricassee of seasonal vegetables, fingerling potatoes and bearnaise reduction
Roasted bull fillet, fricassee of seasonal vegetables, fingerling potatoes and bearnaise reduction
Hotel entrance
Roasted shop veal, green asparagus from olivier’s garden, stuffed potato with white truffle
Terrace view
Bocce ball
Roasted shop veal
Pool area
Asparagus
Fresh bread and rosemary
Seabream in salt crust
Seabream in salt crust
The view
Vegetables from the garden in barigoule refreshed, bacon shavings from bigorre, coriander reduction
Crackelin marinated red mullet and squid, nicoise socca and fennel aioli
Fresh vegetables
Fried cherry with basilic
Fried cherry with basilic
Apricot tart
Apricot tart
Crepes in St. Tropez
July 9, 2012
You can’t go to France without having crepes, so this was one of my first stops in St. Tropez. After a morning of walking the narrow cobblestone streets of Old Town, it didn’t take long to build up an appetite in that strong Riviera sun. I had a great time conversing with the cook who was very enthusiastic about being featured on Camera in the Kitchen, and befriended the regulars, as they too wanted their portraits taken. I couldn’t resist. So we opted for the traditional savory, ham/cheese and the nutella to satisfy our sweet tooth. Definitely a great choice before hitting the beaches.
Ham & Cheese crepe
Salad crepe
Ham & cheese
Nutella
The local regulars
Nutella
Urban Farming
June 18, 2012
Every summer I try to expand the rooftop garden more and more, at least to give myself a little oasis in the middle of Manhattan. This season one of my favorite additions has been our blueberry bush. Just ripe enough to eat, I picked a batch of blueberries and decided to bake up some gluten-free muffins as an end of the weekend treat.
Blueberry muffins
Picking blueberries
Picking blueberries
Blueberry muffins
Lakeside Lounging
June 1, 2012
This past weekend my girlfriends and I had a wonderful time lounging lakeside in Cazenovia. Dating back to the days of junior prom camping trips, we’ve always been known to prepare far more food than necessary, and 10 years later it’s no different. While we spent an afternoon at the wineries around the Finger Lakes, and a dinner out at Brewster Inn, we still had to ensure ourselves we would not go hungry at the house. Memorial Day essentials– watermelon, hotdogs and hamburgers were in abundance, fruit salads and bagels for the morning hours and snacks like spanakopitas, pinwheels and banana pudding to fill us up during those in between hours.
Morning fruit
Everything bagel and cream cheese
Bagel
Hotdog
Hotdogs, hamburgers and cheeseburgers
Spanakopitas
Watermelon
Banana pudding dessert
Pinwheels
Happy Memorial Day!
May 28, 2012
Wishing everyone a wonderful day filled with friends, family and picnics! x
Pizza frite and Brownie a la mode
Brownies & Pizza frite
Life is too Short to Eat Cheap Chocolate
May 21, 2012
Here’s a little post from Donna D on desserts!
I don’t consider anything to be dessert unless it is chocolate and am usually happiest when I am consuming it. I don’t waste precious calories on any type of chocolate. For starters “white chocolate” is an insult to the chocolate family and should seriously be renamed and second of all I really can’t stomach generic mass produced chocolates. At the end of the day, life is too short to eat cheap chocolate. If you share my proclivities, you should be stopping by Mast Brothers Chocolate in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Their chocolate is orgasmic. My favorite is their Maine Sea Salt which is the perfect balance of salty and sweet. If for some reason [which I really could never understand] you don’t care for chocolate, visiting their factory is an experience in itself. You get to see the entire chocolate making process from bean to package. Speaking of package; I am in love with their packaging and design. I seriously couldn’t get enough of this place and can you believe that I just happened to stumble upon it?
Mast Brother Chocolate Factory
Samples of Chocolate
Mast Brothers Double-Chocolate Cookie
Mast Brothers Baker
Bags of Cacao Beans & San Martin Chocolate Samples
Truffles
Chocolate Making Machinery
Mast Brothers Double-Chocolate Cookie & Truffles
Mast Brothers Assorted Chocolate Bars
Macroons
Donna D Goes to SmorgasBurg
May 1, 2012
While I ventured Upstate for the weekend, Donna D stayed local, and spent her Saturday taste-testing Williamsburg. Check out her great shots!
Every Saturday on the Williamsburg waterfront between North 6th and North 7th St., from 11am to 6pm, Smorgasburg brings together food entrepreneurs and established purveyors from New York City and across the region selling both packaged and prepared foods, fresh produce, and other food-related stands. The market is open rain or shine, and man-oh-man, did I get my eat on this past weekend. As you can see from all the photos, I sampled a lot of food. I think I managed to hit up 50 vendors. Some of my favorites were the Lime-in-the-Coconut candy bars from Liddabit Sweets, the S’morgasm from S’more Bakery, braised Pork Belly with sliced cucumber, pickled jalapeno, scallions and hoisin from Bite Size Kitchen, and a shot of Vichyssoise soup from Sea Bean Goods [they are a micro-soupery which I’m dying to try their soup subscription]. If you don’t already know, I have an obsession with carbonated water – so obviously Brooklyn Soda Works‘ Apple Ginger Soda was a major hit to my taste buds. I also picked up some of Grady’s Cold Brew which is a New Orleans–style coffee concentrate and the best staple for a girl that doesn’t have a coffee maker.
White Barn Inn
April 25, 2012
Nestled in the quaint New England coastal town of Kennebunkport, White Barn Inn was one of my first stops through southern Maine last week, and one I thoroughly enjoyed. An intimate, classic inn setting, I was welcomed with open arms into the kitchen of Grand Chef, Jonathan Cartwright, to taste his Forbes Five Star menu. Feasting on more than my stomach could take, it was too delicious to leave the plate anything but clean. The various courses included an appetizer of Pan Roast New England Quail Breast and Foie Gras with a Basket of Smoked Leg Confit and Forest Mushroom Risotto. Parmesan Cheese Ice Cream with Crisp Fig Fitter as an intermezzo and Local Salmon Filet in a Parma Ham “Jacket” with Bacon Wrapped Scallop, Spaghetti Squash and Maple Dijon Mustard Sauce for the main course. Although it didn’t stop there, as I had to try Cartwright’s specialty smoked lobster dish and finished off with a multitude of desserts. The entire inn was more than welcoming, and certainly a must-stay for anyone traveling to the Pine Tree State. I hope to return very soon, next time booking an extra day to take advantage of their luxurious spa treatments!
A walk along Kennebunkport's rocky coastline and White Barn Inn
Smoked lobster
An extra dish from the chef
Lounge area
Parmesan Cheese Ice Cream with Crisp Fig Fitter
Inn interior
Pan Roast New England Quail Breast and Foie Gras with a Basket of Smoked Leg Confit and Forest Mushroom Risotto
Local Salmon Filet in a Parma Ham "Jacket"
Bacon wrapped scallop
Salmon
Front Porch at May's Annex
Grand Chef, Jonathan Cartwright's signature smoked lobster dish
Grand Marnier souffle with chocolate sauce
Grand Marnier souffle with chocolate sauce and sorbet
Espresso
Front porch
Maine blueberry sorbet
Breakfast Quiche
Fresh bread
Muffins
Fresh berries
Breakfast meat selection
a camera in the kitchen 