Perfect for a Picnic
April 19, 2012
When I was back in Syracuse browsing through Wegmans, I discovered a combo for the perfect snack. Their fresh apple cider bread, with actual pieces of baked apple throughout, is amazing enough eating it alone. But topped off with brie and a nut/raisin spread made it complete. Easy enough to pack in your picnic basket the next time you’re looking for an outdoor snack.
I’m off to Maine for a few days to shoot those beautiful New England coastal towns and delicious local seafood fare. Be back next week! x
Apple Cider Bread
Brie and nuts spread
Apple Cider bread with brie and nut spread
Easter Desserts
April 12, 2012
My parent’s house was a makeshift bakery this past Saturday. Filled with the aromas of melting chocolate, bread cooking in the oven, and bits of flour trailing around, the end result was well worth it. We baked the usual Italian chocolate filled cookies and banana bread to share with friends and family. Luckily they’ve lasted me through the week and I even have a loaf frozen. A great find and prop for the shoot was the 1950’s mixer I took home from my grandmother’s house. Still need to get it working, but for now, it’s a perfect vintage accent to keep as kitchen decor.
Chocolate filled cookies
Banana Bread
Chocolate Filled Cookies
My favorite dough
Banana bread
Spring Snacks for the Park
April 6, 2012
With the flowers blooming all across Central Park, taking an enjoyable walk home is a far better option than the subway. The sun was setting to create a beautiful golden light on the cherry blossoms, lilac gardens and midtown’s skyline. After all that walking, why not take the time for a quick snack. Local favorites of mine include breads from Sarabeth’s and Ciao Bella’s Green Tea gelato from the new foodie shop in town– Gastronomie 491, that is part cafe part gourmet market.
Happy Weekend! I’m heading Upstate for Easter, so be sure to check back soon for all the holiday menus! x
Green Tea Gelato
Central Park
Green Tea Gelato
Sarabeth's breads
Sarabeth's raisin bread
Trees in bloom
A Taste of Sprüngli
March 28, 2012
A couple weeks ago a friend from Zurich was visiting, and brought me a box of my favorite Swiss chocolates from Sprüngli. The bright package of miniature truffles included a taste of hazelnut, plain, cappuccino and bourbon vanilla flavors. Immediately wishing I was back on my 2010 summer holiday in Switzerland, I ate my dessert while browsing through my photo archive to pull up those summer days spent out on the lake taking in the fresh air of the Alps. And now I’m ready to go back.
Lake Luzern Bath House and Sprüngli chocolates
Bourbon Vanilla & Hazelnut truffles and Lake Luzern
Sprüngli
Lake Luzern & Bourbon Vanilla truffles
Zurich and a cappuccino truffle
A Day in D.C.
March 20, 2012
This past weekend I had a wonderful time visiting friends in Washington D.C. Saturday was spent partially at Clyde’s, a pub in Georgetown to cheer on my alma mater, Syracuse, in the NCAA basketball tournament and celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, and the other half was spent enjoying the beautiful sunshine around the neighborhood’s quaint streets. We started off the morning with delicious chive and goat cheese biscuits from Baked and Wired, followed by their best-selling cupcakes, a vanilla cake with fresh strawberries folded in the batter and finished with a swirl of pink buttercream. It’s never too early in the day for one of these! We filled our appetites in the afternoon at Clyde’s with their top recommendations– wings, Bloody Mary’s and a crab tower. Lucky for me, with the early spring temperatures, I was even able to catch a glimpse of the beautiful cherry blossoms around the city’s sites.
Chive and Goat Cheese Biscuit
Georgetown
Chive and Goat Cheese Biscuit
Baked & Wired
Best-selling strawberry cupcake
Baked & Wired
Cupcakes & the Capitol
Cherry blossoms and the Jefferson Memorial
Strawberries
An afternoon snack
Wings from Clyde's
Foundry Café
February 21, 2012
This welcoming café in the heart of Cold Spring was a perfect last stop of the day to warm up with a cup of freshly ground coffee and grab a slice of their cheesecake for dessert. If I wasn’t already too full from brunch, I would have loved to try out some of their quiches or soups. I suppose I can save that for next time. With an acoustic, rock ‘n roll flare, this café doubles as a music outlet for small performances, open mic nights and some great nostalgic photos and albums for visitors to check out.
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Foundry's Original Cheesecake
Foundry's Original Cheesecake
Happy Valentine’s Day
February 14, 2012
May your day be filled with lots of love and delicious desserts! x
Heart cookies from Eleni's
Bringing in the New Year
January 4, 2012
I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the start of 2012 than with great food, friends and skiing. I’ve been pretty bummed because a photographer’s worst nightmare came true when my card with all of the Christmas holiday food shoots was damaged, and even after attempting recovery at New York’s top repair services, there was no such luck. But that just gives me an excuse to revisit some of the locations, like Elderberry Pond Restaurant, to enjoy yet another great meal. Well, enough of the disappointments, it’s time I look forward in the New Year and share with you some amazing meals from this past weekend spent at Killington. We were lucky enough to have a friend/personal chef join us for the 3 days and prepare all the meals– I should add for 16 people– with more enthusiasm than anyone I’ve seen. Here’s the menu we had, and check out the highlights below:
Taco Night–Pulled Chipotle Chix, Ground beef , Soft and hard shells, Assorted toppings, Black beans, Rice and Corn
Steak and Scrimps’ Night–Filet wrapped in applewood smoked bacon, Grilled Ribeye with fried onion strings, Marinated grilled scrimps’, Roasted Garlic Parm potatoes, Broccoli, Dilaurios butter rolls
That NYE staple known as Champagne
Filet wrapped in applewood smoked bacon
Sunday's pre-pasta meat and cheese plate
Lobster Bisque
Lobster Bisque
Baklavah
Killington
A skier's breakfast
Bacon, Egg & Cheese sandwiches
Berries & Yogurt
Homemade croutons
Pasta & Cheese
Loster Bisque
Shrimp & Broccoli
Merry Christmas!
December 25, 2011
Christmas Cut-outs
Frosting the cookies
Gifts for the Foodie
December 20, 2011
This time of year is always a whirlwind for me. Between holiday prep, recent traveling for work, gift buying and festive gatherings, I haven’t had any time to spare, and am just getting around to sharing some of my favorite gift ideas this season– brought to you by my amazing friend, Leslie. She recently launched Gifts Curated, a collection of carefully handpicked items from independent artists and vendors, ranging from food to body products, candles, bags and more. Last weekend she hosted a brunch and trunk show at her apartment. Not only selling her items, but giving customers a taste of her products and leaving them with inspiring ideas of recipes they could try at home. On the menu was grilled chicken and tofu sandwiches using the spicy pumpkin ginger and tomato apple chutney sauces, popcorn with sea salt, cookies with raw organic cacao chips and her grandmother’s homemade pound cake recipe with caramelized bacon using barrel-aged maple syrup. I also included shots we did for her website of my other favorite products that I couldn’t resist sharing with you. Happy Holiday Shopping! x
Gold rimmed spoon and bowl perfect for olives
Alta Cucina's Basil Olive Oil is perfect dipped in a fresh loaf of Eli's bread
Oil & Bread
Spicy Ginger Sauce and Sandwiches
Saucy By Nature Spicy Pumpkin Ginger & Tomato Apple Chutney
Sandwiches, Pretzels and Saucy By Nature
Popcorn with Salt Farm's gourmet sea salt
Vandalia Street Press Card & Salad
Pancakes with Langdon Wood's Barrel-Aged Maple Syrup
Pound Cake, Bacon and Maple Syrup
Homemade cacao chip cookies
Graham Crackers and cacao chips
JC Hot Sauce
Sydney Hale Company Candle & TM1985 Hand bag
TM1985 Handbag
Aromatherapy bath salts
Annie of Gift Shop Brooklyn makeup bags
a camera in the kitchen 
