Cheeses of New York
March 3, 2013
During our weekend upstate, we certainly got our fill of cheese. Some favorites included Sprout Creek Farm’s Point of Origin– a raw cow’s milk cheese that is aged with Red Hook’s Sixpoint Ale, another local favorite. This unique beer/cheese combo is soft, pungent and buttery with lovely hints of malt and coffee. Next stop was a bit further north at Pampered Cow’s creamery at Twin Maple Farm. Situated in a picturesque country landscape a short drive from Hudson, we were lucky enough to get a private tour and learn a bit about the cheese-making process. Best known for their Hudson Red– a funky, washed-rind, raw cow’s milk cheese, we also got a sneak peek of their truffle cheese, which was amazing, and their garlic cheese curds were another favorite of mine. I can’t wait for a return visit and photoshoot this spring when everything is in bloom.
Hudson Red & Point of Origin Cheese
Sprout Creek Farm’s Point of Origin
Sprout Creek Farm
Pampered Cow’s Truffle Cheese
Hudson Red
Inside the creamery
Some Syracuse Home Cooking
January 15, 2013
This weekend was spent in Syracuse, which meant a Sunday afternoon filled with delicious homecooked meals. We decided to go with a Greek inspired menu, starting with a flatbread pizza, topped with spinach, feta, tomatoes, mozzarella, parmesan and shredded basil. That was followed by a Greek lemon chicken with mushrooms.
Wishing everyone a wonderful week ahead x
Greek Flatbread Pizza
Greek Lemon Chicken
Merry Christmas!
December 24, 2012
My contribution to Christmas Eve dinner this evening is the cheese platter. I decided to go with a goat cheese, provolone and fresh ricotta. To add a bit of holiday color, I rolled the goat cheese in dried cranberries and chopped pistachios. The ricotta I placed on french baguette slices with prosciutto, honey and thyme. The provolone I kept simple, ready to be sliced with crackers. Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas! x
Goat cheese with cranberries and pistachios
Pistachios
Provolone
Ricotta, prosciutto, thyme and honey
Montana Kitchen
October 20, 2012
The first snow of the season was falling, and there was nothing quite like staying in, preparing some local Montana fare for dinner. Earlier in the day I ventured over to Babcock & Miles, one of my favorite specialty food shops I had previously photographed, to pick up organic chops of Icelandic lamb from Willow Spring Ranch, feta goat cheese from Amaltheia Organic Dairy and some fresh herbs from their garden. To go with the lamb, we made salad and potatoes. And for breakfast the following day, a berry smoothie and fritadas were the perfect start before a day hiking.
Cheese, crackers and raspberry jam
Goat cheese, crackers and raspberry jam
Garlic
Fresh ingredients
Preparing the lamb
Salad
Smoothies at sunrise
Fritadas for breakfast
Happy Autumn!
October 2, 2012
I don’t know where the time flies. Lately, I’ve been on project overload, and hopefully soon I’ll be able to share with you the things I’ve been working on outside of Camera in the Kitchen. But most importantly, my favorite season is in full swing. I was upstate this past weekend, and the leaves are starting to show their colors, pumpkins are out, and so are the fall menus. Here’s a little taste of our family Sunday dinner.
And now I’m off to Montana. Looking forward to bringing back some great Big Sky dishes to share with you soon! x
Squash
Apple sauce and beans
Rolls & Pumpkin
Stuffed roasted pork
Pizza Party
August 27, 2012
It was a pizza kind of Sunday at the apartment. The kitchen was overflowing with fresh ingredients from Whole Foods as three different pizzas were prepped and the neighbors were invited over to enjoy. Option one was your traditional margherita with gluten free crust, tomato sauce, sliced mozzarella and herbs brought back from our trip to Cinque Terre. The second two, also made with a gluten free crust, were vegan friendly. One with pesto, a ricotta tofu vegan cheese, fresh spinach and sliced tomatoes, and another with shredded vegan mozzarella, mushrooms, sautéed spinach and tomato sauce. Bon Appétit!
Pizza & Pesto
Mushrooms
Vegan Pesto Pizza
Margherita pizza and spinach
Aperitivo in Milano
August 8, 2012
Americans traditionally think of happy hour as a time to enjoy discounted drinks once the workday is over. Italians however, have an entirely different (and far better) concept for these pre-dinner, post-work hours. I was first introduced to aperitivo, or drinks with complimentary food, in Milan a couple years back when visiting my friends. I imagined bowls of chips, pretzels and popcorn. I should have known better that this would be a disgrace to the Italian culture, and rather we would feast upon an open buffet of various pastas, meats, cheeses and vegetables. Fast forward to 2012, and I found myself once again in Milan, enjoying an evening with friends at Luca e Andrea Cafe on the Naviglio Grande. Although meant for just a warm-up to dinner, their macaroni and cheese and pasta salad left me far too full for anything else.
Cocktails on the canal
Pasta, couscous, chicken and vegetablesÂ
Navigli
Pasta
Macaroni and cheese
Moustiers Sainte-Marie
July 31, 2012
From a distance, you could easily mistaken the ancient architecture of Moustiers Sainte-Marie for the gorgeous cliffs that rise up behind it– but take a second look, and it’s actually a vibrant hiker’s town with restaurants and exquisite pottery boutiques. After a long day’s drive, it was time to settle down for some local wining and dining in the center of town. The welcoming signs of Restaurant Les Comte had us sold. We thoroughly enjoyed a delicious burger and pesto pasta while admiring the camper’s vibe around us before calling it a night.
Pesto Pasta
Pesto Pasta
Restaurant Les Comte and a pottery boutique
Burger and Fries
Around town
Fries
Moustiers Sainte-Marie
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
Take Me Out to the Ballgame
June 10, 2012
Crackerjacks and baseball go together like peanut butter and jelly. So when I spent the evening celebrating my father’s birthday and watching the Yankees defeat the Mets, it was essential I took out the camera to get some shots of the great All-American snacks, pulled pork sandwiches and hotdogs. There is no better place for this kind of dinner than stadium seating in the Bronx, cheering on some good old-fashioned baseball.
Crackerjacks
Popcorn and Newcastle
Brother Jimmy’s Pulled pork sandwich
Nathan’s hotdogs
Crackerjacks
a camera in the kitchen 