Happy Weekend!
July 6, 2012
I’m back Stateside– with hundreds of photos, a tan and a full stomach from all the deliciousness that is France and Italy. I’ve got hours of exciting editing ahead of me, but wanted to share a couple spreads from my shoot at the lovely Crillon Le Brave, a beautiful French Relais and Chateaux accommodation in Provence that I had the honor of staying at last week. I’ll be back soon to give a full review of all the chef’s best dishes. Have a great weekend and stay cool! x
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.
Barnacle Billy’s
April 29, 2012
Sipping a Barnacle Billy’s lemonade was a flashback to my childhood summer holidays to Maine. A casual port-side hotspot to get your fresh lobster rolls and sit out admiring the fishermen charm of Perkin’s Cove, it’s a great way to spend an afternoon. Not into seafood? The burgers are a simple but tasty alternate. To burn off the calories, Marginal Way– a scenic trail along the rocky coast– is a great post lunch activity.
Lobster Roll
Lobster Roll & Marginal Way
Lobster
Burger
Fresh lemonade
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
Greetings from Kennebunkport
April 22, 2012
A little sneak peak at this weekend. More to come soon!
Weekend in Maine
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
Sunday Sauce
March 23, 2012
One of my favorite days of the week are Sundays. Nothing beats a morning browsing the farmers market and and an afternoon cooking with friends or family before yet another work-filled week begins. After hearing such great things about D.C.’s Eastern Market, it was on my list of places to check out. Comparable to New York’s Brooklyn Flea, but with a great indoor food market as well, we explored the cute streets of Capitol Hill, shopped and stocked up on fresh food to make homemade sauce for dinner. I couldn’t have asked for better hosts, as they prepared a delicious salad, sauce and pasta all the while I had fun shooting and using their fantastic Anthropologie-inspired kitchenware. Happy Friday and don’t forget to explore your own local farmers market this weekend! x
Foccacia and fresh basil
Salad with dried cranberries, blue cheese and nuts and garlic
Eastern Market
Fresh basil and a Capitol Hill garden
Eastern Market mushrooms
Cooking up the sauce
Taste test on toasted foccacia and garlic chive cheese
Eastern Market asparagus
Short ribs and pasta
Grapes for dessert
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
Is it Summer Yet?
March 14, 2012
Last night I was strolling around the neighborhood in short sleeves after I thoroughly enjoyed a dinner at the New York Historical Society. The streets were buzzing, the restaurants overflowed onto the sidewalks and the smell in the air was that of a summer evening. Whether it’s here to stay or not, I’m daydreaming of the months to come, especially for those weekend trips out to the Hamptons. Here’s a little taste from Donna D…
Last April the bf, babies, and I headed to the Hamptons for a weekend of rest and relaxation. It was one of our first times experiencing the far East-end of Long Island and it was the perfect escape from the craziness of NYC. I am quite happy that we chose April because it saved us some major money and it wasn’t crowded with all the cool kids that come during the summer. The weather was also perfect despite forecasts of rain. We stayed at the charming Hampton Beach House and spent the weekend playing on the beach, eating good food, and touring the many dog-friendly wineries. Some of the highlights of our trip included breakfast at the Mexican inspired Estia’s Little Kitchen, sampling wine at Paumanok, Duckwalk, and Pindar vineyards, shopping for our picnic lunch at the The Village Cheese Shop, and watching the beautiful spring sunsets on the beach.
Paumanok Vineyards & Pindar Vineyards
Owner, Rosemary, putting together the cheese for our picnic at the The Village Cheese Shop
The Village Cheese Shop
Owner, Rosemary, preparing a sample of cheese at the The Village Cheese Shop
The Village Cheese Shop
Lunch
Duckwalk Vineyards
Paumanok Vineyards' wine & Bread, goat cheese, fig jam, and olive
Blueberry Port at Duckwalk Vineyards
Bread, goat cheese, and fig jam
Pindar Vineyards
Picnic Lunch
The Cook at Estia's Little Kitchen preparing our breakfast
Sophie’s Crab ‘n’ Eggs with avocado on an english muffin at Estia's Little Kitchen
Guacamole, chips and salsa at Estia's Little Kitchen
Morning coffee at Estia's Little Kitchen
Spring sunset on the beach
Sunset
Ski Scene
February 24, 2012
For a local New York ski escape, Hunter Mountain isn’t too bad of an option. I recently hit the slopes for a taste of winter– and a taste of Scottie’s Summit Lodge’s delicious chili, chicken noodle soup and grilled turkey and cheese sandwich. Housed in a circular lodge boasting beautiful views of the Catskills below, I could very easily curl up by the fireplace amongst all the antique skis displayed from various years. With outdoor seating for warmer days, it’s a great change of pace from the lively base lodges and perfect to warm up before that next run. Happy Friday! x
Snacks & Scenery Combo
Grilled Turkey and Cheese Sandwich
Chicken Noodle Soup
Chili
a camera in the kitchen 