Flashback to ACK
February 8, 2012
Although we haven’t had too much of a winter here in New York, I couldn’t help but feel inspired to plan a summer holiday when Donna shared these photos with me. Check them out for a flashback to Nantucket that will leave you with a craving for a warm ocean sunset.
Last summer the bf’s family graciously hosted us at their beautiful home on Nantucket. Every day we ate ice cream and went swimming at one of Nantucket’s many beaches. If it weren’t for the cold water, Nantucket would have my all time favorite beaches; but regardless, this place is amazing. We were there in the middle of July and pretty much had the entire beach to ourselves. There aren’t restrictions on ball playing, dogs, alcohol, or even driving onto the sand. And you don’t have to pay to get onto the beach **cough cough** Long Island.
One of the highlights of our trip was spending an evening at TOPPER’S Restaurant. They are located in the luxurious Wauwinet hotel. A quintessential New England seaside setting that offers views of both the Nantucket Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. The food was good but the sunset, ambiance, and complimentary boat rides aboard the Wauwinet Lady made the evening.
Lobster Bisque with poached lobster and truffle cream
Romaine lettuce with white anchovies, parmesan, pesto croutons, and creamy roasted garlic dressing
Sitting room in the The Wauwinet & Wagyu beef burger with aged Vermont cheddar, caramelized onions, and Bartlett Farm tomatoes
BVI Pusser’s British Navy Rum, Orange Juice, Coco Lopez, Pineapple Juice and Nutmeg
Poached lobster & summer corn
Wine & Tart flambée with onions, bacon, and crème fraîche
Hand-cut fries with parmesan, herbs, and truffle aioli
"Pain Killer" & Caesar salad
Bread and butter & Nantucket lighthouse
Lobster bisque with truffle cream & Ice water with lemon
Romaine lettuce and red wine
Sunfish sailing on Nantucket Bay
The finale at La Finestra – Prague Part 6
February 2, 2012
Before I said good-bye to Prague I had to cross just one more restaurant off my list, La Finestra in Cucina. The restaurant features an open kitchen where you can observe Chef Tomáš Černý whip up some classic Italian dishes. He also offers cooking and sommelier classes which if I had more time I would have loved to try. Instead, I enjoyed buttery tender short ribs. No knife was needed and the mustard sauce that accompanied it offered the perfect tang to undercut the richness of the meat. Besides mastering the short rib, La Finestra also makes a mean crispy fried zucchini. When you bite into it there is still a slight crunch and the batter doesn’t fall off (a big pet peeve of mine with fried food).
My trip to Prague was an unforgettable experience filled with good food and company. Thank you for checking out my trip!
Slowed cooked beef ribs with gratinated pecorino onions and mustard sauce
Hradčany
Crispy fried zucchini
Statue of Saints Norbert of Xanten, Wenceslas and Sigismund on Charles Bridge
Organic breast of chicken cooked in sousvide with parmesan - egg yolk potato mash and morel sauce
Prague sky
La Finestra's open kitchen
Cooks in the kitchen & Prague Castle
Chocolate muffin with berries
Prague at sunset
A fairytale afternoon – Prague Part 5
January 31, 2012
As the clock struck 1, two Jewish princesses from New York City stared at the Old Town Hall’s astronomical clock and tightly gripped their Nikons as they sped off to the Francouzska Restaurace. Gold chandeliers, sparkling crystal glasses, and fresh flowers embellished the interior of the most beautiful Art Nouveau building in all of Europe. As the piano played in the background, they dined on smoked duck, veal tenderloin carpaccio, roasted scallops, and grilled beef tenderloin. The afternoon ended with warm molten chocolate cake and two white knights a AAA cab, driving the princesses back to their castle the Czech Inn.
Municipal House & Roasted scallop with fine Bourdin noir, caper-raisin jam and sauce of sparkling apple cider
Smoked duck breast
Bridge of Legions
Alfons Mucha painting & Veal tenderloin carpaccio with foie gras shavings and hazelnut oil
Green field salad with smoked duck breast, orange dressing and Comté shavings
Grilled beef tenderloin with potato confit in thyme flavored olive oil and black truffle sauce
Interior of St. Vitus Cathedral
Chocolate cake with melted chocolate, mango coulis and cacao sorbet & Stained glass
Taking a dip in the Charles’ Bath – Prague Part 4
January 28, 2012
I was lucky enough to meet up with my best friend’s boyfriend, Martin, at U Pinkasů restaurant. This traditional Czech pub is just a few steps away from St. Wenceslas Square and serves up some belly filling food. The type of food that warms your soul and gives your love handles some extra love. After eating the biggest meal it was only appropriate to head over to the biggest club in Central Europe, Karlovy Lázněl, also known as Charles’ Bath or the 5 Story Club. We danced the rest of the night away in attempt to sweat off all the potato dumplings and duck fat.
Dancing & Roasted pork ribs, in honey marinade with mustard and horse-radish
Old Bohemian riveted plate – smoked neck, baked pork neck, sausage, a quarter of duck,variety of dumplings, red ´n´ white cabbage
Karlovy Lazne & Cucumber salad with wine dressing
Kicking the cold at Kampa – Prague Part 3
January 26, 2012
More from Donna D…
Having gone to school in upstate New York and growing up in Massachusetts cold temperatures had always been a way of life for me. So when I saw that it was 23 degrees outside I figured NBD. But after about 15 minutes of being outside without any gloves I quickly remembered how much I disliked winter so I opted to spend the day “site-seeing” from a heated interior, Kampa Park. The restaurant is located on Kampa Island and overlooks Certovka canal, the Vltava River and Charles Bridge. I spent hours staring outside watching the city go by while feasting on Rudolf I mean reindeer, halibut (best I’ve ever had and cooked absolutely perfectly), and chocolate fondant. The food was pricey but nonetheless amazing and the view was magical.
Saddle of reindeer with pumpkin soufflé, topinambur, cranberries and cardamom sauce
Marek Raditsch - Executive Chef of entire Kampa Group
Reindeer
Vltava River
Olive oil poached halibut with black truffles, crispy bacon, potato mash with French mustard, and vegetable foam
Charles Bridge
Pumpkin soufflé
Chocolate fondant with beetroot sorbet, dark bread ice cream, and toffee espuma
Donna D. A Vegetarian No More – Prague Part 1
January 24, 2012
Another feature story from Donna D. Read about her week of travels as she ate her way through Prague…
After 15 years of vegetarianism I decided to relinquish my duties as a plant eater and jump face first into the land of Beer and Meat – Prague. I started my journey at Lokál for some traditional Czech cuisine and made on-site beer. The interior was reminiscent of the 80’s, long wooden cafeteria benches and child-like doodles sketched onto the walls. The food and unpasteurized beer was tasty, filling, and cheap. It was the perfect spot to kick-off my 5 day meat eating and beer drinking gluttonousness adventure in Prague.
Prazdroj Beer
Homemade Bread & Wall Art
Goulash from Beef Cheeks
Prague Ham
Lokál
All You Can Eat Potato Dumplings
Saint Vitus Cathedral
Special "Talián" Sausage by the Dolejší Family, Horseradish, and Mustard
A Year in Review
November 18, 2011
A Camera in the Kitchen turns 1 tomorrow! I cannot thank you all enough for your support and enthusiasm you’ve expressed to me. It’s been such an amazing year capturing and sharing the art of dining. I’ve dug through my archives to compile some of my favorites that I think best reflects this. From tasting California’s fresh fruit while dancing at the Coachella Music Festival, to chowing down on a burger in Montana after a day of snowshoeing in the Beartooth Mountains, or grilling Wahoo from Aruba’s local fish market in celebration of a friend’s birthday. It has been such a learning experience for me, and I only hope to bring more exciting things to the site in the year to come.
Above all, I’ve learned a meal is more than just satisfying your hunger, it’s about the experience, the culture, and most importantly the people you are surrounded by. Whether grabbing take out for an evening home with the roommates, or sitting at a cafe in Reykjavik with new friends, I always make the most of the moment, and the meal, and that’s what I aim to capture here. I hope my photos inspire you to take time in your own life to appreciate the moments shared over that dish. You may get too full for that last bite of pasta, but you can never be too full of great memories.
Some of the dinner parties we've hosted-- big and small
Travels to Iceland, Montana, California, Miami, Beacon and Newport
Travels continued through New Jersey, Montana, Iceland and Brooklyn
Summer Flashback from Donna D
November 9, 2011
I’ve decided to do a guest feature post once a month from my photo partner-in-crime, Donna. While she accompanied me in Iceland, and several other adventures around New York, here’s a flashback to summer time and what she has to say about City Island:
“Ever since I saw the movie, City Island, I was dying to make a trip over to this quaint little destination which is often described as a place where Cape Cod meets the Bronx. Being a Masshole expat living in NYC, I was surprised I hadn’t discovered this place sooner. So you can imagine how stoaked I was when my friend, Andrew offered to take me out on the Limerick (R.I.P his trusty Irish sailboat) for a day trip around the Long Island Sound. We enjoyed lobster brioche rolls, fries, salad and mac ‘n cheese from Aggie’s Roll, a trailer serving the best food on the Island, and finished up with chocolate ice cream for dessert from Lickety Split.”
Although the winter months are upon us, we can at least keep it on our list of things to do come Spring 2012!
Lobster brioche rolls and a side of fries from Aggie's Roll
Spinach & mushroom salad with a shallot vinaigrette
Fresh squeezed lemonade with a hint of mint
Lickety Split's chocolate icecream
Brunch at Rickenbacker
October 30, 2011
One of the reasons why I love a good Sunday brunch buffet is that you can spend a lazy afternoon dining on a little bit of everything– pancakes, seafood, pasta and the list goes on. What makes it even better is a location like Rickenbacker Fish Company with a beautiful view of Biscayne Bay and Miami. Sipping on mimosas with friends, we enjoyed the sunshine before heading back to the Big Apple.
Pancakes, French Toast, Strawberries and Maple Syrup
Grilled Vegetables and Seafood Paella
Grouper with parmesan
Chocolate cake for dessert
Lunch in Miami
October 26, 2011
I escaped the cool weather this weekend and spent my time soaking up the rays at Miami’s beaches and rooftop pools. My friend, Victor, and wonderful host, was kind enough to prepare lunch on Saturday. My new favorite snack, fried plantains, are delicious topped with anything from goat cheese and mint, to pico de gallo and queso blanco. We also had tasty hard boiled eggs with paprika, cayenne pepper and curry powder, and he whipped up some seasoned ground turkey wraps. Certainly enough to keep us filled until dinner and give us a taste of that local Miami flair.
Fried plantains with goat cheese and mint
Plantains
Fried plantains with Pico de Gallo and Queso Blanco
Hard boiled eggs with paprika, cayenne pepper and curry powder
Onions
Cilantro
Seasoned ground turkey, goat cheese and pico de gallo wrap
Seasoned ground turkey and Queso Blanco
a camera in the kitchen 
