Happy Fourth of July!
July 4, 2011
I could not think of a better way to celebrate the American holiday weekend than an outdoor breakfast at East Rosebud Lake in the middle of Montana’s wilderness. An hour of dirt roads finally opened up to a beautiful lake surrounded by mountains and we popped up the grill for pancakes with berries, bacon and coffee. I couldn’t resist including some of my other Fourth of July shots from this weekend. Quite possibly one of the most patriotic small towns I’ve been too, these folk in Red Lodge know how to celebrate America with their famous 3 day rodeo and parade. Hope everyone has a safe and wonderful holiday!
Blueberry, strawberry, banana and chocolate chip pancakes from the grill
Fresh fruit
Cooking the bacon
Red Lodge Fourth of July Parade
Red Lodge Rodeo and parade
Dreaming of That Big Montana Sky
June 27, 2011
I’m escaping the city for a much needed week of fresh country air with family out in the mountains. I can’t wait to share the amazing rustic ranch cuisines and small town local dishes that I’ve heard so much about. Be back soon! x
Roasted Peanuts & Apples
Cupcakes & Birds
June 26, 2011
My girlfriends and I reunited back in Syracuse yesterday afternoon for a bake off to prep for a baby shower. Leave it to Martha Stewart for some inspiration for these bird cupcakes with toasted coconut flakes as the nest and hand piped buttercream frosting for the birds. A lot of laughs, frosting covered elbows and 195 piped birds later, we had one adorable dessert.
Semi sweet chocolate chips and vanilla cupcakes
Toasted coconut flakes
Whipping up buttercream frosting and topping the cupcakes
Adding frosted birds
The finished cupcakes
Tarry Market
June 24, 2011
One of Mario Batali’s many creations, this Euro-style gourmet market in Port Chester has the freshest in pastas, meats, cheese and breads. Crossing off some of our grocery list here last weekend, we grabbed mozzarella and pasta to contribute to the Father’s Day family barbeque at my friend’s parent’s home.
Pasta
Pesto Pasta dish
Fresh mozzarella and tomato
A Summer Solstice Salad
June 23, 2011
To celebrate the official start of summer, a couple friends and I threw together a salad with one of the season’s iconic fruits: watermelon. Tossing it with some feta cheese and fresh basil from the garden, and topping with some olive oil and balsamic vinegar, it’s a quick and light refreshing salad.
Feta, Watermelon & Basil
Salad
The Kneaded Bread
June 20, 2011
Quite possibly one of the best places around to get fresh bread, this local spot is a must stop for anyone driving through Port Chester. My friend, Leslie, who happens to be a long time favorite customer at Kneaded Bread, brings me by here every time we’re in town, and I end up spending the days following loading up on carbs. They also have great pastries and sandwiches.
Fresh bread
Provolone Bread
Country and Provolone bread
An assortment of breads
Homespun Foods
June 16, 2011
Gazing out my office window at the sunshine, I desperately want to rewind back to my relaxing weekend lunch in the back garden at Homespun Foods in Beacon. A quaint little dining retreat in town, the staff was welcoming and the food produced locally including cage-free eggs from Feather Ridge Farm, grass-fed beef from Bittersweet Farm, Wallkill smoked salmon and Murray’s poultry. Top on my list was most likely the cheddar cheese sandwich with cranberry apple chutney, definitely easy enough to repeat at home, and the baba ganoosh had me going back for seconds as well.
Pita bread and dressing
Cheddar and Chutney Sandwich: sharp cheddar cheese with cranberry apple chutney
Mac & Cheese
Middle Eastern Platter: Hummus, baba ganoosh, tabouli, feta, olives, cucumbers and tomatoes with pita bread
Salad
Mac & Cheese with a colorful salad
Southampton IPA
Coast to Coast
June 15, 2011
Last night, my friend invited me to a 4 course dinner at Chef Brandon Chavannes’s pop-up restaurant, Coast to Coast. Inspired by worldly coastal flavors, the exotic dishes were all beautifully presented and delicious. In between courses, the mixologists served up specialty cocktails, wine and Greenport Harbor beers.
Curried watermelon with black pepper, scallions and curry scented dressing with the Bisin Fire cocktail- Polish Bison Grass Vodka, jalapeno lemongrass elixir, crystallized ginger and fresh basil
Chilled crab soup with roasted gazpacho broth, hearts of palm and green apple
Cebollada- braised beef cheeks, salsify puree, romesco verde and an onion jus
Mahi Mahi with dandelion greens, chorizo and Marjoram vinaigrette and a 1970 bottle of Château Lafite Rothschild
Tres Leches with maple tuile and chili and Apricot tart with cardamom, cinnamon, marcona almonds and caramel with orange blossom ice cream
Beacon Strawberry Fest
June 13, 2011
Summer is upon us, and it’s time to spend the weekends away from the city and out in the fresh air. While in Beacon over the weekend, a quaint art town about an hour and a half from New York, my friends and I stopped through the Strawberry Festival being held at Riverfront Park. The line was far too long to indulge in the fresh strawberry shortcake, but we enjoyed locally grown berries and a refreshing strawberry mint popsicle.
Beacon's annual Strawberry Festival
Strawberry Mint Popsicle
Volunteers hard at work making fresh strawberry shortcake
Paul McCartney’s Vegan Enchiladas
June 9, 2011
If Paul McCartney cooked them, they must be good, so we gave it a try. A fun, completely vegan answer to the classic Mexican dish, these tofu enchiladas were delicious. Serving up some homemade sangria with fresh fruit and homemade guacamole on the side. If you’re feeling inspired to try, you can check out the recipe in the PETA Celebrity Cookbook or online.
Homemade sangria and peppers
Avocados
The making of..
Enchiladas
a camera in the kitchen 