Roberts Cafe
October 25, 2012
Roberts, Montana is a small town that you very easily could pass without even realizing it. But if you’re being attentive on the road, you just might notice the little side street that holds a post office, art gallery, farm supply shop and cafe. This no frills diner had a very homemade artistic feel to it. The food was what you’d expect at a diner– we ordered a standard eggs/toast and grilled cheese, but it’s certainly one of those places off the beaten path that was worth a visit.
Roberts Cafe
Grilled Cheese and Fries
Tator Tots
Eggs & Toast
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
A Taco Bus in Red Lodge
October 15, 2012
One of my favorite places to escape the hustle and bustle of New York is Red Lodge, Montana. Nestled below the towering Beartooth Mountains, we grabbed lunch at Taqueria Las Palmitas my first afternoon in town. This school bus turned taco truck could possibly have some of the best tasting Mexican around, for quite the deal– only $1.50 per taco. And it gets extra points for its unique location. Parked off the main street alongside historic log cabins, this wouldn’t be a place you’d expect to stumble upon, but well worth a visit. We filled up on tacos and quesadillas while chatting with a local guide sharing adventure stories from Kilimanjaro, Machu Picchu, and of course the nearby treks of Red Lodge.
Chicken tacos
Pork tacos
Quesadillas
Tacos
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
Donna D at A Brooklyn Biergarten
September 24, 2012
Radegast Hall & Biergarten in Williamsburg, Brooklyn conveniently located right next to one of my favorite chocolate stores, Mast Brothers Chocolate, is a great place to bring friends and family for afternoon of eating and drinking. With a wide selection of beers and traditional German fare, I often end up spending hours laughing with friends new and old. The pretzels and pickles are a must.
Munich Pretzel with Spicy Mustard and Cornichon
German Folk Band
Beer, Bratwurst, & Radegast “Easter” Sausage
Beer on Tap
Pickles & Bratwurst
Friends
Back to School Smoothies
September 19, 2012
Time is one of those things we just never seem to have enough of, especially when it comes to prepping meals that provide all the recommended vitamins and nutrients. So why not just toss everything into a blender and whip up something healthy and delicious? That’s exactly what the blogger behind Bardo Abode does. Take this green smoothie– officially known as “The Green Monster” making it kid-friendly. It’s got avocado, banana, apple, lemon, kale and spinach. Or the “Nutty Professor” filled with flax seed, almond milk, almond butter, rawtella and vegan almond yogurt. And if you’re into a sweeter flavor, her berry smoothie with raspberries, blueberries, silken tofu, pomegranate seeds, soy milk and stevia is perfect!
Green Smoothie
Protein Smoothie
Berry Smoothie
Lemons and greens
Green & Berry
Protein smoothie
Donna D: Getting bombed with the Sandwich King of Astoria
September 14, 2012
Donna D.’s signature sandwich is fresh mozzarella on a roll with tomatoes, shredded iceberg lettuce, thinly sliced pickles, a small amount of white onions which must be sliced paper thin and honey mustard sauce. As simple odd as this sandwich may sound, very few delis have been able to perfect it. Either the bread is stale, they don’t shred the lettuce, or even **gasp** use processed mozzarella or even **larger gasp** don’t use the right honey mustard sauce (which I actually don’t even know the name of the brand I prefer). Only two delis have been able to master my sandwich, Toasties in NYC and the Ave in New Rochelle (yes I’ve schlepped to Westchester for my favorite sandwich). You would too if you have ever experienced the amazingness of the Ave.
But at last I have found another deli that can not only perfect my sandwich but also offers da bomb sandwiches for DIRT cheap. I’m talking $7.50 for a foot-long sandwich that can easily feed two people. Sal, Kris, & Charlie’s Deli is just north of the Triborough bridge in Astoria and is an old school deli. Their signature sandwich “The Bomb” is basically every meat and cheese that they offer loaded into a freshly baked Italian sub. The sheer weight of it could easily knock out anyone trying to steal it from you. The sandwich is that good. So be prepared to use it as a weapon to fight off perps.
Sal’s is a cash only joint and doesn’t have any seating so be prepared. For an inexpensive date I suggest grabbing food from Sal’s then heading over to Socrates Sculpture Garden or Astoria Park for a picnic.
Sal, Kris, & Charlie’s Deli’s store front
The bomb & Root beer
What shall I eat?
Slicing cheese
Fresh mozzarella, lettuce, tomatoes, honey mustard, and finely sliced onions & pickles on a roll
23rd Ave Astoria
Donna D brings us to LIC Market
September 10, 2012
Located in the heart of Long Island City’s business district, LIC Market is a charming farm house inspired restaurant that serves up local seasonal food. I stopped by here one Sunday morning to enjoy their brunch. We arrived at few minutes before 11:00am to avoid having to wait for a table, like most popular brunch places in the city this place can sometimes be a bit of wait. But the food and price are well worth it. The gazpacho, a favorite of mine was perfectly chilled and tasted like the tomatoes were just picked from the vine. It was a very refreshing start to our meal. We also enjoyed roasted baby turnips, juicy shredded brisket with a tangy red cabbage slaw, fluffy buttermilk pancakes, and slow roasted duck hash. I can’t wait to go back and try their dinner menu.
Roasted Baby Turnips with Parsley, Extra Virgin Olive Oil & Aged Balsamic
Complimentary Pastries with Housmade Berry Jam & Butter
Fried Eggs Over Easy
Gazpacho
Slow Roasted Duck Hash with Crisp Potatoes, Red Onion, Peppers, Dried Cherries & Pine Nuts under two Fried Eggs
Buttermilk Pancakes with Toasted Pumpkin Seed Butter & Maple Syrup
Shredded Brisket & Red Cabbage Slaw
One For the Book
September 5, 2012
Earlier this season I attended the launch party for this fabulous idea known as One for the Book. Not just your typical event photobooth, but one that allows guests to snap their own shots, select their favorites, and even get a print-out on the spot. It not only captures studio quality images, but adds some entertainment in the process. The food was much a success as the party, thanks to Chef Allison Augstein. Ranging from watermelon cubes with chevre and mint, vegetarian rolls with ginger orange dipping sauce, coconut chicken balls, fig and smoked gouda tea sandwiches, it was certainly One For the Book. If you’re looking to plan an event soon, check out their website!
Watermelon cubes with chevre and mint
Vegetarian spring rolls
Walnut roasted pepper spread on toast & coconut chicken balls
Zucchini and parmesan pops
Happy Labor Day Weekend!
August 31, 2012
For those of you getting out for the last hurray of summer… safe travels and have fun! Here’s a little July flashback to a Saturday afternoon dining at Navy Beach in Montauk.
Edamame
Salmon tartare
Mojito
Corn on the cob
Navy burger
Bloody Mary
Calamari salad
Yunnan ribs
a camera in the kitchen 