Lunch at La Coquillade
July 18, 2012
While driving from Crillon Le Brave to Moustiers Ste Marie, I was told to stop for lunch at La Coquillade, another one of France’s Relais and Chateaux accommodations. While I was slightly unsure if I translated the French scribbles into my GPS accurately, I relied on my surroundings, and was positive that we were driving into the middle of nowhere. But sure enough, in the midst of wine country, signs sprouted up and we were in luck. The dining room was actually closed due to a birthday celebration for the owner, but they were kind enough to allow us lunch in the pool area. A perfect mid-day break, we lounged poolside, taking in the gorgeous views while trying some local rosé, a fresh salad and gazpacho.
Heirloom tomato gazpacho
Fresh caprese salad
Salad
Tomato spread on toast
Vente de Fruits
July 13, 2012
One of my favorite to-do’s while traveling is driving along unknown country roads, windows down, breathing in the fresh air while listening to good music. Cruising through 700 km of France’s finest winding roads, the restaurants were scarce, but the fruit stands, vineyards and lavender fields certainly weren’t. The strawberries and peaches were some of the freshest tasting we’ve experienced. Now if only she delivered to New York.
Lavender fields
Peaches and melon
Garlic
Strawberries
Sunflower fields
Apples
Dior des Lices Brunch
July 11, 2012
Crepes may be a taste of France, but when it comes to fashion, Dior’s top of the list. So it was only fitting to combine food and fashion at Dior’s resort flagship where their pop-up restaurant adds a tranquil, chic garden oasis in the center of town. Yannick Alléno, the 3-star Michelin chef behind it all, provides a top notch meal served on (of course) Dior’s gorgeous tableware. I couldn’t think of a better place to spend a Sunday brunch, relaxing after a night out in St. Tropez.
Espresso
Croissants
Ham and eggs
Vegetarian omelette and ham with eggs
The garden view
Crepes in St. Tropez
July 9, 2012
You can’t go to France without having crepes, so this was one of my first stops in St. Tropez. After a morning of walking the narrow cobblestone streets of Old Town, it didn’t take long to build up an appetite in that strong Riviera sun. I had a great time conversing with the cook who was very enthusiastic about being featured on Camera in the Kitchen, and befriended the regulars, as they too wanted their portraits taken. I couldn’t resist. So we opted for the traditional savory, ham/cheese and the nutella to satisfy our sweet tooth. Definitely a great choice before hitting the beaches.
Ham & Cheese crepe
Salad crepe
Ham & cheese
Nutella
The local regulars
Nutella
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
Bon Voyage
June 21, 2012
Summer has officially arrived, and I’m off to the South of France and Italy for a much needed holiday and reunion with amazing friends. I’ve got all sorts of exciting projects lined up, but what I’m looking forward to most are those ‘stumble upon a random café in the middle of the country’ moments, the unplanned, unknown places that I’m so eager to share with you. Be back in a couple weeks! x
Mint Mocha Frappuccino at Warsaw Chopin Airport
Urban Farming
June 18, 2012
Every summer I try to expand the rooftop garden more and more, at least to give myself a little oasis in the middle of Manhattan. This season one of my favorite additions has been our blueberry bush. Just ripe enough to eat, I picked a batch of blueberries and decided to bake up some gluten-free muffins as an end of the weekend treat.
Blueberry muffins
Picking blueberries
Picking blueberries
Blueberry muffins
Terrain
June 12, 2012
I was ecstatic to find out one of my favorite online stores, Terrain, was opening shop in Westport. Even better when news broke of a farm-to-table café as part of the scene. Putting it on the top of my list of places to go, it certainly lived up to my expectations– a beautifully styled environment combining everything I would want in my own personal garden space. After browsing my way through the store, picking up some pots, a watering can and endless ideas to bring home with me, we were ready for brunch. Their outdoor seating area, styled just as one would expect from Terrain, served their homemade bread in a flower pot, water out of mason jars and delivered the check as a bookmark in a vintage plant guide. It’s that little attention to detail that make it worth the extra price for a great afternoon spent in Westport.
Fresh bread with butter and honey
Bourbon vanilla french toast with maple syrup and strawberry preserve
Flower pot baked bread
Croque Madame – open-faced ham and cheese, over easy egg, hollandaise
Brown butter pecan waffle with fried chicken leg and thigh
Store interior
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 June BBQ
June 6, 2012
Summer is practically here which means so are the weekends spent grilling, swimming and soaking up the sun. This past weekend my friend’s parents were kind enough to host a fun little Sunday BBQ gathering. After stocking up on everything we could possibly carry from Tarry Market, salads, grilled pineapple, corn, burgers and salmon were prepped for the feast. Such a refreshing feeling to know this is just the start of the season, so better get the calendars out to start planning all the beach parties and backyard dinners– Labor Day will be here before you know it!
Fresh salad
Grilled pineapple
Fava beans
Salads
Grilled corn
Caprese salad
Cheeseburgers
Salmon
a camera in the kitchen 