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
A Meli-Melo Morning
March 11, 2012
This cute little créperie in Greenwich, Connecticut has always been a favorite spot of mine when I’m visiting the area. Enjoying an afternoon there this weekend, I opted for the Sweet Tooth, a crepe with fresh kiwi, strawberries, mint leaf, home-made chocolate sorbet and chocolate sauce. And you can’t leave without trying one of their signature fresh juices to quench your thirst.
Sweet Tooth crepe and fresh pear, kiwi, coconut juice
Dessert for lunch
Crepes and juice
Happy Friday!
March 9, 2012
With spring-like temperatures, daylight savings beginning and the weekend arriving, it’s the perfect day to get out the vegetables. Prepared by my roommate, she whipped up this tofu salad spread and alfalfa sprouts on spelt bread with a side of vegetarian stuffed grape leaves. Have a great weekend!
Vegetarian stuffed grape leaves and a tofu salad sandwich
Tofu salad sandwich
FIELD Beef Jerky
March 5, 2012
A few months back I introduced you to my friends’ new all-natural beef jerky, FIELD. In the months following, they’ve grown tremendously, distributing nationwide and becoming ever more popular. Saturday afternoon we all met in Williamsburg at Moon River Chattel, an enchanting antique shop near the waterfront that is filled with inspiring treasures and the perfect backdrop for our shoot. Capturing not only the uncut beef jerky, it was fun to shoot the other ingredients and spices used in their three flavors, Original No. 3, Honey Spice No. 11 and Teriyaki No. 23. To keep up with their latest news visit their facebook page, website or get yourself to the grocery store for a taste!
Original No. 3
Ginger root and other ingredients
Jerky and spices
No preservatives, added MSG or nitrates
Ginger root
Original No. 3
Garlic and Dube Putz homemade red pepper flakes
Honey Spice No. 11
Beef jerky
Jerky and spices
Photo Montage of the day
Sunday Family Dinner
February 29, 2012
This weekend I was back in Syracuse spending time with the family. Sunday was the perfect winter day with crisp blue skies, a few inches of freshly fallen snow, a fire in the fireplace and the aroma of my father’s Northern Italian dish for dinner filling the house. We started with a couple fresh loaves of Columbus Bakery bread, followed by an antipasto platter with lettuce, tomato, greek olives, cucumbers, salami, ham, provolone, blue cheese and topped with a white balsamic vinaigrette. The main dish was homemade marinara sauce with tomatoes, chicken stock, fresh garlic, onions, zucchini and a touch of sugar. After simmering for a few hours with the chicken breast and thigh meat, it was poured over fettucini and garnished with parsley and parmesan cheese.
Marinara sauce with chicken and fettucini
Antipasto platter
Columbus Bakery bread dipped in olive oil
Grating parmesan cheese and Columbus Bakery bread
Antipasto platter
Bread and Pasta
White balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing
Pasta and bread
Antipasto
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
Foundry Café
February 21, 2012
This welcoming café in the heart of Cold Spring was a perfect last stop of the day to warm up with a cup of freshly ground coffee and grab a slice of their cheesecake for dessert. If I wasn’t already too full from brunch, I would have loved to try out some of their quiches or soups. I suppose I can save that for next time. With an acoustic, rock ‘n roll flare, this café doubles as a music outlet for small performances, open mic nights and some great nostalgic photos and albums for visitors to check out.
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Foundry's Original Cheesecake
Foundry's Original Cheesecake
A Winter Afternoon in Cold Spring
February 17, 2012
Last weekend, my friend and I took the train an hour up the river to the little town of Cold Spring. It was a bit chilly, but nothing beats the fresh air. After checking out a few different cafes and dining establishments, we opted for the Hudson House River Inn, a historical home built back in 1832, serving as a small hotel since. Having a two course meal full of soups, fruits, eggs and steak, we worked off the calories with a bit of antique shopping around town before catching the train home.
Onion Soup Au Gratin
Strawberry Butter
Accommodations at the Hudson House
Grilled Marinated Flank Steak topped with caramelized onions and maytag bleu cheese, horseradish mashed potatoes and fresh vegetables
Poached eggs and thinly sliced filet mignon on english muffin
Popovers
Onion Soup Au Gratin
Fruit with vanilla yogurt, raspberry sauce and granola
a camera in the kitchen 