Swoon Kitchenbar
March 11, 2013
If you’re hungry and in Hudson, I recommend spending a lunch or dinner at Swoon Kitchenbar. Their fresh, locally sourced menu changes weekly based on the season, and it was top of my list to check out. To keep with our cheese trend of the day, we opted for a sampler plate including Humble Pie, a cow, sheep milk blend that was creamy and tangy from Woodcock farm in Vermont, Ewe’s Blue, a sheep’s milk blue veined cheese from Old Chatham Sheepherding in New York, and of course our favorite Hudson Red from Pampered Cow. The shoestring fries with spicy aioli were a perfect extra snack. Although we stopped in during a quiet midday hour, the bar is known to attract a crowd and the tables fill up quickly in the evening hours, so be sure to get there early for a seat.
Ewe’s Blue cheese
Fries
Bread & Olive Oil
Cheese plate
Happy 2013!
January 6, 2013
Happy New Year! I’ve had such a wonderful couple weeks spending time with family, friends and relaxing– and hope you did as well. In between the holiday festivities, I’ve been working on my new website that I’m looking forward to sharing soon. As for the latest food shoots, I spent an afternoon in Downtown Syracuse grabbing some sandwiches to go. Of course, whenever I’m in the area, my first stop is Pastabilities for their infamous hot tomato oil. For the sandwiches, I decided to stop at Kitty Hoynes, a casual Irish pub, for a reuben, and lastly made my way to Franklin Square’s Boulangerie for a chicken salad sandwich.
Pastabilities Hot Tomato Oil
Reuben Sandwich from Kitty Hoynes
Reuben Sandwich
Fries and pickles
Chicken salad waldorf with apples, raisins, cheddar and nuts
Franklin Square
Chicken salad waldorf with apples, raisins, cheddar and nuts
Happy Saturday!
November 17, 2012
It’s a beautiful start to the weekend, and I’m thrilled to say that I’m staying local and enjoying the city. With the cooler season just upon us, one of my favorite ways to pass the hours on a Saturday afternoon around the Upper West Side is to take a glimpse around the Natural History Museum and go across the street to the New York Historical Society for lunch. A huge fan of the decor, they combine perfectly the look of a traditional home dining room with a modern flair. Our recent visit left us a little too full for lunch hour, but the food was just too good to not indulge.
Arancini
Salad
Artichoke Mezzaluna with porcini and parsley
Gnocchi Gratinata with black truffle fonduta
A Hiker’s Lunch
November 5, 2012
New York is still recovering in the days following Hurricane Sandy, and my heart goes out to all those less fortunate than myself as they continue to look forward. I’ve finally returned to the office, and slowly we’re getting back into the daily routine. Meanwhile, I’ve sorted through a hiking excursion from Montana in a desert area known as Weatherman Draw, containing the largest collection of Native American rock art on the continent. I recently put together a menu inspired by a hiker’s lunch. It included everything that can be prepped ahead of time, and easily transported to location. We made open grilled chicken and steak sandwiches, a side of beans and trail mix, and Ocean Spray’s sparkling cranberry juice cans for a refreshing taste to quench your thirst.
String beans and grilled chicken sandwich
Trail Mix
Sparkling Cranberry juice
One of many Pictographs
Grilled chicken
Desert landscape
Desert Landscape
Steak sandwich
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
Pumpkin Hill Bistro
August 20, 2012
Pumpkin Hill Bistro, located in the heart of the Finger Lake’s wine region, is a fantastic place to grab lunch. Set in an 1800’s farmhouse, the porch overlooks the vineyards and Cayuga Lake. After a recent excursion to shop and explore the village of Aurora, we settled in for a turkey sandwich, salad, Maryland style crab cakes and smoked gouda/artichoke dip with toasted pita.
Turkey sandwich and salad
Salad
Crab cakes
The garden
Cheese dip and pita
The Weekend’s Here
August 17, 2012
It’s that time of the week when New Yorkers hop on their respective modes of transportation, be it car, train, plane or boat, to escape the city’s August heat and cool down by the water. Here’s a recent beach picnic we had out in Amagansett featuring some of the town’s favorite sandwiches from Mary’s Marvelous and Hampton Chutney. Where are you off to this weekend?
Pretzels on the beach
Egg & cheese and Pesto sandwiches
Egg & cheese
Pesto sandwich
Crillon Le Brave
July 26, 2012
The fresh air and rolling hills, the winding stone corridors, the hourly chimes of the bell tower and the to die for menus are all part of Crillon Le Brave, the quintessential Provencal destination. What was once ruled by Henri IV’s fiercest generals during wars of the 16th century has now evolved into one of Travel + Leisure’s top European hotels for 2012. And well deserved, my time spent there could not have been better. Lounging poolside, a relaxing massage and the impeccable service was all quite lovely, but of course my favorite was the fantastic food shoot that took place with the help of chef, Phillippe Zemour. After our morning at the market, it was down to business in the kitchen. Known for their elegant and refined style, the menu is all locally sourced offering a true flavor of southern France. Although it was difficult to leave, it’s certainly on my list of places that I no doubt will return to once again.
Setting the table on the terrace
Crackelin marinated red mullet and squid, nicoise socca and fennel aioli
Crackelin marinated red mullet and squid, nicoise socca and fennel aioli
Artichoke
Gratin of fish soup
Fricassee of seasonal vegetables, fingerling potatoes and bearnaise reduction
Roasted bull fillet, fricassee of seasonal vegetables, fingerling potatoes and bearnaise reduction
Hotel entrance
Roasted shop veal, green asparagus from olivier’s garden, stuffed potato with white truffle
Terrace view
Bocce ball
Roasted shop veal
Pool area
Asparagus
Fresh bread and rosemary
Seabream in salt crust
Seabream in salt crust
The view
Vegetables from the garden in barigoule refreshed, bacon shavings from bigorre, coriander reduction
Crackelin marinated red mullet and squid, nicoise socca and fennel aioli
Fresh vegetables
Fried cherry with basilic
Fried cherry with basilic
Apricot tart
Apricot tart
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
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
a camera in the kitchen 