Do Brits contract berries to two syllables as some form of cultural superiority thing? RASP-bries, STRAAW-bries, GOOOOSE-bries and such. No matter, it's a minor affectation when uttered from us Yanks, so of course I'm all for it. Gooseberries have proven elusive out here on the easternmost reaches of Long Island. Luckily the proliferation of all things locavore, heritage … [Read more...]
DECORATING CAKES WITH FLOWERS — WIN A STEM GEM PRIZE!
What's prettier than a cake decorated with flowers? A rhetorical question of course, but the Taj Mahal, Jeff Aquilon as photographed by Bruce Weber in the late '70s and your own newborn baby are equally acceptable answers. But India is a long way off, it's been 30 years since Jeff hung up his Speedos as captain of Pepperdine's water polo team and making a baby … [Read more...]
GOOD AND EVIL CARROT PICKLES
The "good" in this pickle is a creidt to the noble carrot -- so healthy! The "evil" lurking within is ultra-hot habañero peppers. The cheery red color of the slender pepper slices look oh so innocent, rolled up as they are in the centers of the pretty little carrot flowers. And with the sweet pickling solution their incendiary flavor doesn't reveal itself right away. But like … [Read more...]
THRIFTY ASPARAGUS PICKLES: TARRAGON ASPARAGUS PICKLES AND SPICY ASPARAGUS SPEARS
Picklers, non-picklers and thinking people everywhere understand that vegetables must be trimmed to fit the jars in which they're to be pickled. It's no big deal if you're, say slicing kirbys which handily cram into tight spaces or pre-salting strips of peppers and onions, which soften into pliant tangles that fill jars with efficient ease. This recipe for thrifty asparagus … [Read more...]
DEVILED OYSTERS
This recipe for Deviled Oysters was inspired by the inimitable Starfish Oyster Bed and Grill in Toronto where reigning World Oyster Opening Champion Patrick McMurray offers a dazzling array of the freshest, most succulent oysters nightly. Nirvana on a bed of shaved ice. Last weekend Gena Bone and I went to visit her daughter and my god daughter Carson, a junior at the … [Read more...]
WHITE AND GREEN ASPARAGUS WITH HERB HOLLANDAISE
While many culinary pundits decry the demise of seasonal eating, there do remain bright spots on the calendar. White asparagus's limited-run each spring reminds us there still exist delicacies that haven't been enslaved by global agri-business. So let's get going while the going is good. Some might find paring white asparagus with green a bit heretical. Our take … [Read more...]
COCK-A-LEEKIE
I've got a confession. I find many of the classic stewed meats in broth recipes rather lack-luster, even insipid. Apart from the odiferous hot mess of a corned beef and cabbage boil up, I find France's Pot-au-Feu, Italy's Bollito Misto, even Japan's Shabu Shabu... meh. Who'd a thunk the Scots would be the ones to create a superlatively satisfying melange of … [Read more...]
BLOOD ORANGE MARMALADE
I don't know about other former Bed & Breakfast owners, but our reason for letting go of East Hampton's celebrated Georgica Bend B&B wasn't the reason most people always assume. "It must have been a lot of work!" is the general feeling. Sure it was work, but who's afraid of that? No, the fear was financial. It's nerve-wracking to make a go … [Read more...]
BLOOD ORANGE CREPES SUZETTE
When all is said and done, we have that certain Cathy to thank for the enduring mystic of Blood Orange Crêpes Suzette. Sophisticated beyond her years, she embodied culture and refinement to a generation hooked on black and white after-school TV reruns. You remember Cathy, don't you? Of course I speak of the Cathy who adores a minuet, the Ballets Russes … [Read more...]
CHUNKY APPLE GINGER JAM: A GEORGICA BEND B&B EXCLUSIVE
At the beginning of this century, for a few years, we owned and ran a B&B in East Hampton. Georgica Bend Bed and Breakfast was located in the ocean-side Georgica Estates area of East Hampton -- although we were not exactly on the ocean and the 'Bend fell short of estate status. Male organ cheap viagra usa due to ED does not get even a semi-firm erection … [Read more...]