Flipping Out's Jeff Lewis yells downstairs to a sleeping Zoila: "Zoila, ZOILA! Wake up, get up here, we need you." "Cheffrey, I sleeping. I'm in pajamas. I not wearing a bra." "Get up here, now, we need you." Recently House Beautiful editor Newell Turner and I were invited to Valley Oak to talk about the Rock Center … [Read more...]
RECIPE: TOSTONES ZOILA
TOSTONES RECIPE 3 plantains oil for frying salt Slice plantains on angle into 1/2" slices. Fry in 1/2" layer of oil at 350º for three minutes, until lightly golden. Turn them durng cooking if the oil isn't washing over the tops of the slices. Remove and drain on paper towels. Let cool a bit. Place them on a sheet of waxed paper, then lay another … [Read more...]
YELLOW TOMATO KETCHUP
Every summer I look for a recipe that will capture the vibrant color of yellow tomatoes, hoping to bring their summer sunshine to the table the rest of the year. This new recipe for Yellow Tomato Ketchup auditioned for the summer 2010 roll out at Springy Banks Cannery. (Our house is on Springy Banks Rd., so … [Read more...]
TOMATILLO SALSA: SEAN’S ORIGINAL RECIPE
My friend Eugenia Bone's wonderful book At Mesa's Edge is an intimate and entertaining recollection of her first few seasons at the ranch she and her husband Kevin bought in Colorado a while back. The book includes over 100 recipes including one -- ta da! -- from me: Tomatillo Salsa. As Gena points out, it's a great condiment for any Mexican-inspired … [Read more...]
CHOICE MEALS: FIRST SOFT SHELLS OF THE SEASON
While on the prowl at the fish counter, the welcome sight heralding the arrival of the season's most choice meals beckoned. Soft shell crabs -- one of spring's greatest glories. Poor dears, neatly lined up with their little bubbling faces and slightly moving claws, unaware of their imminent sacrifice to become a … [Read more...]
ÎLE FLOTTANTE
It's been a snowy winter and recently, looking at the pristine heaps surrounding our house, thoughts lazily drifted to oeufs a la neige. Knowing it's a close relative to île flottante, I dug out the cookbooks and poked around the Web to see what the differences are. There doesn't seem to a complete consensus. Both are meringue … [Read more...]
OYSTERS WITH OYSTER SAUCE AND BLACK BEANS
Histories of olde New York tell how our waterways were originally paved with oyster reefs, from Sandy Hook all the way up to Ossining. So common, they were considered poor people's food (as were lobsters out on the east end of Long Island back in the day...). In our time honored fashion, this abundant resource was pretty … [Read more...]
Wild Wild Cranberries
The Hamptons, and East Hampton in particular where Steve and I have our house, get a lot of play in the press for the flashy exploits of the cast of characters who make it their summer playground. Too bad the real picture isn't as well known. On the southern fork of Long Island, Southampton Town and East Hampton Town comprise 200 square miles of land surrounded by Atlantic … [Read more...]