Culinary Types

Pie Face Chases Frowns Away

2012-02-05T00:15:00.017-05:00

After a two-week absence from Restoration Farm, the raspberries seem to be in scarce supply. It is a bit like a treasure hunt. I’m entitled to one quart over a fourteen-day period, but I must dip under thick clusters of leaves and weave my way through thorny bramble with the hope of finding a hidden gem. As is often said, “

Into Each Life Some Garlic Must Grow

2011-07-17T00:15:00.011-04:00

No doubt about it, garlic is pungent. Some might even say, “It stinks.” I don’t think I truly understood the power of garlic until the first time I cooked up a batch of garlic soup. It was a recipe out of Bon Appetit and probably included 40 cloves of garlic. The soup was creamy, sharp, savory and slightly dangerous, and I’m not exaggerating when I say the memory of

The First Pastured Chicken Comes Home to Roast

2011-07-10T00:15:00.014-04:00

I’m not sure I have ever had quite this much information about something I am about to eat. It’s a new experience and I’m taking it day by day. We get the word one evening via email, from Tricia, the assistant grower at Restoration Farm who is heading up the Hardscrabble Chicken Project. The chickens are ready! She writes: “I am happy to report that we have not

Culinary Types is Five Years Old!

2011-07-03T00:15:00.009-04:00

It’s hard to believe that Culinary Types celebrates its fifth birthday today. This milestone includes more than 450 posts, and more time than I spent in college. It has been an education of a different sort. From the start, the concept was a simple one – stories about food can be delicious. I’ve learned a lot from hearing, writing and sharing stories over the years.

The Berry Patch at Restoration Farm: A Field of Possibilities

2011-06-26T00:15:00.000-04:00

The strawberries at Restoration Farm have gone through a rough patch. Maybe it’s the heavy rain. The plants look a bit trampled. But, I suppose everyone feels a bit downtrodden at times. I can still remember last season’s pert and iridescent deep red berries. This year, the berries have been smaller and far more tart. Some are odd shapes. You really have to

Foodtrucking Gone to the Dogs?!

2011-06-19T07:00:00.000-04:00

After I return from the porcine playground of Chicago, I receive this email from Zany. The subject matter is a first for Culinary Types and requires no commentary on my part, except to say that some of the images you are about to see may be highly disturbing to small pets. T.W., I hope you’re sitting down for this one. Let me start by saying that Chicago is on the cusp

A Meating on the Streets of Chicago

2011-06-13T00:15:00.038-04:00

I knew this reunion would come sooner or later. I am standing just north of the Chicago River and I feel a bit like that silver-haired guy from “Mission Impossible.” My covert instructions arrived a day or so earlier via email. The note says: Meating Coordinates: 400 N. Michigan Avenue, just over the bridge. 4 p.m. sharp. Last one there is a vegetable. So, I get

Field of Greens at Restoration Farm

2011-06-05T07:40:00.000-04:00

The heat wave has broken, the haze has cleared, and I wake to a glorious late spring morning. It is not just the rejuvenating weather that makes me smile. It is my first distribution of vegetables at Restoration Farm and the abundance of fresh spring greens brings a sense of renewal and promise as well. I arrive early to help with the morning harvest. I am more

The Bread at Little Washington

2011-05-30T00:05:00.006-04:00

There’s a story behind every loaf of homemade bread, and this one’s got a 5 star tale. What happens when you’re planning to bake a rustic whole-wheat loaf, and you realize that you’re out of whole-wheat flour? I’m cooking a family dinner with my friend John MacPherson, chef and co-owner of the Foster Harris House bed and breakfast in Washington, Virginia. We think it

New Food Truck Recruits, Kimchi Tacos and a Mission Aborted

2011-05-23T00:15:00.011-04:00

How does the NBA draft manage to pull it off? Finding new recruits is darn stressful. It had become painfully clear to me that I needed to reclaim my place in life’s lunch line, and the only way was to recruit a new food truck team. No more wallowing in self-pity and Marshmallow Fluff. Zany and Mad had moved on, and I needed to do the same. Spring had arrived and

Tea and Clarity

2011-05-16T00:15:00.007-04:00

Sometimes, you need a little clarity…and, a little tradition, ceremony and ritual. Rosemary is my de-cluttering guru. She runs a de-cluttering business called From Clutter2Clarity. That means she helps me clean out when stuff overwhelms, and on occasion, she’ll police things to see how I’m getting along. It’s a full service business. She thinks I have too many cookbooks, but then she’s not a food

A Leap of Faith at Restoration Farm

2011-05-09T00:15:00.008-04:00

For members of the CSA, this day couldn't come soon enough - opening day for the 2011 season at Restoration Farm.The supply of frozen berries, greens and butternut squash soup put up for the winter is almost consumed. And, we've endured a lot this past winter. Endless snow and rain. Wars and revolts. The acrimonious threat of a government shutdown. Scheming associates. Friends moving on. Even

Zany Flies Solo - Empanadas and a Really Good Friday

2011-05-02T00:15:00.015-04:00

Times have been tough without my pal Zany. When I haven’t been feeding my sense of abandonment with an endless diet of Peanut Butter and Fluff sandwiches, I’ve had to endure one bad catered business lunch after another consisting of slimy pasta salad and dry cookies the size of hockey pucks. I’ve been trying to organize a new lunch team, but so far, the candidates have been dubious at best. One

Carrot Cake sans Carrots

2011-04-24T08:00:00.002-04:00

Happy Easter and Happy Spring! If, by chance, you’ve just been visited by the most famous rabbit of all (and I don’t mean Bugs) you might want to take a moment to reflect on the Big Bunny’s favorite food – The Carrot. Here’s a little carrot trivia to crunch on: The carrot originated in Afghanistan, but the varieties grown there were purple and yellow. The ubiquitous orange root didn’t come until

The Winner of "The Encyclopedia of Sandwiches" Giveaway

2011-04-24T07:00:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to Jane of the delicious blog, Jane' s Sweets & Baking Journal. She's the random winner of the giveaway of "The Encyclopedia of Sandwiches" by Susan Russo. I'll be contacting Jane via email to arrange for delivery. Jane is an amazing pastry chef and bread baker, so there will likely be some incredible sandwiches in her future, too!©2011 T.W. Barritt All Rights Reserved

One a Penny, Two a Penny, Hot Cross Buns

2011-04-21T00:15:00.001-04:00

The catchy phrase above is actually an early form of a marketing jingle that English street merchants used to sell hot cross buns on Good Friday centuries ago. Today, the jingle is less prevalent, but mass-produced hot cross buns certainly flood the supermarket during the duration of Lent, costing a bit more than a penny or two. There’s a certain charm to the verse, but it would give me pause if

A Giveaway: Susan Russo's "The Encyclopedia of Sandwiches"

2011-04-17T00:15:00.011-04:00

Sandwiches are my guilty pleasure, but I’m hardly a gourmet when it comes to slapping some filling between two slices of bread. For me, it’s all about fast flavor. I like the simple preparation, the quick satisfaction of hunger and the easy clean up. Some sandwiches are pantry specials - the ingredients always within reach in a pinch. I can go for days existing on Fluffernutter Sandwiches or Tuna

The Milk Truck and Moonshine

2011-04-11T00:15:00.014-04:00

It is not an exaggeration to say that with Zany’s untimely departure, I fall into a deep depression and lose my appetite. Food has lost its flavor, and I subsist for days on nothing but peanut butter and Fluff sandwiches. My college roommate Ford McKenzie decides an intervention is needed and summons me to Brooklyn for a serious meal and a stiff drink – in that order. I arrive in Brooklyn on the

Amber Waves of Grain

2011-04-04T00:15:00.000-04:00

Late last fall as I was picking up my share of vegetables at Restoration Farm, I was pleasantly surprised to see some autumn lettuce had become available. Another member was picking up her share and offered me two heads of lettuce.“I can’t think about salad anymore,” she told me. “I want something warm and comforting.” I gladly accepted the tender leaves of red and green lettuce.Now, months after

A Treat for Lent or St. Patty’s Day?

2011-03-28T00:15:00.000-04:00

I’m not a fan of Daylight Savings Time arriving in March. For several years now, it has screwed up my internal clock. I mean, for years I’ve been conditioned to expect the change of clocks in April. When it happens in March, I get crazy. I start getting religious occasions and holidays all mixed up.For example, these flaky, golden Cloverleaf Rolls were supposed to be Hot Cross Buns, a traditional

Zany's Farewell Food Truck Tour

2011-03-21T00:15:00.035-04:00

Zany dropped the bombshell in my office a few weeks ago."I'm breaking up the band. I'm moving to Chicago to help Mad Me-Shell fight the city ordinance against food trucks," she cracks."You're kidding me, right?"Only partially. The Chicago food vendor politics bit is just a cruel joke, but she is leaving the Big Apple for a pretty important job in Chicago."But, what about lunch?" I moan. "I can't

The Winner of “The Farmer’s Kitchen” Cookbook Giveaway

2011-03-20T08:21:00.005-04:00

Happy Spring, and congratulations to Joumana of the wonderful blog “Taste of Beirut.” She’s the winner of the “Culinary Types” random drawing for the new book "The Farmer's Kitchen" written by food blogger Julia Shanks and Brett Grohsgal. Joumana, contact me at the email address link on my blog with your mailing information and I will get the book out to you immediately.And, don’t forget to come

“The Farmer’s Kitchen” – A Cookbook by Julia Shanks and Brett Grohsgal - And a Giveaway

2011-03-13T00:15:00.000-05:00

If you’ve ever found yourself flummoxed by what to do with the mind-boggling variety of fresh produce available at the farmers’ market or through your CSA, Julia Shanks and Brett Grohsgal have created a manual just for you. The team has published the cookbook “The Farmer’s Kitchen: The Ultimate Guide to Enjoying Your CSA and Farmers’ Market Foods.” The book draws on their years of experience in

The Burger Babes Have It Their Way at “The Counter”

2011-03-07T00:15:00.020-05:00

Spring may be just weeks away, but we’re getting a little cabin fever down at the old office and it’s still too cold to eat outside. Food trucks are cool, but grabbing your takeout with frigid fingers as a wicked wind roars down 52nd Street is not. I consult Zany.TW: (sounding hungry and desolate) I’m going stir crazy. Somebody spotted me downstairs at Subway the other day and threatened to

Tea and Flowers

2011-02-28T00:15:00.007-05:00

While I like to think I’ve reached the age where I know everything, there are times when I can still be surprised. During a visit to the “Camellia Weekend” at Planting Fields Arboretum in Oyster Bay, I discover that these lush and luxurious flowers actually have a connection with the most consumed beverage in the world.The leaves of Camellia sinesis have been used to produce Chinese tea since

Power Bars

2011-02-21T00:15:00.007-05:00

You might call this recipe for Double Dark Chocolate and Ginger Biscotti a sweet finish to a meal, or you might just call it a “super food.”I’ve been learning more about some of the healthiest foods on the planet in the new book “Power Foods” from the editors of Whole Living Magazine. When I was growing up, Popeye got extraordinary strength and saved the day by consuming a can of spinach.

Rustic Whole Wheat Boule – There’s an App for That

2011-02-14T00:15:00.010-05:00

No sooner have I commenced my meditation on the spirituality of bread baking, when technology invades my reverie and my kitchen. It starts one night when I’m traveling for business, stuck in a generic hotel and entertaining myself on the iPad. The options for amusement are limited when you travel for work. It’s usually the iPad, or several hours of MSNBC – unless 30 Rock is on. Browsing

Daily Bread

2011-02-07T00:15:00.006-05:00

Lately, I’ve been cultivating a Sunday morning ritual. Wake up, only slightly later than on a weekday. Make coffee. Sit by fireplace and watch pinkish clouds on the horizon. Turn on an hour of choral music on WQXR radio. Listen to heavenly music. Bake bread.There’s something right about a Sunday morning bread baking discipline. There are so many aspects of bread that are consistent with the

Warm Thoughts on a Winter CSA

2011-01-31T00:15:00.000-05:00

A winter CSA requires a bit of imagination on the part of the member. You can’t go to a place. You can’t see the vegetables sprouting, you can’t pick them, and you can’t feel the sun on your back. The experience of picking up the share is unremarkable. It is a cold winter night, and I park my car just outside a gourmet food store in a neighboring town. Inside, I put my signature on a list of

Fresh and Local, Even in Winter

2011-01-24T00:15:00.022-05:00

Long Island sisters Jaime Greci and Lona Graepel may have a touch of the farmer in their DNA. While most would be inclined to hibernate during these months of cold and darkness, they have sown the seeds and sprouted Long Island’s first winter farmers market.It’s the coldest Saturday of the season yet, but the parking lot is full and people are streaming into Sweet Hollow Hall at the West Hills

Focaccia? Gotcha!

2011-01-17T00:15:00.002-05:00

It’s a cold winter day, a little too chilly to spend much time outdoors. I’m in the mood for a simple kitchen project – maybe a new variety of bread to expand my repertoire.I browse the cookbook collection and settle on focaccia. What could be simpler? It’s actually pizza dough – water, yeast, olive oil, flour and salt. All I need to do is prep the dough, and sprinkle it with parmesan cheese,

A Bribe from a Pie Visionary

2011-01-10T00:15:00.017-05:00

I used to like to travel for business. But, after more years than I'd like to admit, the novelty has worn off. You could blame it on so many things - the seismic changes in air travel security, the weather, or the horrendous in-flight dining choices billed as "food."Sadly, I am no George Clooney. Sometimes, I need a little push to get me to a meeting in another city. Here's a recent phone

Behold the Winter CSA and a Fiesta Soup

2011-01-03T00:15:00.010-05:00

The parties are over, it’s back to work, and things might be looking a tad blue. My case of blues results in part from the fact that my community farm is slumbering, and fresh, local, revitalizing greens are a long way off. By my calculation it is approximately a full five months, or 22 weeks, or 154 days until the 2011 season begins again at Restoration Farm. Sobering, to say the least.

2010 – A Year of Culinary Types

2010-12-30T03:18:00.001-05:00

As the year 2010 draws to a close, I am grateful for the people who taught me the artistry, the importance and the history of food, those who showed me the simple pleasures of growing and cooking food, and those who remind me time and again of the ultimate adventure afforded us by eating.To all the Culinary Types of 2010, I celebrate them with a hefty slice of Dorie Greenspan’s “Perfect Party

Christmas Bread in the Morning

2010-12-25T00:15:00.008-05:00

Rise and shine – it’s Christmas Day! To welcome the much anticipated feast, I’ve baked two traditional European Christmas breads, which were the precursor of many of our holiday baking traditions. These festive yeast breads resemble cakes and are enriched with butter, eggs, dried fruit and nuts.Stollen is a German specialty and is often associated with the city of Dresden. My late Aunt Greta

The Lunch before Christmas – A Yuletide Food Truck Adventure

2010-12-22T00:05:00.019-05:00

‘Twas the season of Merry and throughout the city,The food trucks were parked and all looking quite pretty.My lunchtime pals Zany and Marie Antoinette,Were getting real hungry and starting to fret.A holiday luncheon is what they proposed,The heck with reservations, we prefer frozen toes.“Let’s try something different,” dear Zany insisted.M-A had been scouting, she had her thoughts listed. “Let’s

The Season of Soup

2010-12-19T00:15:00.000-05:00

It is a frigid time in the city. The avenues are packed with boisterous revelers. People on the street move in sluggish pods, just to stay warm. The nose is cold and the tips of the ears are numb. As the song says, “I’ve grown a little leaner, grown a little colder, grown a little sadder, grown a little older.”Soup is the antidote - simple, rustic soup with just a few ingredients. Soup that

A White Bread Kind of Guy

2010-12-13T00:15:00.001-05:00

I make no apologies. I favor navy blue sweaters, button downs and khakis. I grew up watching June and Ward on TV, and spent most of my formative years in the “Casserole Corridor” of Long Island. I’d probably get a flat top if my head wasn’t shaped so funny. It’s no surprise that lately I’ve had this craving for white bread. There’s something about white bread - the golden exterior crust and the

A Culinary Adventure in the Mysterious Far East

2010-12-06T00:15:00.081-05:00

OK, perhaps I’m exaggerating. When I say Far East, I mean 10 miles east of Manhattan. The borough of Queens. Not that I think New York is the center of the universe or anything. The story goes like this. It is a chilly December afternoon and I find myself trailing after my college roommate “Ford McKenzie” on Main Street in Flushing, Queens. Ford was once a radical underground journalist and is

Frites’ N’ Meats – Super-Powered Truck Food with a French Flair

2010-11-29T00:15:00.054-05:00

The time is just days before Thanksgiving. We’ve planned a midday truck food adventure that has been diabolically foiled. The truck – which for the moment shall remain nameless – believes in “democratic eating” and asks fans to vote on its stop of the day. A group of college students up at Columbia has stuffed the ballot box, and the truck is now up in Morningside Heights. Drat! We need a “Plan

Farmers' Holiday

2010-11-25T00:15:00.135-05:00

The sky shimmers pearly grey as I approach the distribution tent at Restoration Farm. It is uncharacteristically warm for late November, as if the growing season of 2010 is trying to squeeze in just a few more hours of productivity. The head growers have prepared a bonus distribution of vegetables – a final, Thanksgiving harvest for members already signed up for 2011. I can only gape,

Pumpkin Pie? Lighten Up!

2010-11-21T00:15:00.001-05:00

And so, the 2010 Pie Season begins in earnest. Have you been training? If you’re already looking for ways to pace yourself over the next four weeks or so, consider this Chocolate-Pumpkin Tart recipe from Everyday Food. While it’s not exactly, uh, diet food, it is a more streamlined version of the traditional pumpkin pie and the combination of creamy pumpkin custard and chocolate cookie crust is

NYC Cravings – A Taiwanese Food Truck

2010-11-14T00:15:00.063-05:00

The day has not started out well. My socks don’t really match my slacks (that’s what happens when you get dressed in the dark) and now Zany and I are wandering aimlessly up 51st Street looking for a food truck that seems to have vanished. We’re off our game. We’re hungry. We’re lost, and we just might be suffering from seasonal affective disorder. “Mad Me-Shell would never have gotten lost

Perfecting the Pippi Longstocking of Breads

2010-11-07T00:15:00.000-04:00

During my entire elementary school career, I never tugged on a classmate’s pigtails, but I must confess I have a bit of an obsession for braided bread. Challah is a traditional Jewish bread, enriched with eggs and served on the Sabbath. An egg glaze gives the bread a glossy, bronze finish, and the braided dough is a stunner. The plaited strands are a symbol of love. Four years ago, I took a

Butter, Salt and the Simple Gifts of Restoration Farm

2010-10-31T00:15:00.078-04:00

The best things in life are nearest: Breath in your nostrils, light in your eyes, flowers at your feet, duties at your hand, the path of right just before you. Then do not grasp at the stars, but do life's plain, common work as it comes, certain that daily duties and daily bread are the sweetest things in life.~Robert Louis Stevenson And now, the growing season concludes again at Restoration

Harold McGee’s "Keys to Good Cooking" – A Review

2010-10-24T00:15:00.014-04:00

Harold McGee is a noted authority on the science of food and cooking. He studied science and literature at Caltech and Yale, which for many (myself included) is akin to trying to combine oil and water. Yet McGee seems to effortless blend a skill for storytelling with the sharp eye of a researcher. His new book is no exception. “Keys to Good Cooking: A Guide to Making the Best of Foods and

Apple of My Eye

2010-10-18T00:15:00.055-04:00

Everything’s coming up apples in New York. Although I was raised on - and became addicted to - sweet and tart McIntosh apples, it seems like there are now at least as many varieties of apples are there are heirloom tomatoes – Fuji, Red Rome, Honey Crisp and Ginger Gold. Wouldn’t we love to know the stories behind these alluring names? On the weekend in the Hudson Valley, the sky is azure blue,

Friday Food Truck Freebie – Malaysia Kitchen for the World

2010-10-15T12:34:00.000-04:00

I call it Blue Friday after a crazy week. Too much travel. Too much conflict. Too much clutter. So I’m heading downstairs to grab a Subway six-inch club for lunch (it’s been a long haul, guys) and what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a vision of a totally new food truck parked outside the building. I run upstairs to find Zany. She’s MIA. The story is she got married a couple of

George’s Iowa City Coffee Cake

2010-10-10T00:15:00.056-04:00

George Garbarini is enjoying a second career as a gentleman farmer at Restoration Farm. A long-time engineer, he now rules the pole bean kingdom at the farm and it is said that he doesn’t stop until the job is done and the last bean has been picked. The gorgeous beans are a testament to George’s nurturing skills. Indeed, George is a fixture at Restoration Farm, and his specialty – Iowa City

Green Beans and a Local Food Revolution

2010-10-03T00:15:00.041-04:00

Frozen green beans may not be the first ammunition that comes to mind when staging a local food revolution, but for Luc Roels and Jim Hyland (left to right) - the owners of Farm to Table Co-packers in Kingston, New York - frozen vegetables and berries are critical in their arsenal. In June, the team opened the food processing facility, Farm to Table Co-packers to pursue a singular goal. They

A Spanish Tortilla as Autumn Comes to Restoration Farm

2010-09-26T00:15:00.088-04:00

You can feel it deep in your soul, even if the weather isn’t quite cooperating. Aromas seem more intense, the harvest moon and stars seem infinitely brighter and every breath you take fills you with anticipation. Autumn has arrived. And, although the thermometer is still flirting with 80 degrees, the vegetables at Restoration Farm have changed – darker flesh, thicker skin and deeper, earthier

You Say Tomato, I Say Yes!

2010-09-19T00:30:00.001-04:00

We're feeling kind of tomato-wealthy here on Long Island. Last year - nothing. Bupkis. This year, we are reveling in a bevy of heirloom beauties from Restoration Farm. Our head growers, Dan and Caroline are certainly smiling. These varieties have wonderful, evocative names, but I don't even know what they are. I'm just eating and enjoying. Does that make me cheap or sleazy? I don't think so.

Curbside Pizza – The Eddie’s Pizza Truck

2010-09-15T05:00:00.000-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, Zany comes into my office with a colleague. They’ve just returned from a lengthy restaurant lunch. She is agitated.“There’s a new food truck downstairs,” she says. “They serve pizza. I think I could go for a snack around three o’clock.”“Znap out of it!” I tell her. “You just had a full, sit-down lunch. I think you need a time-out.” Reluctantly, Zany consents to a cooling

Fade to Black …

2010-09-12T00:15:00.003-04:00

There was a time when – for me - the new school term marked the change in seasons. New pencils, loose leaf binders, and perhaps a shiny lunch box, all signaled the fact that summer was over. Fortunately, I’m well beyond having to endure the mental anguish of a new school semester. Now, the transition from summer to autumn is more likely to be marked by a change in seasonal produce, which

Seaside Wedding Cake

2010-09-08T07:00:00.001-04:00

A few weeks back, my cousin Wendy married John on a cliff overlooking Long Island Sound. It was one of those brilliant and blissful summer days. Family was present in abundance and the afternoon sun cast a warm, golden glow over the bride and groom, the celebration and the beach below. Wendy and John’s talented friend Joey Italiano created this whimsical wedding cake that tied the celebration

Harold McGee and the Keys to Good Cooking

2010-09-05T00:15:00.006-04:00

Frankly, science always confounded me. It just didn’t connect, until I made a critical link. Cooking is science. Switch light bulb on.Now, granted cooking is a lot of things beyond just science. In the introduction to his new book, Keys to Good Cooking, food scientist Harold McGee writes “Cooking can be one of the most satisfying things we do in life. It’s a chance to make things with our own

Guilt and the CSA

2010-08-29T00:15:00.001-04:00

So, I’m lying in bed on a Saturday morning, thinking how nice it is not to have to get up at the crack of dawn. Suddenly, this little voice inside my head starts whispering,“The cabbage is wilting! The kale is limp! Don’t let them go bad. Get up! Get up!”So much for sleeping late. Soon, I am padding through the kitchen chopping kale and shredding cabbage. The sun is barely up.I’ve heard of

Blackberries in Contrast

2010-08-22T00:15:00.002-04:00

Blackberries are the chameleon of summer fruit. At Restoration Farm, they ripen from fire-engine red to inky black. Depending on the sunlight, the ripe berries can vary from shades of burgundy to deep blue to ebony.So how best to showcase this multi-faceted jewel of the summer? A tart, silky, Buttermilk Panna Cotta offers a perfect, stark-white canvas to accentuate the dramatic good looks of

Tomatoes, At Last

2010-08-15T00:15:00.001-04:00

It’s been a long wait. Nary an heirloom tomato to be found on the East Coast last year, due to the awful tomato blight. While the recent spate of hot weather may have been oppressive, it seems to have coaxed the tomatoes out of their great recession at Restoration Farm.We are greeted at distribution with Slicers, Juliet tomatoes and a variety of red and gold cherry tomatoes that are as sweet as

Beach Party

2010-08-08T00:15:00.022-04:00

There’s no question we were dumped. With no warning, Mad Me-Shell decides to skip town and move to Chicago. I mean, what is she thinking? Chicago probably has – what - only one food truck? What is she going to eat for lunch? I predict she will starve.Having now been downsized to a dynamic duo, Zany and I decide to drown our sorrows in chowder.We return to the site of our recent crime, the

The Sunflowers of Restoration Farm

2010-08-01T00:15:00.001-04:00

As the summer ripens, the landscape is always evolving at Restoration Farm. Sunflowers immediately catch the eye as you turn the corner from the wooded path out into the first open field. Sunflowers were first cultivated in Mexico and Peru, perhaps as early as 2600 BC. The yellow bursts of sunshine are a glorious start to the day. It’s like a little patch of Godlight kissing the Earth. ©

Sweet and Lazy – The Blackberries of Restoration Farm

2010-07-25T00:15:00.004-04:00

The blackberries at Restoration Farm are taking their own sweet time. They’re in no hurry to ripen. It’s summer after all. In this age of instant gratification, perhaps the blackberries are teaching us a thing or two about patience.They are a work in progress. Ripening – by its very nature – suggests that you must wait and see what develops. Bright red berries may be flashy, but in fact they are

Mr. Pink and the Dog Days of Summer

2010-07-18T00:15:00.028-04:00

It’s the middle of July and the air quality is only slightly better than a ripe garbage dump. Summer ennui is severe, and we all have been hit with a virulent case of crankiness. It’s so hot, the buildings are sweating.Zany and I are trapped in a terminal conference call. She mouths, “I’M STARVING!” Mad Me-Shell is desperate to pull the rip-cord for lunch. We’ve GOT to get out of this office!It

Egg-centricities

2010-07-11T00:15:00.002-04:00

My thoughts have turned to eggs. Crazy, isn’t it? Yet, the humble egg is a wondrous food.This season, Restoration Farm began offering an egg share from a local farm on Long Island. Every two weeks, I receive one dozen large eggs along with my vegetables from Makinajian Poultry Farm in Huntington.That’s 120 eggs this season. Think of the possibilities!Mick and Tina are the brother-sister team that

First Tart of Summer and Life Musings from the Berry Patch at Restoration Farm

2010-07-04T00:15:00.004-04:00

There is something miraculous about picking berries in the morning sun and eating the first tart of summer that same evening. It’s not just that you hand-picked each berry and that each one was warm to the touch as you tugged it from the branch. It’s not only the place where the berries grow, and the historic and community associations conjured up by the location. It isn’t just that you know

Long Island Lemonade Cocktail

2010-06-27T00:15:00.004-04:00

The Lemonade Stand. Everyone has probably dabbled in this sidewalk small business venture at least once in their lifetime. The temperature is creeping upward. We set up a card table in front of the steps and throw a plastic flowered table cloth over it. We write out a sign with thick black magic marker that reads “Lemonade 5 Cents.” Mom mixes a big pitcher of frosty lemonade and arms us with a

Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler and Celebrating Summer Solstice at Restoration Farm

2010-06-20T00:15:00.002-04:00

I am a rhubarb neophyte. Despite the dozens of blog posts that sing the praise of rhubarb each spring, and those sexy cover stories in Gourmet magazine, I’d never tried it. My first experience actually came just this past April, where it was served as the garnish atop an odd luncheon tart at an industry function. At least I think that was rhubarb. However, being a member of a CSA is all about

My First Cookie Recipe - Petticoat Tails

2010-06-13T00:15:00.009-04:00

There are various landmarks in my culinary journey. My first cookbook was the Betty Crocker Boys and Girls Cookbook. The first cake I decorated had white frosting and blue piping. I was in elementary school and the cake was for my parent’s anniversary. Much later, I baked my first baguette at the French Culinary Institute. And, my very first cookie recipe was for “Petticoat Tails.”As I recall,

Brown Bread, Beer and Chocolate - A Walk Through Dusseldorf, Germany

2010-06-09T11:45:00.011-04:00

Strawberry Fields and Salad Days at Restoration Farm

2010-06-06T00:15:00.007-04:00

Despite the song lyric, strawberry fields are not forever. In several weeks, the plush red conical berries will be a memory, but at the moment, they are ripe for the picking at Restoration Farm.I’ve been traveling, so I haven’t yet had a chance to taste the first fruits from the farm. The morning air is warm and sweet. I meet head grower Dan Holmes bumping along in the truck as I am walking

Wok and Roll

2010-05-30T00:15:00.005-04:00

The first piece of specialty cookware I remember getting was a wok. It was a gift for my college graduation from a couple of high school pals. The gift even came with a cookbook, Better Homes and Garden “More From Your Wok” (1982). I never did try the recipe for Apple Bread Pudding made in the wok, but I do recall that for some time I harbored an intense wok obsession.Eventually, I burned the

White Dog and Chicken Little

2010-05-23T00:15:00.014-04:00

Growing up in suburban Long Island, I was terrified of dogs – in particular, one white dog named Pom Pom. That’s right. I lived in fear of a white poodle with a really sissy name. Pom Pom was vicious. Her owner would keep her cooped up in the house all day and then look the other way when she escaped through the front door. Pom Pom would run straight for me. It happened over and over again and it

Springing Forward at Restoration Farm

2010-05-16T00:15:00.015-04:00

Nature has done an about face. The hint of summer weather has abruptly changed and now resembles brisk autumn in May. I pull my wool coat up around my neck as we head down the wooded path towards Restoration Farm. It is “opening day” weekend – a time to welcome new members to the CSA and reconnect with returning members and friends like the Kalamidas family, George and Arline Garbarini and head