Small Bites

You Say You Want a Resolution We are on the cusp of the new year, when the media guilts us into embarking on resolutions designed to make us healthier, wealthier and maybe even happier–at least until we shamefully give them up a few weeks, or perhaps months, later. Fittingly, Anne… Read More →

For 12 weeks, we feature a wine, and include tasting notes and suggestions for pairings. At the end of the 12 weeks, we’ll review our Mixed Case, and recap the choices. Each mixed case will be chosen by a local wine shop owner, who will also become our wine expert-in-residence… Read More →

Mis queridos amigos, first I have to tell you: despite the champagne title, these days I don’t make this cocktail with it (lately I prefer  to use Prosecco!).  But, well, since we do associate that amazing sparkling wine with festivities–those New Year’s Eve related and beyond–so I’m keeping the name!... Read More →

Even if you rarely buy a bottle of wine, chances are you’ll be looking for one for New Year’s Eve. And chances are even greater it will be the bubbly kind. True Champagne comes only from the Champagne region of France, about 85 miles northeast of Paris. There are plenty… Read More →

Nearly 9 years ago for New Year’s, I decided to go vegetarian. I had fallen away from eating much meat over the couple of years prior, and had come to a decision that if I could eat as little meat as I had been and be fine, I didn’t need… Read More →

My series on pot luck foods continues this week with stew. Another dish that could not be easier and adaptable to your own taste. But before I launch into that, I thought it might be fun to share an appetizer recipe with you. If you remember, last week I wrote… Read More →

For 12 weeks, we feature a wine, and include tasting notes and suggestions for pairings. At the end of the 12 weeks, we’ll review our Mixed Case, and recap the choices. Each mixed case will be chosen by a local wine shop owner, who will also become our wine expert-in-residence… Read More →

Twas a Few Nights Before Christmas   Twas a few nights before Christmas And the brewery was rocking. People sampling craft brews and wondering If growlers would fit in a stocking.   The Pale Ale! The Brown Bird! The Captain’s Reserve! Fine beers from Westchester We all richly deserve. Jim… Read More →

With so many sweets around—and not that I don’t enjoy sweets (love ‘em!)—lately I’ve been craving more green, more fish, more fruit (maybe it’s this boot camp that has had me working out every morning?!).  Anyway, because of my personal craving, I’ve decided to share this tapa with my family… Read More →

Thai restaurants are usually a gamble when you’re vegan. One of the very important ingredients in Thai cooking? Fish sauce. Not so friendly for us vegans! But, I love Thai food, and there are some restaurants out there that cater to those of use who love our fishy friends to… Read More →

That movie “Four Christmases”? Totally about me. All right, well perhaps Reese Witherspoon isn’t exactly my doppelganger, but for my husband and I navigating our two sets of divorced parents has often reflected the comic fodder of the Christmas themed rom-com. While our parents’ relationships range from civil to besties… Read More →

foodie, foody[?fu?d?] n pl -ies A person having an enthusiastic interest in the preparation and consumption of good food. Hello & welcome to a new Small Bites column: Foodies 101, where we explore our budding interest in all things cooking, dining and eating, and share what we learn with you…. Read More →

Appetizers are an interesting food category. The definition of appetizer is: a small dish of food or drink taken before a meal to stimulate one’s appetite. Interesting, indeed! Appetizers come in all shapes and sizes, with literally thousands of options floating out there. Hummus with Red Radish and Pita Crisps… Read More →

For 12 weeks, we feature a wine, and include tasting notes and suggestions for pairings. At the end of the 12 weeks, we’ll review our Mixed Case, and recap the choices. Each mixed case will be chosen by a local wine shop owner, who will also become our wine expert-in-residence… Read More →

I was lured into executive chef Ethan Kostbar’s kitchen with the promise of snippets of Gordon Ramsayesque behavior.  And really, who doesn’t love a bad boy chef?  Sadly, there were no screams, tantrums, or tears in Moderne Barn’s kitchen.  What chef Kostbar did deliver was an organized and calm service… Read More →

I apologize that it has taken me such an embarrassingly long time to get this post done.  Although a few things like a Napa vacation (and a stolen laptop, argh!) and the start of the new job sidetracked me a bit,  my excitement spending the day behind the kitchen door… Read More →

The Captain’s Log Not unlike those elfin fellows up in the North Pole, the Captain Lawrence crew has been working like dervishes to satisfy wish lists all over the region. (The Captain Lawrence elves are much larger than their North Pole counterparts, but sport similar beards.) CL’s distribution grows exponentially… Read More →

Hi all! It’s Christina Halpin of HVRW fame back again to chat and chew. After my brush with blogging for Restaurant Week, I found myself hungry for more Small Bites.  Once you have all forgiven me for my shameless use of food puns, please do read on about what I’ll… Read More →

In our house, the husband would probably like to place potatoes in he list of processed starches. Of course, I like to tell him that this is mostly because he does not grow potatoes. His reason for this crime is that our tiny little backyard is not big enough for all… Read More →

There’s a thrill to rediscovering a recipe you made and enjoyed a long time ago. This is the case for me with panuchos. I first “discovered” them in Mexico in 2004. Well, eight years later, I realize how much I’ve missed them…and want to share them with you! Now you… Read More →

We’re in the thick of the holiday season! Some of my colleagues here at Small Bites have already been giving you ideas of gifts for the foodie in your life, but what if your foodie happens to be a vegan? You’ve already got an idea of what you might serve… Read More →

[NOTE FROM LIZ: David Dallow, aka Westchester Foodie, wrote our Foodie Gift Guide, a fun, witty and informative story in today’s paper. Unfortunately, I had to trim it to fit in print. Here is the story in its entirety.] We’ve all got one. The friend who tracks chefs and restaurants… Read More →

Mention four little words “can I bring something?” and many people shudder when the answer is “yes.” What is it about Pot Luck dinners that turn the most confident person into a quivering mess? Thoughts of creating a four-star restaurant quaility dish permeates your brain and you’re toast. Thinly Sliced… Read More →

If you’ve ever walked the worn wooden floors of Rochambeau Wines & Liquors in Dobbs Ferry, you’ve met Jeffrey Wooddy. He’s the 6-foot-5 manager behind the counter who can find a perfect wine to pair with your dinner in five seconds flat, no matter whether you’re serving roast suckling pig… Read More →

For 12 weeks, we feature a wine, and include tasting notes and suggestions for pairings. At the end of the 12 weeks, we’ll review our Mixed Case, and recap the choices. Each mixed case will be chosen by a local wine shop owner, who will also become our wine expert-in-residence… Read More →

Trivia, Beer Sampling and Other Noble Pursuits It is, in modern technology parlance, Trivia 2.0—a flashy upgrade on Captain Lawrence Brewing Trivia Night, featuring a little Name That Tune, a speed round, and winners of the various 5-question rounds receiving tickets redeemable for a gift card, keg, and other Captain… Read More →

  I have so many ideas combined into this post, that chances are you will find me less than coherent.  I get this way, when I am excited, tired and especially when I am excited about a new seasonal creation. My kids and I love Hanukkah, let me explain, it… Read More →

GINGERBREAD SPICED SWEET POTATO-PLANTAIN MASH By The Culinary Institute of America When it comes to a special holiday dinner, traditional recipes are hard to beat. They’re convenient and reliable and everyone expects to see them on the table year after year. There may be comfort in the annual routine, but… Read More →