Small Bites

The slow cooker was initially praised for doing the seemingly impossible: cook dinner while we were out of the house. Yet despite all of the promise, the convenient, seemingly miraculous small appliance has suffered from a bit of an image problem. A common complaint with the recipes of old is… Read More →

It’s a nasty flu season around here. I should know: I’m getting over the flu right now. Is there anyone here who hasn’t at some point associated being sick with eating chicken soup? Canned, takeout or homemade, chicken soup is king for colds and flu for many people out there…. 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 →

You might think it silly to open a pizza place down the street from Tarry Lodge, which has some of the best pizza around. But Coals in Port Chester, the sister restaurant to one in the Bronx, has taken a different approach. They don’t try to compete; they embrace differences…. Read More →

Lentejas, lentilles, lenticchie … whatever language or culture you look to you will find this tiny powerhouse. Lentils have been part of our diet for thousands of years. It’s thought to be one of the first domesticated crops during the Neolithic era. Lentils are a relatively inexpensive ingredient and come… Read More →

So we have come to the end of the road with this series. (Resisting…urge…to sing…Boyz To Men…)  When December 29th finally rolled around, I had had the date on the books for the bulk of the holiday season, menu planned for about as long, accumulated necessities over the course of… Read More →

If the vibe—and the food—at the new Fortina in Armonk is going to be anything like the Chef’s Table at Cooked & Co was on Saturday night (and I have every reason to believe it will be), we are in for a real treat. Chef Christian Petroni and his partners,... Read More →

The Feiner Things In Life For Paul Feiner, longtime town supervisor of Greenburgh, home of Captain Lawrence, it is hardly beer-drinking weather. Paul prefers a beer in the heat of summer, preferably after a long bike ride or run. “On a hot day, there’s nothing like a good beer to… Read More →

 Many moons ago, I had travelled to New Mexico and fallen in love with the landscape. It is not called the, “Land of Enchantment’ for nothing. It is definitely on my plans to get back there with the kids one of these days. I was captivated by the beautiful landscape, charming artifacts,... Read More →

Con este tremendo frío—with this amazing cold—I can only think of warming dishes. This, my friends, is one that will warm you inside and out! It’s a stew chock full of delicious layers…including chick peas, Lima beans, hominy, roasted acorn squash, and more. (Yes, there’s meat in this version, but… Read More →

When I first went vegan, I didn’t know any vegans in person. It was much easier when I went vegetarian, because I already had several vegetarian friends. While I very often eat with omnivorous friends, there’s something nice about being able to eat with like-minded people. Plus, when I moved… Read More →

This just is not the time for gazpacho and sushi, is it? With below freezing temperatures, we want warming recipes for stews, chilies, soups and braises! Here are a few of my favorites: Joan Nathan’s Brisket (above). Cider-Braised Pork Shoulder with Caramelized Onion and Apple Confit Denver Green Chili. Pozole… Read More →

From the X20 and Restaurant X newsletter, a note about the Super Bowl celebrations hosted by chef-owner Peter X. Kelly. “Perhaps the only more exciting place to watch the game will be the Harbaugh’s Family room, but it’s doubtful that they are serving Cowboy Rib-Eye!” Both restaurants are doing a… Read More →

Guapo Cocina Mexicana, a new restaurant by the owners of Zuppa in Yonkers, opened recently at 10 Warburton Avenue in Yonkers, serving table-side guacamole, tacos, burritos, quesadillas and molotes, corn dough which is filled and fried. Specialties are Mexican sandwiches, known as tortas and cemitas, with such fillings as spicy… Read More →

Last weekend I found myself with a free Saturday morning and feeling the “itch” to go to a farmer’s market. Except for a quick demo in late December at the now defunct  Rye Brook Market, I’ve been pretty much off the “circuit” since mid-October. November and December are generally the… 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 →

Westchester represent! Ray Rice, the New Rochelle native and running back for the Baltimore Ravens, will be playing in the Super Bowl XLVII against the San Francisco ‘49ers on Feb. 3. The game will be in New Orleans, but surely there’s a hometown contingent rooting Rice on in New Rochelle,... Read More →

It’s time to cut to the chase – the food. Arranging a date for the party may have taken some jostling and my single-stop shopping trip didn’t work out quite that way, but one thing actually was smooth sailing – the cooking. And at a dinner party where I was… Read More →

One of the common questions and connundrums with the spiceverse (yes, I made up that word!) is how much is enough or differently worded what are the basic essential spices needed for spice based cooking. At the risk of sounding evasive, I will tell you the answer really depends on the… Read More →

‘Pleasant’ Memories of Brewery’s Early Days With the expansive Captain Lawrence tasting room in Elmsford reaching its one-year anniversary, a bit of reflecting on the original digs in Pleasantville may be in order. While most everyone enjoys the 1,500 square feet of beer-sampling nirvana, the food selections and the patio… Read More →

Hey Foodies, Aimee here!  I have a funny/yummy story for you that I think you may get a kick out of.   I recently became reunited with my former best friend Nicole from my school days.  We had lost touch and hadn’t spoken in about 13 years. Since I spend… Read More →

This summer I had the chance to visit Block Island (ah…so lovely, and here’s a picture of a Bloody Mary—and a fabulous one at that—from the ferry ride over) and it was there that my inspiration for talking about brunch, and all that it can be, was first kindled. THEN, as… Read More →

I am not good at “reeling it in” when it comes to entertaining.  Notorious for over-shopping and preparing, I am like an unstoppable force, hunting and gathering goods for my guests every time anyone so much as mentions stopping by. Heaven forbid anyone should go home hungry from one of… Read More →

I just received an email newsletter from Yvonne’s House of Soul Restaurant in Pelham. The restaurant is now closed. But as part of the newsletter, Yvonne Parker was advertising her catering services, including for such events as graduations, funerals, weddings, family reunions, office parties, birthday parties, retirement parties and more…. Read More →

I have been hooked on salad in a jar lately! I am trying hard to eat more vegetables. Yes, I eat plants, but plants include things like grains and sugar… foods of which I can definitely eat too much. One of my big problems with vegetables is when to eat… Read More →

Hudson Valley apples, wine from the Finger Lakes and Long Island and two cheeses from Cooperstown that are available at the Palisades Winter Farmers Market will all be on the menu at the 2013 Presidential Inaugural Luncheon Monday. New York foods are being featured prominently because U.S. Senator Charles E…. Read More →

So here we are, right in the middle of winter. It’s cold and snowy in my neck of the woods, and the vegetables are starting to all meld together for me … potatoes, parsnips, squash …. but what a pleasant surprise to come across this very special ingredient! Meyer lemons,... Read More →