Recipes
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Latin Twist: Guacamole with Grapes and Toasted Nuts
I don’t think that the avocado was, for me, a love-at-first-bite kind of thing, but wow, times have changed. These days I find it hard hard to resist the nutty flavor of avocado flesh; it can be eaten with just a squirt of lime and a sprinkle o... Read More
Seasonal Chef: Rhubarb
Rhubarb … it’s one of those mysterious ingredients in the produce aisle. Not being a regular “baker” it doesn’t call to me. My friend Lynn grows it and cooks with it a lot. Particularly making the ubiquitous Strawberry R... Read More
Latin Twist: Chimichurri (a.k.a. Argentine Pesto)
Like many of its condiment cousins, this one — chimichurri — is versatile! Not unlike pesto, this basil and herb-based sauce can be a marinade, dipping sauce, and more. I first tried chimichurri years ago, on my first visit to Buenos Ai... Read More
I Eat Plants: Gingered Asparagus & Leeks
Spring has sprung! I want to share one of my favorite recipes featuring two spring vegetable superstars: asparagus and leeks. Both vegetables are versatile, so I decided to take it a step further and develop one recipe that can be prepared two way... Read More
Seasonal Chef: Fabulous Fava Beans
Another sure sign of Spring: the beautiful fava bean appears. Long, non-descript pods piled high at the market or at your local specialty store. Favas are loaded with great nutritional value: they are a source of protein, folate, and many essential... Read More
Seasonal Chef: Fiddlehead Ferns
“Fiddlehead.” What a whimsical name for a funny looking little vegetable. I love saying it; even funnier that when I hear it I am reminded of a line spoken near the beginning of Gone With the Wind by Scarlett O’Hara. Except I would... Read More
Seasonal Chef: Fiddlehead Ferns
“Fiddlehead.” What a whimsical name for a funny looking little vegetable. I love saying it; even funnier that when I hear it I am reminded of a line spoken near the beginning of Gone With the Wind by Scarlett O’Hara. Except I would... Read More
Farmers Market Cook: Asparagus
Hello, my name is Maria Reina. In addition to occasionally blogging over the past three years for Small Bites I am a personal chef for three families in Westchester and Fairfield Counties, have a small catering business called Bella Cucina Maria,... Read More
‘Mad Men’ Party? Here Are Recipes for ‘Mad Men’ Party Food
Just before season 4 of “Mad Men,” I wrote a fun story that tells you everything you need to know about throwing a Mad Men viewing party. I took a page from Betty’s dinner party in Season 2, mixed it with a few Sterling Cooper pro... Read More
The Best Thing They Ever Ate (For Rosh Hashana): Local Chefs on Their Favorite Holiday Recipes
Linda Lombroso had an absolutely terrific story in yesterday’s paper — a riff on the Food Network’s show “The Best Thing I Ever Ate.” I’ll just let her tell the story: The smells and tastes of Jewish holiday meals... Read More
All-Local Summer Dinner Party: Easy Recipes, and All the Ingredients Come from the Farmers Market
This time of year, there’s no excuse for eating bad food. Tasteless tomatoes? Woody zucchini? Pallid chicken? Not in August, my friends. Farmers markets are overflowing with end-of-summer bounty — corn and tomatoes, cantaloupes and plums. Read More
Precious Heirloom Tomatoes: 3 Recipes For Great, Old-Fashioned Flavor
If you’ve ever picked a ripe tomato from its vine, smelled its leaves and bitten into it right there in the garden, you know there’s nothing like it: slightly sweet, a tad tangy and extraordinarily flavorful. The tasteless tomatoes you fi... Read More
Fresh Lemonade, With a Twist
The ultimate summer drink isn’t a cold beer, pink wine or even a frosty iced tea. No — in my mind, the ultimate summer drink is lemonade. And making a fresh pitcher of it couldn’t be easier. And there’s a reward:?It’s s... Read More
Sour Cherry Pie: A No-Fail Recipe for Fresh Cherries
The sour cherries — or tart cherries, as they’re sometimes known — are early this year! Usually they start appearing this week or next and last just until about the Fourth of July. This year, they’re already at a farmers marke... Read More
Easter Pie, Step-by-Step, with Photos
I know we’re hearing a lot about David DiBari this week. But here’s the deal: I went to do the reporting and photo shoot for our Easter Pies story, and ended up staying for dinner and discovered the exciting additions to his menu. I figur... Read More
Recipe: Salty Dogs
What is better in the dead of winter than a refreshing cocktail made with fresh, in season citrus? I mail order the most amazing grapefruits from Red Cooper each year. (I am biased, because my family is from Texas, and my great-grandfather owned a fo... Read More
Recipe: Madeleines
I promised the recipe for the delicious Madeleines I made for breakfast Sunday morning. Here you are, courtesy of The New French Baker by Sheila Linderman (Willam Morrow, 1998). I decided they could use a little bit more lemon zest than the recipe ca... Read More
Recipe: Frozen Watermelon Margaritas
In this recipe, you freeze watermelon and use that instead of ice in the blender. First, cut the watermelon into chunks, then put it in a freezer bag for at least 4 hours. So good. Frozen Watermelon Margaritas 1 1/2 cups frozen watermelon 1 cup white... Read More
Local Links
Good morning (almost afternoon!) and happy Fourth! What a fun weekend I had. I feel like this staycation thing is actually kind of fun! I started out the weekend right with sangria and tapas at Milonga Wine & Tapas in North White Plains. The san... Read More
Blueberry Slush
There’s a nice little pull-out guide to 50 summer drinks in the lastest issue of the Food Network’s magazine. (Here’s a link to all 50 of them.) I tried this one for Blueberry Slush. Great for a Memorial Day cookout. I gotta tell yo... Read More


