So, it's June. Did anyone else realize that? School ends in a mere four days and then I am off to South America to chaperon dozens of fourteen year olds for ten days.
Sorry, did I not mention that until now?
Read MoreI don't know about you but the last thing I need right now is one more post on stuffing. I'd like to look ahead at what I'm going to eat after the three day supply of leftovers is gone. More specifically, how the heck I'm going to detox my diet. If you too find yourself in need of a delicious, health conscious meal may I suggest Rosemary and Vine in Rye, NY.
Read MoreHello and happy Friday! I've been keeping busy on my day off, mostly running painfully boring errands. Whenever my tasks are boring I seem to find myself looking for excuses to eat, hence avoiding said tasks. My excuse today came in the form of Port Chester's Kneaded Bread. Whatever, the post office will be there tomorrow.
Read MoreMaine has lobster. Chicago has deep dish. New York has bagels. Being a New Yorker means bagels are in your blood. You scoff at pale imitations you find in other states and can school people on what a schmear is. Between the city and the suburbs I've tried enough bagels to know what I like. Westchester has quite the range of bagel shops but five years ago I was introduced to Hand Rolled Bagels in Rye and never looked back.
At my old place of employ each grade level took turns to host our bi-weekly breakfasts. During my first year, a group of specials teachers hosted the St. Patrick's Day breakfast and the bagels seemed a bit different. They were textured. They were chewy. They were delicious WITHOUT being toasted. That, friends, is the mark of a truly good bagel.
I tracked down said specials teachers and demanded to know where these fresh, chewy, gluteny, perfectly seasoned everything bagels came from. The woman who purchased them said the shop was called Hand Rolled and it was her usual spot on the way to work. Consider me converted!
The small shop is so very 90's and has at least a dozen varieties (permanent and rotating) of plump, flavorful bagels. The Spinach was new, blueberry was seasonal but I can't seem to break from everything or, if I'm in a mood, the intense cinnamon raisin. I've only been for breakfast but I've seen many a sandwich come over the counter that look equally as good.
Hand Rolled Bagels gets a lot of local, and not so local, love. I've met like minded individuals who will drive thirty minutes out of the way (and some over state lines) for these bagels. New York is the home of the bagel and Rye is the home of Hand Rolled; I was never very good at math but somewhere there is a Venn Diagram that has those two overlapping meaning bagels don't get any better than Hand Rolled. Until the next dish, ciao!
Lately I find myself doing something I hardly ever do: adding more salt to my meals. More specifically, flavored salts. Usually the food doesn't even need it but I'm obsessed with adding a dash to almost anything I can. For a long time I never understood the fuss. In fact, I was a bit of brat over the whole concept. What's wrong with regular table salt? What do I even put flavored salt on? My bottomless blue pillar of Trader Joe's Sea Salt has been a fine way to top off meals for the last thirty years, why change now? Because I found The Filling Station, that's why.
Read MoreIt’s a typical Saturday morning in early spring; rain splatters across my windshield, the wind nudges my car this way and that but I couldn't be happier. I’m on my way to the grocery store. But not just any grocery store; I’m off to Stew’s. Stew Leonard’s that is. If the task of grocery shopping seems to be a laborious task standing between you and your next spin class then you could use a trip to Stew’s. You don’t even have to be a foodie to appreciate the experience. I mean, who doesn’t love the whir of a coffee roaster, the flickering flames of the rotisserie or singing sticks of butter (oh yes, you read that last one correctly). Welcome to Stew Leonard’s of Yonkers.
Read MoreFirst things first, these are not my pictures, the photo credit can be found here. If I snapped pictures of every label I tried my phone would probably have a hangover. Anyway, Awestruck Hibiscus Cider. Flamingo pink, rippling with exotic hibiscus notes and a zing of ginger, it's the only thing I want to drink between April and forever. The problem? They're not found anywhere in a 50 mile radius of me. At least right now. They're currently based in Walton, NY but my fingers are crossed that they'll make their way south soon. VERY soon. If you see this anywhere near you make sure you try it. Promise me you will. Look, even the guys with us enjoyed it. They might not admit it but they did. Keep an eye out and remember, you heard about it here first!
Read MoreHi there everyone! I'm back after a two week holiday hiatus. If you follow me on Facebook you'd see it wasn't so much of a break; I was up to my elbows in trout dip and candy cane cookies. After all the eating (there was SO much eating, I know people say that but I mean it), I came away with some spectacular foodie gifts and found my new addiction #somuchforresolutions. Now, let's talk about some of the new additions to my kitchen. Every year my aunt buys my parents a cookbook. Every year I steal said cookbook from my parents. In order to remedy this my aunt gifted me with my own copy this year, hooray! There was also a rectangular present that I thought might be pottery (my aunt is a genius at the pottery wheel) but it was too light. Once the tissue paper was discarded, a handsome wooden serving board lay before me.
Read MoreWelcome everyone! I've spent most of the last week putting final touches on Christmas decorations and writing out holiday cards, which means I can stop licking envelopes and start licking my fingers/plate/spatulas. Christmas is celebrated differently throughout the world and every culture has its own variation of Christmas eats. East coast to West, arctic to tropical, I'm a fan of global Christmas cuisine. I am particularly fond of German Christmas sweets and traditions (Krampus, now that's a tradition) If you have a hankering for some German Christmas specialties, well then you barked up the right Tannenbaum. I'm not sure how or why I became so interested in German food and holiday traditions but I'm going to attribute it to having a German best friend for the last twenty two years. Thankfully, the Upper East Side of the city still continues to host a smattering of German shops where I can find some near authentic items, including some Christmas specialties. My first stop was Schaller und Weber with the hopes of picking up some fine condiments and sausages but I was a tad a late in getting there, alas, I was locked out. I'll be back for you, wurst.
Read MoreHey all, check those calendars, it's December 1st! Most of us will incur a great amount of stress these next few weeks trying to find the perfect gift for each person on our list. At the end of the day, play to their interests or you'll be up to your elbows in (very uninteresting) Visa gift cards. If you've got a foodie in your life and need some gift ideas I've provided you with the short list of my wishes and wants.
Read More
