After a busy and delightful afternoon of beading my friend Christie and I were in need of nourishment in Norwalk, CT. Thankfully The Stand Juice Company was just around the corner and completely quiet on a mild winter Saturday. During the week you can tell that based on location and offerings this place gets busy; downtown, next to a yoga studio, and adorably rustic.
Read MoreI'm not the best at philosophy and logic but I know a few things. I love Italian food. I love the Hudson River. Therefore, I love Italian food near the Hudson River, which , in its newest form, can be found at Red Zebra in Sleepy Hollow.
Read MoreIt certainly has been a while since my last post. I wish I could say it was for a good reason but it was a whole slew of bad ones, one right after the next, most of which have been resolved. That aside, I was happy to visit the newly opened Dig Inn in Rye Brook. The popular New York City enterprise made its way to Westchester, satisfying the need for more healthy, environmentally friendly choices in the Hudson Valley.
Upon entering you can't help but admire the minimalist design. Cool neutrals, which are echoed in their beautiful bowls, tiny potted succulents on the tables and a rear seating area with a gorgeous skylight that I'm sure is nothing short of inspiring in the morning. The staff was ready to please and there was no shortage of customers.
Set up in a "Chipotle" fashion, the customer creates their own bowl containing one of four bases: a farro mix (rave reviews from my fellow diner), a miso noodle (good, but spicer than expected), brown rice (flavorful and hearty), or simple mixed greens. There are a number of sides that follow including tender maple and sriracha roasted Brussel sprouts, an intriguing cauliflower with capers and raisins, and a fresh lemony broccoli. The available proteins are thoughtful variations of chicken, tofu, steak, and chicken, which makes the "fast food" approach seem a bit more elegant We were all very pleased with the quality of the food and so stuffed that I skipped dessert! We all know I do not skip dessert!
Being opening day there were of course kinks to work out. The brown rice was taking longer than expected and certain menu items were not offered at this location despite being listed. I did notify customer service and received a very quick, apologetic response and apparently some "goodies" are coming my way (thank you, Katie!)
Overall, Dig Inn brings fills a much needed void in Lower Westchester and should have no problem attracting and maintaining business. Breakfast, lunch, or dinner, I'm looking forward to a return visit to Dig Inn. Until the next dish, ciao!
At a recent team function that required dessert, someone handed me a large paper bag that looked rather unpromising. The wrinkled bag was heavier than I expected. I wiggled back a corner and saw cookies as large as my face releasing a wonderful mix of aromas that ranged from ginger to paprika. Where did these come from? I wonder. I found a receipt under some crumbs at the bottom that read, "What's for Dessert?" I thought I was the one asking the questions here but it turns out the owner, Cindy, has been asking and answering for a quite a while now.
Read MoreIt took a bit longer than expected but we finally reached fall! A season of some of the best scents and flavors the earth has to offer. One of the new flavors I've been experimenting with is balsamic cherry. Yep, you read that correctly. Balsamic vinegar does wonders for sweet stuff by adding its own sugars and that tangy zip only attributed to vinegar. I mixed 4 ounces of dried tart cherries with 3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar in a saucepan and let is simmer on low for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. It will initially let off some overwhelming vinegar fumes that will singe your nose hairs if you're not careful. Once the mixture has thickened I removed it from the heat and placed it in a small ramekin for safe keeping. I'm not sure how long it will keep for in the fridge but I used mine within a week and that seemed to be OK.
I used the cherries a few different ways, the first was on a flatbread. On a Trader Joe's frozen pizza crust I spread a generous layer of ricotta topped with caramelized onions, sliced smoked duck and apple jack brandy sausage (one of the many fine products at Oscar's Smokehouse of the Adirondacks) and dotted it with spoonfuls of balsamic cherries. I would like to think that any chicken apple sausage would be a decent substitute for those not lucky enough to visit Oscar's. A nice combination of flavors and textures, this flatbread is easy enough to pull off on a weeknight but seems way more elegant and complicated than it appears.
The second way I used the cherries was in brownie mix. I use the Food Network fudgy brownie recipe (rave reviews every time) and stirred in 1/2 cup of the balsamic cherry mixture, mixing until sufficiently incorporated. I brought them to school to share with coworkers with a little trepidation that they might not go over as well as my other baked goods. Well, I couldn't be more wrong. They disappeared by noon and a handful of people complimented my creativity and two asked for the recipe. I love when I make something that inspires others to say, "Wow, I never thought of that combination." It makes me feel like a culinary pioneer even though I'm more of a nomad.
Balsamic cherries would also be a nice base for sauces meant for pork or game meat. I even stirred a few extra spoonfuls into some yogurt for a pleasant burst of acidity to cut the dairy. The possibilities are finite but boy, are they delicious. Until the next dish, ciao!
"When inspiration strikes but you don't have the time to execute" could be the tagline for my life. I constantly imagine combinations and variations of dishes but am usually so busy I don't have enough consecutive hours to accomplish anything. When I do find those glorious hours I try to make at least three different things so I can feel moderately productive. I found a string of hours this past weekend and finally made some biscotti I wanted to try out since the spring.
Read MoreI'm not sure if anyone else has noticed, but there's been a massive resurgence of the food hall in the Northeast. As I child, I remember going to the mall with my mother and other doting relatives and the only place I wanted to go was the food court. What an extraordinary concept to have all types of food sold in one place! Imagine being six years old and having pizza (!!!), ice cream, hot dogs and chicken fingers at your fingertips. It sounds divine, doesn't it? Now I'm thirty one and you can only imagine how ecstatic I am to have the grown up version of this in almost every neighborhood in New York City.
Read MoreWalking through the shell of what was once the Alcatraz dining hall I find myself reading every available fact on the food and kitchen. And there are a lot of them. It seems San Francisco has always been a city of good eats, even in prison. Look at some of the facts in the photo below.
Read MoreI didn't quite understand the whole "California Dreamin" thing the Beach Boys had going on all those years ago, but now? Now I get it. I wasn't even in Southern California. I was in and around San Francisco and it was PERFECT. Simply perfect. So perfect that I have to divide my trip into two posts. Sonoma was the first leg of my trip and it could have been both legs, heck, it could have been the whole body. By day two I was committed to finding a way to spend all of next summer out there, paychecks permitting, but to me it'd be worth going broke.
Read MoreIn my quest to become a more healthful, conscientious eater, I wanted to challenge myself with my latest dish. I love my bacon, carbs and all sorts of sinful treats but in moderation. So what's a gal to do for the other dozen meals when she isn't stuffing her face with sugar? Well, here you have it.
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