My Kitchen My Table

A Perfect Fall Day In Central Park

The tail end of fall in Central Park. A perfect day – cool and crisp. The scent of fallen leaves permeating the air. I’m smitten.

Pick a Peck of Apples

It’s a good thing that this was the weekend we went apple picking. Not only is it the end of the apple season, it is also a week or so after the peak of the foliage.

Nevertheleass, it was a perfect fall day – bright blue sky, sunny and crisp. And despite being the end of the season neither the apples nor the foliage disappointed.

Upon arrival we paid for our bushel and peck (so fun that I can actually say I bought a peck of apples) and headed into the orchards, map in hand, to start picking.

One thing of note when we parked the car there was a sign warning about shoplifting… really? In a Hudson Valley orchard… who are these people stealing more than the bushel or peck that they paid for in advance? I am disallusioned that such a warning sign exists but apparently there is a shoplifting problem in idyllic orchardland…

At first glance it was a challenge finding trees that still had apples on them, I instantly thought we had been duped, and then, we found the last few standing… and there were really just a few… like 4 or 5 trees left with apples on the branches.

After picking and eating along the way I ended up with a peck of Cameo and Winesap apples, the Golden Delicious just weren’t for me.

As we drove away I was scheming about the tart tatins, apple pies, apple sauce and apple chutneys that were in my future.

MKMT Cookbook Club Goes Off-Site to Hanna Winery

The next MKMT Cookbook club will gather on November 7th in Healdsburg at the Hanna Winery.

We will be cooking from Winemaker Cooks by Christine Hanna, president of Hanna Winery and from what I’ve been told, entertainer extraordinaire, wine country style! What a better place to share the recipes we make from the book than surrounded by the vines – they should be beautiful colors that time of year too!

The book is broken down by seasons and then arranged in mouthwatering menus – 17 in all, focusing on the seasonal harvest and bounty of the wine country.

Some of us have already been cooking out of the summer section and have made things like the Ginger and Lime-Grilled Halibut with Nectarine Salsa (I served the salsa over swordfish and it was delicious too). The Honey-Almond Ice Cream is to die for – perhaps some of the best ice cream I’ve ever made.

Since summer produce remains plentiful (at least in California), there’s still time to make the summer menus that are full of stone fruit, tomatoes, corn and squash before the days become shorter and summer turns to autumn and we’re cooking with figs, eggplants and root vegetables.

But that’s the thing about Winemaker Cooks, the recipes and pictures all look so good that it will have you excited about preparing the menus all year round with the best ingredients that the season has to offer.

Brunch in Kellerville

Inspired by my new found appreciation of brunch and the upcoming cookbook club with Ad Hoc, MKMT headed to Kellerville, oops, I mean Yountville for brunch at Ad Hoc.

Ad Hoc is the most casual of Keller’s restaurants in Yountville with a more contemporary, low key vibe. The décor was very natural with tall vases full of flowering and soon to be flowering branches and smaller pots willed with green succulents, lemons and quince. Everything was so perfectly, yet naturally crafted, I felt like Martha had just finished a decoration demo there. Even the raised beds behind the parking lot growing beets and other little sprouting greens looked meticulous.

We walked in to a bright, warm room buzzing with diners enjoying Blood Orange Sangria, a seasonal specialty du maison and the menu du jour.

The format for brunch is the same as dinner – a prix fixe menu, three courses, one option for each course. If you have special dietary needs or are a high maintenance orderer, this may not be the place for you, although I was assured that with advance notice for vegans and others on the spot, the kitchen will and does go to great lengths to accommodate all who step through the doors. Thank GOD I eat it all and was ready for whatever the menu had in store.

The menu, prepared each day Chef de Cuisine, David Cruz is served family style. First was the Basket of Baked Goods – corn muffins with lemon butter, banana bread and the umbra (shadow) that was buttery cheesy goodness. All baked goods were served warm.

The second and main course was a platter with an Omelet with Fresh Herbs, Sliced Hickory Smoked Ham (piled high), and Biscuits and Gravy.

Dessert was Blueberry Cheesecake served in a glass jar. On the bottom was a layer of graham crackers topped with cheesecake, followed by more graham crackers, blueberries, cheesecake then topped with blueberries and graham cracker sprinkles.

What a perfect, leisurely way to spend a lazy, rainy Sunday afternoon.

Fish, Sausalito

Trying to stay true to my New Year’s intentions I had lunch at Fish in Sausalito. Fish takes their mission of serving organic and sustainable seafood and doing their part to save the oceans, watersheds and fisheries seriously. Example, on Friday night they will be closing at 6pm for a special event, Fish and Flicks. Tickets to an evening of sustainable snacks, screening of the movie The End of the Line, and post-flick discussion will be served up to those who attend.

Situated next to the bait shop at the unassuming end of Harbor Drive in Sausalito before you get to the parking lot for the marina, if you’re hankering for seafood, Fish is worth the trip. The vibe of Fish is Marin Mom’s and their tots and dogs with a few people sans kids in the mix. There are several tables outside overlooking the water – making it a great place to go on a warm day. Inside tables are few and family style, we opted for seats at the counter which was the best call since we were served quickly and chatted it up with the staff.

We started with The White Chowder Bowl. “Award winning” traditional New England style white chowder swimming with hand-shucked surf clams, bacon, potatoes, onion, celery and a special blend of dried herbs. And of course, oyster crackers…

Tuscan White Bean and Tuna Salad is Fish’s spin of the old Italian classic, served with Iacopi bombaloni beans, house-poached albacore tuna, red onion, black olives, fresh lemon, olive oil and aged red wine vinegar. My lunch mate had The Fish Tuna Salad Sandwich. (The morsel shared with me is in the upper left of the picture) Line-caught, house-poached local Albacore tossed with niçoise olives, celery, red onion and a lemon caper mayo served on a toasted Acme torpedo roll. Served with shoestring fries or greens, (clearly we opted for the fries…).

One note – Fish is a cash only operation and the tab adds up quickly. That aside, count me in to make the drive across the bridge to Fish again soon. And rumor has it the Fifth Annual Fish Fat Tuesday Mardi Gras Party is taking reservations…

MKMT Goes to France

MKMT is on the way to France to spend 4 days in Paris followed by a week long culinary tour in Provence with Culinary Getaways, a culinary travel company that specializes in cooking tours in France, Italy, and the Napa Wine Country operated by my friend and MKMT cookbook club participant, Sherry Page.

While in Provence, our small group will be staying at a farmhouse in the heart of the Luberon for a week of cooking, visiting markets and learning about making cheese, growing olives, and tasting wine. What could be better than that?

Here are some of the highlights of what I’ll be doing….

 A visit to a wine cave with a notable history in Chateauneuf-du-Pape.
 Lunch at acclaimed Chef Daniel Hebet’s restaurant Le Jardin du Quai in Isle-sur-la-Sorgue.
 A day in Avignon with Chef Julien Charvet that begins with shopping at the Les Halles market followed by a return trip to his atelier where we will cook together using fresh, local ingredients.
 A visit to the Wednesday market in St. Remy (one of my personal favorite places in Provence)
 Exploring the chocolate creations of local chocolatier, Joel Durand, salt tasting, and seeing how the famous soap in Provence is made.
 A tour of an olive mill near Mausanne les Alpilles followed by an olive oil tasting.
 Cheese tasting with Claudine Vigier, a Master Cheese Affineur, who owns the best cheese shop in Provence.
 Lunch at Chez Serge, in Carpentras. Last year, Serge Ghoukassian was named 2008 Sommelier of the Year for France by Gault-Millau. The plan is to spend time in the kitchen with Serge where he will make a special lunch paired with regional wines.

A Bientôt!

Harley Farms

For years I’ve had this romantic notion of living on a farm with small animals – goats, sheep, chicken, maybe a pig; eating fresh eggs and making soap and cheese. So when the opportunity presented itself to take a field trip and tour the Harley Goat Farm I was in.

Harley Farm has been putting out award winning goat cheese for the past 10 years. Located in Pescadero, CA the goats live a simple and stress free life wandering around their ten acre pasture eating a blend of several types of grasses that have been refined over time and contribute to the smooth and mild flavor of the goat cheese.

The land was originally a dairy farm and 20 years ago Dee Harley bought it after moving to the area from the UK. She didn’t know what she was going to do with it and through a series of serendipitous events she is now a passionate goat farmer who practices sustainable methods and treats her goats with love and care.

The two hour tour is informative and lets the guest walk around the pasture and interact with the goats – they like a good head rub and ear scratch, test their hand at milking a goat – just like squeezing a pastry bag, learn the process of making goat cheese, make a herb and goat cheese round then enjoy the cheese in the top of the bard overlooking the farm with fellow visitors.

There are three categories of goats on the farm and they are kept in separate parts of the pasture. The kids who are born between Feb-March frolic and play with each other growing up and getting ready to be bred. The milkers have the babies and produce the milk and the retired milkers spend their twilight years well fed and taken care of. It is a good life no matter which category as everyone is well fed and watered and has ample room to roam.

The milking goats are milked twice a day and the yield is one gallon of milk per goat which translates into 1 pound of cheese. With 100+ goats in the milking category, making cheese is a full time job. And Harley makes several from a traditional plain smooth goat cheese, to ricotta and feta (personal fave), and then several herb and garlic infused varieties.

This goat farming business is a demanding 24/7 job, there’s nothing romantic about it other than the notion that is fading from my head. For now, I’ll pass on the farm but will seek out the Harley and have vivid memories of the process involved from goat to table that produces these scrumptious cheeses.

Shake Shack

Who would believe that New Yorkers would stand in line for 1+ hours for a burger, fries and shake? This I had to see for myself so I plugged the address into my iPhone, got the walking directions from my Times Square hotel and started out to Madison Square Park, home of the original Shake Shack. I entered the park and at first, the line didn’t strike me… and then…. I saw it…. In fact, on the website, there is a Shack Cam that helps diners “plan accordingly”.
the line wrapped around one side of the park and there was a steady flow of people queuing up.

I took my place and pulled out Vanity Fair to read about Jessica Simpson and the tell-all interview with Bernie Madoff’s secretary and prepared to wait. There was a party of 6 friends behind me who had been before and this time they had come with beer. I had been told that it could take anywhere between 20-60 minutes to reach the front of the line and with the warm night of perfect weather it was looking like the longer side of 60.

With a limited number of items on the menu, ordering is easy. I went with the cheeseburger, fries and a beer. 10 minutes later, my order was up and I had found a bistro table under a tree to enjoy the fare.

Apparently people like to feed fries to squirrels because there were several running patterns around the tables looking for the most likely offering. The burger was good and so were the fries. I typically prefer thinly cut frites for fries and was slightly concerned when I saw the crinkle cuts sitting alongside the burger but they were tasty and nice and salty. Were they worth the >60 minute wait? Probably not again but for the experience, sure, why not.

When I got up to leave I checked out the line figuring it would have dissipated by then but to my surprise, it had doubled… did this mean the people at the end were in for a 2 hour wait? Only in New York….

What is a Luxury Hotel in Kentucky

What does “luxury” really mean when used to describe a hotel? I just returned from Kentucky and had three very different hotel experiences which left me pondering this question.

The first place I stayed was the Gratz Park Inn. Located in the historic district of Lexington, this property touts itself as a “timeless, classic, luxury boutique inn.” It also calls itself an inn with a “pedigree.”

I arrived late and was greeted by the convivial late night manager. Having gotten lost on the way there I had spoken with him more than once trying to navigate the one way streets that Maggie (the GPS) wasn’t able to figure out. By the time I arrived, it was like I was seeing a new friend. I checked in and ordered a Manhattan from the bar of the five-star Jonathan at Gratz Park Inn restaurant that is connected to the inn. I was in Kentucky and after a full day of travel it was time for some good old Kentucky bourbon.

The lobby lived up to the description on the website and in reviews and had a luxe, club feel with leather chairs and richly upholstered sofas. I imagined men in their khaki and seersucker suits and ladies in their sundresses and hats lounging and laughing over mint juleps throughout the decades. I felt the spirit of tradition and southern hospitality oozing from the walls and was looking forward to retiring to my room to be ensconced with the feeling of the south.

The elevator took me to my room on the second floor. I turned the key and walked in with high expectations. What I found was a tired and shabby space in need of repair and updating. The carpet was stained – thankfully I had my travel slippers so I didn’t have to put my feet on it. There were off-color patches of paint on the walls where touch ups had been done and some paint was chipped off. The 80’s wallpaper in the bathroom was peeling off, and the counter, sink, and fixtures were reminiscent of the 80’s laminate/ faux marble with gold specks and plastic and brass fixtures. The mirrors didn’t live up to my standard of clean either. In the bedroom, the armoire that held the television didn’t close all the way and the thermostat had a hole in the wall around it – apparently the patchwork and repainting had yet to be done – or was it even in the queue to be done? The desk chair was soiled with stains on the upholstery and most of the furniture – desk, chairs, dresser, had chips and dents on the legs. Parts of the ceiling were warped and moldy with paint bubbling and peeling. Finally, there was a jumble of all the electric cords in the corner – couldn’t someone have tied them neatly together or run them along the baseboard? The one redeeming feature – the king sized Tempur-Pedic bed, at least I had a good night sleep.

The second accommodation, also in Lexington, not downtown but in horse country, bordering Versailles (pronounced ver-SALES, go figure, I was corrected several times thanks to my college French), was a B&B – Swann’s Nest. I thought it would be interesting to try a B&B in the middle of the horse farms. Rosalie Swann, the proprietor was a gracious hostess and the grounds were gorgeous. I entered the gate key and drove down the long drive surrounded by Kentucky horse farmland on all sides. Swann’s Nest is a traditional red brick estate with stately white columns. This was the house that Rosalie and her husband built and raised their family in. Upon his death, she decided to turn it into a B&B. And B&B it is in all senses. I stayed in one of the front bedrooms that had an en suite bathroom. It was comfortable and homey. The public areas in the house are lovely and full of horse and Derby paraphernalia. Swann’s Nest gives one the feeling that they are a part of a Kentucky horse breeding family and Rosalie is full of stories and information about the business of horse racing and breeding. For really, it’s the breeding that is the focus in this land, more so than the racing, while that’s important, the real $$ is to be made in the business of horse sales. The only downside of Swann’s Nest that I was unaware of when booking – is that this is a smoking residence and while my room was upstairs I felt that there was serious second hand smoke going on to the extent that after two nights, all of my clothes smelled like I was the one who was the smoker not to mention my sore throat and allergies had kicked in full force! It is most unfortunate, for aside from this significant issue, Swann’s Nest is one of the most authentic B&B’s I’ve stayed in.

The third property, in Louisville was the Brown Hotel. This historic hotel in downtown Louisville known for its opulent two story lobby was the gem amongst the three. Upon check in I was upgraded to the club floor that had an extensive breakfast and afternoon cocktails each day. My room was spacious, comfortable, and well appointed. I moved right in and spent the last three nights content in luxury. The concierge in the club room anticipated and looked after my every need. While in Louisville, there were severe storms and a tornado warning. Between the weather and work, I had room service two out of the three nights. I loved how at the end of my order, the waiter said in a spirited voice “thanks for calling me!” This is a place that I would recommend and return to the next time I visit Louisville.

Over the course of the seven nights I was in Kentucky I had three very different hotel experiences. Looking back, I am glad that I experienced each of them and while there is one that I likely would not return to, one that if it were non-smoking, I would return to they helped shape my overall experience in Kentucky. It also reinforced the fact that when one travels, it is imperative to be open minded and flexible with accommodations, restaurants and activities. It is often when things don’t turn out as expected that a pleasant surprise or learning experience results. For me, the accommodations were secondary, it was the time spent in Kentucky with my Dad that was priceless.

Stay tuned for more about the bourbon trails, horse farms, and a few restaurants of Kentucky.

Bardessono – No?

Yountville is the perfect place in the Napa Valley. It is more precious than Napa and not as far as Saint Helena so the heinous traffic doesn’t apply, and hands down, per block is home to many of the best restaurants in the wine country. In fact with so many great places to eat – including the new Michael Chiarello restaurant, Bottega, deciding where to eat is overwhelming. The eating is one vote to stay for the weekend vs. the day, but either way, Yountville is the perfect day trip or weekend escape.

Part of the reason for this visit was to check out Bardessono, the new luxury resort and spa. Touting itself as the “most anticipated opening in years” and open since February, Bardessono also claims to be the greenest hotel in America. Hats off to that! But starting at six-bills a night for the spa-suite (entry level room) in low-season, I had to wonder… if these are recessionary times, has the recession not come to the wine country? Can the Napa Valley support yet another resort with these price points?

After walking around the property I was underwhelmed. There was a lot of stone and wood (or as Paul said “they used the Home Depot bricks to make the walls”… I’m sure they were something other than that, but they did look a little Home Depot). I felt that any type of lush landscaping in the form of trees and plants was missing; perhaps it is still going in.

Unlike other resorts in the area, I didn’t get that feeling that I was in a special place. Granted, I didn’t stay overnight so can’t comment on the service and guest experience, but the walk through didn’t fire me up to convince Paul that I’d found the most fabulous place and we needed to return to spend a weekend.

I love the fact that it is green and sustainable by design and can’t deny that the pool cabanas looked like an inviting place to spend a hot summer day but I left feeling that something was missing and I can’t place what that something is. Did it feel empty, during my look around, I saw only three people – all in the pool. Or maybe it was the sparseness. I am upset. I wanted to love it; I wanted it to be my weekend retreat from the foggy city in the summertime. I wanted to feel compelled to sign up for their email list to receive exclusive offers, but I’m not.

So for now, I wish the Bardessono well. Who knows, maybe they’re close to fully booked for the summer and I have it all wrong. The next time I’m in Yountville, I’ll check it out again and maybe then I’ll get that special feeling.