Thursday, July 21, 2011

Fresh Picks from the Farmers Market

So what to do with this?  IF I were a different kind of mom, Eleanor and I would make Cherry/Blueberry pie all smiley and happy in our sweet little kitchen.   BUT I'm not that kind of mom so we'll just eat them out of the bowl!  BUT if YOU are that kind of good, baking kind of mom here's a great recipe for you!

Ingredients

  • 2 cups pitted cherries
  • 2 cups blueberries, rinsed and drained
  • 1 1/4 cups white sugar
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
  • Directions

    1. Mix sugar, flour, and cinnamon in large bowl. Add fruit. Add lemon juice, and stir well.
    2. Pour into a 9 inch unbaked pie shell. Dot with the butter or margarine. Cover with top crust and flute edges. Cut small slits in the top.
    3. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 1 hour. I put a baking sheet under mine to catch any liquid that might bubble over.
    image courtesy of pippijewelry

Here's some info about the local farms that grow these beauties!


Cherries from Red Jacket Orchard Located in the Finger Lakes Region of New York State, Red Jacket was originally planted in 1917.  Today, the orchard and juice company is managed by the second and third generation of the Nicholson family. Starting with Joe and Emily Nicholson, Sr. in 1958, they have spent over 50 years mastering the art and science of quality fresh fruit and juice production.
In reverence to the environment, Red Jacket employs Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices and is certified by Food Alliance as a sustainable producer of plums, apricots, and prunes.
Blueberries from Migliorelli Far -a family-run fruit and vegetable farm located in Northern Dutchess County in the Hudson Valley Region of New York. Originating in the Bronx in 1933 when Angelo Migliorelli first brought the broccoli raab seeds when he immigrated to New York from the Lazio region of Italy. Migliorelli and his son, Rocco peddled their vegetables by horse and cart up and down the Bronx, sun up to sun down. Eventually Co-Op City was to be built therefore pushing the last of the farmers out of the Bronx. Farming was Rocco’s passion so he brought his family to the Hudson Valley. Now in its 3rd generation, Migliorelli Farm is growing over 130 different varieties of fruits and vegetables, including the same strain of broccoli raab. In 1998, Ken Migliorelli sold all developing rights of his farm to be protected through a Scenic Hudson conservation easement to remain farmland forever and provide scenic beauty and wholesome food to our local community and the greenmarkets of NYC.

Migliorelli Farm


Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Before & After-lunch/snack equation



Before..

 & after

 DASH+fin Bowl + Back To Nature Classic Granola, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, blackberries & milk= yummy lunch/snack!

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Cheeseburger Cheeseburger Cheeseburger

Adam from Amateur Gourmet tweeted about this old SNL skit this morning.  It brought me such joy and reminds me why I love NYC. 



c'mon c'mon c'mon CLICK HERE!

Monday, July 18, 2011

Weekend in RI

Had a fun+crazy weekend in RI!  




Of course in typical "Katina-as-of-late" style I messed up the hotel dates.  I thought I booked for Thursday-Friday but in fact I booked for Wednesday-Thursday.  Well our nice beachside hotel had no room on Friday night so we had to move to ...I kid you not...a No-Tell Motel.  I didn't take a picture because I'm hoping to wipe it from my memory banks.  (and the way I've been forgetting things lately, it'll be gone in about 2 days!)

AND Brian opened the hotel room door onto Eleanor's toe and she HOWLED for 2 hours straight (10pm-12am) Eleanor has a very high tolerance for pain, the kid barely ever cries when she gets hurt, so it was almost as if she was crying for every injury she's had in life.  Like a true champ she woke up the next morning and said "mommy, today my toe feels great!"

On the way back to NYC we stopped at a friend's house in CT.  Her husband is a fantastic chef and he made the most delicious watermelon salad and  pizzas in their outdoor pizza oven. 






Fresh FRESH ingredients, many came from their garden-truffles, mushroom, ricotta, asparagus, heirloom tomatoes...soo amazing!  When you eat food like this, you really taste the difference between fresh, homemade food cooked with love and care, and store bought meals.  There is a place for everything!  I wish I took more pictures but I was too busy eating and drinking! 

+k

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

yummy chips and a cool summer placemat

love the placemat?  buy it here!
love the chips? check them out here!  Whole Foods

Monday, July 11, 2011

picnic tips

It's a beautiful day in NYC albeit a bit hot.  If you can find a shady spot for a picnic, here are some tips and a yummy sandwich to take along courtesy of bon appetit


10 Tips for taking food outside

1/  Choose recipes that can be served at room temperature and don't require a knife and fork. Wait to dress salads until you reach your destination and are ready to eat.

2/  For salads and dips, use square or rectangular storage containers. They take up less space than round containers when packed into a cooler.

3/  Before sealing lids on containers, use a layer of plastic wrap to help minimize leakage. Pack dressings and sauces in containers with a layer or two of plastic wrap under the lid and then sealed inside one or two resealable plastic bags.

4/  Don't forget serving utensils and sharp knives.

5/  Remember to pack a corkscrew, bring boxed wine, or bring wine in a screw-cap bottle.

6/  Pack cloth napkins and tablecloths. They're great for wrapping sharp knives, serving utensils, flatware, and glassware; they're nicer than paper; and they will minimize waste.

7/  If you're bringing pots and pans to a campsite, use them for packing and toting utensils, flatware, glassware, napkins, and tablecloths.

8/  Pack trash bags, extra resealable plastic bags, baby wipes, and a roll of paper towels for easy cleanup. Include a few wet washcloths in resealable plastic bags.

9/  Use plenty of ice packs and keep the cooler in the car, rather than in the trunk (so that it stays cooler). For more on picnic food safety, visit the USDA Web site.

10/  Bring extra bottled water.

Mozzerella and Prosciutto sandwich with Tapenade

Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped anchovy fillet
  • 1 teaspoon capers (preferably salt-packed), rinsed, chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
  • 1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange peel
  • 1 1/4 cups Niçoise olives, pitted, divided
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil plus additional for brushing and drizzling
  • 1 tablespoon (packed) chopped fresh basil plus 24 whole leaves for garnish
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • 6 6-inch-long pieces ficelle or narrow baguette, split horizontally in half
  • 6 thin prosciutto slices
  • 2 8-ounce balls fresh mozzarella cheese, drained, cut into 1/3-inch-thick slices
Preparation
Combine first 5 ingredients in mortar; mash with pestle to paste. Add 1 cup olives and mash to coarse paste. Chop remaining 1/4 cup olives and stir into mixture. Mix in 1/4 cup olive oil, chopped basil, and lemon juice. Season tapenade with pepper. (Can be made 2 weeks ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
Brush cut sides of ficelle with additional olive oil. Place 1 prosciutto slice on bottom half of each ficelle, then top with mozzarella slices, dividing equally. Spoon tapenade over each. Sprinkle with pepper; drizzle lightly with olive oil. Garnish with basil leaves. Cover with top halves of ficelle.
Stay Cool!




Thursday, June 30, 2011

Egg

Recently Brian and I took a day trip to the Hudson Valley and stopped for lunch at  Sweet Grass Grill. 
Located in Tarrytown NY, Sweet Grass serves seasonal, local food much of which comes from local farms.  I had the Spinach Salad with Niman Ranch Bacon and blue cheese and this lovely, crispy, boiled egg came along.  I wish I could make this myself though I'm sure I would mess it up!  The carrot ginger soup was wonderful as was Brian's house smoked pulled BBQ pork with orange mustard. 
If you are ever in Tarrytown this is the perfect lunch spot.

Thursday, June 2, 2011

New Food Icon

Bye Bye silly, hard to comprehend pyramid! 


 From today's announcement...
"MyPlate can help prioritize food choices by reminding us to make half of our plate fruits and vegetables and shows us the other important food groups for a well-balanced meal: whole grains, lean proteins, and low fat dairy. "
I like the visual reminder to make healthy food choices and I think it's easy for the kiddos to understand as well. 

Print it out and hang it in your kitchen where the kids can see.  they can compare their plate of food to the new icon and see how they are doing-well, see how YOU are doing!  I venture to guess that pretty soon they will be asking for more fruits and veggies so their plate looks like the one in the picture.  Any excuse to correct mommy is a good excuse in my house!

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Not Your Grandma's Tea Set

Classic with a twist!  I'm not a "come over for a cup of tea" kinda girl but if I had this set I might convert!  Fine bone china and gold gilded lipstick marks make this tea set fun and fancy.






For these and other beautiful contemporary ceramics click here Reiko Kaneko

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

We're Eating...

Grillo's Pickles!

The website states that these pickles are the best in the world and though I haven't tried every pickle in the whole wide world,  I can't imagine finding one I like more than these.  Perfect for summer BBQ's and picnics.

Unfortunately you cant buy them online yet but they are available in New York at Whole Foods,  and WF and other markets in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island.  
Read their story Here   

Enjoy! 

Friday, May 27, 2011

Milk & Cookies

Happy Friday friends.  I hope you have a lovely weekend!  I wanted to leave you this week with something sweet.
Flat out in top 5 cookies I've ever eaten category.  And they ship people.  I suggest you ORDER SOME NOW! 



and for all you bakers...they have a beautiful cook book

no wonder I've gained 10 damn pounds since we moved to NYC!  10!

See you next week

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Food Culture Subway Map & The Little Owl

Have you seen this?

It's a subway style map outlining all the players, locations and ideas happening in food culture today.  What a cool foodie gift!   Take a ride down the central line and stop at Wolfgang Puck, Thomas Keller or Grant Aachatz.  Jump over to the Global line and start at Rick Bayless and end up at Alain Ducasse.  If you go to the Hartman Salt site, you can hover over the names and a a brief bio of each "stop" pops up. 

If it's ever updated I would love to see Joey Camapnaro executive chef of  The Little Owl included.  We had an amazing meal there Tuesday night.  If you are in NYC or plan to be try if you can to get a reservation.  The meatball sliders were amazing...as was everything else!  the bolognese, the sliced big eye tuna with oyster, bibb lettuce, cucumber and avocado...I kid you not, melts in your mouth.

happy eating!  

Monday, May 23, 2011

I fell in the functional food trap


I was shopping in Whole Foods last week and a lovely girl was sampling cookies.  COOKIES!  Well of course Eleanor and I had to check it out.  The girl looked sweet and rather lonely so we stopped, and sampled.  What we tried were Goji Gourmet  cookies…here they are on my desk.  

 Now I know that “functional food” is a great way to market to people using the “this is better for you” health claim.  And claim these cookies do!  Right on the package… “100% natural” “delicious wholesome Super Food” “10x more ANTIOXIDANTS than blueberries”.  Now I’m smart enough to know that these cookies are not going to solve any health problems or boost my overall physical wellness but there is a part of me that thinks…well, every little bit helps and these MUST be better for you than major supermarket brand cookies.
Here’s what I know…the Goji Gourmet cookies have ingredients that I recognize-whole wheat flour, eggs, butter, pure vanilla extract etc... most of them organic (though it is not a USDA certified organic cookie) and it has no preservatives. 
Those other cookies, who shall remain nameless have a lot of things I know are bad-partially hydrogenated soybean oil, high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors & colors.
Are the Goji berry cookies going to make me healthier?  No.  Are they a better choice for a once in a while treat? YES.  Is this choice better for my family than those other brands?  I say yes.  AND they are pretty darn good.
I did fall into the trap, but I think it’s ok.

For more information on Functional Food check out this excellent article from the NY Times last Sunday May 15th
"Foods With Health Benefits, or So They Say"  

Friday, May 20, 2011

Taste of Tribeca

So excited about  Taste of Tribeca tomorrow!

I'll post pics of all the great food on Monday!  Have a great, food adventure filled weekend!

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Yummy dinner..

Here last night!  Plein Sud

Though I don't have Chef Ed Cotton's recipe for the fantastic warm mushroom salad I had last night, here's one from Food & Wine.  I might try it this week.  But I probably won't!  I'll think about it a lot.  I'll print the recipe and maybe even go so far as to put it in my bag to take to Whole Foods.  But when push comes to shove...I probably won't pull the trigger because frankly, I'm the only one who's going to eat this and who has time to make this concoction just for myself?  jeeze I'm cranky!  I think I'm hungry. 

Monday, May 9, 2011

Blog Love

My husband forwarded this blog to me, an old friend of his from college writes it.  It's damn funny, really thoughtful & since like all mom's I have very little time for casual reading, the entries are quick and pack a punch...much like...well,  I'm so brain dead right now I cant think of what it's much like.

Please enjoy MAMALINGO



About...

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Not another Margarita

In honor of Eleanor's 4th birthday, here is something we all can enjoy...Cinco de Mayo cocktail recipes.
Cheers E!


Paloma


Ingredients
 2oz tequila
.5 oz fresh lime juice
 4 oz Grapefruit soda
 1 pinch Salt

Garnish
Lime Wedge

Glass
High Ball

Preparation
Add all the ingredients to a highball glass filled with ice. Stir, and garnish with a lime wedge.


Herradura Tequila Mojito
Ingredients
2 oz Herradura Blanco Tequila
1 oz Herradura Blue Agave Nectar
1 oz Lime juice
4 Mint leaves
2 oz Club soda

Glass: Collins

Preparation

In a shaker, muddle the mint leaves. Add the tequila, lime juice and agave nectar and fill with ice. Shake and strain into a Collins glass filled with fresh ice. Top with club soda.


For more on these recipes and more check out Liquor.com

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Say it isn't so!

Is my favorite new American Apparel purchase making me, & the tons (ha ha) of other women I see running around NYC fat???









Check out this story from Huffington Post!  ARRGGGHHHH

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Yucky Charms

 
Growing up, the breakfast cereal of note was Cherrios.  On occasion we had Honey Nut Cheerios or if my mom was feeling particularly generous-Golden Grahams.  Lame.  I can honestly say I never saw a box of these in my house





As an adult who can make her own (bad) choices I have grown to love Yucky Charms as I so lovingly call them.  Brian loves them too and one particularly trying visit to the grocery store I bought a box, Eleanor tried them and here's a shock...she loved them!  Great.  Big mistake on my part, BIG.  I have successfully avoided purchasing yuckies with any kind of regularity but when we moved to NYC Brian found this fab bag of yummies at Whole Foods.  


So the nutrition facts are pretty similar (sadly)  & it seems the ingredients are pretty similar.  Though Three Sisters (above) doesn't use artificial colors-their marshmallows are colored with blueberry, pumpkin and carrot concentrates and no artificial flavor-yay.  Three Sisters uses wheat starch in place of corn starch.  AND they use less packaging so there is less waste...so these are all good things to love about the Three Sisters brand.
BUT...
they both use Trisodium Phosphate.  TSP is also a cleaning agent, stain remover and degreaser and apparently is great at cleaning concrete!  Now obviously the TSP found in food
is food grade (it's an emulsifier) and for all I can see it's not harmful but I don't think I want to eat too much of it.   According to this it seems there is another option in the emulsifier world...lecithin.  Some people are allergic to lecithin & soy lecithin so you need to make sure you read your ingredient list before you buy.     Just another lesson on this food adventure...maybe stay away from ready to eat cereal...most of the time.  

I'm still going to finish this bag of Marshmallow Oaties. 

Monday, May 2, 2011

fantastic food weekend!

Here are some scenes from our weekend.  So interesting how since I decided to blog about food and eating,  without prompting Eleanor has become quite a food adventurer.  Makes me think I'm on to something! 

SATURDAY morning...
Carambola for the first time...truth be told, had never eaten it either!


A little breakfast for the alligator.  The doggie was a good sport.


This is a fun game to play in the bottom bunk.  Hang all your Barbies and stuffed animals then lift the top mattress and watch them fall! 


SATURDAY afternoon...
We went to the Tribeca Film Festival Family Festival.  Such a great day.  It was bright and sunny and there were great food vendors and fun things to do and see.  It all started with a cupcake...


Then pizza.  Not one slice but THREE full sized slices!  I think Eleanor is going through a major growth spurt because she has never before eaten ONE whole slice!  I have to say it was great pizza!  Thanks Portobello's Pizza!


 Then a little hair painting from some sweet school girls.


 Watermelon Lemonade from Bubby's


A Lobster Roll for me from Red Hook Lobster Pound
 I am not a Lobster connoisseur but it was soooo good-great buttery, warm, grilled bread and cool, fresh lobster.  Go to their site  here to read more about Ralph and Susan, the founders and their lovely lobsters.

 Red velvet cupcake from Billy's Bakery. 
So glad I ran all week.


Sharing with Daddy.
Begrudgingly.


 Snickerdoodle cookies from Billy's Bakery. 




 Amazing face art by Peanut Butter



and some kite flying to finish it off.


SATURDAY late afternoon...


A trip to Whole Foods with daddy resulted in a new food adventure...Horned Melon.  It's expensive at $6 a melon but she ate the whole thing.  Again, something I've never had before either!


SUNDAY morning...

 Eleanor made this strawberry design that mimics the chevron pattern on her DASH+fin placemat.
Making mealtime fun!



An impromptu run in with a more typical NY street festival...you know the kind...zeppoli, funnel cake, sausage & peppers, gyro's and vendors selling socks and underwear, began with picture with Sponge Bob.  This was so stupid because we had to pay this joker $2 to take a picture with him.  She was happy so it was worth it but man it was hard to spend money on that!


Elanor eating an Arpea from a street vendor-this is the third big food adventure from this weekend.  It was so yummy, like pancakes with mozzerella cheese in the middle.  Ok maybe that sounds gross but try it! Here's a recipe from epicurious

On to the next adventure!