There are many wonderful feelings: the first cold beer on a hot day, walking barefoot in freshly mown grass, unpacking your summer (or winter) clothes and discovering money in the pockets, falling asleep in a hammock . . . oh, the list could go on and on. And, speaking of lists, one of my favorite feelings is that quiet sense of ... Read More »
I’ve discovered in recent months that Instagram is a great way to cull interesting culinary ideas and discover new beverages to imbibe. I follow Dogfish Head beer to learn about their latest collaborations (and to covet their bocce court). Smitten Kitchen and Ida Garten are always making me drool. But even outside professional Instagrammers, I’m finding new ideas with the ... Read More »
This past weekend was a BIG one. Saturday morning my little sister (yes, she’s 28 and probably should’ve been the oldest, but birth order’s a bitch and she’s the baby of the family) graduated from Plymouth State University with her Masters in Counseling and School Pyscology. And Friday night, as my brother and parents and I were staying in a hotel ... Read More »
Neither overly technical nor horticulturally-centric, Jay McInerney’s The Juice: Venous Veritas is a collection of essays centered around the joys of drinking wine that even someone who is more likely to order a Guinness than an old-vine Grenache will enjoy. McInerney came to fame in the 80s with Bright Lights Big City, a novel that made him the un-official spokesperson of his generation, ... Read More »
Of all the bivalves out there (clams, scallops and mussels, to name a few), oysters are my favorite. In general, I prefer the briny East Coast varietals but on the other hand, the sweet Kumamotos from Pacific Northwest are equally delicious (albeit in a completely different way). I’ve had Normandy oysters in Paris for 1 euro (roughly a $1.40) that freaked ... Read More »
I went out to eat a restaurant the other night where all ordering was done through an iPad. Now, I’m not a food writer or a restaurant critic, so I’m not going to write about what we ate or drank. Rather, the point of this post is the use of technology in restaurants. And as prior to this dining experience ... Read More »
When I was a little girl, I never saw my mother finish a cup of coffee in one sitting. As I grew older, I teased her about this: the way she would start her morning with a cup and have to microwave it at least three times before she finished it. Of course, I get it now. As a stay-at-home-mom, my ... Read More »
I’m new to the hashtag game. Thankfully, Jimmy Fallon, Justin Timberlake and Questlove helped explain things to me with their Late Night video. But even so, I was a bit confused when I stumbled across #tbt on Instagram a few months earlier. Thankfully, I know how to use Google and within a millisecond I was learning all about “Throwback Thursday.” ... Read More »
There’s been a lot written on the power that Internet anonymity has given us to express ourselves in a manner that we probably wouldn’t have the guts feel comfortable doing in a face-to-face conversation. Louis C.K. did a typically beautiful profane/profound rant on Conan about why his children aren’t getting smart phones (click here to get enlightened). Among one of his ... Read More »
On occasion, I make desserts for barVino to supplement the fabulous ones we purchase from the professional bakers at Cafe Sarah’s – just up the street from bV on Main Street in North Creek, NY. Here’s the thing about baking: it’s meticulous, measured and requires prior planning and preparation. Here’s the thing about me: I’m a bit scatter-brained, not naturally ... Read More »
Sauced In New York Sometimes the food is in the sauce, sometimes we are