| Local cooking and eating in New York's Hudson Valley.

Fattoush

17 August 2014 by local kitchen

Fattoush. Fattoush. Fattoush. It’s just fun to say, no? Traditionally, fattoush is a Lebanese mezze, a salad composed of tomatoes and cucumbers, often radishes and green peppers, and some form of greens, usually purslane. It was also a type of Middle Eastern panzanella: a way to use up day-old stale pita bread, which was fried into crispy croutons and then tossed with a fragrant salad, flavored with the distinctive sour note of a sumac, lemon & olive oil dressing. In […]

Categories: arugula, cucumber, mint, parsley, salad, summer, tomatoes, vegetarian • Tags: cooking, food, local, recipes, salad, summer

Whole Wheat Lavash

13 August 2014 by local kitchen

Well: it’s been a sad, sad week in the world so far. First, yet another unarmed young black man, Michael Brown, is shot to death by police: anger, frustration and protests erupt in Ferguson, Missouri. Then, Robin Williams, who brought joy to so many, lost the ultimate battle against his demons. Tributes and stories, hundreds of fabulous stories, poured in from every corner of the internet. Then Lauren Bacall died. And there’s the unrelentingly rainy weather. And Israel-Palestine. And the […]

Categories: baking, breads, whole wheat flour, year round • Tags: baking, cooking, food, local, recipes, whole grain breads

DIY Walnut Countertop Compost Bin

5 August 2014 by local kitchen

I’ve had a long-running battle with countertop compost bins: too big, too small, too tall, too ugly, hard to wash, heavy to maneuver; it doesn’t seem like it should be this hard, does it? I’ve tried many different approaches, from the classic fireplug version, to a Tupperware bin, an antique pickle crock, a mixing bowl & kitchen towel. They all have their issues. My biggest issue with most commercial compost bins is the shape: why tall & narrow? It doesn’t […]

Categories: tools & gear • Tags: compost, DIY, woodworking

Traveler’s Vegetable Curry

9 July 2014 by local kitchen

I’m baaaaack! Did you miss me? I spent three & a half weeks in Brazil, but it seems like months: everything is so green and lush at home, strawberries have come and gone (and maybe cherries too?), when I left school was still in session, but now it’s after the 4th of July and summer is in full swing. First things first: did you see the game yesterday?? My, oh my, oh my. Poor Brazil. I feel somewhat guilty (like […]

Categories: cilantro, main course, quick & easy, vegetarian, year round • Tags: cooking, food, local, quick & easy, recipes, vegetarian

Make mud pies.

11 June 2014 by local kitchen

Have I mentioned that I’m going to Brazil? For the World Cup? In TWO DAYS? And this explains, in part, why it’s been so quiet around these parts of late: I’ve been absolutely buried under last-minute trip planning. Flights, hotels, game tickets, rental houses, travel visas, taxis, game-day buses, non-exorbitant Amazon jungle tours, new travel laptops, bikinis & straw sun hats: none of it comes easy, my friends. In addition, I’ve had lots of friends visiting over the past couple […]

Categories: community • Tags: cooking, food, local, quick & easy

Hip Girl’s Guide to the Kitchen: Giveaway Winner!

22 May 2014 by local kitchen

Congratulations to lucky commenter #57, Kelli, the winner of the Hip Girl’s Guide to the Kitchen! Kelli says: I already pat myself on the back for a lot of rock star-ism in the kitchen as far as basics goes but I know there is always more to learn and discover. now I am about to go complicated and try my hand at the pesky French macaron. also, you know, I have yet to do real, actual canning, the hot water […]

Categories: community • Tags: books, cooking, giveaway, Hip Girl

On the tyranny of homemade

21 May 2014 by local kitchen

I ran out of peanut butter this morning. Alert the media! There was just enough for a thin schmear across my morning toast. Which, in the grand scheme of things, obviously ranks very, very low on the scale of Things That Are Wrong With The World: somewhere between breaking a nail and having to dig through your cluttered closet for 10 minutes to find your favorite green flip-flops. But it got me thinking. In my head, as I painstakingly harvested […]

Categories: random musings • Tags: DIY, food, homemade, random musings

Passionate Soccer Love: Giveaway Winner!

20 May 2014 by local kitchen

Congratulations to Tiffany, winner of the Passionate Soccer Love giveaway! Tiffany says: I too am a big soccer fan! I was happy to see this post up here, two of my favorite things coming together! I wish I were attending, but I am going to the US v Turkey game at Red Bull stadium on June 2nd to send my favorite team off to the World Cup. Congratulations, Tiffany! Enjoy! …………………………….. In the midst of all the sugar research and […]

Categories: community • Tags: giveaway, love, soccer

Ramp & Yogurt Scones

18 May 2014 by local kitchen

In case you need some brain food for all that sugar talk. I know: another ramp recipe. And another scone recipe. I’m nothing if not predictable. Happy Sunday! Adapted from Whole Wheat Scones in Great Breads by Martha Rose Shulman Ramp & Yogurt Scones INGREDIENTS 9 oz (2 cups) whole white wheat flour 9 oz (2 cups) whole wheat pastry flour 4 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda 1 ½ tsp sea salt several grinds fresh black pepper 6 oz grated semi-hard cheese, like […]

Categories: 100% local • Tags: baking, cooking, food, local, preserving, quick & easy, recipes

Data Diva: Sugar Metabolism & Homeostasis

17 May 2014 by local kitchen

Data Diva: A series in which I attempt to apply science, fact, and most of all, common sense, to dietary issues of the day. The Sugar Series Part 1: Sugar Chances are, if you’re alive and in the world today, you’re heard a lot of alarming “facts” about what happens to the food that you eat once it enters your body. Sugar that you eat turns directly to fat! Carbs turn into sugar! Fructose is making you fat! High fructose corn […]

Categories: data diva • Tags: food, science, sugar

Candied Ramp & Fennel Jam

13 May 2014 by local kitchen

Speaking of sugar: how about some candied ramp & fennel jam? Just a quick one today, as I am drowning in data and have been for days, but I took a half-hour lunch break to whip up this small-batch jam from a lovely bunch of ramps Tai brought home from Holbrook Farm the other day. With leaves finally filling out the trees, ramp season will soon be behind us as the sun gets blocked from the forest floor. I’m squeezing […]

Categories: fennel, jams, leek, quick & easy, spring • Tags: cooking, food, local, preserving, quick & easy, recipes

Data Diva: Sugar

8 May 2014 by local kitchen

Folks, please join me for a three-part series in which I separate the wheat from the chaff (and myth from fact) on everybody’s favorite topic: sugar. We’ll explore what it is, how it is digested and absorbed, what happens to it in the body, alternative and artificial sweeteners, and the science (or lack thereof) behind sugar’s role in a host of modern ills. If I survive the Sugar Wars, look for more fact-based discussions on wheat & grains, gluten, protein […]

Categories: data diva • Tags: food, health, nutrition, science, sugar

Potato Ramp Soup

2 May 2014 by local kitchen

More ramps, you say? Don’t mind if I do! This one is a riff on the classic potato leek soup, but while that number is often loaded down with bacon & heavy cream, this version is light and Springy with lemon and just-barely poached ramp leaves. The wild, earthy ramp flavor is subtle (since I only had one bunch of ramps on hand) though distinctive, and I like the simplicity of flavors: potatoes, ramps, lemon, a touch of butter & […]

Categories: 100% local, leek, potato, soup, spring, vegetarian • Tags: cooking, food, local, quick & easy, recipes, soup, vegetarian

Preserving By The Pint: Caramelized Shallot Jam + A Winner!

27 April 2014 by local kitchen

You all know that Marisa has published a new book, right? Preserving By The Pint: Quick Seasonal Canning for Small Spaces, was published by Running Press last month. I was lucky enough to receive an advance copy for review and I’ve been paging through it ever since. There was still snow, and lots of it, on the ground when I got my copy. Paging through the “Spring” section, with a steaming cup of coffee and a warm woolen blanket, such gems as […]

Categories: condiments, preserves, spreads • Tags: canning, cooking, food, local, preserving, quick & easy, recipes

Ramp & White Bean Fritters with Sriracha-Marmalade Sauce

25 April 2014 by local kitchen

“Oh, ramps,” I hear you sigh, sniffing delicately. “That’s so last year.” To be sure, ramp mania seems to have dimmed somewhat, after a strong showing in the opening years of the decade, to be replaced by new must-have food items such as artisanal toast and eggs that are scrambled in the shell. Which is a good thing, really, as ramps have been dangerously over-harvested in recent years: perhaps everyone has finally gotten the message about sustainable ramp foraging? Or, perhaps, it […]

Categories: appetizer, beans, leek, snack, spring, vegetarian, wild foods • Tags: beans, cooking, food, local, recipes, spring, vegetarian