Cookin' in the 'Cuse

Exploring Long Island Wine Country, Part One

Living near the Finger Lakes means that it is fairly easy to score a local wine.  Even if I can't find my favorites at the wine shop, strategic planning means that in an afternoon I can usually hit one of the lakes and pick up the juice straight from the vineyard.  Finding other New York wines, however, is as different story. 

Until a few years ago I didn't know much about the other wine regions in our state and I was fairly happy to live in ignorant bliss.  But one of the first food and wine blogs I began reading regularly was LennDevours--covering New York State wine and food.  Lenn opened me up to the possibility that the Finger Lakes didn't have the monopoly on good wine in the Empire State and it was many of his tasting notes that got me to visit Channing Daughters in Bridgehamton.  I loved them so much that I joined their wine club.  So once a year (should be more, I know) when business brings me down to Long Island I make a stop at Channing Daughters but this time around, I added an overnight, brought a friend, got a killer  itinerary from Lenn and set out for 24 hours of East End wine tasting. 

The first day was pretty simple, check out Channing Daughters, explore Sag Harbor and have dinner, and rest up for a full day on the North Fork where most of the Long Island wineries are located.

So here are some photos with commenetary of the first day.  Following posts will detail all the new places that Lenn introduced me to.

My beloved and trusty car hit its 100,000th mile just as we entered Water Mill--not too far from Bridgehampton.

The Channing Daughters vineyards offer a whimsical mix of outdoor sculpture among the vines. An image of this upside down tree graces many a Channing Daughters wine label.

Okay, if I'm not going to show you any wines I should at least post a photo of the vineyard.  Since I was the driver of the day I didn't really taste much at Channing Daughters--in fact, I had just received a shipment the day before I headed down to the winery. 

Channing Daughters wine club has been a great way to learn about Long Island wines because they make the full gamut.  Tonight we enjoyed their naked, or unoaked 2006 Scuttlehole Chardonnay but we also loved their 2005 Rosati di Cabernet Sauvignon--my purchase of only one bottle last year was an error in judgment.  I think they really excell at their whites but I also love their Research Cab--a red blend that I just gave away as a gift.  As I discovered on day two of our jaunt, Long Island has better conditions for producing reds than most of what I've had in the Finger Lakes (Silver Thread, Ravines, and Lamoreaux Landing are among the notable exceptions.) 

Tomorrow:  How I fell in love with Mattituck.

No Reservations? Well, Just a Couple

Ever since I saw the first trailers for No Reservations, I knew I had to see it first thing.  This American adaptation of the 2002 German film, Mostly Martha, stays pretty close to the original story line--right down to the pregnant sous chef, Lea, who sports a supershort hair style--but with some notable exceptions.  Now let me say up front--I love Mostly Martha.  It ranks right up there with Sideways for the most frequently viewed food/wine DVD in our house.  Funny thing is, I didn't love No Reservations in quite the same way and I think it had something to do with the translation of the film for an American audience.

In many ways, this film is an unconventional love triangle between a woman, a man and a child that takes place mostly in a restaurant.  It is fascinating to watch this incredible chef who is wound so tight she can't even eat her own food, gradually unwind as a child and a love interest crash into her life and begin to open her heart.  Beyond that, if you want details about the romance plot of the film you'll have to check one of the real reviews.  I'm struck more by the food, aesthetics, and American concessions that were made in producing this new version. 

In No Reservations, the restaurant has been transformed from the Lido to 22 Bleecker--on a corner in the West Village of Manhattan.  Both films are shot with a beautiful austerity that, in the way of white plates, allows the food to take a starring role.  But in typical American style, protagonist Kate Armstrong's apartment is larger and a bit more rich in texture than Martha Klein's flat.

There were other nuances that I missed from the original. For instance, when Mario begins cooking in Martha's kitchen in the German film, the conflict is not that he would begin cooking Italian food, the unspoken conflict is that he himself is Italian.  On the other hand, the cooks in Kate's kitchen are more racially and ethnically diverse--a more authentic representation of an American restaurant.  Another quibble:  Kate takes a couple of pre-dawn trips to the Fulton Fish Market and we are treated to views of the Brooklyn Bridge.  This would have been right on two years ago, but my beloved fish market relocated from South Street Seaport to the Hunts Point section of the Bronx in 2005.

I was delightfully surprised, though, by how similar the food remained in this adaptation.  No Reservations begins with the quail (pigeon) soliloquy as in the original and scallops,fois gras, lobster, rack of lamb, dover sole, duck, and sea bass appear on the menu.  In Mostly Martha the menu features scallops, lobsters, lamb, artichoke dishes, arugula salad, and rabbit along with the infamous quail with truffles.  But there is also handmade pasta and gnocchi on Martha's menu and one of the controversies chef Mario brings with him is the concept of preparing fish and more lighter fare.  By the way, you can download recipes for the quail with truffles and poached lobster in butter, among others from the movie website--click here.

In the end, however, I was left slightly disturbed by the changes made, I presume, to make this film more palatable to the American movie goer.  Small things, like the flood of stuffed animals and toys that comes to Zoe when she first arrives seems like a bow to our consumerist culture--and that she has her own room--in the German version, Martha gives up her bedroom for little Lina.  In the American version it is notable that it is the divorced neighbor who makes the first move on Kate and not the other way around as it happens in the original--we are not used to seeing Catherine Zeta-Jones being rebuffed, I guess.

But the biggest issue I had with the film was the plot line that revolved around Lina's desire to find her father--a man whom she had never met.  It is this task that first brings Martha and Mario together in the German film.  In No Reservations, this story line is completely absent which really makes the movie about Kate and Nick and Zoe's efforts to bring them together. 

It is a cute and entertaining film, though, and it does wonders for reminding us of the pressure and craziness of the restaurant kitchen that we rarely get to see.  It also makes the kitchen seem glamorous enough to inspire more folks to enroll in culinary school--a tough and expensive route that doesn't always lead to places like 22 Bleeker.  But if you are looking for eloquent food and cooking metaphors for the difficulties and joys of life be sure to check out the Mostly Martha DVD.

Farm Bill Alert--Call Today

It is easy to let the easy, breezy, carefree days of summer pass by while the Farm Bill (what we like to call the Food Bill) gets acted upon in Congress.  I've just received this note through our friends at the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York (NOFA-NY) about an opportunity we have to make a difference in the Farm Bill so that it will support smaller farms.  If you have a few minutes today please call your Representative in the House and urge them to support the Fairness Amendment.  For many of us in Syracuse and east of Rochester that person is Jim Walsh.  For more info and his number, read the NOFA-NY message below.

Dear NOFA-NY friends -

There's MUCH more missing from the Farm Bill passed by House Ag

Committee  that's important to family farms than the Community Food

Projects. It's a lousy bill for 99% of the farmers everywhere, leaving

in place billions for subsidies, no money for Conservation Security

Program, and on the food side, very little money for helping low income

people on Food Stamps   get access to healthy foods.

This morning (Thursday) a comprehensive amendment called "Fairness in

Farm and Food Policy will be introduced - it includes all of the above

plus the Community Food Project mandatory funding.

PLEASE call Jim Walsh's aide Ron Anderson 202-225-3701 urging that he

support the "Fairness amendment"

thank you.

Bad, Bad Blogger

It isn't just that I've not posted in a week or so.  And it isn't that I haven't been inspired to write.  The evidence against me is this:

• Spending five days in New York City with a dead camera battery (and no back up!) making it impossible for me to photograph delicious meals at Balthazar and other favorite haunts.
• Holding out on sharing the fantastic wines I've discovered in Long Island Wine country recently.
• Not posting about the fabulous cheese and gelato being produced on Seneca lake.

Well, let's just say that vacation has gotten me off my game a bit but never fear, these posts are comng soon.

Hawley Green Bistro Feasting

It is a wonder to watch the city of Syracuse transform itself before my very eyes and the lunch I had at the brand new Hawley Green Bistro is as potent a symbol of that transformation as you're likely to find.  The space that was previously the Pascale's Bake House Cafe is now a restaurant and bar that seems to be channeling the sophistication of some of my favorite haunts in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn.

I had a very nice lunch there yesterday and am looking forward to making this spot a frequent hangout once again.  By the time I arrived at 2:00 pm (lunch service ends at 3:00) they were sold out of the quiche of the day (avocado and goat cheese) and a lavosh wrap (which changes by the day)--both sounded delicious and provided a none too subtle suggestion for me to get to lunch a littler earlier next time.  Other lunch items included a Caesar and mixed green salad, Italian sub, and fish and chips. 

But it wasn't as if I had to settle.  The chicken and Brie sandwich with garlicky fries (these come with most entrees) I ordered was good to the last bite.  Succulent bites of grilled chicken with gently melted Brie and caramelized onions on buttered toast and a hint of mustard is a simple but ingenious combination.  The side of chicken jus was a thoughtful but unnecessary touch--the chicken was that good.  The fries were crispy and they didn't hold back on the garlic--just the way I like it.

I didn't have dessert--there was just one option--creme brulee and I wasn't up for it on this particular day.  They expect their lunch dessert options to increase in the coming weeks.  Also, if you've been tempted by the Black Angus Sliders on the website menu--you'll have to come for dinner for those.  In fact, I'm going to try to get back for dinner as soon as I can because that menu has even more irresistible items on it.   

Currently, lunch and dinner are being served downstairs but that will change in a couple of weeks when the upstairs renovation is completed.  This will allow for a full bar and lounge atmosphere on the lower level and the dining room, serving both lunch and dinner, will be upstairs.  There are other plans in the works too.  Once they've been up and running for a while and can plan in advance, Hawley Green Bistro hopes to subscribe to a CSA share in order to source more local ingredients. 

This first impression of Hawley Green Bistro indicates that great things are ahead and they are already off and running.

Chicken and Brie sandwich with jus and garlicky fries

A carafe of water for me to pour at will was a nice touch.

The transformation is evident from the moment you enter.

The Hawley Green Bistro bar--with seating by the bay window on the other end.

Hawley Green Bistro, 304 Hawley Avenue (at the corner of Catherine Street)  315-423-0442.
Open for lunch 11:00 am- 3:00 pm Monday through Saturday; and 11:00 am - 4:00pm Sundays.   Dinner is served Tuesday through Thursday from 5:00 pm - 10:00 pm and from 5:00 pm - 11:00pm on Friday and Saturday.

Archive Alert:  On this day in 2005 I was Advocating for Country of Origin Legislation.  Note--we're still waiting for it to become law.

Garlic Multiplication and other Garden Surprises

One of the lessons of gardening is the reality that do what I will, nature will always do what it wants.  I'm finding that this means constant delight and surprise every time I walk around the garden beds, move pots around or take to the never-ending task of weeding.  Remember last year's 17 inch zucchini?

Take the last two days:  I moved one of the herb pots to discover four of the plumpest slugs I've ever seen; reality indeed.  As I prepared to dig up the garlic patch I found that the 20 cloves I planted magically multiplied to 26 bulbs.  Could it be that I might actually find myself planting less garlic to get bigger yields?  And finally, when I went to pick some Swiss chard for last night's dinner I found beets.

Now, I had actually tried to grow beets from the first planting of the season but it seemed that none had actually germinated in the row where I'd sowed the seeds.  That none of the beets appeared to take was a great sadness to me and farmer and gardener friends all told me to try again and to not be surprised if it didn't work until next summer.  But I don't give up easily so I sowed another half row and those appear to be coming along just fine--but they have a long way to go.  These surprise pair of beets were beautifully formed and ready to be picked.  So out they came and the greens went into the tastiest garlicy greens I've had in a long time.  I'll be roasting the beets themselves tomorrow.

What should come as no surprise was how delicious our almost totally local dinner was last night.  We roasted one of Wendy Gornick's chickens stuffed with thyme, rosemary and basil.  We served it alongside a mix of chopped chard, kale, and beet greens sauteed with garlic and spritzed with a bit of lemon just before serving.  We also had what I'm calling the Dorset Harvest salad:  baby romaine and red leaf lettuces, sliced French breakfast radishes, chopped garlic scapes, and sungold and red cherry tomatoes tossed with a green goddess dressing.  All the greens and produce for the salad were picked from the garden moments before serving.  Could it get any better?  Well, that glass of 2003 Reserve Chardonnay from Lamoreaux Landing took it over the edge into bliss. 

I'm convinced more than ever that these delights and surprises are available to everyone.  If you don't have a kitchen garden or subscribe to a community supported agriculture share let me encourage you to get a pot and grow anything.  A pot of parsley in the kitchen window, a pot of radishes or lettuces on the back deck, a row of spinach along your fence or border are all fast growing and delicious ways to get a bit of just-picked freshness on your plate.  Aside from the good food that is virtually guaranteed you just may be surprised by the bonuses that nature has in store.

Learning to Run Again

After nearly a week in Houston where it rained every single day and after a delayed flight that had me sleeping in an airport in Cleveland trying to get home, I woke up on Sunday determined to participate in the Boilermaker 15K in Utica. 

I use the word participate deliberately because after breaking a bone in my foot nearly 5 months ago, I knew better than to think I was actually going to run this thing.  I did run about 1/3 of it and thought about calling for a medical assist to the finish line several times, but I made it to the finish line having completed all of it--that's 9.3 miles.  Hard doesn't even begin to describe what this was.

Actually my foot was fine, it was my heart and lungs that needed more preparation.  So I'm back in training.  I'd love to run a half-marathon and I plan to do the Boilermaker again next year.  Needless to say, this will have some implications for my cooking.  The trick is find a way to eat healthy and delicious and support my training efforts. 

For instance, any training program I do will need to allow for the enjoyment of wine.   Lenn over at LennDevours is hooking me up with some great winery visits for my 24 hours on the North Fork of Long Island this weekend and I can't wait!  If all of the stars align we'll even get to finally meet.  So you see, I've got to be able to make all that wine fit into my training program.  It's not like I'm preparing for the Olympics, right?

Archive Alert:  On this day in 2005 I was checking out Evans Farmhouse Creamery.

Catching up...

So...how does one catch up on nearly two weeks without blogging?  It seems to be somewhat of an occupational hazard that when I'm preaching alot or have a lot of writing to do, the blog suffers.  But it is good to be back and there is so much to catch up on. 

I'm in Houston, Texas for the rest of the week but was delighted to taste my first Sungold tomato from the garden right before I left.  While we've been eating herbs and greens for weeks now, it never truly feels like summer to me until the tomatoes come in and with seven tomato plants (lots of sungolds, red cherry, and plum tomatoes) I'll be in the thick of it soon.

There's also alot at the markets.  The new Eastside Neighborhood Farmers Market has been going well.  It is small--with Urban Delights and Brownson's farm selling produce, herbs, and from the latter, some of the most delicous looking canned vanilla peaches I've ever seen.  The Saturday Regional Market is a hopping place these days.  Ananda from Sacred Seed has been there (and plans to be there through the season) with tons of produce.  She's just across from Stones Throw at the end of the "E" shed.

In cafe news, I was shocked to discover that Lucky Moon and Stars Cafe had closed--fairly abruptly.   But then a recent  visit to the new and super cool Sugar Pearl  Cafe (at the corner of Crouse and Burnet) revealed that Debra Sorrentino is now cooking there and bringing her food with a conscience to Hawley-Green.

Speaking of that neigborhood on the rise, the new Hawley-Green Bistro (in the Pascale's Bakehouse space) was set to open yesterday.  Their menu looks fantastic and if the taste I had at the Strathmore Art on the Porches a few weeks back is any indication, then you'll want to check them out at your first opportunity.

McDonald Family Farm will be coming to Syracuse next Thursday bringing pre-ordered, pastured-raised meats and poultry.  Peter brings his truck to the Grace Church parking lot from 6-7:00 pm every other Thursday to make it easy to get delicious, clean, local, meats.  Want to place an order?  Check their website and drop Peter an email to get added to his Syracuse Farm Connection email list.

Oh, and did I mention that my favorite granola comes in chocolate now???  Life is sooo good!

Phew, lots going on.  Isn't it great?