orange: pure and natural

My favorite color is orange. We usually drink Natalie's Orchid Island orange or grapefruit juice from Trader Joe's, but in a pinch at the regular grocery store we bought Tropicana recently. Every single morning I see this carton I think about how much I adore the 3D 'orange fruit' embedded in the screw cap! What a clever idea.

The newly redesigned packaging is a clean, modern approach that looks inviting and fresh. After taking the photo of the juice carton this morning, I discoverd an ad in Martha Stewart Living and took a look at their website. This brand redesign has gotten me to reconsider their product, it's successful in my book.

http://www.tropicana.com/

sneak peek

Coming *very* soon.
A new website for Huntington Street Cafe in Shelton, CT.

no time to tarry

There was a lot of chatter when Mario Batali & Joe Bastianich came to Port Chester, NY last fall. I was curious, but thought the new restaurant would be crowded during the holiday season and might need some time to settle in. Months later the Tarry Lodge website is still non-existent, but you can get the lowdown in their press kit pdf and easily see they have a strong brand going. From the pizza box to the wonderful round business cards... I love the black, white & goldenrod that is is dead-on consistent everywhere you look. I declared that our leftovers were packed up in the most appealing pizza box ever, but my husband corrected me. The flimsy pizza box from Pepe's in New Haven is a beautiful sight to behold.


















But I digress...
We had an 8:30 reservation (try opentable) for 4 on a Friday night. After leaving the parking to the valet and any cumbersome layers to coat-check, the hostess dispatched us to the bar for a cramped (standing room only) 20 min wait. Everything improved dramatically once we were seated at a corner table on the elevated level behind the bar. The waitstaff rewarded with a complimentary round of "Fleur" champagne for our troubles. Tarry Lodge has a very comfortable, warm & inviting atmosphere. It was full up at 9 PM which I partially attribute to the chef's reputation and the pizza and pasta dinner options for under $20. In this economy, it's great to sample a wider variety sharable food without having to ordering a full dinner entree.

Some of our table favorites were the pizza with goat cheese, sliced potato and pancetta, the calamari paired with isreali couscous and a pappardelle bolognese. Ordinarily I would never order such a simple pasta dish, but our waiter wisely steered us in the right direction.

What's still on my mind?
Fusilli alla crazy bastard which Food + Wine revealed was inspired by the New Yorker cartoon. I can't explain why, but I've always loved this rigatoni (on the telephone) so much that I frequently repeat the caption out loud whenever I see spiral shaped pasta.


"Fusilli, you crazy bastard! How are you?"


Tarry Lodge
18 Mill Street
Port Chester, NY 10573
914.939.3111
tarrylodge.com

follow that cupcake!

I don't live on the shoreline, but a friend recommended subscribing to The E-List. Today I was giddy with excitement reading Erica's thoughts on the cupcake truck that can be found at various locations in New Haven, CT and is available for private events. Ever since I saw the coolest looking cupcake stand, (Hey Cupcake in Austin) housed in one of my favorite vehicles, the Airstream, I've been fascinated by the idea of a sweet treat on wheels.

http://www.followthatcupcake.com/

And for the latest, up-to-date truck locations:
http://fooddriven.blogspot.com/

studying the penthouse lounge

The Duncan Hotel got a serious renovation and is now the sleek and modern Study Hotel on Chapel Street in New Haven. We quickly popped in and were met with a very friendly bartender, but oddly no cocktail menu (and they've been open 4 months). We didn't stay for dinner at Heirloom, but nibbled on the dates wrapped in bacon which are well-worth sampling.

The bartender also tipped us off to the penthouse lounge which is a great space for private events, mentioning there had been a cocktail party of 100 or so the night before. The front desk was happy to allow us access to check it out. Seemed a little tight for that many guests, but if you're looking for an aerie perch above New Haven or Yale, this is a quite the backdrop for your next soiree. Not to mention it's a bit more hip than John Davenport's at the top of the Omni Hotel. Though it's higher up and also has a great view of New Haven.

Leave me a comment if you know of any other restaurant or event locations that are available for rental in New Haven. I'm always curious about the view from above. My first taste was from the top of the A&A building and I've been smitten ever since.

the study hotel at yale
1157 chapel street
new haven, ct 06511
ph: 866.930.1157

toasted coconut heaven

We celebrated a 60th birthday tonight and I made a dessert that is reminiscent of the famed coconut cake of Orchids at the Halekulani in Honolulu.

Exceptional praise from foodie family member in Hawaii had prompted me to search online and see if this recipe had been requested. Apparently it has, and so much so that you can have have it made, frozen, and fedexed to you if you can't make it to the islands to satisfy your sweet tooth.

I haven't been lucky enough to sample the original yet, but it sounds wonderful: angel food layered with a vanilla coconut custard all surrounded by whipped cream and more coconut. I like my coconut toasted, so mine looks pretty different from the snowy white version that accompanies the recipe details on the Honolulu Star-Bulletin page:

http://archives.starbulletin.com/2003/03/26/features/request.html

a treat from brazil

Last night we attended a 30th birthday party for a former co-worker of mine. Barcelona in South Norwalk did a great job turning out dinner for 75 guests. I haven't been to this location in years. Since the outpost in New Haven opened, we are more likely to head in that direction instead. It was great to switch it up and go out on a Sunday night, but unfortunately I didn't get President's Day off today!

On a related note, the birthday boy's family is from Brazil and surrounding the cake were traditional (homemade) brigadeiros. It has a mildly chewy center and the outside is rolled in chocolate sprinkles. Tasting it for the first time, it was less chocolate-flavored than I expected. It was sheer luck we sat near the cake table, because these sweets were all snapped up in a matter of minutes.

We have a few more birthday celebrations coming up this week, which means we will continue to eat out like kings. We are headed to Batali's Tarry Lodge (Port Chester) on Friday and Daniel (Manhattan) on Saturday night.

v day 2009

It's become a tradition that I get an edible card every valentine's day. This year's message was short, but sweet and composed out of bacon. I heard it took a few tries to get the pieces to cooperate while in the frying pan. I still love the strawberries (vaguely inspired by the exquisite carved fruits in Thailand) from 2008, but they weren't quite as tasty as this year's card.

connecticut barns

I love barns and carriage houses. In Connecticut, some have been lovingly restored and others look like they they are a second away from collapse. The good news is The Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation announced a grant program to help save the endangered older barns. The Trust has surveyed over 900 barns in the state and if you own one over 75 yrs old, the grant can offer you assistance to assess and repair the structure. This year's deadline is April 15. Check out http://www.connecticutbarns.org. I love that there is an illustrated database by town!

I never seem to have my camera when I pass a great local barn, but the architectural style is always of interest to me.

















Jonathan Edwards Winery. N. Stonington, CT
It is no accident I fell in love with this location for our wedding.

















Golden Lamb Buttery. Brooklyn, CT
A wonderfully unique dining experience that begins with a hay ride & cocktails over-looking the fields and continues with dinner inside the barn.

















Stone Silo Farm. Preston, CT
We didn't stop, but I grabbed my camera as we drove to our caterer A Thyme to Cook.


















??? Thompson, CT
Drove by on a trip from Lord Thompson Manor to Putnam, CT and I have never forgotten this home.

save the date for lobster

It may still be the dead of winter, but I'm already anticipating the start of wedding season. So far, it looks like we will have fewer weddings to attend in 2009. Here's a save the date I designed for a fellow June bride planning a casual and intimate lobster bake on the shores of Westport, CT.

gewurztraminer

When we did the full tasting at Jonathan Edwards Winery last weekend, I remembered first trying their gewurztraminer at White Gate Farm in August. This wonderful evening of local food and wine was a part of the Dinners at the Farm, which is a is a joint effort between River Tavern (Chester, CT) and Feast Market (Deep River, CT). Our particular dinner benefited the Working Farms Alliance. What a way to eat a great meal and feel good about it! I always wanted to attend an Outstanding in the Field event, but this Connecticut version was a pleasant surprise.

As you can see in the slideshow below, we had the perfect, moonlit summer evening as a backdrop to this meal. It was simply magical.


If you're interested in these kinds of locally sourced meals check out:
Dinners at the Farm (connecticut) http://dinnersatthefarm.com/
Outstanding in the Field (national) http://outstandinginthefield.com/
DaiDue (austin) http://daidueaustin.com/

s&p oyster co. in mystic

We made many trips to Mystic, CT in 2005-2006 and one of our favorite places to eat was S&P Oyster Company. It's right downtown on the the river and has a good view of the drawbridge, a lovely patio in the summer and an lots of seafood options to choose from. In the summer traffic and parking can be a problem, but we sailed right in last weekend and got a table right along riverfront. We decided to try two kinds of oysters. In the foreground are the larger blue points and in the background are the small, but very tasty gigamotos. We also want to give a shout out to our waitress Linda who did a great job.


S&P Oyster Company
1 Holmes Street
Mystic, CT 06355
(860) 536-2674

falling in love again

Almost exactly 4 years ago it was love at first sight. Even in the snowy dead of winter, I knew I wanted to get married at Jonathan Edwards Winery. In June we will celebrate our 3rd wedding anniversary, but this past weekend was our first trip back to the winery.

In the tasting room, we ran into Erica who had just started working as the tasting room manager when we got married. I couldn't believe she remembered our wedding. She and and owner Rachel had a crazy day when it unexpectedly poured. It was nice to see the winery hasn't changed much. they have a much more extensive wine list but the petite sirah is still my favorite. And for those of you who remember our soggy day... there is one impressive new development. Beautiful turf laid has been laid down in the footprint of the main tent location. Take it from a foul-weather bride, this is an A+ development for anyone having an outdoor event at this beautiful location!











05.29.05










09.24.05











05.21.06










06.17.06











02.07.09






the first photo taken by our photographer jamie bloomquist.

mr. bobinsky

HBO has fueled my infatuation with circus imagery (Carnivàle) and my admiration for the "c" bomb dropping Ian McShane (Deadwood). These two interests dovetail in Coraline's mouse trainer neighbor, Bobinsky. Mr. B even has is own blog (http://bobinsky.tumblr.com/)! Ian McShane's voice brings the perfect touch to this Russian former gymnast, just as he did for Tai Lung in Kung Fu Panda.

Visually this movie was more impressive than I expected and 3D has come a long way baby! I can't believe I forgot to recycle those 3D glasses... hope I get to use them again soon.

be careful what you wish for

I've read Augusten Burrough's memoirs Running with Scissors and Dry, but I just finished this most recent, Wolf at the Table which is a much darker heartbreaking story of his childhood marred by an unloving and equally terrifying father. The 8 disc audiobook is read by the author and while I found his narration can be plodding at times, there are some real cinematic, emotional highs and lows that couldn't be conveyed any clearer than by hearing Burrough's own voice.

Burrough's vivid story telling challenges you to recall your own early memories with your parents. And who, in the fit of a childhood tantrum, hasn't had a fleeting thought that there could be a nicer, cooler, more indulging couple who could replace your parents? Late last night I turned to the HBO First Look: Coraline. This is the creepy tale of a young girl Coraline who is seduced by the "other mother" in an alternate world opposite a bricked-up door in the drawing room. I haven't read the book by Neil Gaiman, but the real breathtaking element in the new movie (out tomorrow) is the stop-motion animation. I can't imagine the patience required to film only a few seconds a day! Seeing so many intricate handmade elements is like entering the world of a lost art form.

hot tamale

When trying to come up with a food that's synonymous with a city or state some venues can be problematic. Pittsburgh is tough because it's so diverse and has lots of great places to eat. Arizona is a layup because Southwest fare dominates the local cuisine. My last trip there was in 1997 (U of Arizona NCAA Champs in hoops) I was blown away by some tamales at a local stand. So we decided to try and make them as our contribution to the Gallagher's Superbowl party.

Tamale ingredients are not the easiest things to come by in Connecticut so I went to a mexi-mart in New Haven to get masa mix, corn husks and such. I asked one of the guys where I could find corn husks and he looked at me like I was simple and said "produce" like I had asked a trick question. He radioed ahead to warn them of a bald gringo who was looking for corn husks. We had the ingredients and a recipe, but were not brimming with confidence. I found a video on YouTube narrated by a five year old Mexican girl that really helped. As it turns out Tamales are quite labor intensive which is why they're generally made for the holidays. We steamed up about 20 or so and got style points for originality and effort but were ultimately upstaged by the Serbian guest's brined cabbage (pronounced kisiilikoopis). But that's another story.

salad of champions

I made ishouldcocoa's Black and Gold Salad for the Super Bowl yesterday. The Steelers came out on top and this salad is also a winner. It's quick & easy to prepare and a healthier game time alternative to wings or nachos.