Dinner Party on a weeknight? Why not when you can pull this dinner together before the doorbell rings. Our friend Laura was here from Colorado this week. And the only night we were mutually free was a Tuesday.  So much for cooking an elaborate meal…

A New Cookbook Takes Us on a Family Adventure unlike any other. If you’re like me, you read Cookbooks the way other people read novels.  That’s why I was particularly taken with Sybille Van Kempen’s superb new book “2266 Bridgehampton Inn & Restaurant”,  A Look…

You’ve got to hand it to Ina Garten.  You might have thought that Tacos were out of her wheelhouse. But no. This recipe, from her  TV series “Cook Like a Pro”, was served up on a recent program and labelled “Weeknight Dinners”.  It’s that alright:…

Ah, Ribollita…the Tuscan soup that’s a perfect antidote to winter.  Hearty and robust, it’s packed with vegetables and day-old bread making it far more a stew than a soup.  Its origins are precise.  Its roots are in the peasant foods of Tuscany particularly in the…

One of the best things to have in the refrigerator in summer is a large quantity of chicken salad.  You can serve it on a bed of lettuce or make it into sandwiches.  You make it once and you have it all week. And I…

Michael and Jim of The Bridgehampton Florist are two of our best buddies.  They are also two of the most wildly talented individuals you could ever meet.   And just one of the things they do that sets them apart are tablesettings that are just out…

       As some of you know, Andrew and I have embarked on what we have named “Andrew and Monte’s 130th Birthday Trip”.  That’s our combined birthday this year and we’re celebrating with a trip to Europe.  Believe me, you will hear all about it.  But in…

Coconut Cupcakes that Andrew eggified for Easter!   In the run-up to Easter, we’ve had snow, sun and cold temperatures earlier this week that feel more like winter than spring. It’s warmed up at last and here’s how we celebrated. And, after Andrew added jelly…

          Shrimp is far and away the popular seafood in the country and has been for at least the last 10 years.  Nothing comes remotely close to per capita shrimp consumption which hit 3.6 lbs. last year.  Just for comparison, salmon catapulted…

        Last Sunday, we gave a pool party for our god-daughter.  It’s an annual event to celebrate her birthday for the four of us who are called “The Uncles”.  Andrew and I and Terry and Shawn have watched Olivia grow up and we’ve been there…

        The lovely and extremely talented Elizabeth Karmel The 4th of July is upon us and there’s never a better time to fire up the grill and celebrate the joy of being an American.  And there’s almost nothing more American than beef.  And…

                  This is one of Ina Garten’s most beloved recipes.  It dates all the way back to 1999 when it appeared in Ina’s first cookbook “The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook” (Clarkson Potter 1999).  Since I can’t think of  a better time for luxury foods like…

        Our god daughter, Olivia is very special to us.  We were there the night she was born and she’s been a wonderful part of our life ever since. She’s lovely to be with, so much fun and so full of personality. …

         Recipes that other cooks invent should be treated with great respect.  I’ve mentioned before that few things put me off more than someone commenting on a dish—very often negatively—that they have ‘doctored’ beyond recognition.   Still, if you do delve into the comments, you can…