HOLIDAY COCKTAIL HOUR DOESN’T HAVE TO BE HARD… This simple combination of a flawless egg salad topped with some beautiful Salmon Roe will be the hit of your holiday cocktail hour. All that’s required is perfectly hard-cooked eggs and a jar of…

THIS RED THAI COCONUT CURRY WITH SHRIMP AND CORN IS A PERFECT DINNER PARTY DISH We are always on the lookout for dishes that take center stage on the dinner party table. This Red Thai Coconut Curry, flavored with lemongrass and ginger, gets its richness…

Quite a few years ago, I concocted a recipe for Ham that became the very first Food Writing I ever did. It was published in Saveur Magazine in 1995 in a story I wrote titled: “The Ham Gambit:  How Carlotta fed 30 people for $6.99”.  …

One of the World’s Favorite Desserts is this Crowd Pleaser from Boston. Cook’s Illustrated is located right in Boston so you’d think they’d know about how to bake the best Boston Cream Pie.  And they do. This recipe is phenomenally good.  The cake is light…

One of the first things I tasted aboard Viking Ocean’s Homeland cruise was an artfully arranged serving of Gravlax.  It was beautifully served in The Restaurant aboard Viking Star as we sailed for Denmark.  I liked it so much, it was the first of many…

I must admit to having been slightly taken aback when Andrew told me his weekend plans included making Ice Cream Sandwiches.  Not that I didn’t want one.  And when the smell of his dark chocolate ‘biscuit’ wafted through the kitchen, I could hardly wait until…

It’s getting close to Crab Cake season which I would define as soon as the Summer Cocktail Party Circuit gets into gear.  So any mention of a Crab Cake recipe gets my attention.  Most Crab Cakes fall far short of expectations. They are larded with…

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…

The Bridgehampton Florist’s Personal Table under the tent at the Classic Edible Centerpiece! The Heirloom Tomato Soup from the Centerpiece Even Horses show up for the Grand Prix The Hampton Classic is the season capper to what has been an extraordinary summer out here.  The…

        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. …

Flowers from the fabulous Bridgehampton Florist..where else? These shrimp are the center of attention on our Holiday Open House Buffett. Ina Garten is a goddess around here. She lives in the next town over and has for years and years. Before becoming the TV star and…

          My friend Betty once told me a riotous story of being invited to a Thanksgiving dinner and being asked to “bring something”.  When she arrived on the big day, there were 12, count ’em, sweet potato casseroles.  Lesson learned: If…

        For my final Chewing the Fat post of the year, I wanted to share a recipe I developed about 25 years ago.  It appeared in Saveur magazine and if you google it, you’ll find it on several of recipe sites.  To me, what’s odd…

We’ve had the most wonderful Christmas and now we are virtually housebound, there having been a significant snowfall on the East End of Long Island the day after Christmas.  The snow has stopped but the wind is blowing and the eight or so inches of…