CHEWING THE FAT

The Pool was tented for the occasion. What makes a dish perfect for a dinner party?  I’d suggest something that keeps the cook out of the kitchen so that he or she can really enjoy their dinner guests’  company as much as possible.  Last weekend,…

         Melissa Clark is one of my all-time favorite recipe makers. I look forward to her weekly columns in the Times one of which is called “A Good Appetite”.   I sometimes think it also be called “Playing with Your Food” because Melissa…

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…

Oven and Camera Ready! Vanilla Ice Cream on the side is highly recommended When you have a blog to write, you tend not to repeat recipes once you have made them.  You’re pretty well under the gun to cook something you’ve never tried before simply…

         I’ve always gotten a kick out of stories of massive Zucchini crops suddenly emerging in August and causing their growers to wonder what on earth to do with all of them.  When I was in Elementary School, I distinctly remember a classmate whose mother’s…

        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…

LOBSTER AND CORN CHOWDER AND PEACH BLUEBERRY CRISP : TWO CELEBRATIONS OF SUMMER. “As the days dwindle to a precious few”….I have to wonder why it is that from August 1st on, everyone out East starts talking about the end of summer!  There are another…

As you can see, this is one gorgeous dessert.  And it gave Andrew an opportunity to use a 13 ¼ inch rectangular tart pan.  But don’t put off it you lack one of this size and dimension.  John Barricelli’s original recipe gives the green light…

         My dear friend, Cate, who bears more than a passing resemblance to the other Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, came to lunch over the weekend.  Cate, of course, asked that I not go to any trouble.  So I really didn’t. Still I wanted to give her…

           Truth be told, it’s National Blueberry Month in Canada! My homeland loves to differentiate itself from its neighbor to the south.  In the US, National Blueberry Month is held in July.  Well, it’s colder up north and perhaps their crop doesn’t come into…

Since we live in one of the great ocean fishing areas of the country, the temptation to eat the freshest seafood imaginable is an almost daily event.   The fishing boats go out early from Montauk and their catch is in our fish markets later that morning.   The…

Aerial View of Shelter Island Shelter Island, for those of you who don’t know, is a 5 minute ferryboat-only ride away from The Hamptons, or more properly Sag Harbor, or more specifically North Haven. On the other end of the island, there’s an 8 minute…

David Santos and Melissa Clark   While I’ve been familiar with heirloom tomatoes for several years now, this year was my introduction to heirloom carrots in, of all places, Trader Joe’s.  It was there that I first saw a 2 lb. bag labeled Rainbow Carrots.  …

I know Andrew is good, I mean really good. But his baking skills really hit an all-time personal best with the making of this sinfully rich, fudgy, bittersweet cake.  As Melissa Clark, who co-wrote “The Perfect Finish” (W.W. Norton and Co. (2010) the cookbook it…