Eat in Albany

I’m loving that pomegranate season is in full swing! Even though the pomegranate flavor/juice trend is so played out they still remain one of my very favorite seasonal treats.

Growing up I’d see one pomegranate a year: on Christmas Eve. My parents, along with the relatives on my mother’s side, put on an elaborate and extensive [...]

In my misguided youth I’d blithely buy a wooden cutting board, use it for a year or so while it grew drier and drier and more and more stained and nicked. Then I’d start thinking it looked gross and would throw it out, or perhaps I’d accidentally leave it in the sink soaking in water [...]

Some shots from this summer, enjoying the bounty of our basil plants. Tiger shrimp and homemade pesto with fettucine:

Every October the charity I am involved in holds an event that is very dear to my heart.  That event is called Meatfest.  One finds all sorts of amazing items at an event named Meatfest.  Last year the event volunteers ate deep-fried prime rib.
For this year’s Meatfest I decided to contribute meatballs. Making sauce and five [...]

Hey, how’ve you been? Good? Good. Let’s get back into it then, shall we?
If you’re like me you’ve got a large collection of bookmarked websites, ripped out magazine pages, recipe cards and scribbled notes from friends and family that piles up far too easily. So many tasty things to try, so little time in our [...]

After seemingly endless rainy days it’s finally warming up here in Albany, and this weekend called out for a picnic! So, BK and I packed a lunch, grabbed a blanket and books, and went to lounge under a tree in Washington Park.
A stop at Cardona’s Market provided fixings to make tomato, mozarella and prosciutto sandwiches [...]

I’m in love with little bites, a small something enjoyed while the meal is being made. Less substantial than an appetizer, more considered than a quick snack, less precious than an amuse bouche. Not only does a little bite set the stage for tasty food to come, it helps tide me over when I’m a [...]

Our KitchenAid ice cream maker attachment (a lovely apartment-warming gift from BK’s parents) has arrived!
I am a fan of the stand-alone Cuisinart ice cream maker, and very interested to see how the KitchenAid compares. Serendipitously the Williams-Sonoma demonstration/infomercial our friend J. led this Sunday was devoted to making ice cream, and we stopped by to [...]

This year for Mother’s Day I wanted to go with something simple that would really make her happy.  One of my mom’s favorite dishes is my eggplant parm, so I went with that.  Making it isn’t simple, it isn’t quick, but the end product is fantastic.  This recipe is my own, and every time I [...]

Thyme! Picked it up at the Albany Farmers’ Market on Saturday. I don’t do much cooking with thyme. My main purpose in growing this is for making cocktails inspired by the SummerThyme (thyme, something boozy and lemony, honey) from DeJohn’s, the drink many of my friends were nuts for last year.
Hang in there little guy!