Cat Food

Culinary Scotland

I get the Travel section of the New York Times delivered to my inbox every week. It comes on Fridays. Since money's tight these days I tend to treat reading this section as my weekly vacation (there probably won't be one this year). This week Frank Bruni has a piece on his culinary tour of Scotland in the early Spring during lambing season.

The first time I visited Scotland it was early Spring during that same season because I had a crush on an accordion player that I had met through friends here in New Jersey. I was young and silly and when he mentioned that I should come for a visit I took him up on it. Hell, I had a passport with very few stamps - that needed to change! Needless to say I fell in love ... not with the accordion player but with Scotland. I traveled around the Trosachs (lower highlands) with him and his band staying on ranches and wandering the little towns, mountains and pastures. I bartered my limited culinary talents for room and board and was even given lamb feeding duty on one ranch. Now I haven't traveled around the world but I have been to quite a few places on the planet and hands down, Scotland is my favorite. It's natural beauty and diversity, the hospitality of it's people, it's food ... if you've never been - you must go.

Read the New York Times piece HERE.

Happy 4th of July!

RIP Restaurant Florent

Well, yesterday was the last day of business for the restaurant Florent on Gansevoort St. After 23 years of being open 24/7 to anyone and everyone the doors have closed.

I spent many nights (or I should say VERY early mornings) hanging out there with my friends after our escapades in the clubs of the 80's. That was when the meatpacking district was a no-man's land of, well, meat packing plants, transvestite hookers, gay clubs and biker bars. That was the NYC of my youth and I miss it ... and I will miss Florent just as much.

Article from the New York Times: Click Here

And the season begins!

Today is opening day of the Montclair Farmer's Market and it was just starting to hop as I was leaving with my bag of goodies around 11 am. Beautiful tomatoes, gorgeous flowers and herbs, pencil thin asparagus!

All our favorite farmers were there along with a coffee roaster, the honey people and a new local pesto maker who's handing out samples to the crowd ... so good! Also on hand with her fantastic almond toffee, is Nikki Messiah. This year she's also sampling a new toffee flavor - haroset - wonderful!

Pop by if you can and don't worry about the lines - even though they look long they were moving real fast!

It'll be a sad day when ...

To check out the New York Times piece click HERE.

To check out the slideshow try this LINK.

-one of florent's Bastille Day posters, they were the best!

Hell ... it's already a sad day.

Basic Kneads has morphed into Basik Needz yo!

Because even though I've started a new chapter in my life and am now teaching for Apple, Inc. I just can't stay away from the food biz. I spent the last few months in my new job (and loving it) but also trying to figure out what I could do to keep my "food biz cravings" at bay.

After dropping all the weight I put on while recipe testing in anticipation of opening my bakery I came up with a recipe for an energy bar that I really like. And - more importantly - all the folks who I've shared these bars with seem to REALLY like them too.

I'm getting ready to send them out for nutritional analysis but I can't help but think they'll come back with all the good healthy nutrition info. that mirrors what goes into them. Hop on over to my little splash page to check out the ingredients HERE. And - if you live in or around Essex or Bergen counties NJ drop me a line and I'll let you know where you'll be able to pick some up!

My New Website Design ...

Just give a click HERE and then tell me what you think?

In just a moment ...

Markus Hartel is a street photographer. A chronicler of our unnoticed moments in life. I found his site through MUG (Manhattan User's Guide) and was immediately drawn to his intimate portraits of time in motion. This isn't about food, but a much more fleeting relationship between people and the world around them.

Please click HERE to have a fuller experience.

A Very Good Link

I've been getting the weekly email from the Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market for a few years now and find that it's the best way to stay informed about the state of food across the US. Thought I post their link so you all can check them out. Just click HERE.

As the Farm Bill moves from '07 to '08 there's lots more to think about when it comes to feeding our families. Hope you find their info. and links as helpful as I do.

Happy (and healthy) Eating!

Ahhhh Craig Claiborne!

From the New York Times ...

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Fantastic New Year!