Sweet Mary

Rhode Island Food Stuff

For those of you in Rhode Island (and elsewhere if you are interested), I have some local food links and info for you this weekend.  It's another hot and humid one in the Northeast.  I plan on braving the heat and going downtown to an indie arts festival that seems like a win-win all the way around.   

OK, now for the links:

A few fellow bloggers (Lydia of Perfect Pantry and Jen of Jen's Dish) recently told me about Providence Palate, a website that provides a space and place for Rhode Islanders interested in food to chat and share. I finally had a chance to check it out.  Although I am a little weary of joining groups and sites these days (i.e. techo/blogger overload), I did join this one.  There are some interesting conversations going on, as well as some interesting people.  If you're in Rhode Island and don't know about the site, give it a try.  Members also organize gatherings from time to time, which sounds like a great way to step out from behind the computer and meet some real people who like to eat.  I plan on attending the next one.

If you are looking for fun food events to attend, the Charlestown Seafood Festival is coming up the weekend of August 1st.  Click on the link for information.  This Festival claims to showcase Rhode Island's best seafood.  If that's the case, then I'm in.

Another very cool food event coming up is the Rhode Island Local Food Fest which will be on Wednesday, August 6 at Castle Hill in Newport.  This fest is a benefit for Farm Fresh Rhode Island and celebrates local farmers and food artisans.  There will be great food, tons of information, and a cook-off. Click on the link for more information. I also plan on gathering up some folks for this one.

And, finally, I am not baking this weekend due to the heat; however, will be making another frozen treat for my book/food club later in the week.  Look for that recipe in a few days.  If your kitchen isn't too hot or you have central air, you may want to check out the absolutely lovely Strawberry Pie on Food Blogga. Don't forget that Susan is from Rhode Island, so her Strawberry Pie post is filled with RI nostalgia.

Check This Out

 I am headed out for the weekend and I hope you are, too.  As you have probably noticed, I don't blog from the road.  I really like to get away from the computer from time to time.  You know, rest the eyes and wrists.  I encourage you to do the same.  That's right.  Step away from the computer.  In fact, don't even turn it on at all over the weekend.  It will still be there on Monday.  I promise.

Before you sign off, I leave you with a link to an article on regional hot dog styles on Serious Eats.  I really enjoyed it and you may get some new ideas for those diggity dogs you're going to throw on the grill this weekend.  Reading this article made me think of Yocco's near Allentown, PA.  Yocco's claims to be "the Hot Dog King."  I have no idea if that is true; however, I drove by a huge billboard advertising Yocco's so many times on my drive from Baltimore to New York that I finally stopped once to try them out.   I was also very attracted to their strange logo....a big Yocco's hot dog eating another hot dog.  It was odd and hilarious.  I will say that the dogs were pretty darn good and worth a stop if you are in the area and hungry.  I loved that billboard so much I attempted to get one of the T-shirts the workers all wear.  However, those workers were loyal to their hot dog king and would not, by any means, give or sell me a shirt.  I can respect that, but they are missing out on some extra cash I tell you.  There's plenty of people out there who love the culture of roadside attractions and restaurants who would love one of those dog eatin' a dog T-shirts.

New Apron

I recently sent out an email to a bunch of friends I met in grad school at the School for International Training (now called the SIT Graduate Institute) to see what they were up to because I'd been out of touch for a while (especially since I left my career in international education).  After I sent the email, I realized that it was ten years ago that I left California to move to Brattleboro, Vermont to take on graduate school. Wow.  Ten  years. That was a crazy intense year filled with a lot of hard work, much soul searching, and a bunch of really incredible people whom I will never forget.  

Over the course of three weeks, I heard from almost all of them.  The emails were filled with really wonderful news of marriages, adventures, babies, relocations, career switches, etc.  I was really excited to catch up even if only for a brief moment and, of course, wish them all only the best.

One friend, Diane from Florida, is now retired and turning a hobby into a business.  She embroiders and makes really wonderful aprons (and other things).  When I heard this, Diane and I started going back and forth about it.  She sent photos and I ordered one.  And, let me tell you, I love my new apron.  I've been wearing only the boring industrial white aprons from culinary school since last year.  I had one other apron, a funky retro thing from the 1970's I got in a thrift store years ago with yellow, orange, and brown flowers all over it.  I liked it, but it was one of those aprons that was only waist high and now I like the full bodied aprons.   Anyway, I gave that to my sister last year and resigned myself to plain white aprons.

Here is a photo of the woman chef on my apron.  And, there are a few other photos below to give you an idea of what they look like.  My intention was to model one for you all, but it's pretty hard taking a full photo of myself!  What am I going to do, I live alone?!  Anyway, this apron is great.  It has pockets for tools and is absolutely stain resistant.  I also think they'd make great gifts.  Each apron can be personalized.  And, they come in Featherlite (4.5 oz) and cotton/twill (7.5 oz).  The Featherlites are coated in Teflon for super stain resistance and come in onyx black, French merlot, Arctic white, Nantucket navy, sandalwood, American Red, deep forest green, and glacier blue.  They have three pockets with an outside pen pocket (how handy!) and adjustable neck straps.  What more could you need in an apron?

And, you know what, if you want one, all you have to do is write to Diane at the following email address (stitchembroidery@embarqmail.com).  Her business is called Stitch-IT Embroidery and she does all kinds of embroidery and monogramming.   She is a wonderful person who I will always remember fondly from that crazy year in Brattleboro.  Not only was she an excellent student and business/professional woman, she was a great friend.   I remember one particularly tough week when I broke up with my boyfriend of over a year and, then, my grandmother died.  I went to one last class before hitting the road to go to her funeral and it was Diane that said, "You look like you need a hug."  Oh yeah, did I need a hug!  And, although she barely knew me, she gave me a hug.  So, if there is anything I can do to support her and help her get some orders, you know I am going to do it.

And, if you feel like sharing photos of your favorite aprons, please do over the next week or two.   I know some of you collect all kinds of aprons.  I'll post a little round-up if anyone partakes.  And, I certainly hope you do.  Maybe by then, I can get a photo of me in the apron!

 

Strawberry Season in Rhode Island

 

I have been knee deep in strawberries since I returned home from an excursion to Schartner's Farm in Exeter, RI yesterday.  I got up in the early a.m. to head on down and do my strawberry picking.  I've been calling around to different pick your own farms all week to see who might have the sweetest ripest berries and a field that was not already picked over.  I took my chances on Schartner's because they were just opening their fields to the public.  They don't have a website; however are located right off Route 2 and if you act fast, you might be able to get some before they're gone!

When I arrived at 8 a.m., the farm had already been open since 7 and there were quite a few people working a flagged off section.  I joined them and was quickly frustrated with how hard it was to find ripe juicy berries.   I didn't mind, though, because I knew I'd be making some jam or preserves and wanted a batch that was not too ripe.  But, then, about 15 minutes later, one of the workers strolled on down to where all the pickers were picking and opened a new section.  Now, this section was more what I had in mind.  Big red ripe berries.  They were delicious.

  

I ended up picking over 12 pounds!  Once you get started, it's hard to stop.  That's a lot of berries for one person to handle, let me tell you.  As soon as I got home, I put a bunch in a big bowl and gave them to my neighbors.  They were very excited and commented on how wonderful they smelled.  That is one thing I love about berry picking.  As soon as you get home, that sweet aroma fills your kitchen.  It most definitely brings me back to my childhood.  It seemed that as soon as school let out, strawberry picking down on Robinson Lane was one of our first family activities.  We would pick a ton and be eating fresh berries for days.  My Mom also froze a bunch so we could have them year long.  

As an adult, I did some berry picking in Maryland when I lived there.  There was a great farm outside of Baltimore in Westminster called Baugher's.  I loved that place.  You get taken down to the fields in a big flatbed tractor with all the families and kids which is a lot of fun.  And, they hold really nice autumn events during apple picking season and have a from scratch bakery and cafe down the road.  You can pick all kinds of things there...strawberries, blackberries, cherries, etc.  It was fantastic.  

Anyway, that's when I started making homemade jam and there's the segue into the next post, which I'll put up later today or tomorrow.  Anyway, if I were you, I'd get out there and get yourself some berries!  There is truly no comparison to the ones we see in the supermarkets, which, most of the time, aren't even near ripe. By picking your own, you also get to support a local farmer which makes it even more worthwhile.  Here is a link for the pick your own farms in Rhode Island.

Old Oven

Well, I certainly lucked out and had the most beautiful weather ever while up North.  Mid 70s.  Clear blue skies.  It was really really wonderful and relaxing.  The pace was super slow and reminiscent of lazier summers when I didn't have to work full-time or had larger chunks of time off.  I won't bore you with all the details about killer lobster rolls, an amazing chocolate chip cookie, lovely paintings, drives through hidden coves, and a sail on the Penobscot Bay; however, I'd really love to return and explore more.  The landscapes, light, and colors were calming, meditative, and a remedy for living full force in the grind.  

I do want to mention the motel I stayed in, the Birchwood.  There was a really nice couple who have owne the motel for the past five years.  I truly appreciate people who are giving a business like this one a go. I often dream of such things myself!  They fixed up one of those old strip motels (which I absolutely adore) and are constantly making improvements.  The grounds were lovely and the rooms immaculate; consequently, I was very satisfied with the small cottage I rented. Now, I won't lie, it would have been nice to be right on the water instead of the on the other side of Route 1; however, most of the places that are seaside are very expensive (at least by my standards) and many still don't have ocean views.   The Birchwood has excellent rates and, again, it is well kept and the owners super friendly.  And, I did have an ocean view from the porch of a cottage.  I also found that the other people who stayed there were equally friendly.  So, I was very happy.

Anyway, I am in the process of baking some chocolate cookies for the last night of Bocce this week...so expect a baking post soon.  In the meantime, check out this amazing old oven that was in the Andrew Wyeth house, which is part of the Farnsworth Art Museum in Rockport.  Imagine baking in one of those puppies.

Beautiful Bones Recipe Round-Up

Don't forget to go on over to the Food Blogga to check out all the great recipes her readers submitted for her month-long Beautiful Bones event.  Click HERE and HERE to sift through all of the wonderful recipes.

Memorial Day Weekend Web Round-Up

Today was one of those days when I got out of bed convinced it was already Friday. Wishful thinking, right?

The job has been super busy and, then, last night was bocce night.  That made for a long day.  If I haven't mentioned it, I am in a bocce ball league that plays on Wednesday nights up on Federal Hill behind all the Italian restaurants.  It's a ton of fun even though we haven't had one warm night yet.  We just bundle up, pour some beer, get a little giddy, and play.  Mind you, I had never ever played until my first game in the league. However, I figured if my 99 year old great-aunt (on the Italian side) is still out there driving herself around, living independently, and playing bocce ball...I better get my arse up to the Hill, start playing, and pay some proper respect to my heritage.  I'd say I started strong but have discovered that (so far) I am really inconsistent.  Dead on or way the heck off.   But, I'm having a great time and that's all that matters.

OK, back to this morning.  I was so darned tired that the instant I woke up I was looking forward to going to bed tonight.  You know the feeling.  And, then, since I am headed to New York to see the family this weekend, I started packing my things.  I don't leave until tomorrow, the real Friday.  My brain must have been in over drive.  I have a friend that would call that delirious.  I might agree.

Anyway, before heading out, I want to give you some necessary Memorial Day-ish links that will help you whip up some killer holiday eats.  Just because this blog is all sweet stuff doesn't mean I don't get my grill on.  'Cause I do.  And, yes, I do love makin' and eatin' me some grilled food. And, I have utmost respect for those who call themselves "Pit Masters." We have much to learn from them!  So, get your grill out and get to it.  And, have a great three day weekend!

If you love BBQ as much as I do, definitely check out this article on Epicurious.  Grill master Steven Raichlen hand picks regional specialties and recipes, as well as talks about grilling trends.

For some great grilled side dishes, check out the slide show on Food & Wine.

Elise of Simply Recipes has a whole category devoted to grilled food.  Gotta love that.  I could go for some of that tri-tip steak right about now.

Chow has an article up titled "Gas vs. Charcoal."  Need I say more?  I'm a charcoal fan, myself.

And, for dessert, take a stroll back in time and look at a few of my recipes.  Don't forget that you can grill your dessert, too.  Fruit kabobs.  Slap some pound cake down on a grill and top it with ice cream and fresh fruit sauce.  Grill some pineapple and make some caramel sauce.  And, let's not forget S'mores.  You have a ton of options.

 

Grilled Poundcake with Pineapple and Orange/Cardamom Sauce

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Apple Rhubarb Crisp

Summer Berry Pie

Strawberry Rhubarb Sorbet

Mississippi Mud Bars

Correction

Please note I just corrected my blog post from this weekend about the Martha Stewart Cookie Contest.

I was an honorable mention, not one of the top 10!  Still pretty good, but no prize!  I didn't realize which category I was clicking in when searching through the photos.  And, then, must have gotten excited when I saw my photo.  Hilarious.

Martha Stewart Cookie Contest

Hey! I just found out was an honorable mention in a Martha Stewart Cookie Contest! Oh yeah!

All you had to do was submit a photo of a killer cookie. So, I sent in a photo of the Mississippi Mud Bars I made last summer. As the contest and site states, Martha hand selected the winners.

Click here to view my cookie on the Martha Stewart site.

Anyway, how nice for me!

Elegant Tarts

I am happy to report that my tart class went really well yesterday. It was a ton of fun and the tarts came out beautiful. I ended up with only two students (Nancy and Eric) and they were fantastic. They both made tarts from scratch from start to finish. From an instructors perspective, they were engaged and asked good questions. And, of course, the tarts tasted delicious. Honestly, I had a blast.

Nancy and Eric learned how to make classic fruit-pastry cream, lemon curd, and chocolate truffle tarts. With those three bases, they can play with flavors, toppings, and design. We did everything from mix the tart dough by hand to temper the eggs in the cream. Therefore, with the skills they learned, they can now make a wide variety of lovely elegant tarts.

Here are some photos from our class.

Nancy and Eric make tart dough.

That's me up there talking about tarts.

Nancy and Eric in the process of designing their fruit tart.

Now, that's a tasty looking tart!

Who doesn't like a mini-tart?