creative living in the hudson valley

Soup, Glorious Soup
When I was a child, one the best dishes — at least to my childish palate — was my mother’s onion soup. Her recipe was simplicity itself: take several silver-wrapped cubes of beef bouillon from the little white cardboard can decorated with red cows, dissolve them … Continue reading →

Tomato Pie: A Summer Feast
Tomato pie, I’m told, is a traditional southern dish made with tomatoes, corn and mayonnaise. And while that all sounds pretty good, I’ve yet to try it. Instead, my first experience with the satisfying pastry came from a Danish bakery here in … Continue reading →

Zhōng Guó
Zhōng Guó It’s the Chinese name for China. It means “middle kingdom,” because they regarded themselves as a bit of civilization at the center of the world, surrounded by barbarians. Since they created one of the world’s greatest cuisines, in company … Continue reading →

Planning a Butterfly & Pollinator Garden? —think a variety of Native Plants and MILKWEED!
This time of year is exciting for many gardeners as they begin to plan for a new season. Seed catalogues and nurseries are sending daily e-blasts, teasing the senses to encourage orders. This is when gardeners think about how to approach … Continue reading →

Two Tastes of Sauce
What is a Sauce? Everyone knows the answer, right? It’s that fluid substance we pour over our food to make it taste better. Naturally, the answer is a bit more complicated (or this book could be reduced to just those last fourteen … Continue reading →

Oysters
Before building a stone-wall in our backyard, part of the hillside had to be dug away. One morning, I noticed something white sticking out of the exposed strata, a foot or so below the surface. Once it was rinsed off, a gleam of nacre … Continue reading →

WSA Benefit at the Lockwood
The Woodstock School of Art instructors are currently showing their work at the Lockwood Gallery on Route 28A; this is a special exhibition to benefit the school and is on view through December 30th, 2021. The Woodstock School of Art (WSA) … Continue reading →

Market St. — Rhinebeck
Upon entering the warmly-lit space of Market St., one can immediately sense the palpable urgency that runs like a current into every corner of the restaurant. Servers, smartly attired in stark-white V-neck t-shirts, glide effortlessly from table to table, filling water … Continue reading →

