Category Archives: Cuisine

No Puppydog Tails, Please
There was, long ago, a wonderful Italian store in New Paltz called Toscani’s. It was an aromatic miracle just to walk in the door (and good luck getting in at Christmas and Easter) – dozens of salamis, hot and sweet soppresatas, and cheeses, … Continue reading

For The Love of Hudson Valley Tomatoes
I remember, as a young child, my mother had grown some tomatoes in our backyard. It was mid-summer when she pulled the first red ripe tomato off the vine, sliced off a piece, salted it and handed it to me. Much like … Continue reading

Thanks, Euell!
When I was a child, I felt little-or-no enthusiasm for cooked vegetables. I regarded them as soft and gray (ironically, an apt description of my adult self). Among the foods I singled out for special loathing was asparagus. Those limp, slimy, and vaguely stringy stalks were … Continue reading

Sage Advice
If you’ve had an herb garden for a while, you’ve probably found that some perennial herbs need to be cut back from time to time. That nice little sage plant you once planted is turning into a largish shrub that threatens to … Continue reading

Much Ado About Mush
One sunny afternoon, I was talking with a shopkeeper in Italy, and he asked me where I was from. When I mentioned New York’s Hudson Valley, his eyes took on a melting expression, as if he was reliving some magical moment. Then, after returning from … Continue reading

Savory Weeds
Long before humans began to cultivate their own crops, they hunted and foraged for food. Eventually they found that they could produce larger quantities of grains and vegetables through farming, but the plants that made their meals more interesting still … Continue reading