creative living in the hudson valley

Classic Films on the Big Screen
For those of you who have not seen this classic on the big screen and for those of you who have and would like to see it again, the Rosendale Theatre is screening Easy Rider on Thursday, July 6, at 7PM. … 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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

