Flowers, Food and Wine

Sibling Pie Baking for Thanksgiving... Banana Cream Pie

2013-11-27T01:05:00.002-05:00

This is the first year I decided to make a homemade pie for Thanksgiving... um... O.K. I take that back, I've tried before and failed miserably, so this year was my mission to make the first EDIBLE HOMEMADE Thanksgiving pie... And since I was doing all the hard work I decided to make MY favorite... Banana Cream Pie. Clearly I don't consider myself much of a baker, but if you're going to do it you might as well do it all the way meaning everything from scratch -- NO BOXES. Now the important part to mention here is, I probably gained the baker's courage because I was attempting this in my brother's kitchen with all his fancy equipment (or at least baking gadgets and gizmos I don't have), while he was working on the pie crust. My brother Christos is a chef and loves to bake, so I figured if I had any doubts or questions no problem, I was in the right kitchen.

I used a recipe from the Food Network, not realizing 24 egg yolks meant I was baking 3 pies, not just one. As I was already midway my brother said to me, "You know this isn't for one pie right?" I replied, "Um, no why, how many is it for?" Yet it truly was easy enough to make, and it comes out so good people will be flocking over to try it so better to have more than less.

So here goes a step by step process with some tips, and should you like to print out the actual recipe click on the Food Network link above.

First Step:
Mix 8 cups of Milk with one whole, split vanilla bean, or a table spoon of vanilla extract, and 1/4 teaspoon salt over medium heat whisking every so often waiting for it to boil. When it has boiled leave for an extra minute and mix.

Second Step:
As the milk is getting ready to boil, whisk the 24 egg yolks and 2 2/3 cups sugar together until it becomes thick and pale yellow, then gradually add the 1 cup cornstarch.
TIP: When Measuring powders (corn starch, flour, sugar, etc.) use a dry measuring cup as seen on the right, whereas when measuring liquids use a wet measuring cup).

Third Step:
When the milk mixture is ready take off heat and add half of it slowly to the yolk mixture while whisking.

Fourth Step:
Pour the yolk-milk mixture back into the saucepan with the rest of the milk mixture and cook, whisking frequently and until the mixture boils. Then reduce heat to medium-low and cook for another 7 minutes. Mixture should become thick like a custard.

Fifth Step:
By the time the custard has set, you should already have 6 tablespoons of unsalted butter cut, and 5 big or 6 regular size ripe bananas cut. Then fold both into the custard.
TIP#1: I cut 5 bananas and smashed the sixth, while also smashing the ends of the bananas using a fork. This gives the custard more of a banana flavor while also having some cut pieces.

TIP#2 If you don't have RIPE bananas like I didn't, you can put them in a brown paper bag over night and that should help, or in my case since it didn't help, the recipe still works wonderfully and tastes delicious.

Finished Product for Pie Filling:
Once the pie filling is complete add it to your pie shell and refrigerate it over night, or for at least seven hours. When ready to serve add the fresh whipped cream, which is simply combining confectionery powder and heavy cream in a beater on low to medium speed. Voila! Magnifique!

Pie Crust:

This is my brother Christos' pie crust recipe for five 9' inch round pie tins (I know... I know... can't be a recipe for one, only 3 or 5). The ingredients are as listed, but you can watch the videos below to see how makes it which isn't as hard as I thought.

2 lbs. Flour
1 lb. Unsalted Butter
5-8 Ounces Water (depending on humidity)
1/4 cup Granulated Sugar

This is the pie crust prior to cooking. Before attempting to roll it out, it is important to let it sit out at room temperature for 5-10 minutes (it will make it much easier to roll and stretch).

Once it is ready to cook, pre-heat the oven to 350F on bake. Line the pie crust with parchment paper and fill it with pie weights which could be rice or beans. It takes approximately 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes before removing pie weights. Once weights are taken off, poke bottom of pie crust with fork a few times and return to oven and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes until the crust is golden. Which looks perfectly like the picture to the right.

The other plus about making more than one pie for Thanksgiving is you get to dig in before the big dinner... I mean after all that work who really wants to wait. So I can tell you full of confidence and pride that I have made the first completely homemade Thanksgiving pie that tastes absolutely DELICIOUS! Thank you Christos for the moral support and help, and I think we have a new tradition yet again. Happy Thanksgiving everyone... Enjoy the day with family and friends full of great food and merriment!

An Historic Glance at Food over the last 50 years in America, In Honor of JFK & DGP1

2013-11-20T22:05:00.000-05:00

There are some significant dates coming up that are interconnected. Dates that have inspired me to take a historical glance at food from the 1950s to present day in America, because of two very important men, and especially one in particular.

As a country we are reflecting on the 50th anniversary this month of President John F. Kennedy's assassination, November 22, 1963.

As my family is reflecting and mourning the loss of my grandfather, Demitrios G. Pantos, who was born on November 22, 1928, and passed away last year on December 2.

I am making this personal connection because as my family and I think about and honor Pappou Jimmy on the memoriam of his one year death, one thing in particular that I remember which connects to President Kennedy, is how Pappou would readily extol to us kids growing up or anyone else for that matter, "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." My grandfather had a large portrait of President Kennedy framed over his desk, and would point at it to me while emphasizing, "Education is the key. Be smart."

Those famous inaugural remarks of 1961 resonated so strongly to my Pappou even though he had recently immigrated to the U.S. from Greece in 1955. Pappou Jimmy literally loved President Kennedy and probably for the same reasons as many — the young president's optimism, hope, unwavering belief in accomplishing great deeds, and most definitely his charm, as Pappou Jimmy himself never ran out of charm. For my grandfather, I also believe it was Kennedy's strong sense of family, not only for the Camelot portrait of his elegant wife Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy and two adorable kids in the White House Carolyn and John F. Kennedy Jr., but the enduring bond with his brothers, sisters and parents that of course extended to cousins, uncles and aunts... Let's face it, we're talking about the American version of an aristocratic family which included playing football and admiring the beautiful shores of Hyannisport.

When I was old enough to discuss history with Pappou he would tell me stories on a wide range
of topics whether those be about his homeland in Greece, or his adopted country that he respected and loved for giving him the opportunity to dream big, and make him a successful restaurateur able to provide for his family.

So in honor of Pappou Jimmy who continues to magnify my life every day, I pay tribute to his legacy by following his life in food, paralleling the history of American cuisine over the last fifty years plus.

Here's an interesting statistic to lead the way, Americans now consume approximately 57 pounds more meat annually than they did in the 1950s... and a third fewer eggs now. (USDA's Economic Research)

Speaking about meat, guess what Pappou Jimmy's favorite meat was... HINT: he's Greek for crying out loud... drum roll... Of course the answer is LAMB! And one of my favorite ways he prepared it was in his most delicious recipe of slow cooking lamb pieces in a red wine tomato sauce called Moschari Kokkinisto, which he accompanied with either orzo or large noodles. Lucky for me he taught my mom how to make it just as perfect.

Other than the link above for the recipe, a go to for great Greek recipes is: Greek Cuisine, Vefa Alexiadou

Now let's begin:

1955, Welcome to Worcester... or better yet, to the USA from Epirus, Greece.

Pappou Jimmy quickly learned the staple dishes that were invented during the Great Depression of the 30s, which were inexpensive and used minimal meat, which carried on to the 50's and beyond. This includes: Macaroni and Cheese, Meatloaf, Hamburgers, Chili and any kind of casserole.

Pappou Jimmy carried the tradition of his famous Meatloaf Dinner cooking it every week at his daughter's restaurant in Holden, MA called Val's Restaurant. They continue to follow pappou's recipe to this day and is the hit seller every Tuesday.

Otherwise the 50s brought on the distribution of processed food because of transportation with our new highway system -- so we're talking frozen dinners, Swanson's TV Dinners, Canned Soups, Frozen Fish Sticks and what better to have on the side of the highway other than... you guessed it: McDonald's.

1964, The West Side Diner, Chandler Street (Fun statistic: Greek Immigrants founded more than
600 diners in the NY region from the 50s-70s.)

After a few years of working at different places and learning the language, Pappou Jimmy opened his own place, The West Side Diner. Coincidentally, Worcester is the hometown to the first commercial diners called The Worcester Lunch Car in 1887. Back to Pappou, the West Side Diner sat approximately 25 people and he did the cooking while my yiayia Mary was at the counter taking orders. So all the recipes that he learned, he was putting to good use here offering comfort food listed above, plus any kind of sandwich you could think of.

One sandwich in particular that Pappou was known for which also coincided with the feel of the decade mentioned below was the Monte Cristo -- basically a spin on the French Croque-Monsieur. The Monte Cristo was also elegantly called the French Sandwich :) A sinfully delicious egg-fried sandwich of ham, turkey and cheese dusted with powdered sugar -- oh did I gobble that up when Pappou made it for me.

The 60s brought on the most beloved and animated Chef Julia Child. It was perfect timing for Julia as Jackie Kennedy had just installed a French Chef in the White House. So Julia took us from frozen, processed food to the delightful culinary traditions of French Cooking. This includes some of her classics: Coq au Vin, Boeuf Bourguignon, and Duck a l'Orange. Take a quick look at Julia's down-to-earth, fun personality in one of her signature episodes on her cooking show, The French Chef

1975, Four Pizza Shops

By 1971 Pappou Jimmy sold the Diner and began opening pizza shops in what he called, "virgin territories," which he implied towns with a large enough population for high business volume yet no current pizza shops or many food offerings available. Specifically Pappou opened them with a business partner in the Southeastern Region of Massachusetts: Norton, Sharon, Foxborough and Mansfield. His sauce was delicious adding some traditional Greek herbs such as oregano, with just the right amount of sugar to combat the acidity. During this time he was teaching my mother, Val, everything he knew bringing her to work with him and creating another generation of a successful restaurateur who loved food and people.

Pappou Jimmy on far right showing how to cheese a pizza

Pappou's favorite pizza toppings: Onion and Pepper

Pizza History in USA
Pizza first came to America's shores at the turn of the century in the early 1900s with the great immigration wave, specifically 4 Million Italians. It was known as inexpensive peasant food and was first provided in places like New York City; Trenton, NJ; New Haven, CT and Boston. What all these cities had in common was the factory work available as to sell this ethnic food to poor immigrants.

But after WWII when American GIs returned from Italy they wanted the pizza they discovered overseas in their own hometowns. So the equipment was invented, such as the Hobart Mixer and pizza ovens. By 1960 pizzerias were sprouting up across the country, and now not just by Italians but Greeks also. Pizza became the perfect communal food that was inexpensive and was also great for families.
Thus pizza became an American Staple just like hotdogs and hamburgers.

Favorite Pizza in Boston: Regina Pizzeria in the North End, and Woody's Grill & Tap Backbay/Fens
NYC: Bleeker Street Pizza

1980s, Jimmy's Pub
By the 80s with the onslaught of Reagan, Trump and the excessiveness from the stock market came "Nouvelle Cuisine," with its lighter, more delicate dishes emphasizing presentation and high price tags. Of course Pappou Jimmy didn't go gourmet, he stuck with what he knew best and did it best. He expanded the Mansfield House of Pizza, building a separate restaurant with pub style food including his staple menu items and famous Fish and Chips. By the mid 80s he retired and soon after he returned to the kitchen doing what he loved at my mother's restaurants.

One of the best memories I have growing up in my family's restaurant is when my grandparents worked side-by-side on busy Friday nights on the frialator section, with my old Uncle Mike, and one would batter the fish, while the other dropped the fish and fries in the frialator, and the last person scooping coleslaw and packaging togo — all while yelling at each other saying even worst things than "let's go damn it!" Imagine Lucy and Ethel meets Archie Bunker -- priceless comedy for all the customers to see. Boy do I miss those days.

Yiayia Mary & Pappou Jimmy at their daughter's,
Val's Restaurant

Later when my mother moved to a larger location and opened a full-blown restaurant serving more than 250 guests, believe it or not so came the three stooges on frialator section. When they eventually hung up their aprons, my yiayia went back to her roots taking orders on take-out, while my pappou let his personality shine welcoming guests in the dining room, and if he got the urge, even sitting down with them to have dinner together!

My grandparents bringing me to work with
them in Mansfield.

I suppose we all have our ways of keeping our loved one's legacies alive. My mother followed in her father's footsteps and sees pictures of her parents hung up all over the restaurant honoring them. My brother moved into my grandparent's house renovating it and keeping the feel of yiayia and pappou alive right next door. Living in New York City not close enough to their home or pizza shops, I have them both in the one place they can never leave and always follow me along, my heart. There's not a day that goes by, my family doesn't think of pappou and yiayia, laugh, cry and remember his larger than life personality. May we all treasure the memories that keep us connected to our best selves.

Rest in Peace President Kennedy
Rest in Peace Pappou Jimmy
God Bless America... and our Patrida

Paris' Best Baguette, Croissant & Chocolate

2013-08-09T16:54:00.000-04:00

Visiting Gosselin in St. Germain de Pres

Of course Paris has a Grand Prix for the Best Baguette each year! Scroll over the link to see which boulangerie was the winner for 2012, which also gets the honor to supply the Elysee Presidential Palace for one year of freshly baked baguettes. Being the magazine hoarder that I am I didn't realize I had the winner from 2008 until just now, considering how nicely crisp and wrinkle free the page was. But tasting the baguette from Gosselin was as if they were still the winner this year. France's iconic food did not disappoint having a crunchy crust and a soft interior also known in French as "La Mie"(we need an English word to describe the soft inside of bread too).

The second find was for best croissant, and you bet that I looked on the same article finding the 2008 winner, Maison Kayser. I was wondering how a croissant could be so much better than the next one, almost like saying best bagel for New Yorkers -- but oh it was certainly clear when I bit into Eric Kayser's croissant! I honestly don't think I have ever had a better croissant, granted I didn't have this year's winner, but just the same... It was warm, buttery and crusty on the outside with a soft fleshy inside. The almond croissant was fantastic as well, but the plain butter croissant was the best. Thankfully my tiny shorts reminded me not to go for the chocolate croissant in this sitting and wait for tomorrow.

Enjoying Eric Kayser's Croissant for
breakfast with a Cappuccino.

Onto the last find which was certainly well worth the manhunt and hours-long search. Christian Constant may be considered the world's best chocolatier. My husband has the patience like no other willing to wander neighborhoods in Paris trying to find this small chocolate boutique near Luxembourg Gardens. We had left the apartment quickly and I didn't write down the address. Meanwhile, I thought anyone in the neighborhood would know where the "World's Best Chocolate" is... except that wasn't the case for this hidden gem, and there was no wifi to even find the address! After a few hours of roaming around asking each shop along the way with my best Fresh accent, which is pretty bad, we finally found it! Christian Constant is serious about chocolate, as a "Scholar of Chocolate History," writer of three books on -- you guessed it -- chocolate!

The exquisite chocolates of Christian Constant

ABSOLUTELY EXQUISITE CHOCOLATE! It was not what I was expecting at all. I thought it would be more traditional, old-world truffles with intense flavors of hazelnut or ganache. Rather, the chocolate was refined and much more about the texture and quality of the cocoa instead of distracting flavors. That is why I use the word "exquisite," as it is clear to taste the craftsmanship and the highest quality ingredients in this chocolate.

Christian Constant who may be considered the world's best Chocolatier!

Exotic flavors ranged from Verbena Flowers, Yemen Jasmine and Green Tea, Tahitian Vanilla Flowers, Orange Blossoms to savory, unique flavors such as Safran threads, Cardamom from Malabar and Cinnamon from Ceylan. Surprisingly the price was also reasonable for this caliber of chocolate. You may pay $10 for a cup of coffee in parts of France, but thankfully the chocolate is much more fairly priced!

I also had to mention MEERT, one of the oldest Parisian outposts for Flemish style gaufres since 1761. The flagship location is in Lille, but we visited the small boutique in St. Germain des Pres off Rue de Seine. These waffle delicacies are filled with vanilla cream from Madagascar and drenched in syrup -- VERY VERY SWEET. Other than the gaufres, the chocolates were delicious. Especially memorable was the dark chocolate truffle filled with a single-malt scotch from Scotland and the chocolate apricots.

One of the oldest Chocolate

Chocolate Case at MEERT

France's Open-Air Markets, in Honor of National Farmers' Markets Week

2013-08-08T23:30:00.001-04:00

This week is National Farmers' Market Week supporting local farmers and better, healthier food. As much as this may be an oxymoron, living in the city makes us especially privy to some of the freshest local produce because of farmers' markets. Living in New York City and having recently travelled throughout France, city-goers have a great appreciation for farmers' markets because we value that green space and the fresh, local produce that we get to enjoy from it. So in honor of National Farmers' Market Week instead of running to Shaws or even Whole Foods, go to your local farm stand and buy some fresh produce! And before you run off to go get those nutritious rich goodies, read the rest of my blog and please share.

One of many Sunflower Fields in Provence

Every weekend I try to make it a point to go to one of many neighborhood farmers' markets (for me it is either Union Square or Abingdon Square) to get my fresh fruits and veggies, peruse the plants and flowers, try various cheeses and jams, and even buy some seafood and baked goods.

Union Square Farmers' Market
with Gigi

An Artist showcasing her original artwork in
St. Remy de Provence

Having recently done a tour de France starting in Paris going through the countryside to Provence and ultimately finishing the trip on the Riviera in Nice, it was clear to see the love of farmers' markets throughout the country. Firstly, it was beautiful driving throughout France and noticing the thriving agricultural industry throughout the country with farming in all different sectors. Everyone knows how proud the French are, and as well they should be for their prosperous farming that even in this day in age so much of their produce, dairy and cattle is still farmed in their own country. And as a point of distribution for farmers, open-air markets are as consistent and in abundance throughout the country. The biggest word to the wise is beware of days and times. Many varying markets are either on Tuesdays or Wednesdays, and then of course the weekends as well.

Flower Market in Nice.

Open Air Market in St. Remy de Provence

I really wanted to go to Marche Raspail while I was in Paris. It is the largest, organic market in Paris that is held two times a week, although those exact days are questionable. Online I saw the market was held on Tuesdays and Fridays, however, when I was about to go and asked for directions, I was told it was the artists' market on Tuesdays, and the food market is Wednesdays and Saturdays. Needless to say I missed my opportunity while in Paris since I was there for only a few days, but with all the open air markets in the city, it's not hard to find one.

On our way back from missing Marche Raspail and going shopping instead, right in our neighborhood was a small cheese, meat and bread market. The cheeses were scrumptious and plenty, and even if you don't want to taste every single one, good luck explaining that to the nice guy force feeding you.

Trying an Assortment of Cheeses from the local market in
St. Germain de Pres, Paris.

Fresh Bread and Salami, Jamon and Prosciutto

Enjoying one of the BEST Blue Cheeses I've ever had on our balcony in Paris
... or should I say Roquefort from the South of France...
With the rest of my Farmers' Market Booty: chocolate oranges,
fresh peach, & really good, cheap Bordeaux that I don't even know the name of.

Seafood Stall in Nice, with camera shy vendor.

Shucking oysters at a farmers' market
in St. Remy de Provence.

Tasting some wine at a St. Remy de Provence market. Moving
onto the Champagne stall to bring with me while eating
just shucked oysters. See Charles below...

Best Farmers' Market in St. Remy de Provence!
4Euro Champagne + Just Shucked Oysters= Tres Bien!

Paris: Superb Dinner at Verjus

2013-08-05T23:29:00.001-04:00

One of the best restaurants we ate at in Paris offering haute cuisine wasn't prepared by a local Parisian chef, rather a Bostonian chef, Braden Perkins, who is living la vie en rose cooking up specialties in Paris with his business and life partner Laura Adrian.

Tucked away on rue de Richelieu across from the Palais Royal is Verjus, an intimate restaurant and wine bar that offers modern cuisine using only the freshest local ingredients.

We were lucky to get a reservation since walk-ins are not accepted, and there is limited seating emphasizing the focus on execution for high quality food and service. There is one tasting menu offered at 60E or accompanied with wine pairings 100E, which for the cuisine and service given was well worth it. By the end of our dinner it was clear that during any visit in Paris, one MUST have dinner at Verjus.

Starting from the amuse all the way through to the double dessert we couldn't have been happier. Each course was prepared perfectly combining wonderful flavors and textures, let alone a more than satisfactory portion. One of my favorites was the "skillet cooked trout from Banka, with chanterelles, guanciale, pickled chilies, chives and a roasted corn soup." I couldn't hold back from using my spoon for every last bit of the corn soup-- phenomenal!

Since this was early on in our trip I was really looking forward to my first duck entree in France -- I was not let down! Wonderfully cooked seared crispy on the outside and a tender inside with an orange, rye au jus. The red Sancerre 2011 paired with the duck was clever and couldn't have worked any better.

The only thing we didn't think worked well was one of the desserts. The espresso panna cotta with Bing and Ranier cherries seemed to clash. The lemon polenta cake with blueberries, lavender honey and a Greek yogurt sorbet was more than sufficient for dessert, and considering how creative and delicious it was nothing else was needed.

It was refreshing and inspiring hearing the story behind the owners opening Verjus. The professional and kind manager who was also our server explained how the owners started having supper clubs at their apartment when they first moved to Paris more than 20 years ago. From such popular dinners and word of mouth growing, they realized there was a high demand for the dinners. Local friends were willing to invest in the Americans so they could take their passion for homemade culinary affairs to the public in a restaurant setting.

Can't stop raving about Verjus and definitely look forward to trying their famous Fried Chicken in their lounge next time we're in town. Although we would definitely recommend the dining room over the downstairs bar since it is simply too good too pass up.

Even the flower on the table made me happy. I had never seen such an exotic shimmering color flower where it was between a beautiful periwinkle and silver color... Come to find out after seeing the flower at an open-air market the name is Chardon.

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Underground Gem: A Parisian Cocktail Lounge

2013-07-24T18:29:00.001-04:00

A speakeasy of sorts in the trendy St. Germain area has the perfect prescription for you. Don't ask me how we stumbled upon Prescription Cocktail Club, considering this underground lounge had dark windows with closed curtains, a big black door that was closed, and it was off the beaten track -- but thankfully before we left Paris for Provence we got a taste of the cool side of the Left Bank of Paris.

As you enter this cozy, expat lounge you wonder if you will bump into Hemingway or Picasso's ghost, except it almost feels even too hush hush for the types of them considering they loved the limelight. First off, the bartenders are mixologists. I don't throw around that word often, nor do I tend to blog about bars or lounges or else one would assume I know too much about them, but I had to make an exception for Prescription Cocktail Club, and more specific for Axel the mixologist who was so unpretentious and welcoming... even for the French! (P.S. The food may be superb in Paris but so far the service has been horrible and has completely earned its reputation -- other than Axel that is).

Great list of cocktails with exotic liquors.

Happy to have found two seats at the small bar on the first floor, we nestled ourselves in and ordered off of the creative and impressive cocktail menu. Charles hadn't been able to find a perfect dirty martini in Paris so he went for it, while I decided to try the Very Old Cuban. I knew from the start these drinks were going to be reallllly good considering the sip straws next to the glasses were for the bartenders to try the cocktails before serving them to make sure they are up to par. Also, the method of preparation was fantastic from chilled glasses, different kinds of ice cubes for each appropriate drink, to freshly made mixers and the perfect shake. Oh, and don't bother asking for Grey Goose because even though the vodka is from France you'd never guess. Axel did show us the vodka they used for Charles' dirty martini and it was really smooth. Although I don't remember the name right now I can tell you it is made with some quinoa -- go figure!

The "Very Old Cuban," a take on the mojito using
Very Old Rum, Strained Mint but with Champagne -- Oh Yeah!

Not only were the drinks delicious, but the music was also spot on from some old school soul mixed in with some current hip hop and pop. Hence, while in Paris you MUST stop by Prescription Cocktail Club for an authentic Parisian experience.

Jardin du Luxembourg

2013-07-21T12:27:00.001-04:00

Woke up early today to go to one of the largest, organic food, open-markets in Paris called, Marche Raspail. On our way over we stumbled upon Jardin du Luxembourg

What a beautiful public park with tennis & basketball courts, a track amongst nature, and gardens. There were various sitting areas covered in shade by tall beautiful trees to gaze upon astounding sculptures.

Other than the gardens, there is the Musee du Luxembourg which looked like there was a really cool exhibition, but decided to pass since we already had enough museums on our list of the hundreds Paris offers.

With the architectural beauty, culture and history Paris offers, it is a given that no matter where you walk or get lost for that matter, you will surely stumble upon majestic sights in this glorious city.

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Location:Rue de Seine,Paris,France

First Find: Le Macaron

2013-07-21T02:22:00.006-04:00

Upon the day of arrival as we walked alleyways of antiques throughout St. Germaine, there on Rue Royal was the first patissiere that beckoned me. Laduree, "Maison fondee en 1862," was a small shop of beautiful colors, smells and tastes, and come to find out one with much history in Paris.

Although every scrumptious sweet behind the glass case called my name, it was an easy decision to go straight for my first macaroon in Paris. They're "Macaron Collection" comprises of delicious flavors such as orange blossom, frambiose (strawberry), lemon, chocolate, and caramel with salted butter. I chose my favorites, Rose Petal and Pistachio. As you can imagine, they were light, airy, full of flavor, and so far the best macaroon I have tasted. And as they should have been considering it was the maison of the shop, Pierre Desfonatines, in the early 20th century who invented the modern Parisian macaroon we now know of today.

The macaroon history is interesting and I found it most easy to read from Les Petits Macarons. It all begins in the Venetian monasteries in the 8th century after almonds arrived in Italy from the Arabs. That is why the word macaron comes from the Italian verb, "maccare," to beat or pound, which is what they did to the almonds getting that creamy paste to use for baking. It was the nuns of France who were the driving force behind making macaroons popular in France. But as stated above, the Parisian creamed sandwich of today with the two shells joined together with a ganache filling, also referred to as "gerbet," is a more modern invention from Pierre Desfontaines, who was the second cousin of Louis Ernest Laduree. And so the Laduree box of macaroons connotes the same sophistication and excellence as another little green box, from Tiffany's, albeit not nearly as expensive and much more flavorful. Stay tuned as today I shall explore open-air food markets for baguettes and cheese...

Blogging on Location, Test Blogging from iPhone

2013-07-19T11:00:00.001-04:00

Woooh! Going on my honeymoon. I'm testing the 1st blog I've ever done on my phone so please bare with me...

Flying out tonight on red eye to Paris for 4 nights, day trip to Champagne, few nights in Rhone Valley, few nights in Provence, and finish the trip on the French Riviera: St. Tropez, Nice, and hopefully time for Monaco.

There couldn't be a better place to blog on location about Flowers, Food and Wine! I am so excited, and can't wait to share my finds and loves of France with you.

A few objectives: 1) Find an onion soup that can rival my mother's
2) Smell the Lavender in the fields of Provence 3) Eat a croissant for breakfast, baguette and cheese on seine river for lunch, and chocolates in between... DAILY!

Have an Apple apt. So have to run but hope this post works.
Aurevoir!

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Location:Two weeks throughout France

Ringing in 2013 Circa 1950s in Rhinebeck, NY

2013-01-05T11:00:00.001-05:00

This year we left the epicenter for celebrating New Year's Eve for a small, quiet town that felt closer to the 50s than ringing in 2013. Last minute, literally on NYE afternoon we decided to rent a car and head north on the Hudson to Rhinebeck. It was a wonderful winter escape that took under 2 hours on a beautiful scenic drive.

We stayed at Beekman Arms and Delamater Inn located on Main Street in the center of town, which we found out is America's longest operating inn (hit the link to the left for the history of the inn which amazingly enough was host to George Washington and played a major role during the American Revolution). Upon entering the lobby is a welcoming fire place with leather couches and wooden beams. So comforting and rustic, like all you want to do is read a book in front of the fire with a hot cup of tea or in my case a hot toddy.

Since our dinner reservation wasn't until 9:30 that night, which also included dancing to a live jazz band playing 20s/30s swing, we decided to walk Main Street and pop into a few of the remaining open shops. When we left the inn we heard live music outside that sounded so beautiful, and to our astonishment under a lit tree on the street corner was a saxophonist. After we tipped the talented musician and crossed the street we saw an old-fashioned department store with wonderful window displays of clothing. A few doors down was a toy shop, antique shop lined with old sleds on the sidewalk and many exquisite restaurants that feature farm to table cooking, small cafes and good-looking bars. As far as Charles and I were concerned we found our little slice of heaven in the country a quick drive outside of the city.

We only had a few hours before heading back to our room to sit by the fire and start to get ready for dinner, so we walked into Liberty Public House, an inviting bar with perfect ambiance. The dining room was set up for dinner with glamorous candelabras and chandeliers all over, yet Red, White and Blue as the color scheme with decorations and artwork -- think Americana meets Marie Antoinette (thanks Charles -- nicely put). The bar side to the right, was an old-world saloon with wooden booths and cowboy looking bar, with awesome old prints of presidents, inventors and nature scenes hung all around, and the occasional moose head plaque or old model airplane. We only had one drink there before taking a fellow patron's recommendation to try out The Local. And wouldn't you know the two couples next to us were so nice to pay for our round! Can you believe it?!?! That only validated that we left the big city for nice people telling the bartender, "We got this round to welcome our guests in town." Thank You Rhinebeck, Mission Accomplished, We felt Welcomed!

So off we went to The Local Restaurant and Bar which was small and scrumptious. Known for its local products, regional recipes with seasonal changing menu, and acclaimed wine cellar -- one can easily deduce that the owner is also the chef de cuisine. I have to get right to it, the FRIED OYSTERS with BLACK TRUFFLE AIOLI were UNBELIEVABLE!!! I mean so good I need to get the recipe for you my loyal readers or else I won't feel right. Please Chef Wes Dier do me that one favor... How did you make that delicious truffle aioli? (To be continued on the recipe -- hopefully I can share it with y'all). I would take a stab at what was in it, but with the rest of the champagne that followed that evening it has blurred my tasting experience other than remembering how phenomenal it was!

Fast forward through a fun dinner at Beekman's, yet with all the talented, local dining establishments I wouldn't recommend the Beekman Arms for dinner. Sure why not have a drink in their great bar feeling like your swilling some ale where the revolutionaries debated what should go into the Declaration of Independence. Maybe even enjoy lunch or brunch in their beautiful front glass atrium, but compared to the other restaurants in town the dining there wasn't up to par. So fast forward: dancing, martinis, midnight kiss, champagne, great discussion, wine and late night partying at the underground bar at Liberty (go figure small town Rhinebeck parties until the wee hours, 4AM WHAT! We lasted to 2AM) we get to New Year's Day.

Other than a great cup of tea in front of the fireplace at Beekman's reading Silent Spring by Rachel Carson (highly recommend you read this monumental book authored from an inspirational woman of the 60s who created what we know today as the environmental movement), went straight to Samuel's for a great cup of coffee. Nothing like coffee to help a hangover, let alone mixed with penny candy and homemade chocolates (cute coffee shop for adults and children alike).

We headed to Arielle's for New Year's brunch. We figured the food would be wonderful because it smelled so good from
a few hundred feet away that the aroma beckoned us over to the French provincial restaurant. A charming setting to sip on a mimosa or bloody Mary with natural light infusing through the front windows on the plank floors and wooden beams of the ceilings. Glorious artwork hung throughout the restaurant, an overall aesthetically pleasing atmosphere for lunch or dinner. Since we were starving and couldn't wait for our main course, we ordered Pommes Frites. Fantastic! They were accompanied with another delicious aioli.

Although we ordered the crispy, skinny French fries to have something to pick on prior to our meals, the meals themselves came out fairly quickly even with a full dining room. They were offering a very reasonable prix fixe which for $14 included several choices for your entree and either a mimosa, Bellini or bloody Mary. Of course I got the Eggs Benedict and couldn't possibly wait for a picture before diving right in for a bite. Than I collected myself and realized I would be blogging about this meal and tried to tidy up the plate (hence the picture below). Absolutely delicious Eggs Benedict, the Hollandaise Sauce was light and fluffy but full of flavor and the accompaniment of mixed greens went well with the richness of the rest of the plate (granted I already enjoyed my potatoes). Not too mention the service was attentive and fast.

After brunch we took a short ride throughout town which was nice to see all the farm land of Dutchess County and the properties sitting right on the Hudson, which includes another well-known hotel called The Rhinecliff with beautiful views of the mountains across the way and the river below. We were happy with our decision though to stay at Beekman Arms since everything you need whether for one or two days visiting is conveniently located in the center of town on Main and Market Streets.

We made it back to an old independent movie theater called Upstate Films, which was playing Hyde Park on Hudson starring Bill Murray. It was the perfect movie to see in Rhinebeck during this brief escape from hectic modern day living, not too mention that FDR's home was only a 15 minute drive away. It's a lovely film that showed the beauty of small town America in the 30s and 40s, and the decorum of politicking before the 24/7 news cycle and some of the fanatics that take office today. It showed how authentic the experience was living somewhere without strip-malls and suburban sprawl, rather local shops where people knew your name and cared to know how you were doing (although it's 2013 I still got a similar notion that Rhinebeck has kept some of those qualities today).

Before finally getting on the road to head out of this wonderful enclave, we went into the local Rhinebeck Smoke Shoppe to savor a rather luxurious Christmas present, Arturo Fuentes Opus X Cigar. We learned that the smoke shop was there from 1929. We had a spirited discussion on the state of America with a fellow who welcomed us in and could have been the proprietor, but probably wasn't. Shook hands and bid farewell for now, as we drove back to Manhattan.

One of my favorite parts to Rhinebeck was its overall unpretentious, laid-back style even though its clearly an affluent community with a hip restaurant scene, high property values, beautiful views and an assortment of anything one wants from salons to boutiques -- heck even Chelsea Clinton got married there.

Christmas Dinner Menu from Breakfast to Dessert

2012-12-27T13:12:00.000-05:00

This Christmas I became a grown-up. Yes, I stopped believing in Santa a long time ago (except when I still watch Miracle on 34th Street), but this was the first holiday meal that I hosted for my family at my place. It may be because my mother always does such an amazing job not only with the cooking, but being such a warm, loving host that we've never wanted to change it. It may also be because I live in a studio apartment that may total 300 square feet if we count the fire escape. But this year it was time for a new generation in my family to step up to the plate. And I've learned that it's not about how much space or square footage you have, it's about who you have in your life to share it with. Even in our small home, we still made quite a feast and enjoyed each other and the meal, creating lasting memories.

Here was our Christmas Dinner Menu:

Smoked Ham with a Madeira Glaze

Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Raviolis, Brown Sugar and Black Truffle Oil Sauce

Arugula, Gorgonzola, Candied Pecans and Tomatoes with Balsamic

I got the ham from Ottomanelli and Sons Meat Market in the West Village on Bleecker Street. These gentlemen have a first class butcher shop. Even amongst the chaos and craziness of the holidays you will still get friendly, helpful service, let alone as always their quality meats. The reason I chose ham was my small oven is lacking for roasting or baking; it pretty much only broils on top and bottom. So the ham was already cooked, it was just a matter of heating it and basting it to give it flavor. They also provided a wonderful recipe for a glaze, that my brother and I slightly improvised.

Inside the Old-School Meat Market

Long line around the corner to the butcher shop

Mission Accomplished: Day of Food Shopping

We put the ham in a 3" inch deep roasting pan, and added 1/2cup of Madeira wine and some water. We then poured some more Madeira wine on top of the ham in addition to a little olive oil, and rubbed some butter and brown sugar on it. We put that in the oven for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, to prepare the glaze, we mixed 1/2 cup of Dijon mustard (we used Grey Poupon) with a cup of brown sugar and since I had some apricot preserves I added a 1/4 cup (even orange marmalade would have been nice). We continued to mix the glaze adding some more Madeira wine to bring it to the right consistency. We took the ham out and poked some clove spikes all around it with some juniper berries, and basted the ham with some of the glaze. We cooked it on 375 degrees for about 45 minutes to an hour, consistently basting it.

Since I couldn't use my oven to prepare anything else, I opted for fresh raviolis. I chose two: wild mushroom and aged goat cheese. On the same block as Ottomanelli's is a wonderful Cheese and Italian Specialty Shop called Murray's Cheese. They have quite an assortment of pastas, chocolates, cheese, olives, bread, spreads — it's wonderful! I also learned that they offer classes for cheese learning and gift making. Since we've now eaten the raviolis I would highly recommend the circle raviolis stuffed with mushroom, but would pass on the square raviolis. The goat cheese ravs let the stuffing out when put in the boiling water (my brother chef told me it was because they were prepared without enough flour). I also got some black truffle oil from Murray's which we used in the sauce for the raviolis.

Thankfully my brother took over for the sauce and prepared it with butter, Madeira wine, brown sugar, pomegranate berries and thyme (I believe he also added a little flour to it as he was sauteing it to thicken the sauce). When the sauce was finished, he tossed the raviolis in it, he then added the truffle oil on top to bring out the flavor... DELICIOUS!

As a starter we had an arugula salad with amazing Gorgonzola cheese from Murray's called Gorgonzola Mountain from Italy. First I toasted the pecans in a hot saute pan and added brown sugar, hence candied pecans (super easy and smells great). Other than some sweet cherry tomatoes, the dressing was just olive oil, balsamic, salt and a pinch of pepper since arugula already has a peppery quality to it.

Lastly were the Brussels sprouts that we would have preferred to

roast, but due to our oven dilemma we decided to pan saute. My brother got a hot pan with some olive oil and butter, salted and peppered the Brussels sprouts after cutting them in half and put them in the pan for about 10 minutes, letting them get nice and crispy on the outside.

Happy Camper

One of the best parts to the meal was the Caymus Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon, 2010, courtesy of mom, aka Val. We have now been spoiled by my mother that for any holidays or special events we are enjoying her favorite wine -- and Caymus sure does know how to put the "special" into something.

Dessert:

Homemade Greek Christmas Cookies, Courtesy of my Yiayia Golfo: Melomakarona & Kourambiedas

Edible Fruit Arrangement

Variety of Small Cheesecakes

Worst Yule Log EVER (Bought from Zaro's in Grand Central Station)

I will only write something negative if it warrants the review, only as a means to prevent others from having to experience it. I wouldn't feel right not to mention how disgusting the yule log from Zaro's was in Grand Central Station. It was hard to believe that something so beautiful, coming from such an established bakery could be so horrible. I had purchased Christmas Cookies from Zaro's and they were delicious, so I couldn't believe the yule log was so bad. There was no buttercream to it whatsoever, even though it was advertised that way.

All you tasted was sugar and wafer -- no cake and certainly no nice textured frosting. Thankfully I had other desserts which came to our rescue.

Breakfast:

Rustichella d'Abruzzo Panettone

Amarena Cherries

Cheese Charcuterie

Pillsbury Croisants (Just had to!)

Scrambled Eggs & Salami

Fresh Fruit

Most of my breakfast also came from Murray's. The panettone was so moist and sweet, such a delicious fruit bread that went perfectly for breakfast. I'm glad I took the advice of the sales person and bought the Amarena cherries which only come out once a year, and are now completely sold out. The Amarena cherries are in a syrupy consistency that can be eaten as is, or spread on bread. They went well with the variety of cheeses and panettone. Out of all the cheeses my favorite was the Hudson Red from Twin Maple Farm (rich and semi-soft). I also had a wonderful sharp Cheddar that paired well called Prairie Breeze.

My advice is try to get as much done and prepared in advance so you can enjoy the company you are eating with and the time shared together. I specifically chose the menu that I did because overall it wasn't too time consuming or stressful, while offering such nice festive flavors. By the end of my 2+ years living in our tiny studio, I will have some of the greatest memories -- which goes to show that it isn't about the space or stuff you have, but what you make of it. Thank you to my family for making this Christmas so special. I hope everyone had a magical and blessed holiday. Here's to a Happy and Healthy 2013!

Quick, Easy, Affordable Christmas Flowers

2012-12-22T02:49:00.001-05:00

A quick post on inexpensive floral arrangements for Christmas. Since this is the first Christmas I will be hosting in NYC I have been running around to get all the details taken care of. Of course for us that means number one, FOOD & DRINK, and then in a close second, flowers.

This was a pre-Christmas celebration with our uncle and aunt who came into town for the night. We did dinner out at Good in the West Village, and as usual it was fantastic. Good is a great local spot that never fails and is always consistently... well... Good :) On a side note but worth mentioning, the happy hour at Good is great. Bar bites are a few dollars for happy hour between 6-8PM, and all their scrumptious cocktails which are premium liquors are half price, meanwhile the wine and beer are somewhere around $3-5.

After Good, we came back to our place to do an early Christmas! What fun, Christmas squared! Presents, pie, spiked egg nog, stalkings twice, and even D.C.'s Christmas Spectacular on TV. But the point of this blog was to share a centerpiece idea I came up with.

White roses, berries & Christmas Greens

Firstly, I wanted something that would last the whole weekend onto Christmas. Many of us are having holiday get togethers throughout the weekend onto the actual day on Tuesday, so I wanted something that wouldn't wilt and would look fresh. I also wanted to make it myself, keep it inexpensive and something short that I could use on the dinner table on Christmas Day (there is nothing worst than tall flowers on a dinner table blocking views and making cross table dialogue difficult).

Since I knew my linens had holiday plaid and would be colorful, I wanted something simple and festive for the flowers, hence the white roses. Initially I wanted to keep it monochromatic with just white roses, but then I came up with this quick and easy way to make the centerpieces multidimensional while also adding some holiday cheer. What's great about this is you can use glassware you may already have instead of fancy vases. I personally used a margarita glass and round wine glass, that way there was different heights and shapes involved.

What's Needed:

Dozen Roses (I chose white, but red would work as well)
Holiday Mix Greens (Balsam Fir, Holly, etc.)
Red Berries
Glassware that can be used as vases

Dessert Setting. Pecan Pie from Amy's Breads in Chelsea Market
and Lenox Holiday Setting which is proudly made in America

First I cut the roses to know how many were needed for both arrangements and to what height. Then I cut the greens to fit into the vases and make sure the stems were cut off so you only saw greenery. I added water first, and then arranged the greens sideways in each vase. That way the bottom of the vase that you normally would only see stems, now appeared to have floating holiday greenery.

The trick to keeping the berries in place and not all floating to the top is to purposefully place them in the greens so they stay in place. I took some berries off the stem and had them individually placed among the floating greens, while I also took some small branches of berries and placed them in the floating greens. The flowers were purchased from my local bodega.

What I really like about these arrangements is you can make as many as needed for whatever size table you have, and to whatever height and shape preference for the vases. Whether it is two or ten, the motif would look chic and festive on any size table. On the picture below you can somewhat see the height dimension. Plus, while mixing the centerpieces with candlelight on the table it adds another dimension as if there is candlelight glowing in the vases.

Living in Manhattan the total cost for the dozen of roses and greenery was $25, but elsewhere I imagine it could be even less. I already had the glassware for vases which made it easy as well. Plus I had plenty of left over greenery and even a few roses, so I continued a similar theme for the rest of the rooms which in my situation isn't many (bathroom and windowsill, we're talking a studio apt).

I was also quite excited for the first part of my holiday hosting because I got to use my new and first ever China. For the holidays my mom got us the classic Holiday Lenox Dinnerware. It's American designed and MADE In the USA (go Lenox). So excited for my dinner setting for Tuesday, the 25th.

On a parting note, other than a decadent pecan pie from Amy's Breads in Chelsea Market, which was phenomenal, the overpriced egg nog was soooooo well worth it I am going to buy another pint tomorrow. For $10, you can get such delicious egg nog it tastes homemade except it isn't, other than coming from the local, organic farm called Ronnybrook. If you don't buy much this year, you need to buy this egg nog... It was even voted "Best Thing I've Ever Had" from Food Network. So convenient, the local Duane Read Pharmacy sells it.

I will be posting a Christmas Dinner post going over the menu, but just early inspiration for the flowers which truly sets the tone. Merry Christmas and God Bless!

My husband Charles with our Aunt Jaci and Uncle Larry! Love you guys & thanks for a fantastic early Christmas

Culinary Masters... Les Amis d'Escoffier Society

2012-11-19T17:42:00.000-05:00

First Escoffier Dinner I attended
at Union Station in Worcester, 2009

Myself, Brother Christos & Mother Valerie James

Lucky for me I am surrounded by chefs and foodies in my family, so not only do I get to enjoy amazing holiday meals and be the guinea pig for delicious new recipes, but I get to accompany them to their fabulous culinary escapades. One of these in particular has become an annual event in our family for the past fours years, where we not only get to feast on a superb five-course meal, but it is all in celebration of the cuisine and talent behind preparing it. It began with my mother who was inducted into the renowned Les Amis d'Escoffier Society five years ago, think Skull and Bones of the culinary world (not exactly but exclusive and full of rich food tradition and history). Since then we have been her faithful followers to these decadent dinners that get hosted by a different New England member restaurateur each year. Last year my brother was also inducted into the New England Chapter of Les Amis d'Escoffier, and we were so pleased to ring in the new honoree at The Castle Restaurant in Leicester, where he also apprenticed in the kitchen under owner and Chef de Cuisine Stanley Nicas.

My brother Christos James Inducted 2011
at The Castle Restaurant with Stanley Nicas

I was so grateful to recently sit with Dr. Stanley J. Nicas who is the National Chapter Chairman of Les Amis d'Escoffier and his son James S. Nicas, the New England Chapter President, to discuss the rich history behind the society, and learn even more about their family-run, fine dining establishment from 1950, The Castle Restaurant.

First I must state for the record that the art of conversation is alive and well when sitting with Dr. Nicas. It was fascinating hearing an insider's view on working with some of the culinary greats of the past century, let alone his own fantastic adventures from serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II surviving a kamikaze attack to his aircraft carrier the USS Bunker Hill, to arriving in New Port, RI learning under the renowned Chef Joseph Donon at the Breakers, to eventually building his own fine dining restaurant and teaching every summer at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America at Hyde Park.

Awards & photos at The Castle. Escoffier
in the center oval frame.

Stanley not only colorfully explained how Les Amis d'Escoffier Society originated, but well beyond the dullness of Wikipedia, Stanley enlightened me to the ways of chefs and their incestuous world of mentorship. Stanley relayed wonderful details that only he could know since his mentor was Donon himself, and Donon's mentor was the legendary Auguste Escoffier.

Julia Child inducted into Les Amis d'Escoffier
Society at The Castle Restaurant by Stanley Nicas

Since 1936, a year after Escoffier's death, Donon founded the epicurean society with 23 other members hosting a dinner at The Waldorf-Astoria to honor his mentor and preserve culinary traditions from the master, who was considered the "best chef in the world." More than seventy years later there are now several Chapters across the U.S. and international chapters. From the early 50s Stanley has served as the national and international president. Stanley inducted the late Julia Child into the group in the early 70s, and five months prior to Donon's death in 1981, Stanley honored his mentor at an Escoffier dinner at the Castle.

Ceremony inducting new honorees

At the beginning of every dinner a formal ceremony takes place inducting the year's honorees. The master of ceremonies hits a frying pan with a spoon before presenting a gold medallion to each honoree. The kitchen utensils used in the ceremony signify the tools a chef uses in the kitchen. A traditional saying in French is uttered, which is basically inviting the named person as the rank of commander into the society, as each person shares equal rank in the society.

At each dinner what I usually take away from it other than a few extra pounds and gluttonous ecstasy, is the gathering of food professionals and enthusiasts alike, to enjoy the art of fine dining and each other's company. On the back of every menu states the dinner rules including that men must have the napkin tucked under the collar and, "Since the Society is dedicated to the art of good living only, it is forbidden under threat of expulsion, to speak of personal affairs, of one's own work or specialty and more particularly to attempt to use the Society as a means of making business contacts."

Escoffier Society Dinner 2012
Sonoma Restaurant

The dinner is intended to perpetuate the art of gourmet cuisine. To enthuse a passion for the craftsmanship of cooking. And beyond all the esteem of creating masterpieces, is to highlight what every meal is really intended to do, whether it is roast chicken or chateaubriand, to bring people together. What is most inspiring about Stanley Nicas is not only his passion for cooking which is seen in all of his years of expertise including these years while he remains dedicated to his legacy at the Castle, but also his commitment to keeping the traditions alive by passing them onto younger generations. Whether it is through his deep involvement and work with the Distinguished Visiting Chef Program at Johnson and Wales demonstrating cooking techniques in front of students with the likes of Emeril Lagasse to Barbara Lynch or having hundreds of apprentices walk through the doors of the Castle to harness their craft. Here's to keeping good cuisine going strong... Bon Appetit!

Brother Christos James & Husband Charles Moschos

Below is the menu from the most recent Escoffier Society Dinner at Sonoma Restaurant

in Princeton, MA. A second part to the blog will follow on wine pairings and a discussion with Wine Expert and Sommelier James Nicas.

Ahi Tuna Poke (unfortunately I couldn't control
myself before taking the photo)

"Steak and Eggs" Kobe Beef with Quail Egg

Intermezzo of melon & balsamic

Cherry Laquered Bone in Pork Belly

Triple Creme Brie

Stuffed Crab Apple with Caramel Rollo Ice Cream

Remnants from Hurricane Sandy

2012-11-17T14:53:00.001-05:00

8th Ave. & 14th Street Apartment/Doll House

Yes, Sandy caused havoc on the East Coast with serious physical repercussions causing destitution -- but it also had mental side-effects. Out of all the places in the world where one would notice how consumed we are by media, gadgets, Internet, noise, lights, everything that distracts us and takes up our time, there is no better place to feel that loss than when it is all no longer available in the city that doesn’t sleep. Sandy stopped by briefly, yet rocked our world, not just with destruction and an increasing death toll, but knocking us off our figurative feet. When the lights go off in New York City, you don’t just light a candle and read a book, you go through withdrawal. So many interactions and buzzing all around, all the time, that it creates a constant channel of noise. So when the lights turn off and the streets become empty, how do you turn down the noise that still exists in our heads?

Starbucks Midtown. People using Internet
& Charging Phones/Laptops

For my husband and I in our studio apartment in the West Village where we had no power for five days, it started with a game of Scrabble. Considering we couldn't google for correct word spelling or definitions to make sure it was an actual word, (note to self: buy a dictionary) the game didn't last too long. We used up what was left of the iPad battery playing album after album of Miles Davis that night and crashed early. The next day he trekked to work enduring a 2-hour commute rather than his normal 20 minute ride, since there was no Subway and no buses going uptown. Meanwhile, I walked twenty blocks to the first open Starbucks in Midtown to bunker down and get some work done. Strangers took turns sharing outlets to charge their cell phones and laptops.

By the second night with no power, we started to enjoy the romanticism of our little apartment completely aglow from candlelight. We each read and then had good conversation that didn't get interrupted by calls, or distracted by one of us being online or the other watching television. It was only him and I speaking and listening to one another -- what a difference it made. I decided when the day comes for a second home I want it to be a mountain cabin with no power! It forces you to look within: reading, writing, contemplating, resting, being at peace.

Until than, still here in Manhattan, the city felt like we were out in the woods. Our neighborhood was still pitch black by nightfall with no lights other than a few people walking the streets with flashlights. By 8 O'clock in the evening it felt like it was 11. We were so used to looking out our windows to see lit stores, music blasting from the bar downstairs, cars whizzing by and flocks of people walking the streets -- but there was none of that now. We had noticed earlier that afternoon there was one local restaurant with a generator, so we decided to venture out for dinner that night.

Barraca is fairly new to the West Village so we were happy to try the Spanish Tapas restaurant regardless that it was the only place open. Although they had a generator, the lights were very low and fading in and out. So it was lit with candles everywhere, and we felt like we were in a speakeasy. Even though it felt like most people in our neighborhood left when the power went out, this restaurant was still crowded. We ordered two drinks at the bar while we waited for a table.

The HIGOS & VODKA and TOMILLO & WHISKEYcocktails were just what we needed -- absolutely delicious!!! The vodka cocktail is made with: fig infused vodka, manzanilla sherry, spiced fig syrup with a smoked paprika rim. The Whiskey cocktail had Four Roses bourbon, thyme honey syrup, and Pedro Ximenez sherry.

Thankfully we didn't have to wait long for our table. Although they had a limited storm menu, there were plenty of mouthwatering items to choose from (and most from their actual menu). Rather than do entrees, we ended up ordering several tapas. We started with the Ham Croquetas (Jarrete De Ternera) and Mixed salad with roasted pears, valdeon cheese, caramelized walnuts and quince paste. I know croquetas are croquetas, but these were REALLY REALLY good! The Spanish ham was perfect with the creamy cheese, and they weren't deeply breaded or fried.

We then moved onto the Veal Shank with onion compote, creme of cabrales cheese and dried apricots. The veal was a nice hearty and earthy choice for the season. It was served with warm bread that was perfect for layering the shredded veal on top. I would definitely order the veal shank again. Lastly we had Mollete de Cordero, mollete bread sandwich with pulled lamb, manchego cheese and piquillo ali-oli, and Patatas Bravioli, which are crispy potatoes with brava sauce and ali-oli. I'm not big into potatoes in general, but these were overall pretty good. I would have liked them to be more crispy but the ali-oli was delicious. The lamb sliders were clever with the cheese stuffed into the bread. I suppose I would say the menu in general was clever, and definitely creative. Barraca wasn't your average Spanish restaurant, it offered a nice spin to tapas. It also felt good to be wonderfully satisfied after tapas, usually you have to over-order and get too full, or you don't order enough and are still hungry. We were served the right amount of food, and the prices were very reasonable.

We finished the night with two glasses of Sangria. I chose one of the sweeter options, SANGRIA CANARIAS, Viura white wine, Don Q Coco rum, lemongrass, cucumber juice, pineapple juice and Charles had the SANGRIA COMPOSTELA, Albarino white wine, sake, apple-rosemary purée, lemongrass.

What I particularly liked about Barraca was the laid-back ambiance. There was no pretense, servers weren't snobby or stand-offish, and unlike other West Village hosts who don't realize their job description means hospitable, here they were friendly and attentive. Although we were braving the storm outside, with the delicious meal, cocktails and wonderful service from Barraca, we felt absolutely warm and cocooned from it all in our local Spanish Cave.

Charging Station at Bonsignour Cafe

The next evening we saw that our local cafe, Bonsignour on the corner of Jane and 8th Ave. was having a community barbecue. It looked like they took on the cost to buy a generator, and created their own charging station outside for all of us neighbors to congregate to. Most generously, Bonsignour grilled burgers and provided veggies and chips for everyone. We sat and listened to transistor radios playing the evening news. I had met neighbors I had never seen before and everyone was in jovial spirits even though we still didn't have hot water or electricity. What a sense of community!

Block Party to beat Hurricane Sandy! Thanks to Bonsignour

Maybe that has been one of the biggest shifts from Hurricane Sandy -- people took the time to stop and look, even say hello. You can walk down a busy avenue with tens of thousands of people and never share a word, everyone on a mission rushing to their destination. Bump into someone on the bus and no “excuse me” is offered. Ride a full subway car yet it's nearly silent because people have their headphones on, eyes down staring at their smartphones in a zombie like state. No one even notices the other person. At least for a few days Downtown, albeit brief considering the lights are back on, we got a chance to get off auto-pilot and connect with people. It seems that food has that power, only needing a few people to share it with to fully enjoy together.

Inspired by Monet at the New York Botanical Garden

2012-09-17T10:03:00.000-04:00

A good friend of mine Christine shared this beautiful video collage of flowers and classical music with me. Thanks Christine, I agree, it is "SPECTACULAR"!

Going in line with this video, I wanted to share my recent floral inspiration after visiting the Monet Exhibition at the New York Botanical Garden. I love New York for its surprises -- who would have thought that right in the middle of the concrete jungle of the Bronx is one of the most glorious nature preserves. As you walk through the gates into the 250 acres of preserved landscape you are taken by the tall Pines, Oaks, Maples, Evergreens, Spruces, and exotic breeds of trees that have been gifted to the NYBG. Visit the Azalea Garden in the spring or the Rockefeller Rose Garden, or the Conifer Arboretum.

The Monet Exhibit is a recreation of the painter's gardens from his home in Giverny. It is a mix of vibrant colors and aromas that inspired the French Impressionist to create his masterpieces such as The Waterlily Pond, Le Jardin aux iris, Giverny, or Red Poppies.

"My Most Beautiful Work of Art is My Garden."
--Claude Monet

CREATIVITY UNLEASHED in the BERKSHIRES

2012-08-31T18:25:00.000-04:00

Other than basking in the sun at Tanglewood on a Sunday afternoon, we also got to visit two places we really wanted to go to in the Berkshires. I absolutely have to share my enthusiasm for The Mount, Edith Wharton's Estate and the Norman Rockwell Museum. If you visit the Berkshires you have to make time for these two extraordinary places full of beauty and artistic expression.

Freedom from Want (1943) 1 of the Four Freedoms

We started at The Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, where just the ride out there is worth it, let alone the largest collection of Rockwell paintings inside.

The Problem We All Live With (1963)

As a former print reporter, I appreciate Rockwell's paintings as social commentary for the era he lived in, that speak so eloquently, through imagery, of our America. He so wonderfully captured what the zeitgeist of the nation was during World War II and going into the 70s. He not only chose powerful scenes to capture, such as, The Problem We All Live With (1963) to The Four Freedoms (1943), and The Golden Rule (1961),

The Golden Rule (1961) Also found in the
United Nations Building as a mosaic on the 3rd floor

but the way he painted the people's expressions in his art was as if you could see their thoughts, or at least imagine your own — ones that transcend time. The museum's free guided tours are so informative and descriptive of the collection and the artist — the guide we had was wonderful. I very much enjoyed learning about the story behind the Four Freedoms, and how Rockwell painted those after being inspired from President Franklin D. Roosevelt's State of the Union Address in 1941, and how they were published in The Saturday Evening Post to rally the country during war.

May we be rocking away in these when we're old & gray.

After we left The Norman Rockwell Museum we drove to Main Street in Stockbridge to do some window shopping at the country stores, and take a break on the rocking chairs at The Red Lion Inn. Main Street in Stockbridge is like a blast from the past -- you may just be stepping into the 50s, and if you go to the Red Lion Inn you may just be stepping into the 1850s. The Inn from 1773 has hosted six U.S. presidents.

Entering the Estate

We reached the Mount, the spectacular gardens and estate of the American Author, Edith Wharton. It is one of the most beautiful walks on a pathway through the forest, lined with grand pines, ferns and mossy patches. After learning Wharton's story as the first woman awarded the Pulitzer Prize for fiction, first woman to receive an honorary degree from Yale, a humanitarian volunteering in World War I, a free thinker, and her classical philosophy of simplicity for home design, I fell in love with her. I happily purchased three of her books at the Mount's bookstore including The House of Mirth and The Age of Innocence because I was told 100% of the proceeds goes towards the restoration of the estate. I just started reading Wharton's autobiography, A Background Glance. After touring the estate and admiring Wharton as a human being, I have now become a member, which not only helps preserve her memory as one of America's great female authors and supports the estate, but you also receive great perks like free visits throughout the year, invitations to special events and a discount to the bookstore.

Dining Room

Foyer

Enjoying lunch & wine on the terrace overlooking
the gardens. Live music & lectures are also
offered on the terrace.

Charles at the fountain in the gardens

Tanglewood: 1 Year Wedding Anniversary

2012-08-27T00:01:00.002-04:00

The Forest walking towards Edith Wharton's Estate, The Mount

I don't mean to start this beautiful celebratory piece on the macabre side, but after visiting Lenox this past weekend for our one year wedding anniversary, I now know where I want my ashes to be released (not the exact spot, but I sure do know it's in the Berkshires). You might be asking why start this blog post with the image of death, but for me it more validates that this anniversary trip returning to the place Charles and I got married only validated that we chose right, not only in life and love but yes, even in death.

We chose right to be husband and wife, we chose right to stay together for 9 years going strong, we chose right in choosing each other to complement the other, and we chose right for Lenox. Our decision to get married in the Berkshires ultimately came down to who we are individually and as a couple, our interests and values and who we want to be moving forward together in our union. The Berkshires are a splendid respite to the daily chaos, a natural setting filled with culture, arts and peace.

We started our anniversary weekend at Tanglewood. We arrived a little late, but we made up for it staying past the wee hours being the last ones to leave the grassy field. When we arrived the lawn was filled with picnic-goers enjoying the classical music from the Boston Symphony Orchestra. My God, it was something unearthly to be in this majestic heaven of greens and blues -- these bright colors from nature while listening to the most glorious music. Everyone was silent and at ease. We were amongst people taking a few moments listening to music as to quiet the mind. I was so moved by the scene I found myself in moments of tears behind my sunglasses. Tears of joy that I needed nor wanted anything other than to be right there... right then... with the man I love. It was a moment of gratitude.

This was much too planned to be our picnic. Sure is nice though

We decided to take off last minute from the city so we didn't do too much planning, yet our quick picnic was just enough. We brought a sheet for the grass with some colorful placemats for a little decor since another blog I read went in depth about what to bring for the true "Tanglewood lawn" experience. It said to bring candelabras, a floral arrangement, fine china and glassware -- and everything to be in white and pink. I think that was more for the evening lawn concerts if that happens at all any longer, and either way we didn't get it together in time for that, but I did bring two wine glasses and our wedding napkins as a memento. We stopped in town

August 27, 2011 feels like yesterday

at Nejaime's Wine Cellars for some fantastic cheeses, olives with herbes de provence, smoked duck, grapeleaves, crackers and realllly good dark chocolate with sea salt.

When the music was done we stayed on... it was too special on our grassy spot to leave just then.

Not a soul in sight but us & the squirrels.

So we read The Sunday Times and drank more wine. Even a ladybug stopped by to visit. We went into the world renowned acoustic pavilion or more widely known as the "Shed,"

and admired the sound quality as if our loud echoes were like those coming from a deep canyon. Charles made a great comparison about this great institution that was also celebrating an anniversary, its 75th. He said this is like Fenway, two great Massachusetts landmarks made with the highest quality and full of talent and history.

Wines we brought perfect for a sunny afternoon: Bogle Riesling & Nautique Esprit de Blanc

Definitely check out the New York State blend of 6% Pinot Grigio, 88% Chardonnay and 6% Riesling -- the Nautique Esprit de Blanc -- great quality, fresh & crisp, and the price is right

Last ones walking to the car at 7PM. There's a wonderful order to Tanglewood, yet in that order is freedom & respect. We easily came and went with no guards or strict rules. No one is forced to leave or sit anywhere
specific. People bring wine & beer -- yet there is no littering at all and everything was controlled & fine.

What a spectacular tree. The trees throughout the Berkshires
are phenomenal. Each has its own personality, with a story to bear.

Thanks Mom! Thank you for giving us such a special first anniversary that meant so much to us.

Lost In Central Park... What a Wonderful World

2012-05-20T16:50:00.000-04:00

The other day I followed my puppy Gigi in Central Park and went down whatever paths she chose. It ended up being a great adventure, traveling parts of the park I had never seen before. There are some parts of Central Park where you feel like you are in a wild forest in New England. This section in particular was through the entrance on West 81st Street, take a left up the hill. You forget that there are skyscrapers outside the canopies of trees — and other than the squirrels, turtles, birds and geese around you, is a city of more than 8 million people.

The famous architect Frederic Law Olmstead designed Central Park with Calvert Vaux, after winning a contest in 1857 to create a park in New York City that would rival those in London and Paris. There is a great website that not only gives great historical insight to Central Park, but also other attractions in New York City: http://www.aviewoncities.com/nyc/centralpark.htm

Olmstead envisioned a place where people could relax and find peace, amidst the chaos and fast city living of Manhattan. In these 843 acres of respite is a few hundred thousand trees, reservoir, pond, so many habitats of birds, insects, fish, geese, squirrels and so much more. Of course there are the modern additions like the Zoo, Alice In Wonderland Sculptures, tennis courts, water fountains and the children's carousel. For a good link on things to do in Central Park and sites to see visit the official website: http://www.centralparknyc.org/visit/things-to-see/

After that day in Central Park I heard the song What A Wonderful World sung by Louis Armstrong on the radio. I know we all love that song, but I really listened to it this time, and realized it has the most beautiful lyrics making the song so uplifting and eternal. Sure the melody perfectly matches the lyrics, but when you really listen to what Louis is singing, you think, This is what life is about, the simple joys.

These simple joys can be experienced by all people in parks, gardens, forests —NATURE. Conserve Nature and conserve our parks. Our earth is too precious to not preserve our land. Please help by holding our government accountable, and by visiting the National Parks Conservation Association to donate: https://secure.npca.org/site/Donation2f_id=1390&1390.donation=form1&s_subsrc=top_nav&JServSessionIdr004=8l4k823l4c.app331b

First read the lyrics, then play the song on the video below, and hopefully you will have a new found appreciation for the song... just like I did.

What a Wonderful World
Songwriters: George David Weiss, George Douglas and Bob Thiele

I see trees of green.... red roses too
I see em bloom.... for me and for you
And I think to myself.... What a wonderful world.

I see Skies of blue.... clouds of white
Bright blessed days... dark sacred nights
And I think to myself... What a wonderful world.

The colors of the rainbow.... so pretty... in the sky
Are also on the faces... of people.. going by
I see friends shaking hands... say'n.. how do you do
They're really say'n... I love you.

I hear babies cry.... I watch them grow
They'll learn much more... than I'll never know
And I think to myself... What a wonderful world

From Thanksgiving to Christmas: All Purpose Holiday Recipes

2011-11-26T22:22:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. In my household it's a day of complete relaxation: eating a great homemade meal with no schedule or timeline, and doing so very comfortably with the people I love most. It's great to have big holiday get-togethers with 10 to 30 family members, but there is something so intimate, honest and loving with a small gathering whether that's two, four or six. This Thanksgiving couldn't have gone better from waking up and having a great breakfast of Manchego Cheese with Fig Spread and toasted French Baguette, while watching the Macy's Day Parade with my mom, husband and Gigi, to then prepping the food with the rest of my immediate family of cooks, my brother and grandfather -- and the five of us getting to gobble it all up on our own time savoring the moments.

(From Left) Hubby Charles, Mom Val,
Pappou Jimmy, Bro Christos & JoJo

Thanksgiving is the one holiday where there is five cooks in the kitchen all at once. Since we're a family of foodies, restaurateurs, culinary students and cooks we can never cook the same thing year after year. Somehow we always change it up a bit to see what we like, or slightly modify classics to experiment with, and basically get creative to always try improving main dishes. This year was no different.

My two plates were brussel sprouts and maple glazed carrots, while my husband was in charge of smashed potatoes. My brother stepped in for an emergency gravy, and made an apple walnut pie in advance. My pappou came with his famous stuffing and my mother stole the show with the big bad turkey.

Since Thanksgiving came and went and most of us don't want to hear one more thing about an abundant turkey dinner, I thought I would improvise some of the recipes from Thanksgiving that could be made as is, or slightly modified for a wonderful Christmas dinner.

I'll start with the recipe for the greatest golden, juicy turkey that could also be used for a Christmas Goose or Duck. Thanks to Michael Symon and his clever idea to use Cheesecloth to keep in the juices as opposed to constantly basting or using foil for a cover. I was watching The Chew on ABC and saw Symon boiling a side of broth with all the fixings in it, and then putting the cheesecloth in it to simmer for 20 minutes, once done covering the turkey with the cheesecloth (watch the link above to see exactly what we did).

Symon was right on with his herb choices, we also used a bunch of fresh oregano and thyme in the cavity of the turkey that we additionally boiled in the stock for the cheesecloth. In addition to the fresh herbs and lemon, we also stuffed the cavity of the turkey with a Mirepoix of carrots, onions and celery, while also distributing that all around the turkey in the pan, which helps create a great broth to use for making gravy and soup. Other than following the directions from the link above, I would suggest adding the left-over boiled broth that the cheesecloth was in on top of the turkey. The results are really astounding how wonderfully golden and juicy the turkey came out. Just as important as preparing the turkey is letting it rest for 30 minutes prior to cutting it.

For those who like to eat Turkey on Christmas this is a great recipe because you can switch out different herbs like using rosemary or sage, while making a different gravy and then you have a different main entree from one holiday to the next. For those who get sick of turkey after Thanksgiving (me included), try roasting duck or goose.

Pancetta, chestnuts, golden raisins
and fresh thyme simmering before
the brussel sprouts are added.

As for side dishes, this year I created my favorite recipe for holiday brussel sprouts. Usually I like my brussel sprouts roasted with olive oil, salt and pepper -- perfectly simple and delicious -- but for Thanksgiving I wanted to add some pizazz. So I boiled the brussel sprouts in salted water for 4 minutes and then took them out. I sauteed chopped up pancetta in olive oil, then added chopped roasted chestnuts, golden raisins and fresh thyme mixing it up with the brussel sprouts. You could saute them, but since I had too many to fit in a pan I tossed everything in a roasting pan and shredded a little Manchego cheese on top. They broiled for a few minutes and got nice and crispy.

If you want to change to a different veggie for Christmas, you could use the same recipe but with asparagus, broccolini or broccoli rabe. You could also switch out chestnuts for pecans or golden raisins for cranberries or dried cherries.

We also had sweet glazed carrots that were delicious, and smashed creamy potatoes with minced chives and scallions. Of course my all time favorite Thanksgiving dish, my pappou's stuffing. It's a bread stuffing with a little smoky bacon flavor. Very straightforward -- no nuts or meat or veggies -- but absolutely scrumptious. I haven't tasted a better stuffing yet, and it is so addictive. I don't know the recipe quite yet -- it's still pappou's secret -- but I plan on getting it sometime soon to start practicing.

Now to the wine!!! Courtesy of the big V, aka, Mommy Val, we enjoyed two wonderful bottles of Caymus Special Collection Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley. It's a fantastic wine, and especially nice for Thanksgiving with its full body yet subtle fruit and rustic notes.

Floral Wedding Bliss: Reception

2011-10-20T15:24:00.001-04:00

The Place Card Table had
a centerpiece with Calla Lilies & hanging
votives on gold dusted branches.

Mom and me getting things ready
Saturday before the big event... & Gigi

White roses in antique cracked mirror glass vases on the
mantle of the ballroom fireplace. There were many
candle votives placed around them & the wonderful
wedding cake in front from Crown Bakery. White Cake with
Raspberry and Blood Orange Filling and Buttercream Frosting.

I think one of the funniest memories I have of Saturday prior to all the festivities beginning, was me running around the estate barefoot ensuring everything was falling into place, and meanwhile my glam squad captain, a.k.a celebrity hair stylist extraordinaire, "Christian" from Salon 647
running behind me trying to get me upstairs to the bridal suite for nearly two hours. For some that sounds like a nightmare to do any arrangements before one's own wedding and worrying about the details, but for someone like me, dare I say a slight control freak, I enjoyed doing my part and seeing things through to completion -- it actually had a very calming effect.

So when the florist arrived with all the flowers and I saw them for the first time not only was my morning complete, but I could finally go upstairs. It was such a gratifying moment when I could relish in the beauty of the centerpieces, bouquets, vases -- all the flowers that I envisioned for my wedding right there before my eyes in gorgeous arrangements.

The most talented designer who has to take all the credit and who I cannot speak more highly of is Maureen Szczurko, owner of The Flower Stop in Worcester. Maureen not only listened to every detail I told her from months in advance, she not only could see exactly what I was envisioning, but she took it to levels I couldn't even imagine. It's really special to meet anyone who is so gifted and passionate about their craft, and it shows through their work.

These 3 Ft. Cylinder Vases had a variety of either

Calla Lilies or Orchards sunken in the water with

candles floating on top. They were spread throughout

the foyer and especially in the grand fireplace shown left.

Centerpieces: White Eggshell Roses, Calla Lilies Picasso,
Dark Eggplant Calla Lilies, Snow on the Mountain as filler &
Dusty Miller Silver Lace around the bottom.

I wanted a French, Chic theme. Not over the top like Marie Antoinette, but not too Provincial either. Something elegant and en vogue, timeless like Coco Chanel. I wanted all white but bursts of deep eggplant from the Callas and Picasso Lillies, then highlights of sage that would tie it all together. Maureen fully accomplished that, a literal translation that she created. Not only with the flowers, but the vases she used for the centerpieces to the decorative scape on the fireplace mantle.

The table design with gold chargers, matching crystal candelabras
and frames, satin eggplant napkins and centerpieces.
The linens were satin champagne tablecloths with
crystalized organza overlays.

Rather than have each table be a number we used artistic creations that inspired love. For instance, my husband got to choose our head table so his choice was John Coltrane's album, A Love Supreme. Above you'll notice the table has a frame of Romeo and Juliet which is where my pappou (grandfather) sat. He would always tell us in his younger years they called him "Romeo." Other tables included: Phantom of the Opera, A Farewell To Arms, Casablanca, & Moonlight Sonata. Whether it was film, song, opera, play, book, poetry or paintings -- we chose our favorite works of love.

The head table had the tall crystal candelabras as well as short votive candles spread across the table. Since the bouquets went with the overall floral theme in the dining room I wanted to highlight them and use them as centerpieces. All we did was purchase extra vases for each bouquet to be evenly distributed across the table. The white roses with the deep eggplant and Picasso Calla Lilies stayed on theme.

We really wanted to emphasize the arts throughout our wedding. One stunning touch was having ballet dancers perform "Over the Rainbow" during dinner. They were local dancers from the Albany Berkshire Ballet non-profit. For a donation, the lovely ballet dancers performed so wonderfully and really added such a nice touch. To be honest I was inspired by the Kanye West "Runaway Music Video" -- great video!
We also had gospel singers for the ceremony from a local Church, in addition to a special gift from family members playing the trumpet and violin. Poetry and song was dedicated during the ceremony. We had a big brass band playing jazz and standards during the reception, and after-hours with a live Greek band. The party kept going and the ambience was just right :)

Some of these photos were from family and friends -- Thank You! Most are from the professional photographer we used, Rich Frederick -- a wonderful job capturing these moments -- thank you!

Floral Wedding Bliss

2011-10-18T17:08:00.001-04:00

One of the most magical days of my life was my wedding day. It was so special because of all the love Charles and I felt all weekend long with our family and friends in the Berkshires. As the bride, what made the wedding so spectacular in my eyes, was having all the details we worked so hard at over the past year come together on that day, and transport us to a gilded era of a black tie affair with Champagne flowing, flowers everywhere, a big brass band playing and having all of this done at the Elm Court, a Vanderbilt Estate in Lenox, MA.

Since this blog is dedicated to either flowers, food or wine I wanted to post an entry about all the flowers at my wedding from the centerpieces and bouquets to the creative pieces spread around the estate. Maybe this will inspire others searching for a similar theme, or if anything it will allow me to relive the magic.

My beautiful flower girl Cloe & lovebug Gigi

Our wedding on August 27, 2011 was the weekend of Hurricane Irene! I didn't believe in having a "plan B" for rain prior to knowing there was going to be a hurricane heading our way. So we set up for the ceremony as we originally planned in the back of the Estate with a 50 foot red carpet and a vista over looking the mountains and trees behind the cresdenza.

Thankfully I have a pic of what we envisioned, because the rain drops started to come down and we moved over to a spontaneous plan b on the terrace.

A Red Carpet as opposed to white adds a stunning backdrop
against the bride's dress & tuxedos for photos.
A way to save money & time on flower pots is
bring the pots to a local landscaper to do them for you.

Although the ceremony didn't take place where I had envisioned it, I didn't even notice when the time came and my father walked me down the aisle. I guess that's the magic of the day when everything just feels perfect.

Colorful Gladiolas for the Ceremony.

I had known I wanted the reception done in white with bursts of deep eggplant and some sage green for slight accent colors. So I decided I wanted the ceremony to be different with lots of color. I love gladiolas -- they're a flower that just makes me happy when I see them -- they're lively & fun! Incorporate your favorite flowers in your wedding because it will make a difference when you see them in the photos.

Butterflies remind me of my late yiayia (grandma in Greek). When my yiayia Mary died, soon after I was suddenly seeing lots of butterflies around me, sometimes in the most random places that you wouldn't expect a butterfly to be. And every time I saw them they made me smile and feel warm. So on our wedding day we let out butterflies as a gesture to my yiayia being there in spirit.

A big reason Charles and I chose Lenox as our wedding destination was for its natural splendor. We loved Lenox for Tanglewood, and its overall arts and culture, but Nature is very important to me, and we both appreciate natural wonders. So we wanted to incorporate the majestic scenery all around us in our wedding photos.

My next blog will be about the reception flowers that were throughout the interior of the Estate.

I will end this blog with a poem by ee cummings that one of my best friends dedicated to Charles and I and read during the wedding ceremony.

i carry your heart with me

i carry your heart with me (i carry it in
my heart) i am never without it (anywhere
i go you go, my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing, my darling)

i fear no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet) i want
no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart)

Fall Festivities on the Hudson Valley

2011-10-13T23:32:00.000-04:00

On a beautiful fall day my husband and I decided to escape the city in a rental car to the Hudson Valley. The 30 minute drive on the Henry Hudson Parkway through the mountains and some very late foliage was well worth it, let alone the whole day of activities I had planned for us including a Rockefeller Estate tour, apple picking, and 4,000 lit up Jack O' Lanterns.

Our first stop was Sleepy Hollow, a village in Tarrytown, where iconic American author Washington Irving wrote the tale of the Headless Horseman. We didn't get to go to the terrifying Horseman's Hollow haunted walk through the forest, but we did do a fantastic tour at Kykuit, the Rockefeller Estate.

Not only was the home, gardens and overall property breathtaking, but it was fascinating listening to the very knowledgable tour guide's stories on John D. Rockefeller and his family.

One thing I especially liked was one of Rockefeller's mantras that he was known to tell his children, "Order and Balance." He was extremely organized and disciplined, and found balance in life from making an abundance of money through owning Standard Oil, and giving back an abundance through all his charities focused on world peace, education and health.

It was so admirable to hear about all of the Rockefeller charities starting from John D. Sr. all the way down to the youngest son and daughter-in-laws. The Rockefellers did so much for New York City from creating Lincoln Center and the MOMA, to building lower Manhattan to keep business thriving downtown, getting the bid for the United Nations Assembly to be built on the East Side of the city, considerable land and park preservation, and of course son Nelson being the state's four term Governor and Vice President to Ford.

Next was off to Wilken's Fruit and Fir Farm via the Saw Mill Parkway for apple picking, but mostly buying lots of lovely things in the gift shop and eating lots of lovely things from their bakery. I'm not much into donuts,

but Wilken's homemade APPLE CIDER DONUTS were simply AMAZING! They sell so many that they are constantly being made fresh and hot. The donuts were light, dense and flavorful -- not syrupy or artificial tasting -- just perfect. Honestly, I wish I could wrap them up and send them over to everyone right now... Not too mention enjoy one myself as I write this post!

So with time to kill before the 8:30 Jack O'Lantern Blaze, we decided to go to a restaurant on the Hudson River to have a glass or two of wine, and something to eat to relax and reflect on our great day.

We heard of Harvest On Hudson, sitting right on the River with a great big lot of grass for customers to sit on benches and enjoy the view.

It was like an amazing first date all over again seven years later. We sat there for a few hours philosophizing, conversing, cuddling and just plain loving life. So far the day couldn't have been any better, and we still had 4,000 pumpkins to check out.

To end our day, Charles was such a good sport to drive back towards Tarrytown 20 minutes out of the way to the great Jack O'Lantern Blaze. It was really something walking through thousands of creative, artistic carved pumpkins all lit up in the great outdoors. There were probably more adults than kids enjoying it. It was well worth the drive and $17 ticket to go. Of course I had another apple cider to end our fantastic day.

The Miracles of Motherhood... How do you do it?!?!?

2011-05-06T13:36:00.003-04:00

Happy Mother's Day!

This is a big thank you and ode of honor to all the mamas out there, and very special women who have made an impact on one or many.

I don't know how you do it -- there is no manual, there is no proper training, and ultimately you are in charge of another human life and how they will turn out!

Wow -- Talk about a Miracle!!! It's a miracle all of us kids have turned out as well or respectively as great as we have, & it's a miracle how mothers are naturally as phenomenal and lovely as you are!

In honor of you MAMAS, enjoy one of my favorite poems by Walt Whitman called Miracles. Love you MOM -- you make life a miracle xoxo

While you're at it, enjoy it with a beautiful Austrian Rose Zweigelt 2010, Weingut Brundlmayer from Kamptal Langenloiser Click on that link and it will give you a description of the wine.

You can find out where you can buy it locally on this great wine website: www.snooth.com

Miracles

Why, who makes much of a miracle?

As to me I know of nothing else but miracles,

Whether I walk the streets of Manhattan,

Or dart my sight over the roofs of houses toward the sky,

Or wade with naked feet along the beach just in the edge of the water,

Or stand under trees in the woods,

Or talk by day with any one I love, or sleep in the bed at night

with any one I love,

Or sit at table at dinner with the rest,

Or look at strangers opposite me riding in the car,

Or watch honey-bees busy around the hive of a summer forenoon,

Or animals feeding in the fields,

Or birds, or the wonderfulness of insects in the air,

Or the wonderfulness of the sundown, or of stars shining so quiet

and bright,

Or the exquisite delicate thin curve of the new moon in spring;

These with the rest, one and all, are to me miracles,

The whole referring, yet each distinct and in its place.

To me every hour of the light and dark is a miracle,

Every cubic inch of space is a miracle,

Every square yard of the surface of the earth is spread with the same,

Every foot of the interior swarms with the same.

To me the sea is a continual miracle,

The fishes that swim--the rocks--the motion of the waves--the

ships with men in them,

What stranger miracles are there?

by Walt Whitman

And if you want to check out some more cool iconic mother/child artwork enjoy this blogpost: Hubpages, A Tribute to Mothers

Get Your Mama & Go to the Gardens!

2011-05-05T10:15:00.001-04:00

May 6, National Public Gardens Day

Check out the link above for a quick recap on

National Public Gardens Day. And

while you're at it, plan a beautiful Mother's Day at a public

garden or park near you.

As a city dweller there is nothing I appreciate more than parks and public gardens. They offer a place of respite from the hustle and bustle, from the skyscrapers, from the cabs and their horns, from the busy city streets.

Before I moved to Manhattan, my most favorite public garden or for that matter place to escape was the Boston Public Gardens.

The Boston Public Gardens was created in 1837, as the nation's first public botanical garden. Now that I'm in the West Village, I have public squares, parks, and gardens all around me -- not too mention the biggest, baddest park there is-- Central Park! I can't wait to explore all the nooks and crannies of Central Park and write a huge post on that.

When I think of this nation's parks and gardens one name that immediately comes to mind is President Theodore Roosevelt. Our 26th President was an outdoorsman who worked hard for conservation, and one of his major legacies was protecting and preserving this nation's great land. Roosevelt believed that nature was for mankind to enjoy and benefit. Since this post started about gardens I won't keep going on the park system of this country and what exactly Roosevelt did for us, we'll save that for another day and another post! But as a parting thought here is a great link on Roosevelt regarding the environment.

Here are some more beautiful photos of the Boston Public Gardens. An ode to my hometown :)

The famous Swan Boat in the Garden's pond.

The bronze Ducklings that kids enjoy!

My favorite annual welcoming sign of spring, Romeo and Juliet the swans coming back to the Gardens!

Triumphant Flowers of Reconciliation, Ground Zero 5/1/2011

2011-05-02T09:35:00.001-04:00

We will not celebrate this evil man, not even in his triumphant death. Rather, we will celebrate the closure of a horrific time in our country’s history — and the peace that will hopefully now comfort the solemn hearts of our brothers and sisters’ loss.

We will continue to unite and rebuild even stronger. We will fill the gaping hole in Ground Zero with American soil and luster full of pride and optimism. We will fill the gaping hole in our hearts full of unity and love.

May peace come in the evil enemy’s face of death I do not know? Peace cometh in the unified community that spreads from shore to shore beyond the island of New York, but throughout the land of the Free and Home of the Brave.

by Joanna James

As a "New" New Yorker I wanted to share my blog today, to document what I saw at Ground Zero 10 years later, now that the mastermind murderer behind 9/11 has been found and killed.

A Nation's Strength
by Ralph Waldo Emerson

What makes a nation's pillars high And it's foundations strong? What makes it mighty to defy The foes that round it throng? It is not gold. Its kingdoms grand Go down in battle shock; Its shafts are laid on sinking sand, Not on abiding rock. Is it the sword? Ask the red dust Of empires passed away; The blood has turned their stones to rust, Their glory to decay. And is it pride? Ah, that bright crown Has seemed to nations sweet; But God has struck its luster down In ashes at his feet. Not gold but only men can make A people great and strong; Men who for truth and honor's sake Stand fast and suffer long. Brave men who work while others sleep, Who dare while others fly... They build a nation's pillars deep And lift them to the sky.



Officer Matagrano stood at Ground Zero 10 years ago very differently than today. 
He was there battling the ruins and chaos from the worst terrorist attack to come to our shores.
Matagrano solemnly remembered the planes crashing into the World Trade Center & the horror


that followed. So today upon hearing the news of Osama bin Laden's demise, Officer Matagrano
  

was not only elated, but reflective upon the peace he felt all around him. Matagrano also 
pointed out that another evil man of history was killed on May 1st, 66 years ago-- Adolph Hitler.