Chronogram did an article on Hudson Valley Breweries, and I find I’ve only been to one of them: Brewery Ommegang.  But really, where is their mention of Crossroads Brewing Company or Chatham Brewing or Browns Brewing???  They are all delicious…

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This weekend (meaning Saturday 4/27) check out the “Colossal Cookbook Sale” at the Library, from 10am – 2pm.  Here are my treasures:

Because I needed more cookbooks…  And just in case my to-read pile wasn’t big enough, I got my hands on the last copy at Tractor Supply of this beauty:

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If you get a chance to eat out this weekend, note that 3FortySeven Warren Street is opening up (sans Tortillaville until May).  I can’t wait until BackBar becomes official…

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Next weekend is a big food weekend here in Hudson NY.

The Hudson Farmers’ Market is back outdoors starting Saturday May 4th, 9am – 1pm at Columbia and North 6th Street.  It’s been great to watch it expand over the years – it makes me happy.

The 3rd Annual Ramp Fest Hudson happens at the Basilica on Saturday, May 4th, 12 – 4pm.  Get there early.  Remember that my loss (I’m out-of-town) is your gain (there will be more to eat).  Be nice to the photographer Smith.

AND there will be a wine AND chocolate tasting at Verdigris.  In our town of yummy options, Verdigris is a haven filled with treats of all sorts.  The question for me -always- is where do I begin?

You have one week to build your endurance for this food-filled weekend!

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Now, can anyone tell me what this crazy van on North 6th Street is about???

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I’m off for a couple of weeks to the land of palm trees and hummus.  No worries – I will continue to eat well…

The 3rd Annual Ramp Fest is happening Saturday, May 4, 2013 from 12 – 4pm.  Chefs from Hudson, the Hudson Valley and NYC will participate by making all sorts of lovely tastes featuring ramps.  Don’t be crazy and show up at 3pm – you will not eat.  I am devastated that I will be out-of-town that day.  Since at the previous two fests I seemed to try everything at least twice, that means that there is more food for you.

sigh.

I will have to do my own foraging.  I once thought I had found *a* ramp under a tree in our yard – but I am quite sure that whatever I found was not edible.  We can usually find ramps at the Hudson Farmers’ Market, but they’re not out yet (it’s too cold).  However, I consistently find dandelion greens in my ever-so-organic lawn (meaning, I don’t do anything more than mow it).  Last year I tossed dandelion greens with a simple vinaigrette and it made a great crostini.

This year I think I may try a dandelion soup with chives from a recipe I found on Chefs Consortium – it looks lovely and sophisticated.  Once I uncover my garden from its lasagna garden layering and let the sun shine through, I will surely have purslane and that often makes a nice little side salad.

The anticipation that accompanies Spring is sometimes overwhelming, no?

This weekend the thing to do is go to Verdigris Tea & Chocolate Bar for their latest chocolate tasting – and this is a chocolate and chocolate tea tasting!  Hmmm….  curious.  The tasting is Saturday 3/30 at 5pm at Verdigris, 135 Warren Street.  Call ahead, just in case – I would hate to steer you wrong.

If you haven’t yet bought your Easter candy, head now to Vasilow’s Confectionery, who recently had a nice feature in the Daily Freeman.  I’m always torn between the malt balls and the great variety of licorice…

Haven’t you been curious about Verdigris’ former space at South 3rd?  Michael Davis of 3FortySeven gives us the scoop on what’s been happening inside the future Fish & Game.

And while Zak Pelaccio and Lady Jayne are working out the details on Fish & Game restaurant, he wrote a great guide to eating and doing in Hudson.

The Crimson Sparrow has gotten a couple of great mentions lately, in the Times Union and in Chronogram.  And they’re involved in a friendly face-off with Berkshire chefs in the ChefX Dinners, happening April 7 at Crimson Sparrow with Berkshire chefs, and April 29 in Great Barrington featuring Hudson restuarants The Crimson Sparrow, Helsinki Hudson, Grazin Diner, Swoon Kitchenbar and Local 111 (from Philmont and YAY for a female chef!!!).

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I’ve eaten my matzo brie and matzo crack, and it’s about time for hot cross buns and way too much Easter candy…

Woo-hoo!  It’s maple syrup season again and it is time to stock up on my year’s supply of maple syrup…

We have not one, but TWO weekends to visit area sugar shacks and buy way too much maple syrup.  As the owner of a gallon, I can talk.  Get into your car either March 16-17 or March 23-24 and head out to learn more about maple syrup production and buy direct from the producer.  Information can be found about the NY State Maple Weekends online and on Facebook, but you’ll have to dig a bit to find producers in Columbia County.  They’re here, just not on the list.

Be sure to check out Black Berry Hill Farm out in the Bell’s Pond area (call first please!).

And the Register-Star recently highlighted the production by a Hudson Farmers’ Market favorite Farm at Millers Crossing.

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And then what?

Sometimes I boil a couple of brand-new empty bottles (I like ones that looks like flasks) and then fill them with liquid love to share.  People in warmer climes are appreciative.  However, you know me – I like to eat.

I can recommend the healthy Maple Scones for breakfast or tea.  They’re almost savory, and a co-worker suggested that a glass of bourbon might complement them well.  My thoughts exactly.  I can also strongly recommend this Maple Parsnip cake.  You need to buy almond meal, but between that and the parnips practically melting in the cake, it’s almost better than carrot cake – no cream cheese frosting required.  I served it with whipped cream slightly sweetened with a bit of maple syrup.  Of course.  Olive Oil granola is also a great favorite, as the sweetener is – you guessed it – maple syrup.

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You know what else goes with maple syrup?  BACON.  Have you tried the bacon from Swoon available at Lick the Market?  Good grief, get yourself down there (253 Warren, Friday/Saturday/Sunday) and buy some Swoon Bacon.  Then cook all of it.  And eat.  Don’t even try to save any for later… (Er, no picture available because we ate it all).

Or planning what I’m up to next.

Next weekend, the 2nd Farming our Future gathering is happening at Taconic Hills High School on Saturday, 2/23/2013 from 9am – 4:30pm.  I went last year.  This is a good community of local people talking about food.  And we must keep talking.

Chef Hugh Horner (The Restaurant at Helsinki) will host his next Eat Food or Die podcast rescheduled for Monday 2/25 at 2:00pm.  This month he will be talking about Hudson Valley farms and the food community – how timely!  If you can’t catch it live, go to WGXC.org for replay.

Want to support WGXC but feel you have no money to give?  Every Monday is Macchiato Monday at Swallow Espresso & Coffee.  Donate at least $3 to WGXC at Swallow on a Monday *in the month of February and get a free macchiato.  Caffeination and crazy community radio – it’s win-win!

Not local but still pertinent: have you kept up on the case of the 75 year old farmer against Monsanto regarding the ownership of seed?  It’s reaching the Supreme Court this season – you can catch up on details here.  While the case started with soybeans, it will have far-reaching consequences for our whole food chain.

Hopefully by March I will be willing to spend more than mere minutes outside.  Maple Syrup weekend(s) are coming up this year March 16-17 and March 23-24, 2013.  We have no producers in Columbia County willing to open up to the public (in a way, I don’t blame them) although I’ve seen the tell-tale tubing in the forests in the Ancram area.  Maple Syrup Road-trip!

In the meantime, I’m staying warmly inside.  This morning I made popovers – nothing like eggy bread with butter and very strong coffee on a cold winter morning.

If you are getting out of the house today (Saturday 2/9), head down to Verdigris Tea & Chocolate Bar at 5pm.  From there you’ll walk to the Christopher Norman Chocolate Factory for a tour, then back to Verdigris for a wine and chocolate tasting.  Chocolate and wine = comfort food.

* Sadly the tour was cancelled…

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Next weekend, gather around your computer for a TEDx talk, Changing the Way We Eat on Saturday February 16.  I know my attention span will not allow me to watch/listen all day, but I’ll try to tune in at least for Anna Lappe.  Her mom’s book provided one of  my early food awakenings.

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Did you see that NY State is the “Silicon Valley of Greek Yogurt“?  Who knew???  I see some spoons in our neck of the woods, so that must include Maple Hill Creamery (you can find at Otto’s in Germantown or the Co-op in Chatham), Old Chatham Sheepherding (at the farm) and of course, Ronnybrook Farm.

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And in the world of food art…

Image by Andy Ellison

Andy Ellison gets the prize for creative thinking.  Who else thinks of putting fruit and vegetables in an MRI machine?  Frankly, those are the only things that really fit in those claustrophobia machines.  Check out the animations here.  Can something be black & white AND psychedelic at the same time???

Painting by Dennis Wojtkiewicz

Even though I bought a million books over the holidays with great intentions to amp up my reading, I’m here at my computer gazing at images.  Of food.  Of course.

You can find more from this artist here and here.

Where did December (or the year) go?

December 1st started off with a lovely little snow, introducing the beginning of holiday baking as well as our latest Winter Walk.

Recipes I tried this month included shortbread with white chocolate/pistachios/cranberries, toffee, pfeffernusse (still looking for the perfect recipe), gingersnap/rumballs, pumpkin bread, pumpkin bourbon cheesecake, pumpkin soufflés with bourbon molasses sauce (see a theme here?), chocolate peppermint cookies (like pepperminty brownies), and a simple chocolate glazed chocolate tart. I feel like I’m forgetting something.  And yes, I tasted/ate all of these.  That sounds scary when I actually write it down.

We had latkes on the first and last nights of Hannukah.  I can never have too many latkes and thankfully Passover is spread over 8 crazy nights…

I took a trip to the great Northwest where I was rained on a lot, and drank far too many lattes.  I also bought yet more cookbooks at Powell’s.

We survived the end of the world with no excitement whatsoever.

And we survived the Christmas gift exchange  getting no scary gifts (trust me, it was a close call).

The winter weather makes me want more comfort food.  This usually means some sort of cheesy carb fest, but instead I’m roasting some nice acorn squash and drizzling with a garlicky peppery vinaigrette before serving on simple rice.  I think I need a little new eating, to at least make up for any excesses this past month.  Or to allow space for the new excesses to come.

In the new year I’m looking forward to trying more new savory dishes, although I will continue to bake bake bake.  I have a monster butternut squash just staring at me, daring me to come up with something other than roasted winter vegetables.  I’m also looking forward to Zak Pelaccio‘s Fish & Game restaurant opening up on South 3rd, sometime in the new year.  I may need to get a 2nd job (and an exercise routine) to support my eating in Hudson.  I wonder what else might open up in our little  town of eaters?

And so we begin again…

Happy New Year’s!

I always like to find the table selling homemade cookies to benefit someone, perhaps the high school, but I always skip the various hot dog/hamburger tables.  Restaurants and bars are always quite lively (and quite packed) this evening – so grab your seat early!  Also:

Truck Pizza will re-open for WinterWalk at 347 Warren.

Hudson Farm Box will be offering Taste of the Valley in the Alley – a tapas party on Cherry Alley (just off Warren).

The highlight (snack-wise) for Winter Walk has to be the Belo3rd Eggnog challenge.  I’m not even a huge fan of eggnog, but spike a drink and I’m there.

There are enough great eateries showing up uptown that perhaps there needs to be an equivalent Above7th (Hudson’s East End) challenge?

Layer on the long johns and grab your gloves!  I don’t want to hear any complaining about how it’s too cold to wander about being festive.

Cheers!

… that Bonfiglio and Bread is open and serving this mushroom pizza, as well as sandwiches, their loaves of bread and other lovely bread things.

… that Crimson Sparrow has brought their vision of food to Hudson.  And when I don’t splash out for dinner (because I try to not eat out that often) their brunch offers a selection of 4 choices for a reasonable price.

… that Swoon and Ca’Mea and Red Dot and Spotty Dog and Baba Louie’s and Da|Ba and Park Falafel & Pizza  and Grazin’ Diner and Restaurant at Helsinki as well as relative newcomers Cafe Le Perche and Relish Hudson and so many other restaurants and trucks and carts (phew!) continue offering us such a variety of dining choices when we don’t wish to dine in.

…that we don’t have to eat out – and that Hudson can maintain an indoor farmers’ market on Saturdays starting the weekend after Thanksgiving.  I can continue buying local vegetables and cheese and eggs…  right here in town and give the money directly to the producers.  (I am thankful for (roasted) brussel sprouts.)

… that my latest new recipe, an attempt at making candy - sea salt caramels - wasn’t a complete disaster.  I actually ended up with toffee. (I’ll be especially thankful if I don’t lose fillings.)

… that it’s ginger cookie season.

… that my OH understands that running out of unsalted butter is a crisis and runs out to get me a couple of pounds.  And a bottle of wine.

… for good neighbors, great friends and family.

… that I’m actually never really hungry in Hudson.

Happy Thanksgiving!