Still bouncing off my summer buzz of everything USA—Team USA, 4^th of July, vacas to Vermont, Newport and Colorado, and a recent bike ride over the bridge and into Billyburg for spectacular soul food at Pies ‘n’ Thighs—I decided to co-host a polka-dot themed girl’s night with my Tribe. Using Nini’s apartment and my fervor for all things Americana to guide our menu, we decided to focus on desserts and do a Sweets Only Soiree for the ladies in our lives. But who wants a heavy confection in this heat? I’d have to come up with something cool, something spiked and something seasonal to keep our menu, mouths and bikini bods in check.

What’s more American than milkshakes and apple pie? Nothing. Shakes and pies should get a shout-out in our national anthem; they are the ultimate in sweet tooth satisfying seductions within our shores. Howevs, and alas, apples are not in season, so last week I went searching for a suitable seasonal substitute. My recyclable tote in tow, I made my way through the hordes of sun-kissed shoppers at the Union Square Farmers’ Market, determined not to be led astray by the much anticipated arrivals of sweet corn, budding squash, and scrumptious heirloom tomatoes that threatened to distract me from my mission. With the heat beating down and my focus waning and wandering toward anything air-conditioned, I suddenly spotted the most mouth-watering blueberries I’ve seen this side of the Mississippi. Just then, a breeze rushed over me as if the berries themselves were cooling me off from the summer warmth. Flashing shades of deep blue and violet, the morning dew still reflecting off their skin, I was sold.

The season has just got under way for these berries that burst with pungent yet sweet, refreshing savor. Doctors say the little guys help fight some cancers, defend against macular degeneration and also help keep your gums and teeth healthy. A powerhouse of antioxidants and vitamin C, the pigments in blueberries also help support your vascular system…so goodbye spider veins, hello bikini bods! But doctors don’t know from taste, and I say, as with all real foods, blueberries are as delicious as they are nutritious and ought to be celebrated as much for their flavor as for their function. Yes, blueberries explode with nutrients, but at their seasonal peak, it’s their taste that stops you in your tracks.

Born and raised in North America and typically grown in woods and mountainous regions, blueberries grow wild, and their bushes can sometimes be found flourishing on the side of the road! With over 30 different types of blueberries there is wide variety to choose from. At Union Square, I found a number of berry varietals; among the most popular were Vaccinium Casesariense, a New Jersey blueberry, and Vaccinium Boreale, planted and picked in Southern New York and Massachusetts. Depending on climate, the berries are picked mid June till mid-to-late August, so the time is now to bathe yourself in the calming luxury of blueberry nights.

Obviously, blueberries and pie go together like shin guards and cleats. Once home, I opted to make a blueberry pie with a candied ginger twist. As I was making the filling, I came across a jar of blueberry-ginger jam, also purchased at the farmers’ market, and could not resist adding it to the mix. It helped thicken my filling and added a spicy-sweet tang to the berrilicious pie. But I didn’t stop there, instead of milkshakes, I make two varieties of smoothie: a vanilla greek yogurt concoction sprinkled with whole blueberries for a surprise berry burst in the mouth, and a blueberry-banana acai blend made from frozen acai sorbet mixed with fresh fruits and apple juice. The shakes were the perfect balance to the pie…entirely satisfying, but not overly sweet or heavy for my summer shindig. With the leftovers, I experimented with all things blueberry while I was weekending at the beach. A house-guest who cooks is always a welcome addition to a weekend getaway, and last weekend I was welcomed out to the Hamptons, where I  treated my clamming hosts to blueberry pancakes, fresh fruit salads spiked Grand Marnier and sprinkled with Vaccinium Boreale, and blueberry muffins. Before the season is over, I vow to gift them a jar of blueberry jam; a sweet reminder of our summer adventures in the clam beds.

Blueberry Candied Ginger Pie                   (makes eight slices)

• 2 large tubs of fresh Blueberries
• One small jar of Blueberry-Ginger Jam
• ½ cup + ¼ cup White Sugar (divided)
• 2 TB Cornstarch
• 2 TB Lemon Juice
• 1 TB Lemon Zest
• 1 large Egg
• 1 tub Candied Ginger
• 1 recipe for Pâte Brisée

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Prepare the pie dough from the recipe above and line a pie plate with dough. Mix together ½ cup sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, lemon zest and the small jar of jam. Place the blueberries in a large bowl; add the sugar mixture to the blueberries. Gently combine all ingredients until they form a nice chunky thick blueberry paste. Pour the mixture into the prepared pie shell. Top pie with remaining dough.

After the filling is in and the lattice top has been made, it’s time to make the egg wash. Just take one large egg and whisk it until smooth. Lightly brush the rim of the pastry shell with the egg wash until the entire crust has been covered. To give the dish a nice crunch on the crust, take ¼ cup sugar and mix it in a food processor with a handful of diced candied ginger (I typically get the ginger candy at the Nut Box in Chelsea Markets). Pulse until very small beads of ginger-sugar form and sprinkle them on top of the pie crust after applying the egg wash. Let the filled pie sit in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before placing in oven, this will help it to congeal.

Time for things to finally heat up! Bake the pie for about 20 minutes and 400 degrees and then reduce the temperature to 350. Continue baking the pie for about 35-45 minutes or until the crust is a deep golden brown color and the juices are bubbling and thick. If the edges of the pie are browning too much during baking, cover with aluminum foil or a pie crust ring. Once the pie is cooked let it cool for several hours. Cut into slices and Eat it Up!

How do you score the best table at Restaurant Daniel? Should you grease your Maître D? What the hell is a Maître D? Snotty McSnobster has all the answers. Self described as the most powerful Maître D in the city (and it could well be true!), Snotty recently went on tape with Josh Ozersky to film an interview on Ozersky.TV from Vimeo. I’ve posted it here for you to check out the Snobster in full suited action. Joking aside, the man is as sharp as he looks, and no one knows more about playing host to the glitterati in New York’s legacy restaurant scene than Snotty. Get a crash course in funny business from the face at the front-of-the-house and Eat it Up!

There is something both romantic and utterly decadent about eating flowers. From earthy saffron strands infusing basmati rice to dainty violets adorning sugary-sweet desserts, flowers are alluring and exotic, delicate, and like cherries, erotic. I adore summer salads decked with peppery nasturtiums, rose petal jam on Melba toast, even pansies and lavender. But too often flowers are relegated to garnish, picked off and discarded, assumed to be inedible and non-contributors to the dish.

Not so with squash blossoms, or zucchini flowers, (I’ve heard them referred to and seen them on menus under both names), which always take a leading role. Whatever the reason, squash blossoms are more widely understood to be edible in their own right, like a slightly risqué, larval vegetable from your grandmother’s backyard garden. Like all flowers, they are highly perishable and unnervingly fragile, but they have a sweet, mild squash taste and a sunbeam’s burst of orange petals that sets them apart. Beautiful, delicious and fleeting, like a summer Saturday.

And so, with air conditioning blazing, this past sticky weekend I took advantage of the squash blossoms’ brief season and cooked my own. Blossoms are generally available in the northeast by July and last as long as the summer sun does; though they are the most popular of buds in the squash family, the flowers of any summer or winter squash, including pumpkin, can be eaten. It is the male blossoms that are usually harvested, leaving the females undisturbed to develop their fruit. If you’re picking them yourself, choose the flowers that grow straight from the stem, and leave a few to pollinate the female flowers, which grow atop the squash itself. Erin’s Mamma taught me that when we visited her Connecticut garden last month. Hers weren’t yet ready for picking, but some weeks later I saw similar blossoms popping up at markets across the city.

I harvested my flowers from the Union Square Greenmarket, and to assist with the preparation, invited over a male of my own. Though squash blossoms are scrumptious in frittata, smothered with cheese in quesadillas, and absolutely sing when simmered in soups made from summer vegetable stock, my favorite method is stuffed, battered and fried. Duh! I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, anything breaded and fried always sounds great to me. Lest you forget I’m from the Buff. Double Duh!

Little has to be done to clean the blossoms. I removed the flowers’ stamens myself; it seemed somehow indelicate to ask my gentleman caller to castrate our appetizer, no matter its taxonomic designation far, far removed from homo sapiens. A gentle rinse to remove stray pollen, a pat to dry, and our flowers lay in a bright pile, ready to stuff with a rich mixture of ricotta, chili flakes and lemon zest. Two Lagunitas IPAs later (and some for the batter), my date and I were deep-frying fat blossoms in hot oil.

By the principles of sympathetic magic, flowers should be an aphrodisiac. After all, they are sexual organs, however maimed and depollinated, cheese-filled and fried. Though I can’t swear to their effects, I can attest to their unbridled deliciousness. Straight out of the pan, crispy and salty on the outside, rich and creamy within, and with a kick of heat from the pepper, I can’t think of a better start to a summer meal—or to a summer fling.

Stuffed Squash Blossoms

For the filling:

• 12 Squash Blossoms (trimmed)
• 1 cup fresh Ricotta Cheese
• 1 large Egg
• Zest of 1 Lemon
• 1 t Chili Flakes
• ¼ t fresh Nutmeg (grated)
• Kosher Salt & Pepper

For the batter:

• 1 cup All-Purpose Flour
• ½ cup Lagunitas IPA Beer
• ½ cup Ice Water
• 2 large Egg Yolks
• Kosher Salt
• About 4 cups Canola Oil for deep-frying
• SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: A deep-frying or candy thermometer

In a deep mixing bowl, lightly beat the egg yolks and pour in the ice water and beer; mix to combine. Add the flour and continue to mix until the batter is the consistency of heavy cream. Adjust proportions until you reach heavy cream consistency and then season with salt to taste. Set aside.

Clean and trim the blossoms by removing the stamen. Trim the stem slightly, but not completely–you’ll want to keep a bit of stem by which to hold it. Rinse the flowers under gentle running water to get rid of any pollen, goo or bugs, and drain them on paper towels.

In a small bowl, stir together ricotta cheese, egg, zest, chili flakes, nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste. Using a pastry bag or a small spoon, stuff each blossom with 1 ½ tablespoons of the filling.

Pour oil in a deep fryer or large, heavy pot and heat to 375 degrees. When the oil is hot, dip two squash blossoms at a time into the batter to coat completely, letting the excess drip off. Fry the flowers in the hot oil for approximately 2 minutes or until crisp and golden brown, turning once. Drain the fried flowers on a platter lined with paper towels, seasoning with more salt while they are still hot. Repeat with the remaining squash blossoms and enjoy a bit of summer sun!

I’ve said before that tomatoes, corn on the cob and and watermelon are my quintessential tastes of summer. They’re the barometers by which I gage summer’s seasonal produce, and they’re the foodie taste sensations I covet the rest of the year long. But I have also culled a list of summertime sweet treats that reside squarely in the hot sticky months of June, July and August. Each of these indulgent taste sensations will be featured on my blog this season, and each harkens back to childhood memories made among family and friends in the Buff–like fruit pies on my Grandma’s screened-in back porch, jell-o jigglers (which in later became spiked jell-o shots I snuck into high school dances) and classic campfire s’mores. They may not be seasonal in quite the same way as a brandywine tomato, but the irresistible trinity of gooey chocolate, crunchy graham cracker, and smoky-sweet toasted marshmallow seems to belong under a warm summer sky.

This summer has been no exception–in fact, I think I’ve eaten more s’mores in the past few months than I ever did as a kid! But at this age, I don’t kid around with my s’mores. Like the factory-made, processed peanut butter cups from my childhood I transformed into gourmet pudding cups last Christmas, my s’mores have grownup flavor and a real foods recipe you can trust without losing a single ounce of whimsy. Homemade marshmallows and artisan chocolate are my secret ingredients for the best s’mores you’ll ever have!

My adventures with s’mores began last month during a trip I took with friends to Fire Island. Looking for an easy, no-bake dessert (I try to avoid the oven as much as possible during the sultry months of summer, especially in an un-air-conditioned beach house!), I remembered Alton Brown’s marshmallow recipe. They literally bake themselves! It’s the sort foolproof but labor-intensive recipe that makes homemade marshmallows more of a mission than one typically has time for, but I had a “When in Rome…” moment, and decided that in name and scope, a weekend in Fire Island necessitated a batch of marshmallows charred over an open flame. I made the batter in the morning and then left them uncovered to solidify all afternoon as we worked up an appetite biking, beaching and drinking the day away. By altering Alton’s recipe slightly and using a 9×9-inch baking pan, I was able to make jumbo marshmallows that fit perfectly between graham crackers. That night, we toasted the suckers in our garden chiminea ‘til they were golden and assembled soul-satisfying s’mores sandwiches.

My love affair with s’mores continued on July 4^th when I made these treats at a barbecue on a penthouse roof deck in Williamsburg. By grilling the marshmallows first over a gas flame and then finishing them off over tea lights, we were able to reach a transformative s’mores experience with the gooiest marshmallow fluff-like center surrounded by a charred, crunchy crust. With the addition of several Mo’s Milk Chocolate Bacon Bars from Vosge, this batch of s’mores was the perfect taste combination of sweet and salty, crispy and smooth. Everything tastes better with bacon, especially if you’re smothering that bacon in artisan milk chocolate, wedging it between graham cracks squares and pairing it with homemade marshmallows, all while watching fireworks with a 360° view of New York City spread before you!

Then just last weekend when Carrie, my childhood best friend, got married on a mountain top in Vermont, we once again celebrated with family, friends, and our favorite childhood extravagance–s’mores around a bonfire! As the cupcakes dwindled on the tower I made her as a wedding cake, the sweets kept coming and party kept raging well into the night with this no-hassle dessert we all gathered together to “toast” our bride and groom.  Between bites of summer and smiles scarred with marshmallow strings, I thought, “At last, Carrie married the man of her dreams and I’m roasting marshmallows over a real fire.”

S’mores (serves a crowd)

• 1 recipe Alton Brown’s Marshmallows
• 1 box store bought Graham Crackers
• Good Quality Chocolate

In my opinion, a fire is really the best way to get toasted, gooey marshmallows. Since this is impractical if you’re making them for a crowd–or if, like me, you call a city home–I found that skewering them on shishkebab sticks and grilling them first over low heat and then finishing them off over tea lights is the next best thing. Remember to “bake” them in a 9×9-inch pan to get really jumbo squares and cut them to fit the size of your graham crackers. Once your marshmallows have reached perfection, sandwich them between two graham crackers and a piece of best-quality chocolate you can get your hands on. My personal favorite for food-forward s’mores is Vosge’s milk chocolate bacon bar. After assembly, wait a moment before eating to allow the marshmallow to cool down and the chocolate to warm up for maximum meltiness!

I’m just back in the Big Apple after an extended wedding weekend in Vermont, where I baked and assembled a tower of 250 cocktail-inspired cupcakes cupcakes (think Brandy Alexanders, Bourbon Manhattans and Carmel Cappuccino Creams)! Sorting through my many wedding photos I got to thinking about all the travel images I collected this past Spring, but did not have time nor room enough to post. Some of them are too good to pass up, so I’ve decided to start a new Seasonal Slide Show Series. This being the first of the batch, it’s a collection of my foodie travels from the New Year through my springtime adventures down South. Enjoy scrolling through my movable feast and Eat it Up!

13) Best Booze Cruise: Can you afford a beer? Then you can afford a booze cruise…on the Staten Island Ferry. Get your ghetto on by taking this free “cruise” roundtrip from lower Manhattan to Staten Island (you’ll have to get off and get back on again for the return trip, but it’s worth it for a free ride). Lady Liberty is poised, the view of lower Manhattan is sublime, and the beer is cheap, most under $5. Plan an evening trip and the sunset will blow you away.

Staten Island Ferry: Whitehall Terminal, South Street (at Whitehall Street), Manhattan

14) Best Sidewalk Seating: I don’t dislike sidewalk seating, per se. When done well, the tables don’t shake, car stereos don’t drown out your conversation, those waiting for a table don’t stare down your lunch, and the people-watching is unsurpassed. The sidewalk tables at Esperanto, overlooking a giant weeping willow tree on Avenue C and the crackheads (or these days, hipsters) who frequent the avenue, meet all my exacting requirements. The food ain’t bad either, with authentic Brazilian specialties like feijoada and the ultra-addictive pao de queijo. A few orders of the cheesy cassava-flour rolls will balance out all the caipirinhas.

Esperanto: 145 Avenue C (between 9th and 10th Streets), Manhattan

15) Best Ice Cream to Lick While You Walk Around the Park: Brooklynites know that Frederick Law Olmsted was just practicing when he designed Central Park. His real masterpiece is Prospect Park, the 580-acre plot of fields, forests and waterways in which visitors run, bike, tan, play baseball and picnic. Linking Park Slope, Crown Heights, Windsor Terrace and other neighborhoods, the park is a central hub on the weekends, with visitors from the Brooklyn Museum, Botanic Garden and Prospect Park Zoo all making their way down its winding pathways. My favorite way in lies through Park Slope, where the Van Leeuwen ice cream truck can usually be found parked on 7th Avenue near Union Street. The brothers Van Leeuwen use only fresh (and local) milk, cream and eggs for their ice cream, which comes in refreshingly simple flavors like hazelnut, pistachio, red current and peppermint chip. Grab two scoops and saunter down to the park, then lie in the grass and watch the clouds drift by.

Prospect Park: Take the 2 or 3 to Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn
Van Leeuwen Ice Cream Truck: Check their latest truck locations (Brooklyn and Manhattan) via their Twitter feed.

16) Best Scene and Be Seen Hotel Bar: Once referred to as the “less literary Waverly Inn”, Gemma at the Bowery Hotel is dramatic and slightly Gothic inside, and offers awesome sidewalk seating that gets sun drenched come lunch. Gemma is especially popular with brunchers, West Coast-ers, and people named Agyness and Lindsay. Bring your darkest shades so you can people-watch over mimosas and French toast.

Gemma: 335 Bowery (between 2nd Street and Bond Street), Manhattan

17) Best Imagine-You’re-In-Maine Date: For a truly maritime experience without any of the driving through New England, pick up the Water Taxi (specifically, the Ikea Express) from Pier 11 and enjoy a short but romantic boat ride to Brooklyn (Statue of Liberty view included). On Friday and Saturday nights, you can catch the sunset and still arrive in Red Hook in time for the weekend lobster at Rocky Sullivan’s. These casual dinners are sponsored by the Red Hook Lobster Pound, a nearby storefront and husband-and-wife team that does all the driving for you, making a weekly round-trip run to Maine for fresh lobster. At their weekend feasts, $25 nets you a sweet 1 ½ pound steamed lobster, two sides, melted butter for dipping and a dessert. Order a pitcher of Sixpoint Brownstone Ale and sit on the roof under the stars; since there’s no view anyway, it’s not hard to pretend you’re in the Pine Tree State. Follow your meal with a Oaxaca Old Fashioned and other fabulous cocktails at Fort Defiance (sadly, no outdoor seating).

Ikea Express Water Taxi: Pier 11, Gouverneur Lane (at South Street), Manhattan
Rocky Sullivan’s: 34 Van Dyke Street (at Dwight Street), Brooklyn
Red Hook Lobster Pound: 284 Van Brunt Street (between Visitation Place and Verona Street), Brooklyn. Call ahead if you’d like to reserve a lobster to cook at home.
Fort Defiance: 365 Van Brunt Street (at Dikeman Street), Brooklyn

18) Best Pizza & Ice Pops: On Saturdays, the Brooklyn Flea takes over a Fort Greene schoolyard and floods it with vintage clothing, antique furniture, old prints, typewriters, costume jewelry, knick-knacks, doo-dads, tchotchkes and junk. Craft vendors also hawk newer items, and vendors like McClure’s sell pickles, chocolates, cookies and granola. But to party like it’s elementary school, go for a luscious personal margherita pizza from Pizza Moto and for dessert, the day’s special from People’s Pops. With seasonal flavors like rhubarb-ginger, blackberry and sour cherry-plum, this ain’t your mamma’s ice pop.

Brooklyn Flea: 176 Lafayette Avenue (between Vanderbilt and Claremont Avenues), Brooklyn. Saturdays only; Sundays inside at the Williamsburg Bank.
Pizza Moto and People’s Pops: At the Brooklyn Flea; check out other People’s Pops locations on their website.

19) Best Street Food Shopping Break: I don’t know about you, but shopping, even window shopping, makes me extremely hungry. All that dawdling, considering, squinting, squeezing, buttoning, zippering, debating and popping in and out of opened doors is as appetite-inducing as a spinning class. When I’m out in SoHo, there’s no doubt about where I’m headed for a quick street-food lunch. Parked outside the Camper store on Prince, the Calexico truck serves freshly-made carne asada tacos and sinfully delicious chipotle pork quesadillas with plenty of crema. If the line is long, just place your order and shop till the food is ready, then find a stoop and stuff yourself silly.

Calexico Cart: Two truck locations, at the corner of Prince Street and Wooster Street and at the corner of Crosby Street and Broome Street, Manhattan. Check current specials on Twitter.

20) Best Pick-up Bar: If you didn’t manage to catch a date at Bohemian Hall or the Biergarten at the Standard Hotel, head to the back courtyard at Sweet & Vicious in SoHo, where relatively cheap drinks and an above-average crowd converge. On weekdays, pick up a pizza, grab some beer and stake out the outdoor benches for a low-key happy hour; on weekend nights, go early to snag a spot, a Mason jar margarita and a potential future date as the courtyard closes by midnight.

Sweet & Vicious: 5 Spring Street (between Elizabeth Street and Bowery), Manhattan

21) Best Food Market to Snack While you Grocery Shop: There are lots of great markets in this city (see: Union Square Greenmarket, Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket, Tompkins Square Park Greenmarket…) but the New Amsterdam Market (which opened for the season on June 27th) at South Street Seaport is one of a kind. Unlike the Greenmarkets, which focus mostly on local produce, the New Amsterdam market features many prepared-foods vendors from a wider (but still local!) area. This year, look for Bellweather Hard Cider (from upstate New York), Berkshire Cheese (blue cheese from Massachusetts), Hudson Valley Duck Farm (humanely produced foie gras), Port Clyde’s Fisherman’s Co-Op (sustainably-harvested Maine seafood), and the Queens County Farm Museum (the only “historical working farm” in the city, which will be selling super-local honey). Market dates are spotty for now, but will be a regular Sunday occurrence come September. Meanwhile, the original Greenmarket is continually expanding, with a new Hester Street location open as of June 20th.

New Amsterdam Market: South Street (between Beekman Street and Peck Slip, Manhattan. Check their website for 2010 market dates.
Hester Street Greenmarket: Essex Street (at Hester Street), Manhattan. Sundays.

22) Best Urban Farm: It’s chic. It’s seasonal. Barack took Michelle there. What could be more romantic than Blue Hill? Easy…Blue Hill at Stone Barns. Though there’s no outdoor seating per se, you can spend your whole day touring the farm. When you’re tanned and spent, head inside with a very special someone to the sedate stone dining room for the delectable fruit of your (or at least, someone’s) labor. If a cheaper, closer, much more urban farm experience is what you crave, just train it out to Bushwick for $4 beers and perfect pizza pies at Roberta’s. Located in a former garage among the many warehouses in this outermost stretch of hipsterdom, Roberta’s garden oasis grows much of their own produce and offers a tiki bar, performance space and picnic tables that cater to large parties.

Blue Hill at Stone Barns: 630 Bedford Road, Tarrytown
Roberta’s: 261 Moore Street, Brooklyn

23) Best Way to Shake it Up: How do you improve upon a milkshake and a park bench? With a caramel milkshake and a bench in the lush, flower-filled Shakespeare Garden in Central Park. Pick up a milkshake in one of six flavors (plus malted) from the Shake Shack on Columbus, and head to the park with your favorite magazine for a long afternoon. Or for even more shake-ery, go early and line up at the Delacorte Theater for tickets to the evening’s Shakepeare in the Park performance. This summer, Al Pacino stars as Shylock in The Merchant of Venice.

Shakespeare Garden and Delacorte Theater: Enter Central Park at 81st Street and Central Park West, Manhattan
Shake Shack: 366 Columbus Avenue (at 77th Street), Manhattan

24) Best Outer-Borough Street Feast: Out in Brooklyn, 3rd Ward is known for many things: their photo studios; screen printing, furniture design, and welding classes; art installations; their magazine based on local artists; and the free bikes they give out to members. What they have not been known for is food—until now. Last month, the GOODS Food Truck opened in a 1946 silver bullet trailer, and is now serving up breakfast, lunch and dinner for locals and hungry travelers. Given the Williamsburg penchant for comfort food, it’s no wonder that the menu includes Pat La Frieda burgers, Brooklyn Lager-battered fish and chips and sausage-egg-and-biscuit breakfast sandwiches. Chef Alex McCrery is formerly of New Orleans’ Commander’s Palace, and beignets are also on the drool-inducing list.

GOODS Food Truck: Lorimer Street (at Metropolitan Avenue), Brooklyn

25) Best Pretend-You’re-a-Millionaire Evening: Most of us don’t have outdoor space or the luxe patio furniture to adorn it, but all of us have rooftops! Granted, rooftop access is typically illegal in this town, but so are pets and sublets, and we do it anyway. All you really need are a few tall candle jars or lanterns to light your way, a blanket and pillows, or maybe a card table and chairs if you’re fancy (thank goodness for Ikea), and dining al fresco can be yours in a matter of minutes. With a bottle of bubbly and a cheese tray or two, you and the Donald could be sharing a view.

Rooftop: Upstairs from your apartment.

To read Part I of my guide to Outdoor Edibles           click here.

Now that it’s summertime (and the livin’ is easy), I’ll find any excuse to linger outdoors soaking up sun, feeling the breeze through my hair, or just plain enjoying the novelty of eating (and drinking!) outside. It’s hard to beat backyard BBQs, and sidewalk cafés sporting Wifi access are fine for a quick lunch, but what to do when you’re seeking a foodie experience for your outdoor extravaganza? Where do you go when what you’re looking for is truly al fresco adventure? There are a surprising number of creative options for eating and drinking out of doors this season, and most don’t involve rickety tables and taxi exhaust. For my list of the Top 25 Outdoor Edibles New York City can boast about, read on…

1) Best of Bleecker Street: After a day of shopping in the West Village, stop for a tipple at Blind Tiger Ale House. With their wide-open windows and doors (not to mention the extensive list of craft beers), it’s the perfect place to spy on the tiny Fish Restaurant across the street. When a spot opens up, head over for sweet-and-salty raw oysters and stone crab. If you still have room, head a few blocks down to Grom for a scoop or two of authentic and super-creamy Italian gelato in flavors like nocciola and tiramisu, then walk over to Washington Square Park and people-watch as you enjoy your cone.

Blind Tiger Ale House: 281 Bleecker Street (at Jones Street), Manhattan
Fish Restaurant: 280 Bleecker Street (at Jones Street), Manhattan
Grom: 233 Bleecker Street (at Carmine Street), Manhattan
Washington Square Park: 4th Street (at MacDougal Street), Manhattan

2) Best Beer to Sip on a Stoop: Stoop-sitting is an age-old New York tradition, and one in which I’m proud to participate. My favorite summertime stoop beer is a bomber of Lagunitas Hop Stoopid. Intense and ultra-hoppy, this beer is not for the faint of heart, but its bitter finish makes it the perfect end to a hot summer day. Pick one up at Hercules Fancy Grocery, a little bodega with a heroic international beer selection. Even if you don’t live in the ‘hood, there are plenty of stoops nearby on which you can sit.

Hercules Fancy Grocery: 27 Morton Street (between 7th Avenue and Bedford Street), Manhattan

3) Best Picnic Fare To-Go (in a bike basket for a long-distance ride): Last Fourth of July, my cousin Natalie and I biked up to Fort Tryon Park and The Cloisters, a four-hour round-trip bike ride. This past weekend, we set forth on a side-by-side tandem for a Brooklyn biking adventure, with victuals from Barnyard on Avenue C. Pick up a pressed speck and mozzarella sandwich on flautta bread, a side of roasted beets and a can of Limonata, and you’ll feel as juiced as Lance Armstrong.

The Cloisters: 99 Margaret Corbin Drive (at Fort Tryon Park), Manhattan
Barnyard: 149 Avenue C (between 9th and 10th Streets), Manhattan

4) Best Group-Friendly Beer Garden: Who ever had just one beer at a beer garden? That’s how I feel about trying to choose just one beer garden for this list. If it’s a relaxed weekend afternoon with board games that you’re after, Astoria’s much-beloved Bohemian Hall will entice you with pitchers of Pilsner, crisp schnitzel and creamy stroganoff (not to mention occasional live music and a cute clientele). For more of a nighttime scene, try the new Biergarten at the Standard Hotel, where beautiful people and giant pretzels mix. There are fewer beers on tap, but that’s not why you are there, is it? When it gets too crowded to drink, head up to the High Line for a breezy walk along the former train tracks.

Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden: 29-19 24th Avenue (at 29th Street), Astoria, Queens
Biergarten at the Standard Hotel: 848 Washington Street (at West 13th Street), Manhattan
High Line: From Gansevoort Street to 20th Street (between 10th and 11th Avenues), Manhattan

5) Best Iced Coffee to Pass a Day in a Dog Park: As everyone knows, New York is a city of voyeurs (see: High Line above, from which park-goers can allegedly see right into the rooms at the Standard Hotel). But if bedroom-peeking isn’t your thing, there’s always lusting after other peoples’ dogs. No feeding, no brushing, no walks and definitely no poop-scooping, but you can watch (and ooh and aww) to your heart’s content outside the fence of the Tompkins Square Park dog run. Sip Manhattan’s best iced coffee from 9th Street Espresso while the dogs run, fetch and splash in one of the park’s three pools.

Tompkins Square Park: Avenue A at East 7th Street, Manhattan. Dog run, 9th street path.
9th Street Espresso: 10th Street at Avenue B, Manhattan

6) Best Panoramic Views of Manhattan: We’ve all been corrupted by chick flicks: In the urbanite’s dilemma, to really feel like you’re in New York you have to be looking at the Manhattan skyline, but for the best views of Manhattan, you have to leave the island. Rather than heading to Hoboken, make your way to Alma on Red Hook/Carroll Gardens border, where brunchtime on the roof deck means huevos Oaxaca and a sweeping view of skyscrapers, and dinner means pazole stew and sunsets. Oh, and tequila. Lots and lots of tequila.

Alma: 187 Columbia Street (at DeGraw), Brooklyn

7) Best Sculpture Garden/Junk Yard/Real Deal Mexican Feel: For overpriced guacamole, there’s Rosa Mexicana. For overstuffed burritos, there’s Uncle Moe’s. But for a night of chile-tinged revelry under the stars, there’s only Pacifico. Stake out the Cobble Hill patio with 15 of your closest friends, order some Baja tacos and a few pitchers of their bracing margaritas, and know that it’s the cinco de something, somewhere.

Pacifico: 269 Pacific Street (at Smith Street), Brooklyn

8) Best Promenade: Food isn’t usually the draw in Brooklyn Heights, but the views of the Manhattan skyline and the window peeping into the gorgeous 19th century brownstones are, so pack your own lunch and sit on bench on the Brooklyn Heights Promenade to take it all in…Statue of Liberty to your left! Later this summer, check out the new Pier 1 section of the Brooklyn Bridge Park, where concessions from Ditch Plains, Calexico and Blue Marble will satisfy any sweet or salty tooth.

Brooklyn Heights Promenade: Columbia Heights (at Pineapple Street), Brooklyn
Brooklyn Bridge Park: Near Fulton Ferry Landing, Brooklyn

9) Best Prayer Breakfast: Spread the faith by picking up a bagel and a favorite schmear at Hudson Bagels (everything, lox?) and walking a few blocks north to the gorgeous garden grounds at the Church of St. Luke in the Fields… not to be missed during cherry blossom season! You don’t need to have religion to enjoy the flowers, nor to explore their delightfully unfussy basement thrift shop, packed with the (often elegant) castoffs of their neighbors and parishioners.

Hudson Bagels: 502 Hudson Street (between Christopher Street and 10th Street), Manhattan
Church of St. Luke in the Fields: 487 Hudson Street (at Grove Street), Manhattan

10) Best al Fresco Alley: If eating in an alley doesn’t sound appealing to you, well then you haven’t spent enough time in New York. Freeman’s may have popularized the trend, but Fette Sau has perfected it. Enter via a skinny alley of communal picnic tables, and line up with the rest of the outer-borough folk to load your tray with Berkshire sausage, pork ribs, brisket, sirloin tip, German potato salad, Guss’s pickles, to-die-for baked beans and potato rolls. If you still have room, try a whiskey flight, or better yet, take a constitutional and check out Spuyten Duyvil across the street, where a superb collection of rare and international beers awaits. If you haven’t had enough meat, their charcuterie is also deservedly famous.

Fette Sau: 354 Metropolitan Avenue (between Havemeyer and Roebling Streets), Brooklyn
Spuyten Duyvil: 359 Metropolitan Avenue (between Havemeyer and Roebling Streets), Brooklyn

11) Best Pretend European Getaway: Step into the glass-walled atrium behind August on Bleecker Street and it’s easy to pretend that you’re in the chicest bistro in Paris. Or is it the most elegant trattoria in Rome? On Saturday nights, dress up for stinging nettle vichyssoise, suckling pig and profiteroles; on Sunday evenings, dress down for Pies and Peronis (seasonal pizzas like asparagus with egg, parmesan and bottarga, with a Peroni to wash them down). Whether you’re looking for the City of Lights or the City of Fountains, August will fill in just fine, and you don’t have to spend eight hours in coach to get there.

August: 359 Bleecker Street (between 10th Street and Charles Street), Manhattan

12) Best Place to Picnic on a Pier: We’re not in Kansas anymore, and picnics aren’t just for parks. For a truly spectacular day on the water, stop by Murray’s for a few sandwiches, cheeses and cold drinks, and then head to Pier 46 at West Street and Charles. This not-your-average-pier has an astroturf lawn that is perfect for yoga and bocce ball, plus a plethora of picnic tables if you haven’t brought a blanket (pro tip: for a large group, reserve these ahead of time by calling the Hudson River Park Permit Office). After your Cambembert and cola, lay back and enjoy the view of the New Jersey shoreline, shared by two unusual suspects: the W Hoboken and the Erie Lackawana Steel Mill (a familiar site for a Buffalo gal–Lackawana, New York is just outside of my home town!) On Thursday nights, stop by for grown-up movies; Friday nights are ostensibly for kids, but I know plenty of adults who’ll show up on July 23rd for The Great Muppet Caper.

Murray’s Cheese: 254 Bleecker Street (at Leroy), Manhattan
Pier 46: West Street at Charles, Manhattan. Check out their events calendar for more movie information.

To be continued…

Love is in the air, and cherries are at the market! Amanda flies in next week from LA, and we’re planning to catch up in the kitchen before we both make our way to summertime weddings; she’s off to a lavish affair right here in New York City, while I make my way up north to Vermont to watch my childhood best friend (and former Buffalo neighbor), Carrie, get hitched on a mountaintop in Stowe!

Anticipating that I’ll need a break from baking the massive cupcake tower I’ve been preparing for Carrie’s wedding–a project that can only be rivaled by the 7,000 cookies Erin and I baked for Topshop’s Soho launch­­–I’ve enlisted Mandikins to come keep me company in mia cuncina and taste the cherry pie I have waiting for her in my freezer.

Air, sunlight and heat, coming from someplace other than my oven, were what I needed when I set out for the Union Square Farmers’ Market yesterday in search of cherries. Along with watermelon and tomatoes, cherries are a quintessential summer staple that packs the perfect balance of sweet and sour between bites laced with obvious sexual innuendos. Holding the deeply red, bursting berry fruit by its stem, forcing stem apart from flesh with teeth, the resulting pop it makes upon separation always makes the act of eating cherries vaguely carnal, very sexy, and my favorite redhead’s signature fruit.

While cherries found in supermarkets are typically of one variety and color, the cherries found at farmers’ markets are in every hue from light blush Royal Anns to the almost-purple-they’re-so-dark Stella variety. In Union Square I sampled dark red Lapins, the shape and color of lipsticked lips, letting their dark juices run down my chin. I tasted Rainer cherries, that hybrid cherry with a mild, almost peach-like taste with yellow and red peach-like coloring. These little orbs looked like miniature Tequila Sunrises! Not a bad idea, I concluded, headed home with bags of cherries to bake a pie and garnish my glass.

It occurred to me then that a fresh summer cherry garnish would also make the perfect topping for the Maple Manhattan cupcakes I was assembling for Carrie’s nuptials. Of course, a fresh fruit is always preferable to canned, but this past Valentine’s Day I treated my Tribe to a fat-free cherry angelfood cake made from jarred maraschino cherries in their juice. A suitable substitute come winter, these cherries produced a fluffy pink cake that was as guiltless going down that night, as it was when made into French Toast the next morning. Amanda claims the angelfood was the best part of my love-inspired menu, but I think the cherub I shared breakfast with may have taken the cake.

Photo Courtesty of Max Lau

Guiltless Cherry Angelfood Cake:              (serves a Tribe)

• 1 ½ cups Egg Whites (about 1 dozen eggs, at room temperature)
• 1 ¼ t Cream of Tartar
• 1/2 t Kosher Salt
• 1 ½ cups Sugar (divided)
• 1 cup Cherries (halved)
• 1 TB Cherry Juice
• 1 bottle Pink Food Coloring
• 1 t Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1 ¼ cup Cake Flour (sifted)

Glaze (as plate garnish):

• 1/4 cup Cherry Juice
• 1 cup Confectioners’ Sugar
• Squeeze Bottle

Whipped Cream (as plate garnish):

• 1 tub Heavy Cream
• ¼ cup Confectioners’ Sugar
• Cherries or Candy Hearts

To make the cake, first preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a standing mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or using a hand mixer), whip the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and salt and continue whipping until soft peaks form. With the mixer running, gradually add 1 cup of the sugar and continue whipping until the peaks turn stiff and the sugar has dissolved, about 30 seconds more. Then mix in a few drops of food coloring (to your desired color preference), cherry juice and vanilla. I like a bright pink color so I add upwards of 12 drops of coloring until I see my desired shade of pink. The cherry juice also adds some natural coloring and flavor; you can either use maraschino cherry juice from the jar, or reduce halved fresh cherries on the stove with a few cups of water and a couple tablespoons of sugar, and strain the flesh from the juice before using.

This next step is annoying, but it’s the key to a light as air angelfood cake; sift the remaining 1/2 cup sugar with the pre-sifted cake flour four times, to aerate the mixture. Then fold the flour mixture into the egg whites in batches. Next, carefully fold in the cherries with as few gentle folds as possible. Spoon the batter into an ungreased 9 or 10-inch tube pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Bake until light golden brown (about 35 minutes).

Cool by propping the cake upside down (in the pan) on top of a wine bottle for about an hour. Then run a long, sharp knife around the cake to loosen; knock the cake out onto a plate and carefully lift the pan up off the plate. The outside golden crumb of the cake will remain in the pan, exposing the pink layer underneath.

Photo Courtesy of Max Lau

To make the glaze, whisk the ingredients together until smooth. Add more liquid if too thick or more sugar if too thin. Pour glaze through a funnel into a plastic squeeze bottle. Then decorate cake plates with Valentine’s day sayings like, “Be mine” or “You’re Sweet.” You can use my photo of this as a visual guide. Let glazed plates set until hard in the freezer, at least 30 minutes before serving or hours in advance.

To finish you cake whip together some cream and top with cherries or candy hearts. To whip cream, just add the heavy cream and confectioner’s sugar to a standing mixer and whisk until light and fluffy (a hand held mixer works too). Plate the cream and cake on the frozen plates and enjoy!

I love the sunshine. There is no doubt that warm weather puts a spring in my step, a smile on my face and a sweet tan on my Italian skin. Spring is a lovely time, but often brings rain and seasonal allergies, and to me is sort of like a waiting period…a tease of what’s around the corner: the long days of light and lounging around with friends, the after work cocktails at cute corner bistros, and the windy walks home without the cumbersome burden of a jacket.

If you know me, you know I am typically not a patient person. I’m the first to admit I am a sucker for instant gratification and revel in the pleasure of getting what I want when I want it. That said, I’ve learned that life doesn’t always work that way, and indeed, I have grown to appreciate that the best things often do come to those who wait. I know that’s tres cliché, but I’ve come to realize it’s true, as two of the biggest and best things in my life are finally about to come into full bloom after planting the seeds years ago and “patiently” waiting for them to grow, and grow, and grow.

I am finally moving in with my man of almost five years. After endless months of commuting from apartment to apartment (trust me, a G to L train transfer is no small feat day after day after day) we have decided to merge our furniture, our closet space, artwork and framed photographs… our addresses, and yes, even our pots and pans! At 30 I have never lived with a boyfriend. Shocking for a New Yorker, huh? I know most people often move in quickly out of sheer convenience and rent benefits, but this is one aspect of my life where I am glad I was able to muster up the patience to wait for what I know is now truly the right time. I’ve never felt more ready or more happy or excited!

Not only am I moving in with my man, but The Dinner Belle is moving as well–moving up in the food world and literally moving–to a new location still yet to be discovered, but one that is very much becoming a reality for Kimberly and I as we continue to conceptualize our vision. While I’m gonna keep a few of the key details of this expansion plan under wraps for the time being, I can’t resist telling you that The Belles are poised to offer our custom menu creations in our very own home kitchen, all the while expanding our current off-premise catering and drop-off lunch, brunch and happy hour services.

While I have to be patient for these expansion plans to unfold (and the investor capital to roll in), Kimberly and I have plenty of Dinner Belle work in the here and now, as we continue to make our mark producing truly one-of-a-kind experiences. Lately we’ve had the pleasure of catering several private events in beautiful NYC homes all over Manhattan. I guess you could say we’ve been “moving in” to our clients’ home kitchens to whip up most delectable feasts. On the Upper East Side, we catered to about 80 guests at the home of a famed magazine publisher of The Nation, where we served up some creative canapés, from Balsamic Bacon Deviled Eggs to Crab Dip Cups, complimented by our two signature finger food stations: Harvest Crudités & Mediterranean Charcuterie.

From that uptown abode, we headed downtown and catered a college reunion in a private party room on Wall Street, where we set up a beautiful buffet spread, featuring: Fennel Crusted Pork Loin, Melon & Peach Mircrogreens, Springtime Pasta Verdi, Kimberly’s sweet and tangy Tangelo Bars and decadent Jumbo Fleur de Sel Chocolate Chip Cookies. The downtown dining continued as we had the honor to cater a wonderful client’s 40th Birthday Bash in one of the most luxurious Soho lofts I have ever had the pleasure of visiting, complete with a zebra-striped red velvet cake and champagne flowing all night long. From Pancetta-wrapped Grilled Shrimp Skewers, to Chocolate Chipotle Braised Short Rib Arepas, and sweet and salty Figs in a Blanket, The Belle’s offered up a passed and stationary feast to remember. Our client was thrilled with the food and service, and we were delighted to have been a part of such a memorable night.

Photo Courtesy of Christine Tsai

Kimberly and I pride ourselves on being a female-forward company, so we were incredibly honored when asked to cater a dinner for The Council of Professional Women, hosted by ABC Carpet and Home designer, Madeline Weinrib at her Union Square studio. Kimberly created a menu that merged female friendly nosh (Roasted Side of Salmon, Asparagus Slaw and classic Greek Salad) with comfort chic cuisine such as Spring Harvest Chicken Pot Pies and Spring Fling Frittatas served inside well-seasoned cast iron skillets. The presentation was just as beautiful to look at as it was to eat, second in beauty only to all those well healed power professionals we had the pleasure of meeting. We ended the night with our delicate but delish miniature Strawberry Shortcakes and fresh Spearmint Tea.

While we continue to work hard to expand our business, and I practice the art of patience, Kimberly and I always try and make time to cater for our friends and families as well. We made some decorative cupcakes to wish my current roomie farewell as she leaves the city to take on the country in New Paltz; we hosted a BBQ with my family in Connecticut, and helped Celest prepare some goodies for her East Village Garden Soiree. Kimberly made the most insane avocado popsicles I have ever tasted (even melted!), and while I must say I’m usually a sucker for classic sweet flavors, these were a savory taste sensation and a must-make for any of you readers out there looking to surprise your guests with a seemingly kid-friendly treat spiked with adult-only cachaça!

As our off-premise catering business continues to grow through these hot summer months, and we search the city high and low for our new home, I know we’re both looking forward to continued motion and change as it comes our way. With summer weddings to celebrate across New England, from Newport to Vermont (where we’ll be taking notes for a few big city weddings we’ll be catering come fall!), continued events, friends to toast, and a certain someone to play house with in Brooklyn, I know above all, this summer will be a summer of love!

There are several indications summer in the city has made her grand entrance. Sundresses and sandals parade down sidewalks covered with tables, crowded with chairs, filled by New Yorkers hoisting fruity cocktails that flow like water, oh yeah, and the subway has begun to heat up like a sticky sauna.

Among the other signals of its sizzling arrival are the superb seasonal foods: the cooling, crisp, luscious summer harvest, of which I nominate sweet corn and heirloom tomatoes as the season’s reigning king and queen (respectively). Of course, it’s not quite time for the royal flush to begin appearing at New York City farmers’ markets, we’ll have to settle for cherries, strawberries, sweet peas and garlic scapes for another month yet, but there is one fruit that I cannot do without during the ramp up to summer’s crowning achievement.

The avocado. Otherwise known as perfection in produce! This little green giant packs nearly 20 different types of vitamins and minerals, not to mention the “good fats” it lends your hair and skin. But I don’t think about avocados, or any food, in terms of vitamins and fats; I think about taste! Generally, my golden rule is that the fresh foods that taste the best are the best for you, and though they aren’t native to our Eastern shores, avocados are a prime example of a fruit that inspires such crazy love that they are as ubiquitous as bikinis come summer. Like a one-woman show, an avocado can do it all, impressing audiences from breakfast through dinner. She ain’t no one trick pony. What makes the avocado so easy to obsess over is her total integration into everything from omelets to sandwiches, salads to smoothies, pasta, and even dessert!

Not one to shy away from unique recipes or unusual fare, the idea for an avocado popsicle hit me when I was taste testing my way around the Brooklyn Flea market a few weeks back. I came across People’s Pops, a market stand specializing in fresh, locally grown fruit popsicles and shaved ice. After licking my way through an insanely scrumptious rhubarb ice-pop, I settled into one of the best fish tacos I’ve had in this town (from Choncho’s Tacos), which was slathered in sliced avocado. Bang! The idea for an avocado popsicle was born.

Once home, I set to Googling a recipe for this savory sweet treat, and was surprised to realize just how many people had already given birth to this very idea. Dozens of avocado popsicles flooded my computer screen, but I settled on the salty, spicy chili-rubbed pop from Chef Pichet Ong as my guide. Knowing my Tribe, and wanting to put my signature on this recipe for the garden party Celest was hosting for all of us, I threw a few shots of Leblon cachaça into the mix.

Let me be the first to tell you the cachaça packs a punch! So use the good stuff, and keep these suckers away from the kiddies (though you could easily make a virgin version by leaving out the alcohol). The good stuff was gifted to me by Leblon representatives Celest and I met a few weeks back at the Gourmet Latino Festival. Being a FOOD Maven never tasted as good as it did among all the best Latino chefs and mixologists in the city. A fabulous weekend feast gave way to a free bottle of Brazil’s most popular spirit, and a spirited cachaça-spiked-frozen-cocktail-on-a-stick to share among friends…okay, so the stick didn’t work out so well after my pops melted on their way from my West Village nest to Celest’s East Village garden nook, but these treats were just as tasty served scooped in a bowl. Not unlike my Tequila Spiked Mango Guacamole, this recipe is a simple conversation-starter to get your guests gabbing about its remarkable mix of savory, sweet and spiked, and it’s the ultimate twist on my fêted ode to avocado.

Avocado Popsicles (makes 4)

Popsicles

• 2 ripe avocados (pitted and peeled)
• ¾ cup Milk
• 1 TB Lime Juice
• 3 TB Condensed Milk
• 2 shots Cachaça

Spice Sprinkle

• ¼ cup Demarara Sugar
• 1 Thai Chili (split, rinsed, seeded, patted dry, and finely chopped)
• 1 Lime (Zested)
• ¼ t Sea Salt

Put all popsicle ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Remove from blender and fill into popsicle stick molds until frozen solid, preferably overnight. Place sugar, salt, lime zest and chilies in a mixing bowl, and toss. Remove popsicles from their mold and serve with a side of the spice sprinkle. They will make you feel like you’ve just been smacked with a breezy tropical wave. The only thing missing are the hot cabana boys!