Despite my passion for everything winter—long weekends in Vermont, fireside naps, cups of Jacques Torres’ Wicked Hot Chocolate, over-sized sweaters, and oodles of Kimberly’s comfort food—I am more than ready to bid adieu to the slopes and embrace a few sunny afternoons in Prospect Park. The Dinner Belle, much like this new spring season, is [...]
March 29th, 2010
“Blooming” Business, by Erin
March 9th, 2010
Market Report: Smashed
Talk about a spring tease! The last few days in New York City felt like full-fledged spring, but my Buffalo bones (and NY1) tell me there’s more winter on the horizon. Apparently it’s gonna rain on my birthday, and March’s madness is likely to keep us guessing till we turn the corner on April, and [...]
March 5th, 2010
Market Report: Squashed
As I was making my way to the Union Square Farmers’ Market a few days ago, I noticed something: my coat wasn’t fully zipped up, my scarf was loose around my neck, and though there was a breeze in the air, I wasn’t bracing myself every time the wind rattled. February, it seems, is only [...]
March 1st, 2010
Crush-a-Belle: Pickled
Pickles are to New Yorkers as kimchi is to Koreans. Sweet or sour, soft or crunchy, mild or garlicky, the city and the pickle are as entwined as pastrami and rye. The unsung hero of the Lower East Side, as quintessential as the New York slice, the Kosher dill was once a headliner of the [...]
February 19th, 2010
Market Report: Everything Tastes Better with Bacon
With the wind whipping, temperature dropping and snow accumulating, I spent much of the last two weeks nesting in my cozy (and at times tropical) fifth floor walkup. By Wednesday, however, cabin fever started to set in, and I knew I needed to take a trip up to Chelsea Markets, specifically, to Dickson’s Farmstand Meats. [...]
February 10th, 2010
Nesting
There’s snow on the ground, love in the air and wafts of garlic floating down the stairwell of my West Village apartment building. Perched on high in my New York nest, I’m infusing olive oil with garlic. My neighbors tell me they can smell me from the second floor of my fifth floor walk-up. I’ve [...]
February 5th, 2010
Market Report: Take it Slow
February is—for me—the most singular month of the year. It’s short, it’s unforgiving with its wicked weather and romantic overtures, and it’s spelled with one of the most baffling “r’s” in the English language. It’s bitterly cold, often snowing, and work is in shorter supply (at least for those of us whose idea of work [...]
February 2nd, 2010
Marmalade, sans Smoosh
I’m a cat person. Taleggio and I bonded over shellfish and sleeping in on Sundays as soon as I brought him home from the shelter. As the consummate bedfellow in my life, we share secrets. He’s the only other set of eyes to witness the dirty dishes I leave in the sink or my midnight [...]
January 28th, 2010
A Worldly and Worthy Winter, by Erin
While the cold winter weather and too many sugar cookies may have some of you in hibernation mode, The Dinner Belle has been burning up calories, adding many new and exciting logs to our growing fire this snowy season.
Kimberly and I were both fortunate to spend our New Year’s celebrations in Vermont, albeit [...]
January 19th, 2010
Market Report: Rooted
One afternoon last week, I ventured north to visit an old friend on the Upper West Side. The day was bright and beautiful, and from the 7th floor, it looked inviting. So, at her suggestion, we bundled up and headed for a walk along picturesque Riverside Park.
Now, I know that a few weeks ago I [...]
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