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 [...]

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 this [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

December 22nd, 2009

Jesus sans Skis

I don’t ski. And for the record, I don’t date bankers or wear Christmas sweaters either. I grew up in a working class town covered in snow six months out of the year, with very few peaks or ski snobs to speak of. I like winter for her log fires and [...]





















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