Guilderland is not my usual stomping grounds, but I really need to get out that way more often. Last week the allure of Mezze Notte's restaurant week menu beckoned like a siren, you know kind of like a male siren, like this: But, anyway, back to my evening and what I ate. After a brief … Continue reading At home in Italy – dinner at Mezze Notte
Category: Food
Behold the mighty shrimp
I've got a question for you - what do you do with your shrimp shells? Please don't tell me you toss them in the trash because that would make me sad. You know that tossing the uncooked shells into the freezer could eventually give you something gorgeous like this, right?Since it is so simple, and … Continue reading Behold the mighty shrimp
History in Hyde Park
A long delayed return to Hyde Park finally occurred last weekend as history buff, Liam and I spent the afternoon visiting the Hudson Valley. The primary purpose of the trip was to see Val-Kill, Eleanor Roosevelt's cottage retreat. I wasn't aware of this lovely property prior to Liam and I touring the FDR mansion a … Continue reading History in Hyde Park
Everything I know about Troy, I learned from Mary Panza
Ok, maybe that isn't 100% true, but she really did get me started on my Troy education. When I first moved to Albany almost 25 years ago, I received some advice from a childhood friend regarding Troy. He said, and I quote, "Troy is the armpit of the Universe." I was uncertain exactly what that … Continue reading Everything I know about Troy, I learned from Mary Panza
Getting ramped up
Although I generally avoid trends, thinking them to be too cliched for my attention, I have to confess to being susceptible to trends when it comes to food - specifically vegetables. Over the years, I've bought in to fiddlehead ferns and garlic scapes and jicama with varying degrees of commitment. This year, I jumped onto … Continue reading Getting ramped up
Frühstück
We've all heard of, and perhaps even experienced, the "Continental Breakfast." On occasion, I've encountered it in hotels and it has generally left me unimpressed with its often dried out bread items and unimaginative accompaniments. If I were from "the Continent" and was presented with one of those bastardized versions of what should be the … Continue reading Frühstück
Feasting my way around Freiburg
A big part of traveling, for me at least, is the food. I've seen some stuff written recently about Michelin starred restaurants in Germany, but that wasn't what this trip was about. No, this time with family was more focused on home-style cooking a la Deutschland. Wandering around Freiburg's Munsterplatz earned us a delicious sausage … Continue reading Feasting my way around Freiburg