Old Bay Crabs for Family Gathering 2006

Growing up in a mid-Atlantic seaboard state, Old Bay seasoning was a staple found in everyone’s cupboard, or so it seemed.  It was just natural to find it there (but then, so did was seeing a can for bacon drippings stored in the fridge, as well).  Surprisingly, I don’t have any in my New York kitchen.

 

 

I recently got back from spending time in Virginia with my family (always a source of inspiring, if unusual, thoughts), I was wondering if I should do something clever for this post like write an Ode to Old Bay^® Seasoning.  Then, I thought about it and decided that that might just be a little bit too weird so I’ve coming up with this haiku instead:

Container yellow, blue, and red

Hiding savory spice blend

To eat with the sweet crabmeat 

 

Let’s Make S’mores!

In case you missed it, this past Thursday, August 10^th, was National S’mores Day. If you type this word string into Google™, you will come up with quite a few references to this tasty, gooey treat as well as some stories about its origins. I will leave all of that, and the link above, to those of you who may wish to explore the history of S’mores in more detail.

 

 The Classic S'more

 

For those of you not familiar with this item, it is a crunchy, gooey, crumbly confection made with graham crackers, chocolate (a Hershey_®’s plain milk chocolate candy bar, to be specific), and marshmallows (toasted, not singed in my book). Its construction is a careful process with the hot marshmallow melting the chocolate and the whole thing held together by the graham crackers on top and bottom.

 

Making Homemade Pesto

Happy Anniversary to the Greenmarkets! As both the New York Times and New York Magazine highlight they turn 30 years old this week.  In a way, it is hard to imagine the city without these culinary resources, they’ve become something of an institution.  Specials and the latest seasonal produce are highlighted on blogs, and new arrivals are heralded in the Dining In section of the Times on Wednesdays.  The market has even published its own cookbook.  

There, I’ve picked up wonderful cheeses, delicious handmade sausages, great homemade jams, and lovely freshly-baked bread – for toast of course.  Plants and flowers dress up the square and the aroma of lilacs during the spring season makes the trip intoxicating as well.  Like lots of folks who visit the market on a regular basis, I have my particular favorite vendors that I search out week after week for their wares.