Bill, The Lamb Man. Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia.

I have always wanted to visit Nova Scotia. I heard tales of its starkly dramatic coastlines and unearthly seafood. Well, I finally made it to one of Canada’s more remote and enigmatic provinces just a few weeks ago and it didn’t disappoint. The landscapes are beautiful indeed in their forlorn quietude and the edible bounties, from the sea and otherwise, are many. The shellfish I tasted was marvelous, but I found particular inspiration with Bill Wood, a popular lamb farmer from Tatamagouche, a largely agricultural community, located on the Northumberland straight. Bill brings Nova Scotian lamb to the masses every Saturday morning at the Halifax farmers market. I caught up with him there and then went back to his stomping grounds in Tatamagouche to see how he’s fixing one of his latest specialties: lamb bacon.

June 24, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments

Montreal Markets

My brother just graduated from McGill University and attending his graduation gave me the chance to spend a long weekend in Montreal. Montreal, while cold and bleak in the wintertime, comes alive with outdoor cafes and food markets as soon as warm spring hits. I visited Atwater Market and Jean Talon market, the two biggest food markets in the city, and they were bustling with people and chock full of incredible local produce, meats, cheeses and flowers. At Atwater market I had the best blackberries of my life. They were plump, firm, sweet, and so perfumed that it was almost hard to believe they were real! Here, then, are some scenes from the weekend at the Montreal markets with those incredible blackberries taking the lead.

June 5, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments

Bread in Bucharest

I have a friend who lives in Bucharest so when I was in Eastern Europe I decided to drop by and say hello. I spent a couple of fascinating days there. One of the highlights was witnessing a Sunday Orthodox mass. I was on my way to visit a Sunday produce market when i came across a small church crowded with people. Sunday mass was being officiated but it seemed special because there was an old, blind priest who had come to visit. He was like a celebrity to the worshippers.  One of the keystones of the service was taking communion. There was a big table of bread and sweets that was available for those in need. It was an incredibly beautiful, ornate church and I spent a couple hours there taking it all in.

June 1, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments

Danilovskiy Market. Moscow, Russia.

After my experience at the other food markets around Moscow of being strictly forbidden to take any photos, I decided to enlist the help of a friendly half-American taxi driver I had met during my stay. I payed him the price of a couple cab fares to accompany me to Danilovskiy Market to held me communicate with the police and explain to them my benign reasons for taking photos. It wasn’t easy, and I think I got my driver friend into a little more of a situation than he expected, but in the end in worked out and I finally got some real time to capture the Moscow local food shopping experience.

May 27, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments

Eliseev’s Gastronome. Moscow, Russia.

Taking pictures in public places in Moscow isn’t the easiest thing - in fact, for the non-Russian speaker, it’snearly impossible. The police and merchants hate pictures being taken outside of the sanctioned tourist locations, namely the Kremlin and Red Square, and if you can’t communicate your intentions you’re pretty much out of luck. This didn’t stop me from trying though. Eliseev’s Gastronome, just a few blocks from Red Square, is the most decadent gourmet food store I’ve ever seen. I managed to snap a food photos of the the Roccoco-style interior before being asked to leave the security guards.  I have to admit though, the whole thing was kind of a thrill!

May 27, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments

Dorogomilovskiy Market. Moscow, Russia.

When I walked into Moscow’s Dorogomilovskiy Market I had know concept of what I was going to find. I had been to some other Russian markets by this point and I figured this would be just more of the same. It wasn’t. I have never seen so much raw meat before in my life! This was a huge clearinghouse for large chunks of flesh. I took out my camera and took a couple shots but just as soon as I started, two large Russian police office dressed in black fatigues rushed towards me and told me “Nyet Photo! Nyet Photo!” I got the idea and I wasn’t going to argue with them so I only have two photos by which to remember the experience.

May 27, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments

In the Mood for Rhubarb

 

Spring is finally starting to happen here in New York City. It’s been a tough winter and the sight of trees starting to bud and crocuses coming up is just the kind of reassuring encouragement the soul needs right now. It felt right then when I went to the market and saw big, bright red stalks of rhubarb to grab a little bundle and turn them into something tasty. I settled on stewing it for 6 hours with a few pears until it was reduced to a thick jammy spread that will be perfect to serve with all kinds of spring cheeses. I can’t wait!!

March 26, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments

Foraging for Fiddleheads

The folks from Cloudy Bay winery in Marlborough took a group out for a “forage” of local edibles. One of the stops was a little island in Pelorus bay where we scavenged for fiddleheads. I had never seen fiddleheads in the wild before - they are simply the new shoots from fern plant and they grow right up from the middle of the plant. They are very easy to harvest - just twist and go. But they are a bit hairy so you have to wipe the hair off, give them a quick rinse and then you’re ready to go. Chef Chris whipped up a quick dish with them on the boat once we had them back on board.

March 10, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments

Kono Green Lip Mussel Farm. Pelorus Bay, New Zealand.

My trip to Marlborough was one new experience after another and seeing a mussel farm up close and personal was certainly no exception. Green-lipped mussels are one of the major export industries for the country and much of the business is with the US. The mussels the guys at Kono are growing are plum and sweet and creamy. 

When you approach a mussel farm all you can see above water are the lines of buoys floating on the surface. These mark the rope lines that the mussels grow on. It was amazing to see the guys haul up the lines and see literally thousands and thousands of mussels growing right below. We took off a good handful and turned them into lunch. It doesnt get much fresher than that!

February 27, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments

Blenheim Farmer’s Market. Marlborough, New Zealand.

I was in Marlborough on a Sunday morning and woke up early to go to the Blenheim farmer’s market with a really fun group from Cloudy Bay winery t. It was a beautiful, warm, sunny morning and there were dozens of wonderful small local producers showing off their fantastic looking product. Game, veggies, flowers, plums, chili-peppers, strawberries - it was summer bounty at its best! The producers were smiling and friendly and excited about being there, which was really inspiring. I wish I could start every day going to the Blenheim Farmer’s Market!

February 27, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments

Fish in Picton. Marlborough, New Zealand.

One of my first days in Marlborough I took a drive with some folks from Cloudy Bay winery to Picton, a quaint fishing town with dramatic scenery. We were there to meet Caroline, a young lady who manages to hook the best fish in town. Although Picton is by no means an undiscovered spot, there are still plenty of local characters hanging around. While we were picking out some fish for lunch we came across quite a few. The fish were also fascinating - many of them I didn’t recognize and couldn’t even begin to pronounce their names…

February 26, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments

Staying at Maison Grange. Marlborough, New Zealand

 

During my visit to the Marlborough I stayed with John and Robyn Hodges at their home cum bed and breakfast. They’ve named it Maison Grange. From the moment I arrived they were the most gracious, hospitable and caring hosts. John was an in-flight service direct for Air New Zealand for 20 years so he is an expert at hospitality and making sure you are comfortable and well taken care of is obviously something he just really enjoys. Amazingly, by total coincidence, Robyn is a best-selling cookbook author! And by best-selling I really mean best-selling - she has sold over 5 million cookbooks world-wide!! And let me tell you for good reason too — her cooking, and baking in particular, is absolutely fantastic! From oatmeal cookies to banana cake to pavlova, everything that came out of her oven was a treat. Maison grange sits right on a few acres of vineyard and my second-floor apartment had a stunning view of the vineyards and the Marlborough hills beyond.

February 25, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments

My Short Ribs in Paris!

Every couple of weeks I go to David Lebovitz’s blog, about “the sweet life” in Paris to see what this talented photographer, author and chef is up to. He is, in many ways, a model for my own internet activities. So you can imagine my surprise when I went to his site today for the first time in a couple weeks and saw MY name in the the most recent post. And not just my name but a whole post about David cooking my Hoisin Short Ribs in his Parisian apartment. I thought that was just too cool! David also tells a nice little anecdote about our lives interwine, if only tangentially, on a recent trip to New York City. The world really is a small place!

Now I guess it’s my turn to try my hand at one of David’s recipes, and David, if you’re reading this, don’t worry - I’ll hold the garlic ;-)

February 16, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments

Magnolia Bakery UWS

My new apartment here in NYC is literally across the street from the new Magnolia Bakery. Magnolia Bakery exploded when it was featured on Sex and the City and immediately became a symbol of New York sophisticated whimsy. But that one is downtown in the West Village and the place has long lines that snake around the building at all hours, day and night. But at the new one here on the UWS there are hardly any lines and there is a nice little place to sit and have a coffee with something sweet. The atmosphere is bright and colorful, the people who work there are young and cheerful and there are always moms with their kids running around, so the place is just a pretty happy place.

February 11, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments

Nobu, Tribeca. New York, NY.

It had been years since I visited the original Nobu so I was able to see the place with fresh eyes when I stopped by recently to photograph the miso-glazed black cod that they do there. It is one of the iconic dishes of contemporary American diningand it is now copied in restaurants and homes all over the country.

February 4, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments

Jean Georges at Columbus Circle. New York, NY.

 

I visited Jean Georges recently for an upcoming issue of Saveur and came away with a few cool pics. Jean Georges really is one of the great dining institutions of New York City. It is an impeccable place. Every detail is attended to, everything is on point, the place is spotless, the staff professional and friendly, and, of course, the food delicious.

February 4, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments

Market Days: Hanahreum. New York, NY.

[smooth=id:9]

The  Saveur magazine offices are located on E. 32nd street, pretty much smack dab in the heart of Korea Town. When I go to visit my friends at Saveur, I take the subway into Penn Station and walk a few blocks. This stroll take me past all kinds of interesting Korean-oriented shops, from terrific frozen yogurt shops (Red Mango, Crazy Bananas) to all-night Shabu-Shabu eateries.  There’s also a bustling Korean supermarket that does a brisk business with the locals. The market is dense and crowded. There is more vertical distance than anything else, so boxes and crates are stacked hight to the ceiling. There are many prepared and packaged food that I can not identify for the life of me, which just makes a stop here are the more interesting. The aisle with all the sweets catches my fancy, as does the display of dried little fish. And there’s a very clean, brightly lit fresh-fish section, brimming with glistening mackerel, snapper and whatever else came in fresh that day. With all the vibrant colors and exotic products, I could have spent a day in here browsing and taking photos but after not even 5 minutes, I was asked by some burly Korean guys to leave the store and delete all of my pictures. I left the store but I didn’t delete my photos.

 

Hanahreum

25 W 32nd St

(between 5th Ave & Broadway)
New York, NY 10001

(212) 695-3283

January 16, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments

Conch Culture: Harbour Island

A week before Thanksgiving I traveled to Harbour Island to explore the local cuisine there. If there is one thing that is defining about the food culture here conch would be it.

Conch is plentiful in this part of the world and local fishermen go out when weather permits to pull in a new haul.

Then it is up to the cooks to turn it into something tasty and they succeed with flying colors. Weather it’s conch salad, conch fritter, or a conch stew, the conch dishes here are delicious and offer a unique taste of local culture.

December 18, 2008   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments