Just in time for Thanksgiving

With Thanksgiving just over a week away, it's time to think about the holiday menu.  My cooking skills ranks somewhere in the novice/amateur category.  I'm pretty skilled with baking, soups and stews - foods that can be ignored while they cook.  But Thanksgiving is the one time of year where I don the apron and try my hand at something complicated. 

Luckily, we don't host the holiday ourselves - relatives have homes that are actually more than two rooms, so they offer the space - so my contribution is one well-crafted dish.  A lot of love and care goes into that one item.  I break out the fancy knives, play with exotic ingredients and pore over complicated recipes.  Essentially, for one day I pretend I'm in cooking school.  This exercise always leaves me wondering: what would it be like to attend cooking school?

Kelly Kingman has the answer to this question.  Spending some time on the campus at the Culinary Institute of America, she met met students and teachers as she attended classes, explored the dorms and tasted the food. It's a unique educational facility and experience. She also shares some helpful tips she picked up on how to improve your own cooking experience.  You can read her article in American Way Magazine. 

(Kelly Kingman has a passion for food, writing and the sustainable food movement.  To read more of her work visit Hudson Grown. Also check Needle and Thread and the Chinatown Night in the New York Times about an adventure she had during my wedding reception.)

New hand-made store opens in Beacon

We have all been busy bees this summer, and as a result the fall's harvest is quite robust.  It's fantastic to see people following their passion, and being rewarded for their efforts. 

Just in time for fall, and peak leaf viewing season a new store is opening in Beacon this weekend.  Clay Wood and Cloth will offer a variety of hand-made items from local artists.  Located on Main Street in Beacon, just up the hill from Dia, it adds another must-see to any road trip this season.

And to add to the fun, they're kicking it all off with a big party!

Clay Wood & Cotton is your source for the best handmade items for your home. We look for artists who combine beauty with utility, and who put a sense of fun into their work. Come and check out our selection of unique handmade goods for the whole home. Wooden spoons, aprons, and dish towels for the kitchen; napkins, placemats, and dishes for the dining room; art prints and pillows for the living room; plus stuffed friends for your little ones. Can't make it to Beacon? Our online store is opening soon! www.ClayWoodandCotton.com Clay Wood & Cotton is a collaboration of Kristy Reichert of Beacon Bookmarks, Kristen Couse of Cakehouse, and Kelly Kingman of BeaconCitizen.com Directions to Clay Wood & Cotton can be found here.

My new favorite blog: Hudson Grown

Kelly Kingman and Paul O'Hanlon are the best kind of foodies.  They share a love for everything food related from cultivation to the serving plate.  I've know Kelly for years and she's shared some of the best books, blogs, recipes and restaurants.  Paul as a product and food photographer has the uncanny knack to make even a glass of milk look like the most tempting of treats. 

In the past year they've made the move from Brooklyn to upstate New York, which has brought them closer (physically and mentally) to the origins of food.  With an interest health as well as supporting the local farmers, they started Hudson Grown, a blog about food in their area.

With features on new restaurants and farmers in the Beacon area, it keeps abreast (no pun intended) of new food trends.   The photos capture the charm of the idyllic area. The site also contains handy resources like a link to an edible map - containing locations of farms, food stands, markets and restaurants.  Spring is in the air, produce is in bloom.  What better time to hop in the car for the sights, smells and tastes of the new season.

For more, check out the Hudson Grown blog at http://www.hudsongrown.com/home/