When I pulled up to the base of Spoleto, a charming town on a side of a mountain in the Umbrian region of Italy I wondered, what is that white truck selling, the one with the long line? Before embarking up the cobblestones to visit an amphitheatre build in 1 A.D. I had to stop [...]
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Butterscotch Bundt Cake
There is a glint in her eye when we walk into the baking store because there are magical elements here: colored sugars akin to an artist’s paints, cookie cutters of all sorts, tart pans, cake pans, pie filling, chocolate molds, Valrhona chocolate, whisks, doilies, fondant and flowers. My toddler and I are at the New [...]
Beef Stew Recipe/Ottomanelli/Le Vigne
On a walk through the West Village today I got the essential ingredients I needed to make beef stew. First stop: Ottomanelli & Sons Meat Market. This butcher shop on Bleecker Street is one of those family-owned businesses that I hope won’t fade into the past because I enjoy that old-school feeling of asking the [...]
Brooklyn Larder
Stepping into Brooklyn Larder is like entering the fantasy version of a corner deli, albeit one with so many tempting provisions you may not know what to buy. There’s hand-crafted cheese (and a cheese room), meats like cured pancetta, country paté and lamb merguez (made on site), fresh stocks, pasta, olive oil, homemade pickles, cashew [...]
The Sweet Life
I have a thing for caramels, but I don’t like just any caramels. I like them made with fresh ingredients (i.e. not drugstore caramels). The Sweet Life has the best I’ve tasted, plus one of my favorite combinations: caramel with salt. I also have a thing for high-quality baking chocolate, cashews (they sell ones flavored [...]
