There are advantages to a small house. There are fewer rooms to clean, for one thing, and less grass to mow. But less space outdoors equals less space to garden. And less space to garden equals little to no opportunity to grow food, with the exception of basil and other essential herbs. Until now! I happened on this garden box on legs (above) while browsing the Williams-Sonoma website. My first thought was: How cool is this?! What a great option for space-challenged people like us, who have no back forty -- just a hill and trees and gravel drive. My... Continue reading

They look like beef patties. And that looks like a regular old burger, stuffed in a roll and topped with melted cheese and caramelized onions. Surprise: The patties and burgers were made with ground buffalo, also known as bison, from Empire Buffalo, in Madison County. Empire Buffalo is a buffalo farm, home to a herd of 40 non-domesticated animals, near Chittenango Falls State Park. Farm owners Aileen Randolph and Joe Lazarsky sell bison products direct from the farm and at area farmers markets, primarily in the Madison County area. I met Aileen in March at the Circa Winter Farmer’s Market,... Continue reading

Inside Aqua Vita Farms, Sherrill It’s that time of year: The farmers who grow our food can’t wait to get outside on a daily basis, feel the warmth of the sun, dig in the nutrient-rich soil and plant their first crops. And then there are those who can’t wait to get outside because they’ve been inside all winter, where it’s balmy and 70-something degrees, growing Swiss chard, pea shoots, salad greens, herbs and other produce. “It’s always spring in here,’’ says Mark Doherty, the founder of Aqua Vita Farms, an aquaponic farm launched in 2011. AquaWHAT? For the uninitiated, aquaponics... Continue reading

Last year’s apple crop was less than abundant, due to widespread hard freezes early in the growing season. But something told me I would find my favorite, Cortlands, at Ontario Orchards in Oswego. Ontario Orchards was my first food detour on a trip to Oswego on a wintery day a couple weeks back. The farm store, on Route 104 in Southwest Oswego, is open seven days a week, year-round. In addition to fresh local produce (and imports like romaine and tomatoes from warmer weather states), the store features pies, cookies and other homemade baked goods, nuts, grains and bulk foods,... Continue reading

Before there were Gertrude Hawk and Lindt chocolate outlets in what seems like every mall and shopping center, many communities had their own, family-owned candy shops. Some are still here, fortunately: Places like Speach Family Candy Shoppe on Syracuse’s North Side, Hercules Candy Company in East Syracuse and Stone’s Homemade Candy in Oswego. I’ve strolled and driven by Stone’s many times while in Oswego. Last week, on a trip to the Port City and on a lark, I stopped in. At lunchtime on a snowy weekday, the shop was deserted. The display cases offered fudge, chunk chocolate, chocolate barks (milk,... Continue reading

Photos courtesy of Ironwood Pizza Every community has a neighborhood pizza joint that serves a good pie. Manlius has several pizza joints. And now, it also has Ironwood Pizza, which turns out excellent wood-fired, thin-crust pies. Ironwood has been criticized in some quarters for a) not selling pizza by the slice and b) not offering delivery service. Owner John Freightenburgh, who got his start with the mobile “Pizza Rig’’ at area farmers markets and festivals, makes no apology for straying from the same-old same-old -- and why should he? Ironwood’s pizza is out of the ordinary. The mozzarella is as... Continue reading

The days are getting longer, but it's 25 degrees outside -- too cold for this gal to uncover the grill, fuss with the igniter and make Beer Can Chicken or Cornell Chicken -- even though the grill is on a covered terrace. Chicken on a Bundt Pan to the rescue! Why a Bundt pan, you ask? Well, it uses the same method -- vertical roasting – that the classic Beer Can Chicken does. And the Bundt pan catches the chicken drippings, keeping them off the bird and making clean-up easy. This recipe is a combination of your basic Italian roast... Continue reading

Farmers markets used to be a strictly seasonal affair in Central New York, bustling during the summer months, and then disappearing along with the last of the homegrown sweet corn, tomatoes and peaches. No longer. Farmers are able to extend their growing seasons these days, and grow things like herbs, lettuces, kale and chard -- even tomatoes -- indoors or in greenhouses and hoop houses. Beyond the Central New York Regional Market – which is open year-round, on Saturdays – winter farmers markets are popping up here and there, particularly east of Syracuse, and doing a good business. At the... Continue reading

In a recent post on Syracuse.com, Don Cazentre, food and beverage editor at The Post-Standard, points out how subjective, random and arbitrary restaurant ratings can be on crowd-sourced sites like TripAdvisor.com, and asks readers to weigh in with their own local Top 10. He’s right. The Top 10 restaurants for Syracuse on TripAdvisor include several that aren’t restaurants, exactly -- like Wegmans, Gannons Isle and Columbus Baking Co. Inspired by fellow CNY food blogger Jared Paventi, whose blog, Al Dente, focuses on food, cooking and eating (click here for Jared’s list), I decided to come up with my own list... Continue reading

I’ve been experimenting with chai since first writing about it three years ago. Not because I don’t have anything better to do – but because it somehow seemed a little flat. Especially after I had chai at Rose DeNeve’s house some time back. Rose is an author, avid bird watcher and traveler who has been to India many times. Her chai is some of the best I’ve ever had the pleasure of sipping -- and it stuck in my food memory. Besides the usual loose-leaf black tea, milk and spices (cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and black pepper, Rose said she... Continue reading

Woman does not live on coffee and wine alone. Sometimes, she craves craft beer. It’s fortunate, then, that the Finger Lakes Beer Trail is close at hand. The trail, founded in 2011 to celebrate and promote craft breweries in the Finger Lakes Region, stretches from Rochester to Syracuse and includes nearly three dozen breweries (including several still in development). In Syracuse, you can hop on board the hoppy trail by stopping at Middle Ages Brewing Company, Empire Brewing or Syracuse Suds Factory. On a recent Saturday, we decided to venture a little further out. First stop was Cortland Beer Company... Continue reading

We welcomed the New Year the same way we have for eight years now – by spending New Year’s Eve getting ready for a house party New Year’s DAY. After weeks of binge eating holiday excess, we offer some food with a healthy spin, coupled with party staples and a selection of sweets – hold the Christmas cookies. This year, we served French Carrot Soup, (Meatless) Pinto-Bean Mole Chili and Dom DeLuise’s Mama’s Meatballs. We sliced up one of Robert’s Pumpkin Rolls, put holiday eggnog to use in Eggnog Cheesecake Squares and baked a super-easy and delicious Chocolate Bundt Cake... Continue reading

Photo credit: Keuka Lake Coffee Roasters Salt doesn't have to be from the sea. Seneca Salt Co. Rosemary-Infused Culinary Flake Salt originates deep beneath Seneca Lake. Not only should the Christmas stockings be hung by the chimney with care. The stockings should be STUFFED with care, packed with treats and surprises – mostly edible and all locally made and sourced -- that make the recipient smile. There should be a sweet treat or two or three, like artisan cookies and chocolate. Perhaps some spice, like a zippy dipping/pasta sauce or spice rub. You could include a gift card for a... Continue reading

I’ve had a gift certificate to Smith Housewares and Restaurant Supply since LAST Christmas. It was tucked away in a drawer for a rainy or snowy day. It doesn’t have an expiration date, but it has been almost a year. That’s as good an excuse as any to take a spin through the store. For the uninitiated, Smith Housewares is a fifth-generation family business located in an 1840’s Erie Canal-era building in the heart of downtown Syracuse. It’s not as glossy as the gourmet cookware at the mall, but Smith’s is a magnet for both chefs and home cooks in... Continue reading

The air was cool and invigorating, the sky gray and misty. I went to the Central New York Regional Market late Saturday morning thinking it would be quiet and uncrowded. Not! The market, open Saturdays year-round (and Thursdays through November 15) was full of smart shoppers who make the weekly trek there instead of (or in addition) to the supermarket for fresh produce and locally produced food items. I couldn’t help thinking, as I made my way through the “sheds’’ (just two of them open this time of year, plus a few vendors outside) that the market has everything you... Continue reading

Where do two people who live a county away from -- and are “frequent flyers” to Finger Lakes wine country – go on vacation? To another wine-growing district in another corner of the state: the North Fork of Long Island. I know what you’re thinking: Lawn Guyland. So close to Manhattan, yet so far. Endless expressway, too many tolls. Wine? On Long Island? Yes! Long Island Wine Country is largely rural and some would say quaint. The North Fork, on the eastern side of Long Island, is dotted with charming towns and villages and feels more like New England than... Continue reading

Farmers markets and farm stands are bursting with fresh, local produce right now and through September. There is no better time to be a locavore – and to sign up for the NY Locavore Challenge. The New York Locavore Challenge is a monthlong campaign sponsored by the Northeast Farming Association of New York. It’s free, it’s flexible and it’s designed to engage consumers across the state and encourage them to support the local organic food movement – for the month of September and hopefully well beyond. New this year is “30 Challenges in 30 Days’’ – a challenge for each... Continue reading

Figs on pizza? Oh, yeah! The Versace pizza. It has been a busy year for Syracuse Chef Kevin Gentile. Last fall, he diversified his “eclectic Italian’’ brand with the addition of Gentile’s Pasta and Pizza Cafe in Liverpool (Route 370, corner of Longbranch Road; site of the former Zorba’s Pizzeria). And this spring, he moved his Syracuse restaurant across town – from its small spot on Burnet Avenue to bigger digs at 313 N. Geddes St., once home to the Park Circle and other restaurants. Starved after a steamy Saturday afternoon spent strolling through the Great American AntiqueFest at Long... Continue reading

Every kitchen has gadgets and gizmos bought, barely used and taking up real estate on shelves and in cupboards. You know: the rice cooker, salmon poacher, mango pitter, cordless cookie press… I’m not about to let that fate befall my compact electric ice cream maker. No way. Not a chance. On impulse last summer (the Internet is a dangerous shopping place!), I bought a Cuisinart 1.5 quart frozen ice cream, yogurt and sorbet maker for the unbelievable low price of $44.95. It was later in the summer, and I didn’t experiment with it much: a batch of frozen Greek yogurt... Continue reading

When I tell people that we like to make jam and jelly, put-up wax beans in jars and can tomato sauce and chili sauce, the response is usually one of keen interest and, sometimes, intimidation -- even among highly skilled cooks. In the words of one friend: “I’m afraid. I don’t want to poison or kill somebody.’’ That’s not likely. There are very few cases of botulism, or sickness from eating homemade jam, preserves, pickles and the like in this country. Yet fear of canning is common. In days gone by, we had our Mothers and Grandmothers to guide us... Continue reading

Why would you drive 85 miles for a chicken dinner? You might ask yourself that question on a misty Sunday afternoon, meandering along Route 20 east and in the countryside between Cooperstown and Oneonta, stomach growling. But then you see the smoke billowing across state Route 7, catch your first whiff of barbecue chicken in the air, glimpse the retro, blinking neon sign and note the parking lot packed with cars – and the question becomes a moot point. Welcome to Brooks' House of BBQ. The Brooks name is a household one in Oneonta, in the Southern Tier, where generations... Continue reading

I was going to give you the scoop on making David Leibowitz’ Strawberry-Basil Ice Cream. Or tell you about the deliciousness of roasting rhubarb and strawberries, a la Food52. So far this season, we’ve been enjoying strawberries in their natural state or almost-natural state: on top of yogurt, tossed with sugar to bring out their juices and served over frozen yogurt, etc. I haven’t pulled out the canning jars to make jam. Haven’t even whipped up a Strawberry Mojito! A mild winter followed by a cold spell in May resulted in an earlier than usual – and smaller than usual... Continue reading

Food trucks are everywhere in cities like New York, serving up everything from pretzels to pad Thai. In Syracuse, they aren’t as commonplace. So a shiny new red truck, parked on the West Side of Syracuse or along Widewaters Parkway in DeWitt, really stands out. So does the food. It’s definitely more high-end than the usual hotdogs and burgers, though one or both of those are offered most days. Welcome to Street Eats, a mobile restaurant owned and operated by chef Steve LeClair, a seasoned pro who has worked at area restaurants for more than 20 years, including Antonio’s, Grimaldi’s... Continue reading

We have decided to “take a pass” on Taste of Syracuse this weekend. While it is the official kick-off of the festival season in downtown Syracuse – and truly wonderful to see throngs of people lining the streets and sidewalks around Clinton and Hanover Squares – we have lost our taste for the Taste. Why? Three reasons, really. 1. Chains like Arbys, Applebees, Bonefish and Pizza Hut do not belong at the Taste of Syracuse. What is local about these corporate entities, aside from the fact they have outlets in Central New York? Unchain it! 2. Remember when reps of... Continue reading

When Alicyn Hart started seeing what looked like "flashing lights,'' she knew something was wrong. A friend who's also an opthalmologist told her to go to the emergency room. Doctors ordered tests, and tests revealed she had a brain tumor. She underwent surgery at Crouse Hospital in March, and surgeons removed a large, benign brain tumor. "I feel good,'' says Alicyn, chef and owner of Circa, a restaurant (and food market) in Cazenovia spotlighting seasonal menus that change weekly and emphasize locally sourced produce, meats, cheeses and other ingredients. "I hate to be anti-dramatic,'' she adds with a laugh. "It's... Continue reading