Thanksgiving Day is better every year as our girls get more mature. I have found that their interest in holiday hostess gifts has increased. We started with teacher gifts in years past. It was primarily my effort that planned and executed them. This year, I sent an email to the girls with a few examples. I ordered jars, clementines and honey from my suppliers. Within one hour on Thanksgiving Day, with all three of our girls in the room, holiday gift production started and finished.

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For years, we have made salmon wraps with the trim from whole fish. As we prep the filets for our dinner menu, there is always some trim left over from the belly and around the head. Now we have two uses for that extra protein. Read More »

My mother lives in the north woods of Wisconsin. During the summer months, she loves visitors. She emailed me today to give me some news:

After a full day of working in my garden, I needed to make this salad.  It had to be big enough to serve the Simonds’ kids for dinner and my kids for lunch the next day.  It was hot, and the idea of a cold salad with vegetables (just soft enough to bring out the extra flavor and color, but served cold) had me thinking all day. Read More »

In 2008, I was asked to manage a rejuvenation at The Old Stove Pub.  The Sagaponack, New York steakhouse had been shuttered for five years.  My partner, Brian Murray, and I brought it back to its exact specifications for two summers. That meant serving 30-oz, bone-in steaks from the ancient broilers in the tiny kitchen at the back of the original Sagaponack farmhouse on Montauk Highway. It also meant serving an authentic Greek style salad with tomatoes, feta cheese, cucumbers, onions and olives (no lettuce). Read More »

The Striped Bass special sold well last week.  Sales were strong enough to require Auggie, my sous chef at Estia’s American in Darien, to order extra bass.  In the end, we had three portions left.  That is not enough to post a special, but certainly enough to work with the title “Striped Bass.”  The B.L.T. burger incorporates all of the extra bass, flounder and shrimp. Read More »

Last week, one of our Connecticut liquor distributors offered a special on Herradura Tequila Blanco, a premium tequila made from 100% agave.  I purchased a case.
In order to showcase the tequila in an authentic presentation, we decided to pair it with Sangrita.  Sangrita is a sweet and spicy chaser that is served in a glass with a salted rim.  The Sangrita was placed on a plate next to the shot of Herradura Tequila Blanco with a wedge of lime on the side. Read More »

Once in a while, we get a customer who orders granola. It is best if we have fresh product so I like to make it once every two weeks. In order to use it all during those weeks, we will also feature a granola/banana pancake “fit” breakfast this weekend as a special. Read More »

Yesterday, my daughter Mansell sent me a note suggesting I try a “Healthy Choice” with turkey meatballs and roasted spaghetti squash. This recipe came together as I left the Little Kitchen In Sag Harbor after lunch today. Read More »

The snowflakes falling outside my window are the size of espresso saucers. It’s been like that since 7a.m. We still have managed a few tables every hour. My latest customer ordered “Lances Trance” which is a grilled chicken breast on toasted 8-grain bread with sweet corn, avocado and melted jack cheese. The patron, a regular named Todd Silvera, likes his sandwich with no cheese and I forgot. So this one will be my lunch. And I remade one for Todd. Read More »

This cold and uncomfortable weather requires a meaty, warm and filling pasta. I was on the phone yesterday with my butcher, Nichola, and asked about veal neck bones. He said he had the next best thing: veal shoulder. It was cheap at $5.00 a pound.
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