232 replies to this topic

[FabulousFoodBabe]

And a gracious good morning to you.

We had a little discussion here chez Fabby about what to call the blog. My firstborn (18 year old son) said, "aren't you a little, well, old to be doing this?" My secondborn (16 year old son) thought "a week in the life of an underachiever" would be fitting. My husband said, "how about 'my husband really is not such a picky eater'!" Smartasses, all of 'em. I've raised them well.

Our home now is in Chappaqua, New York; we've been here since July, 2001. Prior to that we lived in Atlanta, North Jersey, Columbus OH, Modesto CA, and Cincinnati. It's been a wild ride and a good one; makes for an interesting life but not a brief resume! (How many times you think I've said that over the years ...)

I'll give bits of my past life this week as you want 'em.

And for all of you, because you are special, I will do my darnedest to get a real-time photo of President Clinton, who is our most famous Chappaquan. I know all his pre-heart attack haunts and will haunt them, as well. I was going to stalk Megan Blocker, but she guessed it was me as this week's blogger, and invited me to trek into the city and hang with her, so I guess that's out!

Ask me anything! I'll try not to ramble on. And yeah, it's good to be queen.

Edited by FabulousFoodBabe, 03 September 2006 - 07:36 AM.

[johnnyd]

Invite Bill over for dinner! Say it's a pot-luck and see what he makes!

[coquus]

And you're off and running very early.

Hudson Foie Gras? Hey, I spelled it right (much thanks to you), that has to be nearby. The Catskills close? Jacques Pepin's home at Hunter would be a good picture. Truite Au Bleu while you are there?

[therese]

Got those fridge shots lined up yet?

Looking forward to more.

[CaliPoutine]

I'm looking forward to seeing what I missed a few weeks ago.

Friends of my from FL, were in Chappaqua a couple of weeks ago. They didnt realize that I live only about 4-5hrs away by car and that I could have visited them. I've heard wonderful things about Chappaqua.

Blog on Queen.

[FabulousFoodBabe]

One thing a few of you know about me, is that I'm a techno-dork. Anyone ever see the Albert Brooks movie, "Mother"? That's me with the photos. But thanks to Susan in FL for her direction, and therese for telling me that I already fucked up (no, she didn't use those words. She's a very dignified lady <-- No, really.)

So, I'll go back and fix my cup photo. You should all know that it's a souvenir from my last trip to London. I can't run fast in my heels, but I CAN outrun an 80 year old woman, especially when she has to hold on to her hat and purse.

Here's my to-do list today. My husband is playing golf, the kids and dog are asleep, and I have lots of stuff to do before we have our wee cookout tonight.

Edited by FabulousFoodBabe, 03 September 2006 - 07:34 AM.

[therese]

Just looking at your to do list makes me tired. I'm going back to bed.

[FabulousFoodBabe]

And you're off and running very early.

Hudson Foie Gras?  Hey, I spelled it right (much thanks to you), that has to be nearby.  The Catskills close?  Jacques Pepin's home at Hunter would be a good picture.  Truite Au Bleu while you are there?

Invite Bill over for dinner!  Say it's a pot-luck and see what he makes!

Hee! I am planning to invite him and Senator C. to our opening-night party, when the new kitchen is done.

And you're off and running very early.

Hudson Foie Gras? Hey, I spelled it right (much thanks to you), that has to be nearby. The Catskills close? Jacques Pepin's home at Hunter would be a good picture. Truite Au Bleu while you are there?

Coquus, one of the things I'm doing in the new kitchen is from what Chef Pepin has done in his. Catskills aren't really close to Chappaqua, but Bedford is. Who lives there, hmm?

::aside: Coquus refers to my asking him if he had a certain CIA chef who spelled foie gras "fois." He (coquus) was also nice enough to explain why he did it that way and didn't say, "bitch," at the end of his explanation! ::

therese, I'll send those fridge shots when I get it cleaned out, or is that cheating?

Cali, where do you live? We love Chappaqua, though sometimes I really wish we lived in the city. But in three years, we'll have an empty nest, so who knows where we'll wind up?

Hmm. This is what popped out of a garden my younger son grew this year. I'll add his gardening to some photos later on this week when the rain stops completely, so you can see what he's done. We were stumped by this until we cut it open. Now, we're semi-sure. Any ideas?

[CaliPoutine]

Cali, where do you live? We love Chappaqua, though sometimes I really wish we lived in the city. But in three years, we'll have an empty nest, so who knows where we'll wind up?

I'm in Exeter, Ontario. Wee little town 30 min N of London.

I'm originally from California by way of NY and Florida so any chance I get to escape this small ( non-foodie) town/county, I take!!

[Rebecca263]

Yay, it's FABBY! Honey, that's the fattest little zucchini I've ever seen, save the seeds and we'll market them! Well, OK, maybe it's NOT a zucchini, but it sure looks like one to me. Perhaps my meds are making my eyes buggy.
Oh, and BTW, no fair cleaning the refrigerator BEFORE the reveal!

[H. du Bois]

Oh goody, it's you! Looking forward to a great blog. *

* Am hoping for gratuitous mention of the chef's footgear as well.

[rjwong]

And a gracious good morning to you.

Hey, babe! How's it goin'? Oh, pardon me:

And a gracious good morning to you too, my queen ...

Our home now is in Chappaqua, New York; we've been here since July, 2001.  Prior to that we lived in Atlanta, North Jersey, Columbus OH, Modesto CA, and Cincinnati.  It's been a wild ride and a good one; makes for an interesting life but not a brief resume!  (How many times you think I've said that over the years ...)

I'll give bits of my past life this week as you want 'em.

I would be interested in that "wild ride" you had in Modesto, CA ... hehehe ...

[Pontormo]

I'm guessing this queen owns FABULOUS shoes.

DAHLING, give credit where credit is due! I have to say that mug was too you to miss.

Have a great week!

Edited by Pontormo, 03 September 2006 - 11:38 AM.

[Pan]

Fabby, I've been looking forward to the possibility of a foodblog from you for a long time. I know (or used to know) Chappaqua. My father's late former dealer (art gallery owner) lived in Chappaqua, and when I was in college at Purchase, I used to party in that area.

Anyway, back to food: You're doing a cookout and need to use up bananas. How about fried bananas? Fry them like you'd fry plantains - either whole or already cut up.

[Megan Blocker]

Fabby, I cannot wait to see you this week - you just tell me where and when, and I'll be there. In heels, of course.

Almost every meal I've eaten in Chappaqua has been a holiday one - many fond memories. Can't wait to see it through your eyes!

[FabulousFoodBabe]

Yay, it's FABBY! Honey, that's the fattest little zucchini I've ever seen, save the seeds and we'll market  them! Well, OK, maybe it's NOT a zucchini, but it sure looks like one to me. Perhaps my meds are making my eyes buggy.
Oh, and BTW, no fair cleaning the refrigerator BEFORE the reveal!

Hey, we found another of the Mystery Squashes today -- Jean-Luc was playing with it. Here's a photo; the pock marks are from his teeth.



We thought for a while it was a pumpkin, but now we're not sure.

And for the fridge shots: There's always a teenager with his head inside it! If I can wrest them away long enough, I'll show the inside (and it's not a pretty sight). But for now ...



And the doggie equivalent ...

[FabulousFoodBabe]

Oh goody, it's you!  Looking forward to a great blog.  *

* Am hoping for gratuitous mention of the chef's footgear as well. 

I'm ashamed to admit that I only have three pairs of Danskos, all black. One pair oiled and two, shiny.

I dress from the feet up: what shoes do I want to wear? That drives the day's outfit. Or the night's.

Today, I made beef stock from some amazing bones I got from Lasater's Grassland Beef ...



They're gorgeous and meaty, and the stock has this great rich color and smell. After it's cooled and clarified,I'll show you -- now, it's got a bunch of stuff on the surface.

I've been ordering meat from Lasater's for a long time; I like the way they do things. Lobel's of NY is starting a program where your beef can be ordered whole/half steer, etc., and it's all sourced from NY State cattle ranches. When the new kitchen is in and I have some actual storage space, I'll start getting beef from them as well.

Yanno, when my new kitchen goes in, my clothes will be brighter and my teeth will be whiter. I just know it.

[Ling]

So the two squash pics you posted were from the same seed/plant? I was going to guess the first one as being zucchini as well. One of my students has a really big vegetable garden, and for some reason all his zucchini this year came out perfectly round like the one in your first pic!

[FabulousFoodBabe]

And a gracious good morning to you.

Hey, babe! How's it goin'? Oh, pardon me:

And a gracious good morning to you too, my queen ...

Our home now is in Chappaqua, New York; we've been here since July, 2001.  Prior to that we lived in Atlanta, North Jersey, Columbus OH, Modesto CA, and Cincinnati.  It's been a wild ride and a good one; makes for an interesting life but not a brief resume!  (How many times you think I've said that over the years ...)

I'll give bits of my past life this week as you want 'em.

I would be interested in that "wild ride" you had in Modesto, CA ... hehehe ...

Russell! Can you imagine a better place to get into trouble than Mo-town? I tell people I 'grew up' there. It was in Modesto that I got my calling to food, even though I'd worked in the industry for quite a few years before that.

My husband worked for the Gallo Winery for about five years. I left a terrific writing job, lucrative freelancing work and a lifetime of friends and moved to Modesto sight-unseenwith a 2week old infant. My younger son was born in Modesto 18 months later. One weekend, we snow-skiied and waterskiied on the same day, just to say we did! It really was a lot of fun, a lot of work, and some very happy memories.

[FabulousFoodBabe]

So the two squash pics you posted were from the same seed/plant? I was going to guess the first one as being zucchini as well. One of my students has a really big vegetable garden, and for some reason all his zucchini this year came out perfectly round like the one in your first pic!

Yep -- I picked the first one a week ago, and Jean-Luc ripped the second one off the vine, today! The inside looks like pumpkin seeds, though. Tonight, we'll cut one open and show you-all something to use as scale. Unless, of course, I drink too many Ten&Tonics. Plus, we have the rest of the Williams-Selyem Pinot Noir ...

I can't drink ten drinks and keep standing, Miss Ling, much less write adorable drunken blog entries. I'm a sloppy drunk, not a cute one! But I was, once ...

[FabulousFoodBabe]

Fabby, I've been looking forward to the possibility of a foodblog from you for a long time. I know (or used to know) Chappaqua. My father's late former dealer (art gallery owner) lived in Chappaqua, and when I was in college at Purchase, I used to party in that area.

Anyway, back to food: You're doing a cookout and need to use up bananas. How about fried bananas? Fry them like you'd fry plantains - either whole or already cut up.

When I was considering what school to return to, right after we moved here, I went over to Purchase to meet with one of the Deans. It was a beautiful day, all the windows were open, and as I walked by each building the most beautiful music was wafting out. I sat down on a bench and listened for a while. Just a lovely moment, and once again made me glad that, since I dont' have that talent, so many people who love to share it with others, do.

So, did you go over to Lucy's in Pleasantville? I don't think there are any good bars in Chappaqua, but we've got quite a few neato delis and little places plus, of course, Crabtree's Kittle House.

Bananas, fried, with the Lusardo cherries I just got? Maybe with a little ice cream ...

I'm in heaven.

Okay, gotta go feed the hound(s). More later.

[Pan]

I was partying in the houses of rich parents of schoolmates and friends of schoolmates, Fabby.

Yes, Chappaqua, Pleasantville, Valhalla, that area.

Your dessert sounds great!

If you really want to make it gourmet, flambee the bananas in rum or brandy.

[Alex]

And a gracious good morning to you.

Hey, babe! How's it goin'? Oh, pardon me:

And a gracious good morning to you too, my queen ...

Our home now is in Chappaqua, New York; we've been here since July, 2001.  Prior to that we lived in Atlanta, North Jersey, Columbus OH, Modesto CA, and Cincinnati.  It's been a wild ride and a good one; makes for an interesting life but not a brief resume!  (How many times you think I've said that over the years ...)

I'll give bits of my past life this week as you want 'em.

I would be interested in that "wild ride" you had in Modesto, CA ... hehehe ...

Russell! Can you imagine a better place to get into trouble than Mo-town? I tell people I 'grew up' there. It was in Modesto that I got my calling to food, even though I'd worked in the industry for quite a few years before that.

My husband worked for the Gallo Winery for about five years. I left a terrific writing job, lucrative freelancing work and a lifetime of friends and moved to Modesto sight-unseenwith a 2week old infant. My younger son was born in Modesto 18 months later. One weekend, we snow-skiied and waterskiied on the same day, just to say we did! It really was a lot of fun, a lot of work, and some very happy memories.

Funny you should mention Modesto and food today in the same post. Our local newspaper's Sunday crossword puzzle (via King Features Syndicate) often makes the longer clue solutions a riddle, plus an answer that's a pun or silly rhyme. Today's riddle was, "What might you call it if a central California city issued an official statement about the right way to cook green pasta sauce?" Answer: "Modesto pesto manifesto."

[FabulousFoodBabe]

Ah, whatta day.

I realize I forgot to show you how I spoil my sons. When they requested lunch, I go into Mom's Diner mode and cook them what they want.

Firstborn: Egg bagel. This is a plain bagel, toasted and buttered, with scrambled eggs (NO seasoning, no salt, nothing, nada, and 'firm'). Hey, it works for him.



Youngun wanted rice. Sushi rice, in the rice cooker, with a little soy sauce. His preferred rice is Kokuho Rose which we get at the Mt. Kisco Farm market in the next town (one of my favorite little stores and I'll show you why later this week).





My lunch was leftover jerk chicken breast, some sliced tomatoes, and leftover mashed potatoes from the other night ... eaten at 10:30 a.m. Mahvelous!

[fou de Bassan]

Fabulous food babe,

I'm glad to see you blogging, I have admired your shoes from afar.

I'd love to know how the renovation process is going for you.
If you go with the banana dessert, please take a picture and post it as buying bananas here requires most of your child's college fund.

[FabulousFoodBabe]

So another day ends chez Foodbabe. We are pooped from two weeks of houseguests -- first, the inlaws and then, a girl my older son met on his work/study to Vancouver this summer. She lives just outside Los Angeles. Of course. Every time we've relocated we chose neighborhoods with lots of kids so that the boys would have someone close by to hang with. Every single time -- no kidding -- they connected with someone who lived a few miles away. Now, it's 3000 miles. Sigh.

We have few traditions in our house, but the ones we have mostly revolve around food and drink. Memorial Day and Labor Day meals are blue cheese-stuffed burgers (for us; the boys have plain or hot dogs), potato and egg salad, and the last "legal" gin & tonics of the season.

My husband's job is to be sure I've got mine in hand by the time the burgers go on the grill:



As you can see, my kitchen island is a little cramped. I try not to get too mad at it; it didn't ask to be annoying.

The kids love this soda, and I try to get some for them once in a great while. Pure cane sugar -- I could never drink full-sugar sodas sweetened with corn syrup,but this stuff is pretty nice.


We started our pre-dinner noshing with a Hardie Family Favorite: Wieners Wellington

[purplewiz]

Firstborn:  Egg bagel.  This is a plain bagel, toasted and buttered, with scrambled eggs (NO seasoning, no salt, nothing, nada, and 'firm').  Hey, it works for him.

Works for me, too. That looks delicious, and I'm glad to know that someone else in this universe likes their eggs scrambled firm/well/dry/no runny stuff, thank you ever so!

Marcia.

[FabulousFoodBabe]

Fabulous food babe,

I'm glad to see you blogging, I have admired your shoes from afar.

I'd love to know how the renovation process is going for you.
If you go with the banana dessert, please take a picture and post it as buying bananas here requires most of your child's college fund.

Aw, shucks. Thank you, fou. the shoes are lovely and I smile through the pain!

Unfortunately, the banana dessert was nixed by everyone here, since they wanted to eat Chipwich's (yick). More on my husband's horrible eating habits and the fact that, at 48, he looks like he's 22, later (when I'm not reminded of how jealous that makes me!).

But I will do the bananas, maybe tomorrow night. They've got another day or two left on them. Probably for the best, because we had issues with the oven and the plumbing today; I had to put out a fire and deal with a flood. But more on the reno later this week. In short, the cabinets have been chosen and are now being designed; variances have been requested; appliance schedules have been finalized and all materials have been chosen. And best of all -- a contractor who is just amazing is doing the work.

Anyway. Here's my mis en place (I call it plaaaahhhhhzzz) for the burgers:



And what my dinner looked like



Best of all, we finished a bottle of one of my favorite wines in the world: Williams Selyem 2003 Pinot Noir. Sigh.



I didn't photograph the stock becuz I forgot, and I'm too lazy to go back and do it.

tomorrow, if it's nice out, I'm going to play golf with my husband and another couple. The club we belong to has THE most amazing chef (we'll have dinner there tomorrow night with some friends and I'll show you), and equally great is Mary, who runs the halfway house. Her hot dogs are legendary, and I'm sure are why I always shoot better on the back 9.
*****
Oh, and Pan: We live on the Millwood side of Chappaqua -- where the poor folks are! Seriously, one of my son's friends said they "downsized" by moving from Riverdale to here. Good grief. I've got too much Ohio left in me, I think, to get my arms around that one!

good night, eGullet!

[FabulousFoodBabe]

P.S.: About the Wieners Wellington: They are of Lobel's hot dogs, and Dufour's puff! I do my own puff when I have time and I haven't for a while, but this stuff is pretty great in a pinch.

And yeah, my husband likes HIS W'sW with dough-in-a-can. ::shudder:: The man should weigh a wheezing, cholesterol-laden 300#. It's just not fair! (whine!)

[dvs]

Chappaqua, huh... do you know the dammann's or the baltays?
i guess its a bit too early for leaf peeping, so, could you install the smell-a-puter function so i can at least smell the beginnings of an east coast fall?
tia
dvs (transplanted right-coaster)(living on the left coast)