Less Meat, More Plants: One Home Cook’s Journey

Posted on November 30, 2011 by upstatedowntown

By Kathryn Matthews

Winter Vegetable Pot Pie; haricot verts and wild rice

Here’s the wonderful thing about my recent, albeit way-too-short, visit to Pittsburgh…good as the burgeoning, local-minded restaurant scene is here (and which I highlighted earlier this year in my NYT article), I didn’t have to set foot in a single restaurant to enjoy locally sourced, healthfully prepared, delicious food.  My mother’s awesome cooking held us captive, of course.

And my longtime friends, Dan and Doug, surprised—and honored—us with a beautiful, home-cooked dinner the day before we headed back to NYC.

Doug, an IT executive, has always been passionate about food and cooking.

Over the last few years, however, Doug has shifted to a more vegetarian and locally sourced diet.  Why?  His health was a strong, motivating force.  Continue reading →

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Turkey on a Road Trip

Posted on November 26, 2011 by upstatedowntown

By Kathryn Matthews

Northwind Farms' Heritage Bronze turkey (Courtesy of Hudson Valley Magazine)

There’s something romantic about a road trip.  It sparks my spirit of adventure.  So, this year, not only did we drive 8-1/2 hours to Pittsburgh to spend Thanksgiving with family…we also volunteered to cook the entire Thanksgiving dinner upon arrival…

For the occasion, we hauled a locally raised Hudson Valley turkey (a Heritage Bronze from Northwind Farms in Tivoli, N.Y.; right) across state lines, along with herbs from our garden, bags of produce, my favorite roasting pan, a heavy-duty food processor, my beloved chef’s knife, and a mishmash of other cooking paraphernalia. Continue reading →

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Healthy Twists for Thanksgiving

Posted on November 22, 2011 by upstatedowntown

By Kathryn Matthews

Tender! Juicy! An herbed-rubbed turkey served with a roasted-garlic gravy

Why not jumpstart your New Year’s resolution—”to eat more healthfully”—at Thanksgiving?  That’s right, I said Thanksgiving.  Because the basic inputs—turkey, cranberries, Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, green beans or collard greens—are inherently healthful foods.  It’s what you do with them— whether it’s serving up deep-fried turkey or going heavy on the mini marshmallows, butter and cream—that transforms these foods into a calorie fest.

Ready to give up feeling overstuffed, lethargic and a few extra pounds?

Here’s a menu, time-tested and beloved, that I had developed for Epicurious.com.  It’s relatively easy and big on flavor: http://epi.us/HlthyThxgivingRecipes .

Christopher and I have cooked variations of this for friends and family over the years, but pick and choose as you wish, or go for the whole menu.

P.S.: the ginger-pumpkin mini soufflés are the bomb!

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Beware: Killer Deer! (Especially in November)

Posted on November 20, 2011 by upstatedowntown

By Christopher Matthews

It’s November, and deer season is upon us… And in Dutchess County, NY, where the white-tailed deer population has expanded to ridiculous heights, it’s hard to say who is hunting whom this time of year…

The Enemy

Continue reading →

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Healthy Eating Made Simpler…

Posted on November 16, 2011 by upstatedowntown

By Kathryn Matthews

The holiday eating season officially starts this Thursday, November 24th.  When confronted by an onslaught of tempting foods, what will you put on your plate?

Forget strict dietary “rules”.  Instead, visualize the Healthy Eating Plate created by Harvard School of Public Health (HSPS) nutrition experts.  It’s an easy way of remembering how to enjoy food without sinking into a quagmire of caloric overindulgence.

HSPS’s Healthy Eating Plate, which launched in September, is the first credible nutrition “model” that I can get behind. Continue reading →

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A Hot Posse of Paso Whites

Posted on November 4, 2011 by upstatedowntown

By Christopher Matthews

Adelaida Vineyards

Paso Wine Country

Paso Robles, located halfway between San Francisco and LA along California’s Central Coast, is a happening place…right now! Continue reading →

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Apple (Pie) of My Eye

Posted on October 17, 2011 by upstatedowntown

By Kathryn Matthews

Yep, that's me passing judgement...

I take pie seriously.  For the last two years, I baked my best for Montgomery Place Orchard Farm Market’s annual antique apple pie contest held in mid-October.  It’s always great fun …and nearly impossible to predict the winners.  In 2009, I won a red ribbon for my apple pie filling.  Last year, nada (even though I entered the exact same pie!)…  More on my travails as a contestant in my Rural Intelligence article here.

Ahhhh, karma is sweet: this year, I was asked to be a judge. Continue reading →

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Wash Your Hands (A Lot); Get Sick Less

Posted on October 15, 2011 by upstatedowntown

By Kathryn Matthews

On a recent Friday evening at peak commuter rush hour, I boarded the Metro North train at Grand Central, sinking into my seat with seconds to spare.  I hadn’t noticed my seatmate.  But she soon got my attention.

She began sniffling, rubbed her nose, sniffled some more and rubbed again, all the while, answering emails on her iPhone. This mucous-snorting cacophony continued, unabated, another 20 minutes.

“Blow your nose!!” I begged telepathically.  She remained oblivious to my silent pleas, absentmindedly touching her seat, her bag and her hair. Unable to contain myself any longer, I pointedly offered her several tissues.

Continue reading →

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Pinot Pleasure…in Germany

Posted on October 13, 2011 by upstatedowntown

By Christopher Matthews

Quick: name a German wine.

Bet it’s a Riesling.

And not for nothing: Germany is by far the world’s biggest producer of the noble grape, as well as the international benchmark for Riesling styles and excellence — from delicate, shimmering off-dry Kabinetts, to complex, dazzling dry versions and to mind-bending dessert wines.  German Riesling has also been a cause célèbre of sommeliers and wine writers here for over a decade, moi included.

Sure, Riesling is Germany’s signature grape. But there are other outstanding varieties from Deutschland worth getting to know, especially from the Pinot family of grapes, namely Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc, among others (Pinot Meunier, Auxerrois). In terms of tradition, quality and recent growth, this Pinot clan is second to none.

German Wine Regions

Continue reading →

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Classic Lunch Box Cookie Makes the Grade

Posted on October 4, 2011 by upstatedowntown

By Kathryn Matthews

Kids love these bite-sized munchables, a tribute to a beloved trifecta: butter + oatmeal + chocolate chips.  But I’ve got to give credit where it’s due:  this is my mother’s recipe.  It was a huge hit with her friends and colleagues, precisely because it was not too sweet.  Long—and I mean long(!)—after I had graduated from college, my mother would send me (and my husband) a care package—typically, a brown paper-wrapped shoe box—bursting with ziplocked baggies of these cookies.

They never lasted long. Continue reading →

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