By Kathryn Matthews
I love a good gingerbread. And not just at Christmas. To me, it’s cake. That’s why I bake my gingerbread in a round cake pan—IMO, square pans are for brownies and bar cookies.
After a recent visit down South—West Tennessee, to be exact—I was inspired to make a gingerbread with sorghum and buttermilk, two ingredients associated with traditional southern baking.
The result? A moist, ginger-nuanced, fresh-tasting cake that is frankly irresistible.
By Christopher Matthews
The maternal side of my family, the Smiths, are from West Tennessee farming stock (east of Memphis, around Jackson). And the Smith women, many of whom taught in the county schools during the school year, and cooked for their farmer husbands in the planting/growing season, were quite adept in the kitchen, none more so than my grandmother, Mary Webb Smith, a.k.a. “Mom”. Her scratch baking skills in particular—delectable rolls, breads, cakes and pies—
remain legendary; fortunately, we had the good sense to record and transcribe her assortment of recipes and favorite dishes while she was still with us, now a treasured family legacy.
By Kathryn Matthews
Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen
My husband Christopher and I recently braved a 100-degree June heat wave in Memphis for two reasons: to visit Rhodes College, his alma mater (where, despite the heat, we were compelled to stroll the stunning campus). And…to eat.
Nope, NOT barbecue!
One of our most memorable meals was at Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen, a gem of a “green” restaurant in East Memphis, where chain restaurants largely prevail.
By Christopher Matthews
As New York’s junior US Senator, Hillary Clinton was an effective advocate for New York State agriculture, including its growing wine industry. Every fall she would host a “New York Farm Day” reception in the Senate’s elegant Russell Caucus Room — one of DC’s most sought after tickets –featuring NY’s best farm products (prepared by top chefs) and award-winning wineries. Continue reading
By Kathryn Matthews
…wasn’t as painful as I had imagined.
Actually, my spanking new MacBook Pro, with its sleek aluminum body, intuitive smarts and powerful performance, is kind of thrilling. It’s been a life-changing experience.
I’m a writer who had been a lifetime PC user.
By Christopher Matthews
For wine lovers seeking value, Toro, a historical and up-and-coming wine region in north-central Spain — traditionally known for its brawny reds — is well worth getting to know. And among Toro’s wineries, Bodegas Fariña is a flagship producer, turning out exceptional wines at astonishingly affordable prices, mostly in the $10-12 range.
By Christopher Matthews
On Friday evening, May 13, the stately New York Public Library (NYPL) transformed into the City’s — if not the nation’s — largest cocktail party for the kick-off Gala of the five-day 2011 Manhattan Cocktail Classic.
Massive lines formed outside the NYPL, replete with velvet-rope treatment, for the sold-out event. Boas, fedoras, spiked heels and smoking jackets adorned many of the decked-out, 3,000-strong cocktail set, with plenty of eye-candy to spare. Awaiting them were dozens of spirit brands’ bar stations, manned by star bar chefs, turning out hand-made cocktails using the sponsors’ tipples, not to mention several DJ’s, live musical acts, hors d’oeuvres and some interactive art installations on the NYPL’s four cacophonous levels.
Manhattan Cocktail Classic Kick-off Gala 2011 (courtesy Hanna Lee Communications)
On Friday evenings, I’m normally on a train, headed upstate, but a press invite to the Classic declaring 2011 “Year of the Negroni” persuaded me to postpone my commute.
By Kathryn Matthews
Do you remember where you were on Monday, May 9th, 2011?
I was at the James Beard Foundation Awards (JBFA, for short), a.k.a. the “Oscars of the food world”. It’s always fallen on the same day as another annual event that I am obliged to attend. But, this year, that other event was cancelled, and, by invitation, I found myself at Lincoln Center that evening.
By Kathryn Matthews
I was surprised when I finally held a copy of Simply Great Breads by Hudson Valley baker Daniel Leader (with Lauren Chattman) in my hands. I figured it would be a hefty coffee table-type paean to artisanal bread baking. Instead, I found myself thumbing through a slim volume the size and weight of an iPad.
Leader, a certified organic baker, began baking European-style breads at his Catskills bakery, Bread Alone, in 1983. Continue reading
By Christopher Matthews
Before the ramp season completely plays out for 2011, here’s one more ramp-related post, this one on a noteworthy food-wine pairing.
As a pungent spring green, ramps are often labelled, like asparagus and artichokes, as tricky to pair with wines. The stock solution for all three is usually an herbaceous, minerally Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley or New Zealand. Depending on the preparation, this may well be. But, when cooked, ramps exclude a sweet earthiness, even a floral characteristic, that invites other vinous options, including reds. Grilled or sautéed ramps are delicious on their own. If, however, you use ramps as a flavoring component in a dish, like risotto, the creative wine-pairing possibilities multiply. Continue reading
Upstate-Downtown 