More Dish on Steel City’s Local Food Scene

Posted on March 17, 2011 by upstatedowntown

By Kathryn Matthews

Did Andy Warhol ever eat a Primanti Brothers sandwich?

As a food-obsessed New Yorker, I’ve pondered this question, on occasion, when visiting my parents in Pittsburgh.

Did Andy Warhol ever eat this Manwich?

My February 27th New York Times travel article about a new wave of local-minded Pittsburgh restaurants mentions Primanti Brothers as a landmark eatery.  Originally a trucker’s joint, Primanti’s opened in the 1930s, serving up its now-famous, mammoth sandwiches stuffed with meat, cheese, coleslaw and French fries.  (How those truck drivers stayed awake afterwards is beyond me!).  Continue reading →

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We’re #1 (in Wine Consumption)!

Posted on March 15, 2011 by upstatedowntown

Celebration time

By Christopher Matthews

It might sound like a “man bites dog” story, but the US has overtaken France as the world’s largest wine-consuming nation in 2010, washing down a record 330 million cases from both US and foreign producers.

I guess we wine writers and bloggers haven’t been toiling (and drinking) in vain! Continue reading →

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Seeing the World, Gluten-Free

Posted on March 9, 2011 by upstatedowntown

By Kathryn Matthews

Courtesy of Viesti Associates

Courtesy of Viesti Associates

I have no gluten allergies.  But I recently attended a gluten-free Chinese luncheon to meet Bob Levy of Bob & Ruth’s Gluten-Free Dining & Travel Club at Golden Unicorn restaurant in Chinatown.

I was curious. The term “gluten-free” is getting a lot of buzz these days.  What does it mean?  And why eat a gluten-free diet? Continue reading →

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A Porter for All Seasons

Posted on February 25, 2011 by upstatedowntown

By Christopher Matthews

Porter, a dark, medium-bodied English ale style that was THE drink of 18th century Britain, almost went the way of the Passenger Pigeon in the 20th, when lighter, industrialized lagers captured much the beer market here and, to a lesser extent, in the UK.

Fortunately, the craft beer movement of recent decades has resurrected the style, albeit in varied versions (and in fairly small quantities), which, at its best, offers Stout-like complexity on a lighter, highly drinkable frame.

Chatham Brewing’s logo

In writing my recent Rural Intelligence piece on Chatham Brewing Company (CB), a Columbia County, NY nano-brewer of artisanal ales, I came across near Porter perfection. Continue reading →

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Brownie Points

Posted on February 19, 2011 by upstatedowntown

By Kathryn Matthews

"Cakey" applesauce brownies

How do you like your brownies: fudgy or cakey?  I fall squarely in the fudgy camp.  I like walnuts in my brownies.  Hold the icing.  And they should taste rich, dark and chocolaty—but not too sweet.

A fudgy-type brownie is what I buy at a bakery or at the farmers’ market, where purposeful ignorance is bliss.

At home, however, I’ll always end up baking those cakey-type brownies that I would never buy—the ones that that call for unsweetened cocoa and oil (instead of butter).

Why the double standard? Continue reading →

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A Massage to Remember

Posted on February 15, 2011 by upstatedowntown

By Kathryn Matthews

Bodhi Holistic Spa in Hudson

On the eve of Valentine’s Day, Chris surprised me with a lovely gift: a couples’ massage at Bodhi Spa in Hudson, New York.

I love massages—receiving them, that is.

For me, getting a massage is an occasional indulgence—one that helps alleviate cumulative stress or relaxes overused muscles.  The benefits of receiving regular bodywork, however, are far-ranging, from helping improve circulation, reducing back pain, lessening depression and anxiety; to enhancing the immune system. A study published last September in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine found that the recipients of a single session of Swedish massage experienced measurable, biological effects, including a significantly decreased level of arginine-vasopressin (which plays a role in regulating blood pressure and water retention), and an effect on the immune system.

Continue reading →

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Happy Cows Make Great Chili

Posted on February 9, 2011 by upstatedowntown

By Kathryn Matthews

Cold day. Hot chili.

On a raw, bone-chilling afternoon, hinting of yet another snowstorm to come, I suddenly found myself craving chili.  Not vegetarian chili.  Nope, mere cooked kidney beans wouldn’t do.  This kind of frigid cold sparked a primal hunger for something meaty, savory and warming.

Continue reading →

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Frozen! The Sweet Taste of Summer

Posted on February 4, 2011 by upstatedowntown

By Kathryn Matthews

I confess: right about now, I’ve had my fill of root vegetables, from parsnips, carrots and rutabagas, to turnips and black radishes.  Yes, they’re locally available, in-season and tasty. But it’s been a long winter, and I occasionally long for a taste of warm weather produce.

Now, my upstate neighbor Kenny Migliorelli offers an antidote to my winter vegetable blues with Migliorelli Farm’s new line of frozen produce.

Continue reading →

Posted in Food, Health, Hudson Valley Farms, Local Food | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

White Beans for a Snowy Evening

Posted on January 26, 2011 by upstatedowntown

By Kathryn Matthews

Once again, Mother Nature was the talk of the town. As the City—with snow plows and sanitation crews at-the-ready—braced itself for more white stuff, I anticipated the snowstorm in a different way—by rustling up a big pot of slow-cooked navy beans.

Continue reading →

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American Pie (vs. Pi) Day

Posted on January 23, 2011 by upstatedowntown

By  Kathryn Matthews

There’s the movie.  The song.  Now, the holiday.

NOT

 

 

 

Today, January 23rd, is National Pie Day—not to be confused with Pi (∏) Day—celebrated by math nerds (sorry…geniuses!) the world over—which falls on March 14th .  Because Pi = 3.1415926535.  Get it?!   On Pi Day, k-r-a-z-y things will happen, like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology releasing its admission decisions at 1:59pm.  Continue reading →

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