Patricia and Carolyn, the lovely ladies at PS and MiragePaperCo's Designer Blog respectively, have tagged me! I had never been tagged before yesterday, and then I had the pleasure twice in one day!

Here are the rules:
1. Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 random and/or weird things about yourself.
3. Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.
4. Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

7 Random (Food-Related) Things About Myself:
1. I don't like raisins. I have learnt to tolerate them thanks to Jeffrey Steingarten's The Man Who Ate Everything, but they're not my first choice - I even pick them out of muesli one by one.
2. The first thing I learned to make was fried plantains, a West Indian favourite. I close second was good ol' KD - Kraft Dinner. Mmmm mm good.
3. I consider maple syrup to be extremely healthy. Extremely.
4. I am doomed to fail as a locavore because I eat a banana almost every day. They're the ultimate portable snack and they cannot be replaced. I guess I could move to the tropics...
5. I am a bit of a control freak in the kitchen. I am trying to get better.
6. The cookbook that really ignited my (previously smouldering) interest in food is Nigel Slater's Appetite. If you don't have it - buy it.
7. I am always thinking at least one meal ahead.

7 Random Blogs I Am Tagging:
A Wee Bit of Cooking
foodbeam
Smitten Kitchen
thepassionatecook
Our Patisserie
...an endless banquet
The Traveler's Lunchbox

Darling buds

Have you ever cooked with flowers? I can't say I've ever cooked with them, but I have used them as a garnish and as a decoration. Most recently I used an assortment of flowers containing lots of pansies to top my Easter cheesecake.


In this Observer Word of Mouth post Paul Levy discusses his adventures with floral ingredients in relation to a new book by Frances Bissell called "The Scented Kitchen: Cooking with Flowers". It's the first time I've heard of it, but I must admit he has made me very curious about nasturtium mayonnaise.

Building a library...

When I was upstate last weekend I did some cookbook shopping – one of the only kinds of shopping it is important to do on a full stomach. I bought a couple of books to add to my NY library, which made the collection a grand total of four. But then friendly brown box came in the mail this morning; and then there were five.

I miss a lot of the cookbooks that I left in London, particularly my collection of Nigella Lawson's books and, now that it's springtime, my River Cafe Two Easy by Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers which contains lots of great ideas for fresh vegetables, antipasti, pasta and fish. I rarely follow a recipe word for word (though I'm sure this is not a good thing) so I don't miss having particular recipes, but I do miss the inspiration that a flip through a great cookbook can give. The only "inspirational" type book that I have here in New York is Nigel Slater's The Kitchen Diaries. The photos themselves could melt in your mouth, and as the focus is on seasonal eating, it's great for a quick peruse before or after a trip to the farmer's market.

I feel that every recipe collection should have a basic "methods" cookbook which will actually teach you how to make things, no matter how competent you think you might be. Mark Bittman's How To Cook Everything fills this position in my NY collection, appropriately since he is a food writer for The New York Times. His cookbook is a modern take on the basics, and contains a refreshing mix of multicultural recipes. The "pasta" section, for instance, contains authentic recipes for penne arrabbiata, cold soba noodles and pad thai. Clear black and white illustrations explain the most complicated steps visually, and there are lists of basics gadgets and tools that are necessary, and others that are not. Other cookbooks that can the same purpose as this in a recipe collection include The Fanny Farmer Cookbook and Delia Smith's Complete Cookery Course to name just a few. I find that allegiance to these cookbooks is often passed down through generations, hence the sustained popularity of seasoned classics such as The Joy of Cooking which are regularly updated.

An outdated retro-classic was one of my two purchases last weekend. The 1963 edition of The New Good Housekeeping Cookbook shows its age with recipes like "Chicken a la King Surprise" containing just one package of frozen chicken a la king, 4 bread slices and sharp cheese spread. I will not be making that any time soon. There are also guidelines for the "glamourous serving" of vegetables, in fact the whole book encourages you to "serve with a flair" - see the "Snowy Orange Cup" on the right. Not my cup of tea either. However, there are recipes for old stand-bys that I will try, like candied sweet potatoes and a coffee cake which, surprisingly, contains fresh ground cardamom seeds. That's more like it.

The other two books in my collection are part cookbook, part memoir, and both are in my pile of books to read. M.F.K. Fisher's With Bold Knife and Fork contains foodie anecdotes and a few recipes, and follows the structure of a traditional cookbook from appetizers to drinks and desserts. Barbara Kingsolver's new book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle retells the story of her family's quest to eat locally for a year. Reviews to follow.

Upstate Escape

A friend recommended Hudson, New York to me as an antique shopping destination that is easily accessible from the city. Just a two hour train ride from Penn Station, Hudson is fast becoming a home away from home for urbanites not only with a keen eye for art and architecture but with a keen palette, too.

Once a prominent port and industrial city, Hudson fell into decline in the late 19th century when prostitution and gambling became the most prominent trades in the town, as documented in Bruce Edward Hall’s book Diamond Street: The Story of the Little Town With the Big Red Light District. After years of recession and decay, Hudson is regenerating thanks to the foresight of antique dealers who took up shop in some of Hudson’s charming period buildings in the 1980s. A walk up and down it’s main street, Warren Street, showcases many pristinely refurbished Victorian homes, but the revival is still underway; fixer-uppers are not hard to find, either. They include the town's opera house, which is partially refurbished as a community arts center with exhibition space, but whose main auditorium still awaits refurbishment. Visit the Hudson Opera House (327 Warren Street, (518) 822-1438) or their website for before and after pictures, details of exhibitions and a history of the building.

Architecture and design treasures are not the only ones to be found in this town; there are plenty of cultural and culinary riches on offer. Our trip took us to many antique and junk shops with tempting offerings like vintage Pyrex bowls and mid-century flatware.

Bookshops are my favourite places to while away a few hours on holiday. Hudson City Books (553 Warren St, (518) 671-6020) has a good selection of used cookbooks, from practical classics like Mollie Katzen’s The Moosewood Cookbook to tomes like Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duquid’s coffee-table worthy Hot, Sour, Salty, Sweet. At The Spotty Dog Books & Ale (440 Warren Street (518) 671-6006) you’ll find an expertly chosen selection of books including, but not limited to local history, cooking, and baking and you can be even more leisurely in your book shopping by pausing at the bar for a local brew. The atmosphere is young, friendly and focused on community – The Spotty Dog hosts lots of events, including a quiz night. Here you’ll find an expertly chosen selection of books including, but not limited to, cooking, baking, wine and beer.

The culinary highlight of our trip was dinner at Swoon Kitchenbar (340 Warren Street, (518) 822-8938) on Saturday night. The place was humming Manhattan-style and reservations were essential. We sat at the bar and were given excellent recommendations by the bartender, including a very reasonable but excellent bottle of white wine and the charcuterie and gravadlax appetizers, both made in house. The terrine included in the charcuterie selection had a perfect texture midway between a smooth pate and a chunky meatloaf, and was served with sweet-sour cornichons that cut through the rich taste of liver. The appetizers were accompanied by fresh, warm bread. Swoon prides itself on fresh, local ingredients as evidenced by the list of suppliers on the back of their menus, which change daily.

Our fantastic meal continued with homemade papardelle with duck gizzard confit and wild mushrooms, and pan-roasted Maine monkfish. A hazelnut cake for me, and a panna cotta with rhubarb for Jan, were more than we needed, but were still happily received.

The feast at our bed and breakfast on Sunday morning was the most unexpected gastronomic treat of the trip. Reading about a local bakery, Jan thought he was imagining the smell of baking wafting upstairs, but it was real. When we went downstairs to the gorgeous dining room, we were treated to a spread of cereals, fresh fruit and yoghurt, and most importantly – home made quiche Lorraine, banana bread and scones.

Paul Barrett, the owner of The Country Squire Bed & Breakfast (251 Allen Street, (518) 822-9229), was a gracious host. He agreed that the quality of many restaurants in Hudson rivals New York City establishments, and recommended that we try Ca’ Mea (333 Warren St, (718) 822-0005) for its great Italian food. Unfortunately we didn't have time to get there. Looks like we’ll just have to go to Hudson again.

Bravo!

I must admit I was slightly proud to see an article about fellow food blogger, Clotide Dusoulier, in The New York Times Magazine this weekend. Dusoulier's blog "Chocolate and Zucchini" is a showcase for her passion for food as well as her idyllic life in Montmartre, Paris. Following in the tradition of her quartier, her recipes are creative and sometimes verging on the avant-garde (Broccoli and Apple Quiche). Her blog is is so wildly popular that she has written a book of the same name that will be released May 15. I can't wait to buy it for the Apricot and Pistachio Ricotta Cake recipe alone.