Even though I write for a food blog, my real passion is prisons. I worked as a prisoners’ rights attorney for the last seven years. Before becoming a lawyer, I was an academic administrator and teacher in a prison college program at a men’s maximum-security prison. Most recently I spent a lot of time hanging…
Tag: food
{weekend reading} local edition
LOCAL IRENE FUNDRAISERS OR DONATION CENTERS – We are hosting two fundraisers; For the Farms: Denison Farm & Kilpatrick Family Farm and one for Amanda, a FSC Contributor. Any amount of money donated will qualify you to win one of the many gift baskets we have to offer. I have been bombarded with generosity; so…
Quiche {it’s whats for dinner}
A few weeks ago, I had the wild idea to render some lard. It took me a while to recover from the smell, but I finally felt ready to bite the bullet and use some of it. Quiche is one of our staple meals; it is sufficiently nutritious and appropriate for any time of day….
{locavore challenge} Perfect Timing
As you probably know, NOFA-NY is doing a Locavore Challenge this month and we’re the official blog sponsors! I was really looking forward to this but the last week in August got more hectic than I anticipated and so I had shoved it to the back of my mind. I’ve already been eating close to…
{weekend reading} IRENE EDITION
This was my special note in last week’s {weekend reading}: SPECIAL NOTE: We want to wish all of our fellow East Coast friends a safe weekend. Hurricane Irene seems like it will indeed be a doozie! +++ Boy was it. Schoharie County has mostly been washed away and locally many farms and families are trying…
{SALSA} making good use of fresh summer veggies
Did you know I lived in Mexico for a while? Well I did. It was a phenomenal time, and I wish I could have stayed longer. When I was there I learned a lot about real Mexican cuisine, especially specific to the region where I resided. Foods I learned and now love and crave include pozole (corn…
{weekend reading} LOCAL EDITION
SPECIAL NOTE: We want to wish all of our fellow East Coast friends a safe weekend. Hurricane Irene seems like it will indeed be a doozie! FARMERS MARKETS SATURDAYS, 9am-1pm unless otherwise noted Albany Central Avenue Farmers Market, Parking Lot of The Linda, 339 Central Avenue, 10-2pm. Brunwick Farmers’ Market, Town Office Rd & Rt…
{Fresh from the Garden} Summer Rolls with Cucumber Dipping Sauce
For all of my adult life, I’ve been a big fan of Asian rolls. I didn’t grow up in the most food-savvy town and it’s nice to look back and see how my experiences and my taste buds changed as I traveled and moved farther away from home. At first I only knew about egg…
{Savory} Yogurt Inspirations
I was 19 years old the summer I spent two weeks helping to build a wall around a schoolyard in a rural Turkish village. During breaks, villagers expressed their gratitude (or maybe just entertained their own curiosities about us) by offering us a drink called Ayran. It’s a salty yogurt drink that on those hot,…
{community} Be a Dinner Elf
Food is much more than a series of nutrients and calories. Food brings people together to celebrate the good times and helps sustain us during the tough times. Some recipes are infused with memories and help honor important people and times in our lives. Food is at the center of any good get-together: a casual…
{weekend reading} LOCAL EDITION
FARMERS MARKETS SATURDAYS, 9am-1pm unless otherwise noted Albany Central Avenue Farmers Market, Parking Lot of The Linda, 339 Central Avenue, 10-2pm. Brunwick Farmers’ Market, Town Office Rd & Rt 7, Brunswick Farmers Market at The Crossings, Colonie, Crossings Park of Colonie, Albany-Shaker Road across from Emerick Ln. Delmar Farmers Market, 332 Kenwood Ave., Bethlehem Middle…
Lard {Yes, that’s what I said: Lard.}
I should admit that, straightaway, this task was a stretch even for me. In a moment of pure curiosity (lunacy?) and inability to turn down a good deal, or a free deal, I graciously accepted a cooler full of pig fat from a local farmer. Josh from West Wind Acres had a few pigs processed,…
{How To} Butter…and Accidental Crème Fraiche & Buttermilk
This past Tuesday, Nick and I learned that Meadowbrook Farms won’t be able to bring us the butter we use every week from The Country Creamery in Canestota, NY any longer. The news was a bit alarming; we use 18 lbs of the stuff each week for croissants, scones, muffins and cookies. We love its…
{weekend reading} LOCAL EDITION
FARMERS MARKETS SATURDAYS, 9am-1pm unless otherwise noted Albany Central Avenue Farmers Market, Parking Lot of The Linda, 339 Central Avenue, 10-2pm. Brunwick Farmers’ Market, Town Office Rd & Rt 7, Brunswick Farmers Market at The Crossings, Colonie, Crossings Park of Colonie, Albany-Shaker Road across from Emerick Ln. Delmar Farmers Market, 332 Kenwood Ave., Bethlehem Middle…
{Guest Contributor} Frozen Yogurt Popsicles
Editor’s Note: I am pleased to introduce Hanna, Michael’s sister (my farmer and boss) and now our newest and youngest contributor! While working in heatwaves and downpours at the various Wednesday and Saturday markets in Saratoga, I would hear rave reviews about a frozen yogurt pops making the rounds on the farm in Granville. I…
