Sexiest chef -- Hudson Valley?

Now that we know that the sexiest chef in New York City is from the Hudson Valley -- why don't we talk about the sexiest chef working in our region? (Let's say, Westchester up to Albany.)

Any suggestions (male or female chefs)? If I get enough names submitted by Friday, I'll put them up in a poll so you can vote.

Sexy chef

The Hudson Valley's Johnny Iuzzini, executive pastry chef at Restaurant Jean Georges, has been named New York City's Sexiest Chef, according to a recent poll by the Daily News. I first wrote in May about the marshmallow-coated chef, who grew up near Newburgh and who graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in 1994.

Iuzzini is no stranger to honors, having twice been named one of America's Top Ten Pastry Chefs by Pastry Art & Design magazine. But being named as the city's most "sizzling" chef requires a different skill set than being lauded for his kitchen chops. "We are chefs, and that's the main thing," Iuzzini told the newspaper. "We care about what we do. And once in a while if we can appear in a different arena, it's nice to be acknowledged and appreciated."

Coming in second was Todd Mitgang of Crave Ceviche Bar. Third place went to Aarón Sanchez of Paladar and Centrico, who was on the CIA’s Hyde Park campus last summer when he was a contestant on The Next Iron Chef.

The contest drew some funny comments in the blog world. I'll share:

Grub Street

We were still trying to make up our mind whether the Daily News’ “New York’s Sexiest Chef” contest was for real or not, when we got an e-mail blast from nominee Johnny Iuzzini, last seen wearing a meringue body stocking on his stylish Website.


Grub Street
In his champion photo, Johnny (who, you'll remember, has a newsletter that reminds us he “is becoming quite the superstar”) is photographed sitting next to his motorcycle, like a vanilla-coated Fonzie for the 21st century.


Gawker
OK, it’s the reader response comments that got me laughing here. I won’t even try to repeat some of them -- see for yourself. Not for the kids. And don't read it with mouthful of coffee.

Not to miss ...

THE HOLOCAUST KID, a staged reading of Sonia Pilcer's new play featuring critically acclaimed actors Jonathan Epstein and Elizabeth Aspenlieder, takes place at 2 p.m. Sunday, December 9th in Founders' Theater, at Shakespeare & Company, 70 Kemble Street, Lenox, Massachusetts. Tickets are a suggested donation of $18 and are available at the door. The play is performed in two acts and runs approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes. Founders' is wheelchair-accessible. For information, please visit: www.holocaustkid.com

Here is more info:

"I don't ever remember not knowing. The word Holocaust was not used in our home. "During the war" was how the stories began. Everyone told them. In lieu of living family, my parents belonged to a large network of Polish Jews. All were survivors. The women played canasta and the men, poker. As they tossed bright plastic chips and picked up cards, blue numbers flashing on the insides of their arms, the stories multiplied." Sonia Pilcer

"Wit and humor interface with stark realities and unanswerable question. Provocative fiction, not just for the Second Generation but for all our collective memories." Booklist

An adaptation of her 2001 novel of the same title, The Holocaust Kid, set in the late 1980's, takes us into the world of an adult child of the Holocaust, a Second Generation survivor who does her best to disassociate with her heritage and the horrors of her parents' past. Alternately dark, poignant, uproarious and irreverent, the play explores how the Holocaust, so many years after liberation, resonates in the lives of her characters.

Robert Walshdirects a cast of four including Elizabeth Aspenlieder as Zosha, born in a Displaced Persons camp, liberal minded and irreverent, a freelance writer; Jonathan Epstein as Heniek Palovsky, her distant father, a survivor of Auschwitz; Seth Kanor as Uly Oppenheim, Zosha's lover and a scholar of the Holocaust; and Nancy Rothman as Genia, Zosha's mother, who met Heniek in Poland after the war.

In 1987, Pilcer published an essay 2G. "We call ourselves 2G. Group shorthand for Second Generation, the survivors' children. While the survivors seem to have the ability to go on with their lives - the bar mitzvahs and weddings of their children are huge, festive affirmations of life - it is their children who spend much of their time, not to mention money, talking to Ph.D.'s and MSW's. In unaccented, well-reasoned English, we speak of anger, guilt, trying to separate ourselves from our parents and their Holocaust past. Secretly, we believe that nothing we can ever do will be as important as our parents' suffering."

After working on The Holocaust Kid for eighteen years and receiving nearly 40 rejections, Pilcer published it in 2001. While the book was well-reviewed in the States and abroad, she wanted to bring these themes to a wider audience. Towards that end, she developed a one-act play for Shakespeare & Company's 2003 Studio Festival of Plays. Since then, Pilcer has created a new two-act version.

This Staged Reading of The Holocaust Kid is co-sponsored by the Jewish Federation of the Berkshires and Congregation Ahavath Sholom.

Woodstock Open House!

Tonight -- Friday, Dec. 7 -- is the 26th annual WOODSTOCK OPEN HOUSE presented by the Woodstock Chamber of Commerce and Arts. From 5 – 9 p.m, more than 70 stores and businesses (many at the the center of town) will be filled with free entertainment, festive window displays, merriment and food. This event has a great reputation for creativity, family fun, and warmth (the social kind, not the outside temps!) Speaking of the weather, the sprinkling of snow we're having right now will make it all the more festive. I'm planning on attending!

Here is more info from the Chamber:
This year's event will be extended throughout the weekend to add more activities and entertainment. New to our expanded event are puppet stories, dancing birds and many charming surprises. Returning this year are groups, The Cover Girlz, singing holiday harmonies and The Princes of Serendip who will be performing their original and delightful music. Renni Cantine will have a band and Julie Last will join with friends to entertain us again.

The Woodstock School Carolers with a Brass Ensemble will stroll throughout the village while Santa and Frosty the Snowman will be giving out candy.
Of course, our favorite Culinary Ice sculptor will be returning outside Chez Grandmere.

There will be book and CD signings at Golden Notebook, art and jewelry showings, Bead demonstrations, gallery exhibits, raffles and holiday gift ideas galore. Fresh popcorn at Candlestock and hot apple cider at Catskill Mt. Pizza will be offered. Many different holiday cookies will be served along with wine and cheese tastings. Come and nibble, then stay for dinner at one of our many excellent restaurants.

December HVC is here!

Get your HVC! We have some fabulous features in our December issue, including Art of the Party: Everything you need to know to throw a great cocktail soirée. We talked to five of the region's most respected chefs, who tell us exactly how they'd set up their dream party at home. There are stunning photos of beautiful and stylish party clothes, shot in the luxe public spaces at the Emerson Resort & Spa in Mt. Tremper. Step-by-step instructions for setting up a really useful home bar. A guide to delicious distilled spirits made in our region. And we also serve up some great recipes for drinks and nibbles.

Enjoy! www.hvcmagazine.com

Available at:
Barnes & Noble
2518 South Road,
Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
845-485-2224

Barnes & Noble
Ulster Plaza, 1177 Ulster Avenue,
Kingston, NY 12401
845-336-0590

Barnes & Noble
1245 Route 300 (Union Ave),
Newburgh
845-567-0782

Craig Claiborne Bookstore
The Culinary Institute of America
1946 Campus Drive,
Hyde Park, NY 12538
845-452-7648

Mohonk Mountain House Gift Shop
1000 Mountain Rest Road, New Paltz
845-255-1000

Country Store at Emerson Resort
5340 Route 28, Mount Tremper
845-688-5800

The Book Cove
22 Charles Colman Boulevard,
Pawling
845-855-9590

or to subscribe, call 845-437-4730
Subscription Rate: $18 per year

Jewelry, jewelry, jewelry ...

During a recent art show at the Poughkeepsie Tennis Club, I had the pleasure of meeting Kelli Peduzzi of Pure Bliss Jewelry and seeing the stylish pieces she makes from high-quality freshwater pearls and semiprecious stones. Her work will be appearing in a holiday trunk show at The Stissing House in Pine Plains, this Sunday, December 9, from noon to 6 p.m.

The restaurant will also be open for brunch and supper. I had an absolutely delicious meal there last summer. Sounds like a great weekend plan -- have a fine meal and go home with some beautiful, handcrafted jewelry!

Go for Baroque ...

Sorry about the headline :-)

There are many fine events taking place this month, and in the next few days I'll try to highlight a few that strike me as particularly noteworthy. For a really comprehensive listing of regional events, I recommend visiting Hudson Valley Connoisseur magazine's Web site, where we have an interactive searchable calendar with thousands of listings!

This sounds like a "don't miss" event: I adore Baroque music and the Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts Center at Bard College is a wonderful concert venue.

BARD'S MUSIC PROGRAM PRESENTS VOCAL CONCERT ON DECEMBER 12 AT THE FISHER CENTER

Featuring Works by Bach and Vivaldi

The 8 p.m. program in the center's Sosnoff Theater includes Bach's Cantata 21 (“Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis”) and Vivaldi's Gloria in D Major. The featured vocal soloists, tenor Rufus Müller and bass Arthur Burrows, are both distinguished Bach singers and are on the Bard faculty. They will be joined by undergraduate soloists.
Tickets are $5, and admission is free for Bard students and children age 12 and under. To order tickets please call the Box Office at 845-758-7900

More fab shopping ops

What fun! I have just a few more gifts to pick up and hope to make it to Unison's 7th annual Holiday Crafts Fair at the New Paltz Middle School, 196 Main Street, New Paltz, on Saturday or Sunday. That's where you can buy gallery-quality handcrafted gift items, ceramics, jewelry, leatherwork, woodwork, children's clothing, wreaths, blown glass and more from 50 master craftspeople and fine artists. This takes place this weekend from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. -- $3 adult admission (includes raffle ticket) and free admission for children.

A few of the participating artists:
Hot Stuff Blown Glass - Kevin Van Buren Photography - Brad Kato Pottery - Rain Barrel Soap - The Hat Junkie - Grey Mouse Farm - Kaete Brittin Shaw - Louis Booth Jewelry - Art & Sole Dolls

For more creative shopping ops in the area, read Kathleen Wereszynski Murray's article about local crafts events. (Be sure to read the dates of the events carefully, as this was published last week in the Poughkeepsie Journal.)

Original voice

And if you happen to find yourself at the southern end of the valley on Friday and unable head up north to attend the James Taylor DVD release party, there's always Manhattan. The always fab Whitney Museum of American Art is presenting its Friday night Composers' Showcase with Andy Biskin this week, starting at 7 p.m. It's in the Lower Level Gallery and admission is free.

Here is more about Andy:

"...subtle improvisation and nuanced group interaction"-- All About Jazz

Andy Biskin has emerged out of the jazz and new music scene as a composer with a distinctly original voice and an extremely broad range of interests. With the Andy Biskin Quartet and special guest Theo Bleckmann, Biskin presents Early American: The Melodies of Stephen Foster, as well as new works for various ensembles, commissioned specifically for this performance.

Sweet Baby James

I am a longtime James Taylor fan and the news that he has a new CD/DVD set (James Taylor One Man Band) out made me happy. It was recorded over the summer at The Colonial Theater in his hometown of Pittsfield, Massachusetts (not so far from the Columbia County border). By the way, I have already bought the new release (found it recently at Starbucks) – and it’s great!

On Friday, The Colonial will host a James Taylor DVD Release Party, starting at 6 p.m. in the Colonial lobby with live music by local band Micah Stone. You can buy specialty cocktails and fresh popcorn (and you’ll be able to bring both into the theater to enjoy during the film!) and bid in the silent auction featuring an autographed James Taylor guitar. The James Taylor One Man Band film begins at 7:30 p.m. and will be followed by more live music by the Justin Allen Trio. The DVD (by veteran television events producer and director Don Mischer and executive producer and acclaimed filmmaker Sydney Pollack) tells the story of Taylor’s songs through exclusive interviews and rare multi-media footage, including home movies and photographs from Taylor’s personal archives. I can vouch that it’s an intimate, fascinating look at the musician and offers a lot of insight into his songs. And you have to see his "drum machine!"

Now this is the amazing part: Tickets are JUST $10 and can be purchased in person at The Colonial Theatre Ticket Office at 111 South Street, during office hours by calling 413-997-4444 or online at www.TheColonialTheatre.org

Here is an excerpt from the DVD liner notes, written by James Taylor:
“Full summer in the dear, lovely Berkshire hills. Mossy and green and abundant with that flinty New England resolve, to weather the test of the winter to come. It’s a time for music. Tanglewood is here, the summer home of the Boston Symphony. That’s what brought me here in the beginning. It was a place to play, a yearly stop on the summer tour for me and my band. The last time I toured solo was in the late ‘70s. That’s how I started out, just the guitar and a handful of songs. As time went by, I added other musicians because it’s great playing in a big band. But from time to time, it’s good to go back to the well. It’s good to get back to basics and to present the songs in their original form. So it’s been in my mind for a while to work small again. The Colonial Theatre in my hometown of Pittsfield, Massachusetts just managed to escape the wrecking ball. There are small community theaters all over the country that have been saved at the eleventh hour by the very communities they serve. People have invested time, money, and themselves resurrecting the old girl. And along the way, they have found a new sense of belonging: a sense of place; a place called home. When we were given the change to film and record this One Man Band thing, I knew at once that The Colonial would be the right place. If you travel for a living, and you do it for a long enough time, you can get so good at it that you never really have a home. I’ve lived and worked in New York and Los Angeles, London and Paris, Sydney and Rio. Kim has traveled the world too. But the Berkshires are our home at last. And somehow The Colonial Theatre, that plucky survivor, is at the heart of the place.”

Food for thought

If you're up for more cerebral activities this weekend, how about taking part in a forum looking at ways that we can continue America’s legacy of independent farmers and fresh, healthy food in the 21st century?

Food for Thought - Food for the Future Series: Climate Change, Agriculture, & Community Planning, a forum for community leaders, farmers, and local officials in the Hudson Valley takes place on Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the beautiful Glynwood Center in Cold Spring. Advance registration is required, which you can do by calling Anita Barber at 845-265-3338 or by sending her an e-mail at atabarber@glynwood.org

Speakers and participants will discuss the impacts of climate change on agriculture in the Hudson Valley, and ways that community planning can help mitigate these changes. The featured speakers are Dr. Cynthia Rosenzweig, a NASA scientist and leading climate change expert, and Joel Russell, a nationally known community planner and land use lawyer. In addition, several Hudson Valley farmers will share their experiences with climate change and the steps they are taking to deal with its effects.

Workshop fee is $35 for general public, and $15 for farmers; it includes light
breakfast (9:30 - 10:00) and lunch. (Please arrive at 9:30 so you have time to park and sign-in.)

Countdown to the feast ...

I have a 16-pound turkey waiting for me this year at Fleisher's market (which sells grass-fed, local, sustainably raised meat) and a host of choices for preparing it. I believe I'll follow Chef Tom Griffiths's brining directions for making the most delicious turkey (which he wrote about last year in Hudson Valley Connoisseur magazine and which we're offering as a free download on the magazine's Web site.) I also just read in a recent Poughkeepsie Journal ad that the McEnroe Organic Farm on Route 22 in northeast Dutchess County is selling their own heritage breed turkeys. Might be worth a call to see if there are any left ...

And although I'm not in charge of selecting the wine for our meal this year, I believe I will steer the person entrusted with that job to that same download, where HVC magazine wines columnist, CIA wine and spirits professor Michael Arthur Weiss, lists wines that pair extraordinarily well with holiday foods. ;-)

A few locally grown or produced foods that might very well make it onto our menu: kale from Migliorelli Farmstand on Route 199 in Rhinebeck (the east side of the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge approach)-- my family eats their kale a lot -- YUM!; Yukon gold potatoes from Story Farm in Catskill; cider from Stone Ridge Orchards (love the Asian pear cider); cornbread stuffing with cornmeal ground by Don Lewis in Pleasant Valley (you can find it at the local Amish market in Hyde Park and the Adams Fairacre Farms markets in Poughkeepsie, Kingston and Newburgh if you ask); milk from Hudson Valley Fresh; garlic we picked up at this year's Hudson Valley Garlic Festival in Saugerties (haven't decided yet on which variety); cherry tomatoes that were the last of the season in my garden and which have ripened perfectly in my cellar; apple pie, apple crisp, apple sauce, apple cake ... using fruit from all the wonderful apple orchards in the area (my personal favorite is Montgomery Place Orchards on Route 9G in Red Hook but I know our designated apple pie baker likes to pick up her apples at Dolan Orchards on Route 208 in Wallkill.)

Please share any of your fave places for picking up local ingredients for your Thanksgiving meal -- I'd love to know what's going to be on your table. And be sure to visit the magazine's Web site to download the turkey and wine information. Bon appetit!

Do you have a long gift list?

Lots of opportunities to buy unique and thoughtful gifts this weekend.

On Saturday, there's the opening reception (6 to 8 p.m.) of the Tivoli Artists Co-Op Holiday Show and Sale, with fine art and affordable gifts, ornaments and artist-made cards. The gallery is at 60 Broadway in Tivoli, and hours are Fridays, 5-9pm; Saturdays, 1-9pm; & Sundays, 1-5pm.

Then there's the Dutchess County Arts Council's Fine Art & Craft Market, which takes place on Saturday (10-5) and Sunday (11-5) at the Poughkeepsie Tennis Club, 135 South Hamilton Street, Poughkeepsie. There is a list of participating artists and a discount coupon for admission tickets online!

Bagging it?

I recently read an article in the New York Times that looked at whether the status handbag is dead. I quote:

Status handbags, you see, are a lot like housing. After the rise of the $1,000 purse, fashion’s equivalent of the $1 million studio, there inevitably comes talk of a backlash. Are we now living in a handbag bubble?

You can read the entire article here.

I really like my red leather Ameribag -- it's a good utility and common sense kind of purse. It's not inexpensive -- but also not Prada prices. (Not that there's anything wrong with Prada, but I just don't live a Prada price kind of life. If I'm ever going to blow a mortgage payment on a fashion accessory, it's going to involve a transAtlantic flight, a nice hotel and a key ring from a little shop called Hermes.)

I have a handbag poll at right. Go ahead -- be honest. :-)

HANDBAG TRIVIA: Ameribag has its origin in the Hudson Valley (Woodstock/Kingston areas) -- and there's a local tie to Coach bags too -- anyone want to guess?

Market & farm-to-table tours and lunch

Some good eating opportunities this weekend -- two farm tours: urban and not-so-urban.

SATURDAY IN MANHATTAN
Join Gramercy Tavern’s Executive Chef Michael Anthony on a special tour of the Union Square Greenmarket followed by a four-course lunch at Gramercy Tavern. 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday. Space is limited, and tickets cost $110. More info and reservations here.

Chef Anthony was formerly part of the team that opened Blue Hill at Stone Barns -- the acclaimed restaurant that produces most of its food on the Rockefeller family farm in Westchester County. Discover how the Greenmarket’s ingredients influence this chef’s menu, find out what he loves most about this famed farmers market, and feast on a unique meal at Gramercy Tavern featuring the Greenmarket’s vast bounty (some of it coming from our very own Hudson Valley farmers). This event is endorsed by Slow Food New York City.

SUNDAY IN ORANGE COUNTY
There’s a farm tour taking place from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Sunday in Orange County's famed Black Dirt region. The W. Rogowski Farm, a biodiverse farm in Pine Island, is run by Cheryl Rogowski, an innovative community-oriented farmer, MacArthur genius grant awardee, and Hudson Valley Connoisseur magazine’s first Notable. Here are more details on the event, sponsored by Slow Food Hudson Valley:

Cheryl developed one of the earliest CSAs in the area, serving East New York and Williamsburg Brooklyn, leading the Glynwood Center to honor her in 2003 for her innovative work connecting urban communities with agriculture. Her Certified Naturally Grown farm includes winter growing tunnels, a year-round farm store that, in the spirit of encouraging local agriculture, sells products from many farms throughout the region. A professional kitchen hosts cooking classes and may also be the production site for some foods in the store -- join us Sunday to find out more! We'll begin with a farm tour and then sit down to enjoy a potluck meal together in her warm farm kitchen. Gather in the kitchen (in back room of the store) at 11:30 this Sunday. Local wineries may also participate. Bring a dish of food to share and your own mess kit (plates, silverware, napkins, etc). We'll have an opportunity to purchase locally grown products from her farm store, so bring your grocery list. More info and link to rvsp for Sunday's event.

(And yes, I am a member of Slow Food, but unfortunately won't be able to attend either of these two events. If you go, please send me a note or leave a comment about how they went!)

Out of gift ideas? Buy local art!

When you’re done buying books and wine in Millbrook on Saturday, be sure to head over to the Great Hudson Valley Fine Art Auction at the historic Locust Grove estate in Poughkeepsie that same evening.

Hosted by Barrett Art Center and Locust Grove, this auction will feature 100 works by artists from the Hudson Valley. You’ll choose from among paintings, watercolors, prints, drawings, photographs, sculpture, ceramics and works in mixed media. Bidding for all works will start at $200. All proceeds benefit the featured artists, the Barrett Art Center and Locust Grove. Admission is $15 per person and includes a catered reception of wine and hors d’oeuvres and bidders paddle.

Preview reception is from 3 to 5 p.m. Silent auction opens at 3 p.m. Live auction takes place from 5-7 p.m. More info at Locust Grove Web site or by calling 845-454-4500.

There are LOTS of opportunities to stock up on presents this weekend -- or just to treat yourself!

Even MORE local jewelry!

First of all -- I like the name. The jewelry is not bad either. Manic Trout is owned by Sierra Bailey, who makes unique, dramatic pieces of jewelry in Millbrook. She uses vintage buttons, silver plate wire, brass chains, venetian glass, metal, chandelier crystal, bottle caps, and the like. As she says in her press materials: "Manic Trout is industrial and beautiful." I think it's fun.

And who couldn't use at least one pink and green necklace?

Sip & shop ...

Sipping local wine at a beautiful winery and meeting a bunch of authors with local ties -- this sounds like a nice way to spend an autumn Saturday and get some shopping done for the upcoming holidays ...

Sip & Sign: A Holiday Book Signing with 25 Authors takes place from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday (Nov. 10) at Millbrook Winery.

According to the winery, authors at Saturday's event will include Margaret & Michael Korda (Ike: An American Hero, Horse Housekeeping, Cat People, Country Matters), Larry Beinhart (Wag The Dog), Laura Shaine Cunningham (Sleeping Arrangements), Monica Randall (Phantoms Of The Hudson), Steve Charney (Hocus Jokus), Priscilla Buckley (Living It Up At The National Review), Ric Orlando, owner of New World Home Cooking, (We Want Clean Food!), wine expert Steven Kolpan (Exploring Wine), Hardie Truesdale (Hudson River Journey), Kathy Stevens (Where The Blind Horse Sings) and Scott Ian Barry (Wolf Empire).

Samples of Millbrook's fine wines will be available and the Keeper’s Market gourmet store will have savory spreads and dips to sample and purchase. Call 845-677-8383 ext. 17 for more information.

Take a chance

Would you like to have dinner with Academy Award winning actress Meryl Streep and her husband, noted sculptor Don Gummer, at Tom Colicchio's oh-so-fab restaurant Craft? And a tour of Gummer's studio?

Or a two-night stay at Robert Rauschenberg's Florida beach house, with tours of his and Darryl Pottorf’s studios and a Rauschenberg lithograph? If that's not enough, you'll also have dinner with Rauschenberg and Pottorf.

Or how about tickets to see the Steeplecats (the North Adams, Massachusetts semi-pro baseball team) AND dinner with former Major League Baseball commissioner Fay Vincent (he was also chairman of Coca-Cola and Columbia Pictures.) Don't worry about driving home afterwards -- you'll get to spend 2 nights at the luxurious Porches Inn at MASS MoCA (the acclaimed Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art in North Adams, Massachusetts.)

Wow.

How do you get in on this? Be the lucky winning bidder on these packages (and many other excellent items) during MASS MoCA's benefit auction on Wednesday (Nov. 7) in New York. The live auction event is sold out but that's OK -- they are accepting advance bids until 5 p.m. TUESDAY, NOV 6. (See note below for changes to this.) Auction items include important art, and lots of one-of-a-kind experiences donated by MASS MoCA's friends and supporters. Go to this Web site. Bid. And please, let me know if you win something good

11-05-2007 UPDATE: Just got a message from MASS MoCA that they now will be accepting absentee bids until 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 7. Anyone can place bids for the auction online by downloading an absentee bid form from http://www.massmoca.org/benefit.php.

Other neat items include:

An autographed copy of the 1980 shooting script from Barry Levinson's Diner, which was the first of a series of films set in the Baltimore of Levinson's youth. Accompanying the script is an abstract print by Diana Levinson.


"Sundance Film Festival" includes tickets for two for a VIP trip to Sundance January 24-28, 2008. MASS MoCA's performing arts curator will serve as guide for the best films and package includes four nights at Sundance Resort, four breakfasts and dinners, tickets to numerous screenings, and VIP festival credentials. The winner also will receive the first public copy (signed) of the script for Academy Award winner Barry Levinson's most recent film, What Just Happened?, which stars Robert DeNiro, Bruce Willis, and Sean Penn, and is a likely Sundance selection.

"Whistler Ski Vacation" offers a seven-night stay in a stunning two bedroom, two bath slope-side townhome at the exclusive Cedar Creek in Whistler, British Columbia.

Musical Saturday

Two great CLASSIC(al) choices for Saturday evening:

Classics at Vassar: The Borromeo String Quartet performs the music of Haydn, Shostakovich, and Beethoven at 8 p.m. Saturday in the Skinner Hall of Music, Vassar College, Raymond Avenue, Poughkeepsie. Part of the college’s on-campus music series, this event is free. Visit the Web site or call 845-437-7294.

AND

Classic Guitar: Unison Arts brings two acclaimed young "guitaristas" to perform together for the first time 8 p.m. Saturday at Studley Theatre, SUNY New Paltz. Tickets $15 students / $20 members / $25 non-members in advance / $30 at the door. More info and reservation inquiries at www.unisonarts.org.

Ana Vidovic, from Croatia, is a rising star who was invited to study at the Peabody Conservatory with Manuel Barrueco. Ana has given more than 1,000 public performances in New York, London, Paris, Vienna, Salzburg, Rome, Budapest, Baltimore, San Francisco, and many other cities. See her on YouTube.

Zaira Meneses, from Xalapa, Mexico, performs as a soloist and with the famed Orquesta de Guitarras. Contributing member of the Boston Guitar Project, she is also an accomplished operatic soloist and Flamenco dancer. She recently performed the music of Manuel Ponce at Boston GuitarFest's 2007 "Mexico Day" with Santiago Diaz. See her on YouTube.

Ana and Zaira will each play specially selected solos but as a special, first-time treat for Unison's classical guitar audience, they will also perform duos, notably "Tango" by the great master Astor Piazzolla and "Vida Breve" by Manuel DeFalla.

Talking turkey too

Wow, it's NOVEMBER already and time to start planning for my favorite holiday -- Thanksgiving. Fleisher's markets (which sell grass-fed, local, sustainably raised meat) are holding a couple of Thanksgiving preparation open houses this weekend, where they will serve samples of their prepared holiday meals, showcase wines that are turkey-friendly, and present demos on turkey trussing and carving and creating the perfect cheese plate. The first is today from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Kingston store at 307 Wall Street. The second takes place on Sunday from 2-4 p.m. at the Rhinebeck shop at 47 E. Market St.

And don't forget -- as a treat to Hudson Valley Connoisseur magazine readers, we've included a free download of last year's column about brining as the way to make the most delicious turkey, written by our food columnist Tom Griffiths. Tom is a noted chef and an associate dean at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park -- and he knows what he's talking about. We've also repeated a list of wines that pair extraordinarily well with holiday foods, as suggested by our wines columnist, CIA wine and spirits professor Michael Arthur Weiss. Please visit the magazine's Web site to download the pages and let me know how you enjoy it!

Making great gardens

I've long admired Tovah Martin's work -- and now you can hear her talk about just what makes a garden great. Join the author, photographer and horticulturalist from 2-4 p.m. Saturday for Begged, Borrowed and Stolen -- Secrets from the Country's Foremost Gardeners, a slide-illustrated lecture at Berkshire Botanical Garden in wonderful Stockbridge, Massachusetts (an easy drive from much of the Hudson Valley.) Cost is $16 for BBG members and $21 for everyone else. Directions and additional info at BBG Web site.

Here is more info about the event from BBG: With her astute observations of gardens and gardeners, Tovah will take participants on a visually beautiful whirlwind tour of some of the most original gardens around. She will share the secrets of the gardeners that made them and how to realize these ideas in your own garden. Whether inheriting an established garden or starting from scratch, learn these simple ways to make a garden yours!

Tovah Martin is a garden writer, photographer and horticulturalist. She is the author of many gardening books including co-author of Tasha Tudor's Garden that won the highest award from the Garden Writers Association of Massachusetts Horticultural Society.

Web pops!

Boston Pops Conductor Keith Lockhart (a Poughkeepsie native and Roy C. Ketcham High School grad) is taking over the World Wide Web!

The Boston Pops announced today that they are the first orchestra to launch an Internet television broadcast: "Oscar and Tony". It will feature award-winning music of Hollywood and Broadway. That means tunes from Chicago, Titanic, The Phantom of the Opera, 42nd Street, The Sound of Music, Lawrence of Arabia, and Out of Africa! This Boston Pops Internet broadcast will be offered for free at www.bostonpops.tv

The broadcast will also have behind-the-scenes footage of a recording session, interviews with musicians, a conducting lesson with Lockhart, who also serves as the program host, and more. Local guy makes good -- again!

Good skate

If you’re anywhere close to 42nd Street and 6th Avenue in Manhattan around lunchtime tomorrow (Monday), this could be fun. The pond at Bryant Park opens for free admission ice-skating, with free skate rentals to the first 300 skaters. To make it even better, there will be live music and performances by championship skaters, including Michael Weiss, three-time U.S. Figure Skating Champion and two-time World Bronze Medalist. He’s not the same Michael Weiss as HVC magazine’s wines columnist (and CIA professor in wine studies and noted wines expert.) As far as I know …

How about them apples (and pears)?

In the October issue of Hudson Valley Connoisseur magazine, Jessica Bard has a great article on hard apple cider – the magical drink you get when you let apple juice ferment into alcohol. She included a nice guide to local sources that produce exceptional hard cider on a regular basis such as Warwick Valley Winery in Orange County and Hilltop Orchards & Furnace Brook Winery in Richmond, Massachusetts (near Lenox.) As far as I am concerned, a well-made hard cider ranks right up there with good sparkling wines made from grapes.

I also am a big fan of hard pear cider (perry) and was heartbroken when Elizabeth Ryan’s cider mill at Breezy Hill Farm in Staatsburg burned a few years ago. Elizabeth produced an exceptional perry. Thankfully I discovered that the Warwick Valley Winery Doc’s Draft Hard Pear Cider is also delicious. In her article, Jessica shared the news that Breezy Hill may resume cider production soon, and that Montgomery Place Orchards might be producing some hard cider on a limited basis.

Last Saturday I headed out for some shopping at the Montgomery Place farm stand on Route 9G in Red Hook near Bard College. What a crowd when we got there! Granted, the farm’s produce is outstanding but still I have never seen the place with both parking lots filled, and cars parked across the road. Turns out they were having an apple pie contest. It was much too busy for me to ask farmer Thalia Finke which apple varieties made up the winning pie, but I’ll have to follow up on that. (I picked up some Northern Spy for my own pie and some nice Empires for eating fresh, because they didn’t have any of my new fave -- Honeycrisp -- on hand.)

And they did have hard apple cider, packaged in cute pint canning jars! But as I got there, they were out of the jars. The staff assured me they would be making more. Can’t wait!

More local jewelry!

I see Sweetheart Gallery in Woodstock is having a sale on Elements Jill Schwartz Jewelry until Oct. 31st. The April issue of Hudson Valley Connoisseur magazine featured some polka-dotted home décor items from this very interesting designer. Her handmade jewelry collections, such as this $172 necklace at left, include mixed antiqued metals, semi precious stones (citrine, peridot, amethyst, moon stone, quartz), sea pearls, freshwater pearls and findings along with elements of collage.

Farewell Anna ...

I read in today’s news that the actress Deborah Kerr has died at age 86.

Among her many notable roles was that of Anna, the governess in the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The King & I. Last Christmas, a friend surprised me with the 50th Anniversary Edition DVD of the classic 1956 film of the musical starring Ms. Kerr and Yul Brynner. The film stands up to time, and is a favorite of my pre-teen daughter.

The musical has good memories for me: I was part of the children’s chorus in a Dutchess County production of the musical way back in my elementary school days. I also had the good fortune to see Yul Brynner play the King on Broadway during the mid-1970s. I can’t recall who played the role of the governess in that performance – to me, Deborah Kerr will always be Anna.

People to be proud of ...

With still no hard frosts in the valley (at least none having hit MY garden), there are lots of fresh local veggies still available at our regional farmstands. These recipes featuring local and seasonal ingredients are in the latest issue of HVC magazine (October-November), now on sale at the outlets listed on our Web site.

--Farro Fettucine with Guanciale, a delicious form of artisan Italian bacon (with sourcing info)
--Cavatelli and Broccoli
--Beef & Barley Soup with Garden Veggies
--Pork Chops with Apple Hard Cider-Shallot Sauce

They accompany a column by Chef Tom Griffiths about Chef's Garden programs and eating local, seasonal food, and Jessica Bard's article about regional artisan hard (alchol) ciders. And don't forget to get the free download we have on the HVC Web site of Tom's instructions for making the most perfect holiday turkey and our wines columnist's tips for the best wines to pare with holiday fooods.

We're lucky to have some of the country's best food and wine experts writing for HVC magazine. Folks such as our food columnist, Tom Griffiths, a Certified Master Chef (and Culinary Institute of America associate dean) and our wines columnist Michael Arthur Weiss, a CIA professor who has authored important wine books and who keeps racking up international recognition and awards for his contributions to wine education.

Freelance food writer and chef Jessica Bard (a CIA grad) is a frequent contributor to HVC, with her informative articles and delicious original recipes. (Jessica also teaches cooking classes at Warren Cutlery in Rhinebeck.) And here in the office, Theresa Marquez, also a graduate of the CIA bachelor's degree program, makes sure the recipes we print will actually work in your home kitchen.

If you prepare any of the recipes, please let me know how they turn out! And if you have a food topic or item you'd like to see in the magazine, please let me know.

Living green!

We featured estate jewelry as part of HVC magazine's October "Living Green" issue, because giving pre-owned fine jewelry a new home is my favorite type of recycling!

I love this HVC cover. Photo director Spencer Ainsley shot this vintage 1960s toucan pin on the leaves of an Anthurium andreanum exotic houseplant that I keep in my office window overlooking the Poughkeepsie Post Office. The absolutely FAB pin (made of 18-karat yellow gold, with pave diamond beak -- 58 diamonds! -- and black mother of pearl) is from the Zimmer Brothers estate jewelry collection. The pin is back at Zimmer now, where I understand the Poughkeepsie store is having an antique and estate jewelry sale from Oct. 25-27.

Pin for sale at Zimmer. And Hudson Valley Connoisseur magazine for sale at outlets listed on our Web site. :-)

Jan Brett in Millbrook

It’s going to take some serious juggling of my soccer-mom schedule on Saturday but I really hope to bring my daughter to Millbrook for Jan Brett’s appearance at Merritt Bookstore. One of the nation’s foremost author-illustrators of children’s books, Brett will present her latest work, The Three Snow Bears, at 10 a.m. at the store at 57 Front Street in Millbrook.

Jan Brett has more than 33 million copies of her books in print, including The Mitten and Trouble with Trolls, which were a part of our bedtime reading rituals. She lives in a seacoast town in Massachusetts, close to where she grew up but during the summer her family moves to a home in the Berkshire Hills -- I hope she reads HVC magazine when she's there.

Stoneware sublime

The play of light in Marilyn Price’s ceramic landscape at left reminds me of my trip to Italy last fall and I’m curious to see what the rest of her work looks like. We’re all in luck because she’s exhibiting at RiverWinds Gallery, 172 Main Street in Beacon, from Saturday through November 5.

RiverWinds Gallery features traditional fine art and contemporary crafts including ceramics, pottery, cards, paintings, photography, jewelry, apparel, and home décor created by Hudson Valley artists. Gallery hours are Wednesdays through Mondays, from noon to 6 p.m., and to 9 p.m. on the second Saturday of the month. (The opening artist reception takes place this Saturday, from 5-8 p.m.)

Here’s how she describes her art:

Ms. Price's colorist inclinations in glazing derive from her approach to painting. These landscapes reflect the tying together of two areas which have occupied much of her artistic exploration. She thinks of these clay tile surfaces much as one might think of a canvas. These landscapes, with their layered glazes are an attempt to blur the traditional distinctions between painting on canvas, and glazing on clay or using color on clay tiles.

Because many stoneware glazes are just shades of white, tan, or gray in their unfired state, Ms. Price needs a mental image of the landscape in order to proceed with the glazing, especially during the first stages. When finished, these landscapes are firmly mounted on wood backings and grouted with matching colors to give the final effect. The sensual surfaces, colors, and textures created by clay and glaze create visual and tactile equivalents of the artist's experience of nature.

In this same spirit she has made other wall pieces with small handmade tiles. In this process, small damp, unfired tiles are pressed into powdered, colored porcelain, fired to stoneware, then formed into compositions. Many subtleties are inherent in the exploration of color and texture in this technique.

Ms. Price’s background in art includes intensive under graduate study in painting at Cooper Union and NYU, and graduate studies at NYU and Columbia. After many years as a painter and art educator, she became involved in ceramics. Her accomplishments in this area include extensive work on the potter's wheel, and hand building sculptured vessels and wall pieces. Ms. Price's work is in galleries and private collections throughout the valley.

Buy local art!

Buy local art!

I love buying original art. If it's from local artists, all the better.

Jennifer Axinn-Weiss creates the clever Gourmet Giggles cartoon that appears in Hudson Valley Connoisseur magazine. She's also an accomplished artist and right now her work is appearing in a "two-woman show" at Sharada Gallery in Rhinebeck.

"A Group of Two" features paintings by Jennifer and Joanne Klein.

Here is a little background info on them, supplied by the artists:

Jennifer Axinn-Weiss is a visual artist and resident of Rhinebeck, New York. She has exhibited widely for over 20 years in the US and Italy. Jennifer is a sculptor turned painter and feels that "…art is the place where invisible presence can be made visible through image, color and light." Her painting style is ripe with symbolic meanings, texture, and color reflecting a connection between her internal and external world. She works in oil on canvas, sometimes using gold.

Joanne Klein's rich and powerful use of color is compelling. She has been a fine artist and painter for over 20 years with her work evolving from a realistic and surrealistic approach to her current body of work in abstracts. The historical movements of the Russian Constructivist, Abstract Expressionist, Minimalists, and contemporary architecture have been influences. Klein's paintings are a composite of geometric shapes covered in highly saturated colors. A creative process of deconstruction, reduction, and rebuilding, is Joanne's primary means for developing imagery. She works in oil on canvas and oil pastel on paper

For more information on the exhibit you can contact Sharada at 845-876-4828, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Or just visit www.sharadagallery.com.

The exhibit only runs through November 9. Go. Buy. I'm headed there this weekend. Now I just need to get more walls in my house...

Speaking of jewelry ...

For the October issue of Hudson Valley Connoisseur, we explored a couple of very fine jewelry shops in the region and found some wonderful estate pieces (some antique.) I was particularly taken with an early 1940s 14-karat pink and green gold Retro bracelet that we photographed at Zimmer Brothers in Poughkeepsie and a ca. 1915-1927 pendent of .830 silver, adorned with Labradorite stone surrounded by Australian opals, which we saw at Hummingbird Jewelers in Rhinebeck.

But that's my taste. Whether you're into more formal pieces or funky adornment, check out the magazine. HVC's photo director Spencer Ainsley photographed a great selection of various styles of "pre-owned" jewelry available in the valley -- all stunning!

Jewelry is fun

Ulster County jewelry artist Judy Polinsky recently sent me a link to her new Web site.

I found this great item listed there -- according to her description, this $290 necklace of shiny bronze and pearl-like seed beads is 17 inches long with a toggle created from seed beads, finished with a vintage pin she found at an estate sale.

Buy local. Jewelry is fun. :-)

Talking turkey and a new look ...

We've revamped the Hudson Valley Connoisseur magazine Web site, and it's beautiful. (Kudos to our art director Dean DiMarzo!)

As a treat to our readers, we've included a free download of last year's column about brining as the way to make the most delicious turkey, written by our food columnist Tom Griffiths. Tom is a noted chef and an associate dean at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park -- and he knows what he's talking about. We've also repeated a list of wines that pair extraordinarily well with holiday foods, as suggested by our wines columnist, CIA wine and spirits professor Michael Arthur Weiss. Please let me know how you enjoy it!

All that jazz

We visited the Berkshire Hills of Lenox, Massachusetts earlier this month to check out the tradition of audience picnics on the lawn during the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s annual Tanglewood Jazz Festival. (You can see photos of a few picnickers in the October issue of Hudson Valley Connoisseur

While we were there, I was able to catch performances by the Poncho Sanchez Latin Jazz Band (hot, hot, hot!) and the always-incredible trumpeter Hugh Masekela, both of whom brought the audience to their feet. (Who could resist those rhythms?) I was impressed by the elegance of the grounds at Tanglewood, and the splendor of Seiji Ozawa Hall (what beautiful wood!) Tanglewood is an easy drive from most of the Hudson Valley and well worth a visit.

There is more jazz in store for me this weekend, as I’m catching Saturday evening’s performance of a guitar virtuoso, violinist extraordinaire, and bass master at The Egg in Albany: Rite of Strings featuring Al Dimeola, Jean Luc-Ponty, and Stanley Clarke.

And I’ll be there on Sunday when Wynton Marsalis & The Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra swings into Ulster Performing Arts Center in Kingston. I'll be taking the kid to that one after the Hudson Valley Garlic Festival in Saugerties – which I try to never miss. We’ll be the folks in the audience who stink ;-) …

We are so lucky to live in an area with such an incredible offering of things to do. The hardest part each weekend is simply deciding where to go and what to do. At HVC's Web site, we've recently added an interactive searchable calendar with thousands of regional events -- just to make things easier for you (or maybe that should be harder.)

PS I have been busy getting the October issue of Hudson Valley Connoisseur ready for you -- and you’ll be able to read it starting next week when it arrives at local bookstores; look for details at our Web site.

A dog's good life

My family loves our dog. We also really appreciate reading about other people who love their dogs. Today's Poughkeepsie Journal had a great article by Michael Woyton and video by Lee Ferris about the Dutchess County Fair's canine tent. We'll be heading to the fair soon and will be sure to check out the dogs having fun in the tent!

Speaking of dogs, the 13th annual Dutchess County SPCA Paws in the Park Petwalk is coming up soon -- Sept. 8 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Bowdoin Park in Poughkeepsie. We've had fun at this fund-raising event in the past. (The Dog gets to wear a spiffy big yellow bow because he came to us through the Dutchess SPCA.) You can keep track of our fund-raising progress through the box on this side of this blog. (pretty pathetic results so far but we did just register about an hour ago ...)

Exciting foodie news!

The Hudson Valley Wine & Food Fest has announced this year’s celebrity chef demonstrator is Peter X. Kelly – who earlier this year bested Iron Chef Bobby Flay on the Food Network’s Iron Chef America show. I had written some blog entries at the time about this great chef competition!

Chef Kelly, who heads the Xaviers Restaurant group in the lower Hudson Valley, will share some of his cooking secrets with festival patrons during the festival. Check the Web site for details.

This year the wine festival takes place on September 8 and 9 at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds in Rhinebeck. We have a two-page guide to the fest (and some other great regional wine events) in the August issue of Hudson Valley Connoisseur magazine.

Stooges

I mentioned how much I enjoy bossa nova music in my post about how I am bringing my daughter to the Jonas Brothers concert tonight in Poughkeepsie. And I received this video. It's not so much about Good Life in the Hudson Valley but it's got something for everyone, and is too good not to share!

Steamboat days

I worked as a tour guide at Clermont State Historic Site during my school days, so I can vouch that it’s a very interesting (and scenic) place, full of connections to our nation’s early history.

This year Clermont is celebrating the 200th anniversary of the maiden voyage of Robert Fulton’s North River Steamboat, which took place on August 17, 1807 and included a stopover at Clermont’s own dock on the Hudson River. (In those days, the Hudson was called the “North River.” )

This weekend there is a two-day steamboat extravaganza at Clermont, on Saturday August 18, from 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. & Sunday August 19, from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Clermont's rolling hills along the Hudson will be full of steamboat demonstrations and steam vessel exhibitions, re-enactors, educational talks, vendors, and traditional music. A craft tent for children will instruct youngsters in crafts and skills of the steamboat era. A scavenger hunt and contests will be featured along with special tours, and costumed interpreters. And on Saturday the day ends with fireworks at sunset.

All this fun and excitement for a fee of just $7 per vehicle! Clermont State Historic Site is located off Route 9G, just north of Tivoli and the Dutchess-Columbia county border.

Boy band brothers

I’ll be going to see the Jonas Brothers perform at the Chance in Poughkeepsie on Thursday evening. The concert experience won’t be for me but rather for my soon-to-be-9 years old daughter, who has been talking about almost nothing else but this concert for the last few weeks. I'll be bringing her and her 9-year-old friend, and I hear a bunch of her other friends from school and camp will be also there (with parents in tow).

Radio Disney has been talking up the Jonas Bros nonstop, and playing their songs around the clock. From a parent's perspective, they're OK, in a non-threatening but still cool boy band kind of way. According to this story, Radio Disney's VP of programming considers them a "clean Green Day." To me they sound like Gin Blossoms meets early Squeeze.

Sean McMann has more info about JB promotional stuff on his blog.

My kid wanted to add: "Mom, everyone knows the Jonas Brothers. They did the Baby Bottle Pops commercial. And the Meet the Robinsons song." (The link goes to the video.) And even I -- the square mom whose idea of good music is listening to my old blues records and Brazilian bossa nova -- recognize their song Year 3000. Whew ...

Show me the dough

The heck with low-carb diets -- did you know that small bakeries producing European-style artisan breads saw an 18 percent growth in sales between 2001 and 2003, at a time when Americans reduced their overall consumption of bread by 40 percent? That’s according to research compiled by the Small Business Development Center National Information Clearinghouse. So clearly -- most people haven’t lost their appreciation for good bread. (I’m not convinced, anyway, that bread made with a few top-quality ingredients is bad for us. It's not like that high-tech mass produced stuff made from an unpronounceable ingredients engineered for a long shelf life.)

In the August issue of Hudson Valley Connoisseur magazine, we spotlight three artisan bread bakers in the Hudson Valley: Downtown Breads & Bakeshop in Montgomery, Wild Hive Farm of Clinton Corners, with products made from freshly milled stoneground flour from locally grown grains and sold at the Amish Market in Hyde Park and Adams in Poughkeepsie, and Bread Alone, which bakes its products in Boiceville and sells them at its cafes in Woodstock, Rhinebeck, Boiceville and at regional food stores.

All the breads in the HVC feature were very different, and all of them were delicious. Most of them featured ingredients that were local and organic, too. And there are additional great bread bakeries in the Hudson Valley -- if we could have added more to our feature, Our Daily Bread in Chatham and the Alternative Baker in Kingston would also be included.

Speaking of Bread Alone, I see that its founder, Dan Leader, has a new book out this month: Local Breads: Sourdough and Whole-Grain Recipes from Europe's Best Artisan Bakers (Norton). I haven’t read it yet but it’s definitely on my to-do list!

In the pod

I bet I'm not the only person who has subscribed to The New Yorker magazine for the wonderful cartoons it publishes. Did you know that some of the artists whose work appears in that publication live locally? I always enjoyed seeing some of the magazine's cartoons mentioning Rhinebeck that were hung on the walls at Schemmy's, the casual restaurant/ice cream parlor/apparent New Yorker artists' hangout. (Schemmy's is closed now and the space houses Village Pizza.) I knew when we were first creating Hudson Valley Connoisseur magazine that I wanted to have our own cartoon. We were lucky to find Jennifer Axinn-Weiss, who creates the clever Gourmet Giggles you'll find only in HVC.

So I was excited to discover recently that The New Yorker is offering free downloadable animated versions of their cartoons as video podcasts. (I found them at iTunes.) Between my work and homelife, I have a very busy daily schedule and I am beginning to appreciate the value of podcasts. As a professional Word Nerd ;-), I get a kick out of Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips and I always find something of value in Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac. For those times when I have some otherwise mindless chores (folding laundry) I adore NPR's Selected Shorts ("a celebration of the short story" read by noted actors). Now I finally can catch up with some of my favorite writers -- on my time!

Have any other really interesting podcasts to share? And does anyone know what became of the cartoons that used to hang in Schemmy's in Rhinebeck?

A busy weekend

I wish I could be in two (or three or four) places at a time this weekend.

MASS MoCA in North Adams, Massachusetts is an easy and enjoyable trip from the Hudson Valley. On Saturday evening (August 4), the arts center is presenting a Sing-A-Long version of the 1971 classic film, Fiddler on the Roof, complete with lyrics for those who have trouble remembering every line of If I Were A Rich Man or Matchmaker, Matchmaker. Watch a great film and sing along with everyone else. Does this sound like fun or what? Showtime is 8:30 p.m., tickets are $10 each. MASS MoCA members receive a 10% discount. Ticket info at www.massmoca.org.

Have kids who like horses? Saturday, August 4 is Kids Day at HITS Saugerties from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Green Heron Farm in Saugerties will be providing free pony rides! Other activities include a bounce house, a gigantic slide, face painting and a clown, as well as an arts and crafts area. There’s lots more – 10 riding rings’ worth of show jumping classes, which feature elite young riders and take place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. There are also shopping opportunities in more than two dozen stores set up on the site with clothing, tack, fine jewelry, custom footwear, art, photography and custom HITS souvenirs -- and a variety of dining choices. Those interested in the behind the scenes of show jumping can watch the horse show farrier put new shoes on a horse and even tour the stables to see some of the horses and riders up close.

Admission is $5 for adults, which is donated to Family of Woodstock, Inc. Children 12 and under are admitted free. Parking for spectators is located at Gate E, which is directly across from the Kiwanis Ice Rink and is always free. Info at www.HitsShows.com


PS Famed Manhattan restaurant Tavern on the Green will cater a buffet lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the shaded VIP Pavilion at HITS Saugerties overlooking the Grand Prix and Main Hunter rings. Open both to horsemen and the general public, this special lunch will be available for $20 per person; a cash bar also will be available.

Burger alert!

This is advance warning -- events at this winery (which has STUNNING views of the Gunks) are very popular so get tickets now.

Whitecliff Vineyard’s Red Wine & Grass-Fed Beef Gourmet Burger Celebration takes place on Saturday and Sunday, August 25th and 26th -- from 12 to 4 p.m. on that Saturday, and from 12-3 p.m. on that Sunday. Enjoy Whitecliff's wine, burgers from local grass-fed beef, sweet corn, and ice cream -- all products from Ulster County. Even the buns, cheese and pickles will be local! Two of Gardiner’s producers of grass-fed beef -- Brykill Farm and Kiernan Farm -- will be featured.

Whitecliff has one of the largest vineyards in the region and is known for complex dry wines that pair particularly well with a meal. The event will take place rain or shine under a tent at Whitecliff Vineyard, 331 McKinstry Road in Gardiner. Tickets are $25 a person, and are available by calling Whitecliff at 845-255-4613.

Virtual penguin

Nearly every preteen in our Hudson Valley circle of friends and acquaintances has an account online with Club Penguin. I've heard them making plans to meet online at set times to give concerts (their virtual penguin characters can play instruments) and to play games like extreme sledding. My kid (who is normally no mouse potato) would play in the virtual Penguin world for hours if I didn’t set limits. (By the way, her laptop is secured in a way that prevents her from wandering off to explore other areas on the Internet – and I always am nearby when she is online!)

My favorite thing about Club Penguin is that my daughter looks forward to reading each online edition of the Penguin Times newspaper. When kids are reading the newspaper, they are unable to interact with each other or play games at the same time, so they really are focusing on what they’re reading. (They can see when other kids -- a.k.a. virtual penguins -- are reading the paper at the same time they are.) I see it as a great training tool to get preteens into the habit of reading a “real” newspaper on a regular basis.

So for my household, hearing that CP has just been purchased by the Disney company is big news. I like Club Penguin because (right now) it’s not very commercial (aside from the monthly membership fee.) It will be interesting to see how that plays out under Disney.

Horsing around

This is shaping up to be quite a horsey weekend.

I hear the Fitch’s Corner Horse Trials are a fantastic event. Celebrating its 13th year, the public event takes place on Saturday and Sunday at Fitch's Corner, a private 130-acre farm at 632 North Mabbettsville Road in Millbrook. (More than 2,500 spectators and participants enjoyed the weekend last year.) There are lots of activities in addition to the equestrian events, such as a collector car parade and a dog handling exhibition. Fitch's Market, open over the entire weekend, will offer a range of products from fashion, jewelry, art, and antiques, to accessories and equine fashions. An updated schedule for the weekend is at the Web site. Sounds like fun -- and it benefits the local rescue squad.

There's more horse stuff the other side of the Hudson River this weekend, with some of the world's best show jumping at HITS in Saugerties. It culminates on Sunday with the $75,000 Tavern on the Green Catering Grand Prix. The HITS equestrian facility is just one mile outside the village of Saugerties and offers lots of on-site food choices in a family-friendly setting. Events at HITS have benefited Family of Woodstock, Inc., HITS' Official Charity for the Saugerties shows.

You can likely expect celeb sightings at both events. That's the only hint I'm giving ;-). Enjoy!

Old friend, wonderful poet

RSVP deadline is coming up to hear poet Matthew J. Spireng read from his work and discuss the genesis of the poems, in Stone Ridge. The focus of the interactive reading/talk (questions will be more than welcome) will be the varied sources of poetic inspiration … visual, verbal, auditory, memory, dreams, fantasy, etc. I've written about Matt before -- and he's a really talented thought-provoking poet.

When: 7:30 p.m., Saturday, July 28
Where: The Quest, 3764 Main Street (Route 209) Stone Ridge (across from the Stone Ridge Post Office on Route 209)
Cost: $7. Includes refreshments.

Please RSVP to 845-687-7963 (The Quest), preferably by July 25, so food planning can be done.

For a good cause

I had a wonderful time recently at an enjoyable event for a worthy cause. The Violet H. Simmons Scholarship Fund celebrated its 25th anniversary with a dinner at Listening Rock Farm in Wassaic to support its Summer Enrichment Program. Speakers included 1963 Webutuck graduate Sandy Berger, who served as National Security Advisor under President Bill Clinton.

The Simmons Scholars program was created in 1982 to honor Miss Simmons, a history teacher at Webutuck for 48 years. While at the event, I enjoyed hearing former students of Miss Simmons describe the value they found in her teaching methods, which, while familiar to anyone who has attended a college of the liberal arts, were unconventional for a high school teacher. An endowment created at the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation allows the fund each year to award a Webutuck High School student a $10,000 merit scholarship (in four equal installments) throughout their college years. The fund has, to date, benefited 37 students. The fund recently received a $25,000 grant as part of its $70,000 capital campaign to endow a Summer Enrichment Program to allow Webutuck graduates to explore the world. The campaign will also enable them to increase the Simmons scholarship from one $10,000 scholarship to two $10,000 scholarships.

Among those on hand were Hudson Valley Connoisseur magazine’s founding editor-in-chief, Meg Downey, who came from Nashville, Tennessee, where she now is managing editor of The Tennessean. (Meg’s husband, Ed Downey, an attorney and a trustee of the Simmons Scholarship Fund, was an organizer of the event.) That’s Meg, at right, in the photo above with me (left) and friend Joe Bostian (center.)

Hudson Valley Connoisseur photo by Michael Sibilia

Bounty of the Hudson

In the upcoming issue of Hudson Valley Connoisseur magazine, due out on August 1, we include a special section on regional wine festivals. Visit the Web site and look under How to Get It for a list of local stores that sell HVC magazine.

Here's something that takes place before the magazine comes out: the 12th annual "Bounty of the Hudson" Food & Wine Festival. Online ticket sales end a week from today for the event, which takes place on July 28 & 29 (Saturday and Sunday) at Brotherhood Winery, 100 Brotherhood Plaza Drive in Washingtonville, Orange County. Brotherhood, by the way, is "America's Oldest Winery."

Sounds like a fun event! You can sample wines from all 10 wineries on the Shawangunk Wine Trail as well as several others from around the Hudson Valley. There will also be food from area restaurants, produce from local farms, cooking workshops and live music! Noon to 5 p.m. each day.

$25 (plus tax) in advance, ($30 at the door)
Designated Driver Ticket $10.
More info at the Web site.

Connecting France

I had never considered myself a Francophile. Yet, after reading an e-mail from Chef Agnes Devereaux about her plans for celebrating Bastille Day in New Paltz (more about that later), I started to think about all the things French that I enjoy.

Although it's not one of the languages in which I am most fluent, I do speak French. Some of my favorite wines are Rieslings from Alsace in France. I own a Hermès scarf and dream of buying another, someday. Years ago I found a vintage Chanel jacket at a consignment sale in Rhinebeck that I still adore, and will fit into again, someday. ;-) One of my favorite actors, Daniel Auteuil, is French. (And I was named for the French actress Leslie Caron.)

And let's not forget Champagne...Yup, French things are good. Because this Saturday, July 14, is Bastille Day, it could be fun to celebrate and here are some ways to do that in the region.

My fun French day would start with shopping. Basic French is a boutique in the village of Red Hook that specializes in French imports. Hudson Valley Connoisseur magazine spotlighted its adorable polka-dot tableware in our April issue. I like that they have La Compagnie de Provence olive oil soap that I am sooo addicted to ... and I have been thinking hard about buying their colorful multistripe espadrilles made in a Basque village in the Pyrenées.

For several months now I've been yearning for the La Rochere "bee" glassware made by the oldest glass factory in France and sold at Arcadia in Saugerties. As my everyday glasses at home keep cracking, I am getting closer to being able to rationalize the purchase.


My favorite film is Le Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain, a sweet, amusing and thought-provoking film that is also worth watching just for the wonderful scenes of Montmartre (the hill of Paris) and the garden gnome.

So I definitely am not missing this at Upstate Films: Paris Je t'aime:
This omnibus tribute to the City of Light features shorts from a veritable who’s who of international filmmakers...including Joel and Ethan Coen, Alfonso Cuarón, Bruno Podalydès, Gurinder Chadha, Gus Van Sant, Walter Salles, Daniela Thomas, Christopher Doyle, Isabel Coixet, Nobuhiro Suwa, Sylvain Chomet, Olivier Assayas, Oliver Schmitz, Richard LaGravenese, Vincenzo Natali, Wes Craven, Tom Tykwer, Frédéric Auburtin, Gérard Depardieu, and Alexander Payne. With eighteen Paris neighborhoods as its milieu and love as its raison d’etre, the sum total is an experience that acknowledges the idealized Paris people carry in their heads. Mostly in French with subtitles. It starts Friday and runs through July 19. Check the Web site for showtimes

Back to the e-mail from Agnes, chef-owner at the Village Tea Room, Restaurant & Bake Shop in New Paltz, which is celebrating Bastille Day on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday with a special menu that celebrates French food such as Salad Niçoise, Puy Lentil Soup, Coq au Vin, & Bouillabaisse. Desserts will include Choux a la Crème (their legendary Cream Puffs) as well as Clafoutis aux Cerise (Cherry Clafoutis) made with Tantillo Farm cherries.

Bon Appétit -- and Vive la France!

SE Europe, in Dutchess County!

Putumayo World Music's fabulous CD, Gypsy Groove: Balkan beats and gypsy jams from the dance floors of Eastern Europe and beyond, was my introduction several years ago to this vibrant musical genre. Now I see there are several opportunities to explore more about Southeastern Europe this weekend in Dutchess County ...

At Upstate Films in Rhinebeck, tonight and Thursday at 6 p.m.: Gypsy Caravan -- this uplifting documentary explores the music, lives, and heritage of five Gypsy bands from around the world as they unite for a six-week concert tour across North America.

On Friday (the 13th!) avant-garde vocalist-violinist Iva Bittová, called "one of the most remarkable personalities in Czech music" will perform an experimental mix of new music and Moravian folk music at 8:30 pm at the Spiegeltent Cabaret, part of SummerScape 2007 at the Fisher Center for the Performing Arts at Bard College in Annanandale-0n-Hudson.

(By the way, be sure to check out the great video about the Spiegeltent on the Poughkeepsie Journal web site from Kathleen Wereszynski Murray and Chrissie Williams.)

Then get out your dancing shoes, because there is a Bulgarian Folk Music & Dance Party & Midsummer Birthday Celebration at Breezy Hill Orchard in Staatsburg, on Saturday from 4 p.m. to midnight, rain or shine, featuring a reunion of Bulgarian musical treasure, The Kabile Bitov Wedding Band.

More info on Saturday's event: Suggested music contribution: Adults $15, Student & Seniors $10
A contribution for dinner would also be appreciated
Children 12 & under free, no one will be turned away
Reservations PLEASE - we need a head count for dinner! *
4-6 pm Meet & greet, music jams, lambs roasting from noon
6:30 Dinner w/ lamb, pasta, dessert, BYOB
Please bring a vegetarian salad or side dish if you can
8:00 Concert & dance until the last person drops!
Camping in the orchard, breakfast on request
This event is open to family, friends, and the folk music & dance community
To RSVP, volunteer or for further info contact:
* Noel Kropf - 845-739-8146 - nsk@bestweb.net
Breezy Hill Orchard and Cider Mill
828 Centre Road
Staatsburg, NY 12580
Salt Point exit from Taconic Parkway


Kabile Bitov Wedding Band photo provided

Here comes Harry

Lots of Harry Potter events going on in the region – here are two that sound FUN. (I especially like anything that involves food …)

Merritt Books is hosting a July 21 midnight release party for the seventh and final book in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Magical midnight events and visitors from the Raptor Center, at the bookstores in Millbrook, Red Hook, and Cold Spring.

The Village TeaRoom Restaurant & Bake Shop in New Paltz is celebrating the new Harry Potter release by turning into Madam Puddifoot's Teashop for the evening of Friday July 20. Here are the details from chef-owner Agnes:

In the hours before the latest book goes on sale down the street at Inquiring Minds Bookstore, enthusiasts can immerse themselves in the world of Harry Potter food.

Authentic Shepherds Pie, Cornish Pasties (our lamb pies), Chocolate Gateau, Sticky Toffee Pudding, Éclairs & Trifle will fortify those who wait eagerly for the stroke of midnight.

Harry, Hermione & friends drink copious amounts of tea. We offer a Cream Tea. (Scones, Clotted Cream & Jam & A Pot of Tea)

Although the teachers at Hogwarts drink elderflower wine, we will serve Elderflower Pressé, a non-alcoholic British delicacy.

And of course, pots & pots of tea.

I'm guessing these are going to be popular so you might want to ask about making reservations.

Eating Out(side) Part 2

I'm revisiting some of the perfect picnic places we wrote about in last year’s Hudson Valley Connoisseur magazine, and here are a few more ideas …

Each year you can see Shakespeare under the tent at the Hudson River estate Boscobel on Route 9D in Garrison, from June to September, courtesy of the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival. This year they’re presenting Richard III directed by Terrence O'Brien through August 18, and As You Like It directed by Kurt Rhoads through September 2. You can get ticket info at the Web site. Bring a blanket and a picnic, take in the panoramic views of the Hudson Highlands and see a show. That’s about as perfect as it gets.

Perfect Picnic places near Boscobel

Make a day of it. Boscobel Restoration, host of the Shakespeare festival, has a mansion-turned-museum that dates from the early 19th century and contains one of the nation's leading collections of furniture and decorative arts from the Federal period. Boscobel is close to the village of Cold Spring with its antiques and specialty shops. Bear Mountain State Park, the Dia:Beacon arts center, and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point are a short drive away. And if you like to hike, here are two other fine ideas about where to park your picnic.

For those who prefer their picnics on the wild side, the Fishkill Ridge Conservation Area is home to eagles, falcons and numerous rare species. More than 1,900 acres of Fishkill Ridge, the northern gateway to the fabled Hudson Highlands, are protected by the Scenic Hudson Land Trust and managed by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Visitors will enjoy panoramic views of the Hudson River and the Catskills along with some of the region’s best hiking trails that connect to thousands of acres in Hudson Highlands State Park and on historic Mount Beacon. Open dawn to dusk. Free.

Visit Manitou Point Preserve in Garrison and enjoy magnificent Hudson River views from the former estate of another member of the Livingstons (one of the Hudson Valley's most prominent 19th-century families). This 136-acre retreat is owned by the environmental organizations Scenic Hudson and the Open Space Institute and has four miles of trails that wind along Manitou Marsh and past wooded uplands, the Hudson River and Copper Mine Brook ravine. You’ll also pass by a restored mansion (that is not open to the public) that is the national headquarters of Outward Bound. Open dawn to dusk. Free.