Tasty Rhinebeck

UPDATE ON FRIDAY APRIL 24

Northern Dutchess Hospital Foundation has announced the winners of the "People's Choice Awards" from Taste of Rhinebeck:

Best Beverage
Old Mill Wine & Spirits - for their selection of fine South American Wines

Best Appetizer
Le Petit Bistro - for their Fish Tacos

Best Main Course
Rhinebeck Bagels - Southern Fried Chicken BLT Slider with Sea Salted Beer Fries

Best Dessert
Rhinebeck Health Foods - Me-Oh-My cookies

Best Overall- Rhinebeck Bagels

The event raised just over $10,000 with a crowd of 300. For more information about the Foundation events and ways to give, visit www.health-quest.org/ndh

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Following up on my previous writeup about last night's Taste of Rhinebeck fund-raising event for Northern Dutchess Hospital Foundation ... it looks like it was quite the success!

Check out photos of people having fun at Taste in this Poughkeepsie Journal slideshow. Deborah Breen, executive director of the Northern Dutchess Hospital Foundation, said in the newspaper's article that the foundation hoped to raise about $10,000 from the event, which will go to several projects at Northern Dutchess Hospital in Rhinebeck.

Thank you for the yellow deer!

Drive south on Route 9G, just before its intersection with Slate Quarry Road in Rhinebeck, and look up on a small hill on the left side of the road to see a forsythia bush that has been carved to resemble a deer with antlers. This time of year it turns into a bushy yellow deer due to the seasonal blooms. In summer, it’s a green deer and in winter, a brown deer. I’ve noticed it for several years now.

There’s something about this whimsical creature that appeals to me. I like topiaries that push the boundaries beyond sedate ball shapes and spiral trees. In 2003, I was invited to a press tour of the Montreal International Mosaiculture in Canada, an international topiary competition featuring acres of stunning two-dimensional and three-dimensional works by horticulture artists from around the world. You can see some photos at this Web site. The visit greatly expanded my concept of “topiary”.

I don’t know anything about the person who created or maintains the deer topiary in Rhinebeck but whoever you are – thank you. Your creation always brightens my day.

Beacon Barks

Got dogs? Like dogs? Then you might want to head to Beacon on Saturday for the annual Beacon Barks. Support the Dutchess SPCA.

Michael Woyton has more details and video on his blog.

Grass-fed beef cooking demo

Learn about the merits and benefits of grass-fed beef during Chef Jeff Loshinsky's cooking demo on Tuesday, April 28, from 6-8 p.m. at Vince Mulford Gallery in Hudson.

Georgia Ranney of Kinderhook Farm, a Columbia County producer of grass-fed Angus beef, will visit the class. The demo will show two methods of preparing beef sirloin -- a Korean-style marinade for stove top or outdoor grilling and a slow braised recipe called Braciolone (a specialty of the city of Trapani on the western coast of Sicily). A simple Risotto Primavera, the perfect accompaniment to the Braciolone, will also be prepared.

Mary Hack, from East Chatham Wines and Spirits, will talk about the featured wine pairing, Malbec.

The gallery is at 417-419 Warren Street in Hudson; enter via Cherry Alley.  RSVP by calling 646-752-5977. Cost for class is $35 per person, and $28 for Columbia County Bounty members.

Hudson River photo contest winners

What beautiful images in the March edition of the Poughkeepsie Journal's Hudson River photo contest!

The two winning photos are stunning. Robert Rightmyer of Poughkeepsie won first-place for his "highly colorful, well-framed image" of the Rondout area in Kingston. Dan Seifort of Poughkeepsie won honorable mention for his "moody, highly technical" black and white image of the Mid-Hudson Bridge taken in the fog. You can see both photos (and others entered in the contest) at the HudsonHappenings.com site.

Gnome for a home

I want a garden gnome. I'm usually not one for cutesy garden decor. Maybe it's the subtle influence of one of my favorite movies, Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain, or that I admired them in the community garden plots when I lived in Germany in the 1970s. (A gnome statue has a minor, though important, role in the Amélie film, and I sometimes saw gnomes decorating those gardens in Germany. Indeed, garden gnomes are a German tradition.)

I've denied my gnome urge for years, but this spring, as I expand my gardens, I've decided a gnome would finally fit in the plan. I would rather buy it locally than over the Internet, if possible. Any suggestions re: local gnome vendors?

Going once ... Pasta Primo Vino tickets

Advance ticket sales for the Shawangunk Wine Trail's Pasta Primo Vino end today at 6 p.m.

The event takes place Saturday and Sunday, (April 18 & 19) and tickets cost $20 per person in advance (until 6 p.m.) and $25 at the door if available.

The event includes a self-guided tour of the Hudson Valley wineries that make up the Shawangunk Wine Trail as they pair their wines -- including new releases -- with delicious pasta dishes.

Unison Arts benefit dinner

Support the Unison Arts Center in New Paltz (one of my fave entertainment venues) with a three-course dinner and wine pairing fundraiser at 36 Main in New Paltz, from 6-9:30 p.m. Thursday May 14. You'll need to call Unison at 845-255-1559 to RSVP by Friday, May 8. $60/person ($41 tax deductible donation). The event is sponsored by Kathy Coombs at 36 Main Restaurant and Tom Edwards & Nick Ciallelo at Fox and Hound Wine & Spirits.

Eat local - Speed Networking

Attention, food producers and restaurateurs:

Dutchess County Bounty will host its first ever Speed Networking for farmers and chefs at 9:30 a.m. Monday, May 4. I think this is a great idea -- Slow Food Hudson Valley (disclosure: I formerly served on the board of directors of this non-profit group) used to hold a networking dinner with the same purpose: connecting local farmers and food producers with product to sell to local chefs, caterers and food buyers who are interested in serving locally raised foods. It all promotes the "buy local" philosophy and keeps business in the community.

Dutchess County Bounty is a relatively new group that is supported by Hudson Valley AgriBusiness Development Corp., Dutchess County Tourism, Dutchess Economic Development Corp., Northern Dutchess Alliance, Assemblyman Marc Molinaro and "the generous support of a Dutchess resident." It is modeled after Columbia County Bounty in (yes) Columbia County.

Note: this is not an event for "regular" folks who just want to enjoy a good meal of local products. I am including it in this blog because I think it's a fine idea and I'd like to encourage everyone to patronize Dutchess (and Columbia) County Bounty food producers and chefs all year long.

Here is more from the event's organizers:

Like speed dating, Speed Networking gives farmers/chefs the opportunity to meet face to face to make a quick connection -- to follow-up in more detail later.

They will have 5 minutes per person to exchange information on what they grow or what they want to buy and how to reach one another. Then, they move on to the next person for another 5 minutes, and so on, till they've worked their way around the room and met all the farmers or buyers.

Participants should bring a stack of business cards and farmers should bring copies of their product list to hand out.

Food producers who use local product are also welcomed, as are farmers and chefs from neighboring counties.

The event opens up a lot of local, business-to-business potential markets. When Columbia County Bounty ran a Speed Networking this winter, there were 80 farmers and chefs/buyers in the room. It was very productive.

Patricia & Michel Jean have graciously offered to host the event at their Stissing House Restaurant, 7801 S. Main Street (Rtes. 199 & 82), Pine Plains, 518/398-8800.

The Networking will finish no later than noon. Anyone with questions can call Dutchess Bounty Coordinator Vicki Simons at 518/392-9696 or e-mail vsimons@fairpoint.net. Advance registration is preferred.

There is no charge to participate.

Poetry: It's Natural!

Award-winning poets Will Nixon of Woodstock and Matthew J. Spireng of Lomontville present Poetry: It's Natural! -- workshops and readings that explore the connection between the natural world and the art of poetry on Saturday, April 18 at the Tivoli Free Library. Matt is a wonderful poet and a longtime friend (and I've blogged about him before).

Here is the schedule for the day:

11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Spireng will kick off the day with a workshop, “Nurturing Nature,” that looks at the making of poems of nature, where they come from, what goes into them, where they go, and how to cultivate and nourish them so they do not die on the vine.

1-2 p.m. Nixon will lead a “Search and Create Workshop” in which participants will choose an object from nature about which to compose a poem.

3:30 p.m. Spireng and Nixon will read from their work.

New York Riesling Experience

Spicy fruity Riesling is one of my favorite grapes (perhaps because my education in wine appreciation began when I lived in Germany during my 20s. Riesling has been cultivated in Germany for hundreds of years and the country's white wines are phenomenal). It's also a grape that does well in New York.

Now we can celebrate this grape with a local festival! Applewood Winery will host the first New York Riesling Experience from 11 p.m. to 5 p.m. on May 2 & 3 at the winery, located on 82 Four Corners Road in Warwick (Orange County). The event will feature Riesling tastings, Riesling food and wine pairings, chef demonstrations, winemaker discussions, free recipes, and live entertainment. Admission is $12 if tickets are purchased before April 30 or $15 at the door. Admission also includes admission to the Applewood tasting room with more than a dozen different Applewood wines to taste. To purchase tickets, call 845-988-9292.

Here is more info from the event's press release:

Winemaker/owner Jonathan Hull states that “Riesling is the grape of the 21st century. It is also a grape underdog. It ... is the ultimate food wine. The grape has great flexibility, as it can be made, dry, semi dry, sweet, late harvest and ice wine. This grape grows very well in New York State and I want to bring awareness of the grape and the wonderful wines it produces to the wine consumer.”

About Riesling ... Riesling vines are tough. They thrive in cold climates, on steep hillsides, and in marginal soil. The green-skinned grapes ripen later than many other varieties, and sometimes are left hanging on the vine to produce sweet late harvest wines or even ice wines when the grapes actually freeze on the vines. The aromas in the wine that the Riesling grape produces tend to be pear, apple, jasmine, lime, honey and some spice. The flavors range from bright, fresh citrus to ripe tropical fruit. The New York Riesling Experience customer will have the option to taste the many different variety of wines the Riesling grape produces, as well as a variety of Riesling wines produced throughout the world.

Applewood Winery is in the heart of the historic Hudson Valley! Come discover the oldest working farm in Orange County and one of the oldest west of the Hudson River. The Hull family and their friends began planting apple and peach trees in former pastures in 1949. In 1994 the winery was created and vineyards planted.

Thrift is good

The Northern Dutchess Hospital Auxiliary's "Royal Tea Party and Thrifty Fashion Show" raised over $2,500 recently to help fund renovations in the hospital's Medical/Surgical Unit.

More than 75 women enjoyed the sold-out April 1 event at The Rhinecliff Hotel. The show featured clothing and accessories from the NDH Auxiliary Thrift Shop, worn by volunteer models who strolled the aisles as guests enjoyed elegant afternoon tea, assorted finger sandwiches and gourmet desserts. Many of the outfits -- including outerwear, career wear, and formal wear -- were purchased quickly and several other items were sold from the event's sales area.

Here are some photos of the event sent by the hospital. From left:

1. Friends of NDH/Models at the event were met with attendees eager to purchase their outfits. 2. Volunteer Barbara Haack and Marion Kahn peruse the sales table for fashionable finds. 3. Ethel Arnell, president of the Rhinebeck unit of the NDH Auxiliary and organizer of the event, stands with one of the formal pieces made available during the fashion show. 4. Ava Riley, Administrative Assistant at NDH, models an evening look.

Taste of Rhinebeck

Ready for a delicious evening? You can nosh on great food while walking through one of my favorite communities. The fifth annual "Taste of Rhinebeck" will take place on Tuesday, April 21 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Proceeds benefit the Northern Dutchess Hospital Foundation. Wristbands are available for $75. Please contact the NDH Foundation Office, at 845-871-3505.

Here is a description of the event from the press release:

The concept is very different from other food festivals in that participants travel on foot around the Village of Rhinebeck, stopping to sample gourmet delights from restaurants and spirit shops along the route. "The great thing with this event is that you get to go inside the restaurants and shops and experience the ambiance and individual charm of each. It allows folks to sample not only the food and spirits, but also, the atmosphere," says Deborah Breen, Executive Director of the Foundation. "There are not many villages that have such a vast array of incredible restaurants within a few blocks of each other. And, to have all of them working together for a common cause that night really highlights their community spirit!"

The "People's Choice Awards" will also return this year, giving attendees the opportunity to vote on their favorites in each category - last year's winners included: Petit Bistro, taking top honors for Best Overall, Best Appetizer, Best Main Course and Best Dessert, along with Old Mill Wine & Spirit Shop, taking the Best Beverage Award.

This year, event participants include: Arielle, Aroi Thai Restaurant, The Beekman Arms, Bread Alone, Calico Restaurant, Gigi Trattoria, Le Petit Bistro, Leonardo's Italian Market, Old Mill Wine and Spirits, Pete's Famous Restaurant, Rhinebeck Bagels and Café, Rhinebeck Deli hosted by Gazen Gallery, Rhinebeck Health Foods, Rhinebeck Wine and Liquor, Sabroso, Samuel's of Rhinebeck, The Rhinecliff hosted by Rhinebeck Department Store and Village Pizza of Rhinebeck.