Good Things by David

A few days ago a group of us experienced a magical weekend at a sprawling farm in Pennsylvania.  Unbeknownst to us at the time of booking, we ended up staying at chef Jose Garces' magnificent Bucks County estate.  The 40 acre compound included an antique Pennsylvania bank barn, the main house which was built in the middle part of the 1800s, a large greenhouse, some outbuildings, a pool, and acre after acre of lush meadows.  Really and truly, the estate was magnificent to say the least. I'm extremely fortunate to have gathered with several generous and loving individuals who live by the same principles that I do, who share common interests and have the same tastes that I do, and who love of all things Martha. It was a weekend filled with cooking, baking, wine tasting, gift giving, trampoline jumping and relaxing poolside on this verdant 40 acre property called, Luna Farm.  We also spent a day antiquing and shopping for some of our favorite collectibles near and ...

Have you ever had the pleasure of eating eggs poached in tomato sauce?  It's such a delicious way to cook and serve eggs for a light breakfast, lunch or even a dinner.  Nothing could be easier than cracking a few eggs into a pot of simmering tomato sauce, and then having them poach to perfection. Since there are only a few ingredients to this dish, it's of the utmost importance to use good, cage-free, free-range eggs, and fresh garden tomatoes, if possible, or canned San Marzano tomatoes. Many gardens are still bursting with tomatoes, so if you're lucky enough to have a bumper crop I strongly encourage you to make a large pot of marinara sauce.  It's an easy thing to do, and it's such a great way to capture the essence of summer.  After harvesting several plump Brandywine tomatoes a couple of weeks ago (above), I wasted no time in making a most delicious marinara sauce.  The first order of business is to skin the tomatoes.  Fil...

I want to show you our Thanksgiving table before we sit down to dinner in a few hours.  This year is all about setting a table with earth tones that connote the season's best colors.  I love gold, black, caramel, deep yellows and and creamy taupes.  With that in mind, I took out a good Wedgwood pattern that gets used a lot here at home, and then I complemented it with a golden-colored linen tablecloth, some black linen napkins and mismatched bakelite.  The glassware was etched Depression glass. I love the simplicity of our table. This is an overview of the table looking toward the kitchen.  The sheaves of wheat centerpiece was surrounded by a flock of caramel glass, L.E. Smith turkeys.  These are going to be used to hold cranberry sauce for guests. The flatware is vintage and not-so-vintage bakelite.  I didn't want to set the table with silver this year, so I completed a mismatched place setting for each guest. The wine glasses are qu...

If you're in search of a good white wine to have this spring, look to this Southern Italian white by Le 7 Torri.  Made from the Fiano grapes in Campania and Basilicata, but also in certain areas of Sicily, Fiano di Avellino is an interesting varietal that is worth trying. Its distinctively strong, yellow color hints at the honeyed and flower notes that are evident in this full-bodied wine.  Moreover, there is a slight tropical fruit flavor to the delicious Fiano, which makes it perfect to pair with many seafood and chicken dishes.  Think smoked salmon canapés, poached halibut, or even a nice piece of red snapper.  I'm even going to go so far as to suggest to pair the wine with Ina Garten's Mustard-Roasted Fish Recipe .  That recipe is delicious! Don't forget pasta dishes, such as linguine with clams or even garlic and olive oil pasta.  Tasty!  Enjoy a chilled glass or two of Le 7 Torri this week. Cheers!

Melissa Clark's recipes make you want to get into the kitchen and start cooking all sorts of savories and sweets.  Whether through her New York Times column 'A Good Appetite' or the corresponding video series, and her previous cookbooks, Melissa Clark is one of those chefs who understands how to perfectly combine ingredients.  She is a boss when it comes to creating delicious recipes for home cooks. Melissa's latest cookbook, 'Dinner', is due to be released on March 7th, and let me assure you when I say that you're going to want to add this publication to your culinary library, because it has everything you want from a cookbook. New recipes using flavorful ingredients and easy how-to techniques found at the beginning of every chapter, are just some of the things to anticipate from Clark's latest culinary triumph. I absolutely love the way the main ingredient chapters are organized: chicken, meat (pork, beef, veal, lamb, duck & turkey...

Ina Garten is about to release her tenth cookbook, 'Cooking for Jeffrey', on October 25th.  This cookbook is perhaps her most personal compilation of recipes, because they are those which Ina's husband has enjoyed for many years.  Ina states: "I can assure you that all the recipes have been 'Jeffrey-tested' again and again."   In the cookbook, which I was given an advance copy of, Ina gives us snippets of the early days being married to Jeffrey, and of creating a home and opening a business (Barefoot Contessa) in East Hampton, New York.  Not only is the cookbook a compilation of amusing and fascinating stories from Ina, it is also a book dedicated to cooking with good ingredients, and showing us step-by-step how to make each fantastic dish. What I love about all of the Barefoot Contessa cookbooks and Ina's style, is that each recipe is approachable and doable.  None of them seem complex or intimidating in the least.  I already have my ey...

Dear Readers, I have been wanting to do a wine tasting here on the blog and write short, one paragraph reviews of the good wines I enjoy at home.  It's no secret to those who know me that I like to pair my dinners with good wines several times a month, and that I have my opinions when it comes to them.  I'm no wine expert, but over the years I have come to trust my palate to guide me to good, decent wines and to steer clear of the ones that leave a bad taste in your mouth.   This is what the parameters will be for my wine reviews so that you can better understand what I like and what I will cover.   I will not present sweet wines because I don't like them. I will review red, white, and rosé varieties as I see fit. I won't write bad reviews, because it's not what I do here on this website.  Bad wines that I encounter won't make the cut. I will stick to wines with an alcohol content between 12% and 14%.  These are the ones I prefer, b...

Julie Marr's blog, Kitchen Culinaire , is a gastronomic tour de force when it comes to sharing, styling, and photographing the season's best.  I first came across her beautiful photography through instagram, and quickly became a follower and fan of her work.  For me, good food blogging has always been about style, context and composition.  Kitchen Culinaire exhibits these so effortlessly, and what's more, Julie's website is organized with a good layout. A well-organized blog is something I truly appreciate, because it's what compels me to come back time and time again for inspiration. When you go through the singular, inimitable style that is Julie's, you too will connect with what she is teaching us at any given moment and be inspired to create your own plat du jour in the kitchen.  Whether she is throwing a dinner party or is teaching a cooking class at home in Vancouver, Canada, for chef Julie, it's all about making the connection between what is on...