BE YOU, BRAVELY
I left my cushy desk job around 7 years ago and there's been no looking back; not even for a second. I love what I do even if it means making it up as I go along. I broke into the world of food and invented a job for myself in it. Even if my new ventures don't work out, they are not failures. Trying to book what I think will be the most amazing food and wine trip through a crazy undiscovered land that I love has been tough because guess what, I am not a travel agent. And I am still kicking myself on the daily for not dedicating enough time to my neglected passion project, SNACK Sicily.
I'm still learning as I go. Running a small business is hard! Fuck yea, it is. Outside of the regular day-to-day of booking jobs, grocery shopping, invoicing and actually cooking food... I try to experiment with new business opportunities, get healthy again, keep my clients happy and well-fed, while making plans to split my life between New York and Italy somehow. There's a lot to juggle and I'm the only one in this one-woman-wolfpack. When I was a snotty 20-year-old college student, I told my mom in a grand declaration of my independence: "I refuse to lead a boring life!" and although she still throws that one back in my face every now and then, every little struggle and bump in the road is just part of the adventure I asked for. In the words of my beloved Freddie Mercury, don't stop me now.
SO LONG SWEET SUMMER
Summer in the Hamptons was a perfect mix of cooking in beautiful homes, grilling outdoors, picking up organic produce from local farms, and enjoying the occasional poolside glass of vino. This month we're trading in our caprese salads for pumpkin risotto as NYC transitions into official fall weather. You can find me on Wednesday and Fridays picking through veg at the Union Square Greenmarket, snapping photos of things organized neatly in baskets and planning menus while I go. There are fewer choices for tomatoes hanging onto the edge of summer, tons of eggplants of every shape and size, broccoli, purple cauliflowers, pumpkins, and bunches of concord grapes carefully policed by their trusty swarm of new york bees.
AMARO
My mentor, Fabrizia Lanza, is creating a new documentary and needs a little boost.
Amaro is the story of the complexity of food culture in Sicily. Fabrizia Lanza's film delves into the island’s gastronomic history, highlights present day culinary traditions, and follows the hands and hearts of a people who have embraced the most remote, least valued, and often disregarded taste: bitterness. Amaro also talks of its namesake, the Italian digestivo that is truly an expression of place, with coveted recipes that vary drastically by the available wild bitter herbs in each community. From field to fork, Amaro follows a flavor that has helped shape the Sicilian food identity. ⚡ Support AMARO on Kickstarter⚡
HOLIDAY! CELEBRATE!
Planting a little seed in your mind right now. Holiday season is right around the corner. December is a wild month with corporate holiday parties, Christmas and Hanukkah celebrations, and let's not forget Linda's birthday (she's turning 30 again)! December dates tend to fill up quickly so send us a quick note to coordinate all things holiday!