Homegrown Holiday Giveway: Macaroni Kid Contest Winner Named

Macaroni Kid blogger and Homegrown foodie enthusiast, Ellen DeFrancesca informed me of our Hamptons & Long Island Homegrown Cookbook Giveaway.

Drumroll please:

The winner is Monica W. 

Congratulations, Monica! 

I couldn’t be happier for you – and your family and friends who will also enjoy the Homegrown Long Island Cookbook stories, photography and recipes from the Island’s best chefs and the growers and artisanal food makers who inspire them.

Sharing a bit of personal. local commentary, Macaroni Kid blogger Ellen wrote to me: “The winner was thrilled when she found out

(I must share the story about how ecstatic I was on my first-ever win – a full Thanksgiving dinner from Sickles Market the year our house was under renovation and I had no kitchen!)

“And she actually lives close by to me so I was able to drop it off.  She told me she planned on trying a few recipes for the holidays.”

Homegrown Kismet.

Thank you, Ellen and Macaroni Kids entrants for your enthusiastic support for “The Hamptons & Long Island Homegrown Cookbook” and all the outstanding chefs, growers, fisherman and butchers and bakers and … well, all the best of homegrown Long Island.

Happy Homegrown Holidays!

www.longbeachmacaronikid.com

and as a somewhat related sidebar -- I have an autographed book to a "Dear Monica" from a New York Horticultural Society talk and book signing because I was so engaged in conversation with Homegrown fans that I did her signing twice!  

So if anyone knows a homegrown Monica, don't hesitate to let me know.  We have a cookbook for this lucky lady!

No Two ways about it: Goodreads & The Hamptons & Long Island Homegrown Cookbook Reprise Successful Promotion

Today is the First Day of Spring! Yesterday was National Agriculture Day – so how perfect a moment to announce a second, follow-up Goodreads Giveaway promotion for The Hamptons & Long Island Homegrown Cookbook?!

At its heart, The Hamptons & Long Island Homegrown Cookbook celebrates the growers and gardeners and artisanal food makers who most inspire the Island’s Homegrown chefs.

In the course of interviewing the culinary artists and writing the manuscript, I asked every chef to share who inspires them most. 

In the book, one can read of the chefs’ inspirational picks and the profiles of the Island’s native, homegrown edible pedigree – from honey and oyster and tomato farmers to duck, wine, and mushroom growers to dairy men and cheese makers. 

It is an enduring, edible food exploration.

And a celebration of the limitless food culture of Long Island.

I’m thrilled that The Hamptons & Long Island Homegrown publisher, Quayside Voyageur Press is reprising a most successful Goodreads Giveaway. 

The first, recent Goodreads Giveaway promotion was an overwhelming success, according to the publisher; prompting a follow up outreach to foodies and culinary book enthusiasts.

They say love is better the second time around…

Like two peas in a pod, the prize is the gift certificate to the North Fork Table and Inn restaurant, www.northforktableandinn.com tucked into a copy of the Hamptons & Long Island Homegrown Cookbook.

The theme of two resonates throughout the promotion: the North Fork Table and Inn is owned and managed by two couples:

James Beard winners chefs Claudia Fleming and husband, Gerry. 

Chef Fleming is also the best-selling author of her cookbook, “The Last Course, The Desserts of Gramercy Tavern.” http://tiny.cc/ahp1rw

In addition, the managing couple is Mike Mraz and his wife, Mary.

Don’t wait a second longer! 

Log into The Hamptons & Long Island Homegrown Cookbook and North Fork Table & Inn Gift Certificate.

http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/47937-the-hamptons-and-long-island-homegrown-cookbook-local-food-local-resta

The Giveaway runs for one month – through April 20.

Good luck!

To order The Hamptons & Long Island Homegrown Cookbook:

at B&N, Amazon & local Independent Book Stores:

http://tiny.cc/4zjhbw

http://tiny.cc/pijhbw

http://www.indiebound.org/indie-bookstore-finder

Cheers.

The Hamptons & Long Island Homegrown Cookbook Goodreads Book Contest Ends with a Kiss

Hamptons & Long Island Homegrown Cookbook Goodreads Valentine's Promotion

As part of a Valentine’s Day feature promotion, my publisher’s crackerjack marketing and social media team worked with me to produce a Goodreads book giveaway.

Launched February 5^th and running through Valentine’s Day, entrants had a chance to win one of four copies of The Hamptons & Long Island Homegrown Cookbook autographed books offered in the promotion.

It’s hard not to notice that more than a few of the Long Island restaurants are the creative genius of what I have come to refer to as “Culinary Cupids.”

Meaning, either a couple who are chefs and owners and share everything.

Or a chef and front of the house manager who share everything. 

I wanted to acknowledge this “love nest” consideration and dynamic.  

Some of the chef/owners left “the city” aka Manhattan or Brooklyn -- as was most often the case – determined to open their own family-run auberge-style restaurant with either an inn and/or a garden to cater to their guests, as well.

It’s a dream. And a dream come true for so many of the Culinary Cupids in the Homegrown Cookbook.

I thought a lovely way to salute that love and dedication was with a special Valentine’s Day promotion.  And after all, the most important ingredient in any recipe is love..

Armed with love galore, the Goodreads Homegrown Giveaway garnered 565 entrants! 

Thank you to everyone who entered and who also passed on the good food, Homegrown promotion tip.

According to the publisher, this is very successful and one of their best ever Goodreads giveaway.

In addition, just shy of 220 entrants added The Hamptons & Long Island Homegrown Cookbook “to their ‘must read’ list, which is amazing news,” according to the publisher’s gurus.  

Amazing indeed.  Thank you again.

I am now in the process of thanking every entrant. 

And sending the autographed bookplates to the four Homegrown Winners.

They are:

Chantelle from Maryland

Tori from Virginia

Catie from Hartland, WI.  How can you not love that a Homegrown winner is from the Hartland?!

Nicky from Juneau, WI (hmmm, do we see a pattern here?! Two from the great state of Wisconsin. 

Can’t leave WI without a shout-out to my cousin, Missy and her husband Dallas who live in WI. And produce the best, scandalously good maple syrup.

Enjoy the Homegrown stories about the chefs and the growers who inspire them.

And thank you from the bottom of my Homegrown heart.

Homegrown hugs and kisses.

To join my Goodreads please visit: http://www.goodreads.com/author/dashboard

I know, I have to do the blog … I will soon. 

In the meantime, you can visit the book’s Facebook page at: "Like" but really Love :)  the Homegrown book at The Hamptons & Long Island Homegrown Facebook page

Homegrown Author Interview with Spoon

Homegrown Chef Eberhard Muller checking frisee on his North Fork Satur Farm

An Interview with Leeann Lavin from The Hamptons & Long Island Homegrown Cookbook 

Part 1

From Spoon: 

"Celebrating Food and Culture, a Spoonful at a time."

Recently, I had the opportunity to chat with Leeann Lavin of The Hamptons & Long Island Homegrown Cookbook. 

Hope you enjoy part one of my interview. More to come! 

When did your love affair with food begin?

As a child.  

My best friend and I would frequently cook up recipes from a Betty Crocker children’s recipe book. I still have the cookbook and the well-worn, splattered pages speak volumes about how often we used the cookbook and what our favorite recipes were. 

Also, as I noted in the Hamptons & LI Homegrown Cookbook’s acknowledgements, I delighted in helping my grandfather work in their small-scale farm. I remember thinking that digging up the potatoes was thrilling—like being on a treasure hunt.  

Even as a child, I loved the glamor of dressing up to go out to eat—there is that unmistakable heightened expectation that something magical will happen. Of course dating could only add its romantic stardust to the dining experience. Later as an adult, having the good fortune to travel all over the world and live in New York City, I experienced a great variety of cuisines and culture.  

From a business lunch to entertaining clients to hosting out of town guests, the culinary frisson starts the moment the decision is made to “eat out.” There is the communal discussion of Where; What kind of food do you want to try? I love the dynamics and rhythm of bringing people together to enjoy a meal together, to create a memory. Restaurant dining is full-frontal entertainment: from the décor to the food. The ambiance ignites the senses. Starting with a cocktail, the surprise of an amuse bouche and appetizer, followed by an entrée and a wine that will complement the meal. Desserts and coffee or tea allow the flavors and the conversations to linger and languish.  

And there is always the inspiration to try to recreate the drama of a dining experience at home. I adore creating a menu customized for the guests, the occasion and the season, followed by the shopping at the butcher, baker, specialty store or greenmarket to secure the best ingredients, or going into the garden to pick the homegrown food. That come-hither look I get from a fairy eggplant or a fresh, juicy tomato at its ripe, ready moment, or the heady fragrance of basil and lavender sends me! It’s been said I set a nice table too… filled with flowers, candles and surprises, whether for dinner, brunch or our famous Independence Day party (they shoot off the fireworks in the marina below us). And the sheer joy of cooking is really a way to show one’s love. I know it is for me. I love the process.  

So you see, I wear my heart on my sleeve—when you ask about my love affair with food there is no denying the scandalous hold it has on my senses and emotions—and that only increased throughout my life.

Why do the Hamptons & Long Island have the best recipes? 

Much of the unique flavors and tastes in the ingredients is a result of the soil—or as we say in the edible garden and culinary world, it’s the terroir. Likewise, the fish from the sea has its own unique merroir imparting a flavor stamp or imprint, if you will, into the ingredients from the waters, including fish, oysters, and shellfish. Why, even the salt from the waters of Long Island are being harvested for its own distinct flavor. Chef Keith Luce, a featured chef in the Hamptons & Long Island Homegrown Cookbook, launched his own salts line of products farmed from the Long Island Sound and Peconic Bay that have inspired others to do so as well.   

Long Island is the most productive farmland in New York State. Its unique geography allows it to enjoy an almost year-round growing and harvesting season despite its northern locale. The tip of Montauk stretches the Island and the US to its most eastern point. The land mass and waterways of Long Island produce a variety of microclimates that allow for excellent and extended growing for a vast variety of food ingredients.  Further, the ice age created a soil that is rich and blessed with nutrients to make that Long Island corn and tomatoes and wine and duck and dairy so noteworthy.

The ingredients are what make a cuisine or the recipes so memorable. I would further argue that Long Island benefits from a rather diverse cultural population—and so the best family heritage recipes from Italy, France, Germany, China, Scandinavia, the Mediterranean, or the Native Shinnecock Indians enhance the Island’s reputation for quality food and now, as a food destination. 

The best homegrown chefs say, “Start with the best ingredients—and do as little as possible to them.”  
I couldn't agree more. 

Whether you're a Hamptons & Long Islander yourself or just love the area, be sure to pick up your copy of Hampton & Long Island Homegrown Cookbook today. Sweet! Spoon: http://bit.ly/WmwgZM As the movement to eat what is grown locally gains momentum, there is an increasing awareness of how best to incorporate this philosophy into our everyday lives. We can grow our own food and buy food grown locally at food cooperatives and markets, but what happens when we eat out? There are a number of chefs around the country dedicated to using only the freshest, locally grown ingredients in all the dishes they prepare and serve. This book takes the reader on a private tour of outstanding chefs of the Long Island area and their gardens. Each profile reflects the chef's personal style, cultural background, desire for healthy, just-picked ingredients, and gardening philosophy. Recipes, plant lists, garden layouts, and color photos are included.

The Perfect Holiday & Hostess Gift under $30 for Food & Garden Lovers Dreaming of Homegrown Recipes

Nick & Toni's Chef, Joe Realmuto with his inspired farmer, Scott Chaskey

The Hamptons & Long Island Homegrown Cookbook has "many a fascinating story told in this book and I suggest that you go right ahead and buy a copy for every foodie on your gift list. Locals will love it. As will native Long Islanders who now live “away.” People who visit our shores will also “eat it up," according to reviewer Stacy Dermont, Dan's Papers. She added: The Hamptons Homegrown Cookbook is sure to be the go-to gift of the season. No doubt it will appear beneath Christmas trees and Chanukah bushes." 

OK, it’s 12/12/12 – a truly lucky day signaling enjoyment, creative expression, rejuvenation.

There are Twelve Days till Christmas and Kwanza! And Hanukkah is almost a sweet, culinary memory.

Capture the lucky-day aura and discover the joy and creativity in The Hamptons & Long Island Homegrown Cookbook. 

It is the quintessential, enduring gift for everyone who lives a food and garden lifestyle because it is filled with nearly 30 curated food stories, delicious recipes and sumptuous photos.

You create a lasting memory every time the Food Book is opened. 

The Hamptons & Long Island Homegrown Cookbook captures the authentic, homegrown ingredients that are the hallmarks of the Island’s food culture -- captivating all who celebrate the continued, passionate interest in food, cooking, and artisanal ingredients, as well as a burgeoning interest in cultivating a Hampton’s lifestyle.

Pair the book with some local, artisanal ingredients from the book’s food artisans and the gift package is nothing short of a Holiday Miracle!

Featured chef, Keith Luce, for example, sells packaged flavored local sea salts in the The Jedediah Hawkins Inn The flavors include lemon ginger, duck wing and sun-dried tomato and balsamic vinegar, as well as plain salts.  

Chef Keith Luce in his kitchen garden - that he designed & nurtures

Jedediah Hawkins Victorian Inn

Anna Pump serving up her Homegrown food at Loaves & Fishes

Anna Pump, Loaves & Fishes. Photo: Lindsay Morris

Anna Pump's Cooking School at her charming Bridgehampton Inn. Photo Jennifer Calais Smith 

Anna & me/Author at Cooking demo & book signing

Or choose from a cooking class or world-class cooking utensils and tools found in the cornucopia of Chef Anna Pump’s Loaves & Fishes  

Or select from “the stylish, stemless Danish glasses – and most items found sopratavolo (on your table) at Chef Kevin Penner’s 1770 House and Cittanuova.

Create a Culinary Passport!

Include a gift certificate for any one of the featured restaurants – or for all the Homegrown restaurants – many have lodging too, including The North Fork Table & Inn, The American Hotel, Sag Harbor, The Maidstone & The Living Room and the Cuvee Bistro & Bar, GreenporterHotel

Foody's Chef Bryan Futerman & Hayground 's Jon Snow

Or enjoy the fun, open-mic nights at Foody's in Water Mill, dining on homegrown pizza made with local honey, tomatoes, and grilled in a cherrywood-infused oven!  

At Foody's for Homegrown photo shoot: me/author & Chef Bryan

The good-food stories of the area’s best chefs and the artisanal growers who inspire them will resonate for years to come.

And so will the homegrown recipes.

“Get the best ingredients and do as little as possible to them” is a tip from many of the Hamptons & Long Island chefs featured in the book.

The Hamptons & Long Island Homegrown Cookbook takes the reader on a private, intimate tour of outstanding chefs of the Long Island area and their gardens.

Each profile reflects the chef's personal style, cultural background, desire for healthy, just-picked ingredients, and gardening philosophy.

The Cookbook offers a unique opportunity to showcase the natural beauty, distinctive, inspired cuisine, food stories and recipes as told in the rare collection of chef and grower profiles celebrated in The Hamptons & Long Island Cookbook.

To order the book The Hamptons & Long Island Homegrown Cookbook at Amazon, B&N & local Independent Book Stores:

The book is available as Nook Book (eBook)

At the same time, contact the me/author via Facebook to secure an autographed copy!

"Like"but really Love :) the Homegrown book at:The Hamptons& Long Island Homegrown Facebook page