Did You Celebrate Women’s History Month with the “Girl of Sandwich” at The Grey Horse Tavern

It’s still not that easy to find a woman executive chef heading up the kitchen of a major restaurant.  A lot less easy is finding one who is helping to head up a Real-Food Movement.

But Chef Meredith Machemer is one talented lady. 

And the lucky-girl extra credit goes to her two female owners of the The Grey Horse Tavern: Linda Ringhouse and Irene Dougal.

The profile of Chef Meredith here is excerpted in part, from this reporters upcoming book, The Hamptons & Long Island Homegrown Cookbook slated to hit the bookshelves in late May/early June.

To celebrate Women’s History Month and food culture, enjoy this unique food story:

Chef Meredith didn’t always know she wanted to be a chef, but always worked in restaurants during the summers near her home in Rockville Center, Long Island.  

A friend got her job working at Churchill’s restaurant as a pantry fry cook.  She’d never really cooked before but determinedly figured she could do it. 

Nothing gained, nothing lost.

“I wanted to try it out and it turned out to be an amazing experience,” she says delightedly in re-telling of her momentous cooking epiphany.

Like the good daughter she is, she remembers coming home and exclaiming to her mother, “Oh my God!  Look! I made a sandwich.” 

If it wasn’t refrigerator-posting material, it was nevertheless, a life altering experience for Meredith. 

She never attended culinary school; she learned on the job instead.

“It’s been an amazing privilege to work with people who loved their craft and loved to teach it,” she says with utmost sincerity. 

In a stroke of good fortune, she adds, “I never worked for a chef who was screaming.” 

Rather, she described the kitchen cum classroom where, over the course of her career, she asked questions, and they’d show her how it was done.  “I know it sounds unusual, but I’ve only worked in family-like kitchen environments.”

One has to ask if that’s perhaps because she’s a woman, she sought that kind of environment.

“Not at all,” she replies.  In fact, her first professional cooking job was in a corporate position at Legal Seafood, the seafood chain that since it was founded in 1950, prides itself as being a “fish company in the restaurant business.”  But she does say it was the first time the kitchen staff worked alongside a woman.  The vendors were a tough group who would always opt to seek out one of the men first -- not her -- when doing business; an anachronism that persists to this day that still surprises her. 

When they learn she is the executive chef, they somewhat sheepishly remark, “Wow, a girl chef!”

Unaffected, she doesn’t let things like that bother her.

“I had to work a little harder in the beginning,” is the extent of that discussion.

“Now, my kitchen crew is all guys. And there’s never any problem.”

She worked at Legal Seafood for almost five years, defending their attention to not only their “pier to plate” philosophy but also their work with garden-fresh purveyors.  

She claims they only worked with seasonal, sustainable fish to turn out consistent quality meals.  

Here she worked with farm to table pioneer, chef Stephen Cardello for four years. 

When Chef Stephen discovered the Grey Horse Tavern’s 65-seat restaurant and showed Meredith the farm-inspired menu, she remembers she was jealous of what she saw was the creativity and freedom of food expression.  She was feeling stuck in the corporate food world.  She soon joined executive chef Stephen at the Grey Horse Tavern as his sous chef. When Chef Stephen left for Lincoln Center’s Arpeggio restaurant a year later, Chef Meredith took over the reins as the executive chef.

Linda and Irene were visionaries, she thought, seeing how they posted their mission statement to the menu, promising to serve local farm fresh food, including eggs. They only served humanely raised meat, supported local farmers, and artisans. 

They listed all their farmers and fisherman and dairy names and locations on the menu. The restaurant was just opening, but the philosophy and the opportunities were too tempting to pass up. She “interviewed” with Stephen who was looking for a sous chef.

She signed on as the Grey Horse Tavern chef.

Today she uses Satur Farms as she did at Legal Seafood.  Now, Paulette Satur texts Chef Meredith’s smart phone all year; two to three times a week with notices of what’s just been picked, what’s coming in season and what’s new, replete with images.

Chef Meredith continues to maintain the relationships with local growers established from the early days when she first accompanied Chef Stephen.

Given her chance to be completely creative with her food ingredients and cooking, Chef Meredith expanded the restaurant’s sources, citing a roster that reads like a who’s who of the best farmers market: Catapano Farms goat yogurt, local honey dressing, goat cheese; scallops from Mastic, the Long Island fish market that is up the block; Braun’s Fish Market who delivers. Murry’s Ranch for chickens; Myers meat market in Farmingdale for ground beef for burgers; and D’Artagnan’s ranchers she says are determined to do the right thing, providing only grass fed beef. 

In particular, Chef Meredith cites the delicious Long Island clams tasting of their terroir, from the Peconic Bay.

She can especially rhapsodize because of Kevin Cusack from Little Neck, Long Island.

“He clams all year long, even in the winter, dropping off the fresh clams in the afternoon.  She refers to his catch as “Clamtastic!”

Chef Meredith prepares them simply.  For the raw bar? Just open up. 

Or she’ll sauté them with a little locally butchered bacon, fresh oregano and tomato and a just baked loaf of bread with homemade butter. 

To Chef Meredith’s point, it does sound simple.  Yet it also sounds simply, sinfully decadent.

The mix of salty, briny and sweetly acidic is perfect.  She intuitively knows what goes together with the right blend of fresh ingredients.

Chef Meredith and the owners consistently seek out quality, local food sources.

 “On Thursday’s, Irene and I go out to the Organics Today Farm in Islip to get the melons, eggplants and heirloom tomatoes, for example, she explains. 

“In the spring I volunteered at the Farm to help plant,” she beams; unwittingly characterizing the essence of the grower, chef and garden relationship!  

Can’t get much closer to the food source than that.

The only thing they don’t make is the pastry.  All the baking is masterfully done by “Just Amy” in Greenpoint. Her creations hit the right note to pair up with The Grey Horse’s sophisticated but decidedly comfort-food menu items. The cookies, beignets, chocolate ganache and fresh raspberry preserves are favorites with the customers and the restaurant’s employees.   

Chef Meredith likes cooking in every season. 

“There’s always a different aspect that makes it interesting and challenging.” 

She comes at cooking in order to have fun with food and make things that everyone understands. 

“I love slow cooking -- bringing out all the different, unexplored flavors.”

In winter it’s soups, beans, and broth: hearty fare. 

She says she also loves to make tacos and corn tortillas using meats she’s braised for a couple of hours.

She doesn’t mind winter -- with all the complex, slow cooked foods and pickling, but then she can’t wait for spring to come.  “I look forward to the sugar snap peas, and fingerling potatoes.”

She also notes how she loves the contrast of hot to cold such as hot salads with cold chicken or shrimp.

Hands down though, her favorite season to cook is summer. “Summer is so light and easy and simple. 

“I love being outside, using fresh vegetables & fruits -- making a peach and beefsteak tomato salad or local sea scallops.” 

Her favorite thing to cook is smoking BBQ.  “It’s simple and delicious.” 

Chef Meredith comes up with menu ideas when she sees what’s available and fresh at the markets. 

She says it’s an interesting process She professes to have a conversation in her head.

“I refer to the interesting recipes profiles I save in my books.  I research cookbooks.”  She follows that by a lot of talking back and forth with others.

“I might sees things at the market or in the garden and that I can’t wait to use.” 

“Most times I’m working with flavors rather than trying to follow from a written recipe.” 

In what she describes as a visual learning experience  -- perhaps not unlike her start – Chef Meredith goes over things with the cooks. 

They go through a testing process. “The more I make it and work on it, the more I might change it.”

When I know what I want, I’ll get in the ingredients and then, maybe a couple of days later, it will go on the menu,” she explains.

Because of the restaurant’s tavern style and the fact they offer live music, many of the restaurant’s guests come to The Grey Horse Tavern several times a week. 

They come for the food and then stay for the music and art vibe, according to co-owner, Linda.

That can only be a good thing, right?

While most restaurants would envy that kind of customer loyalty, few would disagree it poses another curious challenge of keeping the menu consistently basic but different. 

You can’t bore your customers nor alienate them with things they don’t know or think they won’t like.

Chef Meredith acknowledges there is no turning back though.  She knows The Grey Horse Tavern may be ahead of the curve but they will continue to work hard to do the right thing.   For those who don’t readily “get it,” she admits, they are committed to persuading customers to enjoy the seasonal menu with -- outstanding taste!

Chef Meredith continues to be inspired by so many things.  “I am obsessed with Thomas Keller.

It seems I’m always online checking out Alice Waters.”  I adore Claudia Fleming, North Fork Table & Inn.  I love her cookbook from Gramercy Tavern.  

Also, she says she’s inspired every day that she gets to work with such great people. 

“The owners are amazing, the support and server staff who love the food keep her excited.  And not surprisingly, customers that smile.  She says it’s so great.

“It’s the little things like that that truly make it a pleasure to come to work every day.”

She respects the ingredients.  And keeping the food simple.

“When I’m working in the kitchen and need to eat, I love putting something wonderfully delicious on two pieces of bread.”  

She still marvels at the magic of making something.  “I can make a very cool sandwich!  And that’s something.”  

She can never get over where a simple sandwich took Chef Meredith.

To pre-order my book "The Hamptons & Long Island Homegrown Cookbook" at B&N, Amazon:

http://tiny.cc/4zjhbw

or

http://tiny.cc/pijhbw

The Grey Horse Tavern is located at:

291 Bayport Avenue

Bayport, NY

631-472-1868

http://www.greyhorsetavern.com/Site/GHT.html

Exploring the bond between Chefs and their Growers

When this time last year, my book, The Hamptons & Long Island Homegrown Cookbook doubled in size, I felt more than determined to single out those chefs -- and the growers who inspire them – who are the thought leaders and “hustlers” for sustainability and local ingredients, to add to the outstanding roster I worked so painstakingly to realize  -- for what was soon to be the “first phase” of the book.

The challenge was finding those chefs and growers now in the less, how shall we say, less celebrated areas of Long Island. Unlike Manhattan – or other big, bright lights/big city locales, along with the Hamptons where, where there was more of the whisperings of the burgeoning food movement’s pursuit of locally-grown and made foodstuffs.

When I started the book concept in 2003, there were far too few of the master chefs who set their teeth on this farm and fine to table approach to the culinary arts. 

For that matter, there are still far too few…

Even in 2007 and ‘08 when I began the interviews, I needed to really hunt and dig and search for potential chef candidates.  Bear in mind there were no online foodie blogs to speak of, nor newsletters lauding the locavores.

Even in Food Heaven, aka New York City.

My list for Gotham began to grow with the chefs who worked quietly and passionately to build and expand the Greenmarkets and fish markets and coordinate resources and deliveries from upstate food sheds.

Michael Anthony: Gramercy Tavern, Peter Hoffman: Savoy and Back Forty, Marc Meyer:  Cookshop and Five Points; Mario Batali: Babbo and Del Posto and...); and Dan Barber, Blue Hill, were on the premiere list of New York City-based master chefs – and who will be featured in the-next in-the-queue Homegrown book.

At that time, very few, if any, chefs had public relations staff.  After researching and searching the internet and news stories and farmers markets, I called the chefs and restaurants straight away.  Sometimes I needed persistence, and other times I needed to cajole in order to convince the chefs of the importance of their leadership and culinary work.  In my experience, most of the Homegrown chefs are quite humble – usually not aware of their impact, as they are so busy crediting and nurturing the growers who inspire them, not to mention their kitchen and restaurant staffs.

I did the interviews live, in the restaurants, with the chefs, recording and writing madly in my notebook, altogether awed to in the presence of such talent and determined drive.

I was extremely honored to have been the first one to interview master chef Dan Barber the day after he was named the James Beard award winner for Best Chef in America.  I was scooting over from the apartment on Fifth Avenue and chef Dan was texting he’d be a bit late

No worries for me, I assured him. 

New York is like that.  Flex time on steroids.

We do so much, and schedules collide.

I got to Blue Hill restaurant and stepping down into the cool dimmed, dining room, noticed the abundant floral arrangements adorning the bar top like a special events tablescape.  It was like the Frank Sinatra ballad, “One for my baby and One for the Road in that the only folks in the place were me, the man cleaning the floor and the woman quietly making order of the phone and operations.   Not long after, she let me know that chef Dan would be arriving soon; he was on the way.  She somewhat conspiratorially shared that he was a tad late because of last night.  Hmmm.  “He won the James Beard award.”  What?? I picked up the NY Times Dining section that I had saved to savor later. (I learned my lesson – I read this Wednesday feature section first, and now I read on Twitter the night before!”)

Soon enough, Dan arrived for the interview.  And you know what, he was so humble; he never even brought up a word about the James Beard award! Why didn’t I?

This remarkable attitude and view toward what it is to be an executive chef and restaurant owner was an inspiring love-at-first-talk/old school manners and humility. 

The fact that these early leaders’ vision was new and filled a need for good locally grown and raised food, in fact, launched an era of inspired attention and passion surrounding food security, and quality and farmer and school children welfare and taste for real honest-to-goodness, homegrown food.

It felt like a tsunami of forces coalescing.

It was exhilarating. To be on the cusp of culinary discovery.

Suddenly it seemed, there were glamorous culinary benefits to raise monies for the greenmarkets, the farmers and the school gardens.

Camera crews were peeking out at the Greenmarket almost as much as the new green shoots were.

TV shows took Julia Child’s on-camera cooking t o new heights of more than cooking. 

Now, cooking shows sprouted up like, well, mushrooms.  Watching chefs cook and compete was a national pastime – not unlike sports.  Top Chef, Master Chefs, Celebrity Chefs – chefs were now rock stars.

There was a palpable thrill.  And I could not wait to showcase and help tell their stories.

It was after completing the nearly 20 NYC-based chef interviews, when I was asked by editor to add in the master chefs of the Hamptons, I thought,

“Why not?"

I soon found myself researching the best of the best on the East End of Long Island and was delighted to discover the half a dozen or so chefs I needed to complete the NYC book.

I learned the Hampton Jitney schedule and the hocus pocus of seeming to wait on otherwise unheralded Manhattan street corners, armed with only what appeared to me as a secret mob-inspired direction like: “Meet up at the corner of Lexington and 38^th “ or Third and 47^th” 

It was a perfectly wonderful way to journey to the land of sea and farms and celebrities though.  And once in Sag Harbor, I landed right across the street from the most charming lodging, recommend to me by Peter Garnham, writer and farmer extraordinaire and my soon-to-be British-born sherpa of all things Hamptons – and a fellow oyster-lover to boot.

The American Hotel was someplace out of Central Casting and it was perfect for me.  The staff there made me feel like I was home from day one.

I’ve written before about how well appointed the place is – like something out of a Ralph Lauren ad.

After greetings and getting the lay of the land there, I quickly unpacked my things, loving the armoire and the big bed and desk – all too perfect for a writer I thought. 

I made my way back downstairs for a dining room lunch – with my Mac – in order to continue writing – and whom do I spot right off the bat?  Billy Joel.

Yes, this is going to my kind of place, I smiled.

I decided that to really appreciate the experience of being there, “in the Hamptons” I would rent a bike to get to my interview appointments, rather than drive around.  This way I could see the landscape, the gardens and the architecture.

I didn’t know until chef Joe Realmuto quizzically (or astoundingly) watched me disembark from the bike at East Hampton’s Nick & Toni’s restaurant and farm out back, and hearing him say, “Did you ride your bike here from Sag Harbor?” that I had the surest feeling that this is not the norm.

“Yes,” I replied.  “Is that crazy?” I added for assurance.  “Well, kinda” he offered.

I was already a bit late, having mis-judged the travel time on bike (I had gotten a bit turned round the day before when chef Michael Rozzi fortuitously happened to be driving with his wife not too far away and he came and picked me up – bike in tow in the back of the SUV for our appointed interview at the Della Femina restaurant.

My next bike trip for the interviews was to the North Fork – via two ferries – to Satur Farms…

Next up:  the adventure trip to North Shore on the bicycle.

Giving Thanks

The Foreword:  Much To Be Thankful For

I am so thankful, honored – and downright thrilled that Brian Halweil has agreed to write the Foreword for my book, “Long Island Homegrown.”

Brian is the perfect candidate and was my number one, preferred choice from the get-go.

Brian wears the Long Island food chain like his very own ID bracelet. 

He is the editor of Edible East End Magazine, http://www.edibleeastend.com the “local food magazine of Long Island.”

As the editor of the food magazine that is the bible of the farming, fishing, artisanal food makers, vineyards, and the restaurants of “Pleasure” Island, he intimately knows the kitchens and wine cellars and farm stands and dairies that comprise the food culture that is Long Island.

Brian is also an author, Eat Here: Homegrown Pleasures in a Global Supermarket. 

From the Worldwatch Institute Brian's profile reads:

Brian Halweil is a senior fellow at the Worldwatch Institute covering issues of food and agriculture and is currently Co-Director of Nourishing the Planet. He joined Worldwatch in 1997 as the John Gardner Public Service Fellow from Stanford University, where he had established a student-run farm on campus. In addition, Brian has helped set up community-supported farms throughout California and New York, as well as in Mexico, and assisted farmers who were making the shift to organic agriculture. As a food and agriculture expert, Brian has testified before the U.S. Senate on biotechnology, poverty, and hunger, and his research and writing have been featured in national media.

I admire his steadfast commitment to the local, Long Island food community. 

To producing a sustainable food economy and foodie culture. 

And his work in the broader, worldwide effort to provide safe, sustainable, delicious food to all of earth’s citizens. 

I know Brian’s contribution will be invaluable. It will certainly add to the integrity of the book.

Master Chefs in Homegrown Long Island

I also give thanks to the 16 chefs and the gardeners or farmers that inspire these locavore culinary artists. 

A special Thanksgiving thanks go to:

North Shore

Bistro M, Chef Mitchell SuDock Glen Head

18 Bay, Chefs Elizabeth Ronzetti and Adam Kopels, Oyster Bay/Bayville

South Shore

The Lake House, Chef Matt Connors, Bayshore

The Grey Horse Tavern, Chef Meredith Machemer, Bayport

North Fork

North Fork Table & Inn, Chefs Claudia Fleming and Gerry Hayden, Southold

Jedediah Hawkins Inn, Chef Keith Luce, Jamesport

Satur Farms, Chef Eberhard Mueller, Cutchogue

Amarelle, Chef Lia Fallon

South Fork

Nick & Toni’s, Chef Joe Realmuto, East Hampton

Della Femina, Chef Michael Rozzi, East Hampton

Loaves & Fishes, Chef Anna Pump, Sagaponick

The American Hotel, Chef Jonathan Parker, Sag Harbor

Almond, Chef Jason Weiner, Bridgehampton

Foody’s, Chef Bryan Futerman, Water Mill

Hampton Bays

Starr Boggs, Chef Starr Boggs, West Hampton

OSO Restaurant, South Hampton Inn, South Hampton,

The chefs, gardeners and farmers gave so generously of their time. 

I always cringed a little when sending a follow up email request or reminder because I know they don’t have a salty second to spare. 

However, they managed somehow to carve out time for the interviews and the photos shoots. 

I knew every chef had a unique story.  I wanted to honor that.

At the same time, I want the reader to get as excited as I am about each and every chef. 

I want them to read every story. Not read two or three profiles and come to the conclusion: “I get it, they are good chefs and use local ingredients.” 

I was compelled to write the profile chronicling the chef’s personal story of how they came to be a chef. 

Most importantly, I wanted to write what drives them to secure the best ingredients.  When it could simply be so much easier to pick up the phone and order from a purveyor’s list, why do these chefs insist on getting to know their farmers? 

And visit the docks when the fishermen haul in the catch? 

Or why they labor to produce their own gardens brimming with sultry herbs and tempestuous tomatoes and languid lettuces?  It’s hot, it’s buggy and it’s hard work. 

I want the reader to know these chefs more than care about where their food comes from.  They possess a reverence for the food source.  They never bite the hand that feeds them!

In addition, the inspired gardens and artisanal food makers infuse the chefs’ culinary creativity. 

These master chefs continually create sometimes curious and always innovative recipes using local food sources on the path to taste nirvana.  

By nature, chefs want to share their art.  I find this is in contrast to many fine artists.

I give thanks for the generosity of their culinary art.

I thank the chefs for the time they shared for the photo sessions. 

There were two sessions on the same day.  One of them was in the kitchen preparing the food and the other one showcased the chef in the garden or on the farm visually narrating the relationship linking the chef, the farmer/gardener and the land…

And I thank them for their culinary talent – assembling the amazing food ingredients to ignite astonishing flavors and combined textures that leave you feeling giddy from the first mouthful. 

Each chef has generously provided four recipes for the book too. 

The only guidelines I provided or suggested were these: 

A seasonal recipe – not just from summer’s bounty, either. 

Preferably from the winter or shoulder seasons. 

And one that uses local, fresh ingredients.

Perhaps they could provide a family or cultural recipe – such as that prized stuffed peppers dish from Aunt Imaculata (18 Bay). 

Another suggestion was to provide a signature dish – something their diners have come to embrace on the menu and that they just can’t live without.   Like the pistachio crusted halibut with asparagus, fava beans, oyster mushroom and a lemon beurre blanc (Bistro M).

And finally, a brand new recipe, created just for the book. 

Seeing the chefs’ email with Recipes attachment arrive in the In-Box created a happy anticipation every time one cycled in – not unlike that sparkly-wrapped surprise gift from your new love.

Opening each recipe and scanning the ingredients was an exercise in orchestrated joy.

I can’t wait to try them out. 

I am committed to preparing one recipe a week for the next year – and two a week for two months (I’m thinking June and July of 2011) in order to cook all 64 recipes that will be offered in the book.  This schedule should allow me to thoughtfully and respectfully preview and write about the extraordinary recipes prior to the book’s launch date next year.

This will be very exciting.  And fun.

I will share my cooking adventures with you here.  The good, the bad and the triumphant. 

I also give thanks to my photographer, Jennifer Calais Smith.   .  www.jennifercalais.com
Her photographic art is outstanding. 

We worked very hard together to produce enduring photographs that amplify the profile I wrote about each chef.  

I often said, “We need to tell the story about the relationship the chefs have with their gardens and farmers -- in pictures.  We need to visually illustrate how the relationship and commitment drives their culinary art and fuels their creative imagination.”

It’s a lot to ask of a photographer, I know. 

And while we storyboarded out the shots as a team, Jennifer was the one that was “on” for the shoot.

She had to jump through garden beds, dodge flying pizzas and hot oil, not to mention knife-wielding prep teams, hot, hot gardens and steaming kitchens. 

The food stylists and me could indulge in the just-picked vegetables and fruit.  Jennifer  couldn’t. 

For me, a Sun Gold cherry tomato is just this side better than candy.  Sweet and juicy.  Perfect for snacking.

I am captivated by oh-so-many of the Long Island gardens’ heirloom cherry tomatoes, whether a Black Plum, Isis Candy or local variety.

In a paradox of epic garden proportions, Jennifer does not like/eat tomatoes!

Along with her camera, Jennifer sprinted and crouched and scampered, staying ahead of the sun and shadows and sometimes the rain. 

Chef Matt Connor, The Lake House, Bayshore

Chef Frank Lucas on the rooftop garden of Starr Boggs restaurant, Westhampton

Chef Matt & Jennifer at St. Peter's Farm

Chefs Elizabeth Ronzetti & Adam Kopels with Karen Lee, Sang Lee farmer

Chef Bryan Futerman, Foody's

She shot waaayyy too many photos J all in an effort to honor the chefs and the gardeners. 

But don’t think it was all tough labor. It was fun too.  And we ate like sultans.

Our story was chronicled by Sarah Kinbar on the blog, Good Garden Ideas:
http://www.goodgardenideas.com/?p=3390

I am also thankful for my editor, Kari.  She is smart and creative – and most supportive. 

I cannot thank her enough for being in my corner during last year’s change in book direction to focus the first book on Long Island.

She’s been a peach negotiating, revising and finalizing artist contracts – even when it got crazy, dodgy at times!

Mostly, I am thankful for her unwavering support after the hard drive crash in June. 

She massaged the schedule and modified the deadline so I could rewrite the book’s manuscript that was destroyed in the crash.  I am eternally grateful. 

I am thankful to the farmers for their noble work. 

I am grateful for the time they took away from their tractors and farm stands and planting and harvesting to graciously pose for the photos. They did so with shyness but much integrity. 

The farmers are: 

Ian Calder-Piedmonte and Alex Balsam - Balsam Farms

Scott Chaskey - Peconic Land Trust’s Quail Hill Farm

Jennifer and Jim Pike, Pike Farms, Sagaponick

Karen Lee – Sang Lee Farms, Peconic

Rottkamp Farms, Glen Head

Bob and Denise Andrews Family Farm, Wading River

The Gardeners are:

Chef Frank Lucas, Starr Boggs Restaurant, Westhampton

Stephanie Evanitsky, Mastic Beach

Anna Pump, Sagaponick and Bridgehampton

Peter Garnham, American Hotel

Eberhard Mueller and Paulette Satur, Satur Farms

Linda & Irene, Grey Horse Tavern, Bayport

Jon Snow, Hayground School, Bridgehampton

Chef Keith Luce, Jedediah Hawkins Inn, Jamesport

A special thanks to Rob Salvatico, Hotel Indigo, Riverhead (www.indigoeastend.com), who had just opened his refurbished and fabulous new hotel and restaurant.  (I had a dream about the hotel last night!  Must be good karma). 

Rob’s opening week hospitality was generous and very much appreciated. 

I could see him working even as he sat and talked to me for an interview. 

His attention to detail was omnipresent. 

He is sincerely ambitious. His vision is transparent.  I will write more about his hotel soon.  His hotel’s restaurant, Bistro, recently celebrated its formal opening. 

Menu and operations were managed by Lia Fallon, executive chef, Amarelle, and contributing food stylist for the Homegrown Long Island book.

You can see how talented and passionate everyone associated with the Homegrown Long Island book is.

I am most thankful to each and every one of those who touched the book in their own special way.

And of course, to my cousin Maryann.  She lovingly read and critiqued each chef profile as I raced to complete the second/rewrite of the manuscript following the crash.  Her academy-award winning aesthetic and opinion meant more to me than I can summon the gravitas to say...

She is an angel. Writing can be a solitary endeavor and her contribution on the other end of the email communication kept me grounded and in touch with some small part of the world!

Merci, gracias, and molto grazie. 

But on this most American holiday, Thanksgiving, allow me to just simply say, Thank you.
From the bottom of my garden-loving, food-passionate heart....