My husband and I have become pretty famous among our friends for our sour cherry pie. (And jam, but that’s a story for another time.) I love this pie, and I love to serve it on Fourth of July weekend. It’s so darn American, isn’t it?

Here’s a video where I show you my no-fail pie crust recipe, and my very special method of pitting cherries. Oh, and the oven almost explodes, too. Good times.

Hope you enjoy the video, and please — if you make the pie, comment here and let me know how it turned out! I’ll be watching the blog all weekend, so if you have questions, post them here. Happy Fourth!

After the jump, the recipes for No-Fail Pie Crust and Sour Cherry Pie.

There’s a grocery coming to the old Nissan dealership on Route 59 in Nyack — and people are pretty excited about it. Our shopping reporter, Mary Shustack, met with owner Andrew Poma Jr. the other day, and he took her on a tour.

He says the market will stock fresh meats, cheeses, fish, prepared foods, sushi, freshly roasted coffee and more, all in a market-like setting. Seriously. From her photos, it looks like Les Halles meets Istanbul.

He’ll have butchers, fishmongers (fresh local fish, too!), sushi chefs, and a cafe. I loved his quote from the story that he’ll try to get local, artisanal foods as well as imported goods.

Mary’s written a story that will publish in Wednesday’s food section, but you can check out her sneak peek with photos over on her Just Browsing blog. Poma says Old World Marke should open in mid-August. I can’t wait!

Meantime, here’s a photo sent in by blog reader Michael S. Thanks Michael!

Another of my favorite lunch places is Good to Go in White Plains. Most of the time, I stick with the chicken Caesar salad, which has a lovely dressing with just bit of a bite, big crunchy croutons and a dusting of parm.

Hard to see here, but some of the other salads are on display. I also love the caramelized pear salad, which comes with walnuts and gorgonzola.

Last week I went to Frank’s Food Court in Greenburgh to pick up a few sandwiches for my friends for lunch. This place is legendary. It’s in that tiny strip mall along with Staples near Syms and the Greenburgh Library. There must be 10 people behind the counter at any given time, and a line even longer around noon.

There are a ton of really cool sandwich combinations, many named for customers:

Here’s a look at what’s in print today:

Vanilla bean, done that. Unusual ice cream flavors. (Karen Croke/TJN)
The first in our series of profiles on popular local ice cream shops. (Kevin Zawack/TJN)
What’s new in fancy food? (Jill Black/For TJN)
Farmers markets in Westchester, Rockland and Putnam. (TJN)
Recipes for summer cocktails and mocktails. (MCT)

And earlier this week:
Irvington couple turn a warehouse into a fun center. (Karen Croke/TJN)
Robert Calilli, who lives in Yorktown Heights, is one of four people selected by Men’s Fitness and Shape magazines for a six-month weight-loss challenge that’s being documented on the magazines’ Web sites. (Linda Lombroso/TJN)

I promised I’d be back for further investigation. Melt Sandwich Shop, the new takeout place in White Plains, is doing amazing things.  Owners Bill Hall and Kristin Mulrane make everything fresh daily — including the flat bread itself. This Cuban, with rosemary-mustard marinated pork loin, pickles, Swiss cheese and spicy (super spicy!) mustard, was really terrific:

Lauren Braun Costello, co-author of “Notes on Cooking,” will cook and sign copies of her book from noon-4 p.m. July 16 at Rainbeau Ridge.

Besides being a French Culinary Institute graduate, caterer and prominent food stylist, Lauren and her son Jonathan are graduates of Rainbeau Ridge’s Roots program.

All the info about Lauren — and Rainbeau Ridge (home of delishy goat cheese of all sorts), after the jump:

Good morning and happy Monday. Finally! A nice sunny weekend! I’m blogging this from my front porch this morning, too, trying to take advantage of the nice weather, even while I’m working!

I had a lovely weekend. On Friday, my parents had us over for dinner and served chicken with a mayo-jalapeno sauce. Sorry, no photos of that.

On Saturday, I went to a beat-the-recession potluck party at my friend Bette’s.

Here’s Bette (on the right):

Here’s the pot luck:

Lots of great stuff:

I made a sour cherry pie:

It was a big hit!

After all that food Saturday afternoon, Saturday night supper was a glass (or two) of wine and picking at leftovers.

Sunday I bike down to the Piermont Farmers Market and took a few things for a picnic on the pier. Ricotta, almonds, semolina bread, hothouse tomatoes:

And some sweet cherries:

For supper, cheeseburgers with leftover corn and beans from the garden:

I also had a little dough and a few cherries leftover, so I put them together to make a galette:

Delicious:

And with that, here’s what people have been talking about this weekend:

The new Westchester magazine is out. Here are the links to this month’s food coverage:
Westchester magazine’s Eater blog takes top prize in the City & Regional Magazine Association’s contest. (Romenesko)
Best of Westchester, Food & Drink. (WM)
Julia thinks Sweet Grass Grill in Tarrytown is a winner. (WM)
Marge and David say stick with the small plates at Chiboust. (WM)
Food writers for Westchester magazine select their favorite 3-course meal from local restaurants. (WM)
” ” ” ” ” ” ” their favorite pizza from local restaurants. (WM)
Bargain meals at fancy restaurants. (WM)
Wine experts select their favorite wine shops. (WM)
Green Eats, including Coffee Lab Roasters, mypersonalfarmer.com, Emma’s Ale House and Table Local Market. (WM)
Outdoor dining. (WM)
Whoo hooo! Sour cherries are here! A recipe for pickling them to use in a watermelon and goat cheese salad. (WM)
Coffee with Navjot Arora of Chutney Masala in Irvington. (WM)
Caterers pick their favorite crackers. (WM)
Tish on rum. (WM) Hey, where’s the mojito recipe?
Pigs in a blanket at three local restaurants. (WM)
Judy goes on a picnic. (WM)
Agave nectar. (WM)
Openings, including Milonga, Harvest Market, and chef changes, including John Reynolds at The Tap House and Douglas Gardener at Bird & Bottle. (WM)
Palumbo Pastry Shop in Larchmont. (WM)

The best of the rest:
To learn about Portuguese food, Josh interviews Anthony Goncalves and George Medes. (FB)
Alice absolutely slams Bistron Citron in Scarsdale. (NYT)
The former Corona’s Lunch in Sleepy Hollow is now Ambar Restaurant, and Emily is a huge fan of the Latino food there. (NYT)
RInku visits the Elmsford farmers market. (CWR)
Doug goes to Chickens Gone Wild in New Rochelle. (HT)
Photos from Martha’s farm. (MB)
The Briars has a new dining room. (CH)
More on Le Pain Quotidien in Rye. (CH)
More on Sweet Grass Grill in Tarrytown. (CH)
Yoshino, a new Asian fusion in Fleetwood. (CH)

If there is one thing I know, its burgers and NYC. You know what they say, “go with what you know”. I remember running around the kitchen, thinking about what to make. The pancetta was the same shape of a burger so it just felt like the right thing to do. I knew the flavors would work together, and they did (ohhhh thank you god!!)

The drama last night was me whacking Debbie in the face with the sheet pan. Just writing that makes me feel so bad. Debbie was so nice about it (I would have not been so nice) she knew it was a mistake and that I was feeling bad. Debbie is a trooper and I have so much respect for her after that. ( I would have been air lifted to the nearest hospital)

Last nights episode was one of my favorites and one of my least favorite. The fish was great and the burger won me a spot on Bobby’s menu. But I was not feeling so good about hurting Deb. Just so you know, me and Debbie are still BFFS.

Making burgers to impress Bobby Flay couldn’t have been an easy task and it was great to see Mike win and represent for New York.

It was really interesting to watch the Intrepid challenge. When you have a challenge with mystery ingredients, it really pushes you to bring all of your culinary skills to the table. It also forces you to be creative and use ingredients in new and different ways.

You may think The Next Food Network Star is just a cooking competition but it is so much more than that, and the Intrepid challenge is proof of that. It’s crazy to think about how much is going on in such a short amount of time. Not only do you have a limited amount of time to prepare a dish that impresses the selection committee and is worthy of being presented to the troops and their families, but you have to work effectively in an unfamiliar kitchen and, in some cases, use unfamiliar ingredients. If that isn’t challenge enough, you have to showcase your personality during the presentation while communicating your culinary point of view and clearly explaining your dish.

As the challenges get harder and the competition stiffer, it’s certain that things will become more intense for the competitors and more exciting for viewers to watch. One thing is for sure, it certainly doesn’t get any easier to watch people get eliminated, especially after experiencing it yourself.

I hadn’t been to the Cookery in Dobbs Ferry since it first opened. Now that it’s been open a couple months, I went back to check in. Yup. Still delicious.

The pork alla plancha with cheesy spaetzle and tomatoes agro dolce, above, was insanely good. The pork had such a nice crust, yet it just melted in my mouth.

Twelve restaurants are participating, and you can sample food from all ove the world. At first I was a little confused about how all this worked — was it a street fair? were people offering samples? — but I got an email from one of the organizers, and that clarified it for me. Here you go:

There will be a manned tent & table with event information at the foot of the village, on the corner directly outside Village Hall (40 New Main Street at Maple Ave), just before Union Restaurant & across from Mariella’s Pizza.

We will have maps with the location and cuisine of each restaurant. Restaurants will have featured small plates or tapas style dishes available at outside tables, all for around 5 or 6 bucks, priced individually (each place should have a separate event menu on the outside tables, listing these items). Diners are encouraged to try several different restaurants/cuisines.

We are really trying to create a format that works for Haverstraw. Most people are familiar with the dine around events of other villages that have chafing dishes setup, with a sort of dine and dash to the next place format. This is a little different in that we would like for our diners to sit, relax and get a feel for each place at a leisurely pace.

Sounds really really cool. I’d say it’s almost like a tapas paseo! Especially around happy hour.

After the jump, the press release. If you go… take photos and send them to me! I”ll post them here on Small Bites.

My friend and colleague Matt Richter (see him on Twitter here) was kind enough to offer me a piece of the pulled pork grilled pizza he picked up a the brand new Melt Sandwich in White Plains. It opened at the beginning of June.

Holy hannah … is that thing is good. It’s got slow roasted barbecue pork, fresh tomatoes, red onions, aged white cheddar and chipotle barbecue sauce.

The concept at Melt is simple: choose your bread, choose your meat from the daily smokes and roasts, then choose the type of sandwich combination to match.

There are a bunch of slow roasted and smoked meats dailiy, like aged beef top round or hickory smoked black forest ham; and then different stuff you can combine them with, like “The mushroom: sauteed onions, mozzarella, au jus” or “The BLT: aplewood smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato, mayo.” There are also soups and sides, and a list of salads. And then of course the grilled pizza. Mmmm.

Owners Bill Hall and Kristin Mulrane make everything fresh daily — including the flat bread itself. This will call for further investigation next week. Stay tuned.

Meanwhile, here’s the PDF of the Melt Sandwich menu.

It’s at 277 Mamaroneck Ave. near Carhart, in White Plains. 914-358-1364.

Sour cherry season — my favorite.

After nearly two years of waiting for renovations to be complete, people at Comfort Lounge Wednesday night seemed very, very happy to be dining there. After digging into the food — simple, homey, delicious — so was I.

The readers of Westchester magazine have voted Small BItes the best local food blog. I haven’t seen the article yet (and Westchester magazine’s Web site is inexplicably rerouted to delawaretoday.com at the moment, so I can’t search for it), but Jimmy Fink of 107.1 The Peak got an early copy and announced the win on the show.

Check out the MP3 here:

LOADING….

What Jimmy said is very kind; I guess it is quite big of WM to give out the award to “the competition.” But it really was the readers choice.

So it was you guys who nominated the blog. And me. So thanks. A lot.

And besides, aren’t we one big happy food family anyway? :-0

From a press release:

On Thursday nights, diners at the 1761 Bird Bottle Inn in Garrison can enjoy a three-course dinner for $17.61.

Looking for a change of pace from your usual dining-out routine? Every Thursday evening residents of the Hudson Valley can step back in time while enjoying gourmet tavern fare at a bargain price at the historic Bird Bottle Inn in Garrison.

On “Warren’s Tavern Nights,” the inn, which opened originally as Warren’s Tavern in 1761, offers a special three-course menu for just $17.61. Featuring beamed ceilings, wide plank floors, wood-burning fireplaces and 18th Century-style furnishings, The Bird Bottle Inn retains the classic appeal of the Colonial era. Diners have a choice of seating in several rooms, each with its own charm, where they can enjoy a hearty meal where travelers have been coming for food, good company and lodging since pre-Revolutionary times.

The 411 on the Bird & Bottle.

Who loves jerk chicken? Here’s where to get it — and a recipe for how to make it at home — written by Tim Henderson. Tim tells me his former editor at the Miami Herald used to take him out to all the great jerk joints in Miami. Now he’s found some around here, too.

(Jerk chicken at Ripe Kitchen & Bar in Mount Vernon by Tania Sayavan/TJN)

Here’s the story:These jerk joints are jumpin. A look at Jamaican food in LoHud. (Tim Henderson/TJN)

Also in print today:
Curtis Stone doing a demo and book signing at Stew Leonard’s in Yonkers tonight. Here’s a Q&A. (Linda Lombroso/TJN)
Farmers markets in the Lower Hudson Valley. (TJN)

A press release:

Restaurant 42 Introduces Jazz Wednesdays at 42

Enjoy an Evening of Great Food, Cocktails and Live Jazz

42, Westchester’s stunning restaurant perched atop The Residences at The Ritz-Carlton, Westchester, is introducing Jazz Wednesdays at 42, complete with special promotions, delicious food and a jazz duo in its Lounge.

In addition to enjoying the spectacular panoramic views of the Manhattan skyline and lower Hudson Valley for which 42 has become famous, guests can now enjoy cocktails and light fare to the live music of local jazz talent on Wednesday evenings from 6:30-9:30 p.m. For the three weeks starting June 10, Jazz Wednesdays at 42 will feature the Nicole Pasternak Jazz Duo.

I stopped by Harvest Market on the Sound in Mamaroneck the other day for some shopping and to pick up lunch. It’s a 5,000 square foot market with many of the brands you’ll find at Whole Foods and small gourmet markets. I entered from the door in the far right corner of this photo.

I was driving past and noticed this cute little luncehonette in Harrison the other day. Anyone been?

Looks like it’s been ther forever, doesn’t it?

Each Wednesday at 6 p.m. (weather permitting), there’s a clambake at the Armonk Lobster House.

Included:
Clams on the half shell, New England and Manhattan clam chowder, Peel and Eat Shrimp, Burgers, Ribs, Chicken and 1 (one) lobster with steamed clams, potatoes and corn on the cob.

Cost: $24.95

The 411 on Armonk Lobster House.

Here’s what I think is the cool part:

Cellar 49’s 1964 dinner menu features a variety of dishes that were popular during the early 60’s. Begin with a garden salad with red wine vinaigrette, then choose either steak Diane or chicken cordon bleu for the main course. Complete your meal with a vanilla and chocolate pudding parfait.

The press release, after the jump.

Millesima, the wine shop in Dobbs Ferry, is now in has moved to Manhattan. This in from the newsletter:

We have set up our shop in a new location on the Upper East Side of Manhattan – with an expanded selection of fine wines and spirits.  We hope you will stop by if you are in the area! But as it is a distance to travel we would like to offer you free shipping through August 31, 2009 on orders* of $75 or more before tax to Dobbs Ferry and surrounding addresses.  Most of all, we would like to thank you for your support during the past two and half years!

*orders may be placed in person or over the telephone

Sincerely,
Roger Bohmrich, MW
and the Millesima team

From the newsletter:

You have heard of the “Blue Plate Special”, well starting Tuesday June 2 we are instituting the Iron Horse “Summer Small Plate Special”. When we all start thinking about fitting into our bathing suits and warm weather wardrobe we also start thinking of shedding a little of that cold weather “insulation” that we put on. We think we have a great way to satisfy your appetite while limiting the calories. Tuesday through Friday choose any three small plates from our first course list or dessert menu for $28. This special can be enjoyed on our patio, in the bar or in the dining room. It is also a great way to mix and match and share a light meal with your friends wether before or after a film at the Burns or any time you need a little sustenance.

Good morning and happy Monday. Yuck with this humidity. I gotta say, I did not have a good eating weekend. Well, let me rephrase that. I did not have a healthy eating weekend. What I ate was actually delicious. Started out Friday night at Peniche, where chef Christian Petroni is fooling around with cocas, the Spanish version of pizza.

This one had figs, bacon and gorgonzola. It was delicious.

We had a bunch of other tapas, too, but for FP’s sake, I gotta show you the sliders.

Yowza.

On Saturday I hit a terrific estate sale in Dobbs Ferry where I picked up this lovely fish poacher for a cool five bucks:

Then I went to Q Restaurant for lunch — and to pick up takeout for dinner. My husband and I shared wings. I ate two. But we finished the fries:

Then we stopped by Mount Kisco Seafood to pick up some salmon for my new poacher. And, since we’re doing a story on ice cream, I had to stop by La Tulipe for its famous blood orange sorbet.

We got a pint of that and one of the almond pound cakes. We served it for dessert after this (oh-so-good-for-you) meal:

Q ribs, Q pulled pork, Q collards, Q cole slaw and Liz-doctored canned beans. Man I am still full.

Oh and did I mention we picked up some Rainbeau Ridge fresh goat cheese (the ash version) at Mount Kisco Seafood?

On Sunday night, I poached the salmon:

I”m planning on shredded it into pasta salad with lemon mayo, cucumber and dill. Any other suggestions?

And with that. I’m ready for a salad.

Here’s what people have been talking about during my weekend of pizza, burgers and barbecue:

MH likes Sweet Grass Grill in Tarrytown but finds some missteps. (NYT)
YogoBerrY opens in Scarsdale. (NYT)
The Blushing Hostess makes Spicy Cuke and Apple Pickles. (BH)
Doug loves Via Vanti! (HT) (Not my explanation point; or his.)
Doug goes to Harvest Market on the Sound. (HT)
Sharon goes to Que Chula es Puebla. (TGL)

Meanwhile, over on Craiglist:
Bistro Citron is looking for a chef.
Le Pain Quotidien is opening in Rye.
A new Mexican restaurant is coming to Greenwich.

Our summer interns are working on an ice cream round up, and Jessica Morales has a report on Paleteria La Flor de Michoacan in New Ro. She was really impressed, as have I been the few times I’ve been.

There are a ton of flavors of paletas, or popsicles. Some are made with milk, some are made with fruit. All are delicious.

As the food person, I will tell you they are all very true to their advertised flavors, and worth the trip from just about anywhere.

As the intern, I will let Jessica wax raphsodic about the place. Take it away, Jessica!

I have to say the Paleteria La Flor de Michoacan in New Rochelle was the most unique dessert place I have ever been to. I can brag about this place for hours and the family is too cute for words.

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This challenge was not easy. There is no part of me that knows how to save money. My money saving tip is….  don’t know! Someone call Sandra Lee!  I have dinner party’s that cost me way too much cash! The word of the day people is ‘Opulent’ Not stupid budget! God, just saying it makes me ill.

Going to Ina’s was the highlight of my life! She loves “my people” and in turn we love her! (In fact I like to think of myself as the gay Ina.) She can have the Hampton’s, I’ll take Fire Island! Clam bakes on the beach in drag and pool side tea party’s in pumps. Ahhhh my kind of life!

This week I pulled out some local Bronx flavors, I knew these folks would eat it up. To be honest I was so scared, I’m serving chicken, pork and greens to Miss Fabulous herself.  My nerves got the best of me and I sliced my finger, (don’t worry it wasn’t bad) to make my life more difficult the smoke in Ina’s gazillion dollar barn was making my eyes crazy. (note to self: when I build my gazillion dollar barn, get good ventilation)

I lost composure and Jeff had to help me get on track, um stab me in the face, because I can’t handle this! But the food shined thru and we did great, it’ nice to be a winner! I like it, and intend to stay here for a while! VIVA NYC and check me out on www.mvpchef.com

Watching last night’s episode of The Next Food Network Star was really different for me. You have a very different perspective on the challenges when you aren’t part of them and it’s much easier to relax and enjoy the show!

If I had had the opportunity to be part of this episode and give a budget-friendly tip during the Tyler Florence challenge, I would have told America to use their leftover roasting chicken to make quesadillas. It’s not only economical, but chicken is a frequently used ingredient in kitchens across America.

I can only imagine how nervous and excited the contestants were to cook for Ina Garten. Viewers may not realize that it is not only challenging to prepare dishes that could lead to your elimination, but also to cook in an unfamiliar kitchen, work in teams and to have only an hour to finish your dishes.

One thing is for sure…with all of the different types of challenges the contestants are facing, this season is sure to be a wild ride. I’m looking forward to next week’s episode and the exciting challenges that lie ahead for the remaining contestants.

This in from PR guy Morris Gut:

This fish house just keeps getting better…Its tasty and terrific! Talented chef/proprietor Anthony Labriola is marking spring/summer at his bustling Caffe Regatta Oyster Bar & Grill on Wolf’s Lane in Pelham with a new seasonal menu featuring an eclectic contemporary mix of pristinely fresh fish and seafood specialties along with a hefty dose of carnivore heaven. There’s a new wine cellar too!

More, after the jump.

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