As you probably noticed last week, I’m starting to changing things up around here and am introducing a few new columns. Today will be my first installment of: I Love Your Kitchen Style. It is dedicated to showcasing some of my favorite interesting kitchens from around the globe.
Starting this column makes sense because I am the worst kind of kitchen snoop. Whenever I visit a new kitchen I open drawers, walk into pantries, and take mental notes of every interesting feature I find. Kitchens are so often the heart of a home and I never cease to be amazed by the variety of kitchen designs out there! Never a visit goes by when I don’t note something I want to add to our kitchen when we re-do it once and for all. I hope you find these spaces as fun and interesting as I do!
Today we are staring with Uncle Will’s kitchen in Rochester, New York. Since he is still a bachelor his kitchen only needs to support one person and a dog. When he moved into his house a few years ago he demolished the old kitchen and started fresh. On a limited budget he was able to transform his kitchen into a user-friendly cooking arena that is comfortable for one person, or four. With both my kids running around it last summer we still had plenty of space to eat and cook! Come take a look:
This was the kitchen when he moved in. Functional, but not particularly attractive.
The kids are back to school! Hooray for routine! Hooray for a few minutes for quiet each day! Hooray for structure! I never intended to take two weeks away from the blog but, my friends, I was at my end of my rope by the end of August. It took my everything to get through each day with two energetic children once all of our camps and lessons were over for the season. As far as cooking, I just stuck with simple meals while we endured one heatwave after another and kept my eye on the prize: school.
And now school is here!!!!! That means I have some time each day to myself again and I am back in the kitchen which makes me so so happy.
These cookie bars are the first things I’ve baked in a while. I wanted to give my daughter something extra special for her lunchbox and she was excited about the idea of oatmeal and chocolate chips and coconut together. They were somewhat inspired by these favorite cookies, but I wanted them in bar form because they are sturdier for the lunchbox and, I think, somehow more satisfying.
Earlier this week I shared my favorite places to eat in Cooperstown, New York. Today I am going to share my favorite things to see while you are there (in addition to the Baseball Hall of Fame, of course).
Otsego Lake: Summer on Otsego Lake is nothing short of paradise. Be sure to take a tour of the lake on the ferry that leaves Lakefront Park. Or, head to Sam Smith’s and rent a boat by the our. The lake is plenty warm for swimming in July, August, and September. It is also fun for fishing, canoeing, tubing, and waterskiing!
The Farmers’ Museum: The Farmers’ Museum is a working 18th century village location on the outskirts of town. We love going there to visit the animals, ride on the carousel, and cruise around on the toy tractors. You can easily spend an all afternoon roaming the “streets” and playing games at the school house. When we are in town we visit at least once a week!
The Fenimore Art Museum & Art on the Lake: Once a private mansion, this gorgeous building now houses a beautifully curated American art collection. It also features a variety of rotating exhibits throughout the year. My kids love the collection of Native American artifacts, especially the feathered headdresses! In the summer there is an Art on the Lake weekend on the back lawn which showcases local artists and foods.
Cooperstown Distillery: This cool new storefront on Main Street showcases lots of the new alcohols being produced in Cooperstown. The bar doesn’t serve food, but you can get some delicious cocktails there after 5pm. We’ve tried (and liked), Cooper’s Clear Whiskey, Beanball Bourbon, and Sam Smith’s Boatyard Rum. Stop by to pick up some bottles for your friends and have a drink after a long day!
Trolley Ride: When you arrive in Cooperstown park in one of the satellite parking lots on the outskirts of town and take a trolley to Main Street. Or, just ride the trolley for the entire loop to get a good feel for the town’s layout. My kids and I often take a trolley ride just for fun!
A few more: I about Ommegang, The Fly Creek Cider Mill in my Eating In post. They are fun places to visit too!
It’s been a few years since I updated my Cooperstown Travel Series and this is the perfect time to do it. Every time I return there are a handful of new restaurants and places to eat, thanks in part to the emergence of the Cooperstown Beverage Trail. Some of these places I’ve loved for years, others I’ve come to know recently and have become instant favorites. There is something here for everyone to enjoy.
The Fly Creek Cider Mill:A visit to this old-fashioned cider mill is a super fun outing for the whole family. The gift shop is filled with all kinds of dips, jams, pies, and more. And the cider and old-fashioned cider press are really cool to see. My kids love going to the snack bar after we pick up our cider. They order the cider slushie, cider float, and the authentic cider donuts. Then we play on the playground and feed the ducks.
Ommegang Brewery: As one of the original interns at Ommegang in the late 90’s this brewery holds a special place in my heart. I adore the beers and the recent addition of a fabulous Belgian-style pub only makes it better. Order a selection of frites with dipping sauces and the Three Philosophers bratwurst sandwich, along with a flight of beers, of course. Be sure to get there early because the pub fills up fast and is busy all day long. In addition to the regular brewery, the Ommegang Concert Series is fantastic. If you are visiting in the summer check the schedule and pick up some tickets for a fun night out.
Stagecoach Coffee: This is still the penultimate coffee bar in town. It is packed year-round and is the best place to catch up with the locals, get a hot cuppa, and enjoy a pastry or breakfast sandwich. On cool mornings we pick up hot steamed chais and my children indulge in a cinnamon roll or warm almond croissant. I also love their hot panini sandwiches for lunch. It is perfect to grab and go!
Bocca Osteria: This awesome Italian restaurant just opened a few years ago and has already become an institution. The menu changes seasonally, but the classic pizzas always stay the same. The appetizers and salads can comprise a meal on their own, but the real winners are their signature pastas and watching your pizza cook in the wood burning oven from the bar.
Jerry’s Place: Beyond Cooperstown in Fly Creek is this fun throwback diner-style restaurant. Their signature American offerings are all served in a plastic basket lined with wax paper. The milkshakes come served in giant quart sized mason jars and honestly can’t be beat. We like to go on Friday’s for the fish fry with chips and cole slaw. After my kids hit the swingset to work off some energy before heading home.
The Blue Mingo Grill: This delicious lunch and dinner spot is located in Sam Smith’s boat yard right on the lake. We love the Thai specialties, an unexpected cuisine to find in upstate New York, as well as the lake classics. The adorable Adirondack-style bar is really fun for cocktails. Whether before dinner, or after.
The Tunnicliff Creamery: This unexpectedly amazing diner is randomly wedged between two farms on Route 20. It serves simple diner-style food made with all local ingredients. Our personal favorites are the BLT’s and sweet potato fries. But the real standout is their homemade ice cream. I can’t get enough of it! Their Lemon Coconut flavor is my personal favorite. But we’ve also tried there Salted Caramel and Cherry Walnut Amaretto (CWA) and they are amazing.
Mel’s at 22: This new restaurant has become an instant hit with both tourists and locals. The burgers are insanely good and the location can’t be beat. I highly recommend giving this a try for lunch or dinner; it is completely family friendly and the menu has something for everyone. It is also good for a nightcap. My husband and I love sitting at the bar on one of our date night strolls around town. {I die for this cool cow photograph. If anyone knows who took it, please let me know!}
Toscana: Right on Main Street, nearly across the street from the Baseball Hall of Fame, is this delicious Italian restaurant. Big bowls of pasta, hot garlic bread, and plenty of good wine make it a year-round favorite for locals. In the summer reservations are recommended. But don’t worry, it is completely kid-friendly and there are lots of things on the menu the little ones will love.
Every summer we visit my brother, Uncle Will of Burgers and Chorizo Wraps fame, at his home in Rochester, New York. We love catching up with him and Sancho at their home and taking in the sites of the city. I’d never visited Rochester before he moved there and we’ve come to know it as a lovely city. There are lots of fun things to do with kids and we always have a nice time when we see him. If you are planning to visit Rochester here are a few things that are really fun to do while you are there!
The Museum of Play: This amazing children’s museum is all about child’s play. My kids adore it and we always spend hours exploring the Sesame Street room, the moving train, and the construction playground when we visit. Last year we went and there was even a butterfly room filled with hundreds of live rare butterflies. I can’t say enough about this place. It really is a must see when you travel to Rochester with kids.
Wegman’s: If you’ve never been to a Wegman’s you must, MUST go when you are there. I would happily trade in all of my neighborhood grocery stores for a Wegman’s. It has everything I like to buy: organic produce, freshly baked goods, kids supplies, and a line of private label foods that rivals Trader Joe’s. One of the Wegman’s stores in Rochester has it’s own restaurant called Amore. It features outstanding fresh pastas and woodfired pizza. Since it is attached to Wegman’s you can walk out of the restaurant straight into the store to pick up necessities before you head home!
I’ve been a long time fan of Food52 and have so enjoyed watching it become the powerhouse cooking site that it is today. Of all of the columns Genius Recipes is one of my favorites. Kristen’s writing is simultaneously powerful and amusing. She does an amazing job of unearthing truly fantastic recipes that stand head and shoulders above the rest. I am thrilled that she recently took time out of her busy schedule to chat with me about her new book, Food52 Genius Recipes: 100 Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook, and answer a few questions!
1) I’ve followed this column since day one and am a huge fan. I’ve always wondered, how do you find the recipes you write about? Do you have a huge stack in your back pocket you dole out to us one by one, or do you come across them in your own kitchen randomly? How do you determine that a recipe is actually “genius”?
First off: Thank you—this means a lot. I find the recipes through all kinds of random pathways: friends and coworkers, Twitter, reading cookbooks. The James Beard Strawberry Shortcakes came from an Instagram Melissa Clark posted at the James Beard Awards a few years ago. But the majority come from tips from the Food52 community, for which I am so grateful. I love getting random emails every week from home cooks about recipes I’d never have heard of otherwise.
I recently wrote a post on Food52 about the most common ways I think a recipe can be genius, but the bottom line is that there is something in them that will change the way you cook for the better—an unusual technique, a surprise ingredient (or surprising lack of ingredients!), a completely wacky step. They’re usually simplifications or shortcuts (I’m a busy, tired person at the end of the day, too), but don’t have to be, if the outcome is worth it.
2) I need a good behind-the-scenes story. Is there a recipe that flip flopped on you when where testing? One that was finicky or caused a big mess when not followed correctly? I know from experience there are always a few tricky ones in the bunch!
My favorite recipes are the ones that look like they’ll be a complete disaster, but then magically turn out—like Rao’s Meatballs that call for 2 whole cups of water, or Nigella Lawson’s Dense Chocolate Loaf Cake with its suspiciously runny batter.
But sure, there have been lots of less redemptive moments too. I no longer trust recipes that rely on shutting the oven off to finish cooking, because some modern ovens are so much more efficient and retain a lot more heat than they did decades ago. I learned this the hard way, when some readers with newer ovens (my parents included) had Christmas roasts that weren’t exactly medium rare after following Ann Seranne’s method from 1966.
We’ve been having such a wonderful time in Cooperstown this month. I look forward to this trip more than anything else all year and this summer did not disappoint. Since my little guy is in the super-active-and-I-always-want-your-attention phase I didn’t get as much fruit canning done as last year. But that’s okay, we’ll save it for another time. At least I managed to get a start on my homemade Christmas gifts and discover a new-to-me craft. (More on that soon!)
Though we weren’t preserving our fruits we spent a lot of time eating them. The berries and peaches were incredibly ripe this year and we’ve been eating them like candy. They are so sweet and taste better than any candy bar I’ve ever found!
One afternoon while I was chasing my hooligans around the beach my mother made these delicious peach crumble bars. They are sweet and buttery with a gorgeous soft brown sugar streusel on top. They were straight from Martha Stewart Living which is why I am linking to the recipe instead of reprint it for you. They are honestly as good as they come; the recipe doesn’t need any alterations at all.
We’ve also made a few of our favorite peach treats from years past, a few of which are in my cookbooks!
Every summer we visit my brother, Uncle Will of 
