It couldn’t have come at a worse time. My client in NYC found about 50 “lost” cruise tour descriptions they needed me to write ASAP, Saugerties Pro Musica needs web work and programs for 2 concerts in the last half of February, the wife of the other baker at Hudson Valley Desserts is pregnant and due on February 16th (TOMORROW!) so work will be upside down, and the bookshop really, really needs my attention.

Nevertheless, on opportunity missed is an opportunity lost – I’ll write a few articles (at least 2-3 are expected) each week while juggling the rest of my obligations. But, if you don’t see me around as much you’ll know why!

If you can boil water you can make this candy!

Chocolate is a traditional Valentine gift and it is easy, too! While the majority of women say they crave chocolate, many men do as well.  If your guy or gal is a chocoholic, Valentine’s Day is your opportunity to make something from the heart for your lover.

To see the recipe go to:

Valentine’s Day Easy Chocolate Bark Recipe

My chocolate bark with candy hearts

Tagines seen here in and on my 110 yr old wood-fired cooking range – perfect for cooking!

It was a two tagine Christmas. I bought a brown 10 inch Spanish one (identified by a small steam vent on top) and received a blue 12 inch Tunisian one as a gift. What an embarrassment of riches! Included in the gift were 2 cookbooks and a selection of Moroccan spices. I’ve probably cooked 10 different meals in them already.

Simply put, tagines are covered cookware for use on a stove-top, similar in principle to a dutch oven, only they are conical in shape and made out of clay. Using olive oil and butter, I brown small pieces of meat, then stir in red onions and garlic until soft. Add a dried fruit, such as apricot, and some stock and seasonings and simmer covered until done. Served with rice, couscous, or flat bread, it is an easy way to prepare a complex dinner, and it only takes an hour or so. (Most of that is cooking time!)  Coriander, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne pepper and saffron are the diverse spices that combine with the other ingredients to create a delicious North African taste.   mmmmm I love it!

2011 February Vol XIV Issue II

New York State Books Newsletter

from Richard Frisbie of Hope Farm Press

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     FROM THE EDITOR

Strange “winter season” we’re having. I had a Great Blue Heron on my pond on Jan 25th! Granted, there was still much ice on it, but the Northern edge was clear and he walked along the shore looking for food the way he does all summer. I thought they migrated south … apparently some do, others don’t. Or, at least didn’t this year! Otherwise, it is a relief not to have to spend energy shoveling snow, or money on a snow plow cleaning of the driveway.

 Just so you know how I stay so busy – I volunteer my time as the chair of the Saugerties Village Historic Review Board overseeing a 28 year-old, 8 block National Historic Register District and the Waterfront Historic District. I’m also in charge of publicity and promotion for Saugerties Pro Musica (includes web work http://www.saugertiespromusica.org) and occasionally I’ll do design/editorial work for various not-for-profits in the community. That’s all for free.

To earn an income I’m contracted to one of the largest packagers of cruise destination tours, writing approximately 400 tour descriptions each year between waiting on customers while I sit at my desk in the bookshop.  Finally, I’m at the bakery (Hudson Valley Dessert Company) more than I’m in the bookshop.

But, the website, http://www.hopefarmbooks.com,  is open 24/7. I’ll try to be physically in the shop Weds 1-6 (or so) and after 2 pm other days, but it is a rough schedule, especially with my bakery hours. The books are still here (or on order) but I’m not. Please make the digital, virtual shop work as much as possible. Your patience with me is appreciated. Thank you!

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SALE! To celebrate the 4th anniversary of reprinting Picturesque Catskills by De Lisser, it is on sale for $19.95 – that’s $10 off the list price – the whole month of February. You’ll find it listed here:

http://www.hopefarmbooks.com/product_info.php/pName/picturesque-catskills-delisser-2007-edition

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NEW BOOKS

Portrait and Biographical Record of Orange County, New York – Chapman Publishing Company. “The time has arrived when it becomes the duty of the people of this county to perpetuate the names of their pioneers, to furnish a record of their early settlement, and relate the story of their progress.” So wrote the compilers of this huge undertaking, whose efforts have produced an extensive collection of over 1,100 biographical sketches of the residents of Orange County, New York, at the end of the nineteenth century. In 3 vols – 5½x8½, paper, new surname index, 1460 pp.  $112.00

Ranger: North American Frontier Soldier, Volume II

By Matt Wulff. Historians of Colonial North America, particularly the military conflicts of the 17th and 18th centuries, will enjoy this look at the development of Rangers in the military organizations of the English colonies and later the United States of America. With maps, illus., and photographs.  – $32.50

The Patriot War Along the New York-Canada Border Raiders and Rebels

During the Patriot War, fought between 1837 and 1842, hundreds of men on both sides of the New York-Canadian border took up arms to free Canada from supposed British tyranny. Infused with the Spirit of ’76 and inspired by the recent Texas revolution, they fought bravely in battles, skirmishes and attacks, including the November 1838 Battle of the Windmill. Many sacrificed their lives, while others became slave laborers of the British in Tasmania.  This book recalls the stories, triumphs and sacrifices of the brave on both sides of the border.  6 x 9 208 pages Over 60 Images  Paper $19.99

Wicked Mohawk Valley

By Daniel Webster. Would a decorated lawman risk his career for garden-fresh vegetables? What crime family terrorized chickens in two counties? What dastardly murder happened on Potato Hill Road? And why would anyone dare guzzle the “Creeping Death”? Be prepared to have these questions answered, and discover a dossier of some of the most notorious and unbelievable criminal cases in the history of the Mohawk Valley. From bootlegging to brothels to racketeering, local author Dennis Webster has collected the most thrilling stories of deception and mayhem within the Mohawk Valley. 6 x 9 128 pages 25 Images  Paper $19.99

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BACK IN PRINT

The Personalities of Melvin Hill Cemetery, Phelps, Ontario County, New York  $33.00

Otsego County New York Geographical and Historical: From the Earliest Settlement to the Present Time With County and Township Maps From Original Drawings $15.00

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Visit Hope Farm Press & Bookshop on facebook -

http://tinyurl.com/yzj498p

Well, that’s all for now. Thank you again for your indulgence and attention. To unsubscribe simply send me an e-mail from the address you are subscribed under with Unsubscribe in the Subject line.

Richard

  – -

Richard Frisbie

dba Hope Farm Press & Bookshop

15 Jane Street Saugerties NY 12477

http://www.hopefarm.com    hopefarm@hopefarm.com

Specializing in New York State Books since 1959

Secure & up-to-date shopping-cart http://www.hopefarmbooks.com

Follow me on twitter – http://www.twitter.com/richard_frisbie

Recently, President Obama named past Monsanto Vice President Michael Taylor as Senior Advisor to the Commissioner at the FDA. Taylor is the same person who was Food Safety Czar at the FDA when Genetically Modified Organisms were allowed into the US food supply without undergoing a single test to determine their safety or risks. (Subsequent tests strongly question their safety)

I don’t know what to make of our President. It is two steps back for every one forward.

After a successful 2011, carrying more than 3500 passengers from 40 states and more than 20 countries, Empire Cruise Lines is deepening its commitment to Hudson Valley sustainable agriculture and the tourism economy.

According to Captain Pyle, “2011 saw a tremendous desire on the part of the inbound tourism market to support local sustainable agriculture. As a veteran owned and family run business, we’re striving to strengthen the connection with local chefs who truly embrace the sustainable agriculture ethic in the City of Poughkeepsie and the Hudson Valley.”

“Empire Cruise Lines has a great partnership with Crave in Poughkeepsie. We want to expand our culinary options. One of our goals is to showcase Hudson Valley produce and culinary skills. With passengers coming from as far away as Asia and Australia, it can be very challenging to find a chef who can do this.”

Captain Pyle’s travels around the region lead him right back to the City Of Poughkeepsie for a surprising and very informative contact with Erik Morabito, a Poughkeepsie native who established Café Bocca in the Mount Carmel section of the city.

“When I went to Café Bocca I noticed that people were frequently stopping in with vegetables and produce directly from the farm.” According to Capt. Pyle, “This direct connection to the farmer is what we are looking for in our dinner and lunch cruises. The chef’s commitment to utilizing local produce, and Café Bocca’s demonstrated flexibility are what we are looking for, so we approached the chef to see if he would be interested in working with us.”

According to Erik Morabito, the owner of Café Bocca, “Word of mouth has always been regarded as the best form of advertising.” This proved to be true since it was Mary Kay Vrba, the Director of Dutchess Tourism, who first made the connection between Empire Cruise Lines and Café Bocca.

“The partnership between the two businesses seemed like a natural fit” said Ms. Vrba. “Café Bocca is a restaurant close to the Poughkeepsie waterfront that promotes local farm fresh foods. Combining Café Bocca with a cruise on the river allows Dutchess County visitors to enjoy the beauty of the river and the taste of the Hudson Valley.”

The 60 foot, double-decked passenger vessel cruises the Hudson River May through October from the City of Poughkeepsie’s Waryes Park, 29 North Water Street. Visit  www.empirecruiselines or contact 866-797-9024 for more information.

Stephenie R Pyle, General Manager

Empire Cruise Lines

Email stephenie@empirecruiselines.com

www.empirecruiselines.com

In many urban areas of Latin America it is the poor that populate the hillsides. In Rio the ghettos, called favelas, are contained, almost barricaded, separate from the affluent city dwellers below. One, near the nexus of Ipanema and Copacabana beaches, was often the source of consternation as ragamuffin invaders descended to run amuck, stealing everything not nailed down in a clean sweep of the tourist-filled shore. On my last visit the neighborhood was safer, because a new tunnel being constructed beneath the favela cut-off their escape route. A stairway partly down the steep hillside abruptly ended above the gaping, flood-lit hole. That is one way to control the problem – keep them in the slums!

Progress is defined differently in Medellin, Colombia. When public reform recognized the worth of the poorest of the city’s dwellers, gondolas were built to climb up the steep hillsides over and into the slums, with stops (stations) along the way. At the bottom was a new train station for access to nearly everywhere in the city of 2.5 million people. A free transfer is offered for the busses that continue on into the suburbs.  I learned that where once it took more than two hours from the slums to work, now it takes 15 minutes and 70 cents. It is an affordable way to assimilate the poor into the community.

The obvious sense of pride apparent in the faces of the people I saw up there was all the reason anyone would need to undertake such a humanitarian project.

Medellin, Colombia, whose name was synonymous with Drug Cartel, was once called the murder capital of Latin America. It is now a city well-along the comeback trail. Besides opening up the slums by adding basic utilities such as water, sewage and electricity, the city cleaned up much of the drug and gang-related problems. The gondolas helped. At one station near the newly constructed library, there are shop-lined streets and vendors hawking their wares. Before the gondolas there were no shops and it wasn’t safe to be out after dark!

Across the valley from the gondola-accessed new hilltop library, a similar slum received similar treatment. This time, instead of a gondola, a quarter-mile-plus escalator just opened. Now, instead of more than 1500 steps up and into the poorer community, an end-of-the-work-day 15 minute ride on the escalator automatically brings workers up the steep slope home. Just imagine how good that feels after a hard day’s work! That convenience, and the concomitant boost of self-esteem, will go along way toward assimilating the inhabitants who called what were once little more than shacks, their home.

Meanwhile, back across the valley, the gondola was extended on past the library in the slums, up over the hillside into a forest. There’s a new National Park destination on the mountain top. Hotels and resorts are planned, but for now there is a lake, butterfly walks, hikes and picnicking. A day-trip that used to take hours by bus can now be reached in minutes. Gondolas do double-duty in Medellin as mass-transportation and recreation. A device primarily used for tourism elsewhere also helps to improve the quality of life here.

The people of Medellin are finally reaching the lofty goal of opening up worlds of opportunity to their underprivileged.  All this while creating a fun way to get around (and up and over) their beautiful city! They are to be commended.

I was in Medellin for the HUGE Christmas celebration last year. It was great fun and still religious. They maintained a nice balance. I’m glad to see the continued improvements in a country and city so eager for them. I’d go back. 

American Airlines has connecting flights to Medellin from everywhere in the US through Miami. www.aa.com

For more Medellin Information:

www.medellin.travel & www.medellin.gov.co & www.medellinconventionbureau.com

A seasonal display of cards from family and friends expressing the sentiments of the season. May your yule be as bright.

A variety of potatoes for sale at Adam's Fairacre Farms

On my last food trip through Madrid and the La Mancha region of Spain I was expecting to eat potatoes, and plenty of them. They grow delicious potatoes there. In my mind the big question was fried, scalloped, mashed or baked, not whether potatoes would be served at all. You can imagine my surprise when I didn’t see anything that looked like a potato on my plate!

At dinner after dinner potatoes made the menu, but when the plate arrived, the potatoes were foamed, slurried, or thickening the sauce.  It was as if they were designed more to anchor the precariously stacked meat to the plate, or enhance the overall look of the dish rather than to be seen and eaten. It is so frustrating to read about them in the menu, then taste (a tiny bit of) them, without actually seeing their comforting shape.

I had not one, but two chefs serve me a potato “cloud” hovering over my plate. One was so thin I could see though it, like a piece of pale amber. The other, though more substantial in comparison, was virtually a wafer. Neither could hint at the comfort eating a whole potato can bring. I was horrified down to my Irish potato-eating roots!

Well, there is a movement afoot to nip this trend in the bud. This press release about potato consumption in restaurants just crossed my desk:

One chef at a time, the U.S. Potato Board is conquering the consumption issue with increasingly significant influence through its annual seminar with the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, according to Meredith Myers, manager of public relations for the Denver-based board.

Myers said. “We have a 50% success rate. Half of the chefs who have participated have gone back and added at least one potato item to their menus.”

Myers said the potato board’s job in terms of foodservice is to provide new ideas to chefs and inspire them to use potatoes in ways they’ve never tried before. The chefs’ actions have a ripple effect as consumers then add more potato recipes to their home menus. The recipes include potato pancakes and grilled steak and baked potato salad.

At the seminar Chef Wade Wiestling of the Oceanaire Seafood Room in Minneapolis introduced a new treatment for an old favorite – tater tots. Tater tots are not the main potato dish on the Oceanaire menu, though. Fresh potato dishes including traditional baked russets, roasted Yukon Golds and fingerlings are absolutely vital to the restaurant, Wiestling said.

“Potatoes are an easy sell. Everyone likes them,” Wiestling said. “You can do anything with potatoes. They provide a canvas to build a meal.”

There you have it fellow foodies. Potatoes are the basis of a good meal, a “canvas” if you will, not an embellishment or a structural element. Even Ferran Adria, of El Bulli fame, who pioneered the whole “molecular” food movement, switched gears with his latest cookbook “The Family Meal, Home Cooking With Ferran Adria”. Mark Bittman commented in his column in The New York Times that it was “Wonderful…good straightforward cooking.”  I bet you there is no potato “foam” in it.

So, the next time you are served some avant garde dish that includes a ghostly apparition of a potato – SEND IT BACK – with the message that the potato is not dead and you want a real one on your plate! The U.S. Potato Board will thank you.