Greenwich Free Press

May Day

May 1, 2015

Happy May Day! For me, growing up in the Midwest, May Day was always a special day. It was the first day that I was allowed to go barefoot, which meant the beginning of summer fun. The pavement was still always a bit chilly, but I didn’t care because it meant summer freedom. On May Day it was customary to make homemade May baskets, which consisted of large Dixie cups filled with popcorn, gumdrops, and lilacs that were fastened with colorful pipe cleaners. I would take dozens of May baskets to my neighborhood friends’ doorsteps, ring doorbells, and run away. When I returned to my own home there would be similar baskets on my doorstep that my friends had delivered to me as well. At school we would dance around the May pole and sing songs. It was always fun to dance, and sing, and wrap the colored ribbons around the pole. So, for me, today is a special day to remember beautiful childhood memories that will forever live in my heart.

“Work With What You Got!”

© Victoria Hart Glavin Tiny New York Kitchen All Rights Reserved

Fresh Spinach

April 30, 2015

Fresh Spinach

Spinach is available year round, but is especially sweet and tender in the late spring, when growing conditions are perfect.

Spinach is so versatile; you can eat it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert! In Tuscany, the leaves are baked into a pie with almonds, sugar, and candied lemon peel called torta co’bischeri agli spinaci. Leave it to the Italians to create a spinach dessert.

http://www.npr.org/2013/03/28/175478107/tuscan-pie-a-sweet-springtime-take-on-spinach

When shopping for spinach the leaves should be crisp and free of moisture. Avoid spinach with broken or bruised leaves.

If you purchase bagged greens (yes, I know there is a big controversy on bagged greens) they will most likely last twice as long as the leafy bundles. Bagged spinach is handled less and exposed to less moisture. Make sure to check the “best by” date to use the leaves when they are at their peek. If they are dark or clump together, just pass them by.

Spinach grows in sandy soil, so if you by bundled spinach it most definitely won’t be prewashed. Just give the leaves a generous soak in cold water, changing it out once or twice, until there is no more grit in the bottom of the bowl.

To Prepare Spinach (1 Pound): Wash and drain. Remove stems and tear into pieces (12 cups torn).

Conventional Cooking Directions: Cook, covered, in a small amount of boiling salted water for 3 to 5 minutes or until tender. Begin timing when steam foams. OR steam for 3 to 5 minutes. Microwave cooking is not recommended.

How To Store: Rinse leaves in cold water and thoroughly dry. Place leaves in a storage container with a paper towel and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Baby Spinach isn’t actually immature flat-leaf spinach, but a different variety entirely.

Flat-Leaf Spinach has large leaves that turn silky once slow cooked. They have an earthy flavor that tastes great in dishes like lasagna or soup.

It takes 8 cups of raw spinach to make just 1 cup of cooked. Make sure that you have enough spinach for your recipe.

Raw spinach has 33 percent more folate and 187 percent more vitamin C than cooked, since those nutrients are vulnerable to heat. On the flip side, cooking spinach deactivates oxalic acid, a compound that prevents the absorption of certain nutrients, so you get 32 percent more iron and nearly 40 percent more calcium than raw. Have a salad today and sauté tomorrow.

“Work With What You Got!”

© Victoria Hart Glavin Tiny New York Kitchen All Rights Reserved

Eataly NYC

April 28, 2015

One thing that impressed me about Eataly was the nice assortment of cheeses. Everything looked so good that I wanted to buy one of each.

Eataly NYC

April 28, 2015

The best Eataly that I’ve been to was in Rome, but the one in New York City is nice too. It’s usually full of tourists taking photos, but it’s still fun to take a little trip to see what products are available. Today I was there looking for a special Italian salami that, unfortunately, they didn’t have. May of the fresh items looked delicious and the breads are made on premises.

Achievements

April 26, 2015

“Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson

Joy

April 20, 2015

“Joy is not in things, joy is in us.”

Mustard Girl All American Mustards

April 17, 2015

From Old Recipe To Mustard Girl!
An 80 year old Wisconsin farmer’s recipe for a particularly tangy mustard has become big business thanks to Jennifer Connor, who love it as a college student, got the recipe and began producing it as Mustard Girl. A variety of flavors is now sold nationwide, but the star is the original Sweet N’ Spicy Honey: Mustard Girl All American Mustards, which retail at $3.00 (for 12 ounces).

“I believe everyone has a unique mustard seed to be shared with the world to make it a better place, I hope to inspire others to believe in themselves too, and to not give up, so together we can spread a whole lot of sunshine in the world.” – Jennifer Connor

www.mustardgirl.com

“Work With What You Got!”

© Victoria Hart Glavin Tiny New York Kitchen

NYC Empanada Cart

April 16, 2015

I hadn’t seen this little empanada cart before. It was near the main library on 5th Avenue and oh so cute. I couldn’t believe that the empanadas were only $2. That’s a bargain for New York City!

Spring

April 13, 2015

“If we had no winter,the spring would not be so pleasant.” – Anne Bradstreet

In Honor Of National Grilled Cheese Day

April 12, 2015

Wait! Maybe they aren’t JUST awesome bunk beds with cheese pillows!!!

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