Wonderful Wednesday! Three Ways to EAT: Food Markets in NYC

August 11, 2015 By Tam Warner 7 Comments

A Guest Post by Suzanne Simone Stavert of ADVENTURES OF EMPTY NESTERS!

One World Trade Center,The Freedom Tower, NYC

There is never a shortage of amazing food markets in New York City. Picking a favorite is like choosing which of your friends you like best..impossible! Just like with the number of friends, the more markets the better!

When we travel, one of our favorite activities (besides eating) is to visit local and specialty markets in the cities we visit. However, when it comes to markets, we all win the lottery in New York City. You name it, you can find it. In the Big Apple there are specialty stores for every type of cuisine in the world.

There are also extraordinary “foodie” markets, places that make you giddy with excitement if you love to cook or love to eat. On our recent trip to Manhattan, we strolled through the revitalized Wall Street under the shadow of the brand new, magnificent Freedom Tower, to see Le District, a delicious new French-inspired market and food emporium curated by chefs and food experts. The slogan “New York with a French Attitude” sums it up pretty perfectly. However, I did not receive any attitude, only friendly, helpful merchants and so much variety, it will make your head spin. Le District is divided in to four districts: Market, Garden, Restaurant and Cafe.

Le District

Vibrant and bustling, Le District offers gastronomic delights from buttery, french baked goods and rainbow colored candy to freshly caught fish at the Poissonnerie. The stacks of fragrant cheese are piled high at the Fromagerie and you will find walls full of tangy, french mustards. C’est magnifique!

Chelsea Market

Just a quick cab ride away from Le District, is the gritty, urban and ever so busy Chelsea Market, You will find everything from flowers and wine to chocolate brownies and kitchen supplies. The vibe is hip, down to earth and the thirty-five different vendors provide a fantastic variety. Located in the Meat Packing District, next door to the elevated park, The High Line, the Chelsea Market has been in existence for 15 years. Amazingly enough, every time I visit, I find something new and delicious to eat and more intriguing stores to visit.

Old brick patina and repurposed metal are part of the uniqueness of the hallways and building design. This revitalized food retreat, which is a block long and a block wide, offers a entirely unique view of the foodie world and I love it too.

An assortment of brownies — An assortment of brownie flavors at The Brownie Witch

UrbanarchitectureChelseaMkt — This is the wall next to the elevator door – love the design.

After a tasty, farm to table Cobb Salad and stroll through Chelsea Market, we needed to work off the calories. We walked several long blocks over to visit my Italian roots where the intoxicating smells of refrigerated salumi and enormous wheels of Parmigiano-Reggiano welcome you. Located in the Flatiron Neighborhood, Eataly is upscale, gorgeous, grand and an absolute must visit in New York City.

Eataly

Fun Fact:

Food markets are such popular tourist destinations that Eataly tops the vacation itinerary for almost everyone who loves food.

Flat Iron Bldg — The Flatiron Building, across the street from Eataly.

Savor antipasti, eat pizza, drink wine, buy olive oil, (if you can manage to choose one of the hundreds available). Just try to decide which fresh pasta, gorgeous produce and imported cheese you want to take home. There are seven incredible restaurants at Eataly: Pranzo, La Pizza & La Pasta, Le Verdure, Il Pesce,La Birreria, Manzo and La Piazza. Then, if you still aren’t quite full enough, stop for a cafe latte and a cup of gelato on the way out.

Each of these specialty food halls warms my heart in a different way and it is nearly impossible for me to choose my favorite. However, after giving it some thought, I do usually put aside an hour or two during each trip to New York just to visit Eataly and soak it all in. I guess perhaps Eataly is my favorite because ultimately I gravitate to the delicious, comfort food of growing up in a large Italian family. My grandma would be happy to hear me say this.

A Cooking Class with the World Cooking Project!

May 11, 2015 By Tam Warner 5 Comments

Guest Adventurer Suzanne Stavert of ADVENTURES WITH EMPTY NESTERS! Check it out!

A fun new cooking class!

Cooking for my family has been one of the greatest joys of my life. My skill level has improved over the last 30 years and the techniques I have learned from accomplished chefs have layered my basic skills with a depth of knowledge I could have never received from a book. These cooking classes have inspired me to try new dishes, expanded my culinary range and I have also determined that chefs, are my type of Rock Star!

I love the way they approach their craft with heart, skillfulness and creativity. A chef’s strong desire to make delicious food is coupled with the fact that the presentation of the dish is as important as the taste of the food!

Here is a brief video, filmed and edited by my son Nick, of my fantastic experience taking a class through The World Cooking Project! For those of you who are receiving this post by email, please click HERE to see the video.

Fortunately, someone who loves chefs and food as much as I do found Adventures of Empty Nesters and therefore she found me! Sara Dietrich is CEO of The World Cooking Project and she wrote me a lovely email explaining how on March 1st, she launched The World Cooking Project. The World Cooking Project was created from her love of food and world travel. It’s a really exciting idea that connects people from all over the world through online, interactive cooking instruction classes.

Since they are a startup, they wanted some help getting the word out! She read a few of my blog posts and thought that we would be a great match. I was so thrilled that Sara reached out to me! I immediately went to visit The World Cooking Project’s new website to check out all of the possibilities!

I couldn’t wait to email her back letting her know how excitied I was to take a class from a chef somewhere in the world! I reviewed the website and decided that I wanted to take a class from Chef Luis from Mexico. He was going to teach me how to make Enchilada Verdes and I couldn’t wait!

The whole process from start to finish was so E-A-S-Y and affordable! Once I decided which class to take, The World Cooking Project took over from there. They quickly responded with an email and we worked out an agreeable date that suited my calendar as well as Chef Luis’.They sent me a detailed list of ingredients as well as any pans or equipment I would need.

I have recently purchased a 1937 “fixer upper” home and my kitchen is far from fancy! My stove is from the 50’s and my kitchen tile from the 80’s is a groovy shade of green! Therefore no worries about where you cook, any type of kitchen will be perfect for taking the class.

I set up my computer to connect with Luis via Skype. It was really fun talking with him and getting to meet his children who were with him in his Mexican kitchen. We both were making enchiladas simultaneously in two different countries! I LOVED it! My son videotaped me taking the class and my husband kept the dog from barking. It was a family affair at my house as well.

Once Luis and I finished making the enchiladas, both of our families enjoyed tasting them together, still connected by Skype. I learned how to make a tomatillo sauce that was super easy, yet incredibly delicious. Chef Luis made sure that my presentation was perfect as well!

I think that Sara and her team at The World Cooking Project have created an interactive, educational and delicious experience! What a great way to learn about other cultures than through our mutual love of food. I can’t wait to take another class and I plan to give one as a gift to my Mom for Mother’s Day!

www.TheWorldCookingProject.com

Please take a moment and check out their website and when you purchase a class, type “empty nesters” in the notes section!

Which class will you choose?

Suzanne

Fab Photos Friday: Fine Dining in Cozumel!

January 23, 2015 By Tam Warner 17 Comments

I first went to Cozumel in 1986 (when I was 10 years old…ha!). It was a very small place with just a couple of places to eat, and very little shopping. As a diving mecca, it had never really occurred to me that Cozumel would ever become a “foodie” travel spot…but I can tell you that it is definitely becoming one.

La Cocay's Garden Seating — La Cocay’s Garden Seating

I have written before about La Cocay, a fabulous restaurant in town on Calle 8, and how much our family loves it. We have celebrated so many events there…birthdays, anniversaries, great dives. Totally addicted to their Chocolate Torte (order when ordering dinner!), I rarely get to have an entree. An appetizer and one of their incredible salads is enough for me until voila, my Torte arrives! Last week, my friends and I ate there twice. Yum.

A 2011 birthday celebration at La Cocay.

They are such artists in their presentation, don't you agree? — They are such artists in their presentation, don’t you agree?

Bacon wrapped Filet Mignon with scalloped potatoes and veggies.

Our favorite places have been established for years, and I admit we rarely try anything new. Fortunately enough, a friend recommended Buccano’s at Night so highly that we had to go try it out. We were lucky to get reservations….Buccanos is always fully booked. What a delightful surprise the restaurant was! Located on the north side of the island (our home is on the south end), Buccano’s is a beach club by day, serving dinner only on Friday and Saturday nights. It’s beautiful decor astounded me. I loved every sconce and finish…I wanted to transport the whole place to my own home!