I rarely cook any type of fish at home, unless I’m entertaining, because my kids don’t like any of it. But I spied this super simple recipe for teriyaki salmon recently and decided to make it anyway, haters be damned. It seriously took less than fifteen minutes to make and was delicious served over steamed rice. Swipe left for the recipe - I made it as written but subbed Japanese cooking wine for the sake because I googled for a substitute while standing in the Asian grocery store because I was too cheap to buy sake for one recipe that I may or may not love. The cooking wine was listed as an acceptable substitute and it seemed to do the trick! Oh! And I also removed the skin. If you like salmon, save this recipe when you want a simple and healthy way to make it.
“If you can’t control your woman, you’ve fou “If you can’t control your woman, you’ve found a good one.” I told someone last week that I feel pretty much like a plant … needs plenty of sunshine and fresh air, occasional watering and feeding, and a steady stream of kind words. It’s not really that complicated. 💛
Truth be told, these are my favorite types of meal Truth be told, these are my favorite types of meals… platters where you can just pick at them while sipping wine and catching up with a friend. Chances are, if you come over for a meal, you’re getting an assortment of things to nosh on, maybe a mix of homemade appetizers… but just an array of deliciousness you can snack on whilst enjoying the evening. 

I’ve been wanting to make a lox platter for awhile now, so here we are. I sprinkled some Everything But the Bagel seasoning onto smoked lox and then added sliced cucumbers and radishes to the platter along with sliced bialys and crackers. Dipping items are a must so I included hummus and tzatziki. A fun platter just to nibble from, but a bialys sandwich with everything stuffed in it was pretty perfect too. Hope that gave you a little bit of inspo for something you can easily whip up too!
I had planned another type of post tonight, but in I had planned another type of post tonight, but in light of today’s news, it just doesn’t feel right. Some days it can be hard to find the sunshine, especially a day like today. I can’t make sense as to why things like today continue to happen while people spend copious amounts of energy worrying about banning books and drag shows. Make it make sense. Just make it fucking make sense. It doesn’t. You can’t. Until it does, use your voice. Show up to meetings. Sign the petitions. Text ACT to 644-33 to get involved (I did). Be so loud that you can’t be ignored, until things change. Thirteen school shootings this year. When is enough, enough?
Weekend photos in review, old school edition. Cont Weekend photos in review, old school edition.
Context: 1) Lola has zero chill in the car, 2) fulfilling request for Chicken Parm Penne with Vodka Sauce, 3) Sunday vibes 4) my favorite porchetta sandwich 5) from @butlerandtheboard 6) affirmations, 7) the sun was out today
Just like the moon, you’re whole no matter what Just like the moon, you’re whole no matter what phase you’re in. ✨ Got this one back in September and it’s one of my favorites. I sometimes forget it’s there until I get a random flash of it.
Happy #NationalPuppyDay to these two. I used to ca Happy #NationalPuppyDay to these two. I used to call Clifford an asshat, because he basically was. But there’s a new asshat in town… 🙄 Clifford is now a freaking rockstar. His tumor and age have slowed him down a LOT and he virtually never misbehaves, and we are seriously so proud of him. Lola, on the other hand, is still full blown PUPPY. Tonight I’m assembling a gate to replace the wooden one she ate through. 😂 Berners love wood and she is OBSESSED with being in the kitchen. So one new metal gate coming right up as soon as I can figure out how to put it together.
Last week when I met the owners of the new French Last week when I met the owners of the new French bakery in town, I told them how happy I was that they were opening … because now I had an endless source for gifts for my mom’s future birthdays and Christmases. She was born in Paris and we’ve grown up with a healthy appreciation for French things … starting with their pastries and baguettes, but so much more. My daughter took her first trip to Paris last year and thoroughly enjoyed the croissants there and she deemed the ones at @chocolatinenj just as perfect. No surprise there since the owner is a French pastry chef! If you’re local and haven’t been, do make a point to stop in and visit. They’re open Wednesday through Sunday and have a wide selection of sweet and savory items and a few French retail selections as well. We’ve tried the macarons, the Croque Monsieur, the croissants, the tomato tarts, the baguette … basically we’re working our way through their display case in due time. Don’t miss this one - enjoy!
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Food and Life

Review: American Bounty {Culinary Institute of America’s restaurant}

April 16, 2014 · Narrative

A dinner at the American Bounty restaurant, located on the Culinary Institute of America’s campus. An upscale dining experience with the menu to match.

When I traveled to Rhinebeck, New York in February, part of the weekend festivities included dinner at the American Bounty restaurant on the Culinary Institute of America’s property. Staffed by the CIA’s students and graduates, it is a fine dining restaurant with perfect table settings, attentive service, and a carefully paced meal. Its focus is the farm-to-table experience, and many of the ingredients come directly from the Hudson Valley area.

To say we were in for a treat would be an understatement.

Untitled

The menu was filled with seasonal items, and many specialties. I had heard good things about their new Pastry Chef, namely that she was into fun desserts that bordered on scientific experiments, but I tried my best to focus on first things first.

Appetizers.

Any time I’m out in a restaurant, I try to order things that a) I don’t usually cook at home and b) items I’ve never had. And this particular weekend was no exception.

Once I saw cage free foie gras on the menu, it was a given that I would order it, although it was hard to pass up the Prince Edward Island Mussels. Beautifully presented and perfectly proportioned, the foie gras was soft and smooth and everything it should be. Served alongside a smear of dipping sauce and several slices of toast points, it was devoured pretty quickly. (I *did* have a bite of the mussels as well, and they were garlicky and tender, and served in a generous portion.)

Untitled

For my main course, I went with Wild Striped Sea Bass, with a crispy skin, kohlrabi, and shiitake mushrooms. It also featured a white wine butter sauce and it was amazing. Had I not been in the company of the Jones Dairy Farm team, I would have licked the plate clean. It was my first time having sea bass, and it won’t be my last. Expertly cooked and flaky bite after bite.

And now for dessert. As I mentioned, my expectations were pretty high given what I had heard about the Pastry Chef, and the description of each dessert made it hard to choose just one. Most of us chose a different item so we could pass around our plates and share. Since we were in New York, and I’m a sucker for cotton candy, I went with the flight of New York-inspired sweet bites.

WPIR - nyc dessert flight-001

It was uniquely presented, expertly described, and I was so ready to love it.

But I didn’t.

It fell completely short for me. And could be summed up with one word: meh.

I ate the cotton candy (it was fine), and shared the nuts and the traditional Black & White cookie, neither of which got rave reviews from the others either. It was one of those things that you really wanted to like.

But just couldn’t.

One of the desserts was a performance piece. A giant chocolate egg-shaped ball comes out and the waiter pours a hot chocolate sauce over it. As he does, the ball opens as a flower bloom would, and there is an edible chocolate box inside. It was something to see for sure, and as long as you love chocolate, it received rave reviews.

That being said, the foie gras and sea bass were indisputably the highlights of the meal, and were definitely worth the visit alone.

Reservations are strongly recommended.

American Bounty Restaurant
1946 Campus Drive
Hyde Park, NY 12538
845-471-6608

Hungry for more Hyde Park/Rhinebeck, New York posts?
The Beekman Arms is the hotel that we stayed at downtown, ghosts notwithstanding.
There are lots of quaint shops in Rhinebeck that are worth a visit.
Pack a picnic lunch and visit a few of the area mansions.
And the reason for the whole visit? Meeting the nice folks at Jones Dairy Farm.

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Posted In: Narrative · Tagged: American Bounty, Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, Rhinebeck

Comments

  1. Joanne says

    April 17, 2014 at 6:39 am

    Booo to not being wowed by dessert (which should always be the best part , in my opinion). But at least the main meal was good?
    Joanne recently posted..Spring Vegetable Quinoa Salad with Lemon Basil Dressing

    Reply
  2. Sarah Caron (Sarah's Cucina Bella) says

    April 17, 2014 at 7:21 am

    I found the dessert to be meh too. But I did want to note that the nuts and cotton candy were very good, in my opinion. But the Black and White Cookie was all wrong (texture, flavor, frosting, all wrong). And the mini egg cream? Oh. No. I feel like this has so much potential to be amazing — a little tribute to childhood and innocence and all that. But the execution needs work.
    Sarah Caron (Sarah’s Cucina Bella) recently posted..The Best Things I Ate (Out): March 2014

    Reply
  3. Carrie @ poet in the pantry says

    April 28, 2014 at 12:02 pm

    I’m so sad to hear that the dessert was disappointing! I really wanted to hang around for that dinner, but my parents would have been very unhappy that I didn’t come pick my kids up. I guess now I feel a little better about not being there… but I still wanted to hear it was all kinds of wonderful.
    Carrie @ poet in the pantry recently posted..Bacon Wrapped Dates Stuffed with Blue Cheese…or Little Bites of Heaven

    Reply

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I rarely cook any type of fish at home, unless I’m entertaining, because my kids don’t like any of it. But I spied this super simple recipe for teriyaki salmon recently and decided to make it anyway, haters be damned. It seriously took less than fifteen minutes to make and was delicious served over steamed rice. Swipe left for the recipe - I made it as written but subbed Japanese cooking wine for the sake because I googled for a substitute while standing in the Asian grocery store because I was too cheap to buy sake for one recipe that I may or may not love. The cooking wine was listed as an acceptable substitute and it seemed to do the trick! Oh! And I also removed the skin. If you like salmon, save this recipe when you want a simple and healthy way to make it.
“If you can’t control your woman, you’ve fou “If you can’t control your woman, you’ve found a good one.” I told someone last week that I feel pretty much like a plant … needs plenty of sunshine and fresh air, occasional watering and feeding, and a steady stream of kind words. It’s not really that complicated. 💛
Truth be told, these are my favorite types of meal Truth be told, these are my favorite types of meals… platters where you can just pick at them while sipping wine and catching up with a friend. Chances are, if you come over for a meal, you’re getting an assortment of things to nosh on, maybe a mix of homemade appetizers… but just an array of deliciousness you can snack on whilst enjoying the evening. 

I’ve been wanting to make a lox platter for awhile now, so here we are. I sprinkled some Everything But the Bagel seasoning onto smoked lox and then added sliced cucumbers and radishes to the platter along with sliced bialys and crackers. Dipping items are a must so I included hummus and tzatziki. A fun platter just to nibble from, but a bialys sandwich with everything stuffed in it was pretty perfect too. Hope that gave you a little bit of inspo for something you can easily whip up too!
I had planned another type of post tonight, but in I had planned another type of post tonight, but in light of today’s news, it just doesn’t feel right. Some days it can be hard to find the sunshine, especially a day like today. I can’t make sense as to why things like today continue to happen while people spend copious amounts of energy worrying about banning books and drag shows. Make it make sense. Just make it fucking make sense. It doesn’t. You can’t. Until it does, use your voice. Show up to meetings. Sign the petitions. Text ACT to 644-33 to get involved (I did). Be so loud that you can’t be ignored, until things change. Thirteen school shootings this year. When is enough, enough?

Pinterest

I rarely cook any type of fish at home, unless I’m entertaining, because my kids don’t like any of it. But I spied this super simple recipe for teriyaki salmon recently and decided to make it anyway, haters be damned. It seriously took less than fifteen minutes to make and was delicious served over steamed rice. Swipe left for the recipe - I made it as written but subbed Japanese cooking wine for the sake because I googled for a substitute while standing in the Asian grocery store because I was too cheap to buy sake for one recipe that I may or may not love. The cooking wine was listed as an acceptable substitute and it seemed to do the trick! Oh! And I also removed the skin. If you like salmon, save this recipe when you want a simple and healthy way to make it.
“If you can’t control your woman, you’ve fou “If you can’t control your woman, you’ve found a good one.” I told someone last week that I feel pretty much like a plant … needs plenty of sunshine and fresh air, occasional watering and feeding, and a steady stream of kind words. It’s not really that complicated. 💛
Truth be told, these are my favorite types of meal Truth be told, these are my favorite types of meals… platters where you can just pick at them while sipping wine and catching up with a friend. Chances are, if you come over for a meal, you’re getting an assortment of things to nosh on, maybe a mix of homemade appetizers… but just an array of deliciousness you can snack on whilst enjoying the evening. 

I’ve been wanting to make a lox platter for awhile now, so here we are. I sprinkled some Everything But the Bagel seasoning onto smoked lox and then added sliced cucumbers and radishes to the platter along with sliced bialys and crackers. Dipping items are a must so I included hummus and tzatziki. A fun platter just to nibble from, but a bialys sandwich with everything stuffed in it was pretty perfect too. Hope that gave you a little bit of inspo for something you can easily whip up too!
I had planned another type of post tonight, but in I had planned another type of post tonight, but in light of today’s news, it just doesn’t feel right. Some days it can be hard to find the sunshine, especially a day like today. I can’t make sense as to why things like today continue to happen while people spend copious amounts of energy worrying about banning books and drag shows. Make it make sense. Just make it fucking make sense. It doesn’t. You can’t. Until it does, use your voice. Show up to meetings. Sign the petitions. Text ACT to 644-33 to get involved (I did). Be so loud that you can’t be ignored, until things change. Thirteen school shootings this year. When is enough, enough?
Weekend photos in review, old school edition. Cont Weekend photos in review, old school edition.
Context: 1) Lola has zero chill in the car, 2) fulfilling request for Chicken Parm Penne with Vodka Sauce, 3) Sunday vibes 4) my favorite porchetta sandwich 5) from @butlerandtheboard 6) affirmations, 7) the sun was out today
Just like the moon, you’re whole no matter what Just like the moon, you’re whole no matter what phase you’re in. ✨ Got this one back in September and it’s one of my favorites. I sometimes forget it’s there until I get a random flash of it.
Happy #NationalPuppyDay to these two. I used to ca Happy #NationalPuppyDay to these two. I used to call Clifford an asshat, because he basically was. But there’s a new asshat in town… 🙄 Clifford is now a freaking rockstar. His tumor and age have slowed him down a LOT and he virtually never misbehaves, and we are seriously so proud of him. Lola, on the other hand, is still full blown PUPPY. Tonight I’m assembling a gate to replace the wooden one she ate through. 😂 Berners love wood and she is OBSESSED with being in the kitchen. So one new metal gate coming right up as soon as I can figure out how to put it together.
Last week when I met the owners of the new French Last week when I met the owners of the new French bakery in town, I told them how happy I was that they were opening … because now I had an endless source for gifts for my mom’s future birthdays and Christmases. She was born in Paris and we’ve grown up with a healthy appreciation for French things … starting with their pastries and baguettes, but so much more. My daughter took her first trip to Paris last year and thoroughly enjoyed the croissants there and she deemed the ones at @chocolatinenj just as perfect. No surprise there since the owner is a French pastry chef! If you’re local and haven’t been, do make a point to stop in and visit. They’re open Wednesday through Sunday and have a wide selection of sweet and savory items and a few French retail selections as well. We’ve tried the macarons, the Croque Monsieur, the croissants, the tomato tarts, the baguette … basically we’re working our way through their display case in due time. Don’t miss this one - enjoy!

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