Auld Lang Syne

Rogershire regulars John and Kristen came up for New Year's.  We wanted to do a special on NYE so we turned to Barefoot, as usual.  The main event was her Roasted Loin of Pork with Fennel.  

Jon and John handled the pork.

The sides were her Potato-Fennel Gratin and a mixed veggie platter.

Pre-dinner hord d'oeuvres took place in the living room.

Finally ... dinner.

And, after dinner, a tipsy portrait by the fire!

Happy 2011!

R.I.P. Twist

Twist Restaurant was one of our all-favorite restaurants in the area.  Hyde Park, despite being the home to the C.I.A. (not that C.I.A.), is not a bastion of fine dining establishments (although we do love the Hyde Park Brewing Company and the Eveready Diner).  Twist was an oasis -- the food was truly excellent and the staff always made us feel like regulars.  We noticed it was closed a few weeks back, and according the the Poughkeepsie Journal it has gone out of business for good.  Let's hope that Chef Benjamin Mauk opens up another place in the area soon!

Ballyvolane House

We had the pleasure of staying at The Ballyvolane House when we were in Ireland last summer, and it's served as a constant source of inspiration ever since.

The catalogue-ready Green Family runs the house with a blend of casual friendliness and classic formality (and they make it all seem so effortless).  The interior design echos this ethos perfectly -- especially the living room. It's the platonic ideal of a country house living room, though these photos don't do it justice

The newest addition to the Green family was this adorable terrier puppy named Dumpling.  Dumpling is extremely friendly, and here we captured what seemed to be her first encounter with a cow.

As is the tradition, all the guests eat dinner at the same table, and the food is incredible.  It gives new meaning to the term "locally sourced."  There is a giant and perfectly organized walled garden (tirelessly tended to by proprietress Jenny Green's father) where everything comes from.  Oh, and as evidenced by the photo above, there is a large cow pasture right across the road.  

Breakfast includes an amazing array of house-stewed fruit.  It served as inspiration for this bowl of stewed fruit Jon put together for New Years Day.  Andy is extremely proud of this photo.

Tired of Spinning

One of our favorite antique store finds is this 19th century engraving of a woman sitting by her loom, staring out the window, with the caption "Tired of Spinning."  The perfect sentiment for beleaguered publicists escaping to the country.  This seems to say it all.

Christmas goose

Having a brother-in-law who is a chef (Jeremy Walchalter of Cobblestone Foods) is lovely all year round, but especially when you decide to do a traditional goose for Christmas lunch.  

Notice the new Sur la Table roasting pan: a Christmas gift for Jon from Andy.  

And notice Jon taking note of Jeremy's carving skills.

A life lesson

Jeremy shows Max how to peel chestnuts, while Roger silently judges his technique.

Grandparents

Grandpa Barry and Grandma Louise smothering young Max.

Bloody Mary bar

Jon put together this Bloody Mary bar for Christmas Day.  Thank you Pamela for the amazing McClure's Bloody Mary mix, from Brooklyn Farmacy & Soda Fountain.  It's a must-try: it has this amazing garlicky-pickle flavor unlike any other mix we've ever tried.

A visit from Santa

Max doesn't seem the quite grasp the concept of Santa Claus yet, but he sure enjoys opening presents.  He also doesn't grasp the idea that most Jews don't celebrate Christmas.

"I don't like peel!"

Linsey was overjoyed by her authentic English peel -- one of her many stocking stuffers.  Jon is posing as the infamous "I don't like peel" lady.