Halloween in Sleepy Hollow

Cooperstown, NY

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is the story of the headless horseman who rides across the dark bridge in Sleepy Hollow while Ichabod Crane hides in terror! I am in Sleepy Hollow country in upstate NY and came across a covered bridge in a little country town. There are fields of corn awaiting harvest running from here to our baseball mecca, Cooperstown, NY. In Cooperstown, we visited the Baseball Hall of Fame to see the artifacts of the sport we love and examine the old and the new in the game of baseball.



Statue near Otsego Lake in
Cooperstown

Lidia Bastianich

 It was part of my vacation in NYC where I visited the marketplace called Eataly. The block-length building across the street from Washington Square and the Flatiron Building is bursting with restaurants, fish and meat markets, vegetable market, bakery, cookbooks, dishes and pots, cheeses, cured meats, pastas, sauces and spices, wines, beers, coffees, etc. etc. It was started by Lidia Bastianich and Mario Batali to bring Italy to NY and America. I went there a few years ago when it was the first Christmas season after opening and it was crowded; it is even more crowded now. It just happened that Lidia was there while I was there this week and I made a point of getting her new cookbook and standing in line to meet her and get her to sign my book. She is so gracious and gifted and I love her cooking show on PBS. Highly recommended for serious cooks.

Cheese counter at Eataly

 Eataly has an incredible cheese counter. I stood in amazement and couldn't decide what to try, it was too much to take in. Same with the pasta section, which has  at least 100 different kinds of pasta. So impressive. If in NY, I suggest checking it out, it has something for every foodie.

Veniero's Pasticceria

And when done with the prosciutto and pasta, head down to Veniero's bakery on 11th St and 3rd Ave. Just walking into that place is an experience. They have been in NY since 1894. It is traditional Italian pastries, cakes, cannoli, cookies, it is just beautiful and delicious. Take a number unless you go weekday odd hours because there's usually a line out the door. Took some pics because presentation is everything. The locals know this place.
Buon appetito!

 

Tried a nice red and a white during my food adventures in NY. One was a white from a NY winery in the Finger Lakes area, Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery. They are known for their exceptional Riesling. The other an Italian Valpolicella Masi that was very good, similar to a chianti, with soft tannins and a good fruit finish.