This encore blog was originally posted on July 29, 2024.
Do you have a favorite classic neighborhood restaurant? One that's known for its delicious homemade dishes and traditional and relaxed décor?
I've been dining at New York City's Elio's for 35-years. In fact, it was where I had my first date after my divorce in 1989. Elio's is a charming old-world Italian establishment on east 84th Street that has been delighting loyal guests for decades since the late Elio Guaitolini and his business partner, Anne Isaak, first opened it in 1981. Recently, I shared a most pleasant and delicious business dinner at Elio's with dear friends - longtime publicist, Susan Magrino, and Kevin Sharkey, EVP Director of Design at Marquee Brands. Among the plates we enjoyed - Lasagne Bolognese, Soft Shell Crabs, and Beef Carpaccio with Salsa Verde.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
On this day, I was the first to arrive and took a seat at a corner table. It was a warm summer evening, so I ordered a refreshing iced tea and a martini. Thankfully, Susan and Kevin came in just a few minutes later – Kevin with his phone camera ready.
Often described as a neighborhood “clubhouse,” Elio’s is a classic old-fashioned Italian restaurant. Elio worked as a waiter at another well-known eatery, Elaine’s, before becoming a restaurateur. He opened Parma in 1977, and then Elio’s in 1981 with Anne, who previously worked as a sous chef at Chez Panisse.
Elio’s shows off a friendly atmosphere with both outdoor and indoor seating.
Here is the entrance to Elio’s, which has looked the same for decades.
Longtime bartender extraordinaire, Brian Drew, and all the staff greet guests with “buono sera” or good evening. Brian makes one of the best icy cold martinis.
The dining room is intimate with tables placed closely together. I took this photo before the busy dinner rush.
Here is my view from the corner table. The classic décor includes dark wood paneling, coffered ceilings, and old-fashioned light fixtures.
Here’s the cozy outdoor dining area as seen from the inside.
We started with mixed green salads and a light vinaigrette dressing. The greens are always so fresh and hand-selected every morning from local farmers.
This is Beef Carpaccio, an Italian appetizer of raw beef that’s thinly sliced and traditionally served with olive oil, lemon juice, capers, and onions. Elio’s serves it with salsa verde.
Waiter Manuel sprinkled just a bit of pepper on the Vitello Tonnato. This is another classic Italian dish of cold, thinly sliced veal covered in a creamy sauce. The dish originated in Piedmont, Italy, and is often served chilled or at room temperature during the summer.
Thanks Manuel. The wait staff is always so friendly – I just had to take a photo.
I had Lasagne Bolognese. It was so delicious, I decided to make my own lasagne a few days later for my crew at the farm.
Susan ordered Soft Shell Crabs Meunière.
And Kevin had Faroe Island Cold Poached Salmon with Cucumber Salad and Mayonnaise. We all cleaned our plates.
And here’s a photo of my perfect martini made by bartender Brian. If you’re ever in New York City and want a special and classic Italian meal, visit Elio’s. You won’t be disappointed. And maybe I’ll see you there.
My blog team is taking a brief summer break, so for the next week we'll be posting some of our favorite blogs from years past. This one was originally posted on July 24, 2024.
No plants give sweeter returns than fruit trees.
Fresh fruit is one of nature's most delicious products. My large orchard here at my farm has more than 200 fruit trees. I grow peaches, apples, pears, cherries, quinces, medlars, etc. Most of the fruits are not ready to pick, but many of the peaches are ripe and sweet. After harvesting several trays this week, I decided to make peach cobbler - one of those delicious summertime desserts one waits all year to enjoy. I used a cobbler recipe from Martha: The Cookbook: 100 Favorite Recipes, with Lessons and Stories from My Kitchen.
Here are some photos.
This is one of the season’s most anticipated harvests – my peaches. My peach trees are so productive – look at all these fruits, and there are still so many more on the trees.
When picking peaches, color is a great indicator of maturity. Peaches are ripe when the ground color of the fruit changes from green to completely yellow and the fruit is a bright red-orange.
If the peach is firm to the touch, it’s not ready. It’s ripe when there is some “give” as it is gently squeezed. Some could have used a little more time, but we wanted to get them before the squirrels.
Another indicator of ripeness is if the peach separates easily from the tree when pulled.
Peach tree leaves are oval-shaped and simple, with a length that is greater than the width. They are bold green in color, but turn yellow in the fall before falling.
After just minutes, we had all these peaches picked. I always use trays and place them in a single layer so they don’t get bruised.
Once the peaches are brought into my Winter House kitchen, they are pitted and sliced into wedges, and placed in a large stainless steel bowl.
Then they are sprinkled with one cup sugar and left in the fridge to macerate.
I added some blueberries picked from my bushes the same day.
While the oven was pre-heating to 375-degrees Fahrenheit, I buttered two baking dishes.
I prepared the filling – the fruits, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and salt and transferred the mixture into the dish.
I decided to use a buttermilk biscuit topping, so I prepared my ingredients – flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, butter, and buttermilk.
I combined the dry ingredients and then added the buttermilk until a soft, sticky dough was formed.
I turned out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface.
Then I rolled it out until it was about an inch thick.
Using a floured 2 1/4-inch round biscuit cutter I cut out the biscuits.
To be efficient, when cutting out the biscuits, do it as close together as possible.
The biscuits are spaced evenly on top of the fruit.
I brushed the tops with some buttermilk and then sprinkled them with sanding sugar.
Here they are all ready to go into the oven. I made two, so the recipe was doubled. Cobblers, crisps, buckles, and crumbles are all fruit desserts that are similar but have different toppings and textures. Cobbler has a top crust made of biscuit or pie dough, and usually no bottom crust.
The cobblers are cooked until the biscuits are golden brown and the fruit is bubbling in the center of the dish – about an hour and 15-minutes.
Just perfect out of the oven. Once done, let it cool about a half hour before serving. This dish is for my hardworking crew. I know they’ll love it!
Order your copy of my landmark 100th book “Martha: The Cookbook: 100 Favorite Recipes, with Lessons and Stories from My Kitchen” today from Clarkson Potter. I am so proud of this book. I know you’ll read it cover to cover and want to make every recipe!
Will you be out in the yard watering plants this weekend? On my big farm, it takes a lot of close monitoring to stay on top of the watering tasks. I use many hoses, a variety of sprinklers, and now soakers that can also help irrigate at night, making the entire process more efficient and eco-friendly.
One of my favorite sources is Gilmour, a company that’s been manufacturing hoses and other watering solutions for more than 70-years. I've been using Gilmour products for a long time and have always been pleased with the durability and performance of their supplies. This week, Pete Sherpa and Fernando Ferrari from my outdoor grounds crew, carefully positioned soaker hoses under trees and various plants in the allées, in my pergola, and in the border beds around my pastures - any areas where this type of watering is most needed. It's quite an undertaking, but I know these Gilmour soaker hoses will help keep my valuable specimens well-irrigated through the season.
I also use Gilmour garden hoses. All of Gilmour’s hoses curve without kinking, connect without leaking, and are so easy to store.
Fernando removes all the packaging and prepares the hoses to be distributed and placed. A map of their locations is also made so they can be turned on and off quickly and easily.
Each of these hoses is 50-feet long, but they also come in a 25-foot length. They are made from 100-percent recycled vinyl, which is environmentally friendly and clog-resistant.
Both ends have industrial strength brass fittings. This is the hose connector at one end.
Inside is a special washer that controls the water flow.
The other end is fitted with a cap. These hoses are also designed with special coverings to protect them from UV rays and extend the lifespan.
Pete uncoils the hose first to determine how many he will need for a certain area. This is my long clematis pergola. Soaker hoses are placed behind the boxwood borders on both sides.
Fernando holds one end in place as Pete positions the hose under and around the plants.
Here, Pete lays the soaker hose behind the boxwood across the carriage road in my Stewartia Garden. I instructed Pete to put any hose where it is least visible.
These soakers are also designed to be buried under compost material for year-round irrigation without wasting water. Any hose that is seen will be lightly buried later.
The hoses are connected as they are put down. For the best water use, Pete and Fernando limited the total section lengths to three 50-foot hoses, or 150-feet. These hoses also connect to garden hoses if needed.
Here is Pete uncoiling a hose at my Linden Allée. Notice the slight incline of the garden bed. Pete places the soakers at the highest point so any water can drip downward to irrigate.
And here he is underneath my long Boxwood Allée. Be sure any water also travels down hill from the source wherever possible. If it is not possible, the pressure will still carry the water where needed, but may take a bit longer.
Here is Pete by the hydrangeas surrounding my horse paddock.
If there is extra hose at one end, just circle it around the last tree or shrub. The hose is designed to be flexible enough to snake around garden beds next to plants to target irrigation straight to the roots.
Use garden hoses splitters, available at garden centers, to connect multiple hoses to a single water source.
A splitter can also be used right at the hose bib.
Here is the amount of water that flows through the hose once it is turned on.
The water is released via tiny pores along the hose length, allowing for even distribution.
It is easy to see the water droplets coming through the hose. These hoses will irrigate the beds through the night and then be turned off come morning.
The hoses water down to the roots with steady streams that can be efficiently absorbed through the soil. In addition, Gilmour hoses are all made in the USA and backed by lifetime warranties. Thanks Gilmour. The following clips show how it’s done.
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