My Sag Harbor: Chloe Epstein of The Soft Serve Fruit Co.
August 06, 2012
Summer is prime time for cold treats, but those sweets can take a toll on your hard-earned beach body. Enter The Soft Serve Fruit Co., which offers soft serve made from real fruit, filtered water, and a bit of organic cane sugar. A small serving will only set you back 90 calories, and it's also non-dairy, and free of fat, sodium, cholesterol, gluten, and many allergens, making it a healthy dessert that can be consumed by almost anyone.
Come summer, cofounder Chloe Epstein can be found running between the four spots where Soft Serve Fruit Co. is served in the Hamptons (one flagship in Water Mill, and at three Golden Pear locations). Between ensuring East Enders enjoy sweets healthfully and keeping up with three kids, here’s what Epstein does in and around Sag Harbor when she gets a chance to relax. The Soft Serve Fruit Co., 869 Montauk Hwy., Water Mill, 726-6166
Favorite Restaurant – To really enjoy something, you have to feel like you've earned it. After climbing the mountain of stairs at Beacon (8 West Water St., Sag Harbor, 725-7088) and securing one of the coveted tables, I feel like I deserve every bite. It's well worth the effort for lovely views of the water, plus the perfect vibe and scrumptious food. I also can't resist everything at Provisions (7 Main St., Sag Harbor, 725-3636)—best way to start the day, other than a breakfast smoothie at The Soft Serve Fruit Co.
Favorite Nightlife Spot – Wolffer Vineyards (139 Sagg Road, Sagaponack, 537-5106). I love it—the rosé, the scenery, the music, and the sunset closing time.
Favorite Event of the Summer – My daughter, Ava's, summer birthday soiree!
Favorite Farm Stand – Sag Harbor Farmers' Market (Bay and Burke Streets, Sag Harbor) on the water. The kids always love a good sample....
Favorite Place to Shop – I love how authentic and fun Collette (80 Main St., Sag Harbor, 725-9300) is. I can spend hours going through the open space. It’s perfectly crammed with goodies both new and old, and there is always something to pine for.
Favorite Best-Kept Secret – Haven’s Beach—ocean and playground! Does it get any better? And Espressos Italian Market and Grill (184 Division St., Sag Harbor, 725-4433) for some crazy sandwiches.
—CHLOE EPSTEIN
Dream Design Scheme: Let There Be (Outdoor) Light
August 03, 2012
Sleek polished lanterns illuminate in style, especially when they’re oversized.
Jumbo Lantern, Roost ($145). Calypso St. Barth, 21 Newtown Lane, East Hampton, 329-0033
Brighten your party and set a playful mood with a colorful painted garden lantern.
Lime Garden Lantern, Sylvester & Co. ($198). 154 Main St., Amagansett, 267-9777
A classic rattan hurricane is a summer staple, and will look tasteful on any tabletop.
Woven Rattan & Glass Hurricane, Ralph Lauren ($93). 45 Main St., East Hampton, 907-9120
A portable LED lantern easily travels from beach to BBQ and stays lit for up to ten hours for plenty of party time.
Candela Luau, Oxo ($199). oxo.com
Save the tiki torches for a theme party—the Lighthouse Ball torch brings a modern, elegant edge to your soiree.
Lighthouse Ball Floor Torch, Menu ($119). newlywish.com
Savor the last few weeks of summer by spending your evenings alfresco. Whether hosting a barefoot beach bash or elegant garden party, set the mood and illuminate your soiree with flickering candles, lanterns, and torches. Ensure ample lighting in all party areas by using a variety of light sources, and line the pathways leading to and from your fête with pretty lanterns and torches to lend a warm, welcoming glow.
—BARBARA PAGE GLATT
Hampton Hostess, a lifestyle blog by interior designer Barbara Page Glatt, explores the latest in home design, travel, and entertaining, with a specific focus on the Hamptons. Stay tuned for Barbara's weekly blogs on décor, entertaining, and more in the Hamptons.
Andrea Correale's How-Tos for a Haute Hamptons Brunch
August 02, 2012
Mushroom Spinach Frittata
10 eggs
2 cups of baby spinach leaves
4 portabello mushrooms
1 tomato
1 medium-sized onion
4 teaspoons olive oil
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
Dice the mushrooms, onions, and tomatoes. Tear the spinach leaves into smaller pieces by hand. Crack the eggs open into a mixing bowl.
Mix the eggs using a fork or a whisk for 30 seconds. Add salt. Put a skillet (frying pan, preferably about 10-inches) on medium heat. You need the skillet to be smaller, as that’s how you get a “thick omelette.” Add the olive oil to the pan. Next, add the onions and mushrooms to the pan and sauté until the onions are translucent. Add the tomato and sauté for one minute, then drop the spinach leaves in and sauté for 30 seconds. Add the eggs and cook on medium heat.
When the eggs are cooked from the bottom but still gooey on the top, put the pan in the oven with the broil setting on and broil until the top of the frittata is cooked. Remove pan from the oven, sprinkle some black pepper to taste.
Asparagus Frittata
3/4 pound of asparagus
10 eggs
3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus a bit more
1/2 of a large onion, finely chopped
1 and 1/2 clove garlic minced
3/4 teaspoon salt
Olive oil/butter
Chop the woody ends off the base of the asparagus and blanch in boiling salted water for 2-4 minutes. Thicker spears will take longer. You are looking for tender asparagus, not wilted. Chop up into pieces a little bit smaller than an inch.
Beat the eggs in a large mixing bowl and add all the ingredients. Pre-heat your broiler and heat a heavy, oven-safe skillet or frying pan over medium. Add a few tablespoons of olive oil or butter to the pan, and add the egg mixture in when hot. Stir it a bit as it begins to set, then let cook for a minute until the bottom has completely set. Sprinkle more freshly grated parmesan over the top.
Transfer the frittata to the oven and finish under the broiler—the length of time required depends on how big your frying pan is. A wide frying pan will mean a thin frittata and a quick cooking time. Check it after a few minutes, and continue cooking until an inserted fork comes out clean.
Lavender-scented Lemonade Recipe
5 cups water
2 cups sugar
2 Tablespoons dried lavender flowers
5 cups cold water
2 cups lemon juice
Ice cubes
In a large saucepan, bring water and sugar to a boil. Remove from the heat; add lavender. Cover and let stand for 1 hour.
Strain, discarding lavender. Stir in cold water and lemon juice. Serve over ice.
Yield: 12 servings.
Chilled Tea with Mint
12 cups boiling water
8 individual tea bags
2 cups packed fresh mint
1.5 cups frozen lemonade concentrate
Ice cubes
Lemon slices and additional mint, optional
In a heat-proof bowl or pitcher, pour boiling water over tea bags; cover and steep for five minutes. Remove tea bags, cool for 15 minutes. Add mint, and steep for five minutes. Strain and add lemonade concentrate, stirring well. Refrigerate. Serve over ice; garnish with lemon and mint if desired.
Yield: 12 servings.
Décor:
For a haute brunch, think blue and white as a color palette—crisp, clean, and synonymous with Hamptons summertime. Use the resident flower, blue hydrangea, and create centerpieces or accent pieces in blue, placing them in white ceramic vases or galvanized vessels. Striped, plaid, floral, or solid linens work well with this color scheme.
Complement the buffet or dining table with mounds of blueberries. Blueberries fit the palette and do double duty as a brunch-appropriate snack when served in white ceramic bowls with low-fat yogurt and granola on the side. If your invite list is on the smaller side, set up one large dining table for all to sit around. Informal brunches are also fun—dress the bar and buffet in your soiree’s signature colors and skip the formal seating arrangements.
Frittata Bar:
Create a frittata bar by making a duo or trio of homemade healthy dishes. Use organic eggs and egg whites along with local produce. Place some trivets on the buffet, cook the frittatas in skillets and place them in the pan directly on the buffet.
Brunch Beverages:
Set up a self-serve chilled tea and lemonade bar by placing galvanized tubs filled with ice on a table. Put individual pre-filled mason jars in each washtub, and situate a few more jars filled with color-coordinated straws alongside the refreshments.
—ANDREA CORREALE
Andrea Correale is owner and creator of Elegant Affairs, the premiere catering & event planning company serving Manhattan, Long Island, The Hamptons, Westchester, Connecticut and New Jersey. For over 20 years Andrea and her team have been producing custom-designed events with exquisite cuisine for parties as intimate as two and as extravagant as 2,000. Elegant Affairs has coordinated events for some of the world's most elite including Mariah Carey, Russell Simmons, Jimmy Fallon, P. Diddy. and many more. Andrea has no limit to her expertise; she is the exclusive caterer for Ferrari Maserati of Long Island and Sugar Dining Den and Social Club.
Dream Design Scheme: Doggy Décor
August 01, 2012
A bulldog bank adds a touch of whimsy and modernity to your East End spot.
French Bulldog Bank, Maison 24 ($60). 2424 Main St., Bridgehampton, 537-2488
Two furry friends will do a fabulous job of keeping your beloved summer tomes from toppling.
Hunting Dog Antique Bookends, Homenature ($250). 6 Main St., Southampton, 287-6277
A decorative bowl set means convenience for Fido and a chic addition to a kitschy décor scheme.
Vintage Feeding Set, Sylvester & Co. ($30). online exclusive; sylvesterandco.com
Show guests, with two and four legs alike, some welcome by holding your door ajar with elegant brass door stops.
Dog Brass Door Stops, English Country Antiques ($275-$295). 26 Snake Hollow Road, Bridgehampton, 537-0606
For a silly take on the motif, try this adorable, artistically sketched pillow.
Rollover Pillow, Fischers Home Furnishings ($85). 144 Main St., Sag Harbor, 725-0006
Whether keeping your décor scheme classic English country cottage or super-eclectic beach bungalow, infusing a little puppy love into your home has never been more popular. We’ve compiled a few pieces sure to suit every taste.
—CAIT ROHAN
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KATHY YL CHAN (MAISON 24 BANKS)
Mary Giuliani's Small Bites, Big Stories: Soiree to Honor the Summer Games
July 31, 2012
Show off Your Medals: Give your guests a taste of bronze, silver, and gold! Whether you’re playing games or want a fun way to award the first three guests who race to the occasion, make it an opportunity to showcase your favorite whiskey (bronze), vodka (silver), and gold (champagne) drinks!
Or, serve up mini Wheaties brownies with mini vanilla milkshakes (with out without vodka).
Mini Grilled Cheese Recipe
2 slices soft white bread
2 teaspoons butter
1 slice of american cheese 1 slice of cheddar
Brush both sides of both slices of bread with melted butter. Place the cheese on top of one slice and top with the other slice of bread.
Heat a griddle on top of the stove over medium-high heat. Place the sandwich on the griddle and grill for about one minute on each side, or until the bread is golden brown and the cheese is melted. Cut the sandwich into eight small serving pieces to serve as a hors d’oeuvre.
Dessert of Champions
Set up a Olympic-colored dessert bar with patriotic cake balls and Olympic-colored candy.
Ahh…another Olympic summer has arrived! Those five colored circles, country pride, Wheaties commercials (do they still make Wheaties anymore?), and memories of Olympic dreams past come to mind. Whether it was swimming, gymnastics, or running, who didn’t dream of taking home the gold?
My Olympic dream started in 1984 when I became obsessed with Mary Lou Retton and her “perfect 10” vault. I decided at the age of nine that I needed two things in my life: a gold medal and a hug from Béla Károlyi. I convinced my best friend Lauren Balkin to take Saturday gymnastics with me, cut my hair like Mary Lou (wasn’t hard…as I already had a Ralph Macchio ‘do going on), and told my parents that I needed to turn our basement into a gym because “I had to get to work.”
Come Fridays, I began my vigorous regiment in my basement with Lauren. Couch cushions on the floor to comfort our falls, Romanian music blaring as we pretended to be Little Olympians flipping, leaping, jumping, and always throwing our hand up at the end to the invisible judges.
Here’s the catch….we STUNK. Neither of us could barely do a cartwheel but with Waiting for Guffman-like determination, I truly believed that she and I would be standing side by side like Nadia Comăneci and Mary Lou.
After our intensive Olympic training workouts (about 45 minutes running around my basement) we would run upstairs and make food. This was the only part of training where we excelled. English muffin pizza in the toaster and Crystal Light iced tea: lunch of champions.
This was the build-up to Saturdays spent at gymnastics class. My mother loves to tell the story about when she picked us up after our very FIRST class and I burst into tears. When she asked what was wrong, I tearfully responded, “I’m just going to miss you and Daddy so much when I have to go to the Olympics.”
A grilled cheese sandwich and a chocolate milkshake (another lunch of champions) would wash away my tears.
And while Lauren and I never saw that Olympic Gold, we did cultivate a fond appreciation for comfort foods. So, this Olympic party will salute the failed Olympian in all of us!
As my mother told us in that booth at Friendly’s: it doesn’t matter if you get there; it matters that you wanted to go in the first place. For this, I salute you all with a mini pizza and a few grilled cheeses…one hand held high!
Happy Olympics!
—MARY GIULIANI
Mary and her husband Ryan launched marygiuliani.com in 2005, based on their shared love of entertaining, food, and hospitality. The figurehead of the company, Mary creates parties and mingles with the absolute crème de la crème of the Hollywood and fashion scenes. Her clients look to her to break the traditions of entertaining norms and to provide them with party ideas that are one of a kind, out of the box, playful experiences.
Her schedule is jam packed from morning to night when she’s on the party circuit. Mary is the exclusive caterer for J. CREW, Madewell, and Christie’s. Her client roster includes: The Rolling Stones, Bradley Cooper, Sheryl Crow, Natalie Portman, Sephora, Conde Nast, Hearst, Time Inc., Stella McCartney, Warner Brothers, Universal Pictures, and many more. In 2011, Mary executed 27 events in one evening across Manhattan for Vogue’s Fashion’s Night out and her company produces over 600 events a year. Biz Bash also honored her as “Caterer of the Year” in 2011. Follow Mary on Twitter: @mary_giuliani
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