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For most of America Thanksgiving means a four day weekend, lots of good food and football games. For those of us in the food service business it means a lot of work. The work begins long before the turkeys even arrive. The week before we roast turkey necks to get a jump on making the gravy, about 18 gallons worth this year!
Now that the warm weather wedding season is winding down, I thought it would be fun to highlight some of our favorite weddings from 2016. June is always the most exciting month for celebrations in the Hudson Valley, as everyone cheers the return of warmth, budding leaves, greenery and flowers.
Late summer is the most delicious time of year for local produce. A visit to any farm stand is sure to inspire a wonderful new meal. Check out this vegetarian dish I made with zucchini "spiralized" into a "pasta" and all locally farm-grown produce.
Looking for a recipe for a Southern Tomato Pie? You'll most likely find that most of the recipes are full of mayo and cheese. With this in mind, Chef Erickson invented this recipe that's a cross between a Provencal-style tomato tart and a classic deep dish tomato pie. It's healthy, delicious, and colorful! Enjoy it all summer long when tomatoes are at their best.
Artist/owner of Bistro-to-Go Mary Anne Erickson has designed the store and cafe's new sign as a tribute to all her favorite vintage neons signs from the past. This beacon of Feel Good Food shines 24/7 welcoming travelers and locals to their eatery for delicious, nourishing food to eat-in or take-out.
"Bruschetta" (oil rubbed and toasted baguette slices) are great finger foods and a perfect appetizer for a cocktail party or a cocktail hour at a larger celebration. There are many different toppings you can use to make this perfect bite-size appetizer, and we think this combination of olive tapenade and goat cheese is a real winner! Tapenade is a tasty olive spread which takes its name from the Provencal dialect for capers "tapeno". Everyone makes his or her own version, varying the proportions but the basic ingredients seldom change.
Here's another one of our favorite cocktail party appetizers: Smoked Salmon Canapes
Over the course of the next few days building up to New Year's Eve, we'll be sharing some of our favorite appetizer recipes with you. This Tuna Tartare is always a hit for weddings and cocktail parties!
The freezer at Bistro-to-Go is always stocked with the most delicious soups, made daily. Here's a sampling of what we have on hand most days - when demand hasn't wiped us out. You can also find Lasagna Bolognese and Vegetarian Lasagna and other specialty products in our freezer throughout the year.
Some fun decorating ideas from the bride and groom of this classic Hudson Valley barn wedding.
Ann and Wes had the perfect Hudson Valley summer wedding, featuring our famous BBQ Menu and lots of fun personal decoration ideas.
A recap of Kathryn and Michael's magical wedding in a remote valley of the Catskill Mountains.
Creating a fabulous wedding can sometimes take a village. Here's our shout out to all the vendors and people who made this Woodstock Wedding a big success.
Enjoy this recap of Katherine and Mark's June wedding at the historic Byrdcliffe Barn in Woodstock, New York.
Enjoy this recap of Aimee and Matt's beautiful wedding at one of our favorite venues, The Belltower in Rosendale.
We receive so many incredible acknowledgments from our fans, both verbal and written - we are truly blessed! Occasionally, we're inspired to share the most wonderful ones with you. So read on.
This is another fabulous finger food that can be prepared in advance and easily reheated at the last minute for a passed appetizer. We also make a larger version of the same cakes and use it as the base for a vegetarian entree, served with assorted vegetables.
Dried out turkey breasts can be a thing of the past! Try this brining technique for a moist, delicious Thanksgiving turkey, or your next pork or chicken dinner.
What a great honor to have received this huge vote of confidence from Hudson Valley Magazine readers. Followed by a thank you letter we received from a very happy customer and wedding host.
Chef Richard Erickson shares his love of the "kitchen way of life" and what makes it so satisfying in this post.
A look behind the scenes at the preparation, planning, and execution of a perfect wedding day by co-owner of Blue Mountain Bistro-to-Go and fine artist, Mary Anne Erickson.
This DIY demonstration of how to make your own festive vegetable centerpiece (crudite) has accompanying photos to show you how easy and fun it is. Skip buying an expensive flower centerpiece for your next party and make an edible vegetable arrangement instead.
Another wonderful wedding recap from the Inn at West Settlement in the Catskill Mountains of New York State.
We created a wonderful fall wedding menu for Steve and Matt in Woodstock, New York.
Chef Richard Erickson muses on the wonderful evening we were the hosts for this White House wine tasting. And enjoy the fabulous menu our chefs created to accompany each of the wines.
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