Flea Market Treasures

Here are the pictures I promised of my recent trip to the flea market. One of the reasons that I switched to Typepad is that I can add additional pages to my blog. Please check back as I am creating a Melange Flea Market page which will be listed on my sidebar. The more I collect, the more ~~congested~~ cluttered my house becomes…so if something new comes in…something else has to go. I will start offering some of my collections in the Melange Flea Market. In the same respect, if there is something specific you are looking for, drop me an email and I’ll keep my eyes peeled! I love the thrill of the hunting for buried treasure.

pretty Italian silk scarf

framed print of a bridge in Paris…can you guess which one?

black and white etching..can you guess the Italian city here?

wonderful, set of 4 linen napkins..I love the cutwork…

square linen cafe cloth, with exquisite detail…tea anyone?

Go Fish!

And last but not least. Chris couldn’t resist this(I could have), but it is quite unique, I must admit. Each scale is a small piece of abalone. A small little something for the reader who can tell me what this is! I am taking a cue from my friend Corey on this! She plays these games all the time. I hope she won’t mind…but it is kinda fun. I am afraid I don’t play quite as good as she does and I know I won’t get as many players (her last guesing game had about 150 comments…I wish!)

Bonne Chance!

Meme’s the word!

This is a first for me…so I am very excited! Caroline at First Paris Then Rome has tagged me for a meme. I will list the top 5 places I like to eat in my area. Than I will tag 5 others to participate in the same meme. It will be great fun seeing great answers from all over the globe!

Here is how it works…

1. Add a direct link to your post below the name of the person who tagged you. Include the city/state and country you’re in.

Okay. Here goes.

Nicole (Sydney, Australia)
velverse (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
LB (San Giovanni in Marignano, Italy)
Selba (Jakarta, Indonesia)
Olivia (London, England)
ML (Utah, United States)
Lotus (Toronto, Canada)
tanabata (Saitama, Japan)
Andi (Dallas [ish], Texas, United States)
Lulu (Chicago, Illinois, United States)
Chris (Boyne City, Michigan, United States)
AB (Cave Creek, Arizona, United States)
Johnny Yen (Chicago, Illinois, United States)
Bubs (Mt Prospect, Illinois, United States)
Mob (Midland, Texas United States)
Yas (Ahwatukee, Arizona USA)
Alicia(Idaho Falls, Idaho, USA)
Tug (Hell, Colorado, USA)
Bond (Memphis, TN, USA)
TopChamp (Glasgow, UK)
Kailani(Honolulu, HI, USA)
Amber (Henderson, TN, USA)
the weirdgirl (San Francisco Bay Area, CA, USA)
JChevais (Paris, France)
Gem (Norfolk, VA, USA)
Caroline (Rome, Italy)
Robin (Poughkeepsie, NY, USA)

2. List out your top five favorite places to eat at your location

Well, I bet NONE of you have heard of Poughkeepsie, NY. It’s in the Hudson Valley and very near the Culinary Institute of America, so we actually have lots of great places to eat in my area. I have tried to narrow down my top 5 for you…..

For a wonderful European cafe feel, complete with homemade breads, pastries, desserts, wonderful sandwich choices on Focaccia bread and the best cafe au lait, I visit the Alternative Baker on the Rondout in Kingston, NY. Essell is lovely and friendly and you can taste the freshness and goodness of each nosh you sample. His lemon cakes are to die for!
Right around the corner from my house is the Busy Bee Cafe. It is within walking distance, is a small, intimate place that offers a few select choices for starter, entree and dessert. The menu’s are handwritten as well as the wine list. Lunch is bustling, busy and faced paced, but for dinner the lights dim, the candles come out and the place exudes romance. The food is exquisite and the service is just right.
I was recently introduced to Indian food, and I can’t believe how much I love it. Tanjour, located in Fishkill, NY is a mix of Northern and Southern Indian Cuisine. The dishes are all spicy, but not too spicy, and the amount of food you get is incredible for the price. We always have enough for leftovers. There is always a line to get in(which is a good sign) and even though they are busy, the staff is always smiling, helpful and pleasant.
My favorite Italian place, Mercato, started out as a little panini shop and market in Red Hook, NY. They recently acquired more space in the same town and have expanded to a full blown restaurant. This is the epitome of a family owned joint, which is why I love it. You can watch Francesco cooking in the open kitchen, while his wife Michele waits tables, takes orders and watches the 2 little ones who are always toddling around. They always make you feel like family here…and I get to practice my Italian here. We once got the privilege of tasting his homemade Limoncello that he grabbed from the fridge one day. The food is fresh every day. The menu is scribbled onto a blackboard and once it is gone, it gets crossed off.
What list of mine would not be complete without a French Restaurant. Hands down the best in the area is Le Petit Bistro, in the heart of Rhinebeck NY. Classic French food, a helpful maitre d’, a small intimate space and a wine list to die for makes this place special. The food and service is outstanding and half the fun is watching the wait staff in amazement as the dance and weave through the tight spaces between chairs and each other with hot dishes….without one collision. This is my favorite place for a special occasion dinner, and this would also be the most expensive place on my list. Oh la la!

3. Tag five other people (preferably from other countries/states) and let them know they’ve been tagged.

Now for the fun part….. I tag:

Anne at A Foodie Froggy In Paris…in Paris of course
Corey at Tongue in Cheek in the South of France
Merisi’s Vienna for Beginners in Vienna
Carol at Paris Breakfasts in NYC
Yvonne from Cream Puffs in Venice in Toronto,Canada

Elephants Trunk

After about a 6 month hiatus the time had finally come for my first flea market outing of the season. I can’t tell you how much teasing and tempting I have had to endure from my friends Corey and Tara. They are both Flea Market Junkies…one of many things we have in common and have been showing me their excursions and adventures in France for the last few months. But now it was finally my turn…

First thing Sunday morning I was up by 7:00am. This in and of itself is a momentus occasion. Flea markets, breakfast in bed and Ed McMahon ringing the doorbell are the only things that get me up that early on a Sunday. I usually don’t sleep well the night before…I have visions of ~~sugarplums~~ treasures, dancing through my head! I grab my list, my camera, my hat, my sunscreen, my cash and my old granny shopping cart…and I’m off.

This flea market is one of the best in my area. It is Sunday only. Last year, I made the mistake of driving the 90 minutes out there…..just to arrive to an empty lot…on a Saturday! Boy did that hurt…bad. I was almost reduced to tears…the price of gas is not cheap here. Needless to say, I will never make that mistake again.

This time, the place was hopping. Lots of treasures. Everything from fresh fruit, herbs, flats of flowers, food, linens, antiques and…junk. Prices here are more than reasonable, and the longer you stand at the booths, the more the prices just keep coming down. There is an advantage to the market being only one day!

I am the one who has to see every booth. I spend about 3 hours there. The weather was a bit gloomy…threat of showers..but that doesn’t stop me. Some were packing up early…didn’t phase me. Just as I was coming into the home stretch…one of the dealers engages me…"Grape crusher?" he asked.

"What is a grape crusher?" I replied.

"You know, the person who comes at the last minute and tries to squeeeeze the best price out of us!" He jokes.

"Nope, I am just a die hard" I told him. Silly me, I got excited at the thought he was trying to sell me some old antique wine paraphernalia. Guess you learn something new everyday.

Elephants Trunk
Route 7
New Milford, CT
508.896.1975
www.etflea.com

Open Sundays April – December
Early admission $20, 5:45 – 7:00am
General admission $1, 7am – 2pm

Pictures of treasures to follow.

Caffé Macchiato

The first time I was introduced to an Italian Cafe, was when I set foot in one in Italy in 2004. I had read all my guidebooks like a good little tourist….and I was certainly excited a the prospect of visiting a café. I ~~like~~ love coffee, so for me it was only natural that I would want to explore. Thing is…those guide books never prepared me for how much I would treasure a good Italian Cafe. So imagine how excited I was to stumble upon a new cafe that opened in Newburgh called Caffe Macchiato. Just the name conjures up images of milky, creamy mocha colored heaven in my mind.

A caffe macchiato is an Italian coffee drink…..espresso with a dollop of foamed milk on top. Macchiato means ‘stained’ in Italian. So it is coffee stained with milk. What a fitting name for this cute little cafe right near the Newburgh waterfront.

Even the facade from outside screams Italian, with the tiny cafe tables, the blackboard with the menu and the sign swinging from a wrought iron hanger.

The owner speaks and her lovely Italian accent wafts through the cafe. If I close my eyes, I really do feel like I’m in Rome. The walls are lined with teas and coffee. Antique coffee pots and presses are displayed on shelves. The warm ocher colored walls and dark wood tables and bar offer a European feel.

We ordered a French press and a crepe Out comes a large French press filled with some of the best I have tasted. She uses coffee from Veneto, Italy. Our crepe was filled with Nutella, banana and strawberry, smothered in Creme Anglais and dusted with powdered sugar. This crepe rivaled some of the best crepes from Paris. We were making loud moaning noises at the table, but in typical Italian fashion….we did not care!

The display case in front are filled with homemade treats like biscotti, tiramisu, madeleines, croissants, panna cotta, pistachio truffles, and dried fruit like figs and apricots filled with nuts. The menu has typical cafe fare….espresso and coffee drinks, pannino, salads, pasta, fish and more.

We couldn’t leave without a few to-go treats. So we grabbed a madeleine, biscotti, pistachio green tea truffle and a stuffed fig. They were all just delicious. On the way out I asked the owner why she came here to Newburgh from Rome. In her very broken English she asked "You enjoy your breakfast?", to which we of course replied,"Oh, very much!" Her reply…"Well, that is what I want to do for you, have you enjoy some of my Italian cooking and maka good food for you…this is why I am here."

As her by-line states Caffe Macchiato is ‘A touch of Italy in downtown historic Newburgh’. Not only do I agree, but I am so glad that I can experience an authentic Italian Cafe without having to go to Rome.

Caffe Macchiato

99 Liberty Street
Newburgh, NY 12550
845.565.4616

Obsessed with Europe

Over the past few years I have grown very fond of Europe. Italy and France to be exact. I ~~fear~~ am happy that it has now turned into a full blown obsession. How can I tell? For starters….

I walk by snails sliming up the sidewalk and I think, "Mmmm, they would make a wonderful dinner with garlic and butter sauce"
The $2 Morton salt used to be a staple in my kitchen…now I only use $10 Fleur de Sel
I have articles of clothing that now require an additional description of where I have worn or bought them, like my Paris raincoat or my Italian leather gloves
My ultra modern electric automatic drip coffee maker has been downgraded to a French Press
Daily breakfast has gone from cereal and coffee to a croissant and cafe au lait
I used to buy a no name brand of olive oil on sale in my local supermarket…now I won’t buy anything less than First Cold Pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil from my favorite Italian deli
My Joy of Cooking and Martha Stewart cookbooks(that suited me fine for years I might add) have been replaced by Barefoot in Paris and Patricia Wells’ Trattoria
I now have a collection of beautiful scarves. I wear them often…to feel like a stylish Parisienne(of course they are all my Paris scarves)
Even though I live in Suburbia where the winters are cold and we get feet of snow…I often dream of trading in my car for a Vespa
Instead of sleeping in on the weekends I find myself up at an ungodly hour, flicking through the channels to watch Samantha Brown’s Passport to Europe
In my wine shop, I blatantly ignore bargain after bargain from Australia, South Africa, California, Oregon and Germany as I dash off to the France and Italy regions. It’s as if those other places don’t even exist
I am always dreaming, wishing and excitedly hoping that my blog will have the honor of being an ‘expat’ blog.