When you live in North Carolina the month of March means one thing…basketball! Here in the culinary house of Chip and Tina it just means Chef’s birthday, and it sort of takes on the same level of hysteria that March Madness does. I mean, so many toys to want to shop for…so little time. The “boy” is still very much alive in the man.
Spring is bursting out of the not so wintry ground up here in the city. Tulips and daffodils are unfolding on every hillside of every greenspace/park as far as your eye can see. A welcome sight, a freshness and newness awaits.
Spring is bursting out of the not so wintry ground up here in the city. Tulips and daffodils are unfolding on every hillside of every greenspace/park as far as your eye can see. A welcome sight, a freshness and newness awaits.
And now an eye to what we all wait for. Softshell Crabs are making an early visit at the markets. Waiting on ramps, fiddleheads, morels. Then comes the peas, sweet little darlings that will only last a minute. Tender Spring greens to land on winter starved tastebuds, tossed with a simple vinaigrette. Lamb saddle, rubbed with crushed herbs, marinated overnight, roasted. Teeny tiny potatoes. Would that we were in the countryside of France, at the Saturday marche, where the rotisserie chicken lazily spins around and around, dripping fat onto the bed of potatoes beneath! Oh my goodness. The memory of that first time of popping them into our mouths like popcorn makes me giddy. There are never enough words to even say about the first strawberries, usually little guys if we are lucky, from Spain. And the lemons from Italy right now are sweet, tart, perfect for sorbets and cream tarts.
Everyone who knows me is aware that the release of this season’s Roses are what I am impatient for. Call me dull, old fashioned, but hey, scrumptious is what I call them. I am out the door en route to a wine tasting right after this note. So I will send out an additional love note about what I discover.
What I really want to share with all of you is that we are hoping to be in our new “HOME” soon. We had high hopes of mid-April, but the New York Liquor License process teaches us all a little patience. Not that I ever had any to begin with. In the next note I will tell you where we will be hanging our hats for the next adventure.
What I can say for sure is that it is in Tribeca and I am actively working on my inner groovy attitude…Chip is already super cool.
Happy Spring, good health and joy wishes to everyone. We are so thrilled to be able to call you soon and say come, dine, wine, visit.
–Chip and Tina
