By Gia Miller Photography by Justin Negard One late October morning in 2009, Sunny Cover (pronounced like “clover” without the “l”) put on her beige 1940s vintage women’s business suit and drove from Peekskill to Hawthorne to meet with the board of Community Capital New York—they were her last hope. Cover needed $63,000 to save her beloved coffee shop, Peekskill ...

Writing by Dr. Elixir Photography by Justin Negard Two of the things I enjoy about fat-washing alcohol are the layered flavor profiles and the subtle hint of the spirit. This delicate flavor allows the drinker to enjoy a spirit they wouldn’t otherwise try. For this drink, I used a fat-washed whiskey to create a beverage that combines the flavors of ...

Writing by Dr. Elixir Photography by Justin Negard It’s pretty easy to elevate your drinks to be on par with the pros—all it takes is a willingness to DIY. One way to create exceptional cocktails is to “fat wash” your favorite alcohols by infusing them with something oily (for instructions, click here).  For my first fat washing experiment, I infused ...

By Dr. Elixir Mixing cocktails at home can easily result in your cocktails matching or exceeding cocktails served in most restaurants.  A technique that has been around for a long time that is now coming back in fashion is “fat washing” the alcohol.  This is an easy to do technique that has the unique benefits of softening the harshness of ...

Writing by Ava Fleisher Photography by Justin Negard Envision, if you will, a hot summer day amidst the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in June 2020. With the sun beaming down on the parking lot of Northern Westchester Hospital, healthcare workers flocked to a trailer where free lunches were served by Jason Charles and his family, who own what is ...

Writing by Gia Miller Photography by Justin Negard It’s hard work running a restaurant, much less two. But the Jewel of Himalaya owner is perfectly suited for it — he's worked tirelessly his entire life. When Tshering T. Lama was five years old, his parents enrolled him in a boarding school. He lived in a small Nepalese village called Solukhumbu, ...

In 2015, at the Burlington, VT, farmer’s market, I was introduced to the best vodka I ever tasted. It was called Literary Dog, and it was created and produced by David Howe at his farm, which later became known as Elm Brook Farm. Their vodka was derived from maple syrup and distilled 23 times. I was so impressed by their ...

Writing  by Cathy Deutsch Artwork by Elizabeth Gourlay Photography by Justin Negard Holidays – especially Thanksgiving, Hanukkah and Christmas – are often where we gather with family and friends around the dining table in celebration of honored customs and traditions. For this Connecting in the Kitchen, we’ve skipped all the boring stuff (the turkey and ham, infinite variations of potatoes, ...

Writing  by Cathy Deutsch Photography by Justin Negard French-born pastry chef Patrice Yvon and his wife Lorna own and operate L’Anjou Pâtisserie Française in Mount Kisco. Growing up in France, Yvon has fond memories of Galette de Rois (King Cake), which is served during Epiphany (January 6).  The cake is topped with a golden crown and has a porcelain figurine ...