Food

    Last week I offered up the first five of my 10 favorite cookbooks, now for the second.

    I had meant to include a “Silver Palate” cookbook but which one? They are all good, and were revolutionary for their time, but I simply couldn’t choose. I am also partial to my little collection of historical cookbooks: Thomas Jefferson’s “Congressional Wives” and “The First Ladies Cookbook,” but none stood out in particular. So I have narrowed my list down to two marvelous French cookbooks, another dessert cookbook, one “Barefoot Contessa,” and one purely for the kitsch factor.

Salade Tourangelle

    This recipe from “The Taste of France” is more of a guideline, and does not give measurements. Each vegetable is prepared separately but served together on the same platter.

Asparagus tips, cooked and sprinkled with a vinaigrette made with walnut oil and white wine vinegar to which you have added salt and pepper, some finely chopped shallots and a little chopped parsley

Cooked artichoke hearts, with a stronger vinaigrette containing mustard, chopped fresh tarragon, chives, chervil, parsley, and salt and pepper

Now For Home

    The tomato sauce prepared and used at Astro Pizza and Felice’s Restaurant, the side-by-side Italian spots in ­Amagansett, can now be purchased for use at home, and even ordered by mail. Containers come in two sizes: 16 ounces for $5.50 and 36 ounces for $7.50. Homemade pizza dough and the restaurants’ homemade balsamic vinaigrette dressing are also available in takeout packages.

Heating Up

   I have a huge cookbook collection. I am constantly editing, but the collection grows. People give me books, I buy more. I am first in line at the cookbook booth at the Ladies Village Improvement ­Society Fair. I have even bought back books I donated to the L.V.I.S. That’s mental.

Lovage and Apple Stuffed Roast Chicken

    Here is Lee Bailey’s recipe. I substitute celery leaves for lovage.

    Serves six.

2 21/2-lb. chickens

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1 cup butter, softened

1 handful lovage

1 large cooking apple, peeled and cored

Gravy:

1 Tbsp. butter, softened

2 Tbsp. flour

1 cup chicken stock, heated

1 Tbsp. chopped chives

Highway Diner and Bar

290 Montauk Highway

East Hampton

631-324-0130

Sunday through Thursday,

10:30 a.m.-9 p.m.

Friday and Saturday,

10:30 a.m.-10 p.m.

   I had been wanting to try the Highway Diner and Bar ever since it opened. Every time I drive by, it is packed. The concept is genius — an affordable, kid-friendly diner by day, a bit more of a cool hangout at night.

    Rick Bogush, the garden manager at Bridge Gardens in Bridgehampton, will present “Cooking With Herbs, Part Two” on Sunday at the Bridgehampton Community House. The event will take place from 2 to 4 p.m. Admission is free to Bridge Gardens members, and $15 for others. Reservations have been requested, as space is limited, and can be made by calling the offices of the Peconic Land Trust, which is sponsoring the event, or by sending an e-mail to [email protected].

Italian Cooking

   The idea sprouted two summers ago in his Amagansett backyard with a seed planted by his ex-girlfriend, and now Brendan Davison grows certified organic microgreens at his Good Water Farms in East Hampton and hand-delivers trays of them to top-notch restaurants on the East End and in New York.

Memorial Dinner

    Reservations are being taken for the Joshua Levine memorial dinner, to be sponsored by Slow Food East End on March 24.

    The event honors the life of Mr. Levine, who was a member of the East End farming community. Last year’s dinner raised approximately $18,000 that provided stipends to three master farmers who worked with the Edible School Garden program on the East End.

    From local restaurants to the most exclusive hotels, the Southampton company Plain-T has grown over its eight years to serve clients around the world whether they’re looking for an assortment of favorites in a single box or large orders of custom-created corporate gifts.

    Last summer Plain-T launched iced tea in black, green, white, and red, with no additives, preservatives, or sweeteners. The glass bottles were well received, even with their short shelf life.

    Reservations can still be made for tonight’s candlelight dinner for two at Gurney’s Inn in Montauk. In case your date misses the hint, the menu choices include heart-shaped ravioli, oysters, and passion fruit mousse. The $150 per couple tariff includes a bottle of champagne and a red rose.

Zokkon

47 Montauk Highway

East Hampton

631-729-9821

Sunday through Thursday, 5-10 p.m.

Friday and Saturday, 5-11 p.m.

   First there was Bamboo, then Shiki, now Zok­kon. The charming little building on Montauk Highway in East Hampton has been taken over by the folks at Suki Zuki in Water Mill. Not much has changed in the way of decor. The pillars gracing the entrance have been painted a carnelian red and the walls inside are a coppery hue with huge pieces of driftwood adorning the walls, kind of like free beach art.

    With Valentine’s Day a week away, choices are vast for those who want to step out for dinner with their sweetheart.

    Indian Wells Tavern in Amagansett will be closed on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, so some minor renovations can be done. The popular Main Street eatery will reopen next Thursday.

Winter Prix Fixe

    At the 1770 House in East Hampton, a winter prix fixe offered Sunday through Thursday, excluding holidays, features three courses for $35 and a chance to sample dishes made by the restaurant’s new chef, Michael Rozzi.

Kids Eat Free

When it was recently suggested that I do a story on foods that help us get through the winter doldrums, I immediately wiped my greasy fingers on my paper towel napkin, adjusted the waistband on my sweatpants, set aside the 1/10 that remained of the artichoke dip I had decided was my dinner, and wondered, “Why did I just eat that? What compelled me to make a rich, gooey, fat-laden dip for a meal?”

Sweet and Spicy Salmon

    You can toss together just about any combination of sweet chili sauce, garlic, and ginger and throw it on some salmon before grilling, baking, or broiling and it will be good. Serve with brown rice and a salad topped with nuts and dried cranberries.

    Serves four.

11/2 lbs. salmon, cut into 4 servings

1/2 cup sweet chili sauce

1 Tbsp. hot chili sauce, any kind will do

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 Tbsp. chopped garlic

2 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger

    A 2009 merlot from the North Fork’s Bedell Cellars was served at a lunch following President Obama’s inauguration on Monday, along with a second course of bison served with red potato horseradish cake and a wild huckleberry reduction.

    A number of New York products were featured at the lunch, which New York Senator Charles E. Schumer arranged as part of his duties as chairman of the inauguration committee. Along with the Bedell merlot, wines from several vineyards in the Finger Lakes region were served.

The Week at Citta

   The trip had been planned for almost a year. My friend Tommy organized the entire shebang; I was just a grateful-to-be-invited tagalong. The countries on our itinerary are places I have longed to see for much of my life: Thailand, Myanmar (formerly Burma), and Cambodia. When you are already enamored of a people and their cuisine, it is inevitable that you will fall more deeply in love when you are immersed in their culture.

    The Montauk Brewing Company, begun by three young local men, is gaining recognition as more and more people sample its signature Driftwood Ale. The beer is now available at the Corner Bar in Sag Harbor, which can fill a pint or a growler to take home. The brewers’ tap room, out in Montauk across from Lions Field, is open on Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m.

Reopening

   Since 2005, men and women from the local community ranging in age from 18 to 91 have been learning how to integrate plant-based nutrition, fitness, and stress management into their lifestyle through educational programs from the Wellness Foundation of East Hampton. For many who follow the program, daily life involves eating on the go or dining out, recently made more doable with a partnership between restaurants and markets that offer meals that follow a strict criteria.

   Those who know, return repeatedly. Those who don’t are missing out on a flavorful experience offered even in the sleepy wintertime in Greenport. Aldo’s Cafe is awake seven days a week, year round, with the aroma of fresh coffee, hospitality, rich tastes, and a picturesque view of the Mitchell Park waterfront.

   The 1770 House in East Hampton has a new chef. Michael Rozzi, an East End native who was a chef for 13 years at the former Della Femina restaurant in East Hampton, took his new post on Monday. He has also cooked at Le Chef and the Inn at Quogue. At Della Femina, Mr. Rozzi was sous chef to Kevin Penner, now the executive chef at 1770 House. He replaces Matt Birnstill, who left to pursue other cooking endeavors. Mr. Rozzi’s culinary focus is the use of local ingredients.

Cafe Max on Break

A brewmaster with long experience and a track record of success

   The next Artists and Writers Night at Almond restaurant in Bridgehampton will be on Wednesday. Kathryn Levy, a poet who lives in Sag Harbor and New York City, will host the evening and lead a discussion, the theme of which will be Frank O’Hara’s “Lunch Poems” and Larre’s, a French bistro where O’Hara and other writers and poets gathered.

   The New Year’s Eve options include, of course, a festive dinner out at any number of local restaurants. Here is the lowdown on what is being offered at some of them.

   Are you going to make a New Year’s resolution this year? If so, you are among the 50 percent of Americans who will do so. Of that 50 percent, I’m sorry to tell you, another 50 percent will fail within six months. However, those who make explicit resolutions are the most likely to succeed.

    At the Living Room restaurant at c/o the Maidstone in East Hampton, the menu was changed at the beginning of the month to reflect a Scandinavian or Nordic influence, with a selection of dishes featuring seasonal items. Another section of the menu is devoted to items that are “always at the Living Room,” such as the Lojrom caviar served with a crispy potato cake and herring three ways. The seasonal portion of the menu will change approximately four times throughout the year.

For Hanukkah

    Stuart’s Seafood Market has homemade latkes available for Hanukkah, along with house-made apple sauce. Advance orders are appreciated, though latkes are on hand in the shop. They also make a great accompaniment for holiday caviar, according to Charlotte Sasso of the market. The shop is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., but will be closed on Christmas and New Year’s Day.

Holiday Plans

    The annual list of restaurants that will welcome guests for Christmas Eve and Christmas meals begins here.

    It’s party season! Chances are, you are going to a bunch and may be having one or two or your own. But this is the time of year when we are already spending a good bit of money on gifts and travel so throwing a holiday party could put some additional strain on your wallet. This is also the time when we are faced with rich eggnog, frosted holiday cookies, massive cheese platters, and adult beverages at all times of the day, putting a strain on your waistline, too.

Holiday Food

    Tanya Tracy, who was born in India, will draw on her culinary heritage, blend it with Mediterranean cuisine, and demonstrate the preparation of a holiday spread at the Rogers Memorial Library in Southampton on Wednesday at noon. The program is free, but reservations must be made by Monday by calling the library or registering online at myrml.org.

Dinner Under the Tree