Flavors 518

Since we've had a couple friends ask us for tips after visiting the Finger Lakes the last two years, I thought it would be useful to put up a post we could point to, and that other people might find as well. This list is far from exhaustive, and of course what you'd choose to visit will depend on what kind of wines you like and experience you want. I'm not including Dr. Konstantin Frank on this list, for example, but that's not a criticism. It just reflects that 1)almost everyone who cares will know about it and their wines are widely available, and 2)they have so many visitors that I found the tastings a little corporate and impersonal for my tastes. But the spot is lovely, and if you're a big fan of sparkling wines it's a must visit -- there are a lot of good Reislings out there but the sparkling wines at DKF are really first-rate. But here are some lesser known ones worth visiting:   Ravines On Keuka (with another tasting room in Penn Yan we have...

I love the Gardner Museum Cafe Cookbook , because who doesn't want to cook luncheon pies and party like its 1890? I also love the photos in the book from the archives at the museum taken during many of Gardner's fancy dinner parties. Everyone looks so relaxed in their tight-fitting Victorian outfits. I made the ratatouille pie recipe last night from this cookbook. I have to admit to having felt a bit stressed. I remember when I was in college and reading in the bath a short story in The Atlantic about a doctor who got to Friday night and collapsed and thought to himself "This is professional life?" I remember thinking "That can't be right, clearly you finish all your school assignments and the whole rest of life is easy." Where I got this idea I can't ever recall. When I was a kid it was always all this pressure to do well at each thing so that you could get onto the next thing ("You better be perfect in high school so that you can go to co...