Summer, How I Love Thee...

Beautiful as the Adirondacks are, living here is a package deal that includes the existence of wildly uneven seasons. And guess which is the shortest? Since I’m not into winter carnivals or downhill skiing, I tend to start counting the days to solstice right around Labor Day. But until then, these are some of the things I’ve been drinking in while the sun is still shining at 7 p.m.:


The Saratoga Performing Arts Center



Even the walk in is lovely


The New York City Ballet



If you zoom in, you’ll see that it was in fact “American Girl” night at the ballet.



Making It Elegant



Two industrious ladies from Albany named Jinx and Mary started this tradition about a decade ago. Every summer, they load their cars with banquet tables, flatware, a candelabra, and all the other ingredients necessary for a moveable feast and head to the ballet in high culinary style:




Blueberry Season
Blueberries picked at Winney’s Blueberry Farm in Bacon Hill



Maggie The Wonder Dog, along for the ride...




The Hollyhocks at Sheldon Farm



…and their fried fish on Sundays



Growing herbs on the balcony













The Hudson River encased in a palate of emerald




Booksignings at Red Fox Books in Glens Falls

Kim Sunee autographs her best-selling memoir, ‘Trail of Crumbs.’


The man who lands the big names: Suvir Saran, owner of Devi restaurant in Manhattan and author of "American Masala" and "Indian Home Cooking" cookbooks. I speak from experience: Suvir's books will change your life.




And the one who really has my Heart: Lake George

Where I Swim





Thank God for Mrs. Lapham! She's the one who provides this incomparable and stunning swimming hole. And the drive in isn't bad either:





I know he stuck pretty much to The Berkshires, but sometimes it feels like Emerson’s Spirit casts a veil over this spot:

GO SEE HIROKO SHIMBO!

I don't know about you, but this hot, sticky weather makes me want to put my stove in storage and dive into the edible art form known as sushi. If you've dreamt of attempting the creation of it at home, now's your chance.

Internationally acclaimed cookbook author and Japanese cuisine expert Hiroko Shimbo descends on Glens Falls, N.Y. at 7 p.m. Friday at Red Fox Book Store, 28 Ridge St., for a talk and booksigning. Her appearance is part of the Food for Thought series started by Washington County, N.Y. resident Suvir Saran, also a cookbook author and owner of Manhattan's Devi Restaurant (www.suvir.com ).

Shimbo will be speaking on her most recent book, "The Sushi Experience" and signing copies of the books. Some of Shimbo's favorite recipes will be served by caterer Sally "Aunt Sally's Catering" Longo.

"The Sushi Experience" has been called one of the most comprehensive, engaging, and instructive books ever written on the subject. Shimbo introduces readers first to the history of sushi (it started out as a way of preserving fish) and shows how it has evolved into the phenomenon it is today. She then takes the reader into a typical sushi bar--guiding them in all aspects of the experience, from the ordering of sushi and the etiquette of eating it to the appropriate exchange with your sushi chef--all in Japanese, of course. Shimbo even provides a tear off for transporting her tips with you on your next visit to a sushi bar.

For the home cook, there are step-by-step illustrated instructions on how to make sushi rice properly and how to shape the rice around a variety of delicious fillings (primarily of cooked and preserved fish and seafood, omelets, vegetables, and seasonings). "The Sushi Experience" also has recipes for sauces and accompaniments to complement the sushi meal.

For more information, visit www.hirokoskitchen.com , or www.redfoxbookstore.com .