Culinary Exploits in the Hamptons

When you think of the Hamptons and food, what's your first thought? I instantly think of Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa herself whose culinary mastery began when she opened her store in Westhampton many years ago. Thus, when I found out I was going to spend a few days in Westhampton with my boyfriend and his family, I got more excited about the food than I did about the beach! Unfortunately, Ina's store has closed down, but she still broadcasts her show, "Barefoot Contessa" and runs her food empire from the nearby town of East Hampton.

Despite my love for the Barefoot Contessa, I was not the only one excited about food in the Hamptons. As such, this post is not about me. The real gastronomic hero of our Hamptons getaway was my boyfriend, Matt, who got quite creative with his cooking. Naturally, we wanted to grill as often as possible. But instead of making ordinary burgers and dogs, Matt took things to the next level. Burgers with gorgonzola and brie cheese, perfectly cooked steaks, garlic marinated grilled shrimp -- and the list goes on.

For a little aperitif, we created what I like to call "Matt's Wondrous Vodka-Infused Watermelon." It is just what it sounds like -- a vodka-soaked watermelon.

Very simple in procedure but lengthy in preparation time, the watermelon must sit for two days before it's ready. In our case, we bought a "personal" watermelon smaller in size than normal watermelons, meaning that we didn't have to let it saturate for quite as long. To start, cut a hole in the top of the watermelon the exact size of the vodka bottleneck. Place the vodka bottle upside-down and ensure it is quite snug. And that's it! Let it sit for two days and you've got you're self one helluva drunkin' watermelon!

Matt's culinary exploration didn't end there. For breakfast, he was delighted to make his fantastic Five-Egg Bagel Sandwich (serves two). This sandwich uses simple ingredients, but yields huge flavor and an even bigger bite! It's a combination of scrambled eggs, a layer of prosciutto (or any other ham of your choice) and sharp cheddar cheese all inside a toasted everything bagel. For two bagels this sandwich uses five eggs, so for those concerned with cholesterol, beware! Nevertheless, there's only one word for this sandwich: YUM!

That's all for the Hamptons culinary exploits. I'm sure Ina would be proud of us! 

As always, happy eating! 

-Talia 

PS - I promise Nikhil is not dead, even though he's been MIA from the blog!! Nix, you better step your game up!