Good morning and happy Saturday! First, a big hello to all of the new faces joining us this week. Welcome to the Extra Sharp fam! This newsletter is where I share new cheese plate and recipe ideas, pairing combinations, hosting tips, music playlists, general musings and much more. So glad to have you here!
The Rise of Funky Snack Plates
Late last year I made the bold claim that boards are *out* for 2024. Although I do love myself a board, I have been venturing into the funky platter territory. They add much more texture to a tablescape and the options are so versatile. I made a new reel for my “Simple Fancy Bites” series and couldn’t decide which platter to use, so I went with both. You can find the pairing over on my Instagram!
I’m a big fan of this Round Rattan Tray, it’s such a fun addition for your St Patrick’s Day or Easter celebrations! I also love the look of this 3-Tiered Stand. I linked a slightly different one than pictured above, the one I ordered ended up being plastic instead of ceramic - do not recommend lol.
New Paltz, NY Travel Guide
About three years ago I got my first car, in New York City of all places. Although 30% of the time it’s more of a hassle than a luxury, it’s allowed me to venture outside of the city with ease. My car (named Georgi) has become one of my best pals, and we’ve been on many adventures together, mainly to upstate New York. I decided to head up north with a friend for some mid-week remote work, and it was such a lovely break from the hustle of NYC.
New Paltz, New York makes for a great little getaway. It has a vibrant food scene, plenty of hiking trails, and serves as a great home base to explore other popular upstate towns.
WHERE TO STAY: This was my second time staying in this Airbnb and I loved it! It’s clean, centrally located and right on the rail trail for long nature walks. The hosts even left us fresh baked bread from the local bakery, so kind.
WHERE TO EAT: Obviously I travel for food, and you’ll be able to find some amazing restaurants in the area! Here’s a start:
Dry Fly Coffee: Delicious coffee and fresh baked bread / pastries
Mudd Puddle Coffee Roasters: Coffee shop with delicious breakfast wraps and sandwiches
Main Course Marketplace: Great salads and sandwiches for lunch
Wildflower Farms: A 5-star hotel nestled in a meadow. Go for cocktails by the firepit!
Arrowood Farms: Adorable brewery nearby with great craft beers, limited winter hours though
Inness: A boutique hotel with a fabulous restaurant and outdoor firepits
Ollies Pizza: My favorite pizza in the area with a great ambiance and huge outdoor area for the summer
Huckleberry: Cozy restaurant right in the center of New Paltz with a big menu
Darlings: Low country classics with a vibrant drink menu
WHAT TO DO:
Walk the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail: Fun fact, the movie “A Quiet Place” was filmed here!
Hike Gertrude's Nose / Minnewasaka Trail: Beautiful trail around a quarry
Walk around New Paltz, Rosendale, High Falls and venture into Kingston for some amazing shops, bakeries and cafes. Kingston deserves another travel guide, so I’ll share more on that soon.
Chill, read, relax, enjoy the nature!
I have some more trips coming up this year and more than happy to share some findings with you! Let me know if you like these travel guides :)
Return of Cheese By Numbers
You may have heard of my Cheese By Numbers method, the step-by-step formula behind all of my cheese plate creations and featured throughout my two cookbooks. I created an additional Instagram for this concept back in 2018 and I constantly forget to update it. However! I’m getting back into the swing of posting some of my signature “swipe to build” guides here. Recently, I shared That “Mushroom Medley” Plate which features one of my favorite cheesy mushroom dishes. See below for the full recipe.
Seared Crispy Mushrooms with Grana Padano
As seen on That “Mushroom Medley” Plate
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