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Crabtree's Kittle House

New Role for the Ever Versatile Ronni Diamondstein

February 18, 2021 by Megan Klein

Ronni Diamondstein and Maggie Mae  Photo by Carolyn Simpson

“It’s Cuomo time!” Ronni Diamondstein calls to her best friend and pet poodle. 

The sound of dog tags jingling signals the incoming arrival of Maggie Mae, the 13-year-old black and white parti toy poodle, who jumps up on the couch, snuggles up next to her mom and watches Governor Cuomo’s daily coronavirus briefings on the TV. 

The middle of March 2020 meant that quarantine was in full-swing and the only thing set in stone was Maggie Mae getting a treat at 11 a.m. right before Cuomo was about to start. 

If you know Diamondstein, then you know Maggie. The two of them have been inseparable ever since 2008, when the dynamic duo began. You’ve probably seen them in town on walks or maybe you’ve even seen Maggie painted on the Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival mural. 

Although they were seemingly attached at the hip before, if this pandemic has done anything, it has brought the two of them even closer together. 

“We got into new routines…Having another living creature in the house is comforting,” 

Diamondstein said. “She’s good company, she’s funny and she has very good self-esteem. I like when she walks in town; she has a good sense of herself. She’s a lot like me in that she likes her alone time but she also likes to see people. And she’s also very curious.”

Maggie is basically a town celebrity. She loves walking around town and checking in on her favorite merchants, ensuring that everyone and everything is just the way it should be. She must’ve gotten that from her mom, for Diamondstein puts a lot of effort into making this town even greater than before.

The philosophy “make where you are  better because you’re there” is one that Diamondstein has tried to follow her whole life. Whether it be in Chappaqua, White Plains or the Netherlands, she has strived to make an impact wherever her time is spent. 

It’s safe to say that mission has been accomplished over and over and over, starting every single morning on Facebook. 

Social media these days can be a source of unwanted negative energy or controversial content, leaving many of us with the urge to drop our phones at the bottom of a lake and never see them ever again. But if you become friends with Diamondstein on Facebook…you might change your mind!

She starts each morning by posting an inspirational quote as a way of communicating her thoughts and getting her friends to think about certain things. You know what they say, a quote from Ronni a day keeps the doctors away! 

The quote that inspired her way of life? 

“Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”  – John F. Kennedy

And inspire her way of life it did, even early on, as Diamondstein won her high school senior award for excellence in service. But her passion for helping her community didn’t stop there. It just got started. 

After vacationing in the Netherlands, she ended up getting a job as a school librarian at an American international school where she started a gifted program. Working at one of those schools had always been a dream of hers. 

A few years later, she came back to the states and settled in Westchester, where she was a library media specialist in the White Plains schools for 20 years. Among other things, she has served as the Chairman of the Adult Education Committee at Temple Beth El, Board Member of the Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival, League of Women Voters of New Castle and the New Castle Community Media Center, creative behind the Maggie Mae Pup Reporter Column, member of the New Castle Council for Race and Equity and the Katonah Museum Artists’ Association, provider of beautiful nature photos for local exhibits and more. 

“And now, the most amazing thing that I am doing, because libraries have been my life’s work…In 2017 I was elected to the Chappaqua Library Board and as of October, I’ve been the acting President…” Diamondstein said. 

Since January, Diamondstein has served as the President of the Chappaqua Library Board for the ‘21 year. 

“I’m very humbled to have this responsibility. I’ve worked very hard as a board member, in looking at really taking my responsibility seriously…I’m very optimistic about how things will go.” 

She pitched the idea of having MSNBC political analyst and author Rick Tyler speak at the library, offering to do the interview herself since she is a seasoned journalist. The idea was well-received and in January, she interviewed Tyler over Zoom about his new book. 

“I told Joan Kuhn, the program director, that she’s made one of my dreams come true. I always wanted to do what Barbara Walters did, interview people like that on television…I’m really excited about it.” 

Throughout the last year, the library has seen some major changes with their renovations and of course, the pandemic. With curbside pickup, new online book discussions and even a website feature that allows you to chat with a librarian, the library “has done a great job of connecting with the community.” 

Eventually, Diamondstein is hopeful that more kids and teenagers will gravitate toward coming back to the library due to a brand new teen area with new technology similar to the kind that is provided at school. 

Being in the book biz, her favorite one is a children’s book about a dog. It’s called Dominic by William Steig and it’s one she thinks every adult should read, saying “it’s just really a story about life.” She gives it as a gift often, even giving one to President Clinton at one point. 

Throughout the pandemic, while reading is probably an activity that was done to combat quarantine, Diamondstein has been keeping busy doing other things as well. Whether it’s baking her Amazing Double Chocolate Brownies, speaking to at least two friends daily or doing Facetime Pilates, she “just [took] one day at a time.” 

“Peonies”, one of Ronni’s favorite flowers that she photographed at the NYBG was an entry in the Katonah Museum of Art Artists Association Member Show in November 2019.
Photo by Ronni Diamondstein
© 2019 Ronni Diamondstein, All Rights Reserved

The way Diamondstein saw it was, “You had to find joy every day during this pandemic in the little things.” 

Perhaps the most important little thing to happen over these last months? 

Maggie Mae’s Bark Mitzvah! Mazel Tovs are in order in the Diamondstein household because Maggie Mae officially became a young lady in October during Temple Beth El’s Noah’s Bark service. People hopped onto the Zoom call with their pets and Maggie got to celebrate with her friends and family which hopefully made up for the fact that “she has noticed that people, nobody pets her when [she] goes for walks anymore…” 

While Diamondstein is lucky to be able to celebrate the little moments during these times, she also recognizes that there are others who are struggling. This past June for her birthday, she raised over $3,000 for Feeding Westchester to support her concern of food insecurity problems that only grew with the pandemic. In the past she has also helped fundraising efforts for the Amy Marie Crabtree Foundation and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. 

Although there are currently no longer daily Cuomo briefings for Maggie Mae to watch, at least there are three things we can still rely on: Diamondstein gets flowers every week from Whispering Pines in town, which remind her of her time in Holland, she has switched out the Brownie Starmite camera for her iPhone 11Pro but is still taking photos of flowers and she is still doing everything she can to make a mark where she lives. 

Which makes us wonder…what will she do next? 

Filed Under: Cover Stories Tagged With: Amy Marie Crabtree Foundation, Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival, Chappaqua library, Chappaqua Library Board, Crabtree's Kittle House, Cuomo Time, Governor Cuomo, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Maggie Mae Pup Reporter, Noah's Bark Service, Peonies, President Clinton, Ronni Diamondstein, Temple Beth El

An Appetite for Generosity

March 8, 2019 by Sabra Staudenmaier

(L-R): (914) Cares 4th Annual Empty Bowls Committee, Dana Berk, Jodi Falbaum, Lisa Samkoff, Melissa Levine, Jillian Pohly, Jessica Reinmann, Mike Slomsky, Dawn Greenberg, Lena Cavanna, Doug Alpuche and Lauren Stern

(914) Cares Fourth Annual Empty Bowls Event Raises $120,000 to Fight Hunger in Westchester

On the cold Sunday evening before Thanksgiving, a warmth radiated from Crabtree’s Kittle House Restaurant and Inn. The smell of hearty food filled the air. A simple meal of soup, bread and hors d’oeuvres was being prepared in the kitchen. An abstract sculpture stood inside the entrance of this quaint venue. It was made of ceramic bowls and cans of soup, layered in rows that progressively narrowed from bottom to top, forming a tree. The tree symbolized the upcoming holiday season. The bowls were individually and uniquely hand-painted by members of the community. They were all empty; a reminder that many cannot afford to fill their bowls. The guests of the evening were there to support the Empty Bowls Westchester annual fundraiser to help the fight against hunger.

Throughout the restaurant, soup and bread stations were set up alongside additional displays of painted bowls. Signs explaining the work being done to end hunger sat beside more of the painted bowls. The Mount Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry displayed a sign saying, “We fed 41,791 people last year”. The Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester showed a sign informing, “We serve over 80,000 nutritious meals each year.” Hillside Food Outreach had a sign that shared, “We have over 300 volunteers that pack & deliver to our clients.”

Celebrities Help the Cause

Set aside from the main event, the Kittle House’s Tap room was lined with tables showcasing larger bowls that had been signed by celebrities who support this important cause. Celebrities who participated by donating signed bowls included Yankees legend Mariano Rivera, Bon Jovi’s Richie Sambora, author and activist Cecile Richards, US golfing great Tom Watson, Bill and Hillary Clinton, author James Patterson, HQ Trivia Host Scott Rogowsky and Pinkalicious children’s author Victoria Kahn. These “Celebrity Bowls” were an important part of the fundraising effort. They were available to bid on in the evening’s highly anticipated silent auction.

Empty Bowls Westchester is a division of (914) Cares–an organization that supports local Westchester based non-profits that focus on basic human needs: food, clothing, shelter, medical care and education. According to the Feeding Westchester (formerly known as the Westchester Food Bank), one in five residents of Westchester is food insecure, which means approximately 200,000 people are hungry or at risk for hunger. Each year, an Empty Bowls Committee is formed to run the local arm of the international grassroots effort to raise money and awareness in the fight to end hunger in our community.

Grant recipients (L-R): Kelly Housman, Mt. Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry; Susan Bretti, Community Center of Northern Westchester; Clare Murray, Community Center of Northern Westchester and Robin Karp, Pleasantville Interfaith Emergency Food Pantry

A Community Wide Effort

Beginning in the spring, (914) Cares Co-Founders Dawn Greenberg and Jessica Reinmann work with volunteers from the community who donate their time to hand paint bowls, one by one. Members from Congregation Sons of Israel Briarcliff, Pace University and Strauss Paper employees along with several Girl Scout troops are among those who helped paint bowls which, this year, totaled over 250. Once painted, A Maze in Pottery in Briarcliff Manor, a generous supporter of this cause, fires all the painted bowls in their kiln.

Local Grant Recipients Utilize Event’s Funds

Local organizations who are on the front lines in the fight against hunger apply to receive grants from the funds raised. This year six grant recipients were selected. These organizations were Bread of Life, The Boys and Girls Club of Northern Westchester, The Community Center of Northern Westchester, Hillside Food Outreach, The Interfaith Emergency Food Pantry of Pleasantville and The Mount Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry.

The recipients of this year’s grants were extremely appreciative for funding they received, but the community members who attended the fundraiser were just as thankful for the work the organizations do. Whether it’s through rescuing food so that it does not go to waste, delivering food to the sick or elderly, or running a food pantry year -round; through the grace of these organizations, the gap between those who are able to give and those who are in need is being bridged. The people who champion this cause maintain that they get more than they give from the work they do.

Ways to Get Involved

Empty Bowls Westchester and (914) Cares are always looking for the help of generous people. Whatever one can give is significant and makes a difference. Reinmann encourages the community to continue to support this cause by hosting a bowl painting party, becoming a sponsor or attending the next Empty Bowls Westchester event. Celebrity–signed bowls are always welcome donations for the silent auction portion of the fundraiser. There are many ways to get involved.

In Reinmann’s experience, people are very generous during the holiday season, but help often declines in January and February. The depth of winter, however, is when the need for help is the greatest. She encourages people to reach out to local food banks to find out what is needed and run a drive to raise those items accordingly.

The Empty Bowls event was a success but there is still much more work to be done. Since its inception, four years ago, Empty Bowls Westchester has raised almost half a million dollars. Greenberg and Reinmann aim to continue to support the growth of the program. They want to help create a community where basic fundamental needs are available to everyone. A place where poverty and hunger is not temporarily mended with a band aid but rather where the cycle of poverty is ended.

When the evening was over, every attendee received a hand-painted bowl to remind them of all the empty bowls in the world that still need to be filled and to inspire them to continue to support ending hunger. The ultimate goal, according to Reinmann, is “the day when (914) Cares is no longer needed, that will be the best day ever.”

For more information on how to support Empty Bowls Westchester, please visit 914cares.org

PHOTO BY SETH BERK

Some Really Super Bowls

Over the past four years, a number of very special bowls have been auctioned during the Empty Bowls silent auction. Artist in Residence and committee member, Melissa Levine, painted most of this year’s bowls that were sent to celebrities who volunteered to sign them to help raise money for this cause. A Maze in Pottery Briarcliff Manor’s Nancy Beard generously assisted by lending her artistic talent to paint some of the celebrity-signed bowls. For this year’s auction, comedian Jim Belushi did his own artwork on the bowl he signed and donated.

The bidding on celebrity bowls starts at $125 and bowls can go for any amount higher.  To date, the bowl that has gotten the highest bid was from last year’s silent auction.  It was a bowl signed by the entire Philadelphia Eagles football team and was won by a bid of $1,700.

Some celebrities, for example Bill and Hillary Clinton, are regular supporters, and have signed a bowl to be auctioned each year.

On occasion, a bowl will be sent to a celebrity for signing and the celebrity will return the bowl with an additional item to be included in the auction. Two years ago, musician James Taylor added a signed guitar to his donation. For this year’s auction, Richie Sambora donated a signed guitar along with his signed bowl.

PHOTO BY Sabra Staudenmaier

 

PHOTO COURTESY OF EMPTY BOWLS
PHOTO BY Sabra Staudenmaier

Filed Under: Cover Stories Tagged With: 914 Cares, Boys and Girls Club of Northern Westchester, Celebrities, Crabtree's Kittle House, Dawn Evans Greenberg, donations, empty bowls, Empty Bowls Westchester, Feeding Westchester, Fighting Hunger, hunger, Jessica Reinmann, Painted bowls, Sponsor Generosity, Volunteerism

Kittle House Offering a ‘Freemark Abbey’ Wine Event

April 8, 2018 by The Inside Press

 

 

Ready for Spring Wine Events
April 10th
7 p.m.
An intimate dinner with one of our favorite wineries of all time –
Freemark Abbey.
Come and get in on the excitement for these very special wines,
which have garnered the highest ratings ever achieved
by this venerable winery.

“Freemark Abbey remains one of the legendary Napa Valley wineries. In spite of what many feared when it was acquired by the Jackson family of Kendall-Jackson, things have only gotten stronger and more consistent under their leadership, with the continuation of chief winemaker Ted Edwards. Since I have been tasting these wines over the last few years, this has been a consistent producer of high quality wines in both red and white.” Robert Parker
(menu below)


An Evening with the very special wines of Freemark Abbey

Hors d’oeuvre Reception
House-Smoked Salmon Pizzetta, sushi rice cake
Cured Heritage Pork Prosciutto, cavaillon melon
Seared Yellowfin Tuna, jay’s espresso rub
Spring Onion Aroncini
Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley, 2016

First Course
Barnegat Inlet Diver Scallops in Shell
roasted cauliflower, corn sprouts, yuzu lovage emulsion
Chardonnay, Napa Valley, 2015

Second Course
Grilled Hudson Valley Quail
asparagus, morels, truffle
Merlot, Napa Valley, 2013
Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, 2014

Third Course
Roasted Organic ‘Grass & Grit Farm’ Lamb Loin
wild ramp leaves, wild hive buckwheat pilaf, red wine lamb jus
Cabernet Sauvignon, Rutherford, Napa Valley, 2012
Cabernet Sauvignon, Sycamore Vineyards, 2012

Cheese
McGrath Cheese Company ‘Rascal’
R&G Cheesemaker, ‘Blackbert’
Cabernet Sauvignon, Bosche Vineyard, 2013

Petit Fours & Coffee

145. inclusive
*menu items subject to change

Reservations: 914 666-8044  Visit kittlehouse.com

Filed Under: Sponsor News! Tagged With: Crabtree's Kittle House, Dinner, Event, Food, Ready for Spring

Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe from Kittle’s Chef Jay!

November 23, 2016 by Inside Press

turkey-dinner

Leave your guests in awe with Chef Jay’s Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe for brining and roasting, and don’t forget the gravy!

Brining Your Turkey

Ingredients:
* 1 gallon water
* 1 cup granulated sugar
* 1 cup (packed) brown sugar
* 1 large onion, sliced
* 1/4 cup garlic cloves, crushed
* Lemon thyme
* 2 1/2 tbsp kosher salt
* 1 tablespoons red pepper flakes
* 2 tsp black peppercorns
* 2 1/2 tsp whole coriander seeds
* 2 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
* 1 bay leaf

Method:
Combine the ingredients in a large pot; bring to a boil. Cool completely. Place the turkey in a container just large enough to hold the bird, pour the brine over the turkey, cover, and chill overnight. Make sure that the turkey is weighted down and entirely covered in the brining mixture. If you have an especially large turkey, add more ingredients proportionately.

Roasting Your Turkey

Ingredients:
* kosher salt and ground black pepper
* 1 bunch of celery, large dice
* 3 large carrots, large dice
* 1 onion, large dice
* 1 cup of water
* 1 stick of butter, room temperature (optional)

Method:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Take turkey out of the brine an hour before roasting, rinse, and pat dry.

Place celery, carrots, onion and water in one layer in the bottom of a roasting pan. Season the turkey liberally with salt and pepper, then rub with softened butter. Rest the turkey, breast side down on top of the mound of vegetables. Place in the oven and cook for 1 hour, then turn the turkey over so it is breast side up, tucking the wings under the bird. As the turkey turns a golden brown, baste it with juices from the pan. Use an oven-safe thermometer to take the temperature of the bird. When it reads between 165-170, take the bird out of the oven. Let it sit for 15-20 minutes to let the juices settle. Serve and enjoy!

*Cooking time varies based on weight
12-18 pounds = 3 – 3.5 Hours

Gravy
Ingredients
* 3 tbsp butter
* 3 tbsp flour
* 1 c white wine or water
* 1 cup chicken stock

Method
Take the vegetables out of the roasting pan and set aside. Separately, make a roux; melt three tablespoons of butter and slowly add three tablespoons of flour, cooking until golden colored. Deglaze the roasting pan with one cup of dry white wine, or water. Add a cup of chicken stock to the juices simmering on a low heat. Place the neck and gizzard into the roasting pan and cook over medium heat. Remove the gizzard and neck. Add the roux a spoon at time until the gravy is the desired consistency.

Using a strainer, pour the liquid out of the pan and into your gravy boat and serve!chef-jay

Filed Under: Holiday Recipes Tagged With: Chef Jay, Crabtree's Kittle House, Turkey Recipe

Kittle House: A Traditional & Fun Gathering Spot

December 1, 2015 by The Inside Press

Story and Photos By Karen Talbot

kittlehouse

John Crabtree and his family purchased this European-style country manor house and restaurant in 1981. The structure originally built in 1790 as a barn has an illustrious history dating back to the origins of Chappaqua. Farm-to-table dining literally started here and Kittle House maintains an excellent reputation as an outlet for the finest sustainable, naturally raised and grown products from small artisanal farmers in the area.

The beautiful grounds and gardens provide an idyllic setting for both dining and special occasions. The Kittle House offers 12 guest rooms for overnight stays, and dining primarily in either the main dining room or the historic Tap Room which are open every day for lunch and dinner and Sunday for their famous brunch.

Chef Jay Lippin creates noteworthy food using traditional French techniques. For lunch, the Maine lobster roll is a favorite with avocado, tomato, firecracker slaw and roasted garlic potato chips. Jay specializes in game dishes for dinner such as Highland Farms Venison Osso Buco with creamy wild chive polenta, broccolini in a red wine sauce, or Helder Herdwyck Farms Guinea Hen with scarlet blush corn, local bean and sweet pepper hash in a red sorrel sauce. The Kittle House’s dessert classic is the “Chocolate Gift” which combines pastry and cake shaped like a gift box. The Holidays are especially festive at the Kittle House and the restaurant has been a traditional and fun gathering spot for family members over many generations.

The Kittle House has a wine cellar of over 60,000 bottles. It has been the recipient of The Grand Award from The Wine Spectator since 1994 and the Award of Great Distinction from The Wine Enthusiast since 2006.

11 Kittle Road, Chappaqua
914-666-8044
kittlehouse.com

Karen Talbot is a Westchester-based personal shopper and restaurant reviewer. The love of cooking runs in her family! Karen’s son Alex and his wife Aki Kamozawa started a food blog “Ideas in Food” in early 2000, and they have just opened “Curiosity Donuts” in the Stockton Market in Stockton, New Jersey.

Filed Under: Sponsor News! Tagged With: Chappaqua, Crabtree's Kittle House, Family, gathering spot, Inside Press, Kittle House, restaurant, theinsidepress.com

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