Crabtree's Kittle House

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

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.

Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe from Kittle’s Chef Jay!

November 23, 2016 by Inside Press

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

Kittle House: A Traditional & Fun Gathering Spot

December 1, 2015 by The Inside Press

Story and Photos By Karen Talbot

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.

A Sparkling Success!

October 23, 2012 by The Inside Press

By Vicki de Vries

This lazy summer evening, a dozen small tables covered with white tablecloths grace a lovely garden filled with flowers, bushes and small trees. At one table, a waiter readies for the order.

“I’ll have the mini lobster rolls,” Desmond says in his gentle Irish brogue. His lovely wife, Nora, adds, “And I’ll have the grilled scallops enrobed in bacon,” pointing to the tapas menu.

A skilled guitarist eases into a coffeehouse rift. People holding glasses filled with wine seem to appear from nowhere and start talking to each other. Complete strangers talking to each other.

Suddenly, the atmosphere has become distinctly festive. For the uninitiated, the conviviality could be mistaken for a casual garden party, and the food and wine orders could have been made at any fine outdoor restaurant in almost any town.

What sets this particular scene apart is nothing short of amazing–or, rather, sparkling as in Sparkle for a Cause, the charity fundraiser that Crabtree’s Kittle House Restaurant and Inn in Chappaqua has been sponsoring every Tuesday evening for the past two summers.

Since its auspicious beginning in June of 2011, Sparkle for a Cause has raised well over $12,000 for local charities. The fundraising angle is uncomplicated. Every Tuesday evening, diners order from a special tapas or full dinner menu and have the pleasure of knowing that 30% of their paid bill, minus tax and gratuity, will go to the charity featured for the evening.

Among the charities that have participated in Sparkle for A Cause include Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester, The Child Abuse Prevention Center, Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson, Hope’s Door, Make A Wish of the Hudson Valley, Mount Kisco Child Care Center and the SPCA of Westchester, among others.

As with many great achievements, Sparkle for a Cause began small. In fact, according to John Crabtree, the owner of Crabtree’s Kittle House, it began “on a whim.” It seems that John’s sister Amie Crabtree and Grace Bennett, Inside Chappaqua magazine’s very own enterprising publisher, were discussing various ways to help local charities.

Even though the name Sparkle for a Cause is not necessarily original–there is even an online book company by the same name that publishes personalized children’s books which support “educating our youth through literacy” and in some places in the country, there have been charity events by the same name–the Crabtree’s Kittle House garden variety of Sparkle for a Cause clearly grew out of that inspired discussion between Amy Crabtree and Grace Bennett.

As soon as John Crabtree heard about the idea, he immediately offered to sponsor it, insisting it be held in Amy’s Garden, the outdoor area named in honor of his beloved wife, Amy, who had died from cancer a couple of years before. Located near the restaurant’s Tap Room, the garden is the fulfillment of a dream Amy had, but never lived to enjoy.

Many of Amy’s friends, who have planted flowers and flowering bushes in the garden, also participate in Team Amy, short for the Amy Marie Crabtree Foundation [a 501c (3) charity that the Crabtree family operates] in remembrance of their dear friend. During her life, Amy had helped several charities, including those associated with children, battered women, the homeless, and animals.

Little wonder that many of the Sparkle for a Cause charities reflect the same categories that used to move Amy Crabtree’s generous heart. In celebration of Amy’s birthday on August 2, 2011, Team Amy held a special fundraiser that raised more than $24,000 for four charities: Hope’s Door, Make A Wish, Have a Chance against Brain Tumors, and the SPCA. This past Aug- ust 2, four charities were also featured.

While the formula behind Sparkle for a Cause seems fairly simple, the weekly events have not grown out of spontaneous generation. “Each event is carefully planned,” said Amie Crabtree, who, along with her sister, Rita, contacts the charities and reminds them to promote their special evening through emails and social media. The sisters create the special tapas menu and are on hand to keep each Tuesday event running smoothly.

“Another important last step is reminding the charities to set up a display table with literature, posters and so forth,” said Amie, who also schedules the live musicians that add an extra touch to the party atmosphere.

During the recent Sparkle for a Cause event on August 28, the Child Abuse Center of Westchester set up a literature table and conducted a raffle with an array of prizes. Attendees included committed charity supporters, the CEO and the Treasurer of the charity, and casual diners who “just happened” to learn about the Sparkle event. Either way, “a happy time” was had by all.

So, is Sparkle for a Cause worth the effort? “Absolutely!” said Amie, who can’t wait until next summer to see how much the restaurant can help local charities. And big brother, John, concurs.

Vicki de Vries is a freelance writer/editor and educator who loves the definition of sparkle–“giving off or reflecting flashes of light” and “to be brilliant in performance,” qualities that aptly describe Westchester’s own Sparkle for a Cause at Crabtree’s Kittle House Restaurant and Inn.