Culinary Tales From the Hudson Valley

Richard Erickson, a chef, and his wife, Mary Anne Erickson — the owners of Blue Mountain Bistro-to-Go, a prepared food shop in Kingston, New York — have published a cookbook. Despite the title “Feel Good Food,” the book is not plugged into the ubiquitous “wellness” trend. It’s simply a solid collection of reliable recipes closely tied to the Hudson Valley agricultural region, with profiles of farms and farmers. The book also reflects Erickson’s travels and experience. Erickson is from Missouri; he and his wife first moved to Woodstock, New York, in the early 1990s, where they opened Blue Mountain Bistro in 1993, now closed. The recipes for food like tomato-fennel soup, mushroom-leek bread pudding, spiced lamb keftas and coq au vin are seasonal, sometimes with Middle Eastern flavors, and suit both everyday and special occasions.