Napping in Cooperstown, Part I: Travel Series #5

Writing a single travel post about Cooperstown NY, my hometown, is next to impossible. There are so many wonderful things to see and do in this idyllic upstate NY village that I am going to have to split up the information. Today is my first installment, and I will plan a second installment this fall. Even then, I doubt I will have covered everything, but at least I will be able to highlight the best of the best. So, without further ado, here is the beginning of my favorite adventures, foodie and otherwise, in Cooperstown, New York. And, if any of you decide to plan a trip to Cooperstown, please let me know, I will happily answer any questions you have.

The Naptime Chef's Cooperstown Favorite's (in no particular order):

1) Museums: Cooperstown is chock-full of amazing museums. When you are here be sure to visit: The National Baseball Hall of Fame, The Farmers' Museum and The Fenimore Art Museum. They are all worth visiting and are great for children, as well.


2) Stagecoach Coffee: My childhood friend Matt and his brother, Chris, own this amazing coffee shop. Needless to say, with my daughter waking at dawn these days, I pay them a daily visit. Sometimes I even return for lunch, their homemade paninis are to die for.

3) The Lemon Tree: Jeanne Ayers has the most charming kitchen and paper shop I have ever seen, and it is located right on Main Street. Her well-edited selection of kitchen equipment and fine papers means that I am never without anything I need while I experiment with new recipes. I swear by her array of Le Creuset products.

4) Little Bo'tique: If your children are in need of a few bribes, or if you need a baby gift, this is the perfect shop for you. I love their selection of children's clothing, wooden toys and knick-knacks. My daughter is spoiled by her grandparents, they shop for her here, almost exclusively.

5) Alex & Ika: How can you not love a restaurant that grows an herb garden in their front window, pledges to use only local sustainable ingredients, and changes their menu seasonally?! This is our favorite restaurant for date night, the food is delicious and the atmosphere warm and comfortable. Plus, the wine list is exceptional. Leave young children with a babysitter.

6) Fly Creek Cider Mill: I have been loving my trips to the Cider Mill since I will little. At this charmingly small operation you can watch cider be made with an old-fashioned motorized press. There is also a sweet gift shop where you can get bushels of fresh apples, jars of apple butter and homemade fudge and cheese. Also, the snackbar features fresh cider donuts, which are easily the best I've ever had.


7) Sal's Pizzeria: Every town needs a great pizza place, and this is the best in Central NY. Sal's serves up NY-style pizza year-round and, despite how much pizza I've eaten in my lifetime (a lot!) this is still the best.

8) Doubleday Cafe: This is my daughter's favorite restaurant in the whole wide world. It is completely kid friendly, has a tasty menu ranging from burgers to fajitas, and a great selection of beers on tap. My daughter especially enjoys the fresh popped popcorn they bring to the table while you wait for your food.


9) Cooperstown Farmers' Market: Central NY is alive with amazing farms and here is where the farmers come to sell their crops. We eat almost exclusively from our purchases here all summer long, there is no limit to the delicious vegetables, meat, poultry and dairy products you can find. My current favorite is Fairytale Eggplant (pictured below).


10) Yum Yum Shack: This restaurant always lives up to it's appetizing name. We always love visiting this family-friendly spot to enjoy the delicious seafood, meat and vegetarian dishes. My personal favorite are the fish-n-chips, the most authentic tasting version I've found since I lived in Scotland.

Napping in the SchoolHouse Kitchen

Growing up in Cooperstown my Dad and I played the "license plate game" every year. During the summer months (a.k.a. tourist season) we would regularly walk along Main Street with a small map of the US. When we spotted a license plate from a new state we would mark our map, tallying up the total at the end of year. Some years we recorded cars from all 50 states, but it was usually more like 48. Most Hawaiians and Alaskans do not choose to drive to central New York for vacation; they fly instead.

It is a safe assumption that most tourists visiting Cooperstown come for either the Baseball Hall of Fame, the art museums, or the world-renowned opera. However, as a native Cooperstonian, I would like to point out that there is much more to our little town than just sports and art. There is a whole county of idyllic farm land, micro-breweries and artisanal food lines. In fact, the foodie culture is nearly as relevant as baseball these days. Today I am going to tell you about one of my most favorite Cooperstown-grown businesses, my friend Wendy's all-natural gourmet food company, SchoolHouse Kitchen.


Wendy's mother, Patsy, started SchoolHouse Kitchen in Cooperstown in 2005. It all began when Patsy inherited a chutney recipe from a loved one, who made her promise she could only use it for charitable purposes. With her good heart and work ethic, Patsy did just that. She started selling her chutney, mustard and vinaigrette, and donating the profits to education. Remarkably, in a few short years their ever-expanding line of products have garnered several impressive awards, achieved local and national distribution, and become a favorite of many restaurants. To accommodate their growing production needs their headquarters are now located in Brooklyn, and Wendy has been brought in to helm the business.


I have been a fan of SchoolHouse Kitchen products since day one. Their unique flavors always add a delicious twist to whatever I cook. In fact, I recently developed some recipes for them, which will be available on their site soon. In the mean time, I am going to share one of my favorites with you, Black Pepper Pork Chops with Squadrilla Chutney glaze. Per the request of my husband I made it for Father's Day earlier this month, it is one of his favorite meals. We both love the way the flavors of the spicy pepper and orange-chili chutney play off each other. It is the ultimate savory and sweet combination, and is not for the faint of heart.


This meal requires very little preparation during naptime, the only thing I do is set the chops in the marinade and leave them, covered, in the refrigerator. Then, at dinnertime, I simply coat the chops with black pepper and set them in the skillet to cook. Since the seasonings are so strong we prefer the mild pork chop, however, you can easily make this with beef. In addition, we are limited to using the skillet or grill-pan in our apartment, but you could always cook these on an outdoor grill. I am sure it would only add to the flavor. I guarantee that I will be cooking more with SchoolHouse Kitchen products in the future. If they are available near you I highly suggest you purchase some for yourself, and see what recipes you come up with. And, if you need a vacation this summer, I advise booking a trip to Cooperstown. I will gladly be your guide.

Black Pepper Pork Chops with Squadrilla Chutney Glaze
inspired by SchoolHouse Kitchen products
4 large pork chops
1 10 oz jar. Worcestershire sauce
1 c. freshly ground black pepper
1/3 c. Kosher salt
1 10oz. jar SchoolHouse Kitchen Squadrilla Chutney
3 T. Olive Oil Kosher Salt
Yields 4 servings, double or triple recipe for more

1. First, remove pork chops from packaging and pat dry. In a shallow baking dish place pork chops and pour Worcestershire sauce over them, making sure they are fully coated on both sides. Allow pork to marinate for 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, mix salt and black pepper together in a bowl. Then pour it onto a flat surface like dinner plate or cutting board. Then, add olive oil into a wide, shallow skillet and place over medium heat.
3. After the marinating is complete, dip each pork chop in black pepper and salt mixture, making sure both sides are totally coated. Place pork chops in prepared skillet and cook 5 minutes per side, or until meat is cooked through.
4. Warm Squadrilla chutney in a shallow saucepan, or in the microwave.
5. Plate cooked meat and pour warm chutney over each pork chop. Serve immediately.

Naptime Notes:
Naptime Recipe Props: Black Pepper is a classic way to coat meat, and it works very well for these pork chops. The Squadrilla Chutney glaze really adds to the dish, giving it the perfect amount of sweet to offset the spicy pepper. If you prefer beef you can also swap out steak for the pork.
Naptime Stopwatch: This recipe is a snap to prepare, marinating the meat only takes 30 minutes, and then it is a brief 5 minutes per side and dinner is served!
Naptime Recipe Props: The black pepper is still too spicy for my daughter, but she likes the chutney. She dips toast in it!