Hudson: Lifestyle – Susan Simon. Cookbook author Susan Simon and her dog
Allegra just moved to Hudson after living thirty years in New York City. She is the author of five cookbooks, the
co-author of the James Beard award-winning, Pasta Sfoglia, a guidebook,
Shopping in Marrakech and translator of Italy Dish by Dish, a region by region
guide to the food of Italy. She writes
the food and travel blog Susan Simon Says.
Above. Susan
and her dog Allegra, who is part Vizla and part Pitbull come out of their
pretty green and red eighteenth century brick row house in the center of Hudson
in the Hudson River Valley.
photograph and copyright by manfredi bellati
Susan Simon – Lifestyle detail # 1. A small wooden
painted table holds two pots of Begonias, the book Historic Homes of the Hudson
Valley by Gregory Long and an early bow gesso sculpture by her friend and
artist Margaret Saliske.
photograph and copyright by manfredi bellati
Susan Simon – Lifestyle. Blues and especially Cerulean blue seem to be a recurring color
in Susan’s décor, like her painted desk and bookcases in the writing corner overlooking the garden.
Susan Simon – Lifestyle detail # 2. On the fireplace
mantle a collection of mercury glass vases “One of the first things I unpacked
was my collection of mercury glass – in such rare colors as turquoise, pink and
gold – to place on the mantle.” Susan writes in her blog.
Susan Simon – Lifestyle. The table on the upstairs
landing hold pots filled with geraniums and paintings sit on the floor on a
pretty pink and red striped carpet. The first painting of a still life on the
left was painted by Susan in her student days at Bard College, which is just
“down the road”, the horse painting is also a Susan Simon that she painted for
her aunt and uncle Jessie and Jim Smith of one of their big winners called
Swift Reward and the last, but not least, is of a typical shingle house on
Nantucket by her friend Robert Cronin.
photograph and copyright by manfredi bellati
Susan Simon – Lifestyle detail # 3. On the bedside table, a tray with the words “encouraging good intentions” designed by John Derian for Target, holds glasses and an elegant bottle of Saratoga Spring Water, the pretty lamp base with roses and dots is also a John Derian creation and Sweet Williams complete this pretty picture.
Susan Simon – Lifestyle detail # 3. On the bedside table, a tray with the words “encouraging good intentions” designed by John Derian for Target, holds glasses and an elegant bottle of Saratoga Spring Water, the pretty lamp base with roses and dots is also a John Derian creation and Sweet Williams complete this pretty picture.
photograph and copyright by manfredi bellati
Susan Simon – Lifestyle detail # 4. In the living room on top of a low bookcase
by the window a blue and white Chinese export ceramic lamp, a green plant and
good friend Louise Fili’s and Lise Apatoff’s book Italianissimo – The Quintessential
Guide to What Italians do Best.
photograph and copyright by manfredi bellati
Susan Simon – Lifestyle detail # 5. Majestically on the dinning room table silver
and mercury glass candlesticks hold burned down beeswax candles look elegant and “decadent”.
photograph and copyright by manfredi bellati
Susan Simon – Lifestyle detail # 6. Breakfast.
Strawberries and blueberries in English Willow pattern blue
and white bowls and Pure Honey from Nantucket “First and most importantly, my
brother-in-law, Jimmy Gross, is a beekeeper on Nantucket. His dozen or so
hives produce hundreds and hundreds of pounds of blue-ribbon
award-winning honey not defined by a particular blossom - but, a blend of
many - he collects his honey at the end of season.” Susan writes in her blog.
Susan Simon – Lifestyle detail # 7. Breakfast. Susan makes her own Granola with vegetarian
cook, Amy Chaplin’s recipe, which includes brown rice syrup that gives the
whole thing a crackling texture. A guest's iPad
with the New York Times sits besides the enamel bowl.
photograph and copyright by manfredi bellati
Susan Simon – Lifestyle detail # 8. Books are on show
in a pretty garden urn; Vogue Living: Houses, Gardens, People by Hamish Bowles
and Mutts by Sharon Montrose. A
terracotta white glazed early American cider jug and a Sicilian tile, found at
the flea market in Palermo sit on the low bookcase by the window in the living
room, above which one of her good friend, Massimo Vitali’s beach photographs.
Susan Simon – Lifestyle. Allegra the part Vizla and part Pitbull rests
on her bed surrounded by cushions covered in elegant Rubelli fabric.