IN THE KITCHEN WITH CLAUDIA JACOBS

Claudia Jacobs is certainly no stranger to the printed page. Since 2006 she has been writing a weekly Sunday column on home decoration, “Claudia’s Corner,” for The Times Herald-Record. An interior decorator and real estate stager, Claudia lives in Goshen with her two children, Alicia and Preston, who attend Goshen High School and Goshen Intermediate School, respectively. In 1999, life threw Claudia a lemon ... and she made lemonade. She went back to school part-time for interior design at Berkeley College in New Jersey. The way she describes her college trajectory, she would not get her degree until she was in her 60s. So she took courses on real estate staging. Having found her true passion, she opened her own business in 2005: Claudia Jacobs Designs in Goshen. The following year she was recognized for her ability and began writing her column for The Record (officially off for the summer). Claudia is passionate about her town and opportunities for good food and fitness. In the absence of a supermarket (a notable bone of contention in Goshen), Claudia supports the Goshen Farmer’s Market and is thankful it is open again for the season. She is a market regular and recommends Janet as providing the best baked goods. Her favorite restaurant in Goshen is the Hacienda. She considers the festive blend of margaritas and Mexican food the perfect combination for a summer day — or any day. Now that it is warm, Claudia is hitting the Heritage Trail for some fresh air and exercise, with run/walk combinations or bike rides with friends. For a change of scenery she uses the downtown Chester entrance at Erie Station. She also enjoys her own backyard in Goshen. She practices what she preaches about shopping locally and chooses to be a tourist right here in the Hudson Valley. Her summer plans include exploring historic homes, attending concerts at Bethel Woods and visiting its new museum, and discovering new villages with restaurants, art shows, and entertainment opportunities. ‘Food is love’ Growing up Italian, Claudia learned early that “food is definitely love.” “My fondest memories as a little girl center around family and the dining table,” she said. “I grew up in the Bronx, and family was either in walking or close driving distance. Every Sunday we would go to my grandparents’ house for the best food and good times with family. There were first cousins, second cousins, even third cousins. I would help my grandmother in the garden and even in the kitchen. Yup, we lived in the Bronx with a full garden, beautiful flowers, a fig tree, a few cherry and peach trees. It was truly a magical place.” She had a garden when she first moved to Goshen. But with the abundance of farms around, her family prefers supporting local farmers. Like many busy moms, Claudia loves to cook but finds herself doing it less than she would like because of her hectic schedule. “Picky kids tend to influence my cooking habits,” she said. “My favorite is to make a big pot of homemade soup or chili or stew. I freeze it in portion-size containers and even give them to friends.” Formal is not Claudia’s style. She prefers casual get-togethers. “It’s just more relaxing, and I like to enjoy the company of my guests,” she said. “We never seem to leave the kitchen. It’s amazing, no matter how large or small your house is, people gather in the kitchen.” Hers favorite kitchen tools are her mini food processor and salad shooter. “This basically means I don’t want to fiddle with large appliances and the mess they generate,” she said. (A girl after my own heart!) “Also, my handheld blender is handy to puree my butternut squash right in the pot. Works like a charm.” The girl has quite a few tricks up her sleeve. Here’s one she learned from her mother: “When you have fresh parsley, do not discard the stems. Seal them in a plastic freezer bag. Whenever you need them for soup stock, it’s ready to go. It always looks fresh and as green, even frozen.” Another trick is to freeze overripe bananas. “Just thaw them out and while they are still slightly frozen, make a yummy shake with orange juice and vanilla yogurt. The frozen banana makes it creamy.” Claudia was gracious enough to provide her recipe for grilled swordfish that she has been making every summer for years. Included is a fruit salsa that can be made with any combination of melons. She says melon salsa is delicious on fish or chicken, even tortilla chips ... and even better served with margaritas. Grilled Swordfish with Melon Salsa Serves 8 8 swordfish steaks (cut about 1-inch thick) 1/3 cup vegetable oil 1/3 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup fresh lime or lemon juice 1 garlic clove, minced Arrange swordfish steaks in a single layer in a large shallow baking dish. Combine all other ingredients and pour over fish. Cover and marinate in refrigerator for one to two hours. Turn occasionally. Prepare hot grill, and oil rack. Grill swordfish, turning once until just opaque at the center, 10 to 12 minutes total. Serve with melon salsa. Melon Salsa 1 1/2 cups finely diced cantaloupe or casaba melon 1 1/2 cups finely diced honeydew melon 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, minced Combine all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for up to two days. Delicious on fish or chicken, even tortilla chips (ideally served with margaritas). Rachel Neuhaus, contributing writer, lives in Chester with her husband Steve, who is both the town supervisor and expert taste-tester for all of Rachel’s latest culinary experiments. She would love to interview any reader from Goshen or Chester with a favorite recipe to share. You can reach Rachel via e-mail at RachelInNY@optonline.net or 469-2445, or visit her Web site at www.rachelneuhaus.com.