Stories from Catbird Cottage with Chef and Cookbook Author Melina Hammer

We are Upstate New York and behind the scenes at Catbird Cottage, an intimate bed & breakfast in Accord, NY, and the creation of its proprietors, the award-winning Hudson Valley cookbook author, food stylist, chef + photographer, Melina Hammer, and her husband, photographer Jim Lafferty. 

A contributor to Bon Appetit, Food52, The New York Times Food, and Edible magazines, Melina‘s passion for food and hosting fabulous gatherings has evolved since we last caught up with her. If you missed our exclusive interview, you can find it here. Melina’s curated dining events and private dinners at Catbird Cottage – from intimate to raucous, have expanded to include weddings and teaming up with local venues for delicious partner pop-up events. INSIDE+OUT Upstate NY reconnected with Melina to find out what she’s been cooking up outside Catbird Cottage kitchen. Let’s get started! 

INSIDE+OUT: When did you first realize that food would be a significant part of your life’s work, and how did that realization lead to the creation of your hospitality business?

Melina Hammer: When I moved Upstate, I knew food would take a more central focus in my life, primarily because I planned to integrate hosting into our world upon settling in. I wanted to grow heirloom ingredients, broaden my repertoire of seasonal and world flavors, expand my understanding of fermentation and ways to preserve the seasonal bounty and showcase these amazing flavors during guest experiences.

It’s been a year since we last caught up, and it seems like you’ve been up to some exciting things! Tell us about your pop-up dinners—what’s been your inspiration behind them? 

Each dinner I produce is carried by a theme. This helps me define what appears on the menu and the visual elements that shape the experience. Most recently, I teamed up with the Starlite Motel and The Catskills Cocktail Club for a “Vinterferie” (Norwegian winter vacation) supper club, and everyone had an amazing time! While there were nods to Norwegian and Scandinavian fare with courses like smørrebrød and herb-infused seafood pies, I also wanted to conjure the broader idea of eating fireside in a ski chalet and included ember-roasted cabbage (one of the surprise hits of the night), and ultra-savory porchetta-inspired ragù sliders. 

“The thing that laces each event together is wonderful people from my extended community gathering around the table, building humanity over to-die-for food.” – Melina Hammer

Last summer, I created a “Feast in the Canopy” multi-sensory dinner with the talented duo Hort & Pott. The aperitivo hour took place at their home and featured my mushroom escabeche and rye lavash, an Armenian pickle I adore, and a custardy wild salmon Spanish tortilla. The family-style dinner was a short meander up the knoll through lush gardens evoking the tropical jungle. I made sensuous food for sultry weather: the main event included Pernil-style pork shoulder with chicharrones, paired with a garlic scape tapenade and pickled wild blueberries, as well as a dish I call “sauna shrimp” – delicately poached, showered in aromatics, and topped with crispy alliums. A Vietnamese-inspired slaw added refreshment with loads of juicy-crunchy layers.

Another exceptional event was a fall, family-style “Wild Alaska” feast. I featured the wild bounty from Alaska waters, harvested by fisherman friends, Drifters Fish. It was a beautiful, intimate dinner held on the property of botanical artist Wendy Hollander. I rolled handmade pasta, roasted sides of exquisite black cod and sockeye salmon, and paired each with differing savory and bright accompaniments, showered with herbs from my garden. The thing that laces each event together is wonderful people from my extended community gathering around the table, building humanity over to-die-for food.

“I don’t make fussy food, but rather soulful dishes that display care and consideration, finished with zesty ephemera.” – Melina Hammer

Are there any special projects or events you’re working on that you’re excited to share?

A little later this year, I’ll be producing a huge feast for a very special wedding, and I could not be more excited. After a tasting with my clients, we vibed amazingly together. The flavor layers and textures that I love really resonated with them. So I’ll be crafting a menu spanning the entire affair, with upwards of 150 people…

Simultaneously, I produce a newsletter on Substack called Stories from Catbird Cottage every week. For each installment, I develop delectable recipes for home cooks that speak to the moment, and I also share deep dives on how to live more engaged and deliciously. I share news of upcoming events there first – people wanting to snag a spot or get a first peek are often subscribers, and that level of connection feels so good.

I’ve also been teaching more regularly. There are so many ingredients and methods that, when understood, are a huge help to cooking expertly, and teaching these so others can level up their own processes is vital. I love empowering people to cook with confidence and eat well! I offer classes every couple of months at Blue Cashew in Kingston: the next sessions are on April 26 and June 7. They’ll be filled with the freshest ingredients of the moment, often organized as a three-course dining experience to sit down to after hands-on time learning techniques. 

In addition to your award-winning book A Year at Catbird Cottage, you have another book for foodie kids! Tell us about this. 

Kid Chef  was born out of a desire to empower kids in the kitchen so they would inevitably fall in love with the universe of food. Since we all have to eat every day, isn’t it more fulfilling if there’s a natural excitement in our approach? Discovery of new ingredients and the accomplishment of mastering a technique – and perhaps most importantly – relishing in what you’ve just made, help set new cooks in the kitchen up for success. Kid Chef is a best-seller and has charted the way for many other kids + cooking titles; it even appeared in the Disney movie Noelle with Bill Hader, Shirley MacLaine, and Anna Kendrick. 

Do you have any special plans for Catbird Cottage this year? For those who haven’t heard of this special place, what can people expect from a stay at the cottage? 

A couple of years ago, we endeavored a major bathroom buildout, and it’s become our favorite room in the house. In the time since, we’ve accomplished numerous smaller improvements that make our daily lives more enjoyable. There will be new additions to the garden beds this season: multiple new native plants in the perennial beds, as well as new heirloom ingredients in the kitchen garden, including juicy snap beans and peas, new heirloom tomatoes, and herbs such as huacatay, jarjir, za’atar, and other ingredients from varying corners of the world. 

When people come for a stay, we strive to create a sanctuary feel so people can exhale and leave truly recharged. The master suite is filled with soft, inviting textiles and linens. I white-washed the ceilings when we moved in, and guests regularly remark about its cozy, airy feel. There are stacks of art books from my grandmother’s collection (who was a painter) and her abstract paintings hang on the walls. Everyone who stays with us enjoys a beautiful breakfast according to their tastes and the season. If it is a warmer time of year, most guests take breakfast out on the deck amongst the chickadees and hummingbirds.

How does your ethos drive your menus at Catbird Cottage and other events you host?

I strive to highlight locally grown and wild ingredients so that the best of moment and place is present. I don’t make fussy food, but rather soulful dishes that display care and consideration, finished with zesty ephemera. For private dinners and coursed menus at our home, these ingredients often take center stage. 

What do you love most about living + working in the Hudson Valley? 

Everyone here loves the beauty of our region. Whether it’s hiking, bicycling, gardening, outdoor cocktail sipping, or other pastimes, we all cherish the beauty surrounding us. In my years here, I’ve also been fortunate to get to know many talented people, many of whom are now friends. 

Earliest visceral or impactful food memory?

Every few years, my family traveled to visit my grandmother and her husband. They’d previously lived in Mexico, and she brought many of those inspirations to her artmaking, home design, and food. Her rendition of tortilla soup was transporting – equally uplifting and indulgent! To take the experience even further, she presented meals in unusual ceramics and created a whole tablescape for the greatest impact. 

What was the best dish or meal you’ve ever had, and who made it?

It was on a three-month solo trip around Europe. In Venice, I asked for a recommendation for a great place to go and eat. I was guided to try Paradiso Perduto, and I made sure to arrive just as they were set to open (it was a popular spot). As the humble space filled to bursting with the evening’s revelers, I was served an amazing antipasti platter, followed by a grilled seafood platter. Every single element was simple looking – from the eggplant and squash to the squid, fishtail, and prawns – but exquisitely prepared so that the tenderness, savoriness, and flavor layers were maximized. It was insanely delicious.

When you’re not hosting others at your fabulous events, how do you wind down yourself? What’s a perfect day for you?

I’m not very good at winding down! I really am a doer, but if I’m left to myself and it is warm out… the day would begin in my gardens, seeing what nature is doing, feeding the chickadees from my hand, and sipping freshly brewed coffee as I meander. From there, I’d bicycle to my favorite spots to check in on wild ingredients to harvest. Back home, I’d change, turn around, and get comfortable at a restaurant that inspires me: their expertly prepared fresh flavors informing mine, filling my well to be inspired again.

If you could have one superpower- what would that be? 

I would bring everyone’s shared humanity front and center: renew compassion for all living beings – human, animal, and plant, so we can endeavor the crucial work of healing ourselves and the planet.

Photos courtesy of Melina Hammer and Jim Lafferty 

Follow/Connect with Melina Hammer via Website | Instagram | Substack | Catbird Cottage
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Insider Tip: When you book a stay you should absolutely select to add a 3-4 course dinner feast!  #foodieheaven

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