Stacy Dermont and Hillary Davis are the acclaimed cookbook authors of The Hamptons Kitchen. They place a large emphasis on eating seasonally and locally, offering recipes for each meal course, along with wine and beer pairings. With differing backgrounds that complement one another, their love of food brought them together, forming a friendship and the perfect cookbook for anyone looking to capture the spirit of the Hamptons right in their kitchen.
Stacy says, “The Hamptons Kitchen was a dream project—to combine my knowledge of Long Island agriculture and viticulture with Hillary’s background in French cooking—c‘est magnifique!” She went on to explain how they divide the year into five seasons because low summer and high summer offer a vastly different selection of produce.
“I’m an Appalachian farmgirl from Cattaraugus County,” Stacy says, “I met Hillary when she was shooting her cookbook French Desserts in Bridgehampton in 2016, and I was editing a weekly magazine at the time. We hit it off and agreed we should collaborate to share our talents, and our love of local food.”
Hillary described their partnership as “a match made in heaven.” She says, “To be able to work on a cookbook about the Hamptons together as we are bookends: Stacy, the ultimate farm background, an expert in foraging and local produce; and me, a six-time cookbook author trained in French cuisine but able to translate that to local cuisine through Stacy’s eyes.”
All the recipes found in The Hamptons Kitchen are unique and limited to the Northeast region. Many of them include ingredients that are specific to the Hamptons as well, one of which, noted by the authors, is Amagansett Sea Salt. Stacy says, “Every recipe is original, but often influenced by local sources. For instance, Wolffer Winemaker and Partner Roman Roth told me about his favorite way to cook bass. I went home and tried it, wrote it all out. That became my recipe Wild About Striped Bass!”
Stacy and Hillary both love exploring the culinary scene on the East End and find tons of inspiration in this community. Whether it’s shopping at a local farmers market like the East End Food Market in Riverhead, or exploring restaurants, they are always on the lookout for everything food-related that the area has to offer. Stacy says, “The Hamptons food shed just gets richer with every season. There are the many traditional crops, and now there’s locally grown ginger, turmeric, and kiwi berries!” She also loves the simple pleasure of spending time in her kitchen garden outside Sag Harbor.
Whereas Hillary has been taking on the pursuit of discovering “under-the-radar cooking” in the Hamptons—food that garners less attention in the area. She says, “For instance, at the Seafood Market in Wainscott, they have a chef preparing the most amazing homemade tamales. In a fish market? I can’t get enough of them. Or I found a fabulous fish soup at The Pizza Place in Bridgehampton. It’s all Latino cuisine there (other than some good thin crust pizza) and the fish soup is amazing, served with rice, hot sauce, and a slice of lemon. I am steadily making my way down their hot bar trying every dish. Happy so far!”
Hillary’s new cookbook French from the Market will be released in spring 2024, and she is working on another one that is anticipated for fall of 2024.
Stacy’s next endeavor is quite different, however. She explained that she was recently diagnosed with Meibomian Gland Dysfunction. She says, “I hope to get back to writing and write about this largely under-reported and misdiagnosed disease in articles, and in books. I’d like to work to bring a doctor who has been expertly trained in Meibomian Gland probing to the East End to serve the many would-be patients here.” She said that, to her, “success is the feeling of contributing something worthwhile by using your own unique voice.” And this is exactly what Stacy will continue to do in sharing not only her love of the culinary arts, but extending it to her personal experiences.
Stacy believes we all have experiences with food that are worth sharing, saying, “Everyone has a cookbook inside them, and they should bring it out! Whether it’s high-art, or a memento for family members, don’t wait, write up those recipes!”
Since there are not many original copies left of The Hamptons Kitchen, the co-authors are hoping to enjoy a second printing of this acclaimed cookbook in 2024 with more events to follow as they continue to connect to all the East End has to offer—the people, the produce, the establishments, and beyond! For more information about The Hamptons Kitchen and what Stacy and Hillary have in store for the future, visit https://thehamptonskitchen.com.
