On February 2, 2013, Christ Church Episcopal of Hudson NY hosted a chili cookoff. Hudson is a city which takes it s chili seriously and the cookoff featured the individual variations of about 7 local chili cooks. Congrats to Wally!
Next up is brownies in April.
Location: 431 Union Street, Hudson NY 12534 (near the Courthouse)
If you haven’t been, just go and wander through it. Open kitchens, mozzarella pulling, wine bar, bakery, deli, chocolates, market, bazaar and a rooftop garden restaurant. Eatlay isn’t one thing; it is everything. This is the sampler I had. 2 prosciutto, mortadella, speck, taleggio, 4 other cheeses, truffled honey.
(518) 671-6610
Trader Joe’s has opened in Albany with their unique mix of house branded products. They buy direct and offer great prices on a wide variety of food, beverage and household items. I especially love their chocolate covered espresso beans, Tuscan bread, and cookies.
Trader Joe’s is famous for their items which have no preservatives, artifical colors or ingredients. No GMO, MSG, and no trans fat. Lots of great pantry staples too but don’t expect to find locally grown items here — at this German-owned chain, they “shop the world” for great values.
Pictures of the Trader Joe’s Colonie store before it opened in August 2012.
79 Wolf Road Colonie, NY 12205
8am to 9pm daily
518 482-4538
Saturdays from 9am to 1pm in the large parking lot at 6th Street and Columbia (Route 9). This summer featuring live music and book signings.
Apples, eggs, milk, honey, maple syrup, artisanal cheeses, herb and flower starters, beer growlers, wine, Bershire Bakeries breads, Loaf breads, rhubarb, leeks, ramps, garlic, onions, carrots, sweet potatoes, pears, peaches, lamb, pork, wool, and all in season vegetables.
Look for the orange and green carrots painted on the pavement to point the way. Walking from Warren Street the easy way to spot the market is go to 6th Street (Bank of America is there) and look for the carrots or just walk north toward Columbia.
This video shows the market in its winter home:
Vendors include:
Samascott Orchards – Kinderhook NY
Northern Star Farms – eggs, lamb, pork, wool
Don Baker Farms – Route 14, apples, pear, peaches
Pigasso Farms –
Had dinner at WD50 back in March and it got me thinking more about plating. Don’t get me wrong — WD50 is about MUCH more than plating but appearance is part of the fun. So I don’t have the gear for sous vide or the thing that vacuum cooks your meat and then drops it into some amazing sauce before letting it come back to pressure and sucking the sauce into the most tender and amazing meat. But plating is free.
Like many of the things your mother told you not to do, playing with your food is really fun. Not many courses are offered on plating nor are there cook books specifically about plating. I’m learning mine from imitating pictures of well-plated entrees, video of chefs plating and pure experimentation.
This is Genoa salami from Hannaford and a simple Vermont white cheddar cheese omlette. Aside: I love to put salami in the oven — awesome. Either by itself like a chip or wrapped into a knot of pizza dough at 400F. I would have cooked off this salami here but I was hungry.
So it helps if you are not hungry and just have time to play around with making stuff look more interesting on the plate. I had some extra purple potatoes so cubed them and steamed them. Piled them up on this plate by Kiroki and garnished with a trilogy of roast green, orange and yellow bell peppers and sea salt. The pasta is Barilla’s angel hair with fire roasted organic tomatoes by Muir Glen, grated parmesan and tellicherry black pepper.
Hannaford opened their new store at the intersection of Route 9, Route 23 and Route 82 about 3 weeks ago. It is a smaller store than their Red Hook location but features a pharmacy and a great deli counter. Good organic vegetables and fruit and even a small bulk section. Very convenient for weekenders coming off of the Taconic State Parkway or resident of Hudson. It took about 10 minutes to get to the store from the middle of Hudson so time wise Hannaford is as close as ShopRite, Price Chopper, ALDI or WalMart on Fairview. Beautiful new store, very clean.
I tried their New England Clam Chowder — excellent, creamy and delicious. A hearty snack or a great meal starter. Also liked their blueberry muffins and the deli counter. Great selection of cheese, hors d’oeuvres, crackers, snacks and party platters. The one thing missing right now is the fantastic Prosciutto de Parma that they have at Red Hook — mild, rich and perfectly sliced. Hopefully I can talk them into stocking some for me (and you).