Author: Kacie Cotter-Harrigan
Take-out Food Offers a Journey Around the World (and a break from cooking)
From Europe to the Middle East, the Saratoga Farmers’ Market has authentic foods from around the world available for take-out every Saturday. So even though we all had to cancel our travel plans this past year, you can still get a taste of your favorite international foods. What’s better is that you can take a break from cooking and enjoy delicious meals prepared by people who love sharing their native cuisine.
Euro Delicacies offers various flavorful Mediterranean dishes like stuffed grape leaves (dolma), baklava, and stuffed peppers. Try their moussaka; a casserole layered with potatoes, ground sirloin, and caramelized vegetables with bechamel sauce. Or spanakopita; a Greek pastry filled with chopped spinach, cheese, onion, olive oil, and seasonings. Euro Delicacies began in Sarajevo by the Hrelja family, now sharing their Eastern European heritage with the Upstate New York community.
Giovanni Fresco has a selection of freshly made pasta, homemade sauces like alfredo and meat sauce, and entrees such as penne alla vodka and eggplant parmigiana. Some items can be purchased frozen as well so that you can stock up and enjoy fresh Italian food whenever you want. Giovanni Fresco was started in 2017 by Giovanni and Francesca, an Italian couple who moved to America with the hopes of bringing authentic and traditional Italian dishes to their new community.
Petra’s Pocket Pies makes savory pita pies, a dough stuffed with combinations of vegetables, meats, and cheeses. Owner Sabreen Samman was inspired to share flavors from her home country of Jordan and began selling her savory pastries at the farmers’ market in 2018. Samman uses a blend of Mediterranean seasonings for her food and offers American style options, like buffalo chicken and Philly cheesesteak.
My Dacha Slavonian Cafe makes various entrees like pierogies, lasagna, beef stroganoff, and cabbage stuffed with ground beef, tomato sauce, parsley, and rice. They offer a variety of homemade Slavic foods from Eastern Europe. Aladdin and Nataliya Kamel, from Egypt and Ukraine, blend their unique backgrounds to make classic dishes that reflect their home countries and their Italian cuisine knowledge.
If you’re looking for fresh and tasty take-out food, try the melting pot of cuisines every Saturday. For complete menu options, online ordering, and delivery, check the businesses’ websites or retail locations.
EDITOR’S PICKS:
FAVORITE DISHES NOT TO MISS AT THE MARKET!
Euro Delicacies’ sweet potato salad is probably the best we’ve ever had. It’s made with steamed sweet potatoes and topped with walnuts, cranberries, and scallions, and tossed in an olive oil dressing. This dish is also vegan.
Giovanni Fresco has fried snacks that are a must-try. They make Italian-style arancini (fried rice balls) that are stuffed with cheese, meat, or vegetables. They also make American-inspired fried mac & cheese.
Petra’s Pocket Pies has a roasted chicken pita pocket with garlic aioli; a tasty comfort food that includes aioli sauce from Saratoga Garlic Company.
My Dacha’s lasagna is a Ukrainian take on traditional Italian comfort food.
DON’T FORGET THE DESSERT!
Euro Delicacies has baklava, a Turkish dessert made from a sweet pastry of layers of filo filled with chopped nuts and sweetened and held together with syrup or honey. Their famous apple strudel is a version of a Mediterranean apple pie made with filo dough.
Giovanni Fresco makes traditional and Nutella tiramisu; an Italian dessert made of ladyfingers dipped in coffee, layered with a whipped mixture of eggs, sugar, and mascarpone cheese, flavored with cocoa.
My Dacha Slavonian Cafe’s sweet crepes are filled with raisins and cheese, or poppy seeds. They are the perfect dessert to follow any of their savory dishes. They also offer Neapolitan cake, tiramisu, and baklava.
The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is open Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Find us online at saratogafarmersmarket.org and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. For online pre-ordering and curbside pickup, visit localline.ca/saratoga-farmers-market.
My Mezzaluna
Hello my Foodie Friends!
We are definitely spending more time in our kitchens. Food prep has become an essential step in creating the spectacular dishes we are now creating for ourselves, family, and friends.
There is one tool that has become an “essential” in the kitchen: enter the mezzaluna. The mezzaluna is the meal prep tool that you never knew you needed. Meaning “half moon” in Italian, this old-fashioned workhorse will cut your chopping time in half—and it’s actually fun to use. Why chop or mince when you could rock? The mezzaluna, with its half-moon-shwaped blade and knobby handles at each end, possesses the simplicity of a tool like the hammer. Its design recalls an earlier time, before the food processor, and before home cooks had knife skills worthy of a restaurant kitchen. Operating a mezzaluna is simple: Grab the two handles and rock back and forth while the curved blade does its thing, gliding over the board. It makes a pleasing whooshing sound when seesawing—somewhere between a rocking chair and a samurai’s sword. Your fingers will be tucked safely away too, as you use both hands to grasp the sturdy handles instead of guiding the blade as you might with a conventional knife. In other words, they are foolproof—which is useful when you want to keep all your fingers intact. The crescent-shaped curved blade is often used in Italy for pesto and soffritto, the small dice of carrot, onion, and celery that is the base for so many soups and stews or to dispatch herbs, garlic, ginger, nuts, and anything else that needs to be roughly chopped (done in seconds) or finely minced (more like a minute.
Mezzalunas come in a variety of sizes (if you want to impress your mates by slicing up a pizza like a pro, opt for a larger one), with one or two parallel blades. The latter will give you twice the number of chops in the same amount of time, but you risk getting bits of food stuck between the blades. Many will find that the traditional single-blade ones are best.
Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store, to find those cool tools that can help you as you plan out your menus and get chopping. Make a mezzaluna a part of your culinary “go to” collection. Remember my Foodie Friends, “Life Happens in the Kitchen.”
Take Care,
John & Paula
Changing the Conversation
“‘The time is always right to do what is right.’ You could (and should) start right now by doing a small part to treat people with dignity, courtesy and respect.” – Carol Daggs
We are a multicultural nation. Instead of being something that divides us, our diversity can be a great source of strength – broadening our knowledge, expanding our resourcefulness and our resilience when faced with the demands of our changing world.
February is Black History Month and MLK Saratoga is using this time to honor diversity through a variety of educational offerings stemming from the vision of Dr. Martin Luther King and others.
“What many people may not understand or appreciate is the reality of how race can impact our experience at school and in the workplace,” said author Carol Daggs.
Daggs was born and raised in Saratoga Springs, and her book, Saratoga Soul Brandtville Blues traces her family’s history in the area.
It’s the Saratoga Public Library’s Saratoga READS! adult book selection for the Read Woke Challenge, just one of the many activities happening this month.
WE SHALL OVERCOME
MLK Saratoga will not be deterred from spreading their message, even by the unusual challenges of the past year. Co-chairs Lezlie Dana, Holly Hammond, and Garland Nelson overcame them and activated their 2021 theme, “Let’s Talk, Saratoga! – Changing the Conversation.”
In January, MLK Saratoga spearheaded a four-day Dr. King Celebration Weekend. By partnering with more than 15 local organizations, the weekend showcased 25 regional artists, performers, and writers covering a broad range of social justice topics. More than 200 participants registered for the events, and many more watched live on Facebook and YouTube.
Offered remotely and free to the public, these workshops, performances, trainings, and keynote address from Professor Loretta J. Ross, who spoke on Calling Out Culture, were made possible through the generosity of MLK Saratoga supporters, including their primary underwriter, Skidmore College, as well as through the work of Soul Session Edu-tainment, Inc., the Spring Street Gallery, and others.
BUILDING BRIDGES
Education, discussion, and greater awareness creates the bridges that connect people to each other.
Illuminating, sharing, and elevating the lesser-known stories (that include both suffering and triumph) – give each of us the opportunity to see ourselves in others. This knowledge is the bridge that can heal our communities.
It also inspires action, including MLK Saratoga’s Day of Service during which a variety of remote independent projects were encouraged. Collections were taken to benefit the Franklin Community Center, Code Blue, Shelters of Saratoga, and SNACpac. Temple Sinai received 1,700 children’s books to promote literacy through The Red Bookshelf project.
OPENING DOORS, MINDS & HEARTS
As parents, teachers, mentors and community members, we are responsible for bringing richer, fuller experiences to our children that put us on common ground.
To open doors, minds, and hearts, and to teach children their voices are valued today, free copies of Wishtree by Katherine Applegate are available for Saratoga Springs students in grades 4 through 6. To receive a copy, email saratogareadsjr@gmail.com
On Tuesday February 23, at 7 p.m., the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation is hosting a ZOOM presentation with Carol Daggs to talk about her book Saratoga Soul Brandtville Blues.
MLK Saratoga is promoting happenings by organizations including The Underground Railroad Education Center of Albany, The Sanctuary for Independent Media, All of Us, Northshire Bookstore, NYCLU, Saratoga Book Festival, the Urban Park Rangers, and others.
For a full calendar of events and opportunities go www.mlksaratoga.org, and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
Kindness Matters Every Day
Just one year ago today, we had no clue about COVID 19. We were not preparing for a pandemic. I had never thought of social distancing or wearing a mask.
The Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce, at that time, was preparing for Leap of Kindness Day, on February 29, 2020. We were trying to spread kindness across the world and brand Saratoga as one of the kindest places to live.
We invented Leap of Kindness Day in 2016. The idea was simple. Every four years, there is a Leap Year. We all get one extra day that year. What will you do with your extra day is the question we asked. In 2016 and again in 2020, our idea was to suggest that everyone in Saratoga County and beyond use their extra day to do something kind for someone else. The only constructive criticism we would ever hear was that we should practice kindness every day, not just one day every four years.
Just two weeks later, we would go on PAUSE. We were told to Stay Home. We saw friends and neighbors lose jobs or be forced to close their business. Our children were sent home from school. Our local nursing homes went on lockdown with in-person visits prohibited. Our healthcare workers and first responders were our heroes on the frontlines of this war with COVID 19.
With so much turmoil and trauma, we also saw kindness here in Saratoga!
FLAG Saratoga was launched last March. In just a couple of weeks, the volunteer leaders behind this effort raised $30,000. They bought 3,000 meals from struggling local restaurants and delivered these meals to the heroes on the frontline.
We Are Brewnited was formed in April. This collaboration between local breweries led to the creation of a new beer. The proceeds from the sale of this beer and other donations were used to help local folks impacted by COVID 19. The organizers give actual cash donations to help with specific requests and needs.
The Saratoga County IDA and Clifton Park IDA both created a small business grant program this summer. They’ve now distributed tens of thousands of dollars to local small businesses to help them with expenses related to personnel protective equipment. They are still awarding grants today.
Saratoga Hospital purchased Downtown Business Association gift certificates for all of their employees. Now as these heroes use these gift certificates, it is putting cash in the registers of our local shops and stores downtown.
Driscoll Foods and Saratoga Eagle underwrote a Split the Bill program last week. 2,300 local people spent more than $180,000 on one day at local restaurants.
During the month of February in 2021, Curtis Lumber is inviting customers to purchase a 2 x 4 for $6. All purchases will be given to Habitat for Humanity for a new home build project locally this summer. This initiative was created last year as one of our Leap of Kindness Day activities. This past summer, I stood in the new home where the 2 x 4’s were used and the family was just so excited.
We may have invented Leap of Kindness Day. I’m more impressed, however, with the fact that our community has invented so many ways for all of us to be kind during this past year. We said all along that we’d be Stronger Together. What we really were was kinder together.
We’re going to need to continue to be kinder together. It can be as simple as wearing a mask. It can involve making sure you get the vaccine when it is made available to you. It can be continuing to make all of your purchases from local stores, shops, restaurants, contractors and professional firms. It can be by making a donation to a local nonprofit.
We don’t have to wait for February 29, 2024, to celebrate Leap of Kindness Day. We can do something kind for someone else every day. It will always make a positive difference.
The Whole Story of Ballston’s Miss Heaton
On March 25, 1887, the New York Times published an article that was compiled from a Troy, NY, paper about the long-distance courtship of Kittie Heaton of Ballston and George Hulbert of Danbury, CT. It seemed that they had “flirted” by letter and pictures for some time before he came to Ballston, married her sight-unseen up until that time and then, four months later Mrs. Hulbert wanted a divorce.
This historian, cognizant of much of the Town of Ballston’s history, had never heard this one before and wanted more detail.
The New York Times article by-line indicated that the story had come from “Troy, March 24.” Of course, Troy, like many large cities of the time, had many newspapers so it would not be an easy task to track down the original story.
However, research at the Troy Public Library uncovered the March 24, 1887 story in the Troy Daily Times and also the “prequel,” a November story that gave the details of the courtship as well.
It seems that Mr. Hulbert had placed an ad in a paper called Cupid’s Dart (did anyone know that such media existed more than 100 years ago?) in order to “open correspondence with some damsel with a view to matrimony.” Some time after, based only on letters and photographs, the two were engaged. Basically unknown to each other, the prospective bride went to the local train station carrying a large white box with a red ribbon around it and he, carrying an umbrella with a blue ribbon on its handle, came by train from Connecticut to meet his bride-to-be. It was the red and blue ribbons that were the “signals” so that they would recognize each other. Miss Heaton’s friends were with her at this first meeting as well.
The wedding happened that evening and a wedding supper was provided afterwards. Sometime afterwards, Mrs. Hulbert had a child, Inez. Four months after the wedding, the now Mrs. Hulbert asked for a divorce — as her husband’s actions were not deemed to be “proper.”
The location of the child’s birth is as of yet unknown. It seems that she could have been a product of the Heaton-Hulbert marriage but the dates do not work out. Inez was born (we think!) July 14, 1888. That is over a year beyond the onset of the divorce proceedings date in the paper. But we don’t have a birth record to confirm the date of birth nor do we yet have a court record of their divorce. But we have been unable to find either one so far.
While this historian was poring over Troy papers and uncovering all of these details, a Ballston Spa Librarian, Caitlin Johnson, was trying to trace the lineage of Miss Heaton and also find some more information about the unusual courtship, marriage and divorce of the woman. She searched through the Ballston Journals, one of the oldest continuously-running newspapers in the area, of that time period.
She found some more details, including those of the initial meeting at which the new couple “locked arms and went to the Presbyterian parsonage where they were married.”
And all this was published in the newspapers of the day, just waiting for someone many years later to pore over microfilm and old newspapers to uncover the sordid details.
In a later article about the proposed divorce, The Ballston Journal summed it up well: “Matrimonial advertisements and weddings at ten minutes sight may savor of silly romance, but sober experiences are not slow in coming.”
Doesn’t it just seem like online dating 1800’s style? But with a not-so-fortunate ending.
Rick Reynolds has been the Ballston Town Historian since 2004. He is a retired social studies teacher at Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Middle School and is the author of the book “From Wilderness to Community: The Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Central School District.” Rick can be reached at rreynolds@townofballstonny.org
Game On Blue Streak Boys Ready for Season
Meet the Team: Varsity Basketball Seniors
The VR Workout
Escape the ordinary, get connected, and join the next generation of fitness.
My 12-year-old son worked up a serious sweat and woke-up sore the next day after playing Rec Room on his Oculous Quest 2 – the virtual reality headset that was on the top of all his friends Christmas lists a couple of months ago.
After a year spent mostly at home because of the pandemic, I’ve learned that there are only so many YouTube video workouts and walks around the neighborhood that one can do.
It’s time to get out of the workout rut with the mental stimulation that technology provides.
ALWAYS INTERESTING
I’m the type of person that gets bored easily and am always trying out new activities and fitness ideas.
When I saw my son take off his VR headset, smiling, exhilarated, and his forehead drenched in sweat, I knew it was my turn to try the virtual reality workout for myself.
In VR, your body becomes the controller. There are a number of different brands of headsets available, but after some research, we decided on the Oculous Quest 2.
You’re sure to find something that interests you because there are loads of games and workouts available through the Oculus app, as well as both free and paid VR compatible games through online platforms like STEAM.
VR gaming has come a long way in the last few years but the first step to having a good VR experience is a high-quality gaming computer to plug it into. An open area 6 1/2’ in diameter is recommended to play in, and gamers must remember to be careful of getting tangled in the cord.
For these reasons and more, I recommend playing VR with someone else nearby at first to help guide you. Playing VR games is an opportunity for the younger generation to teach the older – a refreshing and empowering role reversal.
EXERCISE BY ACCIDENT
Besides being fun, one of the real benefits of the VR workout is that you forget you’re working out.
Entering the VR world is like being taken somewhere else. It’s an immersive escape where you can completely block out the sights and sounds of what’s actually around you. It’s relatively easy to get the hang of it, convenient and private.
A simple, free game like Rec Room includes the Stunt Runner obstacle course, bowling, rock-climbing, basketball, dodge ball, disc golf, and more.
Because you can link up with others the online community, VR gaming is a fun way to connect with your friends while staying socially-distanced.
After 45 minutes playing Rec Room, my shoulders are definitely feeling it, but I barely felt like time was passing at all – a far cry from watching the clock and counting down the seconds while planking.
Will VR workouts completely replace other fitness activities for me? No, but adding more VR experiences into my life is definitely something I’m looking forward to.
