Hello my Foodie Friends!   

First let me thank all of you that have stopped in personally to let me know that you enjoy this column.  Your kind words and well wishes have inspired me to keep coming back each week with new stories from the kitchen. I recall a recent visit from a young lady who come in and asked me for help buying cookware.  It seems that there is something called “The Engagement Meal”.  This works by cooking your significant other a great meal so they will finally propose.   The young man in question had been taking a long time to pop the question.  There is a lot of great karma in this strategy. As I discussed options for cookware, it brought me back to the first time my wife cooked for me. I still remember the candles and the gleam in her eyes.  It was chicken and fried dough that we had picked up at a local farmers market. There were green beans and potatoes too. I called my mom and she said eat everything on your plate because it will mean a lot to her. Yes, I was a lucky young man at least that is what the emergency room doctor told me the next day. It seems I had salmonella poisoning but that is when I knew she was the one for me.  She tried her best and I remember the love she put into it and how she held my hand as they loaded me in the ambulance. Although the dinner was a learning curve for her, today she is an awesome cook.  So ladies it is the thought and trying that matters. A cooking vessel that may have helped with my special dinner would have been the Chinese Wok – a must have for your kitchen. 

A wok is a wide bowl shaped cooking vessel with handles used commonly in Chinese and Asian cooking. The types of foods generally cooked in woks are stir frying, stewing, boiling, braising and steaming. Compliments to the Chef carry a large assortment of high quality woks and Stir Fry’s that suit the needs of the Asian cooking enthusiast. Some of the best companies carry this cookware Joyce Chen, Helen Chen (her daughter), All-Clad, Lodge just to name a few. Carbon Steel or Cast Iron are my favorites.  They both spread heat evenly and are easy to clean up.  Though Cast Iron woks are superior to carbon steel woks in heat retention and uniform heat distribution and also allow to form a more stable layer of seasoning which makes it less prone to food sticking on the pan.  Carbon Steel woks are a little less expensive and still perform very well.  Although there are several sizes my customers prefer the 12” and 14” wok. It allows for big and small cooking. The handles are designed to stay cool on the stovetop, so you can easily remove the pan from the burner without using potholders. Its curved sides diffuse heat and extend the cooking surface, which helps with tossing and stirring. The great depth allows ample room to cook a whole fish, if so desired. Simmering, deep frying, or steaming, are just a few of its multiple uses. Season them with vegetable oil before use and after cleaning.  

Where ever your tastes take you this pan can deliver.  

Call us at Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store for those cool tools to help you with your special dinner. Oh and when you’re looking into each other’s eyes from across the table remember Foodie Friends; “Life Happens in the Kitchen”

Take Care, John & Paula

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is celebrating the last week of the Indoor Winter market at the Wilton Mall on Saturday, April 26th.  It is located in the food court and takes place from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm. It’s been a great season for the market with 45 vendors sharing the best of the best in locally grown and produced goods.  The market wants to extend their appreciation to the community for supporting and shopping local throughout the year and looks forward to celebrating the last indoor Saturday with the community.  Live entertainment will be on site provided by Starlit Generation.

NNOUNCEMENT: The Market makes its move outside on Saturday, May 3rd at High Rock Park to launch it’s 47th year serving the community of Saratoga.  The market hours make a slight sift with the market opening at 9 am and closing at 1 pm.  The markets will be full with both returning and new vendors for the 2025 outdoor season.  Saturday’s market will be boasting 76 vendors expanding it’s reach on the North Lawn.  

The Wednesday outdoor market begins on Wednesday, May 7th and is also at High Rock Park and takes place 3pm to 6pm.  The Wednesday market pavilions will be filled with 26 vendors this season including an increased list of ‘ready to eat’ vendors so that shoppers can take that midweek break and grab dinner at the park to bring home!

There will be live music at both outdoor markets weekly throughout the season and there is already a list of scheduled festivities and activities soon to be released including our popular Wednesday Kids Club at the Market.

Stay tuned next week for more details and vendor releases.  Plan to join the market at 8:45 am for their ribbon cutting ceremony at High Rock Park to launch the outdoor season on May 3rd.

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is currently open Saturdays, 9:30 am to 1:30 pm, November through April at Wilton Mall Food Court ; accessible from the mall entrance across from BJs.  The CDTA’s 450 (from Schenectady) and 452 (from Skidmore College via downtown Saratoga) run to the Mall hourly Saturday mornings.  

Visit www. saratogafarmersmarket.org, sign up for our weekly newsletter and follow us on on Facebook and Instagram. Please note a new website is being released May 1st.

Are you looking for a main dish for your upcoming Spring holidays?  Consider making a Honey Maple Glazed Ham! It’s very simple.  

Step 1: Purchase a fresh, local ham from the Saratoga Farmers’ Market.

Step 2: Melt 1/4 cup of butter.  Whisk it together with 1/4 cup of real Maple Syrup*, 1 tablespoon honey*, I tablespoon brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard, 1/2 teaspoon sriracha and 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves.

Step 3:  Baste the ham and bake it in a 350 degree, preheated, oven for 90 minutes.  Glaze the ham with any additional glaze and/or drippings from the pan and cook for another 30-60 minutes (time depends on the size of the ham).  Baste a third time and cook for the final 15 minutes.

Note: Check the size of your ham and the cooking time before glazing and baking so you can determine the intermittent glazing needed to make this delicious main dish.  The items marked items (*) can be found at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market.  If you cannot find them on your own, you are always welcome to stop by the main table at the entrance and the onsite staff can guide you.

Last week we shared a full list of Winter Market Vendors for your holiday prep.  If you missed it, or are making your shopping list for sides, desserts and festive cocktails and need to peek again; simply visit www.saratogafarmersmarket.org and tap the menu line item marked news.  It can be found under featured articles where you can bring all things local to your table.

After you have glazed, baked and served your delicious ham, don’t fret about the leftovers.  This week’s recipe share will give you a way to create an entirely different dinner bite with Ham Leek Pies.  They are like a delicious pot pie, filled with comfort food warmth and whole lot of flavor all baked in one little dish.  Of course, you could adapt the recipe and make one large ham leek pie as well.

Reminder: The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is in Wilton Mall through Saturday, April 26th.  The market’s outdoor season begins at High Rock Park on Saturday, May 3rd.  Hours of the outdoor market are as follows;

* Saturday Market at High Rock Park- begins May 3rd (9 am to 1 pm).

* Wednesday Market at High Rock Park – begins May 7th (3 pm to 6 pm).

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is currently open Saturdays, 9:30 am to 1:30 pm, November through April at Wilton Mall Food Court ; accessible from the mall entrance across from BJs.  The CDTA’s 450 (from Schenectady) and 452 (from Skidmore College via downtown Saratoga) run to the Mall hourly Saturday mornings.  

Visit www. saratogafarmersmarket.org, sign up for our weekly newsletter and follow us on on Facebook and Instagram. 

The recipe in this article was adapted from The Kitchen.

Hello my foodie friends!

Among my “many talents” is the natural ability to tell a good story.  Many of my stories are from my parents, relatives and siblings and are based on gatherings of family events that have occurred over the years. Getting the scoop on family stories is something we do beginning in our childhood and continues through our years with our own children. Family stories are a collection of tales about people, places, and events related to your family and your ancestors. Every person has a story to tell.

The memorable stories of our lives and of others in our family take on special importance, even if everyone tells different versions of the same event. These tales are family heirlooms held close to the heart. They are a gift to each generation that preserves them by remembering them and passing them on to future generations, and will become some of the most valuable and exciting information you can document about your family history. By getting “the scoop” on your family stories and learning more about the personalities and heritage of your ancestors, they become more than just names and dates. They become real people with real struggles and dreams and triumphs in their lives just like you.

This week’s top cooking tool is the scoop – the portion scoop.  This is one item that we love in the kitchen.  Portion scoops are standard-sized scoops used to measure out food, both cooked and uncooked. They look like ice cream scoops and have a spring release that scrapes your food/ice cream/cookie dough out of the scoop once it has been measured. The odd thing about them is that they come in strange sizes, like #16 and #24, rather than in sizes that you might ordinarily associate with cookie baking, such as “a 1-inch ball” or “a rounded tablespoon.” The numbers on portion scoops refer to fractions of a quart (32-ounces), or the number of scoops of a particular size it takes to make 32-oz. With this system, you know that a #16 scoop is 2-oz. and a #24 is 1.5-oz. The general rule is the larger the number, the smaller the scoop, and when you are picking out a scoop you can simply choose one based on the size of the cookie you’d like to make (or whatever else you might be portioning out).

Portion scoops are designed for kitchen professionals to standardize their products and to keep a handle on costs. These scoop sizes ensure that they get exactly the same number of servings (or balls of dough) per batch or per recipe without wasting any product – and that the customers always get the same amount of product for their money. And it is how they keep the cookies in a bakery display window looking so perfect, too.

There are so many innovative things to make with a scoop. Here are are a few (see the rest online):

1. Assemble sandwiches. Whether you’re making chicken salad sandwiches or ice cream sandwiches, a large scoop will give you just the right amount of filling. Smash it a little and add the top of the sandwich. The same idea applies for homemade ravioli, enchiladas, stuffed zucchini or peppers, and pot stickers.

2. Form cookies. This works whether you’re making no bake cookies or ones that need to be cooked. All of the cookies will be perfect circles if they start out as nice balls, and since they’re all the same size, they’ll all be finished cooking at the same time.

3.Fill muffin tins. Whether you’re making muffins, cupcakes, or eggs in your muffin tin, a scoop will give you the same amount of batter in each cup. No one will fight over whose cupcake is bigger!

Below is a cookie recipe that I remember my mother making. I remember as a child, loading my pockets with these cookies and handing them off to my brothers and sisters while my mother and aunts were in the kitchen making tons of Italian cookies for a family event. Well, that’s another family story I have!! Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place. We have a variety of scoop sizes to meet your culinary needs. During the times you are in the kitchen cooking and eating with your family, get the scoop and share family stories. Your family stories are guaranteed to become absolutely priceless possessions in your family for many generations to come. Remember my Foodie Friends; “Life Happens in the Kitchen”. 

Take Care, 

John & Paula

As you prepare for the upcoming Passover and Easter celebrations, the Saratoga Farmers’ Market is the perfect place to begin your menu planning.  With a vibrant selection of locally grown and produced goods, the market offers everything you need to create a fresh, festive, and meaningful holiday table.  From farm-fresh vegetables and pasture-raised meats to artisan baked goods and handmade treats, you’ll find a wide array of seasonal offerings to inspire your holiday meals.

Here is a quick overview of some items to consider at Saturday’s market;

Baking Supplies: Argyle Cheese Farmer and Muddy Trail Jerky Co. (vanilla extract) 

Breads and Baked Goods: Bakery Suzanne, Goodway Gourmet, Katie Bakes GF, Night Work Bread, Parchment Baking Company, LLC, Sweet Treats by Jennifer LLC

Coffee: Nally Coffee

Condiments: Puckers Gourmet and Muddy Trial Jerky Co.

Chill before the chaos: Radiant Living Healing Arts and Massage

Flowers: Halfmoon Harvest, Lovin’ Mama

Fresh Produce: Gomez Veggie Ville, Lovin’ Mama, Saratoga Apple, The Mushroom Shop, LLC

Honey and Syrup: Ballston Lake Apiaries and Slate Valley Farms

Peanut Butter & Jams: Kokinda Farm and Saratoga Peanut Butter Co.

Meats & Eggs: Grazin’ Acres FarmHepatiac Farm LLC, Jireh Organic Farm & Live Stock of NY, Kokinda Farm, Longlesson Farm, May-K-Mark, Thymeless Homestead

Ready to Eat: Daily Fresh, Euro Delicacies, La Capital Tacos, Great Northern Pantry, Perogi, Pierogi, Pyroogi

Snacks and Hors d’oeuvres: Back to Zero Foods, Tyromance Fine Snacks

Yogurt, Cheese and More: Argyle Cheese Farmer and Nettle Meadow 

Cocktails: Albany Distilling Company, Autumn’s Harvest Vineyard, The Bull and Bee Meadery, Yankee Distillers LLC

Seasoning: Muddy Trail Jerky Co.

Other: Eat with Aliens, Kokinda Farm, Muddy Trail Jerky Co., Saratoga Candles, Saratoga Peanut Butter Co., Sydney Anechiarico Jewelry, Thymeless Homestead

Pet Snacks: Mugzy’s Barkery

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is currently open Saturdays, 9:30 am to 1:30 pm, November through April at Wilton Mall Food Court ; accessible from the mall entrance across from BJs.  The CDTA’s 450 (from Schenectady) and 452 (from Skidmore College via downtown Saratoga) run to the Mall hourly Saturday mornings.  

Visit www. saratogafarmersmarket.org, sign up for our weekly newsletter and follow us on was on Facebook and Instagram. 

As I reflect on the Michael J. Fox quote, I realize we have learned so much at the dinner table and shared everything from how our day went to how to pass the potatoes. We learned manners, how to hold a fork and at the beginning of the meal watching how much mom did to prepare the meals and us for dinner.  Her words before every meal were to wash up before you sit at the table.  Every meal was “don’t forget kids, hands, face, neck and ears”.  Why all the extras?  Well, this was necessary with three boys and two girls who all played in a wonderous place that doesn’t seem to exist anymore.  It was called outside.  Yes, even my little sister Patty had a layer of dirt on her that was unacceptable at the dinner table.  We looked like we came out the mines coming in the door but at the table we were cleaned up nice or my mother sent us back for more washing. One such dinner time story was when my father, who was working two jobs at the time, asked for silence at the dinner table. This was very difficult for five kids. We were doing ok at the table until the whistle!  My Dad was exhausted, and he had nasal congestion.  So, his nose whistled as he ate.  As the whistling continued my brothers, Patty, and I could not keep a straight face, and we snickered.  My dad could hear the whistle, but he did not realize it was he who was whistling.  Dad then ordered the whistler to stop or to bed they would go. The whistling continued and we tried to freeze our faces, but it would not work, and I burst into uncontrollable laughter. I proclaimed, “dad, it’s you!” He questioned my sanity, and I was off to bed for secret whistling.  My brothers and sister did not come to my aid on the subject. I then laughed all the way to bed. Later, mom broke me out. I still smile to this day when I think of it or when I have dinner with my brothers and sisters and we bring up that time that dad whistled.  This week, I did not talk about a specific gadget.  Instead, talked about what kitchen cooking gadgets can help with; bringing a family together for at least an hour a day.  Mealtime is family time.  Remember my Foodie Friends: “Life Happens in the Kitchen”.

Take Care, 

John & Paula

There are so many ways to cook an egg.  In fact, I’ve always said its one of Mother Nature’s best fast foods.

Here are some tips for poaching, over-easy and over hard; all great for your egg sandwich eating plans.

Poaching:  Boil the eggs, in their shell for 10 seconds to help set the egg whites.  Pour 2 inches of water with a splash of white vinegar into a skillet before cracking the eggs and adding them to the water.  Boil for 2-3 minutes for a runny yolk and 3-4 minutes for a slightly firmer yolk which is better for a sandwich.  Rinse your poached egg in a cold water bath to stop it from cooking and remove any vinegar before adding the egg to a sandwich and/or other recipes.

Over easy:  Melt butter in a nonstick skillet or cast iron pan over medium to low heat.  Add an egg and let it cook 1- 2 minutes until the white of the egg is almost full cooked.  Flip and cook 30 seconds to 1 minute longer.

Over Hard:  Melt butter in a nonstick skillet or cast iron pan over medium to low heat.  Add an egg and let it cook 2 – 3 minutes.  Flip and cook an additional 2 – 3 minutes.

As you plan your egg sandwiches, just a quick reminder that you can find local eggs, bread, fresh herbs and vegetables, bacon and cheeses all at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market.  Always stop at the staff table if you need assistance and direction to specific vendors for any of your meal/recipe making needs; they are always happy to help direct you to the vendors on site.  The local vendors are a wealth of knowledge and can help you explore your local food sources and goods. 

PLEASE NOTE: The market continues at Wilton Mall until Saturday, April 26th and moves outdoors to High Rock Park starting Saturday, May 3rd.

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is currently open Saturdays, 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., November through April at Wilton Mall Food Court; accessible from the mall entrance across from BJs. The CDTA’s 450 (from Schenectady) and 452 (from Skidmore College via downtown Saratoga) run to the Mall hourly Saturday mornings.

Visit www.saratogafarmersmarket.org, sign up for our weekly newsletter and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Hello my Foodie Friends!   

There are many stories that I love to retell each year.  Here is another story that is very special to me, that I like to tell each start of the fishing season.  I have so many great memories of my father and his love of fishing. It did not matter if it was the ocean or a little creek in Vermont where he grew up.  He loved fishing and my brothers and I loved going with him.  My brothers were more successful than I was at this sport.  I think I talked too much back then as a child where I was kindly told to be quiet during our fishing adventures.

As I reminisce on the experience of fishing with my father, I realize that fishing was a way for him to relax and reconnect with his love for the outdoors. At that time, he worked 12 hours a day Monday through Saturday, which did not allow a lot of time to spend with his family. However, when he began getting one afternoon off during the week in the summer, I was excited when he chose to make that afternoon our special time to go fishing together. 

My father’s prep assignment for his three boys was to dig for worms and have the poles ready to go when he got home. I think that the digging for worms was my favorite part. 

As I got a little older, my favorite part about fishing with my father was the many hours talking about his childhood and my dreams for the future. We didn’t catch many fish, but my memories are a much greater treasure than any mess of fish.

The memories and experience of fishing was something I tried to transfer and share with my son and daughter. When my son John was younger, I would take him fishing as often as I could. It turned out that by age five, he was better at fishing then I was. He would say to me “Daddy, you talk too much and scare the fish away!”

To this day, I still give fishing my best, and consider it a successful day if I can get my son to spend six hours with me. We do share our love of eating fresh fish.  

One important tool that is handy when flipping and lifting fish from a pan is a fish spatula. The fish spatula is an elongated and thinner version of the common metal spatula, designed to easily slip under delicate fillets of fish. It also has long slots that allow any liquid (for example, when poaching) to drain away.  A fish spatula can be used for more than just flipping fish; it’s a versatile tool that can slide as easily under pancakes as it can hefty burgers. The slats in the blade allow any drippings, liquid, or grease to slip through, while the offset helps slide the blade over the edge of the pan and under whatever you want to turn. 

Take time with your family to try out the time-honored sport of fishing. Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place. Pick up the gadgets that help you cook up your catches. Try fishing for compliments this spring.  Remember my Foodie Friends, “Life Happens in the Kitchen”. 

Take Care, John & Paula

Maple syrup makes a great alternative, natural sweetener.  Local maple syrup can be found at the market weekly throughout the year.  Many vendors at the market collaborate and use each others products in their goods they bring to market; including several of our bakers who use maple syrup in a variety of ways. 

“I mix Slate Valley Farms maple syrup with enough powdered sugar to make a medium thick consistency icing and then spread it on my maple pecan scones and it adds a rich maple flavor to the scone that compliments the pecans perfectly.”
~ Katie Bakes Gluten Free

“At parchment, we love baking with maple syrup!  It’s great on its own, as a compliment to other flavors, or even as an alternative sugar source.  Our maple butter squares are all about that distinctive maple flavor! Our naturally gluten-free crumble bar base is topped with a ring of maple buttercream frosting and filled with a gooey maple custard.  Our chocolate chipotle cookies with maple buttercream frosting use maple syrup to smooth out the spiciness of the chipotle. When baking with maple syrup, it’s critical to balance the natural sweetness with the right level of salt. Sometimes this means using a little less maple syrup, other times this means adding a little extra salt.”
~Isabel, Parchment Baking Company

“Maple syrup is a fantastic substitute for granulated sugar in baked goods. Use ¾ cup of maple syrup for every cup of sugar. Be sure to add 1 tablespoon of flour per ¼ cup of syrup used to maintain your recipe’s texture. We love using real maple syrup in our cinnamon roll icing, a favorite at the market each week!” ~ Sweet Treats by Jennifer

Come and experience the flavor of maple because it’s maple season all year at the market.

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is currently open Saturdays, 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., November through April at Wilton Mall Food Court; accessible from the mall entrance across from BJs. The CDTA’s 450 (from Schenectady) and 452 (from Skidmore College via downtown Saratoga) run to the Mall hourly Saturday mornings.

Visit www.saratogafarmersmarket.org, sign up for our weekly newsletter and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.