Hello  my Foodie Friends!   

Exploring new foods in the New Year may be a way to expand your taste palette and introduce you to different cultures. We have all been there; it can be scary to try new dishes. However, it can be deliciously rewarding. You can learn more about different values and traditions, ingredients, spices, and staple dishes that are popular in different parts of the world. We can become bored in our kitchens cooking the same dishes we fall back on. Food is a universal necessity. The food we eat is intricately intertwined with our culture. 

My father-in-law came from a German background. In past holiday seasons, my mother-in-law would reminisce about some of the German cuisine dishes that he enjoyed. One of his favorite dishes included the side dish of spaetzle. 

Spaetzle is a unique, fun, and easy German dumpling that everybody should learn how to make. It is traditionally used as a base for both sweet and savory dishes, soups, and one dish meals. Done in just minutes, these are great on their own, as part of a traditional German meal, or perfect for any dish that might use a macaroni pasta. Spaetzle, or spätzle, is a simple dumpling or small noodle that is typically associated with German food heritage. If you have ever made a simple egg noodle, it is almost identical in ingredients and easier to make. Making homemade spaetzle is a mix of a simple batter of flour, eggs, milk, and sale and the use of a spaetzle utensil to drop the batter into boiling water. It can be boiled in water or broth. 

The spaetzle maker is a convenient device usually made of metal that’s sole purpose is for the making of small dumplings known as spaetzle. The metal plate has holes in it that you pour your spaetzle batter through directly into boiling water. The spaetzle maker nestles over a pot of water or broth. Once your batter is ready, you pour it into the sliding box onto the grater-like base. Slide it from side to side, and the little droplets slip through the holes and drip into the boiling water. Moments later, the noodles will be floating on top. The holes are specialized which enables the batter to cling and stretch into the right shape. The taste and texture of spaetzle is comforting and can be topped with a variety of ways to suite those around your table. 

Be adventurous this year and try something new. It is a great way to use the cooking experience to bond with those around us and stimulate some interesting conversations about geography, different cultures, customs, and ceremonies. Expand your horizons this year. Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery Store located at 33 Railroad Place to help you with the culinary tools you need to explore new foods. Remember my Foodie Friends; “Life Happens in the Kitchen”. 

Take Care, 

John & Paula

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is actually the original farmers’ market in the Capital Region and surrounding areas.  The organization, now a 501(c)3, began with a handful of farms coming together to form a market in order to bring fresh produce to the community in 1978. 

Over the years it has evolved and grown, becoming not only a community icon, but a tourist destination within the city of Saratoga Springs.  The market is also a community entrepreneurial leader, helping local growers and producers to bring their goods to market, further participating and contributing to the local economy.

The market now hosts its year-round, and primary, market on Saturdays at High Rock Park May through October, moving indoor for the cold weather months to Wilton Mall November through April.  In addition, it hosts a Wednesday (mid-week) market in HighRock Park (May through October) and a satellite market in Clifton Park on Mondays (June through mid-October).

The market is currently accepting applications for vendors for the 2025 outdoor season and the application process closes at the end of January.  If you are interested in becoming a vendor at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market.  Visit managemymarket.com to apply. 

Markets available to register at the site include:

*Monday: Market at Clifton Park (June through October)

*Wednesday: Market at High Rock Park Saratoga (May through Oct)

*Saturday: Market at High Rock Park Saratoga (May through Oct)

If you have additional questions please email sfma.manager@gmail.com.  The market does provide live music; musicians can inquire about joining the market’s music program via email.  In addition, the market does invite local non-profit organizations to table when space is available and those inquires can also be made through email as well. 

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!   

How many of us foodies have cookware, baking products, or cooking gadgets that have been handed down over the generations? As our children have grown and moved out of the house, we have also moved much of our cookware and cooking gadgets with them. Some of the items have been handed down from prior generations.  Recently, my wife found a loaf pan that was her grandmothers. It brought back memories of various items that both her grandmother and mother made in that pan.  The loaf pan is a cool kitchen tool and often overlooked for its plain design. It is definitely an indispensable item in the kitchen.  Every kitchen should have a loaf pan to bake a variety of sweet or savory recipes – from meatloaf and lasagna, to ice-cream and baked delicacies. A loaf pan is in the shape of a narrow rectangle, a convenient form which enables uniform slicing. 

A loaf pan is great to use when you’re looking to bake a smaller portion of a recipe or are cooking for one or two. This versatile pan is excellent for baking bread loaves, loaf cakes, and zucchini bread. You don’t have to make your own bread, or even bake, to love the loaf pan. Despite their specialized name, these rectangular pans are extremely adaptable to cooking, freezing, desserts, and more. And with all the creative ways you can use them, loaf pans are anything but idle in the kitchen.  

There a many uses for loaf pans. These pans are the ideal shape for the ultimate comfort food, meatloaf. Marinate meats. Keep more of each steak, chicken breast, tofu slice, or veggie skewer in contact with the marinade you made by placing the foods in a loaf pan, then pouring the marinade on top. Cover with plastic wrap, and slip the loaf pan into your fridge for the allotted time. If you have a bit of meat or a few sides of the skewers sticking out, use tongs to rotate them in the marinade for full coverage.

Rectangular pans are perfect for lasagna or baked ziti, especially if you’re only serving a few people. If you cut recipes in half, a square baking dish may be too big. Use a loaf pan instead. Savory pies like shepherd’s pie or chicken pot pie don’t have to be round just because that’s convention. You can bake them in a loaf pan and still have a hearty one-dish meal.

At Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place, we carry several different size loaf pans. Make some memories with the heirlooms that you have collected over the years. Remember my Foodie Friends; “Life Happens in the Kitchen”. 

Take Care,
John & Paula

    Did you know January is National Slow Cooking Month?  Every month could be deemed slow cooking month as many of us use a slow-cooker on a regular basis.

Although I was unable to determine exactly who started this national recognition, I was able to uncover a few fun facts;

The “Crock Pot” helped households to survive the energy crisis in the 70’s; which was an event that had an impact on many Americans.  This gadget used the same amount of energy as an incandescent light bulb vs. running an oven.  Still worth noting today with rising costs.

Irving Naxon, originally Nachumsohn, received a U.S. patent for a slow bean cooker which was inspired by his grandmothers cooking in Lithuania, which is now known as the crock-pot.  It was renamed the crock-pot after he sold the original company.

One of the original ‘crock-pot’ colors was avocado green.  I think they could bring it back with the popularity of the avocado (retro-wink).

Whatever your favorite recipe is in this handy-dandy gadget, the Saratoga Farmers’ Market is stocked with fresh, local ingredients to help make your favorite winter time dishes.  There’s something nostalgic about putting all of the ingredients into this ‘classic icon’ and enjoying it’s simmering scents throughout the day.

Become a Vendor at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market.  Visit managemymarket.com to apply. Markets available to register for include:

*Monday: Market at Clifton Park (June through October)

*Wednesday: Market at High Rock Park Saratoga (May through Oct)

*Saturday: Market at High Rock Park Saratoga (May through Oct)

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is 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! 

The new year is a great time to reflect on where you are, where you’ve been, and where you’d like to get to next. Reflection is the perfect way to close the old year and open the door to the new one. As I reminisce of accomplishments and changes in life, I am reminded of the time my wife and I began our adventure to Upstate New York as part of a corporate relocation. It is amazing to look back and see how quickly the many years have gone by. While Paula would travel weekly to the Rochester/ Buffalo area for work, I would often be taking our two children to dinner after work. One memory was while catching a quick dinner downtown. On the music speaker at the restaurant was a song that was very popular at the time.  Our daughter Aubrey, who was almost four at the time, recognized the song and with spontaneity, jumped on the table and started singing “If it makes you happy, then why the —- are you so sad!” by Sheryl Crow.  She sang with enthusiasm as if she understood what the words meant! I had to quickly cover her mouth.  Paula and I reflect on those times of when we were basically “two ships in the night” making life work while we were both working in the corporate environment.  The weekends were the only times we really had as a family to sit at the table and enjoy a good, home cooked meal.  We both would travel for our job and appreciated having something home cooked.  Paula often stated that cooking on the weekends made her happy. It was our true family time. How does cooking make you happy? Here are some reasons:

Once you start to look at cooking the same as driving your car, working at your career, or practicing your hobby, the things you do without thought every day, you will enjoy the same benefits of cooking that make you happy. #1) Freedom – You have the freedom to cook ANY ingredients that you can find, even if you don’t exactly know what they are. You can create fantastic meals from the items on-hand and don’t have to run to the grocery store for food that the recipe commands. Make recipes from what you already have.

2) Confidence – Have the confidence to know that meals will be a winner every single time because you can repeat a standard process on a wide variety of foods. Saute’ many different ingredients, or cook one ingredient in many different ways. Confidence makes you happy.

3) Health – You can be happy because you know you are improving your health with wholesome foods that you cook yourself.  Purchase nutrient rich fresh foods and you can experience more energy, more brain power, and better sleep patterns because of good food. Learn to cook fresh foods!

4) Family – Cooking is a social skill. My family is excited when we cook because they know it will be creative and interesting. We attend more parties because of our cooking skills, and can talk about food topics because we have been behind the stove and seen what happens when we apply heat. Being around friends and family with a good meal can make you very happy.

Life can be hectic. Planning our meals and being able to have the time to cook is not always an ideal situation. However, spending time at the dinner table discussing life events, plans, or simply savoring your own creation can make you happy. Let us help you with your culinary needs. One of Sheryl Crow’s favorite foods is sweet potato fries. At Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place, we stock a great French Fry cutter and other accoutrements to make your fries quickly and straight

I am not sure if the restaurant appreciated my daughter singing on their table. However, it is a story that we still laugh and talk about at the dinner table. That song is still one of our favorites! So, “If it makes you Happy” then make wonderful memories together. Remember my Foodie Friends, “Life Happens in the Kitchen”. 

Take Care,
John & Paula

Visit the Saratoga Farmers’ Market to get playoff game ready!  Check out the winter market vendor list and come discover how you can fill your playoff menu with all things local.  There are endless possibilities with forty-five vendors representing both locally grown and produced items.

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is 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 saratogafarmersmarket.org, sign up for our weekly newsletter and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Albany Distillery

Argyle Cheese Farmer

Awakened Tonics

Autumn Harvest Winery

Back to Zero Foods

Bakery Suzanne

Ballston Lake Apiaries

Daily Fresh

Eat with Aliens

Euro Delicacies

Gomez Veggie Ville

Grazin’ Acres Farm

Great Northern Pantry

Halfmoon Harvest

Hepatica Farm

Holly and Vine Farm

Jireh Organics & Livestock

Katie Bakes GF

Kokinda Farm

La Capital Tacos

Long Lesson Farm

Lovin’ Mama Farm

May-K-Mark

Muddy Trail Jerky Co.

Mugzy’s Barkery

Nally Coffee

Nettle Meadow

Night Work Bread

Parchment Baking Co.

Perogi, Pierogi, pyroogie

Puckers Gourmet

Radiant Living Healing Arts and Massage (on site chair massage)

Saranac River Ranch

Saratoga Apple

Saratoga Candles

Saratoga Peanut Butter

Scotch Ridge Berry Farm

Slate Valley Farms

Sweet Treats by Jennifer

Sydney Anechiarico Jewelry

The Bull and Bee Meadery

The Mushroom Shop, LLC

The Thymeless Homestead

Tyromance Fine Snacks

Yankee Distillers

Hello my foodie friends!

We are in that time of year where we plan for meals that warm us up during the chilly days and plan for the upcoming snow days. I reflect on many winter days that include my fondest childhood memories playing in the snow. I enjoy sharing this story with you each winter. I grew up during a time when the average household included at least four children and you were literally thrown outdoors to play and told not to come back home until the street lights came on. Playing in the snow included making homemade sleds to slide down the golf course hills, making snowmen, and of course, building the best snow fort in the neighborhood.  In our house we divided up the tasks to ensure that our “fort” could withstand repeated attacks of snowball wielding elementary school kids. In the creation of our snow fort, my brother Danny was the engineer and he mapped out how high and thick the walls should be. My youngest brother Billy was the builder and shaped the inside of the fort for the chairs, refrigerator and snow TV. The baby of our family Patty was the support staff.  Since I was the oldest of the Reardon children clan, I was the recruiter and went door to door finding my soldiers and builders. We were not allowed to use the phone back then (adults only), so when I came to the door and knocked you could hear a stampede of children in the house trying to get to the door. To get them to work on the fort I would tell them that my mother was making meatball sandwiches!  My mother’s meatballs were the envy of the neighborhood and far exceeded the bologna and spam the other kids were getting. My first stops were Dave and Karl’s houses and they lived next door to each other.  They were my age but already almost as tall as most of our fathers at the age of six. Dave turned out to be 6’8” and Karl is 6’6”. If you want your walls to be the highest, I thought, get the tallest kids.  My mother would grimace when she saw them coming as she knew she would need a lot more meatballs. Our first forts were wrecked at night by teenagers until my brother Dan came up with the idea to put water on the outside walls and it would turn them to ice.  You could hear the howls of the mean teenagers when they kicked the walls and they didn’t give so easily.  

To this day, when I talk with some of my childhood friends, they join me in reminiscing about the fun snow forts, and the reward of my mother’s meatball sandwiches. To this day, her meatballs remained unparalleled. However, Paula’s meatballs are on target with them especially since my mother did share her “secret” method with Paula. 

At Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place, we carry skillets to make your meatballs in, saucepans to make your sauce, baking sheets to pop your meatball sandwiches into the oven with, and other really “Cool Tools for Cooks”. Meatball sandwiches are a great way to deal with these frosty winter days.  The neighborhood kids will love you!! Remember my Foodie Friends; “Life Happens in the Kitchen”. 

Take Care,
John & Paula

As I read through the 2025 food trends, not every list is the same and there are varying opinions.  However, there are similar topics showing on more than one reputable source that are noteworthy in relation to the Saratoga Farmers’ Market;

Functional foods

Sourdough

Protein Love

Food Waste and Sustainability

Functional foods can mean several things by definition, but in general, consumers are following along with ‘food is medicine’ trends.  They are learning how different foods have an impact on longevity and vitality.  Less processed and more ‘whole food’ is the overall direction while increasing produce consumption.

Sourdough is around for the long haul, in my opinion, as we continue to learn that all carbs are not created equal.  Sourdough can have a beneficial impact on gut health, digestion and blood sugar levels.  It’s worth researching.

Protein is key.  Natural protein sources, including eggs, are on the rise as research demonstrates the importance of protein in a balanced diet.  However, consumers are looking at how their protein is raised and fed in their decision making as they shop.

Food and Sustainability feels open ended, but in short, consumers are more interested in supporting regenerative farming as a whole and the impact of food production on the environment. In fact, ‘Tastewise predicts that more consumers are craving accountability and transparency from the products they buy—and more than half are willing to pay more for items that have less of an environmental impact’.

The good news for the Saratoga Farmers’ Market?  Shopping and supporting local is always on trend. And at your local market, you can explore and interact directly with local growers and producers to learn more about the foods you consume and the processes they use in their production.

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market, thanks to the generosity of Halfmoon Harvest a local flower farm and vendor at the market, composting is available every Saturday at the market located at Wilton Mall now through April. While they are currently stocked with dried flower arrangements they also offer beautiful hydroponically grown fresh flowers at various times throughout the winter and fresh flowers in the spring/summer months.

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is 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 Wilton Mall hourly on Saturday mornings.

Find us online at www.saratogafarmersmarket.org, where you can sign up for our weekly newsletter and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Hello  my Foodie Friends!   

We are in that week of after all of the holiday gatherings and bringing in the New Year. The office parties, holiday shopping, travel planning, family, friends, partners, and children have been grabbing your attention and can easily take its toll. We have started a New Year begins and back to our pre-holiday routines and habits. The start of a new year is time to reflect and look at our past year in terms of the relationships developed, the experiences we have had, and lessons learned. It’s that time again for us here at Compliments to the Chef to thank all the wonderful acquaintances that have helped us throughout the year. As Clarence said to George Bailey “No man is a failure who has friends.” We have foodie friends which is even better!  So many wonderful people have come through our door with questions and some with suggestions. We believe that we have a tremendous extended family who share in our joy of cooking and creating our own masterpiece meals. We have introduced many new tools into our store as a result of customer suggestions. Coming to work every day in one of the finest cities in America is a blessing. Now that we are at the end of another successful year, it’s time to gather in our kitchens and raise our glasses to our family, friends; past and present, and to the new friends to come. 

     While continuing to make toasts for our New Year, keep in mind some tools that can help to make your celebration run smoothly. Tools such as the foil cutter, wine openers, corkscrew, cocktail shaker and strainer, along with wine, whiskey, champagne, martini, and more types of glasses, can be very useful this time of year. Whatever your needs, we hope that our store can continue to be your first thought for your culinary and wine supplies. Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place. And when you come through our door, you will notice that a bell rings…and we all know what happens every time a bell rings!  Have a safe and happy New Year. Cheers to a happy 2025! 

 Remember my Foodie Friends; “Life Happens in the Kitchen”. 

Take Care,
John & Paula

According to some recent publications, wellness priorities of 2025, look and sound similar to other years.  However, some of the trends behind the ‘buzz words’ have slightly different connotations.

* Weight Management no longer refers to the fad, extreme dieting and instead is embracing metabolic health, balanced nutrition, and sustainable habits for a longer term impact.

* Healthy Aging no longer means grab the latest and greatest cream, although they are still important.  Instead, individuals are looking to support their physical and cognitive function to boost longterm vitality.

* Immunity Boosting has grown in popularity to encourage supporting overall immune wellness as a foundation for healthy living through not only supplements, but to expand to include various foods, exercise, etc.

So, how can the Saratoga Farmers’ Market help you achieve some of these goals if they’ve made your list for 2025?

The market is packed with locally grown and produced products to help fill your plate with nutrient dense, sustainable foods that can help with weight management, healthy living and immunity boosting goals. In addition, there are two specific vendors specializing in vitality to help kick off your healthy new year with specific items;

* Awakened Tonics specializes in Apple cider vinegar (ACV) products; ACV is well-known for its amazing health and wellness benefits.  Visit Awakened Tonics at the market to learn more about their blends and how they can help your overall immunity and system support.

* Saranac River Ranch creates an all natural, 100% raw juice cleansing systems to help promote digestive health and overall wellness.  Visit to learn more about their juices and the benefits to trying their systems.

There’s always so much to discover at the market and it’s a great place to get in some steps while kicking off a healthy New Year!

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is 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 Wilton Mall hourly on Saturday mornings.

Find us online at www.saratogafarmersmarket.org, where you can sign up for our weekly newsletter and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.