Hello my Foodie Friends!   

St. Patrick’s Day is in a few days. Many of us will celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with festive and flavorful dishes that bring a taste of Ireland to our table. A hearty homemade meal or a festive potluck spread are all great ways to embrace the holiday spirit. Traditional Irish comfort foods like shepherd’s pie, corned beef and cabbage, and Irish soda bread make the perfect foundation for a delicious meal. However, there is always the dessert or creative green-themed treats to remember as well. I have to admit, I have a sweet tooth and can always indulge in a delicious cake. Why do people love cake? Cakes remind us of happy memories, especially from when we were kids. The delicious smell and great taste of a well-made cake can make people feel happy and remember good times. Sharing and eating cake with loved ones makes us feel closer and helps us remember special times.  Moreover, people love cakes because baking them can help them feel better. Cooking and baking can help you relax and feel calm. Many people feel peaceful and happy when they make something tasty from basic ingredients. This makes baking and enjoying a homemade cake even more satisfying. All in all, people love cakes because of the delicious taste as well. 

One cake pan that has become very versatile and popular is a bundt cake pan. Bundt cakes are a very delicious gift to give when going to see family or a friend.  The bundt pan has become America’s bestselling cake pan (according to Nordic Ware) to create a no-fuss cake. It is a perfect cake to serve a crowd and easy to slice.  

There are many reasons to love a bundt cake pan: 

1. Unique Shape: The Bundt cake pan produces a unique, decorative shape that makes it stand out from other cakes. The circular design with a hole in the center also helps the cake to cook more evenly.

2. Moisture: The design of the Bundt cake also allows for more surface area to be exposed to the oven’s heat, which can help the cake cook more evenly and retain its moisture.

3. Versatility: Bundt cakes can be made in a variety of flavors, including chocolate, vanilla, lemon, and pumpkin, and can be topped with glazes, frostings, or fresh fruit.

4. Easy to Make: Bundt cakes are relatively easy to make, and require fewer layers and decorations than other types of cakes, which can save time and effort in the kitchen.

5. Shareable: Because Bundt cakes are often larger than traditional cakes, they are perfect for sharing with a group, making them a great choice for gatherings or special occasions.

Bundt cake pans are cake pans that are usually 10” – 12” in diameter and are 5” deep with a hole in the center.  This ensures that deep cakes can bake evenly.  They usually have fluted or ridged designs to make your cake look impressive. A bundt pan has decorative sides and tops.  It is usually used for pound cake and other dense moist cakes such as coffee cake. The bundt pan allows more of the cake to be in contact with the edges of the pan, and therefore the heat is transferred more evenly. The hole in the middle of a fluted pan allows air and heat to rise through the center of the cake, and to cook evenly. 

Looking for something sweet and different to add to your St Patrick’s Day celebrations? Consider making a bundt cake. Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place. Let us assist you with your culinary needs.  Remember my Foodie Friends, “Life Happens in the Kitchen!”. Happy St. Patrick’s Day.  

Take Care, John & Paula

Hello  my Foodie Friends!   

Eating cookies is a quick way to travel back in time to when you were younger and did not have the worries about bills, fighting traffic, and getting through the hectic day. What better way to give yourself a pick-me-up on a hard day than treating yourself to a cookie? Cookies give us human inner peace all the time. Each gathering you attend or special occasion, there are always cookies!!. No other dessert is as portable as a cookie. You can fit them in a purse, pockets, lunch boxes, gym bags, book bags…the list goes on. 

Stashing my mother’s homemade cookies in my pockets was a common practice for me as a teenager. After wrestling and football practice, I always looked forward to sneaking past her platters in the kitchen and subtly putting several in each pocket to hold me over until dinner. It was an art to graze the table and with stealth moves guide the cookies into my jacket as I made my way to my room after an exhausting practice. It was that treasured moment that I always looked forward to each day. As I look back, I thought I was fooling my mother. However, I know she knew what I was doing and most likely smiled each time I walked by the table. Knowing my mother, she made sure the platter was situated where I could do my masterful strategy. 

One of the cookies that was light and buttery, and easy to eat was a madeleine cookie. Madeleines, if you don’t know of them, are little lemon-scented cake-like cookies. They are traditionally baked in a special madeleine pan that give them a shell form. They are simple and yet elegant. I like them plain with powdered sugar or half dipped in chocolate. Either way, they are winners. This soft, buttery cake is made with eggs, sugar, flour, and butter, and is traditionally baked in a shell-shaped mold, which gives it its distinctive shape. The origins of the Madeleine are said to date back to the 18th century, when they were first made in the town of Commercy in northeastern France. According to legend, the cakes were named after a young girl named Madeleine Paulmier in 1755 who served them to the Duke of Lorraine (frenchwink.com).

To get the soft fan shape that Madeleine cookies are known for, you need a madeleine pan with a shell-shaped cavity that creates that traditional look of this French biscuit.  The cookie will shrink slightly as they back. The cookies are cooked upside down. One side has the ridges similar to a sea shell, the other puffs up slightly giving the Madeleine cookie its signature look. Madeleine cookies are not too sweet and have a very light texture that almost melts on the tongue. You can enjoy them any time of the day; breakfast, snack time, or dessert. 

If you are looking for that special cookie to sneak into your pocket or put in your purse, consider making Madeleine cookies as a treat. Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store for madeleine pans, and the essentials you need to make your delicacies. Remember my Foodie Friends; “Life Happens in the Kitchen!”.  

Take Care, John & Paula

When I decided to share a Glazed Corned Beef and Cabbage Recipe this week, I thought it would be fun to share the origins of this delicious meal that has become synonymous with St. Patrick’s Day fare.  What I didn’t anticipate, is the fact that it’s not actually a traditional Irish meal; meaning corned beef and cabbage.  

What is a traditional Irish meal?  And, what are the origins of the dish? It appears it started as a boiled ham dinner, which is served in the same fashion with carrots, potatoes and cabbage; it’s just not as seasoned and flavorful.  I’ve actually had this as a child and was not a fan, but it is inexpensive and can stretch a meal.

In Ireland, back in the day, pork was a less expensive and more readily available than beef.  It was in America, where corned beef, found in the Jewish delicatessens was added to this boiled dinner to create a more flavorful meal.  Corned beef certainly does change the flavor of this meal.  Brining the meat with salt and spices dates back centuries as part of curing and preserving meats and the flavor is an added bonus!  I have also found boiling vs. baking in a Dutch oven makes a big difference in texture and flavor as well.  

What might you find on a St. Patrick’s Day menu in Ireland? It’s probably very diverse but could include any of the traditional Irish meals such as Leg of lamb with rosemary, Shepards pie made with lamb, lamb stew, chicken and lamb pie, soda bread and scones to name a few.

While the food is not what we are accustomed to, the celebration itself sounds like it definitely holds up to the ‘tradition’ that we do know including parades, the pubs spilling into the streets and a lot of green fashion for the holiday.   

Whatever you’re planning for your celebration, check out the market for your St. Patrick’s Day plans…there are plenty of options to fill your plates.

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.

The winter blues is legit; all you have to do is google it and read the case studies!

While there are many ways to combat the ‘winter blues’, the market can be a fabulous local tool to help accomplish some of the recommended doldrum fighters that are perfect to put into action Mid-February in the northeast;

* Healthy eating: the market is filled with fresh, local produced foods and goods.  It’s a great place to shop and learn about locally sourced products.  Each week the market shares a recipe and you can discover new and previous recipes at saratogafarmersmarket.org

* Unplug and Connect:  Turn off the phone, the television, the computer and walk the market at your leisure while visiting with the vendors.  They are a wealth of knowledge and can share many tips, tricks, and answer your questions about their production processes, etc.

If you love the market and want to connect further, while helping the community, the market is always in search of volunteers.  If you’d like to volunteer please email manager@saratogafarmersmarket.org.

This Saturday is the last day for kids to play I-SPY at the market and earn produce coins.   Playing I-SPY makes the market even more fun for kids, helps them to identify fresh, local goods and helps them to ‘learn to earn’ which then can be applied to their shopping experience.  You can use the game in this article or visit saratogafarmersmarket.org to print a copy.  After you’ve played, simply hand in the I-spy at the market staff table to receive produce coins.  The table is located near the entrance of the mall in the food court at Wilton Mall, in front of the green marble wall. 

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!   

When someone asks you what’s your favorite food, what is your answer? My answer has always been PIZZA! Growing up in New Haven County, Connecticut we had an expectation of quality for our Apizza (“ah’beetz”) Pies. It was usually on Friday night that my dad would come home from work in New Haven with a Pepe’s Apizza. There were five drooling children that would be out of minds with anticipation. This reception got my Mom’s Sicilian competitive juices flowing!  She was determined to match the great Frank Pepe. To this day when my family reminisces about my mom, they always bring up the famous “two weeks of Pizza” as she kept making different variations of his pizza to finally nail it. Please understand that not one of her renditions were not loved by the young Reardon’s. If I hear anyone say the words: “How’s that?”, I think of her. We were very early versions of that on-line guy “one bite, everybody knows the rules.” My wife Paula has taken up my mom’s mantra and makes awesome Pizza. One of the results of Paula’s pizza is the love that she puts into making it, that is felt and returned by all. We have tinkered with it over the years and I think Paula’s pizza is now perfect. That’s the thing about pizza; it’s a personal taste type of food.  The way I like it might be different than the way someone else likes it and that’s ok.    

If you have ever made your own pizza at home, then you’ll know where the best pizza in town is. We all have our own version of what the best pizza is and the best person to make it is you.  To begin making your great pizza you should pick out a great stone. 

A pizza stone is one of the keys to making a perfect pizza. The science behind pizza stones is relatively simple: the stone conducts and holds heat, which keeps the oven temperature steady even when a cold ingredient (such as an uncooked pizza) is introduced. This not only helps the pizza cook more evenly, but also allows the bottom to get crisp. The trick to a crispy pizza is to heat the stone in the oven prior to putting your prepared pizza on it.

Learning how to clean a pizza stone correctly can help it last a long time and produce mouth-watering pizzas. The one small problem: How do you remove all that baked-on cheese and grease once you’re done devouring your culinary masterpiece? Follow these steps to clean a pizza stone so it lasts for many years to come. It’s best to clean a pizza stone every time it’s used—a quick wipe works. This makes it easier to remove stuck-on food and cheese. And it helps avoid having to deep clean your stone as often. Let your stone cool down before removing it from the oven. 

The Emile Henry Pizza Stones are also another option. The Emile Henry Pizza Stone makes brick-oven style pizzas in ovens and on grills. It heats up in just 15 minutes, cleans easily, it’s light weight and of course it’s made in France.

The Pizza Stone is made of all natural materials and is manufactured using Emile Henry’s proprietary Flame® technology. The Pizza Stone can withstand high oven temperatures. 

Pizza steels have become a popular way of making pizza. The pizza steel is like a pizza stone but is made of steel that offer a temperature conduit that helps make a crisp crust. Like the pizza stone, you will want to heat up the steel prior to putting your pizza creation on it to cook. Whichever method you choose, have fun making pizza. Get creative with your pizza and make lasting memories.

I gave you the Margherita recipe because this is a good place to start making a great pizza and you can easily add or subtract your ingredients!  I also like the name.  Stop in to Compliments to the Chef, Your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery Store, located at 33 Railroad Place and pick one up the tools you need for your pizza creations before they are all gone.

If you do make your own pizza, please stop by with a slice for me and announce “How’s that?” 

Remember my Friends; “Life Happens in the Kitchen”  

Take Care, John & Paula