Displaying items by tag: food

Hello my Foodie Friends! 

It is amazing to think that the holiday season is here. Planning for family gatherings and meals can be a stressful time during this time of year. We strive for the Norman Rockwell experience of perfect times, perfect food and respectful conversation. Reality is for many people, family gatherings during the holidays are rarely stress-free. I tell my Thanksgiving story every year because it is one that we reflect on and smile. I also do it to pay homage to my mother-in-law for allowing me to tell this precious story each year. Thanksgiving would not be complete without my real-life story of Grandma and the Turkey. It was a long time ago when our children, Johnny, age 3 and Aubrey 5 months old at the time, would make the annual trek to Grandma and Grandpa’s house to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner and watch football. To begin; let me explain I am a Giants fan and so is my mother-in-law. Therefore, watching the Cowboys is not our favorite thing to do. However, her son is and so is my sister-in-law’s husband. Yep, two Cowboy fans in the same house and they do not like each other! I love football so I watched but the room was silent because the two brothers-in-law do not speak to each other. They were holding their feelings down to make my mother-in-law happy. As the game was being watched, my mother-in-law was busy making a huge feast for all to enjoy. She was very nervous because she wanted everyone to get along. We always ate after the game and this particular game was a tight one. Most Cowboy fans may want to stop reading now. With just seconds left in the game, the Miami Dolphins lined up to make a game-winning field goal and it was blocked by the Cowboys. The brothers-in-law were silent. I wanted to yell in happiness but held back because of the tension. All of a sudden one of the Cowboys (Leon Lett) chased the block field goal and touched it. Oh nooo! Well, the Dolphins got another chance and won. Half of the house celebrated, while my mother-in-law and I remained solemn. As the game ended, my mother-in-law continued working with my wife to complete the many dishes all cooking at once. There was a shout from the kitchen and Grandma announced that she had lost her glasses and could not see without them. Immediately, each of the brothers-in-law was pressed into service to find the glasses. These were not just any glasses; they were big and black and hard to lose but there were no glasses to be found. We looked everywhere. Grandma was close to tears when she asked me to check on and baste the turkey. This was a big turkey at 28 lbs. and it smelled great. I grabbed my son Johnny and the baster, which he took charge of, and opened the oven to show him the turkey. He said “look Daddy, the turkey can see better.” Yep, he found the glasses neatly melted in perfect harmony with the bird so it looked like he had eyes! I started laughing and everyone joined in. Needless to say, we had ham and lasagna but no turkey. It didn’t matter because the rest of the day was perfect. 

Through the fun and sometimes stressful events that can happen during the holidays – especially when we want it to be perfect – it can turn out to be a wonderful family gathering. Among our greatest and most treasured memories are the ones that are based in the kitchen or around a meal. As you get ready this season for your festivities and feasts, stop into Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place. Pick up roasters, basters, thermometers, and more for your meals. You can have that Norman Rockwell family gathering. Have a beautiful Thanksgiving Day. Remember, my Foodie Friends that “Life Happens in the Kitchen.”

 Take Care, John & Paula

Hello my Foodie Friends! 

The holidays are inching closer by the moment, and that means it’s time to prepare for all those deliciously festive dinners you’ll be making. Perhaps you’ve been pinning your most anticipated holiday recipes for months in advance, or you’re scrambling to find an easy holiday dinner recipe. Either way, you’re going to need the cooking equipment to execute these dishes.

Every home cook needs a solid work surface in their kitchen to peel and chop produce, prep proteins and rest food before it’s time to slice and serve, which means you’ll need a quality cutting board. Not only do cutting boards protect your knives and countertop, but they make cleanup a breeze. No kitchen is complete without a quality cutting board. It is an essential tool that is heavily used by families on a daily basis. Much like a great chef’s knife or a dependable skillet, a great cutting board can seriously up your home cooking game. Whether you’re cutting veggies, chopping herbs, or slicing steak, the best cutting boards provide a large area on which you can work, as well as protection for the knives you’re using. If you obsess over your knives, as most chefs do, you should also care about your cutting boards. Often an afterthought in the kitchen, cutting boards prevent blades from being dulled on hard surfaces like counters or plates. They also play a key role in food sanitation. As such, a well-stocked kitchen should have several different cutting boards for the multitude of things you’ll need to cut. And while you can get a cutting board in a number of different shapes, sizes and materials, the best cutting boards allow you to cut everything from vegetables and bread to raw meat, fish and chicken safely and properly. In terms of material, wood is a good option for a cutting board. Naturally anti-microbial and often attractive enough to be used as a serving piece, wooden cutting boards are sturdy and can last a long time if cared for properly (wooden cutting boards are not dishwasher safe and so need to be hand washed thoroughly to sanitize and treated regularly to prevent warping or cracking).

If you take cooking seriously, then you need a cutting board that is sturdy, safe for food preparation, and reliable. We offer a variety of wood cutting boards to improve any kitchen. Not only are wood cutting boards functional, they are aesthetically pleasing as well. Wood can add natural warmth and beauty to any kitchen.

If you are looking to create a traditional appearance in your kitchen, a wood cutting board or two can help you achieve that goal. Wood is relatively easy to clean and maintain. Because of this, wood cutting boards do not easily contaminate or harbor harmful bacteria. Ultimately, don’t think of wood cutting boards as tools to be stored until used. Display them along with the rest of your kitchen’s best accessories!

We carry several types of cutting boards in various sizes to meet your culinary needs. 

If you’re looking for a cutting board to stay put on your counter, the Catskill Craftsmen cutting board is the board for you.. Its large surface area is good for a large piece of meat, or prepping multiple foods at once. Catskill Craftsmen boards are beautiful wood cutting boards made in the USA. They are made of harvested, sustainable quality domestic hardwoods. 

Epicurean makes a wide assortment of cutting boards in various shapes and sizes including large ones with juice grooves. These cutting boards are reversible, thin and light enough to toss in the sink or dishwasher for easy cleanup. It can also be flipped for an even larger cutting surface. Each board is made in the USA with quality composite,  natural material, is lightweight, durable, nonporous, knife friendly, easy to maintain and temperature resistant to 350 Degree F/175 Degree C.

If you prefer a plastic cutting board, the OXO Good Grips plastic utility cutting boards have been our favorite for years. We love how they grip to the counter and can be used for a variety of foods, from raw meat to fresh veggies. They’re easy to move around, which makes cleanup easy, especially since they can be tossed into the dishwasher. The cutting board is double-sided with a non-porous surface that can resist odors and won’t dull knife blades and they are dishwasher safe. 

Along with the fun and excitement of the holidays, come the major stresses, especially around food! There is something magical about the act of preparing meals and eating together. It is an act of giving and sharing. This holiday season, stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store, located at 33 Railroad Place to get the essentials you will need to make your feasts. Remember my Foodie Friends; “Life Happens in the Kitchen.”

 Take Care, John & Paula

Hello my Foodie Friends! 

The holiday season has become a traditional time for us to serve our glorious turkey and the side dishes that go with it. The holiday period is a time to start the preparations of items needed to create your fabulous feasts. At Compliments to the Chef, we have some gadgets which can make your holiday prep and serve a little easier. Good tools are essential to good cooking just like good tools are helpful to a carpenter building a house. One tool I think a lot of foodies don’t have or know how to use is the thermometer.  It is one of my must haves in a kitchen.  Undercooked turkey is a recipe for Salmonellosis!  Your turkey should be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees for 15 seconds.  You should check the temperature in at least two places and in the thickest part of the turkey. Do not discount how much this tool means to not just you but your whole family. 

Our first recommendation is a simple Bi-Metallic stemmed thermometer.  There are others, such as digital but this is the simplest, easiest and most cost effective choice. It’s easy to calibrate and if you stop in to our new place I’ll personally teach you how. 

The second recommendation for a must have is a Flavor injector and there are many types.   Adding some flavor can really set your Turkey apart from Mom’s recipe. 

Our third recommendation is an open roaster. Roast meat, poultry, and vegetables to perfection with a large roaster. Open roasters can hold up to a 20-lb. turkey. The heavy-duty stainless-steel roasting pan features tall, straight sides, which help prevent splatters and spills, while its upright handles ensure a secure hold when transporting the pan to and from the oven, even when wearing thick oven mitts. The open roaster comes with a V-shaped nonstick roasting rack that elevates large cuts of meat to promote even cooking.

Another cool tool for your feast is a gravy/fat separator. There are various sizes and styles of gravy separators. Among the types is a 1 ¾ cup gravy separator that is made of FDA-approved, BPA-free polycarbonate and plastic. This gravy separator strains out fat, seasonings, and lumps for flavorful gravy, broth, soup stock, au jus, and sauce with lower fat and calories. The BPA-free polycarbonate and plastic structure resists breakage and is heat-safe to 248-degrees Fahrenheit. It has a large handle that allows for a safe grip The pierced lid strains out lumps and larger food bits with a low-set spout that pours flavorful liquids without the fat; drip-free spout for easy, mess-free pouring.  The fat separator also has a wide-mouth opening and markings in milliliters and cups (from ½-cup) makes straining and measuring easy; microwave safe for easy reheats. The fat separator is easy to use and is great for everyday or holiday meals and is dishwasher safe for easy cleaning.

Also, have your knives sharpened so you do not end up hacking away at your roast. Remember, we have knife sharpening services at Compliments to the Chef. 

These are just a small list of what can help you this season. Getting ready for the holidays doesn’t have to be a struggle! Let us help you prepare for this holiday season. 

Stop by and fulfill your holiday culinary needs at Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located of 33 Railroad Place, Saratoga Springs. Remember my Foodie Friends; “Life Happens in the Kitchen!” Also, remember to compliment the chef. 

 Take Care, John & Paula

Hello my Foodie Friends! 

A sharp knife is a cook’s best friend. This is evident with the use of a ceramic knife that offers tremendous ease and saves time as we cut up the vegetables. Ceramics are a fun and interesting breed of knife that are deceivingly sharp. Professionals and home cooks use ceramic knives due to their sharpness, strength, density, and precision making it a great tool to add to your culinary collection. Kyocera advanced ceramic knives are the perfect compliment to your cutlery at home. As soon as you pick up a Kyocera advanced ceramic knife, you will be intrigued with the benefits of using ceramics. The knife is light in weight yet balances perfectly in your palm. It is excellent for slicing fruits, vegetables, and boneless meats. The blade is ground to razor sharp perfection and holds their edge 10 times longer than other professional cutlery. Ceramic knives will not brown foods or transfer a metallic taste or smell. Ceramic is impervious to acids, oils, and salts. The blades will never rust. Can they break? Sure, but don’t we hand down ceramic plates over generations? Steel knives can break also so be careful with your cutlery.

Ceramic knives are intended to complement, not replace your cutlery. Use steel for carving, prying, and boning product. Ceramic knives come in a variety of sizes making them perfect for all types of culinary tasks. Because of the manufacturing process, the blades of a ceramic knife are flat and free from buckling. As a result of this technological advantage, the edges need to be ground with a diamond wheel or diamond sharpener. Traditional knife sharpeners cannot sharpen a ceramic knife. You can purchase one of their sharpeners made specifically for their ceramic knives. 

Caring for your ceramic knife is important to ensure proper care and the prolonged life of the knife:

• Please exercise the necessary caution when working, as the blades are very sharp.
• Ceramic knives are intended for the cutting of food. They are unsuitable for hitting and levering.
• Ceramic blades are not shock resistant! Do not allow the knife to fall onto a hard floor or similar surfaces!
• To ensure that the blade remains sharp over a long period, we recommend the use of a cutting surface made
   from wood or plastic.
• Never try to cut hard objects such as frozen food, bones, metal, etc!
• Never hold the knife in an open fire (high conductance of heat)!
• Never clean with a wire brush!
• Clean with a mild detergent after use.
• Store the ceramic knife in the supplied protective cover.
• Cleaning in a dishwasher is not recommended, unless it can be ensured that the knife cannot come into
   contact with other objects.
• Store out of the reach of children!

Looking for a different type of gift to give for the holiday season? Consider a ceramic knife for your special foodie. Advanced Ceramics are a cutting-edge technology that can help make your culinary prep easier and fun. Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery Store located at 33 Railroad Place, for an assortment of Kyocera Advanced Ceramic knives. Remember my Foodie Friends: “Life Happens in the Kitchen.” 

 Take Care, John & Paula

Picture: Saratoga Sponsor-A-Scholar 2013 Graduation, provided by SSAS from their website at saratogasponsorascholar.org.

By Colette Linton

SARATOGA SPRINGS - In 2007, Jim LaVigne was describing a plan for an initiative that would prepare ten Saratoga High School sophomores, who were financially in need of assistance, each year by supplying additional support and direction to help them meet their goals and enter college. By the end of that meeting, LaVigne was one of the founding board members as well as volunteer executive director of Saratoga Sponsor-A-Scholar with 36 pledges of $10, 000 over five years to get the program running.

Seven years later, 54 students have been accepted into the SSAS program and 26 students have started a college career, an opportunity many nearly dismissed as an impossibility prior to the program.

 Unlike scholarships and grants, SSAS begins during a student’s sophomore year in high school and works to reinforce a base of academic achievement during the next three years by providing resources to its participants through the help of volunteer mentors, academic tutors, the program's board members and two of Saratoga High School’s guidance counselors.

 "It's a local cause," LaVigne said. "It's all Saratoga Springs kids. They come back, and they add to the fabric of the community. It is not a gift to these kids. We expect them to fulfill the terms of their contract, attend the homework sessions, use tutors go on school trips be responsible, do volunteer work and just be good citizens."

 If students are accepted into the program, they sign a contract to meet specific requirements during the term of the program. They are to meet with their mentor once a month, maintain their grades above 80 or attend tutoring, have a productive summer, behave in a manner consistent with the standards of SSAS, and attend mandatory weekly study skills programs. In return, SSAS dedicates $10,000 to "each scholar's enrichment" - $4,000 during their last three years of high school for supplies, study skill seminars, tutoring, PSAT and SAT training and entrance fees, seminars on the college application and scholarship process, college visits and attendance to cultural events; and $1,500 is dedicated to each scholar for each year they successfully complete in college.

 The nonprofit reaches out to the population of students each year that are financially in need and qualify for federally assisted/free school lunch program. Currently, 1, 200 students in the Saratoga Springs school district are eligible for federal lunch assistance, and those that are in high school may loose sight and motivation to continue academics after graduation without outside support.

 Within those 1,200 kids, there are those that are really bright, LaVigne said. "They have incentive, they have personality and everything that is needed to succeed, but they don’t have the same opportunities."

 The opportunities LaVigne referred to range from discussions with parents about he possibility of attending college to extracurricular activities that could be added to a college vitae, trips to college campuses to gather a sense of the atmosphere, and paying for the fees associated with applying to college and aptitude exams.

 A part of SSAS' goal is to make up for the opportunities students might otherwise miss due to a lack of finances and or resources.

 "What we promise those kids (SSAS participants) is that for the last three years of high school we give them the opportunities, and we give them the tools that the other kids have and we teach them about how to get into college," LaVigne said. "They just need that precipitating factor and Sponsor-A-Scholar is that. We tell them, we show them, we convince them that they are able to do this and that they can go. They can get out with a reasonable amount of debt and that they can have a much better life."

 High school junior and SSAS participant Davawn Hartz, whose interests are in acting and creative writing, said that without the SSAS program "I would definitely see myself as lost".

 "I'd still have the drive, but I'd be lost," he said. "It shows you where to direct your hard work."

 The program is a continuous element in the lives of SSAS students as well as coordination between the nonprofit and the school. This relationship is aided by high school counselors, Brandy Crary and Matt Nelson, who help ensure that students are maintaining their grades, that the students stay focused and they help chart the route to college.

Mentors in the program are additional supports serving as adult role models that help students identify college resources. They are also paired together to try and be a compliment to the students' skills and interests in addition to encouraging students to meet challenges and grow.

 "They don't take away the obstacles," Hartz said. "They get you through them."

 Mentors, like the board members, are volunteers that do many tasks that are unlimited in scope in order to strengthen the students' relationship with the community and broaden their prospects for higher education. One such relationship is between senior Becky Tibbatts and her mentor, Nedra Stimpfle. The two were paired together two and a half years ago, and they both remarked on the changes that have taken place regarding Tibbatts' outlook on college as an affordable, obtainable opportunity.

"It's hard to imaging my life without Sponsor-A-Scholar," Tibbatts said. "It has changed my life so much. I wouldn't say that I was naive, but I wouldn't put together what it took to get into college: how much tests cost. It is a lot less stressful."

 "She was very shy," Stimpfle said "What the program does is create more possibility in different areas for that (personal development) to happen. She is more confident."

 "Yes, definitely," Tibbatts said in response to Stimpfle's observation. "Back then, I was so scared."

The chance to have a relationship with another adult is important for the students because it is a common part of many experiences that take place in the community as well as in terms of guiding students to and trough opportunities, Stimpfle said. "And for many of these students, it's not in their picture at all."

SSAS is currently looking for mentors for next year as well as individuals interested in being future board members. The program will also host its annual event "Bowling For Scholars" in May. For more information, visit saratogasponsorascholar.org.

SARATOGA SPRINGS - Local College Brings Experience In Online Education To Statewide Open SUNY

Laptop underarm, coffee in hand, homework and encroaching deadline on the mind, State University of New York’s (SUNY) Empire State College is leading the way to expand SUNY’s online education program catering to nontraditional students who juggle responsibilities between family and work.

SUNY Empire State College will be taking the lead in SUNY's online initiative, Open SUNY, to offer an option for college-level courses to the 6.9 million individuals in New York that have a high school diploma but no higher education.  The need for malleable class schedules that can be bent around a daily work schedule was a point in Chancellor Nancy Zimpher’s State of the University Address earlier in January when she said that of the job opportunities in 2050, 60 percent of them will require a bachelor’s degree.

In terms of Open SUNY, David Henahan, director of communications at Empire State College, said that the online system is a response to individuals who would like to continue education and get a degree but cannot because many of them are unable to study in the traditional setting.

“What we are experiencing is the demand from people for a more innovative way of learning,” he said. “The population is aging, and there are more adults in the market looking to gain more education for all sorts of reasons.”

Before Open SUNY, adult students have been balancing life's responsibilities with their studies at Empire State College for over two decades through Open SUNY Plus. Busy with work and study was never easy, but the college’s online administrative and teaching experience and the state-wide online degree initiative Open SUNY is expected to make higher education more accessible.

“We know that an individual with a bachelor's degree will earn approximately a million more in their lifetime compared to a high school graduate,” Henahan said. “So that learning will help an individual get a better job, broaden the tax base, and get more money.”

Open SUNY will host eight online degrees as well as online courses that originate from its 64 campuses across the state using a common set of online tools. Two of these degrees are coming from Empire State College as part of the initiative's initial rollout. One of the degree programs will be a bachelor’s in business, management and economics: human resources; and, the other, a bachelor’s in science, mathematics and technology: information systems.

Empire State College currently offers approximately 400 undergraduate and 100 graduate online courses. The average ages of its online undergraduate and graduate population are 35 and 40 years old, respectively.

“These people have lives, a family, building a career; so, they need school around their life,” Henahan said. “People across the country are looking to learn much differently and that learning has value. They don’t have the time and money to sit through it again. It is a convergence through which Empire State (College) and Open SUNY is all about. There's real demand.”

Today, about half of Empire State College’s 20,000 students study online, and many of the college’s 70,000 alumni have earned their associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees online, according to a press release of Empire State College.

Sandra Barkevich, Instructural Support Assistant at Empire State College, returned to school in 2010. She had a full-time job and two young children that were, and still are, involved in extracurricular activities in addition to participating on the Amsterdam Sea Rams swim team.

“Between work and getting the kids to swim practice five nights a week, going to a traditional school was out of the question,” Barkevich said. “Like so many other adults returning to college, I had to think outside of the box. Empire State College not only had a stellar reputation, but they were backed by SUNY. I could take courses on my own terms, and 'attend' classes when I was able to fit it into my busy schedule, even if that 'free' time happened to be at 10:30 p.m. after the kids were fast asleep or 4:30 a.m. before my husband and I had to get the kids up and ready for school.”

 Barkevich understood that returning to school would be an additional commitment, vying for time and attention; however, advancing in her job was not going to happen without a bachelor's degree, she said. With her family's support, she began her Bachelor of Science, Business and Economics degree through the Center for Distance Learning. After graduating from the program, she is now pursuing aMaster of Arts in Learning and Emerging Technologies program in the School for Graduate Studiesalso online.

“I loved my job and the company I was with, but could not see myself in the exact same position for the next 15-20 years, and it was clear that the only way to be considered for advancement would be to have a four-year degree,” Barkevich said. “So, I talked it over with my husband, who has been incredibly supportive, and with my kids, who were only nine and seven at the time, and made the decision to pursue a bachelor's degree.”

A similar motivation for pursuing a full-fledged online track in addition to being able wrap class lectures around a busy or unique schedule is for people who have been out of school for a number of years, is the possibility of customizing a learning atmosphere conducive to study.

To further explain, Mike Capobianco, now a graduate student at Long Island University, had not been in a classroom setting for almost ten years before returning at age 26. The thought of sitting in a lecture hall of students who were eight years younger was not appealing to him. In addition to that, Capobianco has anxiety. The ability to avoid a few sleepless nights and construct a suitable, calming environment either by himself or with others closer in age helped stop what might have ‘ended in disaster’ if he had chosen to enroll as a traditional student.

“Either I would have done bad in the classes or dropped out completely,” Capobianco said. “Instead, with the online studies, I was able to thrive, graduate with a 3.73 GPA and land a job that gave me health insurance. With that health insurance, I was able to see a doctor who has been successfully treating my anxiety, which has allowed me to attend graduate school in person, with no issues.”

As New York’s Department of Labor continues to coordinate with SUNY, more is looking to be done about addressing workforce needs and interests. Additional plans for the Empire State College’s initiative is to create more opportunities for students to gain college credit for job-related programs through the college’s business partnerships.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Though a final report has not yet been released in the investigation of why 13 teachers left Division Street Elementary School this year, Saratoga Springs Superintendent Michael Piccirillo said the staff exit interviews have provided four areas of consideration for the district to take action on.

SARATOGA COUNTY — In the Saratoga Springs City School District, the 2013-14 budget was approved by a vote of 1,839 to 458 on May 21 - a better than four-to-one margin.

SARATOGA SPRINGS - As one of the area’s most military and veteran friendly educational institutions, SUNY Empire State College, located along Union Avenue in Saratoga Springs, offers some of the most valuable education opportunities for our returning men and women. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS - Seth Berger was only a high school student when he learned the art of Adobe Photoshop, a popular photo editing software program. A lacrosse player since the sixth grade, he started toying around with lacrosse clothing designs after he found a template of a pair of athletic shorts. After designing and ordering practice shorts for his friends on the school’s lacrosse team, they told Berger they liked his designs and would even buy them.