Fun in Saratoga

Putnam Market newsletter and fresh fish offerings

Putnam Market has a weekly newsletter (copied below) which, among other things, lists the fresh fish they will be getting each Friday.  If you make an email order by noon on Tuesday, you can pick up your fresh fish on Friday.  I've ordered their fish before and of course it is of high quality - I like the fact that I can get wild salmon from Putnam Market at least some of the time. You can sometimes get wild salmon from Price Chopper, but the labeling is sometimes vague and I am not confident that I'm getting accurate answers from the employees.  Putnam Market, as you will see below, gives you very specific information before you order.  Price Chopper/Golub is a good company and it's essentially local, being right down Route 50 in nearby Schenectady, but being a large chain they can't get everything right, which is why Putnam Market is worth a weekly visit. 

Gift Baskets

Sandwich  Menu

Catering Menu

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Contact Putnam Wine

			FOLEY FISH ORDER Arrives Friday, December 4, 2009     please place your order by noon on Tuesday

FRESH THIS WEEK please click here to e-mail us your order   The best seasonal prices this week:   Foley Farm-Raised Salmon   $11.99 lb   Grey Sole     $17.99 lb   Nantucket Scallops   $28.99 lb   Prince Edward Island Mussels $ 7.75 ea   (2 pound bag)    Having a party?  If your order meets the minimum, we can bring in for you any week: Fish/ 6 pounds: Sword, Yellowfin Tuna, Halibut, Sea Bass, Trout, Catfish, Sole... Clams & Oysters/ 50 count: Wellfleet or Littleneck Clams, Oysters from New England PEI Cultured Mussels/ 2 lb (serves 3-4)   I will e-mail you a confirmation that I have your order by the end of the day on Tuesday.    If you placed an order, and don't get acknowledgment from me, call!    -Cathy    You are invited to our Holiday Open House on Wednesday, December 9 from 5-8 pm.  We'll have lots to taste and sip, and special discounts across the stores.  Join us!

Seared Salmon with Bacon I found this Nigella Lawson recipe a few years ago.  I've cooked salmon many ways, but it is this recipe I come back to.  The smoky bacon complements the rich salmon perfectly.  Serves 2. Ingredients 2 slices bacon or pancetta, chopped fairly small 2 (6-oz) pieces center-cut salmon fillet     (about 1 inch thick) with skin Salad Mix 1 scallion, sliced thinly crosswise ½ lemon   Method of preparation Sprinkle a frying pan with a little oil, heat it and fry the bacon until crisp.  Remove to a paper towel.   Immediately put the salmon in the hot pan, sear on each side, then cook for a minute or two, depending on the thickness of the fillet, at a lower heat until cooked through.   Put together the salad mix in a bowl.   Plate the grilled salmon.  Squeeze some lemon juice into the frying pan and pour the juices over the waiting undressed salad.  Toss the salad, add the bacon bits and toss again.  Add to the plate with the salmon, and garnish with the scallion slices.

ORDERING SPECIFICS From Foley Fish We must buy a minimum of 6 pounds per type of fish, so we need orders for at least that much to bring it in.   Please order at least 1 pound per type.  Foley Fish freezes well.     We need your order by noon on Tuesday, 12/1, and it will be available for pick up after 10 am on Friday, 12/4.

PUTNAM MARKET the best food and wine store between manhattan & montreal

call: 518.587.3663 www.putnammarket.com

Saratoga Springs city tax bills due

Heyyyyy nothing says "Happy Holidays" like a reminder that your tax bill is due, but don't blame me - I'm just the messenger.  If you pay your Saratoga Springs city taxes in quarterly installments, don't forget to drop your fourth quarter payment off to city hall or get the envelope postmarked (not a meter mark) by December 1, 2009 to avoid late fees.  Click here  for the tax payment page on the Saratoga Springs city web site.

Tax payments may be mailed to the Commissioner of Finance, PO Box 328, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866-0328 or hand delivered to City Hall at 474 Broadway. The tax office is located on the first floor of City Hall, first door on the left when entering from Broadway. The office hours are Monday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Tuesday through Friday 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. All checks should be made payable to COMMISSIONER OF FINANCE.

News from Saratoga Farmers Market

I received this information below and am passing it along:

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Saratoga Springs Farmers' Market

November 27, 2009                                
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Market News:  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This Saturday our market will abound with local bounty.  Check out our new vendors: Zorbas Natural's Gar La La (nondairy, gluten free, soy free dips); Saratoga Salsa Potato Chips (made from Sheldon Farms's Adirondak Potatoes); Mrs. London's (organic coffee and pastries).  Note: Holiday greens are now being sold at the market.    Missing this Saturday will be Effie's Bakery and Bridge to Health--both will be back on December 5th! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Parking will be on the both sides of the school.  Please keep the front lane open for safe pedestrian travel.  Thank you. Note: Dogs are not allowed inside the school building.  School rules. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ MARKET SHED has been converted to the Market Table  at the winter market and will continue to provide "market money" (tokens) for those short on cash, but are carrying credit cards or EBT cards.   We also have the great gift ideas: market tote bags (canvas and insulated),  t-shirts and gift certificates!    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Thanksgiving Raffle Will Be Awarded Tomorrow! proceeds from the winter market basket raffles will be going to offset the extra expense of our beautiful new location at the gym of Division St Elem School. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Enter now at the market table: THANKSGIVING BASKET WILL BE GIVEN OUT  NOVEMBER 28th, 11 am at the market *Our monthly raffle basket will have a Thanksgiving theme.  Ticket prices  are $2 each or 3 for $5.  This basket is worth over $125!!!

News from our Vendors and Black Friday Saturday Specials In keeping with the season, some of our vendors will have special offerings at our November 28 Market day, two days after Thanksgiving. Others will debut a new product, or bid good bye to one of your favorites.  ¹      As their supply of natural greenhouse cucumbers declines, Shushan Valley Hydro (Phyllis Underwood) will soon reintroduce the green beans, just in time for the December season. Take notice that they're running a special on Saturday: Buy two greens and treat yourself to the third at no cost. ¹      Elihu Farm (Mary & Bob Pratt) have become goose herders in addition to being sheep herders. For a special holiday dinner for a few or a crowd consider one of their heritage breed geese for your table. Their Black Friday Saturday sale item will be small boneless lamb sirloin roasts for $12 per pound, regularly $13.50. A perfect dinner for two. ¹      Continuing the 'green theme', buy any two greens from Kilpatrick Family Farm (Michael Kilpatrick) and get the third for 50 percent off. ¹      For oh so delicious braised or roasted joints (to use a British term), Homestead Artisans (Liza and Dave Porter) will have goat leg and breast quarters for 50 percent off. "Come 'n get it," Liza writes. ¹      Add flavor to your applesauce, holiday breads, or roasted winter squash with cider from Saratoga Apple (Christine Gaud and Nate Darrow). Their cooking quality pints of cider will be on sale for $1.00 per pint. That's half off the regular price of $2.00 per pint. Pick up some apples along with the cider. ¹      Frenchy Loeb Jewelry is offering Gift Layaway Service on all of her beautiful gemstone inventory for the Holidays. For a non-refundable $5.00 deposit, she'll hold your purchase. *** For this Saturday only, make your jewelry and gift orders, pay in full, and receive 20% off. *** This is Frenchy's final sale of 2009. Give your loved one, or yourself, a gift for Chaunukuh (December 11 through 19) or for Christmas.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ RECIPE OF THE WEEK ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  Citrus Winter Squash Casserole with Apples Note: This recipe lends itself to using leftover squash from your Thanksgiving table.  Citrus Winter Squash Casserole with Apples  2 lbs winter squash (I like to mix medium butternut, acorn and delicata) 1-2 apples, cored, skinned and thinly sliced 2 tbsp butter 1/4 cup maple syrup 1/4 cup orange juice Prepare squash by cutting in 1/2's or 1/4's, deseeding and baking covered by aluminum foil at 375 in a shallow baking pan with 1-2 inches of water.  Bake until meat is tender (30 minutes).  Remove from oven, but leave oven on.  Slice out squash meat at mashed gently together and put into a generously buttered 9x 13 baking dish.  Add apple slices throughout.  Pour over maple syrup and orange juice.  Bake for 30 minutes in oven or until apples are tender and casserole is heated through. Note: this recipe can be made more robust and appealing to meat lovers by adding sliced sausage to the dish.  (An addition my carnivorous husband insists I mention here).

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The Saratoga Farmers' Market is open for its winter season, Nov.-April, Saturdays 9a-1p at the Division Street School in Saratoga Springs, NY. (go to our website for a map to our winter location.)

For more info go to www.saratogafarmersmarket.org

Saratoga Restaurant week to be held December 5-10, 2009

This is the fifth annual restaurant week held by the Saratoga Convention and Tourism Bureau.  Dinners will be $18.19 and lunch will be $9.09.  For more information, including a list of participating restaurants, click here.

DZ Restaurants: Chianti, Forno Bistro, and Pasta Pane

As my regular readers know, I am on a number of Saratoga business and organization e-mailing lists.  As the economy continues to struggle these businesses, most notably the restaurants, seem more active in communicating with their customers via email.  They're also getting more active on the social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter.  This strategy makes sense; it's virtually cost free to send emails and post on networking sites to advertise your offerings to customers who expressed a desire to be contacted that way.  Of course, if you're working in the old media, such as newspapers and other print, TV, and radio, this trend will continue to seriously harm those businesses.  It's harsh, but "move, adapt, or die" sure seems to apply here. Anyway, back to the specific subject of businesses sending emails, I received an email this week from DZ Restaurants announcing upcoming events and happenings.

DZ Restaurants in November  HAPPENINGS IN THE RESTAURANTS Chianti Promotions Forno Promotions Pristine Vodka World Premiere Communicate with us! PASTA PANE RUSTIC ITALIAN BISTRO  18 Park Avenue Clifton Park, NY 12065   Opening Early Winter 2010!    We're making progress!  More construction updates to follow! There is so much happening at DZ Restaurants this month!  To begin, we just launched our brand new websites this week!  Click on the links below and check out all the great features we've added to the sites.  Each restaurants' menu has phonetic pronunciations that help you pronounce our Italian menu.  Ever wondered which bottle of wine David would pair with each Chianti entree?  Check the site to see his wine recommendations for each dish on the menu!  Check the DZ Newsletter frequently - the chefs and managers will be posting tidbits about recipes, wines, trips and other fun things they're up to!   www.chiantiristorante.com www.fornobistro.com www.dzrestaurants.com   Chianti in November  Monday Night Food-ball at Chianti's Bar! Order a full entree off our main dinner menu between 8:00pm and 9:30pm on Monday night and enjoy half-priced beer and house wine until the end of the game!  Gather your friends and watch the game in style - phenomenal food and generous drink discounts at Chianti's bar!   Mastering the Art of Italian Cooking - Campania Region Spots are still available for the November 24th cooking class at Chianti!  Fabrizio will be demonstrating dishes from the Campania region of Italy.  This is a perfect way to spend time with friends before the rush of the holidays!  You may learn a tip or two before the big meal!  $45 per person.     Forno in November  The new dinner menu is here! Take a peek on the website to check out our new dinner menu.  Many old favorites remain, some much-requested past items have returned and a bunch of new items were added!  Stop in for dinner!   Pizza E Birra at the bar!  Sunday - Thursday at the bar - it's the best promotion in Saratoga Springs!  For just $8 enjoy a full-size hand tossed pizza and a draft beer!  Choose between a Margherita or Salsiccia pizza and a Peroni or Sam Adams Winter Lager.  We'll see you at the bar!   Hands-On Cooking Classes with Forno's Mamma Theresa! We are accepting reservations for our hands-on cooking series starting in December.  The hands-on course for adults will be held on December 5th and the hands-on course for kids will be held on December 19th.  Due to their interactive nature, class size is limited to 12 people - call today for reservations!  518.581.2401 - class payment required in advance - $25 per person for the kids class, $40 per person for the adult class.   Bambino Menu is brand new and offered 7 days a week! Come check out our new children's menu being offered 7 days a week - appetizers, entrees and desserts in kid size portions!  Choose a 3-course dinner with drink for $15 per kid - a healthy, homemade meal that you can be happy about.    Pristine Vodka World Premiere Local resident Alexander Bratslavsky has recently launched his own brand of premium vodka, Pristine.  To celebrate his accomplishment, Chianti will be the first restaurant to sell the vodka and promote it in Saratoga Springs.  Beginning Monday, November 23rd and running until Wednesday, November 25th, Chianti will offer $5 Pristine vodka martinis to give area residents the chance to experience the liquor first-hand.  Join us before Thanksgiving for the world premiere of Pristine vodka!  Communicate with DZ Restaurants!         Click on the links below and hear up-to-the-minute updates from the restaurants!   http://twitter.com/chiantisaratoga http://www.facebook.com/pages/Saratoga-Springs-NY/Chianti-Ristorante/49150787567 http://twitter.com/fornobistro http://www.facebook.com/pages/Saratoga-Springs-NY/Forno-Bistro/48959876386   As always, your comments and feedback is always appreciated.  We look forward to seeing you in the restaurants!

Billy Fucillo house on Cottage Street nearly finished.

Actually, Billy Fucillo doesn't own this house, but it sure is HUUUUUGE!  Sorry.  You hear enough of those obnoxious commercials during your local TV newscasts, but I was just trying to make my point. 

  The house is not only HUUUUUGE big, but it's also yellow.  Mustard yellow.  Not regular mustard yellow, but more like a spicy mustard yellow.  It seems like everyone I know that's seen it has an opinion, mostly negative, on the color.  I'm OK with the apparent homage to the Gulden's brand of condiment, but I doubt if the owners really care who thinks what about their new homestead.  Next time you have a few minutes take a drive or a walk on by and check it out.  It's nice to see a big new house going up in the center portion of the city.  You can read my previous entry on this house as well as other happenings on Cottage Street here. 

South Side Recreation Center thoughts

I took this below photo of the partially constructed south side recreation center last week not knowing the State Supreme Court, Appelate Division, would soon be issuing a decision on the lawsuit a citizens group filed last year.

 

The long and short of the decision is that the citizens group got their asses handed to them and the court ruled in favor of the city on all arguments.  I don't have a problem with these residents fighting the city on this - the process had a certain abruptness and arrogance to it and the plaintiffs had understandable motivations.  Nonetheless, I hope these homeowners realize they're not going to get to the Court of Appeals and that this fight is over.  If the court's decision doesn't tell the citizens that it's over, then the rapidly rising steel framing shown above should. 

I had mixed feelings on this project because I hated to lose green space in the city, but I recognized that the park off Vanderbilt Avenue was underutilized and that a recreation center built in a location more convenient to the bulk of Saratoga Springs' population would be a year-round asset to city residents.  I'll give Mayor Johnson credit for making it happen and then I'll enjoy the building as much as I can.  I suggest everyone else do the same - it's going up and you're paying for it whether you use it or not. 

• Link my previous entry here 
• Saratogian article can be read here
• Times Union article is here.

Saratoga Convention and Visitors Bureau advertising on Monster.com for President

I just saw this on a tweet which was posted on the Post-Star's Saratoga Snippets blog.  You can find the Monster.com link here.  It pays between $85 and $125K.

Sperry's price drops by nearly 1/3

 

I posted an entry back in July about Sperry's Restaurant being up for sale, and in recent days the asking price has been reduced by $450,000.  The original asking price for the real estate was $1.4 million, with the business being offered without the real estate at $300,000.  Now the asking price for the real estate only is $950,000 (reduced by almost 1/3), and the business only asking price was cut by an even third and is at $200,000.  With the state of the economy and the realities of owning a restaurant in Saratoga, I just don't know if that price reduction is going to make any difference at all.  I wish the current owners luck and hope something happens because with this recent effort to interest prospective buyers, it is quite obvious that they are motivated sellers who would like to be out of there.

Click here for the MLS Listing

Click here for the web site for Sperry's Restaurant

Saratoga Farmers Market News

I received this today from the Saratoga Farmers Market and am posting it here for your information.  Don't forget the Farmers Market has moved indoors to the Division Street Elementary School until May.  Bummer.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Saratoga Springs Farmers' Market November 6, 2009 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Market News ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ TOMORROW  WE BEGIN THE 2009 WINTER MARKET! In our new site!!   Yes, the winter market will begin 9am, Saturday November 7th at the Division Street Elementary School!  We are very excited about new digs and hope you will be too.  The school will allow us ample parking for all, easy handicap access and more room for MORE VENDORS!  Product will plentiful.  Leeks are in, brussel sprouts are gorgeous, winter squashes abound and beautiful greens are plentiful.  In addition we will be having new baked goods, new prepared foods, new mushroom vendor and all our wonderful true blue regulars: yogurt, cheeses, meats, eggs, apples, soaps and holiday greens. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FALL FESTIVAL was a great success at our last outdoor market.  Whinnie the Pooh and gang made a day of it at the market, much to the delight of our younger customers.  Our musicians, 3/4 North, got our toes warm with unavoidable toe tapping and the sun even decided to show up!  Congratulations to Russ winning the Great 137 pound pumpkin and the gracious Jeanne who also had the right guess, but lost in a stick draw. (She got a market T-shirt and a mini gourd!) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ MARKET SHED has been converted to the Market Table  at the winter market and will continue to provide "market money" (tokens) for those short on cash, but are carrying credit cards or EBT cards.   We also have the great gift ideas: market tote bags (canvas and insulated),  t-shirts and gift certificates!    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FIRST RAFFLE OF THE INDOOR MARKET proceeds from the winter market basket raffles will be going to offset the extra expense of our beautiful new location at the gym of Division St Elem School. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Enter now! For one dollar* enter to win a BASKET FULL OF MARKET GOODIES.   You can enter as often as you like.  Enter at the market table.  BASKET WILL BE GIVEN OUT  NOVEMBER 7th, 11 am  at the FIRST INDOOR MARKET!! *Starting next week our monthly raffle basket with a Thanksgiving theme will begin, but the ticket prices will go up to $2 each or 3 for $5.   The gift baskets have over a $100 in product value.  Tomorrow's basket is worth over $125!!! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   LIVE MUSIC:will be on hold until we find suitable space at the market ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ RECIPE OF THE WEEK ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  STUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS Cabbage is a much-aligned vegetable, but its versatility is astounding and is a wonderful resource for many varying culinary dishes.  Cabbages have evolved into a diverse family and have been challenging chefs to keep coming up with new ways to use them.  Cabbage is good braised, steamed, fried, or sautéed.  It's the basis of American coleslaw, German Sauerkraut, and many oriental dishes.   It is inexpensive and grows easily in many conditions and are plentiful now at your farmers' market.  Americans are very familiar with the head cabbage, which comes in many varieties from green to red.  Then there is Bok choy, the mild-flavored Asian cabbage in bright colors.  Chinese cabbages have oblong heads with thin, juicy, full-flavored leaves.  Each presents a never ending lists of uses and all are found locally produced.   Cabbage is a great accompaniment to rich meat dishes and all root vegetables.  It goes well with spices, red wine, apples, onions, chestnuts, radishes, beets and sour cream.  My family loves stuffed cabbage rolls on a cold winter night.  I like it as it lends itself to be cooked ahead, frozen and then ready to go on days that are short for time.  My husband loves them in a tomato sauce and my daughter covered in a soy sauce.  I could see them being finished in a wine and brown sugar topping.  They are generous in their adaptation to personal tastes.  Your palate is the selecting criteria.   Ingredients 1 pound of ground meat (beef, lamb, turkey, sausage) 1 large egg 1/2 cup bread crumbs (West Village market crumbs are super) 1/2 cup uncooked long-grain rice  (white for oriental, mixed brown/white ok with tomato) 1/2 cup water 1 large carrot, grated 1 large garlic clove, minced 1 tsp salt 1/4 tsp. black pepper 1 savory or green cabbage (approximately 2 lbs.) Directions Combine in a large bowl all the ingredients above, except the cabbage and set aside. Take the cabbage and cut out the core.  Drop the cabbage into 3-4 qts of boiling water.  Boil for 5-10 minutes and remove from the pot and carefully remove the softened out leaves.  Return the cabbage to the simmering water to continue softening the inner leaves as you begin to stuff the leaves.  Leaves need to be supple enough to roll.  Wrap the meat mixture in the leaves and folding much like you would a tortilla.  (Stuffing down center, fold in the sides and roll up the middle).  Repeat this process until all the stuffing is used.  You can tie them closed with string or place seem side down to cook.  At this point you can freeze (up to a month) or store (up to 3 days) for later use. Hubby's Tomato based sauce Chop up one cup of cabbage leaves (can use remaining cabbage leaves from above).  Combine with 1 medium onion chopped.  In a large dutch oven type pot, heat 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil and add the chopped cabbage/onion mixture and sauté until golden brown.  The add 1/2 cup dry white or red wine and bring to a boil, then reduce immediately to a simmer for 5 minutes.  Add 4 large tomatoes, diced with their juices, 1 cup of water, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 8 gingersnap cookies, crumbled and 1 tbsp of lemon juice.  Bring all this to a boil for 5 minutes.  The reduce heat and add cabbage rolls, seam side down, adding a little water to just cover rolls.  Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, shaking pan a couple of times throughout,  to be sure sauce does not stick.  Serve hot with sour cream. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Saratoga Farmers' Market is open for its winter season, Nov.-April, Saturdays 9a-1p at the Division Street School in Saratoga Springs, NY. For more info go to www.saratogafarmersmarket.org