Cross country skiing at Capital Hills

I'm hesitating a little about writing this piece...you see, I am concerned about my little piece of heaven being overrun by enthusiastic but challenged skiers, thus making my own forays less idyllic. I'm basically a sharer, though, so here is a little secret for you: the best free, winter outdoor activity in the city of Albany is cross country skiing at Capital Hills. Heck - don't tell Mayor Jennings but, if I were asked, I would even pay for access to the gorgeousness that is that golf course on a snowy day. It is that beautiful.

Into the wild white yonder

Now you know that I like to think of myself as a bit of an athlete - and I have the scars to prove it. When I initially tried cross-country skiing, under a bit of duress if I remember correctly, I totally thought I would hate it. Being out in the snow gliding along didn't really appeal to me. I had bad memories of a "learn to ski" day at a downhill place near where I grew up (think too much partying and not enough waterproof clothing), and was decidedly not enthusiastic about swooshing along through the woods. The reality though was, that with the appropriate attire and a supportive ski partner/teacher, I finished my introductory country ski experience feeling as if I had truly found my sport. It was genuine love and I've never lost my enthusiasm - and really, how many things can you say that about?

Snow is merely frozen water to Cassidy Lilly

That year, probably about 15 years ago, I got my first pair of cross country skis and I've never looked back. Other than to see where my dog was, that is. I honed my skills at the golf course over the years and have come to take for granted the stunning hilly-ness that is the new course. This is not terrain for those afraid of hills for either up or down hill adventures. It is a challenging course, made more interesting by the nearly complete lack of grooming. You're on your own here and it is frequently necessary to break your own path on the virgin "trail." But, hey, you trailblazer, you can do it!

I got out there recently with a friend who had never experienced the golf course on skis. His enthusiasm and repeated exclamation of "glorious!!" reminded me anew of the amazing gift we outdoor enthusiasts have in the nearby public golf course. There is ample parking, a restaurant for those inclined to have a bite to eat or a drink (the smell of their wood burning fireplace smells enticing without the added aroma of chicken wings), and there are uncountable trails to explore. I've been skiing there with as much frequency as the weather and my life allow for years and I still explore new trails to make my way from my starting point back around to the clubhouse. My latest discovery was the Heineken Trail, marked by Heineken cans stakes at both ends as well as cans nailed onto trees.  As proof that Albany (and its cross-country skiing community) are comfortingly small, I ran into (not literally, I reserve that for my snowboarding escapades) a man skiing, Collin Campbell.  He claims to have marked that very trail, along with a Budweiser trail which I have not yet located, and has plans for a Coors trail also.  Just what I like - something to look forward to!  

In the middle of the city, yet in the middle of no where



A couple of suggestions for the novice: ski with a friend. This place is big and not well marked; it is best to travel with a companion in case you experience any difficulties. Along the same vein, carry a cell phone with you for both the ability to communicate as well as to orient yourself, assuming you have one of those cool mapping apps. If you don't have a virtual compass, listen for the sounds of the Thruway and remember that it runs East/West. You'll figure it out. And, lastly, go and go often. Cross country skiing truly makes the winter something not just to tolerate, but instead a season to gleefully anticipate.

Additional places to cross country ski:
Pine Ridge 
Lapland Lake
Garnet Hill
Cross country skiing near Albany

Bittersweet Exposed

image from picassawebalbums

While skiing through Capital Hills golf course, I was impressed by the aesthetic of the shrubs, bare trees and (everywhere) bittersweet.  As I glided along completely smitten by the exposed, winter panorama, I started thinking about how so often there is more present than what initially meets and greets the eye. How beauty can be subtly layered, frequently becoming more striking as the artifice is stripped away. Yes, of course, verdant greens and brightly hued flowers are obviously stunning, but is what remains after the blowsiness of youth has been exhausted of equal beauty?  And, can the same rationale transfer to relationships?  When the vibrancy and excitement of new love have weathered into a landscape of subtle shades of brown with bursts of unexpected vibrancy, is what remains more than bittersweet?

Soup Dumplings

I'm sure you're all aware of Ala Shanghai and their upstate (near) monopoly on the soup dumpling, right?  I know that folks, who know way more about Chinese food than I do, love their soup dumplings, but Joe's Shanghai will eternally hold a special place in my heart when it comes to these luscious pockets of deliciousness, because it was there where I first popped my dumpling, so to speak. 

Joe's is in Chinatown on a little side street (Pell) off of Mott.  There seems to be some trickery present on this little block since there are 2 restaurants with somewhat similar names, some other Joe's place and another joint with the  word Shanghai in it.  Don't be fooled - Joe's Shanghai will be the place with line outside on the south side of the street.  Wait for the hostess to acknowledge you and give you a number. Things move along pretty fast and I always find it worth the investment of time.  Once you're seated (perhaps at a communal table with some other lucky diners), you'll be offered an opportunity to order soup dumplings - the appropriate answer is "Yes, please."  I really love the pork and crab combination, and find that one order (6 pieces) makes a great appetizer to start, for a party of 2.  If you're unable to share - get your own damn order. 

When I mentally compare these with the upstate version, I find the skins on Joe's dumplings to be more delicate and much easier to pierce daintily to release the steam than those at Ala Shanghai.  And, while the dumpling wrapper is thinner, the broth contained by the wrapper has more body and flavor than the local variation.  It just has more taste, in my opinion.  Let's agree to disagree on this point, ok?

What I will not yield on, however, is the extreme superiority of Joe's scallion pancakes.  Oh my goodness, they're hot and crispy, beautifully browned and loaded with scallions.  The limpness which I've experienced in Latham makes me think that we're not even comparing the same food item.   Get these.

kind of an oily mess, but not necessarily a bad thing.

tasty shrimp with salt and peppers.

Lisa ordered the pork and scallions and the flavor of the dish was right on.  The meat was tender and the scallions retained their beautiful color and flavor despite there being an excess of oil on the plate.  Some rice would have helped to absorb the BP spill, but we were saving our carb calories for beer, so that was not an option.  It was a dish that attracted some attention from the folks hovering while waiting for a table of their own, though. 

I went with a shrimp dish since they had sold out of their green beans.  The shrimp were available either peeled or unpeeled and I took the easy way out opting for shell off.  I  love those hot little pepper slices that were scattered throughout the dish and my plate was not a victim of too much oil at all.  A pretty basic dish, but enjoyable.

I'll be at a little party in a couple of weeks at Ala Shanghai and will revisit their dumplings, but not their scallion pancakes. I will try to remain cognizant that like bacon and turkey bacon, there will be some similarities, but that, for me, it is best to think of the soup dumplings at Joe's Shanghai and those from Ala Shanghai as being from two distant regions rather than from next door neighbors.

Snow day soup

this photo does not do it justice

Yesterday was our first snow day of the season and I am pretty darn satisfied with how I used my found time.  This storm was well forecasted for a change, and I was so confident that I was going to be home for the day, that I prepped bread dough the night before and got to enjoy the aroma of fresh bread baking in my oven.  Love that! 

I am newly obsessed with kale, following my meal at Cafe Capriccio, and decided to make a kale and bean soup.  I don't know about you, but I am convinced that white beans and kale are the flavor combination of winter 2011 - it seems like I'm seeing it everywhere (@Eataly on bruschetta, @Cafe Capriccio on crostini, in Bon Appetit, etc).  I gathered together 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (cut into 2" pieces), a package of garlic and chicken sausage (sliced into 1" rounds), a huge bunch of kale (coarsely chopped), an entire head of garlic (again, coarsely chopped), 2/3 of a bag of "baby" carrots, approximately 2.5 quarts of assorted stock (more on this later) and a big can of canellini beans. 



The process:  Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy, deep pot, over medium high heat.  Add the garlic and lightly brown.  Turn down the heat and toss in the chunks of chicken thighs.  Brown on all sides, turning as necessary.  Add the chicken sausage and stock - I used 3 different types of stock from my freezer; turkey and two different batches of chicken stock.  I seasoned each of those birds differently and think the variety added a really nice depth to my end result. Turn the heat down to medium low and toss in the carrots and kale, stirring to distribute evenly, and cover.  My bunch of kale was ginormous and I had to add it slowly as it cooked down, which took a few minutes.  After about 30 minutes, I reached for my can of white beans and...paused.   "Hmmm.  If everyone is doing kale and white beans maybe I need to switch it up a bit," I thought to myself.  I considered how beautiful the orange carrots looked and decided to put my own spin on things (as I like to do) and reached for a bag of dried yellow lentils (2.5 - 3 cups, I'd say ) instead.  Oh, yeah.  Perfect!  I covered the pot again, turned the heat to as low as it would go and went skiing for a couple of hours.  Upon my return, inspired by the lentils, I seasoned the soup with between 1/4 and a 1/3 cup of garam masala and let the spices cook for about 30 minutes prior to ladling that loveliness into bowls.  I served the soup with home baked bread, soft, herbed cheese and roasted cauliflower.  Delicious.  

a delicious winter salad




Today's lunch was a salad of baby spinach and arugula dressed with olive oil and fresh lemon juice then topped with leftover roasted cauliflower, croutons and golden raisins. Yum, yum - that's good eating.

Wine Fest

I can't imagine a better Friday in Albany than the one I had last week.  It began with yoga @5:45 (yes, that is a.m.), lasted approximately 20 hours, and, start to finish, it was awesome. Photos below are from the 2nd Annual Albany Chefs' Wine and Dine for the Arts, which was held downtown at the Crowne Plaza.  The three day event raised money to support Albany's not-for-profit arts community and it rocked.  The photos below are from the Grand Tasting  which took place Friday late afternoon into the evening.  The snow didn't discourage any hearty Albanians from joining in the fun, (including celebrity bloggers Daniel B. and Albany Jane), and simply made the event more festive.  Can't wait until next year!    Lots of other folks have written in detail about the participants and their own experiences, so I'll just leave you with some of my visual impressions.

sea bream three ways

from one of my favorite sonoma tasting rooms

surf and turf rolls

3 gentlemen (one of whom I've babysat)

whimsical cakes by gio

can't you almost hear "take me to the river..."

joe carr doing his thing

donna actually having a chance to taste some wine

a place i've never been...

here's lombardo's eggplant - tasty stuff

hannah's hope cocoa fundraiser

(Post)Holiday Party at Cafe Capriccio

You remember how I said I was more than ready for the holidays to be over so I could have a little time to detox?  Well, it hasn't occurred yet.  Perhaps post-MLK weekend I will have an opportunity to dry out a bit, but the weekend after that is the Michael Franti show...I just don't see it happening anytime soon.  Ah, what the hell, I may as well just go with it, right?  Life is short and I've been blessed with an existence absolutely filled with delicious food and amazing wine.   Case in point: last night I enjoyed a fabulous evening out celebrating the holidays with the entire staff of the Lark Street Wine Bar and Bistro, hosted by Kevin Everlath, at the chef's table at Cafe Capriccio.  You know I have big love for the Cafe, and Jim Rua, and once again he did not disappoint.  I'm going to let the pictures tell the story of the meal we ate with gusto, but I would like to attribute the quote of the evening to Jason Baker.  Directed to Jim Rua and his kitchen staff, it followed the bountiful antipasti and pasta course and went something like this:  "The main course had better be good.  You set the bar high.  Jesus Christ!"  I know that Jim is often referred to as "Chief,"  but apparently to Jason (and all present last night) he also is a deity.  Our meal was that good.  I apologize in advance for not having photos of everything, including the life changing tripe with pork ribs, the tender cuttlefish and the crazy delicious mushroom dish.  I was distracted at times by my own need to eat and drink, forgive me.  Trust me though, everything was fantastic.  To make up for my lapse I'll give you instead a tidbit of hospitality insider information...  Much of the food pictured below will soon be available north of the Twin Bridges.  Watch for a Cafe Capriccio-esque presence soon in the Spa city.  Until then - feast on these pictures and visit the original location on Grand Street.

peppers stuffed with house made pheasant sausage

blood oranges, berries and cheese

white bean and braised kale crostini, roasted tomatoes, long beans with garlic

frittata

Yves (formerly of L'Auberge) plating pasta with a spicy watercress pesto

watercress pesto with tomatoes

plates waiting to be put to use



lamb shank extraordinaire with mashed beans and tender braised kale



kerry and jonathan - my alternating monday night work partners

crisan's tiramisu

                              the lark street wine bar and bistro crew

Coquette croquettes

If I were a superhero (I'm not one, I just play one in real life) my name would be Coquette Woman and one of my super  powers would be my ability to make something from nothing, specifically something tasty from seemingly disparate leftover ingredients. Case in point: these breakfast potatoes. I was staring hard at a container of leftover mashed potatoes when I realized they were begging me to turn them into potato cakes and as I was considering their plea, I started to hear the (sadly) dried up prosciutto and half a red onion ask to join them. Here's what I did to make all of us happy...

I chopped the onion and prosciutto and mixed them by hand (literally) with the leftover mashed potatoes.  Note: the reddish bits on the potatoes are the skins.  I almost never peel potatoes.  After mixing the onions, prosciutto and potatoes, I shaped the mixture into "cakes" that were basically the size of a generous crab cake.  I dipped them into a lightly beaten egg and then dredged them in matzo meal.  Bread crumbs or panko would work just as well, but matzo meal is what I had on hand and this exercise in cooking revolved around using what I had.

             

Next up - frying!  I heated some vegetable oil until it was hot enough to cause the potato cakes to make that lovely sizzle noise as I placed them in the pan.  I browned them on both sides and then moved them to a moderate oven (350) for about 20  minutes.  The time in the oven is completely discretionary - they were ready sooner than 20 minutes and they could have stayed in the oven longer.  It was just what worked for me.

The potatoes became the base for a couple of softly poached eggs. I finished the plate with salsa, avocado mashed with a bit of sour cream and cumin and toasted no-knead bread. Yeah, I baked that beautiful bread - by the way, that's another of my super powers. Coquette Woman saves the day with a tasty meal and once again thwarts the compost bin by using an array of leftovers creatively! Pow!