Crown Roast of Pork

Those looking for something a little different for the holidays might want to try their hands on a Crown Roast of Pork. My recipe for Crown Roast of Pork with a chestnut apple stuffing was featured in the Albany Times Union. Click here to be taken to the article written by Ruth Fantasia.

New York's Outdated Systems

Getting a liquor license is such a chore in NY as stated by Steve Barnes in his blog today. The state is working on new systems, but this won't help us out here in Schenectady right now. The application procedure has become, I wonder how people would feel about a restaurant opening without wine and beer for awhile. It is a concern for all of us, but we are working out the kinks.

So many phone calls to return tomorrow, so many appointments to make. My day started at 6:00 am today reading resumes, then I was off to the Hall of Springs to prep for the reopening of the Patron's Club today, over 100 reservations on the books. Opened at 5:30pm, got it all out in a mostly timely manner... It is hard to get 100 covers out from a 10 items menu in 60 minutes mind you. Actually it is more difficult to get it all out o the kitchen as the whole board fires all at once and there are only a couple of us in the kitchen, but we got through it.

Got done with that phase of my day at 10:00pm, drove home, finishing the menu for Winedown and trying to find a dishwasher and prep station for the kitchen online now. Back to the Patron's Club again at 8 am tomorrow to start it all again.

Competition in Central Florida

I'm sending in an application to compete in an American Culinary Federation sanctioned culinary competition in Central Florida taking place in September. The main ingredient needs to be a whole muscle of pork, so this is what I came up with.

A Celebration of the Noble Swine


Crispy Pork Belly topped with Fines Herbes Salad

Offal Frito Misto

Sautéed Parisian Gnocchi
With Burgundy Braised Pig’s Cheeks
Patty Pan Squash, Heirloom Tomatoes, and Taggiasca Olives

Hoping the new Asian Market has some pig parts to use, making this tonight for dinner.

Interpreting The Chef's Uniform (Repost)

I've been having some conversions recently with people about chef's uniforms and my feelings on what I feel one should wear to be a professional. Instead of rehashing my argument with a new blog, I thought I would repost one of my older blogs which stated my feelings. Some of the statements will seem out of context as the blog post was written in 2007 when I lived in Boston.


So a comment came up during my blog from yesterday about chef uniforms. This comment came from statements about those horrific denim coats they wear on Iron Chef America. I ironically had a conversation with someone else today about chef uniforms and I guess I should give all of you my take on chef uniforms and how I came to the current uniform I adhere to and promote in the industry.

When I went to culinary school, we had a pre-meeting for each culinary laboratory class. During this meeting our uniforms were checked to make sure we adhered to what was 10 years ago, the basis for what has become the American Culinary Federation standard for culinary uniforms. We were to wear checkered chef pants, black shoes, a white t-shirt with no print, a CLEAN, unstained chef coat, the silly floppy chef toque, and a name tag. It was also at this time that the funky uniforms started to emerge from companies like Chefwear.

I will admit that I went for the funky wear for some time. Yes, yes I owned chili pepper pants, I even had a skull cap that matched and a chef coat with some fringe to go with it. I am soooooo glad that there are no pictures that exist from then. I wore clogs for a few years as well, never those odd Croc things that Batali wears, but to each their own. I tried wearing a bandanna for a few weeks at one time as well, as I shave my head and it was just horribly uncomfortable to me.

I worked for a small restaurant in Stowe, VT for a short period which might also bring out my disdain for the denim chef coat. The place was called Blue Jean's Cuisine and I actually showed up to the interview wearing a denim chef coat and denim chef pants. I got the job, but holy crap was I embarrassed afterwards.

After years of playing around and trying to have fun, I came to a point in my career a few years back that drove me to a point where I want perfection in everything I do. I have refined my cooking skills, my culinary knowledge and my professionalism in the kitchen. Part of that concentration for me was a change in my uniform.

Other chefs can go with the funky gear, but I have realized from my past that that was sort of a "mess" in my head that ended up being portrayed in my uniform, and honestly it showed in my cooking back then as well. Maybe others are a bit different and take their uniform as a way to express themselves, but honestly they aren't expressing themselves, they are just wearing a pattern that a company is trying to sell them. They are the Hot Topic of chefs maybe? Please take no offense if any of you wear these uniforms, but it is just the passion I have for my career.

We would never see a traditional French chef wearing this odd commercialized style of uniform. It is about the cooking and making sure we look appropriate in the public eye. Our presence has to say we are chefs, with passion, integrity and we need to be put together well so that our guests have faith in us. What we do outside of the kitchen is up to us when we are in the kitchen we are there to please the guest not just ourselves.

So what is the uniform I wear today? The pants I wear are pressed black pants, nothing expensive JOS Bank casual pants as they are a bit heavy weight for the safety and they are easy to clean and wear well. Chefwear has just come out with a new perm press tailored pant that I am thinking of trying though. I wear solid black socks along with a black shoe that can be shined from Sketchers (UPDATE: I now wear Doc Marten clogs, the Sketchers fell apart to easily) I wear a plain white t-shirt and my chef coat is a plain white, usually well starched coat that I have started ordering from New Chef as they don't charge for the ACF logo on my coats and it is pretty cheap to add embroidery of my name. My hat is a machine washable high toque with a Velcro back.

To take this back to yesterday's blog, it just reminds me of two of my favorite competitors from The Next Iron Chef. Gavin and Besh both had a high-level of professionalism. As much as an Iron chef should be making innovative and competitive food, we should be professionals and they certainly were dressed as professionals. Besh's sport coat outfit in France gave me confidence as well. We always need to be on spot in public and I feel he is certainly a New Orleans gentleman.

Troy Pig Out Recipes

So today was a hectic day, prepared my recipe for gnocchi with olives and summer vegetables on WNYT Channel 13 in Albany. Then I rushed over to Troy to do a 30 minute demo at the Kansas City BBQ sanctioned festival in Troy. I prepared a couple of my favorite simple recipes using some BBQ smoked ingredients including smoked sausage, smoked pork chops and smoked bacon. As requested, I am posting the two recipes I prepared here.

Smoked Sausage Salad
1 lb. Smoked Sausage
8 oz. Red onion, sliced thin
8 oz. Celery, sliced thin
1 tbsp. Chives, minced
1 tbsp. Flat leaf Parsley, chopped
3 oz Apple cider vinegar
4 oz. Extra Virgin olive oil
To taste Salt and fresh ground black pepper

Method: Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well, for best flavor allow to marinate for at least 4-6 hours. Serve with some croutons made from day old pretzels.

Choucroute Garni
1 lb. Sauerkraut
1 each Spnaish onion, diced medium
4 oz. Bacon, smoked, chopped
6 oz. Smoked pork chop
6 oz. Smoked sausage, kielbasa or otherwise
1 each Yukon gold potato
1 cup Chicken broth
2 cups Riesling or other slightly sweet white wine
1 each Bay leaf
4 each Juniper Berries
6 each Black peppercorns
2 oz. Sweet Vermouth

Method:
1. Heat a pan over medium heat, add bacon and render fat. Add the onions and saute to golden brown. Add the sauerkraut, juniper berries, black pepper corns, bay leaf, broth, and wine and bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer for 45 minutes. Add the pork chop, smoked sausage, potato and vermouth and simmer until the potatoes are tender and serve.

Patron's Club Menu for Summer 2009

I will be the chef for the Patron's Club at the Hall of Springs located in Saratoga Springs, NY. The restaurant is open on the following dates:

July 8-10th
July 14-18th
August 5th-22nd opened on Wed-Saturday

Below is the entree menu, there is also a Meditteranean Table which includes a daily fresh soup, smoked fish display, shrimp cocktail, salad, pasta dish, along with a number of small bites from traditioanl tapas and antipasto to hors d'oeuvre.

I will post some pictures of the dishes later this week.

Olive Oil Poached Cod
Salt Cod Potato Cake, Rainbow Chard
Fines Herbes Salad

Chicken and Mortadella
Braised Chicken Thighs with In-House Made Mortadella
Dandelion Greens, Fingerling Potatoes
Poached Egg

Seared Loin of Lamb
Catelli Colorado Lamb Loin
Gnocchi á la Niçoise sautéed with Thyme Lamb Sausage,
Niçoise Olives, Summer Squash, and Heirloom Tomatoes

Herbes de Provence Steamed Chicken Breast
Served Chilled with a Summer Vegetable Salad
Peruvian Purple Potato Salad
Champagne Vinaigrette and Mimolette Crisp

Fennel Pollen Dusted Pork Chop
Braised Fennel, Charred Red Onions Marinated in White Balsamic
Saffron Orzo, Blood Orange infused Olive Oil

Rosemary Grilled NY Strip Steak
Grilled Treviso Wrapped with Prosciutto
Creamy Polenta with Pecorino Romano
Black Truffle Balsamic Reduction

Pan Seared Scallops
Herbed Cauliflower Puree, Sautéed Salsify and Radish
Banyuls Reduction, Tahitian Vanilla Salt

Veal Piccata
Lightly Pan-Fried Veal Cutlet from Catelli
Spinach Sautéed with Garlic, Grapes, and Pine nuts
Squash Blossom Risotto

Taggiasca Olive Pork Shoulder Ragu
Handmade Pappardelle Pasta
Taggiasca Olive Sauce
Tuscano Olive Oil

Summer Vegetable Bouillabaisse
Artichokes, Leeks, Fennel, Onion, Garlic, Celery, Zucchini, Spinach
Simmered with Lemon, Orange, Tomato Water, Pernod, and White Wine
Crispy Fennel Tofu “Croutons”
Aioli on Croustade

Olive Oil Poached CodSalt Cod Potato Cake, Rainbow Chard
Fines Herbes Salad

Chicken and MortadellaBraised Chicken Thighs with In-House Made Mortadella
Dandelion Greens, Fingerling Potatoes
Poached Egg

Seared Loin of LambCatelli Colorado Lamb Loin
Gnocchi á la Niçoise sautéed with Thyme Lamb Sausage,
Niçoise Olives, Summer Squash, and Heirloom Tomatoes

Herbes de Provence Steamed Chicken Breast
Served Chilled with a Summer Vegetable Salad
Peruvian Purple Potato Salad
Champagne Vinaigrette and Mimolette Crisp

Fennel Pollen Dusted Pork Chop
Braised Fennel, Charred Red Onions Marinated in White Balsamic
Saffron Orzo, Blood Orange infused Olive Oil

Rosemary Grilled NY Strip Steak
Grilled Treviso Wrapped with Prosciutto
Creamy Polenta with Pecorino Romano
Black Truffle Balsamic Reduction

Pan Seared Scallops
Herbed Cauliflower Puree, Sautéed Salsify and Radish
Banyuls Reduction, Tahitian Vanilla Salt

Veal Piccata
Lightly Pan-Fried Veal Cutlet from Catelli
Spinach Sautéed with Garlic, Grapes, and Pine nuts
Squash Blossom Risotto

Taggiasca Olive Pork Shoulder Ragu
Handmade Pappardelle Pasta
Taggiasca Olive Sauce
Tuscano Olive Oil

Summer Vegetable Bouillabaisse
Artichokes, Leeks, Fennel, Onion, Garlic, Celery, Zucchini, Spinach
Simmered with Lemon, Orange, Tomato Water, Pernod, and White Wine
Crispy Fennel Tofu “Croutons”
Aioli on Croustade

From the SCCC Kitchen: For some fruity goodness, you can't beat the heat

Fell like making a dessert this summer but don't want to crank up the oven, or do you just want to try something a bit more healthy? Check out my recipe along with the video over at the Schenectady Gazette Website for Grilled Fruit Kabobs with an article written by my friend Jeff Wilken. Enjoy that summer grilling. Check tomorrow's Gazette for my Asian burger with 5-Spice fries recipe!!!

From the SCCC Kitchen: Radishes get star treatment in vegetable dish

Radishes, those are those little red gems many of us slice thin and toss into a salad, but what else can we do with them? Many things actually, all we have to do is look outside of our normal American culinary repertoire. In my current recipe featured in the Schenectady Gazette this week, I look to France for inspiration where cooking radishes is nothing out of the ordinary. Take a look at the article by Jeff Wilkin, along with a short video on my sauteed radishes with peas and arugula.

American Culinary Federation Election Results

The numbers are in, they have been tallied and the American Culinary Federation has announced the results of our new board members for the coming term. The torch will be passed at the ACF National Convention next month in Orlando, FL. You can read more about the American Culinary Federation and the election results here.

President: Michael Ty, CEC, AAC


Treasurer: James Taylor, CEC, AAC, MBA


Secretary: David Ivey-Soto, CEC, CCA, MBA


Vice President Central Region: David Russell, CEC, AAC


Vice President Northeast Region: William Tillinghast, CEC, AAC, MBA


Vice President Southeast Region:Jeff Bacon, CEC, CCA, AAC


Vice President Western Region: William Franklin, CMC, AAC


Chair, American Academy of Chefs: Thomas Macrina, CEC, CCA, AAC


Immediate Past President: John Kinsella, CMC, CCE, WGMC, AAC


Also elected to serve as vice chair, American Academy of Chefs, is Stafford DeCambra, CEC, CCE, CCA, AAC.

From the SCCC Kitchen: Mediterranean hamburgers and oven fries are delightful pairing

My summer series of recipes began this past week in the Schenectady Gazette with the articles written by the venerable Jeff Wilkin. The first recipe of the summer season pays tribute to the summer grill with my Mediterranean burger. Think ratatouille flavors and ingredients put into a hamburger along with some tasty, yet healthy oven baked Mediterranean spiced fries.

Check out the recipe and the video of me talking about the dish here.

The Foundations

A message from my friend George from grad school, I had to share:

How’s it going? Commonwealth Ave has not been the same since you left. The shadow of your fedora creeps no more against the greasy, weathered bricks of dark, recessed dorms. The smoke of duck fat lingers in the alleys and open windows, yet you are not there. Screams pierce the night scolding the modern world for its insolence toward a culinary past secure in its techniques, foundations, and resourcefulness. Is it you or the ghost of you?—like Hamlet’s father you haunt the devoted to avenge the wrongs of the non-believers. “ Foundations,” we whispered in the ears of those who would listen. Damn the tubes, the circulators, the foam, the oxide—these are the false prophets, we warned. But they would not listen. The magic flashed and they succumbed to it. So we wait…and we wait still. The cycle is near completion. Until then, my comrade, hold fast to the promise of the egg. Stay loyal to our five mothers who have served and will serve again. I wipe my brow with the cloth of our masters and repudiate those who mock our simplicity. In the end it, it will be the clock moving backwards which will propel us forward. In the words of our brothers, I say again, foundations, foundations, foundations….

What have I been reading?

I'm often asked what books I am currently reading. I tend to read about one food writing book a week along with a number of magazines, papers, texts and culinary books, depending on what i am working on and what my mind have gravitated towards.

For the inquisitive mind though, this past week I picked up ten books from Barnes and Nobles (Buy four get one free promotion), purchased a couple items on Amazon.com and also picked up a couple from the Open Door Bookstore on Jay Street in Schenectady.

At Barnes and Nobles I picked :
Culinaria Russia by H.F. Ullmann
Culinaria Hungary by H.F. Ullmann
The Complete Joel Robuchon by Joel Robuchon
Food Inc.: A Participant Guide: How Industrial Food is Making Us Sicker, Fatter, and Poorer-And What You Can Do About It by Karl Weber
The End of Food by Paul Roberts
Vegan Brunch: Homestyle Recipes Worth Waking Up For-From Asparagus Omelets to Pumpkin Pancakes by Isa Chandra Moskowitz
The Sweet Life in Paris: Delicious Adventures in the World's Most Glorious - and Perplexing - City by David Lebovitz
Gumbo Tales: Finding My Place at the New Orleans Table by Sara Roahen
New Orleans Cuisine: Fourteen Signature Dishes and Their Histories by Susan Tucker and S. Frederick Starr
The Flavor Bible: The Essential Guide to Culinary Creativity, Based on the Wisdom of America's Most Imaginative Chefs by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg

From the Open Door BookStore:
Cooking Up a Storm: Recipes Lost and Found from The Times-Picayune of New Orleans by Marcelle Bienvenu and Judy Walker
Home Sausage Making : How-To Techniques for Making and Enjoying 100 Sausages at Home by Susan Mahnke Peery and Charles G. Reavis

On Amazon.com:
Good Morning, Kimchi!: Forty Different Kinds of Traditional & Fusion Kimchi Recipes by Sook-ja Yoon
NOVA: Mystery of the Senses - Taste DVD Series: Nova

Tiki Drinks and Tommy Bahama Shirts

Did you know that Tiki drinks are all the rage again? I had no idea, but so says Jason Wilson of the Washington Post. It's a good thing I like wearing my Tommy Bahama shirts while drinking a Zombie or Mai Tai on my back deck. They may have gone out of fashion with everyone else awhile ago, but I have always loved Trader Vic's style drinks.

I remember back when I was a kid, there was a local Chinese restaurant (which sadly went the way of the Chinese buffet many years later) used to have all these fun cocktails in the funky glasses (no I was never allowed to have one back then) Yes, I even own the proper glasses for these drinks, Scorpion Bowl anyone? In many of the Chinese dim Sum houses in NYC and Boston you can still get these funky drinks. While I'm home, I mix my own. If you are looking for some recipes, take a look here on the Trader Vic's website.

Sourcing Good Seafood

I was up at Spoon and Whisk in Clifton Park again last night teaching a class on outdoor charcoal grilling. One of the dishes I prepared was a grilled Alaskan Salmon over a spinach salad which had grill sauteed fennel, roasted peppers and a raspberry vinaigrette. Invariably whenever I offer a seafood dish I am asked where to find decent seafood in landlocked upstate New York. I often joke, "drive to NYC or Boston". I am only really half joking, because it is hard to find decent seafood up here, but if you are discerning and know what you are looking for you can occasionally find some decent products locally.

Where do I buy my fish? The Asian Market on Colvin ave. in Albany, NY. They generally have a really great array of fresh WHOLE seafood, which is important to me, I can see the eyes, gills, etc. to check for freshness which i will get into after my list here. They will clip the fins and what not off to leave you a whole fish, or they will fillet the fish as you desire. You want fresh you say? If you like catfish, you do not get fresher as they pull it right out of the tank and dispatch it for you. They pretty much always have a great array including red snapper, yellow tail, cat fish, cod, eel, clams, oysters, mullet, herring, flounder, sole, shrimp, carp, tuna, mackerel, striped bass, salmon all depending on the season. They also have some fun stuff occasionally like geoduck clam, razor clams, soft shell crabs, turtles (live even), giant snails, baby snails, I'm even shocked once in awhile when I go in. I love this place, but come with an open mind, don't mind any language barrier there might be, they will get you want you need.

Lee's Market on Central ave. is another Asian market in Albany. On the days where I can't find what i want over at the Colvin Market, or if I just don't feel like going into the larger shop I will go here. Plus the people are super friendly here. Their selection is quite good as well and everything is super fresh.

Cousins Market in Albany is a wholesaler which supplies many of the local restaurants. They carry mostly the normal stuff you would expect to find in a normal fish mongers, salmon, trout, cod, shrimp, clams, oysters and seasonal items as well. I have neither a negative or a positive overall feeling for their products.

As for our local supermarkets in the area, i have a love hate relationship with some of them. If I am picking up seafood form a grocery store, I will generally go to Price Chopper. They store their fish properly on fresh ice with a proper barrier once the fish is in fillets. Now someone is going to read this and tell me they have an issue with their local store. That is where the local management would have to be addressed, the company as a whole has high standards but sometimes some of the staff might not follow the rules, but that happens anywhere. The important thing here is to know how to select your fish in case your local shop does not go through its seafood fast enough. As for the other grocery shops, i just really don't bother. Hannaford in Latham Farms is pretty good, otherwise I think with the options I listed above, they fulfill my quality needs.


Now there are times I want some specialty items, let's say I am planning a crawfish boil for instance. I usually buy about 40-50 lbs of live crawfish and i think the only way to buy them is to have them shipped directly from Louisiana. I have held about a half dozen boils over the last few years and I always get mine from Louisiana Crawfish Co. They are consistent, less than a 5% loss of product (some are going to show up dead, it is just a fact of ummmm life. They also sell alligator meat, crawfish tail meat, crabs, turtle meat, gulf shrimp (fresh shrimp not that the frozen stuff we've all eaten for so many years). Are you looking for a King Cake for your next Mardi Gras? They sell those as well.

All Fresh Seafood is another great mail order company. You will certainly pay for your products ordering them online, it is expensive to mail ice and pack it properly and it is sent either same day or next day mail. All Fresh Seafood carries a number of different products, filets, whole fish, shellfish, etc. Rather than just shopping online, it is good to call them to see what they have fresh from the waters.

Here is a list of what to look for in quality fish:
Eyes: The eyes should be bright, shiny and moist, they should not be sunken in at all, they should have a nice roundness to them.
Gills: If the gills are present, they should have some redness to them signifying the presence of of blood and not being subjected to too much air.
Scales: The scales should be firm and should not flake off easily.
Fins: The fins should spring back easily, and should have firm webbing.
Flesh: On whole fish the flesh should be firm and should not impress when a finger is pushed on it. On fillets, the flesh should spring back readily after a finger is pushed into the flesh.
Smell: For years I've heard people say fish should have no smell, that is patent nonsense, fish always has a smell. The smell should be of fresh saltiness, maybe a sweet aroma. Certain fish like salmon are fatty, so they have a slightly stronger smell and as such go bad faster as well so it is important to smell your fish before buying it. When in doubt, don't buy it.


Here is a good website to check for sustainable seafood, many species are at risk of being lost from poor fishing tactics and over fishing.

Here is a chart on the recommended cooking temperatures for fish and other animal proteins.

Here is a chart from New York Seafood Council on nutrition facts for different seafood.

Here is a chart on the seasonal availability of seafood in New York.

Here is a good chart on "cooking times" for a variety of seafood.

She can cook his sorry ass under the table and she knows it

I've always appreciated female cooks and chefs, Anthony Bourdain says it best in this montage I found earlier today.

The Afghan Grill

Did you know there was an Afghan restaurant in Latham, NY? Neither did I until I drove past the Peter Harris Plaza a half dozen times recently for travels to Troy. Luckily I decided to turn my head to the left on one of the trips back and I noticed the sign that read Afghan Grill: Authentic Afghan Cuisine and (the word Pizza had been scratched out). The word pizza being scratched out did not scream "come eat here now!!!" to me, so I ignored the little place after a few more trips back and forth to Troy.

I was visiting my mother this past Sunday and we went down to the Schenectady Farmers Market (you must go here, amazing produce and other goodies, I'll talk more about that another time) and we decided we wanted lunch. I don't recall my mother being an adventurous eater when I was younger, but she will try just about anything, she's had Indian cuisine with me, been to WD-50, Bar Boulud and other places, so I thought maybe we should try the Afghan Grill.

The exterior of this place does not do it justice, beautiful decor, great tapestries, well adorned tables (even if they are glass covered), a little sitting area for what looks like someone plays some traditional music once in awhile and an exposed ceiling which is popular these days and looks good if done properly.

The menu has a great selection, we had the Kado Borani, butternut squash sauteed and topped with a tangy red yogurt sauce, along with Boolani which were crisp pastry turnovers stuffed with vegetables like green onion.

We both opted for different kabobs, I went for the trio which had lamb, chicken, and kofta (ground meat, in this case beef, seasoned and shaped on the kabob) over a well flavored rice. My mom opted for the lamb kabob. Truly tasty, well seasoned, the meats were moist and not dry like many places outside of the area I have been to.

We opted for no dessert, we had enough to eat. I did take home some Kaboli Palow which is the Afghan version of Lamb curry, I couldn't resist. I had green tea, mom had iced tea (they don't serve alcohol btw), when all was said and done the bill was $50.00, which was two apps, three entrees, and two drinks, wow a bargain and for such great food. I will be back again, and again, and again.


The Afghan Grill
http://www.theafghangrill.com/
952 Troy Schenectady Road (in the Peter Harris Plaza)
Latham, New York 12110
518-783-9200 - Phone

I Love Monte Cristo Sandwiches

A Monte Cristo with a fig confiture and Foie Gras, oh man. My apologies, it is in French. Is it a Monte Cristo? I don't know, but I'm still going to make it. I think even in French, if you pay close enough attention to what he is doing you can make it. Perhaps I will try to write a recipe in the next day for anyone who wants to try to make it. Although, hrm, figs aren't exactly in season yet, I can always try some high quality dry figs to make the confiture.

Korean Restaurants

I absolutly love Korean food. I cook Korean food quite often, but I also like to try Korean food at any number of Korean restaurants when I get a chance. Years ago the only place to get good Korean food, or Korean food at all, you had to go to a major city like NYC, Boston, San Francisco or otherwise.

I'm happy to say that the Capital District of New York now boasts four Korean restaurants. All four of these restaurants are Korean/Japanese restaurants, and from all of the owners I have been told that this is because Korean food is still a little difficult for many Westerners, which I can see with the strong flavors, spice and fermented tastes in the various banchan dishes. It isn't a far stretch to find both of these cuisines togehter due to their shared cultural history, both good and bad. One of my professors in the past told me though, that war and political discourse always leads to good food, an interesting philospohy I must say, but that is a topic for another day.

At anyrate, I thought I would share the four locations here, I have eatten at all four and they all have some dishes they do very well. If you are squeamish about trying Korean food, start off with something simple like kimchi pancake, the Korean BBQ dishes are generally easy to approach due to their slight sweetness, but be careful if you are not fond of spicy as most Korean BBQ is spicy. If all else fails, ask the waiter/waitress they usually love introducing people to Korean foods.

Albany
Ta-Ke Korean Food Specialty

Colonie
Arirang (Owned by the same folks who own Kim's Market)

Latham
Ginza Japanese & Korean Cuisine
Kabuki Restaurant

BBQ Restaurants Capital District NY

I spent a little time and compiled a list of BBQ restaurants I found in the Capital District Area of New York and the outlying areas. I give no personal promises of what quality each location gives as I haven't dined at most of the locations. I have heard good things about Capital Q Smokehouse in Albany, Brunswick BBQ in Brunswick, JR's BBQ in Burnt Hills.

I personally don't go out for BBQ much as I make it often at home. I generally wait for my trips down south to get my BBQ at a restaurant, but having lived in the area again for about a year, I might consider trying some of these locations in the near future. That is after to 15 lbs of various BBQ is out of my refrigerator from the class I taught at Spoon and Whisk this past Wednesday.

Albany
Capital Q Smokehouse

Ballston Spa
J-Bob's Tennessee BBQ

Burnt Hills
JR's Barbeque

Brunswick
Brunswick BBQ and Brew

Clifton Park
Giffy's Bar-B-Q

Colonie
Smokey Bones Bbq & Grill
Shane's Rib Shack

East Greenbush
Lodge BBQ Lounge & Catering

Guilderland
Chico's BBQ

New Lebanon
Shaker Mountain Barbeque

Saratoga Springs
PJ's Saratoga Style Bar-B-Q

Schuylerville
Dr. T's Barebone Bbq (has odd hours, so make sure you check it out first, one of the few places I have been to on this list and I like it quite a bit, call before you travel out that far to verify the seasonal hours of operation)