#10 on reconnecting with the kitchen
Have you ever had an activity in the kitchen that just clicked for you? Something that you thought might be a big challenge, but once you learned how to do it, not only it became something you liked to do but something that you also wanted to share with others?
That's what pasta making has been for me. A few years ago, it was my cooking goal to learn how to make it. Since then, it has become a big part of my cooking journey.
Whether it's been learning some of the many Italian pasta shapes or the trial and error of making filled pasta, this activity has helped me build more confidence in the kitchen and has allowed me to see that I could always do a lot with a little bit of food. Once I had a good foundation, I started learning how to make my sauces and build off of it. The journey is bigger than the destination, and it’s the most traveling I’ll do for a while!
--This was from a recent Instagram post, but it also made me think about reconnecting with my kitchen after a period of *maybe* overdoing it during the spring and summer. Pasta making and reconnecting to my love of it has been very grounding as we begin to spend more time indoors.
As the outdoor dining options wind down in the Northeast, I will be swapping in news and recommendations for places offering great food to go or interesting virtual tastings and experiences for the colder season.
In the Berkshires:
A new winery has opened in the Berkshires: Sunset Meadow Vineyard and Winery! The vineyards are spread across over 170 acres across northwest Connecticut and western Massachusetts and the tasting room is located in Southern Berkshire County. The tasting room is open for wine tastings, glasses, and to-go sales.
The Capital Region:
bb.q Chicken, a popular Korean fried chicken spot, has landed in Albany. The franchise (initials standing for "Best of the Best Quality") has locations in 15 states, with Albany being one of 5 locations in New York. Thanks to my friend Ho-Kwan for the tip!
Fred the Butcher, the popular meat shop (and home to the life-sized fiberglass bull named Handsome) in Clifton Park, has purchased a property in Slingerlands for a second location scheduled to open Spring of 2021.
What I'm cooking/eating/reading:
I've loved my Blue Oyster mushroom kit from Smallholder. I've had three harvests from this one bag since purchasing it this summer. I'm currently prepping my block to see if I can get one more crop from it before it's time to buy a new one.
I started The History of the World in Six Glasses, which "tells the story of humanity from the Stone Age to the 21st century through the lens of beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, and cola."
My dehydrator has been getting quite a workout the past few weeks as I've been dehydrating apples (it's apple picking season in the North East) and am starting to research what kinds of savory things I dehydrate as well. Fruit snacks for everyone!
Interesting piece in The Counter on the subliminal messaging in Halloween candy. Sweets and semotics, sign me up!
Published Work:
In this piece for Wine Enthusiast, I had the opportunity to speak with several Latinx women in the craft beer industry, including the Mujeres Brew Club. Their newest project, the soon-to-be-open Mujeres Brew House, where women can learn about all aspects of the San Diego "and to open opportunities to pursue a career in the industry or just to understand the basics of Craft Beer." I look forward to eventually getting back to San Diego and visiting the space.
Writing about the craft beer industry has been a niche for me the past couple of years, I’ve linked to my previous pieces in case beer’s your thing as well. It's been an excellent opportunity to connect with brewers, owners, staff, and changemakers in the industry. If there's a brewery that you think should be on my radar (across the US and beyond), I'd love to hear about it!
If you have a spot you think should be featured, food news to share, or a great food day trip from the Berkshires or Capital Region, please email me at thestephanita@gmail.com or message me on Instagram at StephanitaEats.