Is there a better bread in the world than a loaf of Irish brown bread or soda bread? Irish brown bread is as typical as a pint of Guinness or Smithwick’s Ale. It is a close cousin or stepbrother to the Irish soda bread made with white flour. Although today both are equally popular, brown bread was initially more common because white flour was more expensive. Join us on Friday, March 13, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., when well-known local Chef Harold Qualters will demonstrate the proper way of making delicious Irish brown bread; just in time for St. Patrick's [...]

Mardi Gras is French for “Fat Tuesday,” reflecting the practice of the last day of eating rich, fatty foods before the ritual fasting of Ash Wednesday and the Lenten season. It is also the last day of the Carnival season in New Orleans. In 2020, Mardi Gras Day falls on Tuesday, February 25.  Please join Chefs Joan Porambo and Kyle MacPherson of Field Notes on Tuesday, February 25, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., for a fabulous Mardi Gras themed cooking demonstration that follows their philosophy of gaining a better appreciation for where the food we cook with comes from and [...]

Chocolate has strong symbolic meaning representing love, passion, care, and a happy life. It is a known fact that many people love chocolate for the rich taste and the aphrodisiac powers associated with it. All over the world, chocolate is eaten on a daily basis by millions. In the United States, it is reported that over one hundred pounds of chocolate are consumed every second! Please join Chef John Piccolo, CSSC’s Senior Dining Coordinator, and Diane Conroy-LaCivita on Valentine’s Day, Friday, February 14, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., as they discuss and demonstrate some of their favorite chocolate recipes. Attendees [...]

Pie is as American as the Fourth of July. Through those first lean and hungry years in New England, daring pioneer mothers contrived “pyes” out of a few simple foods at hand often experimenting as they went. The old expression “easy as pie” is now true. Over time, pastry chefs and cooks alike have worked out simplified methods. No guessing as to the amount of water, no chilling of the pastry, no long, laborious preparations for fillings. Today, there are pies for special occasions, pies from famous eating locations, and pies for special holidays. On Tuesday, January 28, from 11 a.m. to [...]

On Friday, January 24, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., please join Chef Kurt Vincent for a cooking demonstration relating to German cuisine and culture. With over 25 percent of the American population able to trace their roots back to ancestors from German-speaking lands, most are familiar with German foods. From hot dogs to hamburgers, gingerbread houses to German chocolate cake, Kurt Vincent will share his love of German food with a little history, a few stories from the “Old Country” and lots of samples and tastes of past and current favorites. A graduate of Schenectady Community College’s Hotel Management Program, [...]

Don’t worry about creating all those holiday treats. Leave the baking to us. On Thursday, December 19, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., CSSC staff will share and demonstrate how to make their favorite holiday dessert/cookie recipes. Attendees then will be able to choose from a variety of cookies and other treats to take home with them. The class will take place at King Thiel Senior Community, 17 Elks Lane, with a $5 fee for members of THE CENTER at CSSC and $7 for not-yet members and will include a light lunch. Space is limited and prepayment for the class is [...]

On Tuesday, December 3, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., please join Wayne Mortimer, Proprietor of Mort’s Maple of Averill Park, for an introduction to the delicious process of maple sugaring in New York State. A variety of Wayne’s syrups will be sampled as well as used in several recipes (just in time for holiday baking). This is a class not to be missed by anyone with a sweet tooth and an appreciation for Liquid Gold. The class will take place at King Thiel Senior Community, 17 Elks Lane, with a $5 fee for members of THE CENTER at CSSC and [...]

Jewish cuisine refers to the cooking traditions of the Jewish people worldwide. Jewish cooking is food with a story; rich in history and symbolism yet open to new influences and inspirations. It has evolved over many centuries, shaped by Jewish dietary laws, holidays and religious traditions. Jewish cuisine is influenced by the agriculture, culinary traditions and economics of the many countries where Jewish communities have settled. The fare varies widely throughout the world. Please join JoEllen Duckor, a practicing rabbi in New Zealand who will be in our area on holiday, on Friday, November 15, at 11 a.m., at King Thiel Senior Community, as she shares [...]

A gingerbread house is a seasonal novelty that is made of cookie dough, cut and baked into suitable components like walls and roofing. The usual building material is gingerbread and royal icing. These houses are covered with a wide variety of candies and additional icing. Making a gingerbread house is no simple task but can be great fun. The joy is really in the making, the coming together of all the steps and materials that are required to build a gingerbread house from scratch. Join Diane on Thursday, November 7, at 11 a.m. at King Thiel Senior Community as she guides attendees through building a gingerbread [...]

Anyone in the business of serving pizza probably does not need to be reminded that October is National Pizza Month in the United States. While the contribution of the first pizzerias in this country cannot be ignored, it was really the returning American soldiers who fought in Italy during World War II that brought a hunger for pizza home with them and pushed its popularity over the top. America's love of pizza continued to grow and now October is the official National Pizza Month across most of North America. People do not really need a special month for pizza in a [...]

October became known as Pork Month because it marked the time of year when hogs were traditionally marketed. Today, it serves as a celebration to thank pork producers and share their stories with consumers. Pork is the world’s most widely eaten meat representing 42 percent of the meat consumed, according to the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service. Some 81 percent of the population consumes pork in-home at least once in an average two-week period. The top five most popular pork products include ham, sausage, bacon, lunchmeat (excluding ham) and pork chops. Join Evan Taylor proprietor of Meadow Rise Farm on Tuesday, October 8, [...]

On June 10, CSSC hosted our very first Chefs in Motion: Culinary Tasting and Competition The Beltrone Living Center. Ten area restaurants/chefs participated and Field Notes, a pop-up farm-to-table restaurant located at Lansing’s Farm in Colonie, came away the judges’ favorite. Chefs Kyle MacPherson and Joan Porambo have agreed to do a cooking demonstration for the public at King Thiel Senior Community instructing attendees to better understand what goes into growing the produce we use every day, by not only cooking with it, but also by being a part of the process from beginning to end. Please join us on Wednesday, [...]

We hope you have a big appetite. Sure, it's July. It is hot and humid. Cooking up a pan of lasagna would make the kitchen a lot hotter. However, the smell will waft. Your mouth will begin to water and when mealtime arrives, you will have a huge appetite for a big piece of lasagna. Lasagna is a favorite Italian dish. In between multiple layers of lasagna pasta are generous amounts of tomato sauce, cheeses, and sometimes hamburger and/or Italian sausage and/or possibly a variety of vegetables. It is the favorite Italian dish enjoyed by millions of Americans. It is best [...]

Eating local in New York can mean a lot of things—locally baked bread, locally grown produce, locally brewed beer. July is the perfect time of year to sample local and there is no better place than your local farmers’ market to purchase these delicacies. For example, you can find amazing produce that is tastier and healthier than anything found in a supermarket. You can meet the individuals who created the product and/or grew the produce. And you normally can experience the best “dog watching” around. Please join us on Wednesday, July 17, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. as we cook and assemble [...]

Barbecue or barbeque is a cooking method, a style of food, and a name for a meal or gathering at which this style of food is cooked and served. Barbecuing is usually done outdoors by smoking the meat over wood or charcoal. Barbecue is practiced in many areas of the world. Barbecuing techniques include smoking, roasting,  baking, and grilling. The technique for which it is named involves cooking using smoke at low temperatures and long cooking times (several hours). Baking uses an oven to convection cook with moderate temperatures for an average cooking time of about an hour. Grilling is done over [...]

Although it is often overshadowed by Independence Day, Flag Day is still an important part of our history. It serves as a symbol of independence and national unity. On May 30, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson issued a presidential proclamation establishing a national Flag Day on June 14. The day commemorates the adoption of the Stars and Stripes as the official flag of the United States. It is a day to get together with others and celebrate the American flag, its designers and the designers of our country. Please join us on Friday, June 14, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. as we [...]

Summer and salads are a match made in culinary heaven. Summer salads—including pasta, potato, and fruit salad recipes filled with fresh ingredients such as bright berries, leafy greens, and creamy goat cheese—will be standouts at your backyard barbecues and warm-weather get-togethers. The recipes that will be presented at the class are so good, your guests will be coming back for a second serving! Just in time for the beginning of the season, on Thursday, May 23, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., come learn the art of summer salad making as we walk through the process by offering a variety of recipes and samples. [...]

Eggs are laid by female animals of many different species, including birds, reptiles, amphibians, mammals, and fish, and have been eaten by humans for thousands of years. The most commonly consumed eggs are chicken eggs. Egg yolks and whole eggs store significant amounts of protein and choline and are widely used in cookery. In fact, due to their protein content, the United States Department of Agriculture categorizes eggs as Meat. Join “self-taught chef” Joe LaCivita and Annie Metzger, proprietor of Laughing Earth Farm, on Thursday, February 28, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., as they explore the many ways to enjoy [...]

There are only so many kinds of food people treasure. “Craved, savored and given as a symbol of one's love. Yet, so common it can be purchased for 50 cents. This treasured, as well as commonplace item is chocolate” (CNN, 1997). Americans eat up to twelve pounds of chocolate every year, but we are not the winners by far when it comes to chocolate consumption—that honor goes to the Swiss, who wolf down twenty-two pounds a year. It is hard to think of a Valentine's Day plan that does not involve food, specifically, dessert, even more specifically, a chocolate dessert. Join CSSC staff on Tuesday, February 12, from [...]

Please join us on Tuesday, January 22, 2019, from 10 a.m. to 12 noon, for a hands-on art class instructed by local multi-media artist Marjorie Ward who will introduce attendees to the medium of alcohol inks. Alcohol inks are an acid-free, highly-pigmented, and fast drying medium used on non-porous surfaces. Mixing colors can create a vibrant marbled effect and the possibilities are limited only by what one is willing to try. The class will take place at King Thiel Senior Community, 17 Elks Lane, in Latham, with a fee of $5. To make a reservation, call Sharon Herald at 518-459-2857 ext. 302.

The Pig is the twelfth of the 12-year cycle of animals that appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. A pig represents luck, overall good fortune, wealth, honesty, general prosperity, symbolizing a hardworking, a peace-loving person, a truthful, generous, indulgent, patient, reliable, trusting, sincere, giving, sociable person with a large sense of humor and understanding. In celebration of Chinese New Year 2019, the Year of the Pig, on Friday January 11, 2019, please join Hui Zhou for a cooking demonstration on a Chinese dish, Sweet and Sour Shrimp (菠萝咕噜虾). Hui is a visiting scholar from China currently studying [...]

On Tuesday, December 11, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., please join CSSC staff for a cooking demonstration that will feature and celebrate the Christmas holiday. Christmas as we know it today is a Victorian invention of the 1860s. Probably the most celebrated holiday in the world, our modern Christmas is a product of hundreds of years of both secular and religious traditions. This cooking demonstration will discuss the origins of Christmas traditions from around the globe while sampling the delicious contributions of many cultures. The class will take place at King Thiel Senior Community, 17 Elks Lane, with a $5 [...]