food

Five CapNY Artisanal Foods You Must Try!

May 18, 2021 By wordpress

Brew Review by Tim Walton of #TimsNYKitchen: Mad Jack Brewing Co.

July 28, 2020 By wordpress

Meet Tim Walton, the mastermind behind #TimsNYKitchen, an Instagram site with over 12,ooo followers. Tim travels, eats and drinks his way through the Capital Region, and we asked him to pick his favorite brewery / restaurant. So — drum roll, please — here’s Tim’s pick: Mad Jack Brewing Co. in Schenectady. Read on to find out why Tim’s mad about Mad Jack.

To find 100+ more CapNY breweries, cideries, distilleries and wineries, click here!

The History

Mad Jack Brewing Co. is Schenectady’s first craft brewery, located in Schenectady’s beautiful and historic Stockade District. It opened in 2011. The brewery is tied together with The Van Dyck, a charming building that has hosted many wonderful talents, including great jazz musicians such as Earl Hines, Teddy Wilson, Roy Eldridge, Dizzy Gillespie, Dave Brubeck, Mose Allison, Marian McPartland, Coleman Hawkins, Hank Jones and Thelonious Monk.

If the walls could speak I think they would ramble on forever and a day about all the great times and bad times it has experienced throughout its history. The Van Dyck opened in 1947 by Harlem refugee Marvin Friedman and since 2009, has been owned by the McDonald family.

The Beer

Take a seat at the bar and one will find that they have 10+ house taps at any given time. The Master Brewer, Brian Conley puts a lot of love into the brews he creates and is very passionate about what he produces. He’s not afraid to try new things with his ‘Mad Science’ line of brews and collaborations with many local bars/breweries. Some of my favorite’s brews are the Fightin’ Irwin IPA, Mohawk Sunset and Electric Hefe. The Fightin’ Irwin IPA actually has a true fighting story with a happy ending. The beer is named after two McDonald cousins that would fight but shortly after, would patch things up over a beer. I think it’s great that beer can have the positive influence of binding people together even when things aren’t perfect.

The Food

Mad Jack offers some wonderful eats to enjoy as well. They recently have revamped their menu and there’s something for everyone. I recently tried their new buttermilk crispy chicken sandwich. This sandwich consists of buttermilk-soaked tenders, floured and fried with bacon, lettuce, tomato, spicy pepper jack cheese & chipotle mayo for that extra oomph.

The Community

Their staff, from bartenders to cooks, are super friendly and always go above and beyond to assist. Mad Jack supports many positive local efforts throughout the community and is willing to help out whenever they are able. If you haven’t visited here, I strongly recommend it. If you have, you know what I write to be true. Keep your eyes peeled for more articles about local breweries, as I sip and taste my way through New York’s Cap Region.

Mad Jack Brewing Company
Address: 237 Union Street, Schenectady, NY 12305
Phone: 518-348-7999
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Cap Region Cooks in Quarantine: Amy Koren-Roth

April 28, 2020 By Maureen Sager

Amy Koren-Roth is the Founder of Taste of Troy Food Tours, walking culinary and historical excursions offered in both Albany and Troy, with stops in five local restaurants. During the crisis, Amy has put together Mother’s Day gift boxes featuring handmade foods from her favorite vendors and makers. Click here for info.

We asked Amy for some of her favorite go-to meals, and here’s what she sent.

Since I was in high school, I have been drawn to cooking. Salads have always been a fun way to pull from what is in the kitchen and pantry. Half the members of my household are vegetarian and I mostly cook vegetarian to make it simpler. My cupboard always has canned beans, pre-cooked lentils, a variety of cheese, different vinegars and fresh produce. I find preparing food very meditative and many of my recipes are a basic plan open to options of what is on hand.

Warm Lentil, Roasted Vegetables and Cheese (Halloumi or Goat Cheese)

Wash, cut assorted vegetables (cauliflower, brussel sprouts, sweet potatoes, winter squash, assorted sweet peppers, onions, garlic etc.), toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or lightly oiled, don’t crowd them. Roast in 425 degree oven for 30 minutes, flip vegetables and switch the trays, continue for another 15 – 30 minutes. Wrap whole beets in aluminum foil and roast along with veggies, leave in oven once veggies are done, turn off heat and leave until tender.

Warm package of vacuum-sealed pre-cooked lentils in microwave (2-4 minutes). Place on chopped fresh greens (romaine, spinach, massaged kale etc.). Arrange roasted veggies on platter with lentils and greens. Peel and slice beets if using. Arrange on platter.

Grill haloumi cheese slices in lightly greased skillet to brown on both sides, or slice soft goat’s cheese and coat with egg and breadcrumbs and lightly brown in skillet, or sprinkle with crumbled feta.

Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds (if you have them) or roasted nuts. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Serve.

Arugula, Pear, Walnuts and Shaved Cheese

Wash arugula, press in a towel or spin in a salad spinner. Place on a platter. Toast walnuts at low temperature (200 degrees) for 5 minutes or so or warm on low heat in a skillet. Core and slice ripe pear into ¼ slice from stem to base. Place slices on bed of greens. Use a vegetable peeler to get thin slices of Parmesan or Asiago cheese. Thinly slice red onion to toss on top of all and sprinkle with walnuts. Drizzle balsamic vinegar and olive oil to serve.

Roasted Zucchini Half Moons with Garlic, Served with Pasta or Roasted Spaghetti Squash

Approved by the ACE Test Kitchen. Loved it!

Wash and slice zucchini down the middle length wise, cut into ¼ inch slices. Lightly Sprinkle with kosher salt and let sit in a colander for at least 30 minutes. Toss with olive oil (1/4 cup to 2 lbs of zucchini). Roast in 450 degree oven for 12 minutes. Add 2-3 cloves chopped garlic, flip zucchini over, and roast for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown.

If using spaghetti squash, cut in half, scoop out seeds and roast in 350 oven, cut side up on baking sheet for about 1 hour . When skin is tender to the touch, remove, and let cool 10 minutes. Use a fork to scrape out the flesh, it will separate into strands, like spaghetti.

Alternatively, boil water and cook dried pasta (our favorite is bow tie but any short shape will do.) Toss zucchini with either spaghetti squash or bow tie pasta.

ACE Inside Look: Nine Pin Cider

May 1, 2018 By upstatecreative

[cs_content][cs_section parallax=”false” style=”margin: 0px;padding: 45px 0px;”][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][rev_slider NinePin_April2018][cs_text]Photos and article by Ska City Photography; photos from the ACE Creative Economy Mixer on April 23, 2018.

Nine Pin Cider Works is a thriving business that retains the appeal and loyalty of a family-run endeavor despite growing their wholesale footprint to 3 states and housing a large tasting room in the heart of the Capital District.

Bottles are still hand labeled on-site, all employees are empowered to contribute future batch ideas, and the canning line is as likely to be manned by the owner as it is by the Head of Packaging, Justin. Seven massive tanks dominating the warehouse are playfully named after the Seven Dwarves, while 26 smaller capsules are on hand for creating a constantly changing menu of retail seasonal and specialty blends.

Spend a few minutes with Nine Pin Founder and Cider Maker Alejandro del Peral and you will quickly realize that their success is no accident: Alejandro’s infectious enthusiasm, entrepreneurial spirit, degrees in Biology and Hydrology and experience in Engineering uniquely combine to set a casual, dedicated atmosphere. Asked to have his portrait taken in front of whichever Dwarf tank best fit him on the day of our visit, he walked to Dopey without hesitation. This humility and having mother Sonya (an attorney by day) as the company Business Manager keep Alejandro grounded while leading one of the fastest growing creative businesses in the region.

Location: 929 Broadway, Albany NY [map it!]

Employees: 13 Full-Time, 17 total

In business since: 2013, with the first batch production in February 2014

Products: 4 wholesale cider core products, and 100-150 small batch blends annually

Was any single experience or moment the trigger for your company progressing from an idea to reality?

Alejandro del Peral: It really stemmed from when I was in Grad School – I became very interested in food systems and what I ate and where it was grown. Sustainable food systems usually involve sourcing everything locally, but ‘local beer’ was made with ingredients from all over the world. It was ‘local’ but it wasn’t driving the economy. When I heard that New York had the second largest apple crop in the country that was my “Eureka” moment.

What advice would you give to a person starting a creative business?

AdP: First, you need a lot more money than you think you do. Secondly, you must realize that as much as you want to be creative it is about what your market and customers want and you must be open to being creative within the parameters set by the market you are serving.

What inspires you?

AdP: Inspiration comes from the involvement of everyone in the company. New York produces the most varieties of apples in the country and working with the team to find new blends is inspiring. Having the Tasting Room gives us an outlet to experiment; with our wholesale products we are more reserved with what we produce because there is so much more invested. We can make a 50-gallon batch, put it on tap here and even if it doesn’t turn out incredible we get the feedback from the consumers and it isn’t a huge loss.

Was there a particular moment or milestone where you thought “Ok, now we’ve ‘made it’”?

AdP: I was at a bar and overheard a conversation about our cider and realized the brand had grown beyond just me and those associated with me and my mom. It has its own image out there and it’s not totally in our control any more. Still, there hasn’t been a feeling that we’ve ‘made it’ because we are still in Start-Up mode. Things are going well, but we are not there yet.
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Congratulations, 40 Under 40 Honorees!

March 16, 2017 By upstatecreative

*Dan Cullen, Workforce Development Institute. Photo credit: Victoria Kereszi*

Upstate Alliance for the Creative Economy (ACE) congratulates the 2017 honorees of the Albany Business Review’s “40 Under 40” list. This year, 10 of the 40 honorees are involved with ACE, or are leaders in the industry segments that compose the region’s Creative Economy. Among them:

Dan Cullen, regional director of the Workforce Development Institute (ACE Leadership)
Alejandro del Peral, founder and owner of Nine Pin Cider Works (Culinary Arts sector)
William Gamble, CEO and owner of Pinhole Press (Visual Arts and Handcrafts sector)
Dave Gardell, owner of the The Ruck/Rolling Stock Co. (Culinary Arts sector)
James Hardesty, medical strategy, Fingerpaint (Media sector)
Kristen Holler, executive director of the Albany Barn (Performing Arts, Media, and Visual Arts sectors)
Tony Iadiccio, executive director of the Albany Center Gallery (Visual Arts sector)
Kristen Holler, Albany Barn. Photo credit: Donna Abbott Vlahos, Albany Business Review
Cory Nelson, owner of Troy Kitchen (Culinary Arts sector)
Banni Singh, principal, D2D Green Design (Design sector)
Ali Skinner, director of strategic communications for CDPHP (Media sector)

“We’re really glad to see that so many of the ‘40 Under 40’ honorees are working in the Creative Economy,” said Maureen Sager, ACE’s project director. “Their businesses and organizations add so much vibrancy, excitement, and real competitive edge to the Capital and upstate region.”

ACE has recently begun working with the Culinary Arts and Agriculture industry. This group, estimated to employ 5,000 people in the region, is an integral part of the local Creative Economy, and ACE will have much more to announce about this sector in the coming months. Until then, toast these ’40 Under 40′ winners at Nine Pin Cider Works, Troy Kitchen, or the Ruck!