Editor's Letter: Issue 21 Winter 2019

 “As I ate the oysters with their strong taste of the sea and their faint metallic taste that the cold white wine washed away, leaving only the sea taste and the succulent texture, and as I drank their cold liquid from each shell and washed it down with the crisp taste of the wine, I lost the empty feeling and began to be happy and to make plans.” —Ernest Hemingway, A Moveable Feast

While pulling together this issue and re-reading the story about Plumb Oyster Bar owner and entrepreneur Heidi Knoblauch, I was reminded of this passage that I had read so many years ago. First I was excited that I remembered it, and second it reinforced for me how food is so many things to each of us. For instance…

Fighting a cold? Check out our germ buster Hot Toddy recipes featured in our Recipe Box.

Then, Representative Paul Tonko of New York’s 20th Congressional District joins us as our Edible Voices guest in this issue. We caught up with him at Russo’s in Amsterdam for a little spaghetti with meatballs.

Also in this issue we explore Hydroponic Farming at one farm in the Capital Region, and what that means for locally grown tomatoes in February.

Back again to spirits, local startup Empire Rye was officially conceived of in 2015 by a group of six New York State distilleries that decided to form a consortium dedicated to establishing a whiskey style for the region. Pour yourself a taste and read more about how New York farmers and distillers are reinventing whiskey.

For a little local history, read about "Ten Broeck Mansion’s Secret Treasure"—a room that was discovered containing hundreds of bottles of rare French wines—and the recent birth of its 18th-century event wine cellar, which is the perfect setting for wine clubs and tastings.

Finally, we visited with culinary gangster Michele Hunter, currently the executive chef at Saratoga Spring’s Hamlet & Ghost. We made her Hazelnut Espresso Oatmeal cookies and must warn that they are addicting.

This issue is dedicated to our hardworking Edible advertising sales representative, grill master, baker, superior farmers’ market shopper, storyteller, gentleman, grampa and dad, Donald M. Van Cott. We miss you.

Please visit our advertisers in this issue frequently and thank them for supporting Edible Capital District.

Food invokes memories and creates adventure; here’s hoping that this issue kicks off your food adventures for 2019.

Cheers!

Mary Blair | Editor