This Week’s To Do List

Man, I hate nature.

Yesterday, instead of heading down to Washington Park and trying some diminutive sandwiches on All Good Bakers’ rolls from the Slidin’ Dirty truck, I spent the day doing projects around the house for Mrs. Fussy. She said that it was the best Mother’s Day ever.

Some of those projects involved yard work. And the most physically demanding part of the yard work was removing the vines that were growing among the hedges. Man those things are great at surviving. You cut them and they grow back. You pull them out, and they scatter thousands of seeds everywhere. It’s a stunning design.

At least I didn’t have to tackle this task in the grueling heat.

This week is starting off a bit cooler than it has been, and I’m going to take advantage of that fact today and tomorrow. It’s actually a busy week for me so I may not be able to take advantage of some of the other things going on this week. But maybe you can.

Me? I’m going to make stock. Somehow I didn’t go through nearly enough chicken stock this winter. And as a result my chest freezer resembles a chicken graveyard. It’s chockablock with chicken carcasses just waiting to be roasted and simmered with carrots, onion, celery and spices.

Today, I’m going to try and make as big a dent in that stockpile of stock ingredients as I can. Because simmering a big pot of liquid seems like madness once you start running central air.

However also starting today is a restaurant week in the town of Bethlehem. For those beyond the region’s borders, it’s a suburb south of Albany. It’s not particularly well known for its restaurants. So this promotion is a little unusual. It’s also unusual in that the promotion bleeds past the suburb’s political boundaries into Albany itself.

Like almost every other restaurant week in the region, this one offers three courses for twenty bucks and change. And like almost every other restaurant week in the region for the most part the menus look pretty uninspired.

The Rustic Gourmet, which is relatively new and could have really used this as an opportunity to promote itself well, really seems to have put zero effort into their menu. It’s composed of twenty words, and those include articles, prepositions and verbs for two appetizers, three entrees and dessert.

Sam’s is a restaurant in Albany that’s beloved by many. I found it to be overpriced for the food they served. But their restaurant week menu looks robust. And assuming they cook at the same level they do the rest of the year, this could be a good chance for you to visit this classic Albany red-sauce Italian-American institution. On a cool night like this, soup, eggplant parm and a cannoli could really hit the spot.

When the weather improves on Friday, you might also be tempted to check out Yanni’s Too on the river. Not that I expect the food to be amazing, but it’s a treat to eat on the water and not have to pay an exorbitant premium for the pleasure. Calamari, 14 hour smoked brisket, and a slice of cream pie sound like a promising way to get the most out of the experience.

One thing that’s not on the Capital Region Food & Drinks Events Calendar yet is Wednesday’s wine appreciation class at the Charles F. Lucas Confectionery and Wine Bar.

This is a well timed event, and it looks great.

$30 gets you three-ounce pours of eight different warm weather wines from around the world. There will be some nibbles of food too. But this isn’t just a tasting, it’s a class. And it’s being led by Ron Ross. Here’s his bio from the importer’s website:

After thirty years of wine industry experience, Ron has turned an avocation into a vocation after rising to the top of his career as a professional consultant and educator. Ron has established himself as a leading wine educator in his teachings both in and out of the wine trade. He is President of the Hudson River Valley School of Wine and a part time adjunct instructor for The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. Ron has been recognized by Wine Spectator Magazine for his work in developing fine wine sales and marketing in the finest restaurants in New York State.

Anyhow, I hope to make this, but like I said it’s a busy week. This will be a great way to try unusual grape varietals and perhaps find something new that you love. You can buy tickets and see the full slate of wines to be sampled here.

Now if you’ll excuse me, it’s time to roast some bones.