CAPITAL REGION LIVING
HOLIDAY ISSUE 2020
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Dominick Purnomo Patti Veitch Denise Dubois Rachel Hye Youn Rupright Kristen Garzone
LOCAL HEROES C elebrati ng f iv e loca l d o-g oo d e r s who went above and beyond in 2020 plus
It’s A chef thing • Berkshire cheat sheet • john gray dreams big 2021 Besties’ Ballot inside • SEE PAGE 47
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Cowboy Beef & Black Bean Chili SERVES 8 Ingredients: 2 lbs. Hannaford Ground Beef (95% lean) 1 Tbsp. Vegetable oil 1 1/2 cups Onions, chopped 2 Tbsp. Garlic, minced 2 Yellow bell peppers, chopped 1 Jalapeño pepper, seeded, finely chopped 1/4 cup McCormick® Chili Powder 1 Tbsp. McCormick® Ground Cumin 1 tsp. McCormick® Ground Oregano 1 tsp. McCormick® Thyme Leaves 1/8 tsp. McCormick® Ground Cayenne Red Pepper 1 (28 oz.) Can crushed tomatoes, undrained 1 (14 1/2 oz.) Can chili diced tomatoes, undrained 1 (14 1/2 oz.) Can low sodium beef broth 12 oz. Dark beer 1/3 cup Tomato paste 2 (15 oz.) Cans low sodium black beans, rinsed and drained 2 medium Ripe Avocados from Mexico, peeled and cut into chunks 2 oz. Cabot® Lite50 Sharp Cheddar, shredded 1 cup Stonyfield® Organic 0% Fat Plain Greek Yogurt
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Nutritional Information: Amount per serving: Calories 210; Total Fat 7 g; Saturated Fat 2 g; Sodium 85 mg; Carbohydrate 31 g; Fiber 2 g; Sugar 13 g; Protein 9 g
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S B E S T I EO T BALL 47 PA G E T FORGE D O N ’T V O T E ! TO
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HOLIDAY ISSUE 2020
16
46 BEFORE YOU GO: FROM DREAM TO REALITY
S POT LI GHT: THE B ERKSHI RES
BY JOHN GRAY
BY KAREN BJORNLAND
ADVERTISING SECTIONS
27
23 GIFT GUIDE 39 50+ LIVING
A HOL I DAY MEAL TO R E MEMBER 36
B EHIND T HE LE NS: W INTER PHOTO GRAPHY BY WILLIAM ADAMCZAK
49
Cover Story
Capital Region Gives Back PHOTOGRAPHY BY DORI FITZPATRICK
8 | CAPITAL REGION LIVING | HOLIDAY ISSUE 2020
49
15 UP FRO NT: HO LI DAY M ARKE TS 40
The Experts FOOD: THE NEST TRAVEL: THE FINGER LAKES SOUL: NEW YEAR, NEW YOU
ON THE COVER: (from left) Dominick Purnomo, Patti Veitch, Denise Dubois, Rachel Hye Youn Rupright, Kristen Garzone, photographed by Dori Fitzpatrick. Hair and makeup: Complexions Spa for Beauty & Wellness. Shot on location at Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga Springs.
(Denise Dubios) DORI FITZPATRICK; (chefs) FRANCESCO D’AMICO
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From The Editors
’TIS THE GIVING SEASON
A
nd just like that, 2020 is almost over. It’s been a challenging year to say the least. We’ve weathered so much as a region, state and country, from the fear and uncertainty surrounding the ongoing COVID-19 crisis to the hit taken by local businesses as a result of it. The not-sopositive news is that the pandemic doesn’t appear to be going away anytime soon. But there’s a heaping portion of good news, too: The Capital Region has so many people ready, willing and able to rise to the occasion and help others, no matter what. Five of those people grace the cover of this issue. Turn to page 49 to read about this year’s honorees—Dominick Purnomo (Feed Albany), Patti Veitch (Gateway House of Peace), Denise Dubois (American Cancer Society of the Capital Region), Kristen Garzone (Every Mother Counts) and Rachel Hye Youn Rupright (Capital Roots)— each of whom will be raising money for their charitable organizations and nonprofits at CAPITAL REGION LIVING’s Capital Region Gives Back event on December 10. (Five others are being honored by our sister publication, saratoga living, on the flipside of this magazine.) Also in this issue, we’re highlighting winter vacation destination The Berkshires (p. 16); Schenectady’s newest eatery, The Nest (p. 40); and the area’s top socially distanced holiday markets (p. 15). We’ll also give you advice on how to handle this year’s holiday season, both spiritually (p. 44) and culinarily (p. 25). While the holidays will likely be six feet apart and masked this year, there’s still a lot to be thankful for and celebrate. Shop local, give if you can, and know that better days are on the way. —The Editors
Up Your Gift-Giving Game
CRL
UP FRONT
#ShopLocal at These Three Holiday Markets » Handmade gifts await in Ballston Spa, Albany and Rotterdam. «
T
BY VICTORIA MANGELLI
Homemade soap and honey at Shaker Holiday Market
Saratoga County Historical Society Artisan’s Market
(ornaments) PHD DESIGN & PHOTOGRAPHY
he best part of the holidays is the buildup: Christmas music on the radio, holiday lights strung on homes and businesses, the first snowfall…it’s all so exciting. One of the clearest signs that the holiday season is upon us is the arrival of holiday markets, where local artisans set up shop, selling everything from wreaths and baked goods to gifts for everyone on your list. Despite the pandemic, in-person holiday markets are back in the Capital Region, giving you a chance to get out of your house for some socially distanced, mask-wearing, holiday shopping fun.
ROTTERDAM CHRISTMAS MARKET
For one weekend only, you can shop for holiday goodies from all the best local vendors at ViaPort Rotterdam’s first annual Christmas Market. Open for last-minute gift-getting from December 11–13, the market will be held Friday and Saturday from 10am-8pm and Sunday 11am-6pm, and vendors will be spread throughout the mall to ensure proper social distancing. viaportrotterdam.com
SARATOGA COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY ARTISAN’S MARKET
The Saratoga County Historical Society Artisan’s Market returns to Ballston Spa’s Brookside Museum for its 20th year in business this November 28–December 24. Featuring only
handcrafted products by local artisans (think: soaps, ornaments and yummy treats such as maple syrups), the market is open Thursdays noon–4pm, Fridays 11am–6pm, Saturdays 11am–5pm and Sundays 11am–4pm. brooksidemuseum.org
SHAKER HOLIDAY MARKET
The Shaker Heritage Society was ahead of the game this year, opening up its holiday market way back on October 7. Handmade pottery, jewelry and artisan foods from 80 regional makers abound at America’s first Shaker settlement. Baskets, hand sanitizer and gloves are available to all visitors upon arrival. The market is open Tuesdays– Saturdays from 11am–5pm and Sundays from noon–5pm through December 19. home.shakerheritage.org
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From awesome skiing to bible-thick wine lists, this rural hotspot awaits. BY KAREN BJORNLAND
Throughout this year, CAPITAL REGION LIVING has focused in on cities throughout the Capital Region—Troy, Schenectady and Glens Falls, to name a few—celebrating the best of what each has had to offer. In our final installment of the year, we’re setting our sights southeast to the multi-city Berkshires region. At the end of the day, “Massachusetts” might be hard to spell, but it sure is enjoyable to visit. (Note: Be sure to check on the most up-to-date pandemic-related rules and travel restrictions before booking your trip to The Berkshires!)
STAY The Porches Inn at MASS MoCA Go retro at The Porches, a boutique inn with a vintage vibe. Rest your bones in restored Victorian row houses across the street from MASS MoCA, the world-class contemporary art museum that has transformed the city of North Adams.
Yankee Inn On the edge of nature and just a short walk to Lenox’s upscale restaurant scene, the Yankee Inn is a 1950s motel that has been morphed into a comfy, reasonably priced hotel. After a hike through the winter wonderland of local trails, enjoy the warm in-room fireplace or a restorative soak in a Jacuzzi (amenities vary from room to room).
The Old Inn on the Green Ready for romance? Say “yes” to The Old Inn on the Green in New Marlborough, where lovebirds can dine in intimate rooms illuminated by flickering candlelight or outside under a heated tent. Want to make it a cozy night in? The inn’s to-go menu features luscious lobster rolls and buckets of buttermilk fried chicken.
Norman Rockwell (1894-1978), The Problem We All Live With, 1963. Oil on canvas, 36” x 58”. Illustration for Look, January 14, 1964. Collection of Norman Rockwell Museum.
(from top) Yankee Inn; The Problem We All Live With from the Norman Rockwell Museum; a Butternut snowboarder; (opposite from top) hitting the slopes at Jiminy Peak; backyard views at Yankee Inn.
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EAT Alta Restaurant & Wine Bar Lenox locals do their fine dining at Alta Restaurant & Wine Bar, where the Mediterranean-inspired cuisine is locally sourced, organic and vegan-friendly. Patrons rave about the seared duck breast in a salty caramel sauce, handmade pasta and enviably robust wine list, with 24 by-the-glass options, as well as pages and pages of both New and Old World vinos. There’s always takeout, too.
Coyote Flaco Warm your belly with homemade enchiladas and tamales or kick back with a margarita at Coyote Flaco, a familyrun Mexican restaurant less than two miles from the Clark Art Institute, in the picturesque village of Williamstown.
Skiers and snowboarders have multiple mountain-crushing options in the Berkshires. With five downhill resorts— Jiminy Peak, Catamount, Butternut, Bousquet and Berkshire East—there’s no shortage of shredding to be had.
Chocolate Springs Café Willy Wonka would be proud. At Chocolate Springs Café in Lenox, the brainchild of Euro-style chocolatier Joshua Needleman, satiate your wintertime hot cocoa fix—or just go full Augustus Gloop on everything from passion fruit truffles and chai-spiced bonbons to homemade peanut butter cups. Not to worry, health nuts: vegan and gluten-free options are available, too.
Norman Rockwell Museum One of America’s most, um, American artists, Norman Rockwell is best known for
his extraordinary eye for the ordinary, with many of his best-loved pieces gracing the cover of the long-gone Saturday Evening Post. Find a comprehensive collection of Rockwell’s work at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, including his iconic image of Ruby Bridges (see previous page), the little girl who bravely integrated a Louisiana school in the 1960s. Sensational special exhibitions abound this winter, so be sure to reserve your timed tickets online.
GET TO KNOW…
Blue Q Co-owner Mitch Nash
You’ve seen ’em. Colorful socks, aprons and oven mitts with snarky messages on them like “grumpy old man” and “bad ass woman.” And yes, some four-letter words, too. Those cheeky items, which also include toothbrushes, tote bags and dishtowels, are cooked up by the kooky, creative minds at Blue Q, a 32-year-old company in Pittsfield where brainstorming happens every single day.
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(from left) Brothers Mitch Nash and Seth Nash; some of Blue Q’s designs.
“We’ve always been the kind of lippy, irreverent company that wants to put a spin on some truth that’s out there,” says Mitch Nash, who co-owns the business with his brother Seth. “But always in a kind way…we’re careful how we throw those words around.” At their solar-powered office/warehouse, where sheep “mow” the grass (in season),
Mitch and his team dream up 160 new designs each year and work with artists all over the world. Blue Q products are available online (blueq.com) but are mostly sold in independent shops, bookstores and boutiques across the country. Around here, you can find them at places like Honest Weight Food Co-op in Albany, I Love Books in Delmar
and Northshire Bookstore in Saratoga Springs. The Nash brothers have not only built a successful business, but also helped build out their community.
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In the Berkshires, Blue Q is one of the largest private employers of individuals with disabilities, and a percentage of sales of its recycled bags supports the Housatonic Valley Association, a clean water watchdog group. The company has also donated more than $1 million to Doctors Without Borders through sales of its socks and kitchen products. “This place is more than a company,” says Nash. “It’s a little island of creativity and culture. It’s the community that really makes it tick.”
GET TO KNOW…
AsiaBarong Gallery Co-owner Bill Talbot
AsiaBarong Gallery
PHOTO CREDIT
Dragons, elephants and gigantic stone Buddhas in the bucolic Berkshires? On Route 7 in Great Barrington, AsiaBarong Gallery is an irresistible roadside attraction where tourists wonder as they wander through an exotic emporium of Asian artwork, antiques, furniture, garden statues and small items like coins, toys, prayer flags and jewelry. “It’s the largest Pan-Asiatic gallery in America, with displays from most regions and cultures,” says Bill Talbot, who co-owns the import and design business with his wife, Andrea. You can get lost for hours inside AsiaBarong, where thousands of items fill shelves on two floors, and there are hundreds of signs describing the objects and images for sale. Got questions? Just ask Talbot, who’s been doing this for almost
40 years. “One of the things I do most of the day,” he says, “is tell people about the pieces and the culture.” It’s not your average side-of-the-road pitstop, though. Serious collectors of Asian art, decorators, architects, museums, owners of second homes in the Berkshires and corporations shop at AsiaBarong not only for its handcrafted sculpture and architectural marvels, but also its marble, granite, wood and cast bronze customorder pieces. At the time of his CAPITAL REGION LIVING interview, Talbot was preparing to ship a 5,000-pound statue of the Buddhist goddess Kuan Yin to a temple in New Jersey. How did Talbot end up the purveyor of an Asian art superstore? He has been traveling to Asia since he was a young, adventurous biologist. “I started as a backpacker, going house to house in villages finding things,” he says. Today, he’s connected to a third generation of those artisans and works directly with them: “We have very long, old relationships with families throughout Asia.” Talbot normally closes the gallery for the fall and winter and travels to Asia, but because of COVID-19 travel restrictions, he had to cancel this year’s trip. It’s been heartbreaking for him, but a boon to travelers in the Berkshires, as AsiaBarong will be open on weekends throughout the colder months. “Luckily,” he says, “we have a huge amount of pieces in storage.”
PHOTO CREDIT
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Holiday Gift Guide
PAUSE GALLERY pausegallery.com 501 Broadway, #106; Troy • 518.203.1251 These ceramic Prayer Towers, handmade by Byers and McCurry Studio, are the perfect present for any occasion. Each one is unique; personalize your gift by adding a prayer for the recipient in one of the hidden compartments. $95-$250
ROMANATION JEWELERS romanationjewelers.com 48 Third St.; Troy • 518.272.0643 Just one piece in Romanation’s diverse collection of quality jewelry, this Kalena sterling silver bracelet from award-winning designer Frederic Duclos features bold, open circles that are both polished and textured. The bracelet is rhodium plated so it won’t tarnish. $499.95
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JOYELLES JEWELERS joyellesjewelers.com 318 Delaware Ave.; Delmar • 518.439.9993 For the jewelry lover in your life, look no further than these luscious white gold sapphire and diamond Huggies Hoops by Parviz ($3,797), or go with the burnished yellow gold, scatterset diamond dangle earrings from Meira T ($1,455).
HAROLD FINKLE YOUR JEWELER yourjeweler.com 1585 Central Ave.; Albany • 518.456.6800 When purchasing brilliant cut diamonds by the yard for your loved one from Harold Finkle, you need only pick what color gold (yellow, white or platinum) and how many diamonds (enough for a long necklace, short necklace or bracelet). Shop FOR MORE GIFTS in-store or schedule an appointment. Prices vary TURN TO THE BACK!
24 | C A P I T A L R E G I O N L I V I N G | N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 0
CHRISTMAS DAYS xmasdays.com 6279 VT Route 7A; Arlington, VT • 802.362.2516 Christmas Days is your go-to shop for all your holiday decorating needs. Make this Christmas a special one with this decorative Santa, who’ll bring joy to your cozy home all season long. $185
CROSS EYED OWL GIFT SHOP crosseyedowl.com 3143 U.S. 9, #8, Valatie • 518.758.6755 Keep that special someone warm this winter with this large Lake House Sherpa Fleece Throw from Cross Eyed Owl. It truly is 54x68 inches of snuggly coziness. With this gift checked off your list, wander the Cross Eyed Owl–they really do have something for everyone! $34.95
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This holiday season will be like no other. Our gatherings, meals, and traditions will all look and feel a bit different. Still, we can find ways to celebrate the essence of the season in this beautiful, upside-down world. At Honest Weight, we’re celebrating with humble gratitude. Gratitude for farmers and vendors who work tirelessly to provide food and products for our shelves. Gratitude for dedicated staff who continue to show up, day in and out, allowing us to keep our doors open. Gratitude for those who continue to stand up for change in a turbulent world. Gratitude for you, our customers and owners, who continue to trust us as your community-owned grocery store. With hearts full of gratitude, we wish you warmest tidings of the season and good health in the new year!
Thank you for voting us this year’s Best Community Co-op and Best Health Food Store!
•
www.HonestWeight.coop
Feast Your Eyes on the Holidays
Five of the Capital Region’s top chefs dream up the ultimate, intimate holiday meal—and show you how to make it! PHOTOGRAPHY BY FRANCESCO D’AMICO
Pineapple Cherry Glazed Pork Shank
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hances are, your festive, holiday traditions have been affected by the pandemic. Maybe you’re staying in the Capital Region instead of jogging through Albany Airport on the way to your gate—and eventually, home for the holidays. Or maybe your gift exchanges will be spent here as usual, but in the company of a smaller-than-usual group of masked, socially distanced friends and family. Whatever the case is, it’s possible that, for the first year ever in your life, the responsibility of doing the holiday cooking has fallen onto your shoulders. This year has been hard enough: The last thing you want to do is spend the final days of 2020 stressing out about what to serve for your holiday dinner. So CAPITAL REGION LIVING called in the experts to take all that planning off your plate and help fill it with straight-up delicious food. Chefs Jaime Ortiz (677 Prime, TORO, Prime Burger and Shake House), Krista Espinal (Yono’s, dp An American Brasserie), Rachel Bartlett (Plumb Oyster Bar), Jeff Strom (Next Door Kitchen & Bar) and Michele Hunter (Hamlet & Ghost) have graciously shared their favorite holiday recipes to ensure that your holiday meal is a fitting sendoff to this whirlwind of a year. Oh, and Kim Klopstock from Lily and the Rose catering helped bring it all together with her table-setting genius. A holiday meal is a holiday meal, whether you’re cooking for 20 or two. So pull out your fancy plates, tie on your apron and get cooking! You have five world-class coaches on your side.
BY JAIME ORTIZ (677 Prime, TORO, Prime Burger and Shake House) INGREDIENTS 2 1 1/4 lb pork shanks 1/2 tbsp pink Himalayan sea salt 3 tbsp olive oil 1/2 tbsp Ras El Hanout seasoning 6 petite onions, peeled and left whole (or substitute 10 pearl onions) 2 cups chicken bone broth 1 sprig rosemary 2 sage leaves FOR THE GLAZE: 1/2 cup cherry jam 6 pineapple rings, thinly sliced 1/2 cup brown sugar, loosely packed 1/4 cup dried cherries 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice 3 tbsp orange juice pinch Himalayan sea salt DIRECTIONS Season shanks with sea salt and Ras El Hanout seasoning. Set instant pot to “sauté” and pour olive oil into pot. Once hot, place shanks in to brown evenly on all sides. Remove shanks and add onions. Brown on all sides. Remove onions and scoop out excess grease. Deglaze pot with chicken bone broth and scrape bottom to get brown bits. Add shanks and onions back to pot and cover with remaining broth. Put on lid and set the pot to 60 minutes on “meat stew.” Meanwhile, in a clean, small pot, add jam and top with pineapple rings, brown sugar, cherries, pumpkin pie spice, orange juice and salt. Simmer for 10–15 minutes. When the meat has finished cooking, top with glaze and serve.
Winter Vegetable Sausage Stuffing
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BY RACHEL BARTLETT (Plumb Oyster Bar) INGREDIENTS 3 day-old French baguettes 1 Spanish onion
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PHOTO CREDIT
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whole celery root or celeriac parsnips whole butternut squash lbs spicy sausage, loose quart chicken stock oz dried oregano cup fresh chives, chopped salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS Cut baguette into medium cubes and air dry. Meanwhile, peel the celery root, butternut squash and parsnips, and then dice them, along with the onion. In a medium saucepan, combine the sausage with all the vegetables and sauté on low heat until sausage is thoroughly cooked. Do not drain excess fat—it will help keep the stuffing moist. Add chicken stock, chives, oregano, salt and pepper, and let simmer for five minutes. Transfer to an
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8x8 inch casserole dish and cook at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.
Brown Butter Brussels Sprouts With MapleMustard Gastrique
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BY JEFF STROM (Next Door Kitchen & Bar) INGREDIENTS 2 lbs Brussels sprouts, cored and leaves picked (chef used an apple corer) 3/4 lbs butter, divided 4 medium-sized shallots, sliced into 3/16-inch rings 1 honey crisp apple 1/4 cups pomegranate arils (seeds) 1-2 thyme sprigs, leaves picked FOR THE GASTRIQUE: 1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup sherry vinegar (cider vinegar can also be used) 2 tbsp whole grain mustard DIRECTIONS Prepare the gastrique by heating maple syrup and vinegar to a simmer and reduce by a third. Whisk in the mustard. Cool to room temperature. Prepare the crispy shallots and brown butter. Set up a bowl fitted with a strainer. Heat 10 tablespoons of butter in a mediumsized saucepan on medium high heat until melted. Add the sliced shallots. Continue cooking for 30–40 minutes, stirring every two minutes or so until the butter begins to foam. At this point, stir the shallots constantly until they are golden brown. Watch carefully and remove from heat, as the butter will foam over. Have a second, wider-bottomed pan on hand to catch the foamed-over butter. Strain the shallots into
Delicata Squash Gratin
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the bowl, season with salt, and lay to cool on paper towels. Heat two large sauté pans over high heat with the brown butter, being careful not to let the butter burn. Add Brussels sprout leaves, season with salt and pepper, and press down using a large spoon or spatula until the sprouts are browned. Flip or toss the sprouts over and repeat pressing them down. Add the two remaining tablespoons of butter once the bottom layer of sprouts begins to brown. Once sufficiently browned, transfer sprouts to your serving platter. Slice apple using a Japanese mandoline slicer fitted with teeth or julienne using a chef’s knife. Liberally drizzle the Brussels sprouts with the gastrique. Top with julienned apple, pomegranate arils, crispy shallots and freshly picked thyme leaves. Serve and enjoy!
BY KRISTA ESPINAL (Yono’s, dp An American Brasserie) INGREDIENTS 3-4 medium delicata squash, thinly sliced 2 lbs yukon gold potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced 1 large pale or light green leek, thinly sliced and rinsed in cold water 1 medium fennel bulb with fronds, thinly sliced 1 tbsp rosemary, chopped 3 cups heavy cream 1 cup grated parmesan cheese 1/4 lb unsalted butter 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS Cut ends off delicata squash. Use a tablespoon to hollow out seeds from the center and a mandoline to thinly slice squash to 1/4 inch. Rinse and peel potatoes and slice to the same size as the squash. Add two tablespoons of butter to a medium-sized saucepan on medium low. Add sliced leeks and fennel to pan and sweat down until soft and fragrant. Add chopped rosemary and heavy cream and bring to a simmer for five minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Butter the bottom and sides of a baking dish. (Note: chef used one that was 12x7x2 in.) Start by layering potatoes in a shingle pattern in bottom of dish and follow with squash on top. Then spoon in heavy cream mixture (about 1/4 cup) and sprinkle a tablespoon of parmesan cheese on top.
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Pumpkin Spice Cake MICHELE HUNTER (Hamlet & Ghost)
INGREDIENTS 13/4 cups all-purpose flour 11/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp nutmeg 1/4 tsp ginger 1/8 tsp clove 1 cup buttermilk 1/2 cup pumpkin purée 1 stick (4 oz.) butter, room temperature
11/2 cups sugar 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 2 eggs DIRECTIONS Sift first seven dry ingredients together and mix to combine. Set aside. Whisk together buttermilk and the pumpkin purée, set aside. Cream butter, sugar and vanilla with the paddle in your stand mixer for two minutes on medium speed. Scrape down the bowl and paddle and continue mixing for five minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, allowing one to fully combine before adding the next one. Scrape down the bowl and paddle. With the mixer on its lowest setting, gradually add the wet and dry ingredients. (You can do this at the same time, or alternate dry and wet.) Once all ingredients are added, mix for 10–12 seconds to make sure everything is well combined. Divide the batter into three eight-inch cake pans. (Suggestion: spray with cooking
spray first, then line with parchment paper.) Bake at 350 degrees for 18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool and frost with your favorite frosting (chef’s favorite: cream cheese frosting).
Blood Orange Margarita Next Door Kitchen & Bar
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Repeat layers until you reach the top of dish. Finish the top with breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese and remaining butter. Cover with parchment and foil. Cook on the middle rack at 375 degrees for 35–40 minutes. Remove foil/parchment from dish and cook uncovered for 10–15 minutes or until breadcrumbs have browned.
INGREDIENTS 11/2 oz Cazadores Blanco Tequila 2 oz blood orange juice 1/2 oz arancino blood orange liqueur 1/2 lime 1/2 oz agave nectar 1/2 oz jalapeño simple syrup (2 jalapeño peppers, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water) DIRECTIONS Combine ingredients and serve in margarita glass with salted rim (this one uses Himalayan black salt). Garnish with blood orange and jalapeño wheels.
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ADVERTISING SECTION
Holiday Dining Guide = =
Family owned and operated for 47 years, Latham 76 Diner takes pride in making sure customers have the best dining experience possible every time they walk through its doors. The Capital Region has come to expect great food at a reasonable price, served fast with a friendly smile—and customers have shown their satisfaction by voting for (and awarding!) Latham 76 Diner numerous Besties, year in and year out. At Latham Diner, which is open 6am–10pm daily (except for Christmas Day), good food equals a good mood.
722 New Loudon Road, Rte. 9 • 518.785.3793 • latham76diner.com
Take a break from the holiday hustle and bustle and relax with the best cup of coffee in the Capital Region. All of Wired’s coffee is roasted in small batches in-house using organic, fair-trade beans. Pair a cup with one of the shop’s freshly prepared breakfast or lunch options, and you can’t go wrong. Locally owned and operated, Wired strives to provide the community with the highest level of customer service at both its locations, in Albany and the Saratoga Spa State Park.
652 Albany-Shaker Road • Albany (In the Pioneer Bank Building) 518.650.7615 • sipwired.com
ADVERTISING SECTION
The Gold Coin restaurant has served delicious Chinese fare at 1360 New Scotland Avenue in Slingerlands since it opened in 1987. Owned and operated by the Kung and Cheung families, the original restaurant was torn down in 2004 and completely rebuilt. The new restaurant now accommodates 70 people and has a full bar with a flat-screen TV. Gold Coin is open six days a week and closed on Tuesdays.
Jackson’s Old Chatham House has been a family-run restaurant for three generations, since 1943. It is already taking reservations for holiday parties (accommodations for up to 100 people!) and on New Year’s Eve, on which a special menu will be available. (The restaurant will, however, be closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day). Happy holidays to all, from everyone at Jackson’s Old Chatham House.
1360 New Scotland Road • Slingerlands 518.439.6428 • goldcoinrestaurant.com
646 Albany Turnpike, Old Chatham • 518.794.7373 jacksonsoldchathamhouse.com
The Towne Tavern invites guests to enjoy its award-winning food in a warm, cozy and comfortable renovated creek-side blacksmith shop dating back to the 1800s. Whether you’re in the mood for a relaxed drink with friends or a dinner with the whole family, there is something for everyone on the tavern’s menu, from barbeque specialties to home-style entrées. Check out the catering menu on thetownetavern.com for your next get together.
2850 NY 43 • Averill Park • 518.674.3040 • thetownetavern.com
The Bermejo family, owners of El Mariachi, has been providing traditional Mexican and Spanish dishes to Capital Region diners for more than 24 years. Originally from the cultural epicenter of Puebla, Mexico, the Bermejos are dedicated to serving authentic cuisine—think outstanding specialties like Mole Poblano, Pipian and Gorditas Poblanas—with warmth and hospitality. CAPITAL REGION LIVING readers have recognized this by voting El Mariachi best Mexican restaurant in the Besties numerous times.
271 Lark Street (Serving Tapas Only!) • Albany • 465.2568 289 Hamilton Street • Albany • 432.7580 www.elmariachisrestaurant.com • www.elmariachitapas.com
Behind the Lens: Wintertime in Thacher Park
Last winter, local photographer William Adamczak nabbed two stunning images for the price of one.
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BY WILLIAM ADAMCZAK
t was December 12, 2019, and the full moon was due to rise moments after the setting sun. There was a thin layer of clouds—faint enough to see the moon and stars appear through it as darkness set in, but present enough to contribute to the beautifully colored sky, while the last light of day peaked through. I was set up on an overlook in John Boyd Thacher State Park in Voorheesville. Using the long exposure technique, I took a dead-on shot of the moon as it rose in the eastern sky. top that same overlook in Thacher Park stands a “famous” tree. Local photographers love to shoot it, and for good reason. It’s situated by itself, mere feet from the edge of a cliff and with an unobstructed view of the valley below. Earlier that day, I’d looked up the precise time the moon would rise, so I could set up my tripod and camera to take a 10-minute exposure of this view before me. The result is what you see here. If you look closely at the horizon, you can see a small bright streak; that’s the rising moon.
Visit crlmag.com to read photographer William Adamczak’s full story
Give a Gift of Shelter, Care and Hope for the Animals
A donation in the name of the animal lover in your life is the perfect way to spread a little holiday cheer and honor what means most to them. Your gift helps local, homeless pets. This ad made possible by CARLTON HOLLOW APARTMENTS / SUNRISE MANAGEMENT and
CAPITAL REGION LIVING BY GIVING
mohawkhumane.org 518-434-8128 Menands • Saratoga
JOIN USfor the most FUN & FESTIVE virtual run of the season! DECEMBER 11 - DECEMBER 13, 2020
WEAR YOUR FAVORITE HOLIDAY COSTUME AND JINGLE ALONG YOUR OWN 5K ROUTE!
HELP US BATTLE THE #1 CAUSE OF DISABILITY!
Local Sponsors
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50+ LIVING Advertising Section
Meier Law Firm, PLLC
10 Utica Ave., Latham 518.313.7809; themeierlawfirm.com
COVID-19 created chaos and made us all aware that life can change in an instant. Now that we’re in our new normal, let the team at Meier Law Firm, PLLC help you take control. We provide counsel without judgment to assist our clients with planning for incapacity and death. We prepare wills, powers of attorney, health care proxies and living wills. We also create trusts when appropriate for our clients’ needs, and assist clients with Medicaid planning (including applications), as well as the administration of estates and trusts. Contact the Meier Law Firm today to discuss your estate planning needs.
Impressed by our Capital Region Gives Back do-gooders? We’re honoring them at a virtual/live hybrid event like this area has never seen! Price of the ticket goes to the charity of your choice. Visit crlmag.com for more information. H O L I D A Y I S S U E 2 0 2 0 | C R L M A G . C O M | 39
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Food // Travel // Soul
Experts Schenectady’s Newest Perch
The owners of Albany’s Cuckoo’s Nest and Crave bring their Southern-accented fare to the Electric City with The Nest. BY WILL LEVITH
Banana Walnut Old Fashioned
Chicken and waffles
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ntil scientists can successfully invent magazine pages that are taste-able, you’ll just have to trust CAPITAL REGION LIVING (if you haven’t been yourself, of course) that the food at Albany restaurants The Cuckoo’s Nest and Crave— both owned by dynamic wife-and-husband team Kaytrin Della Sala and Chef Devin Ziemann—is a one-way ticket to Flavortown. The former’s take on fried chicken, for instance, gives OG Southern food spots like Hattie’s a run for their clucking money. Now, the couple has added a third arrow
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to their culinary quiver: Schenectady’s The Nest. An offshoot of The Cuckoo’s Nest, the new restaurant wasn’t originally a part of Della Sala and Ziemann’s plan. “When [Schenectady’s] Slidin’ Dirty closed, we were at a wedding in Chicago, and our bartender at The Cuckoo’s Nest texted me and said, ‘Hey, you guys should take that space,’” says Della Sala. It took the pair a grand total of two days to deliberate before jumping at the opportunity. For one, it was a spacious location—it’s a two-story building with a sizable (seasonal) back patio. Also, Della Sala grew up in the Electric City, so it was sort of a no-brainer. Certainly, the pandemic threw a wrench in the couple’s plans to open The Nest in March, and they had to tweak the menus a bit to make them more takeout friendly. But when it opened in October, business was quickly booming. Even indoors-only at half capacity, The Nest can safely seat
80 people, six feet apart. (That number could balloon to 100 or more with the patio back in operation next spring.) And The Nest’s stacked menu—brunch, lunch and dinner—has more than a few reasons for foodies to check out the new hotspot. Take the mouthwatering, vegan-friendly Char Roasted Beet “Steak,” the Lobster and Leek Hushpuppies or the deliciously decadent Nest Fries (topped with chicken gravy, bacon, cheddar and a sunny egg), all Electric City exclusives. (A number of Cuckoo’s creations are available, too.) What about libations? Glad you asked. Sure, you could layer up with that sweater your mom knitted for you last Christmas, or you could just order a Banana Walnut Old Fashioned, which will warm your belly in all the right places. Now, it goes without saying that Schenectady’s food scene has historically been one that leans heavily on red sauce and pasta, so is there really room for Southernfried fare? Unequivocally yes, says Della Sala. “I find that the market all around the Capital District is oversaturated with Italian food,” she says. “The food we’re offering at The Nest really isn’t found anywhere around here.”
ELARIO PHOTOGRAPHY
The Nest owners Devin Ziemann and Kaytrin Della Sala.
Schenectady’s The Nest is an offshoot of Albany’s The Cuckoo’s Nest.
THE
Food // Travel // Soul
Experts The Wanderland Files: Holiday Fun in The Finger Lakes CAPITAL REGION LIVING’s resident jet-setter takes you on a wintery, wonder-y road trip west. STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALEXANDRA BAACKES
Latham native Alexandra Baackes is a world-renowned travel influencer, who has a loyal following on both her travel blog, Alex In Wanderland (alexinwanderland.com), and her Instagram, @alexinwanderland, which boasts nearly 80K followers. She’s now offering CAPITAL REGION LIVING readers top destinations within driving distance of her old stomping grounds. Note: Before traveling to the region or booking entertainment there, be sure to check the latest COVID-19 rules, regulations and restrictions. t’s been quite a year. Very few of even the most hardened local wanderlusters ventured outside of the Capital Region this past summer, with nearby states such as Massachusetts, Connecticut and Vermont proving popular pandemic pitstops for those who did. But now that we’re getting deeper into the winter months (and spiking COVID cases), it’s worth looking within the State of New York again for road-trip-able destinations. So, let me take the wheel and steer you three hours west of Albany to the idyllic Finger Lakes region. First things first: The Finger Lakes is best known as a wine region, so if you’re the teetotaling type, it might not be your cup of tea. (That said, there is plenty to do that doesn’t involve cabs and pinots—and hey, everyone will be forever grateful for your DD-ing skills.) Nowhere is the unpretentious nature of the lakes’ many wineries and vineyards more apparent than at the ironically named Pompous Ass Winery on Seneca Lake, where mulled wine cider kits are now available alongside the winery’s Kiss My Ass series of wines (if you’re wondering, all that “ass” refers to a donkey). The winery is open 10am–6pm daily, and the property even boasts a bookable vacation rental. In nearby Burdett, Mandy’s Magical Mulled Wine kit is the specialty of Atwater Estate Vineyards’ tasting room manager, who calls it a spin on Glühwein, a type of German mulled wine. Keep the European-inspired tour rolling with a visit to Swedish Hill Winery on Cayuga Lake, and don’t leave without glugging some Glögg, a traditional
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Scandinavian wine made with a specially imported extract from Sweden that contains spices such as cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and ginger. If you’re thinking about making it a Finger Lakes Christmas, the holidays are sure to be in full swing at Point of Bluff Vineyards, which has reimagined its onsite concert pavilion as a Winter Wine Garden for the entire month of December. Guests will be able to take part in wreath-making workshops, holiday cookie and gingerbread house decorating activities, and an ugly sweater contest. All events at the winery will include tastings, live music and an artisan market—the perfect place to check items off your holiday shopping list. Of course, once you’ve drank all the drink that can be drunk, you’ll want to have a comfortable place to land. While there are certainly a number of decently priced Airbnb options throughout the region, if you’re the type who needs a bit more luxury for your lap, try the Belhurst Castle and Winery, a hotel that doubles as a stone castle, dating from the 1880s and is perched on the northwestern shore of Seneca Lake. The region is dotted with big-box hotel chains, bed-and-breakfasts, private inns and sprawling winery/estates, so there’s no lack of accommodations. All that wining will no doubt get your stomach growling, so get a dinner reservation at The Park Inn in Hammondsport, which has a menu full of fresh, seasonal dishes. If you’re not tasting-ed out, try pairing your dinner with a wine flight of varietals from across the region. And don’t miss the hot skillet cookie (you won’t want to leave this one for Santa). If you’re still having trouble finding a permanent place to stay, you can’t ask for a shorter commute to bed than the five tastefully restored inn suites upstairs. (Just make sure to book one ahead of time.) Now, onto the final stop on our adventure. The city of Corning is to glass as the greater Finger Lakes region is to wine. Take an ornament-blowing workshop at Hands-On (from top) Hammondsport’s The Park Inn offers a full menu of fresh, seasonal fare; an ornament-blowing workshop at Hands-On Glass in Corning; (opposite) A regional-wine-bottle Christmas tree display at Pompous Ass Winery on Seneca Lake.
Glass and follow that up with a trip to the world-class Corning Museum of Glass, the largest of its kind on the planet. Experiences at Hands-On are private to your group, and you’re welcome to bring your own food and drink along—so no need to hide that spiked eggnog in your flask. And tickets to the museum, which must be purchased online in advance, are valid for two consecutive days, because it will take you that long to
get through it all. Trust me. OK, so maybe 2020 isn’t the year to spend Christmas in Paris—or even Florida, for that matter—but there’s no reason you can’t get reacquainted with Upstate New York. One caveat, though: prepare to be hooked. The Finger Lakes is an annual draw for inthe-know travelers, across all seasons. So, you might just find yourself planning (and booking!) a follow-up trip in the new year.
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Experts
Food // Travel // Soul
Great Expectations
Rachelle Booth, transformational coach and tarot reader, guides you towards a powerful 2021. BY RACHELLE BOOTH
Using a blend of practicality and spirituality, Rachelle Booth guides the soul-inspired to raise their personal vibrations, embody their highest truths and deepest desires, and step into their most prosperous lives. She lives in Wilton with her husband and three children. Find her at rachelletrahan.com. How can we stay balanced, spiritually, this holiday season? A feeling of groundlessness can hit us during the holiday season, if we spend too much time in our heads and not in our bodies. The business of the holiday season can overwhelm us and bring about anxiety and exhaustion. Conversely, groundedness comes from feeling a deep silence, stability and connection with what’s going on in your own life. So if you take the time to be quiet and grounded in the present moment, your body becomes both a receiver and transmitter for the magic of the holiday season. What to let go of: 1) Any business that distracts you from being in the present moment with a soft focus, belly and heart. 2) One or more things on your plate. 3) Any expectations for what this holiday season needs to be. 4) Any anxiety or worry about what this season will bring. What to let in: 1) More quiet time to get centered and grounded. 2) Exercise, meditation and spending time in nature. 3) A state of flow for what is. 4) Trust for where life is taking you.
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A body, mind and spirit that is grounded in the now invites in magic, miracles and possibilities far beyond whatever we could dream up ourselves. Let it be your best holiday season yet. What would you suggest doing this year in lieu of making a New Year’s resolution? If we’ve learned anything from 2020, it’s that we know how to find what is personally meaningful to us. Don’t make another empty resolution based on something that has fallen out of significance. While 2020 removed the inessentials, it brought into focus new beliefs, perspectives and intentions for how we want to live our lives moving forward. We should be asking ourselves: What do we want now? And how would we need to feel in order to have it? Instead of making a resolution, pick a word for the year. Select one that you want to embody—the quality that can help you achieve what you want this year. Your word will inspire you to be that. It will prepare you for what you are learning on a soul level this year, help you gain a level of mastery around it and keep you focused on what’s important to you in the year ahead. Some examples include: “truth,” “love,” “strength,” “originality,” “forgiveness,” “acceptance,” “focus” and “determination.” When
selecting a word, don’t overthink it—listen to the whisperings in your soul, and you can’t get it wrong. Your intuition will guide you, and it is strong. What can we expect out of 2021? Move over 2020, because 2021 will be
bringing the renewal energy we’ve been craving. After a long, challenging year of pain and unexpected change, our hearts will be uplifted with the fresh energy just around the corner. The year 2021 will be a renaissance—a flowering, as we open up to new, more empowering beliefs, life goals and ways of being. Progressive, innovative, original, cooperative, collaborative and creative energies will support rebuilding and rebirthing our new worlds. So, for the remainder of this year, take the time to honor what is ending. Make sure to make any final preparations for what needs to be released. What dies becomes the fertilizer for what we will create. Our individual and collective completions serve as a way of clearing and purifying what is to come. The more we allow (as opposed to resist) the endings, the smoother our transition will feel. The pain of what we have lost will be transmuted to a softer feeling of accomplishment for what we have gained. Just knowing that there is light at the end of the tunnel, we can find the courage to complete this challenging year powerfully. Let’s love ourselves and each other through it and meet with newfound levels of resilience and strength on the other side.
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before you go...
FROM DREAM TO REALITY BY JOHN GRAY
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don’t dream a lot, but when I do, my dreams are usually silly, insignificant and forgotten before I even wake up. But in October of 2018, I had a very specific and vivid dream I’ll never forget. Instead of being the protagonist in the dream, I was the observer. I couldn’t tell if the person I was watching was male or female, young or old. The only thing I can tell you was that he (or she) was in a church at night. There wasn’t a mass or service happening up on the altar; it was just people milling about this church. This person’s back was to me, but I could see the figure looking up at the stained-glass windows high up on the church walls. I followed this person’s gaze to a specific window, and saw that the image in the glass had begun to change. It was subtle; things were being added to the image, others taken away. In a sea of people, the person I was watching and I were the only ones seeing the same thing. The figure leaned in closer to look a second time and then started turning to the other people filling the church: “Did you see that?” Everyone else was indifferent and shrugged their shoulders. They clearly couldn’t see what this person in my dream and I could see. With that, I woke up and sat up in bed. It was about two in the morning, and sitting still in the pitch dark, I remembered thinking, “Well, that was interesting.” The next morning when I got out of bed, it would have been normal for me to have forgotten about the dream, but I didn’t. I remembered it like it had just happened. I didn’t tell a soul, I just let it sit there in my brain, figuring the image would either go away or sign a lease and take up residence there. It did the latter. On January 6, 2019, a quiet Sunday night, I sat down at my $300 computer and squeaky chair to start writing a story. I had no idea exactly what the story would be about, but I knew three things: The hero of my story would be a smart, talented, brave young woman who visits a
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town she’s never been to before; she’d rent an old church that was once abandoned and then convert into a condo and start to live there; and lastly, I knew this woman, who didn’t believe in God or much of anything at all, would start to see images in the stained-glass windows and have to make a decision. “Am I losing my mind?” she’d ask herself. “Do I ignore the images, or should I use them to help people?” I’m a writer, but I’d never written a novel. When people asked me why, I’d tell them I planned to someday when I was retired, but that was only a half-truth. The other half was, I was afraid. Afraid if I started, I’d never be able to finish. Afraid when it was done, nobody would like it or want to publish it. Mostly afraid that I’d put in a couple hundred hours of work but in the end have nothing to show for it: a book with an audience of one. Think about it. If right now I told you to build a picnic table, you might take weeks working on it and in the end, it might not look like any table you’d buy from a store, but at least you’d have something to put a drink down on. You’d still have a table. A novel with no publisher is just a bunch of words on a screen. So, when I started that Sunday evening, I had no idea if I’d eventually quit. It wasn’t
until late March when I was about 30,000 words in that I realized I had a real shot at finishing this thing. And the day before Memorial Day 2019, it was done. I paid someone to edit it and clean up all my grammatical issues and then handed it to my agent (the one I used for my children’s books) and asked him to try to sell it. From the fall of 2019 until about July 2020, nobody wanted it. Some publishers sent it back with notes telling me how I should have written it. They all loved the story, just not me so much. I can tell you now, if you have thin skin, trying to get a book published is not for you. There is no shortage of people willing to kick you in the teeth. Just when it looked like the book wouldn’t happen, I got an email and a phone call. The email was a publisher who loved the book and wanted to publish it. The phone call was a Hollywood director who loved the book and wanted to buy the rights to the story and try to make it into a movie someday. This all happened over a 72-hour period. The point of this column is to tell you to pay attention to your dreams and chase them, especially when your every instinct tells you “this is a fool’s errand.” I don’t know if there will ever be a movie made, but I do know the book, Manchester Christmas, comes out this December. I’ve always dreamed of writing and publishing a novel. Like a child standing on the edge of the high dive at the public pool, I always looked down and thought the fall would kill me. This one time, I decided to close my eyes and jump.
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1 BALLOT PER EMAIL **Drink restaurant by cuisine American Cajun Caribbean Chinese French German Greek Indian Italian Japanese Lebanese Mediterranean Mexican Polish Spanish Thai Vietnamese restaurant by county Albany Columbia Fulton/Montgomery Greene Rensselaer Saratoga Schenectady Schoharie Warren
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THE BESTIES ARE BACK!
Fill out this ballot with your favorite people, places or businesses (please only include local businesses) and return it by the end of the year. Answers that include chain stores/restaurants will not be printed.
Fitness Center
Facial
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serVices
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culture
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restaurant by city/town/Village
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local people and Media
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places
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HONOR SOCIETY MEET OUR 2020 ‘CAPITAL REGION GIVES BACK’ HONOREES For the first time in our magazine’s 17-year history, CAPITAL REGION LIVING is honoring the five people in the local nonprofit and charity orbit that we feel are at the apex of the giving game. (Five others are being honored on the saratoga living side to make it an even 10.) There’s no doubt that if there ever was a perfect time to honor the region’s top givers, it would be right now, at the end of this year, when there was so much need. These five individuals couldn’t be giving at a more crucial moment in time. The pandemic has tried and failed to send them off course; they’ve forged ahead, working longer hours to break new ground and keep their respective organizations afloat. We’re hoping that, besides reading their wonderful stories within the pages of this magazine, you will feel equally compelled to support them in their causes. A great place to start? At our hybrid virtual-live Capital Region Gives Back event, which takes place on December 10. (For more information, go to crlmag.com.) Who are these five supreme do-gooders? Allow us to introduce you to our 2020 Capital Region Gives Back honorees. —THE EDITORS
P H O T O G R A P H Y BY D O R I F I T Z PAT R I C K
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Dominick Purnomo CO-FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT O F T H E B OA R D O F D I R E C T O R S , FEED ALBANY
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or Dominick Purnomo, wine director and co-owner of Albany restaurants Yono’s and dp An American Brasserie, cooking and delivering meals to those in need isn’t that much different than running an upscale restaurant. “It’s still hospitality,” he says. “It’s still taking care of people. Maybe we’re not doing it under a crystal chandelier, serving expensive champagne and wearing nice suits. But at the end of the day, it’s about making people feel better—feeding people’s bellies but also feeding their souls.” This past March, Purnomo co-founded Feed Albany, at first a grassroots effort to feed those who had been adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Using kitchen space donated by area restaurants, a team of volunteers cooked, packaged and delivered food to thousands of Capital Region residents, including out-of-work restaurant employees and hospital staffers, as well as families in need. In April, Feed Albany became a registered charitable organization, and by June had handed out more than 100,000 meals. Now, with two part-time employees, the nonprofit is on track to hit 200,000 meals by the end of the year. Now the president of the board, Purnomo is still very involved in the organization’s day-to-day operations and has been able to see, firsthand, how Feed Albany’s work has impacted the community. “I can’t tell you how many people have broken down in tears when they came to pick up meals, because they weren’t sure how they were going to feed their family that night,” he says. Likewise, Purnomo’s seen how the community—from businesses and banks to individual volunteers—has come together to take care of its most disadvantaged members. “Most of us are able to put a roof over our heads and food on our table,” he says. “But there are people who can’t, and they need help. And if we have that ability to help, we’re gonna do it.” — N ATA L I E M O O R E
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n 2016, Kristen Garzone gave birth to her daughter, Ellie, a moment that society tells us should be a pink-confetti drop and champagne toast of happiness. But she felt anything but those things. “I had a lot of anger,” says Garzone, “and I didn’t feel connected to my daughter at all.” She later learned that what she was suffering from was Postpartum Depression (PPD), a mental health affliction that affects millions of women in the US annually. One of Garzone’s great escapes from life has always been longdistance running. In May 2017, feeling lost as a mom and at that point, still not knowing why, she took on a half-marathon to raise money for an organization she had discovered called Every Mother Counts (EMC). The nonprofit was founded by supermodel and entrepreneur Christy Turlington Burns, whose mission is to secure all mothers quality, respectful and equitable maternity care. Then, two weeks later, personal tragedy struck: One of her closest friends, who had herself been struggling with PPD, died by suicide. It was a wakeup call for Garzone. “It jolted me into realizing that not only did I have Postpartum Depression, but I had it very badly,” she says. She sought out help—while also ramping up her running game. By 2018, Garzone had launched her own virtual Run to Believe to honor her friend’s memory and continue raising funds for EMC. Her work for and with the nonprofit has only expanded, especially impactful this year when lockdown was a crushing blow to those battling depression of any kind. She’s now an EMC ambassador and had the chance, pre-pandemic, to go on a retreat with fellow ambassadors, meet Turlington Burns and present her story. “It’s nice,” she says, “to be able to talk to people, one on one, and share my story to help others.” —WILL LEVITH
Kristen Garzone AMBASSADOR, EV E RY M OT H E R COUNTS
Patti Veitch MEMBER OF THE B OA R D O F D I R E C T O R S , G AT E WAY H O U S E O F P E AC E
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or Patti Veitch, her work on the board of directors at Gateway House of Peace begins and ends with family. She first heard about it while caring for her own elderly parents. “After my father and mother had passed, I thought, now I’m going to contact them and hear all about it,” she says. Veitch has been with Gateway House for seven years now. For the uninitiated, Gateway House of Peace runs a quaint, two-story residential-style home in Ballston Spa, which hosts up to two terminally ill patients (that number has been scaled back to one because of the pandemic) already under hospice care, providing them with all of the creature comforts one might require in the final months of his or her life. Residents are usually older but sometimes arrive heart-wrenchingly young. That was the case when 35-year-old Lisa Emery, who had been stricken with a rare form of cancer, arrived there in 2016. Emery, it turned out, was a big fan of ’90s sitcom Friends, and by sheer coincidence, Veitch’s brother-in-law, Kevin Bright, had executive produced and directed episodes of the show. “I thought, maybe he would just come and meet her—it would mean a lot to her,” says Veitch. Bright jumped at the opportunity, visiting and calling Emery regularly. Bright and his wife, Claudia Wilsey Bright (Veitch’s sister), have since become major financial supporters of the organization. While the Gateway House is certainly residentfocused, it provides support to residents’ families, too. “I really love meeting with the families and seeing the impact we have on them,” says Veitch. Some relatives of patients have been so moved by the experience that they’ve later joined the charity’s board. “There’s a lot going on in that little house,” says Veitch. Yes, there is—a lot of love. —WILL LEVITH
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Rachel Hye Youn Rupright EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD O F D I R E C T O R S , C A P I TA L R O O T S
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ou could say that it was Rachel Hye Youn Rupright’s green thumb that led her to Troybased nonprofit Capital Roots six years ago. “I started out as a community gardener,” she says. “We had a plot for several years in Albany.” That, and her sense of civic duty: She had also been working for an anti-hunger nonprofit, and when her personal and professional interests collided, boom! Rupright is now currently the executive vice president of the board of directors and will be assuming the role of chairwoman in January. So, what exactly does Capital Roots do? “It’s all about connecting people and communities with fresh food and green spaces,” says Rupright. The organization focuses on outreach, whether that be delivering fresh produce to underserved areas via its Veggie Mobile or literally having doctors write patients suffering from chronic health issues fillable “vegetable prescriptions.” That work has helped build stronger, healthier communities. Rupright says that Capital Roots’ food deliverers, who have been “essential” for the duration of COVID, have even been able to deliver PPE to residents in need. While the pandemic has certainly presented challenges to Capital Roots, the organization’s built-in outdoorsy-ness has also allowed it to thrive. “We still have the Produce Project, which is our youth-powered farm for high school students,” says Rupright. (It’s a year-round program.) And Capital Roots is even in the process of expanding its Urban Growth Center in Troy, having purchased the land adjacent to it. Add in a $25,000 donation from Saratoga’s philanthropic power couple, Ed and Lisa Mitzen, this past fall, and Capital Roots has a lot of room to grow. —WILL LEVITH
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Denise Dubois GALA OF HOPE CO-CHAIR, AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY O F T H E C A P I TA L R E G I O N
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enise Dubois has had some of her life’s most meaningful moments in the Serenity Room at the American Cancer Society (ACS) of the Capital Region’s HopeClub. The owner of Complexions Spa for Beauty and Wellness, which has locations in Albany and Saratoga Springs, sponsored the room and for seven years held biannual spa days there, where her team of beauty professionals provided complimentary evenings of 5-star pampering for Capital Region cancer patients and survivors. “We would make them feel good,” she says. “We did facials, massages, nails, all in a healthy environment. We would also do wig fitting and draw on eyebrows,” she says of chemo patients who had lost all of their hair. But not this year. Because of the pandemic, the HopeClub and its Serenity Room have been forced to go entirely virtual but are still supporting local patients and survivors. Dubois has been so dedicated to the ACS that she received its Pillar of Hope award in 2014 and was tapped to serve as its Gala of Hope co-chair this year, honoring her dear friend Paul Sciocchetti, before the event was forced to go virtual. It’s cancellations of crucial events and programs like the in-person gala and HopeClub that has Dubois the most worried. For Dubois, her work at ACS is personal. “So many people very close to me have had cancer,” she says. “My uncle battled lung cancer and lost his life. My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer and now is fine. My closest friend had breast cancer. Even my beloved dog had cancer at only 3 years old. We did everything we could for him–he even had chemo. Cancer really has touched so many of us in so many ways.” —ABBY TEGNELIA
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By t h e Numbers EVERY MOTHER COUNTS
Dominick Purnomo
17,000,000: DOLLARS INVESTED IN PUBLIC EDUCATION, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND GRANT MAKING GLOBALLY SINCE 2010 963,000: WOMEN, BABIES, HEALTH WORKERS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS SERVED THROUGHOUT THE WORLD
Denise Dubois
5,300: DOLLARS KRISTEN RAISED AT THIS YEAR’S VIRTUAL RUN TO BELIEVE
CAPITAL ROOTS 55: COMMUNITY GARDENS LOCATED THROUGHOUT ALBANY, RENSSELAER, SCHENECTADY AND SOUTHERN SARATOGA COUNTIES
Kristen Garzone Patti Veitch
900: PLOTS AVAILABLE IN THOSE 55 COMMUNITY GARDENS 36: INNER-CITY STOPS CAPITAL ROOTS’ VEGGIE MOBILE MAKES PER WEEK
AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY OF THE CAPITAL REGION 386,942: DOLLARS RAISED BY THIS YEAR’S LOCAL REAL MEN WEAR PINK CAMPAIGN FOR THE FIGHT AGAINST BREAST CANCER, MAKING IT THE TOP CAMPAIGN IN THE COUNTRY 2,600: CANCER PATIENTS AND SURVIVORS BENEFITING FROM EMOTIONAL SUPPORT AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AT THE CAPITAL REGION HOPECLUB 46: PERCENTAGE OF CANCER PATIENTS AND SURVIVORS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED A CHANGE IN THEIR ABILITY TO PAY FOR CARE SINCE THE START OF COVID
GATEWAY HOUSE OF PEACE 100: PERCENTAGE OF FUNDING THAT IS DONOR DRIVEN 1: BEDS AVAILABLE FOR TERMINALLY ILL PATIENTS AT GATEWAY HOUSE IN BALLSTON SPA (TWO IN A NORMAL YEAR) 0: COST OF GATEWAY HOUSE’S SERVICES TO RESIDENTS
FEED ALBANY 175,000: DOLLARS RAISED BY FEED ALBANY THROUGH GRANTS AND PERSONAL DONATIONS SINCE IT WAS FOUNDED IN MARCH 2020 3: DAYS A WEEK FEED ALBANY OFFERS FREE MEALS AT DP AN AMERICAN BRASSERIE 32,500: POUNDS OF FRESH FRUIT, PRODUCE, MEAT AND DAIRY DISTRIBUTED TO ALBANY FAMILIES IN NEED ON ONE SATURDAY IN OCTOBER THROUGH A PARTNERSHIP WITH KIPP ALBANY COMMUNITY CHARTER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
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Rachel Hye Youn Rupright
Holiday Gift Guide
day e i l o H Guid Gift
ADVERTISING SECTION
VOLO HERO QUICK DRY TOWEL volobeauty.com The Most Gentle Hair Towel Ever. Wash day is complex, and we know how hard it can be to care for your hair. Towel drying is an important step in gentle hair care, so we’ve spent years perfecting a towel that changes wash day for the better. Because wet hair is vulnerable hair, traditional bath towel causes breakage and tug on your scalp. Peace out, frizz.
ZENO GYM zenogym.com One Bench. Countless Workouts. Zeno gym makes it easy to bring home workout gear to you. Zeno gym’s benches, mats and boxes can be used for a variety of exercises from push-ups to glute raises. Each bench provides a stable surface while the anti-slip glides on the base ensure the bench stays in position while you train.
AIONA ALIVE aionaalive.com Aiona Alive’s Clean Beauty Award-Winning Cleanser works to effectively reduce wrinkles, age spots, dark spots, sun spots, and other forms of discoloration while helping with acne, acne scars, and premature aging. This exfoliating, anti-bacterial cleanser penetrates deep into the pores of the skin, removing dirt and oil build-up.
HADRON EPOCH PLANNERS hadronepoch.com It’s time to start planning for 2021 and we’ve got just the planner for you to make your dream plans become a reality! Their modern and clean designs include premium-grade planners, journals, notepads, desktop goods, and practical items to help customize day-to-day activities.
GOLIATH GAMES goliathgames.us Make every night game night. Stay at home with your favorite Goliath games. Goliath has a wide variety of new toys and games… skill and action, adult, family, outdoor sports, educational, licenses, collectibles. You name it, we got it.
ACTIVE CHAIRS activechairs.com Get ready for classes at home. The wobble chair keeps kids in motion, engaging their stomach and back muscles, working their legs and arms, almost as if they were running around the yard. Promoting natural movements of the body and can help improve spinal positioning and muscle stimulation, Improve posture and diminish ADD/ADHD symptoms.
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ADVERTISING SECTION
P rep P res pers ents
HÄNS SWIPE – CLEAN hans-swipe.com Swipe. Flip. Swipe. Done. There is a cleaning side and a polishing side; The cleaning side comes filled with HÄNS’ All-Tech cleaning solution, our proprietary cleaner that was developed to work wonders on today’s technology.The polishing side has an antibacterial removable and rewrapable microfiber cloth that is antimicrobial and safe for all screen types.
THE RESTROOM KIT therestroomkit.com At a time when reducing bacteria and viruses is more important than ever, this kit plays an impactful role and it’s supporting first responders and medical professionals in the process. This compact, all-in-one pack provides the four most essential items needed when using an inadequate or unsanitary restroom to protect against germs and harmful bacteria.
ECZEMA HONEY WELLBEING KIT eczemahoneyco.com Be prepared on the go with the Wellbeing Kit! Included is a reusable face covering, a comfy pair of cotton gloves, and a travel size hand sanitizer. The reusable and washable face covering is triple layered and a great alternative to disposable face masks. Made in the USA with 100% cotton on the outside and a pleated polyester layer in the center.
GIFTGOWNS giftgowns.com Spending the holidays at home? Giftgowns makes the perfect soft cloth alternative that comes adorned with uplifting and fun styles such as this “All Dressed up Nowhere to Go” print. (Giftgowns is also donating masks to hospitals in Los Angeles, New York and Canada.)
KUB WIPES kubwipes.com Kub Wipes are a great alternative to paper- and chemical-based cloths. Take care of your loved ones and the planet with these biodegradable wipes that will soon be your household’s new BFF! Remove daily impurities from your skin and deep cleanse your household, especially before the holidays. Use wet and dry.
ABBY & FINN abbyandfinn.com Kick the ick with Abby & Finn hand sanitizer spray! Made with only 4 ingredients as recommended by the World Health Organization and FDA. Because your family’s safety comes before anything else, we’ve made sure this sanitizer is not only registered with the FDA, but is also manufactured in an FDA audited facility.
g n i k Stoc ffers Stu
ADVERTISING SECTION
THE CHICKS COMPANY thechickscompany.com Ring in your Holiday’s with our Holiday Jolly Blend. Our Jolly Coffee Blend is roasted to a true Medium Roast providing you all the deep rich flavor and body you want for the Holiday’s. A woman-owned business, it offers delicious Coffee Chicks Blends that involve women in as many aspects of its business as possible. They connect women globally while encouraging an active lifestyle.
RED CHOCOLATE red-chocolate.com All the pleasure, None of the guilt! Chocolate lovers unite! Finally, a chocolate that promises indulgent moments without any of the guilt. RED has all the guiltless indulgence of regular chocolate, but with up to 50% less calories and 30-40% less fat! A naturally sweetened recipe with ethically sourced ingredients from around the world.
VITALITY EXTRACTS vitalityextracts.com Stress relief for challenging times. Vitality Extracts crafts the finest essential oils that are pure, safe and free of chemicals making them the perfect aromatherapy oils for optimal natural healing. Along with essential oils for migraine relief, stress relief, energy and more, Vitality Extracts makes stunning diffuser bracelets from natural stones.
FONTANA CANDLE CO. fontanacandlecompany.com With Fontana Candle Co. hand-poured candles, you know exactly what you’re breathing in as they use simple, natural and non-toxic ingredients. We believes the air you breathe is just as important as what you eat when it comes to your health. Bee Simple, Bee Pure with these 3 Ingredients: Beeswax, coconut oil and therapeutic-grade essential oils.
HALO HAND NONTOXIC NAIL POLISH halo-hand.com Halo Hand offers “high-fiveable” clean nail polish kits that come with everything you need for a total at-home mani-makeover. Best of all, you’re not compromising your nails by exposing them to toxic chemicals in the process. Their vegan and cruelty-free line brings you the “whole kit & caboodle” right to your fingertips!
PURE WINE drinkpurewine.com No more wine headaches! The Wand™ 10pack silver & gold (Holiday Special Edition) is our by-the-glass purifier for the age-old and widespread problem of wine allergies. Each box contains an assortment of 5 silver and 5 gold wands. With our charms, you will never lose track of your glass again and can celebrate the Holidays with a little bling!
ADVERTISING SECTION
Don Abo ’t Forget ut D ad
HILLIARDS CHOCOLATES hilliardscandy.com For the beer lover in your life, bringing two hoppy favorites together in one sweet package. Craft Beer Caramels: Buttery small batch caramel flavored with local Shovel Town Brewery’s Double IPA beer, dipped in smooth dark chocolate and topped with Langwater Farm hops and pretzelinfused sea salt.
GEEKEY getgeekey.com It’s time to make dad think outside the toolbox with this expertly combined go-to tool is the size of a key, so be ready to upgrade your keychain. It’s fully equipped with more than 16+ functions to help you tackle those common, everyday problems, and when you’re done, simply toss it back in your pocket.
MANSCAPED manscaped.com/capital This holiday season, get the men in your life a gift they will enjoy! Give the gift of the best possible shave/groom he can get. Manscaped is what you need so he can get back to his grooming routine. Manscaped has his back... and front. Go to: manscaped.com/capital for 20% OFF + free shipping!
CHILL BOYS chillboys.com At Chill Boys, we’re passionate about one thing…Your Comfort. We upgraded your traditional tidy whities. Our high-quality soft fabric will keep the “boys” cool, roomy, and supported. We are a lifestyle brand founded by real guys with a passion for all things calm, cool, and relaxed.
TRUST BIOLOGIC trustbiologic.com The leading CBD and cannabinoid science company with products formulated to enable Baby Boomers to feel and look their best and lead an exuberant life. You deserve reasonably priced, high-quality wellness products, and TRUST Beauty understands how overwhelming it is trying to find the right ones.
NOMADIX nomadix.co The only towel you need is a high-performance travel towel, beach towel, and yoga towel all-inone. We’ve designed this product to be versatile without sacrificing performance, so you can own less and do more. Your gym bag just got a whole lot classier. Thirty plastic bottles equals one Nomadix towel!