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Learn pasta-making and varied other culinary how-to's firsthand at Valley Variety.
(Photo: Courtesy of Valley Variety) |
Take a cooking class at Valley Variety, a bright, quirky shop that’s a starkly modern alternative to Warren Street’s antique havens. Most classes are on Wednesday nights or Saturday mornings (from $45) and range from demonstrations with local chefs to get-your-hands-dirty tutorials. Previous offerings have included a knish night, a guide to small-batch canning, and an introduction to Indian spices and seasoning. While you’re at the store, check out its collection of cool kitchen tools like Normann-Copenhagen’s foldable beater whisk ($18) and Design House Stockholm oil-and-vinegar pipettes ($80 for a pair). If you’re inspired to take your skills home, during warmer weather stop by the Hudson Farmers' Market: On Saturdays from May to the end of November, fresh produce, as well as specialty items like raw-milk ricotta and kale pesto, are on display.
Support Hudson’s local specialty food purveyors. Start out at Olde Hudson, which carries locally produced goodies like Augie’s Granola, plus impressive cheese and charcuterie selections, and on weekends, gourmet sandwiches with toppings like fresh mozzarella, tomato prosciutto, salami, and slow-roasted peppers ($9). Be sure to visit Talbott & Arding Cheese and Provision, which just opened at the end of 2014. Chef-owner Mona Talbott worked at Chez Panisse for five years before opening the prepared-foods shop, which specializes in cheese and carries expertly chosen local varieties like Chaseholm Farms camembert, Sugarhouse Creamery poundcake, and Ardith Mae Farm’s doolan. When you’re stocked up on ingredients, swing by Hudson City Books and search for recipe inspiration among its wide-ranging collection of vintage cookbooks.
Get outdoors and visit a nearby farm. Biodynamic Hawthorne Valley Farm has an on-site farm store that’s open seven days a week, where you can find signature treats like hazel sweet rye bread, and a �Hermit� cookie, with hazelnuts, raisins, sunflower seeds, and cinnamon ($2). And if you plan ahead, you can catch one of Hawthorne’s free guided tours of the land (reserve a spot by calling 518-672-7765, extension 23). Drive to nearby Cornwallville’s Old Field Farm, a 160-acre spread that boasts a greenhouse, ceramic studio, and a painting studio. Make sure to purchase some eggs ($6): This is the farm that supplies Warren Street gourmet shop Olde Hudson, as well as acclaimed Il Buco in Manhattan.