LOCALadk Magazine
Issue link: https://localadkmagazine.uberflip.com/i/1443429
60 LOCALadk Somehow this is welcome. ose who live in or visit the Adirondack Park view winter's cold as a welcome mat that brings with it the activities of the mountains: skiing, snowshoeing, snowboarding, deep snow hikes, snowmobiling—and for a few, the adrenaline rush of the bobsled or luge. Fat-tire biking is a new addition, and there are even a radical few who relish ice climbing at Chapel Pond or in the Cascade Pass—anything to view winter as a gi. In both restaurants and home kitchens, professional and novice cooks relish a different bounty of ingredients and cooking methods that make more sense when the outside temperature drops from 30 to minus 30 degrees. Although the word "Adirondack" translates from the Native American reference to "bark eater," we have come a long way from using tree skin as a source of nutrition. Winter is the chef 's favorite season. ey no longer suffer from the unbearable heat and humidity of summer; the ingredients used are more robust—many coming from end-of-harvest cold storage—and the cooking methods used emphasize "low and slow" as the best way to coax out the most complex flavors. Chefs know that winter cooking is a perfect vehicle for appealing to many of the human senses: SIGHT: e beautiful colors of roasted or braised meats and colorful root vegetables. SMELL: Slow cooking and caramelization of ingredients fill the air with a sweetness resulting from the Maillard reaction (the reduction of sugars and proteins into the sometimes crusty browning that builds incredible flavor). Finally, the TEXTURES of these special foods, which are fork tender, provide a satisfying "chew" that is hard to beat. As I relished the opportunity to address the topic of cold weather cooking, I spent time talking with regional chefs and a few hunter-gatherers who look forward each fall to filling their freezers and pantries with ingredients harvested from a successful deer, fish, and bird season, or from the bounty of regional farms. Braising, roasting, smoking, and confit test a chef 's foundational skills, patience, and palate as they follow exacting procedures that are time-tested and relished by most of us. ese chefs look forward to the opportunities that winter brings. e Le Bank Café in Saranac Lake recently celebrated ten years of operation. is authentic French bistro on the Saranac River is a step back in time and a familiar environment to those who have visited France and enjoyed its food-centric culture. Anne Alsina, manager of the café, has a strong background in French cooking. As a result, she is committed to protecting its authenticity. e Weissbergs, who own the restaurant and live in Paris, relish what the café has become and its impact on this small village.