Celebrate Bastille Day at La Serre

According to sources Bastille Day is the name given in English-speaking countries for French National Day, which is celebrated just a mere days after our own Independence Day. Find your French patriotism and join in the Bastille Day Celebrations at La Serre on July 14.

You’re invited to "wear your best garden "Chapeau"" and enjoy the Traditional Country French Buffet. The French feast will include a wide variety of foods including Mussels Provencal Coq au Vin, Tuna Salad Nicoise, Escargot, and Vichyssoise.

Bask in the celebration while music is provided by Sonny & Perley beginning at 6 p.m. Meals cost $22 a person and reservations are recommended.

Brewery Ommegang’s Hop Chef 2013 Competition returns to Albany

Once again, Brewery Ommegang teams with SAVEUR Magazine for its national Hop Chef Competition, returning to Albany on July 12 at 5:30 pm at Hilton Albany at 40 Lodge Street.  Hop Chef Albany is the final of four regional competitions pitting chef against chef, each vying for the chance to compete for national Hop Chef honors in August at the brewery’s annual “Belgium Comes to Cooperstown” festival.  Hop Chef is part of Ommegang’s Great Beer Deserves Great Food initiative -- dedicated to the advancement of great beer as a perfect complement to fine fare.

This year, Ommegang and SAVEUR use the Hop Chef platform to bring together beer lovers, iconic chefs and local food purveyors to benefit an important cause in each participating city.  In Albany, proceeds will benefit S.A.L.T. Recovery, which provides recovery assistance to those affected by disaster.

Yono Purnomo of Yono's is one of the participating chefs.

Hop Chef Albany features Chefs Ali Benamanti from Henry Street Taproom, Mark Graham from Max London’s, Yono Purnomo from Yono’s / dp an American Brasserie, Will Brown from Mazzone Hospitality, Tim Gates from Charles F. Lucas Confectionery & Wine Bar, Ian O’Leary from The Ginger Man, Dimitrios Menagias from City Beer Hall, and Brady Dillion from The Merry Monk - Saratoga.

Each chef prepares a dish paired with an Ommegang ale then presents and defends their dish to a panel of local and national food critics.  In addition to reaping Capital Region bragging rights, the winner has an opportunity to compete for the grand prize in Cooperstown, which includes a 12-month position on SAVEUR Magazine Taste Makers Board, a showcase area with Brewery Ommegang at SAVEUR’s Summer BBQ 2014, and a showcase at StarChef’s International Chefs Convention 2013.  Additional prizes are provided by co-sponsors and culinary leaders StarChefs, VerTerra, Shun, Lodge, Cuisinart, GelPro, Epicurean, T-Fal, and Bioletti.

Dishes will be judged on their adherence to one of five Hop Chef Pairing Principles: simple pairing-direct interaction of taking a bite of food and a sip of beer, incorporation-use of beer in the cooking process, mimicking-matching the flavor profile of the dish with the flavor profile of the beer, storytelling-how it was made and why, and experimental-making beer the star of a unique dish.

Two hundred lucky guests will get to watch, taste, and sip as the culinary competition heats up at Hilton Albany.  The winning chef will go on to compete against other national winners at Ommegang’s “Belgium Comes to Cooperstown” Festival on August 2-4 in Cooperstown, NY where the 2013 HOP CHEF Champion will be crowned.

This unique culinary event is open to the community.  Tickets cost $55 and are available at http://hopchef.ticketleap.com/albany/.

Different Drummers Kitchen offers Thailand Experience

Different Drummer's Kitchen located at Stuyvesant Plaza will offer a different experience full of exotic, lush flavors of Thailand. The one night only course will be held on tomorrow, Tuesday June 11, from 6-8:30 p.m.

The evenings menu includes:

• Thai Spring Rolls with Farmers Market Veggies and Fresh Basil

• Chicken Satay with Gingery Peanut Sauce

• Wild Salmon with Sizzling Rainbow Vegetables

• Shrimp Pad Thai

• Coconut Custard with Crystalized Ginger

 The evening fun filled course will be lead by instructor Holly Shelowitz and may fill up fast. Our suggestion is to make your reservations online.

Holly Shelowitz

Summer is Sweet at Different Drummer's Kitchen

Different Drummer's Kitchen will offer two classes this Saturday, June 8 that are as easy as pie. Well, cake actually, to be exact. The first class European Cakes Hands-on will take place from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The second course, Lemon, Lemon, Lemon Hands-on begins at 3:30 p.m. and ends at 6 p.m.

Master Baker Jesuit Paul Nugas will lead the European Cakes Hands-on class. Nugas is a food stylist, and winner of the silver medal at the Philippine Culinary Cup in 2011. The course will teach individuals how create Opera Cake, Black Forest Gâteau and Frasier Victorian Torte.

Lemon, Lemon, Lemon Hands-on will be led by instructor Corinna Selby. The late afternoon course will focus on making lemon flavored foods including lemon mousse, lemon meringue tarts, Y lemon cookies, zesty lemon-sugar cookies, and fresh lemonade.

Kick the summer season off with one of these top notch baking courses. Seating is limited, so make your reservations before its too late. Different Drummer's Kitchen is located in Stuyvesant Plaza.