by Will Lennon

The Battenkill Kitchen, Inc. launched first in a series of gourmet cooking classes on August 26 with Rocco Verrigni. Chef Rocco is a senior instructor at Schenectady County Community College and has worked in many area restaurants and he has also been involved in several events in Salem. He recently returned from a six month sabbatical in Italy and shared his knowledge of making traditional artisanal pastas.

The class was hands-on and participants learned the secrets to making three distinct, regional pastas. The first pasta was Corzetti; these Ligurian stamped pasta coins are a classic Genoese pasta. Corzetti means "little crosses," which suggests that traditional designs might have included a cross used by the Genoese crusaders. This pasta was served with a fresh basil pesto.

The second pasta was Chitarra which is made with La Chitarra, a pasta "guitar," which is a frame strung with music wire, used to cut fresh pasta into strands. Chitarras originated in the Abruzzo region of Italy. The chittara was accompanied by an All'Amatriciana sauce.

The third pasta was Cavatell which is a small, shell-shaped pasta of Puglia. The cavatelli was served with a tomato and arugula sauce. Chef Rocco sourced local ingredients whenever possible.

After the pastas and sauces were prepared, the class participants dined on their creations, al fresco. A fresh salad, Mrs. London's bread and homemade fresh Italian prune plum tarts rounded out the meal. All who attended were given a hand-decorated packet of recipes and information about the pastas.

The Battenkill Kitchen is working with local chefs to design classes and will soon announce its second in a series of gourmet cooking classes. Is there a food topic that you would like to see presented at the kitchen? Contact Will Lennon with your ideas or for more information on upcoming classes at 854-3095.

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Steps To Do If Interested in Processing a Food Product

1. Contact The Northeast Center for Food Entrepreneurship at the NYS Food Venture Center
315-787-2274
necfe@nysaes.cornell.edu
630 W. North Street
Geneva, NY 14456

2. If you need a food processing license, contact The Food Safety Department at the New York State Department of Ag and Markets
1-800-554-4501

3. To rent an approved commercial kitchen, contact The Battenkill Kitchen, Inc.