A gem of the Finger Lakes region is The New York Wine & Culinary Center. It officially opened on June 17, 2006 and has served more than 40,000 dinners. The mission of the center is “to engage, excite and inspire the people of New York state and the world in a celebration of New York wine and food.”
The center is an educational and experiential gateway to the state's wine, food and culinary industries.
As someone who loves being in the kitchen and either baking or cooking, my husband came up with a great idea for a birthday present for me.
He registered me at the New York Wine and Culinary Center in Canandaigua for a class on making focaccia and pizza.
We had dinner at the NYWCC in February and ran into Doug DelloStritto, the director of operations and event services.
DelloStritto gave us a grand tour of the beautiful and immaculate facility.
There are five culinary instructors at the center. Some of the classes offered include: Spa Cuisine, Organics, Cake Decorating, Summer Salads, Ladies Nights, Couples Nights and some children's classes as well as its Celebrity Chef & Cookbook Author series.
According to DelloStritto, more than 86,000 people have visited the building since its opening, and they have held more than 300 classes and private events.
There are more than 200 wineries in the state, and NYWCC has featured 107 wineries from Aurelius to Long Island since its opening. Be sure to check out the center online at www.nywcc.com.
In the class, I had the best time, and the teacher, chef Cathy Parsons, was knowledgeable and personable. She attended Johnson & Wales University in Providence, R.I., and has two bachelor's degrees, one in culinary nutrition and the other in culinary arts.
For all of you Food TV fans, Parsons was the class speaker at her graduating class in 2004 and was on stage with well-known chef Tyler Florence. She completed various internships in Minnesota, California and at The Sagamore Spa & Resort in Lake George. Her favorite recipes to make are hors d'oeuvres. Her personality and willingness to teach put all of us at ease, and we had a great afternoon.
We started the afternoon by watching Parsons start the focaccia/pizza dough.
The same dough is used for both: focaccia is a bread with toppings but no sauce; pizza has both toppings and sauce.
The group paired off and decided if we wanted to make focaccia or pizza.
My partner, Laurie, and I decided to make pizza. After making the dough and letting it rise, we had our choice of many toppings.
We chose fresh basil, a little fresh spinach, pepperoni, mushrooms and mozzarella cheese.
Parsons had us saute our mushrooms in a little olive oil until they were nice and crispy before we put them on the pizza.
Laurie, a self admitted cheese addict, shared with me that she puts the sauce on her pizza, cheese, toppings, then more cheese. We chose mozzarella as our “cheese of choice.”
After we got our pizza ready to bake, Parsons checked on us and asked us if we wanted to “go over the top.”
As anxious students ready to learn new tips, we both agreed whole-heartedly.
Parsons had us reduce some red wine, only from New York of course, and some balsamic vinegar into a nice, syrupy textured sauce.
Then, when the mixture was perfect, we added sun-dried tomatoes.
Once the pizza was done, we drizzled the reduction over the pizza diagonally. What a great combination.
The flavor from the reduction, coupled with the home-made pizza dough, sauce, toppings and two layers of cheese were certainly “over the top.”
Once everyone's focaccia or pizza were done, we were served a Baco Noir wine (vintage 2002) from CJS Vineyards & Aurelius Winery.
Each of us went around the room trying the different focaccia or pizza that our class had made and enjoying the wine, which went perfect with our creations.
And any leftovers were wrapped up and taken home.
I will definitely be attending more of the great classes in the HOK, Hands-On-Kitchen, at the NYWCC.
With the nice weather on its way, going to dinner or lunch at the NYWCC is a great way to spend a Saturday or Sunday afternoon.
Parsons told me that recipes are a guideline - if you think something would taste good, why not try it?
I'd like to thank Parsons for obtaining permission for me to print NYWCC director of Education, Chrys Baldwin's recipe for focaccia/pizza. It's luscious.
Try making your own focaccia and/or pizza this weekend. Remember, the heart of the home is the kitchen.
Karen Luziani, who lives in Union Springs, is a self-taught pastry chef who specializes in cookies and
decorating cakes. She can be reached at underwood50@hotmail.com
Basic Pizza Dough
Makes one 11- by 17-inch pie; serves 10 to 12
1 package active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water (105-110 degrees)
3 tablespoons olive oil
5-6 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons coarse salt
To make the dough: Sprinkle the yeast over the warm water in a bowl, whisk it in and let stand until creamy, about 5-10 minutes. With a wooden spoon, stir the olive oil into the yeast mixture and mix well. If you are making the dough by hand, whisk in 1 cup of the flour; stir in the salt and remaining flour, one cup at a time and mix until the dough is well blended. Knead on a lightly floured surface until soft and velvety, about 8 to 10 minutes.
First rise: Place the dough in a lightly oiled container, cover it tightly with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
Shaping and second rise: The dough will be soft, delicate and full of air bubbles. Flatten it on an oiled 11- by 17-inch baking pan and press it out with oiled or wet hands. Because the dough will be sticky and may not cover the bottom of the pan, cover it with a towel and let it relax for 10 minutes, then stretch it again until it reaches the edges. Cover with a towel and let rise for 45 minutes to an hour or until the dough is full of air bubbles. Just before baking, dimple the dough vigorously with your knuckles or fingertips, leaving visible indentations. Drizzle olive oil over the dough, being sure some of the oil pools in the little holes you have made. Sprinkle with coarse salt. Add your sauce and toppings.
Baking: At least 30 minutes before you plan to bake, preheat the oven to 425 degrees with a baking stone inside, if you have one. Place the dough pan directly on the stone and spray the oven walls and floor with cold water from a spritzer bottle three times during the first 10 minutes of baking. Bake until the crust is crisp and the top is golden, about 20 to 25 minutes. You may remove the pizza from the pan and bake it directly on the baking stone for the last 10 minutes. Remove from the pan immediately and place on a rack. Let stand at least 10 minutes before serving.
- Developed by the NYWCC Director of Education Chrys
Baldwin and printed with permission from NYWCC
Topping suggestions from NYWCC:
€ Slices of tomatoes and shredded basil
€ Caramelized onions
€ Sun-dried tomatoes
€ Ribbons of sweet peppers
€ Gorgonzola, red onion and walnuts
€ Slivers of new potatoes and rosemary
€ Sauteed leeks
€ Medley of roasted peppers and olives
€ Olive oil, fresh herbs and asiago cheese
As someone who loves being in the kitchen and either baking or cooking, my husband came up with a great idea for a birthday present for me.
He registered me at the New York Wine and Culinary Center in Canandaigua for a class on making focaccia and pizza.
We had dinner at the NYWCC in February and ran into Doug DelloStritto, the director of operations and event services.
DelloStritto gave us a grand tour of the beautiful and immaculate facility.
There are five culinary instructors at the center. Some of the classes offered include: Spa Cuisine, Organics, Cake Decorating, Summer Salads, Ladies Nights, Couples Nights and some children's classes as well as its Celebrity Chef & Cookbook Author series.
According to DelloStritto, more than 86,000 people have visited the building since its opening, and they have held more than 300 classes and private events.
There are more than 200 wineries in the state, and NYWCC has featured 107 wineries from Aurelius to Long Island since its opening. Be sure to check out the center online at www.nywcc.com.
In the class, I had the best time, and the teacher, chef Cathy Parsons, was knowledgeable and personable. She attended Johnson & Wales University in Providence, R.I., and has two bachelor's degrees, one in culinary nutrition and the other in culinary arts.
For all of you Food TV fans, Parsons was the class speaker at her graduating class in 2004 and was on stage with well-known chef Tyler Florence. She completed various internships in Minnesota, California and at The Sagamore Spa & Resort in Lake George. Her favorite recipes to make are hors d'oeuvres. Her personality and willingness to teach put all of us at ease, and we had a great afternoon.
We started the afternoon by watching Parsons start the focaccia/pizza dough.
The same dough is used for both: focaccia is a bread with toppings but no sauce; pizza has both toppings and sauce.
The group paired off and decided if we wanted to make focaccia or pizza.
My partner, Laurie, and I decided to make pizza. After making the dough and letting it rise, we had our choice of many toppings.
We chose fresh basil, a little fresh spinach, pepperoni, mushrooms and mozzarella cheese.
Parsons had us saute our mushrooms in a little olive oil until they were nice and crispy before we put them on the pizza.
Laurie, a self admitted cheese addict, shared with me that she puts the sauce on her pizza, cheese, toppings, then more cheese. We chose mozzarella as our “cheese of choice.”
After we got our pizza ready to bake, Parsons checked on us and asked us if we wanted to “go over the top.”
As anxious students ready to learn new tips, we both agreed whole-heartedly.
Parsons had us reduce some red wine, only from New York of course, and some balsamic vinegar into a nice, syrupy textured sauce.
Then, when the mixture was perfect, we added sun-dried tomatoes.
Once the pizza was done, we drizzled the reduction over the pizza diagonally. What a great combination.
The flavor from the reduction, coupled with the home-made pizza dough, sauce, toppings and two layers of cheese were certainly “over the top.”
Once everyone's focaccia or pizza were done, we were served a Baco Noir wine (vintage 2002) from CJS Vineyards & Aurelius Winery.
Each of us went around the room trying the different focaccia or pizza that our class had made and enjoying the wine, which went perfect with our creations.
And any leftovers were wrapped up and taken home.
I will definitely be attending more of the great classes in the HOK, Hands-On-Kitchen, at the NYWCC.
With the nice weather on its way, going to dinner or lunch at the NYWCC is a great way to spend a Saturday or Sunday afternoon.
Parsons told me that recipes are a guideline - if you think something would taste good, why not try it?
I'd like to thank Parsons for obtaining permission for me to print NYWCC director of Education, Chrys Baldwin's recipe for focaccia/pizza. It's luscious.
Try making your own focaccia and/or pizza this weekend. Remember, the heart of the home is the kitchen.
Karen Luziani, who lives in Union Springs, is a self-taught pastry chef who specializes in cookies and
decorating cakes. She can be reached at underwood50@hotmail.com
Basic Pizza Dough
Makes one 11- by 17-inch pie; serves 10 to 12
1 package active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water (105-110 degrees)
3 tablespoons olive oil
5-6 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons coarse salt
To make the dough: Sprinkle the yeast over the warm water in a bowl, whisk it in and let stand until creamy, about 5-10 minutes. With a wooden spoon, stir the olive oil into the yeast mixture and mix well. If you are making the dough by hand, whisk in 1 cup of the flour; stir in the salt and remaining flour, one cup at a time and mix until the dough is well blended. Knead on a lightly floured surface until soft and velvety, about 8 to 10 minutes.
First rise: Place the dough in a lightly oiled container, cover it tightly with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
Shaping and second rise: The dough will be soft, delicate and full of air bubbles. Flatten it on an oiled 11- by 17-inch baking pan and press it out with oiled or wet hands. Because the dough will be sticky and may not cover the bottom of the pan, cover it with a towel and let it relax for 10 minutes, then stretch it again until it reaches the edges. Cover with a towel and let rise for 45 minutes to an hour or until the dough is full of air bubbles. Just before baking, dimple the dough vigorously with your knuckles or fingertips, leaving visible indentations. Drizzle olive oil over the dough, being sure some of the oil pools in the little holes you have made. Sprinkle with coarse salt. Add your sauce and toppings.
Baking: At least 30 minutes before you plan to bake, preheat the oven to 425 degrees with a baking stone inside, if you have one. Place the dough pan directly on the stone and spray the oven walls and floor with cold water from a spritzer bottle three times during the first 10 minutes of baking. Bake until the crust is crisp and the top is golden, about 20 to 25 minutes. You may remove the pizza from the pan and bake it directly on the baking stone for the last 10 minutes. Remove from the pan immediately and place on a rack. Let stand at least 10 minutes before serving.
- Developed by the NYWCC Director of Education Chrys
Baldwin and printed with permission from NYWCC
Topping suggestions from NYWCC:
€ Slices of tomatoes and shredded basil
€ Caramelized onions
€ Sun-dried tomatoes
€ Ribbons of sweet peppers
€ Gorgonzola, red onion and walnuts
€ Slivers of new potatoes and rosemary
€ Sauteed leeks
€ Medley of roasted peppers and olives
€ Olive oil, fresh herbs and asiago cheese
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