SPAC turns up the heat with a griddle-themed BBQ night
In the forecast for Oct.7: an unusually warm fall evening and a new spin on grilling from a barbecue master.
This exciting Positively Saratoga news is brought to you by our friends at Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce.
CulinaryArts@SPAC is heating things up on what is already expected to be an unusually warm fall evening. The BBQ — 6 p.m.-9 p.m. on Tuesday, October 7 — is being held in honor of Steven Raichlen and his hot new cookbook, Project Griddle: The Versatile Art of Grilling on a Flattop.
“The griddle is the hottest-selling backyard gadget, gizmo or piece of equipment you can buy right now,” says Culinary Consultant Pam Abrams, one of the event’s producers. “Steven Raichlen, who’s sort of a barbecue master, has helped popularize it, and written a great book that not only has wonderful recipes in it, but really teaches you a technique that you probably aren’t familiar with.”
With last week’s downpours a thing of the past, SPAC plans to make the most of the clear skies currently expected the night of the party. “We’re going to have our cocktail hour outside at the Julie Bonacio Family Pavilion, where we’ll also be setting up the outdoor kitchen to cook right off the griddle,” Abrams says. “People can watch, and bars will be set up down there.”
After their aperitifs al fresco, guests will head upstairs into The Pines for dinner.
“We always set up a communal dining room, usually round tables for 10 people to sit, first-come, first-serve,” Abrams says. “One of the nice things about this program is that it’s a chance for people in the community to meet each other and not just come with friends. Unlike at a restaurant, it’s a little bit more of a communal gathering experience where we encourage people to talk to each other — and do it over a meal.”
WAMC’s Joe Donahue will lead a lively post-dinner discussion (“he’s a master interviewer,” Abrams says) with Raichlen — for an upcoming broadcast — followed by dessert and book signing in the lobby.
The event marks the first for Saratoga Reading Rooms’ executive chef, Kevin London, since he became SPAC’s newest Culinary Consultant and took on the task of bringing a book like Project Griddle to life — turning recipes meant for a family into an elaborate, SPAC-worthy soirée. Abrams, meanwhile, is on hand for the crucial task of scouting out each party’s theme.
“I’m always looking for trends, something new — whether it’s a culture or an ingredient or a particular cuisine,” she says. “Then I find somebody who has taken a deep dive into the subject, and written about it or cooked it or built a restaurant around it. We bring that expert up as our guest and then let the food speak for itself.
Food people are some of the most creative people I know, and I’m grateful to SPAC for providing a stage for them to perform.”
For more information and to buy tickets, visit spac.org.
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