Ric Orlando, Hudson Valley Chef

Local Asparagus is GOOD!
Cooking demo for Seniors at TenBroek Commons, Lake Katrine, NY
I love cooking for seniors in assisted living centers---(I'm almost there myself!) For a group that is currently being fed processed hospital food, they really get the Local food thing. It is how they grew up. The whole thing has come around.  It is that time of year! Asparagus is in full swing on the Hudson Valley. Consodered a luxury vegetable, asparagus is very heathly and actually is known as an aphrodisiac!
My pals at Ten Broek--a few napping, buy respectful nonetheless! Asparagus is a very good source of fiber, folate, vitamins A, C, E and K, as well as chromium, a trace mineral that enhances the ability of insulin to transport glucose from the bloodstream into cells. It is a particularly rich source of glutathione, a detoxifying compound that helps break down carcinogens and other harmful compounds like free radicals. This is why eating asparagus may help protect against and fight certain form…

Travel to Thailand with Ric Orlando
The world tour continues with my absolute favorite cuisine in the world- Thailand!
That’s right, I said it. Thai food is my favorite cuisine. That doesn’t mean my love for regional Italian, Szechuan, Indian, Provencal, Andalucian, Vietnamese, North African, Greek, Oaxacan, Peruvian, Caribe or regional American are losing the love in any way. I am just saying that if there was one Cuisine that has inspired me the most to cook professionally, it is Thai. My first Thai experience in 1982 in Boston pretty much changed my world forever. I was mesmerized and wanted to know how it was done. What I love most about Thai cooking is the idea of what I like to call “Climbing the taste ladder”.   All Thai food has magnificent balance, but consists of an array of flavors, stacked perfectly. Visualize being on a bicycle, zooming down Main street, piled with books, groceries, flowers, tools, flags and and...well, you get it. There is a ease of balance, carefully wor…