NEWSLETTER
Featuring cocktails, culinary delights and conversation with WAMC’s Joe Donahue and award-winning food and travel writer Naomi Duguid, author of the forthcoming book, The Miracle of Salt
Saratoga Springs, NY (August 18, 2022) – Saratoga Performing Arts Center announces CulinaryArts@SPAC: The Miracle of Salt featuring cocktails, culinary delights and conversation with WAMC Northeast Public Radio’s Joe Donahue and James Beard award-winning food writer Naomi Duguid, whose forthcoming book, The Miracle of Salt, will serve as the inspiration for the evening. The latest event from its groundbreaking CulinaryArts@SPAC initiative, the evening is slated for Thursday, September 8 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in the Nancy DiCresce Room at The Pines@SPAC.
“As we enter the fall months, exploring how an essential ingredient like salt can preserve and transform food, and provide us with nourishment throughout the colder months makes for a particularly timely, fascinating and delicious topic,” says Elizabeth Sobol, President and CEO of Saratoga Performing Arts Center. “Not only does this event perfectly fuse expert-led educational tips, responsibly sourced food and drink from our local farmers, and a completely unique experience for our community – it also indicates Saratoga Springs’ growing reputation as a culinary destination, marked by the first stop on Duguid’s international book tour.”
As the Upstate New York agricultural communities surrounding SPAC diligently gather their harvest, this expert-driven talk will give attendees insights into the miracle of salt and its essential role in preserving summer’s bounty for the months ahead. Preceding the conversation, guests can enjoy bites and beverages from the book including salt infused cocktails such as a Spicy Margarita rimmed with Salted Chili and Black Lime, a Briny Gin Martini and a Salted Cucumber Vodka Martini -- in addition to specialty food tastings including Herb & Salt-Cured Faroe Island Salmon, Duck Breast Prosciutto, Provencal Anchovy & Onion Tart, and Salted Chocolate-Almond Brittle.
Following the tastings, attendees will gain an exclusive pre-publication look at The Miracle of Salt as the first stop on Naomi Duguid’s international book tour. WAMC Northeast Public Radio’s Joe Donahue will lead a conversation with Duguid to discuss how salt—in all its forms— can open an entire new world of flavors and techniques. From age-old techniques such as making miso, kimchi and butter to creating a ‘salt pantry’ and using salty flavors, Duguid and Donahue’s discussion will explore a variety of topics to create an experience that reinforces SPAC’s ethos of connecting deeply to art, culture, nature and one another.
Beyond its amphitheater stage, SPAC has become a year-round gathering place celebrating the artistry of food in building community while empowering individuals to understand how what we eat influences our communities and our planet. The CulinaryArts@SPAC initiative, founded in 2020, combines culinary excellence and education with exquisite meals that emphasize socially conscious cultivation and consumption, local procurement, and fair wages. Earlier this summer, SPAC hosted two innovative, arts-driven, multi-course dining experiences. The first featured culinary creations inspired by choreographers from the New York City Ballet, while the second menu, which was created by Quebec’s “Culinary Revelation of the Year” Dominic Labelle, served as a nod to Philadelphia Orchestra Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin, a native of the province of Quebec.
“CulinaryArts@SPAC: The Miracle of Salt” is produced by Kim Klopstock of Lily and the Rose and Pam Abrams. Additional support is provided by The Savory Pantry, an artisan food gift and cookbook purveyor, and Pitney Meadows Community Farm, which celebrates and explores agricultural education and healthy food production.
Tickets to attend “CulinaryArts@SPAC: The Miracle of Salt” are $75 and include drinks and hors’ devours along with admission to the conversation. Attendees can also preorder a copy of Duguid’s book with a signed book plate for $35 (retail $45) with the option for shipping (additional $10) or pick up from The Savory Pantry, located at 486 Broadway in Saratoga Springs, when the book is released on October 8, 2022. Seating is on a first come basis. Visit spac.org for details.
About Naomi Duguid
Naomi Duguid is a writer, photographer, traveler, and home cook. Her recent cookbook Taste of Persia is the winner of a James Beard Award, an IACP Cookbook Award, and a Taste Canada Award. Her book Burma: Rivers of Flavor is also an IACP Cookbook Award and Taste Canada Award winner. Her six previous award-winning titles, co-authored with Jeffrey Alford, include two now-classic cookbooks that won the James Beard Award for Cookbook of the Year: Flatbreads & Flavors: A Baker’s Atlas and Hot Sour Salty Sweet: A Culinary Journey Through Southeast Asia.
Saratoga Performing Arts Center
The Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC), located in the historic resort town of Saratoga Springs in upstate New York, is one of America’s most prestigious summer festivals. Its tranquil setting in a 2,400-acre park preserve surrounded by hiking trails, 3 geysers, and natural mineral springs draws vacation crowds and arts connoisseurs each year for immersive experiences of performances by resident companies New York City Ballet, The Philadelphia Orchestra, The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the Freihofer’s Saratoga Jazz Festival, Opera Saratoga, and concerts by Live Nation. SPAC also hosts CulinaryArts@SPAC events in addition to imaginative programming such as the popular “SPAC on Stage” series and Caffè Lena @ SPAC.
SPAC is a 501c3 charitable organization. Donations and proceeds from fundraising events benefit the Center’s children’s education programs and support the vibrancy of its classical season. For more information visit spac.org.
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