18 18 FOOD
Week of April 1 – April 7, 2016
Homemade Soaps Brighten and Cleanse the Soul
Saturdays, 9 to 1 Lincoln Baths, 65 So. Broadway Saratoga Spa State Park
by Himanee Gupta-Carlson
for Saratoga TODAY Lorna Maskell’s soaps at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market smell and look good enough to eat. Her products, however, tantalize for a different reason. They cleanse, soothe and heal the body. Maskell is the owner of Lorna’s Naturals, a homemade body and home care business. One of the newest vendors at the farmers’ market, she sells lip balms, soaps, creams, scrubs, body balms and sprays. Her product line also features an all-purpose cleaner for bathtubs, sinks and floors. She makes all of her products
out of her home in Woodstock, NY, and distributes them via her website, LornasNaturals. com, and an online business. “All of my products are made by me only,” she said. “I make everything in small batches. If I don’t like something, I don’t sell it.” The small-batch nature of Maskell’s product line is illuminated in her presentation of her homemade soaps. She brings them to the market as long rectangular cakes arranged attractively on wooden blocks. She slices a fresh bar for her customers with each purchase. She enjoys talking to customers about her soaps, and manages her booth at the farmers’ market herself. “I never hire anyone to do a market for me,” she said. “I need to talk to customers because I am Lorna and the creator of Lorna’s Naturals.” The base for Maskell’s soaps and creams is well water from her home. She adds such moisturizing components as coconut, palm, and olive oils along with essential oils that are pure. She also uses natural beeswax
Mazzone at Pavilion Grand Hotel
SARATOGA SPRINGS – Mazzone Hospitality will oversee operations of a new restaurant at the Pavilion Grand Hotel in downtown Saratoga Springs. The restaurant is currently in development and is anticipated to open late May. The restaurant, situated at the corner of Lake Avenue and Pavilion Place, will feature outdoor sidewalk dining at its ground floor location next to the main entrance of Pavilion Grand Hotel. Mazzone Hospitality’s newest addition to the region’s culinary scene is expected to open at 2 p.m. daily for light fair and cocktails with dinner service beginning at 5:30 p.m. The restaurant will open for Sunday dinner service at 3 p.m. Additionally, Mazzone Hospitality will provide highend catering services to hotel guests, including in-suite
entertaining and dining, rooftop event options as well as private wedding brunches and innovative package offerings for travelers. Mazzone Hospitality owns and operates several premier restaurants and banquet halls, including: Glen Sanders Mansion in Scotia; Aperitivo Bistro in Schenectady; Angelo’s Prime Bar + Grill in Clifton Park; TALA, An American Bistro in Latham; and Angelo’s 677 Prime in Albany. Mazzone Hospitality also owns and operates Prime at Saratoga National, an upscale steakhouse modeled after Angelo’s 677 Prime, located on the grounds of Saratoga National Golf Club. For more information about the Pavilion Grand Hotel, visit www.paviliongrandhotel.com. For more information about Mazzone Hospitality, visit www.mazzonehospitality.com.
in her products, and keeps items such as creams in glass to maintain their freshness. She describes her MUD soap as one of her favorites. Made from a root, it clears the skin of pimples and rashes. She also recommends her avocado lip balm to first-time customers, and has shared the recipe that accompanies this article for a simple body rub that uses coconut oil as its base. “It is cooling, soothing and will make your skin soft.” Maskell began making her home and body care products in 2001, and traces her inspiration to her grandmother, a Cherokee Native American, who made soap and medicine in the family home when Maskell was growing up. “She would be called an herbalist, I guess, but we just called her grandma. She is the reason Lorna’s Naturals was born.” Visit the Saratoga Farmers’ Market from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays through April 30 at the Lincoln Baths in the Saratoga Spa State Park.
Tropical Body Rub Ingredients * Ingredients can be found at the market
2 oz of coconut oil 10 drops of your favorite essential oil
Directions Melt down the coconut oil. While it is still hot, put in 10 drops of your favorite oil. Place both in a glass jar and let cool.
Saratoga Stadium to Celebrate Grand Re-Opening SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Stadium, formerly the Stadium Café, has recently revealed a new menu and several updates to the popular downtown sports bar located at 389 Broadway. Saratoga Hospitality, LLC, purchased the 200-seat property earlier this month and will celebrate with a grand reopening event on Saturday, April 2 at 4 p.m. The celebration will feature an appearance by former NBA superstar John Starks who rose to fame while playing for the New York Knicks in the 1990s. The event will also feature beer and pizza specials to enjoy while taking in the NCAA Final-Four Tournament Championship on the Saratoga Stadium’s brandnew TVs. With spins on classic pub fare, Chef Zach Cutler will be taking cues from the seasons on his revamped, ever-changing
menu including new items such as Smoked Chicken Nachos, Garlic Parmigiano Wings and Lamb Sliders. In anticipation of the Saratoga Stadium re-opening, Chef Cutler traveled to Chicago to bring a piece of the Windy City back to the Spa City with his take on the deep-dish pizza. New beverage offerings will also include 25 rotating seasonal beers on tap as well as an updated selection of bourbons. This is the third downtown Saratoga Springs restaurant to be operated by Saratoga Hospitality, LLC who took over Max London’s and Mrs. London’s in September of 2014. Saratoga Hospitality closed the Saratoga Stadium earlier this month so that substantial repairs could be made to the kitchen as well as updates to the facade. The sports bar will undergo additional renovations to the dining area and restrooms throughout the year. For more information, please call 518-226-4437.
Former NBA Superstar John Starks (right) will make a local appearance for Final Four Showdown Saturday. Photo provided.