Spring 2024 Lake Placid Culinary Getaway

May 3, 4 & 5, 2023 | Exploring the cuisine of Northern France

The Carriage House Cooking School has once again teamed up with The Mirror Lake Inn to offer select getaway packages celebrating the bounty of the Adirondack Park’s vibrant farm to table landscape.

Getaway registrants will enjoy the comforts and luxury of the Mirror Lake Inn, which is the epitome of Adirondack hospitality, along with multiple demonstration style cooking classes, each designed so that participants can return home, confident to replicate and share their learning experiences.

Chef Curtiss, the former Dean of Culinary Arts at the prestigious New England Culinary Institute, has long considered the Mirror Lake Inn the perfect venue for cooking classes and a focused culinary weekend.

He has been a guest chef and instructor with the Inn’s numerous Food & Wine Festivals and several special events and now serves as The View Restaurant’s Executive Chef and Food & Beverage Director.

This weekend is all about celebrating the comfort and cuisine of France, while tasting the terroir of the Adirondacks and surrounding farmland. Check out the schedule and class menu below.

Exploring the Cuisine of northern france

Northern France has culinary traditions which are deeply rooted in history, reflecting the region's rich agricultural bounty and proximity to the English Channel, Atlantic Ocean and the inner countrysides of rural France.

Northern French cuisine, often synonymous with the term "cuisine du terroir" (countryside cuisine), is celebrated for its emphasis on locally sourced, seasonal ingredients. The region's fertile landscapes yield an abundance of fresh produce, dairy, and meats, forming the backbone of many classic dishes.

One of the hallmark features of Northern French cuisine is its love affair with dairy, particularly the renowned cheeses like Camembert and Brie. These cheeses, often enjoyed with crusty breads, exemplify the meticulous art of cheese-making that has been perfected over centuries. This is similar to the cheese making that currently flourishes in our region, in particular the AuSable River corridor.

Seafood also plays a prominent role, thanks to the coastal proximity, offering a variety of fresh catches such as mussels, oysters, and fish.

Normandy, in particular, is renowned for its apples and the production of exquisite apple-based products, including the world-famous Calvados apple brandy.

Furthermore, Northern French cuisine boasts hearty and comforting dishes, perfectly suited to the region's cooler climate. Classics like Coq au Vin, Beef Bourguignon, Potée – a traditional pot-au-feu stew – showcase the skillful blending of flavors and textures, often accompanied by robust red wines from the nearby vineyards of Burgundy. The culinary tapestry of Northern France, woven with a reverence for tradition and a commitment to high-quality ingredients, invites diners to embark on a gastronomic journey that encapsulates the essence of this picturesque and flavorful region.

Join us for a weekend of wonderful comforting French food, great company and the luxury of Mirror Lake Inn!

Friday, May 3, 2023

Welcome Reception

5:30 to 6:30 PM

Gather for a meet and greet with Chef Curtiss of the Carriage House and the Mirror Lake Inn Culinary team. Hors d’oeuvres are provided and there will be a cash bar available.

Saturday May 4, 2023

Cooking Demonstration | "Cuisine du Terroir" Foods of the French Countryside

12:30 to 3:30 PM

In addition to the food itself, meals in France are often accompanied by lively conversation and a relaxed atmosphere, where people take their time to savor their food and enjoy the company of their loved ones.

“While living in France I felt that the pleasure of a countryside meal rests with its simplicity of preparation and the flavors influenced by the “cuisine du terroir”, making for meals that are more engaging, delicious and enjoyable.”
Chef Curtiss

Saturday’s demonstration style class will showcase the simplicity, accessibility, comfort and flavors of a typical French countryside meal with the sense and sensibility of seasonal influences on our palates and tastes. In this class chef Curtiss will showcase how you can replicate a variety of rustic French recipes that you can make at home with the confidence of a chef.

Demonstrated Recipes

Rillettes de Tours
pork, spices, stewed fruit, bread
Asparagus Beurre Blanc
pan braised asparagus, beurre blanc, chapelure
Poulet au Cidre en Croute
chicken, onion, mushrooms, carrot, stock, cider, mustard, short crust
Tartlet Tatin “A La Minute”
apples, brown sugar, honey, thyme, sea salt, laminated dough

While the foods used in this class will be primarily sourced and inspired from the Adirondacks and its surrounding farmland, Chef Curtiss will be discussing how to source products local to you that will yield you the same results.

Registration for the class includes:

printed recipe packet
bottled water

Sunday May 5, 2023

Cooking Demonstration | The Flavors of Brittany & Normandy

9:30 AM to 12:00 PM

Chef Curtiss will pull from the Adirondacks and its surrounding farms, rivers and forests to showcase recipes for a delicious French inspired brunch of sharable platters and plates, with particular focus on the regions of the very north of France.

“The northern coast of France reminds me on New England, with the access of seafood, the feel of the air in the seasons, and the local farms and producers of excellent food.”
Chef Curtiss Hemm

Demonstrated Recipes

"Feuilleté de Camembert au four" (Baked Camembert Pie)
camembert, potato, lardon, herb, crust
Moules Marinière
mussels, butter, shallots, celery, thyme, parsley, white wine, creme fraiche
Endive & Ham Gratin
endive, jambon blanc, cream, forage, chapelure
Sablé
shortbread cookie, jam, powdered sugar

Registration for the class includes:

printed recipe packet
bottled water

For more information about booking please call one of the Mirror Lake Inn’s reservation specialists at (518)523-2544 or info@mirrorlakeinn.com.