Entries categorized as ‘Happenings’
Image via RetroThing.com
Emma Jacobs
How many of our baking readers made their first cookies in an Easy-Bake oven?
Ronald Howes, the inventor of the Easy-Bake, passed away a few weeks ago, setting off a splash of nostalgia across the blogosphere. The inspiration of millions of chefs and at least one cookbook, the Easy-Bake Oven Gourmet, the original Easy-Bake Oven debuted in 1963 with a 100-watt incandescent bulb to heat pizza and cakes. Howes had also redesigned the formula for play-dough and he would work for the United States Defense Department, but the Easy-Bake Oven was his shining achievement.
That didn’t mean Howe gave up tinkering on successors to his great work. From Howe’s obituary in his hometown of Cincinnati:
“We no longer have a garage in our house – it’s a physics lab,” his wife said. “You can hardly walk around in it.”
Odds are, a lot of American garages have one of Howe’s inventions in them. Twenty million Easy-Bake ovens have been sold since 1963. By now, if it did its job right, a lot of those cooks have probably moved on to bigger and better appliances. Did you?
Categories: Baking · Comfort Food · Emma Jacobs · Happenings
Tagged: Baking, Cookbook, Easy-Bake Oven, Inventions, Obituary, Ronald Howes
Photo: Courtesy of Union Park Press
Susan McCrory
All of you out there with young kids, take note: there’s an event happening tonight at Aura Restaurant, nestled within Boston’s Seaport Hotel, that you may want to head to. Fast. It’s not often you find family-friendly, gourmet dining complete with arts activities so that you can enjoy your meal while the kiddies stay occupied in a way that won’t give you agita.
PRK caught wind of Aura’s ”Fine Dining, Family-Style” events held each month on a Friday night 5:30-8pm and decided to delve deeper into tonight’s feature: a celebration of the release of Boston Baby: A Field Guide for Urban Parents written by Kim Foley MacKinnon, who bills Aura as “the perfect double date for two families with kids.” Kim, mom of one, will be on hand tonight to sign copies of her book and chat with parents about her take on where to go and what to do around town with kids. In keeping with the family-friendly character of these monthly Fridays at Aura, folks from Artbeat will run an arts n’ crafts table for the kids. A little more distraction means a little more quiet time for Mom and Dad. Aaaaah.
PRK contacted Kim to ask her a few questions about eating out with kids and why Aura, in particular, got her backing.
PRK: What do you look for when you are trying to decide where to dine out with your family?
I have to admit that I don’t go out with an eye to pleasing my daughter necessarily. If I did that, we’d only eat in the North End since she’s a pastavore! My husband and I like a diverse range of cuisines and we like to try new places. Even if a restaurant doesn’t appeal to her, we can always cobble together elements from different dishes for her.
PRK: What are some challenges you have faced while eating out as a family?
My daughter is a vegetarian, and has been from birth, so most kid’s menus are out for her. I have never agreed with the chicken fingers/hamburger/fish sticks and fries model for kids anyway. Where are the veggies? I’ll often just order sides for her and make that into a dinner.
PRK: Why did you choose Aura as the perfect place to dine out with kids?
Aura has made having a really nice meal in an upscale spot a possibility for families on Friday nights. When the kids inevitably finish eating before their parents, they can go play or do a craft in a dedicated space right there.
PRK: What about the experience at Aura is unique to other family-friendly restaurants in Boston?
I think a lot of people are afraid to go out with their kids. They worry about noise or mess or dirty looks from other diners. Aura has literally laid out the welcome mat for them. You can eat out and it doesn’t need to be at a chain restaurant with mediocre food.
PRK: What do you recommend when eating at Aura on Fine Dining, Family Style night–for adults? For kids?
The menu changes monthly and seasonally, so if it becomes a tradition in your family to eat there you’re always going to find something new. That said, the baby and children’s menus have more continuity. There will always be fresh purees for babies and a pasta option for the older kids. Chef Rachel Klein does twists on popular kids’ foods, such as a grilled cheese with sweet potato fries. I don’t know anyone else who offers actual baby food, as in fresh purees.
***
Tonight’s menu? For adults it includes corn chowder, pork tenderloin, roasted chicken with gnocchi and shallot cream, a roasted salmon dish with parsnip puree and, for dessert, rosemary apple pie. Babies and toddlers have their own respective menu offerings. No teeth, a few teeth or the whole lot, here’s some of what’s being served: seasonal purees, a bread and banana plate, chicken in a basket, broccoli flowerettes, peas and corn and chocolate chip cookies. As a mom of two little-ish ones myself, I’ll pass on to you what Kim wrote to me when I confessed how, well, ‘chicken’ I am about taking my kids out to eat: “Don’t be afraid!”
Categories: Happenings · Restaurants · Susan McCrory · events
Tagged: Artbeat, aura restaurant, Boston Baby, family dinners, Kim Foley MacKinnon, The Seaport Hotel
Photo: norwichnuts/Flickr
Abby Conway
Just two of my favorite things…
I love making cupcakes and I enjoy the occasional cocktail. So this course caught my eye. The Boston Center for Adult Education is holding a class entitled ‘Cupcakes and Cocktails‘ on March 12th. The class, which is set up like a cocktail party, starts out with cupcake flavored (and shaped) drinks. Participants will then take part in preparing various alcohol-themed cupcakes. Think: red wine and cosmos! The single session class is $68.
Grass-fed meat delivered directly to your door
Last week the Boston Globe published an article about the growing popularity of purchasing grass-fed meat via the web. With concerns about the practices of factory farms on the rise, consumers are looking for alternative sources for meat. During the warmer months you can usually find grass-fed meat at local farmer’s markets, but when the number of such markets in Massachusetts drops from about 200 in the summer to about ten in the winter (rough estimates based on information from the MDAR website), your best bet is to turn to the web. The convenience of web-ordering can be beneficial to both sellers and buyers, since managing an on-farm store or traveling to weekly farmer’s markets can be cumbersome. Ordering online also allows customers to choose locally-sourced meat, rather than meat that, for all intents and purposes, needed a passport to make it to your local supermarket.
Speaking of locally-sourced meat…
The next “Meat Meet“ with goods from Stillman’s will be held this Saturday, March 6th, at 3pm in Central Square. Get your order in early and/or get in line and get yer meat!
Cooking for a Cause
Two food-focused fundraisers are happening in the next week to support local institutions:
Today, March 4th, the Friends of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute will hold the 12th annual Chefs Cooking for Hope event. The Friends is an all-volunteer organization that provides patient services, educational activities and fundraising. Monies raised by The Friends are distributed to research fellows and treatment programs in all departments at Dana-Farber. This year’s event is featuring as Honorary Chefs Jody Adams of Rialto and Jeff Fournier of 51 Lincoln for their support of the cause over many years. Over 50 chefs from throughout the city will be on hand to dole out some of their specialities.
If that isn’t enough foodie fundraising for you, the AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts will be holding an event on Tuesday, March 9th, at the Boston Center for the Arts. A number of South End restaurants will be serving up bite-sized versions of favorites from their menus. The event will also feature live cooking demonstrations, a silent auction and raffle, plus wine tasting and beer sampling. All proceeds from this event will fund the AAC’s mission of haulting the spread of HIV/AIDS by providing free support services to men, women and children living with AIDS and HIV, as well as educating the public about how to prevent HIV transmission.
Cuffs does St. Patrick’s Day
The Passionate Foodie got a sneak peak at the St. Patrick’s Day menu from Cuffs at the Back Bay Hotel. This one-day-only menu features such creations as Guinness-poached prawns (the prawns are actually served in a fresh glass of Guinness). As it turns out, the Back Bay Hotel (where Cuffs resides), is owned by the The Doyle Collection, based in Dublin. Perhaps they know a thing or two about traditional Irish fare.
Categories: Abby Conway · Boston Chefs · Chefs · Drinks · Fundraisers · Happenings · Restaurants · Tastings · Tidbits · events
Tagged: AAC, Boston Center for Adult Education, classes, cocktails, Cuffs, cupcakes, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, grass-fed meat, St. Patrick's Day, The Passionate Foodie
Photo: Luis Melendez, Still Life with Melon and Pears, MFA, Boston; Wikimedia Commons
Abby Conway
The Art of Spanish Food
In conjunction with the current exhibition Luis Melendez: Master of the Spanish Still Life, the Museum of Fine Arts is offering a two-session course titled Feasting at the Spanish Table. The course brings together the art of painting with the art of cooking. The first session will focus on the works of artist Luis Melendez while the second will feature demonstrations and tastings of the dishes of Melendez’s era. The cost for both sessions is $60.
Pork for Dessert?
The Beacon Hill Hotel & Bistro will serve Boston its first Mangalitsa pig on March 3rd. The Mangalitsa pig breed was created in 1833 by Hungarian royalty and is known for its heavily marbled meat low in saturated fat. The Bistro’s Executive Chef Jason Bond raised the two Mangalitsas that will be served up next week in a six-course meal (yes, that means there is even pork for dessert). There will be seatings at 6pm or 8:30pm and the cost is $65 per person, with an optional wine pairing for additional cost. Check out the entire menu and get more information here.
Do You Have What It Takes?
The Food Network was in Boston earlier this month looking for charismatic pairs with an interest in running their own restaurant for a new reality TV competition show. Will of The Boston Foodie volunteered to cover the action. He interviewed possible contestants and got an idea of what the network is looking for. Check out his conversations with Jerika and Winnie, Mark and Charlie and Maura and Joe to find out which local pair has moved on to the next round of auditions. Who knows, you could be looking at the future of Boston’s restaurant scene! And it looks like they are still accepting applications…
One Door Closes and Another Opens
This weekend Russell’s Garden Center will host the final Wayland Winter Farmer’s Market. Despite coming to the end of its seasonal run, they are still getting new vendors, with three added just last week. This will be your last chance to stock up at this particular farmer’s market before they break until Spring. Check out the additional information, including vendors, here.
With that comes the news that the Attleboro Farms Market will make theirs a year-round event. Currently running Sundays from noon to 4pm at Attleboro Farms, The Spring Market will move to Thursdays from 3 to 7 pm, beginning April 1st, and run through June 24th. The Summer/Fall Market will kickoff on Sunday, July 4th. More good news: the market’s organizers said they decided to make this an ongoing thing after seeing the great demand for local food.
Fundraiser for Diabetes
The Joslin Diabetes Center is a sponsering an event to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Asian American Diabetes Initiative and spread awareness about the prevalence of diabetes in Asian American communities (Asian Americans are nearly twice as likely to develop diabetes as the general population). The event, A Spoonful of Ginger, is an evening of food tasting at the Musuem of Fine Arts on April 5th, with participating chefs to include Joanne Chang of Flour Bakery and Myers + Change, Ming Tsai of Blue Ginger and Jasper White of Summer Shack among others from over 20 restaurants. Proceeds will go towards increasing awareness of the growing incidence of diabetes among Asian Americans.
For more information on diabetes, tune in to Radio Boston tomorrow, 1pm. They’ll be featuring medical journalist Dan Hurley, author of the new book Diabetes Rising, and looking into a rash of Type 1 Diabetes cases that have developed in the community of Weston.
Categories: Abby Conway · Boston Chefs · Farmers' markets · Fruits and Vegetables · Happenings · Locavores · News · Restaurants · Tidbits · events · prix fixe
Tagged: beacon hill hotel & bistro, farmer's market, Joslin Diabetes Center, local food, mangalitsa, MFA, reality tv, The Boston Foodie, the food network
Photo: idogcow/Flickr
Susan McCrory
Research by Emma Jacobs
Super Breakfast Bowl Challenge
PRK just caught wind of a really super Super Bowl challenge. No footballs here, folks. This is the Super Breakfast Bowl Challenge that Jessica of A Fete for Food and four of her foodie cronies (all based in MA, all nutrition-minded) are holding this week to expand our collective morning repertoires. Quinoa? For breakfast?? What’s Dat? There’s one more day to compete: tomorrow’s challenge is WALNUTS, with photos and recipes due Thursday, 2/18. Winners will be announced daily, beginning the week of February 22. Prizes, too!
Virtue or Vice: McDonald’s at the Olympic Games
Value [the] Meal reports that McDonald’s has set up three new franchises in Vancouver to serve arriving athletes and guests (though the photo with their story is clearly not of Vancouver in winter). The relationship between the Golden Arches and Olympic Rings apparently dates back to a 1968 airlift of burgers to homesick American athletes competing in Grenoble. Value [the] Meal argues that McDonald’s presence at the Olympics sends a bad message to kids at the expense of what could and should be the ultimate ad for healthy living. Not surprisingly, MacDonald’s sees it differently.
Cranberries from B.C.
According to the Boston Herald, Ocean Spray will be creating a floating set of Olympic rings in a city park in Richmond, British Columbia, made up of nothing less than 30,000 lbs of cranberries. This to celebrate the upcoming Olympic Games and the approximately 60 family-run farms in the region that are part of the Ocean Spray Cooperative. Per Ocean Spray’s Marketing VP:
“We’ve staged a number of cranberry spectaculars in front of Rockefeller Center (in New York City) and Patriot Place (in Foxboro), so we wanted a really big spectacle for the Olympic Games.”
The display was originally planned for float on the Fraser River, but was moved due to “extraordinary river conditions.” Ice?
Modern Neccos
You may not have had them since junior high, but those tiny candy hearts from Necco have been an unchanging Valentine’s Day ritual for years. No more. The latest batch of Necco’s Sweethearts, which now come with such ultra-romantic messages as ”Tweet Me” and “Text Me,” have had a flavor update, after 140 years. The new flavors are “bolder and brighter and more fruit-based.” The traditional varieties will be available this year, but only from dollar stores. Know how many Sweetheart candies the Necco factory in Revere will produce this year? 6.5 billion (!)
Valentine’s Day Menus
For other Valentine’s Day treats, NPR suggests avocados. The Boston Globe suggests a romantic meal at home, but also gives options for eating out. If avocados are your thing, Lindsey of Healthy Blog Snack offers her take on avocados for breakfast as part of the Super Breakfast Bowl Challenge. You know what that means: breakfast in bed, anyone?
Categories: Comfort Food · Emma Jacobs · Fruits and Vegetables · Happenings · Holiday Fare · News · Susan McCrory · Tidbits
Tagged: A Fete For Food, avocado, British Columbia, Cranberries, Cranberry Spectaculars, Fast Food, Healthy Blog Snack, McDonald's, Necco, Ocean Spray, Richmond, Super Breakfast Bowl Challenge, The Boston Globe, Tidbits, Valentine's Day, Vancouver, Winter Olympics
January 22, 2010 · 1 Comment
Susan McCrory
Russell’s Garden Center in Wayland is hosting a winter farmers’ market from 10am-1pm tomorrow and every Saturday through February 27. The list of participating vendors is long, varied and enticing. It could be a great eating weekend!
The two-day Boston Wine Expo begins tomorrow, don’t forget, with legions of wine for the tasting and cooking demos from local chefs on both Saturday and Sunday, all afternoon.
Courtesy of the chic life
If you’re in the mood to bake this weekend, bake for Haiti! Shannon from Tri to Cook and Diana from the chic life read yesterday’s post and commented with the URL for an online bake sale she is organizing to raise money for Haiti (proceeds will go to the American Red Cross). You can bake, bid or both. The deadline for bakers is this Sunday, January 24. Bidding starts 12:01am on Wednesday, January 27. Check it out!
Finally, from the Herald, here’s a helpful, loooong list of shops, artists, musicians and restaurants participating in Haiti relief efforts this week and next, including At Drink, Portobello Road, Rialto, Stella Restaurant, Victoria Station in Salem, and so many more. Lots of fun things to do, lots of ways to help.
Categories: Baking · Farmers' markets · From You Our Listeners · Happenings · Restaurants · Susan McCrory · Tri to Cook
Tagged: Boston Wine Expo, Farmers' markets, Haiti, online bake sale, Russell's Garden Center, the chic life, Tri to Cook
Susan McCrory
In Haiti each day, each hour, the need for help is so immense it’s overwhelming. What must it be like for those living through the catastrophe there, just trying to survive? Let’s keep willing into action a great efficiency among the governments, military units and relief organizations coordinating their aid to help the Haitian people on the ground.
As they do, PRK would like to do its small part in spreading the word about how we can help from here. Below are links to articles listing restaurants participating in the relief effort by raising money via special lunches, dinners, drinks, desserts, etc. Many of these restaurants are funneling the dollars to Partners in Health, Paul Farmer’s aid organization with two decades’ worth of experience in Haiti. It looks like what is needed most is money — yes, cold hard cash, per the PIH volunteer and donate pages and the article “Teaching Americans What Haiti Needs: Money” from yesterday’s New York Times. So, whether you donate directly to an aid organization or donate through a meal out, please do donate. Whatever you can. And please let us know of other efforts out there that we can shout about.
Bostonchefs.com
Boston Magazine
Grub Street
Palate Press
Sweet Earth Chocolates is offering “Haiti Relief Bars,” 100% organic, fair trade chocolate for the Haitian cause.
Categories: Happenings · News · Restaurants · Susan McCrory · Wine
Tagged: Boston Chefs, Boston Magazine, Grub Street, Haiti, NY Times, Palate Press, Partners in Health, Sweet Earth Chocolates
Photo: not a hipster/Flickr
Susan McCrory
She Made Crackers
“I love the D.I.Y. challenge of deconstructing the everyday processed food; it feels like Martha Stewart is having lunch with Patti Smith, or something. I’m just drawn to the contradictions…” And so it went for Lindsey Frances of Made By Frances who made, you guessed it, crackers.
CityFeast: Dining out to Conquer Diabetes
PRK recently spoke with Carla Gomes, owner of North End restaurants Antico Forno and Terramia, to hear from her personally about the 5th annual CityFeast: Dining Out to Conquer Diabetes, a benefit for the Joslin Diabetes Center’s High Hopes Fund, slated for Sunday, January 31, in Boston’s North End. Carla’s son, David, was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes on his first birthday. Eighteen years and literally tens of thousands of shots and finger pricks later for her son, Carla is organizing CityFeast for the fifth straight year to help raise awareness of diabetes and support the Joslin Center’s mission of conquering the disease through critical care, research and education. Seven North End restaurants – Lucca, Prezza, Taranta, Tresca, Caffe Grafitti, and of course Antico Forno and Terramia – will participate in CityFeast by offering guests a special five-course dinner with wine pairings. Tickets run $150 each, $100 of which goes directly to the Joslin and is tax-deductible. Approximately 250 people attend the event each year and, to date, CityFeast has raised $95,000.
When we spoke with Carla, it became clear how integral a part of her son’s health the Joslin has become over the years, and how clear her goal is of growing CityFeast to a North End-wide, city-wide, even a nation-wide, event dedicated to fighting diabetes: one evening, one disease, lots of support. Visit the Joslin Diabetes Center homepage for information on buying tickets.
Who Won at Le Cordon Bleu?
The team fielding one of their own students, plus Jeff Dudley of Saffron Bistro and Ilene Bezahler of Edible Boston, left for home with the blue ribbon from last Thursday’s cooking competition hosted by the Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Cambridge (read last week’s post on the contest.) According to lead chef Jeff Mushin, about 70 people attended and chose their fav for being “well presented, with good flavors.” Voting was done by ballot, but guests had the chance to vocalize what they liked about the three dishes of poulet sauté they sampled for dinner, and why. Said ribbon-bedecked winner Ilene, “we did a pan seared chicken breast with porcini mushroom, madeira and cream sauce, [with] carmelized blue potatoes, and then a butternut squash puree which was savory not sweet. The key again, simple and well prepared!”
Categories: Comfort Food · From You Our Listeners · Happenings · News · Susan McCrory · Tidbits
Tagged: Antico Forno, Caffe Grafitti, Carla Gomes, chicken, CityFeast, crackers, Ilene Bezahler, Jeff Dudley, Joslin Diabetes Center, Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts, Lindsey Frances, Made By Frances, North End, Prezza, Saffron Bistro, Taranta, Terramia
January 14, 2010 · 1 Comment
Photo: perpetualplum/Flickr
Susan McCrory
Start Your Chicken…
Tonight at 7pm in Cambridge, Le Cordon Bleu is holding a cooking contest. Boston chefs, local personalities and students will compete for the “Le Cordon Bleu Ribbon” title, in honor of the national re-naming of the Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Cambridge. What’s on the menu in this competition? Poulet Sauté aux Fines Herbes (Sautéed Chicken with Herbs). According to Jeff Mushin, lead chef instructor at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts and executive chef at Technique, the College’s teaching restaurant, “the gloves will be coming off.” Three separate teams comprised of alumni chef and students will put a distinct creative twist on that classic chicken dish (tonight’s bird is organic, Rhode Island-raised). Scott Kearnan of STUFF Boston and Ilene Bezahler of Edible Boston will also be cooking/competing. So, who tastes and who judges? The audience. Attendees of tonight’s event will get to taste each team’s version of poulet sauté and choose the winner. Read more about the Le Cordon Bleu Ribbon Chef Challenge and buy tickets. All proceeds benefit the Boston chapter of Ronald McDonald House. Start those chickens!
Fallen Stars
Speaking of chicken, did anyone read the feature article on chicken breasts from yesterday’s Dining section of the New York Times? (A Fallen Star of French Cuisine, Restored to Its Silver Platter) I empathized with Scarpetta chef Scott Conant’s description of “stringy” meat, though I was unaware that ‘the star’ had fallen oh so far. Who of you listeners has a delicious, fool-proof way to prepare a chicken breast? We’re all ears.
January is Super Hunger Month
Next week The Greater Boston Food Bank kicks off three exciting-looking fundraising events as part of its efforts to raise awareness and combat the problem of hunger in our communities. You can take part in any one of their three Super Hunger Events: the online silent auction, the chef challenge at The Four Seasons Boston, or brunch.
Tuscan Stew
Ribollita is Italian comfort food at its best. Have a look at the gorgeous results of Heidi Swanson’s forage through her freezer at 101 Cookbooks. And save those Parmesan rinds!
Categories: Happenings · Soups & Stews · Susan McCrory · Tidbits · poultry
Tagged: Edible Boston, Le Cordon Bleu, Jeff Mushin, Scott Kearnan, STUFF Boston, Ilene Bezahler, Ronald McDonald House, chicken breasts, Super Hunger Month, ribollita, 101 Cookbooks, Heidi Swanson, The New York Times, The Greater Boston Food Bank
Photo: iLoveButter/Flickr
Susan McCrory
MDAR Commissioner Scott Soares is again logging miles on his car odometer. Earlier today, at the Hannaford’s supermarket in North Quincy, Soares spoke at an event attended by Massachusetts Dairy Farmer Lucinda Williams to promote a new initiative aimed at increasing public awareness of the formidable economic challenges facing the New England (and national) dairy industry while also providing a direct line of support. Before you read more about the Keep Local Farms program–and we hope you will–consider this: a gallon of milk costs the average dairy farmer about $1.80 to produce, but s/he gets paid about half that amount per gallon. What’s more, New England produces $12.2 billion in milk and purportedly generates more than $5 billion in economic activity.
Vermont is strong in dairy but, according to Commissioner Soares, Massachusetts dairy farmers make up an important part of that ’same diary shed.’ The Keep Farms Local initiative is the newest mechanism through which Mass. consumers can demonstrate their support for local farmers, and it’s the newest arrow in the state’s quiver, following in the wake of the Dairy Revitalization Task Force and the Dairy Farm Preservation Act.
Want to act? Support the initiative by making a donation online, or at the cash register if you’re shopping at a Hannaford’s. The official press release states, and Soares confirmed, that those donated monies should eventually allow local farmers to brand their cartons with the “Keep Local Farms” logo, thereby allowing you to support such farms using your purchasing power. Meaning, buy their milk. Even if it’s 10 or 20 cents more per gallon.
Categories: Dairy · Happenings · News · Susan McCrory
Tagged: dairy farmers, Hannaford's, Keep Farms Local, MDAR, Scott Soares
Photo: jurvetson; Flickr
Susan McCrory
Mare, a “‘coastal Italian eatery” in the North End is partnering with The CleanFish Alliance to host a sustainable seafood dinner on Tuesday, January 19. Mare Executive Chef Greg Jordan chose the menu, which will include blue abalone from Bream Bay, New Zealand, and Laughing Bird shrimp from Belize (not sure about the carbon footprint issue here, but I hope to find out). Organic and sustainable wine pairings, all of them Italian, will be offered and commented on by a rep from The Wine Bottega. The Bottega, also in the ‘hood on Hanover Street, was a Best of Boston winner last year.
A propos, if you haven’t already read it, head to Clare Leschin-Hoar’s article “The Dish on Fish” in the Winter 2010 issue of Edible Boston. Clare writes about local efforts to bring sustainable seafood to the plates of Boston area consumers, the complexity of choosing responsibly the fish that we eat, and the first official community-supported fishery (CSF) in Boston, the Cape Ann Fresh Catch CSF. Her article concludes with a “Best of the Best” list of fish choices.
In early February there will be a showing of End of the Line, self-proclaimed as “the first major feature documentary film revealing the impact of overfishing on our oceans,” at Tufts University. Read more about the event at the Slow Food Boston site.
The 19th Annual Boston Wine Expo is coming up on January 23-24. Want some tips on how to navigate the scene? Check out Drinks Are On Me.
And safe travels to PRK’s Jessica Alpert, who’s off to Brazil for the week! She said she’d have a capirinha for me on the sands of Ipanema (yeh, thanks Jessica), but can’t we all one-up her by making a capirinha and quaffing it right here in frosty New England?
Sigh.
Categories: Beverages · Drinks · Fish & Seafood · From You Our Listeners · Happenings · News · Susan McCrory · Wine
Tagged: North End, Slow Food Boston, Edible Boston, Mare, The WIne Bottega, CleanFish Alliance, Clare Leschin-Hoar, Cape Ann Fresh Catch CSF, End of the Line, Tufts University, capirinha, Drinks Are On Me, Boston Wine Expo
Jessica Alpert
So maybe your wallet is still hurting from the holidays. Yeah…join the club. While our financial situations may be precarious, our stomachs still yearn for warm, delicious, inventive local cuisine. RESTAURANT WEEK to the rescue!!
A group of Dorchester and Milton restaurants have come together to bring you their delights in THREE COURSES….all for $30.10. Great places like 224, 88 Wharf, Abby Park, Ashmont Grill, Blarney Stone, dbar, Ledge, and Tavolo will offer show-off dinner menus (excluding Friday and Saturdays) in addition to their regular menu items.
This is all taking place from January 17th through January 31st, but make sure you call each restaurant for specific details (we don’t want your motivation for exploration to be diluted in any way).
So put on those snow boots, whip out your Charlie Card (or your GPS), and support some local restauranteurs. Your palate will thank you.
Categories: Happenings · Jessica Alpert · News · Restaurant Week · Restauranteurs · Restaurants
Tagged: 224, 88 Wharf, Abby Park, Ashmont Grill, Blarney Stone, dbar, Dorchester, Dorchester-Milton Restaurant Week, Ledge, Milton, Restaurant Week, Tavolo
Photo: Tony the Misfit/Flickr
Susan McCrory
This time of year can be so crazed. I wonder if you feel that odd time warp I do just about now? The days roll by on their inexorable march, but you are able to make EACH free moment of EACH passing day COUNT. You laugh, talk, eat, drink, cook, bake, wrap and clean up, then repeat the next day–all the while doing a million things for as many people and thereby slowing down those passing hours.
This post is about what you can look forward to, or rather what I hope you can look forward to, soon: that wonderfully sleepy period of days before New Year’s Eve when the work pace slows both at work and at home. Sleep in! Cook or don’t cook! Make phone calls! Take strolls!
If you head to downtown Boston for your stroll, make sure you first check out this website for the Mayor’s Holiday Special. Nearly four dozen restaurants — mostly in Boston and Cambridge — are offering discounts as part of this annual effort to boost foot traffic and business. There are offers for free appetizers, free desserts, 20% off entrées, deals on shopping, parking, etc. If anything, you can use this site as a jumping off point for ideas as to what you might like to do at your leisure, whether you spend a little, a lot, or nothing at all. Just the fresh air, the holiday lights, and the relaxed mood will keep your spirits high. And don’t forget your skates! They’ll come in handy on both the Boston and Cambridge sides of the Charles. Enjoy!
Categories: Happenings · Susan McCrory
Tagged: Boston, Mayor's Holiday Special
Photo: comedy nose/Flickr
Susan McCrory
OK, sorry in advance for the pun. But I couldn’t resist after reading about the One Night Culinary Event (O.N.C.E.) beginning tonight in Harvard Square and continuing through Thursday with Dante’s Inferno as the literary and culinary theme of the evening. It’s called O.N.C.E. in Hell: Dante’s Inferno in 10 Courses. Come again? Yep, the proverbial heat in the kitchen will get real and be brought to your theatre seat at this culinary and theatrical interpretation of Dante’s masterpiece being put on at the Oberon on Arrow Street. The three authors/chefs from Cuisine En Locale (one of them personal chef and local foodie JJ Gonson) conceived the menu and script as one and they are promising no one–not even vegetarians–will go hungry at this non-vegetarian event. It sounds mightily creative to me. Thank you, Swaroop, of AuntieChef for sending us word.
If you are feeling the holiday heat in other ways and STILL fretting over gift ideas (I am), the gals of North Shore Dish have a fantastic, simple idea–well, a series of ideas, actually–that any one of us can apply to whomever we love, whatever our personal food interests may be and wherever we live. They are advocating the gift of local food, in the form of gift certificates to your favorite neighborhood joint, any favorite local foods you’d like to share (minus the stress of fancy wrapping), and for nearby cooking classes or brewery tours. They have easily, eloquently described their thinking on the matter, complete with ‘how about this’ examples, so I’ll sign off and leave it to their “Look Local” post.
Categories: Economy · From You Our Listeners · Happenings · JJ Gonson · North Shore Dish · Susan McCrory
Tagged: Cuisine en Locale, North Shore Dish, JJ Gonson, O.N.C.E., Auntie Chef, Oberon, Dante's Inferno
Photo: Istockphoto via Boston Zest
Jessica Alpert
Ok, what are you all planning? I have to admit, I always think New Years is overrated. BUT I must again admit that this is most likely a defense mechanism. After Hannukah, Christmas, (maybe some other celebrations in between), I’m pretty zonked. As my family’s social coordinator (self-appointed and confirmed), I’m almost always at a loss.
This year I want to think about it early. Should I do a dinner party? A low-key bar scene? A schmancy dinner? (hmmm, maybe not. READ: RECESSION). Even so, I really don’t want to rule anything out.
So…I hope we can collectively brainstorm. What are YOU doing? Any events we should know about? Countryfied (as in majestic, snow-covered and champagne drenched B&B) options? Perhaps a sweet unexpected something in the (gasp.gasp) suburbs? Or…just ignore all of my hints and send us some wild ideas. You know PRK’ers are totally open.
The twitter and blog scene is ALL about restaurant options. Let me say this; I appreciate the dutiful research conducted by others.
Check out this list from Open Table. Penny Cherubino did some of her own homework and lists some options on her website, Boston Zest. And…Boston Chefs gives some suggestions HERE. Gayot (that’s guy-OH, tyvm) also lists some of its faves.
Alright now, let’s rally
Heaven forbid folks start looking to New York.
Categories: Boston Chefs · Boston Zest · Gayot · Happenings · Holiday Fare · Jessica Alpert · News · Uncategorized
Tagged: Boston, Boston Chefs, Boston Zest, champagne, Gayot, Jessica Alpert, New Years, Open Table, Penny Cherubino
December 10, 2009 · 1 Comment
Photo: thebittenword/Flickr
Susan McCrory
This morning PRK received its first issue of the Farm & Market Report from the Mass Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR). Help spread the word! This bi-monthly newsletter (to those of you who did not attend last week’s PRK MeetUp) is chuck-a-bluck full of ag industry information and news, some of it technical and industry-specific, some less so. For example, in this issue there’s news on the “Ag Tag,” a bulletin for downloading on Preserving Historic Farms, blog links and a calendar of events. The TOC really comes in handy.
You’ve gotta’ check this out: here’s a recipe from ecofoodie for chocolate cake that calls for, brace yourself, mayonnaise. The results? “Perfection.”
I know Turkey Day has passed, but many folks (my in-laws included) eat it again at Christmas, so I couldn’t help but pass on this tongue-in-cheek post from the crew at AuntieChef. Heck, that crocheted feller’ could make a nifty holiday gift for the hard-to-buy-for person in your life…! If you’re still looking for gift ideas of the homemade persuasion, Fresh New England has come across several wonderful items, many involving small glass jars filled with home recipes of one sort or another, each cleverly decorated. Scroll past the “lemon mousse ingredients” photograph to reach the links (though I barely got there–her photography is THAT stunning).
A propos of game, chef Tim Wiechmann of T.W. Food in Cambridge (that’s the Tim of root cellaring fame; see Tom Urell’s post of Nov. 6), is hosting a fixed price Wild Game Dinner next Tuesday and Wednesday evening, Dec. 16 and 17.
Had enough bird? Try this Moroccan Vegetable Stew from Semi-Sweet, who came up with this recipe under duress–the ‘happy problem’ of having too many squash, carrotts and parsnips from a Winter CSA share.
If you’d like to follow up on the Slow Food Boston “Brazilian Cocktail Party” held last Thursday evening, click HERE for their follow-up photos, thanks and recipes. Over 100 people showed!
Finally, and not to toot our own horn, but some great photographs of the Dec. 3rd Meet-Up/EatUp held here at WBUR for the PRK community have been posted by the gals of We Are Not Martha. Thank you, Chels and Sues!
Categories: Chefs · EcoFoodie · Fresh New England · Happenings · Restaurants · Semi-Sweet · Slow Food Boston · Soups & Stews · Sweet Amandine · Tidbits · We Are Not Martha
Tagged: Auntie Chef, chocolate cake, EcoFoodie, Farm & Market Report, Fresh New England, homemade holiday gifts, MDAR, Moroccan Vegetable Stew, Semi-Sweet, Slow Food Boston, T.W. Food, Tim Wiechmann, wild game
Photo: waterrose/Flickr
Jessica Alpert
It’s getting closer to the holidays and folks around the city are pulling together to remember the special cats, dogs, horses, hamsters, fishes (shall I go on?) of the Boston area. Make sure you do your part, too. Whether it’s attending an MSPCA event or cooking up a homemade doggie treat, you know your actions mean a lot to the critters.
Boston Zest recently shared the blogging stage with the MSPCA’s Brian Adams. Besides a bake sale, the MSPCA is offering various events over the next few weeks to help raise funds for the organization. Check out the options HERE.
The Animal Rescue Site is so fantastic. Many of you web-ites probably know about it but just in case, I’m putting another link HERE. Click once a day to donate food (at NO cost to you) for homeless animals. There is also a special challenge going on right now that allows you to vote for your favorite local shelter. The winner will receive $100,000 towards improving their services.
Now what about taking a break from your vigorous pie-baking regimen to create some treats for your animals? Here are some great horse/bird/dog recipes from the What’s Cooking Blog.
Only have time to think about animals during your commute? Download this Radio Boston broadcast on DOGS (really…..DOGS) and be prepared to be amazed by the information we found (from fun tidbits to serious public policy issues). No JOKE.
Have a local tidbit/event/idea for us? Tweet us @jessprk and @pubradiokitchen.
Categories: Baking · Happenings · Jessica Alpert
Tagged: animals, bake sale, Boston animals, Boston Zest, dogs, homemade animal treats, MSPCA, Radio Boston, What's Cooking Blog
Susan McCrory
Last night Public Radio Kitchen held its third MeetUp/EatUp and I think it’s fair to say everyone enjoyed it and walked away satiated in more ways than one!
A huge thanks to everyone who participated–in the discussion with Scott Soares, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Agriculture (MDAR), on the local food initiatives our government is pursuing in Boston and state-wide; in the much-too-brief conversation about PRK at present and what it should be to our community moving forward; and in the potluck spread. Next time, let’s make sure to bring print-outs of these recipes. They all were worth repeating!
Of the 20+ people who attended (including our ‘resident farmer’ from Powisset Farm, Meryl LaTronica–thanks Meryl!), there was overwhelming consensus that Public Radio Kitchen bolster its role as a virtual meeting point for fellow foodies and bloggers, and that we strengthen our community outreach. In other words, more MeetUps, new and more events that allow all of you to connect with one another, discuss, watch a demo, eat (of course), etc. And, by verbal consensus the group wants we editors to draw more deliberately from YOU in posting content.
To that end, we call on Liz Canella to email us her near-award winning recipe for marshmallow fluff brulee (yep, she torched it). We provide this link to Dale Cruse’s Drinks Are On Me blog, with his “How to Get Drunk Like a Supermodel” post. Proceed with caution in going there, though–this little article is not for the easily-offended. The North Shore Dish gals had a lot of good things to say about their neck of the woods, including their new find in Mildred’s Corner Café, so we tip our hats to them and call for that “lunches in Lynn” series! Penny and Ed of BostonZest have posted two great links today, one for this year’s Edible Communities Local Hero Award and another on rethinking street food, with a video clip of Ruth Reichl talking about the same. And, finally, we want to provide this link to Commissioner Soares’ new blog Commonwealth Conversations, The Great Outdoors. Get tweeting, Commissioner!
So, more to come, we promise. And thanks to everyone for making the evening come to fruition.
Categories: From You Our Listeners · Happenings · Meryl LaTronica · North Shore Dish · Powisset Farm · Susan McCrory
Tagged: BostonZest, PRK MeetUp/EatUp, Scott Soares, MDAR, NorthShoreDish, Dale Cruse, Liz Canella
Photo: jdrorer/Flickr
If you haven’t already, meet the yuca, also called manioc and cassava. It’s a tuberous root vegetable loaded with carbohydrates, a rich source of calcium, phosphorus, and Vitamin C. Considered Brazil’s most significant contribution to the world’s food basket (though Brazil alone cannot claim it as theirs), manioc will be the featured ingredient on the menu of a Brazilian Cocktail Party being co-sponsored this Thursday evening by Slow Food Boston and the Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers (MAPS).
This month, with this festa, Slow Food Boston is launching the first in a series of food-related events exploring immigrant traditions, the goal of which, according to series organizer Anastacia Marx de Salcedo, is to increase mainstream appreciation for immigrant foodways–and to encourage immigrants to hold onto their cultures. Brazil is the first stop. Volunteer chefs will be serving up toasted farofa, bread, and a home fry all made with manioc, plus frosty caipirinhas, piping hot cheese rolls and other delicious appetizers prepared by the MAPS Brazilian staff. Proceeds will go towards MAPS AIDS/HIV Prevention & Education Program.
To whet your appetite, head to the Slow Food blog for video footage of Anastacia’s outing to Casa de Carnes Solução, a Brazilian butcher shop on Bow St. in Somerville. And, glance through this site offering numerous recipes calling for yuca–it will give a sense of how manioc is incorporated into the meals of so many tropical- and sub-tropical countries.
Enjoy!
Categories: Fruits and Vegetables · Happenings · Susan McCrory
Tagged: Brazil, manioc, MAPS, Slow Food Boston
November 20, 2009 · 1 Comment
Photo: David Paul Ohmer/Flickr
Looking forward to next week’s holiday, it is a time to come together and share a meal with the people we often don’t have enough time for. And there’s a parade and football, and maybe even a walk (or waddle) between courses. But not everyone has enough to eat, and because of the current economy, there are more hungry people this year than usual. So if you have extra time, energy or can make a donation, the following resources are available for giving back this Thanksgiving.
The Greater Boston Food Bank is running their annual TurkeyDrive through Wednesday. You can make a $12 donation that will allow the Food Bank to distribute a 12-14lb turkey to a family who would otherwise not have enough this Thanksgiving. Last year, the Food Bank gave out 38,000 turkeys, and the need this year is expected to be even greater.
Project Bread lists a number of options for volunteering this week and through the holiday season, such as helping in pantries and delivering food assistance. Included are a Friday Night Supper program (tonight!) in Boston; Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly, on Thanksgiving Day in Jamaica Plain; Loaves and Fishes on Saturdays in Cambridge and more. Details are available through the Project Bread page, and there are more opportunities across the state and through the year.
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Don’t forget: submit the recipe for your favorite side dish for the PRK Fixins’ blowout next week! Email us at prk@wbur.org.
Categories: Happenings · Holiday Fare · Thomas Urell
Tagged: Greater Boston Food Bank, Little Brothers, Project Bread
