Photo: Jessica Higgins/Flickr
Donna Kirk
THE LOCAL DISH
What Goes With….
Sports has its franks and beer. The opera, its chardonnay and cheese. Mystery theater and…? If you answer wedding cake, you’re onto something. As Boston streets heat up and the Charles sparkles with slightly cooler breezes, Boston Harbour Mystery Cruises is pairing fine food and intrigue, with more than a dash of humor and music. For “Marriage Can Be Murder, starting next month, BHMC is mixing and matching light hors d’oeuvres, hearty entrees and hilarity.
Aside from boat rides and mystery theater, what kinds of foods might compliment yoga’s mountain pose or downward facing dog? The InterContinental Boston is offering waterfront yoga every Saturday starting June 5th with a chance to replenish your body at Miel Brasserie Provençale with meals designed by chef Devanand Chinta. After skimming through the menu, keeping it light and uplifting seems to be the key here.
Okay, so, cake with mystery, carrot smoothie with yoga, but what goes well with a stroll to the park with friends? The classic fall back, ice cream, comes to mind, which leads us to a shop reknown in Boston and hailed by the New York Times as “The Best Ice Cream In The World,” Toscanini’s. With flavors like Chocolate Sluggo, Bourbon Flake and Malted Vanilla plus that triumphant proclamation from the Times, they have a lot to live up to between tosses of frisbee or treks to the MFA. Feel you can one-up the ice cream picks from that NY rag? We’re listening.
Taste of Somerville
Pair as many samples as you like from 30 of the area’s favorite restaurants at a Taste of Somerville, June 8th from 5:30-8:30 pm at the Somerville Holiday Inn. This festive welcome to summer is presented by title sponsor, Triumvirate Environmental, and Door2Door Transportation by SCM, whose work providing community-based transportation is supported by the event. Ticket info at the event site. Follow restaurant additions on twitter @TasteofSomervil.
Whether it’s a cold pint of beer while listening to live jazz at The Stork Club or a plate of nachos at your best local joint on a warm evening, whatever it is that makes one food complement some activity over another, as Luciano Pavarotti once said: “One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating.”
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NATIONAL MUNCHIES
Edible Spring
Edible flowers have been used to garnish cakes, chocolates, tarts, pastries and even savory dishes as far back as ancient times. But not every flower is edible. When it comes to do’s and don’ts, the choices among flower, fruit and herb petals, a fine article put out by WhatsCookingAmerica.org outlines the nuances of palatable petals, with recipes, too.
Staying Cool
Written by Louise Pickford, the new Cool Drinks For Hot Days offers recipes for drinking your way to coolness–e.g., Sea Freeze, Apple Lemonade, Moroccan Iced Mint Tea and Mandarin Caprioska. With family-friendly drinks and adult libations, this 96 pages describing coolers, iced teas, juices, cocktails, slushies and shakes could be a great intro to Summer 2010.