Photo: twistedanchor/Flickr
LOCAL BITES
Our Daily Bread
Peter Nyberg of Plymouth turned a negative into a positive when he lost his job in 2009 as senior director of bakery at Whole Foods. He got back to the basics and opened Hearth Wood Fired Bread in Plymouth, where he makes bread daily in the 18th-century tradition: using organic grains and natural starter, shaping by hand, and baking with fire. Nyberg gets really old school with his 60-ton gueulard masonry from France. Read the full article HERE and find out which local markets carry Hearth Wood’s breads.
Nose-Ticklin’ Good
BostonZest’s indefatigable duo, Penny and Ed, have found a special sparkle for this holiday season: Organic Etienne Dupont, a sparkling apple cider from Normandie that will keep you warm and bubbly as the temps drop.
A Bar Your Kids Can Get Into
From December 4th-18th, Cafe Fleuri will put a festive spin on their weekly Chocolate Bar. Enjoy (or ignore) the sound of carolers as you indulge in every kind of chocolate in every form. Santa will even make an appearance each week to take orders from kiddies. The price is $42 for adults, $28 for children under 13, and those under 5 get in for free. Call (617) 956-8751 for reservations, available from 11am-1:30pm.
Celebrating 10 Years of Yum
Catch the end of Beacon Hill Bistro’s “Decade of Decadence,” a 10-day celebration commemorating their 10 years of business, ending December 7th. Each night will feature a special dish and one wine or cocktail representative of the food trends of that particular year. There will also be a special four-course menu paired with champagne selected by Alicia Towns Franken, an official Ambassador of Champagne, on December 2nd at 7pm. Tickets for this dinner are $75. Call (617) 723-7575 for reservations and information.
World Specials in Celebration of Hanukkah
Saveur went around the world and back to make their list of the ten best recipes from Jewish delis. Find out what made the cut here.
Sweet Tooth
Get in the holiday spirit December 10th from 12:30-8pm at Ye Olde Pepper Candy Companie in Salem. It’s their Annual Holiday Open House where they’ll be rolling out handmade candy canes and doling out hot chocolate.
Fingers Crossed
Hopefully Tiffani Faison, Executive Chef at Rocca, will keep moving ahead on this season of Bravo’s Top Chef All Stars. Not just for city bragging rights, but also for the weekly Wednesday night specials Rocca will offer to show their support. Faison has a good track record though: she was a finalist in Season 1 and a winner in the holiday special. Tune in Wednesday nights at 10pm and root for a local.
NATIONAL TREATS
Earth-Friendly Gift Ideas
Change.org keeps Mother Earth in mind with their list of holiday gift ideas for foodies dedicated to sustainable living. From Fair Trade-certified coffee for grownups to organic, all natural treats for pets, Change has got you covered.
Healthy Holiday Cookies
There’s a lot of baking to be done in the upcoming weeks, so if you’re a health-conscious baker, check out these tips on how to make cookies leaner.
“Best of” Dining
NY Times checks out the new restaurant trend: menus featuring only one entree. Diane Cardwell visits eateries dedicated to foods like meatballs, peanut butter, fried chicken, mac and cheese, and rice pudding.