Photo: xorsyst/Flickr

LOCAL BITES

Remember Those Postcards?
In the upcoming group exhibition “Dialogues” at the Kingston Gallery in the South End, Krina Patel of Stir A Memory, spotlighted in November on PRK,  features her food images in conjunction with gallery artist Sharon Pierce. The exhibition runs until January 30th, with an opening reception January 7th from 5-7:30pm.

Beans, Beans, Good for Your Heart
Slow Food Boston brings you a “Bean Fest” on January 8th, 5-8pm at the First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church in Arlington. Did you know the word lens comes from lentils, whose shape they resemble? After a bit of bean lore from renowned culinary historian Ken Albala, attendees will settle down for an international legume potluck. Families welcome–there will be a game and activity room for children. Only a few spots remaining, so sign up now!

Saturdays in Wayland
Suit up and head out to the Wayland Winter Farmers’ Market, every Saturday from January 8th through March 12th, 10am-2pm. There will be two “Wool Days” (Jan. 22nd and Feb. 12) where farmers will bring hand-spun and hand-dyed yarn and other wool products. And, thanks to legislation passed this summer allowing MA wineries to offer tastings at agricultural events, six wineries will visit the market Jan. 29th for the first annual “MA Farm Wineries Day.” If there’s ever an excess of snowfall, call (508) 358-2283 to make sure they’re open.

Lesson in Shelling
Roger Williams University Center for Economic and Environmental Development is offering a non-credit course starting January 12th that teaches shellfish farming basics to local residents. The twelve-week course will cover all aspects of shellfish farming, from the basic principles of hatchery to business management. The total fee for the classes, which are held Wednesdays from 6:30-8:30pm, is $120 including hand-out materials, or you can drop-in for $10 per session. Continue reading →

Tony Maws of Craigie on Main (Photo: Susanna Bolle)

When dining at Craigie on Main, you learn to expect the unexpected, even in the most traditional of dishes. The restaurant is the home of  inventive nose-to-tail cuisine, the justly lauded Craigie burger and some fine, fine cocktails. But it also has truly heavenly, if slightly subversive, desserts. Where else would you get such an exquisite parsnip ice cream, as I did on my last visit? (And who knew this humble root could be so good, so creamy?)  Another equally tasty and enigmatic deserts is one of the most popular — Olive Oil Chocolate Mousse.

Chef Tony Maws says he first created the mousse as a dairy-free option for Passover, but it tasted so good and was so popular that it soon become a menu staple. The oil, in combination with the chocolate and the brandy, imparts really interesting pepper notes to the mousse. To that point, Maws cautions that you shouldn’t lose your nerve with the olive oil. The mousse tastes much better with a strong, spicy Tuscan oil than with something sweeter or more neutral. Continue reading →

Sarah Kleinman of Boston Eats kicks off the New Year with a review of Angela’s Cafe on Lexington Street in East Boston. It’s the whole enchilada– snow flurries, fresh “guac,” free sangria, mouthwatering steak and mole, and bits and pieces of random conversation amongst friends. Sarah says she got tired of hearing from West Coast buddies that there’s no “real” Mexican food in Boston, and her interest was piqued by the article on Angela Lopez appearing recently in Edible Boston. So, she braved the blizzard for Angela’s great Poblano eats.

But wait! There’s more! Boston Eats’ previous review on PRK:  Pho So 1 Boston.

Misty Kalkofen of Drink (Photo: Susanna Bolle)

It may sound like journalistic hyperbole, but from what I know, it’s true: bartender Misty Kalkofen — now of Drink, formerly of Green Street, the B-Side and the Lizard Lounge — has been there at pretty much every major moment of the resurgence of classic cocktail-making in Boston. She began at the beginning, first tending bar at the Lizard Lounge in Cambridge while studying theology at Harvard Divinity School. She was the lead bartender for Saturnalia, a now legendary lounge music night run by the musician, deejay and cocktail aficionado extraordinaire, Brother Cleve, who sparked her interest in classic cocktails.

“Every Saturday night, he’d come and spin Esquivel, and all the hipster kids would get dressed up in their fancy dresses and suits and come down and drink Martinis and Manhattans,” she recalls. “Cleve had a different ‘cocktail of the week,’ which he would drink all night long, so by the end of each night, I’d have that recipe solidified. We did that for two years. He called me his protégé, bought me a bottle of rye whiskey, and we’d sit on my porch and drink Manhattans afterwards,” she says with a laugh. “I never looked back after that!” Continue reading →