Photo: Penny Cherubino of BostonZest
LOCAL BITES
Winter Market
The Somerville Winter Farmers Market is hopping. Maybe your Valentine would love a homemade local feast? Visit Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for produce, meat, eggs, bread, chocolate and more. Joseph Curtatone, Mayor of Somerville, is slated to pay a visit tomorrow, Feb. 12th, but foodie VIPs Penny and Ed of BostonZest and Serious Eats have already paid their visit.
Scottish Heartthrob
Do kilts and haggis set your heart on fire? The Haven restaurant in Jamaica Plain is holding a Scottish aphrodisiac menu Saturday through Monday. According to them, Glasgow is the “City of Love.” Maybe Jamaica Plain is the local alternative? Sample oysters, rosemary-scented lamb and Scottish tea truffles in the three-course, $39 meal. Add $20 for drink pairings.
Oh, Sugar, Sugar
As obesity in children rises, some government officials consider their responsibility in limiting unhealthy options in schools. Should kids have a choice? State health regulators in Massachusetts have proposed banning high-calorie, low-nutrient foods in vending machines, snack shops and a-la carte lines, The Boston Globe said today. The elimination of sugar-laden beverages is at the forefront of the proposed standards.
‘T’ is for Tea
Your grandmother’s afternoon tea has now made it to our evening cocktail hour. Authors of Culinary Tea, Lisë Stern and Cynthia Gold, Boston Park Plaza’s tea sommelier join with Chef Nicole Coady to bring a tea-spiked dessert and cocktail event. Taste flourless Keemun-chocolate torte and jasmine fresh fruit tart while sipping one of Gold’s creations, such as The Southern Earl Grey. This tea-infused night happens Tuesday, February 22, 6:30 p.m. at Finale in Coolidge Corner for $19.95 per person. For reservations call (617) 232-3233.
Local Composting
Are you so green you won’t live in more than 300 square feet? Do you look longingly at compost bins, knowing they would make your small space smell like a barnyard? Sounds like your small carbon footprint has got you down. Don’t worry. For $8, Bootstrap Compost will bring you a lidded bucket with instructions for your organic waste, and they will pick it up for you by bicycle every week. For questions or to sign up contact founder Andy Brooks of Jamaica Plain at bootstrapcompost@gmail.com. If that sounds too easy, you can also try vermicomposting with worms.
Restaurant Week
What are you doing March 6 – 11 and March 13 – 18? Boston Restaurant Week, of course. Get an early start with your reservations because the list of participants went live this week. The deal: 2-course lunch for $15.11, 3-course lunch $20.11 and a 3-course dinner for $33.11.
NATIONAL TREATS
Beet Juice + CO2 = Love
Top Chef contestant Richard Blais and CNN’s eatocracy bring us three recipes for Valentine’s Day that no one will ever make, and one you might.
Ayurvedic Eating
There are so many ways to eat. Here’s another: Jeff Gordinier of The New York Times has written about eating in the Ayurvedic tradition, an ancient system of alternative or complementary medicine from India.
‘Had me at Jello
Love is in the air – in the kitchen. The Washington Post interviews three chef couples that say how they make their relationships work.
Vino
Does Teroldegos sound familiar? The New York Times introduces us to this mostly unknown Italian grape.