Photo: alisdair/Flickr
LOCAL BITES
Decorate
Are your cakes starting to look like a page from Cake Wrecks? Learn to decorate like a whiz in Brookline this Saturday, April 9, with three professionals: Paula Surrette of ‘Cake by Paula’ in Bridgewater, Kathy Mullen of the ‘Gingerbread House’ in Whitman and Anna Tskarissianos. The event, Icing on the Cake, will be held at the Cathedral Community Center of the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral of New England from 2 – 4 p.m. Call (781) 255-0186 or email fgiannak@comcast.net for reservations.
Bake / Eat
Put your newly honed skills (see above) to the test! Cupcake Camp Boston is BACK and fast approaching this coming Wednesday, April 13th, 7-9:30 PM. Due to last year’s throngs, the venue is bigger: this year you’ll eat to your heart’s content at Arts for the Armory in Somerville. Register to bake, write them and volunteer, or simply show up and attend this spirited event! Taste, mingle, get your sugar fix and bring home some great ideas.
Oysters and Suckling Pig
Both are celebrating that yes, it is finally spring. The folks at Sel de la Terre in Natick are hosting a spring Oyster Festival for the occasion on April 11 at 6:30 p.m. A $40 ticket buys you six oysters, beer, and dinner of suckling pig, baked beans, strawberry-rhubarb cobbler and more. Call (508) 650-1800 for reservations.
Grants over Dinner
Are you full of ideas? Do you wish you had that first financial push to make them happen? Join your Boston area neighbors at Feast Mass, a reoccurring dinner party that awards grants in a very unique format. Participants prepare answers to three questions before the event, and those chosen present their projects to dinner guests. Proceeds from the admission ticket of $10 go to fund one, possibly two, grants during the evening. Best yet, nosh on food and drink from Red Fire Farm, Drumlin Farm, Cape Ann Brewery and Taza Chocolate. Check it out May 21, 7 – 10 p.m., at Voltage Coffee and Arts in Kendall Square, Cambridge.
Groupon Gripe
Coupon websites are great for your bottom line. Restaurants though, feel the pinch and end up making only a quarter of what they would at normal menu prices. Read several local restaurateurs’ opinions via Devra First of the Boston Globe.
Award Winning Local
Food and Wine named The People’s Best New Chef and excitingly, he’s right here in Boston! Jamie Bissonnette of Coppa Restaurant claimed the honor with his nose-to-tail style of cooking.
NATIONAL TREATS
TasteSpotting
I’ve always wondered who is behind the food website gem TasteSpotting.com. Sarah Gim runs it all, sorting through up to 1,000 submissions a day to come up with the beautiful pages we see. Take a look at this great story on Gim from Rene Lynch of the LA Times.
Late Night Cravings
Be honest. Have you ever bought one of those amazing sounding gadgets on TV that is said to replace all the kitchen appliances you have ever used and change your life forever? It chops, it steams, it gives you love advice! Leave it alone in the kitchen, and it will do all the clean up! Watch a round-up of entertaining kitchen gadget infomercials from Molly Aronica at The Daily Meal.
Homemade Snack Packs
Many foodies try to stay away from processed foods, but there are those few delicious items that are just too tempting. Pudding packs may just be one of them. Check out this post from Liz Gutman of Serious Eats that shows you how to make an unprocessed version from scratch.
Delivery
Apparently seasonal delivery of pears and other treats from Harry and David may no longer be in vogue. Read about the decline in popularity of this tradition and how the company is looking to turn things around.