Thursday Tidbits: Indulging in Autumn

Photo: Plat/Flickr

LOCAL BITES

Virtue/Vice
Tonight! Sept. 15th, 5-7:30pm, Taza Chocolate will be welcoming to their Somerville digs four members of the DR-based La Red Guaconejo cacao cooperative, Taza’s primary source of cacao. The evening will be celebrated with La Red cacao and chocolates, as well as Direct Trade Certified coffee courtesy of Counter Culture Coffee. The event is free and open to the public; read more about it here.

Grazing Out
Join “theGraze,” a backyard barbecue celebration this Saturday, Sept. 17th, 5-8pm (4pm cocktail hour) at 38 Cherry St. in Somerville to benefit theMove. The event will feature all-local-grass-fed meat, plus local beer, wine, veggies and snacks. Check out all the info here.

Farm Feast
The Boston Chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier will be sponsoring “Feast on a Farm,” a Green Tables event, on Saturday, Sept. 17th, 6-10pm at Verrill Farm. The night will be filled with delicious hors d’oeuvres, a brimming buffet, live music and dancing, and a silent auction benefitting the Future Chef’s Program. Les Dames Boston has everything you need to know to reserve your spot.

An Apple a Day…
Everyone loves chomping into their first Fall apple, right? Usher in autumn at Smolack Farms’ Apple Festival this Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 17-18th, 10am-4pm. Pick to your heart’s content, then head down to the Children’s Farm Festival, complete with hayrides, a play area and other kid-friendly activities.

Swap Away
Jazz up your pantry and make new friends at the Boston Food Swap this Sunday, Sept. 18th, 2-4pm at Space With a Soul. Your home-grown and homemade creations are the currency at this open-market-style event. The swap is free, but you gotta’ reserve a spot. Tips and tricks-of-the-trade can be found on Boston Food Swap’s site. New to swapping? Check out PRK’s recent coverage.

Come Together
Join together with hundreds of local foodies and Boston’s top restaurants for Coming Together, Hearth’s 20th anniversary event. It will be held Thursday, Oct. 6th, 6-9pm at Villa Victoria Center for the Arts in the South End. The festivities will include food samples from Aquataine, Blue Hills Brewery, Canary Square, Coppa, Iggy’s Bread, Meyers + Chang, Post 390, Stella Restaurant, Tico and Toro. The evening will also feature laughs from comedian Jimmy Tingle. RSVP and order your tickets online by Thursday, September 22nd.

Armenian Night
The Beehive will be hosting their 2nd annual “Armenian Night” on September 22nd, 5:00pm-2am.  Live music by Musaner and Nor Quartet will play from 6:30-1am, with authentic Armenian cuisine, prepared by Executive Chef Rebecca Newell, served from 5pm-2am. Armenian or not, come take part in this festive evening! To RSVP or get more information, call 617-423-0069.

NATIONAL TREATS

Drinking Pink
Who knew your party libations could also serve as part of the décor? Kerry Newberry of Culinate gives a list of her very favorite rosés from across the country for those nights when you’re thinking pink.

Fold in the Flavor
This week, the New York Times unwraps another use for aluminum foil to liven up your dishes.

Freshly Squeezed
Ever wonder about the connection between the British Navy and Cordial Lime Juice?  Okay… maybe we didn’t either, but it’s interesting! Michael Neff of Serious Eats delves into this unique relationship.

GLOBAL TASTINGS

Because… why not?
In case you need to fill and carry 15 teacups with one arm, this expert Iranian server shows how.

Dissecting the Coconut
Coconuts are all the rage right now. With coconut milk’s recent jump to popularity as a substitute for dairy, and the discovery of post-workout benefits of coconut water, it seems that this fruit just keeps getting more interesting. For all you coconut lovers out there, Zester Daily has compiled a guide for getting the most out of this versatile fruit.