Photo: SheriW/Flickr
LOCAL BITES
A Mother’s Day Tea
Starting with a selection of recipes from Barre, MA, that date from the turn of the last century, the ONCE kitchen kids are going to recreate a classic afternoon tea. This means cakes, cookies, sherbet, tisanes and finger sandwiches — of course! — all served on Mother’s Day, May 13, 4-6pm at Naga in Cambridge. Tickets are $45/person for treats, beverages and a hand letter-pressed card on which to create your personal culinary heirloom to share with a loved one far away.
A Quiet Brunch, Kids in Tow
Aura Restaurant at the Seaport Hotel, which specializes in elegant dining for moms and dads with structured activities for the waynes, has it in spades this Mother’s Day if brunch (11-3pm) is what you’re after. The Kids Place 4 Fun will help kids of all ages make special Mother’s Day crafts, and Jewelry by Karel will be on site if more gifts are needed. Tickets are $55/adult; kids under 12 eat for free. To reserve call 617.385.4300, or go to OpenTable.com. Read the details and menu here.
Food Hugs
The tagline of Eat Boutique is “Food That Hugs You Back.” For Mother’s Day, they’ve got a box of handmade goodies that your mom savor in her own sweet time, hand-written card, included. Here’s a hug, Mom!
For Love of Chocolate
Somerville-based, artisan chocolate-makers EH Chocolatier is offering a hand-made selection of 24 chocolates beautifully wrapped and wonderfully varied, from cinnamon and citrus to lavender and vanilla, in honor of Mother’s Day. Order by May 7 to get your shipment to mom by the 13th. Sample their wares yourself this Saturday, May 5, at Formaggio Kitchen, Cambridge, 1-3pm, when EH Chocolatier holds a Local Chocolate Sampling. Go on, be the guinea pig.
Boston Bakes for the Cure
During the week leading up to Mother’s Day (May 7 – 13), more than 250 restaurants, bakeries, cafés, chocolate and ice cream shops across Massachusetts will create unique desserts as participants in the 13th annual Boston Bakes for Breast Cancer. Desserts start at $3.00, and proceeds will support breast cancer research and care at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Bakes for Breast Cancer, Inc.
Reminder: Spring Flavors
Massachusetts Horticulture Society is holding its The Flavors of Spring Gala on Friday, May 4, at 6:30 pm in Wellesley. This fundraiser will feature tastings from local chefs, local distillers and craft beers, and benefits the “Garden to Table” program, which helps people of all ages and levels of gardening experience learn how to grow, cook, preserve and enjoy healthy local food. Tickets are $125 per person and may be reserved at Masshort.org or by calling Maureen Horn at 617-933-4912.
CupCake Camp, Part III
On Monday, May 21, at 6pm CupcakeCamp Boston is bringing sweet cupcake creations back to Somerville at Arts at the Amory for the 3rd Annual CupcakeCamp Boston to benefit Lovin’ Spoonfuls, a food rescue nonprofit dedicated to providing healthy, ready-to-eat food to those in need. Cupcake bakers — amateurs and professionals alike — must register in advance. If you’re just tasting that evening, eat a small lunch.
NATIONAL TREATS
Demand Healthy Food
Though viewed through a Californian lens, this op-ed column from the San Francisco Chronicle submitted by the Environmental Working Group recounts many truths about the pending, massive Farm Bill and lays out what’s at stake — fruits, vegetables, good food, in general, and your tax dollars.
That’s So Cheesy!
And that’s the point. How else would vegan cheese appeal? NPR’s The Salt reports on efforts at making an appealingly cheesy vegan alternative.
A Horticultural Treasure Trove in Jeopardy
The company that claims to have introduced most Americans to tomatoes, the D. Landreth Seed Company, is in financial peril. Robin Young of Here & Now converses with Landreth owner Barbara Melara about her company’s predicament.
Beyond Food Deserts
In recent years, activists in many cities have tried to bring more grocery stores into urban neighborhoods that lack good food options – so-called “food deserts.” But they have learned that supermarkets alone probably won’t make people healthier. So organizations like The Food Trust in Philadelphia are trying new strategies, such as educational campaigns about healthy eating. NPR’s Dan Charles reports.