Month: January 2010

http://www.goodmorninggloucester.com

Because who doesn’t want a side of punani with their fish and chips right?

Fish & Chips Anyone?, originally uploaded by captjoe06.

http://www.goodmorninggloucester.com

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Upcoming Events: A Winter of Wine and Chocolate

Posted: January 12th,2010

With the arctic temps and frosty winds that have settled in, many of our friends are suffering from the post-holiday blues and have hunkered down for the winter. Happily, the next few weeks on the North Shore offer some great opportunities to lift your spirits and get out of the house.

First up, on January 14 at 6:30 pm, 10 Center Street in Newburyport will have wine expert Joyce Hulm, the regional manager of WJ Deutsch & Sons importer, and Craig Hanna, cellar master at Topper’s of Nantucket, on hand for the first of four wine dinners, this one focusing on wines of Sonoma. It’s a four-course meal, each course paired with a different wine, for $45 per person.

Sadly, January 15th sees the seasonal closing of Salem’s Lobster Shanty. Stop by to hoist a pint and give Diane and Lee your best. Sport your Shanty logo-wear any time this week and receive a 10% discount on your meal, and if you haven’t got any, shirts and hoodies will be discounted 20% until closing night. Never fear, the Shanty will reopen for business on April 1 (no foolin’).

On January 27, Finz in Salem will partner with Mercury Brewing Company for an Ipswich Beer Dinner. Four courses are paired with different beers for $35 per person. We’re thinking the Winter Ale float with fig ice cream and chocolate covered ginger snap sounds intriguing.

On January 30, though it’s a bit far afield for some, it’s likely worth the drive to Wine ConneXtion in North Andover for their first-ever saké tasting (kikishu) from 1:00-4:00. It will be hosted by local blogger Rich Auffrey of The Passionate Foodie, so we know it’ll be both fun and informative.

If you haven’t heard of Wine ConneXtion, it’s because they’re new on the scene, but we hear their selection is great and their prices extremely competitive. If saké is not your thing, you might want to check out The Grand Tasting on February 6 from 12:00 to 5:00. More than 50 wines to be poured, and food will be served.

Coming up February 4,Caffe Graziani in Salem is hosting an International Wine Dinner at 6:00 pm. A five-course dinner, it will feature their signature Italian cooking paired with five different wines from around the world for $75 per person.

Chocolate enthusiasts will be happy to hear about the next two events on the roster. On Thursday February 4 from 5:00 to 7:00, Whole Foods in Swampscott will be hosting a Chocolate Fest. There will be chocolate demonstrations and many samples available from 16 chocolate experts representing a variety of artisan chocolatiers, including locals like Dan’s and Taza Chocolate. The tasting will feature live jazz music and a chocolate fountain as well.

Salem pulls out all the stops February 5 to 14 with its yearlySalem’s So Sweet Chocolate and Ice Sculpture Festival, which features a fabulous Chocolate and Wine Tasting in Hamilton Hall on February 5 at 6:30 pm. Details on the festival are still unfolding, but we’ll be sure to keep you posted.

One last note: Sunday dining seems to be a hot topic these days. Corey over at Downtown Lynn tells us that The Blue Ox has announced they will now be open for dinner on Sundays, and there is a lot of buzz about Sixty2 onWharf’s new Jazz Supper Club on Sundays from 6:00 to 9:00.

So cheer up, stay warm, and eat well. Spring is only….well, never mind.

from Kristin Michel-
Here is a link to the article in the Beacon about Cherylann Parker – Principal of Veterans’ Memorial School in Gloucester

http://www.wickedlocal.com/gloucester/news/education/x1377002261/Principal-Cherylann-Parker-faces-new-life-after-disastrous-fall-from-horse

http://www.goodmorninggloucester.com

Spring Fling Craft Fair
fundraiser fair to benefit
Cherylann Parker
Date March 20,2010 from 10:00am-4:00pm
at O’Maley Middle School
32 Cherry St. Gloucester Ma
Table space is $50.00 (proceeds towards a wheelchair van)
Contact Ann Caulton at either annac34 or acaulton, or phone 978-281-5871

Please pass this on to your email contacts

From Saveur Magazinr
We asked for your ideas, your inspirations, your favorite food finds. And you answered, from every corner of the world, on every imaginable culinary subject, from family recipes to treasured cookbooks to time-honored tips. The result is a saveur 100 unlike any other. Thanks to you, this year’s roundup is richer, tastier—and bigger—than ever.
Source: Saveur

Photo: Michael Kraus

1 Pan con Tomate
2 Eggs from Your Own Chickens
3 PacifiKool Hawaiian
Ginger Syrup
4 Sweetness and Power
5 Sichuan Dipping Salt
6 Fish Sandwich at the Ravenous
Pig, Winter Park, Florida
7 Clarified Butter
8 The Olive and the Caper
9 Fernandez & Wells Wine Bar,
London, England
10 Chocolate Cream Pie
11 Tastespotting.com
12 Burmese Tea Leaf Salad
13 Cape Ann Fresh Catch
14 Tea at the Landmark London
Hotel
15 Zhong Zi
16 Crabs and Spaghetti

http://www.goodmorninggloucester.com

Source: Saveur

Photo: Landon Nordeman

Community-supported agriculture is popular for good reason, but how about community-supported fishing? Last year more than 1,000 people living in and around Boston, Massachusetts, including me, paid up front for 12 weeks’ worth of delicious, fresh-caught fish from Cape Ann Fresh Catch, the first community-supported fishing program in the state. The program was started in 2009 by the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association, an organization that supports the area’s fishing families. CAFC lets the rest of us help out as well. The more of us who buy fish from CAFC, the better it is for the fishermen: they get to sell whatever they haul in (as opposed to having to chase a single type of fish in distant waters), and they get more for their catches than they would typically get selling it on the market. And for a home cook like me, having a ready supply of seafood that’s been caught practically outside my front door has been a huge inspiration in the kitchen. One day it’ll be meaty cod, which I like to roast with garlic, parsley, and butter; another day it might be flaky pollack. The fish from CAFC comes whole, so I’ve had to learn how to filet and debone. I’ve also become a fan of cooking the fish on the bone, which keeps the flesh so moist and flavorful. —Michele DiPalo, Waltham, Massachusetts

http://www.goodmorninggloucester.com

The handpainted works of art that adorned the lobster trap tree this year are soon to become collectibles. Any community member who wants a chance at owning one of these buoys is welcome to join Art Haven and the kids who painted them at Cruiseport Gloucester on Fri., Jan. 29 from 6:00pm – 9:00pm for the Second Annual Art Haven Art Show and Buoy Auction.

“We really enjoyed offering buoy painting free to the community again this year,” says Art Haven Director Dawn Gadow. “I’m really happy that so many people came out to help decorate the tree and we hope everyone can come to the auction and see the beautiful ornaments up close.”

The auction was a big hit last year, with around 300 people coming to bid on the 30 buoys auctioned off. This year, the programming has expanded a bit to include buoys painted by local artists from The Hive. Similar to last year, however, everyone is welcome to enjoy appetizers donated by local restaurants and check out the artwork created by Art Haven students throughout the year. Admission to the event is $10 for adults, $5 with a student ID, and free for children 12 and under.

In addition to the nearly 200 buoys painted this year, artwork will be on display from all of the classes offered at Art Haven, including darkroom photography, pottery, clayworks, painting and drawing, and even some handpainted longboards.

“We’ve got some incredible artwork to show everyone this year,” says David Brooks, founder of Art Haven. “You aren’t gonna want to miss this one.”

####

Cape Ann Art Haven seeks to address the need for artistic development in children of the Cape Ann community. We aspire to create a studio where kids will be encouraged to discover their creative ability through a variety of art mediums, in hopes to build character and self-confidence. The studio will serve as a headquarters for the arts, by promoting local artists, as well as studios, and galleries all over Cape Ann. The studio will be a gathering place for artists of all ages and mediums as well as the community at large.

*Thank you Jonathan Phelps from the Gloucester Times for this article last week!

Periwinkles hosts Sarah Lufkin Scholarship benefit tonight

My beautiful sister’s Sarah’s high school photo

The Sarah Lufkin Memorial Scholarship Fund will hold its 11th annual benefit fund-raiser on Jan. 12 from 6 to 10 p.m. at Periwinkles Restaurant on Main Street in Essex.

Tickets are $25 each and will be available at the door.

The recipient of this year’s award will also be announced during an event that will include food, live music, several raffles and a silent auction.

The scholarship was set up shortly after Sarah’s death in 1997 to award money to students who have graduated from Essex Elementary School and who will be studying in a field that has a direct effect on children. The scholarship now includes Manchester’s Memorial Elementary School students, since the two schools became a part of one district.

Sarah was attending Salem State College, studying early childhood education, when she was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia shortly after finishing her freshman year, according to Sarah’s sister, Kim Lufkin.

“We wanted students who would be working with children to benefit from the scholarship, in essence, continuing what she was unable to do,” she said. “Sarah returned to Salem State part time after finishing two years of chemotherapy and made the dean’s list that semester.”

She came out of remission in December 1996 and passed in April 1997.

All food for the evening will be donated by local restaurants and caterers, and the staff at Periwinkles donates their time and energy. Live music will be performed by Joe Militello and there will be a raffle, a silent auction, and a 50/50 raffle.

Kim Lufkin said organizers of the event are always seeking donations for the raffle and silent auction.

If anyone is interested in donating items for raffles or for more information on the event itself, contact Sue Lufkin at 978-768-7122 or 978-768-6833.