Massachusetts Archives - Page 22 of 33

Hanson Farm + Sugar Hill Dairy in Bridgewater, MA

July 30, 2020September 23, 2015 by Lisa Johnson 2 Comments

The last few days have felt like fall and now it’s official. Autumn arrived today. While summer is probably my favorite season, there is a definite beauty to fall and a certain coziness that comes with a bit of chill in the air.

Last week, my mom and I enjoyed one of those precious last days of summer by visiting Hanson Farm, which is about 25 miles south of Boston in Bridgewater. The farm has a dairy, so we decided to treat ourselves to some ice cream.

My mom had the frozen pudding, which she said was the best that she has had in years. I couldn’t pick just one, so I combined some seasonal favorites, apple crisp and pumpkin patch. They were delicious! Besides the wonderful flavors and texture, the portions are big, so a small ice cream was still a lot.

If you’re in the area, stop by and enjoy some scoops at Hanson Farm!

{You Pick Six} An Interview with Public Relations Consultant: Chris Lyons

July 30, 2020September 21, 2015 by Lisa Johnson 3 Comments

If you’ve enjoyed learning about the latest restaurants, recent grocery store openings, and generally all things food related in the New England area, Chris Lyons Communications might have been behind the news.

She is a public relations consultant and entrepreneur who knows how to get things done and spread the word. She gets us bloggers involved and sometimes feeds us too!

I always enjoy learning more about the local food scene from Chris, so let’s learn a little more about her for the fourth part of the interview series, You Pick Six.

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What is a favorite simple recipe to prepare at home?
Make your favorite meatloaf recipe, but instead of just pushing it into a pan, flatten in into an oblong (on wax paper) and layer on whatever vegetables and cheese you have in the fridge. Last week I used whole leaf spinach, sauteed leeks and burrata. Using the wax paper, roll the meat into a thick cylinder, seal the edges, and bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees. Slices prettily and is good cold too.

What is a favorite dessert?
Anything made with cooked milk: dulce de leche, caramel, butterscotch.

What is a favorite snack?
I always crave sugar, never salt, and prefer things that are chewy. I love fruit leather, gummies and gumdrops, salt water taffy, DOTS.

What are some of your pet peeves in the kitchen?
I hate peeling things — apples, potatoes, cukes, etc.

What is a favorite cookbook?
Anything written by Cathy Walthers, a private chef and multi-cookbook author based on Martha’s Vineyard. Her “Raising the Salad Bar” is a minor classic.

Tell me about where you grew up.
I was born in Brooklyn and grew up mostly on Long Island, so the foods I feel most connected to emotionally are deli meats (I still adore olive loaf), full dill pickles, seeded rye bread, bagels, diner breakfasts and halvah. I’m the most Jewish WASP you’ll ever meet.

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Thank you so much for participating Chris!

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Photos provided by Public Relations Consultant Chris Lyons.

{You Pick Six} An Interview with Writer + Cheese Maker: Korsha Wilson

September 5, 2020September 14, 2015 by Lisa Johnson 2 Comments

Have you ever met a cheese maker? Well, you’re about to! While, she is now a former cheese maker, it’s still quite a unique skill set to bring to the table, especially as a food writer.

Last summer while eating lunch at a Drive the District food blogger event, I met Korsha Wilson. I was fascinated to learn back then that she made cheese for a living and also writes about food.

Some of her older writings were at The Industry Press, where people in the Boston area restaurant industry shared their stories.

As a writer, her repertoire is constantly expanding. She’s written for Eater, New York Times Food, Civil Eats, Food & Wine and more. Follow her on Twitter to find her latest articles.

Let’s learn a little more about this prolific food writer, as Korsha answers six questions for the third part in the interview series, You Pick Six.

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What is a favorite snack?
I’m obsessed with french fries. I get cravings for them on a very regular basis and am constantly seeking out restaurants and bars that make them well. A good french fry (crispy and salty with great potato flavor) is surprisingly hard to find.

What is a favorite food movie?
Eat Drink Man Woman is one of the most underrated food movies in my opinion. It really captures the the beauty of preparing a meal for loved ones. Ratatouille is one of my all-time favorite movies and I think it does the best job of illustrating food’s ability to create connection. Also, there’s a bad ass female chef as one of the central characters and she has the same name as my mom.

What do you think that most people don’t understand about food?
I think a lot of people in this country feel like their love of food isn’t valid if it isn’t ‘fine dining.’ The proliferation of food media has led to the general public having a lot more food knowledge but it has also led to people feeling like food has to include certain ingredients or be cooked a certain way to be ‘good’. The food world is made up of everything that everyone eats. Period. Food belongs to everyone and everyone has a valid palate. I meet a lot of people who are afraid to tell me what they like to eat or cook because they assume that since I went to culinary school and worked in restaurants that all of the food that I eat is high-end or expensive. If you’re using great ingredients and cooking with care, whatever you’re cooking is going to be delicious and it’s worthy of being talked about.

What is the best meal you ever had and where was it?
That’s tough. I believe that every restaurant experience or every meal you make at home is different depending on your mood and other factors. My most recent favorite meal was at a small restaurant in Genoa, Italy.

After a day of sightseeing, my boyfriend and I had a drink at a local bar and asked the bartender where to have a good dinner. Instead of just giving us his answer, he asked the rest of the bar patrons and the kitchen staff what they thought and they all agreed that we should go to Locanda Spinola, a new restaurant nearby. Long story short, it was amazing. Homemade pastas, simply prepared fresh seafood and local wine. The service was so hospitable and warm! My boyfriend and I stayed after our dinner (and after the restaurant closed) drinking beer with the staff and talking about restaurants in the U.S. and Italy. It was wonderful.

How did food become an important part of your life?
Food was always an important part of family gatherings. I’m lucky to have grown up with great cooks on both sides of my family and I learned early that food is a way to communicate love. That pushed me to go to culinary school and journalism school, work in restaurants and write about food for a living.

Tell me about what you’re working on now.
I am currently working on lots and lots of freelance writing. Haha. Ultimately, I would like to contribute to a more diverse food media landscape and explore different media projects. I’ll keep you posted on how that goes.

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Thank you so much for participating Korsha!

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Photos provided by Korsha Wilson.

Dîner en Blanc: Boston

July 30, 2020September 12, 2015 by Lisa Johnson

Despite the rain and the big football game, this past Thursday evening, more than 1,500 people showed up for Boston’s annual Dîner en Blanc. I remember hearing about it a few years ago and being absolutely enchanted by the idea and the stunning photos.

However, I’ve never actually been to the event. I like the idea more in theory than in practice. You must dress up completely in white. I don’t have a suitable outfit for the occasion and would need to buy one to attend. It hasn’t been a priority purchase to happen.

Also, you need to be very spontaneous. The location of the dinner is a secret. You find out at the last minute and then quickly make your way there carrying all that you’ll need for your meal.

I like a bit more of a heads up. But that’s just me. Lots of people in Boston and all over the world have a great time at this event. Luckily I was given some great pictures to share with you. It does look like a good time.

Dîner en Blanc was started more than 27 years ago in Paris by François Pasquier with just a small group of friends. The Boston event took place at City Hall Plaza.

“Originally, we had planned for the dinner to be set up on the wide steps of the Plaza, with the band and DJ completely outside,” said Bryer Davis, co-host of Dîner en Blanc – Boston. “But as the weather worsened throughout the day, we knew we had to make a late call. Thanks to the incredibly helpful team at City Hall and our tireless volunteers, we moved last minute under the cover of the City Hall courtyard. It turned out to be the perfect spot for Dîner en Blanc and was better than we ever imagined!” The White Heat Swing Orchestra got the party started and welcomed guests as they arrived.

Then everyone started decorating their tables and setting up their elegant picnics, while enjoying wine and champagne. It looks like guests were quite creative with their table settings and enjoyed some very good food.
Dinner started with the traditional waving of the white napkin. Each guest received an LED sparkler, and the party twinkled with tiny lights as guests headed to the dance floor, where they danced to the musical stylings of DJ Nixx.

If you didn’t get to attend this year, there’s always next year. Just get your white outfit ready!

{You Pick Six} An Interview with Writer: Richard Auffrey

July 30, 2020September 8, 2015 by Lisa Johnson 2 Comments

If you’re a food blogger or writer in the Boston area, you may have already met Richard Auffrey at a food event around the city.

He is a familiar face that I always enjoy seeing in a crowd. Richard’s blog, The Passionate Foodie, is aptly named, because as a writer, he has a true love for food and drink. He also strives to bring more inclusiveness to the food blogger community and celebrates its diversity.

I’m sure you’ll enjoy learning more about Richard as he answers questions for the second part in the interview series, You Pick Six.

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What is a favorite simple recipe to prepare at home?
I make a simple Teriyaki sauce. Simply add 7 parts Sake, 7 parts Mirin, 7 parts Soy Sauce & 1 part Sugar to a sauce pan. Bring to a boil under a medium heat, stirring constantly until all the sugar dissolves. And that’s it! Once it cools, you can bottle and refrigerate it for future use. If you want, you can also add minced garlic.

What is a favorite dessert?
I love a well made Bread Pudding, though it can’t have raisins. I think it is also a versatile dessert and I’m surprised that no bakery has chosen to specialize in Bread Pudding. Forget all these cupcake shops, give me a Bread Pudding bakery.

What is a favorite quote?
“O what an ugly sight the man who thinks he’s wise and never drinks sake!”
–Otomo no Tabito (c. 662-731)

What is a favorite food movie?
Ratatouille, the animated film about a rat who becomes a chef. Besides being a fun movie, it has so many excellent lines such as “Good food is like music you can taste, color you can smell. There is excellence all around you. You need only to be aware to stop and savor it.”

What is a favorite childhood food memory?
My mother’s Cinnamon Rolls, especially when they are still hot and fresh out of the oven. They always brought me joy and I saw them as a sign of my mother’s love. And after all these years, my mom still makes those Cinnamon Rolls, with the same recipe, and they immediately bring me back to my childhood and they also still are a sign of her love.

Tell me about your book.
Halloween Nightmare At Fenway is my third novel in the Tipsy Sensei series, which centers on a Boston-based Sake expert who learns that the supernatural creatures of Japanese folklore are real. In this latest novel, the darkest element of Japan from World War 2 spawns supernatural creatures which now threaten Boston, choosing Fenway Park during the World Series as the site of their primary threat. Nate, the Sake expert, must stop the threat, assisted by an immortal Japanese samurai and a homicide detective, a woman of color. As the novel occurs in Boston, I also mention some of my favorite restaurants. The Tipsy Sensei series is a way for me to share my passion for Sake and to tell a thrilling tale.

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Thank you so much for participating Richard!

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Photos provided by Writer Richard Auffrey.