Sometimes I get a little uninspired in the kitchen – like boxed pasta and shaker cheese uninspired. Talk about dullsville. Luckily, I recently enlisted in my first Newport Cooks class, and my zest for zesting, passion for mashin', and tasting for basting were reignited. Newport Cooks, led by Mary Weaver, presents culinary classes featuring professional chefs and instructors from Newport and the surrounding areas. My friend Kerry, a fabulous cook herself, had been raving about these classes for months, so I knew I was in for a savory affair.
This particular class was lead by Chefs Chad Hoffer and Tyler Burnley of tsk (Thames Street Kitchen) at the Newport Cooks Kitchen in Middletown. Though I originally thought that us "students" would be helping to prepare the dishes, I much preferred what actually happened: the talented chefs prepared the meal in front of the class and gave step by step instructions while we all took notes and, of course, drank wine. They prepared a sunchoke (similar to a potato, in the same family as the sunflower – oh, and delicious) bisque, confit lentils, sauteed kale with anchovy butter (which I wish all butter tasted like), and roasted chicken with preserved lemon stuffing. It. Was. So. Good.
Thanks to Chef Chad and Chef Tyler, I now know what a sunchoke is (potatoes are so 2012), that probably everything on earth is better "confit", and how to actually slice into a bird the right way. We've been doing it oh-so-wrong on Thanksgiving all these years, apparently.
The next class I have my eyes on is all about making French patisserie, because, well, life really is too short not to enjoy a good macaroon. More
With summer (i.e., swimsuit season) being just around the corner, the grand opening of Coastal Nutrition in Tiverton could not have come at a better time! Part of the same organization that opened Shape Up Newport and Slim Possible in Middletown, RI, Coastal Nutrition provides nutritional and wellness coaching. Additionaly the provide programs focusing on weight loss (or weight gain), athletic performance, and nutrition products.
Upon arriving at the well attended grand opening, manager Cybil Pacheco offered me a sample of their Vanilla Peanut Butter Protein Shakes (which tasted almost too yummy to be of healthy, nutritional value), but alas, it was indeed! They offer a wide variety of protein and meal replacement shakes all serving multiple purposes - rebooting after a long day of work, charging up before a work out. I was told they even have a shake designed specifically to help offset the side effects of a long Saturday night out. Shake it up baby, twist and shout, I say.
I was also lucky enough to discover the miniature nutrient rich pies which are not only good for the figure (I know - crazy!), but also could be eaten before or after a workout. Any pie that serves both of those purposes is my kind of sweet treat.
Providing a nutrition bar, free wi-fi, and laptop workspace - Coastal Nutrition may be the super healthy equivalent to the new coffee shop in town. More
The proclamation ‘Cheese Makes You Happy’ scrawled on the chalkboard proved true at The Cheese Plate in Warren on Wednesday night. Each of the four showcased cheeses were paired with a wine or beer that created an entirely new flavor, making it difficult to imagine ever having one without the other.
One of the most interesting combinations was a German wheat beer paired with a Roquefort-encrusted Chevre – the fruity notes of the beer were amplified by the intensely creamy sharpness of the cheese.
The Cheese Plate was filled with fans du fromage who formed what appeared to be a ‘circle line’, constantly rotating, giving samplers ample time to learn about their next glass of wine and bite of cheese, then shuffling around to enjoy the French music and beautiful afternoon light before making it all the way around again back to the table for the next course.
The most unbelievable part of this event? It was free! Although, we challenge you to try the array of cheeses and leave empty handed, satisfied with the Kraft Singles in your fridge. We stocked up on the Percorino with Truffle and the Roquefort-encrusted Chevre before we left – classy grilled cheese here we come!
Check The Cheese Plate’s Facebook page for the next wine and cheese pairing – see you there. More
There are a lot of really great things about living in New England, but one of the very best things about it is being surrounded by places integral to American history. We’re surrounded by buildings and landmarks frequented by the country’s founding fathers; if you pay close enough attention, you can appreciate it in the places you see every day. It’s a really good time to do that in Portsmouth, which is celebrating its 375th anniversary all year long. (The town was settled by dissidents from the Massachusetts Bay Colony, including Roger Williams’s compatriot Anne Hutchinson, in 1638.) The celebration kicked off on January 1 with a Polar Dive, and continues this month with an art exhibit at the Portsmouth Arts Guild through April 7, and a lecture on “Portsmouth 100 Years Ago” on April 9 at Portsmouth Town Hall. Next month will feature more lectures, a ladies’ high tea and a celebration at Greenvale Vineyards. Custom House Coffee is also in on the festivities, having blended a custom Portsmouth 375 Anniversary Roast for this year, with partial proceeds going to the 375th Historic Preservation Fund. The full schedule of celebration is available at www.PortsmouthRI375.com or on Twitter @portsmouthri375. More
Today is a somber day for many Rhode Islanders: the tenth anniversary of the Station Fire, which took the lives of 100 people. It also marks the beginning of a documentary web series that will tell some of the stories of the lives affected by the tragedy. Episodes of The Station Web Series will run weekly on the project's YoutTube channel. Various installments will include interviews with survivors, family members of the victims, first responders and medical personnel, lawmakers and fire safety professionals. The project is the work of Paul Lonardo, Gina Russo and David Bettencourt, and is based in part on From the Ashes, a book that Londardo and Russo co-authored about the fire. Russo is also the current president of the Station Memorial Foundation. Check out the first episode below:
On February 2, Trafford Restaurant in Warren hosted the Pat McGee band and transformed their second floor dining area into a uniquely intimate stage. Guests were able to enjoy all of the comforts of fine dining while listening to one of Rhode Island’s favorite bands topped off with a spectacular view. The bar area accommodated standing room for those interested in hearing the music and unwinding with some drinks. Pat McGee utilized the cozy environment to connect with his audience, sharing anecdotes from his life in the Ocean State, what it’s like to be a dad to three little girls, and of course, how if feels to be a local celebrity. More
By now you may have heard that Winter Storm Nemo is bearing down on New England and preparing to drop anywhere from 1-265 inches (give or take) of powder in the Northeast, and possibly anything from a few flurries to a catastrophic blizzard of biblical proportions around the region, including New York, New Jersey, DC, Miami, Atlanta, Albuquerque, the US Virgin Islands, Belize, Hawaii (the island of Oahu only), New South Wales, Isengard and The Shire. Here is the latest Storm Tracker XL5000 DopplerMaster Radar Luxury Edition III satellite photo of Nemo's approach:
Always concerned for the wellbeing of our readers, we've compiled a list of the following snow preparedness tips so you can be ready for The Wrath of Nemo:
-Stock up on milk and bread.
-While you're at the market, might as well pick up other food that you might need to eat an actual meal instead of subsisting off milk and bread like a Dickensian street urchin.
-Hold up the entire damn line at Stop & Shop like there's no one else waiting while you look for that expired coupon for milk and/or bread.
-Act like it has never snowed before. Ever.
-Call a parent, grandparent or older relative so they can remind you how this is nothing compared to the Blizzard of '78.
-Start live-Tweeting the storm now so that your hash tag wins. #snowedin #statingtheobvious #didImentionitssnowing? #catchinguponHomeland
-Post a Facebook update encouraging everyone to stay safe and warm. Seriously. Do it now. Do you want your friends to die a horrible, freezing, snowbound death? You've got to warn them!
-Gather the supplies you'll need if there's an extended power outage: candles, flashlights, warm blankets, non-perishable food, booze, satellite phone, animal pelts, whale blubber, a trashcan to throw through the front window of whatever store you're planning to loot.
-In the event of both a parking ban and a power outage, set your car on fire to stay warm and avoid costly parking … More
If you feel like you’ve seen that little orange leaf popping up all over and around the Ocean State, you’re right. Five Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt locations have opened within the last six months, the newest of which is in Seekonk. January 24 was the official grand opening of the Massachusetts location although it has actually been open since late July.
Aside from free frozen yogurt, the grand opening was celebrated with an in-store DJ and a giveaway of four Celtics floor seats – not a bad bonus on a trip out for fro yo!
The manager of the Seekonk location explained that one of the most important facets of Orange Leaf is their dedication to the local communities surrounding their stores. Local organizations like the Girl/Boy Scouts are invited to host fundraising events at their neighborhood location and 10% of the profits of all frozen yogurt sales go towards their fundraising goal. To find out more about how to raise money for your community organization with the help of Orange Leaf check out www.orangeleafyogurt.com.
Looking to display some love and affection the week before Valentine’s Day? The Robert Potter League for Animals, now in its 40th year, will be hosting its Have A Heart Cocktail Party & Auction on Friday, February 8 from 5:30-8:30pm at the Hotel Viking. Enjoy a range of cocktails, as well as wine & beer tasting during the preview party & live auction from 5:30-6:30pm. From there take part in the main event, which will include a silent auction, a 50/50 cash raffle, culinary stations & sweets and more, all to benefit the potter league’s commitment to bettering the lives of our furry little friends. One Bellevue Avenue, Newport. www.potterleague.org
The East Bay Food Pantry & Thrift Shop in Bristol is looking for an assortment of items for both their thrift shop and pantry on the behalf of charitable donations. Thrift shop items in need range from clothing, household items and furniture & decorative items. Most needed is seasonal clothing for the fall and winter. All items must be clean. Miscellaneous items including books, DVDs and sports equipment are also greatly appreciated. The Food Pantry is looking for a wide variety of items as well, including: canned soup, breakfast cereals, granola bars, olive oil, shampoo, detergent, and paper towels. Visit their website for a complete list of requested items. Donations can be dropped off Wednesdays through Saturdays from 10am-5pm. 150 Franklin Street, Bristol. 401-396-9490. info@eastbayfoodpantry.org. More
Last weekend I was invited to attend an after hours shopping event by Lori Clegg, owner of The Children’s Orchard of Seekonk. This particular event, the “Baby Buck,” was usually reserved for members of their M.O.M.'s club, where membership includes access to special after hours shop-portunities such as this one, as well as other great benefits. Children’s clothing was on sale that evening for only $1, so needless to say this event is popular. I’m almost depressed that there is no such thing as a Grownup’s Orchard!
Throughout my shopping experience there, I was very surprised to see so many little fashionistas picking out their own clothes – and actually enjoying it. I can remember shopping for outfits with my mother when I was a wee lass as nothing short of nightmare. One adorable little duo had become close friends through their mothers shopping there. What a valuable life lesson in womanhood: Friends Forever. Shop Together. I myself had great luck in finding an (adorable!) nautical themed outfit for a friend’s upcoming baby shower.
One awesome service Lori provides is personal shopping for her customer’s little ones. If you don’t have time to shop, Lori will set aside an outfit for your next visit.
Curious as to how much parents actually spend on their children’s clothing, I did a little research and found that according to a recent survey of 1,000 mothers from Parenting.com, 91% of them admitted to spending more on their children’s wardrobes than they do on their own. Additionally, 60% admitted that clothing will be their biggest expense this year. Thank goodness for stores like this where moms can find gently used designer duds for their little ones, and have still have money left aside to get that Brahmin bag they’ve been eyeing! More
I recently was offered a unique opportunity from Jeff Mello, known as “The Bee Man” and founder of Aquidneck Honey, to help participate in transporting a hive from its location in Portsmouth to a couple’s home in Exeter. They were going to utilize the hive to practice Bee Venom Therapy, or BVT, within their home.
Jeff made sure to tightly secure the contained hive while we transported it off the island, closing off any open spaces those little bees could sneak through. Knowing that there was literally thousands of them in that hive, I kept vigilant of growing buzzing noises. Thankfully, I heard none. Jeff is extremely passionate about his honeybees, fondly calling them “his girls”, as all honeybees are female (drone bees are male). Throughout the drive, he let me in on some of the do’s and don’ts of beekeeping, as well as the many (forgive me) bee-autiful things that they do:
1. Naturally, they make honey and honeycomb: Nature’s golden nectar that is both delicious and nutricious has been used for its healing properties dating back to ancient Egyptian times, and, it never expires. Too bad lunchmeat doesn’t share that same quality.
2. They pollinate: They pollinate 80 percent of our flowering crops, which constitutes a third of everything we eat. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, without bees, our diet would consist of little more than water.
3. They sting us: Though it can be slightly painful, and most people are terrified of getting stung by an angry bee (myself included), bee venom has powerful anti-inflammatory and painkilling attributes. In fact, BVT has been known to help conditions such as cardiovascular disease, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia and neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis. Adolapin, a compound found in bee venom, seems to greatly improve vision, coordination, mobility and sensitivity to touch in MS patients, according to an article from Discovery Fit … More
Providence Media, the leader in local lifestyle and the publisher of your favorite (right?) local magazine(s), is looking for an Internet Ninja to join our team. (No, that won’t be the actual job title.) This person will be responsible for managing our total online presence, including four websites corresponding to each of our magazines (you can name them all, right?) and various social media presences, including Facebook and Twitter.
What you would be doing…
-Posting all content from our magazines to the web.
-Creating original, web-only content.
-Managing social media for all four publications on Facebook and Twitter.
-Expanding our social media presence into new platforms.
-Selling and managing web advertising.
-Creating newsletters and e-blasts.
-Devising and executing an overall online presence with an eye toward both the editorial and the marketing/PR sides of things.
-Spending a lot of time on the Internet.
-Staying up on the latest trends and developments in online media; determining which ones are worthwhile and which ones are little better than cat memes.
-Learning lots of industry jargon and buzzwords, then trying not to confuse us with them.
What you should know/be able to do…
-Construct a halfway decent sentence.
-GET PEOPLE’S ATTENTION!!! in a more effective and less obnoxious manner than that.
-Distract our audience from getting actual work done through strategic deployment of status updates, tweets, blog posts and other Internet ephemera.
-Care about the communities and cultures of Rhode Island. Get interested in them, develop relationships with them and spotlight the most interesting parts.
-SEO. What is it? How do you do it? We’re not entirely sure either, but if you don’t already know it we’re going to send you to a class to learn it.
-Sell advertising. (Duh.)
-Graphic design, photography, Photoshop, HTML, etc. – those kinds of skills … More
The first of what will hopefully become a monthly tradition at Aidan’s Pub in Bristol began last night with their first “Beer Dinner.” For $50 per person, the chefs at Aidan's served up a five-course dinner, each course prepared with and paired with a different Harpoon beer. In between courses, diners got a bit of history about the beer from Harpoon’s own Mike Fraioli. From the grilled brat sliders and UFO White to the sweet potato bread pudding paired with Harpoon Pumpkin, the night was filled with a lively crowd, a hearty meal and an awesome variety of beer. More
Calvin Campany, president and owner of Adornment Fine Jewelry, understands how to have a good time. Every Friday night through November 16, Campany hosts Art On Tap, an event featuring free beer tastings, artwork and jewelry, all from local artists. “It’s important to support local artists – and I just like beer,” Campany says with a laugh. “I’ve been to stuffy wine tastings and stuffy art shows and I wanted something more fun because that’s what the Adornment is – a fun jewelry store.” The weekly events take place at his Newport store; wander in on a Friday night and lose yourself in the fun. More
Green Envy Eco-Boutique celebrated their Grand Re-Opening this past weekend with Reflexology treatments, discounts, free gifts and lots of yummy treats "From Scratch" and The Green Grocer. Each item at Green Envy is made locally or by fair trade artisans using organic, recycled or natural materials. That benefits both people and the planet – so you can pretty much feel awesome after buying anything there. We personally fell in love with the Scrabble charms (shown above) and recycled bridge token necklaces. More
Create, converse and crack-up laughing every Tuesday night at Drink and Dabble, a fun weekly event that’s led by RI funny man Charlie Hall. Sip cocktails, listen to some party music and enjoy a night out with friends while learning how to create your very own painted canvas. Drink and Dabble is an ideal girl’s night out, perfect for bachelorette parties, date nights or even as a corporate teambuilding exercise. Don’t worry if you’ve never painted before, experience is not necessary. All the essential materials will be supplied for you as well. And after the night is through, you can take home your masterpiece. Who knew you were so talented? The event takes place at Redlefen's Restaurant from 6:30-9:15pm. Tickets are $40. More
Do you ever drive by all of those renovated mills in Warren and wonder what exactly is inside them? Now, with the holiday shopping season in full swing, there’s no better time to check out Cutler Mills and 30 Cutler Street, two repurposed mill buildings that house 40 artists, artisans and small business owners. Simply put, there’s a lot to check out. “Everyday hundreds of people are comng through. It’s beautiful, clean and a place where people can come and feel safe,” says Michael Sigourney, owner of Cutler Mills and AVTECH Software Inc. Think of it like a mall,but significantly prettier and more locally minded: stained glass windows, solid wood doors and antique accents in these boutique mills create a unique shopping environment. 30 Cutler Street artists specialize in signs, furniture, home accessories, sculpture, photography, jewelry and so much more. It’s an ecclectic place to shop for the holidays if you’re looking for truly one of a kind offerings. Check out their Facebook page for cool alerts like trunk shows, and open studio events. More
Give a coat, get a coffee – it's that simple!
The 5th Annual Coats for Coffee drive to benefit the Boys and Girls Clubs of Providence kicks off this Monday at all Seven Stars Bakery locations. Bring a gently used kids or adult coat to either Providence (820 Hope St. or 342 Broadway) or Rumford (20 Newman Ave.) Seven Stars between October 22-November 4 and you'll receive a free small coffee. To help kickstart things, on the first day only they will also throw in a free baked good. All coats will be cleaned by Courtesy Cleaners before donation. You can also drop your coats directly at one of their locations and receive a voucher for your free coffee. Over the past four years Coats for Coffee has donated hundreds of badly needed coats to children and families in need during the chilly winter months. Help us reach this year's goal of over 500 coats this year and you're guaranteed to feel warm all over. More
This year the folks at Tiverton Four Corners are celebrating Columbus’ infamous landing with the Balloon Bash Columbus Day Weekend Celebration, ensuring your long weekend is especially enjoyable. Happening October 6 and 7 from 10am-5pm, the event invites guests to pop prize-filled balloons stuffed with goodies from local retailers, offering an opportunity to experience the thrilling excitement of plundering into the unknown for loot and riches. Christopher Columbus would be proud.
Four Corners is asking for a $1 donation per balloon popped, with all proceeds to benefit the Tiverton Food Pantry. The historic Tiverton Four Corners recently celebrated their 300th anniversary. 3852 Main Road, Tiverton. 401-624-2600 More
Jamiels Shoes, the near fifty-year old footwear retailer in Warren, gave us a scare when it closed its doors this past April. With a year full of rumors and reports of closing businesses, we are pleased to report that Jamiels is reopening its doors as Savon-Jamiels Shoe World. Customers can expect a fresh and enlarged inventory with a focus on kids footwear and popular brands such as Nike, UGGS, Clark’s and more. No official date yet (they’re saying sometime in October), but we do know that Francis Jamiel, former president of the company, has agreed to stay on as manager of the store – so shoppers can expect a familiar face. Take that, economy! 471 Main Street, Warren More