Category Archives: Connecticut

For a Stinking Good Time

22 Wednesday Aug 2018

Posted by in Connecticut, Festivals, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Travel, Vermont, Weekend

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As I reflect upon last weekend’s jaunt to the rolling hills of the Battenkill Valley region of upstate New York, I can’t help but smile at the number of farmers’ markets and road side stalls, with trust boxes, selling everything from zucchinis and tomatoes to bulbs of pungently aromatic garlic. And while some find the end of summer to be bittersweet, I look forward to the warm afternoons and crisp evenings of fall. But,

Purchased at the Cambridge, NY Farmers’ Market

before the apple and harvest festivals kick in, the lag time between mid/end of summer and early October is garlic festival season and here in the northeast there are plenty to choose from. The Garlic Seed Foundation has a complete list; however, for those traversing the countryside of the northeast, a condensed list follows:

September 1 – 2
The Pocono Garlic & Harvest Festival (Shawnee, PA) – celebrating its 24th year, Shawnee Mountain Inn hosts food and craft vendors that offer everything from garlic vinegar and garlic ice cream to garlic-themed pottery and paintings.

The Garlic & Herb Festival (Bennington, VT) – Celebrating it’s 23rd year, this festival has been featured in Yankee Magazine, U.S. News & World Report, and Reuters. Garlic lovers flock to this picturesque town to sample garlic and herb inspired food and crafts from hundreds of vendors.

September 15 – 16
Long Island Garlic Festival (Riverhead, NY) – Long Island’s only garlic festival, featuring the wonders of ‘Garliciana’ with vendors showcasing a wide variety of garlic inspired foods, crafts and music. The festival will feature a garlic eating contest as well as a Junior Iron Chef competition for the kids.

The Garlic Festival at Olde Mistick Village (Mystic, CT) – In its 11th year, this award-winning festival will showcase all things garlic with local restaurants, merchants, artisans, authors and artists as well as village merchants who will offer garlic-related activities and products at their stores. Note, this is one of the few festivals that is free.

September 22
Susquehanna Valley Garlic Festival (Milford, NY) – With garlic varieties from around the world, all grown locally, the Susquehanna Garlic Festival features braiding demonstrations, growing tips and other educational sessions, and live entertainment for young and old alike.

September 29 – 30
Hudson Valley Garlic Festival (Saugerties, NY) – A local tradition, this festival hosts tens of thousands of visitors each year.  The event is a “fun celebration of the harvest of what garlic aficionados lovingly refer to as the ‘stinking rose’.”

The North Quabbin Garlic and Arts Festival (Orange, MA) – “The Festival that Stinks” is celebrating 20 years of ‘Peace, love and garlic’ and is held on a beautiful historic farm amidst the rolling Massachusetts countryside.

October 6 – 7
Easton Garlic Fest (Easton, PA) – Festivities include the Gastric Garlic People’s Choice Contest, Dangerous Dessert Contest, Farm to Table Iron Chef Cook-Off, over the top 3 Mayors Cook-Off and the exciting First Responders Cook-Off.

Connecticut Garlic & Harvest Festival (Bethlehem, CT) – In its 14th year, the Connecticut Garlic & Harvest Festival will showcase cooking demonstrations and lectures, and will have a variety of garlic and fall provisions available for purchase.

Our friends at the Hudson Valley Garlic Festival include a fantastic listing of the varieties of garlic on their webite as well as what to look for when shopping for garlic, check it out.

The festivals listed above feature educational lectures and demonstrations, vendors selling garlic and a selection of arts, crafts and games for the little ones. Most have an admission fee that, in the grand scheme of fees, appear to be reasonable.

So, with the summertime waning, I encourage you to hit the road and check out a not-so-typical festival for those who love the stink, and the taste, of garlic!

Winter Doldrums…

28 Friday Feb 2014

Posted by in Connecticut, Epicurean, Festivals, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Travel, Uncategorized

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It’s been a long winter, way too long (almost as long as I’ve been neglecting this site), and the natives are getting restless.  My taste buds and desire to travel, however, were tempted by a recent post on CNN about Tasting Your Way through 2014.

Winter, 2014, Lodi NJ

Winter, 2014, Lodi NJ

While most events aren’t based in the Northeast, I wondered ‘what’s a girl to do’ when the artic vortex has left us knee deep in Snowmaggedon?  So, I took matters into my own hands, hunting down these Northeast Jems to get us through the remains of winter:

The 6th Annual New York Beer Week, winding down this weekend, has a lot to offer, including a Beer Crawl through Williamsburg and the PSE&G Blackout, both taking place tomorrow, and an Urban Oyster Brewery Wine Tour on Sunday (say that 10 times fast).  We’re also smack dab in the middle of NYC’s Restaurant Week, where 3-course meals can be had for $25/lunch and $38/dinner, not bad for some of NY’s finest restaurants.

In Pennsylvania, there’s the 4th Annual Uncork the Alleghenies Wine Festival, held on March 8th which features more than 15 PA wineries.  The event also offers special VIP sessions with private wine tastings (tickets are limited, so get them while they last).   On April 11th & 12th, there’s the PA Herb Festival in York featuring ‘nationally known speakers, workshops and numerous vendors of plants, herbal crafts, products for the gardener, cook and crafter’ if that’s your thing (not telling the big man as he’ll be dragging us there, and Lord knows we already have more herbs than we know what to do with…).

In April, the fine folks in CT pay tribute to the American Liver Foundation with its Flavors of Connecticut event, held on April 1st in Plantsville.  The event ‘is a culinary experience that goes beyond the traditional gala and provides each table of attendees with a local chef who will prepare a multi-course dinner tableside.’

In my hometown of Boston, there’s the March 4  Taste of the South End
benefit for the AIDS Action Committee of MA that features more than 40 restaurants and is held at the Boston Center for the Arts.   There’s also the 25th Annual Boston Wine Festival held at the Boston Harbor Hotel through April which is the nation’s longest running wine and food pairing series hosted by either a winemaker or wine proprietor.

Yes, there's water/beaches in NH

Yes, there’s water/beaches in NH

In April, in NH, Share our Strength holds its Taste of the Nation Manchester event.  Guests will enjoy cuisine from more than 50 of New Hampshire’s top chefs paired with wines from 30 vineyards courtesy of 5 local wine distributors. Taste of the Nation is New Hampshire’s premier culinary event features guest mixologists, beer, specialty cocktails, and fabulous entertainment!

In Vermont, later in the season, one can enjoy The 16th Annual Stowe Wine & Food Classic, taking place June 13-15 at Trapp Family Lodge. As Maria just passed away, I’m sure it will be a celebration to remember.

Nothing to report for Maine, they’re still under a pile of snow; and I tend not to go much farther south than PA, so these will have to do for now.  This weekend, in honor of Mardi Gras, I’ll be making a King Cake; something I’ve always wanted to do, but have feared.  ‘Why,’ you ask.  Well, yeast intimidates me; but I enlisted the big man, aka Tony, my husband, to actual make the cake, so we’ll take some videos to provide you with a fun and entertaining way to herald in the Lenten season.

Oh, yes, you may see a wine/beer theme going on here…tends to be the trend in the Rivera household…may need to rename the blog.

Random Musings for the Weekend…

04 Sunday Dec 2011

Posted by in Connecticut, Cookies, Cooking Schools, Holidays, Massachusetts, Recipes, Travel, Vegetables

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Procrastination. So much to do and this the only weekend we have to do it, We’ve been decking the halls, only using real greenery, and attacking the Christmas Cards all weekend…laundry be damned!  If time allots, I’ll make cookies for Tony’s students. However, the recipe I use, the famous Stifter Monster Cookies, makes a boat load of cookies and even when making half a batch you’re still baking 2 – 3 hours later. Also will be attempting to finish bunch of things that absolutely must be done — switching the clothes, winterizing the back yard, etc. While I continue hiding from the inevitable, a few thoughts:
Route 2, Massachusetts

The Mohawk Trail

The Mohawk Trail: Next weekend we’re going to Massachusetts to see our nieces in a Christmas Pageant (unbeknownst to my sister.  Note to self, must tell her…). Figured we could do a leisurely drive home along Route 2, aka the Mohawk Trail, with a stop for shopping/lunch in Deerfield. As we frequent New England on a somewhat regular basis, we tend to do ‘hit and runs’. Especially this spring, my driving has always been geared toward ‘how can I get to where I need to go the quickest and with the least amount of headaches.’ As things have quieted down, we’ve begun taking leisurely rides home, usually stopping at least once or twice along the way. In September, as we were coming home from the Cape, we stopped in Groton, Connecticut, just south of Mystic, at the Submarine Force Library and museum.  Personally, my interest was less than enthusiastic, but Tony was thrilled. And, thankfully, his enthusiasm was contagious. Apparently, there’s a replica turtle thing there and we were able to board the USS Nautilus, the first nuclear powered sub that, back in 1958, crossed the North Pole, the first ship to do so. 

The USS Nautilus

The USS Nautilus

 

2012 To Dos: I’ve committed to do numerous epicurean things in 2012 and will compile a list, at some point soon, to share. The good thing is that I’ve started researching some of my ‘to dos,’ (did you know there’s a cooking school in Cresskill, NJ?) and am plotting out how I’ll spend Q1 of 2012 taking classes and traveling the Northeast, visiting friends and family and enjoying the fare along the way. I guess my only concern about this is that I’ve always wanted to take technique classes, as it takes me about a 1/2 hour to cut an onion, prior to taking formal cooking classes. Apparently, the two will be inter-mingled and I’ll keep you update on how that’s works out.

Roasted Butternut Squash

Roasted Butternut Squash from Simple Speedy Snacks

Recipes: A quick survey of my reader revealed that recipes would be welcome. In 2012, I vow to post recipes, from cookbooks on the shelf, to the family trove of recipes to recipes I find from fellow bloggers and classes I may take along the way.  Actually found a really nice, fall recipe for roasted butternut squash from Simply Speedy Snacks and am excited to try it over my extended holiday at the end of the month.

If eggnog weren’t completely gross, I would have stocked up for the ‘deck the halls’ weekend. But, alas, we found other liberations that helped us us out along the way.  We’ve been local this weekend, enjoying each other’s company and taking care of Christmas business (for the record, our tree, tiny though it may be, fell over on me last evening). Next up, researching and organizing 2012 cooking classes,epicurean adventures, and unknown areas to explore throughout the year. We’ll keep you updated on our adventures and promise to, soon, very soon, start posting recipes.

Thanksgiving in Connecticut…

28 Monday Nov 2011

Posted by in Connecticut, Holidays, Pie, Travel

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No, it wasn’t Christmas, but Thanksgiving in Connecticut was lovely and relaxing.    Higganum is roughly the size of Paramus NJ or that of the town I grew up in, Natick, Mass.  However, the populations of each are ~ 5,000, ~ 36,000 and ~ 33,000, respectively.  For perspective’s sake, the town we currently live in is ~ 75% smaller, 2.3 square miles, than those towns, with a population of ~ 25,000.  Yes, we’re rather close in Lodi.

The Connecticut River Museum located in Essex, CT

Higganum, which lies on the Connecticut River, is a ‘village’ in Haddam just south of Middletown and is considered mid-state.  As I thought the town was smack dab in the middle of nowhere, I was pleasantly surprised to find it a 20 minute ride to the ocean.

The timing of our arrival and that of the bird’s cooking clashed and we made our entrance just ahead of dinner which was excellent and had some new twists on classic Thanksgiving fare.  Dessert was yummy and my pie a success.  Other sweet delights included pumpkin and pecan pies, the pecan was fantastic, and a chocolate cream pie, which came to the festivities from Middletown, CT, via Massachusetts.

 

Contemplating the next great shot.

On Friday, we ventured to the Florence Griswold Museum, the ‘home of American Impressionism,’ in Old Lyme and then went to the beach for lunch.  The Museum was decked out for Christmas and had an exhibit from post-Depression era photographer, Walker Evans. 

Not knowing the name, I was pleasantly surprised to recognize numerous images.

The remainder of the grounds included a main house, barn, and gardens that meander along the Lieutenant River.  Loving historical homes and period furniture, I went to the house and was taken aback by the abrasive and somewhat militant little old lady giving the ‘tour’ (come on, there are 4 rooms and you can’t really go into 3 of them).    Interestingly, the main floor features a series of ~ 40 ‘painted panels’ on various doors and in the dining room.  Painted throughout the early 1900s, Old Lyme Art Colony members began decorating select panels and it was considered an honor to be chosen to paint a panel.   

The Hot Air Club

It could be argued that, without knowing it, these artists were living an epicurean lifestyle.  It was not uncommon for new comers to be welcomed into the dining room with a flurry of activity as chairs were shuffled to make room at the table.  And, on summer evenings, the artists would escape the heat of the house by dining on the side porch.  What started with a handful of bachelors, ‘jackets removed and sleeves rolled up’, the entire community eventually joined the group.  Soon, they named themselves the ‘Hot Air Club’ for both the weather and the lively conversation that inevitably ensued.

We ended our afternoon at Hammonasset State Park.  I love the beach, especially in the off-season.  We had turkey sandwiches (what could be better than a day after Thanksgiving sandwich?), watched some polar bear fools dive into the ocean (albeit, the water probably wasn’t that cold), and visited the Meigs Point Nature Center, effectively, a tiny building with some indigenous critters on display.

The remainder of the weekend was spent in Lodi, baking and rearranging the living room furniture. More importantly, we finished our annual Christmas letter and began plotting some Connecticut culinary adventures.