Food

This section includes pieces related to food products

BRINGING IT ALL BACK HOME

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Though I grew up in the Merrimack Valley, my writing career first took root when I lived in Marblehead.

And when you consider that my family shopped at Shubie’s all the time, it may be no surprise that I now write about great independent food makers.

As they have been around for over 75 years, it is a safe bet that I am not the first person to fall in love with the wonderful wares of independent makers with help from the Shube family. 

From freshly-prepared foods, handcrafted salads and sandwiches, and customized cakes at their recently-renovated Foodbar to candies and treats from other local legends like Harbor Sweets and a wide selection of gifts that includes great books to wine and spirits from around the corner and around the world, Shubie’s has everything you need to feed your family, sparkle a party host, and find a new favorite every time you visit! 

If you need help finding new favorites, be sure to take suggestions from third-generation Shubie, Dougy. 

If you need help finding great food for more than just yourself, Shubie’s also carters and consults on menus that are perfect for any occasion. And while a visit to the store is always fun, Shubie’s also offers online consultation and ordering and can deliver even to far-flung festivities beyond the beaches and beauty of the North Shore so you can keep enjoying even if you do not live nearby anymore (though I hope to go back soon!).

GREEK REVIVAL

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As it was once called the Athens of America, it makes sense that Boston is at the forefront of the Greek revival that appears to be running through the restaurant space like an Olympic (or Boston) marathoner.

And while many popular places have followed, the Farm Grille & Rotisserie in Newton and its sister store, Greek International Market in West Roxbury, have been leading the pack for over 25 years.

Whenever I want to get my Greek on in a fresh and friendly flash, a visit to the Grille always fits the bill(e). But when I want to get the authentic ingredients that make this family-run restaurant and caterer so great or to explore the larger realm of Hellenistic hunger helpers, the Market has all I need….and MORE!

In addition to freshly-imported Greek spices and wines (including Retsina) to imported meats and other prepared foods (including their famed octopus salad!), as well as hand-crafted cheeses and Greek yogurt, an olive bar and enough olive oils and Greek pastries for the Spartan army, the Market offers honey-based health and beauty aids, toys and gifts, and customized gift baskets that are perfect for any occasion. 

Speaking of occasions, the Market has an Aegean Sea-full of fish and a farm-full of plant-based options that are perfect for Lent or just for eating healthy! And Proprietor Katerina Iliades recently debuted a line of children’s clothing for communions and baptisms that will be on display at a VIP fashion show on March 23 at the Maliotis Center in Brookline!

Everyone seems set on catching the healthy and delicious Mediterranean diet train. As is true of so many other things, we in Boston are ahead of the curve, thanks in great part to the Iliades family and their great pair of places to eat.    

SMOKIN’ GOOD FISH

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I lived on the North Shore of Boston for many years and, though I have an ancient photo of my grandfather in front of the famed fisherman statue, the closest I ever came to Gloucester was a box of Gorton’s fish sticks.

These days, between the amazing fermented foods from Pigeon Cove Ferments and the great grub and grooves at The Cut, I am finding my way back more and more.

My latest find is Twin Light Smokehouse. As part of Cape Ann Fresh Catch, Twin Light takes fresh, ethically-caught fish from its experienced pescatarian parents and smokes it into its own set of salmon and shellfish sensations. From authentic Finnan Haddie and salmon-based “bacon” (the relative health benefits of which I need not go into) to savory smoked spreads, Twin Light has all you need for a shmear or a meal.

If salmon and mussels are not your thing, a visit to Cape Ann Fresh Catch will surely lure you in. In addition to offering the freshest fish from the nation’s oldest seaport, Cape Ann also offers a unique seafood CSA, the extras from which are either smoked by Twin Light or donated to area pantries so the unique flavors and nutrients that only fresh seafood can bring can be shared with those who might not otherwise be able to enjoy them. 
If you are new to Atlantic fish or want to expand your maritime menu, the Cape Ann website (www.capeannfreshcatch.org) has a handy guide to their various varieties as well as recipes that can encourage everyone to do more for their own health while supporting a healthy fishing industry.And when you can wash it all down with a Pigeon Cove kombucha- perfect!  / 

LIKE A BOSS

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As I have been talking about food so long, I am comfortable saying again that, especially at this time of year, I often find myself drinking the amazing Maple products from Cochrane’s and UnTapped straight from the bottle, but I recently found another direct-to-mouth product of which I cannot get enough that I wanted to share with everyone!

In addition to being a maple maven, I am also a granola gourmand and I’ve talked a lot about favorites like Forij and Golden Girl and Humble Bones– all of which are great straight from the container yet some of which are not always easy to just scoop and savor.

Fortunately, I recently found a long line of delicious nut-free butters that work everywhere my beloved PB does but takes the taste even further!

Oat Boss butters were made for a little girl with nut allergies but are sure to drive any food fan nuts (in a GOOD way)!

Though they all start with wholesome oats, coconut oil, and honey, Oat Boss butters add such impressively authentic natural flavors as blueberry muffin, shortbread, chocolate chip cookie, chocolate fudge, and even a granola butter donut that deserves a call from Kane’s Donuts!

As the butters are packed with protein and fiber and still only free of nuts, gluten, and soy, they can serve not only as a sandwich starter but also – as I said – as a spoon-fed snack for anyone!

And as they come from a family-run business, I want to get behind them with as many spoonsful as I can…and you will too!

THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET

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With all that’s going on in the Middle East, many are being discouraged to use many of the life-improving inventions that have come from the region.

Fortunately, the food is still too good to ignore!

In addition to Tzurit Or of Tatte, fans in MA can also enjoy the sweet creations of ‪Liron Pergament Gal’s Choc-allure and Uri Scheft and Or Ohana of Bakey and the authentic Lebanese flavors of Cedar’s Foods.

While the Haverhill-based, family-run company has been around for over 40 years, they are not resting on their laurels (or is that cedars?) and continue to innovate and introduce new taste sensations that bring the nutrition of chickpeas and other fresh Mediterranean foods to people all over the world with nothing artificial and everything fresh and founding family-approved.

Among their most recent releases are a pair of authentic labneh (a yogurt made with goat’s milk) that are flavored with scallions or feta cheese and onion and that make for creamy and cooling counterparts to hot and spicy favorites and great toppings for Cedar’s new pita chips.

For those who are familiar with their hummuses, Cedar’s can still help you expand your palate with new flavors like hot honey and pumpkin, each of which adds nutrition and pizzaz to nearly any dish.

For those who want to dip a toe in the Mediterranean, Cedar’s also offers single-serving packs that are also great to take with you on your next adventure (or just to work).

Friends and relatives may be facing unimaginable horrors in the Middle East, but at least we can support our neighbors while enjoying nutritious delicious food.  

APRÉS ALL DAY

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Though you may not know it from looking outside, it’s apparently ski season…somewhere. It is also five o’clock somewhere too!

That is why I was so stoked to find Backcountry Cocktails – a collection of White Mountain-inspired, beautifully-depicted recipes that are perfect for before, after, or instead of skiing, hiking, or any other exterior exertions.

Written by liquor legend Steven Grasse and food writer extraordinaire Adam Erace, Backcountry Cocktails has all you need for a great time in the great outdoors (or a safe and warm vantage point inside).

From a fresh-picked dandelion wine, a hard-seltzer-based Ameri-can-o, and a gin and juice-d Franconia 75 to a maple slush that brings in the best from the Green Mountain state of Vermont and an alpine cocoa that can be made kid-friendly so it is safe to drink even before your adventure, this handy guide to rural refreshment has something for every taste and activity.

With recipes and easily-improvised ingredients sourced from local crafters (many of whom are introduced in the book), readers can be sure to get the freshest, most authentic tastes no matter which new favorites they find. And as the book has offerings inspired by each season and tips on everything from foraging and fire making to beaver dam traversing, it is great to use to freshen up fishing trips, loosen up leaf peeping, or make any outdoor opportunity optimal.

The land of the Abenaki, Pennacook, and Wabanaki has been a source of sustenance and inspiration for generations. Now you can take some of the best of that knowledge and enjoyment with you wherever you go!

 www.RunningPress.com

COOKIN’ UP A NEW SPACE in NEWTON

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While I admittedly talk a better food game than I create, I still like to learn. That is why I was so bummed when Create-a-Cook closed and why I am so excited to see the space being revamped as Third Space Kitchen & Events.

I recently met owner Eric Brown and found that he also comes from more humble cooking stock. Having been in the tech world for most of his career, Eric went to the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts before opening Third Space in Groton and hopes to bring other amateur and professional chefs to teach and learn about food while building community and having fun!

The name of the place comes from the concept of a space that is neither work nor home but that is comfortable and productive nonetheless. Both Third Space spaces offer after school classes that are intended to imbue newer chefs with confidence in both their kitchen skills and creativity and evening classes that will work well for date nights and also as sources of great family-style meals that can also lead to networking and friend-making. 

Eric also hopes to involve area food-makers and even has plans to set up a podcasting area where he can continue the culinary community support he offers on the regional food forum Nashoba Valley Eats.

While he is already sourcing from Springdale Farm and looking for other independent food makers (which we also have in common!), Eric admits that not every meal will be seasonal and makes it clear that the recipes that involve out of season ingredients are meant to allow students to find favorites they can make work any time of year and to enjoy and learn about food just like Eric and I do!

thirdspacekitchen.com

GATHER-ING SUPPORT

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Our food community is made up of not only some of the most talented chefs and restaurateurs but also some of the most giving!

From Steve Peljovich at Michael’s Deli to Karen Masterson at Johnny’s Luncheonette to Jeanie Gruber at Wish Dish, the list of food makers and food sellers who often give away more than they make to support their community is inspiring!

Apparently, this noble tradition of giving goes back quite some time – all the way back to 1816, in fact!

It was then, in Portsmouth, NH, that a group of charitable women who wanted to support the families of local fishermen started a social services organization named Gather, which was one of the first such groups in the country.

Since then, Gather has continued to grow, gathering more support and also gathering more people it supports with its pantry and food delivery programs.

As evidence of its continued development, Gather opened the Gather Cafe at Great Bay Community College just last year as a means of combatting food insecurity among college students. The Cafe charges the general public reasonable prices for freshly-made food and catering services so it can subsidize the food purchases of area students, allowing them to fuel their bodies so they can fuel their minds and fuel the future for all. Though this may be an underexposed issue (especially considering that nearly 40% of all students go hungry from time to time), it is one that is unfortunately very real and that other schools and organizations would be wise to get involved with as well.

Another way to get involved is through the Seacoast Half Marathon on October 29. Proceeds from this year’s event will benefit Gather! 

With food and tuition prices rising and campus gun violence more prevalent than ever, students have a lot to worry about when they go to school. Eating should not be one of them.

Please go to www.gathernh.org and help gather support for this historic helping hand.

QUAK-ING UP THE FOOD DESERT

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As a proud Penn Quaker who has written a book about the Ivy League and who tutored Philadelphia students as captain of the Penn boxing team and director of the Boxing Scholarship Foundation, I was thrilled to hear that some younger alumni were carrying on the proud Penn tradition of town and gown community support through the food space and just had to take a minute to tell everyone!

When they found the boxes of ingredients they were trying to distribute being turned down by residents who did not know how to use them, recent Penn grads Alexandre Imbot and Eli Moraru went to Harvard Law School’s Food Law and Policy Clinic to develop a new model that would allow and encourage people to use food stamps om foods they would actually eat. It is called The Community Grocer.

Serving as an antidote to the food deserts that exist in to many communities that are primarily inhabited by people of color, The Community Grocer partners with other organizations to help people who are involved with Federal food aid programs like SNAP stretch their dollars further while making food that is healthier and more nourishing for their families and the communities. They also encourage people to cook and eat at home more often, making healthier meals in a healthier environment.

By offering market space with social gathering rooms and classes about nutrition and other sustaining subjects ,and other offerings that are often not offered in many neighborhoods, the Community Grocer provides goods and services that are necessary for survival and growth and will hopefully offer a model that others can adopt and spread across the country and around the world.

Watch for the Community Grocer team in a future edition of Lions, Tigers, and…Bulldogs?

Founder Franklin would be proud!

www.thecommunitygrocer.org

JELLY THAT CAN GET YOU PICKLED

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We have used many words for food over the years, but here are two I have not heard together before- jelly and alcohol!

I have been a fan of PB&J since I was a kid, but now that I am…older, I sometimes seek a more sophisticated sweetener for my legumated lunch.

That is why I am so thrilled to have found Olde Haven Farm!

As it is a family-run farm in Maine, it may be no surprise that Olde Haven uses traditional and ethical techniques to process and distribute its many delicious products. What might be interesting, however, is that many of these products combine flavors and ingredients that are not usually combined.

In addition to their home-grown produce and meats, Olde Haven is known for their preserves and preservations. From authentic salsas from south of the (Canadian) border to mustard pickles that combine the two best hot dog toppers in one to dill-brined green beans and garlic honey carrots, the folks at Olde Haven know how to use old techniques to make new taste sensations. But what may be the most sensational are their fresh fruit jams that, as mentioned before, are often laced with liquor!

In addition to familiar faves like strawberry rhubarb and (of course) wild Maine blueberry, Olde Haven whips up boozy batches of cherry Amaretto, cinnamon apple Whiskey, pomegranate Rosé, and Bourbon peach (which is GREAT on ice cream!), and even a Christmas flavor that is perfect for mull-ing over a gift list. Speaking of gifts, Olde Haven’s products can be combined to fit any occasion and any recipient, regardless of age or tolerance.

From the famed Maine farmer’s markets to your local grocer (just ask!), Olde Haven is growing in popularity thanks to its combination of family tradition and creative ingenuity- Just like a farm in Maine should be!

www.oldehavenfarm.com