Free Technique Classes at Williams Sonoma

Sunday, May 1
Knife Skills
Learn basic knife techniques to keep your culinary skills sharp. We’ll cover slicing, dicing, and chopping as well as more advanced cuts such as chiffonade, julienne and more.

Sunday, May 15

On the Grill: Burgers & Chicken

Just in time for Memorial Day festivities, this class offers tips on preparing your backyard barbecue and demonstrates how to grill juicy burgers and succulent chicken.

Sunday, May 22
On the Grill: Starters & Sides
Discover how to grill vegetables to crisp-tender perfection, make an impressive grilled romaine salad and prepare flavorful sauces and relishes.

Cooking Classes: these might have a fee.
Week of May 2 - 6
Dinner from the Farmers’ Market
Using recipes from our Cooking from the Farmers’ Market cookbook, we’ll show you how to transform summer’s bountiful produce into an impressive meal.

Week of May 9 - 13
Giada’s Family-Style Supper
With a little help with recipes from celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis, you’ll learn how to create an Italian-inspired meal the entire family will love to prepare and eat.

Beat the heat, dine on the street...

The warm spring weather yesterday started me thinking about where I could go that offered outdoor seating to it's patrons, so that I could soak up the sunshine. It made me long for places like Quebec City, street cafes in Europe, and even on the streets of New York City. But then I realized Connecticut has it's fair share of lovely outdoor offerings too, so here are some of my favorites so far....feel free to comment or send me some of your favorites that can be added to the on-going list.

Hartford:

Salute, Firebox, Tisane, First and Last, Vitos by the Park, Bin 228, Hot Tomatoes, Bocca Rossa, Braaza, Monte Alban, Absynnia, Coyote Flaco.

New Haven:

Basta, Caseus, Owl Shop.

West Hartford: Shish Kebob House of Afghanistan, Tapas.

Middletown: Esca Wine Bar, Javapalooza!

Avon: The Elephant Trail, Fabiolas.

Some of your suggestions:
1. The Place Restaurant http://theplaceguilford.com/ (courtesy of Jon)
2. The Blue Oar, no website, but you can get details on yelp: http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-blue-oar-haddam (courtesy of Priscilla)

Return of the Midweek Hangover: Vitos by the Park

I thought that my discerning, bargain hunting cocktail fans would appreciate knowing that Vito's by the Park has now thoughtfully extended their happy hour till 8pm! Enjoy!

The 1/2 priced apps that they are referring to are:
Formaggio Italiano: Mozzarella cheese battered with Italian bread crumbs and seasonings then lightly fried $6.95


Beef Carpaccio: Thinly sliced filet mignon served with arugula and shaved parmesan cheese $11.95


Goat Cheese & Mushrooms Tart: With tomatoes, Vidalia onions, and roasted fennel finished with blood orange balsamic glaze $9.95


Prosciutto Wrapped Jumbo Shrimp: Served with caramelized citrus sauce $10.95


Roasted Pepper & Gorgonzola Cheese Crostini: Fresh house made focaccia bread layered with prosciutto, peppers, cheese, and finished with red onion jam $9.95


Calamari alla Vito’s: Calamari sautéed with garlic, capers, tomatoes, and red onions in a sherry wine sauce $11.95

Fried Calamari: Rings and tentacles lightly fried with hot cherry peppers and served with cocktail sauce 10.95


Garlic Bread: Italian bread basted with garlic butter and topped with mozzarella cheese $6.25

Cocktail Culture: Ritual and Invention in American Fashion, 1920–1980 (At RISD)

Cocktail Culture: Ritual and Invention in American Fashion, 1920-1980 is the first multi-disciplinary exhibition to explore the social ritual of the cocktail hour through the lens of fashion and design. Organized by the RISD Museum of Art’s Department of Costume and Textiles, Cocktail Culture features stunning fashion apparel from Balenciaga to Schiaparelli, jewelry, textiles, decorative and fine art, film, photographs, and more. More than 220 objects are included, drawn from the Museum’s vast holdings and loans from other museums and private collections.

Related Programs

Cocktail Connected Design/ Sunday, April 17, 2 pm / Chace Center Galleries
Matthew Bird (RISD BFA 1989), owner of The Curatorium and critic in RISD’s Industrial Design Department, considers the design impact of cocktail consumption through barware and home entertaining accessories. Free with museum admission.

Cocktail Fashion/ Friday, May 13, 12:15 pm / Chace Center Galleries
Lorraine Howes, professor emerita of apparel design at RISD, explores fashion trends and styles through from the 1920s to 80s. Free with museum admission.

Film Series: Cocktail Culture on the Silver Screen
Haute couture costumes and lavish sets fill the big screen during monthly screenings of classic and celebrated films highlighting cultural moments considered in the exhibition Cocktail Culture. The films, introduced by Tom Roberts, RISD professor of history, are free and co-sponsored by Cable Car Cinema.

Ultrasuede: In Search of Halston / Thursday, April 21, 6:30 pm
Michael P. Metcalf Auditorium, Chace Center
This documentary chronicles the life and career of Halston the iconic American fashion designer who reigned as the dissolute king of 1970s NYC nightlife. Featuring interviews with clients and friends, including Liza Minnelli, Billy Joel and André Leon Talley. (2009/90 min./not rated)

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie / Thursday, May 19, 7 pm
Michael P. Metcalf Auditorium, Chace Center
In Luis Buñuel's deliciously satiric, Oscar-winning masterpiece, an upper-class sextet sits down to dinner but never eats, their attempts repeatedly thwarted by a vaudevillian mixture of events both actual and imagined. A timeless satire about consumerism and class privilege. (1972/100 min./Parental Guidance suggested)

Funny Face / Thursday, June 16, 6:30 pm
Michael P. Metcalf Auditorium, Chace Center
Fred Astaire plays a fashion photographer, based on Richard Avedon (the designer of the opening title sequence), in this musical co-starring Audrey Hepburn as a newly discovered, reluctant fashion model. (1957/100 min./not rated)

Auntie Mame/ Thursday, July 21, 6 pm
Michael P. Metcalf Auditorium, Chace Center
Rosalind Russell as larger-than-life Mame Dennis, who unexpectedly gains custody of her young nephew Patrick in 1920s New York. As Patrick grows, he learns to live by Auntie Mame’s motto: “Life is a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving to death!” (1958/140 min./not rated)

Cocktail Culture Classes/ RISD
Continuing Education offers courses inspired by the stunning fashions on view in Cocktail Culture. Fine Sewing Techniques for Apparel (12 sessions, March 3-May 26, Thursdays, 6:30-9:30 pm) is designed for the sewer who wants to take their skills to the next level. Dressing for Drinking: The Cocktail’s Place in Fashion History (6 sessions, April 7-May 19, 6:30-9:30 pm) focuses on the history of cocktail attire, as well as the accompanying changes in the social landscape through the 1920s to '80s. The Art of Shopping for Vintage Clothing (1 session, Wednesday, May 18, 6:30-8:30 pm) helps students cultivate their own sense of style while gaining valuable skills in buying and collecting vintage clothing and accessories. Museum members receive a 10% discount on Continuing Education classes. Learn more and register.

Filmmaker Ian Cheney and Screening of Truck Farm- TONIGHT at Trinity College!

​What: The film Truck Farm, a new documentary telling the story of an old truck, a new kind of farming, and the future of food in the American city, will be screened at The Mill. Co-producer Ian Cheney will lead a discussion following the screening.

When: Wednesday, April 13th at 4:30 p.m.

Where: The Mill, Trinity’s student-run art house, 79 Vernon Street on the Trinity campus

Background: Truck Farm takes a look at the quirky world of urban agriculture. Using green roof technology and heirloom seeds, filmmaker Ian Cheney plants a garden on the only land he’s got: the back of his grandfather’s old pickup truck. Once the truck bed begins to sprout, Cheney and the Truck Farm set out to explore the rooftops, barges and windows that represent New York City’s newest edible oases.

The film is a whimsical call-to-farms, featuring nutritionist Marion Nestle, chef Dan Barber, and musical narration by the Brooklyn band The Fishermen Three. Truck Farm premiered in January at the Wild & Scenic Film Festival in California, earning a special Honorable Mention from the festival’s jury.

The Truck Farm project advances the notion that growing a bit of one’s food can be fun, easy and rewarding. The Truck Farm itself has become an icon in New York’s urban agriculture community, and has been featured on NPR and in The Washington Post. The national release of Truck Farm will bring the story of the mobile garden to even more audiences across the country this spring and summer, sparking discussions on urban agriculture and building momentum for school and community garden programs.

In coordination with the release of the whimsical 50-minute film, a Truck Farm fleet will be increased to 25 trucks in 25 cities. Cheney and the original Truck Farm will also tour New York City schools this spring, making truck-side presentations to students on growing and eating healthy food. Photos and select episodes from the film are available at http://truck-farm.com.

Return of the Midweek Hangover: Half Price Bottle Nights

It's a glorious day for wine drinkers in Connecticut! Not only does the CT wine trail open up for business this month, but I have stumbled upon a nice selection of places that are encouraging their patrons to come in on their slower nights to enjoy half priced bottles of wines! It's both a good way to impress a date, and also to try some really interesting wines that you might normally over look. Last night, I enjoyed a marvelous Malbec called Salentin from Argentina. Here are some of my favorites that you should definately check out!

~Barcelona- West Hartford, CT and New Haven, CT. Sunday nights.
~116 Crown- New Haven. Sunday nights.
~Feng Asian Bistro- Hartford, Ct. Sunday & Monday nights.
(bottles under $75).
~Bin 228- Hartford, Ct. Monday nights.
~Esca- Middletown, CT. Monday nights.
~Grants- West Hartford, CT. Monday nights.
~Briccos- West Hartford, CT. Monday nights.
~Bocca Rossa- Hartford, CT. Tuesday nights (bottles under $50).
~The Kitchen Table- New Haven. Thursday nights.

Spring Restaurant Week in New Haven!

New Haven is bringing back the ever popular Restaurant Week from April 3rd-8th 2011. For the spring, a record of 35 restaurants will be offering three course prix fixe meals for lunch and dinner. Pricing is $16.38 for lunch (New Haven was founded in 1638), and $29.00 for dinner. This is a great opportunity to check out the fantastic dining options offered in New Haven CT, and save a ton of money while doing so. The great thing about Restaurant Week is that the prix fixe menu allows you to try out new establishments without breaking the bank.


TIP: Reserve early, especially at the restaurants that are normally very pricey.

The list is plentiful!!!!
116 Crown, Adriana’s, Barcelona, Baccus Enoteca, Basta, Bentara, Bespoke, Cafe Goodfellas, Carmen Anthony, Caseus, Cask Republic, Central Steakhouse, Christopher Martins, Consiglio’s, Geronimo, Heirloom, Ibiza, John Davenport’s, Kudeta, Leon’s, L’Orcio, Miya’s, Mory’s, Oaxaca, Pacifico, Press 200, Red, Scoozi, Soul de Cuba Cafe, Thali, The Kitchen Table, Tre Scalini, Union League, Zaroka, Zinc