Thursday Sips & Nibbles

I am back again with a new edition of Thursday Sips & Nibbles, my regular column where I highlight some interesting, upcoming food & drink events.
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1) Bodega Canal now offers taco lovers all-you-can-eat tacos every Monday night from 4:30 to close. For only $9 per person, guests can choose between either Beef or Chicken hard shell tacos. All tacos will be served with traditional accompaniments- pico de gallo, lettuce, and cheese. Guacamole will be available for an additional charge.

 To make reservations, please contact (617) 833-4885

2) Top Chef Alums Carl Dooley and Karen Akunowicz may have been competitors on Top Chef Season 13, but in real life they are fast friends with a deep respect for one another. “Top Chef is as stressful, competitive and isolating as you can imagine” according to Dooley. “But with that isolation of no phones, no computers, no contact with the outside world as we knew it, came the chance to forge amazing friendships with people like Karen. She is fantastic – as a chef and as a friend. I know her new restaurant will be, too”

Dooley is welcoming Akunowicz to his restaurant, The Table At Season To Taste, on Wednesday, November 14, from 5:30pm-10pm, for a five course tasting menu previewing her new restaurant and enoteca, Fox & the Knife, opening soon in South Boston.

Cost: $98 per person, optional wine pairing $55 / including tax and hospitality
For Reservations, please call 617-871-9468

3) Matadora, a Spanish restaurant located in the Hilton Boston/Woburn, is celebrating their 1st Anniversary with a special dinner on Thursday, November 15th, at 6:30pm. Besides the Cocktail Reception and Seated Dinner, there will be live music, a Flamenco dance floor show, and a cash bar.

Cocktail Reception
Cava & Chef’s selection of Spanish meats, cheeses, olives and nuts
Seated Dinner (served family style)
Flaming Chorizo
Shrimp Toast
Shishito Peppers
Paella
Dessert
Spiced Almond Cake with Quince Jam and Orange Glaze

Cost: $75/person (includes tax & gratuity)
You can purchase tickets on Eventbrite.

4) Pastry Chef Amanda Perreault and her team at The Southfield Store crank out scratch baked goods for The Store, plated desserts for the Store’s sister property The Old Inn On The Green, and countless orders for catered events and special occasions. All year-round, The Southfield Store sells cakes and cookies, tortes and tarts, cheesecakes and croissants, puddings, pies and breakfast pastries, plus quiches and house made gelato and granola.

As the holidays approach, Perreault and her “elves” go into overdrive, turning The Southfield Store  into the region’s most surprising (and hidden) destination for sweet treats to give or to hoard.

Almond and Cashew Brittles
Peanut butter cups and peanut butter ganache kisses
Peppermint Bark
Bouche de Noel
Pecan Buttercrunch
Gingerbread People and other unique holiday cookies
International breads such as stollen, babka, and panettone
Seasonal pies

Full Thanksgiving dinners can also be ordered from this year. Ordering early for the holidays is highly recommended. Please call 413-229-5050.

And here is a recipe for Nana’s Apple Cake
Courtesy of Amanda Perreault, The Southfield Store

Ingredients
4 medium apples, peeled, cored and sliced into ¼” crescents
6 large eggs
3 cups sugar
1 ½ cups canola oil
1 TB. vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1 TB. plus 1 tsp. baking powder
2 TB. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt

Directions:
Butter a 13” X 9” baking pan. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla. In a larger bowl, sift the dry ingredients and whisk to blend. Pour egg mixture over dry mixture and mix well. Add the apples and stir to coat the fruit with the batter. Spread into prepared pan and bake for 35-45 minutes (test center with a toothpick). Cool to room temperature before slicing.

5) Executive Chef Sean Dutson and the entire team at Rebel’s Guild invite guests to experience a lavish meal specially paired with Glenlivet Whisky on Tuesday, November 13th, from 6pm-9pm

From the wise words of Mark Twain, “Too much of anything is bad, but too much whiskey is barely enough”.

The full Glenlivet Whisky Dinner is as Follows:
Cocktail Reception
Applewood Smoked Bacon Deviled Eggs
Artichoke and Boursin Fritter
Pulled Pork & Cornbread Shooter
Glenlivet Founders Cocktail
Plated Dinner
--Apple & Butternut Bisque (Crème Fraiche, Spiced Pecan Dust)
Glenlivet 12 Year
--Confit Poutine (Pulled Duck, Sweet Potato Wedges, Cranberries, Sage Gravy and Cheese Curd)
Glenlivet 15 Year
--Pork Belly & Sea Scallops (Sugar Pumpkin Risotto, Caramelized Brussels Sprouts & Wild Blueberry Compote)
Glenlivet 18 Year
--Cinnamon & Apple Bread Pudding (Vanilla Ice Cream)

Tickets cost $75.00 and are available via eventbrite. All attendees must be 21+ with a valid ID.

6) November marks Diabetes Awareness Month and Kendall Square’s Sumiao Hunan Kitchen has teamed up with Joslin Diabetes Center’s Asian American Diabetes Initiative (AADI) to help bring attention to the impact of diabetes on millions of Asian Americans. All month, the team at Sumiao will be featuring a special menu with a collection of delicious, diabetes-friendly dishes, hand-selected by a certified Joslin nutritionist; additionally, the restaurant will be donating 10% of proceeds from its diabetes-friendly brown and black rice sales during the month of November to the AADI.

Standout Hunanese-style selections will include Spicy Crunchy Cucumber with sesame chili oil sauce ($8); Yellow River Fish swai filet, white beech mushroom, pickled cabbage and banana pepper ($26); Pan-Seared Egg Tofu with Japanese egg tofu, shrimp, peas and carrots ($18); Steamed Egg Tofu with egg topped with spicy minced pork ($15); Beef with Broccoli with carrot, garlic and kung pao sauce ($18); and, Steamed Whole Tilapia caught daily with choice of two toppings: duojiao (spicy) or ginger-scallion (non-spicy) ($36). In total, Sumiao Hunan Kitchen will offer 20 diabetes-friendly options.

One in two Asian Americans have diabetes or pre-diabetes, despite having a lower average body mass index than the overall population of Americans. Originally from Hunan, China, Sumiao Chen has followed the diabetes epidemic closely through her experience as a scientist and former doctor, sparking a passion for raising awareness about the issue and promoting health conscious menu choices at her restaurant.

Joslin makes no guarantee that these items will be available at time of visit. Joslin does not endorse products or services, including those of this restaurant.

7) Valerie Rochon, President, The Chamber Collaborative of Greater Portsmouth and Mayor Jack Blalock unveiled the details for the 10th Anniversary of Restaurant Week Portsmouth & The Seacoast.  With more than 40 restaurants participating and 75,000+ guests expected to travel to Portsmouth and local Seacoast towns during Restaurant Week, November 8-17, the city is gearing up for a successful fall season. Located one hour north of Boston and one hour south of Portland, Maine, Portsmouth is an easy drive from all points New England. Known for its historic sites, architecture, festivals and coastal charm, Portsmouth attracts talented and ambitious chefs and restaurateurs who are creating a one-of-a-kind New England culinary destination.

“We are grateful and thrilled that several restaurants who helped launch the Chamber’s first Restaurant Week Portsmouth & The Seacoast in 2008 are still cooking up a storm and participating in this program ten years later. What began as a program to help stimulate the local economy has turned into a program embraced by the restaurant community to say ‘Thank you’ to our residents, businesses and visitors. It truly sets us apart from other cities across the country,” shared Rochon.

Mayor Jack Blalock, himself a restaurant owner in Portsmouth, recognizes the effort and creativity that the chefs put into creating generous and memorable menus. “From the rising stars in our kitchens to the stalwarts who helped create the Chamber’s Restaurant Week ten years ago – everyone is making a tremendous commitment and impact for the overall success of Portsmouth and the Seacoast community.”

Restaurants that participated in the 1st Restaurant Week, and which are still participating, include: Agave Mexican Bistro, Black Trumpet Bistro, The Dolphin Striker, Jumpin’ Jay’s Fish Café, Library Restaurant--A Steak House, The Portsmouth Brewery, Portsmouth Gas Light Company, and Ristorante Massimo.