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) On Tuesday, July 11, at 6:30pm, Legal Sea Foods in Park Square will host a wine dinner with selections from Ambrogio e Giovanni Folonari Tenute‘s extensive portfolio of Tuscan wines. A Tuscan staple, the Folonari family has been making wine in the region since the 1700s. With estates in the finest appellations of Tuscany, the Folonaris produce distinctive, small-production wine that has made them one of the most prestigious and respected winemakers in Italy. Currently owned and operated by Ambrogio Folonari and his son Giovanni, the Folonari family brand innovated in 2000 by subdividing their existing estate vineyards and expanding their operations into new regions of Tuscany, allowing the family to augment their portfolio and produce a greater diversity of craft wines. By both expressing the continued innovation and creativity of contemporary Tuscan winemaking, while also honoring the Tuscan tradition and the region’s rich history, the Folonari family has cemented itself as one of Tuscany’s most distinguished winemakers, and is world-renowned for its devotion to quality and craftsmanship.

Legal Sea Foods will team up with Ambrogio e Giovanni Folonari Tenute’s US brand ambassador and Italian wine expert, Claudio Andreani, to host an exclusive four-plus-course dinner featuring signature cuisine paired with his selections from the Folonari family’s collection of Tuscan wines. The menu will be presented as follows:

HORS D’OEUVRES
Lobster Cake, Lemon Tarragon Aioli
Grilled Octopus Crostini, Calabrian Pepper-Saffron Aioli
Clam Casino
Tenuta Campo al Mare Vermentino, Bolgheri, 2015
FIRST COURSE
Fettuccine with Clams (white clam sauce, garlic crostini)
Tenuta di Nozzole “Le Bruniche” Chardonnay, Toscana, 2016
SECOND COURSE
Swordfish Saltimbocca (lemon caper sauce, whipped Yukon gold potatoes)
Tenuta di Nozzole Chianti Classico Riserva, Toscana, 2014
Tenute del Cabreo “Il Borgo” Super Tuscan, Toscana, 2013
MAIN COURSE
Veal Scallopini (mushroom marsala sauce, charred broccolini)
Tenuta di Nozzole “La Forra” Riserva Chianti Classico Gran Selezione, Toscana, 2012
Tenuta La Fuga Brunello di Montalcino, Toscana, 2012
CHEESE COURSE
Parmigiano-Reggiano, Aged Cheddar, Aged Gouda (macerated berries, pancetta crisp, brioche toast points)
Tenuta di Nozzole “Il Pareto” Cabernet Sauvignon, Toscana, 2011
Tenuta di Nozzole “Il Pareto” Cabernet Sauvignon, Toscana, 2013

COST: $110 per person (excludes tax & gratuity)
Reservation required by calling 617-530-9397

2) Chef Tony Susi and the Capo team introduce the Capo Gelato Stand to West Broadway in South Boston. Inspired by the traditional Italian gelateria, the Capo Gelato Stand features an outdoor cart with over a dozen flavors of both gelato and sorbet from locally owned and operated Giovanna Gelato. The rotating flavors are made in small batches with premium ingredients, and include a mix of Italian classics as well as some custom flavors.

Sample gelato list includes: chocolate, espresso, Nutella, pistachio, salted caramel, straciatella, strawberry, vanilla, amaretto, cannoli, coconut, tiramisu.
Sample sorbet list includes: blood orange, lemon, mango, raspberry, blackberry, passion fruit, peach, pineapple.

Gelato and sorbet are available in two sizes, small ($3.25) or large ($4.75) and can be customized with toppings ($.50 each), including: chocolate tuile, espresso crumble, broken cannoli shells, amarena cherries and strawberry jam.

Enjoy the frozen treat on-the-go or in Capo’s café, located inside Capo restaurant, adjacent to the dining room. The Capo Gelato will be available this summer Thursday – Sunday from noon – 7:00 p.m. (weather permitting), and also available as dessert for dinner guests.

3) Executive Chef Josue Louis and Head Sommelier Todd Lipman of Bistro du Midi celebrate the start to summer with Bubbles on the Half Shell. Summer afternoons just got a little sweeter with the launch of Bubbles on the Half Shell at The Bar at Bistro du Midi. Every weekday from 4-6 PM, guests can enjoy $1 East Coast oysters with a champagne mignonette and explore Sommelier Todd Lipman’s favorite champagne, prosecco and sparkling cocktail selections.

Suggested Bubbles: 
--Nino Fanco, Rustico, Prosecco $14/glass, $55/bottle
--Pol Roger, Reserve Brut $29/glass, $125/bottle
--Gosset, Excellence Brut, $70/half bottle
--Ruinart, Blanc de Blancs Brut $145/half bottle
--Aubry, Premier Cru Brut $115/bottle

Sparkling Cocktails
--Champagne Cocktail Provencal $14 (Scrappy’s lavender & grapefruit bitters, muddled sugar cube)
--French 75 $14
--Cucumber Sureau $13 (Pearl cucumber vodka, St. Germain, fresh lemon & lime juice, sea salt, soda)

4) Coppersmith, South Boston’s vintage-industrial restaurant, along with Executive Chef Jason Heard, are firing up the smokers for the summer and introducing Weekly Whole Hog Roasts to celebrate the season of outdoor cooking.

Having started on Wednesday June 28, and continuing throughout the summer until Wednesday August 16, Chef Heard will tap into his southern roots and barbeque expertise to roast, smoke and offer an array of globally-influenced flavors from Latin to Asian and everything in-between. Weekly Whole Hog Roasts, using locally sourced meat, will not only have a unique theme, but will also be served with traditional side dishes that complement the theme that week. The bar will accompany the weekly roasts with cocktail specials that enhance each theme in a refreshing way.

The weekly roasts will be offered as a dinner special for $24 per person from 5pm-10pm or while it lasts.

Themes are as follows:
Wednesday, June 28th - Latin
Wednesday, July 5th - Southern
Wednesday, July 12th - Korean
Wednesday, July 19th - Chinese
Wednesday, July 26th - Jamaican
Wednesday, August 2nd - Spanish
Wednesday, August 9th - Tex Mex
Wednesday, August 16th - Hawaiian

Reservations are highly recommended. To book a reservation or for more information, please visit www.coppersmithboston.com.

5) Puritan & Co. Chef/Owner Will Gilson, Sommelier Peter Nelson and the restaurant’s talented team will soon offer guests an expanded wine list of Riesling varietals. Riesling can be polarizing, especially if the wine is sweet. Puritan & Co. invites wine novices and aficionados alike to reacquaint themselves with the varietal as it rolls out its new "Summer of Riesling" wine list.

Carefully curated by Sommelier Peter Nelson, Puritan's "Summer of Riesling" wine list, starting on July 1, will be added to Puritan's current wine list this Saturday. The list will feature primarily dry wines, most with highly expressive fruit character, and even an option made without added sulphur, Binner. The internationally sourced wines will hail from Germany, France, Austria, Italy, California, New York and Oregon.

The list will be separated into two categories- one featuring 7 more affordably priced, approachable bottles and the “$100 Club”- a selection of 5 wines that regularly cost up to $180, but are available for Puritan guests for only $100 each.

To make reservations, please call 617-615-6195

6) Boston’s sister restaurants Beat Brasserie and The Beehive are giving guests the chance to give back, as they support the Black Donkey Project and the 2017 Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC) with a portion of sales of each bottle of Via Ottimista’s 2013 Nebbiolo wine going to life-saving cancer research, now through August 5.

Sold at both Beat Brassierie and The Beehive this summer, Via Ottimista will be available by the bottle, for $45, and a portion of sales from each bottle will be donated to help fight pediatric cancer, in support of the Black Donkey Project, an organization created to better the community and support efforts to cure pediatric cancer. Each bottle is created with grapes from Bee Sweet Vineyard in Edna Valley, California, and flavor notes on the wine include aromas of violet, rose, tea and a lightly savory taste, making Via Ottismista the perfect bottle for any wine lover to pair with Beat and Beehive’s creative seasonal cuisine.

A portion of the proceeds from each bottle will go directly to the PMC, a race that raises money for life-saving cancer research and treatment at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. This charitable promotion will be available at each restaurant from now until the day of the race on Saturday, August 5.

Askanya: Compelling Single-Origin Haitian Chocolate

"The taste of chocolate is a sensual pleasure in itself, existing in the same world as sex... For myself, I can enjoy the wicked pleasure of chocolate... entirely by myself. Furtiveness makes it better."
--Dr. Ruth Westheimer

The island of Haiti was one of the first countries to commercially grow cacao, though it wasn't a very successful endeavor. However, throughout the centuries, cacao has continued to be cultivated in Haiti and there has been more success in recent years, with the potential for much more. Their cultivated cacao trees tend to be older, and more desirable varieties, such as Criollo and Trinitario. Criollo, which is difficult to grow, constitutes only about 5% of the world's production and is most often used in high-end chocolate. Trinitario is a natural hybrid, being hardier to cultivate, and can also have a superior flavor.

In 2015, Haiti produced only about 4500 metric tons of cacao, which is approximately 0.1% the of global supply. This low amount is due to a number of factors, including natural disasters like the Haitian earthquake of 2010 which decreased cacao production by about 36%. Over 90% of the cacao beans cultivated in Haiti are exported in their unprocessed state as it is difficult to ferment the beans in Haiti. There are only a small number of fermentation facilities, and it is those facilities which elevate the quality of chocolate. 90% of the cacao beans also come from small, family run farms, which, on their own, generally don't have the power or finances to market their products.

The Fédération des Coopératives Cacaoyères du Nord (FECCANO) is a cooperative of about 3000 cacao farmers, most from northern Haiti. Back in 2009, the Agronomes et Vétérinaires Sans Frontières, an international, non-profit dedicated to helping small farmers, started educating FECCANO in cacao fermentation techniques as well as helping to open four fermentation facilities on Haiti. They worked with FECCANO in other cacao matters too, such as helping them garner fair trade and organic certifications. FECCANO now has been able to export some high-quality chocolate, earning more money for its many farmers.

Locally, you might have enjoyed some Haitian chocolate from Taza Chocolate, which produces an 84% Dark Chocolate Bar sourced from Produits Des Iles SA (PISA). However, there is a new product on the market, a Haitian bean-to-bar chocolate that is produced solely in Haiti. And it is amazingly delicious.

Les Chocolateries Askanya is Haiti's first and only bean-to-bar chocolate company, located in Ouanaminthe, a town in northeastern Haiti. Their motto is "Grown in Haiti, Made in Haiti, Enjoyed Everywhere." The company was founded in 2015 by three entrepreneurs, including Corinne Joachim Sanon Symietz, her husband Andreas Symietz, and Gentile Senat. Corinne, a Haitian native, was previously an engineer and business consultant, but had a dream of returning to Haiti and starting a business to create jobs. In the end, the founders decided to accomplish this goal by creating a chocolate factory.

The name of their company derives from one of the founder's German hometown, Aschersleben, which in a Latinized form is Ascania. This is also the name of a legendary king in Roman mythology and the founders wish Askanya to become known as the Queen of Chocolate in Haiti. Askanya initially spent time investigating cacao through FECCANO, and now it has become their only cacao supplier.

Currently, Askanya produces three different, single-origin chocolate bars: Paradis, Wanga Nègès and Minuit. They are available in 55 gram bars (about $6 each) and bite-size 10 gram bars (12 for $12.50). The colorful wrappers for their chocolate bars celebrate the native flora and fauna of Haiti, including the bird of paradise (Paradis), night butterflies (Minuit), and hummingbird (Wanga Nègès).

The chocolate is available across the U.S., from New York to California, Illinois to Washington, D.C. Locally, Askanya was previously available by mail order through New Leaf Chocolates in Arlington, but the company has temporarily shut down. There is no other Massachusetts location selling Askanya but you can order them online and get some shipped to you. I received some media samples of the three different bars and found the chocolate to be quite impressive.

The Paradis is a Milk Chocolate bar, made from Haitian cacao, sugar, milk, and cacao butter, with 47% cacao. A milk chocolate bar can have as little as 10% cacao but the Paradis, with its 47%, is closer to the rough category of Dark Milk Chocolate, which generally is said to have at least 50% cacao.

When you look at the Paradis, it certainly is darker than many milk chocolate bars you may have seen, and on the palate, it will strike you as more similar to dark chocolate too. The Paradis has a rich and creamy texture, with delicious chocolate flavors and a mild sweetness. The taste is enhanced by subtle fruit flavors, providing additional complexity. There isn't any bitterness to the flavors and it will definitely please any chocolate lover.

The Wanga Nègès is also a Milk Chocolate bar, made from Haitian cacao, Rapadou (artisanal cane sugar), milk, and cacao butter, with 50% cacao. Rapadou is an unrefined, whole cane brown sugar, and can add flavors of caramel or molasses. With a 50% cacao, it would qualify as one of the Dark Milk Chocolates and it will definitely remind you of dark chocolate. The Wanga Nègès was my favorite of the three bars, presenting a complex and compelling taste. It was creamier and smoother than the Paradis, with a rich, chocolate taste and a complex melange of subtle other flavors, from caramel to dried fruit. There was no bitterness and the taste of the chocolate lingers in your mouth for quite some time. Highly recommended!

The Minuit is their their Dark Chocolate bar, made from Haitian cacao, sugar, and vanilla beans, with 60% cacao. It is the darkest of the three bars, with a rich, deep and dark chocolate taste, but again there isn't the bitterness you may associate with dark chocolate. It also has its own complexity, subtle fruit flavors, sweet vanilla, and more than I strained to try to identify. It is a chocolate to slowly savor and enjoy, reveling in its subtle complexities.

Frankly, these were some of the best chocolate bars I've enjoyed in quite some time. Their creamy richness and complex flavors were compelling, and from the first bite you know these are high quality chocolates. If this is indicative of Haitian chocolate, then let's hope more companies start producing chocolate bars and other chocolate treats. Seek out Les Chocolateries Askanya and you won't be disappointed.

Rant: Chocolate Souffle & Hungry Children

Over the weekend, I was fortunate to attend, as a media guest, a Chocolate Souffle cooking class led by Chef Jacky Robert at his restaurant, Ma Maison. Jacky is a famed French chef, well known in the Boston area, and Ma Maison is an intimate, and reasonably priced, French restaurant. Jacky was very personable and helpful, making it easy for us to learn how to prepare a proper souffle. I'd never made a souffle before, though I've eaten plenty, so this was all uncharted territory.

Here are our finished souffles, fresh out of the oven. Generally, they looked pretty good, especially considering most of us had never made one before.

And this is mine. It should have been a bit higher (I mixed in the egg whites a bit too long) but it tasted delicious.

Though this event was fun, I was most struck when Jacky mentioned that he usually conducts these cooking classes as fund raisers, to raise money to fight childhood hunger, especially in the Philippines. Jacky is one of the founders of Chefs Feed Kids, a non-profit organization established to combat hunger, especially in the Philippines. As their website notes: "There are about 1.5 million street children in the Philippines. The very poor kids are thin, untidy, and undernourished, hardly equipped to survive the hazards of everyday living and working on the streets." Other local chefs also help out with this charity and you can see the list here.

In addition, Jacky also helped to establish On Board For Kids, another non-profit organization established to combat childhood hunger. Their full mission is "to provide food, education, shelter, clothing, and healthcare to children in need around the world." They sell a few products, t-shirts and cookies, to raise funds, but also host various events, where all the proceeds go directly to feeding & educating children all over the world.

Their next event will be held on Saturday, September 23, a Sunset Cruise, which will feature a number of local chefs, headed by Jacky Robert. Tickets cost $150/person and can be purchased online here. If the tickets do not sell out, you will be able to purchase them at the door for $180/person. This should be a delicious evening of food & fun, and it will all be for a great cause.

Childhood hunger is a serious problem across the world, even in our own country. In the U.S., approximately 13 million children live in households that do not have consistent access to sufficient food. Worldwide, about 3.1 million children die from hunger each year. There are a number of organizations dedicated to fighting this problem and they need your help. I have much respect for Chef Jacky Robert for his efforts to battle this terrible problem. I also have much respect for all of the others chefs who work with Jacky in this battle.

It was fun to make a souffle, but the most significant aspect of my experience was learning more about Jacky's efforts to save children. Please help him out, by attending the On Board For Kids Sunset Cruise, or making a donation to one of Jacky's nonprofits.

Save the children, save the world.

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) The Hawthorne patio will become your go-to destination for tropical tiki drinks and boozy blender beverages. Returning this year, Swizzle Sundays at The Hawthorne invites guest bartenders from around the city to work the blenders on the patio from 5:00pm to dusk, serving up island-inspired favorites.

The full summer line-up includes:
June 25th – Tim Cooper of 86 Co. Caña Brava Rum
July 2nd – Eric Anderson of Hendrick’s Gin
July 9th – Sean Frederick of Plantation Rum
July 16th – Willy Shine of Jagermeister
July 23rd – Bob McCoy of Privateer
July 30th – The Hawthorne’s own Jackson Cannon
August 6th – Kerrin Egalka of Compass Box
August 13th – Jesse Lauden of Island Creek Oyster Bar
August 20th – Yuna Asriyan of Absolut Lime/Elyx
August 27th – Colin Asare Appiah of Bacardi

Please call 617-532-9150 for reservations.

2) Executive Chef Tyler Kinnett and the team at Harvest welcome guest chef and author Walker Stern from Battersby for a special “The Book and the Cook” dinner. On Sunday, June 25, from 6pm-9pm, Harvest's cookbook series "The Book and the Cook" will host famed Battersby: Extraordinary Food from an Ordinary Kitchen author and Battersby Restaurant co-owner and chef, Walker Stern. Battersby, the small New York eatery, opened its Brooklyn doors in 2011. Since then, it has risen to fame for its thoughtful dishes, expert technique, along with a unique and welcoming environment.

Guests will enjoy dishes from Chef Walker Stern’s cookbook Battersby: Extraordinary Food from an Ordinary Kitchen for guests to enjoy, complete with wine and beer pairings. Guest Chef Walker Stern, will step out of his four by six-foot kitchen and into Harvest for a guest chef dinner, collectively prepared with Harvest Executive Chef Tyler Kinnett and Pastry Chef Joshua Livsey.

The menu for the evening is as follows:
RECEPTION
GOUGERES WITH MORNAY SAUCE
Chicken Liver with Shaved Mushrooms and Balsamic
Chiarli Cleto, Lambrusco, Modena Spumante Rosé
FIRST COURSE
WATERMELON SALAD WITH SHISHITO PEPPERS AND FETA
Villa des Anges, Pays d’Oc Old Vine Rosé
SECOND COURSE
GRILLED TUNA WITH PIPERADE AND SPANISH HAM
Chimay Rouge, Belgium
THIRD COURSE
PAN-ROASTED CHICKEN WITH SUMMER FRUIT PANZANELLA
Julien Sunier Fleurie Beaujolais 2014
FOURTH COURSE
FENNEL SEEED PANNA COTTA WITH LEMON CONFIT
Evolucio Tokaji 2012

Cost: The Book and the Cook dinner is $70 per person (inclusive of a signed book, beverage pairings, tax & gratuity) and includes a reception and seated dinner.
Space is limited and reservations are required. Call 617-868-2255 directly to book seats or visit https://www.eventbrite.com/the-book-and-the-cook-battersby-at-harvest to purchase tickets.

3) Empire Asian Restaurant & Lounge, which recently celebrated its Five Year Anniversary, is offering Unlimited Sushi on Monday evenings, starting at 5pm.  The Unlimited Sushi costs $29/person and there are no menu substitutions, no sharing and no to-go options. There are 11 options on the menu, essentially all Maki rolls, from Spicy Tuna to Return of the Hamachi Tartare.

For reservations, please call 6170295-0001

4) Gather, the modern American restaurant located in Boston’s home for innovation, District Hall, will be hosting two Game of Thrones themed Brunches to celebrate the upcoming Season 7 premiere. GoT fans can join Gather for themed food and drink specials alongside other Game of Thrones inspired activities to celebrate the Season 7 premiere all weekend long.

WHEN: Saturday, July 15th, and Sunday, July 16th from 11am-3pm
Guests wishing to join Gather’s realm for brunch should make reservations for inside seating, as seating is limited, by calling 617-982-7220.
Patio seating will be available first come, first serve and weather permitting.

5) Chef/Owner Will Gilson and the Puritan and Co. team invite guests to join them for a night of all things rosé at their third annual Rosé Rumble. This Rosé Rumble will offer guests the opportunity to immerse themselves in the best rosés in Boston like a true insider. Taking place on Wednesday, July 12th, the third annual rosé rumble will showcase a variety of rosés for guests to taste, discuss, and learn about while enjoying bites from Chef Will Gilson and the Puritan and Co. team.

The night will feature two, separately ticketed sessions- one at 6 p.m. and one at 8 p.m.
Tickets are $75 and can be purchased here: https://roserumble3.eventbrite.com/.

This should be an excellent event and I strongly recommend you check it out.

6) Puritan & Company Chef Will Gilson will be teaching a hands-on cooking class at the Milk Street Cooking School Master Class on how to prepare a New England Clambake at home on Wednesday, July 19th from 6pm-9pm in the Milk Street Test Kitchen, 177 Milk Street, Boston.

In this hands-on Master Class, students will learn tips and facts about the seafood used and secret techniques for ensuring a properly cooked feast that highlights the best of our simple summer ingredients. The class will also cover wine and cocktail pairings, since clambakes are the perfect party food.

Tickets are $100 per person and can be purchased by logging onto www.177milkstreet.com

Summer Spanish Sippers: Albariño to Viura

As Summer arrives, and temperatures rise, many people opt for a chilled white wine, either on its own or paired with food, from chicken to seafood. You have plenty of options for white wine from all over the world, from Portuguese Vinho Verde to Alsatian Riesling, from Sicilian Grillo to Georgian Rkatsiteli. You also should consider whites from Spain, which can be affordable and delicious, and I have two specific recommendations for you today.

Back in 1999, José Miguel Arambarri Terrero started a winery in Spain, eventually enlisting the assistance of his sons, Ricardo and José Miguel. They eventually expanded their operations, adding wineries, and are now producing wine in 15 Denominations of Origin (D.O). Their overall company became known as Vintae and they export many of their wines to the U.S.  I've written about a few of their wines before, finding them excellent values, and the two wines I'm recommending today fall into that category as well. Please note that both of these wines were media samples.

The Atlantis line, launched in 20015, consists predominantly of white wines, from different D.O., which are influenced by the Atlantic Ocean. However, the Atlantis line does include a single red, a Mencia from  the Bierzo D.O. I recently sampled the 2016 Maetierra Atlantis Albariño ($12), from the Rias Baixas D.O., which is made from 100% Albariño, undergoes stainless steel fermentation, sees no oak and is only 12.5% ABV. I enjoyed this wine with some Shrimp Scampi and even used some of the wine to make the sauce.

With a light golden color, the wine presented an appealing, fruity aroma and on the palate, it was crisp, dry and delicious. There were tasty flavors of apple, melon and pear with a medium-body and a pleasing finish. An easy drinking wine, it presents with more complexity than many other wines at this price point. It is enjoyable on its own, a perfect summer sipper, but also pairs well with lots of different types of seafood, from mussels to lobster, or light chicken dishes. It was a big hit with the other guests and it didn't take long before the bottle was empty.

Bodega Classica, located in the village of San Vicente de la Sonsierra, produces Hacienda Lopez de Haro, a Rioja line launched in 2003, which was named after Diego Lopez de Haro, the founder of the city of Bilbao, and his descendent, as 12th century lieutenant in Castille. Their wines are produced using traditional Riojan winemaking methods and the grapes comes from some older vineyards, with some being over 100 years old.

The 2016 Hacienda Lopez de Haro Blanco ($10) is a white Rioja, made primarily from old vine Viura with some other grapes which are not identified. It is matured for about three months in French oak and has a 12.5% ABV. I found this wine to have a lighter golden color than the Albariño and a more floral nose, accented by some tropical fruit flavors. On the palate, it was crisp and dry with bright lemon notes, a mineral backbone, and some floral accents. It seems a little leaner than the Albariño, with a pleasing finish, and it too worked well with the Shrimp Scampi. It is also enjoyable on its own, a perfect summer sipper, but will pair well with lots of different types of seafood, from mussels to lobster, or light chicken dishes.

Both wines are excellent values which would be great for the summer, though they can be enjoyed year round too. Spain delivers once again on delicious and inexpensive white wines.