Are you a talented Newton resident?
… and internationally renowned classical guitarist Zaira Menses.
Get tickets and more information at www.NewtonHasTalent.com.
Submissions opened February 1st for the annual Rotary Club talent show to benefit community programs.
I signed up with my friend Nathalie for the Japanese Style Salmon Dinner at The Sweet Kitchen in Newton. It’s a three and a half hour cooking class in which we made the following Japanese homestyle meal:
Even though I am half Japanese, my teacher’s techniques were new to me. It was also great to learn about high quality Japanese ingredients that can be found nearby.
It was new to me that the Mirin that I bought is not the authentic stuff. Real mirin is not syrupy. Her preferred sake brand is on the right; her sake on the left. She says you can buy this at Ebisuya Japanese Market in Medford.
Her rice vinegar is also different from the brand that I usually purchase with a much deeper flavor.
If you’ve ever been to Japan, the Grilled Eggplant with Sweet Miso Paste is popular bar food. Since it’s difficult to find Japanese eggplant that is really fresh here in Boston, she uses regular eggplant. She showed us how to score it and then it gets soaked in a water bath to remove bitterness.
This dish is typically deep fried, but she showed us a healthier version that uses microwaving and pan frying instead. The sauce can be made in larger quantities and stored for use on other vegetables. It’s addicting!
Nathalie is Vietnamese and we both cook a lot of rice at home but Ayako showed us how to make it on the stove top using a Dutch oven. It was the best rice we had ever eaten. It’s not just the cooking method though. she took a special rice cooking class in Japan and used techniques that Japanese sushi chefs employ. It involves spring water, soaking and cooking at three different temperatures at a precise schedule. It’s worth it though! The rice was light and extremely fluffy with an almost sweet flavor.
We wondered how to get the minced shrimp not to fall out of the Shitake mushroom caps! She uses cornstarch and even when pan fried upside down, the filling stays put!
We did a Japanese quick pickle that involved smashing cucumbers. She demonstrates the technique in the video below.
The Sweet Kitchen cooking classes make great gifts! We took the class with a young couple, Mary and Allen. It was her birthday gift to him because he is Japanese American and grew up on Japanese home cooking.
At the end of the class, we all got to eat the product of our work. It was delicious!
The Sweet Kitchen teaches cooking classes from many different countries including Japan and Europe. If you want to learn something in particular, you can also request. Her class schedule is here. I’ll be back. I want to learn to make Japanese cheesecake!
Newton Youth Summit III Rescheduled
Newton Youth Summit III is rescheduled for March 26th due to unforseen events with featured speaker Kevin Breel. We are sorry to have to reschedule, but are looking forward to featuring Kevin at the summit in March, which will be held from
6 to 9 p.m.
Thank you to everyone who was planning to attend on Feb. 5th and we hope you will be able to reschedule and join us in March. Looking forward to making the event even bigger and better!
Theme: “2014 Green Olympics!”
Enter as an individual or teams of 2 students; 2-dimensional posters (12″x18″ max) & videos (3-minute max); recycled collage materials encouraged!
Create a design using any of the following ideas: Recycle/Reuse/Repurpose – Compost – Green Transportation – Energy/Water conservation and protection.
Visit www.greendecade.org for entry form to attach to back of poster
Due: February 28, 2014
Place entry in a school collection box or at:
* The Mayor’s Office at City Hall
* The New Art Center, 61 Washington Park, Newtonville
* Green Planet Kids, 22 Lincoln St, Newton Highlands
Judging will be by grade level plus an after-school category. Notification will be by March 14.
The awards ceremony will be held on April 1 at Newton City Hall. Green Medalists (1st place) for each grade level will receive an Energy Smart Newton T-shirt with a $10 gift certificate from Green Planet Kids. Each participant will receive a certificate and all participants will be entered into a raffle for a T-shirt and $10 gift certificate from Green Planet Kids.
3rd Grade: Audrey Gagnon, Franklin
Letters to a Young Scientist by E. O. Wilson: Adult & Teen Book Discussion
Thursday, February 27
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm Discovery Classroom
Participate in a lively book discussion based on Letters to a Young Scientist by Pulitzer Prize winning biologist E. O. Wilson. Using autobiographical anecdotes, Wilson shares his wisdom through the successes, failures, and passion that motivates successful scientists.
Sponsored by The Discovery Museums and the Acton-Boxborough Parent Involvement Project. www.actonpip.org.
Teens and adults welcome.
No fee, but pre-registration required.
Call 978-264-4200 x 20.
Held at The Discovery Museums in Acton.
177 Main St, Acton, MA 01720
To borrow the book email actonpip@gmail.com.
Wednesday, February 26th, 2014
7:00 to 8:30 PM
Zervas Elementary School
30 Beethoven Street, Waban
Enrolling your child at day camp or overnight camp is a significant decision that should be as fully informed as possible. This is an evening intended to do just that—assist families who are exploring camping options for their children. This is neither a sales pitch, nor a camp fair, but a unique opportunity for parents to hear from experts in the field.
A local camp referral agent and four different camp owners and directors, representing a day camp and girls, boys, and co-ed
overnight camps, will participate. In addition to answering your questions, this diverse panel will address a broad range of topics including:
• benefits of camping
• types of camps available & differences between them
• practical strategies for matching your child to the right camp
• ways to assess your child’s readiness for camp
• questions to ask a camp’s owners and directors
• how camps extend and enrich the work going on in schools
Please join us for this special event!
Shop and support Newton South High School’s Sustainable Agriculture Project. Did you know there is a fabulous vegetable garden at Newton South High School? There is!
Thanks to the students of the Sustainable Agriculture Project! 5% of the sales on 2/25/2014 from the Walnut Street Whole Foods Market will be donated to the project.
Support the students and help them pursue organic certification, start a CSA for the community, build season extending equipment & more!
Danielle Shea Tan, Holistic Health Coach of Healthy Mamas for Happy Families, will be presenting this interactive seminar discussing the key factors that influence your child’s eating habits and what you, as parents and caregivers, can do to raise children who prefer nutritious foods. You’ll learn strategies for helping your child develop a positive relationship with food, fostering openness for trying new foods and how to effectively model healthy eating at home.
*Children of all aged welcome! Bright Horizons’ teachers will be hosting a children’s activity during the workshop so moms can relax and enjoy the seminar.
Eunice Feller, Owner & Chef, Bread & Chocolate, Wins Judge’s Award at Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts’ Cookie Creations Event
Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts’ Cookie Creations contest featuring local chefs took place last night at the Royal Sonesta Hotel in Cambridge. Each chef was challenged to create a unique dessert or appetizer using Girl Scout cookies as a key ingredient.
Guests had the opportunity to taste each creation and vote for “Crowd Favorite.” Guest judges Maggie Battista, founder, Eat Boutique; Matt Herron, lead chef instructor, Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts; and Earle M. Test, director of education & executive chef, Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts chose “Best Overall Creation.” This adult fundraiser supporting leadership programs for Girl Scouts also featured a silent auction.
Both of the winning recipes featured the newest Girl Scout Cookie, Cranberry Citrus Crisps. Jon Riley, executive chef, Capers Catering of Stoneham won “Crowd Favorite” with his savory creation, Cranberry Orange Turkey Rangoons with Creamy Sage Dip. The judges selected the Cranberry Citrus Chutney with Lemon Coconut Mousse or with Goat Cheese & Arugula from Eunice Feller, Owner & Chef of Bread & Chocolate in Newton as the “Best Overall Creation.”
Other chefs who competed last night were Susan Abbott, executive pastry chef, The Catered Affair; Danny Angelopolus, Henrietta’s Table, The Charles Hotel, Harvard Sq.; Danielle Buxton, general manager, A Day to Remember, LLC; Brian Dandro, executive chef, The Royal Sonesta Hotel; Monica Glass, pastry chef,Clio & Uni Sashimi Bar; Donald Hernstrom, head chef and ice cream creator, J.P. Licks; Katie Kimble, pastry chef, Area Four; Lauren Kroesser, executive pastry chef, Eastern Standard; Christina Mercado, restaurant manager & pastry chef, Finale, Harvard Sq.; Brian Mercury, executive pastry chef, Harvest; and chefs from Kings Bowl America and Shake Shack.
Girl Scout cookies, on sale now through March 4, are $4 a package; gluten free are $5 a pouch. To find out where to buy cookies in your area visit www.hergirlscouts.org, click on the “cookie locator” and enter your zip code. Special thanks to event sponsor Yelp Boston.
Newton is one of the United States’ safest communities, according to NeighborhoodScout whose list of the 100 safest cities in America with 25,000 or more people is based on the total number of property and violent crimes per 1,000 residents.
Crimes include burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, murder, forcible rape, armed robbery, and aggravated assault. Data used for this research are 1) the number of total crimes reported to the FBI to have occurred in each city, and 2) the population of each city.
Newton placed #60 on the list of 100 “Safest Cities 2014.”
The list of safe cities in Massachusetts include:
#79 Marshfield
#78 Arlington
#76 Billerica
#73 Melrose
#67 Belmont
#60 Newton
#52 Milton
#48 Dracut
#40 Agawam
#26 Needham
#24 Wellesley
#22 Andover
#13 Reading
#10 Shrewsbury
#7 Lexington
#1 Franklin
