INK MAGAZINE - APRIL 2020

A guide to finer living in Connecticut & abroad.

Vol 15 Issue 172

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April 2020 Vol. 15 Issue 172

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Feature Stories

Departments

Pasta Vita’s

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Gourmet-to-Go is Feeding Connecticut!

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18

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Madison Furniture Barn Solid Wood, Solid Friendships

Honor Flight Paying Back a Debt

Karen Burke

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A Bit of Whimsy Shop

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24

42

66

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Hopping Around CT - Watercure Farm Distillery

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Cardinal Points - Leopard Seal - Half Moon Island

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Crusty Old Diver - A Submarine Experience

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Music Mirth and Mojo - Squeeze…Yes Please!!!!

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The Cheesemonger - Rahmtaler by Emmentaler Swiss

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Life on Sugar - Carrot Cake, Vegetable or Dessert

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On the Vine - The Grapes of California

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GREETINGS! As I write this note I sit seven days into a social quarentene that as of now has no finite end. Firstly, I would like to send out my most positive thoughts and wishes to each and every person and their extended families.

As a species, we humans once again find ourselves “all in it together.” It is in these situations that we most often times surprise ourselves. It’s when the magic happens. When I selected this months cover image five weeks ago I could never have realized that it had any symbolism. A proud dog named Charlie holding a round red ball in his mouth. The expression on his face exudes “I Got This!” There is something about that image that speaks to me now. Keep cool, be strong and be safe everyone. “WE Got This!”

Jeffery Lilly founder / publisher

Contributors Brookgreen Gardens, SC

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The Bronze Gardens of Remembrance & Redemption

Angela Carontino - admin/traffic Susan Cornell - editorial/photography Caryn B. Davis - editorial/photography Charmagne Eckert - editorial Alison Kaufman - Music Mirth & Mojo Heather Kelly - Life on Sugar Mark Seth Lender - Cardinal Points Art LiPuma - On the Vine

Rona Mann - editorial Carolina Marquez-Sterling - design Melissa Nardiello - design Paul Partica - The Cheesemonger Vincent Scarano - photography John Tolmie - Crusty Old Diver Kate Tolmie - photography Joe Urso - design

Advertising Contact us to receive our media kit with detailed advertising information.

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Antarctica Voyage to the Bottom of the World

Bob Houde - Advertising Director bob@inkct.com 860.303.6690

Jacki Hornish - Litchfield jacki@inkct - 860.488.0393

Cheryl Powell - Greater Connecticut cheryl@ink-pub.com - 860.608.5749

Richard Malinsky - Shoreline richard@inkct.com - 215.704.9273

Rona Mann -Greater Connecticut six07co@att.net - 401-539-7762

Submit Events Listings to: Angela Carontino - events@inkct.com

On the Cover: “Charlie Boy” by Karen Burke All content of INK Publications including but not limited to text, photos, graphics and layout are copyrighted by Inkct LLC. Reproductions without the permission of the publisher are prohibited. Inkct LLC is not responsible for images or graphics submitted for editorial or by advertisers which are not copyrighted or released for use in this publication.

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Word of Mouth

Pasta Vita’s Gourmet-to-Go is Feeding Connecticut!

by Rona Mann / Photos by Jeffery Lilly

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wo desks. One secretary, a small refrigeration unit containing four chicken dishes and one pasta meal for sale to walk-ins, and an unappetizing location in a very uninteresting industrial park.

You couldn’t get more ground floor than that.

But 25 years ago when retired IBM exec, Rich Cersosimo and his partner, Culinary Institute of America graduate, Chef Lou Castanho teamed up to sell gourmet-to-go meals, that’s how they started. On the ground floor with no frills - just great food, and a desire to bring this gourmet-to-go concept to the people of Old Saybrook. That was then, this is now.

And now is the celebration of a sixth Pasta Vita location, just opened in South Windsor, as

Cersosimo and Castanho respond to the growing popular outcry of, “bring your great food here!” It’s a story as old as time. When you work hard and give customers the very best you have, then combine it with good value and good people, you succeed. You develop a loyal and passionate following. You thrive.

It’s not luck. It’s not being in the right place at the right time. It’s being present all the time, like co-owner, Rich Cersosimo who admittedly works, “seven days a week to make sure we are doing our very best and being responsive to the wants and needs of our customers.”

product they knew how in their wildly popular Old Saybrook location. “We had been approached fifty, no, maybe as many as a hundred times by people who wanted us to do elsewhere what we were doing here, but we turned them all down,” said Cersosimo.“Then, along came Mohegan Sun.”

Ten years ago Rich and Chef Lou had no intention of opening even one more location.

They were merely content to put out the best

Along came Mohegan Sun indeed. They approached the partners saying they wanted to put Pasta Vita in their casino property.“Their

Left to right: Sous´ Chef Carlos Chacon, President Rich Cersosimo, Chef Lou Castanho

A few of the smiling faces there to help you find what you need. Left to right: Estef, Una, Mary, Dailynn, Hannah

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first priority has always been their tribal members,” Rich continued, “so therefore they wanted to invest in something that would provide their members with education, health benefits, and housing. They wanted us.”

and now visitors to the casino are buying the very best gourmet food they can find – as good as found in the best restaurants -and heating the meals at home. All Pasta Vita employees serving

Cersosimo and Castanho could well understand this since it was all about community, something to which they are passionately dedicated. “We like being involved with the community every way we can,” Rich said. “We sponsor plays, music, the arts, most of all, we are people-oriented – we only hire people who are good citizens, good workers, and community involved - so this partnering with Mohegan Sun who feels the same way, seemed like a good idea.”

An understatement. The first Pasta Vita satellite opened at Mohegan Sun in 2015 and was an instant hit with people who wanted to grab their gourmet-to-go food choices, take them home, and instantly have a wonderful dinner. It was such a hit, in fact, that Mohegan Sun opened a second Pasta Vita location just two months ago,

these Mohegan Sun locations were carefully trained right at the flagship store in Old Saybrook, so the respect for the food and the feeling of community would be consistent.

Cersosimo repeats over and over, “Mohegan Sun is a wonderful partner. They have great resources...builders, architects, technology people, marketing people. Partnering with them is one of the best moves we’ve ever made.”

There are also locations now open in Wethersfield, Avon, and the two newest Pasta Vitas in Darien and South Windsor. While it appears that Rich and Chef Lou may be opening their new locations at a dizzying pace, they have never sacrificed quality nor forgotten their roots. “Nothing’s changed,” says Rich. “We still prepare all the original dishes that people loved and still love; they’re still very popular and remain our best sellers, but we have made additions as times and people’s tastes and requirements have changed. Chef Lou now makes as many organic meals, and to keep up with requests, at least 40 gluten-free meals per day.

These are easily found in the case because they all have a bright orange label on them. As people have changed, we have changed to

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accommodate them, and we are set up to get them in and out of the store fast as there are always two people on every register: one to ring, one to bag. People appreciate that.”

Pasta Vita accommodates every taste and now features Chef Lou’s organic foods, healthy bowls, and even meals that are commensurate with the KETO diet. Their menu is so extensive and inclusive that it was virtually impossible to print the entire list of delicious offerings here.

Just visit: , and you will be blown away by: 50 appetizers, 21 antipasto offerings, 27 different kinds of from-scratch soups, 31 salads, 18 pasta salads, 10 kinds of dressing, 41 beef entrees, 47 chicken/turkey/duck meals, 22 pork and lamb dishes, 22 gourmet-to-go entrees for the veal lover, 46 seafood offerings, 21 sauces, plus potatoes, breads, grains, sandwiches, 40 desserts...and yes, they still excel at pasta with a whopping 56 choices! Another understatement from proud co-owner, Rich, “There’s no selection like this anywhere. No place like Pasta Vita, which we call ‘the place to go for gourmet-to-go.’”

When Rich Cersosimo first retired from his 30 years at IBM, from 30 years of wearing

a suit every day, he never dreamed that one day he’d be feeding an entire state with healthy, delicious gourmet food. His only goal then was to be able “to go to work wearing short pants, a tee shirt, and have it not more than five minutes from my home.”

Most days he is attired in short pants, a tee shirt, and when he’s at the Old Saybrook location, now headquarters of this growing gastronomic empire, he truly is only five minutes from home. Rich Cersosimo is not sure where that next location for Pasta Vita will be, but he and Chef Lou know there will indeed be another location...and most likely another after that. Because the demand is strong for high quality, fresh, healthy food that people can pick up for a quick lunch, a satisfying dinner for one or twenty, or to make their next party a guaranteed success. It’s what people have been enjoying for 25 years and what they’re still clamoring for. The word of mouth for delicious gourmetto-go is spreading like wildfire all over Connecticut, and that word of mouth can be summed up in just two simple words: “Pasta Vita.”

There’s a Pasta Vita not far away, so start making dinner plans today! www.pastavita.com Old Saybrook: 225 Elm Street, (860) 395-1452 Darien: 364 Boston Post Rd. (860) 359-VITA(8482) South Windsor: 340 Buckland Rd. (860) 359-VITA Avon: 32 W. Main St. (860) 359-VITA Wethersfield:1142 Silas Deane Hwy (860) 359-VITA Mohegan Sun:1 Mohegan Sun Blvd. (860) 359-VITA

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opping Hopping Around CT.

Photos and profile By Jim Lalumiere

farm. The hand-made wooden sign reads Watercure Farm: Tasting and Distillery.

Welcome to Watercure,

Connecticut's first Farm Distillery.

When one thinks of distilling and spirits, they usually think of Kentucky or Tennessee, barrels of whiskey with the initials JD on the side.

Pomfret, Connecticut, doesn't usually come to mind. Dan and Aubrie Nagy hope to change that, one customer at a time. At the entrance to the historic Gwyn Careg estate on Rt 101 sits a 24x32 foot wooden building on a working

Dan had spent years as an EMT in Norwich.

Five years ago, he and his wife decided to become farmers and opened Watercure Farms on their property in Pomfret, selling the produce, mushrooms, and fruits of their labor to passersby. In 2017 after receiving a flyer in the mail introducing the "Farm to Flask" law from State Representative Pat Boyd that helped push forward a craft distilling movement in Connecticut, Dan had an epiphany. Craft beer had been an enormous movement in the United States, but craft distilling was still in its infancy. They were already hard-working farmers, and Dan had experience homebrewing and winemaking. In farming, what you grow has a relatively short shelf life. If it doesn't get bought or eaten, it goes bad. The Nagy's realized that by using their crops in distilled spirits, the shelf life of the food became infinite and opened up a whole new customer base.

Once their applications were approved, Watercure became Connecticut's first Farm

Distillery. Dan sees craft distilling as the next craft movement, taking the lead from the craft beer scene.

Upon entering the glass doors, you are greeted with the aroma of malty sweetness, not unlike walking into a brewery. The smell isn't coming from hops or barley, but by fermenting local apples or potatoes. In front of you is a long stone bar that originated in Dan's grandparent's basement. Adorning the walls are bottles of spirits on their sides, nestled amongst the horizontal beams of the building. Behind the bar is a large window that allows a full view of the interior of the small distillery. The copper

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and glass still that distills the crops into spirits is in the middle of the floor and demands your attention. The Still stretches 17 feet to the ceiling, an intricately layered tube of copper plates and glass that captures the boiled and evaporated spirits into 5-gallon glass carboys at the base.

rows of young apple, peach, and pear trees, a few seasons away from bearing fruit. The apples they currently use are sourced from Pomfret's Lapsley Orchards. Potatoes and apples are stored for months in the darkened root cellar, extending the life of the produce until they are needed.

Alongside the still is the mash tun, a large stainless-steel box that holds up to 2100 pounds of apples or potatoes, which, once distilled, will become 7 gallons of spirits. To qualify as a Farm Distillery, no less than 25% of the ingredients you use must be grown on your property or on land designated for your crops. Watercure currently grows its own potatoes and shiitake mushrooms and has

Watercure's spirits are not your ordinary package store varieties. Their bestselling product is their Apple Spice Flavored Rum. With an aroma of apples and cinnamon and just a hint of alcohol, the reddish-brown 60 proof rum goes down like a hard cider. There is no burn, no bite, only sweet apples and spice that warms your throat. Alongside the rum, Watercure makes brandies from Lapsley's Mcintosh and Macoun apples, as well as a Winter Blend.

Watercure Farm has always grown shiitake mushrooms and now use the fungi in their own Shiitake Flavored Vodka. Their distilled potato vodka is infused and aged with white oak staves and shiitake mushrooms, giving it a slightly sweet, slightly umami flavor that will surprise all who drink it.

Farm-grown mint and local cucumbers get infused into Watercure's Cumber Mint Vodka for a fresh, summery spirit, that is so smooth, no additional ingredients are needed to enjoy it.

Rounding out Watercure's current offerings is a simple yet tasty Potato Vodka. They use their own Laratte potatoes, the fermented tuber is distilled into a

crystal clear 80 proof spirit that has a sweet alcohol smell to it, and has a flavor nothing like mass-produced vodkas. I've never been one to

sip room-temperature vodka, but Watercure's Potato Vodka is soft enough to do just that.

With eighteen acres to work with and a myriad of ideas in his head, Dan has expanded his crops to often-ignored fruits such as quince, pawpaw, and medlar. A juniper tree in the front of the building will be harvested for berries in upcoming batches of gin, and Strawberry Rhubarb Vodka, CT Corn Whisky, and Shiitake Maple Cordial are all in the works for future production. Each batch of spirits is bottled in 200 ml bottles, yet some are available in extremely limited quantities. Stop in to sample, buy, and chat. For all of life's ailments, Watercure is the cure.

Tasting room open Fri-Sun 10am-6pm Daniel Nagy Watercure Farm 426 Mashamoquet Road, Pomfret Center, CT 06259 Daniel@WatercureFarm.com

Jim Lalumiere, lover of all that is hoppy, malty and sour.

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Madison FURNITURE BARN

Furniture for every room in your home

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Solid Wood, Solid Friendships This is Madison Furniture Barn’s Success

by Rona Mann / Photos courtesy Madison Furniture Barn

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riendship. True, lasting friendship. It’s a rare and beautiful thing. It’s about what’s real, not what’s trending at the moment. It’s honest, sincere, permanent.

Eileen Smith knows what it means to be a true friend. She cemented friendships as far back as middle school days, and today as the owner of Madison Furniture Barn in Westbrook, the way she conducts business is based on what she learned early on from her friends.

Many of Smith’s staff members are those she knew as a young girl, even her roommate from UConn. When Smith speaks, she never refers to them as “employees.” Instead she readily says,“We all have our own area in which we excel, but we are not pigeon-holed. We all do a bit of everything. We all buy the merchandise, we sell, we clean the store, we make phone calls and return messages, there are no set rules here.”

There’s a sign that sits rather unobtrusively in the front window of the store; you may notice it upon entering, or when you leave,

but if you do stop to read it, it serves as the very foundation upon which Madison Furniture Barn is built.

When given the choice between being right and being kind, be kind.

A small sign, but it speaks volumes.

Madison Furniture Barn was established in 1997 “when my brother-in-law, Pat Kelly, asked me, ‘Want to open a furniture store?’”

Neither Eileen Smith, whose college degree and business background had been solidly in finance, nor her brother-in-law had any experience whatsoever in furniture nor in working at a furniture store, but nevertheless they jumped in, opening in a very small 900 square foot space in Madison. In the beginning it was just Eileen, Pat, and Eileen’s husband, Artie. They worked hard, they learned, and Madison Furniture Barn flourished from the start because of that cornerstone of honesty, sincerity, and kindness.

Thirteen years ago, Smith bought out Kelly and moved to the Westbrook Outlets on Flat Rock Place. “We started here with 6000 square feet,” Eileen says, now we’ve almost tripled our size at 15,000 square feet.”

Although the store is well stocked with beautifully displayed solid wood furniture and accessories, Smith is most interested in pointing out the frequent signs sprinkled throughout that read, “We want you to be able to browse our store in peace and quiet! But if you need us, please just ask!”

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This “mantra” is adhered to strictly by Eileen and her staff. “There’s nothing worse than going into a store and having a salesperson grab you by the ankles,” she laughs. “Our people are here if you need us, want to ask a question, want to take some fabric choices home to see how they’ll work, or for anything else. If you want help and need your hand held, they’ll do it, but they stay away from your ankles.”

Her people - her friends – are very important to Madison Furniture Barn’s success, so meet Eileen’s college roommate, Patty, the interior decorator who will come to your home for

consultation, measurements, and to make recommendations within your budget; and Trish, the friend from middle school who is known as “Miss Perfect” at the Barn, since she is a perfectionist, rarely making a mistake. Andrea is called “Girl Boss” and has the coffee mug to attest to this fact; and all are backed up and supported by K.C., Taryn, and Colleen.

The key to any successful business is the blending of talents. Beyond the sales and the decorating comes the important piece of warehousing and delivery, and that’s where Rick shines. “He’s been with us for over 11 years and is absolutely terrific,” Eileen enthuses, “and he’s complemented by Brendan. These guys aren’t huge, but, boy, are they strong!”

Adding the color, flavor, and fun to this diversified group is Vinny.

“Vinny does it all.

He’s here three days

a week, and whatever needs to be done, Vinny does.”

The people and the mantra come first, now it’s time for the furniture. Madison Furniture Barn has furniture for today, furniture you aren’t afraid to LIVE in...this is not your mother or grandmother’s stuff that years ago might have been covered in plastic. “This is good quality,” Eileen says, “but you can use it!”

Not just a bunch of words, not by a long shot. Madison Furniture Barn chooses its manufacturers with this in mind. They represent a combination of high quality, solid wood, and easy customization like the “worry-free slipcovers.” What a bonus for people who want to truly enjoy their homes and use their furniture. These sofas, gliders, and sectionals have slipcovers that are sewn

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modularly, so all pieces can fit right in your washing machine. Therefore, if you eat on the sofa while watching TV, or if the dog for whom you paid $2000. in obedience training to stay off the furniture, doesn’t...just remove the slipcover, wash, and put it back on!

The solid wood, mostly made in North America, encompasses furniture for the living room, dining area, family room, bedroom, media room, office…even your beach house! And there are literally hundreds of fabrics and styles, so you can completely customize what you want, exactly the way you want it in fabric, wood, stain, even choose your level of distressing.

You probably don’t need another reason to come explore Madison Furniture Barn and meet the cast of “friends,” but here’s another one: there is never a sale...ever.

“Doesn’t matter if it’s Memorial Day, Presidents’ Day, whatever the holiday,” says Eileen, “everything is always the same price...always.

Occasionally floor models or discontinued pieces are marked down, but that is the only exception.”

If you’ve never visited Madison Furniture Barn, come see why Eileen Smith and her friends make this like no other furniture buying experience you’ve ever had. It’s old fashioned friendship combined with old fashioned quality workmanship, all designed to let you relax and really

LIVE in your house, putting your feet up on the furniture.

When you come right down to it, the difference between those we thought to be our “besties” 25 years ago and now has little to do with the passage of time, it has to do with the people themselves. Many of those to whom we told everything, the ones we thought would always be there for us, to whom we could confide our deepest thoughts, often turned out to be the shallowest and are long gone. But it’s the friends who stood the test of time that are still around today. They’re the ones who were

always there and still are. The ones who are unfailingly honest, sincere, the ones you can count on, the ones Eileen Smith hired and with whom she built Madison Furniture Barn in Westbrook. They’re the people who will welcome you, but not pounce on you, not tag along after you, but will be there when and if you need them...and the ones you’ll come back to again and again because like the wood furniture itself at Madison Furniture Barn, they’re solid.

Go meet the remarkable staff at Madison Furniture Barn. They’re located right in the Westbrook Outlets, just off I-95 Exit 65. (860) 399-7846

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;When I got oďŹ&#x20AC; the bus this morning, I was just another old man. After today, I feel like a hero.â&#x20AC;?

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The BMW X3 combines rugged looks and impressive presence

handling, and sport components.

perfect 50/50 weight distribution, a signature of BMW engineering.

available by BMW of New London

BMW of New London 543 Colman Street, New London, CT 06320 860-447-3141 bmwofnewlondon.com

ADVENTURE AWAITS DISCOVER THE ENGAGING 2020 BMW X3.

32 can still be heard. Agitated by the weather.

Or, because of something about the sea. Even before the visibility went to nothing they would enter with hesitation and exit leaping.

Leaping high. Landing in a scramble.

By contrast I am artless, encumbered by my gear, my heavy boots, my clothing worn in layers and layers. I come clambering like some arthritic animal, lumping myself into the Zodiac. The outboard spits, then catches, and my pilot by dead reckoning steers towards where he figures the ship might be.

Leopard Seal

Half Moon Island, South Shetlands

© Mark Seth Lender All Rights Reserved The snow is closing in. Just above the edge where the island meets the fast ice the chinstrap penguins lie down, like stones, and let the snow drift over them. A form of shelter not available to me.

Time to leave.

Over the sound of the storm the chinstraps

Above the clouds the sun shines (there is no night this time of year) while underneath, where we are, it is all a milky dusk. The snow instead of melting when it hits the water clumps like Greek pastries (oval, dusted, white). We carve a wake through the day-fornight that disappears behind us in obscurity.

Not comforting.

When suddenly the pilot throttles back.

“Look!” he says.

And I drop to me knees and lean out over the stern to greet, and to be greeted, by a monster of the sea. The great head serpentine in form; the mouth a long flat line; the lips rust red; eyes all but black and so deep I see my own reflection staring back from them.

And speak to him.

“Hello. Hello Leopard Seal… ” Leopard Seal could flip us over, catch me toss me like a coin into the air or with a single thrust land in our midst. Instead he listens to me calling him, replying in his silent way with those dark eyes, and that he does not move but stays. I know his backward curving teeth (from which there is no escape); I know his massiveness and strength and incredible speed. And that there is no good reason for him to pay us heed nor to treat me with respect. And yet he stays, at my arm’s length (for half a ton of predator, very, very, near).

Neither of us has ever seen the like of the other. Has seldom if ever been so close to such a dangerous and foreign form.

And yet we look and look in a miracle of shared and common recognition that the absence of fear, can be, contagious.

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Field Note: Half Moon Island in the South Shetlands was the last point of landing after seventeen days at sea.

By then, I’d given up on a key objective of my fieldwork, to find a leopard seal, and it was at this last possible moment that Leopard Seal appeared. By then I would have been satisfied with a distant observation. Never at any point did I expect the encounter that occurred.

Leopard seals are the great and fearless predator of the Antarctic (in these frigid waters only the orca is superior) and the penguins regard them with a well-reasoned terror. There was a second leopard seal who remained at some distance, stationed between two huge icebergs that had run aground, one just offshore, the other against the island, thus creating a narrow channel. The resident chinstrap penguins had to pass through this the direct route or take a detour all the way around both bergs. The ones who took the shortcut probably never returned. The long way was almost as dangerous.

Leopard Seal (mine) came from that direction. Were they hunting cooperatively? It would not surprise

me. They are certainly intelligent enough. Yet only one came to meet me. Why? I think Leopard Seal was a young animal. The young of many species are curious especially when naïve to a previous encounter. We were each other’s tabula

When that much muscle and mouth comes over to say hello, the greeting compels your full and undivided attention. Demeanor in such circumstances can tell you a lot, and in this case it said that curiosity not hunger was the reason this great and intelligent creature had come so close. Not that I would have reached out to touch him.

That would have been asking too much.

Or maybe not. Hard to say; imprudent to find out.

Leopard Seal followed the Zodiac almost to our ship, which was in deep water several kilometers distant. The weather had cleared in the interim, I collected my sound gear, and Leopard Seal picked us up again as we motored back to Half Moon Island. I was able to make recordings of the chinstraps and they were good recordings, but it is the silent presence of Leopard Seal that I will not forget. Ever.

rasa. There I had something of an advantage, knowing the size and power of the animal lolling beside us.

How did I know I would not be taken for a particularly large and delectable species of penguin?

Mark Seth Lender’s fieldwork and travel are arranged exclusively through Destination: Wildlife TM.

www.DestinationWildlfe.com.

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A Bit of Whimsy Shop

Karen Burke’s images bring a smile.

By Charmagne Eckert / Images courtesy Karen Burke

here are people in this world who make you feel like you’ve arrived home the moment you encounter them. There is nothing cliché or standardized about the home they evoke. Rather it is a glorious, customized version of whatever is, for you, the best and most comforting of sanctuaries. It’s conjured from the fragrance of cookies fresh from the oven. Five a.m. coffee. The first dusting of snow on bright autumn leaves. The feel of fresh summer grass against child-feet chasing after fireflies. And the snap of your favorite aunt’s Doublemint gum as she whisks you along a big city sidewalk, past the glamour of shop windows glittering for the holidays.

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Karen Burke is one of these rare individuals. Her laughter is of the warmest, most encompassing nature, and her voice infused with merriment. It reflects genuine compassion born out of the experience of life’s pain and the ability to translate that pain into real empathy. It is not surprising that her delightfully whimsical images bring a warm glow and a smile to those who view her work.

Karen has always been an artist. She began as a painter, focusing on folk art, but continually struggled with the revision process required in painting. “With painting, I would get frustrated when I made a mistake, didn’t like something, and then would have to go back and redo it. Honestly,

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37 I’d lose patience,” she confesses. Then shortly after investing in a camera in 2012, she discovered Photoshop and immediately embraced it as a medium better suited to her creative style than paint and brush. The world opened to her, and she delighted in feeling like the proverbial ‘kid in the candy store.’

Her very first digital creations were inspired by what she saw, in characteristic fashion, as an opportunity – though most of us would likely have seen only a nuisance. “My first image was a squirrel holding a teddy bear. I began photographing the squirrels because I was trying to get them out of my bird-feeder.

Still, then I thought they were actually kind of cute. At the same time, I was learning Photoshop, so I put a hat and glasses on a squirrel, and I put the image up on a Photoshop Lightroom group I’d joined, and people liked it.” She continued to learn, taking feedback from the on-line group, and experimenting. In a few years, she felt ready to put her work out and discovered that people loved the squirrels. Of course, she also ensures that her animal models are well compensated, “I’ve completely embraced the squirrels eating from the bird station. They eat very well.”

*** *** *** She gazes out at the viewer, her expression wistful, the delicate line of her jaw highlighted by the glow of light that illuminates her face. A silken cloth of gold and blue binds her head and her fur . . . yes, fur. This is the beloved “’ Squirrel’ with a Pearl Earring,” a charming hybrid of the famous painting ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring’

by Vermeer and a portrait of one of our most amusing (or exasperating) backyard animals.

“Squirrel Girl” keeps company with a bevy of other squirrel classics by Van Gogh, Lawrence, Renoir, Baker; all have works represented – even DaVinci’s Mona Lisa appears in her squirrel incarnation.

Something about squirrels, Karen says, works well, and mind; these are not the same photograph of the just any member of the Sciuridae family. The particular model chosen represents the human subject in the original painting not only in the angle of gaze, and tilt of the head, but it seems, in attitude as well. Of course, other animals lend themselves to anthropomorphism, notably cats and dogs, pigs, llamas, and a personal favorite, the sheep shrieking out of Munch’s ‘The Scream.’ Nor are Karen’s images limited to re-imagined fine art masterworks.

Categories including, ‘Cats and Dogs,’ ‘Zoo Animals,’ ‘Fantasy Prints,’ ‘Owls and Birds,’ and ‘Whimsical Paintings,’ offer a variety of images. While not every print that Karen offers is a composite, all of her work reflects her imagination, care, and gentle humor.

Karen’s compassion was not born in a vacuum, and it is perhaps her willingness to share her difficult personal moments that inform the depth of her work. The death of her sister in 2010 was a wake-up

“With painting, I would get frustrated when I made a mistake, didn’t like something, and then would have to go back and redo it.

Honestly, I’d lose patience,”

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happened when Alisa approached me at a show in Simsbury.” With a representative submitting her work to various companies, opportunities for licensing have opened up. Karen is presently working on puzzles, calendars, and greeting cards in addition to her prints.

call for her, but also a gift of her realization. “[No one] is guaranteed tomorrow, so if I sit back and wait to do what I want to do when the time is ‘right,’ well, you never know.” With more than twenty years in the nursing profession, she had reached a point where the stress of her job was taking its toll. Although she enjoyed working with the people in her care, always striving to make them smile or brighten their day, she had developed problems with her back.

Severe enough to require spinal surgery. Despite the challenges of giving up a long-standing career, Karen saw an opportunity to spend more time at home with her then school-aged son and her husband as well.

The primary venue for making her creations available for purchase is her on-line store on Etsy. Still, she has also received spontaneous support that has helped to increase visibility and access to her work. “Cynthia Bulaong of Artists in Real-Time at Open Studio in Hartford has been so supportive, helping me find opportunities to get my work out – including the home show where I met Jeff from INK. I am represented by ‘Alliances by Alisa’, and that

Integrating more with the community is also a goal, as a way to engage and collaborate, and as a means to access a wider variety of animals, situational settings to create images with, and for inspiration. “I have a friend with a farm who has Nigerian dwarf goats, baby doll lambs, alpacas, and I just get lost when I’m out at the farm. I’ve also spoken with a woman who has a cat rescue in Woodstock. We are going to be working together so that I can take photos of the cats, and then I can donate prints for her fundraisers.”

Another element of her work, of particular relevance to those of us who have adored fur-babies of our own, are custom images. People interested in having a unique likeness of their non-human companions need only contact Karen. She will happily work with them to actualize their idea for their special animal portrayal, or to help them come up with a concept that captures their pet’s unique character.

Although her confidence is increasing, Karen shared that she is still a bit surprised when someone buys her work. “I’m grateful for every little step that I take. I think my work speaks for itself and hopefully with a little more visibility I can reach more people who would enjoy what I do. I really do like to make people happy,” she adds with her characteristic laugh.

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“[No one] is guaranteed tomorrow, so if I sit back and wait to do what I want to do when the time is ‘right, ’ well, you never know.”

For further information visit Karen’s A Bit of Whimsy Shop on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ABitOfWhimsyShop?section_id=25744902 On Facebook: Karen Burk PhotographyOr by email: KarenBurkePhotography@cox.net

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When All Else Fails:

A Submarine Experience

By John Tolmie

On October 25th, 1944 an American submarine, the USS Tang, was torpedoed by a Japanese warship. The Tang sank and came to rest at depth of 180 feet on the ocean floor. A decision was made by thirteen of the thirty crew members aboard to escape to the surface above. They donned their “Momsen Lungs”, entered the forward escape trunk, blew the hatch and swam up through the cold black waters to surface. Only eight of the crew reached the surface. Of those, only five survived simply to be captured by the enemy who had torpedoed them. Sadly, the remainder of the crew took their last breaths on the cold seabed. It’s a tragic loss, however if it weren’t for Charles “Swede” Momsen and his Escape Lung, all lives would have been lost.

After Swede retired the torch was passed to Lieutenant Harris Steinke who would further develop the submarine escape appliance. In 1962 The “Steinke Hood” was introduced; an inflatable life jacket with a flexible hood and transparent window. The hood zips on to completely enclose the wearer's head, trapping life giving air to breathe while ascending to the surface. In 1972, the Steinke Hood was used in an actual deep water escape from a Peruvian Submarine. The SS48 Pacocha had been accidentally struck by a fishing trawler equipped with

an ice breaking bow. The boat sank and settled on the seabed at 140 feet of seawater. A few of the crew perished in the initial sinking, however all other survivors successfully escaped to the surface with the use of a Steinke Hood. Unfortunately, three of the Pacocha’s crew died on the surface due to hypothermia as the Steinke Hood provided no protection from the elements.

Submarine escape training has always been mandatory for all United States Navy submarine sailors and is primarily conducted in Groton, Connecticut at the “Submarine Capitol of the World.” The original escape trainer was a 125’ tall structure that dominated the Groton skyline from 1932 to 1991. Officer and enlisted submariners performed an actual escape from 100 feet of water. Training was dangerous with students often developing pressure related injuries which required a stint

Clockwise from Top: The author suited up for a dive. Photo Courtesy US NAVY Hyperbaric Chamber. Photo Courtesy US NAVY DIving Bell. Photo Courtesy US NAVY Divers and Student Using Steinke Hood

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in a recompression chamber. Due to the weakening of its structure, the infamous“Dive Tower” was dismantled in 1992. Once the tower was gone, the Navy decided to use a hyperbaric chamber to simulate pressures at depth. A deep pool was also constructed in its place with two escape hatches to simulate a submarine escape. This training was safer for the students and for the instructors; however, the practical exercise of ascending from a deep depth would be removed for a time. It would be 14 years later in 2006 when another tower would be built so that students could experience an actual escape again.

In 1994, I arrived at the trainer to become a Submarine Escape Instructor. I was trained as a Navy Diver and had spent the previous three years performing underwater maintenance on the submarine fleet beneath the frigid and murky waters of the Thames River. I spent the next three years at the escape trainer and was

grateful to be a part of the further evolution of the submarine escape appliance. We had turned to the British Navy for their newest buoyant escape technology. The Brits had been experimenting with a full bodied escape suit that far surpassed anything the U.S. Navy had produced. The American equipment was good to a depth of about 200 feet.

However, submarines often went down much deeper and beyond the capabilities of the Steinke Hood. In 1995 several U. S. Navy divers from the Groton escape trainer flew to England and were trained by the Royal Navy Divers on the use of the new MK-10

Submarine Escape Immersion Equipment (SEIE). This apparatus could be used with a mixed gas breathing media and had been successfully tested to a depth of 600 feet.

Not only was it a superior design for escape, but the full bodied suit would protect the wearer from the surface elements.

The Groton Submarine Escape Trainer would be my last duty station in the Navy. On my last week of military duty, the new MK-10 SEIE was approved for U.S. Navy wide use aboard all Submarines. It was a great way to end my career.

Since my departure in 1998, the submarine escape trainer has gotten back to its roots. At the Groton ‘Subase’ there was a new escape training tower built in 2006. One of my old diving buddies called me and gave me a tour just before it opened. Though not as tall as its predecessor, the new 40 foot tower affords the submarine school students to once again practice the skills needed to survive a submarine disaster. Divers love their t-shirts so I designed a new logo for the trainer with the phrase,“WHEN ALL ELSE

Clockwise from top left: Photo Courtesy US NAVY Divers and Student leaving trunk. Photo Courtesy US NAVY Schematics 1931 Tower. Photo of training by Petty Officer 2nd Class Jhi Scott. Vintage Postcard of training tower in Groton.

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Squeeze...yes please!!!!

Photos and profile by Ali Kaufman

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e, as mere mortals, tend to recall good things from our past as so good that the reality could never live up to our expectations in the present. While that is true for most things, I am happy to report that music from a band that many of us rocked out to in the 1980s and ’90s does not disappoint. Squeeze kicked of their Songbook Tour to a capacity crowd at the Ridgefield Playhouse at the end of February. For a few hours, I was transported to a far more simple time in my life, and I was not alone. This is not a band that is “phoning it in,” they sound fresh and full of energy as they play through

their setlist of songs that the audience knows every word to. The band has some new members, but the team that Rolling Stone coined as the Lennon and McCartney of their generation, Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford, are front and center.

In the late summer of 2016, Glenn Tilbrook embarked on a solo tour that made a stop in Hartford. I had the chance to meet with him that night and was thrilled to learn that at 14 years old, he picked up an album by Leadbelly with songs on it like Backwater Blues and Good

Night Irene, and he instantly became a fan of the blues. This early love of a quintessentially American music form seems to give depth to what was to come. Together with Chris Difford and notable former band member, UK TV host Jools Holland, went on to build a following of loyal fans that continues to grow today. Squeeze had great success selling out venues on their 2019 tour, and they came roaring back with a plan to play venues and stadiums across the United States through August and wrapping up on September 2nd in Gilford, New Hampshire.

Just a peek at their social media platforms, and you can see they are having as much fun with these shows as we, the audience, are! The larger stadium shows are played in support of Daryl

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Photo by Danny Clifford

Hall & John Oats. You can rest assured that every song you hear is one you know and forgot how much you loved!

With all the nostalgia of hits like “Black Coffee in Bed,”“Pulling Mussels From A Shell” and “Tempted,” you may be surprised to learn the band has released two critically acclaimed

albums in the last four years, the most current being The Knowledge, debuted in 2017. They have also been featured on many popular festival lineups like Coachella and Bourbon & Beyond. There is much to explore in their catalog that includes 15 studio albums, 14 compilations albums, 4 live, and 48 singles!

There are gems and rarities to be found if you dig. For trivia buffs, there are fun facts to find as well like, Chris Difford has written songs for Elvis Costello and Elton John.

Elvis Costello also sang back up on their Sweets From A Stranger Album, circa 1982, and Bruce Hornsby on accordion can be heard on their 1991 album Play.

At this unprecedented moment in time, we humans are learning to navigate a new world that can be frightening, to say the least. Shows and festivals that many of us look forward are on hold or canceled to curtail the spread of COVID-19. I hope that by the time you read this, we will have “flattened the curve” and made progress in a good direction. As difficult as this is, never give in to the fear. There are always more reasons to be hopeful than to be discouraged. We will all get through this together, with compassion, care, and compliance to procedures that can keep us safe and stop the spread of this disrupter of life as we know it. Spend

time checking out new musicians online, consider buying their music and merchandise directly, as not being on the road is hurting them in a way they have never known. Let’s all pull together and try to conjure up the feeling that music brings and put it into action in our daily lives. Sing those songs, dance in your living rooms, and keep your Mojo working! We need it now more than ever.

For all tour information, merch and news, please visit: www.squeezeofficial.com

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50 Brookgreen Gardens, whose genesis formed on the site of former rice plantations, is home to the largest outdoor exposition of American figurative sculptures on Earth. For lovers of art and all things botanical, Brookgreen Gardens is a peaceful and tranquil habitation to satisfy these interests while immersed in southern-culture. All of which is nestled amongst giant oaks adorned in lacy Spanish moss. In the early 1900s, the region was the site of four prosperous rice plantations; The Oaks, Springfield, Brookgreen, and Laurel Hill. These plantations once grew and harvested Carolina’s own ‘Gold Rice,’ which produced immense wealth and an aristocracy of power that influenced early America.

The history of Brookgreen Gardens is intertwined in the triumph and tragedy of early American families and thousands of slaves who worked the land. The Oaks Plantation was maintained by Joseph Alston, a wealthy farmer who also served as Governor of South Carolina. While Joseph enjoyed abundant success professionally, his personal life suffered greatly. He had married Theodosia Burr, daughter of Aaron Burr, who famously fought in the Revolutionary War and who infamously killed

Alexander Hamilton in a duel. Theodosia gave birth to a son in 1802 but tragically lost him to malaria when the child was but 10 years old. After her son’s death, grieving Theodosia went to visit her father in New York, but her ship was lost at sea, never to be seen again. Legend has it that her restless ghost can still be seen haunting the Lowcountry shores, looking for her father, from Myrtle Beach to Georgetown. Brookgreen Plantation was owned by Joshua John Ward, one of the prevalent American slaveholders of his time, and he was known as the ‘King of the Rice Planters.’

Continually expanding his empire, Ward at one time owned as many as six plantations producing nearly four million pounds of rice in a single season.

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The four plantations transformed into Brookgreen Gardens at the behest and vision of philanthropists Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington. Archer was heir to a railroad fortune and hailed from New York City. Anna was a native of Cambridge, Massachusetts, and had become one of the first world-renowned woman sculptors. The couple married in 1923, and a few years later, Anna was taken ill by tuberculosis, so the couple traveled to South Carolina in search of a warmer climate to aid in her recovery.

Archer and Anna fell deeply in love with the beauty of the Lowcountry.

They purchased the nearly ten thousand acres, from the Waccamaw River to the Atlantic Ocean, that once made up the four previously mentioned plantations. This land would be their canvass to create a winter retreat.

Within this vision, the former plantations with their human exploitation would disappear and in their place would grow the Huntington’s dream of the Brookgreen Gardens.

The Huntington’s began constructing buildings on the vast property in the late 1920s. The structures included a studio for Anna to sculpt, as well as habitats for several wild animals that she used as models.

They soon developed the idea of using a large portion of their land to showcase Anna’s work. Anna personally designed many of the gardens that remain today, with the first garden designed with walkways in the shape of a butterfly, as seen from a birds-eye view.

The Huntington’s opened Brookgreen to the public in 1932 as a garden that preserved the natural beauty of the Lowcountry and displayed Anna’s sculptures.

For a time, Anna showed her statuaries exclusively.

However, due to the severe lack of work for other acclaimed American artists during the Great Depression, she decided to purchase and display works by these artists. This philanthropic move greatly assisted the starving artists during the 1930s, enabling and retaining a culture of Americana that could have otherwise been lost. The Huntington’s stated that their ultimate goal was to make the gardens “a quiet joining of hands between science and art.” During the construction of the property, the couple decided to

only hire local folks to build the creation of their vision of paradise. The couple also funded the construction of power lines from Georgetown, bringing electricity to the region for the first time. And as the predominantly African American workforce built the grounds, Anna and Archer funded and commissioned the first school for black children in the area.

Ironically, plantations that once forced humans to work against their will have been resurrected to a place of economy and freedom. Where the true nature of the human spirit can be witnessed.

Brookgreen Gardens continues to honor the legacy of the Huntington’s.

There are over five hundred acres of indigenous gardens. In these gardens, you will find 1,445 figurative sculptures by American artists, the most extensive collection of its kind anywhere in the world in an outdoor setting. Serene ponds, encapsulated by wet aging stone and covered in

52 blankets of moss, afford faultless organic backgrounds to the sculpture. We were a bit startled and warned by signs along the banks of the water features to be wary of alligators and snakes. Taking note, we kept our distance from the shore and minded our footfalls.

The gardens also pay homage to the land’s early heart-rending history of the American South.

Visitors can view the remains of The Oaks’ slave village, and examine what 18th-century plantation life might have been like for the many different peoples who experienced it. Brookgreen is also bounded along the historic Waccamaw River, where evidence of the former rice fields and the buildings of the slaves who once toiled there, still remain.

Anna Huntington’s animal pens have also been expanded upon at the gardens in her honor. A substantial nature preserve and zoo affords visitors to get up-close and personal with some of the region’s indigenous wildlife. In continuing with Anna’s vision, the Lowcountry Zoo has been an essential element of the mission for Brookgreen Gardens since its inception. A fact that I find endearing is that all of the native animals in the zoo were either bred in captivity or have sustained a significant injury in the wild. In either case, these animals could not survive without human aid and monitored recuperation. On January 27, 2020, four North American River Otters were born in captivity at the Lowcountry Zoo. The mother, “John,” came from the Brevard Zoo in Melbourne, FL, and was genetically matched with

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the Lowcountry Zoo male, “Elliot.” Now their baby offspring will be valuable to reintegrating and increasing wild North American River Otter populations in the southern United States. Bald Eagles, alligators, foxes, hawks, owls, and a few other species also seem to be happy and well cared for at the zoo. The Lowcountry Zoo is an institution accredited by the “Association of Zoos and Aquariums,” which is America’s most respected organization of its kind. When visiting a zoo, it’s always enjoyable to see that not only are the visitors happy, but the animals are content and healthy as well.

The sheer size of Brookgreen Gardens may at first seem overwhelming. Still, the beauty experienced in every step you take is utterly amazing. The volunteers are incredibly knowledgeable and engaging and seem to be around every corner of this sprawling property. The green labyrinth is exceptionally well maintained and is a serene respite for meditation and quiet time for just you or with a loved one. My advice is to take your time and enjoy the grounds by planning at least two days at the property. Tickets are good for seven days and start at a modest $18, which only decreases in cost with discounts for children, seniors, and military. The gardens

are lush, even in the off-season. There are also plenty of indoor galleries in case you get caught under one of those rainy Carolina days. These buildings are chock full of thought-provoking and stunning sculptures and rotating exhibits. After a long day in the Carolina sun, the perfect ending is at Brookgreen’s Courtyard Café, where you can wash down a plate of Fried Green Tomatoes and a Brookgreen Po’ Boy with a couple of regional craft beers, or a bottomless glass of cold southern sweet tea.

As we exit the preserve, I perseverate on Anna and Arche. On their love for one another, and how they came together just after America was broken from civil war, while the nation was on the brink of financial collapse from the Great Depression. They chose not to squander their resources on a meaningless, opulent life. Instead, they gave to their neighbors, tried

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to right some of the wrongs of their forefathers, and created this beautiful gift of peace and reflection.

Anna and Archer left this world as Nutmeggers. Archer died in Bethel, Connecticut, in 1955. Anna passed eighteen years later at the ripe age of 97 in Redding, Connecticut.

Their bodies may have been interred at their family plot in New York City, but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to think that their hearts lay together in the warmth of the Gardens at Brookgreen.

For more information about Brookgreen Gardens, please visit www.brookgreen.org.

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A Voyage to the

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Bottom of the World Antarctica is the final frontier. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the last unspoiled wilderness on the planet . . .

Caryn B. Davis

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The

Cheesemonger

By Paul Partica - The Cheese Shop, Centerbrook CT

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Rahmtaler by Emmentaler Swiss

By Paul Partica, The Cheese Shop of Centerbrook

W

hen anybody mentions French or Italian cheese, it’s usually understood that both countries have a vast selection to choose from. Just mention Swiss cheese, however, and it’s an automatic “oh, the cheese with the holes.”

Switzerland is the only country that I have this problem with. I always have to add that Switzerland makes many other kinds of cheese besides the one with the holes. The problem can even get more complicated when you describe a cheese made in another country, such as Norwegian Jarlsberg or Dutch Leerdammer, as a “Swiss-style” cheese. In reality, you’re just referring to Emmentaler.

With that being said, let’s get back to Emmentaler, Switzerland Swiss, yes, the one with the holes.

This cheese has been made for over a thousand years. It’s typically made from unpasteurized milk that has been skimmed to a butterfat content of forty to forty-five percent. It is one of the larger cheeses weighing in at an average of 200 pounds. You don’t carry it in, you roll it in. It’s similar in size to a tractor-trailer tire; only it weighs more.

I feel the need to tell you a true story about this. When I first started in the cheese business, back in the late ’60s, the company I was working for related a past incident where a delivery was made in Greenwich, Connecticut, on Greenwich Ave. In those days, the wheels of Swiss were packed three wheels to a large round tub made out of wood, very similar to a large wine barrel. Since Greenwich was one of the largest volume cheese shops in the country, an order this size was not out of the norm.

The story goes the tub of Swiss was accidentally dropped off the truck by the driver, few trucks had lift gates at the time.

Unfortunately, the seven hundred pounds plus tub of cheese got away from him and started rolling down the avenue, which had more than a modest slope. The result was a totaled-out car. Could you imagine the owner of the car calling his insurance company to explain what happened? Yes, I’m sorry, I was hit by a wheel of cheese. I’m sure the story was embellished, and the car may not have been totaled, but I’m sure a good size dent was involved.

This now brings me to Rahmtaler, which I recently became aware of. The significant difference is the butterfat content of 55% in dry matter compared to 40-45% in regular Emmentaler. The cheese is made from raw milk where the cows graze naturally and do not eat silage. The extra creamy taste is immediately evident along with the nutty hazelnut flavor. In addition to eating and cooking, Rahmtaler makes a terrific fondue.

The cheese has a fascinating history. According to Gourmino Dairies, the producer of Rahmtaler, The cheese dates back to the 16th century. At this time, there was a surplus in butter production, and it was no longer necessary to skim milk for Emmentaler production. The new cheese was a full-fat non-skimmed product. As time went on, refinements were made. By the 18th century, they began to skim the milk in the evening and then add it to fresh raw milk in the morning, increasing the fat to 55%, which gave the cheese a great creamy taste.

Rahmatalers production began to decrease in the 20th century due to the disappearing of mountain dairies. Gourmino never stopped producing this great cheese and only increased their efforts.

The cheese first goes through a three-month ripening period at the dairy. It is then transferred to an affinage (ripening) facility in Langnau, located in the Emmental valley. The cheeses are assessed for quality, some will be aged for eight months while certain selected wheels will be aged and matured up to fifteen months.

Swiss cheese is known throughout the world,“the one with the holes.”The problem is there are so many copies made, including many here in the United States. Unfortunately, most of these attempts have little flavor and are of poor quality. You find them often in food service shops layered on sandwiches because of a much lower cost. I remember being told that beginning production attempts required making the holes artificially so it would look like Swiss. Many states, as well as countries, make versions. I have had many experiences shopping in some stores where I would find many “Swiss” cheeses but none actually from Switzerland.

As common as Swiss cheese may be, you might have trouble finding this one. I’m not saying that it is better than other great Emmentalers available, just wonderfully different.

Paul Partica, The Cheese Shop www.cheeseshopcenterbrook .com.

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LIFE ON SUGAR

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Carrot Cake: Vegetable or Dessert?

Written by: Heather Kelly, Director of Operations, NoRA Cupcake Company Photos by: Winter Caplanson, Connecticut Food and Farm

SPRING is here, and with it, we are here to give you some tips and tricks on our favorite Easter Brunch dessert. CARROT cake is a traditional crowd pleaser whether you serve it in cupcake, sheet cake, or layer cake form. Delicious, nutritious (hey, it’s a vegetable after all!), and in theme for the bunny’s big day.

Who would have ever thought that a root vegetable could add so much richness and just the right amount of sweet to a cake? If you look back in search of the origin, it seems that this confection combination came from carrot pudding recipes during the Medieval period. Carrots were often used as a sugar substitute when sugar itself was hard to come by. The World Carrot Museum of the United Kingdom has archived recipes for carrot cake dating back to 1591, so clearly, this dessert has stood the test of time.

What is it about this Vitamin A filled vegetable that adds such depth and flavor?

As much as one would like to think that we are adding the carrot for nutritional value, it truly is for the taste and texture. Like we said with the carrot pudding, it adds a subtle sweetness that pairs well with the brown sugar and spices often used in most carrot cake recipes. The texture of a dish can almost be as important as the flavor at times - which is why you should take care in how you prepare your carrots to go into the batter. The first step is always to rinse with cold water and scrub to clean. Use a peeler to remove the rough outer skin on the carrot, then cut off the top. Toss the tops and peelings, and move on to grating the carrots on the smallest holes of a cheese grater. This will give them enough crispness to not turn into a gooey mush, and fine enough to not give each bite too much crunch.

We have a few additions that we find necessary to really make our carrot cake recipe shine here at our bakery without too much overpowering of the palate. Our “secret” is finely chopped TOASTED walnuts, pineapple chunks, and golden raisins. The extra step of toasting the walnuts really brings out the earthy and nutty flavor in the cake. Toast up some extra and save to decorate the cake with when you frost. Canned crushed pineapple works just fine and acts as a great additional moistening agent, so save yourself that extra step of cutting up a fresh one. For people that would never eat raisins as a snack on their own, we somehow can’t resist the juicy flavor that they add to each bite. We’ve toyed with the addition of coconut flakes a time or two, but find that the walnuts add enough crunch, and the fruit adds enough sweetness that there is no need to add anything else. While working off of your recipe of choice, we always suggest choosing one that involves cinnamon, allspice, and cloves for that perfect melody of flavor.

In our opinion, cream cheese frosting is the only way to go when dressing up your carrot cake. The ingredients are simple - cream cheese, butter, confectioners sugar, vanilla, and a little bit of milk.

This tangy not too sweet combination provides the perfect silky finish on your flavor bomb of a cake. Cream cheese frosting can tend to be a bit runnier than other basic frostings - so make sure your cake is completely cooled before frosting to keep it from melting on you. Perfection takes time. Rimming the cake in your extra toasted walnuts can take the stress off of making the frosting perfectly even. Just matters that it tastes good, right!?

I hope these little tidbits can help you please everyone’s varying taste buds at your Easter celebrations this year. If the task is too daunting, you can always come visit us at our bakery, NoRA Cupcake Company in Middletown & New London. We’ll be stocked up on traditional carrot cake cupcakes along with other festive Easter Bunny themed treats - maybe even a Cadbury Egg cupcake thrown in for good measure. Have a great holiday and a happy spring, CaKE Lovers!

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Sauvignon Blanc grapes

Chardonnay grapes

By Art LiPuma, General Manager SeaSide Wine & Spirits, Old Saybrook

Cabernet Sauvignon grapes

Merlot grapes

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The Grapes of California California has a vast number of vineyards growing many different varietals from the most popular to more esoteric ones. Many of these grapes are grown in the areas where they grow best. The most popular white grape is the Chardonnay. This grape is very versatile and can partake in different flavors and richness, depending on where it is grown and how it is made into wine. Weather conditions and types of soil will influence it, though.

The significant processes that will manipulate the structure or taste of the wine are the type of vessel the wine is fermented in. Whether it be stainless steel or oak or if they used malolactic fermentation in the process. The oak barrels will give it more richness and body and a slight buttery taste as opposed to stainless steel, which will provide a cleaner crispier taste. As with the oak barrels, the process of malolactic fermentation will also produce a slight buttery component.

Sauvignon Blanc is another well-known grape, but it doesn’t rely on oak barrels for its flavor. It is a crisper, slightly tropical tasting wine. Chenin Blanc can be fruity or entirely dry, depending on the producer or where it is grown. Other white grapes grown in California are Riesling, Moscato, Viognier, Sémillon, and Pinot Gris (which is the same grape as Pinot Grigio from Italy). Pinot Grigio is the lightest in the body of the whites, whereas Moscato would be the sweetest. Viognier is a slightly fruity grape with some floral notes.

As with the whites, you have many choices of red wines to choose from as well. Starting with probably the most popular red grape from California is Cabernet Sauvignon. This red develops into a big, fullbodied wine, which pairs well with quite a few food dishes, especially with any steak dish. Traditionally, it is not overly fruity and has a well-balanced dry finish. Another interesting point to mention about this wine is the possibility of extensive age ability. Some wineries produce their Cabernets so they improve with age. Merlot is a more vibrant, fruitier and softer wine than that of Cabernet Sauvignon. This grape was trendy in the early to mid-’90s until the movie Sideways came out and gave a negative outlook to Merlot and a positive one for the grape of Pinot Noir. To this day, Merlot sales aren’t what they once were.

This isn’t to say that Merlot can’t be a good quality wine. Pinot Noir is a light body wine with a dry finish.

It is best noted for having the flavors of cherries and other red fruits.

Syrah shows flavors of rich black fruit and mainly other dark fruits. These wines have a slightly spicy light dry finish. Petite Sirah is a similar style to Syrah. This smaller grape is not the same, though. Zinfandel is a grape that has similar characteristics of Syrah with bold fruit and richness these three grapes pair well with many barbecue meats with their bold flavors. Zinfandel does well in the warmer climate areas of California. Lodi is one of the most famous for this grape, and it produces a rich, full-flavored wine with lots of flavor and richness. Some of the other reds that are grown are Gamay, Cabernet Franc, Sangiovese, Mouvédre, Malbec and Grenache. Although these grapes make great wine on their own they are mostly used for blending.

Several varietals are grown to produce top-notch wines in California, which make up some of the best wine in the world.

Cheers!

Art LiPuma

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APRIL EVENTS

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April Events at Water's Edge Resort & Spa EASTER BRUNCH SUNDAY, APRIL 12 9:00AM - 5:00PM $49.95++ per person Children 6-10 yrs $22.00++ 5 and under complimentary

April Events at Scotch Plains Tavern

UPCOMING COMEDY AT THE EDGE

Friday, April 3rd - Fusco Trio Saturday, April 4th - Rahsaan Langley Project Friday, April 10th - Trish Radil & Keith Cooper Duo Saturday, April 11th - JCDC Friday, April 17th - Nick Fradiani Sr. Saturday, April 18th - Nick Fradiani Sr. Friday, April 24th - Rahsaan Langley Project Saturday, April 25th - Nick Fradiani Sr.

Wednesday, 4/1 – Keith Cooper and Trish Radil from 5:30pm Thursday, 4/2 – Nick Fradiani Jr. from 6:00pm Friday, 4/3 – Dr. G and the Believers from 7:30pm Saturday, 4/4 – Engine Room from 7:30pm Sunday, 4/5 – Bonfire Acoustic from 1:00pm Wednesday, 4/8 – Ross & Bost from 5:30pm Thursday, 4/9 – JC/DC from 6:00pm Friday, 4/10 – Collective Difference from 7:30pm Saturday, 4/11 – Mass-Conn-Fusion from 7:30pm Sunday, 4/12 – Jim Paradis from 1:00pm Wednesday, 4/15 – FrankenPhil from 5:30pm Thursday, 4/16 – Tyler Marshall from 6:00pm Friday, 4/17 – Beth and the Boys from 7:30pm Saturday, 4/18 – Crossover from 7:30pm Sunday, 4/19 – Sweet Tea Daddy from 1:00pm Wednesday, 4/22 – Pik-N-Axe from 5:30pm Thursday, 4/23 – 2 Cat Zoo from 6:00pm Friday, 4/24 – Local Honey from 7:30pm Saturday, 4/25 – Rock Bottom from 7:30pm Sunday, 4/26 – Chris Houchin from 1:00pm Wednesday, 4/29 – Just the Two of Us from 5:30pm Thursday, 4/30 – Chris Marra from 6:00pm

HAPPY HOUR

Repeat Events:

Sunday - Friday 4PM - 6PM 50% off Bistro Small Bites | $5 Draft Beer | $6 House Wine & Select Spirits

Happy Hour Specials: Monday – Friday from 3pm – 6pm Mondays: Buy a Handheld Menu Item, Get a Draft Beer for a Penny 3pm – close Tuesdays: Taco Tuesday from 5pm – close Wednesdays: Ladies Nite 1/2 Price Wine Bottles All Day and Live Music from 5:30pm – 8:30pm Thursdays: Live Music 6pm – 9pm & 69¢ Wings 3pm – close Fridays: Prime Rib from 5pm – close & Live Music from 7:30pm – 11pm Saturdays: Live Music from 7:30pm – 11pm Sundays: Brunch from 11:30am – 3:00pm & Live Music 1pm – 4pm

Saturday, April 4th Ray Harrington | Rob Greene | Steven Vecchiarelli Saturday, April 17th Greg Stone | Shafi Hossain - Jesse Eigner The show starts at 7:30pm, come early for dinner and drinks or stay after to enjoy free live music at Seaview Bistro. $20.00 | Ticket Price includes all Taxes

LIVE MUSIC AT SEAVIEW BISTRO

REPEAT EVENTS Monday - Free Bar Trivia | Lobster Boil $25 Friday - Prime Rib Dinner Special $19.95 Sunday - Brunch $39.95++ from 9AM - 3PM Water's Edge Resort & Spa 1525 Boston Post Road, Westbrook, CT 860-399-5901 |

Easter, April 12th: Dining & Drink Specials and Live Music Live Music:

Scotch Plains Tavern, 124 Westbrook Road, Essex CT Call 860.662.4032 or visit

*Due to recent Covid-19 outbreak and the shelter in place orders. Please check with the venue to verify the event is still being held.

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Little Pub Live Music for April Thursday April 9th Zack Lockwood Acoustic - 7-9 pm Saturday April 16th Rock Bottom Band - 8-11 pm Thursday April 23th Zack Lockwood Acoustic - 7-9 pm Little Pub, 1231 Boston Post Rd, Old Saybrook, CT 06475

Begins promptly at 10:30 a.m. Hunt for dino-sized eggs throughout The Dinosaur Place at Nature’s Art Village!

Win prizes and have a ROARIN’ good time! Enjoy a special visit from the Easter Bunny after the event. Every egg hunter is guaranteed to find eggs and win prizes. After the egg hunt, enjoy free admission to The Dinosaur Place park for the whole day! Registration is required for this event. Nature's Art Village, 1650 Hartford-New London Tpke. Montville, CT 06370

Susan Powell Fine Art, Bridging Realism to Abstraction - Madison CT April 17 - May 16, 2020 View our New Show online under Upcoming Exhibitions The gallery is excited to present our first exhibition showcasing abstract and transitional works. We have new artists exhibiting here for the first time with our established awardwinning contemporary painters, David Dunlop and Deborah Quinn-Munson. Tom Glover, Emilia Dubicki and Ira Barkoff are acclaimed Connecticut and New Hampshire abstract painters with representational aspects to their work. This is a vibrant, different, and colorful show!

Valentine H. Zahn Community Gallery – Westbrook March 2 – May 15 The exhibition features selected works in various media by artists from Connecticut and Massachusetts. The works were chosen through an open call, curatorial process and is curated

by Jan Ayer with jurors Eric Dillner, Kimberly Monson and Nancy Pinney.

The Gallery is open during regular business hours and is located at 250 Flat Rock Place, Westbrook, CT. For more information, contact Sally Ann Lee at 4065, visit middlesexhealth.org/zahngallery or gmail.com.

Photo: Samantha Smith “Gold Dreams”

Gallery Hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 11-5 pm, and any day by appointment.

Susan Powell Gallery 679 Boston Post Road, Madison near the fire station. For further information, please call (203) 3180616, email us at and visit to see works in the show.

Iliza at Foxwoods – Mashantucket April 17 Comedian Iliza is bringing her Forever Tour to Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut!

Iliza is one of today’s leading comedians with a fan base who show their loyalty by creating their own Iliza inspired swag to wear to her shows. In 2019, she premiered her 5th Netflix stand-up special UnVeiled, which delves into her journey of getting married. Her past specials include War Paint, Freezing Hot and Confirmed Kills.

APRIL EVENTS

Her most recent special, 2018’s Elder Millennial, was the subject of her Fan-U-Mentary Iliza Shlesinger: Over & Over and gives fans an inside look into what goes in to making a stand-up special. On the acting front, she’ll next be seen co-starring opposite Mark Wahlberg in the movie Wonderland, directed by Peter Berg, and is currently in production on The Iliza Shlesinger Sketch Show. Both will premiere on Netflix in 2020.

Foxwoods 350 Trolley Line Blvd, Mashantucket, CT

The Red House – Salem April 23 Paint Your Pet! Let professional artist Julianna Cameron guide you through your very own painting of your favorite pet from a photo supplied in advance. This is such a fun and rewarding class. No experience necessary. Thursday, April 23, 6-8pm.

The Red House, 22 Darling Road, Salem.

Visit salemredhouse.com for more info. (860) 608-6526.

Hammonasset Beach State Park – Madison April 26 Join us for a Celebration of Earth Day 2020 and the arrival of Spring, sponsored by the Friends of Hammonasset with fun events for the whole family. Admission is free and events will run from 11am -3pm. Activities are scheduled for the Meigs Point Nature Center (MPNC) and at other locations around the Park. Events and Exhibitors include: · ·

The Archeology Road Show and Open House at MPNC – Please bring your artifacts for identification.

Atlatl Demonstration with Gary Nolf.

Additional information may be found at the Meigs Point Nature Center Website: . Or call 203-245-8743.

Meigs Point Nature Center, Hammonasset Beach State Park, 1288 Boston Post Rd, Madison, CT 06443

Chelsea Handler at Mohegan Sun April 25 Regarded as one of the most successful figures in entertainment today, Chelsea Handler and her talk shows, best-selling books, and stand-up comedy have attracted millions of fans worldwide.

On April 9, 2019, Handler released her much anticipated sixth book and first memoir Life Will Be the Death of Me, which debuted at No. 1 on The New York Times Best-Seller List. In support of the book’s release, Handler embarked on a sitdown and stand-up Comedy tour and launched an eponymous podcast with iHeartRadio. On the heels of her successful book tour, Handler recently released Hello, Privilege. It’s Me, Chelsea. through Netflix. The project is a provocative documentary that follows her as she confronts her personal and cultural impacts around white privilege.

Cindy Stevens Fine Art – Clinton Zenscapes Update The Zenscapes art show at Cindy Stevens Fine Art will be up during April and May. It will feature new work by Roxanne Steed of Mystic and Cindy Stevens.

We hope to reschedule our reception as a closing party at the end of May and will announce details when we know more.

Meanwhile check out our Facebook page at Cindy Stevens Fine Art for a virtual look at our show and to see what's new in the gallery.

Tickets range from $39 - $59 | Show starts at 8 pm.

Mohegan Sun 1 Mohegan Sun Boulevard, Uncasville, CT 06382

*Due to recent Covid-19 outbreak and the shelter in place orders. Please check with the venue to verify the event is still being held.

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