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Tasting Benefit Season is Upon Us

Posted by John Lawrence on Sat, Mar 28, 2009
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Spring always bring a number of tasting opportunities for area residents and supporters of non-profit organizations and venues. Last evening our Culinary Team blew away the diners with an over the top menu of crispy braised pork served over preserved lemon sweet potato puree, seared citrus diver scallops infused with vanilla bean and served with a lemon beuree blanc and our Pastry Chef got into the action with some creative spoon dessert concoctions. We served 160 diners in the first 90 minutes with lines out the door and made my wife and I along with our event planner team quite proud.

Next week on April will bring us to the Corridor 9 Business Expo and Chef will rock with Asian braised short ribs with jasmine rice and then the event that we are most excited about id monday April 6, at the Worcester County Food Bank and a special fundraising event to honor Barbara Houle the food editor of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette for over 30 years. No one has done more for area Chef, Restauranteurs, Food Producers and Farmers than Barbara and Central Mass would not nearly have progressed as far as it has culinary wise if not for Barbara’s support. We know that the 11 participating restaurants, bakeries and caterers will really step up with their creativity for this one and for the price of 25.00, this will be one memorable evening of small plate dining. Oh, and did I mention the martini luge along with local brew, live music and a tribut to Barbara. Stop by and say hello to the Chef’s and especialy Pepper’s Fine Foods Catering.

Art, Walk & Dine along the Boston Harbor Trail

Posted by John Lawrence on Tue, Mar 03, 2009

My wife Susan and I have done this little trek a couple of times now and I’d like to share a fun few hours in Boston, that may be of interest. This past Sunday we abreviated things a bit due to the 40 mile per hour gusts, coming off the harbor, but normally the harbor walk from the Institute of Contempory Art to the Aquarium is as stimulating to the eye as it is for the food and art. Sunday we sought to take in the Shepard Fairly exhibit at the ICA as well as the ” Stories Left To Tell” a presentation /play on the writings of the late Spaulding Gray. If you were a Spaulding Grey fan, keep an eye out for this traveling production. I believe that it will be done in philadelphia, son. Anyways, back to the ICA. Set on and over the Boston Harbor, this museum is spectacular and certainly not your average museum. We viewed the museum but went especially to see the collection of works by Shepard Fairley, who was the fella who did the now famous Obama poster. His work is poignant, with an open mind in viewing our polictical landscape. I highly reccomend taking in fairly’s work .The Cafe at ICA is run by Wolfgang Puck catering offering lunch pannini, salad faire and during the warmer months, musicians from Berkley perform outside. For dining, plenty of options. Two of my favorites are Flour Bakery ( a short drive), great for breakfast, luncheon sandwich’s etc. and Barking Crab for very fresh fish dishes. I love the Barking Crab for it’s cheezy waterfront atmosphere. Boston is getting so gentrified, that it’s fun to find a place that didn’t hire a designer to make the perfect lobster shack. In the winter the source of heat is a great woodstove and yes, you will probably dine with your coat on, but the oysters are impeccable, clam rolls, oyster po’boys, cajun fish special, lobster bisque are are done well and they have a plentiful selection of local draft beers on tap. It’s simple, and simply done well. Further along the harbor walk you also go past The Daily Catch. This is another great stop for Portugese inspired seafood cuisine and they have another in the North End, which you could walk to via this route if your into getting this much exercise. Past the Catch leads you to the Bostonian Hotel and then to the Aquarium & the Marriott at Rowes wharf. My tip for a nice way to view the city, from the waterfront. Go to the attached link and download the audio tour.

Love Spring

Posted by John Lawrence on Sun, Feb 22, 2009

Way before Spring actually sets in, I find myself working on Spring menu proposals, attending tastings, assisting with planning Spring fundraising events and other signs of a new season. Today is a rather dreary day with a light rain over snow covered gound, but I sit with glowing coals, dancing in the fireplace and thoughts of grilling outside, soon to be commonplace. I am excited for what is going on in our food world and goals for the upcoming season. Our local chapter of Chefs is gathering steam having recently enjoyed the cuisine and demonstration by Chef Paul and a Cheeky menu items such as pork cheeks and veal cheeks. Our next meeting will be held at Assabet High School and a program designed by their Chef Instructors. It is amazing what is going on at the progressive vocational high school culinary programs and along with Assabet, Chef Mike Banks and his Montichusett High School are most inspiring.

Another couple of exciting Spring Events that the Pepper’s Culinary Team are actively involved in will be the 2'nd Annual Tastefully Tower Hill on March 27th with area Chef’s offering a “lemon’ inspired menu to celebrate the upcoming groundbreaking expansion at Tower Hill,and a new one, and that I and Pepper’s is quite personally involved, with “Barbara’s Bash”. This event will celebrate the over 30 years of the career of Barbara Houle, Food Editor of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette. Barbara is steping down from her full time activities at the T & G and will still write a column and persue other writing opportunities. Watch for Barbara in the Editable Boston magazine & others. Pepper’s had the good fortune to cater Barbara’s charming daughter Amy’s wedding a few years back and have been the recipient of numerous articles written by Barbara.

A few other aspects of the celebration of all things Barbara are that all funds recieved will directly benefit the Worcester Food Bank. Another point to not be missed, for the cost of 35.00, guests will have a unique opportunity to taste a number of dishes from local Chef’s who will naturally look to “show off” for a Barbara Event. Expect an enticing Martini Bar. Last but not least, the evening will cap with an award we are calling “:The Houley”. Barbara will be the first recipient and there after, the award will be gited annually to the person who is voted to be most supportive to the local hospitallity industry. Fellow members of the planning committee are Bill Brady; www.sonoma-princeton.com, Alina Eisenhauer;www.sweetworcester.com, Christene Zecker; http://www.theeducatedgrape.com and Audrey Kurlan-Marcy who was one of the founders of the tremendously successful Taste of the Nation, Worcester. Taste of the Nation Event will be held once again at the Crown Plaza in Worcester on April 27th. This one of the best tastes of local chefs you can experience.

Ah Spring, more fun & more great dining !

A few fun wines at this weeks JCC Event at Hanover Theatre

Posted by John Lawrence on Fri, Feb 13, 2009

After returning from CO. on Friday, Catering an excellent black tie affair for the American Heart Association on Saturday, my wife Susan and I attended (instead of working) the Annual JCC fundraiser held this year at the beautifully restored hanover Theatre in Worcester. Most of the savory foods were palatable, the desserts were over the top decadent with Sweet and On The Rise being quite memorable. Wines to love for us are, Stuhlmuller Chardonnay, Luigi Bosca Reserva Pinot Noir & Joel Gott Zinfandel. There were many more that hit the spot and always find these events that support good causes often have a great offering a little gem wines at every day prices.

Great 2 weeks of Food & Fun

Posted by John Lawrence on Fri, Feb 13, 2009

2/1 and my best friend and our two sons headed for 5 days of skiing in the Dillon Colorado area as well as great eats and beverage. We were blown away with both of our goals. We ski’d Breckenridge, Vail and Keystone and all three were off the charts for conditions with keystone being the grand surprise. Plenty of tree trail skiing, with long glides and something for everyone. Dillon was a great location for cost effective rental accomadations and an easy drive to all major areas. My buddy Tim and I are pretty handy in the kitchen as well as my son Chris so we ate great breakfasts everyday and found a local mexican grocery for fresh local chorizo, eggs, fresh made corn tortillas, roasted jalepeno and Oaxaca cheese. Each day brought different variations of this theme with one other day we did a variation on an Italian theme with poached eggs set upon a warmed up gourmet pizza that we had ordered the night before specially for this occasion.

We enjoyed a wonderful evening of fine, small plate dining in Vail at the “Sweet Basil Restaurant”. Thier crispy braised pork belly was so enticing that after the kitchen sent out a complimentory plate for “fellas in the trade” we ordered a plate for each of us as there was no way we would share this dishe with each other. Two hours later after heavy damage to the credit card we retreated to our nightly hang out, “Whiskey & Goat” in Dillon. A great dive bar with local micro brews, the best smoked chicken wings in memory. The wings are slow smoked over mesquite and then quickly deep fried and finished with a maple bbq sauce. Awsome ! We played pool for hours each evening and then were on the slopes each day at 9 or so. Can’t beat Colorado for skiing !

Killer Event Evening at Union Station

Posted by John Lawrence on Sun, Feb 01, 2009

Our Pepper’s team did one outstanding job this evening for the medical staff of St. Vincent hospital. It was awards night and 300 plus guests had a ball with a very busy casino night, many awards etc.

The cuisine by Chef Paul & the gang blew everyone away. The Zoot Suit Chef’s ( it was a roasring 20’s theme) carved up brined coffee crusted turkey tenderloin, while the seafood chef’s offered up lobster, scallop & shrimp ceviche, shrimp cocktail shooters and the hit of the evening, mushroom dusted diver scallops, set on a vanilla bean scented parsnit puree with carrot juice gastrique, beet frizzies and micro radish sprouts. They did me proud and the display work was off the charts. Next yeart will be tough to beat

Wednesday Night Ski Patrollers Live Large

Posted by John Lawrence on Sat, Jan 24, 2009

Each Wed. I volunteer at Mt Wachusett as a ranger. I enjoy the comraderie of the other rangers and ski patrolers. One of my best friends, Chef Micky Beriau was instrumental in my getting into this. My skiing has gotten so much better but equally fun are the dinners. We all take turns cooking up belly warming dishes and micky and push the bar up a bit and it works. Moose stews, great turkey chili etc., etc. This week was my turn so I did a pork tenderloin and sausage trilogy cassoulet

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassoulet) along with a fabulous salad I saw in this weeks NY Times food page. Roasted beets, local goat cheese from Ann Starbird’s farm in Sterling, roasted pistaschio, radiccio and a simple citrus vinaigrette. yum yum Dessert was a eggnog custard ( still using up remnants of the holidays

I'm Famous

Posted by John Lawrence on Mon, Jan 19, 2009
I'm Famous