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HERSAM ACORN NEWSPAPERS

for the holidays

Holidays, Computers & Family Reunions Facebook Chats ... Face To Face Meetings Unusual Gifts, Friendly Service Enjoy The Holiday Spirit At Local Shops

Bryan Haeffele photo

Friday Night Bites Making Mealtime Into Family Time

Special Section to: The Valley Gazette

The Stratford Star

The Milford Mirror

The Amity Observer

The Trumbull Times

FairďŹ eld Sun

The Huntington Herald

The Monroe Courier

The Easton Courier

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• December 10, 2009 •

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Whole Foods now in Milford FRESH, ORGANIC AND LOCAL by Robin E. Glowa As a flavor-obsessed foodie with good intentions to keep it healthy, I had eagerly awaited the opening of the new Whole Foods store in Milford. When the doors swung open on Nov. 11, a whole new world of healthy eating became available to cooking enthusiasts, health-conscious families or those who just love really good food. Whole Foods embodies values that many can appreciate. For the last 25 years, Whole Foods has been establishing relationships with local farmers and suppliers to provide the highest quality of natural and organic products. Buying organic appeals to me, as I truly believe it will enhance my health. But more important, I have found that organic vegetables, fruits, meats and poultry have a clean, sweet, more intense flavor that is immensely satisfying. A banner in the beautiful new store proclaims, “Health Starts Here.” No product makes it into this marvelous mecca unless it is free from artificial preservatives, colors, flavors, sweeteners and hydrogenated fats. An unwavering dedication to high standards of wholesomeness and safety applies not just to the food but to all the vitamins, skin-care products, make-up, dry goods, baby items and pet supplies sold at Whole Foods. Each product is carefully evaluated and chosen for its ability to support health and well-being.

Top, The market is noted for its high quality natural and organic products. Left, James Richetelli, Milford mayor, and Christina Minardi, Northeast Region president, break bread to officially open the Milford Whole Foods Market. — Whole Foods photo

Michael Sinatra, public affairs manager for the Northeast Region of Whole Foods, speaks with great passion about the new store. “Once you see the produce, the col-

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• December 10, 2009 •

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ors, the glistening ﬁsh, the gorgeous organic meat, you’ll see what we’re all about. We are so excited to be here in Milford!”

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ery wasabi one night. For lunch, pale-pink poached salmon with a vibrant dill sauce kept me well fortiﬁed. I look forward to sampling roasted-shallot corn pudding, chicken parmesan and cranberry couscous on my next visit. I also have yet to try the freshly made pizza. Prepared in a blazing 525-degree oven, the super-thin-crusted pizza is laden with such unique combinations as roasted pears and brie, and butternut squash and radicchio. Be still my trembling tongue. I may also have to try one of the many deli meats, in particular an American- produced prosciutto.

Michael continues, “All of our stores are different, customized to each community. If shoppers want a certain kind of apple, we get it for them. We feature products in the store that are grown here in Connecticut, some within 36 miles of the store. Now that’s fresh as can be. “We have Connecticut-crafted beers; our oysters and clams come straight from Westport from Westport Aquaculture. I’m really a huge fan of our seafood department,” he says with a grin.

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Jonathon Martin, team leader for prepared foods, tells me that catering services are available. “We do cold platters, sandwiches, all kinds of trays.” Jonathon, a highly accomplished chef, with stints at local hot spots such as Match, Blue, RK and Tengda, is excited to bring his creativity to the Whole Foods kitchen.

On my ﬁrst foray through the store, the smiling employees cheerfully handed out samples, such as a generous morsel of locally made fresh mozzarella. It melted in my mouth, a soft pillow of cloud-like creaminess tinged with a faint touch of salt. Divine! I found the cheese department ﬁlled with excellent selections.

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Nate adds, “We’re proud to offer our own line of value-priced “365” products, and we have great sales every week. Our goal is to be very much a part of this community. When you shop here it helps us do the work we are committed to, providing the best food available, supporting local farmers, working with local food banks and charities and sharing the joy of great tasting food.”

The ﬂoral department blooms with lush purple and white orchids and dozens of other brilliant blossoms. Just as colorful are the gigantic displays of fruits and vegetables. I can scarcely believe it when I ﬁnd 15 varieties of fresh mushrooms, one more exotic looking than the next.

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The entire staff at Whole Foods is eager to please and ready to answer any questions. Nate Beaudry, the Milford store’s team leader says, “One of our most important goals is to offer the highest level of customer service. We’ve hired many local residents and they are all so happy to be here.”

The fresh ﬁsh section does indeed glisten, with sparkling wild salmon, rich, red tuna and such unusual offerings as Branzini and fresh anchovies.

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I say a good bakery is tantamount to a good life. The Whole Foods bakery turns out beauteous loaves of bread, as well as scones, mufﬁns, cookies, and cakes. I was charmed by the darling miniature cupcakes crowned with pert, pink rosebuds.

Michael goes on to add, “Not only is this a great shopping destination, it’s a great lunch spot. We have an 80-seat cafe where folks can enjoy freshly brewed coffee, cappuccino and lattes, our delicious panini sandwiches, antipasti bar, specialty chocolates, hot soups or extensive salad bars. We offer an awesome assortment of prepared foods so you can bring home take-out for the family that’s a more nutritious alternative to junk food.”

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• December 10, 2009 •

Hersam Acorn Newspapers •

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While talking about the “good ole days,” cousins Janel Palange, left, and Dana Romano decided to rally family members for a grand reunion.

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Holidays, computers & family reunions by Joanne Greco Rochman

relatives joining them on Facebook and the excitement began to build.

Holidays are the perfect time for families to get together and celebrate. It’s also the time when family members reminisce about days gone by. When fond memories warm the cold nights, that’s when the seeds of arranging a grand family reunion should be planted.

“We used to get together at Boothe Memorial Park in Stratford when we were kids,” said Dana, who had enjoyed keeping up with relatives on Facebook. Jo Marie Pelle, one of the eight, volunteered to make arrangements for a hall in Stratford.

It was just after the holidays last year when Dana Romano of Monroe contacted some of her cousins on Facebook. They really enjoyed communicating with each other, and decided to get together in person for some pizza and camaraderie. There were eight of them.

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However, as these cousins started talking about the “good ole days,” Dana suggested that perhaps they should have a really big family reunion. Janel Palange of Naugatuck picked up on this and volunteered to help Dana track down some addresses. Before long, they found more and more

It didn’t take long before the cousins were able to contact 90 relatives, many of them through Facebook. It was agreed that they would indeed have the ﬁrst annual Manzo family reunion. Because winter is not always the best time to schedule such an event, they opted for a summer gathering on July 11. There was a lot of planning and a lot of enthusiasm. “It’s amazing how things come together,” said Dana. “The reunion was fabulous,” said Michele Manzo Testani, Dana’s mother and also a Monroe resident.

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“There were all kinds of surprises,” said Dana. “My cousin Jo Marie Pelle showed up with a karaoke machine, and young and old alike had a great time with it. Richard Testani of Monroe brought balloons and treated everyone to balloon creations. Damon Testani of Bridgeport contributed old-fashioned penny candy. We also created question-and-answer games that were family related. People came in from Florida and Pennsylvania, and of the 90 contacted, 50 arrived for the event. We’re sending out ‘Save the Date’ postcards right after the holidays this year, so we’ll have an even bigger turn-out.” And so begins a family tradition. Meanwhile a different kind of family reunion was taking place in Southside, Va., where James Hliva of Oxford (formerly of Trumbull) traveled to join 350 family members descended from three Blaha brothers — Jozef, Aloysius, and Mathias Vincent (Jim’s grandfather), as well as one sister Catherine. The family emigrated to Virginia in 1898. James Hliva said he saw the family Web site, and decided he wanted to learn the history of his family. His sisters Mary Sue Stefanik of California and Joan Pucci of Greenwich decided they wanted to join him on this journey. Mary Sue ﬂew in, and the three drove down to Virginia together. “One of the highlights of the reunion was driving with my two sisters in the car. It has been a long time since just the three of us did something like this. We reminisced all the way,” he said with a smile. The one-day event started with a Mass of thanksgiving that paid tribute to the brave family members who made their way from a remote little Czech village, now in Romania, to America. One of Jim’s cousins is a deacon, who presided over the Mass. The family then visited an old cemetery nearby, where family members are buried. Presentations on genealogy were made, and then family members who had never met mingled. “A lot of planning was evident,” said Jim. “Families from the three brothers and one

On a visit to the family village of Gernik, these kroje, or dresses, were bought from a village seamstress.

sister wore color-coded name tags, which made it easy for me to ﬁnd descendants from Mathias. I met a cousin who looked so much like me, we could have been mistaken for twins. I think that was especially interesting that so many of our large family bore such a close resemblance to one another.” Adding to the excitement of such a huge reunion was the inclusion of family photos, Czech folk songs and dances, authentic Slavic attire and traditional ethnic food. “There was kielbasa, stuffed cabbage, and enough Slavic food to ﬁll a cookbook,” Jim

said.

gather together and celebrate their family.

What was especially interesting was that Jim and his sisters checked out the family Web site and couldn’t resist getting together for such an event. Family history was shared and appreciated by young and old alike. As seen and described by Marie Blaha Pearson (www.mariepearson.com), display tables were lined up and featured “artifacts, photos, histories, and documents relating to each of the original Bohemian Blaha family members.” This was a wonderful opportunity for families spread across the country, who can’t get together for the holidays, to

“My sisters and I remembered childhood vacations in Virginia, and how we used to play in the peanut and tobacco ﬁelds. It was a great reunion, and I look forward to the next one,” Jim said. Both Dana Romano and James Hliva became interested in family reunions in great part due to today’s computer age. Web sites and e-mails make communicating with family far and wide a lot easier and a lot faster. For the holidays, think reunion. It just might be a “click” away.

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• December 10, 2009 •

Hersam Acorn Newspapers •

Enjoy the holiday spirit of shopping locally UNUSUAL GIFTS, WARM AND FRIENDLY SERVICE by Robin E. Glowa Brightly twinkling lights, the scent of pine and spruce trees in the air, gently falling snowﬂakes ... the holiday shopping season is in full swing once again. When selecting your special gifts, remember the merchants in your own community and those nearby. Here in New Haven and Fairﬁeld counties, local merchants make hometown shopping a pleasing and personalized experience by welcoming you with warmth and cheer and offering a wide variety of unique and thoughtful presents. Read All About It

Sparkling lights, crisp air, cheerful greetings, colorful shop windows displaying unique gifts, all contribute to the pleasure of holiday shopping. — Bryan Haeffele photo

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Local bookstores are a treasure trove of gifts. Special subject books that appeal to the collector, hobbyist, crafter, artist, or knowledgeseeker in the family make wonderful gifts. Bookstore owners typically have a great passion for books and can recommend marvelous material. Books by local authors are often featured, which may be autographed by the author and would make a distinctive memento.

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Gift baskets ﬁlled with tasty holiday treats are a marvelous expression of the season. Local gourmet food shops, grocery stores and specialty stores are brimming with bounty. Line a basket with silver tissue paper and add decadent chocolate trufﬂes, bittersweet chocolate sauce (perfect for chocolate martinis), or miniature bars of dark, milk, and white chocolate. Tie with a silver ribbon, add a holly leaf and you have the perfect hostess gift.

Children’s books with their rich illustrations and whimsical tales are a delightful gift for both kids and their parents. Presenting a child with a special book each holiday season will build a library that will bring back fond memories as that child becomes an adult. Travel books and maps are a great gift for those with wanderlust or can provide inspiration for a life altering adventure. Cookbooks will stimulate the appetite and creativity of the gourmet chef and food enthusiast, as well as motivate those who are new to the art of cooking. Some bookstores carry interesting music CDs as well, from Irish folk songs to ethnic tribal beats, little known jazz artists or European chanteuses, which will intrigue music lovers. Bring On The Bling Many women love a gift of jewelry or accessories. Local boutiques are a mecca for dazzling eye candy. You can find sparkling earrings, decorative pins, beautiful bracelets and watches, handsome handbags and delicate hair ornaments to adorn your princess. Boutiques often display the wares of local artists, who craft amazing pieces of jewelry from gemstones, crystals, beads, precious metals and other unusual materials. Distinctive, matchless, handcrafted jewelry is a particularly pleasurable gift to both give and receive. Both men and women appreciate and enjoy enchanting scented candles, which are always an appropriate gift for any holiday occasion, as well as creamy, luxurious soaps and silky, soothing body lotions. Shaving creams, body butters, misting sprays, and lush oils bathe the skin and senses with alluring aromatherapy. Local specialty shops that carry these sumptuous skin products are a delight to wander through. The sensual scents of vanilla, cedar, eucalyptus, fig, rosemary, lemon or cinnamon are absolutely intoxicating. These products are often made from the finest natural and organic ingredients and smell good enough to eat.

Men and women also love a little extra bit of pampering from time to time. A gift certificate from a local spa would be a fantastic present. A full-body massage is a wonderful way to erase the stress and tensions that have accumulated over the course of a challenging year. Massage helps to loosen stiff, aching muscles, increase blood flow and restore flexibility. A variety of massages are typically offered, and the spa owner can recommend the most effective treatment. Facials also relieve and relax. This treatment will restore radiance to the skin and the recipient will leave the spa with a brighter, firmer complexion, a rosy glow and lovely, youthful appearance. What better gift could there be? Manicures and pedicures are also a thoughtful gift for just about anyone. Couples can enjoy some together time, as well as moms and daughters — almost anyone would benefit from the nourishing and refreshing benefits of a manicure or pedicure. Pedicures, in particular, are a tremendously thoughtful gift for those who spend a lot of time on their feet. Community Opportunity Check out your local newspaper for community events such as church bazaars, flea markets, indoor tag sales and holiday fairs. These gatherings often benefit a worthy cause and are an amazing source of handcrafted gifts. You can find everything from handmade sweaters, mittens, quilts and hats, to homemade jams, jellies, relishes,

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and fudge and delicious baked goods, such as pies, cakes, cookies.

Foodies live for gifts of luxe food items. Surprise the gourmand on your list with such unusual items as white trufﬂe oil; smoked Spanish paprika; green, pink or white peppercorns; or black Hawaiian sea salt. Or present them with picnic basket containing a splendid French cheese, marinated olives, a crusty loaf of bread and pretty napkins.

Very often, local merchants will organize holiday events that feature special sales, music, kids’ activities, sleigh rides, tree lightings and wine and cheese parties. This is a superb opportunity to enjoy the charm of the holiday season while shopping!

When you give from the heart, your effort is always remembered. Shop with your local merchants this holiday season, and you’ll enjoy choosing from a diverse offering of products that will reﬂect your good taste and good intentions!

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• December 10, 2009 •

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FRIDAY NIGHT BITES

Making mealtime into family time by G. Lisa Sullivan

old daughter, Jessica, keeps her constantly on the move. “Like many children, my Friday nights are definitely the best time of daughter has always been a selective eater, the week for me. Friday night signals the and it’s been a challenge to find foods — end of obligations, of carpools, of PTO meet- healthy foods — that she will eat.” ings and office meetings, of rides to piano lessons and soccer practice. In our family, Consequently, Karen, a graduate of Mount Friday night is the perfect time to breathe Holyoke College who earned a certificate a sigh of relief and settle in with those we from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, tends to stick love after a busy week, and what better way to simple recipes, and one of her favorite to get reacquainted than by cooking, eating weeknight foods is eggs. “People don’t tend to think of eggs for dinner, but a meal of and crafts? scrambled eggs and a baked potato is easy Fortunately for me, there is a new cookbook and quick, and kids tend to like them,” she exploring this exact topic. Karen Berman, a says. Fairfield resident, writer and author, has recently penned Friday Night Bites (Running Press, $14.95), a cookbook designed to bring busy families together, particularly on Friday nights when the week’s many school and extracurricular activities are concluded, and homework and household chores can be put off, according to the author. “Friday night is our night to call a halt to all our running, and simply revel in the company of the people we love most,” explains Karen, a working mother whose eight-year-

Family Fun

of a traditional name given a new application, such as ﬂoating island cast as a tropical island for Dinnertime on a Pirate Ship, or a whimsical name of my own making, such as the appetizer in Ye Royal Dinner — the Princess and the Sugar Snap Peas.” The book avoids typical kid’s meals, like macaroni and cheese, pizza and chicken ﬁngers, as Karen encourages parents to expand their families’ food repertoires. “Some of the recipes in this book are quick and easy, while other dishes require a little more time,” she says. “If you can do some of the prep the night before, not only does it make preparing the meal the next night a lot easier, but it can help to get the kids involved and excited about the dinner to come.”

The dinners in Friday Night Bites are slightly more complicated than Karen’s family weeknight fare. In creating her new cookbook, she has combined child-friendly, themed recipes with simple related crafts that children can work on while their parents cook. “I came up with most of my ideas simply by being a mom,” Karen recalls. “Each of the 20 chapters in the book is devoted to Each chapter outlines a plan for an evening’s a single-themed dinner, and the recipes re- meal, and includes tips for shortcuts and late to the night’s theme, either by virtue make-aheads, ideas for activities and crafts,

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Chapter themes include “Under the Sea,” “Into the Forest,” “You’re a Grand Old Flag,” “Ye Royal Dinner,” “You Might Even Be a Pop Star!” and “Super Heroes to the Rescue!” Recipes feature catchy names, such as Golden Tresses Pasta with Olive Oil, Toadin-the-Hole, Quesadillasaurus, Bat ’n’ Ball Banana Split and Pixie Salmon Patties. “I tried to create recipes that would sound ap-

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and trivia boxes that Karen titled Table Talk, which include questions on the evening’s theme that children might ask, and information that parents might ﬁnd useful.

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pealing, and which kids would want to try,” Karen says.

keep your child busy while you cook,” she says.

YANKEE DOODLE CHICKEN SKEWERS

In the “Teddy Bear Picnic” chapter for example, the menu includes Red Ants on a Snowy Log (breadsticks, cream cheese and dried cherries), Honey-Kissed Pork Tenderloin, Sunshine Cornbread, Fruity Field Salad with Honey Mustard Vinaigrette and Baby Bear Claws (puff pastry and chocolate-covered raisins). The craft accompanying this chapter focuses on making bonnets or boaters for your child’s teddy bear, while the Table Talk section explains how the teddy bear came to be.

Most of the recipes yield four adult servings, which Karen believes are ﬂexible enough to accommodate many family conﬁgurations and appetites. “Friday Night Bites is about exploration, culinary as well as intellectual,” she says.

2 tablespoons ketchup

Parents can easily adapt the recipes to suit their own child’s tastes, as in the case of the Wizard’s Magic Salad Pouch, in which different types of vegetables could be substituted for those speciﬁed in Karen’s recipe.

Nonstick cooking spray

The Kiddie Table

Having perfected most of the recipes in her own kitchen, Karen learned quickly what did and didn’t work. “For my Inside-Out Turkey Wraps, for example, I discovered through trial and error that Muenster or Swiss cheese worked the best, as American cheese split when it was rolled,” she explains. “I feel that dinner can and should be a launching pad for all kinds of interaction, and preparing meals as a family is simply a great way to get everyone together and talk about the world.”

Knowing that children often like to cook with their parents, Karen has marked recipes with a distinctive hand icon, designating those recipes that she believes are conducive to children’s participation. “However, if you’re working with a sharp knife or a hot pan or pot, and don’t want little children to get involved, you can set your child up with the simple craft that goes along with each dinner, which will

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(from “You’re a Grand Old Flag” chapter)

1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 table olive oil, plus more for drizzling 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, partially frozen

4 precooked garlic or plain chicken sausages, each sliced diagonally into 6 pieces 2 small to medium yellow or white onions, each cut into 8 wedges 16 grape or cherry tomatoes Mix the ketchup, soy sauce and 1 tablespoon oil in a shallow, nonreactive glass, ceramic or plastic container. Cut the partially frozen chicken breasts into 1/2-inch chunks and place them in the marinade, turning to coat. Marinate for at least 15 minutes. When you are ready to cook, spray the grill rack or broiler pan with nonstick cooking spray and preheat the grill to medium-high heat or preheat the broiler. Assemble 8 skewers, threading each with a piece of sausage, a wedge of onion, a chunk of chicken and a tomato, repeating the pattern once, and ending with a piece of sausage. Brush the tomato and onion with a little oil. Discard the chicken marinade. Place the skewers on the grill or broiler pan, and grill or broil for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink inside. Makes 4 servings.

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FIRST NIGHT

A joy-ﬁlled welcome to a new year by Karen Dydzuhn

overpriced clubs was the best part of the evening. It is only recently, as I began atGrowing up, my family had a tradition of tending First Night in Westport, that New eating take-out Chinese food at our kitchen Year’s Eve has become a truly enjoyable table every New Year’s Eve. We ate an early event. supper so we could celebrate together and Founded in Boston in 1976, First Night ofstill have time to be with our friends. fers family-oriented activities from the afAnd, almost every year, as he spooned a ternoon until midnight. Highlighting the second helping of sweet and sour pork town or city’s arts and cultural offerings, onto his plate, my father never failed to talk First Night encourages people to usher in about all the “amateurs” out there on the the New Year in a alcohol- and drug-free enroad, and reminded us to stay away from vironment. drunk drivers.

Breathtaking ice sculptures designed by notLooking back, I rarely had a good time at ed artists are a trademark of Boston’s First New Year’s Eve parties, and I think this Night extravaganza. Visual and performing family time before the crowded parties and arts are held at various venues, and partici-

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pants travel by foot or shuttle bus to each In the early evening, most of the programs program. are geared toward teens and older adults. However, children are welcome to stay. One Westport has rolled out 15 successful First of my favorite memories is playing Bingo Night events and finally, a few years ago my with three generations at the Westport Sefamily was smart enough to try it out. We nior Center. My husband and I, my four chilwere not disappointed. dren and my mother had a great time, and many laughs. The prizes were great, too; Starting at 3 p.m., a variety of circus acts, they appealed to all age groups. (My daughroller-skating shows, a young man who cre- ter, Anna, who was then 14, won a month’s ates bubble sculptures, children’s musicians, membership to a local gym and a $25 gift arts and crafts and elaborate face painting certificate to one of Westport’s high-end resare only a smattering of the activities of- taurants.) fered for youngsters. There was so much to do that it was often difficult to decide what Just when I thought the night couldn’t get to do next. any better, one particular New Year’s Eve was topped off by dancing with my littlest A pre-paid button displayed on each of our one, Olivia, and my mom to a cover band coats admitted us to all the First Night pro- playing in a bank lobby. Although it was just grams. “It’s the cheapest and best enter- before midnight, Olivia, four, was still going tainment bargain available all year,” said strong while my husband and older children Linda Smith. A resident of Westport, Linda had packed it up and headed home. said her two grandchildren, Carly and Jack, enjoyed the diverse activities, such as the We were all given noisemakers and hats horse-and-sleigh ride around town, jump- as the countdown to the New Year being in a moon bounce, doing art projects gan. Mom, Olivia and I hugged each other and viewing fireworks over the Saugatuck — and then everyone around us — as we River. (This year the Westport First Night all jumped up and down shouting, “Happy fireworks will round out the evening at 9.) New Year!”

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Cookbooks make delectable gifts by Jackie Perry

wholesome ingredients. Invaluable tips and techniques are included, such as selecting the best cake pan, essential equipment and stocking your pantry so you can whip up a cake on the spur of the moment. Ms. Chattman apprenticed under Francois Payard at Restaurant Daniel in New York. Taunton Press 2009.

Do we need more cookbooks? Doesn’t seem possible as you scan the many volumes lining the shelves at bookstores. However, the siren song of food is irresistible, judging by the titles that keep on coming. If you stop to glance through one or two, how amazing that, lo and behold, here’s another DamGoodSweet recipe that sounds too fine to pass up. And those photos ... it’s one thing to look at them online, but it’s quite another to behold them, one after another, as you flip through these handsomely printed books. So here are some that might just be a match with someone on your gift list. The first one features “comfort” foods, and the other three are — surprise — for your sweet tooth. Mother’s Best Subtitled, Comfort Food That Takes You Home Again, it features 150 favorites from Lisa Schroeder’s restaurant, Mother’s Bistro & Bar in Portland, Ore. Written by Chef Schroeder with Danielle Centoni, it features home-style food your mothers, grandmothers and great-grandmothers might have made — slow-cooked dishes filled with memories, such as chowders, stews, briskets, mac & cheese (an assortment of mouth-watering variations). Included are original recipes from mothers of varied heritages, each with a unique story. “Love Notes” from the chef offer tips to guide you through each recipe. Each one offers a significant change to an old standard that keeps Chef Schroeder’s diners coming back for more. Taunton Press 2009. Cake Keeper Cakes Lauren Chattman is back with 100 Simple Recipes for bundt cakes (Applesauce Cake with Oatmeal Streusel), round cakes (Pear Cake with Sea Salt Caramel Sauce), snacking cakes (Cinnamon Pudding Cake), loaf cakes (Nutella Swirl Pound Cake), crumb cakes (Heath Bar Crunch Cake) and more, which are not only easy to make but loaded with

In addition to mouth-watering recipes, New Orleans-bred pastry chef David Guas and food writer Raquel Pelzel introduce you to characters, places and traditions of this unique city. Classic desserts include Buttermilk Beignets, Bananas Foster, King Cake and Red Velvet Cake. There are easy favorites like Fried Apple Pie; cup custards and puddings, such as Vanilla Bean Pudding and Mahatma Rice Pudding; frozen confections such as Brandy Milk Punch Ice Cream and Watermelon Granita-Topped SnoBalls. Add recipes for curds, jams, preserves, and lagniappes, a little something extra to follow dessert, such as pralines or spiced pecans. Part of the pleasure of this book is a trip with Chef Guas through the New Orleans of his childhood, with all its ﬂavors, aromas and memories of special occasions and the food that made them so. Taunton Press 2009. Absolutely Chocolate When the editors of “Fine Cooking” magazine put together a book on chocolate, you expect lots of sound advice on cooking with chocolate...and you won’t be disappointed. Just like the magazine’s, the book’s format is visually simple and appealing, with recipes and tips (many with photos to illustrate) nicely laid out and easy to follow. Photos, as always, make the desserts look too good to resist giving them a try. Recipes include cookies, brownies, cakes, pies, tarts, puddings, ice creams, breads, candies, sauces and drinks, surely something for everyone. Armed with the editors’ expert advice, you’ll feel conﬁdent that you, too, can turn out these confections with aplomb. Taunton Press 2009.

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Jackie Perry, editor Bryan Haeffele, designer • Thomas B. Nash, publisher • For advertising information, call 203-926-2080

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VOL III, ISSUE 12

Special Section to: The Valley Gazette, The Oxford Gazette, The Stratford Star, The Milford Mirror, The Amity Observer, The Trumbull Times, Fairﬁeld Sun, The Huntington Herald, The Monroe Courier, and The Easton Courier.

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• December 10, 2009 •

Hersam Acorn Newspapers •

IN KEEPING WITH THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT

A time of giving and receiving by

Karen Dydzuhn

she said. “Charlotte loves to give gifts. She loves to give pleasure. As a child who received lots and lots of love, she really loves giving it back.”

Beginning with Thanksgiving, when people traditionally give thanks for the good that is in their lives, the holiday season is a time of gratitude and spiritual renewal — a time that often draws people back to their spiritual roots.

A gift of service at this time of year is another way that people get in touch with the spiritual aspect of the holidays. Carol St. John, a member of Stepney Baptist Church in Monroe, said she and her son, Eddie, 11, enjoy decorating the church for the holiday season. This year they are both involved in coordinating the second annual Candlelight Christmas Caroling, which is co-sponsored by the town’s Save Our Stepney task force.

Although her son is now grown and has a family of his own, Pam Friedlander of Danbury, owner and founder of Positive Reﬂections, a wardrobeconsulting ﬁrm, recalls Hanukah as “a happy and loving family holiday.”

“This gives my son a great sense of community and shows him the importance of being there for others,” Carol said. “What I love about Stepney Baptist Church overall is that they believe in opening their doors and welcoming all people, not just at Christmas but throughout the whole year.”

“There was something warm and comforting when we lit the Menorah every evening for eight nights,” she explained. “For us, lighting the menorah and singing the prayers after dinner was our family’s Hanukah tradition.” Of course, like families of all faiths, gift giving was also an integral, much desired-part of the celebration. “Our son could not wait to open his one gift per night,” she continued. “We always saved the most expensive and special gift for the last night.”

In keeping with her church’s liturgical celebration of Advent, a time of waiting for Jesus’s birth on Christmas, Dawn Barbieri, a graphic designer from Monroe, provides Advent calendars for her two sons, Drew and Danny. As the children open a window each day, beginning Dec. 1, they count down the days to Dec. 25. Advent calendars often depict Biblical stories, and some have a piece of chocolate inside. Several years ago, Carol discovered an Advent calendar that offers a new Lego piece each day. “I have to order them in October to make sure they arrive by the time Advent begins,” she said.

Many people feel there is an overemphasis on this commercial aspect of the season. For Linda Howard, a Fairﬁeld-based writer, though, gift giving helped show her daughter Charlotte, now in her twenties, the joy of both receiving and giving. Fondly she recalls Charlotte’s excitement as she tore open a beautifully wrapped package from under the tree and found that year’s featured toy, be it a coveted Cabbage Patch doll or My Little Pony play set. Linda noted that because Charlotte was raised Jewish, they also exchanged presents during Hanukah each year, too. what we would most like to receive for the holidays.

Although the Howards feared they were spoiling their only child, she now realizes that the joy of giving was instilled as well. “I see now how much she loves to give presents to her family and friends,” Linda said. “In fact, beginning at Thanksgiving, Charlotte now starts asking us

“When she was younger, I used to think, where was the spirituality in all this? It seems like just crass commercialism, but what I see in her is the spirit of giving to others,”

I like to kick off the season by celebrating St. Nicholas Day, the patron saint of children, on Dec. 6. In keeping with a European tradition, each child puts one shoe by the doorway in which St. Nicholas leaves a special treat. I take this opportunity to discuss the holy man’s generosity in caring for children, much as Jesus did. This leads to a discussion about the Christmas story and Jesus’s birth which, for me, is the “meaning of the season.”

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• 13 •

Hersam Acorn Newspapers •

HOME I OF THE I MONTH ■

LOCATION: This New Haven home is notable for its distinctive architectural design. PROPERTY: Set on more than an acre, the home is well complemented by the attractive landscaping, featuring an in-ground pool and covered stone patio. HOUSE: A brick Normandy Tudor, the home as been carefully restored to highlight its intrinsic character. There is a vaulted living room, formal dining room, eat-in kitchen with pantry, family room, master bedroom with balcony and bath, three more bedrooms, three more full baths and one half bath. There is also a rec room in the lower level. OUTBUILDING: A guest/in-law house. GARAGE: Three-car attached. PRICE: $975,000. REALTY: Coldwell Banker. Agent: Arlene Levine, 203-389-0015.

Photography by Wayne Ratzenberger

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• December 10, 2009 •

Hersam Acorn Newspapers •

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