Ink Magazine - August 2017

August 2017 A guide to finer living in Connecticut & abroad.

publicationsÂŽ

www.inkct.com

Vol 13 Issue 140 2017

Complimentary ­C omplimentary

#1

Endometrial cancer is the most common GYN cancer in the U.S.*

60,000+ estimated new cases in the U.S. in 2016**

ARE YOU AT RISK FOR ENDOMETRIAL CANCER? Early detection is key.

5-year survival rate for early Stage 1 is Obesity increases endometrial cancer risk by more than

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is the median age of women diagnosed with endometrial cancer*

At Middlesex Hospital, You’ll Never Feel Like Just a Number Our award-winning Cancer Center has the expert physicians and technology to treat and cure endometrial cancer. But we also understand that sometimes it takes more than medicine to make you feel better. So you’ll receive dedicated, personalized attention from our Nurse Navigator—a trusted resource who is there to provide the information, guidance and emotional support you need at every step of your journey from diagnosis through survivorship.

Taking the time to treat patients, not just cancer—that’s The Smarter Choice for Care.

middlesexhospital.org/women * Source: National Cancer Institute ** Source: American Cancer Society

TURNS OUT, GEOGRAPHY CAN REALLY BE QUITE ROMANTIC.

Fall in love with a summer getaway to historic Europe or a fall escape to exotic Asia. We offer more than 300 exciting destinations worldwide.

Enjoy stunning design, sumptuous staterooms, and globally inspired cuisine by our Michelinstarred chef—all delivered with intuitive service.

Plus, when you book in August, everyone in your stateroom saves.

Visit celebritycruises.com, call 1-800-CELEBRITY, or contact your travel agent.

* Visit celebritycruises.com for full terms and conditions. Cruise must be booked August 1 to September 5, 2017. Offer applies to select 4-night and longer cruises departing between September 1, 2017, and April 30, 2019. Galapagos and certain other itineraries are excluded. Savings offer: Amount is per person and based on stateroom category.

Savings are applied to cruise fare at checkout. Offer applies to all guests in the same stateroom. Free Perk offer: Each of the first two guests in an ocean view through AquaClass® stateroom is eligible to receive one complimentary amenity. Other amenities packages are available at additional charge. Each of the first two guests in Suite Class receives four amenities, with an upgrade to Premium Beverage Package. Onboard credit is not redeemable for cash and expires on the final night of the cruise. Offer applies to new individual bookings and to staterooms in noncontracted group bookings, is nontransferable, and is not combinable with any other offer. Changes to a booking may result in removal of an offer. Offers and prices are subject to availability, cancellation, and change without notice at any time. ©2017 Celebrity Cruises. Ships’ registry: Malta and Ecuador.

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CHARMING COUNTRY CAPE nestled on 4.25 private acres in the historic town of Hadlyme.

Enjoy a walk to Gillettes castle or take a scenic ride across the CT river aboard the Hadlyme ferry. This home boasts 2799 sq ft of living space. Perfect open floor plan for entertaining your guests and an updated kitchen with custom granite countertops. Granite Center island with seating. Open to dining room, living room, and post and beam great room with airy vaulted ceilings, floor to ceiling masonry fireplace with 2 french doors leading to sun filled deck. This 4 bedroom 3 full bath home has the unique quality of first or second floor master bedroom option.

Upstairs master bedroom features 2 walk in closets, Private master bath with jacuzzi tub. This home enjoys hardwood floors throughout, central air conditioning, Oil heat, a fireplace and 2 wood burning stoves. Generator and hookup included. All of this on a professionally landscaped large level yard perfect for outdoor entertaining, gardening, or horse property. Enjoy winter projects in the oversized 2 car garage with wood burning stove and stairs leading to second floor storage area. This is a must see home. Only minutes to center of town and major highways. $ 369,000. For more photos go to : www.107HemlockValley.com Contact Joel Lucas 860.304.9150

bankerbuddy@hotmail.com

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www.inkct.com

Features

AUGUST 2017

Columns, Reviews, Events

ISSUE CONTENTS

Cardinal Points

pg. 52

Standing Bear “Comes in Peace”

Maison Envie Going With the Flow...

pg. 10

A Brothers Guide to Connecticut Breweries

pg. 66

Alvarium Brewing

The Cheesemonger Did You Know?

pg. 70

August Events pg. 74

Upcoming events in Connecticut

Madison Furniture Barn A Decade of Good Fun, Good Customers, and Very Good Product

pg. 18

A Stroke of Luck From Burden to Teamwork: The Mission of ECAD

pg. 24

Croquet at The Ocean House Of Mallets and Earrings and Gentrified Sport pg. 34

Get your ink online at www.inkct.com!

On the Cover this Month: Artwork detail by Rolandas Debrukas from his new book “I Am Different”

INK staff

THE FORCE… Now Appearing in a Galaxy Near You!

Contributors:

Advertising:

Jeffery Lilly- founder/publisher/webmaster

Contact us to receive our media kit complete with detailed advertising information including ad rates, demographics, and distribution in your area.

Stephanie Sittnick - publisher/sales/design Carolyn Battisa - editorial Laurencia Ciprus - editorial Caryn B. Davis - editorial/photography

pg. 44

Charmagne Eckert - editorial Gina King - Design in Mind Mark Seth Lender - Cardinal Points Nancy LaMar-Rodgers - editorial Barbara Malinsky - editorial

Please direct your advertising inquiries and questions to: Stephanie Sittnick - Director of Advertising advertising@ink-pub.com - 860-227-8199 Cheryl Powell - Greater Connecticut cheryl@ink-pub.com - 860-608-5749 Rona Mann - Clinton, CT - Rhode Island six07co@att.net - 401-539-7762

Artist Rolandas Dabrukas

Rona Mann - editorial

It’s Not Easy Being Orange

Tyler Plourd - A Brothers Guide

Submit Events Listings to:

A. Vincent Scarano - photography

Angela Carontino - events@inkct.com

pg. 56

We encourage the public to submit stories, poems, photography, essays, and all things creative. If you know of a person or place of interest, please submit your ideas to: submissions@ink-pub.com We will do our best to put your ideas in INK.

Paul Partica - The Cheesemonger

Jacki Hornish - Litchfield jacki@inkct - 401-539-7762

Every issue is printed using 100% Soy based ink.

All content of INK Publications including but not limited to text, photos, graphics and layout are copyrighted by INK Publishing, LLC. Reproductions without the permission of the publisher is prohibited. Ink Publishing, LLC is not responsible for images or graphics submitted by advertisers which are not copyrighted or released for use in this publication.

INK PUBLISHING, LLC 107 Hemlock Valley Rd., East Haddam, CT email: info@ink-pub.com www.inkct.com

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Featuring art by contemporary expressionist Andre Kohn, one of the most collected figurative painters on the American art scene today, and exquisite bronze sculpture by Nicola Godden, creator of Icarus for the 2012 Olympic Village. w w w .cu ra ted .w orl d

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24 Lyme Street, Old Lyme, CT (860) 434-1600 EFWatermelon.com

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Father is Edward Lombardi and daughter Erica Donnelly

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Going With the Flow...

The Classic Mission behind Maison Envie

by RONA MANN A beautiful, livable home that bespeaks the people who live there...it’s not complicated; it’s really all just a matter of going with the flow.

When you first drive up to Maison Envie, conveniently found right on the Post Road in Old Saybrook, you’ll see four distinct words printed on the outside of their building: FRAMING/FURNITURE/ACCENTS/DESIGN If you think this is just a casual addition to their signage, you’re wrong; for once you step inside and meet Erica and Ed, the owners, you’ll realize this is not an advertising slogan at all, but a classic mission statement... a mission they strive to accomplish every day with every customer.

Although Maison Envie is barely three months

old, the talent and experience behind it span decades. Erica Donnelly is the owner of Maximus on Main Street in Old Saybrook, a multi vendor antique and home décor shop well known for its eclectic assortment of treasures. Donnelly has been at this helm for the past twelve years and is known throughout town for her keen eye and knowledge of quality home furnishings. Thus Maximus has garnered a fine reputation along the shoreline and continues to flourish.

In May Erica joined forces with her father, Ed Lombardi, the tree from which her apple didn’t fall far. Ed had previously operated galleries and a frame shop in Hartford and had enviable interior design experience. Maison Envie therefore provided the father-daughter

duo a fortuitous opportunity to combine their considerable talents and work in tandem. In just a short time, this partnership has attracted both retail customers and people in the trade to the store, marveling at the mix of old and new. “We have everything from mid-century to brand new,” Donnelly says. “We like an

14 rather than a stark collision of color going from one room to another.”

Education is paramount to Lombardi who believes, “First we try to develop a relationship so that we’re able to make their personality blossom in the home. It’s not about what we want, it’s about who they are and what they want in their homes.” eclectic look, like to mix and match because we find our customers are going in that direction as well in their home decorating preferences.”

Ed adds, “We will happily come to your home to help with the color flow.” When pressed about what this is exactly, he continues. “It’s mixing different styles and colors to still have a nice look. It’s perhaps picking up a color in a pillow on the sofa to match a color in the painting that hangs above that sofa. We try to educate our customers to have a soft flow

Erica shares her father’s philosophy adding, “Things need to be built around color and texture. It has to fit together.” And that is precisely the vibe of Maison Envie. The literal French translation is “Desired Home,”and that’s what this store is all about.

With most every item crafted in the USA, Maison Envie features classic pieces with an inventory that changes frequently, since many items are one of a kind treasures. Erica and Ed are particularly proud of their Quickship

Program, in which custom made, bench built furniture from North Carolina with the customer’s choice of style, model, and upholstery is created and delivered in just a short two weeks.

Frames and framing are a major part of Maison Envie.

The sales floor features classic style frames in both wood and metal, but the back room is a custom frame workshop where both Lombardi and Donnelly can do their magic. State-ofthe-art equipment allows them to cut, staple, stretch canvas, and preserve most any item a customer can bring in, from objets d’art to

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paintings, prints, or whimsy. They have mastered both the art and science of framing over a number of years and now boast archival framing that is acid free. Archival framing uses the highest quality materials to surround the artwork. Special techniques and procedures are used to protect the work with regards to mounting, yet the integrity of the art is never compromised.

Just walk around the shop, and you’ll find soy candles, lamps, pillows, furniture, framed art, statues, museum glass, tabletop decorating pieces, and more. “We are very careful of what we bring in,” Erica says...and it shows! This unique collection of curated items appeals to the person who may wish a complete makeover of their entire home, or perhaps just a refreshed and “new” look in one select room.

“People are attracted to quality, so that’s what we focus on,” Erica says; and it’s obvious in the way the store is both laid out and appointed.

There is no “junk” here, nothing is crowded together. Rather, each piece stands out on its own and holds its own, thus directing a customer’s eye directly and purposefully to the display.

As the business day is about to begin, Ed concludes,“We believe in timeless decorating.

You don’t always have to change the sofa; sometimes all you need is to change the pillows to achieve a new look. We want people to know they can come here and buy something and not feel they have to spend $2000.

We have beautiful things for their home or for hostess gifts that start under $10.”

Erica echoes this statement by adding, “We’re a museum quality gift shop, but with better prices.”

Then both father and daughter smile and nod and get ready for the day as the first customer comes through the door to be graciously welcomed and most likely impressed by all that Maison Envie offers.

Maison Envie is located at 875 Boston Post Road in the strip center next to Fromage Fine Foods and Coffees..

(860) 339-5579 Www.maisonenvie.com

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Madison Furniture Barn:

A Decade of Good Fun, Good Customers, and Very Good Product

by Eileen Smith, Owner

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t started as a whim, really. In the spring of 1997 my brother-in-law, Pat Kelly, simply asked me if I wanted to open a furniture store?

At the time I was a working mother, had a six month old baby, and was pregnant with my second. Still, something made me say, “Alright,why not?” The timing could not have been any worse, yet I did it. So we took the leap,

jumping in with both feet; and three months later, without a clue, we opened a 900 sq. ft. store in downtown Madison. Just two years later, we opened in Westbrook; and we’ve never looked back.

The secret to our success is simple at Madison Furniture Barn…. We treat each other and our

customers with respect and kindness, have fair prices from the start (no gimmick sales), we’re helpful in a truthful way, never pressuring nor ‘shadowing’ our customers, and have nice quality furniture. And most important, we have some good fun and laughs along the way.

It’s been 20 years now, and really nothing has

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changed. The staff at Madison Furniture is like family… right down to endless teasing, laughing, a little bickering, and sometimes even crying. Fortunately, there is very little staff turnover, so the team here is not only knowledgeable about our endless furniture options, but are also excellent in mediation (nothing more fun and challenging than a couple that have completely opposite views on how to fill a room)! Our sales staff (Patty, Andrea, Trish, KC, Donna, Colleen, Shelby, and Ryan) truly like people and enjoy helping. Back when I had to advertise to hire help, my ad would simply say, “Must enjoy people and decorating. No sales experience necessary.” I felt if you were a nice person and liked decorating, the rest would fall into place. As for our delivery guys, Rick, Dan, and Mustafa, they are first class. On delivery days we get endless phone calls from customers raving about the delivery guys, and we say, “Yeah, yeah, but what about the furniture?”

When you visit Madison Furniture Barn, you will be greeted when you walk in, but that’s it. As you wander about the store, you will see chalkboards with the message, “Just Ask.” You can browse in peace but are reminded that we are here to help…..but only if you want us to help. If you have time, then we have time, and we will go to the ends of the earth to Owner Eileen Smith, decorator on staff Patty MacNeil and delivery men for nearly a help you choose somedecade, Rick Tripathi and Dan Robinson enjoy a laugh in the MFB showroom thing beautiful and in your price range. A customer recently captured There has been much trial and error over the the essence of our store. She said,“You show us years, but we now have lines of furniture that everything, spend the time, give opinions, but we LOVE. We search for Made in America it never feels like you are selling to us.”She first…starting with the USA, then Canada and indicated that it was like shopping with a Mexico. We ultimately need some imports to fill “good, honest friend.” At the end of the process in the gaps. Our goal is find high quality lines we essentially wait for the customer to say, with options (fabric, stain, size, etc.) and “Okay, let’s do this!” I often say to my co-work- reasonable prices. We think we have nailed it ers, “We are in it for the long term,” meaning in every furniture category. We favor distressed that we are not about the quick sale. We want and slip-covered furniture because we have our customers to make good, thoughtful found that the majority of our customers decisions. Satisfied customers will come back appreciate good quality furniture and a beautiful and will refer us to others. It is these return cus- home but also have very active households. tomers and referrals that have made us successful. Slipcovers and distressed hardwood case goods

Madison Furniture Barn offers top grain leather sectionals, sofas, chairs and recliners. And true to the MFB formula, there are tons of choices of leather.

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Madison Furniture Barn sells a lot of sectionals! They tend to sell slipcovered over upholstered but they are offered both ways and in hundreds of fabrics.

why customers favor this product.

are beautiful and impressive and are easy to maintain. Kids? Animals? Bathing suits and saltwater? Red wine? No worries! What fun is a white sofa if no one can sit on it?

Our dining selection is endless. We tend to sell distressed, solid wood, again allowing the customer to be comfortable while entertaining. But we also sell flawlessly finished dining as well. Whether distressed or not, we have options, options, options! We truly sell for every room in your house: bedroom sets, occasional tables, desks, stools, accent pieces, rugs, prints, and accessories. We have it all; you only need to ask.

Some of our best selling items are slip-covered sectionals and swivel gliders. Our slipcovers are sewn in small sections (each arm, the skirt, the back are all separately sewn covers) so they can fit in a basic home washing machine. Spill your coffee on the arm of your sofa? Take off the arm cover and just head to your laundry room. If you add 500 fabrics from which to choose, endless sizes and styles, excellent prices, and a staff that owns and loves it themselves, you can easily see

It has been 20 years. They say time flies when you are having fun, and it must be true. It feels like only yesterday that we opened that small shop in Madison, carrying only Mexican pine furniture with only three of us to run the store, deliver the furniture, and do the books. Now, in what seems like a blink of an eye, Pat has already been retired 10 years, Madison Furniture Barn expanded to our 10,000 sq. ft. space in Westbrook, we carry everything from

sectionals to bedroom sets, have two trucks and twelve of the most trustworthy, good natured, knowledgeable people you could ever meet to help run the business.

We feel very lucky. Our customers are great fun and have always treated us with respect as well.

For this, we thank you. We hope we have done right by you these past 20 years, and we hope you will have faith in us for 20 more.

Visit Madison Furniture Barn at the Westbrook Outlets, 314 Flat Rock Place, Westbrook www.madisonfurniturebarnct.com (860) 399-7846

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Madison Furniture Barn loves cocktail tables that make a statement.

Living room, aerial view

The girls at MFB love to mix the textures, especially natural materials. This reclaimed, solid wood table was matched with banana leaf parsons chairs for an earthy look.

Swivel Glider

The accessories are always a little off the beaten path..and never purchased in volume, just a few of each.

Customers are great about sending pictures so the whole staff can enjoy the new looks they helped create.

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SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER: THE MUSICAL BASED ON THE PARAMOUNT/RSO FILM AND THE STORY BY NIK COHN ADAPTED FOR THE STAGE BY ROBERT STIGWOOD IN COLLABORATION WITH BILL OAKES

AUGUST 9 - SEPTEMBER 3 FO R TIC KE TS, V ISIT IV O RY TO N P LAY H O U SE . O RG

1 0 3 MA I N ST RE E T | IV O RYT O N , C T 0 6 4 4 2 | 8 6 0 . 7 6 7 . 7 3 1 8

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A Stroke of Luck

From Burden to Teamwork: The Mission of ECAD

by RONA MANN

Every now and then we come across something that could fill volumes instead of pages. This is one of those stories. Because we are limited for space, we cannot possibly tell ECAD’s whole story here, nor chronicle the hundreds of lives their dogs have touched. However, this might inspire you to visit their website, to see how you can help them help others, perhaps donate or volunteer, so the good work they do and the life-changing stories that result will never end.

It all began with her father’s stroke.

Not exactly what you might consider an auspicious beginning, but nevertheless this significant event is the seminal piece in Lu Picard’s backstory. Where it leads is inspiring, touching so many lives in its wake.

Lu Picard was just 34 when her father suffered that debilitating stroke. It affected his balance, his speech, and his strength; but most of all it affected his spirit. He subsequently moved in with Lu and her family, angry and withdrawn due to his loss of independence. At the time Lu and her husband, Dale had convenience stores, a career that left Lu cold because she felt it was going nowhere and was certainly not where she wanted to be in 25 years.

Seeing her father helpless both frustrated and saddened the woman who could not bear his not being able to stand on his own nor pick up items he had dropped. So on a whim she took

one of her house dogs, “Jules,” and began to teach her to “fetch” what her father dropped.

Picard started by giving Jules a rope toy, thereby making a game out of retrieving. In short order the dog would fetch anything. “It’s just common sense,” Lu relates. “If a dog can pick up a stick, they can pick up keys.”

Realizing she was on to something, Lu Picard was soon off to Santa Rosa, California where she trained intensively for six weeks with Bonnie Bergin, an American canine researcher who is credited with being the inventor of the concept of the service dog. Bergin is both founder and president of the Bergin University of Canine Studies and Canine Companions for Independence.

“Once I came back from Santa Rosa I knew this would be my life’s work. I already knew how to run a business and wanted to get rid of

the convenience stores.” So while Lu set to work in her new career, she sent her husband Dale to California to take the very same course.

Dale already had an inherent knowledge of animals and how to handle them. He had grown up on a farm and instinctively knew from the time he was a young teenager how to deliver piglets and calves without any instruction.

The couple started ECAD (Educated Canines Assisting with Disabilities) in 1994 in a garage in West Granby (“I drove a school bus for the money to feed the dogs.” Lu says), but grew to where just recently they broke ground on a 9000 square foot facility in Torrington. Still, it’s everything that’s happened in between that’s the real success and the real story. It is not just Lu and Dale Picard’s story; it is hundreds of stories of people in

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Teaching these dogs is a methodical process, but really just common sense.

Lu affirms, “Service dogs ask, they don’t guide. So we teach them to ask their handler, ‘What do you want me to do now?’ This way it becomes a partnership, and they’re both dependent upon one another.”

wheelchairs, of autistic kids, of returning veterans with severe PTSD, and schoolkids who just fell through the cracks and had been relegated to a residential treatment facility. It is all their stories...how they learned to smile again, how they learned to live life again, how they learned to function because of dogs, supremely taught, “from the day after they’re born,” to assist in every way.

Shortly after Dale and Lu began ECAD they received a sizable grant from the Hartford Jaycees that propelled them out of their garage straight to their present facility on the Torrington/Winchester Center border. This is “command central” where virtually everything happens. It is the breeding center where Goldens and Labrador Retriever puppies are whelped, and the all-important work begins.

The dogs live here from the time they are born until they’re placed. In summer, Lu and Dale have a one week camp where teenagers learn every phase of caring for and teaching (“we teach, we don’t train”) a service dog. Lu makes each of the teens 100% responsible for whatever dog they are teaching on a particular day (she does not want the dogs to bond with any one person, but get used to being handled by many). They only take teens till age 16, with the best becoming volunteers during the school year.

Lu wants these volunteers to know, “exactly what it means to be in a wheelchair which lowers their authority. The dog gives the person back their independence,” Lu says. As an exercise she takes them to a mall and makes them sit for hours in the wheelchair. “They find that they’re largely ignored by other people or talked down to,” but when we go back with them still in the chair but now paired with a dog, everything changes.”

Over the last two-plus decades Dale and Lu have become experts on people with disabilities, whether their disability is readily visible or not. They have worked with clients from ages 3 to 103 from all over the country, always taking the greatest care to respect the dog as much as the person and to make matches that last. That’s why their application and acceptance process is very involved, why it takes two years to teach a service dog what it needs to know and almost that amount of time from application to acceptance to teach the person with whom

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they will be matched. There is re-certification for the first two years after someone takes their dog into their life, which once again speaks to common sense for both person and their dog.

Dogs rarely come back, although “Tuesday” an 11 year old Golden who was the partner of a veteran with severe PTSD, is now a member of the Picard household. “Luis died, and Tuesday was lost; now he’s with us again and a member of our family.”

The newest litter has just been born at ECAD...eight tiny girls and one boy. The

mother, “Midori,” spends many hours nursing, but this is not a mutually exclusive relationship. All the time Midori is nursing, she is being massaged by a volunteer which encourages her positive experience. A “nanny” sits in the whelping box, handling each puppy, cooing, rubbing, and loving them so they get used to human contact right from the first. And Lu is already teaching them to climb over a wooden barrier to go to the bathroom in another part of the pen. Sound remarkable for pups barely four weeks old?

Not to Picard. It’s the way she always does it, and she expects her young charges to learn.

“They’re not pets,” volunteer Barbara Hayward reminds, “they’re service dogs.”

As it turns out, the stroke that Picard’s father suffered

22 years ago was not the horrible incident perceived at first, but in actuality was a stroke of luck...for her father, for Lu and Dale, for some 350 dogs and the hundreds of lucky people with whom they’ve bonded, making it a team effort fueled by the power of a cold nose, a willing paw, some common sense, and the love that just naturally follows. www.ecad1.org (860) 489-6550 P.O. Box 831 Torrington,CT 06790 For every dollar donated to ECAD three lives are changed: The teenager that taught the dogs The disabled person that received the dog And the dog that has a job and lifetime partner

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Of Mallets and Earrings and Gentrified Sport Croquet at The Ocean House

By Caryn B. Davis

T

he elegant game of croquet was the first outdoor sport to include both men and women. Unlike other sports in which fair competition between the sexes is often impossible because of physical discrepancies, croquet offers an equal chance of success to both genders and to all ages and is the only game where men and women compete with a similar handicap.

“Croquet is very inclusive. You can have a family playing where the grandfather and

granddaughter can both participate and have a chance to win. When you think about other sports, that’s rare,” says Stephen Morgan, Croquet Professional at The Ocean House in Watch Hill, Rhode Island and the current National Champion of Croquet in the United States.

Like many other sports, the genesis of croquet has conflicting accounts. A derivate called Paille Maille (Latin for “ball and mallet”), was played by peasants in France

during the 14th century using makeshift mallets and wickets fashioned from willow. It is also believed shepherds developed a crude game using a ball and a stick to pass the time while tending their flock. In the mid 1800’s croquet found its way to England, possibly from Ireland, where French nuns or French refugees may have brought it to the Emerald Isle.

Because croquet required a grand lawn on which to play, it quickly became popular with

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the aristocracy who possessed extra parcels of land that were not solely dedicated to agriculture.

Having property that did not need to be cultivated was considered a sign of wealth. “This is how the game got a bit of an elitist attitude,� comments Morgan and also where the backyard version, as we understand it, first took root.

It was a very social game because both men and women could play it. While it was not the main event, it offered a great excuse for an afternoon garden party that was often accompanied by food, libations, and chaperones for the ladies, who for the first time were able to play an outdoor game in the presence of males.

Croquet clubs soon formed with one of the most renowned being the All England Croquet Club, which gave birth to lawn

tennis...and from there, Wimbledon.

Also, as Morgan points out, at a certain point there was a divergence between the people who wanted to hit the ball into a hole and those who wanted to hit the ball through a hoop. There is where golf and croquet divided.

Eventually, the game made its way across the

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pond to America in the 1980’s. At first, croquet was only played in the upper echelons of society but reached the masses when civic leaders added croquet sets to public parks. Clubs sprang up in Newport, New York, and Boston but were eventually banned by the clergy in the Commonwealth’s capital city because it was thought to encourage gambling, drinking, and philandering.

(Whether this was true or not, the game was enjoyed by the notorious outlaw Billy the Kid. An 1878 photograph depicts William H. Bonney playing croquet in between his criminal pursuits).

“In 1899, a small group of players met in Norwich, Connecticut to revise the old Routledge Rules {a handbook written by British sportswriter Edmund Routledge} and revitalize the game. The new rules provided for standardized court size, reduced hoop dimensions, and the use of only four balls instead of the cumbersome eight,” as cited on www.oxfordcroquet.com.

Still another variation of the sport appeared in 1904 when Rogue, played on a hard surface as opposed

39 young age by his parents who were members of the Capitol Croquet Club in Virginia.

Although he competed in many tournaments moving swiftly to the top of the ranks, it was through his job at The Ocean House coaching guests and Mallet Club members that gave him the practice time he needed to ultimately win the championship.

to grass, debuted at the Summer Olympics.

In the 1920's through the 1940's croquet was all the rage amongst actors, artists, musicians, and members of the infamous Algonquin Roundtable. In the 1950’s, manufacturers got hip to this untapped market and created croquet sets to be used in the backyards of suburbanites. The 1960’s saw a resurgence of croquet with the founding of

many clubs and tournaments including the oldest running, the Palm Beach Invitational. (Croquet was even played on ice at the South Pole for the first time in 2005 by American scientists stationed at the observatory there).

Morgan was introduced to the game at a

Pat Spratt from Old Lyme, Connecticut is a Mallet Club member and has been co-chairing the tournaments there for the past two seasons. She has been playing at The Ocean

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that are used to execute exactly where a player wants to direct not only their ball, but also that of their opponent.

House since its inception and began under the tutelage of the world’s first full-time croquet professional, Ted Prentis. Prentis, along with his colleague, Bob Kroeger, was instrumental in promoting the game in the United States and unifying the rules. (Sadly, Prentis died tragically in a motorbike accident just a few short months ago).

committed to it. I love that a physical agility is required, but there is also strategic thinking that takes years to develop. It’s like playing chess on grass,” says Spratt, who is also the Northeast Regional Vice President of the United States Croquet Association and both member and board member of the New York Croquet Club.

“From the first time I tried croquet I became taken with it. I think it has that affect on its players. People don’t just play it, they are

Spratt and other Mallet Club members work with Morgan in perfecting their game. He helps them refine the hundreds of strokes

“Croquet is like a combination of golf, billiards, and chess; there is a tremendous amount of strategy involved. But if you have good strategy, you could fair well against someone who has more skill. You can really use your mind to help you. It’s easy to learn yet hard to master and has a broad appeal because it’s simple and complex at the same time,” says Morgan.

The Mallet Club has about a dozen active members who are required to play at least a minimum of once a week during their season, which runs from May to September.

They play against each other but invite other clubs and individual players from nearby Weekapaug, Newport, Boston, New York, and beyond to participate. The Ocean House hosts tournaments every other year.

These events offer an opportunity to interact with other players. Spratt also appreciates the camaraderie and the edict of the game, which includes thanking your board-keeper, your partner if playing doubles, and your opponents for the chance to play. “It’s an unfriendly game played among friendly people. It’s a very cordial sport,” Spratt says.

Additionally, the required “uniform” of a wide brim hat and all white attire speaks to her fashion sense. “There is something very stylish about croquet. I just love a sport where you can wear earrings,” she says.

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“The Studio Garden - Autumn Afternoon” oil on linen canvas 24 x 24 inches Leif Nilsson 2016 © THE REST OF THE CONCERT IN THE GARDEN 2017 LINE UP SUNDAY, OCTOBER 8th - 4 - 6 pm JOHNNY MARTORELLI SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 12th - 4 - 6 pm THE LOST ACRES STRING BAND DECEMBER 10th - 4 - 6 pm RAMBLIN DAN STEVENS & THE FIERY BAND BYOB and Picnic - Inside the Gallery if inclement weather The Next FIRST FRIDAY September 1st, 5 - 8 pm Arrowhead strings along on most Sunday afternoons. Find out about the Concerts in the Garden, First Fridays, Leifs paintings and more at

www nilssonstudio com

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THE FORCE…

Now Appearing in a Galaxy Near You!

by Rick Barrett Every one of us who left that theatre in the fall of 1977 knew that our lives had been changed forever. There was an electricity in the air that I had never encountered from a mere movie. We had suddenly and inexorably entered a new world of possibilities in a “galaxy far, far away,” and the repercussions are still felt today.

of so many of us was about this almost magical power that pervaded all of existence and could be wielded by adepts for good or evil. Those “strong with The Force” could create effects at a distance and sense events non-locally. They could cloud weaker minds and perform superhuman feats of agility. How much of that was really possible?

The biggest “what if” implanted into the minds

I still haven’t seen anyone lift a star cruiser out

of the swamps of Dagobah with a wave of the hand (and don’t expect to anytime soon), but The Force that I have encountered in the Chinese internal martial art of taijiquan has not disappointed.

Taijiquan, a.k.a. “t’ai chi,” is mostly recognized as a gentle, mysterious exercise performed by millions for its health benefits. Regular practice enhances strength, flexibility, balance, oxygen saturation in the blood, and mental capacity and concentration. It can reduce loss of bone density, lower blood pressure, promote faster recovery from illness and injury, and boost the immune system. It is a “moving meditation,” its slow, relaxed movements known to reduce stress and anxiety and enhance mental clarity. Fewer people are aware of taijiquan as an effective martial art, a socalled “soft” art that does not derive its power and effectiveness from muscular contraction. And this is where “The Force” comes in. Rather than doing knuckle push ups and breaking concrete blocks with your fists, taiji has you relax your muscles and focus on the cultivation of internal energy, called qi (pronounced “chee”).

Energy is generated in the body by mentally holding poles in opposition,

48 a punch is stopped with a finger. Or when my petite daughter taiji “push plays hands” in tango shoes with a much larger partner.

the famous yin and yang of traditional Chinese philosophy. This interplay of opposites provides the experiential foundation for a feast of paradoxical adages fit for a whole box of fortune cookies: “Softness overcomes hardness.” “Find the stillness in motion.

Find the motion in stillness.” “Four ounces deflects a thousand pounds.”

The paradoxes greet your eyes as well. It is sometimes said (half-jokingly), “If it don’t look fake, it ain’t real taiji.” It’s good to keep this in mind when you see a diminutive grandma pushing around a man twice her size. Or when

Harder to measure, yet much more important to those of us on the far side of fifty, is the effect this “Force” has on your vitality.

Many of us are living for more years, but what is the quality of that enhanced lifespan? How vibrant and alive do we feel? How well do we move? How comfortable and secure are we in our own bodies?

The vitality you come to embody through regular practice does not benefit you alone. You share it with others.

I had a poignant encounter recently with my ninety year old father. Two weeks before he died, his doctor said that he was failing fast. When I reached him, he was unresponsive, dehydrated, hadn’t eaten in days, and was wasting away. I

held his feet gently in my hands and “plugged in,” sharing my qi with him.

Soon his body began to move, small twitches at first, then larger movements. A couple of hours later, he was sitting up, eating ice cream. Two days later he was feeding himself, conversing freely, and ambulant enough to attend a concert my brothers and I performed at his assisted care facility. He passed peacefully in his sleep two weeks later.

Taijiquan is legendary for its positive effect on health and longevity, but even more so for the grace, ease, and fluidity seen in its elderly practitioners. It promises, “The strength of a

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if a wealth of ancient wisdom were packed into a series of movements that allows you to experience these truths, not just think about them.

lumberjack, the pliability of a child, and the wisdom of a sage.” Only those who actually put in the time and effort reap the full benefits. The doing is the healing.

From a Western scientific perspective, it may be useful to think of taiji’s effect on the body as improved coherence resulting from body-mind integration. The mental emphasis of modern life creates an imbalance for many of us. We stop feeling our bodies except as a source of pain.

Simply put, coherence is internal harmony resulting in a state of wholeness. Like teamwork, “The whole is greater than the sum of the parts.” When your body is highly coherent, every move is effortless.

Entropy, on the other hand, refers to the disorder in a system. That system is heading toward breaking down. Thus, entropy in any system is inversely proportional to coherence.

What this means in body-mind terms is that when body and mind are integrated and functioning at a high order of efficiency, cool stuff happens. When there is more coherence there is less entropy, everything works smoother, your mind is clearer and calmer, and the aging process slows down. You look younger, feel younger, think younger.

I was motivated to start almost forty years ago by chronic back and neck pain. That disappeared in short order, but by then I became fascinated with the dazzling possibilities of this remarkable art. Its physical benefits were undeniable, but hints of an “internal energy” that enhanced ability prompted me to look deeper.

Taijiquan is not a practice to be undertaken lightly. It only works if you do it regularly.

But a little practice goes a long way.

Fifteen to twenty minutes of relaxed, fluid movement in your living room can produce a huge change in your life. It is as

When is the best time to start? Now would be best, I think. Its effects are cumulative and transformational, so why delay? There are lots of different styles and approaches, and you want to find a class and teacher that resonates with you. So check out a couple. The best martial artist is not always the best teacher, but if you find one with good skills, depth of knowledge, and the eagerness to share that

knowledge…that’s gold.

And may The Force be with you.

Rick Barrett is author of Taijiquan: Through the Western Gate and Finding You in a World of It. He practices energy healing and teaches Chinese internal martial arts in New York City and Connecticut. He is a former National Champion in taijiquan push hands.

Rick may be reached at rick@rickbarrett.net.

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The bear is young. Her whiteness gives that away (like us polar bears yellow with age).

This, and her girth, her density which is less than it will become. And her lack of scars.

She is expressionless from afar, walking, in the ambling, business-like way, of polar bears. Gazing, not left or right as they usually do but only toward the ship, eyes more wide the closer that she comes.

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And takes a drink from the meltwater that puddles on the ice.

Standing Bear Comes in Peace

Photos and editorial © Mark Seth Lender

The sun will not set for another 3 months to which the polar bears are indifferent. The floe edge rumbles and rolls in the swell, beneath them. As long as there is ice, everything is all right with them.

At the brink of a wide lead where the ocean is blackened by the depth, a bear spreads out like a big white sack, all size and not a lot of shape as if she fell, flat, from a headlong fall. Arms by her sides. Palms of her enormous paws turned up, each a great dipper set as if to capture rain, or snow. She yawns. Rolls onto her side, reclined like a diva on a couch. Only then does she focus on the ship resting in open water across the pack ice.

And stops alongside.

And looks. Up. And up.

Neck stretched out toward the strange new Animals who lean on the deck rail their forepaws dangling and all their faces turned, toward her.

The bilge pump disgorges and she startles and crossing her long arms right over left jogs sideways.

But does not run.

But only stares at…

This thing, the color of ice that is not ice and the bear-like creatures who are not bears standing there to look at her!

How Strange... How strange...

And rises on her enormous hind legs - to five to seven to eight feet tall - taller than a female bear is supposed to be. And stands. Mouth open in surprise and meets, the eyes, of each and

every one of them.

Her lower lip juts out as polar bears do when afraid.

And down again and drinks. And drinks again.

And keeps pace.

As the ship drifts.

And the swell rolls.

And the sun burns.

And the ice melts, until Perpetual Day becomes again Perpetual Night in this place where everything is, Impermanence.

And looks…

And leaves.

Field Note: Standing Bear Comes in Peace At the edge of the Polar Ice seals and polar bears find their intersection. The seals are there to bear young. The bears are there to feed. I came to watch the show, above Svalbard, 571 miles from the North Pole .

I spotted Standing Bear lying down, flat out on her belly, as much of her body in contact with the ice as she could manage. Bears do that when overheated, or after over-eating. In this case both. One of those seal/bear convergences had recently taken place. Resulting in one very well-fed, somewhat overheated sleepy polar bear. And in that the key to my encounter.

tongue. We were still a kilometer away and she looked briefly, then dozed off again. Clearly, the ship did not interest her. Something she had seen before. When we were within three hundred meters she rolled over on her side and took notice. She had seen the movement on the decks. As she approached, and by degrees, her eyes grew wide. I am all but certain she had never seen a human being.

Why did she cross the rolling sea ice to meet my eyes and hold them the way she did? To study all of us the way she

did? Except for the greater similarity within the difference between us. PolarBearMorphism?

Polar bears are chess players. They can plan their activities (notably hunting) in multiple steps which means they can visual outcomes, a skill we assume animals do not have. But they do. I know this for a fact, and it is what makes polar bears in particular, dangerous. One of their hunting techniques is indifference, not even looking at their intended prey, and when they do, feigning greater interest in something else. Sometimes, they will hunt you, too. But not always. Because with intelligence also comes personality, and variations in attitude.

For a hungry bear everything is business (and there were plenty of all-business bears that day). But Standing Bear had the luxury of all her basic needs well and fully met and as with people, it gave her license for higher order pursuits.

Namely, curiosity.

I would go so far as to say that I “trusted� Standing Bear.

Not enough to try to touch her, but enough to assume her primary interest in me (as is sometimes the case) was recognition. I have had the great privilege to spend time with almost a hundred polar bears. Standing Bear was and will likely remain my favorite of all time.

There was still a trace of red on her chin and above her nose. She yawned and showed her teeth and her purple

Mark Seth Lender is a producer for wildlife content at Living on Earth ( LOE.org ), the only program on US Public Radio exclusively dedicated to wildlife and environmental reporting.

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Artist Rolandas Dabrukas: It’s Not Easy Being Orange

By Barbara Malinsky Photos by Sandra Scendrina/Jurgita Jack

“It’s not easy being green Having to spend each day the color of the leaves When I think it could be nicer being red, or yellow or gold Or something much more colorful like that” ...Kermit the Frog

Artist Rolandas Dabrukas may appreciate Kermit’s lament but he has concerns about those who are different, which inspired him to write his second children’s book I Am Different, which he dedicates to those who need love. We first met Rolandas in 2008 (Ink February, 2008) when he debuted his first children’s book Zoolidays. We knew him them as Rolandas Since then he has Kiaulevicius. changed his last name to Dabrukas (Good Hands), his mother’s maiden name, which represents the artistic side of the family. Before Zoolidays would become a reality, there was much to accomplish after his arrival from Lithuania – learning English as a second language at Yale, developing a portfolio at Paier College of Art, and earning a Master of Fine Arts Degree at Western Connecticut State

University. At Paier, John Falato and Vladimir Shpitalnik were two powerful influences.

“Vladimir helped me to move to illustration and John brought me back to watercolor. I like

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childhood in the small Lithuanian town of Sankonys. “ I had the best time growing up. I have so many memories and feelings that keep coming back. I loved the mornings in Lithuania – so fresh – I still smell it. I always loved nature. I walked in the woods as a child and remember birds singing while we picked mushrooms. I loved to climb the wonderful trees near my house and even climbed on my roof. We had huge apples, which would fall and crack there; they were so tasty. I still remember the evenings there when the sky was so beautiful – so dark – you could only see the stars.”

the washes, the freshness of the color; it’s now my favorite medium.”

Since then he has had continued commercial success as an illustrator, muralist, teacher, and performance artist. An accomplished watercolorist, the creatures that flow from his brushes are happy. “I’m happy and my animals are happy. You can see that in my painting. I like to make people happy when they see my art.”

Whether you see them popping off the pages of a book or a mural, they are certain to make the edges of your lips curl upward in delight.

The world Rolandas populates is a product of his ebullient personality formed by an idyllic

I Am Different is based on many of his childhood experiences and some of his adult ones as someone who is different from others.

Those feeling began in Lithuania when he moved from his small village to the city to study art. The city children bullied him because he was from the country; he was different. When he arrived in the United States, he was different; he spoke a unique language and was from another culture. He was inspired to write about these differences and how they affect people in the character of Tutis, a very orange frog, who inhabits a very green pond. The story begins, “Welcome to the…green meadow. Not far away glitters a green pond surrounded by green cattails and green grasses where green grasshoppers hop

and even greener frogs. Only the apple tree is dressed in white – its blossoms, the sweet scents of Spring.”

There is a mystery in the green pond, a resident orange frog named Tutis. The green frogs cry, “ Away, away orange, away from our group!” He was different.

“In the evening, the lonely orange Tutis cries sadly because he only wants to be green just like all the other green frogs of the green pond. He always hopes for a miracle by morning.” Tutis echoes Rolandas’ feelings. “You know, when I came to the United States, I felt like that orange frog.”

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Tutis can now appreciate a world of color, his special identity, and, according to the author, tolerance.

In addition to writing, Rolandas teaches art at several schools. He has completed commissions for public and private murals in the United States and Lithuania. As a performing artist, he also presents a stork show where dressed like a stork, he teaches children how to draw. His wife also appears as an orange frog just like Tutis. There is singing, dancing, and prizes and all the prizes are, of course, orange! There is so much love and energy that Rolandas commits to his projects; he is virtually unstoppable. He is an orange imp in an adult body.

Influenced by his Lithuanian culture, Rolandas adds several new characters to the story in the form of storks. Each year, storks return from Morocco where they winter and arrive in the summer to Lithuania to breed. “When I was a child two storks made a nest in an apple tree at my parents’ home.” The storks’ return is celebrated throughout the country. As the story proceeds, a pair has hatched four storklings – Matas, Tutis, Mira, and Ora. Soon they are able to fly and the search for food has begun. They attack the green pond with gusto feasting on green frogs. Ora catches Tutis and is reprimanded by her mother, “Storks do not eat oranges!”

Ora drops him but his croaking is so loud that she swoops down to the rescue and then they soar skyward. From here, Tutis can see the vivid colors of the earth. "In this meadow, there is harmony; a white daisy is friends with a blue cornflower, a red poppy gives her sweet nectar to a yellow honey bee, a black bug relaxes comfortably in yellow dandelion petals, and the multi-colored butterflies deliver love messages.” Tutis now sees a world of magical color.

Ora cries out, "You are the most beautiful little frog… that I have ever seen!”

Tutis and Ora become best friends. As the summer comes to a close, they must

What powers his creative efforts is love. The preface of I Am Different has an author’s statement. “This book is dedicated to those who need love, and as we know, everyone needs love. I wrote this story based on childhood memories and experiences, remembering

those times when I met lonely and ‘different’ children. Upon reaching adulthood, I came to realize, that we are all the same, and we all wish to be loved. I put all my love into creating this story and drawing the illustrations, which I hope to share with all of you. I dedicate this book to the children all over the world to know the power of love and friendship. There is a piece of everyone who has ever impacted my life both with love and prejudice.”

Five percent of the proceeds from the sales of “I Am Different” will be donated to children’s cancer centers in the United States and Lithuania.

Contact Rolandas at www.rolandasart.com or www.rolandas2mac.com

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A lobster needs to shed it's shell to enable growth. The lobster will stop eating, shrink it's meat and take in sea water to burst off its old shell. A soft shell lobster will have less meat, less nutrients and less flavor.

What does this mean to you? Don't be fooled by cheap prices.

Buy your lobsters like you buy your fruit; at the peak of ripeness.

Bulging out of its skin with flavor, filled to the brim with nutrients.

Every master of the lobster cracker will agree, that a hard shell lobster is the only way to guarantee you'll get all the bang for your buck.

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Photos and review by Tyler Plourd

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A lot has changed in the world since 1955.

Kevin Costner is no longer an infant, the Syracuse Nationals are no longer an NBA franchise, let alone World Champions, the world population has grown by over 5 billion people, and most important, New Britain has a craft brewery again.

Not since 1955, has the hard-working town of New Britain been home to a brewery. Cremo Brewing Co. was the people’s choice from the early 30’s up until its demise in ’55, and now it’s Alvarium Beer Company’s turn to carry the torch for Hard-Hittin’.

Chris DeGasero, Brian Bugnacki, and Mike Larson all joined forces to launch Alvarium. DeGasero was the head brewer at City Steam in Hartford as well as the

Cambridge House Brewpub in Granby after an apprenticeship at the 508 Gastropub in Chelsea, NY. Bugnacki graduated from University of Hartford and specialized in marketing with a software company.

Larson owns a Mechanical Engineering degree and has more than a decade of experience in the field of mechanical operations. Fast forward to the Summer of 2017, and Alvarium has just started to make its mark on the CT craft beer circuit.

Something that gets lost in the shuffle sometimes when opening a brewery is marketing. Far too often we enter breweries without branding on pint glasses and tasters, or just a lackadaisical approach to their image. Alvarium has been the complete opposite, they’ve recognized what makes New Britain great and they’ve incorporated many aspects of the town to their brewery. From honeycombed flight paddles, beehive enclosed light fixtures, tap handles replaced with New Britain’s own Stanley screwdriver handles, and a logo which features a beehive with a well-placed pint glass opening, Alvarium displays attention to detail like we’ve never seen.

For those who don’t know, New Britain’s motto is, “Industry fills the hive and enjoys the honey,” so it’s extremely fitting that a brewery named Alvarium (Latin for “beehive”) calls New Britain home.

The beer ranged from trendy to rare on their opening day, here’s what you need to know about CT’s newest brewery.

Nektar, is an Extra Special Bitter, which is an English style pale ale with more pronounced malt presence and a balanced earthy hop profile. Nektar poured a beautiful copper color in the glass and featured an array of aromas from nutty to caramel. At just 4.8% ABV, this was a great session beer that checked all the boxes for the style.

Fade, a Brown Porter was a delicious offering. Notes of coffee, chocolate, and toffee were all present while the palate presented more deep chocolate and delicate coffee flavors. If there was ever a beer that could stretch its utilization from the beginning of summer through the winter, it would be Fade.

Treewalker, an East Coast Double IPA was by far the crowd favorite. Levels were so depleted the following day, that Alvarium had to cut back the Crowler (more on these later) sales, and keep Treewalker strictly on

tap for pints and flights only. Treewalker was a more robust flavored IIPA with a hefty malt presence, but not enough to mask the hop flavor. Pineapple, citrus, and orange pith were all flavors that were kept in check by the malt bill. Weighing in at 7.5% ABV, Treewalker seems like a heavyweight, but its crisp finish and flavorful palate makes its sting a bit less potent.

Trockenhopfen is a Hefeweizen that is hopped with Hull Melon. As you would expect, Hull Melon permeates a ripe melon flavor on the beer that it encounters. Out of all the CT breweries we’ve visited, we can count on one hand how many Hefeweizen’s we’ve tasted. The German style beer is one that features a substantial amount of wheat malt, while letting the yeast take over and produce flavors of banana, cloves, and often a dry tart edge. Trockenhopfen was a gorgeous looking beer that featured soft fruit flavors on the palate and a dry finish that requested the next sip. At 5.4% ABV, this Hefe was our obvious choice for the Must Try distinction.

Finishing things off was phresh, a New England style IPA. It’s no surprise that New England style IPA’s are the most popular beer style these days, and it’s getting more and more important for breweries to one, offer one, and two, nail said offering. Like most industries, the consumer controls what is popular and what is not, and at the moment, the consumer wants overly hopped and hazy IPA’s paired with a soft mouthfeel.

For the first batch, phresh checks off all the boxes. An orange juice like appearance, tropical citrus notes dominating the nose and palate, this NEIPA was a knockout and earned the Our Favorite nod.

One of the best things about Alvarium is that they offer Crowlers to-go. A Crowler is a 32oz. can that can be filled with any Alvarium beer and taken anywhere whether it be a hike, barbeque, or house party.

Having the ability to enjoy 32oz. of your favorite beer on demand is great. They posess a longer shelf life than glass growlers and stay fresh longer. Also, no more waiting for fills, just grab the cans and go.

Make sure to stop by the Alvarium Beer Co. taproom located at 365 John Downey Dr. Suite B New Britain, CT 06051.

Alvarium is open Friday from 4PM-10PM, Saturday from Noon-10PM, and Sunday from Noon-7PM.

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Another great benefit in making cheese from milk was the ten-to-one reduction in storage capacity. It takes ten units of milk to make one unit of cheese. A mere one tenth the space was needed to store cheese. By the way, this is also why milk with a butterfat content of 4.5% yields a cheese with approximately 45% butterfat, after the whey is removed.

Actual Butterfat in Cheese

Paul Partica, The Cheese Shop, Centerbrook CT

Did You Know?

S

ome topics seem to come up so often I thought they might be worth discussing in this column. A few of my most frequently asked questions follow.

Perhaps I might answer one of yours.

The Origins of Cheese Originally, one of the most important reasons for making cheese was to store milk. A cow needs to be milked seven days a week without fail, but often a farmer could not get his milk to market every day. There could be many reasons for this: not enough time in a day, bad weather, spotty customer needs, travel restrictions and so forth. By making cheese, a farmer could prolong the shelf life of his milk and sell it when the timing was more amenable.

In addition, turning milk into cheese reduced the need of maintaining cool storage since cheese keeps in warmer conditions much better than milk.

Most people assume that a creamy - almost runny - single crème Brie with 45-50% butterfat will contain more fat than a hard, dry Cheddar or Parmigiano Reggiano that is also labeled with 45-50% fat. This is not so.

Butterfat content is determined by the percentage of solids in cheese with all the liquids removed, or in dry matter (IDM). Most French cheeses will be labeled by percentage amount of Matière Grasse (amount of fat).

Since Brie contains a much higher moisture content than hard cheeses, it actually contains lower butterfat content, even though it appears creamier and richer. As a general rule, if you divide the butterfat content of a labeled cheese by two, you will get the butterfat content of a cheese in its actual present condition. Hence, a Brie labeled 60% butterfat IDM, or 60% Matière Grasse, will be about 30% butterfat in its current state.

The difference between Brie and Camembert The fact is, there is no difference. Both cheeses are made from the exact same recipe; they are, however, made in two different regions. If both cheeses were aged for the same amount of time and kept in identical conditions, you would not be able to taste the difference. Of course, milk quality can vary, and that would make a difference. If you are going to bake

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a Brie or Camembert in pastry, be concerned only about the cheese’s condition, not the name. Remember, a cheese too runny is a sign of over-ripeness, and it will only become even runnier when heated.

The Difference between Parmigiano Reggiano and Grana Padano Parmigiano Reggiano is a partially skimmed raw milk, or thermolyzed, cheese made from cow’s milk. Cheese producers make this cheese from a blend of morning whole milk and the previous night’s milk that has been naturally skimmed by removing the cream that has risen to the top. This creates a cheese with a butterfat content ranging between 28 to 32 percent.

Parmigiano Reggiano has a D.O.C. classification, which means it meets strict Italian laws that have been in existence since 1955. In addition to preserving the quality and traditions of Italian cheese, the classification protects the names, origins, production methods and characteristics of each cheese. This D.O.C. rating also protects Italian wines in the same matter.

Grana Padano is another cheese sold very often for the same purpose. There are, however, many differences between the two cheeses. In the production of Grana Padana, there is much less control over cow breeds or where the milk comes from. Milk used in the making of this cheese can be gathered over several days. Also, cows are often fed silage and there is less control over the feed used. Silage is never fed to cows in the production of ParmigianoReggiano.

Additionally, Grana Padano is usually a younger cheese (aged for 8 to 20 months) yielding a milder taste. You will often find these wheels in the same

size and appearance of a Parmigiano-Reggiano wheel, but they will be missing the stencil on the outside of the cheese labeling them as such.

Grana Padano sells for two thirds the price of a Parmigiano Reggiano and is often used to save on cost. It is generally used for cooking and grating, but not as an eating cheese. You will not generally find it shaved on Caesar salads. It is, however, fairly consistent in production, which gives it a quality point. Over the years I have enjoyed some good-tasting Granas, but this cheese definitely falls into the “Try before you buy” category. If given the chance, try both cheeses at time of purchase. Then you can decide what tastes best for you.

Color in Cheese All cheese is naturally white in color. If you see a yellow-orange or reddish hue in a cheese, you can safely assume that a coloring agent was added. The most common coloring agent is annatto, which is a natural color derived from the seeds of the Achiote tree, native to tropical and sub-tropical areas of the world.

Did you Know?

Paul Partica, The Cheese Shop www.cheeseshopcenterbrook.com

ofCenterbrook

LLC

Specialty Foods & Espresso Bar

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By Kevin Staehly Operations Manager and Assistant Winemaker, Staehly Farm Winery, East Haddam, CT

T h e

P r e m i e r

R e s o u r c e

INSTINCTIVELY DIFFERENT>>

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C o n n e c t i c u t

A r t i s a n

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AUGUST EVENTS

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Month of August New London AMERICAN PERSPECTIVES. Newly reinstalled permanent collection of American Art. With paintings, sculpture, furniture, and decorative arts from the 18th through 20th century, the renovated galleries offer a fresh approach to new and familiar treasures.

Lyman Allyn Art Museum 625 Williams St.New London, CT 860443-2545 ext.110

August 1 - September 9 Madison Visions of Land and Sea. Sailing vessels racing, a catboat at dawn, boats docked in a harbor, ospreys perched on stick nests, luminous tidewater marshes, lobster cookouts, gulls, shorebirds and sandy beaches evoke perfect summer memories and beautiful places at Susan Powell Fine Art's summer invitational, Visions of Land and Sea. The exhibition, featuring approximately 75 works by 22 award-winning artists, takes place at the Madison, Connecticut gallery through September 9. Paintings by Del-Bourree Bach, Peter Bergeron, David Dunlop, John Falato, Bill Farnsworth, Vincent Giarrano, Curtis Hanson, Neal Hughes, Susan Jositas, James Magner, Leonard Mizerek, Deborah Quinn-Munson, Polly Seip and George Van Hook celebrate the charm of the Connecticut and New England Shore. Gallery hours are Tuesday-Saturday from 11-5, and anytime by appointment. For more information, call (203) 318-0616, and visit susanpowellfineart.com to see works in the show. Susan Powell Fine Art is located at 679 Boston Post Road, Madison, CT 06443

Month of August Mystic The Courtyard Gallery, Mystic's Hidden Treasure presents a Summer Double Bill: Sail Away: Summer Journeys and Flights of Fancy and Thinking Small: Little Treasures Under One Square Foot. Join us as we showcase the diverse and eclectic work of over 40 acclaimed artists in a summer double feature! Thinking Small includes over 100 original works in all media and styles all under one foot square, perfect for any spot, and easy to carry away with you. Come in to one of our Weekly Sunday Salons from 3-6PM and enjoy wine, refreshments, conversation and camaraderie with artists, collectors and friends in our intimate gallery and sculpture garden, a Mystic tradition for over 12 years! The Courtyard is proud to be a sponsor of the 60th Mystic Outdoor Art Festival on Sat and Sun, August 12 and 13, so do stop in during festival hours 10-6 for some special promotions - rain or shine! open Mon, Thurs, Fri, Sat 11-6, Sun 12-6 and by appointment or chance. Courtyard Gallery, 12 Water Street - B3 , 860-536-5059, courtyardgallerymystic.com August 1 - 6 Hartford FINDING NEVERLAND. August 1-6. Tuesday -Thursday, 7:30 p.m.; Friday, 8 p.m.; Saturday, 2 and 8 p.m.; Sunday, 1 and 6:30 p.m.Directed by visionary Tony®winner Diane Paulus and based on the criticallyacclaimed Academy Award® winning film, FINDING NEVERLAND tells the incredible story behind one of the world's most beloved characters: Peter Pan. Playwright J.M. Barrie struggles to find inspiration until he meets four young brothers and their beautiful widowed mother. Spellbound by the boys' enchanting make-believe adventures, he sets out to write a play that will astound London theatergoers. With a little bit of pixie dust and a lot of faith, Barrie takes this monumental leap, leaving his old world behind for Neverland, where nothing is impossible and the wonder of childhood lasts forever. The magic of Barrie's classic tale springs spectacularly to life in this heartwarming theatrical event.Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts 166 Capitol Ave. Hartford, CT 06106

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Month of August Essex De Paris à Venise.

Journey back in time with Post-Impressionist painter Henry St. Clair (French, 1899 – 1990). Vivid colors and bold lines convey a sense of joie de vivre, a candid enthusiasm infusing scenes of everyday life, from the streets of Paris and coast of France to the canals of Venice. St. Clair was inspired by the spirited colors and gaiety of Raoul Dufy (1877-1953) and influenced by the art of Eugene Boudin (1824-1898). St. Clair completed most of his oeuvre between 1920 and 1970, with a four-year exception, 1941 - 1945, during the German occupation of France. Cooper & Smith Gallery, 10 Main Street, Essex, CT 06426. www.coopersmithgallery.com. Summer hours: Sun & Mon: 12 – 6; Thu – Sat: 12 – 7; Tue & Wed: by appointment. 860.58.1.8526.

August 4 Mystic Meet the artist behind the Dresses, Roxanne Rossi, and enjoy some bubbly Roxanne Rossi is a contemporary artist working in both acrylic mixed media painting and cast paper. Her studios are in Denver, CO and Tucson, AZ. 5:00-7:00pm.

CURATED Fine Art & Luxury Goods, 29 W. Main Street, Mystic, CT 06355. (800)249-0129 www.curated.world pam@curated.world

CELEBRATE SHELTON DOWNTOWN SOUNDS SUMMER CONCERT SERIES. Each night offers live music, food trucks, handmade artisans, and a beer garden sponsored by New Belgium for everyone to enjoy. Each week kicks off at 5pm with a Kids Hour: Danny Magic, Sterling Theater Company & Bring the Hoopla.

The musical line-up includes: Jay Russell & the Split Coils and The Alpaca Gnomes on July 21st; Gracie Day & The Knights and Wise Old Moon on July 28th; Creamery Station and Hubinger Street on August 4th.Food trucks will include: Pierogies on Wheels, Ritas Italian Ice, Fryborg, Shoreline Prime Meats & Deli, Sal's Pizza Truck, Dad's Food Truck and Tipsy Cones. The concerts are free to attend, though there is a suggested contribution of $5 to sustain Celebrate Shelton's efforts in the community. There is one rain date of August 11 and all information will be updated at www.celebrateshelton.com. Downtown Sounds Summer Concerts & Food Trucks at Veterans Memorial Park is sponsored by Celebrate Shelton and Liberty Bank, with support from R.D. Scinto, City of Shelton, Electri-Cable Assemblies, Valley Community Foundation, TD Bank, Hocon Gas, People's United Bank, Caloroso Eatery & Bar, Sikorsky Credit Union, Venman & Co, OEM Controls, Kindred Spirits & Wine, D'Addario, Honey Cell, Peralta Design, Doggie Styles and J&L Enterprises. Celebrate Shelton, a city-wide initiative that highlights our community by creating family-friendly events began in 2011 and was formed by small business owners - Nicole Heriot-Mikula, Michael Skrtic and Jimmy Tickey. Veteran's Memorial Park, Shelton 5:00 pm - 09:00 pm 38 Canal Street E Shelton, CT 06484

AUGUST EVENTS

Month of August Westbrook Selected works from the Madison Art Society at the Valentine H. Zahn Community Gallery located at Middlesex Hospital Shoreline Medical Center. The Gallery is open during regular business hours and is located at 250 Flat Rock Place, Westbrook, CT. For more information, contact Middlesex Hospital at 860-358-6200 or zahngallery@midhosp.org.

August 1 - Sept 23 East Haddam The Rodgers & Hammerstein that classic changed American musicals forever dawns at Goodspeed for the very first time. Cowboy Curly and farm girl Laurey are taking their sweet time falling in love. Can these stubborn romantics admit their feelings before it's too late? Passion, laughter and high-kicking choreography blossom in a land where the wind comes sweepin' down the plain. A legendary score--including "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'," "The Surrey With the Fringe on Top" and the rousing title tune--will put you in a brand new state! Wednesday, 2 & 7:30 p.m.; Thursday, 2* & 7:30 p.m.; Friday, 8 p.m.; Saturday, 3 & 8 p.m.; Sunday 2 & 6:30p.m.* *select dates. Goodspeed Opera House TIME: 08:00 pm - 08:00 pm 6 Main St. East Haddam, CT

AUGUST EVENTS

78 August 5 Chester Broadway star Laiona Michelle who was recently on tour with the Book of Moron, comes to the Leif Nilsson Spring Studio & Gallery at 1 Spring Street in Chester Center on Saturday, August 5, 2017 for a special Concert in the Garden from 7pm9pm to benefit the Bingham Camp Theatre Retreat, a non-profit organization which develops new work for the stage that promotes and celebrates diversity.

LITTLE GIRL BLUE is Laiona Michelle’s one-woman show inspired by her idol, the legendary jazz singer, songwriter and civil rights activist Nina Simone. With personal stories and songs, all performed in Laiona’s exuberant, raw and crowd-pleasing style, LITTLE GIRL BLUE is an evening that will reach deep into your soul. Tickets are $20 and available at the door and on sale now online at www.binghamcamptheatreretreat.org

August 9 - Sept 3rd Ivoryton Saturday Night Fever: The Musical. Adapted for the stage by Robert Stigwood in collaboration with Bill Oakes. Brooklyn-born Tony Manero loves to dance on the weekends, and he’s about to enter a dance competition and fall in love!! It’s late 1970’s and DISCO is here! Get ready for some Night Fever and the nostalgic songs of the Bee Gees! Based on the film that defined the disco generation. Additional matinee performances: Saturday, August 19th at 2pm and Saturday, September 2nd at 2pm. Box Office Phone: 860.767.7318Theatre Address 103 Main Street, Ivoryton, CT August 12 Mystic Bovano Trunk Show. Kevin Flood from Bovano of Cheshire will host a One Day Trunk Show at R. A. Georgetti & Co. Olde Mistick Village, Mystic, the oldest Bovano retailer in the USA! Bovano is a Connecticut studio specializing in wall and table art hand made of sculpted copper layered in vitreous enamels. Various subjects include native birds and flowers, butterflies and dragonflies, wildlife, and undersea scenes. Kevin will explain the design and creation process, and will be happy to sign any purchases made that day.

Hours: 10am to 6pm. Additional information: 800-243-3176

August 17 & 31 Chester Please join us at the Leif Nilsson Spring Street Studio & Gallery at 1 Spring Street in Chester Center for two Concerts in the Garden.

The first is Thursday, August 17 2017 from 7pm - 9pm featuring the Bianco Martinis who perform a mix of vintage jazz and pop music. On Thursday August 31st from 7pm-9pm we have Old Dog New Trick, which began as a father-son duo with singer/songwriter Bruce Thorndike and Mitch Thorndike on lead guitar and vocals. Later they introduced jazz bassist Paul Emmerling, Abe Wilson on drums and Geoff Cox on sax and flute. $20 donation BYOB and picnic – Sorry no pets. GATES OPEN Half Hour before the show. For more info log onto nilssonstudio.com or call 860-526-2077.

Aug 17, 2017 - Sep 3 New Haven “The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet” by Elm Shakespeare Company in the Park - New Haven, CT. Great Lawn of Edgerton Park, 75 Cliff Street off Whitney Avenue New Haven, CT. Enjoy Shakespeare's classic tragedy with this seasoned company -- outdoors.

Bring your own lawn chairs or blankets to set up on the grass.

Blanket Only Seating - The section closest to the stage is reserved for blankets only. Picnics & merriment begin at 6:30. Arrive early to get a good seat! Entrances at Edgehill Road opposite Edgehill Terrace and on Cliff Street and Edgehill Road. Time: Daily except Mondays at 8 p.m. Telephone: 203-392-8882

August 18 - September 17 Chester DARLING GRENADINE. Meet fun-loving jingle composer Harry.

In modern Manhattan, his charmed life with girlfriend Louise, brother Paul and beloved Labrador Retriever (also Paul!) sparkles with the fizz of romantic comedies and the whimsy of MGM musicals. But will it all go flat when reality interrupts Harry’s tenderly orchestrated fantasia? A rich contemporary score explores the friction between romance and reality, bitter and sweet, high and low.

Raise a glass to a musical serving something magical, moving and boldly new. The Terris Theatre, 33 North Main Street, Chester, Conn. 06412