Ink Magazine - February 2017 by Ink Publications

February2017 Aguidetofinerlivingin Connecticut&abroad.

publications®

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Vol13Issue134 2017

Complimentary C omplimentary

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Features

February 2017

Columns, Reviews, Events

ISSUE CONTENTS

The Cheesemonger `Chicken How Ya Doin’? And More Award Winning Cuisine:

Branford’s Fabulous Pasta Cosi pg. 8

The 12 Families of Cheese - Part 1

pg. 72

Sugar Rush Life on Sugar

pg. 74

February Events Upcoming events in Connecticut

pg. 78

February is for Lovers! Fashion Forward!

Champagne Corsets & Designs pg. 18

On The Road With

Gigi Horr Liverant pg. 30

David Friend Hall: Dazzle, Adventure, and Vision

pg. 40 On the Cover: An amethyst specimen with calcite from Uruguay from the collection of David Friend. Photo by A. Vincent Scarano

INK staff

Tina Ashmore, Jewelry Designed by Nature.... Made with Passion

pg. 54

Contributors:

Advertising Information:

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 Charmagne Eckert - editorial Gina King - Design in Mind Sharma Piersall Howard - editorial Nancy LaMar-Rodgers - editorial Barbara Malinsky - editorial

Portraits of Dignity

Rona Mann - editorial

Photographer, Elin Dolle

Paul Partica - The Cheesemonger

pg. 64

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

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

A. Vincent Scarano - photography Every issue is printed using 100% Soy based ink.

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.

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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Find your voice. Find your vision. Find your expression.

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For Your Valentine small paintings FEBRUARY 3-25, 2016

Opening Reception: Friday, February 3, 5-8 pm

Ann McGrory Little Chickadee-dee Pastel and gold leaf 4.5 x 8”

Carol Arnold Pink & White Peonies Oil, 14 x 18”

Susan Powell Fine Art 679 BOSTON POST RD MADISON, CT 203.318.0616 email: susanpowellfineart@gmail.com View works at: www.susanpowellfineart.com

!!!

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left to right: Cristhian Martinez, Nick Greene, Billy DiLegge - Owner, Marcos Dias, Justo Arevalo Photo by Stephanie Sittnick

`Chicken How Ya Doin’? And More Award Winning Cuisine: Branford’s Fabulous Pasta Cosi by RONA MANN

Open the door, and you might think you’re in Manhattan. Open your mouth - taste - and you’ll swear you’re in Italy. Open yourself to a memorable meal at Branford’s Pasta Cosi, authentic and delicious Italian and steakhouse cuisine right on Main Street, USA. It makes a difference when the owner is also the chef. There’s a responsibility there that will not go away over time. The chef is not an employee, but has a serious vested interest in the restaurant and the consistency of the cuisine because it’s his life; and in the case of Billy DiLegge, food has always been his life.

Photo by Stephanie Sittnick

“As a kid growing up in Waterbury I’d sneak over to one of my mother or grandmother’s sauces that was simmering on the stove, taste it, and then add more seasoning,” he laughs. “I always seemed to know what it needed.” While other young boys were out playing ball, goofing around, or going to parties, Billy was working. “I knew I wanted to make money to buy things, and I loved to work. I got my work ethic from a single mom who always worked hard for us.” So in the eighth grade Billy started cooking and learning, immersing himself in every facet of the restaurant business. He washed dishes, became a banquet server, worked himself up to the front line, and eventually ran the kitchen at

major fine dining establishments on his way to a career in the hospitality field. When his mother insisted he go to college first, Billy applied and was accepted into the prestigious Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, New York where he furthered

Photos by Stephanie Sittnick

his education through classic training and skills, with their emphasis on fine French cuisine. After interning in Florida, DiLegge graduated from the CIA with high honors and came home to start his career...and what a storied career it’s been! Since 1992 Billy has worked for himself, starting with a couple of restaurants in Indian Head along with a partner. Ten years ago without any partners, he opened wide the doors of Pasta Cosi and pledged to make it a success. “To me this restaurant is a family, and I have a responsibility to myself, my clientele, and my staff to make it successful. I look upon what we have as a triangle. There’s the food, the ambiance, and the staff. You might have one weak link, but not two, or the whole thing comes down. I’m fortunate that we have all three sides strong.”

DiLegge has worked hard over the years to create a solid team of chefs (who’ve been with him 10 and 18 years respectively) and management. He appreciates them, realizing they are paramount to Pasta Cosi’s success. “So I make sure they have one full day off each week to devote to their families. That’s important to me.” So much so, that Billy is actively building a business he hopes will one day be passed on to his young sons, Dante and Luca. “I will do everything I can to make this a success and to teach them, if they want it.” A tour of the kitchen illustrates DiLegge’s commitment to “fresh every day.” The pasta machine is constantly at work, yielding a myriad of appetizing varieties used in both the classic

favorites and chef-inspired dishes offered at Pasta Cosi. In addition to the pasta, “all breads, sauces, and desserts are made right here, fresh every day.”Billy’s extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar are made exclusively for him in Italy, bottles of which are available for sale. Five flavors of his popular sauces also line the shelves of local shoreline markets and emporiums. Even the coffee and espresso are ground fresh...to order!

Photo by Stephanie Sittnick

Billy’s dedication to his patrons does not stop with the menu alone. “Allergies are huge here. We want to be able to accommodate everyone. So if there’s an allergy to a certain food or spice, I urge customers to tell the server or manager. That concern is immediately brought into the kitchen where we take great pains to make sure the dish they order does not contain anything that will harm them.”

midst, and he complies by cooking frequently. He is most proud of his dish, “Chicken How Ya Doin’?” That is not only a firehouse favorite, but won DiLegge the Elm City Iron Chef award in competition.

“Why should people come here?” Billy asks, then quickly answers, “Because everything here is fresh every day, made in house from the finest ingredients I can find. And it is, and always will be, consistently delicious. Everything I’ve done so far...if I could do it all over again, I wouldn’t change a thing.”

Supplementing his delectable Italian cuisine, and at the urging of his diners, Billy has now added an Italian steakhouse menu, featuring only center cuts of filet, N. Y. strip, cowboy rib eye, rack of lamb, and succulent lobster tails. One cannot meet Chef Billy DiLegge without hearing about the New Haven Fire Department, for if Billy is not busy enough, he also works full time as a local fire fighter. His service is tantamount in importance to him. His cronies at the firehouse are delighted to have a talented chef in their

Perhaps one day another restaurant, although he does not want to divest himself and risk sacrificing quality. For right now, however, Billy is content to sit at the bar chatting up his “regulars,” stand in front of the house welcoming new faces, and most of all chefing in his kitchen where every day he serves up quality ahead of everything else.

There are many people who are happy in their work, but few who are content. Chef Billy DiLegge is one of those, yet he is not complacent. Like any creative and successful person, he has dreams and goals that drive him.

Pasta Cosi, 1018 Main Street Branford –(203)483-9397 www.pastacosi.com Open for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Friday; Saturday and Sunday for dinner only

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MY WAY: A MUSICAL TRIBUTE TO FRANK SINATRA Conceived by David Grapes and Todd Olson MARCH 22ND – APRIL 9TH, 2017

BILOXI BLUES By Neil Simon

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MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET Book by Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux

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Fashion Forward! Champagne Corsets and Designs by RONA MANN Stella (no last name needed, thank you!) is a highly trained corset maker with a great eye, skilled hands, and never-ending ideas for how to make YOU look good and feel good in a custom designed, hand sewn corset. “I’m fashion forward,” says the petite blonde who has had fashion in her blood “since the 6th grade. I told my whole family that when I graduated I was going to New York to become a fashion designer.” Although most of them nodded and chalked it up to pre-pubescent idealism that would, no doubt, change in a few months, Stella surprised them all. “As soon as I graduated high school in Bristol, Connecticut, I was off to New York!”

emember that scene in “Gone With the Wind,” one of the first introducing the feisty heroine, Scarlett O’Hara? The vain, spoiled plantation dweller is hanging tightly onto her bedpost, steadying herself as Mammy laces up her corset. “Lace me tighter!” demands Scarlett, wanting to fully show off “the smallest waist in three counties.” Back then, the quest for a small waist was synonymous with a large amount of pain; but Scarlett was a stubborn little renegade who cared more about her tiny waist than any degree of discomfort and would do whatever it took, thereby snagging a man in the process. Yes, corsets have been around for centuries, actually some 500 years, but the days of holding onto a bedpost and enduring terrific pain in exchange for a shapely form are over. Matter of fact the corset has had a rebirth; and in the process, has gone from being whalebone uncomfortable underclothes to high fashion. Stella, the talented powerhouse behind Champagne Corsets and Designs know this

Stella with Dakota Johnson

well. She’s built a successful business creating fashionable corsets and wants to share her talent, knowledge, and fun fashion sense with the world, one corset at a time!

A renegade like Scarlett O’Hara? Perhaps. But Scarlett was conniving, and Stella had a wellthought out plan. It began with a thorough education at New York’s famed Fashion Institute of Technology where she was fully immersed in every facet of design and structure in building fashion. “I studied everything...sewing, knitting, tailoring, I even had a course in historical corsetry.”

It was that course that got Stella thinking about designing corsets as a fashion investment, not as a passing trend. “People today want fast fashion; I don’t do that,” says Stella resolutely. What she does do, however, is hand craft beautiful corsets, one at a time, that are meant to be worn on the outside of clothing, with both style and practical applications. Corsets can correct posture, control nagging back pain and muscle tension, help strengthen the core after childbirth or surgery, support heavy breasts, minimize menstrual cramps, help with weight loss; and for many, create that much sought after hourglass shape. Each corset Stella designs is created for the specific needs and wants of her individual client. And are they stylish! After working 11 years in New York as a fashion design, Stella opened her own corset and lingerie boutique in 2012 in neighboring New Jersey, finding immediate success. But being in the shadow of New York meant being in the shadow of big city prices, so after two and a half years, she hooked and laced up her corsets and

returned to her native Connecticut. Stella decide to concentrate on what she knew and loved best: corset making...thus Champagne Corsets & Designs was born. The designer is quick to point out that she doesn’t sell any “off the rack” items. Everything is custom crafted, and each client

undergoes a thorough process. First, specific measurements are taken; if the client is out of state, Stella recommends getting properly measured by a tailor. Once measurements are taken and/or received, she drapes on mannequins, drafts, creates patterns, cuts, and sews a mock-up which can be mailed, if necessary, to out of state clients. “Next we talk in great detail about the design process. What is the occasion or reason for this corset? Is it to make a fashion statement, dazzle at a wedding, or is there a medical reason?” Stella does all work herself from construction of the 2-3 layers involved in building a beautiful corset to the separate horsehair lining. All materials come from frequent trips to New York since eleven years in the trade taught her exactly where to shop for the best materials in the fashion district. Most corsets take 6-8 weeks to properly build for the individual and can include multiple fittings until it’s exactly right for the client’s body. After the fittings – and

only then - does Stella cut the fabric and begins the painstaking process of creating high fashion. Colors, lace, accoutrements are all chosen by the client and individually stitched to the corset. “I am a perfectionist,” Stella relates. “Everything has to be just so.” Education is as much a part of the process as the corset itself. Therefore Stella’s website is constantly changing and was not created merely “to sell.” It grabs the attention, dissolves the myths and old wives tales surrounding corsets, and talks about the many benefits that wearing a corset can give. Perhaps best of all is the glossary of terms provided, so potential clients can become fully informed about the product, the process, and the positive effects on the body. “It’s more than just the physical benefits of better posture, body sculpting, waist cinching, and back pain relief. When you wear one of my bespoke corsets, you are making a statement. I see women come alive and become empowered as soon as they put it on. It raises the confidence level while it whittles the waist.”

Men as well as women nationwide have become Stella’s customers for the numerous medical benefits a corset affords. Her boundaries extend far beyond Connecticut. “I go to the client, so I will go anywhere: Connecticut, the Tri-State area, the world,” the talented corset maker says. Indeed, Champagne Corsets & Designs has no competition in Connecticut – absolutely none.

There are a few corset makers scattered throughout the country, the most being in San Francisco and Los Angeles, but competition is but one of her goals. Stella has many, one of which is to get into the costuming end of show business. With theatres, repertory companies, and Broadway in her veritable backyard, she hopes to make a significant dent in this market behind the bright lights. Long term goals are many, and Stella actively works toward them. She is on the cutting-edge of fashion as it changes and evolves, she yearns to one day have an entire design team working with her, and most of all to get the message out: corsets are no longer a Victorian contraption. They are beautiful, fun, fashionable, never wear out, and help immeasurably to alleviate pain and improve posture while empowering the wearer. Too bad Scarlett never knew. See what a beautifully crafted corset can do for you at Champagne Corsets & Designs, LLC www.champagnecorsets.com Contact Stella directly at: (917) 524-9908

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On The Road With Gigi Horr Liverant by Nancy LaMar-Rodgers / photos by A. Vincent Scarano

f commuting is an art form, then Gigi Liverant is its painter. There is rain, and there is light. There is snow, and there is light. There is heat, and there is light; and there is steam, fog, sleet, and always there is light. The seasons’ stories are told using the colors of the sky, with quiet solitude giving way to bursts of shades that highlight the ordinary moments in a day and the moments we spend on the road. I meet Gigi at her studio on the acreage of land that she and her husband have lived on for at least the past 20 years. The house is an historical dwelling, and the original barn reiterates its place in farming history. Gigi’s studio is homage to the architectural structures of the time, its interior is filled with the changing light that is Gigi’s inspiration.

relationship and presence on that road, and in that moment. It is as if the headlights and taillights on a vehicle capture the idea of the light that moves us forward and the light we leave behind.

I am taken with a particular piece. It is a simple portrait of a school bus, making its journey through the rural street to collect its charges. But there is something mysterious and subtly intriguing about this particular snapshot. Gigi captures everyday moments in light and their relationship with the road, their particular

Asked what the inspiration for this particular painting was, she talked about the many simple moments with her daughters during their school years. “It was something I saw every day; but again depending on the light on a particular morning, the bus, in that moment could take on a whole new theme. The school bus showed up every day; and I saw it in many different lights,” she explains. When her daughters were older, they would attend school in another town, a half hour

drive for Gigi every day, twice a day. “I spent a great deal of time on the road, traveling to take my kids from our home in Colchester to school in New London. I made use of my time when I was traveling in the car. I still do. I wanted to spend as much time creating; and if I had to spend time in the car, then I was going to find inspiration wherever I went,” she explains. These moments on the road that most of us write off as banal, Gigi finds rousing. “When the light changes and there is fog or rain or heat, the light is doing wonderful things.” She lights up as she recalls the moments when the road becomes her canvas. Gigi grew up in a family that was supportive of her desire to be an artist; and while neither of her parents were artists, they allowed her to pursue her passion. For young Gigi this was a dream come true.“I was one of those kids that was real easy to babysit for because you could give me some paper and crayons, and I would be busy for hours.” Gigi eventually took her crayons to a more traditional training, at Paier College in New Haven where she was schooled in the classics and traditional use of oils. While she created her pieces using oils for a time, Gigi describes the epiphany she had one day. “I am not a patient person, and I am really getting tired of watching this paint dry. With the pastels I can create and then I can change it up or fix it.” Gigi laughs quietly and then whispers her epiphany, “Why am I not painting in acrylics?” She lets me in on the eventual evolution of the series. Gigi describes being captured by watching the freedom her children had when painting. “They were scribbling and

Speed Limit

Allen Farm Wall Crosswalk

Welcome to New Jersey

Alley’s at Dusk

End 40

Felix Neck Morning

Route 85 Precipitation

Alley’s at Dusk

Stratocumulus

Skiff Avenue Corner

Into the Sunset

Asylum Street

Stone Fence

Route 2 Eastbound

Route 502, NM

laughing and creating; and I thought, that’s what I want, I want that freedom again to just create.” Her daughters had been using pastels, and there were no inner critics to hinder their childhood imaginations. Gigi believed that perhaps she should embrace this experience, rediscover her childhood freedom. “Using the acrylics came as a way to solve the problem of only having short bursts of time. I used acrylics and pastels before as drafts for oil paints, but now I was looking at them in a whole new light as I realized the freedom they would allow me.” The road series was birthed by Gigi’s desire to do something new. “I could have painted landscapes of beautiful fields and such, but I just felt that it had been done so much already by amazing painters. These scenes were something I was drawn to because I was living the experience of being on the road when each day the light or the weather was slightly different, so I had changing landscapes.” “These scenes were something I was drawn to because I was living the experience of driving

all the time. Each day the light or the weather was slightly different, so I had not only a change in light and weather but a change in experience.”

ahead. Gigi laughs, saying she never even thought about it in that way. This is the beauty of her work. The many reactions all based on our own experiences on the road.

There is another one in the series that captures my attention, resulting in an almost visceral

Gigi points out a piece that has her returning to the canvas over and over. “This is Route 11. I was enamored with the trees down the median, and I saw the headlights coming through on the other side. There were all the weather elements, but I just couldn’t figure it out. I couldn’t figure out how to capture that particular piece of road to get the feel that I wanted.”

reaction. The painting is simple - two cars passing each other on a rain slicked surface, with the glare of the headlights and the soft orange red glow of the taillights. I tell Gigi that the painting has an ominous feel as if there is danger lurking around the curve up

She steps back from it as we continue our conversation. I have no doubt that Gigi will be back out on Route 11 in the near future, driving till all the elements converge into that one perfect moment.

To view her work, visit www.gigiliverant.com

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Photo by A. Vincent Scarano

David Friend Hall: Dazzle, Adventure, and Vision By Laurencia Ciprus

nfinite beauty accessorizes the natural world in repetitive patterns: Fibonacci numbers in proportioned cubicles of the chambered nautilus, six-fold radial symmetry in the delicate armature of a snowflake, or fractal spikes and spirals in a clutch of Romanesco Broccoli hiding in the crisper. From dinosaur bones to meteorites, giant squid and relics of fancy invertebrates, the 150 years of the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History’s collection can be attributed to an impressive roster of scientific seers, scholars, and adventurers. These renegade geniuses share their own repetitive pattern of tenacity, altruism, unfettered vision, and a mercurial sense of adventure to chase down scientific marvels – often, in maximally rough conditions and at great personal risk – adding to the texture and gravitas of this New Haven institution with a mesmerizing array of physical specimens. Carbonite cloud backup founder David Friend (Yale ’69) – an avid mineral collector since

3,300-pound lime-green fluorite with quartz. (Photo by Robert Lorenz, courtesy of Yale Peabody Museum)

childhood – is the latest ardent contributor, adding an excellence of intention and generous financial backing to the dazzle and wonderment of the Peabody with the completion of the state-of-the-art 2,300-square-foot David Friend Hall to mark the Peabody’s 150th anniversary. Housing in excess of 150 scintil-

lating gem and mineral specimens, the gallery is dramatically lit and impeccably curated, the space mutable to double as an auditorium. This sparkling trove opened to the public in October 2016 to gasp-worthy praise. To sustain the momentum, the choice and rare exemplars in this exhibition – 90% sourced from

David Friend Hall represents a new approach to exhibit design at the Peabody Museum — one that uses a minimal amount of signage and invites visitors to ponder the pieces on display, much as they would a painting hanging in an art museum. (Photo by A. Vincent Scarano)

An aragonite specimen from Yunnan Province, China. (Photo by Robert Lorenz, courtesy of Yale Peabody Museum)

museums and private collections around the US – will be rotated from six months to two years to provide ongoing public access to a greater depth and breadth of these treasures.

designer, Laura Friedman and collections manager-cognoscenti, scientist Stefan Nicolescu, collectively formed the cohesive team. The resultant space is a superlative convergence of fine art and theatrical excellence.

Friend shared, “There are only 50 or so major collectors in the world…similar to the art world.” He confided, “We went around and took a chance visiting these major people. Collectors want to have their pieces viewed, and the opportunity for exhibition becomes an added benefit to the provenance.” The pieces he was able to secure are of superlative quality, with enchanting gem and mineral formations in unique combination, fanciful shapes, and of staggering scale. Photo by A. Vincent Scarano

David Friend considered other institutions for this undertaking, but settled on his alma mater, which welcomed both his philanthropic support while also offering a genuine collaborative effort in realizing the collector’s vision. Friend, in concert with the multi-faceted exhibition

The impeccably engineered lighting catapults the experience to mesmerizing. The hall is decisively interactive and each display configured with state-of-the art transmitters currently providing wireless

access to information via a customized iPhone app on six of the largest specimens on display. Laura Friedman’s adroit visual choreography is a sleek and spare surrealist landscape. Opting out of the usual wall notes, she leads you through an intuitive labyrinth of reflective magic, with colossal specimens floating in handcrafted glass vitrines. Among the innumerable wonders is the backlit Namibian quartz crystal, a 2,000 lb. touchable golden welcome at the entrance. Shift slightly, and courtesy of James Zigras, land on the massively magnificent bundle of terminated faced stibnite – aka antimonite – telegraphing the silver lightning of a hundred Excalibur swords. The undulating curves of David Friends’s own French sandstone concretion from Fontainebleau are the showstopper. This naturally occurring sculptural wonder, which at first look is a tumble of Shar Pei pups, evolves from the

Photos by A. Vincent Scarano

This 30 million-year-old sandstone concretion from Fontainebleau, France has never been on display in public. It is from the collection of David Friend. (Photo by Robert Lorenz, courtesy of Yale Peabody Museum)

This 3,300-pound lime-green fluorite with quartz measures 5 feet by 4 feet. (Photo by Robert Lorenz, courtesy of Yale Peabody Museum)

A stibnite from the collection of James Zigras. (Photo by Michael Marsland, courtesy of Yale Peabody Museum)

A gypsum specimen of the desert rose variety from the Chihuahua Desert, Mexico. (Photo by Robert Lorenz, courtesy of Yale Peabody Museum)

A quartz specimen from the Collier Creek Mine in Arkansas. (Photo by Michael Marsland, courtesy of Yale University)

This 2,000-pound quartz crystal from Namibia greets visitors to David Friend Hall. (Photo by Robert Lorenz, courtesy of Yale Peabody Museum)

A quartz specimen of the chalcedony variety. A gift of C.R. Beesley. (Photo by Michael Marsland, courtesy of Yale University)

An amethyst specimen with calcite from Uruguay is among the exhibitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s highlights. It is from the collection of David Friend. (Photo by Robert Lorenz, courtesy of Yale Peabody Museum)

An aragonite specimen of the flos ferri variety from Yunnan Province, China. (Photo by Robert Lorenz, courtesy of Yale Peabody Museum)

Photo by A. Vincent Scarano

same white sand sourced for the glass cladding on I.M. Pei’s four glass pyramids at the Louvre – the massive structure punctuating the entrance, flanked by three smaller renditions. There are countless others: a 5’x5’ gypsum specimen disguised as a stegosaurus; a massive fossilized wall panel from Wyoming, capturing 200 skeletal fish and palm fronds in suspended animation; a rock candy confection of a 5’ x 4’ neon green fluorite and quartz; or the rare perfec-

An aquamarine crystal with albite from the collection of Mark J. Pospisil, curator at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science in Dallas. (Photo by Joe Budd, courtesy of Yale Peabody Museum)

tion of Robert Lavinsky’s 2-pound tanzanite, decisively, one of the largest exemplars of the blue-velvet gem found only on the fringes of Kilimanjaro. Beyond lending his name and resources, Friend echoes the diligence and dedication of his predecessors who shaped the Peabody collections with shared pure intention of furthering the field of science without ego or a hidden agenda. Instead, he wants curiosity

A kunzite crystal from the collection of Jim and Gail Spann. (Photo by Thomas Spann, courtesy of Yale Peabody Museum)

and inspiration to flourish here, to inspire young student visitors and echo the evolution of his own early passion for mineralogy. Friend’s inquiry began as an eight-year-old boy in New Rochelle, New York with the brief glint of a quartz and mica formation on a cliff face, revealed during the blasting for I-95. His bent for collection proved infectious and culminates with this testament to his passion. This collaborative process echoes the earlier

This two-pound tanzanite crystal from the collection of Dr. Robert Lavinsky is among the world’s largest specimens of its kind. (Photo by Joe Budd, courtesy of Yale Peabody Museum)

An aquamarine crystal from the collection of Eugene and Rosalind Meieran. (Photo by Jeff Scovil, courtesy of Yale Peabody Museum)

Photo by A. Vincent Scarano

collaborative bent of Benjamin Silliman, Yale’s first professor of chemistry and mineralogy when the Peabody was in its evolution in the early 19th century. Silliman, who in exploratory travels had amassed a foundational collection for the university, actively sought out collectors looking for a permanent home for their specimens. The collaboration with Photo by A. Vincent Scarano George Gibbs III, a Newport RI merchant, was a mutual reward. the Weston meteorite conveniently Marked the Gibbs Cabinet, the collection touched down close to the 28 year-old was a marriage of Russian and European col- Silliman’s home in Fairfield, Connecticut in lections from Jean B.F. Gigot d’Orcy of December of 1807. The meteorite had an France, Russian Count Grigory Kirillovich explosive trajectory and laced the sky with Razumovsky, and smaller groupings amassed a series of fireballs with fragments littering the landscape. Word spread fast; and during his extensive travels. always the adventurer, Silliman made the Silliman’s notable mark on the scientific 25 miles to Weston to investigate. The world as the pioneer in the field of meteoritics meteorite strike was significant as it virtually fell into his lap. Like David Friend’s became the first documented fall in North discovery of the mica and crystal outcropping America, Silliman seizing the opportunity in a cliff wall near his childhood hometown, to conduct extensive research and analysis

of the rocky remains. One 36.5 lb. intact fragment finally made it into the Peabody collection courtesy of George Gibbs III. The David Friend Hall at Yale Peabody Museum is the latest testament to the power of ongoing inquiry and the ability for art and science to make good bedfellows. In its 150th year, this esteemed odyssey of inquiry and adventure infinitely continues.

A 10.08-carat sapphire in platinum ring, flanked by 10 pearshaped and 16 round diamonds, approximately 2.43 carats. From the Cora Miller Collection. (Photo by Harold Moritz, courtesy of Yale Peabody Museum)

A 9.07-carat diamond in platinum ring; the diamond comes from the legendary Golconda Mines of India. From the Cora Miller Collection. (Photo by Harold Moritz, courtesy of Yale Peabody Museum)

Cabochon black opal earrings in 22-karat gold. From the Cora Miller Collection. (Photo by Harold Moritz, courtesy of Yale Peabody Museum)

7.05-carat yellow diamond in a platinum and 18-karat gold ring, flanked by two trapezoid-shaped diamonds, approximately 1.32 carats. From the Cora Miller Collection. (Photo by Harold Moritz, courtesy of Yale Peabody Museum)

These earrings feature four opals accented by garnets and diamonds. From the Cora Miller Collection. (Photo by Harold Moritz, courtesy of Yale Peabody Museum)

The Cullinan Blue Diamond Necklace is made of 9-karat rose-gold with silver top and set with 243 round colorless diamonds and nine rare blue diamonds, the largest of which is 2.6 carats. On loan from the Smithsonian Institution. (Photo by Chip Clark, courtesy of Smithsonian Institution)

A 6.07-carat ruby in platinum and 18-karat gold ring, flanked by two triangular diamonds, approximately 1.50 carats. From the Cora Miller Collection. (Photo by Harold Moritz, courtesy of Yale Peabody Museum)

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check out new locat our ion! 700 MAIN ST. MIDDLETOWN, CT. 103 MAIN ST. WEST HARTFORD, CT. 110 ALBANY TPKE, CANTTON, CT.

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Refreshed with New Purpose – an interview with former Television News Anchor, Janet Peckinpaugh by Tom Soboleski

What do you think is the most important trait for a TV anchor?

She wound her way to Connecticut via Muncie, Canton and Richmond. She was breaking ceilings in an erstwhile man’s business in the 70s as the first woman news anchor in Richmond. Joining Channel 8 in New Haven in 1984, she has interviewed presidents from Ford to Bush 43. She once dated then-Senator Chris Dodd and once ran for congress. Today, Janet Peckinpaugh sells high-end real estate but retains her Midwest values. She laments the way women anchors of today dress. Her charm is disarming, her laugh contagious. She now lives in Essex and recently reminisced about her colorful career.

“Be honest. I never tried to be somebody else. I wrote my own stuff. I wanted to know everything there was to know about a story. The most important thing for anybody on the air is to be trustworthy and not let your own opinion get involved. I get so angry now because every single person I listen to is putting their own opinion into everything.”

What motivated you to run for Congress?

How does selling houses compare to being a news anchor?

“Certainly interviewing all the presidents I was able to interview. I was friends with Ford. When Reagan was president there was a group of 20 reporters from around the country who were invited for four days and we had access to the entire cabinet. This was while I was with Channel 8. About a third of us were women and we knew Nancy loved red. So we all showed up the first day in red suits. She laughed and said, ‘well, I guess you know I like red.’”

“I was at a Christmas Ball at the (Ford) White House. We were in the East Room. Betty and I had become friendly. She called me over and said, ‘I want you to help me.’ She was a prankster, and so was he. She had a shoebox. She comes over and says, ‘I’m going to open this box and you’re going to stand here with me and we’re going to watch and see how many women run out of the room screaming. So she opens the box and there’s a live mouse in the box. She said, ‘let’s see how many seconds it takes for these silly women to start screaming and running out of the room.’ So she puts this live mouse on the floor under the tree – and all these women started screaming, ‘Ahhh!, there’s a mouse in the White House.’ She just stands there bellyaching laughing. She just loved it.”

“My oldest friends in Connecticut lived here. I used to come here with my young son Alex just to walk around town. We just loved it here. It was always a respite. It was such a relaxing place and such a tourist town that I could almost be anonymous.”

“I truly wanted to represent the people. It was an experience that I’m glad I had but it was dirty and threw me for a loop. I was down fundraising in DC when I was running and it was appalling to me how everybody had their own little fiefdom, even in the same party. It’s become this carnival of money hungry, position hungry players.”

What was your biggest thrill in television?

Do you have any good anecdotes from those days?

How did you end up in Essex?

“I love to work with people. Communicating to people is so important and that’s exactly what I have to do in this business. Sometimes the reporter in me wants to give too much information. It takes people aback because they’re not used to getting that much information. I feel like every house has a story like every person has a story. There’s often some hidden story in a house and usually if you dig long enough you can get to it.” What difference do you see in the way news is presented now versus when you were an anchor? “As a journalist, what’s most disturbing to me is the whole concept of having two or three sources for every story went out the window. News has become more entertainment than news. To start at a time with other women trying to break into the business, a man’s business, and now see it has become very sexual in the way that women look. I don’t know why you have to have a sleeveless dress, a low-cut tight dress. I don’t know what that has to do with being a journalist.” What advice would you have for an aspiring journalist? “I would tell college students they need to learn speech. Take a speaking course and get involved in debates. That’s always good for you in anything you do. Minor in journalism/communications but major in something else. This will make you well rounded.”

Who was the most influential person in your life? “My father because he always told me I could do anything I wanted; there were no limitations if I worked hard and did my best. He passed away when my son was seven and I think his soul passed into my son. My son, Alex, stood by the casket and shook everyone's hand and explained who he was! It was amazing. So he took over for my father as the most person who influences me the most. He is an old soul. He’s 27 and he’s so wise. He’s someone I go to for advice, to talk something over with, to debate something with. I value his intellect, his calm. I think he’s one of the most interesting people I’ve ever met. He always has very thoughtful, thought-provoking things to say.”

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Photo by Jeffery Lilly

Artist profile by Lee Harris

rowing up in Ireland’s capital city of Dublin, Tina Ashmore was a perennially happy child, playing in her family’s fruit and vegetable gardens, watching her mother turn the abundant harvest from those gardens into delicious food, and always loving the burst of colors provided. Add a few decades and a change of venue, and you’ll find little has changed. Ashmore is still inspired by color and as motivated by nature as she ever was. This time it is Tina herself who turns the harvest into something more, for here is an artist so totally overwhelmed by nature’s magnificence, that her website heralds, “Inspired by nature – made with passion.”

While her medium is neither one of watercolors nor oils, she is an artist nonetheless...a jewelry artist, surrounded by the flowers and fruits and berries of her youth; yet this time they take their shape from semi-precious and precious stones, embellished and set in silver and 18 karat gold. From earliest childhood Ashmore loved designing jewelry. “I used to use tin foil to fashion rings and bracelets, and I’d chop up insulation to get to the colored wires to make beads.” Those who don’t believe in the power of genetics should study Ashmore’s lineage. “My Dad was an illustrator and singer, both my brothers are musicians, my sister is an illustrator, and my mother could knit and sew and make

Jewelry Artist, Tina Ashmore

beautiful clothes. Always in the background there was baking going on, using the colors and flavors from our garden. The weather is so bad in Ireland, you have to keep yourself busy. It’s a survival tactic,” she laughs. It was a visiting aunt, one who created and sold jewelry, who firmly cemented the young girl’s future of putting colors and pieces together to create something beautiful and unique.

Photos by Jeffery Lilly

Today little has changed. While Tina has grown into a handsome and confident woman and now lives in the United States, she is still very much that little girl, fascinated with the experimentation of color. Her cut up wire “beads” have been replaced by beautiful stones, yet the passion has never waned. Ashmore says simply, “I design and make jewelry,” but those in the know say it so much better.

it’s previously been in New York galleries and is well known throughout Europe. Trained in Dublin as a goldsmith after first dabbling in hairdressing, electronics, and

“Generally I create one piece at a time, taking anywhere from two hours to four weeks to give it life.” And each piece is Ashmore’s “baby,” as she creates a “birth certificate” for each ring, necklace, or earrings. “That birth certificate stays with me. I write it all down...everything I’ve done to create them. I figure we spend so much time together, I owe them a good home, so I really care about the people who buy them.”

Richard Freeman from EF Watermelon in Old Lyme has said upon first seeing Tina’s work, “This isn’t silver or gold. This is art.” Thereafter an association was quickly cemented with Ashmore who now showcases her work among the fine jewelry, estate pieces, and objets d’art at EF Watermelon. “It’s a privilege to be there,” Ashmore adds appreciatively. It’s now been some 20 years that Ashmore has been creating her wearable art. Although right now it is sold exclusively at EF Watermelon,

tended to in the private gallery of the Madison home that she and environmental consultant husband, Craig Benton have shared since moving to the U.S. three years ago.

graphic design, Tina works with both precious and semi-precious stones that are custom cut for each individual piece. Her art is created in silver, 18 karat gold, and glass, each piece lovingly

Ashmore’s font of inspiration comes not solely from her childhood in Dublin, but these days from her dreams. “It started about ten years ago after a trip with Craig to Tuscany. I loved Tuscany. We visited wonderful vineyards, drank great wines. Shortly after returning, I started having dreams that I was in the middle of a beautiful

Fruit of the Vine Lariat

Blossoms and Berries Lariat

Dolce Vita Earrings Tuscany

Photo by Jeffery Lilly

vineyard making jewelry. The dreams were quite vivid and had great detail. Berries – flowers – grapes. All very colorful, romantic, and feminine. They have since become my signature pieces.” So, does Tina still dream? “Yes, not constantly, maybe every couple of months. I’m a certified lunatic! Yet I don’t feel too weird. I’ve spoken with other artists who have had like experiences that fuel their inspiration to create.” It does not matter how Tina Ashmore is inspired, whether through childhood memories or dreams. The results are unique and quite wonderful. Using only custom cut stones, leaves, berries, and grapes are colorfully sculpted into one-of-a-kind wearable art looking good enough to eat. “I call my new collection, Jeweled Harvest; it’s absolutely delicious!” Tina says animatedly. Looking ahead, Ashmore plans to unveil a brand new collection for Christmas 2017. “It’s

all based on ice; I’m very excited about creating those signature pieces.” For the time being, however, Tina Ashmore’s signature imprint is being made on the colorful fruits and berries in her current collection; yet the artist freely admits, “It will change and evolve as I do. Right now I am 100% inspired by the gentleness of my pieces.”

ting like they have in the Italian vineyards. I would love to do that, with a nice glass of Prosecco by my side.” Tina Ashmore’s work is both simple, yet elaborate. It has been thoroughly born out of happiness and a real zeal for grabbing all life offers. “I love where I am right now. I can’t complain. Life’s good.”

And with that, the Summer Harvest As to the future? interview ends, the “I would like to artist delving back open a store, I into her day’s work. would like to once Soon, however, it will be again be part of a New night. York gallery, I would like to get Perchance to dream? my work displayed on the catwalk and create jewelry that goes completely around the body. Capture the art of jewelry and view the new collection at I would like to create my art in a cave-like set- www.tinaashmore.com or visit EF Watermelon, 24 Lyme Street, Old Lyme

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Dolle took some classes when she was older, but then began a lengthy career as a learning consultant. When she retired 10 years ago, she picked up her camera again. One of her earliest photo essays depicting the natural beauty of the frozen woods and water near her Deep River home, was published in an issue of Black and White, a stunning fine arts magazine.

This is a sad, but hopeful story. ad, because it involves the heart wrenching mistreatment of animals, which is always shocking to hear about given the intelligence and majesty of other species. But this is also a hopeful story because photographer Elin Dolle is shedding light on some of the atrocities afflicting the horse industry through her regal images of these profound creatures.

“Each winter it seems I keep going out there to take photos. I am in awe of how beautiful it is. Although it’s the same snow, it always looks different,” she says.

Like many young girls, Elin Dolle was obsessed with horses. She collected statues and read books on the subject, but it wasn’t until decades later that she transformed her passion into art.

Dolle liked creating photo essays and decided to enhance her knowledge by taking a course with Debbie Fleming Caffery through Maine Media Workshops. It proved to be life changing. She had to pick a project, so she found a local woman with a sheep farm. Her idea was to photograph the sheep but also tell the story of the woman raising the sheep and the border collies that herded them. She converted some of the sheep pictures into black and white portraits.

“’I’ve had a camera since I was seven, but it’s been an on-again off-again relationship with photography,” Dolle says.

“That caused quite a stir. The instructor and other students had not photographed like that before. I love to show the dignity of the animal,

not just their beauty. With the sheep you could see it in their eyes. People think of sheep as dumb animals, but they’re really not. I saw dignity there that I wanted others to see,” Dolle says. Apparently she was successful because her teacher advised her to scrap her original idea and just concentrate on the portraits. Caffery also encouraged her to continue photographing animals. Since Dolle had always loved horses, she decided to start there. She visited Ray of Light Farm, a horse rescue facility in East Haddam, Connecticut, seeking horses to photograph. “I was wandering around by the barn, and a woman waved at me and asked if I wanted to take a photo of her and the horse she just adopted. His name was Ocho. She said he was a Premarin horse,” Dolle recalls.

Dolle had never heard of a Premarin horse and immediately went online to learn more, which she found appalling. Premarin is manufactured by Wyeth Ayerst, a pharmaceutical company that is now part of Pfizer. It is the brand name for an estrogen medication made from the urine of pregnant mares and used to treat women with menopausal symptoms. It was first marketed in 1942 but is still available even though research has shown an increased risk of endometrial cancer, strokes, heart attacks, blot clots, and breast cancer with use. Thus far, more than 13,000 people have sued Wyeth because of the drug’s harmful effects, and yet the sale from this drug is in the billions. The other piece of this ghastly puzzle is the manner in which the urine is collected from the mares. Essentially, they are place in stalls so small that they are unable to move or lie down. They remain hooked up to bladder machines for five to six months during their pregnancy while their urine is taken. They are deprived of exercise, fresh air, and adequate food and water and are impregnated annually with no rest. They are let out only

when they are ready to give birth. Their foals are either left to die (because why waste valuable money feeding them?), or they are placed in fattening pens for slaughter where their meat is sold to Europe, Japan, and Asia as a delicacy. The mares are then placed back into the pens, and their suffering begins again until

they are too old to reproduce - then they too are killed for their meat. Usually this industry uses draft horses because they are big, and bigger means more urine. “I found this all very disturbing and thought maybe there was something I could do instead of just taking pictures. This story has been told

before but it really needs to be told again,” Dolle says. Since then, Dolle has visited other horse rescue farms in Connecticut and in Maine and discovered a network of dedicated people working tirelessly to get the owners of Premarin ranches to advertise the mares and foals for adoption, as opposed to killing them. In doing this, many horses have been purchased by rescue groups and private individuals that have placed them in sanctuaries or found them good homes. Additionally, after the Women’s Health Initiative published the findings of a study highlighting the risks of Premarin, drug sales declined; and the number of ranches has shrunk from four hundred to thirty. Dolle has taken hundreds of photos with an emphasis on portraits. She has chosen not to show anything gory because she does not believe it would be a good way to promote adoption. Rather she focuses on the animal’s grace and beauty. While in search of Premarin horses, Dolle has

come across Mustang rescue organizations and has been photographing them as well. Once federally protected, Mustangs became over populated in the respect that there were too many roaming free on land that farmers and ranchers wanted to utilize. As horse meat became more widely used in the domestic pet food market and overseas as a delicacy, the mustangs were rounded up, transported, and sold to rendering plants. The methods used to capture these wild equines were so brutal, that it inspired thousands upon thousands of letters to Congress from people citing concern for their welfare. As a result, in 1971 Congress passed the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burro Act, placing Mustangs and burros under federal jurisdiction to preserve and protect them. Still, whenever the population exceeds its territory and the health of the land suffers, the horses must be removed. Instead of killing them, there

is a mass movement to prepare them for adoption. But caring for a wild horse is vastly different than caring for a domesticated one, and ignorance often results in their maltreat-

Throughout this project, Dolle has met some extraordinary animals and people that have left an indelible mark. “They have so much dedication and devote so much of their time to ensuring these horses are happy and healthy and going to a good home. It’s really inspiring.

ment. Many Mustang rescue centers are educating owners about the special needs of this breed and finding suitable homes to live out their lives for those that do not want to be tamed.

It’s been a very emotional journey for me. I've seen the incredible grace and beauty of these animals both inside and out. I'm amazed at their resilience and their willingness to trust in spite of all they've been through. I've seen horses whose spirit has returned and those who are too broken to have that happen. I've heard some very sad and disturbing stories, but I've seen many success stories too,” says Dolle. For more information log onto: http://elindolleimages.com.

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Paul Partica, The Cheese Shop, Centerbrook CT

The 12 Families of Cheese – Part I here are approximately 12 families of cheese produced in the world – at least by my way of classification. By “family” I refer to cheeses that are grouped by certain logical characteristics. For example, if a cheese has blue veining it is typically grouped into the blue cheese family.

There are some cheeses that can logically fit into more than one family. For instance, Danish Blue Castello, a soft-ripening blue, fits into both the soft-ripening and blue families. It would be almost impossible to classify cheese in a perfectly distinct manner because of the nature of complexity involved. There are many ways to group cheeses; one could group by ripening process, type of milk, age or ripening time, texture, appearance and even region. You see the point. No one, regardless of expertise level, could possibly know all 12,000+ cheeses in existence today. Therefore, once you understand the 12 families it becomes much easier to buy cheese. The benefit of this knowledge can be compared to buying wine. For example, if you are looking for a Cabernet Sauvignon you may not know the specific cabernet label you are looking at, but you will at least know approximately what to expect in terms of flavor profile. Once you know the 12, you can simply pick a few different families for your cheese tray, and you will be off to a great start. Instead of trying to remember the name of a specific cheese, you might ask what is good in terms of your favorite families, like so: “I would like three cheeses today. What do you have in good condition in a softripening family, a blue and maybe a fresh, soft goat? This way, it becomes easier for you. You will like the results. So let’s break down the first six (of 12) families: * Fresh Often called unripen, this is a very young cheese with a short shelf life of only a few weeks at most from production. This type of cheese generally goes through a transition of fresh to tart to sour. Examples would be Cottage, Ricotta, Farmer cheese, Mozzarella and Cream cheese. You will also find many goat and sheep cheeses that fit into this family as well. * Soft-ripening This type is one of the most popular and most understood within families of cheese. The name comes from the action that takes place. This kind of cheese is first sprayed with penicillium camberti, a white mold. Then, as the ripening process develops, it softens from the outside in. When first made, a soft-ripening cheese has a hard core in the center. As the cheese begins to ripen the core disappears. Once gone, it is considered fully ripe. This process will happen within just a few weeks. There are three types of soft-ripening cheeses classified by butterfat content:

Please note that not all soft-ripening cheeses are created equal. Many have been stabilized to give the large markets a longer shelf life, but the soft creamy purpose of the cheese is also lost. In addition, you may not always be able to tell the condition of a triple crème by its appearance. This is one cheese you truly want to try before you buy, and I always recommend buying this type by condition, not by name. * Washed Rind Unlike soft-ripening cheeses that have a white bloomy mold sprayed on them, this type of cheese gets washed with a different mold. Then it is allowed to ripen in a moist room where the washed rind develops. This orange-hued cheese is more pungent and flavorable as a general rule. It can over-ripen quickly, so it is best to taste when you can. Examples are Limburger, Chaumes, Epoisses, Livarot, Munster, Stinking Bishop, Grayson, Pont l'Eveque, Von Trapp Oma and Arethusa Diva. * English This is a large group of cheese produced in Great Britain with the similar characteristics of subtle buttermilk undertone and a crumbly texture. This is certainly an over-simplified definition of a great cheese. You really need to try the small farm production cheeses to truly appreciate them. Examples are Cheshire (pre-dates cheddar by 400 years), Caerphilly, Wensleydale, Leicester, Double Gloucester, Cotswold and Lancashire. * Cheddar Known for the Cheddar-type cut curd from which it is made, Cheddar is originally an English cheese but the largest production is now made in the United States and Canada. Examples are Cheddars by name from Connecticut, New York, Vermont, Wisconsin, Canada, England, Oregon, etc. Specific names include Colby, Tillamook, Longhorn, Quebec, Grafton, Cabot, Tapping Reeve and Black Diamond. * Swiss This is a slow-ripening cheese, free of added bacteria (in the way that a Brie or washed rind cheese is cultured). In the Swiss family, cheeses are ripened with salt and time, usually over the course of several months to a year, with little changes noted. Examples would be Appenzeller, Emmenthaler (the original Swiss cheese with “holes” in it), Gruyere, Leerdammer, Comte, Beaufort and Raclette. As a general note, when buying cheese, the proof is always in the taste. Be wary of slick marketing concepts designed to make one perceive a greater value than the cheese actually has. Next month I will cover the remaining six families of cheese. In the interim, mention the defining names of the cheese families you like to your cheese monger during your next trip out for cheese. Then let the monger search for something special in perfect condition for you. Paul Partica, The Cheese Shop www.cheeseshopcenterbrook.com

LIFE ON SUGAR

Heather Kelly, Director of Operations at NoRa Cupcake Co.

upcake - “a very small cake that is baked in a pan shaped like a cup” - Merriam-Webster Dictionary.

hese individual sized desserts have been making appearances at kid’s birthday parties as long as you can remember and became a pop culture phenomenon after Carrie and Miranda indulged in Magnolia Cupcakes on Sex and the City. While they originally came about in the 19th century to save time on baking cakes in hearth ovens, they have maintained staying power and are now perceived as a gourmet indulgence that can be enjoyed by all.

Like most “trends”, the gourmet cupcake started in New York City with Magnolia Bakery coming on the scene in 1996. Their heavenly, uniquely decorated, bite size treats were seen as “overpriced” by some, but still had customers lining up around the block at their original West Village location to get their sugar fix. Magnolia is still killin’ the cupcake game with close to ten locations and Sex and the City fans paying homage to the O.G. gourmet cupcake with a stop on the official Sex and the City Tour. You would think that over twenty years, this whole cupcake concept would be played out, but when you think about it, you can translate almost any flavor you desire into a cupcake. Having one of those days where you want cookies, cheesecake, AND cake? Problem solved - make a crust out of cookie dough, fill a cupcake with cheesecake, and throw some cookie dough buttercream on top. Done. We’re NoRA Cupcake Company - hailing from the North End of Middletown, CT with recent retail expansions to West Hartford and Canton. As you can gather from our name, we make cupcakes. A lot of cupcakes. 300+ flavors of cupcakes. When you’re surrounded by cupcakes and only cupcakes - you have to keep creating so that you and your customer base don’t get bored. That’s the beauty with our product - what some people may consider a basic dessert can actually be translated into any flavor you’re craving. Having one of those days where you want cookies, cheesecake, AND cake? Problem solved make a crust out of cookie dough, fill a cupcake with cheesecake, and throw some cookie dough buttercream on top. The options are endless. If you’re looking to kick up your dessert game, translating your favorite cocktails into cupcake form is the way to go. (While there isn’t usually enough alcohol in the treats to get a buzz on, we would suggest NOT serving these at kid’s parties). With all the craft beers and flavor infused liquors that have come onto the scene in the past few years, there is certainly no shortage of flavors to play around with. Using a flavorful stout or porter in your chocolate cake is not only a way to incorporate additional flavor, but can also improve the quality of your batter. When you sub out your liquid base with a dark brew, it adds a whole new dimension on flavor. Many stouts or porters have chocolate undertones that combined with their hops will give the cake an intense velvety finish that balances well with the already sweet batter.

The carbonation of the beer aids in keeping the cake moist and the batter rising. Subbing it into your recipes is simple - replace your liquid base with the beer and you are good to go. Guinness is always a safe and well known bet but feel free to experiment with any other dark beers that may cater to your palette. If chocolate isn’t your thing, there are ways to zest up your vanilla cake as well. Using champagne as a substitute for your liquid base is a bubbly twist that adds flavor and you can almost taste the carbonation as you are eating it. It’s perfect for a strawberries n’ cream type of cake - and fear not chocolate lovers, you can use it in your chocolate cake too. Let’s be real, when is champagne NOT an appropriate substitute for anything in life!? While the options are endless for booze that you can bake with, here are a few of our favorite infusions broken out into cake and frosting.

Chocolate Stout Cake Without a doubt, stouts beers compliment a chocolate cake best. When you sub out your liquid base with a stout, it adds a whole new dimension on flavor and moistness. Many stouts have chocolate undertones that combined with their hops will give the cake an intense velvety finish that balances well with the already sweet batter.

Vanilla Champagne Cake Champagne cake is great for any festive celebration, or really anytime because it’s just that good. The bubbly adds a bit of bitterness that cuts out some of the sweetness of vanilla cake and pairs especially well with strawberry.

Kahlua Whipped Cream Frosting We use Kahlua Coffee Liqueur in our White Russian Cupcake frosting and it is HEAVENLY. The sweet fluffiness of the whipped cream combined with the boozy coffee flavor of Kahlua is light enough that you will have to stop yourself from eating a whole bowl before it even gets to the cupcake. As we said earlier, most of the alcohol content is “baked out” when using booze in cake while the flavor remains. If you are looking for that extra punch, incorporate your favorite liquors into your ganaches, caramels, fillings, and frostings. Since you aren’t baking these liquids out, the flavor will be that much more potent. You can infuse any frosting or filling with whatever libation you’re feeling - whiskeys, coffee liqueurs, cordials, you name it. Don’t be afraid to experiment, if it doesn’t come out to your liking - you’ve still got the bottle to indulge! The only cocktail we’ve ever come across that we couldn’t translate into a cupcake is a Bloody Mary (and not for lack of trying - somethings are just better left as is). If you’re not the baking type but are in need of a boozy sugar fix, come visit us at NoRA Cupcake Company in Middletown, West Hartford, and Canton. Or check us out at www.noracupcake.com We rotate thru 300 plus flavors with a selection of 18 flavors a day in store and are still experimenting daily.

FEBRUARY EVENTS

80 Five for Fighting with String Quartet at Infinity Hall Hartford | February 1 - 8 pm Back by extreme popular demand, Platinum selling Artist, Five for Fighting, best known for their Billboard chart topping hits “Superman (It’s Not Easy),” “100 Years,” “The Riddle,” “Chances,” “World” (the list goes on and on and on). If you missed his SOLD OUT performance last year, here’s your chance to hear your favorite Five for Fighting tunes, sung by the one-of-a-kind voice of John Ondrasik, if you happened to one of the lucky few who caught that show, we’ll see you there! February 1–March 17 “Various Viewpoints” at the Valentine H. Zahn Community Gallery at Middlesex Hospital Shoreline Medical Center. The exhibition features works by members of the Marshview Artists, who paint at the Estuary Council of Seniors in Old Saybrook. 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 info@midhosp.org. Guilford Arts Center 50th Year Celebration | February 3 – March 5 New creations by faculty members and students at Guilford Art Center will be featured in the FACULTY & STUDENT EXHIBITION: In Honor of 50 Years, on view in the Center’s gallery February 3-March 5, 2017. The exhibition will highlight recent work in all media by faculty members and adult students who have taught or taken classes or workshops at the Center in the past two years. It will serve as the kick-off event for the Art Center’s 50th anniversary year, which will include events and celebrations throughout 2017.Works on view will represent the many media taught at the Center, including paintings and drawings, pottery, weaving, blacksmithing, jewelry, glass, stone carving, photography and more. “This show is a great opportunity for Guilford Art Center to showcase the wonderful work created and taught here,” says Executive Director Maureen Belden. “We have an amazingly talented group of instructor-artists, many with national stature, who also happen to be strong teachers. Seeing their work, and the work of their students, together, really highlights the creative learning and inspiration that takes place at the Center.” The opening reception is free and open to all, on Friday, February 3, from 5-7. This 50th Anniversary kickoff celebration will include beverages and refreshments with a 60’s theme, an interactive community art project, GAC 50th anniversary merchandise for sale, and a chance to meet the exhibiting artists. Gallery hours are Monday-Saturday, 10am-4pm and Sunday 12-4pm. The exhibit and the opening reception are free and open to the public. www.guilfordartcenter.org

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

Shubert Theater | Menopause the Musical | February 3 & 4 Four women at a lingerie sale have nothing in common but a black lace bra AND memory loss, hot flashes, night sweats, not enough sex, too much sex and more! This hilarious musical parody set to classic tunes from the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s will have you cheering and dancing in the aisles. See what millions of women (and men) worldwide have been laughing about for 14 years! Showtimes: Friday 8 pm - Saturday 2 & 8 pm Stonington Farmers Market at The Velvet Mill Saturdays | 10 – 1 pm Each Saturday in the winter, the market moves inside to the Velvet Mill, 22 Bayview Ave. in Stonington; it is open from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. The winter market provides a great meeting place for the community. On cold winter days it’s fun to stop in for a hot cup of homemade soup, a chat with friends and to see what the farmers and craft vendors are offering. Get there early before the green house spinach or baby bok choy sells out! A variety of musicians cheer up a gray day and craft vendors offer unique gifts for the holiday season. Over the years, the market has become an integral part of village life. Please take the time to visit our market… it’s a great way to meet people in the community while supporting our local farmers and artisans. February 3 - 23 Madison For Your Valentine - Small Paintings Show at Susan Powell Fine Art. Join us for a festive winter evening opening & meet the artists Friday, February 3, 2017, from 5-8 p.m. The show continues through February 23. We are featuring small paintings by 30 nationally-acclaimed artists at affordable prices. All are exquisite little gems to start, or add to, your collection. Original art is the perfect thoughtful and personal gift for your Valentine! The exhibit offers a wide variety of subjects by 30 artists including Carol Arnold, Kathy Anderson, Del-Bourree Bach, Patt Baldino, Ira Barkoff, Harley Bartlett, Peter Bergeron, Stephanie BIrdsall, Kelly Birkenruth, Dan Brown, Grace M. DeVito, David Dunlop, John Falato, Judy Friday, Curtis Hanson, Timothy Jahn, Sarah Stifler Lucas, James Magner, Leonard Mizerek, Larry Preston, Deborah Quinn-Munson, Susan Nally, Michael Naples, Cora Ogden, Carlo Russo, John Smith, Elizabeth Strazzulla, Dennis Sheehan, George Van Hook and Carolyn Walton. The gallery is located at 679 Boston Post Road in Madison. Gallery Hours are Tuesday through Saturday, from 115 pm, and anytime by appointment. For more information, call 203-318-0616, email susanpowellfineart@gmail.com, or visit www.susanpowellfineart.com to see images of paintings. The KATE | Shiny Lapel Trio | February 4 | 8 pm General Admission Show and the DANCE FLOOR will be OPEN! Special Guests: Johnny and the East Coast Rockers / Blues on the Rocks. The Shiny Lapel Trio is a tiny little band with a great big sound! Keeping it simple with just three rockin’ instruments, and a big ol’ slice of velvety smooth vocals, these guys tear up a dance floor like a carpenter late for lunch. Whether they’re rippin’ thru a classic Louis Prima standard, or makin’ ya cry with a Nat King Cole ballad, the instruments grind along full throttle while the vocals float across the top as thick as a layer of gritty bar room smoke. Oh, they schwing baby and it ain’t for the faint at heart! The KATE | 300 Main St. Old Saybrook, CT 04675.

Jorgensen Center for Performing Arts at UCONN | Taj Express | February 9 | 7:30 pm All Aboard the Taj Express, a thrilling new “Dance Romance” direct from film city Mumbai. For the first time in Bollywood musical history, this production brings music, dance and film together on stage, with the cream of Indian’s film talent dancing in 2000 sparkling costumes. Expect all the extravaganza, escapism and romance that is “Bollywood.”

Florence Griswold Museum Matilda Browne: Idylls of Farm & Garden February 10 – May 28 Matilda Browne’s talent was apparent from an early age. By the time she was nine, she had begun informal study with her neighbor Thomas Moran. As an adult, she exhibited widely and won prestigious awards. The only woman accepted as a peer by the male artists in Old Lyme, she was given the honor of being invited to paint a pair of door panels in the Florence Griswold House. In Greenwich, where she lived most of her adult life, she was a founder of the Greenwich Society of Artists and exhibited in all of their annuals from the first, in 1912, through 1931. Yet this will be her first solo exhibition in more than eight decades and the first ever in a museum. The exhibition and its accompanying catalogue will enable the rediscovery of a significant artist. Throughout her career, Browne favored two themes: animals and flowers. Visitors to the exhibition will be able to trace her shift in style from highly accomplished academic depictions of farm animals to atmospheric Barbizon-influenced canvases. Her Impressionist style is most evident in sparkling paintings of gardens as well as in still lifes of lush bouquets. Admission includes access to exhibitions, the historic Florence Griswold House, and the rest of the Museum’s grounds and facilities.

Spring Street Studio Chester | Concert in the Garden with The Lost Acres String Band | February 12 | 4 – 6 pm The Lost Acres String Band serves up a flavorful mixture of songs and instrumentals from a wide variety of musical traditions with the added spice of several exotic original compositions. A typical show includes blues, Gypsy jazz, old-time and contemporary fiddle tunes, a haunting Hispanic ballad from the old Southwest, a classic number by The Mississippi Sheiks, and swing tunes from the 1930s.

Napoli Brooklyn at Long Wharf Theatre | February 15 – March 12, 2017 1960, Brooklyn. The women of the Muscolino family are desperate to find a life beyond their four walls, hiding dreams, loves, and longings. Francesca, the youngest, yearns for her true love; Tina, for confidence and friendship; and Vita, for the chance to live the kind of life she pleases. Their mother Luda nurses her own quiet pains. Yet, in the quest for happiness, each of these women fight to find their voices. They struggle to hold on to them, and to each other. Napoli, Brooklyn is a poetic and beautiful play about sisterhood, freedom, and forgiveness.

Lumia: Thomas Wilfred and the Art of Light – Yale University Art Gallery | February 17 – July 23 Lumia: Thomas Wilfred and the Art of Light is the first exhibition on this groundbreaking artist and his spellbinding light compositions in more than forty years. As early as 1919, well before the advent of consumer television and video technology, Wilfred began experimenting with light as his primary artistic medium, developing the means to control and project colorful, luminous forms that have been compared to the aurora borealis—and which he referred to collectively as lumia. The exhibition features nearly half of the extant light works by Wilfred representing each phase of his career, from early at-home instruments made for individual viewers to his most ambitious public installation, Lumia Suite, Opus 158, commissioned by the Museum of Modern Art, New York, in 1963 and recently restored in a joint conservation project by the Gallery and MoMA. Also included in the exhibition are sketches and diagrams from the artist’s archive, now in Yale University Library’s Manuscripts and Archives collection. Recognized as an innovator by artists of his time such as Jackson Pollock, László Moholy-Nagy, and Katherine Dreier, Wilfred has since disappeared from the story of American modernism. Lumia restores this avant-garde artist to his rightful place at the forefront of kinetic and light art. Free and open to the public Tuesday–Friday 10:00 am–5:00 pm | Thursday (Sept.–June) 10:00 am–8:00 pm | Saturday–Sunday 11:00 am–5:00 pm

FEBRUARY EVENTS

Pilobolus in Shadowland Quick Center for the Arts | February 4, 2017 Internationally acclaimed, Pilobolus is renowned for its unique and diverse collaborations that break the barriers between creative disciplines. Both intensely dramatic and comedic, Shadowland is part shadow act, part dance, part circus and part concert. This unique partnership between Pilobolus in collaboration with Steven Banks, lead writer for the animated series SpongeBob SquarePants, is driven by a rhythmic score by popular American musician, producer, and film composer David Poe. Quick Center for the Arts | Fairfield University | 1073 N Benson Rd, Fairfield, CT 06824 .

FEBRUARY EVENTS

82 Street Smart: Photographs of New York City, 1945-1980 at Bruce Museum | February 18 – June 4. This exhibition features 30 photographs, chiefly drawn from the Bruce Museum’s permanent collection, including work by Larry Fink, Herman Leonard, Leon Levinstein, John Shearer, and Garry Winogrand. Street Smart provides a glimpse at life in the city during the post-war period and at how street-savvy New Yorkers navigated its bustling landscape.

Wadsworth Atheneum | Jazz Brunch: Atla & Matt DeChamplain Trio | February 19 | 10:30 am & 12:30 pm Enjoy a delicious brunch in the Museum Café, set to the music of the Atla & Matt DeChamplain Trio. After, explore the galleries on your own or take a tour with a docent. Tickets are available online, and include museum admission, jazz, brunch, and one complimentary bloody mary or mimosa. There are two seatings, one at 10:30 am and one at 12:30 pm.f Tickets are $35/$25 members The Bushnell Theater | Banff Mountain Film Festival Hartford | February 25 | 7 pm We’re bringing the spirit of outdoor adventure and mountain culture to Connecticut. This year’s World Tour features the best mountain films this year, showcasing amazing filmmaking talent from the world over to an audience that spans the globe. The most prestigious mountain festival in the world, The Banff Centre’s Banff Mountain Film Festival celebrates its 41st year by continuing to bring the best action, environmental, and adventure films to audiences in Banff and in 40 countries across the globe. Tickets are $18 – $25 each – buy tickets here Cindy Stevens Gallery-Winter Fine Arts February 25 - March 31 Lisa Fatone will be showing her work with Cindy Stevens at Cindy Stevens Fine Art from February 25th thru March 31st. The show is called "Winter Warmth" and promises to be full of vibrant color and energy. Lisa Fatone's work is well known in the shoreline area. She will be showing her watercolors which will go very well with Cindy's colorful oil paintings. You are invited to an opening reception on Saturday, February 25th from 58 and refreshments will be served. Cindy Stevens Fine Art is at 30 East Main Street, Clinton. For studio hours and more information call 860-304-1666, or cindystevensfineart.com.

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

Mardi Gras at New England Carousel Museum | February 25 | 7:30 pm – Midnight The New England Carousel Museum will be in full New Orleans-style celebration mode during its annual Mardi Gras party on Saturday, February 25, 2017 from 7:30 PM – midnight. Come join us for an evening of fun and frolicking with great music, good food, bourbon, and beads. The Big Easy evening features music by the Al Fenton Big Band and dancing in the magnificent museum ballroom. Along with a 50/50 raffle and live entertainment that will include face painters, temporary tattoos, balloon twisting and magic, there will be bourbon and wine tastings in the Speakeasy, beads and doubloons, and a catered dinner! This is a BYOB event. “This unique party brings a taste of New Orleans to Bristol.” said Louise DeMars, the museum’s Executive Director. Attendees are encouraged to wear an optional mask or come in full costume. Masks are available to purchase in the museum gift shop. The evening’s festivities will culminate in the crowning of a king and queen of the ball. Gather your friends and come kick up your heels to help us celebrate our 27th Anniversary year, while supporting the wonderful programming and events produced by the Carousel Museum for the Greater Bristol community. Tickets are on sale at the Carousel Museum or you may order them by mail, by phone, or on-line. RSVP by Monday, February 20, 2017 by calling (860) 585-5411.

Wadsworth Atheneum | Sunday Serenades: Snow, Moon and Flowers February 26 1 pm Gallery Talk, 2 pm Concert Schubert, Takemitsu, and Debussy provide musical reflections of Kitagawa Utamaro’s Snow, Moon, and Flowers series, the centerpiece of the special exhibition Utamaro and the Lure of Japan. The Sunday Serenades Chamber Music Series is presented in collaboration with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra and features Concertmaster Leonid Sigal. The series is made possible, in part, by the Helen M. Saunders Charitable Foundation Music Endowment at the Wadsworth Atheneum. Shubert Theater | Lewis Black at the Shubert Theater | February 26 | 7 pm This Grammy Awardwinning stand-up comedian is one of the most prolific and popular performers working today. He executes a brilliant trifecta as a stand-up comedian, actor and author. His live performances provide a cathartic release of anger and disillusionment for his audience. He is a passionate performer who is a more pissed-off optimist than a mean-spirited curmudgeon. Lewis is the rare comic who can cause an audience to laugh themselves into incontinence while making compelling points about the absurdity of our world.