Top Ten

this week’s top ten

She’s a Brainiac … Brainiac …

Traverse City Central High School (CHS) has earned an impressive award for achieving high female representation in an Advanced Placement Computer Science class: the College Board Advanced Placement Computer Science Female Diversity Award.

Translation? 50 percent or more female students were part of Central’s AP Computer Science A class (one of two levels of the course) in the 20/21 school year — a success only 198 other schools in the country, and only six other schools in Michigan, can claim.

According to a Google study, 54 percent of female computer science majors took AP CSA in high school. Providing female students with access to computer science courses is considered critical to ensuring gender parity in the tech industry’s high-paying jobs. The median annual wage for computer and information technology occupations was $91,250 in May 2020.

2 tastemaker

Oryana’s Two-Ingredient Chocolate Pudding

Two-minute microwaved coffee-mug cakes used to save us in sweet-tooth emergencies. Rubbery though they are, those quick oooey-gooey cakes sated the cravings. Then we found Oryana’s recipe for Two-Ingredient Chocolate Pudding. By combining one (5.46 ounce) can of coconut milk and ½ cup of bittersweet chocolate chips in a small, heavy saucepan over medium heat and stirring until the chips are melted, you’ll have your own ultra-rich, utterly decadent, near-instant chocolate pudding. The rubber cake in the coffee mug cooks faster, yes, but it also requires far more ingredients — and several more minutes to search the cupboards and drawers for them. Here, two easy-to-find ingredients are enough. Though if you want to make this pudding taste even sweeter and richer — and you know we did — Oryana suggests stirring in a pinch of sea salt and ¼ teaspoon of vanilla after you remove the melted mix from heat. Of course, the Traverse City co-op also recommends pouring the pudding into two serving bowls and letting them cool completely. You know we didn’t. Find the ingredients at either Oryana location in Traverse City to treat your valentine — or your sweet self. www.oryana.coop

Winterlochen: Hours of Free Family Fun

Following last year’s virtual version, the renowned arts facility’s annual celebration of winter is rewinding to its traditonal in-person approach on Saturday, Feb. 12, with fun, kid-friendly events planned for both indoors and out. Bring the fam to make s’mores, study animation, go sledding, or get your whippersnappers’ faces painted throughout the day. Kids can also take part in specially scheduled events — conducting an orchestra, attending an acting workshop, or contributing to cool art projects like “Mural Madness,” “Super Sustainable Sculpting,” “Frankenprint” or even “Old Time Photography.” Refuel the whole family at the Food Court, where local establishments Bradley’s Pub & Grille, Bud’s, and Hofbrau Steakhouse & American Grille will have their eats on offer. At day’s end, the whole family can sit down together to take in the Arts Academy Dance Division’s ballet performance of Romeo & Juliet. Interlochen Director of Dance Joseph Morrissey calls this production the arts academy’s largest-scale dance production ever, and dance faculty will perform several of the roles. (You can read more about the show and other chances to catch it on p. TK.) Other than the food court, all activities are free of charge. For more information see page 13 of this issue and visit www.interlochen.org.

4

Hey, read it

In Nigerian, wahala means trouble. And for the AngloNigerian trio of Simi, Ronke, and Boo, trouble looks a lot like life — at first: Simi’s not ready to try for a baby (though her husband thinks she is); Boo resents her mommy role; and Ronke’s boyfriend won’t commit. But all that changes when Isobel arrives. An enchanting childhood friend of Simi’s, Isobel embodies what each woman wants while finding — and exploiting — their deepest flaws. Will their bond survive her wily barrage? There’s only one way to find out. From debut author Nikki May comes “Wahala: A Novel.” Written with enough juicy drama to rival the likes of “Big Little Lies,” this modern and hilarious take on femme friendship is one you’ll gulp down in one sitting.

5 Love Month

WINE DINNERS

5 Courses | 4 Wines

Monday, February 14 VALENTINE WINE DINNER

Thursday, February 17 PIO CESARE & FEAST OF SAINT VALENTINE

6 All You Mead is Love — and Cheese

Excepting those who are allergic to dairy, St. Ambrose’s upcoming Cheese & Love event is a surefire way to woo most any woman in northern Michigan. Whether in an intimate igloo or the magical interior of the meadery itself, you two can sample a flight of St. Ambrose-style aphrodisiacs — Razzputin, Royal Reserve, Rhythm and Blues, and Black Madonna — alongside a flight of paired cheeses curated by Tina the Cheese Lady, aka Tina Zinn, owner of The Cheese Lady shop in Traverse City. The pairing costs just $15 and no reservations or advanced tickets are necessary for the Feb. 13 event. Just show up at St. Ambrose (841 Pioneer Rd. in Beulah) between noon and 4pm. However, if you want an igloo ($15 for 1 hour and 15 minutes), you’ll want to make a reservation on the website: www.stambrose-mead-wine.com

Chill and Chase (for) the Dragon in Harbor Springs

On Feb. 11 and 12, the Harbor Springs Ice Fest will welcome residents and visitors downtown, where more than 30 ice sculptures are on display and a host of activities await: An interactive ice sculpture park in Zorn Park, ice carving demonstrations and competitions, ice corn hole, a ring toss and — one Harbor Springs Downtown Development Authority director Margo Damoose is excited about — “Free the Fire Dragon.” Created and sponsored Independent Living Your Way by the Petoskey escape room Know Way Out, the game invites players to follow and figure out clues scattered throughout downtown businesses so they can help the fire dragon escape. The Harbor Springs Historical Museum will also offer young patrons the opportunity — and supplies — to make their own valentines. For older loves, participating Harbor Springs restaurants will offer various specials. For more information, see downtownharborsprings. com. without the worries of maintaining your home.Independent ur Way

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Stuff We Love: Snow Tubing for a Cause — and Chili

We can’t say for sure whether eating copious amounts of chili accelerates or delays one’s snow tubing experience, but we’re certain that doing so at Timberlee Hills on Feb. 12 will benefit a good cause: the Kids on the Go program in Traverse City, which provides free physical, occupational, and speech therapy to children with special needs. Kids on the Go partnered with several local restaurants — Blue Tractor, Fried, and Taproot Cider House among them — to host a chili cook-off fundraiser, complete with raffle prizes, live music, snow tubing, wine samples, fire pits, and more. The party starts at 1pm at Timberlee Hills; proceeds support the local Kids On The Go summer camp. Purchase tickets, donate, and learn more by searching “Kids on the Go Traverse City” on Facebook.

bottoms up hive north’s the mix

Imagine Christine King’s surprise when, on a family trip to Savannah, Georgia, she discovered a mead made in her own backyard. “We couldn’t believe it was from northern Michigan,” she says. “I thought, people need to know about this product!” That revelation, in part, prompted Cheboygan’s own Hive North. Open since Labor Day 2020, this family-owned cider and mead collective is a haven for all things Mitten-made, from handicrafts to local honey to, of course, mead. The real hive-mind lives at the bar. Featuring such local cider-slingers as Shorts Brewing and Farmhaus Cider Co. — not to mention the scratch-made weekend cocktails — Hive North’s 14 seasonal taps boast pours to satisfy every palette. But their buzziest bev is simply The Mix. “Everyone knows what ‘The Mix’ is,” says King. Serendipitously concocted by a guest, the mix is a 50/50 split of St. Ambrose Cellars X.R. Cyser mead and Blake’s Hard Cider Co.’s semi-sweet Caramel Apple. The resultant maplegolden pour packs just enough residual sugar to complement the stone-fruit finish. How’s that for something to buzz about? $6.50 for a 12-oz pour. Find Hive North at 100 S. Main Street, Cheboygan. (231) 445-7084. www.cheboyganhivenorth.com