MEMBER SIGN IN
Not a member? Become one today!
         iBerkshires     Berkshire Chamber     Berkshire Community College     City of Pittsfield    
Search
Berkshire Tidbits: Spanish Wine, Apple Butchers & Pies Galore
By Judith Lerner, iBerkshires Columnist
11:39PM / Monday, September 28, 2015
Print | Email  


Bascom Lodge offers a spectacular view with its dining options at the top of Mount Greylock.

Bodega Mugas Spanish Wine Dinner
Thursday, Oct. 1
6:30 p.m.


Spirited Wines of Lenox will present a five-course, six-Spanish wine pairing dinner at Café Adam in Great Barrington.

Spirited's wine merchant and owner Jim Nejaime said, "We'll showcase six great wines from one of Rioja's most iconic wineries, Bodegas Muga including Reserva and highly rated Grand Reservas. We have visited Muga multiple times to view their beautiful vineyards, natural winemaking techniques, their own fire-toasted barrel-making facility and to sample with Senor Muga their amazing wines."

Bodegas Muga was founded in 1932. Since then, it has become one of the icons of the Rioja region of Spain.

Café Adam's chef and owner Adam Zieminski has crafted a menu representative of the cuisines of five of Spain's major cities.

Dinner is by reservation only. The cost is $75 per person plus tax and gratuity. Call Café Adam, 413-528-7786, 420 Stockbridge Road.

Menu and Wine Pairings

Welcome: Spiced chips and bubbles; Conde de Haro Brut Cava 2011

First Course Barcelona chilled sea salad with parsley, shrimp, baby squid, bouqueronnes/marinated anchovies in a shellfish vinaigrette with pickled onion; Muga Rioja Blanco 2014

Second Course: Seville beef tartar with shaved raw mushrooms, warm tomato bread and olive oil powder; Muga Reserva Rioja 2010 (rated 92 pts. International Wine Cellar)

Third Course: Madrid veal meatballs with Spanish blue cheese, raisins and arugula pesto; Muga Prado Enea Rioja Gran Reserva 2006 (rated 96 pts. Parker, Wine Advocate)

Fourth Course: Andalusia meurgez/fresh spicy mutton sausage-stuffed lamb chop with red peppers, bread and garlic sauce and bitter chocolate; Torre Muga Reserve Proprietary Rioja 2006 (rated 93 pts. Parker, Wine Advocate)

Dessert: Jerez raspberry bonbon dessert bite; Alvear Pedro Ximinez de Anada 2013 (rated 93 pts. Parker, Wine Advocate)



Becket Monthly Free Community Dinner
Friday, Oct. 2
5 to 7 p.m.


The Yoked Parish of Becket presents its free pasta dinner on the first Friday of every month.

"The meal always includes some type of a pasta dish with salad, Italian or garlic bread and an assortment of mostly homemade desserts and beverages," said the Rev. Kevin Smail.  "It is, really, all about building community."

Served at the parish house of the Becket Federated Church, 413-623-5217, 3381 Main St. across from the Becket Washington school, just past the intersection with Route 8 in North Becket.


Taste of the World Cooking Classes at Kushi Institute
Saturday, Oct. 3

Macrobiotic chef and educator Simone Parris will be teaching two seasonal cooking classes about macrobiotic international food.

From 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Parris will offer a demonstration class about savory Italian cuisine. From 2:30 to 5:30 p.m., she will teach a hands-on class of vegetarian sushi making.

Each class costs $50 per person or both for $90.

The Kushi Institute is at 198 Leland Road, off Route 8. For information or to register: 413-623-5741 or 800-975-8744.


Windsor Harvest Festival With Latin Music
Sunday, Oct. 4
11 a.m. to 3 p.m.


It's pie day again this Sunday — in Windsor, at least. Which is really fun, especially since the Lenox Apple Squeeze and Hancock Shaker Village don't hold pie contests anymore.

This isn't a contest, though. This is a wonderful, annual town bake sale to benefit their historical society. All the bakers in town stop by the Historical Commission (1515 Savoy Hollow Road) about 10  to bring their homemade pies, brownies, cookies and more for the commission to sell between 11 a. m. and 3 p. m., to raise funds for their projects.

Many of the best pies are sold by the time the sale opens officially. Come early.

A lunch of chili and cornbread available, crafters, a tag sale and a farm stand. Trio Candela will be playing music from noon to 1:30. Well-known builder Jack Sobon will demonstrate his skill of timber framing for house construction.

Call Historical Commission Chairwoman Deborah Balmuth, 413-684-4535, with questions.


Red Apple Butchers, Fire Cider and Healthy Eating at Bascom Lodge
Sunday, Oct. 4
Begins at 5 p.m.


The final Talk and Dine series of the season at Bascom Lodge is all about healthy local food.

James Burden and Jazu Stine, the Red Apple butchers; Amy Huebner and Dana St. Pierre, creators of Fire Cider, and macrobiotic educator and author John Kozinski will give a free talk at 5 about healthy eating and the restorative qualities of bone broth and Fire Cider in the main room at the lodge on top of Mount Greylock.

Dinner begins at 7 p.m. with a menu sourced and designed by Burden and Stine; $34 by reservation only. the speakers will be around for the whole evening and, after dinner, the butchers will be serving a bone broth hot toddy-ish drink by the fireside for those who stay for a chat.

Call Bascom Lodge at 413-743-1591, for details, directions and reservations. Vegetarian option available by reservation only.

It's always colder at the top of the mountain so, dress warmly. The lodge is open through Oct. 18, closing the season with a by-reservation dinner with the Wes Brown Trio featuring vocalist Jill Connolly. (An earlier version may have implied the incorrect date of its seasonal closing.)

Menu

Salad: Farmers' market greens, radishes, cherry tomatoes and cucumbers with a dressing made with bone broth and Fire Cider

Entrée: Bone broth and Fire Cider marinated pork loin roasted over rosemary twigs; stuffed baked acorn squash; roasted parsnips, carrots, turnips, butternut squash, oven-dried tomatoes and caramelized onions; medley of bone broth, poached root vegetables and seared broccoli rabe

Dessert: Baked stuffed foraged apples with apple demi-glace and housemade ice cream.

 

Hands-on Jewish Farm to Jewish Table Cooking Class
Thursday, Oct. 8
10 a.m.


Hevreh of Southern Berkshire, 270 State St., Great Barrington, will host chef Julie Gale of At the Kitchen Table Cooking School.  http://www.atthekitchentablecookingschool.com/about.html

Gale will hold an hourlong, hands-on class beginning at 10 a.m. using locally sourced produce to create three unusual seasonal salads: Roumanian eggplant salad with peppers and onions, bulgar and red cabbage salad and Israeli salad with spiced chickpeas. Class size is limited to 14; the cost is $20.

At 11, Shamu Sadeh, director of Adamah Fellowship farm at the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center in Falls Village, Conn., will discuss the farm-to-table philosophy of Jewish farming principles. A tasting of the salads made in the earlier cooking class and samples of Adamah pickled products will follow. Adamah pickled products also will be available for sale.

The talk and tastings are free and open to the public but reservations are required. All reservations must be made by Friday, Oct. 2, at 413-442-4360, Ext. 10, or jfb.officemanager@verizon.net.

Comments
More Featured Stories
Pittsfield.com is owned and operated by: Boxcar Media 106 Main Sreet, P.O. Box 1787 North Adams, MA 01247 -- T. 413-663-3384
© 2008 Boxcar Media LLC - All rights reserved