BostonZest

Towering Award

 

The John Hancock Tower has been awarded the American Institute of Architects 2011 Twenty-five Year Award. This exceptional honor, “is conferred on a project that has stood the test of time for 25 to 35 years as an embodiment of architectural excellence."  

You can read all the details of why this building has been given this great honor here. 

 

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: © 2011 Penny Cherubino

 

Sunday Dog “Sparky” Eyes Boston

Sunday Dog, Sparky has eyes for Boston! This 7 month old beagle has only been in town for a couple of weeks, and there’s so much to see. Massachusetts born-and-bred, Sparky has just relocated and admits he’s got a lot of sniffing to do.



But, judging by first impressions, this hound looks focused and ready to thoroughly check-out his new home. We bumped into Sparky as he was getting a guided tour from his walker.



Although he kept getting distracted by all the city sounds and scents, this very friendly newcomer made time for a pat or two. We learned that his favorite chew toy is ... the sofa, and that he really loves his scratches!



“Wait. There’s someone new to meet over there. Let’s go!” (I’m translating, of course.) No need to explain, Sparky. We’ll catch up with you later. Welcome to Boston!

Related Post:
Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

Link:
More About Beagles   



Details:
Words: Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2011 Penny Cherubino

Urban Hawk Waits

Over the years I've taken a number of photos of urban hawks who are successful hunters. This one has dropped the smaller bird he caught into that gutter.

On a dog walk last week, I saw him swoop down into the shrubbery in a front yard and grab his prey. From there it was off to this spot on a Back Bay brownstone where he watched me until my camera and I moved away.

David Allen Sibley has written and illustrated some of the best guidebooks to birds and trees. Here are a couple.

Details:
Words: Penny Cherubino
Photos: © 2011 Penny Cherubino

Cornish Yarg - Our Friday Link

Today's Friday Link will take you to a great wheel of cheese. Yesterday, we bought a tasty piece of Cornish Yarg at the Whole Foods on Westland Avenue near Symphony Hall. 

Most of the time our Friday Links take you to a website. We'll include a few of those, so you can learn more about this cheese. 

First, to the source of the cheese, Neal's Yard Dairy, one of our favorite exporters. 

Next, the Wikipedia article on Cornish Yarg where we learned about the interesting name. "'Yarg' is simply 'Gray' spelled backwards, after Allan and Jenny Gray, the couple who gave the recipe to Pengreep Farm in the 1970s."

The cheesemonger at Whole Foods pointed out a bit of herbal and citrus in the flavor. This is a mild cheese so make certain you let it warm to room temperature, or you'll lose much of the nuance. 

Are you a student of cheese? Here's a cheese course you can take on your own at home, and at your own pace, and a GREAT read about cheese. 

 

Details:
Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: Screengrab courtesy of Neal's Yard Dairy.

Where Is This Corner? Play Attention to Detail

We're moving our Attention to Detail game inside this week. Do you recognize this corner of a room in a place that is very popular with Bostonians right now?

Think you know? Add your guess to the comments. Tweet with @BostonZest in your message. Or Send us an email.

Click through below the ad or scroll down for the answer.

 

 

Share Our Four Seasons Cooking Class

Last week, we got the chance to attend a cooking class– along with a group of area food bloggers– as guests of the Four Seasons Hotel in Boston. Who would turn down the chance to see how a meal comes together, start to finish, with the executive chef of one of the most prestigious kitchens in the city?

We’ve compressed our 2-hour experience into 3-minutes, while still giving you the feel of the working kitchen and meal preparation.

Because the action moves quickly, I’ve added some comments to my video, to help describe what you’re seeing.

Ready? Please, say hello to our host, Chef Brooke Vosika...

Related Links:

Four Seasons cooking classes  

In a room full of great food bloggers, our first inclination was to link to everyone who was in attendance. Here’s that post: Fun to Look at Different Views of an Event

And, a special round of applause for Megan from Delicious Dishing who starred in our “Chicken Break-Down” segment.

How does a company like Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts become "the largest group of five-star hotels in the world?" And,  "one of Fortune's 100 Best Companies to Work for in America? Here's the story.

 

Details:
Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2011 Penny Cherubino, Video: Ed Cherubino

Disclosure: We were guests of the Four Seasons for this event. Here is our full, detailed Disclosure Policy

Massachusetts Pizza Coverage over at Serious Eats

The team over at the Slice division of Serious Eats has posted their review of our home state's contribution to the national love affair with these pies at "United States of Pizza:Massachusetts."

They picked four of our favorites in Boston. The original Pizza Regina in the North End, Ernesto's a few streets over, Picco in the South End, and Gran Gusto in Cambridge. And, they quoted people we trust like MC Slim JB.

A link to this article is going on both our phones. It will help us find the best slices as we wander the state. As always, Serious Eats gives you all the details from website links to addresses in the post.

Thanks to the team for all that hard work– tasting, comparing, compiling, and honing the list. 

Gran Gusto Pizza Margarita

Related Posts:

The Original Pizzeria Regina

Gran Gusto - "First Look"

Al Forno, Providence  (Yes, we know it isn't in Massachusetts. But, it is our all-time favorite pizza!)

Details:
Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos:

Screengrab courtesty of Serious Eats

Gran Gusto Pizz © 2011 Penny Cherubino

Disclosure: Penny does write for Serious Eats, but as always we only post what serves our readers and what we can recommend with whole hearts.