Boston Common - Niche Media - A side of Boston that's anything but common.
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY KOZIRSKY (APPLES) HOW ABOUT THEM APPLES? Pull out your tweeds and rubber boots for apple- picking season. The family-owned Russell Orchards (russellorchards.com) offers cups of steaming-hot apple cider, hayrides, and a petting zoo—and be sure to try the cide r doughnuts. Nashoba Valley Winery (nashobawinery.com) boasts an orchard where you can pick McIntosh, Gala, Zestar, and other apples before or after a weekend winery tour. Honey Pot Hill Orchards (honeypothill.com) also has hayrides and North America's largest hedge maze. HAVE A HEARTH Try a spoonful of philanthropy for dessert. Hearth Shares lets diners add $1 or more to their restaurant bill to combat homelessness in Boston. Through Novem- ber and December, Lolita Cocina & Tequila Bar, Gaslight Brasserie, and many other restaurants will participate. 2 Celebrate all things liquid at this four-day forum. Keeping It Fresh ONE OF BOSTON'S HOTTEST CHEFS SHARES HIS SECRETS. BY MEGAN SMITH Don't worry if you can't snag a reservation at the hot spots Row 34, Island Creek Oysters, or Eastern Standard. Their chef and co-owner, Jeremy Sewall, is bringing his magic touch to your kitchen this October with his first cookbook, The New England Kitchen: Fresh Takes on Seasonal Recipes (Rizzoli, $39.95), cele- brating contemporary New England cooking with 100 recipes, divided by season. Among our favorites are the rich corn, bacon, and crab chowder and the light sugar pumpkin salad. Sewall loves cooking with shellfish in the fall "because they've had all summer to plump up and they're really at their prime." Now, if we could only get our hands on the recipe for Row 34's bucatini and clams. Row 34, 383 Congress St., 617-553-5900; row34.com profile 1 // IN SEASON // // bottoms up // THIRST BOSTON After its wildly successful debut last year, Thirst Boston returns to bring three parties, 24 seminars, and numerous tastings to beverage connoisseurs. Running November 7 – 10, Thirst is a mecca for mixologists, industry insiders, and those who appreciate the art of an excellent drink. Highlights include the kickoff gala at the Fairmont Copley Plaza, The Thing—a swanky, black tie – optional soirée at the Harvard Club—and the Portland-Providence Pop-Up, with bartenders from those cities coming to Boston to show off their talent with the cocktail shaker. Stick around on Monday for the Bartender Brunch, when attendees and mixologists will gather together for one last hurrah. Fairmont Copley Plaza, 138 St. James Ave., 617-267-5300; thirstboston.com must see The unofficial queen of culinary television, Ina Garten—who hosts Barefoot Contessa on the Food Network and has written nine cookbooks— will be in Boston on November 5 for an intimate talk. Garten will answer questions from the audience and discuss filming her TV show, her life in the Hamptons, and her new cookbook, Make It Ahead (Clarkson Potter, $35). In the book, Garten details easy-to- prepare weeknight meals, such as wild mushroom and farro soup (perfect for leftovers) and French pot pie with artichokes. Guests will be eager to get home to their own kitchens and try out Garten's gourmet recipes. Boston Symphony Hall, 301 Massachusetts Ave., 617-266-1492; bso.org INA DISHES Chef Ming Tsai and Jeffrey Gates are key supporters of Hearth Shares. 92 BOSTONCOMMON-MAGAZINE.COM TASTE Spotlight