Area charity to update kitchen thanks to $50,000 grant money

Grace Centers of Hope has received a $50,000 grant from the Walmart Foundation's Michigan State Giving Program to upgrade its kitchen, which serves meals to as many as 200 people a day."This kitchen was here when I came here 26 years ago," said Pastor Kent W. Clark, CEO of Grace Centers of Hope.Erik Hingst, the retailer's senior manager for public affairs and government relations, said: "There was a clear need. I was fortunate to be able to tour the facility last summer, so I was able to see firsthand the condition of the equipment in the existing kitchen. It was getting to the point where they couldn't even order parts."
The appliances the shelter purchased with the grant include a convection oven, a fryer, a griddle ranger, stovetop, refrigerator, food warmer, coffee machine, service counter, work tables, a walk-in cooler and a walk-in freezer.Telitha Nutt, 32, said she's been staying at Grace Centers of Hope for eight months and works in the kitchen.The mother of three said the faith-based Grace Centers of Hope has saved her life."Finding the Lord has made a huge difference in my life and my children's lives," the mother of three said. "This is the first time in my life that I actually feel a sense of peace."The township will have a new restaurant in a few months after the supervisors granted conditional use approval for a Zoe's Kitchen at 280 N. Sycamore St.
Zoe's will fill the space vacated by another restaurant, Cosi, which recently closed.Zoe's Kitchen offers "Mediterranean cuisine with a southern twist," said Brian Waghalter, a regional manager for the chain that opened in 1995 in Alabama and today has 78 locations across the country."Everything is made from scratch," he said.The menu includes steak, chicken and shrimp kebobs, soups, sandwiches, wraps and vegetarian offerings. Almost everything is $10 or less, said Waghalter. Customers order at the counter. Staff members bring food to the tables and clear them, Waghalter added.He estimated the Newtown Township Zoe's would open sometime in May.You're wrong. You do – because your eyes are deceiving you. "A visually clean kitchen is only a superficially clean kitchen if it is not properly disinfected and sanitised", a new survey conducted by the Indian Medical Academy (IMA) has revealed," says ChennaiOnline.

New Canaan Cares readies for kitchen home tour

New Canaan Cares is gearing up for its 21st annual Kitchen and Home Tour, an event which annually draws more than 500 participants. This year's tour will be held on Thursday, May 9, from 10 to 3, and will feature seven renovated kitchens and homes in New Canaan, as well as a multi-vendor boutique on location at one of the homes. As always, gourmet boxed lunches (made by Rosie) will also be available for advance purchase.Tour homes typically represent the state-of-the-art in quality construction and design.The homes selected thus far trend toward clean, modern lines, open floor plans and bright, airy design, all of which maximize family living spaces. If you are contemplating a renovation or new construction project, this is an excellent opportunity to examine the work of local architects, builders and designers. "Even if you don't have a project in mind, it's a great social occasion to attend with friends just for fun," according to a release.
As Cares' largest fund-raiser, the tour is vital to its mission of advancing the health and well-being of youth and families. In fact, 100% of tour proceeds directly support youth, family and community programs.Various patron level tickets are also available for purchase, and automatically enters the purchaser into a drawing for a special tour parking pass, spring dress jacket by local designer Skirtin' Around, two complimentary, gourmet boxed lunch tickets, or a $30 certificate to the tour boutique. These tickets are also delivered two weeks prior to regular tickets, giving patron ticket-holders a sneak peek at the homes on the tour."As a nonprofit organization, we absolutely depend on this event to help support our programming objectives," Doreen Conley, board president, said.
This past year, the organization impacted more than 2,200 youth and more than 2,400 parents with more than 100 programs. Programs encompass three core areas: health promotion, parenting skills and leadership training, and are delivered through classroom instruction, after-school workshops, and youth and adult group presentations. All programs are offered free of charge to the community.For instance, take the basic meatloaf and make it meatball-style. Change up the bread crumbs to seasoned ones. Buy them or make our own with the oregano, garlic and onion powders in the kitchen cabinet. Add chopped fresh basil or a spoonful of pesto sauce or canned tomatoes in place of the water or stock. Pack half the meat into the loaf pan, line the center with mozzarella, top with the other half. Then nap it with your favorite tomato sauce halfway through baking.

Peterson was never a serious threat to McMillan politically

With Peterson and his wife finishing last in their respective races and unable to raise much money to operate their campaigns, how much could he deliver politically? He poses little threat to McMillan if — or more likely when — he decides to run for re-election.But Peterson turned on McMillan before he even started the new gig.In a news release last month, Peterson said he was immediately withdrawing his name, said hiring him was a scam, said McMillan approached him and said the department was in shambles, talked about the lack of farm and business experience among his top assistants, said the morale of department employees was understandably in the "toilet" because they were ignored and unimportant to senior management, said McMillan sought permission from agriculture associations before hiring Peterson, said someone else was running the department, and said McMillan was hiring him to neutralize him politically and remove him as a political opponent.
There were a lot of accusations, which McMillan denied, in that one 10-paragraph statement.Peterson was never a serious threat to McMillan politically — hiring him was.The kitchen, overseen by chef and owner Jeffrey Fournier.But, even if the charges are dropped against Peterson, and people owe him his day in court to determine his guilt or innocence, these latest episodes with the former candidate could ensure he remains a novelty in politics in Alabama, but has an ever-diminishing voice in his party.Former state Sen. Larry Means, who lost his bid for re-election in November 2010 just a month after being arrested on federal corruption charges, visited the Alabama Senate on Tuesday. A federal jury found Means not guilty of the charges against him during two federal trials that Means admitted financially devastated his family.
Means, a Democrat, has managed a political comeback and recently won his former position as mayor of Attalla.Sen.Phil Williams, the Republican who defeated Means, recognized him from the microphone when he visited the floor of the Senate.Means talked to several members including Sen. Scott Beason, who testified for the prosecution against several of Means' co-defendants.This stylish and contemporary Birmingham dining spot features approachable comfort food made from scratch. Each dish has something special, be it the caramelized cornbread in the strawberry salad, the grilled cheese delivered on onion-poppy naan or the diced chorizo in the mussels appetizer broth. Dishes come in brown bags, on rimmed baking sheets, in cast-iron skillets, even cookie jars.

The kitchen, overseen by chef and owner Jeffrey Fournier

The rose is the recommended wine with lobster pot pie, which is indeed a good idea. Also classified as a "sharing" plate, the dish is really very small, better for one person. Creamy and richly sauced, tiny black-eyed peas are an earthy surprise tucked in with the sweet lobster meat. Unfortunately (and this was one of very few problems at this place, but a persistent one), the dish's crust on top of the pie is chewy instead of crisp, hard to cut, and not pleasing.An appetizer that gets it all right, including the size for sharing, is mussels with housemade chorizo. The sweet heat of the sausage tastes better with every bite, and keeps you coming back to the heap of mussels and fresh tomato-garlic sauce. One dining companion finds a limp leaf in her "Perfect Green Salad" one night, but my strongest impression of the dish is that beets, which are used to flavor the dressing, really do work in vinaigrette, giving some heft to its other main flavor, red wine vinegar, and making the dish very pretty.
The kitchen, overseen by chef and owner Jeffrey Fournier and chef de cuisine Jakob White, again displays its careful attention to detail with "Chef Fournier's Famous Bolognese." The serving is enormous, incredibly fragrant, and, arrives at the table radiating heat. But with the unique scent of sauce made from veal, pork, beef, and pancetta, plus lots of rosemary and thyme, it's hard, in fact, to wait for your first bites to cool before eating them. It's the only main dish (there's also a spinach sid) on the menus of both Waban and its sister, 51 Lincoln, less than two miles away in Newton Highlands. If you order only one thing here, make it this.
Steak isn't surprising, it's just a good example of its ilk: a chewy cut, flatiron, with plenty of beefy taste. On the side, celery root puree is rich and a great match for the beef, and the roast potatoes one night have a perfect crust created by the chef's finishing them in a cast iron pan over a high flame, then in the oven. The handful of green beans on the plate mean you actually get to eat your vegetables here, a concept that seems an afterthought in some kitchens, even those restaurants charging in the $20 to $35 range, where it seems like a square meal is due. Roast chicken is juicy and coated in five spice powder (this half-bird could feed two), and though star anise dominates the juices that pool and run into the garlicky mashed potatoes, it's great with the poultry and with the potatoes.Two fish entrees are lighter and more inventive. Delicate fried fluke, dusted with semolina, salt, and pepper, is flaky and tasty for the first several bites.

Italian Kitchen now open in the Orlando World Center Marriott

Orlando World Center Marriott recently opened its latest restaurant, Siro: Urban Italian Kitchen. Siro blends both an urban atmosphere and a rustic Italian kitchen offering everything from pizza to artisan cured meats and cheeses.Open for early-evening light fare and dinner, Executive Chef Anthony Burdo presents a unique menu featuring dishes inspired by local fare, utilizing local in-season ingredients and maintaining Siro's philosophy: from farm-to-fork. Siro's early-evening menus feature artisan cured meats and cheeses, small plates and fresh market vegetables. While guests pick and choose from selections to start their meal, family-style sharing begins with breads and pickles served on oversized wooden planks.
The main entrée courses, changing with the seasons, include everything from thin-crust pizzas and house-made pastas to various meats and fish selections. These dishes compliment the restaurant's drink menu, featuring handcrafted Italian classics from the Negroni and Aperol Spritz to the "The Artisan," Lemoncello Martini, complete with fresh squeezed juices and fragrant herbs. Also available are selected wines, served by the glass and quartino carafes, as well as local craft beers.Momma's kitchen expands into attic.Siro will accommodate 199 guests, 143 in the main dining room and 56 on the patio, for everyday dining and special events. The early-evening menu, from 4 to 6 p.m., features antipasti, small plates, pizza and blackboard specials, in addition to a full bar. Dinner, from 6 to 11 p.m., features a full menu including pizzas and pastas.
The Chinatown Kitchen restaurant in Downtown Sheboygan is damaged following fire Sunday morning.Just before 9 AM, the Sheboygan Fire Department responded to a fire at restaurant, located at 1107 North 8th Street. According to scanner reports, the fire appeared to have started in the basement.The Cedar Grove Fire Department also assisted at the scene.The fire was under control within 45 minutes.According to Chinatown Kitchen, the restaurant will still offer delivery but the interior will be closed.No injuries were sustained as a result of fire."I can still remember my dad taking a bite, grabbing his glass of iced tea to wash it down and laughing," she said. "I had overloaded salt apparently, but it did look pretty."Mrs. Halbert, 54, of Tyler, still enjoys cooking but doesn't consider herself a gourmet-style cook."I tend to cook more foods that would be comfort food or homestyle," she said, adding that her husband is a picky eater. "I almost always bake some type of sweets on a weekly basis. ... I believe anyone can cook or bake, and it is simply a matter of learning what you have a natural touch for as well as what you enjoy."