Author: Ed

Welcome to Boston! Register to Vote for Fall Elections 2013
Here are the dates and deadlines for the Fall 2013 elections. If you are new to Boston or will be registering to vote for the first time, you have until 8 pm on October 16, 2013 to register for the November 5, 2013 election.

(The deadline for the Preliminary Boston Mayoral/Municipal Election on September 24th has already passed.)

Election November 5, 2013: Including the election of a Mayor and City Council Members in Boston from Boston Elections Department.
- October 16, 2013- 8:00 p.m. Last hour and day for registration of voters for Municipal Election.
- November 5, 2013- 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. — ELECTION DAY.
Related Post: The Voter Registration Jury Duty Myth – If you're reluctant to register to vote because you think it will make you more likely to be called for jury duty, we've already researched that idea and learned that it is a myth.

Related Post: Sick of Political and Polling Phone Calls? Change your outgoing message to ours!

Where to Register in Boston
The Boston Elections Department is located in room 241 at Boston City Hall and is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, except on city holidays.

Election Department contact information:
Room 241 Boston City Hall
Telephone: 617.635.3767
Email: Election@cityofboston.gov

You can download forms at: www.cityofboston.gov/elections and that link is information central for all matters about voting in Boston.

Details on Voter Registration

Complete information, including the identification documents you need and other ways to register to vote, can be found at the Elections Page at the Secretary of State's office.
Follow BostonZest on Twitter for any updates.

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Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

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September 10, 2013
Warrior Sunflowers

Once in a while, you find a sunflower with attitude. We spotted these "Warrior Sunflowers" in a South End Community Garden and couldn't resist sharing them.

Towering over the people who tend them, standing up to wind, and not ready to bow their heads, they face the city streets with courage. They look dangerous and have earned our respect.

It's one more side of this sunny plant that we told you about in last week's "At the Market" report.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a birthday or wedding gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2013 Ed Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

September 9, 2013
Warrior Sunflowers

Once in a while, you find a sunflower with attitude. We spotted these "Warrior Sunflowers" in a South End Community Garden and couldn't resist sharing them.

Towering over the people who tend them, standing up to wind, and not ready to bow their heads, they face the city streets with courage. They look dangerous and have earned our respect.

It's one more side of this sunny plant that we told you about in last week's "At the Market" report.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a birthday or wedding gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2013 Ed Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

September 9, 2013
Sunday Dog, Boomerang – Doctor of Therapy!

I didn’t know that a dog could actually become a doctor, but after meeting Boomerang, I’m convinced that this little guy really knows his stuff!

At just six years old, he’s already an experienced, certified Therapy Dog with a very busy schedule. Dr. Boomerang sees psychiatric and heart patients at Tufts, holds individual therapy sessions at nearby schools, and stops to see residents of an assisted living facility – where he’s a BIG favorite.

It’s not surprising that a Miniature Schnauzer has found such success in this vital and demanding profession. The breed is often described as intelligent, alert, and friendly – all qualities you’d expect in a good doctor. Throw in spirited, obedient, and fearless, and they’re also traits that make for a loving companion.

Whenever Boomerang is not making rounds, this energetic terrier loves to wind down by going for a walk. And, there’s nothing better after a long stroll than a treat, or two!

We love your technique, Boomerang! That has to be worth extra.

Thanks for the smiles, Boomerang, they’re just what the doctor ordered. You really are a great Therapy Dog!

More photos of Boomerang and many of our other Sunday Dogs are available for purchase as prints or on merchandise over in our photo galleries on Smugmug.

Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

September 8, 2013
Sunday Dog, Boomerang – Doctor of Therapy!

I didn’t know that a dog could actually become a doctor, but after meeting Boomerang, I’m convinced that this little guy really knows his stuff!

At just six years old, he’s already an experienced, certified Therapy Dog with a very busy schedule. Dr. Boomerang sees psychiatric and heart patients at Tufts, holds individual therapy sessions at nearby schools, and stops to see residents of an assisted living facility – where he’s a BIG favorite.

It’s not surprising that a Miniature Schnauzer has found such success in this vital and demanding profession. The breed is often described as intelligent, alert, and friendly – all qualities you’d expect in a good doctor. Throw in spirited, obedient, and fearless, and they’re also traits that make for a loving companion.

Whenever Boomerang is not making rounds, this energetic terrier loves to wind down by going for a walk. And, there’s nothing better after a long stroll than a treat, or two!

We love your technique, Boomerang! That has to be worth extra.

Thanks for the smiles, Boomerang, they’re just what the doctor ordered. You really are a great Therapy Dog!

More photos of Boomerang and many of our other Sunday Dogs are available for purchase as prints or on merchandise over in our photo galleries on Smugmug.

Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

September 8, 2013
Everyone Will Be Buzzing about Edible Boston’s Fall 2013 Issue
Buzzing because the Fall 2013 issue of Edible Boston shines its spotlight on bees and beekeepers.

Features this time introduce you to: people who curate and sell honey, beekeepers, recipes that celebrate honey, urban beekeeping, restaurant beekeeping, why bees are important to us, and even "From Bees to Beer."

And, of course, there are a few more topics covered and enough resource lists to make this copy a keeper.

And, as always, the writing is from uber talented people like Brian Samuels and Leigh Belanger. The photography of Creative Director Michael Piazza is a visual class for anyone who loves to photograph people and food. Even the letter from publisher Ilene Bezahler is something I look forward to reading.

This month, she asks an imporant question, "Might the valuable lessons we've learned from the Local Food Movement be translated into more of our daily interactions?"

Yes, Ilene, perhaps they can – as long as we have people like you pose these questions.

How do you support the remarkably talented team at Edible Boston?

May I suggest that you:
- Let their sponsors know you saw them in the magazine.
- Grab an extra copy and get it to someone else who cares about supporting the local food movement. (Here's where you'll find copies of Edible Boston)
- If you have a blog, twitter account, or facebook page, write about Edible Boston and link to them.
- Follow them on twitter, retweet their tweets.
- Like them on Facebook.
- Spread the word about this great asset to our community.
- And, to be sure you never miss an issue, you can become an Edible Boston Member over on their website!
You can also buy the Edible cookbook – Edible: A Celebration of Local Foods or find more local food in The Boston Homegrown Cookbook.

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino
Artwork: Courtesy of Edible Boston

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.
September 6, 2013
Everyone Will Be Buzzing about Edible Boston’s Fall 2013 Issue
Buzzing because the Fall 2013 issue of Edible Boston shines its spotlight on bees and beekeepers.

Features this time introduce you to: people who curate and sell honey, beekeepers, recipes that celebrate honey, urban beekeeping, restaurant beekeeping, why bees are important to us, and even "From Bees to Beer."

And, of course, there are a few more topics covered and enough resource lists to make this copy a keeper.

And, as always, the writing is from uber talented people like Brian Samuels and Leigh Belanger. The photography of Creative Director Michael Piazza is a visual class for anyone who loves to photograph people and food. Even the letter from publisher Ilene Bezahler is something I look forward to reading.

This month, she asks an imporant question, "Might the valuable lessons we've learned from the Local Food Movement be translated into more of our daily interactions?"

Yes, Ilene, perhaps they can – as long as we have people like you pose these questions.

How do you support the remarkably talented team at Edible Boston?

May I suggest that you:
- Let their sponsors know you saw them in the magazine.
- Grab an extra copy and get it to someone else who cares about supporting the local food movement. (Here's where you'll find copies of Edible Boston)
- If you have a blog, twitter account, or facebook page, write about Edible Boston and link to them.
- Follow them on twitter, retweet their tweets.
- Like them on Facebook.
- Spread the word about this great asset to our community.
- And, to be sure you never miss an issue, you can become an Edible Boston Member over on their website!
You can also buy the Edible cookbook – Edible: A Celebration of Local Foods or find more local food in The Boston Homegrown Cookbook.

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino
Artwork: Courtesy of Edible Boston

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.
September 6, 2013
At The Market: Sunflowers and Bees!

"I'll throw in the bees for free," said Simeon Cook as I alerted Ed to the bees buzzing the sunflowers around the Cook's Farm and Bakery stand at the Copley Square Farmers' Market.

This time of year, markets are ablaze with the glorious glow of sunflowers. Anyone who's bought these beauties straight from the farm will tell you that, just like the other market goods, they last longer than their mainstream counterparts.

Have you ever dined on sunflower? We did a couple of years ago at Erbaluce. Wicked Tasty Harvest wrote about that dish here. You have probably also enjoyed sunflower seeds and sunflower oil. Plus, you may have eaten Jerusalem artichokes – a species of sunflower.

This makes me wonder if some of the masses of sunflowers at the market are being turned into meals by savvy cooks. If you are tempted to try, please read the tips in the Wicked Tasty Harvest post.

The Word from the Farms & Markets

Ben Sommer, Copley Square Farmers' Market Manager writes, "Just because the summer is almost over, don't think that the season is. The first few weeks of September are some of our farmers' most bounteous weeks, when they still have all that great summer produce like tomatoes and stone fruits, but are also starting to get those colder weather crops as well, like apples and broccoli."

Mass Farmers Markets September newsletter included this advice, "Instead of rushing through the market to stock up on the familiar corn, apples and tomatoes which are traditional and nutritious, think about adding items to your shopping list such as kohlrabi, husk tomatoes, purslane, and Brazilian cucumbers. These are just a few of the unique options available at a farmers market near you during the month of September. Give one or more of these a try this month, you it will be worth the adventure!"

In Season, Right Now!

Each week, more apple varieties appear. Be sure to talk with your farmer and try a few of the heirloom apples. They may not be as pretty but they are full of flavor. Have you tried a crab apple lately? They come in both tart and sweet varieties.

Get Some Before It's Gone!

Tomatoes and Sweet Corn always disappear before I'm ready to give them up. This time of year, I buy some at each market.

Coming Soon!

Winter squash, potted herbs for winter windowsills.

Follow all our Local Food/Farmers' Markets and At The Market reports:

What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List? Shop Amazon for all your Kitchen & Dining needs and support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino (from Cook's Farm and Bakery, and Siena Farms)

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

September 5, 2013
At The Market: Sunflowers and Bees!

"I'll throw in the bees for free," said Simeon Cook as I alerted Ed to the bees buzzing the sunflowers around the Cook's Farm and Bakery stand at the Copley Square Farmers' Market.

This time of year, markets are ablaze with the glorious glow of sunflowers. Anyone who's bought these beauties straight from the farm will tell you that, just like the other market goods, they last longer than their mainstream counterparts.

Have you ever dined on sunflower? We did a couple of years ago at Erbaluce. Wicked Tasty Harvest wrote about that dish here. You have probably also enjoyed sunflower seeds and sunflower oil. Plus, you may have eaten Jerusalem artichokes – a species of sunflower.

This makes me wonder if some of the masses of sunflowers at the market are being turned into meals by savvy cooks. If you are tempted to try, please read the tips in the Wicked Tasty Harvest post.

The Word from the Farms & Markets

Ben Sommer, Copley Square Farmers' Market Manager writes, "Just because the summer is almost over, don't think that the season is. The first few weeks of September are some of our farmers' most bounteous weeks, when they still have all that great summer produce like tomatoes and stone fruits, but are also starting to get those colder weather crops as well, like apples and broccoli."

Mass Farmers Markets September newsletter included this advice, "Instead of rushing through the market to stock up on the familiar corn, apples and tomatoes which are traditional and nutritious, think about adding items to your shopping list such as kohlrabi, husk tomatoes, purslane, and Brazilian cucumbers. These are just a few of the unique options available at a farmers market near you during the month of September. Give one or more of these a try this month, you it will be worth the adventure!"

In Season, Right Now!

Each week, more apple varieties appear. Be sure to talk with your farmer and try a few of the heirloom apples. They may not be as pretty but they are full of flavor. Have you tried a crab apple lately? They come in both tart and sweet varieties.

Get Some Before It's Gone!

Tomatoes and Sweet Corn always disappear before I'm ready to give them up. This time of year, I buy some at each market.

Coming Soon!

Winter squash, potted herbs for winter windowsills.

Follow all our Local Food/Farmers' Markets and At The Market reports:

What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List? Shop Amazon for all your Kitchen & Dining needs and support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino (from Cook's Farm and Bakery, and Siena Farms)

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

September 5, 2013
Vermont Shepherd Verano: Seasoned with Summer Grass

"How about a sheep cheese that is really great, right now," Penny asked the cheesemonger at South End Formaggio. A taste of Vermont Shepherd Verano was passed to her. "This was made with all summer milk," he said. He was right. It was in perfect condition and had a subtle background note of herby summer grass.

It came home with a sidekick of Twig Farm Square and we had a lovely tray of Vermont splendor for supper.

Vermont Shepherd make two celebrated cheeses, Verano (summer) and Invierno (winter).

They say, "Our summer cheese, 'Verano,' we make from pure sheeps’ milk when our pastures are abundant with wild herbs and grasses. Verano then ages 3-5 months and ripens by August. The flavor of the summer cheese is sweet, rich and earthy with hints of clover, mint, and thyme."

We say, This will be a perfect cheese to introduce someone to sheep's milk cheeses. While we love potent, stinky, sheepy cheeses, they can be a bit much for some folks. This is one to put on a tray for your favorite cheese maven or a group of friends who seldom venture beyond cheddar.

And, here are other items from our Cheese Tray!

What's on your Cheese shopping list? Here are some great books about cheese. These make wonderful gifts for a cheese lover. And, when you shop Amazon from here, they put some coins in our tip jar.

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2013 Penny Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

September 4, 2013