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Boston Public Library’s 2015 Concerts in the Courtyard Series
Some of our favorite summer "appointments" are with the talented musicians performing as part of the Boston Public Library’s 2015 Concerts in the Courtyard Series that opened on Wednesday afternoon.

As you can see from this 2008 photo, we've been enjoying this summer series for a long time.

Here are the details for this year's series:

Time and Place: Wednesdays and Fridays in June, July, and August, the courtyard at the Central Library in Copley Square, located at 700 Boylston Street, will feature music selections from a variety of influences, from jazz and folk to classical and contemporary music. Concerts are held on Wednesdays at 6 p.m. and on Fridays at 12:30 p.m. through August 28. All concerts are free and last approximately one hour.

Sponsors and Other Information: The Concerts in the Courtyard series is co-sponsored by Deloitte and the Boston Public Library Foundation. During the Wednesday evening concerts, light refreshments will be available for purchase. In the event of inclement weather, concerts will be moved inside to the Commonwealth Salon.

June Concerts
- Aliya Cycon Project, Wednesday, June 3, 6 p.m. Cycon uses her reverence for the Arabic tradition to highlight her unique voice in compositions and performances.
- Neha, Friday, June 5, 12:30 p.m. A singer, composer, and pianist, Neha’s style is a mix of musical personalities, including jazz, folk, blues, pop, and her mother’s classical Indian musical background.
- Nicolás Castañeda Group, Wednesday, June 10, 6 p.m. Nicolás Castañeda Group is a project based on contemporary Colombian music.
- Patrick Coman, Friday, June 12, at 12:30 p.m. Patrick Coman merges barroom shuffles with the sounds of his native Oklahoma.
- ChoroBop, Wednesday, June 17, 6 p.m. ChoroBop’s repertoire is based on the roots of Brazilian choro, jazz, and contemporary music influences.
- Akiko Kobayashi, Friday, June 19, 12:30 p.m. Akiko Kobayashi performs as both a soloist and a chamber musician at renowned national and international festivals.
- Wambura Mitaru, Wednesday, June 24, 6 p.m. Wambura Mitaru is a passionate singer and songwriter from Nairobi who blends funk, soul, R&B, jazz, hip hop, and sounds from her African background.
- Properly Unprepared, Friday, June 26, 12:30 p.m. Properly Unprepared is a five-piece jazz combo that plays classics by artist such as Miles Davis along with more contemporary jazz.
July Concerts
- Felipe Abad, Wednesday, July 1, 6 p.m.
- Handel & Haydn Society, Friday, July 3, 12:30 p.m.
- Honeysuckle, Wednesday, July 8, 6 p.m.
- Cocek! Brass Band, Friday, July 10, 12:30 p.m
- Charles Overton, Wednesday, July 15, 6 p.m.
- Women in World Jazz, Friday, July 17, 12:30 p.m.
- Damn Tall Buildings, Wednesday, July 22, 6 p.m.
- Amaryllis Chamber Ensemble, Friday, July 24, 12:30 p.m.
- 3 Sudacas, Wednesday, July 29, 6 p.m.
- Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras' Intensive Community Program, Friday, July 31, 12:30 p.m.
August Concerts
- The Wiles, Wednesday, August 5, 6 p.m.
- Kevin Harris Project, Friday, August 7, 12:30 p.m.
- MIXCLA, Wednesday, August 12, 6 p.m.
- Hiroya Tsukamoto, Friday, August 14, 12:30 p.m.
- The Ivy Age, Wednesday, August 19, 6 p.m.
- Thompson-Lamb-Panitch Folk Trio, Friday, August 21, 12:30 p.m.
- Ludovica Burtone, Wednesday, August 26, 6 p.m.
- Handel and Haydn Society, Friday, August 28, 12:30 p.m.
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: © 2008-2014 Penny Cherubino

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Boston Public Library’s 2015 Concerts in the Courtyard Series
Some of our favorite summer "appointments" are with the talented musicians performing as part of the Boston Public Library’s 2015 Concerts in the Courtyard Series that opened on Wednesday afternoon.

As you can see from this 2008 photo, we've been enjoying this summer series for a long time.

Here are the details for this year's series:

Time and Place: Wednesdays and Fridays in June, July, and August, the courtyard at the Central Library in Copley Square, located at 700 Boylston Street, will feature music selections from a variety of influences, from jazz and folk to classical and contemporary music. Concerts are held on Wednesdays at 6 p.m. and on Fridays at 12:30 p.m. through August 28. All concerts are free and last approximately one hour.

Sponsors and Other Information: The Concerts in the Courtyard series is co-sponsored by Deloitte and the Boston Public Library Foundation. During the Wednesday evening concerts, light refreshments will be available for purchase. In the event of inclement weather, concerts will be moved inside to the Commonwealth Salon.

June Concerts
- Aliya Cycon Project, Wednesday, June 3, 6 p.m. Cycon uses her reverence for the Arabic tradition to highlight her unique voice in compositions and performances.
- Neha, Friday, June 5, 12:30 p.m. A singer, composer, and pianist, Neha’s style is a mix of musical personalities, including jazz, folk, blues, pop, and her mother’s classical Indian musical background.
- Nicolás Castañeda Group, Wednesday, June 10, 6 p.m. Nicolás Castañeda Group is a project based on contemporary Colombian music.
- Patrick Coman, Friday, June 12, at 12:30 p.m. Patrick Coman merges barroom shuffles with the sounds of his native Oklahoma.
- ChoroBop, Wednesday, June 17, 6 p.m. ChoroBop’s repertoire is based on the roots of Brazilian choro, jazz, and contemporary music influences.
- Akiko Kobayashi, Friday, June 19, 12:30 p.m. Akiko Kobayashi performs as both a soloist and a chamber musician at renowned national and international festivals.
- Wambura Mitaru, Wednesday, June 24, 6 p.m. Wambura Mitaru is a passionate singer and songwriter from Nairobi who blends funk, soul, R&B, jazz, hip hop, and sounds from her African background.
- Properly Unprepared, Friday, June 26, 12:30 p.m. Properly Unprepared is a five-piece jazz combo that plays classics by artist such as Miles Davis along with more contemporary jazz.
July Concerts
- Felipe Abad, Wednesday, July 1, 6 p.m.
- Handel & Haydn Society, Friday, July 3, 12:30 p.m.
- Honeysuckle, Wednesday, July 8, 6 p.m.
- Cocek! Brass Band, Friday, July 10, 12:30 p.m
- Charles Overton, Wednesday, July 15, 6 p.m.
- Women in World Jazz, Friday, July 17, 12:30 p.m.
- Damn Tall Buildings, Wednesday, July 22, 6 p.m.
- Amaryllis Chamber Ensemble, Friday, July 24, 12:30 p.m.
- 3 Sudacas, Wednesday, July 29, 6 p.m.
- Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras' Intensive Community Program, Friday, July 31, 12:30 p.m.
August Concerts
- The Wiles, Wednesday, August 5, 6 p.m.
- Kevin Harris Project, Friday, August 7, 12:30 p.m.
- MIXCLA, Wednesday, August 12, 6 p.m.
- Hiroya Tsukamoto, Friday, August 14, 12:30 p.m.
- The Ivy Age, Wednesday, August 19, 6 p.m.
- Thompson-Lamb-Panitch Folk Trio, Friday, August 21, 12:30 p.m.
- Ludovica Burtone, Wednesday, August 26, 6 p.m.
- Handel and Haydn Society, Friday, August 28, 12:30 p.m.
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: © 2008-2014 Penny Cherubino

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Simple Spring Supper: Asparagus & Eggs

There is nothing better than making a supper of the star of your farmers market purchases. In this case, we came home from the market with a bunch of long, lovely, snapping-fresh asparagus.

,

Penny steamed the asparagus in her favorite little cooking pot until just tender and tossed them with a bit of butter. While the vegetable was steaming, she chopped up a couple of hard boiled eggs that we had ready to go in the refrigerator and a few of the chives from our rooftop community herb garden.

You can see that she used the chive flowers to add a dash of purple and to coordinate with the purple tones in some of the asparagus. Once the herbs are full enough to cut, Penny keeps a mason jar bouquet on the kitchen counter.

She did peel the bottom third of the asparagus. We do this more often on tougher store bought asparagus, but we recently learned over on the blog Ideas in Food that the small leaves can harbor dirt or grime. The soaking step recommended there may become a habit around here.

The egg chopping was made easy by our favorite Stainless Steel Egg Slicer. This one is great because you can slice your egg across then turn it around and slice the slices into the nice dice you see in the photo.

After making an appetizing arrangement on individual plates (as we did) or a family style platter, you can add a grind of pepper and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. A drizzle of olive oil is optional.

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!

Save

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2015 Penny Cherubino

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June 4, 2015
Simple Spring Supper: Asparagus & Eggs

There is nothing better than making a supper of the star of your farmers market purchases. In this case, we came home from the market with a bunch of long, lovely, snapping-fresh asparagus.

,

Penny steamed the asparagus in her favorite little cooking pot until just tender and tossed them with a bit of butter. While the vegetable was steaming, she chopped up a couple of hard boiled eggs that we had ready to go in the refrigerator and a few of the chives from our rooftop community herb garden.

You can see that she used the chive flowers to add a dash of purple and to coordinate with the purple tones in some of the asparagus. Once the herbs are full enough to cut, Penny keeps a mason jar bouquet on the kitchen counter.

She did peel the bottom third of the asparagus. We do this more often on tougher store bought asparagus, but we recently learned over on the blog Ideas in Food that the small leaves can harbor dirt or grime. The soaking step recommended there may become a habit around here.

The egg chopping was made easy by our favorite Stainless Steel Egg Slicer. This one is great because you can slice your egg across then turn it around and slice the slices into the nice dice you see in the photo.

After making an appetizing arrangement on individual plates (as we did) or a family style platter, you can add a grind of pepper and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. A drizzle of olive oil is optional.

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!

Save

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2015 Penny Cherubino

Related articles

Best Bite: Blue Prawns on the Plancha at Select Oyster Bar

Steamers Leaving for Bass Point and Nahant from Lincoln Wharf

We Toast the Month of May with Nino Franco Faive Rosé Brut

June 4, 2015
What’s Happening in June 2015 Around Boston
We always call June the quiet month and our favorite month in Boston. Most of the students are gone, the big summer tourist season is a few weeks away, the city is filled with fresh blooms, the temperatures are usually moderate, and we can enjoy a staycation in our favorite city.

(Giant allium in June in the Boston Public Garden.)

Events and Holidays in June

Dragon Boat Festival, June 13-14: The Dragon Boat Festival takes place along the Charles River and is a fun spectator event. You can pack a picnic and take a nice long walk along the river bank or set out a blanket and let the fun pass by your spot.

June 18th is International Picnic Day: We include International Picnic Day only because we think of June as picnic month, so pick your own day to celebrate al fresco dining in one of your favorite Boston Spots.

Father’s Day is June 21st: Taking Dad out for Father's Day does not seem to be as popular at taking Mom out in May. But there will be a few places offering special menus and later this month we'll have a post with a few recommendations.

Summer Solstice is June 21st: While this may not be given its proper due as a holiday, we recognize it and there will be a few celebrations around the area.

(Dragon Boat Festival: Our favorite team is Wellness Warriors.)

Conventions

Here are a couple of happenings that will impact hotel pricing and availability.

Graduation Season ends with MIT’s Commencement on June 5th. That makes June a much better time to travel to Boston.
- June 6-8 will see a convention with an estimated 15,000 on hand
- June 13-17 will see three conventions with just under 10,000 estimated attendees
What Are Your Favorite June Pastimes?

Add your thoughts in the comments below. Tweet them to @BostonZest or send us an email and we'll add your suggestions to our upcoming post with some of the things we are looking forward to doing.

Some of our favorite summer "appointments" are with the talented musicians performing as a part of the Boston Public Library’s 2015 Concerts in the Courtyard Series that opened on Wednesday June 3rd. We'll have more about those in an upcoming post.

And, for a wider list of event including those things we don't enjoy, recommend, or even think about, head over to this link on the Boston TripAdvisor forum where a group of volunteers with much wider tastes add to a conversation that Penny begins each month.

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: © 2011-2014 Penny & Ed Cherubino

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What’s Happening in June 2015 Around Boston
We always call June the quiet month and our favorite month in Boston. Most of the students are gone, the big summer tourist season is a few weeks away, the city is filled with fresh blooms, the temperatures are usually moderate, and we can enjoy a staycation in our favorite city.

(Giant allium in June in the Boston Public Garden.)

Events and Holidays in June

Dragon Boat Festival, June 13-14: The Dragon Boat Festival takes place along the Charles River and is a fun spectator event. You can pack a picnic and take a nice long walk along the river bank or set out a blanket and let the fun pass by your spot.

June 18th is International Picnic Day: We include International Picnic Day only because we think of June as picnic month, so pick your own day to celebrate al fresco dining in one of your favorite Boston Spots.

Father’s Day is June 21st: Taking Dad out for Father's Day does not seem to be as popular at taking Mom out in May. But there will be a few places offering special menus and later this month we'll have a post with a few recommendations.

Summer Solstice is June 21st: While this may not be given its proper due as a holiday, we recognize it and there will be a few celebrations around the area.

(Dragon Boat Festival: Our favorite team is Wellness Warriors.)

Conventions

Here are a couple of happenings that will impact hotel pricing and availability.

Graduation Season ends with MIT’s Commencement on June 5th. That makes June a much better time to travel to Boston.
- June 6-8 will see a convention with an estimated 15,000 on hand
- June 13-17 will see three conventions with just under 10,000 estimated attendees
What Are Your Favorite June Pastimes?

Add your thoughts in the comments below. Tweet them to @BostonZest or send us an email and we'll add your suggestions to our upcoming post with some of the things we are looking forward to doing.

Some of our favorite summer "appointments" are with the talented musicians performing as a part of the Boston Public Library’s 2015 Concerts in the Courtyard Series that opened on Wednesday June 3rd. We'll have more about those in an upcoming post.

And, for a wider list of event including those things we don't enjoy, recommend, or even think about, head over to this link on the Boston TripAdvisor forum where a group of volunteers with much wider tastes add to a conversation that Penny begins each month.

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: © 2011-2014 Penny & Ed Cherubino

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Michael Serpa Selects Champagne Jacquesson Cuvée 736 as Our Sparkler for June 2015
We toast June 2015 with Champagne Jacquesson Cuvée 736 thanks to Chef and Partner Michael Serpa from Select Oyster Bar in Boston’s Back Bay.

Since the opening of this neighborhood spot back in April, we’ve enjoyed many glasses of sparkling wine with our meals and afternoon snacks at the Select bar. We picked one and then another as a possible wine to celebrate the arrival of June, but couldn’t decide. We finally asked Chef Serpa if he would choose for us and he agreed.

We slipped out onto the patio at Select while lunch customers were finishing up their meals to photograph this wine.

One of the first things we learned was that, in addition to having a sparkler to enjoy on June 1st, our newest wine mentor was offering us another importer to add to our list of great resources. He loves the wines from Vintage 59 and offers a number of selections from their portfolio on his current list.

Chef Serpa calls Champagne Jacquesson Cuvée 736, “Balanced.” We agree and love that he has picked so many wines like this that match perfectly with his food. As to this one, he pointed out, “Champagne is the ultimate food wine!”

You’ll notice that the glasses used for this tasting (which was generously shared with us) are not flutes.

Serpa has great reasons for his sparkling wine glass choice, “Any nicer sparkling wine, I think, just works much better in a standard kind of wine glass rather than a flute, just because you get the aroma…” “When you’re drinking great wine,” he said, “I think it should be in a proper glass where you’re going to get the full experience of the wine.”

He recognizes the celebratory feel of a flute and you’ll find flutes on hand at Select, but you may be offered the choice of a flute or a wine glass with a particular wine.

Between lunch and dinner service, we moved inside to the large table by the window to talk more about wine.

Wine Temperature

You may also have noticed that he did not put this bottle in a wine chiller. We often suggest drinking a great wine, like this one, through a range of temperatures. We were delighted that he agrees, “As it warms up, you taste a little bit more of the wine.” He explained that with the lower alcohol levels in many sparkling wines, you won’t experience that hot taste of alcohol as the wine warms, the way you might in a 15% ABV wine. You just enjoy more of the full flavor the wine has to offer.

A Toast for June

We asked Chef Serpa what he’ll be toasting on June 1st as he joins us in welcoming a Happy New Month! He has great reason to celebrate because he’ll be toasting his 30th birthday on June 2nd. He said, “I think it’s going to be a good year!” We agreed and wished him a good decade. He responded that the first 30 were good!

Click over to twitter @michaelserpa, (where he claims the title of, “Handyman @selectboston in Boston’s Back Bay,”) and wish him a Happy Birthday on June 2nd. Or post a birthday greeting on the Select Facebook page. He certainly has our best wishes for a happy and successful third decade of life.

A Big Thank You to Chef Serpa!

Thank you for the time you took out of a busy afternoon to share this wonderful wine with us and our readers. And, thanks for starting a new BostonZest tradition of letting people we trust select our sparkler of the month, from time to time.

About This Wine
- Name: Champagne Jacquesson Cuvée 736
- Type of wine: Champagne
- Year or N/V: N/V but based on 2008 harvest
- Blend: 53% Chardonnay, 29% Pinot Noir, and 18% Pinot Meunier with reserve wines from 2007 and 2006 harvests (34%)
- Country of origin: Dizy, France
- Alcohol by Volume: 12%
- Importer: Vintage 59
- Distributor: Ruby Wines
- Price per bottle in the restaurant: $98.
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Here are all the wines we’ve covered. Since this is a category this post may appear at the top. Just scroll down for more.

Want to learn more about wine? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site! Here are three of our favorite wine books.

The Food Lover’s Guide to Wine

The New Wine Lover’s Companion

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Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2015 Penny & Ed Cherubino
June 1, 2015
A Sunday Beach Dog Playing on the Tidal Flats

Most of the time, we meet our Sunday dogs up close and get to know a bit about them. Today's dog is one we watched from afar from a deck high above Provincetown Harbor. This beach dog was having a great time running around the tidal flats and leading her people on a merry chase.

There was such sheer pleasure in the long runs the pup was making across the water and sand.

I can almost hear the dog saying, "Yes, I hear you calling me but …"

"Why don't you come over here and we can all watch the clouds and sea together?"

"Hey, you knew I'd come back to you eventually. Is it time for dinner?"

We say, thank you to this dog and all the Ptown beach dogs who walk or gallop by and entertain us with their beach explorations and antics.

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

Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.

Details:
Words: Penny Cherubino
Photography: © 2015 Penny & Ed Cherubino

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A Sunday Beach Dog Playing on the Tidal Flats

Most of the time, we meet our Sunday dogs up close and get to know a bit about them. Today's dog is one we watched from afar from a deck high above Provincetown Harbor. This beach dog was having a great time running around the tidal flats and leading her people on a merry chase.

There was such sheer pleasure in the long runs the pup was making across the water and sand.

I can almost hear the dog saying, "Yes, I hear you calling me but …"

"Why don't you come over here and we can all watch the clouds and sea together?"

"Hey, you knew I'd come back to you eventually. Is it time for dinner?"

We say, thank you to this dog and all the Ptown beach dogs who walk or gallop by and entertain us with their beach explorations and antics.

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

Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.

Details:
Words: Penny Cherubino
Photography: © 2015 Penny & Ed Cherubino

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Documenting the Longfellow Bridge Project

This week's Friday Link is the Longfellow Bridge construction progress Flicker photostream created and curated by photographer Sarah Bourne.

Here's a Longfellow cover shot that Penny did for a Back Bay Sun assignment in 2011.

Sarah has reserved the copyright to her photos. Because we try to always honor a photographer's wishes, we can't use one of her photos here. But, be assured, this collection is a great record with wonderful photos showing the progress month-to-month.

A tip of the hat to Adam Gaffin over at Universal Hub (UH) for bringing this collection to the attention of his readers. Not only is UH the best place for breaking news, but it also shares some great Boston features that might be overlooked if not for this invaluable site.

Thanks to Sarah for her great work. Please take the time to click through the stages of construction and the seasonal changes along the river.

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: © 2015 Penny & Ed Cherubino

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