• Sections
    • Arts & Entertainment
    • Bridal
    • Community
    • Education
    • Fashion
    • Food & Drink
    • Health & Wellness
    • Home & Garden
    • MVMA
    • Perspectives
    • Travel
  • Shop Local
    • Arts & Culture
    • Bridal
    • Community
    • Dining & Cuisine
    • Education
    • Entertainment
    • Fashion
    • Financial & Professional Services
    • Florists, Gift & Specialty Shops
    • Health & Wellness
    • Home & Garden
    • Real Estate
  • Calendar
  • Dining Guide
  • Advertise
  • Login

Merrimack Valley Magazine

  • Arts & Entertainment
  • Community
  • Education
  • Fashion
  • Food & Drink
  • Health & Wellness
  • Home & Garden
  • Perspectives
  • Travel

Revolving Test Kitchen Reopens with New Focus

September 16, 2021 by Digital Manager

Earlier this week business, civic and education leaders celebrated the reopening of the Revolving Test Kitchen on Northern Essex Community College’s (NECC) Lawrence Campus.

In existence since 2016, the Revolving Test Kitchen is transitioning from an incubator and pop-up restaurant serving one entrepreneur at a time to a shared commercial kitchen and food business incubator that will accommodate a wide range of food businesses, including food trucks, catering companies, small batch manufacturers and food delivery companies. The space also offers members access to culinary and business experts in the food industry. Food entrepreneurs are now being recruited to join as members.

The leaders enjoyed a buffet prepared by two RTK member entrepreneurs, Danny Torres of El Encanto, who runs a food truck featuring Puerto Rican foods, and Jessy Melo, owner of Jessy’s Clean Meals, a weekly meal prep service (read our story on Jessy here) . There was also a short program emceed by Wendy Estrella, Lawrence Partnership board chair and featuring remarks by Lane Glenn, president of NECC, Mike Kennealy, secretary, executive office of housing and economic development, Lawrence Mayor Kendrys Vasquez, and George Ramirez, executive director of the Lawrence Partnership.

 

Jessy Melo and Lawrence Mayor Kendrys Vasquez
Jessy Melo (left) of Jessy’s Clean Meals shows Lawrence Mayor Kendrys Vasquez (center) the dishes she prepared for the reopening. Jessy is a member entrepreneur of the RTK. Courtesy photo.

“Lawrence is emerging as a growth area for food-based businesses…” said Ramirez. “This new approach to the RTK offers serious entrepreneurs an important hand up through experts and facilities that make it possible to bring their idea to life and sustain it for the long term.”

RTK members pay a $350 refundable deposit and a monthly base rent of $350 that includes 10 hours of kitchen time as well as well as facility costs, food safety auditing, member meetings and roundtable discussions, and promotion. The facility will be open for food production from 4 a.m. to midnight with 24-hour access for its members.

To learn more, more or access the application, visit here.

 

RTK Ribbon Cutting photo at top of page: (Left to right) Jessy Melo, Jessy’s Clean Meals; George Ramirez, Lawrence Partnership; Theresa Parks, MassDevelopment; Lane Glenn, NECC; Wendy Estrella, Lawrence Partnership; Mike Kennealy, Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development; Mayor Kendrys Vasquez, Lawrence; Senator Barry Finegold; Representative Marcos Devers; Danny Torres, El Encanto; Hilton Torres, El Encanto.

 

 

Filed Under: Community, Food & Drink Tagged With: City of Lawrence, FoodBusiness, foodie, Kitchen, lawrence, NECC, RTK, TestKitchen

A Taste of the World – Part 1

January 14, 2021 by Timna Nwokeji

Global Cuisine in the Merrimack Valley

Coco’s Cafe & Catering

Imagine that you are roaming the beach in Luquillo, Puerto Rico, famously known for its vibrant and incredibly aromatic kioskos (food stands), and you are suddenly hungry. You stop at one of the kioskos to decide if you want a pillowy pastelillo or some mofongo and immediately are transported to a savory foodie land, one that you can experience right here in the Merrimack Valley.

Pastelillos are fried meat patties, while mofongo is a creation made from green plantain, sweet plantain and chicharron (pork rinds).

When you enter Coco’s Cafe & Catering in Lawrence, you are greeted by the aromas of rich Dominican and Puerto Rican food. From delicious appetizers or “antojitos,” as they are called in Puerto Rico, to fresh fried foods or “frituras,” to full-size entrees like the Dominican mangu — a breakfast dish with mashed green plantain, egg, onions and salami — they have it all. Cathy, aka “Coco,” and Angel welcome you with open arms and treat you as they would family coming to their home to eat. As I sat there enjoying their food, I was reminded of one of the last times I sat in my grandmother’s kitchen eating her sopa de fideo. With the Cafe Bustelo always brewing and the welcoming environment, this is definitely a must visit.

Try the flancocho, a delicious fusion dessert of cake and flan. And if you love fried food, you’ll find many delicious options.

Check back for the next part of Timna’s series on global cuisine offerings in the MV!

 

Coco’s Cafe & Catering
Lawrence, Mass.
(978) 258-1605
CocoCafeAndCatering.com

Filed Under: Food & Drink Tagged With: cuisine, Dominican, foodie, friedfood, global, lawrence, mofongo, puertorico

Spring Greens Lasagna

May 8, 2020 by Alyson Aiello Leave a Comment

Fresh, flavorful food made fast at home is the new American dream. Like any dream, the first step is believing it’s possible.

Spring Greens Lasagna

Yield: One deep, 9-inch-by-13-inch pan

Ingredients:
Extra virgin olive oil
12 cups loosely-packed and chopped fresh greens (about
1 large bunch of kale or a mix of greens such as Swiss chard, spinach, escarole, mustard greens, baby bok choy)
2 cloves garlic, minced
Kosher salt, cracked black pepper, to taste

Cheese Mixture:
2 pounds whole milk or part-skim ricotta cheese
1 cup Parmesan cheese, plus extra for the top
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 large eggs
1/3 cup chopped basil or parsley leaves

1 pound fresh pasta sheets, or cooked lasagna noodles
1 quart of your favorite tomato sauce
3/4 pound shredded mozzarella cheese

 

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 350 F. Remove the stems from tougher greens and coarsely chop, wash and dry all. Heat a large, shallow skillet over medium-high and, working in batches, add the olive oil, garlic, greens, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook 3 to 5 minutes, or until they are wilted and tender (this will vary with variety). Remove from the heat, cool and squeeze any remaining liquid from the greens (this step can be done up to two days in advance and refrigerated).

2. Combine the ricotta, Parmesan, garlic, black pepper, eggs and basil in a large bowl and blend well. Assemble the lasagna by covering the bottom of the baking dish with a small amount of tomato sauce. Arrange lasagna sheets to cover the bottom completely and spread half of the cheese mixture over the pasta. Scatter with half of the cooked greens and dot with small dollops of tomato sauce. Add mozzarella to lightly cover and repeat the layering process one more time, beginning and ending with the pasta sheets. Cover the top layer of pasta completely with sauce, sprinkle generously with extra Parmesan cheese, and add the remaining mozzarella.

3, Place on a baking sheet and cook for 45 to 55 minutes or until bubbly, brown and set in the center (cover loosely with greased tinfoil if overbrowning). Remove from the oven and allow lasagna to rest for 10 minutes before serving with additional sauce, if desired.

Note: This recipe can be assembled as is or in smaller dishes for individual portions. It also can be prepared ahead and refrigerated uncooked for up to three days, or frozen raw and baked from the freezer (cover frozen lasagna with foil for the first 20 minutes and allow 10 to 15 minutes additional cooking time).

Photo by Adrien Bisson, food styling by Carolyn Grieco

 

 

Filed Under: Food & Drink, Home & Garden Tagged With: Cheese, Cooking, Food, foodie, Healthy, lasagna, Recipe

Swiss Chard, Sausage & Ricotta Quiche Recipe

April 28, 2020 by Alyson Aiello Leave a Comment

Fresh, flavorful food made fast at home is the new American dream. Like any dream, the first step is believing it’s possible.

Swiss Chard, Sausage & Ricotta Quiche 

Yield: One 9-inch deep-dish pan or 10-inch tart (about 8 servings)

Ingredients:
Single-crust prepared pie dough
4 sweet Italian sausages
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large bunch Swiss chard, washed, stemmed, and
leaves coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced Kosher salt, cracked black pepper, to taste
1 cup ricotta cheese 8 large eggs
1/3 cup whole milk 1/3 cup heavy cream

 

Directions:

1. Heat the oven (375 F for deep dish, 400 F for a shallow tart pan) and prepare the pie dough, wrapping and freezing half for another time. Roll the pastry on a lightly-floured surface large enough to thinly line the pan with dough, gently pressing it to fit inside and fluting the edge if desired. 

2. Place the sausages on a baking pan and roast in the oven about 25 to 30 minutes, shaking pan occasionally, until the sausages are browned and cooked to an internal temperature of 155 F. Remove from the oven, cool and cut into ¼-inch thick slices. Meanwhile, heat a large pan over high heat and add the olive oil, Swiss chard and garlic. Season well with salt and pepper, and cook quickly, just until it has wilted down, approximately 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. When cool, squeeze all the liquid from the chard.

3. Assemble quiche by spooning half of the ricotta cheese in large dollops over the bottom of the pastry shell. Top with two-thirds of the sausage slices followed by all of the drained chard. Sprinkle over the remaining sausage pieces and top with the rest of the ricotta. Place the quiche on a baking sheet and prepare the egg mixture.

4. Whisk the eggs until very light and airy. Add the milk, cream, and salt and pepper as needed, whisking well. Pour this mixture slowly over the ingredients, gently submerging everything. Carefully transfer the pan to the middle rack of the oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until center is set and golden brown (for deep pie pans, allow 5 to 10 minutes longer). Remove from the oven and serve hot or warm.

Variations: This quiche can be made with any kind of meat, cheese or vegetables. With the exception of chopped broccoli and tomatoes, most veggies and all meats need to be cooked before assembling the quiche. Other than that, the varieties are endless.

 

Basic Pie Crust

Yield: One double-crust, 9-inch to 10-inch deep-dish pie

Ingredients:
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for the work surface
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) cold, unsalted butter, cut into cubes
¾ to 1 cup cold water, or more as needed

Directions:

1. Combine the flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl and blend. Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, cut in the butter and blend until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Slowly add the water, just enough so that the bowl is cleaned and a nice dough is formed. Gather the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic and chill at least 1 hour or overnight.

Balls of pie dough can be wrapped in plastic and frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before use.

 

Photos by Adrien Bisson, food styling by Carolyn Grieco.

 

Filed Under: Food & Drink, Home & Garden Tagged With: Cheese, Cooking, Food, foodie, Healthy, quiche, Recipe, swisschard

Haverhill Chamber Announces Restaurant Support Program

March 22, 2020 by Doug Sparks

[Updated March 25 at 9:12 a.m.]

The chamber announced that they’ve raised close to $10,000 in the past two days, thanks in no small part to the mayor who contributed $5,000 on the city’s behalf. This allows them to crank the engine back up and offer the gift card matching program again starting today, Wednesday, March 25. They will now match, dollar for dollar, up to $25 per customer. That means customers should be able to purchase a $50 gift card for $25 (or any lesser amount). They had been matching up to $50 per customer but are reducing the per customer amount to allow more families to take advantage of this offer.

The restaurants have a daily limit of $250, so make sure you purchase your card early in the day. The chamber will continue to need your help in raising more money. They’ve raised close to $25,000 total and are aiming for $35,000 by Friday. Please consider donating and spread to your network asking them to donate here. Continue to check Haverhillchamber.com for updates on the program and a running list of new delivery, etc. options for local restaurants.

—————–

Dougan Sherwood and the team from the Haverhill Chamber have announced an effort to help deliver immediate financial support to local restaurants. This program has two parts:

1. A GoFundMe platform, which you can find here if you want to donate. The Chamber put in $2,500 to get it started.

2. A “Dollar-For-Dollar” Gift Card Matching Program. For any participating restaurant, if a customer buys a gift card, they will match the amount, dollar-for-dollar, up to $50. Each restaurant will have a cap of $250 that it can request reimbursement for on a daily basis. That means restaurants should be able to sell $500 worth of gift cards daily, so long as none exceed the $50 per customer rule, and earn $250 collectively from customers and claim $250 from the Chamber.

The chamber stated in a press release that is it is vital for them to raise more money to keep this program going. Consider making a donation to the GoFundMe page and share this with other members of the community. Refer to their website for daily updates.

 

Filed Under: Community, Food & Drink Tagged With: chamberofcommerce, foodie, Gift, Haverhill, Restaurant, Support

  • 1
  • 2
  • Next Page »

Current Issue

Who We Are

mvm is the region’s premier source of information about regional arts, culture and entertainment; food, dining and drink; community happenings, history and the people who live, work, play and make our area great.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Sections

  • Arts & Entertainment
  • Bridal
  • Community
  • Education
  • Fashion
  • Food & Drink
  • Health & Wellness
  • Home & Garden
  • MVMA
  • Perspectives
  • Travel

Links

  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • About Us
  • Regular Contributors
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Contact

© Copyright 2021 Merrimack Valley Media Group Inc. All rights reserved.

Orangetheory Fitness Chelmsford @DrumHill / (978) 577-5901

Orangetheory Fitness Methuen @The Loop / (978) 620-5850

Orangetheory Fitness Chelmsford @DrumHill / (978) 577-5901

Orangetheory Fitness Methuen @The Loop / (978) 620-5850

*Valid on new memberships during the month of September 2020.

 

Newsletter Signup

MERRIMACK VALLEY TODAY: Noteworthy. Local. News. (Launching May 2021)
Wellness Wednesdays
Eight Great Things To Do This Weekend (Thursdays)
NoteWorthy - Happenings, Movers & Shakers (Sundays)

Orangetheory Methuen is celebrating it’s one year anniversary with an
Open House, Saturday June 22 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Join your friends and neighbors to learn more about the fastest growing workout sensation in the nation. Tour the studio. Meet the coaches. Enter to win a 10 pack of classes. The first 20 people who sign up for a free class at the event will receive a free bonus class, no obligation. 

Click here to learn more! 

Click here to schedule your FREE CLASS in Chelmsford @DrumHill / (978) 577-5901
Click here to schedule your FREE CLASS in Methuen @The Loop / (978) 620-5850

*Free Class for first-time visitors and local residents only.