October Events: Local Food Fests, Book Chats, and a Cranberry Harvest
Plan to get your school work done by Friday afternoons, because we’ve rounded up enough events to fill every weekend this month! From local food fests — featuring things like garlic, cranberries, and vegetarian foods — to gastronomic themed educational events, this October sure is a busy one. Some of the events listed below take place on the same weekend (hopefully it wont be too difficult to choose) and a couple extend beyond the Greater Boston Area (but are definitely worth the road trip). Calendars at the ready!
Please note that many of the following events require tickets or reservations.
When: Sunday, Oct. 6, 2013 from 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Where: Along the Rose Kennedy Greenway
What: Boston Local Food Festival is a free outdoor festival that showcases farmers, local restaurants, food trucks, specialty food producers, fisher folks, and organizations focusing on healthy food and fitness from New England. The festival also features lively chef & DIY demos, a seafood throwdown competition, diverse music and performances, family fun zone and more.
Author Chat for A Taste of Molecules: In Search of the Secrets of Flavor
When: Sunday, Oct. 6, 2:00 PM
Where: Harvard Coop Bookstore, Cambridge
What: Talk and tasting with Diane Fresquez, author of A Taste of Molecules: In Search of the Secrets of Flavor. Petites Madeleines will be provided by some students from the BU Gastronomy Program. One copy of the book will be given away to the person who can tell us their most interesting food memory story, or their most interesting cooking tip or trick (and the science behind it). Read the first chapter www.tasteofmolecules.com
…and a second talk…
When: Wednesday, Oct. 9, 5:30-8:00 PM
Where: Hawthorne Bar at Hotel Commonwealth, Boston
What: Informal chat with Diane Fresquez, author of A Taste of Molecules: In Search of the Secrets of Flavor. Find out how the pH scale relates to beer; what it’s like to dine in a dark restaurant; and why women are usually better than men at perceiving so-called boar taint. A special cocktail from the book featuring “dancing molecules” will be on the bar menu, so come for a taste and stay for the conversation.
Food for Thought: Eating for a Sustainable Planet and Personal Health Event
When: Thursday, Oct. 10, 2013 from 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Where: Sony Wonder Lab Theater, 550 Madison Avenue, NY, NY
What: An evening of networking, brainstorming, and intimate discussion led by three food and sustainability experts from Yale. Proceeds from the evening will benefit the Yale Sustainable Food Project and Just Food.
Change on the Menu: The Business of Good Food Webinar
When: Thursday, Oct. 10, 2:00 PM EST
Where: Online!
What: Join Chef Barton Seaver of the Harvard School of Public Health, Executive Chef Cliff Pleau of Seasons 52, and Arlin Wasserman, Principal and Founder of Changing Tastes, as they share Menus of Change™, a groundbreaking initiative developed by The Culinary Institute of America in collaboration with the Harvard School of Public Health. Together, the CIA and Harvard are working to create a long-term, practical vision for the integration of optimal nutrition and public health, environmental stewardship and restoration, and social responsibility concerns within the food service sector and beyond.
When: Saturday, Oct. 12, 2013, 3:00 – 6:30 PM
Where: Moakley U.S. Courthouse located on the Boston waterfront.
What: Affiliated with the Boston Local Food Festival, the Brewfest showcases more than 50 local craft brewers and food producers with an aim to highlight and promote local breweries, distilleries, cideries and other artisan craft beverages throughout New England.
Massachusetts Annual Cranberry Harvest Celebration
.jpg)
When: Saturday, Oct. 12, and Sunday, Oct. 13, 2013
Where: A Cranberry Bog, Wareham, Massachusetts
What: This event includes fall crafts, outdoor activities, food vendors, live music, paddleboat rides, and, best of all, a cranberry harvest!
The Garlic and Harvest Festival
When: Saturday, Oct. 12, and Sunday, Oct. 13, 2013 from 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Where: Bethlehem Fairgrounds, Bethlehem, Connecticut
What: This festival showcases garlic cooking demonstrations, live bands, garlic growing lectures, and plenty of garlic-themed food vendors. Fresh fall produce, including locally grown garlic, is available along with several garlic infused products like sausage, sandwiches, and even ice cream!
When: Oct. 4 – 14, 2013, with events throughout the day and into the evening
Where: Topsfield Fairgrounds, Topsfield, MA 01983
What: One of the oldest fairs in the nation, Topsfield Fair showcases agricultural and historical exhibits, live music, a midway full of good food and fun rides, as well as various contests including the All New England Pumpkin Weigh-Off!
When: Saturday, Oct. 19, and Sunday, Oct. 20, 2013, events throughout both days.
Where: Wellfleet, Cape Cod, MA (see event site for individual event locations)
What: This two-day street party celebrates the town’s famous oysters, clams and shellfishing traditions and brings together locals and visitors alike for a weekend full of hometown flavor and big time fun. Various events are ongoing in separate locations and include beachcombing and bird walks, cooking demonstrations, tasting seminars, book talks, an Oyster Shuck-Off competition and oyster grant tours.
Boston Vegetarian Food Festival
When: Saturday, Oct. 26, 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM and Sunday, Oct. 27, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Where: Reggie Lewis Athletic Center, 1350 Tremont Street, Boston, Massachusetts
What: A two day festival featuring national speakers, guest chefs, and local producers. Learn about vegetarian and vegan lifestyles, new foods and products on the market, and taste plenty of veg-friendly samples. Best Part: Free admission!
Harvard Science and Cooking Lecture Series
When: Dates vary, but all talks begin at 7:00 PM unless otherwise noted.
Where: Harvard Science Center (One Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, Hall C & overflow Hall E)
What: A lecture series combining the expertise of food specialists, world-renowned chefs, and Harvard researchers. Lectures vary from week to week and are open to the public.
Monday, Oct. 7, 2013
“Playing with Taste through Browning”
Carme Ruscadella, Sant Pau, Sant Pau de Tòquio
Monday, Oct. 14, 2013
“Viscosity & Polymers”
Carles Tejedor, Via Veneto
Monday, Oct. 21, 2013
“Elasticity”
Enric Rovira, Master Chocolatier
Ruben Alvarez, Master Chocolatier
Monday, Oct. 28, 2013
“Emulsions: Concepts of Stabilizing Oil & Water”
Nandu Jubany, Can Jubany
Be sure to share any food events you find by commenting below or on the BU Gastronomy Facebook page. Show us what you eat this month by following us on Instagram and using the hashtag #bugastronomy.