WHAT:            

Around the world February 2^nd marks the point between the winter solstice and spring equinox, and is regarded as a superstitious day in various cultures. In the United States the groundhog’s shadow predicts the arrival of spring, but in Mexico it is “Día de la Candelaria” (Day of the Candles), a celebration based on religious influences, pagan traditions and weather superstitions that celebrates spring’s arrival! Candles are blessed and lit to mark the end of the holiday season and families gather to eat tamales, a recipe that has been enjoyed for thousands of years!

On Thursday, February 2^nd, 2012 from 5:00PM—10:00PM, celebrate this tradition with Olé Mexican Grill located in Cambridge, MA and Zócalo Cocina Mexicana located in Boston, MA. Guests will enjoy a candlelit feast featuring a menu of sweet and savory tamales, a traditional “Día de la Candelaria” dish prepared with seasoned meat, vegetables, chilies or cheese wrapped in cornmeal dough and steamed in cornhusks.

Even if the groundhog sees his shadow and there’s a long winter ahead, you’ll still have something to celebrate at Olé and Zócalo!

WHEN:

Thursday, February 2^nd 2012, from 5:00PM – 10:00PM.

INFO:             

Reservations are recommended by calling Olé Mexican Grill (617) 492-4495 or Zócalo Cocina Mexicana (617) 456-7849.

WHERE:

Olé Mexican Grill, 11 Springfield Street, Cambridge, MA 02139 and

China Blossom’s Valentine’s Day take-out menu will feature an unrestricted selection of its freshly prepared menu. Spice up your night with shrimp, chicken and scallops sautéed in Kung Pao sauce with peanuts, diced peppers and celery ($16.25) or Curry Chicken sautéed with onions and peapods in a light yellow curry sauce ($11.95). If your sweet heart has more of a sweet tooth, try China Blossom’s Orange Chicken ($12.95) or Sweet & Sour Chicken or Pork topped with pineapple and a homemade sweet & sour sauce ($11.95). Or, for a dish that represents a perfect marriage between the two, try Beef with Fresh Basil and Hot Pepper Sauce, sautéed in Chinese cooking wine for a sweet and spicy Thai flavor. Dress up (or down) to impress your date and dine by candlelight or lounge in the living room. Dim the lights to set the mood and open your favorite wine as you enjoy authentic Asian cuisine at home!

WHEN:             Tuesday, February 14^th, 2012 from 11:30AM – 9:30PM.

WHERE:           China Blossom, 946 Osgood St., North Andover, MA

COST:              Visit www.chinablossom.com or call 978-682-2242 for menu prices.

RSVP:              No reservations necessary! Please call 978-682-2242 to place your order and pick up in 15-20 minutes. China Blossom delivers to certain residential areas in Andover, North Andover, West Boxford and Bradford, Massachusetts. Please allow up to 1 hour 15 minutes for delivery orders during peak hours, rush hours and/or winter weather.

WHAT:             On Saturday, January 28th, 2012 from 12:00PM to 5:00PM, The Wine ConneXtion, located in North Andover, MA, welcomes guests for a complimentary tasting of Lafite Rothschild, the famed wine label whose Bordeaux’s regularly fetch five figures. This winemaker is synonymous with excellence and since 1962 has been branching out from its renowned investor wines to offer imports for the wine enthusiast on a budget! It’s the wine equivalent of an affordable Ferrari or Chanel purse, and visitors of The Wine ConneXtion will get to try it for free!

At “Around the Globe with Lafite Rothschild’s Imports,” guests will enjoy a diverse range of Rothschild’s wines, from their best from France to the great wines they produce in Chile and Argentina, while sampling complimentary cuisine from Sultan Mediterranean Café located in North Andover, MA. The event is part of The Wine ConneXtion’s weekly Saturday tasting series and reflects its willingness to educate customers and refine their tastes.

Don’t miss this special opportunity to taste the very best in wine at the place with the best wine selection on the North Shore!

WHERE:           The Wine ConneXtion, 117 Main Street, North Andover, MA 01845

WHEN:             Saturday, January 28th, 2012; 12:00PM-5:00PM

On Tuesday, February 7th, 2012, The Beehive presents “Belly Dancing at The Beehive,” featuring cuisine, libations and entertainment highlighting Middle Eastern culture. Join The Beehive for a celebration of Middle Eastern music and belly dancing featuring music by The Pharohs and nationally known belly dancer Phaedra Rose and guests.

The soul of the Middle East comes alive at 8:00PM with the sounds of The Pharohs, an international Armenian & Middle Eastern ensemble inspired by Middle Eastern, Arabic, Greek, Armenian and Israeli music. While The Pharohs perform, watch a mesmerizing belly dance performance by the steamy, seductive and mystical belly dancer, Phaedra Rose.

Enjoy the lovely melodies of the evening with Executive Chef Rebecca Newell’s perfectly accompanied Middle Eastern fare with specials such as lamb-filled Moroccan cigars, mezze platters and The Beehive’s house couscous. Enjoy some of The Beehive’s winter cocktails or relax with an ice cold beer.

WHERE: The Beehive, 541 Tremont Street, Boston, MA 02116 | P. 617.423.0069

WHEN: Tuesday, February 7th, 2012, Doors/Dinner: 5:00PM, Live Music 8:00PM to 12:00AM

COST: No cover charge, cash bar, dinner reservations recommended.

WHAT:             This year don’t be tied down by only one night of Valentine’s Day celebrations!  The Beehive, located in Boston’s South End, will be presenting “5 Days of Luv’n!” A 5-day long love fest of Valentine’s Day inspired brunches and dinners accompanied by romantic live music and menu specials including: “My Heart Beets Crab Salad” with beets, hearts of palm & sugar snap peas, Rack of Lamb for Two with salsa verde, roasted potatoes & blood orange salad, and Roasted Sea Scallop with spinach & truffle pommes puree, just to name a few. Pair the brunch or dinner of your choice with one of New England’s most extensive and unique champagne lists! So come one, come all, and make your plans early for 5-days of true Luv’n. Reservations are highly recommended, and can be made by calling 617-423-0069.

Performance Schedule:

Friday, February 10th, 2012:
•    Romantic Early Jazz Set: 6:30PM – 8:30PM
•    Valentine’s Day 5 Days of Luv’n featuring Natalie John: 10:00PM – 2:00AM

Saturday, February 11th, 2012:
•    Saturday Jazz Romance Brunch: 10:30AM – 3:00PM
•    Romantic Early Jazz Set: 6:30PM – 8:30PM
•    Valentine’s Day 5 Days of Luv’n featuring Cumbiagra: 10:00PM – 2:00AM

Sunday, February 12th, 2012:
•    Sunday Jazz Romance Brunch: 10:30AM – 3:00PM
•    Valentine’s Day Blues on Sunday with Bruce Bears & Friends: 8:00PM – 12:00AM

Monday, February 13th:
•    Valentine’s Day 5 Days of Luv’n with Gabriella Martina: 8:00PM – 12:00AM

Tuesday, February 14th:
•    Valentine’s Day 5 Days of Luv’n Romantic Early Jazz Set with Maxim Lubarsky Piano Trio: 5:30PM – 7:30PM
•    Valentine’s Day 5 Days of Luv’n with Daniel McClain: 8:00PM – 12:00AM

WHERE:           The Beehive, 541 Tremont Street, Boston, MA 02116 | P. 617.423.0069

WHEN:             Friday, February 10th, 2012 – Tuesday, February 14th, 2012

INFO:              Reservations are highly recommended by calling 617-423-0069

Each of the 12 single-session classes has a unique focus. Students can learn the basics of broiling with b.good Co-Founder Tony Rosenfeld, the science of sinless sweets with TV Chef Bernard Kinsella or the lowdown on low-cal options with classically trained Pastry Chef Suzi Parks. Everything from desserts and stews to organics and comfort foods will be covered. Classes, which run either in the afternoon or night depending on the course, will be interactive and hands-on.

You’ll wow your friends with recipes and tips from the very best in the business, and you’ll benefit from an improved diet! Don’t miss this chance to jumpstart 2012 with a healthy and hearty appetite. Please visit www.bcae.org or call 617-267-4430 to reserve a spot.

WHERE:           Boston Center for Adult Education | 122 Arlington, Street | Boston, MA 02116

WHEN:             January 10th, 6PM-9PM, Gourmet at Home
January 12th, 6PM-9PM, Light Comfort Foods
January 18th, 6PM-9PM, Stir Fry and Sauté Techniques
January 24th, 6PM-9PM, Skinny Jeans: Healthy Dinners and Desserts
January 25th, 6PM-9PM, Gluten Free Cooking
January 31st, 6PM-9PM, Hearty Wintry Soups and Stews
February 4th, 10AM-1PM, Cooking Outside the Box with Boston Organics
February 8th, 6PM-9PM, Delightful Dinners for 2
February 15th, 6PM-9PM, Turn up the Heat: Broiling Techniques
February 22nd, 6PM-9PM, Sinless Sweets
February 25th, 10AM-1PM, Cooking with Beans, Lentils and Grains
February 29th, 6PM-9PM, Fix, Freeze, Feast: 4 Dinners To-Go

COST:              $40-$55/$33-$45 for members/$10-$25 for materials (prices vary by class)

RSVP:              Registration is necessary. Please visit www.bcae.org or call the Boston Center for Adult Education at 617-267-4430 to sign up.

WHAT:             On Sunday, January 29th, 2012 from 4:00PM to 7:00PM, China Blossom, located in North Andover, MA, and the Andover Chinese Cultural Exchange (ACCE) will celebrate the Chinese New Year with a festival sponsored by Yang’s Martial Arts. The Chinese New Year celebration is  centuries old and the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. More than anything, the Chinese New Year is a time to bring family together for feasting and celebration, and China Blossom will highlight this with authentic cuisine as well as various Asian traditions.

Guests will indulge in a dim sum buffet while they enjoy butt-kicking gong fu (kung fu) and lion dance demonstrations, as well as traditional Chinese dances and live cultural music. World-renowned player Zhan-tao Lin will wow the crowd with the Er-hu, which is similar to a violin with an exception of two strings. Lin is a professional musician from China who has won many competitions and performs broadly in the New England area, including at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Ma. In addition, celebrated musician Shin-Yi Yang is sure to please with the Gu-zheng, an ancient Chinese instrument that has strings that are plucked like a guitar’s. Yang is the founder of the Boston Guzheng Ensemble and the two-time winner of the Traditional Arts Apprenticeship given by the Massachusetts Cultural Council’s Folk Arts and Heritage Program. After you’ve had your fill of live entertainment, get the whole family involved with calligraphy and children’s crafts and don’t go home empty handed! There will be giveaways all evening!

Tickets are $25 per person (Senior and children pricing is available: Seniors, $20, Under 11, $15, Under 5, $9). Proceeds will benefit the ACCE, a non-profit community group dedicated to introducing Chinese culture. ACCE provides educational opportunities and support for charitable causes in the Merrimack Valley.

Seating is limited. To reserve early call Richard SooHoo, President of the ACCE at 978-470-2293 or email richsoohoo@aol.com.

Don’t miss this great opportunity to celebrate the Year of the Dragon and gain perspective on Chinese art, cuisine, and culture!

SCHEDULE:
4:00PM-6:00PM:            Ongoing Events & Live Performances:
Calligraphy with the Chinese American Fine Arts Society of Boston
Children’s Crafts
Lion Dance from Yang’s Martial Arts
Chinese Folk Dance Group
Gong Fu (Kung Fu) from Yang’s Martial Arts
Solo Dance Performances
Er-hu (Chinese Violin) Performance from Zhan-tao Lin
Gu-Zheng (Zither) Performance from Shin-Yi Yang
Chinese New Year Sing-Along

6:00PM-7:00PM:            Buffet dinner featuring traditional dim sum

WHEN:             Sunday, January 29, 2012 from 4:00PM to 7:00PM.

WHERE:           China Blossom, 946 Osgood St., North Andover, MA

COST:              Tickets are $25 per person (Senior and children pricing is available: Seniors, $20, Under 11, $15, Under 5, $9).

RSVP:              Seating is limited. To reserve early call Richard SooHoo, President of the ACCE at 978-470-2293 or email richsoohoo@aol.com.

(BOSTON, MA) — On Saturday, January 21st, 2012, from 12:00PM to 4:00PM the Boston Center for Adult Education (BCAE) will hold “Unplugged & Uncensored: An Insider’s Guide to the Music Industry,” the center’s inaugural music symposium for emerging musicians, industry professionals or simply those wishing to learn the tricks of the music trade. Open to students of all levels, the symposium will cover topics ranging from finding your voice, crafting meaningful lyrics and even turning G-clef’s into dollar signs in classes taught by some of the area’s most recognized musicians and industry professionals.

The symposium will be hosted by Ralph Jaccodine, Co-Founder of the Boston Manager’s Group and Black Wolf Records. Jaccodine, an expert in managing artists in all aspects of the music business, has worked with musicians such as Ellis Paul, The Push Stars, Vinx and others over the past 20 years.

The afternoon will feature seven speakers in total. Ayla Brown, American Idol Finalist and voice of the Philadelphia 76ers; Ellis Paul, one of New England’s top song-writing experts and winner of an unprecedented 14 Boston Music Awards; and Vinx, international recording artist, Olympic athlete and Berklee College of Music professor, will focus on the artist’s experience and finding your voice.

The remaining speakers, including Jaccodine, Dave Herlihy, lead singer of O Positive and Northeastern University School of Law professor; Matt Smith, Managing Director of Club Passim in Cambridge, MA; and Phil Antoniates, President and Founder of Nimbit, Inc., will detail the inner workings of the industry. Before the end of the day, students will have the chance to mingle and converse with presenters in a Q&A session. Light refreshments will be provided.

The 2012 symposium will be held at the Boston Center for Adult Education, located at 122 Arlington Street, Boston, MA. The cost of the symposium is a one-time fee of $55 and includes panel discussions ranging from the artist’s experience to business tips, as well as the chance to network with the event’s speakers. Attendance will be capped at 100 students.

This one-day only event is a unique opportunity for artists to get advice on how to take their acts out of the garage and onto the stage. Stop hoping to get discovered and prepare to join the music industry by hearing from those who are thriving in it!    WHERE:           Boston Center for Adult Education, 122 Arlington Street, Boston MA, 02116.

WHEN:             Saturday, January 21st, 2012 from 12:00PM to 4:00PM.                         COST:              The cost is only $55 and includes panel discussions with award-winning musicians, record label executives and expert song-writers, followed by a chance to network with all the event’s speakers.

REGISTRATION:           Registration is now open. For more information please call the Boston Center for Adult Education directly at 617-267-4430 or visit www.BCAE.org to sign up.

SCHEDULE:

12:00PM-12:15PM: Opening remarks with Ralph Jaccodine.

12:15PM-12:45PM: “American Idol & After,” instructed by Ayla Brown.  Alya will discuss her trip into the world of American Idol and her steps towards building a career afterwards.

1:00PM-1:30PM: “What’s In the Words,” instructed by Ellis Paul. In this guide to crafting meaningful lyrics and becoming a successful songwriter, Ellis will discuss how he became one of the top names in the songwriting business, his story, exercises and warnings.

1:30-1:45: Break

1:45PM-2:45PM: “The Business of Music,” a panel discussion with Dave Herlihy, Phil Antoniates, Matt Smith and Ralph Jaccodine. Panelists will lead a discussion on managing and growing a career in the music industry. Topics will include making money in the music industry, record labels, the legal aspects of the industry, the distribution of free music, booking dos and don’ts, the art publicity and developing a fan base.

2:45PM-3:15PM: “The Musician as Artist,” instructed by Vinx. Learn about finding your voice, your truth and surviving it.

3:15PM-3:30PM: Wrap Up with Ralph Jaccodine

3:30PM-4:00PM: Open Q&A: Participants will mingle and converse with presenters. Light refreshments will be provided.

WHERE:                       The Beacon Hill Hotel & Bistro | 25 Charles Street, Boston, MA 02114 | 617-723-7575 |  www.beaconhillhotel.com.

WHEN:                         Beginning Sunday, January 8th, 2012 and available every Sunday from 5:30PM- 10:00PM until the spring.

COST:                          $26.00 per pot

RECIPE:                       Classic Fondue in French style

Ingredients:

3 oz dry white wine (Domaine Giachino Abymes from the Savoie)

Pinch kosher

Salt

2 grinds white pepper, from a mill

5 passes fresh grated nutmeg

2 ounces Bergkäse Alpenblumer, grated

2 ounces Emmentaler, grated

2 ounces Gruyére Vieux, grated

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 tsp Kirschwasser

1/2 Tablespoon cornstarch

Directions:   Make a slurry with the Kirschwasser and the cornstarch. It should be thick, but pourable. Use more or less Kirschwasser to get a consistency you like. Set at the ready, next to the stove.

In an enameled cast iron fondue pot, add the wine, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Bring to a boil and add the grated cheese all at once. Whisk over heat until the cheese has melted. Add the minced garlic.  Whisk in your slurry, a little at a time, until the fondue has a pleasant texture.  Adjust the seasoning and serve hot.

WHAT:

                        Please call 978-687-1789, or visit http://www.chinablossom.com for more information or to purchase tickets. Tickets are $75 per person and include an all-you-can-eat dinner, comedy show, live entertainment, giveaways and a champagne toast at midnight.

                        Special hotel rates of $99 are available at the Wyndham Boston Andover with transportation to and from the event and a full breakfast included in the room rate. Call 978-975-3600 for information and reservations.

WHERE:  China Blossom, 946 Osgood Street, North Andover, MA 01845; 978-682-2242

WHEN: New Year’s Eve, Saturday, December 31^st, 2011 from 9:30PM to 2:00AM.

COST: $75 per person includes all-you-can-eat dinner, DJ and dancing, live vocal performance and comedy show.

RSVP: RSVP is required. Please visit http://www.chinablossom.com to purchase tickets.