NJ SPICE

I get so many emails about events, far too many to post about, but every now and then I like to do a “roundup” of what is sitting in my inbox.

Two big events are coming up at Mercer County Park. These cultural events bookend the month, with Indian at the beginning and Italian at the end. What fun!

 – The annual Indo-American Fair takes place September 4 and 5.  It’s big, it’s noisy, and it’s full of the fragrance of great Indian food. Go get it.

 – It’s become an annual sellout event, this Labor Day Cool Vines wine dinner at Blue Point Grill.  What a nice way to celebrate our end-of-summer holiday on September 6.  In addition to the impeccable seafood the wines, all from Spain, sound really interesting. 

 – Here is an upcoming talk at the Princeton Senior Resource Center that sounds fascinating for all us lifelong learners: Titled “Food and Eating: What’s Cooking in Your Pot,” the speaker is Alan Mann, Professor of Anthropology at Princeton.  He teaches the course “Foodways: Biocultural Aspects of Human Diet,” and wrote the section on “The evolution of human diet” in the Encyclopedia of Food. 

Professor Mann will talk about the evolution of eating habits in human societies, and the ways human cultures conceptualize food and its consumption.  In our increasing diverse communities, we encounter, and sometimes avoid, new cuisines and exotic flavors.  The foods we eat, the food taboos of our neighbors, and the social habits of eating are often the basis of misunderstandings.

The talk is scheduled for 2:30 – 4 pm, September 15. This program is free, but it’s appreciated if you register by calling 609-924-7108.  A great topic, and sure to build multi-cultural understanding in our area.

 – Eno Terra’s Farm To Table dinner – Sunday September 19, benefits the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed.  It’s family style, two seatings (3 and 5pm), kids welcome, come on a bike and get a free gift.  Light fare and desserts are served by the canal, and there are tours of the Eno Terra Canal Farm, and Rockingham nearby. (Be sure to read the flyer and call the restaurant to buy your tickets ahead of time.)

 – At the end of September, the Italians take their turn, with the Mercer County Italian American Festival, September 24, 25, and 26.  Same idea as the Indian Mela (fair), different culture.  Go for it and do both –  Your kids will love you for it, even though you made them go back to school.

 – Also on September 26 (and I’ll be writing a preview In The Kitchen for the Packet, is the Epicurean Palette, a very grown up event at Grounds for Sculpture, organized by Rat’s Restaurant (whose chef Kevin Sbraga is still in the running on Top Chef.)  It’s the Palette’s tenth anniversary, and if you’ve never been, it is a truly lovely afternoon of delicious food and fine wines (and other goodies) in a spectacular art park setting.  Stay tuned for more on this.