August 2021 – Page 7

Album Reviews 21/08/12

Lex Leosis, Terracotta [EP] (self-released)

This female alternative hip-hopper is a long-board enthusiast from California by way of Canada, and her passive-aggressive flows have made her a real up and comer. Two of the songs (the Billie Eilish-ish “Won’t Wait” and the flighty-bassline-powered “Wanted”) were produced by Rainer Blanchaer (Drake, The Weeknd), who became a constant in her life during lockdown. If he’s into her, that should be plenty excuse for you to give this a shot. A

Wavves, Hideaway (Fat Possum Records)

Nathan Williams runs this San Diego indie band, a trio you’ve almost assuredly heard about before. The narrative he’d like us critics to front is that although he’s still the same kid who had an ecstacy-and-Valium-fueled meltdown at a 2009 Barcelona rock festival and had a remarkable streak of hooky beach-garage noise-pop broken by a too-glossy major-label attempt, he’s now old enough to have finally figured out that, oh gosh, just like anyone else ever born, he’s his own worst enemy. Did you enjoy that little Pitchfork-ish segue? I didn’t, so let’s see if the band sounds noise-grunge awesome, like in the old days, or kind of commercial emo, like in the more recent past. Gack, what the heck is this, “Sinking Feeling” is kind of twee, isn’t it? “Thru Hell” sounds like Hives after their moms forced them to get haircuts; “Honeycomb” sounds like commercial jungle meant to entice hipsters to eat Corn Flakes. Ack, ack, all set with this. C

PLAYLIST

• Even though it is a Friday the 13th, Aug. 13 is the next general-record-release Friday. I’m totally sure that bodes well for what awaits me when I check my list of things to review, and I won’t be disappointed. In fact, it is the only Friday the 13th of 2021, so I’ll probably get a double-whammy dose of awful, but, subject change, did you know that historians and folklore often have drunken brawls over whether the superstitious fear of Friday the 13th is actually based on the date of the Last Supper or the arrest of the Knights Templar in 1307? For me, I will attribute it to the release date of the new Willie Nile album The Day The Earth Stood Still, because I have to talk about it right now and I have no idea who he is. I don’t feel too bad about it, because the 73-year-old alt-folk singer-songwriter actually is pretty obscure, as well as being a philosophy major from Buffalo, New York. Please hold while I try to find an angle on this, if there even is one. OK, Wikipedia wants to Rickroll me into looking up some band called the Worry Dolls, but I won’t, let’s just say that his obscurity and six-year hiatus after getting sued or whatever in 1981 has made him into one of those “only cool, edgy musicians know about him,” being that Loudon Wainwright III, Roger McGuinn, and members of the Hooters and the Roches have helped him make albums. Stuff like that instantly brings out my cleverly hidden inner skeptic, but let’s have a go at “Blood On Your Hands,” which is guested by Steve Earle. It’s a boring old-school blues-rocker that someone like Jimmy Barnes would have thrown in the trash, meaning this Friday the 13th is probably just getting started being a Friday the 13th for me.

• Watch me perform critic magic with the following bon mot: Devendra Banhart & Noah Georgeson’s new album, Refuge, should just be considered a Devendra Banhart album, because Noah Georgeson is his constant producer. Of course, being that this is an ambient album comprised of slow techno loops and no vocals, I wouldn’t want it to be considered part of my legacy either, if I were Devendra Banhart, and I would definitely blame the really stupid video (big, gross snails crawling around on old Greek statues and generally being slimy and yucky) on Noah Georgeson. Thus, folks, the power of being a famous artist: If you have an urge to make a really pointless career move, always have someone else around to hold the bag.

• After releasing nine records, somewhere along the line this year, alternative-country singer-strummer Suzie Ungerleider got tired of calling herself Oh Susanna, mostly because one of her wine-mom friends finally got around to telling her that there’s a complicated racial history behind the song “Oh! Susanna.” So now she is Suzie Ungerleider, whether or not the critics will spell it right (some of them won’t, just to be jerks). In an act of quiet desperation, her new album is titled My Name Is Suzie Ungerleider, which will probably fix everything (it won’t). She’s originally from lovely, sparkly, rustic Northampton, Mass., but is now Canadian, but I will forgive her for that and listen to her new single, “Baby Blues.” I’ll try to be nice: The tune is sleepy, boring and hookless, and her voice is a cross between Dolly Parton and Lisa Loeb.

• Last but not least is British electronic musician Jungle, whose new album, Loving In Stereo, is coming out tomorrow. Despite his name, his style is electronic neo-soul, and the single “Talk About It” is actually really cool, like a Covid-mask-muffled amalgam of ’70s stuff like Bee Gees and Cornelius Brothers. You should check it out.

Retro Playlist

Exactly 14 years ago, this space was, if I recall, something of a catch-as-catch-can fricassee of random reviews. This was way before my stream-of-half-consciousness Playlist segment came into play, and come to think of it, some of this stuff may have ended up in one of the New Times newspapers or someplace else, but either way, let’s first revisit my magma-hot take on Humanity Hour 1, an album that had just streeted from legendary German hard-rockers Scorpions “(or is it just ‘Scorpions’ with no ‘the’, the original riddle of the Sphynx).” I was a bit fascinated with the fact that the band had fallen from the heavens by then; they were managed by Lieber & Krebs, who also handled Aerosmith and most of the other arena-rawk bands of the ’70s and ’80s, but suddenly here they were, “slumming it” on Universal Records. The results? Well, I noted, they were back. But “OK, not as super-far ‘back’ as [they were situated] when Michael Schenker had to cut elementary school classes so he could go into the studio and lay down the lead guitar heroics of ‘Speedy’s Coming,’ but … no, not as ‘back’ as the Animal Magnetism album either, you remember, with ‘The Zoo’ and all.” I’ll stop: basically they were back to doing tedious “No One Like You”-ish ballads, about 12 or so years after they’d become extinct. So I gave it a C+ grade (in principle it deserved lower, really).

That week I also riffed a bit on an album I rather liked, Victorious, from the Swedish band The Perishers. I loved basically everything I was sent from Nettwerk Records, and these guys were the types to spend “countless torturous nights writing their material, resulting in the sort of regal air that most indie bands try to fake through ‘experimental’ shock and awe.” Turned out to be their last album, much the pity. Sigh.

If you’re in a local band, now’s a great time to let me know about your EP, your single, whatever’s on your mind. Let me know how you’re holding yourself together without being able to play shows or jam with your homies. Send a recipe for keema matar. Message me on Twitter (@esaeger) or Facebook (eric.saeger.9).

Summertime gose

Tart and refreshing for your taste buds

Whoa, it’s mid-August. When did that happen?

That can only mean one thing: Pumpkin-flavored beer is right around the corner.

Honestly, I’m kidding. It’s not right around the corner. It’s already on the shelves.

But let’s forget about pumpkin beer for a moment, shall we?

We’re still very much in the thick of summer. The temperature supports me. You still have time to get to the beach or the pool. It’s hot and it’s humid and there’s no reason to turn the page to fall. Pumpkin can wait.

I’ve found myself drinking a lot of session IPAs and a lot of Pilsners over the past month or so and decided I needed to shake things up. When it comes to beer, nothing shakes up your taste buds quite like a sour brew. And within the sour realm, nothing screams summer quite like a gose: tart, salty and refreshing.

A style the German Beer Institute says is about 1,000 years old, it is perhaps most defined by its saltiness. Food & Wine wrote in a 2016 article the brew’s name stems from the river Gose in Germany and that the beer’s original saltiness was probably a product of “mineral-rich aquifers” in the town of Goslar, where the brew originated. Today, though, brewers just, you know, add salt.

That characteristic tartness and salinity of a gose just wakes you up and kind of whacks you around — sometimes you need that, especially when it’s still blistering hot out.

In terms of summertime sours, it’s awfully difficult to beat Dogfish Head’s SeaQuench Ale, which is a session sour. The combination of bright and tart lime and sea salt just refreshes right to the bone and leaves you begging for another sip (or can). Paste Magazine refers to it as tasting “like a margarita without all the sugar and it makes me want to go straight to the beach.”

That is just a winning description and the beer really epitomizes what I’m looking for from a sour during the summer months: bright, tart, refreshing, flavorful and unique. Also, the gose style is typically brewed with a very low ABV, allowing you to enjoy a few without getting bogged down.

Here are a few gose brews to bring with you as you savor the remaining beach days.

Margarita Gose by Great Rhythm Brewing Co. (Portsmouth)

Apparently I have a thing for that lime-sea salt combination. This one also blends in orange flavor in an extremely light, very, very drinkable package. A perfect summer brew.

Poppy’s Moonship on Blackberries by Schilling Beer Co. (Littleton)

This is just an exciting brew. The pour is a bright red, and the blackberries add extra layers of richness and tartness. Despite the added richness, this is very sessionable.

Love is Love Gose by Great North Aleworks (Manchester)

There’s that lime-salt combination again. This “slightly tart” wheat beer is brewed with sea salt, coriander and lime. The brew screams refreshing. The super low ABV makes it OK to have a couple.

Sour Lime Ale by Portsmouth Brewery (Portsmouth)

This is another gose that relies on lime juice — and zest — to produce a thirst-quenching and tart brew. At just 3 percent ABV, well, I’m not going to tell you how many you can have.

E09 Blueberry Lemon Gose by 603 Brewery (Londonderry)

As much as I love the flavor of lime in a gose, the blueberry-lemon combination here works really well. This is a fun brew that will delight your palate.

What’s in My Fridge

Lemongrass Lager by Jack’s Abby Craft Lagers (Framingham, Mass.)
I had one of these after a particularly frustrating round of grass cutting on a hot day, and yeah, this was a winner. With fresh lemony flavor, this just slides right down your throat so easily, it’s a little scary. Great summer beer; great anytime beer. Cheers!

Featured photo: Summer in a can. SeaQuench Ale by Dogfish Head Brewery. Courtesy photo.

Fresh peach slump

Last week I wrote about fresh peach scones, which are a delicious way to start your day. Now I have a recipe for fresh peach slump — a delectable way to end your day. At the height of peach season, there’s really no better way to start and end the day than with peach-centric dishes.

Slumps are newer to my cooking repertoire. Typically when I am making a fruit-based dessert, I lean toward crisps. I enjoy the combination of brown sugar and oats that top them. However, I was asked by a friend if I could create a slump, and from that, this recipe was created. Just as with a crisp, the focus is on the gently cooked fruit. However, instead of oats and brown sugar, there’s a tender, sweet biscuit coating.

Served with some freshly made (or straight from the can) whipped cream, it’s the perfect ending to a summer meal.

Michele Pesula Kuegler has been thinking about food her entire life. Since 2007, the New Hampshire native has been sharing these food thoughts and recipes at her blog, Think Tasty. Visit thinktasty.com to find more of her recipes.

Fresh peach slump
Serves 8

For the filling:
4 cups peaches, pitted and diced
½ cup granulated sugar
2½ Tablespoons cornstarch
½ teaspoon salt

For the dumplings:
1½ cups all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup cold butter, diced
½ cup milk
½ teaspoon vanilla
⅓ cup water

Place the peaches in a large skillet or Dutch oven.
In a small bowl combine the sugar, cornstarch and salt; sprinkle over the peaches.
Place the Dutch oven (or skillet) on a burner over a medium heat until the peaches begin simmering.
Stir occasionally and gently, simmering for 10 minutes; remove from heat.
Whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl.
Add the butter and combine using a pastry blender, two forks or your fingers until butter is reduced to the size of peas.
Add the milk and vanilla, and stir until just combined.
Divide the dough into eight pieces and place evenly over the peach mixture.
Add 1/3 cup water, pouring between dumplings.
Return the pot to the stove and bring to a low simmer.
Cover fully with a lid and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until dumplings are puffy and cooked through.
Uncover and let sit for 15 minutes before serving.
If desired, sprinkle the top of each dumpling with cinnamon and sugar or serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

Photo: Peach slump. Courtesy photo.

Lynne Donnelly

Lynne Donnelly of Litchfield is the owner of Bittersweet Bake Shoppe (272 Derry Road, Litchfield, 978-649-2253, bittersweetbakeshoppe.com), a small-batch bakery offering a wide selection of sweet and savory items. A longtime Litchfield resident, Donnelly moved her operations to a new storefront last December after being in Tyngsboro, Mass., for about 16 years. You’ll find everything at Bittersweet Bake Shoppe from cookies, cake pops, pies and cakes to quiches, stuffed croissants and soups and stews in the fall and winter. The shop also carries various retail items, such as sauces, jams, mustards and chocolates, and accepts custom cake orders with a preferred advance notice of a week to 10 days.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

A spatula, specifically a frosting spatula.

What would you have for your last meal?

It would have to be something with ketchup.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

The Bedford Village Inn. I usually look at the chef’s specials. I always try to venture out from something that I couldn’t cook at home.

What celebrity would you like to see visiting your shop?

Steven Tyler. He probably doesn’t even eat sweets, but I’ve just always been a big fan of his.

What is your personal favorite thing that you offer?

If I had to narrow it down, I would have to say all of the celebration cakes, with the crazy artwork. Little kids’ birthday cakes are always fun. They are stacked like wedding cakes with all these different characters sticking out of them.

What is the biggest food trend in New Hampshire right now?

My savory baked croissants are really popular right now. I would say those, and also whoopie pies.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

Anything Italian. I like to do different forms of from-scratch pasta with sauces from tomatoes in my garden.

Apple cheddar squares
From the kitchen of Lynne Donnelly of Bittersweet Bake Shoppe in Litchfield

1½ cups flour
1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup brown sugar
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ cup soft butter
6 ounces cheese
2½ cups sliced apples (about 3 medium apples)
¾ cup sugar
½ cup nuts, chopped

Mix together flour, graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, baking soda and butter. Press half of the mixture into a 13×9-inch pan. Layer the cheese, sliced apples (tossed in the sugar) and nuts. Top with the other half of the mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.

Featured photo: Lynne Donnelly

Capital City pies

Lucky Moose Casino & Tavern opens in Nashua

More than a decade after he brought Dos Amigos Burritos to downtown Concord, Joel Harris is introducing an all-new concept just a few blocks up the street: a full-service dine-in restaurant featuring brick-oven artisan pizzas, appetizers and other items made with local ingredients.

The New Hampshire Pizza Co., opening soon in the former Crazy Goat space on North Main Street, will also have selections of local craft beers and specialty cocktails, as well as a selection of salads and multiple flavors of its own ice cream made on site.

“I’ve really come to love Concord … and I felt like full-service family-friendly brick-oven pizza would be a great addition to the city’s dining scene,” said Harris, who opened the first Dos Amigos location in Portsmouth in 2003 before coming to the Capital City four years later. “The goal for the restaurant is to really make it a showpiece for the state of New Hampshire. Being in the capital, we want to serve New Hampshire beers and liquor. The decor is going to be New Hampshire-focused, [and] we want to use local ingredients as much as possible on our pizzas.”

Harris, along with his head chef, Rylan Hill, said the pair traveled to several iconic pizzerias and restaurants in the Brooklyn, New York, and New Haven, Connecticut, areas to try out some of the best pizzas they could find. Hill had also worked a stint at Luigi’s West End Pizza in Portsmouth, which Jay McSharry, Harris’s partner at Dos Amigos, is also part owner of.

Harris described the pizza’s style as “a hybrid between New York and Neapolitan,” with likely at least two sizes and both traditional and specialty pies available, from a classic cheese to an eggplant pizza, a sausage and smoked ricotta pizza and a Hawaiian pizza with grilled pineapple and prosciutto. Gluten-free crusts and vegan pizza options are in the works, too.

Among the featured appetizers will be Buffalo-style wings served three ways: traditional chicken wings, pork “wings” (pork shank) and a vegetarian option with cauliflower. There will also be charcuterie board options highlighting local meats and cheeses, and likely three or four varieties of both individual and family-sized salads.

For dessert, Harris said the plan is to begin offering homemade ice cream, from classics like vanilla and chocolate, to more inventive flavors, like basil or Parmesan ice cream.

The New Hampshire Pizza Co. will operate mostly as a sit-down restaurant with wait service, an open kitchen and a full bar. Harris said he also expects to utilize the eatery’s back door alleyway for pickup orders in order to eliminate the need for parking downtown.

“I’m really excited for this. This is definitely going to be a new venture for me, going from counter service to the sit-down full service,” Harris said. “I feel like we’re going to be able to provide Concord-area residents and visitors with a different experience … and we hope people will embrace us as we try to present the best of our state.”

New Hampshire Pizza Co.

An opening date is expected to be announced in the coming weeks. Visit their website or follow them on social media for updates.

Where: 76 N. Main St., Concord
Hours: TBA
More info: Visit newhampshirepizzaco.com, or follow them on Facebook and Instagram @nhpizzaco

Featured photo: Courtesy photo.

Flavors of summer

Great New England BBQ & Food Truck Festival returns

Following a successful 2020 event despite social distancing regulations in place, the Great New England BBQ & Food Truck Festival is back, this year adding even more local food and beer vendors, games and activities. The third annual event is happening on Saturday, Aug. 14, at the Hampshire Dome in Milford, and will include food trucks, an afternoon of live local music, multiple craft and artisan vendors, a cornhole tournament and more.

“We were extremely happy with the outcome last year. I think people were so relieved to be able to get out safely and comfortably,” festival organizer Jody Donohue said. “We’re using both the inside and outside of the [Hampshire] Dome this year, so we have more space than before.”

Food trucks will be set up around the perimeter of the dome’s parking lot, with a diverse array of offerings, including several local to New Hampshire and others coming from nearby New England states. Prime Time Grilled Cheese, for example, has been an attendee favorite since the festival’s inception with its specialty grilled cheeses and “dessert” sandwiches like grilled s’mores and Fluffernutters. They’ll be back this year, along with Jayrard’s Java Cafe, a mobile trailer specializing in premium Costa Rican coffees and organic teas; and Sweet Crunch Bakeshop & Catering Co., which features freshly baked cookies.

New to this year’s festival are The Lobster Roller, a food trailer based in Gloucester, Mass., selling lobster rolls and New England-style clam chowder; and the Totally Thai Food Truck, which hails from Peterborough and serves up pad Thai, spring rolls and chicken satay. Other specialty eats and drinks will include fresh kettle corn popped on site, freshly squeezed lemonade, gourmet baked potatoes, and a plethora of barbecue options from brisket to pulled pork.

A “libations tent” will be in the center of the lot, featuring craft beers from local purveyors, like Frogg Brewing of Marlborough, Martha’s Exchange of Nashua, and Able Ebenezer Brewing Co. of Merrimack. Homemade sangria from Dave Bourgault of The Hills Restaurant at Milford’s Hampshire Hills Athletic Club will also be poured.

Around 50 vendors will be selling their goods both indoors and outdoors for the duration of the festival, from specialty foods to crafts and artisan products.

Live music will be featured all day long, starting with Peter Pappas from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., followed by Brian Weeks from 1 to 4 p.m. and Robert Allwarden from 4 to 7 p.m. The crew from 106.3 Frank FM will also be there between noon and 2 p.m., doing a live broadcast and offering photo opportunities with their promotional van, Donohue said.

A kids zone that was eliminated from last year’s festival amid safety concerns is due to make a return this time around, featuring bounce houses, face-painting, henna tattoos and more. A cornhole tournament is planned too, likely taking place around 2 p.m. indoors on the dome’s turf field, with warmups at 1 p.m. According to Donohue, interested participants can sign up that day at $15 per player, for a chance to win a cash prize.

Third annual Great New England BBQ & Food Truck Festival

When: Saturday, Aug. 14, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Where: The Hampshire Dome, 34 Emerson Road, Milford
Cost: General admission tickets are $5 in advance and $10 at the gate (free for attendees ages 14 and under). Food and crafts are priced per item. Cornhole tournament tickets are $15 per player.
More info: gne.ticketleap.com/foodtruckfest to purchase advance tickets online
Free parking is available on site. Masks are optional. Socially distanced seating will be provided, but attendees are welcome to bring their own blankets. No pets are allowed.

Participating food vendors

• Barry’s Hot Sauce (barryshotsauce.com)

• Coco’s Coffee (cocoscoffeenh.com)

• Dandido Sauce (dandidosauce.com)

• Extreme Concessions, Inc. (find them on Facebook)

• The Greatest BBQ of New England (greatestbbqofnewengland.com)

• Get Baked Potato Co. (getbakedpotato.com)

• Jayrard’s Java Cafe (jayrards.com)

• La Chula Truck (find them on Facebook)

• Little Charlotte’s Kettle Corn (find them on Facebook @charlotteskettlecorn)

• The Lobster Roller (thelobsterroller.com)

• Local LunchBox Truck (find them on Facebook)

• Mak’n Ends Meat Food Truck (find them on Facebook @maknendsmeat)

• Mooseman’s Kettle Corn (moosemanskettlecorn.com)

• Prime Time Grilled Cheese (primetimegrilledcheese.com)

• The Stand “Shaken not Stirred” (find them on Facebook @thestandshakennotstirred)

• Sub Zero Nitrogen Ice Cream (subzeroicecream.com)

• Sweet Crunch Bakeshop & Catering Co. (sweetcrunchbakeshop.com)

• Temple Street Diner Food Truck (find them on Facebook)

• Totally Thai Food Truck (find them on Facebook @totallythaifoodtruck)

• Twins 4 Life Creations (twins4lifecreations.com)

• Uncle Joey’s Cannoli (unclejoeyscannoli.com)

Featured photo: Courtesy of the The Lobster Roller food truck.

The Weekly Dish 21/08/12

News from the local food scene

• In good spirits: New Hampshire distilleries that produce fewer than 10,000 bottles a year can now offer samples at local farmers markets, thanks to a bill recently signed into law by Gov. Chris Sununu. Under the new law, liquor samples are limited to a ½-ounce serving per label per person, and products may be sold at the farmers market in their original containers. Distillers had previously only been allowed to provide samples at tasting rooms with reduced hours, usually on weekends. “Since most of our distilleries are in rural or industrial areas with limited foot traffic, these restrictions made it more difficult to attract visitors,” state Sen. Regina Birdsell, the bill’s prime sponsor, said in an Aug. 3 statement. “Now, [they] can take advantage of ‘spirits tourism’ … especially during weekdays.”

• Barbecue, bands and more: There’s still time to get your ticket to the inaugural Barbecue Benefit Bash, happening on Saturday, Aug. 21, from 5 to 11 p.m. at Alpine Grove Banquet Facility (19 S. Depot Road, Hollis). A fundraiser for the Nashua Children’s Home, the event will feature a catered barbecue buffet with craft beer options, along with raffle prizes and live performances from local musicians, including Nashua-area veteran rockers Aces & Eights and Hollis musician Joe Birch. Among the food items will be half chickens cooked over a bed of charcoal, in addition to tender steak tips, tossed garden and pasta salads, local corn on the cob, cranberry sauce, biscuits and butter, and ice cream. Tickets are on sale now through Sunday, Aug. 15, and are $50 per person, with a portion of all proceeds benefiting the Nashua Children’s Home. Visit louduhamel.simpletix.com or contact event organizer Lou Duhamel at 305-2841 to buy tickets. For more details, you can also check out our coverage on the event by visiting hippopress.com and scrolling down to the Aug. 5 issue’s e-edition — the story is on page 22.

• Food and fun at the Faire: Join the Deering Community Church (763 Deering Center Road) for its annual Deering Community Faire on Saturday, Aug. 14, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event will feature dozens of local vendors selling items like home-baked goods, homemade jams and other artisan foods, as well as live music, children’s games, craft vendors, raffle prizes and pony rides. There will also be a lunch of burgers, hot dogs, sausages and chips served behind the church, followed by a free ice cream social at 2 p.m. Raffle tickets are $5 apiece, or $20 per six, with drawings to take place at 2:30 p.m. The event’s rain date is Aug. 21. Visit deeringcommunitychurch.org/2021-summer-faire.

• Concorso Italiano returns: Food tents, live music, family entertainment and all types of exotic cars around the world will be featured during the annual Concorso Italiano, happening on Sunday, Aug. 15, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Tuscan Village’s new location (9 Via Toscana, Salem). According to a press release, 100 percent of the ticket proceeds will be donated to the Lazarus House, a nonprofit based in Lawrence, Mass., that offers transitional housing and educational and work services. Visit tuscanvillagesalem.com/car-show.

• Recipes for success: NH Eats Local Month continues with a free virtual workshop with Cooking Matters, a program of the NH Food Bank, set for Wednesday, Aug. 18, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Staff members will be demonstrating various dishes live that will highlight local maple syrup during the presentation. Recipes and other resources will be sent to participants afterward, so you can try them out at home. Admission is free, but registration is required. Participants will receive a link via email to the Zoom meeting. Visit nhfoodbank.org/programs/recipe-for-success.cooking-matters.

On The Job – Ricardo Perez

Ricardo Perez

Junk removal specialist

Ricardo Perez is the owner of RIDOF Junk Removal in Nashua, which provides services that include removal of household junk, construction debris and appliances; real estate cleanouts; and small demolition projects.

Explain your job and what it entails?

We provide a service to make it easier for people to get rid of their junk. I’m the one who sets things up with customers, and then I go or someone else [on staff] goes to pick up the junk and bring it to where it needs to go [to be disposed of].

How long have you had this job?

We started the company in January, but I’ve been doing junk removal for 10 years or so.

What led you to this career field and your current job?

I’ve always had a kind of entrepreneur’s mentality. Last year, my wife and I opened up a food truck, but that didn’t go very well. I had done real estate cleanups in the past, so I figured I’d give it another try. Eight months later, [business] is very good. There are always people buying homes or trying to get rid of stuff, so we’ve been busy.

What kind of education or training did you need?

It’s kind of been learn-as-I-go. I’ve learned a lot through my experience and doing my own research.

What do you wish you’d known at the beginning of your career?

As a small business owner, I wish I had known that it’s OK to fail. Many times, I’ve done a job and didn’t make money off of it. There were even times when I lost money. In my previous business ventures if that happened I would say, ‘This is not worth it.’ Now I know that it’s not about how you fall; it’s how you get back up, because that’s how you learn and you grow.

What do you wish other people knew about your job?

We don’t just take stuff to the dump; we actually help members of the community. For the average person, it might be easy to move furniture or get rid of something themselves, but there are many other people who can’t do that. We provide that service for them.

What was it like starting this business during the pandemic?

I figured it would be a good business to get into at this time, and it was. A lot of people are spending more time at home, so they have more time to clean and clear out their homes and get rid of stuff that they don’t want or need.

What’s the best piece of work-related advice you’ve ever received?

Do whatever it takes to make a good name for yourself. It takes a lot of time and determination, and it can be slow, but it’s worth it.

What was the first job you ever had?

My dad did event photography, so I would go with him on the weekends to events to hold equipment and be a helping hand.

Five favorites

Favorite book: Think and Grow Rich
Favorite movie: The Sandlot
Favorite music: Darius Rucker
Favorite food: My mom’s food. She owns a Mexican restaurant in Brookline.
Favorite thing about NH: The four seasons.

Featured photo: Ricardo Perez

Kiddie Pool 21/08/12

Family fun for the weekend

Try-Athlon

The Friends of Aine’s 9th annual Try-Athlon is scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 15, starting at 8 a.m. The event will take place at the Bedford town pool (on County Road) and the nearby Bedford High School and will feature swimming, biking and running events specially designed for kids of all abilities in the 4 to 10 age group and the 11 to 15 age group, according to friendsofaine.com, where you can register for $40 per kid in advance (registration on the day costs $45). There will be a post-race family festival with food, games, vendors, face painting and more, according to the website.

Old Home Days

As mentioned in This Week on page 9, there are several Old Home Days coming up on the calendar. For families looking for some fun, here are some of the events they can expect.

Hudson’s Old Home Days runs Thursday, Aug. 12, through Sunday, Aug. 15, at Hills House (211 Derry Road in Hudson). Events with special interest for kids include a fairgrounds trick-or-treat from 5 to 6:30 p.m. on Thursday with costumes encouraged so kids can join the Parade of Horribles at 6:30 p.m. and then kids games starting at 7 p.m.; kids cornhole during the adult tournament (which starts at 7 p.m. on Friday), and kids games from noon to 4 p.m. and a haystack hunt at 5 p.m. on Saturday. Rides and food vendors will be available throughout the event, which runs 5 to 10 p.m. on Thursday, 5 to 11 p.m. on Friday, noon to 11 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. See hudsonoldhomedays.com for details.

Epsom’s Old Home Weekend begins Friday, Aug. 13, and runs through Sunday, Aug. 15, with events happening at Webster Park in Epsom. Friday’s events from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. include a cookout, s’mores and popcorn and storytime for the kids, according to the town’s website. Saturday’s schedule of events runs from 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and includes a parade, kids games, a pony ride, a petting zoo, food and other vendors, a 3-on-3 basketball tournament (including for youth sixth grade and up) at 2 p.m., a climbing wall, a bouncy slide and fireworks at dusk. On Sunday, events run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and include a road race (running or walking; starting time for that is 8:30 a.m.) and a resident yard sale, according to epsomnh.org.

Londonderry’s Old Home Days starts the evening of Wednesday, Aug. 18, and runs through Saturday, Aug. 21. According to the event’s schedule, Wednesday is senior night with bingo at 4 p.m., a barbecue dinner from the Lions at 5 p.m. and a 7 p.m. concert with Neurotic Gumbo (a classic rock band) at the Londonderry Town Common. Find the event on Facebook for more information.

Take a drive for family fun

Head to the meadow at Castle in the Clouds (455 Old Mountain Road in Moultonborough; 476-5900, castleintheclouds.org) for a free family fun day on Saturday, Aug. 14, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The day will include lawn games, kite flying, a scavenger hunt, balloon animals, a gaga pit, disc golf, crafts, live music and an opportunity to feed the rainbow trout in Shannon Pond, according to a press release. Lunch, ice cream and beverages will be available for purchase at the Cafe in the Clouds, the release said. Castle in the Cloud is partnering with the Lakes Region Conservation Trust and the Moultonborough Recreation Department, the release said.

The annual Hampton Beach Children’s Festival kicks off Monday, Aug. 16, and runs through Friday, Aug. 20, with programing on Hampton Beach, according to the Hampton Beach Village District website (hamptonbeach.org) and Facebook pages. Monday’s programming includes a BJ Hickman magic show (10 a.m.), rainbow sand art (11 a.m.) and movie night featuring Moana (PG, 2016) at dusk. Tuesday find magician juggler Robert Clarke (10 a.m.) and a touch-a-truck with Hampton Fire and Police (2 p.m). On Wednesday, DrumatiX performs tap dance and percussion (10 a.m.), there will be games on the beach (11 a.m. with OfftheWallKidz), a hula hoop performance with Little Legume (3:30 p.m.) and fireworks (9:30 p.m.). On all three days face painting is available from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. — all according to a schedule posted on the group’s Facebook page. The week is capped off with a children’s costume parade on Friday (11 a.m.) and pictures with Santa and Mrs. Claus (1 p.m.), according to the schedule.

Live performances

The Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588) continues its 2021 Bank of New Hampshire Children’s Summer Series. Finishing up this week’s run is Rapunzel on Thursday, Aug. 12. Next week, the production is Cinderella, Tuesday, Aug. 17, through Thursday, Aug. 19. Showtimes are at 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. and tickets cost $10 per person.

The Prescott Park Arts Festival wraps up this year’s musical, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, with shows Thursday, Aug. 12, through Sunday, Aug. 15. Thursday and Sunday shows start at 7 p.m. and Friday and Saturday shows start at 8 p.m. Go online to prescottpark.org to see the reservation options. Prescott Park is at 105 Marcy St. in Portsmouth.

Movie night

See the tale as old as time, Beauty and the Beast, on Friday, Aug. 13, in Wasserman Park (116 Naticook Road in Merrimack) as part of the town’s summer movies in the park. The screening starts at dusk and the films are free and open to residents and nonresidents, according to the town’s Parks and Recreation website.

This Friday’s “Pics in the Park” film at Greeley Park in Nashua is Jumanji: The Next Level (PG-13, 2019), which will start screening at dusk on Friday, Aug. 13, at the park’s Bandshell, 100 Concord St. The screening is part of the city’s SummerFun lineup; see nashuanh.gov.

The Rex Theatre (23 Amherst St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588) will be screening some films to raise money for the Ballet Misha. On Tuesday, Aug. 17, at 7 p.m., catch Disney’s animated Tangled (PG, 2010). On Wednesday, Aug. 18, at 7 p.m., the theater will screen Frozen (PG, 2013). Tickets to either show cost $12.

Save the date

The Manchester Millyard Museum (200 Bedford St. in Manchester; manchesterhistoric.org) will hold an American Girl Doll Tea Party on Saturday, Aug. 21, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tickets cost $10 per person and include tea party and a craft, according to the website. Advance reservations are required.

Treasure Hunt 21/08/12

Dear Donna,

Can you help with a value on this old telescope? I’m not sure it’s still working properly but really liked the look.

Cecile

Dear Cecile,

I like the look too. Great antique decorative item.

There were several telescope manufactures and many sizes and and distance purposes. What I noticed about yours from the pictures is the leather sheathing that usually covered the brass is missing. Also, the top of the scope seems to have damage, so this could be why it might not be working. The damage could be from a fall or just wear and tear over the years. They are from the early to mid 1900s.

In the condition yours is in I would say it is just for decorative purposes and the value would be under $25. If it were complete, and depending on the maker, it would be in the $100+ range.

For decorativeness it’s a treasure!

Month: August 2021