Not only does this time of year mark the start of baking season; it also marks the start of soup season. While there are times that I want a soup that is quick to make, there are other days where I want a soup that simmers all afternoon. Nothing helps a day feel less chilly than something simmering on the stove, right?
This soup was created for the simmer-all-afternoon category. However, if you want to serve it on a weeknight, you can break the recipe into two parts. Do the slow simmering phase on a weekend day when you have some free time. Then, on the night it is to be served, simply take that broth you created and finish the recipe in under an hour. The most important thing is not to skip the slow simmering phase and replace it with store-bought stock. The stock that you are creating for this recipe is so flavorful that it is worth the effort.
Once you have your cooking plan ready, you can consider how you will serve the soup. I created this recipe with the thought that it makes a fine side-dish soup. Pair it with a sandwich (grilled cheese, chicken salad, or whatever you prefer) for something more filling, or a salad if you are eating lighter. However, it could become a main dish soup with the addition of some protein. Add some diced, cooked chicken breast or crumbled chorizo, and you have a fairly hearty soup.
No matter how you make or serve this soup, it is bound to be a new fall favorite.
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.
New & improved creamy carrot soup Serves 4
6 cups water 1 sweet onion, quartered 4 celery stalks, quartered 6 garlic cloves 4 large carrots, ends trimmed & quartered 2 teaspoons dried rosemary 2 teaspoons kosher salt Ground black pepper 7 large carrots, peeled & cubed ½ cup whole milk
Combine water, onion, celery, garlic, 4 carrots, rosemary, salt and pepper in a large pot. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 2 hours. Strain broth with a fine mesh sieve, and return broth to pot. Add 7 peeled and cubed carrots to broth, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook for 10-12 minutes or until carrots are tender. Allow broth to cool for 30 minutes. Puree broth and carrots in small batches, or use immersion blender to puree. Return puree to pot. Simmer on low for 10 minutes. Stir in milk. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if desired.
Steve Burke of Salem is the owner of B’s Grumman Grub (bsgrummangrub@gmail.com, and on Facebook @bsgrummangrub), a food truck offering comfort items like chili, burgers, wraps, subs, breakfast sandwiches, chicken finger dinners and more. An auto mechanic and garage manager by trade, Burke first got into the local food scene when he owned Steve’s Dirty Dawgs, a hot dog cart known for its loaded chili dogs. He found the truck that would become B’s Grumman Grub through a family friend, naming it after the Grumman vehicle manufacturer, and built it out over the course of a few years. The truck regularly appears at the Derry-Salem Elks Club (39 Shadow Lake Road, Salem) on Thursday evenings, and is available to book for private events of all sizes. Burke will also be attending the final date of the Pelham Farmers Market, on Saturday, Oct. 30, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. outside the First Congregational Church of Pelham (3 Main St.).
What is your must-have kitchen item?
It’s got to be a spatula, because we’re always on the grill flipping burgers, steak and cheeses and things like that.
What would you have for your last meal?
A hot Italian sausage sub with onions, peppers and Tabasco sauce.
What is your favorite local restaurant?
The only restaurant we ever really eat at is [New] Chief Wok, right here in Salem. … I’ve got to have the egg rolls, and I really like the lo mein as well.
What is your favorite thing on your menu?
I love my chili, since that’s kind of what started it all. … I also really like the chicken fajita wrap, which was something that my wife came up with.
What celebrity would you like to see ordering from your food truck?
I’m going to say Adam Sandler. I just feel like he would be a food truck type of guy.
What is the biggest food trend in New Hampshire right now?
It’s obvious to me that food trucks are the thing right now. They are everywhere. … Even before Covid, they were just blowing up and you see them more and more. Now people want them at their weddings, their graduation parties, their birthday parties, you name it.
What is your favorite thing to cook at home?
I really like a good tomato grilled cheese sandwich with extra sharp cheddar, beefsteak tomato, mayonnaise, salt and pepper.
Homemade chili From the kitchen of Steve Burke of B’s Grumman Grub in Salem
1 24-ounce can Hunt’s four-cheese sauce 1 24-ounce can red kidney beans (do not rinse) 1 12-ounce can baked beans 1 pound ground beef (cook and add with the fat; do not drain) 2 hot Italian sausages, cooked and sliced into half moons 2 medium white onions, cut into thin strips 1 red pepper, diced 1 yellow pepper, diced 1 green pepper, diced 1 chili pepper, sliced thin and diced 2 Tablespoons chili powder
Cook in a slow cooker on high to get it to temperature, then reduce to low and cook for six hours. Stir often and season to your liking. Add a pinch of garlic powder or Frank’s Red Hot to taste (optional). Add water if you like a thinner chili.
• More drive-thru Greek eats: If you missed the gyro and baklava pop-up at St. Philip Church in Nashua last week, Assumption Greek Orthodox Church (111 Island Pond, Manchester) will hold its next drive-thru food fest on Saturday, Oct. 30, from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Orders are being accepted for dinners of either dolmathes (stuffed grape leaves) with avgolemono sauce, or baked penne Parmesan, as well as cheese or spinach petas, baklava and koulourakia. This event is online pre-order and pickup only (stay in your car; no walk-ins). Order by Oct. 28. Visit foodfest.assumptionnh.org or call 623-2941.
• Fall, food and flannel: Throw on your favorite flannel shirt and head to The Barn at Bull Meadow (63 Bog Road) for the fourth annual Fall Festivus, a sampling event happening on Thursday, Nov. 4, from 6:30 to 10 p.m. One of the main fundraisers for the Junior Service League of Concord, Fall Festivus features a wide variety of craft beers, appetizers and desserts from area breweries and restaurants. Both sweet and savory items will be on the menu, from Buffalo chicken bites, brisket burnt ends and macaroni and cheese to mini cannolis, apple cider doughnuts and more. An evening of live music is also planned, in addition to a silent auction with a chance to win all kinds of prizes. Tickets are $35 per person at the door (event is 21+ only), with proceeds going to the Junior Service League of Concord, a volunteer organization supporting women and children in crisis. Visit jslconcord.org/events-cfvg, or, for more details on the event, check out our story on page 30 of the Hippo’s Oct. 21 issue.
• Holiday feasts: Join LaBelle Winery for its next “cooking with wine” classes, which will specialize in Thanksgiving recipes. Classes are scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 3, at the winery’s Amherst location (345 Route 101), and Wednesday, Nov. 10, at its Derry location (14 Route 111), from 6 to 7 p.m. each evening. Participants will learn how to make a variety of seasonal items perfect for a holiday feast, including cranberry cocktails, spiced cranberry sauce, apricot sage stuffing and autumn dessert favorites, and will also learn how to wet and dry brine a turkey. Wines will be either paired or prepared with each food item. Admission is $32.70 per person, including taxes, and pre-registration is required. Visit labellewinery.com.
• Greek eats and ABBA: Get your tickets now for a Mamma Mia! Greek dinner party, happening at Chunky’s Cinema Pub in Pelham (150 Bridge St.) on Sunday, Nov. 14. The doors will open at 6 p.m. with a five-course meal of authentic Greek options from Ya Mas Greek Taverna & Bar, whose chef will be taking over the kitchen for the evening. The eatery, which opened last year just down the street from the movie theater, imports about 40 percent of all of its foods directly from Greece, and also partners with local farms to offer its unique menu items. Following the meal will be a screening of Mamma Mia! The Movie at 7 p.m. Tickets are $75 and include the dinner and the movie. There will also be vegetarian and VIP wine pairing options. Visit chunkys.com/film/greek-dinner-party-mamma-mia.
• Ancient Fire closing: After nearly four years in business, Manchester’s Ancient Fire Mead & Cider will be closing its doors by the end of the year. “The pandemic ultimately got us,” read a recent statement from owners Jason and Margot Phelps on Ancient Fire’s website and social media pages. “The pandemic has been tough on everyone financially and psychologically … but the timing and sustained challenges have created a much riskier future proposition for us and our fledgling business, more risky than we have the appetite for right now.” According to the statement, Ancient Fire’s tap room hours will stay as they are into November, with the goal to complete table service and retail sales before mid-December. Ancient Fire opened in March 2018, offering a rotating lineup of ciders and draft and dessert meads. Visit ancientfirewines.com to read the full closing announcement.
How the versatility of agave is gaining tequila and mezcal a new following.
Eddie Leon of La Carreta in Derry and Londonderry is one of several Granite Staters who has flown down to Mexico to hand-select their own single-barrel tequilas. He first learned of the opportunity about eight years ago through a barrel buying program from Brown-Forman Corp., the owner of Tequila Herradura in Amatitán, Jalisco.
“We did it a few times with Herradura and it was very, very popular. … Then we opened it up to other brands like Patrón and Casa Noble,” Leon said. “People really liked the idea of being able to try something different that is not available in the normal stores.”
Over the years, pre-pandemic, Leon has since been joined by owners of some other local eateries and bars, including Cask & Vine in Derry, New England’s Tap House Grille in Hooksett, and 815 Cocktails & Provisions in Manchester. Even New Hampshire Liquor Commission spirits marketing and sales specialist Mark Roy has followed suit.
Agave plants are harvested in Mexico by farmers called jimadors. Photo by Eddie Leon.
The group lands and stays in the state capital of Guadalajara, taking day trips to nearby tequila distilleries. Tequilas are bottled before they cross the border, shipped to New Hampshire through a local broker and then purchased from the state to pour at each establishment.
“I’ve kind of become the tour guide for them, and I end up being the translator for a lot of things,” Leon said. “Guadalajara is actually the area where my parents came from originally, so it’s a really great experience. We’ve probably done at least eight or nine trips now.”
More and more premium barrel-aged selections of both tequila and its cousin, mezcal, have become available in New Hampshire in recent years, thanks to a continuously growing demand.
“We’re definitely seeing a huge upswing,” Roy said of tequila sales in Liquor & Wine outlets. “I think when you ask a lot of people who say that they’ve had a bad experience in the past with tequila, it usually ends up being a lower end or even a mixto, which is technically a tequila but is sometimes a blend of liqueur and tequila with higher sugar. … So I really try to encourage people not to associate tequila with the experience they’ve had before and to try to reintroduce themselves and come into it with an open mind. It’s an incredible experience and I think people could be missing out on a category of spirits that they’ve kind of pushed to the side.”
As part of New Hampshire Distiller’s Week, returning for its third year, the Liquor Commission will host “Hold the Lime and Salt: Exploring Premium Tequila and Mezcal,” a tasting seminar on Wednesday, Nov. 3, at the Manchester Country Club in Bedford. The event will feature a panel of five brand ambassadors of premium tequilas and mezcals from multiple regions of Mexico.
Here, local restaurateurs and Distiller’s Week presenters talk about the types of tequilas and how they differ from mezcals.
“Ultima Palabra” cocktail Courtesy of Kendra Malone of the 7-20-4 Lounge in Londonderry
1½ ounces Casa Noble joven tequila ¾ ounce green Chartreuse liqueur ¾ ounce luxardo maraschino liqueur ¾ ounce lime juice
Shake and strain. Garnish with luxardo cherries.
Tequila time
Kurt Kendall of Twins Smoke Shop and the 7-20-4 Lounge in Londonderry, who has accompanied Leon on the trips to Mexico, agrees that tequila can be somewhat misunderstood.
“Tequila truly is a premium spirit that is meant to be sipped and enjoyed,” Kendall said. “We’ve turned on many customers that typically would enjoy Scotch or bourbon to these ultra-premium tequilas, and it really starts with a little bit of education to understand what it is, how to drink it properly and what you’re discovering. … Once people go through that little process, they become tequila sippers. It’s pretty amazing.”
Both tequila and mezcal are made from the agave plant, of which there are dozens of varieties that are indigenous to Mexico. The main difference between the two spirits, Leon said, is that tequila is made from only one species — the blue Weber agave, or agave tequilana. Mexican laws decree that tequila can only be made in certain regions of the country, he added, including in the state of Jalisco and a few limited areas in other states.
The agave plant can take anywhere from seven to 10 years to reach maturity. A farmer called a jimador harvests the plant by pruning it down to the piñas, or the agave hearts. Those hearts are then chopped up, cooked and juiced before the fermentation process begins.
There are four categories of 100 percent blue agave tequila: blanco (or silver), reposado, añejo and extra añejo. Their differences, Kendall said, have to do with how long each one is aged for.
A blanco or a silver is either unaged or aged for a very short time, depending on the brand, while a reposado could be aged anywhere from a few months to a year. Añejo tequilas are typically aged a minimum of one year and a maximum of three years, and the extra añejo can be aged for three years or longer to reach a greater complex flavor profile.
According to the website of the Tequila Regulatory Council, the governing body for tequila in Mexico, a blend of aged and unaged tequilas is known as a joven, which means “young” in Spanish. The aging process also gives each tequila a distinct color, ranging from a clear silver to a golden yellow, a lighter brown, and finally a dark amber.
Graciela González, a fourth-generation distiller and the brand ambassador of her family’s company, El Mayor tequila, will be one of the featured presenters at the New Hampshire Liquor Commission’s “Hold the Lime and Salt” seminar. El Mayor features a full line of tequilas, each of which is distilled with agave grown on its own plantation just outside of the city of Arandas.
To demonstrate the evolution of each of her family’s products, González said she plans to showcase El Mayor’s blanco, reposado and añejo tequilas. She’ll also be offering samples of a new cocktail they’ve never done before: a spiked tepache, featuring their añejo tequila as the base.
“It’s going to be very unique and very fresh,” she said of the cocktail. “We’re using pineapple and tamarind … so with the tamarind having a tart flavor and the pineapple being more on the sweet side, it balances out perfectly well.”
Spiked tepache Courtesy of Graciela González, fourth-generation distiller and brand ambassador of El Mayor tequila in Jalisco, Mexico
2 ounces El Mayor añejo tequila 1 ounce pineapple juice 1 ounce tamarind syrup 2 dashes Angostura bitters
All about mezcal
Leon remembers a time in the not so distant past when he could find only one brand of mezcal in the entire state. Now he estimates there to be well over 20 of them across store shelves.
“We’re starting to carry more because there has definitely been a growing call for it,” he said.
Even though mezcal is an agave-based spirit just like tequila, there are several distinct differences between the two. While tequila is made only from the blue Weber agave variety, mezcal can be made from combinations of dozens of other agave species, all with their own sizes, flavor profiles, growing conditions and maturation periods.
Piñas, or agave hearts, are cooked in an underground pit oven or above ground and covered with dirt, giving mezcal its distinct smoky flavor. Photo by Eric Timmerman.
A majority of mezcal comes from the state of Oaxaca, several hundred miles southeast of Jalisco, but agave varieties used to make the spirit are also known to grow in Durango, Guerrero, Zacatecas and a few other states. Eric Timmerman, national sales manager of the Sonoma, California-based 3 Badge Mixology, will be participating in the “Hold the Lime and Salt” Nov. 3 seminar with selections of the company’s Bozal mezcal brand.
“A lot of people think about mezcal as a smoky tequila. … Tequila for the most part is done in steam and ovens and autoclaves … but mezcal primarily is done in an underground pit oven, or above ground and covered with dirt. It’s almost like barbecue, is what I like to equate it to,” Timmerman said. “Those piñas are roasting slow and low and they are absorbing that smoke, so that’s why obviously mezcal has that smokier profile.”
Mezcal is also known for being much older than tequila, dating back at least to 9th- or 10th-century Oaxaca with the Zapotec culture, Timmerman said. Many of the practices that have been in place for hundreds of years are still in use today for Bozal products, including the use of the tahona, a stone wheel pulled in a circle by a donkey or horse to mash the agave hearts.
“It truly is one of the last handmade spirits in the world,” Timmerman said.
About 90 percent of all of the mezcal coming to the United States is crafted using the espadín agave plant, a variety characterized by its rich, smoky flavor profile, according to Timmerman. Bozal mezcal products, however, are distilled with all kinds of other agave species. Its Ensamble mezcal, for instance, features a blend of espadín, barril and Mexicano agave plants, while the Cenizo mezcal comes from a variety that grows in cool conditions and high altitudes in Durango.
During the seminar, Timmerman said he plans to showcase a Oaxacan margarita using
Bozal Ensamble mezcal, a riff on the classic cocktail with a bit of smokier profile.
“Obviously, everyone loves a good margarita and it’s such a universal cocktail, so we’re going to show them how it’s done with mezcal versus tequila,” he said.
Bozal Oaxacan margarita Courtesy of Eric Timmerman of 3 Badge Mixology in Sonoma, California
Add all ingredients in a shaker filled with ice. Shake for 10 seconds and strain into a double rocks glass over ice. Garnish with sal de gusano (agave worm salt) and a dehydrated citrus wheel.
Your guide to Distiller’s Week
Eighth annual Distiller’s Showcase of Premium Spirits
When: Thursday, Nov. 4, 6 to 8:30 p.m.
Where: DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown, 700 Elm St., Manchester
Cost: $60 per person; “sip and stay” packages are also available to purchase through the hotel
Visit: distillersshowcase.com
Event is 21+ only.
More New Hampshire Distiller’s Week happenings
The third annual New Hampshire Distiller’s Week will take place from Monday, Nov. 1, through Friday, Nov. 5 — check out this list of events and happenings for the week. For the most up-to-date calendar of Distiller’s Week events, visit distillersshowcase.com/events or follow New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlets on Facebook @nhliquorwine.
Distiller’s Week. Matthew Lomanno Photography.
• National Hockey League Hall of Famer and Belfour Spirits owner-operator Ed Belfour will participate in multiple bottle signing and tasting events this week, including at New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlet No. 38 (100 Rotary Way, Portsmouth) on Tuesday, Nov. 2, from 5 to 7 p.m., and at New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlet No. 50 (294 Daniel Webster Hwy., Nashua) on Wednesday, Nov. 3, from 5 to 7 p.m. Admission is free, and bottles of Belfour’s rye and Texas pecan-finished bourbon will be available for purchase.
• Get your tickets before they’re gone to a Casa Noble tequila dinner scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 2, at 6 p.m. at The Birch on Elm (931 Elm St., Manchester). The dinner will feature five courses paired with Casa Noble tequila-infused cocktails. Tickets are $99 per person. Visit thebirchonelm.com/tequiladinner to make reservations.
• The Birch on Elm is also hosting a New Riff Distilling Kentucky bourbon dinner on Wednesday, Nov. 3, at 5 p.m., another five-course meal prepared by chef Nick Provencher that will feature cocktail pairings from New Riff bourbons. Tickets are $99 per person. Visit thebirchonelm.com/bourbondinner to make reservations.
• The New Hampshire Liquor Commission will host Hold the Lime and Salt: Exploring Premium Tequila and Mezcal on Wednesday, Nov. 3, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Manchester Country Club (180 S. River Road, Bedford). Five leading industry experts will present their tequilas and mezcals during this exclusive seminar-style tasting. Each panelist will talk about three of their products and offer a signature cocktail sample during the event’s reception. At the conclusion of the seminar each product that was presented will be available for purchase. Tickets are $60 per person and can be purchased through Eventbrite.
• Brain Brew Custom Whiskey founder and former Nashua resident Doug Hall will host a seminar at New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlet No. 50 (294 Daniel Webster Hwy., Nashua) on Wednesday, Nov. 3, at 6 p.m. Participants will learn about the history of whiskey, how New Hampshire wood is used in different products and the use of woodcraft finishing. Featured products will include Dexter three wood straight bourbon whiskey, Paddle Wheel triple oak bourbon, and Brain Brew’s custom bourbon blending kit. Tickets are $12 and can be purchased through Eventbrite.
The Distiller’s Showcase
First introduced in 2013, the Distiller’s Showcase of Premium Spirits is now the flagship event of New Hampshire Distiller’s Week and one of the largest tasting events for spirits on the East Coast. After the pandemic caused it to transition into a series of virtual tastings in 2020, the Showcase is back in full force — the event returns for an 8th year on Thursday, Nov. 4, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown.
“We’re hoping to get back to some sense of normalcy,” said Mark Roy, spirits marketing and sales specialist for the New Hampshire Liquor Commission. “We were blown away by the response to some of the virtual programs last year, [but] the goal is to go back to the regular forte of the Showcase and the different events leading up to it.”
Roy said the idea of the event came after he attended the Winter Wine Spectacular, normally held in late January. Like during its Wine Week counterpart, brand ambassadors and industry leaders from all over the world come to the Showcase to present their products. Attendees are given a program booklet with a full map of the dozens of tables of spirits that are featured, totaling more than 700 premium whiskeys, bourbons, tequilas, rums, vodkas, gins and other spirits to try. Because of the large volume of products available, Roy said, it’s always a good idea to go into the Showcase with a game plan, by seeking out what you may be most interested in or curious about.
This is the first year that Eric Timmerman, national sales manager of the Sonoma, California-based 3 Badge Mixology, will be participating. He’ll talk about and offer samples of the company’s lineup of products, which include Uncle Val’s botanical gin, Benjamin Chapman whiskey and Kirk and Sweeney rum, in addition to its Bozal mezcal and Pasote tequila.
“As much as I enjoy doing talks on Zoom, there’s still something to be said about being able to have those conversations with people and seeing their reactions when they try the samples,” Timmerman said. “[The Showcase] is a really great opportunity to try a lot of really great products that are on the market … and it gives people a chance to experience things that they may not necessarily have otherwise tried. So we’re excited to be part of it.”
Other participants will include National Hockey League Hall of Famer Ed Belfour, who owns and operates Belfour Spirits; Graciela González, a fourth-generation distiller and the brand ambassador of El Mayor tequila in Jalisco, Mexico, who will be one of the five panelists at the Hold the Salttequila and mezcal seminar the evening before; and Tim Smith, founder of Tim Smith Spirits and star of the Discovery Channel reality series Moonshiners.
The Showcase wouldn’t be complete without its lineup of Granite State spirits purveyors, either — Charles “CJ” Lundergan of Steadfast Spirits Distilling Co. in Concord will be pouring his moonshine-mixed cocktails at the event for the first time, while Brian Ferguson of Flag Hill Distillery & Winery in Lee is also expected to return with his bourbon and rye whiskeys.
More than two dozen New Hampshire restaurants and catering companies will have tables of their own, offering various hors d’oeuvres and appetizers. Several are first-time participants, including Manchester’s Elm House of Pizza, and Red Beard’s Kitchen, a takeout business that chef Matthew Provencher launched earlier this year featuring ready-to-eat comfort meals. Returning businesses will be The Crown Tavern, the Hanover Street Chophouse, The Common Man, Stark Brewing Co., and Twins Smoke Shop and the 7-20-4 Lounge.
If you sample something during the Showcase and decide you want a whole bottle of it, you can purchase it at the conclusion of the event and arrange to pick it up at any one of the 68 New Hampshire Liquor and Wine Outlet stores in subsequent days. The hotel is also once again offering “sip and stay” packages, which include tickets to the event along with a room.
Proceeds from the Showcase will benefit the New Hampshire Food Bank, a new partner for 2021. Last year the New Hampshire Food Bank distributed more than 17 million pounds of food to its hundreds of partner agencies statewide. Executive director Eileen Liponis said there were 71 mobile food pantries held in 2020 — compared to only around a half dozen during a normal year pre-pandemic — serving just under 30,000 New Hampshire families.
“We’re extremely delighted to be part of such a premier event, and we think it’s very important to come out and support the New Hampshire Liquor Commission,” Liponis said. “I think if there’s one thing that Covid may have given us as a silver lining, it’s that our biggest enemies are always shame and stigma. … I think in everyone’s social circle they saw someone being challenged by the effects of the pandemic on them … and I hope that because of that we have more empathy for the fact that food is a basic necessity we all deserve.”
Featured photo:Spiked Tepache Courtesy ofGraciela González, fourth-generation distiller and brand ambassador of El Mayor tequila in Jalisco, Mexico.
Diane Valladares is the Director of Recruitment at Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of New Hampshire, a nonprofit that recruits and trains volunteer advocates for abused or neglected children throughout the state.
Explain your job and what it entails.
I’m typically a future advocate’s first contact within the organization. I review their application, get them interviewed, run their background checks and transition them to the training team and, eventually, to their program manager, who they’ll work closely with on their case.
How long have you had this job?
2022 will be my 20th year.
What led you to this career field and your current job?
I just fell into it. As a former elementary educator with an interest in the law, I learned about CASA through a neighbor who was an advocate. It intrigued me, and I became an advocate myself. A year later this position opened up, and my program manager suggested I look into it.
What kind of education or training did you need?
I came into the position with a bachelor of science in education, but … I could see someone with a degree in human resources in this position. A lot of what I do feels like human resource management.
What is your typical at-work uniform or attire?
Business casual. I don’t attend court hearings like so many of my co-workers; they definitely dress more formally than I do. If it were up to me, it’d be jeans and flannels every day. Maybe I should’ve been a lumberjack.
How has your job changed over the course of the pandemic?
Almost the entire organization transitioned to working from home over that fateful weekend in March. We recruited and trained virtually, and we still do, because it provided us with benefits we hadn’t experienced before. The first few weeks were weird, but once I established a routine, I loved the work-life balance that being at home provided. Our jobs at CASA are really stressful, so being able to take a midday walk in the woods over my lunch hour and come back feeling calm, refreshed and ready to go made work feel more manageable.
What do you wish you’d known at the beginning of your career?
Before joining this organization, I had no idea the types and depths of trauma that little children experience at the hands of those who are supposed to love and protect them. It’s mind-blowing.
What do you wish other people knew about your job?
The level of stress involved. When we’re not able to take a case due to a lack of advocates, that’s hard, but it’s harder still on our program managers, who are reading those court documents and learning about what these children have endured firsthand. In comparison, my job is fun — I get to meet new people … and learn about their lives — but CASA work is … not for everyone.
What was the first job you ever had?
When I was 15, I worked in the kitchen of the company where my father worked for the summer, preparing salads and serving lunch to the employees. I was a lunch lady.
What’s the best piece of work-related advice you’ve ever received?
“Do your best, leave the rest; angels do no more.” I work in an organization where we could work 24/7 and still have more to do. Each day you have to make a conscious decision to shut off work mode and get back into your own life.
Five favorites Favorite book: anything by Barbara Kingsolver Favorite movie:Practical Magic Favorite music: folk Favorite food: Mexican Favorite thing about NH: The birds, the trees and all the woodland creatures, large and small
In last week’s (Oct. 21) issue of the Hippo, we looked for all the Halloween fun we could find — from events geared to the littlest goblins to events geared more toward teens (and older folks). Looking for your town’s scheduled trick-or-treat times (page 11), area haunted houses and attractions (page 12), happenings particularly geared toward kids and family (page 10) or events with a more general audience (page 14)? Head to hippopress.com; you can see last week’s e-edition. (And, if you can get a babysitter, check out the live music and costume contests planned at area bars and restaurants; the listing starts on page 15.) Here are some of the highlights:
In-town trick-or-treats
Speaking of trick-or-treating, the kids can get an extra opportunity to put on their costumes — while you can get a chance to browse local businesses or just hang out in your town’s center — at trick-or-treats in area downtowns.
• Milford holds its Trick-or-Treat on the Oval Friday, Oct. 29, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. The town Recreation Department and businesses on the Oval will be handing out candy and small toys to kids in costume. See milfordrec.com.
• Head to Manchester’s City Hall (1 City Hall Plaza) on Friday, Oct. 29, from 3 to 5 p.m. to meet Mayor Craig and get a free book from the library’s Bookmobile. Participating local businesses will also have goodies to hand out during downtown trick-or-treat at that same time. See manchesternh.gov for details.
• Intown Concord will hold its Halloween Howl on Friday, Oct. 29, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Main Street. The evening will feature family activities and trick-or-treating at participating businesses as well as a trunk-or-treat element for businesses and organizations that don’t have a Main Street storefront. See intownconcord.org.
Sounds of Halloween
Local children’s music star Mr. Aaron will hold a Halloween Bash at the Kimball Jenkins Estate (266 N. Main St. in Concord) on Sunday, Oct. 31, with shows at 10 a.m. and noon, featuring Halloween songs and more. Costumes encouraged. Tickets cost $10; see mraaronmusic.com.
Halloween in nature
Beaver Brook Nature Center (52 Brown Lane in Hollis; beaverbrook.org) for a Halloween Enchanted Forest Walk on Saturday, Oct. 30, with time slots starting every 15 minutes from 3 to 5 p.m. The marked trail is an “‘unscary’ Halloween walk,” according to the website and the event will feature a campfire with cider and s’mores. The cost is $12 per person (a $150 private time slot is also available); register online.
See some real characters
Meet the Witch of Weston Tower, which will run every weekend in October (Friday from 4 to 8 p.m., Saturday from noon to 8 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m.) at McIntyre Ski Area (50 Chalet Way in Manchester). For $15 per person ages 9 and up (kids 8 and under get in free), get transportation up the mountain, a hayride to the tower, and a chance to meet the witch and play games, according to manchesternh.gov.
Kids are encouraged to dress in costume at the CHaD Storybook Tablescape Tour at the Bedford Event Center (370 S. River Road in Bedford) on Saturday, Oct. 30, with entrance times starting at 11:30 a.m. Costumed characters will greet attendees as they arrive to check out tabletop scenes from fall- and Halloween-themed books, according to ChaDStorybookBall.org. The event will also include sweet treats, live performances and a silent auction. Tickets cost $10 for everyone over 2 (kids 2 and under get in free) and must be purchased in advance, the website said (which also says that masks, of the Covid and not just Halloween variety, will be required).
Kids who don’t mind some creepier characters might like the all-ages Zombie Walk in Dover on Saturday, Oct. 30, starting at 2 p.m. at the Dover Chamber of Commerce parking lot (550 Central Ave.) and proceeding down Central Avenue, ending at Rotary Arts Pavilion. Participants will get a bag of goodies, according to dovermainstreet.org. Non-zombie costumes are also welcome.
Run off that candy energy
There’s still time to register for the Amherst Orthodontics Trick or Trot 3k scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 31, at 11 a.m. in Arms Park (10 Arms St. in Manchester). Runners ages 9 through adult can run in the race, which crosses Notre Dame Bridge. Kids age 8 and under can run in the 3K if they’d like as well as a little-kid-friendly Stonyfield Lil Pumpkin Fun Run. (Photos at millenniumrunning.com/trick-or-trot show both kid and adult runners in past years taking to the course in costume). Register online by Saturday, Oct. 30; the cost is $25 for adults, $20 for ages 12 through 20 (and for a virtual option), $15 for kids ages 9 through 11 and $10 for the Lil’ Pumpkin Runs, according to the website.
If you could help me identify what this piece of furniture is, I’d appreciate it. I thought it might be something to store sewing items as there’s a dowel missing from the top, although the picture doesn’t clearly show it. I would like to sell it but don’t know the value of such a piece.
NH resident
Dear NH resident,
Even though some sewing cabinets could be the same size, what you have is a smoking stand. This is why the inside is lined with copper — to prevent the scent of tobacco from being absorbed into the wood, and as a fire deterrent.
Smoking stands were placed on the side of a chair or sofa, or anywhere one would relax and smoke. Yours looks to be from the 1940s era. The bar across the top could have been used to hang a towel for your hands.
The value in complete original condition would be in the $50 range. Without the original bar, it could be a lot less, and smoking paraphernalia seems not to be of interest to collectors these days, so it may be hard to find a buyer.
Spring is all about planting, but many gardeners overlook fall planting. Now is the time to plant garlic and spring-blooming flowers planted as bulbs. For me, fall planting is a joy; the thought of bulbs nestled into the ground just awaiting spring fills me with hope. And if you pick a good spot and plant them well, you are sure to succeed.
Let’s start with garlic. I like to say that garlic is, essentially, a no-work crop: plant it, mulch it to keep the weeds down, and then harvest it. Right now, the hardest part will be to find “seed garlic” — nice fat garlic bulbs that you can divide into cloves and plant. Many suppliers have sold out, but try your local garden center or feed and grain store. Don’t buy conventional garlic at the grocery store to plant. It is usually treated with a chemical to keep it from sprouting, and is the wrong kind for New England. Hard-neck garlic is what you want.
Hard neck garlic cloves surround a stiff neck and are best for New England gardens. Courtesy photo.
When should you plant garlic? Late October is when I plant, but it is fine to plant earlier or later. It’s best to plant after the soil has cooled down, but you will want the plants to establish roots before the soil freezes.
Pick a bed in your vegetable or flower garden that is in full sun, and that has nice, rich soil that retains water but does not stay soggy in rainy times. If you have heavy clay, work in plenty of good compost — either your own or some you purchase in a bag.
I plant garlic cloves in rows about 8 inches apart. Each clove I plant 3 inches deep and 3 or 4 inches apart. I run my CobraHead weeder down the bed to create a furrow and to loosen the soil. I sprinkle some Pro-Gro or other organic bagged fertilizer into the furrow and run my hand tool through it again. Then I push in the cloves, pointy end up, cover it with soil, and pat it lightly.
Finally I take mulch hay or straw and cover the bed with about 12 inches of loose straw. I know that seems like a lot, but by winter’s end it will be just 4 to 6 inches of cover. That should prevent most weeds from growing all summer — or until you harvest in late July. I always save my best bulbs of garlic for planting.
This is also the time to plant daffodils, tulips and all the small bulbs that bloom early. If you have a fenced yard, that will keep the deer from eating tulip blossoms when in bud — a real treat for them. If you have a problem with deer, you might want to avoid tulips, or plant them in pots for forcing.
Tulips and daffodils are generally labeled as early-season, mid-season or late-season. Plant plenty of each. Early ones are generally shorter, and I plant some, but I love the tall ones best. Maureen is my favorite tulip: She is 22 to 24 inches tall, and ivory to white. Fabulous in a vase. Menton is another nice tall one, pink petals outside with orange and white inside.
Although I have daffodils that still bloom after more than 50 years, tulips are less perennial. My rule of thumb is that if I plant 50, all will bloom the first year, half of that the second year, and half again the third year. So I often plant them as annuals, and pull them or cut off the foliage when I plant annual flowers over them in June.
I will plant about 10 daffodils between these hostas that will hide the leaves of the daffies after blooming. Courtesy photo.
Bulb planting tools are sold that you can plunge into the soil and pull out a core of soil three inches wide. I don’t like them. Soil sticks to the tool, and I find it much more time-consuming to plant bulbs one at a time. I prefer to excavate a big hole in the ground and plant 25 or 50 at once. Soil augers for your cordless drill are sold for planting bulbs, but most drills are not strong enough to do the job.
Here’s what I do: I select a nice sunny spot that drains well and is not soggy in winter. Then I dig an oval hole about 3 feet long and 2 feet from front to back, which will serve well for 25 bulbs. For daffodils and tulips I want the hole at least 6 inches deep. I put the soil into a wheelbarrow or onto a blue tarp so it won’t make a mess of my lawn or garden bed.
Next I add some good compost and either “Bulb Booster” or slow-release organic fertilizer, and work it into the soil with my CobraHead weeder, a single-tined hand tool. Then I arrange the bulbs in the loosened soil in the bottom of the hole, with fat bottom down, and the pointy head up. I mix some compost into the soil I removed, and carefully fill the hole.
If space is at a premium, you can plant two layers of bulbs in the same hole. Plant the big bulbs in the bottom of your hole and add soil up to 2 or 3 inches below the soil line. Then plant small bulbs like crocus, snowdrops, glory-of-the-snow or squill. The small, early bulbs will delight you, and then the daffodils or tulips will overwhelm you — particularly if you forget you double-planted the bed.
I’ve been planting bulbs around my 2-plus acres for decades because spring blossoms are the perfect antidote to a long New Hampshire winter. It is always a challenge to find a spot to squeeze bulbs in, but there is always someplace. This fall I am planting them between hostas I planted last year. The hosta foliage will hide the dying leaves of the daffodils after they bloom.
Featured photo:Tulips are ephemeral, but worth trying. Courtesy photo.
The latest from NH’s theater, arts and literary communities
• History carved in stone: Laconia Public Library and New Hampshire Humanities present a virtual program, “New Hampshire Cemeteries and Gravestones,” on Thursday, Oct. 28, at 6:30 p.m. Rubbings, photographs and slides highlight gravestones throughout the state that tell stories of the Great Awakening, the Throat Distemper epidemic, the American Revolution and other historical events. Learn about the craftsmen who carved these gravestones and how the gravestones provide insight into New Hampshire’s genealogy. Registration requested by emailing info@laconialibrary.org. Visit nhhumanities.org/programs/577/new-hampshire-cemeteries-and-gravestones
• Shoe art and poetry: Catch “Kick-Start,” an exhibit by the Women’s Caucus for Art’s New Hampshire Chapter on view at Twiggs Gallery (254 King St., Boscawen), before it’s gone on Sunday, Oct. 31. Also known as “the shoe show,” the exhibit features shoe-themed art by two dozen artists in a variety of media, including paintings, sculptures, artist books, small installations, photography, drawings and mixed-media pieces. “All the work is really different,” gallery director Laura Morrison told the Hippo earlier this month. “No one piece is like the other. We have things that are very serious, things that are just plain silly, things that are really powerful.” Gallery hours are Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. Additionally Twiggs Gallery will host a poetry reading and open mic event alongside the exhibit with the correlating theme “In My Shoes” on Saturday, Oct. 30, from 1 to 3 p.m. Eight poets who recently completed a four-week poetry class at the gallery will read their poetry. Community members are invited to bring and read an original or favorite poem that fits with the theme for the open mic portion. The event is free, and light refreshments will be served. Visit twiggsgallery.wordpress.com or call 975-0015.
• Pandemic poems: COVID Spring II: More Granite State Pandemic Poems, an anthology of poetry by 51 New Hampshire residents about the pandemic experience in New Hampshire, is now available through independent Concord-based publisher Hobblebush Books. The anthology, edited by New Hampshire Poet Laureate Alexandria Peary, is a follow-up to COVID Spring: Granite State Pandemic Poems, published in September 2020, which features original poems submitted by more than 50 New Hampshire residents, providing “a thirty-day snapshot of what life was like in the Granite State in April of 2020” through topics such as Covid-related “job loss, loneliness and love, masks, social distancing, surreal visitors, uncertainty, graduations deferred, grief, neighborly and less-than-neighborly acts, observing the beginning of the pandemic and making projections about the future, recalibrating or confirming what it means to be human, to be a resident of this region,” Peary said in the anthology’s introduction. “Picking up where COVID Spring left off, this new collection beautifully captures the uncertainty, the burnout, and the hope — lots of hope — of a diverse group of poets from the Granite State and beyond as they look toward a post-pandemic future,” Mary Russell, Director of the Center for the Book at the New Hampshire State Library, said of Covid Spring II in a press release from Hobblebush Books. Visit hobblebush.com or call 715-9615.
• Holiday shopping begins: Creative Ventures Gallery presents its annual holiday exhibit, “Small Works — Big Impact,” from Nov. 2 through Dec. 31, in person at the gallery (411 Nashua St., Milford) and virtually on the gallery’s website (creativeventuresfineart.com/product-category/small-works-show). The exhibit features non-juried small works of art in a variety of media and styles, created by area professional and nonprofessional artists, priced affordably for holiday gift buying. An artist reception will be held at the gallery on Friday, Nov. 12, from 6 to 8 p.m. Visit creativeventuresfineart.com or call 672-2500.
• Winter art classes: Art classes for teens and adults are starting up at Studio 550 Art Center (550 Elm St., Manchester). The next 5-week session begins on Nov. 29 and offers Pottery, Stained Glass, Intermediate Watercolor and Clay Hand Building. All classes meet for two hours each week. Call 232-5597 or visit 550arts.com for the full schedule and cost details.
Halloween Art
Flight Coffee Co. (209 Route 101, Bedford) is featuring Halloween-themed artwork by Max Gagnon on its walls during October. Gagnon is a freelance illustrator and painter working in pen and ink, gouache, acrylic and digital media. His colorful pieces are inspired by comic book art, painted portraits and film and television, particularly the cartoons he watched on Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network while growing up in the 1990s and 2000s. A New Hampshire-native, Gagnon graduated from the New Hampshire Institute of Art, now called the New England College of Art and Design, where he currently teaches Conceptual Art. He also created the murals in Flight Coffee Co., and at To Share Brewing Co. on Union Street in Manchester. To see more of Gagnon’s art, visit mcg-illustration.com or find him on Facebook and Instagram @mcgillustrates.
ART
Exhibits
• “TRUTH BE TOLD: AN ARTFUL GATHERING OF WOMEN” Two Villages Art Society presents a collaborative exhibit of works by 14 women artists — seven who identify as Black and seven who identify as white — from across the country who have been meeting bi-weekly over Zoom to discuss race. On view now through Nov. 13. Bates Building (846 Main St., Contoocook). Gallery hours are Wednesday through Friday, from 1 to 5 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. An opening reception with two of the artists will be held on Saturday, Oct. 23, from noon to 5 p.m. Visit twovillagesart.org.
• “WPA IN NH: PHILIP GUSTON AND MUSA MCKIM” Exhibit features a pair of 14-foot monumental murals painted by artist Philip Guston and poet and painter Musa McKim for the Federal forestry building in Laconia, New Hampshire, in 1941. The Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St., Manchester). On view now through Dec. 5. Museum admission tickets cost $15, $13 for seniors age 65 and up, and must be booked online. Call 669-6144 or visit currier.org.
• “AROUND NEW HAMPSHIRE” On exhibit at the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce’s Visitor Center, 49 S. Main St., Concord, on view now through Dec. 16. Featuring the work of New Hampshire Art Association member Elaine Farmer, the exhibit features her oil paintings embodying New Hampshire’s iconic views and ideals, ranging from mountain lakes and birch tree woods to historic landmarks. Visit concordnhchamber.com or nhartassociation.org.
• “AS PRECIOUS AS GOLD: CARPETS FROM THE ISLAMIC WORLD” Exhibit features 32 carpets dating from the 15th century to the 19th century. The Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St., Manchester). On view now through Feb. 27, 2022. Museum admission tickets cost $15, $13 for seniors age 65 and up, and must be booked online. Call 669-6144 or visit currier.org.
• “SMALL WORKS — BIG IMPACT” Creative Ventures Gallery presents its annual holiday exhibit in-person at the gallery (411 Nashua St., Milford) and virtually on the gallery’s website (creativeventuresfineart.com/product-category/small-works-show). The exhibit features non-juried small works of art in a variety of media and styles, created by area professional and nonprofessional artists, priced affordably for holiday gift buying. Nov. 2 through Dec. 31. An artist reception will be held at the gallery on Fri., Nov. 12, from 6 to 8 p.m. Visit creativeventuresfineart.com or call 672-2500.
• “NEW HAMPSHIRE NOW” A collaborative photography project presented by the New Hampshire Historical Society and the New Hampshire Society of Photographic Artists, on display in eight exhibitions at museums and historical societies across the state. Nearly 50 photographers participated in the project, taking more than 5,000 photos of New Hampshire people, places, culture and events from 2018 to 2020 to create a 21st-century portrait of life in the Granite State. Exhibition locations include Belknap Mill Society in Laconia; Colby-Sawyer College in New London; Portsmouth Historical Society; Historical Society of Cheshire County in Keene; the Manchester Historic Association; Museum of the White Mountains at Plymouth State University; and the Tillotson Center in Colebrook; with the flagship exhibition at the New Hampshire Historical Society in Concord. Visit newhampshirenow.org and nhhistory.org.
• “9/11” Exhibit features images of the September 11 attacks and the aftermath, taken by war photographer Jim Nachtwey. On view now. The Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St., Manchester). Museum admission tickets cost $15, $13 for seniors age 65 and up, and must be booked online. Call 669-6144 or visit currier.org.
THEATER
Shows
• WONDERS Phylloxera Productions presents. The Hatbox Theatre (Steeplegate Mall, 270 Loudon Road, Concord). Oct. 29 through Nov. 7, with showtimes on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $22 for adults, $19 for students, seniors and members and $16 for senior members. Visit hatboxnh.com.
• BUDDY – THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY Capitol Center for the Arts (44 S. Main St., Concord). Fri, Nov. 12, 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $44.50. Visit ccanh.com.
• ALL TOGETHER NOW!Produced by the Community Players of Concord’s Children’s Theater Project. Concord City Auditorium, 2 Prince St., Concord. Fri., Nov. 12, 7 p.m., and Sat., Nov. 13, 2 p.m. Visit communityplayersofconcord.org.
• THE WEDDING SINGER Presented by The Peacock Players. Court Street Theatre (14 Court St., Nashua). Nov. 12 through Nov. 21, with showtimes on Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 7 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Visit peacockplayers.org.
• 9/12 New World Theatre presents. The Hatbox Theatre (Steeplegate Mall, 270 Loudon Road, Concord). Nov. 12 through Nov. 21, with showtimes on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $22 for adults, $19 for students, seniors and members and $16 for senior members. Visit hatboxnh.com.
Classical
• “SUITES AND SCHUBERT” Symphony New Hampshire presents music by Bach, Schubert and Florence Price, the first African American female composer to have her music performed by a major symphony orchestra in 1933. Notable pieces will include Price’s Suite of Dances, Bach’s Orchestral Suite No. 3, “Air on a G String,” and Schubert’s Symphony No. 5. St. Mary and Archangel Michael Coptic Orthodox Church (39 Chandler St., Nashua). Fri., Nov. 5. Visit symphonynh.org.
Local artist paints spiderwebs, leaves, grains of rice
It started with leaves. After 40 years of building stone walls and fireplaces, Tom Abruzese of Londonderry turned to more delicate endeavors, picking up a paintbrush for the first time in his life and experimenting on traditional canvas. He was good at it, but he got bored quickly. So he started painting on leaves instead.
“I just had a knack where I could paint anything on a leaf, [and] it took off,” he said.
There is, presumably, a leaf with a painting of the White House somewhere in D.C., or possibly in the possession of former President Barack Obama.
“[I figured] no one’s ever going to buy the White House on a leaf, so I mailed it to the president,” he said. “About seven weeks later, I got a letter from the president, thanking me for the unique gift.”
The leaf painting of the Old Man on the Mountain that he sent to Gov. John Lynch when he was in office might still be in the Statehouse, Abruzese said, and he sent one to Sen. Kelly Ayotte’s office in Manchester too.
Abruzese makes prints of the leaves as soon as he’s done painting them, because eventually the colors of the leaf fade. He sells the prints at local craft fairs, and he said he gets a lot of commissioned work as well.
“The leaves are the big sensation,” he said.
Despite their popularity, after a while Abruzese wanted a new challenge.
“You can only paint so many leaves before you get bored or crazy, and I was borderline crazy,” he said.
Seeing a woman on TV painting feathers who said it was nearly impossible, Abruzese had found his next canvas. He uses turkey feathers and typically paints birds and other wildlife on them.
“Most of my [subjects are] from nature, because I use materials from nature,” he said.
Abruzese then turned to small rocks, painting them for use as jewelry.
“Everything I do, people seem to like,” he said. “I’m always looking for something else to create from.”
The latest something else? Spiderwebs, naturally. Abruzese lives in an old house with a carriage house attached, so they’re plentiful, and he thought it might be a bigger challenge than feathers or leaves. He was right ― but he’s figured out how to make it work.
It starts with a bottle cap that he pushes through the web, which clings to the sides of the cap so the web is suspended and not touching the front or back of the cap. Once it’s secure, it’s ready for acrylic paints.
“Because the web is sticky … I wet the brush just a little bit so the paint actually slides across the web; otherwise the paint would tear the webbing,” he said. “Once you get the first coat on, then it becomes a little easier.”
Abruzese puts his spiderweb paintings inside clear plastic containers so the whole thing is sealed.
“It’s so easy to forget that it’s a spiderweb,” he said. “One misplacement of your finger and the spiderweb is gone.”
Plus, he said, the sticky nature of the webs mean they collect dust if they’re not covered.
Abruzese said he paints whatever comes to mind, usually things in nature. But he couldn’t resist one obvious choice.
“Spider-Man ― how corny is that? You gotta put Spider-Man on a spiderweb!” he laughed.
As part of his repertoire, Abruzese also paints caterpillar webs, which are bigger and thicker, plus moose or deer antlers, birch bark, mushrooms, butternuts and grains of rice.
“My wife asks, ‘Why do you paint things people can’t see?’” he said. “To me it’s the challenge. [And] you can see it with a magnifying glass.”
The smallest he’s gotten is a sesame seed. The trick with these tiniest canvases is to use the very tip of the paintbrush and keep the brush in motion so only a finite amount touches the surface. Having a steady hand is key too.
“I don’t drink anything that has caffeine [when I paint],” Abruzese said. “The blood going through your finger makes it like a jackhammer.”
He hasn’t attended any craft fairs recently ― mainly because there haven’t been many to attend ― but Abruzese will be at the Londonderry High School Craft & Vendor Fair on Saturday, Nov. 20. He said none of his items have price tags because he wants his prices to be flexible for kids who are looking to buy gifts.
“The kids don’t have much money, [and] I do it for the pleasure and challenge,” he said. “I’m not there to make money.”
Still, he sold just about everything on his two tables at this fair two years ago.
“Someone looking for a Christmas gift, they can pick up something that is unique,” he said.
For those who can’t make it to the fair, Abruzese accepts requests for personalized art.
“I’ll have people bring in deer antler or moose antler [and ask me to] do something specific on it,” he said. “Once it’s done it’s one of a kind.”
Find Tom Abruzese’s art
Abruzese will be at the Londonderry High School Craft & Vendor Fair on Saturday, Nov. 20, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. You can also email him at tomsleaves@yahoo.com to see more of his collection or to commission a piece.
Featured photo: An array of Tom Abruzese’s work. Courtesy photos.
