Category: Q&A

Corayma Correa

Corayma Correa’s family launched the Tropical Food Truck (tropical-food-truck.business.site, find them on Facebook) last October, its primary location at 80 Elm St. in Manchester. The truck’s menu combines authentic options native to Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, where Correa’s mother and stepfather respectively are from. Among the most popular items are appetizers like beef and chicken empanadas; alcupurias, or fritters stuffed with beef or crabmeat and veggies; and the french fry supreme, featuring fries loaded with beef, cheese sauce, sour cream, light ketchup and bacon bits. After taking a month off in January, Correa said, the Tropical Food Truck will return to 80 Elm St. on Feb. 18, where you’ll find them most Thursday, Friday and Saturday afternoons and evenings. The truck is also available to hire for private events.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

I would say a nice solid spatula, just because I’m always turning things.

What would you have for your last meal?

A burger, cooked medium, with caramelized onions, barbecue sauce, an egg over easy, American cheese, lettuce and tomato.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

Puerto Vallarta Mexican Grill on Second Street [in Manchester].

What celebrity would you like to see ordering from your food truck?

I’d be flattered to have Adam Sandler stop by, just because he’s from New Hampshire.

What is your favorite thing on your menu?

Our chimis. It’s a Dominican dish that’s similar to a burger. We do them with your choice of beef, chicken, pork or all three, and then they are topped with cabbage and a special chimi sauce.

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

Birria tacos. It’s basically a taco with slow-cooked tender meat, melted cheese … and a sauce that you use as a dipping sauce. I’ve seen it in an empanada too.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

We are huge steak lovers at home. A nice warm and juicy steak is all we need.

Pernil (pork roast)
From the kitchen of Corayma Correa of the Manchester-based Tropical Food Truck

1 (8- to 10-pound) bone-in pork shoulder
1 head of garlic, peeled
4 tablespoons sofrito
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 tablespoons adobo
2 packets sazón

Rinse pork shoulder with vinegar and water, then pat dry. With a knife, make ½-inch stabs all over the pork. Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender and mix together. Fill each slit in the pork with about a teaspoon of the paste. Sprinkle all sides of the roast with the adobo and sazón and rub pork with the spices. Place in a roasting pan that has sides at least two inches deep, cover with foil and refrigerate overnight for the best results. When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Leave the roast covered with foil and bake for four to five hours (approximately 30 to 45 minutes per pound). Pork should read 180 degrees on an internal thermometer and shred easily with a fork. Uncover roast and bake for 15 to 20 minutes to crisp up the fat, or broil at 500 degrees for 10 minutes, watching carefully not to burn. Let cool and serve. The pork can also be refrigerated and used the next day on a panini.

Featured photo: Corayma Correa and her stepfather, Victor Rodriguez. Courtesy photo

The dream reimagined

Local musician creates new version of “America the Beautiful”

What started as a song for a children’s choir to sing at Hancock’s Martin Luther King Day celebration last year has become an ongoing collaboration of musicians and music groups across the country.

As a member of the planning committee for the event, Hancock singer-songwriter Steve Schuch had taken on the task of organizing a musical performance. At the time, he had been reading about the history of the patriotic anthem “America the Beautiful,” originally written as a poem by American author and poet Katherine Lee Bates in 1892, and studying the life and writings of American civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr.

“Then, I thought, what would happen if we took the opening lines of ‘America the Beautiful’ that everyone knows and added a chorus and new verses that reflected Martin Luther King’s wider dream for all of America?” Schuch said.

The reimagined version of “America the Beautiful,” titled “America the Dream,” received such a “strong response” at the celebration, Schuch said, that he decided to keep expanding on the project.

He teamed up with another local musician, Mike Bradley, to write more lyrics and reached out to Shelbie Rassler, a senior at Berklee College of Music at the time, who had produced a viral YouTube video of a virtual choir of students singing “What the World Needs Now,” to assist with the musical arrangement and assembling a virtual choir to perform the piece.

Rassler was “all in,” Schuch said, and has produced three virtual performance videos of the song so far, with more on the way, including a contemporary country version out of Nashville.

“I hope that with each passing year, different singing groups around the country will want to do it,” he said. “It would be neat if someday Keith Lockhart wants to do this with the Boston Pops for the Fourth of July, or, hey, in my wildest dreams, maybe Beyonce would sing it at the Super Bowl.”

Late last year, Schuch and his collaborators launched the “American Dream Project” website where people can find the performance videos as well as sheet music for six different arrangements of the song, sound samples of the different choral parts and a piano accompaniment track for singing groups to use for rehearsals or performances if they don’t have access to live musical accompaniment.

“[The arrangements] run from really simple ones that are appropriate for elementary schools or children’s choirs up through ones for accomplished high school and college choirs and adult community choirs,” Schuch said. “There is enough variety that any music director or conductor could find a version that’s right for their group and their setting.”

What makes “America the Dream” especially unique, Schuch said, is that it’s an open source piece; not only can people access the sheet music and sound samples for free, but they also have permission to create and perform their own versions of the song with different musical arrangements and different or additional lyrics for non-commercial use.

“We encourage people to keep adding to it and would love for them to submit their recordings to add to the website,” he said.

The website also includes a list of suggested reading material and resources for groups or individuals who want to use the “American Dream Project” as “a springboard for discussion,” Schuch said.

“It’s more than a song,” he said. “It’s a chance for all Americans to think about what we hold in common for the dream of our country and what our country can become.”

Featured photo: “America The Dream” virtual performance by Berklee College of Music students, Shelbie Rassler Orchestral Arrangement. Courtesy photo.

Game on

Esports alive and well at New England College

Whereas many college sports have been suspended, competitive video gaming, known as esports, gives students an opportunity to compete nationally and be part of a team in a safe way during the pandemic. Now in its second year at New England College in Henniker, esports includes leagues for a number of match games, including Madden, Call of Duty, NBA 2K, Fortnite, Overwatch, Valorant, Super Smash Brothers and League of Legends. NEC junior and Valorant team captain Noelle Julian talked about the game, the team and what esports looks like this year.

How did you get into esports?

I’ve always played video games — growing up and throughout high school and my early years of college — and I’ve always been a competitive person. Then, two years ago, I got an email from the director of [NEC] esports saying that they were holding tryouts, and I was like, ‘That sounds like something I’d be interested in,’ so I went and tried out.

How do practices work?

We practice for two hours five days a week, and we also have matches every week. … We have an arena on campus, which is basically a computer lab, but instead of your typical computers that you do homework on they’re very expensive PCs that are built specifically for gaming. Obviously, with Covid, it’s been a bit more difficult to get together. … During quarantine, we didn’t have access to the arena, but all the players on my team have their own PCs, so we can practice remotely from our dorm rooms. When we aren’t in quarantine, there is a 10-person limit in the arena, which basically means that only one team is able to practice at a time. Because we have so many teams and practices are a two-hour time block, [the practice schedule] can make for some very early days and very late nights. It’s not ideal, but we make it work.

Exactly what do you do during practice?

Each game has different [skills] you need to work on, but for Valorant specifically, aim is a huge one. It can make or break the game. A lot of us, during practice time as well as on our own personal time, will just hop into an aim trainer, [which is a program] where you specifically practice your aim and hand-eye coordination. We also just play normal matches and get a feel for [the game layout and mechanics].

What does being a team captain entail?

I’m kind of the spokesperson for our team. I register our team each season with whatever leagues we decide to play in, and I reach out to the other teams we compete with to schedule matches and that kind of thing. I schedule our practices, make sure everyone is putting in the time and pulling their own weight, and I just make sure everything is running smoothly.

Do you lead the team as far as strategy, too?

As far as strategy and stuff goes, we all work on it together. I do spend some time watching professional players in their matches to see how they play, and then I try to reflect that in our own practices, but I’m never going to be the most knowledgeable at games. I love hearing from my players, and if they have great ideas that’s great, because I don’t know everything.

How does esports affect you physically, and how do you take care of yourself?

Eye strain is probably the biggest thing when you’re sitting in front of a computer for hours. I wear blue light glasses when I play. The lumbar support [on the chairs] in the arena that we have is pretty nice, and when you’re sitting in a chair for at least two hours it’s definitely important to have good chairs with good back support.

So, can you play these games just for fun after you’ve played them competitively?

[Laughs] Unfortunately, no. That’s the toll that comes with it. After playing Overwatch [competitively] for a year and a half, when my friends from back home ask me, ‘Hey, do you want to play Overwatch?’ I’m like, ‘Absolutely not.’ I find myself still in that competitive mindset, thinking, ‘I have to do this, and I can’t mess up,’ and if I do mess up, I get so angry with myself, so, no, I just can’t.

What do you love most about esports?

The sense of community. … Immediately when you join [a team], you have new friends, because you know you all have that similar ground with each other; we all love gaming, and we all want to be the best we can be at it. We’re all in it together.

Featured photo: Courtesy photo.

Paul Lynn

Paul Lynn of Raymond and his partner, Carolyn D’Amico, launched Java Joe’s (59 Route 27, Raymond, find them on Facebook @javajoesraymondnh), a drive-thru shop offering specialty coffees, teas and various breakfast items, in 2015. Lynn built the 300-square-foot drive-thru himself and roasts his own coffee beans in house, which include Colombian, Sumatran and several other varietals. Java Joe’s also features a full line of espresso drinks, including macchiatos and chai lattes, and egg and cheese sandwiches available on English muffins, bagels or croissants. (Pictured are Paul Lynn and his partner, Carolyn D’Amico. Courtesy photo).

What is your must-have kitchen item?

A perforated spatula.

What would you have for your last meal?

I’m quite a big fan of king crab legs. They’re my favorite thing to eat.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

I’d have to say CR’s in Hampton. I don’t get to go there as often as I’d like, but I’ve never been disappointed. Everything is always flavorful and memorable.

What celebrity would you like to see ordering from Java Joe’s?

I’d like to get the opinion of Elon Musk. He’s innovative and brilliant, and I think I would value his opinion.

What is your favorite thing on your menu?

The house roast [coffee], hot and black, with sugar, and a bacon, egg and cheese croissant.

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

Takeout is trending, but also just trying to figure out [how to get] takeout with locally sourced, farm-to-table [items].

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

I really like cooking Mexican food, like tamales and tacos.

Homemade Béarnaise sauce
From the at-home kitchen of Paul Lynn of Java Joe’s in Raymond

¼ cup white wine vinegar
½ cup dry white wine
3 sprigs tarragon
3 sprigs chervil
1 small shallot, roughly chopped
½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns
2 egg yolks
Kosher salt
1½ sticks unsalted butter

Combine vinegar, wine, herbs, shallots and peppercorn and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Strain the liquid using a fine mesh strainer into a small bowl. Combine vinegar reduction, egg yolks and a pinch of salt in the bottom of a cup. Melt butter over high heat and transfer to a measuring cup. Using an immersion blender, place the head into the bottom of the cup and turn it on. Pour hot butter into the cup. Continue pouring until all butter is added (the sauce should be thick and creamy). Whisk until sauce is thickened. Whisk in chopped tarragon and chervil and serve.

Featured photo: Paul Lynn. Photo by Matt Ingersoll.

No quiet for the choir

Nashua Choral Society sings together from a distance

The Nashua Choral Society is inviting new singers to join its 2021 spring season, which is just getting underway. The non-auditioned community choir has found some creative ways to rehearse while maintaining social distance, including weekly virtual rehearsals over Zoom and monthly “driveway rehearsals” where members can gather in person and sing together from their cars.

When Covid hit last spring, the choir was just polishing up an upcoming performance with Symphony NH, featuring a full program of Haydn music, and a performance with the Nashua Chamber Orchestra, which was to include the premiere of a new song written for the choir.

Those performances were postponed, but instead of losing momentum the choir has gotten stronger — active members have stayed, less-active members have become more involved and new singers have joined, artistic director Dan Roihl said.

“Obviously, performance is a big part of [being in a choir], but I think there is some intrinsic reward in the communal aspect of just singing together, hearing your voice with other voices and creating works of beauty,” Roihl said. “That’s been enough for people right now.”

Still, moving from in-person rehearsals to virtual rehearsals was a bit more complicated than expected, Roihl said.

“As most choirs quickly figured out, singing together live over Zoom just isn’t practical because of the lag time,” he said. “It’s just not possible to synchronize.”

To get around this, Roihl has been encouraging members to record themselves singing the pieces on their own and send him the recordings, which he mixes together and plays at the rehearsals so that members can hear how their voices sound in unison. He also plays the instrumental musical tracks and has members sing along with their microphones muted.

“That way, they can at least have the simulated experience of singing together in real time,” he said.

In addition to the weekly Zoom rehearsals, the choir meets once a month in person for a “driveway rehearsal” in the parking lot of the church where they used to have their regular rehearsals. While remaining in their cars, members sing together using wireless microphones. The sound is run through a mixing board and played back through an FM radio station that members can tune into and hear each other. The choir had its first driveway rehearsal on World Choral Day on Dec. 13 with around 30 members in attendance.

“It was almost magical, because at that point we hadn’t been able to actually hear what we sound like together in real time for about nine months,” Roihl said. “It’s just really amazing to experience singing together again, even if it is just through our car windows.”

The driveway rehearsals are not only more personal than the Zoom rehearsals, Roihl said, but also more productive.

“It’s a lot more like a real rehearsal because [singers] can respond to my gesture, and I can get feedback on how they are responding to my gesture in real time, which is something that had been sorely lacking in the Zoom context,” he said. “It allows us to really assess how we are doing so I can still do some music teaching and we can work on our techniques.”

While the Nashua Choral Society has performed primarily classical music, Roihl is working on developing a more versatile repertoire to include pop song arrangements, familiar hymns and “everyday-use songs” that he believes will appeal to a wider audience and expand the choir’s performance opportunities.

“We always hope to keep one foot firmly planted in our classical wheelhouse, but I think having some easier songs that we can do a cappella or on short notice or if we don’t have the full [choir] there … will give us more flexibility,” he said.

While the choir has no public performances scheduled at the moment, Roihl said they’ve been “kicking around the idea” of doing some community-based drive-in performances in the parking lots of hospitals, nursing homes and such, using the same mechanics as their driveway rehearsals.

“We know it’s not quite the same as a [normal] live performance, but at least [audiences] could see me out there waving my arms and hear us singing in real time,” he said. “It’s more about letting people know that we’re thinking of them and that we’re looking to share the joy of the art we bring.”

Nashua Choral Society
Singers of all abilities are welcome to join. No auditions necessary. Spring season runs now through mid-May, with virtual rehearsals via Zoom every Monday from 7 to 9 p.m., and monthly “driveway rehearsals” in Nashua. Visit nashuachoralsociety.org or facebook.com/nashuachoralsociety or email [email protected].

Featured photo: Artistic director Dan Roihl leads a Nashua Choral Society “driveway rehearsal.” Courtesy photo.

If you build it…

Performing Arts Center moves into construction phase

After four years of planning, construction on the Nashua Performing Arts Center is set to begin this month. The 750-seat venue, located on Main Street in the space formerly occupied by Alec’s Shoes, is scheduled to open in late spring 2022. Richard Lannan, president of Nashua Community Arts, which is overseeing the project, talked about how the venue is coming along.

What progress has been made on the Nashua Performing Arts Center so far?

The history goes back a few years ago when a committee was formed to find a consultant to do a study to determine if Nashua could support a performing arts center and, if so, how big could it be and where could it be located and so forth. The study came back [and revealed] that, yes, Nashua can, in fact, support it, so we started talking about size and possible locations. … We had determined that a size in the 750-seat range was the sweet spot for what Nashua could support and still be profitable, and that the Alec’s Shoes building was by far the best location; it could handle the size, has an abundance of parking available [nearby] and is in the heart of downtown, walking distance to restaurants and bars and shops. … Then, the mayor appointed a steering committee of 12 people. It included four … aldermen and individuals from the arts community and from downtown, so it was a pretty diverse group. … The [first] of the steering committee’s goals was to hire a team … for the architecture, construction and operation. … There was a bond approved by the City of Nashua to fund the performing arts center [with the condition that] an additional $4 million be raised privately in order to get it off the ground. … We did end up raising the $4 million that was necessary and were able to close out the transactions [with the contractors] in the middle of December.

How did Covid affect the progress?

Nashua Community Arts had already started [raising private funds] and was pretty successful in late 2019 and early 2020, but when Covid hit, we weren’t sure what was going to happen, so we pulled back and were kind of on a hiatus for four or five months. … But even with the pandemic, there was still a lot of interest and desire in the Performing Arts Center, and people were still donating, so we decided to start back up again and be more aggressive to raise the money. … So, [Covid] probably did hurt us a little bit — we might have been able to get to our [fundraising] goal a few months earlier — but we still made it in time.

What are you working on now?

We’ve been planning with the subcontractors to get everything in line, and everything is pretty much lined up to start construction as early as [this month]. … Nashua Community Arts is continuing to fundraise. We’ve kicked off a name-a-seat campaign where people are able to donate and get a plaque on the arm of the chair that could be their name or a name in memory of someone or a company name. We’ll continue to do that program until all of the seats are taken. … Spectacle Management, which will be in complete management of the property, from the maintenance to the concession stands to booking performances, is already gearing up to take over when it opens. They’re [setting up] their social media and already have a Facebook page, and they’re even having some conversations about future performances to book.

What kinds of events will the Performing Arts Center host?

We’re striving to make it very versatile. The whole bottom level’s seats are designed to roll back into a wall, so we could have a flat floor and set up tables for a corporate banquet or a wedding or whatever kind of event. Then, we could roll the seats back out and have a concert or comedy show or book signing. … If we were having a rock concert or something like that, we could also roll the seats back to make it a standing room. We can actually fit up to 1,000 people if we do that.

What is this going to do for Nashua?

Theater events end up bringing a lot of people into the city and create vibrancy downtown. People may come a little early or stay after the event and walk around downtown, grab a bite to eat or a couple of drinks or do some shopping. … It’s also going to employ a lot of people, not only out of the performing arts center itself, but also in downtown, because if [downtown businesses] are doing well, that may create more jobs around the city. It’s all a domino effect.

Featured photo: Richard Lannan. Courtesy photo.

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