Tag: 231026

Album Reviews 23/10/26

Hugo’s Voyage, Inception (Frontiers Music)

No matter how popular they become, bands that start out as cover bands — i.e., bands that play other bands’ music — are, in general, at a hopeless disadvantage when they decide to make their own music. This is a tribute band whose specialty is playing nothing but Journey songs, which is as good an excuse as any to remind readers that I was going to be the Dave in the local Van Halen tribute band Diver Down, but the guitarist wanted me to stop sounding like Album Quality Dave and just be Lousy Live Version Dave, so it never happened. Matter of fact, if anyone knows whatever happened to New Hampshire’s favorite Pat Benatar tribute singer, Gail Savage, I’d be really curious to know about it; I asked around but apparently no one knows. Anyhow, if you like Journey, this album sounds exactly like the current version of that band, which, ironically replaced their original singer with a dude whom the band saw doing Journey covers on YouTube. Funny how things work out, isn’t it? No new ground broken at all here, of course, but the songs are, you know, just fine. A-

Rick Bogart, What A Wonderful World (Arabesque Records)

Glad to have been made aware of this February release just now; it’s up for a Grammy, not that I have any say in such things. It’s timely, regardless; no holiday albums have shown up in my mailbox this year as of yet, but this one would definitely work if you’re just trying to get in a holly-jolly mood. If you never would have guessed, this is a collection of Louis Armstrong classics led by rendered through a light, tinkly, Champagne-tinted lens, with a dual-edged nod toward modern New York City club-jazz and mid-sized New Orleans combos, although the former wins out by a mile in my view; it’d be well-placed backgrounding a wedding reception, holiday party or whatever. All the great tunes are here, from “Hello Dolly” to the title track to “A Kiss To Build A Dream On”; if you’ve ever owned a disk of Satchmo tunes, this will all be familiar territory. “Way Down Yonder In New Orleans” is a new one on me, not that I’m an Armstrong expert; I’m used to the Al Jolson version but this does the trick nicely (if politely) enough.

Playlist

• Yay, the next crop of rock ‘n’ roll CDs comes out on Oct. 27, which is this year’s opening day for Halloween! As everyone knows, Halloween is the real start to the holiday season, which is backward, because Halloween should come after New Year’s Day, the worst of all the holidays unless you have someone brand new and special to watch the ball drop with. For everyone else, New Year’s is the most miserable time of the year, with all its pointlessness and beginner-level beer-chugging, so the best way to walk off the whole experience would be if Halloween came afterward, so that there’d be Dracula movies and snack-sized Reese’s Cups and skeletons around to help us forget the real-life horrors of the previous year! But no, Halloween is here, and there will be albums, I haven’t even checked the list yet, I’ll bet there’s a Christmas album in there from someone like Skee-Lo or Coldplay or someone else whose career is way past its sell-by date, let’s go have a look! Hm, nope, no holiday collections, but there it is, bazinga, a new album from everyone’s favorite acid-dropping Australians, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, called The Silver Cord! It is psychedelic and trippy like always, what else were you expecting?

• Let’s see here, OK, History Books is the sixth studio album from New Jersey rockers The Gaslight Anthem, whose recent reformation after a seven-year hiatus only happened because one of the members was cajoled into it by none other than Bruce Springsteen, who, as it happens, guests on the video for the album’s title track. What this tells us is that Bruuuce is the gatekeeper to the entire New Jersey rock scene, but let’s leave it all be, because the song isn’t bad at all. It’s a loping affair that combines Goo Goo Dolls and Amos Lee; it’s OK if you like good songs, which many people don’t these days, of course.

• So, 1989 (Taylor’s Version) is the newest album from registered 4channer Taylor Swift, and her second this year. It’s simply a re-recording of her 2014 album, which she can get away with because only jerks really hate her, because jelly much? Luckily my attitude toward that corporate-manufactured diva is similar to the one Tommy Lee Jones exhibited in The Fugitive when Harrison Ford had him trapped in the sewer and was trying to convince him he didn’t commit any crimes, like, when some internet person tries to tell me that Taylor Swift will save democracy or bring balance to the universe or whatnot, I just hold my hands up in surrender and say, “I don’t care.” But that’s not to say that she’s a bad artist or doesn’t have great taste in future ex-boyfriends; if you have a 9-year-old daughter you’ll simply have to go buy this new CD of needlessly re-rubbed songs and play it in the car until you’re driven to rendering it useless by scratching the disk with your car key and telling your Precious Princess that your Amex is maxed out and you can’t afford another copy. Just trying to help.

• We’ll end with indie darlings The Mountain Goats, because even I have to admit they’re awesome, so I’m going to go out on a limb and assume that their new LP, Jenny from Thebes, will contain a song that I can stomach! Fans of this alt-rock outfit know that the original lineup consisted of only one person, frontman John Darnielle, until he started hiring all sorts of people to contribute to his albums, playing banjos and cellos and violins, and now Mountain Goats is sort of settled on a quartet setup. This record is said to be a rock opera, so I am already nervous that it will suck, but I shall nevertheless go see what the deal is with the new single, “Clean Slate.” Right, right, it’s Ben Folds-ish, poppy, danceable, the coda sounds like a cross between Springsteen and Calexico.

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).

Gin Punch

We’ve all done it. We’ve all planned our ideal dinner party — what we’d serve, how we’d dress, and most importantly, who we’d invite.

The guest list is the most intriguing part of this mental exercise.

We’d have to limit the guest list to eight people — four men and four women. Fewer than that, and you can’t fit in all your “must-invites”; more than that, and there won’t be one conversation, there will be four or five. All must be alive, as of this week, and no family members are allowed. It’s like a wedding — by the time you invite all the people you should invite, there isn’t room for the people you really want to invite.

So here’s my provisional list.

The Men

Me – I know I said no relatives, but I think I can make an exception for myself.

Robert Krulwich – Science reporter and former host of RadioLab. A charming guy.

Cheech Marin – Comedian and well-respected art collector. Brilliant and allegedly very nice.

Carlos Santana – Genius guitarist. He makes a point of collaborating with radically different artists.

The Women

Naziyah Mahmood – Martial artist model and astrophysicist. I imagine everything she says, down to her morning coffee order, is fascinating.

Lucy Worsley – British historian and famously nice lady.

Esperanza Spalding – Jazz genius, and probably the best bassist alive today.

Salima Ikram – Archaeologist and Egyptologist. Again, staggeringly fascinating.

So far, so good. All but one of these people are brilliant. They are all personable and fascinating.

But is that enough?

A good dinner party guest should have interesting things to say, but the very best ones are also excellent, dynamic listeners. How well do they play with others?

I have the feeling that Robert Krulwich would be fascinated by Naziyah Mahmood, who would charm Esperanza Spalding. She, in turn, would have Cheech Marin hypnotized by her beauty and, well, hipness. I would love to hear the conversation that he would have with Salima Ikram. I would just try very hard not to embarrass myself.

The point being, it’s not about who is brilliant on their own as much as it is what kind of chemistry they have together.

Which brings us to gin punch.

A good punch is supposed to be made of fantastic ingredients — also eight, in this case — that each add something to the whole but don’t dominate it. A fantasy dinner party of a cocktail, if you will.

Gin Punch

  • Peel of half a lemon – just the outside yellow part, not the bitter white part underneath.
  • Large teaspoonful of your favorite jam. Raspberry is a popular choice, but I like rose.
  • 2½ ounces dry gin
  • ¼ ounce triple sec
  • ¼ ounce ginger brandy
  • ½ ounce fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • ¼ ounce grenadine or simple syrup, depending on how pink you want this punch to be.
  • Dash of celery bitters

Muddle the lemon peel thoroughly in the bottom of a cocktail shaker.

Add the jam and muddle it again.

Add the rest of the ingredients, then use the muddler to stir everything, thereby rinsing the last of the jam off the muddler.

Add ice, and shake until very cold.

Strain over fresh ice in a coupe glass. Sip while listening to Esperanza Spalding; you won’t be sorry.

As with our imaginary dinner party, this punch is greater than its parts. The gin and lemon juice give it authority and keep it from becoming too sweet. The ginger is just barely detectable, as are the celery bitters. The jam doesn’t dominate the conversation but has something nice to say about your shoes.

This might actually be a good drink to serve at your next dinner party.

John Fladd is a veteran Hippo writer, a father, writer and cocktail enthusiast, living in New Hampshire.

Featured photo: Parmentier. Photo by John Fladd.

In the kitchen with Chris Ballou

Chris Ballou, a sous chef at Americus Restaurant at LaBelle Winery in Derry, discovered his culinary bent in a high school class. He went on to attend the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, where he earned an associate’s degree, and gained experience in Arizona as well. Once back in New Hampshire, he started working at LaBelle Winery in Amherst before working at Americus Restaurant, where he has been for almost four years and enjoys the creative freedom to experiment with a diverse cuisine.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

The kitchen knife is definitely a must-have … but I would say a good stock pot because in culinary school you start everything from scratch and all food starts with good ingredients and my main go-to good ingredient is a good stock, so I think that is essential for me.

What would you have for your last meal?

It would have to be my mom’s pot roast. I played soccer when I was growing up and [on] rainy fall nights after a long soccer game you come home and the house just smells incredible, it’s a nice hearty meal [that] will fill you right up. Perfect for winter nights.

What is your favorite local eatery?

Green Leaf over in Milford. … He does a lot of creative things over there and it [is] amazing.

Name a celebrity you would like to see eating in your restaurant.

My chef out [in] Arizona grew up in France and he was living in the same neighborhood I think down the street of Dominique Crenn and ever since she did that episode on Chef’s Table on Netflix I’ve just been totally wowed, so that would be incredible to see her eating there.

What is your favorite thing on your menu?

I have to say it’s the Mediterranean pizza that we have on the menu. … it’s just spectacular. It’s a 24-hour fermented pizza dough [made] in house … It’s amazing, such a good balance of spicy and sweet and there’s fresh oregano on top to bring it all together. It’s delicious.

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

I see a lot of oriental places popping up. … New Hampshire seems to be diversifying its food a lot more than it was, getting away from the New England cuisine of chowders and such like that.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

Chicken piccata. It’s easy, it’s quick, it’s delicious. I’m a big fan of bold, sour flavors too but I like to add sun-dried tomatoes into it to kind of balance it out and give it some sweetness. It’s so easy to do after a long day at work.

Chicken piccata
From the kitchen of Chris Ballou

2 chicken cutlets
1 shallot sliced
1 Tablespoon chopped garlic
1/2 cup chardonnay
1 cup chicken stock
¼ pound butter
2 Tablespoons capers
2 Tablespoons sun-dried tomato
1/2 lemon squeezed
salt and pepper to taste

On medium high heat, sear chicken for about one minute on both sides and remove from pan.
Add shallots and garlic and stir, picking up all the fond (leftover chicken bits on the bottom of pan). Cook until translucent.
Deglaze with wine.
Add in chicken stock, capers and tomatoes.
Add chicken back into the pan. Reduce by ¼.
Add butter and lemon juice, stirring constantly.
Season with salt and pepper.
Serve over rice with your favorite seasonal vegetables.

Featured photo: Chris Ballou. Courtesy photo.

Jals Cuisine Bantu

Bringing the flavors of Africa to Nashua

On Friday, Sept. 22, a VIP launch party was held for the opening of Jals Cuisine Bantu, Nashua’s first African restaurant. Jals Cuisine Bantu is an extension of Mola Foods, a food production company offering the flavors of Africa through spices, sauces, seasonings, teas, marinades and more.

“Mola Foods is a food production manufacturing company, and Jals Cuisine plays the role of showcasing our product with traditional cuisine of Africa,” said LaFortune Djabea, the founder of Mola Foods and Jals Cuisine Bantu. “Mola Foods creates products, and people want to know how to use these products in their cooking. That’s where Jals Cuisine comes into play [by] showcasing how you can utilize Mola Food products in your own cuisine.”

Born and raised in Cameroon, Djabea describes her native country as a melting pot of culture and cuisine from other African countries, such as Zambia, Congo, Nigeria and Ghana. Her grandmother was able to cook in a variety of styles. When a friend of Djabea’s asked her to create a hot sauce using her grandmother’s recipe, she was at first reluctant but eventually decided to accept the challenge, which led to the creation of Mola Foods and, in turn, Jals Cuisine Bantu.

“The flavor is completely traditional of African cuisine, so basically we are introducing a fusion cuisine with the bold flavors of Africa,” Djabea said. “People think African cuisine is spicy but it’s actually not. … If you want to make your food spicy then you add the sauce, but the food itself isn’t spicy, it just has a bunch of spices that people don’t use traditionally on their food here in America. In Africa we use a bunch of spices to bring out those flavors, bring out the boldness [and] the smell. … Whether you want it spicy or not is really based on what you’re looking for. At Jals Cuisine we don’t make food spicy, we give it a kick, and if you want it a little spicier then you’re welcome to utilize one of our hot sauces.”

Menu items include jollof, or thieboudienne, a traditional Senegalese dish consisting of rice, okra, yucca, assorted vegetables and your choice of meat; West African key lime pie; yassa, made with cauliflower or chicken, rice, onions, olives and lime; and fried plantains. Each meal can be made into a vegan option as well. You can dine in at the restaurant or order to take out, with pickup and delivery options available. Meal plan services are also offered.

“African cuisine, and Africa in general, is extremely not represented in Nashua whatsoever,” Djabea said. “It’s a wonderful cuisine [and] the world does not do it justice, and the reason the world doesn’t do African cuisine justice is because of the stigma surrounding Africa itself [and] African people … and that’s unfortunate. … I have made it my mission at Mola Foods and through Jals Cuisine to … repel the stigma … and make people understand that African cuisine is very approachable, delicious and is something that should be acclaimed with the rest of the cuisine.”

Jals Cuisine Bantu
9 Simon St., Nashua
When: Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday, 4 to 8 p.m.; closed Sunday, Monday and Tuesday
More info: 820-2543; jalscuisinebantu.molafoods.com

Featured photo: Courtesy photo.

Craft spirits and community

Manchester Distillery open on Willow Street

This past August, a new distillery opened its doors on the north side of The Factory on Willow in Manchester. Manchester Distillery, founded by Liz and Jeremy Hitchcock, currently distills gin and vodka, with plans to expand their catalog, which can be purchased in their tasting room as well as state stores, and hosts events such as the upcoming Halloween block party in partnership with Double Midnight Comics on Saturday, Oct. 28.

“The craft spirits market is just a fun thing to be in, so I think the ownership group here wanted to get involved,” said Bill Tambussi, the lead distiller. “It helps bring people to the community, I think.”

Tambussi discovered his passion for distilling about 15 years ago when his sister and brother-in-law gifted him a home-brewing kit for Christmas. When it was recommended that he gain more experience after applying to a brewery, he quit his job and moved to Scotland to study brewing and distilling.

“I never did study abroad and I always liked to travel so I was definitely willing to take a leap and go see somewhere else,” he said. “My mom’s side of the family is Scottish as well, so that was kind of neat to go see where they’re all from.”

After earning his master’s degree, he moved back to Philadelphia and worked at a distillery there, followed by one in New Jersey, before becoming the lead distiller at Manchester Distillery.

“I’ve actually always kind of wanted to be up north,” he said. “I actually love the cold and snow and skiing and all that stuff, and then talking to the ownership group here I thought they had a really good vision and plan for what they wanted to bring to the market and they needed someone to do it. … What they were looking for aligned with my philosophy of making spirits … so I think it was a nice fit.”

Tambussi says his spirit-making ideology is “approachable pretension,” meaning high-level products that are made for everyone. His approach involves putting a modern spin on traditional classics by making the spirit traditionally but using the botanicals differently. The botanicals used in their American-style gin, for example, include juniper, coriander, angelica root, orange peel, lemon peel and grapefruit peel, cardamom, elderberry and almond. The result is a gin with less pine flavor, lighter on the juniper, with the bright citrus flavor.

Arriving on the scene a little too late for the main event, the Manchester Distillery will not be involved in the Distiller’s Showcase, but Tambussi says they are hoping to plan some fun events that week to draw people to the tasting room.

“We’re trying to do some sort of big [event] every month,” he said.

Coming up is the Fall for All Block Party presented by Manchester Distillery along with Double Midnight Comics on Saturday, Oct. 28, with specialty cocktails, food trucks, live music, lawn games, special sales, costume contests and more.

While the development of the business is still in the works, exciting things are on the horizon.

“We have some people here who can make some cocktails that showcase what we can do with our spirits,” Tambussi said. “We partnered with Wood Stove Kitchen, another New Hampshire-based company that makes cocktail mixers. … We’re going to try to do more Manchester Distillery-specific cocktails, which I think are going to be kind of neat and fun. … We’re working on a Halloween one with pumpkin and peach tea. There will be standard classic ones, and some small, little bit out there ones.”

Manchester Distillery
Where: 284 Willow St., Manchester
When: Thursday and Friday, 4 to 9 p.m.; tours and tasting by appointment. Hours subject to change.

Fall for All Block Party
Where: Double Midnight Comics, 252 Willow St., Manchester
When: Saturday, Oct. 28, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Featured photo: Courtesy photo.

The Weekly Dish 23/10/26

News from the local food scene

  • • Market happenings: The Concord Farmers Market which runs from 8:30 a.m. to noon on Saturdays next to the Statehouse concludes its season this coming Saturday, Oct. 28. Kids are invited to come in costume and trick-or-treat the vendors.
  • The Salem Farmers Market (held at The Mall at Rockingham Park between Dick’s and Cinemark) is also holding its final outdoor market of the season this Sunday, Oct. 29, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (starting Sunday, Nov. 5, the market returns to its winter indoor state at LaBelle Winery in Derry from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.). Sunday’s market will be a Halloween Fest with costume contests for kids, pups and adults; crafts for kids and trick-or-treating the vendors, according to the market’s Facebook page.
  • • Holiday planning: You may still be in Halloween mode but planning that Thanksgiving dinner menu has already begun in the form of the “Cooking with Wine: Thanksgiving Recipes” class at LaBelle Winery (14 Route 111 in Derry; labellewinery.com) on Wednesday, Nov. 8, at 6 p.m. The cost is $40 and the class will include wine pairings, recipes for stuffing and gravy and a discussion of wet- versus dry-brining a turkey, according to the website.
  • A similar “Holiday Recipes” class will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 6, at 6 p.m. at the LaBelle in Derry. Recipes for this class will include candied kielbasa, LaBelle Red Wine caramalized onion dip and more. Admission costs $40.

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