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In Millerton: Spain Comes to Main Street, Tapas Style

Owner Eleanor Nurzia and her family. Photos: Laurie Spens. Much like the little black dress, Spanish paella is a classic with endless variations. In Valencia, where the saffron-yellow rice dish originated, chefs insist that a proper paella must include chicken, rabbit, and beans. Caracoles terrestres—land snails—are optional. On

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Community

Omega's Women & Power Conference Explores What’s Possible

“When sleeping women wake, mountains move.” So goes the Chinese proverb. The influential women gathering at Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY this weekend, September 21 – 23, for the biennial Women & Power Conference can’t be accused of sleeping, but they sure are moving mountains with their work, words, and

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Food

Celiacs Celebrate: Treats Without Wheat at Our Daily Bread

For the increasing number of people who suffer from celiac disease or gluten intolerance, there’s now reason to rejoice: Our Daily Bread in Chatham, NY has perfected the recipes for a bevy gluten-free baked goods that don't sacrifice a gram of flavor. This is great news for

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Community

Berkshire WordFest 2012: A Literary House Party at The Mount

The right place can light a fire under the artistic imagination. Claude Monet dreamed up Impressionism in the forests of Fontainebleau; singer-songwriter Justin Vernon of the Grammy-Award-winning indie folk group Bon Iver hid out in a Wisconsin cabin while he wrote the band's debut album. And from September

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Community

At Bard, Gideon Lester Launches a Creative Laboratory

Amanda Palmer (far right) on set at the Fisher Center “What can you do without getting super-tired super-quickly?” director Michael McQuilken asks a bare-chested actor. They’re on set at Bard College’s Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts to shoot Amanda Palmer’s new music video, Bed

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Community

Gardener/Architect Peter Wooster Creates a Collage Comeback

After a stroke in 2006 left him partially paralyzed, with limited vocabulary, Peter Wooster of Roxbury, Connecticut, the renown gardener and architect of homes for such high-profile clients as James Taylor and Stephen Sondheim, continues to pursue creative self-expression through vivid visual imagery. True, Wooster can no longer draw or

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Community

Wharton in Words and Spirit at The Mount in The Inner House

Tod Randolph as Edith Wharton; photos by Kevin Sprague "I have sometimes thought that a woman's nature is like a great house full of rooms,” Edith Wharton wrote in her short story The Fullness of Life. She was speaking from experience. Having settled at The Mount in

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Community

Word on the Street: WordXWord Festival Returns to Pittsfield

Gabriel Squailia; photo by Jennibeth Gomez Tension was high at Y Bar in Pittsfield on Tuesday, July 31. Eight contenders had entered the fray, and only two remained: Curtis Asch and Gabriel Squailia, aka DJBFG. After winning six consecutive rounds, Squailia was favored to win, throwing down incisive compositions, such

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Food

Blueberry Hill Café: Stealth Sophistication in Humble Pie

There are loudly-ballyhooed, celebrity-chef-driven restaurant openings, and then there are restaurants that slip quietly into town, barely making a ripple until customers notice that something special is going on. “This is the best burger I ever ate.”  Such was the reaction of one recent diner at Blueberry Hill Market &

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Food

Eat Your View: Agriturismo Dinners at Gigi Market

“I was in love with this spot for so many years,” says restaurateur and cookbook author Laura Pensiero, referring to Greig Farm in Red Hook, and its bright red 19th-century barn. Since 2006, the barn has been home to Gigi Market – a gourmet shop and casual café that feels like

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Community

Community: 20 Questions for Yo-Yo Ma

Perhaps the most recognized, decorated, and beloved cellist in the world, Yo-Yo Ma makes his home in the tiny town of Tyringham, Massachusetts, “A Hinterland Settlement,” nestled between Lee and Monterey, the sleepy summer residence of many musicians and composers, past and present. Yet Ma is not here to sleep;

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Community

Farmers and Foodies Have a Field Day - Several, Actually

Farm On! That’s the rallying cry of Friends of the Farmer, organizers of a two-part festival for lovers of farm-fresh foods and supporters of local agriculture. It could also be the catchphrase for everyone inspired to turn a patch of grass into a productive vegetable garden. This weekend and

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