Speaking of FOOD

Yes , I am a "foodie". I think most performing artists are. One of my favorite local shops is Angela's Pasta and Cheese Shop at 815 Chestnut Street in Manchester's North End.

A few weeks ago, I saw a notice about a "wine pairing" event at the end of April. So I asked my good friend Janet Wittenberg if she would like to join me. Of course, she said yes.

Angela's, which is owned by Jerry Lipet, offers an amazing variety of prepared gourmet foods, as well as dozens of products from Italy (pasta, sauces, olive oils, flavored vinegar, and of course, lots and lots of Italian wine). This is a rather small shop but packed with mouth-watering goodies.

For the price of $25 per person, we were treated to a six-course meal paired with "matching" wines from the Firesteed Cellars of Oregon. There was a representative from Firesteed explaining all sorts of interesting facts about the region as well as how the various wines were "brewed". Frankly, that went over the heads of most of the 20 or so people attending, and not one single person used the plastic buckets to spit out their wine (traditional in wine-tasting events). No, we drank up and Jerry and Linda, one of the shop managers, kept on pouring.

Here are photos of our six courses, with a description of each. Now, these portions were substantial, not just "a bite or two". Hats off to Angela's chef, Mike Simmons, a treasure! This was one of the most delicious evenings I've had since moving to NH some years ago. Angela's plans on two of these "wine and food pairings" a year...can't wait for the next one in October! Please check Angela's website for updates, and weekly menus.