NEW YORK SHARKS DEFEATED BY PITTSBURGH

The photo in the print version of the article is credited to Hutch Hutchinson, photographer for the Pittsburgh Passion...with a different photo.

http://www.brooklyndaily.com/stories/2014/18/sp-sharks-at-aviator-2014-05-02-bd_2014_18.html

KAMARR THE MAGICIAN

Here is a sneak peek of Kamarr the Magician who performed at the 1964 World's Fair and will be performing at the Queens Theatre on May 17th.

New York Sharks opening game

Here is video of a 58-yd TD by rookie Alana Casner.

Photo by Merle Exit

Power Drive: Rookie wide receiver Maggie Natell scores the Sharks’ first touchdown against the Wreckers in their first home game of the season at Aviator Sports Complex

Opening day was a feeding frenzy for the New York Sharks — the city’s professional women’s tackle football team — who chewed up the visiting Connecticut Wreckers 50–0 in the team’s first home game at Aviator Sports Complex last Saturday.

The shutout vindicated quarterback Karen “Mulli” Mulligan’s confidence in her team.
“We went down to Baltimore last week for some scrimmages with other teams and I think our team is well prepared,” said Mulligan. “I’m excited for our players.”

Shortly after former New York Liberty player Kym Hampton sang the National Anthem and performed the coin toss, Mulligan chummed the waters with a 10-yard pass to rookie wide receiver Maggie Natell who ran it in for the touchdown. It was not only the Sharks’ first touchdown of the season, but Natell’s first touchdown — ever.

“This was my first experience with football,” Natell said. “It was a short pass but I had to break a tackle to get into the end zone.”

Like many of her teammates, she grew up playing a variety of team sports, but the Sharks offered Natell her first opportunity to play tackle football.
After that, the Sharks’ defense matched the tone of the offense, and didn’t allow the Wreckers to get anything going.

The Sharks were up 16–0 in the first quarter with their first three possessions before the Wreckers had a chance to significantly move the ball. Wide receiver Rookie Alana Casner answered by scoring the second touchdown off a 39-yard pass from Mulligan.

In the second quarter, it was another pass to Casner for her second touchdown of the game, and a long pass to rookie wide receiver Brilynn Fields, who caught the ball on a six-yard pass, running 58 yards for another Sharks touchdown.

The Sharks had 36 points by the second half, which Mulligan started off with another touchdown pass to Casner.“I had three passes and three touchdowns, totaling 107 yards,” said Casner. “It was exhilarating running into the end zone knowing that I scored — the first one being the best.”
The Wreckers did take advantage of some Sharks mistakes in the second half, gaining some momentum on yardage, but it never translated to scoring.

A touch pass to wide receiver and safety Krystal Molina and a 12-yard run by rookie running back Gina Pettigano closed out the scoring.

“I guess it paid off with the coaches teaching all pre-season,” said rookie outside linebacker Amber Terrell, who also got her first game experience on Saturday. “It felt great to tackle someone other than my teammate. The ball came my way often enough to get a lot of opportunities to show off what I’ve been taught.”

The Sharks’ second home game at Floyd Bennett Field at Aviator Sports Complex is April 26, at 7:30 pm against the Pittsburgh Passion.

©2014 Community Newspaper Group

NEUHAUS CHOCOLATES SNEAK PEEK

BELGIAN DELICACIES FOR CHOCOLAE CRAVERS by Merle Exit

Fans of Downton Alley have been taking a break as the next season will not begin until this fall.  In its PBS place is a show called Mr. Selfridge based upon the actual person from the US who established a high class department store in London. 

The show uses the same style as Downton with movie-like episodes and no commercials.  Season two, in its third episode featured a plot that focused on WWI with Belgium being hit.   To help raise money, Mr. Neuhaus came to the store to demonstrate his Belgium made chocolates resulting in a tasting and fundraiser.                          

As it turns out, Neuhaus has been around since 1857 and the actual chocolates were used on the set.  It did not make it difficult for any of the actors to act as if they were enjoying the smell, quality, creativity luxury and taste of what has to be the most delicious creations of chocolate anywhere.

Does that mean having to order online or hopping a plane to Belgium?  Not if you are in New York and a few other cities.  Here in Queens there is a kiosk at the Queens Mall.  It certainly doesn’t compare to their star location on Madison Avenue in Manhattan, run by manager Jonffen Gonzales.

The company was founded in Brussels in 1857 by Jean Neuhaus, a Swiss immigrant, who opened his first store in the Galeries St.-Hubert. In 1912, his grandson, Jean Neuhaus II, invented the chocolate bonbon or 'praline'. Three years later, Jean's wife continued the innovation with the 'ballotin' packaging, created to protect the pralines while presenting them beautifully to the recipient.  All Neuhaus delicacies are still made in Vlezenbeek, Belgium (near Brussels), and are exported worldwide.

The word "praline" has more than one meaning.  In the southern US states, we picture a creamy sugar coated patty of nuts.  Europeans (mainly Belgians) grind sugar coated nuts into a powder to use for candy, cakes and these Belgian chocolates.   I was privy to watching Jon temper a ganache of hazelnut paste and chocolate, perfect for decorating.   Classes are sometimes offered at this store.

Choosing these delicacies may be quite difficult.  I would classify each piece as being a smaller bite of an “amuse bouche”, a single bite-sized hors d’oeuvre.   However, to truly enjoy the chocolate it should be nursed into at least two bites.   The first to get the texture and flavors rolling around your taste buds.  After that the next bite will either allow you to further search your buds or re-experience what you just did an OMG to.

Ask about the cocoa contents as the higher it is, the less sugar.  Keep in mind that both milk and more sugar is added to milk chocolate vs a dark chocolate.  

With Mother’s Day approaching here are my suggestions for “You must love me” gifts starting simply with a box of Classic Truffles:  cocoa coated dark chocolate truffles. 

The New York City collection is a great choice.   You know how you look at chocolates and wonder what is inside?   It doesn’t even matter with this one!    The ultra in gift giving is “When the ‘Haute Patisserie’ joins Neuhaus.”  Nine internationally awarded Chefs Patissiers have created a unique praline for Neuhaus, guided by their own creative, cultural and gastronomic inspirations.   Each one produces a combination of flavors both sweet and savory. 

If you are a true lover of Nutella, get their much more sophisticated version of this hazelnut spread.  Forget the bread...just nurse a spoonful.   Chocolate it out  www.neuhauschocolate.com

ROAD TO BRANDYWINE VALLEY DAY 1

It’s the first road trip of the year as Laurie and I packed up her car with her gps set for various locations in the Brandywine Valley area of Pennsylvania-Delaware.   Most of the trips’ action was centered on a district in Pennsylvania known as Kennett Square, a small home town with much to explore.

Our first destination was to a Dupont owned estate known as Winterthur.  With its preeminent collection of American decorative arts, naturalistic gardens, and a tour of some of the most notable spaces in the 175-room house, among other things, my soul purpose was in seeing one exhibited collection.  All was curated by three members of the staff including Maggie Lidz who went to London, not to ride the ponies, but to choose costumes. 

Downton Abbey may have ended its season.  Not so as I was able to view “The Costumes of Downton Abbey”.   It featured 40 historically inspired costumes and accessories worn upstairs and downstairs by the characters.  “Upstairs” are the wealthy folks who live there while “downstairs” are the staff.  

The exhibition, running until January of 2015, is organized chronologically as I was able to move through the times of day.  There are several sectioned off rooms many with a backdrop of a scene or a vignette from the series that relates to the costumes.   Depending upon how much you are into the series or even simply the history of England is how you will view each costume with a sign that gives an explanation.  I also noticed a working recreation of the bell system.   My itinerary didn’t allow me ample time for all.  At least I have the DVD’s to watch.  

Afternoon teas and English brunches are held in the Garden Café at Winterthur’s Visitor Center.  We did have lunch but not quite the menu that the special brunch offers.   Check their calendar for dates and times as well as some scheduled events or lectures relating to Downton Abbey.  Perhaps we will return for an early summer tour of Winterthur.  www.winterthur.org

We now head for Kennett Square to visit Sweet Christine’s Bakery located at 132 West State Street.   State Street is the local name for Baltimore Pike.  What is special about Christine’s Bakery is that the goods are all gluten-free.   Sampled a brownie, cupcakes and later, a lava-cake.   Brownie pretty good but certainly not better than a Fairytale Brownie.

Tuckered out a bit we check into the first of three accommodations, this one being Pennsbury Inn located in nearby Chaddsford.  Owners Cheryl and Chip are there to greet us as well as the "house pooch" tucker.   This is one of those inns with a long history, dating back to 1714, that Chip will gladly share as you take a tour.  What gets my attention is the wildlife.   Chip gives us the logistics on the cute dog.  “If he wants to go out, let him out”.  “Don’t call him to the table”.  

The living room area extends past the dining room where there was a great view of the back yard.   I watched a squirrel stealing food from the bird feeder while the little bird looked on waiting for its departure.   

There are many common rooms to view at this inn, one of which houses a piano.  Sleeping rooms are minus tvs and telephones as the modern day brings the visitors with cell phones.  Our room, named The Longwood had two twin beds with white picket fences as the headboards.  The bathroom was quite sizeable and had an old fashioned pull chain toilet. 

A full breakfast is served that started off with a poached pear deluxe, followed by Southern Corn Bread with Cheryl’s own jams and apple butter.  The “main course” was Pineapple and Crème French Toast served with Spinach and Asagio Cheese Chicken sausage.  www.pennsburyinn.com

I found the least expected “event” was having such a totally high class and delicious dinner in this small town.   Portabello’s of Kennett Square has a most passionate chef, Brett Halbert who is quite picky about the products that he uses as well as having the knack of being innovative in his cuisine.   The name might suggest an Italian restaurant.   Think about the mushroom instead.   This area is the known as the Mushroom Capital of the World and rightly so.   I’ll get into that at another time.  

Thirsty for something cold and tasty, Brian, our knowledgeable waiter, suggested this Raspberry Iced Black Tea from a company that produces a brand called Tei.  Pretty addicting. 

Portbello’s has options in their menu that include gluten-free.   Thus, they are able to offer bread bought from Christine’s Bakery.  We also had “Brooklyn Bread” accompanied by two spreads.  I turned down the roasted garlic scallion butter opting for the roasted mushrooms with gorgonzola cheese hummus. 

As we waited the first course of the chef tasting, a white Reisling wine was offered as well.   Portabello’s is a byob.  The wine comes from Flickerwood Wine Cellars Tasting Room, across the street.   It’s a reciprocation with a byof…bring your own food, when you visit the tasting room.  Later on that one as well. 

Exotic Mushroom Crepes had shitake, mitaki, oyster and porcini mushrooms in the crepe with a madeira cream atop.   Being a lover of mushrooms I thought that this was so totally good until the roasted mushroom soup arrived.  Assortment of roasted mushrooms are chopped and then slices of mushrooms are placed in the soup as well.  It was clearly an OMG experience. 

Brett’s choosy reputation was showcased with Crab Cakes.   No breading used, excellent choice of seasoning and the lump crab was evidently high quality.  Best crab cake I’ve ever eaten.  

A few other appetizers such as Portabello fries and Firecracker Shrimp (which was just a bit too spicy for me) were presented. 

Salad being a must, Brett prepared one made with organic baby lettuce, mango, candied almonds, ginger Stilton cheese, citrus vinaigrette.   

I then had chicken parmesan with a tomato sauce that went perfect with the chicken and pasta. Some roasted veggies accompanied it.

As for dessert, again some foods are gotten from local specialty companies.   There is an ice cream store called La Michoacana that makes both some unusual creations such as corn ice cream.  I did not have that.  Instead there was an assortment of flavors: peanut butter fudge; strawberries and cream; and toasted coconut with chocolate chips.   I’m full!

Sandra Morris is married to Chef Brett. She takes care of the of the front of the house. 

  www.portabellosofkennettsquare.com

Walking back to the car I spotted a place called Kennett Design – with a splash of wine.  This art studio is a space for people to wish to learn how to paint. I entered to see what was going on.  Everyone was painting the same piece of artwork.  The classes seemed to focus on choosing a piece of art and having an artist gives you lessons on how to reproduce it.  

The “splash of wine” aspect is that it is another byob.  They don’t serve wine or have a liquor license.  However, you are welcome to bring in your own wine.  Where is the best place to buy it?  Flickerwood Wine Cellars Tasting Room is across the street and offer a discount to those attending a class.  You don’t have to bring wine.  Just your favorite drink and snacks as well.  www.kennett-design.com