Celebrate fall with Cider Week in New York

by Jessica Festa on

What better way to celebrate the changing of the seasons than with a week full of cider-related events. From October 16-October 24, 2011, New York will host it’s first ever Cider Week, which will include tastings, demonstrations, pairings, classes and more. Here are some of the events to check out (for the full schedule, click here):

October 16– A Cider Revival, 11AM-4PM
New Amsterdam Market

This celebration of hard cider will include cider tastings paired with tapas, sampling of both common and rare varieties of apples, cider purchasing opportunities, and the chance to buy delicious apple pies and desserts. Admission into the market is free, although you will have to purchase a ticket if you want to do the tastings.October 17– Mele and Maiale in the Meatpacking, 6PM-8PM
Macelleria

The event will include cider and porchetta tasting, with special guest Ezra Sherman from Eve’s Cidery. The cost is $10 and reservations should be made in advance to secure a spot. If interested in attending, click here.

October 18– Meet the Cider Maker: Original Sin, 6:30PM-9PM
Good Beer

Want to learn more about cider as well as sample new varieties? Come to this event to speak with Gidon Coll from Original Sin Cider, learn the history of Newtown Pippin apple, and taste some new Heirloom ciders. Price is $10.

October 19– Prix Fixe Dinner Menu with Cider Pairings, 7PM-10PM
Jimmy’s No.43

Enjoy a 3-course meal, each paired with a different cider. There will also be live music in the back room from 8:30PM-11PM. The menu includes:

  • A caramelized apple, walnut, and blue cheese salad paired with Dupont “Cidre Bouche Brut” sparkling cider
  • 24-hour pork braised in cider vinegar and molasses, with roasted parsnips paired with Dupont “Triple” sparkling wine cider
  • Apple cobbler paired with Dupont “Pommeau”

There will also be rare French cider products from New York, Vermont, New Hamshire and France being served all night long. The cost of the event is $45 per person.

October 20– A Cider and Cheese Tour of the Northeast, 6:30PM
Brooklyn Kitchen

Enjoy a guided tasting of regional hard and ice ciders, each paired with artisanal cheeses. Expect at least 5 pairings, as well as science, recipes, and history. The cost for the event is $50.

October 21– Cider Pairing and Cooking Demonstration, 11AM-1PM
Union Square Greenmarket

Learn how to cook with hard cider as well as how to cook dishes that pair well with the drink. This is a free event.

October 22– Tasting of Basque Ciders, 4PM-7PM
Tinto Vino

Sample ciders from North Spain as well as the moutainous region of Asturias. This is a free event.

October 23– Cider Pairing Dinner, 7PM
The Queens Kickshaw

While the specifics for this event are still being determined, attendees can expect delicious cuisine paired with unique ciders. There will be a special guest, as well. The price of this event has not yet been announced.

October 24– Cider Party, 6PM-8:15PM
92YTribeca

This closing event will celebrate the winners of the Glywood’s Harvest Awards as they talk about their success supporting local food efforts in their community. A reception with appetizers and Hudson Valley ciders will follow. While this is a free event, RSVP is required.

Green Living Project to feature global/local short films at San Francisco Film Premiere

by Jessica Festa on

The Green Living Project will be showcasing a new lineup of local and global short films at the 2nd annual San Francisco Film Premiere. The event will take place on October 22, 2011, from 6PM-9PM at Hub SoMa.

The Green Living Project has created over 60 films from 17 countries across Latin America, North America, and Africa. This event will feature their most popular projects dealing with topics of sustainability, such as wildlife conservation, community development, sustainable travel, and more. Not only is this event a great way to educate yourself and experience new places, it’s also a chance to network and socialize with like-minded individuals and learn ways that you can personally get involved in the Green Living Project’s cause.

Tickets cost $12 at the door ($10 if you have a student ID) with a portion of all the proceeds going to one of the featured films at the event (to be voted on by attendees).

Can’t make the San Francisco Film Premiere? You’ll have another chance to see the project showcase on December 8, 2011, in Los Angeles, California.

National Park Service saves three California state parks

by Kraig Becker on

Like many U.S. states, California has been struggling with major budget shortfalls over the past few years, and as a result, a number of state services have been directly impacted. One of the more well publicized results of this lack of funds is the announcement that the state could close as many as 70 of its parks. Now, the National Park Service has stepped in to keep three of those parks from shutting down.

An agreement between the NPS and the California State Park system was reached last week and extends to three parks that share their borders with national parks. NPS officials were quick to point out that this made for a natural partnership, as the state and federal parks already work closely with one another, sharing resources, information, and occasionally staff.

The three parks that will receive assistance from the NPS include Tomales Bay State Park, Samuel P. Taylor State Park, and Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park. In order to help make up for the budget shortfall, the National Park Service will institute a $2 entry fee to the John Muir National Monument starting January 1st. That fee is expected to bring in roughly $1 million in revenue.

While 67 more state parks still face closure, I’m glad to see that a solution was found for at least a few of them. California has some of the most spectacular parks, state and national, in the U.S., and it would be a shame if there was no public access to them.

Digital technology meets art with a floating orchestra of ping pong balls

by Jessica Festa on

The Poietic Studio in London in the United Kingdom has combined technology with art in their new exhibit, the Floating Orchestra. Here, 19 ping pong balls come to life, becoming orchestral instruments that increase in volume as each ball rises. By manipulating each ball, you can create your own symphony of music. And, how is this all controlled? By technology, of course, via the touchscreen of an iPhone.

The Poietic Studio has a unique approach to art, focusing on “people’s fundamental joy of play, curiosity, and exploration”. Their practice is multidisciplinary, with backgrounds in art, engineering, and interactive and spatial design. By exploring the bounds of imagination, technology, and science, Poietic Studio is able to create “unique mechanical structures that offer memorable experiences whilst celebrating the poetics of engineering”.

Want to see how the Floating Orchestra works for yourself? Check out this video:


Floating Orchestra from Poietic Studio on Vimeo.

First bar made of glacial ice opens in Patagonia, Argentina

by Jessica Festa on

The first ice bar in Patagonia, Argentina, opened last week, which also happens to be the first bar in the world created out of glacial ice, according to Paola Singer of The New York Times. Located just outside El Calafate, Glaciobar is the newest addition to Glaciarium, a new science museum focusing on the region’s hundreds of glaciers.

Glaciobar will provide patrons with gloves, hooded capes, and boots for warmth. For health and safety reasons, however, the maximum time allowed in the bar is 20 minutes. During this time, most people choose to sip on the house cocktail, a mixture of Fernet con Coca and Coca Cola.

Want to see for yourself what Glaciobar is like? Check out this video: