This weekend marks the end of an era where I grew up.  After 70 years of ownership in the Bozicas family, currently under Jerri & Paul Bozicas, The Pepperell Spa is changing hands.  For those of you who have not had the pleasure of eating there, it is a small family owned restaurant in Pepperell that proudly claims to possibly have the best coffee in the world.

Loyal Customers of The Pepperell Spa

Since I was a child, I have made MANY trips to The Spa, mostly to enjoy breakfast.  Everything is made fresh and there is just something about their home fries that to this day, still has me addicted.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve tried to figure out how they make them and failed.  It is a bigger kept secret than Colonel Sanders KFC recipe.

Maybe now that they have sold the restaurant, Jerri or Paul will come up to me and whisper the secret recipe into my ear similar to how Alanis Morissette told Larry David who the song “You Oughta Know” was about on the HBO show “Curb Your Enthusiasm”.  Unlike Larry David, I promise I would never tell a soul!  If you haven’t seen that episode, it is one of the best.  It is called “The Terrorist Attack”…but I really am getting off track here.  Enough of my wants and needs regarding the home fries recipe.

Paul & Jerri Bozicas. Also, my lucky lottery ticket machine behind Paul.

As I went into The Spa this morning to pickup my breakfast order, I noticed the place was busier than usual.  It turns out some of the local residents and business owners had a little gathering with Jerri, Paul & their family and presented them with 2 of those super awesome Cracker Barrel rocking chairs.  It was great to see people showing their thanks and appreciation to Jerri & Paul not just for all of their hard work running the restaurant, but for their longstanding work within the community.  The Spa  just wasn’t a business to them; it was a local family business in the community they live in and love.  It is obvious they take a tremendous amount of pride in that.

As I waited for my order and talking to my friend (and regular Spa diner) Brent Reagan, it started to sink in that things were changing and I am not a big fan of change.  While The Spa will have a new owner and word is he is keeping things the same, it will still be different.  Will the new owner continue Paul’s 40 year streak of only wearing a white button down shirt, black pants and Movado watch every day like we are used to seeing?  It must have been so easy to do his laundry.  1 load of white shirts, 1 load of black pants and you are done.  No chance of colors running there!  Seriously though, it’s the atmosphere that Jerri & Paul created that really makes The Spa special and that is the key (besides not messing with the home fries recipe) if the new owner wants to experience similar success.

Paul in his white & black "uniform"

They knew your name when you walked in the door, they knew what you liked, they let you go behind the counter and get your own coffee and even if they were getting ready to close, they always let you in the door and served you.  It was like walking in to your family’s dining room except you could buy scratch tickets at The Spa, something my Mom never offered in our dining room growing up but now wish she had.  There is nothing like enjoying breakfast and hitting for $20!  Even when you would call in a to-go order, if Paul answered the phone you wouldn’t know if you dialed the wrong number or the restaurant as he would simply say just “hello” most of the time and not the name of the business.  I get the impression that he felt at home at The Spa as well.

This weekend I plan on heading to The Spa for breakfast and say “Thank You” to the Bozicas family.  It has been great coming to your restaurant for pretty much my entire life and I am sad to see you moving on from The Spa, but happy for you to be able to spend more time with your family, especially your grandchildren.  You have spent many years working 7 days a week, making trips to buy supplies and caring about your customers.

The Bozicas Family 6/24/11

Now, each day is for you to enjoy without obligation or having to wake up at the crack of dawn.  However, if you ever make some home fries at your house and have extra, I only live down the street and would be happy to take them off your hands.  And maybe I’ll even toss on my own white button down shirt, black pants and Movado just for the hell of it!  Enjoy the summer and thanks again for your part in making Pepperell the great town that it is.

This weekend (June-25/26) is the annual FREE Health and Fitness Expo at the Hynes Center in Boston. There are over 8 culinary featured events on the Dish cooking stage. Watch as recipes are created and discussions are lead on eating healthier and then enjoy a taste of some great food. The two day event features an extensive variety of great ways to plan or find assistance in living a healthier lifestyle.

I’m excited to be a part of the Sunday activities on “the Dish/Metropolitan Cabinets & Viking Appliance cooking stage”. Check out whose cooking and see what other benefits are offered while there at:  www.bostonhealthexpo.com/dish

I’ll be making one of my favorite Summer time salads using Quinoa!

    COOKING WITH BERNARD

Quinoa, Vegetable & Avocado Salad                                                               Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa
1¾ cup water
½ cup red pepper, diced ¼”
2 scallions, chopped

1 cup grape tomatoes cut in half

1 cup cooked black beans, rinsed

1 cup fresh asparagus steamed or roasted cut into ¼” diced pieces

½ cup edamame beans

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
¼ cup olive oil
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon sea salt and fresh pepper
1 fresh ripe avocado cut in half, peel removed and sliced thin

Procedure:
1. Bring water to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low. Add the Quinoa, and bring back to a boil. Stir periodically let simmer for 12 minutes. Turn off heat and let remain covered for another 10 minutes until all water is absorbed.

2. Remove and fluff with fork and place in a bowl to cool. When quinoa is warm or cooled, add the next seven ingredients and mix them to distribute evenly. Combine olive oil, 2T water (or vegetable stock) lime juice and salt. Toss with quinoa.         Garnish with fresh, sliced avocado.

 www.chefbernards.com

Clarence Clemons, the longtime sax player for Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band, died Saturday from complications of the stroke he’d suffered the previous weekend.  He was 69 years old.

The 6-foot-4-inch Clemons played with Bruce for 40 years.  They first jammed together at a bar in Asbury Park, New Jersey in 1971.  So Bruce is obviously feeling that loss.  He said on his website, “Clarence lived a wonderful life.  He carried within him a love of people that made them love him.  He created a wondrous and extended family. His loss is immeasurable and we are honored and thankful to have known him and had the opportunity to stand beside him for nearly forty years.”  He added, “He was my great friend, my partner, and with Clarence at my side, my band and I were able to tell a story far deeper than those simply contained in our music.  His life, his memory, and his love will live on in that story and in our band.”

Not that his prior accomplishments didn’t mean anything, but Clemons got a chance to go out on top, so to speak, by playing on a few songs on Lady Gaga’s album “Born This Way”.  He performed one of those songs, “Edge of Glory”, with Gaga on the “American Idol” finale last month.  He also appears with her in the video.

Outside of the band, Clarence did a little bit of acting, like playing Roman on two episodes of HBO’s “The Wire” in 2004.    Back in the ’80s, he did a guest spot on “Diff’rent Strokes” and appeared in the movie “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure”.

Clemons is the second member of the E Street Band to pass away in recent years.  Organ player Danny Federici died of skin cancer in 2008.

Clarence was married five times and is survived by four sons.

Forbes.com has put out its annual list of The World’s Highest-Paid Musicians and not surprisingly, U2 came out on top.  Again.  From May of last year to last month, U2 raked in $195 million, which is up from the $130 million that they pulled down the year before, when they were also ranked #1.  Bon Jovi came in second with $125 million.

Forbes calculates their numbers by compiling pre-tax profits on stuff like concert dates, merchandise sales, licensing fees, music sales, and publishing royalties but almost everyone on the list made the bulk of their money from touring.

Here’s the complete list:

1.)  U2 . . . $195 million

2.)  Bon Jovi . . . $125 million

3.)  Elton John . . . $100 million

4.)  Lady Gaga . . . $90 million

5.)  Michael Bublé . . . $70 million

6.)  Paul McCartney . . . $67 million

7.)  Black Eyed Peas . . . $61 million

8.)  Eagles . . . $60 million

9.)  Justin Bieber . . . $53 million

10.)  Dave Matthews Band . . . $51 million

11.)  Toby Keith . . . $50 million

12.)  Usher . . . $46 million

13.)  Taylor Swift . . . $45 million

14.)  Katy Perry . . . $44 million

15.)  Brad Paisley . . . $40 million

16.)  Tom Petty & the Heartbreaks . . . $38 million

17.)  Jay-Z . . . $37 million

18.)  A five-way tie between AC/DC, Diddy, Beyoncé, Tim McGraw and Muse . . . $35 million

23.)  Rascal Flatts . . . $34 million

24.)  Kenny Chesney . . . $30 million

25.)  Rihanna . . . $29 million

Practicing food safety measures during the summer months is extremely important. The fact that spring and summer time bring on more outside activities, parties and food related events so does the increase of foodborn illness. Placing prepared food outside on a hot day or the duration of time food is left out in an uncontrolled or unsupervised environment, can lead to a risky situation. Following a few simple tips, changing recipe ingredients and planning properly can help you enjoy a safe and relaxing time with friends and family. Below is just a short list of suggestions to consider, following that is a link you can find additional helpful information.    

1.   Wash Hands Often
2.   Wash Raw fruits & vegetables before peeling or cutting them up
3.   Use more than one cutting board for meats, produce or seafood
4.   Store uncooked meats in the refrigerator on the bottom shelf, covered properly
5.   Keep Raw Meats and Ready-to-Eat Foods Separate: Even in the cooler, on the way to your picnic!
6.   Cook to Proper Temperatures
7.   Refrigerate Promptly Below 40°F

www.homefoodsafety.org

Another suggestion to consider when making your recipes for salads, consider using vinaigrettes in place of mayonnaise. Not only can this be healthier but the flavor profile adds a new taste to some “old time favorites”. When making your salads ahead of time consider the time it takes for your flavors to blend together, typically a few hours is enough. When making salads a day ahead consider the fact that green vegetables (like broccoli) will turn brown. So what I do is add mixed greens, baby spinach and blanched cooked broccoli to my salad just prior to serving, then mix well and place them in their container.

Most of all remember when planning your menu, consider the “new MyPlate food guideline”, there link: http://www.choosemyplate.gov this replaces the food pyramid icon and will help you with making some balanced food choices for you and your guest!

Let us know what measures you take to practice food safety.

Thanks and ciao…Bernard Kinsella

For helping spread the word about the importance of home food safety, I was entered into a drawing for a $15 Starbucks gift card and an iPad through Summertime Food Smarts, a contest run by the American Dietetic Association and ConAgra Foods’ Home Food Safety program. Home Food Safety is dedicated to raising consumer awareness about the seriousness of foodborne illness and providing solutions for easily and safely handling foods. Learn more at www.homefoodsafety.org.

I hit my first Farmers market this past weekend and had a great experience. Although you may not find everything you’re looking for… just yet. It’s great to get out and be in the fresh air, see what’s available and NEW and as I did spend some time with Love ones. I went with my daughter and it’s a great time to just be, as you stroll around & ask questions and see what may be growing / coming in the near future. Check out the New England listing of markets at www.farmfresh.org or www.farmland.org  to review information if you’re traveling for the summer and would like to see what other parts of the USA have available.

The best thing about these types of markets is that they help you add to your recipe repertoire. I sometimes buy ingredients after considering what I have in stock. Always make sure you rinse items well or let them soak for a bit, before you cook them. Let us know how your experience was and what you made!

Thanks and ciao Bernard

Next week check out our information on summer’s food safety tips!