Edible Berkshires

Chef Ashlin Ploss, left, owner Whitney Asher, right

A cozy wine bar and restaurant in downtown Lenox, Brava reminds one of a small tapas bar in Spain, a trattoria in Italy or an authentic Belgian beer bar.

Open every evening, and serving food until midnight, Brava attracts a diverse crowd of all ages and kinds. Out-of-town visitors and summer music lovers come in for a drink before dinner or a meal before a show.

After Tanglewood performances, the place gets packed with symphony musicians and concert-goers. In the late-night hours year-round, the place is a regular haunt for hospitality industry veterans unwinding after other kitchens and bars have closed for the night.

The wine list won a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence in 2014 and includes over 100 wines, of which approximately 40 are available by the glass. Brava offers almost 85 craft beers from all over the world, and … Read the rest

Wok Star

Thai roots, thirst for innovation make Jem a gem

Edible Berkshires met Jem and Robin Ezinga at the Lebanon Valley farmers’ market, located at Windswept Farm in New Lebanon, New York.

It was, the scent of Jem’s wok cooking wafting across the grounds, not to mention the market-goers standing in line to order, that caught our attention.

Growing up in Thailand, one of a daughter’s duties was to help prepare the six meals a day that the family would eat. Jem admits her love of food and a thirst for learning has sent her on a quest to discover new techniques, flavors and food preparations.

In 2006 she took her first professional job with Chef Tommy Carlucci, chef and kitchen manager at Hawthorne Valley Farm in Ghent, New York. Chef Carlucci grew up in lower Manhattan and has been cooking all of his life. So Jem got a … Read the rest

A Family Affair

Christopher Masiero was born into a large Italian family in Boston’s North Shore in the small town of Manchester-by-the-Sea. With seven children who were always hungry and a mother who was a fabulous cook, the art of cooking reigned supreme. Chris has followed his passion for food since he was a teenager. Through much diligence and dedication, he has turned his heritage into a life of food-centered success.

He began his work in restaurants at the age of 15, working his way up to running kitchens by the time he was 22. Along the way, he earned his professional chef credentials at Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY.

In the meantime, his brother Matthew graduated from Wentworth Institute in Boston. As a young man Matt had worked in produce stores; after graduation, he hoped to open his own produce store in the Berkshires. Renie Masiero, … Read the rest

Legacy of Respect for Food Lives On Naturally

Introduction by Chef Aura Whitman

I have my mother to thank for my love of preparing food and caring where it came from. This happened long before the current wonderful—hopefully not trendy— movement of connection to the quality and sources of what we are eating.

Growing up, we always had gardens, goat cheese hanging in cheesecloth, bread proofing, something being canned, and we ate no meat unless it came from our stock.

I learned from many great chefs in my career. I always took the best from each of them. A highlight was meeting Julia Child when I lived in Paris for a year attending Cordon Bleu. We catered her 83rd birthday and appeared on “Good Morning America” the next day.

I traveled a lot as a child. We lived in Israel, Connecticut, New York, Oregon and California, exposing me to all … Read the rest

By Chef Carole Murko, Heirloom Meals

Christmas season was all about the baking when I grew up. My most vivid memory, however, is not the actual baking—it’s of Nana’s hospitality table.

Each December the old wooden round folding table with a quilted top made its way out of the attic and into the dining room. My nana would adorn the table with a green wool felt cloth that she made.

She prepared her tiered stand with lace-cut doilies and a tray of cordials. Underneath the table was tin upon tin of cookies. The largest tin was piled high with our famous sugar cookies and other tins were filled with so many different cookies from fruitcake cookies to chocolate-dipped almond fingers.

My brother, sister and I would sneak in and “steal” a cookie from the tin whenever we thought the coast was clear. I am sure this brought pure joy to … Read the rest