The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

The Inside Press

Feed Me Fresh to Support MKCCC’s Need-Based Scholarships

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Becki Fleischer with the Shaves at a previous Feed Me Fresh: An Edible Evening event.

Mount Kisco Child Care Center (MKCCC) 17th Annual Feed Me Fresh: An Edible Evening event on Saturday, September 25 will benefit MKCCC’s need-based scholarship program. In its 50th year, MKCCC’s Scholarship Initiative, which is a combination of government subsidy, private, family and corporate foundation support, corporate and individual donations, and proceeds from special events, enables MKCCC to fulfill its mission of providing children with access to affordable, safe, high-quality early care and education.

Over the last five decades, MKCCC’s exceptional program has served close to 7,000 area children.The Center is committed to its successful service model–balancing families who can pay the full fee for care with families who require need-based scholarship support to attend. MKCCC is proud of its diversity, which benefits the children, families, and the community, and is committed to creating an environment that fosters the practice of understanding, cooperation, tolerance, and respect.

Feed Me Fresh: An Edible Evening showcases delicious food from local restaurants that subscribe to the same culinary philosophy as MKCCC–serving locally grown and sourced food and supporting local agriculture. Through its Feed Me Fresh seed-to-table nutrition program, MKCCC has created a hands-on curriculum that builds a natural appreciation for fresh, whole food. Tickets are available for $275 per person ($250 each before September 1st). For information about tickets, donations, and sponsorship opportunities, please visit https://mkccc.org/events/17th-annual-feed-me-fresh-an-edible-evening/ or contact Helen Bock, 914.241.2135 or bock@mkccc.org.

Chappaqua Author Suzanne Chazin’s Forthcoming Crime Novel & Launch Event

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Editor’s Note: As we went to press, we received the following news from the Publisher of Suzanne Chazin’s new book The Fragile Edge:

“Suzanne Chazin, an award-winning author based in Chappaqua, has received much acclaim for her Westchester County-set crime fiction novels featuring Puerto Rican police detective Jimmy Vega. Hailed by Lee Child as “first rate and highly recommended,” the first five installments in the series have been praised for their compelling plots and multi-dimensional characters as much as the author’s thoughtful portrayal of the lives of immigrants, both documented and undocumented. The sixth installment in Chazin’s Jimmy Vega Mystery series, The Fragile Edge, will be released by Kensington Publishing on August 30, 2021.

The Fragile Edge is an engrossing mystery with a ripped-from-the-headlines plot, as a sniper attack believed to be organized by a white supremacist group sends Detective Jimmy Vega on a white-knuckled hunt for both the perpetrator and an undocumented Guatemalan girl who is the sole witness of the shooting.

A graduate of Northwestern University, Chazin worked for two decades in journalism, winning several national awards. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, People, Family Circle, Reader’s Digest, and Inside Chappaqua. She’s taught fiction and non-fiction writing at New York University, The New School for Social Research, and Sarah Lawrence College. She was a 2012 writing fellow at the State University of New York at Purchase and is a frequent guest lecturer on writing at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC. Chazin, a first-generation American, also has worked with several immigrant organizations in Westchester County, NY. She was inspired to write the Jimmy Vega series after spending a year and a half interviewing immigrants at an outreach center and compiling their anonymous personal stories.

Suzanne Chazin will be discussing and signing The Fragile Edge at an in-person launch event on Sunday, September 19, 2021 at Scattered Books (29 King St. Chappaqua). To pre-order and RSVP for the event, please email info@scatteredbooks.com. For more information on Suzanne Chazin and The Fragile Edge, visit www.SuzanneChazin.com.

The 59th Annual Armonk Outdoor Art Show Returns to the Field on September 25-26

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Editor’s Note: We are delighted to present the plans for the Armonk Outdoor Art Show, as described by the Show’s Executive Director, Anne Curran. 

Also, since the time the print editions were released, the Armonk Outdoor Art Show has added safety measures to provide a safe and comfortable environment for our volunteers, guests, artists, and sponsors. 

Masks are Required for all attendees over the age of 2, and masks must cover nose and mouth while on show grounds and on buses.

Social Distancing is encouraged throughout all areas of the field. Our new layout of artists’ booths with wide aisles will allow visitors to comfortably browse.

Following an online show last year, the Armonk Outdoor Art Show returns to the great outdoors in its beautiful tree-lined setting, at North Castle Community Park, 205 Business Park Drive in Armonk.  For tickets: https://mailchi.mp/armonkoutdoorartshow/2021-10402562

Typically, the show draws thousands of art-savvy visitors from the tri-state region. Many patrons look forward to the show to reconnect with favorite artists and to discover new, talented artists. First-time attendees will be wowed by the quality and scope of this treasured annual art event.  

A welcoming environment with great food, drinks, and family fun

A spacious field layout will allow added safety protocols and the opportunity to comfortably browse exhibitors’ booths. When it’s time for a break, visitors can enjoy a selection of great food and beverages, including beer & wine.

Free family activities will include take-a-away art kits, a scavenger hunt of clues within artist’s displays, an interactive art installation, fun photo ops, and visiting artists who will guide creative pursuits.

Fine Art and Fine Crafts for every taste, décor, and budget

The top-ranked show presents 160 juried artists from across the U.S. and Canada, exhibiting original artwork across multiple medium, including Fine Crafts, Mixed Media, Painting, Printmaking/Drawing/Pastels, Sculpture, Photography/Digital Art, and Wearable Art.

Artists, happy to chat with observers, often explain the technique, process and inspiration involved in their work. Personal interaction with artists opens the eyes of the beholder to the creator and encourages discovery of art that brings joy with added perspective and appreciation.

Be inspired and plan to purchase great art

There are tools that provide ways to connect with favorite artists, glimpse new exhibitors, help plan a visit to the show and ultimately find artwork that you love.

Follow @armonkoutdoorartshow social media for daily inspiration that will inspire artistic preferences and provide previews of artwork and artists. Save your favorite artists and plan to visit their booths.

Explore the armonkoutdoorartshow.org website to explore the full roster of exhibiting artists, peruse images of their work, and connect directly with them in advance of the show. Don’t miss the five 2021 Featured Artists that are profiled with a short description and video.

Download the field diagram and mark your must-see artists’ booth locations to guide your visit.  

Purchase discount tickets in advance at armonkoutdoorartshow.org

The Armonk Outdoor Art Show, nearly six decades strong, is fueled by talented artists, dedicated volunteers, art-savvy patrons, and generous sponsors, who are committed to presenting an independent, nationally acclaimed Art Show.

Every year, net proceeds of the Art Show support the North Castle Public Library, funding educational and entertainment programs for all ages, and The Armonk Players theater group.

This is a special year of reuniting on the field in appreciation of great art, camaraderie, and staging of another great show!

 

The 59th Annual Armonk Outdoor Art Show

Community Park, 205 Business Park Drive, Armonk, NY 10504

Saturday & Sunday, September 25 & 26 

10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Shine or Rain ~ Sorry, No Dogs

Admission:  

At the Event: $15, Seniors: $13  

Online in Advance: $13

18 and under: Free

Credit Cards Preferred 

Discount Tickets at armonkoutdoorartshow.org

Photos Courtesy of the Armonk Art Show

Tickets:https://mailchi.mp/armonkoutdoorartshow/2021-10402562

Janet Franco’s Abuela’s Cuban Kosher Chicken Soup

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Janet Franco  PHOTO by Donna Mueller

Recipe Notes from Janet Franco

“My husband was born in Cuba and came to the U.S. as a refugee at the age of four. When I met him, he was in medical school and I was a dancer in college. I couldn’t believe he was a Spanish-speaking Jewish person. My family is of Eastern European Jewish ancestry. Over the years, I have learned to embrace the beautiful customs and foods of his heritage. We typically break Yom Kippur fast with this soup, accompanied by garlic bread and lemonade. When the pressure cooker starts rocking and I feel the pangs of hunger and smell the delicious soup that I’ve watched my mother-in-law make all these years, I am filled with a wonderful sensation of all our cultures coming together in a perfect way.

The warming, delicious flavors fill me and link me to generations of families who have overcome so many obstacles to live in this great country. His family came from Spain to Turkey to Cuba to the U.S., and my family from the Polish ghettos to concentration camps to Ellis Island. As our family expands with the introduction of our Greek daughter-in-law, I look forward to seeing our food traditions expand as we embrace and connect with each other around the table.”

Abuela’s Cuban Kosher Chicken Soup

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Serves: 8-10

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 medium white onion, chopped
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
12 cups water or low sodium chicken broth
1 large gold potato, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 cup dried fideo pasta
1 ½ tablespoons chicken bouillon
1 envelope achiote sazón (optional)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1.5 pounds bone-in chicken (legs and thighs), cooked
3 corn cobs, sliced in 4 pieces
1 large carrot, chopped
Lime juice
Fresh cilantro (optional)

Directions

Heat oil in a large 5-quart pot over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper; cook for 5 minutes stirring frequently. Stir in tomato sauce and cook for 8 minutes. Add water or chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add potato, celery and fideo pasa. Season with bouillon, achiote (if using) and cumin. Cook for 15 minutes or until potato begins to soften. Add chicken, corn, and carrot. Cook for 10 minutes more or until carrot is al dente. Serve with a squeeze of lime juice and a cilantro.

Pressure cooker directions

Place all ingredients except fideo, lime juice and cilantro in a pressure cooker. Add water just above half-full. Cook on high for 8 minutes. Quick-release pressure. Add fideo pasta and cook for 3 minutes on high. Release pressure naturally. Serve with a squeeze of lime juice and cilantro.

Editor’s Note: Janet Franco’s recipe, Abuela’s Cuban Kosher Chicken Soup, is also featured in the recipe e-book, The Stories of Our Table, by celebrity chef Pati Jinich and the not for profit, Stand Together.

A Family Life Immersed in and Sharing the Arts

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Dr. Judith S. Schwartz   Photo and Story Courtesy of ArtsWestchester
Professor, curator, critic, author, lecturer, artist and collector, Dr. Judith S. Schwartz lives and breathes the arts–the ceramic arts that is. Her love of ceramic sculpture and studio pottery began as a ceramics student at Ohio State University where she first started collecting ceramic artwork from artist colleagues.

Her support of ceramic artists, and artists in general has never wavered. With thousands of pieces in her collection, including work by Howard Kottler, Viola Frey, Peter Voulkos and Robert Arneson, Dr. Schwartz has always had a collector’s eye and a soft spot in her heart for artists. As an educator, Dr. Schwartz served as Professor in the Department of Art and Art Professions at New York University, where she taught studio classes and mentored Doctoral Students. She pioneered research on the use of satire in ceramic work and turned it into a book Confrontational Ceramics, a study of the history of the use of clay as a tool for social commentary.

The book so inspired ArtsWestchester, where Dr. Schwartz is a board member, that the organization mounted an exhibition, of the same name curated by Dr. Schwartz. Her leadership in the arts has enriched the many boards on which she has serves from the Clay Art Center in Port Chester to the International Academy of Ceramics in Geneva. Dr. Schwartz initiated a project for the International Academy of Ceramics, called “Ceramic World Destinations,” a searchable online resource for ceramic lovers around the world. When not travelling to China, Japan, Korea and places near and far, she and her husband Marty open their Armonk home to arts groups who enjoy their hospitality and their stellar art collection.