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Berkshire Tidbits: More Thanksgiving Specials
By Judith Lerner, Special to iBerkshires
11:39AM / Sunday, November 22, 2015
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Pittsfield Salvation Army
Sets Free Thanksgiving Dinner

Sunday, Nov. 22: 4 p.m.

Today, Sunday, Nov. 22, Capts. Darlene and Elliot Higgins and church members will cook and serve a free Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings for anyone who wants one.

No reservations are needed. The Pittsfield Salvation Army is at 300 West St., Pittsfield

 

Thanksgiving R&R
at Kripalu Center

Sunday, Nov. 22, through Friday, Nov. 27
Any two days up to entire week; day pass from 6 a.m.
or Thanksgiving feast from 11:30-2 on Nov. 26

For the entire Thanksgiving week, Sunday, Nov. 22, through Friday, Nov. 27, Kripalu, 183 West St., Lenox, is offering a special rest and relaxation retreat to reflect on your own thankfulness and practice self-care at the same time.

The R&R retreat requires a minimum stay of two days. And/or enjoy their whole-foods Thanksgiving feast buffet which, actually, is a memorable $18 plus tax.

A day pass, from 6 a.m. to the end of any evening program without overnight accommodations is $100 on winter weekdays; $120 on weekends and holidays such as Thanksgiving. It includes all meals and use of the Kripalu facilities.

Facilities include a whirlpool, sauna, sun room, yoga and other classes, lectures and evening programs.

For those who have come for R&R, if you have come on Thanksgiving Thursday just for the day, the Thanksgiving lunch is not included in the price and is $18 plus tax extra.

In addition to the usual offerings, which are extensive, the Thanksgiving lunch includes butternut squash-ginger bisque; roasted Stonewood Farm natural turkey from Vermont with sage gravy and cranberry-orange sauce; mushroom-nut paté with vegan gravy; caramelized Brussels sprouts with pickled red onion; butter pecan yams with potatoes; a warm kale salad with roasted root vegetable and apple salad with a turmeric cider vinaigrette; Kripalu-baked brioche buns; and Kripalu-baked pumpkin pie with High Lawn Farm whipped cream.

Go to the website or call 413-448-3400 for more details.

 

Becket Monthly
Community Breakfast

Saturday, Nov. 28; 8 to 11

The Yoked Parish of Becket presents its monthly breakfast on the last Saturday of every month. All are welcome. Menu consists of homemade scrambled eggs, pancakes, French toast, bacon, sausage, ham, hash, home fries, fresh fruit, juices, tea and coffee.

At Becket Federated Church, 413-623-5217, 3381 Main St. across from the Becket Washington elementary school. Adults $6; children under 12, $3.

 

December 5 Courses/Wines Dinner
at Alta Restaurant & Wine Bar

Wednesday, Dec. 2;Guests are expected to arrive by 6 p. m.

Impacted by "the tragic events that took place in Paris," said owner Aurelien Telle, and the fact that he and co-owner Stephane Ferioli, chef Benjamin Daire and manager Raphael Gimbert are French, they have decided to do a "France-themed wine dinner to honor the victim, our beautiful country and the values that it represents: Liberty, Equality, Fraternity and, of course, great wines and great food."

Seats at Alta's wine dinner are always snapped up. Reserve now before it is sold out.

Cost is $75 per person plus tax and gratuity. Telle and Ferioli are sending "$10 of the price to the French Paris Secours Populaire to support the victims and the families of the tragic and horrendous attacks that happened in Paris."

Call Alta Restaurant and Wine Bar, 413-637-0003, 34 Church St., Lenox, to make reservations or for more information.

Menu

quail eggs with curried aioli, poppy seeds and beet coulis

Domaine Francois Chidaine, Touraine, Sauvignon, Val de Loire, 2014

crayfish vol au vent with parsley coulis

Verget, Macon Villages, Burgundy, 2013

lamb parmentier with jus corse, pine nut crumble and truffle oil

Clos Mont-Olivet, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, 2012

Cricket Creek Farm Berkshire Bloom cheese with pumpkin shortbread

Chateau Hautes Versannes, Saint Emilion, 2010

mousse au chocolat with an almond tuile and gold leaf

Mas Amiel, Maury Reserve 6 years Old, Red Fortified Wine, Languedoc

 

Community Thanks Supper
Set at Berkshire South

Tuesday, Nov. 24; seatings at 4, 5 and 6 p.m.

Reservations due by Monday, Nov. 23

Berkshire South Community Center, 15 Crissey Road just east of Route 7 in Great Barrington, started serving chef-prepared free dinners for the community in 2009. They hosted their first Community Thanks Supper that same year.
 
The meal is served buffet style with offerings from many local farms, food producers and markets and from individuals. People are encouraged to sit with strangers and make new friends.
While the dinner is free donations are always accepted.
 
Call Berkshire South at 413-528-2810, Ext. 10, at least 24 hours in advance of the dinner to make your reservations.

 

Free Thanksgiving Dinner
at
Pittsfield Methodist Church

Tuesday, Nov. 24; 5 to 6 p.m.
Opens for snacks at 2:30, 10-minute service at 4:30

First United Methodist Harvest Table will cook and serve a free Thanksgiving dinner this Tuesday. No reservations are necessary and all are welcome.

 

Free Thanksgiving Dinners
at Christian Center in Pittsfield

Doors open at 11:30 and dinner served at noon; open until 2:30

Come early and mingle then stay and dine. Or call and get your homemade turkey dinner delivered. The Christian Center, 393 Robbins Avenue at the corner of Linden St. in Pittsfield, does it all.

Chef Karen Ryan and a bevy of volunteers will fill the kitchen all morning whipping up Thanksgiving for whoever in the Pittsfield community wants to share.

Call them at 413-443-2828, Monday through Thursday, Thanksgiving day morning, between 8:30 a. m. and 2:30 p. m. to reserve a delivered dinner. They do not have a deadline for reservations.

Otherwise, just show up hungry. Doors open at 11:30 a.m. and stay open until 2 p. m.

 

Annual Thanksgiving Dinner
at Trinity Church/Guthrie Center

Guests welcome at noon; dinner served at 1 p.m.

It is the 50th anniversary year of the events that dampened the Thanksgiving joy at Alice and Ray Brock's Thanksgiving table and set Arlo Guthrie on his life path. It is also the 10th anniversary of the current Thanksgiving dinners started by director George Laye in 2006 to commemorate those events.

For the ninth year, he thinks, chef Michael Roller, owner of Samel's Deli and Savory Harvest catering in Pittsfield, and his staff will take time on their day off to prepare, cook and bring the Thanksgiving feast to Alice's/Arlo's church for one and all to enjoy.

For free.

An excellent chef, formerly of Seven Hill and Blantyre Resort both in Lenox, Roller says he is doing well in Pittsfield and is happy to give back.

"This is our 11th year at Samel's," he told me.

"We are making a very traditional dinner," he said. "We are roast six 24-pound turkeys donated by Sysco, one of my suppliers.

"I began asking for donations about five years ago and, now, more and more of them are doing that."

He was very happy that most of the food for this community dinner had been donated by suppliers he works with including, locally, Crescent Creamery who gave most of the dairy products.

"We are making traditional herb stuffing; green beans; butternut squash roasted with butter, a little garlic and onion, and brown sugar. We're making our own cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and gravy — gallons of gravy. I think we send six gallons of gravy over every year."

Since Roller roasts the turkeys, he uses the carcasses to make the stock to make the gravy. Dessert will be pies donated by local bakeries, farms, supermarkets, and other food markets.

"No one will be turned away," Laye said. But please. call George to let him know you are coming so he  can set a place for you.

So, make your reservations by calling the Center at (413) 528-1955.

The Guthrie Center is at 4 Van Deusenville Road at the corner of Division St. in Housatonic.

 

No Turkey? Vegan Network
Plans Potluck Thanksgiving

By reservation only, Thursday, Nov. 26; 1 to 3

After some off and on and here and there, founder Matt Kelly says, "The Berkshire Vegan Network's Living Thanksgiving annual vegan potluck gathering at United Methodist Church of Lenox (8 Holmes Road just off Pittsfield Road/Routes 7 and 20) is on!"

Kelly and his wife, Mary, started the event in a slightly different form at his family's then ski resort on Brodie Mountain in New Ashford in 1991. It moved to the Lenox church in 2007 and has been held there ever since.

When the event was at Brodie it was big.

"There were always more than 100 people," Mary Kelly said. "Sometimes more than 200."

Each guest is asked to bring their own place setting, dining utensils and a vegan dish that will serve 10 with a recipe card attached to the dish detailing all ingredients.

Vegan dishes are free of all animal products.

"The food is amazing! If you want to try really good, healthy, nutritious food you should come to a vegan dinner," said Melissa Campbell who, with her husband Don, coordinated the Living Thanksgiving potluck in its current space for a number of years.

Kelly said, "Hot and cold water will be available for drinks. But we will need people to bring teas and coffee, should anyone want them."

"We will immensely appreciate help with setup starting at 11:30 a.m. and with cleanup after the event," he added.

After dinner, there will be a time for guests who swish to to share a poem, short story or impromptu moment about why they are thankful.

Reserve by Monday, Nov. 23 to Matt Kelly at veganpeace@verizon.net or call 413-458-3664 to reserve or for more information. The cost, which covers rental of the space, is $6 per adult, $3 per child 3 to 12.

Kelly said any proceeds from the event will be donated to the Maple Farm Sanctuary in Mendon.

"Please join us for this uplifting celebration of kindness, compassion and thankfulness, while experiencing the most eco-friendly and most low-carbon way to dine," Kelly requested in his usual low-key but passionate manner.

 

Macrobiotic Community Thanksgiving
at the Kushi Institute in Becket

By reservation; Thursday, Nov. 26, buffet-style dinner begins at 6
Guests are welcome to visit the campus earlier in the afternoon

Every year, members of the local, national and international macrobiotic community and interested others come to Kushi Institute at 198 Leland Road, Becket, to celebrate and be thankful at a beautifully prepared macrobiotic feast. As they will this year.

The healthy, organic menu will include roasted fennel soup, stuffed filet of sole and stuffed winter squash both with wild rice and chestnut stuffing and Shiitake mushroom gravy, potatoes mashed with rutabaga as well as faux mashed potatoes created from a combination of soft-cooked millet and cauliflower. There will be blanched vegetable platters, macrobiotic cranberry-orange sauce, sunflower seed dressing and pressed daikon with lemon.

And dessert of apple strudel and pumpkin and pecan pies.

Drinks will be the usual kukicha tea and roasted barley tea plus grain coffee, sparkling apple cider and mulled apple cider.

The cost of dinner is $55 per person. Call 413-623-5741, Ext. 180, for reservations.

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