Bedford Pound Ridge RECORD-REVIEW "Talk of the Town" - January 21, 2011

January 21, 2011

"Talk of the Town"
By Bonni Brodnick

Didja notice that several national advertisers are tryin’ to dumb us down by eliminating the “g” in gerunds in their commercial slogans? There’s McDonald’s “I’m lovin’ it” and Dunkin Donuts “I’m drinkin’ Dunkin”. Well, I’m hatin’ it. Gee. What is becomin’ of the En_lish lan_ua_e?

Let your fingers on your keyboard do the walkin’. I mean walking.

Gail and Andi Wildman have designed, created and released www.WestchesterTowns.com, shortly followed by www.WestchesterRestaurantGuide.com under the umbrella of the Westchester Network of websites. And it gets even better: the Wildman’s have recently expanded beyond Westchester to cover the 10 counties of the Hudson Valley with www.Hudson-River-Valley.com and www.RestaurantsHudsonValley.com.

“Our goal for the Hudson Valley websites is to provide an accessible and easy-to-navigate guide that highlights the majestic beauty, historic significance, and exciting activities and attractions available throughout the region,” Gail said. There is information on scenic hiking, biking and apple-picking, wineries in Orange and Dutchess counties, listings of affordable get-aways and more. All of this, amidst the magnificent scenery of the Hudson River towns, and you’ve got a great day or weekend trip that’s an easy driving distance away. In RestaurantsHudsonValley.com you can even select a cuisine you might be hankering. In the mood for Caribbean, Peruvian, Pan Asian, Kosher, Portuguese, Greek, French or Irish? Consider Gail and Andi your cyber-travel agents to great finds in the Westchester and Hudson Valley regions.

One of the many terrific things about Albano Appliance is that they won’t try to sell you fancy-shmancy kitchen appliances and then leave you standing there wondering how to use them. A longtime Scotts Corner legacy for their excellence in service, Albano’s gives cooking and continuing education classes so that you can learn how to use your appliances before and after you purchase them. Jehan de Noüe, Albano’s resident chef with over 35 years in the restaurant industry, manages the Manufacturer’s Continuing Education Programs, as well as cooking classes and fundraising dinner events held in Albano’s five live kitchens. Chef Jehan has notified “Talk of the Town” that their winter/spring 2011 classes (open to all) are now featured on the website www.albanoappliance.com. Some of the offerings include Italian cooking with Chef Laura Bonechi on Thursday, Jan. 27 at 7 p.m. She is just back from an inspiring trip to Florence and looks forward to teaching the art of making perfect ravioli. Registration for all classes is required. For more info on the cooking series, speak with Patty at 764-4051. January is the great month to carve out some time to perfect your culinary skills.

For something sweet, Pound Ridge Library will host a chocolates and champagne benefit performance of “Love Letters,” the Pulitzer Prize nominated play by A.R. Gurney. The production, starring Cathy Schaeffer and Cyrus Newitt, is directed by Janis Powell and produced by Francine Myles. Mark your calendar for Saturday, Jan. 29 at 7:30 p.m. (Snow date is Saturday, Feb. 5 at 7:30 p.m.) Tickets are $20 advance reservations and $25 at the door. You’ll also receive a 15% off coupon for dinner at North Star Restaurant (day of event only). For more information on what promises to be a delightful evening, contact the Library at 764-5085.

And that, dear readers, is the latest news from wintry Pound Ridge, where the snow is more than 2-feet high, the home fires are burning, high school juniors are panicking about their SATs, college students are finally back at school, grownups are in a frenzy to see the latest movies before the 83^rd Academy Awards, nervy bears straying from Ward Pound Ridge Reservation are traipsing on my front field, and ice skaters wearing colorful hats and scarves are twirling in circles on the frozen pond in the town park.