CHEZ PASCAL HOUSE-MADE SAUSAGE FOR RETAIL SALE

If you love the house-made sausages and hot-dogs at Chez Pascal (960 Hope Street, Providence  401-421-4422) go pick up a four-pack of sausages ($8) and/or a six-pack of hot-dogs ($10). Sausage types vary (bratwurst, chorizo, etc.). Indulge.

www.chez-pascal.com

NEW RIVERS RHODY BEER DINNER - DECEMBER 18

New Rivers (7 Steeple Street, Providence  401-751-0350) is having a seafood and beer dinner in the upstairs private dining room on Wednesday, December 18 at 6:30 p.m. The dinner showcases Rhode Island beer, fish and shellfish (the lobster in the lobster/scallop gratin is foreign, from Maine). Cost is $80 per person before tax and tip. If this dinner is anything like the beer dinner I attended at New Rivers a year or so ago, it is worth every penny. The dinner I went to was terrific; some people came with friends others on their own, everybody talked. The age distribution ran from 30ish to retiree age.  Food was amazing!  www.newriversrestaurant.com

Wednesday, December 18    6:30 p.m.    Call 401-751-0350

APRICOTS FOR CHRISTMAS

Move your head away from chocolate gifts for a moment and consider apricots.

Lovers of glacéed apricots know that at Christmastime Williams Sonoma (www.williams-sonoma.com) is stocked up with boxes of delicious apricots, plain and chocolate-dipped. Very pricey ($42-$45) to be sure.  But know this: if you order chocolate-dipped from Williams Sonoma you will receive apricots in perfect shape, chocolate intact. That wasn't my experience when I ordered through Amazon - the California vendor sent good apricots but they arrived in a jumble with all the chocolate broken.

And take a look at this site: www.andysorchard.com for a good selection of luscious California apricots ($38 for two lbs). Andy Mariani runs Andy's Orchard in the Santa Clara Valley.

drying apricots in California 1905 - Orange County Archives

JOANNE CHANG AT BROWN FACULTY CLUB DECEMBER 10

Joanne Chang, owner of Flour Bakery + Café in Boston (www.flourbakery.com) will be talking about baking and discussing her new book, Flour, Too: Indispensable Recipes for the Café's Most Loved Sweets & Savories (long title, yes?) at the Brown Faculty Club on Tuesday, December 10 at 5:00 p.m. This is free (with a cash bar) and open to the public but best to call and reserve. Number is 401-863-3023

Brown Faculty Club     1 Magee Street     Providence