Category: A Quick Bite With

Food means something different for everyone. For “A Quick Bite With” we sit down with people from different backgrounds and occupations as we try to understand what food, and eating, means to them.

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A Quick Bite With Christina Andreoli

Christina Andreoli, President of Discover Central Massachusetts, pictured with her daughters.

The socio-economic theory behind non-traditional families is one that sets ablaze to the overwhelming movement of Woman Empowerment. A new generation of young girls now look up and idolize their working mothers – picturing themselves as the next innovative engineer, inspiring entrepreneur or simply the boss behind a fortune 500 company; leaving behind the stigmas of gender-roles and the place of a woman in the kitchen.

With two young daughters under the age of 6, Christina Andreoli, stands tall in an era screaming “Girl Power,” and while the world rotates, every so slowly, trying to make room for the women looking to balance work and life, Andreoli is here to prove that a woman does not need to manage all details of the family life – including the nightly culinary choreography of the almighty dinner menu. For Andreoli, the purpose of life lies in the time spent with family, even if that takes place over a plate of mac-and-cheese and chicken nuggets. She is here to reinforce the notion that a woman’s role isn’t just about being in the kitchen, but instead about making time for the family and living life to the fullest.

“Eating is all about the social aspect. It is what makes the meal worthwhile – it is about the connections, the laughter and the time spent with family and friends but with two daughters, eating out isn’t always the best option. Honestly, my husband and I, try to avoid going to late dinners with the kids,” laughs Andreoli, President of Discover Central Massachusetts. “Let’s just say a liquid dinner of Pinot Grigio is fitting for some nights.”

Kids, husband, work, life and a dedication to serving up the best tourism and local business agenda for Central Massachusetts, are only but a few items on Andreoli’s daily checklist, therefore, scratching her head over dinner options is the least of her worries.

“I work a lot of hours – Discover Central Massachusetts is only but a year old and so, while dinner is something I look forward to, it is not because of my cooking skills. It is truly the time I have to spend with the family and even though my daughters do not have the same taste in dishes as we do, we compromise with a little breakfast for dinner. Some nights, pancakes, bacon and eggs is the meal that ends the day for us. It’s something that we can all agree on and we love it,” she says. “The weird part about my outlook of dinner time is that my sister and her husband are trained culinary Chefs! I mean, the man is the personal Chef for The Rock – which is great but with my lack of cooking obsession, I find that they speak a different language than me. They use culinary terminology that means nothing to me and their meals are impressive. So while they are preparing master dishes in the kitchen, I am making breakfast for dinner.”

While Andreoli may be a fan of breakfast for dinner, she inherits a deep root of her Italian heritage and can be easily inspired to throw down in the kitchen. “I am not a consistent cook at home. We do have days where mac-and-cheese is the best fitting meal but on days I feel inspired to cook, I can definitely create a great dish,” says Andreoli. “A trip down to Leroux in Holden, MA gives me enough inspiration to make, what my husband calls, ‘The best Pastrami sandwich ever.’ I grab some steak tips, potato salad, pastrami and Swiss cheese and go home to feel inspired but it doesn’t end there. On these days, making my signature calzone isn’t a far stretch and it’s pretty good. I buy fresh dough and mozzarellas and create a dish that everyone seems to love.”

Raised in an Italian home, where three meals a day were a must and you never said “No, thank you” to a meal offering, Lasagna made by grandma was a slice of Italian heaven. “I am into dining and wining and maybe that comes from my family’s bond to food but there is nothing greater than fine dining with friends. Grandma made the best lasagna the world could imagine, and it showed me the impact of food and people. It was great to see the dinner table lined with homemade sauces, fresh chesses and pressed pastas. It was the way of Sunday family dinners,” says Andreoli, smiling as she grew nostalgic for the abundance of family traditions. “While grandma made a great lasagna, I can honestly say that my least favorite meal growing up was the Poor Man’s Stew – you know, the one that had everything in it: beef, beets, mushroom sauce, mashed potatoes and who knows what else. It was never a favorite.”

Although, the local dining scene is the on the Andreoli checklist, it isn’t the ultimate dining goal for the her or her family. She is inspired to travel in search of mouthwatering flavors and rich wines. “Right now, we dine in the local scene at some of my favorite places like Smokestack, The Fix and Mezcal – on Cinco de Mayo, of course. It’s great to have a diverse local dining experience that can cater to the many food cravings, but ultimately, I am looking to follow my taste buds to the homeland and to Spain. I want to take advantage of destination dining and explore the various flavors of each country. Nothing beats a great plate of pasta in Italy, but while I am working on those big goals, I will continue to dine at some great local spaces,” she says, as she finishes up a delightful Nutella filled crepe at Lock 50.

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A Quick Bite With Dave Peterson

Dave Peterson is the General Manager of the Worcester Bravehearts.

The “buy me some peanuts and cracker jack” era has slowly diminished from America’s iconic sport of Baseball. Replaced with gut-busting new dishes, filled with overly satisfying dips and cheeses, the food of today’s baseball game is intricately designed around the concept of quality. The love affair between food and baseball is a timeless sentiment but while this is America’s favorite pastime couple, it has now evolved into a game of excellence, weeding out the average overcooked stadium hot dogs and replacing them with plump lobster rolls; and there may be a bit more happening behind the scenes than most fans think.

“For me, food has a big impact on my daily eating habits,” says David Peterson, General Manager for the Worcester Bravehearts. As a Type 1 diabetic, Peterson spends his days analyzing his food and tip-toeing around the food carts of Fitton Field. “I have to focus on my meals because I am a type 1 diabetic. I was diagnosed late in life, at the age of 28, so I have to be especially careful about what I eat –  I have to count carbs every meal and I wear an insulin pump. I am spokesperson for American Diabetes Association, locally, and I talk quite a bit about what it is like to live with diabetes. Food choices are very much part of my day to day, but that wasn’t the case for my first 28 years,” says Peterson as he continues to describe his life-changing diagnosis.

“When you are diabetic, your sugar consumption has to be monitored and that’s tough because I’m a coffee guy,” says Peterson.

Maintaining control is critical for Peterson, both on and off the field and while diabetes has altered his lifestyle, it has not hindered his view on dining out and engaging in social functions centralized around culinary cuisines, as he finds a direct correlation between food and his success day-in and day-out.

“Eating healthier isn’t just about my blood sugar but it’s about feeling better and being more productive throughout the day. I’m constantly on-the-go and maintaining a balance day of eating, helps me retain my energy and strengths for longer days. When I was diagnosed in 2008, I found myself experiencing constant muscle cramps and losing over 25 lbs without trying. My work, has always been demanding and since my diagnosis I am more aware of what I need to be healthy and productive,” he says. “And while, my wife, Amy, does a great job keeping things fresh in the kitchen with new recipes and cooking ideas – like our recent cauliflower crust pizza – we still enjoy the luxuries of going out to dine and meeting new people.”

Social interaction is an integrated piece to Peterson’s DNA. As the face of the Worcester Bravehearts and with a personality so magnetic, it would be hard to contain Peterson’s outgoing spirit because of limited dining options.

“What I love the most is going out and meeting new people while dining or while waiting to be seated. It’s great,” says Peterson. “I’m not a shy guy,” he laughs, “so while I am out with Amy, I like to have a good laugh and enjoy my time with new people and learn about their recommendations or their favorite places to eat. We visited Ireland in 2012 and while the Irish are not known for their culinary skills, they had an amazing atmosphere in their restaurants. A nice sense of community and network. The signs outside the restaurants always said ‘hot food’ or ‘warm food’ and never ‘good food’ but that was okay because the quality of service and community was worth it.”

“Some of my favorite places in Massachusetts are the local Inns,” he says. “The Salem Cross Inn in West Brookfield, is something special. There was an apple cider prime rib over firecooked root vegetables and it was perfection. The Vienna in Southbridge is another classic local Inn with exposed wooden beams, a fireplace and a great ambience,” says Peterson. “But it may be hard to take my word on some dishes because I like everything. Food is good. Period.”

Growing up in a home infusing the culinary skills of both his Polish and Swedish heritage, Peterson has a palate ready to accommodate a diverse level of foods – and with that, a high tolerance. “My mother was a baker. Not a cook,” laughs Peterson. “We used to eat this Polish dish called Golabkis – it is basically a cabbage roll – and let’s just say when Uncle Jim came over with the Golabkis, I found a way to avoid them – at all costs. I might be shunned by the Polish community but I could do away with the cabbage.”

“My mother cooked Polish foods but I covered everything with a heavy coat of gravy to help with the flavors. I mean, it wasn’t terrible but it wasn’t great. She definitely was great at baking sweets,” he says.

Even now, as an adult Peterson shares his love for the Swedish side in his family.

“When we have holiday dinners, I always break out the Swedish meatballs – how could I not? There are a classic. Whether its veal and lamb or a mix of pork, Swedish meatballs are delicious,” says Peterson. “Amy and I split up the kitchen. I take control of the grill and she handles the stove so when we have guests over – you’ll be sure to find me grilling a nice steak and Brussel sprouts, if I’m not making my famous Swedish meatballs.”

“My experience with food has allowed me to look into our stadium food and the bigger picture on the role food plays in our lives. There’s just something about food and the interaction it causes with people. We, at The Bravehearts, try to incorporate this element into our concessions stands. We stem from high-quality hot dogs and the classic stadium food but add on great dishes like the chicken sandwich and lobster rolls.,” says Peterson.

Baseball and food may be longtime partners, but with a new perspective like David Peterson’s, the local baseball game will transform the meaning of family-friendly.