Edward F. Nesta

Attention chocoholics! Pastry Chef Miroslav Uskokovic of Gramercy Tavern in New York City, brought the art of making decadent chocolate desserts at home to the New York Culinary Experience (NYCE) 2016 hosted by New York magazine and The International Culinary Center (ICC). The class menu: Hot Fudge Cake and Chocolate Pudding with Pecan Dragée, Pecan Praline, Prunes and Chocolate Covered Puffed Rice. Pastry Chef Miro Uskokovic graciously shares his pudding recipe below, which is fabulously delicious, need I say more?

Summer dining does not get any fresher than at the restaurant, Fresh Salt at the Saybrook Point Inn & Spa located in Old Saybrook, Connecticut. Chef de Cuisine Gese Rodriguez is the talent in the kitchen where he brings creative flair to farm-to-table and boat-to-table presentations to complement the stunning shoreline ambience.

The Essex Clipper Dinner Train in Essex, Connecticut was the perfect setting for the "Adventure Kids" aka Debra C. Argen and Edward F. Nesta to have a romantic 2.5-hour summer dinner, 1920s style. Comfortably seated in the beautifully restored 1924 Meriden dining car we enjoyed the scenic views and the stunning sunset as the train made its way through picturesque New England scenery. So close your eyes, let 1920s music play, pop the bubbly or enjoy a cocktail, and imagine …

Actor Michael Urie shines brightly in the "must-see" hilariously witty, fast-paced, award-winning one-man play Buyer & Cellar at the Westport Country Playhouse in Westport, Connecticut. Written by Jonathan Tolins and directed by Stephen Brackett, the play runs from June 14 until July 3, 2016.

Chef de Cuisine Gese Rodriguez of Fresh Salt restaurant at the Saybrook Point Inn & Spa in Old Saybrook, Connecticut brings a fresh and modern taste to the AAA Four Diamond restaurant with his recipes for Seared Tuna Steak with Red and Yellow Peppers, English Cucumber, Fennel, Napa Cabbage, and Kimchi Sauce, and Pan Seared Diver Scallops with Fresh Sweet Corn, Baby Heirloom Tomatoes, Peaches, Parsley, Cilantro, and Chives. Situated on prime Connecticut shoreline, the attractive restaurant offers spectacular views …

I took an exciting Modern Hawaiian Techniques and Cuisine class with Chef Chung Chow of Noreetuh in New York City, New York during the New York Culinary Experience (NYCE) 2016 hosted by New York magazine and the The International Culinary Center (ICC). As a scuba diver, I have spent substantial time in the Hawaiian Islands, and wanted to learn new techniques and flavor profiles to create Hawaiian cuisine at home. Under Chef Chung Chow’s guidance, the class created Mochi-Crusted Black …

What I especially enjoyed about the class, Breads Vaucluse Style with Head Baker Ellie Pegler at the New York Culinary Experience (NYCE) 2016 hosted by New York magazine and the The International Culinary Center (ICC) in New York City, was the opportunity to learn new bread techniques. Ellie Pegler, the head baker at Chef Michael White’s restaurant, Vaucluse, deftly guided the class through the art of making croissants and baguettes, which were oh so delicious!

We spent a wonderful afternoon at Gillette Castle State Park in Hadlyme, Connecticut exploring the impressive Gillette Castle with its rough granite fieldstone exterior and unique interiors that was once home to actor William Gillette. Whether you are looking for a fun family outing or a romantic setting to propose or say "I do," Gillette Castle and Gillette Castle State Park are sure to stir the imagination.

Van Wilks – 21st Century Blues is his first studio release in 10 years, and the wait was well worth it! The 12-track release starts out blazing, continues to add steam, and culminates in an impressive finish that begs the finger to hit the play button again. Joining Van Wilks on this fabulous release are special guests Christopher Cross and Malford Milligan.

Actors Stephen Rowe and Patrick Andrews give gripping performances as the artist Mark Rothko and his assistant in Playwright John Logan’s Tony award-winning dramatic play, Red, at Westport Country Playhouse in Westport, Connecticut. Directed by Mark Lamos, Red runs from May 3 – 29, 2016. If you love art, do go to see the play!