Enablers of Bold Flavor: Episode 19 (5-20-19)

Alex Muromcew
Senior Project
5/20/19

Our final day had us taking a fishing trip around Hingham. This was in part to explore the nature of fishing culture and commercialism, and also as a way to check up on our lobster traps.

Our goal for day was to catch bait fish or more specifically mackerel. These are the fish used as bait for our lobster traps and we had assumed that the bait would have been mostly eaten by now. After hours of fishing without luck, we decided to head straight for the lobster traps and see what we could do there.

Our lobster traps unfortunately were full of crabs. Spider and Asian Shore Crabs lined our traps and no lobster were found.

Hours for the Day: 6
Fishing: 5 Hours
Lobster Trap: 1 Hour

Total Hours: 100 Hours!

Enablers of Bold Flavor: Episode 18 (5-19-19)

Alex Muromcew
Senior Project
5/19/19

Today was spent mostly working on our essays and our artistic component which will be a small poster-board. We wanted the poster-board to reflect our essay and describe what we’ve been up to the last three weeks. This is has included getting materials from the craft store, and writing our essays for express fest. Our process involved mostly sitting down and writing and brainstorming what we would want to include on our poster.

Hours for the Day: 4.25
Essay Writing: 1.75 Hours
Poster Work: 1 Hour
Blogs and Photos: 1.5 Hours

Total Hours: 94

Enablers of Bold Flavor: Episode 17 (5-18-19)

Alex Muromcew
Senior Project
5/18/19

Today we were able to see some local foods as today was the annual Taste of Hingham. But before that we took some time to talk to a local barbecue company.

Our next stop was Taste of Hingham. This event was held on Main Street in Hingham and featured many food vendors and organizations that are local to the area. Bloomy Rind, French Memories, and Nonas were just a few of the vendors at the event. Here we were able to talk to many people related to food in Hingham, not just restaurant owners. The amount of diversity found here at taste of Hingham was impressive and showcased a lot of the unique cuisine a small town like Hingham has to offer. Local favorites like PEEL Pizza Company to Wahlburgers made an appearance with different ways of piquing interest.

Shortly after this we attended the Hingham Farmers Market where we were able to speak to many local food producers and vendors about the work they do in the Boston Area. Exploring the different food and people around the market was quite interesting as everything from food items such as honey and lobsters to candles were on there.

Hours for the Day: 6 Hours
Barbecue: 1 Hour
Farmers Market: 2 Hours
Taste of Hingham: 3 Hours

Total Hours:
89.75

Weekly Reflection 3

Alex Muromcew

Senior Project

5/19/19

This final week has been a very exciting time for us. Many of our projects came to fruition as the weather improved (16/19 days it has rained). In addition, baking bread, and making cheese have enriched our time on senior project.

Much of last week was preparing some of our bigger projects for this week. It was relieving and exciting to finally put them into action as they required plenty of work. The bee boxes so far are thriving and have been low maintenance once the sun came out and the bees were able to get to their own work. As the weather continues to improve and the hives develops further, Tommy will be able to put his honey plan into play, however with our time constraints, we will have to wait and see. Much of the work and the hours spent on these boxes have justified themselves as the quality of the job done is noticeably much higher and has everything looking much more professional. The painting will ensure that the hives last longer especially since it has been so rainy.

The lobster traps were also an exciting project to finally launch. One of our days was committed to finding and dropping the traps in Hingham harbor. Our three traps so far, having checked them once, have collected crabs but that’s okay since we still have a day or two to let them trap lobsters.

One of our favorite parts of this week had to have been baking bread and making cheese. Both processes were time intensive but very rewarding. Baking bread had quicker gratification since it was ready to eat straight out of the oven while the cheese still needs to age. Both activities were not only fun, but allowed us to see how intensive they are, and how much more complex it is to produce these products commercially, rather than just by two schmucks in a kitchen.

Enablers of Bold Flavor: Episode 16 (5-16-19)

Alex Muromcew
Senior Project
5/16/19

Today we finally dropped our lobster traps. We left the house in the morning to catch the high tide and scope out where we would drop our traps. We decided to space ourselves around Sheep’s Island near Hingham Harbor. We made sure to not be close to any commercial fisherman as in Tommy’s experience, they will cut your lines if you get too close. Totally understandable since it is their livelihood but still a bummer.

The next part of our day took us back to land where we toured Turkey Hill Farm. Here livestock and produce are all kept with a ton of land tucked away close to Cohasset. Unfortunately we were not able to get an interview here but we were able to observe the processes that happen here. During the summer, the farm is much more lively with camps and programs happening. When we returned home, we decided that we couldn’t keep cows so we instead began gardening vegetables. We overturned the gardens with new soil and began throwing plants into the ground. Pretty wholesome...

Our last piece was interviewing Lexi Smith from Natured, a fresh food delivery service. She specializes in delivering fresh and local foods to people in the Boston area. Her company so far has been finding success but there are of course some challenges. One of the hardest especially at this time is advertising accurately, the stock of food that can be delivered since the seasons are changing and some foods are becoming more abundant, and some going out of season. However her business has been great at connecting local farmers to the rest of the community. 

Hours for the Day: 7.5 Hours

Lobster Situation: 3 Hours

Farm Tour: 1 Hour

Gardening: 2 Hours

Checking Bee Hives: .5 Hours

Lexi Interview: 1 Hour

Total Hours: 83.75 Hours

Enablers of Bold Flavor: Episode 15 (5-15-19)

Alex Muromcew
Senior Project
5/15/19

Today we went on a field trip to Gloucester! Our drive up had us exploring one of the food systems in Gloucester, the fishing industry. When we arrived we went straight to the Fisherman’s Wharf to learn about the current state of the fishing industry.

From what we learned, there is still a strong industry in Gloucester, but the tourism industry has taken away a lot of focus from it and has negative impacts on the culture of the town. One anecdote we heard was how some people would buy second homes in Gloucester as a getaway in a fishing town, but then complain about the facilities being loud, or smelling, or being unsightly. It is conflicting ideals like these that disrupt the current industry. We watched as fisherman brought in their catch to be sorted and weighed. Crates upon crates of fish were being stacked and filled and the scale of the industry in Gloucester was revealed.

 

We were also shown an in progress version of their delivery program. This company hopes to be able to process and package fish in house, and then deliver it to peoples homes. This is done by taking the fresh fish and vacuum sealing it and putting it on ice before trucking it out. There are challenges associated with this as it is hard to predict what catch will come in that day, making advertising challenging. However there is currently a functioning site and service so if you’re near Gloucester give it a try.

Our next stop was Virgilio's, a local sandwich shop. We interviewed them and asked similar questions about the dynamic in Gloucester between tourism and the popular fishing industry and found they had similar opinions. We then asked about their establishment and their history in Gloucester. They originally opened in 1934, and then began to expand all over Cape Ann. In 1954, they moved locations to where they are now on Main st. The business has always been a mom and pop run take out Italian restaurant. For three generations the shop has been passed down through the family. Their sandwiches and other foods have found them acclaim from large tourism companies such as Lonely Planet.

Hours for the Day: 6 Hours
Commute: 3 Hours
Tour: 2 Hours
Virgilios: 1 Hour

Total Hours: 76.75 Hours

Enablers of Bold Flavor: Episode 14 (5-14-19)

Alex Muromcew
Senior Project
5/14/19

Today we finished up our cheese making process... for now. We are trying to make a cheddar cheese, which requires tons of pressing. We continued to do this as its last step until we let it age. As of now we will let it dry and aerate until we return to campus.

The bulk of our day was then centered around bread. We started with visiting French Memories, a bakery in the nearby town of Cohasset. We were able to ask a few questions and get a feel for how the bakery runs itself. One facet of the business that seems obvious but dictates the pace of the shop is the awkward hours bakers have to work to deliver fresh products each day. Sometimes the work day starts at 11 pm the previous day. After hearing this we realized we are not going to be going into the baking business. Beyond this the tourist seasons also heavily affect the flow and pace of the business since it is obviously more hectic in the summer than say in the winter.

Next we decided to try our hands at bread baking. We decided to try two different styles of loaves. Tommy had a French loaf and I had a homemade wonder bread jawn. The process was long but much more involved than Cheesemaking. The kneading, rising, and baking process was very satisfying to carry out. My loaf required, salt, lard, sugar, yeast, water, and flour. My dough also only required two rises, whereas Tommys needed three. When we had finished we were impressed by our toils. The loaves were surprisingly good to eat with even baking. We will continue to experiment with baking now that we have some idea of what the hell is going on.

Hours For the Day: 6 Hours
Cheese: 1 Hour
French Memories: 1 Hour
Baking: 4 Hours

Total Hours: 70.75 Hours

Enablers of Bold Flavor Episode 13 (5-13-19)

Alex Muromcew
Senior Project
5/13/19

My return to the gauntlet had me and Tommy making cheese and interviewing Bloomy Rind, an artisanal cheese store and deli.

Our interview had us talking to Mary, the owner of Bloomy Rind and the process of stocking, cooking, and selling fresh foods. Part of her philosophy is having a freezer only big enough to hold ice. She preached how if a restaurant claims to be serving fresh food, their freezer should be checked. They shouldn’t need anything bigger than an ice box to be fresh.

 After this we drove to New England Cheesemaking Supply to buy what we would need to begin  cheesemaking. We bought rennett, mesophilic culture, calcium chlorate, and cheesecloth. Like our time spent with ice cream making, cheese making is a time consuming activity. In addition it is  complex with many steps that have to be done at very specific temperatures and times. The first two steps were to add the culture and the rennett, after adding each ingredient we had to stir and heat for 45 minutes. We ended up with a gelatinous brick of milk that we had to slice up to drain all of the liquid. After slicing it up, we had to increase the temperature from 85 to 115 by 5 degrees every 10 minutes while stirring. We then drained and milled the curds, which involved kneading the curds like dough to increase surface area and press out water. We then salted the curds and let them ferment for 2 hours, flipping every 15 minutes. After this whole process we  were able to put it in the press and slowly increase the weight over the next two hours before adding the last of the weight and heading to bed for it to press overnight.

Hours for the Day: 6.25 Hours
Bloomy Rind: .75 Hours
New England Cheesemaking: 1.5 Hours
Cheesemaking: 4 Hours

Total Hours: 64.75

Weekly Reflection 2

Alex Muromcew

Senior Project

5/12/19

One of the highlights was receiving a tour of Island Creek Oysters from Skip Bennett. He is the president of the company and was kind enough to give us a tour of the farm before the official opening date for tours. Perhaps it was because he is a Proctor alumnus. The tour he gave was very comprehensive and showed us the full process that he goes through to have a constant harvest of oysters and some other aquaculture.

This week had a lot of time that was spent preparing for our projects taking flight next week. The lobster traps have taken up a good amount of time. We had to assemble, tie, and paint buoys to reach the stage that we are at now. Next week we will drop them in the water near Hingham. The bee hives so far have been a ton of work however at each step we learn and we grow more and more excited to have bees of our own. We have taken every step needed and then some to prepare for what we need. Since Tommy will be taking care of these bees well beyond senior project, we both wanted to make sure we do a good job of preparing ourselves for taking care of the bees. Most of our time has been spent assembling, painting, and prepping space for the hives. Assembling and painting was definitely the most time intensive as we have two hives instead of just one, but that definitely made things more interesting for us as we each had our own full hive to build and paint. Preparing the garden was also a time consuming activity. What I learned from Tommy is that having the hives elevated will help the bees defend against predators, and will also help in finding more sunlight exposure to the boxes. The following week, we will be moving into the phase where we own and nurture bees.

Entry 12 (5-10-19)

Alex Muromcew
Senior Project
5/10/19

Today had us in the glorious garden, preparing again for some spicy bee action. This included tilling and more importantly cleaning the surrounding garden to make sure that there would not be any pests or insects that would mettle with the bee hives. As I continue to delve into the world of bee keeping, I realize the specific conditions that bee need to live. Of course the bees can adapt, but for ideal production and to avoid irritability there are many small factors one must consider. Constant sunlight is a big one, making sure that the hives are elevated off of the ground is another.

We then began to prepare our buoys for the lobster traps. This included assembling the buoys from the parts we bought, painting correct colors, and then carving ID numbers into them.

To finish off the day we had a phone interview with Shelly McSugme a restaurant owner in Cambridge. Her passion has led her to focus on seafood in her food business. When we were interviewing her, one of the common themes again was the high prices of liquor licensing and real estate, prompting her to open up in Cambridge rather than in Boston. From the interviews that we have done those two obstacles have been mentioned as the biggest challenges restaurant owners have to face when opening up in the Boston/Cambridge area.

Hours for the Day: 4 Hours
Garden Work: 2 Hours
Buoy Prep: 1 Hour
Interview: 1 Hour

Total Hours: 58.5 Hours

Entry 11 (5-9-19)

Alex Muromcew
Senior Project
5/9/19

Today we were able to get a private tour of the Island Creek Oyster Farm. The president Skip Bennett, a Proctor Alum, was very kind to show us how he runs the oyster farm. Our tour started with  us looking at the different stages of growth for the oysters and other aquaculture. When spawned, there are millions of tiny oysters contained in water tanks. When looking at them, they appeared to be grains of sand they were so small and numerous. Skip mentioned that as the waters warm up, they will transfer the oysters back into the water. However during the late fall, winter and early spring, the growth will happen in house.

  

Moving on from the oysters, we were shown how Island Creek feeds their aquaculture. In many rooms are many vials and containers full of phytoplankton. These are the food source for all of the aquaculture in the facility during the colder seasons. Skip explained how important this part of the facility is since oysters have a huge appetite.

 

To finish off our day, we spent a few hours in the yard prepping for the bees. We had to trim a lot of foliage, and create pedestals for the bee hives to protect against predators and to make sure the hives wont tip over. 

 

Hours for the Day: 6.5 Hours
Commuting: 2 Hours
Tour at Island Creek: 2.5 Hours
Yard Work: 2 Hours

Total Hours: 54.5 Hours

Entry 10 (5-8-19)

Alex Muromcew
Senior Project
5/8/19

Today we were able to talk and work with the Patavina sisters again. We went over to Faraway in Cambridge and began working the space. It has been interesting to see how the Patavina sisters are able to run their business after our last interview when they explained the difficulties involved with starting a restaurant. One of the biggest is the real estate prices are incredibly high in Cambridge which means that turning a space intro a restaurant becomes very challenging and requires some creativity to make the best use of the space. To help out we were there to setup the establishment and help with revising layouts as the restaurant begins to take shape. One facet of layout I had not thought of was the distribution of people, prices, and time. If there ends up not being enough space for tables and the number needs to be reduced, that will in turn change the prices of food, and the pace of the kitchen.

After returning to the House of Carey, we went about preparing ourselves for a few upcoming projects. One we picked up lobster bait in anticipation of us dropping our traps which should be in the next few days. A bigger project today however was doing yard work to make space for the bee boxes. This included clearing out space, flattening it, and trimming foliage to make sure there is enough sunlight reaching the boxes. To finish off the day we spoke with Skip Bennett to schedule a trip of Island Creek Oyster Farms for the next day.


Today’s Hours: 5 Hour
Commuting: 2 Hours
Patavina Sisters: 1 Hour
Correspondence: .5
Prepping Yard Space: 1 Hour
Lobster Bait: .5 Hours

Total Hours: 48 Hours

Entry 9 (5-7-19)

Alex Muromcew
Senior Project
5/7/19

Today we went about painting our bee hives. This process took a while but was a well enjoyed activity once the sun shone through. Our project started with taking our assembled bee boxes and painting two layers of white paint to protect the wood from the elements. We had to make sure to be careful to not cover any of the insides of the bee boxes with paint or else risk agitating the bees once they set up shop in the hives.
 


While we were waiting for the first coat of paint to dry, we decided to tackle setting up the lobster traps. We had to install netting, lines, and prepare bait bags before we drop them into the water. After preparing the traps we returned to painting the second layer of paint onto the bee boxes. While doing this we made sure to clean up paint from the first layer and to make sure we did a solid job on our second pass.

 

To finish off the day we spent a good chunk of time getting in touch with a family friend who runs a fresh food delivery service, the owner of Magical Moon Farm, and a local bakery called French Memories. We are excited to begin working with these people in the coming week and a half.

Hours for the Day: 5 Hours
Painting Bee Boxes: 2.5 Hours
Assembling Traps 1.5 Hours
Correspondence: 1 Hour

Total Hours: 43 Hours

Entry 8 (5-6-19)

Alex Muromcew
Senior Project
5/6/19

We started our day off with a drive to Hull, a neighboring town to pickup some lobster traps. Once we arrived, we began to tie down our traps, buoys, and lines and prepare for the journey home. On the drive back we briefly stopped by Bloomy Rind, a local restaurant specializing in fresh foods and artisanal cheeses. We were able to talk quickly with Mary, the owner of the restaurant, and her takes on the restaurant industry. Our quick conversation not only got us a few wise words, but we were also able to schedule a time to meet when we can discuss in full. When we reached home base, we set about painting the buoys to our red, white, and red color schemes.

Our next activity was collecting our bee keeping equipment. To find the shop, we had to drive up to Tyngsboro, MA. When we arrived, Tommy did his bee keeping stuff that I don't understand and we were off. When we reached home we immediately started assembling the bee keeping boxes and frames.

 

Hours for the Day: 6 Hours
Commuting: 3.5 Hours
Lobster Trap Shop: .5 Hours
Bee Keeping Shop: .5 Hours
Assembling Bee Boxes: 1.5 Hours

Total Hours: 38

Entry 7 (5-5-19)

Alex Muromcew
Senior Project
5/5/19

Today we took another day to prepare for lobstering. This time we went about acquiring a boat so that we could drop lobster traps. The boat that we are going to be using was being held in Duxbury, about a half hours drive away. To get the boat into the water, we had to help out with moving the boat off of the dry dock. From here we took the boat back to Hingham along the coast. The boat ride took almost 3 hours with high winds and chop during the chilly 45 degree afternoon. Our challenges took form as the fog rolled in and the wind picked up. However our focus was averted to the whales breaching the surface as we sailed past Stellwagen Banks. After arriving back in Hingham we moored our boat, and retreated back to the house to continue planning out our next high jinks.

 





Hours for the Day: 4.5 Hours
Drive down: .5 Hours
Boat up: 3 Hours
Setup: .5 Hours
Correspondence: .5 Hours

Total Hours: 32 Hours

Weekly Reflection

Alex Muromcew & Tommy Carey
Senior Project

Weekly Reflection

5/5/19

Our first week of senior project has been an exciting time and has us looking forward to the next two weeks. During the first few days of preparation, several people we had previously reached out to had not responded to our confirmation emails or had backed out completely. This was definitely a struggle as we have had to reframe our project in some ways and we have expanded to try to encompass sourcing of food and not just restaurants. We thought that interviewing food producers and then trying our hand at some of their jobs would be a fun and productive way to continue to explore the food industry despite our setbacks. From talking to fishmongers, dairy farmers, cheesemakers and bakers, we will continue to learn about the behind the scenes of food and try to incorporate that with the interviews and meetings that we still have about the restaurant industry.

This week we have learned a ton about the Boston food industry. Our interviews with James Cochener and The Patavina Sisters gave us a lot of insight into the inner machinations of the industry. The state of the real estate market in the greater Boston area is very tough on people who are trying to start a business in the restaurant industry. In addition, the incredibly prices of liquor licensing makes newcomers to the industry feel immense pressure to succeed financially.

Amongst other activities, we have begun to look to other parts of the food industry. Specifically the process in which food reaches restaurants. Our activities have included touring cranberry bogs, ice cream makers, and beekeeping to help give us a clearer perspective on how the behind the scenes of restaurants functions. Next week we plan to dive deeper into the connections between food production and restaurant service.

Entry 6 (5-4-19)

Alex Muromcew
Senior Project
5/3/19

Today we were fortunate enough to interview James Cochener, founder and owner of several restaurants in the Boston area such as The Salty Pig. James was able to give us more insight into the industry as he and the Patavina sisters have been in the restaurant industry for different amounts of time. Despite that there were some common motifs that have come up from the two interviews we have done. The biggest grievance Tommy and I heard was of the exorbitant pricing for liquor licenses and real estate. To own a license for beer and wine, it is a $150,000 fee. For a full liquor license it will cost $400,000. Cochener explained that the prices are so high since there are a finite amount of licenses that can be distributed, making them a coveted item. That combined with the steep real estate prices of Boston, opening up a restaurant has never been harder. With his experience, James was able to give us a bigger picture look at the industry and where the governments should make changes to encourage smaller businesses to open up. As previously mentioned the liquor licensing and real estate prices are astronomical and Cochener recommends that the city and state governments should increase the amount of liquor licenses to be made available and for landlords to be more realistic about the rent they are asking for spaces.

Next we prepared for our bee keeping endeavors by torching and disinfecting some beekeeping equipment. This was to make sure there are no potential diseases left on the frames and boxes that the bees will live in. The preparation included torching, and sanding each part of the hive components. Pictures below will help describe.

Hours for the Day: 4.5 Hours

Commute to Boston (Salty Pig): 2 Hours

Interview: 1 Hour

Bee Keeping Preparation: 1.5 Hours

Total Hours: 27.5