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dough

Name: Hope & Main Schoolyard Twilight Party 2026
Start: 2026-08-29T17:00:00-04:00
End: 2026-08-29T21:00:00-04:00
Location: Hope & Main

news

News Bites: Hope & Main Announces First Group of Local Culinary Entrepreneurs, RI Food Policy Council Call for Nominations

by David Dadekian September 4, 2014

written by David Dadekian

Current news releases—Eat Drink RI is not the source for these items, though I will add I’m a huge fan of Hope & Main and was proud to have several of these first incubuses sample their product at the Eat Drink RI Festival in April, and I’m a member of the Rhode Island Food Policy Council—please follow any links for more information.

Hope & Main Food Business Incubator Announces Inaugural Cohort

More than 30 food entrepreneurs will launch culinary businesses this month as members of the state’s first food business incubator program

Hope & Main, a forward-thinking, non-profit food business incubator designed to support the local food system and to strengthen the region’s economy, today introduced its inaugural group of members, a cohort of more than 30 culinary entrepreneurs who will be growing early-stage food startups and other food-related businesses from the organization’s headquarters in Warren, Rhode Island. The companies will begin full production at Hope & Main’s newly renovated facility in September 2014.

The many resources offered by Hope & Main’s incubator program, coupled with the fact that the organization does not receive equity in its members’ companies, prompted a flood of applications from entrepreneurs seeking to jump-start food ventures. Members hail from across Rhode Island and Massachusetts, and include specialty food product makers, catering companies, food trucks, farmers, personal chefs and nutritionists.

Hope & Main will hold a Grand Opening & Ribbon Cutting event on October 3 to celebrate the opening of the newly-renovated facility, largely financed through a USDA Rural Development Community Facilities Loan, and to introduce the public to the inaugural cohort of member companies.

As the state’s first food business incubator, Hope & Main’s nonprofit incubator program gives food startups the chance to grow in their first two to three years without the cost of equipping their own commercial facilities. Members benefit from extensive mentoring, access to fully equipped and affordable workspace, and immersion in an entrepreneurial environment where they can collaborate with industry experts and peers. Hope & Main’s aim is to create a community of support for food entrepreneurs and to serve as a springboard for the launch and growth of new culinary enterprises.

Hope & Main is great example the new ‘sharing economy’ where small producers can access an extensive platform of resources that not only reduce expense and exposure to risk but also increase the chance for success,” says Lisa Raiola, founder and president of Hope & Main. “It has given these fledgling entrepreneurs the opportunity to think big even as they start small. It is their promise and enthusiasm that has brought us to this milestone.”

The inaugural cohort of entrepreneurs and their food-related startups are:

Acacia Food Truck & Kitchen
Member: Dawn Brooks-Rapp
www.acaciacafe.com
twitter.com/AcaciaFoodTruck

Agraria Edibles
Member: Barbara Link
www.agrariafarm.com
facebook.com/AgrariaFarm

Allie’s Genuine Goodness
Member: Elizabeth Alvarez
www.alliesgenuinegoodness.com

Anavila Bakehouse
Member: Margie Aitkenhead

The Backyard Food Company – CURRENTLY RUNNING A KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN
Members: Matthew McClelland and Loubnen Sukkar
www.thebackyardfoodcompany.com
twitter.com/BackyardFoodCo

Bella Piccolina
Member: Daniela Mansella
www.bellapiccolina.com
twitter.com/dmansella
facebook.com/daniela.mansella

Biggest Little Popcorn Company
Member: Roselette W. DeWitt
www.biggestlittlepopcorncompany.com
twitter.com/biggestlilpopc
facebook.com/biggestlittlepopcorncompany

The CupCake Contessas
Members: Marylee Dixon and Karianne Polak
twitter.com/TheCupcakeConte
facebook.com/TheCupCAKEContessas

Dough
Member: Helena Sheusi
www.doughtreats.com
facebook.com/doughtreats

Essentially Coconut
Member: Sophia Gartland
www.essentiallycoconut.com
twitter.com/essentiallycoco
facebook.com/essentiallycoconut

Fox Point Pickling Company
Member: Ziggy Goldfarb
www.foxpointpickles.com
twitter.com/FoxPointPickles
facebook.com/FoxPointPicklingCo

Great Gaines Foods
Member: Judy Venter-Gaines
www.greatgainesfoods.com
twitter.com/greatgainesfood
facebook.com/GreatGainesFoods

Griffith Gardens
Member: Bryan Sirois
facebook.com/GriffithGardens

Halsey & Bowen Peanut Sauce
Member: Morgan Hollenbeck

HOLLISTER Tamales
Members: Charles and Kaari Groscup
www.HOLLISTERTamales.com
facebook.com/HollisterTamales

Laughing Gull Chocolates
Lindsay Tarnoff
www.laughinggullri.com
twitter.com/laughinggullri
facebook.com/LaughingGullRI

Lori’s Primo Granola
Member: Lori Vartanian
www.primogranola.com

Matt’s Magic Brownies
Member: Matt D’Alessio
www.mattsmagicbrownies.com
twitter.com/MattsMagicBrwne
facebook.com/MattsMagicBrownies

Mima’s Gluten-Free & Nut-Free
Members: Lois Mahoney and Betsy Shealy
www.mimasglutenfree.com
twitter.com/mimasgf
facebook.com/mimasgf

My Lil’ Chefs
Members: Jack Achenbach and Casey Paige
www.mylilchefswebsite.com
twitter.com/MyLilChefs

New England Syrup & Tonic
Members: Candace and Chris Clavin

New Urban Farmers
Members: Bleu Grijalva and Emily Jodka
www.newurbanfarmers.org

Nutritionally Sound
Member: Meg O’Rourke RD-LDN
www.harmonywithfood.com

Ocean State Smoked Fish Company
Member: Jeffrey Powell
facebook.com/OceanStateSmokedFishCompany

Pies by Moira
Member: Moira Walker
facebook.com/piesbymoira1

Spicy Penguin
Member: David Peligian
www.thespicypenguin.com
twitter.com/SpicyPenguinPVD
facebook.com/thespicypenguin

Tito’s Cantina
Member: Richard Reavis
www.titos.com
facebook.com/titoscantina

Uncle Truscott’s Classic American Confections
Member: Peter Kelly

Members of the RI Food Policy Council tour Hope & Main

The Rhode Island Food Policy Council is seeking new Council Members for the 2015 term.

New members will be elected at the December 2014 Annual Meeting.

Nomination Forms due on September 30th.

Who Should Be Nominated?

The Council seeks qualified candidates, from diverse sectors of the Rhode Island food system, who are committed to and interested in food systems change.

The membership selection process strives to achieve racial, socioeconomic, ethnic and geographic diversity.

What’s Involved?

Responsibilities of Council members include:

Create new and innovative ideas and plans for the Rhode Island food system
Monitor and promote the Rhode Island food system across multiple sectors
Help to maintain direction, purposes & goals, functions and responsibilities of the RIFPC

Detailed info on Council duties can be found on our website.

How Do I Find Out More?

If you have specific questions about Council roles and responsibilities, please contact RIFPC Vice-Chair Krystal Noiseux.

If you are a part of (or know of!) a community organization that might benefit from hearing more about RIFPC in general -who we are, what we do, and how community members can get involved with us – please let Krystal know and she’d be happy to reach out to them as Chair of our Governance Committee.

September 4, 2014 0 comments

chefs & restaurants news

Gracie’s & Miriam Hospital Make Gingerbread Decorating Kits to Help Families in Need

by David Dadekian December 9, 2011

written by David Dadekian

Components of the Gracie's Gingerbread Man Decorating Kit (icing tube not shown)

Looking for a fun gift, that’s also a craft project for a child (or adult), helps out families in need and is completely delicious? Then you’ll want to get over to The Miriam Hospital in Providence where for the next few weeks you can purchase a deluxe gingerbread man or woman decorating kit, freshly baked from Gracie’s restaurant kitchen, with 100% of the proceeds benefiting families in need.

Gracie’s Pastry Chef Melissa Denmark oversees the baking and kit building process and I visited the kitchen during cookie kit production for all the gingerbread information. Denmark told me they’re making 150 pounds of cookie dough to produce 1,000 cookies this year, up from 700 cookies sold last year. Gracie’s has also purchased 36 pounds of decorating candy which includes red & green sprinkles, gumdrops, mini-chocolate chips and more. Then there’s also 1000 packages of icing (which wasn’t in yet when these photos were made) which will come in easy-to-squeeze tubes.

eat drink RI: This is the second year for the gingerbread decorating kit project. How did it come about and who does it benefit?

Melissa Denmark: Our good friend Joe Conlan, Co-Director of Men’s Health at Miriam Hospital, approached Ellen [Gracyalny, Gracie’s owner] with the idea last year. The proceeds go to families in the local community. Joe works with a liaison in the community who matches this project with families in need. They come up with a list of goods that are needed. At the end of the project we take all the funds and go to Target and Kohl’s and have a big shopping spree to present to these families, which is such a nice, warm feeling.

edRI: How does the process work?

MD: Production is divided into three realms. We have the cookie production, which starts with Danielle [Lowe] and I making a big batch of gingerbread cookies over and over again. We roll those out and stamp them out and we bake them in waves depending on Joe’s sales at the hospital. Then we get the staff here at Gracie’s involved. They are helping us package all the little goodies, all the candies, all the icing—we have a variety of six different candies and icing that we tuck away into packages.

Then it all gets picked up by Joe. This year, the actual box assembly with tissue paper and ribbon is happening over at Miriam Hospital. Joe is the conductor of this project and has invited all of his elves over at the hospital to help with the packaging. He has about 10-15 people involved. [The kits] are sold in the cafeteria to gain buzz from the staff at the hospital and they’re also selling them at the entrance of the hospital.

edRI: What’s included in each kit?

MD: You get one giant gingerbread cookie, two ounces of icing and six bags of candies for $8. It’s a really fun project to do. It’s a lot of work, but it’s exciting because it gets a lot of different people involved, and it’s during the season when everybody has all this spirit and it’s good to give back.

from left to right: Danielle Lowe, Pat Philbin, Melissa Denmark and Jordan Goldsmith, volunteering time to roll out and cut gingerbread men and women

The completed Gingerbread Men or Women Decorating Kits, available at Miriam Hospital

Gracie's Pastry Chef Melissa Denmark working with the gingerbread dough

Rolling out the gingerbread cookie dough

Danielle Lowe cutting the gingerbread dough into men

Jordan Goldsmith (left) and Melissa Denmark (right) working with the gingerbread dough

Jordan Goldsmith cutting the rolled dough into men

Pat Philbin moves the cut out shapes to cookie sheets for baking

Cut out gingerbread women

Close-ups on the supplied candy components of the decorating kits

A completed kit

Gingerbread cookies, nicknamed Ginger and Fred, at Gracie's

December 9, 2011 0 comments

cooking

Charcutepalooza September: Packing: English Meat Pie

by David Dadekian September 15, 2011

written by David Dadekian

Preparing English meat pie

Some of these Charcutepalooza posts have been short because of frustration (see stuffing sausage). In this case, this post is on the short side because everything worked out so well and was so darn easy. Either I’m learning to deal with meat mess much better (none in my daughter’s hair this time!) or I’m getting better at running various animal parts through both ends of my Kitchenaid mixer. Even the dough making part of this month’s challenge went smoothly, and I don’t have the best record of dealing with doughs (caused by more of my finely-tuned-lack-of-coordination—there’s been flour all over my children in the past too). I won’t go so far as to say my dough work was a huge success, but this was definitely a very smooth challenge for me. Which is good because Mrs. Wheelbarrow is already teasing us via #charcutepalooza on Twitter with a super difficult challenge for October.

As you can see from the photos on this page, I decided to make an English Pork Pie, and in a rare moment for me, I decided to exactly stick to the recipe in Ruhlman & Polcyn’s Charcuterie. Well, sort of. In sorting one of our freezers after a blackout (thanks, Hurricane Irene!) I noticed that I had a little over a pound of venison left from earlier this year. I grabbed a few ounces of pork fat to round it up to a pound and a half, and ground it all as a substitute for the pork in the recipe for English Pork Pie. That’s the ground venison in the photo above, along with some herbs and spices in the bowl, waiting for the addition of the sauteed onions and garlic to the right and the cup of chicken stock to the upper left. It all came together quickly and easily, and now I had the insides for English Venison Pie.

Leaving that to chill, I tackled the dough. Maybe I had just the right atmospheric conditions, or I was just plain lucky, but the dough came together as easily too. I’m not saying it was pretty, and as you can see in my four-step process photos below it could’ve used a bit more finesse, but it was good dough and I didn’t make a huge mess. Note regarding photos: powdery substances like flour and my camera & lenses do not mix. That brings us to the four-step photos below, and I know I sound like a broken record (ask your parents), but laying out the dough and the meat and sealing it all up, came together easily too.

A few notes: I made an aspic with chicken stock to pour inside. I’m not sure if it would’ve worked as it didn’t look like much space, but I was going to try. That is until I wisely asked my wife if she would eat the Venison Pie if I encased it in meat jelly. She said she’d pass so I passed on adding the aspic. Also, while I thought I was being clever baking on a Silpat for easy removal from the pan, in retrospect, I wouldn’t use it again. The bottom of the pie was rather soggy. I’m not sure the Silpat contributed to that, but I’ll try it without next time. One last note, this was not the most attractive dish once I sliced into it. I was going to get out a different lens and play around with the slices, but then I tasted it. As much as I love making photos of food, I really love eating great food better. We devoured this pie. The ground venison with pork fat was moist and very flavorful and the crust tasted fantastic. I know I strayed with the meat, but Ruhlman & Polcyn’s recipe was perfect.

It’s hard to believe another month has passed in The Year of Meat and now we’re three-quarters of the way through Charcutepalooza. As I do every month, and I will continue to do so even when Charcutepalooza is over, I send many thanks to Cathy Barrow a.k.a. Mrs. Wheelbarrow and Kim Foster a.k.a. The Yummy Mummy. Also, the community that’s sprung up around these monthly challenges is very fun, warm and constructive. So if you’ve been reading along but not playing along, pick up the Twitter and find #charcutepalooza.

Four stages of making the pie

The finished English Venison Pie

September 15, 2011 0 comments