1. Downtown Bethlehem Fine Art Show

Saturday from 10am to 5pm and Sunday from 11am to 5pm, Main St., Historic Bethlehem

47th Annual Bethlehem Fine Art and Craft Show – A Juried Exhibition

2. Cash Mob in Downtown Easton

Saturday at Noon, In front of the Crayola Factory, Centre Square, Easton

After meeting at noon, the “mob” will head to an undisclosed business’ location for a surprise shopping spree. The goal is to offer a downtown business the opportunity for media exposure, new customers and a surprise infusion of cash.

3. Bethlehem Bicycle Jam

Saturday from 10am to 2pm, Sand Island, Bethlehem

Bicycle education for children and adults. Music by DJ Discreet.

4. Greek Festival 2012 – Bethlehem

Friday through Sunday, St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 1607 Union Blvd., Bethlehem

Traditional Greek Foods including Fried Calamari, Greek Pasteries, Lunch and Deiiers. Take out available. Greek Dancing, Church Tours, Vendors.

5. Old Allentown Flower & Flea Market

Saturday from 9am to 4pm, 800 Block of Gordon St., Allentown

Flower, Finds & Fun

6. Bloomin’ Easton: 2012 Garden Tour & Fair

Saturday from 9am to 5pm, Starts at College Hill Presbyterian Church, Corner of Brodhead and Monroe Sts., Easton

Self-guided tour featuring unique gardens throughout Easton.

7. Start Making Rent

Friday at 10:30, The Funhouse, 5 E. 4th St., Bethlehem

An eclectic mix of fun tunes including songs by The Who, Led Zeppelin, James Brown, David Bowie, Prince, The Beatles, The Temptations, Elvis Costello, Hall & Oates, The Band, Sly & the Family Stone, Squeeze, Parliament/Funkadelic, and much more.

8. Lehigh Valley Art Wars, Event 3, Round 1

Saturday at 8pm, Connexions Gallery, 213 Northampton St., Easton

See artists Emily Finegold, Matt Nixon, Raul Gomez, Katie Vogel, Kate Santee, create artwork live for two hours.

9. Grey Gardens

Friday & Saturday at 8pm & Sunday at 2pm, Civic Theatre of Allentown, 527 N. 19th St., Allentown

“Grey Gardens” is the compelling story of Edith Bouvier Beale and her daughter, ‘Little’ Edie, the delightfully eccentric aunt and cousin of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Once among the brightest names in the pre-Camelot social register, these two women became East Hampton’s most notorious recluses, living in a dilapidated 28-room mansion.

Mushrooms. They come in all shapes and sizes and and varying degrees of earthiness. Sometimes the stems come long and spindly, like skinny legs. Some of them are all about the tops, so much so that most mistakenly discard the stems (poor portobellos). Some, like trumpet mushrooms, are beautiful because of the fan-like undersides. Rehydrated from the dried state, mushrooms such as porcinis transform into a woodsy stock for cooking. I love them dearly, but most of all, mushrooms fascinate me. My middle-European gypsy ancestors were foragers and I sense that some of that knowledge still existed in my DNA. (Perhaps it does. Who wants to teach me to forage for mushrooms?) How can something walk thisclose between deadly and delicious? See, they are fascinating, right?

I learned from Jesse Tobin, new mushroom farmer at the Easton Farmers’ Market, Primorida Mushrooms, that freshly picked funghi will keep for several weeks (!) in the refrigerator in the brown paper bags (so retro and useful and earth-friendly) that they package them up in for you. I bought a half pound of silvery-grey oyster mushrooms and a half pound of cremini, but there were a couple of other varieties, including shitake and a fuzzy white type called Lion’s Mane. The level of devotion to their naturally-grown mushrooms was evident in the careful way in which they were displayed, picked and packaged: the oysters were still clumped together and intact when I got home, like a little mushroom bouquet.

I threw this dish together on Sunday night with oyster mushrooms, asparagus, fresh thyme, organic butter, whatever pasta I had enough of, and finished it off with the juice and zest of one lemon and a healthy sprinkling of Pecorino Romano cheese. If someone were selling asparagus at the Farmers’ Market this past weekend in Easton, I would have bought it for this dish. Instead, we’ve been getting ours from a colleague of my husband’s who also happens to have tons of it growing on his home farm.

Mushroom Asparagus Pasta. Before & After. Photos by Carrie Havranek.

Mushroom-Asparagus Pasta

Ingredients

• 8 ounces oyster mushrooms, roughly chopped
• 1 lb (about one bunch) of asparagus, stalky ends trimmed, gently peeled, and cut into 2-3 inch dice.
• 8 ounces of short pasta (fusilli, penne, rigatoni, cavatappi will all do)
• 4 Tbsp. organic unsalted butter
• 1 Tbsp. fresh thyme
• Juice and zest of one lemon
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Pecorino romano to taste

Directions

1. Boil the water for pasta and cook it like you normally would, reserving about 1/2 cup of liquid for your sauce.
2. While the water is boiling, carefully chop off the main stem of the mushrooms. This is kind of hard to explain but will make sense if you’re using freshly picked mushrooms. Remove the white, thick parts of the stem that won’t going to saute down well. (Again, this will make more sense when you see it.) Then slice them into a rough chop, remembering that mushrooms will shrink considerably when sauteed.
3. Heat 2 Tbsp. of butter over medium heat in a skillet. When the butter is bubbling, add the mushrooms and a couple of pinches of kosher salt, and a good grinding of black pepper. Toss in half of the thyme, which I don’t even chop. Instead, I just run my thumb and index finger down the stem, holding the thyme over the pan, until the leaves slide off easily. Saute the mushrooms for 3-4 minutes, tops, until they’ve reduced in size and softened a bit but aren’t soggy. Remove from pan; keep hot.
4. Add another 2 Tbsp. of butter to the pan, scraping any browned butter and thyme off the bottom. Toss in the asparagus, a couple pinches of kosher salt, and cook for 2-3 minutes over medium heat until it’s bright green and still crispy. When the asparagus is about finished, add the mushrooms back in and stir to combine. Reduce heat to low.
5. At this point your pasta should be finished. Zest the lemon first, then slice and squeeze the juice right into the pan with mushrooms, thyme, butter and asparagus. Add the 1/2 cup of water, and stir it all up to combine. Keep in mind you’re doing this over low heat, so some of this water is going to cook off, as it should.
6. Toss in as much cheese as you like, add another sprig of thyme leaves, adjust salt and pepper if necessary, and serve immediately.

This served a family of four—two adults and two hungry toddler boys—with no leftovers. You could easily double this recipe, although I might just double the mushrooms and pasta amounts to a pound and not the asparagus, but that’s just me. And you’ve probably figured out that this is easy to veganize by swapping oil for butter and leaving out the cheese. Whether or not you sprinkle on nutritional yeast in place of cheese is up to you. And your pantry.

Carrie Havranek is a writer in Easton who is looking forward to a season of experimenting with mushrooms.

1. Science Works 2012

Saturday from 11am to2pm and Sunday from 1 to 4pm, DaVinci Science Center, 3145 Hamilton Blvd. Bypass, Allentown

The Da Vinci Science Center’s sixth annual celebration of informal science, Science Works 2012 will be a two-day showcase of mystery, mastery, and science’s synergies with the arts. Science Works 2012 of May 5-6 also will include special visitor experiences at the Da Vinci Science Center.

2. Opening Day of Easton Farmers’ Market’s 260th Season

Saturday from 9am to 1pm, Centre Square, Easton

New vendors, new festivals, fresh, local goodness and that incomparable EFM spirit await you!

3. First Friday

Friday from 6 to 10pm, Various Locations throughout Southside Bethlehem

The theme of this month’s First Friday is “Born to Be Wild.” It sounds like it could be a good place to get into some trouble. Good trouble, of course.

4. Fundraiser for Mark Werkheiser at Market Days

Saturday and Sunday, Landmark Gardens & Nursery, 902 Mud Lane, Northampton

A portion of all nursery sales will be donated to a fund for Mark Werkheiser’s children during this weekend’s Market Days. While you’re there, visit the Farmers’ Market, Crafters’ Market and Flea Market. There will also be a trackless train ride and Bounce House for the kids.

5. The Little Prince Public Performance

Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and through May 2oth, The Charles A. Brown Ice House, 57 River St., Bethlehem

See the Pennsylvania Youth Theatre’s spring musical in its opening weekend!

6. 32nd Annual Historic Easton House Tour to Benefit Easton Main Street Initiative

Saturday from 10am to 4pm, Various Locations throughout Easton

Experience Easton’s architectural history and support downtown preservation. This self-guided tour features eight outstanding homes and public spaces throughout the City’s four neighbrhoods.

7. Hunt for History Club: Fun with Fabric

Saturday from 12 to 4pm, Colonial Industrial Quarter, Bethlehem

An event just for kids! Through a visit to the Waterworks, kids will see a working waterwheel and explore water’s importance in producing goods during colonial times. Club members can design fabric, spin yarn, dye cloth to take home, and even dress in period clothing!

8. Who Shot Rock & Roll

Saturday and Sunday, through May 13th, Allentown Art Museum, 31 N. 5th St., Allentown

This is the second to the last weekend this awesome photographic exhibit will be here. Go see it before it’s too late!

9. Loose Threads’ Three Year Anniversary Party

Friday from 6 to 10pm, Loose Threads Boutique, 9 W. 4th St., Bethlehem

Stop by Loose Threads during First Friday and wish Laura and Helene a happy third anniversary of their wonderfully unique shop. There will be food, music, discounts and a gift certificate to be won.

Oh, and yeah, it’s also Cinco de Mayo. If you’re looking for ways to celebrate that, check out yesterday’s Five Cool Mexican Experiences.

We can hardly contain our excitement around here. It’s May. You know that means it’s time for the farmers’ markets to start up again. Here’s our guide to those in the Lehigh Valley that are opening in the month of May. LLPG will do another installment to feature those opening next month. In the meantime, here’s a preview of what’s new at the markets this season.

The Easton Farmers' Market opens for its 260th anniversary season on May 5th. Photo by Laini Abraham.

Easton Farmers Market begins its 260^th market season by adding four new farms to its list of vendors, for a total of 45: Apple Ridge Farm, Blooming Glen, Primordia Mushroom Farm, and Scholl Orchards. According to market manager Megan McBride, they’re especially excited about Primordia, as they’ve been trying to find a good mushroom vendor for a few years. The sidewalk area in front of the Crayola Factory is now being dubbed “Market Arts Plaza” and it’s where local crafters, artisans and musicians will be set up. Look for Bacon Fest in the fall, a new “veggie valet” service that can help you get your goodies to your car, and special commemorative market bags designed by Mercantile Home. Saturdays, 9am-1pm, May 5-November 17; Centre Square, Easton.

Saucon Valley Farmers’ Market, now entering its 7^th season, will feature 30 vendors, including new additions Patience Spess, Apple Ridge Farms, Bechdolt’s Orchard, Earth’s Phocas, Epic Acre Farms, among others. You can find everything from fresh produce to handmade soaps and lotions, jams, jellies, maple syrup, olive oil, artisan bread, and even sauerkraut bread. This year, the market is having an art in the park event every fourth Sunday, starting May 27—they’re seeking crafters and other folks who are creating handmade goods, says Shelley Goldberg, market chairperson. Sundays, 9am-1pm, May 6-November 18; Water Street Park, Hellertown.

A producer-only market, Emmaus Farmers’ Market takes over the parking lot of the KNBT bank in Emmaus every Sunday, is entering its 10^th season. New vendors this year include BAD (Beth and Dave) Farm, which specializes in cow’s milk cheeses, and Balasia, which sells delicious vegetarian cuisine (salads, soups, bowls). Imagine everything from bison to wine to typical farmers’ market fare: veggies, fruit, honey, maple syrup, baked goods, and more. On opening day, Chef Mike Joyce of Molinari’s in Bethlehem will give a cooking demonstration using local produce. Sundays, 10am-2pm, May 6-November 18; 235 Main Street, Emmaus.

The Historic Bethlehem Farmers’ Market is a new arrival to the scene this year. However, its Main Street location is so smart, it’s kind of surprising it hasn’t happened before now. Spearheaded by the Downtown Bethlehem Association to “enhance the quality of life in the Historic Moravian and Shopping District,” says Samantha Schwartz of the DBA. Expect the likes of Apple Ridge Farms from Saylorsburg, Baba Nonna, which will offer Italian and Slovak baked goods, Back Door Bake Shop (endless source of cookies, brownies, dessert breads and more), Heritage Farm CSA, Stryker Farm, and more. Expect music throughout the season at the Sun Inn Courtyard stage. Tuesdays, 11am-3pm, May 8-October 23; Sun Inn Courtyard, 564 Main Street, Bethlehem.

Believe it or not, the Bethlehem Farmers’ Market is now entering its 10th season on SouthSide Bethlehem. This year the market, which sets up at Campus Square on Lehigh University, has goods from 18 vendors. New additions include Earth’s Phocas (cut flowers), Joe Paws Bakery (dog treats), veggie lunch tarts (Hereford Country Store) and M&B Fairview Farm (local meat), among others. You’ll still find eggs from York Moor Farm, produce from Bechdolt Orchards and Lettuce Alone Farm, soaps from A Natural Alternative and, like most of these markets, live music every week. Thursdays, 11am-3pm, May 10-October 25; Morton and New Streets, Bethlehem.

Now in its second year, the St. Luke’s SteelStacks Farmers’ Market is back with fresh produce, baked goods, live music, smoked meats, gourmet coffee, grass-fed beef, estate-grown wines, vegan food (Balasia) and more. The “Growing Gourmets” series returns again this year for the last Thursday of every month, introducing kids to gardening and cooking. A new addition to the market include the peaches, plums, cherries, apples and pears from Frecon Farms. Opening day festivities will feature live music, a cooking demonstration, free evergreen seedlings to the first 100 customers, and a fair dose of community spirit. Thursdays 3pm-7pm, May 10-July 23, August 23-November 1; Air Products Town Square, 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem.

Carrie Havranek is a writer in Easton who loves the way people come out of hiding for farmers’ markets.

There are so many places for Mexican food—and its derivatives such as Tex-Mex, American-Mex, and so forth—that we’re looking at five of them again and have no trouble avoiding a repeat of last year’s story, Five Cool Places for a Mexican Experience.

Burrito Works, Allentown. Burrito Works opened last March and located next door to Allentown Brew Works. It’s owned by the Fegley family, so that means beer is incorporated into the prep: the beef is marinated in its porter, the chicken in the Wit, and the pork in its blonde ale. You can customize your burrito with any number of ingredients—many of them local, all-natural sustainable, and/or organic—and admire the local art on the walls while you wait. 818 Hamilton Street, Allentown; 484-223-3805.

Don Juan Mex Grill, Easton. The owners of State Cafe and Grill downtown opened up this brightly colored, no-frills burrito and taco joint about a year ago and it keeps locals and students fed and full until the wee hours of the morning. There’s a standard burrito menu, but you can order almost anything on yours and customize it. In fact, there’s a burrito-of-the-week special, which comes right from the minds of its customers. Whatever you do, make sure you order something with the special ancho sauce.  518 March Street, Easton; 610-438-5661.

La Placita Mexican Deli, Allentown. Full disclosure: I have not yet been here, but I keep *hearing* the best things about this place. How it’s great for lunch but you have to get there early because it gets busy and there’s not much seating—you gotta walk to the back of this deli, which is also packed with specialty grocery items. How the food is totally authentic; the salsa verde and sopes and enchiladas seem to win points. 158 North 12th Street, Allentown; 610-821-4549.

Mexico Lindo, Bethlehem. This family-owned spot on Main Street, before the bustle of downtown, is laid-back and does lots of take out, too. Mexico Lindo earns points for its tacos, enchiladas, and tamales; the tacos are three for $6. We’re curious about one of its specials, the China Poblana: a combination of pork chop, beef, enchiladas, rice and beans, and guacamole. 720 Main Street, Bethlehem; 610-691-5141.

Taquiera La Plaza, Easton. I can’t believe we haven’t written about this small, authentic place before. It’s been around for a few years, and serves some seriously good tacos; people rave about the beef tongue tacos, the pineapple and chorizo, too. I’m partial to the tacos especiales, which comes with your choice of meat wrapped in two corn tortilas, fresh Mexican cheese, cilantro, tomatoes and avocado. It’s popular for lunch and take out, but leave your plastic at home: the places takes cash only. 1647 Washington Blvd., Easton; 610-559-6163. (16th/Washington, Easton)

Carrie Havranek is a writer in Easton who doesn’t easily tire of Mexican food.

Before I even commence with this week’s Tasty Tuesday, I need to fully disclose the degree to which I am connected to this story, because it’s a little bit ridiculous, even for such a close-knit community as the Lehigh Valley.

First: I adore Black & Blue, much the way I loved Which Brew before it. I’m certain I’m not alone in this; nor am I the first journalist to pledge such a thing.

Second: I wrote about Black & Blue for the May issue of Lehigh Valley Style, where I write the Inside Dish column. I’m writing this piece with both Laini Abraham and Style editor Lisa Gotto’s blessing; I didn’t feel right just forging ahead without asking.

Third: My next-door-neighbors, Chris Laskey and Linda Calsetta, were the guest chefs for the Shelton Brothers dinner. They are good friends and even better neighbors (because they are good friends), the kind of people who have a Mad Men party and allow you and your crazy toddlers to crash it and make you, the adults, cocktails and allow your toddlers to glom all the fancy cheese. (We sort of share a yard.)

Third course: Duet of rabbit. Ragout, mushroom, truffle oil, pasta & bacon-wrapped loin, white wine reduction.

Ok, now that I’ve gotten that off my chest, I’m moved to write about this event because it makes for a great, wish-I’da-been-there kind of recap journalism. And it gives you an opportunity to plan for the next one, which will take place in late July, I’m told. (Think tomatoes. And more!) And it shows you that there’s a restaurant here in the Valley that’s truly trying to do something different with beer these days, by bringing in a representative from Shelton Brothers (a name more befitting for an old-school country-bluegrass band than a beer importer) to the table. The company’s mission is to import traditional, hand-crafted, unfiltered, unpasteurized (and generally unadulterated) brews from 90 breweries in the U.S. and around the world. We lucky 14 diners sampled a half dozen of them over the course of an amuse bouche (pork belly), four courses, and an after-dinner selection, for the price of $65 per person.

I’m not going to go into exhaustive, course-by-course detail because I’d rather the photos evoke the scene. No one left the meal unhappy, that much I can assure you. I will tell you the following: the food at these events is more haute than you would typically encounter at Black & Blue, but it’s befitting of an alcohol pairing dinner. The pours were 5-6 ounces and just right: not overly generous but not stingy either.  We also learned that you can get some of the beers Shelton Brothers imports at Stockertown Beverage, which is wonderful news for anyone who’s fallen in love with a beer at a bar (or wine, for that matter) and then scurried around our Commonwealth in vain trying to find it. Shelton imports well-regarded brews from Cantillon (Belgium), Haandbryggeriet (Norway) and Kapuziner (Germany), among others, and distributes the likes of meads, ciders, and beers from Celestial Meads, Farnum Hill and Jolly Pumpkin, respectively, from the United States. And all of the beers we sampled are currently available on tap, with the exception of Jolly Pumpkin La Roja and Achel Extra. According to sales representative Kevin Brooks, who guided us through the tasting, the company does not have a very strong presence in the Lehigh Valley restaurants just yet, so that means what you’re seeing at Black and Blue, true to form, is unique to the Valley; in some cases, the restaurant may be the only place in the state to get a certain beer.

Dessert: Butterscotch (made with butter and scotch) custard, black peppercorn, clove, with DeRanke Guldenberg

A few words about the beers are necessary. All the beers we tasted were on tap, except the Jolly Pumpkin and Achel Extra. The first one we sampled was a Flemish sour, but it did not smack your palette into submission the way many sours do; instead, it was a sneaky sour, one that didn’t immediately hit you and was well-rounded, with some earthy, caramel-y spicy notes. This struck me because it’s the second time in two separate pairings someone has started with a sour; the beer cut right through the fat in the pork belly. I also liked the Kapuziner Weisse, from Germany, and we all admired the glass so much for its beauty and ballast (it’s a hefty, well-balanced glass) that it became our take-home glass of choice. This cloudy wheat beer pours with a puffy white head, and is made with roughly equal portions of wheat and barley malt. The citrus notes were evident, but there’s a welcome spiciness from cloves, and an overall complexity that catapults this leaps and bounds above the average wheat beer. Perhaps, though, the crowd favorite may have been the Achel Trappist Extra, a Belgian strong dark ale (9.5 percent A.B.V.) It’s a slightly sweet, slightly tangy bottle-conditioned ale, with an aroma of dried stone fruits. It drinks easily, but not too easily. It’s also one of two Trappist monasteries in Belgium (out of six) where the monks still participate in the day-to-day operations of brewing. And the money goes back to the monastery. How’s that for drinking for a good cause?

Cheers!

The full disclosures continue: Carrie Havranek is a writer in Easton who hated beer in college and therefore drank very little of it—until she started discovering real craft brews.

1. Historic Downtown Cleanup and Earth Day Celebration

Saturday from 9am to 2pm, Main and Broad Sts., Bethlehem

Help keep Bethlehem clean in celebration of Earth Day! Join others from the Valley in cleaning up the Historic Downtown District in the City of Bethlehem!

2. Forks of the Delaware Shad Fishing Tournament

Saturday, April 28 through Friday, May 4th from 9am to 9pm, Scott Park, Easton

Visit Scott Park for the Annual Forks of the Delaware Shad Fishing Tournament and celebrate one of the rites of spring, the migration of the Shad.

3. Allentown Symphony Orchestra Family Concert with Bill Harley

Sunday at 2pm, Allentown Symphony Hall, 23 N. 6th St., Allentown

From the Allentown Symphony Hall website: “Bill Harley brings “Jack and the Beanstalk” and other great stories to life! Two-time Grammy Award-winner Bill Harley joins the ASO for our annual Family Concert.  When Harley shares his uproarious songs and stories about growing up, “it’s hard to tell who enjoys him more – parents or children.” (Los Angeles Times)”

4. Opening Reception for Michael Burmeister’s Loose Luv | Tighthunder

Friday from 6 to 10pm, Soft Machine Gallery, 725 N. 15th St., Ste. 7, Allentown

Michael Burmeister’s abstract, poetic and literary paintings seem to bridge the gap between belief and irony, statement and question and even self and relationship. There will be experimental jazz by Mike Lorenz from 7:30 to 9:30pm.

5. JCC Juried Fine Craft Show

Sunday from 10am to 5pm, Jewish Community Center of Allentown, 702 N. 22nd St., Allentown

Thirty-five crafters and artisans from up and down the East Coast will make up this Fine Craft Show. It’s a perfect place to find a unique Mother’s Day gift.

6. Madness – Party Like it’s 1965

Friday from 7:00 to 9:30pm, UnderWired & Sew on & So Forth!, 91 E. Broad St., Bethlehem

From the event’s Facebook page: “Join us for a Mad Men themed party! Cocktails, dapper men, sassy ladies, lipstick, fun, and of course fabulous vintage. Madness News: Our party will dazzle you with 60s music, raffles, prizes for costumes, crinolines by Swank Underpinnings, and 60s inspired jewelry by a special guest!”

 7. Pianist Agnes Wan Performs

Saturday at 8pm, Noble Art Pianos, 226 Bushkill Dr., Easton

All programs in the Noble Art Recital Series are followed by a reception with the artists. There is no charge for this concert event, reservations are
required due to limited seating. Phone 610.258.8188 to reserve seats.

 8. Opening Reception: Jason Travers “Black & White”

Saturday from 7 to 10pm, Connexions Gallery, 213 Northampton St., Easton

Celebrate and see Jason Travers’ new show at Connexions. Guitarist Joe Wagner will be performing live Jazz.

9. Phoot/Abhaya Fibers Trunk Show

Saturday from 11am to 6pm, NewVox Gallery, 425 Wyandotte St., Bethlehem

From this event’s Facebook page: “Come over to NewVox Gallery and go through an assorted collection of prints, knits and misc. I’ll have a portfolio of prints ranging from 5×7 to posters and framed pieces, along with a trunk full of knits and miscellaneous creations.”

We like to think outside the box at LLPG, and sometimes that means thinking outside of the big box and going to a smaller store, where old-school values such as friendly service and hands-on help are integral to the success of an independent business. And you know you’re likely to need one, because spring means gardening, painting, sanding decks, mending fences and all kinds of other home improvement projects that require warm weather and open windows for ventilation. We did a little bit of crowdsourcing for this story—thanks to those who chimed in with their thoughts. Here are five cool places that can help you do just that.

Cantelmi's in Forks Township. The have a decent garden center with some great prices. Photo by Laini Abraham.

1. Albright’s Hardware and Garden Center, Allentown. In addition to what you would expect from a hardware store and garden center—hammers and nails and topsoil and patio furniture—the folks at Albright’s can also repair small engines, sell you a Weber grill, a Toro lawn mower, and more. 2119 Walbert Avenue, 610-433-3831.

2. Aykroyd Hardware, Bethlehem. You gotta love a store that advertises itself by saying, “stop by and see what a real  hardware store has to offer.” The place dates back to 1954, when customer service mattered and America’s downtowns were generally a different place. You can find screws by the box or the piece and nails by the box or the pound. You can also find Weber grills, Milwaukee electric tools, and the run-of-the-mill stuff like lightbulbs, outlet covers and more.  743 N. New Street, Bethlehem; 610-868-0421.

3. Cantelmi’s Hardware, with locations in Forks Township and Bethlehem. Both of these locations are ACE hardware shops, and the family’s been in the business—you see where this is going right?—for nearly a century. As they say, ACE is the helpful place, and it’s generally true. If they don’t have something in stock that you’re looking for, they are great about taking suggestions and are happy to order it for you. 521 East 4th Street, Bethlehem, 610-866-0532; 1805 Sullivan Trail, Forks Township, 610-515-9800.

4. Piscitello’s Home Center, Easton. I’m fairly certain we’ve bought a lot of painting supplies at Piscitello’s in the ten years we’ve lived in Easton, an old-school hardware shop and spot where you’re bound to see lots of contractor trucks and vans in the parking lot. To that end, their web site includes a list of approved contractors. How’s that for an endorsement? You can also contract them to do your bathroom or kitchen.  2300 Wood Avenue; 610-258-0441.

5. Wentz Hardware, Emmaus. Ah, yes, another downtown hardware shop, and this one dates to 1943 and is still family owned. You’ll find the usual gamut, but the store goes the extra mile for your average hardware store and offers home repairs. So you can also have your boiler serviced, your plumbing repaired, new carpeting installed or a bathroom remodeled. How about that? 225 Main Street, Emmaus; 610-965-6078.

Do you have a favorite independently-owned hardware/home improvement store that we missed? Please let us know in the comments below.

Words and Photos by Andrew Kleiner

Lehigh Gap Nature Center.

1. Lehigh Gap Nature Center

In 1898 a zinc smelting company began operations in Palmerton.  For almost one hundred years, the plant spewed metal heavy pollution into the air. By the time the plant closed in the 1980s, the damage to the surrounding mountainsides was so extensive that much of the area was declared a Superfund site by the U.S. Department of Environmental Protection. It was almost lost to pollution, but ten years ago, a restoration and reclamation effort began, centered at the Lehigh Gap Nature Center. Using warm season prairie grass plantings, the broken ecosystem began to spring back to life. Today, this area of mountainside is very much thriving.  There are trails scattered all over the mountain that range from easy strolls alongside the Lehigh River to arduous climbs to the rock formation known as “Devil’s Pulpit” at the top of the mountain.Wherever you go, you are walking through one of the greatest environmental success stories on the East Coast. College students in biology and chemistry classes often run across this story in their textbooks as one of the great examples of the damages of air pollution at its extreme. Now, a decade into reclamation, the Lehigh Gap becomes a place where the worst of our world is erased in the promise of restoration; in the new life of trees, grasses, birds, it is life exploding. This is hope defined. For all the ills of the world, the destruction, the inequality, the hatred, the poverty, the famine, war, greed, planned obsolescence, waste, plastic islands, global warming, all of it, there exists a place like the mountains of the Lehigh Gap. Go there. See it for yourself. Take a hike, look and listen to life resurrected. Up on that mountain, among those young trees and new high blades of grass, you learn that at our worst and most destructive, that nature can and will survive. Nature will outlast all of us. And knowing that, knowing that there is something good somewhere, when the whole world seems to be falling apart, makes it easier to keep believing in the raw, purposeful power of an ancient, wild world.

Jacobsburg Environmental Center

2. Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center

A forest can be classified as “old-growth” or “virgin” when it has been allowed to grow long enough without significant disturbance so much so that the forest has reached a steady state of growth. This means that the forest’s population of plants and animals are ideally adapted to the growing conditions of that area. In the Lehigh Valley, the only example of such an area of forest exists at Jacobsburg. We have lost the majority of these forests to continued suburban expansion, retail development, and increased development of infrastructure. The area of the state park with this forest present is known as Henry’s Woods and can be easily discerned from the surrounding vegetation by the heavy presence of the state tree of Pennsylvania, the evergreen hemlock. In addition to this incredible and unique environmental feature, there are 18 miles of trail crisscrossing the 1,168 acre park that afford the visitor a brief escape into a forest that is slowly working its way into the state of the “Old-Growth” forest at the parks heart. Jacobsburg exists as an opportunity to take a step into a world that could have been. For the past 80 years, the Lehigh Valley has lost its open and green spaces to suburban and retail development at an exponential rate. A search on Google maps for Wal-Mart reveals that for this one swath of “old-growth” forest, there are four Wal-Marts in the Lehigh Valley. As more time passes, these precious forest spaces will continue to disappear, while those big box stores will constitute a new growth forest of commercialism and disconnect to the wilderness that once was. A trip to Jacobsburg is the last lifeline left in the region to a long gone world. And as such, it’s certainly a lifeline that we should take. Every tree stand in the Lehigh Valley with the exception of Henry’s Woods in Jacobsburg State Park is marked by human disturbance. I go there to see a forest that tells the story of what could have been, and what could be again, here in the Valley, if we start taking care of the developing forests around us and not let this become a lost world.

Bake Oven Knob.

3. Bake Oven Knob

After walking for a little more than a mile on the Appalachian Trail (which you can pick up at the Lehigh Gap Nature Center), east from the parking lot at the top of the mountain, the forest breaks to piles of boulders. These boulders are streaked with Tuscarora quartz that was formed in shallow areas of the Iapetus ocean during the Silurian age of our planet, about 430 million years ago. Eventually, you reach the highest point in Lehigh County. Up there, on those ancient rocks, you can stand and see all the way to South Mountain on one side, and to the foothills of the Poconos on the other. Seeing the whole of human development across the Lehigh Valley reduced to blurs across a vast landscape gives visitors an opportunity to see what the world looks like from the perspective of the mountain. For me, being able to see the human world dwarfed in the eyes of nature is invigorating. All the places to be, the meetings and obligations and deadlines, disappear in the long look of miles from mountain to mountain across the Lehigh Valley. If you continue on the Appalachian Trail, hikers can find other local landmarks like Bear Rocks and The Pinnacle.  In autumn, Bake Oven Knob is famous for the raptor migration; in one afternoon you can see thousands of hawks, eagles and the like flying overhead en masse. I go to Bake Oven Knob to find a sense of the perspective of the infinite. Under clear skies, when the view stretches past the blue curve of our atmosphere and the world appears endless, you find the authentic interpretation of your place on this planet.  If you wait until nightfall, (bring a flashlight!), and the astronomical bodies of our galaxy begin to appear above you, you can take advantage of an even greater sense of perspective.  All of this is right here, in the Lehigh Valley. From standing on Silurian era stone to watching the ethereal light of the Milky Way galaxy overhead, I can’t imagine a better place for consideration, thinking, and reflection on the idea of life itself than at Bake Oven Knob.

Andrew Kleiner photographs and writes about nature, is a recent Environmental Science graduate of Muhlenberg College and a member of Allentown’s Environmental Advisory Council.

by Carrie Havranek

We’re entering hard-core margarita season, people. (And mojitos. And caipirhinas.) I eat Mexican food and its ilk every once in a while in the winter, but I don’t really crave it until the weather gets balmy and all I want are avocados and black beans and limes, limes, limes. This is the time of year when the battle of the citrus fruit (lemon vs. lime) comes into my cooking nearly every day. Which is the victor? Which is better? Well, you need lime for Mexican food; you just do. Trust me on this.

So this week’s Tasty Tuesday is really simple. It’s an ode to our shared love of Mexican food. And it’s a reminder that you can have an inexpensive lunch or dinner at scores of Mexican places in the Lehigh Valley, ranging in price and “authenticity” and spiciness, pretty easily. We happened to go to Mex Tex Trio in Easton; it’s close by and so were we.

Laini and I both ordered enfrilodas, which are are two hand-rolled flour tortillas with black beans, topped with jack cheese, and served with Spanish rice. I should also add that avocados were not mentioned on the menu, but they were the perfect ripeness and expertly sliced.

Avocados on Enfrilodas at Mex Tex Trio in Easton, PA. Photo by Carrie Havranek.

What’s your favorite spot for Mexican food in the greater Lehigh Valley, and why? Is it Tex-Mex? Ameri-Mex? Or Mex-Mex? What’s your favorite thing to order?

Carrie Havranek is a writer in Easton who is going to spend a lot of time exploring Allentown’s Mexican food offerings this spring.