A la Carte: Chicken Tikka Masala Makes a Perfect Meal With Friends

Posted on August 18, 2021 by Lee White

Lee White

The isolation, almost a year, actually, didn’t bother me as much as those who had to fill supermarket shelves, teach children at home or lose a job. Because I live alone, I have always pretty much eaten when I want to eat and pretty much eat what I want to eat.

But I sure missed the fun of sharing food with friends. So when friends offered to come to my home and cook in my kitchen with food I love but cook rarely, how could I resist?

Marla and Rich Kosenski knew that my Instant Pot sat in its box for almost a year before the pandemic. Then I took it out of the box and bought books on the Instant Pot. Even Weinstein and Scarbrough’s Instant Pot Bible frightened me a bit.

Then a retired teacher form Groton offered to come and teach me how to use it. Once I understood the concept, I began to love it.

Then came the pandemic. Marla and Rich, using their and my Instant Pots (dueling Instant Pots), cooked (I prepped).

Below is chicken tikka masala. It was beyond delicious.

Just to be sure, I made it myself. Prepping took fewer than 10 minutes. I sautéed in the Pot for 10 more minutes, then dumped in the spices and the chicken, and pressure-cooked for 10 minutes.

After, I made brown rice (2 cups brown rice, 2 cups water, ½ teaspoon salt. Pressure cook for 20-22 minutes. Let it release by its own. Keep the extra rice for other dishes).

Chicken Tikka Masala
Adapted slightly from a recipe from Marla Kosinski

Yield: enough for 4 to 6 people

1 ½ tablespoons olive (or other vegetable oil)
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic minced
½ teaspoon ginger (I used dried ginger)
½ cup chicken or vegetable broth, divided
1 ½ tablespoons gram masala
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ to 1 teaspoon kosher salt (I use sea salt).
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, but I love cayenne)
1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 14-ounce can petite diced tomatoes, juices included
½ cup coconut milk
Fresh cilantro, chopped (optional for those who hate cilantro)
2 cups cooked rice, for serving (I used brown rice)

In the Instant Pot, sauté oil until shimmering but not smoking. Add onion and Saute until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and cook until soft and fragrant. Mixture may stick a little t the bottom; this is normal.

Add ¼ cup of chicken broth and cook, gently scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to loosen any stick-on bits, until chicken broth is reduced by half. Add spices and stir to combine. Stir in rest of the broth and tomatoes. Pressure cook on high for 10 minutes. Quick release when done. Stir in coconut milk. Serve over rice on plates and topped with cilantro.

About the author: Lee White has been writing about restaurants and cooking since 1976 and has been extensively published in the Worcester (Mass.) Magazine, The Day, Norwich Bulletin, and Hartford Courant. She currently writes Nibbles and a cooking column called A La Carte for LymeLine.com and the Shore Publishing and the Times newspapers, both of which are owned by The Day. She was a resident of Old Lyme for many years but now lives in Groton, Conn. Contact Lee at leeawhite@aol.com.

‘Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters’ First 100 Years’ Opens at Ivoryton Playhouse

Posted on August 14, 2021 by Admin

‘Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters’ First 100 Years’ is currently being performed at The Ivoryton Playhouse.

IVORYTON – The extraordinary and life-affirming play Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters’ First 100 Years by Emily Mann (adapted from the book by Sarah L. Delany and A. Elizabeth Delany with Amy Hill Hearth) opened Aug. 12, at The Ivoryton Playhouse.

Based on the New York Times bestselling novel, Having Our Say takes us into the trail-blazing worlds of Sadie and Bessie Delany, two real-life, civil rights pioneers. Their warm, funny, and intelligent tale is a remarkable and moving portrait of two groundbreaking women, who continue to laugh, love, and embrace life after over 100 years living side-by-side.

This Tony-nominated play begins as sisters, Sadie and Bessie (103- and 101-years-old, respectively), welcome us into their Mount Vernon home while they prepare a celebratory dinner in remembrance of their father’s birthday. Along the way they take us on a remarkable journey through the last 100 years of our nation’s history.

From post-Civil War Reconstruction through the Harlem Renaissance and beyond, their sharp memories recapture the worlds of Booker T. Washington, Langston Hughes, W.E.B. Du Bois, and Paul Robeson.

A scene from ‘Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters’ First 100 Years.’

Throughout their respective life journeys, Sadie and Bessie broke barriers of color and race becoming a respected dentist and a New York City schoolteacher at a time when America held high the potential for change and growth. Their extraordinary and inspiring lives are examples in courage and love that stand as monumental contributions to our nation’s heritage.

This poignant and touching family drama stars Catherine Williams* as Sadie and Hope Harley* as Bessie. And the Delany Sisters’ influence is not lost on them, evidenced by Harley commenting, “Much like their contemporary, Anna James, of the James Pharmacy here in Connecticut, they serve as role models even today.” Or as Williams states simply, “I am very humbled to play the role.”

The play is directed by Ivoryton Playhouse’s Associate Artistic Director Todd Underwood with set design by Martin Marchitto; costumes by Elizabeth Saylor; lighting by Marcus Abbott; and sound by Tate R. Burmeister.

Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters’ First 100 Years runs through Sunday, Sept. 5, 2021. Performance times are Wednesday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m.; evening performances are Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m.

The safety of its audience is the theater’s primary concern. Its capacity has been socially-distanced so that there are now only 140 seats in the theatre for the audience’s comfort and protection.

Tickets are $55 for adults, $50 for seniors, $25 for students and avalable by calling the Playhouse box office at 860.767.7318. Tickets are not available online.

Visit the Playhouse’s website for more information. (Group rates are available by calling the box office for information.)

The Playhouse is located at 103 Main St. in Ivoryton.

*Denotes member of Actors Equity

Observing Session Explores the Wonders of Lyme’s ‘Dark Skies’

Posted on August 13, 2021 by Alan Sheiness

LYME — On July 30, Lyme Land Trust held a public observing session at its dark sky site. Attendees hailed from Westbrook, Colchester, and Lyme. Observers were able to take advantage of three telescopes, a spotting scope, and binoculars.

Observers gathered, darkness fell and the ‘spotting’ began. Photo by Roger Charbonneau Jr.

We gathered before darkness and learned what the Perseid meteor showers were all about: why we see them; why they are called Perseids; and why best observing is after midnight. Attendees are now duly informed.

As the sky darkened, the brightest stars became visible one after the other, and we were taught mnemonics and tips for orienting in the summer sky. From the Big Dipper, we learned to “arc to Arcturus” and “spike to Spica”. Next up was the Summer Triangle, formed by the prominent stars Vega, Deneb, and Altair.

With that starting point, we outlined the constellation Cygnus the Swan with Deneb as the ‘tail’ and observed the ‘nose’ of the swan, Alberio, through the telescope. At low magnification all could see that it is actually a binary star system, consisting of one blue and one yellow star.

As darkness took hold, Saturn and then Jupiter rose in the east. Between the two planets, we could see seven of those giant planets’ moons; four of Jupiter and three of Saturn. Saturn’s rings were easily discernable all night long.

Now fully dark, we traced out the outlines of Scorpio and Sagittarius with pointing equipment, and then the ‘steam’ rising from the Teapot in Sagittarius: the Milky Way itself. All night long we noted as the Milky Way became easier and easier to make out, arching upward and northward back through Cygnus and ultimately disappearing into the northern tree line.

Within the Milky Way, we aimed our telescopes at M8 The Lagoon Nebula, the globular cluster M22, and various other open clusters. High overhead in the constellation of Lyra (where Vega resides), we examined M57, The Ring Nebula, which is a supernova remnant from times long gone. In Hercules, we trained the scopes on the famous globular cluster M13, a dense collection of individual stars that meld into a round orb of light.

The Milky Way was visible throughout the night observing session, becoming consistently easier to distinguish. Photo by Roger Charbonneau Jr.

In between telescope observing, we sharpened our Big Dipper-, Little Dipper- and Polaris-spotting skills. Within the Big Dipper we noted that the middle handle star is actually two stars, one much dimmer than the other, named Alcor and Mizar, also known as the ‘Horse and Rider’.

We saw several shooting stars blaze in the sky, which were, of course, Perseid meteors, and several satellites passed overhead during the night. The most famous such passing, and by far the most prominent, was the ISS International Space Station!

It is so rewarding to look up and take in the natural beauty of the night sky. Our Lyme night sky is uniquely dark owing to our unpopulated open spaces and prudent land management. The Lyme Land Trust is dedicated to promoting dark skies by hosting observing sessions aimed at familiarizing you with the splendid vistas that lie straight overhead.

LymeLine readers are invited to join our next observing session. Telescopes are encouraged and welcomed, but first-timers without any equipment are equally welcome to share the evening with us.

Learn more about Lyme Land Trust, and our upcoming astronomy sessions, at lymelandtrust.org.

About the author: Alan Sheiness is a 10-year resident of Lyme, Conn., and treasurer of the Lyme Land Trust (LLT). A life-long astronomy enthusiast and astrophotographer, he is a promoter of dark skies and, along with Lyme resident Scott Mallory, has established a new astronomy program as part of LLT’s public offerings. You may contact them at alan.sheiness@icloud.com and scott.mallory@gmail.com .

CT DPH Upgrades New London County to Red “High Transmission” COVID-19 Category, Ledge Light Director Recommends Municipal Buildings Require Masks Inside

Posted on August 11, 2021 by Admin

Photo by CDC on Unsplash,

NEW LONDON – Updated 10:47am:We received an email from Ledge Light Health District Director of Health Stephen Mansfield REHS, MPH at 10:44 a.m. this morning that states the following (the italics are ours):

“As you are aware, the Centers for Disease Control has now placed New London County in the “High Transmission” category of COVID-19. Ledge Light Health District concurs with the Connecticut Department of Public Health recommendation that all Connecticut residents over age two wear masks when in indoor public locations, regardless of vaccination status.

Further, we recommend that LLHD municipalities require masks for both staff and the general public in all municipal buildings, unless a 6 foot separation distance can be assured. It is our position that as leaders in our communities, it is important to set an example that others will follow.

LLHD will continue to advocate for a statewide approach to any mandatory mitigation measures; as cases continue to increase in our communities, it is important that these measures are applied fairly, equitably and consistently throughout Connecticut.”

Original article published Aug. 11 at 7:17am: The Centers for Disease Control has now placed New London County, which includes both Lyme and Old Lyme, in the “High Transmission” category of COVID-19. New London is the third county in the state to be upgraded to the High Transmission category.

Late last week, New Haven and Hartford counties were listed as High Transmission—the other five Connecticut counties are still classified by the CDC as being in the “Substantial Transmission” category.

The High Transmission category—which is the most severe as defined by the CDC—is 100 or more cases per 100,000 people or a positivity rate of 10 percent or higher over the past seven days.

The Substantial Transmission category is 50 to 100 cases per 100,000 or a positivity rate between 8 and 10 percent over the past seven days.

With the ongoing rapid increase in cases of COVID-19 in the state over the last 14 days due to the spread of the Delta variant, the Connecticut Department of Public Health strongly recommends that ALL CONNECTICUT residents over age two years, whether vaccinated or unvaccinated, return to wearing masks when in indoor public spaces.

Vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals at high risk for complications from COVID-19, including those with compromised immune systems, diabetes, asthma, other lung diseases, pregnancy, or obesity, should also avoid large indoor gatherings that may include a mix of vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals.

Vaccination remains the most important defense against illness and hospitalization from COVID-19. So-called “vaccine breakthrough” cases have occurred in Connecticut, but they remain rare, and the vast majority of hospitalizations and deaths in Connecticut and around the country are in unvaccinated individuals. DPH strongly recommends that unvaccinated individuals get vaccinated as soon as possible to help stop the ongoing spread of the Delta variant.

Editor’s Note: This article is based on a press release issued by Ledge Light Health Department Aug. 10, at 10:04 p.m.

Lyme Art Association Celebrates its Centennial in True ‘Twenties’ Style

Posted on August 11, 2021 by Olwen Logan

Replicating the traditions of the early part of the last century, artists associated with the Lyme Art Association set up their easels at different points along Lyme St. on Saturday, and painted local scenes. Photo by Anne Smith Brandenburg.

OLD LYME — On Saturday, the Lyme Art Association (LAA) celebrated 100 years (and one day!) since their gallery opened with art and awards, teas and ‘The Twenties,’ and much mirth and merriment all around.