"Rhode Island" news and stories

No matter how low the mercury dips, Boston locavores still hope for a year-round farmer's market, like Seattle's dreamy Pike Place Market or Cleveland's treasured Westside Market. But the fact is, groups like the Boston Public Market (founded in 2001 to achieve that goal) have yet to make that vision a reality, despite years of fund-raising and public ribbon-cutting celebrations.

But there's been no dithering for Boston's vibrant neighbor to the south. Farm Fresh Rhode Island, a not-for-profit whose mission is to promote locally grown food, is in its third season of its Wintertime Farmer's Market at Hope Artist Village in Pawtucket on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. through May.

Photo: dohertyseastave.com.

A weekly look at the draft selection in beer-friendly bars across the country.

When is an Irish pub not your typical Irish pub? Well, when the bar has 48 taps featuring some of the best craft beers America has to offer, it certainly sets itself apart.

For the past three years, Doherty's East Avenue in Pawtucket, R.I., has continued to look the part, but don't be fooled by the facade. "When we bought the place, it had a very Irish theme. The building's been here for 60 years," says owner Jack Doherty.

It also had only 12 taps, which was quickly expanded to 48 to accommodate the owner's love of craft beer.

So why keep the Irish angle? "To have a great time on St. Patrick's Day," Doherty happily responds.

Get a glimpse of Doherty's sensational seasonal selection after the jump. ...

British-born, New York-based freelance journalist Mark Ellwood has spent most of his life traveling the globe in pursuit of the finest fashion, furnishings and food. In this brand new series for Slashfood, he highlights the distinctive regional cuisines of his adopted country.

Photo: image415, flickr

Rhode Island is like a gourmet Galapagos, a tiny patch of water-hemmed land that's evolved a separate culture from its surroundings. There are state-specific brands like Del's Lemonade and Autocrat Coffee Syrup, Rhody recipes for jonnycakes and stuffies and even localized tweaks on American staples; only in Rhode Island could clear clam chowder come with an add-to-taste jug of heavy cream to placate visiting Bostonians.

Given locals' culinary passion, it's no wonder this is where the diner was invented by Walter Scott in 1872, who piled up a horse-drawn wagon with pies and sandwiches and stationed it in front of the Providence Journal offices.

How did the smallest state in the union -- barely 1,000 square miles of land -- develop such aggressive, idiosyncratic tastes? In part, thanks to its origins.

"We have this very independent spirit; it's historic, going right back to Williams," explains Linda Beaulieu, author of "The Providence and Rhode Island Cookbook." Indeed, Roger Williams founded the outpost as a rebellion against the Massachusetts Bay Colony's hardline conformism, and that rebellious independence has ricocheted down through Rhode Island's history -- and menus. "Chain restaurants don't do well here at all. In fact a year or two ago, the Red Lobster closed -- people just didn't support it."

Stuffies and quahogs, anyone? Explore more of Rhode Island's culinary offerings after the jump.

• Read about one of Boston's most in-demand bartenders
• Delicious, creamy local goat cheese makes for great croquettes, squash blossoms, tomato soup...
• Want to make our own cheese? Feeling frustrated? Try a kit
• Doughnut Plant has an unbelievable selection of sweet, fluffy pastries, managing to thrive without the hype that so many competitors rely upon
  
• And if you can't make it to Doughnut Plant, try your hand at making your own orbs of sugary goodness
  
• A Boston couple becomes the first U.S. business to exclusively import African wine made by indigenous producers
  
• Find out how the owners of one Rhode Island-based grocery store can afford to keep prices so low
  

For years, doctors, nutritionists and even parents have told people that the key to getting more satisfaction from your food is to eat more slowly. Not only does this allow you to actually enjoy the flavors in your meal, but it was always said to give the brain time to recognize the fact that it was no longer hungry, which would in turn cause you to stop eating. Up until recently, there was no clinical evidence to support that decision.

Dr. Kathleen Melanson, of the University of Rhode Island in Kingston, changed all that by conducting a study on college age women to see how much different styles of eating affected their calorie intake. All the women were given a bowl of pasta with tomato and vegetable sauce after eating a 400-calorie breakfast and fasting for four hours. One group of women was given a large spoon and told to eat as quickly as possible, not pausing between bites. The other group was given a small spoon and told to pause in between each bite, setting down the spoon and chewing 15-20 times. The fast eaters ate 646 calories in 9 minutes, while the slower eaters ate only 579 calories in 29 minutes. The slower eaters also reported feeling fuller, longer.

Melanson estimates that eating slowly could reduce the number of calories a person eats by about 210 per day.

Source