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Tess Vella-Colette

About Tess Vella-Colette

My name is Tess Vella, I’m just a gal living it up in Downtown Dayton. I’ve got a very handsome husband, and an (unfortunately, toothless) but equally handsome cat named Tim and Pas de Chat, respectively.
I’ve spent most of my life in the restaurant business, smiling at diners, slinging drinks, and learning to appreciate the finer things in life; though sometimes on a tuna can budget. I am a home cook and baker, and I love to entertain. You can find more of my food, drink, and party planning tips on my blog Ciao Vella! www.ciaovellablog.com

DVAC turning the CSA on Its Head

July 15, 2017 By Tess Vella-Colette

Summer crops are popping up all over Ohio.  Tomatoes are finally red and sweet, the corn has grown six feet high, and summer squash is rising from the earth.  Summer is a time of plenty, but all the glorious produce you see around you didn’t just happen by accident.  Farmers and gardeners across our region put in the time many months ago to ensure a bountiful season.  They tilled and planted, and watched over their crop with intention.  Because of that hard work and commitment to their crops, many of us are lucky enough to have fresh produce, vegetables and flowers delivered to our door direct from our farmers through CSAs, or Community Supported Agriculture.

 

Now flip your perspective and imagine instead of a tomato, a painting. Instead of an ear of corn, a photograph, instead of a squash, a limited edition print.  You, as a community member, buy into your “farmer”, but instead it’s a group of artists, and at the end of the harvest you have a beautiful bounty of local, fresh, organic, humanely-raised art work. Annnnd like a traditional CSA, you don’t know exactly what veggies you’d get until you pick it up!

 

The Dayton Visual Arts Center has harvested the talents of four local artists, Amy Powell, Danielle Rante, Francis Schanberger, and Andrea Starkey to create 50 works each to be offered as a “share”– a portfolio of 4 artworks –2 photographs and 2 prints—to the public. Shareholders are invited to pick up their works at the DVAC CSA Harvest Pick-Up Party, on August, 8, at The Dayton Beer Company. But the best part is, everyone’s invited to see what all the fuss is about! Whether you’re already a shareholder or you want to just check it out , the party will be a blast—featuring live R&B oldies from the Old Skool Duo, and Brixx Ice Company pizzas. Admission is free for shareholders (and includes 1 DBC beer ticket) and $10 for all others.

What a unique opportunity to fall in love and bring home four beautiful, signed, limited edition 2D works of art by local artists!

 

This is the second year DVAC has invited art-lovers to be personally involved in nourishing the creation of art by some of the region’s most collectible emerging artists.  Last year’s round included six works of art by six artists and was a great success. This year, each CSA share guarantees four works of art by four talented local artists with the option for unframed, or framed work. DVAC still has shares available, and now is the chance to get the freshest artsy crops before the harvest is over.

 

With 25 years of innovative programming under its belt, DVAC continues to remain on the cutting edge by presenting exciting ways to connect artists and art lovers. The art CSA concept has been sweeping the nation for just a few years now, with cities including Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Chicago, and Raleigh, harvesting their local artist’s works and offering them up to hundreds of art fans. Dayton has long been known as an art town that rivals many others, even bigger in size, but with the development of DVAC’s CSA, DVAC joins a dozen other creative cities that are known for cultivating talented, emerging artists. How cool is that?

work by Andrea Starke.

With the purchase of a DVAC CSA you will receive one original artwork each from four exciting local artists whose work is not only coveted by Dayton friends and collectors, but who have shown in galleries from New York to Copenhagen, and been published in Elle, The New York Times and Time. Since February the artists have been posting works in progress, #dvaccsa #wip pics on their Instagram accounts. Take a look to get a glimpse of the artworks sprouting this year created solely for the DVAC CSA.  Just as farmer’s crops are grown specifically with the consumer in mind, your work of art is created just for you to hang on your wall with pride enjoyed for years to come.

 

An investment in your community, the creative artisans who capture nature, and our living world happening around you, and four new pieces of art for you to have in your home.  This opportunity won’t stay on the vine for long, so be sure to grab a share and enjoy the fruits of your community’s labors with the help of the Dayton Visual Arts Center CSA.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Community, The Featured Articles

3 Tips for Menu Planning Your Next Party

May 1, 2017 By Tess Vella-Colette

That’s me on the left with my sister.

Derby Day is just around the corner and I obviously don’t care about horse races, but I do care about booze and accessorizing, which means I am throwing a Derby party.  I’vevorite parts of throwing a party.  Keeping a few of my menu planning tips in mind, you are sure to plan a seamless soiree, where you might actually be able to (gasp!) enjoy yourself got a hat picked out and my bar is stocked with bourbon, so I’m halfway there to planning the perfect party.  The only thing I have left to do is plan a menu.  Menu planning is one of my favorite parts of throwing a party.  Keeping a few of my menu planning tips in mind, you are sure to plan a seamless soiree, where you might actually be able to (gasp!) enjoy yourself!

 

  • Factor In The Clock

What type of party are you trying to throw?  If you’re planning on an evening event and want your friends to come over at 7:00, then you better plan for them to be hungry for dinner.  Not sure you want to serve them a full meal?  Plan an 8:30 start time instead.  My upcoming party starts at 2:00, so I’m past the lunch hour and can plan for smaller snacks rather than hearty, filling treats.  The fact of the matter is, if there is food laid out, people will eat.  However, you can control the time you spend prepping, and the amount of money that you spend on food by booking your party outside of regular meal time hours.  At the risk of sounding cheap, I often plan parties outside of typical hours.  If you’re buying some pre-cut cheese and sandwiches, then by all means, throw a noon-time party.  But if you’re like me, and you’re cooking and prepping every single item,  starting outside the lunchtime box means you can cut yourself some cooking slack.

  • Variety is the Spice of…well, your party

Make sure you make a broad range of snacks to suit all tastes and dietary restrictions.  My guest list consists of more than a few vegetarians, so I want to make sure I have snacks that are enjoyable and satisfying.  You can’t go wrong with a cheese board, but also, how many parties have you been to with a cheese board?  How about a smoked salmon board or a roasted veggie platter instead?  I like to switch it up once in awhile, keeping seasonality in mind.  Asparagus is popping up all over, so how about a chilled orzo pasta salad with grape tomatoes, asparagus and ricotta salata?  Your favorite fruit is in season?  Toast some baguette, spread mascarpone cheese across it, throw on those berries, a wisp of honey and a slice of prosciutto.  Get your assembly line going, it’s easy and different…and different is good for you.

  • End On a Sweet Note

No matter what time of the day you host your party, you should have something sweet to end the meal.  As Julia Child once said “A party without cake is just a meeting.”  I’m not suggesting you HAVE to make a cake (although, I’ve been working on mastering one, recipe to come later!)  but it’s nice to have something sweet for your guests.  If you’re not a baker, don’t stress about it.  You could honestly throw some peanut M&M’s in a bowl and call it a day.  Just make sure you keep that bowl filled!  In my opinion there are two ways to celebrate, with chocolate or with champagne, so don’t let your party go without either.  This is another great way to work with the seasons.  In winter think peppermint, in fall deep dark chocolatey flavors, but in spring and summer, I like to go with citrus.  I rarely come across a person in life who doesn’t like lemon bars, and my favorite recipe is from the New York Times made with olive oil and sea salt.  It has the delightful bite of lemon curd, and doesn’t cover it up with confectioners sugar.  Instead, the salt enhances and balances the tart lemon.  It’s a sophisticated twist on a classic, and the perfect last bite at a party.


Obviously, there is more that comes with planning a menu, but these are a few simple tips to get you started.  Then you get to make your shopping and prep lists (which the ODC part of my lives for!)  The more you plan, the easier each party gets and the more time you get to enjoy the company of your friends.  Cheers and Ciao!

Filed Under: Dayton Dining, The Featured Articles Tagged With: baking, Derby Day, home entertainment, Party planning

Worth The Wait

April 11, 2017 By Tess Vella-Colette

A few weeks ago I met a couple girlfriends at the Yellow Cab Building for the Brunch Food Truck Rally.   Since brunch is my favorite meal of the week, I was geared up to go.  I was properly caffeinated, had cash in my pocket, and my pants had a little stretch to make way for all the yummy food ahead of me.  When I got there I was shocked by the amount of people who had the same plan in mind.  Everywhere I turned the lines were long.  I thought to myself that surely no food that came out of a truck could possibly be worth waiting for, but wait I did.

We landed on the always fresh and delightful Shakery Juice Bar since my friends and I were looking for something light and healthy to eat…but smells of waffle batter and maple syrup kept wafting in my direction.  Where was this heavenly scent coming from…? Of course the truck with the longest line of the day: The Drunken Waffle.

As I practically licked the last of my acai berry bowl, I made a mental note to wait for some waffles the next time.  Fortunately the next time came around much sooner than I had expected.  The Drunken Waffle was parked out back of the Cannery Loft Apartments the very next weekend, so my husband and I decided to give some waffles a whirl.

We ordered two meals and decided to split them.  I went relatively traditional with the “50 Shades of Swine,” a bacon wrapped breakfast sausage cooked into the waffle batter.  It was accompanied by a jalapeno maple syrup that wasn’t overly spicy, but left a nice lingering tickle on the tip of my tongue.  My husband took a left at classic and went with a dish that was full of twists and delicious turns:  The War Pig.  This dish had ham, bacon, Monterey Jack cheese, and a scrumptious herbed mayo sandwiched in between a spicy, 3 pepper waffle.  He also got a side of asparagus that were perfectly seasoned and cooked.  

All in all,  the meal was as whimsical as the names of the dishes, the flavor combinations were spot on, and the portions were not overwhelming.  Most importantly, the waffles tasted good, they were fluffy and flavorful.  I always appreciate when a restaurant (or in this case a food truck) can introduce some creativity into their food without losing focus of the basics.  The Drunken Waffle’s food is fun and exciting while still keeping the flavors at the forefront.

So the next time you find yourself in a long line at a food truck rally asking “How good can food from a truck really be?”  

Trust that it can be really, really good, and yes, it may even be worth the wait!

Where you can find the Drunken Waffle this week:

Wednesday | Air National Guard Base in Springfield (Military access required) from 11am-2pm
Thursday | WHIO (1611 S Main Street in Dayton) from 11am-2pm
Saturday | Home Depot Rally in Centerville from 11am-6pm

Brunch! Food Truck Rallies at the Yellow Cab are held on the first Sunday of every month, through September.

Filed Under: Community, Dayton Food Trucks, The Featured Articles Tagged With: Brunch, Drunken Waffle, Food Truck, Food Truck Rally, shakery juice bar, Yellow Cab

Wishful Spring Drinking

April 3, 2017 By Tess Vella-Colette

Hi there!  My name is Tess, a new writer to the Dayton Most Metro Community.  I live in Downtown Dayton with my husband Tim.  I am a restaurant professional, bartender, home baker and cook, and a food and party planning blogger.

The calendar tells me that it’s spring.  However, here in Ohio, “spring” could mean a myriad of things.  It could mean rain, it could mean 80 degrees, it could even mean snow.  When I was younger I used to spend spring break in Florida, we’d get home, pull into the driveway and see that our tulips had bloomed… and then died of frost.  Unfortunately adulthood ensures that I never get to celebrate spring break, so I have to endure the seasons’ “awkward phase” where it doesn’t know what the hell it wants to do.  But, I know what I want to do…I want to sit on a freakin’ patio and drink a freakin’ cocktail.  So, until the weather makes up its mind and decides to be sunny and 70 degrees, I will just be over here wishing for spring and the delightful drinks that come with it.  Here are my favorite things to sip on:

Rosé  

Rosé season is my favorite time of year.  Seriously, I don’t care a single bit about Christmas or my birthday…all I care about is that the newest batches of rosé are being bottled and I get to drink them.   But also, because I’m basic, I like a good wine spritzer.  Spritzers are great drinks for warm weather (and compliment a hangover perfectly!)  So combine these two delightful things and you’ve got yourself a rosé spritzer.  True to form, I’ve gussied it up a bit:

6 oz. Dry Rosé (not white zinfandel, I’m serious…through that away immediately)

2 oz.  Fever Tree Elderflower Tonic

Squeeze of fresh lime

Serve over ice

The elderflower tonic adds nice bubbles, a little touch of sweetness and lovely floral note to your wine.  Once rosé season really kicks off, I’ll be listing of my favorites for the year, but in the meantime I poured myself a glass of Italian rosé, known as Chiaretto.

Beer

I’m not a huge beer drinker, more often than not I’ll opt for a cocktail or a glass of wine, but if I’m out at a very casual restaurant enjoying “bar food,” beer is my drink of choice.  I recently tried Rhinegeist’s Bubbles Cider at Trolley Stop and I have become obsessed.  Highlighted with flavors of peach and cranberry, this cider drinks sweet, almost like a sangria.  But it’s got a crisp tartness that I love.  One sip of this and you’ll be feeling that Spring in your step, guaranteed.

Cocktail

Something about those first few warm days of spring makes me want to sit out on a patio, and sip on something fancy.  My sister “invented” this cocktail that sings of spring and is definitely worthy of a long night on a patio, and a basket of chips and salsa.  We call it a “Cosmopolita” because it’s all the cosmo fixings, but with tequila in place of vodka.  Because tequila is delicious and vodka is boring.

2 oz. silver tequila

½ oz. Triple Sec or other orange liqueur

½ oz. Lime juice

¼ oz. simple syrup

1 oz. cranberry

More than an ounce of cranberry and your drink turns red instead of pink, and I’m not sure if you’ve sensed a theme here…but apparently in spring I only drink pink.
So, now I hope you’re all very thirsty and ready to sit outside with a glass of wine…and possibly a parka.

 You can follow more of my party tips, and cocktail recipes on my blog Ciao Vella.  Cheers and Ciao!

Filed Under: Dayton Dining, The Featured Articles Tagged With: Beer, Dayton, rose, spring, wine

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