On Wednesday, I had the privilege of judging Nashua Crossings’ version of Iron Chef. The event not only allowed me to eat and critique six different dishes made with the “secret ingredient,” but it also allowed Benchmark Assisted Living’s top chefs to compete in order to raise money for a good cause: the One Company Fund. One Company is a “hardship fund” with the goal of supporting their associates that find themselves in a position of need resulting from circumstances that are out of their control. The evening involved two teams of chefs: the green team and the blue team. Competing chefs included Joe Gerber, Food Service Director of Nashua Crossing (green team), as well as Guy Hemond, Vice President of Dining Services for Benchmark. The secret ingredient of the evening was shrimp, and both teams brought their creativity and culinary skills to the challenge in an inspiring way. The teams each had to make three courses with the crustacean, and it’s amazing what they came up with. As a judge, I had to critique each dish on presentation, creativity, taste and organization on a scale of one through five, five being the best. I have to say, the judging was fairly easy - everything was delicious. From spicy shrimp with cheesy grits to shrimp paired with cranberry risotto and gouda, the chefs created a menu that was extremely diverse, innovative, and downright tasty. The best part, besides raising over $1,000 for the One Company Fund? The patients of Nashua Crossing seemed to be having a fun night out - a night I doubt they will ever forget.

Last week, I ate my way through my cousin’s wedding at several locations in Nashua. My cousin, Catherine, is originally from Georgetown, Mass. but decided to get hitched in our city after seeing Sky Meadow Country Club, where the ceremony and reception were held. Since there’s a shuttle that runs from Sky Meadow to the Crowne Plaza, many guests spent the weekend at the hotel, and we also had the rehearsal dinner there the night before the wedding. As a bridesmaid, I also joined the bride and bridal party at Aidan James Salon to get my hair done. The salon’s next door neighbor, The Seedling Cafe, provided us with a spread of goodies, including fresh fruit, organic plain yogurt, crunchy granola, and an array of baked goods. I’ve had much better food from Seedling, but the mimosas and high from the hairspray helped me choke down the morning meal. The rehearsal dinner at the Crowne was more impressive, however: cheesy lasagna, juicy chicken parmesan, garlicy zucchini, Caesar salad, and herb-tastic breadsticks were just a few of the hotel’s offerings, and each item stayed piping hot, despite the buffet-style serving. There was even an impressive dessert spread of delicate sweets like chocolate ricotta-filled cannolis and mini eclairs stuffed with creamy mocha cream.

At the wedding, I ate like it was Thanksgiving. The appetizers served at Sky Meadow were surprisingly divine, like the traditional bacon-wrapped scallops and the decadent coconut chicken strips. For dinner, my cousin and her new husband had us start with cream of broccoli soup, which was extremely flavorful, followed by just-a-filler salad. For the meal, I requested the chicken dish, which would have been delicious if I was starving. Not being a huge fan of heavy, fried foods, the chicken was just that: fried, and filled with artificial looking (and tasting) cheese and ham, with more successful steamed veggies and buttery mashed potatoes on the side.

Overall, Sky Meadow’s staff helped make my cousin’s wedding the perfect celebration, and I left full of food and happiness for my cousin, who couldn’t have married a better man.

If you think you’re too old for Halloween (which, to me, is never true), then how about celebrating the haunted holiday with some festive wine and snacks? Vintner’s Cellar in Bedford is holding a Ghostly Fun Wine & Cheese Treat on October 27th from 6 to 8 p.m. Austrian Vintner Renate Wallem will be pairing up with Award Winning Chef Instructor Oonagh Williams for some freshly squeezed vinos paired with Halloween-themed treats.

Items like Voodoo Char with a Jack O’Lantern creamy herb cheesecake, and “Ghostly Fingers,” puff pastry fingers filled with feta cheese and herbs, are just a few of the ghoulish goods Williams will be creating. For dessert? “Spider Web Cheesecake” will be served - Lindt White Chocolate cheesecake drizzled with raspberry liqueur. Now that’s a treat!

Gluten-free eaters can also revel in this event, too: Oonagh’s son is gluten intolerant, so almost all of the items on the Halloween menu are gluten-less. Plus, the person in the best costume will be awarded a prize. How’s that for an adult Halloween party? Entrance is $47, and reservations are required ($20 down to hold your seat is required, too). Call Renate at 627-WINE for more info/to reserve your seat.

I’m Irish, therefore I’m extra critical of Irish pubs and the authentic meals they prepare. In this area, Peddler’s Daughter has always done it right. They not only know how to pour a Guinness, but their Irish Curry Stew, Shepard’s Pie, and Fish & Chips have always been cooked to St. Patrick-perfection. The other night, I met a good friend of mine from college at Peddler’s for a few Shipyard pumpkin brews and food, and I decided to stray from the Irish fare and go for an old-fashioned American sandwich: the Grilled Chicken Panini. Pressed between a fresh baguette was a thick slab of moist chicken, smoked bacon, cheddar cheese, and basil mayo. Without the dressed up mayonnaise, this sandwich could have easily been B-O-R-I-N-G, but the extra flavor from the basil made it something special. On the side, I had a generous portion of Peddler’s thick-cut French fries, which were well salted and came with homemade ketchup. My only gripe: the ketchup had the consistency of salsa versus smooth and creamy catsup. The chunky condiment also made it hard to dip the fries into it successfully. The meal overall was good and worth ordering again, but when at Peddler’s, I’m sticking to the Irish food next time.

I had the opportunity to try Burton Grill’s brunch in North Andover this past Sunday, and man, am I glad I did. From white chocolate cranberry scones to blueberry brownies to eggs and bacon, this was one brunch worth writing about. The brunch items are ordered from the non-extensive menu, but there is enough variety to please just about everyone’s breakfast needs. I decided on the chef’s frittata, filled with locally grown zucchini and chocked full of a beautiful blend of spices - and covered in a heavenly layer of melted cheddar cheese. On the side, I had fresh, well seasoned home fries with homemade ketchup and thick cut wheat berry toast. My friend ordered the Crab Cakes Benedict, which was a layered masterpiece of two still-crunchy English muffins, topped with lump, full-of-crab crabcakes, and poached eggs smothered in creamy lemon hollandaise sauce. Each dish even came with a small bowl of fresh fruit. Holy breakfast! The only downside? The Bloody Marias we tried to drink our meals down with. The $9 beverage is supposed to include worcester seasoning, tabasco sauce, horseradish, red and yellow peppers, jalapenos, and manchego cheese-stuffed olives (to name a few), but unfortunately, the drinks we got tasted like nothing more than tomato juice and tequila - and the olive wasn’t stuffed. If you’re going to make the drive, go for the food - but I recommend ordering coffee or OJ.

I may be behind the foodie times - is it possible? - but I just got wind that Sopranos Pizzeria on Main Street (owned by the same masterminds behind The Pizza Man in Merrimack) has a few new specialty pizzas on their menu. Now again, this might not be breaking news for everybody, but it is for me, and trust me when I say I’m excited. The three new entries on the popular pizza joint’s menu are: chicken bacon ranch, chicken broccoli alfredo, and potato bacon. In other words, heart attacks on crust, but it’s pizza - why try and make it healthy when, sometimes, it should just be bad for you? The chicken bacon ranch, for instance, substitutes sauce for ranch dressing, and is then topped with crispy chicken cutlets, bacon, and mountains of cheese. You can even order the pie buffalo or barbeque style. The potato bacon ranch just sounds like carbohydrate heaven, and includes both sauce and ranch dressing. I might be getting heartburn just thinking about it, but these pies I’ve got to try.

Anyone tried a slice of one of Sopranos’ new creations yet?

On Thursday, November 5th from 6 to 9 p.m., Kathy Berger, owner of Huephoria, will be holding a barn sale in Candia. Huephoria sells items like hand painted wine and martini glasses, and the event will also feature local businesses like Petunia’s Home Furnishings of Goffstown and Opus of Manchester. But what does this have to do with food? The Sugar Mommy will be providing guests with her homemade treats. I’ve sampled The Sugar Mommy’s food at the San Francisco Kitchen Tweet-up a few months ago, including her rich chocolate peanut butter cups and buttery, perfectly baked cookies. To save face, I refrained from eating the entire table covered in her food, but every bite was a sugar masterpiece that could have easily been coated in some addictive substance. It’s not confirmed what The Sugar Mommy will be making for Berger’s event yet, but hopefully we’ll get to sample some of her pumpkin bread, chocolate dipped apricots, or her cranberry white chocolate cookies. One can dream, right?

I know I’ve complained about Starbucks before (and probably will again), but lately, Starbucks has been kicking Dunkin’ Donuts’ butt. I’ll swing the extra buck or two any day for strong coffee and (usually) good customer service. My current love for Starbucks began several weeks ago when I finally discovered that you could enjoy their pumpkin iced coffee without having to order their sickly sweet pumpkin spice latte. Now, I order a venti iced coffee with a shot of pumpkin syrup. Not only is it the perfect balance of pumpkin and coffee flavors, but it’s also almost half the price of the pumpkin spice latte. Compared to Dunkins, Starbucks also has a wider variety of breakfast options, and now that I’m having to grab breakfast on the go several days a week, I don’t want to have to choose between just a bagel, a muffin, or a doughnut. Starbucks has breakfast wraps, yogurt with granola, fruit cups, and not-so-waist-friendly baked goods, like banana bread and coffee cake. For the fall season, to accompany their pumpkin coffee, Starbucks is even offering items like pumpkin scones and pumpkin cream cheese muffins. If Starbucks keeps this up, America could be running on their coffee before we know it. Plus, the baristas at Starbucks listen; they haven’t messed up my coffee order once yet.

Which do you prefer - Starbucks or Dunkins?

Talk about cheap eats: The Pasta Loft in Milford might just have the best deal in town. The popular American-Italian eatery (which has an additional location in Hampstead), has recently introduced their Frugal Fare Menu where you get two entrees for the small price of $20. The items on this frugal menu aren’t low budget, though. The high quality offerings include Surf & Turf, Lobster Stuffed Shells, Citrus Scallop Salad, and Chicken Saltimbocca Florentine. There’s nothing for the vegetarians or vegans, but us omnivores can chow down, without having to sacrifice a week’s worth of pay.

Just when I thought The Black Forest Cafe’s food couldn’t taste any better, they go ahead and start serving certain sweets at a discounted price. Two mini white chocolate chip dried ranier cherry oatmeal cookies for $1 anyone? Every 14 days, the cafe will be offering a different kind of cookie with a smaller price tag than usual. According to chef Bruce Walters, starting these “Cookie Jar Specials” not only gives their customers a chance to save some cash, but also allows the cafe to try out new recipes. The white chocolate chip dried ranier cherry oatmeal cookies are the first batch, which was kicked off on September 21st. Did I mention you can get two of the cookies for free when you try their new fall espresso drink, Caramel Apple Latte, hot or iced? To keep up-to-date on the current cookie specials, become a fan of The Black Forest on Facebook.