James Beard Award-Winning Chef Karen Akunowicz With Her New Cookbook CRAVE

On Tuesday, December 12 at 7pm, James Beard Award-winning chef Karen Akunowicz visits The Music Hall Lounge with her new cookbook, CRAVE: Bold Recipes That Make You Want Seconds.

Ask anyone what foods they crave, and most people can reel off a list without hesitation. In CRAVE, Chef Karen Akunowicz presents 100 recipes that capture what you crave—just in time for holiday cooking and gift-giving!

“I cannot wait for this delicious conversation with Chef Karen Akunowicz about her newest and boldest book yet,” says Tina Sawtelle, Executive Director and the evening's moderator. “This event is sure to leave you wanting seconds!” 

The 7pm event includes an author conversation with Tina Sawtelle, The Music Hall's Executive Director and evening's moderator, followed by an audience Q&A and post-show meet-and-greet. It will be held at The Music Hall Lounge at 131 Congress St., Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Spicy, sour, salty-sweet-crunchy, cold, and creamy—100 recipes from James Beard Award-winning chef Karen Akunowicz capture what you crave!

Ask anyone what foods they crave, and most people will be able to reel off a list without hesitation. Cravings almost always have an emotional component, and in every case, there is a flavor, texture, or temperature combination that gives each dish what Akunowicz calls the “wow” factor. It's what she strives for every time she creates new dishes for her restaurants, and it's reflected in each recipe in Crave.

As a chef with experience cooking many different cuisines—Italian, Middle Eastern, Chinese, Taiwanese, and Southeast Asian—Akunowicz has a unique take on cooking. Her recipes, organized by flavor and texture cravings, from Crispy & Crunchy or Hearty & Homey to Sweet & Luscious, include Tomato Salad with Toasted Sesame Vinaigrette, Chicken Cacciatore, Ginger Scallion Lobster, Smoky Eggplant Dip, and more. She's a great teacher and makes it easy to bring the vibrancy of her cooking into your own home.

Karen Akunowicz is the chef/owner of Boston's Fox & the Knife and Bar Volpe. A James Beard Foundation Award winner, she regularly appears on Food Network and contributes to Bon Appetit and Food & Wine. She lives in Boston, Massachusetts.

Tina Sawtelle was appointed to be the Executive Director of The Music Hall in 2020 and prior to that served as the CFO for five years. Sawtelle spent the large part of her career working at her beloved alma mater, the University of New Hampshire (‘96, ‘01G). In her current role, she has found an opportunity to tap into her passion for music and the arts while continuously refining her financial and leadership skills. Tina has lived in the NH Seacoast community since 1992. 

The ticket package for Literary in the Lounge: Karen Akunowicz with CRAVE on Tuesday, December 12, at 7pm is $50. Ticket Package includes a signed book (CRAVE, $35, hardcover), reserved seat, author discussion, Q+A, and post-show meet-and-greet. Tickets can be purchased online at TheMusicHall.org, over the phone at 603.436.2400, or in person at the B2W Box Office at the Historic Theater, 28 Chestnut Street. 

Akin to The Music Hall's anchor literary series, Writers on a New England Stage, Literary in the Lounge features bestselling authors in a more intimate space. The series brings audiences today's top authors, the best of fiction and nonfiction, and award-winners across categories, and is hosted in The Music Hall Lounge, formerly called the Loft, at 131 Congress St., in Portsmouth, NH. 

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