The Westfield Leader Newspaper
The Times of Scotch Plains-Fanwood

CYAN YELLOW MAGENTA BLACK

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Soup’s On! Fanwood Chef Phyllis Bavosa Dishes Up Comfort Food to Go

By MICHELLE H. LePOIDEVIN

Specially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times

FANWOOD – Retiring from her interior design business in Watchung left Phyllis Bavosa with more spare time on her hands than she had bargained for. Instead of retreating to the couch to catch up on soap operas, Mrs. Bavosa picked

up a pot and bundles of fresh ingredients from her fridge and began ladling out servings of soup.

A dash here, some dicing there and pots of Beef Barley and Cream of Butternut Squash started to take over the Bavosa kitchen. Even Syd Bavosa, Phyllis’ husband took the title of designated soup tester.

Suddenly, out of her Fanwood home, a new business venture took flight.

“Soups Plus by Phyllis” stemmed from a love of collecting cookbooks, watching Emeril Lagasse on the Food Network and, more importantly, her postretirement volunteer work for Mobile Meals in Westfield – five days per week for six months.

“Obviously, I enjoy cooking,” grinned Mrs. Bavosa during an interview with The Westfield Leader

and The Times of Scotch PlainsFanwood.

“Each batch of soup is truly homemade

so it doesn’t turn out the same every time.

There is always room for creativity,” she said, adding that fresh ingredients found in her refrigerator impul sively find their way into the

melting pot. Mrs. Bavosa, who filled in for the Mobile Meals’ cook whenever needed, still devotes her time to the outreach program whenever possible. While personally rewarding, Soups Plus has grown, not only from word of mouth about town and friends, but through her work at Mobile Meals.

The objective behind Soups Plus goes beyond the desire to create a successful business, explained Mrs. Bavosa. And, while soup is known to many as a comfort food, the 35year Fanwood resident considers the food especially comforting for those who truly need it. For Mrs. Bavosa, reaching out to shutins, busy workers without time to make a homemade meal, older gentlemen who are alone and even young and single individuals, takes top priority.

“Maybe I can make it easier for someone else,” said Mrs. Bavosa of her initial interest in starting Soups Plus.

“I create soups and entrees in my kitchen for friends who do not have time to cook.” she explains in her promotional letter. “Having been in business for many years, I know how difficult it can be after a long day at work, to come home and cook a healthy

Carpe Diem Says Patrick Connor; And While You’re at It, Seize Life Through A Lens

By MICHELLE H. LePOIDEVIN

Specially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times

WESTFIELD – With only 28 years behind him, Westfield photographer Patrick Connor has lived lifetimes behind his camera lens while gleaning wisdom from some of the most renowned photographers in the field.

On the top of the world at such a ripe age, Connor is living out the dream most only yearn to have come to fruition – he’s doing what he loves – photography.

But it wasn’t always that way. Connor found himself sitting in an accounting class at the University of Arizona when he said to himself, “This isn’t what I want to do.” Thinking back on a childhood of admiring the signature photography in National Geographic

and Time Life, he got up and left the classroom.

The Philadelphia native who calls himself “a typical starving artist” decided instead to take photography classes at the University’s prestigious Center for Creative Photography cofounded in 1975 by photog giant Ansel Adams.

When he met photo journalist Inga Morath while studying at the University of Arizona, Connor knew that following the career path to photographic genius was not a misguided choice. Listening to her gems of creative wisdom, he only became further fascinated and truly inspired.

Connor described another moment of awakening during his interview with The Westfield Leader

and The Times of Scotch PlainsFanwood.

Although a professional black and white photographer was hired to snap pictures at his sister’s wedding, Connor himself noticed a flower girl tilting her head on her mother’s shoulder.

“She looked up,” recalled Connor with a spark in his eyes, almost reliving the moment of when he raised his lens and captured the priceless picture. “And then she simply walked away like a ghost,” he said.

“That moment was so peaceful and quiet,” he said. “That is what I want to do for the rest of my life,” he told himself that day.

After graduating from the University of Arizona, Connor took an internship with Swan Stock before the company was effected by a corporate merger.

Moving on in his career, renowned and widelyexhibited photographer Chip Forelli took Connor under his wing in New York City, a venture that filled Connor with such elation. Not only was he working with a top professional, he was in the heart of the most creative city in the world. All of its hustle and bustle amazed Connor and learning from Forelli for nearly two years was the icing on the cake.

“He is like my adopted dad in photography,” reflected Connor, who credits Forelli with his knowledge of gel lighting, movement and the emotional facets of picture taking.

“Patrick’s enthusiasm for photography will be the key to his success,” Forelli wrote The Leader

and The Times. “His humor and honesty will only help him achieve his goals sooner.”

Although he doesn’t consider the Big Apple a permanent home, Connor acknowledged, “You hear about people swimming with the big fishes and the sharks and suddenly I found myself in the cultural Mecca of New York City in the middle of Times Square.”

Up until two months ago, Connor worked with Dave Rossi of Dave Rossi Photography of Westfield, learning more about portraiture than he ever imagined.

A member of the New Jersey State Forum at the Watchung Arts Center in Watchung, Connor is proud to be associated with other motivational photographers such as Nancy J. Ori of Berkley Heights and Michael Creem of Summit.

Connor noted, “Everything I’ve learned, I’ve learned from those who have given back to the arts.”

An avid lacrosse enthusiast, Connor produced a series of photos capturing the sport which has been displayed at the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in Baltimore, Md.

“I caught it for what it’s worth —

Picture in Poetry

Arts & Entertainment

the beauty and finesse of the sport,” he said.

Two years ago, Connor considered entering a photography con test established by American Photo

magazine. However, when his mother purchased his prized Hasselblad camera, Connor knew his time had come to face the American Photo

competition. “My mom is my all time hero,” grinned Connor. “She taught me how to survive, keep pressing, keep surviving and do what you want to do.”

“I have nothing to lose but film,” he told himself while experimenting with differing chemicals while processing his photos and pushing his talents beyond their limits. After carefully eyeing and inspect

“Looking Glass River” by Robert Louis Stevenson Smooth it slides upon its travel, Here a wimple, there a gleam O the clean gravel! O the smooth stream!

Sailing blossoms, silver fishes, Paven pools as clear as air How the child wishes To live down there!

We can see our colored faces Floating on the shaken pool Down in cool places Dim and very cool;

Till a wind or water wrinkle, Dipping marten, plumping trout, Spreads in a twinkle And blots all out.

See the rings persue each other; All below grows black as night, Just as if mother Had blown out the light!

Patience children, just a minute See the spreading circles die; The stream and all in it Will clear byandby.

homemade dinner for your family.” Monthly menus are sent to customers who call in or email their orders. The customer is billed at the end of each month. Catering is available, as well.

While she concocts soups that are especially

interesting to her, Mrs. Bavosa likes to keep her fare seasonal. For example, she serves up a Squash Soup for October, Corn & Vegetable Chowder, Cream of Butternut Squash and other favorites such as Cream of Tomato Fennel for the fall months.

Her most prized soup, the Italian Wedding Soup, boasts small meatballs, pasta and vegetables. One quart of most soups will cost you $8.50, while $16 affords two quarts per week.

Soups are not made during the summer months. However, Mrs. Bavosa keeps Soups Plus running with entree offerings between vacationing at the shore or the spa. She considers her best entree dish the spinach pie or the Torte de spinach.

“It went like wildfire,” she remembered. The mother of two Scotch PlainsFanwood High School and Drew University graduates, Joy and Kim, Mrs. Bavosa has participate in computer courses at Union County College where she also took a food handling class. Oil painting and watercolors accompany yoga as some of the cook’s top hobbies.

Her niece from Middletown of

Pen and Ink

By MICHELLE H. LePOIDEVIN Bush/ Gore Debates Confirm the Art

Of Great Debate Is Over and Done

When you tell children not to do something, you pretty much give them an open invitation to go ahead and do it. Hence, Al Gore and his defiance of any rules set forth by moderator Jim

Lehrer during the series of political debates. Lehrer repeats the rules. Bush heeds them. Gore scoffs and throws a tantrum every time Lehrer tries to restrict his comments to the time allotted. In the end, Lehrer turns into a welcome mat for Gore and throws the rules out of the door.

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Ingrid McKinley for The Westfield Leader and The Times

For all A& E Ideas: michelle@ goleader. com

1 1/ 2 c. + 2 tbsp. flour 1/ 2 c. + 2 tbsp. almonds, sliced 1 tbsp. milk 1 tbsp. honey 1 tbsp. active dry yeast 1 1/ 2 c. milk 2 tbsp. sugar 1/ 3 c. cornstarch 1 dash salt 1 tbsp. sugar 3/ 4 c. milk at room temp. 1 beaten egg 3 tbsp. butter & another 3 tbsp. 1 tsp. almond extract 1 tbsp. + 1 1/ 2 tsp. 1 c. heavy whipping cream confectioner’s sugar 1 1/ 2 tsp. cream of tartar

Combine flour, yeast, 2 tbsp. sugar, salt, 3/ 4 c. milk and 3 tbsp. butter. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth for about 20 minutes. Place in greased bowl and cover. Let dough riseinawarmplacefor1hr. oruntildoubledinsize. Punchdoughdown. Rolloutto1/ 2inchthickness. Spread into a greased 8inch square baking pan. Cover and let dough rise for 30 minutes. Melt 3 tbsp. butter and confectioner’s sugar in a saucepan. Add almonds and 1 tbsp. milk. Remove from heat and stir in honey. Spread evenly and carefully onto the dough. Allow dough to continue to rise for 30 more minutes. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Dissolve cornstarch in a little milk. Combine112/ cupsmilk, cornstarch, and1tbsp. sugarinthetopofadoubleboiler. Heatwhilestirring until thickened, about 23 minutes or until thick. Remove from heat and stir in extract. Chill, covered, in refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Beat whipped cream with the cream of tartar until stiff. Fold into the chilledpudding. Cutthecooledalmondcrustbreadinto11/ 4x2inchrectangles. Sliceeachhorizontally into halves. Fill with pudding mixture. Chill and serve cold. Bee Sting Cake

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