I am a thirty-something waiter who lives in Boston, MA. My formal education and background are mostly in the arts, and I have over ten years of experience in the food and beverage industry. I hold degrees from the Cincinnati Conservatory and New England Conservatory, and have wine certificates from Boston University and the Wine and Spirits Education Trust. I love dining out, cooking, exploring Boston, going to museums, travel, seeing shows, playing the piano and the oboe, singing, and writing about it all here on my blog. The name, Citrus Quark, comes from an ingredient used in one of the best things I've ever eaten... sweetbreads with whole wheat waffle, smoked maple syrup, and citrus quark. Quark is a type of fresh cheese similar to yogurt. I recommended this dish to almost every table that walked into my section, so it became my nickname. It also suits my fastidious personality and it has become an inside joke amongst myself and friends, often speaking it with an affected British accent.

Biodynamic farming is a polycultural and holistic method of growing crops. It advocates for the use of a complete energy cycle on the farm, from earth to plant to animal and back. One in which the quality of the soil, plant, and produce is equated to the energy cycle within the entire ecosystem. It emphasizes the whole plant, encompasses the entire yearly calendar, and aims to strengthen the relationship between the plant and all energy influences, solar, lunar, astrological, etc. It uses a calendar which explains the best time to stimulate and treat each part of the plant in order to result the best effect. Biodynamic farming also allows for experimentation within given principles and practices so a farmer can tailor to the needs of his own estate. ~David Mitchell, Violette Wine Imports