Northshore Magazine

Northshore December 2018

Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.

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108 SOME PEOPLE KNIT OR FOLD LAUNDRY WHILE BINGE-WATCHING TV. Barbara Lynch rolls strozzapreti, a short twisted pasta, while catching up on the FX show e Americans. "e name means 'priest strangler'—really!" the acclaimed Boston chef says of the ropey pasta, before tucking a baggie full of it back in the freezer and pulling out a pig bladder (the word bladder written on it in Sharpie) in preparation for some later experimentation. e fridge in Lynch's Gloucester home holds few other surprises; she notes multiple bottles of ketchup, left over from too many summer houseguests, and Cain's mayonnaise, a staple of her youth and still a favorite in tuna sandwiches. She moved into her cozy French provincial home nearly three years ago after purchasing it from the Tufts fam- ily, who had it built in 1920. After seeing its warm woodwork, no visible neighbors, and two dishwashers, Lynch knew within five minutes that she wanted the property—five acres tucked into a hillside up a dirt road, abutting 27 acres of conservation land. "It's a long way from the projects," says Lynch with her well-known candor, referring to her South Boston childhood living next door to the late Whitey Bolger. "It's more land than I ever thought I'd have." Ambition, grit, and a whole lot of talent brought Lynch to this place. Growing up with six brothers and sisters and her widowed mom, she was ridiculed for her attempts at "fancy food" like pesto. ese days, no one is questioning her simply elegant style. e chef is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the first restaurant in her Boston empire—the consistently acclaimed No. 9 Park. e very fancy Menton earned four stars from the Boston Globe and is the only Relais & Cha- teaux property in Boston. Other restaurants include B&G Oysters, Sportello, Drink, and Stir, Lynch's intimate demonstration kitchen and cookbook store. Last year, after the publication of her fiercely honest, funny, and wholly compel- ling memoir Out of Line: A Life of Playing with Fire, Lynch was named to the TIME 100, Time magazine's annual list of the world's most influential people. e chef's Gloucester retreat might repre- sent her desire to turn down the heat—just a bit. She's taken up painting and sculpture; tiny models of people she's met sit on a shelf in her comfortable, stylish living room, and an alcove in her three-season sun porch is a mosaic of her colorful paintings, from nudes to farm stands and chickens. e home has also become a magnet for guests and entertaining, especially at the holidays. "anksgiving is cuckoo," Lynch says, noting that she had about 50 people for a

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