Looking for something to do today? Here are The Salem News' Best Bets:
Wendy Copithorne, owner of the family-owned Ipswich Bay Soap Company, will discuss the history behind making soap and how it was made by using the old-fashioned “kettle” tradition. Attendees will also learn how the Ipswich Bay Soap Company makes their soap product in town, then sells it around the world. The event is part of the Ipswich Museum's brown-bag lunch series, and will be held at 54 South Main St., Ipswich. Bring a lunch. The lecture starts at noon and is free to museum members and Ipswich seniors, and $5 for nonmembers. For more information, call 978-356-2811 or visit www.ipswichmuseum.org.
Timers will buzz, tongues will taste, and mouth-watering aromas will waft throughout the 2013 Best Chef Competition, which benefits Beverly Bootstraps, at 6 p.m., at the Danversport Yacht Club, 161 Elliott St., Danvers. Competing chefs will be Christopher DeStefano of Christopher’s Table in Ipswich, Stephen Crato of Fibber McGee’s, Scott Jenson of Alchemy Cafe and Bistro in Gloucester and Chianti’s of Beverly. In addition to dueling chefs, guests may enjoy a Taste of the North Shore at the sampling stations of more than 20 local restaurants. A cash bar and silent and live auctions will round out the evening. The evening will benefit the food assistance, client support, adult education, and youth and family programs at Beverly Bootstraps. Tickets, which have sold out in past years, are $50 and can be reserved at BeverlyBootstraps.org or 978-927-1561. For more information, visit www.beverlybootstraps.org/Events/BestChef.php.
Turkish music will fill Salem State University's Recital Hall at 7:30 p.m., when the Dünya Ensemble performs a concert called “Streets of Istanbul.” Dünya, which means “world,” is a musicians collective based in the rich heritage of Turkish traditional music. The ensemble's concerts reflect the cultural cross-currents of the Ottoman Empire, and include folk tunes from Central Asia; Jewish, Greek and Armenian ballads; and Sufi chants. This morning at 11 a.m., Dünya will lead a free lecture demonstration. Tickets to tonight's concert cost $10 for general admission and $5 for students and seniors. The Recital Hall is located on the Central Campus, 71 Loring Ave., Salem. For more information, call 978-542-7890 or visit salemstate.edu/arts.
