Les Gourmands du South End

The Pig

2011-10-26T22:32:00.001-04:00

I dig The Pig. That's also what the t-shirt I wanted to buy said.

I just got back from having a nice meal at "The Pig" in Chapel Hill, NC. I had read about it in Southern Living, and when I happened to pick up a copy of Chapel Hill Magazine in my hotel room and saw the nice write-up in there of the place, I knew this was where's had to go for supper.

The Pig takes pride in whole-hog cooking an in sourcing it's food from the area. In fact, they get their meat from happy, "antibiotic- and hormone-free, pasture-raised piggies" raised by the good folks from the NC Natural Hog Farmers Association coöp. I think that's great.

In the CHM article, we get some insight into some of the owner's background and philosophy that is evident in the restaurant's own philosophy. (He was born in Boston, by the way, and is a former vegetarian/vegan.) Quoting CHM quoting him, he says, "[Being vegan], you need to be more aware of what's in food...That food knowledge is still super-helpful." (pg. 58). I agree: that knowledge is super helpful--especially if you want to know what it is, exactly, that you happen to be eating.

Anyway. While I was waiting on my food to arrive, I started out with that Southern elixir: Sweet Tea. I was truly in hog's heaven. I LOVE tea and miss it so much. (It was really good tea, too!!!)

My food came out quickly. I got a small BBQ plate, which came with the choice of two sides. Having read the article, I knew the whole former-vegetarian thing about the owner and the fried green tomatoes and "sprouts-n-shrooms" caught my eye. Honestly, these two sides were my favorite thing. The meat was good and flavorful, and they had a nice eastern-style vinegar sauce; but, for me, those sides were just so damn good I could have had a plate full of them and left a happy camper. The superlative green tomatoes were nice and crispy and had an almost citrusy hint to them (lemon thyme?). I'm a sucker for good breading; these were done with cornmeal. Fantastic. The [Brussels] sprouts-n-shrooms we're also great, sautéed with a whisper of cumin. (Do try this at home!)

Oh! And as I was finishing up, the owner came in and I overheard him telling a customer that he was just coming back from the farmers' market in Carrboro, NC, where he was selling their house-made hotdogs (from those same piggies). Cool.

If you are ever in Chapel Hill and are looking for some good, local (in both the locally sourced and regionally inspired senses) food, you must seek out The Pig.

http://thepigrestaurant.com/

References:

Smithson-Stanley, Lynsy. "The Whole Hog". Chapel Hill Magazine. September/October 2011, pp. 55, 58-59.

http://www.chapelhillmagazine.com

http://www.southernliving.com

http://thepigrestaurant.com/

Tupelo

2011-10-18T19:45:00.015-04:00

We're always on the hunt for some good Southern food. We love Blue Ribbon for its barbecue and really enjoy the more upscale Hungry Mother for it's French/Southern fusion but last week, we decided to try out Tupelo because it served more than just Southern barbecue and it seemed authentic; plus it got good reviews on by a few bloggers.

The atmosphere of Tupelo's is friendly. It has a bar up front as you walk in and then a dozen or so tables. We arrived pretty early (around 6pm) because they don't take reservations. Judging on the crowd I don't think you'd have a problem finding a seat before 7:00 on a Friday. Our waiter was very attentive and friendly and excited about the menu (which is always a good sign). We decided to start off with some pimento cheese and saltine crackers, a classic southern dish, which was good but I've had better.

For our entrees I had the daub of beef brisket ($19). The portion was decent and the beef came nice and tender with a very flavorful gravy and horseradish cream. I actually would have liked more sauce because after I gobbled up the gravy on the first half of the meat, the remaining beef could have used some more to dip in it to add that extra flavor and juiceness. My dish came with mashed potatoes; again, they were good although nothing much to write home about. At this point, I think it's probably best to disclose that I am married to a southerner, have had multiple southern meals, home cooked and out at restaurants down South so I may be more critical than a typical Northerner.

B had the fried chicken. He said it was very good and flavorful and that the breading was seasoned very well and the meat seemed that way too. The chicken came with mac and cheese spiced with jalapeño pepper. B liked it and enjoyed the extra kick that the pepper provided. The collards that the dish came with were cooked well but a bit too vinegary and seasoned a bit strangely to B (a Southerner himself), almost like there was Chinese five-spice in it. B is all for exciting but was in the mood for some traditional collards.

J got the North Carolina pulled pork plate. He writes: "Overall, I was not a huge fan of the North Caroline bbq plate. I was hoping for more of a sauce, regardless of whether it was more vinegar or ketchup-based, and I felt the meat's juiciness was more because it was fatty. The "grilled smoky sausage" on top was somewhat excessive and didn't really fit in my opinion. Meemaw's red beans were well...red beans and not much else. I'd honestly have to say my favorite part was the pickles, especially the pickled cauliflower. All the pickles were somewhat unique in the heavy use of ginger. Regardless, it's hard to turn down a big plate of meat, so I didn't have too much trouble polishing most of it off. I guess I was just hoping for more." J also mentioned that he was very pleased with the beer on tap. It was ale you normally don't see on tap at other places.

C got the pulled pork slider for an appetizer ($3). It was a nice size and tasted very good. For an entree C got the rib special which he felt was a bit too greasy. He wished he had gotten more sliders instead. He did really enjoy the pumpkin beer (Pumpking) saying it was the best one he's ever had.
For dessert we all shared the brown butter pecan pie. It was made by Petsi Pies just down the street. It was sweet and gooey and amazing. The crust was buttery and flaky and excellent. A fantastic way to finish off the meal.

Overall, I think we were all generally pleased with our meals at Tupelo but thought that for the price (most entrees were around $18) the food should have been more spectacular than it was. It's decent southern food though and if you haven't ever tried real southern cooking, Tupelo might be a good place to start.

Savin Bar & Kitchen

2011-10-17T20:30:00.008-04:00

On a recommendation from a friend, we headed over to try out Savin Bar & Kitchen, conveniently located right across from the Savin Hill T-stop in Dorchester. SBK has a nice neighborhood feel to it. It's clean and airy (they had the long windows slid open for a bit) with a modern urban decor. You can sit at the bar to watch a game or head over to a high-top table or a regular table towards the back. We started our meal with some pumpkin beer from shipyard (16 oz for $5) and a Mayflower IPA. The menu is not huge but has a good selection of appetizers, sandwiches/burgers, and entrees. Most of the food is comfort food and sounds good. I decided on the smoked chicken pot pie (pulled smoked chicken breast, peas, carrots, celery, creamed chicken broth, potato pasta, flaky sweet potato crust) while B chose the mac & cheese with fried chicken (bacon, cavattapi, ritz cracker).

The pot pie had a thin but excellent dough crust made of sweet potato (it didn't taste like sweet potato though), it reminded me a bit of pizza crust. Inside there was a creamy very flavorful broth with bits of peas, chicken, and carrots. The potato pasta (gnocchi?) seemed more like mashed potatoes to me but maybe the pasta loses it's shape while it cooks? I didn't mind although I was curious to how gnocchi would taste in a pot pie (I assume delicious). It was a good pot pie, although I wish the inside was a bit chunkier or filled a bit more with items besides broth but I guess it was fine because it definitely filled me up. The best part was the crust on the rim of the bowl. It was salty and nice and crunchy.

B's mac & cheese was good as well. He was happy that the fried chicken tasted like actual fried chicken pieces and not just something out of a frozen food bag. He loved the addition of the huge chunks of bacon and enjoyed the Ritz crackers on top which gave everything a suprising salty crunchiness. Both of our entrees were a good size and left us feeling full with some left over on the mac & cheese dish to bring home.

For dessert, I had to try the ice cream sandwich on the menu. It's made across the street at Savin Scoop and it definitely was worth trying. I ordered a whole one for seven bucks. Comprised of a huge amount of ice cream wedged between two huge chocolate chip cookies, rimmed with sprinkles and sprayed with whipped cream, the sandwich was definitely delicious and definitely more than enough for two people. Next time, I'd order half and share it.

Overall, we enjoyed Savin Bar & Kitchen. It's a great neighborhood restaurant with enough interesting things on the menu to set it apart from a standard local pub. If you head there before 6pm they also have dollar oysters which is worth the trip itself.

Brunch at Bon Savor!

2011-09-27T09:00:00.002-04:00

With a friend having newly relocated to Jamaica Plain, several of us made brunch plans in his new stomping grounds at Bon Savor. Advertising itself as a French and South American Bistro, the restaurant used to serve dinner as well but now is focusing on only brunch. It was certainly packed enough at 11am on a Sunday, so hopefully that works out for them!

The space is rather small, but very warm and homey feeling with several tables and a bar. We were seated in the corner by the window and, despite the many delicious options on the menu, we made up our minds pretty quickly.

One very fun thing about the coffee served is that you have the option of a personal French press. We went with two larger French presses for the table, and the coffee was delicious. In terms of food, you have traditional options like eggs benedict, but also French and South American staples like croque monsieur and bistec a caballo. Or, if you're indecisive like me, you can get the best of both worlds! My Bon Savor Benedict was essentially a ham and swiss crepe topped with a poached egg and hollandaise, served with home fries on the side. The eggs were perfectly poached, the crepe just right, and the hollandaise not too heavy. The home fries on the side were equally well executed.

My second choice would have been the pulled pork benedict, one of the day's specials, and luckily three of us ordered it! The English muffins were generously covered in the smokey, flavorful pork. Definitely on my radar for next time.

Matt went with the Croque Madame, the glassic grilled ham and Swiss cheese sandwich with a French mustard twist, topped with two poached eggs and Bearnaise sauce. The brioche it was served on was thick, golden and buttery. Parfait!

I'm not much of a sweet breakfast person, but I feel it's fairly impossible to not enjoy a banana and nutella crepe. Topped with a bit of whipped cream, it quickly disappeared into Chris's belly.

Last but not least was the French omelet, stuffed with fresh avocado, sautéed
asparagus, tomatoes, and melted Swiss cheese. In Peter's words, "I am not a huge omelet fan but the omelet was delicious and exceeded my expectations. The size and the taste definitely made me feel like I was getting my money's worth. I'd order it again."

I would definitely return to Bon Savor for another great brunch. There was not a bad plate at our table, and for the price, portion, and flavor I'd say we found ourselves a little JP gem!

Decorative Shortbread Cookies

2011-09-26T09:40:00.008-04:00

Going through our DVR on Saturday, I came across a Barefoot Contessa episode in which Ina invites her friend over to show her how to make decorative shortbread cookies. Reminiscent of my mother's Halloween Cookies, I decided to give it a go. The cookies were a lot of work. Not because it took a long time to make the dough or icing (it was super fast) but because I made the whole recipe (I would suggest cutting the recipe in half unless you want 40 iced cookies hanging around). Decorating a few different types of cookies can be difficult with all the food color mixing and prep work that you have to do so I would suggest picking one shape and sticking to it, at least for your first time. Below is the recipe as I wrote it.

Decorative Shortbread Cookies:

For the Dough:

Mix together:
24 ounces all purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt

Then cream together:
3/4 lb butter
2 1/4c sugar
Add 3 large eggs
1tbs vanilla extract

Add in dry ingredients

Wrap in plastic and chill until firm
Roll to 1/8th of inch thick
Bake 350 degrees for 8-12 min

Makes 35-40 cookies

Icing for outlining (royal icing):
1 lb confectionary sugar
3 large egg whites
1/2 tsp lemon juice
Beat with paddle on medium speed until thick.

To make flood icing:
1/4 cup of royal icing
1tsp egg white
Consistency of maple syrup. Add more egg white if need be.

First outline the cookie using the royal icing in the same color that you will use for the whole body of the cookie. Then use a brush (#12 artist brush works best) to push the flood icing around on the cookie and cover up to the edges. Let dry (maybe overnight or a few hours) and then you can use more royal icing in different colors to make the details.

...in which we tried Kikoman Kara-Áge breading mix and ate it on the roof deck

2011-09-15T09:01:00.000-04:00

photo source: http://www.foodbuzz.com/photos/4216151-kara-age

We received a free box of Kikoman's Kara-Áge breading mix through the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program. We were actually really excited about it because we'd been wanting to break out Jeff's deep fryer again, and this was the perfect opportunity. So I went to the store and got about 3 lbs of boneless chicken pieces.

All I did was cut up the chicken and follow the directions on the box. As a Southerner, who loves fried chicken and has tried many a time to make it well, I was so happy about how easy it was to coat the chicken thoroughly.

I fried them for about 6-7 minutes per batch, and they came out perfectly coated with a crunchy, flavorful crust. The flavors of soy sauce and ginger were good and not overpowering. I do wish we'd thought of a nice sauce to accompany the golden nuggets, but alas. Maybe next time... I would definitely buy this mix simply due to the fact that it was so easy to get that perfect crust. The nice flavor is just a plus! One thing I would do differently next time would be to use chicken breast meat instead of thigh meat. I think the others on the roof deck would agree.

Mile-high meringue

2011-09-04T13:18:00.000-04:00

...at matthew's Diner in Waldwick, NJ.: best I ever had!

A quick stop for poutine at La Banquise!

2011-08-30T12:28:00.003-04:00

Wanting to grab poutine before we left Montreal on our last visit, we managed to find the time to pop by La Banquise, the 24-hour joint known by many as the best place for poutine! At around 3 in the afternoon it was packed with the line going out the door - I can only imagine what it's like in the wee hours of the morning when all of the clubs close down! It was much quicker to grab some to go, so that's exactly what we did.

Fries, gravy, and cheese curds...how bad can that?! Our order of the standard poutine was delicious and consumed in approximately 40 seconds. The fries were freshly out of the frier, the gravy just the right amount of saltiness, and there was no skimping on the cheese curds. I often wonder how this dish didn't become a hit in the states!

While I'd have loved to stick around and sample La Banquise's whole slew of poutine variations, with everything from bacon to guacamole added in, I guess I'll have to wait until my next trip up north!

Boris Bistro - Montreal

2011-08-23T14:55:00.011-04:00

Last weekend we decided to make a little getaway to Montreal to surprise my sister and her boyfriend who were in Boston for the week. After poking around the web for somewhere that looked good, but that wouldn't break the bank, I settled on Boris Bistro, located in the downtown area not far from Vieux Montreal.

Part of the reason I chose Boris bistro was the atmosphere - tucked away on Rue McGill behind an old stone wall is a wonderful tree-filled patio with umbrellas and tables. With all of the birds chirping, Chris compared said it reminded him of the Rainforest Cafe, but only in jest of course. A large awning extending from the indoor-portion of the restaurant, which is open to the patio with a large window, extends over a small portion of the patio. I would imagine that with the trees, umbrellas, and awning, it would be no problem at all to eat outside while it was raining.

To get things moving, we put in an order for drinks as well as two appetizers. Pommes frites in duck fat served with a house mayonnaise? YES PLEASE. We also had the trio of tapenades, which included a spiced olive, a citrus-y artichoke, and a Liptaeur cheese tapenade. All three were nice and very different from one another, and the baskets of bread provided (plus a few crostini) worked well for spreading. Both apps were reasonably priced as well.

For my main dish the steak tartare was a clear choice, and I went the healthier route with the salad instead of frites after our appetizer of them. The best part about this steak tartare was the plethora of caper and cornichon bits throughout, as you can see in the picture. The salad was sizable and tossed in a nice vinaigrette.

My sister went with the duck confit sandwich, which would have been my second choice. Served on super moist nut bread, it came with a choice of frites or salad as well. The duck was almost pulled and loosely chopped into thick chunks, and it had pieces of thinly sliced celery, ample sprouts, and a spread of sweet mustard. No problem inhaling that!

Chris went with the duo of fish tartare, salmon and tuna. He wasn't a huge fan of the salmon due to the presence of pickles, but I was kind of enough to finish it for him. The tuna, on the other hand, was to his liking and topped with diced onion and cucumber. To accompany was a small Asian-style slaw and a drizzling of wasabi aioli.

Lastly was Phil's duck risotto with oyster mushrooms, sage and orange cream sauce. What immediately came to mind to both me and my sister was my family's Polish mushroom soup with imported mushrooms at Christmas Eve dinner. I would have devoured this even without the bonus of chunks of duck and nicely-done risotto!

Overall we had a really excellent meal. The only complain I might have is that the glasses of wine, averaging at 11 Canadian each, are a bit on the pricey side, and bottles are the same, starting at around 50. Next time I'm in Montreal I'd certainly consider dining here again, especially with items on the menu like grilled bison, duck rillette, and local Quebec cheeses that I didn't have a chance to try!

Artu Beacon Hill

2011-08-23T14:48:00.000-04:00

To celebrate a belated birthday, a few of us ventured over to the ever-cute Charles Street for a dinner at Artu Rosticceria & Trattoria the other night. Walking down the steps guarded by a lethargic little dog, I was surprised at how small and cavernous the space was. There were some 8 tables, and a large fireplace upon which all of the wines and liqueurs were kept, which I found rather fun.

Since Artu doesn't stock bottles of bubbly, we started with a round of individual bottles of Prosecco. Fun! I had never had Collabrigo Valdobbiadene Venet, but it was nice - not too sweet but very smooth. Along with our glasses of prosecco, we shared plate of the "Cozze e Calamari Fra Diavolo" which was mussels and calamari in spicy tomato sauce with strips of Italian bread for dipping. I'm a sucker for tentacles, and this dish had plenty! Sauce wasn't overly spicy, but great to mop up with the bread.

For my main dish I couldn't decide between the lobster ravioli special or the veal special, but luckily Chris agreed to split with me! The lobster ravioli was good, but I was somewhat underwhelmed - too much pasta, too little lobster/filling, but the sauce was nice and creamy and flavorful. The Veal Artu, as the special was called, was medallions of veal topped with smoked mozzarella, prosciutto, sun-dried tomatoes, mushroom, and something else that escapes me. Nothing to write home about (just to blog, apparently), but with that combination of things you really can't go wrong.

Bryan stuck with the traditional and chose the eggplant and chicken parmigiana, which was " exactly what (he) wanted in all its crunchy, cheesy, carb-ridden, comfort-y goodness. (He)'d get it again, but could do without the penne." Our 4th, per the waitress's recommendation, ordered the Pollo Arrabiata, which was chicken breast, mushrooms, anchovies, capers, in a hot spicy tomato sauce. He said it was delicious, with just the right amount of spice.

We washed down a meal with a really nice bottle of chianti (Rocca delle Macie Riserva 2006 Chianti Classico), and even ordered a second bottle in lieu of dessert. Everyone loved it! Lucky for us, our wonderful waitress, who had provided us with just the perfect amount of attention without being too much, brought us a round of little shortcakes topped with delicious cherries, blueberries, and whipped cream on the house!

While I wouldn't say our meals at Artu were out of this world, the food was solid and the atmosphere and service couldn't be beat! I think we'd all happily return to grab a bite to eat.

Lunch at Basho Japanese Brasserie!

2011-08-19T12:26:00.010-04:00

Thanks to a Groupon, we mustered up the energy to venture over to Fenway and give Basho Japanese Brasserie a try! Walking in at 12:30 on a Saturday afternoon amid a torrential downpour, the place was pretty empty, and the sleek, dim interior with high ceilings somewhat added to the emptiness. The space didn't do much for me, but that was nothing a satisfying meal couldn't fix.

We were quickly seated and presented with the menus - quite extensive! There's basically about every type of Japanese you could want, not to mention daily specials, cocktails...To start we went with one of the appetizers on special, a refreshing ceviche with octopus, mango, and a number of other delicious things. We also threw in an order of edamame steamed in spicy garlic and ginger to munch on. How bad could that be?

For our actual meals we ended up with one of the types of lunch specials. I went with the Basho Lunch Set includes chef's choice of sashimi, sushi, yakimono, and agemono served with salad, rice, and fruit. Yakimono is a general category of grilled and pan-friend dishes, while agemono are deep-fried dishes.
I absolutely love the concept of bento, and this selection didn't disappoint! For my sushi I had a nigiri shrimp (kind of lame, but that's fine) and then red snapper - really fresh and delicious - and then two pieces of a roll with avocado, crab stick, some type of roe, and a fried mystery item! My sashimi was nice fat, pieces of salmon. Perfect! I honestly have no idea what my agemono was, but it was starchy and the consistency or sweet potato - perhaps some type of root, mixed with assorted bits of veggies. The yakemono was a nice skewer of grilled shrimp and veggies, and there were also a few pieces of chicken katsu. That, plus the salad, rice, and orange, is a pretty nice array of stuff!

The other lunch special, the selection bento, includes the choice of a sushi roll and main course, also served with salad, rice, and fruit. For the roll you can choose between Spicy Tuna, Alaskan, California, Sweet Potato, or Garden, and the main course is either chicken katso, salmon teriyaki, vegetable tempura, or a beef roll. Yum! Chris chose the spicy tuna roll - standard and well done, and the beef role, which is done as if it were maki in that the beef is pounded out and used to wrap, like nori. The beef was glazed with teriyaki and wrapped around asparagus.

All in all everything was really nicely put together. My only complaint is that I wish I had ordered more sushi and sashimi! I'll certainly be back for more of the sushi items, as well as more interesting dishes like smoked salmon fried rice and spicy lobster miso soup!

Restaurant Week Lunch 2011 at Top of the Hub

2011-08-18T15:05:00.007-04:00

With a view like this, who can resist a meal at Top of the Hub, especially during Restaurant Week 2011! Having made our reservations a couple weeks in advance, we were seated immediately at a table in the lounge area with breathtaking views of the city.
For a mere $20, restaurant week partakers are able to experience 3 delicious courses for a fraction of the price!

For the first course we had the option of two cool, refreshing appetizers, either a
chilled potato leek soup with herb croutons or a chilled beet salad with
whipped goat cheese, pistachios, and a red wine, oregano vinaigrette. The beets were nicely done and the whipped goat cheese was very mild and light. Together with the crunch of the pistachios and acidity of the vinaigrette I thought everything came together nicely.
I had only had the Julia Child warm potato leek soup in the past (which is of course rich and delicious), but I very much enjoyed it's chilled cousin and could definitely see myself making this in lieu of a gazpacho.

For the main courses we had three choices - 1) calamarata pasta al la Bolognese with
pecorino cheese, tomato, and basil 2) A pan-seared pork sirloin with creamy masa, white corn pozole, and a chipotle ham hock broth, and 3)Panko-crusted scallops with English pea and roasted tomato risotto drizzled in a lemon chive sauce.
The scallops were an obvious choice to me and I did not regret it - they were smooth and buttery but not too heavy with the panko breacrumbs. The risotto was very well done and all of the flavors came together nicely.

I was not quite as big a fan of the pork and thought it could have been cooked a little less, but it's accompaniments made up for this. No one opted for the pasta, but you can't really go wrong with a spicy seafood sauce over pasta!

For dessert the options were a coconut panna cotta with a summer fruit salsa and fresh "Lilikoi" passion fruit or a chocolate pound cake with honey cream, macerated strawberries, and Thai basil. The panna cotta was nice and light, with the coconut flavor hitting you at the end of your bite. Together with the stronger flavors of the kiwi and passionfruit I thought it was great. The chocolate pound cake was a little dry for my taste, but the honey cream was excellent and made up for the dryness.

All-in-all I had a fabulous lunch and wish I could dine more regularly at Top of the Hub without breaking the bank! For now I'll just have to take advantage of restaurant week!

The

Kick*ss Cupcakes!

2011-08-04T11:28:00.006-04:00

The other day we were walking to a friend's for dinner and couldn't think of anyplace down Columbus to pick up a little something for dessert. As luck would have it, right across from Mistral and ClubCafe was the Kick*ass Cupcake foodtruck!

Somehow we'd managed to never indulge in Boston's new obsession with foodtrucks, and it was right about time! There was a nice array to choose from, and everything was perfectly clear on the big menu on the side of truck. We decided on a "green monster", crème brûlée, cookie dough, and fluffernutter, with the "green monster" being a chocolate cupcake with a beer ganache center topped with Sam Adams Cream Stout frosting and cocoa nibs. How bad could that be?

A few hours later after finishing up dinner we were ready to dive in! Despite it being fairly late in the day, the cupcakes were still nice and fresh-tasting, not at all dry. The crème brûlée cupcake was a vanilla cupcake with a pastry cream center covered with caramelized raw sugar and a dollop of fresh whipped cream – really tasty and actually kind of light!

The cookie dough cupcake consisted of chocolate chip cookie dough in a vanilla cupcake and vanilla buttercream frosting with chocolate sauce. While good, I think it could have used a much bigger hunk of cookie dough, as I could hardly taste any. Nonetheless it was quickly devoured.

The green monster cupcake’s best part was the frosting – so rich and creamy and with just a hint of that Sam Adams cream stout taste! I’m not the biggest fan of chocolate cupcakes, but somehow with the rich beer ganache center I was able to choke it down :-)

Lastly, and actually everyone’s least favorite, was the fluffernutter, modeled after those horrifyingly unhealthy sandwiches of our youth. The chocolate cupcake with sweet peanut butter center and marshmallow frosting drizzled with Fluff could have used just a bit more of all of those things.

At $3 a cupcake, the tasty treats are a little pricey, but I'd certainly have another go and try some of their other fun concoctions like the Mojito, Cinnamon Chai Pecan Sticky, or the Ginger Peach Bellini cupcakes! There are certainly worse things than being able to pick up a delicious cupcake while simply strolling around the city :-) I’d be curious what their permanent spot on Davis Square is like!

In which we had to go all the way to Medford for pastries

2011-07-14T13:23:00.002-04:00

The South End and Back Bay need more bakeries.

There, I said it.

We all love Flour and the Buttery, yes; but, where can you go for house-made, hot-out-of-the-oven bread around here? And the places you might think of that do sell good, fresh bread (usually baked elsewhere) seem to always run out of it by the time most people get out of work. It's a breadtastrophe. Sundays are a little better since the SoWa Market has brought in bakery carts from the metro region, but I say "give us, this day, our daily bread!"

We've seen the folks from The Danish Pastry House at the SoWa Market for the past few years and have very much enjoyed their croissants, pains au chocolat, and breads. Having had a hankering for a carb-ridden adventure the other day, we hopped into the car and drove the quarter hour over to Medford to visit the Danish Pastry House's bakery & café there on Boston Avenue. Forty-five minutes later, on a nice sugar high, we started bemoaning the fact that we can't easily get such goodies in our own neighborhood. If only we had the means to open a bakery ourselves! Oh well, ANYWAY...

We had some very delicious things at the Danish Pastry House and highly recommend a visit to anyone in the Tufts/Medford area.

The Almond Kringle (above) was AMAZING. Full of almond paste and buttery goodness.

Apparently, it's the house specialty. Makes sense to me!!

From left > right; top > bottom: we had a Floderbolle (described as "almond cookie base, Italian meringue filling, chocolate & coconut dipped); a Froggie 'KAJ' (we called these marzipan monsters amongst ourselves; they were very cute balls of flavored buttercream wrapped with marzipan, dipped in chocolate on the bottom); a raspberry frangipane tartelette (self-explanatory and my favorite); a chocolate bourbon pecan tartelette (this was apparently the girl behind the counter's favorite); and a slice of that delicious Kringle.

The Danish Pastry House's Bakery and Café is located at 330 Boston Ave, Medford. According to their website, they also have a retail bakery in Watertown.

Happy 4th, everyone!

2011-07-04T20:55:00.000-04:00

Apparently this café had the first espresso machine in Vienna...

2011-06-04T17:59:00.001-04:00

Wiener Schnitzel in Wein!

2011-06-02T16:48:00.000-04:00

Spargelzeit!

2011-06-02T16:46:00.000-04:00

An excellent coffee break at Café Central in Vienna

2011-06-02T16:39:00.000-04:00

Geoffrey's Cafe Back Bay!

2011-05-31T21:20:00.009-04:00

Having eaten at Geoffrey's maybe a dozen times since living down the street I thought it high time I write a review! No stranger to Back Bay, Geoffrey's actually originally opened here in 1991 before opening a second location in the South End, closing the Back Bay location, and then moving to Roslindale. Though I never had eaten at these other locations in the past, the current location at Columbus and Berkeley can't be beat!

The menu is very large and quite eclectic, serving everything from chicken and dumplings to a 7 Vegetable Cous Cous. Everything is beyond reasonable, with hearty sandwiches with black bean salsa or potato salad for an average of 7.95, and 10.95 for a wonderful beef bourguignon over mashed potatoes.

Typically, whether for lunch or dinner, I stick with the sandwiches since I can't get enough of either their bacon cheddar burger or fried chicken sandwich! The burger is thick and juicy with ample bacon and cheddar, green leaf & tomato,
pickles, red onion & 1000 island piled high on a bulkie roll. The chicken is tender and not at all greasy served with tomato, cheddar, bacon and a chipotle ranch dressing. Other delicious options are the "G" BLT - no skimping on the bacon there! - and the chicken salad, made interesting with the addition of fresh tarragon.

The drink menu is equally as large, ranging from inexpensive standbys like Narragansett Lager to great cocktails like the Salty Dog, my personal favorite, which is gin and kalamata olive brine with Gorgonzola stuffed kalamata olives. There's a slew of champagne cocktails, old standbys, fun beers like a 32 oz. Mississippi Mud, and some 2 dozen or so wines by both the bottle and glass.

I've only been once for their disco brunch (complete with classic disco music), but both their savory and sweet options were nicely done. The eggs benedict with Norwegian smoked salmon was great, and the Scandinavian waffles with powdered sugar, whipped butter & homemade syrup were pretty standard. I'd certainly return to try more of their breakfast items.

Overall I feel as though you can't go wrong with Geoffrey's - location, price, and variety are all just right and fit nicely within the spacious interior with high tables, a bar area, a regular dining area, and even a private dining area! A+!

Best beer I've had so far on the trip! It's from Alsace.

2011-05-29T17:31:00.000-04:00

A fraisier for breakfast? Pourquoi pas?!

2011-05-29T03:17:00.000-04:00

Apéritif day 3 -- added to the mix: artisanal rillettes from Chinon!

2011-05-27T14:26:00.000-04:00

Day 1 apéritif: Valençay & Neufchâtel w/ an amazing baguette

2011-05-26T16:52:00.000-04:00

Q Restaurant

2011-05-15T15:15:00.008-04:00

I woke up with a taste for something Asian, but instead of doing Dim Sum we opted to try Chinatown's Q restaurant, which offers Chinese, Japanese, and Thai cuisine. It was pretty empty for a Sunday at lunch time, so we were seated right away at a booth.

The atmosphere is modern and somewhat dimly lit with red walls and a number of nice-looking saltwater aquariums. Seating-wise there's a bar/lounge area with high tables, the sushi bar, as well as booths and tables.

The menu is fairly extensive and after appetizers and drinks is divided into Chinese dishes, Japanese/sushi items, and lastly Mongolian hot pot selections. Spicy tuna, spicy yellowtail, and spicy salmon rolls are $4 every day, so we started out splitting a roll for an appetizer. We went with the spicy tuna, which included of course tuna, cucumber, tempura chips, and spicy mayo. The toasted sesame seeds on the outside were a nice touch - delicious!

Chris went with a sweet and sour Chinese standard, General Gau's chicken. Typically the chicken is fried, but the chef was kind enough to stir fry it for him (so he could pretend he was eating more healthily). The ginger, garlic, sesame oil, scallions, hot chili peppers, etc. all came together nicely, but it was a little on the sweeter side than other versions of the dish we've had. Likewise it could have been a little spicier, but overall it was very tasty.

On such a cool, rainy afternoon I couldn't help but want a nice big bowl of soup, so I went with the Mongolian hot pot option. Hot pot cooking goes by a number of names, including shabu shabu, but the general idea is that you are presented with a huge bowl of broth that is kept hot by the electric burner built into the table. Thinly sliced raw meat, fish and vegetables are then placed in the pot where they cook and absorb the broth's flavors. Lastly you fish them out and can dip them in a number of sauces.

I chose the standard beef broth, which seemed to have ginger, scallions, and other goodies floating in it as well. Other broths included kimchee, tom yum, and black bone chicken. For my meat I went with the pork, but there was no shortage of options - short ribs, beef and lamb, angus sirloin, salmon, flounder, shrimp, and much more! Lastly I chose to have Japanese udon noodles, but cellophane, wide bean thread, and "S.T" (wide, flat) noodles were also options. Also included was a vegetable selection - bok choy, cabbage, tomato, mushroom, tofu, and a couple of other things were there.

The amount of broth I was brought could have fed a small family, but I naturally had no problem with that! It was very fun plunging my various things into the broth, which then made it tastier and tastier as time went by. To dip my meat and veggies I had garlic, scallions, cilantro, soy, a chili sauce, a vinegar sauce, and what I think was shacha sauce. Everything was great and I finished up feeling full and satisfied.

For dessert there are a number of ice creams like azuki bean, ginger, and green tea as well as a number of cakes, but we were too full and opted out. Overall it was a really nice lunch and I would certainly return for another meal!

Pigna di Pasqua

2011-04-24T21:44:00.007-04:00

It's been a tradition in my family since the 1800's to make pigna for Easter. Most of the time, when you hear of Italian pigna, it's a bread with yeast in it. However, when my family makes it, it's a type of cookie, very similar to Greek koulourakia. I'm not quite sure why ours is different, perhaps there is Greek influence in Southern Italy that carried over?

The recipe is quick and easy to make. After making the dough, we braid it into the shape of a crown of thorns and put colored eggs around it (to symbolize life after death). Then we make little cookies to go around the crown in shapes like fish or infinity signs or other shapes that have religious significance. It's a simple cookie, not too sweet and good as a quick bite at breakfast or even to dip into your after dinner coffee. Below is the recipe I use from my Grandmother. It should make 2 crown of thorns and a few trays of cookies, you can half it for one family:

Pigna Di Pasqua

2 ½ lbs flour
2 cups sugar
7/8 cup oil
4 rounded Tbsp baking powder
¼ glass milk
8 eggs

Mix eggs, milk & sugar. Add oil slowly & beat very well. Add flour & knead. Shape and brush with an egg wash. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until lightly brown

Use raw eggs to decorate ---making a fish ( several individual sized ones) or crown of thorns (usually three eggs spaced around it).

Beekman Book Signing

2011-04-19T15:13:00.003-04:00

The Beekman Boys will be at the Harvard Coop on April 25th from 7-10pm signing their book, "The Bucolic Plague: How Two Manhattanites Became Gentlemen Farmers: An Unconventional Memoir". Stop by to show your support and pick up a great read!

Bistro du Midi

2011-04-19T12:31:00.016-04:00

This past Saturday, we celebrated two of our friend's birthdays at Bistro du Midi located at 272 Boylston Street across from the Public Gardens. Bistro du Midi, (as the name suggests) is a French restaurant that specializes in modern Provençal cuisine. We arrived for dinner at 8:30 and after being cheerfully greeted at the door and checking our coats we were escorted up the stairs to the main dining room. A larger room with an intimate feel, the dining room was chic yet understated, clean lines and white walls, it was an upscale comfortable feel but nothing to distract you from the real reason you are there...the amazing food.

We started our dinner with cocktails. All of the cocktails were good and not your typical gin and tonic fair. The one cocktail that stood out resembled a margarita on the rocks but contained tequila infused with poblano peppers and rimmed with salt/pepper. It was spicy but not too much so and was an amazing combination (note to self: buy peppers and start infusing tequila at home).

For my appetizer, I had the pork caillettes with herb salad and basil oil. I was not sure what a caillette was but the waiter was very good at explaining it to me. Basically, what it boiled down to was a mixture of pork meat and added pork fat and seasoning, mixed together and then fried. The outcome resembled a flat meatball and tasted incredible. Others had the marinated beet salad with Vermont goat cheese from Vermont Butter & Cheese Creamery (I asked the name and give props to the restaurant for using cheese from VT), the seared foie gras, spicy lamb tartare with quail egg, and the stuffed calamari with lobster Jus just to name a few.

For my main course, I ordered the classic Provençal beef daube with olive oil mashed potatoes. The waiter told us it was one of the first dishes the restaurant chef ever created for the restaurant and it has proven so popular (and delicious) it has stayed on the menu ever since. Needless to say, it was delicious. Resembling a beef stew, the sauce/gravy was dark brown and rich. The beef needed no knife and fell apart on the fork. Combined with the olive oil mashed potatoes (with a layer of melted butter on top) the dish really was incredible. The same accolades were made around the table with everyone else's food. Roasted monkfish, lamb ravioli, and a steak special for two which was probably a pound and half of meat (first presented on a platter and then taken back in the kitchen to be cut up), were other dishes tried and loved.

For dessert, three of us ordered the chocolate souffle which had to be prepped 25 minutes ahead of time. It was the first time I ever had any type of souffle and I really enjoyed it. To be honest, I can't comment on the quality since I have nothing to compare it to but I assume, if we are going by the other parts of the meal, that the souffle was as good as you could get in a Boston restaurant. One item that we passed around the table for everyone to try was a small side item that came with the Chèvre Cheesecake: a basil sorbet. It. was. awesome. Such a unique taste, fresh but sweet and not overly heavy on the basil, it was an unexpected surprise to end the meal.

I have not had a meal out like this one in awhile. Maybe it was the company I was keeping but my whole meal was just such an enjoyable experience, from the drinks, to the waiter, to the food, it was a non-stop class-act. I would definitely recommend Bistro du Midi to anyone who is looking for an outstanding restaurant in Boston.

Metropolis Café

2011-04-14T22:09:00.005-04:00

This past weekend after an afternoon at the theatre we headed down Tremont to settle into an early dinner reservation at Metropolis Café. At around 5pm the restaurant was warm and bright from the late afternoon sun shining in, and although it was empty, we were lucky to have had a reservation given it was booked for the entire evening. We were immediately seated at a table for four and presented with the day´s specials. Though the space is rather tight, the closeness of the tables and the fun counter bar give Metropolis a very neighborhood feel and don't at all leave one feeling cramped.

After enjoying fresh bread with olive oil we decided to skip appetizers and go straight for the main course. Were I to have indulged, a number of items caught my eye, including the Lobster, Goat Cheese and Leek Tarte with Petite Frissee Salade, the Lobster, Scallop and Haddock Chowder with Yukon Potatoes, Bacon and Snipped Chives, and the Yukon Gold Potato Gnocchi with Duck Confit, Roasted Chestnuts, Gorgonzola, and Porcini Cream - next time!

I often can't resist nice-sounding scallops on the menu, so I went with one of that day's specials - the caramelized sea scallops with roasted tomato and pine nut fregola, basil pesto, and wild arugula. The scallops were wonderfully cooked and of course slightly caramelized, and the fregola, a Sardinian pasta akin to Israeli cous cous, was just enough to fill the belly.

Someone else enjoyed one of the other daily specials, the roasted squash risotto with herb roasted chicken, baby portabella mushrooms and a fried carrot garnish. Though a little overly rosemary-tasting for me, the risotto was nicely cooked and the chicken was tasty - nothing extraordinary, though. Also ordered were the Gloucester Haddock with Andouille Sausage Haricot Vert Ragout, Pommes Puree, and Roasted Carrot Nage. I must admit I was unfamiliar with what a "nage" was, but it turned out to be little more than a flavoured liquid used for poaching delicate foods, typically seafood, which is then reduced and thickened with cream and/or butter. Lastly was the Metropolis Chicken with Oyster Mushrooms, Haricot Vert, Potato Purée and Savory Pan Drippings. Both were very nicely done, though again, nothing out of this world. With our meals we enjoyed two great bottles of wine, a French grenache and and a Pinot Gris.

In addition to this experience, we've also been for weekend brunch, which, typical of the area, is a great bargain and an overall nice meal. The standard breakfast with two farm fresh eggs with Metropolis homefries and grain toast is less than $7, and other options, like the 3-stack of Maine Blueberry, Banana or Belgian Chocolate pancakes with blended Vermont Maple Syrup, are also fairly inexpensive. I was somewhat underwhelmed by the eggs benedict only because I felt it was on the small side and lacking in ample hollandaise, but it was certainly tasty enough.

Overall Metropolis Café is a solid choice for a good meal, whether dinner or brunch, while in the South End. I would certainly return for another meal, particularly the nightly $29.95 prix-fixe dinner from 5:30-6:30, which includes an appetizer, main course, dessert, and glass of wine!

The Gallows

2011-04-05T20:20:00.010-04:00

To celebrate a recent success I was surprised to be taken to The Gallows, one of the South End´s newer culinary endeavors. Describing itself as "an extension of your own kitchen, only better", the Gallows offers reasonably-priced hearty fair from local cheeses and meats to poutine, burgers, and chicken and dumplings.

Being a celebratory occasion we started out with cocktails. A dirty martini drinker I couldn't resist the "Mother's Ruin", which consisted of gin, cocchi, house-made pickle juice, dill, and lemon essence - yum! Also sampled was the "Tar & Feather"consisting of vodka, cherry heering, black tea, ginger - also really tasty. At $9 they weren't obscenely priced, and I'd definitely be interested in returning for the "Abbatoir" (French for "slaughterhouse") - batavia arrack, veal stock, caramelized onions, lillet, and port! As for an amuse-bouche we split a hefty Scotch Egg - I mean, how can you go wrong with a hard-boiled egg wrapped in sausage mixture, coated with breadcrumbs, and deep fried? Other options of interest included a trout and bacon pâté, citrus sunchokes, and marinated mushrooms - next time!

We decided to skip a first plate, but some of the options sounded delicious like the smoked scallops with braised lettuce, pearl onions, peas, warm carrot dressings, and the "hangtown fry" - a fried egg, fried oysters, house smoked bacon, and red watercress. For my main meal I had a taste for a burger and chose the "Carpetburger", which came topped with fried oysters, american cheese, and remoulade. I had ordered it medium rare but the waiter, a medium-rare burger guy himself, suggested I get it done medium since the beef used at The Gallows lent itself more toward longer cooking. I wasn't disappointed. Also ordered was the "Wicked Early Spring Veg Shepherd´s Pie" with a potato-horseradish crust, mushrooms, barley, peas, pearl onions. Both dishes were great. The burger was nice and juicy with a satisfying amount of fried oysters in remoulade on top. The shepherd´s pie was pretty standard, though the nice surprise of plump, juicy pearl onions in every other bite really added to it. Along with my main dish I had also ordered a "red beer", which appeared on the draft menu. I had anticipated a red ale of some sort, but it turned out to be their version of the Latin American michelada, PBR with tomato juice, lemon, and spices, a purported hangover cure. I wasn't hungover, but sure! It ended up going quite nicely with the burger, actually.

After all of that we were ready to be rolled out of there. For unpresumptuous but delicious and satisfying comfort food, I'd definitely recommend a stop by The Gallows. Though it wasn't crowded on a Tuesday night, they only take reservations for 6 or more, and on the weekends I've seen it with a line out the door, so get there early if you can!

Saus | frietjes, gaufres, and poutine; oh my!

2011-04-04T23:19:00.000-04:00

It was a beautiful day, and we thought a nice stroll and brunch of deep-fat-fried goodies would be perfect. So, to Saus it was. We had been particularly excited when we heard Saus was opening up: I mean a joint devoted to fries and waffles; how bad can that be?!

Once we figured out what to order, it wasn't too long before our hot treats were ready. First out were the waffles. I have to say, they were really delicious. Not at all like the waffles mom makes. Mom's are delicious; don't get me wrong. But these... Yum. The waffles at Saus were golden and crispy--an attribute made possible by the caramelization of the 'pearl sugar' that they use. As you might have guessed, Saus also offers a number of different sauces to go on their waffles. We tried the "homemade 'nutella'" (pictured) and the "lemon cream." Both were very good, but we thought the lemon cream was exceptional. (By the way, we all also really loved the dishes they were served in. I think they are local, but I can't remember from where. Nantucket? If anybody knows, please send us a note!) A few comments from P about his waffle: "I enjoyed the pearl-sugar crunch, and the waffles--although small--were delicious. The homemade nutella was not as hazlenutty as the name brand, but I liked that it was more of a sauce than a spread. The lemon cream was light and delicious, but I do wish there had been a bit more on it since it was so good."

Soon after we devoured the waffles, they called us to the counter to get our frites. J got a fried egg on top of his, while the rest of us did not. Of course, Saus offers a number of creative condiments to dip your fries in: we chose truffle ketchup (fantastic!) and the chipotle mayo. After I'd already picked up my order, I noticed a few sauce specials on a side chalkboard: the sauce called "Green Monster" sounded great, and I'll definitely be getting that next time. (A recent update on their blog indicates that "Green Monster" will be joining the permanent menu of sauces, replacing their pesto.) We loved the way the fries were served in paper cones, which brought back memories of ketchup-and-mayo-smeared faces during afternoon walks in Brugge. The fries were fresh and good, fried well, and nicely salted. We were still hungry, though. We decided that while we were at it, we might as well get poutine as well.

Now, I never would associate poutine with Belgium; but, hey, everybody's doing fusion nowadays, so why not Belgo-Québécois?! In short, the poutine was great. We all had some and left full. We already knew the fries were good, the sauce brune was very nice, and the curds had begun to melt just enough to where they were creamy yet still held their shape. I only wish there had been more curds to go around. P adds some comments: "The poutine was great and the gravy was not as heavy as some gravy on poutine can be. It will fill you up without making you stuffed."

Along with the food, we were very happy with the friendly staff. They were very attentive and checked to make sure everything was to our liking. The décor was also very cute. Seating is limited, but hopefully that won't be a problem come summer as folks are more inclined to get a cone of fries to go.

We left happy and satisfied, talking about what we'd order the next time...

Pomodoro! A History of the Tomato in Italy

2011-04-04T19:09:00.001-04:00

About a year ago, I was feasting on some pasta when a thought popped into my head. What did Italian people eat before 1492? Since the tomato is a "New World" fruit (yes, it is a fruit), there were centuries of Italian cooking before it was introduced to Europe. Well, as a Christmas gift this year, I received a book that explains just that. Pomodoro! A History of the Tomato in Italy, by David Gentilcore, traces the tomato from its humble written introduction into Italy on October 31, 1548 (it was viewed as a strange and horrible thing) all the way up to present day. While the book can be a bit dry in parts, overall it is quite fascinating. I learned a lot of interesting tidbits. For example, tomatoes didn't get consumed by the masses in Italy until around the 1700's and it wasn't until the mid 1800's that tomato sauce was married to pasta and became the popular dish it is today. Strangely, the tomato really only started to catch on in Italy right when Italy was becoming unified, so technically, Italians always used tomatoes in their cuisine (by that same logic though, you could say Italian cuisine is less than 200 years old). If you are Italian or just love Italian food (the book includes some recipes) and history, Pomodoro! is definitely worth a read.

Max Brenner

2011-04-02T13:23:00.010-04:00

For months now I've been fascinated with the opening of Max Brenner since the giant blow-up rat appeared on Boylston street in protest of the chain's apparent use of non-union construction workers. Elsewhere around the world the chain has been boycotted for its connections to Israel. When it opened last week scores of union workers stood outside handing out pamphlets and discouraging people from entering. This was a place I was interested in checking out.

Walking into the restaurant it's clear that the theme is centered around "Max Brenner Chocolate Culture" as the entire place smells like chocolate. To the left is what would best be described as a gift shop with various chocolate products, to the right is a long bar, and ahead is the main dining area. The atmosphere reminded me of Cheesecake Factory given the warm browns, oranges, and reds throughout.

The menu is huge, with everything from white chocolate cheesecake crêpes to the chubby smoked turkey club. There is a wide variety of chocolate-based beverages like hot chocolate, chocolate chai tea, and a mocha frappé using cocoa from all over the world. Since it was brunch time we decided to go with something sweet and something savory and split them.

I opted for the "illegal chocolate chocolate chocolate pancakes" with 60% dark chocolate truffle cream, pure milk chocolate shavings, spiced pecans, caramelized bananas. This arrived very nicely arranged with two cute beakers of white and dark chocolate sauces. The 3 pancakes were tasty enough, and it was an overall very chocolatey experience. At around 15 dollars I would have to say they were overpriced, but I was by no means disappointed.

Our other dish was the "Sliced & Diced Steak “Pillow” Panini" -char-grilled & thin sliced skirt steak tossed with
diced caramelized onions on a bed of asiago cheese crisps, baby spinach, roasted tomatoes, red pepper aioli. Underwhelming. For as much good stuff as there was in there it should have tasted better - more salt? Nonetheless the bread was nice and crisp and light, and the beef was good as well. The best part was the waffle fries dusted with chili and cocoa powder. Though I didn't get much of the chili and cocoa powder, it's hard to make a bad-tasting waffle fry, especially dipped in the red pepper aioli served alongside the panini. At about 16 this dish, too, was overpriced for what it was.

Overall I'd have to say I was disappointed. The food was okay, the prices were too high, and the atmosphere was non-descript. I will say, however, that some of their sweets like the "chocolate chunks pizza" and the "deep fudge chocolate cake & shake" do sound delicious, so if I were to find myself with a sweet craving I would consider coming back.

Restaurant Week at Erbaluce

2011-03-22T10:00:00.002-04:00

Being restaurant week we decided to finally pop into Erbaluce, a somewhat hidden Italian restaurant on the border of Bay Village and Back Bay. Though I can't say I've ever really noticed anyone coming in or out of it, at 6:30 on a Friday evening it was hopping. We were by far the youngest people there by perhaps 30 years, but we took the fact that the restaurant was full of well-to-do-looking older men and women as a sign that it must be good ;-) We were immediately seated at a table for two in the dimly-lit main dining room. I must say I was underwhelmed by the ambiance - it was quite dark, the walls were mostly bare, and the tables were non-descript looking, but it was by no means uncomfortable or unwelcoming.

We were first served a delicious white bean pureed with a number of herbs, nutmeg, and cinnamon, along with freshly baked bread. This was outstanding, and we could have sworn there was heavy cream or something rich and creamy in it, but this was not the case, and it was quite healthy. Bottles of wine were on the pricey side and all from Italy, so we decided to just order a glass each, both of which were very nice. To start I had the orange and rosemary cured organic salmon with a chicory salad and pink peppercorn dressing. The pink peppercorns, actually small tart berries, were very interesting and contrasted nicely with the sweet orange flavor and the saltiness of the salmon. For me you can never go wrong with cured fish or any sort. Chris had the
white cornmeal polenta with marinated tomatoes and gorgonzola dolce, a simple but tasty take on polenta.

For my main dish I went with the whole steamed Jonah crab with crab and celery risotto. I always feel a little bit strange hacking away at a shellfish carcass while in a nice restaurant, but I couldn't resist. The risotto was very good and had a strong celery flavor to it, but I was disappointed with the amount of crabmeat that was both in the risotto and in the crab claws and legs, themselves. Chris' pan-roasted Newport steak with a lemon, thyme, and white pepper sauce, on the other hand, was very satisfying and perfectly cooked.

We ended up waiting quite some time before our desserts came out, but eventually our chocolate and tart cherry bread pudding
and tortella of local apples with almond cream arrived. The tortella was essentially deep fried dough but very light and airy, and the almond cream was very nice. The chocolate and tart cherry bread pudding was simple but good, though I could have used a bit more of the dark cherry flavor. Finally, as we waited for the check, we were served some complimentary homemade truffles, which was a nice touch.

Overall I can't say I was in love with Erbaluce but I would definitely give it a second try when it isn't restaurant week. The special for the night, a braised rabbit stuffed with liver and truffle something or other sounded absolutely divine, and a number of the other menu items sounded quite enticing.

Snappy Sushi

2011-03-21T09:32:00.006-04:00

Having a craving for sushi but not wanting to spend an arm and a leg we decided to check out Snappy Sushi, a sushi joint recently having relocated to 108 Newbury from further up the street. Known for having only koshikari brown rice, Snappy offers a healthier alternative to the more traditional brown rice. The restaurant´s interior is two leveled, with the top floor having a small seating area and the downstairs offering both sushi bar seating and a number of tables.

I was pleased to see that the menu items were very reasonably priced, as sushi can obviously get quite expensive. The fancy rolls average about $10 for 6 pieces, while the more traditional rolls, both standard and "inside-out" averaged at about 5. Pieces of nigiri were either $1 or $2, and there are a number of salads and other plates averaging around $12. We decided to keep it simple and order a few pieces of nigiri as well as a few rolls.

The best roll was the crispy eel roll, which had eel, avocado, cucumber, and flying fish roe topped with mayo and crunchy tempura bits, drizzled with eel sauce. The yellowtail and salmon rolls were standard, and the inside-out spicy tuna was also very good and had a nice sprinkling of sesame seeds on the outside. The fact that all of the rolls came with brown rice was undetectable in all but the spicy tuna roll given that it had the most rice. While I must admit I do prefer the white rice, the brown was certainly nothing to complain about, especially with it being healthier. For nigiri we had the saba (mackerel), tamago (sweet egg omelet), ika (squid), and ikura (salmon roe), all of which were delicious.

I would certainly return for another round of sushi, perhaps sampling one of their very reasonable lunch specials. Other fancy rolls of future interest include the Boston Lobster Roll, which has avocado, cucumber, and green leaf rolled together, and dressed with chopped lobster meat mixed with red onion and flying fish roe in wasabi-butter sauce, and the Roasted Garlic Scallop roll, which is an avocado and cucumber roll dressed with chopped scallops and onion in Snappy Sushi's sweet garlic sauce, topped with garlic mayo and black flying fish roe.

Amazing kimchee-beef dumplings!

2011-03-05T16:52:00.000-05:00

Dumpling truck in South Pasadena, CA

2011-03-05T16:43:00.002-05:00

http://dumplingstation.com/

Dim Sum at Myers + Chang

2011-02-27T23:00:00.000-05:00

After living in the area for a few months we finally made it a few blocks over to Myers & Chang, where Chinese, Taiwanese, Thai, and Vietnamese flavors combine in an array of fun dishes and drinks to be had. Being a weekend morning we decided to go in for Dim Sum, order a few items, and see how their Dim Sum compared to the more "traditional" offerings in Chinatown.

First to come out were the tamarind glazed peel-and-eat prawns. The glaze was sweet and delicious, as were the 7 or 8 nice, plump prawns.

Next were the fried oysters with fermented black beans and pickled bean sprouts - I wish there were more than two per order, as the combination of textures and sweet, salty, and savory flavors was excellent!

The fried egg banh mi with sweet soy glazed bacon was by far the messiest item, both for splitting among diners or just to eat on its own. Its components were all very good, though I feel they could have done a lot more with the Vietnamese-ness of the dish, as it was more or less just an open-faced sandwich with a fried egg and bacon.
The cantonese bbq pork bao was also nice enough, but I might have expected something more substantial for $4 - it was perhaps two bites and couldn't really be split among more than 2 people.

The coal-black chicken wings with housemade sriracha were next and shouldn't be missed for any lover of chicken wings - the charred, smoky flavor was delicious, and the sriracha added a really nice bite to the plate. We also had two orders of dumplings, one with shiitake mushroom and Chinese greens and the other being "Mama Chang's pork dumplings" - Both were fairly standard dumplings, but the soy-based dipping sauce was particularly tasty.
Finally were the crispy spring rolls, your standard vegetable spring rolls fried to a nice crisp and filled with fresh veggies. Along with our Dim Sum came a choice of brown or white rice, but given there were four of us I was expecting a bit more than just one small bowl - oh well!

Price-wise Myers & Chang's Dim Sum is a little on the higher end compared with the more traditional joints, but you can definitely detect the greater freshness of ingredients and the greater thought that goes into each of their plates when compared with the larger establishments in Chinatown. Most items are 5 or 6 dollars, though there are a couple of smaller "snacks" for $3. Overall it is a very nice Saturday or Sunday morning experience if you're looking for dim sum, but something a little more fresh and different. I look forward to returning and sampling some of the other items like spicy kimchee pancakes and sweet potato fritters with Chinese sausage!

Also worth mentioning...

Dim Sum isn't all Myers & Chang has to offer - on Sunday nights they have a wonderful $1 Oyster and $1 PBR tall boy special known as "Oyster Oblivion", which is a MUST. The oysters come with a standard mignonette or an outstanding Asian mignonette with lemon grass. Unfortunately you can only order 12, but self-control isn't always a bad thing, I suppose!

The Wholy Grain

2011-02-26T12:17:00.013-05:00

This afternoon we ventured over to The Wholy Grain on Shawmut Ave in the South End to try it out. The Wholy Grain opened last Friday and is located ont the street level of a traditional brownstone. The inside is light and airy with yellow walls, chalkboard menus, and white marble countertops and tables. Although somewhat reminiscent of the South End Buttery, the Wholy Grain maintains a charm of its own. There are baked goods to choose from on the counter ranging from the traditional croissants to muffins to breakfast stromboli. There is also a glass case which--as of today--only had a strawberry cream cake and brownies in it; but, eventually, it should be filled with cakes and other pastries, we can only assume. We ordered a few items to try, a chocolate croissant/pain au chocolat, a blueberry muffin, a bacon-avocado-chicken wrap, a spicy-chicken and blue cheese sandwich, and a raspberry-almond cream croissant. Although it is unclear, we think the croissants and bread are made off-site while the muffins and tarts seem to be made in-house.

The chocolate croissant was light and flaky; overall very good. We were impressed with the raspberry almond cream croissant; on looks alone it could have won us over but the taste was just as impressive--it was fantastic. The bacon avocado chicken wrap was decent. The avocado wasn't quite ripe enough and the wrap itself was a bit bland but the bacon and chicken tasted good. The wrap sold for $6.95, so a bit over 7 bucks after taxes--a bit too high a price I think but typical for the area. The blueberry muffin was jam-packed with blueberries, after unwrapping it and breaking off a piece you could see a ton of blueberries inside. The spicy chicken sandwich looked and tasted very good, too.

The Wholy Grain was quite busy when we got there, but we didn't mind the wait. We enjoyed the friendly service and the comfortable atmosphere. This is a good alternative to the Buttery. My hope is, as the weeks go on, there will be more take-away baked goods such as cakes, cookies, and different types of bread available for purchase. Overall, there are a few kinks the Wholy Grain needs to work out but it will make a wonderful addition to the neighborhood. We are certainly excited for the outdoor seating come warmer weather!

South End Bakery

2011-02-25T09:51:00.003-05:00

The South End finally gets a real bakery, The Wholey Grain. We'll try to visit this weekend to fill everyone in!

Tico

2011-02-14T16:44:00.014-05:00

For a last minute Valentine's Day dinner I decided that it was right about time to try one of Boston's newest restaurants, Tico. I had heard a few things about this place - that it was Latin American, Central American, Mexican, Small Plate/Tapas, and Nuevo Latino, so I had to go check it out for myself. Lucky for us we were able to get a table for two at 6:45.

We were seated without issue and put right in front on St. James at a table for two - thankfully it would give me enough light to take some food pictures, as the place overall is rather dim. After we ordered a very nice bottle of Garnacha, our server was kind enough to fill us in as to plate sizes and whatnot so we wouldn´t order too much or too little food. Basically the menu is divided into 4 sections. There are a number of tacos, each serving two and costing between 8 and 12 and consisting of two small tacos. Then there are the "a la plancha" or grilled selections, ranging from around 5 to 12. Thirdly are the "small plates", a large selection of dishes for sharing ranging from around 7 to 12. Finally are maybe 5 or 6 full-size entrees for a main course. We figured it best to get a variety of things to try, and as our server suggested we split our selections among the first three varieties. We ended up with 1 set of tacos, 2 from the grilled, and then 5 of the small plates, one of which was added on at the end...plus dessert ;-) While we waited we enjoyed freshly baked bread with olive oil - nothing special but definitely delicious. The first dish to come out was the fried calamari with ancho-lime aioli. It was your standard calamari - the deep fried lime wedges were a nice touch and the aioli was as tasty as any mayonnaise-based dip can be. Next came the chicken "a la plancha" with spicy pomegranate served on little skewers. The chicken was moist and had a really delicious seared flavor, and while the pomegranate sauce wasn't overly spicey, I was a big fan.

Next came the sweetbreads with blood orange, endive, hazelnuts and masa harissa. While the mystery still remains as to which part of what animal I was served, the sweetbreads were very mild and nicely enhanced with the harissa and blood oranges. Luckily by this point we were not even halfway through! The next three dishes came in succession, starting with the tacos with tender pork with spicy cucumber. The pork was wonderfully moist and flavorful, and the cucumbers were at that nice halfway pickled stage providing a nice crunch to the soft tortilla taco. Next was the risotto - while it was flavorful enough and the rice was nicely cooked, there was hardly any chorizo, and at it tasted like the chorizo I buy at Stop & Shop - not at all bad, but I was hoping for something more. Finally came the meatballs with smoky tomato. The meatballs had a nice crisp outer layer and were perfectly cooked, but the "smoky tomato" sauce that accompanied it was non-descript.

At this point we were feeling satisfied, but I still wished I had ordered the mushroom and cheese quesadilla with black truffle salsa. Done. Within minutes our light and crisp tortilla arrived - the mushrooms were great, though I wish the cheese had been something like chihuahua, not American-esque like I tasted. The little dollop of truffle salsa was really nice, but could definitely have been amplified. Dessert? Why not?! It was Valentine's Day after all. Our dessert had a long name, the "chocolate gelatto-peanut butter mousse over-the-top caramelized banana split" with Mexican chocolate and crushed peanuts. The hyphens were confusing. What came out was a three-scoop serving of chocolate gelatto sitting in a bit of peanut butter sauce (mousse) alongside a caramalized banana with everything sprinkled in peanuts and then a side of Mexican chocolate. This was legitimate, particularly the chocolate sauce with just enough cayenne to really enhance the dish overall. The gelatto was excellent and the whole dish was perfectly-sized to be split between two.

All in all we left satisfied with Tico and would consider returning, but we could certainly think of some improvements. First of all was the music. I'm not quite sure if Tico has decided what it wants to be - swanky Latin lounge and restaurant, yuppy south-of-the-border hangout, or what, but the music leaves something to be desired and didn't quite match with the atmosphere. As mentioned before it was very dim, but at least warm-colored. For how big the place is, though, I'm not sure if this works. Price-wise the food was decent, though to compete with other local tapas-type restaurants like Masa it should consider some time with reduced price menu items as what I got wasn´t necessarily what I thought I was paying for. Regardless, the place has been open for only a week, and if it doing this well so far it definitely deserves future patronage, and I´m looking forward to coming back and sitting at the bar for something from its extensive selection of tequilas and some nibbles at the bar.

Cœur à la crème! A perfect Valentine's day dessert -- or any day for that matter!

2011-02-13T17:55:00.001-05:00

It's truffle day!

2011-02-12T13:45:00.000-05:00

That is a LARGE club sandwich! At The Beehive!

2011-02-11T21:14:00.000-05:00

Boston Olive Oil Company

2011-02-06T21:49:00.003-05:00

Strolling down Newbury this afternoon we couldn't help but be drawn into the Boston Olive Oil Company. Though it has been there since the fall of 2010 and we had heard good things about it, only now did we finally take the time check it out!

Walking in you see that this place means business - the entire store is lined with rows of handsome stainless steel fusti with spigots for tasting the over 40 varieties of extra virgin olive oils and balsamic vinegars. We were immediately greeted by one of the owners who was happy to educate us a bit about her products. Their Olive Oils are 100% Extra Virgin, unfiltered and settled, and come from both the northern and southern hemispheres. There are the varietals, which are unadulterated oils like the manzanillo and ascalano, and then a large selection of fused/infused oils. The Balsamic vinegars, on the other hand, are harvested in Modena, Italy and imported to the store and bottled on the premises. They range from the traditional balsamic to more interesting varieties like pomegranate and pumpkin.

All of the products are available to be tasted right there in little paper cups and with small pieces of bread. The owner was kind enough to suggest a number of combinations, like the herbs de provence oil with mandarin balsamic and the tuscan herb oil with pomegranate balsamic, the latter of which we ended up purchasing. Another great combination we enjoyed was the harissa olive oil, which is infused with smoked chili peppers, garlic, caraway coriander, cumin, with the tahitian vanilla balsamic vinegar. We could have spent an hour in there guzzling all kinds of delicious oils and vinegars! I must say it was a lovely way to spend a quarter of an hour or so and inspired a delicious antipasto lunch drizzled in our new oil and vinegar combination! I look forward to returning to sample and purchase some more in the near future!

Bottles for purchase are directly underneath the fusti and average at about 18 dollars for 375 ml. You can find the Boston Olive Oil Company at 262 Newbury Street and online at their website, on facebook, and on twitter!

Brunch at Gaslight in the South End

2011-02-03T21:27:00.008-05:00

Since moving downtown last summer we've had the opportunity to sample the brunch offerings at many a restaurant in Back Bay and the South End. One of our favorites for the food, atmosphere, and the price has consistently been Gaslight Brasserie du Coin. While great any time of year, it is particularly nice to eat on the patio on summer mornings when the early afternoon heat has yet to set in.

By far the best option value-wise is the 9.95 prix-fixe menu, available all day Saturday and between 10am and 11am on Sundays. Included with this menu is a glass of either freshly squeezed orange or grapefruit juice, Peet's coffee or tea, and Julia Child's spiced shortbread with raspberry jam. The spiced shortbread is excellent - soft and tangy and very light. It's the perfect bit of sweetness for those who like a more savory breakfast, but still want something to satisfy their sweet tooth.

As for the main dishes, one can choose between the vanilla french toast with Vermont
maple syrup and blueberry compote, an omelette Lyonnaise with gruyere cheese,
potatoes and caramelized onions, and scrambled eggs & cantal fondue served over toasted brioche with fines herbes. The standout here for me is the omelette Lyonnaise - it is incredibly filling and the caramelized onions and gruyere are a match made in heaven. Though not a sweet breakfast fan, the French toast is quite tasty, and you can't go wrong with good maple syrup on anything. The scrambled eggs is for me the weakest of the three, probably because it doesn't have enough of the "cantal fondue" going on, but I still certainly enjoyed it. The regular brunch items range from truffled scrambled egg tartine and caramelized banana crepes, to more lunchy items like croque monsieur and salade niçoise. A diehard smoked salmon fan, I've very much enjoyed the scrambled eggs with smoked salmon, fromage blanc, capers and toast. With many breakfast items involving eggs and smoked salmon, the salmon becomes far too cooked and loses its smoked flavor, but with this omelette that was not the case.

There are also a number of sides to be had such as pain au chocolat or French onion soup, and early morning boozers can partake in the gaslight bloody mary, matin martini, and other fun brunch cocktails. All in all there is something for everyone, and with its very reasonable prices there isn't a reason you shouldn't give Gaslight a mid-morning try!

Great Bento at Yasu in Brookline!

2011-01-29T14:41:00.008-05:00

Thinking about lunch today we had two things in mind - something Asian and something cheap. A Bento box lunch special was precisely what we needed. Having good memories of a meal here some time ago, we headed to Yasu, a Korean, barbecue and sushi restaurant in Coolidge Corner.

The choices for the lunchbox special are pretty straight forward - a few Korean dishes, some sushi combinations, tempura, and a couple of teriyaki dishes. Each comes with a bowl of Miso soup, a salad, rice, and a "chef's choice" surprise. All average around $9, with the exception of one of the sushi selections. I opted for the kalbi(갈비), which is marinated beef short ribs in a "special sauce". Chris went with the spicy pork (돼지불고기), which is fairly self explanatory. After slurping up our miso, which was very good, I was very pleased to see a big bento box chock-full of delicious-looking things headed my way!

In addition to the chosen dish, rice, and salad were 3 pieces of california roll, a noodle salad, and what seemed to be fried orange chicken. The marinated beef was delicious and served alongside the bone it came off of. The "special sauce" was soy-based but I'm not sure what else was going on in there, maybe some ginger, garlic, etc. The "chef's choice" was, indeed, orange chicken with little pieces of baby corn and scallion, and though it was a little bit cold, it was very good. The sushi was pretty standard, and the noodle salad was nice - stir-fried cellophane noodles served cold with little bits of vegetable. It may have been japchae.
Chris' pork was also very tasty. It wasn't super spicy by any means but the thinly sliced pieces of fried pork definitely spent some time with hot chili peppers.

All in all it was a very successful lunch for a total of $24 for two including tax and tip. I'm looking forward to returning!

Goose Island Sofie Belgian Style Ale

2011-01-12T13:45:00.005-05:00

Going back to my parents' house in Illinois for the holidays, I am always excited to indulge in local beers I can't typically find back home in Boston. One of my favorite Chicago-based breweries, Goose Island, recently came out with a line of vintage and vintage reserve ales. Thanks to my sister's boyfriend's attempt at buying my affections with beer, I had the opportunity to try two of them, Matilda and Sofie.
While I thoroughly enjoyed both of them, Sofie came out on top. Described as a beer for champagne drinkers, which I certain am, Sofie is a "tart, dry, sparkling ale" with a "subtle, spicy white pepper note, a hint of citrus from the orange peel and a creamy vanilla finish". It was incredibly light and refreshing and had that lovely slightly musky Belgian taste about it. A little more pricey than the standard Goose Island brews, it is certainly worth the extra couple dollars. Rumor has it that Brookline's Public House Provisions had it in stock, but I fear the store has since shut down for good. Regardless, I look forward to trying to rest of the line of new ales Goose Island has to offer wherever I may come across them!

Mamie Eisenhower's Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

2010-11-14T17:50:00.002-05:00

Every year around this time, it seems I am given or happen upon this recipe. Supposedly, it is Mamie Eisenhower's very own Pumpkin Chiffon Pie. After reading the ingredients and directions, I decided this year, I would give it a shot. It looked extremely easy and hey, if it was good enough for the President, it's good enough for me. It only took a few minutes to whip up (I confess I used frozen pie-crust) and I let it chill for a few hours before diving in. To my delight it was great! Below is the recipe in case you need something quick and easy for this Thanksgiving or for a Fall dinner.

Mamie Eisenhower's Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

Ingredients:

1 env. plain gelatin

4 tbsp. cold water

1 cup brown sugar

3 eggs, separated

1/2 cup milk

1-1/2 cups canned pumpkin

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ginger

1/4 tsp. allspice

3 tbsp. granulated sugar

1 baked 9" Pie Shell

Directions:

Soak gelatin in water for about 5 minutes. Combine brown sugar, egg yolks, milk, pumpkin, salt and spices in top of double boiler. Cook over boiling water, stirring until thickened. Remove from fire. Add gelatin, stir until thoroughly dissolved. Chill until mixture begins to set. Beat egg whites quite stiff; gradually add sugar while continuing to beat until stiff. Fold the meringue into pumpkin mixture. Pour into baked pie shell and chill until set.

Marilyn Monroe's Stuffing Recipe

2010-11-10T13:27:00.004-05:00

The NY Times today published an all but forgotten stuffing recipe from an unlikely cook. Marliyn Monroe. The recipe appears in a new book entitled, "Fragments" about Monroe. The Times adapted it slightly for measurements and it appears here. You can read the full article here.

Commonwealth Quality

2010-09-29T08:53:00.000-04:00

The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources has launched a new program that will help consumers know that their food was grown and packaged in the Commonwealth. Look for this seal on the products you buy and know you are supporting local producers and helping to keep your carbon footprint lower.

For more information, read on: <http://www.mass.gov/agr/markets/commonwealth_quality.htm>.

Geoffrey's opening soon in the Back Bay

2010-09-19T21:13:00.002-04:00

A few months ago we went to Geoffrey's in Roslindale. We loved it. So, we were excited to hear that they were going to be opening up a new location in the South End/Back Bay where Laurel used to be.

As we walked by today, carpenters were busily working, and "opening soon" signs were in the windows. We are looking forward to opening day...

Make Your Own Herbs de Provence

2010-08-11T23:05:00.007-04:00

It always bothered me that in the U.S. if you wanted herbs de Provence you were going to have to first, spend half a month looking for them and then, after you found them, spend way too much money to buy a small pinch of them. After going to Provence and seeing how cheap the mixes are there, I was even more annoyed. Well, I have found a solution. I decided to make my own. You can buy dried herbs online for relatively cheap. I chose to use Mountainroseherbs.com and was very happy with the quality (plus they mostly sell organic!). For around 20 dollars (plus shipping) I was able to make over a pound of Herbs de Provence. Williams-Sonoma sells the same thing for 18 dollars an ounce! If I had bought that amount of herbs de Provence at Williams-Sonoma, it would have cost me over $300! Below is the recipe I used to create my mix (most mixes in America include basil but I noticed in France, the majority do not... so I stuck with the traditional mixes I saw):

4 oz Summer Savory

4 oz Marjoram

4 oz Rosemary

4 oz Thyme

1 oz Lavender (you can leave out the lavender if you want as a lot of mixes don't have it but there's something about the scent of lavender that's just "oh-so-Provence")

Boston Food Market

2010-07-29T10:41:00.000-04:00

Let's hope this actually happens. They've been talking about it for a long time. This will be great for Boston! Read the Boston Globe article here.

image credit: Utile Design via Boston Globe

Read the Boston Globe article here.

Teton Brews

2010-07-11T12:20:00.000-04:00

While shopping for beverages here in Idaho, we came across some local microbrews at the grocery store from the Grand Teton Brewing Company and the Snake River Brewery. Our choice was clear. We realized HOW local some of these were when on the way back home, I looked over and saw that the Grand Teton Brewing Company is right up the road from the house!

Apart from the one that says "Alaskan," these beers are crafted very close by in Victor, Idaho or Jackson Hole, WY. As you can see, we got an assortment. They were all very good, but our favorite was the Lost Continent Double IPA, a special brew with three lbs. of hops in every barrel. It was delicious and surprisingly citrusy.

My two other favorites were the Snake River Lager and the Snake River Pale Ale. The Old Faithful Ale was also noteworthily good.

Boston Food Truck Festival

2010-07-09T16:35:00.000-04:00

Apparently, there is a Food Truck Festival in the works!

More info here: Boston's 1st Annual Food Truck Festival

Here is a blurb from the Boston Herald

>>Citysearch Boston and SoWa Sundays are trying to corral the Hub’s burgeoning food truck scene into one location next month.They’ve put out the call for food trucks to participate in Boston’s First Annual Food Truck Festival.
The event is scheduled for Aug. 8 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at 500 Harrison Ave., the South End location for the outdoor SoWa bazaar that runs from May to September. <<

Macaron Party

2010-07-05T10:00:00.003-04:00

Earlier this year, we had a macaron-making party. It was our first time, and we were a little nervous; but, in the end, we had some fantastic little pastries. It is definitely worth the effort. Here are a few snapshots.

Macaron Party

A Peek at Menorcan Cuisine

2010-06-08T04:30:00.020-04:00

A bit over a week ago I had the opportunity to spend a wonderful weekend in Menorca, one of the Balearic Islands off the East Coast of Spain. Settled at different points by Phoenicians, Arabs, Catalans, French, and English, among other peoples, the island's gastronomy reflects a wonderful mix of cultures and traditions and of course all the wonders the Mediterranean has to offer.

The spiny lobsters that come to the Balearic coasts are renowned as some of the Mediterranean's tastiest, especially those caught between Mallorca and Menorca. Though prepared in a variety of ways, the most famous by far is the Caldereta de Llagosta, a simple but outstanding lobster stew not unlike the French Bouillabaisse. At around 60€ for 500 grams (plenty for two people to split) it is certainly on the pricier end of things, but in my experience totally worth it.
Fornells, a small fishing town on the island's north-central coast is said to be the place to get it, so naturally we enjoyed our stew there at Es Port, a restaurant just along the port.

With seafood on a Mediterranean island you really can't go wrong - grilled razor clams, raw cockles, broiled angler fish, and squid both stuffed and fried were among the delicacies we constantly indulged in. If I were to pick a standout after the caldereta, however, I'd have to say that the garlic prawns from Café Balear on the port of Ciutadella were a cut above, so incredibly flavorful and tender I could have eaten 10 kilo's worth.

Moving onto products from land, perhaps the most well-known product would be Maó cheese, shown here with Sobrassada, a sausage typical of neighboring island Mallorca. The cheese is made from cow's milk and sine 1985 has had its own denominación de origen (guarantee of origin) and is protected by a regulating council. We tried three varieties of it - the younger cheeses are more rich and creamy and perfect with a bit of honey on bread or with black pepper and olive oil - the older, harder variety is more akin to parmesan. Another delicacy further inland would be Menorcan roast suckling pig. Being on the western coast outside of Ciutadella certainly didn't stop us from having this at "Sa Caldareta" down the street. The skin was probably the best pig skin I've ever had - thick as bacon but crispy like a potato chip, certainly my daily serving of fat in one bite, but absolutely mind-blowingly delicious.

Menorca is also known for its sweets, our favorite being "amargos", a wonderful crispy-on-the-outside but chewy-on-the-inside almond-flavored cookie. Other options are carquinyols, little crispy bite-size biscotti, and pastissets, flower-shaped cookies often filled with sweet jelly. Lastly you have ensaïmada, a circular almost phyllo-like pastry whose name comes from the saïm, or pork lard, from which it is made. They come in all different sizes, some as big as 2 feet wide, and can be either sweet or savory, filled with chocolate paste and dusted with powdered sugar, or filled with local pork sausage. We devoured a maybe 20-inch chocolate one in two sittings :-)

Finally, a trip to Menorca is not complete without going through one or two bottles of Xoriguer gin, a local gin unusually produced with wine alcohol. When 18th Century British soldiers arrived along with their taste for gin, they decided to try to make their own using imported juniper berries and alcohol distilled from grapes. The result was a gin unlike any other! The best and most traditional way to drink it is in a cocktail called the pomada - take a hearty dose of xoriguer over ice, then simply add a sparkling lemonade - Fanta will do. Alternatively you could use fresh lemon juice with a bit of soda water and simple syrup. I can't even tell you how many of these I had during my week there - so refreshing and delicious, and perfect when I want something a little different from my summer standby the gin and tonic. Needless to say I will be bringing at least one bottle of this back with me as I've never seen it in the states! We were lucky enough to visit the Xoriguer distillery in Maó and see them make the gin ourselves, not to mention help ourselves to free tasting of all the company's other products, from rose liqueur to Menorcan pastis!

I will most definitely be returning to the Balearic Islands at some point in my life, if not just for the food!

Firenze: Biscotti

2010-06-06T11:35:00.001-04:00

A plateful of delicious Italian cookies we just got from Paszkowski in
the Piazza della Repubblica (which has been in Florence since 1846).

The little cantucci are Florence's version of biscotti.

The little bow-tie shaped cocoa shortbreads have inspired us to add
that shape to our repertoire.

Crostini Toscana

2010-06-06T09:49:00.000-04:00

In Florence: Crostini with pâté of chicken liver.

Delicious.

First Negroni in Italy!

2010-06-04T10:54:00.001-04:00

NEGRONI

1 part gin

1 part sweet vermouth

1 part bitters, e.g., Campari

Châteaubriand de bœuf

2010-06-04T06:54:00.000-04:00

P had the Châteaubriand served with rosemary-roasted potatoes and
ratatouille.

Agneau à Monaco

2010-06-04T06:50:00.000-04:00

Agneau with sage gnocchi and sautéed haricots verts.

It was fantastic!

Côtes de Provence

2010-06-02T11:38:00.000-04:00

Provence's rosés are perfect for a Summer day!

Ah, Provence!

2010-05-29T11:33:00.001-04:00

Local olives, local wine: a perfect apéro! ...and all for 5€!

Crema catalana

2010-05-28T18:19:00.000-04:00

Which came first? Crema catalana or crème brûlée?

This version of crema catalana from Cuines Santa Caterina in Barcelona
was excellent.

Cochinillo in BCN

2010-05-28T03:52:00.000-04:00

Delicious suckling pig with tomato marmelade at Cuines de Santa
Caterina - Baecelona

4 Gats - Barcelona

2010-05-27T09:23:00.001-04:00

Canneloni with white truffle béchamel at the 4 Gats in Barcelona.

Vi catala

2010-05-27T09:21:00.001-04:00

Our first Catalan wine in Catalunya! Molt bé

Eureka gin!

2010-05-25T12:53:00.000-04:00

I've finally been able to find other types of gin (other than London
Dry) and can't wait for a summer gin tasting!

Delicious and easy tuna and goat cheese empanadillas!

2010-04-22T11:54:00.007-04:00

I must admit when I first came across this recipe, I was a little apprehensive about tuna and goat cheese going well together, but these empanadillas were absolutely delicious and super easy to make!

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
5 tablespoons minced onion
6 oz canned tuna, packed in olive oil
4 oz goat cheese
3 oz pimento-stuffed olives, chopped
5 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
3 tablespoons capers, chopped
1 teaspoon paprika
Salt and pepper, to taste.
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
30 puff pastry discs (can be found in the freezer section with Latin American-type things. You can of course cut out your own discs of about 3 inches from a 16 oz. package of puff pastry)
1 egg, beaten (for the egg wash)

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes or until softened. Remove from the heat and set aside

Using whatever utensil you fancy, mash the tuna (drained, but not to the point of it being dry) with the onion, garlic, goat cheese, olives, pine nuts, capers, paprika, salt, and pepper. I found that with the salt from the olives and capers there was no need for any extra salt (I even reduced the amount of capers to 3 tbsp from 5), but you can certainly pepper it up a bit. Fill the center of each puff pastry disc with around a tablespoon of filling, then fold over and seal the edges with a bit of water. You can also crimp the edges with a fork to give the empanadillas a bit more character. Make a small slit in the top of each empanadilla with a knife, then brush them with the egg wash.

Put in a baking dish or sheet pan at medium heat for around 20 minutes, or until the empanadillas become somewhat golden and crisp-looking. Finally, ¡que aprovechen!

Kriek Lambic

2010-03-27T15:52:00.007-04:00

Last year, we took a trip to Amsterdam. I was surprised by how good all the food was. I had never pictured Amsterdam to have such good cuisine. One of my favorite things we had there was a special type of lambic called, "kriek". Kriek lambic is a type of beer made with dark cherries. It's red in color with a nice pink foam on top. Kriek is not really like our flavored beers here (such as pumpkin or blueberry) that lose the taste of the added ingredients after a few sips. Kriek definitely is a distinct lasting taste that is unmistakably cherry. In Amsterdam, Kriek was cheap, a few euros a glass. In Boston, more and more stores carry it with a price tag of about $12. (A bottle can give you about 4 glasses.) Sam Adams now makes their own Kriek Lambic but the most common type you can find around here (Foodies on Washington Street or Wine Emporium on Dartmouth Street carry it) is the traditional imported brand: Brouwerij Lindemans. Delicious and definitely worth trying.

La Calçotada

2010-03-14T12:13:00.005-04:00

Today in Andorra we had the opportunity to experience a calçotada, a popular gastronomical event held around this time where calçots, a type of green onion, are consumed in large quantities. Somewhat milder than onions but looking like thinner versions of leeks, calçots are native to eastern Spain and not really consumed anywhere else.

The tenderness of the long, center is achieved by planting the onion bulbs in trenches and successively increasing the depth of the soil around the stems throughout autumn and winter as they continue to grow. The catalan verb calçar apparently means literally to cover the trunk or bottom of plant with dirt, hence the onion's name calçot

The calçots are barbecued in large quantities over fire, then served - today they were divvied out and wrapped in newspapers. Once you receive your portion of calçots you must peel off the charred outer layer to reach the sweet and tender center. This is then dipped in the typical Catalan romesco sauce made from ground nuts, oil, garlic, and small red bell peppers, among other things. It is very much reminiscent of muhamarra from Arabic/Turkish cuisine. On the side it is typical to grill sausages and bread, both of which we also had today along with some wine.

The eating of the calçot is quite a production and, like with lobsters in the U.S., one is served a bib so as to not make a mess. We even got plastic gloves today. Despite waiting an hour in line (Andorran efficiency at its finest!) I'd say it was definitely worth the wait! Fun little festivals like this are definitely some of my favorite things about living in greater Catalunya.

Butter Chicken

2010-03-04T16:56:00.001-05:00

You know we love to cook all kinds of things. A lot of the recipes we share on here can tend to be a little involved; but recently, we got a slow cooker and have been trying to find some good recipes to make in it. It's great, because we can still have a daily home-cooked meal without having a lot of active time in the kitchen every day. Lately, we've been preparing a dish the night before, letting it cook overnight, and then having lunch for the next day! P has done a Italian Meatloaf a few times, and I've made Butter Chicken twice now.

I had the Butter Chicken for lunch today, and everyone in the office commented on how good it smelled. It also tasted great! The recipe for it is below.

Butter Chicken

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1.5 lbs large skinless, boneless chicken breasts and/or thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 tablespoon curry paste
2 teaspoons tandoori masala
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
15 green cardamom pods (optionally, you can string these together for easy removal)
1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk, shaken well before opening (NOT sweetened cream of coconut)
1 cup plain yogurt
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup raisins (either black or golden)
1/2 cup slivered almonds

Directions

Add the cut-up chicken to the slow cooker.
In a separate large skillet, melt the butter and vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the dry spices and let them bloom for a few minutes in the hot fat. Add the onion and garlic. Cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 10 minutes. Stir in the curry paste and tomato paste until no lumps of tomato paste remain. Next, pour in the coconut milk and use it to deglaze the pan if anything has begun to stick. Season to taste with salt. Pour into the slow cooker with the chicken and stir in the cardamom pods and yogurt.
Cook on High 4 to 6 hours, or on Low 6 to 8 hours until the chicken is tender and the sauce has reduced to your desired consistency. Correct seasoning. Remove and discard the cardamom pods before serving--or at least tell your guests not to eat them! ;-)
Serve with basmati rice or naan/chapati

Casa Leon Armengol - Andorra's Best Prix Fixe Menu?

2010-02-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

When in Western Europe a prix-fixe afternoon menu is not hard to come by - practically every restaurant has one. We've experienced the menus at several Andorran restaurants now, but it's Casa Leon Armengol's lunch menu in the Parish of Ordino that keeps us coming back.
Owned by chef Christophe Grosjean, this 8.95€ menu includes a soup, starter, main course, and dessert. There are three to four options for each course, one of which is the daily special. Naturally it's the daily specials we tend to go for...

When it was still warm out for our first course we were served a wonderful homemade gazpacho, while in the colder winter months the soup of the day might be a delicious white bean or vegetable stew.
For the starter we've never been able to resist the hard-boiled eggs with ham, baked in an earthenware dish and smothered with a béchamel sauce. Though rather simple it's simply exquisite. Other options include a traditional Catalan salad and pasta.

For the main course specials we've had an incredible pork rib confit served with roasted potatoes as well as stewed beef. My favorite is the whole clove of roasted garlic that comes alongside.

For dessert one has the choice of a tarte tatine, a gloriously rich chocolate cake with a creamy sauce, fresh fruit, and another options which escapes me. Needless to say we've gone with the tarte and the cake.

Add another Euro or two for a nice cold beer or a glass of wine and you leave Casa Leon Armengol with a full belly and only 10€ poorer. Though it's a bit of a trek from the capital, and by trek I mean a 20 minute bus ride, this lunch menu keeps us coming back and will certainly be a lunch stop for anyone visiting us in Andorra.

The restaurant also has a webpage, mostly in French

Creamy Truffled Polenta

2010-02-07T13:11:00.000-05:00

We recently participated in a recreational cooking "class" at the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts. It was fun. We weren't quite sure how it was going to work, but each couple ended up being in charge of one or two dishes (depending on the difficulty or time required) so that all of the dishes would be ready at the correct time (and we could all eat them).

We were put in charge of making polenta—truffled polenta. It was delicious and easy to make. Below is the recipe.

Creamy Truffled Polenta

Serves 2-4

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

6 oz. fresh crimini (or baby bella) mushrooms, sliced

2.5 oz. fresh shiitaki mushrooms: stems discarded, caps sliced

3 cups chicken broth, warmed

3/4 cup dried polenta meal

1 Tbsp truffle oil (or to taste)

1 cup milk

1/2 cup light cream or half & half

salt & pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and garlic and sauté until soft and caramelized. Add chicken broth; bring to a boil. Gradually whisk in polenta, ensuring there are no lumps. Add milk. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat and cook until polenta is tender and the mixture is very thick, stirring frequently—about 10 minutes. Stir in truffle oil. Add cream and adjust seasoning. Serve warm.

The consistency should be that of thick grits or "Cream of Wheat"/farina hot cereal. If you make this dish ahead, it will more than likely thicken more as the corn absorbs more liquid. You can always adjust the consistency to your liking before serving by adding more cream or broth, adjusting the seasoning as well.

Variation

By omitting the milk and cream and allowing the polenta to firmly set, you can slice the finished product and grill or fry the slices.

To do this, follow the instructions above, skipping the milk and cream. Transfer the cooked polenta into a greased 8"x8"x2" pan and spread the mixture evenly. Place plastic wrap onto the surface of the polenta to prevent a skin. Refrigerate until set.

Cut into 6 pieces. Brush both sides with oil and grill until warm and slightly charred, about 3 minutes per side. You may also fry the slices in a skillet with oil and butter.

South End's Sustainable Market Changing Hands

2010-01-19T12:16:00.000-05:00

Lionette's Market in the South End will be changing hands. Don Otto's Natural and Organic Market will have a grand opening (according to their website as of today) on 'next Saturday,' which I take to mean Saturday, January 23, 2010. Check out their website for up-to-date info.

The following press release is taken directly from their website.

///

Don Otto and his family are taking over Lionette's at 577 Tremont St in the South End of Boston. Like James Lionette, our main focus will be to bring Local, Clean & Sustainable Food to people who care about our planet and what goes into their bodies. We will feature the same quality prepared foods made by the same Chefs. In addition to keeping the amazing food and Chefs, we will add a few twists of our own guaranteed to please. We also will be working with the same Small Farms in and around New England to provide our Organic Produce, Dairy products, Clean Meats, Delicious Cheeses, and other Local Products. James Lionette was the first person in the city of Boston to offer Grass Fed Beef and other Naturally Raised Meat & Poultry. Don Otto will carry on this legacy, offering only the highest Quality, Local, Clean, & Sustainable Meats and Poultry in New England. At Don Otto's you be guaranteed "Authentic Food". NO MASS PRODUCED potentially harmful food created for PROFIT rather than PEOPLE.

Don Otto will be taking over Lionette's market in a few days. We will be doing business under the name Lionette's until early February, then we will close on a on a Monday for renovations and hopefully re-open for our Grand Opening on the following Saturday. The exact dates are currently tentative so stay tuned

###

I am excited.

Escudella

2010-01-17T09:40:00.008-05:00

Today, on the Feast of St. Anthony, all of Andorra gathers together in various plazas throughout the country to celebrate what is called L'escudella. Escudella, itself, it the name given to a traditional Catalan stew full of delicious things like Catalan sausages, beans, and various vegetables. Apparently in the early 70s some friends in Andorra got together and prepared plates of escudella for their neighbors and the shopkeepers in the area. They were essentially reviving the centuries-old tradition of distributing food among the poorest in the parish on St. Anthony's day, January 17th. As you might have guessed, this became quite popular and now the entire country participates.

Lucky for us, in Andorra la Vella the festivities were taking place just a 5 minute walk from our apartment in the Plaça de Les Arcades. Basically the whole plaza was set up with the Escudellaires working massive vats of stew and then long rows of tables for people to eat at. The stew, as well as bread, dessert, and wine are all free - provided you bring a bowl. If you don't have a bowl they sell really nice commemorative painted bowls for 7€ with the year engraved on it, or even bowls from years past for a few Euros cheaper. The most popular thing to do, however, seemed to be to bring tupperware from home.

Once you show them you have a bowl, they give you a ticket and then you pass through to where you are served hunks of meat and sausage followed by several ladels-worth of stew. Finally there are nice hunks of bread for dipping. At the tables were also porrons, typical glass wine pitchers that one passes from person to person. As you tip the pitcher the wine comes spewing out in a narrow stream - quite daunting if you've never drank from one before. Once we'd finished our stew, which was of course delicious, particularly the nice fat sausage I had in mine, we got back in line for dessert - delicious hunks of tortell, o-shaped pastries filled with marzipan. It was a perfect (not to mention free!) meal for a chilly January afternoon. I certainly hope there are more delicious food festivals in the months to come!

Wild Fish - incredible sushi in the Chicago 'burbs

2010-01-12T12:31:00.002-05:00

Every time I'm back home in the Chicago suburbs 'Wild Fish' is a must-go food destination. Luckily my entire family loves stuffing their faces with sushi just as much as I do, so finding someone to go with is never an issue. I've tried many a sushi place in both the city and suburbs and Wild Fish still remains my number one.

For appetizers we typically try to do something other than sushi, given that there is a plethora of it on the way, but sometimes we just can't say no to a new sushi or sashimi appetizer creation. Both the seaweed and normal japanese salads are excellent, and you really can't go wrong with an order of the tempura - vegetable, chicken, shrimp, or whatever combination you'd like. This past time we opted for the soft-shell crab appetizer, which was "lightly floured and fried soft-shell crab served with citrus-soy dipping sauce". It was a nice dish for sharing given the easy-to-pick-apart legs fried to perfection.

For our main dish we split three of the maki rolls. Perhaps the most interesting was the roll on special, the "santa baby roll". This consisted of mozzarella cheese and pico de gallo over spicy tuna, salmon, yellowtail, and shrimp tempura with an eel and wasabi mayo. Our second roll was the "ocean drive", fresh yellowtail, big-eye tuna, cilantro and green pepper wrapped in soybean paper and with a splash of chili oil and lime. Last but not least was the "original dragon" - eel over shrimp tempura with avocado as well.

Unagi, or freshwater eel, is hands down my favorite of any cooked sushi component and is always brushed with an incredible sweet sauce. We also shared a bowl of the chicken fried rice at my sister's request. Though not something I typically enjoy with sushi (rice overload) it did taste very fresh and didn't seem to be laden with half the chemicals and additives, not to mention gallon of grease, that you typically find with take-out fried rice.

Having been in Arlington Heights for a number of years now it seems that Wild Fish is here to stay. Thankfully I have somewhere back home for sushi that never disappoints, someplace I'd highly recommend for anyone who finds themselves in the Northwest Suburbs!

Ham Cocktail 'Biscuits'

2010-01-11T12:15:00.004-05:00

Growing up, it seemed that every time my parents would have a party/gathering, we'd make these ham biscuits. They are not biscuits in the traditional Southern sense of the word, but they are surely delicious.

I made them for our New Year's Eve cocktail party, and they seemed to be a hit.

Ham Biscuits

1/4 lb. (100g) butter, softened

2 tsp. Dijon Mustard

2 Tbsp. poppy seeds

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 small onion, finely minced

1 package (20-24) party rolls (These are often called 'brown and serve.')
4-5 oz. sliced ham

1, 4-oz. package sliced Swiss cheese (Of course, one can use grated cheese.)

Mix together softened butter, mustard, poppy seeds, Worcestershire sauce,

and onion. Slice open the bread and spread mixture on both sides. Top half

with cheese and half with ham. Close rolls and bake at 350ºF until

cheese is melted. Cut into individual sandwiches and serve warm.

Minim's - Andorra La Vella, Andorra

2010-01-10T04:25:00.016-05:00

Despite the food-centered nature of my roommates and I, we somehow hadn't really gone out for a proper Andorran meal in the several months we've been here. Alex's boyfriend's visit gave us the perfect excuse, and so we were off into the evening in search of someplace to dine. The Antic Carrer Major (Old Main Street) had couple of places that appealed to us, and so we settled upon "Minims" based on the reasonable prices and dish selection seen on the menu posted outside.
Walking into the restaurant between 8:30 and 9 we were unsurprisingly the first people there. It seems no matter when we go out to eat it just isn't late enough for us to not seem like foreigners. Though we didn't have a reservation (which we apparently needed?) they quickly seated us at a table in the back. The place itself had maybe a dozen tables and, though not overly decorated, was cute in a way.

We decided we'd each do a starter and an entrée (well, Alex had no entrée) and then split a bottle of wine - bé. Alex and Matt both ordered the "sopa de ceba gratinada" - onion soup, while I opted for the "coca". Coca is somewhat of an umbrella-term for a variety of breads, in this case a flatbread having anchovy, arugula, fig, and parmigiano reggiano. Before this arrived, however, we were brought a nice plate of little bread toasts with a creamy dollop of cheese covered with anchovy and what looked like pea tendrils or watercress. The creamy cheese had a nice light and airy texture and did a good job of balancing the saltiness of the anchovy.

Moving on, soon came the onion soups. While they looked quite akin to French onion soup they really were quite different . The onions were less caramelized but sweet and seemingly of the Spanish variety. The broth was less salty - Alex described it as almost a cross between egg-drop soup and french onion, minus the Asian herbs. The raw egg dropped into it certainly added to that description! My coca was delicious - the fig was incorporated as a deliciously sweet sauce drizzled over everything, and they certainly didn't skip on the nice anchovy filets draped over the flatbread. While the bits of parmesan were tasty enough, I could have done without it. Well, either that or more of it!

For my main dish I was feeling a bit adventurous and settled on the "peus de porc farcits amb bolets i salsifis" - stuffed pig's feet with mushrooms and salsify/oyster plant/goatsbeard (tragopogon porrifolius) The actual feet were used as casing, the stuffing being a blend of primarily pork and rice. The texture of the feet might turn some people off, but it is not unlike that of a slimier mushroom variety - certainly not unpleasant like fat can be at times. The sauce was on the salty side but very savory and rather like a nice thick beef stew. I could have used a few more mushrooms but the ones I had were quite nice. At the time I did not know what "salsifi" was, nor could I really figure out what it was on my plate admidst the stewy goodness, but I now know that it is a plant whose roots and leaves purportedly taste somewhat like oyster.

Matt's entrée was the "costelles de corder servides a la llosa" - lamb chops served on a "paving stone".
We couldn't for the life of us remember what "a la llosa" meant, but seeing as the chops came out sizzling on a stone slab it would seem that "paving stone" is the translation we were looking for, haha. The lamb chops were described as salty but very good. They were accompanied by roasted onions, peppers, what looked like fennel, and some lovely bits of grilled fat. Unfortunately I only had a bite of the grilled fat (shocking), but from what I gather it was a very satisfying dish.

We washed down our meal with a decent bottle of crianza, and by the time we were done there was no room for dessert. We waited the usual half-a-lifetime for the check, as we have done elsewhere in Western Europe, but we weren't in any particular rush. Naturally a bit after 10:30 when we left the place was hopping - when will we learn? Overall we were quite satisfied with our little dining excursion and would very much consider returning for some more reasonably-priced Andorran delights :-)

Potato Pierogi

2010-01-03T17:40:00.009-05:00

Being half Polish and half Italian our Christmas Eve dinners were always an eclectic mix of cultures; fish for the Italian side and pierogi for the Polish side. My grandparents used to bring pierogi from my great aunt's church group in NJ ( all the old Polish women would make them in the basement and then sell them for 6 bucks a dozen). Now that my grandmother's older and can't make the trip, it's been a sadly missed part of our recent Christmas Eve dinners. However, our friend Jeffrey who comes from a Polish family has recently supplied us with his uncle's pierogi recipe and I must say, they taste just as delicious as the ones I remember.

While our technique is not quite perfected yet, our attempt was well-rewarded with delicious pierogi that we all devoured. Below is Jeff's family's recipe. Enjoy!

Zdzislaw's Pierogi Dough
(Makes about three dozen)

See notes below

4 cups flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
3 egg yolks
1 cup milk
3 tbls. sour cream
3 tbls. melted butter or margarine

Mix flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
Melt butter (or margarine). Set aside to cool.

Beat egg yolks, milk, and sour cream, add cooled melted butter, then the flour mixture, and mix thoroughly.

Roll dough fairly thin, cut in 4-5 inch circles, fill with approx. 1 tsp. filling, fold over and seal edges by pinching together with a fork.

Boil in salted water (using large pot) about 8 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon and arrange on dishtowel to drain. When somewhat dry, place on cookie sheet lined with wax paper and place in freezer for approx. 20-30 minutes or until frozen. Dump into Zip Loc bags for freezer storage.

To serve, thaw and fry in melted butter until lightly browned. You can also add breadcrumbs or fried onions as a topping.

Note 1: Prepare fillings before preparing dough.

Note 2: Equipment: rolling pin, slotted spoon, 3-4" diameter biscuit cutter or drinking glass, large cutting board or marble slab, large stock pot for boiling pierogi, wax paper, a cookie sheet or other flat surface that is freezer safe, 2 or 3 clean dishtowels (flour sack cloths are particularly good but any cotton non-terry towel will work), freezer bags or containers. A heavy duty mixer like Kitchenaid is very helpful. A pasta machine is also helpful but not necessary.

PIEROGI FILLINGS

Filling - Potato w Cheese

2 large russet potatoes
1 medium yellow onion
3 tablespoons butter
2-3 stalks green onion
1/4 llb dry farmers cheese

Cut the potatoes into quarters and cook in cold water. While potatoes are cooking finely chop the yellow and green onions. Melt the butter and on very low heat sauté the onion mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste. When the potatoes are cooked, drain them and mash. Do not add milk or butter. When potatoes are mashed, add the onion mixture. Continue mashing until onions are integrated into the potatoes. Add the farmers cheese and continue mashing until cheese is incorporated into the potato and onion mixture. Cheese doesn't need to melt.

Montenegrin at Deta's Café, Chicago

2009-12-24T10:40:00.011-05:00

Back in Illinois, my beloved land of Slavs, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to try Deta's Cafe, a Montenegrin restaurant near my friends' place in Roger's Park. Montenegrin cuisine, like most Balkan cuisines, is a wonderful blend of all the influences that have passed through the region for centuries, from Ottoman to Italian to Hungarian. Located on the Adriatic Sea coast, there is also a wonderful Mediterranean influence that pervades the cooking.

Walking into the restaurant it felt like we were walking into someone's home. We were greeted by presumably Deta, a cute older Montenegrin woman who asked if we were hungry and led us to a table. What ensued was a conversation where she more or less told us what we were getting. That might sound ghetto, but what's fresh is fresh! She had a few salad options, 3 different bureks - spinach, sweet cheese, and meat - and then a gulaš. Ok!

We began with a nice simple salad of red pepper, tomatoes, onion, and feta with balsamic, plus some nice rye bread. It is incredible how delicious just a few fresh ingredients can be!

Next was the gulaš, originally a Hungarian dish but now a mainstay in many European cuisines. The beef was nice and tender - plenty for the three of us to split. It was served with pasta, common in the former Yugoslavia, which was fine, but nothing to write home about.

Last but not least came a massive plate of burek, both the cheese and meat varieties. Burek itself is a flaky, baked (or fried) phyllo pastry filled with a variety of delicious fillings. Brought by the Ottomans centuries ago, burek is now a hugely popular dish in the former Yugoslavia, with the rolled variety being the most prevalent. The flaky, buttery pastry with the savory fillings is a wonderful combination, and it's fun to eat it piece by piece as the roll begins to come apart. Both of ours were delicious, but the slightly salty and crumbly baked feta-like cheese one was my favorite.

Decently-full we still managed to find room for a small portion of homemade apple cake, which she brought out in three petite-sized tooth-picked slices. The cake was super-moist and the layer of apple was outstanding - just the right amount of sweetness.

I'd love to come back here again and have a look at the real menu, just to see what else Deta has to offer! Anyone who's a fan of Greek, Turkish, or other Southeastern European cuisine, as well as anyone up for something new and fun should definitely give Deta's a try!

Cookie Swap!

2009-12-16T16:57:00.000-05:00

Recently, we went to our first cookie swap. It was fantastic, and I hope it becomes a holiday ritual.

Unfortunately, I don't have all of the recipes to share, but I do have a photo of some of the goodies we got to bring home. We took P's now-famous biscotti (12 o'clock on the photo below), and we were glad to know that recipe #5 is a keeper.

Below, you can see what came home with (starting at 1 o'clock and going clockwise) "comic fortune" cookies, chocolate "crackles," chocolate-covered mint cookies, macarons, peanut butter/chocolate chip cookies, fig pinwheels, and orange/ginger slice-'n'-bake cookies (unfortunately, you're not able to see the latter). The event was a great success, and I think the bar has already been set very high, so we'll have to start getting ready for next year now. ;-)

I am going to try my hardest to get the recipes for the macarons and the fig pinwheels so they can become part of my own cookie repertoire! ;-)

The Mayor's Christmas Deals

2009-11-30T13:43:00.001-05:00

The 6th-annual Mayor's Holiday Deals have been posted online. There are some fun dining deals as well as other specials. Check it out at http://www.bostix.org/mhs/dine.html

Here's what Mayor Menino has to say:

Boston:
Your home for the holidays!
MayorsHolidaySpecial.com is your ticket to a festive day, a sparkling getaway, and memories you’ll cherish.

Wishing you good cheer.
{signed}

New York Burger Stand on Boston’s Seafood Turf?

2009-11-19T11:33:00.002-05:00

The NY Times today has an article about the possibility of a NY burger stand filling the vacant old public restroom building on the commons:

New York Burger Stand on Boston’s Seafood Turf?

Portland's Perfect Pastries

2009-11-18T14:46:00.000-05:00

On a recent trip to Portland, Maine, we were taking an evening stroll after having gorged ourselves for dinner at a chowder house and happened upon a little bakery. It was nighttime, and they were closed; but, we could see that the bakers in the back were busy at work. It smelled amazing, and we promised ourselves we'd come back the next morning for breakfast.

Well, lucky for us we did. I'm going to go ahead and say that it was the best almond croissant I'd ever had—even in France!! The buttery deliciousness was crispy and full of delicious almond paste. It was heaven in a paper bag.

We also got some breads to take with us, and they turned out to be delicious as well: one pain de mie and a boule au levain.* Now, I only wish I knew where to get these things in Boston!

A Taste of Nice!

2009-11-08T16:59:00.025-05:00

Over the past full week I had the opportunity to travel along the Mediterranean in the Côte d'Azur region of Southern France, spending the largest chunk of time in the gorgeous city of Nice. That being said I was able to indulge in some delicious Provençal cooking, some of it particular to Nice itself. Ironically, however, the one thing I did not consume was the infamous Salade Niçoise. Le sigh...life must go on.

Lou Pilha Leva
One restaurant which we had read about in our handy guidebook, Lou Pilha Leva, presented us with the opportunity to try several of the city's specialties while in the old town. The first of said dishes were farcis, small roasted vegetables stuffed with a simple pork, egg, oil, herb and breadcrumb mixture but whose taste is anything but simple! In our case the vegetables (or fruits, in the case of the tomatoes!) were tomatoes and courgettes. I'm sure every Niçoise grandmother has her own recipe, and I look forward to perfecting my own at some point.

Our next dish was the Socca, more or less a crêpe made from chickpeas, flour, and oil and seasoned with salt and pepper. To be perfectly honest the socca didn't do much for me - I found them a bit bland - but with some anchovies and olives I'm sure they would be just delicious.

Next on the list was pissaladière, a delicious flatbread/pizza made with sauteed onions, garlic, and olives and topped with bits of anchovie. The crust is a bit thicker than that of what I could consider standard pizza, but its just perfect with all the oil and juices from the toppings soaked into it. Last but not least was a hearty serving of Moules Frites - delicious mussels in a mustardy broth served with French fries. Of the three times I had mussels in the city, these were definitely my favorite - not at all overcooked and very plump and flavorful.

Le Resto
The best restaurant we went to in Nice was tucked away in the Old Town and called simply 'Le Resto'. I couldn't resist doing the menu, given that for around 20€ I'd get 3 courses, so I started out with some nice crisp bread with an anchovy pate and an olive tapenade for spreading. Both were excellent. For my main dish I opted for the Ravioli Niçoise, choosing to lean a little toward Italy and check out some of Nice's pasta offerings. This dish was incredible - the little pouches of dough almost melted in your mouth and were doused in delicious oil and herbs, primarily fresh parsley. Inside was beef and who knows what else, but whatever it was was divine. Alex chose a dish of fresh scallops baked into a small casserole and smothered in buttery breadcrumbs, zucchini, and just overall deliciousness. On the side came a mound of rice with a nice sweet taste that complemented the casserole nicely. Kelsey went with the gnocchi smothered in a gorgonzola cream sauce - how bad can that be?! As to be expected the gnocchi were wonderfully cooked and the sauce left you wanting to lick the plate. My dessert, a tiramisu-esque concoction, was quite tasty but not overly emblematic of the region
and hence not worth writing home about.

One last treat we couldn't help but indulge in in Nice was lavender ice cream! Provence is hands down the place for lavender, so why not make an ice cream with it? This was a winning combo for anyone who likes that strong floral flavor and just the right amount of sweetness.

Oh Nice, I'll miss you!

Notes - Le Resto is located at 2, Rue Rossetti, 06300 Nice and Lou Pilha Leva at 10 rue du Collet - Vieux Nice

Pumpkin Ale

2009-11-02T09:40:00.000-05:00

What is your favorite pumpkin ale?

On a recent autumnal trip around New England, we sampled a few pumpkin ales.

Smuttynose was closed, so we headed into downtown Portsmouth, NH. There, at Portsmouth Brewery, we got a nice sampling of 10 different beers, and their pumpkin ale was included. It was very spicy and did not taste particularly of pumpkin. All I could taste was cinnamon. Sure, it was seasonal, but I expected more pumpkin flavor.

Our favorite of the weekend was Shipyard's Pumpkin ale, which was both pumpkin-y and warmly spicy. (Shipyard brewery is in Portland, ME.) P also quite likes the label on the Shipyard Pumpkin Ale bottle. ;-)

Let us know what your favorite pumpkin ale is so we can give it a try!

Farm stand to use closed tire shop

2009-10-27T09:27:00.001-04:00

I think this is a much needed addition to the neighborhood!

Farm stand to use closed tire shop

More Cheesy Vermont

2009-10-23T12:04:00.000-04:00

Recently, we were lucky enough to visit some points of cheese interest in Vermont.

Taylor Farm, right outside of Londonderry is a small farm of 50 dairy cows that produces some EXCELLENT local Gouda-style cheeses. They are open to the public, and while you are at the farm, you are free to take a walk around the grounds and meet the chickens, ducks, guinea fowl, goats, and cows!! When we drove in around 4:00pm, the cows were literally coming home; it was milking time!

We walked in the shop/welcome center and sampled some of the cheeses. Again, Taylor Farm makes Gouda-style cheeses—Vermont's only! In addition to original, they also have maple smoked, Chipotle, Garlic, and Nettle. My personal two favorites were/are the Nettle and Maple Smoked versions.

After tasting some cheese and talking to the fun fowl, we went to visit the ladies in the barn.

We were able to see the milking process—and even taste some of the fresh milk. I'd never tasted better milk. It kept saying it tastes like the field—in a good way. I wish we were able to buy more raw milk products in the US.

Before leaving, we went back into the shop and began asking some questions. Before we knew it, we were shown the cheese-making room! They'd just made cheese that morning, so we missed seeing the cheesemakers in action, but it was still very interesting.

After the curds are separated out from the whey, they are cut, cooked, salted, pressed and formed, and then placed into a brine/whey mixture.

After brining, the cheese is set to dry and cure in a refrigerated room. In the photo above, you can see the difference in the batches made, I believe, a week apart.

Cheese coated in wax and set to age.

I definitely recommend stopping by Taylor Farm if you are ever in the area of Londonderry, VT. Our next plan is to do an entire Cheese Tour of Vermont. I'm excited for that. I would love to visit some of the farms making the cheeses we sampled last year in Vermont as well as the many others the state has to offer. If anyone knows of a particularly good local dairy farm or cheese maker we should include on our tour, please let us know!

Ginger Pear Upside-Down Cake

2009-10-23T10:16:00.005-04:00

I had some pears from my parents' trees in Vermont, and I wanted to do something special with them. I found a recipe for a Ginger Pear Upside-Down Cake and decided to give it a whirl. It was good and pretty nice-looking and easy to make. I think I would add a bit more spice to the actual cake though...either that or make some more of the "topping" as a sauce one could drizzle on top of each slice. Give it a try and let me know if you have any suggestions!

Ginger Pear Upside-Down Cake
Adapted from Leslie Mackie’s Macrina Bakery & Café Cookbook

For the topping:
3 Tbs salted butter, at room temperature
½ cup light brown sugar
1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt
4-5 medium to large ripe pears, peeled, cored, and quartered lengthwise

For the batter:
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup light brown sugar
2 Tbs peeled, grated ginger
3 large eggs
2/3 cup molasses
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 ½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 ½ cups buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Oil a 9-inch springform pan, and line the bottom with a 10-inch circle of parchment paper.

To make the topping: combine 3 Tbs butter, ½ cup brown sugar, cinnamon & salt in a medium saucepan. Melt the butter over medium heat for about 1 minute; then pour the mixture into the prepared springform pan, completely coating the parchment paper. Place the quartered pears on top of the butter-sugar mixture, lining the pieces up tightly in a decorative circle so that none of the bottom shows through.

To make the batter: cut 2 sticks of butter into 1-inch pieces, and put them in a large mixing bowl. Add ¾ cup brown sugar, and cream the mixture on medium speed for 3-5 minutes, until it is smooth and a pale tan color. Add the grated ginger, and beat 1 minute more. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the eggs one at a time, beating on low speed and making sure that each egg is fully incorporated before adding another. When all the eggs have been added, slowly pour in the molasses and beat to fully mix. The mixture will look as though it is “breaking” or curdling, but don’t worry—it will come together when the dry ingredients are added.

In a separate medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to fully combine.

Alternately, add small amounts of flour and buttermilk to the batter, stirring and folding with a rubber spatula until the dry ingredients are just absorbed. Do not overmix the batter. Pour and scrape the batter into the pear-lined pan, smoothing the top with a rubber surface. The pan will be nearly full.

Carefully transfer the pan to the center rack of the oven, and bake for about 1 hour and 45 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the cake’s center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Cover the pan with an upside-down serving plate; then carefully invert them together. Release the sides of the pan, and lift it away. Gently lift the pan’s base off the cake, and peel away the parchment paper. Allow the cake to cool for a half hour or so, and serve warm, with whipped cream.

Yield: One big cake, likely serving 10-12 people

Panellets - A Catalan All Saints treat

2009-10-16T10:56:00.006-04:00

As we get closer to the Tots Sants (All Saints) Holiday, bakery and confectionary windows here in Andorra have begun to advertise for the traditional All Saints treat, panellets. Literally meaning more or less "little breads", panellets are delicious little confections made primarily of marzipan. The most popular and arguably most delicious are those dipped in pine nuts and glazed with egg whites. Any fan of marzipan, almonds, or nuts in general MUST try them. At around 1€ a piece, however, they are not the cheapest sweet habit to get into.

The panellets, along with roasted chestnuts (castanyes torrades), sweet potatoes (moniatos), and a dessert wine like a sweet moscat (moscatell dolç) make up the traditional Tots Sants dessert spread. I'm thinking I need to learn how to make panellets myself and post a recipe ;-)

Sagres - Cerveja Portuguesa

2009-10-12T04:24:00.012-04:00

After a bit over a month of residing in the Principality of Andorra and enjoying all the wonderful food here, I think it is about time I shared some of my experiences. I hereby decree the commencement of 'A Taste of Iberia and the Pyrenees', with frequent installments featuring products, recipes, and anything else related to food and beverage in this glorious corner of the world.

For this first entry I would like to recount a small beer tasting we held casa nostra in which we progressively tasted the 3 primary varieties of the Portuguese beer 'Sagres'. Given that the Portuguese make up some 12% of the Andorran population, it is no surprise that Portuguese food and beverage are easy to come by. The name Sagres comes from the Portuguese town of Sagres, located at the Southwest tip of the Iberian peninsula. The biggest selling beer brand in Portugal, Sagres was first introduced at the 1940 Exposição do Mundo Português and has had great success ever since.

The first beer to be tasted was the simple Pilsner Sagres Branca, the flagship brand and biggest seller. The taste was simple and clean, but nothing to write home about. It is comparable to many of the other inexpensive pale lagers produced in Spain and Portugal and would probably be best described as a simple table beer. It has a 5% alcohol value.

Next on the list was the Sagres Bohemia. Launched in 2005, Bohemia lager is a noticeably darker amber color and presumably inspired by the beers of the Czech Republic. This is my favorite of the 3 for an everyday beer - it is aromatic and flavourful but not too heavy on the wheat, which can make one feel uncomfortable after throwing a few back. It has a slightly higher alcohol content of 6.2%.

Last but not least we tried the Sagres Preta (with Preta meaning "dark"). At 4.3% alcohol it is the least alcoholic of the three, but what it lacks in punch it makes up for in flavor. Also available since 1940, it was for a long time the only available dark beer in the Portuguese market. To me it had a slightly smoky flavor, and I was surprised by how light it was considering its darkness. Andrew and Mike picked up some some coffee and nutty tones, but unfortunately my congestion prevented me from any deep tasting insight. I could definitely see myself drinking this while stuffing my face with say...pork ribs, since clearly I would want to fill up on the meat, not the alcohol, but at the same time would still want to have a nice, rich beverage to enjoy.

Still on the list to try are the LimaLight - Sagres' answer to BudLight Lime and all of those other Chelada-type beers - and then the Bohemia 1835 Reserve. Unfortunately I have yet to see either in the stores - and trust me, I have explored the grocery store options here in Andorra. Given the number of Portuguese in Massachusetts, I know as a fact that Sagres is available back home, but as to the Bohemia and Preta varieties, that I couldn't tell you - keep your eyes peeled!

San Francisco Day 4 or "Leaping Menageries and French Deliciousness"

2009-10-01T06:00:00.004-04:00

Our second day in Napa started out by Bry and I driving another way into Napa so we could see Sonoma Valley on the way. Sonoma has such a dynamic landscape, we both thought it was much better to go this way, over the Golden Gate Bridge, than over the Bay Bridge as we did the first day. Our agenda for day two was: Frog's Leap Winery, followed by Grgich Winery, lunch at Bouchon, then Stag's Leap Wine Cellars.

I had made reservations for the tour and tasting at Frog's Leap on the recommendation from the NY Times. Before going on the tour, I didn't hold Frog's Leap in very high regards, but afterwards, I consider it, one of my favorite wineries and wines. We met our tour guide Rachel in a beautiful house that was relatively new to the vineyard. It had huge windows facing out onto an organic garden and vases of flowers and straw hats dotted the rooms throughout. The tour began with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc from Rutherford in the dining room of the home. It was crisp and lovely. Rachel took us then outside to get a better view of the vineyard and gardens and gorgeous mountain view. She explained to us that Frog's Leap is an organic and biodynamic vineyard (it's LEED certified). Frog's Leap also believes in "dry farming", this means that the vineyard does not use a drip irrigation system to water it's vines. This causes the vines to grow their roots deeper into the soil, some 22 feet (this is the same method used in France but those roots reach 100 feet deep). Not only does this make the vine stronger but it enables the farmer to till the soil around the vine 4 ft deep. Drip irrigated vines have shallow roots and root balls and if you were to till around them, the roots be ripped apart. Not being able to use a tiller creates the problem of weeds for the farmer so they resort to weed killers, chemicals, and other non-organic fertilizers (since the weed killers destroy the good bacteria in the soil too). On top of all this, since the root system is more shallow, the vine is not as strong and therefor needs to be replaced every 13 years or so whereas the organic deep-rooted vine can live up to 80 years before being replanted. This is one of the reasons why Frog's Leap can produce more consistent, cheaper wine that some of it's competitors. Since each vine costs 1000 bucks to replace (yes, $1000....I didn't type that wrong) other vineyards must mark-up their wine to cover the cost of the replanting as well as their expensive oak barrels that they use (again, these cost $1000 a barrel). Since Frog's Leap is organic, they do not want to mask the flavor of their wine at all so use the oak barrels for about 8 years before they replace them which give a much more subdued oaky taste then brand new barrels and again this causes the wine to be cheaper in price as well.
Each of the Frog's Leap wines were delicious (besides the Sauvignon Blanc, we had a Zinfandel from Napa Valley and Merlot from Rutherford) but the one that really stood out was their 2005 Rutherford wine. At $75 a bottle, it's about half the cost as other wines that taste just as good. The Rutherford wine comes from a single vineyard run by Frog's Leap but owned by a guy that everyone lovingly refers to as Uncle Joe. The tasting and tour at Frog's Leap is only 15 dollars and is worth every last penny. The property, our tour guide, and of course, the wine were all just fantastic.

After Frog's Leap, we headed over to Grgich Hills. Grgich is known for their whites because the man who started the winery Mike Grgich was the wine maker who was at Chateau Montelena when it won the Judgement of Paris in 1976. Needless to say, the Chardonnay and Fume Blanc we tasted were both excellent (as were the reds: a Zinfandel and Cab) but the most amazing part of our tasting was that Mike Grgich was actually there and he signed a bottle of his Fume Blanc for us! I was in happier than a pig in mud. This bottle will definitely be my favorite souvenir of Napa.

After all that excitement, we needed a break so we headed over to Yountville for lunch at Bouchon. Bouchon is owned by Thomas Keller, one of the top, if not the top, chefs in America. Keller owns the French Laundry but since reservations there are nearly impossible, many settle for his more casual, French bistro-style restaurant Bouchon. Bouchon is wonderfully appointed, it's a relaxed Napa-infused French bistro atmosphere where palm trees dominate the dining room and warm reds and tiled floors make diners smile with delight. The food is perfect. Simple but truly delicious. The menu is printed on butcher paper that's folded up and wrapped around your napkin.

After reviewing the menu, I ordered the Boudin Blanc, a white sausage with potato puree and French prunes. Bry ordered the Gigot d'Agneau, a roasted leg of lamb with merguez sausage, braised kale, crispy polenta, pearl unions, and lamb jus. As a side we ordered the Macaroni au Gratin (no translation needed). We were served bread in the shape of a wheat stock which we thought was super cool. The bread was good but we both thought it was slightly a bit too crusty. My sausage was delicious and it was so nice to know that the actual sausage was made right on the property and not store bought and just thrown on the grill. (It's good to note that near Bouchon, and across from the French Laundry, Thomas Keller has a vegetable garden where he grows many of his ingredients. Anyone is welcome to walk around and take in the sites and smells) The prunes and potato puree were excellent as well. Bryan said his lamb was very tender and flavorful, they told him it would be rare but when it came out Bryan said he could have had it a bit more rare. He thought the fried polenta was the most intriguing for him (he's southern) and that everything worked very well together.

For dessert, we ordered the profiteroles which came with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce and the special which was a "bouchon". Many times, when you order profiteroles, the puff is not tasty and you end up enjoying the ice cream the most...the puff becoming just an after-thought. What I liked about these profiteroles was that the puff was so fresh and not chewy. The bouchon was three small chocolate cakes (similar in texture to a brownie)shaped like a wine cork that were served with mint ice cream, chocolate sauce, a champagne gastrique, and a wisp of solid chocolate. These bouchons were delicious. They were warm and soft in the middle and with the gastrique sauce (which I can't even begin to explain) combined with the mint ice cream (that tasted like real mint!) was the perfect end to a perfect meal.

With a full belly and wonderful memories we headed back into San Francisco; another day beautifully spent.

San Francisco Day 3 or "A Slice of Heaven and Some Liquid Gold"

2009-09-30T00:04:00.023-04:00

With a belly full of bread, Bry and I headed out to Napa Valley for day 1 of our wine adventure! The ride out to Napa took about an hour and we arrived to our first winery a few minutes before 10am. We decided to try out Plump Jack winery first.

Plump Jack was recommended to me awhile back by a friend; it's owned by the mayor of San Francisco, Gavin Newsom and is famous for it's Cabernet (as are many of the wineries in Napa). The tasting was held right in the store/bar area and cost $10 for 3 glasses. The wines were good, but none really jumped out at us. Apparently, their higher end tasting that costs more has some wines that are really noteworthy. We were in and out pretty quickly and honestly, we soon forgot about Plumpjack after we tried some other wineries that were a bit more memorable for us.

Our next stop was Nickel & Nickel which is located next to Opus One and across from Robert Mondavi. From the minute we pulled into Nickel and Nickel we felt like it was going to be a special experience. We first had to call and be buzzed into the grounds which was fun to do. As the white farm gates opened we slowly drove past a pasture with horses and a windmill. To the right was a gorgeous old Californian style home from the 1880's and a beautiful red barn. We parked and headed inside where we were greeted by our friendly tour guide in a cozy sun room. We checked in for our tour and headed into a beautifully appointed living room where we were given a crisp cool glass of chardonnay. The atmosphere was just perfect and so was the chardonnay (it ended up being one of our favorite wines of our trip). Our tour guide Brendan soon rejoined us to tell us a bit about the history of the winery before we toured the property. N&N is a relatively new winery, founded in 1997 and is devoted to producing 100% varietal, single-vineyard wines. Brendan took us through the grounds (N&N runs very "green". It receives all it's power from an acre of solar panels and if that isn't green enough, 11 sheep live underneath these panels to keep the grass mowed), the fermentation barn and another barn that was recovered and restored. The inside of this barn was actually from another barn that dated back to Revolutionary times, needless to say, it was gorgeous and it housed the lab in which the wine was created. From the barn we moved back outside, past a few workers that were processing grapes for the "crush", and into the basement of the house for our tasting. We tasted four different Cabernet Sauvignons, each from a distinct region of Napa: Stags Leap, Rutherford, Yountville, and Oakville. Our favorite was the wine from the Stags Leap district called Regusci Vineyard-Block 4 (2006). There was a burst of fruity flavor which is characteristic of the area and it was perfumed with mixed red fruits. Our second favorite was the John C. Sullenger Vineyard from Oakville (2006). This wine is produced from the vines directly behind the Nickel & Nickel homestead. It's 30 acres of clay loam soil are planted exclusively Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine had considerable volume and graceful tannins. It focused on ripe fruit flavors of plum and cherry with hints of blackberry. In third place, State Lane Ranch from Yountville (2006). Lastly, we enjoyed the Witz End Vineyard from Rutherford. Rutherford is known for it's distinct aftertaste of soil....something people call "Rutherford Dust". We were lucky enough to finish our tasting with "Napa's Liquid Gold" a.k.a. Dolce. Selling at about 80 bucks for 375ml Dolce is perhaps the best dessert wine Napa has to offer. It's sweet and rich but not syrupy and it's taste is worth it's weight in gold. We left Nickel & Nickel totally satisfied and ecstatic that were were able to experience such an amazing part of Napa.

After a quick lunch at Dean & Deluca we headed over to Caymus Winery. After N&N, the Caymus property didn't really blow us away but it was still pretty. We were excited to taste the wines since we've had some before and always were happy with them. We were able to taste four different types of wine: a Sauvignon Blanc, a Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, and a 2006 special collection Cabernet Sauvignon (which retails at $130). Our favorites were the Sauvignon Blanc and the Cabernet Sauvignon. One man kept commenting on how simple the wines were and the wine educator, as they are called, kept saying thank you. I guess having a simple delicious tasting wine is compliment!

The last winery we went to for the day was farther up north. Chateau Montelena is known for the 1976 Judgement of Paris. It was in this tasting that their chardonnay won over every single French wine. This wine, along with Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon put Napa on the map and gave it the world-wide notarity it has today. Bry and I shared a wine tasting and at $20 for five glasses of wine, it's a good deal. We got to try the Chateau's Reisling, Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, and their Estate Cab. The wine was all very good. Bry and I had their Sauv. Blanc in NY and we thought that was the best of the bunch. Unfortunately, they only made 300 cases and the only times you can taste it are at their library tastings or buy it from the one specific store in NYC that we just so happen to find it at. The grounds of the Chateau were nice with a large Japanese Pond as its center-piece.

Our first day in Napa was wonderful and we ended it with a bite to eat at the Rutherford Grill where we sat out in the warm sun and cool breeze on their patio and enjoyed a burger and enchillada and two very big glasses of water. It was the perfect end to the perfect day and we were both excited to do it all again tomorrow.

San Francisco Day 2 or "A 150 Year-Old Mother and a Stinking Rose"

2009-09-28T02:20:00.001-04:00

San Francisco plays host to quite possibly the most famous bread in America: Sour Dough. According to Wikipedia:

Sourdough was the main bread made in Northern California during the California Gold Rush, and it remains a part of the culture of San Francisco today. The bread became so common that "sourdough" became a general nickname for the gold prospectors. The nickname remains in "Sourdough Sam", the mascot of the San Francisco 49ers.

One bakery,Boudin Bakery, in San Fran has been using the same "starter" mother dough for it's loaves for over 150 years....since the California Gold Rush. Boudin explains the process as follows:

...Our secret is in our mother dough, a unique combination of indigenous natural yeast and lactobacillus "caught" from the air and cultivated with a mixture of water and flour. Surviving only in our fog-cooled climate, our mother dough imparts a flavor and texture unlike any other bread in the world. Today, we bake a slice of history into every loaf of our Sourdough, starting each day's bread with s portion of the original Gold Rush mother dough, which has been divided and replenished with flour and water each day for over 150 years.

It was because of this history that Bry and I decided to check out Boudin for some morning bread. Luckily, there was a Boudin right over by our hotel in Fisherman's Wharf. The bakery by 9am was already bustling with activity. It was a big open inviting space. To the right was a long counter and behind it were shelves lined with a plethora of different types of sour dough breads. Some were traditional, some had raisins and chocolate, others were in the shape of turtles, teddy bears, alligators, crabs, and lobsters. Bry and I ordered a traditional small loaf as well as a chocolate and raisin one. It could have been the fact that it was just baked or it could have been the fact that the starter dough they use is over 150 years old but this was the BEST (American) sour dough I ever have tasted to date. If you are in the area, it's 100% worth your time and money to stop by to pick up a loaf. The dark-golden crunchy crust, soft chewy center, and distinctive flavor are a slice of Heaven.

For supper, we decided to dine at The Stinking Rose, a restaurant specializing in garlic that is located in San Fran's North Beach neighborhood. We have had it on our radar for a while, and were very excited to finally make it there. Upon notifying the hostess that we had arrived, she took us back to a booth for two in the chianti room. The room was dark--but in a good way; the walls were covered with old photos, and the ceiling was bedecked with chianti bottles hanging en masse. Candles were burning from wine bottles on each table; it was a very fun atmosphere.

Our waiter came, and we ordered the 'bagna calda' and a piticher of Anchor Steam beer. The 'bagna calda was basically a pan-full of roasted garlic bathed in olive oil to spread over bread. It was fantastic--especially with a sprinkle of salt.

For mains, P got the 'Italian Garlic Meatloaf' (pictured right), and I got the lasagna. P thought his was good but says he didn't think it was especially garlicky--although perhaps that was due to our having just inhaled a pot of garlic. My lasagna was fine; it was a vegetable lasagna, and while I thought it was good, I would not get it again but would rather opt for one of the main meat dishes that looked so good on the menu. (I was just still so full from our previous meals!)

Probably my favorite part of the meal was our dessert--it was just so different! We were not even going to get dessert until we saw that there was garlic ice cream on the menu. We knew we couldn't leave without trying it, so we ordered one to share. It came topped with a nice caramel mole sauce. We ate every bit. At first, the ice cream didn't really seem too garlicky, but as we ate, we felt it. The waiter described it as 'sneaking up on you,' and I thought that was clever and a nice way to describe it. Peter described the taste as 'garlic bread dipped in chocolate.' Now, maybe that doesn't sound too appetizing, but do believe us that it is definitely worth giving a try--you ARE at a garlic restaurant, for goodness' sake!

Craft - A Tom Colicchio restaurant in NYC

2009-09-27T14:10:00.009-04:00

On the suggestion of Adam, and my love of Top Chef, I decided to try out Craft, Tom Colicchio's restaurant in Manhattan. I was already going to NYC for the weekend to visit Dennis, so I decided that it would be the perfect time. We both enjoy a good dinner and splurging on a fun place every once in a while. We had 9:30 reservations (late for even me), but I was excited so I didn't really care.

We arrived at Craft exactly at 9:30. The decor was very clean, and above the bar was a small catwalk with all there wines prominently selected. The walls were decorated with what looked like large overlapping pieces of leather panelling. A very good looking and well dressed host told us our table was almost ready and we should go ahead and have a drink at the bar. We did, trying out a couple of Rieslings. Close to 10pm our table was ready, and we sat in the back along a banquet with a few other tables.

Our server was very nice, professional and friendly. Gave a laid back feeling to the experience, which I didn't initially expect given the price point of the menu. We stared with a bottle of 2005 Austrian dry Riesling. Very good. Sweet, but not too sweet, which was a good compromise between Dennis' like of dry wine, and my liking for basically apple juice.

I'm always a fan of good tasting menu, but after reviewing that it has two desserts, we decided to go a la carte. For our first course we shared an heirloom tomato salad and the cured octopus. The octopus was clean and well prepared. I'm used to calamari, so it was a treat to just have octopus, not deep fried in batter. It was, however, a very small piece. Basically two bites eats. The salad was phenomenal. Adam suggested the salad and it didn't disappoint. I was surprised because they were basically just tomatoes, but they were well seasoned. I enjoyed the white tomatoes the best although Dennis said they all tasted the same.

Our main course was where we went with our old standby. Steak. Instantly being drawn the the phrase "28 day dry aged" we decided to try the "Cote de beouf." I probably spelled that incorrectly, but it's not on the online menu, so I couldn't verify. We also wanted to have a side of mushrooms, but couldn't decide on which to try. We almost choose "Hen of the Woods" based on the fun name alone. We asked our server and she simply said, "How about I give you a sampling of the first four?" Perfect. We had an assortment of oyster, baby shitake (not from Beverly, for our Catherine Tate fans) , Hen of the Woods, and Trompette Royale. Since the steak was prepared to share, it was served sliced into six long strips, and I can probably honest say it was THE BEST STEAK I'VE EVER HAD. Seasoned to perfection with what seemed like a simple salt-pepper mix, it was so good, and so refreshing, which is an odd word to use for red meat, but that's what I thought when I ate it. Refreshing. I wanted a second steak all to myself. I really hope I haven't ruined my future steak experiences! The mushrooms were slightly crispy and their earthy palate really complimented the steak perfectly.

After the steak, Dennis' cousin Christina showed up and we decided to get a second bottle of Riesling. We went with with the 2003 vintage this time vs the previous 2005, and thought it a lot crisper and dryer, while still retaining it's sweetness. Christina and I got a sampling of gellato and sorbets. Our flavors were green apple, blackberry chocolate chip, caramel, concord grape, coconut, and olive oil. Can you guess which we chose first? Olive Oil! Delicious.

Sitting down at 10pm, we paid the bill and left at 12:45. We were one of three tables left. Our server was fun and amazing, thanking us and as we left we were given a homemande fresh zucchini muffin. I've never gone to dinner so long that they gave you a breakfast treat as you left, but I guess that's New York. I will I could tell you how the muffin was, but after our debaucherous evening that followed, I think I left it at a place called Cibar, a fun little bar Christina took us too.

I'm not sure it was touristy or not, but I very much enjoyed my meal, and would recommend Craft to anyone going to the city for an evening and wishing to have a truly good meal. Good job, Tom. You do not have to pack up your knives and go.

San Francisco: Day 1 or "It's My Birthday I Can Consume as Many Calories as I Want to"

2009-09-26T23:56:00.025-04:00

This morning we hopped aboard Virgin America and made our way to one of our favorite cities, San Francisco. We have had this trip planned for awhile now. Our goal is mainly to explore the wineries of Napa Valley. We head out to Napa on Monday but until then we're happy to take in some of San Fran's signature treats. As today was/is my birthday, we decided we could splurge and eat all the stuff we love and not worry about how many evil calories we were putting into our bodies. Our first stop? In-N-Out Burger over by Fisherman's Wharf. We've written about In-N-Out before so I won't repeat too many details but for those of you who are not familiar with the joint, it's a fast food burger restaurant that specializes in fresh ingredients. The burgers taste great, the cheese actually melts on the burger and it's a much higher quality than McDonald's or Burger King. After our burgers I decided we needed to treat ourselves to some ice cream. As luck would have it (and as I planned it), Ghiradelli Square was just around the corner. After feigning interest in the store just to get a piece of free chocolate, we headed upstairs to the ice cream parlor for some sundaes. We both ordered the Gold Rush sundae which came with vanilla ice cream slathered in peanut butter sauce and rich hot fudge. Nuts and a cherry were sprinkled on top of fresh whipped cream to give the sundae it's delicious crown. Well, after all that we decided a long walk was in order and we meandered our way over to the Mission district. The Mission district is known for it's Mexican food, more specifically, the Mission Burrito. The Mission Burrito was invented in the Mission and is basically a huge burrito so filled with toppings and delicious goodness that it has to be wrapped and contained in a tinfoil sheet. The Mission Burrito supposedly was first invented at El Faro, a small restaurant on the corner of 20th and Folsom St. There, they simply call it the Super Burrito and as luck would have it, we discovered it was invented on this very day, Sept. 26th, way back in 1961. Well, the gods themselves couldn't have planned it better: me, eating a super burrito, on my birthday which just so happened to fall on the same day as the day the super burrito was invented. Perfect! Bry and I both ordered the super burrito, mine with chicken, his al pastor, both with everything on it. True to it's name, the super burrito was super....and by super, I mean big. Not only was it filling, it was satisfying and delicious.The perfect end to the perfect day. Stay tuned, we still need to try San Fran sour dough and a few other things before we head out to Napa!

Wylie's Bread Pudding

2009-09-16T21:51:00.006-04:00

For Pudding

6 eggs

1 pint of heavy cream

1/2 cup of sugar

1 loaf of Italian bread

cinnamon & nutmeg

butter

For Sauce

1 cup of sugar

1/4 cup of bourbon

1/3 cup of karo or maple syrup

Mix together eggs, cream, sugar, cinnamon & nutmeg. Cube loaf of Italian bread and let it soak through in the egg/cream mixture. Pour into a baking dish. Cut slices of butter and place on top of the soaked bread. Bake at 350 for 35-45 min. until it is brown & crispy on top. For sauce, mix sugar, bourbon, and syrup in a sauce pan. Heat until the mixture comes to a slight boil.

Serve and enjoy!

I am excited to share Wylie's highly coveted bread pudding recipe which graced the table of many a Circle Drive party. As Wylie is not one easily forgotten, Bryan & I felt this would be an apt tribute.