Greetings from the Chaise Lounge

Chocolate Box

2010-05-08T10:47:00.004-04:00

So, in a cupboard in my house on a shelf just within my reach I have a little painted tin. And in that little painted tin is chocolate. When this picture was taken my tin contained a lot of vacation chocolates. KK brought me back chocolate from Chicago and I had received a couple candy bars to remember last summer's trip to Norway and Iceland.
Lately I have been trying all kinds of chocolate. I am trying to develop an understanding of what the flavor properties are of the different cocoa percentages, or single origin chocolates, what flavors or seasonings augment the chocolate, and why I don't like the local Taza chocolate.

In a recent trip to the Boston Public Library I took out Alice Medrich's book, Bittersweet: Recipes and Tales from a Life in Chocolate. I had no idea how far we have come since the 70's when she started making truffles across from Chez Panisse. If you are interested in learning the basics of chocolate I really recommend looking at this book. She gives personal stories that show how she discovered the ins and outs of chocolate and helped the country discover real chocolate too. Medrich then gives recipes that show what the proceeding story talked about. She opened me up to the possibility that sometimes water may be the best accompaniment to chocolate.
In Brooklyn right now there is an interesting rivalry happening between the Mast Brothers and Fine & Raw chocolates. They both have rich, interesting and idyllically simple chocolate bars to share that are still very noticeably different from each other. The fact that there are these viable little artisanal business is exciting. The revolution around chocolate is still happening! I can't wait to see where we will be in 1, 2, 5, 10 years!

Forget the lemons and the limes...

2010-04-16T08:59:00.003-04:00

Here is my newest favorite thing: Nice juicy orange slices in my ice water!

Brotherly Love (Part two)

2010-04-08T08:13:00.014-04:00

SSS took me around to some other neat Philadelphia spots.

The first day we went to Reading Terminal Market. There were so many different sellers. Crepes, beeswax candles, cheese, dried fish, sandwiches, pretzel, fudge, candy, tshirts and Amish pastries all in one spot! I even ran into someone from my hometown.

The next day we started by having brunch at Hawthornes Cafe. It was a bright sunny spot on this cold winter day. I ordered S.O.S for the first time and loved it. Highlights of this place include lots of seating, a fireplace that they keep burning (couches near the fireplace), great windows, staff that is enthusiastic about where they work, and great beer selection. The thing about the beer was how it was offered. They had refrigerator cases of very interesting brews with so many local and microbrewery options. So, not only can you choose your drink this way - you can buy them to go - invent your own six pack variety. You can also buy their homemade chips to go. That is a must.
After that we went to the the Italian market on 9th street. It is the United States and oldest and largest working outdoor market. There were so many specialty shops with imported foods, butchers, bakers, discount stores, fires in trash barrels, and lots of vegetables. Luckily, the only parking spot we could find was directly in front of Isgro, an over 100 year old bakery.

SSS brought me to one of her favorite coffee spots, Chapterhouse, for our last stop before dinner. She has a friend who actually picked where to live based on proximity to it. The atmosphere was warm, bright, and stark. It has everything a proper indie cafe should - poetry readings, art exhibits, high class espresso, smoothies made with rice milk, barista's that make their own clothes and lots of different seats.

As a bonus here are some of our other favorite pics from Philadelphia.Elfreth's Alley - America's oldest residential street. It was adorable.

My initials on philly's public transit:

This sign cracked us up:

Brotherly Love (part 1)

2010-04-06T08:23:00.007-04:00

This winter I went to Philadelphia to visit SSS while she was on a break from school. I manged to get myself sick as a dog in time for my arrival. Despite my weakened state, sickly appearance and slightly lessened gusto we still had a great time! I was the one in the corner of Independence Hall trying to discreetly drink from the cough syrup bottle....

SSS took me to two Stephen Starr Restaurants. He is Philadelphia's restaurant entrepreneur extraordinaire. He opens the kinds of restaurants that are full concepts and designed from ceiling to floor. From swinging chairs, to couches, to spinning bikes he has incorporated everything. Look at his website and peruse some of the restaurants. The websites are as designed and atmospheric as the places they represent!

The first place that we went to was El Vez. They had golden velvet booths, a giant bar and a revolving tequila display with a glowing moped atop it all. The bathroom mirror was two way, so while you are waiting outside you can see all the faces someone makes at herself in the mirror. We went for margaritas and guacamole. Both were perfect. Refreshing, sweet, and salty. So satisfying after a day of sickly sightseeing! We ended up ordering the street corn and some tacos. They were good, interesting, prepared with great skill. If I didn't know otherwise i would rave. However, I believe that I prefer the house corn and tacos from boston's own La Verdad (surprising I haven't done an entry for that yet...).One of the best parts of this restaurant is that they had a photomaton! SSS was having none of it so I went into the photobooth alone and tried to capture the essence of ill in philly. Of course, after she saw my photostrip she wanted to go! I could do these for days!
The next night we went to a potluck at SSS's friends house. SSS made a surprisingly simple upside down vegetable tart. After dinner we went out for dessert at another Stephen Starr restaurant, Continental - midtown. This place had two floors. The ground floor then had multiple levels. Upstairs was the bar and tables whose chairs were swinging baskets. From the ceiling hung an elaborate light display of many glowing orbs. There were so many interestingly and differently defined seating areas in this giant restaurant.
I didn't realy read the regular menu that claimed to be "world tapas". I went straight for dessert. They had a brilliant thing: Dessert Tapas! We had fried truffles, cotton candy, popsicles, deconstructed strawberry shortcake, somesort of peanut butter chocolate ice cream situation. I'll be honest I don't remember it all. I do remember that they had Sophia Coppola bubbly in a can with a straw.

Chocolate from the Source

2010-03-08T16:20:00.005-05:00

In Panama we went to a family farm of ex pats called, Green Acres. They were located on the mainland of Bocas del Toro. When Linda and David Cerutti bought this land they didn't think very much about the cocoa trees that covered it. After reading more about them they learned how these trees are essential to the survival of the Rainforest. They began to cultivate the trees in the name of the environment and chocolate!

In a little tin shed at the bottom of a hill Mr. Cerutti turns the pods into chocolate. He cracks open the giant pods and pops out the 30-40 seeds inside. The he ferments the beans and drys them in the sun. Next he roasts them and chops them into nibs. After that he process them down into a liquid. He puts the chocolate into molds and then freezes them. Voila: Unsweetened chocolate right from the source! Of course this has taken years of experimenting and testing and inventing his own equipment to get all of the timing and technique just right on his little secluded part of Panama. Tranquillo Bay makes all of their chocolates desserts from their neighbor's farm.

Batidos - yet another way to love a shake!

2010-02-27T15:52:00.008-05:00

I recently returned from a trip to Panama.

We stayed at Tranquillo Bay," an eco adventure lodge," on an island on the Caribbean side of the country off of Bocas Del Toro. Two American families built and own the place and take care of you every second of the day. They have intelligent, friendly and very enjoyable guides (biologists doing something with their time in the turtle off season) that take you on excursions to explore the surroundings. I have included some pics so that you can get a feel for my time in the jungle!

The food that we had at the resort was for the most part familiar, Salads, curry and chicken rice, salsa and chips, doritos, cookies etc... We were busy in the sun all day and only ate when breakfast lunch or dinner was served. Because of this every meal felt very fortifying. I really felt like I was eating because I needed to it refuel, replenish. We did have a few things that really gave a nod to where we were. We had an appetizer made of plantains, cuban rum and one night we had fish that was from the pacific side of the country. We learned from our host that this is because the Panamanian fishermen on the Caribbean side don't ice their fish but the fishermen on the Pacific side do.

The best thing for me was the Batidos! I had one every morning that I was there. Basically it is a fruit shake (so, no surprise that it was my favorite thing). Fresh fruit is blended with ice, milk, and a sprinkle of sugar and that's it! I had watermelon on most days but they also had cantaloupe, pineapple and banana to choose from. This could be done with any fruits - Mangos, papayas, strawberries. Anything.

I am pretty sure that I have never looked forward to watermelon season more than right now.
The summer of Batidos? Time will tell...

Who doesn't love a dog?

2010-02-05T15:41:00.004-05:00

So, we'd heard about it, read about it, dreamed about it, pressured strangers for information about it. KK even tried to find it once.

Finally on Monday the cafe was being renovated (!) and KK and I had to go to a restaurant auction place. Lunch time was coming and since we were already in the car...we went in search of the

SPEED'S HOT DOG WAGON!!!!!

KK bought us dogs and we brought one back for CVW (below).

Here are some of the features of this incredible Half-Pound Hot Dog!:

-soaked in some sort of apple cider situation
-nestled in a hot grilled bun
-grilled to order and split down the middle
-topped with condiments all made especially for this dog at this stand
homemade sweet fruit relish
beanless chili
onions
mustard
-wrapped well to travel and stayed hot.
-it costs $7 - but this was a hefty meal.
-it sits in front of the Katsiroubas Warehouse at 42 New Market Square in Roxbury.
-Cash only.
-they go down faster than you'd think

GO! (it looks like there is coupon on the website but it needs to be updated. ) NOW!

Catching up starting from when I carved it up!

2010-02-05T15:00:00.002-05:00

I have been out of the habit of writing, things have been moving so fast!

I hosted my first Thanksgiving and then got caught up in life and fell of the blogging wagon.

My sisters came the night before and we had a fine time relaxing, setting the table, planning our quince theme thanksgiving - turkey basted with quince, butter and white wine; quince stuffing recipe we invented; quince cranberry tart from the cafe!

Family came later in the day with new recipes and old classics!

I think it was in general one of the least stressful holidays for everyone involved in a long time!

Here is a slice of the day and the first time I carved a turkey.

For the past two months I have been-
discovering new ways to be connected on the internet.
Visiting new and old cafe's.
Figuring out how to eat the best food on a more conservative budget.
taking a writing class.
growing at work.
working on recipes.
reorganizing...everything.

I am going to try to jump in again!

Oysters for always.

2009-11-21T16:49:00.008-05:00

Last winter I read M.F.K. Fisher's seductive description of her first oyster at her all girl's boarding school Christmas party. I wished that I was excited by oysters so that I could appreciate the passage better.

Next it was oysters at Neptune for KH's birthday in March. Of course I couldn't meet her until after the oysters eaten and I missed the chance. I didn't think of anything of it then, having never had an oyster.

In June, we went to the third Franklin and at KH's urging I got an oyster with her and SEM, not wanting to be outdone or boring. My first oyster was exciting and fresh and unusual and perfect as I was dying for the weather to be hot enough to go body surfing in some Atlantic waves.

By mid July SEM and I had orchestrated a culinary camping trip (all the money was for the food) to Portland, Maine with JP and TM. The point was Fore Street (hopefully I will go again this winter and I will write about it - especially because it may have been the best meal of the season). Our reservations were for very late. We needed something to do in the mean time. JB had ordered oysters before I even realized it. Another mollusk down the hatch. I loved it but still didn't understand it.

Late in July GMA and I found ourselves on a beach in Wellfleet, Massachusetts, listening to a novel being read aloud by SEM whose protagonist was the best oyster shucker in her family's Whistable Oyster house. We were completely clueless to the fact that we were in WELLFLEET reading about the famous WHISTABLE oysters! In our fog about it all we didn't look for any. We just enjoyed the seals and whales we swam with.

In August SEM ate oysters in Oslo!

Later in my favorite month I had friends in from out of town and they wanted a good food treat on a Monday night. Perfect! We went back to Rialto and had a beautiful plate of 12 oysters on the half shell with four different and refreshing toppings. This was the first time I had more than one in a row. Each one a little rush.

October brought SEM to New Orleans, another town famous for the oyster, but had no time to squeeze a taste of them in. Ah, the good and bad of a business trip...She did find this postcard. At least this time she knew where she was in relation to a good oyster.

Last weekend an impromptu dinner at Rendezvous in central square with GMA and SEM led me to my most recent oysters. They were the highlight of the meal and from Wellfleet. This renewed my newly established longing for them.

I want to know what I missed at Neptune last spring. I want to experience B&G Oysters. I want more oysters. I want the thrill of each one.

Norway and Franklin oyster were photographed by sem.

Brooklyn Baby! (Part 2: Brunch and then some!)

2009-11-16T16:31:00.007-05:00

IAM knew where she was taking us for brunch on the drizzly and windy morning we had before us: Tom's Restaurant.

After a few block walk from her apartment we reached our corner destination in Prospect Heights covered in real and faux fauna and florals. There were plastic chairs lined up in case there was a wait but luckily we went right in.

Immediately we were greeted by the owner handing out pumps of hand sanitizer and toast dripping with cinnamon butter and honey. Next a friendly man behind the kitchen counter made sure we had coffee if we wanted it.

When the owner realized that we weren't just your usual three sisters out to brunch - we were three sisters with the youngest's Spanish lover - he spoke the few words he knew of Spanish and then took the lover over to see a picture on the wall depicting the King of Spain skiing with the former owner of the restaurant in Colorado! It was that kind of place.

The menu was huge (as you can see) I was torn between sweet potato pancakes and pumpkin waffles. I bargained with my tablemates to finagle both. More toast was brought over. Then, while we were looking at the menu an old fashioned Egg Cream arrived at our table with four straws because of our Spanish friend.

We enjoyed our abundant breakfast. The potatoes were really salty and substantially delicious and familiar. My waffle was great, crispy and still fluffy and served with three different types of flavored butter! As we ate we were brought orange wedges and cookies. I have never seen this kind of service but I certainly didn't mind it at all.

The atmosphere was 30's mixed with 80's country home. The crowd was really a mix from the neighborhood. We sat next to someone my sister knew! They actually had me in their eyesight and started to talk about how that woman (me) looked just like their friend, IAM.

Every staff member said goodbye to us and wished us a good day as they do everyone. This was one of the warmest, quirkiest, most generous brunches I have ever had!

Brooklyn Baby (Part 1: Ice cream baby!)

2009-10-21T07:53:00.004-04:00

JRD and I traveled down to New York City last weekend for my older sister's (IAM's) birthday scavenger hunt extravaganza! After a long day of running around Manhattan taking crazy pictures of ourselves with strangers and blue vampire teeth we ventured back to Brooklyn and were needing something to eat. Walking back to her apartment from the subway we came across Blue Marble. Of course, IAM had been there before, in fact just earlier that morning when she had taken my little sister there for breakfast!

Blue Marble is an ice cream shop with two stores in Brooklyn. What really got me was the toppings. Balsamic vinegar, honey, and fleur de sel were among the options for your ice cream! Unfortunately, when I asked what they recommend for the balsamic the girl working said, "It is wonderful on the strawberry ice cream, but...we don't have it right now." So then I asked what she recommend for the fleur de sel not seeing any caramel flavors. Her response, "We love to put it on the Dulce de Leche that we usually have but...we don't have it right now."
Have no fear! I ordered a rich scoop of this luscious dark chocolate ice cream on a sugar cone with fleur de sel sprinkled on top.

JRD had the pumpkin ice cream - sweeter than I expected and so good. A cold thing that could make you feel warm and cozy. perfect.

They have coffee and baked goods too (thus the breakfast...). Nothing is made in or by the shop but they are proud to tell you where it all comes from - always a great sign. Their way of bringing everything together makes for a great feel. With a tall wooden fence lining the wall, light blue and whit-ish paints that make the place feel open and bright, beautiful chalkboard menu and lovely staff (at least the one and only girl there when we went) Blue Marble feels as good as the treat you are getting!

In it!

2009-09-28T22:05:00.004-04:00

Today I was putting my misfitted topping over a peach cobbler that I was making because I had to, because I had all these peaches that would spoil if I didn't make a cobbler immediately and meanwhile, this achingly sweet version of an Edna St. Vincent Poem sung by Deb Talan came over the internet radio and life altogether just made me swoon.

Here is ESVM's poem. Cobbler is above.

(but you should really hear it through Deb Talan).

I was overcome with the feeling that sometimes you really are just in the middle of it and you are the gladdest thing.

Have some!

2009-09-23T07:22:00.009-04:00

Here are two takeaway products from my trip abroad.

1)I used to think that Icelandic yogurt was just another fancy food store gimmick to make people feel good. I had Skyr (yogurt) in iceland and it was so thick and smooth. I'll say it. It was better than the yogurt I usually eat.

So many yogurts in the U.S. are made lowfat, rendering them less creamy and a little chalky. Skyr is naturally fat free and doesn't leave me wondering what it would taste like with a little milk fat in it. I'd recommend Skyr to you no matter what the back of the container said, but I can't help noting when there is a good nutrition facts-good taste anomaly. Skyr is expensive at the Whole Foods, I can't get around it. But, it is a real treat and what a yogurt should be. (Not to mention all the nostalgia it fills me with!)

2)Norwegians eat chocolate bars to keep themselves going. I admire this about them. In addition, most of the time it is milk chocolate. Really good milk chocolate (not always an easy thing to find). I haven't found Norwegian chocolate here, but luckily I brought some back and luckily my parents are in Norway and I put in a request for a small supply.

Living off the Norwegian Land (Part 2: Fisk!)

2009-09-17T17:17:00.010-04:00

One of the most invigorating parts of my vacation was when I went fishing. I strapped a knife to my belt, put on a life vest and headed to the boat. SEM knew what she was doing and GA and I were ready to learn. We put the oars in the water and once we had a good pace we put in the otter trawler.

The otter is this little plank of wood with a long fishing line with 10 hooks and flies coming off of it. The line is connected to a piece of metal that pivots backs and forth so that it can change directions. As long as someone keeps rowing it looks like there are 10 flies dancing across the water. Irresistible. We made loops between the two island in the lake hoping something would bite. Sure enough, one did.

GA was holding the line and it started to pull. I was rowing at the time and to keep the fish on the line it didn't matter where I took us as long as I kept moving and avoided running ashore. SEM winded it slowly back in, being sure not to slice her hand with one of the other hooks. GA scooped it up with a net and brought into the boat. Finally, we had it! SEM took it off the hook, squeezed hard and clubbed it with an old wooden mallet designed just for this (sorry, there is no other way to describe what happened).

The otter went back in, GA guided it, I rowed and SEM pulled in the fish. After two more catches I was ready to change roles. I pulled in a fish of my own, unhooked it and then killed it.

We caught a total of 6 trout that day. After we anchored our little row boat and tied it to the dock I learned how to clean them too. Sem carefully and craftily showed me how to gut the fish. I slid the knife on my belt out of its sheath, cut the fish open and emptied it out.

I wasn't sure how I would feel about this whole excursion. I felt a little squeamish and bad at the though of deceiving and killing something. But, the more I thought about it, I felt that I needed to do it. I needed to be a part of the whole (mild water) hunting process and know how it feels.

It took three of us to catch one fish. We were tired and had worked hard and for hours. I felt truly powerful. I had to use the power of my arms, stomach and legs to keep us going in the rowboat. I almost squeezed a fish to death because I didn't want to screw up when I clubbed it. I slit the fish open and made it ready to eat. I helped feed my friends. We didn't need any middle men. It was SEM, GA and I that took care of it on this day.

(To be historically accurate I should note that we had a second excursion that day to catch our 6th and final fish. JB helped to bring this one in.)

Below are a few very short clips of demonstrations the start of cleaning a fish and taking the skin of in order to eat it (please note KH having her way with the fish behind SEM's slow speed demo.)

Eating off the Norwegian Land: (Part 1: the Berry Edition)

2009-09-12T08:22:00.002-04:00

These days eating directly from the earth usually means visiting a farm with a "pick-your-own" crop; shopping at the farmers market or growing a few vegetables as experiments in the backyard, or on the deck in pots or a little patch of well fertilized dirt. This is a glorious and satisfying way to get my food, but, never before have I just been able to feel like the casual roaming reindeer eating what the land provided for me!

One of the most magical parts of the second half of my vacation was the time that I spent in a cabin in rural Norway. Just up from a glacial fed lake that provided the drinking, washing, and swimming water, the cabin was our cozy home for 6 days.

There were two things that covered the ground: Blueberry bushes and reindeer moss. Luckily we were there at the height of the blueberry season. (Reindeer moss is actually a slow growing lichen that has a misty green hue that makes everything look enchanted.)

We had blueberries for breakfast. We put blueberries in our cocktails. We made blueberry galettes and blueberry crumble. We ate blueberries on the way to the lake. We ate blue berries on the way to the outhouse. And never did I feel like I had too many!

On our last day we took a long, dramatic and beautiful hike. Like good Norwegians we had chocolate bars with us for energy and morale. However, there was nothing better to keep me going than the occasional mountain raspberry that we found along the way. It is hard to tell, but here GA is picking one.

Bright pink-red berries peeked out of bushes on the sides of mountain cliffs. They may be the sweetest, softest berries I have eaten.

Oh, Norway, I’ll eat your berries anytime!

Hot diggity dog!

2009-09-01T21:48:00.006-04:00

There is a little place to stop in between the United States and the rest of Europe called, Iceland. The landscape is stark; the blue lagoon is hot; the population is small; the capital is small; the puffins are small.

I had two days and I was focused on two things: baby puffins and hot dogs. In my pre-trip research I learned that while we were arriving a week after pride in the only country with an openly gay head of state that at least we were in time for watching puffins!
I also learned that among various forms of putrefied shark meat this little country was known for a delicious hot dog. This information proved to be the anchors of our loose agenda.

Hot dogs in Europe are different. They are crunchier and spicier and well topped. In Iceland the absolute best place for one of these deluxe dogs is Bæjarins Beztu, a metal stand down by the water. The classic is served up with a dark & sweet mustard, ketchup, fried onions and raw onions on a bun. In 48 hours, more than one trip was made here. What tasty and satisfying food which proved to be the cheapest meal on my vacation!

It was only upon going through customs on the way home that we learned Icelandic hot dogs are one of the few meat products the discerning U.S. of A. will not confiscate.
I really blew that opportunity. If anyone is going…pick me up a pack?

(don’t worry, I also went on a puffin watch and got the best view of the city while watching the struggle that is the flight of the odd little puffin. Two members of our group even enthusiastically ate puffin at a local restaurant. I understand that it was very smoked.)

Danish! Birthdays! Break out the flags...

2009-08-08T20:11:00.008-04:00

If you know anything about me, you know that I love all things birthday and Scandinavian (particularly Danish things).

This week JRD combined both for me. We left early in the morning to make a long confusing drive to Medford for a surprise trip to The Danish Pastry House!

For a few years I have been reading about this cafe marked by a sign with the signature golden crowned pretzel as marks every bakery in Denmark. The atmosphere was warm but not exactly great. It was bright and modern but more like a new cafeteria than danish design. None of that mattered though once we got to the pastry case.

In a long row we saw many pastries we recognized from Denmark- real "danishes" called Vienebrød, filled with cream centers, not cheese. We also saw pastry dough swirled with cinnamon and chocolate which reminded us of onsdag snegle (Wednesday Snails, that is. Most bakeries would feature a pastry on a specific day of the week.

JRD and I almost lost it when we saw flødeboller. These are lighter than marshmallow confections that are piled on a little crisp waffley disk and then all of it coated in chocolate.
The mother of the family that I lived with in Denmark brought these home when she was wanting a treat.

We shared some with our roommate, JML.

We tried nougat things and sandwhiches and other things that didn't seem typical to what we see at other bakeries. They even had little marzipan Kaj like in most pastry houses in Denmark ! Kaj is a little green frog and the most beloved kids tv show character in Denmark.

My mom and I have tried almost every marshmallow chocolate thing for the past few years hoping to find something similar to flødeboller. But, now that I have found it I might be in trouble (as you can see...) knowing that there is a place to get authentic flødeboller right here in the commonwealth!

Hey Puddin'.

2009-07-01T08:06:00.004-04:00

I don't have much to say on this except, I love pudding. Puddings and custards and creams.

Oh, the sweet, rich glory of them!

Recently most dessert recipes that I think of making are some sort of custard. Custard is on my brain and just won't slip slide off. Of course, I don't really mind.

The following recipe from Alice Medrich's Pure Desserts was so delicious and sophisticated while still being pudding that the ease of it is going to be shared with you.

Alice Medrich has written a few well respected cookbooks and been a consultant on many others.

Pure Dessert is organized by featured flavor components. These Recipes often begin with well written anecdotal and/or explanatory notes and then go on to be straight forward and simple enough in concept (often also in skill.) Each picture is bright, crisp, uncomplicated and severely desirable.

I added a little more sugar (as AM suggests adjusting to your taste knowing that her recipe is very intense and bittersweet). Here it is as she writes it. Notice the detail she gives; she includes where your bowl should be so that when the crucial time hits you aren't in a panic! I whipped up some heavy cream adding a tiny teaspoon of sugar just to add a little dimension, but keeping it nearly pure so that it compliments and cuts through the richness of the pudding.

My (Medrich's) Chocolate Pudding:

2 large eggs
1/3 cup of sugar
1/3 cup (1.1. ounces) unsweetened cocoa powder (AM prefers natural)
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
2 pinches of salt
2 cups of whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (AM likes to use a 70% bittersweet) chopped medium-fine

equipment:
six 4-ounce custard cups or ramekins or 8 smaller cups.

Set the food processor near the stove. Have a whisk, a heatproof (silicone) spatula, and a ladle on hand.

In a medium bowl (preferably glass or crockery, because it is heavy and will stay put when you whisk in the hot pudding), Whisk the eggs thorough. Set the whisk and bowl near the stove.

In a medium heavy saucepan, mix the sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt. Pour about 1/3 cup of the milk into the pan and whisk to make a smooth paste. Whisk in the remaining milk. Heat the milk mixture over medium heat, stirring with the heat-proof spatula, until it begins to bubble around the edges. Adjust the heat to maintain a steady low boil and stir constantly for 2 minutes, sweeping the bottom and sides of the pan constantly to avoid scorching. Remove from the heat.

Ladle about 1 cup of the hot mixture gradually over the eggs, whisking constantly to prevent scrambling. Scrape the egg mixture back into the pan and whisk vigorously to blend. Set the pan over l0w-medium heat and whisk for just 30 seconds, without simmering or boiling, to be sure the eggs are hot enough. Off the heat, add the vanilla and chocolate and whisk until the chocolate is melted.

Scrape the pudding into the processor and process for 10 seconds. Divide the pudding among the cups or ramekins. Let cool and serve, or chill before serving.

Enjoy! and always Share! (...with me...)

thanks Ms. Medrich for the recipe, KK for the book, SEM for the darling cups, JRD, as always for beautiful pictures.

Sofra (its been a long time coming)

2009-06-19T19:08:00.013-04:00

What do you do the day after you run a half marathon?
Take a lazy, sunny trip to Sofra with friends, of course, of course

What do you do after an afternoon of particularly high stress babysitting?
Stop by Sofra on the way home, of course, of course.

What do you do the morning after a lovely late night with a friend?
Continue the conversation over breakfast at Sofra, of course, of course.

I will tell you about the post half marathon trip with LZA, JRD, and SSS.

Sofra sits on the edge of Watertown and Cambridge off of Mt. Auburn. The cafe is a product of the continued collaboration of Ana Sortun and Maura Kilpatrick. Much like their restaurant, Oleana, the flavors are primarily inspired from Turkish and Eastern Mediterranian cuisines.

The four of us sat outside in the beating sun on the sleek patio they recently finished building secretly hoping the sun would color our cheeks a little. The atmosphere is a combination of contemporary chic and an old Turkey I have never seen.

We ordered a mezze platter where we got to pick 5 different spreads to eat with their housemade pita and fingerling bread.
-Lentils and carmelized onions.
-Beet Tzatziki (my fave)
-Whipped Feta with sweet and hot red peppers (JRD's fave from Oleana).
-Whipped Celery root with almonds garlic
-Smokey Eggplants with pine nuts (I didn't love it, but I don't usually like smoked things).

They have this egg sandwhich with cheese, optional bacon and a cooked to order egg on a rich, soft brioche with a spiced top. This is one of the best egg sandwiches I have had.

We also had poached eggs swimming in a tomato curry with toasted pita crumbs, a tasty and welcomed new take (for me) on usual breakfast fare.

The Turkish breakfast was an array of fresh flavors. This was a soft boiled egg with cucumbers, olives, thick yogurt, a sweet jellied fruit, fig and phyllo noodle shreds.

We ordered a sampling of treats.
-The Bee Sting - Honey, almonds, brioche. This sounded better than it was.
Persian Donut - Oof! Not too sweet, delicately fried!
Strawberry Rhubarb tart - a delicious classic.

Good coffee was had, a Rhubarb mint drink (very sweet - we added some seltzer when we got home!) Orange Blossom Lemonade - MK told me to get this a long time ago and I thank her for that. Their iced housemade chai is a little different than you might expect, very very sweet (undrinkable way too sweet for some), but very good (to me!).

We took so much home too so that the experience could last the entire length of a day!

An absolute must are the incredible fluffy clouds of not quite pita that you can buy by the bag full. We did.

Plus Milk Jam. Milk jam is essentially carmelized milk and sweetened condensed milk and is good on most things, including your pinky!

-Earthquake cookies are beautiful, and chocolatey, with a very thin crunchy layer and a chewy inside.
-Molasses cookies have a sweet spice, crunchy outside, soft inside.
-Chocoloate Hazelnut Baklava is a more complex, less sweet version of the traditional.
-Almond Rose cake has a light crumb with a strong almond but gentle rose flavoring.
-Kunefe is shredded phyllo with a sweet cheese inside which makes for such an interesting texture in your mouth and the flavor is simple and deep.

Sometimes the floral flavors are too heavy handed for my taste especially when I am not warned. I have ordered some things and sure enough there is the rosewater, there is the orange blossom and I just didn't want it there. In the lemonade it is clean and delicious but I don't need it everywhere!

I could go on and on about all of the different things I have had over the past 8 months here and I haven't even talked about the flatbreads and schwarma. Look at the menu on their website to learn about all the other options. More importantly, go! They are a cafe with some limited options but they have something everyone whether it be, vegetable tarts, flatbreads, soups, dips, or sweets sweet sweets.

These picture by JRD and SSS are pretty self explanatory and may cause extreme cravings. In that case stop what you are doing, pick up your phone, give me a call, I will pick you up, we will go. Trust me.

The fat of the matter is...

2009-06-09T21:51:00.007-04:00

This all started when I got biscuit anxiety at work. The dough was crumbly, dry and not coming together. I thought I had lost my touch. Finally, I was alerted that we got cream for a different company and the milk fat was 40% in this brand of heavy cream instead of the typical 35%.

I started wondering about what all of this means... Of course, this meant pumping KK for all that she knows on the matter and then she lent me her book, "Starting with Ingredients, Baking," by Aliza Green. I've learned a lot and am ready to share.

Here are some basic definitions:

Half and Half is 10-18 % fat.
Light Cream is 18-30% fat.
Whipping cream is 30-36% fat.
Heavy cream is over 36% fat.
extra-heavy cream is 40% fat. (interesting to try an ice cream with this one...)

Creme fraiche is heavy cream ripened with a bacterial culture.

Sour Cream is a light cream ripened by a bacteria that thickens it.

Buttermilk is the left over liquid when you make butter and consequently is very low in fat or has none at all.

Speaking of butter...

American butter is 80% clear yellow butterfat, 18% water 2% milk solids

While European butter contains up to 86% butterfat and much less moisture.
- the extra fat means flakier and richer baked goods and that it doesn't burn as easily.

Plugra is the most common brand of European butter and can be found even at the Trader Joe's.
This butter is obviously more expensive. Everything still comes out wonderfully with regular American butter. Save the European butter for when you really want an edge (or money is no object and you insist on living the most decadent high fat content life possible). If you are going to splurge on it, wait till you are making a puff pastry, or maybe more likely, a pie crust. Your pie will have a flakier, nuttier and easier to work with crust.

If you are still interested in butter facts, read on!

I have always wondered why it says sweet cream on most of the butter I buy. The sweet cream label signifies that it is made from pasteurized cream and can be salted or unsalted. Butter used to be made from soured milk so that there would be more butterfat.

If sex and food are not already linked in your mind, maybe this will help. If you are wanting to make butter and use proper terminology, you churn cream or milk until the butter comes.

You'll need 21 pounds of cow's milk to make 1 pound of butter! Now, I am curious about sheep's milk butter.

Next time I make a crust I am going to try a european butter and I am going to ask around if the butter would make a noticeable difference in a shortbread recipe with which I recently fell in love.

Thank you KK and Aliza Green for all the Information!

and then there were three, Franklins that is!

2009-06-04T18:21:00.003-04:00

Monday nights are becoming one of my favorites. Somehow some of my most indulgent evenings crept up unexpectedly on this early weekday. The festivities of a few Mondays ago only furthered this pattern.

Before SEM and I even knew each other separate Franklin Cafes had found their way into the stomachs of our separate hearts. She had been to the original on Shawmut Ave in the south end for most of her birthdays since turning 16 (and in historical markers, it claims the spot of her first legal drink). The Franklin in Gloucester (and the only franklin with dessert!) is one of the best restaurants on Cape Ann so many occasion are celebrated there by the residents. JRD and her mom, B, were the first to take me and I haven't looked back since.

We made a plan to try the latest one. The plan was on Monday night. Luckily, KH was also available.

This South Boston restaurant is larger and more open than its counterparts and promises a small patio in warm weather. I had been expecting a similar menu to the others. I'll admit it, mostly I was looking forward to the Franklin Calamari. However, this dish was not on there! I recognized one or two things that seemed similar but it seems as though they are going for a slightly different tone here.

They still had their exciting, elegant and comfortable cocktail list.

KH adores oysters. She ordered us each one. My first. It squeaked down and tasted like the ocean. What a way to start a night. All I could think of was MFK Fisher's first oyster at her all girls school Christmas party seated between two uperclass girls. The oyster was followed by exhilarating dances with each girl. (our before and after pics are shown)

Our oysters were followed by several other dishes and excited, frenzied planning of our futures!

We had tomato soup with a little bite of grilled cheese. Zucchini salad with a dramatic piece of cheese. Gnocchi with a corn puree and a crisp ham. Surprisingly good shumai (despite all the respect I have for the Franklin, I didn't expect this Asian dish to be as good as it was)! We also had a juicy, appropriately salty chicken dish.

They were on their winter menu still, marked by all the balsamic reductions and the fact that the menu said as such, which was disappointing especially because the day we went was perfectly, cool-ly, spring.

No dessert at this Franklin, just like the original. I respect their choice to ignore it, plus it gives us an excuse to enjoy other spots in the neighborhood.

Plans are in the works for a trip to Franklin Cape Ann followed by a sleepover and a beach day (to remind us of the oysters...)

Le Macaron!

2009-05-12T20:58:00.009-04:00

I am the daughter of a francophile. That is as plain and simple as it sounds. When I was 16 pop was going to London to perform a show. In the mind of a francophile a trip over the pond to the motherland actually means a weekend in Paris. This time, he was taking me and my older sister. When I left school early to get my passport picture taken I realized how much phile there was in this francophile.

Our trip was all the usual Parisian spots littered with stops at the haunts of the ex-pats. (He's a franchophile and a Hemingwayphile. One and the same?) We walked all over the place. Which means we kept passing bakeries. Almost every window of every patisserie was filled with little macarons. One shoppe stays in my mind so vividly. We unexpectedly turned a corner and a large expanse of windows revealed stacks and piles of pastel macarons. The delicate abundance of it all was beautiful! We were instantly in love. I always requested that we take the long way back to the hotel just to see them all lined up.

Macarons are little round almond, egg white cookies sandwiched together with ganache, buttercream or jam. They are a crisp substantive bite the melts away on your tongue.

These little treats have been a special bond for pop and me. We are constantly on the lookout for them anywhere we go.

Here is what I have found around this town of mine.

LA Burdick in Cambridge was the first stateside place I discovered them. We went for hot chocolate and chocolate mice with satin tales, and if that wasn't enough, I spotted the Macarons! What heavenly afternoons I have spent there! I have only been during the snow laiden winter months and don't know what the experience offers during warm, warmer and hot months. The handful of times I have been there mark memories from many different stages in life with different friends and family. all Only cozy feelings are conjured up when I think of being here (recently remodeled to feel even more french...which if I think about makes it feel a touch inauthentic... Luckily, I am forgetful!)

I had recently heard of Formaggio Kitchen, the sister to South End Formaggio (I mention it here.) This spot deserves so much more said about it. About 3 stores strung together, Formaggio Kitchen has so many decadent, unusual, interesting, fresh, and high end gastronomical delights. There is a reason it is in Huron Village of Cambridge. In the center, among ceiling high shelves of chocolates and sweets is a pastry case. In it are those beautiful macarons that take me to another place.

Finally, after an indulgent dinner at Aujour d'hui (to be discussed later) there was a macaron. This mignardise with the heavy check was light as air. (As confirmed with KK mignardise is the name of the sweet bite sent out at the end of a meal. The old french word means small child in noun form and something delicate, pretty and graceful as an adjective. A new favorite word? check that. )

I long to be good at making them. I have tried a few times and Martha's recipe really came through the best. The Cambridge School of Culinary Arts occasionally offers a whole class devoted to this delicate sandwich of a treat.

In conclusion, I can't say pop has rubbed off on me totally. Sometimes I need more than A Farewell to Arms can offer. But, at least I can say that I am a macaronphile. I think I can add that to his list too.

Picnics!

2009-05-03T16:37:00.008-04:00

I think about them all winter: hang on to little jars that would be handy; tag recipes hoping I won't forget about them; write lists of good spots. In a den of daydreams these thoughts hibernate till the trees are light bright green and the weather pleasant.

Of course, the only things I could be talking about are PICNICS.

The winter jumped to summer for a week and I, well, I jumped at the chance. In the little heatwave with a funny day off, I packed a picnic. I chopped up some blackberries and strawberries, macerated them in a couple tablespoons of sugar and mint and put them in a jar.

Meanwhile, I made my favorite chocolate chip cookies, except, I didn't have chocolate chips. I chopped up an amalgamation of chocolate bars I had and tossing them in really improved the usual situation.

I had made a rhubarb ginger concentrate a couple weeks ago to help extend the rhubarb season in my life. In little bottles that I had drank the contents of months before and stowed away, I poured in some of the concentrate, seltzer, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Next, I cautiously gave them a shake for a quick refreshing soda.

Finally, I wrapped up a chunk of aged gouda (all-time favorite cheese) and put all the food in a basket along with utensils, a cheese cutter, napkins and a tablecloth. I picked up a baguette, goat cheese and pesto on my way over the river to meet SEM (also known to dream in picnics) over her lunch break. On a bench across from a cherry tree with this little spread between us, we talked of many things while watching people enjoy the scurry of their day in this unexpected weather.

I hope this is the first of many picnic menus posted here. Back to cloudy and slightly chilly days, I had to cancel a picnic last week (GA and I still had a fine lunch indoors) and am left waiting again.

New York City! (part 3)

2009-04-25T21:04:00.012-04:00

When it comes to places to try, I always trust KK. So when I decided to head to the Big Apple I asked for her suggestions of where to stop. She equipped me with an index card scribbled with bakeries and cafes. It gave me the structure I lacked for a day in the city.

I showed my card to LM after brunch and she conveniently knew which stops were in walking distance. She marched us right over to soho, making a recommendation or two of her own along the way. In all my trips to NYC I have never spent much time in this neighborhood.

LM's addition was Ceci-Cela, a tiny hallway of a bakery that had a little room off the back for sitting. Stuffed in this narrow rectangle was a case brimming with rows and rows and columns and rows of colorful, cheerful macrons (stay tuned for more on this subject). In baskets and on trays were many other very French pastries and out of drawers poked serve yourself take-away savory pastries. Oh, I just adore macrons and these were true to their form!

We then went to B a lthazar, a grand looking restaurant with a tiny and elegant bakery next door. LM swears by their chocolate bread. I ordered an almond croissant, a petit fore, a madeleine, and an éclair. Later in the afternoon I discovered the croissant was flaky; the petit fore with a marzipan bottom had a moist, perfectly square cake and dare I say it, supple fondant; the madeline was not too sweet and not too soft, the éclair disappointed me, but that is mostly because I had expected vanilla pastry cream pouring out but instead it was a wilting chocolate cream.

With two bags of treats in my hands, LM pointed us towards Once Upon A Tart, and said good-bye. Hot and tired, IAM and I decided to sit down at this next stop. A nice shoppe, with nice food, but something was missing. We refreshed ourselves but were not as taken by the atmosphere or the food. We nibbled, drank our iced beverages and went back into the stuffed streets of the city. Discovering the edge of a park, we stepped over a fence, reclined on the grass and laid out our spread of sugar, flour and butter from the bakery crawl.

Sunshine and treats…need I say more…

Perfectly content, we hopped on the subway. We had a live radio broadcast to see, after all!

New York City! Part 2

2009-04-21T17:43:00.008-04:00

Somehow I didn’t realize that Saturday was going to be such a beautiful day and consequently, I didn’t pack accordingly. I threw together an outfit that consisted partly of what I planned, some athletic wear, and something from the night before. But then again, I was in a town where everyone looked like they were wearing something new with some sort of athletic gear and something from the night before, whether it be mousse, a dress, or person on their arm.

We went into Manhattan to meet IAM’s friend for brunch (IAM and LM are pictured as the meal is winding down...you can see all of our juice!). Luckily we beat the brunch crowd by arriving at 1pm. IAM suggested going to a Brazilian place called Café Colonial because she remembered them having delicious pao de queijos (cheesy little popover things). Eh, they were good, but my favorite part was the drink selection! They had fresh squeezed juice, strawberry shakes, açai shakes, and Ipanema juice (beet, carrot and apple juices). Whenever my body is slightly deprived it always tells me that I should drink my way back to a balance. I must have been really deprived because I almost only ordered drinks.

We stuck to breakfast fare, though I couldn’t resist a side of corn (corn and desire of it are pictured). We rethought our order with every dish that walked by (everything looked so good!) but were completely satisfied with our choices. The atmosphere was fresh and rustic, with white walls, white tile floor, sun shining through huge windows, wooden and tin accents and sturdy mix-matched furniture (you can get a feel for it in this solo shot of IAM). Their dinner menu looks promising too!

A good way to start our day (if I weren't on a whilrlwind trip it could have been the main event of a lazy Saturday).

New York City! (part 1)

2009-04-20T20:35:00.005-04:00

Nothing says, "Welcome to New York," like arriving in Penn Station at 5:30 on a Friday evening. I was bombarded with emotions flying everywhere in between panic and Mary Tyler Moore. Finally, I met my sister, IAM, at her office at the New York City Opera. After she had her friend give me a tour of the theatre at Lincoln Center we walked around the upper west side.

Such a beautiful evening in the city and we went right to Shake Shack (it seemed like everyone else did too). We ordered two hamburgers, french fries, and a shake to go. A little old-fashioned but very contemporary joint with a drive-in feeling on foot and modern twists. The price of the classic hamburger seemed great, but our drink cost more than the burger. After going through the well oiled machine they have to get people in, out and fed, we took our paper bag and headed to the park. Everyone we walked by had just come from the Shake Shack and plopped down where they could to enjoy their spoils. The scene was probably the same in the surrounding blocks of the two other Shake Shack locations. We joined everyone once we found a bench in a little nook of the park that seemed right for us; a tasty way to partake in the warm(ish) night and catch up.

Even though we were full we walked to Magnolia Bakery for a treat to take with us back to Brooklyn: a Chocolate cupcake with white vanilla frosting and pink sprinkles. The self serve style of the cupcakes and cookies was off putting but it felt so right. When you order cupcakes don't you always have your eye on the perfect one? Sweet and satisfying, yes, but, part of the charm of the cupcake was going into that pretty shop with high ceilings and lace curtains. Luckily, IAM knew to order a serving of banana pudding, which was actually vanilla pudding, banana peices and vanilla wafers. It was so American, creamy and fluffily rich. I would go back for this pudding more than those famous cupcakes, lace curtains or not (don't get me wrong, I'm not about to refuse a cupcake either).

IAM and I fell asleep on the pullout couch that she made up for me in her little apartment, resting up for the indulgent day ahead.

Diving In.

2009-04-10T09:48:00.007-04:00

I didn't know what to do with myself on a late August night after too much wine with an ex love and unsatisfying responses (though tender) from a new romance to my persistent calls and all of a sudden GP rang my doorbell with a gaggle of people I had never seen before asking to go out for an ice cream. I straightened my summer dress, threw on my sandals and headed out for a scoop.

Last night I saw GP's friends again in a very different way. As it turns out they were part of, involved with, or friends with a musical group called Lake Street Dive. GP got me out with her to the Lizard Lounge over in Cambridge to see their show. I had been to Cambridge Common many times but never downstairs.

Lake Street Dive is a charming band with a trumpet, stand-up base, drums, and powerful, jazzy, full vocals. Most of the songs were break up songs, but they still made you feel good. It was wonderful to be reminded how people can just make music and tell stories and share it. They were all a part of something and it was twangy, pop-y, sensual, folk-y and exuberant. The singer had beautiful stage presence with hips that very slowly shook. The bassist played so hard she almost took herself out. The trumpet player would also pick up the guitar and sit down at the piano, whatever seemed to be needed. The drummer kept everyone together while pulling off a very appropriate mustache.

With lines like (slightly botched but to the best of my memory...) "It feels good to be over you, it felt good to be under you, maybe you just feel good, " and, "most of what I love about Elijah is on the outside..." or, "my neighbors making love upstairs would crush me...I am on the ground floor," you are bound to have a good time.

The Lizard Lounge had a great casual atmosphere with oriental rugs. I know people who are regulars to shows here but I just had never taken that chance and gone. The audience really shares the space with the performer, so that the give and take of show is all very fluid. Of course, if it isn't a good show, that could make for an awkward time. Go early and have a burger, sweet potato fries, tater tots, or fried pickle before!

I recommend two things. 1) Listen to Lake Street Dive and find a show to go to! 2) Check something out at the Lizard Lounge! I will be doing both!

Olé! Olé! (cheese) Olé!

2009-03-18T19:14:00.005-04:00

KH and I rarely get much time to hang out because we generally have opposite schedules. We both had a free Monday afternoon and I had an all too exciting and generous gift certificate to the South End Formaggio!

We went right to the cheese case and the man working there had us sample many many different kinds of cheeses; he told us what he thought of the cheese, good or bad; he listened to our tastes and made suggestions. We bought 4 kinds of cheese and then wandered the little shop and picked up a grape syrup, salted caramels, lomo, and Terroir coffee. So many delightful things! I'll be honest though, if it weren't for the gift certificate, I would find it hard to justify buying what I did. If you need to buy a present for a friend who loves food, or are preparing for a special occasion, or know how to exercise restraint, than I absolutely recommend a trip.

We wanted to visit a few more places in the south end but didn't have much direction. We got some coffee and treats at Flour bakery and Cafe and decided to walk around and look at all of the menus of restaurant nearby and pick one. KH had invited SM to meet us after the lecture she was giving but we didn't realize there would be such a lapse in time. We looked up the address for Toro and decided to check it out first because it had been recommended by Ana Sortun of Oleana.

We didn't get to any other places. We went in and sat at the bar soon after the restaurant opened for service and realized we wouldn't see SM for a couple hours. We saw that they had Tinto de Verano, ordered two and then settled in with the menu and planned what we would order...in two hours.

This Ken Oringer restaurant features the chef, Jamie Bissonette, and so many Spanish tapas. We ordered the charcuterie plate after our first Tinto de Verano, just to tide us over while we waited. After another Tinto de Verano we ordered two more pinchos, beef heart with romesco, and dates stuffed with almonds and blue cheese wrapped in jamon. Oh, these dates were such heavenly salty, sweet bites.

From the start the bartender was less than warm but not neglectful.

Finally, SM made it and we got her a Tinto de Verano and finally ordered everything we wanted, or at least as much of it that we thought we could eat in one night. We eventually had monk fish with mint and yogurt, foi gras with pear and bacon chutney, the juiciest ribs, delicate, salty, bone marrow, some of the tastiest brusselsprouts and best of all, grilled corn on the cob dripping with a lime-pepper-cheese aioli.

We wished a few flavors were stronger on a dish or two, but nothing I would say not to try.

We effortlessly spent 5 hours in the warm restaurant with a roaring fire, long banquet tables and delicious food while a late wintry mix iced the streets. My only regret is not trying the churros at the end. I long for when this restaurant will be the answer to a hot summer night.

Myers and Chang!

2009-03-08T19:47:00.007-04:00

If you do the math, one trip to Rialto is worth more than a week with a car, so to even things out I took SM out to Myers and Chang in the South End. Unfortunately (or fortunately), I didn't know that my dining partner was skeptical of "nice Chinese food" until after the meal and she confessed how wrong she was.

This restaurant is the product of Joanne Chang of Flour Bakery and Cafe and her husband, Chris Myers. The atmosphere is very funky, fresh, kitschy and contemporary. With pink bar stools overlooking the open kitchen, Chinese newspaper place mats and folded paper menus tucked in the tops of the disposable and reusable chopsticks stuffed in a canister on the table this restaurant welcomes the diner in to its fold. They take reservations but leave half of the dining room open for walk ins.

We started with fizzy cocktails. For some reason we didn't take the plunge right away into the scorpion bowl about which we were so curious. I've never had one, but this seemed like the best place to try my first version of this tacky, exorbitant and delicious cocktail for two!

Everything is family style, so we tried several things. The pork pot stickers were so scrumptious and probably my favorite thing. I adore fresh spring rolls and the ones here were very satisfyingly crisp and refreshing. We also had Lion's Head Meat balls that were tasty. We order a few things that said spicy, and if we liked spice they would have been so delicious, the darn thing of it is, we were just too sensitive. The Dan Dan noodles is one of these dishes. On a previous trip, I remember loving the basic tofu steak with soba noodles. In fact, after that trip, SS and I found it the perfect thing to have in a leftover bag being toted at our sides as we made the long, joyous walk home after a long night.

Desserts were recently added to the menu and we had simple, sweet banana creme caramel that we found room for in our very full bellies and did our best with a delicate and tall spice cake with ginger buttercream.

Myers and Chang just changed chefs actually. The night SM and I were there was the original chef's second to last night. Alison Hearn just moved to the brand new Ten Tables in Cambridge that I can't wait to try out! However, the word is that the Myers part of the equation is a bit heavy handed. So, even with a new chef, the food will probably be the same.

While, I haven't had one yet, I hear wonderful things about their homemade sodas. This is another reason it might be high on the list for pop's birthday this year! (He knows how good the food is, but he doesn't even know yet about the sodas. It might put him over the edge. We haven't yet talked over all the options though).

The thing about this food is that it satisfies the part of you that craves Chinese/Asian food without compromise but also without that gross, tired feeling. The customer gets to be in complete control of how expensive or not the dinner is. Myers and Chang is fresh, delicious, satisfying, comforting and stylish.

Cakes! Cakes! Cakes!

2009-03-01T16:30:00.020-05:00

I had never read any MFK Fisher and on my most recent trip to the Boston Public Library I decided it was time. Two Saturday mornings ago I woke up late (for me) and without a plan for the day. After lounging in my bed and red lit room for awhile I moved down to the chaise lounge and began reading The Gastronomical Me, this first major book of Fisher's.

I was taken in by her descriptive language and honest approach to her gastronomical experiences pieced together from an early age. She so clearly illustrates the way that food weaves through our memories, relationships, and experiences. The following passage resigned me to thinking about only one thing for the rest of the day, cakes.

After taking care of a few things and spending time with my roommates, I set to work on a simple vanilla cake with pastry cream and fillings of pureed fruits.

Here is the thing about cakes, they are actually easy and fast to make from scratch. There are so many different kinds to try and different ways to decorate and put them together, without being the daunting endeavor I fear you may think them to be. Start small and embellish!

Two weeks later I used part of another Saturday dedicated to the glorious business of cakes.

I had never made an "Emergency Cake" or "Blackout Cake" before and this one in the most recent Cook's Illustrated magazine. This cake gets the name from the WWII era when eggs and butter were scarce and before those cake mixes took over. Mayonnaise was the cheap and available substitute, it is eggs and oil after all. I topped this one with a quick whipped cream to which I added caramel.

I actually love a nice moist chocolate cake with just a cold glass of milk. I thoroughly enjoyed it with the whipped cream but this cake had the perfect consistency to be effortlessly enjoyed in its purest, unadorned form.

I received a mini pan of 6 bundt forms and then another pan of miniature-mini bundt forms over this past Christmas. On this cakely Saturday I also came across a vanilla cardamom pound cake recipe and knew I had to put the pans to use. Of course, the flavors come through just as beautifully in a regular bundt, loaf or square pan.

Here is a wild cake that GP made for her birthday in February. This one takes a little more time, but the technique is easy and the wow factor is huge, huge, huge.

In summary, if you have a little time one Saturday, try making a cake, enjoy the fruits of your labors and before the memory becomes bilious, bask in the glow of sharing your cake with a
friend.

If you want to know every little thing about making any kind of cake there is no one better to turn to than Rose Levy Beranbaum and The Cake Bible. She also has her own website:

www.realbakingwithrose.com

Starving Maternal Figure!

2009-02-23T18:13:00.005-05:00

SM and I arrived at our 9:30 Hungry Mother reservation with fierce appetites and the grand anticipation of something already known to be wonderful.

We passed the charming bar with its handsome bartender on our way up the stairs to the main dining room. For most of the night we opted for the #99 cocktail, a bartender's choice based off a few parameters that you give - sweet, sour, fruity, spirits. I, of course, struggle with parameters but managed through the evening rather nicely. FYI, They make their own grenadine.

Right away we ordered the side of grits with ham and cheese to eat while we made most of the decisions for the night.

We settled on the following:

A peanut soup topped with fried pancetta and served with a lime for squeezing. Salty and smooth, this soup slid right down, slow spoonful after slow spoonful. They boil Virginia peanuts and offer them in the "To tide you over..." portion of the menu, but they are also used in this soup. Having had it before, I am pretty sure there was an understanding we'd be ordering the soup this time around too.

Catfish cakes with a sweet potato play on aioli and frisee were a tasty, not too heavy, fried plate . The fact that I enjoyed this stronger fish speaks volumes (I generally don't care for catfish).

We had a quietly titled mixed greens plate accented with golden beets and roasted, lightly spiced pecans. A Meyer lemon buttermilk dressing topped the salad, standing tall and refreshing.

Our main course was steak, medium rare, delicious, full of iron, confidently simple. Truth be told though, main courses are never my favorite thing. This was the only dish that let us get distracted by other things: conversations, tattoos, meyer lemon- buttermilk dressing, and decor.

As for dessert, 3 plates ended up on our table. I'll be honest, I thought SM and I would have seen more changes on dinner menu from the last time we went. However, the dessert menu had satisfyingly rotated.

We had another #99 cocktail that the bartender said would compliment the coconut cake and oh, how it did, delightfully! The cake was substantial with a light crumb. Topped with long coconut chips, the coconut flavor was unmissable but nothing overpowering or sickeningly sweet as it slowly took over your mouth.

The banana pudding tasted perfectly simple (I was accused of eating more than my share of this.). The flavor was fresh, which is all there is to hope for in anything titled, banana. Topped with as much whip cream as there was pudding and accentuated with graham crackers this dessert was full of a bliss.

The moonpies were exquisite examples of their little species and served with a tiny bowl of creme anglaise. If you have a sentimental attachment to these little guys absolutely order them. Otherwise, they won't necessarily change your mind about moonpies, whatever your opinion.

I wish that I could remember what my last #99 was. SM just said, something for dessert and over the top to sip will we finished the sweets and reflected on the meal. It truly delivered and was the perfect ending.

When describing everything at this Appalachian-french restaurant I wanted to end every sentence with "...and comforting." Yet, I shy away from saying this is a restaurant of comfort food. The term connotes a heavy feeling, a sedation. This was comfort food, new and invigorating.

A Venture to Noho and all I got were 24 pictures of us!

2009-02-16T12:48:00.009-05:00

The ways that I love the pioneer valley are innumerable. JRD and I recently went to Northampton, MA, where I lived for a year and have been visiting my whole life. We needed a day for ourselves and the atmosphere of this little western mass city. To start, (like most treat days or trip days or any excuse days) we went right to a cafe - one of probably a dozen up in this town.

The Woodstar Cafe has a productive, thoughtful and ever expanding bakery. They make their own bread, bagels and delicious pastries. Here, I have enjoyed the most satisfying eclair to date and one of the more satisfying lattes. I know less about coffee than I do about sweets but I always thoroughly enjoy their espresso drinks. They roast their own coffee at a different shop of theirs off route 9 called, Esselon Cafe (I love it here too, they have a bigger cafe/bistro menu as well). Hot chocolates are an afternoon's undertaking and thick with indulgence. The atmosphere is littered with students, academics, artists, former hippies, constant pathfinders, lesbians, free range children, free thinking parents, trans people, transplants and valley folks who have been there for generations. They will all get on your nerves at some point but its nice to soak it all in and assess where I am.

We visited a few stores:
Faces, a fun browse and usually a great place for a cheap gift or treat for yourself.
Essentials, the same description as Faces but with a french borgouise twist and without the word, cheap (still worth a browse!).
Lots of places in Thornes market, but most importantly, we spent the entirety of our afternoon at the photomaton booth on the second floor. Just a classic black and white strip of 4 pics that we theme as deemed necessary. On this trip, we made a narcisistic valentine, depicted fruits and veggies, retold the story of Hannah Jumper, showed the decline of a hairdo, played with collars, reinacted favorite memories for a friend and did a variaton on our favorite theme fall backs, the menagerie and the menagerie of emotions. You have never seen or known self-love like us in a photomaton.

The day got rather late as it only can when we are taking pictures of ourselves. Not sure how best to satisfy our needs and also get on the road, we went to Herrell's, the ultimate ice cream shop destination. I find the chocolate whip cream to be the perfect way to top their peanut butter shake, this of course, when I am not just wanting just a bowl of pure sweet cream, or trying one of their more unusual flavors. Be careful! There are a couple bastard versions of Herrell's or Steve's around the commonwealth, but, the original is the thing!

We got onto 91 South happy, tired and full, but knew that there was much we didn't do.

As for places to eat:

Osaka is the choice place for sushi and perfect for a mixed crowd. They offer lots of options for vegetarians (the bhudda roll is avocado and peanuts!) and for people who just plain old, don't like sushi. The best seats are on the sun porch anytime of year.

Viva Fresh Pasta is a little italian place that makes its own pasta and sauces and the diner can mix and match them. They offer a regular menu which has many good things on it. But they always have a great special ravioli and when in doubt they have egg fettuccini and an alfredo sauce that I always want whether I order it or not.

India House is an Indian Restaurant in a house (and thus the name) and reliably good. If I recall correctly it is a favorite take your parents to, or special occasion place among the co-eds in the area.

Sylvester's is a scrumptious place for breakfast, plus it is in the house of Sylvester Graham, inventor of...Graham Crackers!

Kathy's Diner on Strong Avenue is a place to go for the experience and the price.

As for things to do:

Pleasant Street Movie Theatre is a fun little place with funny, tiny screen rooms and good popcorn. They show independent films or the more thoughtful studio films. No giant blockbusters here. They have a great rental store too!

Lots of good music comes through here of all kinds. There are a few different places, all with their own atmosphere, and mostly in the Iron Horse entertainment group. The Iron Horse venue is my favorite. Go early for a good seat and have a snack or dinner!

Despite my allegiance to the original women's college, the Smith College Art Museum usually has interesting exhibits and can be worth a trip. Plus it is small, so it won't take up your day!

There are beautiful places to walk around, just in the town, around the college, in parks, and around farms.

The Full Experience

2009-01-21T20:47:00.007-05:00

Some things I recommend:

1) If a restaurant has a full bar with a bartender and specialty cocktail list - Order one!

The establishment probably worked really hard to make those cocktails really delicious (they want you to buy them, lots of them). This is an opportunity to try a new flavor combination and another way to see things from the restaurant's point of view.

If the restaurant is proud of its wine list, order a bottle (glass) with dinner too. At the same time, if a restaurant is proud of its wine list and that is about it, take their word for it, they want you to be drinking wine (I am sure there are probably some other licensing issues and decisions happening there as well). I overheard a couple ask about the margaritas at Oleana. I am all for people getting what they want and not being ashamed to ask for it, but know where you are. The staff at Oleana could talk to you for days about their wine list and food but as the waitress said, "we don't really do margaritas."

2)If a restaurant has listed its pastry chef on the menu and the price seems awfully high - Order One (two...three)!

The best pastry chefs are going to be at those restaurants where they get their due credit. It is hard enough for Pastry Chefs to get all the respect they deserve in the business. When they are listed on the menu you have a sense that their skills are appreciated by someone in charge. (However, I can't say how well that translates in the kitchen environment). The price also indicates that a talented person is behind those desserts. That extra money is paying for someone to just be the pastry chef and the restaurant is going to need you to feel like 12 dollars was more than worth it.

Tinto de Verano

2009-01-21T20:20:00.008-05:00

When in Spain I enjoyed doing as the Spanish do. This translates to large lunches, naps, late dinners, tostadas and cafe con leche, tapas, and Tinto de Verano (red wine of summer) or Tinto y Blanco to drink at many meals and bars.

As contradictory as this sounds, it was cold red wine with either lemon soda or fizzy water. These go down easy and are refreshing at almost any juncture in the day.

We ate at a typical cheap restaurant with a 5 Euro lunch of traditional Spanish foods. They didn’t take drink orders, just brought glasses of ice. On every table was a bottle of wine and soda and you just mixed your own drink. There is a funny picture of my sister at the table and you can see the bottles.

Sure, anyone is embarrassed to actually order a wine spritzer, but wait till summer, make them at home, drink them all day, all season long, and enjoy it (it is so European of you!)!

Rialto

2009-01-17T16:31:00.005-05:00

If you are at a restaurant where the chef just wants to share an experience, share what she knows, expand what you know, and then personally make sure she did her job, you should go again and again. Rialto is a place of trust and love between patron and owner.

Last night I was treated to a dinner at Rialto by SM. This is classic Cambridge eating. An old staple of the Charles Hotel, Rialto is the chef, Jody Adams. The food is new Italian. The staff is kind, welcoming and efficient. She features a region of the country in seasonally evolving Prix Fixe menus in addition to a regular and changing menu. Our dinner included the following:

Gnocchi with cheese and truffles,
Wild boar prosciutto with cheese and greens,
Bone Marrow with Saffron Risotto,
Pork Medallions with sweet potatoes and almonds,
Berkshire Veal Steak with mashed potatoes wrapped in red onion
Honey Ricotta cheesecake with pine nuts, figs, golden raisins and grappa
Cocoa Hazelnut meringues with a coffee (or mocha) pudding, cream, and a shot of decaf espresso to drizzle over it.

All of this food was good. And I mean that in the way that Greek philosophers used “the good” to describe life’s purpose. I was satisfied from beginning to end. The joy of this meal was not in adventurous flavors but in quality.

The highlights were the bone marrow and the cheesecake.

This was the first time that we had ever had bone marrow. Not sure how to approach it or eat it, we scraped a bit off the bone with ease. The flavor completely filled our mouths many time over while feeling like there was nothing in there. The saffron risotto it was served with was very salty but a welcomed compliment and good on its own.

As for the cheesecake, I was skeptical. I rarely feel like eating cheesecake after a big meal. This cake however, was light with a delicate texture without being whimpy. The honey was a gentle sweetness that enhanced the ethereal and conforting feel of the dessert. The grappa was also not as invasive as it had sounded to me. I don't think I can eat a heavy, dense cheesecake again. This experience changed my view of cheesecake for the better, while simultaneously probably ruining most other cheesecakes in my future.

Here is the thing of this restaurant: As we took our time finishing our wine and dessert, Jody Adams stopped by our table. She really wanted to know if we were having a good time. I think our calm yet elated state told her enough about our time at her restaurant, however, we mentioned that she also gave us the new experience of bone marrow.

She responded, "I think it is really an overlooked thing, that is why we give you such a generous portion." Thank you for thinking of us, Ms. Adams.

www.rialto-restaurant.com

Jungle Speed

2009-01-10T07:43:00.008-05:00

I don't know if you know the interrupting cow joke. It's a personal favorite. I am notoriously bad at it; I can't get the timing and somehow get distracted. I get a rush of adrenaline, exhilaration and anxiety all rolled up in one for the 15 seconds that I attempt the joke. Playing Jungle Speed makes me feel like that for the entire duration of the game. Exhausting and Glorious!

This was a Christmas present from Gwen. She learned about it in Spain and bought it there, however, I am guessing that it probably didn't originate there.

Jungle Speed has the basic goal of getting rid of all of your cards. You put your cards down as fast as possible and grab a baton that sits in the middle of the group if you and someone else have the same card up. There are various other times to grab this lovely wooden pole. You get to get rid of some of your cards if you get the baton. You gain cards if you made a mistake or missed the grab. Sounds simple enough, but you have to pay attention to every card and everything is moving soooo fast!

I love it! and now I am looking for people to play...