Life on Planet Patricia

Best thing about the end of the semester? (c'est si bon)

2010-08-03T18:02:00.004-04:00

Not having to deal with the evil professor? Getting an A? Being able to speak elementary French? Yes to all but the very best thing about the end of the semester is the end of semester gift. Here's mine from Boutique Fabulous, Cambridge - nice (very nice) wheeled weekend bag. And I even have a weekend to use it on.

What I bought on vacation (patience is rewarded)

2010-08-03T17:19:00.003-04:00

It's coming up on three years since I moved into my condo and broke my cocktail pitcher on the first night. After a long-tortuous-hot-everything but the boxspring getting up the stairs day of moving, I made a manhattan and tapped the pitcher against the hutch, shattering it. Since then it has been one antique store after another, one china shop after another, searching for a suitable replacement. Everything is too wide or if not too wide, no handle. Finally, here it is. Wandering around the shops at The Circle in Orange (It's About Time, 131 N. Glassell St) one morning waiting for the June gloom to burn off so I could hit the beach, I find it. The picture does not do it justice - but it is heavy glass/crystal with a nice bevelled pattern. Looks better with the cocktail in it, no? Something ridiculous like $32 and the guy at the counter wrapped it up so good. I was practically dancing out the door.

Stephi's on Tremont (ice, really?)

2010-08-03T16:59:00.003-04:00

Went here a few weekends ago on a Sunday afternoon nice enough to sit out. I got the Basil Berry - oxley gin, strawberry puree, basil, lemon and lime ($13). Sounds good, right? Well, not so much. It was a pretty loose concoction, enough gin, some mild strawberry flavor and some ice cubes.

The appetizer, on the other hand, mmm, mmm good. These are cheddar bacon apple fritters ($10) - fritters with green apple, cheddar and bacon with horseradish dipping sauce. Oh baby, these were tasty. I know they didn't but these had so much bacon flavor I almost asked if they were fried in bacon grease. Nice combination of flavors, perfectly fried and a nice, cool dipping sauce.

Would I go back? Not sure, drinks were pricey and just not that good. Or maybe I should just never stray from Manhattans. The appetizer was very good so maybe if I was in the neighborhood.

Stanhope Grille (look homeward angel)

2010-07-25T15:16:00.006-04:00

I guess it's true, you can't go back. After years of raving, fantasizing and trying to recreate the Southern Manhattan from the Stanhope Grille, I finally got back there for dinner. Sorry to say but my attempts at home far surpassed what I got there a few weeks ago. This was just sad, sad, sad. It's supposed to be Woodford Reserve and Southern Comfort instead of vermouth. As you can see, the color is just all wrong. It should be golden, not this color which is so similar to the color of the cherry that you can barely discern the poor thing at the bottom of the glass.

I don't remember what my friend got but she is a vodka drinker and I think this it had cherries in it. She was happy.

Dinner was a soup (so long ago, I don't remember the type) and pork shank. Food was decent but nothing so great that I am dreaming about it.

Cucina Alessa

2010-06-15T21:31:00.003-04:00

I went to a special event at Cucina Alessa and had this manhattan made with Early Times Bourbon. Limited choice on the liquors since we were getting a special deal (2 cocktails and 2 appetizers each for $20). Although the drink was quite tasty, the calamari was...meh. Just not very crispy or flavorful. I would have much preferred by mozzarella, tomatoes, basil plate but by the time I figured that out they were just taking out plates of appetizers and setting them up buffet style with nary a piece of mozzarella in sight.

Fish tacos (can you ever have enough?)

2010-06-15T20:46:00.004-04:00

The answer, my friends, is a resounding no. I had a least one fish taco every day in SoCal except the afternoon I couldn't find the place someone told me about.

Day one - it's always the same: arrive, pick up the car, drive to Huntington Beach, stop at the Rubio's on Beach Blvd., change into bathing suit in their clean bathroom while they make the fish taco. Instantaneously relaxed the minute I hit the sand. I feel like I'm home and most definitely happy. Rubio's is a chain but don't let that stop you. It's a decent fried fish taco for a decent price. Good amount of chips and some beans. Ahhh.

Day two - leave very early for shopping in Santa Barbara and, again, it's the same routine here (who says you can't be in a rut and still be happy?). Lunch is always at The Natural Cafe. So, so tempted by the soup (roasted red pepper if you remember that from last year) but the counter girl tells me the fish taco is one of their most popular item. Sold. Grab a table outside and am presented with this lovely plate. My first reaction is, "Wow, that's a lot of carrots."

But this is a very tasty broiled fish taco. My only grip is that it's a little too wet for my taste but the clean and fresh flavor makes up for that in a big way. This might be one of the more expensive tacos but it was accompanied by this fab "peach-o-rama" smoothie.

Day 3 - Normita's Surf City Tacos - by far the best deal in town in the fried fish taco category. Look at the size of that piece of fish (mahi). This has the potential to be too wet but it is just on the right side of that equation.

Day 4 - the loser of the bunch. Was driving around on one of the earlier days and saw this place (Guty's) with a sign advertising shrimp tacos for $.99. Jotted down the intersection and drove by one day before the beach. There were two miniscule fish in each taco, lettuce and, I don't think I'm wrong, mashed potatoes? Can that be right? It came with some very watery sauce (not pictured). It was all just a little too weird. In their defense, he did put the sauce in a separate container and the shells...I don't know what they fried them in but I was very happy with those.

The winner and still champion (although Natural Cafe is close, close, close) is Wahoo's. Again a broiled fish, again mahi. So good I went twice; once a la carte which is pictured and, on my last night, the combo plate with beans and rice.

Bricco Redux (who doesn't love redemption)

2010-04-30T16:06:00.005-04:00

After our first outing to Bricco, my friend was so disappointed she sent them an email and they sent her a $50 gift card. We went back a few weeks ago and were mightily impressed. Granted they were treating us like royalty, but all in all this is a place to which I'll return (but probably not on restaurant week).

After much finagling (and some shameless flirting with the guys next to us), we got their table, the same one as we had last time with both chairs having a view of Hanover Street. This time they did have the main ingredient for their version of a manhattan (still not on their online drink menu so let me see if I can remember (strawberries, vanilla bean and maybe something else marinated in bourbon (I never got the brand from the waitress or the bar manager who eventually came over. My friend asked if he knew a drink called Golden Dreams and he said he email a friend in Miami because he didn't). The manhattan was interesting but a little too light for me. You could taste the strawberry but not the vanilla. My friend got a vodka martini. Each drink was $12-13.

We split the zucchini flowers stuffed with truffle ricotta cheese and tempura vegetables ($19) which would have been enough for a meal. You can't really tell from the photo but the flowers were nicely fried and more golden; the vegetables were a thick slice of eggplant, onion, red peppers and green beans.

Friend got the swordfish (I got the clams off that dish).

And I got the salmon, broccolini and rabe puree (wasn't impressed with either of those), broccolini rabe and what the menu says is salsify cannelloni which I had (mistakenly) identified as potato last time (but it sure tasted like yukon gold potatoes to me). Whatever is was....mmmm good.

So at the end of the night we are pretty darn satisfied. We are settling up thinking the bar manager has forgotten the Golden Dream recipe but...wait for it...he brings the drink and the recipe to my friend.

Golden Dreams:

2 oz. Galliano

1 oz. Creme DeCocoa

1/2 oz. Triple Sec

3 oz. OJ

3 oz. cream

Not really my cup of tea as it's pretty sweet but I could see this at a Sunday brunch...and I certainly wouldn't refuse one if it were offered.

Total for the evening was about $116 plus tip so it ended up being about the same as we spent on the first visit but seemed to have a lot more and a lot better food.

Flowers are amazing (no retouching other than cropping!)

2010-04-30T15:59:00.003-04:00

Franklin Cafe Southie (Chef Ramsey has left the building)

2010-04-30T15:38:00.003-04:00

I've been wanting to go to this place for quite a while so when some friends were visiting from NYC, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity. We got a bunch of tapas and one hamburger. Pizza never should have been brought to the table as it was burned. Hamburger was stacked way to high to get a normal sized mouth around. One dish was crazy salty, another had no flavor (sorry, it's been about a month since we went so I don't recollect specifics of what we had but none of it made me swoon.

The drink was a their version of a manhattan - pretty mild and not cold!

Because this place has such a good reputation (place was packed by 7 pm on a Monday night), I will give it another try but that's it.

25 and another close but not perfect replica of the Southern Manhattan

2010-03-28T19:51:00.003-04:00

This 4 year old girl in the dishwasher had a bad reaction to flea medicine and has some bald spots around her neck and back but she's as sweet as can be. She'll be with me for about 4 weeks and hopefully will have all her fur back by then.

The manhattan is another attempt at the Southern Manhattan: Woodford Reserve (last of the bottle) and Southern Comfort substituted for the vermouth. One of the recipes I got for this drink included cherry juice but I didn't have any so I just added a bit of the lingonberry syrup from Ikea. I have to say it wasn't bad and the color was gorgeous.

New for me from Trader Joe's

2010-03-28T19:45:00.003-04:00

Asiago, fontina and parmesan? Ready in 90 seconds? Need I say more?

Bricco (or how do you make pork (pork!) tasteless)

2010-03-21T19:07:00.003-04:00

We went to Bricco for Restaurant Week this year and it started a bit shakey. The drink that really caught my fancy was the Manhattan in Boston (a bourbon that I've not had before infused with cherries, vermouth and a twist (I think; it's not on their online menu and it shouldn't have been on the menu that night). Our waiter looks over at the bar and shakes his head; they don't have any of the infused bourbon (and prepare in advance). So I ask for the Hendrick's martini (described on the menu as Hendrick's, a splash of dry vermouth and a fresh lemon twist). Does this look like a twist to you? Does it even look like a lemon? My friend got one in her vodka martini so maybe they gave her the last one but I doubt it. We were quite pleased with the drinks as we were with the appetizers.

She got Mozzarella di Bufala Caprese and I got the stuffed calamari "affogati" in a spicy tomato coulis (with grape tomato halves) and a garlic crostini (pictured here). Then things went seriously downhill pretty quickly.

My friend got the beef braciole filled with garlic pecorino cheese and herbs, red wie sauce and brocolli rabe. Sounds great and looks decent enough but was overcooked and dry. After several considerations and consultation with the waiter, I ordered the pork chop which was supposed to come with carrots and ... (seems this is not on their online menu any more either). It came with a very fetching tube of what I presumed after several bites had to be potato but it was very bland and non-potato-like consistency. The other side was a bitter slaw like substance. The the pork chop, oh my!, the pork chop was the biggest disappointment of the night. It wasn't that it was overcooked (as I sometimes do); it just lacked any flavor at all. How is this even possible? Even when I over cook and don't put any spices on it, my chops come out better than this sad excuse.

Desserts were bread pudding with caramel sauce and tiramisu. Meh.

Overall, my friend deemed Bricco as our only Restaurant Week failure. I have heard such good things about this place, I might give them another try but am not beating a path to their door.

First flowers but not in my yard

2010-03-21T18:56:00.002-04:00

What I'm cooking - Salmon with warm lentil and arugula salad

2010-03-21T18:45:00.004-04:00

My boss, both of my bosses actually, are obsessed with my eating habits and quite frankly, I am sick of it. But one of them is on a lentils kick and there were a few recipes with lentils in my magazines over the past few months so I tried this one from Real Simple. The salmon was perfect. The dressing for the lentil salad was a little bland for my taste but added a little salad dressing the next day and it was better.

Hot chocolate and a new ceiling?

2010-03-12T18:48:00.005-05:00

I went to a reading at Boston Public Library about a new book on Sacco and Vanzetti. It was in a room I'd never been in before (Orientation Room). Reading was kind of meh...subject obviously interesting but it felt very term paperish. First thing I noticed was the ceiling and kept getting distracted by it during one of the sections of endless quotes the author was reading. Remember that from college? You'd basically string all these quotes together with a sentence or two in between of your own thoughts. We didn't go out for a cocktail afterwards; just grabbed coffee and hot chocolate at Dunkin Donuts. Yummy.

Upper Crust Pizza

2010-03-07T16:21:00.002-05:00

Best ever. This is from Newburyport branch - mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes and garlic. I don't know what these people do to the crust but you can eat half a small pizza and don't feel like you did. You can get slices of cheese, pepperoni or pizza of the day for about $3.50. This small pizza was about $11; all drinks (except beer and wine) are $1.

Krumkake

2010-03-07T16:18:00.002-05:00

You need a special device to make these lovely little Scandanavian version of a pizzelle. They are thinner and lighter in texture than pizzelles.

I am lucky enough to have found my device in an antique store several years ago and got the recipe from my mother. We are Italians so don’t ask me how she got her machine, much less ever heard of these things.

Anyway, the recipe is very simple – flour, sugar, eggs, butter. milk and flavoring (I used almond for these). You always end up throwing the first one out since it preps the surface a bit for the rest of the cookies but almost always falls apart when you remove it from the iron. You have to experiment with how long you leave it over the heat (recipe says 1-1.5 minutes but I ended up at 2-2.5 to get the darker color. My smoke detectors are super sensitive so, of course, they all started screeching at some point.

These came out a little thicker and heavier but I think a little more milk would solve that problem.

City Bar, Lenox Hotel, Boston

2010-02-28T17:36:00.005-05:00

You know this is a good sign, right? I don't usually do much enhancing on my photos but did turn this one into black and white.

But on to the report on The City Bar, 61 Exeter Street, Boston. When we first walk into City Bar on a Wednesday night, it is jam packed with 30-somethings. Hostess tells us it’s a private party that should be breaking up soon. So we swim through the crowd towards the bar getting these dismayed looks from men who will barely move an inch to let us pass even after we say “Excuse me.”

Man, oh, man. It was just hours after I read the suggested maximum daily intake strong spirits is 1.5 ounces and the disclaimer that you cannot save up your servings for the weekend and I get the big gulp manhattan. Come on, it’s prepared it a large iced tea sized glass; what else can you call it? It’s binge drinking any way you look at it. But folks, the manhattan on the menu lists Old Overholt Rye and sweet vermouth as the ingredients so how can I quibble. There are even a few (two?) non-vodka martinis but there are the usual chocolate martini type concoctions in abundance.

No snaps of the food which is a shame. I get yakking with my friend and get presented with the fig/duck flatbread and all that silly stuff is forgotten. This just might be the best cacaphony of flavor (sweet fig, salty duck) and texture (gooey fig and chewy duck) that I've had in a while (until two nights later when I get the polenta with wild mushrooms from Tavalo in Dorchester (not even a photo of the cocktail from that outing). Prices are reasonable for the 'hood ($11-12 cocktails and appetizers were about the same.

Wow, it really is pretty.

2010-02-28T17:17:00.003-05:00

How did this happen? I opened the window at work the other day; yes, dead of winter and I have to open the windows at my office because it's been 80 degrees in there for several weeks and no one cares enough to do anything about it. I'm not exaggerating. I call the boiler room and tell them where my office is and they say they know and tell me the temperature on their monitors. So I've been opening the windows in rain and sleet and hail and snow. And low and behold, the tree outside my window has just a dusting of snow on the branches and, even though these pictures don't really do it justice, it almost took me breath away.

24 cats and another among the countless manhattans

2010-01-10T14:55:00.006-05:00

I picked up this lovely 3 year old girl midweek. She is foster cat number 24 for me. She was found wandering the streets of Dorchester by Animal Rescue League and has been in the shelter since December 28. She's with me for 10-14 days so she doesn't get an infection after being fixed. She's as skinny as a rail but is eating well.

She is quite the starlet. She'd take a few steps, pause, face the camera and then repeat. Very sweet temperament but has a real problem with being picked up and held so it's a good thing she doesn't require any medication. She is sleeping with me and has jumped up on my lap while I'm working at my desk so I'm hoping by the time it gets to put her back in the carrier, I won't be mauled to badly.

The tradition in my house is I get a cat, I welcome her with a manhattan. This one is a perfect sazerac...in my perfect frozen glass.

JJ Foley's Boston

2010-01-10T14:37:00.004-05:00

Not much to write home about with this place, typical Irish pub. This Maker's Mark manhattan with a twist that was really a wedge was decent enough at $9.50. All the little sparkly things are the reflections of the Christmas lights hung around the backroom. It was a last minute/early outing on New Years Eve. Tonya supplied party favors to all the girls (boxes with hula dancing paraphernalia Gross.

I did meet two people who might shovel the walk; one at the bar and one who was shoveling at the Epiphany School. Why can I find 4 people to to this chore and the other two unit owners can't find anyone? Rhetorical question since we know the answer.

Red pepper and tomato soup (so shouldn't this be red?)

2010-01-10T14:21:00.005-05:00

Another recipe from James McNair - and you'd think from the name, it would be much redder. OK, Patricia Brabent's photo in his cookbook is much redder but in the interest of full disclosure, my photo is unretouched. Tomatoes available lately in the great state of Massachusetts have been most unappealing and unappetizing. But come on, if they are shipped all the way from California, shouldn't they be better (sorry Barbara Kingsolver, I am weak. Although I will probably make due without until spring). All that aside, this was a very good soup. I got lots of good red pepper favor and I will make it again.

DaVinci Ristorante, Boston

2009-11-29T20:10:00.004-05:00

Dinner deal at DaVinci was too good to resist: $33.09 for three course on the full menu. Of course, we start out with the standard, "Do you have unblended rye?" When the waiter comes back and replies, "Yes," I almost burst out laughing. Need to rephrase that to "What kind of unblended rye do you have?" So he goes back to the bar and the bartender comes over and tries to tell me that Makers Mark and Basil Hayden are rye. They're not, are they? Have I been confused and mistaken and obnoxious all this time....probably yes, but not about this. So we discuss my drink a little and I order a Basil Hayden perfect manhattan. I see him, over the divider between the table we are sitting at and the bar area, shaking away. AARRGGHH! He brings back my drink and instead of leaving, he wants to know how my drink is. What I wanted to say was it would be a whole lot better if you just got this disgusting looking foam off of it. But I take a sip and say, "Thank you. It's very good.
First course is crab cakes with a red onion, apple and arugula slaw type concoction on the side. These people are really into long plates with swirls of yellow pepper mayonaisse. Not a problem as these crab cakes were quite good.
The waiter highly recommended the braised pork and he did not do me wrong. It came with saffron risotto and broccoli rabe. Meat just fell off the bone and the risotto...let's just say, I'm still dreaming about this stuff.
Another long plate for the chocolate souffle which came in a separate cup from the vanilla ice cream. Brilliant! Sometime during dessert, I see our waiter come out of the kitchen, pass the hostess desk with a dish on fire. He runs out into the street. As we leave, I ask and he says he's OK but you could tell he was quite shaken up.

Cuchi Cuchi, Cambridge

2009-11-29T19:20:00.006-05:00

I have been by Cuchi Cuchi (95 Main Street, Cambridge) several times and have heard good things about it. They open at 530 pm so we had to stand outside a few minutes. Like the name, this place, on first glance, might be a little too cute. Girls behind the hostess desk and bar are in glittery outfits and if that's not your thing, try not to let that put you off. Cocktails, food and service are all quite good. A quick look down the extensive cocktail list didn't seem to have one drink with bourbon. The bartender offered a sazerac manhattan which I gladly accepted. And it came with this lovely twist, stirred at my request. I don't remember what my friend got. Pink, yes; but the base was gin not vodka and she was pleased.
We split the fried oysters which came with a lacy cracker and some red/orange fish eggs on top of some sour cream. The bread crumbs on the oysters were a bit mushy and not crisp. The chicken tangine over couscous was everything it should have been. We sat in the bar which filled up quickly. The dining room, empty when I took the photo, was also packed when we left.

Martini glasses (a little bit of heaven)

2009-11-23T20:26:00.003-05:00

Glass on the left if a nice, properly sized 4 ounce glass. I got two at a little store called Re Enhabit at 112 State Street in Portsmouth, NH. They were only $4 each.

I have quite a few of the big gulp sized glasses so why do I need more? Notice the line about one inch below the top of the larger glass. (Notice Wendy and Ayman in front of the Eiffel Tower in the photo. They just had a baby girl, Lilah.) This glass might just be the greatest invention ever. This is a double thick plastic glass with ice between the plastic so you can stick the glass in the freezer. It's supposed to keep your drink cold and let me tell you, this really works. My friends compliment me (at least I take it as a compliment) that I can nurse a drink longer than anyone. So in bars and restaurant my drinks tend to get room temperature long before I am finished. So when I saw these last summer, I didn't buy them. I couldn't remember the name of the store I saw them in so was quite relieved when I saw LeRoux Kitchen at 23 Market Street within 10 minutes of hitting downtown Portsmouth (site is under construction at time of this entry). These are 5.99 each and so worth the price. Look how frosty this glass looks.

Don't forget - New Hampshire is tax free!

Food from Ikea (or Ikeatini the easy way)

2009-11-23T20:04:00.003-05:00

I'm on a bit of a retail binge (no more underemployment for me: technically, I am still underemployed; the definition being that you have a job but they are not using you to your full potential. You can get the work done in about 2 or 3 hours instead of 8. Pay is not quite what I wanted but it's not unemployment). So here we have the food items I bought on my last trip to Ikea - cinnamon buns (always delicious), candy bars (ditto), a couple of cheeses - Swedish fontina and some baby swiss-ish type cheese that had no English name on the wrapper, crackers (meh, had some odd taste to them so won't be buying them again) and les pieces de resistance. Two bottle of drink concentrate. The first is fladersaft (elderberry flower) and the second is, yes, you guessed it, lingonsaft (lingonberry). I have been experimenting with both of these. Ikeatini, you already know. But I have tried the fladersaft in martinis and manhattans. I need a little more experimentation with amount for a martini. The first resulted in a barely discernible flavor and the second in a bit too tart flavor. Now a little dash of fladersaft in a Maker's Mark manhattan was a revelation; resulting in a manhattan that was as potent as I like them but light and clean tasting.

New for me from Trader Joe's

2009-11-23T19:53:00.002-05:00

These might be the best new thing I've gotten at TJ's in a while and are definitely worth buying again. They are bake only; not microwaveable. I put a little marinara sauce on the plate and was very happy.

Starlite Lounge, Cambridge

2009-11-09T18:55:00.003-05:00

This riff on a manhattan is from Trina's Starlite Lounge in Cambridge. I went there a few weeks ago and must report that this place might just be perfect except for the fact that it is a short half block or so from the back door of work. The drink is called The Gentleman (Buffalo Trace Bourbon according to the menu, Belle de Brillet and lemon juice). I think the oh so charming bartender, Dan, made mine with Maker's Mark. The pear flavor and the lemon flavor are very distinct and occur one at a time, pear first, then the tartness of lemon. I didn't taste the bourbon at all. The way I found out the drink was made with Maker's Mark was when Dan asked me how I liked the drink. I must have given a lukewarm, "Interesting," and asked what type of bourbon he used. Did I want more bourbon? Seriously, has a bartender ever asked you that? I hadn't quite made up my mind when my drink was whisked away and returned with no discernible flavor other than the Maker's Mark. More like what I typically want and I am not complaining. I did wish he hadn't taken that drink away so quickly so just I could have more time to decide if I really liked it. My friend got a mojito and didn't have a complaint. Now this place has been reported to have upscale picnic-like food and we obliged by ordering the $4.00 burger. Yup, you read that right. $4.00. Granted, it might not be much to look at...yes, kind of what you get at the back yard barbeque. But it was very good.

We split this order of onion rings. I have mixed feelings about these. They are light and thin with no greasy look or taste, almost like eating onion flavored air. The problem is that they are all connected and when you pick up just a bit you get quite a bit.

The bathroom is filled with with posters and there they were - Manny, Moe and Jack aka Pep Boys (for those who don't know, they are an auto supply chain store in California.

Service was great: hostess was very welcoming - pretended she knew what we were talking about when we started going on about the Rolling Stones Some Girls while she escorted us to the back bar past all the record albums that decorate the walls. Bartender - just lovely.

Fall in Boston and environs

2009-11-09T18:35:00.003-05:00

Ode to Pink - the finale (or what to do when you're really bored)

2009-11-03T19:54:00.002-05:00

What's better than Ikea? What's better than a martini? It's a little item I call the Ikeatini. I microwaved a tablespoon or so of Ikea's lingonberry preserves until it was in liquid form and added it to a Bombay (plain, not Sapphire) martini. First couple of sips, meh. Why'd I bother? But the longer it sat, the better it tasted. If you try this at home, you might want to let the jam infuse the gin. Warning: there will be sediment in your glass so if you are not into that, do not try this at home.

More pink

2009-11-03T19:49:00.003-05:00

Did these chairs just appear in Harvard Yard a few weeks ago? Or have I just not been seeing them. People were still enjoying them in October but now it's just another reminder that summer is over.

Ode to Pink (part 1 or 2 if you count the soup)

2009-11-03T19:46:00.003-05:00

These are the last of the flowers from the front garden for this year.

Creamy Borscht

2009-11-03T19:41:00.002-05:00

I am not that interested in beets in the form I saw them as a child - dark red, julienned, just down right icky looking. But I had stock and I wanted to make something I had never made before. Would I make it again? Not sure. The cream definitely helped - not exactly a news flash there, right?

Tavalo's, Dorchester

2009-10-21T19:48:00.005-04:00

Tavalo is a newer restaurant/bar that is part of the expanding Chris Douglass chain which includes Ashmont Grille right across the street from Tavalo. We, of course, choose the full bar over the almost empty dining room at 7 pm, Friday. Odd start to our night - I send the young female bartender into a mini-meltdown with my standard "Do you have any unblended rye?" She gets the usual deer in the headline look, turns her back to us and fumbles around a bit, then moves over to the equally young mail bartender. Several minutes go by when neither of them turns around to face us. She goes off to do something and he continues to ignore us for several more minutes. Finally he comes over to us. I go through my hole rigamarole...very little of each sweet and dry vermouth, stirred not shaken...blah, blah, blah. No rye. Only a few types of bourbon so I go with a Knob Creek perfect manhattan. The guy on the bar stool next to me comments after I place my order that he's never heard anyone ask about unblended rye. The drink turns out pretty good flavor-wise but it's not very cold. Good thing about the wait is we have had plenty of time to figure out what we want to eat. We get an cheese plate which wasn't bad but wasn't great. We got the Goat Cheese, peppers, carmelized onions and roasted garlic pizza (we asked for and got no olives - I have never understood olives on pizza. The thing just looked awful and tasted pretty bad too. The female bartender must have seen the look on our faces because she came right over and asked if we didn't like the pizza and almost in the same breath offered to get us something else. We try the margherita pizza. We can't return the second pizza but it was seriously flawed too. You can't complain about the ingredients because they have chosen to make pizzas with tomatoes instead of sauce and it was quite pretty even with the not quite red tomatoes. But the entire center of the pizza dough was not cooked. Given all that though, I would try this place again and I might even give the pizza a try again. The bar staff eventually warmed up to us, the patrons next to us were friendly and it might be a good place to catch a Celtics game.

This just sounds really creepy.

2009-10-21T19:32:00.002-04:00

Sunrise, sunset

2009-10-06T18:18:00.004-04:00

I wish I was down there for as long as it took me to post all the pictures and reports. It was, quite simply, one of the loveliest places I have been in a while. As we were driving home after just 2 1/2 days, my friend and I both commented on how relaxed our bodies and brains were.

Two weddings, no funeral

2009-10-06T17:57:00.006-04:00

The girls had the biggest wedding party I've ever seen - 12-14 bridesmaids and equal number of grooms. I thought the dock was going to collapse.

Gustare Oils and Vinegars (or better living through chemistry)

2009-10-04T11:20:00.003-04:00

You may think you have experienced raspberry vinegar and, indeed, you may have. But I was under a seriously mistaken belief that I had. That is until I tried the raspberry vinegar from Gustare, 425 Main Street, Chatham, MA 02633 Tel: 508-945-4505. We were assured that the website would be up an running soon but several weeks after the visit, it is not. Trust me, their product more than makes up for this lapse. As we were wondering around downtown Chatham, we walked into this little piece of heaven. Wall to wall olive oil and vinegars in every imaginable flavor and samples are the name of the game here. All of the large metal containers have spouts and tiny plastic cups next to them. The bottle are beneath the containers. Friendly but unobtrusive staff explains the process and encourages you to try as much as you want. It is almost impossible to decide as we make our way around the store that is full of customers. Porcini Olive Oil is the first thing we try and it's a winner (and later purchased). In inquire and are told that the saleswoman has used it on pasta, when cooking eggs, on bread. I used it with pasta, assortment of mushrooms and chicken - cooked everything has I normally would then put it all in a pan over a low flame and drizzled a little oil on it. My side was a salad with the raspberry vinegar and oil dressing. So simple, so delicious. The saleswoman also told us that she used some of the vinegars as marinade and as a flavor in sparkling water. I'm thinking proseco but haven't tried it yet. What I did try with the pear cardamon vinegar was to put a bit in a gin martini. It sinks to the bottom as you measure it in the shaker but stays separated after shaking. I'm not saying this was the best drink I've ever had but it was interesting and might just need some experimenting with ratios.

The Squire, Chatman, MA

2009-09-29T20:08:00.006-04:00

One of the most wonderful things about the Wequasett Resort was that they offer free shuttle service to a couple of local towns, Chatham being one of them. We couldn't wait until 8 to eat the The Wild Duck and knew we wouldn't make it by 5:30 (the only two reservations they had), free shuttle or no, so we went to The Squire. It was going to be about 20 minutes for a table so we went to the bar and I got this lovely Basil Hayden manhattan.

By the time the hostess came to get us, we were happily into our cocktails and decided to stay at the bar. I got these yummy fried clams.

When we first sat down, there was a lovely older gentleman next to me and two older women next to him. He and his "lady friend" (from him, this was completely charming) were staying at their Chatham house and her friend was visiting. Sad to see them depart but even sadder at the arrival of the couple who took their seats. She was the drunkest woman I have ever seen (sorry, the pictures just don't do the situation justice). Dinner, drinks and a show...it doesn't get much better than that. They ordered spring rolls and she kept aiming for the dipping sauce and missing it. She apparently kept missing her mouth too because there was quite a bit of sauce and food particles on her face. The mess in front of and around her plate was astonishing. They eventually stumbled out and we went to the Wild Duck for dessert. Horribly chalky brownie sundae but good decaf cappuccino. They called the hotel to come get up and we enjoyed about one minute on the side patio until someone started smoking a stinky cigar. Are there any other kinds?

with a view

2009-09-24T20:45:00.004-04:00

This is the view off our private porch on the afternoon we arrived.

This is the small private beach down a few steps from our porch and some boats you could rent if you we so inclined.

We drove down to Chatham Beach...really what happened is we took a wrong turn when driving to downtown Chatham (shopping/restaurants/galleries)

It was sunny but cool. The wind was blowing so hard it was almost like getting a mini-dermabrasion.

Chatham Lighthouse

A room...

2009-09-23T19:06:00.006-04:00

I won two free nights at the snazzy looking Wequasset Resort on Cape Cod. Yes, free, no sales seminar to sit through, from American Express. I entered the raffle when I went to the reopening of their store in Harvard Square. Originally the coupon said good for rooms only between October 15 and November 30 and April 1 - May 15. So I whined a little and they let me have my prize on September 18 and 19; increasing the odds of us getting in some tanning hours.

Cathedral ceiling - makes me long for the day when my bloody extra room is done so I can start on the next project...knocking out the ceilings? building a porch? redoing the bathroom? All on the list. But I'm here to relax so no bad thoughts.

The bedding is lovely: nice fluffy comforters, huge pillows and lots of them. Vanity is separate from tub and toilet. There is coffee maker with a good variety of coffees, cocoa and tea. Mini bar prices with the exception of the wines seem reasonable - can of coke for 75 cents. Yup, we are still in 2009 not some weird time warp.

And here is what we saw when we walked up the three steps. A lovely private patio with a table and four chairs and two chaise lounges.

A few minutes after we start to settle in, there's a knock on the door and we receive a lovely cheese tray and a bottle of wine. We enjoy the cheese, fruit and crackers but not the weird orange spread. We were not able to figure out what is was but it left a seriously icky aftertaste. We hold off on the wine and head down to explore the town of Chatham.

We got a room which would go for $345 to 835/night depending on season. I would not be able to afford this under the best of economic circumstances but if I could, I would expect absolute perfection. There were some strange things going on at this place. The arm lamps above the beds were so loose we joked that we could have the room all summer long for the rest of our lives if one of them fell on our heads. The door jam was loose (and a huge chunk of weather sealant flapped) creating the perfect tripping opportunity. We had to call and ask for hand towels and face clothes even though they replaced towels, etc. at turn down and again with daily cleaning (what modern luxury hotel does not offer you the option of not replacing bedding and towels daily in order to save the environment by not wasting water on laundry when it is not needed - apparently this one). On Sunday morning, our tray and dishes from our arrival amenity on Friday were still on the patio table even though we called to have them removed. We had to ask for a mini-bar key. Mini-bar was open when we arrived but locked that night when we returned to the room (we were not asked at check in if we wanted key).

A room with a view? You bet. Did it make up for the flaws? ... to be continued.

Coogan's

2009-09-06T08:40:00.006-04:00

Did I get a beer? Not likely. Did I forget to take the picture until after I had drunk half of it? I have done that before but no. This, my friends, is the Knob Creek manhattan I got for $11 or thereabouts at Coogan's, 160 Milk Street, Boston. And this, my friends, is just wrong. Yes, this is a beer joint but come on. Hit the restaurant supply store and buy a dozen cocktail glasses. Hit the outlet stores and get a dozen for $24. Where's your pride? My water glass looked eerily similar to this glass. It was kept full upon request but swept up and not replaced at one point. Never saw a food menu and was never offered one or asked if I wanted anything but this place has $10 lobsters and some other specials before 7 pm.

One of the draws is the Trivial Pursuit game. I think teams exist before they arrive; the group I was with is supposed to have some good players. My team (the man who insisted I take his business card who ditched me, the team, the whole kit-n-kaboodle for the blonde at the other end of the bar; the out-of-towner who pulled Frederick Douglas out of who knows where as the correct answer to one of the questions but offered nothing else for the rest of the game; and the only other person in there besides me who ordered a manhattan - same glass, same sad look) finished in the middle of the pack.

What I bought at Wally's and what I did with it

2009-09-06T08:25:00.005-04:00

Happier subject - food. Here's what I bought at Wally's in Maine.

Corn - delicious. Potatoes - ditto. Purple pepper - ever even seen a purple pepper before. It smelled very much like a green pepper but was much milder in flavor. I roasted it and put in on a crusty piece of bread.

Tomato - very good but no dicernable difference in flavor from the one I bought at Lambert's. The basil and mozzarella in the salad are from Lamberts. Just a little Ken's Steak House Balsamic & Basil Vinaigrette on it.

Remodel - Day 8 (or I come home and cry after a wonderful weekend)

2009-09-06T08:05:00.005-04:00

So I come home and just drop all the purchases and suitcase to run into the new space. I can't believe it. The floor looks nothing like the existing floor.

Do these floors look dark to you? Trust me. They are. It's not even the same wood grain. In fact, it looks very similar to the sample that I rejected.

I leave a message for the contractor. I try to remain calm but it's very difficult. I don't say anything about my reaction, just name and phone number and please call me.

Next morning around 11 am when I still haven't heard from him. I call again. He asks if I've seen the floor. I want to ask if he's seen the floor but even with my limited experience with contractors, I know not to antagonize him too much. I am unhappy. He claims he left Saturday around 6 pm when they were just starting to put the stain on. I don't say anything about the very strict instructions that they were not to be left in the house alone. I tell him how unhappy I am. When is he going to come and see this mess and more important, when is it going to be fixed?

He comes over Tuesday night and agrees that the wood is not a match. I wonder out loud how they (whoever they is...) thought they were going to get away with this. How did they possible think this would be acceptable. They have basically ruined my house.

Can you tell by the date of this posting that it is now over two weeks since this happened? Well it has been. I have been offered $400 off the cost of the remodel. $400? See last sentence in previous paragraph for my answer to that. Contractor came over and pulled a sample from the closet which is the lightest shade of any of the wood in the house so not the best. I again point out the colors and tones I want from existing wood. I get a sample that is too light; even lighter than the sample they pulled from the closet. I give them pictures of the shades I want. Wednesday of this week, I call the contractor. When am I going to see a sample? He saw one this week but said it was too light. He is going to get another one.

Haven't seen or heard from him since. This will eventually resolve itself but my patience is almost gone.

Paint color looks pretty good though.

Hazel Nut Cream

2009-09-06T07:50:00.007-04:00

Lousy picture; fabulous product. This little 6.7 oz jar ($5.99 in the wine section upstairs in the kitchen/house store next to Portsmouth Light & Gas, Portsmouth) comes a close second to Dalmatia Fig Spread as being the most perfect food item). It came in pistachio flavor too.

Yes, you can just stick your finger in the jar and eat it like that. I tried it on crackers and bread in the store; better on the bread (although that may have been the result of mediocre ritz like crackers). The wine guy said to try it on fish so the fish wouldn't taste so fishy. That just seems wrong - fish is supposed to taste fishy. The cashier said to use it as a topping on cheesecake. Now that sounds much better.

So far at home I have tried it only on vanilla ice cream with blueberries. Yummy.

Wally's might very well be the best

2009-08-30T15:35:00.008-04:00

I don't know if Wally's (Rte. 236, S. Berwick, ME, 603-534-2030) is really the best since I've only been there twice and have no basis for comparison but it is pretty darn good. We went there last year on the way home and again this year. It is, quite literally, an open shack by the side of the road. I went a little overboard last year so really tried to keep spending in check this year. The girl who works the place (is she the same girl as last year?) is very sweet and helpful. We make our purchases and get back in the car just as 4 other cars pull in.

Mike's Clam Shack (or what's wrong with saying you don't know)

2009-08-30T15:09:00.004-04:00

We head down to the Wells Harbor on Saturday night while in Maine to see a free concert. Oddly, it's the same bad singer we saw last year with the big band group. She now even worse fronting for a country/pop group. For some reason she seems even more off key. After about 3 songs we go in search for dinner.

We have decided on Mike's Clam Shack (1150 Post Rd, Wells, ME) based on a recommendation from the cashier's assistant at Mardens (Maine's version of Building 19 - for those of you unfamiliar with that store, there logo is "good stuff cheap." Need I say more? It's not always good but it is always cheap. It always amazes me that I find stuff there that I never even imagined I needed or wanted.

The hostess at Mike's tells us it will be about 15 minutes and gives us one of those buzzing disks that tells you when your table is ready. We go to the bar and sit next to a couple who as decided to eat dinner in the bar because their wait was too long. Waitress comes over and I inquire as to what type of bourbon or rye they have. What kind do you want? What kind do you have? Why don't you just tell me what you want and I'll tell you if we have it. Rye? Tell me what you want. Old Overholt? No. Rittenhouse. No. OK, what kind of bourbon do you have. Jack Daniel's. And? Tell me what you want. Maker's Mark? We have that. Woodford Reserve. We have Maker's Mark. This would be funny if it weren't so annoying.

I decide, if you can call it that, on a Maker's Mark Manhattan. Surprisingly good and I don't detect any evidence that the waitress spit in the drink.

Our buzzer goes off about two seconds after we get the drinks. Waitress produces the check. Can't complain here - manhattan was $6.50 and wine was $4. We are lead through a labyrinth to a booth in the back. We each get clam chowder (not as good a Oceanaire) but good even if the clams were a little gritty. We split a lobster roll on grilled bun and the fried clams that come with french fries and coleslaw. All delicious. Service at this table is very good.

The Wilds of Maine

2009-08-26T17:35:00.003-04:00

We left early on Saturday morning; for once I am not late and arrive at my friend's house promptly at 9 AM. We stop for shopping in Portsmouth, NH, have a wonderful chicken caesar wrap for lunch at Portsmouth Gas Light Company. Then it's on to Maine.

Words will not do justice to the absolute peace and serenity here. It's Bauneg Beg Lake in Maine. There are times up when you literally cannot hear a human sound.

Remodel - Day 7

2009-08-26T17:27:00.006-04:00

I got home from a very pleasant evening at Green Street Grill on Friday to find this. The floor is in, it's sanded and I'm confident I can go to Maine for the weekend.

Yes, I know, Green Street Grill post is out of order but I was so sick of this remodel and just wanted to write about drinks.

Remodel - Day 6

2009-08-26T17:17:00.004-04:00

I get home Thursday to find that some work has been done. All the sheetrock is up; all the filler is in so it's starting to look like a real wall.

Green Street Grille, Cambridge

2009-08-25T20:02:00.004-04:00

I've only been to Green Street Grill, Cambridge once before. I had a very good time but apparently my date didn't as I never heard from him again. You know that things are going to be good when you see all the cocktail glasses lined up and chilling. Bartenders here have a good reputation and one in particular is quite fetching. Sadly, when I asked the bartender who was serving us about some drinks, he informed us that he just started working here but could tell me about the drinks based on the ingredients. They have several drinks with rye, both Old Overholt and Rittenhouse. I don't remember the ingredients of the Creole and it's not on the menu online so apologies for the lapse. The Creole was a rather mild tasting drink (rye will do that); nothing remarkable or horrible about the concoction. My friend seemed pleased with her Mojito.

We ordered the chicken lobster croquettes which came with a salsa dressing and the bacon cheeseburger which we asked to split.. The croquettes were fried to a perfect color and texture. Unfortunately, there was not much lobster or flavor to them.

The cheeseburger, on the other hand, was very good. The cute bartender explained to us when it was served that he asked them to put it on two buns. So we got individual buns with decent sized burgers, a good amount of cheese, lettuce and tomato and two very long, perfectly cooked slices of bacon on each. The coleslaw was decent, the home made chips were flavorless. Overall the experience was a good one and we will most likely return.

New for me from Trader Joe's (yes, Virginia, there is life beyond the remodel)

2009-08-25T18:24:00.003-04:00

I think I bought these because I liked the name; tried one and remembered how much I like fig newtons. These were pretty good and I would buy again. They have other fillings too. Blueberry is the only one I can remember right now.

Not so impressed with this. The fish was decent sized but covered in the icky brown sauce. The spinach was not very flavorful. The butterbeans, however, were pretty tasty. I have never had them before and will be on the lookout for them.

Remodel - An aside

2009-08-23T19:57:00.004-04:00

This is what the floor looks like in most of the rest of my unit. There are some sections that are older and more beat up looking but this is in most of the hallway and open space next to this new room. I was assured several times before the project began that this flooring would be found.

Remodel - Day 5

2009-08-23T19:49:00.002-04:00

Not feeling too good about this. Yes, it's the same picture as Day 4. I call contractor the next morning to go over the schedule, find out what's going on with the flooring. Still no wood but I get reassurances about the schedule. He's going to bring me some samples of flooring.

Remodel - Day 4

2009-08-23T19:38:00.004-04:00

Progress resumed but is very slow. Rest of plastic sheeting is put up over the pink insulation. Big sections of sheetrock are up. Contractor's contractor probably only worked a couple of hours after being on another job all day.

Remodel - Day 3

2009-08-23T19:31:00.003-04:00

Yup, that's that the same picture from Day 2. No progress.

Remodel - Day 2

2009-08-20T19:50:00.005-04:00

Insulation is partly installed. All the pink stuff is up. Plastic sheeting is partially up as is the brown paper that is the final layer. Contractor's contractor made good progress considering how hot it is in my unit

Once this is all up up, sheetrock will be next.

Electrical and cable wiring is run into space. There are going to be 4 outlets in the room plus cable wiring. Contractor suggested recessed lighting which I wasn't sure about. Seems pretty boring.

Salesman at Yale Electric said the same so that's what we are going with. I though I might do some sconces to give some pizazz to the lighting but since I don't know which side the closet will be on yet, I decided to skip it.

Remodel - Day 1

2009-08-16T14:07:00.006-04:00

What a difference a day makes. The wall is down and I have a much better idea of the true size of this space. It will still be a very tight fit for a queen bed (hopeful end result after phase II of the project but I have lots of time to figure that out. At the end of phase I, I will probably just put the desk in there facing out to the living space, the rocker with small table and the bookshelf.

My biggest concern at this point is not finding a match for the wood in the living area. Freddy has brought a few samples over but they are more burreled oak which is goregeos and matches most of my antique pieces. The floor in the living space is more honey colored.

I did see a beautiful white floored room in a magazine which would be perfect for the beachy feeling I want in there but without the door between the two rooms, that would not look good.

I know, at some point I have to stop looking and just decide.

Oceanaire or pickled herring, who knew?

2009-08-16T13:06:00.011-04:00

Door is locked when I arrive at Oceanaire, 40 Court Street, Boston a few minutes before 6 pm. I go to the entrance to the office building thinking there's an interior entrance. Nope. I get directed to the locked door. Luckily a couple comes up and tries the door. It's locked. Older gentleman comes out and opens it. No "Sorry, don't know how that happened." No "Welcome to Oceannaire." So I'm thinking this could turn out not so good but I was wrong. Everyone else who worked here was personable, knowledgable, everything you'd hope for from the service industry.

Here's how it got better. After a discussion with the bartender, Joe, I decided on a Bombay martini with olives. That's a picture of a fish on the glass not some new

-fangled addition to the traditional cocktail. He started shaking before I remembered to tell him stirred. I mentioned this as he placed the drink before me on a long stainless steel topped bar with a seafood cook station at the end. I have to agree with him though that I do like the little ice shards on the top on the drink. Drink was $11.50; I think my friend's vodka one was slightly less.

While I'm waiting for me friend, I learn that Joe, who's worked there for about a year, just closed on a condo today. So if you stop in, and I highly recommend that you do, congratulate him.

We check back with the hostess station and arrange for our drinks to be brought to the table.

Water is poured immediately, bread served. Amuse bouche arrives - a large tortilla chip with a mix of seafood. And the lovely plate pictured below. Some veggies and a dish of something really wonderful. It's fish. It's a little tangy. What is it? We ask for more and get it. It's pickled herring. My friend and I agree that we would not have tasted it if we knew what is was before hand. Yech, right?

There is a decent selection for all three courses (3 appetizers, 4 entrees, and 3 desserts). We both get clam chowder. It is not that heavy, overly starchy kind but a smooth light cream. You can taste the clam broth and there is a decent amount of clams and potatoes in the chowder.

My friend gets the trout which comes with a medley of green beans and maybe dried cranberries. The taste she offers me is delicious. The fish is not as mushy as I have found catfish to be. I choose the yellowtail flounder stuffed with crab, shrimp and brie. The fish is wonderful. What I am not so crazy about is the pool of butter that it's in. It had a slightly off taste but didn't appear to effect the taste of the fish (more like the butter sauce was placed on the dish and then the fish put on top as opposed to the fish being cooked in the butter sauce). No vegetables on my dish but both come with nice mashed potatoes. I'm guessing had either cream cheese or sour cream and chives mixed in.

Key lime pie and NY cheesecake were both delicious. The key lime pie was a little loose but that didn't effect the flavor.

We're still yammering away about the pickled herring when the female, I'm guessing, manager comes over to inquire how everything was. We inquire about the PH, she spots the chef and says she'll see if he can come over. Dan Enos, the Executive Chef and Operating Partner, stops by, gives us his PH distributor's name and talks with us for about 10 minutes about all kinds of things. He later sends over a pint container of PH for each of us.

In our bill we get a postcard advertising "The Down Turns Up" promotion. They'll be offering bottles of red and white wine for $20.10 and on Sunday - Thursday from 5-7, they'll be offering 3-curses for $20.10. How sweet is that?

The reality or the 2nd scariest thing I've done lately

2009-08-09T13:35:00.006-04:00

It started out as a hole the size of a switch plate, then two holes the size of switch plates. Then Fredy, the contractor, came over last week and cut a hole large enough to walk through (with a bit of maneuvering). Here's what's on the other side.

All told the space will end up being 15' by 8' if we include what is now the hallway. It will not have that much usable space because of the pitched roof but I am convinced and he agrees that this can be a 2nd bedroom.

I think a closet can go against this wall with space for hanging stuff to the right and shelves/drawers to the left thus eliminating the need for a dresser. Bed will be up against the opposite wall. I hope to have frosted glass doors that open out into the living space since right now there is no natural light in this space. Eventually (when the inevitable roof repairs are necessary) I will add skylights to this room.

Mmm, mmm, good

2009-08-09T13:27:00.002-04:00

This might look like fried chicken but it's really baked. Easy: roll in flour, dip in egg and milk mixture, roll in breadcrumbs. Put a little butter and oil in a baking pan and cook at 375 for about one hour. Turn once at around 30 minutes. Piece of cake...or should I say piece of chicken.

I love hats

2009-08-04T19:37:00.002-04:00

This beauty was purchased at Boutique Fabulous, 1309 Cambridge Street, Cambridge, MA. Visit them virtually here. This place is packed with gift items but has a nice corner of vintage clothing and some antiques.

What $100 gets me or how to beat the new tax on liquor

2009-08-01T18:33:00.004-04:00

Inspired by Sheryl Julian of the Boston Globe and looking to stock up on supplies before Massachusetts started taxing liquor purchases on August 1, I went to Kappy's and Atlas Liquors last week. I got two bottles of Old Overholt Rye, one mega-sized bottle of Bombay Gin, one bottle of Fee Brothers Orange Bitters (yummy), one case of Stella Artois, two bottles each of Gancia Extra Dry and Mionetto Brut Prosecco for just over $110. I used one bottle of the Gancia with the blueberry (from Russo's) and chocolate chip pancakes I made for Sunday breakfast.

How can you not go into store with a 50% off everything sign?

2009-08-01T18:18:00.005-04:00

Driving down Pleasant Street on the way to Russo's, I spotted a thrift store with a sign saying everything was 50% off so we stopped in on the way home. I bought this nicely matted print for $1.50. Yes, that decimal point is in the right place.

What I did by at Russo's

2009-08-01T17:48:00.004-04:00

Asparagus was great grilled.

I don't have the best of luck with summer fruit; either don't let it ripen enough or let it go too long but I had great luck with these plums. They were sweet and juicy.

Let me wax rhapsodic about the 7 grain bread (Russo's own). It had just the right amount of chewiness, toasts nicely and is just about perfect.

Russo's brand brioches were also good. I toasted them and used them for buns for turkey burgers with carmelized onions and cheddar cheese.

Not pictured but maybe the best tasting purchase was the corn. The parmesan cheese was OK, smoother and less tangy than what I get at Sessa's. Next time, I'll make the trip to Sessa's.

Things I might buy at Russo's next time

2009-08-01T17:39:00.003-04:00

Above is sweet Italian eggplant and below is graffitti eggplant. Only one way to find out what they taste like, right?

What I didn't buy at Russo's

2009-08-01T17:22:00.007-04:00

This is dragon fruit (aka Chinese cactus pear) and it's a product of the US.

This is rambutan and product of Guatemala.

Ideas? I did find out that the buddha's hand that I saw on my last visit is used in marmalade. Also read someplace that it can be used as a substitute for a lemon twist in a cocktail.

Deep Ellum, Allston

2009-07-16T20:34:00.003-04:00

Sometimes you just have to get out of your comfort zone. After standing on the Green Line train for an interminably long time, I finally got to a T stop somewhat close to Deep Ellum (Cambridge Street, Allston). Then walked for a bit. So I was ready to think that this was just not one of those times to get out of my comfort zone (i.e., Red Line). I walk into a pretty dimly lit place, thinking it's one or two steps up from a dive bar. Don't see my friend. Quick call to her and head out to the tiny but oh, so pleasant patio with 8-10 tables, where she is patiently waiting. Or maybe not so patiently, she is three-quarters of the way finished with her drink but quickly points out a crucial section of the drink menu. Down in the bottom, right corner is a heading called "Manhattans - 8 ways." Yes, folks, you heard it correctly. Half with rye, a couple with bourbon and a couple with blends

I inquire to the very competent waitress about the Brooklyn. It is made with Old Overholt Rye and a housemade vermouth. We take a minute or two to look at the menu while she gets my drink. It arrives promptly. My only gripe is that the drink is not sufficiently chilled but it is just about the most perfect drink I have experienced. Second only to and maybe not even second to the Southern Manhattan from Jurys in Boston. It is obviously stirred and the taste is perfect. Smooth as can be with just a hint of bitter orange vermouth.

Cheese plate? OK, it's Bastille Day so we get that and ask them to split the summer vegetable pasta.

Cheese plate arrives and is quite nice. The blue cheese and the stilton with mango are the winners. The harder cheese...meh. There are candied almonds, pitted olives and a dried citrusy fruit combination and several slices of good bread. The summer vegetable pasta has yellow squash, peas, asparagus, cherry tomotoes and penne with a cream sauce. Vegetables are all crispy, sauce has been, perhaps, a bit too heavily seasoned with pepper.

My friend gets a coffee which she reports to be weaker than she would like (Deep Ellum serves no tea or decaf) and a brownie with a strawberry banana concoction that is more like a thick smoothie than an ice cream. My one bite was tasty enough.

This is definitely what I would call a low key crowd, kind of hippy-ish. Does anyone besides me still use that term? Boys with long hair, girls with no make up. Mix of ages but my friend and I are probably the oldest (and best dressed having both just come from work) two there. Bill for all came to $53. My drink was $9; the cheese plate and the pasta were $12 each. Didn't pay too much attention to the rest.

Result is that I will have to suffer the Green Line 7 more times while I work my way through the eight manhattans.

23

2009-07-11T17:08:00.004-04:00

This is Bishop, my 23rd foster cat from the Animal Rescue League of Boston. I picked him up this morning and will have him for 4 weeks while he recovers from a urinary track infection. He's 2-3 years old and was found wandering the streets of Dorchester about one month ago.

He hid behind the couch for a while this morning but is now resting comfortably in my bed.

Alibi, Hotel Liberty, Boston

2009-07-08T21:35:00.004-04:00

I was dreading going here. Original plan was to go to Drink but they were closed Saturday and Sunday of July 4th weekend. My company from NYC wanted to see the fireworks and I really wanted to avoid the crowds. The train was crowded with revelers, I kept saying that I didn't want to go to Charles Street but that's where we ended up. Not horribly crowded at the hotel but they were doing a brisk business and there were bouncers outside inquiring where we were going. We ended up at Alibi, the downstairs bar with the outside patio. Bar inside was empty so we ordered in there.

Unblended rye? Sazerac. So that's what this manhattan was made with. Decent enough but two issues. The first: this is not a lemon twist in this drink. For the thing pictured here, it would have to be in a cocktail the size of a milk carton to be proportional. It did effect the taste of the drink. The second issue (and I have experienced this in a couple of places lately) is the size of the glass. No matter what size you decide to make your cocktails, you should serve them in glasses that size.

We snagged a couple of coasters with Frank Sinatra's mug shot (mug shots of celebrities adorn the walls of this place).

We headed outside. It's filled with lots and lots of 20-somethings. But we get a nice spot on the couch and see the entire fireworks show. Good times.

Lucca, North End, Boston

2009-07-08T21:29:00.003-04:00

Do you have unblended rye?

I don't know what that is?

Then you probably don't have it? What kind of bourbon do you have?

Maker's Mark, Knob Creek, Rittenhouse Rye.

Yes, that was the exact conversation. But they had unblended rye so I guess I should just be happy and shut up, right?

Very good. The bar at Lucca has been very good every time I've been there.

Rabia, North End, Boston

2009-07-08T21:14:00.004-04:00

This appetizer from Rabia might just have been a perfect food item - prosciutto stuffed fig. Entree I got was gnocchi with spinach - so much better than Orleans. Took the leftovers home and they were just as good two days later.

The service at this place was pretty bad. After I tasted my friend's Proseco (and how could I have attained my age without ever having this!), I decided to get one.

Looked around for the waiter, caught his eye and signaled him. Nothing. This was repeated several times. The older gentleman in this picture and his wife were laughing and he even tried to get the waiter's attention and got the same result; i.e., nothing. Finally got the drink.

Orleans, Somerville

2009-07-08T21:03:00.004-04:00

I keep forgetting to take pictures of the drinks until I'm almost done with them but wanted to write a post about this. No, it's not because it was so great. It wasn't. My manhattan with Maker's Mark was OK. Deer in the headlights look from the bartender when I inquired about unblended rye. General feeling I got: inexperience. My friend said her mojito was made with sugar instead of simple syrup. The food was mediocre at best. Oh, who am I kidding, the food was pretty close to dreadful. We got the scallops appetizer. They were the only good thing we got. Nicely carmelized but the puree that came with them. I thought it was squash or sweet potato because it was orange but it tasted so dreadful, I couldn't decide what it was. We split the gnocchi and didn't finish it or take the leftovers home. So sad.

They do have very comfy big couches and the windows were open (it was actually one of the nice nights in June) which we retired to after we finished eating.

New for me from Trader Joe's

2009-06-12T18:47:00.005-04:00

Should it really take 40 minutes to cook anything you buy at TJ's? Apparently so. The instructions on Manitoripita say to preheat for 10, cook for 30 and cool for 10...and I ended up with an additional 10 to crisp up the other side.

Verdict? On the plus side, they come in their own cooking dish so you don't have to dirty a pan. On the minus side, you better be ready to eat the entire box in one sitting because filo dough is not really a reheatable commodity. The flavor? For me not nearly as good as the mushroom turnovers from TJs but certainly not horrible.

Manhattan, Noir at the Charles Hotel, Cambridge (or how did I miss the news story where they announced that the US Treasury was dispensing with coins)

2009-06-10T13:44:00.010-04:00

Noir, in the Charles Hotel at 1 Bennett Street, Cambridge, 617-661-8010, http://www.noir-bar.com/, was recommended by a few people on chowhound.com. I prefer to sit at the bar unless I'm having a complete dinner but there were not two seats together so we got a table. They have a nice cocktail menu and I noticed they had Old Overholt Rye in another drink so got the above manhattan with that. I asked for it stirred which is probably wasn't based on the foam that I hate. Cocktails cost on average $12 but they offer almost their entire food menu in the bar for between $1 and $5 from 5 pm - 9 pm. And they give you this delicious nut bowl for free, unsolicited.

It's got almonds, peanuts, and some lovely spicy chinese crackers. We ordered this lovely flatbread with grilled chicken flatbread for $5.

I had my doubts about the broccoli and was right. It was burnt and should be forever left off this otherwise delicious appetizer. Easy enough to pick the off though. We also got the greek wrap that came with a bowl of chips.

Not a big olive fan but that's what you get with greek stuff, right? I was pleasantly surprised that they were marinated olives instead of those black ones that come in cans. The sandwich was only $4.

My minor gripe with this place was the noise level. We were practically shouting to hear each other. My more than minor complaint was the lack of change. Our bill was $27.45 (a bargain to be sure so rest assured, I'm not complaining about that). But the third waitress who provided service to our table (yeah, third) and the one who brought the change simply didn't bring the 55 cents (and she didn't give the "extra" dollar to us as she claimed). I did mention it but prefaced that we had a wonderful time and didn't expect her to run and get us our 55 cents. No, my complaint is that she acted so shocked that we expected correct change. I swear she said, we don't do that. You read that correctly, we don't do that.

That said, with that one bit of weirdness, Noir was a very good experience and hopefully next time the weather will be nicer and we can sit on the patio.

And the perfect end to the almost perfect evening was that the singer/guitarist on the platform at Harvard Square was singing "Brown-Eyed Girl" (just for me, of course) and the Ashmont train came first.

Coffee, mmm

2009-06-10T13:21:00.008-04:00

A cup of joe, mud, sludge; whatever you want to call it, Cafe du Monde coffee is the best.

Buy it here:

http://shop.cafedumonde.com/coffee.html.

What I bought on vacation

2009-06-08T13:06:00.009-04:00

Santa Barbara might just be the best shopping city in the world. This black patent leather purse was purchased at Yellowstone (527 State St, Santa Barbara (805-963-9609, sorry, can't find a website, just the plethora of yellow type pages places). The purse is big enough for a cell phone, camera, flat brush, IDs, money and keys. Sometimes you just want to carry a tiny, tiny bag but sometimes you don't. The strap, which is long enough to go over your shoulder, tucks into the bag when you want a clutch. Cost: $32.

This picture does not due this dress justice. I bought it at Black Star (430 State Street, Santa Barbara 805-962-5611, ditto from above on the website). It's cotton, lined, sits right above the knee and was only $18.

World Market (aka Cost Plus/World Market, 610 State Street, Santa Barbara 805-899-8311, http://www.worldmarket.com/home.jsp) appears to be working their way across country so maybe they'll be here soon. OK, you can purchase on line, but it's so much more fun to fly across the country and wander around.

Cafe du Monde coffee ($6.99/lb) is, if you like strong coffee, what you want. So what if it looks like mud when you add milk. It packs a wallop and tastes good too. I bought one can of decaf as an experiment and stocked up until I get out there again.

These cocktail picks were in the 50% off section and cost something ridiculous like $1.75.

I had lunch, as I always do, at Natural Cafe (508 State Street, Santa Barbara, 805-962-9494, http://www.thenaturalcafe.com/). It consisted of a bowl of roasted red pepper soup (with chicken stock and cream) and a decent sized salad with lots of goodies included jicama and a peach smoothie and bread for, I think, less than $10.00 and I got to sit outside. Natural Cafe has never disappointed me.

Fish Tacos (or how I spent my summer vacation)

2009-06-06T11:52:00.008-04:00

Six days, four fish tacos and I wish it could have been more (days and tacos). Day one, as is tradition, I get my rental car and drive straight to Huntington Beach. I stop at Rubio's on the way down Beach Blvd. and get two fish tacos and and large iced tea (brewed). Get myself all comfy on the sand and chow down. Rubio's fries their fish and there are usually two generous pieces in the soft corn tacos, lots of cabbage and salsa. Folks, it doesn't get much better than this (OK, Wahoo's is better but we'll get to that later). Being on the beach, eating fish tacos. I am as pretty close to heaven as I am ever going to get.

Next day, I get my fish taco on the way home from the beach. Normita's Surf City Tacos is on the northwest corner of Beach at Indianapolis (same corner as Hilltop Liquor; if you need a landmark, that's it). This is a small place (not a chain and one store) with a couple of table outside and a few stools inside. They fry their fish too and add a lot more goop than Rubio's and it makes for a spicier taco. They also give you a generous portion of chips.

Wahoo's, pictured above is by far my favorite (in general and for this trip in particular). Parking at Huntington Pier on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend is not fun but we eventually roll down the windows and ask a guy if he is leaving and give him a ride to his car. I'm surprised the place is not packed but am somewhat relieved because we are starving. Wahoo's grills their fish and, as you can see, the dinner platter comes with a huge portion of rice and beans. They also have brewed iced tea. I could eat this stuff morning, noon and night.

Last place was somewhere in Santa Monica on my last day. Don't even know the name and it wasn't memorable enough to write it down. This was more of a fish fajita than a fish taco so I was somewhat disappointed but the spanish rice was probably the best I've ever had.

Manhattan (number...whatever)

2009-06-06T11:35:00.006-04:00

This manhattan was procured at the Ashmont Grille in Dorchester (right across from Ashmont T station). The bartender did get a half glazed over look when I inquired about non-blended ryes but recovered enough to reply they didn't have any before I could move on to the bourbon questions. Oddly, he said Baker and then stopped. Would I like a taste? That's what is known as a rhetorical question. I wondered if there were no others but since I'd never had Baker's, I thought I give it a shot. It was very strong.

My friend got the white pear sangria and promptly returned it saying it left a bad aftertaste in her mouth.
Bartender was very helpful with suggestions for appetizers. We got chicken satay with cucumber salad and artichoke spinach dip. The satay was fine; the cucumbers were thinly sliced (instead of diced) and were a little soggy; the spinach artichoke dip was not memorable for any reason. Total for the night was $38 plus tip.

King's Chapel Burying Ground, Boston (est. 1630)

2009-04-19T16:36:00.004-04:00

Never realized what pagans those colonialists were. Very Day of the Dead, no?

All lined up and ready to go

2009-04-19T12:26:00.004-04:00

OK, the swan boats were all lined up and ready to go on Friday and started running on Saturday but I went to BJs on Saturday to buy a lifetime supply of household products so just posting now.

Boston Fish & Seafood Market - red snapper

2009-04-19T11:49:00.006-04:00

Boston Fish & Seafood Market (1484 Dorchester Ave,
Dorchester, MA 617-282-2980) is a little gem of a place right across the street from the Fields Corner T stop. They sell a decent variety of fresh fish which they will prep in a variety of ways - head off, skinned, boned etc. I bought one of the red snappers pictured here with the works; i.e., no fuss or muss for me, just ready to put in the pan.

They also sell fish dinners to go (fried, baked, broiled) with some of the best french fries I've ever had. I got fried clams with bellies but was so hungry when I got home that I just scarfed them down without a single thought about taking a picture.

I did a recipe search on epicurious.com for red snapper and just decided to wing it because there were so many.

I ended up near Haymarket the next day so I bought peppers and baby red potatoes. I've only been to Haymarket a couple of times and find it a bit too much. Super crowded, vendors who are not helpful (and I'm being generous).

Prices on these peppers were low (2/$1). So I got the yellow and orange from one vendor who let me pick my peppers, threw them in the bag and took my money. Guy I bought the red pepper, lemon and potatoes from was an insulting jerk (I should have made a stink but it was the end of the day and I really just wanted to get home.

None of the pictures of the finished meal came out that great but it was fantastic, probably one of the best meals I made in quite a while.

Martini from Sagra

2009-04-14T09:38:00.003-04:00

This Hendricks Gin Martini with cucumber martini was procured at Sagra in Davis Square Somerville. This place has been through a couple of incarnations in recent years; current one has been open for a year or so. Slight confusion upon arrival when we told the hostess we were just going to sit in the bar. No two seats together so we get a table. Waitress comes over and, when she discovered that we had no menus, went off to get them. She came back and told us the table was reserved. Tables in bar (up a few steps from the dining room) are part of the dining room. Back to the hostess who points out the one table in the bar that is not reserved and say it's fine. Just then two people get up to leave the bar (almost always my preferred place to sit because you can chat up the bartender) and we say we'll sit there.

Bartender provides all kind of menus - drinks, wine, bar menu, regular menu. Guess what? Asking for unblended rye works! They have none and have a limited menu of bourbons so I get the martini. My friend gets a glass of wine and some croquettes (makes me want to make chicken croquettes). These were meatless, fried (but not greasy) triangles of a cheese/breadcrumb mix. Not bad but not anything to rave about either. I think total bill was around $24.

Bargain hunters, there's a special flight of martinis and a flight of wine - 3 four ounce drinks each for $10. Martinis are made from vodka and are their choice but the bartender said he could do something with gin too.

Spring is in the air at Lamberts

2009-04-12T12:26:00.005-04:00

Just getting around to posting these now but they were taken last week.

21 and 22

2009-04-03T14:03:00.009-04:00

These are foster cats number 20 and 21 from the Animal Rescue League, Boston. They will be up for adoption May 1 or thereabouts but until then, they are all mine. Boy to the left is about 11 months and girl is about 13 months. They were brought into the shelter together but are obviously not related yet they are madly in love with each other. I've got to come up with names so they cannot be separated upon adoption. Jib(ber) for him, Jab(ber) for her )since she was doing all the talking on the way home)? What do you think?

Manhattan #6

2009-03-28T12:15:00.003-04:00

The main reason we went to McCormick & Schmick's in Fanueil Hall was because of the happy hour prices for food in the bar. The place is crowded and noisy but it's a Friday night. We get a table instead of sitting at the bar. This is our first mistake. I ask the waitress what they have for a manhattan. Maker's Mark is all I hear because she turns her head away from me. So I get this drink with Basil Hayden (finally heard that name on the third time I asked her to tell me what was available because she insisted on turning away from me when she spoke). My friend got a bloody mary with Bombay (not Sapphire).

He gets a pizza and I get the cheeseburger pictured here; both for $1.95. And yes, that comes with fries. We get no silverware so I ask the person who brings the food for some. She catches the eye of the waitress who eventually brings napkins and silverware. I thank her in my sweetest voice (yes, I do have one). "Yeah." That's her reply. Yeah? Are you familiar with the term you're welcome?

She ever comes back to the table to ask if everything is OK and my friend's drink is emptied and the glass just sits there. As she passes the next table, she knocks the woman's coat off the chair. Just walks right past it. The woman has to pick it up herself. My friend is getting more annoyed with her (and with me because I'm ready to explode). The waitress comes to the table, picks up his empty drink and plate and picks up my plate which still had food on it. Doesn't ask if we are done, doesn't ask if she can get us anything else. She drops the check on the table. My drink gets left half full because we have decided to go down to Kingfish Hall (guess it's my week for Todd English). I say I'm going to complain. My friend says he's going to wait outside. Fine. So I ask for the manager and explain the situation. He gives me our money back and apologizes profusely.

This time my manhattan is with Woodford Reserve. Foamy again like the one above. My friend's friend who works there explains that it's because of vigorous shaking. Not really sure I buy that explanation but I will experiment at home. And he advises me to ask for non-blended ryes is I don't want to hear the list of Canadian whiskeys.

Is it red or is it Russo's?

2009-03-20T14:02:00.006-04:00

Here's a red-skinned bosc pear I bought at Russo's. I just got around to eating it (6 days after purchase); probably too long to have waited under normal circumstances. Pears can get too soft and a little mealy/gritty tasting if you leave them too long. But this one maintained its texture, was sweet and very juicy (not dribbling down your chin juicy which I hate). So the question is, is that because of the red skin (type) or Russo's (point of purchase)?

Lemon curd and scones

2009-03-20T13:32:00.006-04:00

Right up there with Dalmatia Fig Spead, lemon curd has to be one of the most perfect foods in the the universe and it is very easy to make. Eat it by the spoonful right out of the container (sometimes I just skip the spoon altogether; no one's coming over for tea and scones this week so this batch is all mine and I can stick my finger in it if I want to), eat it with a scone or an english muffin, use it in any of the recipes you can find on epicurious.com (Petite Lemon Curd Cookies, Lemon Layer Cake with Lemon Curd and Marscapone both sound wonderful).

Perfect Lemon Curd
Ingredients
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh lemon zest
3/4 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter

Preparation

Whisk together lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar, and eggs in a 2-quart saucepan.

Cut butter into bits and add to mixture.

Cook mixture, stirring constantly, over moderately low heat until curd is thick enough to hold marks of whisk and first bubble appears on surface, about 6 minutes. (You can make the curd 1 week ahead and chill it, covering its surface with plastic wrap.)

Yields 1 2/3 cup curd.

Tender Raisin Scones

Ingredients

3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) cold unsalted butter
1/2 cup dark raisins
1 1/4 cups whole milk

Preparation

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.

Cut butter into bits and, with your fingertips or a pastry blender, blend into flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal.

Using a fork, stir raisins and milk until just combined.

Transfer to a lightly floured surface and, with floured hands, knead until it forms a dough.

Roll out dough into a 9-inch round (about 1/2 inch thick) and cut out scones with a 2 1/2-inch round cutter.

Arrange scones 1 inch apart on a buttered large baking sheet and gently reroll and cut out scraps.

Bake scones in middle of a 425°F oven until pale golden, about 15 minutes, and transfer to a rack to cool.

Yields 10 scones.

Source for both recipes is Bon Appetit.

Blueberry muffins

2009-03-20T13:25:00.003-04:00

These were made from the blueberries I bought at Russo's. Recipe not being posted because I think everyone knows how to make them but if you really want it, I'll post it. The only ingredient from the recipe that I used this time that I don't remember from other recipes Ive tried was some grated lemon peel. That really added a nice little bit of zing to the muffin. I sprinkled some cinnamon on top. Delicious.

Soup, mmm (part 8)

2009-03-20T12:51:00.007-04:00

The decision is still out on this one. But I finally go to make the potato sorrel soup from James McNair's Soup book. The most interesting thing about this is the photo - notice the heart-shaped item - don't even know how I got this effect but it looks pretty cool. I'm assuming it's the reflection from the light and slant of the camera.

Not knowing what sorrel tasted like before I made the soup, I have to assume that the somewhat tart/bitter flavor I got was correct and just not so much to my liking. This flavor was not overwhelming. The swirl on the side is the tomato paste/creme fraiche blend. It was interesting and I would like to find something else to try it on.

Here's the recipe, if anyone wants to try it. If you click on it, it will get bigger and readable.

Manhattan #5

2009-03-20T12:17:00.009-04:00

This manhattan was procured at on of the ubiquitous Todd English restaurants: Bonfire is in the Park Plaza Hotel. We went there last night after a lecture about the still unsolved robbery almost 20 years ago at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. The bar was constructed very oddly with big red pillars (you can see one behind the drink) placed about every 3 or 4 stools. So for about 1/3 of the patrons, the bartender has to reach around the pillar to serve them.

The manhattan was made with Basil Hayden and was "perfect" which it probably wasn't. Do you notice the whitish bit of foam around the edge of the liquid? I've experienced this before (even at home) and not sure if it is a result of the water or ice quality or of the shaking vs. stirring. I don't return drinks that come to me this way figuring that the alcohol will kill anything that needs to be killed. When this happens at home, I just figure it's time to replace the filter on the water/ice dispenser on the frig. My problem with the service was that the female bartender let my drink sit in the cocktail shaker while she was discussing wine selection with my friend. Just poor the drink please. And please, in the future, put the cherry in the glass before you poor instead of pouring the drink and then running back to the end of the bar, carrying the cherry over and plopping it in the drink. Total turn off.

Still working on technique for taking pictures in the dark - as you can see, I'm not quite there yet. Bar stools were full, tables in the bar were completely empty. Restaurant was full - it's Restaurant Week after all.

What the heck is that (or my trip to Russo's and the strange and wonderful things I found there)

2009-03-16T14:36:00.003-04:00

Buddha's Hand was, by far, the most unusual item I saw. I'll get back to you (and Russo's to purchase) as soon as I find out how to use them for something other than a centerpiece.

Bitter melons from both China and India are not shaped like melons that I am familiar with. But then again, melons I'm familiar with are not bitter.

Another item I wasn't familiar with was lemon plums. Any one have any ideas?

Nothing unusual here. Just the beauty of a bakery counter.

And a shot of the plants.

Prices at Russo's overall seemed reasonable. I was a bit surprised that they didn't have more local produce but it's probably still early for New England grown produce. Russo's is a bit of a drive for me so it won't be a weekly trip but will definitely be back. We went at 11 am on Saturday which added to the overwhelmed feeling I had. Shoppers, as crowded as it was, were polite. Staff was very helpful. They had to go to the back to get me some sorrel. More on that after I make the potato sorrel soup that I have been dying to try for several years but for the fact that I could never find sorrel.

Eggplant Parmasan

2009-03-16T14:09:00.005-04:00

All the ingredients were purchased at Russo's except the parmasan cheese which I bought at Sessa's in Davis Square, Somerville, breadcrumbs and eggs. I have to say I was very proud of my sauce (and froze the leftovers) - it was made with tomatoes, tomato paste, red wine (and water to get to desired consistency), onion, garlic, red pepper, zucchini, carrot, bay leaf and oregano.

To fry the eggplant, I usually use my grandmothers method and coat with flour, eggs and then breadcrumbs but this time I just used eggs and breadcrumbs (an alternative I picked up from Sessa's on one of the rare occasions when the owner was in a talkative mood) and it was fine.

Soup, mmm (part 7)

2009-03-13T20:32:00.009-04:00

This cream of mushroom soup is second only to Butternut Squash Soup (found here: http://lifeonplanetpatricia.blogspot.com/2008/11/soup-mmm.html).

And guess what? Here's the recipe. OK, it's not crystal clear (focus wise) but it's my first successful scan on the new printer (all the others were cutting off below the ingredient list). I used a combination of white and portabello mushrooms. Next time I make this, I might decrease the wine a little and add a dollop of creme fraiche or sour cream before serving)

I rant, I rave

2009-03-13T20:14:00.003-04:00

Does it bug anyone besides me that people who haven't even seen your resume think they can give you career advice?

No, I'm not interested in a call center job. No, I'm not interested in a 401K account (yup, got one and it's lost about 50% of its value in the last year (or less) so why would I want to put more money in one?).

So please, just shut up unless I ask you for your opinion. Or until you know me for more than 3 seconds.

Lemon Loaf

2009-03-11T17:24:00.006-04:00

Nice lemon flavor and very good with a cup of earl grey tea.

Here's the batter in the silicon baking pan. If you don't have one of these, you should.

And here it is on the rack. It came out a little burned but still good.

If you want the recipe, just post a comment and I'll see what I can do. No more typing after that chocolate chip peanut butter cookie debacle.

The Most Beautiful Woman in the World

2009-03-10T11:56:00.005-04:00

And lucky me, she lives in my hometown museum, the MFA. This is Renoir's Le Bal a Bougival.

You can get some info on this painting at http://blogs.princeton.edu/wri152-3/s06/mgawrys/dance_at_bougival_2.html although I strongly disagree with their interpretation that the female figure, Marie Clementine, is unhappy because she is not smiling or making eye contact with her partner. For me, this woman, has always had a look of almost pure joy (although it is not necessarily dependent on her partner). She is completely caught up in the moment and freedom of the dance.

Black Pepper Martini

2009-03-07T07:43:00.006-05:00

I've been wanting to try this recipe from chowhound.com for a while. I first saw it before all the comments were made and, to be honest, had I read those first, I probably wouldn't have made it. I don't like sweet drinks but I liked this enough to make another one tonight (what else am I supposed o do with all the sweet syrup?). It's not as sweet and it has a little more bit.

Here's the recipe

http://www.chow.com/recipes/13430

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-03-04T09:31:00.016-05:00

What else do you need to know besides those two ingredients to know these are delicious?

RECIPE

1 cup sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 cup chunky peanut butter
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup chocolate chips or chocolate chunks
1/2 cup peanut butter chips (optional)

In bowl beat butter until light and creamy. Beat in brown and granulated sugars. Beat in eggs one at a time until blended. Beat in peanut butter. Stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir into peanut butter mix. Stir in chocolate and peanut butter chips. Spoon onto lightly greased baking sheet with some space between cookies. Bake at 350 degrees for 14-16 minutes. Let stand on sheet for a few minutes before removing to rack to cool completely.

Manhattan #4 (sort of)

2009-03-02T17:05:00.004-05:00

This lovely cocktail was procured at Highland Kitchen in Somerville. My friend and I got there around 6 pm on Friday night and the place was already getting crowded. The bar stools don't have backs so we opted for the dining room. Our server was and older guy (OK, not old. Maybe about 40 but that was old in comparison to the other servers). He was very knowledgeable about the drinks being offered and this one was on the special board. It's called the Beehive and was made with Jameson's, Lemon Juice and Bahren Jaeger (a honey flavored liquor). I didn't ask about the proportions but I found it a bit too lemony.

The appetizer I got was the gnocchi with braised beef. Better in concept than execution. The gnocchi were over cooked and half of them were burned. Yes, burned. After boiling, they must have been put in a pan but had been left on one side for way too long. The meat, on the other hand, was fantastic. The bread, although not a generous portion (1 smallish piece per person), was used to soak up the broth.