Since I wrote about Thanksgiving, I feel I need to write about Christmas as well- partially for holiday closure; partially because Christmas eats kicked Thanksgiving's golden brown ass.
Our scene begins Christmas Eve after us 4 family members have survived, with various degrees of scarring, through 5 o'clock mass at Catholic church. Our dinner was scheduled to be kind of a tapas thing. My contribution to this menu was Rye Brot- the thing where you hollow out a round loaf of rye and put that sour cream dip in it. I wasn't able to obtain rye but pumpernickel served as a fine replacement. We were also without some other ingredients but luckily hearty pumpernickel + sour cream is a pretty fool proof start even if you're missing some seasonings. Other menu items were:
-Cheese (good cheese from the public market) and crackers
-Shrimp cocktail (again, wicked good shrimp from my mom's fish guy at the public market plus homemade cocktail sauce)
-Stuffed mushrooms
-Pigs in a blanket- mostly for my nephew's benefit. My parents would want you to know that the cocktail weiners came from Aldi. Apparently they've done a decent amount of research about where to get the cheapest/best cocktail weiners.
-Pickled herring. Although always present at Christmas in this household, this was the first time I tried it, not being able to resist a dare from a 5 year old. It basically tasted like a pickle but the texture of fish. Odd but I could grow to like it.
-Oplatek- this is pretty much exaclty the same thing as a Communion wafer. Not really part of the meal, but a Polish tradition with wishing and whatnot. If it hasn't died out by the time we live in our mansion, I'll bring some. Nephew calls it "the holy cracker".
We enjoyed our apps with gin & Fresca as the default cocktail of the evening, since somebody, not me, neglected to buy tonic water.
Christmas morning, after an early start and a couple of delicious cups of Dunkin' Donuts coffee, we started drinking mimosas around 9 o'clock once present opening started to dwindle. Mimosas were my contribution. I added raspberries for a festive touch. For breakfast, we had the most amazing quiche ever. My mother made it, of course, and I don't know what she did to make it so great. It was Swiss cheese and bacon (is that Quiche Lorraine?). The main part was so creamy and custardy and the Swiss was perfectly blended throughout the egg part. The bacon was used as a top crust. It was pretty freakin' amazing.
Although we had a bit of a wait between late breakfast (at 12 noon) and dinner, the smells of boef bourgignon being created wafted throughout the house for the whole afternoon. This is a bit like watching the preview to a movie you are dying to see over and over for a couple of hours. Maybe a better food analogy for us would be getting a whiff of Roma's every 5-10 minutes for 3 hours leading up to ordering your sandwich. In short, it's great because you know you are going to get to eat that smell soon and it is going to be awesome.
We had agreed that if your making BB, you don't need much else. But I had suggested a salad beforehand just because our main meal didn't include green veg and doesn't lend itself to side dishes. Well, my mother made the best salad in the history of the earth- lovely hydroponic greens (again, Rochester Public Market voted best in the nation), lovely goat cheese (guess where she got it), perfectly cooked beets, and her homemade balsamic vinigriette that is what I imagine crack would taste like if it were a salad dressing.
The main dish was spectacular. If you've never had boef bourgignon, which I am probably spelling wrong and am not going to take the time to look up right now, you really have to make it. Get together with a group and each contribute ingredients, because it's expensive, and drink while you make it, because it takes a long time to cook. It will be worth it. For this particular BB, our hostess again forgot a couple of ingredients- mushrooms and pearl onions, which we did without; tomato paste, for which she substituted some Canadian sauce (does anybody else know what this is?) It still turned out amazing and life changing even with the improv.
I think BB is pretty much beyond description. Well, I guess you could describe it as "beef stew", but that doesn't do it justice. Use Julia's recipe. I have it if you need it.
Finally, after doing a couple of Mad Libs in order to digest the rich meal, we dug into dessert. Dessert was simple, and awesome, and satisfying....and my idea. Hot fudge sundaes, bitches! Haagen Daas Vanilla Bean ice cream, Wegmans Triple Hot Fudge (come to the Roc to experience...it would be worth the trip), whipped cream, and a mini candy cane garnish. I had actually thought orignally of a mint ice cream, but the vanilla really worked best as the chosen hot fudge was so rich (I did the needed testing well beforehand). The candy cane added a slight bit of mint for those who wanted it. I must confess it was a huge hit- obviously the 5 year old in our group thought it was the bomb, but the adults enjoyed the cool vanilla chaser after the rich hot meal.
So, that was our 24 hours of Christmas eating. Even though He can magically multiply fish and conjure up wine, Jesus Himself could not have planned a better birthday dinner!
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Traditional Turkey Day
Well, the menu was predictable but I still think it's appropriate to discuss what is arguably the most important meal of the year- Thanksgiving Dinner!
A couple of weeks prior to the feast, we had an informal meeting to discuss the menu. Last year it was just my parents and I, and we went against tradition by making boeuf bourguignon, Julia Child's recipe (and when I say "we", I mean my mother). It was amazing and deserving of its own post. That dish was suggested again this year, but since the nephew was with us this year, we opted for traditional fare. Turkey, mashed potatoes, squash, stuffing, cranberry sauce. My dad had other suggestions, but since we knew he was going to sit on his ass all day and not contribute anything to the meal, he was denied some of his more elaborate and work intensive requests.
I was actually allowed to contribute some elements this year, which is unusual. My ideas are often frowned upon or dismissed so that my mother can make the whole meal and then play the martyr because she did all the work...one of those covert family traditions. I arrived at the parents' house around 9:30am to watch the Macy's parade. Around 10:30am, I started making mimosas- my idea, and a huge hit. Later we enjoyed the appetizers I was allowed to provide. Ruffles and dip- a slacker classic and crowd pleaser. I also brought a cheese tray. The three cheeses I selected where a dill havarti, smoked gouda, and a champagne cheddar (yay giant Wegmans cheese department). Again, pretty pleased with myself, I got good feedback on my contributions. Maybe next year I'll be allowed to heat somthing in the oven, but I'm not holding my breath.
The main meal was the best I can remember. The turkey was perfectly juicy. My mother's mashed potatoes still remain my favorite (and the only ones I would eat for the first 25 years of my life). We had enough delicious gravy for a family of 15. The stuffing was made from scratch and the best I've ever had. I avoid the squash because I don't like it, and I don't eat cranberry sauce because I don't like fruit mixed with things, but Thanksgiving dinner is not complete without the can shaped jelly burped out into a formal serving vessel.
Although every bite was delicious, I have never in my life been compelled to stuff my face on Thanksgiving and did not do so this year. One moderately sized helping was enough for me. The other tradition in our family is that my father will keep eating until my mother rolls her eyes so hard at him that it looks like they'll never be able to focus properly again. I think he finally stopped after about 3 plates, and probably only because he knew dessert was still on the way (and I saw him eat some of my nephew's neglected turkey and stuffing when he was clearing the table).
Dessert, compliments of yours truly, was a pumkin cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory. I may not actually cook any of the things I bring, but I know how to shop for stuff other people make. I dare say the dessert was the perfect finish. Nephew, who did not finish his dinner, was still allowed to eat dessert in the spirit of the holiday. I'm pretty sure it was the best Thanksgiving dinner I've had, and the most tolerable 10 hours I've spent with my family. I'm very thankful for that. And for mimosas.
A couple of weeks prior to the feast, we had an informal meeting to discuss the menu. Last year it was just my parents and I, and we went against tradition by making boeuf bourguignon, Julia Child's recipe (and when I say "we", I mean my mother). It was amazing and deserving of its own post. That dish was suggested again this year, but since the nephew was with us this year, we opted for traditional fare. Turkey, mashed potatoes, squash, stuffing, cranberry sauce. My dad had other suggestions, but since we knew he was going to sit on his ass all day and not contribute anything to the meal, he was denied some of his more elaborate and work intensive requests.
I was actually allowed to contribute some elements this year, which is unusual. My ideas are often frowned upon or dismissed so that my mother can make the whole meal and then play the martyr because she did all the work...one of those covert family traditions. I arrived at the parents' house around 9:30am to watch the Macy's parade. Around 10:30am, I started making mimosas- my idea, and a huge hit. Later we enjoyed the appetizers I was allowed to provide. Ruffles and dip- a slacker classic and crowd pleaser. I also brought a cheese tray. The three cheeses I selected where a dill havarti, smoked gouda, and a champagne cheddar (yay giant Wegmans cheese department). Again, pretty pleased with myself, I got good feedback on my contributions. Maybe next year I'll be allowed to heat somthing in the oven, but I'm not holding my breath.
The main meal was the best I can remember. The turkey was perfectly juicy. My mother's mashed potatoes still remain my favorite (and the only ones I would eat for the first 25 years of my life). We had enough delicious gravy for a family of 15. The stuffing was made from scratch and the best I've ever had. I avoid the squash because I don't like it, and I don't eat cranberry sauce because I don't like fruit mixed with things, but Thanksgiving dinner is not complete without the can shaped jelly burped out into a formal serving vessel.
Although every bite was delicious, I have never in my life been compelled to stuff my face on Thanksgiving and did not do so this year. One moderately sized helping was enough for me. The other tradition in our family is that my father will keep eating until my mother rolls her eyes so hard at him that it looks like they'll never be able to focus properly again. I think he finally stopped after about 3 plates, and probably only because he knew dessert was still on the way (and I saw him eat some of my nephew's neglected turkey and stuffing when he was clearing the table).
Dessert, compliments of yours truly, was a pumkin cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory. I may not actually cook any of the things I bring, but I know how to shop for stuff other people make. I dare say the dessert was the perfect finish. Nephew, who did not finish his dinner, was still allowed to eat dessert in the spirit of the holiday. I'm pretty sure it was the best Thanksgiving dinner I've had, and the most tolerable 10 hours I've spent with my family. I'm very thankful for that. And for mimosas.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Reunion Time Again - Already? Yea, it is!
Well it wasn't an official reunion and it wasn't even a "complete" reunion since we were missing some of our compatriots. However, we got that question TWICE the other weekend when me, Rose and Schmat visited our homeland - Saratoga Springs, New York. This is our town. This is where we formed our little family.
It is also where all this madness about talking about our food began because we love the food of Saratoga so much.
I know we've blogged about our Saratoga eats before but I will blog again because I love this food and look forward to it every year. And this trip we really got it down to a science. We had various obstacles to face - only one night, a smaller group, and we are a whole year older. But may I just say - we rocked! We made our 34 year old selves proud - and even found a little bit of that 21 year old sparkle!
Since we only had one night we had to make some strategic choices about eating, drinking, timing etc. However, we are planners and this skill has served Birch D well when it comes to food.
Lunch
Rose and I met Schmat in the parking lot at the Inn at Saratoga promptly at 12 noon. Our agreed upon meeting time to ensure that we could get in a Roma's sub for lunch. This is where important planning comes in - Roma's is not open on Sundays - making Saturday our only option and you need to make sure they do not run out of bread. Before we left for Roma's we quickly checked into the hotel and mentioned our lunch plan in front of the Front Desk Staff. The young whippersnapper behind the desk actually said to us, "You know, it's moved right?" I thought daggers were going to come out of Schmat's eyes. "Yes, we know. We've been back to Saratoga since it moved." Try every year, lady! We are no strangers to the goings-ons of Roma's. Do not doubt us. Does she know who we are?!
We put this behind us and focused on the matter at hand - sandwiches. Yummy, yummy sandwiches. We arrived at Roma's - the delicious aromas greeted us as we entered the store. We got in line and our two favorite men were behind the counter, Mr. Roma and the other guy (I don't know his name but we love him). He looked at us, smiled and said "Reunion Time?" It was good to be home.
We all got turkey. I added fresh mozz, italian seasoning, mayo and mustard, pickles, lettuce and tomatoes. It was amazing - as always. Roma's does not disappoint. I believe we've said before - it's all about the bread but also how they combine everything together. (See some old posts for more details.) A perfect bite is created at all times.
Dinner and Drinks
Since we had one night in Saratoga we decided to forego actual restaurants and get down to business - drinks and dough boys. We started our night early (we are 34!) with a proper drink at 9 Maple. 9 Maple is a great bar. If it was in Boston, I would be there every day. Sipping on yummy cocktails and eating peanuts.
We asked the new-to-us bartender for three cocktails - I ordered a Manhattan. As some of you may know, I love me a good Manhattan and 9 Maple did not disappoint. Instead of telling him how I wanted it, I left it up to the bartender to make it how he saw fit. I wish I could tell you what Schmat and Rose ordered but frankly, I don't recall. I do recall we talked alot about Wegman's and how it's the greatest grocery store in the world with the new-to-us bartender.
Following our round of proper drinks it was time for phase 1 of dinner - or our first dough boy. Now, Esperanto's, home of the dough boys, moved into a bigger space but still on Caroline St. This occurred when we were in 'toga last year. (Take that, Front Desk Lady!) The dough boy was perfect blend of cream cheese, spice, chicken, scallions and dough. YUM. God bless the dough boy.
From there we went to DA's for our first round there. We sat at the bar, not in the booth and ordered our $3.75 (love!) drinks. I played Ms. PacMan to keep up my energy post - dough boy. Then we called change of venue and it was off to the IceHouse. Now, I love the IceHouse or I should say I loved the IceHouse. Back in the day...it was a great little dive bar with the best jukebox in town. It's a garage and you open the door, sit at the bar and stare out onto the summer madness that is Saratoga. The IceHouse has been updated and renovated and after Rose and Schmat were nice enough to indulge me, I've decided I no longer need any part of the IceHouse. Things change, what can ya do?
From there it was phase 2 of dinner - D'Andrea's pizza. Rose has never had sugar-in-crust-D'Andrea's pizza so it was a mandatory stop. It wasn't the best pizza I've had there but it was still good. Not too cheesy, sugary crust and a little sweet sauce. Oh D'Andrea's...I do miss the days of ordering a stuffed bread and pint of Ben and Jerry's to my room (and the metabolism that went along with that).
We returned to DA's to finish up the night. We slid back up to the bar to find Rock behind the bar. Rock's been there since before I've been there. We order our $3.75 (!!) drinks and continue our drinking when Rock looks at the three of us, tilts his head and says "What are you up here for a reunion or something?" I explain why we are there. And he responds, "Great. So what's it been 4-5 years?" [I love you, Rock!] "Uhm, we graduated in '98." "Holy shit, it's been 12 years!" "Uh yeh, let's not talk about it."
After many more cocktails, Rose schooling some old dude about the price of drinks outside upstate NY and telling him to cram it, we make our final on the way home drunk stop at Esperanto's. I go all out and get a dough boy and a twice baked potato. Now I enjoy the twice baked, but don't love it but for some reason it sounded good to me that night. Well, it was a waste of calories. It was good but another dough boy or a slice would have been a better use of those calories.
And I just have to say here - even if this makes us old ladies - we went out 6pm and we strolled in around 1am. Not too bad for some old timers who on Fridays like a little buzz and to be in bed by 10pm. I want a standing ovation!
Brunch
We wake up - not even hungover! And Rose and I head to Country Corner for homemade breakfast goodness. Country Corner has expanded since we've been gone and I am all for it. It was a great little cafe that seated about 25 when we were in school and we always had to wait so I am happy about a little expansion. We sat down and I ordered my favorite - chocolate chip pancakes and bacon. It was just as good as I remembered. The chocolate chips melting in the pancake (none of this drizzling on top, bs!) and the contrast with the salty bacon made it the perfect breakfast.
Bellies full of our favorite foods, we packed up the car and waved goodbye to our hometown and the perfect fall weekend it gave us.
It is also where all this madness about talking about our food began because we love the food of Saratoga so much.
I know we've blogged about our Saratoga eats before but I will blog again because I love this food and look forward to it every year. And this trip we really got it down to a science. We had various obstacles to face - only one night, a smaller group, and we are a whole year older. But may I just say - we rocked! We made our 34 year old selves proud - and even found a little bit of that 21 year old sparkle!
Since we only had one night we had to make some strategic choices about eating, drinking, timing etc. However, we are planners and this skill has served Birch D well when it comes to food.
Lunch
Rose and I met Schmat in the parking lot at the Inn at Saratoga promptly at 12 noon. Our agreed upon meeting time to ensure that we could get in a Roma's sub for lunch. This is where important planning comes in - Roma's is not open on Sundays - making Saturday our only option and you need to make sure they do not run out of bread. Before we left for Roma's we quickly checked into the hotel and mentioned our lunch plan in front of the Front Desk Staff. The young whippersnapper behind the desk actually said to us, "You know, it's moved right?" I thought daggers were going to come out of Schmat's eyes. "Yes, we know. We've been back to Saratoga since it moved." Try every year, lady! We are no strangers to the goings-ons of Roma's. Do not doubt us. Does she know who we are?!
We put this behind us and focused on the matter at hand - sandwiches. Yummy, yummy sandwiches. We arrived at Roma's - the delicious aromas greeted us as we entered the store. We got in line and our two favorite men were behind the counter, Mr. Roma and the other guy (I don't know his name but we love him). He looked at us, smiled and said "Reunion Time?" It was good to be home.
We all got turkey. I added fresh mozz, italian seasoning, mayo and mustard, pickles, lettuce and tomatoes. It was amazing - as always. Roma's does not disappoint. I believe we've said before - it's all about the bread but also how they combine everything together. (See some old posts for more details.) A perfect bite is created at all times.
Dinner and Drinks
Since we had one night in Saratoga we decided to forego actual restaurants and get down to business - drinks and dough boys. We started our night early (we are 34!) with a proper drink at 9 Maple. 9 Maple is a great bar. If it was in Boston, I would be there every day. Sipping on yummy cocktails and eating peanuts.
We asked the new-to-us bartender for three cocktails - I ordered a Manhattan. As some of you may know, I love me a good Manhattan and 9 Maple did not disappoint. Instead of telling him how I wanted it, I left it up to the bartender to make it how he saw fit. I wish I could tell you what Schmat and Rose ordered but frankly, I don't recall. I do recall we talked alot about Wegman's and how it's the greatest grocery store in the world with the new-to-us bartender.
Following our round of proper drinks it was time for phase 1 of dinner - or our first dough boy. Now, Esperanto's, home of the dough boys, moved into a bigger space but still on Caroline St. This occurred when we were in 'toga last year. (Take that, Front Desk Lady!) The dough boy was perfect blend of cream cheese, spice, chicken, scallions and dough. YUM. God bless the dough boy.
From there we went to DA's for our first round there. We sat at the bar, not in the booth and ordered our $3.75 (love!) drinks. I played Ms. PacMan to keep up my energy post - dough boy. Then we called change of venue and it was off to the IceHouse. Now, I love the IceHouse or I should say I loved the IceHouse. Back in the day...it was a great little dive bar with the best jukebox in town. It's a garage and you open the door, sit at the bar and stare out onto the summer madness that is Saratoga. The IceHouse has been updated and renovated and after Rose and Schmat were nice enough to indulge me, I've decided I no longer need any part of the IceHouse. Things change, what can ya do?
From there it was phase 2 of dinner - D'Andrea's pizza. Rose has never had sugar-in-crust-D'Andrea's pizza so it was a mandatory stop. It wasn't the best pizza I've had there but it was still good. Not too cheesy, sugary crust and a little sweet sauce. Oh D'Andrea's...I do miss the days of ordering a stuffed bread and pint of Ben and Jerry's to my room (and the metabolism that went along with that).
We returned to DA's to finish up the night. We slid back up to the bar to find Rock behind the bar. Rock's been there since before I've been there. We order our $3.75 (!!) drinks and continue our drinking when Rock looks at the three of us, tilts his head and says "What are you up here for a reunion or something?" I explain why we are there. And he responds, "Great. So what's it been 4-5 years?" [I love you, Rock!] "Uhm, we graduated in '98." "Holy shit, it's been 12 years!" "Uh yeh, let's not talk about it."
After many more cocktails, Rose schooling some old dude about the price of drinks outside upstate NY and telling him to cram it, we make our final on the way home drunk stop at Esperanto's. I go all out and get a dough boy and a twice baked potato. Now I enjoy the twice baked, but don't love it but for some reason it sounded good to me that night. Well, it was a waste of calories. It was good but another dough boy or a slice would have been a better use of those calories.
And I just have to say here - even if this makes us old ladies - we went out 6pm and we strolled in around 1am. Not too bad for some old timers who on Fridays like a little buzz and to be in bed by 10pm. I want a standing ovation!
Brunch
We wake up - not even hungover! And Rose and I head to Country Corner for homemade breakfast goodness. Country Corner has expanded since we've been gone and I am all for it. It was a great little cafe that seated about 25 when we were in school and we always had to wait so I am happy about a little expansion. We sat down and I ordered my favorite - chocolate chip pancakes and bacon. It was just as good as I remembered. The chocolate chips melting in the pancake (none of this drizzling on top, bs!) and the contrast with the salty bacon made it the perfect breakfast.
Bellies full of our favorite foods, we packed up the car and waved goodbye to our hometown and the perfect fall weekend it gave us.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Local Food, Made at Home Part 5
It's very difficult to look back and remember what we got more than a week ago. i should write it down, but ironically i'm really lazy about certain things.
we got (i think): plumbs, eggs, cantaloupe, potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, watermelon, oregano, cucumber, garlic, zucchini, onion, lettuce, cabbage, swiss chard.
we at the cantaloupe for breakfast and watermelon as a snack. and i'm sure that i made a sandwich or two with lettuce and tomato on it.
the highlight of the week was making a huge dinner for several peeps with my gf. i was able to actually use some of my cookbooks and find recipes based on what i had. we steamed the edamame from the week prior and salted it to eat as an appetizer. a cocktail was made out of vodka, lemon, the cucumbers and mint from my "garden". for dinner, we had a buffet of eggplant/tomato (the dish from the last post), cucumber/yogurt/mint salad, red cabbage slaw, a squash bake made from a recipe that my gf's mom gave me (had eggs, tomato, zucchini and some of the frozen squash from weeks past), a green salad containing lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and corn, roasted potatoes with rosemary from the "garden" and finally, for dessert, a plumb crisp using all of the little plumbs. there was also bread and cheese which is worth noting because who doesn't love bread and cheese.
i was very optimistic with the amount of cooking we would get done. but we managed to go for a bike ride in the am and take a one hour "nap" and we only cut out one dish. not too shabby. shoo.
on a totally unrelated but somewhat related note, doesn't everyone want to hear how gone to e dog's food making is going? you can't get much more local than that. sorry is that inappropriate?
we got (i think): plumbs, eggs, cantaloupe, potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, watermelon, oregano, cucumber, garlic, zucchini, onion, lettuce, cabbage, swiss chard.
we at the cantaloupe for breakfast and watermelon as a snack. and i'm sure that i made a sandwich or two with lettuce and tomato on it.
the highlight of the week was making a huge dinner for several peeps with my gf. i was able to actually use some of my cookbooks and find recipes based on what i had. we steamed the edamame from the week prior and salted it to eat as an appetizer. a cocktail was made out of vodka, lemon, the cucumbers and mint from my "garden". for dinner, we had a buffet of eggplant/tomato (the dish from the last post), cucumber/yogurt/mint salad, red cabbage slaw, a squash bake made from a recipe that my gf's mom gave me (had eggs, tomato, zucchini and some of the frozen squash from weeks past), a green salad containing lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and corn, roasted potatoes with rosemary from the "garden" and finally, for dessert, a plumb crisp using all of the little plumbs. there was also bread and cheese which is worth noting because who doesn't love bread and cheese.
i was very optimistic with the amount of cooking we would get done. but we managed to go for a bike ride in the am and take a one hour "nap" and we only cut out one dish. not too shabby. shoo.
on a totally unrelated but somewhat related note, doesn't everyone want to hear how gone to e dog's food making is going? you can't get much more local than that. sorry is that inappropriate?
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
The single happy thing to come out of this miserable kitchen
Due to the disgustingness (is that a word?) and tiny size of my kitchen, I have pretty much not cooked for myself this entire time I've lived in this craphole. I heated up a can of soup on the stovetop once in....October? But every cloud has a silver lining, and I'd like to share my silver lining with you.
Despite the grossness of the inside of my oven, I still wanted to eat hot foods, and thus eventually broke down and purchased a microwave where I have since heated up numerous Wegman's $6 meals. I was pretty proud of my microwave free streak from May 1998-November 2010. Oh well. But recently, I stumbled upon these Pillsbury desserts near the premade cookie dough. And I thought, "Hmmm....single serving brownie lava cake things that you put in the microwave? I own a microwave... And I could put mint chocolate chip ice cream on the brownie thing after I heat it up. Because a hot brownie with mint choc is like the best thing ever."
The rest is history. I'm not claiming that this is like a breakthrough in quantum physics or anything. But still, you're welcome.
Despite the grossness of the inside of my oven, I still wanted to eat hot foods, and thus eventually broke down and purchased a microwave where I have since heated up numerous Wegman's $6 meals. I was pretty proud of my microwave free streak from May 1998-November 2010. Oh well. But recently, I stumbled upon these Pillsbury desserts near the premade cookie dough. And I thought, "Hmmm....single serving brownie lava cake things that you put in the microwave? I own a microwave... And I could put mint chocolate chip ice cream on the brownie thing after I heat it up. Because a hot brownie with mint choc is like the best thing ever."
The rest is history. I'm not claiming that this is like a breakthrough in quantum physics or anything. But still, you're welcome.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Local Food, Made at Home Part 4
It seems that the more weeks that go by, the more lax I get in writing everything down. I think I'm two weeks behind again so we'll see how much I remember:
we got: eggs, blueberries, peaches, watermelon, onion, oregano, eggplant, lettuce, scallions, tomatoes, MORE summer squash, carrots, cucumbers, corn, potatoes, beet greens, onion, green beans
on the night that i last wrote, i made a caprese salad with the fresh tomato and some basil from my patio garden. Then made fresh pasta with pesto that I made earlier in the summer. The mozzarella and pasta I got from Capone's in union square, somerville. Capone himself recommended I get lemon linguine because it goes nicely with pesto, and he was right. Don't quit your day job, Mr Capone. I also like getting my mozzarella from Capone's because they sell Buffalo mozzarella. You can also get it at Whole Food, but, you know, he's right down the street. For dessert I made a peach cobbler from a recipe I found online. I think it was paula dean. It called for "self rising flour". did you know that this is just a mixture of flour, baking powder and salt? it is! so next time a recipe calls for "self rising flour" and you don't have any, chances are you can make your own.
i ate the rest of the peaches as a snack and the blueberries were use to make pancakes and on my cereal.
the corn was boiled and eaten along side some roasted kholrabi (from the prior week) and potatoes with rosemary. there was salmon in there too, but that was from alaska.
the rest of the corn and the summer squash were used in some veggie burritos and made another round of pico de gallo with the onion and scallions. i feel like this is a good way to use up some veggies you don't know what to do with.
the watermelon was eaten as a snack. obvi. my gf and i and my friend and i had two separate rounds of "how far can you spit the seed". i think i hit an umbrella from my patio, so that was pretty cool.
another night, i made melanzane al funghetto which is a dish i learned about when i was in italy. we would eat it for lunch with bread and cheese. the translation is something like... eggplant in a style of mushrooms". i found an example of it here after struggling with translating the italian http://www.happystove.com/recipe/80/Funghetto+Eggplants+%28Melanzane+al+Funghetto%29. my romance major gf with the italian mother was no help. i should have called julie mccoy. anyway... the major change that i made here was to add the fresh tomatoes. to go with the eggplant concoction, i got some fresh bread and locally made mozzarella (not as good as buffalo. just saying) from dave's fresh pasta near davis square. i must say it turned out really good. though it was a tad salty. i think i overdid the prep of salting the eggplant. so i traded bitter for salty. i guess i should have washed the salt off first or not gone crazy with the salt. meh. in addition to the eggplant, some more summer squash was grilled on my grill pan and some fresh cucumber cute up. LOVE fresh cucumber.
the rest of the cucumber and tomato, i ate for lunch just cut up and i made yet another round of burritos with carrots, corn and squash. maybe i should make some sort of casserole if i get more squash. just a thought. i'm kind of squashed out.
lastly, i made a 3 bean salad with the green beans and scallions (plus other non-local items). i haven't tasted it yet, but i'm sure it will taste like summer.
what i did finally taste were the pickles. SO GOOD! but apparently the magic seal wasn't really a "seal". i.e. i didn't properly do the whole sanitizing steps. but i'm not keeping it for years either. meh.
i have an overload of greens i don't know what to do with. radicchio or beet greens anyone?
we got: eggs, blueberries, peaches, watermelon, onion, oregano, eggplant, lettuce, scallions, tomatoes, MORE summer squash, carrots, cucumbers, corn, potatoes, beet greens, onion, green beans
on the night that i last wrote, i made a caprese salad with the fresh tomato and some basil from my patio garden. Then made fresh pasta with pesto that I made earlier in the summer. The mozzarella and pasta I got from Capone's in union square, somerville. Capone himself recommended I get lemon linguine because it goes nicely with pesto, and he was right. Don't quit your day job, Mr Capone. I also like getting my mozzarella from Capone's because they sell Buffalo mozzarella. You can also get it at Whole Food, but, you know, he's right down the street. For dessert I made a peach cobbler from a recipe I found online. I think it was paula dean. It called for "self rising flour". did you know that this is just a mixture of flour, baking powder and salt? it is! so next time a recipe calls for "self rising flour" and you don't have any, chances are you can make your own.
i ate the rest of the peaches as a snack and the blueberries were use to make pancakes and on my cereal.
the corn was boiled and eaten along side some roasted kholrabi (from the prior week) and potatoes with rosemary. there was salmon in there too, but that was from alaska.
the rest of the corn and the summer squash were used in some veggie burritos and made another round of pico de gallo with the onion and scallions. i feel like this is a good way to use up some veggies you don't know what to do with.
the watermelon was eaten as a snack. obvi. my gf and i and my friend and i had two separate rounds of "how far can you spit the seed". i think i hit an umbrella from my patio, so that was pretty cool.
another night, i made melanzane al funghetto which is a dish i learned about when i was in italy. we would eat it for lunch with bread and cheese. the translation is something like... eggplant in a style of mushrooms". i found an example of it here after struggling with translating the italian http://www.happystove.com/recipe/80/Funghetto+Eggplants+%28Melanzane+al+Funghetto%29. my romance major gf with the italian mother was no help. i should have called julie mccoy. anyway... the major change that i made here was to add the fresh tomatoes. to go with the eggplant concoction, i got some fresh bread and locally made mozzarella (not as good as buffalo. just saying) from dave's fresh pasta near davis square. i must say it turned out really good. though it was a tad salty. i think i overdid the prep of salting the eggplant. so i traded bitter for salty. i guess i should have washed the salt off first or not gone crazy with the salt. meh. in addition to the eggplant, some more summer squash was grilled on my grill pan and some fresh cucumber cute up. LOVE fresh cucumber.
the rest of the cucumber and tomato, i ate for lunch just cut up and i made yet another round of burritos with carrots, corn and squash. maybe i should make some sort of casserole if i get more squash. just a thought. i'm kind of squashed out.
lastly, i made a 3 bean salad with the green beans and scallions (plus other non-local items). i haven't tasted it yet, but i'm sure it will taste like summer.
what i did finally taste were the pickles. SO GOOD! but apparently the magic seal wasn't really a "seal". i.e. i didn't properly do the whole sanitizing steps. but i'm not keeping it for years either. meh.
i have an overload of greens i don't know what to do with. radicchio or beet greens anyone?
Friday, July 23, 2010
Local Food, Made at Home Part 3
so it's been two weeks since I last posted. i wasn't physically present for the week 5 pickup so i will just tell you what we had for weeks 5 and 6 and what i did all in one. great.
we got:
blueberries, raspberries, eggs, summer squash, garlic, cucumber, tomato, basil, cilantro, lettuce, radicchio, kholrabi, cabbage, carrots, scallions and onion. we also got a green pepper but i forgot it. whoops johnny.
what i made:
with the berries, the usual fruit on cereal thing or as a snacke. but also used some eggs and made berry pancakes. SOOOO good.
with the garlic, tomato, onion, scallions and cilantro made a pico de gallo. SOOOO good. and with the pico de gallo made veggie burritos with the garlic, summer squash, carrots and onion. there were also beans and cheese in the burritos. SOOOO good.
i used some of mint from my patio garden in a good mojito recipe i found here: http://www.tasteofcuba.com/mojito.html
with the rest of the onion and the cucumber, i had my first foray into the world of canning/pickling. i made a sauce out of mustard seed, apple cider vinegar, tumeric and suger and poured it over the cucumber and onion in a ball jar that i had left from something someone gave me. the only thing i did not do, was seal it properly. you are supposed to boil the jars in water so they magically seal through the laws of science. i just put it in the fridge planning on eating it soon. i did take it out of the fridge and notice that the button on the seal was down. so maybe it sealed itself? physics and chemistry are so weird. but anyway... i'm going to buy more of these ball jar thingies and try out some more canning. i'll tell you how the pickles turned out in a future post.
my gf made a pasta salad and a bean salad and used some basil and some of the cilantro.
i also made more egg salad sandwiches and put the lettuce on a tuna salad sandwich.
with the cabbage, i made some coleslaw. i didn't have celery salt or carrot but my gf is picking up some as we speak so i should be able to finish that up tho i must say that it was pretty tasty without those things. the sauce was just mayo, sugar, vinegar, sour cream, salt and pepper (plus the celery salt that i failed to get). but it was really easy and quick with the food processor to do all the chopping.
lastly, i froze a few items: blueberries and summer squash. with the blueberries, i just stuck them in a bag in the freezer. with the squash, i cut it up and blanched it, then cooled it again before putting it in bags in the freezer. i found this method somewhere on line so we will see if it works.
we got:
blueberries, raspberries, eggs, summer squash, garlic, cucumber, tomato, basil, cilantro, lettuce, radicchio, kholrabi, cabbage, carrots, scallions and onion. we also got a green pepper but i forgot it. whoops johnny.
what i made:
with the berries, the usual fruit on cereal thing or as a snacke. but also used some eggs and made berry pancakes. SOOOO good.
with the garlic, tomato, onion, scallions and cilantro made a pico de gallo. SOOOO good. and with the pico de gallo made veggie burritos with the garlic, summer squash, carrots and onion. there were also beans and cheese in the burritos. SOOOO good.
i used some of mint from my patio garden in a good mojito recipe i found here: http://www.tasteofcuba.com/mojito.html
with the rest of the onion and the cucumber, i had my first foray into the world of canning/pickling. i made a sauce out of mustard seed, apple cider vinegar, tumeric and suger and poured it over the cucumber and onion in a ball jar that i had left from something someone gave me. the only thing i did not do, was seal it properly. you are supposed to boil the jars in water so they magically seal through the laws of science. i just put it in the fridge planning on eating it soon. i did take it out of the fridge and notice that the button on the seal was down. so maybe it sealed itself? physics and chemistry are so weird. but anyway... i'm going to buy more of these ball jar thingies and try out some more canning. i'll tell you how the pickles turned out in a future post.
my gf made a pasta salad and a bean salad and used some basil and some of the cilantro.
i also made more egg salad sandwiches and put the lettuce on a tuna salad sandwich.
with the cabbage, i made some coleslaw. i didn't have celery salt or carrot but my gf is picking up some as we speak so i should be able to finish that up tho i must say that it was pretty tasty without those things. the sauce was just mayo, sugar, vinegar, sour cream, salt and pepper (plus the celery salt that i failed to get). but it was really easy and quick with the food processor to do all the chopping.
lastly, i froze a few items: blueberries and summer squash. with the blueberries, i just stuck them in a bag in the freezer. with the squash, i cut it up and blanched it, then cooled it again before putting it in bags in the freezer. i found this method somewhere on line so we will see if it works.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Local Food, Made at Home Part 2
This week I am late to blog but here's the run-down for week 3:
got eggs, broccoli, swiss chard, strawberries, turnips, lettuce.
made: egg salad sandwiches (YUM!), strawberries on my cereal and as a snack, lettuce on my sandwiches and in my salads, and made dinner one night of salmon, corn, swiss chard and broccoli. the broccoli was steamed and the swiss chard was sauteed in garlic and oil. the broccoli started to wilt because i didn't put it in the crisper (whoops) but it was still good. i also had this salmon/broccoli meal for lunch one day. the oregano from week 2 was dried to use in the future. it was pretty easy to dry. just left it out to dry. i used the turnips once i got the share for week 4.
which is a good segue for week 4.
got beets, cherries, kale, carrots, onions, cucumber, summer squash, lettuce
made: roasted veggies again with the turnips from week 3 (slightly wilted but still OK), carrots, beets and onions. made a salad with the lettuce and cucumber and some goat cheese. the cherries and the rest of the cucumber i ate as a snack. cucumber with salt and pepper is DREAMY. if we get more cucumbers, i'd like to try to pickle them. the summer squash i grilled with some olive oil. i'm still left with eggs and... kale. phooey.
got eggs, broccoli, swiss chard, strawberries, turnips, lettuce.
made: egg salad sandwiches (YUM!), strawberries on my cereal and as a snack, lettuce on my sandwiches and in my salads, and made dinner one night of salmon, corn, swiss chard and broccoli. the broccoli was steamed and the swiss chard was sauteed in garlic and oil. the broccoli started to wilt because i didn't put it in the crisper (whoops) but it was still good. i also had this salmon/broccoli meal for lunch one day. the oregano from week 2 was dried to use in the future. it was pretty easy to dry. just left it out to dry. i used the turnips once i got the share for week 4.
which is a good segue for week 4.
got beets, cherries, kale, carrots, onions, cucumber, summer squash, lettuce
made: roasted veggies again with the turnips from week 3 (slightly wilted but still OK), carrots, beets and onions. made a salad with the lettuce and cucumber and some goat cheese. the cherries and the rest of the cucumber i ate as a snack. cucumber with salt and pepper is DREAMY. if we get more cucumbers, i'd like to try to pickle them. the summer squash i grilled with some olive oil. i'm still left with eggs and... kale. phooey.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Ahi Aha!
I took my dad out to lunch for Father's Day. He chose The Cheesecake Factory, because when I took my mom out to lunch for Mother's Day (I try to be equal, not that they'd notice) she chose Cheesecake Factory and raved about the eggs benedict.
Dad could be a better foodie if he focused more on chewing rather than inhaling- although he likes talking about food and planning what he's going to eat next, he really doesn't focus much on portion control. And there are certain things he just refuses to touch- he likes a big plate and can be kind of wierdly macho....like tapas would be considered "too girly".
So I was surprised when he asked if I'd like to share the Ahi Carpaccio appetizer. "You know that means it's raw, right? Raw tuna?" I asked the question because not long ago, anything sushi fell into that gray girlie area. He reminded me, with a sadly endearing prideful attitude that he enjoys tuna a great deal, thank you very much. I totally take credit for this, because I often try to expose him & my mother to new things and made them eat some of my seared tuna from the Wegmans sushi area a while ago. Maybe one day, if they are not dead in 10 years, my parents will be ready to go to a...gasp! Asian restaurant. They went for the seared; I didn't know if he could handle raw.
Well, this was one of the most amazing things I've eaten in the past couple of weeks. Amazing tuna, accompanied by a "wasabi pesto". I don't like wasabi, really, so I was pleasantly surprised by this condiment creation that had only a hint of wasabi. It was mostly creamy. There was also a cucumber slaw/garnish. I didn't directly eat it, but enjoyed the bits of carpaccio that had been infused with the cucumber. A highlight was the toasted sesame seeds sprinkled on top, which really blended well with the wasabi sauce and brought out the best of the amazing tuna. A ramikin of a presumably soy based sauce was also provided, although neither of us touched it as we were so enthralled with the other elements.
So, I was surprised that my parent could still surprise me. He even offered me the last bite, which I emphatically turned down ....because it was a pretty small and girlie plate.
Dad could be a better foodie if he focused more on chewing rather than inhaling- although he likes talking about food and planning what he's going to eat next, he really doesn't focus much on portion control. And there are certain things he just refuses to touch- he likes a big plate and can be kind of wierdly macho....like tapas would be considered "too girly".
So I was surprised when he asked if I'd like to share the Ahi Carpaccio appetizer. "You know that means it's raw, right? Raw tuna?" I asked the question because not long ago, anything sushi fell into that gray girlie area. He reminded me, with a sadly endearing prideful attitude that he enjoys tuna a great deal, thank you very much. I totally take credit for this, because I often try to expose him & my mother to new things and made them eat some of my seared tuna from the Wegmans sushi area a while ago. Maybe one day, if they are not dead in 10 years, my parents will be ready to go to a...gasp! Asian restaurant. They went for the seared; I didn't know if he could handle raw.
Well, this was one of the most amazing things I've eaten in the past couple of weeks. Amazing tuna, accompanied by a "wasabi pesto". I don't like wasabi, really, so I was pleasantly surprised by this condiment creation that had only a hint of wasabi. It was mostly creamy. There was also a cucumber slaw/garnish. I didn't directly eat it, but enjoyed the bits of carpaccio that had been infused with the cucumber. A highlight was the toasted sesame seeds sprinkled on top, which really blended well with the wasabi sauce and brought out the best of the amazing tuna. A ramikin of a presumably soy based sauce was also provided, although neither of us touched it as we were so enthralled with the other elements.
So, I was surprised that my parent could still surprise me. He even offered me the last bite, which I emphatically turned down ....because it was a pretty small and girlie plate.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Too much food, too little time!
Alright, so I admit that I am bad about this blogging thing. I have better things to do with my time...like eat! Speaking of which, I've been eating like it's going out of style. In no uncertain terms, I am blowing up like a tic! Why, do you ask? Well, I've had a miserable year at work (remember the black eye?). Now, I'm not an emotional eater, but I am a social eater. And, when I am unhappy at work, I try to plan other fun things to do in my life to make up for it. Like eat with my friends. When I am home for dinner, I am more than happy to eat microwave popcorn and call it a night. When I am out for dinner with friends, well, unless it's cooked in butter, slathered with sauces, or fried and salted, it's not worth eating. So, here's a list of some of the favorite bits I've noshed on this year:
So, this is just a sampling of what I've eaten in the last year. It's no wonder I haven't ended up in the cardiac ward at MGH. With that said, looking back, I don't think I'd have ordered any differently. Yeah, my love handles now have super grips. Of course my summer clothes are too tight on me. My body absolutely looks like I've eaten all of the above, but it was worth it. With the help of my friends and comfort food we shared, I survived another year of work and am now on summer vacation. Thank the Pope!
Now, if I could only put the grill together...I'll be all set for another season of food.
- Parmesan Truffle Oil Tater Tots at Common Grounds in Cambridge with Neal
- Macaroni and Cheese with Prosciutto at Stephi's on Tremont with Patti, et al.
- Bacon Cheeseburger with Onions and Mushrooms on Brioche at Pop's with Brent
- Chicken with Roasted Tomatoes on a Polenta Cake at Stella with the Card Group
- Applewood Smoked Pork Chop with Brussels Sprouts at Eastern Standard with Reena
- French Toast with Bacon at Union with Wil
- Black Bean Veggie Burger at Highland Kitchen with Meg, et. al
- Chicken Tacos at La Verdad with Scott and Mark
- Pancakes, Bacon and Hashbrowns at Magee Country Diner with Natalie
- Roasted Chicken with Chive Mashed Potatoes at Franklin Cafe with Kristin and Andrew
- Mojitos, Gin and Tonics, Cosmos, and other nefarious drinks at Drink with whomever would join me
So, this is just a sampling of what I've eaten in the last year. It's no wonder I haven't ended up in the cardiac ward at MGH. With that said, looking back, I don't think I'd have ordered any differently. Yeah, my love handles now have super grips. Of course my summer clothes are too tight on me. My body absolutely looks like I've eaten all of the above, but it was worth it. With the help of my friends and comfort food we shared, I survived another year of work and am now on summer vacation. Thank the Pope!
Now, if I could only put the grill together...I'll be all set for another season of food.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Local food, made at home
It's been FOREVER since I last wrote. I don't know where the time goes. like seriously.
I recently signed up for a CSA from Red Fire Farm in Granby, MA (no idea where that is). For those who don't know, CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. So anyway, I pick up my share every week near my house. It started two weeks ago and goes until the fall. I'm sharing it with my friend Biz. We get one veggie share, one egg share (6 eggs) and one fruit share (just for me). She tried to talk me out of the fruit share, but I love fruit, so f her.
I'm going to try to blog once a week and share what I got and what I made and how I feel about it. OK? Great. As a side note, I'm also growing basil, rosemary, mint, strawberries and tomatoes so since they count in this "local" thing, I will include them when I use them. Here we go:
Before the CSA started:
Caprese salad with fresh basil
Pasta with fresh basil
Whiskey smash with fresh mint AND homemade simple syrup (it's just bourbon, lemon juice, crushed ice, simple syrup and mint and sooooo good)
Mint Julep with fresh mint
Ice cream sundae with fresh mint
week 1 (I was not here. but luckily, they didn't have enough eggs and fruit, so we got double in week 2!)
week 2:
Includes: 6 eggs, 2 quarts of strawberries, 1 kohlrabi, 3 beets, 2 carrots, kale, a head of lettuce, spinach, garlic snapes, and oregano
Made:
Roasted beets, kohlrabi and carrots with fresh rosemary, olive oil and garlic
Two spinach and lettuce salads with fresh egg and the roasted veggies (plus some other "store bought" veggies) and store bought goat cheese. enough for two people to eat twice. dressing was either store bought or olive oil and vinegar. The salad really hit the spot especially since it has been H-O-T. The kohlrabi, unheard of before this adventure, was actually quite tasty. Like most root veggies but also kinda like a broccoli stem.
Pesto with the garlic snapes. I didn't have pine or walnuts so just made with what I had: olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper, snapes, parmesian all in the food processor. It was quite garlicky but still very tasty. It probably needed the nuts.
Strawberry scones with all the strawberries. They were the only fresh ingredient so it's not worth telling you about all the others. They were tasty but wet because of the fresh strawberries. I might be inclined to use dry or dry them more next time.
Blueberry muffins. The only CSA ingredient I used here were the eggs. But these might be the best muffins I have ever had. Mostly because of the sugar, butter crack sprinkled on the top. yeah.
I still have some strawberries, eggs and kale left. I will finish the strawberries throughout the week on cereal or as a snack. The eggs might go in another salad or for breakfast one day. Or maybe an egg salad sandwich. The possibilities are endless with eggs!
You will notice I left out the kale. Isn't it a garnish? I suppose I could get some salmon and sautee the kale for a side or something. But meh. Who likes kale?
I recently signed up for a CSA from Red Fire Farm in Granby, MA (no idea where that is). For those who don't know, CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. So anyway, I pick up my share every week near my house. It started two weeks ago and goes until the fall. I'm sharing it with my friend Biz. We get one veggie share, one egg share (6 eggs) and one fruit share (just for me). She tried to talk me out of the fruit share, but I love fruit, so f her.
I'm going to try to blog once a week and share what I got and what I made and how I feel about it. OK? Great. As a side note, I'm also growing basil, rosemary, mint, strawberries and tomatoes so since they count in this "local" thing, I will include them when I use them. Here we go:
Before the CSA started:
Caprese salad with fresh basil
Pasta with fresh basil
Whiskey smash with fresh mint AND homemade simple syrup (it's just bourbon, lemon juice, crushed ice, simple syrup and mint and sooooo good)
Mint Julep with fresh mint
Ice cream sundae with fresh mint
week 1 (I was not here. but luckily, they didn't have enough eggs and fruit, so we got double in week 2!)
week 2:
Includes: 6 eggs, 2 quarts of strawberries, 1 kohlrabi, 3 beets, 2 carrots, kale, a head of lettuce, spinach, garlic snapes, and oregano
Made:
Roasted beets, kohlrabi and carrots with fresh rosemary, olive oil and garlic
Two spinach and lettuce salads with fresh egg and the roasted veggies (plus some other "store bought" veggies) and store bought goat cheese. enough for two people to eat twice. dressing was either store bought or olive oil and vinegar. The salad really hit the spot especially since it has been H-O-T. The kohlrabi, unheard of before this adventure, was actually quite tasty. Like most root veggies but also kinda like a broccoli stem.
Pesto with the garlic snapes. I didn't have pine or walnuts so just made with what I had: olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper, snapes, parmesian all in the food processor. It was quite garlicky but still very tasty. It probably needed the nuts.
Strawberry scones with all the strawberries. They were the only fresh ingredient so it's not worth telling you about all the others. They were tasty but wet because of the fresh strawberries. I might be inclined to use dry or dry them more next time.
Blueberry muffins. The only CSA ingredient I used here were the eggs. But these might be the best muffins I have ever had. Mostly because of the sugar, butter crack sprinkled on the top. yeah.
I still have some strawberries, eggs and kale left. I will finish the strawberries throughout the week on cereal or as a snack. The eggs might go in another salad or for breakfast one day. Or maybe an egg salad sandwich. The possibilities are endless with eggs!
You will notice I left out the kale. Isn't it a garnish? I suppose I could get some salmon and sautee the kale for a side or something. But meh. Who likes kale?
Monday, June 7, 2010
lunch in the 'hood, fer ril y'all
Last Thursday, I overheard my coworkers talking about a fish place: what kind of fish they like, how they like their fish breaded or battered. So, when shortly thereafter, when I received an invitation to go get fish fry for lunch, I gladly signed on.
This is probably the best place to mention that I am generally the only caucasian involved in most work related situation these days. We were going to lunch in the 'hood. I was prepared for an impoverished neighborhood, and much like my favorite misdirected Liz Lemon, to casually brush aside any stereotypes I might encounter on the journey. I also expected, quite honestly (and totally stereotypically, also ala Liz Lemon), an amazing clique "hole-in-the-wall" that would someday end up on "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives", or perhaps "No Reservations" if Anthony Bourdain ever decides to do a show in a non-Asian country.
Driving there, in my colleague's absolutely shitty Mercedes, I was alerted to landmarks including, "This is where my friend got shot", and "If yo car 'bout to get repo'd, sell it to them Puerto Ricans". Once the conversation turned, for the second time that day (long story), to how much food stamps everyone gets, I finally admitted to myself that I was out of my element.
But, just as all hope was about to be lost, we arrived at the fish place! And I lost all hope. Concrete floor, and an absolute terrible smell of.....fish. Not in an "Oh, good! I'm in an undiscovered treasure of an eatery!" way, but in a "yup, stank fish fry in the 'hood" way. I ordered a shrimp dinner priced at $4. My coworker, who initiated this fish fry field trip, ordered chicken fingers, which says a lot. As our food fried, we went next door to the meat market. I tried not to look like a caucasian in an Old Navy cardigan while my hostess priced pork ribs. We returned to the fish place to collect our food, and I went to get money out of my wallet. My companions, already showering their fried food with so much hot sauce that my eyes began to water, did not accept my cash. Chicken lovin' coworker had already swiped her EBT, i.e. paid for all 3 meals with her food stamps.
I struggled with this for a few minutes, as I watched her try to secure her lunch on the dashboard. This resulted in the windshield of her once fine Mercedes Benz being smeared with Boss Sauce as soon as she turned out of the driveway of the sad ghetto plaza we'd just patronized. Homegirl had used a fucking lot of sauce, so much that it was leaking out of the plastic bag that housed the styrofoam container that housed the gross chicken (review of my meal: shrimp was gross) covered in sauce.
Epilogue: We just went back to work and ate our respective lunches on our own. Which is kind of good because I didn't have to pretend that I liked what I ordered, because that shrimp was totally from frozen and not seasoned well at all. It was also kind of disappointing because I still wanted a chance to bond with my coworkers, whom I really like in a lot of ways. I decided not to feel guilty about my food stamps lunch. I felt like it was my good reward for paying taxes and therefore it wasn't a free lunch; I paid for it indirectly. And if I'm being honest, I'm glad to know firsthand how shitty my coworker's Mercedes really is. Because I had often wondered, "How the fuck do you drive a Mercedes when you're on food stamps?" But it's a piece. Especially now, with the sauce on the windshield.
This is probably the best place to mention that I am generally the only caucasian involved in most work related situation these days. We were going to lunch in the 'hood. I was prepared for an impoverished neighborhood, and much like my favorite misdirected Liz Lemon, to casually brush aside any stereotypes I might encounter on the journey. I also expected, quite honestly (and totally stereotypically, also ala Liz Lemon), an amazing clique "hole-in-the-wall" that would someday end up on "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives", or perhaps "No Reservations" if Anthony Bourdain ever decides to do a show in a non-Asian country.
Driving there, in my colleague's absolutely shitty Mercedes, I was alerted to landmarks including, "This is where my friend got shot", and "If yo car 'bout to get repo'd, sell it to them Puerto Ricans". Once the conversation turned, for the second time that day (long story), to how much food stamps everyone gets, I finally admitted to myself that I was out of my element.
But, just as all hope was about to be lost, we arrived at the fish place! And I lost all hope. Concrete floor, and an absolute terrible smell of.....fish. Not in an "Oh, good! I'm in an undiscovered treasure of an eatery!" way, but in a "yup, stank fish fry in the 'hood" way. I ordered a shrimp dinner priced at $4. My coworker, who initiated this fish fry field trip, ordered chicken fingers, which says a lot. As our food fried, we went next door to the meat market. I tried not to look like a caucasian in an Old Navy cardigan while my hostess priced pork ribs. We returned to the fish place to collect our food, and I went to get money out of my wallet. My companions, already showering their fried food with so much hot sauce that my eyes began to water, did not accept my cash. Chicken lovin' coworker had already swiped her EBT, i.e. paid for all 3 meals with her food stamps.
I struggled with this for a few minutes, as I watched her try to secure her lunch on the dashboard. This resulted in the windshield of her once fine Mercedes Benz being smeared with Boss Sauce as soon as she turned out of the driveway of the sad ghetto plaza we'd just patronized. Homegirl had used a fucking lot of sauce, so much that it was leaking out of the plastic bag that housed the styrofoam container that housed the gross chicken (review of my meal: shrimp was gross) covered in sauce.
Epilogue: We just went back to work and ate our respective lunches on our own. Which is kind of good because I didn't have to pretend that I liked what I ordered, because that shrimp was totally from frozen and not seasoned well at all. It was also kind of disappointing because I still wanted a chance to bond with my coworkers, whom I really like in a lot of ways. I decided not to feel guilty about my food stamps lunch. I felt like it was my good reward for paying taxes and therefore it wasn't a free lunch; I paid for it indirectly. And if I'm being honest, I'm glad to know firsthand how shitty my coworker's Mercedes really is. Because I had often wondered, "How the fuck do you drive a Mercedes when you're on food stamps?" But it's a piece. Especially now, with the sauce on the windshield.
Friday, May 14, 2010
What I've missed most in 9 months
Okay, so it hasn't been a full nine months of depriving myself of foods that I enjoy, but there is one thing that I am REALLY looking forward to enjoying once I am no longer restricted due to hosting a small being inside my belly.... A sandwich from Peterson's Market (in Dennis MA). That's really all I miss.
The closest thing I have found to a Roma's sandwich (of course, forever THE BEST sandwiches), Peterson's has good, fresh sub rolls, and just the right combination of ingredients. My sandwich order: Yellow mustard, no need for Dijon or anything, shredded lettuce, tasty cracked pepper turkey (the kind thats orange on the outside....not sure why, but it tastes good), delicious Muenster cheese, tomato and of course pickles. I've been thinking about this sandwich for a solid 3 months or so now. Ever since people started asking what I wanted to have as my first meal in the hospital. And the choice hasn't changed. That and a glass of red wine. Is that a weird combination? whatever! That's what I want.
This summer I will have to bring Rose and Julie McCoy to Peterson's Market and see what they think of the sandwiches. Its hard when you've had Roma's, to ever find something even close but this will definitely make me happy in a few weeks. Now to figure out who is going to deliver it!
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Best Breakfast
I ate my face of in Saratoga this past weekend. Although my Roma's sandwich exceeded expectations, I think the best meal of the weekend award goes to the breakfast I ate Saturday morning. I went with my friend Jen. We had a couple of ideas in mind, and headed towards Phila Street. Our first choice was Beverly's, but I'd heard that the owner got arrested and we weren't sure if it was open. We parked on Phila across from Ravenous...which happened to be open for breakfast. I think this is a relatively new thing for them, and a lucky discovery for us.
Knowing I was going to Roma's for lunch, I didn't want a huge breakfast. I was also slightly hungover from my margarita intake the night before. I don't think I could have made a wrong choice, though. I chose the Rise 'n' Shine: crepe filled with scrambled egg, bacon, and gruyere. Amazing. It was the perfect size- about the size of a slice of bread. The thinness of the crepe allowed for a good amount of non-crepe ingredients, so every bite was perfect and I still had room for Roma's a couple of hours later. It was also not at all greasy, which is a problem I sometimes have with breakfast foods. My meal came with a side of Ravenous's famous pomme fritte, and my chosen dipping sauce was pesto mayo. I also put some of the mayo on the crepe, and this was pretty great.
I really think this was the best breakfast of my life. A close second was the breakfast I had Sunday...chocolate chip pancake from Country Corner, anyone?
Knowing I was going to Roma's for lunch, I didn't want a huge breakfast. I was also slightly hungover from my margarita intake the night before. I don't think I could have made a wrong choice, though. I chose the Rise 'n' Shine: crepe filled with scrambled egg, bacon, and gruyere. Amazing. It was the perfect size- about the size of a slice of bread. The thinness of the crepe allowed for a good amount of non-crepe ingredients, so every bite was perfect and I still had room for Roma's a couple of hours later. It was also not at all greasy, which is a problem I sometimes have with breakfast foods. My meal came with a side of Ravenous's famous pomme fritte, and my chosen dipping sauce was pesto mayo. I also put some of the mayo on the crepe, and this was pretty great.
I really think this was the best breakfast of my life. A close second was the breakfast I had Sunday...chocolate chip pancake from Country Corner, anyone?
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Happy Freakin' Easter
This is a different kind of posting. I didn't go anywhere exceptional for dinner tonight, I didn't order anything amazing. I am not even having a cocktail. (Shocking, but true)
Tonight I made my first dinner in my new apartment. Now I've eaten in the apartment but it's been take out. But tonight I cooked (kind of...). I made myself a little quesadilla and then heated up leftover yummy eggbake goodness from my friend Liz's Easter Brunch. This wasn't a life changing meal and required a very little prep. I pulled out my pan and grabbed my utensils and my plates that I have hardly seen since Fall 2007 and was excited to see all my things. Finally, after living "temporarily" in someone else's space for the last two years I had my stuff around me. I know it's just "stuff" and "stuff" isn't important in the grand scheme of things (I'll take my Birch D girls any day over my dishes) but there is something comforting about the familiar. These are the things that helped make my home mine. I don't know how to explain it. It sounds dumb and frivolous. All I can say is that when I served my little meal on my plate and sat on my couch a stupid little smile spread across my face.
Happy Freakin' Easter, Everyone.
Tonight I made my first dinner in my new apartment. Now I've eaten in the apartment but it's been take out. But tonight I cooked (kind of...). I made myself a little quesadilla and then heated up leftover yummy eggbake goodness from my friend Liz's Easter Brunch. This wasn't a life changing meal and required a very little prep. I pulled out my pan and grabbed my utensils and my plates that I have hardly seen since Fall 2007 and was excited to see all my things. Finally, after living "temporarily" in someone else's space for the last two years I had my stuff around me. I know it's just "stuff" and "stuff" isn't important in the grand scheme of things (I'll take my Birch D girls any day over my dishes) but there is something comforting about the familiar. These are the things that helped make my home mine. I don't know how to explain it. It sounds dumb and frivolous. All I can say is that when I served my little meal on my plate and sat on my couch a stupid little smile spread across my face.
Happy Freakin' Easter, Everyone.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Suburban Delights - BBQ Tasteoff #3
BBQ tasteoff #3 with Rose, The Vegetarian BBQ Eater and Stevie happened on Saturday night. This trip brought us out of the Boston area and into the 'burbs. It was combined with the perfect suburban adventure - going to the mall. (Although I must say the mall made me hate people. Really. All of them. The mall sucked the life out of me. This is shocking because I am from Minnesota and it's mall country!)
Back to the focus of the blog - food. First, after leaving the mall exhausted and annoyed with America we got to the restaurant of the night, Firefly. We were there early due to our "escape from the mall" and had some time before Stevie arrived so we slid up to the bar. I had my favorite summer drink - the Cape Codder. The Veg had a beer and Rose had a mojito (her go-to choice). The drinks were good and BIG. I had a nice little buzz going by the time Stevie showed up and it wasn't from the old dude hitting on Rose and basically mocking us "city girls."
I've been to Firefly once before and really enjoyed it. I was very excited to go back. Not only because of the BBQ menu but really because I like the condiment bar. The bar has beets, jalapenos, pickles, pickled cauliflower and all the sauces so you can sample them. I love this added bonus.
So I took my little buzz and began exploring the menu. We started with fried pickles. Yummmmmmy. We chose the fried pickles because 1)pickles 2) fried and 3) we will be having them at BBQ Tasteoff Restaurant #4 - Red Bones. (Comparison forthcoming...)
I ordered ribs with the Firefly "original sauce" -- more sweet than spicy. My sides were carrots, garlic mashed potatoes and cornbread. Everything was delicious. The ribs were yummy and just saucy enough. I liked that the ribs compared to some of other places we've been to were more saucier than dry. I love BBQ Sauce. I could put it on everything. The garlic mashed potatoes were excellent. I did grab the sauce that was a little bit spicier from the condiment bar and add it to the original sauce already on the ribs. I think that provided a nice blend.
Stevie had ribs and brisket and seemed pleased - especially since they created this special plate just for her. Rose had dry rubbed chicken and The Veg had a plate of sides again but unfortunately these were filled with pork products which didn't do too much for her now pork-averse digestive system.
Overall, I give Firefly BODACIOUS BBQ two thumbs up and I think it's my favorite so far. (BTW, I didn't choose it just because it has "Bodacious" in the title. Even though that makes it extra awesome.)
Oh and I should note the greatest thing about Firefly - it's in a strip mall behind BJs and next to Stop and Shop. Ahhhhh....feels like home.
Back to the focus of the blog - food. First, after leaving the mall exhausted and annoyed with America we got to the restaurant of the night, Firefly. We were there early due to our "escape from the mall" and had some time before Stevie arrived so we slid up to the bar. I had my favorite summer drink - the Cape Codder. The Veg had a beer and Rose had a mojito (her go-to choice). The drinks were good and BIG. I had a nice little buzz going by the time Stevie showed up and it wasn't from the old dude hitting on Rose and basically mocking us "city girls."
I've been to Firefly once before and really enjoyed it. I was very excited to go back. Not only because of the BBQ menu but really because I like the condiment bar. The bar has beets, jalapenos, pickles, pickled cauliflower and all the sauces so you can sample them. I love this added bonus.
So I took my little buzz and began exploring the menu. We started with fried pickles. Yummmmmmy. We chose the fried pickles because 1)pickles 2) fried and 3) we will be having them at BBQ Tasteoff Restaurant #4 - Red Bones. (Comparison forthcoming...)
I ordered ribs with the Firefly "original sauce" -- more sweet than spicy. My sides were carrots, garlic mashed potatoes and cornbread. Everything was delicious. The ribs were yummy and just saucy enough. I liked that the ribs compared to some of other places we've been to were more saucier than dry. I love BBQ Sauce. I could put it on everything. The garlic mashed potatoes were excellent. I did grab the sauce that was a little bit spicier from the condiment bar and add it to the original sauce already on the ribs. I think that provided a nice blend.
Stevie had ribs and brisket and seemed pleased - especially since they created this special plate just for her. Rose had dry rubbed chicken and The Veg had a plate of sides again but unfortunately these were filled with pork products which didn't do too much for her now pork-averse digestive system.
Overall, I give Firefly BODACIOUS BBQ two thumbs up and I think it's my favorite so far. (BTW, I didn't choose it just because it has "Bodacious" in the title. Even though that makes it extra awesome.)
Oh and I should note the greatest thing about Firefly - it's in a strip mall behind BJs and next to Stop and Shop. Ahhhhh....feels like home.
Coincidence? I Think Not.
The non-coincidence I'm referring to is that I'm inspired to write about booze + I haven't been to work since late January. Feel free to draw your own conclusions, but I'm just going to make an educated guess, based on my weeks of research, that unemployed people drink more.
But, aren't beverages just as important as foods? Yes. So whatever the inspiration, here are my favorite beverage choices.
1. Beer. I'm totally a beer girl. I like a cocktail when I'm out at a place that makes good cocktails (or has lame beers). My top 3 beers are Guiness, Boddingtons, and Smithwicks. I had my first Guiness at the actual Guiness factory in Ireland. You get a free one at the end of the tour, and I'm glad because otherwise I might not have tried it. I used to be intimidated, but was pleased to find it doesn't really taste as heavy as it looks. It's very smooth- I tend to prefer smaller carbonation bubbles. And it's a distinctive taste that doesn't assault my palate the way some hoppier beers do. Boddinton's is quite similar in texture, but blonder in color. Both Guiness and Boddingtons are available in the can with the widget in it, so that you can pour it at home and it's like a beer on tap. Not that I can totally tell the difference, but I think when you're dealing with a thick foamy head (keep it in context, ladies) it needs to be in a nice glass and not out of a can or bottle. Smithwicks (which I first drank in Kilkenny, Ireland, where it comes from) is also awesome. I don't have the vocabulary to explain why, unfortunately. I would say it doesn't have the hops taste that I know I don't like. I tend to dislike microbrews or certainly any beer that is fruit flavored. There is a kick ass store here in the Roc called "Beers of the World" that sells pretty much every beer ever. And, you can just buy a single can or bottle. I've come across some other British/Irish/Scottish ones that are not offered anywhere else around here.
2. I enjoy a cosmopolitain if I'm at a place that makes them well. There's a spot called Tavern 58 that makes a cosmo in my top 3 of all time. I also like a Lemon Drop- and the best one(s) I've ever had was from The Cheesecake Factory. It's absolutely amazing, and I recommend immediately going to the Cheesecake Factory nearest you to try it. In general, I like a cloudy cosmo because it should have a fair amount of lime in it, it should have ice chips in it from a forceful shaking.
Given that the 2 above mentioned drinks are pretty popular right now and everyone makes them, it's sad that not everyone can make a basically good one. I've seen inappropriately sized garnish (i.e. a giant quarter of a lime in a delicate martini glass). I am still haunted by the memory of the worst Lemon Drop ever. In order to sugar the rim, the "bartender" squirted the whole glass with water, then shook two packets of Splenda all over. It was a sticky and unsophisticated mess, created right in front of me indicating that the dude had no idea what he was doing was a horrible disaster. The drink itself tasted like dishwater.
If a good cocktail is not available but I'm in a cocktail mood, I'll have a gin & tonic. Not many people can screw that up.
3. Wine. Probably the last on my list, but I know enough to navigate a wine list if needed. There's also a kick ass liquor store here, Century Pittsford (owned by the Wegman family coincidence...I think not. I like an Italian Pinot Grigio or an Australian Chardonnay. I am moderately familiar with some of the nearby wineries- Lamereaux Landing made the best Chardonnay I've ever tasted. Sometimes I'll get their Chard- good stuff but that one, which was some type of special reserve, I think, will never be matched. Different NYS vineyards also make different randy-rams which are good. All are available at Century so no need to schlep out to the lakes (although that's fun, too, and should be a birch d reunion location at some point.)
My favorite recent discovery is Prosecco. Century, which is a ginormous space (and they give out samples just like the grocery store!!) stocks numerous brands. My discovery of Prosecco is good and bad- good because I like bubbly but can't afford Cliquot for every occasion, bad because now it's easier to celebrate.
So that's what I generally choose when I'm choosing booze. I don't feel there's any other way to wrap up than to say, "I'm not an alcoholic, I just need it!"
But, aren't beverages just as important as foods? Yes. So whatever the inspiration, here are my favorite beverage choices.
1. Beer. I'm totally a beer girl. I like a cocktail when I'm out at a place that makes good cocktails (or has lame beers). My top 3 beers are Guiness, Boddingtons, and Smithwicks. I had my first Guiness at the actual Guiness factory in Ireland. You get a free one at the end of the tour, and I'm glad because otherwise I might not have tried it. I used to be intimidated, but was pleased to find it doesn't really taste as heavy as it looks. It's very smooth- I tend to prefer smaller carbonation bubbles. And it's a distinctive taste that doesn't assault my palate the way some hoppier beers do. Boddinton's is quite similar in texture, but blonder in color. Both Guiness and Boddingtons are available in the can with the widget in it, so that you can pour it at home and it's like a beer on tap. Not that I can totally tell the difference, but I think when you're dealing with a thick foamy head (keep it in context, ladies) it needs to be in a nice glass and not out of a can or bottle. Smithwicks (which I first drank in Kilkenny, Ireland, where it comes from) is also awesome. I don't have the vocabulary to explain why, unfortunately. I would say it doesn't have the hops taste that I know I don't like. I tend to dislike microbrews or certainly any beer that is fruit flavored. There is a kick ass store here in the Roc called "Beers of the World" that sells pretty much every beer ever. And, you can just buy a single can or bottle. I've come across some other British/Irish/Scottish ones that are not offered anywhere else around here.
2. I enjoy a cosmopolitain if I'm at a place that makes them well. There's a spot called Tavern 58 that makes a cosmo in my top 3 of all time. I also like a Lemon Drop- and the best one(s) I've ever had was from The Cheesecake Factory. It's absolutely amazing, and I recommend immediately going to the Cheesecake Factory nearest you to try it. In general, I like a cloudy cosmo because it should have a fair amount of lime in it, it should have ice chips in it from a forceful shaking.
Given that the 2 above mentioned drinks are pretty popular right now and everyone makes them, it's sad that not everyone can make a basically good one. I've seen inappropriately sized garnish (i.e. a giant quarter of a lime in a delicate martini glass). I am still haunted by the memory of the worst Lemon Drop ever. In order to sugar the rim, the "bartender" squirted the whole glass with water, then shook two packets of Splenda all over. It was a sticky and unsophisticated mess, created right in front of me indicating that the dude had no idea what he was doing was a horrible disaster. The drink itself tasted like dishwater.
If a good cocktail is not available but I'm in a cocktail mood, I'll have a gin & tonic. Not many people can screw that up.
3. Wine. Probably the last on my list, but I know enough to navigate a wine list if needed. There's also a kick ass liquor store here, Century Pittsford (owned by the Wegman family coincidence...I think not. I like an Italian Pinot Grigio or an Australian Chardonnay. I am moderately familiar with some of the nearby wineries- Lamereaux Landing made the best Chardonnay I've ever tasted. Sometimes I'll get their Chard- good stuff but that one, which was some type of special reserve, I think, will never be matched. Different NYS vineyards also make different randy-rams which are good. All are available at Century so no need to schlep out to the lakes (although that's fun, too, and should be a birch d reunion location at some point.)
My favorite recent discovery is Prosecco. Century, which is a ginormous space (and they give out samples just like the grocery store!!) stocks numerous brands. My discovery of Prosecco is good and bad- good because I like bubbly but can't afford Cliquot for every occasion, bad because now it's easier to celebrate.
So that's what I generally choose when I'm choosing booze. I don't feel there's any other way to wrap up than to say, "I'm not an alcoholic, I just need it!"
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Burger King!
Last night I ate at Boston Burger Company (also referred to by some as Burger Joe's) in Davis Square. It's a relatively small place that makes homemade burgers, chicken sandwiches, even veggie burgers. But let's be clear - the priority is on the burgers.
The BBC has a good size menu of various burger combos - some full of interesting toppings (like the one with bananas and peanut butter). I opted for a simple cheeseburger (with cheddar) and piled on the toppings - mayo (a new addition for me), ketchup, mustard, lettuce, tomato and pickles. The burger was delicious! This is no flat patty - this was a seriously thick burger. It came on a toasted kaiser roll that I really felt helped make the burger. The bun was lightly toasted so it provided a nice crunch but still soft. The burger itself was quite good, however I think next time I would opt for a medium rare burger instead of medium.
My co-diners (the Vegetarian and Stevie) ordered well. Stevie ordered a burger with a fried egg on top. I can't say I'd do the same but I salute her daring food choice! I should note that 1) this is not a first time thing and 2) she orders it every time she goes and the waitress asked where she'd been lately. Stevie officially has "her place" in Boston and I for one, could not be happier for her. (And very honored that I was able to go to "her place" as her guest!)
The Vegetarian had what looked like a very yummy veggie burger. I won't really elaborate except that it looked good and I don't really do veggie burgers.
Along with our burgers we ordered onion rings and sweet potato fries. Both were great. The onion rings were nice and thick cut (not Arnold's style which I also like). The burgers themselves came with potato chips and a choice of cole slaw or beans. I went with the slaw.
Overall I have to say, this may be the best burger in town. Although I normally praise UBurger as the best burger, I have to say these are almost two different kinds of burgers. UBurger is more good, fast food - a thin patty burger - these were serious burgers. I woke up still full this morning, if that gives you any indication.
Thanks Stevie and Jill for getting me over the river and to a great burger place!
The BBC has a good size menu of various burger combos - some full of interesting toppings (like the one with bananas and peanut butter). I opted for a simple cheeseburger (with cheddar) and piled on the toppings - mayo (a new addition for me), ketchup, mustard, lettuce, tomato and pickles. The burger was delicious! This is no flat patty - this was a seriously thick burger. It came on a toasted kaiser roll that I really felt helped make the burger. The bun was lightly toasted so it provided a nice crunch but still soft. The burger itself was quite good, however I think next time I would opt for a medium rare burger instead of medium.
My co-diners (the Vegetarian and Stevie) ordered well. Stevie ordered a burger with a fried egg on top. I can't say I'd do the same but I salute her daring food choice! I should note that 1) this is not a first time thing and 2) she orders it every time she goes and the waitress asked where she'd been lately. Stevie officially has "her place" in Boston and I for one, could not be happier for her. (And very honored that I was able to go to "her place" as her guest!)
The Vegetarian had what looked like a very yummy veggie burger. I won't really elaborate except that it looked good and I don't really do veggie burgers.
Along with our burgers we ordered onion rings and sweet potato fries. Both were great. The onion rings were nice and thick cut (not Arnold's style which I also like). The burgers themselves came with potato chips and a choice of cole slaw or beans. I went with the slaw.
Overall I have to say, this may be the best burger in town. Although I normally praise UBurger as the best burger, I have to say these are almost two different kinds of burgers. UBurger is more good, fast food - a thin patty burger - these were serious burgers. I woke up still full this morning, if that gives you any indication.
Thanks Stevie and Jill for getting me over the river and to a great burger place!
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Well, at least I've got Wegmans....
Fellow foodies, my life sucks. Rochester sucks, I'm unemployed, I haven't had a hot shower since December 23rd, and the lights in the bathroom don't even work all the time, so I can't even sit in there and read a magazine properly. And, I moved here to be near my family. What was I thinking?? They are nuts. You all know I'm not exaggerating about that, and the fact that I moved closer to them makes me nuts also. So there you have it.
But one of the tempting reasons to move to the ROC was Wegmans. Growing up in Weggie town I took for granted the potential awesomness of a grocery store. I think part of that was because growing up, grocery stores didn't have to be awesome. This was before Whole Foods and the Food Network. This was also before I had to shop at Price Chopper every day in my beloved Saratoga. Gross.
Since I don't/can't cook in my apartment, I rely mainly on prepared foods from Wegmans. I've actually thought about only eating Wegmans prepared foods for a period of time and blogging about that (which would obviously be made into a move and my unemployment problems would be over). Here are some staples:
1. Roast beef on kimmlewick roll with lettuce, mayo, roasted red peppers. So amazing. Sometimes the 'wick roll is a little much- it's whole rye seeds and salt on the roll, but it complements the roast beef (which is always perfectly pink and juicy). Roasted reds are the perfect diplomat between the roll and the meat, and they layer the ample mayo between the lettuce and peppers so that it can handle many hours in the fridge before consumption. There's also sometimes a roast beef wrap that is quite enjoyable- has roasted reds, no kimmlewick..think it has a horseradish mayo.
2. Tuna on tomato flatbread. Best tuna salad ever- not to mayo-ey, not too dry. I personally cannot make satisfactory tuna salad by myself so appreciate their great recipe, but can't really describe what makes it so good (or else I'd be able to make it!!). Thinly sliced cheese & lettuce accompany the tomato flavored pita type bread, which adds the perfect amount of tang.
3. Potstickers: for $4 you get 6 potstickers and a thing of soy-ish sauce, ready to heat for 1 mintue in the microwave whenever you are ready.
4. The Wokery: giant salad bar type arrangement of Asian food. While all of the above items are generally available at either of my two main Wegmans, the Wokery is only at the Pittsford Plaza giant Wegmans. This store is freaking amazing. The Wokery that I am speaking of is probably 12 bins long? Picture salad bar bins as measurement....Like a giant capital "I". 12 bins, double lines, of Chinese- which is all good, but I focus on the Indian offerings at one bar of the "I". Probably 6 bins- from which I gather Chickn Tikka, Naan, sometimes palak paneer, sometimes samosas. Always amazing rice. And it's by the pound so I can mix and match, get a snack, get enough for two days, whatever...It's a weekly thing at this point.
5. Other: great sushi/sashimi, great salads, great salad bar in case they haven't already imagined and prepackaged your salad fantasy, and an olive bar that carries 3 different sizes of fresh mozzarella. Decent pizza- kind of Pope's-ey. Had a slice for dinner actually. And don't even ask about desserts...but if you do ask, I recommend the german chocolate brownies. And I had to ban myself from the chocolate chip cookies for a while because they are that good.
6. Embarrased, but I still haven't tried their $6 meals. You go to the designated counter to choose a main protien and 2 sides to take out and microwave at home. Offerings look good- salmon, chicken for main thing and various veggies, various starches, for side choices. They also have a $10 meal option with higher end options.
So that's the bright spot in Rochester. Seriously, I think that our homicide rate would be even higher without this place (and the homicide rate is pretty high, altough I think we're doing alright so far in 2010). My Roc equivalent to the Ghetto Chopper is such a cultured place. An equal amount of homeless schizophrenics and college students as the Saratoga sister store, there's funner food to eat, and cheerful cashiers, and always somebody with a sample. It's so much more celebratory. Yay!! We're all shopping for food!! How fun!! It's going to be so delicious!! Seriously, we all say those things as we shop. It's that good. The samples help.
But one of the tempting reasons to move to the ROC was Wegmans. Growing up in Weggie town I took for granted the potential awesomness of a grocery store. I think part of that was because growing up, grocery stores didn't have to be awesome. This was before Whole Foods and the Food Network. This was also before I had to shop at Price Chopper every day in my beloved Saratoga. Gross.
Since I don't/can't cook in my apartment, I rely mainly on prepared foods from Wegmans. I've actually thought about only eating Wegmans prepared foods for a period of time and blogging about that (which would obviously be made into a move and my unemployment problems would be over). Here are some staples:
1. Roast beef on kimmlewick roll with lettuce, mayo, roasted red peppers. So amazing. Sometimes the 'wick roll is a little much- it's whole rye seeds and salt on the roll, but it complements the roast beef (which is always perfectly pink and juicy). Roasted reds are the perfect diplomat between the roll and the meat, and they layer the ample mayo between the lettuce and peppers so that it can handle many hours in the fridge before consumption. There's also sometimes a roast beef wrap that is quite enjoyable- has roasted reds, no kimmlewick..think it has a horseradish mayo.
2. Tuna on tomato flatbread. Best tuna salad ever- not to mayo-ey, not too dry. I personally cannot make satisfactory tuna salad by myself so appreciate their great recipe, but can't really describe what makes it so good (or else I'd be able to make it!!). Thinly sliced cheese & lettuce accompany the tomato flavored pita type bread, which adds the perfect amount of tang.
3. Potstickers: for $4 you get 6 potstickers and a thing of soy-ish sauce, ready to heat for 1 mintue in the microwave whenever you are ready.
4. The Wokery: giant salad bar type arrangement of Asian food. While all of the above items are generally available at either of my two main Wegmans, the Wokery is only at the Pittsford Plaza giant Wegmans. This store is freaking amazing. The Wokery that I am speaking of is probably 12 bins long? Picture salad bar bins as measurement....Like a giant capital "I". 12 bins, double lines, of Chinese- which is all good, but I focus on the Indian offerings at one bar of the "I". Probably 6 bins- from which I gather Chickn Tikka, Naan, sometimes palak paneer, sometimes samosas. Always amazing rice. And it's by the pound so I can mix and match, get a snack, get enough for two days, whatever...It's a weekly thing at this point.
5. Other: great sushi/sashimi, great salads, great salad bar in case they haven't already imagined and prepackaged your salad fantasy, and an olive bar that carries 3 different sizes of fresh mozzarella. Decent pizza- kind of Pope's-ey. Had a slice for dinner actually. And don't even ask about desserts...but if you do ask, I recommend the german chocolate brownies. And I had to ban myself from the chocolate chip cookies for a while because they are that good.
6. Embarrased, but I still haven't tried their $6 meals. You go to the designated counter to choose a main protien and 2 sides to take out and microwave at home. Offerings look good- salmon, chicken for main thing and various veggies, various starches, for side choices. They also have a $10 meal option with higher end options.
So that's the bright spot in Rochester. Seriously, I think that our homicide rate would be even higher without this place (and the homicide rate is pretty high, altough I think we're doing alright so far in 2010). My Roc equivalent to the Ghetto Chopper is such a cultured place. An equal amount of homeless schizophrenics and college students as the Saratoga sister store, there's funner food to eat, and cheerful cashiers, and always somebody with a sample. It's so much more celebratory. Yay!! We're all shopping for food!! How fun!! It's going to be so delicious!! Seriously, we all say those things as we shop. It's that good. The samples help.
Best Damn Fried Chicken Ever!
With a name like Erin Go Bragh, you might not think my first blog would be about fried chicken. However, I have always been an avid connoisseur of chicken fingers. I just love them. Especially when dipped in a perfect honey mustard sauce. Not too sweet, not too hot.
When I moved out west years ago (I was never supposed to be here this long!), I heard rumors of a place called Ezell's. Supposedly, Oprah thought it was so good that she had some flown into Chicago. My first taste of the infamous chicken was good, but didn't wow me. It was at a tailgate party. Maybe the sitting out in the cold thing ruined the tastiness of this otherwise perfect chicken.
We later moved north of the city and were surprised to find the only other Ezell's right down the street. We gave it a try, and have been back regularly for years. The batter is perfectly light and crispy, and the chicken is fresh and delicious. I always get the large chicken finger basket, which they fry to order. It comes with a delicious biscuit/popover. My man usually gets any one of the combo platters. You can choose breast, wing, dark, white, spicy or original. We also get the mashed potatoes and gravy, coleslaw, and the beans.
Like I said before, I love chicken fingers. These are the absolute bomb. I love the mashed potatoes, and even love the gravy! (I don't ever eat gravy). I am a picky coleslaw eater, and I have to say Ezell's has this nailed too. All in all, an incredibly yummy comfort food establishment that gets 10 stars in my book. The true test, however, is that my three year old loves it too, and she only eats about 5 foods known to man.
If you ever make it out to Seattle, it is definitely worth the trip. It is just take out, so plan for a picnic or a feast at home. Cheers!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Boston BBQ Taste Test
Rose, me and two of our friends have started a new winter initiative here in freakin' freezin' Boston - sampling one Boston area BBQ restaurant a month. Tonight was our second tasting. Just to catch everyone up, I'll tell you about restaurant #1 first.
Brookline Village Smokehouse
Rose and I enjoy the Smokehouse. It's got a good vibe, good cornbread and ribs (that's my reason). We hit Brookline in November as BBQ Tasting #1. I got ribs, Rose chicken, Jill, our supportive vegetarian, got something not worth mentioning, Stevie got a meat sampler of sorts.
The Smokehouse is cool because the kitchen is open and they bbq right in front of you. Overall the ribs were good and I love the cornbread.
Stevie was not blown away by the Smokehouse. I can't remember her specific issues but she raised some valid concerns.
Blue Ribbon BBQ - Arlington
Tonight we went to Blue Ribbon BBQ. The restaurant itself is mostly for takeout with a few seats.
I liked the feel of the space though - minus the fact that it was freezing. But I guess I can't hold BR accountable for the "Arctic Blast" in New England right now.
I liked the menu b/c everything was a platter - a meat + cornbread + two sides. I ordered pulled bbq chicken, greenbeans, mashed potatoes and cornbread. Rose ordered pulled pork + double green beans. Stevie went for another meat sampler - ribs + brisket + sausage + mashed potatoes and cole slaw. Jill, again our supportive veggie friend, ordered the "side sampler" with mashed potatoes, rice and beans, collard greens and cornbread. She was thrilled to be able to cobble together a real meal!
Overall, we were all in agreement that BR was better than The Smokehouse. The sauce was better and the sides were better. Also, they had a "sauce bar" of various bbq sauces and their hottness and some vinegars, pickles etc. I liked that everything came on a cafeteria style plate with divisions. However, I did not like that the cornbread was placed with the meat - meaning that the "au jus" soaked the bottom of my cornbread. I thought it would be awesome but it was not. The greenbeans were good and spicy and the mashed potatoes were yummy as well.
Stevie seemed to enjoy all her meats and also got some crazy pudding that looked amazing. Sadly, she ate it at home so unless she posts a comment on this blog, we won't know how it was.
So that's it for BBQ Tasteoff. Next up... Red Bones in Somverville. Cannot wait for fried pickles!
Brookline Village Smokehouse
Rose and I enjoy the Smokehouse. It's got a good vibe, good cornbread and ribs (that's my reason). We hit Brookline in November as BBQ Tasting #1. I got ribs, Rose chicken, Jill, our supportive vegetarian, got something not worth mentioning, Stevie got a meat sampler of sorts.
The Smokehouse is cool because the kitchen is open and they bbq right in front of you. Overall the ribs were good and I love the cornbread.
Stevie was not blown away by the Smokehouse. I can't remember her specific issues but she raised some valid concerns.
Blue Ribbon BBQ - Arlington
Tonight we went to Blue Ribbon BBQ. The restaurant itself is mostly for takeout with a few seats.
I liked the feel of the space though - minus the fact that it was freezing. But I guess I can't hold BR accountable for the "Arctic Blast" in New England right now.
I liked the menu b/c everything was a platter - a meat + cornbread + two sides. I ordered pulled bbq chicken, greenbeans, mashed potatoes and cornbread. Rose ordered pulled pork + double green beans. Stevie went for another meat sampler - ribs + brisket + sausage + mashed potatoes and cole slaw. Jill, again our supportive veggie friend, ordered the "side sampler" with mashed potatoes, rice and beans, collard greens and cornbread. She was thrilled to be able to cobble together a real meal!
Overall, we were all in agreement that BR was better than The Smokehouse. The sauce was better and the sides were better. Also, they had a "sauce bar" of various bbq sauces and their hottness and some vinegars, pickles etc. I liked that everything came on a cafeteria style plate with divisions. However, I did not like that the cornbread was placed with the meat - meaning that the "au jus" soaked the bottom of my cornbread. I thought it would be awesome but it was not. The greenbeans were good and spicy and the mashed potatoes were yummy as well.
Stevie seemed to enjoy all her meats and also got some crazy pudding that looked amazing. Sadly, she ate it at home so unless she posts a comment on this blog, we won't know how it was.
So that's it for BBQ Tasteoff. Next up... Red Bones in Somverville. Cannot wait for fried pickles!
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Parish in the South End? God Bless America!
1) the state of this blog is pathetic. Come on Birch D-ers -- for the amount of food we eat and like -- write something witty and entertain me and Schmat!
2) I am guilty as well so I am now posting.
3) I like to make lists.
Okay so..something amazing has happened in the South End neighborhood of Boston. A few months ago I drove down Mass Ave with a friend of mine (who was still new friend at the time, so somewhat shocked by my enthusiasm for this small piece of news) and stopped him mid sentence and yelled "Oh My God!" in response to a sign in an empty storefront window..."Parish Cafe...Coming Soon."
For those of you who know us or have read Schmat's past blog post (see Wedding Edition), Parish Cafe is one of the best places to eat in Boston for something good and casual. It's all sandwiches all the time and you know how much we like sandwiches. It was on my "pro list" when I thought about returning to the Commonwealth from the Empire State.
Let's be clear. It is no Roma's - these are somewhat fancy sandwiches. But they are awesome. My two favorites are the Zuni Roll (turkey rolled up with havarti and bacon, served warm with a little cranberry sauce or something you dip it in) and the Regal Regis (marinated steak and mushrooms on french bread). Each sandwich is created by a local chef here in town and served with your choice of potato salad or cole slaw. Oh and when they have it - the Flour BLT is f-ing awesome.
The current Parish is located in Back Bay on Boylston Street. It's not too far from here and it's been good to us over the years. But now to have one located seriously 5 minutes around the corner from my house...it's just more than I could ever ask for.
Rose and I went last night to finally try the new digs. The space is fine - open - and it looks like the windows will open garage style (a la the icehouse) in the summers. The staff...was confusing...but fine. And the food (Rose = Zuni Roll + potato salad; Julie McCoy = Regal Regis + cole slaw) was excellent. Rose was a bit concerned about the cheese in her sandwich but I am happy to say Parish II seems to be off to a good start. We lived on the edge and started with onion rings - a new addition to the menu - that came with an aioli of some kind. They were greasy and good.
Rose and I wrapped up by 9 and I was home in bed and asleep by 10. Another perfect Friday night as far as I am concerned.
So that's it. Parish in the South End! Makes the election of Scott Brown ALMOST tolerable. It's been a heckuva week, folks.
2) I am guilty as well so I am now posting.
3) I like to make lists.
Okay so..something amazing has happened in the South End neighborhood of Boston. A few months ago I drove down Mass Ave with a friend of mine (who was still new friend at the time, so somewhat shocked by my enthusiasm for this small piece of news) and stopped him mid sentence and yelled "Oh My God!" in response to a sign in an empty storefront window..."Parish Cafe...Coming Soon."
For those of you who know us or have read Schmat's past blog post (see Wedding Edition), Parish Cafe is one of the best places to eat in Boston for something good and casual. It's all sandwiches all the time and you know how much we like sandwiches. It was on my "pro list" when I thought about returning to the Commonwealth from the Empire State.
Let's be clear. It is no Roma's - these are somewhat fancy sandwiches. But they are awesome. My two favorites are the Zuni Roll (turkey rolled up with havarti and bacon, served warm with a little cranberry sauce or something you dip it in) and the Regal Regis (marinated steak and mushrooms on french bread). Each sandwich is created by a local chef here in town and served with your choice of potato salad or cole slaw. Oh and when they have it - the Flour BLT is f-ing awesome.
The current Parish is located in Back Bay on Boylston Street. It's not too far from here and it's been good to us over the years. But now to have one located seriously 5 minutes around the corner from my house...it's just more than I could ever ask for.
Rose and I went last night to finally try the new digs. The space is fine - open - and it looks like the windows will open garage style (a la the icehouse) in the summers. The staff...was confusing...but fine. And the food (Rose = Zuni Roll + potato salad; Julie McCoy = Regal Regis + cole slaw) was excellent. Rose was a bit concerned about the cheese in her sandwich but I am happy to say Parish II seems to be off to a good start. We lived on the edge and started with onion rings - a new addition to the menu - that came with an aioli of some kind. They were greasy and good.
Rose and I wrapped up by 9 and I was home in bed and asleep by 10. Another perfect Friday night as far as I am concerned.
So that's it. Parish in the South End! Makes the election of Scott Brown ALMOST tolerable. It's been a heckuva week, folks.
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