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One of the (fabulous) perks of being a food blogger is that from time to time you get offers for free products to review. I NEVER turn these down… especially when they are something yummy comprised mostly of sugar! A month or so ago, I got one such email from a confectionery boutique in New Orleans [...]
Not sure what it’s like where you live, but right now in New England and in much of the Northeast and other parts of the US, it’s VERY COLD. It was 7 degrees when I left the house yesterday and 15 degrees (F) today… and it’s windy. Which means, with the windchill and the low [...]
Now that we are through the busy holiday season, I finally have some time to focus on this blog again! Ever since we opened our shop Sarida in Roslindale, it’s been pretty tough keeping things up to date here. Who am I kidding? Even before the shop opened I had a hard time maintaining things… [...]
I love Martha Stewart. Every recipe I have ever made of hers has come out awesome. Seriously. I found this recipe a year or two ago and fell in love with it immediately. Now, I NEVER eat chicken thighs. I prefer white meat, with no skin, no bones and no “weird stuff.” So, it was [...]
I’m of the general belief that almost any green can be pureed with some garlic, olive oil and tangy cheese to create something pretty tasty. There is of course the classic Italian basil pesto. I’ve had good luck with Italian parsley, I’ve seen it done with cilantro, and I expect oregano would work as well. [...]
Back in May, I was perusing my local Shaw’s when I happened upon this beauty: How could I not resist buying a PINEAPPLE PLANT? It was just too cool not to own… so I scooped it up, put it in the backyard and there it sat all summer — growing slowly but surely. Just as [...]
This is a super simple summer recipe. For those of you who do the CSA and are getting lots of greens and lettuce, this works well with romaine and other firm heads… like endive. Grilled Romaine Lettuce with Shaved Parmesan Large, firm heads of Romaine lettuce Olive Oil Shaved Parmesan Cheese Fresh Lemon Juice Salt [...]
My birthday was last month and Dan (the husband) surprised me with an AMAZING 10-course tasting at Clio in Back Bay. Clio is the brainchild of Boston celebrity chef, Ken Oringer, and has been a Boston staple since 1997. According to their website… Oringer opened Clio in 1997. Clio was named “Best Newcomer of the [...]
As I’ve previously mentioned, we opened a shop in Roslindale Square exactly a year ago yesterday! Our next door “neighbor” is The Boston Cheese Cellar, owned by husband-wife team John Pierce and Kathy Lacher. The Boston Cheese Cellar opened in December 2006 and just celebrated their 5-year anniversary this past winter. We’ve loved this cheese [...]
Early in June we flew out to California for a wedding in Napa. We were fortunate enough to spend a few days tooling around San Francisco afterwards… and as I’m sure you know, you just can’t visit San Francisco without getting crabs. Or sourdough bread for that matter. So we hit The Crab House on Pier [...]
So, I’m a bit late with this… but hey, at least I’m blogging again! I already posted my menu for Father’s Day dinner… but what I didn’t tell you is that we also went out to brunch. Since we just moved to Dover, MA, we wanted to try a semi-local place (there is NOTHING in [...]
So, Starbucks has a new product line called “Refreshers.” I’ve been drinking the canned version for a while… and I LOVE it. Until recently, there was only one flavor… Raspberry Pomegranate. Which is a carbonated beverage, all natural, with caffeine derived from unroasted, green, coffee beans. It’s light, sweetened naturally… with very little sugar, and [..
When we moved to West Roxbury 10 years ago, there were next to NO decent restaurants… it was something we really struggled with, having moved from Back Bay. No delivery other than crappy chinese and moderately edible pizza. Now however, Centre Street is loaded with great places and the newest addition to those is Banh [...]
Me? Cook a STEAK? You bet… as a Father’s Day treat! This is going to sound crazy, but I seriously don’t think I have ever cooked a steak before… or if I have, it’s only been like once or twice and I have no recollection of it. I am NOT a beef eater, so this [...]
My brother-in-law Russell and his new bride, Lindsay, got married the first weekend in June (2012) at the Charles Krug Vineyard in Napa, CA. After the rehearsal (the day before the wedding), we ventured across the street to the Culinary Institute of America for lunch. You cannot imagine my excitement over this. First, I had [...]
Yes, I’m alive!!! I know, I know… it’s been over a year since I posted. I won’t make excuses, but I ~HAVE~ had a lot going on! We opened a business last July and that has been taking up most of my time. That said, I really miss the blog and I think I’m finally [...]
The theory of a regularly scheduled “Date Night” has quickly dissolved in the last year — as moola has been tight since I quit my job in September and the economy is still in the crapper. But, we’ve been lucky enough to take advantage of the “Kid’s Night” our gym hosts every Friday night… and [...]
Who doesn’t love sky-high fire, flaming up right in front of you while you watch your food cooked?? Knowing that the boy would just love this, we decided on a night of “Japanese Hibachi” at Kiku Yama Steak House in Dedham this past weekend. While the picture below is not from Kiku Yama, it is a [...]
It’s the Year of the Rabbit, and to celebrate we decided to hit Chinatown last weekend for some Dim Sum with friends! We played it by ear, walked around a bit and settled on a sure deal… China Pearl. If you know Chinatown and you like Dim Sum… then you’ve been to China Pearl. The place [...]
Um, well… how to start? I sort of slipped off the face of the Earth, didn’t I? Not the first time… and I’m sure not the last! But, as I sit here in Boston… on this miserable winter day, after yet ANOTHER snow day… I knew that I just HAD to share this recipe with you [...]
This week’s CSA share from Red Fire Farm was quite the bounty. I missed picking up my share last week b/c I was heading to NJ… and good thing, b/c otherwise I’d be overflowing with vegetables at this point. Week 10 CSA 1 head leaf lettuce 1 quart heirloom tomatoes 1.25 lb baby beet greens (red and yellow) 2 lbs red [...]
I went to the Deham Farmer’s Market on Wednesday looking for some fruit. I left without fruit… but I came home with 2 dozen little neck clams and 2 pounds of mussels that I bought off a seafood truck from Jordan Brother’s Seafood, in Stoughton, MA. I love that you can buy grass fed meats, local [...]
When Legacy Place in Dedham opened, the first restaurant we tried was The Met Bar & Grill. Mostly b/c I had always wanted to try the one in Chestnut Hill, but also b/c we’d been to an Aquitaine, Legal Seafood’s AND P.F. Chang’s before, so it only made sense to try someplace new. Since then, we’ve [...]
A few weeks ago, I went to Woodward in the Ames Hotel for my birthday. It was my second time there and both times I had the same drink… the Nantucket Night – a tantalizing blend of Don Julio Blanco, muddled with cranberries, jalapeno, agave nectar and fresh lime juice.. This drink was so good, that I [...]
I went to Russo’s Market on Tuesday, and as usual… there was a plethora of fruits and vegetables that caught my eye. One in particular stood out above all others though… MONSTERA!!!! Sounds kind of pornographic, doesn’t it? “Eat creamy white flesh, inch by inch….” Maybe I’m just a perv… In any case, Monstera Deliciosa is a tropical [...]
Well, after yesterday’s post, I had a hankering for quail eggs. When I was at Russo’s Market this morning I checked and sure enough they had them. I picked up 2 dozen, one for me and one for a friend from the UK who has had a hard time finding them here. On an interesting side note, [...]
When I was a child, we tried our hand at many different animals. We had dogs, cats, bunnies, chickens, pheasants, ducks and we helped to raise both cows and pigs (that were eventually slaughtered). One year, we hatched baby quail. We had a little incubator setup in the dining room and had the amazing experience of [...]
While at Trader Joe’s, I came across a container of sour cherries. They were gorgeous and I had never had them… so of course they came home with me. I am obsessed with trying new things. If I see something that looks interesting, I will buy it. I have yet to be majorly disappointed. These cherries [...]
This was week 7 of my Red Fire Farm CSA. As hard as I try, I still find myself being challenged to finish everything in our weekly share. Part of the issue is that just two of us are eating it (the 5-yo’s contribution to noshing is minimal); that and the fact that I forget [...]
A while back, I decided to try my hand at homemade matzo ball soup. I found this recipe in Bon Appetit and was immediately drawn to it. I made this as part of a “Eeastover” meal (a combination of Easter and Passover) back in Spring, fudging it just a tiny bit. I plan to make [...]
Summer means squash. LOTS of squash. There are only so many things you can do with squash… so I’m always looking for new recipes that offer something a little different. One of my favorite sites to peruse for new recipes is www.foodgawker.com. It’s addtictive. This week’s CSA bounty included about 10 baby zucchini (1.25 lbs), and I [...]
Well, it looks like I’m not the only one picking early tomatoes! This week’s CSA share had two nice tomatoes in it…. granted, they were greenhouse grown, but a tomato is still a tomato! And a small fennel bulb! Mmmm… shaved fennel… looking forward to it! These were the goods today: Week 6 Share: 1 fennel bulb 1 1/4 [...]
A few weeks ago, I noticed the first of my tomatoes growing on the vine. They were green and striped. I wondered how you tell when green tomatoes are ripe, as I had never grown them before. So, I decided to pick a few and put them on the kitchen windowsill to see what would [...]
My big birthday dinner this year was at No. 9 Park in Beacon Hill. I knew we were going out — somewhere “within walking distance of the Ladder District” (because D let me pick the pre-dinner cocktail location), but I had no idea where we were eating. I was ridiculously happy (and surprised) when I [...]
We are really enjoying our CSA share this year from Red Fire Farm in Granby, MA. We are still wasting some produce, but for the most part, we’re increasing our utilization each week. On the weeks we eat out more often, we’re obviously struggling more… so all the more reason to cook at home! Week 4 [...]
We are really enjoying our CSA share this year from Red Fire Farm in Granby, MA. We are still wasting some produce, but for the most part, we’re increasing our utilization each week. On the weeks we eat out more often, we’re obviously struggling more… so all the more reason to cook at home! Week 4 brought [...]
I saw this salad on the home page of the Weight Watcher’s website the other day and it caught my eye. Typically, when I’m trying to lose weight I avoid heavy carbs like potatoes… so when I saw this my eyes immediately perked up! It was quite good too… both D and I really liked [...]
Friday was my birthday. D asked me where I wanted to go for pre-dinner drinks (dinner was a surprise), so I suggested Woodward at the Ames Hotel. I went there a couple of weeks ago for a Girl’s Night Out, and had some great cocktails and several pretty good apps. Woodward is a funky little place [...]
This is another salad I made for our little 4th of July BBQ. It was quite tasty. It showcases many summer fruits and vegetables. You could easily mix this up and substitute with fruits and veggies you like. Keep in mind, whenever you add fresh avocado to a salad, it will begin to brown quickly. [...]
Last Friday night, we felt like grabbing a bite out with the 5-yo. I wanted to sit outside, so this limited our choices significantly. We opted to head over to Legacy Place in Dedam, because there are five different outdoor dining options there. We wanted something the 5-yo would eat and didn’t want to wait for a [...]
Another hot weather summer salad for you. I made this salad, along with the Grilled Bread and Tomato Salad for friends over the holiday weekend. It’s quick, simple, uses mostly fresh ingredients (with the exception of dried currants and canned chickpeas) and was very refreshing and delicious! I found this recipe in a cookbook that I love [...]
About two years ago, a new takeout seafood place opened up on Center Street in West Roxbury… Fresh Catch To Go. I wondered how they would do, as the location has limited parking and they are strictly takeout. Also, they joined the restaurant business just as the economy tanked. But two years later, and they are still there and [...]
Not only was this past weekend the 4th of July holiday, it was also a scorcher. When it’s this hot outside, the last thing on earth you want to do is eat something heavy. So, here is a recipe for a salad that is amazingly delicious, light, tasty and showcases one of summer’s favorite staples… the [...]
I woke up this morning, looked at my clock and it was 7am. If I wanted to make the 7:30 class (I hadn’t been since LAST Saturday), I need to get my butt out of bed. My mind was yelling “Come on, get up! You need to exercise!”. My body was screaming back “Screw you, [...]
On Mother’s Day of this year I went to my first Bikram Yoga class. I have obsessed about trying Bikram for years. I have spent hours looking at the poses online and reading about the benefits of Bikram. I never went because I was afraid I would die. I hate being hot and I do [...]
Located at 700 Harrison Ave in SoWa, Estragon has been on my “must eat at” list for quite some time. Several friends have suggested I try this place – that I would love it. One friend (and fellow food blogger) in particular, The Food Monkey, loves this place and recently filmed a demo tape for a new [...]
According to Simply Recipes: These little sputnik-shaped vegetables come in green or purple, can be eaten raw or cooked, and taste a lot like broccoli stems. The word kohlrabi is German for cabbage turnip (kohl as in cole-slaw, and rübe for turnip) though kohlrabi is more related to cabbage and cauliflower than to root vegetables. We [...]
According to Local Harvest, (a source for finding family farms, farmer’s markets and other sources of local, sustainably grown food near you): Over the last 20 years, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) has become a popular way for consumers to buy local, seasonal food directly from a farmer. Here are the basics: a farmer offers a certain [...]
It’s been a rough year. That’s all I’ll say. I’ve made excuses before… and I won’t make them again. I’ve also made promises before… and I’m trying to avoid those as well. I really DO want to start blogging again! I was doing SO well those first few years! If you’re still swinging by to [...]
