food in my tummy

pizza!

2010-02-16T11:51:00.002-05:00

crust:
from Bittman's How to cook everything

toppings:
-Maplebrook farms mozzarella
-Newman's Own marinara (didn't have time to make my own this time)
-orange pepper and onions, sauteed down to gooey deliciousness
-saucisson sec basque salumi
-la quercia proscuitto americano
-basil
-evoo
-s&p

yum :)

crazy painter likes food in odd but alluring way

2010-01-14T22:20:00.003-05:00

From a fascinating story in the New Yorker by the reliably-brilliant Adam Gopnik, here's one thing Vincent Van Gogh had to say about Paul Gauguin, the painter who came to live with Van Gogh in Arles, shortly before Van Gogh sliced off the tip of his ear with a razor (unless Guaguin did it with a rapier) and ended up in a mental hospital:

He makes a really interesting friend--I must tell you that he knows how to cook perfectly, I think that I'll learn that from him, it's really convenient.

What an odd way to describe culinary talent! "Convenient" food isn't necessarily poor--in fact it can be quite good, if the ingredients are fresh and it is skillfully prepared--but one generally considers the convenient to be the enemy of the perfect. That is, by definition, if you cook something "perfectly" it probably required utmost attention and care and therefore is hardly "convenient."

Anyhow, found the passage striking, and I couldn't help but read it with one of those outrageous British accents, where you accennnnnntuate your woooooords and say things like "one simply musssttt try it: it' absolutely pehhhrrrrfect!"

Alice Balterman cookies

2010-01-14T22:09:00.003-05:00

These cookies come from an old family friend. I never met the legendary Mrs. Balterman; I think she was a friend of my grandmother's, but in any event her name is synonymous with these incredible cookies we made every christmas (and during the year too).

It's a pretty simple shortbread cookie with melted chocolate and grated walnuts, but somehow the flavors and textures meld perfectly.

Alice Balterman Cookies

Ingredients:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 sticks (1/2 lb) butter
1 egg yolk
2 cups flour
1/2 tbs salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 large hershey bar (milk chocolate), broken into chunks
walnuts (maybe a cup or so)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.

Beat together sugars, vanilla, and butter. Beat in egg yolk. In a separate bowl, combine the flour and salt, then gradually stir them into the butter/sugar mixture.

Spread the mixture in a thin layer on a large, rimmed baking sheet. We use probably about an 11x15 pan; they key is to have a relatively uniform layer, about 1/4" thick. You can use your hands to spread it out, or roll it with the side of a floured glass jar.

Bake 15-20 minutes @ 350 until dark golden brown.

As soon as you take it out of the oven, scatter the hershey bar chunks over the top, and gradually spread them around. They will melt from the heat of the cookie, forming a thick layer of molten chocolate. Use a table knife so you get an even layer.

Before the chocolate cools, grate walnuts (one of those rotary graters with a handle works best here; alternatively you can mince extra fine) on top.

Let cool, cut into squares and devour.

Pieces o' Pork

2009-12-13T13:58:00.003-05:00

It seems to happen quite a lot that we pull out some meat from our Chestnut Farms meat CSA, and can't figure out what, exactly, we're dealing with. What are "country style ribs" exactly? "Pork loin sirloin cutlets?" Center cut loin chops vs sirloin chops? It doesn't help that some parts of the animal can have two or more different names.

This site looks like a promising start to figuring it all out.

So does this one Did you know that "pork center loin roast = center cut pork loin roast = pork loin roast center cut = pork center rib roast = center cut pork roast = pork loin rib half = pork loin center cut = pork loin center rib roast"?

Posting them here for easy reference for the next time we succumb to pork bafflement.

Nobu-style Miso Cod

2009-12-08T23:16:00.003-05:00

We are splitting a 10-week share in the Cape Ann Fresh Catch community-supported fishery with our friend Diana and her friends. The share alternates weekly between fish and Maine shrimp, and the first share was this week. Ben picked up a huge, whole cod -- and since we are only getting a half-share, I can only imagine the amount of fish/shrimp a whole share would entail! Ben gets all of the props for filleting and preparing the fish. We got six fillets, one bowl of fish chunks destined for a fish curry, and two freezer bags of fish bigs destined for fumet from one cod. Pictures to follow. The first night, I wondered how we could prepare the first two fillets, and I remembered that we had just bought some white miso from the local Asian market the previous weekend. The result: cod baked in miso! The modified recipe, from Epicurious, follows.

******

Yield: Makes 4 servings

For Nobu-style Saikyo Miso
1/2 to 3/4 cup white wine
1/2 to 3/4 cup mirin
2 cups white miso paste
1 cup sugar

For cod
4 black cod fillets, about 1/2 pound each
3 cups Nobu-style Saikyo Miso

Make Nobu-style Saikyo Miso:

1.Bring the wine and the mirin to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Boil for 20 seconds to evaporate the alcohol.

2. Turn the heat down to low and add the miso, mixing with a wooden spoon. When the miso has dissolved completely, turn the heat up to high again and add the sugar, stirring constantly with the wooden spoon to ensure that the bottom of the pan doesn’t burn. Remove from heat once the sugar is fully dissolved. Cool to room temperature. Makes 3 cups.

Make cod:

1. Pat fillets thoroughly dry with paper towels. Slather the fish with Nobu-style Saikyo Miso and place in a non-reactive dish or bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Leave to steep in refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.

2 Preheat oven to 400°F. Preheat a grill or broiler. Lightly wipe off any excess miso clinging to the fillets but don't rinse it off. Place the fish on the grill, or in a broiler pan, and grill or broil until the surface of the fish turns brown. Then bake for 10 to 15 minutes.

3. Arrange the black cod fillets on individual plates and garnish with hajikami. Add a few extra drops of Nobu-style Saikyo Miso to each plate.

Source Information
Nobu: The Cookbook

Carrots and Collards

2009-11-28T16:05:00.002-05:00

These were big hits at thanksgiving; here are the recipes:

Glazed Carrots with Orange and Ginger

Collards braised in red wine
(For the collards, I ended up using a little more garlic, a bit less oil, and cooking the whole thing longer on lower heat. Also, Viv and I sauteed the collard stems with the garlic for a few minutes before adding the collard leaves)

Excellent Bread

2009-11-03T22:52:00.007-05:00

Just a little beer and vinegar give it a lot more flavor. Click on each picture/page for a bigger version (so you can read the type).

Don't Waste Those Pumpkins

2009-10-25T18:17:00.004-04:00

Peter Mayle reports from Provence on the slow penetration of the holiday the French call "alowine." The ghoulish costumes, the trick-or-treating he finds easy to explain to French friend, but jack-o-lanterns are a harder sell:

“Do you mean to tell me,” he said, “that pumpkins all over America are massacred, with all that good honest flesh tossed away, simply to provide a primitive decoration?” He took a deep swig of rosé and shook his head. “Do our American friends know what treasures they’re missing? Pumpkin fritters! Pumpkin and apple sauce — so delightful with sausages! Then, bien sûr, there is Toulouse-Lautrec’s sublime gratin of pumpkin.

“And it must be said that Mme. Farigoule” — he raised his glass to the ceiling in a silent salute — “makes, during the season, a most exquisite pumpkin risotto.” He shook his head again. “No — to sacrifice a pumpkin for such a frivolous purpose as alowine is a waste, a terrible waste. Whatever next?” He allowed me to refill his glass while he recovered his composure, and our conversation moved on to the less sensitive topic of village politics.

It is rather ironic that we buy millions of pounds of canned pumpkins to make pie, while millions of pounds of real pumpkin rot on our doorsteps.
Anyhow, our first winter CSA delivery came complete with a small pumpkin, and I'm looking forward to carving and then eating it.
I might even try Mme. Farigoule's pumpkin risotto recipe, which Mayle describes thusly:

The secret is in the preparation of the pumpkin. After removing seeds and fiber, cut the flesh into chunks, leaving the skin still attached. With your hands, mix the chunks in a bowl with 2 or 3 tablespoons of the best olive oil, salt and pepper, a tablespoon of fresh marjoram and a teaspoon of dried oregano. Lay the chunks on a baking tray, skin side down, and put them in the oven, which you have preheated to 425°F. When the chunks of pumpkin are soft and the edges are tinged with brown, remove from the oven and allow to cool, scrape the flesh from the skin and shred with a fork. Prepare your risotto in the usual way and once the rice is ready, stir in the pumpkin, along with freshly grated Parmesan and butter. (Mme. Farigoule’s tip is to be extra-generous with both cheese and butter.) Add a sage leaf for decoration, and a sprinkling of Parmesan, et voilà.

UPDATE: The risotto itself was delicious, but the pumpkin was gross. Ended up throwing most of it away! Butternut squash is much better.

making pie easy as pie

2009-09-22T23:33:00.003-04:00

Mark Bittman comes through again.

Here's a really easy way to make pie crust. The key is, instead of rolling the dough to fit the top of the pan, you simply cut it into triangles and throw it haphazardly on top. Though not as classic, the final result is still pretty, and it tastes delicious.

Bittman officially calls it "Stone Fruit Patchwork Bake":
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into about 8 pieces, more for dish
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, more for rolling
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar [or to taste - depends on how sweet the fruit is]
3 pounds peaches, seeded and sliced (about 5 large)
1 cup cherries, stones in or pitted
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice.

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees and butter a 9-by-13-inch or similar-size baking dish; set aside. In a food processor, combine 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour, the salt and 1 tablespoon sugar; pulse once or twice. Add butter and turn on machine; process until butter and flour are blended and mixture looks like coarse cornmeal, about 15 to 20 seconds. Slowly add 1/4 cup ice water through feed tube and process until just combined. Form dough into a flat disk, wrap in plastic and freeze for 10 minutes or refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. (You can refrigerate dough for up to a couple of days, or freeze it, tightly wrapped, for up to a couple of weeks.)

2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl toss fruit with remaining flour, 3/4 cup sugar and lemon juice; place in baking dish.

3. Put dough on a floured board or countertop and sprinkle with more flour. Roll dough into a 12-inch round, adding flour and rotating and turning dough as needed. Cut dough into 3-inch-wide strips, then cut again crosswise into 4-inch-long pieces. Scatter pieces over fruit in an overlapping patchwork pattern.

4. Brush top of dough lightly with water and sprinkle with remaining tablespoon sugar. Transfer to oven and bake until top is golden brown and juices bubble, 35 to 45 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool; serve warm or at room temperature.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

Here's a link to Bittman's helpful (and humorous) video.

I used peaches and blueberries. Here's the result:

And here it is served with homemade vanilla ice cream:

field notes from the kitchen

2009-09-22T23:18:00.004-04:00

Name: Fatali Chili
Description: small chili pepper, relatively fat, turns yellow when ripe
Directions:
1.Cut very very small slice of chili, put in mouth. Notice first the interesting and pungent flavor. Note next a bit of heat. Appreciate that this pepper, unlike the previous chilis you've gotten from your CSA, is not bland. Next notice that there is a LOT of heat. Immediately spit very very small slice of chili into the garbage can. Wonder why mouth won't stop burning for next 20 minutes despite drinking several glasses of milk. Observe that this is the first pepper you've eaten that makes your gums hurt.
2. Successfully convince wife to eat even smaller piece of pepper, with same results.
3. Unsuccessfully convince brother in law to eat pepper
4. After two days, compost remaining chunk of pepper, ponder fate of the two others you foolishly picked at the farm on saturday
5. blog about experience

A Typical Waltham Fields Pick-Up

2009-09-03T23:38:00.003-04:00

We finally got around to taking a picture of our Waltham Fields CSA weekly share!

Our haul, clockwise from top left: carrots, Verrill Farm corn, collards, in the colander - Genovese basil, Thai basil and parsley, tomatillos, several kinds of hot peppers, cucumbers, red onions, zucchini, and watermelon. In the middle are globe eggplants and summer squash (including a pattypan squash).

We've also picked our own green, yellow and purple beans, husk cherries, raspberries this week, and strawberries. We've gotten a couple tomatoes saved before late blight got to it, kale, chard, sweet yellow onions, shallots, green bell peppers, kohlrabi, green garlic, potatoes, and beets. I'm sure I'm missing other items, but overall we've been very happy with our CSA (and having a place to put our weekly compost, too, even though our compost bucket is incredibly funky smelling now).

A Dream Squashed (and Pulpy)

2009-08-11T20:32:00.004-04:00

When we signed up for a summer CSA share this year, nothing excited me more than the promise of heirloom tomatoes: a boundless harvest of reds, yellows, and greens, spotted and striped; of ripe, fragrant tomatoes overflowing from bushels and buckets. So many, I hoped, that I would eat them at every meal, and still have pounds left over to make sauces and preserves to freeze and can. In the last nine months, I’ve hardly bought any tomatoes at the store. Why get inferior, ethylene-gassed fruit, or tiny grape tomatoes shipped all the way from Mexico or Israel? Instead, I would eat seasonally, enjoying tomatoes at the height of their local freshness. The memories of summer gorging, I imagined, would tide me over until next July.

That was before late blight came to New England. Late blight is a fungus that attacks tomato plants when green fruit is already on the vine, and within a few days reduces entire fields of tomatoes, to shriveled heaps of brown and black leaves and stems. It spreads wide, far, and fast, and the only way to protect plants is with massive applications of powerful fungicides—something organic producers cannot do.

Late blight is the same disease that decimated Irish potatoes in the 1840s, resulting in widespread famine, massive emigration, and the proliferation of apostrophed South Boston surnames. It is affecting potatoes here too, but the tomatoes have fared worse. Across the northeast, even into the Ohio valley, the tomato crop is suffering. Blight was spread through infected soil in tomato seedlings sold by big box retailers like Home Depot. And even though our CSA, Waltham Fields, grows their plants from seed, plants in surrounding backyard gardens cast millions of spores into the breeze, dispersing the blight widely. Meanwhile, our cold summer with recordbreaking rains sapped tomato resistance, making the plants even more susceptible.

Here’s how Waltham Fields describes the sad result:

Late blight, the fungus-like disease that caused the Irish potato famine, hit our farm early and hard....Heavy on the vines and almost ready to ripen, the fruit turned rotten in a matter of days. From one Saturday to the next, the vines withered and died on their trellises. The second succession, planted right beside the first, was hit next. Despite spraying copper, an organically approved fungicide, we saw the blight appear in our cherry and plum tomatoes as well.

(the whole story, describing all of the hard work ruined by the fungus, is here)

Everyone has been treating this as simply one terrible harvest, but the potato fungus in Ireland returned for several years; will the tomatoes recover next year and the year after?

There is one (potential) bright spot. In May, we planted seven tomato plants in our backyard (5 Sun Golds and 2 Big Beefs). Grown from seed, they have thrived, especially the smaller sungolds—the two that I grew in the Earthbox are nearing 6 feet high, and already have over 100 tomatoes on the vine. The first few have just ripened – and they’re delicious. But they don’t call it late blight for nothing, so I nervously check them every day. Here’s hoping for the best…

meet your meat

2009-08-11T20:20:00.010-04:00

A little while ago, Viv and I drove 2 1/2 hours out to Hardwick, MA, a little town in central Massachusetts, which is home to Chestnut Farms. We had come to visit the source of the ten pounds of butchered, frozen meat that we pick up every month for our CSA meat share. Chestnut Farms raises chickens, pigs, lambs, cows, turkeys, and now, goats.
As the following pictures show, the animals were well-fed, well-cared for, and pretty damn cute. We were happy to see that even though these critters are killed for our nourishment, they get to live relatively happy lives.
There’s still the matter of the carbon footprint, but that’s a topic for another time…

Feeding the goats

Juvenile pigs (didn't get any pics of the big 300 pounders in another pen). Here are the newborn piglets:

And the chickens (they live in a school bus):

Finally, moo:

Farm to Table dining

2009-08-10T13:20:00.004-04:00

In anticipation of our upcoming weekend trip to Vermont (I sure hope that it will be this coming weekend of August 15-16, barring any work emergencies), I found this Top 25 list of Farm to Table restaurants in the U.S. I was searching for the elusive name of a renowned Quechee restaurant in Vermont that focused on locally sourced ingredients. I found out about The Farmers Diner when researching local CSA options in the Boston area, and came across a description of a Vermont CSA that sounded idyllic, but alas, was much too far away and fully contradictory to one of the reasons for joining a CSA in the first place (the proximity of the farms, reduced carbon emissions). This Top 25 list dovetails quite nicely with my previous post on the Top 25 pizza joints in the U.S.!

(Note that we've been on hiatus with the posts...forthcoming posts on our meals at Alinea in Chicago, and O Ya in Boston require substantially more thought and wordsmithing. We'd be giving those temples of fine dining short shrift to merely repeat, "Mmmmm. Yummy. Delicious." and so on and so forth. Also, we have been quite busy enjoying the amazing produce and meat bounty that our produce CSA, Waltham Fields, and our meat CSA, Chestnut Farms, have heaped on us. Lots of simple preparations, with Ben doing most of the heavy lifting.)

Highlights on this list include Chez Panisse (Berkeley, CA), Blue Hill at Stone Barns (Pocantico Hills, NY), The Farmers Diner (Quechee, VT), The French Laundry (Yountville, CA), Momofuku (NYC), and Oleana (Cambridge, MA).

I can attest that Chez Panisse exemplifies the Farm to Table ethos, since Alice Waters is pretty much the mother of the local movement. If we're lucky, Ben and I will make it to the Farmers Diner this weekend (and check out Oleana on some day when we aren't otherwise cooking at home)!

Top 25 Pizzas in the United States

2009-07-21T14:18:00.002-04:00

Serious Eats blogged about the June 2009 issue of GQ magazine, and its ranking of the top 25 pizza joints in the U.S. here; their Top 25 list is below. I'll have to check out the two Boston finishers sometime; in addition to those two, I've heard that Emma's in Cambridge is a must-try as well!

01. Great Lake (Chicago)
02. Lucali (Brooklyn, NYC)
03. Pizzeria Delfina (San Francisco)
04. Pizzeria Bianco (Phoenix)
05. Bob & Timmy's (Providence, R.I.)
06. Sally's Apizza (New Haven, Conn.)
07. Tomato Pie (Los Angeles)
08. Co. Company (Manhattan, NYC)
09. Tacconelli's (Philadelphia)
10. Totonno's (Brooklyn, NYC)
11. Tarry Lodge (Port Chester, N.Y.)
12. Frank Pepe (New Haven, Conn.)
13. Luigi's "the Original" (Harrison Township, Mich.)
14. Gialina (San Francisco)
15. Buddy's (Detroit)
16. Antica Pizzeria (Marina Del Ray, Calif.)
17. A16 (San Francisco)
18. Al Forno (Providence, R.I.)
19. Galleria Umberto (Boston)
20. Famous Joe's (Manhattan, NYC)
21. Tomatoes Apizza (Farmington Hills, Mich.)
22. Osteria (Philadelphia)
23. Santarpio's (Boston)
24. Niki's (Detroit)
25. Una Pizza Napoletana (Manhattan, NYC)

Craigie on Main

2009-06-14T10:44:00.004-04:00

Last weekend, Ben and I went to Craigie on Main in Central Square, Cambridge after seeing an evening of comedy put on by the graduating students of the American Repertory Theater institute (or something like that). The show was hilarious and entertaining (and a great follow-up to the AmRep's production of "Romance" by David Mamet, which we saw the previous weekend).

We've been dying to go to Craigie ever since Cochon 555, a fundraiser we attended which showcased the talents of 5 local chefs as they each prepared a heritage breed of pig. Tony Maws, Craigie's chef-owner, was one of the chefs participating and he had made some amazing pork preparations that made me want to visit his restaurant.

So, after the show concluded, we rushed to Craigie to make their final seating on Saturday night, which was 10:30pm. Boy, am I glad we made it. I had wanted to try a cocktail from the bar, since I've heard really good things about the talent there. I had the Blinker, which is rye whiskey, grapefruit juice, and grenadine topped with a little grapefruit rind. The drink was pink, light and went down easily.

For our meal, we chose the "Chef's Farm Menu" which is composed of your choice of an amuse bouche, appetizer, entree, and dessert (paired with a dessert wine). Everything was great! Ben started off with the house cured pork belly, and I had the house cured Greek style sardines. For the appetizer, I had a ragout of sweetbreads, wild mushrooms, and baby turnips, topped with a poached farm egg. Ben had the tempura-style soft shell crab. For entrees, I had the Vermont pork two ways: confit and pork belly. Ben had the halibut on top of a parsnip puree. The best part of eating out with Ben is that when we try new restauarants, we end up splitting our plates so that we get to try each other's food. I loved the ragout and pork the best - you can't really go wrong with dishes that have mushrooms or pork, if you ask me. Ben enjoyed the sweetbreads a lot, and I was satisfied by them, but I don't know if I'm a huge fan. It was our first time eating sweetbreads, and I don't know why they have such a scary reputation!

For dessert, Ben opted for Craigie's three fruit sorbets (pineapple, mango, blood orange) paired with sparkling wine, and I chose the vanilla panna cotta with strawberry coulis, paired with a very sweet white dessert wine. Panna cotta was the perfect way to end a rich meal, and we also got two mini madeleines to finish off the evening. It was a really perfect meal, with great service, and we are definitely going back! I was also impressed to see Tony Maws, the chef-owner, in the open kitchen as we walked in, slicing a tempura-fried soft shell crab in half with a HUGE knife and plating it. He was in the kitchen until the very end, and as I went to the bathroom at the end of the meal I saw Chef Maws sitting in the dining room at a table with one of the employees, having their dinner. It's very cool to see chefs working in their restaurants; granted, this is his only restaurant, so he doesn't need to spend his time shuttling between multiple locations, but I still appreciate it when a chef is in his kitchen supervising and cooking.

Unfortunately, we forgot to bring our camera, so I promise to take pictures of our NEXT meal at Craigie.

Coming soon to Harvard Street, Brookline

2009-05-14T11:24:00.002-04:00

HOLY COW!

Check out this place: DORADO TACOS & CEMITAS!!!!!

I have no idea what a Cemita is - apparently it's a torta-like Mexican sandwich - but I am INCREDIBLY EXCITED ABOUT the FOUR (4)!!! kinds of fish tacos that will be served at Dorado. And they will have elote - Mexican grilled corn with chili, lime and cotija cheese! I've been craving elote for a while now! Last time we had it, we were living in NYC and ate delicioso Cuban food at Cafe Havana near SoHo. The corn gets stuck in your teeth because you slobber all over it to get the yummy chili and cheese in each bite, but it's well worth the mess.

I'm drooling over the menu right now. Dorado won't open until June. Anna's better brace itself for the competition down the street - I think this place will be our new go-to place for Mexican take-out, provided that the food is at good as menu suggests. And I better brace myself for the incredible fatness headed to my belly!

Liberation Garden

2009-04-09T20:00:00.003-04:00

Ya'll may have heard that the Obamas have sent foodie hearts afluttering all across America with their decision to plant an organic garden on the white house lawn. And it's no joke:

The Obamas will feed their love of Mexican food with cilantro, tomatillos and hot peppers. Lettuces will include red romaine, green oak leaf, butterhead, red leaf and galactic. There will be spinach, chard, collards and black kale. For desserts, there will be a patch of berries. And herbs will include some more unusual varieties, like anise hyssop and Thai basil. A White House carpenter, Charlie Brandts, who is a beekeeper, will tend two hives for honey

Today, Michelle Obama helped plant the first seedlings, along with some local schoolchildren (err, some local schoolchildren helped to plant the seeds; Michelle wasn't planting any children). I have my doubts as to how often either Michelle or Barack will be getting their hands dirty (especially if there aren't any cameras around) but I love the idea anyway.

James Wimberly makes the point, though, that this garden is more than a statement about eating local, organic, and healthy. It revives the tradition of the founders, who kept gardens (and livestock) on white house grounds, but also recalls the practice of slaves being allowed an off day, one day a week to tend their own personal plots. Now the descendant of slaves will have others to help her produce food close to home:

So the White House kitchen garden marks a full stop at the end of a long line of gardens of slaves and gerdens tended by slaves. Eleanor Roosevelt launched victory gardens. Michelle's is a liberation garden.

PS - viv and i just received our seeds in the mail, and we're looking forward to our own garden once it stops freezing around here! (Assuming of course, that us novice gardeners kill less than 100% of the plants)

L'Espalier

2009-03-15T20:36:00.004-04:00

Went to L'Espalier for Ben's birthday dinner a couple weeks ago, and finally getting around to blogging about it now. We had their "Winter Degustation" tasting menu with wine pairings. In a recession, what's there to do but to go all out? We're all doomed anyway, according to my friend Mr. Doom. Here's what we had:

First Course:
Butter poached Maine lobster with fennel brandade, almond herb jus and licorice sugar
Served with 2003 Westport Rivers “Cuvee RJR” Brut, Westport, Mass.

Second Course:
Torchon of foie gras with Muscat gelee and red wine pickled shallots
Served with Kourtaki muscat, Samos, Greece

Third Course:
Roasted Gloucester cod with broccolini, squid ink risotto and kumquat beurre blanc
Served with 2004 Domaine de L'Arlot "Cuvee Grebotte", Nuits Saint Georges, Burgundy

Fourth Course:
Thai spiced Colorado rack of lamb with sweet potato, roasted pineapple and macadamia nuts
Served with 2005 Stuhlmuller Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley

Fifth Course:
Grand Fromage (aka cheese course)
Served with Offley 10 Year Tawny Port

Sixth Course:
Dessert Tasting - Greek yogurt sorbet and other deliciousness
Served with 2007 Banfi "Rosa Regale", Brachetto D'Acqui, Italy

The lobster was the best dish of the night, and I also enjoyed the foie gras a lot (which is unusual, since I usually find it too rich for my liking). The cheese course was a nice plated assortment of cheeses, including an Italian pecorino infused with truffles - yum! I'll have to find it for personal, at-home consumption. The wines, however, did not stand up to the food :(

Bon Chon Chicken

2009-03-02T12:03:00.003-05:00

I had two chicken drumsticks the other night and the experience was eye-opening. A devotee of southern-style fried chicken well before Kentucky Fried Chicken changed its name to KFC, I never imagined that I'd find a better coating for fried chicken besides the traditional flour/buttermilk/spices combination you get at KFC and high-end southern joints, like Miss Mamie's Spoonbread Too in Harlem. But on Saturday night, my brother and his girlfriend ordered some Bon Chon chicken and the drumsticks I ate knocked my socks off! Korean-style fried chicken has finally come to Boston, about 2 years behind NYC and who knows how long since it hit the West Coast. The NY Times has an insightful article about Korean fried chicken here. Let's just say korean-style fried chicken is utter deliciousness.

In Allston, you can get Bon Chon chicken at Privus (next door to The Kells, beware the obnoxious club music if you click on the Privus link) or you can opt for delivery, though it takes upwards of 25 minutes. The chicken comes in either wings or drumsticks, covered in either a garlic-soy or spicy sauce. I prefer the garlic-soy to the spicy sauce, and the next time Ben and I have a party at our place we will definitely have some Bon Chon on hand!

Niman goes Big Organic

2009-02-22T19:23:00.004-05:00

The SF Chronicle has a detailed and fascinating article today describing how Bill Niman, founder of Niman Ranch, has been forced out from the company he started.

Niman Ranch was the original poster child for the now-common practice of identifying the provenance of every item on the menu at gourmet organic restaurants: i.e. Cheeseburger with Niman Ranch beef, Coach Farms Goat Cheese, and [insert name of heirloom lettuce producer] spring mix. But it turns out that the company has been losing money for quite some time, resulting in a takeover by its largest investor, Chicago's Natural Food Holdings LLC.

The biggest change seems to be the methods used for "finishing" and slaughtering cattle. Niman had for several years purchased grass-fed cattle raised at various farms in the Northwest, but had always insisted that they be shipped to his ranch near the end of their lives. This ensured that the quality of grain and lodgings they received met his standards, which resulted in the extremely high quality beef the brand is known for. The problem, according to the article, is that such a practice was too expensive. Natural Food Holdings has since sold the company-owned feedlot.

Bill Niman now refuses to eat Niman Ranch beef, asserting that it no longer ~~meats~~ meets his standards. The new company argues the contrary, but defending some of their practices by saying they meet "USDA regulations" does little to inspire confidence (it is the very weakness of USDA standards that led so many conscientious eaters to Niman Ranch and its emulators in the first place).

The upshot seems to me that Niman is now part of what Michael Pollan refers to as "Big Organic." It's still much better than conventional/industrially produced beef. The cows grow up on family-owned farms, and roam in big grassy meadows for most of their lives. But the need for this big company to make big bucks may result in compromises that conflict with the image it likes to present to the public.

The Souper Bowl

2009-02-18T17:12:00.003-05:00

Last weekend, viv and I attended Souper Bowl I, put on by the kind folks at Boston Localvores. For a $10 donation, we filled our bellies with 6 soups, bread from Iggy's in Cambridge, chocolate from Taza, as well as beer from Cambridge Brewing Company, and various pickled items from Real Pickles. The eats were delicious, the people were nice, and the money went to a good cause. What's not to like?

The description of the soups (made from all local ingredients) is below; I didn't feel like writing them out myself so I just cut and pasted from the localvore blog. We thought all of them were fantastic; Viv's favorite was the Saigon Soup, while I was partial to the chili (though eating two bowls of chili in the middle of the day is perhaps not the best idea, gastroenterologically speaking).

Saigon Soup by Jessie Benhazl
a traditional Vietnamese breakfast soup featuring winter storage veggies from Verrill Farm in Concord, shrimp and crab from Maine, pork from Ferrisburg, Vt. and noodles from Chau Chow noodle factory in Boston.

Jota (“yo ta”) by Erik Zornik
a Slovenian soup featuring tomatoes (preserved this summer) from Kimball Farm in Pepperell, pork from Stillman’s in Hardwick, beans from Maine, local cabbage and herbs from Chef Zornik’s winter garden. The soup’s chicken broth was made with local storage veggies and chicken from Stillman’s.

Potatoes + Greens by Sarah Garlington (Vegan)
a hearty New England soup featuring potatoes and onions from Heaven’s Harvest in New Braintree, Mass. The kale, which was frozen over the summer, is also from Heaven’s Harvest.

Apple Rutabaga by Heather Wernimont
a cream-based soup featuring butternut squash from Verrill Farm in Concord, apples from Clarkdale Orchard in Deerfield, and onions, sweet potatoes and rutabaga from small, organic farms along the East Coast, courtesy of Enterprise Farm in Deerfield and its Winter CSA.

Lentil Mushroom by JJ Gonson (vegan)
a rich vegan soup made with lots of local mushrooms and seasonal roots, including parsnips from Deep Root in Quebec, courtesy of Enterprise Farm’s Winter CSA.

Grass-fed Chili by Kristi and Darry
a regular ole chili featuring Hardwick Beef (Mass. and Vt. farms), Scotch Bonnet peppers from Farmer Al in Lunenburg, Thai chilis from Hmong Farm in Lunenburg, onions from the Belmont Winter CSA, garlic from Wild Shepard Farm in Athens, Vt., peppers + corn from Enterprise Farm’s Winter CSA and maple syrup from Coombs Farm in Whitingham, Vermont.

Some pictures are here. My head and viv's back are visible in the first one.

OH NO! Allston-Bitin'

2009-02-16T13:07:00.003-05:00

The secret is out. (Click on the link for a video tour of the epicurean epicenter of ethnic edibles.)

In yesterday's Boston Globe Magazine (Feb. 15, 2009), an article titled "Allston: An Epicenter of Ethnic Dining" highlighted many of the restaurants I've been dying to try and noted in my earlier post, Jo Jo Taipei and Allston musings. The Globe identified Allston as the best spot for inexpensive ethnic dining, which means my neighborhood will be overrun by foodies who will be jostling, alongside me, for a seat at Gitlo's already cramped quarters, or waiting in the 88 Food Court for one of the five or six small tables at Ken's Ramen.

The crossroads of Harvard and Brighton avenues in Allston has become the region's ethnic cheap eats capital. Jason Beerman, author of the accompanying "Diners' Paradise" article, takes you on a video tour of his favorite restaurants.

The Globe article may result in longer lines and more signature dishes running out at my favorite local eateries, but I'm also really glad and excited for the owners of these restaurants and shops. They've been working hard to bring good and affordable ethnic food to the area, without compromising (very much) true ethnic flavors to accommodate the American palate.

My colleague R.B. gets credit for part of the title of this post -- he coined "Allston-Bitin'" as a potential name for this food blog.

Jacques Pepin, I Heart You!

2009-02-12T10:47:00.004-05:00

Watching Top Chef last night, I wanted to squeeze Jacques Pepin's cheeks and kiss him! He is so adorable and had the nicest comments about everyone's food, even Leah's runny slow-poached egg and thin hollandaise sauce. I felt that Bravo's commercials for last night's episode were misleading--I thought Fabio had cut off a finger or something--but the episode overall was very entertaining, esp. the Last Supper theme.

Speaking of last suppers, after Top Chef Ben and I discussed what our last meals would be. My last meal would be a huge steaming bowl of ramen, with lots and lots of craaaaaazzzy pork in it. I think I'd start with the 88 Food Court - Ken's Ramen - miso ramen bowl with the soy sauce egg, and add Momofuku's toppings, but multiply the amazing sliced and shredded Momofuku pork by a factor of AT LEAST 10. And serve some Momofuku steamed pork buns on the side. I would definitely die a happy person.

Ben's last meal would be a super burrito. It makes sense - he loves rice, beans, avocado, and good grilled meat - just hold the cheese and sour cream.

Barbara Lynch's expanding empire...Drink and Sportello

2009-02-10T14:26:00.005-05:00

I just got back from a lovely lunch at Sportello, Barbara Lynch's newest dining establishment which is also conveniently down the street from my office. Sportello is set up as a lunch counter, and it worked in our case since we were a small group of three.

We started with homemade scali bread (at least, I think that's what it's called - italian bread sprinkled with sesame seeds) and their whipped ricotta with figs, olive oil, and sea salt. One of my lunch companions couldn't taste the salt, while the other could - I thought it was rather bland, but creamy, definitely not amazing (especially in comparison to A Voce's appetizer of housemade ricotta in Manhattan that Katie introduced me to). But, the complimentary bread and ricotta was a nice start to our meal.

My companions and I started with the same first course - spicy tomato soup with caraway grilled cheese. The grilled cheese was a nice crispy thin piece of bread with parmesan and caraway seeds (the caraway was very subtle), perfect for dipping into the lovely--and rich--soup. I am a huge fan of the soup! For the main course, I went with the ricotta gnudi, served in a walnut-brown butter-parmigiano sauce, topped with a fried sage leaf. The ricotta gnudi were nice, fluffy (but incredibly rich) pillows of ricotta goodness. I think I only got 8 or 9 ricotta pillows, but it was plenty filling for me, especially following the large bowl of soup. My friends each ordered the papardalle with bolognese - tasty, yet it reminded me of a high-end Chef Boyardee sauce. I think I can make a better bolognese (that post to come later). They each got a large bowl of pasta, a more-than-generous serving size for lunch. I'm ready for a nap now! We couldn't walk out of Sportello without hitting up the take-out dessert counter, and I ate a coffee almond french macaroon on the way back to the office. I have a weakness for french macaroons - discovered them when we got a take-home bag full of macaroons after our Per Se dinner, then got TOTALLY hooked on the ones at Bouley Bakery in the Time Warner Center in NYC - so now, when I see them for sale, I've always got to have one. YUM!

Sportello also had some truffles, cookies, eclairs, cupcakes, and other sweets for sale. There's a small take-out lunch counter/deli as well, but I think I'd stick to Barbara Lynch's awesome dine-in offerings if given the choice between dine-in and take-out. I must confess, Sportello's menu was amazing - we had a really tough time deciding what to order. When--and not if--I go back, I will have to try the mozzarella salad, potato gnocchi, stuffed baked macheroni, bigali, and the polenta!

I also have to mention my Friday evening visit to Drink - I'm so glad I went! Drink is Barbara Lynch's bar (aptly named Drink), and offers only a small selection of beer (including Abita Turbodog) and wine. The main focus is the liquor - in particular, the well-made cocktails that the master bartenders will mix for you. Wai and I walked in and were greeted immediately by the dapper manager (I forget his name, but he was so sweet and thoughtful, engaging us in a conversation about our favorite liquors, likes and dislikes). We had to wait a while for two seats to open up at the bar (but it didn't stop us from getting a drink!), but once we sat down our bartender Misty (sp?) took good care of us. We had a GREAT view of the large ice block from which the bartenders chip sizable, perfect ice cubes for drinks on the rocks. What's the point of having a huge ice cube for a drink? It keeps your drink cold without diluting the liquor - I had a drink on a big cube once at the Slanted Door, and it was great. My whiskey did not get watered down, despite my slow sipping over the course of 10 minutes. (Yes, I'm an incredibly slow drinker. I exalt in delicious, carefully composed drinks!) Wai and I each had a couple Fort Points (their house cocktail), and to mix things up a bit I had a Red Hook and she had a Green Point. I didn't like the Red Hook as much as the Fort Point (note to others, the Green Point is very herbal).

I'm also addicted to the Italian cherries that are served with the Fort Points...a good reason to go back for more! The manager told us that these cherries are sour cherries from Italy (similar to Morello sour cherries here in New England) that have soaked in a liqueur for a while, then in some simple syrup. Drink gets the cherries in big barrels, but they are also sold at Brix - I might have to visit Brix to get my own jar of these cherries.

So, I'm totally enamored with Drink right now. Each cocktail only cost $10 (this coming from a girl who didn't bat an eye at $15 cocktails at Pegu Club in NYC), and the scene was appropriately high-energy without being claustrophobic/meat-markety. Drink also has a short list of savory snacks, but nothing that caught my eye (except maybe the gougeres...) - I'm hoping B. Lynch brings back the swedish meatballs, because I will RUN to Drink to try those.

And if people are wondering, I've been to B. Lynch's other places, and although they all offer different scenes/settings/food/ambience, I think the Butcher Shop is my favorite place to randomly end up (for the antipasto! the steak tartare! the wines by the glass!), but Drink may give the Butcher Shop a run for its money. I also adore B&G Oyster (but only for the oysters, both fresh and fried, unless B. Lynch brings back the Grill Tuesdays during the summer). No. 9 Park is good for a no-holds-barred meal, but I was underwhelmed when Ben and I had their tasting menu (the wine pairings, however, were phenomenal...esp. the Veuve Cliquot Demi-Sec paired with the prune gnocchi - we liked the demi-sec better than the famed prune gnocchi). Although Ben and I do like to talk about the Nantuckey Bay scallop we had that evening, too.

Local Meat CSAs

2009-02-09T01:06:00.007-05:00

Our most recent Chestnut Farms meat CSA pick-up is pictured above.

What's a meat CSA? Like our winter share CSA with Belmont Farms, it's an upfront commitment to a local farm -- in exchange for $X, you will receive a share of the farm's output. It seems that the economics of meat CSAs play out differently from fruit and vegetable CSAs -- you get a set amount of meat depending on your share amount -- but the concept remains the same. The local farmer benefits from running a CSA because he or she gets direct financial support from the surrounding community in the form of committed buyers. There's a litany of benefits for the consumer as well:

* a connection to the animals through the farmer;
* knowing that the meat you are eating comes from animals that have been treated with care and respect, given a good life, and humanely raised and slaughtered;
* supporting local farmers and getting to know your food suppliers (who KNOWS Frank Perdue?);
* reducing the carbon footprint - my meat did not travel thousands of miles from farm to table; and
* IT TASTES GOOD!

I understand that there are inconsistencies to my position about meat. I would eliminate carbon footprints related to meat entirely if I chose to forgo all meat. I know that even one happy cow chilling in a green pasture emits a substantial amount of methane into the atmosphere (but from reading Michael Pollan's book, The Omnivore's Dilemma, I also understand that cows and other farm animals, including chickens and pigs, have key roles in the cycle of life and death, growth and decay). It would be nice to live my life in a "Do No Harm" kind of way. But with my food dollars, I can show my support for farms that practice agriculture with humane, open-pasture techniques. However, it also means that occasionally, I will buy a chicken at Whole Foods named Rosie, raised in Petaluma, California, and trucked 3,000 miles to Massachusetts in a freezer. It also means that I will eat industrial meat at times (roast pork and soy sauce chicken from Chinatown, carnitas burritos from Anna's Taqueria, indeterminate pork bits chopped up into delicious stuffing for soup dumplings). And, it also means that even at fancy restaurants, I will order some prissy dish with meat or seafood that has been raised in Colorado or caught in the Pacific. I could eat at restaurants that are truly, 100% committed to local food (off the top of my head, in the Boston area, that includes T.W. Food, Craigie on Main, Garden at the Cellar) but then, my choices would be limited and I'd spend a lot dining out.

So where does that leave me? Once every month, I buy 10 pounds of meat from Chestnut Farms, located in Hardwick, Massachusetts. The farmers -- Kim and Rich -- send monthly emails reminding us about our meat pick-up and sharing stories about their daily lives as farmers. We get to share in their sorrow when half of their herd of baby goats mysteriously die, and share in their joy when one of their heifers gives birth. I have yet to visit the farm (they encourage their members to visit during open houses) but am looking forward to an excursion when it gets warmer. At our most recent pick-up, we connected with Rich about the seasonal effects on egg-laying hens, and for the first time ever, I thought about the amazing amount of energy that a hen must dedicate to laying an egg every day. One egg has so much protein (and vitamins and minerals), I'm shocked that a hen doesn't just collapse for a week after laying an egg. Instead, hens continue to lay approximately one egg a day, give or take, although their productivity declines after their first year. Chickens are really remarkable creatures.

Back to the meat CSA - the whole point of this post. Beginning December 2008, we became members of the Chestnut Farms CSA. Once a month, we get 10 pounds of their local and humanely raised chicken, beef, pork, and lamb. Half of the share will be in high end cuts, like steaks and chops, and the other half will be lower end cuts, like ground meat, sausages, and stew cuts. In December, we received leg of lamb, pork chops, loose sweet italian sausage, cured ham steak, ground beef, ground lamb, and a whole bone-in chicken breast. January brought us a lamb shoulder, ground beef, ground lamb, a whole chicken, a ham steak, beef patties, and pork breakfast sausage patties. Our last pick-up, in February, brought us garlic and cheese pork sausages, leg of lamb, chicken legs, one beef loin T-bone steak, one beef loin porterhouse steak, ground beef, and lamb stewing meat.

So far, the quality of the meat has been impressive. We've also enjoyed the odd cuts of meat that we had never cooked before. I've never been compelled to roast a leg of lamb or cook a ham steak before, but because those cuts were included in our meat CSA, we looked up recipes and learned how to roast, braise, and pan-fry different cuts of meat in ways we'd never imagined! Chestnut Farm's sweet italian sausage is delicious (we stuffed squash with it), and we had made an amazing roast chicken with one of their birds. We also fried up a delicious ham steak (and I ate all the fatty bits). Ben made yummy spicy lamb burgers with the ground lamb, and he also made a falling-off-the-bone braised lamb shoulder. I put together a bolognese sauce with some ground beef and lamb.

I encourage all of you to look into joining a meat CSA. Ben and I thought long and hard about whether to join (he thought 10 lbs. a month is a lot of meat for two people). We spent a fair amount of time researching meat CSAs. In the Boston area, another local farm -- Stillman's at the Turkey Farm -- also offers a meat CSA. You can try the local meat by buying only a small portion first. We bought some pork chops and bacon from Stillman's at the JP Farmer's Market, and loved the deeply porky taste of the chops. We also ordered our holiday turkey from Stillman's (see our Turkey Day post, below). We weren't able to try Chestnut Farm's meat before signing up for their CSA, but the rave reviews on our local Chowhound board (search for "CSA"), along with the convenient pick-up location at the site of our 2009 summer CSA, convinced us to join.

TURKEY DAY! (post 2.5 months overdue...oops!)

2009-02-08T18:35:00.028-05:00

Say hello to our free-range Thanksgiving turkey, a happily raised bird courtesy of Stillman's at the Turkey Farm! Ben picked him up at the Jamaica Plain farmer's market on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, and we took the fella out of his plastic bag the night before to brine him.

We followed Alton Brown's brining technique, scouring Watertown and Allston-Brighton for allspice berries, a necessary ingredient for the brine (we found ours in the Spanish spices section at Shaw's). Since we didn't have a huge cooler, we stuck the brine and the big guy in three industrial-sized garbage bags.

As you can see, our refrigerator was stuffed to the gills. Wednesday night was also the same night as my high school 10th year reunion, so we returned home slightly-to-mostly inebriated and flipped the turkey over for even brining. I don't remember the flipping very well, but we managed to flip it without any mishap :)

We rinsed and patted the big guy dry, and prepared some aromatics (pictured above) for stuffing the bird.

We also basted the turkey with vegetable oil. One thing to keep in mind when following Alton Brown's recipe - coating an 18 lb. turkey with oil that has a low smoking temperature is not recommended! We preheated the oven to 500 degrees F, and when we put the bird in for 30 minutes, per the recipe's instructions, it smoked up the entire house for nearly an hour. Next time, we'll use another oil with a high smoking point, such as safflower.

While the bird roasted, we also prepared some maple glazed root vegetables as a side dish. Most of the root veggies came from our winter CSA, such as the celery root (the scary thing pictured below) and turnips (also below).

We got a couple golden beets from Russo's in Watertown, which we included in our roasted veggies. Pictured below are the veggies all cut up and ready for roasting! The maple glaze was prepared separately.

I hate to brag, but our turkey came out perfectly! There was some angst about the internal temperature - we weren't sure if we took it out too early or too late - and it didn't help that one of our thermometers gave an insanely high reading. I began to despair that we would have dried out turkey, but the breast meat was incredibly moist and tender. I think it helped that we got a happy, hormone-free, free-range turkey from a local farm.

I also made gravy with the pan drippings; the turkey stock was prepared the week before with turkey legs. Even though it takes a lot of work, using homemade turkey stock gave the gravy more depth (though I would use a lot less salt next time, and cook the roux some more).

Here are a series of pictures detailing the carnage. Ben and Vic were adept at carving the turkey; I think Ben watched a couple videos online about carving. I think he did a great job. Note the lovely color of the skin, and the enormous breasts (our turkey was a traditional broad-breasted white turkey - we considered getting a heritage breed, but they cost significantly more...though I hope to try a heritage breed one day).

The carved turkey laid out on a serving platter. This platter doesn't include the other half of the turkey breast, which fed us for days as leftover turkey, turkey sandwiches, etc.

My brother Vic and I putting the final touches on the dining table.

In addition to maple glazed roasted root vegetables, we had leek mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, rice pilaf, and stuffing. I loved the stuffing - we used a rustic italian loaf from Clear Flour Bread, sage, roasted chestnuts (which were such a pain to roast and peel, next time I'm going to cheat and get canned ones or omit them), and italian sausage from DePasquale's in Watertown. Here's the recipe (we had seen it on Food Network's Thanksgiving special, and decided to make it because it looked so easy).

Ben's plate at dinner. This was our first Thanksgiving where we took responsibility for getting all the dishes to the table, and I think we did a pretty good job. We cheated with desserts, and ordered pumpkin and pecan pies from Flour Bakery (along with a delish cranberry chutney).

stop! drop your kebabs!

2009-02-02T00:30:00.006-05:00

Cartoon courtesy of Drive-by Times

As even a casual observer of European politics is aware, the U.S. is not the only Western country to harbor anti-immigrant, Know-Nothing sentiment. In fact, for all of our Tom Tancredos and "Minutemen" [warning: that link goes to a website full of right-wing xenophobia], we've got nothing on Berlusconi's Italy.

A new movement in Northern Italy wants to severely restrict restaurants from serving "non-Italian" (i.e. "ethnic") food. The picturesque walled town of Lucca, in Tuscany, passed a law banning the opening of any new restaurants that don't serve "traditional" Italian food.

The Left describes it as "gastronomic racism" and the Times of London comes through with an appropriately bombastic headline: "Italy bans kebabs and foreign foods from cities."

The reality is not quite so severe (not yet, at least). Lucca's law, as far as I can tell, is a small town, semi-reactionary attempt to keep the downtown area (i.e. inside the medieval walls) from losing its quaint atmosphere.

A spokesman for Lucca's town hall defended the new rules, saying they were meant to safeguard the city's traditional and cultural identity and that it also applied to sex shops, fast food restaurants and take-away pizza parlors.

"The ban targets McDonald's as much as kebab restaurants," he said

Plus, the already existing ethnic restaurants--which include four kebab shops--will not be forced to close down.

Still, there does seem to be a broader xenophobe-cuisine in the works. According to the Times, many Northern cities are considering similar action.

Luca Zaia, the Minister of Agriculture and a member of the Northern League from the Veneto region, applauded the authorities in Lucca and Milan for cracking down on nonItalian food. “We stand for tradition and the safeguarding of our culture,” he said.

They fear not only foreign culture, but competition. Immigrant cooks apparently work too hard:

Davide Boni, a councillor in Milan for the Northern League, which also opposes the building of mosques in Italian cities, said that kebab shop owners were prepared to work long hours, which was unfair competition.

The best part about this controversy is the ridiculous situations it might generate. How does one determine what is "foreign"? Will fusion cuisine be banned? Isn't pizza essentially an American invention? (not to mention the fact that tomatoes come from Latin America). Imagine the new types of purity tests right-wing politicians will have to pass. The Times is already on it:

Asked if he had ever eaten a kebab, Mr Zaia said: “No – and I defy anyone to prove the contrary. I prefer the dishes of my native Veneto. I even refuse to eat pineapple.”

Oh man. His re-election campaign is going to be so screwed when the photo of him ordering from Amar's shwarma gets out!

Jo Jo Taipei and Allston musings

2009-02-01T00:13:00.008-05:00

We checked out Jo Jo Taipei today for a late lunch, and it was deeelish! We had their "Special Mini Steamed Buns" aka Xiao Long Bao aka Soup Dumplings (pictured above), "Three Cups Eggplant," warm sweet soy milk, and Taiwanese Wonton Noodle Soup. Our meal started with complimentary salted peanuts and shredded marinated cabbage (pictured below). The restaurant is relatively new to the Allston area, nicely decorated and in a great location (Brighton Ave. and Linden St.).

I'm looking forward to going back and trying more dishes - it's hard to find good soup dumplings in Boston. We've had them at Gourmet Dumpling House, the old New Shanghai (RIP), and Windsor Dim Sum. I think the ones we had at Jo Jo were the best out of the bunch. They don't really compare to the ones I've had in Manhattan, at Joe's Ginger and some other places, but I've got to credit today's dumplings. The eggplant was prepared with one cup of soy sauce, one cup of wine, and one cup of water (plus sliced garlic, sliced ginger and probably an obscene amount of sugar). Next time we go, I want to try the curry beef pockets, tofu hot pot, three cups tofu, flounder fillet, tofu with shrimp, mapo tofu, and everything on the weekend brunch menu.

The Allston-Brighton area is blowing up with restaurants! We love Shabu-Zen, Gitlo's, Punjab Palace, and the 88 Market Food Court - Ken's Ramen is TDF. I also really like Kantin, the Cantonese place in the food court, and the Vietnamese place. I want to check out The Battery (fish n chips!), Cafe Brazil, Grain and Salt, the Nepalese place, Alfredo's, the take-out Thai place, and I want to give YoMa another try (the first time at YoMa, I ate some really spicy food that did a number on my tummy). Shanghai Gate was only ok (which reminds me - we had soup dumplings there too, but they weren't very good - but the fish soup with tofu is excellent).

Too bad we love cooking at home too much. We'll be lucky if we try all these places before 2010 rolls around.

The A-B was already known as a bar hot spot, but we adore Deep Ellum, despite the overabundance of hipsters. It's as if we were back in the Upper West Side and tried to venture out to Williamsburg, Brooklyn. This is where I popped my Dogfish Head 90-minute IPA cherry. I've had the hot dog and fries there, but the homemade pretzels are fantastic and go very well with the impressive selection of beers on tap. In addition to Deep Ellum, we frequent Our House (preferably on weekday nights) and Joshua Tree (1/2 price burgers on Wednesdays).

Since this post has morphed into Allston musings, I can't help but add that Herrell's has tasty ice cream when we're too lazy to make it at home ourselves or go to JP Licks in Coolidge Corner.

An orange dinner

2009-01-24T16:00:00.004-05:00

Normally I like a little more color variety on my plate, but when I made this a couple months ago, it was delicious. In the bowl is Butternut Squash soup; on the plate are orange and ginger quick-glazed carrots, and a slice of no-knead bread, made according to Mark Bittman's recipe.

The soup is really amazing. It's essentially foolproof and always comes out tasting rich and creamy. It tastes, in fact, like it must have about 500 calories of cream in it, but it's actually just squash and chicken stock (we've made it with vegetarian stock too and it's still pretty good).

Here are the details:

Butternut Squash Soup
Ingredients
1 butternut squash (c. 3 lbs), peeled, seeded, cut into 4 large pieces
2 tbsp butter
1 c chopped yellow onion
1 clove garlic, minced
5 cups chicken stock or broth (you can substitute veggie broth)
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/8 tsp ground white pepper
Creme fraiche, sour cream, or nf yogurt for topping (we usually omit this)
Chopped chives or parsley for topping
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place squash pieces in a flat baking pan. Pour about 1 cup water around squash. Bake until soft, about 1 hour. Remove to a plate and cool. When cool enough to handle, scoop out squash pulp. You should have about 4 cups. Set aside.

In a large soup pot over medium heat, melt butter. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add squash pulp and 1 cup of the stock and mix well. Transfer to a food processor or blender in batches and process until smooth. [we use an immersion blender, and that works much better here if you have one] Return to pan and add the remaining 4 cups stock and seasonings. Simmer, uncovered, until flavors are blended, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Ladle into bowls and top with cream, chives, and/or chutney.
(Recipe from Maryana Vollstedt's The Big Book of Soups & Stews - a great book, by the way)

Orange and Ginger Quick-Glazed Carrots
Ingredients
A pound of carrots (more or less), cut into 1/4" coins (i.e. on the diagonal)
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp minced ginger
1/4 Orange juice
1/2 tsp sugar
salt and pepper
Directions
In a small to medium saucepan over high heat, melt butter and add carrots, sugar, s+p, and orange juice. Bring to a boil and cover. Turn heat down to medium low and cook for about 5 minutes.
Uncover, raise heat slightly and add ginger. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid evaporates, and then turn heat down to low and cook a couple more minutes until the carrots are tender.
Serve with a garnish of chopped fresh parsley.
The timing and amount of ingredients are quite flexible in my experience; so long as you get the liquid to evaporate before the carrots turn completely soft and soggy you'll be in the clear.
[from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything

A corn stalk grows in the astroturf

2009-01-22T00:19:00.003-05:00

I just saw a commercial for high fructose corn syrup.

What??

They've got a website and everything.

Glad to see that our government money not only subsidizes an ethanol boondoggle, but slick ad campaigns designed to keep us fat and syrupy.

Squirrel Tartare

2009-01-21T23:38:00.006-05:00

Hawk eating a squirrel, Columbia University

Most people who've seen the above photo have had one reaction: ewww!
But really, is the act of eating depicted above so different from consuming this:

Steak tartare, photo from flikr user minderbinder, milo

Either way you look at it, it's still raw meat. Of course, the tartare is going to taste better: it's gussied up with some spices and herbs (and potato crisps). And it's on a plate! Plus, that squirrel meat looks pretty stringy.

Admittedly, there are many people (not just vegetarians) who look at a plate of steak tartare and think "ewww!" But the people who've recoiled from the hawk photo have no problem with the tartare. What this really points to is the transformation our food goes through from field to plate - even when we serve it raw. I don't know if we have a human need to compartmentalize between the concepts of "cow" and "beef," or if this is merely a reflection of the current industrialized state of our food culture. Either way, it results in paradoxes.

The Slanted Door

2009-01-17T13:00:00.002-05:00

We visited Charles Phan's acclaimed Vietnamese restaurant, The Slanted Door, when we were in the Bay Area during the holidays. I had been itching to go there for a couple years, and although the setting was remarkable - in the Ferry Building, right on the water with a breathtaking view of the Bay - the food was good, but not outstanding. We tried a lot of things - west coast oysters, green papaya salad, rack of lamb with sunchokes, catfish claypot, japanese eggplant, and cellophane noodles with dungeness crab. I thought the oysters were great (a nice selection and very fresh), and the rack of lamb dish with sunchokes outstanding. I also loved the eggplant and cellophane noodles with crab. I wonder if my relative disappointment stemmed from knowing that I could get equally delicious Vietnamese food, at a lower price point, at your neighborhood Vietnamese restaurant. I'm not sure if I'd go back again for the food. The cocktails, however, were off the hizzle. I had a whiskey cocktail (Buffalo Trace bourbon, Angostura and orange bitters, sugar, orange peel; served on a hand cut cube) before dinner, at the nicely appointed bar, and a ginger limeade (Hangar One Kaffir Lime vodka, ginger, lime) with my meal. Fantastic cocktail list - inventive concoctions using small-batch liquors - what's not to like?

Winter CSA share #2

2009-01-17T12:52:00.005-05:00

Though our winter share has ended for the 2008-2009 season, Ben and I wanted to keep track of what we got from our CSA. Our haul included sweet potatoes, onions, yukon potatoes, butternuts, red onions, harukei turnips, lettuces, celeriac (or celery root), carrots, radicchio, sage, cabbage, leeks, beets, parsnips, radishes, and hearty winter greens. My favorite vegetables from the winter share include celery root, leeks, turnips, parsnips and butternut. I'm so glad we were introduced to celeriac in particular!!

Kitchen Disasters - Bad Eats

2008-12-15T14:53:00.002-05:00

Fortunately, complete and utter disasters in the kitchen have been pretty rare for me. There was the ragu I tried to make for the Talbot Allens in washington, which ended up in the trash after I cooked the meat to an internal temperature of nuclear, resulting in small black nuggets of ground beef and pork in a sour sea of boiled red wine (thankfully I whipped up another sauce before they got home for dinner!) And the time I followed Mark Bittman's recipe for pan-fried beets (essentially, a giant beet latke) ended up as a sweetened lump of oily flour. But generally things have worked out for the best.

The other day, though I got inspired by an episode of "Good Eats" on the food network, in which Alton Brown prepared "Butternut dumplings" (read: Butternut gnocchi) in sage-brown butter sauce. The recipe looked pretty straightforward, and our CSA already had provided us with the squash and the sage.

The first step was to halve and roast the butternut squash, along with some potatoes. Check - it tasted delicious when it came out of the oven.

Next I mashed together the squash and the potatoes with some egg and spices. Seemed pretty easy.

That's when things got ugly. The recipe directed me to add 1 1/2 cups of flour to the mixture to form a dough. On TV, Alton Brown in fact got away with a little less than this, and ended up with a nice sticky dough that he easily formed into dumplings.

However, after a cup and a half, I still had squash-potato gruel. So I added another cup of flour, and then another. At this point I turned the "dough" out onto a floured board, but it was so sticky and moist that I couldn't work with it at all, so I had to return it to the bowl. I repeated this entire operation a few more times. Ultimately, I must have used at least 5 cups of flour. So by the time I shaped the dumplings and cooked a couple, they tasted like wood pulp. The final result: a very pretty but utterly useless orange mass of gluten, in the garbage can.

I did learn an important lesson: always read the comments to online recipes! I'm not the only one who ended up dumping the dumplings.

11in11

2008-12-03T00:58:00.003-05:00

Noah Galuten writes a food blog called Man Bites World, in which he chronicles his attempt to eat a different type of food every day for as many days in a row as he can. And by different type he means food from a different ethnic tradition. So a five day stretch might consist of Mexican-Filipino-Thai-Hamburgers-Ghanaian.

It definitely helps to live in Southern California to pull that kind of thing off, though I imagine you could do it without too much difficulty in NYC or the bay area, or less so in Boston, DC, or Chicago.

Anyway, for Day 73: Chinese, he decided to combine his project with a friend's annual event: the 11 in 11. What is that, you ask?

So what’s 11-In-11? Well, for the past five years, folk hero Jason Bernstein and his cousin Mark have been setting up a one day a year event where “…we visit 11 food establishments in 11 hours and devour 11 mini-meals.”

Sounds like an awesome thing to do, if you have 11 hours, $50 or $60 and 3000 calories to spare. I'm not sure why 11 is the magic number, but viv and I were just brainstorming 11 different restaurants within walking distance each representing a different ethnic food. Once the weather warms up, we'll brave the inevitable tummy-ache and give it a shot.

2008 Election Night party

2008-11-29T14:46:00.009-05:00

Now that Inauguration Day is coming up, an overdue recap of our election night party is finally here!

We invited a few friends to our place to watch the election returns, and in addition to the Obama-themed cupcake pictured above, Ben carved an Obama pumpkin as well:

The cupcakes were only ok - we used Bittman's recipes for chocolate layer cake and buttercream frosting from his "How to Cook Everything" (older edition, with the yellow cover). The cake itself turned out dry, which was annoying because I had misread the (poorly drafted) cake recipe the first time and threw out the first batch of cake batter. The frosting was DIVINE and will be my go-to buttercream frosting -- it was a race between when I would finish mixing up the frosting and when I would finish all the frosting from my multiple tastings. I smoothed on the frosting (not an easy task, despite watching Magnolia Bakery's videos on how to frost a cupcake) and Ben decorated the cupcakes with the blue and red icing stripes. Next time, I think I'll use Duncan Hines' cake mix for the cake batter and skip the homemade cake part!

Here's a picture of the cupcakes together - very cute!

We had quite a spread on offer, as well. See pictures below.

We made hummus, Mark Bittman's Rosemary-Lemon white bean dip, olive tapenade, pesto pasta with broccolini and italian sausage (vegetarian version also available), caramelized onions and brie on a baguette, and a chard frittata. We also served crackers, crudites, sliced baguettes from Clear Flour Bakery, salmon rounds (smoked salmon and creme fraiche on crackers), cheeses, mortadella, niman ranch salami, soppressata, proscuitto di parma, and buffalo wings from Wings Over Brookline. The next time we host a shindig, I'll go easier on the pork/meat products - we had several vegetarians/non-pork eaters and I've got to do a better job cooking for people who don't eat like me.

The end of the tomatoes

2008-11-09T01:15:00.004-05:00

We didn't get a frost here in Boston until the last week of October, and we actually had some temperatures in the mid-high 60s just before then, so we left our tomatoes on the vine until pretty late into fall. We brought them all inside about a week and a half ago, and, amazingly, they all ripened - even the ones that resembled little hard green rocks.

They tasted pretty good, but didn't remotely compare to their height-of-summer predecessors, so we made a little November bruschetta (some left over pesto spread on the toast helped to boost the flavor). Luckily our basil plants are still producing!

posted by bc (from viv's account)

Wednesday dinner

2008-11-09T01:00:00.006-05:00

We had some leftover bread and italian meats (thanks Russo's) from our election day party, and this turned out to be a delicious way of using them up!

Toasted Italian Sandwich
-olive tapenade
-prosciutto
-sopressata (similar to salami)
-shaved Unie kaas cheese (basically, gouda)
-salt + pepper
-a couple shredded basil leaves
-->I piled all the toppings on one slice, and then put it in a toaster oven (laying the other slice next to it) on the 'toast' setting until the cheese melted. I drizzled a little olive oil on top of the cheese right before eating. delicious!)

Brussels Sprouts w/mustard vinaigrette
-brussels sprouts, halved, stemmed, and steamed until just tender
dressed with:
- c.1 tsp mustard
-a glug of E.V.O.O.
-s+p
-splash (really just a few drops) red wine vinegar

Windsor Dim Sum

2008-11-09T00:59:00.005-05:00

On Saturday Ben and I wanted soup dumplings, so we ventured out to Chinatown. We barely missed out on two street parking spots and had to fork over $10 to park at the Beach St. garage. It was a good reminder of why we never go to Chinatown unless we take public transportation!

We tried going to Gourmet Dumpling but the restaurant was packed and the wait too long. Instead, we headed over to Windsor Dim Sum, a new-ish place on Tyler St. near Shabu-Zen. Windsor isn't your typical dim sum restaurant, like Hei La Moon or China Pearl (two of my favorites if you're seeking the steam carts pushed by old Chinese ladies experience). Instead, you order what you want and the waiters bring your dishes out to you (presumably, everything is cooked/made to order). Ben and I were starving and basically, we ordered the entire menu. We had har gao (shrimp dumplings), shu mai (shrimp and pork dumplings), gou choy gao (shrimp and chive dumplings), turnip cake, soup dumplings, tripe, spare ribs, har cheung (shrimp in rice noodle), shrimp-stuffed eggplant, steamed U-choy with oyster sauce, and salted fish and ground pork on rice. It was A LOT of food and the waiters seemed impressed that we were able to eat most of it. (Granted, we did take a lot of leftovers home for Grandma to enjoy.)

The dim sum was *pretty* good, but nothing special. Would we go back? Maybe on a Wednesday at 6pm when other places aren't serving dim sum. The soup dumplings were just ok, and they did not come with soup spoons or the ginger-vinegar dipping sauce. I'll stick to China Pearl and Hei La Moon during the morning hours, that's for sure. I also think we've been spoiled by Gitlo's, another made-to-order dim sum place in A-B on Brighton Ave. We can walk there (no need to drive to Chinatown and search for parking) and the dumplings are more creative. Sometimes, service can be slow and the place is tiny, but for convenience, taste and creativity it really can't be beat. It might be a little more expensive than the Chinatown places, but I'm a huge fan of Gitlo's (even more so when they actually have creme brulee...I had it once and since then they've always been out).

I hope folks like the new layout. Ben gets all the credit!

Recent adventures in the kitchen

2008-11-03T00:32:00.000-05:00

Since Ben's chard adventure, it's been more exciting experiments in the A-B! A-B stands for Allston-Brighton, a part of Boston that's overrun with college students (and also where I grew up and where we live now). Last week Ben made the most amazing roasted beet and fennel salad, courtesy of Mark Bittman. I'm not sure what he dressed the salad with, but it was yummy! The beets and fennel came from our winter CSA share. After roasting, the beets tasted incredibly sweet - practically no "dirt" taste at all! (Oddly enough, I like the "dirt" taste, since that flavor is what makes beets so unique to me.) The fennel was raw - sliced thin and tossed with the roasted beet slices. Served on top of couscous, it was a yummy and complete meal. We probably should've taken a picture, but I was too lazy (and eager to start eating) to get the camera.

What else have we eaten from our CSA share? Ben's been making awesome and simple salads -- lettuce greens, empire apple slices, herbed goat cheese from the Vermont Butter & Cheese Co., and toasted pecans. The lettuces and empire apples came from the CSA - we've been lucky that our lettuce has remained fresh for over a week now. Our guess is that the lettuce lasts longer because it was picked fresh from a local farm and didn't have to travel in a refrigerated truck to a store and then to our house.

On Friday, we were lazy and ordered take out from our fave Thai place, Rod Dee near Coolidge Corner. We had yellow curry duck, shrimp pad thai, and Indonesian fried rice. Despite the scarcity of duck in the curry, the dish was delicious. I am not a huge fan of pineapple in curry, though -- it's just too sweet and the texture is weird!

On Saturday we went to K's place in Watertown for good food, good drinks and even better company. We celebrated D's 31st b-day and brought over a bottle of champagne so that the couple can celebrate in style upon moving into their new house. We had a great time and I'm glad we left when we did - otherwise I would have fallen asleep on K's uber-comfy sectional. At K's I tried a couple of rieslings (K's fave) and a rose wine, and all three were too sweet for my tastes. I'm a little worried that by the time I turn 40, I won't be able to drink anything sweeter than bourbon, which does NOT bode well!

Sunday, we duked it out with two hundred other shoppers at Russo's in Watertown. Ben and I had a huge shopping list - we're hosting an election party this Tuesday night - and the store was incredibly crowded. I'm so glad we found about about Russo's, but now we won't go anywhere else for cured meats. The selection isn't huge, but their prosciutto di parma is only $15/lb. and it's reliably delicious! The broccoli rabe looked great today, so I picked up two bunches and made our fave soup which includes broccoli rabe, white beans, potatoes and sausages. The potatoes were Yukon golds from our CSA; the sausages were De Pasquale's (via Russo's) sweet italian and the white beans 1/2 home cooked and 1/2 canned. Before starting the soup, I cooked some dried cannelini beans (local - I think - from Baer's in Mass) with a couple bay leaves. It took a few hours, but the result was sooooo much better than the canned stuff! I need two cups of beans for a rosemary-lemon zest-white bean dip for Tuesday's party, and had an extra cup or so of cooked beans that I tossed into the soup with a can of beans. The recipe is from Rachel Ray and the Food Network, but it's seriously one of my go-to soups now.

I probably spent 5 hours in the kitchen today (I also made a huge batch of pesto since we got two great-looking bunches of basil at Russo's), but hope all the prep work will pay off for Tuesday. Ben and I have a fun menu planned and it should be good times on Election Day.

Chard, vaguely Middle Eastern/South Asian style

2008-10-27T00:23:00.000-04:00

Chard is beautiful and delicious, but I'm a little bored with the way we usually cook it (simmer garlic in olive oil, add chard, add some stock, cover).

I was hoping to cook it in sort of a Tuscan style today, but we didn't have any white beans. Instead, I started tossing things in--half an apple, some dried currants, some curry powder--and it came out pretty well, I think (and viv agrees).

Here's the "recipe" (more or less):
Ingredients
1 small bunch chard, roughly chopped
1 large shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
c. 1 tsp curry powder
c. 1 tbs dried currants
1/2 apple, in chunks
olive oil
s + p

Directions
1. Saute shallot and garlic in oil over medium heat, until very lightly browned
2. Add chard, and cook until it reduces to about half its normal size
[If I were to do this again, I would add about 1/4 water here and cover, to make sure the chard gets completely tender; then remove the cover and cook off the water]
3. Add apples and currants, and curry (to taste - you may need more depending on how much chard you have and how strong your curry powder is) and cook until heated through and the apples are tender (though don't let the apples lose their shape and start to dissolve)
4. throw in a splash of white wine or sweet vinager or lemon juice to lighten things up
5. eat!

I think a little crunch--some pine nuts or walnuts--would probably be good as well.

[photo from flikr user M P G]

Places and Recipes to Try

2008-10-26T19:08:00.000-04:00

Places to Try:

Helmand, Cambridge, MA - Afghan

Matt Murphy's Pub, Brookline, MA - Irish pub food and Wednesday trivia nights

Recipes to Try:

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Beef and Guinness Stew

Voulez-Vous Poulet Avec Moi?

2008-10-25T23:42:00.001-04:00

The frustrating part of learning how to blog is figuring out how to make user-friendly posts and also how to use blogger. I just wrote a post about tonight's dinner and ended up deleting the whole thing by accident. It's probably the most frustrating thing that could happen to you while blogging, besides losing your entire blog!

Back to the topic at hand - Hainanese chicken! I have no idea where it's from--Hainan?--haha--but it is practically a national dish in Singapore. You take a whole chicken, poach it and then cook rice with the chicken stock from the poaching. It's typically served with sliced cucumbers and tomatoes, but we had some baby bok choy and pea pod shoots that Ben picked up from the Allston farmer's market, so we sauteed those instead and served them on the side.

You start with a whole chicken -- ours came from Whole Foods. They carry a line of whole organic chickens from Petaluma, CA (awful food mileage, I know) that comes with all the bells and whistles -- organic, free range, hormone free. You poach it and shred/slice the chicken. The rice is cooked with shallots and garlic, and the chicken stock is used as the cooking liquid. The result is an intensely chicken-flavored rice, and delicious, perfectly cooked chicken. The chicken is served with cilantro and a salt-scallion-ginger dipping sauce. All we have to do now is strain the leftover stock and freeze it for next time. Tonight's chicken started with leftover stock from the first time we made it :) The theory, according to the NY Times, is that the chicken flavor gets more intense as you repeat. The recipe is below -- courtesy of Mark Bittman of the NY Times. Ben is a little obsessed with Bittman and his "The Minimalist" series. We even have his "How to Cook Everything" cookbook. I think a lot of his ideas/recipes are overrated, but this recipe was one I picked out and it's a home run! The picture above is from the first time we made it.

Ben wants to add that when you cut up the chicken on a cutting board and leave the carcass, the juices congeal and the remnants are so rich it tastes like turkey. Yup, that's my husband.

RECIPE: The Minimalist: From a Chinese Island, a Chicken for Every Pot (September 17, 2008)

Ingredients:

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 whole (3- to 4-pound) chicken, trimmed of excess fat

Several cloves smashed garlic, plus 1 teaspoon minced garlic

Several slices fresh ginger, plus 1 tablespoon minced ginger

1/2 cup peanut oil, or neutral oil, like corn or canola

3 shallots, roughly chopped, or a small onion

2 cups long-grain rice

1/2 cup minced scallions

2 cucumbers, peeled and sliced

2 tomatoes, sliced

Chopped fresh cilantro leaves

2 tablespoons sesame oil.

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Add chicken to pot along with smashed garlic and sliced ginger. Bird should be completely submerged, but only just. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook for 10 minutes. Turn off heat and let bird remain in water for 45 minutes to an hour, covered, or until it is cooked through.

2. Remove chicken from pot, reserve stock, and let bird cool to room temperature. Put half the peanut oil in a skillet over medium heat; you may add trimmed chicken fat to this also. When oil is hot, add remaining garlic, along with shallots; cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring, until glossy. Add 4 cups reserved chicken stock and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cover; cook for about 20 minutes, until rice has absorbed all liquid. Stir in salt and pepper to taste.

3. Make a dipping sauce of remaining oil, ginger, half the scallions and a large pinch of salt.

4. Shred or chop chicken, discarding skin. Put rice on a large platter and mound chicken on top of it; decorate platter with cucumbers, tomatoes, remaining scallions and cilantro. Sprinkle sesame oil over all and serve with dipping sauce.

Yield: 4 to 8 servings.

Belmont Farms CSA and our first CSA haul

2008-10-25T16:50:00.000-04:00

Here's a picture of part of our haul today!

This afternoon, Ben and I picked up our first winter share of veggies from Belmont CSA! CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture, and the concept for CSA shares is that in return for investing in a local farm through the purchase of a share, you get a portion of that farm's bounty throughout the growing season. Belmont CSA's winter share is a growing collective among three farms, and the Belmont CSA acts like the agent for the other two farms. There are lots of good reasons for supporting local farms and sustainable agriculture -- we'll probably post about that later on.

At the Belmont farm, we had a great time walking through the field - they are still growing lettuces, leafy greens like kale and collard greens, leeks, broccoli, cauliflower, and root crops like radishes.

Here's some pics of the farm.

It's amazing that you can still grow food in the Boston area in late October, when evening temperatures oftentimes dip into the late 30s. We sipped on apple cider and pondered which variety of apple to take home. Included in this pick-up was 10 lbs. of apples, and we chose Empire apples. We also picked up a pumpkin from Sergi Farms next door to the Belmont CSA -- Ben's going to carve the Obama campaign symbol into it. We'll post pictures once the pumpkin is carved!

Our bounty from the CSA is below. (We put everything on our kitchen floor to get everything in one frame!) Besides 10 lbs. of apples, included in our share today was 45 lbs. of produce -- swiss chard, escarole, lettuces, green and red peppers, napa cabbage, leeks, harukei turnips, potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, beets, parsley, acorn squash, delicata squash, butternut, sugar pumpkin, spinach, carrots, daikon and fennel! We are storing the squash, onions, sweet potatoes and potatoes in our back stairwell and hope they won't go bad hanging out back there.

Subtle

2008-08-25T23:42:00.000-04:00