Anali's First Amendment

A Sunday Poem

2012-01-29T15:41:00.001-05:00

+++ Happy +++

Cake baking
Birthday celebrating
Sun watching
Tea drinking
Errand running
Kitchen rearranging
Disappointing movie watching
Family reuniting
Friend visiting
Supposed to be resting
January ending
Weekend.

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Fóumami Asian Sandwich Bar

2012-01-28T15:24:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I wonder what people are thinking. Some of the press releases that I receive are so out of the realm of what would ever be of interest to me and probably any of you reading this blog.

But then other times, I receive news so perfectly timed and relevant that it's a beautiful thing. That's how I felt when I learned about Fóumami celebrating the Year of the Dragon with a special menu.

At the end of November, I started working on a new project not too far from where I was working in October. Each day I passed by Fóumami, noticed the attractive exterior, but didn't know anything about the place.

I wonder if feng shui was used for the design of the restaurant? Especially considering that the building is on a busy corner in the Financial District: High, Oliver, and Franklin Streets.

Then recently out of the blue, I received an email. Here's an edited excerpt below:

Chinese New Year or “Spring Festival” marks the transition from winter to spring in China and is the longest and most important holiday in the Chinese Lunisolar Calendar. For 15 days, starting in January, Fóumami Asian Sandwich Bar will celebrate the Year of the Dragon!

Red envelopes containing cash or other presents are often exchanged during Chinese New Year. Fóumami will be giving one customer a day, throughout the 15-day festival, a traditional red envelope gift with their purchase from January 23 – February 6, 2012.

As I read the email, I thought, "Isn't this the place that I walk by every day? Maybe I'll go there for lunch."

I had already been thinking about Chinese New Year. There seems to be an air of excitement about it, especially when it's the Year of the Dragon. More specifically, it's the year of the Black Water Dragon. On Point had a really interesting show discussing it.

During the show, writer Gish Jen made an interesting comment. She said that she can see Chinese New Year becoming a style, like a theme at Bloomingdales or on a T-shirt.
That really struck a chord with me. It sounds rather horrible at first. For those of us who are not Chinese or Asian, yet we are intrigued with certain holidays and want to participate on some level, is it a homage to the culture to celebrate it? Or Is it disrespectful? Especially for someone who wants to financially capitalize on it. Is it a bit of both? I'll have to think about that a bit more as I work on an upcoming post discussing this exact issue but in another context.

As someone born in the year of the Green Wood Dragon, I must say that I'm looking forward to seeing what this Year of the Dragon holds as the new year begins on February 4, 2012.

But now back to the food! The suggested menu special was pork, which I don't eat, but there are selections available for everyone, including vegetarians. Everyone at Fóumami was very friendly and more than willing to suggest alternatives to me. I was even given a sample to taste. They did not know that I was a food blogger planning to write about them, so they are just plain nice!

I ended up having the Chicken Katsu, which is a panko-breaded chicken breast cutlet, cabbage, tomatoes, and katsu sauce on Shao Bing bread. I loved it and definitely recommend it. The bread is crisp and flaky on the outside, and soft on the inside. The exact texture that I like. And texture is so huge for me!

This past week I've been fighting a horrible head cold and have been drinking tea with lemon and honey twice a day in addition to doubling up on vitamin C and fish oil pills. I'm doing better today, so it's working.

What was also helpful was the tea at Fóumami. The menu says that the teas are iced, but I asked if I could have it hot and they were more than happy to oblige. I had the ginger tea. It's made with fresh ginger root, brown sugar, and Chinese red dates. It was just what I needed. Very strong but sweet enough for me. And I swear it may have booted a little bit of this cold right out of me! I may stop by in the mornings just to get the tea. Whether I have a cold or not.

Now one other thing about the menu that really excited me, but then disappointed me. There's a section for desserts. If you go to Chinese bakeries the sweets are awesome, but I never find those same sweets offered in a Chinese restaurant. So to see both together, I was almost over the moon!

I asked about the Táng Bing, which is a hot bing with melted brown sugar, and sesame, and then the Quiao Cookie, which are assorted Chinese cookies. I was told that they no longer carry them due to lack of interest. They are only available for catering.

What??!! Why must I be tortured like this??!! I was told that they had Red Bean Shaved Ice, which is shaved ice, red bean, mochi, milk, with assorted fruits. But I didn't want anything cold, so I didn't have it. *sigh*

Well life goes on without dessert. : ) Anyway, I really liked Fóumami and plan to bring a co-worker there soon. I suggest you do the same! Maybe we'll get a red envelope next time!

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Oh Sugar!

2012-01-21T18:31:00.000-05:00

Flickr Photo: Sugar Sticks by Trilli Bagus

SUGAR. What a loaded word. It's always fascinated me when people use it instead of sh*t as a swear.

It's also a term of endearment. Two songs from my childhood immediately come to mind when I think of the word: Sugar, Sugar by The Archies and Sugar Pie Honey Bunch, by The Four Tops.

Of course sugar is a main ingredient used in baking. It's a staple in my house. But it's also something I fear. Sugar is a slang term meaning diabetes. Diabetes runs in my family. I do NOT want to get it.

After reading the news about Paula Deen recently, I couldn't help but think about it. Considering her recipes, I can't be shocked that she's diabetic. Do I think she should have admitted to having it before she started promoting a new diabetes medication? I'm still not sure.

The recipes that she is most famous for never would be considered healthy. When my dinner club decided to cook some of her recipes I was rather nervous. Not all of her recipes are so over the top and it was just one meal, so it all worked out okay.

Would I buy one of her cookbooks? No. Do I think that she is being genuine about her desire to promote healthy eating for diabetics? Not particularly. It seems to me that she's doing it for the money. Otherwise she would have been promoting healthier cooking and eating as soon as she was diagnosed. She was probably concerned about her ability to continue selling her brand of food and cooking, because it would have to change. Would her fans continue following her? Well, we'll never know, because she waited.

As much as people are outraged by her conduct, I don't feel it. Maybe because I was never a huge fan and don't feel betrayed. But even then I don't understand how if I were a fan I would feel betrayed. Recipes for butter fried marshmallow dipped lard coated chocolate filled triple cream everything eaten on a regular basis are bound to have negative health consequences.

She didn't have to admit to having diabetes for people to know that those foods could lead to it. If she was willing to sell these types of foods to people why wouldn't she be willing to sell them the antidote?

Well, enough about Paula Deen. I hadn't even planned to write about her. It's just that after all the talk about her having diabetes, I heard about a one-woman play called Sugar, which recently opened at ArtsEmerson in Boston. The interview on Radio Boston includes a conversation with Yvette Cozier, who is co-investigator on the Black Women’s Health Study, which I've written about here before.

The play is by Robbie McCauley, Obie award-winning playwright and professor of performing arts at Emerson College. In the play, McCauley documents the African-American experience with diabetes. It sounds like a really interesting show.

All this thinking about diabetes has me thinking that my cooking and some of the focus on this blog has to change. Overall I'm a healthy eater. I don't eat huge portions or fast foods. I cook from scratch. I don't eat meat except for poultry and seafood. But I have a major sweet tooth. The older that I get, I see that I just cannot get away with what I could when I was younger. I need to exercise way more and make it an integral part of my life and this blog. There is room for improvement and change.

A study that I read about recently did give me something to smile about. It seems that coffee can protect against diabetes. I don't drink the four cups a day that the study mentions, and I don't plan to, but it's something.

Mostly though, I will just have to do the hard work even though it was never hard for me when I was younger. I'm starting to plan my meals better with menus. I'm focused on increasing my intake of vegetables and protein-rich grains. Yes, I'm slowly warming up to quinoa.

I'm also coming to the sad and painful realization that yoga might not work for me, at least in a formal class. As much as I love it, the forward bends are killing my back, even modified versions. There are some poses that I can do at home, but in a class, even with an amazing instructor, I feel pressure to do more poses than may be good for me. So I'm figuring out which exercises will work best for me.

It's all a process. Life seems to require that as soon as we think we have things somewhat figured out, something changes and we have to learn to adapt to a new situation again. So I'm trying my best to adapt. Adaptation seems to be the key to a good life. And making friends with uncertainty.

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Afternoon Tea At The Boston Public Library

2012-01-17T10:20:00.000-05:00

Last Friday, I took some time to do something special for the new year with two other Boston area ladies who love food and trying new places just as much as I do. Audrey of Boston Foodie Tours, who I first met on the Bertolli Tour and Robin of Doves and Figs, who I just met for the first time.

So what did we do? We had afternoon tea at The Courtyard Restaurant in the Boston Public Library. It was great and I highly recommend it to everyone!The premises are just lovely. As one might expect at the BPL, which is known for its stunning architecture.

We had a selection of loose teas, sandwiches, scones, and small tartlets.Take a look at the menu for yourself. The price is pretty reasonable at $22.50 per person. This isn't something that most Americans would do every week. Well, maybe some might. It would actually be quite fun. But most of us have afternoon or High Tea for a special occasion like a birthday or to celebrate an event.

Even if you wanted to go every day, you couldn't, because the tea menu is only offered Wednesday through Friday, from 2-4pm. However, there is a lunch menu available Monday through Friday, from 11:30am - 2:30pm. I'll have to go back and try that too!

A few years ago, some friends and I had tea for my birthday. It might have been at The Four Seasons, but I don't quite remember. Anyway it was at a very elegant hotel and I knew that I wanted to do it again and try tea at different places in Boston. London would be great too! Maybe I'll make it to Harrods one day.

For now, Boston is quite nice. A few years ago, I enjoyed reading a blog called The Boston Teacup, where you could find out about places offering afternoon tea in the Boston area. And there are many nice hotels that offer the meal. I was so sad when the writers decided to stop updating it.

But when a door closes a window opens! Recently I found a new blog called Tea Pages, which provides information about all things tea and is based in the Boston area as well. So we have another tea resource at our fingertips!

Cheers!

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Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in pictures and quotes

2012-01-16T11:12:00.000-05:00

(via Try Anything Once)

Thank you Dr. King.

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Speak Out Now About Private Student Loan Debt

2012-01-11T20:54:00.000-05:00

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau finally has a Director, Richard Cordray.

He's getting right to work and has an open comment period where we, members of the public, can submit our personal stories and experiences regarding private student loans. If you have private student loans, please take a look at the bureau website and Request for Information.

I've written a little bit about student loans on this blog and have personal experience with private student loans. The comment period is open until next Tuesday, January 17, 2012. I plan to submit something and hopefully this post will help spread the word, so that everyone who is impacted and wants to speak up can have their voice heard.

At least in law school, it's pretty routine to take out private student loans, especially Bar Study Loans. For those of us who don't have other means of support, during the time that you're studying for the Bar Exam, you need money to survive.

Private student loans are pretty much the only option. Preparing for the Bar Exam is a full-time job and you spend all your time taking classes and studying. Many who try to work at the same time don't pass. These Bar Review Courses are very expensive. On top of paying for classes to prepare for the exam, you have to pay a lot of money to take it for each state that you want to be licensed in.

I'm sure there are similar issues with medical school and other graduate schools where you are no longer eligible for federal loans, subsidized or otherwise, but you still need money to continue what you started. What is the point of having graduated from school, but you cannot pay to take the next step to become licensed so you can work?

Many of us without money felt that we had no option but to get even further in debt by taking out private student loans. I know there are a lot of us. Many of us are silent about our loan debt. Privately we speak with one another about it, but there can be real shame about discussing it in public. Didn't we read the fine print? Shouldn't we have known better? What happened?

Well, you do what you have to do to make it through school and you think that you'll be able to pay it off in the end. Sure, some try and game the system, but most want to pay off the debt.

Yesterday I listened to On Point with Tom Ashbrook discussing the American Dream and how it is getting harder to attain. Moving up in America is difficult. Someone who comes from a family with money and goes to school and graduates with no or very little debt and family connections to the powers that be has a very different experience from someone who graduates with over six figures worth of debt and no connections. Not that it's impossible. Some people really do rise up and make it just fine on their own. I'm just throwing it out there.

Anyway, hopefully there's a bright light at the end of all this. I just hope it's not the bright light you see when it's really the end.

*Updated 1/12/12* Here's an interesting interview and article about the issue of student loans. According to FICO's quarterly survey of bank risk professionals, "risk managers are seriously concerned about the debt loads held by students in the country."

One thing that I want to add to this issue is that most of the articles that I'm reading are focused on young people and recent graduates. Student debt is a burden on people who are much older than those in their twenties. Student loans are NOT just an issue for young people. It' s an issue for people in their 30's and beyond and is a factor in weighing down the economy. People can barely pay their mortgages, rent, and health insurance.

So, if they can pay their student loans at all, their disposable income is seriously diminished. After paying for transportation and food, not much money is left to play around with. Read the FICO Survey here.

*Updated 1/13/12* And because I just cannot leave the student loan issue alone, here's an ABC News Report that I saw tonight. It's about young college women dating older men in order to get money to pay off their student loans.

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Breakfast Cookies + My Quinoa Complex

2012-01-09T09:37:00.001-05:00

Quinoa is all the rage. It seems that each day there is a new recipe using it. Everyone is all oooh and aaah. Yes, it's the best thing since chocolate. Everyone loves it. Well, almost everyone.

I tried it before and honestly, I thought it was horrible. I'm very picky about texture and quinoa tasted and especially felt all kinds of wrong in my mouth. But as someone into food, I'm bombarded with constant new recipes and all the praise and love for this pseudocereal, which is part of the beet family. No wonder I can't find any love for quinoa. I don't like beets either! Aaargh!!

What 's horrible is that I really want to love quinoa. When other food bloggers mention a new recipe with quinoa, I want to be just as over the moon about it as they are. But deep down I'm thinking, "Wow, that sounds really gross." Sorry! It's true.

So a few weeks ago, out of the blue, I get the January issue of Bon Appetit magazine in the mail. Joy and happiness! Talk about a nice surprise! I didn't find out until a few days later that my Godmother bought me a subscription for Christmas. Thank you again Aunt L!

As I was looking through the magazine, I saw a recipe for a breakfast cookie. Yum! With quinoa. Hmmm. Could this be good maybe? The recipe called for the quinoa to be cooked first, then added to the mixture. Could that eliminate the texture problem? I pondered the idea on Facebook, then decided to try it.

I followed the recipe pretty closely except for that I didn't have white whole wheat flour, so I just used all-purpose. Also I used walnuts instead of almonds. I had the cookies for breakfast this morning. The texture is rather healthy. The taste is pretty good, but they are bordering on rubbery. *sigh*

Would I make them again? Maybe. I'd cut the amount in half, because it makes two dozen. ~~G hasn't tried them yet and if he doesn't like them, that's way too much for me~~. (Update: He loves them!) After a few days, the texture could get more rubbery.

They are a good energy food though and would be a nice snack to take with you instead of buying a granola bar. They would be especially good to take with you while traveling. Oh, and speaking of travel, I have another article in the January issue of AAA Horizons Magazine. You can read it here online, if you are in Southern New England.

Well, I still have my quinoa complex. Can't quite shake it. Maybe it's time to move on to millet.

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Vintage Michael Jordan Wrapping Paper

2012-01-07T00:01:00.001-05:00

Back in the 80's, I bought this Michael Jordan wrapping paper. The plan was that in the future, it would be worth lots of money and I'd sell it.

Well, the future is now. For the new year, I'm getting rid of stuff that I've been keeping for way too long. How long can I really hang on to this? It's still in the original plastic wrap and there are two sheets of paper. If anyone would like to start a bidding war, be my guest.

Would anyone like to buy this lovely vintage paper? I'll ship it anywhere in the world. Otherwise it gets donated to Goodwill with some other stuff. Very soon.

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A Recipe For Torts

2012-01-05T20:56:00.000-05:00

That's not a typo in the title. Torts is the correct word. I'm not talking about tortes with an e, nor am I talking about tarts. But this story does involve pastries.

Did you hear about the recipe for churros that resulted in explosions causing burns to the victims? The recipe was published in a newspaper in Chile called La Tercera according to several news articles. The victims sued the paper and won damages. After an investigation, it was found that the recipe produced "violent explosions" splattering the ceiling and the person preparing the recipe.

Flickr photo by Gabi Rondon

According to one article, the judge said that the recipe listed the wrong amounts of ingredients and that following the recipe made the damage unavoidable.

I wouldn't have wanted to test that recipe!

On this blog, I've mentioned before that frying food scares me. The splattering makes me way too jumpy. That's one of the reasons that I haven't made donuts or churros. Have you tasted churros? I had them once in San Diego and they were amazing! But I digress.

While this case was in Chile, it makes me wonder (maybe you too) about the liability in general involved with publishing recipes as food bloggers. I have no definite answer. And of course this is not legal advice, because everyone's recipe and situation is different. So please consult an attorney in your state (country) if you have a question. Ahem.

It usually never hurts to add a disclaimer, so maybe that might be a good thing for certain potentially dangerous recipes.

* * *

Along the same lines, I went shopping at Hannaford Supermarket the other day. I needed to pick up a few things, but my main reason was to get the new Fresh Magazine.

Sadly I was unable to get one. I was told that the magazine had been recalled and they were removed from all the stores. Yes, recalled. I've never heard of a magazine being recalled, so I had to inquire further.

The woman said that there was a recipe in the magazine with chestnuts, but that the chestnuts used in the picture to go with the recipe were not edible, so they did not want to mislead anyone and recalled the magazine.

I'll have to wait for the next issue. Probably a good move on the part of Hannaford's legal department. You just never know.

And now that I think of the line from the Christmas Song about chestnuts roasting on an open fire, that part suddenly sounds way more hazardous than merry. Maybe it's just me.

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Cocktail Recipe: Lisa's New Year

2012-01-01T13:59:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year my friends! I hope that 2012 has been very good to you so far.

I cannot complain at all. Yesterday while looking back, I realized that I enjoyed 2011 a great deal. I'm looking forward to all that this new year has to offer too.

To get this year started off right, I've decided to cross off something from my life list. Having a cocktail named after me is #4.

It would have been cool to have someone else name it, but sometimes in life, if you want something done, you have to do it yourself. So I did.

Last night G and I toasted 2012 with this little concoction that I mixed together. Martinelli's Sparkling Cider combined with Dekuyper Peachtree. Tasty, sweet, and sparkling. And how I brought in the new year.

So here's to a new cocktail called Lisa's New Year! 2012 is looking pretty good. Cheers!

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Kwanzaa Culinarians Post Preview

2011-12-27T11:10:00.002-05:00

Today is Day 2 of Kwanzaa. Hopefully you've had a chance to read at least some of the many food stories leading up to the Kwanzaa posts this week on Kwanzaa Culinarians.

The first Principle Umoja (unity) was celebrated yesterday. Take a look here at the associated posts.

Today's Principle is Kujichagulia (self-determination). There are several posts discussing the principle already that you can take a look at.

I reflected on the Principle in a post that should be published later today. This picture gives you a preview of my recipe. I hope you take a look and read along during the rest of the week too!

Happy Kwanzaa!

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Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T14:03:00.001-05:00

When I was a little kid, there was a Christmas album that my brother and I would play over and over and over. I'm not sure of the title of one of the songs, but the main lyrics are "It's the day before the night before Christmas everywhere you look."

And right now is that time. I remember being filled with such anticipation and being so excited as I heard the updates about Santa's exact location. Well now you can even follow Santa on Twitter and Facebook. I guess he has to keep up with the times! ; )

What has warmed my heart recently is hearing about the Secret Santas or Layaway Angels as some are being called, randomly paying off layaway accounts. Such kindness!

There is good in the world and many kind people. Recently I ordered some gifts from Amazon and was waiting for delivery. Last night when I got home, I still hadn't received them. Not good.

I looked at the shipment tracker and saw that they had allegedly been delivered on Wednesday. WTF!!?? I panicked. Where were they? Then I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself down. Maybe if I checked by the mailbox again, they would be there. Maybe I didn't look carefully enough. Or they could just magically appear.

Well, what do you know? In the little bit of time between when I arrived home and realized what happened, a kind stranger also realized that the packages were delivered to her by mistake and brought them to my house. One of my neighbors wrote me a note explaining what happened. I was so happy, because I was ready to go off on Amazon or the post office. Whew. *sigh of relief*

So, whether you celebrate Christmas or not, I'm wishing all of you much kindness and good cheer.

And my Christmas wish? You know those Layaway Angels? I'm wishing for something similar on an enormous scale by the people who've taken The Giving Pledge. Hopefully they won't just give to organized charities, but will give to individuals as well.

Imagine if these billionaires started paying off student loans, medical bills, and mortgages for people across the country? They could go to Sallie Mae, the U.S. Department of Education, any number of banks and hospitals and just pay off massive amounts of debt. Not only would that bring major amounts of joy to many individuals, it might even help the economy. Now wouldn't that be something.

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Shopping Last Minute? Give Gifts Of Experience.

2011-12-23T10:20:00.000-05:00

What makes us happy? According to many things that I've read, it's experiences that makes us most happy.

So if you want to give a gift that will truly make someone happy, give them an experience gift.What's an experience gift?

A gift where the person receiving it, in all senses of the word, gets to enjoy the present. They will look forward to the fun that they will have, have fun actually taking part in the experience, then hopefully have some wonderful memories of the experience that they can share with others.

You can also give the gift of your company and time and take part in the activity with them, so it becomes a shared experience. So if you want to give an experience gift, here are a few ideas.

* * * * *

1. Get crafting. I took a sewing course at Stitch House. It was fun and I left with a finished piece!

2. Sharpen your cooking and baking skills. I teach baking classes at Brookline Adult & Community Education. Several students said that they were given the course as a gift and they had a great time.

3. Go on a food tour. Most everyone loves food. I met Audrey on a food tour of the North End. Now she gives Boston Foodie Tours!

4. See a film festival. I'm always interested in seeing different types of movies. Going to a film festival is a great way to do it. Film festivals are popping up all over the place, so whether you're in Massachusetts or not, it should be easy to find one near you.

5. Visit a museum. Museums often have film festivals, interesting discussions, unique events, great restaurants, and art. Getting someone an annual membership as a gift not only supports a local cultural organization, but lets them get discounts and free passes to many of the events taking place.

These are just a few gifts of experiences. Have you ever received one or have more to suggest?

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Recipe: Spiced Coconut Kiwi Muffins

2011-12-22T09:10:00.000-05:00

Disappointing fruit sparked the idea for these muffins. Kiwi is one of my favorites. A few weeks ago they were on sale, so purchased about eight of them. What a bad idea.

I let them sit for a while, hoping they would soften up and get ripe. It was taking a while, so I just tried one. It was horrible!

They never ripened. But they didn't completely go bad either. They just sat there starting to wither, deflate, and generally looking tired and sad. I wasn't eating them and neither was G.

It became apparent that the only way these kiwis were leaving the apartment was if I threw them away or found a way to cook or bake with them. I searched for some kiwi recipes, but wasn't too interested in what I found. So I decided to freestyle it and made up the whole recipe.

I'm starting to know the proportions of what's needed for baking the basics, so I decided to chop up the kiwis and throw them in some muffins. The spices give these muffins a little kick and the coconut adds a slight crunch, so these are good wake-me-up morning muffins. Here's the recipe below.

Spiced Coconut Kiwi Muffins
(makes a dozen)
INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup softened Smart Balance (butter or margarine)
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 cup finely chopped kiwi (about 5 kiwis)
1 egg
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
1/2 cup graham flour
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sweetened coconut flakes
1/2 cup vanilla rice milk

INSTRUCTIONS:
I'm not one for formal baking instructions. When I say baking from scratch is easy, I mean it. What does it take for me to want to bake? It has to be fun with room for flexibility. Usually I add the Smart Balance, sugars, and egg together in a bowl, combine, then add the dry ingredients, combine, then add the rice milk at the end. Don't stir too much, just until the ingredients are combined.

Maybe it makes a difference to some how they are combined, but I'm a fairly good baker and don't see it. If you want, dump everything all at once in the bowl and combine. Try it! If you don't like the results. Try it differently next time. Experiment. We all can find our baking comfort level.

If you bought a muffin mix in the store, basically it would be all the dry ingredients in the package, plus maybe some preservatives, then you would add your own liquidy ingredients.

Also, don't make baking hard by trying to stick with each and every ingredient if you don't have them in the house. Use what you have. That's how I came up with this recipe. I do not believe that any recipe is ever final. A recipe can always be changed. That's the beauty of baking! Plus the finished results! : )

Put pretty liners in a muffin pan. Pour the batter into pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes. Insert a toothpick to see if they are done. It should come out clean. These didn't brown much on top, but they are very moist and good. Enjoy!

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9 Easy DIY Holiday Gifts

2011-12-19T00:25:00.000-05:00

Here are some DIY gifts that I'd like to make for myself. Especially the sugar scrub. It looks so easy! Either way, these are some cool things to try.

1. Homemade Sugar Scrub
2. Spiced Ginger Cakes + Rosemary Apple Butter
3. Teacup Lights
4. Paperclip + String Earrings
5. Jersey Knit Bracelet
6. Braided Hex Nut Bracelet
7. Solid Perfume Pocket Watch Locket
8. Mini Zen Garden
9. Seed Bombs

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Seen On Boston Streets

2011-12-14T00:11:00.000-05:00

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7 Sweet Wines For The Holidays

2011-12-12T00:29:00.000-05:00

When I received the newsletter from Panther Distributing, I was very happy to see that they highlighted some sweet wines. The first four wines I found in the newsletter.

Since sweet wines are some of my favorite things, I decided to see if I could find a few more. Two wine bloggers helped me out with three additional suggestions for sweet wines that we all can enjoy over the holidays.

In addition to the names, I've included the aromas and flavors as described by the website. Apricots appear to be a much beloved fruit! Here's the list below.

7 Sweet Wines For The Holidays

Miles Mossop Kika
Aroma + Flavor: Dried apricot, peach, ginger, cinnamon, roasted almonds and pine nuts.

Capitello Dolcino Gewürztraminer
Aroma + Flavor: Honey, apricots, nectarine, peach and honeysuckle.

Petaringa Moscato
Aroma + Flavor: Jasmine, lychee, musk, grape, rose petals and peach

Borgo Maragliano Moscato D'asti El Calie Mosto D'uva
Aroma + Flavor: Apricots and nectarines.

Dezel of My Vine Spot suggested two Virginia wines.

Breaux Vineyards Nebbiolo Ice

Aroma+ Flavor: creamy peach, apricot andraspberry

King Family Vineyards Loreley Late Harvest

Aroma + Flavor: candied fruit, orange peel, flowers, bright citrus fruits, toast, and a hint of spice.

Janelle of The Cork Chronicles, loves dessert wines for the holidays and suggested a cheaper alternative to Sauternes.

Chateau Bel Air Sainte-Croix-Du-Mont
Aroma + Flavor: tropical fruit, beeswax, freshly baked bread, honey, and sweet spices.

Cheers!

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It's National Brownie Day!

2011-12-08T01:23:00.001-05:00

Photo via Greyston Bakery

Greyston Bakery and Ben & Jerry’s will be giving away a year’s supply of brownies (144 brownies) and ice cream (52 free pint coupons) to 2 lucky fans!

For a chance to win, post your ideal Ben & Jerry’s ice cream and brownie sundae on Greyston Bakery’s Facebook page by 11PM EST on December 8, 2011.

Good luck and Happy Brownie Day!

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Kwanzaa Culinarians

2011-12-04T12:18:00.001-05:00

What is Kwanzaa Culinarians? A group of food bloggers of African descent working together to share recipes and stories celebrating Kwanzaa. It's a project that I'm really excited about and so looking forward to collaborating with several other food bloggers.

Sanura Weathers of My Life Runs On Food, came up with the idea. Such a creative lady! Also working on the project are Bren Herrera of Flanboyant Eats, Chrystal Baker of The Duo Dishes, and Shelley Chapman of Eat. Relate. Love. What a talented group! And there are many more bloggers, writers, and foodies contributing to this new and delicious endeavor.

Besides sharing recipes, we're recognizing food-related influencers with thought-provoking stories and discussions within Kwanzaa’s principles of supporting the African Diaspora community.

The website just launched this week. Each day in December, you'll find at least one new food story. On each day of Kwanzaa, December 26 - January 1, there will be several food stories representing that day's Principle.

We hope that everyone will join along, even if you don't celebrate Kwanzaa. While I've attended a few Kwanzaa celebrations, it was not something that I or that most of us celebrated at home on a regular basis.

However, we all appreciate the 7 Principles of Kwanzaa, and community coming together to celebrate. And what brings people together more easily than food? Not much. So let's add some more joy, tasty food, and a bit of reflection to the holiday season!

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My Reward

2011-11-29T19:40:00.001-05:00

My exercise coach told me that I deserved these flowers. Okay, not exactly.

Recently I joined a health study that helps African-Americans in the Boston area increase their exercise with the help of a telephone exercise coach for three months. So far so good.

Who would think that just calling in and receiving encouraging words from a computer would make a difference? I guess it's my own conscience guiding me with that extra nudge. Which apparently was what I needed. I did miss my exercise goal a few times. I felt really horrible.

But my coach, while only a computer, talked me through it and suggested that I give myself a reward for that added motivation. The first time I missed my goal, I ignored the reward suggestion. How silly does this exercise coach think I am!? I'm a logical person and don't need a reward system!

Well, once again, the coach seemed to be right. One of my favorite things is to buy fresh flowers. So when I missed my goal the second time, I denied myself flowers that I would have bought otherwise. What could it hurt to try? Maybe it would work. Obviously I needed help.

I'd have to earn flowers as a reward. As silly as it sounds, I've been steadily increasing my exercise goals and exceeding them. Now I don't know how this will pan out over the full three months or for years to come, but I know that I had stopped exercising like I used to and it was not a good thing.

One thing that I've added back is my weekly yoga class. That's actually a reward in itself. And I'm back on the treadmill. Not a reward like yoga, but it's beneficial and I do feel better afterwards.

Last Saturday was Small Business Saturday and I decided to get my reward! Usually I buy my flowers at the grocery store, but I decided to look for a local small business to support. Mantis Plants and Flowers is right in Wollaston and I had passed it a million times, but never went in. This time I went in.

I spoke to the owner, Alan. What can I get for around ten dollars? No more than fifteen. For me that's a big splurge. I said that I wanted something interesting and different. He put together, what I think is just the prettiest bouquet and it was only $12.50 with tax!

The vase is mine. It was my Grandmother's years ago. I love the greens and purples in this arrangement. So creative! There's some kale, St. John's wort, and eucalyptus in there too. Alan was very friendly and definitely knows how to put together a beautiful yet affordable flower arrangement. If you're looking to purchase some flowers or plants, give him a call!

I'm still enjoying these flowers and hopefully will for the next week or so. Until my next reward. I exceeded my most recent goal! Yay!

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Thankful For Small Things: Scent, Taste + The Holidays

2011-11-24T14:22:00.001-05:00

Fresh from the oven, the gingerbread is cooling. This is one of my favorite times. The scent of ginger and spice is all over the apartment. I imagine that even my neighbors can smell it. As I write, I'm inhaling deeply. Enjoying it and thinking how it will taste after dinner later on.

Smells and taste are so integral to the holiday season. The scent of pine can bring you back to Christmas ten years ago. Smelling peppermint and chocolate can bring you back to your childhood. The smell of chocolate chip cookies practically writes the script of my life!

But what if you suddenly couldn't smell or taste? I would imagine that Thanksgiving would be a very difficult day. Not able to enjoy the simple taste of turkey, gravy, stuffing, or even a sip of cider.

I'm reading the book Season to Taste, by Molly Birnbaum and have found it quite profound. If there is a season to taste, then this is it. The beginning of the holiday season.

Some of you might have read Birnbaum's blog, My Madeleine, and know that she lost her sense of smell after being hit by a car. Luckily, very luckily, she has regained much of it, and with it, her ability to taste. For someone who had intended to be a chef, it was such a cruel twist of fate.

Smell and taste are practically one in the same. Once the sense of smell is lost, taste usually goes with it. And with the loss of memories that are tied up with smell , often comes depression. In the book, Birnbaum brings us on her journey of exploring the science and history of the sense of smell. For her, not only was it a learning experience, but it was personal. Because of her situation, she was able to speak with many people who help provide insight into the field of olfaction. I highly recommend this book. It's written with a lot of heart, vivid description, and information that you don't often see.

As those of us in the United States savor the taste and smells of Thanksgiving today, just having the ability to do so is one more thing that I'm thankful for.

*Updated 11/25/2011* - Recently I found another food blog by someone who recovered from anosmia and got her sense of smell and taste back. Her name is Susan and her blog is called Consider Food.

I hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving!

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One Thousand Blog Posts

2011-11-21T15:21:00.001-05:00

A few weeks ago, I noticed the leaves piling up on the ground and also that I had written 990 posts. The plan was to do something special to mark the milestone of reaching 1,000 posts.

Well, life is busy. Before I knew it, I was at 999. I kept thinking that this next post had to be super awesome and maybe I'd bake something special for it. Blah, blah, blah.

It didn't happen. Then I wasn't posting anything because it wasn't special enough to be post 1,000. I realized that I was making too much out of it and just needed to get past it. So this is me getting past it.

1,000 posts! Yay!

Thank you for being here and for reading! : )

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New Bedford: Food + Fashion + Film

2011-11-15T15:47:00.001-05:00

From my last few posts, you might have noticed a theme? The Fridgecouch made by a New Bedford artist and the video of a Portuguese Feast in New Bedord. The city of New Bedford!

Recently I visited for another article that I was writing. The last two times I visited New Bedford, I didn't get much of a chance to walk around. This time I made it a priority after finishing my work. I parked my car at a meter and had about an hour to wander a bit.

After looking in the window, Celia's Boutique on William Street quickly drew me in. It's bright, cheerful, and filled with beautiful designer clothing, accessories, and jewelry. The owner Celia was so friendly and welcoming! We chatted for a bit and after buying a lovely pair of earrings, I told her that I was hoping to try some Cape Verdean food.

She recommended that I try Izzy's Restaurant, which was a quick walk down the street and around the corner. If you're in the area, definitely try this place! It's very small and casual. You'll get a lot for your money and the food is great!

Unfortunately they were out of dessert, so no sweets for me, but I had some very good chicken soup and tuna pasteles. The pasteles had seasoned tuna inside a fried dough.

I took everything to go and shared it with my parents. The drive there was brutal. The aroma in the car made me want to pull over by the side of the road and eat everything myself! Luckily I do have some restraint and decorum. : )

When I was walking around, I also saw the Zeiterion Theatre. I took a picture of the marquee and noticed that they were showing Moby Dick. When I told my mother, she said that she was going there with a friend to see it. Such a coincidence! She really enjoyed it, by the way. Now I have another old movie to see!

And speaking of whales. An article that I wrote about the New Bedford Whaling Musuem was published last month. If you're in the general area, you can read the article online here. I had the best time visiting the museum. Until my tour, I hadn't realized that the whaling museum is part of National Park Service.

There was so much to see and write about, but I had a strict word limit and there was so much that I couldn't mention. One of the coolest things about the museum, at least to me, is all the programming that they have.

Did you know that every year they have a Moby-Dick Marathon? They are celebrating their 16th year of the marathon from January 6 - 8, 2012. So if you want to read Moby Dick with lots of other people nonstop, make plans for your chance to do it soon. I'm sure you'll have a whale of a time!

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Fest-A-Nation (Video) - A Portuguese Feast In New Bedford, MA

2011-11-08T12:08:00.000-05:00

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Fridgecouch

2011-11-04T14:22:00.001-04:00

Meet the Fridgecouch! A new couch, made out of an old fridge. How's that for taking comfort, recycling, and innovation to another level?

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Happy Halloween + My Encounter With Zombies!

2011-10-31T15:33:00.000-04:00

Does this look like any ordinary street to you? It's not! The people are movie extras, because they are part of one of the Boston sets of the movie R.I.P.D., which has been filiming all around the Boston area. The picture is a bit blurry, because I was being rushed through the set as I was taking it.

The abbreviations stand for Rest In Peace Department. The movie, which stars Ryan Reynolds, Jeff Bridges, and Kevin Bacon, is about a police officer who was recently killed and joins up with a team of zombie cops, so he can find who murdered him.

See the tall glass building here? That's where I was working for several weeks. Since I was working Saturdays and Sundays too, all of us in the project had to walk through the movie set to get to work. Several times, the crew had to escort us through the set, because they were filming and nobody was supposed to be there. From what I was told, one day there was even fillming in the lobby and on the roof!

While working, we'd hear the Director giving directions and cars crashing. At certain points, a gigantic light was shining in our office and camera equipment was hanging right outside our window. It was strange to say the least, but added a bit of excitment to our working weekends.

The picture above is a row of crashed cars that they kept on the street for filming the next day.

A few scenes had Ryan Reynolds holding a gigantic gun and pointing it up at us. The extras were running around looking and pointing up, because from what we could tell, there were supposed to be zombies climbing up the building.

It will be interesting to see all the CGI that's added when the movie comes out. Hollywood East appears to be in full effect! This is the second time I've had to go through a movie set to get to work.

One of my co-workers commented about the way the extras were dressed for the movie. She said, "If this were a real Boston scene, half these girls would have flip-flops on and everyone would have a cup of coffee. That's what I see everyday on the Red Line." We do love our coffee and flip-flops!

There definitely has been quite a bit written about the way people dress in Boston. GQ named us the worst dressed city in America. A bit harsh to say the least. But we did have to agree about the way the extras were dressed. They didn't look like actual Bostonians going to work. And maybe that scares some people more than actual zombies.

Happy Halloween my friends!

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Made In USA: For The Kitchen

2011-10-29T22:06:00.000-04:00

It started simply enough. I needed a new kitchen strainer. Nothing too exciting or extravagant. Just necessary. It's cold and soup season is here.

Photo via Fante's

While picking up groceries in Stop & Shop, I looked for a strainer, but none that I saw were made in America.

I looked online too, but the strainer at Crate & Barrel wasn't made here either. It's one of my favorites stores, so I was rather disappointed.

But as I've mentioned here before, I believe it's very important to make an effort to notice where products are made. That's the only way to make sure that at least some products that I buy are made in the United States. Hopefully retailers will notice and start selling more products made here. The more manufacturing here, the more jobs we keep and grow here. I'm just one person, but can do my part too.

So I set out to find a strainer made in the United States. It wasn't too difficult after a Google search for a strainer made in USA. I ended up on the Fante's website and made my purchase. The price was much cheaper than the one made in China sold at Crate & Barrel. It would be nice if Crate & Barrel decided to carry this strainer too, which is made by American Housewares in the Bronx, New York.

Since others might be looking for items for the kitchen or related to food that are made in the United States, I've decided to keep a running list of the items and/or companies with links. It will be a work in progress. Please let me know in the comments or by email, if you find items that you'd like me to add.

Products

Strainers
Bell's Seasonings
Flour Sifters
Bundt Pans

Companies

American Housewares, New York, USA
Brady Enterprises, Massachusetts, USA
Jacob Bromwell, Arizona, USA
Nordic Ware, Minnesota, USA

*Updated 10/30/2011* BlogHer is talking about putting Americans back to work too.

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Movie Recommendation: Nights Of Cabiria

2011-10-26T15:29:00.000-04:00

If you're a fan of old movies, especially foreign films, then you'll love Fellini's much acclaimed Nights of Cabiria.

G and I watched it last weekend and both really enjoyed it. Such a treasure! The lead actress Giulietta Masina is incredible. Masina, also Fellini's wife, has one of the most expressive faces that I've ever seen. She's charming and really makes you fall in love with her character.

This might be one of the original hooker with a heart of gold stories. But this is no Pretty Woman! And your world view will color how you see the ending. Are you a glass half full or half empty sort of person?

If you're looking for a film to see this weekend, it's a must see!

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We Are The 99% - Occupy Boston

2011-10-22T11:54:00.000-04:00

As I mentioned in a recent post, there are few places to eat in the Financial District after hours and on weekends. So sometimes I walk down to Faneuil Hall for take-out.

On this particular day, as I was grabbing my meal, the folks from Occupy Boston marched through. I've seen them around the area and have been retweeting their tweets. Especially requests for food.

You can hear them chanting before you see them. "We are the 99%!"

It's quite an empowering message and one that we need to hear. Before I started my recent project, I had planned to do a lot more writing about this movement and wanted to be more involved. But time became an issue. So when I literally found myself in the middle of the march, I grabbed my camera and took a few pictures.

This nurse's sign is quite poignant. "I'm a nurse with no healthcare insurance. I am the 99%."

On this blog's left sidebar, I have different links about the Occupy Wall Street solidarity movements. I hope you'll check them out.

Especially read the individual stories on the blog We Are The 99 Percent. I wish many of our politicians would read these stories. I don't think they understand how tough it is out here for many people.

I'm glad that the media is starting to give more coverage, but it's still quite lacking. Tonight at 6:00pm, Noam Chomsky will be speaking in Dewey Square at Occupy Boston. Chomsky was recently interviewed about the Occupy Movement. Take a look here.

See the Occupy Together website stream to get a big picture view of the movement. Look at the Facebook page of Occupy The Hood to see how people of color are included in this movement.

Since you won't hear about most of what is happening on the news, in my opinion, the best way to see it all unfold is by watching on Twitter. There are so many groups that it can get overwhelming, so if you start watching Occupy Together, you can find many more.

What do you think of the Occupy Movement? I think that it was inevitable with the way things are moving in this country. It was time.

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How American English Sounds

2011-10-18T14:01:00.004-04:00

(Via A Cup of Jo)

Last night I was riding home on the T. I was so tired and closed my eyes to rest.

An older couple sitting across from me was speaking Italian. I have no idea what they were saying, but it sounded delicious. Each word was soft and melodic in my ears like a lullaby.

This short film is spoken in fake American English and is supposed to be what it sounds like to people who don't understand English. It's mostly gibberish, but there are a few "choice phrases" and words in actual English.

It does sound like English and is hilariously dramatic. Sit back and enjoy the film Skwerl!

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BeanTown Hoagie

2011-10-14T10:15:00.002-04:00

This has been an interesting couple of weeks. I've been working pretty much as many hours as I can, because this is a short-term assignment. Work dries up quickly, so I'm grateful for it.

The job started suddenly and I didn't have time to do any food shopping, so I've been eating out all the time. This is very unlike me, as someone who likes to cook. But it has given me the chance to try some new places.

It's surprising to me that in the financial district, so many of the food places close around 3:00pm and they aren't open on weekends. People working in this area are picking up late lunches or dinners till past 8:00pm, including Saturday and Sunday.

Some enterprising restaurant owner or caterer could have a nice niche here. Especially if they could somehow partner with the law firms and/or staffing agencies who hire us. Not sure how that would work, but it could be something.

Well since I need to grab something to eat each day, I've decided to make at least some of it bloggable. I looked for a place that I hadn't tried yet and close by. This area is very close to the Hungarian Monument at Liberty Square. It's a beautiful piece of sculpture by the way and nice little area to sit for a moment and clear your mind.

I didn't have to walk too far until I found BeanTown Hoagie. They are open until 4pm on weekdays, have a very friendly staff, and a wonderful assortment of sandwiches, snacks, and Boar's Head brand condiments. I had a turkey wrap with avocado that was really good. They also have fresh and dried fruit, nuts, gourmet baked goods, beverages, and more.

They also carry Tate's Bake Shop Gluten-Free cookies. I tried the chocolate chip and they are awesome! You won't even miss the gluten!

You can even find Nutella & Go or something sort of similar called Yan Yan, which is a a Japanese snack food. I've never seen these before, but they were lined up all pretty in a row, so how could I resist?

Yan Yan has a biscuit stick that you dip. The dipping flavors are strawberry, vanilla, and chocolate. The sticks are like fortune cookies in that they have random sayings on them, but then there is also a picture of an animal too. Very random! The taste is okay. These are fun and colorful treats if you need a break in your day and I'm sure kids would love them.

Anyway, if you're looking for a place to grab some food and snacks, give BeanTown Hoagie a try and and tell them that I sent you!

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Google+: Are You On It?

2011-10-09T12:13:00.002-04:00

This week has been crazy busy! There's so much that I wanted to blog about, but I haven't had time. I'm just popping in to ask you a quick question.

Are you on Google+? If you are, do you like it? Is it worth all the hype?

When Google+ was still bright shiny and new, I was NOT one of the few selected to try it. So I lost my enthusiasm for it. A few people offered me invites, but I declined. Life went on fine without it.

Recently, I received a few more Google+ invites and I'm still not feeling it. The thrill is gone. I've already passed on Foursquare. I feel no need to let people know where I am at every moment. It's usually not that exciting anyway.

I'm already an active user on Facebook , Tumblr, Twitter, Flickr, and LinkedIn. Plus I blog!

Where does it end?

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New England Leaf Peepers: Looking For Breakfast?

2011-10-02T12:07:00.001-04:00

If you're in Milford, New Hampshire, near the Milford Oval, also known as Union Square, then check out The Riverhouse Cafe. The interior is colorful and inviting.

When G and I visited, it was a warm day and tables and chairs were set up outside, so you could enjoy the Square.

The blueberry pancakes are out of this world! You can't see the blueberries at first, but they are in there!

Didn't I tell ya? : ) If we had more time, we would have walked around a bit more. It's a pretty little area. Classic New England. And would be a gorgeous place to spend some time enjoying the fall foliage.

Happy Leaf Peeping to you! 'Tis the season!

Disclosure: Meal gift certificate courtesy of The Riverhouse Cafe, which El gave away in a Twitter contest! Thank you!

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Random Meal Tip: Meatloaf Makeover

2011-09-28T14:58:00.000-04:00

Photo via Root Cellar Preserves

A few months ago, I received a surprise box full of goodies from El, a very creative and generous lady who strongly supports the New England food community.

Two of the items are Root Cellar Preserves Sweet Corn Relish and Butternut Mountain Farm Vermont Maple Syrup Barbecue Sauce.

I wasn't quite sure how I'd use them, but last night I made a turkey meatloaf and used the corn relish and barbecue sauce to really pump up the flavor. I don't use a recipe, but improvise as I cook.

Also, I don't eat most meats, just poultry and seafood. I've tried a few brands of ground turkey. Most all ground turkey is fine, even store brands. I also sometimes buy turkey bacon.

There is one brand however, that I absolutely do NOT recommend. I did not like the flavor at all the first time that I tried it several years ago. I thought it was a fluke, so I bought it again. Silly me. I still did not like it and have never gone back.

That is just my opinion. Maybe some of you might like it, but if this brand is the one that you tried and you didn't like it, try a store brand, Perdue, or Butterball, which taste really good and I highly recommend.

Usually I add some combination of dried oregano, basil, Trader Joe's Lemon Pepper, chopped onions, and any other spice or herb that might catch my eye at the moment. This time instead of adding chopped onions, I added about a half a cup of the corn relish along with the other seasonings.

When I was a kid, my mother always topped her meatloaf with a bit of catsup, so I usually do the same. This time I used the barbecue sauce and used a lot of it. Then spread it like frosting over the top. The flavor of this meatloaf was out of this world!

It really does pay to experiment with different flavors and ingredients. I hope you'll try it! If you do, please let me know. Also, do you have any surprising uses of flavors and ingredients?

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True Neopoltan Pizza In New England: Posto

2011-09-27T11:32:00.000-04:00

If you want authentic Neopolitan pizza in New England, AVPN certified, you only have one choice. Posto in Davis Square, Somerville, Massachusetts, just recently became certified.

In all of New England! That says quite a lot when you think about all the Italian restaurants in Boston and Providence.

I've never been to Posto, but must say that I'm intrigued. They are on my radar and definitely a place that I plan to visit. That they would go through so much trouble to become certified says something to me about their quality of food and standards. I'll definitely walk in there with high expectations!

The True Neapolitan Pizza Association (AVPN) Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana, is a non-profit organization founded in June 1984 in Naples. The AVPN is represented abroad by two delegations: VPN Americas and VPN Japan. According to the website, delegations in China and Korea are in the works.

Also, just in case you're wondering, as I was, the ingredients of a Neopolitan pizza are: flour, plum tomatoes, extra-virgin olive oil, buffalo and cow’s milk mozzarella.

Most definitely some of my favorite things! Yum!

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And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going

2011-09-25T12:30:00.002-04:00

Summer is having a Dreamgirls moment. Apparently she told Fall, "I'm Not Going."

Last week it was cold. I pulled out the winter blankets and put the fans away. The heat even came on for a brief moment. Fall was here in full force.

I resigned myself to the reality of the season change. "No more ice coffee," I sadly thought. It's usually hot coffee for me, except on the hottest of days.

Then this week the humidity and heat returned. My scone baking class yesterday went great. Except for that it was 80 degrees out and we were boiling inside with all those ovens on.

But I'm not complaining. I'm not really ready to see summer go. It's always a forced break-up.

So today I took out the fans again. Sipped some iced coffee and enjoyed summer's parting words, "You're gonna love me." Oh, yes I do!

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A Waterfront Walk

2011-09-23T17:23:00.000-04:00

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My Japanese Table + Debra Samuels

2011-09-20T21:34:00.002-04:00

Last week I got schooled. It's September, so the timing was right!

What did I learn? About obento and the fine art of making lunches in Japan. Cookbook author Debra Samuels spoke about her latest cookbook, My Japanese Table and I learned far more than I could have imagined.

Her love for Japanese food and culture started when she was an exchange student in college and traveled to Japan. Since then, she has immersed herself in the cooking and traditions.

We had a chance to try some obento too. Everything was so good! I learned that in Japanese homes, food is presented beautifully, not just at restaurants. Samuels said that balance is key and noted the importance of different colors on a plate. Balance isn't just about color, it's also about a variety of flavors.

A fun part of her presentation was when she showed the difference between a lunch that an American mother might make for her child and the lunch that a Japanese mother would make. The difference was striking.

You can probably guess the American lunch. A sandwich in a brown paper bag, with an apple, some pieces of candy and a handwritten note from mom with love. While it was made with love, as the note indicated, it probably didn't take too long to prepare.

Obento takes hours to prepare. The bento box which holds the food is adorable. Take a look at this Flickr pool to get an idea. The food is cut and arranged to be even cuter. Apparently teachers look at obento as a gauge as to how things are at home. So if the obento isn't as colorful or cute as it used to be, it might be a sign that something is wrong. No slacking allowed!

"Food must look like there is an effort made," says Samuels. In American culture, it's more common for a mother to tell her children that she loves them. But in Japanese culture, instead of saying the words, a beautifully arranged obento is a way for a mother to show her love.

While I didn't purchase the cookbook, I did look through it. The pictures are beautiful and the recipes look wonderful. There's also a very nice dessert section at the end. For dessert, we were served mochi that was prepared by Erino of Mochi Kitchen. We had a chance to chat and she's just as sweet as the dessert that she made!

Samuels said that for six days straight, she cooked through 20 recipes each day with her food stylist, photographer, and a group of Japanese women who checked each dish for authenticity.

The latest culinary trend is obento, according to Samuels. And it makes sense. Not only is it cute, healthy, and portable, but it's green. The box is reusable, so no wrapping or extra packaging is needed. Nothing to throw away.

And obento isn't only for Japanese food. It can be made with any type of food. It's the "obento spirit" that counts. Take some food. Fit it into the box. Then present it beautifully. Sounds good to me.

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Milk Money: Not Quite What You Think

2011-09-17T15:17:00.000-04:00

Looking through some recent pictures that I took near the waterfront, I noticed the peculiar juxtaposition of two iconic Boston structures. The giant Hood Milk Bottle and Boston's Federal Reserve Building behind it.

Milk and money. Talk about endless levels of discussion about two little words!

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Tomato Tart + Pepperidge Farm Dreams

2011-09-15T01:30:00.002-04:00

A few nights ago, I had a very interesting dream.

I was looking through a large desk draw with snacks in it and I was so excited looking through the different flavors.

The snacks were by Pepperidge Farm, wrapped in a waxed white paper with their logo on it. The snacks were rectangle pastries, but with vegetable fillings in them. I was looking at the summer squash ones and couldn't wait to try them.

When I woke up, I had to laugh. Had I just invented a new product? Why was it so specific? A branded dream? Who gets paid for impressions on my subconscious? Hmmmm.

Anyway, I finally realized why I was thinking about Pepperidge Farm. Recently I bought their puff pastry and used it to make a tomato tart.

Oh, and I bought the Goldfish Sandwich Bread! I know it's for kids, but it was too cute to pass up! It was on sale and I had a coupon. While mostly it's for me, I did give some to actual children when we went to the beach. I guess I'm more of a Pepperidge Farm fan than I realized.

So back to the tomato tart. I saw a recipe for Southern Tomato Pie on page 30 of the July/August issue of Fresh Magazine for Hannaford Supermarket. It looked soooo good and my mother had just given me some fresh tomatoes from her garden.

I had most of the other ingredients, so I decided to try it, but with puff pastry. Which I think turns it from a pie into a tart. Like magic!

The recipe is pretty simple, as you can see. I used most of the same ingredients, but used regular mayonnaise, lowfat vanilla bean Greek yogurt, lemon pepper, and quadrupled the amount of dried basil. I know it sounds like I added a cup of basil, but it was actually only one teaspoon. I loved it!

My mom gave me three little tomatoes and a summer squash. There's puff pastry left too, so I may try this again. Or maybe I'll modify it a bit and make the summer squash snack of my dreams.

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Recipe: Strawberry Birthday Cupcakes with Mascarpone Frosting

2011-09-12T17:10:00.000-04:00

As mentioned in the last post, I had a birthday recently. For some reason, thoughts of strawberry cupcakes kept popping into my head. So I found a recipe.

Since I didn't need 30 cupcakes, I halved the recipe and made a few changes in keeping with my style of baking. Everyone LOVED these cupcakes! I'll definitely make them again.

It was a Martha Stewart recipe, so how could I go wrong? My adapted version of her recipe is below. I created the frosting recipe and the measurements are approximate, because I didn't measure.

Strawberry Birthday Cupcakes (Adapted from Martha Stewart)
(makes 1 dozen cupcakes)

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) Smart Balance (softened)
3/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2/3 cup vanilla rice milk
2/3 cup chopped strawberries

INSTRUCTIONS:
Put paper liners in muffin pan and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine ingredients in a medium bowl as you like. I usually start with Smart Balance, sugar, eggs, vanilla, then add dry ingredients and strawberries last. Pour mixture in pan.

Bake for 20- 30 minutes. Check for slight browning and do toothpick test. When done, remove from oven and cool in the fridge until ready to frost.

Mascarpone Frosting: In a small bowl, combine about 1/4 cup Smart Balance, 1/4 cup mascarpone cheese, a dash of salt, about 2 cups powdered sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla extract, and about 2 T vanilla rice milk. Stir until smooth. Check the consistency. Taste. Make adjustments for your liking.

Enjoy!

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When Your Birthday Is September 11th

2011-09-08T16:29:00.000-04:00

In the United States, we are identified by our birthdays. It’s asked for when we visit the doctor. It’s on our driver's license and passport.

Our birthdays are the day when certain legal rights and responsibilities are put upon us.

On our 16th birthday, many of us are thinking about getting our driver’s license.

In most states, our 18th birthday is the day we become legal adults. 18 is a big one. So is 21. The legal drinking age.

Turning 25 brings us to the quarter century mark. After that, the transition to each new decade brings a different phase of life. Each of us makes that transition on the same day each year. It’s our own personal New Year.

For those who love us, it’s like our own personal Valentine’s Day. We get gifts, flowers, cards, a good meal and cake.

It’s a special day for our parents too. Our arrival that day brought joy and big changes. Like a personal Thanksgiving, we are thankful for our lives on that day.

Our birthdays are a day of joy, importance, and filled with emotion. The quote below sums it up nicely.

"Never underestimate the immense importance
of someone’s birthday, Sweet Angel,
to that same someone,
on that very day.
It’s like, really, really HUGE."

But what happens when the world changes on your birthday? What happens when the day that is central to your identity becomes a day that people speak about with loathing and horror? When the actual date becomes synonymous with hell on earth?

For a previous generation, those born on December 7th, Pearl Harbor Day, learned what that felt like. The article, When Birthday's a Day of Infamy, gives us an idea. Suzanne Strempek Shea writes the following passages:

When asked when my birthday is, I answer “Pearl Harbor Day.” For clarification, I add: “Not the actual one, but 17 years later.” And, for most of my life, people knew exactly what I meant. …

In recent years, when I’ve given my birthday answer of “Pearl Harbor Day,” I’ve gotten a blank look, or another question: “What’s that?” Such a question usually comes from someone 30 or younger, to whom all but the tail end of the 20th century might as well be the time of the pharaohs. I give the basic facts: where the harbor is, what happened, how many were killed, how war was declared. I toss in the infamy line, including the news that, according to William Safire, Roosevelt scratched out the words world history and substituted infamy – and eyes glaze. Few and far between are the responses I once received, including “My father/brother/uncle died there.”

The name for the awful anniversary doesn’t help with recognition. In a New York Times story titled “A Day to Dance or Weep?,” Aimee Lee Ball three months ago wrote of the confused emotions felt by some whose birthdays coincide with the attacks of Sept. 11.

“The phenomenon is perhaps akin to a Dec. 7 birthday for an earlier generation,” Ball offered, “but unlike Pearl Harbor, 9/11 is an event known by the date it occurred, forming an immediate visceral association.”

That visceral association is something all too real for me. I was born many years before the attacks in 2001, but my birthday is September 11th.

I’ve written about my birthday a few times on this blog. As a writer, how could I not? Each year I feel a bit differently about it. With the 10th anniversary of the attacks being remembered this year, it adds to the mixed feelings.

I have some birthday plans that I’m looking forward to. Yet, I wonder if we’ll be attacked again. What will happen? So much sadness. All the loss. Should I try and tune out all media? Is that even possible?

My mother gave me some insight today. “It was such a wonderful day when you were born. My first child. My daughter. It was a special day. Now I have mixed emotions, but I do have a demarcation in my heart, so that I can separate the joy from the anguish. I think it’s important to keep the celebration and just know that the celebration is inside our home.”

Dahlia Gruen turned 10 on the day of the attacks. She created a website called BirthdaySpirit.org for people born on September 11th, so that we can celebrate the goodness born on a tragic date. On the website, people can express some of the emotion with having 9/11 as their birth date. Below are some quotes from the site.

"It's nice to commiserate with someone who knows what it feels like to wake up on your day of celebration to the sound of memorial dirges on the radio or TV... Now having a place to let those thoughts out makes me get ready to celebrate my birthday."

"Thank you so much for creating this site; it is so good to know that I am not alone. I have stopped celebrating my birthday because of all the negative responses from my peers and other people. Thanks to this inspiring site, I decided to celebrate my birthday this year. Thank you for your kindness and support."

Sharon Schneider, who also has a September 11th birthday, writes on her blog that she’ll be running the Chicago Half Marathon and raising money to donate to charity.

Life can be so difficult, but there is much beauty too. We must find ways of finding good within each tragedy, so we can go on. Maybe the September 11 birthdays are the light within the dark.

Christina-Taylor Green was born on September 11, 2001. From what I’ve read about her, she was a joyful, smart, beautiful little girl, who wanted to go into politics when she grew up. She was killed during the shooting spree in Arizona when she went to see Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.

The Christina-Taylor Green Memorial Scholarship was created by Running Start, a nonprofit group dedicated to educating young women about politics. So even in Christina’s short life that started on a fateful day, she continues doing good and making a difference.

Some say that there is spiritual component to the day of our birth and suggest that it’s the day to find our life purpose. While I’m not sure that I know the exact purpose of my life, I know that writing is part of it.

And as I blow out the candles on my birthday cake, or maybe cupcakes, this Sunday, my birthday wish will include a remembrance and a prayer.

*Updated 9/12/11* There are several Facebook pages for people with 9/11 birthdays. Here are links to a couple: Yes My Birthday Is on 9/11, My birthday is on 9/11. Also, singer Moby has the same birthday. It's taken him a while to begin celebrating his birthday on the actual day, but he's back on track!

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The Tiny House Movement In Massachusetts

2011-09-06T15:04:00.001-04:00

Ever since I started reading blogs about simple living and the tiny house movement, I've been interested in learning more. It seemed like a fun topic to write about, so I proposed an article.

Long story short, I interviewed the Diedricksen brothers for the article Space Savers in the September issue of South Shore Living Magazine.

Derek aka "Deek" writes the blog Relaxshacks.com, does Tiny Yellow House videos and his book Humble Homes, Simple Shacks is available for pre-order on Amazon.

It was great meeting them, learning how they came to embrace the idea of simple living in small houses, and seeing Dawn and Dustin's Scituate house that they all collaborated on.

The article might be available online eventually, but the September issue isn't on the website yet. If you live in Massachusetts, you can buy South Shore Living Magazine at CVS, Stop & Shop, and Hannaford.

It's a wonderful magazine and the September issue focuses on small spaces with big personality. If this interests you, I hope you go and pick up a copy!

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Carson Beach, South Boston

2011-09-04T22:33:00.001-04:00

How quickly can you put together a picnic for an impromptu afternoon at the beach?

Deviled eggs, popcorn, peanut butter + jelly sandwiches, tuna sandwiches, lemonade, bananas, water.

Boiling eggs, chopping onions, squeezing lemons, and popping corn. No baking though. There wasn't time.

Maybe I'm a bit slow. But it was that kind of a day. That perfect kind of summer day. Even though it's the end of summer.

Maybe that made it even more perfect. Because so few days like this remain.

Even this bird knew today was a good one. Is it striking a pose?

Sand. Sun. Food. Fun. Yes, it was a good day.

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Dinner Club: Jamie Oliver

2011-08-31T13:16:00.000-04:00

It's been quite some time since the last Dinner Club post. There was some disagreement about whether or not to meet during the summer. Some wanted to. Others thought that it would be too much.

Well, here we are on the last day of August and our last dinner was in June. We're supposed to start up again in September with an end of the summer Bobby Flay barbecue. Hopefully it will happen!

So back to our last dinner. Jamie Oliver was the celebrity chef. He's one of my favorites in terms of personalities and I love his show!

We all noticed something similar about his recipes. He's rather fast and loose with the amounts of ingredients, so we all reached a point in cooking where we had to go back, read again, and were like, "What?! How much?"

Also, his recipes tend to have descriptive fun names. I started to edit them to just the actual dish, but why take out the personality? It's one of the things that I like about him.

We all enjoyed our food. I did make a mistake with the cannelloni though. After I put it in the oven, I realized that I forgot one of the cheeses.

When I opened the fridge and saw the cheese, I wondered, "Why is that still there? Oh noooo!!" I had a small meltdown, but recovered and just put the cheese on top. It was fine.

My favorites were the green bean salad and the bruschetta. Oh and the corn chowder too! So good!

The meal ended up being vegetarian, although it wasn't planned that way. Jamie loves his vegetables! Here's our full menu below.

Dinner Club #7: Jamie Oliver

Baby Artichoke Bruschetta

Good Old French Bean Salad

Awesome Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni

Corn Chowder

A Rather Pleasing Carrot Cake with Lime Mascarpone Icing

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New Bedford's Buttonwood Park Zoo + Farm

2011-08-30T13:35:00.000-04:00

Until this summer, I didn't know that New Bedford had its own zoo. Well, now I know better after visiting while on a writing assignment.

Buttonwood Park Zoo is not only a zoo, but it has a farm within the zoo. And it's known as one of the finest small zoos in the United States.

For those of you who are AAA members living in Connecticut, Massachusetts, or Rhode Island, you can see the article that I wrote about it in AAA Horizons Magazine September 2011 issue for the In Your Backyard column. It should be arriving in the mail soon, although I haven't received mine at home yet.

Also, if you live in one of these areas, you can see the article online here. AAA publications seem to be regional, so if you click on the link and don't put in the correct zip code, then you'll just get a map and it won't bring you to the article.

Look at this free-range chicken! There's also a carousel and a zoo choo choo!

I had a wonderful time walking around the zoo, seeing the animals, and learning about the zoo's rescued animals and conservation mission.

New Bedford is not too far from the Boston area and the zoo is a great place for a day trip.

As a matter of fact, I went back to New Bedford a few weeks later for a similar writing assignment. I'll let you know when the next article is published!

*9/1/2011 Updated* Today I realized that the AAA Horizons Magazines are somewhat different for each county. My article is found in the Bristol Horizons AAA Southern New England.

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Decorate: Boston

2011-08-28T19:00:00.000-04:00

"Your home should tell the story of who you are, and be a collection of what you love brought together under one roof." ~ Nate Berkus

I really like this quote. Maybe it's the Virgo in me, but ever since I was a kid, having comfortable neat surroundings has always been very important to me.

My mom tells me that once when I was very young, a friend came over to play and really messed up my room. I was not happy and wouldn't go to sleep until we cleaned it up. She also says that one summer we stayed in a house near to where my father was teaching. The curtains in my room had really big flowers that totally freaked me out and she had to take them down.

As a teenager, I would paint my room different colors, change the curtains, add area rugs and do different things with design to make my room better reflect me and what I wanted.

Since I rent, there are only so many things that I can do with my apartment now. Sadly no painting. But overall, it's a comfortable space that I've been able to transform it into something that relects my personality. I've had people say when they walk in for the first time, that it's very artsy and comfortable. That makes me feel great!

The older I get, the more I realize that I have a very creative nature. Color, texture, smell, and light are all things that I think about in my home. As I started reading more blogs, I found myself drawn to many design blogs like decor8.

Since I've been reading it for years, I was really excited when I learned that the blogger behind it, Holly Becker, was writing a book and would going on tour. Her first stop was Boston, because she lived in this area most recently before becoming an expat and moving to Germany with her husband.

Hearing her speak about design from a professional point of view was quite interesting. Getting into the mind of a designer and seeing how the planning happens isn't something that most of us are privy to. I bought her book and am looking forward to going through it for more inspiration.

I'm noticing more about what attracts my eye. Some things that I like take me by surprise. Does that ever happen to you?

Several years ago, I went to a writing retreat, which was held at the instructor's home. I absolutely was in love with the way she designed her house! She had all these different colored rugs, prayer flags, art on the walls, pottery, plants. Lots of layering.

As much as I had thought I was all about the neutrals and simplicity, that was more in my head, but not in my heart. I like a combination of the two. Funny how that happens.

After Holly spoke, there were some snacks for us to munch on. Although, people didn't seem to eat much. It was a bit of a different crowd than food bloggers. But it was a pretty spread and I have some nice photos to use for later.

If you're interested in seeing more about the Boston event, take a look at the recap on decor8 and you can follow along as she blogs about the different stops that she's made on her book tour: Chicago, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. Now she's on her way to to Philadelphi and New York. So if you're there and want to go, you might be able to drop by!

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Giada De Laurentiis: Cooking In The North End

2011-08-26T16:10:00.001-04:00

Photo courtesy of Bella Sera Wines

Award-winningchef and cookbook author Giada De Laurentiis will be in Boston’s North End tomorrow!

She'll be on stage at the corner of Thacherand Endicott Street toparticipate in St. Anthony’s Feast.

From 2- 3pm, De Laurentiis will demo some of herfavorite recipes and wine pairings. She’ll sign her cookbookfrom 3 - 4:30 pm.

If you can’t go to the event, you can still make some of therecipes at home. That ricotta dessert has my name all over it. And I'll be looking to try this new to me moscato!

Take a look at the recipes below:

* * *

Lamb with ChiantiVinaigrette

Pair with Bella Sera Chianti

4-6 lamb rib or loinchops

2 cups Chianti (orother red wine)

1 tablespoon honey

¼ cup extra-virginolive oil

1 tablespoon choppedfresh rosemary leaves

1 teaspoon koshersalt, plus more for seasoning

1 teaspoon freshlyground black pepper, plus more for seasoning

Place a grill panover medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Season the lamb withsalt and pepper. Grill until caramel-colored grill marks appear, and aninstant-read meat thermometer registers 125 degrees F. for medium-rare, about 5to 7 minutes per side, depending on thickness.

Meanwhile, place thewine in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Boil gently until reduced to 1cup, about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat. Whisk in the honey until dissolved.Add the extra-virgin olive oil, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Whisk to combine.

Serve the lamb chopson a platter with a serving bowl of the Chianti vinaigrette alongside fordrizzling over the meat.

“I like thetanginess of the reduced wine with the lamb,” Giada says.

Show: EverydayItalian “Vineyard Visit” Recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis

* * *

Piadina withFontina and Prosciutto

Pair with Bella Sera Pinot Grigio

3½ cups all-purposeflour, plus more for dusting

½ teaspoon bakingsoda

Fine sea salt

½ cup (1 stick)unsalted butter, cut into ½- inch pieces, at room temperature

2 tablespoons oliveoil

1 (15-ounce)container (2 cups) whole- milk ricotta cheese

2 teaspoons gratedlemon zest (from 1 to 2 lemons)

Freshly ground blackpepper

3 cups (6 ounces)grated Fontina cheese

4 ounces prosciutto,thinly sliced

1 cup chopped freshbasil leaves

Combine the flour,baking soda, and 1 teaspoon salt in the bowl of an upright mixer fitted with adough hook attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until incorporated,about 2 minutes. With the machine running, slowly add up to 2/3 cup water,until the mixture forms a dough around the hook. Transfer the dough to alightly floured work surface and knead 5 minutes, or until smooth. Cut thedough into 4 equal pieces. Form into disk shapes and wrap in plastic wrap.Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Place a grill panover medium- high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill.

On a lightly flouredwork surface, roll out each piece of dough into an 8- to 10- inch circle, about1/8 inch thick. Brush each circle with olive oil. Grill for 4 minutes on eachside. Remove the piadina from the grill and let cool slightly.

Combine the ricottacheese and lemon zest in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Spread eachpiadina with ½ cup of the ricotta mixture. Sprinkle with the Fontina cheeseevenly over the ricotta cheese. Arrange the prosciutto slices on top of thecheeses. Cut each piadina into 8 wedges and transfer to a serving platter.Garnish with the chopped basil.

* * *

Ricotta withHoney and Raspberries

Pair with Bella Sera Moscato

1 pound ricottacheese

1 teaspoon sweetenedcocoa powder

1 cup freshraspberries

2 tablespoons honey

2 biscotti cookies

In a serving bowl,add ricotta cheese. Using a small sieve, sprinkle cocoa powder over thericotta. Top with fresh raspberries, and drizzle with honey. Use the biscotticookies as spoons.

Recipe courtesy ofGiada De Laurentiis | Show : EverydayItalian “Weeknight Dinner”

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All Star Sandwich Bar: Mother Approved!

2011-08-25T10:50:00.002-04:00

That would be my mom! Last week we had lunch in Cambridge at All Star Sandwich Bar.

Not only did we both really enjoy our meals, but my mother, even remarked that their creamy slaw was so good that it reminded her of what she used to make at home from scratch. And it did! Just like mom used to make!

Oh, and by the way, All Star Sandwich Bar is the eatery that has the mysterious handprint on the wall. I hadn't even noticed it. It was behind me when I was sitting down and my mom pointed it out. Kinda cool huh? ; )

Well let's get back to the meat of this review! I actually had a vegetarian sandwich. Like all their sandwiches, it was big. The thick portobello mushrooms gave it just the right texture and flavor too.

Be warned. The sandwiches have so much in them that it tends to fall out and gets kind of messy. They don't skimp on serving size! So it might not be a first date kind of place, because there could be judging.

Other than that, the atmosphere is really fun. It's comfortable and the service was very very good. Friendly and fast. And not just to us. The service was uniformly good to everyone from what I could see.

Oh and the buttermilk soaked onion rings! You must try these onion rings. In many restaurants, they are so thickly coated and greasy that they tend to make me ill. But these were perfect! And the serving size was so generous that I brought the leftovers home and enjoyed them the next day. I ~~would~~ will be going back for these.

All Star Sandwich Bar is easy to get to and there's plenty of metered street parking until 6pm. Make sure you have some quarters before then!

In October, Executive Chef and co-owner Johnny Diamantopoulous will be opening All Star Pizza Bar right across the street. Johnny is all about giving the customer choices.

From September 6 -30, the Annual Global Street Foods menu will be available. So you'll have even more sandwiches to choose from.

This fall is looking tasty!

Disclosure: Lunch courtesy of All Star Sandwich Bar and Chris Lyons Communications.

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Happy Birthday Virgo!

2011-08-23T02:25:00.002-04:00

August 23 - September 22 is our birthday season. Hopefully there will be lots of cake, ice cream, celebration, and birthday wishes coming true for my fellow Virgos these next few weeks.

My birthday breakfast is already planned! I won a restaurant gift card from a fellow blogger and plan to use it then.

I'm curious. How many Virgos out there? What is your birthday? Any special birthday plans?

*Updated 3:02 pm* Virgo season started by shaking things up here on the East Coast. I missed it, but there was an earthquake!

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A Mysterious Handprint

2011-08-19T17:43:00.000-04:00

Do you know where to find this handprint? It's a hint. If you've been to this Cambridge eatery, then you know what place I'm going to be writing about soon. Any guesses?

For now, I'm getting ready to go to a Brockton Rox game with my brother. Assuming it doesn't get rained out. It's not looking so good at the moment.

Tomorrow I'm going to a Mood Board How-To & Book Signing with Holly Becker of Decor8 at Anthropologie. I'm so excited! Talk about a bloggable event!

Any big plans for the weekend?

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Guest Post: Roasted Chicken a la Jannick

2011-08-16T21:12:00.005-04:00

You know what Lisa and readers? When I was 11 my most daring culinary adventure was making scrambled eggs. In a bad pot. On a bad electrical stove on low heat.

I had to keep stirring it or it would burn. It was in those loooong minutes of making my eggs that I learned one of the most important lessons of cooking: patience.

The taste of the food you make is an expression of the love, patience and products you put in to it. If one of them fails, so will your dinner. Back then I didn’t know I loved to cook, I just did it, later making many more dishes.

It wasn’t until a 22-23 year old British dude with an awesome accent showed up in Danish television that I felt truly inspired and just had to get going with this cooking thing. Fortunately my best friend was right there with me. So we made a lot of his recipes. I am of course talking about Jamie Oliver, and even though we left a mess to be cleaned, the food usually turned out very good and people were happy.

The recipe I’d like to share here is Jamie Oliver’s Roasted Chicken. I’ve made this on several occasions and it seems that both young and old share my profound liking for this juicy, tender and very flavorful piece of chicken. It’s so easy it’s almost a joke.

It can be done in many different ways, but I do have two favorites though: Jamie Oliver’s original recipe (from his book) with prosciutto (use imported for better result) and lemon and my own version with parsley, thyme and garlic. All neatly mixed with a very good nub of butter.

Before starting to cook make sure to have everything prepared. I usually add these main ingredients to my cooking experience:

- tasting what is being made

- getting the hands dirty (it’s not hard to get olive oil and butter off your hands)

- drinking alcoholic beverage (Don’t deny yourself something sparklyJ)

- laughing

- sharing the moment with family and friends

Recipe: Perfect Roast Chicken The guidelines are all in his recipe; here I’ll instead share my own experience with making the dish.

First and foremost: every time I make chicken in the oven, I need to search for how many degrees and time per pound. So here are the guidelines. For this chicken I put it at 375 F/190 C for approximately 80 minutes. The chicken was 1,8 kg or very close to 4 pounds.

How would you like the potatoes? Cooked quicker to give it a more potato/French fry taste or slowly cooked for a more creamy texture on the inside and very tasty?

Quick: Add the potatoes approximately 45 minutes before the chicken is done.

Slow: Add them immediately.

I want low maintenance and tasty potatoes so I’ll add them immediately. Meanwhile you can concentrate on fresh raw vegetables, a salad, bread or whatever else you would like.

Since you already have the potatoes you don’t really need to add more carbs to the meal, which bread would give you, so better go for greens. If you really want bread I urge you to make this very easy no-knead bread recipe, it’s easier to make than the chicken.

Timeline for when the chicken and potatoes are in the oven:

30 minutes: turn chicken to breast side upwards. Taste the potatoes for the first time. Oops, I added too much water and they started to boil a little. Drained water.

60 minutes: Taste potatoes again. Mine needed more salt- sea salt of course!

80 minutes: Cut into chicken. Looks great? Potatoes are tasty? Mine were.

I found out how to cut a chicken with practically a butter knife observing our “chicken lady” in Oaxaca, Mexico. At the local market a row of vendors have their chickens stacked and you just order what you’d like. Throughout our two-year stay we had bought all parts of the chicken so I got my visual course on how to cut a whole chicken into its parts (raw though): ). She gave me an F in the exam, but that didn’t discourage me (not true at all, I got a C (not true either, there was no exam)).

When making this dish watch out for these mistakes:

- Too much water in the pan – this will boil the potatoes to mush. Just add butterJ

- Too little water – guess! Yes, they will burn and stick to the pan.

- Not tasting potatoes half or ¾ way through – always taste the food.

- Not checking the chicken. Is it all the way cooked? Too dry? Obvious one, yet important. The difference between a very moist and juicy chicken and a dry one is just 5 more minutes in the oven

- Wet and soggy skin on the breast side of the chicken – Did you turn it after 30 minutes? Did you give it a 450 F whack the last 5-7 minutes?

Ideas to improve recipe for an even better result:

- See if you can cut the chicken without breaking the skin so the flavor can sink in even deeper.

- Cover the chicken or make it in a Dutch oven for a more moist and juicy result.

- Cook it for a longer time at a little lower heat (link to example 350 F: http://www.recipetips.com/kitchen-tips/t--911/chicken-cooking-times.asp)

- Increase heat to around 450 the last 5-7 minutes for a good munching on the skin.

- Increase/decrease whatever flavor you would like more/less of. I consider taste in terms of heavy (lots of butter and prosciutto) or lighter (more lemon). What does your craving tell you?

Bon Appetit.

Thanks Lisa for giving me this opportunity, it was a pleasure writing this and a pleasure getting to know you!

Great day to all!

Jannick

* * * * *

Jannick Kjaer is co-founder of the website Julio’s Sol: an online magazine that explores and uncovers the internal and external processes we all go through in the pursuit of our passion or dream. Our wish is to see a world where everyone is a creative expression of his/her passion. Dream it. Live it. Repeat.

* * * * *

Brandeis Magazine: Finding The Inner Foodie

2011-08-13T23:42:00.003-04:00

While it's always nice to receive the Brandeis Magazine in the mail, I have to say that I was surprised and super excited to see this summer's issue. The focus is on food!

Some of the Brandeis alumni spotlighted have popular Boston area establishments. Nivia Medina Pina, who with her husband Hector, founded Merengue Restaurant on Blue Hill Avenue in Roxbury. Marc Epstein founded Milk Street Cafe in Boston's Financial District and now on Wall Street in New York. Kenneth Osherow operates McKenna's Cafe, launched Savin Scoop, and bought and transformed Savin Bar and Kitchen in Savin Hill, Dorchester.

Others like Mia Bauer, founder of Crumbs Bake Shop, have taken their business all across the country. So many Brandeis alumni are doing interesting and tasty work involved in the world of food. Luckily the magazine is online, so I'm linking to the articles in case any of you would like to read more.

Finding the Inner Foodie, by Theresa Pease

Cultivating New England, by Brian Donahue
By 2060, New England could look a lot like it did a century earlier — and we wouldn't have to live on kale and parsnips all winter, either.

Home Cooking, by Max Pearlstein
Brandeis dining has gone local, global and home cooked. But you'll still find the junk food near the cash register.

Food Wars
Heller's Ellen Messer helps raise the curtain on one of the deadliest weapons in conflict zones around the world.

Dishing Up Success, by Laura Gardner
Thanks to a Heller foodie, culinary arts come to the rescue of Hoi An street kids.

* * * * *

While actress Loretta Devine isn't in the foodie section, she's one of my favorites and was also featured in this issue. So here's a link to the article about her as well.

Great issue Brandeis!

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The Melting Pot: Do Some Fondue

2011-08-09T15:05:00.002-04:00

My friend and I visited The Melting Pot in Boston a few weeks ago. Actually it was July 14th.

I specifically tried to find a a place where we could have a fairly inexpensive lunch with a French theme to celebrate Bastille Day. We were going to have lunch anyway, so why not mark the day?

Also, I was intrigued with the idea of a place that served fondue all the time. It seems that fondue may be more Swiss than French, based on this Wikipedia article. Oh well...

My belief that lunch would be inexpensive was rather misguided too. It was not. You could run up quite a bill. A gift card for The Melting Pot is a great idea.

But it's also a really fun experience. Who doesn't love dipping and playing with their food? I know that I do!

I really liked watching the cheese fondue being prepared on the table. By the way, our waiter Jeff was hilarious! When he left, he said to tell our friends to come by and ask for him. So ask for Jeff! : )

Also the Hostess was wonderful. There was a very high level of attention and customer service from the second we walked in to when we walked out. The service was outstanding and beyond what you see at many restaurants.

While I enjoyed the lunch, my favorite part was dessert! Don't you love this Yin & Yang Chocolate Fondue design?

I'll definitely go back to The Melting Pot. They are having some specials for Restaurant Week, which starts Sunday, August 14, 2011. This would be a great time to go, because you might get a break on the price, yet still enjoy the food and fun!

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Nightmares

2011-08-07T14:33:00.002-04:00

A picture that I took on Beacon Hill.

Maybe it's because of watching violence and disaster on the news. The debt ceiling fiasco and general disappointment with the government. Or just stresses in my life. But I've been having more nightmares than usual.

On this blog, I've written about dreaming and nightmares before, but it's been a while. Thankfully, I don't have too many nightmares. So I thought I'd give you a glimpse into my subconscious.

The first nightmare was a few weeks ago. I was in a playground or some other open area outside. Out of the blue, there was gunfire. I looked down at my right arm and there was a hole with pink and red. I could tell that I had been shot. I was more angry than scared and thought, "This CANNOT be happening to me. It must be a nightmare." Then luckily I woke up.

Last night, I dreamt that I was in downtown Boston. Standing on Tremont Street near the corner of Park Street. It's up the street from this picture, but you can get an idea about the width of the street if you're not familiar with the area.

So I look at the street and see water gushing and everyone is running and panicking. All I can think is that I have to get to higher ground or I'm going to die, because the street is turning into a river. When you walk up Park Street, you're on Beacon Hill at the State House, so I started running up.

I tried to use my cell phone, but I wasn't reaching who I was trying to call. I was talking to someone in Oregon who was saying that things were horrible there too. I've never been to Oregon, but they seem to have a lot of cool bloggers there.

Anyway, I started running again and there were all these people around who I didn't know. And we were all looking for safety and sort of squatting in doorways and front steps to catch our breath and trying to think of what to do next. I put my head in my hands and started crying. Then I woke up. What a way to start the day. Geesh!

The more I think about it, I think it did mean something that all of us people were running and panicking in the shadow of the State House. Maybe the government is causing my nightmares. Hmmm....

Feel free to leave your dream interpretations in the comments!

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Elif Shafak: The politics of fiction | Video on TED.com

2011-08-06T12:21:00.001-04:00

This video is about 20 minutes long, but hopefully you can find some time to watch. It's well worth the time.

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Recipe: Ricotta Cake

2011-08-03T20:47:00.002-04:00

After seeing a recipe for Torta Di Ricotta in the Edible South Shore Magazine, I ripped it out. Clearly this would be something that I would be trying. It took about a year. But I did get to it, albeit in a roundabout way.

When visiting Boston Cheese Cellar in Roslindale a few months ago, this recipe popped into my head. So I decided to buy some good quality local ricotta cheese. Sadly, by the time that I got around to baking the cake, several weeks later, the cheese was going bad.

Lesson Learned: Don't buy ricotta cheese until you're ready to use it. Also I just found a recipe for homemade ricotta cheese. Maybe I'll try it.

So anyway, since the sad ricotta episode, I couldn't stop thinking about the cake that I planned to bake. Then the weather cooled down a bit. So I bought some more ricotta cheese and baked the cake yesterday. I cut the recipe in half and made a couple more changes, but it's essentially the same cake.

This is a very simple cake, but I really liked it. Next time, I'll add a bit more lemon zest and juice, which I've noted in the recipe. I squeezed some juice in by accident, but it was a nice touch. Here's the recipe below.

Ricotta Cake (Adapted from Torta Di Ricotta, Edible South Shore)

INGREDIENTS:

2 eggs
1/3 cup brown sugar (plus 2-3 T for sprinkling)
3/4 cup ricotta cheese
zest of 1/2 a lemon
1 tsp. lemon juice (squeezed from lemon)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 T olive oil
1/3 cup vanilla rice milk
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

INSTRUCTIONS:
Oil and flour a round pan. Set aside. In a medium mixing bowl, add all wet ingredients, except for milk, and sugar. Unless you really want to, then go right ahead. Whisk together well. Add in some of the flour, baking powder, and some of the milk. Keep whisking or switch to a spoon if you prefer. Add in the rest of the flour and milk. Whisk or stir until combined.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle the remaining brown sugar onto the batter. Bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes. Enjoy!

TECHmunch Boston

2011-07-31T23:32:00.002-04:00

Last week I attended a one day food blogger conference called TECHmunch. It was held at the Boston University School of Hospitality.

TECHmunch holds food blogger conferences all across the country. They were in Austin in March, New York City in June, and they will be in Los Angeles in September.

Founded in 2010 by BakeSpace.com CEO and Founder Babette Pepaj, TECHmunch conferences take place all over the country, but feel very local. In Boston, many of the speakers were from the Boston area. In a recent post, I wrote about Nikki Gardner of Art and Lemons. She spoke at the conference and I had the chance to meet her.

I enjoyed the entire conference, so it's actually pretty difficult to say which session I enjoyed more. They were all very well done and had great information. One of the things that I don't like about a lot of conferences is that they have several sessions happening at once, so you end up missing out on many interesting speakers and panel discussions.

TECHmunch was really wonderful, because everyone got to see all the sessions. The space allowed us to have all the sessions in the same room, then move around during lunch and the breaks if we wanted. There was no rushing around feeling lost looking for the correct room.

If you're a food blogger in the Los Angeles area, I definitely recommend reserving your ticket for September. At least for Boston, if you bought your ticket early, you got a nice discount. I would imagine that it's the same for all TECHmunch conferences.

And of course like most conferences, especially food blogging conferences, there were some nice treats. Several people won some highly coveted items, which I'm sure you can imagine.

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Free Food Shopping: My Mother's Garden

2011-07-30T16:17:00.001-04:00

Yesterday afternoon, I visited my parents. My mom and I went to her plot of land at the community garden. She's growing many types of squash, tomatoes, beans, lettuce, and more.

The last time that I had seen the garden, we were pulling up weeds, so my mom could plant the seeds. So much has grown since then!

We also met her garden neighbor, Pam. She is quite generous with information about what's going on with the garden community and with sharing her harvest. She dug up an onion for me and said that I could take as much basil as I want.

Woo hoo! Guess who's making fresh pesto tonight? My mom let me pick all the green beans that I wanted and gave me summer squash and zucchini.

Most of the yellow waxed beans were missing and my mom was surprised at how few green beans there were.

Pam told us that the other day, she saw yellow beans strewn about with several other vegetables in places where they shouldn't have been. Some animals had apparently gotten in and had quite a good meal.

These tomatoes have a bit more ripening to do. Maybe a week or so?

So many weeds were in the garden. But some weeds are actually wildflowers. I picked these flowers and recalled buying them at the store for between four and six dollars depending upon if they were on sale or not. Wildflowers are some of my favorites.

I realized that there isn't much difference between weeds and wildflowers. It's semantics. Weeds are unwanted. Wildflowers are for sale.

That's quite a money maker for the stores. There were so many wildflowers in the area. Next time I'm bringing scissors!

There were Black-eyed Susans and the largest brightest purple clover that I have ever seen. The bees were big, buzzing, and looking happy!

I hope you're enjoying your weekend as much as those busy bees! : )

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DVD Recommendation: Cairo Time

2011-07-28T15:05:00.001-04:00

Have you seen Cairo Time? If you're a fan of independent films, then you will love it! I just watched it last night.

I don't remember where I first heard about Cairo Time, but I put the DVD on hold at the library months ago and just got it this week. I guess a lot of people are hearing about it. It was worth the wait!

The film is directed by Rubba Nadda, an Arab Canadian young woman living in Toronto. Make sure you watch her interview in the DVD extras, along with four of her short films. I'll be looking to see more of her work. What a talent! And in her interview, she seems so down to earth and fun that you just want to hang out with her and chat over coffee.

The actors Patricia Clarkson and Alexander Siddig are wonderful. The film is a slice of life full of quiet but intense moments. Serious romantic chemistry with the beauty of Cairo in the background. And I so want Clarkson's wardrobe from this movie. Great clothes and fun music too!

Plus Alexander Siddig. Wow. I may have a new crush! What an elegant man. He reminds me of Cary Grant. Total old school charm and sizzling hot. Whew! I think I lost my train of thought...

Yes. See this film on a nice quite evening and enjoy.

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Ice Cream Making

2011-07-21T18:10:00.005-04:00

Some recent writing assignments have had me driving in southern Massachusetts. Today I was in New Bedford and had the loveliest time. It was hot, but there was a nice breeze. Ahhhh. Summertime.

Today was the perfect day to break out the ice cream machine for the first time this season. What's today's flavor? Coconut Kahlua.

Here's the recipe below, if you'd like to give this flavor a try. The measurements are approximate, because I was getting rid of the end of some ingredients and just used what was left.

Coconut Kahlua Ice Cream

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup Half & Half
1 13.5 oz. can coconut milk
1 cup vanilla rice milk
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 - 3 T Kahlua
1 tsp. vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS:
Whisk ingredients together in a medium bowl. Pour into ice cream maker and follow your ice cream maker instructions. During the summer, I keep the ice cream maker in the freezer, so it's always ready to go. It's churning right now, but it's been about 35 minutes.

So as soon as I'm done with this post, I'll be scooping it into a freezer safe container and putting in the freezer for a few hours. If you like your ice cream melty, then enjoy immediately!

Happy National Ice Cream Month!

Bertolli Culinary Tour of the North End

2011-07-18T20:45:00.003-04:00

Remember last summer when I wrote about the North End? Well, this past weekend I was there again with a small group of local food bloggers.

We had the pleasure of experiencing authentic Italy in Boston through the eyes of Bertolli. We spent a lovely Saturday touring Italian specialty shops, each of which shares Bertolli’s passion for food and fresh ingredients.

I've certainly bought my fair share of Bertolli's sauces and olive oils, and enjoyed the quality, so I was really excited to see what they had planned for us. Let me share our itinerary! Maybe you'd like to take this tour on your own one day.

Caffé Vittoria: Cappuccinos, biscotti and cannoli.
290-296 Hanover Street

Established in 1929, Caffe Vittoria is world renowned as the first Italian caffe in Boston. I've been here several times before and never tire of it. While it wasn't originally planned, we couldn't resist the offer to try some of their gelati. Enjoyed the pistachio!

Salumeria Italiana: Balsamic vinegar, olive oils, cheeses and cured meats.
151 Richmond Street

Chef Raymond Gillespie was so helpful and knowledgeable. You can email him with questions and they ship, so you can order online. This shop is a real find and certainly deserves a return trip!

Gigi Gelateria: Gelati
272 Hanover Street

I tried the Limoncello Sorbet, since I had already had gelato a bit earlier. It was such a hot day outside and this was a cool refreshing treat.

DePasquale's Homemade Pasta: Over 50 different pasta varieties.
66A Cross Street

It was great getting a chance to visit this shop, because I noticed it the last time that I was in the North End, but didn't go in. Now I know what I was missing! I've never seen so many types of pasta. And all freshly made by hand. They make the pasta for four different North End restaurants including Lucca, which was the final place on our tour.

Lucca Restaurant: A customized dinner of fresh homemade pasta paired with Italian wines.
226 Hanover Street

We all had to pace ourselves for the tastings, because we knew that we would be winding things down with a full dinner. I absolutely loved the ravioli with carmelized onion and goat cheese. We all shared the desserts and I had a nice Moscato D'Asti dessert wine.

What a meal! What a day! Thank you Lauren and Carly and to everyone for their generosity!

Disclaimer: This was an event sponsored by Bertolli and Zócalo Group. All tour food was complimentary, along with take-home gifts, and reimbursement for transportation.

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Golf Anyone?

2011-07-17T12:03:00.004-04:00

Flickr photo by Wojciech Kulicki

If anyone is looking to play some golf tomorrow, there may still be a few spots available at The 18th annual OE+ Charity Golf Tournament to benefit the Brockton Area Arc.

The Tournament is at the Fall River Country Club. Registration starts at 12pm. Shotgun start at 1:15 p.m.

Evening festivities begin with socializing at 6pm, then dinner and awards at 6:45pm. The evening includes silent auction items, raffles, and free gifts.

For information and questions, please contact Steve Petluck. Phone: 508-583-8030 x215. Email: spetluck@brocktonarc.net.

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Life List #34 - The Fort Hill Tower

2011-07-16T00:26:00.001-04:00

Looking at this tower, for me it has the feel that it could be located in Germany or Scotland. But it's actually located on Fort Hill in Roxbury, which is a section of Boston.

I've always thought that it was really pretty and wanted to take a picture. I never did until today. Since I was in the area, it seemed like the perfect time to accomplish something easy from my life list. Here's to #34!

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Wollaston Beach Sunset

2011-07-14T23:40:00.001-04:00

We don't get days like this all the time. Sometimes it's nice to just sit and watch the sun set.

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Poetry Bombing

2011-07-13T09:06:00.002-04:00

Sharing Some Thoughts & Julio's Sol

2011-07-12T20:42:00.004-04:00

Jenny Pavich and Jannick Kjaer are the founders of the website Julio's Sol. Part of their dream is to help others live their dreams too. I really admire what they are doing and hope that all their dreams come true!

On their website, they share interviews and stories of people who can inspire others. I was more than flattered and a little bewildered, when I received an email from Jannick asking me if I would share my experiences in learning to take risks.

Well, I couldn't say no, because I've realized that over the last several years, I've become way more of a risk taker than I ever would have dreamed. Maybe I can inspire someone. Who knows?

I also wrote something on how I've learned to become optimistic. There are several other people who've answered these questions too, so you will need to read through before you see my answers. Hopefully you can take a look at them all. There are some very interesting people who shared their stories.

Jannick is hoping that some of you might like to share your thoughts on some topics as well. If you're interested, please send him an email: dreamit@juliossol.com. Here are links to the stories below.

~ Dare to risk? These People Did.

~ How to be Optimistic

Thank you for the opportunity Jenny and Jannick!

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Cream: In Abington

2011-07-11T20:21:00.003-04:00

For a while, a friend has been telling me that I needed to try the ice cream at a place called Cream in Abington.

My friend enjoyed her cup of Pistachio ice cream and really loves this place. The servings are quite generous and a small is more like a medium. I tried the Coffee Kahlua Brownie. As I was eating, I was thinking that it was good, but the brownie chunks were kind of small. As I got to the end, the brownie chunks got much bigger, which was a nice surprise.

G really likes German Chocolate Cake, so when I saw that flavor ice cream, I thought that I'd bring some home for him. He said that there weren't any pieces of cake in it, which was what we expected, so he was rather disappointed.

It was a mixed bag tastewise I guess. But they serve Richardson's Ice Cream, which is a local dairy farm in Massachusetts, so supporting them is a good thing. The people at Cream were friendly and they have a nice outdoor seating area.

Plus the giant ice cream cone out front is so cute! Kids will like that. I guess adults too. : )

And well, it's ice cream. When it's hot out, it's sweet and refreshing. So if you're in the area, I'd recommend them.

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