Pilgrimage

Last weekend, Ryan and I ate our way through Boston.  I could pretend my priorities were otherwise, but aside from seeing my best friend, I really only cared about the food.  We started with lunch Legal Seafood where I ordered my standard cup of chowder and steamers.  It's always the right choice. Dinner was at Mistral, which is still incredible after all these years.  And brunch the next day was at Zaftig's in Brookline where I devoured the challah french toast.  But with our spare time?  Our minimal spare time between meals?  Well, Ryan asked what I wanted to do.  And did I ask for a ride on the Swan Boats?  Or a trip to the MFA or the Isabella Stewart Gardner museum?  A stroll down Newbury Street?  Nope.  I asked to go to Mike's.  Home of the best cannoli evah.*  Our hotel was a conveniently short walk from the North End, and at 10am, Mike's is as empty as I've ever seen it.  I picked out 2 chocolate chip cannoli, Ryan opted for a pistachio and even though it's highly nontraditional, 

I got one chocolate ricotta with chocolate chips.  Ridiculously decadent, I know.  We've been slowly rationing them out, and they will be gone too soon, but oh, so worth it.

*Yes, I'm aware there's an ongoing debate as to whether Mike's or Modern is the best place to get cannoli. I am unwavering in my devotion to Mike's.  If you want to waste your time over at Modern, go for it.  It makes the line shorter for me.

A Fond Philly Farewell

Eight years ago I packed up my tiny Beacon Hill apartment and moved to Philadelphia so that Ryan could go to graduate school. The plan: return to Boston after he finished. In a feat worthy of the Bermuda Triangle, Philadelphia sucked us in and held us (at times against our will) for eight long years. We are moving on, finally. Sadly, not back to Boston, instead to suburban hell ahem a soulless apartment complex a location where we both have manageable commutes and access to services! How's that for damning with faint praise. Here's a little guide to my Philly Favorites, should you ever find yourself down that way.

FAVORITE NEIGHBORHOOD STORE:

MAXX'S PRODUCE

This is the kind of place where when you are a regular, you feel like a regular. One of us is usually in here daily. They've got tons packed into the tiny shop, like fresh avocados, gluten free treats, nuts, yogurt, and a some prepared salads too! You'll actually feel good about giving them your business.




FAVORITE RIDICULOUS INANIMATE BEAST:

Also, when you walk home from Maxx's, you can pass the angry cheetah left tied outside a store. I'd tell you which store but it's changed hands I think four or five times since I've lived there. The only constant is the cheetah. I will definitely miss the angry cheetah. Leopard? Maybe it's a leopard? I know nothing about big cats and even less about big cat sculpture.






LERNER AND LOEWE INDUCING SCENERY:
I'm no Freddy Eynsford-Hill, but when I walk the beautiful streets in my neighborhood I often find myself humming... "I have often walked down this street before...".
Musical Side Note: Bonus points to anyone who can explain to my satisfaction why the hell anyone would take Henry Higgins over Freddy.



























SPOT WHERE TOURISTS ARE MOST LIKELY TO GET MURDERED BY NORMAL FOLK:

Reading Terminal Market may be a tourist mecca, but many of the shops there are actually meant for use by locals. Anyone who is totally broke must check out the dollar bags of veggies at OK Lee. I can't tell you how often I've been grateful for a bag of dollar cauliflower. Martin's is an absolute godsend for my non-pork eating husband. Although they have tons of pork products they have an incredible selection of poultry sausage as well. Sadly, Ochs' butcher stand has closed after 105 years. It's very sad that second rate cheesesteak hawkers and souvenir shops are pushing out legitimate businesses used by actual Philly residents. Do your protein and veggie shopping there if you've got the patience and sharp elbows. You'll need them to shove through the hoards that come to a dead stop in the middle of an aisle to ogle the Pennsylvania Dutch.


MOST HEARTBREAKING CLOSURE?:

Ron's Ribs is closed. Possibly for renovations. Possibly because chef/owner Kevin has moved on. I won't be there to find out for sure, but if you're in town, you should. Kevin did amazing things with barbecue (or Bar-B-Q). The menu was very small, but oh tasty. If you want a half chicken though, go early or call Kevin to set one aside. Those suckers go fast. It seems to be slated to reopen Summer of 2011, but only time will tell.





BEST WAY TO GAIN WEIGHT DROWN SORROWS:

Capogiro Gelato Artisans My waistline will not stand frequent visits here, but oh how I will miss the creamy goodness. They do have mail order, but for me, the joy is selecting the perfect combination (you have to pick two flavors). With 4 city locations there's really no excuse for not stopping by if you're in town. Unless you're a weird person who doesn't like ice cream like my husband.

TASTY MIDDLE EASTERN FOOD:

Leila Cafe - I feel kind of sorry for this guy. So many restaurants look beautiful but can't execute on food at all. Poor Leila's has the opposite problem. He just moved to a new location (on South Street). The place isn't all that great inside and the waitstaff is a tad neglectful, but the food is really tasty. Last time we went as I was walking home whimpering because I was so full, Ryan suggested we turn around and go back for more. Check them out on GrubHub for a delivery order. Otherwise, pray someone comes to his rescue.


FORGET IT JAKE; IT'S CHINATOWN

Sang Kee Peking Duck House may even be my choice for our last supper tonight. When I'm there, the orders on the other diners tables always look delicious but I cannot get myself to move past the Peking Duck Dinner for 2. Although the fried rice is seriously not special, the two duck dishes are absolutely heavenly. Mmmm.

SO THIS IS THE WAY IT ENDS, NOT WITH A BANG BUT A WHIMPER

I'm sure we'll go back to Philadelphia, but it will never inspire homesickness as Boston still does. It's really a good little city (she says condescendingly about the fifth biggest city in the country). I managed to live there for eight years without falling in love with Water Ice, engaging in a single Pat's vs. Geno's argument, or affecting an Italian accent when ordering prosciutto. All in all, I think it turned out rather well.

Next stop, the burbs.

RECIPE FOR RECOVERY

INGREDIENTS:
1 deck of cards
a Connells or Smiths tape (bonus points if one side is Connells and the other Smiths)
vanilla goldfish

DIRECTIONS:
Put the tape in your tape deck (you do have a tape deck don't you?) Deal yourself a hand of solitaire. Munch on goldfish cookies. At the end of two weeks, you'll find you've gained 10 pounds, memorized untold numbers of lyrics, learned how to shuffle the less lame-ass way (but not the Vegas dealer way) and you'll feel much better. However, cards, the Connells and the Smiths, goldfish cookies and a certain type of spring weather will constantly remind you of your convalescence and make you vaguely nostalgic for what was an absolute crap part of your 16th year.

Been An Angel All Year...

Well not quite an angel, but Santa (erm, my parents, Ryan and friend L) certainly hurried down the chimney with lots of kitchen goodies.

1. & 2. Reusable sandwich and snack bags - no more using up ziplocs at an alarming rate, these cute little bags will keep my lunch together and do the environment some favors in the process.

3. A three piece glass food storage set, because even though I have BPA free plastic, it's still plastic and eventually they're going to find out that plastic turns you into a newt or something.

4. A tiny dish for my salt and pepper mills to sit on so they don't shed salty and peppery bits all over my counter.

5. Itty bitty portable utensil set, so I can stop eating with a spork. Because the cafeteria only gives out sporks.

6. Nigella Express - you've already benefitted from her cheddar risotto, just think of all the other delicious recipes!

7. New candy thermometer (so meat thermometers no longer need to be inserted in white chocolate).

8. A second silpat mat! I can actually prepare a second batch of cookies while the first is still baking! More cookies! More cookies!

9. Everyday French Cooking by Christian Constant. I have been kicking myself for not buying this ever since Ryan and I left Paris (a few years ago?) We loved our meal at Cafe Constant, particularly the duck (which sadly isn't in the cookbook). It is not for the faint of heart though, it has a somewhat unthinkable number of foie gras recipes.

10. Digital meat thermometer - my current meat thermometer and I often have differences of opinion. I'm hoping I get along better with this one.

11. Empanada maker - this sucker is sweet! You use the bottom to cut your circle of dough, stick the circle on top, drop in some filling, and smoooooosh! Empanadas. Turnovers. Handpies.

poll by twiigs.com

Piggy Come Home

I'm in love.

It's a bit awkward seeing as my fifth wedding anniversary just passed, but what can I say. He's British and he's adorable. We've never met, but I know we'd be so happy together.

His name is Horace.We met online. But doesn't everybody these days?

Don't worry, his friends are totally cute too, if you're looking to hook up yourself.

Fromage Francais

Sometimes, things just all seem to come together. Last week, it was French Week over at EmilyStyle and on Friday, she asked to name our French inspiration. My answer? Cheese! That night I opened my fridge and voila, there was a lovely piece of Brie.

Spoiled creature that I am, I went to Paris for the first time when I was eight.
Don't be taken in by the sweet smile in front of the doors of Notre Dame. When it came to the cheese plate, I took no prisoners. And certainly, it did not take me long to crown Brie my favorite. But alas, back here in the states, only a pale imitation was available. This is partially because in the US cheese is supposed to be pasteurized which means you can't get the delicious French au lait cru (raw milk) cheese unless you have an intrepid cheese smuggler importer.

Over the years, I searched for a Brie replacement. Something creamy and flavorful that would remind me of true French Brie rather than the bitter, bland, dry Brie that has become ubiquitous. Some of the best were (and still are) Reblochon, Camembert and my undisputed favorite of the type - Edel de Cleron. If you have a top gourmet store or cheese monger (as a side note - how much do you love the word monger? Cracks me up. Monger. Monger. Ahem sorry.) you can probably find these, some in their true French form. And you should. Invite friends, have a creamy cheese taste-off. Or you know, don't invite friends. Pour yourself a glass of wine, lock the doors, pull the blinds and keep all to yourself.

But back to the matter of Brie. Wegman's (a major NY, PA, NJ grocery chain) has started putting out their own store brand Brie that is significantly better than much of what is readily available. Look for the label that says INTENSE (this is to warn off the people who want to coat their brie with apricot jam and walnuts or pecans or something else that will completely disguise it's taste and make the quality of their cheese irrelevant). Delicious.

So tell me, do you have a favorite cheese? Are you even a cheese person? Are you still saying monger and giggling?

Send All Your Loving

One of my dearest friendships also centers around food. We love cooking together despite the fact that both of us can get a little irritable with other people sharing our kitchen. These days we often start phone conversations skipping over the usual pleasantries and straight to "I add the onions after the garlic, right?" expecting the other to know exactly what we're talking about. So, it's a little alarming to remember, but when we were just starting out our shared food experiences were a leeetle bit different than they are today. We shared chicken fingers at a local dive bar. At work, we passed back and forth a bag of Combos (cheddar cheese/pretzel). As a side note, if that website doesn't scare the beejeezus out of you, you are probably under 18 or cracked out crazy. Saturday mornings we'd slurp large regular Cokes and nibble on burritos from Anna's Taqueria. Interestingly enough, both of us COULD cook at the time. It just didn't fit the pattern of our lives the way it does now.

But now that we've both grown up (a bit), and into people who show our love through food, we no longer live close enough to do this in the traditional way, at least not very often. And so my dear friend has been sending me love through the mail. She's had a cake delivered, and cannoli from Mike's Pastry, but these teensy tiny cupcakes from Baked by Melissa have been the big winner. They held up very well in the mail, only a small bit of frosting slippage, and each one is a perfect bite. I think my favorite is the Smores, can you see the marshmallowy goodness oozing out? Or maybe the Mint Chocolate Chip.

Do you have any favorite mail order food sources? Who do you turn to when you need to send some sweet loving?

Fig Jam

Not so very long ago, I had a delicious sandwich at a local restaurant, which I refuse to link to for many reasons, but mainly because they keep removing things I love from their menu and then charging more for the crap they still serve that I don't want. They've already done away with nachos and mac and cheese, so I shouldn't have been shocked when I realized they also scrapped my new favorite sandwich ever. Yes, I know I have a new favorite sandwich ever each month. Let's move on. Anyway. I'm loathe to give those people my money anyway, so it's just as well. My latest greatest sandwich is so very good, and its star ingredient is fig jam. It's also very versatile, I've had it three different ways, all heavenly. The only bad news, is there's not so much a recipe as a set of instructions. You need fig jam (obviously), crusty french bread (although not a baguette, the kind that gives you sandwich size slices), fresh mozzarella (yes, it must be fresh), balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Those are the key ingredients. The ones you can rotate in and out include cooked slices of chicken, prosciutto, spinach and arugula. The bread will absorb the delicious butter from your pan, the mozzarella will be creamy, the fig jam will be sweet and the balsamic will balance that sweetness with a hint of acid. You can choose to add other ingredients, or omit them depending on what you have in the house, or what you're in the mood for.


So here's my not-actually-a-recipe:
INGREDIENTS:
bread (2 slices crusty bread per person)
fresh mozzarella cheese - this is paler in color than regular mozzarella, you'll need a fist sized ball for two sandwiches.
1 T balsamic vinegar (per 2 sandwiches)
1-2 t olive oil (per 2 sandwiches)
salt and pepper
enough fig jam to cover one side of each sandwich (maybe a tablespoon or two per sandwich?)
one or more of the following:
leftover pieces of chicken
spinach or arugula
prosciutto

DIRECTIONS:
Cut 2 slices of bread per person. Smear one side of each sandwich with fig jam. Slice the mozzarella thin and layer on the sandwiches. Mix together the balsamic, olive oil and salt and pepper. If using leftover chicken (such as off a roast chicken), warm them slightly and toss with the balsamic mixture. If you're using the spinach or arugula, toss the greens in a pan with the mixtures for just about 30 seconds to a minute, just enough to warm very slightly. To the fig jam and mozzarella add either the chicken, or the chicken and greens or just greens or greens and prosciutto. Then cook as you would a grilled cheese. I suppose if you had a fancy panini press you could use that, but I'm not so fancy. I toss it in a pan with some butter and put a heavier pot on top to smoosh it down so it all gets cooked and melty and wonderful and then when the first side is golden brown, I flip adding a bit more butter until the other side is also golden and delicious.

Sick Food

I am a relatively slender person. People sometime make comments about this, out of kindness, out of jealousy, out of wonder, out of spite. They express shock, awe, envy at the fact that I do not (generally speaking) need to exercise. And I cook! Yummy things! Desserts even! Oh, things do look so green in this here pasture. What most people don't know, is that this body is sponsored, much like a PBS show. Oh yes. Had I an appropriate place for a sign, I could in fact post:

This body has been brought to you by genetic luck and frequent low-grade nausea.

And if you haven't lived with nausea, then you may not know what a formidable force it can be. If you have, I'm sorry. Please have a ginger ale on me.

When I'm queasy, there's not a whole lot in my whole lovely repertoire of comfort foods that sounds appealing. If I'm only borderline ill, I can manage some pasta with butter and cheese. Or rice. But the thing I crave, more than almost anything else, is Thomas' English Muffins, with a small pat of butter. When I'm finally really on the mend (you know, when you've gone without real food for so long that you are ready to chew off your own arm, but are petrified of actually eating something because the consequences could be dire), I want a turkey burger, seasoned with nothing but salt and pepper, cooked through on an English Muffin bun. Just thinking about it makes me start to feel better.


So what about you? What is the food that cures what ails you?

Lemon Raspberry Muffins

My very first Hippo and Nigella post. I'll admit, I didn't select this recipe because it spoke to me more than the others. It was a very practical choice. First, it didn't require self-rising cake flour. Additionally, I had raspberries that needed using. They were good. Not great, not I can't wait until I make these again. Just good. I think they need more lemon. Maybe a lemon glaze? They're definitely worth experimenting with. And for the raspberry haters out there, you might consider blueberries instead. Also, this is the very first time I used my silcone baking cups. They are reusable, and they don't take half your muffin with them when you peel them off. What's not to like?

LEMON RASPBERRY MUFFINS
adapted from How to Be a Domestic Goddess

INGREDIENTS:
1/4 C butter, melted and cooled
1 1/3 C all purpose flour
2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/3 C sugar
1/4 t salt
juice and zest of 2-3 lemons - Nigella only called for one. From her directions, it seems clear she's expecting you to have about a half cup of lemon juice. Maybe she just has better lemons than I do, but I had slightly less than a quarter cup of juice from one lemon. I used another lemon too and still didn't have a half cup of juice. I'd really make sure I was getting that half cup.
1/2 C milk
1 large egg
1 C ish of raspberries - You don't need to be precise with the berries, a smidge under or over will hurt no one.

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, salt and zest. Right here, I had a problem. You need to make sure you wash your lemons well when you use the zest, because the skin is where all the pesticides and gross things you don't want to eat are concentrated, but also, it's where all the lemony flavor is. Make sure you dry your lemons thoroughly before zesting, and maybe even let your zest dry before adding it to the flour mixture, because otherwise, the zest bits will want to clump and no one wants one bite of all zest and a pan of muffins that are less lemony right? Okay. Combine your lemon juice and milk. The juice will curdle the milk, that's okay. Beat in the egg and the melted butter. Add the liquids to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Fold in the raspberries. Raspberries are very delicate and will break if treated roughly. Unless you want your muffins to be all pink, go slowly and gently. Pour info muffin cups and bake for about 25 minutes. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a baking rack to cool for 10-15 minutes. For those who want to experiment, and maybe confirm this as a dessert rather than breakfast product, you might consider a lemon glaze of 1/3 C sugar and 1/3 C lemon juice heated and stirred until clear. You would pour this over the muffins while still hot so they absorb the glaze.

The Hippo and Nigella

I am in love with this book. It is so incredibly full of delicious sounding recipes that I am tempted to start at the beginning and simply cook my way through it, skipping only Flora's Famous Zucchini Cake on page 18, because I detest zucchini. It could be my very own version of Julie and Julia, only it would be The Hippo and Nigella. I haven't actually made any thing from it yet (for many reasons including but not limited to, a lack of self-rising cake flour, a husband who had surgery on a bicep tendon and can only use one arm forcing me to devise more and more menus that do not require cutting, sheer summer induced laziness). Nigella is kind enough to provide several variations on each recipe to please those of us who always want to tinker with a perfectly well-tested recipe. Also, she is a delight to read. I've never seen any of her cooking programs, so this is my only Nigella exposure, but anyone who points out that her cake stuck to the pan a bit and you can just cover up any imperfections with extra confectioner's sugar is my kind of chef. Anyway. Go out. Get yourself a copy. Grab some self-rising cake flour and we'll meet back here. Okay?

Lobstah

There's something about the word lobster that calls for a Boston accent. There are words like that, some phrases, that I just prefer in Bostonese - lobster, beer here - they just sound better in Boston. But this post is NOT another "I wish I still lived in Boston" rant. Oh no. This is a tribute to the drive. If I lived in Boston, I would not have a reason to be driving the Connecticut coastline. And if I did not have a seemingly endless stretch of Connecticut coastline in between the hell that is the Jersey turnpike, the crazy winding parkways of New York and the relief of reentry into Rhode Island toward points north, I would not know, that hidden in a teensy-tinesy town called Noank is the best Lobstah sandwich ever at a place called Abbott's.
Abbott's is for serious people. Getting there involves following a veritable scavenger hunt of signs, the word Abbott's plus an arrow written in on poles and the backs of stop signs. Each year they hold a contest to see who is the first to line up when they open for the season. This year the winning party arrived at 2am!! I arrived right at opening for the day, on a cloudy weekday, and was rewarded with no line between me and my lobster.When you only get to visit a restaurant once a year, there is no room for error or experimentation. You go directly to the best - the hot lobster roll, butter on the side. Do you think you could handle a close-up without trying to nibble your monitor?

Just a quarter pound of fresh lobster meat, no filler, no mayonnaise, no work, just all the lobstery goodness you could imagine in one package. And yes, I had one for lunch and ordered two to go so that Ryan and I could have them for dinner.

Vacation and Local Flavor

Happy Almost 4th of July!! I will not be cooking this year. Just relaxing on the deck with my feet up. Believe it or not, this incredible view is from my in-law's place in Rhode Island. Tomorrow, we'll go out on their boat, Ragtime. Then Sunday I head to Cape Cod for a few more days to visit my grandmother.

Ragtime

Although it's not likely I'll find myself in the kitchen while I'm away, I'll try to bring you some food related goodness. Today, our grocery trip turned up a New England treat, a roll of all chocolate Necco wafers. Standard Necco wafers come in a variety of fruit related flavors. Chocolate Neccos are far more rare.

Necco wafers have a fascinating slightly chalky texture and chocolate Neccos are far closer in flavor to some type of chocolate malted product (like Whoppers) than anything actually chocolate. In many ways, Neccos are something I like more for the sheer New Englandness of their existance than for their actual taste. But you'd have to try for yourself.

Product Placement: Minute Maid Lemonade

If your part of the country is anything like mine, it's gray, humid and vaguely chilly. So perhaps this isn't the most timely recommendation I've ever made, but you know, this weekend it seemed like a great idea, and I'm hopeful that maybe next weekend things will return to their previously warm and sunny state. Warm and sunny enough that you'll find yourself craving a nice, cool pitcher of lemonade...
If this does happen, I suggest reaching in your freezer and pulling out a little can. I know, I know, it's not homemade. Other than the stirring in water part. But homemade lemonade is a commitment I just can't handle. I've always been partial to minute maid's lemonade. I like the flexibility. You get to choose to add slightly more or less water depending on your personal tartness preferences. Also, extra cans take up minimal space in the freezer, which means you never need to be without one. Who doesn't like backup?