Friends Don't Let Friends Throw Away Leftover Pie Crust

Deep Ellum - Allston, MA
http://www.deepellum-boston.com/

Duck Confit Hash

     Deep Ellum is one of those places you can never go to once. One of those places I can never just write about once. I had been yearning to test out their brunch menu for almost a year and with weigh-ins out of the picture for quite some time, I conned a couple fellow foodies to dive in with me. Jimmy, Antonia and I embarked on the long walk on a chilly Sunday morning with palette satisfaction on our minds. Greeted immediately by the dark wood, and industrial undertones, I felt my hipster level skyrocket when we walked in the door. I wouldn't say the menu is ultra-extensive, but everything just sounds amazing. Every dish is unique and unlike anything I'd ever seen anywhere else. I finally decided to go with the Duck Confit Hash. After learning that "confit" basically means cooked in fat, I knew there really wasn't another option. The dish came piping hot to the table served in a small cast iron skillet. This was totally one of those dishes that you hope is the same as what that lady two tables over ordered. I was geeked. This dish was a mix of perfectly tender fingerling potatoes, braised swiss chard, red peppers, duck and topped with two fried eggs. Even the egg was cooked perfectly to my liking. Not to mention the whole ensemble was picture perfect. If I could've described this dish in one word, it would be succulent. It had every element of the perfect breakfast that I was looking for that morning.  Meat, potatoes, egg.

     Jimmy ordered the biscuits and gravy (I was debating getting both). After having to send it back once because it wasn't that warm, it came back steaming. I only had a bite or two, but I could tell both the biscuits and gravy was homemade. It was phenomenal. Perhaps I'll have a more involved experience soon.


FoMu - Allston, MA

Maple Bourbon Pecan Ice Cream

http://www.fomuicecream.com/

     As I know I've mentioned before, immediately after I finish dinner, I'm thinking about dessert. Well… I have evolved. Now after every meal, I'm thinking about dessert. So post breakfast at Deep Ellum, Antonia and I were thinking FoMu. FoMu is practically right next door to Deep Ellum, and they're a vegan ice cream shop. We sampled a few of their flavors at a free ice cream gig downtown back in the summer, but it was time for the real deal. After sampling dozens of flavors, I went with the maple bourbon pecan and the carrot cake. The maple bourbon pecan was so good and really interesting. You were really able to taste the bourbon but it wasn't unpleasant or like you were drinking booze. It just had the flavor of bourbon and went really well with the maple and pecan. The carrot cake was equally as delicious and had decent sized hunks of carrot cake in it. It was pretty sweet, and I was totally ok with it. It still blows my mind how such amazing ice cream can be made without dairy, but props to FoMu. You've mastered it.

Beet Cupcakes - My Kitchen, Cambridge, MA

Beet Cupcakes

     Antonia and I will always try something once. There are few recipes that we'd steer clear of our of fear. My coworker Caitlin shared a recipe for beet cupcakes with me, and I knew, being the beet connoisseurs that we are, it'd be something we make together. We ended up using both standard red/purple beets as well as these yellow/orange beets that I've never seen before. I'm sure they would've turned out much more purple if we only used the purple beets, but who cares. I will say, however, that if you're looking to keep a clean kitchen, this recipe will put you quite behind. Other changes that we made to the recipe included using about half of the amount of sugar, and replacing half of the oil with applesauce (always trying to justify our baking expeditions by baking it more lightweight friendly). In the end, I couldn't believe just how moist these cupcakes were. They were incredible. And the cream cheese frosting paired perfectly. You could definitely taste the beet flavor, so if you're not a fan of beets, you may not like these. We also made half of the batter into a shallow cake, which was equally as good. I was impressed.

Beet Cupcakes

1 1/2 cup pastry flour
1 cup sugar (we used 1/2 cup)
1/2 tablespoon baking soda
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup apple sauce
2 eggs
1/4 cup oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup shredded beets

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and prepare large muffin pans with cupcake liners (approx. 12)

2) Whisk together dry ingredients until well combined.

3) Beat together eggs, oil and salt. Add apple sauce and combine.

4) Fold in dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

5) Stir in vanilla and shredded beets, pour into molds, bake for 20 min.

6) Frost when cool.

Cupcake icing:

1) Combine cream cheese, sugar, a dollop of milk, and cinnamon.


Apple Gilette - My Kitchen, Cambridge, MA

Apple Gilette

     This was my first year away from family for Thanksgiving, and it was really different. I'm not going to say I liked it, but I was really glad and felt really blessed to share it with Alyse, Jimmy, Karl and Dave. Master pie maker Jimmy had some leftover pie crust that he was going to throw away. I appropriately scolded him and took the pie crust home with me. After a little debate, I flattened the dough into a terrible circular shape, sliced up some apples, arranged them on the crust so they looked pretty, and sprinkled on some leftover toffee bits and cinnamon. Dude. I thought I was a genius (Apparently it's actually called an Apple Gilette if you want to look up a real recipe). This masterpiece was… well…. a masterpiece. It was delicious! Tasted like an apple pie without a top. The little toffee pieces melted slightly and browned, giving them a slightly burnt flavor. So good.  I highly suggest you try it whenever you have leftover dough or even if you're just in the mood for apple pie.


Four Burgers - Cambridge, MA
http://www.fourburgers.com/

  "I don't actually eat. i just watch people eat and judge them. HPD moment."

My baby burger :]

     So, I'm still unsure of what Friday nights feel like for normal people (thanks rowing), but I kind of got a taste of it a few weeks ago. Jake was leaving town, Joan needed some chill time, and I was hungry so we all went to Four Burgers in Central Square on Friday night. The place looks pretty standard inside. Your typical red, white and black, giving it the classic burger joint feel. In trying to stick to my calorie neutral eating, I ordered this baby burger (3.5 oz) with amazingly oozy Gouda cheese and sweet potato fries. The fries really hit the spot. It feels like it's been eons since I had something fried. It's really rare that you can find a burger that comes close to tasting like your parents make on the grill during the summer, but this baby came close (hahah… "rare" … get it? Jokes all around). I love my burgers still mooing a little and this lil guy was. He was served on a baby bun too. While I really wanted a big, fat loaded mother, I was proud of my control. This just means I'll have to go back sometime to get one like Jake's. That sucker had avocado, bacon, gouda cheese, jesus, onions and who knows what else. Next time, I'm going for the big guns.

Parmesan Gremolata Smashed Potatoes - My Kitchen, Cambridge, MA

Parmesan Gremolata Smashed Potatoes

     I'm not sure why, but I always feel like I'm accomplishing some outrageous task when I successfully cook something I find on Pinterest. However, this recipe was much more simple than most. I had some leftover fingerling potatoes from Haymarket that I didn't know what to do with… uuuuuntil I found this recipe for Parmesan Gremolata Smashed Potatoes. Basically, they're roasted and smashed potatoes with garlic, lemon, parsley and parmesan cheese all tossed together. Not quite just roasted or just mashed potatoes, but these beautiful (actually very picturesque) golden brown potatoes mixed up with a little heaven. Since I only had a few fingerling potatoes, I had to modify the recipe quite a bit, but I'll post the full recipe for reference. The recipe says to add the garlic, parsley, lemon zest and parmesan cheese mix in with the potatoes after you pull it out of the oven, but I wanted the parmesan to melt a little bit (I had shredded instead of grated cheese) so tossed the mix with the potatoes and stuck the whole thing back in the oven for another 5 minutes. I'd definitely say this is the way to go. Each bite had so much flavor. The browned potatoes, the cheese, the zing of the lemon and the freshness of the parsley made the whole thing complete. Yummerz.

Parmesan Gremolata Smashed Potatoes

2 lbs. fingerling potatoes, scrubbed clean
1/2 cup olive oil (or less)
1 tsp sea salt
3 cloves garlic, peeled, crushed, and minced
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, minced (should be about 1/4 cup when minced)
1 lemon, grated zest of
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1) Preheat oven to 400°F.

2) Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water (about an inch higher than the potatoes). Bring to a boil and simmer until the potatoes are cooked through (about 15 minutes for these little potatoes). Drain the potatoes and let dry in a colander or on a kitchen towel.

3) Drizzle a little olive oil on a shallow rimmed baking sheet. Place the potatoes on the baking sheet in a single layer, making sure to get some oil on the base of each potato, and gently press each potato flat with the flat side of a meat tenderizer or a heavy-bottomed drinking glass to about 1/2- to 3/4-inch thickness. Drizzle the olive oil over the smashed potatoes and then sprinkle salt over the potatoes. Roast for 30 minutes, flipping the potatoes over at 15 minutes with tongs or a spatula.

4) While the potatoes are roasting, mix the garlic, parsley, lemon zest, and Parmesan cheese together in a small bowl. When the potatoes are done, remove them from the oven, and toss them in a large bowl with the Parmesan-gremolata. (This is where I suggest putting them back in the oven for another 5minutes). Serve hot.

Sweet - Cambridge, MA
http://www.sweetcupcakes.com/

Merry Schnappsmas!

     This past Saturday was National Cupcake Day, and as a lightweight, there's no way you can't take advantage of those types of holidays. "Sorry Tom, it was National Cupcake Day. I had to eat a cupcake. There was just no other option." Joan and I headed to Sweet in Harvard Square around 8:40pm looking for cupcakes. I didn't really think about the fact that they'd probably be picked through considering they were about 20 minutes away from closing their doors. Either way, no sweat off my back. They had 3 types of cupcakes left, so I got 4 cupcakes… naturally. But it's ok because I bought 3 of them for Jimmy, Dave and Karl for Schnappsmas (let's forget the fact that I still ate nearly 2 of those 3). One cupcake was a chocolate cherry cupcake. It had some fancy name that Jimmy knew but I can't remember. I'm not a huge cherry in sweets fan, but this was pretty good. The chocolate cake part of the cupcake was incredibly moist because part of it was filled with some sort of cherry substance.  There was a course grained but fluffy white frosting on top with a maraschino cherry to make it look pretty. The little guy was pretty delicious, I'll admit, but I can't say I'd purchase it again. Just not my style.

     One of the other cupcakes I got was your standard chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. Oh. My. Gosh. That buttercream frosting was out of control. My roommate Andy was telling me about how Sweet sells frosting shots (yes, you heard right), and I thought that was a silly idea. Now I understand why. The cake was perfect too. Perfectly cooked, perfectly moist and perfectly dense.

     The final two cupcakes I purchased were vanilla cake and vanilla frosting with red and green sprinkles. That was Karl's favorite part (of course). Yet again, another incredibly simple cupcake that they've perfected. The frosting was just stupid good. It's like they know what they're doing or something.


Curried Coconut Pumpkin Soup - Cambridge, MA

Curried Coconut Pumpkin Soup

     I haven't been blogging about my soups recently because, frankly, they've been pretty standard. But I've got to talk this one up because it was so unique. A few Sundays ago I made a curried coconut pumpkin soup from a recipe I found in a cookbook given to me by my Grandpa. This soup is hip because it has a slightly tropical coconut taste mixed with the rustic, autumn pumpkin flavor and brought together with an ethnic curry pizazz. What? I don't know. I don't know who came up with this or if my description just now makes it sound appetizing at all, but let me tell you, it's good. The only modification I made to the recipe was I added some brown rice that was mostly blended when I used my immersion blender. Anyway, here's the recipe. Give 'er a whirl!

Curried Coconut Pumpkin Soup

2 tbs butter
1 large onion
1 tbs garlic, minced
2 15 oz cans pumpkin puree
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup brown rice
4 cups vegetable/chicken/turkey broth (if it's just after Thanksgiving like it was for me)
2 tbs curry powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground coriander

1) In a large soup pot, melt the butter and sauté the onions and garlic until tender

2) Add in all spices and sauté another minute

3) Add in the stock, coconut milk, pumpkin, and rice. Let simmer for at least 30 minutes.

4) Either use an immersion blender or cuisinart to blend soup.

Food Is Quite A Novelty

***Out of Towners***

Gennaro's - Princeton, NJ
http://www.gennaros-princeton.com/

Pannette Balsamico

Gnocchi La Rosa

     I just have to write about this place... briefly. Post speed order weigh in, our lovely host family for the weekend took us to Gennaro's. Mary, Antonia and I split this spinach salad that was deadly. It had walnuts and gorgonzola cheese and had a light sherry vinagrette drizzled on top. The whole thing was topped with a few slices of grilled pears. Such a creative salad. Mary and I split the Gnocchi La Rosa and the Pannette Balsamico. BEST GNOCCHI EVER. The gnocchi weren't the normal small little footballs you're use to. No. They were these huge hunking blocks. Rather rectangular. They were bathing in the most amazing vodka sauce I've ever tasted, sun dried tomatoes and peas. We scraped every ounce of that sauce off the plate with the last few rolls from our second basket of bread.
     The Pannette Balsamico was penne pasta tossed in a balsamic cream sauce with grilled chicken and champignon mushrooms. This dish was fabulous too. Such rich and savory flavors. Pretty sure our bodies were in shock because they hadn't been that stuffed with such delicious food in a long time. Sitting upright, keeping our eyes open and staying engaged in the conversation was next to impossible. If you go to Princeton, you MUST eat at Gennaro's...especially if you're looking to carbo-load.

CocoLuxe - Peapack, NJ
http://www.cocoluxepastry.com/

Vanilla Bean Cake

     This was now the second time I got to experience the magic of CocoLuxe. It's this amazing bakery near Antonia's home in New Jersey. Her mom brought a carrot cake to Boston from this bakery once before and it was fabulous. This time, she got us a vanilla bean cake. Normally, when I think of cake, I want it to be chocolate. If there's no chocolate, I'm bored with it. However, this was a different story. This cake was so delicious and moist. You could really taste the vanilla bean itself in the icing. It was unlike any other vanilla icing I've ever had. It was definitely a buttercream frosting, but I didn't feel like I was eating a stick of butter in each bite (Mary and Antonia thought otherwise).

Cafe Kariz - Cambridge, MA
http://www.kirazcafe.com/

Classic Pepperoni and Cheese

Cinnabon & Pretzel Pit Stop

Artichoke, Black Olives, Feta and Spinach

     The ride back from races is always interesting. Food is such a novelty, so it's only natural to want to eat as many things as possible. This generally involves multiple stops. Unless... you go to a mall that has everything. We went on a little excursion somewhere in Connecticut to this enormous mall where we indulged in 2 huge cinnabons, a big salted pretzel and ice cream. Success.
     When we rolled back into town, we had collectively decided we were going to demolish a couple pizzas. Cafe Kariz did the trick. We ordered this phenomenal veggie pizza that had artichokes, feta, black olives and spinach on it. It was so good! Normally I'm not a fan of canned things on pizzas, and I think the artichokes were canned, but I didn't care this time. Why? Because there was cheese everywhere. Feta doesn't melt like most other cheeses, which made this pizza really unique in my mouth.
      The other pizza we got was half cheese and half pepperoni. Classic. These pizza were quick, delicious and satisfied our pizza craving. In an effort to cross one other thing off our list, we ordered a side of french fries... which turned out to be cajun waffle fries? Huh. Ok. Still tasty :]


Cookies and Cream Popcorn - Cambridge, MA

Cookies and Cream Popcorn

     I had been wanting to make this pinterest find for a while. The perfect opportunity presented itself when I found out that I was in charge of bringing snack for my faithgroup and one of my teammates (who had previously expressed interest in this recipe) got invited to train at the training center in Princeton. It was the perfect gift. So, making this is so easy. Melt a bag of white chocolate chips, pour it on plain popped popcorn and mix in chopped up oreos (or in this case, trader joe's joe-joes). I should seriously start mass producing this and selling it.


Cookies and Cream Popcorn

• 1/2 cup unpopped popcorn kernels, or 2 bags tender white popcorn
• 1 (12 oz) bag Vanilla Candy Melts, such as Wilton
• 24 Oreo cookies, chopped into pebble size pieces (about 3 cups)

1) Pop popcorn kernels in popcorn popper into a very large bowl, according to manufacturers directions (or alternately in microwave if using microwave popcorn bags). Remove any unpopped kernels. Toss chopped Oreos into popped popcorn.

2) In a small saucepan, melt Vanilla Candy Melts stirring almost constantly until melted and smooth. Drizzle half of melted candy melts over popcorn mixture. Toss several times with a rubber spatula then drizzle remaining melted candy melts over popcorn mixture and toss mixture gently for about 30 seconds - 1 minute until evenly coated.

3) Pour mixture into wax paper to allow mixture to cool and candy melts to set. Store Cookies and Cream Popcorn in an airtight container.

Biba Baked Beans - Cambridge, MA

Biba Baked Beans

     Crock pot Fridays at work. Great idea, right? So Griff and I decided to make this happen. He was making cornbread, and I wanted to make this recipe for Biba Baked Beans that I got from some old guy at a neighborhood potluck here in Cambridge. I loved this stuff so much and had to get the recipe from him. I made the vegan version, partially because that's what he served and I loved it, but also because one of my coworkers is vegan and I wanted him to be able to enjoy it. So the night before, I started soaking my beans in salt water with a little thyme. This was my first time doing this, so I really didn't know what I was doing. When I woke up the next morning, the beans had sucked up every ounce of water in the bowl. The original recipe is below, but I had a few modifications or changes I'd recommend. Feel free to make it vegetarian by omitting the bacon. It's still amazing. If you're soaking your own beans, make sure you add enough water. If you're cooking it in a crock pot, plan on cooking it for an hour or two longer than if you were actually baking it like the recipe says. If you're doubling the recipe, only use one jalapeno. Also, coriander and cilantro are the same thing? Who knew?

Biba Baked Beans

• 1 cup dried kidney beans
• 1/2 cup dried cannellini beans
• 1/2 cup dried Great Northern beans
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1/2 pound thick-sliced smoked bacon, in 1-inch pieces
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 cup crushed canned tomatoes
• 4 ripe plum tomatoes, diced
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1 bay leaf
• Grated rind of one orange
• 1/2 tablespoon crushed black peppercorns
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh coriander leaves
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar (approximately)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1) Place beans in a bowl, cover with cold water to a depth of 2 inches, add thyme and salt and allow to soak at least 4 hours or overnight.

2) Heat a heavy 2- to 3-quart casserole. Add cumin seeds and stir until they begin to dance around and smell toasty. Remove seeds and set aside.

3) Add oil. Saute the onion, carrot and bacon for 10 minutes, until the bacon is golden. Add jalapeno pepper, garlic and cumin seeds and cook a few minutes longer.

4) Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

5) Drain beans and add to the casserole along with canned and fresh tomatoes, maple syrup, brown sugar, bay leaf, orange rind and crushed peppercorns. Stir in all but 1 tablespoon of the coriander. Add 2 cups cold water. Cover and bring to slow simmer.

6) Place beans in oven and cook for 1 hour. Add vinegar and season to taste with salt. Cook 1 hour longer, until liquid has been absorbed but the beans are still moist.

7) Adjust seasonings. Add salt and pepper and up to 2 more tablespoons cider vinegar if desired. Garnish with reserved coriander.

Pinkberry - Boston, MA

http://www.pinkberry.com/

Chocolate Hazelnut Frozen Yogurt 

     After running around Boston like a crazy person on a mission to pick up a check for my boss, it was 5:45pm, pitch black outside, I was frustrated and I still needed to go row. Solution? Get frozen yogurt. Load up on chocolate. I ventured to Pinkberry in the Prudential Center mall. It was my first time. The workers were super friendly and they let me try 4 different flavors. This was all new and exciting for me :] I ended up ordering the chocolate hazelnut frozen yogurt and they topped it with brownie bits, dark chocolate crisps, heath bar, sea salt crackers, and a couple of those chocolate filled wafer sticks. I was in heaven. This little bucket of joy was so full of chocolate, and I didn't feel too bad for eating it. My mood improved by leaps and bounds thanks to this. That and the perfectly flat water in the basin. So I went for a row. 

Mariposa Bakery - Cambridge, MA

     Still working through my post speed order treats list, I wanted to find a chocolate chocolate chip muffin. Problem.... NOT ONE BAKERY IN CAMBRIDGE SELLS CHOCOLATE MUFFINS. Believe me. I called 12 different bakeries, visited 6 or 7 other coffee shops. Nothing. Not even Starbucks or Whole Foods. I was so upset. That didn't last long. Eventually I "settled" on a bakery I've been wanting to visit called Mariposa. They had told me they had a mini chocolate bunt cake,  and I figured that was as close as I was going to get. So I ordered this perfectly fluffy and chocolatey bunt cake with powdered sugar on top. It was soft and moist and just great! I had the silly idea that I would only eat half and would save the other half for later. But, as I said, that idea was silly. So I polished off the whole thing and ordered a chocolate chip cookie, which was equally delicious. 

Zoe's Kitchen - Cambridge, MA

http://www.zoescambridge.com/

Sweet Potato Pancakes

     After Head of the Charles, Ilana recommended getting sweet potato pancakes from Zoe's. She said they were phenomenal and oh boy... they were just that. I headed in on the Sunday morning after the Harvard - Yale game and it was a madhouse. Luckily, I was alone, so I found one seat at the counter and didn't have to wait at all. Beyond the thousands of hungry people, the place had a retro classic diner feel. I ordered three huge sausage links (hello sodium) and three sweet potato pancakes. The pancakes were so delicious! I couldn't believe it. They were full of spice. The pumpkin pie kind of spice. I thought they may taste a lot like normal pancakes with just a little pumpkin flavor. No no. This was a whole other animal. They served theses cakes with a whipped spice butter. I tried the butter on its own at first and was not really impressed, BUT then I put it on the pancakes and it brought them even more to life. It was mind blowing. AND they served pure maple syrup. Props Zoe. You done well. 

Goat Cheese Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies - Cambridge, MA

     So I frequent this blog called Fat Girl Trapped In A Skinny Body... probably because I feel I can relate. She has this recipe for goat cheese stuffed chocolate chip cookies, and I had leftover goat cheese from some pizzas Antonia and I made the other day. I figured, why not? I made only a half batch in case they didn't turn out. She said the combination of goat cheese and chocolate is divine, and I wanted to test it out. 

     Final analysis? My emotions are mixed. The cookie part is beyond delicious. But I'm not sure how I feel about the tang of the goat cheese mixed in. I first tried one right out of the oven and that was definitely not my favorite. Maybe because the goat cheese was warm? But normally I'm not adversed to warm goat cheese. After they had cooled for a couple hours, I tried another one and enjoyed it a bit more. However, I still can't decide how I feel about it and it's really bugging me out. I think because I had such high expectations. Hmm... maybe having another will help me figure things out :] Also, my roommate uses parchment paper to cook his cookies on and it makes them absolutely perfect. I figured I'd try it out this time and it worked like a charm! The bottoms of the cookies were perfectly crisp and they spread so nicely. Loving this parchment paper. Unreasonably excited.

Goat Cheese Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 3/4 cup flour
• 1 1/2 cup old fashioned oats (not instant, although it may work, I just haven’t tried it)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, room temperature
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup chocolate chips (semi-sweet, milk, or dark chocolate, which ever you prefer)
• 5 ounces goat cheese (1 small log)

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2) Beat the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). With the mixer on low, add the egg and the vanilla.

3) Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt together into a separate bowl. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture.

4) Add the oats and chocolate chips and mix just until combined.

5) Drop 1-inch mounds of dough onto sheet pans lined with parchment paper. take each ball of dough in your hand and slightly flatten it. To half of the semi flat dough rounds, add add a small dollop of goat cheese. Cover the goat cheese with a piece of semi flat dough. Roll it around in your hands to seal the edges and to reform a dough ball. Place it back on the cookie sheet, spaced about 1-2 inches apart. Flatten each ball slightly with a damp hand.

6) Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until lightly browned. Transfer the cookies to a baking rack and cool completely. Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for about 3-4 days.

THE Ultimate Grand Supreme Mega Ultra... Bars

Ultimate Pretzel Crusted Peanut Butter Cookie Reeses Brownie Bars - White Lake, MI

If there’s one thing that would be virtually impossible for me to eat during racing/weighing-in season, it would be this. And that’s why I waited until just after Henley to make it. Since I’d be spending so much time at my Grandpa’s house while visiting home in August/September. I had decided to make this with him. I was sure he’d seen nothing like it before. This was a four piece puzzle. Pretzel base + Peanut Butter Cookie Dough + Reeses Peanut Butter Cups + Brownie Batter. I know... you lost 2 years off your like just reading that. Well, I was ready for the sacrifice.

All of my loves, thrown into one big monster. Chocolate, Peanut Butter, Pretzels. This child was dense. Four inches thick at least. The combination of pretzels, peanut butter cookie, reeses, and brownies was so amazing. It was like blending all the flavors of heaven. Mmmm...





I ran into one major speed-bump while baking. After the recommended 40-45 minutes of baking time, I pulled it out to test a nice chunk (after I let it cool a little bit of course). Woah. Definitely not done. Brownie batter came spewing out (like an elementary school science fair volcano replica) of the hole I created upon removing my test piece. More like, needs another 30 minutes for that ooey gooey brownie batter to cook. So I stuck it back in... watching it like a baby with scissors. But I kept it in for a tad too long and burnt the pretzel bottom. Big bummer. I’d recommend using a larger pan, so the whole mess doesn’t get too thick and take forever to bake. I Guess I’ll have to make it one more time to perfect it.

Either way, here is the recipe:

Ultimate Pretzel Crusted Peanut Butter Cookie Reeses Brownie Bars

• 2 ½ cups crushed pretzels
• 1 cup melted butter
• 5 tbsp sugar
• Betty Crocker Peanut Butter Cookie Mix and all the ingredients the mix calls for
• Brownie Mix (13×9 family size box + all the ingredients the mix calls for)
• Snack Size Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups (2 – 10.5oz bags)

1) Crush the pretzels in a food processor or however you like to crush pretzels. Any kind of pretzels will do but I recommend using crushed butter pretzels (you find them next to the regular pretzels and they are literally called “Synder Butter Pretzels”) for the recipe. I also recommend not crushing the pretzels to dust but keep some small pieces to keep the crust crunchy. Mix the melted butter (melt in microwave), sugar and pretzel crumbs. Press into lightly greased 13×9 pan. Set aside pretzel crust and make the cookie dough. (*Note: I have a 8×8 pan in the photos because I split the recipe into two different pans. I recommend putting it all in one 13×9 pan!)

2) Make the cookie dough according to the package. Lightly press the cookie dough evenly on top of the pretzel crust.

3) Unwrap 24 snack-size Reese’s Peanut Butter cups and cover the cookie dough with the candy.

4) Whip up your brownie mix and pour evenly over the Peanut Butter Cups.

5) Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.

6) Cool for 10 minutes and then enjoy!

"I Like the Way it Feels on My Teeth"

Shabu-Ya - Cambridge, MA

http://www.shabuyarestaurant.com/about.html



     Swish Swish. Go ahead. Say it. Fun, right? So James and I head to this Shabu Shabu restaurant called Shabu-Ya in Harvard Square. Shabu Shabu is the type of restaurant, and it means "swish swish." I'm feelin' pretty hip as we enter. Everything is very modern. Bright colors, awkwardly uncomfortable looking furniture. You know what I'm talking about. Each table has a mini electric stove on it that's used to boil the bucket of broth they bring you. We're clueless. After 20 minutes of trying to figure out the menu and avoiding the beef tongue, we narrowed down our options. It's a 3 step process. 1) Choose your meat. We chose lamb and chicken. 2) Choose your broth. We chose beef. 3) Choose rice, vermicelli, or noodles. We chose the vermicelli, but pronounced it vermicell because the menu spelled it that way. Truth be told, we decided it was actually mermaid hair. Don't know what that's like? Yes you do.
     Anyway, the waiter brings over a dish with 4 little condiments. Already I'm overwhelmed with the portion sizes. Someone's going to have to roll me out the door. There was a Japanese bbq paste (I think), scallions, garlic, and a hot pepper sauce. About a half a teaspoon of each. Our other provisions included soy sauce bowls, little strainers, some goofy spoon thing and an extra bowl for sauce creations. Next came a plate of veggies and the mermaid hair. Some sort of sprouts, bok choi, carrots, and tofu blobs. Our waiter turned on the stove and we sat confused. What now? What's going on? I'm hungry. Help me. Then our appetizer and meats came out at the same time. The appetizer was 2 mini chicken skewers covered in some sort of mildly spicy chili paste. Decent flavor. Hot but mildly sweet. I was stuffed. Phew.
     The meat arrived in very thin slices on a platter. This meal was colorful and I was pumped to eat it.... once we figured out how to cook it. We asked the waiter and he explained it all, but ... well... we were both still confused. The broth feverishly boiled and we threw in the veggies, meats and mermaid hair. Using your little strainer, we fished out the substance and dipped it in our sauce creations. No forks and knives were provided, so chopsticks were your only option (unfortunate day for James... lol). Picking up that damn mermaid hair was a pain. Try to eat it right out of the little strainer and you spill it all over yourself. No wonder asians are so skinny. It takes so long to eat anything. After developing about 3 different food cooking strategies, all of which I'm pretty sure were incorrect, we had destroyed every ounce of food that had been delivered.
     Analysis? This was super fun. The experience was different and unique. I like being out of my element like that. There was nothing superb about the food itself. Boiled meat and veggies dipped in sauce. Oh man but I did make this one brew that was off the hook. It had all of the assorted condiments in it plus soy sauce. Tasty.
     The night did provide another first for me. It was my first time trying fried ice cream. Heaven have mercy on my soul. That stuff is nuts. They took a scoop of ice cream the size of my fist, breaded and fried it. The physics blew my mind at first. On top of the magical mountain was chocolate syrup, whipped cream and a "cherry." Shoot. This was phenomenal. Sweet but fried and simple. I need more of this. Daily, please.

Anna's Taqueria - Cambridge, MA

http://www.annastaqueria.com/

     Hash run anyone? Amazing. Those people are fast geniuses. Have you ever done a hash run? Me neither, but I totally recommend it. I'm not going to explain it, but either way, you're going to want Mexican food afterwards. After the run with Mary, Antonia and Will, we all were starved. Well, we wanted food regardless of what else was in our stomachs. Since I was still full from my pre-run PB&J, Antonia and I split a veggie quesadilla. This was not your typical quesadilla. First, it was rolled up like a burrito. Odd. But there was cheese, beans, and wedges of sweet potato, zucchini and squash maybe? I don't quite remember, but it was delicious. I was thoroughly surprised. Some sort of dead animal would've made it even better, but I was happy with it. Next time. ALSO... I finally found good homemade tortilla chips in Boston! Yessssss! We got a side of chips and salsa for $1.25 or something crazy. I swear I could've eaten 4 bags. They were crisp and salty. What more can you ask for?

Newtowne Grille - Cambridge, MA

     So.... naturally, we finish eating (post hash run) and head to another restaurant, where we got a $4 cheese pizza. What a treat. Cover that bad boy in more parmesan cheese and pheeeeew-ee. That seriously hit the spot. #2 spot. #1 was the Mexican food. Maybe it's cheese that's pleasing me. Not sure. Either way. I rolled out of there happy as a clam.  We*** rolled out of there. The quote of the night goes to Mary in regards to the cheese on the pizza, "I like the way it feels on my teeth!"

Zucchini Bread Pancakes - 578 Washington St #3

     Well I'm not going in order here, but I don't care. After a 3am arrival back in Boston post-Henley, my body naturally woke up at 7am. Why? Who knows, but the anticipation of making zucchini bread pancakes that morning had been building up for weeks. Needless to say, I was too excited to sleep, so I had to get up and make them. I got this recipe off of Smitten Kitten, the blog. I was so happy with how they turned out! It's basically just like normal pancakes with a little less sugar and some shredded zucchini. So simple, but so delicious and moist. She made a good point when she said she liked the contrast between the unsweetened pancakes and the sweet syrup. It really seemed to allow me to separate the flavors of the syrup and pancakes, rather than just tasting a big sweet combo in my mouth. They're super dense but super awesome. Easy too! I made a half batch and ate every single pancake. Here's the recipe:

Zucchini Bread Pancakes

Makes 10 to 12 pancakes

2 large eggs
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons light brown, dark brown or granulated sugar
1/4 cup buttermilk or 2 tablespoons each of milk and plain yogurt, whisked until smooth
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups shredded zucchini (from about 9 ounces whole, or 1 1/2 medium zucchini), heaping cups are fine
1 cup all-purpose flour (half can seamlessly be swapped with a whole wheat flour)
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground or freshly grated nutmeg
Butter or oil, for coating skillet

1) In a large bowl, combine eggs, olive oil, sugar, buttermilk and vanilla until smooth. Stir in zucchini shreds. In a smaller bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir dry ingredients into zucchini batter, mixing until just combined.

2) Preheat oven to 200°F and place a tray — foil-lined if you’re into doing fewer dishes later — on a middle rack.

3) Heat a large, heavy skillet (totally use cast-iron) over medium heat. Once hot, melt a pat of butter in pan and swirl it around until it sizzles. Scoop scant 1/4-cup dollops of batter in pan so the puddles do not touch. Cook until bubbles appear on the surface, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip pancakes and cook another minute or two, until golden underneath. Transfer pancakes to prepared pan to keep warm as well as ensure that they’re all cooked through when they’re served. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve warm. Repeat next weekend.

Cupcakes and Pies and Truffles, OH MY!

Kick-Ass Cupcakes - Somerville, MA
http://www.kickasscupcakes.com/

Photo creds to Caitlin

     Another bonus of my job includes being in charge of getting birthday treats for my coworkers' days of birth. This allows me a little freedom to try out new places. I had this weird feeling that Mai liked cupcakes, so Caitlin and I headed over to Kick-Ass Cupcakes. Has anyone else noticed how big of a fad cupcakes are becoming? I never would've guessed. Especially when most places charge at least 3 dollars for one heavenly lump. Regardless, this was my first real venture into the cupcake work. Kick-Ass Cupcakes is a tiny little shop that takes about 5 steps to get from one end to the next. What makes Kick-Ass so ... well... kick-ass is that they're "artisanal bakers." They bake from scratch daily using only natural ingredients. They steer clear of hydrogenated oils, trans fats, artificial flavors and preservatives. Way cool. As soon as you walk in the door, you're presented with rows and rows of a million different kinds of cupcakes (literally). I'll list the ones I tried (and no I didn't eat 6 entire cupcakes... but almost).

-Vanilla cupcake with chocolate frosting: Pretty standard. Delicious none the less.

-Lucky Cupcake - luscious lemon cupcake with white chocolate buttercream and candied ginger. It also came with a fortune which I fail to remember. I'm not a huge lemon fan so the cake part was just... meh... but I loved the chocolate buttercream and candied ginger additions. Sweet with just a little kick of spice. 


-Cookie Dough - Chocolate chip cookie dough in a vanilla cupcake and vanilla buttercream frosting with chocolate sauce. AHHHmazing. I love cookie dough. I will never stop loving cookie dough. 

-Cinnamon Chai Pecan Sticky - spiced up cupcake covered with gooey caramel pecan topping. This little fella was the first one I tried. The cake part had the subtle hint of chai, but it wasn't complete without the crumbly, sugary, pecan topping. 


-Ginger Peach Bellini (vegan) - spicy ginger cupcake topped with white peach champagne icing and a fresh raspberry. I was hesitant to buy this one, but I'm glad I did. The cupcake itself was a peach color and had a delicious peach taste. I don't think I've ever had a peach cupcake. Unique. The icing and the raspberry brought it all together though. It was fabulous. 


-The Mojito - Vanilla cupcake soaked with rum, sugar cane lime frosting and fresh mint. Saved the best for last. This guy was my favorite. Everything about it. Out of all the cakes I had tried, this cake was the most moist and uniquely flavored. Soaked with rum? Yes please. Went perfectly with the lime frosting and the spring of mint on top. Seriously tasted like a mojito. This was top shelf business. 

Veggie Galaxy - Cambridge, MA
http://veggiegalaxy.net/

     I have to admit, I was sceptical. The thought of a vegan Boston Cream Pie weirded me out, but I was intrigued. I mean, how could one make something with the word "cream" in the name, vegan? Yea yea, laugh, but I'm not familiar with vegan fare. Again, it was a coworker's birthday, and he's vegan. So I found the only vegan bakery in the area, checked out the menu online and decided to go with the Boston Cream Pie. Yea I was getting a cake for everyone at work, but this was also my own personal adventure. I'm not quite sure why, but when I walked into Veggie Galaxy, I felt like I was on another planet (not just because the restaurant's name is Veggie Galaxy). I felt like I was among ... nevermind. I'm going to stop there. This was just different for me.

Photo creds to Caitlin again

   
     Tons of baked goods sat behind the counter and I analyzed every single one as the woman behind the register fetched my boston cream pie. How in the world could they make all these things vegan? The gears in my dome were churning. Churning so much that I started to get hungry. Wait... I was already hungry. So ... I ordered the banana muffin. By far, THE most exciting banana muffin I had ever seen. I sat down at the space-age themed bar and began an affair with a banana muffin. This was the most moist muffin (say that 5 times fast) I have ever eaten in my life. It was sweet, banana-y (but not too much), maybe had a hint of coconut, and was topped with large sugar crystals and banana chips that had been cooked into the top of the muffin. Oh... my word. I sat in udder amazement at what I was eating. I couldn't figure it out. I had no idea how they had done it. What was holding the muffin together without eggs? No milk? No way. Can't be. So... I called over the baker and she went through the recipe. Yea, I'm that person. I wish I could say I remembered what she told me, but I don't. I was still in a state of confused bliss. So here I am, still left in awe at the grandeur of that damn muffin.

     Next step, getting the Boston Cream Pie back to the office without smashing my face in it. I could only imagine the glories that lie under it's perfect chocolate jacket. Veggie Galaxy described it as an "unbelievably creamy real vanilla bean pastry cream" (What does that even mean?) "sandwiched between two yellow cake layers, then glazed to a shiny perfection with a 70% Taza Chocolate ganache." First bite. My mind was blown. Had another banana muffin-esque trip. How did they do it? I don't understand. How in the world is this cake so moist? It was moist and sweet and had maybe that coconut flavor again. Maybe they use coconut milk a lot? Not sure. Everything in this cake was just so moist. For this reason, it was incredibly difficult to cut. But if no one else was there, I would've eaten it by the fist full. I mean... come on? Why waste time? The chocolate ganache on top was so rich and dark. Simply fabulous.

     Overall, I was completely astounded by vegan baked goods. Who knew they could be so amazing? Probably a lot of people, but I was not one of them.


Cocoa Mint Truffles - 578 Washington St #3, Brighton

     Food restriction experiment #2! Judith was moving to Philly for the summer, so my friend Amanda was throwing her a goodbye party. A potluck party. Shoot. However, Judith is allergic to gluten, so I wasn't about to make something she couldn't eat. I have this huge stack of recipes at home that I tore out of magazines from my grandma that I probably won't ever make for just myself, because they're not good for lightweight me. So, I decided to make Cocoa Mint Truffles for the party.

     Truffles remind me of fancy things, and I'm not that fancy. So, I was nervous about this. Here's the recipe:

Cocoa Mint Truffles


3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
6 mint Andes candies (I used 6 Trader Joe's mint creams)
3/4 cup whipped topping
2 tablespoons baking cocoa


1) In a small saucepan, melt chocolate chips and candies over low heat. Transfer to a small bowl and cool to lukewarm, about 7 minutes. Beat in whipped topping. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes or until firm enough to form into balls. 


2) Shape chocolate mixture into 1 inch balls and roll in cocoa mixture. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. 

     End of story. How simple is that? Well, I got a little scared a few times. First, I'm no pro at melting chocolate. I did it really low and it started to get liquidy. "Good!" I thought... and then it started getting thick and almost dry. I wasn't sure if it was cooking or what was going on, so I pulled it from the heat. I debated throwing in some milk to liquify it a bit, but thought, "no, I need to just trust the recipe. I'm out of chocolate chips. It's do or die." So I beat in the mint creams which lessened its viscosity a bit. Then I shoved it in the freezer. Expecting it to be a little more solid, I started rolling it into balls and putting them on my tray, but I slowly realized that they seemed to be melting. Or at least they were loosening up and becoming less ball-like and more patty-like. I quickly got scared and browsed the web searching for other fellow truffle makers in the same situation. Resolution: Add more melted chocolate, refreeze. So that's what I did and it worked! I was so happy.
     The original recipe also said to mix 1/8 teaspoon instant coffee granules in with the baking cocoa, but I don't like coffee. I nixed that idea. After eating about 1/4 of the truffle dough (dough? No.. what would you call it? Goop? Yea.)... so after eating about 1/4 of the truffle goop I had about one small baking dish left of beautifully formed and absolutely delicious chocolate mint truffles.
     Just to add a little flair, I rolled a few in some crushed pretzels (the bomb) and sprinkled some salt on a few. Both were good ideas. Gave each truffle a little attitude. Overall, they were a hit. Especially with Joan.

Klutz in the Kitchen

Caramelized Onion Tart - 578 Washington St #3, Brighton
    

Attempt #2

      Sometimes I wonder how I ever am successful in cooking. I just make the stupidest mistakes. The multiplication party for my faith group was coming up, so Andi and I decided to cook together. I was going to take a whack at a caramelized onion tart from a recipe out of Taste of Home (thanks Grandma). One whack turned into 4 whacks. Between feeling the need to double the amount of butter and going through 3 heads of garlic, this recipe.... was still worth it. Absolutely amazing. In short, you create a buttery, garlicy crust, layer it with parmesan cheese, pour in a goat cheese mixture and top with caramelized onions, more cheese and basil. Such a savory dish. I've never roasted a head of garlic like this before and took way too much pleasure out of squeezing the garlic cloves out of their skin. I'm not going to even mention what it reminded me of, because then you'll think I'm gross and never make this onion tart for your friends. The flavors in the crust should be forbidden, the goat cheese flavor is far from subtle and is accentuated by the sweetness of the caramelized onions and reduced balsamic vinegar. This went beyond what I expected and everyone loooooved. And thank goodness it did, because it cost me more time and money than anticipated. I definitely recommend it as a dish to pass. Here's the recipe.

Caramelized Onion Tart

1 whole garlic bulb
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 pounds sweet onions, sliced
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cold butter, cubed
1/4 teaspoon salt

Filling
10 ounces fresh goat cheese
3 eggs
1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
1 cup minced fresh basil

1) Remove papery outer skin from garlic (do not peel or separate cloves). Cut top off of garlic bulb. Brush with 1 tablespoon oil. Wrap bulb in heavy-duty foil. Bake at 425° for 30-35 minutes or until softened.

2) Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook onions and vinegar in remaining oil over medium heat for 15-20 minutes or until onions are golden brown, stirring frequently. Set aside.

3) Cool the garlic for 10-15 minutes. Squeeze softened garlic into a food processor; add the flour, butter and salt. Cover and process until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 11-in. fluted tart pan with a removable bottom (I just used a glass pie dish) . Bake at 350° for 15 minutes.

4) In a food processor, combine the goat cheese, eggs, parsley, salt and pepper; cover and process until blended. Sprinkle 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese into crust; top with basil. Spread goat cheese mixture into crust.

5) Arrange onions over top; sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until set. Yield: 16 servings.

NOTE: When it says 3/4 cup cold butter... USE 3/4. Not a cup and half. Your crust... will boil in the oven. Guaranteed. Also, use a fresh head of garlic. An old one will dry up in the oven. 

My First Rub - 578 Washington St #3, Brighton

     When Karl finds a good deal on meat, he doesn't just buy a breast or two, or a cutlet or five... no. He buys the whole dang pig... or whatever dead animal it is. So this time Karl decides to buy a pork loin the size of my leg. Not joking. He says it was 5 pounds but I beg to differ. Finally we try to figure out what to do with it all and I decide that I'd like to try a rub. Now, I probably should have let it sit for a while, but it looked too good and it was getting late. There was no time for fooling around. Thanks to the "Pork Kitchen Companion" pamphlet I got from the Boston Marathon expo (thanks to the "Pork... Be Inspired" campaign, I really am inspired), I found a decent looking rub recipe that I had all the ingredients for. Here goes:

Southwest-Spiced Roasted Pork Tenderloin

1 pork tenderloin, about 1 pound (our hunk was about 2 pounds but it was covered)
1 tablespoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons salt 
1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin (I used whole cumin seeds)
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper

1) In small bowl, stir together paprika, salt, brown sugar, sugar, chili powder, ground cumin and black pepper until thoroughly blended. Makes 1/4 cup.

2) Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Season tenderloin with 2 tablespoons rub. Place tenderloin in shallow pan and roast for 20-27 minutes, until internal temperature reads 145F. Remove pork from oven and let rest 5 minutes. Slice tenderloin to serve.

     After sitting in the oven for almost a half hour, we pulled it out and let the juices sink in like they recommend. That was torturous. Finally, we cut that baby open. Oh. My. Gosh. The flavors of the rub seemed to just infiltrate the entire hunk of meat. It was a tad spicy, but salty, and so aromatic. The meat was juicy and I was happy. Great success. So easy! Next time, trying it on the grill.

Taqueria El Carrizal - Allston, MA

http://www.yelp.com/biz/taqueria-el-carrizal-allston

     Happy Cinco de Mayo! Unsure as to what the reason for celebration of the 5th of May was, I did a little research online, started thinking about the homemade tortilla chips from Los Tres in East Lansing, and was overcome with the inexplicable desire to seek out a restaurant with chips that take me back to my college days. Kena had mentioned something about Taqueria El Carrizal the other day and I had always wanted to try it out, so I recruited Karl and we went over. This restaurant is known for their Mexican, Guatemalan, and Salvadorian cuisine. This was different and I was super excited. Aside from the fact that the service was terrrrrrible (they basically had one waitress for the entire restaurant... which was small anyway... but on Cinco de Mayo? Really?), the food was awesome. I called ahead of time just to make sure they had chips. They did. No Los Tres chips, but they were alright. For an appetizer and to take me back to living in the cloud forests of Ecuador, I order the fried plantains. They were so good. Cut thick with crisped edges and served with some weird dipping sauce. It was sweet, but sour like sour cream and I wasn't really a fan. 

     

     Then for my meal, I got the Combinacion Salvadorena. The first thing on it that I just had to try was the pupusa. Basically I think all it is is pork and cheese formed into a patty. Maybe there's some cornmeal in there. I don't know. But it was fried. And probably 3000 calories. But it was soooo good. This dish also came with a chicken tamale. I could tell it was homemade because of the imperfections of the cornmeal casing. The meat inside was mildly spicy. It was tiny and I feel like I just shovelled it in my mouthwithout really thinking too much about it. Oh well. Next was a salvadorian echilada. Truthfully, I have no idea what this thing was. It came on what looked like an opened hard taco shell. On top they layered meat, corn, beans, lettuce, tomato, guacamole, sour cream and cheese. I also had no idea how to eat it. So... I picked it up, took a bite, and everything spilled all over. Slob. But, "if at first you don't succeed, try and try again." So, I picked up the pieces and chiselled away at it bite by bite. It was fantastic. It was like a mountain of flavors and the intense flavor of the meat was accented by the cool sour cream, the rich guac and the smooth cheese. It all came with what I think was some sort of pickled cabbage/carrot salad with jalapenos. It was surprisingly hot. This whole meat was unlike anything I'd ever had before, and I was muy bien. 

The Fat Cat - Quincy, MA

http://fatcatrestaurant.com/

     I'm not going to go into the story about my nature quest, but towards the end of my 8 mile hike I started to feel a little famished. Well... who am I kidding... I was hungry from the start. After asking about 6 different people along the beach in Quincy for recommendations, I steered away from the overpriced and unhealthy clam shacks along the water's edge for what ended up being an even more calorie laden meal inland in downtown Quincy. As a party of one, I sat by the door for nearly 30 minutes awaiting a table small enough to accommodate little me. Unbeknownst to them, the amount of food I was about to order would not easily fit on the table such a small size. The room was dimly lit and full of families feasting upon epic proportions of macaroni and cheese. The smell of seafood filled the air along with a subtle hint of class. I belonged here. While waiting, I had ample time to peruse the menu and had a bunch of questions to ask my waitress. In the end, she recommended the spicy tomato mussels and the half order of the lobster and crab mac n' cheese. I had to get my hands on the mac n' cheese and my tongue was longing for some seafood. Heeding here recommendations, I waited patiently for my meal and was presented with a bread display unlike any I had seen before. In my swirly twirly bread basket sat two slices of some kind of fancy bread, a sweet roll, and a hunk of corn bread. I couldn't of asked for anything better. Alongside the basket came a plate with an ice cream scoop of their homemade honey butter, and a splat of their blackbean hummus. What? Crazy. Crazy awesome. The butter was PERFECT. Smooth, sweet, easy to spread. I'd be lying if I said I didn't just sit there eating some of the butter by itself once all my bread was gone. The black bean hummus was good too. Different, and not as smooth as a typical hummus but it was very unique. Really tasty when you topped your bread and butter with a little dollop of it. 

     Finally my mussles arrived. A huuuuuuuge plate of 'em steaming hot. I got some glares. "Is she really going to eat all that?" Missy, you have no idea who I am. I dug in. Good thing I had my chair under me or I would've hit the floor. These mussels were by far the best mussels I've ever had. They sat in a pool of a thin mildly spicy, garlicy, tomato broth. At the bottom of the pool of broth sat hidden treasures. I'm not even sure what was down there, but I finished off every last mussel (cooked to perfection) and proceeded to scoop the broth up, making sure to rescue some of the garlic/tomato/basil chunks hiding on the bottom, and drank it out of the shell. 

     Then came the lobster and crab mac and cheese (no picture because my phone died). Big curly noodles infused with cheese, mixed with hearty hunks of lobster and crab meat, topped with tomato slices, light bread crumbs and parmesan cheese. My half order was still enough fit for a king... or for me. They had topped the mac and cheese with all those fixings and browned the cheese on top.....................................Alright. I'm just sitting here thinking about how to describe this, but I can't I don't even know how to explain how it tasted. I was in awe. It wasn't too cheesy. Didn't make me feel like a brick after (I was worried about that). But the way the seafood paired with the cheese and was accented by the fresh tomato ... ooooo. So good. I also took some of my left over broth from the mussels and poured it on top. Just ridiculous I tell you. Madness. I was satisfied, refreshed, and fat.... beyond all measure. The waitress came back and said, "You ate all of that? I thought for sure when you ordered all that food that you'd be surprised at how much it was." No ma'am. You had me mistaken for some other lightweight female rower. So I hopped back on the T and headed home. 

    

Zinga - Boston, MA

http://www.zingafroyo.com/

     I wish I could say I have some sort of self control, but.... I can't. So after that huge meal, I wanted ice cream. After hopping off the red line, I emerged from the depths of the subway system to find a Zinga's Frozen Yogurt place sitting in the heart of Kenmore. God does answer prayers. It was my first time at a self-serve frozen yogurt place, and I was more than overwhelmed. Pay by the ounce? This could be dangerous. After sampling a few flavors, I began filling my cup. Banana, vanilla cream, strawberry, rocky road, triple chocolate, cookies and cream, and red velvet cake. I had to hold back on the flavors after I realized that behind me was what looked like 644565897 different toppings. I went ham. Peanut m&ms, chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, heath bar, oreo, brownie bites, lychee balls, cookie dough, reeses cups, regular m&ms, strawberries, kiwi, and a couple blackberries... just to feel healthy about all this mess. After eating 3/4 of extra toppings as I went down the line, I approached the counter and it only ended up costing me $5.87. Bonus! The red velvet cake frozen yogurt was my favorite. SO GOOD. There was so much going on in that bowl that it even sparked a little jealousy in the man that sat next to me on the bus. How do I know? He told me. And plus, who wouldn't be jealous? This was heaven in a bowl. 

Experimentation in My Kitchen - 578 Washington St #3, Brighton

     The livestrong website provides some good reads and ideas sometimes.... sometimes. Protein powder pancake. The picture looks awesome. What's in it? Protein powder and water.  Can't be that bad, right? WRONG. VERY WRONG. BARF. I don't know if it's because my protein powder is a banana flavor, but ewww. I figured, "oh banana pancakes. Those are good. This can't be that bad." Seriously mistaken.

     Experiment #2. BIG SUCCESS. Thanks to Sir Jim Robinette, I've been slugging away at a delicious gallon of Robinette's apple cider that appeared at my doorstep last week. I made popsicles the other day... which are the bomb, and today I wanted to try a recommendation of Jim's. He said to mix vanilla ice cream and cider in the blender and... presto! A creamy cider shake. Oh man. Was he right. I don't even know what to compare this to. Maybe Jesus. It was just that amazing. Try it.