See Ya Never

Anthem - Boston, MA
http://www.anthem-boston.com/

Orecchiette with roasted veggies and steak

     The Boston Marathon came and went... and so did the all you can eat pasta deals. Sad face. This was the second year that David and I (as non-runners) took advantage of the all you can eat pasta deals that restaurants in the area offer the night before the race. Last year we went to Bambara, which was honestly better than Anthem. Even though it's pretty pricey, Anthem has a beautiful, modern-rustic space in the heart of Quincy Market, and it's often teeming with tourists.
     For the marathon, Anthem had an unlimited pasta deal, but you had to pay extra for meat with each additional bowl. So we got steak added to the first bowl, which was delicious, and we were sad for the rest of the bowls. However, I really liked the combo sauce made of marinara and pesto that they added to the orecchiette pasta. It gave the pasta a much more rich flavor than straight marinara would have. They also mixed in some roasted squash, zucchini and carrots. Bonus.

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BISq - Cambridge, MA

http://www.bisqcambridge.com/

Bazz Hook-Up Board

     After work/school, Zach and I met up for our bi-monthy feeding. We both wanted to try out Bisq, which is a tiny, hip, "restaurant and wine bar" that recently opened near GG. Bisq seems to be semi farm-to-table and focuses on unique, natural, whole ingredients, similar to Commonwealth (which Zach and I also went to once). It's a wooden furniture and mason jars kind of place that serves up a non-Spanish version of tapas, or small plates. 

Top: N'Awlins shrimp toast, Bottom: Lamb ribs

     The waiter sold us on the Bazz Hook-Up Board, which is their head chef's version of a charcuterie board. They had three homemade meats: something similar to a procuitto, a blood sausage like variety, and another resembling salami. All of them were served with toast and absolutely delicious. Salty, melt-in-your-mouth meat. The board also had a chicken liver patte topped with house-made granola, kale and (what I think was) a pomegranate sauce. Crazy combination, but it worked. There was also a glob of lard that was whipped with cinnamon sugar. Yes I said lard. I think it was cinnamon sugar and it was strangely sweet, but delicious, especially when spread on the toast. THAT was melt-in-your-mouth because it was straight fat. That's ok, right? Lastly, they had a few small pieces of house-pickled okra and a whole grain mustard. I liked the pickles because they helped cut the fat in your mouth after eating the other board items. I wished there were more. 

     For the meal we ordered the lamb ribs... obviously. I don't think I've ever had lamb ribs, and these were incredible. I don't know how they even got them onto the plate without the meat falling off the bone because it was out of this world tender. They were super succulent and topped with small pieces of crispy kale and a sour orange glaze, adding some unique texture elements. That glaze was a surprisingly fabulous addition to the lamb. The sweet but sour flavor was delicious with the savory flavory of the lamb. As the second dish, we order the N'awlings barbecue shrimp toast which was mind-blowing. It seems next to impossible to deconstruct this. It was served as two pieces of toast with a thick, rich, cheesy layer that had grilled small shrimp in it. It wasn't barbecue as in the tomato-based barbecue sauce you're probably thinking of, but rather it's considered barbecue because it was cooked on a barbecue. On top they drizzled another slightly sour but sweet glaze and some "sexy scallions." So good. 

     These types of restaurants are difficult to describe because the flavors of things are so intricate and complex. It beautiful. I couldn't believe that lamb. It was so good. Like mind-alteringly good. 

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The Banshee - Dorchester, MA

http://bansheeboston.com/home/

Black angus burger and pub fries

O'Malley's Gaelic fries

     After a year and a half at UMass Boston, I finally hit up The Banshee, the local, favorite bar of a lot of my classmates. After my last grad GIS class I was teaching, all of the students and I went out for some food and beers as our final farewell. I anticipated standard bar food, but this was far from. The Banshee was a cozy little dark Irish pub with a really chill vibe. I loved it, and the menu was so much more than I expected with a little bit of everything from pizzas to burgers and bangers and mash. I'm still in this I-need-a-burger-everyday phase (where I'm not actually eating burgers everyday but I want them) so I ordered their black angus burger that was served with sautéed onions, peppers and mushrooms on a brioche roll. The burger was beautiful. Thick and juicy and the sautéed goodies were the perfect addition. It was served with a side of great salty fries...some soft, some crispy, some a little burnt. I ate half of it all partially because it was 9pm and partially because I destroyed a plate of their O'Malley's Gaelic fries. These were their pub fries topped with cheddar cheese, butcher's cut smoked bacon and a drizzle of ranch. It was stupid good. Stupid good and stupid artery clogging I'm sure but that cheese though...

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The Linden Store - Wellesley, MA

http://www.bisqcambridge.com/

The Linden Special

     There aren't many surprises in my life that are more exciting than when customers offer to buy us lunch when we're working. This time we were doing a job out in Wellesley and the wifey offered to get us some deli sandwiches from The Linden Store. It was their favorite local deli. My lightweight days made me appreciate a deli sandwich I can sink my teeth into more than the average person, so I was pumped. I ordered the Linden Special which was mortadella, prosciutto, salami, provolone cheese, marinated peppers, tomatoes, and oil. It was simple, but delicious. There were so many delicious salty meats that paired so well with the marinated peppers, again that cut the fat of the meats. I think it would've been a little better with some more greenery. Maybe some spinach or arugula. But it was still tasty. A step up from Jimmy Johns for sure. 

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Greenhills Irish Bakery - Dorchester, MA

http://www.greenhillsirishbakery.com/

Irish Breakfast Roll

     A pro to working with such diverse crews is that a lot of them often know where to get great food from their home countries. We finished an onload far too quickly down in Dorchester a couple weeks ago and Mark knew just the place to stop for second breakfast. There's nothing wrong with second breakfast. It was this hopping place called Greenhills Irish Bakery serving up a variety of pastries, breads, and INCREDIBLE breakfast sandwiches. I got their small Irish breakfast roll which was a homemade buttered roll that nuzzled a fried egg, Irish bacon (which is more like what we consider ham but better), Irish sausage and black and white pudding. I couldn't believe how good the sausage was. It was 100% different than the type of sausage you normally buy here in that it was less greasy, more meaty and tasted like it had more spices in it. It was the same story with the blood sausage/black and white pudding. The blood sausage had an incredible flavor partially due to the caraway seeds, which are not a commonly used spice. In both sausages, I really felt like I was tasting the meat itself rather than fillers or fat. Throw it all together with the salty Irish bacon and the egg and it was something dreamy. 

Thanks For Putting Up With Me For A Year

Smith and Wollensky - Boston, MA
http://smithandwollensky.com/

Rosemary buns. Look at them. Have you ever seen something more beautiful?

     I wouldn't say we're very traditional, but for our one year anniversary, David and I wanted to go someplace nice for dinner where we could get all fancy, since that is not the normal for us. I spent hours (the day before) doing some extensive internet research and using my phone-a-friend lifeline in order to find just what we wanted. In the end, Smith and Wollensky was just the place. It is one of Boston's best steakhouses, and the location we went to was inside a castle in Back Bay. Yes... an actual castle. It was built in 1891 and served as the headquarters for the First Corps of Cadets. It honestly had a very unique, European castle feel with its intricate wood carvings along the walls and ceilings, statutes, and art. We were so out of our element it was hilarious.
     On to food. I was so excited for the complimentary bread and was ecstatic when it came because it was perfect. It was a bunch of rolls in the shape of a flower, it was fresh baked with a slightly crispy crust, and it had a hefty dose of rosemary and salt on it. Each roll was so flavorful because of the oils assisting with the crispness of the crust and the herbs that there was no need for butter (even though we still used it and it was still delicious). While a necessary element, the only thing I would change would be the coarseness of the salt. Sometimes the salt chunks were far too big that they were almost painful on your tongue.

Too quick of a picture means it smelled too good to
postpone any longer. 

     As an appetizer, we got the Wollensky salad that had a beautiful light dressing, lots of vegetables and little fried potato chunks on the sides. It was the perfect start. For our meal, the highlight was the 24oz dry-aged ribeye for 55 dollars. Yes, 55 dollars. I was so excited for David to have a steak like this because it was his first steak of this caliber. This ribeye was perfectly medium rare and was as tender as can be. Each bite just melted in your mouth but was simple in flavor. It felt clean and was beautifully marbled. It was exactly how I would've wanted him to experience a good steak. 

     We also got the salmon, which was served with garlic kale, wild mushrooms and onions. The salmon had a very unique and crispy crust which I couldn't figure out. This dish was also a tad salty for me, but on its own, the salt level would've been perfect. My favorite part was the mushrooms. They were some sort of different wild mushroom that I'm not sure I've had before. But they were soft and chewy and full of flavor.
     As a side, we got the truffled mac and cheese with the little cracker crumbs on top. It was like a big fat rich punch in the face. So rich. So delicious. Salty again, but delicious. the cheese and noodles were on the more dry side, which I like as opposed to the noodles swimming in a goopy cheese sauce.
     I'm sure dessert would've been spectacular, but there was no way. Smith and Wollensky will probably be a once in a lifetime thing (primarily because of the $$$), but it's worth it. The atmosphere is great, the people watching is fabulous and the food is even better.

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Al Dente - Boston, MA

http://www.aldenteboston.com/

The Al Dente Special

     For Head of the Charles this year, we had more alumni than ever before come into town. It was like a big happy reunion. Add rowing and it's one of the best weekend's of the year. Plus, it gives me excuses to go eat at restaurants with the nomads. This year Kevin organized a dinner at Cambridge Brewing Company (which I've written about before) and Meagan organized one to Al Dente down in the North end (Boston's little Italy). I've heard this place was good before, so I was very excited to finally true. It's a very typical north end restaurant in that its a small, family run restaurant with a dimly lit dining room and charming music playing overhead. The free bread was abundant and the dipping oil (which unfortunately showed up when I was already 4 rolls deep) took me 6+ rolls into a bread coma before the food even arrived. 

     David and I split a meal, which was smart financially and logically (especially after the bread fiasco). We ordered the Al Dente Special which was sautéed chicken, veal and shrimp tossed with broccoli, mushrooms, red and yellow peppers and artichoke hearts in a white wine vinegar butter sauce...all over pasta... obviously. Another win for wine sauces in my book. They're making a comeback with my taste buds (I'm sure the whole "butter" part of "white wine vinegar butter sauce" probably helped it out a bit). All of the meats and veggies were perfectly cooked and went so well together. I liked how many elements there were to the dish and the variety of flavors. I all tasted very fresh, with the slightly rich sauce to level it all out. I was very impressed with Al Dente and would definitely say it's one of the best restaurants I've been to in the North end so far. That gnocchi from Euno still writes my love songs.

Go Get 'Em Out There

Wagamama - Boston, MA
http://www.wagamama.us/

     I love that Boston is a hub for conferences because it means so many friends come into town, and I get to see them! This time Sarah had a math conference, so on her last day I met up with her at Wagamama in Faneuil Hall. Modeled after Japan's ramen bars, Wagamama has 4 locations in Massachusetts. The restaurant itself had very simple, and sharp features and furniture in a red, black and white color scheme. Very typical, modern asian decor I think.
     The menu was impressive, and each dish was loaded with 7-10 fresh ingredients. I went with the yaki soba, which is a teppanyaki dish. That basically means it has big, thick noodles that are fried on a flat griddle. The noodles were awesome and unlike anything I've had before. They were just super thick, really long and almost misshapen. Like worms... minus the sand. The dish had the teppan-fried soba noodles with chicken, shrimp, egg, beansprouts, peppers, red onions and scallions and was garnished with fried shallots, pickled ginger and black sesame seeds. I loved the different textures and temperatures of the dish. The pickled ginger was cool and sour, the fried shallots were crispy, and the beansprouts and sesame seeds were cool and slightly crunchy. The warm, grilled peppers, onions, juicy chicken and shrimp and scrambled egg contrasted in a unique way with all the cool and crunchy ingredients. I wasn't going to eat the whole dish because it really was a ton of pasta, but I had a long day at work, I was hungry, and it was delicious. Sounds like a good enough reason right? It was a good deal of food too for a great price. I (or the normal person) could've taken it come and made it into two meals too if I wanted to...but I didn't.

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Bambara - Cambridge, MA
http://www.bambara-cambridge.com/

Someone is excited about noods

     Marathon Monday!!! What does that mean? Carb-loading Sunday! Just because I didn't run the marathon doesn't mean I wasn't going to take advantage of the all-you-can-eat pasta deals throughout Boston on Sunday night. No no. After hitting up the expo, David and I walked over to Bamabara, which is this swanky little place across from the science museum in Cambridge. At first we weren't sure if we were underdressed or not, but I think it ended up being ok. It was a very classy place, with dark walls, sleek furniture, and concentrated lights illuminating glassy accents... and free bread.
     So for this unlimited pasta bowl, you could pick a shape of noodle, a meat or veg, and a sauce. For our first bowl, we got orecchiette (little ear shaped pasta) with grilled chicken and alfredo. It was looooaded with butter. It was super rich, a little salty and had a great cheesy flavor. Amazing. Probably one of the best alfredo sauces I've ever tried. The chicken was delicious too because it had slightly charred edges from the grill. Other options for other bowls included a marinara sauce, a roasted garlic and tomato sauce, sausage and grilled veggies. The sausage was pretty standard, and I wasn't all too impressed. The veggies were average too, but I think the penne with chicken alfredo was the best. After the 4th bowl, we had to call it quits. We were ready for marathon... sleeping. On the way out, some guy said to us "Go get 'em out there tomorrow!" We said thank you, and it got us amped. Maybe we should've said something, but it felt good to look like a marathon runner. Meh.

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Shake Shack - Boston, MA
https://www.shakeshack.com/

The Original Shack Stack

     The marathon was great. The weather was not. We were cold and hungry and had *walked* for many hours. I realize this sounds pathetic because these people ran 26.2 miles...that's because it is pathetic. Either way, Catherine guided us to the Shake Shack on Newbury St. where she works now. Shake Shack is a fast paced burger joint that actually started as a hot dog stand in NYC. Now they're spreading throughout the northwest, and for good reason. They're quick, delicious, and it feels better than regular fast food.
     I was so excited because the only other time I had been was with (a different) Catherine on free burger day and it was their burger with fried onion rings and american cheese. It was too greasy for me and I wanted to try the more fresh looking burger I see in their instagram photos. This time I was getting it. and it was so much better. The patty was still a little bit greasy and flat for my taste, but it was still delicious. I liked the the big slice of tomato and the large leaf of curly romaine. Both of the veggies tasted fresh and cool and helped balance out the greasy burger. The Shake Shack fries remind me of childhood at friends' houses because, honestly, they're like the frozen ones you make at home out of the bag. The crinkle cut ones. Remember those? So good.

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Butternut Squash Galette - My Kitchen, Cambridge
      

     Oh gosh I love when simple things I experiment with turn out to be incredible. I found this recipe on Smitten Kitchen (the woman is a genius) back last fall when butternut squash was in season. Naturally I waited until they were out of season to make this and other butternut squash recipes I have. Regardless, this galette was awesome. The combination of the roasted squash, caramelized onions and fontina cheese was so rich, but still light. Fontina cheese is one of my favorites. She made a great choice using it. Goat cheese would be good too, but that would've made it completely different. I also didn't use her crust recipe. I used some random dough I made a while ago and froze. I'm sure it would be even more spectacular if I had used her recipe. I'd say this is a good party dish to bring. It's simple but tasty and good as an appetizer.

Butternut Squash Galette

1 small butternut squash
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 to 2 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon salt
Pinch of sugar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3/4 cup fontina cheese, grated
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage leaves

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Peel squash, then halve and scoop out seeds. Cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Toss with olive oil and a dash of salt and roast on a cookie sheet for 30 minutes or until pieces are tender, turning it midway. Set aside to cool slightly.

2.  While squash is roasting, melt the butter in a heavy skillet and cook onion over low heat with the a pinch of salt and sugar. Stir occasionally until soft and lightly golden brown, about 20 minutes. Stir in cayenne.

3. Raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees. Mix squash, caramelized onions, cheese and herbs together in a bowl.

4. On a floured work surface, roll the chilled dough out into a 12-inch round circle. slide it onto an ungreased baking sheet. Spread squash, onions, cheese and herb mixture over the dough, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border. Fold the border over the squash, onion and cheese mixture. Keep the center open.

5. Bake 30 to 40 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven, let stand for 5 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve warm. 

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Butternut Squash Ravioli - My Kitchen, Cambridge

Butternut Squash Raviolis

     Since I had the butternut squash, I ran through my pinterest looking for recipes I could use it in.  This is another recipe from Iowa Girl Eats and it is delicious! However, I don't know why I ever think making ravioli is a good idea. I mean... it's good and all, but it literally takes forever. And I don't even make my own dough. I just use those little wonton wrappers. It's too much effort for the amount of satisfaction. Anyway, these raviolis were good. I wanted them to be a little bit more garlicy and with cheese.

Butternut Squash Ravioli

3 cups roasted butternut squash
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1/4 onion
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Salt & pepper
40 wonton wrappers

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Halve squash and scoop out seeds. Place upside down and roast on a cookie sheet for 30 minutes or until tender. Set aside to cool slightly.

2. Chop onion and garlic. Sauté onion in olive oil with some salt & pepper until softened, about 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for another minute being careful not to burn.

3. Transfer cooked onion and garlic to a food processor. Add roasted butternut squash and cinnamon to food processor and pulse until all the ingredients are combined and smooth. Place filling into bowl and taste. Add more salt and pepper if necessary.

4. Setup a work station that includes a cookie sheet, small bowl of water, cutting board and butternut squash filling. Place wonton wrapper on cutting board and moisten all four sides with water. Place around 2 teaspoons butternut squash filling into the center of the wonton wrapper. Fold one corner over to the other and seal two sides, pressing any air out of the middle of the ravioli. Fold one corner over, then fold the other corner over on top. Squeeze gently to make sure corners stick together. Place ravioli on cookie sheet.

5. Once you’ve made all the ravioli, cook immediately or place the cookie sheet directly into the freezer and allow raviolis to freeze through for 1-2 hours. Once raviolis are frozen, place inside a freezer safe bag and store in freezer. Raviolis should keep well for 4-5 months and can go directly from the freezer to the stove or pot of boiling water. Enjoy!

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Oasis Cafe and Bakery - Medford, MA
http://www.oasisbraziliancafe.com/index.php

Coxinha

     Whenever we go to Hardy Pond to do some sampling, Julie always tries to get me to eat things, and I don't hate it. This time we stopped at this Brazilian bakery called Oasis. They had a Brazilian barbecue buffet place next door that was super cheap that I'd love to visit someday. Anyway, she went crazy and got us all these little things. Small cookies with jelly, peanut brittle, cheese rolls, and this chicken dough ball thing that was unlike anything I've ever experienced. It's called Coxinha and it's basically a cream cheese ball, covered in shredded chicken, surrounded in a dough and deep fried. It must be fried really quickly though because 90% of the dough isn't cooked. It's this weird gooey consistency that gets stuck to your teeth, but it was so tasty. Well, the chicken was tasty rather than the dough. There were so many different textures and flavors happening in it. The cheesy rolls were great too. They seemed like these super eggy small rolls with cheese inside them. But somehow the cheese was really throughout the dough in that you couldn't see cheese strings inside when you'd take a bite. You could feel the chewiness of the cheese and the taste the cheese, but you couldn't see it. It looked like a regular roll, but small. It was really unique. They were really soft too, especially fresh from the oven. I love experiencing new treats like this, especially when they're with someone so well versed in food culture. 

Can You Ask The Chef Please?

The Pier Patio Pub – Old Orchard Beach, ME
http://oobpier.com/

Old Orchard Beach. The pier Patio Pub was at the end. 

     But really…who builds a waterpark in Maine? Finally… a Sunday in Maine that didn’t have rain in the forcast. Meagan and I had been waiting forever for this day because it meant we could try out Splashtown Funtown. I bought this groupon for the waterpark eons ago because… well, who doesn’t like waterparks? We really had no idea what to expect. It was a beautiful drive up, but after about an hour and a half in the tiny park in cloudy, cool and windy conditions, we called it and headed to the beach. Old Orchard Beach. Similar to Salisbury Beach in that it’s a super long beach and the surrounding area kind of reminds me of the Jersey Shore. There were tons of restaurants, arcades, ice cream shops and even a ferris wheel. One thing that was kind of funny was that the beach was packed! It was not a warm day, it was not sunny, and the water had reached Arctic proportions. These people were crazy… or just confused.

My lobster roll and rings :]

     Either way, we had warmed up a bit, so we walked out on this long pier that was full of shops and food stops and happened upon The Pier Patio Pub. It wasn’t anything fancy by any means, but it was perfect and exactly what we had in mind. We sat on the very end of the pier looking out into the ocean with waves crashing under our feet. It was beautiful. The oldest Hanson brother (in my opinion) was our waiter.
     To start we both ordered a Seadog Sunfish beer which, we both agree, was quite possibly the best beer we have ever had. It had grapefruit and peach flavors in it, but didn’t have the sweetness that some fruity beers sometimes seems to have. It was so refreshing and delicious. For dinner I ordered the lobster roll (when in Maine…) and onion rings. Everyone had the rings. I needed them. They were so good too. Medium sized slices, battered and fried to oblivion. It’s been a while since I’ve eaten something that took that many years off my life, and it was worth it. The lobster roll may have been the best one I’ve ever had too (not that I’ve had many). It wasn’t loaded up with mayo like most are and it was served with lettuce in the bottom of the bun. While the lettuce may seem insignificant, I think that’s what put it above the other lobster rolls I’ve had before. It made the roll complete. It made me complete.

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Gingerbread Construction Company – Winchester, MA
http://gingerbreadusa.com/muffins.html

   

Look at all the varieties!

     So now that I’m not rowing anymore, I’m finding fun ways to still stay active. One way I make them more fun is by including delicious rewards at the end (or the middle in this case). Zack had mentioned that Gingerbread Construction Company in Winchester was deadly and not too bad of a bike ride if I wanted to make a trip out of it. Genius idea. So I did it a couple days after he told me about it. I hopped on my bike with the intention of biking up to the Middlesex Fells reservation, tooling around a bit, grabbing a muffin and heading home. A 2 hour round trip I’d guess. Well… thanks to Google Maps thinking I could ride my road bike on hiking trails, I got a little lost, made some wrong turns, and finally made it to Gingerbread Construction Company two hours after departure. In all honesty, it was a great ride, I had great tunes, so all was well. I was just hungry and thirsty.

Look at all this fruit

Stupid good, stupid looking

 

Raspberry Blueberry muffin, Double Chocolate Chunk
Cookie and Oatmeal Raisin Pecan Cookie

     I’m pretty sure my jaw hit the ground when I walked in because I was blown away with the kajillion different varieties of muffins staring me in the face. Some with crumbles, some stuffed, some with icing. The line only got longer and longer the more time I spent debating and asking the lady behind the counter a million questions. In the end I chose the raspberry blueberry muffin and two cookies. This muffin wasn’t even a muffin. Of all the muffins I’ve had before, there has never been anything like this. It was super soft and moist inside, but not sticky or tacky on the outside. It had an awesome crust on top and was loaded with fresh juicy berries. I wanted another. I wanted 5 more.           

     Thankfully I had the world’s best cookies left to eat. I’m not kidding. Gingerbread Construction Company had the best cookies I have ever had in my life, and I’ve had a lot of cookies in my time. What was so good about them? I’m sure they were loaded with butter, and they literally melted in your mouth. The flavor of the oatmeal raisin pecan was so rich and nutty. I love the flavor pecans give to cookies. This was the one I could really feel melt in my mouth. Oatmeal cookies. I can’t get enough. The double chocolate chunk cookie had these enormous chocolate chunks in it as well as big white chocolate chunks. It was just oozing love. The 2 types of chocolate chunks plus the cocoa in the cookie itself all had different flavors and made each bite unique.

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Bella Vista – Boston, MA

   

It's grainy, but there were basically no lights on in the
restaurant, so I had to make do. This was my Chicken Villanese

     These posts aren’t in order, but I do not care. I forgot to write about the Italian place we went to when Marissa and Jess visited! It’s hard to pick a place to eat in the North End because they all seem the same. I mean… I guess they kind of are. Anyway, Bella Vista looked promising, and we’re easy to please. The place was really dark, tiny and cute (minus the party bathroom Marissa accidentally discovered in the basement). The walls had your typical fake ivy hanging from them and catholic pictures and statues sat situated all around you. Our waitress was an old Italian lady who I’m sure has worked there since the dawn of time. I always like seeing that because it makes me feel like the place is more authentic. I’m sure that’s what they aim for though.
     

     My main meal was great, but my favorite

The first of two incredible, warm bread baskets. 

part may have been the rolls with butter. The rolls were big and football shaped and came to the table nice and hot. They were soft on the outside, but had a thinner crust that you could easily tear. I had at least 3 … maybe 4.
     For my main course I ordered the Chicken Villanese because I didn't feel like eating a ton of pasta. It did come with a side of spaghetti and tomato sauce though, which was a bonus. That was a little bland though. The Chicken Villanese was two flattened chicken breasts with shrimp, mushrooms and clams in a white wine sauce. Normally I’m hesitant to order things in a wine sauce, but I was feeling adventurous this day. Oh and it was such a great choice! The bite that I normally associate with wine wasn’t prominent at all. The white wine sauce was light and thin, but gave all of the seafood and the chicken a powerful flavor. It almost had the sharpness of wine, but not that rotten taste I dread so much. I was so pleased that it went well. I was nervous. The mushrooms were another unique element of the dish. They were a couple different varieties of wild and meaty mushrooms with a hearty chewiness. They were like sponges for that sauce. Bella Vista did not disappoint :]

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Grafton Street – Cambridge, MA
http://graftonstreetcambridge.com/

    

BBQ American Lamb Pizza

     Jimmy and I can’t help it. When we get a butter dish that has a unique flavor and little red specks in it, we will look like morons trying to assess the flavors. And we will not hesitate to ask the waitress to ask the chef what’s in the butter. Grafton Street in Harvard Square had some tasty butter with lemon, red pepper and cumin to go with their awesome sliced chewy and sticky bread. After a big upset about not making it to Veggie Planet before they closed on their last day of existence, Jimmy, Meagan, Liz and I headed to Grafton Street to take advantage of their really nice outdoor seating area. To start we got a pitcher of Sangria which was one of the best red sangrias I’ve had. Since I’m not a big fan of red wine, sangria made with it often makes me want to hurl. I think this had more juice in it or something… or whatever else they put in sangria that isn’t wine.

     For my main meal, I stuck with the pizza idea since that was what I had set my mind on when Veggie Planet was in my future. Grafton Street had a awesome sounding BBQ American Lamb Pizza. This was completely different than I expected. I thought I was getting a normal thick crust pizza with tons of cheese and bonus shredded lamb on top. Instead, this crust had a light smear of tomato sauce and was sprinkled with smaller sized lamb chunks, equally sized chunks of feta cheese, and cilantro. So each bite you took had to have some strategy for fear of not getting a little bit of each topping and of them tumbling off. It was served on a beautiful, thick wooden cutting board and was quite pretty. I loved the savory and salty flavors of the lamb and feta balanced by the fresh cilantro. That cilantro was essential. Parsley would've been good too. It was very simple and tasty, but not filling. I love lamb, so there wasn't really going to be any way I would've been dissatisfied, but I would've liked some more meat and cheese.

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No Name Restaurant - Boston, MA
http://www.nonamerestaurant.com/

     After spending the day out on Spectacle Island in the Boston harbor, Meagan, Madalyn, Jimmy and I were in the seafood mood. I had heard about No Name before, so I thought we might as well give it a try. It’s in a super odd location though on a wharf amongst what looks like a bunch of other fishing loading docks within a brick building. It wasn't quite the waterfront, open air dining experience we were looking for, but it was apparently the first restaurant in Boston to start serving seafood back in 1917. The inside resembled an old seaside restaurant with sea-worthy wooden furniture and art.

Sauteed Seafood Plate

     To start, they sent over a garlic bread basket. I was starving so it tasted good, but it honestly was just like the pre-made garlic bread you can get in the store that already has the garlic paste spread over it.
     For dinner, I went with the seafood platter with sautéed veggies. I was so happy with that choice. I wasn’t ready to feel the post-meal misery of a fried seafood plate, and I really enjoyed being able taste the simple flavors of the sautéed scallops, shrimp, swordfish and calamari. The swordfish was my favorite part of the dish. So simple and tender.  This also came with a heaping side of great coleslaw that I couldn’t finish.

Look at that coleslaw mountain

     I shared Jimmy’s seafood chowder and it was excellent. With a bunch of different types of seafood in the chowder, it had tons of different flavors, and it was the perfect consistency. I’m not a huge fan of runny chowders, nor am I fond of the super thick ones. This was right in the middle and allowed for a rich flavor without being overbearing in consistency. Jimmy’s broiled Scrod was simple and delicious because of the light buttery flavor and slightly crisped up edges of the fish. They cooked it perfectly without drying it out at all. Overall, a decent place, but not one of the better seafood experiences I’ve had here in the city.

SANDWICH DAY is the Best Day :]

Deli-licious - Somerville, MA

http://deliicioussomerville.com/

The Godfather... amazing

     I have been working at Bluetrain for over a year now, and have only gone out with everyone to ACTUALLY purchase lunch once. They always go get the most amazing looking sandwiches that smell up the office for hours. The first reason I don't normally buy anything is because of lightweight reasons. The second reason is that I find it so difficult to spend $8 on a lunch. I just can't afford that. I seem to keep setting these goals where I tell myself, "Oh I'll go after Speed Order" or "Once I get to 135 again, I'll go." But then my reasoning changes, and I never end up going. This time, I told Griffin to make me get a sandwich in week. I put it on our calendars… and that meant it was happening.

     So the day came, and I decided to try out Deli-licious in Davis Square. After browsing their menu before leaving, I narrowed it down to the Godfather and My Cousin Vinny. Don't be fooled… this was no easy task. This place didn't just have a "Sandwiches" section. No… they had a panini section, a burgers section, a wraps section, a melts section, "Roast Beef in Paradise" section, "Delicious Clubhouse" section, and "Classics" amongst other non-sandwich sections. Based on the names of some of these sandwiches, I'm guessing an Italian Family owned this restaurant.

     The Godfather it was! Five bucks got me this deli-licious warm panini with thinly sliced prosciutto, a huge slice of mozzarella cheese, roasted red peppers, field greens, oregano and balsamic vinaigrette. I seriously haven't had prosciutto in eons, and I don't know how I've made it this long. My love for salt made this the best choice I could've made. The salty prosciutto with the warm mozzarella was just incredible. The freshness of greens, peppers and vinaigrette perfectly balanced out the bold flavors of the prosciutto and mozzarella. And I was really in awe at how critical the addition of oregano was! Call me crazy, but it added such a great little bit of flavor to each bite. All my sandwiches (which are few and far between) will include oregon. Seriously… it was magical. All of these delicious fixings were on focaccia bread that had some melted cheese on it. OH my goodness… It was like they took the partially overdone cheez-its (that no one likes for some reason) and topped the bread with them. Those cheez-its are my absolute favorite. Like the prize you used to eagerly dig out of cereal boxes as a kid. So topping bread with this cheese just sparked my fancy.


Power Pasta - My Kitchen, Cambridge, MA

Whole wheat angel hair, tomatoes, red pepper, sweet potatoes
and goat cheese. Who knew they'd be so good together?

    I'm constantly reading about how sweet potatoes are apparently the perfect pre-race food. So before our 6k, I purchased one and perused the interwebz looking for something fun to do with it. I stumbled upon this recipe for, what I decided to call, Power Pasta. It was on Eating Well's website and is actually called Sweet Potato and Red Pepper Pasta. It was basically a mix of shredded sweet potato, pasta, plum tomatoes, goat cheese, red pepper, and I added spinach, chicken and cinnamon Four of these ingredients are supposedly optimal for a pre-race meal, so I was in. While doubting my physical strength shredding the sweet potato, I had the chicken and garlic cooking in my cast iron skillet and whole wheat noodles cooking on the side. Once you got past the shredding and cutting of the veggies, all you've got left to do is throw it all together, cover, let it cook for 15 minutes or so and add in a few medallions of goat cheese. Boom. Energy. Delicious.

Power Pasta

8 ounces whole-wheat angel hair pasta
1 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups shredded, peeled sweet potato, (about 1 medium)
1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 cup diced plum tomatoes
1/2 cup water
1 can diced tomatoes
1 cup spinach
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup of crumbled goat cheese or 2/3 medallions

1) Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta until just tender, 4 to 5 minutes or according to package directions.

2) Meanwhile, place 1 tablespoon oil and garlic in a large skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is sizzling and fragrant, 2 to 5 minutes. Add diced chicken and cook completely. Add sweet potato, bell pepper, tomatoes (canned and chopped) and water and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bell pepper is tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat; cover and keep warm.

3) Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water (I forgot to do this... woops). Return the pasta to the pot. Add the vegetable mixture, chicken, parsley, spinach, salt, cinnamon and cheese; toss to combine. Add the reserved pasta water, 2 tablespoons at a time, to achieve the desired consistency.

Noodles From Heaven... Shoo Doo Bee!

Basta Pasta - Cambridge, MA
http://www.bastapastacambridge.com/index.php

Look at them babies. Chicken Cacciatore with radiatore noodles. 

     FINALLY! Joan and Lauren used to talk about Basta Pasta all the time, and I had never been. Finally, after one 2x6k Saturday death workout, Joan and I headed over. Jake said to get their homemade noodles, so that was #1 on my to do list. I went with the Chicken Cacciatore with whole wheat radiatore noodles. Now this was seriously a treat for me... let me tell you. A HUGE plate of pasta popped up on the counter for my taking. Billowing steam, the beautiful creation was made up of peppers, onions, mushrooms, their homemade tomato sauce, romano cheese and these absolutely enormous radiatore noodles. I mean, these guys were. Each noodle was a full bite in itself, but man were they delicious! You could taste how fresh they were. I have decided that this is my favorite kind of noodle. Why? Radiatore are full of ridges. What do these ridges do? They provide pockets for sauce, cheese and other decorations to get caught in. So each noodle you bite into isn't only a noodle, but there are hidden treasures buried within each one. The sauce these guys make is fabulous too. It's slightly sweeter than standard pasta sauce, and it's full of a basil flavor. Big fan over here. I was so impressed for this being a tiny little place tucked in residential Cambridge. A return visit is definitely in order.

Greek Lemon Chicken Soup - My Kitchen, Cambridge, MA

Picture sucks, but the soup didn't. 

     In an effort to try something new, Jake suggested a lemon chicken soup. Truthfully I can't say I'd ever had such a thing, let alone tried to cook something like it on my own. After a short bout of interwebz research, I found an easy recipe on the Whole Foods website. I modified the recipe, yet again, by adding a can of garbanzo beans (highly recommended), swapping out the rice for orzo, not straining the soup, doubling the amount of parsley, and using 4 cups vegetable broth + 2 cups of water and 2 chicken bouillon cubes instead of 6 cups of chicken broth (simply because that's what I had).

     The most fun part about making this soup was the step involving adding the eggs, which I had never done before. You have to whisk the eggs really fast until they're foamy, add the lemon juice, continue mad whisking, then slowly add a cup of the boiling broth. Aside from getting a forearm cramp while doing so (#athleteproblems), it's really fun to watch how adding the hot broth to the egg/lemon mix cooks the egg. It doesn't clump up like it would if you dropped an egg into boiling water. The egg just disperses and more or less cooks as little egg particles.

     Long story short, I literally CAN NOT believe how amazing this soup is. I'm not even kidding. It's a week later, I'm still eating it and every time I do, I'm still in amazement. The way the egg, lemon and the chicken flavors all blend just make this such a rockin' soup. It's light and refreshing but full of protein. By far one of my best so far.

Greek Lemon Chicken Soup

• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
• 1 can garbonzo beans
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 large carrots, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup long grain rice or orzo
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• Salt and ground black pepper to taste

1) Bring broth, onion, carrot, bay leaf and salt to a simmer. Add chicken breasts, cover and gently simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. Remove chicken breasts, let cool slightly and pull or cut chicken into thin strips. Set aside. Return to boil. Add rice/orzo and gently simmer for 20 minutes, then add chicken back to soup for another 5 minutes. 

2) Whisk eggs until they are frothy, and whisk in lemon juice. Add a cup of the hot soup to egg-lemon mixture, very slowly, whisking while you pour it in. Add another cup in the same manner. Take soup off the heat and add egg mixture to it. Sprinkle with parsley, season with pepper and serve.

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.