A Donut A Day

Life Alive Cafe - Cambridge, MA

http://www.lifealive.com/index.html

     Life Alive is a place that is totally up my alley, and it really shouldn’t have taken me this long to get there. Joan and I met there one evening to catch up and the line was out the door from the moment we got there. Behind the counter, the shelves were lined with herbs, spices, and teas, and all of the workers totally gave off the hippy vibe. I loved it. It was awesome to see such a focus on health from their menu, hear the fresh juices being pressed and watch people enjoy whole, healthy foods. Life Alive strives to "renew your energy and connection to life by soulfully serving you the most fantastic, vibrant, organic, therapeutic, whole food you could ever imagine in an inspiring environment that honors local artisans, the community, and our global ecology." That might sound a little lofty to some, but it touches on a lot of things I have a passion for. 

The Swami

   For my meal I ordered The Swami. As a base, they served brown rice unlike any rice I've seen before. It was more round and sticky than normal rice. Much like little footballs. Tossed on top was a mix of tamari almonds, raisins, shredded carrots, broccoli, dark greens, & pearl onions all saturated with their sweet curry miso sauce. All of those ingredients fall within my list of favorite things. I loved the sweetness that the carrots and raisins brought (especially mixed with the sweet curry), but I also enjoyed the balance the rich greens and broccoli brought to the dish. As an added bonus, they sprinkled the dish with some nutritional yeast which I have only had once before on some kale chips Joan had one time. I really like the flavor of nutritional yeast! If you haven't tried it, don't be afraid. It's got a little bit of a cheesy flavor, even with the slight sharpness that some cheeses have. I enjoy it.

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Brandano’s - Everett, MA

Don't judge me for my half eaten ice cream photo

     After an hour of some serious bounce time at Skyzone, I suggested ice cream to David and Michael, and they were all in. We headed to some place in Everett called Brandano’s. They had it all. Ice cream, soft serve, slush, sundaes, Spanish flavored things. It was crazy. Now one of my favorite cereals ever is Grape Nuts, so when I saw a Grape Nut custard, I had to have it, and it was fabulous! It had the rich and smooth flavors of custard, but also had these literal grape nut nuggets dispersed throughout. The nuggets had softened up a bit, so it wasn’t the stark contrast in texture between smooth custard and crunchy nuts. Ya know? Those things are normally super hard. After experiencing Grape Nut custard at this place, I’ve since seen it at one or two other places. How did I not know this was a thing?!

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Union Square Donuts - Somerville, MA

http://unionsquaredonuts.com/

They're bigger than they look

     Anytime you see an article for Best Doughnuts in America, Union Square Donuts is bound to be on that list. Everyone and their mother in Boston raves about them, and I’ve been meaning to try them

Oh how convenient... 

someday. Well… one day I needed to make a Post Office run from work, so I went to where I the Post Office used to be in Somerville. At first I was so mad when I discovered it had moved. However, when I arrived at the new location, I was no longer mad. Why? Directly next door to Union Square Donuts. It was a message from the universe. It was time. I went in and immediately consumed 3 donut holes. Best donut holes I’ve ever had. How can one perfect a donut hole? Not a clue. But the rich buttery nugget melted in your mouth, and the slightly thicker than normal glaze caressing the fried outer shell sealed the deal... literally.

See... enormous

    The actual donuts themselves are literally twice the size of your average Dunkin’ Donuts donut. They’re wider, taller and fatter. I went with the toasted coconut, and it rocked my world. I swear I sat wide-eyed at my desk for 15 minutes in shock. The flavor in these donuts was powerful. I’m not sure how to describe it. But in comparison to Donuts with a Difference in Medford, the flavors were on another level. Much stronger and richer. The texture of these donuts were lighter and more airy than Donuts with a Difference, so they squished down a bit more. I think I truthfully like when my donut holds it’s shape a little more, so in that respect I favored Donuts with a Difference. However, taste always trumps texture, so in that case USD takes the cake (or the donut for that matter). 

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The Druid - Somerville, MA

http://www.druidpub.com/

Toasted cheese sandwich and the best fries ever

     Ok, I’ve been to The Druid in Inman Square a couple times but never really blogged about it because I’ve never ordered a meal. I’ve always just picked at other people’s plates. It was my last payroll, and Frances and I had a post payroll date. It was time for my formal introduction to the famous Druid (it’s an authentic Irish pub and half of the people at Gentle Giant are Irish). The inside is pretty dark, with dark woods surrounding the bar and a creepy celtic light statue that hung from the ceiling. It’s all very mysterious and fairytale like. Something that needs to be experienced rather than explained. 

     We started with some Old Fashioned drinks which I have never had before. It was really tasty, but I wasn’t even 3/4 of the way through it before my face started to feel a little tingly. Frances said they may have a heavy hand when it comes to pouring her and her party's drinks (she’s good friends with the bar tenders there). 

     I think The Druid may have won two titles for Best of Boston in my opinion. One… is their fries. They’re incredible. They’re the perfect texture (you know, crisp on the outside, soft on the inside), but it’s their flavor that takes them to a new level. Rosemary is the key ingredient here. Rosemary and pepper I believe. The spices just make them so fragrant and savory. It’s outrageous. I can’t believe that the fries from Saus keep getting named as the best fries in Boston when you’ve got these babies kicking around. 

     The second title I think The Druid should get is the Best Bread Basket (I know that's not an actual title, but it should be). They serve some sort of darker Irish soda bread. It’s incredibly moist and chewy inside, but the outside has the texture like that of a scone. It seems dry, but the inside is such a treasure and treat. It’s not sweet or rich as though there’s butter in it. It’s just hearty yet simple. Plus they serve their bread with room temperature butter, which always earns a gold star in my book. 

     For my meal I went with the toasted cheese sandwich WITH bacon (Frances said it was a necessity). It was melted Dubliner cheese (which is the best), tomato and bacon on simple white bread toast. I did wish the cheese was a little bit more melted, but they dropped my first sandwich, so I think they felt bad that I had to wait and tried to rush the second one along a little. Either way, you can never go wrong with a grilled cheese, especially from an irish pub. Best Irish place in Boston I say :]

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Sunset Cafe - Somerville

http://thesunsetcafe.net/

     This was date number two for Frances and I my last week at GG. I was ok with getting food, but sad that it was my last week. Sunset Cafe is a decent sized place on Cambridge Street that literally never has anyone in it. The entire time we were there, no other customers came in. Sunset is a Portuguese and Mediterranean restaurant that is fairly fancy inside with a creepy painting of a man that seems to stare at you no matter what angle you look at him from. Shortly after we sat down, the one waiter brought over this beautiful plate of olives, pickled vegetables, butter and an oil and balsamic dip for this basket of what seemed like fresh baked rolls. Considering they probably get one customer every other day, I’m sure it couldn’t have been freshly baked, but I was still impressed at how delicious it was.   

Fried calamari

     As an appetizer we ordered the fried calamari. I’d say it was just mediocre. It was overcooked, making it difficult to chew and there was a bit too much breading for me. It kind of took away from the flavor of the calamari. Overpowering if you know what I mean. 

     For the meal I ordered a sandwich (that I can't remember the name of) which was literally marinated and grilled pork on a french baguette. The pork was delicious, the baguette was delicious, but the two together seemed a little silly. I think maybe the addition of some veggies, some sort of sauce or some other completing component would’ve made the sandwich more substantial. Like I said, the parts had great flavors. The pork was moist and rich and the bread was fresh with crisp edges, but together they made nothing splendid. Regardless, it all came at a great price. For five dollars, I got the delicious bread basket, the plate of olives, dips, and veggies, and an enormous sandwich that I had to take home to finish. Frances got a huge sandwich called the steak bomb with steak, prosciutto, mushrooms and cheese on a baguette all for eight dollars. You really can’t beat that. I’d definitely recommend Sunset Cafe if you’re looking for a decent amount of food for your money, but as far as an authentic Portuguese experience, I’m not sure if this is the place. That being said, we didn't order the standard authentic Portuguese dishes. Nah I'm sayin'?

I'm Gonna Buttuh Yo Bread

Clear Flour Bakery - Brookline, MA
http://clearflourbread.com/

Going without something so simple for a long time, really makes the experience of returning to it overwhelmingly enjoyable. Buttered toast. Buttered sourdough toast to be exact. After CRASH Bs, I walked out of the arena and straight to Clear Flour Bakery in Brookline. I had heard rave reviews about this place and had walked in once just to smell it. This time, however, I was on a mission for a big hearty loaf of bread that I was to slather with butter. The place was tiny. You could get from one end to the other in 3 steps. Not kidding. It smelled absolutely heavenly, and, might I say, it looked quite picturesque. I ended up going a beautiful loaf of sourdough bread that had that crispy sound to it when you squeezed it (yes, just like in the movie Ratatouille). Once I got home, I toasted that puppy and loaded it with butter with reckless abandon. I could NOT believe what was in my mouth. The bread was just outstanding. Probably the most amazing sourdough bread I've ever had. It was so simple, but so flavorful, especially with warm butter. The loaf was nearly gone in 24 hours. The next day Jimmy and I had made sandwiches with the sourdough bread, pastrami, fontina cheese, roasted red pepper, spinach and a homemade sundried tomato and hummus spread. Lord have mercy.


The Hill Tavern - Boston, MA
http://www.thehilltavern.com/

Nachos with meat chili

"Nacho Average Run"

 









   


     As many know, I was on a quest for nachos post CRASH Bs. After extensive research, I went on what I called "Nacho Average Run" to investigate them all. However, I did not end of going to any of the places the internet world recommended as "Boston's Best Nachos." Instead, I went to The Hill Tavern in Beacon Hill for the post CRASH B party. The Hill Tavern seemed like a pretty classy place, the lights were dim and it had a good feel. The service was bonkers, but I just came for the food. Give me the food and we might just get along.
 
      It's pretty hard to screw up nachos. Mary,
Antonia, Hayley and I ordered 3 plates, 2 vegetarian and one with meat. Both came with their housemade tortilla chips, salsa, guacamole, jalepenos, and cheese. I was particularly a fan of the nachos with meat chili. Man, the salt from the chips, the cheese, and the meat all together just fit my fancy. The removal of salty things from my diet pre-race made this eating experience just off the charts. While at the Hill Tavern, I also got to sample their buffalo wings and the honey barbecue wings. Both were pretty standard but still tasted phenomenal to my deprived palette. Woah man.

Pure joy

     Naturally, Mary and I were thinking about dessert, but they didn't have anything listed on the menu. Major turn off. James asked our waitress if they had any dessert and she said "Only a brownie with ice cream or apple pie." Umm... what? Only? That sounds amazing! However, girl needs to learn her desserts. We went with the "brownie" and ice cream, but it wasn't a brownie. It was a mini chocolate bunt cake with chocolate syrup inside. It was one of those chocolate lava cakes with a massive scoop of vanilla ice cream. I wasn't even mad. It was absolutely perfect and hit the spot. I just love when you cut into those cakes and the chocolate comes gooing out. Mmmm!



Quinoa Squash Soup - My Kitchen, Cambridge, MA

     I like when I read simple soup recipes like this one that I found on Katrina Runs for Food. I feel like it's hard to follow a recipe for soup. People like different things, and it's easy to modify soup recipes to your liking and not really screw it up. This was the full recipe that Katrina posted on her blog. It's perfect. It's simple and gives you the freedom to modify as well as forces you to learn how to proportion things.

Quinoa Soup
1. Saute some small chopped vegetables, about 2 cups cooked. 
2. Add vegetables to a big pot of simmering broth. 
3. Add 1 cup of quinoa (make sure you rinse the quinoa through a sieve first to get the outer layer of gunk off). 
4. Simmer until quinoa is done, about 20 minutes. 

I really liked this recipe. It's really delicious, and balanced with a ton of veggies, grains and protein (from the quinoa). My recipe included:

1 sliced zucchini
1 sliced yellow squash
1 can garbonzo beans
3 large carrots, chopped
2 small onions, chopped 
1 cup quinoa
Some savory herbs like basil, thyme, marjoram
1 bay leaf
1 tbs olive oil
1 quart vegetable stock
2-4 cups water

Oatmeal Banana Breakfast Muffins - My Kitchen, Cambridge, MA



     I stumbled upon this one at work the other day. Guilty. I found it on Fit and Healthy with Debbie. I don't know who Debbie is, but she has good ideas. I wanted to try these muffins because they seem great for you and because I wanted to use my new food processor my mom got me for Christmas :) Basically like a bowl of oatmeal, just in muffin form. I only made half of her recipe (plus I added cocoa powder) and it made 6 muffins. I figured they'd last me a couple days, but I ate four for breakfast. Shoot.

     Changes I made to her recipe included adding 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder and using 1 tbs of honey instead of 1/2 cup. That just seemed like a lot and I thought a decent amount of sweetness would come from the banana... but I was wrong. They definitely could've been a little sweeter. I'd recommend maybe using 1/4 or so instead. Or maybe add chocolate chips for some sweetness. I wanted to do that, but didn't have any. Oh... ha... and I put blueberries in one.

Oatmeal Banana Breakfast Muffins

1 1/4 cup old fashioned oats (I used an oats, barley, wheat & rye mix)
1 ripe banana
1 egg
1 tbs ground flax seed
1 tbs cocoa powder
1/2 cup plain lowfat greek yogurt
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp vanilla
a few pinches of sugar to sprinkle on top

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease muffin tin or line with muffin cups.
2) Put oats into a food processor and pulse for around 20 seconds. 
3) Add the rest of the ingredients and process until everything is mixed.
4) Fill cups 3/4 of the way full and sprinkle a little sugar on top. 
5) Bake 15-20 minutes. Serve warm with butter!

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.

It's Racing Season... Which Means Fewer Food Experiments :/

Petit Robert - Brighton, MA
http://petitrobertbistro.com/

Amazing Baguette

     Feed a turtle, get free food. Sounds great to me. Malcolm had a Groupon for two for a three course meal for Petit Robert. Andrew was visiting so he came along. We headed to the Brighton location, and I was beyond excited for my first experience with French food. This place was beautiful inside. The lighting was really dim (hence why my pictures are so terrible) but the room gave off a rustic vibe. I straightened my posture, just to fit in a little better. Our first baguette was gone in minutes and the waitress was bringing another. I seriously have never had such a delicious baguette. Andrew was in love. Having been in France numerous times, he knew French food, and this was the real deal. The bread was beautifully crisp on the outside and soft, warm and fluffy on the inside. Slather some butter on that baby and send me to bed.

Pate Trio

     The first course was an appetizer. I was in an adventurous mood, so I ordered the Trio of Homemade Pâtés with Condiments. It came with a horseradish mustard and a few mini sweet pickles. Cute. Obviously, there were three kinds of pate. Chicken, pork, and a chicken/pork/potato combination. Never, did I ever think that pate tasted this good. The pork pate was so smooth and rich. Then again, the chicken pate was also smooth and rich. The combo had all the delicious flavors of pork and chicken but in conjunction with potato. I went from each pate to the next, trying to determine my favorite, but it was impossible. I think I liked it so much because it was mildly salty. Spreading a little of the pate on the baguette was just amazing. 

Duck Confit, Grilled Sausae and Braised Cabbage

     For my main entree, I ordered the Duck Confit with Grilled Sausage and Braised Cabbage. OH. My. Gosh. I don't even know what hit me when I first tasted what came on my plate. This was mind blowing times a thousand. The duck fell right off the bone, wasn't greasy, and it was just so succulent. The sausage was bursting with flavor and you could tell it was homemade. However, I think my favorite part was the cabbage. This wasn't your ordinary cabbage. It was cabbage mixed with carrots, peas, bacon and magic. This mix wasn't a mush, but all the components were very soft. I'm thinking this blend was at the bottom of the roasting pan when they cook the duck. It was out of this world. One work to describe this dish is definitely savory. The combination of flavors was prime. 

Warm Apple Tarte Tatin

     For dessert, I ordered something without chocolate (different than my norm). I ordered the Warm Apple Tarte Tatin, with crème fraîche. The pastry part looked like a slice of pizza, and laid atop it were slices of sweet baked apples. It was served with a creame sauce (supposedly made with raw eggs) that I wasn't too fond of. Let me just tell you, this may have been the sweetest dessert I have ever eaten. Those apples were absolutely soaked in a sweet, cinnamony sauce. This soaked then soaked into the pastry and it was delicious. Too sweet for Andrew, but right up my lightweight alley. 

Dave's Fresh Pasta - Somerville, MA

http://www.davesfreshpasta.com

Lamb Sandwich

     I know I've blogged about Dave's before, but this experience was too fabulous to not talk about. For the first time, I decided to get a sandwich with my coworkers for lunch. It was my first time going to get lunch with them. They have no idea how excited I was. I didn't read much of the menu because I saw the Lamb Panini special and knew what I wanted. I order this sandwich on a chabata bread (I think). Absolutely delicious, thick and crisp on the outside when pressed with a panini press. This sandwich had slices of herb roasted leg of lamb, baby spinach, red onion, feta cheese, tomato, oregano and olive oil. You could taste the rosemary in the lamb and it really brought me home. The spice of the onion, the creamyness of the feta, the freshness of the tomato and spinach rounded out this sandwich so well. It was exactly was I wanted and how I had imagined it would be. If only my coworkers knew how much enjoyment I was getting out of this measly little sandwich. They'd think I was crazy. But hey! It'd been a while since I had a sandwich and I'm not sure I've ever had as satisfying as that. 

Picante - Cambridge, MA

http://www.picantemex.com/

Burrito Carnitas

     Joan and Lauren talk about Picante all the time, so I was absolutely pumped when we all decided to go with Joan's dad after Saturday practice.Picante is a little Mexican place up in Central Square that serves homemade chips and has an awesome salsa bar (first time I've ever seen that). I was feeling good regarding being at weight for racing at Henley, so I went with the Burrito Carnitas. Woah. A) I'm sure my stomach has shrunk to about half the size of this burrito. B) Oranges? The carnitas that stuffed this burrito were seared with fresh orange slices. How cool is that? You could taste just a subtle hint of citrus in the meat. This bundle of joy of stuffed with carnitas, black beans, rice, and cheese. Simple, yet amazing. So hearty and filling. My favorite part was definitely the carnitas. Sometimes when you get carnitas it's been sitting in this weird liquid in a bucket staying warm (example: Qdoba) for hours. This meat was different in that the edges of each meat shred is slightly crisp from being seared with the oranges. I can't wait to go back and try everything else. For example, Joan and Lauren both got Huevos Picante which was a deep fried tortilla shell filled with beans, cheese, poached eggs, salsa, guacamole and sour cream. Who thinks of that? That's genious! I need to try it. 

Zucchini Chips/Flowers - 578 Washington St #3, Brighton

     Cutting weight stinks because I don't get to cook as much. But, this Saturday I decided to make (what I thought would be... ) a low calorie dinner. This was my attempt at Zucchini Chips. It's simple. Slice up some zucchini, dip in a flour and milk batter, cover in breadcrumbs and cheese, bake. These are absolutely delicious. They get nice and crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. A really great cheesy treat. If you're feeling adventurous, try going through the same steps but with zucchini flowers. Tastes like a flower... but it's fun!

Zucchini Chips

Zucchini Chips

1/4 cup Homemade Breadcrumbs (I just crisped up some bread. Not sure how you make breadcrumbs, but this worked)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/8 tsp black pepper

Heaping 1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup cold milk (I used oat milk)

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

2 1/2 cups sliced zucchini (about 2 small zucchinis)

OR zucchini flowers

1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2) In a medium bowl combine breadcrumbs, cheese (if using) and black pepper.

3) In separate bowl add flour, milk and vinegar.  Gently stir until combined but do not over stir.

4) Dip zucchini slices in flour mixture and then dredge in breadcrumb mixture.

5) Place coated zucchini slices on a baking sheet (I line mine with non stick foil for easy clean up!) 

and bake for 30 minutes, flipping the slices over once halfway through cooking, or until browned and crisp.

***Out of Towners - NEW!***

OK... So, I'm starting a new part of my blog called "Out of Towners." This is going to be a place where I mention the restaurants I've visited outside of Boston. I won't go into great detail about them, but I think are still worth mentioning. 

Rockland Cafe - Rockland, ME

Lobster babies. Delicious actually.

My precious

Fish Cake

     While visiting my cousin Kitty in Rockland, Maine one weekend, I got to see my cousins Judy, Katy, Jess and Baby Joseph along with Dave and Ian. It was an awesome weekend. The highlight? Ian teaching us how to properly eat a lobster at Rockland Cafe.... even after Jess found out her lobster was prego. Real butter to dip the lobster in and the best fish cake I've ever eaten. Cheap, delicious, homey. 

Fare - Philadelphia, PA

http://farerestaurant.com/

Hummus and Pita

Farmhouse Flatbread

Vegetarian Flatbread

Gluten Free Chocolate Cake

     Serving mainly local and organic foods, Amanda, Mary and I headed with Judith to Fare to celebrate her birthday in Philly after a day of racing. Even though I felt underdressed, this place made me feel classy. We were served amazing homemade hummus with what I think was fire baked pita bread. For the entree, Mary and I split two flatbread pizzas (with light cheese... don't worry). One was a vegetarian with tomatoes, capers, eggplant, olives and feta and the other was called "Farmhouse" and had bacon, sharp Vermont cheddar, and Granny Smith apples. The vegetarian flatbread was savory and the tomatoes and eggplant were perfectly roasted. The Farmhouse was fabulous and really interesting because of the combination of salt from the bacon and sour apples. The flavor combos of both of these were spot on. I with I could think of things this awesome. Lastly, gluten free chocolate cake? Yes please!

Halo Pub - Princeton, NJ

Chocolate Butter Pecan and
Mint Cookies and Cream topped
with Chocolate Covered Peanuts

     Rustic on the inside, Halo Pub sits in the heart of Princeton. It was gorgeous inside. Of course, I got two flavors I've never had before. Chocolate butter pecan was phenomenal. Mint cookies and cream? How it that not the world's best selling ice cream??? Beats me. It was great. Topped it all with chocolate covered peanut chunks. Stop at Halo on your way through Princeton next time. 

Rita's Water Ice - Camden, NJ

http://www.ritasice.com/

Chocolate custard and Black Cherry Water Ice

     I couldn't have asked for a better post-race treat. Everyone always raves about Rita's Water Ice, so after our first race day, Joan, Mary and I headed to try it. I order a gelati. It's a combination of their water ice (basically the world's best icee) and their phenomenal custard. I ordered the black cherry water ice, which actually had chunks of cherry in it, and the chocolate custard. The custard was incredible and went perfectly with the black cherry. We ended up going a second time and I got strawberry water ice (complete with chunks of strawberries) and chocolate custard. This stuff is seriously amazing. 

RVCC (Red Velvet Cheesecake)

The Cheesecake Factory – Boston, MA

http://www.thecheesecakefactory.com/  

     So the Rattlesnake on Boylston sounds a little pricey, but he knows I want bread and he knows where to get it. We stiffly shuffled through downtown Boston after closing up City Sports for the night and bust into The Cheesecake Factory. I’ve been before, but only once in Chicago and we sat outside. This was a new experience. Looking back, I seem to recall everything being gold and shiny. Is that accurate? The place must have left a righteous impression on my mind. The menu was literally 18 pages long I believe. 18. How in the world are you to accomplish such a feat with such an empty stomach? It’s exciting to be presented with so many options; yet choosing what you want is just as much a daunting task. Now, I’m looking for healthy options considering CRASH B’s was now less than a week away. The Navajo sandwich.  Warm fry bread stuffed with grilled chicken, avocado, tomato, lettuce, red onion, and mayonnaise. I had never had fry bread but I had heard about in “Losing it with Jillian” when Jillian Michaels (super crazy fitness instructor) visited a Native American family who was having serious issues with weight primarily because of the fried foods they were eating (namely the fry bread). With a weigh-in looming less than a week away, I pushed that thought aside and justified my selection with the fact that it was mainly protein and vegetables.

     Before the sandwich was delivered we were served the bread. Another tough choice. Do I decide what I want to eat first so we can order and it will get here sooner, OR do I dive into the bread. After minor convincing, I went for the bread. Literally. Went for it. Punched the basket clear off the table onto the floor. Luckily, I know Patrick isn’t the type to waste food… and we’re impatient. So we picked up both loaves, I wipe the tears from my eyes, and we eat them anyway… and then order more. Crisp on the outside, soft on the inside. Two loaves. One French baguette type bread and one darker and sweeter bread. I’m not sure what the latter was, but that was my favorite. I’m thinking it was honey that make it sweet. Slather that thing with some butter… mmm! Plus the butter wasn’t super cold like it often is when it’s served at restaurants. Major bonus.

     Finally, my sandwich arrived. The thing had to be twice the size of my stomach. It was huge. I thought, “There’s no way I’m going to eat all of this.” It’s such a waste of time telling myself things like that because it’s never true. Ever. I dive in. The chicken is prime. Juicy with a few grill marks. Key ingredient… the avocado. Brings in a smooth texture to the whole mix. But then again, any onion other than a red onion would have made this sandwich completely different. The fry bread was amazing. Exactly what I expected. Lightly fried, warm, a little crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Cover that baby with cinnamon sugar (or peanut butter) and bring it back to me for dessert. No. We were at the cheesecake factory. There was no question about what was for dessert.

     Red Velvet Cheesecake. RVCC for short. Alternating layers of red velvet cake, cheesecake, red velvet cake, cheesecake. The top and outer edge boasted a sweet cream cheese frosting with white chocolate shavings. A prized commodity. The blend and balance between the cake and cheesecake was perfect. Dense cheesecake vs the light, fluffy cake. Heavenly.

Blue Shirt Café – Somerville, MA

http://www.blueshirtcafedavis.com/ 

     Finally! Finally I was going to allow myself to be immersed in Davis Square cuisine. I swear, at least one of my coworkers goes to Blue Shirt Café everyday and their food always smells amazing. SO, the Thursday before CRASH B’s, ie three days before I need to weigh in, Kena and I decide we want to get lunch. After perusing Blue Shirt’s menu online, it looks as though this would be a wise choice for me. No burgers or fries would go bounding by our table. I felt safe. I knew what I wanted before we got there. Well, what I wanted was their peanut butter smoothie… but 5000 calories and 25 pounds later, I knew that might not be a great idea (exaggeration). So I opted for “The Davis Square” sandwich. Nestled in between two slices of sourdough bread sat a decent three quarter inch thick chunk of solid chicken breast, plentiful fresh spinach, and huge tomato slices, and a sun-dried tomato spread. In general, I wouldn’t say I’m a huge fan of sun dried tomatoes. Well, at least that one sample I had at Costco eons ago kind of turned me off. Anyhow, they built up the sandwich and put it onto a Panini press, perfectly grilling both slices of bread to a deliciously toasted brown. The heat from the press just barely wilted the spinach and warmed the tomatoes. Do you ever notice how in some dishes there is just one ingredient that seems to pull everything together? One ingredient that would completely change how the dish tastes? For me, it’s the mayo in a BLT. In this case, it was that glorious sun dried tomato spread. I’m not sure what else was in the spread (perhaps mayo), but it was amazing. The way the spread warmed up and mixed with the juices of the fresh tomato and spinach was just miraculous. The warm chicken + fresh vegetable + the spread + the toasted bread… MMM. 1+1+1+1=10. It was such a perfect symphony of flavors. Next mission… peanut butter smoothie.

UBurger - Boston, MA
http://uburgerboston.com/boston/ 

     Every time people walk by the register at City Sports with a bag of UBurger goodies I drool. Not kidding. And the smell lingers for what feels like hours. I've been holding off for so long. Waiting for some occurance that warranted satisfying that craving. CRASH B's reward #1: Burger and fries (except for the reward #0.5 which was the 2 boxes of girl scout cookies I bought right outside the arena. Good strategy girls. Genius). After my race, Karl and I headed over. Again, overwhelmed. I seem to be more easily overwhelmed with food options than I used to be. Everything just sounds so good. After a few minutes I could tell the lady taking my order

wanted me to hurry up and she just started asking me which toppings sounded good to me and she helped me build my own. I felt like a kid that always needed her mom to cut up her chicken for her (I was not that kid in real life). Either way, I got a plain old boyguh, with pepperjack cheese, tomatoes, grilled onions, lettuce and grilled peppers. There may have been more. They may have been less. I don't remember... but hey... I just raced a 2k. It's acceptable to be delusional. I feel like we waited an eternity for the burgers but I'm sure it was only a few minutes. Thank goodness I had the girlscout cookies or I might have wasted away to nothing. The burger was great. Not the best I've ever had, but it was juicy and exactly what I had been wanting. A huge meat wad. Nothing crazy. The fries were even better than the one cold fry I nabbed from someone's abandoned lunch one day in the City Sports break room. They were hot, crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, but also skinny. Every now and then skinny fries are good. Like biting into a stack of pretzel sticks. Just feels good. Had to leave my mark on the building. 

Tavern in the Square – Central Square, Cambridge, MA

http://taverninthesquare.com/tavcentral/ 

     Went to meet up for some post CRASH B’s (see left image) celebrations. Not intending to eat there, I demolished some serious girl scout cookies, a bag of pita chips and practically an entire jar of peanut butter before I left. Then again, I know in the back of my mind, I’ll probably eat something anyway. Two baskets of mediocre microwaved rolls later, I see that Chris ordered buffalo chicken nachos for $11 and is willing to share. Largest plate of nachos I may have ever seen. It was gargantuan. One huge mound of chips, sweet corn, shredded carrots, fried buffalo chicken chunks, Wisconsin’s entire supply of melted cheddar and blue cheese, and a larger than life dollop of sour cream. A) I’ve never had shredded carrots in nachos, but it makes so much sense. Just like when you order buffalo wings, you always get carrots. B) Sweet corn? Why haven’t I ever thought of that? It was a winning combination. Every part of it. Grab a chip, make sure it has cheese, chicken, corn, carrot and a little sour cream… it’s like walking through a haunted mansion. Risky. Spicy. Unlocking secret doorways along the way. Different flavors with each bite. Even as the nachos got cold, they were still delicious. I was grateful.

The Upper Crust – Boston, MA

http://theuppercrustpizzeria.com/ 

     Months ago I had a pizza craving and Groupon knew it. They offered a $10 for $20 Groupon for The Upper Crust where I spend $10 but get $20 worth of food. However, it still took me months to use the dang thing. I waited until the day before it expired. Close one. Poor Patrick was still debit card-less, so one evening post-workout we met at The Upper Crust. There were soooo many options. All we knew was that meat was for dinner. “The State House: Created for the meat lover, a combination of hamburger, pepperoni and Italian sausage.” Did it have any veggies on it? Didn’t know. Didn’t care. Might as well have been our obituary because we ate the whole thing. The whole “18 inch” large. I absolutely refuse to believe that thing was only 18 inches. Look at the picture. It’s twice as wide as me. Anyway, the crust was thin, but not soaked through with sauce like one may expect. The hamburger? Crazy. Never have I ever had hamburger on a pizza. It was delicious and interesting. Yes, interesting. The Italian sausage was full of flavor, and it looked like each little slice of the sausage link had exploded. As we licked the pizza tray clean, we both judgementally glanced at the table next to us. Three people, nibbling at a large veggie pizza with minimal toppings had maybe gotten 2/3 of the way through the thing in over twice the time it took us to deee-story our meat pie. Happy and proud. Pizza didn’t stand a chance. Lightweight problems.