Monster Trucks trump Chocolates

Fatima's - Worcester, MA

(In a clockwise order from the top) Beef stew, eggplant and cauliflower, beans, spinach/potato/peas,
goat stew,chicken stew, and (in the center) cabbage/carrots/potatoes

     Chocolates are nice. Flowers are nice. But monster trucks are even better! For Valentines Day, David and I drove out to Worcester in a blizzard to go to this monster truck rally. It was our first

rally. I could go in to detail about it, but just know that they're awesome and watching enormous trucks fly through the air is probably more exciting than the average person might think.
     Anyway, David and I were talking about Ethiopian food the day before, so I decided to find an Ethiopian restaurant around there for before the show. We stopped at Fatima's Cafe in Worcester, which was this tiny little restaurant that just looked like a converted pizza shop. No frills about it. No fancy tables, no signs. Just a couple ladies and a little kid running around feeding their only party of two. For $15, we got their Ethiopian bread with 5 different stews and some beans. If you've never had Ethiopian before, they basically serve you this really strange thin bread that's like one enormous flat pancakes filled with bubble holes. It's really spongy and, to me, there seems to be a slightly sour taste, but David didn't think so. I know there are a few friends of mine that have been a little less than enthused about the bread.
     So when they bring the bread out it's in a big bowl, or on a big plate and they throw on a bunch of scoops of whatever stew you want. You take the bread and use it (kind of like a pita) to scoop up or pinch some stew. Everything thing is supposed to be with your hands. At Fatima's we got a beef stew with red peppers; chicken with red peppers and onions; a vegetable stew with potatoes, carrots, and some cabbage; another vegetable stew with spinach, peas and potatoes; a third vegetable stew with eggplant and cauliflower; and finally a goat meat stew with carrots and onions and such. First of all, not a fan of goat. Maybe it was just the cut of meat or the way it was cooked, but it was really fatty and almost felt oily in your mouth. Plus it was really hard to chew. That gets frustrating for me because I just want to move on and eat more things but can't. I need food patience.

Son of a Digger at Monster Jam 

     The beef stew was probably my favorite, with the cabbage stew second. I love cabbage. Most of the stews had similar flavors, probably because of the spices they use, which generally consist of a bunch of curry, chili, garlic, cumin and some others. Towards the end, the bread got really soggy and was really difficult to use as a scoop, so we had to resort to forks. Oh well. Fatima's was worth the stop, all the ladies working there were really sweet, the price was great, and I was happy to support a local business like that.

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The Local - Wellesley, MA
http://www.liveeatlocal.com/

Classic wings and fried pickles.

     I finally tried skiing! Not downhill skiing, but cross country skiing. Alyse, Meagan, Eric and I were climbing big snow hills here in Allston, when Alyse said, "We should go skiing." So up we got and went (and met Kevin there). It was AWESOME! I ate it on all the hills, though. Gotta work on that. Anyway, afterwards we went into Wellesley to The Local to get some food. It was beautiful inside! Lots of dark woods and iron looking light fixtures, but it had a classy side. We felt almost a little under dressed, but our hunger helped us push through the potential social discomfort.

The Local burger

     As an appetizer we ordered fried pickles with spicy mayo, which were both done really well. Because pickles are so juicy, sometimes I think restaurants have difficultly frying them and keeping the breading crispy, but The Local did a great job keeping the breading thin and crisp. We also got buffalo wings which were great. It's hard to mess those up. I just prefer that they're clean and don't leave me feeling like a grease bucket, which these didn't.
     For the meal, I ordered their local burger, made with locally sourced "prime beef", It was cooked absolutely perfectly with a little bit of pink. It was also great because it was very lean and not greasy at all. Definitely quality, fresh beef. It came on a big, fluffy brioche bun with their hand cut fries. The fries were tossed with coarse salt and parsley, giving them a great herby flavor. They were done fabulously with a thin, crisp outside. All around, absolutely no complaints. And the speed at which they refilled our water glasses was incredible.

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Paris Creperie - Brookline, MA

http://pariscreperie.com/

Helen & Paris crepe from Paris Creperie

     I was on this job the other day with Christian and James, and my packed lunch became history once they started raving about this place called the Paris Creperie. It wasn't until I got there that I realized this was the same place that had the crepe truck I've seen around. I don't think I had ever had a crepe before (other than the ones Andrew and I made at home), but I was pumped. Paris Creperie was a tiny little shop in Brookline that served both sweet and savory crepes, providing some seriously tough choices. 

     If you've never really had a real crepe before, it's basically a very thin pancake that they fold over a few times to encase a bunch of goodies, which, in the sweet category, can include things like fruits, nutella, peanut butter, butter, etc. In the savory sector, you see herbs, vegetables, and sometimes meats. I decided to go with the savory option and chose the Helen & Paris. It was a mint infused crepe with chickpeas, feta cheese, kale, roma tomatos, kalamata olives and a cucumber mint relish. First of all, I was so delightfully surprised how big it was! It was stuffed and the crepe itself (when unfolded) must've been 50% bigger than a standard (American) dinner plate.
     I loved the chickpeas in it because it gave it some substance and was filling. But the best part was the feta cheese, kale, olives and tomatoes. Wait and the cucumber mint relish. Well... that's the whole rest of the crepe. There was the perfect amount of feta in it too, because too much warm feta would've made it too creamy inside and would've taken away from some of the freshness of the whole crepe. The kale was perfectly steamed and wasn't the stiff kale I seem to always end up with when I shop for it myself. The warm tomatoes and the salty olives (I'm working really hard on liking olives and it's working!) were so tasty. I think the olives may have actually been my favorite addition to the dish! I feel like it would've been completely different without them. The little burst of salt was so good. While some of the crepes were a little more expensive than I'd want to spend on a lunch, I still would love to try them all. Especially some of the sweet ones now. 

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Pumpkin Spice Bagels - My Kitchen, Allston, MA

Pumpkin Spice Bagels

     So I figured I'd try my hand at these Pumpkin Spice bagels that I've been looking at for over a year on Ambitious Kitchen. She made them with a whipped honey butter, but I opted not to simply because I'm lazy and figured buttering the bagels and drizzling some honey on them would be basically the same thing. For the bagels, I used that homemade pumpkin puree I made a month ago or whenever that was. I figured they'd be nice and pumpkin-y, but honestly, they're more just like flour with spices. Granted, I nailed the texture, which I'm pretty proud of. I was most nervous about that because bread never really seems to work out when I try it. I always screw up the whole rising process. Oh and the kneading. So much kneading. I think my bagels just needed a little more pumpkin flavor, which could be due to my puree being less fresh and from not so flavorful pumpkins? I don't know. I also wanted a little more sweetness. Meagan tasted the pumpkin and likes them though. I'm probably just being too critical. Boo. Maybe I'll try again some day.

Pumpkin Spice Bagels

1 cup of warm water (110° to 115°)
2 teaspoons yeast
2/3 cup canned pumpkin
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
3 1/2 cups of bread flour + more if necessary
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
Olive oil
1 egg, slightly beaten

1. Place warm water in a large bowl and add yeast and brown sugar. Stir and let sit for about 3-5 minutes. Add in pumpkin, spices, salt, and 2 cups of bread flour and begin to stir together to form a soft, sticky dough.

2. Transfer the sticky dough to a lightly floured surface and add in another cup of flour. Begin to knead dough by hand until all of the flour is absorbed. Add in another 1/2 cup of flour and knead again until all of the dough is absorbed. Knead dough for about 8 minutes. The dough should not be sticky, but smooth and elastic.

3. Place dough in a bowl coated with oil, and cover the top allowing it to rise in a warm place until dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.

4. After an hour, punch down the dough and shape into 12 balls. Roll each dough ball into a rope, about 8 inches long. Push your thumb through the center to form a 2 inch hole and stretch the dough to form an even ring. Place the bagels on a baking sheet (greased or lined with parchment paper), cover again with plastic wrap and let rise for 15-20 minutes more.

5. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray.

6. Fill a large pot with a couple inches of water and bring to a boil. Drop bagels, two at a time, into boiling water. Cook for about 45 seconds on each side. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain well on paper towels. 

7. Place on baking sheets, brush with egg wash, and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and cool on wire racks.

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Apple Cinnamon Granola - My Kitchen, Allston, MA

     My sad pumpkin spice bagels made me sad (and I had sunflower seeds that I discovered on my shelf), so I decided to make Stef's apple cinnamon granola from her blog Energy Neutral. I saw it a long time ago, but psyching myself up to make homemade granola is hard. It's tough to make and I get nervous I'm going to ruin it again. I liked Stef's recipe because it used applesauce instead of oil. Most have a ton of oil and a ton of sugar, lending to it's crisp and crunchiness, but I don't need that or want all the extra cals. Not that it really matters anymore, but I'm still conscious of it. Anyway I was actually pretty impressed with how crunchy this actually got considering I didn't add any oil. I didn't add the protein powder she suggests in her recipe though (which honestly may have greatly altered the flavor)m and I just used all rolled oats as opposed to some rolled oats and some quick cook oats. It's really tasty and light and I don't feel like I'm eating handfuls of sugar, which is good. I love how cinnamon-y it is.

Apple Cinnamon Granola

2 1/2c rolled oats
1/4c sunflower seeds
1/4c chopped almonds (this can be done in the food processor)
1/2c apple sauce
2tbs cinnamon
1/4c maple syrup

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.

2. In a large bowl, combine apple sauce, cinnamon, and maple syrup to make a slurry. Add oats and stir to coat. 

3. Press granola mixture into a greased pan and bake for 30 minutes, stirring at 20 minutes.

5. Remove from oven, let cool and enjoy.

You Don't Even Like Me

Soul Fire - Allston, MA
http://www.soulfirebbq.com/

David so very excited for some bbq. Loog'at that brisket. 

     What is it about barbecue that makes you feel like you're going to die? Maybe it's just my body, but the overwhelming incredible flavors, sauces and sodium are like a sucker-punch straight to the gut. I ate nearly 4 hours ago and it feels like I'm just getting up from the table (well... I guess I did have a brownie... or two when I got home... but still). Anyway, David and I both finished up work around the same time + I forgot lights for my bike + we had hunger ----> the bbq. He's all about bbq food and when we walked by Soul Fire a couple weeks ago in Allston he asked me why I had never taken him and accused me of not liking him or some nonsense. So today was the day we would try it. I'd heard that this was one of the better bbq places in Boston, and it sure smelled like it. It was relatively slow inside probably because of the snow and lack of a) parking, b) driving skills, and c) patience in this damn city right now because of the snow. Don't get me wrong. I love the snow. It's the people that are bonkers.
     The dining area was relatively large, the servers were pretty quick and so was the food. I ordered the sliced brisket platter. The brisket itself was beautiful and presented on a piece of worthless Texas toast. I'm not a fan of it when bbq places do this, and I'd say a bunch of them do. I always wonder who actually eats that. Anyway, this brisket was full of a rich, smokey flavor and the fat layer on top had an awesome, super seasoned crisp exterior. There were some slices of meat that were a little more dry than I'd like, but I loved the flavor of it all. Some of the more dry pieces I dipped in their sweet barbecue sauce which was really different. It had a very pronounced apple flavor, which was really tasty and unique, but I don't honestly think it fit with the pork.
      My first side was the collard greens, which were good, but a little too sweet for me. I mean, I'd definitely get them again, but I generally like getting one vegetable side to "balance" things out or at least make me feel less like an overweight, out of shape elephant. These weren't as refreshing as, what I'd consider, standard collard greens with the little bits of ham. This had some sort of meat (probably ham) in it, but the sweetness made it a little odd. Oh well.
     My favorite part was probably the mac and cheese. They used little shells and their cheese sauce was super thick and heavy. It was incredible. Exactly what I had in mind. And the best part, or the best addition, was the crumbled barbecue potato chips they threw on top. The texture change was great and it added a very, very subtle barbecue flavor to the whole bit. Such a good idea.
     The cornbread was my second favorite thing. Oh man... I'm trying to recall all the cornbreads I've had in the city and I think this one comes out as number two, behind the infamous Union Oyster House. Soul Fire's cornbread was incredibly moist, held it's form as you ate it, and had actual corn chunks in it! This is a big deal for real. You neeeever see this, and I don't understand why. It just adds some more texture and small bursts of the true corn flavor. Perfection.
    Overall, this place really hit the spot, and I was so glad we could finally try it out. The meat is the most important part and the flavors in my brisket and in David's pulled pork were fabulous. All the other goodies were icing on the cake. Well done, Soul Fire.

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La Hacienda - Somerville, MA
http://www.lahaciendasomerville.com/

Chicken pesto and roasted peppers pizza.

     Well, shucks. I have the best coworkers. So these last two weeks I've been filling in for Frances because she's in Africa. Yea... Africa. Tuesday was payroll processing day and Adrian was out of the office, meaning it was on me, and I was ready for it. 4 o'clock came around and by 5 it was just me. But right after she left, Melanie popped back in, set a fresh, hot pizza down on my desk and said "here's some dinner in case you have to stay late." It was incredible and SO SO nice of her! She had grabbed this pizza from La Hacienda, which is a tiny little Italian restaurant on the corner right down the street from Gentle Giant. You'd barely know it was there if not for their little sign because there really aren't many windows at all and it's just a short, squatty little place on the first floor of this taller residential building I think. It always smells heavenly outside, and I've wanted to go for a while. What also always gets me is their front door. It's got to be ages old and is solid, carved wood. It's magnificent.
     So the pizza. She got the chicken pesto with roasted peppers and it was amazing. The smell was out of this world. It came topped with a bunch of pieces of chopped (lightly breaded) chicken, soft roasted red peppers and a powerful pesto base. Honestly I didn't recognize anything out of the ordinary about the cheese because the pesto, chicken and peppers stole the show. They were a great combination and a fabulous end to a long payroll day... before going to my first Boston Bruins game that night :]

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La Cascias' Bakery and Deli - Burlington, MA
http://www.lacascias.com/index.php

I don't 'sub'pose you want a bite do ya?

      OH man... one of the best deli subs I've ever had. We were doing a move for a lady the other day and she bought us lunch! It was the best. This was the first time this had happened to me, but then again I've only been on the trucks a couple weeks. This chic went to a deli called La Cascias' Bakery and Deli in Burlington. I have no idea what it looks like really, or what it's all about, but I do know they make a mean sandwich. I got a large Italian sub, and I kid you not it literally had and inch of sliced deli meats on it. I know it had salami and probably a bunch of other standard Italian sub meats. Not sure. It was basically meat, provolone cheese, and the best part which was this mix of very finely chopped hot peppers, pickles, and tomatoes. It was this incredible confetti they sprinkled on top. I loved the pickled flavors and the hot, spicy with the cold meats. The Italian bread it was served on was great too. Very soft inside, but harder in order to provide structure on the outside, with the little corn meal granules. Mmmm... I was so grateful.

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Idaho Sunrise Potatoes - My Kitchen, Allston, MA

     I'm not quite sure why I've never made these before, especially after I've done essentially the same thing with an onion. Either way, I stumbled upon this idea on a blog called Our Best Bites. These were amazing, super easy, and a great way to use up some left over baked potatoes. I think you could either crack a full inside the potato (which is what I did) or scramble up some eggs with your veggies and toppings and put them inside. It's a really fun way to eat breakfast (if you're into the whole eating-as-an-experience thing) and looks pretty too.

Idaho Sunrise Potatoes

Baked potatoes, slightly cooled
Butter
Salt and black pepper

Shredded cheese of choice
Eggs
Additional fillings of your choice (vegetables, meat, etc)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Slice a layer off the top of each potato and scoop out the insides, leaving a thin layer of potato against the skin and avoiding puncturing the bottom. Reserve scooped potato for another use.

3. Brush the inside of each potato with melted butter or drop in a small pat and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Throw in a little bit of shredded cheese and some of your fillings until each potato is about 3/4 full. Crack one egg into each potato. Sprinkle with a little more salt and pepper, and top with additional cheese and toppings.

4. Place potatoes on a baking sheet and cook for about 20-25 minutes or until egg whites are set and yolks soft.

Football + Friends = Snacks

Pumpkin Puff Pastry Rolls - My Kitchen, Allston, MA

Pumpkin puree in the making.

     When you're a kid, you carve your halloween pumpkins right away. When you're older and busy, they don't get carved until January. Luckily mine were still in good condition thanks to the frigidity in our stairwell. So one night I got all three pumpkins, carved one for fun, sliced up the other two, roasted them, and made a bunch of jars of pumpkin puree. This was a first for me and resulted in some incredible puree that is clearly waaaaaay better than the canned stuff. The only possibly negative difference is that this puree I made had more water in it than I think the canned stuff does. So when it comes to baking with it, you may want to take that into consideration. I made this mistake when I went to make these pumpkin puff pastry swirls from Spache the Spatula.  These are basically like a pumpkin roll but in an buttery, flaky puff pastry crust. My issue arose when I mixed the pumpkin and cream cheese. It was supposed to be a thicker consistency so that I could spread it on the dough and roll up the whole thing. But mine was so runny that I couldn't roll the dough without it pouring out completely. I had 2 remedies. 1) As I rolled the dough, I tried to pinch the sides to keep the pumpkin in. 2) I cut the dough into little squares and made these cute little pastries instead with only a little scoop of the pumpkin cream cheese mix. All in all, every version of pumpkin roll I attempted tasted great, but was a little less pumpkin-y than I hoped because the pumpkin-cream cheese was spread more thinly across everything. You'll notice I didn't slice the pumpkin roll into inch thick pieces because I couldn't without losing a semblance of my pumpkin roll shape. These should be almost cinnamon roll shaped... not these logs I have here. 

Pumpkin Puff Pastry Rolls

Pumpkin Puff Pastry Rolls

14 oz. package puff pastry, thawed 

1 cup pure pumpkin puree

8 oz. block cream cheese

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar

1 large egg

confectioners' sugar, to dust

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Lay the puff pastry out on a lightly floured work surface and roll it out even. 

3. In a food processor or with a hand mixer, mix together the pumpkin, cream cheese, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and sugar until smooth. Add in the egg and combine.

4. Spread the filling over the puff pastry. Roll the dough up tightly. 

5. Using some (non-mint) dental floss, slice the roll into 1 and 1/2"-thick disks. Place onto the lined baking sheets a few inches apart.

6. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until the pastry is cooked and browned. Allow to cool for a few minutes before dusting with confectioners' sugar.

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Feta Dip - My Kitchen, Allston, MA

Simple pita chips and feta dip.

     I'm not a huge football fan... yea... I said it, but it doesn't mean I'm not all about going to a Super Bowl party. I will always go. Why? Snacks. Always tons of snacks. And it means that I get to choose something from my list that is good for a party setting. For Stef's party I decided to make some homemade rosemary pita chips and serve it with a feta dip. I found this super fresh and simple dip on a blog called Sweet Paul. It's basically feta cheese, lemon, garlic, and olive oil. End of story. I wanted some more volume, so I added some chopped up green onions, and if I made it again, I'd do the same thing. I liked the color and the little bit of texture the green onions added. This is a nice light dip to serve to a smaller crowd I'd say, because feta is not so cheap, and once you grind it up, the volume is cut nearly in half. Still worth a shot though!

Feta Dip

7 ounces feta cheese (about 1 cup crumbled)
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest, plus more for garnish
1–2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving

2 green onions, chopped
Pinch of red pepper flakes

1. Using a hand mixer or food processor, combine the feta, lemon zest, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, green onions, garlic, and olive oil. Taste it and add a little more lemon or olive oil if it's too salty (I kept tossing in a little of each until I was satisfied).

2. Spoon into a serving bowl and sprinkle with a pinch of pepper flakes and some lemon zest. Serve with toasts or pita crisps.

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Homemade Cheezits! - My Kitchen, Allston, MA

Cheezits getting all excited and puffy!

     These were also for the Super Bowl Party. I couldn't just make one thing. So many options. I decided I'd stick with this whole cheese theme and give some homemade cheezits a go. I found these on a blog I reference often called Brown Eyed Baker. A+. I give myself an A+ for these. They were amazing. Now, they didn't really crisp up as much as the kind from the box, but that's ok, and I think I'm glad they didn't. They looked beautiful in the oven getting all puffy and they smelled even better. They weren't like a cheese puff texture though. It was kind of a mix between a puff and a cracker. More like crackers with a soft inside and crispy edges. I also loved the sharpness of the cheddar I used because it gave each cracker so much flavor. The only change I made to the recipe was that I used 3/4 of the cheddar she called for and substituted the rest (plus a few other handfuls for good measure) with mozzarella that I had left over from a pizza. High five self. 

Homemade Cheezits

Cheezits before the oven.

8 ounces extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (or mix w/ other cheeses. I used some mozzarella too)
¼ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 to 3 tablespoons ice water

1. With a stand mixer or hand mixer, combine the cheese, butter, and salt on low speed until combined. Add the flour and mix on low until pebbly. Slowly add 2 tablespoons of the water and mix until a dough forms. You may have to switch to combining manually if you're using a hand mixer.  If needed, add the additional tablespoon of water a little at a time until the dough forms. 

2. Pat the dough into a disk, wrap with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Divide the dough into two pieces and roll each into a very thin 10x12-inch rectangle that is around ⅛-inch thick. 

4. Using a pizza wheel, cut the rectangles into 1-inch squares. Then I used a chopstick to poke a hole in the middle to look like a real cheezit. This was purely aeshetic... I think.

5. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, or until puffed and browning at the edges. Immediately move the crackers to wire racks to cool completely, then store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

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Dark Chocolate Cranberry Orange Muffins - My Kitchen, Allston, MA

Dark Chocolate Cranberry Orange Muffins

     I'm still in use-up-everything-in-the-freezer mode from the last couple months when I've been strapped for cash. So out came the frozen cranberries I threw in there back in November when we had Friendsgiving. They were going to work perfectly for this easy recipe I had for dark chocolate cranberry orange muffins. I found this recipe on a blog called Dessert for Two, which is really cool because it provides recipes for desserts you can make that won't leave you with 10,000 cookies you're trying to give away to your coworkers. But... in this case... I wanted to give some to my coworkers so I doubled the recipe :] I'd highly recommend using a quality chocolate in these. Definitely not milk chocolate. I just chopped up a 60% dark Ghirardelli bar. I loved these muffins because they were light and not super sweet. I liked the citrus flavors from the orange and the contrasting sweet from the chocolate and sour from the cranberries. Practically refreshing!

Dark Chocolate Cranberry Orange Muffins

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
⅓ cup sugar
1 large egg
¼ teaspoon fresh orange zest
¼ cup + ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
heaping ½ teaspoon of baking powder
pinch of salt
¼ cup buttermilk, at room temperature (I did the 1c milk: 1 tbs lemon juice substitution)
½ cup fresh cranberries
¼ cup dark chocolate chips/chunks

1. Preheat the oven to 400 and line 6 muffin cups with liners.

2. In a small bowl, stir together the butter and sugar very well. Add the egg and orange zest, and stir until it's incorporated.

3. Next, sprinkle the flour, baking powder and salt on top. Mix and then add the buttermilk. Stir just until combined.  Finally, stir in the cranberries and dark chocolate chips.

4. Divide batter between 6 muffin liners (for medium sized muffins or 4 for large muffins) and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the tops spring back and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

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Sweet Corn Cheesy Jalapeno Dip

     I'm going to have to make this one again a) because it was delicious and b) because I don't have a photo. This was another "Ooo a party!" moments where I got excited and wanted to take a dish to pass. I found this bad boy on The Sunny Side of Life and was honestly never going to make it just for myself to sit home and layer on the lbs. Well, it's not all that terrible. Just a decent amount of fat. Just fat and corn. Whatever. So we're talking corn, sour cream, mayo, tons of cheeses and spices up the wazoo. I loved the salty cheese and sweet corn together. Oh man and all the creamy things holding it together. The recipe sounds simple, but I still managed to screw up the texture somehow. I think I may have cooked it too long, resulting in the cheeses to get over cooked and not gooey or stringy.  They turned out almost crumbly or gritty. It all still had great flavor, but if you look at the photo on The Sunny Side of Life, just know that if you overcook it, it will not look like that. No worries though. It'll still taste great, as long as you don't scorch it to death.  

Sweet Corn Cheesy Jalapeno Dip

2 cans sweet corn, drained
2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 375˚.

2. In medium bowl, mix together mayo, sour cream, and spices. Fold in corn, jalapeño peppers, onions, and 3/4 cups of blended cheese.

3. Place in greased baking dish, and top with remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Bake in preheated oven for approx. 20 min. or until cheese is golden brown and bubbly. Serve with tortilla chips.

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Amsterdam Cafe - South Boston, MA

See... so much good pita, so little insides.

     This is the only new restaurant I've been to in a while. And even saying that's a stretch. We ordered food from here one day after unpacking one of the labs in the new science building. I was super pumped about trying this place because they had some unique Mediterranean dishes. I needed the protein and ordered the chicken kabob pita roll up. The pita was honestly the best part. It was real. It was like the kind of pitas my Lebanese great grandmother would support. Not the fake ones in every grocery stores. They're all lies. 

      Anyway, the flavors in the roll up were all right, but the chunks of chicken were dry, and really the only other thing besides chicken in the wrap was green peppers. Both ingredients were kind of swimming in this juice/oil that was just unnecessary. It still tasted good and I ate the whole thing (even though I had vowed to save half for after my swim so I didn't throw up in the pool), but I was hoping for something more fresh. Something with grilled chicken and grilled vegetables from a kabob. Maybe that's just my western perspective on what a chicken kabob should be from a Mediterranean place (even though it has "Amsterdam" in the title). 

What Are You Trying to Feed? Ants?

Papagayo - Boston
http://papagayorestaurants.com/

The classic burrito from Papagayo

     This kid is great. David had planned a surprise for a random Thursday night and left me hanging until we were about to walk out the door. As the holiday season was in full swing, he had found a way to get super cheap tickets to see The Nutcracker at the Boston Opera House. I was thrilled, and I knew being back in that scene would make me want to switch career paths...again. Either way, we had some extra time before the show, so I finally got to try out Papagayo. Papagayo is a Mexican Restaurant with a few locations throughout Boston, and I've  always heard good things about it. Plus, I had seen a flying burrito on a commercial the previous week and was craving a burrito like crazy. They served a bowl of chips (yessssss) and salsa to start, but the chips were strangely hard. I still ate them because I love salt, but we both wished they were less brutal on the chompers. The kind of burrito that Papagayo serves is quite a bit different than your standard Chipotle burrito too. This was more of a wet burrito that needed to be eaten with a fork and didn't come with veggies inside. I did miss the lack of veggies to balance out the succulent Muchaka Meat, which I found out was beef that has basically been marinated, cooked, shredded and dried. But this meat wasn't dry. It had great flavor with a little bit of spice. The best part of this whole experience was that our food literally came out within 8 minutes of ordering... if that.

Snapshot of the inside of the Boston Opera House. Too
beautiful to not share. 

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Oliveira's - Somerville
http://oliveirasrestaurante.com/

Please excuse the indistinguishable
collage of meats. 

     So this is kind of a funny story. This new undergrad, Julie, working in my lab agreed to accompany me on my monthly trip to do some field work at Hardy Pond. She offered to drive, and as we drive by Oliveira's, she says to me, "If we weren't on a time crunch I'd take you to lunch there. Oh wait! We aren't!" So in we went. I have run by this Brazilian Steakhouse many times and the smells are enough to send you on to the pearly gates. It's heavenly. When we got in, she told me to grab a tray and load up. She kept trying to get me to put more and more into my tray, but since it was pay-by-the-pound I was getting nervous that it was going to be a billion dollars, and I hadn't even gotten to the meat yet. She said, "What are you trying to feed? Ants?" I laughed. She didn't know about my "bottomless pit" past.
     They had a bunch of different kind of salads and meat and vegetable stews with unique spices and aromas. Then we finally got up to the counter where you could see skewer after skewer loaded up with different types of meat roasting over an enormous open grill. I was so overwhelmed. I got the lamb and steak, both of which were super juicy and had beautiful crisped and browned edges. I wish I could go more into detail about the different dishes I had, but I haven't a clue on the names of any of the thousand dishes I was eating. Just know that it was all delicious and fresh and authentic Brazilian. That was Julie's main reasoning in taking me to Oliveira's. She was Brazilian and wanted me to "experience" this Brazilian food. I've never had anyone (especially someone I had only met once before) buy me a $15 lunch AND not get anything herself. It was so very kind, and I was greatly appreciative.

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Savin Bar and Kitchen - Savin Hill
http://www.savinbarandkitchen.com/index.php

Veggie Burger

     After a tortuous finals week grading exams for Bob Chen's class, he offered to take us all out for dinner Thursday. We all headed down to Savin Bar and Kitchen not too far from UMass. The place was emmm-pty. Inside it looked like your standard and modern but slightly classy bar with unique American fare. Hayley had said they had a great veggie burger, so that's what I went with. It was very beany and a little mushy, but I think that's pretty common when it comes to homemade veggie burgers that aren't stuffed with junk. It had a fabulous hearty and garlicy flavor and was served on a big fluffy bun, similar to the one I remember from Lulu's in Allston. The fries were pretty standard. Delicious, but just nothing spectacular. I'd say that if you're in the area, Savin Kitchen is a good place to stop for a quality meal, but I wouldn't go out of my way to eat there. The service was pretty slow too even though we were one of two or three parties in the whole place.

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Angelo's - Ann Arbor, MI
http://www.angelosa2.com/

     Andrew and I are rarely within 50 miles of each other, so when that happens, I will do whatever it takes to find him. This whole 'living in the Netherlands' thing really puts a damper on the time we get to spend together. So this Christmas, Andrew and I met up in Ann Arbor for breakfast at Angelo's. It's one of his favorites, and I can see why. This spot was buzzin' and boasted the smell of fresh baked bread (which I should've gotten, and I'm regretting it now). I ordered the huevos rancheros which came in second to Jim's huevos rancheros. This was served up a little different than I have ever had before. The corn tortillas were slathered with refried beans and cheese in between them and were topped with a pile of salsa, cheese, what they called "ranchero sauce" and two fried eggs. They were steaming when they came to the table, and it was perfect on a super cold day. The corn tortillas were really buried so I ended up just eating it all with a fork. Are you supposed to be able to pick them up?  I have no idea. Anyway, the potatoes were great too. Not too fried, not greasy. Just really simple and fresh.

Andrew at Angelo's for some heuvos rancheros :]

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Titto Frittas - Ann Arbor, MI
http://www.fritabatidos.com/

Fish Frita. Wow. 

     Since I was down in Ann Arbor a few times around Christmas, I tried to see as many as people as I could that would be in town. I took an afternoon to meet up with Claire, and she took me to a place called Frita Batidos. It was aweeeesome, and it was so great to sit and chat with her for a couple hours. She has such great stories. Anyway... the food. This little lunch spot serves up Cuban inspired street food. I ordered the fish frita, which was a big fish burger patty, topped with their incredible skinny, super salty fries, and a "lemon-scented" mayo (just lemon-scented? Not lemon flavored? huh?) .That fish patty was the first of its kind that I had ever had. It wasn't overly fishy and had great parsley, lemon and other flavors that paired so well with the fish. While everything sat pretty heavy because of the oil and salt, I was still pleasantly satisfied and loved the unique, simplistic and modern atmosphere of Titto Frittas, complete with long picnic tables inside. Very fun! Try it out my Michigan folk!

Burrito Tetris

Lulu's Restaurant and Bar - Allston, MA
http://lulusallston.com/

Lulu's Burger     

     This Head of the Charles was definitely my favorite to date for two main reasons. 1) The number
of old teammates in town and 2) the food. Because I wasn't racing lightweight (and honestly wasn't sure if I would be racing at all because I was a spare), I was able to partake in activities I normally wouldn't, like spending hours and hours walking around the course, getting dinner and drinks with friends and staying up until 4am. I just really enjoyed the relaxing weekend of endless and spontaneous fun. I could write a novel with all of the stories from this weekend, so I'll try to stick to just the food.

    The first new place I tried was a restaurant/bar called Lulu's here in Allston. Meagan and I had both heard this place was good, and it seemed like the perfect, relaxed atmosphere we were looking for. So Jim, Cory, Kevin, Courtney, Meagan and I walked over and happily took the table reserved for our man Dennis who failed to show up for his reservation. They sat us at their "VIP" table tucked away in a little corner with its own private tv. The dining area itself was a darker, open space that gave off a modern, hipster vibe. The table we were seated at was one irregular shaped, thick slice of a tree. Such a beautiful piece of work.

Mexican Cheetos

     I was really impressed with their menu too, as it was much more intricate and unique than I expected from an Allston bar. In a way, this restaurant seemed a little out of place (but in a good way). Dissecting the menu options was difficult and fun, and we tried many things. For an appetizer, I was debating between the curry, caramel popcorn with pumpkin seeds and the Mexican Cheetos. I ordered their Mexican Cheetos. Never have I ever heard of someone making their own homemade cheetos, let alone a restaurant offering them. To be truthful, they were definitely a little weird. They weren't as flavorful as regular cheetos (obviously because they weren't chocked full of chemicals), and while the texture was crispy and airy like a cheeto, they didn't taste like much more than a lightly powdered, cheese covered air. They came in the shape of pumpkins and were served with a spicy hot sauce called Tapatio. Definitely worth a try, but I wouldn't get them again. Upon further investigation, I just realized they were vegan. Perhaps that's why I was only slightly more than unimpressed. Hmm...

     I opted for the Lulu's burger. It just looked so good as I walked in. Natural beef with herbs and butter, local cheddar, secret sauce, lettuce, tomatoes, and onions on a brioche roll. The burger was a little too well done for me, so I wanted some more juice to the whole ensemble, but it was still delicious. I loved the herb-y flavors, and I was also a huge fan of the brioche roll. It was really different in that the outer layer of the roll seemed almost separate from the insides of the roll. I compared it to a soccer ball being wrapped in wrapping paper and no one understood my analogy. It was a big, wide, warm roll, so it was nice to not fear of running out of bread. You know how sometimes the buns are so small and the insides get all pushed around? This was not the case here. The burger was served with their hand cut fries which were stellar. They reminded me of the fries from b.good, but were less crispy, and that was fine. Just very irregular shaped and sized and dusted with coarse grains of salt. So tasty.

     Friends who love food are great because they always let you try their food. So Jim let me try his herbed tots, which were super crisp on the outside and salty. I love love loved them! And I loved the garlic mayo they were served with. His short rib mac and cheese was tasty too. It was definitely a homemade cheese sauce, making the whole dish seem less gut busting.

     Lulu's had so many delicious looking and sounding dishes coming out of their kitchen that I'm definitely coming back. It helps that it's right down the street from me too. Can't wait!

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Totto Ramen - Allston, MA
http://tottoramen.com/

Look how happy and cute Jim is with his ramen.

     This New York ramen joint just recently moved to Boston, and I had never even heard of them until Jim suggested the place in response to an evening Asian craving. I've only had ramen once before in Portland, and I loved it. Jim and I both loved this experience at Totto Ramen so much that we came back two days later with seven more people :] Not only was the food delicious, but the wait staff was super friendly and the food came out quick.

Pork buns

     In contrast to a lot of other Asian food restaurants in Allston, this one is pretty modern and doesn't give you much of the Asian vibes you might get in a more traditional restaurant. Or maybe this is more representative of a younger and more modern Asian dining experience.

     Anyway, in our first trip, we ordered the pork buns as an appetizer. These are really simple. The put a thick slice of what I think is pork belly in a steamed flat, folded bun with some lettuce and tartar sauce. The pork had such a great, salty (and fatty) flavor, and the bun was soft and spongy. It seemed more like a dumpling texture. During our second visit, I ordered the congee which is basically rice cooked in chicken broth that had a texture similar to that of porridge or oatmeal. On top they cracked an partially fried egg and shredded scallions. When I cracked the yolk of the egg, however, I was really confused because the yolk itself was ice cold. I have no idea how they got the whites of the egg cooked and warm while keeping the yolk cold. Either way, using one of those big scoopy spoon things, you'd get the best bite when you got a little rice, egg and some scallions all together.

Congee

     For my meal on both trips, I order the Paitan Ramen, which included their long homemade

Mochi

noodles cooked al dente style in a whole chicken and soy sauce based soup. It was topped with scallion, onion and a nori (dried seaweed). The first time I added the Kikurage Mushrooms, which were actually harder than normal mushrooms and came in these short brown shreds. They were good, but didn't add much to the dish overall. I was much happier the second time when I added the fresh seaweed and the seasoned soft boiled egg. The seaweed was soft but chewy, and I really liked the soy flavor that permeated the white of the egg.

     For dessert, I tried many different mochi balls. If you're unfamiliar, mochi ice cream balls are a Japanese dessert that consist of a ball of ice cream covered in a soft, pounded rice layer. I love that rice layer. I could eat just a
ball of that. We tried the red bean (which was the sweetest of all), the black sesame (which tasted like sesame seeds... duh), vanilla (meh), mango (sweet but refreshing,) and the green tea (refreshing and light). Green tea and red bean were my favorite.

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Commonwealth Restaurant and Market - Cambridge, MA
http://commonwealthcambridge.com/

   
     Well... I've got to say that it's honestly been nearly 3 months since I blogged, and even since I touched this one post specifically. So I'm jumping in, head first, attempting to remember my food life.

     Zach and I went to Commonwealth forever
and a year ago, but that doesn't by any means mean that I don't remember it. Commonwealth is near Kendall square by MIT in cambridge. I found it unique because even though it's situated within a very modern, technology-centric area, walking in the front doors transports you to a more rustic, farm or marketplace atmosphere. With the mission to provide local produce and farm fresh eggs and dairy, Commonwealth's entrance boats a little market area with a bunch of fruits, vegetables, grains, and treats scattered among a bunch of beautiful antique stoves, chairs and desks. It's adorable.

     When we were led to our seat, we headed into a room where the walls and ceiling were made out of wooden pallets and had large-bulb incandescents hanging from them. It looked so cool and gave the room such a fun ambiance. The food was nothing short of spectacular either. To start, they brought out this tiny ramekin with fluffy pull apart bread. It was so soft and warm inside, and the sweet butter was delicious. I seem to recall they make their own butter. As an appetizer we ordered these pork short ribs that were to dieeeee for. They were probably my favorite part of the whole meal. It was one of those dishes were you can't possibly pinpoint all the flavors because so much is going on. They had some sort of spicy light brown sauce on them, but wasn't like a barbecue sauce at all. I want to say there was a chili taste, with lime and cilantro. But there was also some sort of caramelized sweetness to it, and they were dusted with a cashew dust. Weird, right? But so so good.

   
     For the entree, we got one and a bunch of sides to split because we wanted to try all the things. This place is a little pricey, so I was hesitant at first, but then I gave up. Zach was in the same boat. He was super pumped about the duck before we had even gotten there, so we ordered the half Long Island duck with cranberries. The meat was really tender and juicy, and I loved the complement of the cranberry and... mint? There was an herb in the cranberry mixture on the side and it was fabulous with the duck. We both agreed at the end that while it was delicious, it wasn't worth the $25, especially considering how small the portion was.

Duck Fat Fries (top left), Oyster Mushrooms (top right), Mac n' Cheese (bottom right), Long Island Duck (bottom left)

     For me, the mac n' cheese side was non-debatable. It was GREAT. It was definitely a homemade
mac n' cheese and boasted a unique blend of local New England cheeses. It was thicker too (which I like). You know... like velveeta thickness but actually cheese and delicious. (That comparison should be considered a sin. Shame on me.) Anyway, it was a very, very rich dish with a special touch of some sort of toasted cracker crumbs on top. I love that additional texture within creamy mac n' cheese.
   
     The duck fat fries though. My second favorite. If you're confused, what I mean by duck fat fries is that they cook these thick cut wedge fries in duck fat. Don't ask why... just know that they'll be some of the best fries you ever eat. They were very rich, heavy feeling, and salty. Oh so salty. It was lovely. They came piping hot and crispy on the outside, just as every fry should be. These could be a meal in themselves.

     The last side I ordered was their oyster mushrooms. I'm not sure I'd had that variety before, and they were awesome. They were soft and chewy, light and garlicy. A necessity, I think, after all the other super rich dishes.

     We weren't going to get dessert... but then we came to our senses. Their dessert menu is cool. You pick an ice cream, pair it with a building block of sorts, and add a sauce and/or another topping. We got the butter pecan ice cream with a blondie as the base, topped it with "notorious P.I.G. tracks" (chocolate peanut or chocolate almond clusters maybe?) and a peanut sauce. Health. It was stupid good. That blondie was so warm and a tad gooey still, the clusters added a nutty crunch, and that ice cream was probably some of the best butter pecan I've ever had. Smooth and simple, but rich. They make their own homemade ice cream here, and now that I think of it, that was the original reason I wanted to come here. Now I want their breakfast. I want it all.

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Cactus Grill - East Boston, MA
http://www.cactusgrillboston.com/

   

     Cactus is David's happy place. I've never met a man who loves burritos as much as he does, and it's endearing. I had a steak quesadilla from there once, but there was no photographic evidence, so I didn't write about it. Regardless... it was so juicy from the steak and so cheesy it pleased me (rhymes).  This time, David brought me home a burrito, and I'm proud to say I'm on the Cactus bandwagon. Easily the best burrito I think I've ever had in my life... not just in Boston. Look at the photo. You see how the rice and the vegetables are around the entire burrito and the steak is in the middle? I have no idea how they do that. But either way, it ensures that each bite gives you a little bit of everything so you're not stuck playing burrito tetris and strategizing your next bite. The steak inside was just like the steak from my quesadilla; all super juicy and flavorful. Oh... and the deal sealer... was the grilled tortilla outside. They don't just wrap it up and send you on your way. They press it, so the tortilla has a thin, browned exterior. This isn't only delicious, but it also seals in your burrito contents so the tortilla doesn't go exploding and releasing the tsunami of innards all over your pants. Props Cactus.

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Sushi Station - Mission Hill, MA
http://www.sushi-station.net/

     Writing about sushi is sometimes obnoxiously difficult. If you've ever eaten it, you can pretty
much assume why. Anyway... Meagan, Jimmy and I went to Sushi Station in Mission Hill a couple weeks back because I had this restaurant.com gift card, and I chose to take it there. Sushi Station is a mini restaurant with only a couple tables. We were the only people dining in there the whole time, but the waitstaff was super friendly and offered us complementary edamame! Bonus! I love seaweed salad (mainly because of the texture), so I got that and shared it. I love its sweet and sour flavors. Reminds me of my grandpa's three bean salad he used to make with vinegar and sugar. We ordered a bunch of different rolls to hit out $25 minimum. Honestly, I'm not all that sure which rolls we got, but they were all great. We got a range of spicy and mild rolls, a few with shrimp, crab, and tuna. I don't think they were as fresh as they could be, probably because of a slower stream of customers in the door, but it was still delicious, cheap and we left stuffed, satisfied, and it didn't break the bank. Definitely worth it if you're looking for a good bang for your buck!


Spike's Junkyard Dogs - Allston, MA
http://www.spikesjunkyarddogs.com/

Spike's Junkyard Dog

     Spike's was (admittedly) one of the first restaurants I wanted to go to when I got to Boston. A restaurant that sold mainly hot dogs was different, and I could only imagine how good they had to be if that was basically all they sold. After the Relient K concert down at Paradise Rock Club, David and I were walking home hungry. We kept walking and walking and he was getting impatient, but I assured him I had a place in mind (I always have a place in mind).  I didn't realize that Spike's sold more than hot dogs though! Apparently they have burgers, chicken fingers (which we got and are pretty good) and a few other things. I had to get the dog though. I ordered the junkyard dog, which is their main act. It came with Spike's mustard, tomato, hot pepper rings, and chopped scallions. Wowiezowie. This was goooooood AND huge. The hot dog itself was really thick and plump with juicy (got ahead... laugh), and the bun was like a soft baguette with little grits of cornmeal dusted around the bottom. It was like a real bun, not the standard one ounce white hot dog bun you normally get. The hearty bun and thick dog made just one hot dog pretty filling. That didn't mean we didn't get chicken fingers too. It felt so good. It felt amazing to be able to just want to eat something late at night and do it without remorse (<<< reflections on my lightweight days).