RECIPES

Friday Night Dinner Party: Rosemary-Mint Lamb, Cous Cous, Spiced Goat Cheese and Moroccan Squash Saute

While hosting a dinner party on a Friday night may seem daunting, it’s actually quite easy if you seek out simple, yet flavorful recipes. I often encounter hosts that try to do too much for a dinner party – overly complicated dishes, too much food, etc. Try to stick with a theme and you too can effortlessly transition from the work week to a cozy dinner party for ten.

Inspired by a friend who wanted to prepare a cous cous dish, this Friday night dinner party included  a rosemary-mint lamb stir fry, spiced goat cheese with pita chips and a roasted squash saute with adzuki beans and raisins.

 

Friday Night Dinner Party by Jessica Gioglio

Rosemary and Mint Lamb Stir Fry

Flavorful with a spicy kick, this lamb entree brings together rosemary, mint and fresh veggies in a quick and easy dish. Marinate the lamb in the fridge all day and feel free to swap veggies as needed – my roommate used extra mushrooms and snap peas in lieu of spinach and green beans. She also added salt, pepper and fresh lemon juice into the mix. Visit WholeFoodsMarket.com for an incredible selection of recipes, including this one here.

Moroccan Spiced Goat Cheese

Dressing up goat cheese with a custom blend of spices was so simple and gained us bonus points with our guests for creativity. Too bad we can’t take full credit, as Whole Foods also provided the recipe for this dish. I purchased the largest goat cheese log that I could find (approx. $7) and our party of ten devoured it. Serve with Stacy’s Simply Naked Pita Chips. Please click here to view the recipe.

Roasted Squash Satue with Adzuki Beans and Raisins

Packed with nutritious vegetables and beans, this recipe also couldn’t be easier. Roast bite-sized pieces of butternut squash with olive oil, sea salt, ground black pepper, garlic, ground ginger, cumin, paprika, cinnamon and ground coriander at 400 degrees for between 15-20 minutes. When the squash is nearly done, saute bite-sized pieces of zucchini and summer squash, olive oil and the spices listed above on the stovetop for a few minutes until tender. Serve in a bowl with one can of adzuki beans and raisins. Garnish with fresh cilantro.

Cous Cous

Though cous cous by itself can be boring, adding simple ingredients like feta, olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, chives and fresh parsley packs a lot of flavor. This is certainly a Greek version of cous cous, but it went wonderfully with the food we prepared. Serve with a lemon olive oil dressing. For a Moroccan version, try dates, apricots, almonds and chickpeas.

Dessert – Sorbet with Clementines and Pomegranate Seeds

For dessert, my roommate created a visually stunning, tasty combination of mango-tangerine sorbet, raspberry sorbet, clementine segments and pomegranate seeds. For the chocoholics – myself included – dark chocolate covered almonds from Trader Joe’s were served. It was a light, refreshing way to end the meal.

For more of my recipes, click here.

BOSTON, RESTAURANTS

Boston Cafe Etiquette – Sharing a Table with a Stranger

Breakfast Cafe by su-lin from Flickr

Only in the most dire of circumstances should you ask if you can share a table with a stranger. In other countries, it is completely common for others to take up empty seats at your table (even in a restaurant- it happened to me every day in India), often without even asking. But throughout the U.S., the sense of personal space is very strong and extends in a rather wide bubbble. In Boston, that bubble most certainly consumes any empty seats at their table, and probably any standing room near it too!

If someone is at a table by themselves and there are no other seats available, I would usually say that you are out of luck. If you do decide to be brave and interrupt a single cafe goer immersed in their work/reading/facebooking, don’t commit any of these etiquette faux pas:

•    Obtain the free seat by trickery. The other day a girl asked me if I was using the free seat at my table (which was, at the time, occupied by my coat) or if I was waiting for someone. I dutifully removed my items from the seat and then she sat down. With me. At my table. Without being clear about her purpose. There isn’t even an option to say no in that situation, but you can be pretty sure the other party won’t be very happy about it.

•    Be rude to the person who allowed you to sit at their table. If you have asked someone if you can sit at their table, you are giving them the right to ask you to leave or generally not to do other things that bother them. Don’t talk loudly on your cellphone, work in irritating (there’s that personal space bubble again) proximity to them, or talk back to them if they ask you to stop taking up so much space. The manager will almost positively side with whoever had the table first, particularly if that person is a frequent customer (believe me, I spoke to him when I had my squatter incident the other day).

•    Take up excessive (or really any) space at the table. If someone has agreed to let you use their extra chair, don’t abuse their politeness by getting in their way or practically pushing their things off the table with your laptop, coffee, scone, and four textbooks.

•    Chat up the person. If the person you have sat with is by him or herself, they are probably doing something, and you should not abuse their hospitality by badgering them with pointless small talk or get to know you questions. If they decide to talk to you…well, that is the price you pay for sitting at their table.

Most importantly, thank the person when you leave. I offered a seat at my table to someone else who had been waiting along time when I was lucky enough to snag a table and he was polite throughout and very thankful when he left. It *almost* made me thinking sharing a table with a stranger isn’t so bad after all.

Gabi Logan is a Boston-based food and travel writer. On the web, you can find her recommendations for affordable yet delicious food in Boston at the Examiner and The 30 Minute Dinner Party.

BOSTON, RESTAURANTS

Coppa: Italian Small Plates in Boston’s South End

I recently popped into Coppa on a Monday night for a light meal. I’d already been at an event with appetizers and was tempted with the prospect of a small, yet flavorful nibble. The problem was, after savoring one small plate of pasta, it just left me wanting more.

Coppa Restaurant, Boston by Bellyglad From Flickr

Coppa is located on Shawmut Ave., a quiet street in Boston’s South End. The restaurant itself has a neighborhood feel and a cozy atmosphere. Tables are aligned close to one another, making it an ideal spot to visit in parties of two. Plan to wait with a larger party, as Coppa does not take reservations. However, as discovered by savvy locals, you can swing by, put your name in and come back later when your table is ready.

Even on a Monday night, Coppa was packed with a lively crowd. My wonderful dining companion and I didn’t want to wait for a table, so we sucked it up and took quite possibly the worst two seats in the house, which are located along a small side bar directly to the right of the entrance. At first, we felt like we were encroaching on the hostesses space by the door, but they couldn’t have been more kind and gracious.

I ordered a small bowl of the fettuccine with a wild boar ragu and my friend the spaghetti alla carbonara with smoked pancetta, sea urchin, farm egg and scallions. Both were fantastic. I adored the fat fettuccine noodles and the leftover wild boar ragu was so good that we kept dipping our bread into it. We also appreciated the carbonara’s melt-in-your-mouth sea urchin. Similarly notable was their hot buttered rum, which put any other hot toddy I’ve ever tried to shame.

Coppa is located at 253 Shawmut Ave. in Boston’s South End. For more information, please visit their website at http://www.coppaboston.com/

BOSTON, NIGHTLIFE

On the Town: Minibar

Photo from Yelp, http://www.yelp.com/biz/minibar-boston-boston

True to its name, this small yet chic lounge offers a fun atmosphere to satisfy your nightlife cravings. Located on the ground floor of the Copley Square Hotel, Minibar has a trendy, modern interior with ample seating, making it an ideal spot for a casual date, meeting friends, or rubbing elbows with someone new.

I’ve been to Minibar more times than I can count and each time I enjoy trying a new cocktail, from the Tuscan Pear (Grey Goose Pear, Limoncello, Canton, Orange Juice), to the Mojito (Ron Matusalem, Mint, Ginger Beer, Lime) and the Bonaparte Bellini (Rain Lavender Lemonade, White Peach Puree, Champagne). I haven’t tried many of the mini cuisine menu items, but think its adorable that classic mini bar snacks and accessories are sold, including altoids, mixed nuts and playing cards. You never know when they’ll come in handy, especially the altoids!

Once Boston finally warms back up, try to snag a seat on Minibar’s coveted patio. Minibar is located at 51 Huntington Avenue, alongside Exeter Street in the Back Bay. There’s no cover. For more information, please visit: http://www.minibarboston.com/index.php

GOOD READS

Book Club: I’m So Happy For You by Lucinda Rosenfeld

Have you ever felt a twinge of jealousy when a friend accomplishes something that you’ve also been striving for? Or, have you ever desperately wanted to befriend the seemingly perfect, popular girl that captivates everyone’s attention? Welcome to I’m So Happy For You, a novel by Lucinda Rosenfeld.

My book club recently met up at Rocca in the South End to gorge ourselves on handmade pasta, roasted chicken and steak while tackling the touchy subject of gal pals and competition. Overall, everyone seemed to enjoy the book, which is a bit dark at times. The plot follows the twists and turns of a complicated friendship with the issues of marriage, pregnancy and infidelity weaved in. It’s a vast departure from the books I usually seek out, but I’m happy that I tried something new.

Although I wouldn’t give this book a glowing recommendation to a friend as a solo read, I thought it was tailor made for our book club because it sparked an interesting conversation. We all admitted to embracing the little green monster inside on occasion, but not because we didn’t want our friends to succeed. In part, this can be attributed to having a more equal friendship than the characters do in the book. On some level, I always knew that, but reading this book made me realize that my best friendships are the ones that are mutually beneficial, where both parties make a similar effort to communicate.

For more information about I’m So Happy For You by Lucinda Rosenfeld, please visit her website at: http://www.imsohappyforyou.com/