Browsing Tag

FOOD

ENTERTAINING, RECIPES

Easy Entertaining: Cucumber Water

Cucumber Water

Life’s about simple pleasures, right? Whether you entertain a lot, or are looking for a new way to ‘spice’ up your daily H2O, I’ve got an idea for you: cucumber water. Inspired by my former roommate Gabi, adding a few thin cucumber slices to a pitcher or glass of water generates wonderful results. The water is not overwhelmingly cucumber flavored, the taste is more like an essence. Somewhat luxurious and spa-like, yet incredible simple, there’s a wow factor associated with cucumber water. Just ask my mom’s book club (hi mom!).

Have you ever tried cucumber water? If so, what did you think?

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RECIPES

Home Cookin’: Caribbean Succotash

Caribbean Succotash

The first hints of fall may be in the air, but that doesn’t mean I’m ready for the changing of the seasons. Inspired by a Jamaican recipe in Bon Appétit’s January 2011 issue, I recently whipped up a scrumptious vegan-friendly Caribbean Succotash. Made with a mix of fresh and frozen vegetables, including lima beans, carrots, zucchini, corn and cucumber, this dish is incredibly quick and easy to prepare.

Though the ingredients are fairly simple, what makes this dish extra special is the wonderful combination of fresh thyme, unsweetened coconut milk, cayenne pepper and nutmeg. Not sure about you, but I’m clearly not clever enough in the kitchen to dream up that recipe combination! I am, however, clever enough to test and share this recipe with my dear blog readers!

While I don’t want to post the recipe on my blog for copyright reasons, please view it here on Epicurious. I can, however, share a few tips that helped me prepare this recipe. I omitted the onion and red bell pepper due to heartburn issues (boo hoo). I also found it helpful to use frozen lima beans and corn, in addition to pre-shredded carrots from the grocery store to save time. I also opted for light, unsweetened coconut milk to lighten up the dish a bit. My last tip is to chop the cucumber and keep it in a separate tupperware container if you’re planning to enjoy warm leftovers of this dish, as I don’t like the idea of microwaving cucumber.

Tips and swaps aside, the end result was fantastic and I’m sure the original recipe is equally incredible. Creamy with a subtle sweetness from the light coconut milk, the hints of cayenne, nutmeg and fresh thyme really round this dish out. I also love dishes with a good amount of crunch to them and the coconut milk sauce does a nice job of dressing the veggies without rendering them mushy after a few days in the refrigerator. I’ll be making this recipe again the next time I need a tropical boost. Hear that old man winter?

Buon Appetito!

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FOOD, RESTAURANTS, TRAVEL

Travel: Highlights From a Lovely Weekend in NYC

Photo by Le Pain Quotidien

SavvyBostonian Note: I traveled to NYC the weekend before Hurricane Irene.

I cannot resist the thrill of a jam-packed weekend in New York City, so when my favorite dynamic duo invited me for a visit, I jumped at the opportunity. Before I knew it, I was hopping aboard the Acela with visions of wine bars, sightseeing adventures and lots of amazing food.

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BOSTON, FOOD, RESTAURANTS

On the Town: Rosé By-The-Glass Menu at Eastern Standard

Photo Courtesy of Eastern Standard

I feel like a broken record because I constantly say that summer in the city of Boston is like no other. That’s because it’s true! Between long strolls or jogs along the Charles, the multitude of sidewalk cafes, patios and roofdecks, Boston truly comes alive during the summer.

Another reason Bostonians cherish summer in the city is the abundance of fresh cuisine, innovative cocktails and chilled vino. Lately, I’ve been looking at the city through rosé colored glasses courtesy of delicious rosé wines. One of my favorite Boston restaurants, Eastern Standard, introduced a great rosé by-the-glass menu back in June and I jumped at the chance to speak with Wine Director Colleen Hein.

I certainly don’t pretend to be a wine expert, but Colleen was great with explaining the differences in rosés to me. She’s very knowledgeable and a delight to speak with, so definitely ask for her the next time you’re in if she’s available!

As a frequent guest at Eastern Standard (one of my top 5 patio’s in Boston), I asked Colleen to share three of her favorite food and rosé pairings. Here are her recommendations:

1) 2010 Chateau Commanderie de Peyrassol ($11 per glass) is described as a quintessential Provencal rosé and pairs perfectly with lighter faire, including grilled seafood and freshly shucked oysters (note: ES has a great raw bar!). Colleen mentioned that this was one of the first rosé wines to come in and it’s absolutely delicious. So magical, apparently, that it could make you think that you’ve actually left Boston and arrived in Provence. Sounds good to me!

2) 2010 Domaine Magellan Cinseault Rosé “Le Fruit Défendu,” ($8 per glass) is a touch sweeter, Colleen said, with a lift of wild strawberry as well as an herbaceous note of garrigue — a term used for a variety of herbs that sprout wild along the roadsides of Southern France. For this reason, it is perfect to order with grilled jumbo prawns, or dishes that feature pesto, as the flavors compliment the herbaceousness of the wine. From the sounds of it, I’d imagine that ES’s Moules Provençale would be good with this rosé.

 3) 2010 Margerum Rosé ($12 per glass) is the newest addition to Eastern Standard’s rosé list. Interestingly, this rosé is a more complex, deeply flavored wine and it pairs well with heartier dishes. Colleen recommends ordering this rosé  with ES’s Steak Tartare, or Charcuterie board (which changes daily at the restaurant). I adore a great charcuterie board, so this rosé is very tempting to me!

Eastern Standard’s Rosé By-The-Glass menu is available through October 10, 2011. I highly recommend scoring a spot on their coveted patio while enjoying a leisurely meal with friends.

 

RECIPES

Home Cookin’: Long Live The Donut Muffin

I take no prisoners when it comes to donut muffins.

There’s a lot to love about Healdsburg, California. From great restaurants, to adorable shops and a variety of wine tasting rooms, it’s a great home base away from more touristy wine country towns. That’s lovely and all, but the real reason why I’ll always have a special place in my heart for Healdsburg is because it’s where the donut muffin and I were first introduced.

Located off Healdsburg’s quaint town center park, the donut muffin is made by the Downtown Bakery & Creamery. Not quite a donut and not quite a muffin, this treat is indulgent without being overly sweet. The flavor is inspired by that of a traditional cake donut with a cinnamon/sugar topping.

Donut muffin magic in progress.

After leaving Healdsburg, I had the brilliant thought to google the Downtown Bakery & Creamery’s donut muffin recipe. Through the magic that is internet search, I found the recipe online and quickly went to work in my tiny Boston kitchen.

The end result? Pretty darn good. I couldn’t figure out how to replicate the crisp outer crust to match the donut muffin from the Downtown Barkery & Creamery, but all of my taste testers seemed very pleased. While the recipe is a little labor intensive, mostly because I wanted to make them as mini muffins, versus large muffins, I found the process worthwhile.

The finished product: mini donut muffins!

Tip: Instead of dipping my mini muffins in melted butter, I used a pastry brush and brushed it on. I also gingerly sprinkled the cinnamon/sugar topping instead of rolling. I initially made them this way to make them lighter, but the end result still tasted indulgent, so I’ll continue to do this going forward.

To view the recipe for the Downtown Bakery & Creamery’s Donut Muffin, click here. Buon Appetito!

For more of my recipes, click here.