During my recent trip to Paris, I sought out simple, yet delicious food. From a meal that doubled as a work of art at Le Pain Quotidien, to the life-changing discovery of the Cheese Muffin from the Rose Bakery, here are two memorable meals that I would like to enjoy again soon.
FOOD
While I’ve been known to whip up delicious homemade soup from scratch, time doesn’t always permit such fabulousness. So, when I’m short on time and a craving strikes for warm, hearty soup, I turn to a favorite boxed or canned variety and add a few simple ingredients to tailor it more to my tastes. My favorite trick? Taking butternut squash soup or sweet potato soup and thickening it with a few spoonfuls of 100% canned pumpkin. Then, I toss in a little cinnamon and nutmeg to taste. The end result is a rich, hearty soup that tastes almost homemade! Try this with Annie’s Reduced Sodium Butternut Squash Soup, or Trader Joe’s Sweet Potato Bisque and let me know what you think!
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Just an opinion, but every warm-ish fall day should be treated as though it might be the last, especially with daylight savings time hitting this weekend. From taking long strolls, to patio dining, I’ve been enjoying Boston as much as possible. Recently, I celebrated a warm day by snagging a prime patio table at Trattoria Newbury for lunch and couldn’t resist sharing a photo of my amazing Panzanella Salad.
Panzanella is an Italian bread salad that typically includes tomatoes, lettuce, cheese and beans. The version at Trattoria Newbury ($11.95) features a mix of bread, grilled chicken, fresh tomato, cannellini beans, arugula, basil, fresh mozzarella and red wine vinegar. The flavors worked very well together, though I’m not sure the cannellini beans were needed with the massive portion of grilled chicken.
The best part of this salad? It would be so easy to make at home for a dinner party! For color and a little more crunch, I might swap lima beans for cannellini beans and add a splash of balsamic vinegar to the dressing. But, that’s just me…
Trattoria Newbury is located at 264 Newbury Street in Boston’s Back Bay.
You may not know this, but the most-read blog entry on my blog is how to use canned pumpkin as a lower calorie baking swap. Simply add canned pumpkin to your favorite boxed brownie mix et voilà – delicious, moist, reduced guilt brownies. While the end result is amazing, you cannot taste the pumpkin. So, when I discovered a recipe for Pumpkin Pie Brownie Cupcakes on one of my favorite vegan food blogs, Oh She Glows, a lightbulb went on. The flavors of pumpkin pie and brownies together!? I simply had to try this recipe!
Ah, Labor Day weekend. Three days to sneak away and enjoy one last summer hurrah. While many fleed the city over the long weekend, a summer of what’s seemed like non-stop travel had me craving downtime in Boston. Though I didn’t enter the weekend with grand plans, a few unexpected twists and fantastic weather resulted in a lot of fun. From refreshing cocktails, to al fresco dining and a sailing adventure, take my weekend highlights as inspiration to enjoy your remaining warm, summer-like days in Boston.