Cranberry Swirl Cake

Whenever canned whole cranberry sauce is on sale, I stock up. I also keep an eye out for when sour cream goes on sale - the full fat variety only, if you please! And the reason I do these things is a certain cranberry cake recipe that a co-worker shared with me oh so many moons ago.

She's shared this recipe with other friends, but they've always come back and told her that theirs was good, but not as good as hers! After a while, she finally realized that she always made the cake with a large 16 oz. can of cranberry sauce rather than the 8 oz. can prescribed by the recipe. A ha!

Beginning with the holiday season 2009, I noticed that the large can of cranberry sauce had shrunk. :( Yup, it was down to 14 oz. per can. Fortunately it was still enough for this recipe, since my mom always thought that the cake was a bit too moist (or wet!) when I used the content of the entire can, but still... first it was the incredible shrinking ice cream, then the single serve yogurt cup... now this!

So here's the recipe my co-worker once found printed in a newspaper, and now cries out "Holidays!" to me in a loud delicious voice...

Cranberry Swirl Cake

1 stick butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

½ pint sour cream (8 oz.)

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 large 16-ounce can of whole cranberry sauce

½ cup crushed nuts

Cream butter, add sugar gradually. Add unbeaten eggs (one at a time). Use mixer at medium speed.

Reduce mixer speed and add dry ingredients that have been sifted together, alternately with sour cream, ending with dry ingredients. Add almond extract.

Grease 8 inch tube pan. Put a layer of batter in bottom of pan, then swirl around some of the whole cranberry sauce. Add another layer of batter and more cranberry sauce. Add remaining batter and swirl the remaining cranberry sauce on top. Sprinkle nuts on top. Bake at 350F for 55 minutes.

Topping:

¾ cup confectioners’ sugar

1 tablespoon warm water

½ teaspoon almond flavoring

Dribble over top of cake after it is taken out of pan. Turn cake out of pan in about 5 minutes and frost while warm.

Vivian's Notes:

1) I omit the nuts because I don't usually have any around the house, as well as out of consideration of allergies.

2) For two 9-inch round cake pans, layering only twice each, bake for about 35 minutes.

3) For 2 large loaf pans, layering only twice each, bake for 40-42 minutes.

Holiday Certificate Deals plus

Applebee's

For a limited time only, come into any participating Applebee's and get a FREE $10 Bonus Gift Card when you buy $50 in Gift Cards.

*Participating locations only. Not available on applebees.com. Limited-time only offer. Restrictions apply to the Bonus Card & Gift Card. Valid through 2/28/11. See card for details.

Bar Louie

Now – December 31st

Giving just got more rewarding! This holiday season Louie is giving $50 back for every $100 you spend on gift cards. You will receive a $25 gift card for yourself AND an offer for $25 off your next visit with a purchase of $50 or more.

Buca di Beppo

Get a $10 bonus card with each purchase of a $50 or more Buca gift card. *

* All purchases placed now through December 31, 2010 are eligible for one $10 Reward Card for every $50 of gift cards purchased. Reward Cards are valid from 1/1/11 – 1/31/11, and will be mailed to the billing address prior to the promotion start date of January 1, 2011 for orders placed by 12/22/10. Reward cards for all orders placed between 12/23/10 and 12/31/10 will be mailed by January 4, 2011.

California Pizza Kitchen

Purchase $100 in CPK Gift Cards and receive a $20 Rewards Card. Rewards cards can be redeemed any time between January 10, 2011 and March 25, 2011.

CBS Scene

Now - December 24th

For every $100 spent on gift cards, receive a complimentary $20 gift card!

The Cheesecake Factory

Now through December 24, for every $25 Gift Card - or new eGift Card - you purchase, you'll receive a FREE Slice of Cheesecake to come back on a future visit.

Denny's

FREE $5 Denny's Card when you buy a $25 Gift Card in participating restaurants and online.

Fleming's Prime Steakhouse

Reserve online to activate your $25 Gift for any date before December 30th.

The Four's

Located in Boston, Norwell, Quincy

Come in from now until Christmas and receive a $20 gift certificate for every $100 you purchase!!

Friendly's

Get a free $5 bonus card for every $25 in gift card purchases.

(no online purchase option)

Hilltop Steakhouse

10% discount on online gift card order through Christmas Eve.

J.P. Licks

For a limited time only, get a FREE $5 Bonus Card with each $25 Cow Card you purchase!

($5 Bonus Card is redeemable only from 1/1/2011 to 3/31/2011)

Maggiano’s Little Italy

Receive a $20 bonus card for every $100 spent in holiday gift card purchases.*

* Offer valid through 12/31/2010. Bonus cards can be redeemed at Maggiano's from 1/1/2011-2/28/2011.

McCormick & Schmick's

Buy $50 in gift cards and receive a $10 dining certificate.

Buy $100 in gift cards and receive a $25 dining certificate.*

*Dining Certificate Valid 1/1/11-3-31/11 (excluding 2/14/11). Not valid for alcohol or gratuity.

The Melting Pot (MA or RI only)

Friday, November 26th - Friday, December 31st

Purchase $100 worth of gift cards and receive $100 in bonus certificates to be used at any RI or MA Melting Pots next year.*

Gift Card Sales are available daily at the Restaurant after 10am.

Can't make it to our location? Order over the phone and we'll mail your gift card purchase (additional mailing costs apply).

* Usage and purchase restrictions apply. Offer is NOT valid online at meltingpot.com. Certificates NOT valid for purchases made online.

Morton's The Steakhouse

Buy $500 worth of Morton's gift cards, get an extra $100 Morton's Reward Card*

Buy $300 worth of Morton's gift cards, get an extra $50 Morton's Reward Card*

Three Ways to purchase:

Online

At a Morton's location near you

Contact us directly at 866-662-2677 ext. 664

* Reward Card valid January - March 31, 2011

Not Your Average Joe's

With every $50 worth of gift cards, Joe throws in a $10 appreciation card* for you. Pick them up at your favorite Not Your Average Joe’s location (and stay to eat, of course) or order online.

Savvy businesses get 25% back on every $500 worth of gift cards. That’s $125 you can use to treat yourself or put toward a company party at Not Your Average Joe’s. You’ll also be invited to dine with our Founder and CEO, Steve Silverstein. (Offer's good no matter how you define "business.")

*Appreciation cards expire 90 days from date of issue. Gift cards have no expiration.

Outback Steakhouse

For each $100 in gift cards purchased receive a $20 Bonus Card

(Bonus Card valid 1/1/2011-2/10/2011)

Qdoba

Purchase a $25 Q-cash gift card in restaurant or online and receive a $5 voucher*

* $5 voucher only valid January and February 2011

Romano's Macaroni Grill

Get a $5 Bonus Card with every $25 gift card purchase.*

* Bonus Card valid between January 1 - February 28, 2011

In-restaurant purchase only

Ruth's Chris Steak House

For every gift card purchase of $250 or more, you'll receive 10% back in bonus cards. *

*Offer available through December 31, 2010. Holiday Bonus Gift Cards valid from January 1, 2011 through March 31, 2011. Holiday Bonus Cards cannot be redeemed on the same day of purchase. Not valid on prior purchases. To receive Holiday Bonus Gift Cards, all $250 must be purchased in a single transaction. Offer valid only at participating locations.

Skipjack's

COUNTDOWN TO HOLIDAY GIFT CARD PROMO BEGINS MONDAY, DECEMBER 6th!!!

This Monday, December 6th, Skipjack's gift cards will be sold at 20% less face value. Each day thereafter the discount goes down 1%. December 21st is the last day of this promotion with cards discounted at 5%. December 22nd all gift cards will be sold at full price.

SHOP EARLY AND SAVE MORE!

IN HOUSE PROMOTION ONLY!

Holiday Gift Cards will be active starting January 1, 2011

No online or phone orders.

Loyalty points may not be redeemed or issued.

Smith & Wollensky

Now through December 31, you'll receive a $25 Bonus Card for every $100 in Gift Cards you purchase at participating Smith & Wollensky Restaurant Group locations.

Uno Chicago Grille

Get a $5 Bonus Voucher when you give $25*

* Bonus Voucher redemption valid from 1/1/2011 thru 3/31/2011.

Upper Crust Pizzeria

From December 12-19, donate an unwrapped toy for Toys for Tots and receive a free slice of pizza. Limit one per person.

Yard House

With every $50 purchased in Yard House gift cards you will receive a $10 bonus card to use on your next visit. (expiration of bonus card not mentioned on their website)

The Aquitaine Group

Aquitaine Boston, Aquitaine Chestnut Hill, Aquitaine Dedham, Gaslight Brasserie, Metropolis Cafe, Union Bar and Grill

Now through December 31st, $20 Complimentary Meal certificate with every $100 gift card purchase. Meal certificates valid for redemption after 1-1-10

The Briar Group

City Table, The Green Briar, Solas, Ned Devine's, anthem, O'Connor's, The Harp, City Bar

Give a Gift - Get a Gift - for a limited time:

Receive a complimentary $10 card with the purchase of a $50 card and a complimentary $20 card with the purchase of a $100 gift card. Complimentary cards will be mailed with purchase and are valid after 1/1/11.

Columbus Hospitality Group

Mistral, Sorellina, Teatro, Mooo, L'Andana

If you pick up $500 worth of gift certificates (which can be used at any of the restaurants in the group - that's Mistral, Sorellina, Teatro, Mooo.... and L'Andana) you'll get a $100 bonus card of your very own. We know, we know - the holidays are about giving not receiving but with this little arrangement you'll be doing both. Both! The only hitch is that you have to buy the certificates at one of the restaurant (online purchases aren't eligible) so swing by any of the restaurants (whichever's most convenient or whichever menu you're in the mood for) to make your purchase asap.

Davio's and Avila

Davio's has a deal for shoppers this season, they'll be giving away a free $50 gift card with every purchase of $500 worth of gift cards made between now and December 31st. Plan accordingly and stock up on gift certificates for both Davio's and Davio's Foxborough. Order online through the Davio's website or drop by any of their locations, including sister restaurant Avila.

Grotto and Marliave

With the purchase of a hundred dollar gift card you will receive an additional twenty five dollar gift card to that same restaurant. The hundred and twenty five dollars is redeemable for product only, excluding gratuity. Gift cards make an ideal gift, and you have the option of putting the additional twenty five dollars on the gift card or you can put it on a separate card for yourself. The special offer is only available for purchase December 17-19, but there is no limit on the amount of gift cards you can purchase.

Non-Chain

Cafe Paprika

734 Washington

Norwood, MA 02062

(781) 440-0060

paprika-online.webs.com/

Get 1 Free $20 GIFT CARD with every $100 gift cards purchase.

Non-Chain

Fiorella's

187 North Street

Newtonville, MA 02460

(617) 969-9990

www.fiorellasnewton.com/

Receive a complimentary $20 Gift Card for every $100 Gift Card purchased.

Fiorella's Offer expires Sunday December 12, 2010.

Non-Chain

Parker's Maple Barn

1316 Brookline Rd

Mason, NH 03048

(603) 878-2308

www.parkersmaplebarn.com/

10% off Gift Cards to be used in 2011

Non-Chain

Picco

513 Tremont Street

Boston, MA 02116

(617) 927-0066

www.piccorestaurant.com/

In December Picco will be hosting a month long food drive for the Greater Boston Food Bank. We will be accepting donations all day, every day during our normal business hours. Each donor will receive a $5 Picco gift card and Picco will match each donation made.

Non-Chain

Tremont 647

647 Tremont Street

Boston, MA 02118

(617) 266-4600

www.tremont647.com

For every $40.00 you spend on gift cards, we'll send you an additional $20.00 card as our gift to you!

Click here to take advantage of this amazing offer! Offer is valid until Friday, December 17th, 2010

*** I have not necessarily personally patronized the above listed businesses.

A Treat for Me! Homemade Indian Food

I was going to visit a friend's new abode for dinner this past weekend, but something came up and she had to cancel on me. I figured we'd do it some other time when it worked for both of us, but she felt bad and told me that she'll bring me lunch on Monday. How sweet! Oh, she's also a co-worker, which made that offer so much more do-able.

So, for lunch today, I enjoyed some homemade crispy layery Chappatis, and some of her white man's version of Aloo Muttar (potato & Peas) Paneer (Indian cheese), cause I'm a spice wimp... although I suggested that it instead be called the chicken Chinese girl's level of spiciness (or there lack of). =)

Corn Casserole in a Jiffy!

I stopped by the supermarket on the way home for one sole reason - Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix. I knew just where to go - the baking aisle, the section where the mixes are, up on the top shelf... and there I saw... nothing! Like a child's lower jaw with a missing tooth, there was a gap among the line of Jiffy mixes where the corn muffin would have stood.

I guess I shouldn't have been surprised, it being the Sunday before Thanksgiving and all. But I needed this key ingredient for one of my absolute favorite potluck recipes - Corn Casserole.

It is a super-simple recipe that I had found online many years ago from who knows where. It only has 5 ingredients (I've never added the optional egg), one of which is one of my favorite foods - corn, is pretty much just mix and bake, and tastes great!

The first time I made it for a potluck, I was asked whether it was a side dish or a dessert. Yeah, it is sweet, but not THAT sweet! ;) It bakes up puffy and rich... just try it!

Corn Casserole

1 stick butter, melted (may lessen butter if add egg – haven’t tried this yet myself)
1 can corn kernels (17 oz.), drained
1 can creamy corn (17 oz.)
1 egg (optional) (richer with)
1 cup sour cream
1 box Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Melt butter. Mix in both cans of corn. Slightly beat egg before adding it to the corn. Mix in sour cream. Mix in the Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix.

Pour into a 9x9 inch baking pan. Bake for 1 hour (or more if necessary).

Vivian's Notes:

My lazy woman's method is to stick the butter in the oven in the pan just till it melts, then to stir everything directly in the baking dish. Of course you have to be careful of the hot pan!

Kaddo!

When you think of pumpkin, maybe you think of pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin cheesecake, or pumpkin pancakes... but me, first thing to come to mind is kaddo - a yummy Afgahni appetizer made of a sweetened baked pumpkin, a tomato based ground meat sauce, and a cool creamy yogurt sauce. Mmmmmm....

Recently, I had the pleasure of enjoying kaddo at two different local restaurants: Helmand of Cambridge, MA fame ($7.50), and the newbie Ariana of Allston, MA ($5.95). Feel free to guess which one's which!



Both were tasty, but Helmand's version was sweeter.

Also, earlier this month, a Facebook buddy of mine posted in her status her adventures in making kaddo (she used the recipe found here) for the first time, which resulted in a late night dinner for her and her man. This brought back to mind my own personal experience with the dish.

A few years ago, I took on the challenge of making kaddo myself after I ran across a recipe on Chowhound as posted by Allstonian - this sometime after having tasted kaddo at Helmand for the first time. I picked up a nice fresh sugar pumpkin from a local farmer's market, stopped by the market for some plain yogurt, and selected a Saturday for my culinary goal.

Making the sauces, both the yogurt and the meat, were simple enough. The tough part, both literally and figuratively, was the pumpkin with its super hard shell. I didn't have one of those Y-style peelers as recommended by Allstonian, so I had to go at it with my hearty chopping knife. The results, however, were worth it in my opinion and that of my lucky guests of the evening.

Kaddo bowrani (Afghani pumpkin)

This dish came up on the Boston board - it's one of the standouts on the menu at the Helmand. I adapted my recipe from one I found on boston.com - don't know if it came from an article about the restaurant or not, but that's where I found it.

We eat it a lot in the fall and early winter when sugar pumpkins are available. I've done it with other winter squashes such as acorn or butternut - it works, but it's best with pumpkin. Butternut, especially, makes for a notably wimpier dish. (Nonetheless, we've been known to do it with butternut squash after the fresh pumpkins disappear from shops.)

One 2 to 2.5 pound sugar pumpkin
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup plain yogurt
1 clove garlic, crushed
Salt & pepper to taste
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium onions, chopped
1 pound lean ground beef
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup water

Set the oven at 350.

Cut the pumpkin into quarters. Remove seeds and strings, peel the skin with a vegetable peeler, and cut down into about 2-inch chunks. [DH, who usually gets this job, points out that a harp-style (or "Y-style") peeler works best on the hard pumpkin - the straight vegetable peeler is much more difficult to use.]

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a skillet [I actually use a cast iron dutch oven, which saves transferring to a different pan later on.] Brown the pumpkin pieces, turning frequently, until golden brown (about 5 minutes.) [I brown the pumpkin pretty aggressively in this step, while taking care not to scorch it.]

Transfer pumpkin to a roasting pan. [Since I use the dutch oven, I don't do this!] Mix sugar and cinnamon, and sprinkle over pumpkin. Cover [with foil if using a roasting pan] and bake for 30 minutes, or until tender.

[This seems like an awful lot of sugar, but go with it - the dish doesn't really come out sweet in the end, and it just isn't as tasty if you cut down on the sugar.]

While the pumpkin is baking, make the yogurt sauce and the meat sauce.

Yogurt sauce: mix together yogurt with one clove of crushed garlic in a bowl; season to taste with salt & pepper.

Meat sauce: in a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil and cook the onions until lightly browned. Add ground beef, the second clove of crushed garlic, and salt & pepper. Mix well and cook until beef is browned. Add tomato sauce and water, mix thoroughly and bring to a simmer, lower heat, and cook about 20 minutes until it cooks down to a thick sauce.

To serve: spoon yogurt sauce onto dinner plates, add a portion of the cooked pumpkin, and top with meat sauce. Serves 4. I usually make a bulgur pilaf to go with.

This is so tasty, and really easy. It's one of those meals where the different steps fit together really well - knocking out the yogurt sauce and the meat sauce fits just perfectly into the time that the pumpkin takes to cook in the oven.

Allstonian, Aug 2006:
Most of my changes are noted in my bracketed comments above, and have to do with technique. There is one ingredient change - the original recipe specified browning the pumpkin in 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and the onions and ground beef for the meat sauce in 1/4 cup canola oil. I couldn't see any reason for specifying two different neutral cooking oils for the two items, and 1/4 cup of oil to brown 2 onions and a pound of ground beef seemed like WAY more cooking fat than was actually needed.

Vivian's Notes:
1) Give yourself a LOT of time to deal with the pumpkin
2) I lessened the amount of sugar used to sprinkle on the pumpkin, but it was still good.

New Experience: Fresh Red Dates (jujubes)

When I think of Chinese dates, I think of those dried red dates that are used in certain traditional Chinese soups:
But one day my parents spotted some fresh ones at the market and decided to buy a bagful. For a comparison, here's one hanging out with a bunch of red grapes:

I ate it skin and all (well, minus the seed), and found it to be a crisp, slightly sweet fruit.

King Richard's Faire

My visit to King Richard's Faire in "Carvershire" was more a feast for the eyes than for the stomach.

The land was filled not only with citizens of interesting dress and manners, but with visitors from afar clothed in garments tight or flowy or of a variety of nations or periods, armed with bow & arrow or drum or sheathed knife. Lad or lass, king or princess, wolf-man or fairy, t'was a variety of folk who passed before mine eyes.

Shows of magic and of mirth, of whips cracked high and low, of washer maids with bare feet, tales of Alice the princess in a land of wonder and confusion, great cats with their stripes, and knights who aimed at rings before facing a fight to the death. Our day was quite filled!

Games of skill and luck, axes and knives aimed at wooden shield paintings, arrows that find their mark in walls of hay. Rides run by the strength of men up high in the air. Lots to do. Shops to peruse. Clothing of fabric, clothing of leather, capes of wool, ears of fairies or of feline, toadstools and peeking worms, fairy wings, dragons for wrists, metal curls for hair.

Prior to my visit, two things I was so informed of the consumables of this land:
1) They have turkey legs, like Disney.

2) Avoid the food, everything is equally bad.

My visit was not for the purpose of seeking food to be ingested with relish, however, a visit of a length as we had intended would require the periodic refreshment of the body. Thus would I recommend the Kettle Korn which comes in small portions in paperbags for the price of 8 tickets or larger portions in plastic bags for 12. (Get the large if your party is of an appetite to demolish it.) Many choices come with fryes, so you are unlikely to need to order such fryes on their own for 8 tickets, however, you may wish to order the tasty option of sweet potato fryes for the price of 11 tickets, or a bloomin' onion for 6 - both of which arrive hot and fresh from the fryer, so consume with care! If thy appetite is for clam chowder, I wouldst suggest that thou obtainists thy boule of such chowder from the Witches' Kitchen, where portions of the creamy liquid seemed both greater and hotter than that which I had obtained from Canterbury Kitchens as served by newly arrived youthful members of the shire.

Expect not too much, and you may yet satisfactorily fill your stomaches enough to continue your wanderings and enjoyment of the land.

Chef's Table @ Craigie On Main

When the lady on the phone calling to confirm my reservation asked me if I was interested in sitting at the Chef's Table, I jumped on it. At Craigie On Main, the Chef's Table is a set of four tall bar stools set before a cool marble topped counter overlooking the busy kitchen.

Basically, we ended up having front row seats at our very own "Kitchen Stadium", and the opportunity to witness the garnishing of desserts, the placement of various tastings, the opening and closing of a variety of well labeled plastic tubs and numerous refrigerated drawers filled with portioned proteins, kitchen staff weaving back and forth with verbal warnings so as to avoid collisions, the toasting of breads and buns, the careful de-skinning of half a pig's grinning face, the portioning of vegetables for a table's tasting, the wiping of plate edges - veritably a symphony of white clad folk working together at full speed to send out well prepared and visually pleasing dishes.

With its six course "Craigie Experience" for $90 and ten course "Ultimate Craigie Experience" for $115 and entrees ranging from $21 for the vegetable option to $36, Craigie on Main tends to be considered a special occasion restaurant by the general population, of which I am one.

While I was not fortunate enough to experience one of their grand tastings during this, my first visit at this fine establishment, we did happen to vicariously experience it through our friendly pair of tablemates at the Chef's Table, while we ourselves enjoyed a non-Restaurant Week special "Neighborhood Menu" of three courses (with choices!) for $39.95.

For a restaurant of Craigie's size, I was impressed with the number of staff members hard at work serving the guests. At the hostess stand alone, there were two lovely ladies - we didn't even touch a door as we arrived early for our reservation, with the valet opening the exterior door and one of the hostesses rushing to open the inner door as we made our way in.

By the end of our dinner, we were served by no less than 5 members of the Craigie staff no fewer than 8 courses (inclusive of the variety of little tastes sent courtesy of the kitchen). I cleaned my bowl of every last bit of corn potage (soup), I tried my first blood sausage in the form of a crostini spread, I got my friend to try bone marrow for the first time, I had moist chicken with yummy onions, and I experienced a wonderful example of a panna cotta that did not disappoint as many had since my final melty good Icarus panna cotta in 2009.

3rd Annual Epicurious Farmers' Market Tour

Epicurious is one of my favorite recipe sites (another one is Allrecipes.com) ever since I discovered it back in my college days, because it allows people to review and rate the recipes, and it has photos.

City Hall Plaza was just a walk away, so since I heard that Epicurious was going to be stopping by our very own City Hall Farmers' Market this very day, I decided to do a little stopping by myself!

I wandered past several stands of fresh and pretty produce and flowers, some delicious looking baked goods, jams and honeys, even popsicles!, and made my way to the last in the row (or first, depending on how you count them). Since I was already pretty familiar with their brand, there wasn't much for them to show me, so I walked away with a free tote, some sample Ghirardelli chocolates, and the realization that I had missed the noon food demo, and that Ken Oringer was scheduled to demo at 2pm... which was too late for me as well. :(

I ran my errand and stopped by the Epicurious table at 2pm for a quick photo op of Ken with some lovely tomatoes as I made my way back to the office.

City Hall Farmers' Market

Boston City Hall Plaza (Government Center)
1 City Hall Plaza

Boston, MA

Monday: 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Wednesday: 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM
May 24 to November 24, 2010

Boston's 1st Annual Food Truck Festival

Citysearch Boston sponsored Boston's 1st Annual Food Truck Festival at SoWa Sunday August 8, 2010 at 500 Harrison Avenue from 10am - 4pm.

According to the official Facebook page:

+ + + CONFIRMED PARTICIPANTS INCLUDE + + +
speed's hot dogs
m&m ribs
lincoln street coffee
dragon mobile discotaza chococycle
south end pita
boston frosty
fillbelly's
cupcakory
herrera's mexican grill
food truck nationequal exchange coffee trike
grillo's pickles
the sausage guy
roxy's grilled cheese
b. goodtrolley dogs

+ plus +
urban adventours
HINT water

Well, if I won't go to Newmarket Square, when M&M Ribs and Speeds come towards me, I really should go and pay them a visit!

Our little group headed out to the Food Truck Festival shortly before 1pm to be greeted by a large crowd on the sidewalk. A line to enter the festival? Nope, turns out it was the end of the line to the Speed's truck. Whoa! This did not bode well...

We rushed to the end of the shorter (slightly) line for M&M Ribs, pausing only to wash hands at these cool stand alone foot powered sinks, and waited, and waited, and hardly moving... But with the help of some friends, we managed to obtain two beef briskets (they were out of chicken, ribs, and starting to run out of sides...), sweet cinnamony sweet potatoes, collard greens, and reminiscent of porridge (high liquid ratio) rice & beans to share.

By the time we finished our 'bounty' the Cupcakery line was non-existent, so I figured that was done for, but the Speed's line was still impressive.

We did get a taste of a few samples (Nantucket Wild Gourmet & Smokehouse - I liked the scallop spread more than the salty smoked salmon spread; Pestos with Panache - try the Gorgonzola version!) before we finally decided we didn't want to wait for Speed's today, and maybe we'll just have to make a special outing out to Newmarket Square on a Saturday...

Food for Others: Red Sox Wives' Can & Cash Drive

Friday, July 30, 2010; 5:00pm - 7:30pm

Saturday, July 31, 2010; 2:00pm - 4:30pm

Location: Fenway Park, outside the various gates

Today, I attended the 19th Annual Red Sox Wives' Can & Cash Drive, where for each donation of $10 or 10 non-perishable food items, I was able to select one of the pre-autographed photos of the Red Sox players as I interacted with one or more of the players' wives (they're the ones dressed in red).

If you missed your chance today, there is another opportunity tomorrow!

For a list of the best foods to donate, click here!

Time for a Dip!

A few years back, I picked up a couple of cans of crab meat for at sales price of $1 a can. Hmmm... what to do with this bounty? Off to the internet I went and dug up a simple yet yummy sounding recipe for Hot Crab Dip consisting of a selection of basic (well, mine anyways) kitchen ingredients. Great!

Due to sheer laziness, I decided to eyeball the mayonnaise so I wouldn't have to clean a greasy measuring cup. I approximated the lemon juice and the Parmesan as well, added extra chopped onions (love onions!), and drained the crab meat of its packing juices.

Spread in a pie plate and baked to a bubbling browned loveliness, the hot creamy results were taken to a potluck along with a box of crackers, and was really well received!

Hot Crab Dip

1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1 can crab meat

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Blend cream cheese and mayonnaise together until smooth. Stir in remaining ingredients.

Spread mixture in a 9 inch pie plate. Bake at 375 degrees F. for 18 - 20 minutes, until heated through and lightly browned. Serve immediately with crackers.

Source: http://www.donogh.com/cooking/appetize/hotcrab.shtml

Vivian's Notes:

1) I tend to eyeball the ingredients in this recipe

2) I always add extra chopped onions

3) As a personal touch, I like to add drained canned corn kernels to the mix

Great American Food and Music Fest - June 26, 2010

The night before the Fest, I checked out the weather forecast:

Tomorrow: Partly cloudy skies during the morning hours will become overcast in the afternoon. A stray afternoon thunderstorm is possible. High near 85F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.

• Tomorrow night: Scattered thunderstorms, especially in the evening. Low 64F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.

Not horrible, but not great. Umbrellas are on the Gillette Stadium's prohibited items list, and a raincoat doesn't sound like a great idea for a hot and humid and a maybe rain day, so, what to do?

Anyhow, I also took a look-see at the official website of the festival, and discovered that while the menu was now up (yay!), that Melinda Doolittle (Season 6 American Idol Finalist) had disappeared from her 4:30-5:30 time slot (boo!).

It turns out the cancellation of Ms. Doolittle was only the tip of the iceberg...

When we arrived at Gillette Stadium shortly after the noon start time and walked out onto the covered football field, I quickly realized several things:

1) The crowd was sparse, with the only decent line for food being in front of Jim's Steaks.

2) There was a band playing on the stage at the far end of the field... but where's the 2nd advertised stage?

3) I counted 10 food tents on the field along with the stadium's drink stands... missing were Anchor Bar, Neely's, Southside Market & BBQ, Tony Luke's Philly Steaks, Turtle Alley, and Willie Mae's Scotch House... and found Junior's Cheesecake and Ted Drewes Frozen Custard up a level where the larger bathrooms were, along with the surprise make your own sundae bar with Rancatore's ice cream.

4) The "Front Room" (duck confit, goat cheese, grilled onion jam grilled cheese on brioche) $10 was sadly missing from the menu at Harding Lee Smith.

5) The Fest staff knew only of the one single stage, but had no idea what the show schedule was.

Well, we were already there, so we began grazing:
1) All Star Sandwich Bar's Fried Scallop Po'Boy (Lettuce, Tomatoes, Sweet Corn/Mango Remoulade on Ciabatta) $11 had perhaps 5 fat tender fried scallops on a chewy crusty ciabatta
2) Hell's Kitchen's Mega Beef Rib $12 - an impressive meaty rib about a foot long reminiscent of the Disney park turkey leg
3) Ted Drewes Frozen Custard $6 - I preferred the Oreo & Cream Concrete over the Strawberry, both of which were at a perfectly creamy consistency
4) Junior's Cheesecake $5 for a slice of the nice smooth and creamy Original with a thin cake layer for the crust
5) Jim's Steak's Cheese Steak $8 with peppers for 50 cents - unfortunately it got soggy in the wrapping before we had the chance to eat them, and besides, the add ins were slapped onto the cooked beef rather than cooked together, and I don't remember tasting any actual cheese
6) Goldie's Churros with Cinnamon Sugar $6 - the lady coating the churros heard me ask for a fresher batch, and brought them right over; they were so light inside the crispy outer shell!



The performances finally began at 2:30pm (a half hour late?) with TV Diner's Billy Costa introducing the Ace of Cakes' Duff Goldman and his crew. Duff revealed that for every minute of the show 400 minutes are taped, so you can imagine how slow their 45 minutes of live cake decorating was for folks used to watching the Food Network show on their tv's. But they tried to keep us entertained with chit-chat and Q&A. This was followed after by an EepyBird live Diet Coke & Mentos show up at Level 100 which drenched the folks downwind (hey, can't say they weren't warned!).

With only a single stage, we faced periods of non-entertainment or of piped in music inbetween performances where we snacked or napped in the shade up in the stands.

Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes were later than their 4:15pm starting time, but I enjoyed that they had a neat little brass section. Buckwheat Zydeco, however, got some folks moving to the music.

The draw, however, turned out to be Paula Dean, who was scheduled to finish at 8pm so that she could make it to her 9pm flight which was an hour away, but she kept asking for more minutes and so didn't finish till nearly 8:15pm... her poor transportation coordinator (whom she introduced during the Q&A)! Also, while entertaining, Paula didn't do any of the cooking - that was the task of her lady-helper (didn't catch her name), her husband, and a child volunteer. At the end of her show, the bulk of the remaining audience headed out the door, while we stayed to watch a 2nd EepyBird demo from a different point of view.

We left as they announced that Tom Colicchio had taken sick (I found it tough to believe this after everything else that had changed) and that Duff Goldman would handle a Q&A in his place from 8:45 - 9pm. The Stompers were scheduled to go on at 9:30-10:30pm, but I seriously doubted that there'd be much of an audience left by then. In fact, I read afterwards that the remaining people were asked to leave at around 9:30pm...

Definitely not as advertised. I kind of felt sorry for the organizers though since they seem to be caught in a downward spiral - too many attendees with too few food stands and trouble with the cashless system out in CA in 2009, which may have resulted in fewer attendees in NJ 2010 who weren't happy with the parking charges nor with the standstill caused by the rain, which may have resulted in the cancellation of food vendors and performances at Gillette 2010 which definitely caused disappointment among those who attended this festival.

My suggestions other than fully committed vendors and performers would be for more shaded areas and more (and more solid) chairs (or to allow attendees to bring their own seats), a better informed staff (ie. what's the schedule?, you mean there's an elevator to the upper level?), and to forget about the cashless system.

Boston Dragon Boat Festival 2010

Just what is it about an outdoor festival or fair that causes you to eat sweet fried food?



It was a cloudy day hinting of rain, but the 31st Annual Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival of Boston was still on, so I headed out yesterday afternoon in order to cheer on my friend and her light blue t-shirt clad team. After rushing over in order to not miss her race, we ended up waiting on the Western Avenue bridge for well over half an hour as the schedule kept getting back logged. But it was still entertaining watching as the various other teams slowly stroked their way from the boat launching area by the Weeks Pedestrian Bridge, on the Storrow Drive side of the river, towards Boston to the starting position on the near side of the River Street bridge, only to race back in their groups of two or three.

Finally, we spotted her team paddling their way towards the starting line, and shortly thereafter a whole crowd rushed on to the bridge that we recognized as fellow cheerers of the same team. After the three dragon boats raced out from under our bridge, we sprinted to the pier to greet them as they returned wet and happy from their trip.

Okay, once the excitement was over, it was time to peruse the tents on the Memorial side of the river. A large white tent housed a stage with a row after row of chairs for a sizeable audience. I spotted bits of two different acts - one where white dressed children broke wooden boards with ease, and the second of a small group of musicians with their Chinese instrument (erhu, I believe?).

Another tent housed crafts and tables with hand-outs of information or prizes. Set along the road (which was closed to traffic for the afternoon) were samples of Dunkin Donuts and a fruity water, and vendors with food for sale ranging from Indian and Thai and Chinese to Italian. There was also a slide set up on a truck where little kids could race against the clock to see how fast they could slide down three times. One little boy grabbed the pole with his inside hand as he launched himself off the last step, so that he'd fly into a 180 degree turn that landed him on his trip down the slide.

While mulling over whether or not to pick up a bag of Kettlecorn, one of the many vendors suddenly caught my eye... Cindy's Planet! Previously located in a small spot in Chinatown, it had disppeared a few years ago. In fact, some of us still call Royal Palace II (popped up in that same spot) "Cindy's Planet." Where are they now? Salem! Not only that, besides the photos of bubble teas and fish balls on a stick, there was an intriguing sign declaring "Deep fried Oreos - 6 for $3.50." Seriously? You can get a whole pack of Oreos for $2 from CVS or the market when they're on sale, but those aren't deep-fried...



They fried up a batch fresh for me, sprinkled on some powdered sugar, and handed them over. Hot, puffy, softened inside, sweet. A little much, but still a fun treat.

Taste of Fort Point

It rained this morning, yet the Taste still went on!

Shortly after noon, we headed over to the Children's Wharf Park - the grassy area on the opposite end of the giant milk bottle - and there was already a crowd of people making the rounds around the tables with their displays and food samplings. Even the sailboats were out providing free rides, courtesy of the Piers Park Sailing Center.

No, the weather did not discourage the hungry from a free meal!




Although several of the tables were unmanned when we went by them (ie. The Daily Catch, Flour Bakery & Cafe), there was still food aplenty! From appetizers (ie. tuna tartar on tortilla chip, salad) and soups (ie. potato leek soup, gazpacho, two clam chowders), to the filling (ie. sandwiches, pizzas, calzone, pasta, chili, chicken pesto pilaf), with liquid thirst quenchers (ie. cocoa, ginger peach tea), and a bit of sweets (ie. cookies, ice cream, carrot cake), there were lots to choose from. But why choose? You could have them all!

The top taste, however, may have been the super-moist carrot cake provided by Gloria's Kitchen, which is located inside the Boston Athletic Club on Summer Street.

I loved how along with the trash cans scattered about, they had two cheerful ladies wandering about with trash bags in hand, collecting our litter.

The Clover Food Truck comes to Boston!

I definitely did not intend to be so suddenly prolific, but June's turning into a major food month!

Anyhow, I was super-excited to read that the Clover Food Truck has come within walking distance of me! I guess if Mohammed won't come to the mountain...

The original Clover Food Truck is (and continues to be) located out at MIT - yeah, a bit too far a trek for lunch from the Boston Downtown area, especially since I normally bring my workday lunch from home. Leftovers are great for that, you know?

But on June 8th, Clover came to Boston! They're scheduled to be at Dewey Square - the flat piece of concrete diagonal from South Street Station - Tuesdays/Wednesdays/Thursdays from 7am - 3pm.

In case you've never heard of this meal on wheels option, Clover Food Lab's aim is to serve up local and seasonal vegetarian fare at affordable prices. Healthy for the body and for the pocketbook - sure sounds good to me!

I'll have to get myself out there for lunch one day. I'd like to try their chickpea fritter and sweet potato sandwich...

Edit 6/23/2010 - I asked and found out that the sweet potato sandwich is a winter menu item. So sad!

Scooper Bowl 2010

Day 1 of the 28th annual Jimmy Fund Scooper Bowl was a lovely day in the low 70s, which made eating ice cream the leisure activity it was meant to be - no racing of melting ice cream today!

The entrance to the fenced-in ice cream wonderland on the Boston City Hall Plaza was quite notably a large ice cream cone with a huge cherry on top - false advertising claimed my ice cream buddy, since there were no whole cherries on site. Volunteers armed with stamps to mark your hand and money to make change were plentiful, so gaining entrance was no hassle. Pick up a spoon and you're ready to go!

After getting a load of the lay of the land, we headed off to some of the further off tents, with their hopefully shorter lines, and began enjoying our ice cream. The only station I completely ignored was Breyers, and not because I don't like them, but because I already had a couple of gallons of their ice cream at home waiting for me.

Trash barrels were conveniently placed about, both for cups and for spoons. A stage was set up in the back where we were serenaded with the lyrics of "American Pie" as we observed little children jump about with red balloons firmly tied, while some early bird elemetary aged children played with their freebie rubber FedEx yo-yos off to the side.

A water station was handily placed by the stage, while a FedEx truck stood sentry over a table where you could pick up some super-useful individually wrapped Purell Sanitizing Hand Wipes, and these darling tiny FedEx "Small Box" (with mints inside?) just perfect for a Barbie doll to ship an imaginary package. If you want, you could also take a guess at how many spoons were housed in a clear plastic box.

I must have tasted at least 18 flavors before I realized my time was up and I had to head back in to work. Not bad for $8, eh?

Bye bye Miss American Pie... enjoying a la mode was a nice break for the day!

June Tastings

In one month there is the "Taste of Somerville" presenting samples from 32 restaurants for $25/$30 (June 8) and the "Taste of Cambridge" with its over 50 participating local businesses for $50/$75 (June 24), not to mention the annual all you can eat ice cream bonanza known as the "Scooper Bowl" $8 (June 8-10) held out on the Boston City Hall Plaza (for which we have been forecasted the most wonderful of temperatures in the 70's!). And now there is the new to me "Taste of Fort Point Channel" (June 10) which is going on its 6th year for the cost of nothing, nada, zilch!

Of the above mentioned neighborhoods, Fort Point Channel is likely the lesser known and frequented culinary destination. Personally, I have only just begun venturing forth to explore the other side of the Fort Point Channel, having recently enjoyed meals at Channel Cafe, Lucky's, and Barlow's. As I have discovered, it is actually a rather easy walk from the Boston Downtown area!

From the opening of the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center in 2004, the unveiling of the 2nd site of Flour Bakery in 2007, to the addition of Barbara Lynch's fine dining destination Menton just this year, these are signs that this artist community/waterfront home to The Barking Crab and the Institute of Contemporary Art has been deemed the place to be.

So, with fingers crossed, on June 10th, the Children’s Wharf Park by the Boston Children's Museum will be where I will be during my lunch break.

June 8, 2010 edit:

Wow, there are even more Tastes of than I first realized!

The Taste of Beacon Hill - $75 - June 30

A Taste of Fair Trade in Boston - $25 - June 24

June 10, 2010 edit:

Taste of the World - $60 - June 10 - benefiting Hostelling International USA's Cultural Kitchen program

Taste of Downtown Marlborough - $15/$20 - June 14

Taste of Allston Village - $15/$20 - June 27

Gaslight Brasserie du Coin - Patio Opening!

Gaslight celebrated the opening of their heated patio on June 2nd with a by invite-only evening gathering filled with live music and finger foods, fresh oysters, beer and Svedka vodka. The wait staff did a bang up job attempting to spread the wealth (aka asparagus wrapped with super salty prosciutto, mini Cuban sandwiches, a pleasantly cheesy ham sandwich held together by a toothpick, beef tartar on crostini, cheese puffs, and the cutest cones of tasty fries) among the guests by varying their points of entrance.




I kind of felt bad for the folks attempting to exercise in the neighboring Boston Sports Club while we were munching and drinking away just on the other side of the glass window.

Taste This Tours

-Belle Isle Seafood
-El Paisa
-Angela's Café
-Rincon Limeno
-Rino's
-Rosticeria Cancun

Question - What do the places on this list have in common?

Answer - They're all restaurants located in East Boston that I've been wanting to try, and that I have yet to try.

Actually, the only times I've found myself out in East Boston has been for visits to Logan Airport, that is, until this past Memorial Day weekend! On Saturday, I took the Eastie Eats Tour with the newly inaugurated Taste This Tours, which happened to combine a few of my favorite things - walking, eating, photo taking, all bundled into the opportunity to experience a new (to me) neighborhood!

Our journey began after our 1pm meet up with a pleasant water taxi ride to East Boston, and was followed soon after with the very first taste of the tour, hand delivered by Laura, our tour guide - donuts from Betty Ann's.



Some cool sights along the way...

The various food stops:

Unfortunately, Dough's was closed that day, but Laura had forewarned us of this, and gave us the option of rescheduling, which we declined.

With the last stop to go, a light rain began falling. But that did not dampen our spirits!

Our intrepid and well-prepared tour guide Laura!

By the end of our afternoon's adventures, we were satiated both in tummy and in mind, and astonished to realize that we had covered 5 miles, because it sure didn't feel like it!

If you are looking for something to do, or some new way to entertain some out of town guests, Taste This Tours is a very good option! Check out their Facebook page or their Twitter page to see if there's an active discount.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Boston-MA/Taste-This-Tours/199534271535?v=wall
http://twitter.com/tastethistours