Free Cone Day 2017!

With April comes the much anticipated annual Ben & Jerry's Free Cone Day!

This year, with it also came April Showers.

The shop at Boston Park Plaza shuttered last year, so the most feasible location was the store on Newbury Street.  I figured that perhaps the rain would keep the crowds away, and decided that a run was in order during my lunch break.

Still, I was lucky.  I scored my free scoop after but a 4 minute wait, and when I headed out, there was a line perhaps 25 people deep leading to the entrance.

Noon - 8pm, the first Tuesday in April

Thanks Ben & Jerry's!

The Boston Public Market Kitchen

Chef Vanessa

The Kitchen at The Boston Public Market hosts a variety of programs including cooking lessons and workshops.  Many of them are for a fee ranging somewhere between $9-$60, with a discount for Members.

Chef Vanessa

However, they also offer a free weekly cooking demo on Thursdays sponsored by Project Bread, which focuses on fast, fresh and delicious recipes.  These demos are led by Chef Vanessa Labranche, who is happy to chat with the audience as she prepares the day's recipe, although Chef Guy Koppe was a capable substitute one week.

Chef Guy

Through these demos, I found myself not only sampling, but enjoying, dishes such as West African Chicken Peanut Stew, Red Beans in Coconut Sauce, and Soba Noodles with Stir Fried Vegetables.

Red Beans in Coconut Sauce

West African Chicken Peanut Stew

Recipes are not pre-announced, so come with a curious mind and an adventuresome palate.

Soba Noodles with Stir Fried Vegetables

Food Find: Mochi by the Piece!

When I was in elementary school, one of the books they had us read took place in Japan.  And a character was longing for ice cream.  But what was presented looked nothing whatsoever like ice cream.  Yet ice cream it was!  This was my first introduction to mochi.

Mochi is generally a Japanese rice cake made out of pounded glutinous rice, sugar, and water.  It can be filled with sweet ingredients or be made savory.  The kind of which I speak, however, are small and filled with balls of flavored ice cream.

The first mass produced brand I became familiar with as an adult is Mikawaya, in its familiar yellow and black box.  Let it sit at room temperature for a bit so that the ice cream center softens up, and enjoy!

Imagine my surprise when I found out that there were actual Mikawaya stores out in California that sold a wide variety of flavors at ready to enjoy consistency!

Well, it turns out there are more brands out there!  Among them: Bubbies of Hawaii, Maeda-en of California (though a transplant from Texas), and Mochidoki of New Jersey.

A new mochi source has just entered the fray, however, although I do not yet know the manufacturer of their frozen dessert balls - Whole Foods!

I had recently read an article that mentioned that Whole Foods was in the process of adding self-serve mochi bars to their stores, starting with California and Chicago.  So I was excited when I happened upon one of these freezer cases already in the prepared foods section of a local Whole Foods in Boston, South End.

Self-Serve Mochi at Whole Foods

Pricing: 1 for $1.99, 6 for $9.99, or 13 for $20.

Flavors of the day were: Black Sesame, Vanilla Bean, Sweet Mango, Red Bean, Strawberry, Green Tea, Matcha Green Tea, Double Chocolate, and Kona Coffee.

Food Service: The Foodery Boston

While taking one of my infrequent walks around the Boston Public Market, I happened upon something new - The Foodery Boston.  A short chat with the fella stationed there revealed that they were only going to be there this week, if you stop by and give them your email you can get $20 off, and unlike services such as Blue Apron, this delivery service brings you meals fully cooked and refrigerated with Sunday only delivery.  No subscription required.

A quick online search pulled up a few similar services:

Send A Meal - food delivered frozen across the nation (all 50 states) though they are based in Austin, TX

Home Bistro - flash frozen and delivered within the contiguous United States, reheated within 10 minutes

Munchery - cooking kits are shipped nationwide, however their prepared meals are delivered chilled and only available in 4 membership areas at this time: San Francisco, Seattle, New York City, and LA.

Healthy Chef Creations - food delivered fresh either by the meal plan with free ship, or a la carte

Freshly - delivered in refrigerated boxes to a current count of 29 states, with a new kitchen facility opening in the East Coast sometime in the year 2017

Magic Kitchen - food delivered frozen, ordered a la carte or by meal program

22 Days Nutrition - a vegan meal delivery service, delivered fresh never frozen on Fridays nationwide

Fresh n' Lean - organic meals delivered fresh on Friday via UPS or FedEx

Metabolic Meals - healthy gluten-free meals prepared in St. Louis Missouri, shipped fresh to all 48 contiguous states

Local competitors however include:

Cuisine en Locale - 1 week = 4 meals for 2, available for pick up or local bike delivery for $20 on Friday

Cooking from the Heart - healthy meals delivered fresh in pyrex (unless single serve) with a $45 order minimum

Macro-Mediterranean Holistic Nutrition Ltd - Nationwide shipping of fresh and fresh-frozen foods

Food Find: Good Karmal

One of the many holiday treats to grace our palates at work was a lovely box filled with individually wrapped caramels by Good Karmal.  Each chewy treat was encircled by a white slip of paper with its own little quote.

Just a tip - don't stuff the whole thing into your mouth at once.  I guess I just had to learn that through experience... but you don't have to!

Food Fun: 2016 CDRC Gingerbread Design Competition, Exhibition, + Auction

Now in its fifth year, the 2016 CDRC Gingerbread Design Competition, Exhibition, + Auction is a fun and tasty way to highlight the extraordinary talents of some of Boston’s top architects, to challenge the designers to explore a new medium, and to raise funds for CDRC programs.

Architecture, landscape architecture, interior design, and urban planning firms, individuals, and students are invited to bake their interpretations of the 2016 theme:  “Boston, You’re My Home.”

Many cooks welcome.  Please join us!
Essential 2016 Dates:
November 4—Open call for participants issued
December 1—Registration deadline
December 7—Gingerbread creations dropped off at BSA Space by firms
December 12—Gingerbread exhibition opens at BSA Space; auction open
December 17—Family Design Day: Gingerbread
December 19—Reception
January 2—Exhibition closes at BSA Space; firms pick up their creations

The “rules.”
 All components must be edible.
Battery-powered LED lighting counts as edible.
The gingerbread house must arrive on a 18″x18″ base (tin foil-covered plywood preferred) — (This is the size of the gallery display stands).
That’s it!

Heights are limited only by your imagination, and the material limits of the medium.

Creative interpretations of the theme are enthusiastically encouraged.

For one mighty week, from December 12-19, this event will also serve as a fundraising AUCTION.  It works like a people’s choice:  the house that gathers the greatest grand total of donations ‘wins’ the competition and gets to take home the coveted Golden Spatula. The house that gathers the greatest number of bids — of any amount — is declared victorious.

ALL BIDS COUNT!  All bids directly benefit 2017 CDRC programs, and are tax-deductible.  Bids of any amount (in $5 increments) are welcome.  In advance — Thank you.

Source: CDRC

Uno Due Go's Chopped Salads

Stopped at UDG at lunch time and joined their salad line.  The Burrata Panzanella $10.49 UDG blend, burrata, roasted corn, tomatoes, red onion, crusty bread, fresh basil and balsamic vinaigrette looked simple, yet enticing.  It was surprisingly delicious with the crisp crunch of the fresh greens and croutons, and generous with two whole balls of burrata.  Yum!