litchick's Profile
Backbar Open and Worth Seeking Out
Went this afternoon and really enjoyed it. They do take reservations, as noted above, and there are some specials that are only available via reservation: tableside bartending, punch service, and cocktail/food omakase. It was great talking to Sam and having him back in the Boston scene. As MrLit noted, there's no way we poor suckers deserve the embarrassment of excellent cocktail joints now at our fingertips on both sides of the river.
Who is Lead Bartender at the Woodward at the Ames These Days?
Hi Hounds,
Does anyone know who's in charge of the bar program at the Woodward at the Ames hotel?
Bill Codman was in charge, but I think maybe he's left for Storyville?
http://www.woodwardboston.com/
http://storyvilleboston.com/
Thanks!
Need idea: casual breakfast meeting, adjacent to multiple T lines
That's a great idea Allstonian. Thanks!
Need idea: casual breakfast meeting, adjacent to multiple T lines
I'm looking for a place for a 9a weekday breakfast meeting. Someplace casual (not table service), but better than Starbucks. Real food a plus. The meeting will be 4-6 people, and of course they're all coming from different directions by T. Something not too sterile in the downtowny area would be good. I eat a lot downtown, but never breakfast. Any ideas?
Soft Shell Crabs
...and as an update: for the exact same price, I got a sad little SSC that had been cleaned that morning (as opposed to on the spot) from Whole Foods. I wouldn't have even bought the thing except now that the season has started, I can't remotely think straight. I just want SSC at every meal.
Your favorite tempeh recipe
I made a really nice tempeh dish this evening. I cut a block of whole grain tempeh (from TJ's) into pieces about the size and thickness of scrabble tiles, and did a quick marinade of soy sauce, fish sauce, black vinegar, and chili garlic sauce. I let it all stand together for about 10 min. Then I added about a 1/4 c of light coconut milk and let it all marry for about another 5 min.
I sauteed the tempeh till brown on both sides, then mixed it back into the remaining marinade. I served it with rice, and a mix of kale and u-toy greens that had been blanched with garlic and black vinegar.
Shad & Shad Roe
Yesterday The Fishmonger in Huron Village had beautiful shad roe. I don't recall the price.
Soft Shell Crabs
Yesterday I got 2 beauties -- slightly small, but excellent quality -- at The Fishmonger in Huron Village. I pan-sauteed them, and had made an openface SSC & avocado sandwich on an olive roll from Formaggio. Delicious.
Need Easy-to-Make Cocktail w/Mint Simple Syrup (not a Mint Julep)
Hi all,
I'm having people over tomorrow night, and want to provide one show-offy cocktail along with the wine and beer. I have a good amount of mint simple syrup leftover from our Derby Party, and would love to use that. My guests are probably pretty game, but are not too experienced with GOOD cocktails. What can you think of that I make that won't be too time consuming for me drink-by-drink, and will still make an impression?
Tx.
Humane eggs?
I believe Wilson Farm's eggs are humane. You can visit the chickens in the chicken/pig/llama house, down behind the storefront. They seem very happy, and there seem to be a wide variety of types and ages (not that I'm a chicken-identifying expert, so you know, grain of salt and all that). I've been there when the dude is in there harvesting and packing the eggs in cartons -- all as one would hope it to be. Most days, the eggs on sale in the store are labeled "Laid Today." I can say they taste excellent and I now never buy supermarket eggs.
Home Made Veggie Burgers?
Hi all,
I found myself irked by the NYT dining section this week. After profiling the trend in culinarily-advanced veggie burgers at not-just-vegetarian restaurants, they failed to provide any good recipes.
http://nyti.ms/gdmnfi
In response, I dove into the task myself to see if I could create a veggie burger at home that bested the standard frozen kinds. (Note: I am not a vegetarian, but try to eat more veg & whole grains than meat, especially at home.)
I'd love to hear from anyone else who has a favorite home made veggie burger recipe.
Here's what I came up with today. It was really very tasty. I liked the consistency. I did't add any oil or eggs, and they strike me as being quite healthy. I think next time I'd like to try to include some ground-up greens (broccoli, kale, or suchlike) in the mix. I apologize for the lack of exact measurements on some items -- it was a sort of "add till it seems right" sort of experiment.
Bean & Grain Veggie Burgers
In a food processor, pulse the following ingredients until they form a rustic mix (don't over-process, it doesn't need to be smooth)
1 c. canned black-eyed peas
1 c. canned chickpeas (skins removed)
1/4 c. cooked (al dente) hard red winter wheat berries
1/4 c. cooked red rice (brown rice, or black rice, or any non-refined rice would work too)
1/4 block firm tofu, cubed
1 c. cooked, finely-chopped, sauteed mushrooms
2-3 oz plain goat cheese (this could probably be left out, if necessary)
1.5 tsp kosher salt
Remove the mixture into a large bowl and add the following ingredients, incorporating them as you go.
1-1.5 c. cooked (al dente) hard red winter wheat berries
2-3 cloves of garlic, pressed or minced
juice of 1/4 of a lemon
8-10 drops liquid smoke
1-2 tsp smoked paprika, to taste
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Once the above ingredients are mixed well, stir/fold in panko bread crumbs until the consistency of the mixture becomes thicker and packable -- the idea is to get it to a point where it is neither too dry nor too wet, and holds together well as a patty when formed by hand without breaking apart. I think I probably ended up adding about a cup of panko over all. Maybe a little more.
Form patties with oiled hands -- makes about 13.
Pan-cook the patties in a little olive oil over medium-high heat.
Pepper & Egg Sandwich - A Lenten Special
I'm devoted to the pepper and egg grinder at the Boston House of Pizza located at the west end of the BU campus: 164 Armory Street, just off Commonwealth Ave. Delicious and slightly smokey.
The owner, Peter, is awesome and knows your name after your second or third visit -- a feat, considering how many students filter in and out of there.
Qingdao Garden MARCH 2ND RE-OPEN
Went last night. Had the old favorites: pork &leek dumplings, pork with pickled vegetables entree, and the lamb with cumin and spicy sauce.
Wow, I missed them.
All was delicious, the new digs are nice, and the owners seemed really happy. I think the lamb could've used a bit more kick, but I really can't complain. I just wish I had more room (or dining companions) so I'd had an excuse to order the boiled fish in fiery sauce, the chonquing fried chicken, etc etc etc...
Qingdao Garden MARCH 2ND RE-OPEN
MrLit and I haven't had a chance to make it in yet, but it's a longtime favorite, and on the list for this week. I am so glad to see so many people have flooded back. I thought I'd share a newsy tidbit (forgive me if this has been posted earlier - my quick scan didn't reveal it), reported by my good friend who went Friday night. This friend spent some time chatting with the owner, and it turns out that the owner got screwed by her first contractor, who made off with $10k. Thus the delay in the renovation. She's alerted the Better Business Bureau and is pursuing him in court, but at present, she hasn't gotten any of that money back.
So, keep coming in for those dumplings and cumin lamb and everything else. This place deserves our support.
Best Legal Seafood Location
I'm gonna vote for Kendall Sq. It tends to be quieter, and I particularly like doing late lunch there at the bar. Very friendly service.
A very small shout-out to The Druid
Ended up at The Druid in Inman Sq last night, not by design. We'd been trying to go to Tupelo, but -- word to the wise -- it's slammed this week because the Groupon from last year is expiring Friday. Anyway, I always forget how good the food is at The Druid.
We had a perfect pub meal. Well-poured Guinness and Smithwick's (if a little colder than I like), freakishly good shepherd's pie, friendly service, and a live quartet in the window seat playing Irish fiddle music.
Why don't I ever remember how tasty and homey this place is?
Premade Pizza Dough For sale?
If there's Trader Joes or Whole Foods near you, both sell pre-made dough. (I like the TJ's herbed dough as my standard go-to for pizza at home. Avoid the whole wheat, though, it gets tough.)
For those who are closer to the city, Dave's Fresh Pasta in Davis Sq also sells pre-made dough. It's (not surprisingly) of better quality than TJs or Whole Foods.
Help: Need salad dressing without any vinegar
Thanks everyone. I ended up with a nice dressing, cobbled together from various suggestions here as well as a base recipe for green goddess dressing that I adapted to the allergy needs.
Here's the final recipe:
1 c. non-fat greek yogurt
2-3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
4 anchovy fillets (or equivalent anchovy paste)
3 tbsp snipped chives
1-2 scallions, chopped
4-6 leaves basil, torn into small pieces
2-3 tbsp fresh tarragon leaves, torn into pieces
2-3 tbsp parsley leaves, torn into pieces
2 tbsp fresh dill leaves, torn into pieces
1 clove garlic, minced
a few tsp of grated romano cheese
salt & pepper
Combine all ingredients in food processor, blender, or in a wide jar for use with immersion blender. Blend until combined into a smooth, bright green, creamy dressing flecked with herbs.
It was a hit -- probably the best dressing I've ever made. And pretty lo-cal. This one goes in the recipe file for me.
(And for those who are interested, it turns out that the vinegar allergy is because of the yeast; there's also minor nightshade allergies for the same family. Bummer.)
PS: I like the mustard powder idea. I'm totally gonna use that in the future if I host these guys again.
Help: Need salad dressing without any vinegar
These are all great ideas! Thank you! I am in the midst of weighing the options -- I'll report back.
Help: Need salad dressing without any vinegar
Howdy all,
I am hosting new friends for dinner, and one of them has a vinegar allergy. I'm interested in serving salad, and would like to make a dressing that my friend can eat. Obviously a dressing with lemon juice is a good start, but I need some help refining this idea. I thought about a mustard based dressing, but of course prepared mustard is usually made with vinegar, so that's out.
I've also thought about a creamy, yogurt-based dressing. Maybe a twist on a green goddess dressing -- but can this be made without white vinegar?
Other allergy restrictions in the party: mangoes, almonds, oranges, cream, sour cream (but yogurt is ok).
Thanks for your advice!
croissants there anyone in the Boston/Cambridge area, making wonderful croissants?
I forgot about Verna's. Their croissants are great. I especially like them made into a Verna's breakfast sandwich.
croissants there anyone in the Boston/Cambridge area, making wonderful croissants?
I quite like the ones at Quebrada bakery on Mass Ave in East Arlington.
12/1/10 Very Good Dinner at Foundry on Elm
We went on a recent evening and though I found the food to be really quite tasty, I just couldn't take the atmosphere. Maybe I'm getting old (though I seem to be the same age as the other people there), but it was just so loud and ...trendy. I dunno, I suppose I'm just over the "sceney" places these days, and Foundry just seemed to be trying so hard.
The drinks were so-so -- a bit on the sweet end for my taste.
Unusual and un-PC, but I have to know! Ortolan?
And for anyone who's interested in the episode from This American Life that was linked above -- that link is no longer good, but here's the redirect:
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/343/poultry-slam-2007
Toraya
MC: we go to Toraya often, but have never done okmakase there. Have you? How much did it end up costing you?
Whitefish salad...........
Ditto on Costco. It's f-ing delicious and makes my jewy heart go pitter pat.
Cafe Istanbul'lu
Love love love.
I love the food, I love the people who run it.
It is that simple.
