Postcard from the other side of 25...

I turned twenty-six yesterday (sob) and as painful as it was, I had some delicious food and celebrated with some wonderful people, which softened the blow. First up was dinner at Gaslight with my friend James. I had some lovely halibut in a lobster sauce, but the piece de resistance was dessert: hot molten lava cake with creme chantilly and a cup of chocolat chaud aka hot chocolate. Yeah, I definitely got a look from the waiter but my little death by chocolate was GREAT. When he came over to check in he asked which was better: the cake or the drink? Silly man, cake always wins. Which brings me to....

Our only complaint was the comma. *I'm* Snugs. The cake isn't *from* Snugs.

My birthday cake. As regular readers of this blog know I am obsessed with Flour bakery. Therefore, my beloved cousin Katie ordered me a cake from said bakery for my birthday. I knew that I was getting a cake from Flour, but I didn't know what kind (midnight chocolate) or that the cake would be large enough for 14-16 people. Yep. This is a cake that we had last night. On a Monday. Just me and Katie. So if you feel like indulging in some delicious devil's food cake with chocolate butter cream frosting and chocolate ganache come on over. Please.

We barely made a dent in it. And even making this much damage was tough....

Food Porn #4

Raspberry Jam-Filled Donut, Flour, Boston, MA

Mozzicato's II: New Look, Same Cookies

If you or your parents grew up in Hartford, no doubt you've heard of Mozzicato's Bakery & Cafe on Franklin Ave, the area's Little Italy, or have been to a birthday party that's served their peaches and strawberry cake or have nibbled on their amaretti cookies that someone left in the break room during the holidays. I especially love hearing my father talk about the nights he spent there in college when apparently Hartford actually had things to do. Perhaps it's a sign of the times then that Mozzacato's has opened a second location in Plainville, your standard Hartford-area suburb, for those who don't or can't make the trip into our capitol city.

Do NOT mess with this dude. He wanted some biscotti real bad.

But, it certainly seems a testament to Mozzicato's reputation that the place was PACKED on a random Sunday afternoon. I went in at 2 and left because I was supposed to see a movie and figured it would be less crowded afterwards. Nope. Even at 4:30 the place was still hopping. The inside was shiny and new with lovely tiled floors and rows of display cases--or whatever the food equivalent is. All your favorites were in stock: a delightful selection of gelato, trays of delicious pastries, and freshly baked breads. I went a little overboard and got a bag of cookies, a spinach & potato calzone, and experimented with a Baba, a rum-soaked pastry I didn't particularly like but which made the bus ride back to Boston rather enjoyable!

I'll take one of everything, please.

Unlike the Franklin Ave location, the cafe isn't separated from the bakery. Instead, tables and chairs line the walls, which is fine. I did however kind of miss the bald guy with the mustasche who waits tables in the Hartford cafe. Sure, the service was slow and he didn't really speak English, but it just made you feel like you were in Italy. Plus, it's just one of those classic Hartford spots that everyone's been to at least once. And perhaps that's what Plainville was missing: the feel of an authentic European cafe mixed with a neighborhood hangout. Still, it's a great bakery and a nice thing to have in the area. I just hope this doesn't spell the end for yet another Hartford landmark. As much as I complain about the city, there are some great things about it and maybe we should all make more of an effort to take advantage of them before they disappear.

Hello Stranger(s)

Yes, yes, I totally haven't posted in a week. I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you, I promise. I've been apartment-hunting while sick with a cold, but now I feel better and I have a place. Hooray!

Somebody Who Loves Me Visited Amish Country!

My cousin brought me back a box of assorted whoopie pies from Central Market in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and a bottle of mead (which is sort of like Viking wine) from the Mt. Hope Winery, also home to Pennsylvania's largest Renassaince Fair! Clearly, I spent the evening stuffing my face with pumpkin whoopie pies and downing goblets of meade. Now, what are the rest of you going to give me?

Sundays To (Open) Market

I moved to Boston for many reasons, grad school being the most important, but coming in at a close second was the fact that Beantown seemed to be the closest I could get to living in London aside from well, living in London. And while those hopes were dashed long ago, I've come to love a lot about Boston. I've written about the number of farmers markets before, but this past Sunday I took a trip down to the SoWa Open market in the South End. (Unfortunately, a lack of sleep and caffeine caused me to misread the map and take a detour through Roxbury, but that's another story...)

One of my absolute favorite things to do when I was living in London was wander around the outdoor markets, each with their specific day and specialty: Borough market was on Friday and was foodie haven, Saturday was Portobello market and good to go to when relatives visited, and Spittlefields was on Sundays and had a bit of something for everyone.

According to the New York Times, the SoWa Open market is Boston's version of London's Portobello market. And while it certainly reminded me of Portabello in the sense that everything except the food was too expensive, the indoor /outdoor set up as well as the mix of vendors gave it more of a Spittlefields market vibe. However, like I mentioned, everything was pretty pricey and the place was crowded with yuppies-- or whatever the millennial equivalent is-- so Spittlefields still comes out on top in my book. That being said, it was still fun to walk around and imagine what I'd do with, say, old suitcases or Darth Vader masks.










Of course, where there's yuppies, there's usually the "hottest" food trend close by. So, naturally, there was an assortment of food trucks. Clover was the most popular by far. Lines never lie, guys. The cupcake truck next to it was so pissed...

Kale Storm

This week has been a little hectic. I started a new job and thus have not had much time to sit on the couch and come up with punny blog posts. But, I've still been making stuff, so never fear. Earlier this week, I was leafing through my cousin's copy of this month's Women's Health and Fitness. In between guessing how long it'll be before Brooklyn Decker realizes she's too hot for Andy Roddick ( 2 years) and finding new ways to 'shake up my make up' (plum eyeliner) I found something toting kale as a good swap for spinach. Now, I can see how maybe in terms of nutrients kale comes out on top, but there's a reason it's not as popular as spinach: it doesn't taste that good. Perhaps it's all that lutein.

Regardless, I've been trying to eat healthier since last weekend's baked good n' booze fest so when I happened upon a nice bunch of kale at the farmer's market, I couldn't resist. First I was going to try a recipe for spaghetti with kale that I had seen in Bon Appetit a while back but it called for lemon and I didn't have any. I was also too lazy to leave the house and go buy one...but, then I remembered something a former roommate had made for us last December: kale popcorn, or kale chips.

All you do is tear the kale leaves from the stem, toss them in some olive oil and sea salt, then bake at 300 degrees for about half an hour. This turns those tough and hearty kale leaves into crunchy, salty deliciousness AND supplies you with enough lutein to give you x-ray vision. I used up the whole bunch and ate most of it, though I was nice and left some for Katie. She was equally impressed and now won't stop asking for more. Luckily, she's in Amish country for the weekend (seriously) and I have a nice bunch of kale in the crisper that I can keep all for my self.

What Did YOU do this Labor Day Weekend?

Mine was pretty full--so much, in fact, that I am still exhausted on this Tuesday evening. But, here's a rundown:

Friday I went to a show at the Middle East, but I don't really want to talk about it.

Saturday a bunch of us went to Sacco's Bowl Haven in Somerville, MA. The bowling alley is something of a Davis Square landmark, but it recently underwent a renovation which included the addition of a Flatbread Company restaurant--because, naturally, one associates bowling and crunchy hippie pizza. The bowling alley is pretty cute and very old-school. No computerized monitors keeping tally here. And, like most fun things in Boston, the worst time to go is during a weekend. So, we ended up spending the evening at the bar. However, those hippies sure know how to make a good cocktail and at a reasonable price, no less! Behold, my St. Germain cocktail:


But, if elderberry-flavored liquor isn't your thing, they have plenty of beer on draft, all from local breweries.


And, of course, how can I forget the pizza. It's good. Really good. Just like my tip on cooking things in wine, cooking things in a wood-fired oven usually makes them taste awesome. This place is no exception.

Most of Sunday was spent in and around Fenway watching the Sox lose, then trying to forget about it, but beforehand I popped into Flour and had a sweet panini for breakfast. As soon as I saw it on the menu, I knew it was all over: berry compote and mascarpone cheese on grilled focaccia:

As I stood over the kitchen sink cramming the last few bites into my already-full mouth I murmured to James: "They shouldn't have been allowed to create this." Needless to say, I'm going to be paying for this weekend for a while. As Homer S once asked: "Why are all the good things so tasty?"

Enjoy Your Government-Sanctioned Holiday Weekend.

I'm taking a break for the holiday weekend. Hey, P&P girl enjoys cookouts, cheap beer, and baseball games too! Never fear though. When I return there will be much posting about fall, pumpkins, and a special recipe I came across. Hint: It's from the owner of Flour. Yep, that one.

Postcard From (Not) France: Fin

I am capping off Francophone week with a trip to Le Petite Robert, this french bistro across the street from my cousin's place in the South End. I decided to have the Chicken Coq au Vin, which is a tres traditional French dish. Normally, it's made with rooster (hence the 'coq') but since we're in America and not the French countryside, chicken is a perfectly acceptable alternative. My dining companions were amazed at how tender the chicken was, noting that it looked more like a cut of meat. I explained that when you put anything in a pot with some wine and cook it for hours on end, it'll get fall-off-the-bone tender. That's pretty much the secret to cooking: wine + pot+ meat+ hours & hours = deliciousness.

It was served with buttered noodles and some vegetables, making it a rather hearty dish--better for autumn or winter. But, my goal was to go super traditional and by God I stuck to it. We also had some delightful drinks, which are apparently very popular in France. Katie got the Monaco, which was essentially a grown-up Shirley Temple: beer, sprite, and grenadine. It sounds kind of gross, but you really couldn't taste the beer. I had a beer with peach liqueur, which was great--nice and light for summer with just a hint of peach. I intend on recreating this at home immediately. Or, well, once it becomes an appropriate drinking time....

Postcard From (Not) France: Part Deux

Continuing with this week's Francophone theme, I bet you're wondering what I did with that baguette from Le Petite France. Why, something delicious of course! Truth be told, it was partly inspired by my friend Lorene's discussion of a 'grown up' grilled cheese made with Gruyere and ham. I popped into the West Hartford Whole Foods after the cafe and picked up a nice heirloom tomato, because I'm obsessed with them, and some Gruyere. I remembered this recipe from Chef Mike Lata on the Bon Appetit website and came up with my own, less complicated version. The result? Cheesy, crispy, tomato-y goodness:

And, despite Lorene's admonishment that "You always say everything is easy!" this is, seriously, easy to make.

First, I sliced the baguette in half and then length-wise. I then rubbed some olive oil into the bread and seasoned it with S&P. If I had some garlic I would have rubbed a little of that in as well. Then, I sliced some of the tomato and placed it on the bread followed by some more OO and S &P. Then, I sliced some of the cheese and layered that on top of the tomato followed by some fresh basil. I set the oven to broil and popped the bread in for 5-10 minutes--just until the cheese started to bubble. Voile! It was so tasty I made it again the next day with the other half of the baguette. It is actually a good way to use slightly stale bread.