How Was YOUR Halloween Weekend?

Bonnie and Miss Havisham

I, for one, am exhausted. I enjoyed the musical stylings of faux Morrissey at The Pill on Friday, had lunch at Zaftig's yesterday (write-up to follow), and partied it up Miss Havisham-style last night. As much fun as Halloween is, I'm kinda glad it's over because, as I said to my roommate earlier today: "I can't take much more of this. I won't make it!" Ah, the joys of getting older.

Postcard From (Not) France: French Cooking En Brookline

Last night I took my first ever cooking class: French Cooking en Francaise. It was held through Brookline's Adult and Community Education program, for which I get a credit courtesy of my AWEsome ESL teaching skills. I had no idea what to expect. I'm a pretty experienced home cook and fairly knowledgeable about food in general, but figured I could stand to learn a few things from some professionals. And despite the disappointment I experienced several months ago over not being able to move to Paris, I don't harbor any resentment towards France.

In fact, I fear my well-documented Anglophilia may be fading in favor of the Gauls. Great. Another European country I can't move to with the added bonus of a language I can't really speak. C'est merde.

The two women who taught the class were fabulous though and gave directions in both French and English, for my benefit. I learned that, while my listening skills aren't too bad, overall I've retained very little from my brief French study sessions over the summer, but I will say that last night inspired me to resume my studies and perhaps take French lessons over the winter.

We made three classic French dishes: Soupe a L'Onion, Gratin Dauphinois, and Madeleines. It was nice to work with two experienced cooks and learn the little tips and tricks they've picked up--especially when they differed :) One woman swore by mixing a bit of chicken broth with beef broth for the soup, while the other insisted on altering between layers of pommes de terre and creme for the gratin. Everything was delicious of course and I've included the recipe for Madeleines because I'm just so darn nice.

I will say that we used two different pans: one was the tradition metal Madeline pan, while the other was a silicone non-stick mold. Granted, the silicone is easier to use and clean, but the Madeleines came out different--more dense and puffy rather than light and crispy. I for one, plan on buying a metal pan.

Madeleines

Prep time: 15 mins
Bake time: 8 mins Ingredients (makes 24)
1 stick and 2 tbsp. melted butter
a pinch of salt
3 eggs 3/4 C sugar
1 tbsp honey
1 1/4 C sifted flour
1 tbsp baking soda
1 tbsp baking powder
zest of 1 lemon

Preheat oven to 380F

In a bowl beat eggs, sugar, honey and salt for 2 minutes. In a separate bowl mix flour and baking powder. Add to egg mixture little by little being careful not to over mix. Then add melted butter and lemon zest.

Refrigerate batter overnight or for a few hours if you are in a hurry.

Butter and flour the metal pans and pour the batter into the molds being careful not to fill them all the way to the top as they will rise when baked.

Put in the oven for 8 mins and voila!



Let cool for about 1 min, then remove and let rest on a wire rack. Serve plain with coffee, tea, or dipped in melted chocolate. I think it goes without saying which version I prefer. Store left overs in an airtight Tupperware container. They will last about 1 or 2 days.

Bargain Costuming in Boston

Like most of you, I have several Halloween parties to go to over the next few days which call for two separate costumes. The first costume is for my school's Halloween party tomorrow and wherever the heck I end up on Friday night. Since I needed to get two costumes, I decided to go low budget for the first one and just use something I already own. I keep seeing this listed as a great way to save money on blogs and such. And while it's sure better than shilling out 50 bucks for a polyester Alice in Wonderland get up, not everyone can 'shop their closet' for Halloween costumes and I don't even want to imagine what it says about me that I can. Anyways, I have this adorable 60s suit that I bought on sale last spring and haven't worn yet:

I figure I'll just call myself Megan and go as Don Draper's fiancee (a step up from last year when I went as "Don Draper's new secretary").

However, I am going to an actual grown up costume party on Saturday with my cousins and the theme is "Insane". I know, right? It took me a little while to come up with an idea but who embodies insanity better than Miss Havisham, from Charles Dickens' classic Great Expectations? For those of you too lazy to google, here's a recap: Miss Havisham was left at the alter by a con artist who broke her heart. She then had all the clocks in her mansion stopped at that exact moment (20 minutes to 9) never took off her wedding dress, and somehow raised a little girl (Estella) into an icy maneater. It don't get more dramatic than that. And! Apparently Dickens based Miss Havisham after a real woman. As they say, the truth is usually stranger than fiction.



So, for this outfit I needed to find and old-fashioned white wedding-ish dress and some accessories. I was prepared to have to bleach an old prom dress white as wedding dresses tend to be big bucks even in secondhand shops. But, lo and behold I found the perfect dress for the perfect price: $12! I threw in some lacy fingerless gloves for $6 and a veil for $2.50 and voila! A costume for $20. On the day of I figure I'll put some white flour in my hair and do some gothy-makeup but for now here's a little preview:

"Well, you can break his heart."

17 Hours in Portland

"I'd like the Grabmeat Benedict, please."

The Tom Kha soup didn't work as well as I'd hoped so I spent most of Friday in bed. But Saturday I rallied and took a bus up North to Portland, ME to visit my friend Elizabeth. Portland is fast becoming one of my favorite cities. It's fun, it's cheap, and there's plenty of young men dressed like lumberjacks to keep a gal like me entertained. We hit up a few bars downtown including Dewey's and good ol' Amigos, 'cause nothing says "Saturday night in Portland" like a pitcher of PBR and closing time at the latter.

The next morning we woke up feeling...well, just about how you'd expect to feel after a pitcher of PBR so naturally we needed to brunch it up. Bon Appetit says that Portland is known for its' diners, and obviously if it's in Bon Appetit it must be true. So, we headed to the Miss Portland diner, which is housed in an old train car, just like all good diners should be. I got the Crabmeat Eggs Benedict (not to be confused with Grabmeat) since it seemed appropriately "Maine-y". I always get the Hollandaise on the side, even though 9 times out of ten I end up using all of it anyways. Still, I like to be in control of my sauces.

It was quite a nice Benedict--perfectly poached eggs, flavorful Hollandaise, crispy homefries-- though not the best I've ever had (that distinction is saved for Katy's in Carmel, CA), but still a nice way to cap off a quick jaunt to Portland.

Tom Kha Soup, sort of...

I'm pretty sure there's nothing worse than being sick and having no one to care for you. Ok....maybe nuclear Armageddon is worse or a Sarah Palin Presidency. But, besides those two things, nothing. Oh, and Pauly D's hair. What is UP with that? Seriously...what was I talking about? Oh yeah. Being sick and alone. I am both and it sucks. There's no one to make me soup or go to the Thai place on Mass Ave and buy me soup, since that's what I really want right now: Tom Kha soup or Coconut Ginger soup. It cures what ails ya, as an old man in an old timey movie about the West might say. No, really! If you have a cold, go to your nearest Thai restaurant and get the Tom Kha soup. I don't know if it's the coconut milk or the Thai ginger known as galangal, but sip a bowl of that and the next day you feel a lot better--at least, that's what I'm counting on as I prepare a canned version from Thai Kitchen. I'm adding some rice noodles and tofu to the mixture, but I'm keeping my expectations low....

You know what? This isn't half bad! Not as good as homemade, but a decent substitute. Shit is HOT though and watch out for those hunks of ginger. Alright. I'm off to sip this and watch Up In The Air. Nothing like old man Clooney and a hot bowl of soup to make you forget about your troubles, if only for a couple hours...

Weekend Update

Thank God for Trader Joe's Pasta Medleys

Ok, I didn't do anything food-related this weekend. Sorry guys. I did go to Ikea though and then spent about six hours building a bookcase today. Note: You think that furniture is hard to assemble? Try doing it hungover and on four hours of sleep. I'm lucky I didn't build the thing backwards...Anyways, I have some fun things coming up that don't involve booze, sleep-deprivation, and people I went to high school with. Stay tuned!

Bruce Springsteen, Style Icon Style: GQ.com

Bruce Springsteen, Style Icon Style: GQ.com


Uh can someone dress as Bruce Springsteen for Halloween? Please?

A Tale of Two Cities, Sorta...

 












                   In Brussels circa 2007 and at The Publick House circa Monday 

I've been on the hunt for a good bar since I moved to Brookline last month. The only place anyone mentions is The Publick House. This is also the recommendation for any restaurant/date-spot/hang out/late-night spot in the area. Apparently all Brookline has to offer is good schools, nice homes, Old World bakeries, and The Publick House. So be it. I finally made the trip a few nights ago and was delightfully surprised to find that The Publick House is a Belgian restaurant. In case you didn't know, I love Belgium. Here's why:

I've only been to two countries outside of North America (three if you count traveling through France on the Eurostar): England and Belgium. Yep, Belgium. You see, I was studying abroad in London for the summer so naturally, my mom came for a visit. After a week spent taking in the sights and eating lots of delicious curry, we decided to take advantage of the Continent's close proximity and go away somewhere for the weekend. So, I was given a choice: Paris or Brussels. As much as I love my mother, I wasn't too thrilled by the idea of spending my first visit to the romance capital of the world with her. I was also suffering from a broken heart at the time, so I was even more emo than usual. City of Lights, no thank you. City of Beer and Chocolate? Yes, please!

Overall, it was a decent trip. Brussels is an interesting city and quite beautiful in parts, though I got really tired of it smelling like urine everywhere. But it was the food that made the most lasting impression. Honestly, Brussels had the most delicious fries, waffles, and chocolate I've ever had anywhere. The best part was how cheap everything was. Sure, you could pay an arm and a leg for chocolate at Godiva or pay a quarter of the price at some neighborhood chocolate shop and it will still be better than anything you've had in the U.S. Hands down.


The Publick House's frites. Get the mustard sauce. If you don't, lie to me and say you did. So. Good.

Anyways...what was the point of this post? Oh, right: The Publick House. Basically, it's as close to Brussels as you're gonna get without a passport. It'll definitely cost you, but it won't smell like urine. Besides, who doesn't like drinking in a bar that resembles a medieval dining hall?

Pumpkin Everything

Fall is my favorite season for many reasons: there's my birthday, the fact that I can wear tights again without sweating, the air has that delightful crisp smell, and everyone puts pumpkin in everything. Pumpkin donuts, pumpkin beer, pumpkin coffee, and now I can add pumpkin polenta to my list. Yep, that's right. Pumpkin polenta. I had a belated birthday dinner with my mother recently at Cavey's in Manchester where I enjoyed the beef short rib with pumpkin polenta pictured above. It was fantastic. I had never even heard of pumpkin polenta, but a brief internet search revealed a beavy of recipes. Man, this whole time I've been eating cheesy polenta like a chump! I've written about polenta before and noted that basically, the trick to making amazing at home polenta is to let it cook sloooowly for several hours. The longer it cooks, the better it gets. This sounds like a yummy recipe and one I plan on trying the next chance I get. My only suggestion is to cook it for around three hours instead of thirty minutes. You will be rewarded for your patience with a flavor explosion in your mouth. Maybe some other places too...

Basket of Toast: The New Breakfast of Champions

For reasons I can't explain (booze) I found myself in the Huron Village area this morning, a place I haven't been since I moved to the other side of the river last summer. However, I was happy to find myself at Hi-Rise Bakery Co. Their specialty is bread, and lots of it. You can watch them make it on site or peruse their assortment of delicious homemade jams while waiting in line. I kept things simple by ordering the basket of toast which comes with a selection of toasted breads, butter, a couple of jams, and maple butter. Nothing clears up a night of over-imbibing like munching on toast, sipping Earl Grey, and listening to Billie Holiday. The place got hopping around lunchtime and I'm sure their sandwiches are equally delightful. I plan on returning for "The Sin Sandwich"--which is basically grilled nutella and chocolate. Sounds right up my alley! The only downside is the place is rather pricey, even for Boston-area bakery standards. One can easily walk out $20 dollars cheaper, with nothing to show for it save a jar of blenheim apricot preserves and a loaf of challah. Granted, there are less delicious ways to blow a twenty but bread and jam still seems a bit excessive. That being said, it's now 8 hours later and all I want is another basket of toast. Bread or crack, whatever Hi-Rise is selling, it looks like I'm buying.

Hot, Hot Toddy

What? This picture is relevant. The hot toddy's in the cup. I'm not a narcissist. Shut up.

Today I walked into my classroom and declared that it was icky outside. Two of my Chinese students looked confused and asked me to explain what 'icky' meant. Eventually, after much gesticulating and the use of an electronic dictionary, they got it. To combat this icky day I decided to make a hot toddy, then write about it. I came up with this idea around 10 o'clock this morning, which should give you an idea of the kind of week I've been having so far...

Anyways, nothing takes the chill out of a rainy day like a hot toddy. I'm rather partial to Grendel's hot mulled cider (it certainly thawed me out on many a snowy night last winter--heh) but was fairly confident I could make a reasonably good substitute. I decided to use that bottle of honey mead that Katie got me in Amish country and mix it with some tea and lemon. The owner of the winery she purchased it from mentioned that it tasted great in earl grey tea, but I couldn't find a decaf version at Trader Joe's so I used decaf green tea instead. I'll be honest: It doesn't taste that great. I blame the green tea. Something about that earthy taste mixed with the mead does not a good hot toddy make. Luckily, there's mead in it, so I'll finish it anyways. But I still learned a valuable lesson: always listen to the people who make your booze.

This is why I haven't posted in a week...

Yes, that is the view from my new bed and yes, I still haven't put the sheets on. Whatever.

I moved to a new apartment yesterday. I figured four months was long enough to take advantage of Katie's hospitality. So, I've traded the futon for a Sealy Posturepedic and the South End for Brookline. I almost feel like a real adult! Right now things are a little sparse, to say the least. But pretty soon I'll have things in order and get back to posting about things I like to eat and places I like to go. Side note: during the move yesterday Katie surprised me with that sweet panini from Flour. Luckily, none of my roommates were around to watch me inhale it in the kitchen.