Beating The Winter Blues At Bartaco

Today is the first day of Spring, but it sure doesn't feel like it. In an effort to escape Old Man Winter, James and I paid a visit to bartaco in West Hartford Center. It has a very South Beach/Miami vibe and is apparently inspired by South American beach culture--definitely unlike anything else around here. When the weather warms up, the front windows open up onto the street and I can just imagine sitting outside on a summer night sipping one of their freshly-squeezed cocktails.

bartaco's menu is partially inspired by Mexican street food and Spanish tapas, so everything comes a la carte. We shared a plate of delicious shrimp, baja fish, chorizo, lamb, and chicken tacos all simply prepared with cilantro and onion. Each table also gets a selection of three different salsas if you want to spice things up.

Next up was the refreshing spicy cucumber salad and their take on one of my obsessions, grilled corn with lime, cayenne, and cotija cheese. It was good, but Toro in Boston is still the reigning champion. Despite the March weather, everything tasted extremely fresh and in season. For the briefest of moments I really did feel like I was on the other side of the equator. Or, at least in Florida.

Culinary Time-Travel: Heirloom Apples

Last week, James and I made our annual pilgrimage to Belltown Hill Orchards in Glastonbury for apples, donuts, and more. I was thrilled to see that they had a variety of heirloom apples for sale and picked up a few.

Clockwise from top: Cox's Orange Pippin, a dessert apple that originated in England in 1825 and perfect for pie-making, the lovely, sweet, red Honeycrisp developed in 1960, and the tart, green Newtown Pippin, allegedly Thomas Jefferson's favorite apple.  

I first learned about heirloom apples last year while doing research for the book and loved the idea of cooking heirloom recipes WITH heirloom ingredients. It's culinary time travel! Luckily, heirloom fruits of all kinds seem to be having a moment right now, if NYT trend pieces are to be believed.  And really, considering that most grocery stores only stock around three varieties of apples out of the 7,500 available, one of which includes the abhorent Red Delicious, we could all benefit from a little more apple variety.

I first made a pie using a mixture of heirloom apples and a recipe for Blue Ribbon Apple Pie from my Cook's Country cookbook, which is filled with lots of old-fashioned, classic, "heirloom" American recipes.

Mmmm tastes like history!

Then on Saturday I made yummy vegan pancakes with warm apple topping from the Post Punk Kitchen. Not quite culinary time travel, but delicious all the same. So whether you're making an old fashioned apple pie, or just looking to spruce up an old recipe, heirloom apples are a great addition. Keep an eye out at the farmer's market or, if you're lucky, your grocery store for heirlooms.

 

The Apple (Orchard) Of My Eye

On Monday James and I made our annual trek to Belltown Hills Orchards in South Glastonbury, CT to buy pie, some heirloom apples, and continue my quest to eat as many apple cider donuts as possible. 

Now, you might think that I'm one of those people who loves to pick their own apples. It's just so wholesome and New England-y. Well, you're wrong. As a child I was subjected to seasonal fruit-picking masked as fun. You know what isn't fun to a six year old? Picking blueberries with your grandma in the middle of a field under the hot June sun. The only good part was at the end of the day when she made Blueberry Buckle, so I guess it was worth it. Maybe as an adult it would be  different because I could leave when I wanted instead of being told to 'Stop whining and fill your basket.' Yes, Grandma. So, in celebration of my adulthood and the personal freedoms I enjoy, I choose to not go apple picking. 

However, I still enjoy visiting apple farms and reaping their bounty, or something.

                                               Ahhh, apple country

James Fun Fact #1: He is allergic to raw apples, which also happen to be his favorite fruit. Aw, sad :(

He can, however, eat cooked apples, which leads me to James Fun Fact #2: His favorite pie is apple.

Belltown was out of regular apple pies so he settled for Apple-Cranberry over the gross-sounding Maple-Apple (bleh.)

While James was perusing pies I was checking out their apple selection. As I've written before, I'm working on a book that, in a nutshell, marries literature with cooking. I've been trying to recreate a particular recipe from a particular novel that takes place in the English countryside circa 1800. The problem is that apple varieties are cross-bred so much that it can be difficult to track down the same kind of apples that existed 200 years ago. Enter heirloom apples: 

I would have preferred  Bramleys but settled for some Pippins, which were among the first apples to be brought over to the U.S. from Europe and are considered a cooking apple. Perfect!

However, while I was bagging my apples I looked over and spotted these:

I have been reading about quince since I started this book project last winter. The problem was 1.) It wasn't fall and 2.) The once popular fruit can be hard to find. It isn't exactly the kind of fruit you'll find at the supermarket (or even Whole Foods. I checked.) So, I was super excited when I saw these. Can't wait to cook with them!

Once we were loaded down with pie, apples, and quince it was time for donuts:

Belltown makes apple cider and pumpkin donuts every day and they are awesome. Light, soft, and flavorful. The pumpkin donut is particularly good. One bite and I wanted to take back all those stupid, over-sugared Dunkin Donuts versions I've had. Totally not worth it. Belltown donuts? Definitely worth it.

 

Plus, you get to eat your amazing donuts outside surrounded by mums! Who wouldn't like that?

Coffee Time With James

James and I both have Sundays and Mondays off. The former is usually spent recovering from Saturday night, while Monday tends to be our day to do"Jemily" stuff. 

But because I am now getting closer to 30, Sunday wasn't quite enough time to undo Saturday night. 

So on Monday, in the midst of a pretty epic couch session, when James asked me what I felt like doing I said "Afternoon tea" without really thinking about a) the fact that I didn't want to move and b) it was already 4--kind of late for tea time.

But surprisingly, he went with that and soon tracked down a place on Yelp: The Coffee Trade; a combo antique store/cafe in Avon, CT.

I managed to rally because nothing fills my cold, black heart more than the idea of drinking a latte surrounded by old doll clothes.

No, really. 

Ok, not really. But the place sounded pretty cool and after day two inside, I figured I could stand to get some air. 

In case you aren't familiar with Avon, CT, it pretty much represents 'Old New England' but with more $$. The name alone sounds so WASPy: Avaawwhnnn.

I don't go there much, but I was willing to make an exception for a place with a 4/5 star rating.

The catch to this place is the fact that they roast their own coffee right in the store, which is cool. They also have a ton of different coffee drink flavors with quirky names like "The Cold Shower" and "The Blondie"; just don't ask me what's in them. I had the salted caramel latte, which isn't clever, but it was delicious. 

If you actually do enjoy drinking lattes surrounded by doll clothes, you can sit inside.

But we opted for the lovely patio outside:

Manly lumberjack not included.

Decorating, Savers Style.

Now that I'm finally done unpacking I've begun the decorating process. Despite a nasty rumor about my desire to 'put doilies everywhere' I don't have any nefarious plans to completely re-do James' condo. But as much as I enjoy the Red Sox, beer, and popular movies I don't really want to live in a clubhouse and would like to create a more co-ed atmosphere. Enter: French Country Farmhouse. That is my decorating theme. Deceptively simple and easy to pull off on a budget.

I started with the dining room table where I envisioned some kind of glassware centerpiece with a white cloth runner underneath.

I picked up this glass jar thing and the cloth at Savers for $3 each. Then I found a white column candle at TJ Maxx for $4.

I also picked up this super cute apron at for $3, perfect for all those things I haven't been baking.

And, since it's always a good idea to have backups, here's an alternative lace runner that I got at Goodwill for $1...

...along with another piece of glassware for $4. Imagine there's some flowers in it.

I'd say not bad for $15 total!

Meanwhile, in the basement....

James assembled the wall of TVs.

Home sweet home!

You're My Bike, Blue. You're My Bike!

I picked up a used Ross Road bike today...

and christened it Old Blue.

I (Heart)ford: Salute

I've been in the throes of a summer cold the past couple days, making it hard to sleep and leaving me without much of an appetite (horror of horrors!) Therefore, writing about food has felt a little odd. But. Must. Blog.

As I've mentioned before I recently moved back to Connecticut. On my first night back after a long, sweaty move James and I headed to downtown Hartford for dinner. We decided to try Salute, recently voted the best new restaurant by The Hartford Advocate and it did not disappoint. They have a lovely outdoor seating area which is quite large, especially for downtown. First, there was this:


Salute's "Almost Famous" garlic bread. If you're at all familiar with the Hartford restaurant scene (I just rolled my own eyes, but stay with me) you may recognize this from the old Hot Tomatoes menu. Several of Salute's owners left Hot Tomatoes to open this place but brought along this customer favorite. When I was a kid they used to sell a frozen version of it in a couple of local specialty food stores in the area (R.I.P Cheese and Stuff) and I distinctly remember that back before my father remarried his nearly empty fridge always seemed to have a loaf of this in the freezer.

The point is, whatever you do, order this garlic bread. Order it as a side, order it as your dinner, I don't care. Just. Get it.

Of course, there is a full menu of delicious Italian-inspired fare as well as chop house-style dinners. I went with the Shrimp Piccata pictured below which was made with leeks, onions, tomatoes, and capers in a white wine butter sauce.

James had the Pomodoro, which was a simpler dish of tomato sauce with garlic, basil, and mozzerella cheese over rigatoni. It was better than mine and a good example of how simple dishes made with super fresh ingredients can be great, especially when good basil is involved.

For dessert we went with the classic tiramisu, which they described as being in 'the traditional style.' It had a thicker texture and a richer taste than other tiramisus I've had--similar to a cheesecake. All in all it was a great meal in a lovely setting and made me feel a little better about leaving Boston for Hartford.



I should also mention that on Mondays their happy hour goes until the restaurant closes, so get down there and have a few then listen to free jazz in July and August across the street at Bushnell Park. Who says there's nothing to do downtown?

Postcard From CT: A Day On The Farm

So, as I mentioned earlier I spent part of my weekend, specifically Saturday morning/afternoon, helping out at a friend's organic farm in Simsbury. My experience regarding the proper care and/or growing of things is rather limited, which must have been pretty evident since my friend Joey, whom I'm just going to start referring to as Farm Boy (perhaps Farm MAN), started laughing at me as soon as I got out of the car:

"THAT'S what you wear to farm???"

Yes, Joey. I wear cut off sweatpants and a shirt. Got a problem with that? No? Ok.

We planted red bliss potatoes using hunks of older ones in the hopes that the eyes will spore new potatoes....or something. Don't read that sentence again. It still doesn't make sense. But it looked like this:

First you dig a trench and lay down the potatoes

Then you cover them with dirt and top off the mounds with hay.

Fun Fact: Apparently there's bacteria in the hay that makes your arms itchy and welt-y. Thanks for the heads up, Farm Boy.

Other than the itchy arms and constant squatting, it was nice to get outside and actually do something. Pretty soon that harsh summer sun will keep me and my translucent skin inside.

You can purchase Joey's delicious organic produce at the Newington Farmer's Market (Yes, we have one now) or by ordering a CSA, which features 13 weeks of organic-grown produce. Plus, check out his blog Just Grow With It for great, seasonal recipes!

Postcard From CT: Some Flan, A Farm, and A Bridal Shower

Alright. I'm aboard the Peter Pan bus, there's a woman with a hamster across the aisle, another snapping her fingers like there's no tomorrow, and a ten year-old kicking my seat every three seconds, but I haven't forgotten about you, Dear Readers. This weekend I was in the good ol' CT for a friend's bridal shower but also kept myself pretty busy with a trip to Barcelona in West Hartford, a visit to my friend's organic farm, and managed to make those vegan and gluten-free cookies I was talking about.

But, first things first: I've blogged about Barcelona before. My friend Ian, whom I've known from my days (ok, years) spent toiling away as a waitress at Friendly's, works there. Oh, you didn't know I worked at Friendly's? Yep. I spent longer than I'd like to admit serving up Fribbles and Fishamajigs. I can make a Conehead Sundae like nobody's business though.

Anyways, back to the Barc. (Good nickname, right? I'm trying to make it happen.) It's a Spanish tapas restaurant and bar in tony West Hartford Center. In addition to a full dinner menu, a rotation of seasonal vegetarian and meat-based tapas make up the menu. My favorites include the potato tortilla and the cumin-scented chicken empanadas with avocado puree. My friend Kimmy and I also tried the sunchokes and sugar snap peas, which were also delicious. Sunchokes are the roots of sunflowers, and more commonly known as Jerusalem artichokes. Kimmy thought they looked scary, but we both agreed they tasted delicious.

Now, normally for dessert I go for the churros and hot chocolate. Churros are deep-fried dough covered in cinnamon-sugar--like Spanish doughnuts. Delicious. I usually ask for extra melted chocolate for dipping, because I'm gross. This time, however, I wanted to try something different. Ian recommended the flan, but Kimmy wasn't having it:"Flan tastes like scrambled eggs." This resulted in a back and forth argument with Ian who insisted that most flan does taste like scrambled eggs, but theirs does not.

We ended up ordering a flourless chocolate cake with coconut ice cream. It was decent, but not as good as the churros. When I mentioned this to Ian his response was "Well, of course." Great. Thanks. He then slipped us the flan, insisting that Kimmy try it. "I'm just gonna say I don't like it, even if I do," Kimmy said, unaware that Ian was standing behind her.

Well, we both tried it and we liked it, for real. Better than the chocolate cake, but not the churros. I swear, nothing is as good as them.


As Ian described, it's closer to a creme brulee than a traditional flan and topped with a thin layer of caramel. It had a thick, creamy texture with a custardy, not eggy, taste. Ok Ian, you've won this round.

Next time: I visit an organic farm!