Author: Ed

When Saint Patrick’s Day (March 17, 2012) Falls on a Saturday…

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When Saint Patrick's Day (March 17, 2013) Falls on a Sunday

This year, Saint Patrick's Day falls on a Saturday so I was curious, would city and state workers in Suffolk County get Friday off or Monday? And will parking, trash, and liquor sales change for the day. You'll find those answers below.

I do know that a lot of people will be taking advantage of the weekend date to come to Boston. Questions about where to stay, which Irish Pub to visit, and how to get around the city have popped up over on the Boston Trip Advisor forum. It looks like visitors are coming here from all over the country and especially from Ireland.

Do you celebrate Saint Patrick's Day?

What are your traditions for his yearly festival of all things Irish?

Who makes your favorite brown bread or Irish soda bread? Scones?

Are you going to the parade on Sunday?

(Here's how to get there via the MBTA.)

Will you be wearin' the green?

(Here's a post on where to buy or rent all sorts of wearables!)

Here are a bunch of Friday Links for Saint Patrick's Day

Boston Chowhounds had two recent conversations about where to find the best, full Irish breakfast.

Full Irish Breakfast

Boston area breakfast recap (for this one, start from the bottom since Irish breakfast discussion is there)

And, they're talking about Corned Beef & Cabbage.

About your holiday questions…

According to the Secretary of State's website,

"All holidays falling on Sunday must be observed on Monday, under state law. Saturday holidays are observed on Saturday." That means this year, no deal. Next year, they get Monday off!

The day is not listed on Boston's list of holidays that change parking regulations or trash pick up, so feed those meters and stick to your trash schedule.

Basically, everything is open. But, in the past the city has asked South Boston liquor stores and bars to cut off sales early. Here's a Boston.com story on that from last year.

Related Posts:

Irish Breakfast at the Squealing Pig

Matt Murphy's Pub Saves the Day

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Words: Penny Cherubino
Photography: © 2008-2011 Penny Cherubino

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March 9, 2012
Riley’s Coat from Blue Ledge Farm, Vermont

Blue Ledge Farm's Riley's Coat is another of those cheeses we buy whenever we see it. Recently, on a walk home from a meal in Central Square, we stopped into Central Bottle Wine + Provisions and there it was again!

Somehow a lovely, raw goats milk cheese that was named after a dog sticks in our memory banks. In additon to talking about this cheese, cheesemonger Anne Saxelby suggests it would be great to be reincarnated as a dog at a cheese farm since those pups often get to eat the test batches!

Riley's Coat is a bit different each time we taste it. It's flavored by what the goats are browsing. Buying each new piece brings back memories of the last. And, even though we know the cheese and know it will be very good, we can't resist having a taste right there in the shop. Often, that nibble increases the size of the wedge we take home.

Related Posts:

Here's our Cheese Collection!

Here are a few of our favorite books on cheese. But, click here for many more choices over at Amazon.

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2012 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often those add a great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you.

March 8, 2012
If Rainy Days Make You Crabby, Get Cracking!

With a few days of rain last week, we needed a reason to smile, so we braved the rain to get a supply of Dungeness crab from James Hook & Company.

These two pound beauties waited in the sink while the big crab pot started to steam.

They really are beautiful when you look at the details of the shells.

We keep it simple. Some slices of lemon and a big scoop of Old Bay Seasoning goes over the crabs as we layer them in the pot.

Then, we enjoy the pleasure of a rainy afternoon cracking crabs, picking out the luscious meat, chatting, and sipping fine wine. Rainy day or sunny day, this can be a wonderful way to relax and spend time with friends.

Related Posts:

Crab Feast will tell you how we prepare the crabs for the table.

Crab Claws are Wonderful Leftovers!

James Hook & Company- A Holiday Tradition Continues

What's on your seafood cooking shopping list? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site for All-Clad Stainless 12-Quart Multi Cooker, Old Bay Seasoning or Crackers with Picks.

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Words: Penny Cherubino
Photography: © 2012 Penny Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often those add a great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you.

March 7, 2012
Plan Pégau 2009 “Baby Chateauneuf du Pape”

A couple of bottles of Plan Pégau 2009 were sitting in our wine rack. This wine had been introduced to us as a "baby Chateauneuf du Pape" by Howie Rubin at Bauer Wines.

A few nights later, Gretchen Jones (@moralbeast) mentioned a great Cote du Rhone that she was enjoying. That sent me to the rack to pull the Plan Pégau and plan a meal around it.

As students of wine, we learn by researching the wines that come our way. We had already been told that this was from one of the great Chateauneuf du Pape winemakers, Laurence Féraud from Domaine du Pégau. Her wines can run four to five times the $14.99 price tag on this one.

The importer, Hand Picked Selections (HPS) says the 2009 Plan Pégau, "offers a true and loud echo of the flavor and style of Domaine du Pegau Châteauneuf-du-Pape. A perfect illustration of the HPS mantra of quality, character and value, it always seems to have a bit of that magic Châteauneuf funk!"

We paired it with a rib eye after reading a comment from Wine & Spirits Magazine that this wine was, "…a red to sink your teeth into…mouthfilling and delicious, the vinous equivalent of a good aged steak."

From the moment we opened the screwtop, Plan Pégau made an impression. Photographing it was torture. It has a big presence and was sending out enticing aromas that made us want to get straight to tasting.

From this one we learned about rapé.

Blogger Edmonton Wine Host ran a post on Plan Pégau and reported that it might contain some rapé from Pégau. He explained, "Rape means left over juice, skins or crush from a previous harvest. Also can be a winery way of 'disposing' of extra juice from an excellent harvest."

We knew about second labels, like Oregon superstar producer Owen Roe Winery's O'Reilly's line. Now we know about another way to hunt for unexpected quality at a great price. Find out if it is the baby sister in a great family.

We plan to buy more!

If you see this wine at a good price, grab it. We loved it and expect it will be just as good over the next couple of years.

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2012 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often those add a great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you.

March 6, 2012
March for Zeppole di San Giuseppe!

We launched our Zeppole di San Giuseppe season on Friday with freshly-filled examples from Maria's Pastry Shop in the North End.

Where do you buy your Zeppole? Let us know. We have a couple of weeks of tastings ahead! Here's a 2010 discussion of where area chowhounds march to for zeppole.

"Traditional?" was the question when we requested two Zeppole. "Yes, traditional!" we replied. We'll let the folks at Maria's describe what they mean by tradition when it comes to Zeppole.

"Saint Joseph Day (March 19th), Zeppole — Beginning the end of January, Maria prepares this Sicilan speciality known as the 'Zeppola di San Giuseppe.' A light egg dough fried to a soft shell filled with either ricotta cheese, whipped cream or the traditional filling of vanilla custard cream and amaretta cherries. You won’t be able to get enough, but beware. Once March 19th, passes…they’re gone!"

Normally, we recommend eating these goodies on the spot. After all, Maria's takes the time to put them together fresh for each customer. But, we needed to walk off some of our lunch before indulging. Since they were so fresh, we knew they would still be outstanding by the time we reached home.

Maria's had not failed us. The zeppole arrived home in outstanding condition with a crisp, flakey pastry shell and nice layers of custard and cherries. A careful carry home by Penny had even protected the lovely pastry bag swirls in the custard.

Here are our Zeppole chronicles from past years:

It's Zeppole Day!

Zeppole from Modern Pastry

What's on your March shopping list? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Maria's Pastry Shop

46 Cross Street, Boston Ma 02113 (Map and reviews)

617-523-1196

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2012 Penny Cherubino

Related articles

March 19th Is Zeppole Day!

A Weekend of Irish Whiskey and Zeppole!

March 5, 2012
Sunday Dog, Ruby– the Muse of Newbury Street

The ledgendary muse– long credited with stimulating creative inspiration in the art world– is alive and well on Newbury Street. She goes by the name of Ruby! One look into her big, beautiful eyes could awaken anyone’s artistic talent.

It’s fitting that Ruby comes to work every day at The Society of Arts and Crafts, where she enjoys greeting many of the shop’s visitors, sometimes even pointing out some of her favorite pieces of art.

Ruby is very fond of her toy octopus, but always has time to glance over to see if you have a treat. Penny brought some liver chunks to reward her patience during our photo session. We tried to get some shots of her amazing jumping ability, but this 4 year old was way too fast for our lenses.

Ruby, a rescue from Adopt A Lab.org (they help place other breeds, but labs are their focus) is a sweetheart. She’s very intelligent, loves attention, and adds special character to the shop– everything you’d expect of a 21st century “muse.”

The Society of Arts and Crafts is located at 175 Newbury St., Boston, MA

Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

Would you like to adopt a beautiful companion like Ruby? There are some resources to help you make your decision and get your life together off to a great start. This book from PetFinder, Petfinder.com The Adopted Dog Bible: Your One-Stop Resource for Choosing, Training, and Caring for Your Sheltered or Rescued Dog is one of our favorites.

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Words: Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2012 Penny Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often those add a great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you.

March 4, 2012
After this week are you ready for ….

The beautiful look of Spring?

This refreshing Beacon Hill street scene is at Rouvalis Flowers & Gardens.

We hope it brings you a smile after this rainy week.

What's on your spring shopping list? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Rouvalis Flowers

40 W. Cedar St. Boston MA, 02108-1212

617-720-2266 / 800-397-2555

www.rouvalisflowers.com

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2012 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often those add a great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you.

March 3, 2012
Health News Review, our Friday Link
Today, we're pointing you to a wonderful resource, Health News Review. This is a site where experts examine and comment on those health and medical stories we all see and hear in the media.

Reading about health issues, medical studies, and so-called "breakthroughs" can be difficult even for those trained to be critical readers. We are often left with more questions than answers. This site will help you evaluate those medical stories that may touch your life.

Health News Review says it is dedicated to:
- "Improving the accuracy of news stories about medical treatments, tests, products and procedures."
- "Helping consumers evaluate the evidence for and against new ideas in health care."
We Love:
- Their criteria for what users need in stories.
- Their journalist & consumer toolkit.
- Their careful analysis and clear writing.
You can bookmark the site for those times when you hear a report and want to read a review of it.

Subscribe to the blog or the reviews and get a regular dose of what's going on in this realm. Or, follow them on Twitter.

What's on your health supplies shopping list? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2012 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often those add a great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you.
March 2, 2012
Benvenuto March with Prosecco from Bisson & Rosenthal

We’re welcoming March with a bottle of prosecco– always a safe bet, but with Rosenthal on the label it’s nearly a sure thing! We once advised a friend, who was uneasy about the thought of ordering wine at an upcoming business dinner, to just ask the restaurant for a Neal Rosenthal wine. She got a Standing O!

The terms, “artisan, traditional, and natural” are more than words on a label, they’re part of this wine merchant’s philosophy. When Rosenthal talks about Enoteca Bisson and Pierluigi Lugano’s care and passion as a grower and producer of distinctive wines, you can begin to appreciate the vision and effort that goes into his prosecco.

Vino Frizzante Prosecco (Glera in Italy) 2010 Bisson is produced in a “bone-dry style.” That would normally be enough for me to take a pass on a sparkler, but one sip and I was intrigued.

Bisson Prosecco uses a Crown Cap (also called a “Spark Cap”)

Yes, it was dry but not in an overwhelming way. We both could taste the fruit– concentrated pear? Penny compared the wine’s body to that of a Bollinger Champagne!

When we returned to buy another bottle from Howie Rubin at Bauer Wine & Spirits, he wasn’t surprised, “I find it’s got a little more chalkiness, more like real Champagne.” Rubin pointed to, “…the yeast in the nose. It could be the limestone in the soil, it could be more Champagne-like soil.”

Whatever it is, we’ve added our applause and another bottle to our wine rack. There’s a lot of prosecco out there. “Leave it to Neal Rosenthal to give us something that’s a little drier, a little more complex, a little deeper in flavor,” said Rubin. “It sets it apart from all the rest.”

Links:

Vino Frizzante Prosecco 2010 Bisson, Rosenthal Wine Merchant, NY at Bauer Wine & Spirits

Here's More About: Our Sparkling Resolution

Check Out: Our Sparkling Resolution Winner’s List

Want to learn more about wine? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site! Here's, The Food Lover's Guide to Wine the latest addition to our wine reference wish list. We heard a great interview and review of this book over on Taste of the Past.

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2012 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often those add a great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you.

March 1, 2012
Flavor Your Home-Made Seltzer

Seltzer is my drink of choice and I'm a fussy drinker. Ed told you a while ago how much he loves our Soda Stream Soda Maker. He used to lug those cases of selzer for me, now I just make it with my SodaStream.

I like my seltzer very fizzy and with a touch of tart flavor. My favorite water flavor profile has always been a few dashes of Angostura Bitters and a squeeze of fresh lime. In summer I may switch to cucumber.

Lately, I've been experimenting with the ever growing selection of bitters that the cocktail culture has brought to the market. I like some of the Fee Brothers Bitters flavors, lime is my current favorite.

Update October 2015: My new favorite bitters addition is Bittermens Boston Bittahs. I'll do a new post about this bitters and the company who makes it soon, but for now, give it a try if you see it on local shelves or do as I do when I can't find it and buy it from Amazon.

Over the weekend a friend and I discussed alternative ways to add flavor without sweetness to seltzer. She put me onto a bit of pomegranate molasses or flavored tea to the glass. (Thanks Liz!)

Our conversation sent me searching for new ideas. And, I found a great blog, Former Chef with some wonderful ideas for flavored seltzers. I can't wait to try this ginger mix. Thank you, Chef Kristina! Keep those great flavors coming our way!

Tummy Tamer Soda Syrup; Orange, Mint, Ginger and Anise

Homemade Ginger Syrup and the SodaStream Soda Maker

Home Made Key Lime Syrup

(Be sure to explore the archives when you visit Former Chef, there's lots of great food information on those pages!)

Ed is a straight water guy. No flavor or bubbles needed. But, he was always willing to indulge my love of sparkle. And, I'm sure he's happy now that he only has to carry tiny bottles of bitters to keep me supplied with my favorite flavors.

Related Posts:

Cool as a Cucumber Summer Sips

How Sodastream Set Me Free!

What's on your food lover's shopping list?

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2012 Penny & Ed Cherubino

February 29, 2012