Category: We recommend!

Vegetable Literacy Is Our Friday Link

“Vegetable Literacy” by Deborah Madison has quickly become my go-to reference when I want to explore a familiar or unusual produce item. I like it so much that I'm making it a Friday Link.

The full name of the book, Vegetable Literacy: Cooking and Gardening with Twelve Families from the Edible Plant Kingdom, with over 300 Deliciously Simple Recipes, gives a better picture of what the author has created.

Madison takes her years of expertise in vegetarian topics, divides the veggie world into twelve families, and then provides background, recipes, and kitchen and garden tips for each family member. She makes you look at the offerings at your local market in a new way.

Speaking of local markets, I decidead to buy the Kindle version of Vegetable Literacy. That allows me to call up a recipe on my phone when I'm shopping to be sure I have what I need to make it. Or, if I want to know what I might do with some parsnips or fennel, I can search for those and even have tips on buying them.

Great photography is always a bonus in a cookbook or reference book and this one has wonderful photos spinkled among its pages. The photos are by the Canal House team, Christopher Hirsheimer and Melissa Hamilton.

This time of year, when many readers are looking for gift ideas, this book would make a great present for many people on your list. Anyone who loves to cook or collect cookbooks would treasure this edition. Even someone like me who has far too many cookbooks considers this a major reference, must-have.

It's an ideal gift for a vegetrian or someone who has to feed a vegetarian or anyone who needs to add more vegetables to their diet to get their 5-per-day!

Deborah Madison has been my mentor on vegetarian cooking. I have well-worn copies of Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone and Local Flavors: Cooking and Eating from America's Farmers' Markets.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a Holiday Gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2013 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 great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

December 6, 2013
Vegetable Literacy Is Our Friday Link

“Vegetable Literacy” by Deborah Madison has quickly become my go-to reference when I want to explore a familiar or unusual produce item. I like it so much that I'm making it a Friday Link.

The full name of the book, Vegetable Literacy: Cooking and Gardening with Twelve Families from the Edible Plant Kingdom, with over 300 Deliciously Simple Recipes, gives a better picture of what the author has created.

Madison takes her years of expertise in vegetarian topics, divides the veggie world into twelve families, and then provides background, recipes, and kitchen and garden tips for each family member. She makes you look at the offerings at your local market in a new way.

Speaking of local markets, I decidead to buy the Kindle version of Vegetable Literacy. That allows me to call up a recipe on my phone when I'm shopping to be sure I have what I need to make it. Or, if I want to know what I might do with some parsnips or fennel, I can search for those and even have tips on buying them.

Great photography is always a bonus in a cookbook or reference book and this one has wonderful photos spinkled among its pages. The photos are by the Canal House team, Christopher Hirsheimer and Melissa Hamilton.

This time of year, when many readers are looking for gift ideas, this book would make a great present for many people on your list. Anyone who loves to cook or collect cookbooks would treasure this edition. Even someone like me who has far too many cookbooks considers this a major reference, must-have.

It's an ideal gift for a vegetrian or someone who has to feed a vegetarian or anyone who needs to add more vegetables to their diet to get their 5-per-day!

Deborah Madison has been my mentor on vegetarian cooking. I have well-worn copies of Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone and Local Flavors: Cooking and Eating from America's Farmers' Markets.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a Holiday Gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2013 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 great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

December 6, 2013
Thank You to All the Wreath Week Volunteers!

Volunteers from the Garden Club of the Back Bay are in the middle of their annual Wreath Week. In a few, intensive, long days, they create distinctive holiday wreaths that will soon be appearing on doors around the city. Each wreath sold contributes to the organization's ability to fund important projects that keep the city green.

We stopped by to thank them yesterday and took some photos of the very talented designers working on their creations. But, we also wanted to take this opportunity to remind our readers of the exceptional work done by this key group of volunteers who take days out of their busy lives each December to do this good deed.

And, how do they make those beautiful bows? They shared the secret, HERE …

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a Holiday Gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2013 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 great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

December 3, 2013
Thank You to All the Wreath Week Volunteers!

Volunteers from the Garden Club of the Back Bay are in the middle of their annual Wreath Week. In a few, intensive, long days, they create distinctive holiday wreaths that will soon be appearing on doors around the city. Each wreath sold contributes to the organization's ability to fund important projects that keep the city green.

We stopped by to thank them yesterday and took some photos of the very talented designers working on their creations. But, we also wanted to take this opportunity to remind our readers of the exceptional work done by this key group of volunteers who take days out of their busy lives each December to do this good deed.

And, how do they make those beautiful bows? They shared the secret, HERE …

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a Holiday Gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2013 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 great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

December 3, 2013
Thank You to All the Wreath Week Volunteers!

Volunteers from the Garden Club of the Back Bay are in the middle of their annual Wreath Week. In a few, intensive, long days, they create distinctive holiday wreaths that will soon be appearing on doors around the city. Each wreath sold contributes to the organization's ability to fund important projects that keep the city green.

We stopped by to thank them yesterday and took some photos of the very talented designers working on their creations. But, we also wanted to take this opportunity to remind our readers of the exceptional work done by this key group of volunteers who take days out of their busy lives each December to do this good deed.

And, how do they make those beautiful bows? They shared the secret, HERE …

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a Holiday Gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2013 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 great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

December 3, 2013
Nigl Brut de Brut – A Gruner with Bubbles!

While on the lookout for a worthy sparkler to ring-in December, as part of our Sparkling Resolution, we discovered a Gruner Veltliner with bubbles – the 2005 Nigl Brut de Brut.

Since Gruner has been a long-time favorite with us, the addition of fizz, and in this case Chardonnay, seemed like an interesting marriage. Well, we’re here to say, “It’s wedded bliss!”

These new "wine" glasses were inspired by running out of glasses to share a wine with neighbors on a recent Ptown vacation. We substituted a martini glass that worked well and was fun!

This Austrian sparkler is definitely food-friendly, but also very enjoyable all by itself. Followers of wine site CellarTracker said it best, tasting “…flavors of tart apple with peach,” calling the Nigl Brut de Brut “…dry, crisp, with racy acidity,” "…quite spirited and fun to drink,” and “…a very nice alternative to Champagne.”

Choosing a sparkling version of a familiar wine might not always be this satisfying, but we’ll try it again. In fact, if you’re looking for a holiday gift for someone who likes wine and has a favorite grape, see if there’s a sparkling version?

We found our bottle of 2005 Nigl Brut de Brut at The Urban Grape, South End.

Here’s a peek at Our Sparkling Resolution Winner’s List!

…And, Sunday Dog will return to this spot, next week!

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2013 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 great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

December 1, 2013
Nigl Brut de Brut – A Gruner with Bubbles!

While on the lookout for a worthy sparkler to ring-in December, as part of our Sparkling Resolution, we discovered a Gruner Veltliner with bubbles – the 2005 Nigl Brut de Brut.

Since Gruner has been a long-time favorite with us, the addition of fizz, and in this case Chardonnay, seemed like an interesting marriage. Well, we’re here to say, “It’s wedded bliss!”

These new "wine" glasses were inspired by running out of glasses to share a wine with neighbors on a recent Ptown vacation. We substituted a martini glass that worked well and was fun!

This Austrian sparkler is definitely food-friendly, but also very enjoyable all by itself. Followers of wine site CellarTracker said it best, tasting “…flavors of tart apple with peach,” calling the Nigl Brut de Brut “…dry, crisp, with racy acidity,” "…quite spirited and fun to drink,” and “…a very nice alternative to Champagne.”

Choosing a sparkling version of a familiar wine might not always be this satisfying, but we’ll try it again. In fact, if you’re looking for a holiday gift for someone who likes wine and has a favorite grape, see if there’s a sparkling version?

We found our bottle of 2005 Nigl Brut de Brut at The Urban Grape, South End.

Here’s a peek at Our Sparkling Resolution Winner’s List!

…And, Sunday Dog will return to this spot, next week!

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2013 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 great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

December 1, 2013
Nigl Brut de Brut – A Gruner with Bubbles!

While on the lookout for a worthy sparkler to ring-in December, as part of our Sparkling Resolution, we discovered a Gruner Veltliner with bubbles – the 2005 Nigl Brut de Brut.

Since Gruner has been a long-time favorite with us, the addition of fizz, and in this case Chardonnay, seemed like an interesting marriage. Well, we’re here to say, “It’s wedded bliss!”

These new "wine" glasses were inspired by running out of glasses to share a wine with neighbors on a recent Ptown vacation. We substituted a martini glass that worked well and was fun!

This Austrian sparkler is definitely food-friendly, but also very enjoyable all by itself. Followers of wine site CellarTracker said it best, tasting “…flavors of tart apple with peach,” calling the Nigl Brut de Brut “…dry, crisp, with racy acidity,” "…quite spirited and fun to drink,” and “…a very nice alternative to Champagne.”

Choosing a sparkling version of a familiar wine might not always be this satisfying, but we’ll try it again. In fact, if you’re looking for a holiday gift for someone who likes wine and has a favorite grape, see if there’s a sparkling version?

We found our bottle of 2005 Nigl Brut de Brut at The Urban Grape, South End.

Here’s a peek at Our Sparkling Resolution Winner’s List!

…And, Sunday Dog will return to this spot, next week!

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2013 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 great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

December 1, 2013
The North End Two Ways from Matt Conti

Earlier this year, Matt Conti took over the site North End Boston. It is the perfect companion for his original site, North End Waterfront. Between the two sites, you can keep up with the latest news about this important Boston neighborhood and find the resources, places, and sites you want.

Matt, I'm thankful for all the hard work you do for your community!

North End Boston offers a set of resources for those interested in the North End as a place to visit or live. It can be a great site to send to anyone who is coming to Boston as a visitor or to find new places to go, things to see, and dining options in the North End.

North End Waterfront is the site for news, information, and community conversation about the neighborhood. As large, mainstream media covers less and less local news, sites like this become more and more valuable to me.

Keep up the good work Matt! And, please keep dropping in those great North End Waterfront puzzles from time to time. I appreciate a few minutes of fun every now and them.

What do you know about Amazon Prime? We use it and love it. You pay once a year for free 2-day shipping delivery charges. Amazon throws in access to instant streaming movies and TV shows and they let you borrow a free ebook each month. They will even give you a one month free trial. Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Join Amazon Prime – Watch Over 40,000 Movies

November 29, 2013
The North End Two Ways from Matt Conti

Earlier this year, Matt Conti took over the site North End Boston. It is the perfect companion for his original site, North End Waterfront. Between the two sites, you can keep up with the latest news about this important Boston neighborhood and find the resources, places, and sites you want.

Matt, I'm thankful for all the hard work you do for your community!

North End Boston offers a set of resources for those interested in the North End as a place to visit or live. It can be a great site to send to anyone who is coming to Boston as a visitor or to find new places to go, things to see, and dining options in the North End.

North End Waterfront is the site for news, information, and community conversation about the neighborhood. As large, mainstream media covers less and less local news, sites like this become more and more valuable to me.

Keep up the good work Matt! And, please keep dropping in those great North End Waterfront puzzles from time to time. I appreciate a few minutes of fun every now and them.

What do you know about Amazon Prime? We use it and love it. You pay once a year for free 2-day shipping delivery charges. Amazon throws in access to instant streaming movies and TV shows and they let you borrow a free ebook each month. They will even give you a one month free trial. Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Join Amazon Prime – Watch Over 40,000 Movies

November 29, 2013