Category: We recommend!

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?

Details:

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

February 29, 2012
Meadow Creek Grayson, Great Cheese from Virginia
If you like Taleggio, you'll love Meadow Creek Grayson cheese. We always want to let you know when a perfectly ripe cheese, in great condition, is available locally. This weekend, we found a beautiful bite at Whole Foods near Symphony Hall.

If only we had taken a photo of this little stinker on display in the case! It had that lovely, soft bulge that the best, runny, washed rind cheeses get at the moment when they are perfectly ripe but not over-ripe. And, yes, it is one of those stinky cheeses, but in the best possible way.

Even tasting the chilled sample offered by the cheesemonger assured us that when warm-and-runny this was going to be our "one perfect cheese" for the evening.

We ordered a small, *one-finger-width piece and scurried home with our treasure. It warmed while we made a big pot of beef stew for dinner. Would it stand up to the umami of the beef and mushrooms? Would it work with the red wine in both the stew and our glasses?

Yes! This is a potent cheese that will stand its ground with other strong flavors. It has its own umami with undertones of mushroom and what others have describes as a beefy flavor.

The texture has been called fudgy, and we agree. Our sample was in such perfect conditon that we ate every spec of the rind. While we thought it went well with our Rhone blend wine, cheesemakers Helen and Rick Feete suggest you try it with a great brown ale.

Here's more: about this great farmstead cheese and the people who make it.

Places you can find this cheese

Video/slide show about the farm

Cutting the Curd: Podcast with Meadow Creek Cheesemaker, Helen Feete

Cheese Tips:
- *We've discovered that describing the amount of cheese you would like cut for you in finger widths works well.
- Anne Saxelby's Cutting the Curd show is a great way to learn about cheese. You can subscribe via iTunes or listen directly at the Heritage Radio Network.
- Always let a great cheese warm to room temperature for fuller flavor
- Buy smaller pieces of cheese more often and always buy fresh cut when you can.
- Never wrap cheese in plastic. At home, waxed paper or cheese paper is the way to go. It's a living thing and needs to breathe.
- Here's a guide to storing cheese from Serious Eats!
Related Posts:

More about Cheese

More Tips & How To

What's on your gourmet foods shopping list? If you can't find it in your local area, remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

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Words: Penny & 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.
February 28, 2012
Learn about Cash Mobs on Here & Now

Our Friday link today is to a story on "Cash Mobs" that Robin Young did on her WBUR show Here & Now.

Since we love to support local businesses, great feature reporting, and Public Radio, we think of this as a triple recommendation.

Take a few minutes to click over and read the story or listen. Then, come back and tell us what you think of the concept. We think it's a great way to support locally owned businesses during those slower times.

And, when you need something that will send you online shopping, remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site! We're a small local business too, and that's how you can "Cash Mob" us!

Details:

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.

February 24, 2012
Salt & Pepper Potatoes at Sweet Cheeks Q

Slowly, we are making our way through the menu at Sweet Cheeks Q. Last weekend, we tried the Salt & Pepper Potatoes and added a new favorite to our list.

Think about the best squished, double-baked potatoes you've ever had. Now, imagine that instead of being baked the second time, they were fried by someone who really knows their way around a frier. Outside they become golden brown and crisp, inside they're melting and delicious.

We were enjoying them straight up when Rich, our bartender, slid an extra plate our way and suggested we add some of the Carolina vinegar-based BBQ sauce to a few. From then on, it was a tater and sauce tasting. Ed's favorite was the hot sauce but Penny, who's a devoted vinegar-on-fries person, was smitten with the Carolina Salt & Pepper combo.

They come in a good size serving, wonderful for sharing, and it's a perfect item to have with a glass of bourbon or a beer when you stop at the bar for a drink.

Related Posts:

Sweet Cheeks Q- Great Northern Brisket

Sweet Cheeks Q: A First Look

Bourbon Beer? at Sweet Cheeks

What's on your BBQ season 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.

February 23, 2012
Mary Chung Dun Dun Noodle Craving– Satisfied!
All you have to say is Mary Chung and Penny starts craving Dun Dun Noodles. (The noodles are hiding under all that lovely, spicy topping in the photo above.)

Last week, the crew over on Boston Chowhound began a discussion of Chinese and Chinese-American food, so of course Mary Chung was included. That was enough to put it on our lunch list. We arrived at 12:30 pm and had to wait a few minutes for a table. It's good to see an old favorite still filling the seats on a Thursday afternoon.

We're convinced that the Sichuan pepper in those Dun Dun noodles is addictive. It numbs your mouth just enough to make you receptive to the chili oil and other heat-makers in the dish. You have to make yourself stop reaching for the noodle bowl so you can try the other dishes on the table.

In our case, this included one of the daily specials, this wonderful, fresh, crisp plate of aspargus and pork. While the printed menu is giant, always check the daily specials taped to the register area up front.

And, we did have to take home the leftovers because we couldn't resist starting with the pan fried Peking ravioli.

This Central Square, Cambridge institution has been delivering great Chinese food for years. Reviewers mention that it's been around since the early 1980s. And, this is a perfect place to gather a group and fill one of the big round tables with shared food.

Do you have a favorite Mary Chung menu item? Please tell us, we want to get out of our ordering rut and work our way through the menu!

Tips:
- Check those specials.
- They do a type of Dim Sum on weekends.
- You can reserve a table for a group, and if you want it on a weekend, call early.
- Order rice if you want it.
- They only take cash so come prepared.
- They do serve beer and wine, but somehow the pots of tea they put on the table seem perfect with the food.
Related Posts: Here's more about Food & Drink!
What's on your Amazon shopping list? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Mary Chung Restaurant

464 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139-4132 (map & reviews)

(617) 864-1991

marychung.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.
February 22, 2012
Free Open House at Washington HQ in Cambridge on the 22nd

Today may be the Federal holiday called Presidents' Day, but in Massachusetts today is officially Washington's Birthday.

And, this year, on Thursday the 22nd, you can tour the house in Cambridge that served as Washington's headquarters during the Siege of Boston. While the building is officially closed for the season, it will be open on Washington's birthday to celebrate the new designation of this National Parks Service property as the Longfellow House – Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site.

Details of the change are here.

The Parks Service Invites You to:

"Celebrate George Washington's birthday! Join NPS staff as they guide visitors through General Washington's Brattle Street headquarters. Washington used the house at 105 Brattle Street as his headquarters during the Siege of Boston in 1775-1776.

Tours given every half hour, starting at 11:30 a.m to 3:30 p.m."

Related Posts:

Did you know that anyone age 62 and over can get a lifetime Senior pass to our National Parks for $10?

And, check: What's Open On Presidents' Day in Boston 2012 and MBTA Schedules

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

Details:
Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photo of Washington statue in the Boston Public Garden: © 2012 Ed Cherubino
Photo of the House: From the collection of the Library of Congress, taken February 1963.

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.

February 20, 2012
Get Out and Count the Birds…

The 15th annual Great Backyard Bird Count is our Friday link. This weekend, they invite you to join the annual check of our feathered friends.

A big thank you to The Garden Club of the Back Bay for bringing this, and so many other wonderful opportunities to have fun and learn something new, to our attention. (That makes this a double Friday Link!)

The Great Backyard Bird Count says:

"Warmer temperatures and lack of snow in parts of North America are setting the stage for what could be a most intriguing 15th annual Great Backyard Bird Count, coming up February 17-20."

We Say:

This is the perfect excuse to get outside and enjoy nature.

If you enter your zip code, the site will prepare a checklist of the birds you might see in your area. That can be fun to have anytime and a great start on the peaceful pastime of birdwatching. We're saving our list and will continue looking all year to see how many birds we find by this time next year.

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

Details:
Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Illustration: courtesy of The Great Backyard Bird Count

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.

February 17, 2012
7 Things We Learned at the BPL Conservation Lab!
After a rebinding, this Liber Chronicarum (Nuremberg Chronicle) from 1493 now opens completely.

Penny and I recently had the chance to go behind the scenes at the Boston Public Library’s (BPL) Conservation Lab to meet the talented experts who are preserving history one piece at a time! These specialists repair and stabilize rare books and documents to ensure that these items remain available to all of us.

Keeper of Special Collections at the BPL, Susan L. Glover (above) put it best, “They are wonderfully skilled, they are passionate, they are dedicated, and what they do looks like magic.”

We were so impressed, here are:

7 Things We Learned at the BPL Conservation Lab!
- The lab is only able to get to about 1% of the work that is needed.
- Some items can deteriorate just sitting on a shelf due to material content.
Conservation Assistant, Chris Letizia tests leather to bind a 12th Century illuminated manuscript.

And, here are their recommendations for your own items.
- Keep your valued pieces out of direct sunlight, away from acidic paper.
- Don’t store personal treasures (clipping, letters, etc) in basements (too humid) or attics (too hot).
- Handle them little, keep them unfolded in folders or archival albums.
- Never use any kind of household tape to make repairs.
- If you discover what might be an important item, contact the BPL Conservation Lab for advice and recommendations. (617-536-5400)
For more information, check out the BPL Rare Books Department

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

Details:

Words: Penny & 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.
February 15, 2012