Category: A BostonZest Shop

Sous Vide Chicken Gremolata

We finally broke down and added a Joule Sous Vide immersion circulator to our kitchen equipment. Penny did the reading and checked in with some of her more modernist cooking connections to be sure this one was the right one for a beginner at the method.

You can see the juice seeping from this boneless chicken breast that was vacuum sealed and cooked for 55 minutes in a 149-degree water bath.

Gremolata Flavor Component

Penny made a batch of gremolata by chopping together lemon zest, garlic, and parsley until finely minced. (If you would like a real recipe, try this one from Epicurious.)

The chicken breasts were patted dry, rubbed with olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper, then sprinkled with the gremolata and vacuum sealed. After their bags had spent the prescribed time in the sous vide bath, the breasts were patted dry again and quickly seared in a blazing hot cast iron skillet to add some color and caramelized flavor.

Since the garlic was still in an almost raw state after the low-temperature cooking, it didn't burn during the very quick searing process.

Simple chicken breasts were the first thing we tried after our new Joule arrived. They just had olive oil, salt and pepper. We seared one to have for supper and used the unseared, white meat for a great, moist chicken salad the next day.

With simple cooking methods, you want to showcase the product, so for the first batch Penny bought Bell & Evens chicken. We both agreed it was one of the best "poached style" chicken breasts we had ever made. The batch shown above was made with Halal chicken.

What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List?

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino

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December 14, 2016
Do You Have a Great Farmers Market Plan & Kit? Tools We Use & Love!

Today's "Friday Link" post will take you to some of our favorite farmers market toolkit items.

Bring Cash

Ones, fives, tens, and quarters. The farmers will love you, and you'll shop faster! Each year, more stands take credit cards, but they tend to be the ones with higher priced items like meat and specialty foods. And, cash is fast, a bonus for you and your fellow shoppers.

My farmers market cash comes with me in a special accordion credit card wallet. Ones are on one side, fives on the other, with tens and twenties in the card slots. For ease in recognizing denominations, tens are folded in fourths and twenties in thirds. Change is in its separate compartment and my "Market Share" cards are in the outside window.

Bring Bags and Containers

Also bring what you'll need to tote your fresh food home. For example, I bring plastic containers for berries and cherry tomatoes. It ensures they arrive home in perfect condition.

We love the Sterilite Ultra-Seal Food Storage Containers for transporting food home in our backpacks. They are strong, the seal is tight, they don't leak, and they are lightweight. We prefer glass for long term storage or for any hot food, but these plastic ones are perfect for protecting fragile items.

Remember, a local farmer doesn't grow and pick fruit and vegetables to make them perfect for shipping, they grow and pick them to make them perfectly delicious. You also save the farm the expense of the bags and baskets and help the environment.

Keep it Cold

Bring an ice pack or a small cooler. It can hold all your shopping or just perishables like meat, fish, cheese, and eggs. We have a few favorite items for this task. The Arctic Zone Ultra High-Performance Expandable Double Capacity Lunch Pack is perfect for a fish or meat purchase.

We recently discovered and adore these ice sheets. You can wrap this around a product or lay it on top of a bag of items that need refrigeration.

Carry with Ease

We walk to markets and have always used backpacks to lug things home. This season, we decided we needed lighter versions for visits to farmers markets, since we now buy a wider selection of products there than in years past.

For marketing, we are using two of these lightweight Outlander backpacks. Penny likes hers so much that you'll often see her wearing it this summer. Many times, she has the second one tucked inside so, if the day brings on serendipitous shopping, Ed can share the load.

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

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2013-2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Related articles

Market Report: Summer Farmers Markets Opening Dates 2015

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August 19, 2016
Do You Have a Great Farmers Market Plan & Kit? Tools We Use & Love!

Today's "Friday Link" post will take you to some of our favorite farmers market toolkit items.

Bring Cash

Ones, fives, tens, and quarters. The farmers will love you, and you'll shop faster! Each year, more stands take credit cards, but they tend to be the ones with higher priced items like meat and specialty foods. And, cash is fast, a bonus for you and your fellow shoppers.

My farmers market cash comes with me in a special accordion credit card wallet. Ones are on one side, fives on the other, with tens and twenties in the card slots. For ease in recognizing denominations, tens are folded in fourths and twenties in thirds. Change is in its separate compartment and my "Market Share" cards are in the outside window.

Bring Bags and Containers

Also bring what you'll need to tote your fresh food home. For example, I bring plastic containers for berries and cherry tomatoes. It ensures they arrive home in perfect condition.

We love the Sterilite Ultra-Seal Food Storage Containers for transporting food home in our backpacks. They are strong, the seal is tight, they don't leak, and they are lightweight. We prefer glass for long term storage or for any hot food, but these plastic ones are perfect for protecting fragile items.

Remember, a local farmer doesn't grow and pick fruit and vegetables to make them perfect for shipping, they grow and pick them to make them perfectly delicious. You also save the farm the expense of the bags and baskets and help the environment.

Keep it Cold

Bring an ice pack or a small cooler. It can hold all your shopping or just perishables like meat, fish, cheese, and eggs. We have a few favorite items for this task. The Arctic Zone Ultra High-Performance Expandable Double Capacity Lunch Pack is perfect for a fish or meat purchase.

We recently discovered and adore these ice sheets. You can wrap this around a product or lay it on top of a bag of items that need refrigeration.

Carry with Ease

We walk to markets and have always used backpacks to lug things home. This season, we decided we needed lighter versions for visits to farmers markets, since we now buy a wider selection of products there than in years past.

For marketing, we are using two of these lightweight Outlander backpacks. Penny likes hers so much that you'll often see her wearing it this summer. Many times, she has the second one tucked inside so, if the day brings on serendipitous shopping, Ed can share the load.

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

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2013-2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Related articles

Market Report: Summer Farmers Markets Opening Dates 2015

Coming Home with Full Bags from the Copley Farmers Market

August 19, 2016
Keeping Your Dog Well Hydrated on Hot Summer Days

Poppy may be young but she does not like the heat and would prefer sitting on a bench sipping water to walking, when it's above 75 degrees.

On hot days, we try to get out earlier and choose the shady side of the street and the canopy of trees on the Commonwealth Avenue Mall for our exercise. A walk along the water can be a bit cooler, especially if you have a breeze and some shady trees.

We carry water on our walks most of the year because Poppy loves to jump up on a bench for a rest and a nice cool drink. Like Maggie Mae before her, Penny swears Poppy has a look she gives us when she wants a drink. And, like most dogs, she is a drippy drinker.

There are lots of products designed for dogs to drink from when you're out and about.

Here are a few of our favorites.

We love our H2O4K9, Dog Water Bottle and Travel Bowl. You can clip it to your belt and the cap becomes a drinking container. Ed carries it in a Mesh Water Bottle Carrier that we've had for ages.

Penny keeps a Silicone Pop-Up Water Bowl in her backpack so we always have a way to share water with a thirsty dog. You can see Poppy drinking from her Pop-up in the photo below.

You can use a plastic bag

If you came out without a special water dish for your dog, you can use a plastic bag. Just slide your hand inside, cup your hand, and pour in some water. It won't leak the way your hand does without the bag, and you won't waste water as you would if you let your pup drink from a bottle.

Here's our dear little Maggie Mae back when she demonstrated the plastic bag method.

This summer we decided to get an early start on keeping Poppy well hydrated. Since she is fed a raw, homemade diet, we've added water to our recipe and we pour extra water into her dish with each meal.

We also carry a back-up bottle of cold water in an insulated water bottle carrier for the people on the walk and to tempt Poppy with a bit of cold water when she doesn't seem interested in her own supply.

Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs (and other critters) at Boston Dogs.

Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.

Details:
Words: Penny Cherubino, edited for BostonZest from her City Paws Newspaper Column.
Photography: 2008-2014 Penny & Ed Cherubino

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July 31, 2016
Keeping Your Dog Well Hydrated on Hot Summer Days

Poppy may be young but she does not like the heat and would prefer sitting on a bench sipping water to walking, when it's above 75 degrees.

On hot days, we try to get out earlier and choose the shady side of the street and the canopy of trees on the Commonwealth Avenue Mall for our exercise. A walk along the water can be a bit cooler, especially if you have a breeze and some shady trees.

We carry water on our walks most of the year because Poppy loves to jump up on a bench for a rest and a nice cool drink. Like Maggie Mae before her, Penny swears Poppy has a look she gives us when she wants a drink. And, like most dogs, she is a drippy drinker.

There are lots of products designed for dogs to drink from when you're out and about.

Here are a few of our favorites.

We love our H2O4K9, Dog Water Bottle and Travel Bowl. You can clip it to your belt and the cap becomes a drinking container. Ed carries it in a Mesh Water Bottle Carrier that we've had for ages.

Penny keeps a Silicone Pop-Up Water Bowl in her backpack so we always have a way to share water with a thirsty dog. You can see Poppy drinking from her Pop-up in the photo below.

You can use a plastic bag

If you came out without a special water dish for your dog, you can use a plastic bag. Just slide your hand inside, cup your hand, and pour in some water. It won't leak the way your hand does without the bag, and you won't waste water as you would if you let your pup drink from a bottle.

Here's our dear little Maggie Mae back when she demonstrated the plastic bag method.

This summer we decided to get an early start on keeping Poppy well hydrated. Since she is fed a raw, homemade diet, we've added water to our recipe and we pour extra water into her dish with each meal.

We also carry a back-up bottle of cold water in an insulated water bottle carrier for the people on the walk and to tempt Poppy with a bit of cold water when she doesn't seem interested in her own supply.

Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs (and other critters) at Boston Dogs.

Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.

Details:
Words: Penny Cherubino, edited for BostonZest from her City Paws Newspaper Column.
Photography: 2008-2014 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Related articles

Poppy Says, "Thank You!"

Meet the Leonberger

Poppy's Provincetown Report

Warning Signs of Cancer in Dogs and Cats with Lion the Cat

Reserve Now for Summer Travel with Dogs

July 31, 2016
ID Spam Calls with White Pages Reverse Phone Number Look-Up Right After You Block Them

In February we told you "We Love Our Spam, Scam & Robo Call Blocker." The names and phone numbers of most people from whom we actually want to receive calls are already built into our phone system and they pop up on the screen with proper identification. We block all other calls and then check them out over on, White Pages Reverse Phone Number look-up.

Yes you can put the number into a Google search box and get a list of links to pages that might or might not be safe to visit. White Pages is a site that has been around for years with a history of legitimate service.

When the identification of your caller pops up on White Pages, you get a spam level report and other users who have been harassed by this phone number supply information about the calls they've received. One benefit to immediate blocking is that many users say they get constant calls from the same numbers. We don't. Once they're blocked, we don't hear from them again.

Should we discover that a call is legit, like a recent one from a mail order pharmacy, you can unblock the number, add it to your system, and contact the caller.

Since we purchased our CPR Call Blocker V202 in February, we have blocked 95 specific phone numbers. In addition to spam, scams, marketing, charity, and political calls, this includes phone numbers from a parking lot system that kept printing our number as one of theirs in the directory they distributed to parking attendants and in other print material. Now all those numbers seem to reach a dead or non-working phone line. We have also blocked all private numbers, unknown callers, international and out of the area callers, and unavailable callers.

We have most certainly seen a drastic decline in unwanted phone calls since we began using the blocker. Most of the real calls we receive come in on our cell phones. The constant ringing of our land line was from spam, scams, and other annoying calls.

During election season, we plan to block any and all political and polling calls.

We love the sound of silence from our phones!

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: © 2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino

July 29, 2016
ID Spam Calls with White Pages Reverse Phone Number Look-Up Right After You Block Them

In February we told you "We Love Our Spam, Scam & Robo Call Blocker." The names and phone numbers of most people from whom we actually want to receive calls are already built into our phone system and they pop up on the screen with proper identification. We block all other calls and then check them out over on, White Pages Reverse Phone Number look-up.

Yes you can put the number into a Google search box and get a list of links to pages that might or might not be safe to visit. White Pages is a site that has been around for years with a history of legitimate service.

When the identification of your caller pops up on White Pages, you get a spam level report and other users who have been harassed by this phone number supply information about the calls they've received. One benefit to immediate blocking is that many users say they get constant calls from the same numbers. We don't. Once they're blocked, we don't hear from them again.

Should we discover that a call is legit, like a recent one from a mail order pharmacy, you can unblock the number, add it to your system, and contact the caller.

Since we purchased our CPR Call Blocker V202 in February, we have blocked 95 specific phone numbers. In addition to spam, scams, marketing, charity, and political calls, this includes phone numbers from a parking lot system that kept printing our number as one of theirs in the directory they distributed to parking attendants and in other print material. Now all those numbers seem to reach a dead or non-working phone line. We have also blocked all private numbers, unknown callers, international and out of the area callers, and unavailable callers.

We have most certainly seen a drastic decline in unwanted phone calls since we began using the blocker. Most of the real calls we receive come in on our cell phones. The constant ringing of our land line was from spam, scams, and other annoying calls.

During election season, we plan to block any and all political and polling calls.

We love the sound of silence from our phones!

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: © 2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino

July 29, 2016
Opinel Knives Are Perfect for Picnic & Vacation Season

We love our Opinel Knives! If you have one (or more like us), it's time to take it out and take it with you.

Here is our oldest Opinel, a traditional #8 with a carbon steel blade. Yes, we have to make sure it's clean and dry when we put it away but it has provided a sharp edge for years and years with just routine home maintenance.

If carbon steel is not right for you, they now make these knives in stainless steel. You'll also find some specialty blades made for gardeners, fishermen, mushroom foragers, and wine lovers!

Because Opinel knives are inexpensive (considering how well they work), we keep a few of them packed and ready to go (in the travel kit shown above) for cooking in other people's kitchens. There's one in our roof deck dining bag so we always have a knife to share a bit of cheese with friends. Back in the days when we had cars, we had one of these in each vehicle.

They make great gifts for anyone who loves to enjoy an impromptu bit of food and fun.

What's on your Food Lover's shopping list?

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2014 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Related articles

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May 26, 2016
Opinel Knives Are Perfect for Picnic & Vacation Season

We love our Opinel Knives! If you have one (or more like us), it's time to take it out and take it with you.

Here is our oldest Opinel, a traditional #8 with a carbon steel blade. Yes, we have to make sure it's clean and dry when we put it away but it has provided a sharp edge for years and years with just routine home maintenance.

If carbon steel is not right for you, they now make these knives in stainless steel. You'll also find some specialty blades made for gardeners, fishermen, mushroom foragers, and wine lovers!

Because Opinel knives are inexpensive (considering how well they work), we keep a few of them packed and ready to go (in the travel kit shown above) for cooking in other people's kitchens. There's one in our roof deck dining bag so we always have a knife to share a bit of cheese with friends. Back in the days when we had cars, we had one of these in each vehicle.

They make great gifts for anyone who loves to enjoy an impromptu bit of food and fun.

What's on your Food Lover's shopping list?

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2014 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Related articles

Blue Tape for Marking Newly Sharpened Knives

Simple Spring Supper: Asparagus & Eggs

May 26, 2016
MeMail App Is Our Friday Link

The MeMail App is something I use all the time to turn random thoughts, promises, and ideas into a list that will appear in my email program the next time I sit down at my computer.

As I sent myself an email to do a post on something else I had just recommended to a friend, I quietly laughed at myself because I was using MeMail to get the job done, just as I often do many times a week. But I had never done a post recommending that readers invest $1.99 in this clean-cut, simple, productivity tool.

In the Apple App Store the description says, "Featured in TED Blog: '25+ apps to make your everyday life easier' (2014-09) Capture a thought, to-do, or scrap of information, FAST! MeMail does one thing exceptionally well: send quick emails to a pre-set address. Email yourself reminders or notes? Just launch, type, and send — that's it …"

It really is that simple. You set it up with your email address when you get it and keep it handy on the front screen of your phone. When you want to remember something, you open it, type (or in my case dictate) what you want to remember, and hit send.

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 Cherubino
Screenshots courtesy of Apple App Store

February 26, 2016