Over the next few days, we're going to point out some of the great Halloween decorations in our area. Today's spotlight is just steps from the Public Garden at 5 Commonwealth Avenue.
"Halloween is an opportunity to be really creative." Judy Gold
About Today in Boston: We keep hearing that people miss our cover photos that ran for years in the Back Bay Sun. That assignment was to provide a photo that showed what the week was like in the neighborhood. Often the photos illustrated favorite quotations. Today in Boston is an occasional offering to our BostonZest readers featuring photos along the same theme but taken wherever we happen to be.
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We spotted this license plate this summer? Have you ever seen an "Apportioned Plate?"
All the way home we made up scenarios for what we thought it might be. Was it a vehicle for personal use part-time and commercial use others? We remembered that Rhode Island had a plate like that called a suburban plate.
When we got back, we looked up Apportioned Plate and learned that it's part of an International Registration Plan. It can be used for fleets of vehicles that are used in two countries, like the United States and Canada. New Hampshire explains it here.
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!
We spotted this license plate this summer? Have you ever seen an "Apportioned Plate?"
All the way home we made up scenarios for what we thought it might be. Was it a vehicle for personal use part-time and commercial use others? We remembered that Rhode Island had a plate like that called a suburban plate.
When we got back, we looked up Apportioned Plate and learned that it's part of an International Registration Plan. It can be used for fleets of vehicles that are used in two countries, like the United States and Canada. New Hampshire explains it here.
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!
"Great buildings that move the spirit have always been rare. In every case they are unique, poetic, products of the heart." Arthur Erickson (Canadian Architect)
About Today in Boston: We keep hearing that people miss our cover photos that ran for years in the Back Bay Sun. That assignment was to provide a photo that showed what the week was like in the neighborhood. Often the photos illustrated favorite quotations. Today in Boston is an occasional offering to our BostonZest readers featuring photos along the same theme but taken wherever we happen to be.
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!
"Great buildings that move the spirit have always been rare. In every case they are unique, poetic, products of the heart." Arthur Erickson (Canadian Architect)
About Today in Boston: We keep hearing that people miss our cover photos that ran for years in the Back Bay Sun. That assignment was to provide a photo that showed what the week was like in the neighborhood. Often the photos illustrated favorite quotations. Today in Boston is an occasional offering to our BostonZest readers featuring photos along the same theme but taken wherever we happen to be.
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!
Since Libby started canning pumpkin purée more than 75 years ago, cautious cooks have avoided the work of peeling and cutting this challenging vegetable. I happen to like more texture on my plate, so I researched recipes for fall dining and the holidays where you could actually recognize a few chunks of real pumpkin.
When buying a pumpkin for cooking, be sure to get a sweet, tasty version like these pie pumpkins from Stillman's Farm rather than one grown for display.
We are offered pumpkin flavor this and pumpkin flavor that! But, if you review the ingredients in those products, you may not find pumpkin on the list. Most “pumpkin” items contain what we might call pumpkin pie spices – cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, and cloves.
The first time Ed and I hosted Thanksgiving dinner in our home, we began the meal with a recipe for “Pumpkin Tureen” from The Enchanted Broccoli Forest cookbook.
It was a pumpkin filled with a mixture of rye bread, swiss cheese, onion, mustard, horseradish, and milk and then roasted in the oven until the pumpkin pulp was tender enough to scoop out with each serving. This was a mistake. The dish was so rich and filling that it should have been served alone not as part of a large holiday meal.
Today I’m more likely to serve slices of roasted pumpkin as part of a side dish of various root vegetables. Roasting brings out the best in pumpkin.
We think of pumpkin as a harvest season treat. Other cultures embrace this large squash as a filling diet mainstay.
Traditional Indian cooks use pumpkin in curries. Madhur Jaffrey features a pumpkin stir-fry in her latest cookbook, Vegetarian India. She blooms mustard seeds, urad dal, and dried chilis for a few seconds in hot oil before adding onion and then pumpkin cubes. After a few minutes of stir-frying the vegetables, she adds cumin, water, and brown sugar and simmers the dish until glazed and tender.
Another favorite book, “The New Spanish Table” contains a recipe for Olla Gitana or Gypsy Pot. This hearty stew has carrots, garlic, onions, tomatoes, and chicken stock as a typical soup base. But it adds a colorful rhythm section of pumpkin, chickpeas, pears, almonds, and saffron.
Cambridge restaurant Helmand heads their appetizer menu with this tempting photo of Kaddo.
Middle Eastern cooks create Kabak Tatlisi, a pumpkin dessert. They candy the pumpkin by slowly roasting it in sugar and in its own juices. Pumpkin prepared like this is turned into Kaddo Bourani the signature dish at the Cambridge restaurant Helmand. They top the sweet, roasted pumpkin with a rich meat sauce and tangy yogurt.
Gordon Hamersley has a great pumpkin, mango chutney recipe in his cookbook, Bistro Cooking at Home. He pairs it with duck. A quick web search reveals hundreds of variations of this Indian condiment. It might be a great new holiday tradition.
That baked pumpkin that I made for a holiday meal would make a great vegetarian alternative to turkey or ham on a holiday table for guests who prefer vegetarian food. Using small pie pumpkins, you could make two smaller versions using rice instead of bread in one, for anyone who is gluten intolerant.
Since Libby started canning pumpkin purée more than 75 years ago, cautious cooks have avoided the work of peeling and cutting this challenging vegetable. I happen to like more texture on my plate, so I researched recipes for fall dining and the holidays where you could actually recognize a few chunks of real pumpkin.
When buying a pumpkin for cooking, be sure to get a sweet, tasty version like these pie pumpkins from Stillman's Farm rather than one grown for display.
We are offered pumpkin flavor this and pumpkin flavor that! But, if you review the ingredients in those products, you may not find pumpkin on the list. Most “pumpkin” items contain what we might call pumpkin pie spices – cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, and cloves.
The first time Ed and I hosted Thanksgiving dinner in our home, we began the meal with a recipe for “Pumpkin Tureen” from The Enchanted Broccoli Forest cookbook.
It was a pumpkin filled with a mixture of rye bread, swiss cheese, onion, mustard, horseradish, and milk and then roasted in the oven until the pumpkin pulp was tender enough to scoop out with each serving. This was a mistake. The dish was so rich and filling that it should have been served alone not as part of a large holiday meal.
Today I’m more likely to serve slices of roasted pumpkin as part of a side dish of various root vegetables. Roasting brings out the best in pumpkin.
We think of pumpkin as a harvest season treat. Other cultures embrace this large squash as a filling diet mainstay.
Traditional Indian cooks use pumpkin in curries. Madhur Jaffrey features a pumpkin stir-fry in her latest cookbook, Vegetarian India. She blooms mustard seeds, urad dal, and dried chilis for a few seconds in hot oil before adding onion and then pumpkin cubes. After a few minutes of stir-frying the vegetables, she adds cumin, water, and brown sugar and simmers the dish until glazed and tender.
Another favorite book, “The New Spanish Table” contains a recipe for Olla Gitana or Gypsy Pot. This hearty stew has carrots, garlic, onions, tomatoes, and chicken stock as a typical soup base. But it adds a colorful rhythm section of pumpkin, chickpeas, pears, almonds, and saffron.
Cambridge restaurant Helmand heads their appetizer menu with this tempting photo of Kaddo.
Middle Eastern cooks create Kabak Tatlisi, a pumpkin dessert. They candy the pumpkin by slowly roasting it in sugar and in its own juices. Pumpkin prepared like this is turned into Kaddo Bourani the signature dish at the Cambridge restaurant Helmand. They top the sweet, roasted pumpkin with a rich meat sauce and tangy yogurt.
Gordon Hamersley has a great pumpkin, mango chutney recipe in his cookbook, Bistro Cooking at Home. He pairs it with duck. A quick web search reveals hundreds of variations of this Indian condiment. It might be a great new holiday tradition.
That baked pumpkin that I made for a holiday meal would make a great vegetarian alternative to turkey or ham on a holiday table for guests who prefer vegetarian food. Using small pie pumpkins, you could make two smaller versions using rice instead of bread in one, for anyone who is gluten intolerant.
"There are two kinds of light – the glow that illuminates, and the glare that obscures." James Thurber
About Today in Boston: We keep hearing that people miss our cover photos that ran for years in the Back Bay Sun. That assignment was to provide a photo that showed what the week was like in the neighborhood. Often the photos illustrated favorite quotations. Today in Boston is an occasional offering to our BostonZest readers featuring photos along the same theme but taken wherever we happen to be.
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!
"There are two kinds of light – the glow that illuminates, and the glare that obscures." James Thurber
About Today in Boston: We keep hearing that people miss our cover photos that ran for years in the Back Bay Sun. That assignment was to provide a photo that showed what the week was like in the neighborhood. Often the photos illustrated favorite quotations. Today in Boston is an occasional offering to our BostonZest readers featuring photos along the same theme but taken wherever we happen to be.
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!
With Halloween approaching, cats come to mind. Not just because they are symbols of the holiday, but also because this can be a dangerous time for cats and dogs.
(Photo by Leslie Jones from the Boston Public Library's Leslie Jones Collection)
Tempted by Treats
Having extra candy and treats around for your family, holiday party, or trick-or-treaters can pose a danger to your pets. Chocolate in all forms, but especially the darkest chocolate, can cause symptoms ranging from gastrointestinal upset to seizures.
The ASPCA reminds us that, “Candies containing the artificial sweetener xylitol can be poisonous to dogs. Even small amounts of xylitol sweetener can cause a sudden drop in blood sugarwhich leads to depression, lack of coordination, and seizures.”
Even holiday decorations, like pumpkins and dried corn, can give your pet an upset tummy, if they try to dine on them. And, large pieces of these items, ribbons, and wrappers that are part of the decor can be hazards for choking or intestinal blockages.
As a puppy, Poppy dressed up as a frog in a onesie! As you can see, she was very relaxed in her outfit.
Stressed Out Playing Dress Up
There are a few pets who are total hams and will love wearing a Halloween costume. For many others it can be stressful. Choose costumes with care and give your dog or cat time to adjust before the big party. If your pet shows signs of stress, consider a t-shirt or jacket style costume that leaves the head and ears free. Or, if your beast has stage fright, you wear the costume and let your dog or cat be an accessory.
Dan, from Boston Pet Sitters, has been known to dress up instead of costuming his pack.
Another ASPCA reminder concerns the design and fit of holiday finery. “Take a closer look at your pet’s costume and make sure it does not have small, dangling or easily chewed-off pieces that he could choke on. Also, ill-fitting outfits can get twisted on external objects or your pet, leading to injury.”
This Bulldog says, "I'm going over the hill and there's nut-in' you can do bout it!"
(Photo by Leslie Jones from the Boston Public Library's Leslie Jones Collection)
Escape Artists
Trick-or-treaters in costume can frighten an otherwise well-mannered pet. If you love to dress up to answer the call of trick-or-treaters, you could scare your pet. And, when a pet is frightened, it can and will do the unexpected.
With doors opening and closing to admit partygoers or to hand out treats, there are many opportunities for a gentle homebody – let alone the veteran escape artist – to make a break for it.
Consider tucking your dog or cat away in a separate room with a favorite bed or blanket while you host Halloween visitors.
If you don’t normally keep ID on your dog or cat when they are indoors, this next week might be a good time to add that extra precaution to your Halloween safety checklist.
(Photo by Leslie Jones from the Boston Public Library's Leslie Jones Collection)
Keep Cats Indoors
Horror stories of animal cruelty to cats crop up every Halloween season. There are dozens of reasons cats should be kept indoors any time of the year. City cats are in danger from other animals, poisons like antifreeze, and bait set for rodents. Wandering the streets they can be hit by cars, become trapped in odd spaces, and be exposed to diseases and parasites from feral cats.
Some of the saddest signs around the neighborhood are the ones posted for lost cats. When you see one, you look around and worry about where that tiny creature may be hiding – alone and afraid.
Poison Control
Finally, if you think your dog or cat has eaten something that may have poisoned it, call the Animal Poison Control Hotline at 1-888-426-4435. This is a 24/7 poison hotline. A fee is required to use this service, but fast action could save the life of the pet you love.
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cookbook. 
.
” contains a recipe for Olla Gitana or Gypsy Pot. This hearty stew has carrots, garlic, onions, tomatoes, and chicken stock as a typical soup base. But it adds a colorful rhythm section of pumpkin, chickpeas, pears, almonds, and saffron.
. He pairs it with duck. A quick web search reveals hundreds of variations of this Indian condiment. It might be a great new holiday tradition.
from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.