Tag: Iggy’s

Here’s a Great Tip for Keeping Bread Fresher Longer

Keeping loaves of artisan bread fresh for more than one day can take some thinking.

We cut our bread from the middle of the loaf to keep the sliced surfaces from drying out. It works!

Before returning the loaf to its bag, we use an elastic to hold the two cut surfaces together. Here's a link to great oversize elastic bands that we use in so many ways.

We also wrap the bread in a clean flour sack dish towel. (These are also Ed's favorite towels for drying wine glasses.)

This system keeps the bread fresh as we make our way to the small crusts on the end. These often wind up toasted as croutons in salads.

Here are some of our other favorite bread tools!

Bread cutting board with crumb catcher.

Our Messermeister Bread Knife

You may have seen this tip before. This is an update of a post we did in 2008. We were chatting with another bread-a-holic recently and she loved this idea when we shared it. That inspired us to refresh and republish the information.

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

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino
Photos: ©2008 Penny Cherubino

Related articles

Do You Have a Signature Dish that You Bring to Food Gatherings?

Thanks to Friends Who Make Marmalade and Share!

August 17, 2016
Bountiful Selection at Early Season Farmers Markets

These days you'll find much more than seedlings and a few greens at the first farmers markets of the season.

Just look at what we bought on opening day of the Copley Square Farmers Market!

Clockwise we have scallops and shrimp from Red's Best; white rye bread from Iggy's; almond butter from Fastachi; apples from Stillman's Farm; radishes and asparagus from The Kitchen Garden Farm; plus carrots, cucumbers, and greens purchased with our Atlas Farm market share.

We could have bought a lot more but our backpacks were full and we'll be visiting the market again on Friday.

Stillman's Farm stand at the Boston Public Market supplied shoppers with fruit and vegetables over the winter months.

Thanks to Year-Round Markets

Part of the reason we have more early season offerings is the support that shoppers have given to year-round farmers markets and the Boston Public Market.

Having someplace to sell crops has encouraged investments in cold weather farming infrastructures such as hoop houses and greenhouses.

Photo © 2016 by Halley Terry Stillman, used with permission.

Farmers can also store produce under ideal conditions resulting in crisp, crunchy apples like the Honeycrisps we bought from Stillman's Farm or the sweet spring parsnips that inspired Gordon Hamersley's parsnip soup recipe in the Boston Globe this week.

New Additions to the Market

Early season markets are also good places to get to know new vendors like Caroline from Kitchen Garden Farms who will be at Copley on Tuesdays. We not only added their radishes and asparagus to our shopping bags, we also sampled the Sriracha sauces (regular and habanero) they make with their own peppers. We'll put those on a future shopping list.

Take advantage of these May market days and visit Copley today or Friday. If not Copley, stop by another local market. Here's our List of the Opening Days of Boston area Farmers Markets.

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!

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

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino except as noted the one of the Copley Square Stillman's stand is by Halley Terry Stillman.

May 17, 2016
Bountiful Selection at Early Season Farmers Markets

These days you'll find much more than seedlings and a few greens at the first farmers markets of the season.

Just look at what we bought on opening day of the Copley Square Farmers Market!

Clockwise we have scallops and shrimp from Red's Best; white rye bread from Iggy's; almond butter from Fastachi; apples from Stillman's Farm; radishes and asparagus from The Kitchen Garden Farm; plus carrots, cucumbers, and greens purchased with our Atlas Farm market share.

We could have bought a lot more but our backpacks were full and we'll be visiting the market again on Friday.

Stillman's Farm stand at the Boston Public Market supplied shoppers with fruit and vegetables over the winter months.

Thanks to Year-Round Markets

Part of the reason we have more early season offerings is the support that shoppers have given to year-round farmers markets and the Boston Public Market.

Having someplace to sell crops has encouraged investments in cold weather farming infrastructures such as hoop houses and greenhouses.

Photo © 2016 by Halley Terry Stillman, used with permission.

Farmers can also store produce under ideal conditions resulting in crisp, crunchy apples like the Honeycrisps we bought from Stillman's Farm or the sweet spring parsnips that inspired Gordon Hamersley's parsnip soup recipe in the Boston Globe this week.

New Additions to the Market

Early season markets are also good places to get to know new vendors like Caroline from Kitchen Garden Farms who will be at Copley on Tuesdays. We not only added their radishes and asparagus to our shopping bags, we also sampled the Sriracha sauces (regular and habanero) they make with their own peppers. We'll put those on a future shopping list.

Take advantage of these May market days and visit Copley today or Friday. If not Copley, stop by another local market. Here's our List of the Opening Days of Boston area Farmers Markets.

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!

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

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino except as noted the one of the Copley Square Stillman's stand is by Halley Terry Stillman.

May 17, 2016
Boston Needs a Toast Truck!

We've been talking toast around here because that's one of the things we've been seeing and hearing more about the past few months. It's also something we'd like to see more food folks explore.

If you know someone who has been itching to start a food truck, tell them it's time Boston had a "Toast Truck." Other cities have toast trucks and we think Boston's turn is overdue.

Great Bread is the start of any great toast, so we think the Toast Truck should partner with a great bakery like Clear Flour or Iggy's. Many of the great toast meals we create begin with bread from one of those places.

Select Oyster Bar's Black Mission Fig Tartinettes with Smoked Rhode Island Bluefish. (More photos here.)

Maybe the toast truck could follow the lead of Parish Cafe and feature menu items created or inspired by the great chefs around Boston. Michael Serpa from Select Oyster Bar should be one of the first to be asked.

How many slices?

One great thing about a toast meal is that you can have as many slices as fit your appetite. If you want to snack on a single slice of Banana and nutmeg on toast, you can order one slice. If you're training for a marathon and just did a long run, you can order two or three!

Photo from Wikipedia post on toasters

One reason we often have something on toast is because it's quick – and quick is essential to food truck success. With one of those classic diner conveyor toasters on board, a crew could create traditional "toaster" toast in a jiffy. They could also broil, fry, grill, or oven-toast.

Even the logo and graphics would be easy since most food trucks are already shaped like toasters.

Yes, we think a Toast Truck could be a hit. What would you like to see offered by a Boston Toast Truck?

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

Details:

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

Related articles

Bun Thit Nuong: A Fresh, Cool Summer Dish from Vietnam

Michael Serpa Selects Champagne Jacquesson Cuvée 736 as Our Sparkler for June 2015

January 21, 2016
Boston Needs a Toast Truck!

We've been talking toast around here because that's one of the things we've been seeing and hearing more about the past few months. It's also something we'd like to see more food folks explore.

If you know someone who has been itching to start a food truck, tell them it's time Boston had a "Toast Truck." Other cities have toast trucks and we think Boston's turn is overdue.

Great Bread is the start of any great toast, so we think the Toast Truck should partner with a great bakery like Clear Flour or Iggy's. Many of the great toast meals we create begin with bread from one of those places.

Select Oyster Bar's Black Mission Fig Tartinettes with Smoked Rhode Island Bluefish. (More photos here.)

Maybe the toast truck could follow the lead of Parish Cafe and feature menu items created or inspired by the great chefs around Boston. Michael Serpa from Select Oyster Bar should be one of the first to be asked.

How many slices?

One great thing about a toast meal is that you can have as many slices as fit your appetite. If you want to snack on a single slice of Banana and nutmeg on toast, you can order one slice. If you're training for a marathon and just did a long run, you can order two or three!

Photo from Wikipedia post on toasters

One reason we often have something on toast is because it's quick – and quick is essential to food truck success. With one of those classic diner conveyor toasters on board, a crew could create traditional "toaster" toast in a jiffy. They could also broil, fry, grill, or oven-toast.

Even the logo and graphics would be easy since most food trucks are already shaped like toasters.

Yes, we think a Toast Truck could be a hit. What would you like to see offered by a Boston Toast Truck?

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

Details:

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

Related articles

Bun Thit Nuong: A Fresh, Cool Summer Dish from Vietnam

Michael Serpa Selects Champagne Jacquesson Cuvée 736 as Our Sparkler for June 2015

January 21, 2016
Early Season at the Copley Square Market

The Copley Square Farmers' Market opened on Tuesday and we were there gathering fresh food and taking photos to report to our BostonZest readers.

This market is a meeting place for the surrounding communities. We ran into friends and neighbors and enjoyed catching up with them and the vendors we've come to know over the years.

Atlas Farm had a great selection of greens. We have an Atlas Market Share and picked up romaine lettuce and baby arugula. They hope to have asparagus and strawberries perhaps as early as Friday's Copley Market.

Early season favorites like rhubarb and radishes were on the Foppema's Farm/Keown Orchards stand.

We were happy to see a good supply of our favorite honey at this stand.

Stillman's Farm has a good selection of annuals, herbs, and flowers to plant in your own garden, and a good supply of meat from Stillman's at the Turkey Farm.

As always, it's good to see our farmers back. The Stillman team stopped long enough to pose for us.

Mushrooms were on offer at Siena Farms.

Here's what we brought home today: Greens from Atlas Farm, bread from Iggy's, Spicy Pickles from Maine Homestead Farm, a three-course lunch from Seta's Mediterranean Foods, Almonds from Fastachi, Feta cheese from Narragansett Creamery and granola bars from Cook's Farm Orchard.

There were plenty of prepared foods, baked goods, and lunch options at the market. And, of course, each new market will bring more fresh food harvested by local farms.

What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List? Shop Amazon for all your Kitchen & Dining needs and support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino

May 16, 2013
Early Season at the Copley Square Market

The Copley Square Farmers' Market opened on Tuesday and we were there gathering fresh food and taking photos to report to our BostonZest readers.

This market is a meeting place for the surrounding communities. We ran into friends and neighbors and enjoyed catching up with them and the vendors we've come to know over the years.

Atlas Farm had a great selection of greens. We have an Atlas Market Share and picked up romaine lettuce and baby arugula. They hope to have asparagus and strawberries perhaps as early as Friday's Copley Market.

Early season favorites like rhubarb and radishes were on the Foppema's Farm/Keown Orchards stand.

We were happy to see a good supply of our favorite honey at this stand.

Stillman's Farm has a good selection of annuals, herbs, and flowers to plant in your own garden, and a good supply of meat from Stillman's at the Turkey Farm.

As always, it's good to see our farmers back. The Stillman team stopped long enough to pose for us.

Mushrooms were on offer at Siena Farms.

Here's what we brought home today: Greens from Atlas Farm, bread from Iggy's, Spicy Pickles from Maine Homestead Farm, a three-course lunch from Seta's Mediterranean Foods, Almonds from Fastachi, Feta cheese from Narragansett Creamery and granola bars from Cook's Farm Orchard.

There were plenty of prepared foods, baked goods, and lunch options at the market. And, of course, each new market will bring more fresh food harvested by local farms.

What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List? Shop Amazon for all your Kitchen & Dining needs and support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino

May 16, 2013
Early Season at the Copley Square Market

The Copley Square Farmers' Market opened on Tuesday and we were there gathering fresh food and taking photos to report to our BostonZest readers.

This market is a meeting place for the surrounding communities. We ran into friends and neighbors and enjoyed catching up with them and the vendors we've come to know over the years.

Atlas Farm had a great selection of greens. We have an Atlas Market Share and picked up romaine lettuce and baby arugula. They hope to have asparagus and strawberries perhaps as early as Friday's Copley Market.

Early season favorites like rhubarb and radishes were on the Foppema's Farm/Keown Orchards stand.

We were happy to see a good supply of our favorite honey at this stand.

Stillman's Farm has a good selection of annuals, herbs, and flowers to plant in your own garden, and a good supply of meat from Stillman's at the Turkey Farm.

As always, it's good to see our farmers back. The Stillman team stopped long enough to pose for us.

Mushrooms were on offer at Siena Farms.

Here's what we brought home today: Greens from Atlas Farm, bread from Iggy's, Spicy Pickles from Maine Homestead Farm, a three-course lunch from Seta's Mediterranean Foods, Almonds from Fastachi, Feta cheese from Narragansett Creamery and granola bars from Cook's Farm Orchard.

There were plenty of prepared foods, baked goods, and lunch options at the market. And, of course, each new market will bring more fresh food harvested by local farms.

What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List? Shop Amazon for all your Kitchen & Dining needs and support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino

May 16, 2013
Focaccia Croutons Are Tops

While I don’t enjoy TV cooking contests, I do love to set myself a challenge now and then. A favorite one is using up what is left on hand as we get ready to leave a rental house.

We had purchased a loaf of focaccia the day before and had what we needed to make a big salad, so the focaccia became croutons. I cut the bread into cubes and sautéed those in a bit of butter and olive oil. Before they left the skillet, I tossed them with salt, black pepper, aleppo pepper, and fine french herbs. This made some of the best croutons I’ve ever had.

This was Deep Dish Rosemany Focaccia from Iggy’s Bread of the World. Fortunately, it’s sold at Angell Foods in the East End of Provincetown as well as around the Greater Boston area. We’ve bought it at the Copley farmers’ market.

The salad the croutons topped was a vision in green with romaine lettuce, cucumber, and avacado. It made a great combination and cleaned out the vegetable bin.

What’s on your food lover’s shopping list? Shop Amazon for all your kitchen & dining needs. and support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino
Photos: © 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 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.

Related articles

When Autumn Comes…

Apples And Raisins Sourdough Focaccia With Rye

Simple September Eats: Panzanella Salad

Easy Focaccia Adds Panache to Simple Meals

How to Make Croutons

October 4, 2012
Focaccia Croutons Are Tops

While I don’t enjoy TV cooking contests, I do love to set myself a challenge now and then. A favorite one is using up what is left on hand as we get ready to leave a rental house.

We had purchased a loaf of focaccia the day before and had what we needed to make a big salad, so the focaccia became croutons. I cut the bread into cubes and sautéed those in a bit of butter and olive oil. Before they left the skillet, I tossed them with salt, black pepper, aleppo pepper, and fine french herbs. This made some of the best croutons I’ve ever had.

This was Deep Dish Rosemany Focaccia from Iggy’s Bread of the World. Fortunately, it’s sold at Angell Foods in the East End of Provincetown as well as around the Greater Boston area. We’ve bought it at the Copley farmers’ market.

The salad the croutons topped was a vision in green with romaine lettuce, cucumber, and avacado. It made a great combination and cleaned out the vegetable bin.

What’s on your food lover’s shopping list? Shop Amazon for all your kitchen & dining needs. and support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino
Photos: © 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 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.

Related articles

When Autumn Comes…

Apples And Raisins Sourdough Focaccia With Rye

Simple September Eats: Panzanella Salad

Easy Focaccia Adds Panache to Simple Meals

How to Make Croutons

October 4, 2012