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  • Soup in Summer Beyond Gazpacho

    If we suggest soup and it’s summertime, you may think of gazpacho.

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    We like our gazpacho garnished with avocado. Learn more about that here.

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    Or, if you’re willing to stretch the meaning of soup a bit, you might think of a cup of clam chowder, lobster bisque, or seafood stew at a clam shack. The one above is a RI Clam Chowder that we posted about here.

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    What happened to all those chilled soups that used to appear as a first course at the finest restaurants? Soups like vichyssoise (leek and potato soup), watercress bisque, chilled borscht, and light and lovely fruit soups with a sour cream or yogurt base?

    Too Much Work?

    Many cold soups are much easier to prepare today thanks to blenders and food processors. If the idea of a fruit soup sounds alien to you, think about that smoothie you had today. What is that but a cold soup by another name served in a cup with a straw rather than a bowl with a spoon?

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    Fast & Economical

    One reason for starting a meal with soup is explained by Trine Hahnemann in her book, “Scandinavian Comfort Food.” “Soup was for years a first course served to make sure people weren't too hungry when the main course arrived and meat was served; meat was very costly and therefore not served in big portions.” That is one page from her "Soup for Every Season" chapter in the photo above.

    Another plus for a soup course is that you can have it ready and serve it quickly to hungry diners. Summer soup tends to be simple and can be fast to make. Just blend ripe fruit cubes with yogurt or sour cream; season it with ginger, mint, fruit vinegars, liquors, spices, or herbs; and it’s ready!

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    You can even make soup from food you might otherwise waste. For example, the asparagus peelings and stems left over from one night became a quick soup for another. How? Start by sautéing a bit of onion and garlic in olive oil, add your left over peelings and stems followed by water or chicken stock. Simmer until everything is tender and puree it with a blender. You can do this same thing with other vegetables. If the vegetables are juicy, like tomatoes or summer squash, you could use less broth.

    You can strain the soup or serve it in a more rustic style. You could add some cream or yogurt or keep it a broth-based soup to help you manage your weight.

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

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photos: ©2011-2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino 

     (Adapted for BostonZest from one of our Fresh & Local newspaper columns.)

  • Toasting July with Charles de Cazanove Rosé Champagne

    For July we would like to reintroduce you to a lovely bottle of Charles de Cazanove Rosé Champagne. This year we're having a great time shopping in our own wine rack and enjoying old favorite sparkling wines for our first-of-the-month wine toasts.

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    Above is a photo from a couple of years ago when we first wrote about this wine in our post: 

    Charles de Cazanove Rosé Champagne – One Happy Surprise!

    Click over there to find out how a mistake made in a moment of hurry had a happy ending.

    Trying wines from different places, made with different grapes, and produced by different methods adds spice to our monthly ritual. Since New Years Eve 2007 we have raised a glass of sparkling wine to greet each new month!

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    Our bottle of Charles de Cazanove Rosé is a blend of 15% Chardonnay, 50% Pinot Noir, 20% Pinot Meunier, and 15% Côteaux Champenois Rouge. The blend will vary from year-to-year as the winemaker tries to achieve the house style. We're always happy when we see a high percentage of Pinot Noir in a bottle. And, we love wines of great value. This one should be about $35. 

    K & L Wines always has great and reliable descriptions of wines. "This rich, round rosé is a truly affordable luxury. Although thus far off the radar of wine critics, I think it's the best wine from de Cazanove, with its lovely strawberry color and aromas. Full-bodied but nicely balanced, this wine will make a great aperitif or pair well with a charcuterie plate or after-dinner fruit salad."

    Then they include this quote which makes us happy about opening an older bottle.

    "… 91 points Wine Spectator, Refined, with well-meshed acidity providing a backbone for delicate flavors of dried currant, graphite, green plum, meringue and grapefruit zest. Fresh, smoke-tinged finish. Drink now through 2020."

    Our friends at Bauer Wine & Spirits often have this wine in stock.

    Related Posts:

    Our Sparkling Resolution is covered in this post : Join Us as We Toast…

    A Few of Our Favorite Gifts for Wine Lovers

    Here are all the wines we've covered. Since this is a category, this post may appear at the top. Just scroll down for more.

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

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photos: ©2018 Penny & Ed Cherubino 

  • Toasting July with Charles de Cazanove Rosé Champagne

    For July we would like to reintroduce you to a lovely bottle of Charles de Cazanove Rosé Champagne. This year we're having a great time shopping in our own wine rack and enjoying old favorite sparkling wines for our first-of-the-month wine toasts.

    6a00e54fc42bb8883401b8d16f2b1a970c-800wi

    Above is a photo from a couple of years ago when we first wrote about this wine in our post: 

    Charles de Cazanove Rosé Champagne – One Happy Surprise!

    Click over there to find out how a mistake made in a moment of hurry had a happy ending.

    Trying wines from different places, made with different grapes, and produced by different methods adds spice to our monthly ritual. Since New Years Eve 2007 we have raised a glass of sparkling wine to greet each new month!

    IMG_0494

    Our bottle of Charles de Cazanove Rosé is a blend of 15% Chardonnay, 50% Pinot Noir, 20% Pinot Meunier, and 15% Côteaux Champenois Rouge. The blend will vary from year-to-year as the winemaker tries to achieve the house style. We're always happy when we see a high percentage of Pinot Noir in a bottle. And, we love wines of great value. This one should be about $35. 

    K & L Wines always has great and reliable descriptions of wines. "This rich, round rosé is a truly affordable luxury. Although thus far off the radar of wine critics, I think it's the best wine from de Cazanove, with its lovely strawberry color and aromas. Full-bodied but nicely balanced, this wine will make a great aperitif or pair well with a charcuterie plate or after-dinner fruit salad."

    Then they include this quote which makes us happy about opening an older bottle.

    "… 91 points Wine Spectator, Refined, with well-meshed acidity providing a backbone for delicate flavors of dried currant, graphite, green plum, meringue and grapefruit zest. Fresh, smoke-tinged finish. Drink now through 2020."

    Our friends at Bauer Wine & Spirits often have this wine in stock.

    Related Posts:

    Our Sparkling Resolution is covered in this post : Join Us as We Toast…

    A Few of Our Favorite Gifts for Wine Lovers

    Here are all the wines we've covered. Since this is a category, this post may appear at the top. Just scroll down for more.

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

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photos: ©2018 Penny & Ed Cherubino 

  • Poppy Says, “You Can’t See Me…”

    "I'm hiding down here."

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    Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs. (Since this one is part of that category, it will appear at the top.)

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

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photos: ©2018 Penny & Ed Cherubino 

  • Poppy Says, “You Can’t See Me…”

    "I'm hiding down here."

    IMG_0309 copy

    Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs. (Since this one is part of that category, it will appear at the top.)

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

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photos: ©2018 Penny & Ed Cherubino 

  • “Raindrop Keep Falling on My Head…” Photo Tales & Quotes

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    "Raindrop Keep Falling on My Head…They Keep Falling…" 

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    But they only make these Giant Allium in the Public Garden, covered with droplets after a rainy day, more fascinating to photograph.

    About Photo Tales & Quotes: 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. Photo Tales & Quotes 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!

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photography: © 2018 Penny Cherubino  

  • “Raindrop Keep Falling on My Head…” Photo Tales & Quotes

    IMG_9938

    "Raindrop Keep Falling on My Head…They Keep Falling…" 

    IMG_9938 (1)

    But they only make these Giant Allium in the Public Garden, covered with droplets after a rainy day, more fascinating to photograph.

    About Photo Tales & Quotes: 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. Photo Tales & Quotes 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!

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photography: © 2018 Penny Cherubino  

  • Toasting June with Our Old Friend, Nino Franco Rustico Prosecco

    Nino Franco Rustico is the kind of old friend you take on vacation with you. And we did! To be sure we would have a bottle of this favorite prosecco to enjoy by the beach, we took along one from our Boston wine rack. (There are usually a few bottles of Nino filling their usual slots.)

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    We are having a fun year toasting each new month with wines that are old friends and that have happy stories of friends to go with them.

    This wine was introduced to us by Howie Rubin at Bauer Wine and Spirits on Newbury Street in Boston. Howie is one of our longtime wine mentors. We have been writing about him and the wines he has introduced to us since 2008. Here is his story: Howie Rubin-A Life of Wine and Relationships.

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    Over the years of writing about and recommending this wine, we became social media friends with Silvia Franco. That's her in the photo above. We were fortunate to meet her in person when she came to Boston. Here is that story: Brix Wine Shop Makes Our Nino Franco Dreams Come True!

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    Sharing a bottle of this lovely sparkler is a rite of vacation for us. This year we sipped it on a foggy evening on the deck as we watched the tide change in Provincetown Harbor. First and foremost this is a food wine. It will happily pair up with whatever you are nibbling…

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    … even if it's some squares of bar pizza, a few cherry tomatoes, and a pile of shavings of parmigiano reggiano. Hey, it was what we had on hand in a rental house when we were too relaxed to go out and shop for more food. The Nino turned it into a feast! 

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    Last month by the bay or tonight on the roof deck, we love this wine and hope you will find a bottle and enjoy it at some point this summer. 

    Trying wines from different places, made with different grapes, and produced by different methods adds spice to our monthly ritual. Since New Year's Eve 2007 we have raised a glass of sparkling wine to greet each new month – waiting 12 months just wouldn't do.

    Related Posts:

    Our Sparkling Resolution is covered in this post : Join Us as We Toast…

    A Few of Our Favorite Gifts for Wine Lovers

    Here are all the wines we've covered. Since this is a category, this post may appear at the top. Just scroll down for more.

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

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photos: ©2018 Penny & Ed Cherubino 

  • Toasting June with Our Old Friend, Nino Franco Rustico Prosecco

    Nino Franco Rustico is the kind of old friend you take on vacation with you. And we did! To be sure we would have a bottle of this favorite prosecco to enjoy by the beach, we took along one from our Boston wine rack. (There are usually a few bottles of Nino filling their usual slots.)

    P1010761

    We are having a fun year toasting each new month with wines that are old friends and that have happy stories of friends to go with them.

    This wine was introduced to us by Howie Rubin at Bauer Wine and Spirits on Newbury Street in Boston. Howie is one of our longtime wine mentors. We have been writing about him and the wines he has introduced to us since 2008. Here is his story: Howie Rubin-A Life of Wine and Relationships.

    6a00e54fc42bb8883401b7c6ed3ebe970b-800wi

    Over the years of writing about and recommending this wine, we became social media friends with Silvia Franco. That's her in the photo above. We were fortunate to meet her in person when she came to Boston. Here is that story: Brix Wine Shop Makes Our Nino Franco Dreams Come True!

    P1010768

    Sharing a bottle of this lovely sparkler is a rite of vacation for us. This year we sipped it on a foggy evening on the deck as we watched the tide change in Provincetown Harbor. First and foremost this is a food wine. It will happily pair up with whatever you are nibbling…

    IMG_9733

    … even if it's some squares of bar pizza, a few cherry tomatoes, and a pile of shavings of parmigiano reggiano. Hey, it was what we had on hand in a rental house when we were too relaxed to go out and shop for more food. The Nino turned it into a feast! 

    P1010767

    Last month by the bay or tonight on the roof deck, we love this wine and hope you will find a bottle and enjoy it at some point this summer. 

    Trying wines from different places, made with different grapes, and produced by different methods adds spice to our monthly ritual. Since New Year's Eve 2007 we have raised a glass of sparkling wine to greet each new month – waiting 12 months just wouldn't do.

    Related Posts:

    Our Sparkling Resolution is covered in this post : Join Us as We Toast…

    A Few of Our Favorite Gifts for Wine Lovers

    Here are all the wines we've covered. Since this is a category, this post may appear at the top. Just scroll down for more.

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

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photos: ©2018 Penny & Ed Cherubino 

  • Farmers Market Asparagus Ragout à la Jacques Pepin

    We have had Asparagus Ragout for supper repeatedly in recent weeks. We visited the Provincetown Farmers Market on a recent trip to our favorite spot on the tip of the Cape and bought a bunch of asparagus from Silverbrook Farm. We didn't want to turn on the oven in our rental apartment to roast it, so Penny remembered a Jacques Pepin cooking technique for cooking fresh vegetables in a little water and a bit of butter. We both loved the result. 

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    After returning home, we located a Jacques Pepin video with instructions for what he calls Asparagus Ragout. (This dish is first up on this the program.)  

    Via Wikipedia we found this about Ragout, "The term comes from the French ragoûter, meaning: 'to revive the taste." The Italian ragù (the word being borrowed from French) is a sauce such as Ragù Napoletano used typically to dress pasta."

    While this farm fresh asparagus did not need reviving, this method of cooking it certainly results in great flavor complete with a light sauce. (Naturally, Ed selected his favorite utensil – a slice of fresh bread – and sopped up every drop of the sauce remaining on his plate.)

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    When we returned to Boston, we bought more asparagus at the Atlas Farm stand at the Copley Square Farmers Market and had a second supper of lovely, local asparagus.

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    We do peel the stalks and this time we had watched the video and followed Jacques' method. If you have the time, you can make an asparagus soup from the trimmings. 

    Asparagus ragu

    We highly recommend this quick and easy cooking method for many of the fresh, local vegetable you'll be gathering at local markets this summer. 

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

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photos: ©2018 Penny & Ed Cherubino