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Julia Child Said You Should Make “… Good Food From Fresh Ingredients.”

“You don't have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces – just good food from fresh ingredients.” Julia Child

This plate of fresh goodness only required a little scrubbing, slicing, and seasoning to become a supper for two on Sunday evening. With a plate of good bread off to the side, we were both happy.

That meal began with a basket full of fresh organic produce from the Copley Farmers Market. For information on area farmers markets, we have a post we're keeping updated.

Boston Area Spring-to-Fall Farmers Market Opening Dates

On Monday we added some of those goodies to a beautiful gazpacho. We try to shop with care – buy what we can use up while it's at its best, reduce the amount of food we waste, and get the best value out of our food dollars.

We think Julia would approve of our food philosophy.

Related Post:

Garnish Gazpacho with Avocado Like Panificio Does!

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: © 2017 Penny Cherubino

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June 7, 2017
Poppy Says, “June Is the Best Month to Be a Boston Dog!”

Duchess Poppy Whitehead here, telling you why, as a dog, I love June in Boston. (Should you wonder, my retainers, Ed & Penny love June in Boston too!)

First of all, June is quieter than other months. The college people are gone and most tourist people come here a bit later in the summer. We will still have all that noisy construction, but maybe some of them will take a vacation or learn to be more polite with their noise.

I'm not the only dog who loves a little bench time. June is the perfect month to spend some time on a park bench. Tell your people to grab a book and some supplies. Then you can pick a bench for a nap or some people and dog watching.

Make sure an easy to use K9 Canteen is one of the supplies your servants bring. I have Ed well trained in serving water, as you can see.

The restaurants are not too busy. If your people are very observant and ask the right people, you might find a few restaurant patios where you can tuck under a table while you treat your hard-working staff to a meal.

Your people may have more company over, if they have outdoor space to share. You can see my pal Tricky here as she acted as hostess to my people on her patio, so I could have an evening of peace and quiet with a goat cheese stuffed KONG.

Many times June has my favorite weather. Not too hot and not too cold. What more could a Duchess request of a month? So I'm calling on all the Boston dogs to get their people out to enjoy this great month in Boston.

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: Duchess Poppy Whitehead as dictated to her retainers, Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: ©2015- 2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino

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My Little Sunday Dog …

A Sunday Beach Dog Playing on the Tidal Flats

Let Your Sunday Dog Take the Lead

June 4, 2017
Poppy Says, “June Is the Best Month to Be a Boston Dog!”

Duchess Poppy Whitehead here, telling you why, as a dog, I love June in Boston. (Should you wonder, my retainers, Ed & Penny love June in Boston too!)

First of all, June is quieter than other months. The college people are gone and most tourist people come here a bit later in the summer. We will still have all that noisy construction, but maybe some of them will take a vacation or learn to be more polite with their noise.

I'm not the only dog who loves a little bench time. June is the perfect month to spend some time on a park bench. Tell your people to grab a book and some supplies. Then you can pick a bench for a nap or some people and dog watching.

Make sure an easy to use K9 Canteen is one of the supplies your servants bring. I have Ed well trained in serving water, as you can see.

The restaurants are not too busy. If your people are very observant and ask the right people, you might find a few restaurant patios where you can tuck under a table while you treat your hard-working staff to a meal.

Your people may have more company over, if they have outdoor space to share. You can see my pal Tricky here as she acted as hostess to my people on her patio, so I could have an evening of peace and quiet with a goat cheese stuffed KONG.

Many times June has my favorite weather. Not too hot and not too cold. What more could a Duchess request of a month? So I'm calling on all the Boston dogs to get their people out to enjoy this great month in Boston.

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: Duchess Poppy Whitehead as dictated to her retainers, Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: ©2015- 2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Related articles

My Little Sunday Dog …

A Sunday Beach Dog Playing on the Tidal Flats

Let Your Sunday Dog Take the Lead

June 4, 2017
2017 Concerts in the Courtyard at the Boston Public Library
Once again the Boston Public Library comes through with free entertainment for those of us who take advantage of the endless ways this Boston resource serves the public. The Concerts in the Courtyard series for 2017 begins today and will continue through August 30th.

Here's what the folks at the BPL have told us about this season:

"The Courtyard of the Central Library in Copley Square, one of Boston's most beautiful spaces, is filled with music during free, one-hour concerts throughout the summer.

Can't sneak away from the office for our noon performances? We will be streaming the Friday concerts live on our Facebook page."

Concerts are held on Wednesdays at 6 p.m. and on Fridays at 12:30 p.m. All the concerts are free.

June schedule:

Area 9 Quartet, Friday, June 2, 12:30 p.m. Area 9 Quartet is a Boston-based ensemble dedicated to exploring the rich, diverse, and ever-growing chamber music repertoire for saxophone.

Marco Mares, Wednesday, June 7, 6 p.m. Marco Mares is a singer-songwriter from Mexico City who showcased his fresh and honest pop sound in his debut album Para Ella (2014). Marco’s interactive performances highlight fun, funky pop mixed with romantic Spanish lyrics.

Boston Philharmonic, Friday, June 9, 12:30 p.m. Join members of the Boston Philharmonic as they perform chamber and quartet music, taking their passion out of the concert hall to the public as part of their education and community outreach program, Crescendo!

Francesca Crowley, Wednesday, June 14, 6 p.m. Francesca’s influences include songwriters such as Stevie Nicks, Norah Jones, and Joni Mitchell, and she strives to create new and different music inspired by her life.

Project STEP, Friday, June 16, 12:30 p.m. Project STEP (String Training and Education Program) recognizes that certain racial and ethnic minorities are vastly underrepresented in classical music. Their mission is to address this imbalance by identifying musically talented children from underrepresented Boston and surrounding communities and providing them with comprehensive music and string instrument instruction.

Maro Maro, Wednesday, June 21, 6 p.m. Maro Maro is a singer-songwriter, pianist, and guitarist from Lisbon, Portugal.

Francisco Roldán, Friday, June 23, 12:30 p.m. Colombian-born guitarist Francisco Roldán plays solo and chamber music nationally and internationally. Roldán presents a concert of lyrical, rhythmic, and sensual music by Central and South American composers on the classical guitar.

Aliya Cycon Project, Wednesday, June 28, 6 p.m. Aliya Cycon Project (ACP) blends Aliya Cycon’s soulful compositions with characteristics of traditional Arabic music to create an unforgettable East-meets-West experience.

Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras (BYSO) Intensive Community Program (ICP), Friday, June 30, 12:30 p.m. The Intensive Community Program is a rigorous instrument training program that brings quality classical music instruction to underrepresented communities.

July and August schedule:
- Brandon Diaz, Wednesday, July 5, 6 p.m.
- NorthStar Duo, Friday, July 7, 12:30 p.m.
- Samuel Batista, Wednesday, July 12, 6 p.m.
- Amaryllis Chamber Ensemble, Friday, July 14, 12:30 p.m.
- Niu Raza, Wednesday, July 19, 6 p.m.
- Joel LaRue Smith, Friday, July 21, 12:30 p.m.
- BEARD, Wednesday, July 26, 6 p.m.
- Properly Unprepared, Friday, July 28, 12:30 p.m.
- Harshitha Krishnan, Wednesday, August 2, 6 p.m.
- Kenn Morr Band, Friday, August 4, 12:30 p.m.
- Sleeping Lion, Wednesday, August 9, 6 p.m.
- Boston Philharmonic, Friday, August 11, 12:30 p.m.
- Venezuelan Project, Wednesday, August 16, 6 p.m.
- Night Tree, Friday, August 18, 12:30 p.m.
- Abby Carey, Wednesday, August 23, 6 p.m.
- Boston Lyric Opera, Friday, August 25, 12:30 p.m.
- Amber Olivia Kiner, Wednesday, August 30, 6 p.m.
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: © 2008-2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino
June 2, 2017
2017 Concerts in the Courtyard at the Boston Public Library
Once again the Boston Public Library comes through with free entertainment for those of us who take advantage of the endless ways this Boston resource serves the public. The Concerts in the Courtyard series for 2017 begins today and will continue through August 30th.

Here's what the folks at the BPL have told us about this season:

"The Courtyard of the Central Library in Copley Square, one of Boston's most beautiful spaces, is filled with music during free, one-hour concerts throughout the summer.

Can't sneak away from the office for our noon performances? We will be streaming the Friday concerts live on our Facebook page."

Concerts are held on Wednesdays at 6 p.m. and on Fridays at 12:30 p.m. All the concerts are free.

June schedule:

Area 9 Quartet, Friday, June 2, 12:30 p.m. Area 9 Quartet is a Boston-based ensemble dedicated to exploring the rich, diverse, and ever-growing chamber music repertoire for saxophone.

Marco Mares, Wednesday, June 7, 6 p.m. Marco Mares is a singer-songwriter from Mexico City who showcased his fresh and honest pop sound in his debut album Para Ella (2014). Marco’s interactive performances highlight fun, funky pop mixed with romantic Spanish lyrics.

Boston Philharmonic, Friday, June 9, 12:30 p.m. Join members of the Boston Philharmonic as they perform chamber and quartet music, taking their passion out of the concert hall to the public as part of their education and community outreach program, Crescendo!

Francesca Crowley, Wednesday, June 14, 6 p.m. Francesca’s influences include songwriters such as Stevie Nicks, Norah Jones, and Joni Mitchell, and she strives to create new and different music inspired by her life.

Project STEP, Friday, June 16, 12:30 p.m. Project STEP (String Training and Education Program) recognizes that certain racial and ethnic minorities are vastly underrepresented in classical music. Their mission is to address this imbalance by identifying musically talented children from underrepresented Boston and surrounding communities and providing them with comprehensive music and string instrument instruction.

Maro Maro, Wednesday, June 21, 6 p.m. Maro Maro is a singer-songwriter, pianist, and guitarist from Lisbon, Portugal.

Francisco Roldán, Friday, June 23, 12:30 p.m. Colombian-born guitarist Francisco Roldán plays solo and chamber music nationally and internationally. Roldán presents a concert of lyrical, rhythmic, and sensual music by Central and South American composers on the classical guitar.

Aliya Cycon Project, Wednesday, June 28, 6 p.m. Aliya Cycon Project (ACP) blends Aliya Cycon’s soulful compositions with characteristics of traditional Arabic music to create an unforgettable East-meets-West experience.

Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras (BYSO) Intensive Community Program (ICP), Friday, June 30, 12:30 p.m. The Intensive Community Program is a rigorous instrument training program that brings quality classical music instruction to underrepresented communities.

July and August schedule:
- Brandon Diaz, Wednesday, July 5, 6 p.m.
- NorthStar Duo, Friday, July 7, 12:30 p.m.
- Samuel Batista, Wednesday, July 12, 6 p.m.
- Amaryllis Chamber Ensemble, Friday, July 14, 12:30 p.m.
- Niu Raza, Wednesday, July 19, 6 p.m.
- Joel LaRue Smith, Friday, July 21, 12:30 p.m.
- BEARD, Wednesday, July 26, 6 p.m.
- Properly Unprepared, Friday, July 28, 12:30 p.m.
- Harshitha Krishnan, Wednesday, August 2, 6 p.m.
- Kenn Morr Band, Friday, August 4, 12:30 p.m.
- Sleeping Lion, Wednesday, August 9, 6 p.m.
- Boston Philharmonic, Friday, August 11, 12:30 p.m.
- Venezuelan Project, Wednesday, August 16, 6 p.m.
- Night Tree, Friday, August 18, 12:30 p.m.
- Abby Carey, Wednesday, August 23, 6 p.m.
- Boston Lyric Opera, Friday, August 25, 12:30 p.m.
- Amber Olivia Kiner, Wednesday, August 30, 6 p.m.
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: © 2008-2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino
June 2, 2017
We Toast June with Sparkling Rosé “Turbullent” Domaine Serol

The shopping is done and Sparkling Rosé “Turbullent” Domaine Serol is our choice to toast the month of June.

Translate the word "Turbullent" from French to English and you find that it means: boisterous and unruly. "Is that a good thing to say about a wine?" you ask. "Why not?" we reply.

Grab some happy time beads and your own bottle of a boisterous and unruly sparkler and join us as we say goodbye to May and hello to June.

We'll be clinking glasses of this well-regarded 8.5% alcohol by volume wine. So while the wine may be a bit rowdy, our June 1st group should be good-natured and fine to walk home.

Well Regarded!

Here are a couple of opinions on this wine:

Wineauthorities.com says:

"This is Robert Serol's most fun take on Gamay, but its delightful effervescence belies some serious thought and effort. Made in the méthode ancestrale, this lovely sparkling wine comes from 100% hand harvested grapes, followed by natural fermentation with no chaptalization (added sugar). …so pour it generously to kick off your next dinner party. It's electric pink lemonade for grownups, and a great introduction to Pet-Nat."

K&L Wines describes it as:

"Light, bright pink, with a frothy mousse spicy red currant, blood orange and rhubarb on the nose. Juicy, expansive red berry preserve flavors are given a dry edge by a slow-building talc-y note. Manages to be both sweet and nervy, and finishes with very good thrust and lingering raspberry and strawberry notes. This would be great with stinky washed-rind or blue cheeses."

We picked up our bottle at Formaggio South End for just under $20. Their description is above.

Post Toast Update:

We both enjoyed this highly sippable wine. It goes down easy with a summery, fresh fruit opening note. As your glass empties, you sniff the lingering aroma and find yourself reaching for the bottle to pour a bit more.

June 1st turned out to be one of the best weather evenings this spring. We gathered a group of friends on the roof deck to join in our toast to June. Everyone brought a favorite beverage to lift a glass.

Naturally, we wanted to have more opinions of our wine of the month, so we passed out samples and even those who preferred different types of wine seemed to like this one. Fans of sparklers were happy to take a second glass and this was one of the bottles the group emptied before the evening was done.

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.

Want to learn more about wine? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site! Here are three of our favorite wine books.

The Food Lover's Guide to Wine

The New Wine Lover's Companion

The Wine Bible

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino

Photography: © Top photo 2017 Penny Cherubino, Corks photo courtesy of Domaine Serol

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June 1, 2017
Cool Asian Salad for Spring and Summer

This cool Asian style salad is perfect for the warmer days of spring and summer. It started out with Penny searching the refrigerator to figure out what to serve with some chicken breasts that had been sous vided with garlic, ginger, scallion, and a touch of toasted sesame oil.

She found napa cabbage, carrot, cucumber, scallions, radishes and pickled ginger. The herb vase on the kitchen counter had Thai basil, mint, parsley, and flowering chives. Since we both love Bun Thit Nuong, that was her inspiration.

She decided to julienne the vegetables to take the place of the noodles and make a dressing with the same flavor profile as the chicken. That had seasoned rice vinegar, avocado oil, finely sliced pickled ginger, and a touch of toasted sesame oil. The chive flowers were sprinkled on top for color and fun.

Since this was just a salad for two, Penny used her Kuhn Rikon Julienne Peeler to shred a carrot and cucumber. If she were making it for a crowd, she might have taken out a mandoline or used our food processor. The cabbage, radishes, and scallions were sliced thin with a new Wusthof Nakiri knife that we bought on vacation this year.

We both love it and are slowly learning the chopping technique that works best with this style of knife.

This made a great lunch!

Related Post:

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

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

Details:

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

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May 31, 2017
Cool Asian Salad for Spring and Summer

This cool Asian style salad is perfect for the warmer days of spring and summer. It started out with Penny searching the refrigerator to figure out what to serve with some chicken breasts that had been sous vided with garlic, ginger, scallion, and a touch of toasted sesame oil.

She found napa cabbage, carrot, cucumber, scallions, radishes and pickled ginger. The herb vase on the kitchen counter had Thai basil, mint, parsley, and flowering chives. Since we both love Bun Thit Nuong, that was her inspiration.

She decided to julienne the vegetables to take the place of the noodles and make a dressing with the same flavor profile as the chicken. That had seasoned rice vinegar, avocado oil, finely sliced pickled ginger, and a touch of toasted sesame oil. The chive flowers were sprinkled on top for color and fun.

Since this was just a salad for two, Penny used her Kuhn Rikon Julienne Peeler to shred a carrot and cucumber. If she were making it for a crowd, she might have taken out a mandoline or used our food processor. The cabbage, radishes, and scallions were sliced thin with a new Wusthof Nakiri knife that we bought on vacation this year.

We both love it and are slowly learning the chopping technique that works best with this style of knife.

This made a great lunch!

Related Post:

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

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

Details:

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

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Healthy Alternatives for July 4th Cookouts, Pot Lucks, or Picnics

Simple Spring Supper: Asparagus & Eggs

May 31, 2017
When Out with Your Dog, Is It Just a Walk?

For those of us with dogs, our daily routine includes a number of short walks to take care of their needs. Somewhere in that schedule is a longer walk to give you and your dog some exercise and perhaps a bit of fun. On weekends or vacations, these walks may turn into adventures in new settings with great things to see, hear, and for your dog to sniff!

Two year old Sam loves his early morning walk. He practiced his sit when I met him. His person said this daily routine gets her going too!

One friend calls this “the long walk.” We call it Poppy’s exercise because she will gladly go inside on her puppy pads to avoid being outside. But she does need to move her little body and get her pulse rate up at least once a day, so we take her for a mile or two trot around the neighborhood.

A Study on Walking the Dog

A recent study titled, “(Just) a Walk with the Dog? Animal Geographies and Negotiating Walking Spaces,” argues that “… walking with dogs represents a potentially important cultural space for making sense of human–animal relations. We show how the personalities of both dog and walker can shape not only walking practices, but also the human–animal bond. We contend that the walk is a significant arena where relations of power between animal and human are consciously mediated.”

It makes you think about the interactions you see as people walk their dogs. Is the dog having fun? Are the dog and human interacting or are they on separate missions? Who is training whom?

Be A Dog!

One command you should regularly give your pal on the other end of the leash is, “Be a Dog!” To us that means Poppy can follow her nose, sniff at the corners, or hop up on a bench and relax. She gets a turn to do what she wants on the walk.

Other times we may need some faster-paced exercise and she will have to walk along with us to allow us to get what we need from the walk.

Occasionally our nervous little pup may need to have one of us pick her up and hold her because some evil noisemaker has her scared witless. We try to do whatever it takes to keep her moving and feeling safer outside.

While other dogs romp in the off leash area on the Boston Common, this gentle giant prefers to observe from the sidelines.

Win-Win

There are aspects of your daily walks that can be win-wins for you and your dog. If you gather friends and walk in a pack, that can be a perfect outing with good conversation among the humans and socializing companionship and play among the dogs.

If you have a highly energetic dog, a long walk can help the dog settle better when you return home. You might find that increasing the length and speed of your walks can alleviate destructive behavior and lessen hyperactivity. It could result in everyone getting a better night’s sleep, as well.

Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

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

Details:

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

Related articles

Getting Us Outside: Another Way Dogs Are Good for Us

Wolfgang: Tiny Dog with a Big Name

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May 28, 2017
When Out with Your Dog, Is It Just a Walk?

For those of us with dogs, our daily routine includes a number of short walks to take care of their needs. Somewhere in that schedule is a longer walk to give you and your dog some exercise and perhaps a bit of fun. On weekends or vacations, these walks may turn into adventures in new settings with great things to see, hear, and for your dog to sniff!

Two year old Sam loves his early morning walk. He practiced his sit when I met him. His person said this daily routine gets her going too!

One friend calls this “the long walk.” We call it Poppy’s exercise because she will gladly go inside on her puppy pads to avoid being outside. But she does need to move her little body and get her pulse rate up at least once a day, so we take her for a mile or two trot around the neighborhood.

A Study on Walking the Dog

A recent study titled, “(Just) a Walk with the Dog? Animal Geographies and Negotiating Walking Spaces,” argues that “… walking with dogs represents a potentially important cultural space for making sense of human–animal relations. We show how the personalities of both dog and walker can shape not only walking practices, but also the human–animal bond. We contend that the walk is a significant arena where relations of power between animal and human are consciously mediated.”

It makes you think about the interactions you see as people walk their dogs. Is the dog having fun? Are the dog and human interacting or are they on separate missions? Who is training whom?

Be A Dog!

One command you should regularly give your pal on the other end of the leash is, “Be a Dog!” To us that means Poppy can follow her nose, sniff at the corners, or hop up on a bench and relax. She gets a turn to do what she wants on the walk.

Other times we may need some faster-paced exercise and she will have to walk along with us to allow us to get what we need from the walk.

Occasionally our nervous little pup may need to have one of us pick her up and hold her because some evil noisemaker has her scared witless. We try to do whatever it takes to keep her moving and feeling safer outside.

While other dogs romp in the off leash area on the Boston Common, this gentle giant prefers to observe from the sidelines.

Win-Win

There are aspects of your daily walks that can be win-wins for you and your dog. If you gather friends and walk in a pack, that can be a perfect outing with good conversation among the humans and socializing companionship and play among the dogs.

If you have a highly energetic dog, a long walk can help the dog settle better when you return home. You might find that increasing the length and speed of your walks can alleviate destructive behavior and lessen hyperactivity. It could result in everyone getting a better night’s sleep, as well.

Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

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

Details:

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

Related articles

Getting Us Outside: Another Way Dogs Are Good for Us

Wolfgang: Tiny Dog with a Big Name

The Polite Wet Dogs of Provincetown Harbor

May 28, 2017