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  • Make Room for More Plants on Your Plate

    Is a large piece of meat the centerpiece of your plate? Is eating the recommended daily serving of fruits and vegetables a chore for you? Maybe it’s time to make room for more plants on your personal menu. With so many people opting for alternatives to the meat-heavy American diet, it’s becoming easier to enjoy healthier produce-heavy recipes at home and away.

    IMG_6157

    Chefs Leading the Way

    For inspiration on the creative use of fruits and vegetables in main courses, I look at menus at small, local restaurants where a chef is creating new recipes to tempt diners. One great example is a lobster salad that has been on the menu the last few months at Select Oyster Bar (shown in the photos above).

    Like many New Englanders, I love lobster. But for me a whole lobster meal or hot buttery lobster roll has to be an occasional treat. The lobster salad that Chef Michael Serpa created is something that I’m comfortable eating more often. He has loaded it with vegetables; dressed it with a light, zingy dressing; and used a generous amount of lobster as a part of a more complex and, in the end, more interesting dish.

    6a00e54fc42bb8883401bb0932c554970d-800wi

    Chef Jody Adams’ new restaurant Porto in the Prudential Center complex tempted me with a meatless meal made up of a wonderful salad and delightful pasta dish. Adding figs, pecorino cheese, and crispy, thin croutons to an arugula salad made it fun, filling, and delicious. That and a plate of pasta (campanelle with feta, soft herbs, pine nuts, and tomato) were all I needed for Sunday brunch. I didn’t realize, until I looked back on it, that I had selected a meatless meal.

    6a00e54fc42bb8883401b8d1393072970c-800wi

    Meat as a Condiment in Ethnic Favorites

    If you are looking to boost your veggie intake, think about some of your favorite ethnic meals, especially from places where those dishes are less Americanized. A takeout order from a more traditional Chinese restaurant like Gourmet Dumpling in Chinatown or their sister restaurant Dumpling Palace on Massachusetts Avenue can easily be vegetable-forward.

    I usually add an all-vegetable dish like sautéed string beans to our order. But many of the dishes that do include meat use that protein as a condiment rather than as the majority of the meal. With a more traditional, less Chinese/American approach, even a dish like Kung Pao Chicken has more vegetables than meat in these hands.

    Think of your favorite noodle and rice dishes like the Bun Thit Nuong from Pho Basil shown above. How much meat vs rice or noodles do they contain? 

     

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

    Details:

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

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

    Related articles
    Bun Thit Nuong: A Fresh, Cool Summer Dish from Vietnam
    Coming Home with Full Bags from the Copley Farmers Market

  • Make Room for More Plants on Your Plate

    Is a large piece of meat the centerpiece of your plate? Is eating the recommended daily serving of fruits and vegetables a chore for you? Maybe it’s time to make room for more plants on your personal menu. With so many people opting for alternatives to the meat-heavy American diet, it’s becoming easier to enjoy healthier produce-heavy recipes at home and away.

    IMG_6157

    Chefs Leading the Way

    For inspiration on the creative use of fruits and vegetables in main courses, I look at menus at small, local restaurants where a chef is creating new recipes to tempt diners. One great example is a lobster salad that has been on the menu the last few months at Select Oyster Bar (shown in the photos above).

    Like many New Englanders, I love lobster. But for me a whole lobster meal or hot buttery lobster roll has to be an occasional treat. The lobster salad that Chef Michael Serpa created is something that I’m comfortable eating more often. He has loaded it with vegetables; dressed it with a light, zingy dressing; and used a generous amount of lobster as a part of a more complex and, in the end, more interesting dish.

    6a00e54fc42bb8883401bb0932c554970d-800wi

    Chef Jody Adams’ new restaurant Porto in the Prudential Center complex tempted me with a meatless meal made up of a wonderful salad and delightful pasta dish. Adding figs, pecorino cheese, and crispy, thin croutons to an arugula salad made it fun, filling, and delicious. That and a plate of pasta (campanelle with feta, soft herbs, pine nuts, and tomato) were all I needed for Sunday brunch. I didn’t realize, until I looked back on it, that I had selected a meatless meal.

    6a00e54fc42bb8883401b8d1393072970c-800wi

    Meat as a Condiment in Ethnic Favorites

    If you are looking to boost your veggie intake, think about some of your favorite ethnic meals, especially from places where those dishes are less Americanized. A takeout order from a more traditional Chinese restaurant like Gourmet Dumpling in Chinatown or their sister restaurant Dumpling Palace on Massachusetts Avenue can easily be vegetable-forward.

    I usually add an all-vegetable dish like sautéed string beans to our order. But many of the dishes that do include meat use that protein as a condiment rather than as the majority of the meal. With a more traditional, less Chinese/American approach, even a dish like Kung Pao Chicken has more vegetables than meat in these hands.

    Think of your favorite noodle and rice dishes like the Bun Thit Nuong from Pho Basil shown above. How much meat vs rice or noodles do they contain? 

     

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

    Details:

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

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

    Related articles
    Bun Thit Nuong: A Fresh, Cool Summer Dish from Vietnam
    Coming Home with Full Bags from the Copley Farmers Market

  • Use Hand Signals and Body Language to Communicate with Your Dog

    If you watch dogs interact with one another in their daily lives, you’ll notice a lot of body language and rituals. Yes you will hear an occasional bark and, during friendly play, you might hear some rumbles and play growls. But, for the most part, dogs communicate non-verbally.

    Small IMG_9470 - Version 22016-03-20dogs-play-bow-© 2014 Penny Cherubino (1)

    You may know that dog actors are cued from off-camera by a trainer using hand signals. If you watch agility trials, you might hear some encouraging words from the human half of the team, but the directions the dog is taking are actually coming from the handler’s body language.

    As we walk about the city, we seldom see people giving hand signals to their dogs. Occasionally we’ll see someone teaching a young pup to sit before crossing a street using both vocal and hand commands. But, by the time the pup is grown, the humans have reverted to their own native, verbal language without considering the canine preference for gestures.

    Studying the Issue

    As dogs take on more and more service and working roles in our society, researchers are studying the effectiveness of various communication methods. Linda P. Case, from “The Science Dog,” recently reported on a study conducted on 25 certified water rescue dogs to compare their response to verbal and gestural cues.

    She summarized the results saying, “This pilot study suggests that when dogs are trained to both hand signals and verbal commands, they will respond most consistently to hand signals.” As a side note, it was also found that, “Female dogs showed a strong preference for responding to hand gesture cues, while males were more likely to respond equally to both types of cue.”

    DSC_6920 - Version 22015-10-16poppy-westie-leaves-bench-© 2014 Penny Cherubino copy

    Pointing

    You can use the standard, accepted hand signals or invent your own. All three of our dogs have responded to me pointing at people, places, or things. This can be wonderfully helpful. When in the midst of a conversation with a friend, we can point to a park bench and Poppy will jump up and settle down.

    We’ll also point to a favorite person coming down the sidewalk so that Poppy can enjoy both the anticipation and the reality of seeing someone. (It also means that the person is treated to a, “Wow, I’m so glad you are here,” welcome from Poppy.)

    Poppy groomed copy

    If Poppy is barking in response to a noisy dog or neighbor in our building, we tell her to go to her settle spot, using elaborate hand gestures that look like we’re directing an airliner to its gate. Our hands reinforce the direction we want her to take and where we want her to be. It looks silly, but it seems to work. Sometimes the gestures have to be big and exaggerated to command the attention of an excited pup.

    For professional trainers – those who work with service dogs; first responders handling K9 partners trained to detect guns, bombs, drugs, or find criminals; or someone like me out for a walk with my dog – hand signals, gestures, and body language can be more effective than repeating words over and over to get a dog to perform. It’s time we considered using canine language to communicate with our dogs.

    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 

    (Adapted for BostonZest from one of our City Paws newspaper columns.)

  • Use Hand Signals and Body Language to Communicate with Your Dog

    If you watch dogs interact with one another in their daily lives, you’ll notice a lot of body language and rituals. Yes you will hear an occasional bark and, during friendly play, you might hear some rumbles and play growls. But, for the most part, dogs communicate non-verbally.

    Small IMG_9470 - Version 22016-03-20dogs-play-bow-© 2014 Penny Cherubino (1)

    You may know that dog actors are cued from off-camera by a trainer using hand signals. If you watch agility trials, you might hear some encouraging words from the human half of the team, but the directions the dog is taking are actually coming from the handler’s body language.

    As we walk about the city, we seldom see people giving hand signals to their dogs. Occasionally we’ll see someone teaching a young pup to sit before crossing a street using both vocal and hand commands. But, by the time the pup is grown, the humans have reverted to their own native, verbal language without considering the canine preference for gestures.

    Studying the Issue

    As dogs take on more and more service and working roles in our society, researchers are studying the effectiveness of various communication methods. Linda P. Case, from “The Science Dog,” recently reported on a study conducted on 25 certified water rescue dogs to compare their response to verbal and gestural cues.

    She summarized the results saying, “This pilot study suggests that when dogs are trained to both hand signals and verbal commands, they will respond most consistently to hand signals.” As a side note, it was also found that, “Female dogs showed a strong preference for responding to hand gesture cues, while males were more likely to respond equally to both types of cue.”

    DSC_6920 - Version 22015-10-16poppy-westie-leaves-bench-© 2014 Penny Cherubino copy

    Pointing

    You can use the standard, accepted hand signals or invent your own. All three of our dogs have responded to me pointing at people, places, or things. This can be wonderfully helpful. When in the midst of a conversation with a friend, we can point to a park bench and Poppy will jump up and settle down.

    We’ll also point to a favorite person coming down the sidewalk so that Poppy can enjoy both the anticipation and the reality of seeing someone. (It also means that the person is treated to a, “Wow, I’m so glad you are here,” welcome from Poppy.)

    Poppy groomed copy

    If Poppy is barking in response to a noisy dog or neighbor in our building, we tell her to go to her settle spot, using elaborate hand gestures that look like we’re directing an airliner to its gate. Our hands reinforce the direction we want her to take and where we want her to be. It looks silly, but it seems to work. Sometimes the gestures have to be big and exaggerated to command the attention of an excited pup.

    For professional trainers – those who work with service dogs; first responders handling K9 partners trained to detect guns, bombs, drugs, or find criminals; or someone like me out for a walk with my dog – hand signals, gestures, and body language can be more effective than repeating words over and over to get a dog to perform. It’s time we considered using canine language to communicate with our dogs.

    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 

    (Adapted for BostonZest from one of our City Paws newspaper columns.)

  • Check Out The Trustees Calendar of Places to Go & Things to Do!

    For our Friday Link today, we're sending you to a spring and summer of fun places to go and things to do with the Trustees of Reservations, now going by the simple title of The Trustees!

    Screen Shot 2017-04-03 at Monday April 3 20178.57.58 AM

    As members, we keep our seasonal copy of Special Places around.

    IMG_7890

    It contains a calendar of events that are handy for times when a beautiful day tempts us to get outdoors or a rainy day would be perfect for taking in a Trustees event at The Kitchen inside the Boston Public Market.

    IMG_7889

    While all this information is available on the site, we like this format because we can highlight things of interest and add them to our calendars.

    Joining this great organization is your ticket to new adventures in the months ahead.

    And, remember dog lovers, this is one organization that has worked to arrange access for you and your dog at some of their properties. Here are some of their Tail Wagging Destinations.

    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
    Screenshots courtesy of The Trustess

  • Check Out The Trustees Calendar of Places to Go & Things to Do!

    For our Friday Link today, we're sending you to a spring and summer of fun places to go and things to do with the Trustees of Reservations, now going by the simple title of The Trustees!

    Screen Shot 2017-04-03 at Monday April 3 20178.57.58 AM

    As members, we keep our seasonal copy of Special Places around.

    IMG_7890

    It contains a calendar of events that are handy for times when a beautiful day tempts us to get outdoors or a rainy day would be perfect for taking in a Trustees event at The Kitchen inside the Boston Public Market.

    IMG_7889

    While all this information is available on the site, we like this format because we can highlight things of interest and add them to our calendars.

    Joining this great organization is your ticket to new adventures in the months ahead.

    And, remember dog lovers, this is one organization that has worked to arrange access for you and your dog at some of their properties. Here are some of their Tail Wagging Destinations.

    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
    Screenshots courtesy of The Trustess

  • Where Would You Find These Neatly Folded Hands?

    CHE_0289 copy

    Let's play Attention to Detail! We give you a close-up clue and you have to figure out where you've seen it around Boston.

    Here are some hints:

    • The hands are on a statue of a woman that was created by a woman.
    • The statue is of a Quaker and was created by a Quaker.
    • It is located next to a famous building. 
    • It was installed in 1959.

    Ready? Click through for the answer.

    (more…)

  • Where Would You Find These Neatly Folded Hands?

    CHE_0289 copy

    Let's play Attention to Detail! We give you a close-up clue and you have to figure out where you've seen it around Boston.

    Here are some hints:

    • The hands are on a statue of a woman that was created by a woman.
    • The statue is of a Quaker and was created by a Quaker.
    • It is located next to a famous building. 
    • It was installed in 1959.

    Ready? Click through for the answer.

    (more…)

  • Slaw Options Abound

    “Can you use half-a-head of cabbage?” a friend asked. She had made soup with the other half, was watching her caloric intake, and didn’t want to make a mayo-based salad with the rest. Penny took her up on the offer, turned it into a tangy, low-calorie slaw made with lots of carrots, scallions, celery, mustard seed, and lightly dressed with a vinaigrette. She returned a container of this to our friend to use as a side dish or a healthy topping for sandwiches. It was a hit!

    6a00e54fc42bb8883401a3fcb5ff8d970b-800wi

    Slaw or Coleslaw?

    According to the site WiseGeek, “The word ‘coleslaw’ most likely came from the Dutch word koolsalade, which means ‘cabbage salad.’ However, in Dutch, koolsalada is often shortened to koolsla.”

    Today’s slaw may be a cabbage salad, but it may also star broccoli, kohlrabi, kale, or other gems from the produce stand. Dressing can be creamy, spicy, sweet & sour, or low-cal. 

    6a00e54fc42bb8883401a3fcb5ffa8970b-800wi

    Here, Penny was julienning some white turnip to add to a slaw of cabbage, carrots, and scallion

    And, the resulting salad can be a side dish, snack, or sandwich condiment. It is another one of those wonderful dishes that is even better after the flavors have time to meld and the vegetables wilt a bit, so make it ahead and enjoy having a big bowl of healthy food on hand.

    Slaw Variations

    There are entire cookbooks of recipes for these shredded salads. This means you can fit one into menus beyond cookout and BBQ.

    Traditional Chinese-American restaurants in New England used to serve a sweet and sour slaw as a side dish. So round out your Asian menus with a version that includes soy sauce and ginger in the dressing. And what is Kimchi but fermented slaw?

    If Tex-Mex is on the menu, make cilantro the herb of choice and add some chilis to the mix. Use it to top a taco or alongside a quesadilla.  

    6a00e54fc42bb888340192ab8833a4970d-800wi

    Shopping for Slaw

    Your choice of ingredients can add color and zip. Red cabbage, radishes, rainbow carrots, beets, and peppers create a bowl of colorful confetti slaw on a buffet table.

    This is a great place to use vegetables that show up in CSA boxes such as: celeriac, kohlrabi, bok choi, fennel, garlic scapes, radicchio, sprouts, sunchokes, turnips. 

    You can also add fruit. Apples are a common ingredient, but you can use oranges in both the salad or the dressing. Slightly under ripe pears can be a fun addition to a slaw to serve with pork. Dried cranberries, currants, or raisins can brighten a winter slaw. A few recipes call for grapes, so ground cherries would also work, as would julienned quince.

    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 & Ed Cherubino  

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

    Related articles
    Healthy Alternatives for July 4th Cookouts, Pot Lucks, or Picnics
    Bun Thit Nuong: A Fresh, Cool Summer Dish from Vietnam
    Julia Child Wisdom: "You don't have to cook fancy …"

  • Slaw Options Abound

    “Can you use half-a-head of cabbage?” a friend asked. She had made soup with the other half, was watching her caloric intake, and didn’t want to make a mayo-based salad with the rest. Penny took her up on the offer, turned it into a tangy, low-calorie slaw made with lots of carrots, scallions, celery, mustard seed, and lightly dressed with a vinaigrette. She returned a container of this to our friend to use as a side dish or a healthy topping for sandwiches. It was a hit!

    6a00e54fc42bb8883401a3fcb5ff8d970b-800wi

    Slaw or Coleslaw?

    According to the site WiseGeek, “The word ‘coleslaw’ most likely came from the Dutch word koolsalade, which means ‘cabbage salad.’ However, in Dutch, koolsalada is often shortened to koolsla.”

    Today’s slaw may be a cabbage salad, but it may also star broccoli, kohlrabi, kale, or other gems from the produce stand. Dressing can be creamy, spicy, sweet & sour, or low-cal. 

    6a00e54fc42bb8883401a3fcb5ffa8970b-800wi

    Here, Penny was julienning some white turnip to add to a slaw of cabbage, carrots, and scallion

    And, the resulting salad can be a side dish, snack, or sandwich condiment. It is another one of those wonderful dishes that is even better after the flavors have time to meld and the vegetables wilt a bit, so make it ahead and enjoy having a big bowl of healthy food on hand.

    Slaw Variations

    There are entire cookbooks of recipes for these shredded salads. This means you can fit one into menus beyond cookout and BBQ.

    Traditional Chinese-American restaurants in New England used to serve a sweet and sour slaw as a side dish. So round out your Asian menus with a version that includes soy sauce and ginger in the dressing. And what is Kimchi but fermented slaw?

    If Tex-Mex is on the menu, make cilantro the herb of choice and add some chilis to the mix. Use it to top a taco or alongside a quesadilla.  

    6a00e54fc42bb888340192ab8833a4970d-800wi

    Shopping for Slaw

    Your choice of ingredients can add color and zip. Red cabbage, radishes, rainbow carrots, beets, and peppers create a bowl of colorful confetti slaw on a buffet table.

    This is a great place to use vegetables that show up in CSA boxes such as: celeriac, kohlrabi, bok choi, fennel, garlic scapes, radicchio, sprouts, sunchokes, turnips. 

    You can also add fruit. Apples are a common ingredient, but you can use oranges in both the salad or the dressing. Slightly under ripe pears can be a fun addition to a slaw to serve with pork. Dried cranberries, currants, or raisins can brighten a winter slaw. A few recipes call for grapes, so ground cherries would also work, as would julienned quince.

    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 & Ed Cherubino  

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

    Related articles
    Healthy Alternatives for July 4th Cookouts, Pot Lucks, or Picnics
    Bun Thit Nuong: A Fresh, Cool Summer Dish from Vietnam
    Julia Child Wisdom: "You don't have to cook fancy …"