bostonzest

Tag: Boston

  • Look Where We Found a Fastachi Pop-Up!

    IMG_2316

    Walking inside the Prudential Center early one rainy, wet day, Penny snapped this photo of one of our favorite small businesses, Fastachi: purveyors of gourmet roasted nuts & handmade chocolates.

    Everyone, like us, who has missed them at the Copley Farmers Market, can pick up holiday gifts for themselves or others of fresh, healthy fruit and nuts.

    Remember, they also have a shops on Charles Street in Beacon Hill, in Wellesley, and the main store in Watertown. 

     

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

    Details:

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

  • Look Where We Found a Fastachi Pop-Up!

    IMG_2316

    Walking inside the Prudential Center early one rainy, wet day, Penny snapped this photo of one of our favorite small businesses, Fastachi: purveyors of gourmet roasted nuts & handmade chocolates.

    Everyone, like us, who has missed them at the Copley Farmers Market, can pick up holiday gifts for themselves or others of fresh, healthy fruit and nuts.

    Remember, they also have a shops on Charles Street in Beacon Hill, in Wellesley, and the main store in Watertown. 

     

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

    Details:

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

  • Ginger Goes Mainstream

    In an interview with NPR, food writer Nigella Lawson said, "I think ginger has a heat, a warmth that is often not fully understood because I think people use a small amount. And if you use quite a lot, you really see that it’s like reaching for another form of pepper.

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    As more of us acclimatize our palates and enjoy foods with stronger flavors and heat, ginger is showing up in unexpected and delightful places. One of Ed’s favorite ginger discoveries is spicy ginger limeade. 

    It's always part of our order from Bon Me, and we make it at home with local ginger or ginger syrup from Old Friends Farm.

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    Each season we buy a supply of local ginger and the ginger syrup made from it at the Atlas Farm stand at the Copley Farmers Market. They bring it to Boston for their neighbor Old Friends Farm. We use some fresh, clean and freeze some, and even make our own pickled ginger!

    IMG_1393

    Using More Ginger

    These days we buy ginger in larger quantities. In dishes where we once used a touch of ginger, we might now add a pile! We use it fresh, pickled, and juiced. Penny has become a pro at peeling it with a teaspoon but, in some cases, she’ll just give it a scrub and use it peel and all.

    At least half of the homemade chicken broth we make contains ginger along with scallions, star anise, soy sauce, and Shaoxing wine. We use this to make quick, pho-like noodle soups and to add to stir-fry dishes in place of a more basic chicken stock.

    And, don't limit yourself to savory uses, pour ginger syrup over ice cream, rice pudding, and other desserts.   

    Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photography: © 2015-2018 Penny & Ed Cherubino  

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

  • Ginger Goes Mainstream

    In an interview with NPR, food writer Nigella Lawson said, "I think ginger has a heat, a warmth that is often not fully understood because I think people use a small amount. And if you use quite a lot, you really see that it’s like reaching for another form of pepper.

    6a00e54fc42bb8883401bb07b23364970d-800wi

    As more of us acclimatize our palates and enjoy foods with stronger flavors and heat, ginger is showing up in unexpected and delightful places. One of Ed’s favorite ginger discoveries is spicy ginger limeade. 

    It's always part of our order from Bon Me, and we make it at home with local ginger or ginger syrup from Old Friends Farm.

    6a00e54fc42bb88834017744a2c6d7970d-800wi

    Each season we buy a supply of local ginger and the ginger syrup made from it at the Atlas Farm stand at the Copley Farmers Market. They bring it to Boston for their neighbor Old Friends Farm. We use some fresh, clean and freeze some, and even make our own pickled ginger!

    IMG_1393

    Using More Ginger

    These days we buy ginger in larger quantities. In dishes where we once used a touch of ginger, we might now add a pile! We use it fresh, pickled, and juiced. Penny has become a pro at peeling it with a teaspoon but, in some cases, she’ll just give it a scrub and use it peel and all.

    At least half of the homemade chicken broth we make contains ginger along with scallions, star anise, soy sauce, and Shaoxing wine. We use this to make quick, pho-like noodle soups and to add to stir-fry dishes in place of a more basic chicken stock.

    And, don't limit yourself to savory uses, pour ginger syrup over ice cream, rice pudding, and other desserts.   

    Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photography: © 2015-2018 Penny & Ed Cherubino  

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

  • An Autumn Dreamer….

    “Dream dreams and write them aye, but live them first.”
    — Samuel Eliot Morison

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    The statue of Samuel Eliot Morison always looks its best when autumn colors provide a contrasting background. More about the statue at this link from Waymarking. 

    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  

  • September’s Toast: Here’s to Keeping Summer Going with Etxaniz Txakoli Rose!

    If there is a Txakoli on a wine list, you can be sure Ed will consider ordering it. In this year of old favorites for our Happy New Month toast, we'll pour from on high with a bottle of Etxaniz Txakoli Rose.

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    After a scorching month of August, we're hoping for a September that's more typical of a Boston summer. We've been hoarding a few bottles of this favorite wine from the Basque region of Spain. This particular producer creates one of our favorites. It's a nice low 11.5% alcohol by volume and is wonderfully food friendly. Lower alcohol makes for a more refreshing warm weather drink.

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    Trying wines from different places, made with different grapes, and produced by different methods adds spice to our monthly ritual. Since 2007 we have raised a glass of sparkling wine to greet each new month! In 2018 we decided to feature a year of old favorites like this one. Tonight we'll pop the cork and pour this frizzante wine from on high to create its signature froth! 

    On egin!  (A Basque toast which roughly translates, "Enjoy your meal!")

    6a00e54fc42bb8883401b7c84decff970b-800wi
     

    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 

  • September’s Toast: Here’s to Keeping Summer Going with Etxaniz Txakoli Rose!

    If there is a Txakoli on a wine list, you can be sure Ed will consider ordering it. In this year of old favorites for our Happy New Month toast, we'll pour from on high with a bottle of Etxaniz Txakoli Rose.

    6a00e54fc42bb8883401b8d1d7d590970c-800wi

    After a scorching month of August, we're hoping for a September that's more typical of a Boston summer. We've been hoarding a few bottles of this favorite wine from the Basque region of Spain. This particular producer creates one of our favorites. It's a nice low 11.5% alcohol by volume and is wonderfully food friendly. Lower alcohol makes for a more refreshing warm weather drink.

    6a00e54fc42bb8883401b7c84de597970b-500wi

    Trying wines from different places, made with different grapes, and produced by different methods adds spice to our monthly ritual. Since 2007 we have raised a glass of sparkling wine to greet each new month! In 2018 we decided to feature a year of old favorites like this one. Tonight we'll pop the cork and pour this frizzante wine from on high to create its signature froth! 

    On egin!  (A Basque toast which roughly translates, "Enjoy your meal!")

    6a00e54fc42bb8883401b7c84decff970b-800wi
     

    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 

  • Food Waste Feast Is Our Friday Link

    Today we want to encourage all our food loving readers to click over to Food Waste Feast, the website that helps you, "Cook more creatively, and stop throwing away perfectly good food."

    Food waste feast screenshot

    This site comes from Mei and Irene from the Mei Mei food truck, restaurant, and catering company. We have deep admiration for all the wise, generous, and sustainable decisions this family has made as they've found a place for themselves in the competitive food world. 

    Now they have found a way to help you become more sustainable by using the food you might be tossing out. Earlier this week, we published a post that explained that "Your Most Expensive Food Is the Food You Waste."

    The next step is to buy just what you will use and use what you buy.

    Pasta+with+wrinkled+cherry+tomatoes

    Recipes by Ingredient!

    The Food Waste Feast team is building valuable resources for those of us who no longer feel that wasting food is acceptable. You can find recipes by ingredient for what you have on hand. For example, the photo above is a recipe they call, "Pasta with Wrinkled Cherry Tomatoes."

    They say,

    "Because sometimes you get super excited about tomato season, and you purchase three large local containers of cherry tomatoes, and then some of them inevitably linger a bit longer than you wanted them to and get all wrinkly and forlorn on the countertop….anyone else ever find themselves in that position? Just me?"

    We say,

    Irene and Mei you are not alone. We've done that too. But, from now on when that happens, we'll click over to the recipes by ingredient section of Food Waste Feast and find inspiration for a dish to use them.

    Screen Shot 2018-08-22 at Wednesday August 22 20189.20.17 AM

    More Resources!

    Food Waste Feast also gives you information about the issues surrounding food waste and tips on how to buy, store, and use up the things you do purchase and, sadly, when to toss them. For example here is the section on "Veggies that are actually fruits" like those tomatoes we're all overbuying right now.

    This is a deep treasure trove of useful information. We suggest you make an initial visit and click around to find the areas you need right now. Then bookmark Food Waste Feast on your phone and make that your reading for times when you have to sit around waiting. Penny has been doing that for the past few weeks and has picked up useful information and been inspired to make new dishes by reviewing the recipes. 

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

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photos and screenshots: courtesy of Food Waste Feast

  • Food Waste Feast Is Our Friday Link

    Today we want to encourage all our food loving readers to click over to Food Waste Feast, the website that helps you, "Cook more creatively, and stop throwing away perfectly good food."

    Food waste feast screenshot

    This site comes from Mei and Irene from the Mei Mei food truck, restaurant, and catering company. We have deep admiration for all the wise, generous, and sustainable decisions this family has made as they've found a place for themselves in the competitive food world. 

    Now they have found a way to help you become more sustainable by using the food you might be tossing out. Earlier this week, we published a post that explained that "Your Most Expensive Food Is the Food You Waste."

    The next step is to buy just what you will use and use what you buy.

    Pasta+with+wrinkled+cherry+tomatoes

    Recipes by Ingredient!

    The Food Waste Feast team is building valuable resources for those of us who no longer feel that wasting food is acceptable. You can find recipes by ingredient for what you have on hand. For example, the photo above is a recipe they call, "Pasta with Wrinkled Cherry Tomatoes."

    They say,

    "Because sometimes you get super excited about tomato season, and you purchase three large local containers of cherry tomatoes, and then some of them inevitably linger a bit longer than you wanted them to and get all wrinkly and forlorn on the countertop….anyone else ever find themselves in that position? Just me?"

    We say,

    Irene and Mei you are not alone. We've done that too. But, from now on when that happens, we'll click over to the recipes by ingredient section of Food Waste Feast and find inspiration for a dish to use them.

    Screen Shot 2018-08-22 at Wednesday August 22 20189.20.17 AM

    More Resources!

    Food Waste Feast also gives you information about the issues surrounding food waste and tips on how to buy, store, and use up the things you do purchase and, sadly, when to toss them. For example here is the section on "Veggies that are actually fruits" like those tomatoes we're all overbuying right now.

    This is a deep treasure trove of useful information. We suggest you make an initial visit and click around to find the areas you need right now. Then bookmark Food Waste Feast on your phone and make that your reading for times when you have to sit around waiting. Penny has been doing that for the past few weeks and has picked up useful information and been inspired to make new dishes by reviewing the recipes. 

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

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photos and screenshots: courtesy of Food Waste Feast

  • 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…

    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! 

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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