Tag: MA

Make a North End Muffuletta

Sometimes we eat something delicious because we need that particular item for a photo shoot. That was the case of a recent muffuletta adventure. For a recipe we turned to our old friends at Serious Eats. (How to Make Classic New Orleans Muffulettas.)

(Note: We've seen more than one spelling for the name of this sandwich, but we're going with Muffuletta as used by Central Grocery in New Orleans, "home of the original Muffuletta.")

Here is our version, before pressing. We were pretty pleased with the result. Naturally, there are things we would do a bit differently (more oil in the olive salad) next time, but it was delicious! This was part of a newspaper column we were doing on "Sandwiches for a Crowd."

Finding the Bread

Over on Serious Eats, Kenji wrote, "This is the only ingredient that is truly difficult to source outside of New Orleans." Penny remembered Scali bread at Bova's Bakery in the North End that seemed to fit the specs. So off we went to the perfect neighborhood for gathering muffuletta ingredients.

They not only had it but, as you can see, had it in two sizes. Since this sandwich was for a small group, we picked the smaller loaf, but for you the bigger one might be a better fit.

Slicing Up the Filling!

For the filling we walked over to Salumeria Italiana. We knew they would have the meat, cheese, and makings of the olive salad. They thinly sliced everything we needed for perfect stacking.

We bought mortadella, provolone, fennel soppressata, hot capocollo, and, for our own touch and a light color in the center, added a bit of porchetta. The containers hold olives and the pickled vegetables that make up the olive salad.

Step one is to chop those with some capers, mix with olive oil, and spread it on the bread. This is even better when you make it ahead and give the ingredients time to mellow and blend.

Next, stack the meat in layers.

Wrap the sandwich, weigh it down, move it to the refrigerator, and let a few hours do their magic.

We mentioned above that this is a sandwich for a crowd. You can make as many as you need. Prepare the salad ahead, assemble, and weigh-down the beast long before your guests arrive.

Then serve it up on a cutting board and let everyone slice off the size piece they would like. Easy for entertaining, a fall picnic, or to bring to a potluck.

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

Details:

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

September 6, 2017
Make a North End Muffuletta

Sometimes we eat something delicious because we need that particular item for a photo shoot. That was the case of a recent muffuletta adventure. For a recipe we turned to our old friends at Serious Eats. (How to Make Classic New Orleans Muffulettas.)

(Note: We've seen more than one spelling for the name of this sandwich, but we're going with Muffuletta as used by Central Grocery in New Orleans, "home of the original Muffuletta.")

Here is our version, before pressing. We were pretty pleased with the result. Naturally, there are things we would do a bit differently (more oil in the olive salad) next time, but it was delicious! This was part of a newspaper column we were doing on "Sandwiches for a Crowd."

Finding the Bread

Over on Serious Eats, Kenji wrote, "This is the only ingredient that is truly difficult to source outside of New Orleans." Penny remembered Scali bread at Bova's Bakery in the North End that seemed to fit the specs. So off we went to the perfect neighborhood for gathering muffuletta ingredients.

They not only had it but, as you can see, had it in two sizes. Since this sandwich was for a small group, we picked the smaller loaf, but for you the bigger one might be a better fit.

Slicing Up the Filling!

For the filling we walked over to Salumeria Italiana. We knew they would have the meat, cheese, and makings of the olive salad. They thinly sliced everything we needed for perfect stacking.

We bought mortadella, provolone, fennel soppressata, hot capocollo, and, for our own touch and a light color in the center, added a bit of porchetta. The containers hold olives and the pickled vegetables that make up the olive salad.

Step one is to chop those with some capers, mix with olive oil, and spread it on the bread. This is even better when you make it ahead and give the ingredients time to mellow and blend.

Next, stack the meat in layers.

Wrap the sandwich, weigh it down, move it to the refrigerator, and let a few hours do their magic.

We mentioned above that this is a sandwich for a crowd. You can make as many as you need. Prepare the salad ahead, assemble, and weigh-down the beast long before your guests arrive.

Then serve it up on a cutting board and let everyone slice off the size piece they would like. Easy for entertaining, a fall picnic, or to bring to a potluck.

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

Details:

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

September 6, 2017
September’s Toast with Champagne Robert Barbichon Blanc De Noirs

This month we are chilling a bottle of Robert Barbichon Blanc De Noirs. It's an organic, biodynamic, grower Champagne from a small producer. You may have noticed that we toast with a lot of wines similar to this one. Like many of you, there are flavor profiles, business philosophies, importers, and regional terroirs that we prefer over others. This wine checks a lot of boxes on our preference list.

Humboldt Importers describe this wine maker well, "Located in the Cote des Bar in the Aube region to the southeast of the Marne, the Barbichon family have been growing Champagne grapes for 4 generations. Today Robert Barbichon produces a range of elegant, stylish Champagnes with bright mineral-driven fruit and just a hint of toast."

And (here's the part we especially like) Humboldt Importers characterize the Blanc de Noirs Brut NV as, "Crafted of pure Pinot Noir, it exhibits a creamy nose filled with bright white fruit, chalk/mineral notes and a crisp, elegant finish. 100% Pinot Noir from the Cote des Bar."

One of the fun things about this bottle is that it's a "Transatlantic Bubbles Selection." This is a new import category to us. But reading about their love of sparkling wine and the places where their selections are served makes us open to other wines from their portfolio.

They say:

"Transatlantic Bubbles LLC. specializes in finding and importing grower-producer Champagnes that offer superior quality at a better cost to the customer. We are a trusted supplier in the growing niche market for recoltant-manipulant Champagne."

We're looking forward to raising our glasses to the extension of this lovely summer that we have declared, "… will not end until October 15th, at the earliest!"

We purchased our bottle of Champagne Robert Barbichon Blanc De Noirs Brut at City Liquors in Cambridge for ~ $45.

UPDATE: (09.02.17) We had such high hopes for this Champagne and, well … at the risk of stooping to a cliché, "It exceeded our highest expectations!" We chilled the wine to ~ 55ºF and began tasting while enjoying some thinly sliced pork loin, pepper-flavored boursin, Jasper Hill Moses Sleeper (cows milk cheese inspired by French Brie), figs, and local cherry tomatoes – why skimp?

This combination added to the enjoyment of the Barbichon Blanc De Noirs Brut which only improved as it warmed.

Penny was haunted by a flavor she was experiencing tasted in the fruit of this wine. Then she realized it was like the charred, caramelized pineapple served with our Jamaican jerk chicken wings plate at Little Donkey. I liked the wine's yeasty character and hints of chalk.

We both agreed that the full, rich, round, "elegant finish" remained throughout our meal. And, the best news, we saved some more of this lovely bottle of bubbles for today.

We are buying another bottle the next time we find this little gem!

Cheers!

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: © 2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino, Screengrab from Transatlantic Bubbles LLC

September 1, 2017
Where Would You Find This Door Grate? Let’s Play Attention to Detail!
Let's play Attention to Detail! We give you a close-up clue and you have to figure out where you've seen this door grate around Boston.

Here are some hints:
- It is on a very busy main street.
- The same business has been in this location since 1947.
Ready? Click through or scroll down past this great book about Boston for the answer.

(more…)
August 31, 2017
Where Would You Find This Door Grate? Let’s Play Attention to Detail!
Let's play Attention to Detail! We give you a close-up clue and you have to figure out where you've seen this door grate around Boston.

Here are some hints:
- It is on a very busy main street.
- The same business has been in this location since 1947.
Ready? Click through or scroll down past this great book about Boston for the answer.

(more…)
August 31, 2017
Where Would You Find This Gate? Let’s Play Attention to Detail!
Let's play Attention to Detail! We give you a close-up clue and you have to figure out where you've seen this Gate around Boston.

Here are some hints:
- While the gate leads to private property, it is occasionally open to the public for a community event.
- It is one of a series of private lanes or alleys in this section of Beacon Hill.
- It has the nickname of Flower Lane.
Ready? Click through or scroll down past this great book about Boston for the answer.

(more…)
August 24, 2017
Where Would You Find This Gate? Let’s Play Attention to Detail!
Let's play Attention to Detail! We give you a close-up clue and you have to figure out where you've seen this Gate around Boston.

Here are some hints:
- While the gate leads to private property, it is occasionally open to the public for a community event.
- It is one of a series of private lanes or alleys in this section of Beacon Hill.
- It has the nickname of Flower Lane.
Ready? Click through or scroll down past this great book about Boston for the answer.

(more…)
August 24, 2017
MGH Advice and Resources on How to Maintain Good Brain Health

Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) is more than just our choice for healthcare when we aren't feeling well. It has become our resource for information and programs to stay healthy. A recent article on what you can do to maintain good brain health was important enough for us to share as our Friday Link, this week.

Most of you who take the time to read a site like BostonZest are already doing a lot of things suggested here. Many of the tips have to do with leading a healthy lifestyle. But we want to make you aware of this research center, the Institute for Brain Health, at MGH should you fall into one of the groups that are the focus of their work.

They describe the Institute for Brain Health as,

"An initiative conceived by experts from across the neurosciences, the Institute for Brain Health serves two groups of patients: those at high risk for brain disease and those who are highly motivated to preserve brain function. Our patients gain access to all of the clinical neurosciences at Mass General, as well as our therapists, nutritionists and clinicians from the Benson Henry Institute.

Should you, or someone you care about, need these services, we can attest to the great care and programs provided by the experts at MGH.

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: © 2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino

August 18, 2017
MGH Advice and Resources on How to Maintain Good Brain Health

Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) is more than just our choice for healthcare when we aren't feeling well. It has become our resource for information and programs to stay healthy. A recent article on what you can do to maintain good brain health was important enough for us to share as our Friday Link, this week.

Most of you who take the time to read a site like BostonZest are already doing a lot of things suggested here. Many of the tips have to do with leading a healthy lifestyle. But we want to make you aware of this research center, the Institute for Brain Health, at MGH should you fall into one of the groups that are the focus of their work.

They describe the Institute for Brain Health as,

"An initiative conceived by experts from across the neurosciences, the Institute for Brain Health serves two groups of patients: those at high risk for brain disease and those who are highly motivated to preserve brain function. Our patients gain access to all of the clinical neurosciences at Mass General, as well as our therapists, nutritionists and clinicians from the Benson Henry Institute.

Should you, or someone you care about, need these services, we can attest to the great care and programs provided by the experts at MGH.

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: © 2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino

August 18, 2017
Where Would You Find This Stone Wall? Let’s Play Attention to Detail!
Let's play Attention to Detail! We give you a close-up clue and you have to figure out where you've seen this stone wall around Boston.

Here are some hints:
- It lies between two downtown neighborhoods.
- It is often photographed.
- Thousands of people ride around it.
- It is in a very watery spot this time of year.
Ready? Click through or scroll down past this great book about Boston for the answer.

(more…)
August 17, 2017