bostonzest

Tag: catering

  • 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

  • The Cupcakory – Food Truck Tracking

    Visiting The Cupcakory is like sitting down at a friend's kitchen table, if your friend happens to be a fabulous baker. Making desserts with well-balanced flavors (sweet, but not too sweet) is an art that this baker has mastered. Here's a profile of one of the area's original food trucks.

    What's your favorite cupcake flavor? 

    DSC_2185 - Version 22012-03-09-cupcakory-food-truck-cupcakes-boston-brooklilne-© 2011 Penny Cherubino (1)

    This one is Nutella– chocolate cake with Nutella buttercream

    Name: The Cupcakory, a mobile cupcake truck.

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    Truck Description: Her name is Tillie, short for Utilimaster. She was a catering truck that was put out to pasture until Diane and Mick rescued her and got her back in the food business. She's a simple, unassuming girl with a white paint job and gentle green lettering. 

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    Don't you love a cupcake baked by the person who hands it to you?  

    Chef & Team: Founder and head baker Diane turned a recession job loss into an opportunity to follow her heart and passion as a baker. Now, she puts smiles on a lot of faces. Her husband Mick is, "assistant baker, dishwasher, driver, mechanic, handy man, you name it, he does it." 

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    What’s on the Menu: Cupcakes are $3 each or $16.50 for half a dozen– a great excuse to gather some pals and head for the truck. "We try to have 5 to 6 rotating flavors each day, we also include a seasonal flavor and will test something new every so often, so please check Twitter or Facebook for the day’s menu."

    Drinks: BYOM, Bring your own milk, or coffee, or tea… Just cupcakes onboard, unless it's hot, and then Diane will bring some bottled spring water to keep her customers cool.

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    Known for/must try/signature dish: Salted Caramel, "chocolate cake with salted caramel buttercream on top."

    They say: "We love cupcakes and are passionate about what goes into them, so we’ve taken extra care in testing and picking out the best ingredients. For us, quality and taste comes first."

    Nice Touch: Diane says they offer, "both vegan and gluten-free options upon request for pick-up on the truck, please request at least 48 hours in advance." 

    Philosophy/Mission: "Most of our ingredients are locally sourced and organic where possible. When fruit and berries come into season we will opt for local and organic, but if organic is not available we will use local for the quality of flavor and for our continued commitment to supporting local farms and sustainability practices."

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    We love this little showcase window where you can see exactly what cupcakes haven't been gobbled up by the Cupcakory regulars. 

    Regulars say: Brandon Rigolini called them, "Best cupcakes in Boston." 

    Talking about a Guinness Chocolate cake topped with Madagascar vanilla buttercream, Erika Bee said, "That one was my breakfast this morning …"

    Asking Diane to hold a cupcake on facebook, Raquel L. Auriemma said, "I need a salted caramel, but can't be there until about 1:30."

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    Order and Pick up routine: There is one window with Diane's smiling face ready to put something wonderful in your hand.

    Payment: Cash or credit cards

    Website: www.cupcakory.com

    Twitter: @cupcakory

    Facebook: Cupcakory

    Check The Cupcakory site for this week's schedule.

    The Cupcakory's new schedule beginnng April 1, 2012 

    • Tuesday, Financial District at Milk & Kilby Streets (11:30 am – 3:00 pm)
    • Wednesday, Back Bay at Stuart Street (11:30 am – 3:00 pm); Clarendon St. (3:15 pm – 7ish)
    • Thursday, Financial District at Milk & Kilby Streets (3:00 pm – 7:00 pm)
    • Friday, Copley at Clarendon Street (11:30 am – 3:00 pm); Financial District at Milk & Kilby Streets (3:15 pm – 7:00 pm)
    • Sunday, SoWa Market in the food truck lot

    For more of our Food Truck/Street Food coverage: click here. Or, anytime you visit BostonZest, you can click on the Food Truck/Street Food tab at the top of the page.

    Link: Boston Food Truck Location Map 

    What's on your party shopping list? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

     


    Details:
    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photography: © 2012 Penny & Ed Cherubino  

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