Tag: gluten free

BostonZest Take on Some 2016 Local Food Trends

In her January 5, 2016, Fresh & Local food column, Penny wrote about some of the food trends we thought we'd see strengthening in our area this year.

Do you remember early bowl pioneer "Jack and the Bean Bowl" back in 2009?

More Food in Bowls!

Bowls filled with ramen, vegetables, grains, noodles, and soups will grow in importance on restaurant, food truck, and take out menus. Part of this trend is due to our growing acceptance of authentic ethnic cuisines. The need for gluten-free (GF) menu items has restaurants offering the GF-safe ingredients from something like a burrito in a bowl rather than a wrap.

Here's one of our favorite bowls of Bun Thit Nuong from Pho Basil. (More on that dish here.)

In addition, many of these bowls contain warm, filling, comfort foods from the cultures where they originated and we quickly grow to love them for the same reason.

We were thrilled when we saw that the food minds over at the Globe agreed with us by publishing a simultaneous prediction!

Rumanian Pastrami from Sam LaGrassa's (More on this here.)

Good Deli Options

"What the Back Bay needs is a good deli," we hear this from neighbors all the time. We try to explain that the economics of rents in this neighborhood is probably going to prevent that from happening, but we do think we will have more great delicatessens popping up around the area.

And this new version of the old deli features high quality, often house-made meats, and prepared foods. This trend was started in Waltham by Moody's Delicatessen & Provisions. We are thrilled to learn that we will be able to sample their wares from shared space within the new Gordon's Boston store in Downtown Crossing.

While for us a deli sandwich is an occasional treat, we do have a few old favorites. Sam LaGrassa's is always on our list of recommendations for visitors. If we're in Coolidge Corner, we'll pick up sandwiches from Michael's Deli.

Tacos filled with lamb in barbacoa sauce from Tenoch Mexican Taqueria. (More photos here.)

Regional Mexican Food

A second national trend that seems to be slowly appearing in Boston is restaurants offering authentic, regional Mexican cuisines like our much loved Angela’s Cafe in East Boston and the small local Tenoch Mexican Taqueria restaurants and food cart.

In December, we learned that Angela's is opening a second location in Orient Heights much closer to transit. Getting there without a car has limited our visits to the original place.

What are you seeing in the world of local food that makes you smile? Add your thoughts in the comments below. Tweet them to @BostonZest or send us an email and we'll add your suggestions to this post as an update.

We have a few more trends to talk about and will link to that post when it is published.

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

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2009-2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Related articles

Tenoch Mexican Restaurants & Food Truck

Where to Pick Up Great Food for Boston Summer 2014 Events

January 20, 2016
Healthy Storm Munchies: Biena Chickpea Snacks

One good thing we had on hand during the recent snow storm was a sampler of Biena Chickpea Snacks.

This dish holds a selection of four of the flavors offered by this Cambridge, MA based company: Sea Salt, BBQ, Honey Roasted, and Cinnamon Maple. They were a wonderful alternative to the junk food we learned people were stocking up on for the storm.

When companies offer to send us samples of their products, we usually decline. Most of these offers seem to come from big, national brands selling products we would never buy or recommend. But, when an email suggested we try samples of an interesting new snack food with some healthy credentials from a small, local business, we decided to take them up on the offer.

We're glad we did. Biena Chickpeas have already been added to our standard shopping list for Whole Foods. We haven't tried the Lime & Chili yet and are looking forward to it.

We taste-tested them ourselves and with some friends and learned that different people had different favorites. Penny likes the Sea Salt for nibbling with a glass of wine. Ed preferred the Honey Roasted to tuck into his pocket for a snack on the go. The 2-ounce bags make them perfect for this use.

On the company's website, founder Poorvi Patodia explained how the business came to be, "I love food, and I’ve wanted to start a food company for as long as I can remember. I grew up with a mom who is an incredible cook, and a dad who is really into healthy foods. So I guess it’s not a surprise that as an adult, I’m obsessed with discovering, eating and making healthy foods that taste great."

We'd say she's on her way. If snacks with a simple list of ingredients that deliver salty, crunchy, and healthy are something you'd like to try, click over to this list of stores carrying them. We think the names of the businesses who have decided that they want this product on their shelves is another positive endorsement. You'll find shops you like and trust. And for our readers in other parts of the country, you can buy them online.

We think the four lines on the front of the package – Protein, Fiber, Low Fat, and Gluten-Free – mean that these can be problem solvers when shopping for snack food. All that and tasty too!

What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List? Shop Amazon for all your kitchen & dining needs and support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2013 Penny Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

Related articles

7 Energizing Snack Foods for Optimum Health

Biena Foods Expands Roasted Chickpea Line and Offers National Online Distribution Through Snackaisle.com

Honey Roasted Chickpeas

A Sprinkle of Urfa Pepper…

Boston Tweet's Terrific Late Night Dining List

February 13, 2013
Healthy Storm Munchies: Biena Chickpea Snacks

One good thing we had on hand during the recent snow storm was a sampler of Biena Chickpea Snacks.

This dish holds a selection of four of the flavors offered by this Cambridge, MA based company: Sea Salt, BBQ, Honey Roasted, and Cinnamon Maple. They were a wonderful alternative to the junk food we learned people were stocking up on for the storm.

When companies offer to send us samples of their products, we usually decline. Most of these offers seem to come from big, national brands selling products we would never buy or recommend. But, when an email suggested we try samples of an interesting new snack food with some healthy credentials from a small, local business, we decided to take them up on the offer.

We're glad we did. Biena Chickpeas have already been added to our standard shopping list for Whole Foods. We haven't tried the Lime & Chili yet and are looking forward to it.

We taste-tested them ourselves and with some friends and learned that different people had different favorites. Penny likes the Sea Salt for nibbling with a glass of wine. Ed preferred the Honey Roasted to tuck into his pocket for a snack on the go. The 2-ounce bags make them perfect for this use.

On the company's website, founder Poorvi Patodia explained how the business came to be, "I love food, and I’ve wanted to start a food company for as long as I can remember. I grew up with a mom who is an incredible cook, and a dad who is really into healthy foods. So I guess it’s not a surprise that as an adult, I’m obsessed with discovering, eating and making healthy foods that taste great."

We'd say she's on her way. If snacks with a simple list of ingredients that deliver salty, crunchy, and healthy are something you'd like to try, click over to this list of stores carrying them. We think the names of the businesses who have decided that they want this product on their shelves is another positive endorsement. You'll find shops you like and trust. And for our readers in other parts of the country, you can buy them online.

We think the four lines on the front of the package – Protein, Fiber, Low Fat, and Gluten-Free – mean that these can be problem solvers when shopping for snack food. All that and tasty too!

What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List? Shop Amazon for all your kitchen & dining needs and support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2013 Penny Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

Related articles

7 Energizing Snack Foods for Optimum Health

Biena Foods Expands Roasted Chickpea Line and Offers National Online Distribution Through Snackaisle.com

Honey Roasted Chickpeas

A Sprinkle of Urfa Pepper…

Boston Tweet's Terrific Late Night Dining List

February 13, 2013
Healthy Storm Munchies: Biena Chickpea Snacks

One good thing we had on hand during the recent snow storm was a sampler of Biena Chickpea Snacks.

This dish holds a selection of four of the flavors offered by this Cambridge, MA based company: Sea Salt, BBQ, Honey Roasted, and Cinnamon Maple. They were a wonderful alternative to the junk food we learned people were stocking up on for the storm.

When companies offer to send us samples of their products, we usually decline. Most of these offers seem to come from big, national brands selling products we would never buy or recommend. But, when an email suggested we try samples of an interesting new snack food with some healthy credentials from a small, local business, we decided to take them up on the offer.

We're glad we did. Biena Chickpeas have already been added to our standard shopping list for Whole Foods. We haven't tried the Lime & Chili yet and are looking forward to it.

We taste-tested them ourselves and with some friends and learned that different people had different favorites. Penny likes the Sea Salt for nibbling with a glass of wine. Ed preferred the Honey Roasted to tuck into his pocket for a snack on the go. The 2-ounce bags make them perfect for this use.

On the company's website, founder Poorvi Patodia explained how the business came to be, "I love food, and I’ve wanted to start a food company for as long as I can remember. I grew up with a mom who is an incredible cook, and a dad who is really into healthy foods. So I guess it’s not a surprise that as an adult, I’m obsessed with discovering, eating and making healthy foods that taste great."

We'd say she's on her way. If snacks with a simple list of ingredients that deliver salty, crunchy, and healthy are something you'd like to try, click over to this list of stores carrying them. We think the names of the businesses who have decided that they want this product on their shelves is another positive endorsement. You'll find shops you like and trust. And for our readers in other parts of the country, you can buy them online.

We think the four lines on the front of the package – Protein, Fiber, Low Fat, and Gluten-Free – mean that these can be problem solvers when shopping for snack food. All that and tasty too!

What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List? Shop Amazon for all your kitchen & dining needs and support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2013 Penny Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

Related articles

7 Energizing Snack Foods for Optimum Health

Biena Foods Expands Roasted Chickpea Line and Offers National Online Distribution Through Snackaisle.com

Honey Roasted Chickpeas

A Sprinkle of Urfa Pepper…

Boston Tweet's Terrific Late Night Dining List

February 13, 2013
5 Reasons to Have Cider on Your Holiday Menu

There are many reasons to add cider to your holiday menu – for meals, for cocktail hour, or mulled and warm on a chilly evening. And, there are many types of cider to serve to your family and guests.

1. Artisanal ciders will be a hit with fans of microbrews and fine wines. Our wine guru, Howie Rubin of Bauer Wine & Spirits, recently recommended Bantam Wunderkind, a new local cider from Cambridge, MA. He knows our taste and this crisp, clean, dry creation was perfect with a supper of salad with buttery croutons and goat cheese.

2. At farmers' markets and farm stands you'll find sweet, fresh cider for those who prefer non-alcoholic drinks. You can even find single source ciders like this one made from honeycrisp apples. And, most cider is gluten-free. Just be sure to check that the one you're choosing really is safe for those who restrict gluten. You never know what some producers might add to the mix.

3. Cider's history makes it a perfect fit in this season of traditions. We wrote more about cider's past in our post, You Only Think You Know Cider.

4. Cider gives you a new world to explore! Try an imported, sparkling cider from someplace like Normandy where there is a long tradition of turning apples into a companion for food. One of the most respected producers is Etienne Dupont. Penny loves the barnyard funk of their organic version. It has that same mysterious quality of some of our favorite Italian wines. We wrote more about it here.

5. If you want to keep up with the conversation among food lovers, you should add some cider knowledge to your repertoire. Everyone is starting to rediscover this once lost beverage. Here'a a primer from NPR, Americans Rediscover The Kick Of Hard Cider. And, remember, don't judge ciders by the mass produced versions. Try a small scale, local producer recommended by someone you trust.

Beer glasses, like the one below, are perfect for serving cider. Or, you can pour it into the same glass that other guests will use for wine or serve it in a brandy snifter
as we did in the top photo.

And, thanks to everyone who clicks over to Amazon from here. It doesn't cost you anymore, but it puts a few coins in our tip jar.

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2010-2012 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

Related articles

8 Single Varietal Ciders You Should Try

Tips for brewing your own hard cider

Focaccia Croutons Are Tops

Thanksgiving 2012 Dining Out in Boston

November 19, 2012
5 Reasons to Have Cider on Your Holiday Menu

There are many reasons to add cider to your holiday menu – for meals, for cocktail hour, or mulled and warm on a chilly evening. And, there are many types of cider to serve to your family and guests.

1. Artisanal ciders will be a hit with fans of microbrews and fine wines. Our wine guru, Howie Rubin of Bauer Wine & Spirits, recently recommended Bantam Wunderkind, a new local cider from Cambridge, MA. He knows our taste and this crisp, clean, dry creation was perfect with a supper of salad with buttery croutons and goat cheese.

2. At farmers' markets and farm stands you'll find sweet, fresh cider for those who prefer non-alcoholic drinks. You can even find single source ciders like this one made from honeycrisp apples. And, most cider is gluten-free. Just be sure to check that the one you're choosing really is safe for those who restrict gluten. You never know what some producers might add to the mix.

3. Cider's history makes it a perfect fit in this season of traditions. We wrote more about cider's past in our post, You Only Think You Know Cider.

4. Cider gives you a new world to explore! Try an imported, sparkling cider from someplace like Normandy where there is a long tradition of turning apples into a companion for food. One of the most respected producers is Etienne Dupont. Penny loves the barnyard funk of their organic version. It has that same mysterious quality of some of our favorite Italian wines. We wrote more about it here.

5. If you want to keep up with the conversation among food lovers, you should add some cider knowledge to your repertoire. Everyone is starting to rediscover this once lost beverage. Here'a a primer from NPR, Americans Rediscover The Kick Of Hard Cider. And, remember, don't judge ciders by the mass produced versions. Try a small scale, local producer recommended by someone you trust.

Beer glasses, like the one below, are perfect for serving cider. Or, you can pour it into the same glass that other guests will use for wine or serve it in a brandy snifter
as we did in the top photo.

And, thanks to everyone who clicks over to Amazon from here. It doesn't cost you anymore, but it puts a few coins in our tip jar.

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2010-2012 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

Related articles

8 Single Varietal Ciders You Should Try

Tips for brewing your own hard cider

Focaccia Croutons Are Tops

Thanksgiving 2012 Dining Out in Boston

November 19, 2012
5 Reasons to Have Cider on Your Holiday Menu

There are many reasons to add cider to your holiday menu – for meals, for cocktail hour, or mulled and warm on a chilly evening. And, there are many types of cider to serve to your family and guests.

1. Artisanal ciders will be a hit with fans of microbrews and fine wines. Our wine guru, Howie Rubin of Bauer Wine & Spirits, recently recommended Bantam Wunderkind, a new local cider from Cambridge, MA. He knows our taste and this crisp, clean, dry creation was perfect with a supper of salad with buttery croutons and goat cheese.

2. At farmers' markets and farm stands you'll find sweet, fresh cider for those who prefer non-alcoholic drinks. You can even find single source ciders like this one made from honeycrisp apples. And, most cider is gluten-free. Just be sure to check that the one you're choosing really is safe for those who restrict gluten. You never know what some producers might add to the mix.

3. Cider's history makes it a perfect fit in this season of traditions. We wrote more about cider's past in our post, You Only Think You Know Cider.

4. Cider gives you a new world to explore! Try an imported, sparkling cider from someplace like Normandy where there is a long tradition of turning apples into a companion for food. One of the most respected producers is Etienne Dupont. Penny loves the barnyard funk of their organic version. It has that same mysterious quality of some of our favorite Italian wines. We wrote more about it here.

5. If you want to keep up with the conversation among food lovers, you should add some cider knowledge to your repertoire. Everyone is starting to rediscover this once lost beverage. Here'a a primer from NPR, Americans Rediscover The Kick Of Hard Cider. And, remember, don't judge ciders by the mass produced versions. Try a small scale, local producer recommended by someone you trust.

Beer glasses, like the one below, are perfect for serving cider. Or, you can pour it into the same glass that other guests will use for wine or serve it in a brandy snifter
as we did in the top photo.

And, thanks to everyone who clicks over to Amazon from here. It doesn't cost you anymore, but it puts a few coins in our tip jar.

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2010-2012 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

Related articles

8 Single Varietal Ciders You Should Try

Tips for brewing your own hard cider

Focaccia Croutons Are Tops

Thanksgiving 2012 Dining Out in Boston

November 19, 2012