Tag: Maine

  • Eventide Fenway, Our First Look

    Last week we made our first visit to the new Eventide location in the Fenway.

    IMG_5186

    First and foremost let us say that the food was fabulous. We had the brown butter lobster roll, the burger, and the lobster stew along with some well-matched wine. 

    IMG_4315

    The brown butter lobster roll on a steamed bun is the dish that had the most pre-opening excitement. It adds one more option to our Boston lobster roll scene. It's smaller than some local options and doesn't include any sides, but that's fine because we knew it was a serving that would enable us to taste some other items like …

    Copy IMG_4316 (1)

    … the fabulous Maine lobster stew with coconut, carrots, curry, maitake mushrooms, and of course lobster! This was the absolute hit of the day. Penny says she can see herself walking over there just to get a bowl of this flavor bomb. It was served with some pieces of crisp, crunchy flatbread which we used as a palate cleanser to keep our taste buds ready for the next sip of that delicious broth.

    IMG_4318

    Ed's order of the burger was a surprise. He's a fussy burger eater and seldom orders one in all but his favorite spots around town. Let's say he took one for the team! That said, he ate every bite and was impressed that, like many thin patties, it was not cooked to death. It had good beef flavor and he liked the roll. He might not order it again, but if we have a friend who is not a fish lover, we're very happy that this option is available. 

    IMG_5176

    Adult beverages here are wine and beer. The wine selection is well matched to the food and shows that some serious thought was put into it. Penny ordered a Manzanilla Sherry that we both agreed paired well with both the lobster roll and the lobster stew. Ed had a rosé with his burger. And while the servingware was not glass, these Govino flutes were interesting enough for us to look them up and consider buying them in quantity for an upcoming Irish whiskey tasting. 

    Oddly we never took a single photo of the place, probably because it didn't appeal to us at all. This food is so good it deserves a much warmer and more hospitable atmosphere. Our hope is that should this team decide to open a second Boston location, it'll be designed for those who would like to enjoy a comfortable sit down meal with friends.

    We don't mind the counter service set up. If we had a comfortable table where our group could sit and spend time savoring the flavors that this food offers, we'd be back often. We would gladly go to the counter for second or third rounds of oysters, drinks, more lobster stew, or to add dessert, but we'd like to feel we're in a restaurant, not a cold, hard, clamorous, unwelcoming, fast food joint.

    Our plan for a second visit is to order the food to go, (if they do take out) and walk down Jersey Street to the Fens and enjoy it as a picnic.

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

    Details:

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

  • Thanks to All the Sunday Dog People Who Did it Right & Shame on Scofflaws

    Congratulations and thanks to all of you who made it through this winter and only left footprints and paw prints behind in the snow. 

    IMG_8111 - Version 22015-03-08-poppy-westie-bench-coat-boots-© 2014 Penny Cherubino

    The record snowfall this winter was hard on people with dogs. First, there was the task of getting yourself dressed for each outing. Next, came adding a dog coat and boots if your pup is one who needs them. 

    Once outside, you had to find a spot where your dog would complete the task at hand. (Some dogs are fussy about things like that.)

    Even if your dog was quick and would have been happy to return inside, you had to trudge the extra distance to find a waste receptacle for your pick up bag. And, in many cases, you found the trash bucket overflowing.

    Back inside, you had to undress yourself and your dog, wash dirty paws, and attempt to dry wet fur. Plus, you had to do this 3 to 5 times a day depending on the age, size, breed, and overall health of your companion.

    Sm IMG_8134 - Version 22015-03-15-boston-cigarette-litter-commonwealth-avenue-© 2014 Penny Cherubino copy

    Just as it only took one smoker to create this pile of cigarette litter (almost all the same brand) outside a Back Bay residence, it only takes one scofflaw with a dog to mess up an entire block over the course of a few weeks.

    It Only Takes One …

    Shame on those who decided that since they were out there alone with no one in view, they didn’t have to pick up after their dog. 

    As with many social problems, a small number of people are at the core of the issue. As I used to say to one particularly nasty dog hater who expressed her displeasure with dogs to everyone who passed with leash in hand, “If the vast majority of us didn’t pick up after our dogs, you'd be knee deep in it.” 

    April Stools Day

    If dog haters and people without dogs in their lives are upset over this issue, you can only imagine how maddening it is to those of us who do it right. What’s more, many of us with bag already in hand have been trying to clean up after those who give the dog community this black eye. 

    Portland, Maine has addressed this winter scofflaw problem with humor since the year 2000. Each April, responsible members of the dog community declare an “April Stools Day,” when dog lovers come out in force to clean up the parks. Portland’s day is official and includes event extras. But, around here, anyone with a bag can add goodness to the next day of sunshine with a visit to their favorite dog walking area to pick up a few extra droppings.

    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 Cherubino – part of this post appeared in one of Penny's City Paws Newspaper columns
    Photography: © 2015 Penny & Ed Cherubino

  • Thanks to All the Sunday Dog People Who Did it Right & Shame on Scofflaws

    Congratulations and thanks to all of you who made it through this winter and only left footprints and paw prints behind in the snow. 

    IMG_8111 - Version 22015-03-08-poppy-westie-bench-coat-boots-© 2014 Penny Cherubino

    The record snowfall this winter was hard on people with dogs. First, there was the task of getting yourself dressed for each outing. Next, came adding a dog coat and boots if your pup is one who needs them. 

    Once outside, you had to find a spot where your dog would complete the task at hand. (Some dogs are fussy about things like that.)

    Even if your dog was quick and would have been happy to return inside, you had to trudge the extra distance to find a waste receptacle for your pick up bag. And, in many cases, you found the trash bucket overflowing.

    Back inside, you had to undress yourself and your dog, wash dirty paws, and attempt to dry wet fur. Plus, you had to do this 3 to 5 times a day depending on the age, size, breed, and overall health of your companion.

    Sm IMG_8134 - Version 22015-03-15-boston-cigarette-litter-commonwealth-avenue-© 2014 Penny Cherubino copy

    Just as it only took one smoker to create this pile of cigarette litter (almost all the same brand) outside a Back Bay residence, it only takes one scofflaw with a dog to mess up an entire block over the course of a few weeks.

    It Only Takes One …

    Shame on those who decided that since they were out there alone with no one in view, they didn’t have to pick up after their dog. 

    As with many social problems, a small number of people are at the core of the issue. As I used to say to one particularly nasty dog hater who expressed her displeasure with dogs to everyone who passed with leash in hand, “If the vast majority of us didn’t pick up after our dogs, you'd be knee deep in it.” 

    April Stools Day

    If dog haters and people without dogs in their lives are upset over this issue, you can only imagine how maddening it is to those of us who do it right. What’s more, many of us with bag already in hand have been trying to clean up after those who give the dog community this black eye. 

    Portland, Maine has addressed this winter scofflaw problem with humor since the year 2000. Each April, responsible members of the dog community declare an “April Stools Day,” when dog lovers come out in force to clean up the parks. Portland’s day is official and includes event extras. But, around here, anyone with a bag can add goodness to the next day of sunshine with a visit to their favorite dog walking area to pick up a few extra droppings.

    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 Cherubino – part of this post appeared in one of Penny's City Paws Newspaper columns
    Photography: © 2015 Penny & Ed Cherubino

  • Get Ready for Amtrak’s “All Aboard” for Dogs & Cats

    It was just a couple of weeks ago when we asked you to "Lend Your Support to Allowing Dogs & Cats on Amtrak." The good news is that the bill we asked you to support has passed. While the bureaucrats slowly set up the program, you can get your companion animals ready to be great passengers.

    6a00e54fc42bb8883401b8d0da424e970c-800wi

    Train on Local Trains

     

    Our Poppy is a subway pro. We take her on the MBTA often enough to keep her acclimatized to the noise, crowded conditions, and movement of the trains. But, as someone who has ridden trains along the Northeast corridor, I know that the motion of those trains is not exactly the same as subway sways.

     

    14366513920_aa70945296_k

    Commuter rail photo courtesy of the Massachusetts Office of Tourism

     

    Under MBTA pet guidelines, your dog or cat is already welcome aboard the Commuter Rail. Pick a destination where you and your dog can have some fun and plan a day trip this spring.

     

    How about Salem as a first trip? It's a fairly short, half hour ride with lots to do when you get there. (In summer, there is also a ferry to Salem which can be a great way to get a dog ready for boat rides.)

     

    If that works out, you could try Newburyport for the next destination – it takes a little more than an hour to reach and should be a good test. 

     

    It would be a good idea for us to get Poppy used to riding in her Sherpa Pet Carrier because we usually travel off-peak on the subway and can hold her in a lap or in our arms. 

     

    CapeFLYER Is Pet Friendly

    If a trip to Cape Cod is more to your liking, you and your dog or cat can ride the CapeFLYER to one of its stops, once the train resumes for the summer season. Pets ride free aboard this popular service. And, I have to wonder if the pet option is one of the reasons it was an immediate success.

    9067771420_4378783701_z

    Acela photo courtesy of the Massachusetts Office of Tourism

    New York, Portland, and Philadelphia Here We Come!

    Once we are allowed to take Poppy with us, we'll be on board for three of our favorite car-free destinations: New York City, Philadelphia, and Portland, Maine. 

    9065546175_79039b9b37_z

    Downeaster photo courtesy of the Massachusetts Office of Tourism

    The Downeaster to Portland should be one of the first test routes considering how dog-friendly that city happens to be. And, we look forward to spending more time in New York and Philadelphia. 

    Where will you go by train with your favorite companion animal?

     

    Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

    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: istockphoto for the traveling dog image. Trains are courtesy of the Massachusetts Office of Tourism used under this creative commons license.

  • Mussels Are Sustainable, Easy to Cook, and Fun to Flavor

    There are abundant reasons to put mussels on your shopping list this fall and winter. I was recently reminded of just how local and sustainable these shellfish are by blogger Richard Auffrey who sang the praises of mussels on his site, The Passionate Foodie. 

    3 - Version 42014-08-14-mussels-la voile-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    Mussels Do Have a Season

    Taste is important and cool weather is when our local mussels are full of flavor. The folks at Maine Sea Grant explained, “Mussels can be harvested all year, but most fishing is in the winter when the taste and quality of the meat is best (before the mussels begin spawning in spring and summer).”

    While some Massachusetts mussels come to market, most of the fresh, live, blue mussels we see in local stores are from Maine or Prince Edward Island. Maine claims the US title to have, ”historically ranked first in mussel landings.” Their harvest includes both wild mussels gathered along the rocky coast and farmed mussels from the bays. In aquaculture, from seed to harvest, these filter feeders take only 12-18 months to reach your table.

    IMG_7572 - Version 22014-08-14-mussels-la voile-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    Mussels Mariniere

    Perhaps the best known recipe for these bivalves is Mussels Mariniere. For this lovely French inspired dish, I chop a shallot, a clove of garlic, some parsley, thyme, and sauté those in butter to soften. Then I add half a bottle of crisp white wine, bring it to a boil, and add my cleaned, debearded, and lively mussels. (Always discard any mussels that don’t close up when you tap them.)

    I cook the mussels for 3-5 minutes – until they just open. Pour the whole thing into a big bowl and serve with crusty bread.

    Here's a good video on how to prep your mussels for cooking from the Epicurous.com Around the World in 80 Dishes series.

    Buy your mussels from a trusted fishmonger. I was at New Deal Fish Market in Cambridge recently and watched one of their staff check each of the mussels he was gathering for a customer. 

    Ready to Party

    The beauty of most mussel recipes is that you can easily make them for two or for twenty. I once served the first course of mussels for 30 people at a friend's house while he prepared the rest of the meal. Fortunately, he had a large version of this Granite Ware stock pot ready for the job. At home, I use my All-Clad 12-Quart Multi Cooker.

    Mussels act like chameleons in the kitchen. That’s why you’ll see them on menus from diners and pubs to French, Italian, Asian, and modern American restaurants. A big plate of mussels fits into today’s concept of shared plates that is popular with both chefs and diners. And, a creative cook can change up the flavor profile as often as he or she wants.

    Switch the shallot to green onions; herbs to red chili, lemongrass, and cilantro; and wine to coconut milk with a dash of fish sauce, and you have Thai style mussels.

    Give me a bag of mussels and I'll ad-lib what to do with them from what's on hand in my kitchen. If you prefer recipes to ad lib cooking, here are a few versions for mussels that are pretty close to the way I make these dishes.

    Mussels Mariniere from Putney Farm (And when they say 20-30 minutes, that is the start to finish time to prepare the dish, not cooking time.)

    Thai style mussels with coconut milk from Food & Wine. 

    Curried mussels from Saveur.

    Ibearian style mussels with chorizo and tomato (You'll find this style in both Spain and Portugal.)

    Next Up on the Topic of Mussels

    In an upcoming post, Ed and I will tell you about some of our favorite mussel dishes when dining out in the Boston area. We would also love to hear your opinons. Let us know. Add a comment here – send it to us on twitter or send us an email.

    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: ©2014 Penny & Ed Cherubino 

  • At The Market: Garlic

    As a defining element in cuisines like Italian and Korean to its use in fighting off plague and vampires, garlic has a long and spicy history. In recent years, fresh, full-flavored garlic has been available at local farmers’ markets. 

    IMG_6690 - Version 22013-08-06-garlic-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    Choosing Local Garlic

    At farmers’ markets, it’s easy. In the case of garlic, the farmer should have dried the bulbs before bringing them to market. You want bulbs that are completely dry to the touch.

    Storing Garlic

    You can buy purpose-made garlic keepers
    for storing garlic. A small, clean, overturned clay flower pot works as well. (Yes, the flower pot below is not pristine, but we just set up this shot to show you what we mean. We keep our garlic in a different terracotta container.)

     DSC_7524 - Version 22013-08-21-garlic-flower-pot-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    Keep garlic in the dark to discourage sprouting. Good airflow helps prevent molding and keeps your garlic dry and as fresh as possible.

    Because we have accepted stale supermarket garlic for so long, the taste of fresh garlic can be shockingly strong. You may want to use a bit less or add layers of garlic as you cook.

    Elsewhere in the market, what to enjoy now!

    Make a meal of local melons and August tomatoes. The perfection of these local crops makes you think about whether or not you want to eat the pale substitutes we get the rest of the year. 

    Get Some Before It's Gone!

    Blueberries! Enjoy them now. We are reaching the end of their season. However, wild blueberries from Maine are just arriving at our home via Boston Organics.

    Follow all our Local Food/Farmers' Markets and At The Market reports:

    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 & 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.

  • At The Market: Garlic

    As a defining element in cuisines like Italian and Korean to its use in fighting off plague and vampires, garlic has a long and spicy history. In recent years, fresh, full-flavored garlic has been available at local farmers’ markets. 

    IMG_6690 - Version 22013-08-06-garlic-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    Choosing Local Garlic

    At farmers’ markets, it’s easy. In the case of garlic, the farmer should have dried the bulbs before bringing them to market. You want bulbs that are completely dry to the touch.

    Storing Garlic

    You can buy purpose-made garlic keepers
    for storing garlic. A small, clean, overturned clay flower pot works as well. (Yes, the flower pot below is not pristine, but we just set up this shot to show you what we mean. We keep our garlic in a different terracotta container.)

     DSC_7524 - Version 22013-08-21-garlic-flower-pot-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    Keep garlic in the dark to discourage sprouting. Good airflow helps prevent molding and keeps your garlic dry and as fresh as possible.

    Because we have accepted stale supermarket garlic for so long, the taste of fresh garlic can be shockingly strong. You may want to use a bit less or add layers of garlic as you cook.

    Elsewhere in the market, what to enjoy now!

    Make a meal of local melons and August tomatoes. The perfection of these local crops makes you think about whether or not you want to eat the pale substitutes we get the rest of the year. 

    Get Some Before It's Gone!

    Blueberries! Enjoy them now. We are reaching the end of their season. However, wild blueberries from Maine are just arriving at our home via Boston Organics.

    Follow all our Local Food/Farmers' Markets and At The Market reports:

    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 & 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.

  • At The Market: Garlic

    As a defining element in cuisines like Italian and Korean to its use in fighting off plague and vampires, garlic has a long and spicy history. In recent years, fresh, full-flavored garlic has been available at local farmers’ markets. 

    IMG_6690 - Version 22013-08-06-garlic-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    Choosing Local Garlic

    At farmers’ markets, it’s easy. In the case of garlic, the farmer should have dried the bulbs before bringing them to market. You want bulbs that are completely dry to the touch.

    Storing Garlic

    You can buy purpose-made garlic keepers
    for storing garlic. A small, clean, overturned clay flower pot works as well. (Yes, the flower pot below is not pristine, but we just set up this shot to show you what we mean. We keep our garlic in a different terracotta container.)

     DSC_7524 - Version 22013-08-21-garlic-flower-pot-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    Keep garlic in the dark to discourage sprouting. Good airflow helps prevent molding and keeps your garlic dry and as fresh as possible.

    Because we have accepted stale supermarket garlic for so long, the taste of fresh garlic can be shockingly strong. You may want to use a bit less or add layers of garlic as you cook.

    Elsewhere in the market, what to enjoy now!

    Make a meal of local melons and August tomatoes. The perfection of these local crops makes you think about whether or not you want to eat the pale substitutes we get the rest of the year. 

    Get Some Before It's Gone!

    Blueberries! Enjoy them now. We are reaching the end of their season. However, wild blueberries from Maine are just arriving at our home via Boston Organics.

    Follow all our Local Food/Farmers' Markets and At The Market reports:

    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 & 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.

  • Seafood Feast for Christmas Eve


    71698698_7463bed230

    Lobster photo by Man Pikin. Link in details below.

    While you may think of lobster as summer fare, around our house it's a Christmas Eve tradition. Think about it, the reason Maine Lobster is so good is those freezing cold waters that make swimming from Maine’s ocean beaches a shocking experience. This time of year, water temperatures drop throughout our area and lobsters have better flavor. 

    Our Lobsters will come from James Hook & Company (below) on the Waterfront.

    Do you have a traditional Christmas Eve meal? Please share it with us and our readers in the comments or via Twitter.6a00e54fc42bb88834010536a3ae21970b-800wi

     

    Feast of the Seven Fishes

    For many Italian families, the Christmas Eve Feast of the Seven Fishes, or La Vigilia di Natale, is a tradition. And, because preparing this meal at home can be daunting for the cook, it’s a good time to invite guests who will bring a dish or help in the kitchen – especially if your family’s version actually calls for 9, 11, or 13 fishes. 

    (Update 12.20.12 @ 5:12 pm) Just found this coversation over on Chowhound's Boston Board about other places doing the Feast with some reviews on past feasts. Feast of the Seven Fishes on Chowhound

    Get the Salt Cod Early

    One element of most traditional Christmas Eve feasts is salt cod or baccalà. This is the one product you need to buy right away. Soaking it, to rehydrate and remove the salt, can be a long process and is best begun at least a couple of days before you plan to use it. 

    We’ve purchased excellent salt cod from Salumeria Italiana in the North End. Baccalà is one of those products you want to buy from a trusted specialty shop or fishmonger. There's a very wide range of salt cod quality and if this is for a special occasion, why not buy from someone who's made sure you will have the best. 

    There was a discussion with Boston Chowhounds about a good place to buy salt cod, earlier this year. Lots of good advice there. 

    DSC_2074 - Version 22012-03-03-dungeoness-crab-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    Join a Restaurant Feast

    For the non-cooks, there are area restaurants serving their versions of the feast this year. Grotto in Beacon Hill has had rave reviews of their special feast menu in past years. Sister restaurant Marliave is also joining in the feasting with their own version.

    Other places for fish feasting are Dante in Cambridge, Davio’s in the Theatre District, and Legal Harborside out in the Seaport area. The North End’s Neptune Oyster is doing it tonight (12.20.12) for those who have to be elsewhere on Christmas Eve. For all these places, reservations are recommended.

    Upddate 12.20.12 one of our favorite places, Coppa has added a feast and they are doing prixe fixe or a la carte.

    Make Up Your Own

    You might decide to have your own taylor made seafood feast during the holidays. You can buy and cook your favorite fish or dine out choosing the menu items that appeal to you. Another option is meeting up with friends at a great seafood restaurant like Island Creek Oyster Bar and sharing a bunch of items that appeal to the group. That could help nudge you out of your seafood comfort zone.

    The nice thing about menus for this holiday is that they are less prescribed, letting you start your own traditions. Let us know what you decide to create for your own Chistmas eve menu.

    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: Lobster photo by Man Pikin. Used under this creative commons license. 

    Crab photo: © 2012 Penny Cherubino   James Hook photo: © 2008 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.

    Enhanced by Zemanta
  • Seafood Feast for Christmas Eve


    71698698_7463bed230

    Lobster photo by Man Pikin. Link in details below.

    While you may think of lobster as summer fare, around our house it's a Christmas Eve tradition. Think about it, the reason Maine Lobster is so good is those freezing cold waters that make swimming from Maine’s ocean beaches a shocking experience. This time of year, water temperatures drop throughout our area and lobsters have better flavor. 

    Our Lobsters will come from James Hook & Company (below) on the Waterfront.

    Do you have a traditional Christmas Eve meal? Please share it with us and our readers in the comments or via Twitter.6a00e54fc42bb88834010536a3ae21970b-800wi

     

    Feast of the Seven Fishes

    For many Italian families, the Christmas Eve Feast of the Seven Fishes, or La Vigilia di Natale, is a tradition. And, because preparing this meal at home can be daunting for the cook, it’s a good time to invite guests who will bring a dish or help in the kitchen – especially if your family’s version actually calls for 9, 11, or 13 fishes. 

    (Update 12.20.12 @ 5:12 pm) Just found this coversation over on Chowhound's Boston Board about other places doing the Feast with some reviews on past feasts. Feast of the Seven Fishes on Chowhound

    Get the Salt Cod Early

    One element of most traditional Christmas Eve feasts is salt cod or baccalà. This is the one product you need to buy right away. Soaking it, to rehydrate and remove the salt, can be a long process and is best begun at least a couple of days before you plan to use it. 

    We’ve purchased excellent salt cod from Salumeria Italiana in the North End. Baccalà is one of those products you want to buy from a trusted specialty shop or fishmonger. There's a very wide range of salt cod quality and if this is for a special occasion, why not buy from someone who's made sure you will have the best. 

    There was a discussion with Boston Chowhounds about a good place to buy salt cod, earlier this year. Lots of good advice there. 

    DSC_2074 - Version 22012-03-03-dungeoness-crab-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    Join a Restaurant Feast

    For the non-cooks, there are area restaurants serving their versions of the feast this year. Grotto in Beacon Hill has had rave reviews of their special feast menu in past years. Sister restaurant Marliave is also joining in the feasting with their own version.

    Other places for fish feasting are Dante in Cambridge, Davio’s in the Theatre District, and Legal Harborside out in the Seaport area. The North End’s Neptune Oyster is doing it tonight (12.20.12) for those who have to be elsewhere on Christmas Eve. For all these places, reservations are recommended.

    Upddate 12.20.12 one of our favorite places, Coppa has added a feast and they are doing prixe fixe or a la carte.

    Make Up Your Own

    You might decide to have your own taylor made seafood feast during the holidays. You can buy and cook your favorite fish or dine out choosing the menu items that appeal to you. Another option is meeting up with friends at a great seafood restaurant like Island Creek Oyster Bar and sharing a bunch of items that appeal to the group. That could help nudge you out of your seafood comfort zone.

    The nice thing about menus for this holiday is that they are less prescribed, letting you start your own traditions. Let us know what you decide to create for your own Chistmas eve menu.

    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: Lobster photo by Man Pikin. Used under this creative commons license. 

    Crab photo: © 2012 Penny Cherubino   James Hook photo: © 2008 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.

    Enhanced by Zemanta