Monday, January 30, 2012

january weekend.

It was 45 degrees and sunny this past Saturday in Boston. In other words, it felt like early April as opposed to late January. We cooked meals at home, strolled through Beacon Hill, had a drink in Back Bay and visited our favorite baby in the South End. It was leisurely paced and perfectly relaxing. How was your weekend?

Thursday, January 26, 2012

stir it up

My latest inspiration in the kitchen comes from Stir: Mixing It Up In The Italian Tradition.The cookbook is written by chef Barbara Lynch, who has perhaps one of the most respected and inspirational coming of age success stories in Boston. Her tales of growing up in the Southie projects are told all over town, touching on her involvement with petty crime or reminiscing about the time she stole an MBTA Bus at age 13 (for fun), to the home ec class in high school where her passion for cooking ignited. With six highly acclaimed and well loved Boston restaurants (No. 9 Park, B&G Oysters, The Butcher Shop, Sportello, Drink and Menton) not to mention a catering business (No. 9 at Home), and a demonstration kitchen offering classes to the public (also named Stir), the time line from dropping out of high school to present day is nothing short of remarkable. Reading her cookbook gives a true insight into her powerful story, bold natured spirit and of course, her signature dishes. I find most of the recipes to be elegant and distinctive while remaining approachable and practical. They are extremely well written and the food turned out as a result, is exceptional. Two Sunday's ago I made her Lemony Panko Crusted Chicken and Ginger Glazed Carrots and served them alongside a garlic and herb couscous. (Chicken, carrots and couscous - apparently, I was going for a "C" themed dinner.)I adapted the carrot recipe only slightly, where chef calls for mustard seeds, I took the liberty of using real mustard. The glaze took on more of a honey mustard quality as a result, but the inherent depth from the ginger remained in tact. The carrots themselves are bright, buttery and perfectly tender.
Ginger Glazed Carrots
6 carrots, trimmed, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch lengths
1 tablespoon spicy yellow mustard
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon finely grated ginger
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
fresh ground black pepper

Prepare to blanch the carrots by boiling a medium saucepan of water and setting aside a bowl full of ice water. Cook the carrots in the boiling water until just tender, about 6-8 minutes. Transfer the carrots to the bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain well.

Heat the mustard in a skillet over medium heat, shaking the pan to allow it to disperse, about two minutes. Add the butter and honey. When the butter is melted, add the ginger, crushed red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Add the carrots and toss them well. Continue to stir everything until the carrots, butter and flavorings are well combined, about 5 - 7 minutes.
I did not adapt the Lemony Breaded Chicken Cutlets but I did find the recipe online if you want to make them. Scroll midway down the article linked just above and you will find it within the text. If the fact that the recipe calls for homemade tarragon, parsley and chive herb butter doesn't entice you, nothing will. This is easily my new favorite way to make carrots and undeniably the juiciest and most flavorful chicken to ever come out of my kitchen. I can't wait to share more of what I make from Stir.

Other Indulge Inspire Imbibe posts
featuring a piece of Barbara Lynch's empire
:

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

the hawthorne

1.  phil collins
2.  500A commonwealth avenue
3.  frisee & manchego, chestnut honey vinaigrette
4.  the newest reason to visit kenmore square
5.  “you must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.” rb
6.  thick sweet cognac.deep italian bitters.aged yellow-green liqueur
7.  cheese
8.  meghan drinks an old fashioned while her husband Eric looks on
9.  convenience
10.
  the hawthorne strainer was patented in 1892 in Boston
11.  there's a zebra couch
12.  vodka.cucumber.lime.chartreuse+a metal straw-meets-stirrer
13.  fingerling potato skins
14.  lin and che

15.  deviled eggs, crispy prosciutto, cornichons


cheers, jackson cannon, to a job well done. well done indeed.

Monday, January 23, 2012

Tower of London

The Tower of London is an iconic landmark situated on the north bank of the River Thames, home of the Historic Royal Palace and The Crown Jewels as well other prominent and powerful entities through the years since it was built in 1078. Tricia and I embarked on a tour lead by a spirited Beefeater, wandered the green (noting the legendary ravens) and explored the Royal Armory. We were engrossed in tales of beheading among others told of London's past, and fascinated by the visual displays of all that accompanied a life of majesty.
The tower is worth a visit especially (or specifically) for a glimpse of the jaw dropping collection of Crown Jewels. The sheer beauty of these gems - among them diamonds, rubys and emeralds to name a few, set in regal purple crowns and gold encrusted wands with their perfectly cut shapes, massive size and intense sparkle factor, is unreal. (Too bad you can't photograph them.) What you can photograph is just about everything else, as shown in the Instagram collage below.
The majestic Tower Bridge can be seen from atop the fortress walls and around the outer perimeter of the area. This famous landmark is commonly mistaken as London Bridge, which is actually further down the river and not nearly as poignant. We didn't have time for a tour of the bridge on this trip, but to marvel in its presence felt like enough.

Friday, January 20, 2012

Sabzi Persian Chelow Kabab

Venturing off the beaten path to Arlington via the 77 bus, I rarely visit this town despite frequenting its neighbors Cambridge and Somerville. The nature of my visit along with fellow Boston Food Bloggers - Rachel, Kathy, Kevin, Meesh and Jacki was to dine at a new restaurant called Sabzi specializing in upscale Persian fare known as Chelow Kabab. I confess to never having tried this variation of Middle Eastern cuisine, but I was definitely open to and intrigued by it.
In full disclosure tonight's meal was compensated, which is a welcome perk but definitely not any reason to sugar coat a review. As with most restaurants that organize an intimate blogger specific dinner, the experience is often favorable and highly regarded. Judging by the small one room dining room buzzing with tables of happy patrons, ours echoed the norm.
Through a tiny vestibule lined with faded red curtains, the cozy space is heralded by an L shaped booth constructed of rustic wood panels accented with Middle East throw pillows. Potted green plants and an ad-hoc photo collage play into the homey feel while yellow and sea green hued glass lanterns envelope the space in a soft glow. The owner greets us warmly and takes our coats while simultaneously offering water and wine, returning with a bottle of Rioja to fill our non-traditional wine glasses. This unique detail stands out; it is simply delightful to drink wine out of a regular old glass. A bright start to the meal is a Salad Shirazi ($4.75) made with diced tomatoes, cucumber, red onion and mint tossed in fresh lime juice and olive oil. It serves as a palate cleanser, lending crisp clean bites and refreshing flavors. Thinly sliced pita triangles accompany a thick yogurt and Persian shallot dip called Mast-O-Musir ($4.75). Soft and creamy with an added kick from the shallots, this is another straightforward classic to begin the meal. Next, we are introduced to more complex but still traditional flavors, beginning with a seasonal noodle soup called Ash-e Reshteh ($4.75). The long slippery Reshteh (Iranian noodles) proved a little challenging to consume, but were delicious bathing in a substantial blend of spinach, lentils and beans, amply flavored with parsley, saffron and mint. The soup is topped with a dollop of Kashk - which is a form of whey produced from strained yogurt. With similar elements of color and garnish the Kashk-e Bademjan ($6.25) is a sautéed eggplant and caramelized onion dip lending a smooth velvety texture. Spread it lavishly over pita bread and prepare to be comforted by the warm embrace of smokey meets tangy flavors. The Torshi ($3) is a medley of pickled vegetables delivering an extremely sour punch. My taste buds pucker at the site of this dish, it was wildly pungent but I kept going back for more. Particularly memorable and the ultimate crowd pleaser among us was the Seer Torshi ($3). Pickled cloves of garlic are radiant bathing in a pool of zesty balsamic vinegar, not to mention beautiful, producing the type of image you want to freeze in your memory for all time, or frame it in your kitchen as inspiration. After sufficient exposure to the appetizer menu, striking and colorful entrees platters of Chelow Kabab are served.
Perfectly plated arches of kabab meats and vegetables that have been grilled over an open flame surround fluffy, steamed basmatti saffron infused rice, finished at either end with a juicy roasted tomato and pickled cabbage.

This is explained to us as the type of food Persians specifically dine out for, as opposed to cooking in their own home due to the more complicated nature of the preparation methods and equipment.The menu is concise with five main dish offerings and three combination platters. All are thoughtfully well seasoned from the Kabab-e Kubideh ($10.25) which are squares of select ground beef with sumac, onion and a house spice blend to the medallions of tender chicken breasts marinated in saffron and citrus in the Kabab-e Jujeh Barg ($11.25).The texture of the ground beef wasn't all that appealing to me, for my Persian meat fix I much preferred the select cuts of marinated triangle steak in the Kabab-e Barg ($14.25).The marinated fresh vegetables in the Sabzi Kabab ($11.25) were a remarkably charred batch of onions, tomatoes, zucchini and squash.
Saving the best for last, the unanimous table favorite of Kabab-e Jujeh ($11.25) presented a saffron and citrus marinated Cornish hen. The delicate bone in morsels retain lots of flavor, proving far juicier than the chicken medallions which almost seemed dry in comparison. (Still I liked the chicken, but the hen blew it away!) The combo platters (mainly what we were served) jump slightly in price but still remain affordable, the Persepolis ($15.25) offers one Kubideh (ground beef) and one Jujeh Barg (chicken), the Soltani ($16.75) one Kubideh and one triangle steak and the Kermani($15.25) one Kubideh and one vegetable skewer. We ended the meal with sweet, flaky and nutty bites of Baklava accompanied by soul warming Cardamom Tea served in a charming etched glass mug. Following suit after the red wine in a standard table glass, the tea mug proved just as enjoyable to drink from.
A huge thank you to everyone at Sabzi for their generous hospitality this evening and especially for a memorable foray into Persian cuisine. With beautiful plates of traditional food served in a cozy and informal space, they make a welcome addition to East Arlington, in my case a worthwhile venture out of the city on the 77 bus.

352 Massachusetts Ave
Arlington, MA 02474