Tag Archives: Food

Places

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Maine. The way life should be. Couldn’t agree more. Not only is this wonderful state home to my brother, his new wife, my little nephew O and one of my nearest and dearest friends, but it is also filled with wonderful towns, with delicious food and great shopping. Two of my favorite things for sure!

Today I will keep it simple and speak of Portland. A booming city on the water. A mere 70 or so miles from Boston and known as the “Foodiest Small Town in America” by Bon Appétit. While in Portland, I always make a stop to Flatbread Pizza. I really am a simple girl and nothing makes me happier than yummy pizza and cold beer. And with local brews on tap and a wood burning pizza oven, Flatbread never disappoints. My pick, Jay’s Heart and an Allagash.
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Right across the street is the perfect spot to get a sweet treat. The Standard Baking Co. Bakeries make me oh so happy and the madelines at Standard may just be some of my favorites.
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And speaking of sweet treats, you must take the 10 minute drive from downtown Portland to South Portland and check out Scratch Bakery. The best bagels I have had (they even beat NYC’s in my opinion) and an apricot kissed ganache cake that will blow your mind.
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The Old Port of Portland has some of the cutest shops this girl has seen. I have been a fan of Helene M for quite some time but on this most recent trip, I was introduced to a few new spots that should not be missed.

K. Colette. What a gem. Hand-selected home decor sourced locally and globally for the mindful consumer who searches for beauty, quality, and integrity. John Robshaw. John Derian. Lostine. Seriously, all of my favorites under one roof. Go. Now. I promise, it will instantly become one of your favorite stores too.
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Blanche & Mimi. Part vintage finds. Part beautiful selection of unique gifts. Blanche & Mimi is what I dream my home will one day be. On this recent trip I picked up a pair of vintage silver candlesticks and a lovely piece of pottery that now holds my kitchen utensils. I can never leave this store empty-handed.
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A few other spots not to miss: Folly 101, Abacus, and LeRoux Kitchen for shopping and Fore Street, Bintliff’s, and Hugo’s for dining.

Portland. The way Maine does a city and how lucky we are that they do. Love!

In the Kitchen

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Apples. One of my all-time favorite fall foods. But want to know something a bit weird, I’m not an apple pie kind of gal. Instead, I like me an apple cake. While scouring Pinterest (my addiction) for inspiration for my sister’s 30th birthday dessert bar, I came across the below recipe. And aren’t I glad I did. The simplicity of this recipe coupled with the rave reviews have made this a staple in my fall recipe repertoire. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Apple Cake
– 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
– 1/4 tsp cinnamon
– 1/4 tsp salt
– 1/2 cup granulated sugar
– 1 3/4 sticks of butter (7/8 cups), melted
– 2 large eggs (room temperature)
– 1/2 cup plain yogurt (I use 2.5% greek yogurt)
– 2 apples (peeled, cored and thinly sliced) *I prefer Braeburn apples
– zest of 1 lemon
– 1/3 cup granulated sugar for topping

Yield – 1 8-inch cake

Directions
1. Preheat over to 350 degrees. Butter 8-inch circular cake pan.
2. In medium bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon and salt.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer with a paddle, beat the 1/2 cup of sugar with the melted butter until it has lightened.
4. Add in one egg at a time and combine completely.
5. Reduce the speed and add in flour and yogurt in alternate batches, beginning and ending with the flour.
6. Fold in by hand the apples and lemon zest and pour into 8-inch round cake pan.
7. Sprinkle over top the 1/3 cup of sugar.
8. Bake cake for 50-60 minutes, until tester comes out clean.
9. Let cool completely before devouring!

In the Kitchen

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Philadelphia is not only home to the cheese steak, the Liberty Bell and my sweet god-daughter H but also the location of one of my favorite bakeries, Metropolitan. After college, my dear friend C moved to Philly to attend vet school at Penn and lived across the street from Metropolitan in Rittenhouse Square. After nearly ten years, our love affair has stood the test of time.

During a recent overnight to the city of brotherly love, I was introduced to their chocolate stout cake. As soon as I returned to the island, I checked their cookbook that sweet H’s mom gave me as a birthday gift (love you, S) but to my disappointment they decided not to share their secret. Thus began my search for the perfect recipe. Lucky for me, the food enthusiasts at Smitten Kitchen are always willing to share!

Chocolate Stout Cake
– 1 cup stout (Guinness)
– 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter (room temperature)
– 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
– 2 cups all-purpose flour
– 2 cups sugar
– 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
– 3/4 tsp. salt
– 2 lg. eggs (room temperature)
– 2/3 cup sour cream

Ganache
– 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
– 6 Tbs. heavy cream
– 3/4 tsp. instant coffee/espresso

Directions
1. Preheat over to 350 degrees. Grease bundt pan.
2. Cream butter and sugar with electric mixer. Add in 1 egg at a time.
3. In separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
4. In a liquid measuring cup, combine 1 cup of stout and sour cream and gently whisk.
5. Slowly combine flour mixture and stout mixture to butter mixture, starting and ending with flour mixture.
6. Pour batter into bundt pan and bake for approximately 35-40 minutes, until a cake knife comes out clean.
7. Let cake cool completely.
8. For ganache, use a double broiler and slowly whisk chocolate chips, cream and instant coffee until chocolate has completely melted. The ganache should be smooth and have a beautiful sheen to it. Spoon over cooled cake.

This cake rivals my Mom’s devil food’s chocolate cake, which she has made for the last twenty years; not too sweet, not too dense, an absolute perfect harmony of flavors. If you are craving a little chocolate, please make this cake. It’s perfection in my book!

In the Kitchen

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You know summer has arrived when you see the Bartlett’s Farm truck parked on the corner of Main and Federal Street. A welcome sight indeed!

This past weekend I stocked up on some baby kale (my newest obsession), cucumbers (gosh those dark under eye circles) and some beautiful yellow and green zucchini. I just love tea breads so Monday afternoon I thought I would experiment with a new zucchini bread recipe. Several recipes call for at least a cup of vegetable oil, which I knew wouldn’t help my get-into-a-bathing-suit cause. I did a little research and to my surprise learned that I could substitute apple sauce for oil. Genius!

Here’s the recipe I settled on.

May’s Healthy Zucchini Bread
– 3 eggs
– 1 cup apple sauce (natural/unsweetened)
– 2 cups grated zucchini
– 2 tsp vanilla
– 3 cups flour
– 3 tsp cinnamon
– 1/8 tsp nutmeg
– 1 tsp baking soda
– 1/2 tsp baking power
– 1 tsp salt
– 1 cup yellow raisins/dried cranberries (optional)
– 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)

Directions
1. Preheat over to 350 degrees; grease and flour two bread pans.
2. Grate zucchini.
3. Whisk together eggs, applesauce, and sugar. Add in zucchini.
4. In second bowl, sift together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
5. Add flour mixture to egg mixture.
6. In a small bowl, mix together raisins, cranberries and chocolate chips with a 1/2 tsp. of flour*.
7. Evenly divide batter between two pans and bake for 50 minutes.
8. Let cool at least 30 minutes and enjoy!

*The flour helps this mixture from sinking to the bottom of the batter.

The recipe I used for inspiration called for 2 cups of zucchini. Since I substituted out the oil, I think I will use 3 cups next time. Also, I grate my own nutmeg so I think I could increase the amount to about 1/4 tsp. But overall, my house guests were quite pleased. Give it a try too and let me know what you think!

Confession

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As I have already confessed… I have a slight shopping problem and perhaps an affinity towards over-thinking things but my absolute downfall concerns all things sweet. I love bakeries. I travel for bakeries. I live for bakeries (you get the point). And the place that began my love affair was Flour Bakery.

I was first introduced to Flour during a 2002 Chronicle show, I think, when their brownie was featured. I begged my boyfriend at the time to venture with me to Washington Street in the South End, before Washington Street was the place to be, to partake in this sweet treat. And what a treat. I don’t think there was a week that went by while living in Boston that I didn’t make at least one trip to Flour.

Saying goodbye to Boston was hard but saving goodbye to Flour was heartbreaking. Last week, I was able to spend some quality time at their Fort Point location. A good soul feeding. And the best part, their second cookbook was available to purchase. Yeah! This thing of beauty has found a home in my rather large collection. Can’t wait to start baking.

You may be wondering what my sweet of choice is. I will gladly share. While I still love their brownie, I have moved on to their vegan chocolate cupcakes (no icing… just cake… exactly how I like it). If you haven’t been to Flour, I beg you, go. There are now four locations in Boston so you have no excuse. Report back too. Love hearing what people love!

Oh and Joanne Chang, owner and baker extraordinaire, even beat out Bobby Flay with her sticky buns. Check it out here.

Escape

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One of the best parts of living on an island is the ever so needed escape. I remember when I was a little girl, the first stop after disembarking from the slow boat, no matter the time, was always McDonald’s. Fortunately, my taste buds have matured (Pain D’Avignon is my new guilty pleasure) but that sheer excitement of entering “America” as we locals like to say, is a feeling I have enjoyed experiencing again.

This past weekend, I made a much needed escape to Boston. Saturday night, I ventured to Washington Square and the newly opened Barcelona Wine Bar and Restaurant. Even though I lived in Boston for over a decade, I resided in only three neighborhoods and Washington Square will always have a place in my heart as my first ‘hood. Plus, my dinner companion traveled with me to Barcelona, Spain last spring, where I solidified the ever so big decision to return to my native roots. Two important places coming together in an evening… funny how fate brings things together for us. I digress…

From the moment I saw the packed patio and booming bar, I knew I was in for a treat. The space is chic, rustic and eludes an oh-so sexy vibe. And the food, simply divine. We started with sangria, of course. I opted for the sangria flora, featuring rose, St. Germain, and fresh fruit, which might just be my new summer cocktail! We then moved onto a tasting of jamon serrano, manchego and valdeon, the most amazing blue cheese I think I have ever tasted. And then the real fun started… plate after plate of little delicacies… spicy eggplant caponata, beef empanadas with a red pepper sauce, mussels al diablo and grilled broccolini. A sinful amount of food, perhaps but well worth the fast I will need to do this week.

I highly suggest adding Barcelona Wine Bar to your list of must’s in Boston. I promise you won’t be disappointed!