48 Hours

Five course tasting menu at Asta. Ballet class. Steaks and bourbon. Bowling and beers at Jillian's. Run through Chinatown and the Theater District. Shopping for shiny, pretty things and soft, warm sweaters. Sunset over Boylston Street and dusk on Newbury Street. A plate of oysters. Three episodes of The Only Way is Essex.

Can't wait until next weekend, can't wait to do it all over again. 

Thursday

Today started at 7am. Well actually it started at 6:20 when the alarm went off, but really I think it started at 7 when L and I went to spin class at Recycle Studio. If you didn't start your day with dance remixes of Ellie Goulding... well you should have.

The rest of the day? It was cool. Ya know. Work. Getting things done. I spent a big part of the afternoon switching between working and trying to register for the SeaWheeze Half Marathon. Last year, I fell in love with Vancouver and I PR'ed at SeaWheeze. This year, I want to have a little rendez-vous with Vancouver and I want to PR again. That's the plan. That is, if I can get a spot. (The registration site crashed today. Twitter and Facebook exploded with Lululemon smack-talking. Hopefully the site is back up tomorrow. Fingers crossed.)

TBT to sunset yoga at Kits Beach. Just another reason to go back to VanCity.

And at the end of the day, when drink plans fell through, L and I went to get pho at Pho Pasteur. Any day I get to see L twice is a very good day indeed. I detoured through the park and, oh Boston, if you're trying to make me love you more, you're doing a great job. Boston, I love you in the sun and in the snow. I love you forever and ever. (And I love pho too.)

Today was a great Thursday.

I Just Can't Get Enough

Last weekend in Denver, we ate everything. I do not exaggerate. We ate everything.

One of my favorites was our late brunch at Wild Eggs. Guys. Have you been to Wild Eggs? The only way I can describe the menu is that it is brunch's greatest hits. Strawberry pancakes, crepes, huevos rancheros... Everything sounds delicious.

I ordered the Kelsey KY Brown: roasted turkey, bacon, tomato, and a fried egg piled on sourdough bread (Mornay sauce on the side, and I added another egg and spinach).

And oh yeah, we split a cinnamon roll too. 

I got back to Boston and I wanted more brunch. I bought Canadian bacon, tomatoes, eggs, and spinach. I liked the idea of a complete little breakfast in a ramekin, so I baked the eggs. Three days and five recipes later, I nailed it.

Guys. Do you have any idea how much Canadian bacon I've eaten in the last three days? It was a big sacrifice. I really took one for the team.

I added spinach at Wild Eggs and it was awesome, but I couldn't get it right here. If you really want spinach, I say saute it and serve it on the side. I just feel weird about baking spinach. I tried several times (with raw spinach, wilted spinach, and lightly wilted spinach) and it doesn't work for me. The bacon though? It works. Oh yeah. It really works for me. I just can't get enough.

Baked Egg with Tomato and Canadian Bacon

1 egg
2 slices tomato
1 slice Canadian bacon
1/4 teaspoon olive oil, plus more for greasing the ramekin
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a ramekin with olive oil (my ramekins are 3.5 inches in diameter).

Heat a pan with 1/4 teaspoon olive oil over medium heat. Cook the Canadian bacon about one minute per side or until it's just cooked through. Drain the bacon well on paper towels and pat dry.

Layer the bacon and tomato in the ramekin. You can cut the bacon and tomato to fit the ramekin, but I just fold them to fit. Crack the egg and pour it on top. You can crack the egg into another bowl and pour it on top or crack it directly into the ramekin, whatever you're comfortable with. Sprinkle salt and pepper according to your taste on top.

Place the ramekin on a baking sheet on the top rack in the oven and bake for 15-17 minutes, or until the white of the egg is set and opaque and the yolk is done to your liking. I like the yolk at 16 minutes - it firms up but still has a liquidy center. Eat immediately!

Sunday: Brunch, Boats, and Bars

We went to brunch this morning at Catalyst. I chose it purely based on proximity to Harvard Square and the Head of the Charles Regatta. I also chose it because this is on the menu:

Banana bread with peanut butter Nutella. I was all kinds of hungry and tired. These carbs, plus coffee, made me feel human again.

I had the breakfast burrito, stuffed with fresh salsa, pulled chicken, and avocado. Zero complaints. Zero. And it came with these potatoes. Beautiful, aren't they?

The potatoes are not that big in real life. I blame the zoom button on my camera.

I was over breakfast potatoes long ago. However, these potatoes are game-changing. Butter. salt. pepper. A little parsley. Oh yeah. And would you just look at that cute little cast-iron pan?

The restaurant itself is super cool: It's a big, light-filled space with mid century modern chairs and a two-way fireplace. I thought the glass light fixtures were abstract representations of grapes, until I realized that they are atomic chains. That makes a lot more sense. Can you tell that I wasn't a chemistry major?

After brunch, we walked to Harvard Square and found a spot to sit. And sit we did. The view was good and the weather was even better.

When I got home hours later, I had only a few things on my to-do list. Put pajamas on. Watch the Real Housewives of Orange Country. And, for my 6am pre-workout snack tomorrow morning, make another round of Super Bars. This time, they're gingersnap. A 1/4 teaspoon of ginger brings a kick and the sliced almonds make the bars a little crunchy. I know I'm supposed to save them for tomorrow morning. But I'm going to sneak a bite anyway.

Gingersnap Super Bars

1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/2 cup tightly packed pitted unsweetened dates 
3 heaping tablespoons nut butter (I used Justin's Almond Butter)

Mix the coconut, almonds, and spices.

Grind the dates in a food processor or coffee grinder for 30 seconds or until they form a rough paste (I grind the dates a 1/4 cup at a time). Add the date paste to the coconut mixture. Then add the nut butter tablespoon by tablespoon, mixing well with your hands. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs and should be very sticky to the touch.

Press the mixture into a glass pan lined with aluminum foil or into a foil disposable pan (I like the loaf pan size). Smooth the top and refrigerate at least two hours. 

Cruisin Down the Coast Goin' Bout 99 (Route 1, Summer, and Sol Bean)

As far as I'm concerned, everyone should take themselves on a drive up Route 1, play 101.7 so loudly it drowns out Google Maps, steer with one arm, and dance with the other.

Lana Del Rey kept playing today. I didn't mind. On an Indian summer kind of day, driving somewhere I'd never gone before, it seemed right. You know, DJs used to play Will Smith's Summertime when the weather got warm. Now they play Summertime Sadness.

One summer ago, I spent a lot of time on Route 1, going up to Revere Beach or the North Shore. For me, it's impossible to be on that road and not think of summer. With the sun streaming through the car windows and a smoothie to look forward to, I could still pretend that it was summer today.

At Sol Bean in Middleton, I got a Tropical Colada smoothie (coconut water, pineapple, spinach, mango, and coconut butter), plus an Athena quinoa bowl with chicken. The smoothie was so good. It was green and refreshing and it tasted like straight up pineapple. Best parts of the quinoa bowl? A seriously ample portion of hummus (totally beat the chicken for flavor) plus warm quinoa. The menu is huge and I would happily try another smoothie (maybe the Purple Rain next time).

I sat outside on the porch. Yeah, the porch overlooks Route 114. But at least it's a pretty part of 114 (green leaves, green hills, and cows) and I was happy to be outside.

When it was time to leave, I got in my car and turned the volume to low. I had to pay attention to get back to Route 1 and I got confused. But as soon as I was back on Route 1, it was a straight shot to Boston. So the music came back on.

Lessons Learned Today

Steak and eggs really do make brunch better. 

Using a whole bag of chocolate chips really does make cookie batter better.

Drinking cranberry vodka with four Russians really does make Sunday night better.

Oh... and napping makes everything better. 

Let's Bring the Joy Back

Let's listen to this song.

Let's order clothes for warm places and warm days. Like bikinis for tropical vacations.

Let's make the feeling of brunch happen everyday.
(Omelette with goat cheese and fine herbes at Gaslight. Brunch done right.)

Let's dance and dance and dance. And when everyone leaves, let's keep dancing.

Let's bring the joy back. Because, really, what other option do we have?

Gone Fishing: Dinner at Enso

I'm on a long, long conference call and I'm sitting in the lobby of the W. And, all the while, I'm thinking about dinner and I'm keeping an eye on the front door. L walks in to meet me and, thank the lord, L brings an iPhone charger for me because my phone is about to die. L is the best. And very patient too, because the call lasts another twenty or so minutes. Once the call ends, I unplug (both literally and figuratively) and we walk down Stuart Street until it turns into Kneeland Street. Tonight, we're going to Enso.

I've never been to a sushi conveyor belt restaurant before. It's much different than I expected. I was anticipating super trendy, dim lighting, and a cocktail list. Instead, it's bright and fun, with colorful plates and fruit slushes. It's also pretty empty. I look over at the conveyor belt and I get really worried because it looks like the conveyor belt isn't running. This is the whole reason we came! But L looks at me funny and reassures me that the belt is running. I'm just blind. I'm like... really blind. I have virtually no long distance vision. And I walk around squinting, because I always forget that I have my glasses in my purse. This really bothers every guy I've ever dated. They're all, "WOMAN. PUT YOUR GLASSES ON."

Back to the sushi. We get seated, I order some green tea and edamame, and we start checking out the conveyor belt. It is really, really fun.  It is exactly like going fishing. Or dating. You see something coming that you like, you debate the merits of going for it, and you grab it! We snag California, Spicy Tuna, Spicy Salmon, Avocado and Cucumber, and Alaska rolls. They're all good. Nothing spectacular, but all good. I definitely eat my share, because I have an incredible ability to eat sushi. I can eat a lot of sushi. A lot. Like if I was a superhero, my superpower would be my ability to eat forty pieces of sushi effortlessly. That, plus my ability to color code my life. I'll color code your life too, if you'll let me.

L and I discuss everything under the sun, as we are wont to do. (I definitely thought the phrase was "everything under the moon" but then I realized I just made that up.) Anyway, we talk about life and love, I field another work call, and we finally get the check. It is the most hilarious check. Enso calculates your bill by the number of each kind of plate you took off the belt... Did you get a yellow plate? It's $2. And so forth.

Apparently, we ordered the rainbow. And the rainbow comes pretty cheaply.

Snapshots

The six of us get a long, wooden table at Otto - much larger than our party size - and we sprawl around it, ordering three large pizzas to share and a bottle of white. The pizzas come and we divvy them up. The Zucchini, Summer Squash, and Spinach pizza is good but it doesn't win me over like I expected. I get back to basics and I decide, much to my surprise, that the Cheese Pizza is my favorite. Of the three we ordered, it's the only one with red sauce and it is damn good sauce. We talk and eat and the pizza gets cold quickly, but that's okay, because pizza is good cold too. And all the while, the lights of the Coolidge Corner Theatre shine brightly through the large arched windows and my heart gets an overwhelming full feeling. That feeling is called happiness.

M and I finally go to see the Mario Testino exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts. I say finally, because it has been months in the making. The very first part of the exhibit is a montage of TV clips - documenting Mario at work, Mario with celebrities, Mario's rise to fame. The montage informs my perspective on the entire exhibit. The show - large, colorful photographs of beautiful people and famous people, sometimes naked but always stunning - is as much about Mario and his access to these people as it is about the photographs. There are bright photographs of J.Lo in L.A.; there are fashion spreads of Kate Moss and Gisele looking oh so gorgeous. My favorites are the candid black-and-white close-ups of celebrities. They are America's sweethearts; they are our royalty. And, as a chaser, we finish out the afternoon in the much more subdued second part of the exhibit: British Royal Portraits. The portraits are utterly endearing. And they all remind us that Mario has a place among and access to the famous.

It is almost sixty degrees in the middle of January. I take off my hoodie, because it's too warm, and I slip my credit card down the front of my sports bra, because I'll be finishing my run at the grocery store. I head out in a tank top and yoga pants and I get funny looks. I give funny looks right back because it is sixty degrees. You don't need that wool pea coat and you certainly don't need that full-length parka. I'm running down Hanover Street when I see water out of the corner of my right eye. Boston Harbor. There is a strong gravitational pull between me and any body of water. Very strong. I go towards it immediately and run down the Harborwalk, taking a few minutes to take in the expanse of water. On my way back, I get lost, but I guess that's to be expected. All those streets look the same. I cross the Greenway and I have my very own Rocky moment charging up the steps of Government Center Plaza. You know which Rocky moment I'm talking about.

The Love is Mine

E and I walk into Life Alive. We've just come from working out at a gym with a turf floor and I say to E, "I smell like turf." All those planks and sit-ups on the turf? Yeah. People in line turn around and look at us. What can I say. We work out hard.

We order our food - the Goddess bowl and the Love Alive smoothie for me - and we find two spots at a communal table downstairs. Our bowls come first and we dig in. When our smoothies arrive, the food runner asks, "Who had the Chai and who had the Love?" I look up and say, "I have the Love."

I realize just a split second later what a perfectly lovely phrase that is. And it's true.

There are too many blessings in my life to even begin to count. People, opportunities, places, and events have woven together to create something magical. And when you realize how you want to live the rest of your life, you want the rest of your life to begin as soon as possible. So I wake up everyday with enormous gratitude and excitement. I feel so fortunate for this day and every day and all days to come.

We sit there and eat our brown rice and veggies. E fills a Mason jar with hot sauce and then eats it all (well done, E!). E gets a take-out salad for J and we crack it open just to steal a bite of hummus (sorry, J!).

E suggests frozen yogurt, so we detour to Toscanini. E goes right for the Goat Cheese Brownie and I have a scoop of the White Russian, because I realized a few months ago how much I really do like White Russians. So I may have had the Love, but I have the booze too. 

Skipping Out Of Town

I told E that I was game for anything. So, we went to Hingham.

As we drove south, we realized just how hungry we were. We talked dinner and we talked post-dinner. I pointed out every dessert option along the way. Ice cream. Frozen yogurt. Donuts. E suggested seeing a movie. But it became simple when we saw the word "Frappes" on the awning at Wahlburgers. And even simpler when we saw Alma Nove across the way. Back-to-back Wahlburg experiences.

Burgers and a chocolate mint frappe to share at Wahlburgers:

(Mine: the Our Burger, no onions, lettuce-wrapped)

 

And drinks at Alma Nove:
(Mine: Knob Creek on the rocks)

I sat there with E, looking back and then looking ahead to a new phase full of promise and potential, as the fire pit raged outside and cast flickering, fiery orange light into the restaurant. As the the light bounced off every marble surface and the ice cubes in my bourbon slowly melted, I felt warm. For so many reasons. For all of the right reasons. For the first time in a long time.

Lobster on a Summer Sunday

Summertime means lobster. It's non-negotiable.

L and I made a lunch date for lobster rolls on a sunny, summery Sunday afternoon. We met up at James Hook and Co, just off Atlantic Avenue in the Financial District.

It's a simple lobster roll: just a generous portion of lobster meat and mayo. L took one look at her lobster roll and her eyes got really wide: "There's a whole lobster claw in there!" And sitting outside under the blue sky, at one of the wooden picnic tables, next to lobster traps, made our lobster rolls taste even better.

The regular-sized lobster roll is $13; the large is $17. Be sure to get the bun toasted.

And, then, a few days later at Summer Shack...

My Week in Plates

Tuesday: The beef carpaccio at Bin 26 Enoteca:

Thursday: A salted chocolate-chip cookie to share at Canto 6

Friday: Eggs and bacon at South Street Diner:

Adventures with JJ

JJ and I have the best lunches. What happens during these lunches? The more appropriate question is, “What doesn’t happen?” Because we will look at each other and ask, “What should we do next?” And then we go on an adventure.

We went to Volle Nolle in the North End last week. I read a review in Martha Stewart Living (June 2012)... The gorgeous full-page photo of the smoked salmon sandwich got my attention.

Martha clearly knows what’s up. Because the sandwiches at Volle Nolle are phenomenal. My sandwich: smoked salmon, baby spinach, cucumbers, and caper mayonnaise on French bread, rather than the usual 7-grain. It was the best thing I’ve eaten in a while, without a doubt.

Volle Nolle is not the cliched North End restaurant serving up pasta with red sauce: It’s a tiny café with blackboard menus, metal chairs, and big windows looking out on Hanover Street. And the sandwiches are all topped with cute, little cornichons. JJ approved. We want to go back and try one of the cheese plates (available only after 4pm).

 

And then we set off in search of the best bakery in the North End. In the process, we accidentally joined a tour group. Oops. 

And this week? We went to Sam LaGrassa's. We sat at the long communal table and stared in awe at our sandwiches. They. Were. Huge. I had the Chicken Classic (hold the Russian dressing); JJ had the tuna melt. No cornichons here; just one big deli pickle.

What did we do next? We went to the birthplace of the Boston Cream Pie. We found the most comfortable leather couch in The Last Hurrah at the Omni Parker House, shared one piece of Boston Cream Pie, and ordered Cork Street Coffee, spiked with Bailey’s and Frangelico. Two and half hours later, we decided it might be time to go.

I can’t wait to see what we do next week.

Celebrating with Corn on the Cob

E finished grad school. Hooray for E! What are we doing to celebrate? We're going to Ashmont Grill in Dorchester.

And we're eating this.

Grilled corn on the cob, with lime juice and feta. Sure, we're eating other things too, like the Ahi tuna lettuce wraps and the best carrot cake I've had (sweet and moist, with coconut-cream cheese frosting, raisins, and pineapple).

But the corn? That's the main point. School's out and summer's here.

Can You Keep Up?: Coconut-Chocolate Layer Bars

I’ve been a little busy. Conference calls, emails, meetings and prep meetings for the meetings. Double-booked evenings with back-to-back events. Early mornings and late nights.

I like busy. I like busy very much, in fact.

Then there’s the fun stuff. Rock climbing. Birthday and bachelorette parties. Jazz at Les Zygomates. Catching up over lunch at Flour. And then I decided to train for the Run to Remember. And to throw a Cinco de Derby party (seersucker and sombreros are a perfect match).

And that board meeting that I’m hosting at my place? I’m baking for it. And for book club too.

What am I baking? Coconut-Chocolate Layer Bars. They. Are. Outrageous. The bottom is a buttery crust; the coconut-brown sugar topping is chewy and sweet. And the middle? All chocolate.

They’re easy too. Bake the crust, cover it with chocolate and the coconut-brown sugar topping, and bake it for another fifteen minutes. And in those fifteen minutes, you can totally answer emails, Swiffer the kitchen floor, and make a packing list for Miami. You know how it is. Ready set go.

Coconut-Chocolate Layer Bars

Crust (Slightly adapted from the crust of Very Tangy Lemon Bars 2.0 in Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-in-Your-Mouth Cookies)

7 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons sugar
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup flour
¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom and sides of a square Pyrex baking dish with aluminum foil.

Combine the sugar and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and add the butter to the mixing bowl, mixing well. Add the flour and shredded coconut and stir just until combined. Press the dough evenly into the bottom of the Pyrex dish.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until the crust is slightly golden and firm to the touch.

While the crust is baking, prepare the layers.

Layers (Inspired by the coconut topping on Helen’s Coconut Cake in The New Basics Cookbook)

9 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup and 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Combine the brown sugar and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and add the butter to the mixing bowl, mixing well. Add the shredded coconut and stir well.

Toss 1 cup of the coconut-brown sugar mixture and the chocolate chips in a separate bowl.

Once the crust is ready, spread the chocolate chip-coconut mixture over the crust. Then sprinkle the remaining coconut-brown sugar mixture evenly over the top and pat down.

Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Broil on high heat for two minutes until the top is golden to medium brown (Be careful to not let it burn!). Let the bars cool for one hour, then lift the foil liner and transfer them to a cutting board. Cut the bars into squares (makes 9 medium or 16 small bars) and remove the liner.

Happy Weekend

Santarpio's, Friday, 6pm. 

A short walk from the Maverick T station and a 10 minute wait out front. A big table in the back room, with a breeze coming in through the open window. A waitress who called me "hon." A big, cheesy pizza with mushrooms, olives, and peppers, split three ways. And a carafe of white wine too.

Happy weekend.

Eggplant Two Ways

Thursday night at Trade: Pomegranate glazed eggplant with capers, olives and pine nuts. I didn't really pick up on the pomegranate flavor, but I loved the balance of the rich eggplant, the tomato, and the tangy yogurt drizzled on top. This small plate and one of Trade's flatbreads made for a perfect dinner. I will definitely be going back. Definitely.

Friday night in B's kitchen: Eggplant medallions with feta, mint, and tomato salad... roasted eggplant rounds, topped with a tangy, summery salad. These medallions would be awesome paired with sangria... on a rooftop... at sunset. I'll be adding them to my summer to-do list.

(Adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons olive oil
2 medium eggplants, cut into 3/4 inch slices
1/2 cup crumbled feta
2 tablespoons chopped green olives (pitted)
1/3 cup finely diced purple onion
2 cups seeded, chopped tomatoes
3 tablespoons minced fresh mint leaves
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper

Have the feta, olives, onion, tomatoes, and mint in separate bowls, ready to be combined.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Grease a large baking sheet with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and lay the eggplant rounds on the sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes, or until the underside of each piece is puckered/puffy and darkened. Flip the rounds and sprinkle them all with a bit more salt and pepper. Roast for another 10 minutes, or until the rounds are evenly cooked on both sides.

Meanwhile, pour the red wine vinegar over the onion and let it sit for about 10 minutes.

When the eggplant rounds are done,  let them cool until they are only slightly warm. While they are cooling, combine the feta, olives, onion, tomatoes, mint, and remaining 2 teaspoons of olive oil  and toss. Top each eggplant round with a large spoonful of the salad and serve immediately.

Kicking the Weekend Off

Friday night, 8pm, Bistro du Midi. One Grand Marnier souffle, two spoons.

That's What I Call Breakfast

11:30 am at Balthazar: Brioche French Toast, served up with bacon and the New York Times.