Monthly Roundup

Our very first public event, the Harvard Square Chocolate Tour, conducted by Boston Chocolate Tours and co-hosted by TBF is completely sold out. Isn't it funny how everything we've been asked to attend in the past few months has been sold out well in advance? Congratulations to all the TBF readers who jumped on this and will get to see the premiere tour at a steep discount! I'd be happy to waitlist anyone in case of cancellations. Otherwise, I look forward to seeing you all there.

A very special food event will be taking place at the Museum Of Fine Arts in Boston on on April 5, 2010, to celebrate the Tenth Anniversary Of The Joslin Diabetes Center's Asian American Diabetes Initiative. A SPOONFUL OF GINGER will feature Joanne Chang, Jasper White, Ming Tsai and samples from over twenty restaurants. For more information on the event click here: A SPOONFUL OF GINGER.

We were also featured on Public Radio Kitchen this week. Our exclusive lunch with Arnaud Saget is upcoming in just a few days.

Last but not least we are wondering who cares about the videos? We seek your feedback, as always. Do you like the off camera questions? Should we do more? Let us know.

Improve Your Dinner

I promise these two dinners are easy to make.

Lots of times I spend so many evenings dining out and in restaurants that I forget to write about meals I make myself. Many food writers never cook for themselves but I really enjoy a meal at home, especially if it's easy to make.


Marinated, poached salmon, grilled to a sweet carmelization, served on a bed of braised leeks.

Creating a weeknight dinner is not all that difficult. So, I'm featuring two great meals I have made this week, both in under an hour. I don't just write about food, I cook it, too.

I marinade a salmon flank with any kind of sweeter marinade. Store bought is fine. Poach in the microwave at 50 per cent power 2 minutes, flip it over once then again. Meanwhile, chop leeks and throw in a pan with extra virgin olive oil. I use Frantoia. Throw in a pat of butter at the last minute. Once wilted, pour in a cup of broth, or so, cover and simmer about 10 minutes. Remove to a bowl. Turning up the heat, I use a grill pan to sear the salmon until the marinade forms a mildly sweet caramel crust. Plate it up and enjoy.


Sauteed organic chicken tenderloins, dice cut tomato and pasta with grated cheese and parsley.

This is even easier. I check my FB updates while I do it. Pat a few chicken tenderloins with flour and saute in the same extra virgin olive oil in a large pan, about three minutes each side. Cover with diced, or petit cut, tomato, again, canned is fine for convenience. Cover and simmer. Boil pasta as it simmers. Drain the pasta, mix in the saute, grate in a nice pecorino romano cheese and chop some parsley (if you have time) and there is dinner.

Shoot me an email about what you are having for dinner tonight. We can have a potluck!

Harvard Square Chocolate Tour

Mark your calendars for Sunday March 7, 2010 at 10:00 AM when we will be helping to host the very first Harvard Square Chocolate Tour by Boston Chocolate Tours. No other media outlet or blogger even has this information yet so it's exclusive to us! TBF readers are even being offered a discounted price by reserving in advance.


Join us on this tour of historic, charming Harvard Square and it's many unique shops. We'll visit L. A. Burdick, what we consider to be the premiere chocolate and pastry shop in Massachusetts. The old-world, European setting is one we guarantee you will want to visit over and over again. We'll sample decadent chocolate desserts, learn about pairing chocolate and wine and spend a few fun hours with other local foodies. I'll even show you one of the spots where you can buy my favorite chocolate snacks imported from the U. K.


We are thrilled to be asked to help host this, our first public event, and bring the offer to our readers. The normal price is $40.00 but you can attend for $25.00. You can reserve a spot in advance here: Boston Chocolate Tours. Space is limited to 15 participants. After that you will have to pay the regular price.



I am looking forward to meeting everyone there!

Kefir

Bloggers often get packages in the mail. Free stuff, samples, all kinds of things, most of which are never mentioned. I am, however, really liking the Kefir. It's a great after workout mini meal and a cool ingredient for my big breakfast routine.

Ferran Adria

Our friend Ferran Adria, who we met last year during the Harvard lecture on Food and Science, is embroiled in a bit of controversy. Will El Bulli remain open or not? Is molecular gastronomy dead? Maybe when he gets back we'll have more exclusive photos and an interview.

Our Newest Foodie

With the Vancouver festivities, Valentine's Day and Mardi Gras impending we had a full list of events to attend, photograph and enjoy this weekend. Early Friday afternoon, however, all plans were cancelled due to the arrival of this little six pound, four ounce cupcake. We were happy to turn our glamorous parties aside and hope that everyone understands and accepts our belated regrets. We did manage to have a leftover chicken parm sandwich (and fries) for breakfast today over emails from readers who finally solved the crack pie recipe with great success. Stunning achievements all. Mom and Dad and little Katherine Elizabeth are all doing well and thank you for all the congratulations. I am thrilled to be an Uncle once again.

Passion

Meet Maura and Joe. We somehow did not expect to meet a couple like this at a Food Network reality series competition but dreams make people do unusual things. They are not brash and loud but articulate and soft-spoken. This does not mean they do not know their food as well as the other competitors and when Maura speaks of Joe's cooking, well ... you just know she isn't exaggerating. Here is their post-audition interview, an appropriate choice, we feel, for Valentine's Day.



Since we met Maura has informed us they they, too, have been selected to go on to the next level of competition. Congratulations! I really want to try that Osso Bucco.

Our Little Valentine

This year we had the best Valentine's Day gift ever! Welcome Katherine Elizabeth Moraites, shown here with her Great Grandmother, who shares the same birthday. Your family already can't get enough of you.

Sur La Table

Fried polenta cakes with shrimp, green onion, julienned red pepper and Ponzu Citrus Lime sauce.

Character

When I was making the video of these guys I was truly impressed by their larger than life personalities. Since then I have watched the video again and behind the streetwise, tough exteriors are two amazingly knowledgeable men with the kind of character and focus that every reality series needs. Meet Mark and Colagero (Charlie).



Since our meeting we have learned that Mark and Charlie have been invited on to the next level of the competition (as well as the fact that Colagero is a former Golden Gloves boxing champ). When you have the name of the restaurant already in mind you have a vision, which is half the battle. Congratulations! I have no doubt that this team will be formidable competition.

Winemaker Lunch At L'Espalier

Gregoire Pissot of Cave De Lugny in Burgundy, France.

We were invited this week to Frank Mc Lelland's L'Espalier for a Winemaker Lunch with special guest Gregoire Pissot. Pasternak Wine Imports hosted this informative special event and it was great to finally meet Chelsee and Sue of WE ARE NOT MARTHA and Richard of THE PASSIONATE FOODIE, two of our favorite fellow Boston bloggers.


The dining room at L'Espalier.

Firstly, if you have not been to L'Espalier at the new location I can assure you that it is still the highest quality of dining. Some lament the romantic feel of the old location but this is seriously world class cuisine. The understated elegance is still there and the private room where we enjoyed lunch is still lined with those famous books in the shades of blue you'll remember. Even most of the artwork is intact.


The lounge area at L'Espalier.



The space contains all of the luxurious, inviting comfort you have come to expect from L'Espalier, where no detail is too small to be important.

We began with two small tastes. First was an amazing gougère of Vermont goat cheese and smoked sea salt. Next was house smoked Scottish salmon with crêpe and chive crème fraîche prepared as mini Napoleans. The wine served here was the Cave De Lugny Macon-Villages. Wine lovers should definitely check out their website.


The second course was Thai spiced shrimp with hearts of palm and uni vinaigrette. It was nice to see the pea shoots added here, one of our new favorite ingredients. The wine was 2007 Macon-Lugny "Les Charmes" Chardonnay. All of the wines from this producer, one of the largest in France are of the chardonnay grape with the interesting distinction of using no oak barrels in the production. The stainless steel vats result in a very noticeably cleaner, crisper taste that I would not have been able to decipher untold told the reason why. The fruity wines have a brighter taste you will immediately sense.


Roasted Apple Street Farm chicken with hedgehog mushrooms and pommes purée with green peppercorn jus was served with the 2008 "La Carte" and the 2008 Macon-Chardonnay "Les Beluses". The latter is not yet available in the USA but keep on the watch for this fantastic wine (my favorite of all). In general, all of these wines are reasonably priced, between $11 and $19 per bottle.


Pastry Chef Jiho Kim's Petit Fours

We ended with, of course, dessert. I have said before in previous posts that I consider Chef Jiho Kim, the Pastry Chef at L'Espalier, to be the finest pastry chef in Boston. The tastes are perfection and it's always fun to watch the childlike reactions that Kim's creations inspire. The colors, shapes and textures he imagines on the plate are, to me, works of art. Everyone stopped and just gazed at the plates. Some asked what those little piles were (which I think were some type of cookie crumble). In any case, it was just the whimsical delight that Chef Kim is famous for.

The ambiance and service at L'Espalier is impeccable, formal without being stuffy. The servers in business suits have the professional acumen that rival the finest Parisian waiters. In short, the entire afternoon was a very sumptuous introduction to Cave De Lugny and their excellent wines.

L'Espalier
774 Boylston Street
Boston, MA 02199
Telephone: 617.262.3023

Jerika and Winifred

Meet Jerika and Winnie. I don't know how else to say it but I liked these two sisters from Dorchester the minute I saw them. They were a bit nervous heading into their audition for the Food Network's new reality series 24 HOUR RESTAURANT BATTLE but who wouldn't be? We'll let them tell you in their own words.



After the interview the ladies were much more relaxed and having a great time.



On deck are Mike and Golden Gloves Champ Charlie LeGrasso from the heart of South Boston, then Maura and Joe. One of these teams went on to the next stage of competition. Keep reading. We got their stories.

Who's Your Cupcake?

Isn't that box of chocolates every year getting just a bit tired? Looking for something different yet still decadent? If so, SWEET may just have the answer. After all, we like to bring you the best of the best.


We so look forward to Valentine's Day every year just for the chance to taste some of the new flavors that Sweet cupcake bakery sends over for us to sample. The chocolate ganache, freshly baked chocolate cake hand dipped in SWEET's homemade chocolate ganache and finished with a fondant candy heart. Then there's the white chocolate: chocolate cake stuffed with white chocolate pudding, finished with a buttercream frosting and white chocolate curls. (After several samples this proved to be our favorite this year).


Not a chocolate lover? The strawberries and cream is a Madagascar vanilla bean sweet cake filled with homemade strawberry jam, finished with traditional whipped cream and a sliver of fresh strawberry.


The decoration detail is only matched by the full flavors and, oh that buttercream frosting. Some flavors are only available through February 14! Tell them The Boston Foodie sent you.

SWEET
Back Bay: 49 Mass Ave., Boston, MA 02115 Tel: 617.247.2253
Harvard Square: Zero Brattle St., Cambridge, MA 02138 Tel: 617.547.2253

A Dose Of Reality

Have you ever wondered what it's really like to audition for a reality TV show? Why would people subject themselves to some possibly very unflattering scrutiny? What do they hope to get out of it? Well, we decided to find out.


A few weeks back when we received an invite for an open casting call from the Food Network we decided to contact the producer. We wanted to tag along for the day and much to our surprise we were invited in with open arms and the declaration: "Blogs are powerful!"


So, this week we begin a series about what the experience is like and hear from several participants. It begins, of course, with paperwork. Page after page will need to be filled out about your background, experience, hopes, dreams and aspirations. Then there are all those release forms promising that you won't sue anyone if you come across as the fool you know you are not. Welcome to reality.


After the paperwork comes the waiting. Anyone who has ever been involved in TV or film production knows that there is endless waiting. You'll wait for lighting, equipment, replacement parts being Fed-Ex'd, meetings, snafus, etc. From early morning until well past midnight you will wait. Guaranteed.


Finally, you'll get called for your interview. This is the moment of truth. Your experience means nothing right now. Your body could be tattooed with all of the Michelin Stars you have earned but if the personality is dull the audition road ends here, kid. Humorous? Charming? Offbeat? Passionate? Unique? It's hard to pinpoint the sparkle they seek. They can't define it but they know it when they see it. This particular competition is for teams of at least two. We've interviewed three teams who seem to have "it." If any of them make it to the next stage they have promised to stay in contact and share their stories. If not ... well, this town is filled with broken dreams.

Here is casting producer Alena Jemas to explain to us the process and what the typical participant can expect. Then, we'll follow the journey.

Harvard Square Chili Cook-Off

Marcus Santos and B'loco AfroBrazil perform at the Harvard Square Chili Cook-Off.

Harvard Square hosted a chili cook-off this weekend as part of the Square's Winter Festival celebration. The participating restaurants:

Crema Café
Grendel's Den and Restaurant
Fire and Ice
Redline
Savenors
Tommy Doyle's
Tory Row
Uno Chicago Grill

Here are party pics of the event along with some comments. In our opinion the clear winner was Tory Row with Tommy Doyle's a close second. Weirdest entry: Savenors. Blueberries in chili? Blueberries???






The braised beef chili of Tory Row, our favorite.




Tory Row's Braised Beef Chili was fantastic. Congratulations Chef Noah Elsass.






It seemed like all of Harvard Square was eating chili.


Participants marking their ballots to vote for the winner.

Sur La Table

The Bolognese sauce was all the rage a decade or two ago in America. In Italy it is called the ragu, heavy on the meat and vegetables.



The proper ragu is well-oiled, filled with chopped meats and vegetables and served over rigatoni or fettucine. A dust of pecorino snow tops the plate.

Justin Timberlake at Harvard Today Video

Dressed in a black overcoat and hat Justin Timberlake emerged from The New Theatre at Harvard late this afternoon with girlfriend Jessica Biel on his arm. The second woman ushered into his car is his Mom. His entourage and a small army of bodyguards piled into two large black SUVs and whisked away but not before we caught them on video.



In town for the Hasty Pudding Club's Man Of The Year Award our sources confirmed and we have verified that the couple stayed at The Charles Hotel in Cambridge and dined at Upstairs On The Square before leaving town on Saturday. I know. I know. Lately it seems that TBF is more like TMZ but when a celebrity is in town we just can't help it. In fact, we beat ALL of the Boston news outlets to be the first to get JT on video during this visit. You can view more of our celebrity videos on our YouTube channel by clicking here.



Special thanks to our new readers from Belmont for helping with this post!

Andrew Rimas On Beef

A popular hotel hosting a well-attended event may not be the ideal place for an interview. Yet, we could not pass up the chance to speak with this food author.



Andrew Rimas, Managing Editor of The Improper Bostonian and author of BEEF: The Untold Story of How Milk, Meat and Muscle Shaped the World, graciously gave us a few moments recently to discuss his book.

Boston Burger Bash Party Pics

The Mike's City Diner tasting station won my nomination for most congenial. Very fun group at this table. Chef Jay Haaj prepared a lamb burger on Syrian bread with a pickled turnip relish, sesame tahini and tziakiki.


The crowd was tasting and voting all night.


Chef Ming Tsai of Blue Ginger. Chef Ming served up perhaps the most adventurous taste: panko shrimp burger with oxtail fondue, Asian slaw and spicy tartar sauce. Incredible flavor.


Participants sampled up to ten burgers.


Chef Brooke Vosika of The Bristol Lounge plating the winning burgers.


Chef Brooke Vosika's burger would ultimately be the winner. Dry aged ground chuck on a peppered brioche roll with foie gras torchon, lettuce, tomato and bearnaise sauce. Many mistook the truffled potato ring on top for an onion ring. The key to winning may have been the grilled bun, the only Chef who did so.


Chef Louis di Biccari of Sel De La Terre.
Chef Louis' burger featured ground chuck with smoked pancetta, sharp cheddar, and spicy aoili on a fresh home-made bun. He definitely got the best T Shirt vote!


Just one of the ten different burgers for tasting.


Judges J. Kenji Lopez-Alt and Richard Chudy counting the ballots.


Chris Lyons of Chris Lyons PR readies the trophy as Judges tally the ballots in the back room.


Chef Brooke Vosika accepts the First Place Award.

We also cornered Erica Giunta, Acting Executive Director of the New England Chapter for Autism Speaks for a quick video interview to help us all understand what autism is and how we can learn more about it. All of the proceeds from this event went to this worthy cause.