There is nothing quite like a well-crafted, sophisticated, adult cocktail after a long day. We were so lucky to be invited to hang out at Liberty Hotel last week with possibly THE BEST mixologists in Boston. It's rare that TBF gets to chat with these guys as we are usually focused more on food. Bill Codman had our fave drink, the Kentucky Rambler. Mike Stankovich let us know that The Biltmore is opening a new spot this week (details later), and Jamie Walsh with those juicy blood oranges and basil was one amazing sip. Congrats to Juan and everyone for a great night. Enjoy the pics.
Many thanks to all my friends at Beam for sponsoring this event.
Local 149 will be opening at 149 P Street in Southie this week. Sssshhhh. You didn't hear it here.
Everybody is always asking me what glamorous event I am off to this week? Well, one of the most glamorous of all is Taste of the South End. Imagine visiting 45 restaurants in the South End all in one night? Even though we have a few friends who may have actually done that, this is a chance to meet the Chefs and sample the very latest tastes you can find in and around this great dining destination.
A night you won't forget at the Boston Center for the Arts, Taste of the South End benefits the AIDS Action Committee of MA. For under $100, you can experience unlimited food and wine sampling from Boston's best kitchens. For slightly more, you can experience Taste of the South End as a VIP, gaining early entry to the tasting room and enjoying special VIP benefits, brought to you by Boston Magazine.
Just take a look at this amazing list of participants:
28 Degrees Aquitaine Bar à Vin Bistrot B&G Oysters Coda Kitchen & Bar DaVinci Ristorante Davio's Northern Italian Steakhouse Erbaluce Flash's Cocktails Flour Bakery + Cafe Gaslight Haley House Hamersley's Bistro Masa Mela Metropolis Café Mistral Myers + Chang Noche Orinoco Picco Pigalle POPS Sibling Rivalry South End Buttery South End Formaggio Stella Stephi's on Tremont Stir The Beehive The Butcher Shop The Gallows The Upper Crust Pizzeria Tremont 647 and Sister Sorel Turner Fisheries Union Bar and Grill Whole Foods Market
All that and an evening of mixing and mingling with the beautiful people! Please look for me there and and stop to say hello. We'll be featuring loads of fun pics from this event on the blog.
With so many fun and exciting events coming up in the City involving great Chefs and restaurants, we'll be featuring what we consider to be the best. Next week, we've got Chefs Cooking for Hope as our not-to-miss event.
The Friends of Dana Farber call on their friends in the culinary community for the 13th annual Chefs Cooking for Hope, scheduled for Thursday, March 3rd. Acting as this year's Honorary Chef, Mary Dumont of Harvest has enlisted friends and colleagues from kitchens all over town - 51 Lincoln, Beacon Hill Bistro, Bokx 109, Davio's, Eastern Standard, The Fireplace, Gargoyles, Gaslight, Henrietta's Table, Island Creek Oyster Bar, Lineage, Miel, Mooo..., Poe's Kitchen, Rialto, Taranta and Teatro - to serve samples from their menus at the fundraiser. Tickets for the event, which takes place from 6:00-10:00pm at 125 High Street in the Financial District, are $100 apiece. Be a friend to the fight against cancer and pick up a pair through the Friends of Dana Farber website. Here's your chance to rub elbows with some of the City's elite while enjoying an evening of fine food and fun, not to mention supporting a great cause.
The winner of our Gilt City gift card giveaway this week is Bianca Garcia! Please email us your mailing address to receive your gift and thanks for participating.
Today we head back to the elegant, marbled halls of Boston's Four Seasons Hotel for the final installment in our series about our private cooking class which features the dessert dish.
The dessert demonstration was presented by Executive Pastry Chef Tim Fonseca. As a baker, this was particularly interesting to me.
The first step: melted butter and chocolate. What could be a better start?
Chef Fonseca talks for a moment about building the liquid base for the cake recipe which features a soft center.
I glanced over at the monitor in the kitchen to check out the live tweets from the event. This seems to have become standard for food bloggers attending such fun events.
Next up, Chef Fonseca shows us the slow mixing technique employed to combine the eggs into the dry ingredients.
The cake is beautifully presented with fresh ice cream, raspberry sauce and berries.
Cutting into the cake and revealing all that gooey chocolate goodness is the real treat.
Needless to say, we all devoured the dessert in record time.
Here is the recipe ...
Warm Chocolate Cake
Ingredients:
2 cups (approx. 14 oz.) chopped, semi-sweet chocolate 3 sticks unsalted butter Pinch of salt 1 tbs. Dark Rum or vanilla extract 1 1/2 cups confectionery sugar 1 1/4 cups cake flour 8 large eggs 6 egg yolks
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray or butter dish or ramekins (ramekins suggested).
Melt the butter. Melt chocolate and combine with butter.
Add the rum or vanilla to the melted chocolate/butter mixture.
In a mixing bowl, sift and combine the flour and confectionery sugar.
Combine eggs and egg yolks together. Slowly add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients, whisking continuously, creaming eggs slowly to avoid lumps, combine until smooth.
Slowly add the melted chocolate and butter mixture and mix until combined smoothly.
Divide evenly into the ramekins.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes. (Baking time will vary depending on type of oven but keep in mind that this cake should have a soft or even liquid center).
Let cool just enough that you can unmold or serve in the dish. Either way, the cake should remain warm when served.
Yield: 12 individual portions
Chef Fonseca was also kind enough to provide us with the recipe for their Apple Crisp which we would be happy to provide to readers upon request. Great desserts both!
Being known as true coffee lovers, whenever Starbucks introduces one of their new reserve blends we are invited to a tasting of the new bean. We tasted two recently. These blends are not for everyone. Some people take coffee as seriously as others take wine, realizing that the climate and terrain directly affect the flavor of the bean. The two we tasted are both quite good and very different. the first, Blue Java, is from Indonesia, is an organic coffee and has a slightly herbaceous undertone not unlike the flavor of sage. This blend is available now in select stores. In the Boston area look for stores with the Clover brewing system (which produces an amazingly clean brew) to carry this reserve.
The new Kona reserve blend will be available March 8. The reserve blends are rare, small batches available in limited supply for a short amount of time and mostly designed for real coffee aficionados looking for an amazing coffee experience.
The Blue Java coffee is rich but remarkably smooth. Most tasters were quite surprised at the remarkable lack of acidity. This coffee is available now at select locations.
At every tasting we try the coffee alone at first and then paired with some food.
The Kona Reserve was paired with cinnamon coffee cake, which really emphasized the cinnamon with a burst of flavor and brought out the natural sweetness of the coffee. Slightly more acidic, you can clearly smell a sweet overtone in the black coffee. Kona comes from the Hawaiian Islands, long famous for rich coffee.
True coffee lovers will like either of these blends. We like the Blue Java for its incredible smoothness and the Kona for it's natural sweetness.
In Part II of our cooking class with Executive Chef Brooke Vosika of the Four Seasons Hotel Boston we prepared a true American classic food with a new twist: Chicken And Truffle Dumplings. We begin by breaking down a whole chicken and sauteing it for the dish.
Fellow blogger Megan of Delicious Dishings stepped up to volunteer and help breaking down the whole chickens.
This pork belly and potato gratin with hoison sauce appetizer was probably my favorite of the night.
The vegetables will be sauteed for 3 minutes then stock added, where they will simmer.
The pots of chicken and vegetables cooking away for the stew.
Having the proper tools in the kitchen is half the battle. Here, Chef Vosika speaks about the pots he uses for this dish and the secret design element that makes it work so well.
Another one of the many amazing snacks and appetizers the class was served: Truffled Tortellini.
The Truffle Dumplings could not have turned out more perfect.
The final plate was yet another example of the perfect comfort food we prepared that evening.
We also got a tour inside the cooler where Four Seasons dry ages all of their own beef, one of the few kitchens in Boston that does that. Chef Vosika later treated us to a sample of the beef, served here with a Bearnaise sauce. Incredible.
Here are the recipes:
Chicken And Truffle Dumplings
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces 4 carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces 2 leeks, cleaned and washed well 4 stalks of celery, cut into 1 inch pieces 2 onions, cut into 1 inch squares 4 cloves garlic, smashed 1 bay leaf Thyme, salt, black pepper 1 cup A.P. flour 1 cup white wine 3 cups chicken stock Olive oil Garnish: 1 tablespoon each chopped chives, parsley or cilantro
Directions:
Combine flour, salt, pepper, and cut chicken in a bowl. Coat evenly and set aside.
Heat olive oil in a 4 quart saute pan over medium heat. When a slight smoke appears, add the chicken and brown on all sides. Make sure you do not crowd the bottom of the pan. If needed, brown the chicken in two batches to ensure even coloring. Remove the chicken and set aside.
Add the carrots, celery, leeks onions, bay leaf, thyme and garlic to pan and saute for 3 minutes. Add white wine, reduce by half, add chicken stock, cover and bring to a simmer.
Place the saute pan into a preheated 375F oven for 35 minutes. Remove from oven after 35 minutes, uncover and add dumplings one spoonful at a time. Cover and place back into the oven for 10 more minutes.
Serve immediately in soup bowls and garnish with fresh chopped chives, parsley or cilantro.
Serves 4-6 people.
Truffle Dumplings
Ingredients:
2 cups white flour 4 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. salt 4 tbsp. softened butter 2 tbsp. truffle oil 1 cup of milk (or more)
Directions:
Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
Cut in butter that's been kept at room temperature or use soft margarine.
Lightly stir milk and truffle oil into the flour mixture with a wooden spoon and adjust amounts to make sure that you have moist dumpling dough.
Cooking Tips:
Make sure your stew is on a gentle simmer. The liquid does not have to be boiling to achieve tender dumplings. Remember that the pot temperature rises with the lid on and you don't want the contents to stick and burn.
Drop dumpling dough into the liquid by teaspoonfuls or for larger dumplings use a tablespoon. There's no need to worry about shaping perfect dumplings because they will puff up as they cook. Cover our pot with a lid so that the dumplings can steam.
In Part III we'll join Executive Pastry Chef Tim Fonseca in making Warm Chocolate Cake.
We spent most of this long, holiday weekend resting, recovering from a monumental cold, and watching Anne Hathaway and James Franco films in anticipation of the Academy Awards next week. THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA led us to take another look at THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE, a documentary which made us realize just exactly how much DEVIL amazingly recreated the offices of real Vogue Editor Anna Wintour down to the last detail. Then we realized that we had a video clip on file of our own Anne Hatahaway shouting out to us last year during her Hasty Pudding Award parade in Cambridge. Did you know that Hathaway and Franco won the Hasty Pudding Award the same year? Anyway, you may have noticed that TBF is using more and more original, raw video. After attending a recent Social Media Bootcamp we learned that all of the research indicates that people like blogs that feature original video and it's predicted to be the biggest trend for bloggers this year. That's all we needed to hear to make it one of our primary goals. What do you think? Do you like these behind-the-scenes video clips? Would you like to see more of them? We'd love to hear from you. So, anyone who leaves a comment on the blog today about using videos will be entered into a contest to win a gift card from GiltCity.com.
We headed up the grand staircase of the elegant Four Seasons Hotel in Boston last week with a group of fellow food bloggers and writers for a very special cooking class with Executive Chef Brooke Vosika. This was an absolutely thrilling look inside the kitchens and some of their famous dishes as the staff and kitchen treated us like royalty. The classes are held monthly and are open to the public. I highly recommend this hidden gem of an evening for any food lover looking to see what it's really like to be in the kitchen at one of the finest hotels anywhere. We'll be running several posts this week, along with exclusive videos, focusing on each of the dishes we prepared, along with the recipes and tips on technique and preparation.
The impressive,gracious spread of drinks and appetizers that awaited us upon arrival.
The class began with glasses of wine for everyone as Chef Vosika explained our menu for the evening and the ingredients we'd be using. The Four Seasons really pulled out all the stops for this event, making it one of the most organized, impressive cooking classes we have ever taken in the Boston area.
With our aprons donned, cameras and notebooks in hand, we entered into the kitchen with Chef Vosika.
The scallops were meticulously cleaned and all of the vegetables finely diced. The quality is always in the details.
A steady stream of appetizers and tastes such as these fried brussels sprouts served with a blue cheese sauce were provided to the class throughout the evening.
Bay scallops cook very quickly and, therefore, are the very last ingredient added. The chowder was perfect and so easy to make.
Chef Vosika offers some tips to save time and effort on this already fairly simple, but delicious, recipe.
The finished product is creamy and perfectly flavored. The gin used in the recipe burns off completely but leaves an unmistakable hint of juniper flavor.
The class enjoying their taste of the chowder.
Bay Scallop Chowder by Executive Chef Brooke Vosika Four Seasons Hotel Boston Ingredients 1/2 lb. carrots diced fine 1/2 lb. celery diced fine 1 lb. onions diced fine 6 oz. butter 6 oz. flour 16 oz. half and half 8 oz. cream 18 oz. clam juice 3 cloves garlic chopped fine Thyme 4 oz. gin 2 lemons juiced 1 lb. Bay Scallops Sea salt and pepper to taste
Directions In a large stockpot melt butter over medium heat, add the carrots, celery and onions. Saute the vegetable until translucent.
Add the garlic and flour and stir, making a roux. Cook five minutes, stirring constantly, making sure not to color the flour.
Reduce heat to low. Whisk in the half and half and cream until no lumps are visible.
Simmer 20 minutes. Add clam juice, thyme, lemon juice and gin. Simmer another 20 minutes.
Add Bay Scallops and season with sea salt and pepper.
Most of the time I feel like I am just another kid on a field trip, looking into some space that I have never seen before, running all over this City, happy to have the chance to learn something new. Here's yet another TBF exclusive video of Executive Chef Brooke Vosika of the Four Seasons, Boston, giving us a tour of the kitchens. Not many restaurants here have the time, space or budget to dry age their own beef. They do. We are looking at about $30,000 worth of meat here.
Cold winters in Boston are sometimes an opportunity for cool sports. You may not recognize the name Heath Frisby but this video,which we are happy to rerun, was one of our most popular, with over 7,000 views on YouTube. Just remember, with each passing day Spring moves closer. Isn't it funny how people in New England get so excited when they notice a few minutes change in the time of the sunset? Well, Daylight Savings time ends in a few short weeks and it's all downhill from there.
One of my favorite Valentine's Day treats this week was this mini chocolate cake from Modern Pastry. Chocolate cake with a generous filling of raspberry jam is then drenched in chocolate. Heaven.
Whenever I am asked what the best bakery is in the North End my answer is always Modern Pastry. I am lucky that they also have an outpost in Medford Square, within walking distance of my house.
Modern Pastry 257 Hanover Street Boston, MA 02113 Telephone: 617.523.3783
20 Salem Street Medford, MA 02155-3232 Telephone: 781.396.3618
We joined several Boston food writers and bloggers this week at the very elegant Four Seasons Hotel, Boston, for a private cooking class with Chef Brooke Vosika. Here's a short video of Chef Vosika preparing Chicken And Truffle Dumplings, just one of the dishes we enjoyed. We'll have a full post with more video up shortly.
Speaking of elegance, we are really looking forward to the Spoonful Of Ginger event next month at the Museum of Fine Arts. It takes place on Monday, March 28, 2011, at 6:30 PM. You will not only get to meet and greet some of Boston's elite Chefs and enjoy their food but it is also all set against the breathtaking backdrop of the new Art of the Americas Wing. Rarely does the MFA allow food events actually inside the exhibit halls (the very first time was at this, same, event last year) so it is all but guaranteed to be one of Boston's most glittering society functions. The event benefits the Joslin Diabetes Center. Tickets can be purchased here: Spoonful Of Ginger.
I was lucky enough on Tuesday to be the only food blogger invited to the Boisset Family Estates Dinner in the wine cellars of Legal Seafoods at their Park Street location. I had never been there before, although their classic wine dinners are held monthly. Everything was very well-planned and executed and featured the wines of the Boisset family of estates, which span a lot of territory, from Russian River Valley to Burgundy and the Loire Valley. Our host was none other than Jean-Charles Boisset, of the famous wine family, who flew in from France to host the event.
Smoked Salmon Napoleon was our first taste of the night.
The Lobster Fritter with Lemon Aioli hors d'Ouevres was excellent.
Hors d'Oeuvres were paired with a Louis Bouillot Cremant de Bourgogne Rose, Burgundy, NV.
The colorful and entertaining Jean-Charles Boisset spoke about each wine and the unique terroir of each vineyard in the family's varied portfolio.
First course was a Smoked Rainbow Trout Rillette with Mixed Green Salad, Orange Segments and Citrus Vinaigrette. This was paired with an Italian wine, an excellent Beni di Batasiolo, Piedmont, 2009. This was my favorite course.
Second Course was Roasted East Coast Halibut with Wilted Swiss Chard and Salsa Veracruzana. This was delicious and the salsa peppered just right for the dish. This was paired with two wines: Bouchard Aine Pouilly-Fuisse, Burgundy, 2007 and Raymond Chardonnay Reserve, Napa Valley, 2008. The latter wine was unoaked and both were very good, yet quite different, almost hard to believe they both come from the same grape.
Third Course was Wood Grilled North Atlantic Salmon with Truffled Parsnips Puree and Roasted Chantarelle Mushrooms.
The salmon dish was paired with a DeLoach "Block 1950" Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast 2009. Perfectly balanced, this was a great pairing, probably my favorite.
Dessert was Crispy Crepe with McIntosh Apples, Maple Glaze and Cinnamon Ice Cream. This was served with Neige "Premiere" Apple Ice Wine out of Canada. Apple Ice wine was originally developed in 1994 in Quebec, at this winery. I had never experienced it before. It has a very robust sweet, unmistakable apple flavor. I liked the wine but maybe would have paired it with a cheese course so I am looking forward to trying that at home.
After dinner, Jean-Charles led the group in a traditional Bourguignon celebratory cheer.
