Edible Events: Super Bowl Sunday Edition

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EDIBLE EVENTS: SUPER BOWL SUNDAY EDITION

Where to find a dozen takeout hot dogs, one-pound burgers, and triple-sized burritos for the big day.

Posted by admin on 1/31/2012 at 10:00AM | No Comments

The one-pound "Giant Killer" burger at Russell House Tavern. (Photo courtesy of RHT.)

On Sunday, the New England Patriots will face off against the New York Giants â€” use our handy guide to ensure that you celebrate (or stress eat) alongside a stack of gourmet chili dogs or a one-pound burger. READ MORE

MAN FOOD: QUEST FOR THE ULTIMATE BANH MI

Posted by Richard Chudy on 11/17/2011 at 2:56PM | 1 Comment

Welcome toÂ Man Food, where burger pro Richard Chudy steps away from his usual beat to explore food challenges, street eats, and other gut-busting delights. Ladies are welcome, of course.

The Vietnamese Banh Mi sandwich may seem exotic to some, but when you break it down it contains the essentials of any great sandwich: bread, protein, vegetables, and sauce. In this case, the bread is a crusty sub roll, while fillings typically include pork, pickled carrots and daikon, pate, cilantro and a sweet mayo sauce. It’s all wrapped up in a crinkly paper sleeve. Once a staple of hole-in-the-wall Vietnamese joints, the uniquely bold flavor profile of this sandwich has led to fancified versions served everywhere from sit-down restaurants to food trucks. I consider myself a Banh Mi novice, so I decided to do my due diligence and sampled versions from three different buzzed-about spots: 163 Vietnamese Sandwich in Chinatown, Pho Viet in the Super 88 food court in Allston, and, of course, the much-hyped Bon Me food truck.
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FROM SCRATCH: ASPARAGUS AND SMOKED SALMON FRITTATA

Posted by Maggie Brooks on 6/14/2011 at 10:00AM | No Comments

Father’s Day is just around the corner and while brunch options are endless in this city, why not skip the buffets and go for home field advantage with a Father’s Day Frittata? This version is a popular one with my dad but you can mix and match your favorite summer veggies to make your father’s favorite (like squash and zucchini or spinach and bell peppers).Â Make sure you have an oven safe nonstick skillet and if the handle has rubber on it, double wrap it in foil and it should be fine.Â I wrote this recipe based on a 10-inch pan since that’s what I have. But if you have a 12Â or 8 inch pan you can alter the recipe to fit your pan. Happy Father’s Day!

INGREDIENTS

9 large eggs
1/4 c. milk
1 tbs dill, chopped
1/2 lb. asparagus, rough ends trimmed and cut into 1 in pieces
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 oz smoked salmon, cut into thin strips

In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, milk and dill until well combined. Season withÂ pepper. Set aside.

WHERE TO TAKE DAD ON FATHER’S DAY

Posted by Erin Byers Murray on 6/13/2011 at 1:00PM | 1 Comment

Dad, you deserve to be treated like the hero weâ€™ve always considered you to be. Since we know the way to your heart is through your stomach, this Sunday, we’ve got a ton of options made specifically for you. Here are a few favorites we’ve lined up. All you’ve got to do is pick out the one that looks the tastiest.

View the slideshow here!

Caitlin Bueller is a contributor to Chowder.

MOTHER’S DAY: TIME TO MAKE THOSE PLANS

Posted by Maggie Brooks on 5/4/2011 at 4:00PM | No Comments

Yes. It’s Mother’s Day. It comes around every year, but like snowfall does the MBTA, somehow the holiday always catches us by surprise. If you’re really on the ball, you already have your bouquet/chocolate/brunch combo lined up. If not, you’re probably starting to sweat. Not to worry: just click through our roundup of all things Mother’s Day: From brunch options to duckling parades, we’ve got you covered.

TIDBITS: NOT YOUR MOTHER’S COOKIE

Posted by Erin Byers Murray on 4/28/2011 at 10:00AM | No Comments

To bake or not to bake for Mom in honor of Mother’s Day? My own mom and my husband’s mom are both going to be in town for the holiday next week which means I might actually have time to pull off a fresh-from-the-oven gift for them both. But while I’d love to give them something homemade and from the heart (especially since my mom has handed down about a million great cookie recipes), when baking, laziness usually prevails and I resort to whatever instructions I find on the back of the chocolate chip bag (sorry, Mom).

And then, just this week, I stumbled upon Cow & Crumb, a fantastic little mail-order cookie business based in Cambridge. Founder Hilary Koloski and her intern-turned partner Megan Elias met through the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts (both are alumnae). Hilary, who has been working on her chocolate chip recipe since the age of 14, honed her baking skills at Sofra; Megan left the world of finance to go to culinary school and is now helping Hilary out both in the kitchen and with the books. Their tiny operation, which officially launched in 2008 and expanded when Megan joined Hilary this past fall, is hoping to move into a new facility this spring â€” they’ve outgrown two already. (Check out their entertaining video blog for the full story.)

As for the cookies themselves, I’m happy to report that they’re far better â€” and more heartfelt â€” than anything I’ve made from a bag. The Peanut Butter Pretzel Heaven is a pile of sweet, chewy goodness stuffed with real pretzel bits while the Spice Girl (cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and ginger), covered with sparkly bits of raw sugar, puts other ginger snaps to shame. As for that chocolate chip, Hilary has absolutely nailed it: soft, decadently rich, and just a touch underdone to give each cookie that melty, right-out-of-the-oven bite.

They sell sampler packs as well as minis (1.5 inch morsels) and their packaging is downright adorable. A sweet little mother’s day gift that tastes divine and requires no wrapping paper or clean up? Now that’s a treat.

Order online by May 1st in time for Mother’s Day at cowandcrumb.com.

FROM SCRATCH: LEMON MERINGUE PIE

Posted by Maggie Brooks on 4/26/2011 at 10:00AM | No Comments

Â© Hans Hillewaert / CC-BY-SA-3.0

My mom taught me that food should match the season in flavor and in color, which is why I decided to contribute a bright and vibrant lemon meringue pie to my friend and her family’s Easter dinner this past weekend. I love pie. All pie. Fruit, cream, layered, meat pot pies, cookie crust, shortbread crust, flaky crust… you slice it, I love it. The recipe I used is a mix and match game of my own crust, an adaptation of a lemon filling from Gourmet circa 1995 (find it online at Epicurious.com) and a basic meringue topping.

Ingredients:

12 graham crackers
3 tbs melted butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 c. sugar
5 tbs cornstarch
1 c. half and half
1/4 c. water
1/4 tsp salt
4 egg yolks
1 tbs lemon zest
3/4Â c. fresh lemon juice
4 egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/3 c. sugar

For the crust:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a food processor, pulse the graham crackers until evenly broken down to bread crumb size, about 20 one-second pulses. Transfer to a bowl and using your fingers, toss with butter and vanilla extract until crackers are coated. Press into a 9-inch pie plate making sure that all the edges and the bottom are even. (Use the bottom of a measuring cup to help make it even.) Bake the crust for about 10 minutes until set and golden brown. Allow to cool onÂ a wire rack.

INSIDE: LOLITA COCINA & TEQUILA BAR

Posted by A. J. Downey on 2/23/2011 at 9:08AM | No Comments

By: Shannon Fischer
Photography by: Kaitlyn Quealy

Did you celebrate National Margarita Day yesterday? (Did you even know that such a grand holiday existed?)

In honor of this eminently celebrate-able holiday, we bring you a peek inside one of Bostonâ€™s newest and definitely most seductive of Latin lounges â€” Back Bay’s Lolita Cocina & Tequila Bar. Redolent of sex and intrigue, the spot is dark, decadent and all shades of red, black, and wrought iron. Try any of their seven different margarita menu options â€” including the Diablo (blood orange and Serrano chile) and the Broken Heart (fresh raspberries and Gran Centenario Rosangel) â€” or try your hand (and tolerance) with a pick from the nearly 200 different types of tequila encased in the awesomely stocked Tequila Cabinet.

271 Dartmouth St, Boston, 617-369-5609, lolitaboston.com

DECEMBER HOLIDAY FEASTS

Posted by A. J. Downey on 12/21/2010 at 4:08PM | No Comments

Almost every restaurant in the Hub is offering a special holiday menu over the next few weeks. From Christmas dinners to New Year’s Day brunches, here’s a roundup of what’s on the table:

COMING RIGHT UP: GINGERBREAD HOUSE WORKSHOP

Posted by A. J. Downey on 12/15/2010 at 11:48AM | No Comments

Boston food editor Donna Garlough heads to Smolak Farms this Saturday to host the first-ever “Culinary Housing: Gingerbread House Workshop.” Smolak Farms will provide all of the fixings (flavored icing, chocolate snowmen, candy canes, gum drops, etc.), plus fresh-from-the-oven gingerbread, while Garlough will bring the expertise so that you and the kids can build a sugary masterpiece.

$40 per pair. Registration is necessary and a portion of proceeds benefit Toys for Tots.

Saturday, December 18, 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. 315 South Bradford St., North Andover. 978-682-6332, smolakfarms.com.

Archive for the ‘Holidays’ Category