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.
Archive for the ‘Sweets’ Category
EATING TO COOK: A PROPER BREAKFASTPosted by Annie Copps on 4/29/2011 at 4:30PM | No Comments
1. ABC’s Diane Sawyer did a terrific job (not so much, in our opinion, Barbara Walters — did she really have to mention Alexander MacQueen’s suicide as lovely Kate entered the church?). All in all, worth the early rise. We feted the new marrieds at my dear friend Sue’s house with two types of scones, fruit salad, tea sandwiches (salmon and cucumber), coffee cake, and biscuits. I brought the ham and cheese biscuits — which I realize are not British nor New England-y for that matter but my Charleston, SC pal Callie and her daughter make them and they are ridiculously delicious. Your knees will buckle. Our friend Siobhan made one batch of scones (Irish-style and I promise I’ll get the recipe for them as well as her fantastic brown bread) and our host Sue, who is South African, made English-style ones from her dad’s favorite recipe. “My dad, Oswald Treisman, would make these for afternoon tea whenever we had company. They would be served warm out of the oven with whipped cream, jam, and butter. I added sugar to his recipe and bake the scones with a touch of jam inside,” says Sue. I’m guessing Will and Kate didn’t eat as well as we did this morning. How about you — any delicious breakfast for this morning’s festivities? Drop me a line and check out Sue’s recipe after the jump. Continue reading “Eating to Cook: A Proper Breakfast” » |
FROM SCRATCH: LEMON MERINGUE PIEPosted by Maggie Brooks on 4/26/2011 at 10:00AM | No Comments
 © 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 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 on a wire rack. Continue reading “From Scratch: Lemon Meringue Pie” » |
FROM SCRATCH: HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT SPREADPosted by Maggie Brooks on 4/19/2011 at 9:30AM | No Comments
You’d be surprised how many convenience products (jellies, spreads, dips) are a cinch to make from scratch. And the quality will leave you wondering why you ever spent $4 on something pre-made. This recipe is my take on blogger (and sweets expert) David Lebovitz‘s Nutella. He calls for whole powdered milk which I’ve only found in specialty markets, so I opted for the more easily accessible nonfat version and added a thickening cornstarch slurry to ensure that the end product turns out as velvety as what you’d buy in the store. Spread on toast and top with banana slices, smear on stone fruit (peaches, nectarines) or just eat it with a spoon — which is what I like to do. Homemade Chocolate Hazelnut Spread Ingredients 2 cups whole hazelnuts Spread the hazelnuts out in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast in a 350º oven for 12-15 minutes, occasionally shaking the pan. While the nuts are still warm, remove as many of the skins as possible. (Most of the skins will loosen in the oven but for the stubborn ones place the nuts in a kitchen towel and rub vigorously.) The hazelnuts don’t have to be completely clean, but remove as much of the skin as you can. Process the nuts in a food processor until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides as necessary. Continue reading “From Scratch: Homemade Chocolate Hazelnut Spread” » |
COMING RIGHT UP: MARCH MAPLE MADNESSPosted by Anne Vickman on 3/25/2011 at 12:51PM | No Comments
By: Ally Betker
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COMING RIGHT UP: THE 22ND ANNUAL CHOCOLATE FESTIVALPosted by Tanya Pai on 2/24/2011 at 8:14AM | No Comments
By: Ally Betker Chocoholics, rejoice! This Sunday, February 27, the Mt. Washington Valley Ski Touring and Snowshoe Foundation is hosting its 22nd annual Chocolate Festival. From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. visit 10 trailside inns, B&Bs, and stores to sample chocolate fondue, chocolate cookies, chocolate-dipped strawberries…you get the idea. It’s small wonder this is known as the “Sweetest Day on the Trails.” To assuage some guilt from all that indulgence, burn calories by cross country skiing, snowshoeing, or, ahem, driving to each trailside stop — and remind yourself that all proceeds go toward the Foundation’s efforts to keep the ski trails beautiful and functional. Tickets are $20 in advance, available through mwskitouring.org/chocolatefestival, or can be purchased for $25 at any of the 10 stops on the tour. If you want to extend your stay, several participating inns are offering lodging deals in conjunction with the event. A festival map listing all the chocolate stops is available here, or at your first stop along the trail. 279 NH Route 16-302, Intervale, NH, mwskitouring.org. |
COMING RIGHT UP: OMG RED VELVET!Posted by A. J. Downey on 2/2/2011 at 11:47AM | No Comments
By: Katherine Brooks No longer restricted to the South or to cakes, red velvet has climbed its way north in the baking world and left its sweet-toothed fans with stained tongues and rounder bums along the way. Shout outs in James Beard’s 1972 culinary bible American Cookery and in the tear-jerking 1989 chick flick Steel Magnolias refer to the flavoring as a cake. However, the cocoa-accented, deep maroon color now makes appearances just about anywhere carbs are socially acceptable. Waffles, fried chicken, cookies, fudge, ice cream, pancakes, whoopee pies, milk, yogurt, and martinis have recently seen shades of red. With a devoted following and Valentine’s Day-appropriate hue, the flavor deserves to take center stage at its own event. We know just the thing. Join Signpost and ten local chefs for OMG Red Velvet!, a rose-tinted benefit for Lovin’ Spoonfuls. Sweet talk other dessert lovers next Tuesday, February 8th from 8pm to 9:30pm at Flour Bakery and Cafe in Fort Point. Proceeds from ticket sales go to furthering the efforts of food rescue and food delivery to those in need. Expect paper hearts, valentines, giveaways, love music, and creative bites starring our favorite flavor. The dress code is festive, so break out your pink and red! Red velvet masterminds of the evening include Will Gilson of Garden at The Cellar, Sweet cupcakes, Hungry Mother, Union Bar and Grille, Sportello, The Chocolate Tarte, and more. Paint the town red for a great cause! 8 p.m. at Flour Bakery and Cafe, 12 Farnsworth St., Boston. Tickets are $30 in advance, $40 at the door. Get yours here. (Photo credit: fsumaria on Flickr) |
COMING RIGHT UP: GINGERBREAD HOUSE WORKSHOPPosted by A. J. Downey on 12/15/2010 at 11:48AM | No Comments
$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. |
COMING RIGHT UP: PINKBERRYPosted by A. J. Downey on 11/8/2010 at 4:18PM | No Comments
By A. J. Downey Pinkberry, a favorite frozen yogurt of California’s celebrities, has made its way east. Although the international fro-yo chain is opening its first Boston location just in time for New England winter weather, we’re still excited to have a stash of the new “take home” cartons for our freezers. Pinkberry will be serving six flavors (pomegranate, coconut, chocolate, mango, and more) at its Newbury Street shop — we wonder how long it’ll take before someone famous hits it up? 286 Newbury St., Boston; pinkberry.com. Photography by Emily Wilson |
BOOK CLUB: JOANNE CHANG’S FLOUR RECIPESPosted by A. J. Downey on 10/7/2010 at 7:13AM | No Comments
By Aviva Shen Joanne Chang graduated from Harvard as an Applied Math and Economics major, began a career at a high-powered management consulting firm, and somehow landed in the kitchen. Now the owner of Flour Bakery + Cafe, which has outposts in Fort Point, the South End, and Cambridge, the co-owner of upscale eatery Myers+Chang, and the victor of a Throwdown with Bobby Flay challenge, Joanne will publish her first cookbook, Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston’s Flour Bakery + Cafe, in mid-October. In anticipation of the drool-inducing release, Chowder reached out to Joanne to discuss the book, the nitty-gritty of owning a restaurant, the Boston’s food scene, and, of course, ice cream. What was the inspiration behind the Flour cookbook? How long did it take to compile the recipes? What is involved logistically in writing a cookbook? |
