The Fisherman's Feast

Festivals in the North End are one of the highlights of summer in Boston. This past weekend was the Fisherman's Feast, so when Manoli emailed to say that he would be in town, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to see some of my favorites and eat Italian food from a street cart.

There were a gajillion people there, which just added to the festive atmosphere. The temptation at any of these festivals is to buy the first food item that looks delicious, but we knew that the tastiest arancini and sausages would be somewhere in the middle of the crowd, so we pressed forward, looking at all of the stands before we made our decision. At the edge of the celebration, we found a stand that made absolutely the most delicious sausage with peppers and onions that I have ever had. We all got them, and we at them while admiring the Madonna statue at the center of the feast and being a little jostled by the crowd and dancing to middle-aged Italian-American singers, and they tasted like summer in a sub roll.

Strawberry-Rhubarb

I am relatively new to the whole rhubarb craze. I didn't grow up eating strawberry-rhubarb pie, and my mom never stood over the stove, stirring a pot of bubbling compote. Instead, a couple of years ago, a coworker requested a strawberry-rhubarb pie in place of a birthday cake, and I instantly fell in love. Now, it doesn't really taste like June unless I've had a rhubarb fix. I like mine in all of the ways that food bloggers suggest- with a spoon, on top of greek yogurt, or over ice cream. For my mom's annual St. John's day/Midsummer bonfire and strawberry party tonight, I'm going to fold some into whipped cream to make a fool.

I don't really write recipes, but I happened upon exactly the right proportions when making compote the other day and I thought I'd store them here in case you were looking for a little taste of June, too. (And also so that I never run around my kitchen screaming about putting too much sugar in the compote again, too.)

Strawberry Rhubarb Compote

Frozen Strawberries (one bag of organic ones from whole foods- about a cup and a half)

three mediumish stalks of rhubarb, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1/4 cup sugar

healthy pinch of salt

half a vanilla bean

Add everything to a pot with about a half a cup of water- just enough to make sure nothing sticks. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the mixture, then toss the pod in, too.

Cook on medium-low, stirring much of the time, until everything kind of disintegrates into strawberry-rhubarb mush. There might still be some chunks of strawberries; that's fine, just smash them with a spoon. Let it cool, then pour compote into a jar (vanilla bean, too) and refrigerate.

Happy summer, friends!

First Burger

Over the weekend, Chris and Elizabeth came over to celebrate the lovely weather with a little barbecue.

I like to start grilling as soon as the temperature hits fifty degrees, but there is something about the first burger of the season that really reminds me that Summer is on its way. Especially if you eat it on your porch with friends who appreciate these things as much as you do.

Spring is pretty lovely this year, which makes me even more excited for Summer. I anticipate plenty of burgers on the porch with my buddies.

Things that are good after a week like last:

french fries at Mead Hall



Trees in bloom at MIT



a breakfast picnic on the back porch



photography lessons and time in nature

Slowly but surely, life is returning back to almost-normal, though as I mentioned on instagram, I walk by the memorial to Officer Collier most days and am reminded that that's definitely not the case for everyone. For those of us who are lucky enough to get to keep going, though, it's nice to have life quiet down a little.

South Face Farm

About this time last week, I found out that I would have the whole weekend off of work. It became clear that it would be a good idea to plan an adventure. This post reminded me that despite growing up in New England and going to college in the woods in New Hampshire, I'd never been to a sugar shack, so Emma and I decided to rectify that with a trip to South Face Farm.

We couldn't decide what to get, so we ordered one of everything and split it down the middle. It was all delicious, especially covered in fresh maple syrup. I liked the waffle the best- it was thin and crispy and really flavorful, but everything was pretty amazing. Afterwards, we watched them boil sap into syrup for far longer than I would have expected it to be interesting.

It was the perfect weekend adventure.

Snow Brunch

 

The snowstorm we're getting up and down the east coast is making me a little nostalgic for Nemo. Nobody had to work, and you weren't allowed to drive anywhere, so the logical thing to do (after making chicken and waffles, of course) was to have people over for Saturday brunch.

Liz and Chris hiked up to my house. Betsy snowshoed over. Mary and I walked from our respective bedrooms to the kitchen. 

There were sourdough waffles (I. am. obsessed.), and hot chocolate with as many mix-ins as I could find. I may or may not have licked whipped cream from the whisk.

And then we went sledding.

Chicken and Waffles

Last Thursday, it became clear that we were going to get an epic snowstorm. It became clear to me that I needed to engage in an epic cooking project, so on Friday before they shut down the T, Elizabeth and Sara adventured over to my house to make chicken and waffles.

I had never deep-fried anything before, and honestly, Elizabeth did most of the work. There were a lot of steps involved, but none of them were that complicated, and the chicken was some of the best I'd ever had.

(I absolutely gave them a hard time about the Ivy League sweatshirts. Actually, they gave themselves a hard time.)

I have the BEST waffle recipe, so of course it made sense to have waffles with our fried chicken. I'm not sure why they're such a perfect combination, but they really are, especially when the world outside is quickly turning into a winter wonderland.

We felt extra cozy indoors.

Lunch at Sportello

In college, I had a professor who said that when he was in college, he used to get ice cream after every exam. Treating himself after something stressful, he said, made the stressful thing not so bad.

Yesterday, I took the GRE. I was pretty nervous about it, so when it was all over, I decided to treat myself to lunch at Sportello, the fanciest lunch counter you'll ever see.

When I told my waitress why I was there, she brought me a glass of prosecco. When she brought me my fancy-pants latte, she also brought me a cupcake to take home. Her enthusiasm made the meal seem even more special, and now I'm pretty sure that I'm going there for all lunchtime celebrations from here on out.

Should you ever find yourself in North Cambridge, not too far from Davis Square and the Arlington border, I strongly recommend a trip to Verna's.



They're a little hole-in-the-wall, but they make the best donuts around. I've been going since I was tiny. My dad would take Dewey and me out for a chocolate honey dipped and an orange juice most Saturday mornings when we were little.


(the chocolate honey-dipped are still my favorite)

Anyway, I recommend that you get a dozen. Include a couple of coffee rolls, even if they're not your favorite. Someone will like them.



Then, find a couple of friends and a good place to sit. (You may need to drive. Or you could walk to Davis.)
Coffee's a pretty good thing, too.



Then you should eat the donuts and be happy.

While we were in DC, Em, La, James and I stopped by Union Market, where we cooled off from the muggy day with iced coffee at Peregrine Espresso in Union Market. The coffee was amazing, and Union Market was so nice. It's the kind of place I'd visit all the time if I lived there, I think.

Sunday Brunch

On Friday, I decided that it would be a good idea to have some people over for Sunday Brunch and a trip to the market to buy some Real Pops. I sent out an email, and before I knew it, a brunch party was in the works. 

I mixed up a batch of sourdough waffle batter the night before, and I bought a big box of coffee from a local cafe. The morning of, I put out fruit and fried some bacon, then made waffles to order as my friends arrived. It was so much fun, and really simple. I see many more brunches in the future, if my friends are willing. (And really, if you offer waffles and bacon, who isn't willing?)

Drunk Blondies

I haven't had much time for baking lately, plus I've been eating so much ice cream there isn't really room for cookies and things in my sweets arsenal. Still, though, when I fell asleep dreaming about these  bourbon chocolate-chip blondies for four nights in a row, I felt like it might be a good idea to turn the oven on.

I was right- they were amazing. I browned the butter and left out the coconut, but still, man-oh-man, were they delicious. They came together really quickly, too, which is one of my favorite things about brownies and blondies. I'm pretty sure that you should make them, too.

August Diet

For as long as I can remember, all I want to eat in August is corn, tomatoes and peaches (June and July are all about watermelon and ice cream). This year, for some reason (especially considering how little meat I normally cook), I've added steak on the grill to that list.

The August diet is my favorite.