Tuesday, February 21, 2006 

Saveur 100

from NPR's All Things Considered:

'Saveur 100:' Favorites From the World of Food by Michele Norris

All Things Considered, January 18, 2006

In many ways the people who work for the food and travel magazine Saveur are like culinary detectives -- always on the hunt for new edible delights. Since they can't include every treasure they find in the magazine, they save the best of the rest for the Saveur 100 -- an annual list of "favorite restaurants, food, drink, people, places and things."

i'm just listing the top 25 (note #25 - Costco Bday Cake!):


1. La Chassagnette Restaurant – Arles, France
2. Trishna Restaurant – Bombay, India
3. Pohutukawa Honey – New Zealand
4. Anchovy-stuffed olives – Spain
5. Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks – New York City
6. Hendrick's Gin - Scotland
7. Hamburger America – Various states
8. Coffee Cup Coin Purse – New York City
9. Chef Chan's Restaurant - Singapore
10. Goan Avocado Salad – New York City
11. Water Buffalo Milk Yogurt – South Woodstock, Vt.
12. Sun Gold Tomatoes – Various states
13. Bramante Roof Terrace – Rome, Italy
14. CLA Grills and Service – Little Rock, Arkansas
15. Adam Perry Lang – New York City
16. El Cardenal Restaurant – Mexico City
17. Chocolate Sparkle Cookies – Toronto and Vancouver, Canada
18. Jim n Nick's Bar-b-Q – Birmingham, Alabama & various other states
19. IKEA Swedish Food Markets – Various states
20. Compass Box Crafted Whiskies – Scotland
21. Dan Bing – Taipei, Taiwan
22. Debauve & Gallais – Paris
23. Sushi Susaki – Tokyo
24. Pudding Basin – United Kingdom
25. Costco Birthday Cake – Various states

for the entire list:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5162206

8:09 PM | |

Monday, February 20, 2006 

almond macaroons

have you ever tried an almond macaroon? not the dense coconut macaroons that usually comes to mind. these macaroons are made of almonds, usually sandwiched with buttercream or chocolate ganache. i first tried them at L.A. Burdick's in Harvard Sq. at Burdick's, they 're called Luxembourgers and they sell two types - white (lemon) and chocolate. you'd be surprised but the lemon flavored ones are much better. at 2 for $1, they are a good deal, especially considering that i heard that they cost about $2 each elsewhere.

in France, they make macaroons in a variety of flavors. it's an annual tradition for the top bakeries in Paris to create a new signature macaroon - they vie with each other for bragging rights to the best macaroon.

from Laduree's website:

http://www.laduree.fr/public_en/historique/histoire_macaron.htm


don't these look great? would love to be in Paris to see (and taste!) these macaroons.

recipe for chocolate macaroons from David Lebovitz' website:http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2005/10/#000137

7:15 PM | |

 

Top Ten

read this on David Lebovitz's blog today - very amusing. a condensed version of his list...

15 Things I Don't Like About Paris
October 20, 2005

Permalink:http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2005/10/#000132


"Paris. The most gorgeous place in the world. The CIty of Light. Romantic and sexy, Paris beckons people from all over the world to bask in it's splendor. But scratch beneath the surface..."

1. Everyone's always in a big hurry.
...except the ones who are waiting on you.

2. Could there possibly be any light more unflattering than the lighting on the Paris métro?

3. All the newspapers are in a funny language.
And the Sunday New York Times is 13 euros.

4. The coffee is universally horrible and disgusting.
Yes, much of the coffee in America is horrid and/or disgusting, but at least the possibility exists of finding decent coffee in America.

5. Parisians will just walk right into you. Even if you're on a deserted sidewalk, they'll veer away, then curve around, and bam!...walk straight into you!

6. Les Madames.
I don't mean hookers, I mean those mean women of a certain age who wield their shopping chariots and expect you to move outta their way. You can easily spot them; they wear squared-off wire-rimmed glasses and are proudly bundled up in overcoats, and cut in line pretending not to see you. Then when it's their turn, they spend 5 minutes arguing with the vendor over the price of one fig or a slice of cheese (and then take forever trying to count out the centimes to pay, acting like it's a big surprise and inconvenience when they have to fork over the cash.
As my pal Kate pointed out, this is the last generation of them.
Good riddance.

7. Everything is so damn expensive (except bread, wine, and cheese).
Le Creuset cookware, made in France, is cheaper in America than in France. My Delonghi heater (Italian) was 3 times the price it is in the US... and why is a Phillips Sonicare (Dutch) toothbrush twice the price?Can't they just truck stuff across the EU border?

8. Dog crap is everywhere...and it's disgusting. Even most French people think so.
If you have a dog, pick up after it. I had a dog. I picked up after it. It's part of ownership. If you have kids, you clean up after them. It's a unknown concept called "responsibility".
(Although I should let you know that with all the dog poo here, the last time I stepped in some was in, of all places, San Antonio.)

9. The French language has 14 verb tenses. English has 6.
Really, how many past tenses does one language need?

10. The French are explosive.
An organic bakery I visit often, Moisan, is lovely. Everything is picture-perfect. Glistening, caramelized fruit tarts, rustic hearth-baked breads, golden croissants, and little savory pizzas bubbling with melted cheese and fragrant with fresh herbs. I go in there all the time and the saleswomen could not be nicer.
Last time I went in, there was a lovely tray of fresh-baked Madeleines; deep-golden, buttery, and still warm from the oven. And they were picture-perfect.So I complimented them, "Ce sont très jolie, madame." ("Those are very beautiful.")
The saleswoman, who's always been so very nice to me, snapped back, "Ce ne sont pas jolie, Monseiur. Ce sont delicieux!" ("They're not beautiful, they're delicious!")
And with that one little interchange, she will no longer wait on me or speak to me. If she happens to get me in line, she ignores me. Salope
NEWS FLASH: At a dinner party tonight, I asked some French friends about this. They said if you use the word jolie (beautiful) to describe something, it's rather pejorative. Like saying it's 'cute', in a trés-Disney kind of way.Who knew? (see #9)

11. The French don't seem to be as interested in coming to conclusions, instead preferring to discuss things forever without resolution. Everything takes a lo-o-o-o-ong time.

13. Charles de Gaulle Airport is consistently rated the worst airport in the world. It's a major embarrassment that one of the world's greatest cities has an airport that would rival one in a third-world country. Gee, I wonder why? For two years, all the bathrooms were broken in the Terminal #1 Arrivals terminal, where you pick up your luggage. After sitting on a plane all night, you gotta go.
How many years does it take to fix a bathroom?
Last time I arrived, each and every elevator in the terminal was hors service (broken). People in wheelchairs and those with luggage carts were scratching their heads figuring out how to get downstairs.
How long does it take to fix an elevator?
And once you check in and go through security in Terminal #1, there's no bathroom. Since you need to check in two hours in advance, you have to leave the waiting area and re-go-through security.
Gee...that's efficient.
(I am sure the Olympics organizers who arrived at the primitive and crumbling Charles de Gaulle were as shocked as most visitors, and it sealed the fate for Paris hosting the games.)

14. Le President™ Camembert
France has the greatest cheeses in the world. Walk into any cheese shop, or even a supermarket, and you'll find a bounty of delicious products from dairies and cheesemakers across France. So why do the supermarkets stock some of the worst cheeses in the world right alongside the good stuff?Because people buy them. They're vile, rubbery, flavorless cheeses with little resemblance to the real thing. It can't be the price difference, since they're roughly equivalent or a few centimes more.

15. French people smoke too much.

7:00 PM | |

 

port wine

i don't usually like very strong wines (still prefer white over red wines) until i was introduced to port wine a few years ago. but i think the reason why i like it is because it's a sweet wine. good port is so smooth. better yet, i don't feel the alcohol at all when i drink it.

here's a link about port wine that was passed on to me by a friend:
http://www.epicurious.com/drinking/spirits/liqueur/port

6:22 PM | |

Thursday, February 16, 2006 

Darwin's Ltd.

Peet's coffee has been too crowded of late. whenever i go there, i can never seem to find a table. since it's centrally located in Harvard Sq., i suppose it's a natural gathering spot for many people. which is unfortunate because it's the only place i know of in Harvard Sq. with good coffee, spacious seating and a quieter atmosphere (no loud music playing). which made it ideal for enjoying a cup of coffee while getting some work-related reading done. even last sunday when we had the nor'easter and i trekked out to Peet's, it was jam packed! guess i wasn't the only one thinking that the cafes would be desserted when the streets outside were completely covered with about a foot of snow. so i decided that i needed to look into another cafe.

i had passed by Darwin's a few times and it looked like a good candidate so one day i decided to head over. the seating is fairly spacious - there are about 10 tables or so, each table is fairly good-sized for spreading out your reading/work material. the lighting is dim enough to give the area a cozy feel but not too dim such that it's hard on your eyes when you're try to read. one side is an exposed brick wall, the other dark wood paneling. which in combination with the lighting makes the seating area a pleasant place to linger. they sell your typical selection of coffee, espresso drinks and teas. i ordered their chai latte this time (had too much coffee earlier in the day so i was easing off) which was only ok. maybe i'm used to stronger tasting, sweeter chai lattes. but they made their chai latte with real spices in a teabag as opposed to the Oregon chai premade mix so they get points for authenticity. they have a small selection of pastries to choose from and they also sell soups/sandwiches/salads (their sandwiches are supposed to be really good).

it appears that their most popular items sold are the cookies. and they have about half a dozen varieties to choose from. they all look quite good and it's difficult to decide which one is more tempting. i went for the chocolate macaroon (almond macaroon cookie filled with rich chocolate ganache and dipped in chocolate) and it was quite yummy. i'm told that they get their cookies from Lakota bakery, a bakery in Arlington which specializes in cookies only. it's a bakery worth checking out if/when i'm out in the Arlington Heights area... i will have to try the lemon macaroons others rave about.

Darwin's Ltd. (2 locations)
1629 Cambridge St.
or 148 Mt. Auburn St.
Cambridge, MA 02138

Lakota Bakery
1375 Massachusetts Avenue
Arlington, MA 02476
(781) 646-0121

http://www.lakotabakery.com/index.html

2:49 PM | |

Sunday, February 12, 2006 

Dinner Upstairs

Upstairs on the Square, that is. I went with some friends for dinner at the Upstairs Monday Club Bar to celebrate M's birthday. It was a dinner I was really looking forward to since I had been wanting to go ever since I had read about it soon after I moved to Boston. Alas, it took a while to finally go, but it was worth the wait. I was not disappointed.

You feel as if you've been invited to dine in a cozy, upscale room of private mansion. You notice the elegant, whimsical decor immediately when you walk in. The wall panels are painted rich hues of rose and green and the ceilings and walls are decorated with gold trim. There is a working fireplace to the left of the bar. The Monday Club Room has two rooms in the back which can be partitioned off with sliding doors from the main dining room.

The decor is impressive but it is the incredibly good food that leaves an indelible impression. The bread is warm, crusty on the outside, soft on the inside. The food is artfully presented. E. ordered the Grilled SwordfishToasted Bread Salsa of Preserved Lemon and Cracked Green Olive and it looked wonderful. the swordfish was presented with a slice of lemon and rose petal (?). E. said it was very good, i'll have to take his word for it. =) M., the birthday girl, ordered a dish of braised pork which she was very pleased with.

My order of Hot Spiced Skirt Steak Salad of Avocado, Golden Beet and Cilantro was delicious. The steak was tender and juicy. The ingredients in the salad were very fresh - the avocado was among the best i've had. I haven't had beets in ages but after I tasted the beets in this salad, I made a mental note to have beets more often. Past frequency of beet consumption? maybe once in 15 years...

my dish was tasty, healthy and didn't break the bank. i was a satisfied customer. Upstairs is upscale and the food was great. it'd be a great place to celebrate a big occassion or a romantic dinner. but it isn't a place where you'd expect hearty fare in huge portions.

7:23 AM | |

 

All Things Coffee

just received the latest issue of Food and Wine yesterday. one of the first headlines to catch my eye? "Coffee fanatic's guide - Perfect Beans and the top machines" where they review the top brew bars, beans and grinders. one place i'm interested in checking out when i'm back home is Ritual Coffee Roasters in the Mission District. and for those out in NY, there's a place in the East Village called Ninth St. Espresso where they are supposed to serve a very good cup of brew.

to read the F&W article:

http://foodandwine.com/articles/an-obsessives-guide-to-coffee

two factoids gleaned from this article:
200F is the optimal brewing temperature for coffee

burr grinders which use disks grind coffee beans better than ordinary grinders which use blades.

7:10 AM | |