Pick Your Own

It was what can only be described as a quintessential fall day in New England. There was apple picking in the bright fall sunshine with dew still on the grass. The trees were overflowing with large, beautiful apples, Mother Nature's gift to us for bearing a cold, rainy summer. Then there was the impulsive U-turn on the way back home to make a stop at the vegetable farm that bragged of its pick your own flowers. Of course, the only proper way to end that perfect fall day was with one perfect apple pie sliding into the oven and filling the house with scents of sugary-cinnamony goodness.

Recipe of the Week

Recipe: Pork Chops with Bacon and Cabbage
Source: Everyday Food

Ingredients: *****
Just seven simple ingredients make up this one pot dish. Importantly one of those ingredients is pork chops, something I've been accused of not serving enough of around here.

Preparation: ****
The reason I love one pot dishes is the little bit of hands-on time early in the recipe followed by the walking away time as the dish finishes up. This isn't that kind of one pot dish. Basically you're doing something every few minutes over an hour which means you can't wander far...or get anything else done.

Taste: ****
The dudely is arguing that I should be giving this recipe 5 stars but I just don't buy it. It certainly tasted good but I'm not imagining the next time I can make it, the sure sign of a 5 star recipe. That didn't stop him from shoveling down two big platefuls with hardly a peep. Perhaps I need a his and her ratings scale.

Recipe of the Week

Recipe: Cannellini and Kale Ragout
Source: Bon Appetit

Ingredients: *****
Kale is abundant this time of year so I’m looking for new ways to prepare it. This recipe fit the bill and includes other favorites like cannellini beans and red pepper flakes. I skipped the Italian bread and used my homemade whole wheat bread. With a recipe as healthy as this it seemed crazy to eat white bread with it!

Preparation: *****
After a long Monday this recipe was just my speed. The hardest thing I did was wash and chop a mountain of kale and mince some garlic. The rest involved a can opener. It really doesn’t get any easier. The only thing I changed about the prep was cutting down on the amount of olive oil used.

Taste: *****
I loved this recipe. There seemed to be just the right amount of everything. From the initial bite right through the little bit of heat as you swallowed it was perfection. Going with whole wheat bread was also a great choice. The tiny bit of sweetness from the molasses in the recipe was a good foil for the heat of the pepper flakes. Add in a little glass of red wine and it made Monday night feel a little more special than most.

Recipe of the Week

Recipe: Chicken al Mattone
Source: Bon Appetit

Ingredients: *****
Simple ingredients make up this recipe. Even better, most of those simple ingredients can usually be found in my fridge, freezer, or pantry. That makes it easy to whip up a roast chicken. I find that very appealing as the fall weather makes its presence known in New England.

Preparation: ****
I’ve never cut the backbone out of a chicken before and it made me a bit nervous. With knife and scissors in hand I soon found out it’s really no big deal. From there you smear on a marinade and let it sit overnight. The cooking is equally hands-off: some browning on the stovetop and slide it in the oven with a brick, or, as in my case, a cast iron skillet on top.

Taste: ***
I had really high hopes for this dish and it let me down. The chicken was good but I was really hoping for great. Despite marinating the chicken overnight it didn’t take on any of the flavors of lemon, garlic, and rosemary. If I were to make this again I think I’d rub the marinade under the skin rather than on top as the recipe suggests. But would I make it again? Maybe. The crispy, beautifully browned skin just might make it worth a repeat.

BONUS RECIPE! Now if you're looking for something that will really knock your socks off I suggest trying the corn bread salad I served alongside the chicken. Amazing. I'm still looking for my socks. If you hurry you just might be able to squeeze this in before all the fresh tomatoes are gone for another year.

Have Dinner at No. 9 Park

One day last month the dudely picked me up from work for a date night. Our destination? No. 9 Park! No. 9 Park has been on my must dine list since I moved to the Boston area nine years ago. This was the year I was determined to make that a reality and with the help of Restaurant Week’s great 3 course dinner bargains we did just that.

With time to spare before our 7:30 reservation we found ourselves at the much recommended Silvertone Bar + Grill for a cocktail….or two. My friend Val promised they made the best classic cocktails and she was right. Our dirty gin martinis were cold and crisp with giant olives floating around. It was the perfect way to start our night on the town. Truth be told, they were followed by equally good gin & tonics.

From there it was a short stroll on a gorgeous summer night to No. 9 Park. We were seated promptly and it was then I realized how small the place really is. We were so lucky to have been able to secure Restaurant Week reservations. I just finished expressing that when over popped the bubbliest waiter I’ve ever encountered in Boston. But enough about that; let’s get to the food.

For the first course the dudely and I both chose the smoked bluefish pate with potato salad and pickled wax beans. AMAZING. If it hadn’t been such a swanky place I may have swiped my fingers repeatedly across the plate to get every last bit. But it was kind of swanky so I got myself firmly under control and behaved like I belonged. (That also explains the lack of pictures of the food. Nobody else was whipping out their digital camera so I wasn’t either.)

For the main course I chose the roasted striped bass with mussels and saffron while the dudely went with the glazed pork belly with corn pudding and tomato jam. They were both done to perfection and I really loved my fish. But, when I tasted the dudely’s pork belly I was instantly filled with jealousy. That pork was like butter. I’ve never tasted pork that was so tender, so rich, so delicious. I’m still salivating.

For dessert we again went our own ways with the dudely choosing the yogurt panna cotta with berries and me choosing the coffee caramel parfait. They were very good but a little underwhelming. That review only comes after how fantastic the first and second courses were. Don’t get me wrong. I still recommend ordering dessert just don’t expect more fireworks.

Definitely make this a stop if you’re in Boston. If you happen to be here during the next Restaurant Week then that is even better. You’ll save half-off the regular menu prices but get all that fantastic food at full flavor. That makes it possible to enjoy all those cocktails before hand. Ahem.

Little Boy Blue

Not long ago I was lamenting my overflowing scrap basket. You know what I’m talking about. It’s that giant container of fabric scraps too good to throw out but not big enough to become projects on their own.

I’ve been playing in that pile of scraps, pulling together various bits to see what they might become. That first pile of scraps I pulled together has become a baby quilt, one I’m calling Little Boy Blue.

It contains fabric bits from Denyse Schmidt, Joel Dewberry, American Jane, and Tanya Whelan all in shades of blue, green, and brown. The design is simple and so is the quilting. It’s finished size measures just 36” x 36”, perfect for a handsome little fellow to play on and someday drag everywhere he goes. At least that’s how I imagine it being loved.

What I Did on Summer Vacation

-tried a new to us restaurant
-grilled some great food
-read five magazines, cover to cover
-built some great (well-contained) camp fires
-ate a lot of s’mores
-hiked
-beat the dudely in 9 out of 12 Yahtzee games
-read two and a half novels
-started a crochet project
-finished a quilting project
-listened to seven episodes of This American Life
-spent a rainy afternoon with hot chocolate and a movie

And now it's Monday and it all seems so long ago already.