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Can I get a brrrrr? This winter is pretty atrocious, and there is no end in sight. Cooking at home helps; at least if you are near a hot stove you are warm for a bit! Easy recipes that combine fun bursts of flavor are getting us through these cold nights, and I whipped up the below with Chatham cod from Red’s Best that I picked up at the Dorchester Winter Farmers Market. I have been in a huge seafood mood lately, so if you have a favorite seafood recipe, especially one that is hearty, feel free to share it in the comments!

This recipe started with some thinly sliced potatoes and chorizo in a nonstick frying pan.

sliced potatoes

I added a tiny bit of olive oil, and I cooked the chorizo and potatoes until sizzling. I really wanted the potatoes to have a crunchy crust, and I just about got it. Next time I would definitely cook the potatoes a few more minutes.

Chourico

chorizo and potatoes

Once the chorizo and potatoes were almost done, I added in four crushed garlic cloves and a can of crushed tomatoes, then mad room for the cod in the pan.

Chatham Cod with Chorizo

I put the whole thing into a 37 degree oven until the cod was flaky and the tomatoes were bubbly. It did not look very pretty, as you can see, but it was a dynamite dinner!  It cheered me up on a particularly blue Sunday. This meal was tasty and filling; I didn’t even want a snack later that evening!

I have been finding myself snacking big time at night, then regretting it, so I am trying to make more satisfying dinners and to stay away from the refrigerator at night unless I am actually hungry. I just want this winter to end. In the meantime, I’ll be hunkering down with food and wine and a fireplace.

How are you coping with this endless winter, if you live in a cold area? Any fun recipes you have been working on?

Tags: Chatham, chorizo, cod, dinner, Food, healthy comfort food, healthy cooking, recipe

Winter is a great time to visit Napa Valley, and while I unfortunately don’t have a Napa or Sonoma trip planned until summer, I wanted to pass along some information on Yountville’s winter festivities in case any of my readers are planning a trip. We have visited Yountville many times, and we have enjoyed wine tasting at Jessup Cellars and Ma(i)sonry and some great meals at Bardessono and Bottega.

If you are planning a winter trip to wine country, below is some information on what’s happening in Yountville. Happy Travel Tuesday!

Yountville Napa Valley

wine grapes Napa Valley

Napa Valley

{Lucy’s Garden}

  • The Art House Short Film Series continuing through March at Jessup Cellars Tasting Gallery features monthly art house films paired with flavor-infused popcorn wok-popped to order. Chef Mike serves up Zinfandel Port paired with Winter Spice Popcorn (cinnamon, allspice, cloves and a touch of honey), Cabernet Sauvignon paired with Bacon Smoked Sea Salt Popcorn, Sauvignon Blanc with Green Onion Garlic Popcorn, and more, eleven amazing combinations in all.
  • Chefs on the Vintage Estate, home to the luxurious Villagio Inn and Spa, harvest their Meyer lemons all winter long, and use them to stir up fresh, house-made batches of lemon curd.  This creamy, dreamy condiment debuts at afternoon teas alongside tender pastries and in luscious Meyer Lemon Tarts.
  • Mad for fermentation, Chef Richard Reddington of Redd and Redd-Wood house-ferments winter vegetables from the garden, cures his own meats and makes three kinds of sausage, including breakfast sausage spiked with maple syrup, and his own, mouth-watering Italian-style cotechino.
  • Have you ever wondered how the experts can detect aromas of summer blackberry, nutmeg or even chocolate in a wine’s bouquet? Winemakers Bell Cellars help train palates using fresh fruit, herbs, and other delectables representing wine flavors and aromas. Students of the vine are guaranteed to savor the preferred drink of Bacchus in a way they never have before.
  • Pics of Chef Victor Scargle’s Brussels sprout plants could very well be the most-Tweeted image from Lucy’s Restaurant.  Yountville is heart-healthy thanks to Chef Scargle.  He has planted a rainbow palette of cruciferous vegetables in his kitchen garden, considered vital for vibrant health. Take a saunter through the Romanesco, broccoli cheddar cauliflower and violet broccaflower. The most intriguing of all has turned out be the oft-maligned but definitely interesting Brussels sprouts–visitors always appreciate these cute mini-cabbages more after their visit to Lucy.
  • Michelin starred chef-spottings: Pancha’s is Yountville’s only true dive bar, family-owned and operated for decades, offering cheap drinks and pool tables.  It’s a great spot to rub elbows with local chefs and vintners after hours. Just head through the vintage hitching posts out front.

Tasty winter festivities:

CabFestNV — February 28, March 1 & 2  — NEW!  Napa Valley’s first Cabernet festival, and it’s in Yountville!

Napa Valley’s legendary Cabernets finally have their own festival. The festival kicks off Friday with a salute to “Cigars & Guitars,” including a live concert, cigar party, and showing of rare classic guitars. Then, on the weekend, more than 100 of Napa Valley’s top wineries pour. lincolntheater.com/cabfest/

Taste of Yountville — March 14-16 — Yountville’s downtown street party!

Taste of Yountville signals the transition from winter to spring in Wine Country, when the mustard is blooming and grapes are beginning to bud.  This is the village’s celebration of the year featuring its signature street party with food, wine, art and music, plus other weekend happenings all over this charming town.  yountville.com/events/taste-of-yountville-2

Tags: Food, Napa, Napa Valley, Travel, wine, wine country, Yountville

As we settle into our new home, we are marveling at our location and excited about warmer weather, longer days, and more time to explore. Life in the new house hasn’t been perfect; it’s been cold, there’s work to be done, and our shower is the coldest I have ever used. Still, we know we hit the jackpot with this home, and we stop almost daily to say how much we love the house.

I love that we were able to stay in Dorchester. Everyone is so friendly, and there are great restaurants and  some beautiful scenery within walking distance from our house.

We’re technically in Lower Mills in Dorchester, close to the Milton line, but we are also very close to Ashmont, making commuting into downtown Boston and Cambridge pretty easy. . . as easy as life on the MBTA can be.

Baker Chocolate Factory

Lower Mills has some beautiful spots, including the Baker Chocolate complex. I love the old mill and mill-style architecture. It always makes me wonder what life was like when the chocolate factory dominated Lower Mills. I bet it smelled great, but I am fairly certain life was not easy for anyone back then!

The shops and restaurants around Lower Mills are adorable. When we were in the process of buying our house, we stumbled upon the Lower Mills holiday stroll, and it was so charming, right out of a holiday movie.

The Ice Creamsmith is currently closed for the winter, but it’s old fashioned exterior adds to the charm of the village, and the promise of homemade ice cream will get us through to March when they reopen.

Ice Creamsmith

The Ledge Kitchen and Drinks is one of our absolute favorites. We have been fans a long time, especially of the Ledge patio. The Ledge is a short walk from our house, and we have been enjoying dollar oysters and their flatbreads. Sadly, the restaurant has been sold, and a new one will take its place, only no one, including the staff, knows when.

Until they close we will continue to stop in. The food and staff are so great, and we will be sad to see them go.

Ledge Kitchen and Drinks

Just down from the Ledge is the sweetest little bakery, Sweet Life. Their cookies and pastries and breads are SO good. Their coffee is also great, and I am pretty sure that Sweet Life will be our fuel-up stop on the way to the boat on summer weekends. I am imagining that everything we love in our neighborhood now will be that much better when it’s light and warm.

Sweet Life Bakery

Then there is one of my favorite features of our new house’s location: we can walk to Steel and Rye.

Steel & Rye

Steel and Rye recently started serving brunch, and we have already been twice. With a serious brunch cocktail list, oysters, house-made donuts, and other incredible treats, their brunch is one of the best in the Boston area.

Steel & Rye

Last, but certainly not least, are Chris Douglass’ Ashmont area restaurants Tavolo and Ashmont Grill. Tavolo is perfect for pizza and wine, while Ashmont Grill is just perfect for everything.

Tavolo

We especially love to wander over to Ashmont Grill for cocktails and apps. What’s even better is how, with these restaurants, Douglass really added to positive change in the Ashmont area. Many other businesses followed him into the area, resulting in a vibrant neighborhood.

Bee's Knees Cocktail

So there you have it; our little corner of the world, and all of the fun and food that we are looking forward to being part of our lives. It’s an exciting time; now if it would just get warmer so we can actually spend some time outdoors, it would be perfect.

Tags: Boston, cocktail, Dining out, Dorchester, Food, pizza, Restaurants

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