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Eating Lately – A Few Summer Favorites

August 30, 2016 in Food, Restaurants by traveleatlove | 3 comments

My hope is that when Labor Day passes and boat evenings are fewer (waahhhh) I will make more time to write and cook again and have more to share on the blog. For now, I am behind and still trying to enjoy a slower summer pace, so I bring you a roundup of some recent restaurant favorites!

Easily one of the best meals of the summer, and one I have taken forever to write about is an early summer dinner at SRV Boston.

A group of us got together for cocktails, wine, and the tasting menu, and it was perfection. I think that, while there are so many Boston restaurants I want to try, I would choose SRV if I was asked right now my top choice for a night out.

We’ve made visiting Art’s in Hull a priority, since it’s got such great Boston skyline and sea views, and it’s easy to get to by boat as well as by car. My favorite local little beach is also within walking distance, so a day in Hull is basically the best, I have, over the past few years, placed myself firmly in the buttered lobster roll camp, and there’s no turning back.

This gnocchi right here is some of the best I have ever had. It’s from Molinari’s, another addition to the Dorchester dining scene, and it is light, fluffy, heavenly, the stuff that my pasta cravings are made of.

We’ve made going to the Boston Calling block parties on Thursday nights part of our rotation, and one night we dined at Nebo, where I finally had the zucchini lasagna. It was so good, and then I tried to recreate it at home, and my own version was not-so-good. I’ve just really lost the cooking mojo.

We celebrated our 10th anniversary on August 18 with a light dinner at Deuxave (an all time favorite) before the Billy Joel concert at Fenway Park and a boat date to Rainsford Island the next day.

Our afternoon spread included Gloria Ferrer bubbles (of course) and two different types of delicious prepared chicken salad from Willow Tree Farm. We tried both the Sriracha Chicken Salad and the Avocado Chicken Salad, and while we liked both, the sriracha was a clear favorite. It had a nice kick! I liked having these locally made salads available to grab and go for a boat or beach day. There are times we put a lot of thought and effort into the food we bring, and it was nice to have something easy and really good to bring along. Thank you to Willow Tree Farm for the samples! If you haven’t tried their chicken pot pies, you have to! They are awesome for having on hand in the freezer for late nights, the perfect comfort food.

We rarely participate in Dine Out Boston, but we happened to find ourselves for a dinner date at dbar (another consistent favorite) and I had the three course menu, which included the most incredible chilled corn soup. dbar ALWAYS has amazing soup; I would go there just for that, but their brunch is also one of my favorites in the city.

I spent a few days in Provincetown with friends, and when I returned, my husband kindly picked me up at the ferry. Since we were both starving, we popped into Rosa Mexicano for chips and guac and this outstanding spicy cucumber tequila cocktail. I have been all about cucumbers this summer (so hydrating!), and this cocktail was definitely one I would order again.

If you had to choose a night out in your city, which restaurant would be your top choice right now? Are you team butter or mayo for lobster rolls?

Tags: Boston, cocktails, Dining out, Food, food blog, food blogger, pasta, Restaurants

Ridiculously Good Pasta Bake

October 28, 2014 in Food by traveleatlove | 5 comments

The calendar definitely says it’s fall, but the forecast feels a little bit summery here, doesn’t it? I am loving the warm days, being able to have the windows open, and like last night eating dinner outside. We even spent Saturday night, into the wee hours, hanging out around an outdoor fire. It’s a great time to be outside!

When we do have a cold spell, I am all about the comfort food, and since I have gained more weight than I would like in the last few months, I am trying to find some balance in health and comfort. I am also joining a gym tomorrow. Hold me to it.

This dish kind of randomly came together. It’s a whole wheat penne bake with a béchamel sauce, hearty mushrooms and Brussels sprouts, and a little bit of cheese to make it just that little bit decadent. I love pasta dishes that involve white sauces (like this must-try butternut squash white bean lasagna), and this one is made flavorful with a zesty Dijon mustard.

As always, this recipe was something that I eyeballed. It ended up making enough for dinner and a few lunches, the perfect Sunday supper, in my eyes. I started by bringing water to a boil for the whole wheat penne and adding plenty of salt. I think that it would be really good if the pasta was cooked in chicken stock just for a little added flavor.

While the pasta was cooking, I started my white sauce. I always start with a roux of Kerrygold butter and whole wheat flour and then slowly add in whole milk once the flour is browned and smelling nutty. I stir the sauce until it’s thick and then add some freshly ground nutmeg. Nutmeg always brings out a great flavor in a white sauce. This sauce is made extra flavorful with a big scoop of Dijon mustard.

While the pasta boiled and that white sauce thickened, I was caramelizing shallots and mixing in shredded Brussels sprouts and chopped mushrooms. The veggies alone would have been a delicious side; a little bit of butter and the combination of flavors was amazing. Rather than doing that, waited until the vegetables were slightly softened, and then I got started building my pasta dish.

I drained the pasta and layered pasta and vegetables into a casserole dish, pouring over the white sauce and then finally topping it with dollops of ricotta cheese and a fine sprinkling of mozzarella.

Since everything was already hot, I just cooked this for about 10 minutes and then hit it with a medium broiler until the cheese on top started to brown. Digging in was a treat, the dish hot and bubbly with a nice hint of creamy and tangy and vegetables in every bite. You could add meat to this, but we didn’t need to. It was definitely delicious and filling all on its own! I love red sauce with pasta, but my stomach is not always a fan, so dishes like this will be making repeat appearances this winter!

Tags: comfort food, dinner, fall recipes, pasta, pasta recipe, recipe, vegetables, Vegetarian

Sunday Dinner

March 29, 2012 in Food, recipe by traveleatlove | 11 comments

Carb loading? Why yes, yes I am. It’s Boston Marathon season, and the best part of carb loading is the beer pasta!

I’m actually not a huge fan of carb-y things in general. I skip the bread basket and don’t go crazy for bread or pasta unless it’s really good and usually homemade. But every now and then I get a pasta craving, and a chilly Sunday afternoon was the perfect time to let a pot of sauce bubble away.

As I mentioned earlier in the week, I unexpectedly ended up having a VERY frustrating work day on Sunday, and going into the kitchen to chop onions and pound chicken tenders was the perfect release. It’s been a week of business lessons for me, the main one being, get everything in writing. Everything.

I wanted to make a really rich and delicious tomato sauce so I started with some anchovies. This was actually my first time cooking with anchovies, and I was surprised that they didn’t smell at all.

I melted them down in a bit of olive oil with a ton of garlic and onions. Ahhh. . . the sizzling sounds and the garlicky, nutty smells. They truly transformed me from my funk, at least until I checked my email again Smile .

When the onions were soft, I poured in a can of crushed tomatoes and added a few spoons of tomato paste. I also added a few pinches of salt and a hefty shake of crushed red pepper.

Next came the chicken. I wanted chicken cutlets, but I accidentally bought these tenders. They were just fine; I took some of my frustration out on them to get them the same thickness, then dunked each one in flour, egg, and Italian bread crumbs.