pizza

So, I really do cook and eat at home. The proof is in the homemade mozzarella and roasted broccoli pizza that I whipped together Sunday night. A whole wheat Trader Joe’s pizza dough, marinara sauce, fresh mozzarella, and crispy crunchy roasted broccoli? Obviously a winning, healthy combination.

Roasted broccoli will be visiting traveleatlove.com often in the coming weeks.I am in a greens mood, and nothing brings out broccoli better than roasting it with some EVOO and crushed red pepper. Mmmm.

The pizza, however, disappointed royally. The mozzarella, as delicious as it was on its own, got really watery and pretty much ruined the finished product. 🙁 I picked off the toppings, but it was too late for the crust.

In happier news, I spent part of last night at the launch party for Basho Japanese Brasserie in the Fenway area of Boston. The wonderful PR ladies who have invited me to Morton’s events in the past invited me to this swanky event, and I was really excited to check it out. If you know me at all, you probably know that I don’t spend a ton of time near Fenway Park. This post explains why. But that doesn’t mean I don’t like the area as a whole. My friend has a victory garden there, and I love Eastern Standard. A delicious new sushi restaurant could be just the thing to make me a Fenway believer. . .

A mini bamboo forest separates Basho’s long patio from the bustle of Boylston street, creating a quieter and more private outdoor dining space, something Boston can definitely always use.

The inside of Basho is beautiful, clean, spacious, and sleek. I love the clean lines and all of the space. The sushi bar is expansive, and it would be an ideal place for a romantic little date.

There were several sushi chefs hard at work, expertly rolling intricate (and I found later, delicious!) sushi rolls.

Friendly servers passed glasses of wine, champagne, sake, and specialty drinks like these refreshing cucumber martinis.

And then the food came out. I couldn’t stay for the entire event, but I did manage to sneak a deep fried shumai.

I don’t remember what this yummy roll was called, but it had asparagus, enough said. Yum.

This was a summer roll with spicy tuna. It was so fresh and delicious, with a great kick to it. I didn’t even need soy sauce.

Unfortunately, since the sushi was passed, my photos are kind of blurry. But the food truly was beautiful, and the sushi chefs at Basho really put a lot of attention to detail into their work. Since I can eat my weight in sushi, I look forward to visiting again and ordering off the massive menu.

Edited to add: one side of Basho does have a row of plasma TV’s, perfect for those looking to watch a little Fenway Park action. BUT they kept the other side of the restaurant TV free, a sigh of relief for restaurant TV-haters like me! 🙂

Thanks to Marlo Marketing for inviting me to another great event!

More of my own cooking coming up this week, and hopefully it will be a little less of a disaster than the broccoli pizza!

What is the most fun thing you have planned for this week?