Mac And Cheese Mania At Max & Dylan's

Blogging can be a pretty tough hobby. You have to do things like go to restaurants, drink wine, and sample five different kinds of macaroni and cheese. Seriously tough.

I was invited to Max & Dylan's (City Square) to judge their Mac & Cheese Mania Contest. Basically, in the weeks leading up to the judging, anyone could submit mac and cheese ideas on Max & Dylan's Facebook pages. The chef then chose five of the most creative ideas and prepared them for us to taste and rank based on creativity and flavor.

Crab and Asparagus Mac and Cheese. I thought this mac and cheese was rich and creamy with just the right amount of crab and a balancing handful of chopped asparagus spears. Was it the most creative mac and cheese ever? Not really. But it sure was tasty! And perfect for a spring menu.

Porcini and Truffle Mac and Cheese. This dish was earthy and hearty and sent scents of truffle wafting through the air. I really enjoyed it, but again, I've had plenty of truffle mac and cheese, so I didn't think it was a really strong contender in the creativity category. Based on flavor alone, it wins for me for a nice winter pasta.

Cheeseburger Mac and Cheese. This one held so much promise. It's like upscale Hamburger Helper (and I mean that in the best way possible -- you all know you love a little Hamburger Helper) -- creamy, cheesy, full of ground beef, and then topped with the typical lettuce and tomato a good cheeseburger usually boasts. I want it with ripe summer tomatoes, more-crisp iceberg lettuce, maybe some raw or sauteed onions, and fried pickles on top. That's right. Fried pickles. It just needed another notch of flavor.

Jalapeno and Chorizo Mac and Cheese. With my aversion to spicy food, I was prepared to write this one off. But it ended up being my favorite. It had a mild, constant heat, nothing too overwhelming but enough to let you know it was there. The spice with the mild, creamy cheese was heavenly. I'd want some bigger chunks of chorizo, but otherwise this one was perfect.

Chipotle Mac and Cheese. A lot of the judges seemed to like this one, but I found the flavor a little monotone. Throw in some chicken, maybe some peppers, and then you've got a dish. But the chipotle on its own wasn't enough excitement for me.

So which mac and cheese won? It was the jalapeno and chorizo mac and cheese (with the crab and asparagus right on its tail). This mac and cheese will soon be on Max and Dylan's regular menu, so make sure you stop in to try it!

What out-of-the-box mac and cheese would you suggest? I think I'd go with a short rib mac and cheese -- tender short ribs braised in a wine sauce, shredded and mixed in with creamy mac and cheese, heightened with a little goat cheese and some roasted tomatoes.

The wine was complimentary and so were the mac and cheeses, which were provided to us for the purpose of judging. Thanks to Max & Dylan's for inviting us in.

When One Door Closes...

We sold our condo!

For a while now, we've been wanting to buy a house, something with a little yard for Gunner to run around in, a couple extra bedrooms so we can actually have guests, and a little more space for us and all our stuff. While we haven't found and bought a house yet, we are psyched that we sold our condo and now have the freedom to jump on a house when we do find one.

At the same time, I'm definitely going to miss living in Inman Square. Jeff and I have so many memories not only in the condo but also in our neighborhood. It's where we first met and where we went on our first date. This was the first place we lived together and the place where Jeff proposed to me. I'm sad to leave but excited to see what the future holds!

We spent the weekend moving most of our stuff to storage and some of it to Jeff's parents' house, where we'll be staying temporarily. Things might get a little quiet on the blog as we adjust to our new commute and new living arrangements and spend much of our free time house hunting.

I'm not sure how much cooking I'll be doing since I won't have my own kitchen for a bit, but I do hope to get a few posts up here and there, and I'm sure we'll be checking out some new-to-us restaurants near where we'll be staying that I'll want to share with you.

What's going on in your life?

Restaurant Week Boston: The Blue Room

Some restaurants know how to do restaurant week, and others, well, let's just say they don't put their best foot forward. Luckily, The Blue Room falls in the former category. When my friend and I were making plans to get together and she suggested we head to The Blue Room, I was in. I really miss The Blue Room. I used to go to the lunch grill almost every week in the summertime when I worked just around the corner, and it had been a while since I'd been back.

We happened to be making our plans during Boston Restaurant Week, and over the years I've learned that restaurant week can be pretty hit or miss. I had a really good feeling about Blue Room though, and it turned out my gut was right.

We were seated right away at a plush booth with a great view of the open kitchen. Our waiter greeted us promptly, asked our choice of water, and offered to answer any questions about the menu.

We looked over the restaurant week options and decided to add on the optional wine pairings. I loved how each dish had a particular wine selected to go with it. After we placed our order, our waiter brought over some fresh bread and butter, which was soon followed by some complimentary marinated olives.

My friend and I are really good at sharing, so we make sure not to order the same thing when we go out together. We decided to split the crispy artichokes with mozzarella di bufala and arugula salad for our first courses.

We were both surprised at the appearance of the artichoke. Whenever I've had fried artichokes, they've been battered or breaded. This was neither. It was simply the artichoke fried on its own. Paired with mozzarella di bufala and lightly salted, the crisp artichoke was a delight. (I only wished there had been more than one, as the menu did say artichokes.) With it we sipped the Malvasia, Pietrantonj, 2010.

The arugula salad featured pecorino, honey, and pistachios. It was lightly dressed and had great sweet and salty contrasts to pair with the peppery greens. The wine selected to go with this dish was the Vermentino di Sardegna, Argiolas, 2010.

For entrees we shared the vermicelli with preserved tomatoes, capers, and garlic and the pork scaloppine with polenta. The vermicelli dish featured thin strands of pasta and richly flavored, sweet tomato sauce and was paired with Cannanau di Sardegna, Vigne Surrau, 2009, a sweet red wine.

The savory, buttery pork scaloppine sat atop a super smooth and creamy wood-fired polenta, circled by flavorful oil, and was paired with a palate-pleasing white: Grillo, Valle dell'Acate, "Zagra," 2010. I was definitely pleased with both dishes, finding them flavorful and just the perfect size.

Unfortunately, we had to cut our evening out short when my friend received a call from her boyfriend. He and a friend were locked out on the back deck and had no way of getting back in the apartment and out to the basketball game they had tickets for that evening.

This was no problem for Blue Room. They simply packed up our desserts to go. We brought them back to my friend's apartment and ate them there. They traveled surprisingly well too (though these photos don't do them justice).

The torta caprese with chocolate sauce and almond crema was rich and nutty and satisfied our chocolate cravings.

But the winning dessert for both of us was the blood orange panna cotta with olive oil caramel sauce. I love panna cotta, but I love it even more when the texture is perfect, as it was here. The olive oil caramel sauce was smooth and sweet, and we chased it around the to-go box with spoonfuls of panna cotta and blood orange, scooping up as much as we could.

We had a lovely evening with great food, interesting wines, and attentive, friendly service. Thank you, Blue Room, for doing restaurant week right.

Did you make any restaurant week reservations?

Restaurant Week Portsmouth & The Seacoast

You probably know that Restaurant Week Boston is happening right now, but do you also know that Restaurant Week Portsmouth & The Seacoast started yesterday and runs through March 31? And do you know how easy it is to get to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, from Boston?

I actually bought my wedding dress in Portsmouth and used the trips up there to try on dresses as an excuse to dine at some Portsmouth restaurants. (You can believe I'll be trying out more when I go back up for fittings! What? Is a girl trying to fit into a wedding dress not supposed to eat?) On one trip my friend Carrie and I ate breakfast sandwiches at Popovers and had lunch at Surf, a seafood restaurant with a modern feel and water views.

On another trip my mom and I savored the tasting menu at Cava, and she and my sister and I checked out Portsmouth Baking Company too.

In the fall I went back with a group of Boston bloggers and had dinner at Black Trumpet Bistro during Portsmouth's fall restaurant week.

Each time I go to Portsmouth, I find something new. It's really a cute little town for wandering around, shopping, and, of course, eating.

The weather lately has been perfect for taking day trips. If you've got an itch to get out of the city for the day, why not spend it in Portsmouth?

You could take a brewery tour at Redhook . . .

. . . grab a snack at Portsmouth Baking Company . . .

. . . stroll around Strawberry Banke . . .

Photo courtesy of Daisy

. . . and have dinner at a participating restaurant (3 courses for $29.95). If I had time to get away for a day (or even just the evening), I'd be making a reservation at Cava. I'm already counting down the days to my fitting in July -- I'm sure I can convince my mom to go back!

Oh, and I don't want to leave out the Seacoast... Robert's Maine Grill in Kittery is participating in restaurant week too. My mom and I go to Robert's at least once a year. I get cravings for their mussels a la Howard, the most wonderful combination of mussels, fennel, sausage, and cream. Some of my favorite days have involved shopping at the Kittery outlets and stopping for lunch or an early dinner at Robert's with my mom.

Have you spent much time in Portsmouth? What are your favorite things to do there?

Chicken, Broccoli, And Cheese Egg Rolls

With inspiration from my chicken teriyaki egg rolls and half a package of egg roll wrappers leftover, I decided to make another batch of egg rolls -- this time using chicken, broccoli, and cheese to fill the wrappers. I added a little Dijon mustard for a hint of flavor. These were a big hit. The crunchy, fried egg roll wrappers gave way to moist chicken and melty cheese for a quick, easy, satisfying meal.

Chicken, Broccoli, And Cheese Egg Rolls

Ingredients

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in strips
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups broccoli florets, chopped
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
4 ounces mild cheddar cheese, shredded
10 egg roll wrappers
Vegetable oil, for frying

Preparation

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat butter in large skillet over medium-high heat until melted. Add chicken in single layer and cook about 4 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Transfer to cutting board.

Cook broccoli in skillet for 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Transfer to bowl.

Cut chicken into bite-size pieces and add to bowl with broccoli. Stir in Dijon mustard and cheddar cheese.

Clean skillet, pour in a shallow layer of oil, about 1/4 inch deep, and heat oil to 350 degrees.

Set out a small bowl of water. Working with one egg roll wrapper at a time, with a corner facing you, place a generous spoonful of filling in center of wrapper.

Fold bottom up over filling. Fold sides in. Then wet finger and wet top edges of egg roll wrapper, fold top over, and press to seal. Repeat with remaining wrappers.

Fry egg rolls three or four at a time, about 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until golden brown.

Transfer to paper towel-lined plate and serve.

These make a complete meal, meat and veggies in one compact package, but you could always serve them with rice or a side salad.

What kind of egg rolls would you make?