3.31.2014

Making Mini Momofuku Milk Bar Blueberry And Cream Cookies

Momofuku Milk Bar blueberry and cream cookies

I told you it's an obsession. I made those two Momofuku Milk Bar cakes and now I'm sharing some mini Blueberry and Cream Cookies, also from the Momofuku Milk Bar cookbook. The recipe for the full-size cookies is right online on the Momofuku Milk Bar website, so I won't retype it here, but I do want to take you through the cookie-making process, in case you find it a little intimidating. (I swear it's not intimidating at all!)

Momofuku Milk Bar blueberry and cream cookies

Unlike the cakes I made, which had multiple components, the cookies just have two components: milk crumb and cookie dough.

3.27.2014

Learning The Secrets Behind EHChocolatier's Chocolates

Cocoa pod and cacao nibs

I've been a fan of EHChocolatier since I first tried their chocolate about two years ago. They are my go-to when I want to send gifts (ordering online is so easy) or indulge in some really delicious chocolate.

EHChocolatier chocolates

I got to see the secrets behind their chocolates when I recently took their Beyond the Bar chocolate demo class.

3.25.2014

Greek Chicken And Orzo Bowls

Greek chicken and orzo bowls

I've been seeing dinner bowls -- basically a dish with its distinct parts artfully arranged rather than mixed together in a bowl -- a lot lately. The concept is pretty cool, and the final result is usually more aesthetically pleasing than your basic tossed salad or pasta dish.

3.23.2014

Soup Sundays: The Recap

Soba noodle soup with ginger-scallion broth

Way back in October,  I set a goal for myself to make a soup every weekend I was around all fall and winter. That didn't happen. But I did share 11 soups with you during that time (and made some others that were repeats of old soups so I didn't post about them), and I think that's pretty darn good! While I may not have hit my overall goal, I hit the underlying one, which was to make more soups.

3.20.2014

Del Frisco's Grille, Chestnut Hill, Mass.

Del Frisco's Grille in Chestnut Hill

While I was excited when we bought and moved into our house in West Roxbury, I was also sad about leaving our old neighborhood in Inman Square, where we had lots of great restaurants right in walking distance (and more keep opening up). But then I started to embrace our new neighborhood, where we have some good restaurants, cute shops like the Boston Cheese Cellar, and the Roslindale Village farmers market in walking distance; Legacy Place and the largest Whole Foods in New England a little ways down the road; and now The Street, a redevelopment of the Chestnut Hill Shopping Center, (not to mention the soon-to-open Wegmans) just a short drive away.

The Street is a 406,000-square-foot property located along Rt. 9, and it's quickly filling up with shops and restaurants, from Pottery Barn to Polkadog Bakery to Shake Shack to Del Frisco's Grille.

3.18.2014

Cocktails And Desserts At Island Creek Oyster Bar

Brown butter bacon doughnut at Island Creek Oyster Bar

A couple of Sundays ago, I spent the late afternoon at Island Creek Oyster Bar, sipping cocktails and indulging in decadent desserts. I couldn't imagine a better way to spend a lazy winter Sunday afternoon (especially knowing that all I had to do afterward was head home and spend my evening watching the Oscars).

3.16.2014

Soup Sundays: Potato-Leek Soup

Potato-leek soup

Tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day! How are you celebrating? When I was younger, there was never any doubt that I was heading out after work with friends for a few pints of Guinness and some corned beef sandwiches at a local pub. These days I'm happy to just head home after work and avoid the crowds. I sound so old. It's probably going to sound even worse when I say I just want to curl up with a bowl of this potato-leek soup and hang out on the couch. Yup, that would be my ideal St. Patrick's Day this year.

3.12.2014

Corned Beef On Rye Crepes

Corned beef on rye crepes with brussels sprouts

As I was flipping through the March 2014 issue of Bon Appetit, I noticed a recipe for Buttery Rye Crepes. The crepes, made with rye flour, are cooked in butter and sugar, until the sugar caramelizes. The idea of a caramelized sugar rye crepe did not appeal to me at all. But the recipe did give me the idea for a more savory rye crepe. At this time of year, the first thing that comes to mind when I think of rye is corned beef, so it only seemed natural to pair the rye crepes with the salty meat.

3.10.2014

Sampling Small Plates At Alden & Harlow

Chicken fried local rabbit at Alden & Harlow

A night out, catching up with a friend over amazing food and cocktails is the best, right? I recently got to experience just such a night with one of my friends. We hadn't gotten together in a while because she has a little two-month-old at home, coordinating our schedules is not always easy, and, let's face it, it's winter and getting out of the house is just more difficult. So when we finally got a date on the calendar, we decided to do girls' night right with dinner at a new spot in Harvard Square: Alden & Harlow.

3.06.2014

Muffin Madness: Chocolate Raspberry-Cheesecake Muffins

Chocolate-raspberry cheesecake muffins

Let's celebrate March Muffin Madness today! Because, well, who doesn't love a good muffin? Especially when we're talking about chocolate muffins bursting with a bright, fresh raspberry-cheesecake-like filling.

3.04.2014

My New Obsession: The Momofuku Milk Bar Cookbook

Momofuku Milk Bar birthday layer cake and chocolate chip layer cake

I have a new obsession: the Momofuku Milk Bar cookbook. And, yes, I realize I'm a little late to this party. But hear me out. I have known that there is a bakery in New York called Momofuku Milk Bar that's famous for things like Crack Pie, Cereal Milk, and Compost Cookies. They've always sounded interesting and tasty, but I'd never actually been to the bakery or tried any of them and I have oh, about 200 cookbooks, so I didn't really get that have-to-have-it feeling about Momofuku Milk Bar.