BostonZest

Get Out and About with Your Sunday Dog

Slowly, we are beginning to run into members of our local dog community that we haven't seen since the cold temperatures set in last fall. People are planning longer walks with their dogs around town and looking to explore destinations outside of their neighborhoods with leash in hand. 

We recently caught up with the lovely Miss Friday who has starred in a couple of Sunday Dog posts. We introduced her to Poppy, and she was happy to give our little pup a nice play session.

This is also the time of year that we always see a flurry of visitors to our post reviewing the book, Best Hikes with Dogs, Boston and Beyond. If you are a newer Sunday Dog fan who might want to take a hike with your own Sunday Dog, just click on that link to jump over to it.

Other books on our dog book shelf that help us find places to go with Poppy are:

The Dog Lover's Companion to New England

The Dog Lover's Companion to Boston

Dog-Friendly New England

Traveling With Your Pet: The AAA Petbook 

The last is the most up-to-date. But, while some things have changed in the older guides, they still offer ideas that you can use to plan a daytrip or weekend if you're willing to confirm the information. Rules change and places go out of business within days of some publications, so we always check before going to a place that we are relying on as a destination. This might be the perfect reason to buy a used copy.

  

And, there are companion books for hiking with your dog in other areas of the country. Click here to see if there is one for your next outdoor destination with your furry friend. Below are the direct links to Boston, New Hampshire, Vermont, and outside of New York City.

      

Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino

Photo: © 2012 Penny Cherubino

(Bookcover courtesy of Mountaineers Books, all rights reserved)

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

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A Sprinkle of Urfa Pepper...

Urfa Biber or Urfa pepper is one of those spices I kept seeing in Turkish recipes. Then I noticed it on Formaggio Kitchen's website. That made sense because owner Ihsan Gurdhal is from Istanbul and an expert in Turkish cuisine. In her book, Spice: Flavors of the Eastern Mediterranean, Chef Ana Sortum of Oleana says he's the one who introduced her to it.  

When I saw a  bag of it at Arax Market in Watertown, I knew I had to give it a try. I gave part of my supply to a cooking friend so we could both play with it and compare notes. "They are simultaneously bitter like coffee or chocolate and sweet like molasses, and they lend a wonderful, deep, smoky aroma to sauces," Chef Sortum writes.

It looks a bit like rich, oily coffee grounds with a rusty red tint. It is an afterburner chili giving you a mild introduction with a kick on the finish. It is wonderful with eggplant. A spinkle will add a lift to a tray of roasted root vegetables. And, I added a dash to some leftover pork for a second night supper. 

In Spice: Flavors of the Eastern Mediterranean, Chef Sortum features Urfa as one of her favorite chili peppers, along with Aleppo pepper and paprika. 

Urfa Tip:

Notice that my work board is protected with a piece of parchment and my Urfa is in a glass jar. This is a spice, like tumeric, that could be used as a dye. It will stain your counter, clothing, or hands. It even left stains on a small aluminum scoop I was using with it. And the natural scallop shell in the first photo now has an orangy interior. Use it with this caution in mind.

If you try Urfa pepper, be sure to let us know how you like it and what recipes you explored.

What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List? Shop Amazon for all your kitchen & dining needs and support this site!

 

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino 

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

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We Recommend Drinking Boston (The Book!)

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We Recommend Drinking Boston (The Book!)

Boston journalist Stephanie Schorow obviously did a lot of research for her new book, Drinking Boston: A History of the City and Its Spirits. But, we bet she had fun doing it!

But, seriously, she really did collect a lot of information in preparing to write this book. As perpetual students of Boston's rich history, we loved learning so many new aspects and seeing how alcohol, the places where drinking took place, and social reformer movements fit into what we already know.

The book takes you on a time travel trek from inside Boston’s first colonial taverns, through the saloon era, on to Prohibition, stopping at the 1930s and 1940s nightclub scene, and bringing you right up to the current craft cocktail movement. Did you know that early taverns sometimes served as courtrooms?

Along the way Schorow delves into the issues of class, social reform, and reminds you of the breweries, neighborhood bars, and some of the people who were an important part of what she calls a “...drinking town.” 

Put Drinking Boston On Your Gift List

• This book will make a great gift for anyone who loves Boston history and would like to see it through a different perspective.
• It can help a newcomer to the city understand references to places like Scollay Square and many beloved neighborhood bars.
• It’s peppered with background and cocktail recipes for your favorite mixologist.
• And, it includes a great collection of photos.

Here's Jackson Cannon from The Hawthorne, Eastern Standard, and Island Creek Oyster Bar.

You'll learn more about him as Drinking Boston moves into Boston's current craft cocktail scene. Schorow also takes you on visits with Patrick Sullivan, Robert "Cleve' Toomey, Misty Kalkofen, Todd Maul and others who are a part of the scene.

The book wraps up with a glossary of drinks and cocktail lingo to help you communicate with your favorite person behind the bar. 

You'll find Drinking Boston: A History of the City and Its Spirits in local bookstores or you can buy it through us on Amazon.

 

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

 Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: Courtesy of Union Park Press, Photo of Jackson Cannon by Stephanie Schorow 

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

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Bookshelf Porn, Our Friday Link

Are you a lover of books, reading, libraries, and all the accoutrements of the reading life?

If so, you will love BookshelfPorn.com where they collect, catalog, and curate photos of all things books.

They say, "Bookshelf Porn, giving people a sudden urge to read since 2009. Bookshelf Porn is a photoblog created to allow people to indulge their love of books, libraries, bookstores and bookcases by showcasing the best bookshelf photos from around the world."

We say, this is an inspiring collection of ideas for living with our books. And, it's a place to go when you despair that you are alone in loving the printed word. Book lovers abound and show their love and pride in the way they present their books.

What's the best gift for a book lover? How about an Amazon gift card? And if you go to Amazon from here, they will put a few coins in our tip jar to support this site. 

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Screengrab from Bookself Porn 

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

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Edible Boston Summer 2012 Issue is Out!

Just as I look forward to the local food each new season brings my way, I look forward to the new issue of Edible Boston for each quarter of the year. The new issue is out and is our Friday Link, today.

This is your alert to start looking forward to the Summer 2012 issue available at most of the local businesses that support this great publication with their advertising.

When my preview issue arrived, the first article I read was "Seta's Rules to Cook By," a feature on Chef Seta Dakessian. Many of you know her from her Seta's Mediterranean Foods stands at farmers' markets around Boston. You'll learn about Seta's background, food philosophy, and some of the rules this farm-to-fork chef sets for herself to achieve the wonderful balance you find in her food.

Publisher Ilene Bezahler said of this, her 25th issue, "I think it has solidified my transition from a magazine about food to a magazine about people and food. Food is the common denominator, of course, but the exploration into who produces our food, who has access to local food and where to find it seems to be as important as whether it tastes good or, for that matter, is good for us."

Also in this issue, you'll learn about: "Earth Mothers," a cover story on young female farmers; Everett's Nanobreweries; Feeding Boston, the growth of Boston Organics; and many more features, plus the tasty tidbits supplied by the regular columns.

How do you say thank you to a publisher like Ilene Bezahler and her remarkably talented team?

May I suggest that you: let their sponsors know you saw them in the magazine, grab an extra copy and get it to someone else who cares about supporting the local food movement. And, if you have a blog, twitter account, or facebook page, that you write about them, link to them, follow them, retweet their tweets, like them on Facebook, and in general, spread the word about this great asset to our community.

And, to be sure you never miss an issue, you can subscribe over on their website!

You can also buy the Edible cookbook! Edible: A Celebration of Local Foods

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino
Artwork: Courtesy of Edible Boston

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

The Boston Homegrown Cookbook

When my review copy of The Boston Homegrown Cookbook: Local Food, Local Restaurants, Local Recipes arrived last month, I leafed through page-after-page of old friends, long-admired farmers, and chefs and recipes I wanted to try. This is a collection that will be dear to Boston food lovers.

(Photo by Margaret Belanger)

The book profiles 28 Boston area chefs who work together with local farms to bring the freshest, locally grown, sustainable foods to their menus. Farmers like Kate Stillman, from Stillman’s at the Turkey Farm, and Chef JJ Gonson (above) often work together and laugh together.

The author, Leigh Belanger is a food writer and the program director for the Boston-based Chefs Collaborative, a national network of chef and culinary professionals dedicated to improving the food system through education and community building. With this publication, she has shown the strong community links that exist between Boston area chefs, local farmers, and food producers.

Pairings

The book is first divided into seasons. When you create a local and sustainable menu, seasonality is a driving factor. Each season has a collection of pairings of a chef with a food producer. An introduction gives some background on each member of the team and then recipes with the chef creating dishes using the food from that farm or source.  

Among the chefs of summer is Steve Johnson of Rendezvous in Central Square paired with Eva Sommaripa and her legendary Eva’s Garden herbs that have been the secret of chefs since the 1960s. Steve puts summer tomatoes to good use in a Turkish Tomato Salad that he pairs with Grilled Mackerel.

I can't wait to try both. And, with the new fish vendors at the farmers' markets, I may be able to shop for the entire menu in one spot.

Photography

In addition to celebrating local heroes, seasonal food, and having recipes you’ll want to try year round, this is a beautiful book. You may want to keep it on your coffee table so you can open it often, each season, and try new recipes.

Photographer Margaret Belanger has a keen eye for the beauty of food from hoof, to field, and onto the plate. Her photographs are a family album that captures the people, places, and products that are part of the Greater Boston foodshed right now.  

You can sneak a peek at some of her art in the preview provided on Amazon.

Book Tour!

There will be a cooking demo and book signing for The Boston Homegrown Cookbook: Local Food, Local Restaurants, Local Recipes on June 28th, 7 pm, at Trident Booksellers & Cafe on Newbury Street. 

We've invited Leigh to update us on any other book signings and appearances in the comment section of this post. We'll send word out to you as we learn of them.

Thanks to everyone who remembers to click over to Amazon from here to support this site! And, for our readers in other parts of the country, there may be a Homegrown Cookbook for your area.

 

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino

Photograph Of Kate & JJ : © 2012 Margaret Belanger

Cover Art: Courtesy of Quayside Publications.

Disclosure: The publisher did provide me with a review copy of this book.  Here is our full disclosure policy.

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

Hiking with Your Dog in Greater Boston

This time of year, we always see a flurry of visitors to our post reviewing the book, Best Hikes with Dogs, Boston and Beyond. We thought we'd bring this gem to our newer Sunday Dog fans who might want to take a hike with their own Sunday Dog. Just click on that link to jump over to it.

Invest in this book and enjoy the weekends ahead by letting Jenna and Tasman guide you to some "hidden pockets of magic" in Boston and beyond.

And, because we wanted to have a little someone for all of you who tune in each week to see what local dog is in the BostonZest spotlight, we thought we would feature Miss Summer in her neat carrier. She spends her days with her person Rose walking other dogs. Sometimes Summer walks and sometimes she rides. It's a great solution if your small dog is not quite ready for a long hike!

And, there are companion books for hiking with your dog in other areas of the country. Click here to see if there is one for your next outdoor destination with your furry friend. Below are the direct links to Boston, New Hampshire, and Vermont, and outside New York City.

      

Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino

Summer's photo: © 2012 Penny Cherubino

(Bookcover courtesy of Mountaineers Books, all rights reserved)

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.