BostonZest

Princess Missy Being Demure

Last month we made Missy, the Princess of Kenmore Square, our Sunday dog.

Since then I've told some of her fans that I had another great photo of her in one of her shy, demure moments.

Some of them have asked to see it and since we saw Bud and Missy on our morning walk, we thought we would run it today.

Here's a link to her first appearance as Sunday Dog.

http://www.bostonzest.com/2008/10/missy-the-princess-of-kenmore-square.html

If you click on Boston Dogs under categories over in the right hand column, you can see all the lovely friends who have starred as Sunday Dogs.

If you'd like to nominate your dog as a Sunday dog send us an email with a link to your favorite pup and tell us a bit about why they are a star.

Braised Turkey - A Moist, Delicious Success

Once upon a Thanksgiving, Mark Bittman of the New York Times posted a recipe and video for braised turkey.

Since I always like to have turkey leftovers around the house this weekend, even if we go out to dine, I decided to try it.

I bought a whole turkey and cut it into parts, but I don't think I'd do that again. As it turns out the thighs and breast are the stars of the show and those are easily bought without dealing with the whole turkey. (Of course, the turkey carcase turned into a good supply of turkey stock for soups in the weeks ahead.)

Following the guidance at the links below I produced moist, tender white meat and deeply-flavored dark meat that fell off the bone like pulled pork or my favorite braised lamb shanks. (Here's the link to the lamb shank recipe.  )

The mushrooms, sausage and pancetta in the base lend a depth to both the meat and vegetables. The broth is extremely rich and plentiful. On Friday, I served it as a deconstructed French dip sandwich with toasted sour dough bread on the side for dipping in the sauce.

It's about the best tasting turkey I've ever made, but I expect to do a bit of experimenting with the dish. After all, this is a whole new turkey technique to play with. For example, I'd really like more of the vegetable and sausage base.  I'd even consider using two pans to provide space for larger servings of the sides.

This would be a fantastic dish for a big gathering. It reheats beautifully and may become one of my favorite dishes for company. It can be finished a day ahead. Or, it might also allow someone to roast a smaller "show turkey" for a large holiday gathering while having the braised dish ready to feed the masses.

(Edit-2.02.08- Here's agreat entry on the recipe from one of my favorite food sites, Apartment Therapy 's The Kitchn. It has wonderful play-by-play photos and some great serving ideas.)

Here's a video about the recipe


Here's the recipe in easy print version:


And, here is a blog entry about how Mark Bittman developed the recipe. Check out the tiny kitchen. I think it may actually be smaller than mine.

Details:

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 Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino
Photography: © 2008 Penny & Ed Cherubino  

 

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Thanksgiving Dinner at Sel de la Terre on Boylston

This year we moved our Thanksgiving feast from Sel de la Terre on the waterfront to their new restaurant on Boylston Street.

We had another memorable holiday meal in this new setting.

First a word on service

That word would be "Outstanding." We  almost imagined ourselves next door at L'Espalier.  And, this is important because service is one of the reasons we go out for holiday meals.

We were welcomed at the street level entry by a hostess who took our coats.

Our server, Jamie, greeted us and dealt with our water choice almost instantly. As we watched the room, we saw food runners following waiters like little ducklings insuring that those at large tables received their meals at nearly the same time.

Our dinners were delivered by a runner the moment they were ready, and he stopped to ask whether we needed anything else at that moment. (This is becoming rare in restaurants today where many food runners dump meals and scurry away as quickly as possible.)

Jamie had an ability to concentrate on each of her tables, engage in conversation, answer questions, and make suggestions. However, she instantly switched to a careful scan of the whole area and made unobtrusive eye contact with customers as she stepped away. If you looked as if you needed something, she was on it, if not she gave you a smile. Other servers seemed as professional.

Penny's take on her meal.

I opened the meal with the "Rillettes and pâtés with toasted brioche, mustard, pickles and homemade jam."

One pate is in the photo. (I photographed only one course because I didn't want to distract other patrons there for a special meal.) The tray also contained a ramekin of duck rillettes, and a tiny pear hollowed out and stuffed with chicken pate and topped with a deeply delicious fruit jam.

My main course was the traditional turkey (local of course) with an herb stuffing, carrots and cranberry marmalade. The dark meat was shredded and served between pastry layers. The white meat was full-flavored, and the gravy made the dish.

(The table next to us had the brilliant idea of ordering a side of Sel de la Terre's masterful pomme frites and asking for more gravy for the table. They had a great time dipping the crisp frites in gravy. Perhaps this should be a regular menu option.)

For dessert, I choose the creme brulee with spiced pear and a ginger-molasses cookie.  Again, one of the best around. I finished with a fine cup of coffee- rich, fresh, and smooth.

Here's Ed's version:

I began with "Chopped salad with dried autumn fruits and roasted nuts; baked apple and goat cheese." The sweetness of the dried fruit balanced the acidity of the dressing.

I was in the mood for a non-traditional Thanksgiving feast and went for the agnolotti.  It turned out to be the perfect choice! When the dish arrived, my first thought was, "This is the wrong preparation. Where are the half-moon shaped agnolotti?"

These were a less-traditional square-shaped agnolotti sauteed in a sage brown butter, giving each piece a slightly caramelized texture. Combined with the dried cranberries, toasted almonds & sage, there was just the right amount of sweetness.

We had started with a glass of Westport's RJR - one of our favorite sparkling wines.  But, for my main course, I wanted some other ideas. Preparing for this menu, Jamie had tasted the agnolotti with a French pinot noir and was excited about it. I was sold. And, she was right – a great match.

Since I always get to try some of Penny's meal, I was almost ready to say, "hold the dessert." But, when my chocolate, spiced bourbon, pecan pie arrived, I had to have a taste. Not heavy. Just sweet enough. Perfect with coffee.

Details:

Sel de la Terre
774 Boylston St., Boston, MA 02199

www.seldelaterre.com

Happy Thanksgiving! Here's What's Open in Boston

UPDATE: What's Open in Boston on Thanksgiving 2015, Plus MBTA Schedule Changes, Parking, Trash & More

Here's a run-down of what is open in Boston on Thanksgiving. 

Restaurants, bars: Many will be open- check for special hours and menus

Convenience stores: many are open, check for special hours

Supermarkets: Closeddue toMassachusetts "Blue Laws"

Retail stores: Closeddue toMassachusetts "Blue Laws"

Liquor stores: Closeddue toMassachusetts "Blue Laws" 

City, Town, State and Federal offices and facilities are closed: This includes Schools, Libraries and the Postal Service.  Only emergency services are available.

Boston Parking: You don't have to feed the meters. Other parking rules apply.

Boston Trash Collection: Regular pick up in Back Bay, Beacon Hill, Charlestown,
Chinatown, Fort Hill, Financial/Leather, North End, Roxbury/Mission Hill and South End.

Thursday and Friday collections in the following areas delayed one day: South Boston, Allston/Brighton, Dorchester, East Boston, Hyde Park, Mattapan, Roslindale,  West Roxbury

And finally, sections of Jamaica Plain that have trash collection 2 times per week will have no delay, regular trash & recycling schedule. If your trash & recycling is collected one day a week in Jamaica Plain, trash and recycling is delayed a day

http://www.cityofboston.gov/publicworks/sanholidays.asp

Financial Services: As the British would say, this is a Bank Holiday with both Banks and the stock markets in the United State closed. International markets are open.

MBTA: From http://www.mbta.com/about_the_mbta/news_events/?id=16167&month=&year=

"Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 27

• The Red, Orange, Blue, Green, and Silver Lines will operate on a Sunday schedule. 

• Buses will operate on a Sunday schedule.

• The MBTA’s Paratransit service THE RIDE will operate on a Sunday schedule.  

• Commuter rail will operate on a Sunday schedule. 
Please Note: Commuter rail service on the Fairmount and Needham Lines will not operate. 

• Inner Harbor Ferry service from Charlestown to Long Wharf will operate on a weekend schedule. 

• Commuter Boat services from Hingham, Hull, and Quincy will not operate. 

Friday, November 28

• The Green line will operate on a Saturday schedule.

• The Red, Orange and Blue lines will operate on a regular weekday schedule. 

• The Silver Line will operate on an enhanced schedule. 

• Buses will operate on a regular weekday schedule. 

• The MBTA’s Paratransit service – THE RIDE will operate on its regular weekday schedule.

• Commuter rail will operate on a regular weekday schedule. 

• Inner Harbor Ferry service from Charlestown to Long Wharf will operate on a weekday schedule. 

• Commuter Boat services from Hingham, Hull, and Quincy will operate on regular weekday schedules."

 And a Holiday Message from BostonZest.com

We're thankful for all the readers who have visited BostonZest in the past few months and especially grateful to those who support our sponsors and affiliates and begin their Amazon shopping from here.

Pinot Noir - Our Thanksgiving Wine Choice

Our choice for Thanksgiving wine has always been a great pinot noir.

Many years this was selected at the bar at Ross' Grill in Provincetown. They have always had a great selection of wines and wonderful taste in pinot noirs.

A 2000 Robert Sinskey Vineyard, Los Caneros Napa Valley Pinot Noir, will be opened this year with our braised turkey.

We are going out for our official Thanksgiving dinner, but I will braise a turkey tonight and have that to fill in our weekend meals.

This was a wine we tasted at Ross' in 2001 and called Bauer Wine from the restaurant to order it for our holiday. We cellared the wine and have enjoyed a bottle here and there over the years. This is our last one and will be opened this week.

Other memorable Thanksgiving Pinots have come from the following producers:

Archery Summit:
http://www.archerysummit.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=category_detail&category_id_int=16025

Lange Estate Pinot Noir - Dundee Hills 2005
http://www.langewinery.com/

Patricia Green
http://avalonwine.com/Patricia-Green-Cellars.php

These are all special occasion wines. But, we love Pinot so we do have less expensive favorites. Exceptional values from Oregon are the O'Reilly Pinot Noir wines produced by the famed Owen Roe producers.

http://www.owenroe.com/our_wines.htm

We also find a regular supply of French Pinot for less than $15 a bottle. That is what is in the glass in the photo. It's a Domaine Prieur Brunet that we picked up on sale at Bauer for $11.99.

Here's a link that one.

http://www.bauerwines.com/207892

Details:

Bauer Wine & Spirits
330 Newbury Street
Boston MA 02115

www.bauerwines.com

Ross' Grill
237 Commercial Street, Provincetown, MA

www.rossgrillptown.com

Here's the wine glass in the photo above.

A Rainy Day Smile

"Let a smile be your umbrella..."  You could cause a shower of grins to break out all over.

Chili Duck Spicy Eggplant- A Best Bite

 There were serious contenders for the best bite of food from last week, but I'll tell you about the "Spicy Eggplant with Chicken" from Chili Duck on Boylston Street because it filled a special need.

For years, we walked by Chili Duck and dismissed it (without reason) as just another place that serves shoppers and conventioneers.

Then we began to see it recommended on Chowhound.com. What's more, these recommendations were coming from people who shared our taste and had led us to other treasures. We tried it and concluded that, again, the hounds were wise.

The other night I was tired, wanted take-out that would fill my craving for delicious, and offer no possibility of disappointment. When I decided to order from Chili Duck, I realized the restaurant had crept into our circle of favorites.

Since the first time we tried it, the Spicy Eggplant has been in most of our orders. This time we tried it with chicken. The chicken was minced and added a lushness to the dish. The eggplant was the long narrow Japanese variety with the tender, tasty skin in place.

Chiliheads may want to ask them to step up the spicy factor because it usually comes to us mildly spiced. Eggplant, peppers, and a lovely sauce filled my mouth with happy.

Chili Duck is an ideal place to meet a gang of friends and have a fun feast. The location is easy for those coming in from the suburbs or other parts of the city. Parking at the Pru is plentiful and it's right on the green line.

The more people you bring the more you'll be able to try from the menu. There are excellent versions of safe, stand-bys for the timid like Pad Thai and fresh rolls. But, if you include some adventurous souls, you can order dishes from their authentic Thai menu to expand your Thai cuisine horizons.

Details:
829 Boylston Street  (across from the Prudential Center)
Boston, MA 02116
(617) 236-5208

Menu:
http://boston.menupages.com/restaurantdetails.asp?areaid=0&restaurantid=6550&neighborhoodid=0&cuisineid=65&home=Y
Delivery:
http://www.foodler.com/MA/Boston/Thai/Chili-Duck/House-Specialties/1794.html

Other Opinions:

The Google Page: (I'll be adding these to our other opinions section from now on. It's a perfect synopsis of what is out there on the web. It includes a map and headings for almost every type of content you may want.)

http://maps.google.com/maps?sourceid=navclient-ff&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1B3GGGL_enUS176US231&um=1&q=chili+duck+boston&fb=1&view=text&latlng=13897505807617811895&dtab=2&sa=X&oi=local_result&resnum=1&ct=result#

The Chowhounds say:

http://chowhound.chow.com/search?search[query]=%22chili+duck%22&search[class_names]=Topic&Search.x=24&Search.y=6&search[from]=1+year+ago&search[to]=now&search[sort_mode]=descending&search[boardgroup_id]=6&search[board_id]=12

Here's the yelp:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/chilli-duck-boston