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Once upon a time, Provincetown closed up shop after Labor Day. These days, Halloween is a big weekend in that town at the tip of Massachusetts. Decorating had already started when we were out there.
At the famous "Purple House," as one friend calls the Somerset House Inn, the front stairs were lined with cats and pumpkin lanterns.
And the front yard had turned into a spooky graveyard ...
... complete with "once-were-rats-creatures" ready to nibble at whatever they could find.
The locals were hoping for great weather and a busy weekend and, right now, it looks good for them to get their wish and wind up the season with a bit of extra cash from all those who see this as a natural place to dress up and celebrate!
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Here's a photo from 1930 showing him in the darkroom where he must have spent many hours developing, dodging, burning, and cropping his photos. When you think about the catalog of work he produced, remember this was all done on film.
This photo from 1929 is titled, "Prof. Leslie R. Jones with his Graflex camera." I wonder what he would have thought of the mobile phones with built in cameras after years of lugging this monster around. And, remember, his selfie stick was likely a heavy duty tripod.
As they have time and resources, the BPL keeps adding to their digitized collection from throughout the library. The Leslie Jones Collection, in particular, has fascinated me for years and, in part, inspired my work photographing the architecture of Boston's Back Bay and Beacon Hill neighborhoods to document the way they look in our time.
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Details:
Words: Penny Cherubino Photography: Courtesy of the Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection.
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It’s a sign of the times that this array of cauliflower only had one head of the traditional white variety surrounded by green, purple, and yellow versions.
Shoppers opt for heirloom tomatoes: white, Asian, fairytale or purple eggplant. Carrots, radishes, and Swiss chard come in rainbow colors.
The UMass Cold Spring Orchard research facility in Amherst grows more than 100 varieties of apples. Perhaps apples are one of the produce items that we have routinely selected by variety over the years. Specific apple varieties for eating, baking, applesauce, and cider making have been long established. Regional favorites like our own Roxbury Russet have come back into favor.
Now, a much wider selection of many other locally grown fruit and vegetables are available from Massachusetts farms. As you walk from stand to stand, you’ll see more varieties of berries and longer seasons made possible by staging plantings for early, mid, and late season.
Greens
It’s been a long time since I saw a head of iceberg lettuce at a farmers market. I remember when the first offerings of baby greens and salad mixes appeared on the scene and were on my shopping list every week. Now, I could fill a shopping bag with different heads of lettuce for a salad to feed ten friends.
Today, I’m disappointed if I can’t find baby arugula or micro greens because they have sold out before I arrived. I like mixing purple, yellow, and white potatoes in a salad. And, I’m really disappointed when I have to shop a regular supermarket with fewer choices in the fresh produce section.
Yes, our local farmers have spoiled me with great options and I'm glad that more of them will be selling year-round to satisfy my heightened expectations!
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Have you ever seen a dog that you just can’t take your eyes off? A pooch that, if he could talk would say, “Hi, don’t you want to pat me?”
His name is Chewie, short for Chewbacca, the fiercely loyal co-pilot of Star Wars fame.
While we can see the facial hair resemblance, no one would ever mistake this cute Lhasa Apso for a Wookiee.
We met our Chewie while out for a walk on only his third day in Boston. Although he’s just four months old, this little guy is already a charmer who loves to play.
However, at this point in his puppyhood, Chewie does tend to have irregular sleeping hours, to which his bleary-eyed family is learning to adapt.
Before we said goodbye, we promised to introduce this little bundle of energy to another young, 4-legged neighbor named Leia (really), a meeting that could help tire out both of them.
See you around, Chewie!
Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.
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It caught Penny's eye and had her saving the recipe because it sounds a lot like one of our favorite chili dishes from Main Streets Market & Cafe in Concord, MA. We always order a bowl of their chili when we visit that charming town. They call theirs, Main Streets Own Beef Chili, and describe it as lightly sweet with butternut squash and no beans.
Tested Recipes!
One of the reasons Penny loves Leite's Culinaria is because their recipes are tested by cooks like us. You get to read their comments and that gives you ideas to use as you make the recipe. This site also has a great following so you will see comments from readers as well. And, if an answer is needed, the writer comes back to reply.
We think this is a perfect dish for a cool evening on the roof deck with friends. We hope you enjoy trying it too.
Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino Photos: Screenshot from Leite's Culinaria.
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We recently returned from a nice, long vacation in Provincetown. We had a bit of an adventure on September 29th when we weathered a storm in a house and deck surrounded on three sides by water.
We were renting the condominium apartment you see here sitting on a seawall with a deck on pilings. This photo was taken at low tide.
At high tide, the area next to the house fills with water. This is wonderful for sleeping to the sound of lapping waves ...
... but it's not ideal when a major storm is brewing. One of the staff members came by to warn us that our deck would not be available during the storm because he would have to open the hatches.
Here's the view of the open deck from the condo at low tide.
Slowly the water rose.
A few hours later the waves were breaking through the open hatches. We believe this is done to protect the seawall. It really seemed to work well and it was fun to watch as the water rose. Since we were told they have been doing this for 30 years, we figured it must be a great system.
Here's the area along the seawall during the storm.
This bay window on the other side of the building took a direct hit from a big wave and the large deck on this side was well decorated with seaweed.
Fortunately, the wind changed direction and calmed substantially before high tide. The sun breaking through was a very welcome sight.
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And, don't be scared off by the term science. “It’s a book about learning the basic science behind food and the basic techniques behind cooking and how to apply those to your own food to make it better,” author J. Kenji Lopez-Alt told the Boston Globe.
Soon after I received my hardcover version, I bought The Food Lab's Kindle Edition so I could read it on the go in all those situations where I have to sit and wait.
In the interest of full disclosure, Kenji was one of the editors during the years I wrote for Serious Eats. We worked for the same team and I learned a lot from his Food Lab column over there.
I also fell madly in love with his dogs from the weekly photos of them working hard around Serious Eats Headquarters. That said, our readers know I don't recommend books or other products that have not made a positive difference in my life.
Here's the 30-minute minestrone from the book.
Why I like The Food Lab
I learn things from this man. He takes the time to do the testing and research to come up with the path to a great cooking result. Then, he tells you how you can adapt it for your own needs and resources.
The thoughtfulness starts right inside the covers where that often empty space has conversion charts you'll find yourself flipping to all the time as you work in the kitchen.
Kenji is a guide rather than a dictator. And, he clearly loves food and cooking. That comes through in every page. He admits that he is not perfect in the kitchen and shares funny stories about his experience with exploding blenders and weaning his wife from her favorite Ikea knife.
He creates recipes but he also teaches techniques. For example, there is a section on how to make creamy vegetable soups without a recipe. When an appropriate opportunity arises, he'll have a section on knife skills for a particular task. If an ingredient is important and deserves a primer, he'll provide one. In the soup and stew section he has one on onions. (With our recent cold snap, I've been spending time in his Soup and Stews section.)
You'll find dozens of kitchen tips throughout the book. With these and charts, graphs, illustrations, and photographs, he communicates with people the way they learn best.
It will take me a while to read this book from cover to cover, but that is something I intend to do. (And, it's why I carry the Kindle edition on my phone.) There is a lot of goodness in these pages and I'm going to take my time and let all this knowledge simmer into my work in the kitchen.
Upcoming Boston Appearances
Kenji will be in Boston starting on Saturday. You can meet him at the following events.
BOSTON: THE BOSTON BOOK FESTIVAL
The book festival event actually changed to 12:30"
Copley Square
Kenji will be presenting his book at The Boston Book Festival, followed by a Q&A session and a book signing.
ALLSTON, MA: BURGERS AND FRIED CHICKEN AT ROXY'S GRILLED CHEESE
Roxy's Grilled Cheese
Kenji will be teaming up with his buddies from American Burger Revival for a burger and fried chicken sandwich pop-up at Roxy's Grilled Cheese in Allston. Stop by to have some tasty burgers from Richard Chudy and Sam Monsour, and Kenji's kimchi-brined double-fried hot chicken sandwiches, Animal-style fries, and more!
No tickets necessary.
Books will be on sale and he'll be signing and chatting with guests all night.
BOSTON: THE CHICKEN LAB AT THE KIRKLAND TAP AND TROTTER
The Kirkland Tap and Trotter
Kenji will be joining his friend Chef Tony Maws at Kirkland Tap and Trotter for a southern fried chicken feast! Come join them for the best fried chicken in town, to chat, and to get your books signed.
What's on your Food Lover's shopping list?
Details:
Words: Penny Cherubino Photos: Courtesy of J. Kenji Lopez-Alt (the one with the Kindle by Penny Cherubino)
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, I've had some time to dig into this massive 1,000 page resource for cooks of all levels. 
so I could read it on the go in all those situations where I have to sit and wait. 