BostonZest

We Toast October 2023 with a Great Holiday Wine, Dibon Cava Brut Rosé

Penny was selecting a bottle of Dibon Cava Brut Rosé from our wine rack to give as a thank-you gift to a friend when she suggested we write about Dibon for our October 2023 toast. 

We've been enjoying and recommending this wine for more than a decade. We like to call it a budget sparkler with a high-end taste. Back then, it was about $10.00 a bottle. Our latest purchase from Gordon’s Fine Wines was still just $11.99 with the case discount.  

We’re not the only ones who recognize the quality of this wine. First, the importer is a company we trust, Oz Wines. Over the years, we’ve enjoyed many wines selected by this team. Seeing the Oz name on a bottle is reason enough for us to try it.

The Winery Bodegas Pinord winemakers describe this rosé cava. They recommend its tiny, delicate bubbles, gentle red fruit aroma, full mouth-feel, and elegant finish. You’ll also notice on their site that it's made from organically grown grapes and is only 11.5% ABV. 

Dibon Rosé would be a great toasting wine for a Thanksgiving meal. It has a palate-cleansing freshness we enjoy with food. It also makes an excellent mixer for drinks that call for adding sparkling wine like a mimosa, Aperol spritz, or bellini. One of our favorite wine mentors kept this brand behind the bar for precisely that purpose!

Bonus Recommendation! Dibon also makes an excellent Brut Reserve Cava if that's your toasting preference.

Dibon Cavas are great value wines for toasting, gifting, as mixers, or to have on hand for last-moment celebrations. We regularly add a few bottles to our orders to have on hand all year round,

However, this time of year, consider ordering it by the case. Some shops will offer a discount for as little as six bottles. We suggest calling your favorite wine merchant to ask if they have Dibon Rosé in stock. If they don’t, they can order what you need in time for the holiday season.

Trying wines from different places, made with different grapes and produced by different methods, adds spice to our monthly ritual. Since 2007 we have raised a glass of sparkling wine to greet each new month!

We purchased our bottle from Gordon’s Fine Wines for $11.99 with the case discount.

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2012-2023 Penny & Ed Cherubino 

Grab a Tree for Social Distancing! Photo Tales & Quotes

With warmer weather coming, social distancing in parks and on walks is going to become harder. My suggestion is to grab a tree.

The other day I met two neighbors, from different households, along the Commonwealth Avenue Mall. It was obvious we were all trying to set a comfortable social distance so we could talk. I suggested we all pick a tree as our place to stay while we chatted. Along the Mall, on sidewalks, and in many other parks in the city, trees are well spaced for safe social distancing. 

This morning Sarah (the lovely human who slid her scarf down so we could see her smile) and Harriet (the lovely dog who is always smiling) grabbed a tree while we talked and they agreed to be my models for this post. Sarah suggested that when it is not as wet as today, you can even lean on the tree!

My favorite quote for today is from a truly great man, Warren Buffet.

"Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago."

About Photo Tales & Quotes: We keep hearing that people miss our cover photos that ran for years in the Back Bay Sun. That assignment was to provide a photo that showed what the week was like in the neighborhood. Often the photos illustrated favorite quotations. Photo Tales & Quotes is an occasional offering to our BostonZest readers featuring photos along the same theme but taken wherever we happen to be.

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Words: Penny Cherubino
Photography: © 2020 Penny Cherubino  

Freeze Those Bones for Fabulous Chicken Soup!

This luscious bowl of chicken noodle soup was made from the remains of three rotisserie chickens, a few fresh vegetables, and some leftover noodles.

We're sure many of you have turned to one of these fully-cooked birds when faced with a busy week. They're great for a simple meal and, the second day, they can be added to a salad or sandwich for another quick supper. 

But, do you save the bones, skin, and that wonderful gelatin in the bottom of the container for when you have time to create a great soup? Everyone from your Grandmother to the honorary Great Aunt of a generation for cooks, Julia Child, has told you to stow your cooking scraps in the freezer to make stocks. 

In this age of wasted food, it really feels good to turn something that would have been trashed into a great meal.

The pot in the photo above contains the contents of a bag of chicken bones, skin, and gelatin that we had added to, over a month or so. Penny took it from the freezer on a rainy afternoon and turned it into a lick-smacking, rich, sticky-with-goodness chicken stock. 

When she prepped the flavorings of carrot, onion, and celery to make the stock, she chopped up enough to create a soup when the stock was finished.

 

After lifting out as many bones and bits as she could with a spider (like the one above), she strained the broth into a bowl through a fine sieve. After it sat and settled, she removed most of the fat with paper towels.

A quick wipe of the pan assured there were no bone bits remaining. That let her make the soup in the same pan – one of her favorites. She lightly sautéed the waiting veg in a bit of olive oil before returning enough stock to the pan to make a few servings of soup. Once the vegetables were cooked, she added some pieces of white meat from the last of the chickens that became the stock.

If you've never tried this method of making chicken stock, you are missing out on some big flavor. Remember to go easy on the salt because those chickens have already been seasoned and may have been brined.

Penny never added any salt to ours, but she did add a dribble of soy sauce for depth of flavor. This batch also had pieces of ginger, star anise, clove, and a touch of sherry vinegar right at the end. 

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino 

Into the Woods with Your Sunday Dog

We all have favorite forms of recreation with our dogs. Ours happens to be long walks on a beach and seaside vacations. But, we realize that for some of you, a long hike or camping in a the woods is the way to go. Knowing that, we’ve done some research on that topic and will share what we’ve learned.

Occasionally, friends can tempt us to take a quick walk in the woods. However this was at Halibut Point where we knew our beloved ocean views were just a few steps away. 

Are Dogs Welcome?

The first task is to locate hiking trails where dogs are welcome. When people ask about this, we always point them to the Trustees of Reservations. They have clear guidelines on their website www.thetrustees.org where you can select "Dog Walking" after choosing options on this page to help you choose a place where you and your dog are welcome.

The Massachusetts Department of Conservation (DCR) has made a start on helping residents find dog-friendly spots in the state’s park system. They now have one webpage that outlines the dos and don’ts for enjoying state property with your dog. Unfortunately the don’ts and “no dogs allowed” list is far longer than the places where we are welcome.

For those of us in the Boston area, the list of places where dogs are NOT allowed, on or off leash, include: City Square Park in Charlestown, Boston Harbor Islands, DCR buildings (administrative offices, visitor centers, restrooms), all DCR playgrounds, all DCR parking areas and all DCR coastal beaches and designated swimming areas of inland beaches from May 1 through September 15, unless otherwise posted.

The look of total enjoyment on Gunner’s face is reason enough for a day in the woods. (Photo courtesy of http://indirectimages.weebly.com/)

What Are the Rules?

The basic rules of dog etiquette: keeping your dog under your control even if off leash; picking up dog waste; preventing your dog from harassing people, wildlife, or other dogs; and doing as little damage to the area as possible will serve you well in woodlands.

You will also have to check specific rules for the property you visit. Some trails may be open to your dog while others are not, and there may be special date restrictions or wildlife warnings. For example, the Blue Hills Reservation comes up on many searches for dog-friendly hiking in Massachusetts. Before you go, you should be aware that the state site map warns, "The reservation boasts a rich variety of plants and animals, including several rare and endangered species, such as the Timber rattlesnake and Eastern copperhead found nowhere else in the Boston area."

We really miss our little pal Swiffer but can't resist sharing this photo from a happy day we spent with him years ago.

Special Precautions

Naturally you’ll want to be sure you and your dog are healthy and up-to-date on disease prevention before you set off on a woody adventure. You’ll also want to make frequent and complete checks for ticks along the way.

Since you may be away from resources, you should add a few dog specific items like self-adhering bandages and a tick removal tool to your first aid kit.

Special Places

Here again we recommend turning to the Trustees. They even have a smartphone app to keep information about your destination in the palm of your hand. You can begin by finding properties near you via GPS.

Suppose you choose World’s End in Hingham to visit. The overview page on the app has a paw print to show that dog walking is allowed.

You can get directions to the location by car or public transportation, other activities the site offers, details on facilities, and a description of the place. Finally, you can pull up a map of the trails. It’s everything you need for a great adventure with your pup right on your phone.

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

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino 

(Adapted for BostonZest from one of our City Paws newspaper columns.)

North End Waterfront Is "Talking With Paul Deuterio From Galleria Umberto (No, It’s Not Closing)"

We have featured the great site North End Waterfront as a Friday link in the past. Today they win a spot for this great interview with Paul Deuterio From Galleria Umberto.

You know we are fans of this wonderful North End gem of a restaurant. We have covered it before, usually to remind other fans about the restaurant's traditional July vacation. We have shared it with friends who are amazed at the quality and the value.

We are also fans of North End Waterfront because the team there led by Matt Conti keeps us informed on the past, present, and future of this neighborhood. This great interview with lots of background information is one example of why we visit the site and follow their updates on Twitter and Facebook.

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino  

Make Universal Hub a Morning Habit

We all have morning routines. Universal Hub (UH) is part of mine. Since keeping up with local news is important to me, I read newspapers and each morning I visit Universal Hub to get a very local update on what happened overnight or the latest on first responder incidents that I heard on our scanner.

This late day incident in Chelsea is a great example of why you want to check UH when you hear more sirens than usual, see helicopters circling, or smell smoke. When this was taking place, someone over on the Reddit Boston forum asked about all the state police vehicles on Route 1. Another forum member said that they found out what was happening by going to UH! Good to know I'm not the only one. 

In addition to the great work of Adam Gaffin and a few regular posters, this can be a good source of crowdsourced information. Regular readers know the commenters with good, reliable information and those with a worn out drum that they beat at every opportunity. 

As more so called news operations become promotional vehicles for network shows or sports teams, it's important to find your own sources of local news. Universal Hub is one of the best. 

Support Universal Hub

As with many other sites, Universal Hub is supported by advertising, affiliate programs, and contributions. 

There is a link that asks readers,

"Help keep Universal Hub going. If you like what we're up to and want to help out, please consider a (completely non-deductible) donation."

You'll find the place to click by scrolling down in the right hand sidebar. The next time you get a great, timely, local answer to your question, "What's going on right now in Boston?" click the link and drop a few coins in the UH tip jar. 

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Words: Penny Cherubino
Screengrab from Universalhub.com 

WBUR's Magic Pill Podcast Has Helped Me Become Healthier: Friday Link Update

Last October we linked to WBUR and its inspiring podcast, The Magic PilI, which also marked a long distance reconnection with one of my favorite doctors, Eddie Phillips, MD. 

Since that report (here's a link to it), I have only missed my morning walk on one day, when I had a nasty cold and felt it would be better to stay in and rest so I would miss fewer days.

I also added an Apple Watch to my motivational tools and that has helped me keep excellent records on my progress. I have continued a steady, healthy weight loss trend; dropped another medication I was taking; and increased my fitness levels.

In case some of you don't go back to the original story or decide to pass it on to someone you know who might need help in improving their overall health, I'll repeat this important message now.

Here is a link to the Podcast Pilot. It's a great introduction and I hope it will lead you to take one episode daily (your daily dose of get-up-and-go) for the next twenty-one days and see if you, like me, find yourself still on the move nine months from now. 

I hope WBUR will add more episodes of this inspiring program. Anytime I feel that I'm about to slip off my training routine, I'll go back and listen to the 21 existing episodes again. But I would love to have this team offer some sort of Magic Pill continuing education and inspiration.

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino  

Please read our disclosure policy. Since we have mentioned the Apple Watch and linked to it on Amazon, we want readers to know that we do have funds invested in both Apple and Amazon stock.