Impromptu Weekday Family Dinner

On Tuesday, I received an unexpected package at my office.  Our friends, Alan and Tonya, sent over four beautiful, fresh Maine lobsters from Boothbay Harbor, Maine as a belated birthday gift.  It was an incredibly generous, surprising and delicious birthday treat!

I had a firm event on Tuesday night, but last night, we brought the lobsters to my parents' house for an impromptu feast (sans my sister, who is sadly allergic to lobster).  Because they were so fresh, the lobsters were still alive and kicking....and I was secretly glad not to have to boil them myself.  My mom happily took the honors.  She was just thrilled to be cooking (and eating) lobster in the winter as this is usually a summer treat.  For me, I was just happy to have a great excuse for all of us to gather together and enjoy a family dinner.

My mom did all of the cooking and everything was simply prepared, yet so delicious.  The asparagus and cauliflower steaks were simply seasoned with olive oil, salt and pepper and roasted in the oven.  The sirloin steaks were similarly seasoned and pan-grilled.  The lobster was boiled to perfection and the meat was so sweet and tender. 

Thanks again to Alan and Tonya for the generous birthday gift...and for giving my family the perfect excuse to sit around, eat and talk during an impromptu weekday family dinner.

LaLa Rokh - A Different Beacon Hill Flavor

A little while ago (as in pre-wedding!) my mom and I were running some wedding errands and ended up back in Beacon Hill right around dinner time, so Nick and I took my mom out for dinner.  Since we normally take her to 75 Chestnut, Paramount, or The Bistro, we decided to switch things up and went to Lala Rokh.  This Eastern Mediterranean restaurant is tucked up in the garden level of a lovely brownstone on Mt. Vernon St.  Nick and I had been there once before and really enjoyed the different flavors and had been looking for a reason to head back.

While there is a small bar at the front of the restaurant, we were immediately brought back to the dining room (it was a bit on the earlier side) and started to review the drink menu.  With some fun cocktails on their list, my mom and I had to indulge.  They were delicious and just what we needed after a day of running around.  However, I cannot remember the ingredients and there does not seem to be a cocktail list online.  Regardless - its worth a trip for a cocktail!

While we were enjoying our pre-dinner drinks, we dove right into the bread that was accompanied by some hummus.  It was so flavorful that I was just scooping heaps of it onto the bread, which only ended up being a tool to get more hummus into my mouth.

Bread and Hummus

With all the fun flavors and different dishes, we had to share an appetizer.  The Dolmeh Kado, which is zucchini stuffed with tabrizi spices, rice and beef, sounded too good not try!  I loved this dish.  The textures and the flavors were amazing.  The zucchini was smooth and in perfect contrast to the richness of the spices in the dish.

Dolmeh Kado

For main courses, my mom went with one of the specials of the evening, the trout (ever consistent!).  The fish was cooked perfectly and, after navigating around a few bones, each bite was tender.  The accompanying roasted veggies and rice rounded out the dish.  I believe Lala Rokh has a rotating fresh fish special every evening, which is always fun.

Fish Special

I look to servers for a lot of meal decisions, especially when there are a couple of things on a menu that I cannot seem to decide between.  In this case the server hinted that my initial decision was not the best dish - in fact it was be taken off the menu in a few weeks!  So, I switched my choice to the Sib, which had braised veal medallions with seared apples, yellow split peas and saffron served with basmati rice.  The meat was tender and easy to eat.  The seared apples were good, but not my cup of tea - too sweet and the wrong texture for me, but Nick loved the dish.

Sib

Nick went with a dish I normally would have selected: the Kabab-e Bareh, a lamb dish with juicy marinated lamb kabab and ground lamb with pistachio.  Seems like Nick and I should have switched dishes, because while he like this, I loved it.  The lamb was flavorful and the different types of lamb added a fun texture contrast as you worked your way through the plate.

Kabab-e Bareh

Lala Rokh is one of those neighborhood finds that is rare in the Boston area with its unique flavor and dishes.  I definitely need to make more of an effort to get to Lala Rokh more often - too many good dishes to try!  If you are looking for a bit of a flavor change Lala Rokh is a great destination.

Where do you go for dinner when you need to switch it up?

best eggs benedict.

After a waffle and pancake infused January, I awoke on the first Saturday morning in February craving poached eggs smothered in hollandaise like you wouldn't believe. A dirty martini happy hour at Bacco followed by drinks with a few friends downtown on Friday night prompted a visit to nearby Caffe Nuovo the next day. Their robust Italian coffee teeming with specialty brunch dishes are a splendid way to fend off any trace of the previous nights effects. With homemade lemony hollandaise and a pinch of cayenne over perfectly runny eggs and a lightly toasted English muffin, Nuovo's Benedict nails the essentials and then proceeds with a fanfare of fresh seafood (meaty chunks of crab for her, velvety pieces of lobster for him, succulent shrimp for the next guy) and stellar homefries. Read more about the refreshing establishment that is Caffe Nuovo here.

Wild Willy's Burgers

This past weekend, Bret and I went down to Watertown to check out my sister's new place.  During our visit, the three of us decided to grab a bite to eat and took a short walk down to Wild Willy's Burgers.  I've heard a lot of great things about this New England burger chain.  Although you order a burger at the counter, it isn't truly "fast" food because everything is made to order.  There were a lot of different burgers to choose from.  I went with the "Wicked Good", which came with sauteed onions and mushrooms, and Swiss and cheddar cheeses.

My burger was cooked to the perfect medium that I had requested.  The cheese was nicely melted and the burger was well-seasoned.  I actually opted to eat my burger bunless and I found the burger to be incredibly filling even without the bread.  My only complaint is that there was no pickle on the burger or on the side.  I love pickles with my burgers!

Overall, Wild Willy's was a solid dining experience and I'm looking forward to exploring Watertown more now that my sister lives there.  Tell me, what are your recommendations for great restaurant and shops in Watertown?

Wild Willy's has seven locations in New England and I visited the location at 46 Arsenal Street, Watertown, MA.

Best Party Salsa!

Whenever Nick and I have people over we don't have sit-down dinners due to size constrictions in our apartment.  Also, the fact that we have no dining room table might have something to do with it!  Therefore, all of our parties are more of a cocktail style where you can help yourself to a variety of food and drink options.  One staple we always have, no matter the party, is chips and salsa.  My friend L brought over a dressed-up salsa once and we were hooked.  So when it was Super Bowl time, this salsa was obviously something we wanted to serve.

Salsa!

I believe the recipe comes from Green Mountain Gringo.  The Necessities (with the proportions adapted for our tastes)....

• 1 cup of corn
• 1 avocado - chopped
• chopped cilantro
• 1 lime (juice and zest)
• 1 jar of salsa

 To begin, since we still had frozen corn from our CSA, we defrosted a cup in a large bowl.

Defrosted Corn

Once thawed, Nick then added the juice of one lime and, using a microplane added a handful of the lime zest.

Juice and Rind

 Followed by the chopped cilantro.  We like the flavor of cilantro, so we put a good 1/3-1/2 cup in...

Cilantro

Then we added a jar of salsa.  You can use your favorite, but since this was a Green Mountain Gringo recipe, we used their medium blend.  Nick stirred it up and let it sit in the fridge until people started coming over.  Really, the sitting in the fridge just allowed all the favors come together and allowed us to get something done beforehand.  I love dishes that you can prepare mostly in advance and finish just as people arrive - I hate scrambling at the last moment.

With the salsa

So right as the buzzer went off with people, Nick quickly chopped up the avocado and added it to the bowl of salsa, scooped it into our very fancy chip and dip bowl and it was ready to go!

Salsa

This is a great way to take a regular salsa to the next level without a whole lot of effort.  I highly recommend following these simple steps with your salsa at your next party.

celtics game fun.

Last Sunday at 12pm the Boston Celtics played the Memphis Grizzlys. Boston won! I wish I could say the same for another New England sports team that played later that afternoon. All mention of the big Patriots loss aside, I had a blast watching the Celtics play earlier that day. A scene that runs on energy and adrenaline, being among the game day fanfare where many a hip-hip dance routines meet jumbotron madness is just plain fun. There is something mesmerizing about the players style, they way they command the court and weave seamlessly around their competition. Have you been to a Celtics Game this season? It was my first time attending one in awhile. I wish I went more often!

Make-ahead Hash

Maybe I pushed too much for too long.  I got sick.  The kind of sick that had me doing nothing on the couch instead of doing little things around the house.  Instead of blogging I got hooked on Breaking Bad.  Oops.  Finally feeling a bit better, I wanted to share a way to get dinner on the table in 10min, with a little prep work ahead of time. #win.

Make-ahead Sweet Potato Kale Hash
Inspired by Emily and Ranjani

1 small onion, chopped

1 jalapeno, diced

2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2" cubes

1/4t smoked paprika

1t ground coriander

2-4T extra virgin olive oil

coarse sea salt

4-6c packed kale, de-ribbed and torn into pieces (~1 head)

Preheat oven to 400deg.

Add chopped onion, jalapeno and sweet potatoes to a large bowl along with spices.  Add a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of coarse salt.  Toss and roast 15-20min, until the sweet potatoes are almost tender.

While the first batch of veggies are roasting, wash and de-rib the kale.  Tear into pieces and add to the bowl (same one from the sweet potatoes, no need to wash).  Add a drizzle of olive oil, sprinkling of coarse slat and a few grinds of pepper.

When the sweet potatoes are almost done, add the kale and return to the oven for 10min.

Remove from the oven and let cool before transferring to microwave-safe containers.

When it's time for dinner, start cooking your eggs.  You can poach or pan-fry your egg, whichever you prefer.  I prepared mine sunny side up in a nonstick pan.  Once you get your egg(s) cooking, warm up a portion of the hash in the microwave.  To serve, top your hash with the egg(s)!

What's been your go-to quick meal recently??