Easter Sunday was the epitome of Sunday Funday: decadent brunch and dinner with family and mimosas, playtime with puppies and kiddos, and FINALLY a warm, sunny Spring day.
xo Al
Easter Sunday Funday
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Category Archives: Food
Unapologetic
Way back in September, Miek surprised me for my 26th birthday with tickets to see Rihanna in Boston — the show scheduled for March 10. We booked a quaint little Beacon Hill hotel through Jetsetter, and spent the next few months getting excited.
On our way down to the show last week, Miek got a weird 1-800 number call. It was Ticketmaster informing us of Rihanna’s “laryngitis” and need to cancel the Boston show. Slightly deflated <understatement>, we decided to keep driving and make the most of the weekend.
Despite dropping my debit card at the south-bound rest stop (and not realizing this fact until reaching into my wallet at a store on Newbury Street…), and mourning the canceled show, we still had a pretty fun time. A lesson for me in “going with the flow” and taking things as they come. When you’re with your best friend and it finally feels a smidgen like spring, few things can completely dampen spirits.
Some highlights:
1.) The snug Beacon Hill Hotel and Bistro. Gray-walled and archetypically “New England”, this hotel had class without being pretentious, comfortable rooms despite being small in footprint, and a world-class staff. The spunky blonde bartender gave us waters and sodas for free after an afternoon of walking the city, and the front-desk concierge stopped up late-night and fixed our Direct TV with a smile. Owned by an American and a Swede, the hotel is undeniably European. A nice departure from the “big box” hotels that pepper the city.
2.) Laughing at the ridiculously haughty and pompous worker at Levi’s. Look, I know you’re working on Newbury Street — the self-proclaimed “Rodeo Drive” of Boston — but come on, you’re hocking denim. The wardrobe workhorse. No matter how “museum quality meets boutique” you say they are, they are still jeans. And I found better ones for $10 at the Forever 21 down the street.
3.) Running through the chilly North End streets after dinner to pick up to-go cannoli at Modern Pastry. Miek lived in Boston during college, but had never been to this family-run Italian joint. It was well worth the wait.
xo AlCrown Heights, BK
After bopping around Manhattan for a couple days enjoying the food (Eataly, DBGB Kitchen & Bar, Junior’s, Rickshaw Dumplings) and shopping (Uniqlo, Henri Bendel, FAO Schwarz), Miek and I took a cab across the bridge to visit Tig’s and Daniel’s new apartment in Crown Heights.
They whipped up a tasty brunch of parmesan and olive-oil-dressed arugula salad, jalapeno cheddar scones, poached eggs, oven-roasted tomatoes, apple pancakes (which tasted like flan!) and mimosas. We sat around, with Nymphadora Tonks the shih tzu underfoot, listening to tunes, eating, chatting, and celebrating their recent engagement! We went up to the roof to look at the skyline at dusk, had a savory and cozy dinner at Pok Pok (extreme and legit northern Thai cuisine), and then had Mr. Shah take us back to JFK.
xo Al
Joy of Baking
Ahhh… vacation! Finally, a few days of peace and quiet. I plan on spending some time with good books, Saved By The Bell reruns, lots of turkey and stuffing on Thanksgiving, and getting acquainted with my new oven.
I remember when I first discovered baking; measuring and mixing and lovingly stirring together ingredients. When I was younger, before Pinterest and Tumblr, I used to hand-write my recipes out on 3 x 5 cards. I found a bunch when I cleaned out my cabinets. It was like a mini time capsule! Pumpkin oat cookies! Raspberry crumble! Thumbprint cookies!
Lately, though, I’ve had a craving for biscotti: those crispy fingers perfect for dipping in morning espresso. I followed this recipe but tweaked a few things since my house was extract-free (maple-finished Crown Royal was a satisfactory substitute) and I wanted to use up some chocolate chips. Some may find the double baking process arduous, but it makes the house smell good and is important for the right amount of crunch.
(Cookie-Cat decided she wanted to help…)
xo Al
Melted Cheese Makes Everything Better
Yesterday kind of sucked. I had to wake up at the crack of dawn – it was still dark out – to prepare for an appointment with my dentist to get two fillings. Note to self: no matter how “small” or “surface” the dentist says my cavities are, get the novacane. Just do it. Do not fear the “small shot”…fear the multiple spinning, drilling tools, weird suction devices and very, very sensitive teeth.
After paying what seemed like a larger-than-fair amount for the medieval torture I had just endured, I proceeded to fumble my iPhone in the parking lot. It bounced on the ground a few times, and landed face down. Fearing the worst, I said a few prayers to the spirit of Steve Jobs, and flipped the screen to find a giant spider-web shatter. Great. Gmail alerted me to a new email shortly thereafter. “Oh good, my new iPhone case has been shipped and is en route.” Perfect.
After a weekend of attempting to install our new gas range, only to discover that the existing gas line was not only ancient and the wrong size for the updated appliance, but was not up to code, I received a text from Miek announcing a successful install. A giant sigh of relief. All I could think about was this recipe highlighted by Emily from Cupcakes and Cashmere, some arugula salad, an apple/pear/raspberry pie and some aged gouda. Once I got home, I lost myself in chopping, stirring, peeling. Melted cheese is a lot cheaper than therapy.
xo Al
Creature Comforts – September
There are few things more delightful than a happy pet, birthday roses, a pie fresh from the oven, golden olive oil, or a birthday wish.
xo Al
25: A Retrospective
25 has been a killer year. Lots of work, lots of play. As I round the corner to 26, closer to 30 than 20, I can’t help but be grateful for my friends, family, Michael, my home, my health and my animals. 25 was very special. 26 is going to be even better!! Here’s a look back…
Wednesday Date Night – Caiolas Restaurant
Miek and I wandered into Caiola’s this week for our Wednesday Date Night. Located on the West End, it’s a cozy, neighborhood gem boasting antique pendant lights, warm wood accents, and a bustling kitchen serving up thoughtful, inventive dishes.
It was very busy for a weeknight (next time we will make a reservation) – a testament to Portland’s strong foodie contingent.
After a root ginger beer Dark and Stormy and Miek’s usual Stoli soda, we were led through the kitchen to our table near the back patio. We decided to order a bunch of appetizers to sample the menu: a Gorgonzola sformato accompanied by a sweet-tart cherry compote and date shavings, polenta fries with a sinful cheddar-parmesan cheese sauce and red pepper and tomato fresh relish, the braised beef taquito with tempura fried peppers, mussels in a tomato broth spiked with toasted garlic and grana padano, and a caesar salad topped with fried oysters.
Tigger’s Annual Visit
My best friend Brooke flew in from Brooklyn on Friday night for our annual summer sister visit. Our friendship is one of those rare and awesome ones that allows for sitting in silence together with good books, some sunshine and a glass of wine.
Summer Vacation
As a kid, long summer days were marked by floating in the pool until the mosquitos came out, mom’s bean salad, boom boxes in windows and the ice cream truck.
Summer vacation is the best (even if grown-up vacation is just a few PTO days!)
Hot Off The Dress 