King Cake is a staple of Louisiana Mardi Gras culinary fare that we look forward to every year. They are made from a basic yeast dough and rolled up and filled with anything from cinnamon to lemon cream. My favorites are usually filled with cream cheese. There is always stiff competition among bakeries competing for [...]
Melissa, Chris, Mom, and I spent the afternoon in quaint St. Francisville, Louisiana yesterday. We hopped in the car around 10:30 am and took the quick trip from Zachary and had a lovely afternoon touring two plantations and a great lunch at the Magnolia Cafe. I have always loved learning about the rich history of [...]
Visiting my parents in Louisiana is always a treat for many reasons. One of the biggest, along with company of course, is the bounty of fresh fish and shellfish that is readily available. Traveling with a chef is always a great thing too. My friend Melissa from work and her fiance Chris are here with [...]
I think I am quickly becoming the Arneis Quartet’s biggest fan. Their concert on Tuesday night was wonderful. The setting was beautiful St. Paul’s Church in Brookline. The warm acoustics are a treat for the performer and even better for an audience member. I had the enviable experience of listening to [...]
Armed with my new membership card to the MFA here in Boston, I headed over to the museum yesterday to see a couple of things I found on their website. I’m determined to get my $100 worth out of it, and at this rate, I’ll have accomplished my goal by March! My strategy [...]
Eating cold chicken isn’t everyone’s idea of delicious, but when you have the right sauce to go with it, it can be quite a treat. For lunches this week, I brined and roasted a couple of chicken breasts and thinly sliced up the meat to make sandwiches. I love roasted chicken, as you [...]
The traditional French technique of using mustard to coat something is usually referred to as “a la diable” or “of the devil,” and refers to mustard’s spicy flavor. Julia Child liked to do chicken this way, usually split and broiled. It’s simple, quick, and produces amazing results. The mustard really mellows out as it cooks, [...]
Baklava is one of my all-time favorite sweet treats. I have loved it ever since I was a kid. Believe it or not, Greek and Middle Eastern cuisine was a very big deal in Baton Rouge where I grew up. Arzi’s Restaurant still has a special place in my heart when it comes to gyros [...]
If you liked my post on my ideas regarding the classic beet salad, then you’re really going to like Chef Adam Ostrofsky’s take on beets. I had this salad at Gordon’s Wines in Waltham as part of the Sommelier Smack-Down event that I attended last week. I asked Chef Adam to share it with you [...]
Two or three weeks ago, my mother updated her facebook status with something like: “Just when you thought the packing was done, I discovered two boxes of sheet music! Does anyone want it?” I, naturally responded right away that I did. I figured most of the sheet music was mine and there were quite a [...]
