Reviews: The Good, the Not So Good and the Etc.

Over the last few months, I have been lucky to receive a range of samples from meats to yogurt to dessert. Some have been good, others have been great. Here is the low down:

From Applegate Farms: Savory Turkey Sausage, Classic Breakfast Sausage, Natural Roast Chicken and Natural Pepperoni. It is hard to explain how much I love Applegate Organic and Natural Meats. My finicky older son (5), lives off of a few foods, hot dogs being one of them. And the Applegate Uncured Beef hotdogs and Organic Dogs, which are completely free of nitrates and chemicals make it relatively easy for me to give him hot dogs without too much guilt. I regularly buy their sliced turkey for easy lunches for the kids. Of course, their Natural Roast Chicken was a hit with my kids. The sausages are great, and though, yes, they have sodium, they are good for those nights that we have "breakfast for dinner." But my favorite of my samples? The Applegate Pepperoni. These big huge circles, made from sustainably raised pork, went beautifully on homemade pizza dough.

From Dancing Deer Baking Company: I am really belated here! The kind folks at the lovely company, Dancing Deer sent me a package of their Gourmet Sandwich cookies. They gift box includes two flavors, Boston Cream Pie and Chocolate Peppermint. Did I love these? Um...no. I really enjoy their Chocolate Tangerine and Sugar Cane Lime Cookies as they are not too sweet and crispy and crunchy. However, the sandwich cookies were a bit too sweet and dense. Point being? Dancing Deer cookies are a wonderful present (you can send their gift towers and baskets without spending too much money), but skip the sandwich cookies.

From MyBlogSpark, I received:

Cinnamon Cherrios-these reminded me of the cereal we weren't allowed to have as kids! They are actually delicious, but so sweet that I immediately hid them from my kids. Sorry, my mom's lessons about not having sugar cereals at breakfast worked. Plain Cherrios rule at my house.

Yoplait Kids Yogurt -I am a Stonyfield Farm kind of mom. It is organic, low in sugar and is what my kids have eaten obssessively since they were babies. But I am open to other yogurts, as long as they are...organic and low in sugar. But my biggest gripe with the Yoplait Kids Yogurt? The branding. My kids love Dora. But I want them to request food because it is good, not because she is on it. Sorry. Doesn't work for me. The other problem-I literally can barely find it. Instead, it is far more common to find their Go-Gurts, that are branded and come in ridiculously artificial and supernatural colors.

Yoplait Frozen Smoothie-I will admit...I still haven't tried this. See, you get a bag of, essentially, frozen berries and yogurt pieces. And you blend it with milk. But it is far too easy for me to watch my kids grab their own pre-made Stonyfield Farm Smoothies from the frig. I just don't have time to deal with a blender. Sorry.

Favorites, As of Late

Melissa Clark-I have developed a huge crush on her as a food writer and on her recipes. The broccoli with shrimp is a perfect example of her cooking. In a few minutes, with a few ingredients (including the citrusy spice coriander), you have a marvelous dinner. Clark also, finally, taught me how to sear tofu. And her wonderful olive oil lemon banana bread is not only ridiculously simple, but the addition of lemon just adds depth to the bread. Her new book is In the Kitchen With a Good Appetite.

Dorie Greenspan's Around My French Table. I raved about that here.

Winter Markets: Providence, Somerville, Wayland, Natick each have their own. Go. Try. Enjoy.

Farmer's Market Eggs-I love that they are shades of blue. I love that they taste so good. I love that they are (if you find the right ones) organic.

Winter Carrots-All I can tell you is that winter carrots direct from the Winter Farmer's Markets are the sweetest I have ever had.

Stillman's meats-you can find Stillman's meats at Farmer's Markets. This is what both a farmer's market and good meat is about. You get a range of organic and sustainably raised, and delicious meats that are far better than any you will find at the grocery store.

Honey from Aquidneck Honey. This is my favorite honey. It is lemony and fruity. It goes perfectly on scones, bread, muffins. In fact, it is so good I have eaten it with a spoon. You can purchase it at the Providence/Rhode Island Winter Farmer's Market.

High Lawn Farm Milk. Yum.

The new Salt and Pepper bar from Taza. I still adore the Salted almond, but this is so good.

Citrus at Russos and Trader Joes: blood oranges, meyer lemons. I am also loving their Italian Style Pink Grapefruit soda (better still with gin...or vodka!)

The array of coffees from at Diesel Cafe in Somerville. For that matter, there is no other place that I would rather grade, if anybody really wants to grade in the first place!

The Mole sauce at Viva in Wayland. I know that many people here have been disappointed with their service. So take out a dish with their heavenly mole. It is as good as I have had outside Puebla, Mexico.

Everything at Rod Dee. Each time I return (and I even tried their new space in Porter Square), I ask for the cook to choose something from the original Thai menu. I have been happy every time to much on the sweet, spicy, noodle and rice dishes.

Harold McGee's method of cooking pasta. Silly, I know. But with one son that lives on pasta, the time saved at the end of the work day is pretty critical. In McGee's method, you put pasta and COLD water in a saucepan, heat it to boil and cook til done.

Scott Conant's pasta with tomato sauce. You wouldn't think you need a recipe for this. But just check it out. Essentially you make an incredibly simple tomato sauce. You then toss fresh pasta in the sauce, along with fresh basil, Parmesan and butter. Heaven.

The Splendid Table (for food interviews and recipes) and Spilled Milk Podcasts (for laughs)

Feel free to share other favorites that you have discovered...

The Best Tastes of Taste (and a Preview of Taste of the Nation!)

It is a rare night that you can have glorious 360 views of Boston, while tasting some of the best food the city has to offer. And I was incredibly grateful that in a week filled with low points, I received a ticket from Boston Magazine to attend their Taste event back in November. It took place in a loft style area with floor to ceiling glimpses of the Boston skyline at 1 Marina Drive. Throughout were many of Boston's top chef's offering a chance to try their food and to talk, even for a minute about their cuisine. It was an indulgence that I won't forget anytime soon.

Some of the bites I enjoyed, in order of delight:

Menton’s Colin Lynch offered my absolute favorite of the night: A smoked salmon sabayon filled with caviar, chives and rye (pictured below before the eggs were filled.) It was an unctuous mixture that I had to try...twice. They also had a wonderful Hiramashi tartare.

Summer Shack’s Chef Jasper White had a simple sounding squash-lobster bisque served with pumpkin oil. But despite how full I was, I ate the entire bowl and am hoping to figure out how to recreate it at home.

Lala Rokh’s Babak Bina's eggplant puree was my favorite surprise of the night. It was the ultimate dish in being more than the sum of its parts. And, in fact, it persuaded me to head to Lala Rokh. The official title: Kashk-e- Bademjan served with goat’s milk yogurt, house infused mint oil and caramelized onions.

Il Casale/ Dante’s Dante de Magistris was frying up ravioli filled with a chocolate-chestnut puree. They were topped with a Sicilian citrus: candied Cerdo. Per usual, Chef de Magistris took a dish up a notch as the citrus made the dish.

O Ya’s Tim Cushman offered hamachi nigiri with banana peppers, black pepper, white truffle oil and chives. It reminded me of my incredible meal there almost 2 years ago.

Tiffini Faison from the now defunct, Rocca, served olive oil grilled homemade bread with house made ricotta and grape mosta and served with salt and black pepper. This was so good that I am tempted to try to replicate it at home, heavy on the olive oil, salt and pepper.

Market’s Chris Damskey had bay scallops with ginger-soy dressing and fine herbes. For dessert, the restaurant offered a Vietnamese chocolate coffee tart with condensed milk and whipped cream. However, my favorite part of their offerings: the salted caramels and passion fruit marshmallows.

Asana’s Nathan Rich had an incredible dessert (that is typically served on their menu): A lollipop with 5 different types of chocolate cheesecake: 28% cocoa, 64% CocoaBerry, 38% Valhrona, 70% Valrhona, 80% Valrohna and a Cocoa Nib Tuile. Yes: it was fantastic.

(These desserts were perfect with Jim’s Organic Coffee)

Neptune Oyster of the North End offered Dayboat scallop crudo with feta crema, orange, mint and tandoori spices

Radius’s Michael Schlow served up a mashed potato bar that was comfort food-jazzed up.

Harvest’s Mary Dumont had a ginger pork slier with root vegetable slaw. I adored the side drink: a bourbon with a mint lemonade/iced tea mix; 1 month family focused on the second Wednesday.

Russell House Tavern's Michael Scelfo had a great riff on a traditional Jewish dish: House smoked arctic char with Baldwin apple latkes, caraway and buttermilk crème fraiche and Verrill Farm micro-greens.

Bistro 5’s Vittorio Ettore offered Duck confit and apple on brioche with fois gras mousse and fennel pollen. It reminded me of my lovely tomato meal that he served to local food bloggers.

Tremont 647’s Andy Husbands served up pan seared salmon grit cakes, with grilled salmon salad and chives

Woodward’s Mark Goldeberg had glazed pork belly with apple compote and cheddar biscuit

Sorellina had a lovely looking buffala mozzarella with Mangalista ham and concord grape syrup

Clink’s Joseph Margate had an equally gorgeous yellowtail that was served with pomegranate seeds and walnut puree.

There were other restaurants, but I ran out of both appetite and space to keep track of all the treats I had. Boston Magazine treated me to these tickets. The cost of the event is $95.00. So, no, it is not an inexpensive night out and trust me, I appreciated the opportunity. But you did get unlimited wine and cocktails, as well as unlimited chances to eat some pretty fantastic food and to talk to the chefs who created the gems in the first place...

Better, still, if you are interested in this write up, you can also go to a similar event: Taste of the Nation Boston. This event, taking place on April 14, 2011 will feature over 70 restaurants and chefs. And, the best news? 100% of the proceeds go directly to Share our Strength, a not-for-profit working to end childhood hunger. (I will write a more extended post on this event in a few weeks...)

Boston Magazine's Taste took place on November 1, 2010 at 1 Marina Place at Fan Pier

For This Jam, I Shall Travel

Tucked into a non-descript building in Davis Square is Sessa's Cold Cuts & Italian Specialities. And behind the bricks is an array of pastas, cold cuts, cheeses, cookies and jams, many imported directly from Italy.

And, see, here is the thing. In the back corner of the store they have this jam: Fattoria Sicilsole Sicilian Blood Orange Marmalade.I had found it in New York at the Chelsea Market and fell in love. It is incredibly tart and just perfect on thick slices of lightly toasted bread and scones and even bagels. It is also, if I may say so, beautiful: thick slices of glossy ruby strands hanging out in the jam. Fattoria Sicilsole makes other wonderful jams and marmalade like a Sicilian Lemon, a Fig and a Tangerine. But while you are Sessa's, don't stop at the jams. I find it hard to resist anything blood orange these days and snapped up a blood orange soda that is perfect on its own or with a bit of vodka. The pasta comes in styles that are hard to find elsewhere, such as foot long strands of dried black squid pasta. So check them out. Let me know what you think.

Sessa's Cold Cuts and Italian Specialities, 412-414 Highland Street, Davis Square, Somerville

The Somerville Winter's Farmer's Market

Amidst a pile of snow and sunchairs blocking the rare parking spot, I found a place to put my car. I quickly realized that it was well worth the battle of the ice and slush. In a twin-domed building built in 1903 as an Armory, lies the Center for Arts in Somerville, just down the street from Davis Square. And inside that is another of winter's newest glories: The Somerville Winter Farmer's Market.

I walked in and could feel the excitement and energy as people milled around the fresh produce, organic meats, lush chocolates and music. It reminded me of all the winter markets I love: Wayland, Natick and the best of all, Providence.

My favorite finds? I first met Kate of Stillman's Farm at the Brookline Farmer's Market. I was thrilled that she had pork bones, perfect for making rich stock from the Momofuku Cookbook. She also had coolers filled with grass-fed and chemical free pork, veal, chicken, turkey and beef grown right on her farm in Hardwick! I headed around the corner to load up on sweet carrots (the winter-storing makes them as sweet as candy) from Winter Moon Farm who also had gorgeous watermelon radish and daikons. I chose Fuji and Mutsu apples to bake at home. Upstairs, Jordan Brother's had their scallops that are so fresh you can eat them raw or saute them for minutes. I also got flounder that I sauteed using a recipe from Dorie Greenspan's new cookbook.

Of course I made sure to get fresh bread from Hi-Rise to toast and top with homemade fresh mozzarella and gooey fig-filled burrata from Fiore di Nonna Cheese. And finally, I treated myself to a bar of the newly created and addictive salt and pepper chocolate bar from Taza.

Go alone or bring the children (it is a great activity for kids). But, a bonus-you don't have to worry about bringing cash as the market takes credit cards! Treat yourself to food that is direct from the source and support the farmer's who work so hard to bring it to you. And the best part-it will taste so very, very good.

There is a rotation of vendors at the market, but this week included: Enterprise Farm in South Deerfield, Winter Moon Farm in Hadley, Stillman's Farm in Hardwick, Apex Orchards in Shelbourne, Globe Fish Company in Boston, Hi-Rise Bread Company in Cambridge, Seta's Mediterranean Foods in West Newton, Elaine Hsieh Chocolatier in Somerville, Taza Chocolate in Somerville, Jordan Brother's Seafood out of Brockton, Fiore Di Nonna Cheese's in Somerville.

Somerville Winter Farmer's Market is at Center for the Arts at Armory, 191 Highland Street, Somerville, from January 8 to March 26 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Enjoying Dorie: Cooking from Around My French Table

My favorite cookbook of the year? EASY. In fact, this might be my favorite cookbook (and I have many). It is certainly the one that I am recommending as fast I can. I shouldn't be suprised. After all, the recipes on Dorie Greenspan's blog are always spot on. Anytime I see reference to her baking techinques, I know I am in for a treat. However, one needs just so many baking books. But, when I saw the publication of her first savory cookbook, Around My French Table, I knew I had to buy it as soon as possible. And, oh, how I love this book. I never intended to cook from it so much, but the recipes make me want to drop everything and run to the kitchen. And, in fact, each recipe is a treat. For working parents, better still, almost all the recipes can either be prepared ahead of time or can be made with minimal prep work.

What have I made so far (in order of the recipes in the book)

Gougeres (Cheese Puffs)-I wanted to love these. But they just don't stay puffed. Needless to say, everyone who has eaten them has raved about their rich taste. They demand a redo!

Pierre Herme's Olive Sables-These are...interesting. Mixed reception, but worth trying. The texture is so wonderful that I plan to substitute citrus for the olives.

David's Seaweed Sables-I love seaweed, but I didn't love how the taste transformed after baking. However, some of my taste-tasters thought they were fabulous!

Almost Cheez-Its: Another hit at a party. As a parent, I loved that they took minutes to make and can stay in the frig or freezer until you are ready to make them. They are also just delicious.

Sweet and Spicy Cocktail Nuts-So far, the simplest and greatest success of the book. These are devoured. I have made them with almonds, pecans, and walnuts. No one can identify the use of chili powder, but it adds a subtle smokiness.

Pissaladiere-This was good. The key? Delicious and salty olives to counterbalance the sweetness of the onions.

Corn Soup-This was good, though a bit one dimensional. I far prefered it with bacon on top.

Leek and Potato Soup-Another healthy hit.

Celery-Celery Soup-Delicious. Even better with bits of bacon floating on top!

Creamy Cauliflower Soup Sans Cream-Fabulous and so easy. It will convince anyone to love cauliflower.

Orange Scented Lentil Soup-This is wonderful. It froze beautifully, making for an easy lunch or dinner.

Cheating on Winter Pea Soup-this soup is brilliant. First, it relies on the easiest vegetables to have in the house, including frozen peas. It takes minutes, but the final result is so delicious and misleadingly elegant.

Provencal Vegetable Soup/Garbure from the Supermarket-I mixed these two soups together after a fabulous haul at the Winter Farmer's Market. The key is the sausage. While the soup was delicious on its own, and was a wonderful vegetarian option, spicy andouille lifted the soup to another level.

Beggar's Linguine: This dish beguiled me with the idea of mixing figs, pistachios, almonds and orange zest into noodles. Next time I would just cut back on the butter as it was so rich. This dish would be fabulous with chicken, but I loved it on its own with a glass of wine.

Almond Flounder Meuniere: Um...wow. I loved this. The almonds add a wonderful crunch and this dish is incredibly light. And, of course, it was ready in minutes.

Scallops with Caramel-Orange Sauce-As evidence of my cooking-geekdom, I stared and grinned as the sugar melted into brown caramel. The sauce seemed to be a bit of a cooking-chemistry miracle and is wonderful. I can see it working equally as well on shrimp or even seared tofu.

Chicken in a Pot: A loved the idea of wrapping bread around a chicken. And the resulting chicken was delicious, though my bread tasted more like matzo donut. But it was lovely dipped in the stock/gravy.

Chicken Couscous (Sans Chicken): I had many root vegetables, even after making the Garbure. I also added cinnamon and some aleppo pepper. But it was warm and soothing on a cold winter's eve.

Steak a la Bourguignonne: Oh, this was so delicious. As I was a vegetarian for years, I struggle to make a decent steak. Finally, with the help of a cast iron, some butter, shallots and red wine, it was delicious.

Mashed celery root: This grew on me. In fact, I liked it more when I mixed in some mashed potatoes and some butter. I liked it even more when I browned it in a hot non-stick pan.

Braised endive-while my apples never quite melted, the endive had a soft bitterness that was wonderful with the fruits.

Broth-braised Potatoes: Classic Dorie. I got this ready in less than 5 minutes. They were as healthy as can be, so flavorful and perfect with the Bistro steak.

Long and Slow Apples-These are so ridiculously good. I cut back on the butter and enjoyed them as much warm as cold for breakfast the next morning. Think fancy applesauce or baked apples. The coriander adds an alluring citrusy scent that is hard to identify.

Sable Breton Galette-This sweet, salty and tender oversized cookie is delectable on its own with coffee or tea. I also topped it with some Meyer Lemon curd.

There are over 300 recipes in this book. Part of the joy, then, is that I know that I can continue to take pleasure in the photos, the treats and the techniques that Dorie Greenspan describes so clearly.

The book is available at most bookstores, and, of course, on-line.

Bring on the Snow, Mother Nature: We Have Marshmallows!

Two boys under 5. 4 snow days and counting. An apartment. What exactly do you do? You play in the kitchen, apparently.

Marshmallow Creations: On one of the first snow days, desperate for activity, I grabbed what I could. A few hours later, my kids had created massive asteroid-like sculpture with marshmallows and toothpicks. They used food coloring to create shapes on paper plates and spread it around with straws. I just kept finding things in the kitchen-paper bags, cups, plates, raisins. No, this wouldn't win any environmental awards, but it kept the kids busy and happy.

Pretzels: By the next snow day (and an early release from school!), I stocked up. This time the day began with pretzels. I wrote about them years ago, and they continue to be one of the best things to bake with the kids. Regardless of the shape they create, the recipe from Smitten Kitchen ensures a delicious success as long as you eat them when they are warm. (A day later and they could break your teeth!)

Macaroni Sculptures: Taking advantage of a project from my sons' school, we took macaroni and smooshed them into play dough.

Ironically, one of their favorite activities? Classic: Boxes. Yes. At the last minute I got a few big boxes at the local store. We created beds for stuffed animals, a train and my kids raced up and down the hall in their "Boats." Cheap tongue depressors and q-tips helped add a few more minutes of building and designing.

But, because mother nature is what it is, I am creating next-snow-day back up plans.

First, goo: Just mix cornstarch with water and you get a few hours...and a bit of a mess. But, hey, there is always time to clean it up!

I may also try this new trick: using my i-phone and Legos to create mini-movies. Apparently that is a new You-Tube rage!

We have a box of sugar cookie mix to decorate and, I think pizzas may be up for next time.

Friends added a few ideas: water tables, playing with shaving cream or pudding painting.

Meanwhile I am also planning to buy an indoor trampoline, some roller skates and the new mini-scooters to get my kids some exercise. Red light-green light only goes so far!

Tammy of Food on the Food has written a few great articles about her attempts at fun on these indoor days.

And you? Any other ideas?