A FoodieMommy First: A Contest!

It is the 3rd Anniversary of FoodieMommy and time for a first: The First Ever FoodieMommy Contest! And, yes, there is a prize!

To enter, send an e-mail with your favorite FoodieMommy find in the Greater Boston area (ideally with the website and/or address). Include a few lines about why it is such a great place to bring kids and why others should check it out. Make sure to send along your contact information. (Nope, this won't be published. Unless you offer to send my family on a vacation that is actually more than 10 miles from here. Then we will have a party in your honor. Or unless you want to provide a nanny service for the 5:30 a.m. wake ups. Then we will have a big party in your honor.)

A winner will be randomly chosen (otherwise known as the 3 year old pulling a name out of a hat before the 15 month old eats said paper). Thanks to the folks at McCormick and Schmicks Seafood Restaurant, the winner will receive a gift certificate to check them out.

The contest will be on for the month of June, so send your ideas to Foodiemommy@gmail.com

Thanks and best of luck!

Great Dim Sum in the 'Burbs: Green Tea, Newton

Dim sum is perfect food for families. I have previously written about great Dim Sum in Chinatown, but there are just those days that a trek into Chinatown and time searching for parking is just too daunting. Green Tea in Newton offers an excellent alternative for harried parents. The convenient location which is right off Route 9, combined with delicious food, makes it one more option for those Saturday and Sundays when you are just craving shrimp shu mai, steamed buns filled with pork or mushrooms or silky tofu bathed in sweet, gingery sauce.Rather than ordering dim sum from carts, at Green Tea you choose off of an extensive menu. Although you don't get the instant gratification of eating what you pointed as, as you do at Chau Chow City or China Pearl, the food is made to order. This means that the chicken wings (my 3 year old's favorite) were piping hot, crisp and moist. For my husband, this meant a steaming plate of chewy chow foon noodles coated with a garlicky, soy sauce and topped with chicken and vegetables. And for me and friends: tender crystal shrimp dumplings and warm pork steam buns.Other wonderful dishes included fresh sauteed greens, redolent of garlic and sauteed perfectly, and a cold roll of crisp and chewy tofu skin wrapped around vegetables called "vegetarian tofu wrap."

My youngest son and I loved the comfort of the warm tofu and we all enjoyed the quirkiness of taro coated in small tapioca pearls.
Green Tea also offers items for more adventurous dim sum eaters such as cold jelly fish, chicken feet with black bean sauce and shredded pork ear. Somewhat less successful were the sesame pancakes with beef. These were heavy and lacked the flavor of other dishes.

With over 60 dishes and specials offered each week, eating at Green Tea offers the opportunity to eat a range of delicious dishes, for a reasonable price without having to stray far from the 'burbs.

Green Tea, 24 ELLIOT ST. NEWTON, MA 02461. Tel: (617) 965-2260/

2261

Chef Ana Sortun: A True FoodieMommy

(Photo from Oleana)

It was mid-way through my interview with Chef Ana Sortun when I asked, “Where do you take your daughter out to eat?” Chef Sortun is the owner and head chef at both Oleana in Cambridge and Sofra in Belmont. She won the James Beard Award in the Northeast for her cooking in 2005. Like me, she is the mother of a three year old. In that moment I truly believed we would bond. We would laugh as we proudly noted that we are not the type of moms who take our kids to McDonalds. No! We are FoodieMoms who take our kids to cafes and high-end bakeries like Flour. But, no, Ana Sortun replied, “We just took her to Craigie on Main.”

Craigie on Main? Did she just say Craigie on Main??? Don’t get me wrong-I love the place…for nights when we have a babysitter. This is the type of restaurant that offers “Red Wine-Braised Pigs’ Tails.” In fact, the only seemingly-toddler friendly dish is a burger…that costs $18.00 and is listed as being made with “local grass-fed beef, three-year Grafton cheddar and mace ketchup.” Chef Sortun went on to explain that she, her husband and daughter go early, order a few dishes and leave before melt-down happens. Taking my two sons to Craigie-that had never occurred to me.

Chef Sortun and her husband Chris Kurth (owner and farmer at the 50 acre Siena Farms in Sudbury) do not allow a toddler to prevent them from going out to eat. Instead Sortun identified 3 main strategies that they use to have wonderful meals out as a family. First they go on the early side. Second, they try to be up front with the wait staff about the fact that they may not have quite as much time as some people to enjoy dinner. Finally, they share food family style. The meal includes a few appetizers or a few main dishes that are brought out at the same time. This enables Siena, Sortun and her husband to be able to enjoy the food without waiting for the next course.

In general, encouraging children to eat well can be a challenge. At our house, our older son will happily eat fresh fruit, edamame and whole wheat bread. Yet his standard repertoire still consists of yogurt, packaged orange mac and cheese, hot dogs and processed chicken nuggets. Chef Sortun noted that her daughter’s favorite foods included seaweed salad, lobster and “fistfuls of salad.” She went on to point out that Siena is often out in the fields at Siena Farms with her father, picking vegetables and eating “bitter kale.”

The reality is that for many of us, desperate dinner nights mean grabbing the box of mac and cheese. Meanwhile, in the Sortun/Kurth household, not only is food central but it is also homemade and incredibly seasonal. Sortun remarked that in the winter, cooking is “more about technique and using longer cooking methods.” She tries to use winter weekends to prepare a couple of dishes for the week, such as chicken soup, wheat bulgar pilaf or big batches of rice. But in the summer, she adopts a much simpler form of cooking because the vegetables are so fresh and the ingredients are so pure that even she will sometimes simply serve them with salt, rather than the spices that are central to her reputation as a chef.

In fact, one of her key objectives in opening Sofra, was to help parents recognize that children are willing to eat food that is more complex than nuggets and to provide an easy alternative to fast food. Thus, at Sofra, rather than sandwiches, there are flatbreads (called yurufs) stuffed with items such as chickpeas, potatoes, labne and zaatar. Instead of a salad bar, there is a mezze bar with whipped celery root with walnuts and garlic. Sortun shared a comment made by Alice Waters of Chez Panisse, who had visited Sofra. Waters noted that because the dishes served at Sofra are less typical than what you see elsewhere, it pushes customers to “stop and pay attention” to the food they are eating. And unlike Oleana, which is a sit-down restaurant, the informality of Sofra itself encourages families to visit.(Photo of Sultan's Delight From Oleana at BostonChefs.Com)

When I admitted to Sortun that it had never occurred to me that I could actually take my kids to Oleana, she pointed out that many more restaurants are open to having children than families may think. For example, she noted that especially in the summer, when the garden terrace at Oleana is open, it is a wonderful spot for kids. She also emphasized that she and her staff love seeing kids at Oleana. Sortun named other restaurants that are particularly kid-oriented: Oishii 2 in Sudbury, Summer Shack in Cambridge, Sportello in Fort Point Channel, and several South End restaurants that are often frequented by families.

Sortun and Kurth are clearly raising a daughter who appreciates good food, and not merely the fancy stuff. Sortun laughed as she explained that Siena is already becoming a critical eater. She recalled a time when Siena was upset that her salad was topped with fried onions, exclaiming, “I don’t want French fries on my salad, Momma! I just want my salad.”(Baked Alaska Photo Above From Oleana at BostonChefs.com)

Sortun and her husband define the ultimate foodie parents. They are role models for the rest of us. So am I making a reservation at Craigie with the boys? Not just yet. Oleana? Perhaps-for me and my husband. I am not sure my toddler will appreciate the Sultan's Delight (tamarind glazed beef and smoky eggplant puree with pinenuts) or the baked Alaska with coconut ice cream and passion fruit caramel as much as we do. But as for Sofra, we have already penciled it in.

Oleana, 134 Hampshire St, Cambridge, (617) 661-0505
Sofra, 1 Belmont St, Cambridge, (617) 661-3161
Siena Farms

Put This On Your Calendar for Next Year: Two Brookline Festivals

(Above artwork created by Caitlin Burch Glassworks, Little Man Bags and Baby and James Guggina Ceramics)

Before children, FoodieDaddy and I often explored each of the Artist Open Studio options in the South End, Jamaica Plain, Brookline and Cambridge. But curious toddlers don't mix well with hand blown glass. This past Saturday, we had the chance to view a spectactular range of work from over 70 artisans and craftspeople at the 31st Annual Coolidge Corner Arts Festival. To make the event even better, the Second Annual Brookline Food Festival was held adjacent to the artists. Two dollars bought a sample of food from a range of bakeries and restaurants and all the money went to the Brookline Food Pantry.My husband and I alternated between playing with the boys at the playground directly next to the Devotion School in Brookline and exploring the works of art that were displayed in the courtyard of the school. The range and quality of ceramics, jewelry, glass, photography, mixed media, textiles and fiber arts were breathtaking. The prices, on the other hand, were reasonable for the caliber of the art work. We then brought the kids over to sample food. My favorites? The grilled sirloin with horseradish cream from The Fireplace, the crusty French bread from Clear Flour Bakery and hummos bread (!) from When Pigs Fly, the elegant and addictive fig and nut biscotti from Tatte's Cookie's and Cakes and heavenly vanilla cupcakes from Party Favors. If you missed it this year, you can still go to the Coolidge Corner Arts Festival website and get a list (with images and websites) of each of the artists. Better still, mark it down for 2010.

A First Glance at This Year's Natick Farmer's Market

The Natick Farmer's Market opened up on May 16th. Just like last year, it is worth seeking out on the corner of Route 27 and 135 each Saturday morning from 9:00 to 1:00 p.m. While all the farms aren't yet here, you can still create a wonderful meal with each visit. We often start by buying delicious meat from Chestnut Farms. A working farm, all their animals are humanely raised and antibiotic free. Their hamburgers are delicate and grill up quickly and the chicken actually has taste. We recently enjoyed a beautiful tomato focaccia from Rise Bakery. My other new favorite is the Small Ax Farm stand. Run by a woman named Melissa, she picks all the vegetables each morning. So far her main offerings have included kale, swiss chard, arugula, and lettuce greens as well as scallions, fennel and sage. However, she hopes to have garlic, eggplant, tomatoes, sweet and hot peppers, cabbage and beets as the summer goes on.

Finally, I was thrilled to hear that Deb Sayre, manager of the market, has arranged for the market to reopen in January for the first ever Natick Winter Farmer's Market! I first heard about this option in Providence, Rhode Island. I loved the idea that farmers and food artisans would have extended opportunities to share their goods. For consumers it means a wonderful chance to eat well and support local farmers throughout the year. Deb has a number of farmers lined up to sell their goods at the nearby Johnson School (99 Main Street in Natick) but great news-she is still looking for more vendors. Anyone interested can call her at 508-259-9118.

One of the Best Deals in Town: Pho Viet at the Super 88 Food Court, Boston

I have previously raved about how the Super 88 Food Court in Allston is one of the great places to take kids for a meal. But the truth is that I really only go to eat at Pho Viet. For me the hardest part of going to this Vietnamese stand is not ordering the entire menu. I will even admit to driving far out of the way to get there! Because of the distance I am willing to go, I often order about 5 to 6 things and consume them over the course of a few days. Each item is so well made and is so inexpensive that it never feels too extravagant. However, know in advance that their food is best eaten fresh, topped with crunchy herbs and vegetables.

I love so many parts of this place. First, as a number of the choices aren't well known (there are very few authentic Vietnamese restaurants outside of Chinatown and Dorchester), the descriptions, photos and warm service help tremendously.For a special treat, I sometimes order the fried spring rolls. They are crisp with minimal oil and filled with shiitake mushrooms and carrots. These rolls are pretty perfect and you can almost convince yourself that they are healthy. As an alternate, you can also order their fresh rolls which consist of rice paper tucked around vegetables and served with peanut sauce.

One of my absolute favorite dishes are their bowls of chilled pho or rice noodles. (Pictured at the top of the post). You will get a dish filled with noodles and covered in pickled daikon, carrots, cucumbers, mint, scallions, and cilantro. You choose your protein (I lean towards the lemongrass chicken or the roast pork) and end up with a dish that is simultaneously crispy and sweet, rich and light. The key is to first pour on the side of fish sauce and, if you are so inclined, some spicy sauce. The flavors just explode-salty, sweet, crunchy, juicy, hot.

Their best deal (not that anything is expensive) is one of the best sandwiches in Boston- Banh Mi for $3.25. In fact, on many occasions I have seen people walk away with BAGS of these items. They are so good. A hold over from French occupation of Vietnam, the Banh Mi consists of a fresh, crispy French roll filled with any protein (again, lemongrass chicken and pork are my favorites, though some days I just go for the tofu). In addition, the sandwich is spread with mayonnaise. Finally, add on stalks of cilantro, daikon and carrots which add a satisfying crunch. These don't travel particularly well, so eat one while you sit there and take the soups to go.

And I can't end without raving about their soups. Each one is made with homemade broth. The chicken, for example, is scented gently with star anise and cinnamon. The most popular, which I haven't quite had the courage to try, is beef with tripe. Either way, you get a huge steaming bowl of homemade broth filled with either rice or egg noodles. It is served with a side of onions, cilantro and lime. These add a critical and completely delicious layer of flavor. If you order their soups to go, they package each part separately so the noodles don't get too soggy or the vegetables too limp.

There are also wonderful (especially for children) multicolored sweets. Some are filled with taro, other mung beans, in addition to sweet gels and creams. But, my dessert is consistent: a cup of hot soy milk! It may sound either completely unappealing (if you are not a soy milk fan) or boring. But this is the real thing-homemade and steamed. It is warmth in a cup. It tastes like a thin vanilla shake-just a bit nutty and creamy but light. It is perfect paired with hot foods to cool things down.

I can't get there enough. And I can't wait to eventually try more of the menu!

A Menu Of Note: Nebo Pizzeria and Enoteca, Boston

(Top 2 photos, courtesy of Nebo)
The calamari was pretty close to perfection. Completely greaseless, the perfectly fried morsels were crispy and tender. Unlike the frozen, heavy versions that are so often served, with a sprinkle of salt and lemon juice, these addictive pieces were light and clearly from the freshest calamari possible. Meanwhile, my husband's eyes had glazed over as he spooned more of the molten eggplant timballo into his mouth. A baked to order mix of tangy tomato sauce, eggplant and caramelized mozzarella, this dish took the idea of eggplant parm to another level. Most remarkably, both of these antipasti were from the gluten free menu that is offered at Nebo in Boston. For any parent who has a child with food allergies, and for any person who has food allergies, the opportunity to hold an entire menu's worth of delicious possibilities is incredibly empowering. Perched on the edge of the North End, within walking distance of the Boston Garden and the beautiful Zakim Bridge, Nebo was opened in 2005 by sisters, Christine and Carla Pallotta. Having grown up in the North End, they originally wanted to create the kind of restaurant they were searching for at the end of a long day's work: a relaxed atmosphere and a variety of small plates (Italian tapas of sorts) that they could share with a group of people. But the sisters made this restaurant infinitely more personal when they chose to use their mother's recipes.Yet out of a desire to offer friends who ate gluten-free the same delicious items, they set out to recreate their best dishes without sacrificing the quality. And, finally, this past February, they added a full menu for interested guests. (We were invited by Nebo, in large part, to try out this new menu). With additional items that are egg-free and a willingness to create cheese-free pizzas, Nebo is not only a great restaurant, but one that is a stand out for its variety of great foods. Someone with food allergies doesn't have to give up the pleasure of eating well when they dine here.

Nebo offers so much for so many. First, the atmosphere is casual enough to grab a meal before a game at the Boston Garden, or where you can have a nice meal for two. And with antipasti, pasta, pizza and bruschette, it is easy for anyone to eat well for under $20.00.

In addition to the calamari and timballo, other memorable items included a burrata cheese flown in from Italy. (It is also pictured at the top of this post.) A sensuous combination of mozzarella with a creamy, buttery inside, it was topped with a fig balsamic glaze and alongside tender prosciutto di parma. It was served with their signature grilled bread, made in-house with a potato base and touched with garlic.

The pastas are rolled by hand, giving the tagliatelle a toothsome texture that held up to the rich marscapone and mushroom sauce. The pizzas are a thin crust style. We loved the tangy tomato sauce and brightness of the basil, though one less minute of cooking time would have helped the crust to be a bit more chewy than crisp.FoodieDaddy and I were of two minds about the Bresaola al Carpaccio. Consisted of slices of dried cured beef, it had a woodsy, deep taste that was complimented by arugula. I can't say that the taste grew on me, but it was intriguing to try and was a lighter alternative to other meats. FoodieDaddy wasn't a fan.

For desserts we tried a smooth cappuccino gelato (also made in-house) and a creamy ricotta pie, based, again, on a family recipe.At the heart of this restaurant is family-a family that loved food, a mother that was willing to share her recipes, and two women that with the support of a greater community set out to create a wonderful space for all people. And with such an inclusive array of delicious and affordable food, we will be back...with our sons.

Nebo Pizzeria and Enoteca 90 North Washington St, Boston 617.723.nebo (6326)