Flour Bakery's Intense Chocolate Brownies

For Christmas, Steven gave me the cookbook from one of my favorite places to eat in Cambridge: Flour Bakery + Cafe.

Their roast chicken, avocado and jicama sandwich singlehandedly torpedoed my efforts to save money by bringing lunch from home...but in my defense, it was one of the few lunch foods that appealed to me during the first trimester of my pregnancy.

So we'll just refer to that as a medical expense. Fair's fair.

Anyways, I have my heart set on working my way through the cookbook and I decided to start with another nail in my bring-lunch-from-home coffin, their intense chocolate brownies. These are definitely worth the effort and I'll certainly be making them again. I've decided that I should pull them out of the oven a couple minutes earlier, though, to ensure that I've got the perfect brownie. Flour's owner, Joanne Chang, shares her thoughts on the perfect brownie in the cookbook, indicating that if she wants fudge, she'll eat fudge. And if she wants chocolate cake, she'll eat chocolate cake. The perfect brownie needs to live somewhere in between.

I wholeheartedly agree.

P.S.-You can get the Flour Cookbook HERE.

P.P.S.-While linking to Flour's website I discovered that there is a 2nd cookbook, called Flour Power, in the works! Looks like a broader set of recipes--soups, sandwiches, etc. Can't wait to give it a gander...

Recently on My Radar

While this blog's adoring fans (all 3 of you ;) await the unveiling of the downstairs renovation, I'd thought I'd share some good things that have grabbed my attention lately.

1)

I was peripherally aware of the hype surrounding the release of the final book of Stieg Larsson's Millennium Trilogy this summer, but as I knew nothing about the first 2 books, it didn't really register. Then a coworker lent me her copy of book 1. Halfway in and I was hooked, and the fever only increased with the next two installments. It's been quite a while since I've felt so emotionally invested in a character in a book! Great reads.

2)

Pumpkin White Hot Chocolate recipe from Good Life Eats.

3)

Because this tomboy-turned-scientist could always use a few pointers.

4)

The October issue of Martha Stewart Living featured an article entitled "Grown-up Grilled Cheese" and it's definitely worth a look. I'm aiming to make all ten.

Challenge accepted, Martha. Challenge accepted.

5)

This seasonal treat somehow keeps getting mixed in with our weekly milk delivery. Hmmm, how did that get there? ;)

6)

Yay yay yay! I just won this book in a giveaway from The Non-Consumer Advocate.

Happy Halloween Weekend!

~LT

Pumpkin Spice Pancakes and a Check In

Though the downstairs renovation is by far the dominating factor in our lives right now, we do get a few minutes here and there to celebrate the season in simple ways, such as enjoying these pumpkin spice pancakes for Sunday breakfast before we start the day's projects. To make them, simply add pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla extract to your usual pancake batter. Serve with real maple syrup ONLY, or risk incurring the wrath of the food gods.

As for the renovation status report: the living room, parlor/"girl room", and dining room are all ready for the floor guys to come in and do their thing. We are now working on the foyer, and we're looking at another 2 weeks for sure. Should be interesting, considering the radiators are disconnected and it's getting mighty chilly. (Looks like we are unintentionally participating in the No Heat Challenge, lol.)

I know it will all be worth it, though, and I can't wait 'til it's finished. Especially since I just ordered something new and fabulous for the dining room...

You'll have to wait and see!

Summer Weekends in Maine

*Camden Harbor for fireworks*

*Dinner at Young's Lobster Pound in Belfast*

*A walk in the woods in Camden Hills State Park*

*John's Ice Cream Factory...good, but didn't live up to the hype*

*Clam cakes and chowder in Portland*

Happy Summer!

Veggie Garden

One of the things that I immediately loved about our house was the yard and all of its possibilities....particularly the possibility of taking a stab at a legitimate vegetable garden. (Though at first viewing, that "possibility" was more accurately described as a wildly overgrown rectangular patch of yard, with some rhubarb peeking through the jungle leaves.)

Both my mother and grandmother are avid gardeners, so I grew up eating lots of fresh from the garden produce, which we all know blows anything from the grocery store clear out of the water. Now I want that sun-ripened goodness in MY backyard.

Side note: last year was one of the first years that the two of them collaborated on the same veggie garden. Saying it was on a whole new level is an understatement. Exhibit A:

A parsnip from their garden...yes, a PARSNIP...the thing that usually looks like a white carrot. It took me 4 meals to use it up!

Anyways, in late May, Steven and I grabbed some machetes (okay,okay, we rented a rototiller) and attacked our weed patch, mixed in some composted horse manure, and got ready for some planting.

*In the beginning...*

*Digging In*

*Final product*

We initially left that bush there in the middle because we were hoping that it was something exciting...maybe a currant, or gooseberry, or even hazelnut? But then I saw the very same bush, growing very weedlike and haphazardly on the periphery of a gas station lot. I nixed it about a week ago.

Also, you can see that we didn't touch the last quarter of the veggie patch this year. It's full of Siberian iris that we hope to transplant, as well as home to a haphazardly growing, but productive, grapevine. We're going to address that last section in the fall.

I'll update soon with a current picture of the garden, but here's the current roll call:

-3 varieties of tomato

-eggplant

-bell peppers

-italian peppers

-hot peppers*

-leeks

-kohlrabi

-celeriac

-parsley

-lovage

-yellow summer squash

-acorn squash

-green beans

-cantaloupe

-rhubarb, strawberries, mint, and a grapevine leftover from the previous owners

*I picked these babies up at the garden center because I thought they looked "cute". Turns out that this type of hot pepper--Scotch Bonnets--are among the hottest chili peppers in the world. So much for my quaint little visions of fresh salsa...

Till next time, (get it? get it? ha!)

LT

P.S. A grateful shout out to my mom and grandmother, who supplied the vast majority of the seedlings for this year's garden, as well as numerous other cuttings, and my brother for the horse manure...Muchas gracias!

Heat Wave

Wow, July sure did come in with a vengeance, eh? It's been stiflingly hot, hazy, and humid for a week+ now...but this weekend should bring some relief, via summer thunderstorms. Fine by me, as long as it brings that fresh cool air with it, however briefly.

Speaking of fresh and cool, how about homemade popsicles? I made these strawberries 'n cream popsicles a few weeks ago, and they were a great guilt-free treat for a hot summer night!

We have a couple mangos and a pineapple to use up this weekend, and I'm thinking they'd make a great Popsicle Batch #2. Maybe with a touch of honey? Yum.

Besides that, not too much planned this weekend, just a bunch of home & garden "Must Do's"...which, oddly enough, we now consider FUN. :)

Meat CSA Update and Spiced Lamb Chops

As our first meat CSA session came to a close, I found myself downright conflicted as to whether to renew or not. Don't get me wrong, there is an unmistakable difference in the quality of the meat. More tender, more flavorful, the beef is lean and the pork lusciously fatty. And of course, there's the psychological side of buying local, humanely raised, etc etc etc...it just feels good. The major CON was the inconvenience factor...driving to the city in the middle of a Saturday, even only once a month, is a HUGE drag. Especially in nice weather.

So I was waffling.

And then the country-style pork ribs clinched it. They were so tender and so darn good, simply basted in Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce and grilled. Steven, while savoring each bite, declared them to be the best cut so far. I don't know if I could pick a "best" (the chicken and ground beef would be contenders for that title, as would the pork chops)...but they sure were fantastic.

So we renewed for another 6 months. :)

And on that note, I thought I'd share the latest meat CSA dish:

Spiced Lamb Chops with Mint-Mango Sauce.

When we received lamb chops in our May share, I wasn't really sure what to do with them. I don't exactly have a go-to lamb recipe, you know? So I thought I'd try this little gem from Epicurious (with some modification based on what spices I had on hand). Good stuff.

The lamb chops themselves were excellent, and the spicy crust plus mint from the garden! and mango was a great combo!

Weekend in Review: Puppies, Wedding, and Bruncheon

Can I just take a second to say "I love summer hours"? Oh, I can? Okay then: I LOVE SUMMER HOURS!

Summer hours means I get to work a half day on Fridays and start the weekend early, which has led to such glamorous Friday afternoon activities as getting the car inspected and mowing the lawn. Okay, okay, okay...I know that's not exactly glamorous...but it still makes me happy for some reason!

Anyways, a little photo montage from this past weekend...

*My mom and grandmother stopped by to show off their new puppies!*

*They're 10 week old Border Collie/Spitz/Pomeranian mutts and they are adorable!*

*On Saturday, we attended a lovely wedding at the beautiful Pierce House in Lincoln, MA.*

*It was a really nice wedding...elegant and fun, with great food, and of course, a beautiful couple! (The bride was my manager at my previous job, and she & her new husband are just wonderful people)*

*My hot date, appreciating the architectural details in a room that bears a striking resemblance to the inspiration photo in my last post.*

*On Sunday I hosted a little ladies' bruncheon (no, not a real word. but i like it.) for a couple of my best girls. We all enjoy cooking, so we BROUGHT IT...I made cranberry scones with lemon curd (YUM!) and toasted bagel bites made with honey mustard, ham, tomato and dill Havarti. My girls brought a fantastic veggie quiche and homemade granola with fresh berries. We've decided we need to do this more often.*

And today...back to the GRIND.

Eat Like a Mainer

In amongst my latest stack of goodies from the library was the January 2010 issue of Down East Magazine, the magazine of Maine. It's no wonder it caught my eye, considering the front cover:

Even though it's the January issue, it just screams SUMMER! to me...and what better way to prepare for my impending weekend getaway in mid-coast Maine than to read up on the latest and greatest foodie spots in Maine?

You can read the whole Eat Like a Mainer article HERE, but here are some highlights that I've filed away in my mental rolodex:

John's Ice Cream Factory in Liberty-30 flavors made from scratch with local, fresh ingredients. According to the article, it "might just take the cake" as Maine's best ice cream stand. Author's Note: We will definitely be hitting this place in a couple weeks. I'll be sure to provide a full report. ;)

Ebenezer's Pub in Lovell-Excerpt..."Any beer lover should know and seek out Ebenezer's, which Beer Advocate magazine has named the number one beer bar in America (and the world) the last three years in a row." I'd keep going, mentioning the 700 kinds of bottled beer and 35 beers on tap...but I suspect the first sentence was sufficient.

Bresca in Portland-Friends have been singing the praises of Portland's dining scene for a while now, and I'm thinking Bresca might just be the perfect foray into the feast. The menu is decidedly fancier than our typical beloved Maine fare (as in, I don't think a bib will be necessary ;)...but to be honest, I'm hardly paying attention to anything besides the panna cotta described in the article...something about passionfruit broth with white pepper orange sorbet...

Farmers Fare in Rockport-This place sounds like a very interesting mix between a farmers market, cafe, and agricultural community center. I'm intrigued...

As an aside, a couple of years ago I made an exception to my rule not to buy cookbooks (there's just soooo much available on the internet...why invite the clutter?) for THIS:

It's definitely worth the space it occupies on the bookshelf.

Cupcake Rendezvous

I had to go in to work last Saturday morning (boooooo, hisssssss) and to make matters even worse, I took the 7 am train in. BOOOOOOO. HISSSSSSSS. It's unnatural, I tell you.

However, my internal peace was restored by a little cupcake rendezvous with one of my best friends, LB, who just moved to Boston's South End after many years in a land far, far away.

(That would be Connecticut.)

Side note: LB has joined the blogosphere! Go check out her new, sure-to-be-fabulous blog Girl Meets Beantown, where she'll be detailing her Boston adventures, foodie quests, and more.

Anyways, we went to South End Buttery, a perennial award-winning café on Shawmut Avenue. Café, schmafé...we were there for the cupcakes!

LB got the carrot cake cupcake (fantastic), while I got the red velvet (OK). I also picked up a couple to bring home to the hubby (1 chocolate and 1 vanilla), and they were also pretty good. With the exception of the carrot cake cupcake, they were just not as moist as I would have liked. Really good buttercream frosting, though.

*I call this pic "Dueling Bloggers"*

Pretty sure I detected some eye-rolling at the table next to us. Tsk, tsk, tsk...some people just don't appreciate photojournalism. ;) But my excessive camera usage made it possible to catch this covetous expression on the snooty people's dog's fuzzy mug:

Despite being a little underwhelmed by the uber-hyped cupcakes, I'd definitely go back again...after all, we only tasted their "classic cupcakes". There's a whole other "specialty cupcake" menu.

I need to be thorough, you know!

Marinated Cheese

I wanted to share this fantastic recipe for marinated cheese that came my way through a series of recipe hand-offs...and boy am I glad it did. It's really easy and really, really, really good!

1 lb. feta cheese, cubed

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp. finely minced green bell pepper

2 tbsp. finely minced red bell pepper

2 to 3 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 tbsp. Italian flatleaf parsley, roughly chopped

2 tsp. fresh rosemary (or 1 tsp. dried)

1 tsp. peppercorns

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

Mix all ingredients in a glass jar with tight fitting lid. Refrigerate for several hours, or even several days, flipping jar periodically for best results.

Serve with crackers, crostini, whatever. I prefer to serve it straight from the jar using a cute spreader...which splits up the feta chunks a bit and makes it more of a spread as opposed to individual cheese cubes. **Also, don't worry if you're not a HUGE feta fan. Steven loves this, yet doesn't really care for feta**

It makes a great foodie gift, too!

Some Recent Pics

*Yummy brunch at the beautiful Art Nouveau-inspired Loie Fuller in Providence*

*Spring has sprung*

*Skinny Cat, Fat Cat*

*the impatiens cuttings have sprouted roots*

*J.P. Licks-an integral part of our Meat CSA pickup routine*

*Windows open & fresh air blowing on that one beautiful Saturday*

I could definitely stand another one of those sunny, 75 degree weekends....