A Boston Staple

It seems like whenever you ask for restaurant recommendations in Boston you almost always get a recommendation for Legal's Seafood. They supposedly have the freshest seafood in the city and they definitely have the best prices. I went with my friend Edgar recently. He was very thoughtful in his selection and said he chose it since he knew I didn't get to eat seafood that often. As a thank you for a great night full of lots of interesting conversations over the course of a great meal, I'm going to use Edgar's own word for this restaurant review.

Coconut shrimp - The size of the shrimp was impressive. I'm used to having coconut shrimp with shredded coconut instead of shaved coconut, but it was a nice change; although it adds more texture, it doesn't necessarily add any extra "coconut" flavor

Crab cakes, scallop, & shrimp combo - the shrimps and scallops were perfectly cooked, but my favorite were the crab cakes; although they were smaller than I expected, there were hefty lumps of crab meat with just enough stuffing to keep them together..very flavorful. The salad seemed like a garnish. Overall, I think the portion of the dish would be drastically improved if there was one more crab cake.

Stuffed shrimp - I've gotten this before myself and have been very pleased; definitely a heavier dish than one would expect because of the amount of stuffing in the shrimp. It's all very tasty, but if there were less stuffing and larger shrimp, it would be even better.

Key lime pie - As you know I'm a huge fan of key lime pie, and I can say this one hit the mark. The filling was creamy and supple with just enough tartness and the crust was crumbly but not overly soft. I was intrigued by the light colored sauce; although it was a "lemon sauce" it was more creamy than tart, which was great.

Amano Love

Blake Makes had another giveaway for the amazing Amano chocolate. This is a company that not only makes a great product, but they also care about their product. Blake Makes had a giveaway a few months ago and I signed up just in time for the giveaway. The chocolate was delivered but it was never received because someone in my building stole it. In my anger and disappointment I posted on here, needing a place to vent. Art from Amano read my post and sent me a new batch of chocolates. I was so touched and amazed by this. I wasn't expecting it at all. I received that batch of chocolate and made a whole meal out of the chocolate. So needless to say, I was extremely excited when I saw there was another giveaway. I got my bar of Jembrana chocolate a few days ago and decided to do something I didn't do last time: savor it. I decided not to bake anything and instead ate the chocolate. As soon as I opened the package I was immediately overwhelmed with the sweet smell of the chocolate. The chocolate tasted even better than it smelled. It was rich and at first you taste the sharpness of the dark chocolate (this totally awakens your tastebuds) but then you are left with a soft and subtle sweetness (this relaxes your tastebuds). I also have to add that this bar came with the most beautiful artwork on it. The colors were exquisite and it's the type of art I would like for my own private collection.

And now the story how Jembrana met Stephanie:

First there was a box of dark chocolate...


...with beautiful artwork.


Then, Stephanie slowly opened the box
and removed the gold from inside.


She continued to pull the out chocolate until...


...it was all out of the box and unwrapped.


Then she broke it into pieces...


...and ate them all!


THE END!

The Best of the Best

When we lived in Miami the only restaurants that would serve creme brulee were the expensive steakhouses. The dining scene in Boston is different in that respect. Almost all the restaurants up here serve creme brulee for dessert. It's gotten to the point where the allure of this custard dessert has been lost. Until now. I might have just found the most amazing creme brulee on the planet. I had never tasted anything silkier or creamier than this creme brulee. It was pure indulgence that made me believe in the specialness of this dessert. This piece of dessert heaven was compliments of Match in the Back Bay neighborhood of Boston. Match is a burger and martini bar and it's definitely a very hip and trendy restaurant. That's typically not my scene but I would go back a million times just for this dessert.

PS. They have great martinis too!

Chicago in Boston

Although I was born in Chicago and spent my summers there after moving to Florida I never had the pleasure of eating a deep dish pizza. I have, however, had deep dish pizza at Uno Chicago Grill. These pizzas definitely are not for the faint of heart, er, stomach. The pizza crust is what really makes these pizzas because the crust is buttery, crispy, and chewy. Although the pizzas are generally loaded with toppings you get more crust than toppings so carb counters beware! When we went to Uno's recently, I order the pizza of course and it was delicious. I felt like a fatty afterward but it was so worth it. I ordered the personal-sized pepperoni pizza and I couldn't eat it all; the most I can get through is half of the pizza.

Alex was a bit of a rebel and order a bbq burger with bacon and cheddar. What solidified the burger as a great burger in Alex's book were the onion strings.

Because I have been on a chocolate fix lately we ordered the Oreo brownie sundae. Alex was disappointed that the brownie didn't taste like Oreos, but the dessert was enough to satisfy my chocolate craving. The brownie was very fudgy and surprisingly light.

I have no idea how Uno's pizza stacks up against the pizzas made in the hometown, non-chain pizzerias, but this pizza is great. They are very affordable and have a pretty extensive menu. If you don't go for anything else, definitely go check out the pizza. I have yet to find another pizzeria that makes Chicago-style deep dish pizza in Boston.

Happy Blog Birthday!

Another day, another birthday. This time, however, it's my blog's birthday! I can't believe I started this blog a year ago. When I first started this blog I thought it would be a place to post restaurant reviews and a few of my favorite recipes, but then it evolved into something else. Now it's also a place for baking and my random musings. I'm very excited to see where this blog goes over the course of the next year because I am sure it's going to go places I didn't anticipate them going.

In celebration of this special day, I made a cake. Not just any cake either, a chocolate amaretto cake. I had seen the recipe for this cake, which is from The Magnolia Bakery Cookbook, on Bake or Break's blog. I jazzed it up a bit and made an amaretto glaze to top the cake. The cake was delicious and very moist and the glaze was such a nice touch.

Chocolate Amaretto Bundt Cake
Source: The Magnolia Bakery Cookbook (print out here from Bake or Break's blog)

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted
1 cup milk
3 teaspoons almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons amaretto-flavored liqueur

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and lightly flour a 10-inch Bundt pan.

Sift together the flour and baking soda. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer on medium speed, mix the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each. Add the chocolate and mix well. Add the flour/baking soda mixture in thirds, alternating with the milk and the extracts. Beat after each addition until smooth. Mix in the liqueur. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake 45-50 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in pan for 20 minutes. Then, remove from pan and cool completely on a wire rack.

Amaretto Glaze

1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
2 1/2 tsp milk
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 tsp almond extract extract
4 Tbsp Amaretto

Mix all ingredients together. The mixture should be liquid, but still cover the back of a spoon. Pour on cooled cake.

Enjoy!

So delicious!

A Drizzle

A moist slice.

Happy Birthday TWD!

Today is the 1 year anniversary of Tuesdays With Dorie. I remember first hearing about TWD when I would hang around the Nest's What's Cooking? board. It took me a while to sign up for this great group because I needed to get my little hands on Dorie's Baking: From My Home to Yours book. As soon as I got the book I sent Laurie an email and started my weekly baking ritual (first week was 3/24/08 Flan). Dorie chose this week's selection and she chose her French Pear Tart. I didn't participate this week because neither of us are fans of pears and I think Alex would ignore me for a month if I made another dessert with fruit in it. But don't let that deter your from trying this recipe. It seems like a lot of the TWD bakers loved this dessert. Thank you Laurie for starting TWD and spreading the baking joy of Dorie's creations. An even bigger thank you to Dorie for writing and publishing the book that started it all.

Now, in honor of TWD's 1st birthday here are some of my favorite selections:

Madeleines 5/20/08

Sticky Buns 5/27/08

Banana Bread 8/5/08


Chocolate Chunkers 9/16/08


Chocolate Chocolate Cupcakes 10/28/08


Cheesecake 12/31/08

Chocolate Chunk Pecan Cookies

As soon as I set foot in my apartment I was ready to head to the kitchen and bake up some goodies. I looked through all my books in search of the perfect recipe. The recipe had to be comprised of ingredients I had in the kitchen and it had to be a cookie. I was in the mood to bake cookies. I get in the mood to bake certain things, I wonder what that means or what it says about my mood. I was in between a chocolate chip cookie by Nick Malgieri and these cookies. I chose these cookies because they weren't your standard chocolate chip cookie. I think I made the right choice because I have not been able to stop eating them. I halved the recipe and only added 1/2 cup pecans (I'm indifferent toward nuts in my cookies). The cookies were so incredibly chewy and they had such a deep sweetness I hadn't tasted in a cookie (I attribute to the use of dark brown sugar). This cookie is another winner from Jill O'Connor's book. Enjoy!

The Best One-Bowl Chocolate Chunk-Pecan Cookies
Source: Jill O'Connor's Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey

2 cups pecan halves
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chunks

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place pecans on large baking sheet and toast in oven until they are warm and fragrant, 6 to 9 minutes. Transfer to a plate and cool completely.

Place the butter in a large microwave-safe bowl and microwave uncovered on high for 1 minute. Remove from the microwave and stir until completely melted. Using a large wooden spoon, stir both sugars into the melted butter. When combined, add the salt, vanilla, and eggs. Stir until smooth. Stir the flour, baking soda, and baking powder into the batter just until incorporated and a soft dough forms. Carefully fold in the chocolate chunks and cooled toasted pecans.

Use a 2 oz self-releasing ice cream scoop or a 1/4-cup measuring cup to measure out the cookie dough. Place the cookie dough balls on a baking sheet and refrigerate until firm, 45 to 60 minutes. Toward the end of chilling time, return the oven to 350 degrees.

Bake until the cookies are crisp and golden around the edges but still a little soft in the centers without being gooey, 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks and let cool slightly. Transfer the cookies from the baking sheets to the wire racks and let cool to room temperature.

Mmmm....


Yum a million times!


Mouth-watering

Obsession of the Week

It seems like forever since I posted about my most recent obsession. School was my obsession for a while and I am sure it will become my obsession once again very soon. But for now my obsession is beer. While in Miami Alex and I watched a show on the history of beer and it was fascinating. It made both of us curious about microbreweries and we have since gone on a mission to try new beer flavors. I bought myself a bottle of Double Chocolate Stout and Alex got a bottle of Christmas Ale. I have no clue how his tastes since he hasn't opened it up, but I loved mine. It was a very rich and full-flavored beer. It smelled like dark chocolate and even had a hint of the bitterness of dark chocolate.

Since we aren't beer people we need suggestions, so what are some of your favorite beer flavors?

Eggnog Pound Cake

I had seen the recipe for eggnog pound cake on Slow Like Honey's blog and was dying to try it. This dessert was the only thing I baked in Miami because I feel extremely uncomfortable baking in Abuela's kitchen. That's her territory and I don't like to encroach. I think she was happy that I made this cake because she had been urging me to drink eggnog for a few days. Now I must confess that I only like eggnog when it has a lot of rum in it, otherwise I find it too slimy and thick. This cake was a great baking choice and it was perfect for wrapping up and giving away as gifts. The cake did not have an overwhelming eggnog taste but you could really taste the nutmeg. The batter is very thick, so be prepared to give your mixer a workout. If you have a little bit of eggnog leftover from this past holiday season I definitely recommend giving this cake and its glaze a try.

Eggnog Pound Cake with Crystal Rum Glaze
Source: Baking for All Occasions by Flo Baker
Yield: Makes one 10-inch tube cake, 20 servings (3 thin slices per serving)

Pound Cake
1/2 cup dried currants (I omitted)
2 Tbsp dark rum or water (I used rum)
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. nutmeg, preferably freshly grated
8 oz. unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup store-bought refrigerated (rather than canned) eggnog
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1. In a small bowl, combine the currants and rum and set aside to macerate for 15 minutes. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) or 325°F (160°C) if the pan has a dark finish). Butter a 10-by-3-inch Bundt pan, lightly coat it with nonstick spray, then flour it, tapping out the excess flour. Or, butter and flour a 10-by-4 1/4-inch tube pan with or without a removable bottom. If the pan has an intricate design or detail, I take extra precaution, spreading it first with solid vegetable shortening, followed by a coating of nonstick spray, and then a dusting of flour to ensure the finished cake releases in one piece. Have all of the ingredients at room temperature.

2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg onto a sheet of waxed paper; set aside. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-low speed until creamy and smooth, 30 to 45 seconds. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the sugar in a steady stream and continue to beat on medium speed until light in color and fluffy, about 5 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

3. With the mixer still on medium speed, add the eggs, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time, beating after each addition until incorporated and stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. On the lowest speed, add the flour mixture in four additions alternately with the eggnog in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and mixing after each addition until incorporated. Stop the mixer as needed to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla during the final moments of mixing.

4. Detach the paddle and bowl from the mixer, and tap the paddle against the side of the bowl to free the excess batter. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the currants and any remaining rum (I put in the 2 Tbsp of rum). Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly with the spatula.

5. Bake the cake just until the top springs back when lightly touched in the center and the sides are beginning to come away from the pan, 55 to 65 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool in the pan for about 10 minutes while you prepare the glaze.

Crystal Rum Glaze
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp dark rum
2 Tbsp water

1. In a small bowl, combine the sugar, rum, and water and stir with a rubber spatula just until blended.

2. Without delay, tilt and rotate the cake pan while gently tapping it on a counter to release the cake sides. Invert a wire rack on top of the cake, invert the cake onto it, and carefully lift off the pan. Slide a sheet of waxed paper under the rack to catch any drips from the glaze. Using a pastry brush, coat the top and sides of the warm cake with all of the glaze. Let the cake cool completely before serving.

3. To serve, slide the base of a tart pan, a small rimless baking sheet, or a large offset spatula under the cake and carefully transfer it to a serving platter. Cut the cake into thin slices with a sharp or serrated knife.

The mini cakes


Taste testing


All wrapped up

Happy New Year's!

This time of year always gets to me. I love ringing in the new year but I hate accepting that another year of life has passed. Where did 2008 go? Why did it go so fast? I must say "where did the year go?" about 20 times on New Year's Eve because I can't believe that 365 days have passed so quickly and faded away into the land of memories. What was 2008 like for me? It's hard not to reflect on that question when 2009 is breathing down your back and you are trying to figure out what you want to accomplish in the new year. 2008 was a good year for me and, while I am sad to see it end, I am excited to see what 2009 brings. 2008 was the year I got accepted to and started law school. It was the year I quit a job that was sucking the life out of me. It was the year that saw some friendships strengthen and others weaken. It was a year of a beautiful new beginning that was almost 7 years in the making (Congratulations again, girl-Alex!). It was the year that made me fall even more in love with my husband. It was the year I appreciated how my life is filled with the purest of joy because of my dog as we were faced with her multiple health scares. It was the year that I started this blog. There is so much to remember about 2008 but as I sit here trying to write this post, I feel like I am forgetting things because, again, I am not ready for 2008 to be over. What struck me the most about time was going to my mom's house and seeing all these pictures of me that were taken over the years. Going to your parents house after you move out is always a weird feeling, or at least it is for me. It's like going back to a museum of your childhood. I feel like I was just a baby yesterday, an awkward teen a few hours ago, and a blossoming adult 2 minutes ago.

I hope everyone else had a great New Year's. Hopefully 2009 is a year full of many exciting, invigorating, and happy moments. While we can't run from the sad moments, I hope 2009 is defined by those moments that change our lives in a positive way and make us want to live fully.

And now a brief history of this city eater...

As a new born some 20-something years ago

As a toddler aka the last time I would ever look this cute

Becoming a teen. That's my sister who is a hottie now

Senior pictures: I don't know if I'd ever want to be 18 again


Entering adulthood: college graduation


Me, 2008