Just a reminder that our Boston Marathon fundraising event for The ALLY Foundation is coming up next weekend!

Join us February 25 at 7:00 at Savin Bar & Kitchen and party the night away for a great cause.

We’ll be serving appetizers, but if you have been wanting to check out dinner at Savin, I highly recommend it. They are an awesome local business and have been incredibly helpful in planning this fundraiser. I can’t say enough good things about their food, wine, and cocktails. . . as many of you know we ate there about three times a week this past summer!

Raffle includes prizes from Le Creuset, Edgeware, Nespresso, The Liberty Hotel, Karma Dawn Yoga, Stop & Shop, and more!

RSVP today!

http://www.facebook.com/events/289777451079946/

For those of you who can’t make it but want to enter the raffle, we will be opening it up online sometime next week so stay tuned! Please check out my fundraising page for more details: http://www.crowdrise.com/RunAllyForAChange/fundraiser/MeghansBostonMarathon

Thanks to my fundraising partner in crime Marie for making this beautiful poster! (Did you know we discovered via Twitter that our husbands are long lost first cousins?!)

Technorati Tags: charity, cocktails, Dorchester, events, Savin Bar & Kitchen

Could it be possible Nutella jars look even more beautiful in black and white? Could I possibly have any more work this week? Did you have a good Valentine’s Day?

This week has been absolutely insane with conference calls and new projects. Yay! But, it does get overwhelming to sort of always have to adjust to a new schedule. By the time work and running were done at 7:00 last night, the last thing I wanted to do was to cook. I did want to make something a little sweet and decadent for Valentine’s Day though. Once again I garnered inspiration from my Philadelphia cream cheese cook book (Thanks, Mom!), grabbing a savory recipe and turning it into my own sweet creation.

It involved three ingredients.

1 package refrigerated crescent rolls

4 ounces cream or Neufchatel cheese

As much Nutella as you like

Preheat the oven to 350.

Roll out the crescent roll dough into two rectangles on a lightly greased baking sheet.

Top one of the layers of dough with cubed cream cheese and dollops of Nutella. Honey and cinnamon would also probably be good.

Fold the second layer of dough on top of the first, and push corners down to seal the fillings in.

Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes.

Remove the dough from the oven once it is golden brown on the outside. Set aside to cool, the cut into desired servings. Be sure to heat any leftovers before serving so to achieve the below gooey consistency.

The dough ended up light, flaky, and buttery, and the sweet Nutella was cut by the creamy, more savory cheese. I love desserts with cream cheese or any sort of cheese. (Check out Emily’s Palmiers. I am making these ASAP!)

The end result is not too sweet and made for a dessert that appeals to lots of palates. It also makes an indulgent breakfast with an espresso.

I don’t know about you, but I am ready for the long weekend already. What’s your best trick for getting through an exhausting week?

Technorati Tags: breakfast, dessert, Nutella, recipe

Happy Valentine’s Day! I hope you all get to celebrate love today for family, friends, significant others, and pets. And that you have some Champagne or chocolate or whatever your heart desires.

I celebrated Valentine’s Day a day early yesterday, helping out at the MSPCA Valentine’s Day sale. The sale is also on today at the MSPCA Angell Memorial Hospital in Jamaica Plain. Stop by to pick up flowers, baked goods, dog and cat toys, and other fun items, with all proceeds going to the MSPCA. I was happy to be in the mascot costume; it was a chilly day!

When I got home, I didn’t feel like eating much. I don’t know if it is tiredness from being away over the weekend, or I am coming down with something, but most foods didn’t appeal to me yesterday.

One recipe did, however. My mom gave me a cookbook she received from the Philadelphia cream cheese company, and I zeroed straight in on the Maple Bacon Potatoes Au Gratin. Somehow, though the bins of spinach and other veggies in the house did nothing for me, cheesy potatoes with sweet and salty flavors did. Sometimes you just have to eat what feels good, even if it’s not the healthiest dinner.  I think these would make a great side with any sort of chicken, steak, or pork dish.

Sadly, I deleted all of my prep photos before uploading them. Out of it.

These potatoes are super easy to make. I scaled it back to feed two, which ended up being a portion for about six people.

Before I got started on the ingredients, I preheated the oven to 400.

Then I used my mandolin to cut half a red onion. I added the onion to a dry frying pan and let it get a little browned and crispy, stirring frequently so it didn’t stick.

In the meantime, I cut two large Idaho potatoes into thin slices. I set those aside and got started on the au gratin sauce which consisted of chicken stock, milk, and cream cheese. I basically eyeballed the ingredients until I had a creamy sauce mixed with the onions. To that I added four slices of chopped, cooked bacon and a swirl of maple syrup.

These potatoes need to cook, covered, for a long time. Leave them in for about 40 minutes, then uncover, cook for about 10 more minutes.

What you end up with is a baking dish filled with cheesy, sweet, salty potatoes. The smoky bacon, the crispy onions, the cream cheese, oh the flavor love!

I didn’t feel very well when I started eating, but by the time I finished my first bowl of these, I had my appetite back. I had another bowl, made a fresh carrot and apple juice, and called it a night.

I hope my energy returns!

And I hope you have a wonderful Valentine’s Day. Ever since the blogger dinner at Stone Hearth Pizza, I have been dreaming of a cozy night in with pizza and bubbly, so that’s what we are doing. I might make a special dessert if I am feeling better.

Do you have any fun plans for tonight?

Technorati Tags: bacon, potatoes, recipe

Where, you might be asking? Darryl’s Corner Kitchen and Bar! I can’t believe I have been missing out on this incredible gem in the South End. I first heard about Darryl’s at the Spoonful of Ginger event at the MFA last year. Their fried catfish was crispy and light, and the woman serving was sweet and welcoming. Yet, somehow, with all of the restaurants in Boston, we never got there.

On Wednesday night, we were texting back and forth trying to figure out where to go on a date before I headed to NJ for four days. I was tired from another long-ish run and a crazy work day, and  I didn’t want to go anywhere super fancy. I should tell you that, as much as I like a really nice high-end restaurant, I don’t like eating anywhere super fancy where it’s so quiet everyone looks at you if you drop your fork or something. I like a good level of noise and a feeling of comfort in a restaurant, so when I was browsing through Open Table, I was looking for casual with great food. Darryl’s popped up as having openings, so I checked out the menu. I instantly knew it was the perfect spot for the night.

We were instantly pleased when we walked into the warm, cozy restaurant and saw a jazz band setting up. Darryl’s is dimly lit and has its own unique style, a mix of classic jazz bar meets South End modern.

Our entertainment for the evening turned out to be Phillip Young and Friends, and they set the mood nicely.

I found myself dancing a little in my seat throughout the meal. The music was perfect; we could chat over it. The musicians were super talented, and they looked like they were having a blast.

I kicked off the night with one of Darryl’s specialty cocktails, of which there are many. The “Kind of Blue” featured Cold River Blueberry Vodka, pomegranate juice, and Triple Sec. It was both sweet and tart and actually reminded me of a Sweettart candy. I loved it.

Ordering dinner has never been so difficult. I wanted so many items from all parts of the menu, but I finally went with the first thing I set my eyes on, crispy cheese grits with  beans, greens, and tomato gravy.

My husband had the fried chicken with sweet potato fries and mac and cheese, and we shared a side of cole slaw because I love cabbage and mayonnaise.

Once the food was put in front of us, we stopped chatting and enjoyed the music and the heavenly bites put in front of us. Each bite of crispy grits got doused in a tangy tomato sauce and topped with perfectly made greens. I also snagged multiple sweet potato fries which were lightly sprinkled with cinnamon sugar. Oh, and the mac and cheese? Total, complete cheesy comfort food. This is the place to be after a week of running.

When our server returned to clear our plates, we did not even need to see the dessert menu to know that we wanted the red velvet cake. Our dining neighbors on both sides ordered it, and we were those people, you know, the ones staring at other people’s food.

The cake was the perfect portion, was nice and cold the way I love cake to be, and was layered with slightly sweet cream cheese frosting. I am in love with this cake.

The service at Darryl’s was so friendly and warm; they were busy, and our server had most of the room. She totally took it in stride, smiled the whole time, apologized for any wait, which wasn’t long, and just made the experience fun.

We loved the food, the people, and the buzz about this restaurant. It was the kind of place that makes you smile ear-to-ear, the kind of place you want to linger.

We might go back next week.

Happy Friday! I am blogging from NJ this weekend while my hubs works the Boat Show in Boston.

What are you up to this weekend?

Technorati Tags: Boston, cake, cocktails, dessert, Food, Restaurants, wine

Boston! Just a reminder that tomorrow is the last day to submit a recipe to Where Hash Rules, an ebook on the history of Charlie’s Sandwich Shoppe which is located in Boston’s South End. The book will soon be available on the iTunes Store, and will be an important part of Boston’s history. Want to be a part of it?

It’s super easy. For more information, please see below.

We’re soliciting favorite recipes from chefs and foodies in the Boston area (and beyond) and we invite you to make a submission or two and spread the word to your friends in the culinary community! Charlie’s, winner of a James Beard Award, has been a Boston landmark since 1927.

All contributors will have their photos, blog/website/Facebook/twitter info, and a bio blurb included with their recipes. Thank you for helping with this project!

—

To make a submission, please do the following:
1. Email your recipe, a recent photo of yourself, a short bio, and any social media contact information to wherehashrules ( @) gmail.com.
2. We’ll respond with a confirmation, then let you know if your submission has been accepted.
3. The deadline is Friday, February 10, 2012.
Follow on Twitter: @wherehashrules

Technorati Tags: Boston, recipe

Warning, the photos you are about to see are absolutely atrocious. I seem to have gotten worse instead of better at photography. I’ve also become a lot more self-conscious about taking photos in restaurants, especially during peak times like Saturday night.

What is happening to this blogger?!

Apologies for bad photos out of the way, I am excited to share with you my experience at Trade on Saturday night which, from start to finish, was really spectacular.

You might know that Trade is the latest creation of Rialto’s Chef Jody Adams, Top Chef Masters competitor and much-loved Boston culinary genius. Trade reflects the love of travel of Chef Adams and co-owners Sean Griffing and Eric Papachristos and offers a menu that reflects cuisines from all over the world.

My first thought on entering Trade? I loved how spaced out everything was. Tables are not jammed together or crammed into tight spaces. Everything felt very open, airy, and comfortable. During dinner, our dining neighbors were far enough away that we could only hear our own conversation. I hate tight spaces and being unable to think/speak because I keep hearing snippets of other conversations, so the layout of Trade was a huge plus for me.

I arrived first and decided to have a cocktail while I waited for my friends to arrive. What you see here is an Easy Fashion, and, unfortunately my notes on the drink are in my phone which happens to be somewhere in Boston that is not with me.   I can say that I liked it, with its caramelized citrus flavors. It was a great choice.

Once my party arrived, we were seated and proceeded to have a great meal with delightful and helpful service. We had a hard time deciding on what to order; the starters in particular all looked amazing.

Because of the lighting I didn’t get to photograph everything, but here are some of the highlights.

Whole globe artichoke with cilantro and preserved-lemon aioli

The aioli was the star of this dish, bright, tangy, and creamy. The artichoke itself was disappointing with very little to it. If the artichoke had been more hearty, this would have been a blissful treat.

Avocado with green mango-tamarind-peanut chutney

This avocado dish was simple, flavorful, and something I will definitely be trying at home.

We also shared the local burrata with quince-lemon jam which was gooey cheese perfection enhanced by the sweet jam. Again, this dish was very simple, but did everything right.

I decided to order off of the appetizer menu for my entrée and went with the cassoulet, which arrived very hot and filled with sausage and white beans. It was the perfect portion of this hearty favorite. We also shared some greens with chili flakes and garlic to add some veggies to our dinner. I wish I could make greens this good. They were well-spiced and cooked so that they kind of just melted in my mouth, again a simple preparation of a quality ingredient.

The birthday girl had the local grilled lobster with pickled-artichoke aioli, which arrived beautifully plated and perfectly cooked. The lobster was delicious.

I was quite full by the time dessert rolled around, but we couldn’t resist two of the options, chocolate budino and the below ginger ice cream with spiced chocolate sauce. The ice cream, made locally at Christina’s had a spicy ginger flavor and was topped with chewy crystallized ginger. It was the perfect dessert for me.

The chocolate budino was a rich, thick, mousse. It was heavenly but a little too heavy for the end of a meal.

I’ve read some mixed reviews about Trade, so I was not quite sure what to expect. Our experience was flawless. The theme of the night was simplicity, dishes with a few ingredients executed very well, service that was helpful but not overbearing, and an ambiance that felt comfortable and laid back but still special.

Technorati Tags: Boston, cocktails, Dining out, Food, Restaurants, wine