Allow me to introduce my friend, Hendrick.....

And his ever classic Gin and Tonic.

Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times

I've recently decided that the only suitable way to make a most delicious (if not somewhat magical) G & T is with Hendrick's Gin. "Hendrick’s is an iconoclastically produced small batch gin distilled in Ayrshire, Scotland."

Contained in a nice squatty bottle, this gin is a fairly recent addition to the typical spirits found on the shelves in your local liquor store. Although one might beg to differ - studying the clever label - you would have the impression that this Gin is centuries old. It's not. He's a modern dude, made by some wickedly clever Scots with a very rare distiller, one of four in the world.

And rather than a tall, slim bottle like Tanqueray or Bombay Sapphire, this short, rotund bottle is a little reminiscent of something you'd see in some old apothecary collection. And apparently, the Scottish creators of Hendrick's wanted to maintain a certain protectiveness and mystique to their handcrafted, small-batch gin. In doing so, they decided that an apothecary bottle would do nicely, which holds a liquid that pours like oil and tastes like a crisp cucumber.

"Hendrick's has no shortage of eccentricities. It's the gin from Scotland. It's the gin in the cute green cardboard tube. It's the gin made with cucumbers. Yeah, pretty weird. But when you drink it, you know Hendrick's is more than its tag-line, "a most peculiar gin," suggests. It was obviously crafted with care by distillers who understood why cucumber (and rose petals, too) would blend so nicely with juniper, coriander and lemon zest. Like all true eccentrics, it makes a strong impression in this case, one well worth remembering ($30)......" (from Food&Wine)

....and the only proper way to toast to the waning hours of the hot, beachy days of summer.

Classic Gin and Tonic
3 ounces Hendrick's
Tonic
Wedge of lime

Fill a chilled old-fashioned glass halfway with ice cubes, and pour in the gin. Gently rub the lime wedge around the rim of the glass, squeeze in a few drops of juice, and drop the lime into the glass. Top with tonic, and gently stir once or twice.

Thaltha? No, Salsa!

It's high corn and tomato season these days....and with all the wet and rain in July, it's really only questionable tomato season. We've found a couple of excellent heirlooms, picked out some meaty beefsteak but my go-to for a dish that requires fresh tomatoes are cherry tomatoes. Not the grape ones but the miniature round, juicy ones that are actually seasonal this time of year. They're Lilliputian versions of a beefsteak, in my humble opinion.

Since I tend to visit the farmer's market with the underlying panic of Armageddon-as in, this might be the only chance I have in my entire life of getting anything that tastes like it's supposed to, I always come home with an armful of corn.

And with much of the leftover corn that's been steamed to perfection, I came up with this recipe so that none of those golden, sweet nuggets of goodness will never go to waste.

Cherry Tomato and Corn Salsa
Yields 2-3 cups

4 ears of steamed corn, kernels removed
2 pints of cherry tomatoes
4 stalks of scallions, chopped
1-2 jalapenos, to taste *
1/2 cup of cilantro, chopped finely
Juice of one lime
Teaspoon of olive oil
Teaspoon of white balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients. Allow to sit at room temperature up to one or two hours before serving for flavors to combine (this is key!).

*a word on heat: I tend to go easy on jalapenos with this dish as too much kills the sweetness of the corn and meaty tang of the tomatoes

Guerilla Gardening in Brookline

The street on which we live is a very typical urban street, a couple of apartment buildings, office buildings, a single family house here and there but it's not necessarily grassy nor does it evoke any idea of open free space.

Yet, just down from our apartment sits 200 feet of garden. Right along the road, with sidewalk on one side and an ugly chain-link fence on the other, is one single row of bean plants, tomato plants, cukes, etc.

This is not something one would find on their way to work on our street. You're more likely to find weeds along the road, or the occasional urban flotsam and jetsam that line the roadside.

This 200 Foot Garden is quite a treasure and one that has much to offer, to both the neighborhood and regular pedestrians that stroll by daily on their way to catching the T.

Watch gardener and co-creator, Patrick Gabridge, explain what he and his wife, Tracy, had in mind:




Tracy Gabridge also writes Beyond Dinner, Patrick writes The Writing Life x3.

I'll be a jammin'

We've got another week off next week, to spend with family(s). With our 10 days away, five will be with my brother and his tribe in Quogue, NY and the other five with Scott's people in RI. Both beachy spots, both should be relaxing, salty, and indulgent.

I've made my weekly trip to my friends at South End Formaggio for the impressive goods. Collected a decent selection of wines and makings for some awesome cocktails (by the way, I'll digress a bit here: in lieu of simple syrup, fresh citrus, and/or other bar bells and whistles, might I suggest FRESCA as a crazy alternative. I know, I'm a purist at heart and yeah, yeah, aspartame,....but it's not a bad go-to. "Crisp And Refreshing" - and everyone loves a little walk down memory lane. I definitely would not recommend TAB, but FRESCA is actually swoony delicious on a hot summer's eve, especially if it's laced with something).

For a homemade treat, I've got a little Peach Jam in the works. Peaches are in season, and with all that sweetness, natural pectin, and vibrant yellow I think it will go very nicely with the cheese and baguettes I've got at the ready.



Here's the deal, from Food & Wine:

Ingredients
1. 2 1/2 pounds peaches—peeled, pitted and cut into 1/2-inch wedges
2. 1 1/2 cups sugar
3. 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions
1. In a nonreactive saucepan, toss the peaches with the sugar and let stand, stirring, until the sugar is mostly dissolved, 1 hour.
2. Add the lemon juice to the peaches and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Simmer over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the fruit is glassy and the liquid runs off the side of a spoon in thick, heavy drops, 20 to 25 minutes. Skim off any scum that rises to the surface of the jam.
3. Spoon the jam into three 1/2-pint jars, leaving 1/4 inch of space at the top. Close the jars and let the jam cool to room temperature. Store the jam in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

"I'll eat you up, I love you so"

Where the Wild Things Are comes out October 16. Directed by Spike Jonze, written by Dave Eggers and Spike Jonze.

I've watched this trailer maybe 15 times.....and it still makes me cry.

Harry Patch - In Memory Of Britain's last WWI Veteran

In honor of Harry Patch, Britain's last WWI Veteran,
Radiohead recently released a new song.

I'm choosing to share it with you because I find it a very moving, hauntingly beautiful song.

(let us never forget)


Harry Patch
~ 17 June 1898 - 25 July 2009 ~

(from Radiohead's site, DeadAirSpace)

Harry Patch (In Memory Of)
"i am the only one that got through
the others died where ever they fell
it was an ambush
they came up from all sides
give your leaders each a gun and then let them fight it out themselves
i've seen devils coming up from the ground
i've seen hell upon this earth
the next will be chemical but they will never learn"

From Thom:
"Recently the last remaining UK veteran of the 1st world war Harry Patch died at the age of 111. I had heard a very emotional interview with him a few years ago on the Today program on Radio4. The way he talked about war had a profound effect on me. It became the inspiration for a song that we happened to record a few weeks before his death. It was done live in an abbey. The strings were arranged by Jonny. I very much hope the song does justice to his memory as the last survivor.

It would be very easy for our generation to forget the true horror of war, without the likes of Harry to remind us.
I hope we do not forget.

As Harry himself said
"Irrespective of the uniforms we wore, we were all victims".

This morning the Today program played the song for the first time and now it is available to download from our website.

Please click here to download.

The proceeds of this song will go to the British Legion.

To peace and understanding.
Thom"

Age is of no importance, unless you are a cheese

Getting laid off certainly has had it's perks. For one, I have loads of time....loads and loads. Too much time, I'd say. And with this time I might complete a whole slew of chores, projects, or any amount of productivity.

Or, I might find my way down to South End Formaggio to see what's going on.

I'm very nearly a stalker of the sweet, little, crowded urban food purveyor and try as I might to disguise myself with a hat, glasses or eye patch, I'm beginning to wonder if they think of me as some kind of cheese/food dork.

Part of the adventure of visiting this shop is taking in all the handsome lads that are employed here. Every single one of them exudes jubilance over the latest cheese-condiment-charcuterie-hand-made-sweet treat - very nearly taking me with them to that Nirvana-like place with a bite of some new discovery. I'm not kidding. The guys that work here are often bearded, cute, and charming. They also know their product. I'm telling you, it's a winning combination.

With today's trip I wasn't really interested in any purchase, more in the oh-hi-again shy shuffle that I tend to do at the cheese counter. But today happened to be the day that a collection of cheeses had just arrived from Belgium.



Suddenly, a theme! Two years ago we spent 2 months in Brussels.....why not take a trip down memory lane with some food?! (novel idea, first of it's kind actually....why, I never use food as anything sentimental or memory-laced celebration.....no......never).

And so VCBCG (very cute bearded cheese guy) introduced me to the following:

Valençay Belgique

This fresh goat cheese has a thin skin of ashed (vegetable ash, to be exact) rind and a moist, creamy texture, a beautifully bright flavor with herbal and floral notes and a lingering finish.

Best served with a drizzle of sweet honey.


Rouleau Belgique

(missing from its portrait due to purchase)

This is another goat's cheese but without the ashed rind. It arrives and then is aged further at Formaggio (in some dark, moldy, and well-loved cave I'm sure)
before it's on the shelf. Also best served with honey.

Boerenkaas Alt

(a cow's cheese that aged 2 years, aka Belgian Gouda)

What I liked best about this semi-hard cheese is the grainy texture
and it's perfect salty-sweet combo in taste.

Too bad I had to check out the honey shelf, what with my new collection of cheeses-that-need-honey. Hard to pick just one, such pretty packaging....such lovely descriptions. I passed over the $10.95 Tuscan import and went with a regular old jar of yellow goo. But I certainly loved the checking out the inventory.

South End Formaggio
268 Shawmut Ave.
Boston

Monday - Friday: 9:00am - 8:00pm
Saturdays: 9:00am - 7:00pm
Sundays: 11:00am - 5:00pm

Une serviette s'il vous plait?

Need a little sum'n-sum'n for the hosts of that Friday night soiree'? Used all of those uber-cool cheapo IKEA paper napkins at the last cocktail party? Want to add just a little shazam to your already clever menu of homemade apps and drinks?

Get the party started with this set of twelve fabric cocktail napkins.
The perfect gift for yourself or your favorite hostess.

Each napkin is a different pattern - so guests can keep track of their drink. These also do double duty as coasters - rest a drink on them or use them to wipe fingers after snacking.

Double sided coasters in twelve complementary patterns.
They are pre-washed and pressed, so no shrinking after the first use.
My friend Marie gave a set of these to me and I use them all the time.

Found at Etsy and Pod. From Cornwagonthunder.

Holding it just so....

Talented photographer Michael Hughes travels all over the world and takes pictures of cheap souvenirs in front of famous landmarks.













To view more work by Michael Hughes, visit hughes-photography.eu