Boston's ICA Hosts Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series | August 20

I'm not kidding.  Whether you love or hate the cantilevered building, professional athletes from around the world will be leaping off of it into the Boston harbor on August 20.  80 Feet.  Into the harbor.  Free and open to the public.  Gasps welcome, too.

In case you need a better visual, here's the promo.  Vertigo much?



Full death-defying details *here*.

Franklin Park Zoo + Widow Grass

It's all about what you wear on your head. 

And I really wanted to see some dancing....but like most Boston audiences, they're a little too-cool-for-school.  Enjoy.  and Happy Thursday!




Grass Widow "Milo Minute" from what rabbit on Vimeo.
Grass Widow plays for gorillas Gigi, Kiki, Kira, Kimani, Kambiri and Kit, at the Franklin Park Zoo in Boston, Massachusetts.



Directed by Aubree Bernier-Clarke

Produced by Laurel Braitman

Production Assistant: Mikey Stoltz



Our utmost thanks to the hardworking staff of the Franklin Park Zoo and the gorillas.



wizardmountain.org/grasswidow

animalmadness.com/music-for-animals

Happy Evacuation, Boston!

Since 1901, Boston has been celebrating something called 'Evacuation Day' on March 17, marking the day that British soldiers left the city of Boston at the end of the Revolutionary War.

Conveniently, this 'city holiday', all city offices are closed on this day.

image | unknown source

Oh, and Happy St. Patrick's Day, too.

Bonanza at Cabin Fever

I had the pleasure of going to the Cabin Fever Indie Gift Show yesterday and I thought I'd share some of the hot finds I stumbled upon.  There were close to 80 artists, designers, bakers, illustrators - an inveritable whirlwind of creativity packed into the Cathedral High School Gymnasium.  Here are some of the highlights:


24 year old and Little Rhody resident, Stephen Fitch of Moondust Macarons, has mastered the art of the macaron.  I can honestly say they are light and crispy and très authentique.  Picked up a lovely box for dessert.

image : GoLocalProv

For clever and attractive vintage design tees, hoodies, and other great stuff.

 

I'm such a fan of Leah Giberson.  I first saw her art on a post from beachbungalow8, and then

met her this past Fall, at West Elm's We Heart Handmade Art event.  Not only is she local-Brookline talent,  she's a very warm person and a delight to chat with.  Her work has been featured many times on the blogosphere - and elsewhere, but one can never tire of her appealing photography, paintings, collages, and images.  I find them absolutely captivating.

-And seeing as St. Valentine's Day was right around the corner, a shiny gemstone caught my eye.  Sara Danielle Designs - handcrafted precious and semi-precious gemstone jewelry,  was a lovely place to linger and play dress-up.  Only, it wasn't just dress-up.  I did manage to pick up a couple of gems for myself.  Happy Valentine's Day, Karen.

There were also beautifully designed and handcrafted note cards and prints from everythinglittlemiss -

Following our stroll around from artist to artist, I managed to forget to circle back and grab a couple of crazy-delicious-looking brownies.  I know.  Easy enough to replicate, but these just seemed spectacularly good.  From Yummy Mummy Brownies.

Treats for all the senses.  Cabin Fever was a great indie show and I'm looking forward to checking out more events in the area for handmade artistry.

Got Cabin Fever?

Then the 2nd Annual Cabin Fever Indie Gift Show is just what the doctor ordered. And the doctor wants you healthy on Valentine’s Day, so shop indie for your sweetheart! Browse for fabulous handmade wares from 60 of the area’s top independent designers, artists and artisans. Choose from an exceptional array of indie goods: jewelry, handbags and wearables, stationary and paper goods, re-purposed accessories, gourmet foods and flowers, bath and body products, plus lots and lots of chocolate and hearts!

Cabin Fever will be held indoors at the Cathedral High School Gym (also home to the SoWa Holiday Market) in the thick of the SoWa Art and Media district, within walking distance of Boston’s best artist studios, galleries, boutiques and restaurants. Mark your calendars for Sunday, February 13th. Handmade retail therapy at its best!

Sunday, February 13, 2011
11AM - 6PM
Admission - $3

Cathedral High School Gymnasium 

74 Union Park Street, Boston MA

Photos | Richard Avedon | MFA

Photograph: Richard Avedon 
Suzy Parker with Robin Tattersall, dress by Dior, Place de la Concorde, Paris, August 1956

I think today might be the perfect day to pay a visit to the MFA and gaze at some art.  Maybe even lose myself for a while......

Avedon Fashion 1944-2000
August 10, 2010 - January 17, 2011

If only we had a map!

Show some support of painfully delayed transportation - 

 ....because the only thing you love more than the T is.....

Tshirts (ha!  funny.  see how I did that?)

a map of  Chicago's L can also be worn,

or a map of Manhattan's subway.

All hand-stiched.  and found *here*.

Channeling Martha

 
Just scored a ton of Mexican vanilla beans and a case of pretty, little bottles.  

Looks like homemade vanilla extract will find it's way to a coupla doorsteps this holiday-giving season. 

(and since I've already taken care of the holiday cards, maybe I can move a little more slowly over the next 4 weeks.  Jealous?)

The Secret Ingredient

- might come in a cool little package - with all sorts of covert information that could make your next meal/dish/cookie  a nostalgic trip back to Aunt Virginia's farm house in Iowa.

Seeing as it's cook-a-thon season, I thought this would make a mighty fine hosting gift - particularly if you have some recipes that wanna share with your hosts, like Uncle Earl's favorite Whiskey Sour or Nana's crab canapés.

from earmarkinvitations

This handsome packet contains 4 folded cards, 12 flat cards, and 6 tabbed cards to keep your lemon square recipe from your ranch dressing recipe.

And for other clever gifty ideas, check out earmark invitations.  They are a locally-based (Plymouth to be exact) pair of creative and hilarious geniuses.

Stripes Make Everything Better

Gorgeous tea towels.  Not just for tea.

Made by :: 

and purchased here :: 

lekker

I (heart) Hand Made Art

Go to WEbostonevent for rsvp + more info.

Family Comfort Food

(bolognese at sportello from thecincygobbler)

A couple of weeks ago, Scott and I went to sportello for our wedding anniversary.  sportello is local chef-cum-restaurateur Barbara Lynch's take on an urban Italian diner, serving homemade, comfort-y, pastas, soups, and the like.

It was mighty tastey.  Perhaps not the most romantic but the food and wine was exceptional.

So exceptional, that I requested the recipe for one of the dishes that we ordered, the tagliatelle alla bolognese.  What made this sublime was an earthy flavor that can only be found in the addition of the chicken livers.

We've got a big Sutton family gathering coming up this Columbus Day weekend.  I figure hearty + comfort might keep everyone behaving - and then should send folks into a good and proper food coma.

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 large stalk celery, diced
1 large carrot, diced
5 oz. chicken livers, trimmed and finely chopped
1/4 chopped fresh sage
1.5 lbs total of ground veal, pork, and lamb
1.5 cups red wine
1.5 cups chicken or beef stock
1.5 chopped canned tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1 cup heavy cream
Parmigiano-Reggiano
Salt and pepper

Heat olive oil in a large deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add the onion, celery, and carrot, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender.  8 to 10 minutes.  Add the chicken livers and sage, season with a little salt and pepper, and cook, stirring until the livers lose their red color, 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the ground meats in batches, letting it brown a little before adding more.  Season with a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper, and cook, stirring until no red or pink color remains.  Pour off most of the fat.  Add the wine, increase the heat to high, and boil the wine until it's almost gone, 10 to 15 minutes.  Add the broth, tomatoes, and basil.  Bring to a boil and then adjust the heat to a gentle simmer.  You should see an occasional bubble but not a boil.  Cook, uncovered, until the sauce is thick, dark, and rich, about 1 hour.  Stir in the cream, if using, and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes to heat it through.

Serve with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

So cool with lemon granita

This is what I'm doing this weekend::

 (image from mangio da sola)

We've enjoyed some amazingly hot and steamy days in New England this summer.  I've had my Del's fix, and some Italian ice from Boston's North End, but I can't think of a better way to cool off then with this home-made-not-too-sweet granita.  Enjoy.

Granita di Limone (Lemon Granita)
from epicurious

2 to 3 large lemons
1 cup filtered or bottled still water
1/3 cup superfine granulated sugar

Remove zest in long pieces from 2 lemons.  Squeeze 1/2 cup juice from lemons.

In a small heavy saucepan heat water and sugar, stirring until sugar is dissolved.  Stir in zest and transfer to syrup to a bowl to cool.  Chill syrup, covered, until cold.  Discard zest and stir in lemon juice.  Serve.  Yields approx. 2 1/2 cups or 4 servings.

The Urban Grape

Allow me to introduce my newest friend, The Urban Grape. A couple of weeks ago I received a warm email from co-owner, Hadley Douglas inviting me, a local blogger, to their 'Media Day" at their new wine store. Always up for a new discovery, I marked my calendar for the event after conducting a little research on their website and blog. I wanted to know more about what kind of future we might have.....

I'll admit, I was a little suspicious going into to this. After a fairly disappointing experience with other local wine stores, I was not entirely hopeful that yet another wine boutique might meet the needs of me, my friends, or Brookline.

And new relationships can be a little overwhelming, maybe a little unsettling....not sure how much one might have in common, how opinionated, or agreeable...

...but this one is a keeper.


Located conveniently on Boylston Street in Chestnut Hill, I am happy to get in my car and drive the easy 3 miles for a 'date' to check out the latest selection out of their 850 bottles of wine.


The interior is all shiny and new. In fact, the clean lines, organized, and efficient interior might beg for a chilly reception one would find in NYC or any other large city but to the contrary, the greeting I received and conversation that followed with both owners and staff could not have been more congenial, warm, and intimate.



Owners TJ and Hadley Douglas (TJ on the far right, Hadley on the far left) have really done their homework and have created an outstanding environment for sampling and purchasing wine.

I. did. not. want. to. leave.

Add to that, they have a healthy selection of spirits and craft beers (including the ever elusive Saison from St-Feuillien). Staff is available and informed. The whole experience is one I look forward to having again and again.

Expect to hear more about this friend...I'm sure I'll have loads to say about our future together.

7 Boylston Street Chestnut Hill, MA 02467 | 617.232.4831

Belgian Street Food comes to Boston

I just heard that a Belgian street food restaurant (aka post bar, late night snack joint) will be opening up near Quincy Market and Faneuil Hall.

From WHERETOEAT.IN

"Saus, an eatery serving Belgian street food (pommes frites and liege waffles) will be opening at 33 Union St in “the next couple months”. There will be cafe style seating for around 20, and 10!!! dipping sauces for the fries. This, along with 4 dessert sauces for the waffles, promises to make Faneuil Hall bar patrons happy if everything goes through ....."

(image from twitpic)

Pomme frites. Assorted mayo. And tiny little plastic forks.

Saus • 33 Union Street • Boston

It's here - for the time being, anyway.

Spring.

Technically not until March 20, 1:32pm does the March equinox occur but with the abundant sunshine we're experiencing in Boston there's proof that it's dropping by for a while.

I've spotted these snowbells, snowdrops, Galanthus nivalis aplenty on my daily runs -small, little harbingers that they are.

(from flickr)

(from flickr)

(from flickr)

(from flickr)

(from flickr)

Eddie Izzard plays Boston

Mr. Izzard will be appearing tonight, January 12, at TD Banknorth.

(and I'm going)





"...a couple of sandwiches short of a picnic...."

Donuts and Deval

The mission: To check out the 54th Regiment Monument and the Hall of Flags in the State House

The assignment: Family Exploration of Boston: A Third Grade Social Studies Project for School. For real.

After the T, and some dilly-dallying with cameras, monuments, and donuts.......





we wend our way to the inner sanctum of the State House.....

only to find a closed-off ceremony taking place in the exact room we were hoping to enter.

but! the ceremony ends.....

and! we spot the Governor of Massachusetts, Deval Patrick.


and he's shaking hands and the crowds thinning.....and before you know it, the Governor is wiping donut crumbs off the chin of a certain Brookline 3rd grader and a photo is taken.


Crumbs free.

A Carnivore's Delight

Perhaps the best way to celebrate 15 years of marriage with a Kansan is to take them to a charcuterie? Maybe enjoy a cocktail among the industrial refrigeration units filled with cured meats, and pâtés?

and since this Kansan might also enjoy a faux trip to Paris, where diners can sit along side the jars of nuts, olives, or moutardes for sale.....

or be amidst the breads, cutting boards, cutlery, and the like...

where a foie terrine can be studied, appreciated, and savored like only foie can....

or where you might find the antipasti is the perfect amount
of meats and fruit/sweet and savory....

then going to The Butcher Shop is the only proper answer.

552 Tremont St.
Boston, MA 02118
Phone: 617-423-4800

Fax: 617-423-4840
Email: info@thebutchershopboston.com

Website: thebutchershopboston.com

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