We spent a lovely evening at Bergamot a few weeks back and enjoyed their AMAZING tasting menu.

It is 7 courses for $75/person with optional wine pairing $50/person, which we didn’t do since Kevin is more of a beer guy.

The food was spectacular.

Here is how the night progressed:

We started with home-baked bread and Parmesean Black Pepper Butter

 

Next was an amuse bouche of Pork Belly Butter with Corn Bread and Orange – YUM! The play of the fatty pork belly and the nice citric acid of the orange was perfect

 

The first salad was a Beet and Goat Cheese salad with Blueberry Reduction and toasted Hazelnuts

 

Next came a Squash, Pear and Gouda salad with Apple Butter

 

Our first warm course was Parsnip Gnocchi, with a Pink Peppercorn sauce, Cranberries, Butternut Squash cubes and Mushrooms.

It’s amazing how well the flavors from every element work so well together. This was a dish I thought about for days afterwards

 

Next, Smoked Mussels and Yam soup, with Endive Croutons, and Panchetta.

I very  much enjoyed the soup, but I felt the Endive croutons were cold and did not meld well with the warm, creamy soup

 

Monkfish with Roasted Onion suace and Celery Root puree

 

Our last entree dish was Steak served with Corona Beans, fried Chicory, Veal jus. The meat was perfectly cooked and the beans were a lovely compliment to the dish

 

The first dessert was Black Rice Milk and Honey Sorbet – delicious!!

 

The last dish was a Pineapple Upside-Down cake with Brown Butter Ice Cream, Roasted Sunchokes and Powdered Popcorn – we wanted to lick the plate!

 

Even if you can’t do the tasting menu, Bergamot has amazing (and affordable) food. They even have a $42 3-course tasting menu every night or you can order a la carte.

They have a small, but well-rounded beer list. Here are the beers we got to accompany our meal:

and

The wine and cocktail menus are great too.

I HIGHLY recommend Bergamot!

I’ve been MIA for a few weeks while we packed up the small Cambridge apartment and moved into a house (!) in Somerville. We also had to paint over glitter ceilings and pink walls before moving in, so it was quite a bit of work, but it was so worth it! 

Since moving in, we’ve hosted each of our families and had a house-warming party. I didn’t feel the urge to cook huge meals for everyone, but I did want to make something tasty for our guests.

Thus, I decided to make Pretzel Bites!!

I love pretzels. I love the salt, the chewiness of the dough, and (maybe most importantly) the fact that it pairs perfectly with mustard.

I came across this recipe last year and it has been my go-to since then.

If I don’t have time for the butter to soften on its own, I just put it in a zip-lock bag and smush it flat with my palm – perfectly softened butter in 15 seconds!

Pretzel Bites (click here to print recipe without pictures)

Pretzel Dough:
– 1 cup warm water (100° to 110°F)
– 1 (1/4-ounce) envelope active dry yeast
– 3 cups bread flour plus more for work surface
– 1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
– 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
– 1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, well softened
– Vegetable oil for bowl

Baking Pretzels:
– 8 cups water
– 2/3 cup baking soda
– Coarse kosher salt

Make Pretzel Dough:

1. Stir together warm water and yeast in a large bowl and let stand until a creamy beige foam develops on the surface, about 10 minutes. (If mixture doesn’t foam, start over with new yeast.)

2. Meanwhile, in the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together flour, salt, and light brown sugar.

3. Add yeast mixture and butter to flour mixture, and mix on low speed until it forms a dough. Change to the dough hook and knead on medium-low speed until the dough is smooth and elastic, 8 to 10 minutes, dusting with more flour as needed if dough sticks to sides of bowl.

4. Transfer dough to a lightly oiled large bowl and turn over to coat with oil. Cover with a kitchen towel (not terry cloth) and let rise in a draft-free place at room temperature until doubled, 2 to 3 hours.

Alternatively, after kneading, let dough rest at room temperature for 15 minutes, then transfer to oiled bowl as above, and let rise in the refrigerator overnight (12 hours or up to 2 days).

 

 

5. Punch down dough and divide into quarters. Form each quarter into 4 balls. Roll each ball into a 12-inch-long rope. Cut each rope into six (2-inch) pieces, and transfer to wax paper–lined rimmed baking sheets (or leave on your clean counter.

 

Bake Pretzels:
1. Heat oven to 450°F with racks in upper and lower third. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper, set aside.

2. In a 4- to 5-quart saucepan, bring water and baking soda to a boil (mixture will be foamy at first, but foam will dissipate). Add 12 pretzel bites and cook 30 seconds (they will rise to the surface almost immediately), then transfer with a slotted spoon to baking sheets.

 

3. Quickly sprinkle pretzel bites lightly on both sides with salt before they dry (so salt sticks). Repeat with remaining pretzel bites, returning water to a boil between batches.

4.  Bake pretzel bites in oven, switching sheets between racks and rotating sheets halfway through baking, until deep chestnut brown, 8 to 10 minutes (watch closely toward end of baking; bites brown quickly in last few minutes). Immediately transfer pretzel bites to wire racks to cool.

Serve with your favorite mustard(s) and enjoy!

 

(adapted from Gourmet Live)

It’s hot pot season!!

I was first introduced to hot pot by my brother-in-law. He took me to a place in Chinatown, NYC (that no longer exists). The menu looked a bit overwhelming, with fish balls and 10 different ‘Chinese greens’, but he ordered and I was along for the ride!

The waiter placed a travel-size burner down and turned on the flame. On top, he placed a cauldron filled with broth, red chilies and spices. Soon the liquid was boiling and the raw ingredients arrived.

We cooked everything in the pot and I was hooked at first bite!!

When I moved to Boston, I noticed there were a ton of hot pot places in Chinatown, but they were expensive! So I decided to try it out at home – it was FANTASTIC!!!

My parents had given me an electric fondue pot, which works perfectly keeping the broth boiling, but you can buy a portable burner at most Asian markets.

I go to C-mart in Chinatown and buy all the ingredients:

These are the hot pot mixes I recommend

The spicy mix is pretty hot, so be careful!

Greens (any ones that look good to you) – I always get Yu Choy, Baby Bok Choy and something new. This time around I picked up a bag of Sweet Potato Leaves – YUM!!!

Mushrooms – a ton of them and different varieties

Sprouts

Snow Peas

Noodles – fresh ones, I recommend “Wife’s Noodles”

Thinly sliced meat – beef, lamb, pork

Seafood – shrimp, calamari

Peanut sauce – I like this one from Thai Kitchen, but you can make your own or get any brand you like

Put the mix in your pot, add water (and a boullion if you want), bring it to a boil (I also add a few pieces of ginger and garlic cloves, but that’s optional)

Add the ingredients in the order they cook: noodles, mushrooms, veggie stalks, meats, veggie leaves, sprouts and enjoy!

I serve it with white steamed rice (to counteract the spicy broth) and I add hot water whenever the broth level is down.

This is always a crowd-pleaser and looks very impressive, your guests won’t even realize that they are cooking dinner for themselves!

 

I really like Mexican/Tex-Mex food, but I haven’t found a really good place for it in the Boston area. Thus, I make it at home.

I make this recipe (using either flank steak or chicken breast) often. It’s super easy and delicious. I make pickled red onion to go along with this dish. I make a big batch and leave it in my fridge to serve with fajitas or put on a salad.

I don’t measure the spices exactly but I put approximately the amounts I use in the recipe. You can adjust the amounts to accommodate your taste.

I’m also a BIG fan of Goya Yellow Rice and I serve this dish with the rice on the side. I’ve tried the low-salt version and I don’t recommend it.

Steak Fajitas (click here to print recipe without pictures)

- Flank steak (for chicken breasts, see below)
– 2 tbsp chili powder
– 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
– 2 tsp ground cumin
– 2 tsp ground coriander
– 1/2 tsp granulated garlic
– 1/2 tsp smoked paprika (optional)
– 2 tsp paprika
-1 tsp kosher salt
– 2 tsp vegetable oil
– to serve (all optional): fajitas (warmed in oven for 20 sec), sour cream (mixed with a little lime juice & salt), fresh cilantro, chopped red onion, pickled red onion (see below for quick recipe), diced avocado, diced tomato, shredded red cabbage

1. In a small bowl, mix all spices and salt. Set aside. Place steak in a large shallow dish, rub with spice mixture and drizzle with oil, evenly on both sides. Cover and let sit at room temp for 30 min or longer in the refrigerator.

2. Preheat broiler. Line a baking sheet with foil and place in oven to heat up for 10-15 min. Place steak on preheated pan and broil 4 min/side for medium-rare, or longer to desired doneness.

3. Remove from oven, cover with foil and let sit for 5 min to let the meat rest. Slice thinly against the grain and serve with accompaniments. Enjoy!

 

Chicken Fajitas (click here to print recipe without pictures)

- 2-3 chicken breasts, sliced to 1/2-in long strips
– 2 tbsp chili powder
– 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
– 2 tsp ground cumin
– 2 tsp ground coriander
– 1/2 tsp granulated garlic
– 1/2 tsp smoked paprika (optional)
– 2 tsp paprika
-1 tsp kosher salt
– 2 tsp vegetable oil
– 2 green peppers, sliced into 1/2-in slices
– 1 yellow onion, sliced into 1/2-in slices
– 2 tsp vegetable oil
– to serve (all optional): fajitas (warmed in oven for 20 sec), sour cream (mixed with a little lime juice & salt), fresh cilantro, chopped red onion, pickled red onion (see below for quick recipe), diced avocado, diced tomato, shredded red cabbage

1. In a large ziplock bag, combine spices and salt. Close bag and shake to mix thoroughly. Add sliced chicken and oil. Close bag and shake to combine. Let sit 30 min or longer in the refrigerator to marinate.

2. In a large pan, heat oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add peppers and onions. Saute until charred, but still slightly crunchy, about 5 min. Remove from pan and set aside.

3. Return pan to medium-high heat and add chicken. Saute until cooked through, flipping to cook all sides, about 7 min. Move chicken to 1/2 of pan and return onion and pepper mixture to pan to reheat.

4. Serve with rice and desired accompaniments. Enjoy!

 

Pickled Red Onion (click here to print recipe without pictures)

- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
– 1/2 tsp kosher salt
– 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

Bring vinegar, salt, and 1 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat. Stir in onion. Pour whole mixture into jar and refrigerate. Can be served once cooled.

Can stay in fridge for up to 1 month.

We visited East by Northeast 5 years ago when we first moved to Cambridge. At that time we were not super impressed. But over the past year, there has been much talk about this tiny quaint restaurant in Inman Square, so we decided to give it another shot.

The hostess was very friendly and the atmosphere is quiet and inviting. We were seated promptly near the front windows and perused the menu.

The wine and beer selection was nice, as were the interesting cocktails.

We were greeted with an amuse bouche: Cauliflower purée on a homemade cracker with honey

It was just ok. The combination of cauliflower and honey was a bit strange to me.

The menu consists of small plates made to share. They have prix-fixe options or you can order a la carte, which is what we decided to do so we can try multiple dishes. The waitress recommended 3-4 dishes/person.

We ordered a bunch and each came out as it was prepared at a perfect pace. We also ordered a side of their hot sauce – which I HIGHLY recommend as it pairs beautifully with every dish.

CRISPY PORK BELLY BUN with apple, pickled red onion, sweet bean sauce, mantou bread

This was the highlight of the meal. Soft, squishy bread, crispy, fatty pork belly and jsut the right amount of acid from the red onion. They also served it with pickled turmeric cauliflower which was delicious.

 

SCALLION PANCAKE, smoked pork confit, grilled scallions, plum ginger sauce

I have to say I didn’t like this dish at all. It had a strange formaldehyde smell, it was greasy, not great. It did have the pickled cauliflower and some pickled squash which was good too.

 

STUFFED PEPPER with curried lamb & rice filling, poblano pepper, toasted coconut sauce, and togarashi

It definitely doesn’t photograph well, but this dish was delightful. The pepper was nicely charred, the lamb was perfectly seasoned and the coconut sauce was great!

 

MANDARIAN PANCAKE with napa cabbage and egg stuffing with butternut squash mostarda

This was much less greasy than the scallion pancake and had better flavor. The mostarda was a bit sweet but the mustard seeds gave it a nice kick.

 

BAMBOO LEAF FISH: hake fillet grilled in bamboo leaf, house cured lardo, matsutake mushroom, jasmine tea salt, gremolata

The fish was nicely cooked and the jasmine tea salt was a very tasty and interesting accompaniment. It was very soft and paired well with the fish.

 

POTSTICKERS: pan fried pork and napa cabbage, smoked tomato jam, black vinegar

I felt the jam was too sweet, but Kevin loved it. The potstickers were fine, but I’ve had much better ones.

 

ROASTED MUSHROOM STIR FRY: maitake and lobster mushrooms, apple, edamame, black bean sauce, garlicky mustard greens

These were really good. What they don’t mention is the flat noodles, similar to gnocchi, that it is served with. I wish there were more mushrooms, but the apples and edamame were amazing! The crunch and tartness of the apples were a very pleasant surprise. Also, the bright freshness from the scallions lightened the dish and brought it perfect balance.

Our meal ended with complimentary Chocolate Sesame Cookies bites which were fine.

All in all, I would recommend East by Northeast but I don’t know if I would return.