Back at it

Joe and I were on vacation in Mexico last week, and we did a little visualization exercise together. Long story short, one of the outcomes of our conversation was that I wanted to recommit to my blog. We do a great job of taking advantage of the Boston food scene, and I miss being plugged in to the local foodie community like I felt I was in Baltimore. So there should be more regular postings to come as I get back at it.

Starting with last night. I met up with my sis, who moved to Boston just after I did, to catch up on vacation stories. After a brief gab fest at the office, we decided to check out the Marliave bar where our cousin, Anna, recently started bar tending. We thought we could be her "easy money" for the night while she practices on other customers.

You have to want to find the Marliave. It's tucked down a dark side street off on Tremont on Bowsworth, at the very end of the block. But it's in a great location near Suffolk Law School, the Common, and the historic Omni Parker House.

It's an awesome setting if you dig vintage bars - real vintage, as in 1885. Most of the interior is white tile with minimal black accent tile. The food is French-inspired, courtesy of the founder, Henry Marliave.

For the record, you will be best advised to order the house-cut fries IMMEDIATELY upon arrival. A side portion is a hearty helping of thick fries seasoned with rosemary. They're heavenly, and my poor sister didn't stand a chance when she ordered a side for herself last night. I tried to fool myself into thinking I wouldn't touch hers, but let's be honest, I have no willpower.

I ordered a glass of the Lambrusco and the side portion of the wild mushroom risotto. They have an entree serving of the risotto, but after seeing the deep cereal bowl-size side portion, I can't FATHOM consuming an entree. The risotto was very satisfying, although I could have done with fewer large mushrooms and more small mushrooms mixed in. I ended up leaving a small pile of oyster mushrooms in the bottom of the bowl. Probably because I was too full from sniping fries off E's plate. Doh.

Anna recommended we head upstairs to check out the really awesome dining room, but we ran out of time. Sex and the City 2 was calling at 8pm down the street! Now, I'm a huge S&TC fan, and I probably quote the show and movie an obnoxious amount. ("I may not send texts, and I may not get texts, but the subtext of that text - boo-tay.") So no surprise that I really enjoyed S&TC2, despite poor reviews from critics and friends. It's pure entertainment, people! Don't take it seriously! Without giving it away for those who haven't seen it, I think Carrie got off a little too easy at the very end. That seemed a bit too far fetched, even to me.

But it's all in good fun!

The MFA and Parish Cafe - hey, a rhyme!

Holy schnikes, it's been a while since I posted. Moving to Boston will do that to you.

Joe and I uprooted from Baltimore in June to pursue some pretty awesome career opportunities in Beantown. And the short story is, we're LOVING it. Couldn't be happier. Although what is UP with it getting dark at 4:00pm and snowing in October??? Our little Southern bodies are confused!

And low and behold, my little sister, E, helped us move to Boston, fell in love with it during her 4 days here, and four weeks later, she'd uprooted from Virginia and has started a new life of her own here too. Two cousins also moved to Boston this summer for law school and physical therapy school. Just too exciting! Having family so close is a first for Joe and I. Love it.

And last night was just one of many chances we've had to take advantage of that. Joe and I met after work for a double date with E and her bf at the Museum of Fine Arts. Once a month, the MFA has Free Community Day where they open the whole museum, including the special exhibitions, to the public until 9:45pm. Perfect!

We'd been this summer on another free day (cheap-os!), but we didn't make it through the whole museum. And we still didn't last night. But we did get to see The Secrets of 10A: Egypt 2000 BC. Very, very cool. The coffin on display is the most elaborate coffin that has been recovered to date.

And we finally toured the Japan and Korea wing. But I'm a sucker for Impressionist art. It's magical to be in the same room with Renoir, Monet, Manet, Millet...And for the first time I actually reveled in the old European wing, dreaming about my recent visit to the Uffizi and wishing I were back there.

I was happy to see so many young people at the Museum. Guess that's what happens when they let you in for free :)

Off we went to the Parish Cafe, a new favorite of ours on Boylston, but a favorite to all who live here. The concierge at Hotel Marlowe (my home away from home with visiting colleagues) recommended it, so we tried it out a few weeks ago. The menu is all sandwiches and salads, but the recipes are collected from chefs all over town. The top four sandwich items never change (get the Rowdy or the Zuni roll), but the rest rotate, so you can always count on something new.

I ordered the beet salad and tomato and rice soup. I was so excited to get to New England and find BEETS on the menu! Heaven forbid you see them anywhere in Baltimore or Virginia. What's up with that? I love knowing I don't have to rely on just cooking them at home - they're perfectly acceptable in menus all over Boston.

Joe got the Campbell, some veal sandwich that looked pretty substantial. And then we meandered home to the Navy Yard. Good times in Boston.

Beet salad for a farm day

I spent all day Sunday at my clients' farm, hosting a foodies event for TasteDC. My client is a local high-end beef producer, so to emphasize the benefits of eating locally sourced foods, I volunteered to prepare a beet salad and fresh garden salad for 20 people, using only produce from the farmers market.

Saturday morning I schlepped down to the Waverly market in baseball cap and pajamas and gathered as many beets as I could find to make a new recipe from The New York Times food blog. I also loaded up on 6 heads of GORGEOUS Boston lettuce, grown hydroponically on the Eastern Shore. The farmer's table was nothing but Boston lettuce, and each head looked like a rose. It sounds totally cheesy, but the lettuce looked almost floral - like a table of green flower petals. I was entranced.

I spent the next 3 hours at home peeling beets in a white apron, and by the time I was done, I looked like a serial killer. My hands were stained red, and I had bright red smears all over my apron. Plus I was yielding a knife with much less respect than it deserved.

We served the beet salad and the garden salad on Sunday, along with copious amounts of gourmet beef, and the guests really seemed to enjoy it! I was anxious for feedback since this recipe calls for raw beets, and I always cook my beets before serving. I'll make it again, but on a smaller scale!