Tiny Urban Kitchen Test: October 2009

As promised, an organized index of all my restaurant reviews! Enjoy!
UPDATE: I have put some asterisks next to some of my favorite places. :)
("**" for super favorites and "*" for favorites)

General Overviews
Napa Valley Guide
Reflections on Napa Valley
A California Christmas (Southern California)
A New York Birthday
Favorite Eats in the Boston/Cambridge Area
Southern California Favorites

By Neighborhood

Cambridge

Harvard Square

Asian
*Le's (Formerly Pho Pasteur)
Wagamama
Yenching
*Cafe Sushi
Shabu Square (Now closed)
Om Restaurant & Lounge
**Berryline

American / New American
Veggie Planet/Club Passim
Henrietta's Table
Ten Tables

**Hi Rise Bread Company
**Upstairs On the Square
Soiree Room
Monday Club - 2
Monday Club - 1
Grafton Street Pub & Grill
**Garden at the Cellar 2009 and 2007

European
Cambridge 1 (Grilled Pizza)
Sandrine's Bistro (French)
1 Arrow Street Crepes (French)
*Il Panino Express (Italian - Now closed)

Inman Square

East By Northeast (Asian)
*Tupelo (Southern)
Benatti (now closed)
**Muqueca (Update!)
**Muqueca (Coastal Brazilian)
**Oleana (Mediterranean)
*All Star Sandwich Bar (Sandwiches)

Kendall Square

American
The Friendly Toast
*Cambridge Brewing Company
Legal Seafoods
Other
Mulan (Taiwanese)
*Hungry Mother (Southern)
Izzy's (Latin / Puerto Rican)

Porter Square

Sapporo Ramen (Japanese)
Zing (Pizza)
*Cafe Mami (Japanese)
*Anna's Taqueria (Mexican)

Central Square

New American/American
Rendezvous
**Mariposa Bakery
**Salts
*Miracle of Science
**Craigie Street Bistrot
(now Craigie on Main)
*Pacific Cafe

Italian
*Basta Pasta

North Cambridge
**Gran Gusto (Italian)
Jose's Mexican Restaurant
*Qingdao Garden (Dumplings/Chinese)

East Cambridge

Unique Dumpling (Taiwanese/Northern Chinese)
Wisteria (Taiwanese) - (Now closed - Allston location still open)

Somerville

Zoe's Gourmet Chinese Cuisine
**Cantina La Mexicana
**Taqueria La Mexicana
Pescatore (Italian)

North End (Italian)

*Modern Pastry
**Mike's Pastry
**Mamma Maria
*Taranta

**Prezza 2007
**Prezza 2009 (updated with pictures)
**Monica's
Dom's

Allston/Brighton/Brookline

*Jo Jo Taipei (Taiwanese)
Fish Market (Japanese)
Dok Bua (Thai)
**Fugakyu (Japanese)
**May's Cafe (Taiwanese)

Boston

Back Bay
Clio (French/Japanese)
Sel de al Terre (French)
Piatini (Italian)
Bottega Fiorentina (Italian)

*Casa Romero (Mexican)
Parish Cafe (Sandwiches)
Uni (Sushi / pan-Asian)
P.F. Chang's (Pan-Asian)
**Grill 23 (Steak)

West End/Chinatown/Theater District/

Downtown/Beacon Hill

KO Prime (Steak)
The Oceanaire (Seafood)
Bina Osteria (Italian)
Phoenicia (Middle Eastern / Lebanese)
*Penang (Malaysian)
**Gourmet Dumpling House (Chinese)

South End
Market by Jean-Georges

Outer Boston

Japanese

Dabin (Lexington)
New Ginza (Watertown)

Daikanyama (Lexington)

Chinese

**Shangri La (Taiwanese/Sichuan)
*Fuloon (Malden)
**Little Q Hot Pot (Quincy)

American

**Five Guys Burgers and Fries (Dedham)
Texas Roadhouse (Everett)
Celebrity Pizza and Dairy (Watertown)
**Rancatore's (Lexington, Belmont)

European (Italian/French)
**Basta Pasta Enoteca (Quincy)

*Stone Hearth Pizza (Needham)
Sel de la Terre (Natick)

Outside Massachusetts

Cupertino, California (Chinese food)

A&J's Restaurant
*Hong Fu
**Szechuan Era

Napa Valley
**The French Laundry
**Bouchon Bakery
**Redd

Los Angeles and Orange County
**Ten Ren Tea Station
**Din Tai Fung
**Sushi Gen
Mrs. Knott's Chicken Restaurant
**Melisse

Las Vegas
**Joel Robuchon (The Mansion)
**Mesa Grill (Bobby Flay)
*Enoteca San Marco (Mario Batali)
**B&B Ristorante (Mario Batali)
**Raos

New York City
**Daniel

**Le Bernardin
**Sushi Yasuda
**H&H Bagels (update)
Ess-a-Bagel
*Ma Peche (Momofuku Midtown)
**H&H Bagels
**Bouchon Macarons

The WORLD

Japan

**Seryna (Kobe beef)

**Kyubey/Kyubei (Sushi)
*Suzuran (Ramen)

Taiwan

**Ding Tai Fung (Dumplings)
**Celestial Restaurant (Peking Duck)
**Yong He Soybean Milk (Taiwanese breakfast)
Sheraton Taipei (Taiwanese breakfast)
*Formosa (Howard Plaza Hotel)
Aoba (Traditional Taiwanese food)
**Ice Monster (Shaved ice)

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Golden Carrot Ginger Soup

Have you seen such beautiful, colorful carrots before? I saw these in the Farmer's Market last week and could not resist buying them.

When cut open, the red ones look like the orange ones we are used to, but with a dark, red outer layer. The yellow ones are yellow all the way through. I tried a piece - it tasted pretty similar to normal carrots. Without an orange one as comparison, I was not sure if I could tell the difference or not. The red carrots are high in lycopene, just like tomatoes. The yellow carrots derive their color from xanthophylls, a yellow pigment from the carotenoid group. All of these carrots are very nutrient rich - just in slightly different ways.

I decided to make carrot ginger soup out of the yellow carrots. In general, the fall makes me yearn for thick, hot, blended soups made from in-season root vegetables. This carrot ginger soup is delicious. The ginger provides a rich backdrop for the sweet carrots and sauteed shallots. It totally warms the soul on a cool, autumn evening.

Of course, you can use regularly carrots and onions to make this dish and it will taste just as good. I just happened to have these colorful carrots and shallots on hand.

Ginger Carrot Soup
serves 2 (total time: 45 minutes)
For a printer friendly version, please click here:

Ingredients
1 T butter
5 small shallots (can substitute with 1 onion), peeled and chopped
3 cups broth (chicken or vegetable)
1 pound carrots, sliced
1 T grated fresh ginger
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste

Step 1: Saute shallots in butter and cook, over medium high heat, until the shallots are translucent and limp.

Step 2: Add broth, carrots, and grated ginger.

Step 3: Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer until carrots are soft and tender when pierced (about 20-25 minutes).

Step 4: Remove from heat. I used my trusty immersion blender (for a picture of the immersion blending process, check out this post). You can also blend in batches with a blender. Be careful not to fill the blender up too high, otherwise the hot liquid may splatter. Puree to your desired consistency.

Step 5: Return to the pan (if using a blender), and add 1/2 cup heavy cream. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

Golden Carrot Ginger Soup

Have you seen such beautiful, colorful carrots before? I saw these in the Farmer's Market last week and could not resist buying them.

Step 2: Add broth, carrots, and grated ginger.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Mike's Pastry

As I have mentioned time and time again, I love going to the North End in Boston. If we are hosting visitors from out of town, inevitably we will take them to the North End. For example, this past weekend, we took the in-laws, who were visiting from California, to Prezza and Mamma Maria (on separate days!!) to try some of the best Italian food in the North End.

Of course, we never order dessert when we dine in the North End.

If you have ever been to the North End, you know there are three places that will have a HUGE line in front, without fail. Pizzeria Regina's, Giacomo's, and Mike's Pastry.

This Italian bakery, situated right in the heart of the North End on Hanover Street, is definitely the most well known pastry shop in the North End. They are especially known for their cannolis, a deep fried pastry shell filled with sweet ricotta cheese.

They also make a wide variety of Italian cookies, pies, cakes, and gorgeous marzipan.

It is always super crowded, and often there seems to be no rhyme or reason to the line. Well, from what I can gather, there really is no exact system. There are several people working the counter, so technically there should be several lines. However, sometimes it just looks like a big crowd inside with one long line snaking out the door. Many in line are tourists, and thus have no idea what is going on.

The best thing to do is to find the shortest "line" if you can find one. If it's really hard to figure out what's going on, just keep walking in (if there's room inside), and find your way up to the counter so you can order. The "line" (mob) moves pretty quickly. Anyway, you may be so overwhelmed by all the choices that you might just prefer that the line take a little while so you can figure out what you want to order. :)

I always get a few cannolis - my favorite is the plain one, although I agree with Bryan that the chocolate covered ones keep a bit longer. The cannolis get soggy within a few days, so it's best to eat them as soon as possible. Nothing beats a fresh cannoli with a crunchy exterior and a beautiful creamy center. Yum.

I also like getting the ricotta pie, which has a filling that resembles that of the cannoli, but less creamy and less sweet. Really nice in a different sort of way.

It's an age old debate whether Mike's Pastry or Modern Pastry (just down the street on Hanover) makes better cannolis. Modern pastry fills their cannolis on the spot, whereas Mike's Pastry pre-fills them. This supposedly means that the ones at Modern are more fresh.

I've had cannolis from both places (although not side by side), and I like them both. I don't think I have ever noticed Mike's cannolis being any less "fresh," but then I do devour the cannoli soon after purchasing, so they taste pretty fresh to me. Some say that the cannolis at Mike's tend to be sweeter, with a filling that's denser, smoother, and creamier compared to the more textured, less sweet filling from Modern's cannolis.

From personal experience, I have found that the cannolis from Mike's Pastry keep longer. The shells seem to stay relatively crunchy for at least one whole day (overnight), whereas the Modern Pastry cannolis get soggy in less than 24 hours. This could be because the Modern shells are smaller, lighter, and more delicate than the heftier, cookie-like shells from Mike's.

Both are delicious, and I think you can't go wrong going to either one. In fact, you really can't go wrong just by visiting the North End while you are in Boston. It's such a vibrant neighborhood, the food is fantastic, and the cannolis are unbeatable.

Mike's Pastry
The North End
300 Hanover St
Boston, MA 02113

Mike's Pastry

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Recipe Index

Hi everyone,

I have finally created a library of recipes in a more organized fashion. Hopefully this will make the recipes a bit easier to nagivate. Please explore and check out some recipes from the archives! I will be making a similar index for restaurants soon as well.

At some point I may make a visual directory of all the recipes. For now, please check out either my TasteSpotting Gallery or my Foodgawker Gallery for ideas.

Enjoy!

Special Series
Photo Gallery of Chinese Recipes
A Culinary Tour Around the World - Sous Vide Style
8 Ways to Use Up Your Farm Share Veggies
Chinese New Year Recipes

Soups
"Creamy" Kabocha Soup (with a kick!)
Maple Butternut Squash Soup
Spring Pea Soup