Tiny Urban Tidbits #8

Tiny Urban Tidbits is where I share with you some insights, "tidbits", or just random encounters from the week. I carry my camera with me everywhere I go, and I love capturing photos of interesting things that I discover. These may include new dishes from a restaurant that I've already reviewed, updates on what's going on locally, or encounters I've had in the kitchen. It could even include a beautiful sunset, a funny sign, or just stuff I find amusing. Think of it as snapshots (literally!) of my weekly experiences with food - intertwined with stories, of course.

A Pan That Heats Evenly? Finally!

For someone who write a food blog, I own embarrassingly cheap equipment. Maybe it's the fact that my kitchen is so small. Maybe it's because I decided not to register for any kitchen stuff when I got married. Whatever the case, I have never liked my pans. They heat woefully unevenly, the non-stick quality is not very good, and they are old. I feel like we are still college students, cooking on single burners with cheap pans and sleeping on twin beds.

So, when I was contacted by CSN to pick an item from their site to review, I immediately jumped on the opportunity to review a new pan, since I desperately felt like it was time to finally see what a high quality pan was like.

Stay tuned next week as I discuss my own findings regarding this beautiful pan!

Macarons! Macarons!

A kind friend who was staying at our place over the weekend brought these maracons from a place in New York that I'd never heard of before. Up to this point, I had only tasted macarons from Bouchon, Pierre Hermes, and my own kitchen! These are from Financier Patisserie, a bakery in New York that specializes in traditional and signature French pastries. The macarons were delicious, but they really don't last that long. After about a day or two, they get really dry and crumbly. :( So eat them fast or don't buy too many to take back with you!

Easiest Ever Marinara Sauce

I found this recipe through Smitten Kitchen, although it originally comes from Marcella Hazan's Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking. I was dubious that it would taste good, but after getting approval from my harshest critic (Bryan!), I decided that it was a keeper, especially considering how few ingredients it uses and how little work is involved.

I almost feel like you don't need a recipe. Basically, take 1 onion (cut in half), 5 T unsalted butter (almost a stick!), and a can of whole peeled tomatoes (I used San Marzano tomatoes from Whole Foods). Bring to a medium heat and then simmer for 45 minutes, breaking up the tomatoes occasionally over the course of the cooking time. At the end, remove the onion, salt to taste, and serve! So easy, and Bryan thought it was surprisingly good for such a simple sauce.

Crazy Rain Storms in Boston

We've had some crazy windy rain storms here this past week. On Sunday we saw a bunch of fallen branches and trees all over the place while we were driving home from a wedding.

After the storm, however, the city was a completely different scene. The sun came out. The storm had cooled down everything, and it was actually really really pretty outside.  I was torn between jogging and walking. Finally, I compromised by taking my camera for a walk.

I love puddles and taking pictures of reflections.

The Charles River. I love having these awesome views within walking distance of home and work.