Tomato Salsa Crostini

I recently received two loaves of bread from Nature's Pride as part of Foodbuzz's Tastemaker program.  One loaf of wheat, one loaf of 12-grain.  What's cool about this bread is that it's supposedly "all nature".*  According to Nature's Pride, their bread is not made with any artificial flavors or colors; no high fructose corn syrup, trans fat, nor artificial preservatives.

Last week I made some sandwiches with leftover prime steak I had grilled indoors using this awesome method.  The sandwiches were delicious!  Of course, the steak was delicious, but the bread was also really good!  The bread has a slight sweetness that makes it sort of addictive.  It's dense, slightly chewy, and tastes really good both in sandwiches and also as plain toast.  I was a bit sad when my first loaf ran out after a week.  Good thing they sent two loaves!

With my second loaf, I decided to try something new.  I had just gone to the Farmer's Market that morning and saw rows and rows of gorgeous tomatoes.  Red ones, yellow ones, green zebra ones!  Huge heirloom ones.  They were so pretty.

I couldn't help myself and I bought a few different colored ones. I think the ones below are "Girl" tomato, "Green Zebra" tomato, and a yellow heirloom tomato.

Because I had such tasty fresh market tomatoes on hand, I decided to make Tomato Salsa Crostini appetizers.

This salsa recipe is adapted from Elise's recipe at Simply Recipes.

Salsa
2-3 medium sized tomatoes (preferably a mixture of different colors)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 red onion(finely diced)
juice of 1 lime
salt and pepper to taste
optional: 1 finely sliced hot pepper of your choice to taste depending on how spicy you want it!
(e.g., jalapeno, serrano, habanero)

Dice the tomatoes. If you like a less watery salsa, you can core the tomatoes and remove the seeds/juice inside.  I chose to leave everything in - why throw away yummyness + vitamins?

Combine all the ingredients and mix together.  Let it sit for at least an hour for the flavors to meld.

Cut the bread into small rectangles. I cut each slice into four pieces. You can cut off the crust if you want, but I like to keep it (why throw away  . . . you get the point).

Brush each slice with a bit of olive oil and toast the bread in a toaster oven until it is nicely golden brown.

Put a small spoonful of salsa on each piece of bread and serve!  Enjoy!

This appetizer taste healthy, refreshing, and really good!  Slightly addictive, especially if you love the taste of ripe, fresh tomatoes.

Thanks again to both Foodbuzz and Nature's Pride for providing the bread for this post. It was quite yummy, and I have definitely been enjoying it!

* I don't mean to sound negative in any way by putting "all natural" in quotes.  It's just that, as a scientist by training, I get irked by phrases like "no chemicals" and "all natural" because in many ways those terms are meaningless.  In some ways, everything is a chemical compound.  Furthermore, just because something exists in nature does not mean it's not bad for you.  Anyway, small point, and in this case, they define what "all natural" means, so it's totally cool. I don't want to belabor the point, so I'll stop now.  :)  Enjoy the bread!

Spreading the Blog Love

Thank you, The Hungry Dog, for awarding Tiny Urban Kitchen the "One Lovely Blog" Award.  This is the first blog award I have ever received! Thank you for your kind words.

This is what Hungry dog, from San Francisco, wrote: "I like the way Jen writes about Boston; it really makes me want to go there."

In the spirit of continually spreading the blog love, I've listed below some blogs I enjoy reading.  Here are the rules for the "One Lovely Blog" award:

• Link to the person from whom you’ve received the award.
• Nominate blogs you really like, preferably ones you have recently discovered
• Leave a message on the nominees’ blogs telling them of their award!

Here are some blogs I really enjoy reading:

AnnaTheRed's Bento Factory
Anna is an amazing artist and makes the most intricate bentos for her boyfriend.  If you love Japanese anime and Japanese food, you will love Anna's blog.  She's was totally my inspiration for my "Kyaraben On Steroids" post.

Wasabi Prime
Denise of Wasabi Prime is an incredible cook, and I am always amazed at how skilled she is at coming up with creative recipes using random stuff in her fridge.  She also takes gorgeous photos, and writes great reviews of Seattle restaurants. She's got a great, witty writing style that will really keep you entertained.

Take Thou Food
Sean of Take Thou Food is a 2nd year pharmacy student studying in Atlanta. He offers an interesting perspective of what it's like to live as a student and be a food enthusiast at the same time.  He's really impressive! Who else prepares bone marrow at home for himself for his birthday?  Or tries Thomas Keller's version of the BLT and writes it Gordon Ramsey style?  I love it.  His blog offers an interesting mix of Asian home cooking, recipe experiments from famous chefs, and reviews of local restaurants.  His tone is funny, friendly, and totally approachable.

Candice Cooks
Candice from Candice Cooks is a Boston local, just like me!  I love reading her impressions of the local Boston food scene, especially all her photos of the farmers markets that she visits.  Her posts are funny, warm, and personal.  I love the little stories that she interweaves into her food posts.

Ravenous Couple: Cooking Up Life
Hong and Kim from Ravenous Couple have an absolutely gorgeous blog complete with amazing pictures and really cool recipes.  Their focus is Southeast Asian, which I love because that's an aspect of Asian cooking with which I am not as familiar.

Taste As You Go
Michelle from Taste As You Go has an interesting background.  She studied music history in graduate school, currently lives in New York City, and is an avid runner.  Her blog highlights interesting restaurants and events around New York City.  She also shares about her cooking experiments and she often features guest bloggers.  Michelle is an avid tweeter, and her tweets are personal, fun, and interesting to follow.

Just Bento
Maki from Just Bento writes a very informative and comprehensive blog about bento making.  I also relied on her blog a lot when working on my Kyaraben On Steroids post.  She posts useful tips for bento making, pictures of bentos she makes, countless recipes, and book reviews.  This is one the main go-to blogs if you have any questions about bento making.

La Prochaine Fois
Cathy from La Prochaine Fois is originally from Texas but currently is living in France.  Her blog has a ton of beautiful photography laid out in a creative, artistic fashion.  I really just love scrolling through her photos and admiring the incredible pictures of food, landscapes, tiny details, and people.  She finds art in day-to-day life and is able to bring out the beauty in anything she photographs. 

The Cooking of Joy
Joy is a witty writer, and she chooses cool and interesting recipes to share.  Being Taiwanese, a lot of Joy's recipes have an Asian twist, but by no means do they all.  Some interesting things she's made include moffles (mochi waffles), red bean and black sesame ice cream, bulgolgi dumplings, and French macarons.  Her photos are really nice and her instructions are detailed, clear, and really helpful!  She hasn't posted in awhile, but I really hope she continues to post, because I love reading her blog posts!

Hope you enjoy reading all of these new blogs!

Spreading the Blog Love

Thank you, The Hungry Dog, for awarding Tiny Urban Kitchen the "One Lovely Blog" Award.  This is the first blog award I have ever received! Thank you for your kind words.

This is what Hungry dog, from San Francisco, wrote: "I like the way Jen writes about Boston; it really makes me want to go there."

In the spirit of continually spreading the blog love, I've listed below some blogs I enjoy reading.  Here are the rules for the "One Lovely Blog" award:

• Link to the person from whom you’ve received the award.
• Nominate blogs you really like, preferably ones you have recently discovered
• Leave a message on the nominees’ blogs telling them of their award!

Here are some blogs I really enjoy reading:

AnnaTheRed's Bento Factory
Anna is an amazing artist and makes the most intricate bentos for her boyfriend.  If you love Japanese anime and Japanese food, you will love Anna's blog.  She's was totally my inspiration for my "Kyaraben On Steroids" post.

Wasabi Prime
Denise of Wasabi Prime is an incredible cook, and I am always amazed at how skilled she is at coming up with creative recipes using random stuff in her fridge.  She also takes gorgeous photos, and writes great reviews of Seattle restaurants. She's got a great, witty writing style that will really keep you entertained.

Take Thou Food
Sean of Take Thou Food is a 2nd year pharmacy student studying in Atlanta. He offers an interesting perspective of what it's like to live as a student and be a food enthusiast at the same time.  He's really impressive! Who else prepares bone marrow at home for himself for his birthday?  Or tries Thomas Keller's version of the BLT and writes it Gordon Ramsey style?  I love it.  His blog offers an interesting mix of Asian home cooking, recipe experiments from famous chefs, and reviews of local restaurants.  His tone is funny, friendly, and totally approachable.

Candice Cooks
Candice from Candice Cooks is a Boston local, just like me!  I love reading her impressions of the local Boston food scene, especially all her photos of the farmers markets that she visits.  Her posts are funny, warm, and personal.  I love the little stories that she interweaves into her food posts.

Ravenous Couple: Cooking Up Life
Hong and Kim from Ravenous Couple have an absolutely gorgeous blog complete with amazing pictures and really cool recipes.  Their focus is Southeast Asian, which I love because that's an aspect of Asian cooking with which I am not as familiar.

Taste As You Go
Michelle from Taste As You Go has an interesting background.  She studied music history in graduate school, currently lives in New York City, and is an avid runner.  Her blog highlights interesting restaurants and events around New York City.  She also shares about her cooking experiments and she often features guest bloggers.  Michelle is an avid tweeter, and her tweets are personal, fun, and interesting to follow.

Just Bento
Maki from Just Bento writes a very informative and comprehensive blog about bento making.  I also relied on her blog a lot when working on my Kyaraben On Steroids post.  She posts useful tips for bento making, pictures of bentos she makes, countless recipes, and book reviews.  This is one the main go-to blogs if you have any questions about bento making.

La Prochaine Fois
Cathy from La Prochaine Fois is originally from Texas but currently is living in France.  Her blog has a ton of beautiful photography laid out in a creative, artistic fashion.  I really just love scrolling through her photos and admiring the incredible pictures of food, landscapes, tiny details, and people.  She finds art in day-to-day life and is able to bring out the beauty in anything she photographs. 

The Cooking of Joy
Joy is a witty writer, and she chooses cool and interesting recipes to share.  Being Taiwanese, a lot of Joy's recipes have an Asian twist, but by no means do they all.  Some interesting things she's made include moffles (mochi waffles), red bean and black sesame ice cream, bulgolgi dumplings, and French macarons.  Her photos are really nice and her instructions are detailed, clear, and really helpful!  She hasn't posted in awhile, but I really hope she continues to post, because I love reading her blog posts!

Hope you enjoy reading all of these new blogs!

Zing!

When I hear that a local pizza place near my home is as good as Emma's, my favorite pizza place in the world, I'm totally there.  So, of course when the buzz about Zing in Porter Square started, uhh . . buzzing, I couldn't wait to try it out. It sounded so cool. Thin crust pizza, fresh ingredients . . . and roti too? I love roti!  Before this I had only seen roti in Malaysian places like Penang.

Zing is really cute inside. There's a colorful, happy chalkboard that lists the 5 different pizzas on the menu.  Yep, that's it - they have a rotating menu that keeps changing.  That day the menu had 5 pizzas and 2 salads.  Limited menu, to say the least. Some might find the lack of choice refreshing; others may find it frustrating. They do say that they are happy to swap out ingredients, etc. You can order by the slice ($3.50 a slice), or get a whole pizza ($14.40-$19.50 with most being around $17.50).

There was an interesting sign that said they were not serving roti at this time.  During this time, they said "we are working on our recipe as well as our air conditioning." What an interesting combination of things to be working on . . .   Bryan surmised that the roti smelled bad and without AC it made things really uncomfortable.  I won't go as far as hazarding any guesses (my impression from reviews was that the roti was really delicious) but I was bummed I couldn't try the roti.

Well, we ordered one pizza and split it half & half with two different sets of toppings: The Sundance Kid (tomato sauce, mozzarella, caramelized onions, sundried tomatoes, turkey sausage, and parmesan cheese), $19.50 for a whole pie; and Augustus Classicus (tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella rounds, sliced yellow tomatoes, fresh basil), $17.50 for a whole pie.

I gotta say, the pizza was huge.  They make oblong pizzas, which is kind of cute and unique, until your realize how impractical it is.  This pizza is essentially the size of two normal small pizzas.  Awkward to carry, and a pain to put in the refrigerator.  I have this tiny urban kitchen, you see, and my refrigerator door cannot swing the 180 degrees needed to open the door wide enough to fit this pizza box inside.

Sigh . . I had to wrap the slices individually in foil to fit the leftovers in the refrigerator.

I guess all this wouldn't be so bad if the pizza tasted phenomenal.  But, unfortunately, it did not.  It was OK.  Not too bad, but nothing exciting.  The crust was decently thin, but not really crispy.  The tomatoes were nice.  The sausage was a little boring.  Over, just sort of OK.  Meh.

Bryan said that, for close to $20 a pie, he expected something in the league of Emma's or at least Upper Crust.  But this wasn't even close.  Furthermore, it's counter service and there's no alcohol.  So, a notch down in ambiance. In fact, they serve your pizza in the cardboard box (see picture above) and you bus your own tables.

Bryan said if they charged about $10-$12 or so for a pizza, it would match more with the atmosphere and paucity of amenities.

In their defense, the pizza is humongous and made with ingredients from local farms.  Perhaps Zing should consider selling circular pizzas half the size of the oblong ones for $12.  Then maybe it would appease people like Bryan.  All of a sudden, Zing would be that funky little pizza place at Porter Square with cool, unique pizzas made with local ingredients.  It would still be attractive because the reasonable prices would match the casual and funky vibe of the place.  Right now, however, it feels like a casual pizza place with average food charging above average prices.  In other words, kind of overpriced.

I know this is a new business, and I hate to be so harsh.  Perhaps I'll come back in 3-4 months and give them another chance.  Maybe if I came back with 3-4 people it would actually feel like a good deal, because it probably takes 4 people to finish that monstrously sized pizza.  As of now, I feel like there are just too many better pizza options nearby for the same price.  As a result, at least in the near future, we will likely be sticking with Emma's, Gran Gusto, or Upper Crust to fulfill our $20 pizza needs. 

Zing!
Porter Square
1925 Massachusetts Ave
Cambridge, MA 02140

Zing!

When I hear that a local pizza place near my home is as good as Emma's, my favorite pizza place in the world, I'm totally there.  So, of course when the buzz about Zing in Porter Square started, uhh . . buzzing, I couldn't wait to try it out. It sounded so cool. Thin crust pizza, fresh ingredients . . . and roti too? I love roti!  Before this I had only seen roti in Malaysian places like Penang.

Zing is really cute inside. There's a colorful, happy chalkboard that lists the 5 different pizzas on the menu.  Yep, that's it - they have a rotating menu that keeps changing.  That day the menu had 5 pizzas and 2 salads.  Limited menu, to say the least. Some might find the lack of choice refreshing; others may find it frustrating. They do say that they are happy to swap out ingredients, etc. You can order by the slice ($3.50 a slice), or get a whole pizza ($14.40-$19.50 with most being around $17.50).

There was an interesting sign that said they were not serving roti at this time.  During this time, they said "we are working on our recipe as well as our air conditioning." What an interesting combination of things to be working on . . .   Bryan surmised that the roti smelled bad and without AC it made things really uncomfortable.  I won't go as far as hazarding any guesses (my impression from reviews was that the roti was really delicious) but I was bummed I couldn't try the roti.

Well, we ordered one pizza and split it half & half with two different sets of toppings: The Sundance Kid (tomato sauce, mozzarella, caramelized onions, sundried tomatoes, turkey sausage, and parmesan cheese), $19.50 for a whole pie; and Augustus Classicus (tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella rounds, sliced yellow tomatoes, fresh basil), $17.50 for a whole pie.

I gotta say, the pizza was huge.  They make oblong pizzas, which is kind of cute and unique, until your realize how impractical it is.  This pizza is essentially the size of two normal small pizzas.  Awkward to carry, and a pain to put in the refrigerator.  I have this tiny urban kitchen, you see, and my refrigerator door cannot swing the 180 degrees needed to open the door wide enough to fit this pizza box inside.

Sigh . . I had to wrap the slices individually in foil to fit the leftovers in the refrigerator.

I guess all this wouldn't be so bad if the pizza tasted phenomenal.  But, unfortunately, it did not.  It was OK.  Not too bad, but nothing exciting.  The crust was decently thin, but not really crispy.  The tomatoes were nice.  The sausage was a little boring.  Over, just sort of OK.  Meh.

Bryan said that, for close to $20 a pie, he expected something in the league of Emma's or at least Upper Crust.  But this wasn't even close.  Furthermore, it's counter service and there's no alcohol.  So, a notch down in ambiance. In fact, they serve your pizza in the cardboard box (see picture above) and you bus your own tables.

Bryan said if they charged about $10-$12 or so for a pizza, it would match more with the atmosphere and paucity of amenities.

In their defense, the pizza is humongous and made with ingredients from local farms.  Perhaps Zing should consider selling circular pizzas half the size of the oblong ones for $12.  Then maybe it would appease people like Bryan.  All of a sudden, Zing would be that funky little pizza place at Porter Square with cool, unique pizzas made with local ingredients.  It would still be attractive because the reasonable prices would match the casual and funky vibe of the place.  Right now, however, it feels like a casual pizza place with average food charging above average prices.  In other words, kind of overpriced.

I know this is a new business, and I hate to be so harsh.  Perhaps I'll come back in 3-4 months and give them another chance.  Maybe if I came back with 3-4 people it would actually feel like a good deal, because it probably takes 4 people to finish that monstrously sized pizza.  As of now, I feel like there are just too many better pizza options nearby for the same price.  As a result, at least in the near future, we will likely be sticking with Emma's, Gran Gusto, or Upper Crust to fulfill our $20 pizza needs. 

Zing!
Porter Square
1925 Massachusetts Ave
Cambridge, MA 02140

Starbucks VIA Brew (Instant Microground Coffee)

Have you tried the VIA brew challenge?  Apparently Starbucks spent almost 20 years developing a form of instant coffee that is supposed to taste indistinguishable from freshly brewed coffee.  It differs from traditional instant coffee in a few ways.

First, they really use top quality Arabica beans to make this coffee.  Arabica beans are milder, more aromatic, and contain less bitter aromas.  Arabica beans are also more expensive because the beans take longer to grow and the plants are not as hardy. Cheaper coffees typically use Robusta beans, which are so named because they are "robust" and can grow readily in a variety of climates.  Robusta beans have higher caffeine content and more bitter compounds.

In general, Arabica beans are considered "better" because they have more aroma and taste milder.  Having said that, the Europeans do enjoy blends that contain Robusta, partly because of the high caffeine content and also because Robusta beans create better crema (the creamy foam you see on top of an espresso drink). 

The second reason why this instant coffee is different is that instead freeze drying the coffee or processing it under harsh conditions, VIA is actually micro-ground coffee beans.  The beans are ground so finely they can actually dissolve when you add water (at least that's what the barista told me).  What's cool is that it works with either hot or cold water.

Right now, they are offering free blind taste challenges for you to determine whether you can tell the difference or not.

I was VERY curious about how this instant coffee tasted.  I had actually heard that it was pretty good, and I had to see for myself.  Luckily, it seems like most Starbucks cafes are offering this free taste test.

The barista handed me two small cups filled with the dark liquid.  The one on the left was lighter in color, the one on the right was darker.

I tried the lighter one.  Yum . . . very balanced, nutty flavor.  Not a hint of burnt flavor nor sourness.  Very yummy.  Very good.  I could definitely drink this black no problem.

I tried the slightly darker cup.  Pretty good.  Stronger, darker flavor.  Slight burnt flavor and a hint of sourness, but over all, not too bad.  It tastes similar to the Starbucks coffee that they brew at my workplace when it's been sitting out for just a bit too long.  Not bad. Not bad.  Pretty good . . .

Turns out, the lighter one was Pike's Place Roast and the darker one was the VIA brew, Colombia roast.

So, I guess I can still tell a difference, but I must agree that it's the best tasting instant coffee I've ever had.  Honestly, there have been times when I have ordered drip coffee at Starbucks and it has tasted like that - slightly burnt and just a bit sour.  I just happen to love Pike's Place Blend (I think it's my all time favorite Starbuck's flavor) so I may have been a bit biased.

It's quite possible that the VIA brew tastes the same as the fresh drip version of another roast, maybe Verona or Sumatra (ha ha, or the Colombia, if there is such a roast at Starbucks?)

In any event, this stuff is the real deal, and really tastes surprisingly good.  It's not cheap.  A 3-pack costs $2.95 and a 12 pack costs $9.95.  I didn't buy any, since I have ready access to fresh coffee both at work and at home.  I think it's a bit pricey, but I guess it's worth it if it saves you from spending $2 or more on a fresh cup of coffee from a local coffee shop.

Starbucks VIA Brew (Instant Microground Coffee)

Have you tried the VIA brew challenge?  Apparently Starbucks spent almost 20 years developing a form of instant coffee that is supposed to taste indistinguishable from freshly brewed coffee.  It differs from traditional instant coffee in a few ways.

First, they really use top quality Arabica beans to make this coffee.  Arabica beans are milder, more aromatic, and contain less bitter aromas.  Arabica beans are also more expensive because the beans take longer to grow and the plants are not as hardy. Cheaper coffees typically use Robusta beans, which are so named because they are "robust" and can grow readily in a variety of climates.  Robusta beans have higher caffeine content and more bitter compounds.

In general, Arabica beans are considered "better" because they have more aroma and taste milder.  Having said that, the Europeans do enjoy blends that contain Robusta, partly because of the high caffeine content and also because Robusta beans create better crema (the creamy foam you see on top of an espresso drink). 

The second reason why this instant coffee is different is that instead freeze drying the coffee or processing it under harsh conditions, VIA is actually micro-ground coffee beans.  The beans are ground so finely they can actually dissolve when you add water (at least that's what the barista told me).  What's cool is that it works with either hot or cold water.

Right now, they are offering free blind taste challenges for you to determine whether you can tell the difference or not.

I was VERY curious about how this instant coffee tasted.  I had actually heard that it was pretty good, and I had to see for myself.  Luckily, it seems like most Starbucks cafes are offering this free taste test.

The barista handed me two small cups filled with the dark liquid.  The one on the left was lighter in color, the one on the right was darker.

I tried the lighter one.  Yum . . . very balanced, nutty flavor.  Not a hint of burnt flavor nor sourness.  Very yummy.  Very good.  I could definitely drink this black no problem.

I tried the slightly darker cup.  Pretty good.  Stronger, darker flavor.  Slight burnt flavor and a hint of sourness, but over all, not too bad.  It tastes similar to the Starbucks coffee that they brew at my workplace when it's been sitting out for just a bit too long.  Not bad. Not bad.  Pretty good . . .

Turns out, the lighter one was Pike's Place Roast and the darker one was the VIA brew, Colombia roast.

So, I guess I can still tell a difference, but I must agree that it's the best tasting instant coffee I've ever had.  Honestly, there have been times when I have ordered drip coffee at Starbucks and it has tasted like that - slightly burnt and just a bit sour.  I just happen to love Pike's Place Blend (I think it's my all time favorite Starbuck's flavor) so I may have been a bit biased.

It's quite possible that the VIA brew tastes the same as the fresh drip version of another roast, maybe Verona or Sumatra (ha ha, or the Colombia, if there is such a roast at Starbucks?)

In any event, this stuff is the real deal, and really tastes surprisingly good.  It's not cheap.  A 3-pack costs $2.95 and a 12 pack costs $9.95.  I didn't buy any, since I have ready access to fresh coffee both at work and at home.  I think it's a bit pricey, but I guess it's worth it if it saves you from spending $2 or more on a fresh cup of coffee from a local coffee shop.

Mamma Maria

The North End in Boston is the city's oldest residential neighborhood, and unlike other parts of the city, still feels like a neighborhood right out of Italy. Narrow cobbled streets are lined with small Italian shops, quaint cafes, and fantastic Italian restaurants.

I never tire of coming to the North End. I love the windy, uneven roads filled with little markets, pasta shops, pizzerias, and restaurants.  I love how it's so walkable - smack in the middle of the city within walking distance of Fanueil Hall, Chinatown, and Downtown.

One of the timeless, classic restaurants that I have always wanted to try is Mamma Maria. The restaurant is situated in a restored 19th century brick townhouse with multiple levels and private dining rooms. The atmosphere is intimate, the service is excellent, and the food is exquisite.

Why has it taken me so long to come here?  Well, two reasons.  One - if you try to just walk up to the restaurant and request a table (especially on a weekend), you'll most likely be turned away because they will already be booked for the night.  Reservations are a must.  Two, I had heard that it was quite expensive compared to other North End restaurants.

Baked Figs & Prosciutto 
(Fresh black mission figs, baked with Gorgonzola and Parma prosciutto) $14

Well this week I finally bit the bullet and made a reservation to come here to celebrate Bryan's birthday. The verdict?  The chefs at Mamma Maria definitely are skilled cooks, and everything was expertly executed.  The baked figs & prosciutto appetizer was great - the sweetness of the figs, the saltiness of the proscuitto, and the strong flavor of the Gorgonzola all balanced each other out nicely. 

Butternut Squash Ravioli 

(Verrill Farm butternut squash ravioli with toasted walnuts tossed in a sage brown butter) $14

I thought the pasta dishes were outstanding.  All pasta is fresh and homemade. The butternut squash ravioli had just the perfect sweetness with the brown butter sauce.  These ravioli pieces are big - fork & knife big.  You get two pieces in this appetizer dish, but that is actually plenty.

Lobster Ravioli 
(Hand rolled lobster ravioli with sauteed Chanterelle mushrooms and grilled asparagus) $30

Likewise, the lobster ravioli was incredible.  The ravioli itself was filled with chunky pieces of fresh lobster and finely minced celery.  It had a rich lobster essence without feeling heavy at all.  Likewise, the asparagus and sauteed mushrooms were also really really delicious.  The sauce in which they were sauteed was reminiscent of butter and lobster broth - so good.  Really really good. I was very happy.

Osso Buco (Veal shank osso buco in the classic-style with saffron risotto Milanese) $38

When we asked the waiter what he liked, he immediate said, "my favorite is the osso buco."  This bone-in piece of veal is stewed over low heat for 5 hours.  The resulting meat is fall-off-the-bone tender, really almost melts in the mouth.  The flavor is excellent, and the presentation is dramatic!  It sits over a classic saffron risotto.  Bryan thought this dish was very good as well.

Over all, Mamma Maria is an excellent restaurant.  Their chefs definitely know what they are doing and can execute excellent dishes.  The downside? The menu is not very large, and it's a bit pricey.  Even though we really enjoyed our meal there, in the end we both agreed that our favorite restaurant in the North End is still Prezza.  Being pasta lovers, we were a bit sad that there were only a few pasta choices on this menu.  Nevertheless, this is still an excellent restaurant and definitely worth trying.  You can be pretty sure that you'll get good service, great ambiance, and excellent food.

Mamma Maria
3 North Sq
Boston, MA 02113

Mamma Maria

The North End in Boston is the city's oldest residential neighborhood, and unlike other parts of the city, still feels like a neighborhood right out of Italy. Narrow cobbled streets are lined with small Italian shops, quaint cafes, and fantastic Italian restaurants.

I never tire of coming to the North End. I love the windy, uneven roads filled with little markets, pasta shops, pizzerias, and restaurants.  I love how it's so walkable - smack in the middle of the city within walking distance of Fanueil Hall, Chinatown, and Downtown.

One of the timeless, classic restaurants that I have always wanted to try is Mamma Maria. The restaurant is situated in a restored 19th century brick townhouse with multiple levels and private dining rooms. The atmosphere is intimate, the service is excellent, and the food is exquisite.

Why has it taken me so long to come here?  Well, two reasons.  One - if you try to just walk up to the restaurant and request a table (especially on a weekend), you'll most likely be turned away because they will already be booked for the night.  Reservations are a must.  Two, I had heard that it was quite expensive compared to other North End restaurants.

Baked Figs & Prosciutto 
(Fresh black mission figs, baked with Gorgonzola and Parma prosciutto) $14

Well this week I finally bit the bullet and made a reservation to come here to celebrate Bryan's birthday. The verdict?  The chefs at Mamma Maria definitely are skilled cooks, and everything was expertly executed.  The baked figs & prosciutto appetizer was great - the sweetness of the figs, the saltiness of the proscuitto, and the strong flavor of the Gorgonzola all balanced each other out nicely. 

Butternut Squash Ravioli 

(Verrill Farm butternut squash ravioli with toasted walnuts tossed in a sage brown butter) $14

I thought the pasta dishes were outstanding.  All pasta is fresh and homemade. The butternut squash ravioli had just the perfect sweetness with the brown butter sauce.  These ravioli pieces are big - fork & knife big.  You get two pieces in this appetizer dish, but that is actually plenty.

Lobster Ravioli 
(Hand rolled lobster ravioli with sauteed Chanterelle mushrooms and grilled asparagus) $30

Likewise, the lobster ravioli was incredible.  The ravioli itself was filled with chunky pieces of fresh lobster and finely minced celery.  It had a rich lobster essence without feeling heavy at all.  Likewise, the asparagus and sauteed mushrooms were also really really delicious.  The sauce in which they were sauteed was reminiscent of butter and lobster broth - so good.  Really really good. I was very happy.

Osso Buco (Veal shank osso buco in the classic-style with saffron risotto Milanese) $38

When we asked the waiter what he liked, he immediate said, "my favorite is the osso buco."  This bone-in piece of veal is stewed over low heat for 5 hours.  The resulting meat is fall-off-the-bone tender, really almost melts in the mouth.  The flavor is excellent, and the presentation is dramatic!  It sits over a classic saffron risotto.  Bryan thought this dish was very good as well.

Over all, Mamma Maria is an excellent restaurant.  Their chefs definitely know what they are doing and can execute excellent dishes.  The downside? The menu is not very large, and it's a bit pricey.  Even though we really enjoyed our meal there, in the end we both agreed that our favorite restaurant in the North End is still Prezza.  Being pasta lovers, we were a bit sad that there were only a few pasta choices on this menu.  Nevertheless, this is still an excellent restaurant and definitely worth trying.  You can be pretty sure that you'll get good service, great ambiance, and excellent food.

Mamma Maria
3 North Sq
Boston, MA 02113

Sprüngli chocolates

Bryan's been away on business trips a lot lately. Although it's tough having him gone so much, one side benefit of all his international travels is that he brings back presents. :) Here's the bounty from Switzerland.

I opened the gold striped box first.

Sprüngli is one of the best known chocolate makers in Switzerland.  It came highly recommended by several of Bryan's European coworkers.  It's not cheap!  He purchased 2 boxes and 6 bars of chocolate for $120!

Each of these delectable little squares is filled with a soft, creamy chocolate filling that is spiked with rum and kirsch.  It tastes phenomenal.  Not only is the chocolate super high quality, the hard liquor gives the inside a deep, dark bitterness that I love.

I have to be honest about my chocolate tastes here.  I'm kind of picky.  I'm not a huge fan of hazelnut (*gasp!!!*) and I typically do not really like chocolate truffles that much (*double gasp!!!*).  Instead, I am a fan of really dark chocolate.  I also love the mixture of coffee and chocolate.

When I first saw these, I was afraid they would be like all those other hazelnut filled chocolate truffles.  Instead, I was pleasantly surprised by the deep and rich chocolate flavor which was nicely intensified by the rum and kirsch.  The overall flavor was exquisite.  I loved it.  Of the two above, I like the darker chocolate one better (because it's even more bitter!) but both are excellent.

He also bought several solid chocolate bars, since he knows I don't love truffles and I typically enjoy the the rich, dark flavors of dark chocolate.  In this case, he picked up 60%, 65%, 70%, and 75% chocolate bars.  I have not tried them all yet, but so far, I am quite pleased. :)

I was bummed to find out that I missed out on one of Sprüngli most famous items: their mini-macarons, called the Luxemburgerli. I missed out on a macaron!! Unfortunately they don't keep well so Bryan was unable to bring them back for me.  Sad.  They are so cute.  You can see pictures on their home page.

Oh well, maybe that means it's time for me to make some more macarons . . . . stay tuned!

Sprüngli chocolates

Bryan's been away on business trips a lot lately. Although it's tough having him gone so much, one side benefit of all his international travels is that he brings back presents. :) Here's the bounty from Switzerland.

I opened the gold striped box first.

Sprüngli is one of the best known chocolate makers in Switzerland.  It came highly recommended by several of Bryan's European coworkers.  It's not cheap!  He purchased 2 boxes and 6 bars of chocolate for $120!

Each of these delectable little squares is filled with a soft, creamy chocolate filling that is spiked with rum and kirsch.  It tastes phenomenal.  Not only is the chocolate super high quality, the hard liquor gives the inside a deep, dark bitterness that I love.

I have to be honest about my chocolate tastes here.  I'm kind of picky.  I'm not a huge fan of hazelnut (*gasp!!!*) and I typically do not really like chocolate truffles that much (*double gasp!!!*).  Instead, I am a fan of really dark chocolate.  I also love the mixture of coffee and chocolate.

When I first saw these, I was afraid they would be like all those other hazelnut filled chocolate truffles.  Instead, I was pleasantly surprised by the deep and rich chocolate flavor which was nicely intensified by the rum and kirsch.  The overall flavor was exquisite.  I loved it.  Of the two above, I like the darker chocolate one better (because it's even more bitter!) but both are excellent.

He also bought several solid chocolate bars, since he knows I don't love truffles and I typically enjoy the the rich, dark flavors of dark chocolate.  In this case, he picked up 60%, 65%, 70%, and 75% chocolate bars.  I have not tried them all yet, but so far, I am quite pleased. :)

I was bummed to find out that I missed out on one of Sprüngli most famous items: their mini-macarons, called the Luxemburgerli. I missed out on a macaron!! Unfortunately they don't keep well so Bryan was unable to bring them back for me.  Sad.  They are so cute.  You can see pictures on their home page.

Oh well, maybe that means it's time for me to make some more macarons . . . . stay tuned!

Le's (Formerly Pho Pasteur)

I love pho.  Pho is a Vietnamese noodle soup with a rich, flavorful broth made from a stock that's been stewed for hours.  Add some tender slices of rare steak and a choice of various other "meats" such as tendon and tripe (cow stomach).  Finally, throw on top fresh basil and raw bean sprouts, and you've got perfection in a bowl for only $6.50.  I love it.

I live about a 10 minute walk from Le's in Harvard Square.  I think it's my top choice for a cheap sit-down restaurant.  It's just as fast and cheap as fast food but has the ambiance and food of a full service restaurant.

Seriously, if you order pho, it comes out in less than 5 minutes.  Sometimes in like 3 minutes.  It's awesome. It's especially great if you're really hungry!  :)

My friend likes to get the extra large sized noodle soup because it only costs slightly more and look how much bigger it is!  My small bowl (on the left) cost $6.50 while his extra large bowl only cost $7.95.

They also have a lot of other yummy dishes.  I often like to get the vermicelli (top left photo) if I'm not in the mood for soup.  It comes with a tasty fish sauce that you pour all over the noodles.  The portion size is generous and again, good prices.  The bowl above is only $7.75.

As for appetizers, we like to get the fresh summer rolls.  I also like the rice chowder ($5.50), which is sort of like the Vietnamese version of congee.  Very flavorful and delicious.

I don't think I have ever met a dish here that I didn't like. One fun dish to try is this make-your-own fresh Vietnamese spring rolls dish.  They give you all the fixings - cooked meat, vermicelli, vegetables, wrappers, and a big bowl of hot water to soften the wrappers. I learned how to make my own Vietnamese spring rolls at home directly as a result of ordering this dish.

Because Le's is in Harvard Square, you may notice some subtle differences from a normal Vietnamese restaurant.  Most notably, table settings are a little fancier.  In a normal Vietnamese hole-in-the-wall, the hot sauce comes in a huge squeeze bottle (usually with the picture of the rooster!).  Similarly, other the hoisin sauce comes in another unlabeled plastic squeeze bottle. Chopsticks are stored at the table in bulk, sticking out of a container like a bouquet of twigs. Here in Harvard Square, sauces come in small round clear sauce containers with lids and cute little spoons sticking out.  Not a squeeze bottle in sight.

All in all, I think you can't go wrong coming here.  There's almost always seating, it's in a great location, it's fast, cheap, delicious, and has pretty good ambiance.  Oh, and you can get boba tea or Vietnamese iced coffee.  What more could you ask for?

Note: Le's is virtually identical to Pho Pasteur.  They used to be the same restaurant, but split up about a year or so ago.

Le's
36 Dunster St
Cambridge, MA 02138

Le's (Formerly Pho Pasteur)

I love pho.  Pho is a Vietnamese noodle soup with a rich, flavorful broth made from a stock that's been stewed for hours.  Add some tender slices of rare steak and a choice of various other "meats" such as tendon and tripe (cow stomach).  Finally, throw on top fresh basil and raw bean sprouts, and you've got perfection in a bowl for only $6.50.  I love it.

I live about a 10 minute walk from Le's in Harvard Square.  I think it's my top choice for a cheap sit-down restaurant.  It's just as fast and cheap as fast food but has the ambiance and food of a full service restaurant.

Seriously, if you order pho, it comes out in less than 5 minutes.  Sometimes in like 3 minutes.  It's awesome. It's especially great if you're really hungry!  :)

My friend likes to get the extra large sized noodle soup because it only costs slightly more and look how much bigger it is!  My small bowl (on the left) cost $6.50 while his extra large bowl only cost $7.95.

They also have a lot of other yummy dishes.  I often like to get the vermicelli (top left photo) if I'm not in the mood for soup.  It comes with a tasty fish sauce that you pour all over the noodles.  The portion size is generous and again, good prices.  The bowl above is only $7.75.

As for appetizers, we like to get the fresh summer rolls.  I also like the rice chowder ($5.50), which is sort of like the Vietnamese version of congee.  Very flavorful and delicious.

I don't think I have ever met a dish here that I didn't like. One fun dish to try is this make-your-own fresh Vietnamese spring rolls dish.  They give you all the fixings - cooked meat, vermicelli, vegetables, wrappers, and a big bowl of hot water to soften the wrappers. I learned how to make my own Vietnamese spring rolls at home directly as a result of ordering this dish.

Because Le's is in Harvard Square, you may notice some subtle differences from a normal Vietnamese restaurant.  Most notably, table settings are a little fancier.  In a normal Vietnamese hole-in-the-wall, the hot sauce comes in a huge squeeze bottle (usually with the picture of the rooster!).  Similarly, other the hoisin sauce comes in another unlabeled plastic squeeze bottle. Chopsticks are stored at the table in bulk, sticking out of a container like a bouquet of twigs. Here in Harvard Square, sauces come in small round clear sauce containers with lids and cute little spoons sticking out.  Not a squeeze bottle in sight.

All in all, I think you can't go wrong coming here.  There's almost always seating, it's in a great location, it's fast, cheap, delicious, and has pretty good ambiance.  Oh, and you can get boba tea or Vietnamese iced coffee.  What more could you ask for?

Note: Le's is virtually identical to Pho Pasteur.  They used to be the same restaurant, but split up about a year or so ago.

Le's
36 Dunster St
Cambridge, MA 02138