Spiced Pumpkin and Hard Cider Spring Rolls

Spiced Pumpkin and Hard Cider Spring Rolls

I made these Baked Pumpkin and Hard Cider Spring Rolls last weekend for us to snack on while we spent a very, and much needed, relaxing day in sweatpants, watching football and loosely working on wedding plans. Wedding planning for me has been such a surreal process. I mean, I've been thinking about my wedding my whole life. Not in a crazy, I have a lace-lined-binder-detailing-every-minute-of-the-day sort of way, but more in just a way thoughtful and hypothetical type of way and now it's real and we're actually planning it!

Our plans are starting to come together and for the most part it's been a really fun process. We still have lots of loose ends to tie up but I can't wait to share some of the details with you. Since we're both chefs, the main focus of our day will be food, which will coincidentally be the theme of the day; after all, it's what brought us together and what we bond over the most, why not share that with our friends and family as we bring the two sides together?

Dipping Action

Getting back to the food at hand, these Spring Rolls involve some of my favorite fall flavors - pumpkin (after all, what's fall without a fun pumpkin recipe?), hard apple cider, roasted fennel, currants and an extra sharp cheddar cheese to really bring it all together. If you find yourself being turned off to making these because you're not into fennel, fret not, just leave it out. You could also make these totally vegetarian spring rolls by omitting the chicken and you can add more roasted veg (I think roasted sweet potatoes, squash and/or parsnips would go especially well). For best results, pair with an ice cold hard cider or other fall-like beverage of your choosing. One extra note - this recipe makes a lot of sauce and that's a good thing. I saved the sauce and then later that week I crisped up some prosciutto and caramelized some onions and added some goat cheese crumbles and made a pizza. I had planned to take pictures of that too, but it got eaten up before I had the opportunity to grab my camera! I'll be making this again for sure though..

A peek inside..

Spiced Pumpkin and Hard Cider Spring Rolls

- Drizzle of olive oil
- 2 chicken breasts
- 1 fennel bulb, fronds removed and bulb thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup currants
- 1 cup Boiling water
- 1 cup of Pumpkin and Hard Cider Sauce, divided (recipe follows)
- 1 cup shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 1 package Spring Roll wrappers (usually found in the refrigerated section of most grocery stores)
- 1 egg, plus a splash of water

Pre-heat the oven to 400. In a large skillet, heat olive oil. Salt and pepper both sides of each chicken breast and sear the chicken for about 3 minutes on one side, flip and then finish cooking in the oven. (About 15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through). Set aside to cool.
Add sliced fennel to parchment lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt. Roast fennel until it gets very soft and turns brown on the edges. Remove and set aside to cool. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, re-hydrate the currants by adding boiling water to them and setting aside until they plump. Drain them and discard water.
Drop oven temp to 350. Shred the chicken and add the fennel and currants. Mix in half of the Pumpkin and Hard Cider Sauce. Add shredded cheese and blend, then season to taste and roll (according to package instructions) the spring rolls. Lay onto parchment lined baking sheet. In a small bowl combine egg with a splash of water and blend to make an egg wash. Brush the exterior of each spring roll with the egg wash and lightly salt the exterior. Bake them until they are golden brown on the edges. Serve warm with a side of remaining Pumpkin and Hard Cider Sauce.

Pumpkin and Hard Cider Sauce

- 2 bottles hard cider
- 1 can pumpkin puree
- 1 TBS ground cinnamon
- A couple pinches of freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/4 cup creme fraiche or sour cream
- 2 fresh sage leaves, minced
- Pinch of chili powder
- Salt to taste

In a medium-sized pot, add all ingredients, stir until well combined and heat until the alcohol has cooked out. (About 15 minutes). Season to taste with salt. 

Recipe: Chili Roasted Chicken with Black Bean Farro and Chili Crema

Admittedly enough, it all started with an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives (my secret guilty pleasure). We were practically drooling over a Mexican joint known for their fiery, authentic dishes and that led to a craving for a hearty meal steeped in south-of-the-boarder flavors.

Instead of keeping it 100% classic, we opted for a slight deviation and swapped out the rice for farro, a substitution that made the whole meal heartier and perfect for a chilly night. Ironically enough, the star of the dish was not the chicken or the rice and beans, it was the chili sauce, the constant thread that tied it all together. Robust and warm with spice, it made its appearance in every component of the dish but in different capacities. With the farro and beans it was accompanied by some tomato paste to stretch it out and make it richer. It also made for a terrific marinade for the chicken, forming a nice, spicy crust when roasted. Finally, the chili sauce made its way into some sour cream to create a cooling, yet still spice-kissed crema. The dish was plated and dotted with fresh cilantro leaves and splashed with fresh lime juice, just before serving.

This dish quickly became a favorite; spicy, hearty and balanced by the different textures and flavors and it totally hit the spot.

Chili Roasted Chicken with Black Bean Farro and Chili Crema 
Serves 2-3, comfortably

- 2 chicken breasts, trimmed of visible fat
- Chili Sauce (Recipe follows)
- Olive oil, for drizzling
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 cup Farro
- 2 small bay leaves
- 2 TBS tomato paste
- 1 can black beans, drained
- Salt to taste
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- Cilantro Leaves to garnish
- The juice of 1/2 a lime

Preheat oven to 400. In a small bowl, marinate the chicken in just enough chili sauce to coat it evenly. Set aside. Reserve the rest of the sauce for later use. In a medium sauce pan, heat enough olive oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan. Add the diced onions and a pinch of salt and heat until translucent. Add the farro and 2 cups of water. Add the bay leaves and bring to boil, reduce to simmer. Simmer the farro until it is tender, but still has a bit of a bite to it. Remove bay leaves and discard. Add the tomato paste, plus two heaping TBS of the chili sauce. Stir to combine and then fold in the black beans. Season to taste. Add the rest of the chili sauce to sour cream and set aside.

Salt the chicken breasts on both sides and roast until cooked through. Let rest a minimum of 5 minutes and then slice the chicken breast. To assemble, make a small pile of farro and beans, fan chicken slices out on top and top with a spoonful of the chili crema. Garnish with cilantro leaves and and lime juice juice just before serving.

For the Chili Sauce:

- 2-3 dried ancho chilies
- 1-2 chipotle peppers
- The zest of 1 lime
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp coriander

Re-hydrate the chilies in hot water for about 15 minutes. Using a blender, puree the chilies with about 1/2 cup of the water used to re-hydrate the chilies. Add the lime zest, garlic, cumin and coriander. Puree until smooth.

Chicken Posole Soup

I always find that the more grey and chilly the day, the more vibrant and spicy I want my soup to be. It seems that we've had a fair amount of rain in Boston over the past month or so and as a direct result, my soup intake has increased. This soup is inspired by a classic Mexican Posole Stew, but, true to my cooking style, I deviated a bit from the classic to make room for my own special twists.

Posole soup traditionally is a made with hominy, pork and chilies. Hominy, if you haven't had it or worked with it before, looks like a pale, bloated corn kernel. It has a potatoey quality to it but has a very intense corn flavor and it's a nice little surprise to bite into. Additionally, I swapped out the pork for some meaty chicken thighs and I added carrots, for their sweetness, and mushrooms for their earthiness to my soup. Two dried chilies that were plumped up in boiling water and then pureed to round out the soup and contribute not only some spicy heat, but a nice bright hue. Just before serving, the brightness of the soup was reinforced by a couple drops of fresh lime juice as well as fresh cilantro.

Chicken Posole Soup
- 4-5 large chicken bone-in chicken thighs
- 1 can of Hominy
- 2 ancho dried ancho chilies
- 3 large carrots, largely diced
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 carton button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
- 1 TBS ground cumin
- 1 TBS ground coriander
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1/4 cup cornmeal flour
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil for the pan
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Lime wedges and cilantro to garnish

Boil water in a kettle and pour hot water over the dried ancho chilis. Set them aside and let the chilies plump up (about 20-30 minutes). Removed chilies from water and discard the stems and seeds. Place the chilies in a blender and add a bit of water. Puree until as smooth as possible and set aside.

Coat the bottom of a heavy dutch oven with olive oil and heat until very hot. Using a thick paper towel, dry the chicken thighs and season generously with salt. Place skin side down in the hot oil and sear the outside of the chicken until golden brown and crispy. Set aside the seared meat and add the mushrooms. Heat the mushrooms until cooked through and then add the onions and carrots and a generous pinch of salt. Sweat the vegetables for a couple of minutes and then add the chicken back to the pan. Add the chili puree, cumin, coriander, thyme and bay leaf and then add just enough water to cover the chicken. Add the cornmeal flour and hominy. Bring the soup to a boil, and then reduce it to simmer. Let the soup simmer for about 45 minutes and then remove chicken, let it cool, and remove skin and bone, and pull the chicken meat. Return it to the pot and serve with lime wedges and cilantro.

Spiced Chicken Pita with Eggplant Puree and Pomegranate

Ufra, Aleppo and Sumac

It's always been a pet peeve of mine to hear TV chefs tempt and tease their audience by saying that they wish that people could smell what's going on in their kitchen. (Even worse when corny references to "smell-o-vision" are made.) While it's true that the fragrances that develop play a huge part in what makes cooking so enjoyable, I believe expressions like that should only be used when you really mean it. Last night, somewhere between all the searing, toasting and roasting, the fragrances just bloomed and captivated the kitchen and I couldn't help but think - I wish you could smell what's going on in here today..

Toasting Spices

The key to great dishes is layers of flavor and with that comes aromas that build the excitement and anticipation that enhance the whole art of cooking. Calling on influences from the Middle East and Mediterranean cuisine, this dish was simple by design but bold in flavor. Zesty sumac, earthy urfa and spicy aleppo were the main flavor components and together, once toasted with a touch of lemon zest, they created such an intoxicating aroma, it left me wishing I could have captured those scents.

Roasted Eggplant and Lemon

While those aromatic spices were toasting away, in the oven, the eggplant was roasting, gently softening along with half of a lemon. Light and perfumey, the fruity scents grew more powerful as the flavors concentrated and deepened. Once cooled, the eggplant was peeled and whipped into a puree along with a hint of nutty tahini and a couple drops of rich pomegranate molasses to add a sweet and tangy note, that smelled just as good as they tasted.

Spice-Rubbed Chicken Breast

That aromatic toasted spice blend was used, along with olive oil and lemon juice, to dust over chicken before the outsides got seared and then it was into the oven, while whole wheat pita bread toasted away. To finish it all off, the chicken was thinly sliced and peppered with just a bit more of the spice blend and laid over the whipped eggplant and warmed pita. Pomegranate seeds were then dotted on top to provide a surprising little "pop" with each bite and fresh chopped mint and slivered scallions provided a bright and fresh flavor.

I attribute all of these intoxicating smells wafting out of the kitchen to the use of ingredients and combinations that are relatively new to me. I'm making a conscious effort to push myself to try new cuisines and flavors and it seems I can't get enough of learning about food, utilizing different techniques and creating new dishes. The added bonus of the personal satisfaction gained from giving the kitchen an enticing aroma and great food to match is what keeps me motivated and ready to get started on the next meal.

Greek Chicken Thighs with Pomegranate-Olive Salsa

While the whole act of making a meal is an exciting adventure, for me, I could boil it all down to three distinct moments that are my favorite. The first of my favorite moments occurs before I even pick up my knife to get started. I'll lay out all of the ingredients that I plan to use and place them on the counter before staring them down, thinking about each one. I'll imagine how every ingredient tastes. Then I'll consider their smell, color and texture and think about what the completed dish will be like. I'll make changes. I'll put some items away while bringing out new components to add new elements to a dish. To me, this is where the fun's at. This is where all the creativity lies and it's the start of something. 

My second favorite moment lies in the execution of a dish. The rhythmic tap of the knife hitting the cutting board. The opening and shutting of the oven door, the sharp flick of the wrist as it shakes a saute pan and the whole rush of excitement that goes along with timing everything to ensure that it all gets cooked to the proper temperature and to the desired level of doneness. It is here that the rest of the world can seem to disappear and I'm in my own world, focused on doing what I love best.

My third favorite moment of the cooking process is the right after every element of the dish is completed and it's time to plate the meal. I get personal satisfaction out of taking extra effort and care to spoon things onto a plate and arrange it just so. Then, of course, there's no satisfaction quite like taking a group of ingredients and transforming them into something deliciously beautiful that when it gets presented, you can see on people's faces that they are content. You can see their expressions soften and maybe even a little smile flicker across their face as they take that first bite and that's what makes this all worthwhile. 

Below is a recipe for my Mediterranean inspired roast chicken thighs, complete with a Pomegranate - Olive Salsa and served with fresh roasted asparagus. This is a perfect meal for a nice pre-summer night. It's light, fresh and satisfying. The salsa seems to pop with bright flavors of citrus juice, roasted tomatoes and fresh herbs. It's balanced by the sweet brinyness of the crushed Kalamata olives and the tart Pomegranate seeds. This meal isn't complicated or time consuming but yields delicious results and plenty of opportunities to savor the art of cooking.

Greek Chicken Thighs with Pomegranate-Olive Salsa

For the chicken:

- 4 Chicken thighs

- 1 Meyer lemon, zested and juices reserved

- 2 TBS Dijon mustard

- Splash of red wine vinegar

- 3 TBS fresh mint

- 1 TBS fresh rosemary

- 1 TBS fresh oregano

- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

- Salt and Pepper to taste

- Asparagus spears, trimmed and cleaned

- Pomegranate - Olive Salsa (recipe below)

Set aside chicken in a shallow baking dish. Combine the rest of the ingredients into a blender or food processor and combine until a thick sauce is created. Spoon over chicken and let it marinade for at least 30 minutes. Bake in a 400 degree oven until chicken is cooked through. To crisp up the chicken skin and to heat the asparagus, for the last couple of minutes of cooking, switch the oven to broil and add the asparagus spears with the chicken. Broil until skin is crisp and the asparagus is cooked through. Top with Pomegranate - Olive Salsa and serve immediately. 

Pomegranate - Olive Salsa

- The seeds from one Pomegranate 

- 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and roughly chopped

- 2 TBS fresh mint, finely chopped

- 1/2 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped

- 1/2 tsp fresh oregano, finely chopped

- 1 clove garlic, finely minced

- 1 pint cherry tomatoes

- 2 TBS olive oil, plus more for drizzling

- Salt and Pepper to taste

Roast the tomatoes in a drizzle of olive oil at 350 until they become very tender and start to get jammy. Once cooled, roughly chop them.

In a small bowl, combine the olives, mint, rosemary, oregano, garlic and chopped roasted tomatoes. Mix thoroughly and add olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Quick Chicken Soup with Homemade Spinach and Herb Gnocchi

Do you remember that gnocchi I made the other day?  In my post I mentioned how great freezing it is because in a pinch, you've got homemade gnocchi that you can just boil up and eat (or add that extra step of frying it) to make an easy weeknight meal.  I was living proof of that last night.  I had worked late, came home exhausted and all I wanted to do was curl up and watch some mindless tv (i.e. watch a couple of episodes of How I Met Your Mother that I have saved up in my DVR...is it just me or is that show ridiculously addictive?).  Oddly enough (and this rarely happens) I didn't want to cook an elaborate meal.  I wanted to throw something together so that I could just spend the rest of the night doing nothing.  So I took some of my gnocchi out of the freezer and tossed it into some hot, salted water and then about 3 minutes later, I had fresh homemade gnocchi.  Then I took some chicken stock, chopped mushrooms, some leftover chopped chicken breast, some finely diced onion, a little bit of garlic and thyme and then boiled it until everything came together.  Fast forward about ten minutes and I was sitting in front of the TV, piping hot soup in hand, ready to laugh at what hijinks Ted Mosby was going to get himself into in order to find himself his wife.  Not bad at all.  The best part?  I even have leftovers for lunch.  I love when that happens!

Quick Chicken Soup with Homemade Spinach and Herb Gnocchi
- 1 carton chicken stock
- 1 cooked chicken breast, shredded
- 1/4 onion, finely chopped
- 6 large mushroom caps
- 1 cup Spinach and herb gnocchi
- 1 clove garlic, finely diced
- 1/2 tsp fresh thyme
- Salt and pepper to taste

Start by boiling the gnocchi in salted water until it floats.  Remove from water and set aside. Next, fry the onions in a little salt until they start to get translucent (about 5 minutes).  Add the garlic and fry for another minute or two and then add mushroom slices and cook until tender.  Lastly, add the chicken stock to the pot along with the thyme.  Salt and peper to taste and add the gnocchi just before serving.

A First Attempt At Homemade Chicken Tikka Masala

And Indian Favorite: Homemade Chicken Tikka Masala

As a food blogger and obsessive home cook, I keep a running list of things that I want to attempt to make or recreate in my Small Boston Kitchen.  My list isn't anything fancy or super serious, it's just a bunch of random dishes or ingredients that I'd like to try.  Whenever I'm drawing a blank or having some trouble thinking of what to make, I turn to my list, pick something off of it, turn to my kitchen and get cooking.  Tonight, I'm happy to announce, I'm crossing one item off my list that's been on there for a while: Chicken Tikka Masala.

I love Chicken Tikka Masala.  I mean, what's not to love?  A rich, spicy tomato-y sauce hugging tender chunks of chicken and then served alongside rice, how can one pass that up?  Not easily I tell you, not easily.  Whenever I go out for Indian food I find it hard for me to pass it up.  I know it's common request but I think it's so popular for  reason, it's just so darn tasty and I knew I wanted to create my own version of this popular Indian dish in my Small Boston Kitchen.

When thinking about how I would tackle this recipe, I turned to Google and found a plethora of recipes and lots of variations however, me being me, I wanted to go without a recipe and create from instinct and taste and I was really happy with my results.  Once I had my spices and herbs laid out on the counter, the rest was pretty easy.  To help bring all the flavors together, I slowly simmered it in a tagine until the sauce got rich and flavorful and the chicken was tender that it was falling apart.  I suspect a crockpot set to low or a dutch oven would also do the trick and yield similar results.  Another adjustment that I made to the traditional recipe for this dish was that the I omitted the mass amounts of butter that are usually part of this recipe and instead, turned to Greek yogurt and tomato paste to provide a luxurious richness to the sauce.  Truth be told, I didn't miss the fat one bit and I plan to make this at home much more often.  What is it that is so satisfying about not only crossing something off your list, but making something that you've never made before, from scratch?

Homemade Chicken Tikka Masala

Quite The Delicious Jer-Ne

Last night was the type of night I love; four courses eaten oh so slowly over a three and a half hour time frame, diners being passed around so everyone can try, loud laughter, the exchange of hilarious stories and a visit from the Reverend Al Sharpton.

I think that sentence pretty much sums up my evening last night and you know what?  I think every night should be like that (a visit from the Reverend optional, of course.  He just happened to be sitting a couple tables over from us).  Just stop for a moment to think about what this country would be like if we regularly took the time out of our hectic lives to really enjoy a good meal and eat it at snail's pace.  I feel that we are all constantly on the go and almost programed to keep moving at lightening pace, we don't stop to truly savor a meal over an extended period of time.  And that is a shame.  It is so relaxing to fully savor a meal, thoughtfully chewing each bite and appreciating every ounce of it all.  

I had received an invitation for an evening at Jer-Ne, located at the Ritz Carlton, right in the center of town.  Jer-Ne is swanky.  It's sleek and chic but friendly and inviting, all at the same time.  With dark wood trim, comfortable seating, low lights and soft, yet upbeat music playing in the background, Jer-Ne is the perfect place to go if you'd like to feel like royalty for an evening.  From the moment you walk in, it is made quite clear that you are the guest and your job is to enjoy the evening and the friendly staff is there to ensure that happens.

The menu itself is an interesting one.  Playing off of several regions and influences (Italian, German, Brazilian, Moroccan, French, et...) it provides quite the variety.  At the very start of our meal, we were introduced to Luis, who would be taking care of us for the night and that he did.  He started by giving us a complete run down of the menu, describing in detail how each item tastes and pointing out his personal favorites.  He was very knowledgeable of the menu.  On his suggestion, we started with a course of ceviche and within a couple of minutes, we were presented with three little rectangular plates piled high with white fish, shrimp and octopus.  Surprisingly enough, I really enjoyed the octopus (it had a light coating of chili oil on it) and the white fish (so light with the fresh taste of citrus and a hint of coconut).  

After the first course, we all enjoyed a course of salads.  My friend Oona, her cousin Alan and I enjoyed the watermelon feta salad.  It was beautiful a presentation, a bed of bright watermelon topped by fresh arugula and dollops of salty feta and sweet fig jam.  Oona's husband, Andy, opted for the asparagus and shitake mushroom salad.  It was a beautiful little haystack of fresh vegetables.  He graciously offered me a taste.  It was a delicious little salad with an Asian flair.

After the salad course, the main meal arrived.  Oona and Alan enjoyed the rib eye steak that was paired with a baked potato.  The steak was so tender, both declined the offer for a steak knife and simply used a butter knife to easily slice through the meat.  Andy selected the roasted halibut that was a beautiful presentation of corn with a fresh piece of halibut resting on top.  The dish was finished with by streak of chimichurri.  I enjoyed one of their tasty little flatbreads, which was a thin crust topped by tender pulled chicken meat, apricots and a mint yogurt sauce.  The flavors were fantastic and I loved how well the sweetness of the apricots contrasted against the tangyness of the yogurt sauce.  It was very flavorful.  

Last, but certainly not least, we were presented with a sampling of their dessert menu.  Everything was dangerously good with just a little flare of something unique.  We enjoyed bites of German cheesecake, warm molten lava cake, panna cotta, banana cream pie, deep chocolate pudding, a lemon caramel parfait and  wedges of cherry kuchen.  While they all were fantastic in their own way, my favorite was the panna cotta.  It was cool and creamy, laced with vanilla beans and garnished with mandarin orange slices.  Yum, yum yum.  

    

At the conclusion of the meal, I was given an exclusive tour of kitchen and pastry room.  What surprised me most was how small the kitchen actually is.  (I guess I'm not the only one with a Small Boston Kitchen!)  The other thing that surprised me was that the kitchen staff actually took the time to stop what they were doing to smile and say hello.  And man, were they busy!  They were hustling back and forth preparing dishes for not only the restaurant, but for a wedding as well and they still made the effort to make me feel welcome.  

Thanks to the staff at the Jer-Ne and the Ritz Carlton.  Especially Luis, our server (be sure to ask for him when you go!).  He was awesome.  And very special thanks to Andy, Oona and Alan for such a wonderful, fun and fantastic evening!

Not Just Another Chicken And Rice Dish

The inspiration for this simple yet oh so satisfying little chicken and rice dish came from about 18 places.  First, I was craving something rice based, then wanted something spicy.  Later on in the afternoon I saw (and smelled) some delicious looking cilantro at a farmer's market and I happened to have some leftover chicken on hand.  Not a bad little creation considering the inspiration came from so many places.  Drawing on some classic Mexican components, this dish is a nice little change up from your average chicken and rice dinner.  I think what truly makes this dish work so well is the balance of all of the flavors.  There's a significant amount of smoky chipotle heat in here, but the cilantro and lime have a cooling affect while the corn provides little bursts of sweetness.  This would be a great little dish to make for a Mexican themed dinner.  (Just be sure to invite me over if there is a pinata.  Aren't those fun?) You could also add some sharp cheddar to the rice and use it to stuff a burrito or this would make a super little stuffing for some stuffed peppers as well.

Along with there being several options of how to serve this little creation, there are a myriad of things you could put into it to change it up even further.  Try pieces of steak or bits of sausage instead of chicken or do away with the meat entirely and add some black beans.  Get in touch with your inner creative chef here and just create!

Okay, I seriously cannot stop eating this and I need to go back for round two!  Mmm, this dish totally hit all of my cravings.  I just love when that happens!

A Whole 'Lotta Food This Weekend!

Hello Blogosphere, I'm back!  Yesterday I totally took the day off from my blog to spend some quality time with my Mom.  We walked (and walked!), we talked, we shopped, and ate (ohhh, did we eat!) On Saturday, we spent the day wandering the city, poking through Back Bay and Beacon Hill. We posed for a photo opp by the swan boats:

Isn't my Mom the cutest?  We had fun in Back Bay walking through the Public Gardens.  We paid homage to the famous Make Way for Ducklings ducks and paused to question why there were palm trees in the Garden.  Really Boston?  Palm trees?  Who are we kidding?

After our stroll through the Gardens, we poked around Beacon Hill shopping and ended up working up an appetite for some Upper Crust (my Mom's favorite.  I can't say I blame her..).  We stopped at the original shop on Charles Street where I enjoyed their slice of the day (eggplant and fresh mozzarella) and my Mom had plain cheese.  Yum and yum.  I had never actually had fried eggplant on a pizza before but I loved it! It added just a little hint of sweetness and crunch to the pizza.

After a little more walking (okay, a lot more walking!) we went to the Melting Pot.  I had attended an event there last month and knew right away that I would have to take my Mom here.  We had a lot of fun, talking and dipping breads, veggies and apples into melted swiss cheese.  Pure heaven.  My only complaint was that the bread was a little stale.  Not terrible by any means (especially when you coat in mass amounts of cheese!) but still, it could have been a smidge fresher. (Update: a representative from the Melting responded to me on my about the bread.  Apparently it is supposed to be that way and in fact, fondue was created to use up stale bread.  Who knew?  I certainly didn't, and appreciate the little food fun fact!)

On Sunday, I spent a good amount of time in the kitchen with my Mom (who made a fabulous sous chef, by the way).  I made us breakfast (a black forest ham and swiss strata):

While I was whipping up the breakfast, my Mom got an action shot of me hard at work in my Small Boston Kitchen.

Later on for dinner, I made a simple take on a chicken cordon bleu (chicken stuffed with ham and swiss and then lightly coated in some honey mustard) and my veggie cakes that I made the other night.  My Mom loved it.  Everything came out perfectly and it was so fun to cook for my Mom.

Thanks so much Mom for making the trek out to Boston.  I had so much fun and you'll need to come out here again soon!