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And just for fun, here's another shot of the tray of delicious potato dumplings. It's especially fun to watch them float to the surface of boiling water as you cook them. In the process, I also learned a new cooking term through error. The term "rice" as a verb apparently means "sieve to the consistency of rice" and not "scatter" as I originally guessed.
Last night I attempted a new recipe I ripped out of my favorite magazine, The Week. It's called Meyer Lemon Gnocci, and it's made with the zest of two full lemons and amazingly only two potatoes (to feed five of us)! A few friends swung by to partake in the experiment and all got put to work in the kitchen since we were running so late! Ash did an amazing job of "forking" these potato dough bites, delicately making the intended impression with all sorts of other frantic activity in the background! It is served with a buttery sauce which I might re-think next time I make these... but my mind is already racing with other ingredients I can introduce into the very basic dough. Stay tuned for more gnocci gnovelties...
And here's the final result. I got my steamed cheeseburger with lettuce and sauteed onions. Apparently, this 46 year-old establishment used to dish up a meltier cheese and a harder and more delicious roll, but I have nothing to compare it to, and it tasted pretty damn good to me! The trip is worth it for the unique concept alone!
These little trays are a critical part of the refined process of making the steamed cheeseburger, a specialty of Ted's in Meriden, CT. Today Jason's family took me here to experience my first steamed cheeseburger ever. I've been waiting years to taste these delicious treats, described to me many times as gray, sock-like patties that taste much better than they look. The trays are packed with beef and cheese alternately and slotted into a metal box that continually projects steam upward, cooking the burgers and melting the cheese. Jason's dad tells me he can replicate the process at home, which sounds difficult; I'm looking forward to seeing this...
Maybe it's optimistic, but despite the still-cold weather and rumors of snowstorms prevailing in the Midwest, I stand convinced that we've finally hit spring here in New England. Technically, the spring equinox hit late last week and the quality of light has completely changed. If it's 6:30 at night and the sky is still blue, I consider us on the road to recovery, or... summer. Here's a fun still life of plant pots outside a brick chimney - patiently waiting to be filled for spring.
I met up with some friends the other day in Central Square, and took this shot as I was idly waiting for them to arrive at a breakfast cafe. I used to favor the Grecian Yearning of Allston for greasy, weekend, 2pm, roll-out-of-bed variety "breakfasts," but now I try to hit slightly (and I mean, slightly) classier joints a little closer to the AM hours. There's nothing quite as comforting as going out to breakfast on a Saturday morning. Well, except for maybe eating breakfast in the sunshine on your deck. Sadly, I do not have a deck, so out on the cheap it is! The other great thing about eating out in the morning is that it's so inexpensive! The coffee may be wanting, but at what a bottomless bargain! It feels like the whole world is ahead of you on Saturday, and for such a brief period of time that it must be savored!