Thursday, May 30, 2013

Boston Brunchers: BOKX 109 American Prime in Newton, MA

Brunch might be my favorite meal. I love finding new and interesting takes on brunch food - and our trip to BOKX 109 American Prime delivered! Thanks to the Boston Brunchers, the hubby, little guy and I headed to Newton for a delicious brunch experience.

BOKX 109 American Prime is located in the Hotel Indigo right next to Riverside Station. It is easily accessible by the Mass Pike, Route 16 and Route 30 (perfect for us suburbanites). For city-dwellers, it's an easy ride out on the Green Line D branch. The restaurant is located on the lower level and opens out into the pool area. 

We started with a round of drinks - mimosa, fresh squeezed orange juice, and water. As we settled in to our comfortable seats overlooking the pool, it was hard to decide on our meal choices.



Our server was attentive, but laid-back, giving us time to decide if we were going to go with lunch or breakfast items. We ordered and then sat back to relax and wait for our food to be freshly prepared. We did not have to wait long, the chef sent out a special amuse bouche that definitely woke up our palates.



The pear and mascarpone sacchetti (handmade purses of fresh pasta) were the perfect mix of sweet and savory. The adult plates were presented with a smoke-filled glass bowl on top, which let out a wonderful smell when lifted. The little guy's plate was sans-smoke, but that didn't seem to get in the way of his enjoyment.



For entrees, the hubby and I chose two different egg dishes. For my entree, I opted for the Filet and Eggs Benedict. There were so many good flavors - the perfectly medium steak, rich runny egg yolk, white truffle, and bearnaise on top of grilled ciabatta. I am not normally an eggs benedict fan, but this won me over. The confit potatoes were rich and creamy.








The hubby normally opts for a sweet breakfast, but the pancake and french toast options were a little over the top for him. He chose the Steak Bomblette - a frittata style omelet with tenderloin, smoked gouda, mushrooms and carmelized onions. The bomblette was also topped with a drizzle of balsamic. This was an eight inch flavor bomb! The only thing missing was a good piece of toast on the side.



The little guy didn't need his own entree. But if we let him, he might have eaten all of that bomblette! An order of the fresh fruit plate rounded out his meal. The large square plate had melons, grapes, berries, and pineapple. On the side was a seasonal sorbet (peach/mango) and an unnecessarily large bowl of Champagne sabayon. We  thought maybe they gave us the whole batch instead of an individual serving because the label was still on the serving bowl! Either way, it was wonderful.




To our surprise, the meal ended with a huge green apple cotton candy!! As soon as we saw it coming, the hubby and I looked at each other and thought - parenting dilemma! How can we explain to a toddler that this is mommy and daddy's pure sugar treat, and you can't have any. 


Well, we let him touch it but told him he couldn't eat it. Below is what happened when he put his hand in his mouth and figured out we were trying to pull a fast one on him.


Thanks to Boston Brunchers and BOKX 109 for a great brunch! The service, food, and atmosphere were wonderful and we hope to make it back again soon!

Disclaimer: I entered a contest to win free brunch for two at BOKX 109 through Boston Brunchers. The meal was free, but we tipped our excellent server. All opinions are honest reflect our experience at brunch during this visit. 

Saturday, April 6, 2013

Traditional, with a Twist: Baked Farro “Arancini”


This is my entry to the contest hosted by Tuscan Fields to win a conference registration to Eat Write Retreat. I had a fabulous time the last two years and would love to attend again in the new Philadelphia location. I hope that you enjoy my post and that I am able to attend EWR13 thanks to Tuscan Fields!  

Connection – that is my word. Last year at Eat Write Retreat, Monica Bhide challenged us to find the one word that defined our blogs. Connection can mean many things, but for Good Cook Doris one of the main ways my “word” presents itself is connecting tradition with today through old recipes with new twists or traditional ingredients with a new spin.

This scholarship contest challenged bloggers to take farro, an ancient grain, and come up with an original recipe and post. Keeping my word in mind, I knew that my recipe would be traditional, with a twist! As with last year, I’m still squeezing cooking in along with family, work, school, and life. I wanted a recipe that would showcase the farro and be easy enough to make while having a million other things on my plate to do.

Tuscan Fields is bringing farro to the US from Tuscany.  Their products are grown at Fattoria Pieve a Salti and are 100% organic. Farro has been a part of Tuscan cuisine as far back as ancient Rome! In addition to being an agriturismo, the farm is also the second largest producer of organic agriculture products in Tuscany. For my recipe, I used Tuscan Fields® Farro Perlato. For a little background on farro, I turned to the Tuscan Fields website. Here is a description in their words:  “Farro is often translated into English as ‘spelt’ – but it is actually another variety of heirloom or “ancient” grain in the wheat family. Its biological name is triticum dicoccum and it is the forerunner to spelt (Triticum Spelta) on the evolutionary wheat chain. In the U.S. triticum dococcum is also called “emmer wheat” but it is readily known worldwide as “farro”.”



I decided on a twist on risotto and arancini. Farro’s nutty flavor and slightly texture makes it perfect for many different preparations and spice additions. We eat a lot of southwestern flavors here in the Good Cook Doris kitchen which means the spices and herbs we run out of the most are cumin, chili powder, and cilantro. I wanted to incorporate these into my farro recipe, along with a delicious Queso Blanco that we picked up at last week’s winter farmers market. The cheese is locally made in Rhode Island by Narragansett Creamery .

First, I made a savory and delicious farro-risotto with onions, carrots, garlic, spices, and chicken broth. Next, I wrapped it around squares of Queso Blanco and coated it in seasoned panko breadcrumbs. After about 20 minutes in the oven, and a quick broil, the baked arancini were ready. Cutting into the middle revealed a warm, melty cheese center. The sea saltiness of the cheese paired with the creamy, spiced flavor of the favor made for a delicious bite.




In true Good Cook Doris fashion, while I was making this recipe I was also busy at work on a paper for my graduate school class this semester. I set up shop in the kitchen and in between steps tried to get a few words written. It's all about maximizing the time you have, right?



I hope you enjoy this recipe and that I have a chance to enjoy Eat Write Retreat 2013 in Philly!



Farro Risotto
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium white onion, diced small
1 medium carrot, peeled and diced small
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon chili powder (I used a red chili powder from Texas)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1.5 cups Tuscan Fields Farro Perlato (this ended up being the entire 9.1 oz package)
2 cups water
1.5 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (or 1 tablespoon freeze-dried, or dried cilantro)
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice

In medium saucepan add oil, onion, carrots and garlic
Cover and cook over medium-low for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally
Stir in cumin and chili powder and cook until you can smell the spices (about 1 minute)
Add farro to the saucepan and stir well, cook for about 2 minutes or until lightly toasted
Add broth and water and stir
Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring every 5-7 minutes until farro is tender (but still has slightly chewy texture)
Remove from heat, mix in cilantro and lime juice and season with salt if desired

Note:  I did not add too much salt, knowing that I would be adding a salty cheese to the final baked product.



Baked Farro Arancini
Farro-risotto from above recipe
10 half-inch cubes of Queso Blanco
1 cup AP flour
1 egg plus a splash of water, lightly beaten
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon dried cilantro
1 tablespoon olive oil or melted butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
Set up three shallow bowls on your work space
In one bowl, put the flour
In the second bowl, mix the egg and water
In the third bowl, mix breadcrumbs, chili powder, cumin and cilantro; add butter or olive and mix until well combined
Using an ice cream scoop (or cookie dough scoop), take a scoop of risotto and place it in your palm, flattening it slightly
Place a cube of cheese in the middle, using a smaller spoon, take about 1 tsp additional risotto and put on top of cheese
Shape the risotto into a ball, completely surrounding the cheese so you can’t see it at all, packing the ball tightly
Roll ball in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs and place on the parchment paper lined baking sheet
Repeat for as many as you would like to make
Bake for 20 minutes at 375 degrees
Broil for 2-5 minutes until the outside is golden brown and crispy
Serve with warm salsa (your favorite jar or homemade)



Thank you to Tuscan Fields for the opportunity to win a chance to attend Eat Write Retreat!

Disclaimer: 
I signed up to enter this scholarship contest and was one the first 50 entries which meant that I received two packages of farro from Tuscan fields to use in developing a recipe for this contest entry. To be eligible to win, I had to create an original recipe and post, and link to both Tuscan Fields and Eat Write Retreat. For full details of the contest, you can click here



Sunday, March 3, 2013

Boston Brunchers: Beautiful Bites at The Blue Room

Last weekend I had the opportunity to join the Boston Brunchers for a delicious late brunch at The Blue Room in Cambridge. The Blue Room is one of my favorite restaurants but I have never made it to brunch there. What I love about The Blue Room is their focus on high-quality, seasonal ingredients. The structure of the menu stays the same, but the specifics are dictated by the available ingredients. Besides the food, the people make you want to keep coming back. Everyone on the team is warm and welcoming.

We arrived on a cold, rainy Sunday for a 1:00 pm brunch. Each of the brunchers in the group was treated to a Ramos Gin Fizz while we waited for our table to be set. The charming bartenders set up a delicious looking assembly line (see their photo here) and frothed, zested, and presented us with these festive drinks.

Cold, rainy day outside - Cozy brunch inside.
The Blue Room's Sunday brunch is a buffet ($27 for adults, includes coffee or tea). Brunchers were provided a free trip to the buffet along with a cocktail. We made sure to tip generously at the end. The buffet is setup along the open kitchen and the dishes are constantly replaced, ensuring a full selection of hot items. The plates were large - ensuring room for a sampling of all of the items.


Round 1 for me was going to be all breakfast food, but there were more 'lunch' items than breakfast. Going clockwise, starting at the top: Iggy's roll with pear-stout confiture, marinated beets, braised winter greens, patatas bravas, applewood smoked bacon, scrambled eggs with creme fraiche, smoked salmon, and cheddar grits with brisket in the middle. The potatoes and the brisket were probably my two favorites - see the homage to brisket below.


Even though the brisket had a dark crust, it was perfectly tender and extremely flavorful. I need to find out what they put in the rub before barbecue season rolls around! Round two was a few more savory dishes (and maybe another piece of brisket....)

Thankfully I was seated with my back to the pastries table. That way I could enjoy the savory items without jumping straight to the sweets! Chef Robert Grant made a special blackberry pain perdu for the group and sent out warm, custardy, slices for each of us to enjoy. Look at those layers! It was so smooth it just melted in your mouth.


My restaurant sharing pal Renee and I got an assortment of other goodies from Pastry Chef Mia Velasquez's fresh baked selection. We tried warm from the oven cinnamon rolls, vanilla bean pound cake, scone, flourless chocolate cake, and a macaroon. If I was forced to pick a favorite, it would probably be the macaroon. Sticky and just the right amount of sweet to end the meal.


I have never left The Blue Room unsatisfied. After experiencing casual dinners to private events to lunch on the patio, and now brunch I can continue to say that The Blue Room is on the top of my favorite restaurant list.

Thanks to The Blue Room team for a fabulous brunch! Hope to see you again very soon!

I was selected to join the Boston Brunchers for this brunch at The 
Blue Room. Our meals (brunch, coffee, and brunch cocktail) were provided at no charge. We had a fabulous server and made sure to tip generously. 


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