This past Saturday, I faced a delicious dilemma: When you’ve had a perfect breakfast and lunch, where do you go for dinner? It started at Sofra, Ana Sortun and Maura Kilpatrick’s incredible bakery in Cambridge, MA. My parents were in town to celebrate Father’s Day, so we treated them to a breakfast of glazed orange […]
The secret to New England’s best ice cream is a rich custard base made with the freshest ingredients. My first taste of Susanna’s Ice Cream happened on a chilly March day at a farmers’ market in North Kingstown, Rhode Island. Stuffed with pastries and fixated on the piles of oysters and root vegetables, I almost […]
Here’s the view from my “office” today. We’re doing a three-day photo shoot for the new Yankee Favorites cookbook (see last year’s edition), due out in mid-October, and the setting is the beautiful studio of photographer Heath Robbins. This is, hands-down, the nicest studio I’ve ever worked in—5000 square feet of well-lit studio, office, kitchen, and comfortable […]
It’s so good to be firmly back in the growing season. Most farmers’ markets are open now, and CSAs are kicking into high gear. If you haven’t heard this acronym before (has it reached ubiquity yet?), CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture—a business model that allows consumers to buy shares in a farm early in […]
I recently revisited the Chatham Pier Fish Market—a small seafood shack and takeout counter (formerly known as Nickerson’s) on the town pier in Chatham, Massachusetts. In Yankee’s May/June 2011 issue, I highlighted this place as serving some of the best clam chowder in the state, and I was craving another bowl. The chowder was just […]
People often ask me where they should eat, and I enjoy solving the puzzle. Last week, I even butted into a conversation between two strangers who were contemplating an overpriced, under-performing North End restaurant. When I get the sense that people are visiting from out of town, it seems like a professional obligation to make […]
Between this beautiful stretch of weather and the gardens blooming all around us, my thoughts are turning to springtime pleasures and rhubarb and strawberry season, and then, because of the flowers, to decidedly feminine treats like afternoon tea. And we’re blessed to have many delightful tea rooms in New England. I’ve learned to stop saying […]
Here’s a fresh take on the traditional cake (and a lovely way to start someone’s birthday): a blueberry pancake cake for breakfast that’s frosted with whipped cream. I dreamed this confection up in honor of my son’s third birthday, which is today. We’ll be having a party with friends, family, and assorted preschoolers on Saturday, […]
First, on the matter of last week’s ricotta tart, I did make it and the reviews were mixed. My Aunt Joan said, “This is good enough to make you slap your mother!” (she has collected some great Southern expressions from a Virginia-born friend). But I found the tart too sweet and one-note. I had substituted […]
We have a holiday-intensive life, celebrating Passover at home and with my husband’s family, and Easter with my family. This year, we’re headed to my sister’s for Easter Sunday and my job is to do dessert–my favorite duty. Thinking about what to make, I was reminded of a journal of recipes that I started in […]
This tiny North End eatery serves some of the best seafood in Boston. The chowder trades the usual thickened base for a vibrant, intensely clammy broth. The secret? It’s lightly enriched with milk, cream, and potatoes and accented with a hint of oregano. 63 Salem St., Boston. 617-742-3474; neptuneoyster.com
For a place that branded itself on its meat, Kelly’s does surprisingly well with seafood. We found a sprightly, creamy broth, rich in potatoes; it’s a bit lighter on the clams, but fully aromatic and delicious. Locations in Allston, Danvers, Medford, Natick, Revere (where it all began), and Saugus. 781-233-5700; kellysroastbeef.com
