When you read Portland what do you think of? Is it the big city in Oregon? Probably. But when I think of Portland, I think of the delicious restaurants that line the cobble stone streets in the waterfront city of Portland, Maine.
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Chowder has always been a favorite of mine. Like many of my favorite things, it’s not exactly the best for us health wise, but give me a hearty cup of chowder and I’m a happy girl. As a big chowder fan, my mission to find the best cup in New England happened naturally. Although an ongoing journey, here’s what I’ve gathered so far.
Continue reading “New England Clam Chowdown”
It may be legal in Massachusetts, but The Smoke Shop in Kendall Square is not a place where you can marijuana. The only thing getting high at The Smoke Shop is the pile of bbq on customers’ plates.
Taking a sip of coffee from my Kate Spade mug, I glance at the phrase glazed across the outside. “Eat cake for breakfast” it reads. For the entire time I’ve owned this mug, I’ve always thought it was just a colorful little phrase. That is, until, I discovered In A Pickle Restaurant in Waltham, Massachusetts.
My cooking style can be defined as all of the following: experimental, untrained, and in the moment. I don’t follow recipes often, and when I do, I take liberty with measurements and instructions. When it’s time to cook, I don’t make lists or plans ahead of time, and instead walk the aisles of the grocery store searching for inspiration. Lately I’ve been on a mission to cook at home more and eat out less, and last week I threw together a little bit of this and a little bit of that to make what I’m calling pumpkin alfredo pasta.
October is informally known as pumpkin spice season which, in conjunction with an Instagram post by @rachlmansfield, and the pumpkin filled aisles of Trader Joe’s, sparked the inspiration for a weeknight cooking spree.
Like I mentioned earlier, I take a lot of liberty when it comes to recipes aka I glance at them once and then do whatever I so please. This often gets me into trouble, but I like the challenge so I continue to wing it. After I posted videos of my creation on Instagram Stories, I received a number of messages asking for the recipe, but since I didn’t really follow one, this is the closest I can get:
Ingredients
Step 1: Remove sausage casing to create crumbles. Brown sausage and mushrooms in a pan
Step 2: Boil water and cook pasta until slightly underdone. Save about 2 cups of pasta water for your pumpkin sauce.
Step 3: Add underdone pasta, sausage and mushrooms to the same pot. Add pumpkin puree, pasta water, and about a cup of coconut cream (yes I know, exact measurements would be nice, but like I said, I was winging it)
Step 4: Turn on the burner to medium heat and bring your sauce to a simmer. This will help it thicken and finish the cook on your pasta. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Pro tip: If you find that your sauce is coming out a bit too thin, stir in a bit of flour to help thicken it.
Step 5: Serve on a bed of arugula and enjoy!
If you take a stab at this Fall dish, let me know! I’d love to hear what variations you tried as well, and as always, don’t forget to follow along on Instagram!
Finding the perfect brunch spot is hard work. Especially in a city you’re discovering for the first time. But once you find a spot, or two or three, you’re set. In a world where brunching is a habitual weekend pastime, and in a city where food & drink options are endless, my first challenge as #erineatsboston was to find a spot for brunch on a Sunday morning.
The challenge begins with first deciding on a location. The Greater Boston Area is defined by unique neighborhoods and squares, each with their own distinct vibe and restaurant options. South Boston (Southie) is full of #InstaWorthy brunch spots, as is Back Bay, and Cambridge. But seeing as sometimes convenience is key on a Sunday morning, we opted with Cambridge for a quick and easy commute.
The next battle is picking the restaurant. In just a short amount of time I’ve curated a pretty decent sized list of restaurants. This stockpile of ideas is a helpful start to choosing a restaurant, but the challenge is always finding someone to be decision maker. If you’re like me, it’s likely that your options will get tossed around three or four times before someone finally says, “let’s go HERE!”
Luckily, I recently picked up the latest edition of Scout Cambridge Magazine, which just so happened to be the ‘best of’ issue complete with a number of superlatives including best brunch, best breakfast, and best restaurant overall. I’ve found that one of the easiest ways to find out what’s going on in a city is to pick up any free local magazine or newspaper. They’ve always got the inside scoop.
Our “let’s go HERE!” moment came just over 12 hours before our brunch date was scheduled and it was determined that we would go to the Little Donkey (voted best restaurant overall) in Central Square. The planner that I am was anxious that we would not be able to dine without a reservation, and there were no longer any available online. Despite my concern, I’ve learned that if you don’t try you’ll never get anything, so we decided to wing it and were able to be seated right away.
The menu at Little Donkey is designed for both tapas style meals (shared small plates), as well as individual dishes. As a table we shared chilaquiles, which were none other than delicious, although the best way I can think to describe them is upscale nachos. I went back and forth between trying something new and ordering the tantalizing fried chicken sandwich, and ultimately went with something different. I present: Toad in a Hole, an over-easy egg cooked inside a slice of miso banana bread serve with habanero sausage and creamed spinach. It was a combination of flavors I wasn’t sure I would enjoy, but always trust your gut when something piques your interest!
The moral of the story is that figuring out where to eat and what to order may be a challenge, but it the end, it’s always worth it. Looking for restaurants to add to your list? Don’t forget to follow along on Instagram!
I am a big Upstate New York fan. Always have been, always will be. But when opportunity knocks, you’ve got to open the door.
The door opened east of Upstate New York and I am excited to officially announce the beginning of a new chapter in Boston! I am quickly adjusting to my new home in the city of Cambridge the only way I know how– through food!
