New Orleans restaurant roundup
The reentry shock of returning from sunny Louisiana, where the temps were in the 70s our entire stay, to frigid Boston in the middle of an ice storm on Monday night, is finally wearing off. A few days of rest, day job, and less indulgent meals have cleared our heads enough to get down to a solid post on the most important facet of any … Continue reading New Orleans restaurant roundup
NOLA highlights, days 2 & 3
We have been incredibly lucky, weather-wise, on this trip. The few days before we left Boston we had been checking the forecast and things were looking OK, but on the cool side (low 60s). So far each day has hit mid-70s and bright sun. Friday we had some spectacular food, first at Bayona for lunch, and later dinner at Adolfo’s. And if you count the … Continue reading NOLA highlights, days 2 & 3
Sunshine, music & oysters
…three things we came down to our favorite US city for, not necessarily in that order. But, given the frigid temps in Boston this week the sunshine has turned out to be more delicious than usual, so it was good timing on our part. The thermometer said it was 69 yesterday but it felt more like 80 to us. Also good timing for another reason: … Continue reading Sunshine, music & oysters
The Secret of Happy Travel
He who would travel happily must travel light. – Antoine de Saint Exupéry In the fifteen years we’ve been traveling together, we have discovered the one thing that, above all else, makes for happy traveling. More than making sure you have bandaids (though that’s important), printing out double copies of your travel documents (always a good idea), and researching the first place you’ll eat so … Continue reading The Secret of Happy Travel
Thirty bucks, four courses, one fantastic meal
John Harvard’s Brew House, at 33 Dunster Street, has been a mainstay in the square for years upon years. Long before we moved into the city, we would drive from the North Shore, get lost navigating Harvard Square to find a parking spot, and eventually would make our way to one of two underground places for a pint and some food: Grendel’s Den or John … Continue reading Thirty bucks, four courses, one fantastic meal
Cracker junkies
I’ll admit it: we are cracker junkies. We love crackers in this house. Other people have cookie jars; we have a cracker jar, which usually contains at least three, usually four different varieties. We eat them between meals, to stave off eating something worse; or for breakfast, with a smear of peanut butter. And my go-to after work snack is a few crackers with slices … Continue reading Cracker junkies
Travel and the Art of Not Garfunkeling
If you travel, inevitably at some point you will find yourself starving, cranky, jet-lagged, and somewhat lost, standing in front of some vaguely non-threatening restaurant with a winsome, colorful menu in the window where you will say to yourself or your traveling companions, “Well, how bad can it be?” Afterwards, you will spend several hours in a bleak spiral of self recrimination, shaking your head … Continue reading Travel and the Art of Not Garfunkeling
So easy it’s almost not a recipe: slow-cooker chipotle chicken
One of my favorite recent discoveries is the versatility of canned chipotles en adobo. Now, before you go saying that you don’t use canned products, hear me out. I generally don’t either. But there are a few exceptions, and canned chipotles in adobo sauce is one of them. If you’ve never used this ingredient, you are really missing out. The word “chipotle” is becoming ubiquitous … Continue reading So easy it’s almost not a recipe: slow-cooker chipotle chicken
Spicy Moroccan meatballs with butternut squash and tomato sauce, lemon couscous
While this is not exactly an authentic Moroccan dish, the flavors and spirit of the food we had in Marrakech are there, from the harissa spiced meatballs and sauce, to the lemony couscous, and even the butternut squash, which we were rather surprised to find in one of the several tagines we tried. Even the yogurt, which is the secret ingredient that makes these meatballs … Continue reading Spicy Moroccan meatballs with butternut squash and tomato sauce, lemon couscous
Moroccan food
One of the best things about our trip to Marrakech–among many great things–was the food. Food seems to be everywhere, particularly in the medina (old walled part of the city). In the morning, the grand Djemaa el Fna square is covered with carts selling dates, nuts, and other fruit, freshly squeezed orange and blood orange juices. In the souks themselves, vendors have stalls that specialize … Continue reading Moroccan food
noodlecork 