America's Test Kitchen Chocolate Chip Cookie Challenge!

I think I speak for a lot of people when I say that chocolate chip cookies remind me of growing up and being in the kitchen with my mom baking - a bit of Americana.  Most people have their own twist on traditional recipes passed down through their family.  Each of my friends would trade secrets that we learned: for example, my mom, who learned from HER mom, always used shortening (Crisco) rather than butter or a mixture of both, which created a puffier cookie.  I find it very difficult to break from the traditions I learned from my mom - to this day I still use Crisco when baking anything, from cookies and pies to frosting.  This may seem really odd to some, but its the way I grew up doing it.  The first time I made my chocolate chip cookies for Nick, I really hoped he liked them (even though they were different from what he may have learned growing up) because the little tweaks I learned are things I want to pass on to my children.

All that being said, I still love to try out new recipes to see if there are new techniques that would make me want to try to change my ways.  When I recently saw the America's Test Kitchen Boston blogger challenge to make Cooks Illustrated's Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies, I could not resist giving it a go.

Cookies!

Honeyed Prawns & Polenta - Bringing the South up North

We realized this week that it had been awhile since we really cooked a "real" meal ourselves, so when it came time to select a recipe I was at a loss.  However, when we were in Savannah we became obsessed with the delicious honey from the Savannah Bee Company so of course we bought some souvenirs.  This was as good a place as any for some inspiration.

Honey!

Red Bones - BBQ in Boston...

...or, I guess I should say Somerville!  In general, it takes a Groupon or a really good reputation to get me to cross the river.  In this case it was actually a meeting with a potential wedding photographer AND a Groupon AND a good restaurant.  With the appointment schedule we were off to Red Bones to indulge in a little BBQ. 

The first time I went Red Bones I was with some co-workers during a summer internship.  After we had gone to Anna's for lunch they suggested we get some dessert and off we went.  However, rather than ice cream (which was what I was expecting) we went for some micro brews - pretty good in my book.  Since then I have been to Red Bones once for a quick meal and it was great, so I was excited to go back.

It was fairly early on a Tuesday night and the place was already busy, but we were able to sit right down.  One of Red Bones' claims to fame is their extensive list of microbrews on tap.  For those who cannot make up their mind, you can let the wheel decide - spin it and whatever it lands on you drink.  Feeling less adventurous tonight and not wanting to leave it up to chance, I went with a good stand by - Pretty Things.

mmmm...beer!

Russell House Tavern - FINALLY!

This is one of those places Nick and I have been meaning to try from a long time - people have been singing its praises for awhile now.  However, it being ALL the way across the river we had to plan ahead.  Lucky for us two of my cousins were coming to town and I thought this would be a perfect time to test out the Russell House Tavern.

I was surprised at how big the restaurant was.  We were seated at a big table on the bottom floor that was a nice open space, though it seemed a bit loud at first.  However, after a couple of cocktails from their nice drink menu, that stopped bothering me :)

The menu had a good mix of foods, including pizza, a raw bar, small plates and more traditional entrees.  Our group decided to pass on appetizers and dive right into main courses.  One of these was Roasted Giannone Farm chicken, served with mashed potatoes, thyme roasted carrots and smothered with pan drippings.

Roasted Chicken

First Game at Fenway for the Season!

Last night I was lucky enough to get to go to Fenway to watch the Sox for the evening.  My friend M had an extra ticket and invited me along, and needless to say I was more than willing to go.  There is something about baseball for me that really just triggers spring and summer.  Going to Fenway really means that summer is right around the corner!

Working only a few stops away, I made sure to bring my Sox t-shirt and hat to work so I would be fully prepared for the evening.  As I sat in my office waiting to go, I was so happy to see how fantastic the weather was - sunny and warm.  I could only hope that it held out a little while longer.  Lucky for us it did!  The seats were before Pesky's Pole in Right field and gave us a great view of most things going on in the stadium.  I always love trying new seats at Fenway because each one is completely different - for better or worse, you never know what you are going to get.  Tonight, it was definitely better!

It really wasn't that cloudy!

Savannah Day 3 - Paula Deen's (!) and a Trolley Tour

I was one lucky lady on our last day in Savannah because I did not have to wake up early but still got reservations at Paula Deen's The Lady and Sons.

Paula and I!

Not because it was a quiet day, because as you can see in the photo below, the place was packed.  Rather, Nick got up and was in line at 8:30am in order to make reservations that they don't start taking until 9:30am - that is how crazy it gets down there!

Crowd getting ready...