Fresh Red Currant Scones

For a couple of weeks we received fresh red currants in our CSA and short of mixing it with some vodka (which, of course I did!) I was not really sure what to do with them since most recipes call for dried ones.  However, Nick did some digging and found a recipe from a blog on gardening.  So, on a recent Saturday morning I was treated to fresh scones - not a bad deal!

Fresh out of the oven!

To be honest, I was not even sure what the berries were - they looked like the poisonous ones on the bushes in the woods.  The second time we got them I thought it was time to put the gorgeous berries to some good use. 

Fresh Currants

Forum - New addition to Boylston St.

Nick and I had reservations to go to 94 Mass Ave during their "renovation" with two other couples, so when we got a call cancelling those plans my friend S immediately made reservations at Forum, a brand new restaurant in the old Vox Populi space.  We happened to be going on one of those really hot and humid summer evenings, so needless to say, Nick and I were really happy to walk into the air conditioned comfort of a completely transformed space.  The first floor looks totally different from what Vox was: you can actually move fluidly along the bar and not run into those annoying poles because now they are contained within the bar!  The downstairs area is great for grabbing a drink and catching up.  There are a few tables down there, both high and low, but we were sat upstairs (which was also completely transformed.) 

Source - Forum

Kowloon - a Route 1 Institution

This year, rather than just doing the Whim Dinner for Nick's birthday, we also went with our friends A & A to a Route 1 institution - Kowloon Restaurant.

Kowloon!!!

This is a place that you cannot possibly miss as you pass it heading up north, and while it looks completely crazy on the outside, you HAVE to go in because it gets even better.  As we were seated we were asked whether we would like to sit in the lagoon room, the pirate ship room or a booth.  Since we figured we would take a walk to see the lagoon and the pirate ship, we opted for the booth in the shocking pink and purple greenhouse area. 

Since this was a special occasion we could not leave without this special monkey "glass" that also doubles as a piggy bank!  I mean, what more do you need!  The sugary drink on the inside wasn't bad either - a bit like we should have been on the beach somewhere.

Monkey Glass!

Mercadito - Mexican, Chicago Style!

A couple of weekends ago I went to Chicago to visit one of my very best friends who is also my Lady of Honor (much better sounding than Matron of Honor)!  The point of the weekend involved very little Chicago exploring and more catching up.  However, when you go to Chicago, one of the big decisions is where to eat, since there are so many delicious places to try! 

Before I even arrived, C had made reservations for us at Mercadito, a great Mexican restaurant in the downtown area of Chicago with some of her friends.  When we arrived we were welcomed into a really unique atmosphere where you just knew you were going to have a fun time - good music with a bright, fun decor!

We sat at a high-top table and immediately began reviewing the delicious drink menu.  The first cocktail to arrive literally was made with fire.  Not only that, the fire was actually within an inverted lime, so basically the lime skin was containing the fire.  When it was placed on the table, the server stirred with fire into the drink and put it out.  Quite the presentation, that is for sure! 

Big Nose Goes to Mexico - Herradura blanco, tequila reposado, dark rum, guava, orgeat and FIRE!

I ordered Misty's Sleeve, a drink with some spice and a big kick to it (which may have had something to do with the Serrano chili!)  I seem to be into those recently.  Again this is a great drink but with all that spice, I really could only handle one.

49 Social - New addition to Temple St. - Downtown

Recently I was looking for a good location to grab some drinks with friends, both from Boston and visiting from NYC.  After debating a bit, I thought 49 Social would be a good place to try - I was really curious to see if and how the new restaurant changed the old Ivy space.

Off we went on a Tuesday night, and lucky for us there was plenty of room for us to grab a table in the bar area.  Turns out not much has changed - the space is just a bit brighter on the inside with the addition of a marble bar top and matching marble table tops.  I was pretty happy with this, since I always thought the Ivy was a great place to go.  We had the bartender serving us and she was more than willing to make us custom drinks based upon what we liked, which were tasty!   

For food, we decided to split a few of the bar menu options, which included a number of really great sounding flatbreads that would be great for sharing.  The first was the pear and prosciutto flatbread. 

Pear and Prosciutto flatbread with Gorgonzola cheese, arugula, and balsamic glaze

Swiss Chard!

This week we had Swiss chard in our CSA, another veggie I am not really familiar with, and yet another reason we originally wanted to get the CSA.  Using Epicurious I tried to figure out what sounded good and practical to make for a weekday meal when I stumbled upon a delicious side dish recipe with Swiss chard, raisins and toasted almonds.

Ingredients

 The Necessities...

• 1/2 large onion, sliced lengthwise 1/4 inch thick (1 cup)
• 2 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika
• 2 pounds Swiss chard, center ribs discarded and leaves coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped almonds with skins

To begin, I heated some olive oil in a large saute pan and tossed in my sliced onion.  This onion was another fantastic red onion from the CSA that is more like a red onion/scallion hybrid, but is delicious and pretty to cook with!  With the onion I tossed in the salt and allowed it to cooked until it softened, where I then added the paprika.