Dinner, Drinks, and Dessert!

WHAT UPPPPP PEOPLE!!!

Long time, no written word.  With work and life, well you know how it go.

As many of you may know by now:
Food has always been a HUGE part of my life.  Something I look forward to on a regular.  Something that has never let me down.  Something I can rely on.  Of course, there's been many a time when the quality or quantity was not up to par in conjunction with my standards.  I surely don't live in a fantasy world that rains down tasty stuffed mushrooms on a daily.  Though, in general, food has been a constant.

Cooking and recently, baking, has been a great way for me to be creative...risky.  An escape!  Something that matters to me and makes ME happy.
I've never cooked or baked the same exact recipe twice.  It's just not how I roll.  Never do I write a recipe down, I just sprinkle, add, mix, and match whichever ingredients that I feel will work well together.  It's a talent that I have been blessed with.  It doesn't freak me out to venture off a written recipe or to add a little more of one spice than another.
This little knack of mine is good and bad.  According to the hubs, I have never been able to recreate a small batch of lemon/pepper wings I made several years ago because I do what I do.  And as time goes by, the memory has failed me!

Speaking of the hubs, this past weekend, we went out for a super overdue date night.  "Porter Cafe for Burgers!"  in West Roxbury on Centre Street, is what I declared as I walked through the backdoor after work last Friday!  At the time, only thinking of what I yearned for:  Pinot Noir of some sort and a nice, juicy cheeseburger on a big old bun with onion relish, a wee bit of ketchup, and crispy fries!  Oh, and of course an appetizer!

The hubs agreed and did not offer other suggestions, as not to piss me off.  Sometimes they just get it!  Sometimes...  :)

After a quick nagging session for him to hurry up and shower/shave because I was STARVING, we arrived at the restaurant and were seated right away.  We quickly decided on the fantastically awesome steamed mussels in coconut curry broth with crusty bread.  Huge portion, delish, and devoured.
Beer battered fish and chip with tartar sauce is what my other half went with.  He thoroughly enjoyed his Irish fare and even sprinkled his chips with vinegar!  YUM!
Of course, I shared a bite of my burger with my man.  He was just as impressed with how freaking tasty those damn patties are!  Totally recommend.

Because I have blogged about this joint before, I won't go into specific detail about every little thang.  But, I surely will complain again about the fact that they still do not offer dessert!  You know I need/love my sugary treat after a fulfilling supper.

Because for me it is necessary to indulge in dessert, we ended up at one of our fave spots.  Masona Grill which is a short drive away for more Pinot for me and a creamy slice of heaven--coconut layer cake drizzled with caramel sauce.  The hubs went with an Irish coffee and apple bread pudding.  Totally not a big fan of bread pudding but the apples were nice.  My selection was the bomb!  We sat at the bar.  The place was pretty dead so we didn't feel so bad just getting a decadent treat/drinks and the staff is welcoming and chill.  Good times!

Feliz New Year!!

Cooking up a storm!
Chili, wings, chips, dip, champagne!
Toast to the New Year!

Haiku! Word!

Cooking, baking, calm
Classical music blaring
Pretty great Sunday!

Target Pizza, West Roxbury

By now most of you who grew up in and around my 'hood' of the past eight years, know that MJ's has closed its doors forever.  I drove down Belgrade the other night and saw the emptiness that was once MJ' s and it made me sad.  After many, many years of take-out, eat-in, and mostly delivery, the MJ's era has come to an end.  No more one of a kind lean and mean, juicy steak and cheese subs.  No more of the best boneless bombastic buffalo fingers with bleu cheese.  Bye bye tender, tasty steak tips served with real mashed.  :(

Well, as always, I am here to make your food life a little better and will share with you my discovery of a delectable steak and cheese sub (of course with extra mushrooms on mine) that I have indulged in at least three times over the past month.  Target Pizza on the corner Washington St/Grove St in West Roxbury has come to my rescue and has filled the gaping void that has been longing for a decent steak and cheese.  The meat is tasty, chopped up, not stringy, there's just enough cheese, and served on a fresh sub roll.   And it's huge, satisfies me for two meals!  YUMMY!  The hubs really enjoys their meatball with provolone which of course he devours in one sitting.  The fries are crispy and served on a cardboard tray in a PAPER bag.  They know what's up.  The calzones are pretty dang good, as well.  We tried a small Italian with hots, onions, and pickles.  Very nice.

The menu hosts appetizers, salads, a couple desserts, strombolis, quesadillas, wraps, subs, sandwiches, dinners and more.  Their pizza is delicious and the extra large size is ridic.  The gourmet choices sound delish.  My roomies and I used to dog many a' Target pizza pie back in the day.  The prices are super reasonable, the delivery at times is a bit slow but the wait is worth it.  They own a tiny, red delivery vehicle that is usually parked in front of their storefront.  Good for the environment?  I've never seen it in motion.

I hadn't sampled Target in years but decided to give them a try after my usual delivery joints got sloppy and/or lazy, and/or boring.  And mostly now because I LOVE their steak and cheese subs! I must force myself to venture out and have more of a variety in my next order.  Their website is under construction but is listed on their menu as www.targetpizza.com.

Brickhouse Cafe, Dedham, MA

I may be a bit rusty because it's been so long since I have written a blog on my beloved food journeys so bear with me.  And gracias for reading!

A couple of evenings ago, the hubs and I decided to put our already prepped supper aside and head out on a dinner date.  The only problem is that we could not decide where to go.  I text my buddy to see if she was working at Sophia's Grotto but she had the night off.  Boo.  After going back and forth for a while, we agreed on The Brickhouse on Bridge Street in Dedham.

After driving around the world and back then not finding a parking space once we arrived at the restaurant (because there aren't any), I was one starving, how shall I say?  Ravenous lunatic!  We were seated right away and in the bar area where we wanted.  A couple minutes went by before I started to get really annoyed when no one even said hello to us.  Never mind, not asking us if we wanted drinks!  Finally a server informed us that our server would be right with us.  WTH!  Five more minutes went by before our waitress came over. Judge me if you will but non-existent service pisses me off!  

The hubs convinced me to get over it and enjoy the drama llama of a conversation going on behind us.  Yes, I eavesdrop and I love it.  So being the understanding lover of food that I am, I decided to give the joint a second chance.  We put our drink order in which consisted of a Sam Adams Octoberfest for the hubs and a glass of Red Truck Pinot Noir for me.  Also, an order of stuffed mushrooms and a wedge salad.  

The wine was tasty but the fly that lost it's life in it, not so much.  Believe it or not, I took the fly out myself and took a big sip.  Yeah, like I was going to wait for her to come back?  Hellz no.  A little while later, the charred, bland, breadcrumb tasting shrooms and the mediocre wedge salad was delivered.  The smoked bacon was on top in strips which was different and the lettuce wedge was ginormous but the dressing didn't impress.  Strike three?  Idk.  I've lost count by now.  

The two types of fresh bread with an olive oil concoction that we had to ask for was so far the best part of our food intake for the evening.  We put our entree' order in and got another round.  My Italian combo included raviolis, chicken parm, and a huge meatball, with pasta.  The hubs went with another combo of sirloin tips, chicken parm, and ribs.  Neither one of us were blown away by the chicken parm and my meatball was flavorless.  The tips were cooked to his liking but tough and the ribs just okay.  I did enjoy the ravioli and linguine but overall, I was bummed out and didn't love the red sauce either.  

If you have been reading along all this time, I tend to see the bright side of a situation but the Brickhouse was really a disappointment.  Although the bar area was happening and the restaurant itself is cute, I probably won't go back there.  And I opted for zero dessert.  That about sums it up.  Date night with the hubs = no bueno.  :(  Though it's always a pleasure to try new places and hang out with my man!  :)

Guacamole!!

Dang!  Time fliessssss.  Over the past couple of months, I have totally been brainstorming blog entry ideas and keeping track of my food journeys.  A good amount of time has gone right on by.  I just have not had time to actually sit down and type up my food for thoughts.  I've hosted family, attended bbq's, hung with friends and family, just having a great summer.  And I've been spoiled rotten at my trabajo nuevo by the residents.  They have baked, cooked, and welcomed me with open arms.  I have been blessed with everything from cookies, to sausage balls, to grape leaves, to cabbage rolls, to fried eggplant, on and on.  Loving life and all the food in it.

The hubs and I have been enjoying a fresh batch of guacamole almost every week during this summer.  Avocados are on sale a lot at Roche's.  Plus, it is super easy to make and oh so delish!  Here's my recipe which you know I change up a bit every time---

Guacamole

4-5 ripe avocados, peeled and mashed up
8-9 cherry tomatoes, cut into four
1 small onion chopped (optional)
1 lime, juiced
garlic powder to taste (I heart garlic so I use a good amount)
salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients together and enjoy with your favorite tortilla chips.  The Green Mountain Gringo Tortilla Strips are the bomb!  Tip: place one pit from an avocado in center of the dip to keep from browning.  YUMMMYY!

Birthday Week 2013!!

What do you mean not everyone has a birthday WEEK?  Surely this girl does.  And believe me you it was as good as true, food was the focus!

I started off the week by paying my respects to the many victims and their families that were affected by the Marathon bombing.  The hubs and I headed downtown on a Sunday afternoon to visit the memorial at the end of Boylston Street.  Emotional is not the word.  There are no words.  Just hope, dedication, strength, and loyalty to our great city of Boston.  After some short prayers and reflections, we decided to walk around  since it was such a gorgeous day.

You know we didn't make it far before yours truly exclaimed that I was starving.  Ha.  We came to an agreement on Joe's American Bar and Grill (http://joesamerican.com) on Newbury Street.  To say the least, the company was by far better than the average bar fare we indulged in.  I will say that the red Sangria was delish and the serving was ginormous.  YUM!  After a quick drink at the bar, we were seated in the downstairs dining room.  The place was popping.  We quickly put an order in for the spinach and artichoke dip with pita chips.  It was tasty but lukewarm at best.  The hubs had the New England Clam Chowder which he described as "middle of the road."  The less than hot minestrone soup which I ate half of, was lacking flavor and minestrone.  For our main course, I decided to go light with the 'Not So Simple Grilled Cheese' with regular fries.  The cheddar and Fontinella cheeses with bacon and tomato grilled on Challah bread was pretty dang good, but again, not hot.  And the fries were not so impressive.  The hubs ordered the bacon cheeseburger which was cooked to his liking and gone in 60 seconds.  No sah.  But, he did enjoy it.  For libations, I chose another fabulous sangria with my meal and the hubs went for his usual...Sam Summer on draft.  Joe's, in my opinion is mediocre bar food with a hopping atmosphere and a friendly enough staff.  Like I said, the conversation and company were the highlight of that din-din.

Monday, after my dentist appointment, the hubs and I went for a late lunch/brunch to one of my favorite breakfast joints in my area, Spring Street Cafe in West Roxbury.  Seems some of the patrons were amused by my drink order of coffee and a Bud Light.  What can I say?  That's how I roll.  My short stack of blueberry pancakes, crispy side of bacon, and basket of fries, was just what the doctor ordered.  YUMMY and filling.  The hubs went with a ham and cheese omelette, home fries, and white toast which he thoroughly enjoyed.  Solid joint.

Skip to Wednesday, the day of my birth.  By my choice, we headed to Delfino in Roslindale for a scrumptious supper.  We were greeted warmly by Michael who asked where we had been since we hadn't come in for dinner in a while.  The vino of choice of my evening was the house Pinot Noir, as I knew I was longing for some carne. The amazingly fresh bread dipped in the olive oil, Parmesan cheese, hot pepper flakes and salt/pepper ensemble that I created was addicting.  MMM!  Instead of our usual Caesar salad, we went with the special.  The crisp, Arugula greens, goat cheese, and sun dried tomatoes with a balsamic dressing was particularly nice.  The hubs especially loved it.  And no, I didn't order the Chicken Parmesan for my main entree'.  Delfino's Aged 14 oz. Sirloin Au Poivre cooked medium with a peppercorn crust, topped with Roquefort butter and served with roasted garlic mashed, baby carrots and asparagus is what I went with.  Magnificent.  The hubs devoured the salmon special served with fingerling potatoes, carrots and asparagus.  Yet another delightful evening at one of my favorite places ever.

Flourless chocolate cake is what I yearned for.  And the best place around my way to get my fave dessert is Masona Grill, (http://masonagrill.net/) in West Roxbury.  We drove right on over after our super dinner at Delfino.  I needed that cake bad.  Accompanied by another glass of Pinot Noir, Boom!  Satisfied.  Oh and the hubs got Tiramisu and a cup of Joe with Bailey's.  Lovely.  :)

As you may know by now if you have been following along with my food chronicles, my fam and I have a birthday tradition.  The birthday person gets to choose when/where/what they want for dinner.  So, Thursday, we ventured over to the general's, aka, mi madre's in C-town for a homemade feast beyond belief, of my picking.  My bro and his charming girlfriend joined us for a buffet style dinner of everything Rozziefoodie could ever ask for.  To start, mi madre's stuffed mushrooms were oh so good, along with some Trader Joe's appetizers, deli pickles and potato chips.  After filling up on a healthy portion of starters, we filed into the kitchen to fill our plates with yumminess.  Madre, by request made her famous meatballs and sausages, Chicken Angelique (tender chicken made with Munster cheese, mushrooms, etc), stuffed peppers, potato salad, steak tips with rice, and a garden salad.  Can you say spoiled?  YUP!  And loving every minuto of it.  For dessert, the general baked my favorite from scratch, chocolate/caramel cheesecake which we washed down with coffee and Bailey's after singing happy birthday.  And yes, it was as delectable as it sounds.  OMG!  Gluttony at its best.  My family knows how to do it right.  Gracias, madre!!!

And finally we come to Friday.  Dinner at my BFF's home with her, my hubs, and my sweet, sweet Godbaby.  :)  Every year, BFF asks me what I want her to make for me.  And every year I tell her Chicken Cordon Bleu, pleaseeee  and thank youuuuu!!  It is a huge pain in the butt but I know she makes it with extra love just for me because it is seriously the bomb diggity.  And I get to pick the sides, too, which were red bliss mashed and fresh green beans.  After singing happy birthday and eating some cake, I was stuffed to the maximum.

In addition to all the savory foods I was lucky enough to consume, I received some pretty incredible birthday wishes, cards and gifts.  All I can say is that I am truly truly blessed.  I have such a great family and the best friends a girl could ask for.