The Small Boston Kitchen

Last night I got to carve out a bit of time to take a break from wedding planning and do what I've always loved most, just cook. The Beatles were blasting in the background and our kitchen was so humid and hot from having the stove on but it didn't matter. I was able to tune everything else out and just focus on the task at hand - making a burger. Sounds easy enough but this wasn't just any old burger I was making. 

If you've been looking for me, I've been buried under a pile of prospective centerpieces, our wedding  invitations, assorted ribbons in varying colors, rubber stamps and am covered from head to toe in embossing powder. Why? Because we're almost exactly two months away from our wedding and we decided that the only way we could pull off all that we wanted for what we had budgeted, was to DIO - Do It Ourselves. I used to have this glorified and romanticized association for the DIY/DIO phrase (thank you very much HGTV) but the reality of it has been a little, well, less than glamorous (see first sentence).  

Our invitations, just before they hit the mail

At least the invitations are out (side note: what's with the line with an "M" already on that response card line? I've never seen a response card without one before so we left it on ours. To me, it's like telling guests, "Here, I know you're probably going to write "Mr. Mrs. or Ms." on that line anyway, why don't I lighten that burden and get you started. Here's an M. Now tell me the rest.."). Now we're just waiting to get the little response card in the mail and I have to admit, it adds an element of excitement to our day as we tear through each envelope in a suspenseful manor, anxious to see who is coming and who isn't. We especially love that some friends have even left us thoughtful or funny notes, or even better yet, have drawn pictures. We're just so excited to have all of the people that we love in one big room, we can't even stand it. We just need to get through all these details first.

Richard's Brunch: Smoked Portabello Mushroom, Canadian Bacon, Poached Egg, Gruyere and English Mushroom Croutons. Finished with a Smoked Mushroom Sauce

In addition to the wedding, on the work front, we're so proud. We're working on two new very exciting projects that unfortunately I have to be coy and vague about them for now until we firm up some things first. On a day-to-day basis, we've got some really terrific clients that we're working with and we're totally getting into our rhythm with them. Additionally, we've been doing a lot of dinner parties and in-home cooking classes lately and it's been really incredible for us to find friendships in it all and really get to know people. We've just felt so rewarded by the work that we do and the people we've been meeting.

Richard's Brunch Part II: Spiced Yucca Home fries

In between all of these happenings and meetings and just our life as we know it now, it's been imperative for us to remember that we are a couple and take a break. It seems like such a silly thing to have to remind ourselves but with all that's going on, we've made a point to try to etch out some time, even if it's just a bit of time, for ourselves. A couple weekends ago Richard made me brunch and took me out to dinner. It was so nice to set aside time to take a breather. I've also turned to baking and cheese making to relax myself. I made some Soda Bread for St. Patrick's Day and since our centerpieces involve milk bottles from Whole Foods, we've had an abundance of milk that we've been trying to get through. It's helped to relax me a bit and keep me grounded with all that's going on.

My St. Patrick's Day Irish Soda Bread

I know that all of this excitement is temporary and in just a couple month's time, it will all be over and I have a love-hate relationship with that. I love that I'll seem to get my life back and I feel like I keep pushing things aside to tackle after the wedding. I'll love that my days won't be ruled by whether or not we should order soup spoons, even though we don't plan to have soup at our wedding. I know a part of me will hate that I will go to our mailbox and response cards won't be there and I'll miss that we won't be having those in depth discussions on soup spoons. It's just the nature of being a bride, I suppose.

I made this Cheeseburger dip a couple weeks ago, per the request of you-know-who. He had been asking me to make him something with a cheeseburgery theme to it and it took me a little while to finalize this recipe, because it seemed like there were so many directions to go in. I made this for a Superbowl party that we hosted and I'm just now getting around to writing it because it's been a crazier than normal couple of weeks. We're now in the thick of our wedding planning and reaching the midpoint. Tomorrow marks our 100 day countdown until we say our "I do's" and I get to be Mrs. Burger Boy! In between one of the busiest couple of months The Skinny Beet has had to date, we are finalizing the band, creating centerpieces and selecting invitations and with each detail, our wedding becomes more real. 

We started off our 2013 by eating some black eyed peas for dinner. Legend has it that these little beans are supposed to bring prosperity and good luck to the New Year. We had both been struck down by the flu for the past week and were finally on the mend and we wanted to keep it simple; black eyed peas that we had soaked over night, quinoa, shreds of cheddar cheese and a splash of hot sauce. Nothing fancy, no frills or much finesse. It was just a simple meal that was comforting in all of the right ways. Nourishing, hearty and satisfying and setting the right tone for this year: keep things simplified and to enjoy.

Milk Bar Cookie Party!

Hand-Pulled Noodles

Right before Christmas, we stayed in New York City for a couple of days. On last year's trip, we kept a pretty ambitious schedule of places to go, things to see and eat. This year we kept it a bit more low key, focusing on a couple of neighborhoods and restaurants. We also decided that it would be tradition that we always visit Katz's for what we now have deemed "engagement sandwich" (Pastrami on Rye, with mustard of course). It was just as good as the first time. Smoky, with a deep peppery flavor and meat that is so tender it barely can maintain its shape. With only two thin pieces of rye holding this monster together and a healthy slathering of mustard to punctuate the flavor of the meat, this is one of my favorite sandwiches. In other food notes, we enjoyed a shopping spree in Eataly's produce market and we purchased exotic fruits that we had never seen before like sweet limes and pink lemons. We also had brunch at Craftbar, enjoyed wine and cheese at Casellula (a place I'd highly recommend for an extensive wine and cheese list, if that's your thing) and had our own cookie tasting party with a slew of cookies from Milk Bar (the Cornflake Marshmallow was my personal favorite). One of the best meals I had was at Tasty Hand-Pulled Noodles. For around $6, I got a massive bowl of Pho with generous pieces of chicken and, best of all, hand-pulled noodles. Light, thin and very delicate, I know I'm a sucker for a homemade noodle, but these were exceptional.

"Engagement Sandwich"

Now that we're back and the holidays are over and the new year has officially begun, I'm so excited. Personally speaking it's a big year for us for obvious reasons but I'm also really professionally looking forward to this year. With each year that goes by, I get more and more confident in my skills and knowledge and plan to focus my energies on getting to know new ingredients and playing with different combinations of flavors to create new dishes. It's going to be a great year, so happy 2013 is here!

This year the holidays feel different and I mean that in a good way. Last year was our first holiday season together as a couple and we celebrated both Hanukkah (Richard is Jewish) and Christmas (I am Christian). And while we aren't through the holidays yet, I guess this year it feels different because since we've already made the decision to spend the rest of our lives together, there's a sense of permanence this year as we are creating new traditions for subsequent holiday festivities.

Duck Fat Beet Latkes, just before the oven

We had made the decision when we first started dating to honor the traditions of our different religious backgrounds and incorporate them. So every year around this time, we pull out our menorah and light it for all eight nights. This year we bought a new one that has taken up residence as the centerpiece of our dining room table. We thought, "new life, new menorah", makes sense, right? We have a second menorah that was in Richard's family for years and it sits comfortably on the window sill.

Tri-color Matzoh

Next to the menorahs is a freshly cut Christmas tree. Well, by freshly cut, I mean someone else physically cut it down but it's real and that's what matters. I love that subtle piney fragrance and the glow of the lights on the tree. I also love how we made it a tradition to buy a new ornament each year for our tree. Most of them are food related and we love it that way. My favorite thing to do is turn out all the lights, flip on a movie and sit in the glow of the menorah and Christmas tree lights. This is what the holidays will be like and I love every minute of it.

Chocolate Babka

For the first night of Hanukkah, we had Richard's parents over along with two of our closest friends. Here's a peek at what we made:

• Matzoh Ball Soup with Tri-Color Matzoh 
• Duck Fat Beet and Sweet Potato Latkes
• Jewbelation Beer Braised Brisket 
• Tsimis Kugel 
• Homemade Challah
• Chocolate Babka 

To say we had a blast putting together this menu would be an understatement. We kept it sort of classic and then twisted things up a bit, similar to our cooking style. And because we just got caught up in the excitement of it all, I didn't really write down any recipes (sorry!) nor capture many pictures (double sorry!). For the most part, these photos are Instagrams, for a fun change of pace.


As part of another annual tradition, we're off to NYC for a couple of days before working our way to my parent's house in Western Mass for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day before we're back in Boston to ring in 2013. Whatever you celebrate this year, hope it's merry and happy!

If you didn't know any better, you might think (and I can't say I'd blame you) that we opened up a small Mexican Cafe from the comforts of our apartment. Ever since our little fiesta this weekend, we've been hooked on classic Mexican flavors and incorporating them into every meal, in any which way we can. Tacos, burritos and enchiladas of varying kinds have been created and consumed in masses as well as a new favorite of mine, Fideos.


Fideos in Spanish literally mean "noodles" and most commonly refers to the thin variety (either long or short in length) and can be classically found in soups or as a side dish. For my first attempt, I kept it pretty simple, toasting some broken vermicelli noodles in some hot oil before adding my spicy, peppery tomato broth. After that, there really wasn't much to it, just waiting until the noodles soaked up all that flavorful broth. From start to finish, we're looking at about 30 minutes and very little work to yield something so satisfying. From there, some chicken, pork, beef or even some roasted vegetables could be perched on top to round things out and make it a complete meal. Or, if you're like me, you could focus your energy (and stomach) on just the noodles and save the proteins for another meal. Sprinkle some fresh chopped scallions and/or a bit of cheese and you've got yourself quite the dish. Fideos, I also discovered, are delicious for breakfast as well. Spicy in all their noodley glory, they make a perfect nest for a poached egg to rest on and the added richness from the yolk takes it all one step further.


Whether you eat your Fideos for Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner, it doesn't matter. What matters is that you make them. While I can't say how much longer our little obsession for perfecting our own Mexican recipes will last before we move on to another region of the globe, I can say that I have a whole new level of appreciation for South of the Boarder cuisine.

Cinnamon-Vanilla Bean Biscotti paired with a mug of Vietnamese Coffee

I do have a list of things that I want to make try or perfect at home and it seems that with every cookbook I read or food show I watch, I keep getting further and further inspired and thus, my list grows longer. There's quite the range of items from classic, from global influences, classic dishes or even just different spices and blends I want to try. I also have a nice space devoted to just combinations of things that I think might work or that I'm curious about and I turn to it often, especially when I feel like I'm in a cooking rut.


My list lives in this super cute notebook with pictures of jams, jarred and pickled items on the front that makes me happy every time I look at it. Lately I've been on a roll with my list and in the last couple of weeks I've made a classic Rye Bread, Moussaka and Monte Cristo Waffles. Also taking up residence on my list (and for quite some time I might add) has been to create my own Biscotti recipe.


I had done a lot of research on Biscotti recipes and, to my surprise, they're quite simple to make. Mix flour with softened butter, eggs and sugar and then add in whatever else you want, including nuts and dried fruit or chocolate. You bake it once as a big log and then let it cool, slice, and bake it again to gt crisp individual biscottis. I decided to keep things simple on this run, just sticking with some vanilla bean, lots of cinnamon and a bit of allspice. I also found that using Turbinado sugar made for a nice crackly finish and hearty little bite. While I think I could use a little more practice on shaping biscottis, I love the irregularity of this batch and the taste, well, that speaks for itself.



Cinnamon-Vanilla Bean Biscotti 

- 2 eggs
- 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup Turbinado sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- 2 TBS Cinnamon
- 1 tsp Allspice
- 1 Vanilla Bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped out
- Pinch of Salt

Preheat the oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Using a stand mixer or hand blender, blend eggs, butter and sugar until well incorporated. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, Allspice, the Vanilla Bean Seeds and pinch of salt. Mix until well combined and then add half of the dry mixture to the wet mixture and blend. Add the rest of the dry mixture and blend until the dough just comes together. Roll out the dough into a flat log. Bake the dough on the parchment lined baking sheet until the dough is cooked through and just beginning to turn golden brown (about 30-40 minutes). Remove from the oven and let cool for about 20-30 minutes. Once it's cool enough to handle, but still a little warm, slice the log into 1 inch slices and bake for another 20-30 minutes, or until the biscottis are crisp and golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool before eating. Store in an airtight container.