The Boston Globe
Baked to perfectionAt Somerville’s La Contessa, the prized ricotta pies have a longstanding following
SOMERVILLE — Paper bunnies and decorated eggs adorn the picture windows at La Contessa Bakery Cafe here. Huge chocolate Easter eggs wrapped in colorful cellophane hang above the counter waiting for excited children. On a top shelf, along with a statue of St. Anthony, are boxes of sweet Italian bread baked in the shape of …
Read moreFrom one pot, a bounty of Japanese flavors
In the family of Japanese one-pot wonders — sukiyaki among them — the standout dinner is yosenabe, a mixture of seafood, chicken, tofu, glass noodles, and vegetables. Diners use their chopsticks to dip into a communal earthenware pot on a portable burner. Inside the pot is a simmering broth filled with the seafood, vegetables, and …
Read moreTwo delectable desserts for cooling off during the summertime Granitas, sorbets are frozen delights
Two great frozen desserts are granitas, which are coarse-grained Italian ices, and sorbets, which have a creamy texture even when they’re not made with milk. For both, begin by pureeing the fruit that is in abundance now. Add super-fine sugar and fresh citrus juice for a tart twist that adds depth to the fruit flavor. …
Read moreFor picnics, toss together some sushi
Sushi rice is short-grain white rice that is cooked and mixed with rice vinegar and sugar. This, of course, is the rice you’re biting into when you sit down to a plateful of sushi. What you put on or in the rice determines the kind of sushi. But there are other dishes — which don’t …
Read moreBerry nirvana is in full swing, and the dessert Pavlova, a fluffy creation of meringue, will make you feel like you’re floating on a cloud
Some desserts don’t seem right without strawberries. Tarts would be missing their bright red color and glory, shortcakes their intensely aromatic topping, and cobblers their fruity filling. Pavlova, the famous round of crunchy meringue, wouldn’t be as splendid without a crown of ripe red berries. Pavlova is so popular in Australia, where some say it …
Read moreWhite Asparagus
Right about now the Germans are going gaga over white asparagus– it is “spargel” (asparagus) season. Actually it is white asparagus season in many European countries. Many of us only know the limp white spears we see in jars or cans; they are fine on a salad, but the fresh ones, while a bit expensive, …
Read moreHere’s the flip side to holiday tradition
LEXINGTON — Bleary-eyed souls are making their way to the Battle Green. A shot rings out. The all-volunteer army is spurred into action. Ready, aim, flip! Did you think only the British were coming? The other great Patriots Day tradition in this historic town is pancake breakfasts. Next Monday, hungry hordes who waited for hours …
Read moreSimmered tofu gets zesty with sauce and seasonings
Nothing could be simpler than a cake of tofu simmered in a light broth. The Japanese dish Yudofu is the very definition of simplicity in both preparation and presentation. Condiments of grated ginger, a sprinkling of katsuo (bonito) fish flakes, and finely cut rings of scallions not only add to the spare beauty of this …
Read morePasta is full of carbs, but that doesn’t matter Tomatoes or cream?Here’s your guide
ROME — A nattily dressed gentleman, unlit cigar poised between his lips, studies the pastas in a soccer-field-length supermarket aisle. Signore Pino Magno is an Italian diplomat who loves to cook. He is choosing pasta to go with one of his sauces. After much consideration, Magno decides on a bag of casarecce, a delicately once-twisted, …
Read moreA little barley goes a long way to beef up a soup or vegetablesUse it instead of high-carb pasta, potatoes or rice
Tired of potatoes, rice, and pasta? Looking for another carb with some nutritional clout? Try barley. When cooked, barley has a soft but slightly crunchy texture. When added to soups, it makes them creamy. It is a great base for a pilaf. Barley has a long history. Part of the human diet for several thousand …
Read moreEasy peanut sauce will perk up a salad, appetizer, or entreeIt’s great as a base for meat, vegetables, tofu
Burlington’s Elsa Tian is a lively lady of 70 and a superb, instinctive cook. Elsa and her husband, Jan, immigrated to the United States 38 years ago from Jakarta, Indonesia. Elsa loves to share her cooking with friends. One day last month, she dropped off some of her wonderful peanut sauce, and over the next …
Read moreA little bit of everything goes a long way
Don’t pity the poor antipasto according to Lynne Rosetto Kaspar, author of “The Italian Country Table” (Scribner), even though its origins are in peasant cuisine, many of the dishes, developed from leftovers, have now become antipasti, often translated as appetizers. The word “appetizer,” however, barely does justice to the long list of antipasti at restaurants …
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Bento:Build a Better Lunch
Debra Samuels, bestselling author, food writer and cooking instructor, wants to give the American lunchbox a makeover. In the chapter on “bento,” the traditional Japanese lunch box, in her upcoming book, My Japanese Table, Debra encourages the use of color, texture and taste to create healthier and more visually appealing meals.
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