Tailgating at Home

Well, the Super Bowl has come and gone...and not with the outcome we would've liked to have seen...at least not here in the Boston area! Nonetheless, it was an exciting game, and a great opportunity for some good food and great company! I decided to take the route of tailgating recipes. They were easy to make at home and set out for the night, but would be just as easy to bag up and bring to the parking lot of your favorite arena, as well!

I spent the afternoon cooking, and trying to keep the kitchen as clean as possible at the same time. I cooked one thing at a time, and finished up right as our friends arrived. The table was full of goodies, and I was free to enjoy, have a beer, and watch the game!

It wouldn't be a "tailgating" party without chili, so first up on the menu is a very straightforward chili, but what intrigued me about it was the molasses and balsamic vinegar I was asked to add at the end of the cooking process. It added a lot of depth to an otherwise normal chili. I served it in mugs, with some sour cream and grated sharp cheddar garnishes, and the spices were spot-on!

We needed to have some dips so I whipped up some guacamole and hummus to go with the delicate tortilla chips I bought from the gourmet section of the grocery store. I also cut up some veggies (fennel, radicchio, radishes, celery, carrots and broccoli) and paired them with a delicious and tangy Roquefort dip, which I'm enjoying the leftovers of as I write this, right now. Yum!!

While the chili was simmering away, I made some Mediterranean meatballs! Now, these aren't just any meatballs. The seasonings are distinctly Mediterranean, but on top of that, the recipe called for chopped currants and pine nuts to round out the mix. The flavors meshed so well together, and the meatballs had a really nice bite to them, because of the substance of each one. They were simmered in a simple tomato sauce after being browned on all sides in some oil! I'm so happy I've got leftovers of these too!

If you looked at the current menu, you'd see a line mentioning some mini tuna burgers on pita bread, but it's apparently very difficult to find tuna these days. I went to a few different stores, before deciding to scrap this menu item. Don't worry, I will definitely be making them in the future, because I was very much looking forward to trying them! So, all that was left was to make a few side dishes to round out the table. I made a green salad with a red wine-Dijon vinaigrette. I also made an orzo salad with caramelized onions, spinach and shiitake mushrooms. The soy sauce and sesame oil-based dressing gave this salad a nice Asian twist, but still went with the mainstream flavors of everything else on the table!

All in all, a successful spread, I'd say! I enjoyed having everything done in time for kickoff, so I could pick at all the goodies, just like all of my guests! The guests may leave at the end of the night, but we get to enjoy all the leftovers for days to come...and these leftovers, they're delicious!

Foumami

I've been meaning to visit this kitschy spot since I read about it months ago in my daily ThrillList email. The self-proclaimed Asian sandwich bar has a creative menu of sandwiches and salads using many key Asian ingredients such as ginger, Wasabi, soy sauce and cilantro. While a few of the items seem a bit forced into the constraints of what would be considered "Asian," (Wasabi Caesar Salad, Asian Cobb), the majority of the menu is striking and unique.

When I glanced at the menu online, in preparation for my visit, I immediately knew that I needed to have an Iced Ginger Tea! I love beverages with ginger in them, and this one was absolutely no exception. The spiced bite of ginger flavor integrated with the sweetness of the tea is a definite winner! It was wonderfully refreshing on this warm day!

I opted for the Braised Beef Brisket sandwich as my lunch, and as soon as I could pay and step sideways to the pickup window, they had called my name! Now, that's some service! I unwrapped my meal, thinly sliced brisket, cooked to perfection (silky, smooth and falling apart) along with some cucumbers, scallions and cilantro sprigs, all wrapped in a flat bread similar to naan. It wasnt very large but it ended up being a hearty lunch for me and I was satisfied for the afternoon! The sandwiches also come with a pickle and potato chips...but I wished for something a bit more authentic as a side...some Kim Chee, or a small bowl of edamame would have been a really cool touch.

They offer many soups on their online menu, one or two of which are available each day. There were a few specific flavors that would certainly go back for (Wonton, Hot & Sour, String Bean Noodle), because they sound delicious. Other options include desserts such as shaved ice and cookies.

Foumami is located at 225 Franklin Street, in the Financial District of Boston. Check them out at their website, or call them (617-426-8858) to find out about those soup specials!

Cool fact of the day: In Japanese culture, umami is one of the five basic tastes with sweet, sour, bitter and salty.  In Japanese, it means "pleasant savory taste."

Scrambled Leftovers?

No, I haven't gotten to the grocery store yet. Yes, it's been a hectic sort of week, and tomorrow night will yet again be food shopping night. I had to get really creative with tonight's meal because I'm really running on empty over here. I found the perfect amount of eggs for the two of us though, so I pulled a whole bunch  of random ingredients out of the fridge and got to concocting!

from Flickr - by el_vigilante

I found a spicy pepper, a red bell pepper, some grated cheese, prosciutto, a little bit of spinach and some chives. I chopped them all up, heated them with a little bit of butter and started scrambling some eggs. Once the eggs were almost done, I threw all of my add-ons into the mix, sprinkled with cheese and tossed it all together.

Served with a green salad, it makes for a very filling dinner that also uses up those ingredients that are left over in the fridge, right before a trip to the grocery store. And with that, I bid you adieu - until I have a fridge full of crisp veggies and fresh-cut meats!