Berkshire Living

We're heading to the Berkshires this afternoon for a celebration birthday dinner, and then a celebration picnic at Tanglewood with family tomorrow night. I think birthdays should last at least a few days, but preferable in the neighborhood of a week :)

These shots were taken when we were up a few weeks ago to see Garrison, but it will likely be a similar scene: cheese, wine, candy, awesomeness. 

I hope you have a wonderful weekend! And happy Friday the 13th (a totally lucky day, in my opinion!).

Thanks for having me

One year ago, Peter and I were eating bagels on our stoop while a couple of sweaty movers packed up our truck. We headed north, and four hours later were outside our current apartment, waiting for a second set of sweaty movers to arrive and unload our truck. I haven't been back in NYC since.

Do you ever think about all the streets you used to walk on that you never pass now? In D.C., I walked on H Street; on the Upper West Side, I walked on Central Park West; in Brooklyn, I walked on 5th Avenue. Every day. Now, never.

Sometimes I think about the street I lived on in Italy while I was studying abroad. It was on the outskirts of Perugia. Most of my friends were situated closer to the city center. Via Porcini, I think it was called. I wonder if, when I go back there, I'll be able to remember all the twisty turns that lead to that old apartment building; recognize the particular stone wall that indicates I'm on the right path.

*  *  *

Moving to Boston was different than all the rest because I want to stay here. Everything was temporary right from the get-go in other cities. Now we think, "Which neighborhood will we buy in?" and "I want to be at this job for a long time."

I thought it would be feel different, sticky, boring to have these feelings. I have always loved thinking about what's next - probably a little too much. Is this growing up? Or just finding the right spot?

This post took a slightly different turn than I had intended when I set out, because all I really wanted to say was this: Thanks, Boston, for having me. Here's to many more happy years together.

Smoked Salmon, Two Ways

A few weeks back when Peter cooked ribs, he made a smoked salmon fillet, too. Friends of ours warned us about smoking fish - they thought the scent was hard to get rid of and would permeate other foods. We didn't have any problems, though!

The first plate we ate as a snack while waiting for the ribs - flaked smoked salmon with rice crackers, cream cheese, and chives. The second plate we had for dinner a few nights later. It's quinoa, black beans, corn, goat cheese, slices of radish and cucumber, and of course, smoked salmon. I made a lime-y dressing to toss it all together. To enjoy this one, you certainly don't have to smoke your own fish! Trader Joe's is selling an amazing smoked trout at the moment, and I think that would work beautifully.

Tall Ships

This is a semi-rare picture heavy post, but I couldn't help it. The Tall Ships were in Boston last week for Navy Week and to commemorate the 200 year anniversary of the War of 1812. Aren't they gorgeous?! It helped that it was a lovely, warm, blue sky afternoon.

They are in Newport, RI now, and then head up to Nova Scotia (the full calendar is here). Highly recommended, if they're headed your way!

Sour Cherry Caipirinha

After making roasted sour cherry ice cream with dark chocolate, I still had a few cherries left. Cocktails seemed like the way to go. Dessert, then drinks = my priorities :)

I hope you all had wonderful Fourth of July holidays! We were evacuated from the Esplanade before the fireworks started due to the thunder storms - sadness. So tonight we're heading to a neighboring town to give it another go! Fingers crossed for clear skies.

Sour Cherry Caipirinhas
You will need:

12 sour cherries, pitted (I used this amazing method)
2 half inch slices of lime, cut in half
4 teaspoons sugar
4 ounces cachaca
Ice

Muddle ten cherries, lime slices and sugar in the bottom of a cocktail shaker. Add the cachaca and fill with ice. Shake well and pour into two glasses (You can strain it is you want to remove the cherry pieces, but I like them in the glass). Add one of the reserved cherries to each glass. Cheers!

Two Years In

(Cheers with wedding present wine)

Shortly after we got married, I remember talking with Peter about how long the newlywed stage would last. I thought it might be about two years for us.

Something big shifted for me internally when we got married. Saying our vows made me buzz and bubble up inside, and I felt the hugeness of making that commitment in front of everyone we loved the most. But I'm not sure I really felt like a newlywed in the months and years since. That giddy "Oh my goodness, you're home!" feeling (along with the "Oh my goodness, would it kill you to clean the bathroom?" feeling) came when we first moved in together in New York, three years before our wedding.

I am thrilled we did it that way, of course. When we returned from our honeymoon, we got right down to the business of changing my name, admiring our shiny rings, and drinking lots of left over Prosecco. We were still thrilled to see each other every night, and had long ago figured out the cleaning schedule. It was awesome. But I felt like I was missing the big shift. I spent a lot of time reading about relationships and marriage, looking for secret advice about how I was supposed to act now that we had a marriage to think about.

The shift in my thinking was slow and internal. I share the following not to offer advice to anyone - I'm really in no position to do that - but instead to articulate what I think I've personally learned during this fuzzy newlywed stage.

The first big shift in my thinking occurred when I realized that there was no marriage. There is not an external or tangible thing that Peter or I can focus on or work to improve. It is just the two of us - a tree of love never sprouted up through our now-joined hearts. I can only focus on and work to improve myself by thinking hard about what makes me happy, and where I want to go, and how I can best grow up. Peter can do the same if he chooses (and happily, he does), but I can't really worry too much about his process. When I am working to be at my happiest and best, I must have faith that is the best thing I can do for both of us.

That might sound selfish and a bit harsh. But in my mind, I couple that knowledge with this idea: I know what makes Peter happy better than anyone else in the world. Isn't that an incredible thought? Of course, many friends and family members have a good idea of what Peter loves. But I am the master-keeper of that special knowledge. And that is the thing I can focus on and work to improve. It's a pretty good gig.

Happy anniversary, my sweet.

2nd Anniversary Gift: China

When we were in Paris, I kept my eyes open for something that could work as an anniversary gift. I thought it would be fun for us to celebrate with something we picked up there. 

On our last full day, we went to the Pompidou in the morning, and I found these fantastic heart-shaped gelato spoons in their museum shop. I hemmed and hawed about them. They're not so practical, but they are oh-so-cute. I am thrilled that we pulled the trigger and bought them. 

Later that day, I shopped around a bit while Peter read in a cafe. In Reperages Maison, they had a big table display right in the front of the store of dishware in this darling pattern. I looked at trays and dessert plates, but then it dawned on me that ice cream bowls would be the perfect accompaniment to the gelato spoons. Anniversary gift kismet, says I!

The bowls and spoons are going for an inaugural spin with some roasted sour cherry ice cream :) Yay for celebrations!

Sweet June

(Photo courtesy of my sister)

This month has been glorious, filled with beach days, grilled burgers, oodles of homemade ice cream, dinners out with friends, delicious cheese, cheering for the Red Sox*, swaying to the Beach Boys, fried seafood, a favorite new book, an improved golf swing, welcoming cold press coffee back into our lives, and a very happy first two weeks of summer vacation. 

We are ending this delightful string of fun with a bang - Garrison Keillor and Arlo Guthrie at Tanglewood tomorrow night. Yay!

I hope you have an absolutely wonderful June finale weekend!

*I know some (Peter!) think this blasphemous, but I consider myself to be a duel citizen of Red Sox Nation and Yankee fan-dom. We can still be friends, right?

Roasted Sour Cherry Ice Cream with Dark Chocolate

On Saturday afternoon, giant thunder clouds rolled over us at Crane Beach. We high-tailed it out of there as quickly as we could and popped into Russell Orchards just as the first rain drops started to fall. This is a fantastic store with wine, baked goods and a whole room full of fruits and vegetables. I bought a fluffy bunch of purple kale and some cinnamon bread, and was ready to call it a day when I spotted a pint of sour cherries. 

I know this is strange, but I don't really like cherries. Or much fruit at all. Vegetables and I are best buds, but fruit? Eh. One genius idea popped into my head that made those sour cherries sound down right irresistible, though.

Ice cream. 

Ever since I discovered Jeni's ice cream base, I have been churning out the pints. (Get it?!) My favorite thing about her recipe, aside from the fact that it makes amazing ice cream, is that it doesn't require half a dozen egg yolks. I loathe that about most ice cream bases. So many yolks, so many wasted whites. I know I could freeze them in a baggy or something, but come on.

I give you my not-entirely-invented-but-I-did-successfully-wing-it creation!

Roasted Sour Cherry Ice Cream with Dark Chocolate

You will need: 
One batch of Jeni's Ice Cream Base
35-40 washed and de-stemmed sour cherries
2 tablespoons Amaretto or Bourbon
2 tablespoons sugar
4 ounces dark chocolate, cut into shavings with a sharp knife

Preheat the oven to 450F. Toss the cherries, sugar and alcohol together in any oven-safe dish - I used a pie plate. Roast for 10-15 minutes, stirring every five minutes to make sure the sugar isn't burning. Remove from the oven and let cool, then remove the pits. This is easy once the cherries are all roasted and soft. Roughly chop the cherries and store them along with all the juices from the pie plate in a glass container. Refrigerate until cool (this can be done one day ahead). You might be tempted to skip this roasting part and just put your fab sour cherries into ice cream, but they will get all hard and difficult to eat once they're frozen in the ice cream.

Make your ice cream base and chill that, too. When the cherries and the base are nice and cold (about four hours later), combine them and freeze them in your ice cream maker. My ice cream maker takes about 30 minutes to fully churn - is yours the same? When it's nearly done, add in your chopped shards of dark chocolate and let it spin for a few more minutes. Add chips if you must, but I think shards are superior. They don't get rock hard once frozen.

Place your churned ice cream in a glass container and freeze for at least four hours. Sneak spoonfuls while you wait and start telling everyone you know that you just made the best thing ever.

Summer Sunday Dinner: Smokin' Bones

Throughout the summer, I am sharing a peak at our Sunday dinners. That is when our most pretty, fun cooking takes place, and this is a record of all that good stuff. I hope you enjoy! 

Eeks! This was a good one, you guys.

I gave Peter a smoker for Christmas, and with the exception of one crazy winter afternoon spent lovingly tending ribs, it languished in our basement. Until Sunday!

On Saturday night, Peter covered a rack of ribs with a dry rub recipe from this book (a must-buy if you have a smoker!). On Sunday around noon, he fired up the smoker and waited for it to come up to 225 degrees. Then those ribs hit the grill! We live in an apartment, and I was worried about filling up the neighborhood (and our landlords apartment above us) with a strong, smoky scent for hours on end. But after the initial lighting of the charcoal, it was pretty contained. 


The best thing about this meal is that I really don't love ribs. But I love these ribs. Lightly smokey, lightly spicy, and amazingly tender.

Sunday Summer Dinner: Smoked Ribs

• Dry-rubbed smoked ribs
• Kale, broccoli and carrot slaw (like this one)
• Cheesy feta pasta bake with radish greens and ramp pesto
• Roasted sour cherry and dark chocolate ice cream (more on this to come!!!)