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  • Autumn Toddy

    Autumn Toddy

    As the weather begins to cool off, (since it’s autumn in New England) we begin to look for food and drink that will warm us and make us feel like Fall has finally arrived. With pumpkin spice lattes being all the rage, we wanted to bring you something a little different for National Coffee Day, as well as a little more refined.

    Omit the bourbon or whiskey if you’re not allowed to drink yet, but the effect is still the same. A warm calming drink that evokes the flavors of fall many of us look for.

    Fine the recipe here.

  • Don’t Forget the Thank You Note!

    Don’t Forget the Thank You Note!

    There’s nothing better then getting to share a moment with friends and family. With the holidays just around the corner, there’s a lot of opportunity for that. It’s important to be thankful, and what better way to show that than with an old fashioned thank you note! Whether someone gave you a gift or came to your party, a thank you note is an intimate and thoughtful gesture that the recipient won’t soon forget. Think about it. How many times have you gotten a thank you note or card? I bet you remember some of the times you did, especially if it was unexpected. Here are some ideas to make your thank you unforgettable!

    Say More Than Just Thanks

    Sending a thank you is more than just saying a simple “Thanks.” This may be obvious, but you want to write something meaningful and heartfelt. If you’ve received a gift it’s always a good idea to mention it in the note.  You can also add how you’ll use it, or what you’ll do with it. That’s a small way to let the gift giver know how grateful you are.

    If you’re writing the note to thank someone for attending a party there is a few ways you can show how appreciative you are for them coming. Did they help set or clean up? Did they bring something? Were they simply the life of the party? Thank them for that! Telling them how thankful you are that they just showed up will mean a lot.

    Add a Little Something Extra

    Sending a thank you note in a card is a good start. But think of some ways to add a little something extra. For example, did they come to your party and love a song you played? Remind them of the name and artist. Maybe they loved that dish you made? Add the recipe to the note! Better yet, make it for them!

    Set Up the Next Time

    How many times have you finally gotten together with old friends and promised that you won’t let the next time be so long. So often the next time is just as long…or longer. Sending a thank you note is not only a great way to show your appreciation for seeing the person, but also a great invitation for the next time. Putting in a place and time helps to solidify a plan, instead of just throwing out the idea.

    We hope you found this post insightful, and we want to thank you for reading! (See what we did there?) If you have any other ideas for sending a thank you note we’d love to hear it! Send it to us or show us on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook!

  • Happy National Chocolate Milk Day!

    Happy National Chocolate Milk Day!

    Today is September 27th. It’s National Chocolate Milk Day!

    Why is this important? Let me tell you…

    I love chocolate milk. In elementary school I drank it 3 times a day, and that continued, although not at that frequency still today. For me, it’s pretty perfect the way it is. But with anything in the culinary world, something can always be made better. The chocolate milk I drink now is different than the one that I drank as a child.

    That milk was always skim, with Hershey’s chocolate syrup. These days, I either use 1% or 2% milk and I use Hershey’s dark chocolate syrup now, as it’s way more my aesthetic than the regular chocolate syrup. Plus, it’s not nearly as sweet. But still, this is pretty basic as far as chocolate milk goes. So let me give you some new ideas.

    For your basis yet still slightly jazzed up, take my basic morning chocolate milk.

    Zoe’s Morning Chocolate Milk

    Yield: 1 Serving

    -1 cup 2% Milk

    -1 TBSP Hershey’s Dark Chocolate Syrup

    Pour milk into your cup of choice, add syrup, and stir with a spoon. ENJOY.

    *Recipe pictured is doubled

     

    For your normal chocolate milk lover, this would probably be enough. It’s interesting enough and just slightly different from the chocolate milk you’d get at any restaurant or elementary school to make most people say, “Oh that’s good!” But let’s go bigger. Go big or go home, right?

    In recent years, the idea of mixing salt and chocolate took off. Every chocolate came in milk, dark, white and salted. So let’s make Salted Chocolate Milk. If it works with a chocolate bar, a cupcake and a brownie, why not with chocolate milk? If I’m being honest with myself, and I always am, just adding some salt is not enough for me. So I’m going to amp that idea up a little more. What if… I took the idea of salted chocolate and added in two more elements? As a chef, I always enjoy adding a little extra to something in order to make it that much more complex.

    So today I made Salted Caramel Dark Chocolate Pretzel Milk.

    I’ve never made this before mind you, so this was an experiment!

     

    Salted Caramel Dark Chocolate Pretzel Milk

    Yield: 1 serving

    -Caramel Sauce (Garnish, use on the inside of the glass)

    -2 TBSP Hershey’s Dark Chocolate Syrup

    -1 Cup Milk

    -1 TSP Brown Sugar

    -1/2 TSP Sea Salt

    -Salted Pretzels (Garnish, as needed)

    -Whipped Cream (Garnish if desired)

    Mix chocolate syrup into the milk. Add the brown sugar and continue stirring until dissolved. Add in the sea salt and stir a few times until fully combined. Top with caramel sauce (just a single swirl is fine) and garnish with a pretzel rod or whatever shaped pretzel you prefer.

    *The recipe pictured is doubled

     

    Oh! If the idea of drinking chocolate milk (and having all that sugar) scares you, consider this. Chocolate milk functions extremely well as a post-workout or post lifting drink. While you can go out and buy premade drink mixes filled with electrolytes. Chocolate milk contains healthy fats, a variety of enzymes and naturally occurring electrolytes, which can speed your recovery and make you feel better after a workout. Now, I always drink chocolate milk after a workout, but that’s mostly because I just like it, and I wouldn’t recommend the more… unique chocolate milk recipe I am including in this article.

    My final note about chocolate milk is if you’re over 21, and you want to make your chocolate milk more adult, add some Bailey’s Irish Cream, Amaretto or RumChata to your wonderful chocolate drink. Personally, it’s not my thing, I like the purity of a simple chocolate milk, but seriously, feel free, I’m sure it’s delicious. Some other additions to chocolate milk that you might want to try are:

    -Cinnamon

    -Cayenne Pepper

    -Chile Peppers

    -Coconut Cream

    -Vanilla or Almond Extract

    -Nutella

    -Star Anise

     

    And if you do make our Salted Caramel Dark Chocolate Pretzel Milk, please, take a picture and show us! We’d love to see it!

  • Brie, Honey and Lemon Pancakes with Toasted Pecans, White Chocolate Shavings and Maple Syrup

    Brie, Honey and Lemon Pancakes with Toasted Pecans, White Chocolate Shavings and Maple Syrup

    In August, I competed in a completion thrown by Chefs Roll in collaboration with Callebaut, home of the finest Belgian chocolate. Out of the 10 categories that were open to compete in, I entered in 4 of them. One of the categories was Breakfast Breads and so I made these pancakes. Although they did not progress to the second round, they were very delicious and very different than any pancake I had ever made before.

    The pancake itself is savory and creamy with a touch of sweetness from the honey and a hint of acid from the lemon juice added to the batter and the lemon zest garnishing the top. You can omit the nuts if that’s not your thing, but I found that the crunch they provided was absolutely fantastic paired with the creaminess of the pancakes. Unfortunately, I did not take a lot of pictures of the pancakes because I only needed one to submit for competition, but if you’ve made a pancake before, it should be a pretty straightforward process. Good luck, and good eating.

    Find these tasty pancakes here.

  • Chocolate Balsamic Lamb

    Chocolate Balsamic Lamb

    I just want to say, this chocolate balsamic sauce is amazing. It’s smooth, velvety and both sweet and tart, chocolate and balsamic are just such good friends when mixed together. If you’re not the biggest fan of dark chocolate, feel free to use milk chocolate, although the effect will not be the same. Also, I would definitely say no to using white chocolate.

    I use this sauce on everything, you don’t have to, but it has my seal of approval. I’ve made it for competitions, for interviews in kitchens and for catering events. It’s always been a hit. So now I’m giving it to you! Use as needed.

    Click here for the recipe!

     

  • What to Do with Leftover Apples?

    What to Do with Leftover Apples?

    So it’s been a week since we went to the apple orchard, and we’ve got a lot of apples left. Although the apples will keep a while it’s best to use them sooner rather than later. What better way to do that than…Applesauce!!! Or if you’re feeling a little extra fancy, Apple Compote! Here are two simple recipes that are sure to get you in the autumn spirit while using up those extra apples.

    Make apple sauce with the recipe here!

    Try apple compote with the recipe here!

  • DIY or Why Bother?

    DIY or Why Bother?

    So…you’re planning a party. In the world of Pinterest and Instagram you might feel obligated to really up your game when it comes to the food and décor. That’s when it happens; you go right down the Pinterest rabbit-hole. You’ve pinned and shared so many ideas that you don’t even remember what type of party it was. What’s worse is everything starts looking the same.  How can you decide!? Which diaper cake looks the best for your sister’s baby shower? What’s the correct number of candy options for the candy bar? Which phallic food option do I serve at my friend’s bachelorette party!?

    The answer…who cares? Honestly. At the end of day guests remember three things. Whether or not the food was good, who was there, and did they have a good time. The fun decorations and party favors certainly add to the overall atmosphere, but they’re not the core of the party. Here are some pointers to keep your party planning under control, and to figure out if DIY is right for you.

    Stay On Theme

    The first thing is to have a theme, and stick to it. There are a lot of great ideas out there. Having a theme in mind first will definitely help you to stay focused. That way you don’t end up rationalizing why there’s a watermelon cut into a shark at your movie night party (and no…. it’s not shark week and this is not Jaws). The key is not having to explain the decorations. When you take a step back and look at everything, it should make sense.

    Don’t Go Overboard

    Even if you find a great theme, there can be tons of ideas to sift through. You don’t want to go overboard on the theme. Every element of the party does not have to beat you over the head with the theme. Not every food item needs to have a gimmick and not every decoration needs to be over-the-top. Find one or two centerpieces, two or three other decorations, and one or two food/drink items. The rest can simply match the color scheme and fit in perfectly. Having some simple decorations also highlights the showstoppers, rather then having them compete or blend in.

    So Should I DIY?

    So now you have a theme and an idea of what you want to do. So…do you take a trip to Party City or start thumbing through apps for ideas? There are a few things I like to consider: cost, ease and the overall vision. Is the cost of making something that much lower? Will it be that much easier to make? Can you buy something that looks like what you want, or would you have to make it? All these factor in to the answer of “should I DIY.” A really good recent example of this was when Zoe was helping to plan a family wedding. She needed a chuppah (a traditional canopy in Jewish weddings where the ceremony takes place). She was looking at $750 or more! She priced out building it herself for about $300. That was an obvious DIY.

    In some cases half the work is already done! In a DIY world there are retailers that sell kits.  All you have to do is buy the kit, follow the instructions and ta-dah! All of the materials are already sourced. You just have to put it together! Some kits make it easy to customize.

    Above All…Have Fun!

    The most important part of the party is to have fun and make memories. Don’t stress yourself out. If needed, enlist help. In my opinion, DIY is better with friends!

    If you’re having a party and thinking of doing some DIY we hope this article helps. If you have some projects you’d like to share or have suggestions for a topic to cover, send them to us on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. We’d love to hear from you!

    Special thank you to our friend Grace for modeling in the cover photo! Follow her on Instagram HERE!

  • The Importance of “Mise en Place”

    The Importance of “Mise en Place”

    When you’re cooking at home, do you ever realize that you’ve misplaced something,  or don’t have the correct amount or ingredient? Maybe you need to stop the cooking process to prep another ingredient? Well, clearly you didn’t mise en place!

    “Mise en place” is a French culinary phrase which translates to “everything in its place” or “putting in place”. Every professional kitchen uses mise en place in their organization and arranging of ingredients, because it’s a system that works. In the culinary world, line cooks and chefs have failed or succeeded based on how good their mise en place is. While you may be thinking that mise en place only applies to fast paced, stress induced kitchens, it’s a great tool for the home cook too. Now you might not have the room to lay out every single thing you need. Luckily, a home cook doesn’t need to be nearly as deliberate in their planning. Unlike a line, where every bowl, utensil and ingredient needs to be carefully placed and fiddled with, just having your ingredients prepped and laid out is enough for the aspiring home chef.

    Depending on what I’m making, my level of mise en place will change in complexity. For instance, when I make meatballs, I do very little, just having the raw ingredients out on the table and cutting, chopping or peeling as I need them. However, with any new recipe or anything super difficult and complex to make, I will prep every single ingredient and spice. Then I’ll have them laid out in order of when I am going to use it in my preparation. Spices are removed from their stalks and cut if necessary. Vegetables are diced and separated in their own bowls. Anything that would take time away from the cooking process is done before any cooking even begins.

    I should also mention the best side effect from doing mise en place as well. Clean-up is so much easier. You end up using fewer bowls and just so much less equipment overall.

    I don’t know about you, but the less time you spend cleaning, the more time you can spend eating and enjoying yourself. Everyone has their own method of mise en place and how intense you go with it is up to you. Don’t just take my word for how mise en place can change your life. You should try it for yourself!

    Here is the mice en place from the Linguine with Butternut Squash Ravioli. Find that recipe here!

     

  • Apple Cider Mimosas

    Apple Cider Mimosas

    Brunch and Fall are two of our favorite things! So naturally with all the apples and cider from Brookfield Orchard, we’ve created this fun Fall twist on a classic brunch-time drink. Subbing out the orange juice for apple cider adds a nice, slightly tarter, flavor; with a crispness that matches the air. Balance it with some fun sugar sprinkles and voila!

    Check out the recipe here!

  • Review: The Fix Burger Bar

    Review: The Fix Burger Bar

    IT’S NATIONAL CHEESEBURGER DAY!!! What better way to celebrate then heading to The Fix Burger Bar! We headed there over the weekend to bring you this review and we’re glad we did. Check out our thoughts below.

    The Fix Burger Bar in Worcester, MA is the cities “first true burger bar.” The restaurant is one of many in the area owned by Niche Hospitality. Never having had a bad meal at any of their restaurants, we felt this would be a great “first true restaurant review.” Located in the Northworks building on Grove St. this feel-good burger concept has maintained a steady following of patrons since its start on Shrewsbury St. With good service, casual atmosphere and great food it’s no wonder why.

    We first tried to visit The Fix on a Friday afternoon…unfortunately for us, there was a gas leak which closed the kitchen. We knew they’d be very busy the next day, but that didn’t stop us. Of course, we were right. We put our names in for a 30 minute wait, but got a text saying that our table was ready after about 25 minutes. It’s also important to mention there were three of us, so we needed a four-top. We were seated in the very back corner which was a bit quieter than then the main dinning area. On the way to the table we observed every single table filled. They were definitely packed. They also seemed a bit short staffed, so we expected long waits and a bit less than our server’s undivided attention.

    The first category we looked at was service. Our server scored major points for starting us off with waters right as we were seated and acknowledging they were exceptionally busy. As crazy as it seemed she was still fairly attentive. We ordered appetizers (Fried Pickles, Quebec Poutine) and our meals (The Crunchy, The Spicy Tuna, and The Mushroom) at the same time, about 10 minutes after being seated. It was only another 10 minutes for the pickles to arrive and about another 5 minutes for the poutine. We got our burgers after about 40 minutes, which was a good pace. We also ordered a dessert (B5 Chocolate Spring Rolls) and coffee, which at most took about 5 minutes.

    Our second category was atmosphere. The overall style is New American with a light circus/vaudevillian theme with references to strongmen and acrobats. The lighting is dim, but not too dark to see. The music was at a good level, but blended in with the ambient noise. They generally played upbeat top 40s. The building is beautiful with high ceilings and exposed brick and beams. The dinning room and bathroom were both very clean. The overall vibe plays very well to a younger and more hip crowed. With tasteful decor they achieve their theme well.

    The most important part is of course the food. We’re rating seven items for this review. The two apps, three burgers, dessert and the coffee.

    • Fried Pickles – So often when I get fried pickles they come out soft and soggy. The Fix’s fried pickles were anything but that. The pickles were cooked perfectly with a slight bend, but overall very sturdy feel. This made them very easy to dip in the horseradish sauce; which paired perfectly with the tang from the pickle and wasn’t at all overpowering. The batter coated the pickles well and didn’t break apart while holding. Both the pickles and batter had a great crunch. Of the fried pickles I’ve had these are certainly among the better.

     

    • Quebec Poutine – The poutine at The Fix comes multiple ways. We opted for the more traditional “Quebec” style, but we also added the duck confit. The fries were cooked very well with a crisp exterior and soft interior. The rosemary and black pepper gravy seemed a bit light for the dish and caused some fries to get rather soggy. However, the flavor was great. The Maplebrook Farms’ cheddar cheese curds were melted well and had a great mild flavor. One problem was that the room was cool and the cheese began to clump together after a little while, so it was difficult to separate. The duck confit was sweet and tender, which added a nice dimension to the dish. Overall the flavors all worked very well together and was very good.

    • The Crunchy – This is one of my personal favorites. This burger delivers on its name with major crunch. I ordered my burger medium well and it came to order. The sesame bun was nice and soft with a light toast. The patty itself was well seasoned and held together well. The fried prosciutto was more like bacon and added a good saltiness. The parmesan crisp and potato chips likewise added a lot of crunch, but not too much flavor. The good thing about the parmesan crisp was it kept the bottom bun dry. The garlic aioli was light and didn’t have a very strong garlic taste, which could be good or bad depending on preference. I personally like a strong garlic flavor. One component I didn’t care for much was the mustard pickles. I love pickles, and they were as crisp and flavorful as the fried ones from the appetizer. I felt the mustard was just a bit too strong. Everything together worked very well, and despite the strong mustard taste I enjoyed it very much.

    • The Spicy Tuna – I only had a taste of this burger, but it was very good. The tuna was ordered medium rare and came out perfect and was well seasoned. The tuna steak was a bit thin, but still held it’s shape and was proportional to the rest of the ingredients. The spicy kimchi and sriracha aioli added a nice heat along with the sweeter and more mild soy sauce. The bun was nice and soft, but the bottom was a bit soggy from absorbing the moisture from the sauce and tuna. Overall it was a good burger and was well composed.

    • The Mushroom – As with The Spicy Tuna, I only had a bite of this. The patty again, was cooked to order and was well seasoned. The sautéed onions and mushrooms added a nice sweetness and earthiness. The truffle aioli also added another dimension of earthy flavor. The pepperiness of the arugula went well with the truffle and mushrooms. Finally the sharpness of the swiss cheese rounded out the burger well. Unfortunately, the bottom of the brioche bun was also a bit soggy. Overall this burger has a well thought out flavor profile and great taste.

    • B5 Chocolate Spring Rolls – I wasn’t expecting to get dessert, but my god I’m glad I did. These things are magical. Thin crisp wonton wraps are cover an incredibly most cake, which is soft and spongy, yet somehow creamy. The spring rolls also have a semi-sweet chocolate sauce which pairs perfectly with the cake and dipping sauces. The sauces included the ginger strawberry and whipped cream, but also a bourbon caramel. All were nice a sweet, but not too much. I tried many different flavor combinations with the sauces and spring rolls. All were phenomenal. The caramel and ginger strawberry together almost taste like Dr. Pepper, which was a great discovery. This may well be my new favorite dessert.

    • House Blend Coffee – I didn’t plan on reviewing the coffee, but man was is good. It is the same house blend Niche serves at their other restaurants, and was brought to the table in a french press. I drink my coffee black, and this was very mellow and smooth. A great way to end a great meal.

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