Charlotte Really Messed Up This Time: A Supper Club Resturant Review

This week's Supper Club took a week off from cooking, girl talk, and pouring our own wine for a co-ed pig roast night. Citizen Public House & Oyster Bar in Fenway offers a whole suckling pig for groups of ten or more so we thought, we are ten or more so why not?





After a few amazing cocktails made by bartender Phoebe before the event,(I believe this is called pre-gaming, to all of you classy folk), we showed up hungry and ready for our dinner, which we named Wilbur, after the pig in Charlotte's Web. And Wilbur we got!

After a small appetizer of one oyster, one shrimp, and one littleneck per person the lights dimmed and he arrived.



It took two chefs and a large silver platter to present our meal and then three platters to serve him broken down. There was pig every which way! We had sausage stuffed loin, ribs, crispy ear and snout and brain...yes, brain.












We also had some amazing sides: potato gratin, brussel sprouts, and broccoli rabe,
all of which were fantastic...and of course, dessert!











We all had an incredible time watching each other dissect pig parts, try new things, and fawn over food we all had before, but not like this. While we all missed the coziness of our living rooms and the freedom to speak about our love (or just sex) lives openly, this was definitely quite an experience.


Pre Pig Roast Cocktails!

Onion Gimlet Cocktail
If your feeling adventures, and you want a drink that tastes like thanksgiving, this is for you! (BTW, only Phoebe likes this...heh.)
1 Bombay Gin (Balinoff Vodka works to if you hate gin, weirdo)
1/2 Italian vermouth and no bitters added
Lime
Use a large bar glass with cracked ice and stir well. Strain and serve with an onion.

White Russian
For the dairy enthusiast!
.75 oz. Kahlua .75 oz.
Balinoff Vodka (available at the wine gallery)
1.5 oz. Whole Milk (available at the store)

Frisky Whisky
Sexy!
1 oz. Old Overholt straight rye whisky
1 oz. Bärenjäger Honey Liqueur
slice Lemon
1/4 oz. simple syrup (didn’t use this time, meh, doesn’t need it)
2 dashes Angostura bitters (didn’t use this time, but you should)

Dry Black Current Sparkling Wine Spritzer
Solere Cava Brut, Sparking wine Dash
Wine Berry Black Current Wine

Ouzo and Coffee Beans
This one is tough, get ready...
Ouzo 3 coffee beans

Chateau Bovila Cahors
An awesome red wine from France!



Interested in checking out Citizen Public House & Oyster Bar for yourself?
Hit up their website or go there in person!

Citizen Public House & Oyster Bar
http://www.citizenpub.com
1310 Boylston St, Boston, MA
617.450.9000


Cheers!
Christa, Rachel, Phoebe & (what's left of) Wilbur

Hummus Among Us (3/1/11)

It's the SSC you guys have all been waiting for! It was finally my night to take on Supper Club...and this time, I brought out the big guns. Middle Eastern night. You may say to yourself, hey, that chick's not Middle Eastern at all. And yeah, you'd be right. Somewhere in my quest to explore food that I do not understand (note my love of Ethiopian food), I sort of picked up a few things along the way. I've always been a huge fan of spanakopita (AKA spinach pie, to all you uncultured folks,) so I thought I'd share my version of it, along with some other traditional dishes.

So with the help of my absolute favorite Middle Eastern grocery store (I think technically it's Armenian/Turkish), Arax Market, a little guess work and my love of all things delicious and booze oriented, let's just say, I made things happen. Awesome things. Seriously.


Spanakopita

Ingredients:
1 16 oz bag of frozen spinach
½ package frozen filo
1 ½ packages (6 oz) feta cheese
1 or 1 ½ large onion(s)
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/8 tsp nutmeg
Olive oil (enough to saute onions with)
Cooking spray
Glass pan

Preheat oven to 350. Thaw (or cheat and microwave, but not too much cuz it gets too dry) filo dough. Thaw or microwave frozen spinach in a large bowl. Squish out and drain excess water. Set aside. Chop up onions. Saute until onions are clear and a few of them are a little brown around the edges. Add onions, feta, egg, nutmeg and lemon juice to spinach.

Spray glass pan. Take about ½ of the filo dough and lay it out on the pan. Spray in between every few sheets of filo. Put spinach mixture into filo dough and fold up. Spray in folds so they stick together and spray top. Put in oven for 20-25ish minutes. Remove from oven. Enjoy!



Ahmed's Awesome Hummus*
(Admittedly, we did not actually have time to make this, but I have it on good authority that it rocks!)

food processor or blender
chickpeas (both dried/boiled or canned work )
tahini
garlic
parsley (fresh)
mint (fresh)
lemon (Lots and lots)
cumin powder
cayenne pepper
paprika
salt
olive oil
water
red bell pepper (just a tiny tiny bit)

Optional Spices
all spice
five spice
white pepper
coriander powder
lime
onion

Slowly add ingredients to a blender and keep adding to taste until it gets the right constancy.

(The water, tahini and olive oil will make it more liquidy so add a little at a time until you get the desired consistency.)

*Yes we actually know a guy name Ahmed and yes he actually has a great hummus recipe.

In additional to all this wonderfulness, I also made chicken stuffed with feta and sun dried tomatoes from my awesome crock pot cookbook and some of the other ladies brought couscous, delicious lamb meatballs, and an awesome Greek salad.


Of course, I also made my usual trip to Arax Market in Watertown. I love that place, mostly because, although it's filled with a lot of food that, while basically undefinable by American standards, still manages to all look delicious. I think they've got the best baba ghanoush ever and they have a really wide variety of different types of baklava. I opted for both.
Oh and don't forget, they also sell hookahs and shisha, for all you tobacco fans.




While they don't have a website, you can find their info on Yelp, a weird Facebook page that sort of misrepresents them or you can just go straight there. Check it!





Arax Market
585 Mount Auburn St
Watertown, MA,



Booze Pairings
Cocktail: Ouzo Cosmo
2 parts vodka
1 part orange juice

Mix ingredients with ice in shaker and pour into martini glass. While we realize ouzo does not sit well with everyone, this cocktail is a lot of fun. Even if you don’t like the anise flavor, we know you like 100 proof…

Beer: Brooklyn Lager
It is not often one encounters a lager this interesting. Even the copper color of this beer is totally different from most others. This brisk crisp beer tastes of pear and apple but also has an exciting finish. Its fruit and acidity paired perfectly with all of the dishes on our table that night. It was especially delicious with all the feta in the Greek salad and spanakopita.

Wine: White
Falanghina Feudi San Gregorio Sannio $15

Escape the Pinot Grigio rut with this awesome crisp white Italian! Its nose is fruity and floral but its palate is crisp and lively and it has a wonderful long finish. It pairs perfectly with Greek food, especially Christa’s delicious spanakopita!

Wine: Red
Juan Gil Monastrell $15

Monastrell is Spanish for Mouvedre but should also mean yummy. This is a powerful wine. It has strong aromas of red fruit, spice and vanilla and in the mouth it has smooth tannins and its alcohol gives it a rich body. Its oaky notes, though, makes it perfect to pair our Greek dinner: It can stand up to the spices of all the dishes without overpowering any of the delicate flavors. It is 15%, though, so you might want to limit yourself to just one bottle per person…


....And of course photo documentation of the event, for all of you voyeurists...

Cheers!
Christa, Rachel & Phoebe







About Christa
Christa is a comedian, artist and graphic designer living in Boston. Because most of her family is fresh off the boat, she knows a thing or two about traditional European cooking and baking, provided that the recipes are in English (Thanks a lot, crappy American school system!). She also has a vast knowledge of fancy-smancy beers made by smelly hippies. Although she has no food credits to speak of, generally speaking everything she makes is considered to be "damn good." Check out her design portfolio site, Shameless Design, if you feel like it!

Texican/Mexican Nite (2/15/11)

Ahhh taco night! The great American bastardization of the beautiful and flamboyant Mexican culture. We here at Supper Club wanted to bring Tex/Mex night back to the basics. No more canned salsa, frozen guacamole or margarita mixes. While none of us are actually Mexican, quite a few of us has spent time in central America, picking up great ideas for recipes as we go. So we present to you, with Emily as our gracious host, a much fresher, taster and fun take on food that is almost, but not quite Mexican.






Emily's Awesome Guacamole

2 Avocados
1/4 c Cilantro
Kosher salt (to taste)
1 tbsp lime juice
1 Diced Onion

Chop onions and cilantro. Smash up avocados.
Add all ingredients together. Tasty!



Christa's Super Delicious Salsa
5-6 ripe vine tomatoes
2-3 jalapeno peppers
1/4 green pepper
1 red anaheim pepper
¼ cup fresh chopped cilantro
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp chili powder
1 white onion
2 scallions
½ cup lime juice (approx 2 limes)
1 tbsp chopped garlic


Variation 1- Really Freakin Hot Salsa
Add ½ -1 serrano chili pepper

Variation 2- Mango Salsa
Replace 1/2 c lime juice with 1/2 c lemon juice
Leave out chili powder
add 1 mango, chopped

Chop up everything and throw into a bowl. For milder salsa use fewer peppers. That's pretty much it.



Black Beans and Rice
1 japeno, seeded and chopped
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 can black beans
1 cup water
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 tablespoon cumin
1/2 tablespoon paprika
2 tbsp lime juice
1/4 c fresh cilantro
salt, pepper, cayenne to taste

Heat oil in small pot. When oil is hot (but not smoking) add jalapeno, onions and garlic and cook on medium high heat until onions are translucent. Add the rest of the ingredients except salt, pepper and cayenne. Bring to a boil and then reduce to low and simmer for approximately 30 minutes or until water has mostly dissolved. Season, garnish with cilantro and serve!


Mexican Rice
2 tbsp canola oil
1 c rice
1 yellow onion, diced
1 jalapeño, seeded and diced
3 garlic cloves, diced
2 c chicken broth
1 tablespoon cumin
2 Tablespoons tomato paste

Heat oil in pot. Saute rice until and slightly puffy, about 10 minutes. Add onion, cumin, jalapeño, and garlic and sautee until onion is cooked, about 5 minutes. Add chicken broth, cumin, and tomato paste and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low. Cook and cover until rice is done, about 15 minutes.


Booze Pairings













Cocktail: Margaritas of course!
Many people like to use sweet and sour but we like to keep it simple and fresh with:

Tequila
Grand Marnier
Fresh lime juice

Use a 3:2:1 ratio and mix with ice
Use Kosher salt for glass rims

WARNING: This drink has the potential to totally knock you on your ass. Whenever we make these I have the nasty habit of passing out not too soon afterward. Take it easy!

Beer
Keep it light and fresh with Pacifico with a lime wedge in the bottle. This light beer is considered to be the heftiest (and therefore best) of Mexico's light lagers. It is a beer with a slight bitterness that adds some complexity to the palate. It is the perfect fun beer for a taco bar.


Wine: White
Benzinger Sauvignon Blanc $15

This Old World-style California wine will be a hit at the taco bar. Its crisp acidity and aromas of grapefruit and lime will be a fantastic complement the citrus juice and the tomatoes in your tacos. It also has a richer body than other Sauvignon Blancs, which ensures that whatever taco meat you choose to serve will not overpower the wine. And it is grown in organic and biodynamic vineyards so drink up because you are helping save the world!


Wine: Red
Kaiken Malbec $10

This fruit forward spicy Malbec is the perfect match to all the fun options at a taco bar. The luscious raspberry and blackberry that hits you right away on the palate will be a great partner to ground meat, carne asada, pastore, or any other meat options you have at the bar. Then the minerality and herbaciousness that follows will compliment perfectly the acidity of the salsa and guacamole you pile on top of your tacos.


About Emily
Emily is a tax accounting associate at a small firm in Boston.
While she's not crunching numbers, she's busy staying active and learning to cook healthier, scratch -made meals with fresh ingredients. While enjoying good food with friends is one of her favorite activities, her first love will always be craft beer. Emily hopes to break into the beer industry in some capacity one day, and until then will continue to discover new beers in new places, attend all the local brew festivals and tastings and try to live life to the fullest!



Cheers!
Christa, Rachel, Phoebe & Emily

Go Fondue Yourself: A Valentine's Day Fondue Party Celebration!

Ya know what sucks? Valentines day. Regardless of whether you are in a relationship or not, people are generally miserable. If you're in a relationship, you either get disappointed by your significant other and/or are actively stressed out about what the hell you are actually supposed to do for them. The flip side of course, is that you are single, probably pissed off all day, lonely as hell and wishing to have another person in your life. Unless you are in that lucky .001% who are all delusional and googly eyed, regardless of who you are, you're miserable.


But wait! You don't have to be! That's what Supper Club is here for! You can
turn you Valentine's Day into something awesome if you just have the right
perspective. Sure, Valentines can be about your significant other, but it can
also be just as much fun when you spend time with your friends, or just treat
yourself well. Some of my best Valentine's I have spent single, and on those
days I've always made it a point to do something nice for myself. Whether it be
going to a concert, buying yourself something new or just having a great meal
with your friends, you can turn the horror of Valentines day into something
that's a lot of fun. We, of course are here to help you with the latter. So in
true Supper Club fashion, we present to you Go Fondue Yourself! A Valentines Day Fondue Party Celebration.

Champagne Cheese Fondue
The Fondue
1 garlic clove cut in half lengthwise
1 cup Gruyere, shredded
1 cup Swiss cheese like Emmenthaler, shredded
½ cup Brie, dice
2 tablespoons cornstarch*
1 cup dry champagne (brut)
1 shallot
1 tablespoon lemon juice
generous pinch of nutmeg
white pepper to taste


Stuff to dip
Cubed French bread, apples, vegetables or whatever you would like!

Rub garlic on inside of fondue pot and then discard. Place shredded cheese
(first two) in bag with cornstarch and set aside. Add champagne, shallots and
wine to fondue pot and simmer for two minutes. Slowly add shredded cheese and
brie, stirring constantly in a zig zag pattern
Cook just until cheese is melted and creamy, do not boil. Add nutmeg and pepper
to taste

*I use cornstarch so the recipe will be gluten free but feel free to substitute flour

Beef Fondue with Dipping Sauces

Beef
Any cut (sirloin works well) into 1 cubes marinated over night in red wine, salt, and thyme

Dipping broth
Canola oil filled to 1 ½ inch of pot and ¼ lb butter



Heat oil and butter in a fondue pot to 375 degrees F. Use fondue forks to cook meat in oil until it reaches desired doneness. Serve with sauces.

Sauces
Tomato chutney
½ cup diced can tomato
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon mustard
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
1 garlic clove mince
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in pan. Cook garlic until light brown, about 3 minutes. Add all other
ingredients and simmer for approximately 20 minutes. Add salt and pepper to
taste.

Asian dipping sauce
½ cup soy
½ rice vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 clove minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced ginger (or 2 teaspoons ginger powder)
1 sesame oil

Whisk ingredients together. Yum!

Chipotle Cream Sauce
2 tablespoons (or more if you like it spicy like me) chipotle salsa from the can
½ cup Greek yogurt

Mix and enjoy!


Frangelico (hazelnut) Chocolate Fondue
The Fondue
¾ cup heavy cream
8 oz semisweet chocolate (I use Gihiradelli chocolate chips)
4 oz milk chocolate (I use Gihiradelli chocolate chips)
1 tablespoon Frangelico (can be replaced with any liquor of your choice, Cognac
also works well)

Stuff to dip
strawberries
raspberries
pound cake, cut into cubes
bananas
apples
marshmallows
pretzels

Let cream sit for about 5 minutes to become close to room temperate. Add
chocolate and cream to a medium saucepan. Heat on low until chocolate begins to
melt and whisk. Add Frangelico.

Transfer to fondue pot and keep warm with burner. Serve immediately.


Champagne Cheese Fondue Booze Pairings

Cocktail pairing: French 75
This is one of my favorite cocktails but I like it a little less sweet than most
people so feel free to add a little more sugar, if that is what you are into,
and even stick the rim of the glass into some lemon juice and then sugar. Either
way, there is not better what to kick off your Go Fondue Yourself party with a
little Champagne and a little more Champagne!
1 tablespoon lemon
1 teaspoon sugar
2 ounces dry London gin
3 ounces Champagne
Mix first three ingredients in shaker. Pour into Champagne glass and top with
champagne.

Beer: Hoegaarden Original White Ale
With aromas of lemon, yeast and cloves and coriander on the palate, this is a
perfect companion to bread with cheese, but then again what doesn’t go with
bread and cheese?

Wine: Charles de Fere $11
This cremant from the Burgundy region of France is the perfect ingredient for
your fondue and your glass. Its dry, it bubbly, its a great value, and it sure
to set the mood for whatever might be in store your V-Day...


Beef Fondue Booze Pairings

Cocktail: Whiskey Smash
Because lets face it, the 99.999% want to get smashed on Valentine's Day
1 Lemon quartered
1 teaspoon sugar in the raw
6 mint sprigs
2 oz Makers Mark Bourbon
Splash soda water
Muddle first three ingredients. Add Bourbon. Shake with ice. Add splash soda
water.
Garnish with a mint leaf

Beer: Chimay Dark Brown Ale
This rich lush beer with caramel overtones is perfect for our meat fondue. It is
also higher in alcohol than most beers, so no matter what is in store for you
this Valentine's day you will smiling..

Wine: Rosenblum Zinfandel Vitners Cuvee $13
This Zin is typical of California ZIns- fruit forward, spicy, simple, and full
of alcohol. Bottoms up.


Frangelico Chocolate Fondue Booze Pairings

Cocktail: The Broken Heart
1 1/2 brandy
1 oz dark creme de cacao
1 oz half and half
Pinch nutmeg
Shake first three ingredients together with ice. Strain into small glass and
garnish with nutmeg.

Beer: Sam Adams Cream Stout
Caramel and chocolate in one delicious beer? Yes please.

Wine: Yalumba Tawny Port $17 (half bottle)
This rich nutty dessert wine is perfect with chocolate and it is packing heat so
make sure you catch a cab to the bars for the after party.

Cheers!
Christa and Rachel

Supper Club: Super Bowl Edition! (2/6/11)

Here's the thing guys, aside from our friend and fellow Supper Clubber, Emily, most of us don't give two shits about the Super Bowl. HOWEVER, we do love both food and booze, both of which happen to a big part of the big game. So, when Emily decided to host one of the most kickass Super Bowl parties I've attended to date, we couldn't help but decide to document some of it for you and hook you up with some of our favorite recipes.

Chile Recipe

Ingredients:
8 strips bacon
5 pounds stewing beef chuck trimmed and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 large yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups beef broth
4 tablespoons chili powder
3 tablespoons paprika
3 tablespoons cumin
2 tablespoons dried oregano
3 tablespoons mole paste*
Masa Harina
2 tablespoons adobo sauce from can of Chipotles in adobo sauce
Three cans black beans (optional)
Cayenne, salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot cook bacon. Remove bacon but leave juices. Sprinkle salt and pepper all over beef cubes. Brown each side of cubes on medium high heat, work in batches (about 7 minutes per batch). Put beef with bacon when browned. Cook onion and garlic until onion is translucent. Add beef and bacon (don't worry strips will break up over time) back to pot. Add broth, spices, and mole paste. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low. Cook on stovetop for 3- 6 hours or until meat is very tender. Meat should no longer be in chunks.

Add more liquid at anytime if the chili looks dry. Once meat is tender add in masa harina as needed if chili has too much liquid to make thick. Stir in adobo sauce.
Add beans if you want them and season with salt, pepper and cayenne.

Can be made three days ahead. Should definitely be made at least one day ahead.
Serve with sour cream or greek yogurt, avocados, limes, and tortilla chips

Phoebe's Frigging Awesome Pasta Salad
Ingredients:
Pasta that comes in multiple shapes and sizes in one bag*
Pickled fire roasted red peppers sliced
chopped celery
red onion
sliced fresh mozzarella or the little balls (I use to little balls)
1 can tuna fish
handful shaved fresh Parmesan cheese
fresh corn cut off the cob
½ Bottle Jordan's Farm Golden Tomato Vinegarette (or some other tomato/basil vinegarette)
1tsp. chopped garlic
salt
pepper
crushed red pepper
lemon juice
(Typically this recipe is made with just whatever the heck is in my fridge. Carrots, peas, edamame, etc.)

Cook pasta. Add them all together. yum.
*I use Napoli- pasta di semola di grano duro, Pasta Mista. One can find it at such fine establishments as The Wine Gallery. Check it! www.wine-gallery.com


Christa's Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Ingredients:
1 pork shoulder (about 5 pounds)
1 bottle BBQ sauce(21 oz)**
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 large onion (minced)
1 tbsp chopped garlic
2 tbsp lemon juice

Pork Rub Spices
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp cayanne pepper
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
10 hard rolls or hamburger rolls

Optional:
Extra BBQ sauce, coleslaw

Trim fat from pork. Discard. Combine pork rub spices and rub over roast. Place roast in slow cooker on low for 10-12 hours.

Discard all but about 1/8 of cooking liquid. Shred pork with a fork. Mix in the remainder of the ingredients. Cook on low for another 2 hours.

Serve on rolls and top with any extra bbq sauce and/or coleslaw.

**I used Dinosaur BBQ Sensuous Slathering Sauce. Being a native of upstate NY, I grew up with Dinosaur BBQ, an amazing restaurant based out of Syracuse. They are famous for their BBQ (obviously) and line of amazing sauces, which can now be found in most grocery stores. Check it! www.dinosaurbarbque.com


Booze Pairing

Cocktail; Pre-party: Bloody Mary
2oz Vodka (I like using Absolute Pepper for the extra kick)
6oz V8 Juice
1teaspoon horseradish
1/2 teaspoon lime juice
4 dashes Tabasco
4 dashes Worcestershire sauce
Pinch pepper (may not be necessary if you used pepper vodka)
Pinch celery salt
Celery stalks and olives for garnish

Grind pepper and throw celery salt on ice in glass to season ice
Add other ingredients and mix with cocktail shaker
Squeeze a wedge of lime on drink


Cocktail; Game time!: The Touchdown
4oz Bourbon
8oz Iced tea (unsweetened)
8oz Lemonade

Combine bourbon and iced tea in glass with ice. Top with Lemonade.

Beer
Anything goes on Super Bowl Sunday!(...but we recommend a lager)

Wine: Segura Viudas Brut Reserva Cava $9
Lets face it, Super Bowl is a beer party. There are few wines that would pair with the smorgasbord of chili, pizza, subs, dips, etc etc that makes this day so great, so why not celebrate this national holiday with some bubbly? Bubbles go with everything right? This Cava is great because it is made in the Champagne method but the price tag is a lot more reasonable. The crisp apple and lemon of this wine will pair just fine with just about anything. But this could just be my love of anything sparkling talking...


Giant Delicious Sub (and Rachel)


Last but not least, Emily was nice enough to order an amazing 6ft sub from Roggies, and awesome bar and grill, that just so happens to also be a great venue for stand-up. Phoebe and I have both been known to do a set or two there and the food and booze are great. roggies.com

Here Rachel and the sub are posing together for perspective and/or hilarity.

Cheers!
Christa, Rachel and Phoebe

Supper Club 3: Polenta Pizza Party! (2/1/11)

Welcome to Supper Club #3! This time Jamie's taking the wheel with some amazing polenta pizzas and a beautiful salad bar.

I will be the first to admit, I was a little worried when Jamie said she would host. She is in school to become a registered dietician and personally, I don’t look forward to supper club every week for the healthy fare. I am excited about stuffing my face, drinking three bottles of wine (to myself), and telling my friends all the dirty details about whoever that week’s flavor is… But in the end, her delicious polenta pizza won me over and I promise, that is not just the booze talking.

Polenta pizzas are an awesome healthy alternative to regular pizza and are also gluten free. It can be made in two different ways, making mini pizzas by slicing the polenta in circles or making one large pizza by smashing up the polenta onto a cookie sheet. Jamie did both. And I ate both. A lot of both. Apparently, healthy can be tasty and maybe equally important, it takes everyone a lot less alcohol to start sharing the raunchy details of their week…

Large Polenta Pizza
Ingredients:
tube of pre-made polenta
sauteed red onion
portobello onion
spinach
fresh roasted red peppers
Marinara sauce, jazzed up with some yellow onion and pizza seasoning
Mozzarella Cheese
Goat Cheese


(polenta mashed)










(full crust)








Cut polenta into circles and place on cookie sheet. Mash them up using the heal of your hand to press them together. Top with toppings. Bake for 20 min at 350.


Mini Polenta Pizzas
tube of pre-made polenta
fresh tomato
basil leaves
mozzarella
pesto sauce










Cut the loaf of polenta into circles. Place on cookie sheet. Top with toppings. Bake at 350 for 20 min.



Salad Bar Smorgasbord

romaine
baby spinach
red peppers
green peppers
mushrooms
tomatoes
carrots
peas
corn
salsa
hummus
raisins
dried cranberries
walnuts
cage free hard boiled eggs
goat cheese


Booze Pairing

Cocktail: Pitcher of Sangria Cocktail

1 bottle of inexpensive fruity wine (like a CA Zin)
1 cup Rum
1/2 cup Grand Marnier
1 cup orange juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar
1 orange thinly sliced
1 lemon thinly sliced

Mix all ingredients in pitcher. Stir until sugar has dissolved. Add ice.

BeerDogfish Head Festina Peche
This beer, which is actually brewed with peaches, is a perfect light beer to go with salad and polenta pizzas. It is a light bodied wheat beer that manages to combine both beer and cider flavors. It is also fairly low in alcohol so while telling telling first date horror stories to the ladies, feel free to indulge in this liquid therapy.

Wine: White
Feudi di San Gregorio Falanghina $15

Aromas of green apple, almonds, minerality, grapefruit and lemon. Medium acidity and body so it accentuates the acidity of the tomato sauce without overpowering the subtle flavors of the polenta. Crisp and refreshing so it also pairs perfectly with salad bar.

Wine: Red
Antinori Santa Cristina Sangiovese $10

Medium bodied wine with aromas of cherry, leather, plums, and herbs. The tannins on this wine are mild so that they balance perfectly with the subtle corn of the polenta. The soft fruit on the palate is a perfect match with the creaminess of both mozzarella and goat cheese.


About Jamie

Jamie is on her way to becoming a registered dietitian (RD). She is currently doing her combined Masters degree/ dietetic internship. As for now she's just a struggling college student trying to eat healthy on a budget, and live as abundantly as she can!Check out Live(and Eat) Abundantly, a blog dedicated to her great love of food!



Cheers!
Christa, Rachel, Phoebe & Jamie

Supper Club 2: Sushi Tuesday! (1/25/11)

Sushi- my favorite overpriced undercooked food. While I love sitting at a sushi bar watching a chef, who probably apprenticed in Japan for a hundred years, expertly slice a wee piece off a semi-beautiful looking fish for a mere $12, I decided watching my best friends struggle over rice and badly cut fish would be way more fun. And it was!

Edamame, wasabi peas, sesame crackers, sashimi, and baked scallops held us over as we took turns struggling through several hundred yards of saran wrap, sticky rice and chunks of raw fish. When it was all done, though, the spread was absolutely beautiful. We were luckily to get a few pictures in before it became a mad dash of chopsticks and fingers reaching to grab a spicy tuna roll, a salmon avocado roll, or something Phoebe invented involving everything that was within her reach. I think I might have actually tasted some potato chip crumbles…

Sake shots, lots of laughter and record-breaking amounts of inappropriate conversation made us forget the sticky rice that had somehow ended up in our hair and down our shirts and like always we all left counting the moments until next Tuesday.


Things you will need for a sushi night:

Sharp knife
Bamboo sushi roller
Seran wrap
Nori (thin dried seaweed sheets used for rolling sushi)
Soy sauce
Wasabi
Chop sticks





Sushi fillings we used:

Cooked chopped shrimp
Spicy tuna salad (chopped raw tun, sriracha and Kewpie to taste)
Spicy creamy scallop salad
Raw salmon slices
Imitation crab*
Avocado slices
Jullienned cucumber
Sprouts
Jalapeno slices



*Found in freezer section of Japanese market. Rub between hands and then chop to break up and then mix with Kewpie to taste.


Jalapeno Sashimi Appetizer

salmon or yellowtail
1 part soy sauce
1 part yuzu sauce*
thinly sliced Jalapenos (if you want it spicy keep the white part, if not remove)
small two inch slices of sashimi



Combine soy and yuzu. Place jalapenos on sashimi. Drizzle soy/yuzu sauce on the fish.
*Yuzu is citrus juice that can be found at any Asian market.


Sushi rice
2 cups short grained rice
5 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Rinse rice in large bowl until water is clear
Put rice in medium saucepan with 2 1/2 cups of water
Bring to boil and then reduce heat to low and simmer until water is absorbed (about 20 minutes)
Place rice in bowl and cool in refrigerator
Mix vinegar, sugar, salt and sesame seeds
When rice is cool, mix in vinegar mixture gradually


Cutting sashimi and fish for rolls

The first, and most important part is make sure you have a good knife
Slice 1/4-1/2 pieces across the grain (by slicing the fish you are making sure the cuts are even and fish stays together)
Clean knife after every slice
You want the natural lines of the fish going vertical




Spicy Creamy Scallops
1 lb scallops chopped into 1/2 inch dices
4 tablespoons Japanese mayo*
2 tablespoons Sriracha

Preheat oven to 400
Mix scallops with other ingredients
Place in baking dish
Cook for 15 minutes

*You can find Japanese mayo at any Asian grocery store. I prefer using Kewpie 1/2.




Fresh Fruit Salsa
I realize that fruit salsa isn't exactly Japanese but I felt it went the raw theme we had going.

Ingredients:
2 kiwis, peeled and diced
2 Golden Delicious apples - peeled, cored and diced
8 ounces raspberries
1 pound strawberries
1 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons fruit preserves, any flavor
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
2 bags cinnamon sugar pita chips

In a large bowl, thoroughly mix kiwis, Golden Delicious apples, raspberries, strawberries, white sugar, brown sugar and fruit preserves. Cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 15 minutes.
Serve with cinnamon sugar pita chips. I usually need 2 bags.


Booze Pairing
Cocktail: Cucumber Saketini

3 ounces Hendrix gin
1 ounce sake
6 thinly sliced cucumbers

Mix gin, sake, 5 slices of cucumber and ice in cocktail shaker
Put last slice cucumber on rim of glass as garnish

Beer: Kirin
Pale golden color with lacy white head. Sweet grassy aromas with hints of citrus. Balanced and refreshing with some tartness. Clean and subtle on palate so does not clash with spicy sauces.

Wine: White
Quinta da Aveleda Vinho Verde Portugal $7

This slightly effervescent wine is a perfect inexpensive wine to go with sushi. Delicate enough to not overpower fish but also has a complex acidity that makes it a joy to drink. Aromas of tropical fruit, apples and white flowers.

Wine: Red
A-Z Pinot Noir

Minerals, cherries, and spice on the nose. Great rich balance of heat, fruit, and tannin on the palate. Acidity and fruit tones accentuate the rich flavors of the tuna and salmon.



Cheers!
Christa, Rachel and Phoebe


About Rachel

Rachel is the "professional drinker" of the group. She is from California but currently resides in Somerville. She graduated from Boston University's Culinary Arts program in the Fall but her true love is booze, which is why she is drinking her way through the Elizabeth Bishop and Master Sommelier programs. She has traveled the world drinking wine but her favorite spot is among her ladies...