Thanksgiving recipes, Dish Gal-style

Last year, I made some really delicious recipes... My favorite (which will be replicated for Thanksgiving 2010) was the cornbread and chorizo stuffing. This was AWESOME, but also great to have for leftovers. Serve it for breakfast the next morning with some runny, over-easy eggs, and you'll have one bangin' brunch dish!

Here's all the photos and recipes: http://dishthisboston.blogspot.com/2008/12/thanksgiving-at-dish-gals.html

I'm thinking of making this pumpkin bread pudding this year-- doesn't that sound AMAZING? Or, perhaps I'll make these balsamic roasted sweet potatoes...

Any recipes you recommend for Turkey Day 2010?

xoxo,
DG

A Guide to Valentine's Day in Boston

If you decide to brave the crowds and head out for Valentine’s Day, here’s some help for making an informed decision on where to take your loved one, based on what you usually would be doing on a Saturday night. . .

“We love spending Saturday night at Mistral, Hamersley’s, or Icarus.”
You’re clearly a foodie, and a fan of high-end, white tablecloth, restaurants. For Valentine’s Day, switch it up and venture out of your South End bubble over the river to T.W. Food. Check out sample menus here. . And if going to Cambridge sounds like going to Iceland, try Sorellina, just over the Back Bay/South End border.

T.W. Food

“We usually eat Chipotle, then meet up with friends in Faneuil Hall.”
For V.Day, kick it up a notch without breaking the bank or trying too hard and sitting in a stuffy restaurant. Choose a restaurant that has unpretentious but delicious food, in a nice atmosphere. I’d suggest a place like Figs in Beacon Hill for Italian, or Casa Romero off of Newbury Street for Mexican.

Figs

“We usually eat at a noodle place in Chinatown, and then catch a movie.”
Fans of ethnic food? Try a different part of the world than you’re used to. Head to Tangerino in Charlestown for a taste of sexy, Moroccan food. Or to a Spanish tapas place like Dali in Somerville, Tapeo on Newbury Street, or Tasca in Allston.

Dali

“I’m single, so I’m usually out on the town with my friends.”
Check out the Valentine’s Day Eve party on Friday, February 13 at Upstairs on the Square. A ticket gets you some food, and drinks are in the “single” digits. Admission for singles is $13. For couples, $14,000 . And for the day of? Enjoy being able to get a table for 6 EASILY at restaurants =)

“We usually order some delivery and watch a video.”
It’s probably smart to stay in this Saturday, as well. Seems like you might not be the biggest fans of cooking, so let others do most of the work for you. Buy some homemade pasta and sauce from Dave’s Fresh Pasta in Davis Square and whip it up at home. In the North End, stop by Monica’s for some fresh cheese, Bova’s for some homemade bread, and Salumeria Italiana for their unbelievable aged balsamic, and make a simple yet delicious picnic.

Or, if you want to attempt some cooking, try this fun "Romantic Menu Planner Quiz" at epicurious.com to help you decide what to make.

Whatever you do, remember it's just a silly holiday! Relax and have fun.

Love,
Dish Gal xoxo

Holiday Food Recap

You know how the morning after an awesome night out, when you still feel a little light-headed, and your friend says, "Ohh do you remember those shots!?" and just the thought of them makes you want to swear off drinking alltogether? So you both then agree you should not talk about last night's beverages until a safe amount of time has passed?

Well, that's how I feel about the holidays. However, I think the food hangover has passed, so I can finally start reminiscing about all the delicious food that I was lucky enough to enjoy.

Here are the amazing pierogies I waxed on and on about in this previous entry. We all agreed these might have been the best ever this year.

The green stuff is sauteed cabbage..yum.

For Christmas dinner, Z and I decided to give Dish Mom a break and took over. Z made his world-famous beef short ribs. They were AMAZING. I can't give away his recipe (mostly because he doesn't follow one...), but you should definitely look into making short ribs. They are especially great for a dinner party-- just pop them in the oven and go about your business. You can't overcook these babies!

Short ribs heading into the oven...

For my part of the meal, I made a Yukon gold and sweet potato gratin with gruyere and fresh herbs. I worked from a recipe from Bon Appetit. You can check it out here. It was awesomely rich, and while you may be tempted to use dried herbs instead of fresh, definitely use fresh-- we all agreed they made the dish. I'll write out the full process sometime. Perhaps for a Valentine's day dinner?

I also made brussel sprouts with pancetta. We couldn't find pancetta, though-- damn suburban grocery stores ;) -- so we used Canadian bacon. I think it might've been a bit better with pancetta, but it was good nonetheless.
Another highlight of the season was the Christmas morning french toast, topped with sweet ricotta cream cheese, and, of course, red and green sprinkles. A Dish Mom specialty.

Mini-Guide: Where to Eat During the Holiday Season

The holidays, for better or for worse, means lots of situations worthy of going out to eat. Dish Gal has been getting lots of questions for where to go for this situation and that, so I decided to boil it down to one mini-guide to eating out around the holidays! Let me know if there is a category missing!

Dinner with your boo
Whether or not you are spending the holidays with your SO, it's nice to head out to one special dinner just the two of you... But where? These spots are romantic yet festive, and fairly wallet-friendly-- which helps when you've maxed out your credit card buying presents.

Metropolis Café (South End)
Grotto (Beacon Hill)
Franklin Café (South End)
Taranta (North End)

Gift exchange with the girls
Before you are surrounded by your family for the holidays, surround yourself with your second family-your girlfriends-at one of these fun and jovial places.

Masa (South End) ** doing 50 cent tapas and $5 sangria pitchers (!!) Sunday, Monday, Thursday and Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday from 5 - 8 p.m. **
Gaslight (South End)
Dali (Cambridge/Somerville)
Toro (South End)-- tight quarters here...leave the presents at home!

Family in town visiting
Show your extended family the Boston you know and love. These restaurants are family-friendly, and can be enjoyed by everyone from your screaming nephew to your Uncle who frequents fast food joints.

Rocca (South End)
Antico Forno (North End)
Redbones (Davis Square)
Grafton St (Harvard Square)

For the guys: Grabbing a drink and a bite while your girl shops

When she's power walking up and down Newbury St: Charley's on Newbury St. (cheapest draft beer on Newbury, plus try the Spinach & Artichoke dip to warm up from the cold).
When she's discount shopping in Downtown Crossing: Kingston Station (large portions, lots of cocktails)
When she's prepping it up in Beacon Hill: Figs
When she's staying warm in the Pru and Copley: Ditch the mall scene and walk down about a block from the Boylston St. entrance to the Pru to Bukowski Tavern. Has about a million different beers and a peanut butter burger. Never tried that one, but I can vouch for their juicy, more normal burgers. UPDATE: Tried the PB burger... so good actually! And they have yummy fries. love it.