Boston Restaurant Week Lunch

Cookie Monster and I recently ventured to Boston for a long weekend. While there, we did plenty of eating. But also plenty of walking. So it evened out.

On our last day, we took advantage of Boston's Restaurant Week and had a two-course lunch at Henrietta's Table in Cambridge for $15.10 each. It was a stellar deal and great food.

Here is my first course: Spinach Salad, Native Blackberries, Westfield Farm's Goat Cheese, Spicy Maple Pecan Vinaigrette

Wow. This was so simple yet so delicious. The goat cheese was mild and creamy, the berries were bright and incredibly fresh, and the candied pecans were sweet and nutty. 

The dressing (which I ordered on the side) had more whole pecans in it. The maple flavor was pretty subtle, and really, it was not all that exciting. But the salad was so good, it didn't really need anything extra.

The meal came with a bread basked with myriad flavors of bread: there was cranberry walnut (which I tried but gave most of to Cookie Monsters, since walnuts and my tongue do not get along), some kind of molasses-y bread, and a plain roll.

Perusing their cocktail menu, I saw this cocktail, and since it was my last day of vacation, I said to hell with it and ordered a cocktail at lunch. It was a very good call.

This would be the Sangria Sorbet Martini: A Scoop of Sangria Sorbet topped with Ketel One Vodka

Um, wow. The sorbet was full of  fresh fruit flavor, though I did have to heed the waitress' warning to stir it all together, lest I just be drinking straight-up vodka.

For my entree, I ordered the Assorted Grilled Vegetable Sandwich on Seven Grain Bread, Olive Relish, Creamy Cole Slaw.

Honestly, the sandwich was just ok. It came with lots of tasty grilled vegetables, but the strong olive tapenade flavor sortof took over the sandwich and muted the flavor of the vegetables. Also, it was a bit greasy. Maybe less butter on the bread and the addition of basil and goat cheese would've made it great. And the coleslaw was completely forgettable. It was quite heavy on the mayo, so I only took a few bites. I typically don't like coleslaw, and while I thought Henrietta's version could make me a convert, alas, it did not.

Here are Cookie Monster's two courses.

That would be the Cornmeal Crusted Monkfish Sandwich, House-made Tartar Sauce, Lettuce and Tomato.

 Oh yes, and the Henrietta's World Famous Chocolate Bread Pudding with Rum Caramelized Bananas, Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. It was pretty much amazing. The caramel with the bananas and ice cream was an amazing combination, and the chocolate added a little somethin' extra to the bread pudding.

The stars of this meal were easily the salad and the bread pudding. An interesting dichotomy, but a tasty one.

I really liked Henrietta's pledge to use local, seasonal ingredients. Here's what they say about that:

Henrietta's Table prides itself on "Fresh from the Farm and Honest to Goodness Home Cooking." Chef Davis and his staff are committed to finding the best regional and organically grown produce, not only to support the local farmers and community, but to bring award-winning dishes to our guests.

That's definitely something I can get behind.Well, that and bread pudding.

Summer Corn Soup

I got this recipe from this awesome and drool-enhancing website.

(image from Seasons & Suppers, the aforementioned recipe source)

I picked up the corn at the farmers' market--$4 for a dozen ears. Not too shabby! Though Cookie Monster and I were reminiscing about how, when we were little kids, we remembered corn being something like six ears for a dollar.
When the weather began to finally turn warm (keep in mind I grew up in the Pacific Northwest--the weather did not start to turn warm until July), I would keep my eyes peeled faithfully every time we drove on a certain highway. I was waiting for the appearance of the "corn man," a farmer who parked his truck on the side of the road and advertised his cheap corn with cardboard signs. My mom and I would always stop and pick up a ton of fresh, sweet corn. When we got home, it was my job to shuck it. I would take a brown paper bag outside the kitchen door, sit on the step, and shuck away. It's a nice summer memory.

Cookie Monster and I had previously purchased a few ears from the farmers' market, so we knew how delicious it was. I saw this recipe and wanted to make the soup with the sweet corn. Also, considering it was approximately a thousand degrees outside, I wanted something cool. (Although cooking it on a thousand-degree day was not the best idea, eating it cold in the following days was what I was going for.)

I started by cutting the corn off five ears, and reserving all the corn.

To get the "milk," the sweet corny liquid that's left, run the back of your knife down the cob. This adds a lot of extra flavor.

I then added my naked cobs to a large pot, then filled with water and brought to a boil, then turned to a simmer. This is your corn stock, and it really adds a lot to the soup. I supposed in a pinch you could use chicken stock, but why waste all that delicious corny flavor?

Though the recipe did not call for it, I started by sauteeing two strips of bacon in the pan. I thought it needed a bit more "umph," and bacon certainly adds it! After it was nice and crunchy, I took it out and reserved it. The fat is the flavor I wanted.

Then I basically just followed the recipe. I know, it's unlike me to do that, but I wanted to see what happened. You know, just for shits and giggles.

I added onion, garlic, celery, potato and marjoram (and the requisite S&P) to the bacon fat and sauteed 'til soft.

I then added the corn stock and most of the corn kernels (I reserved about 3/4 cup to add in at the end) and pureed away with my handy-dandy immersion blender. (Actually, it broke in the process. Shit! But Cookie Monster fixed it.)

I added the rest of the corn and sprinkled with fresh basil, chopped tomatoes and the crunchy bacon.

I served it alongside a delicious caprese salad composed of spinach, mozzarella, tomatoes, basil and balsamic vinegar.

It was a lovely meal. However, the soup was a bit boring. I think next time I would add some more spices, such as basil and parsley, and maybe some hot sauce or red pepper flakes. I was right about adding some umph, and next time I'd add even more. But all in all, a successful corn endeavor.

Hmm. Sounds like a good band name.