Cooking with Coley

It’s been awhile. I know–shame on me. It’s not that I’ve gotten lazy though; I’ve been busy I swear! Between closing on a home, moving in, transferring the lease to our apartment and finalizing details for a wedding and honeymoon next week, I think I have a fair excuse.  I won’t bore you with the details, but I just wanted to make my case. However, before I shoot off to the Berkshires for my wedding and then to Bangkok and Bali for 2+ weeks, it’s time I give you the scoop on some spuds.

I recently received a trio of gourmet, all-natural french fries for review from Alexia Foods.  So far, we’ve done a number on two of ‘em, and I’m liking what I’ve seen.

First up, we had Alexia’s new Parmesan Lemon Waffle Fries.  Lemon and french fries struck me as an odd combination at first, but it really made for a unique and tasty fry. It wasn’t a bold citrus flavor, but instead just a hint of lemon paired with the  parmesan.  The texture and crispiness were ideal and this is definitely a good option for a more refined fry.  Plus, who doesn’t love a waffle fry?

Prefer to go the sweet potato route? Well good news for you, Alexia Foods has options to choose from.  I tried the Sweet Potato Puffs. Crispy on the outside and still soft on the inside, they met my standards of what makes a top-notch potato. They make a great side to grilled steak or chicken!

I do want to note that I found the recommended cooking time to be a bit off, so keep in mind you might want to extend the time the fries and puffs are in the oven.  Go with the directions, but just be prepared if you need to add another 5-10 minutes on.

Overall, these spuds were winners in my book! While I’ve only dug into two varieties, Alexia Foods has a seriously extensive line up of potatoes, fries and other products including onion rings and rolls. There’s a coupon on the Alexia Foods website, so go check them out for yourselves!

And I’m off. See you in June!

There are tons of breakfast and granola bar options out there, so it’s never easy to make a decision on what to buy.  I always spend several minutes reading labels looking for something that offers whole grains, fiber and is lower in cals. Oh and of course something that tastes good. Unfortunately, the options aren’t overwhelming.  I was recently introduced to KRAFT MilkBite Bars and received a couple flavors for review.  On paper they boast even more than what I’m looking for:

• Good source of Vitamin D
• 5g of Protein
• 3g of Fiber
• No artificial flavor, colors, or preservatives
• No high fructose corn syrup
• 7g of Whole Grains
• Made with real milk and calcium to provide the same amount calcium as an 8 oz glass of milk (which offers 30% of your daily recommended value of calcium)

With that line up of features, I was excited to give them a try.

So what did I find? They’re good! They are soft and chewy, and you can actually taste the granola flavor which I like.  I sampled both the Chocolate and the Strawberry. I have to say, I am picky when it comes to fruit in my granola bars, but these impressed me!  I wish they had more fiber, but overall I was pleased with the surplus of other healthy benefits.

Unlike most granola bars, these need to be stored in the fridge (because they really aren’t messing around about the “real milk” thing!)

Whether you enjoy one for breakfast or a snack, they are a nice new option to the granola bar market.  Look for them in a grocer near you in the refrigerated dairy aisle.  KRAFT MilkBite bars come in Strawberry, Chocolate, Peanut Butter, Oatmeal Raisin & Mixed Berry. You can bet the Peanut Butter is next on my list.

Get more info on their KRAFT MilkBite Facebook page.

Those of you familiar with the Fenway neighborhood may know that four years ago several neighborhood restaurants tragically burned down on Peterborough Street. Since then, the Fenway locals have waited patiently for their return. Walking by to read construction signs…checking websites for updates… it felt like the day would never come.

And then it did. In the past few months, some of the former restaurants like the beloved El Pelon finally returned to their old locations while new establishments have also opened their doors. Among the openings included Swish Shabu.

Shabu refers to a Japanese cooking method. Using a table-side hot pot, individuals cook very thinly sliced meat, seafood and vegetables in a boiling Asian-style broth. Think fondue but far healthier. 

While I’m no Shabu connoisseur, I am a lover of good food. And this is good food.

The menu is packed with options for everyone–from meat lovers to vegetarians, you’re sure to find something, actually many things, to enjoy.  My favorites to date have been the white fish, sirloin beef, assorted mushrooms and watercress.  The Tom Yum broth is my soup base of choice, as it’s the perfect combo of bold flavors–both sweet and spicy.

With reasonable prices and a delightful wait staff, this new spot in Fenway is sure to be a star in the revived strip of restaurants.  Come to the Fenway ’hood and check out Swish Shabu. You won’t regret it!

(617) 236-0255

84-86 Peterborough St

Boston, MA 02215

OK so what do I know about Texas? Fair question.  I am not even a BBQ expert by any means.  But what I can tell you is that I am eating Sweet Cheeks’ Mac and Cheese for breakfast right now because I can’t resist the leftovers sitting in my fridge.  They deserve to be eaten–even at 10am.  The food is that good.

We went to this new hot spot in Fenway last night. With a smokey aroma luring in all of Boylston Street and Top Chef runner up, Tiffani Faison, essentially cooking in front of you in the open kitchen, it’s no surprise there was a packed house.

While the place is still experiencing some growing pains (some overwhelmed bartenders and a kitchen in the weeds on a slammed Friday night), the friendly service, the ambiance and most importantly the delicious food will keep me going back for more.

The Eats: The menu is straightforward. None of that overly complicated stuff.  You can expect to order anything and everything you really need in terms of BBQ –from pulled pork, pork ribs, short ribs, brisket and pork belly to delicious sides like the aforementioned mac and cheese and baked beans.  Recommendations?

• We kicked off the dining experience with fried okra and honey biscuits — a great prelude to the meal.   The over-sized biscuits paired with honey butter were perfectly sweet and delicious. The okra was lightly breaded, crispy and not greasy.
• The pulled pork was my favorite, but I also tried the pork belly and short ribs which were impressively flavorful and tender.
• And for sides?  The broccoli and cheese casserole was especially rich but still quite yummy.  The creamy mac and cheese with breadcrumbs and bbq beans were my favorites.

The meat comes sauce-less, so you can enjoy every bit of the smokey taste.  As a condiment lover, I tend to pour on the sauce but it just wasn’t needed!  While I added a touch of the table bbq sauce and tad of the hot sauce, I didn’t want to overpower the incredible flavor packed in the meat itself.

The Drinks: Some southern-style stiff drinks are great complements to the meal while the beer list is impressive featuring some of our favorites from around the country (e.g. Abita and Bear Republic).

Get yourself some Q! Pricier than you’re typical BBQ joint (we’re talking $12 for a pulled pork sandwich; plus $6 for 2 sides), but worth every penny. Looking forward to checking this place again in a couple weeks when they smooth out the kinks, and it’s just good food, good booze and good times.

Sweet Cheeks Q is located in the Trilogy building on Boyslton Street (where the old Cambridge 1 was). If you’re going on a weekend, make a reservation because this place will be jammin’.

1381 Boylston Street Boston, MA 02215   |  617.266.1300

I was recently invited by the Jamaica Tourist Board, along with select other bloggers and press, to attend a culinary tour and experience the tastes of Jamaica. Awesome right? Unfortunately, due to a full-time job, I was unable to make it work.  

So instead, a close friend of mine went in my place.  As the editor of Cocktail Enthusiast and booze aficionado, Kevin was the perfect candidate for Jamaican rum tastings.  But in addition to his expertise of cocktails and spirits, Kevin has a refined pallet and appreciates good eats. A perfect fit for the tour!

Lucky for us, Kevin saved a special post exclusively for Cooking with Coley. I’ll let him take it from here…

Before my recent trip to Jamaica, I knew very little about the cuisine. My knowledge started and ended with jerk chicken and rum, so I was anxious to learn more about the country’s food. Naturally, my gluttony assisted me well, as I managed to cram about three weeks’ worth of eating into five days.

Some culinary highlights –

Jerk Chicken

There’s a reason it’s popular. This delicious style of cooking refers to the spice rub that’s applied to chicken, pork and seafood. The jerk seasonings are principally allspice and Scotch Bonnet peppers (more on these guys below), but can also include thyme, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg and more. The result is intensely flavored food with a hearty kick. I sampled jerk dishes at several restaurants throughout Jamaica, but found the local favorite, Scotchies, to be the best. In the below photo, A Scotchies’ employee reveals the jerk chicken slow cooking over a pit fire.

Scotch Bonnet Peppers

This native pepper is a ubiquitous flavoring agent in Jamaica, finding its way into jerk seasoning rubs, soups and many sauces. To give

you an idea of the heat using the industry standard Scoville units, Scotch Bonnet peppers have a heat rating of 100,000–350,000 units. The jalapeño, for comparison sake, has a heat rating of around 2,500 to 8,000 units. Remember the fiery heat that a jalapeno’s seeds can give off, then imagine that heat intensified about 50 times. Therein lies the appeal of the Scotch Bonnet pepper. It’s extremely hot, but when used in moderation, it’s a delicious topping to jerk chicken or rice and peas, and it’s a great flavor enhancer for soups.

Speaking of soups, locals noted that Scotch Bonnet peppers are dropped whole into soups during cooking. But they’re always fished out before the soup comes to a boil, as boiling soup can cause the pepper to burst. A single burst pepper can ruin an entire vat of soup, rendering it too hot to eat.

Ackee and Saltfish

This breakfast staple is the national dish of Jamaica, and it quickly became a favorite morning treat, equally valuable for curing hangovers and fueling long travel days. Ackee resembles scrambled eggs, but it’s actually a West African fruit brought over to Jamaica in the 1700s. To prepare the dish, ackee is boiled and then sautéed with salted cod, tomatoes, onions and spices. 

June Plums

This new-to-me fruit grows in tropical climates like the Caribbean and Southeast Asia. Eaten raw, it’s sour and slightly crunchy, like a mixture between a plum and a green apple. Locals often sprinkle the raw fruit with salt, which creates a fun play between sour and salty. The fruit can also be cooked down into jams, relishes and sauces, or stewed with water and sugar to create an applesauce-like treat. The June plum was also featured in a popular, refreshing Jamaican drink of June plum juice sweetened with sugar and spiced up with a hint of ginger.

Thanks Kevin, for doing the heavy lifting and taking one for the team by going to Jamaica.  ;) Luckily, I’m off to explore the region myself in two days to celebrate a close friend’s wedding on 11.11.11. Looking forward to trying those scotch bonnet peppers, and finding out for myself if cod for breakfast is really a good idea.   

Kevin Gray is a Dallas-based journalist and cocktail enthusiast who’s work has also appeared in AOL, The Huffington Post, Gear Patrol, USAToday.com and Where Magazine. Check out Cocktail Enthusiast and follow Kevin’s journey through new spirit tastings and classic cocktail reviews.

The day is finally about to arrive. A day that will forever change grocery shopping in Massachusetts as we know it. Wegmans is about to open.

Just one week from today (October 16) will be the grand opening of Wegmans Northborough.  It’s a must-go-to store for anyone who wants value and service when they grocery shop.

Wegmans first opened in Rochester, NY in 1930. Since then, store locations have spread across central NY and even more recently into Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Virginia. Now 75+ stores strong and with dozens of awards on its roster, Wegmans is a foodie mecca changing the grocery shopping experience in the northeast.

Born and raised in the Syracuse, NY area, I was lucky enough to grow up having Wegmans as our local grocery store. Spoiled by weekly shopping trips, I never realized that all grocery stores weren’t created equal. Until, that is, I moved to another state.

So what makes Wegmans so great? A few of the top reasons:

1. Consistent low prices – sure I sound like an advertisement, but it’s true. Your buck goes a lot further at Wegmans.
2. Wegmans brand items – the “generic” brand never tasted so good. A couple favorites to highlight–Wegmans’ brand pasta and wing sauce.
3. The Market Cafe – with yummy subs, pizza and an abundance of other options, Wegmans is an actual lunch and dinner destination.
4. Produce – The produce section is a cook’s heaven. In addition to the fresh and high-quality produce, you can also expect to find some not-so-common ingredients.

Unfortunately, the Northborough store is about 35 miles from Boston, but other store locations are coming soon to Westwood, MA and Burlington, MA.

Wegmans Northborough

9102 Shops Way

Northborough, MA 01532

Note: my affinity for Wegmans is based on my years of shopping in the central New York locations.  I can only hope that the Northborough location and other locations to open in Massachusetts will maintain the same integrity in price, consistency, cleanliness and service. I’ve noticed the new Mass location is only open 6am to midnight which is quite a bit different from the 24-hour locations where I come from. Hopefully that will be the only difference we see!

I just got back from a fabulous weekend in Charleston, SC for a wedding this Labor Day weekend.  It was my first time there – what a great city!  Some might frown on holiday weekend weddings, but when it’s in a beautiful destination with a group of awesome people, there’s no better way to spend a long weekend.

Besides the wedding and people on the trip, there were many other highlights including the food. One dining adventure that stood out was an absolutely delicious restaurant: COAST Bar and Grill. This place exudes both modern southern flair and charm.

COAST claims to offer “Charleston’s Freshest Seafood,” and while I can’t compare to any other of Charleston’s seafood restaurants, I can tell you that COAST did serve up some excellent fare.

What to order? That’s a tough recommendation to make. Everything we tried was a winner in my book.  And since there was a group of 12 of us, I was able to try a good portion of the COAST menu (however, I still didn’t put a dent in the list of things I wanted to sample!)

So what in particular did I try and love?

• Raw Oysters on the Half Shell – Salty and sweet, these were top notch.
• Fried Green Tomatoes – Sweet pepper relish & spicy red pepper aioli – Perfectly crispy with a juicy and tasty inside.
• Coast Crab Dip – Blue crab claw meat, horseradish, cheese, & grilled bread – Rich and creamy, great for sharing. And who doesn’t love grilled bread?!
• Plantain Encrusted Mahi-Mahi – Blue cheese mashed potatoes, asparagus & sweet basil butter – Amazing as it sounds, holy cow this dish packed in the most beautiful flavors.
• Seared Rare Tuna – Fresh tuna dusted with cashews and peanuts; with diced mango, cilantro, pomegranate soy reduction over soba noodles – I can’t get enough of Asian flavors with fish. Tossing in some mango, pomegranate and cilantro took this to the next level.
• Crispy Fried Whole Flounder – Hush puppies & jicama slaw; cilantro jalapeno aioli – This dish oozes Southern flavors.
• Sangria – What’s a dinner without cocktails? The sangria was the drink of choice at our table. Refreshing and crisp, it was a great add to the meal.

Is your mouth watering yet? It should be.  This was one of those memorable meals where not just the laughs and company will be remembered, but so will every delicious dish that I was lucky enough to enjoy.

I’d also be remiss if I didn’t call attention to the relaxed but bustling ambiance and the very reasonably priced menu. Despite the quality and quantity that the menu boasts, it is still pocket-friendly.  With appetizers, plenty of drinks and meals for each of us, we still each only spent $50 (including tax and gratuity).

Next time you’re in Charleston, check COAST out.  You won’t regret it.

The Meat House opened in Brookline about a year ago, but I just made it there for the first time…shame on me.  However, I’m certainly glad that I did venture over to this little foodie heaven to witness and enjoy what it has to offer.

From beef and poultry to seasonings, specialty foods and an exceptional beer and wine selection, this “neighborhood butcher shop” takes buying your meat to the next level.

And while it’s not where you want to go to save money per pound necessarily, you can count on finding a quality assortment of your favorite meats.  Among other items behind the counter, you can expect to find premium dry-aged steaks, short ribs, lamb and veal. The Meat House also offers select produce, cheeses and a variety of seal-packed side dishes and veggies for an instant meal.  Three words for you: Summer-BBQ-Mecca.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out the very friendly and very helpful staff.  Not only did they send us home with some complimentary house-marinated steak tips upon learning it was our first visit, but they also got in touch with their distributors to specially order Ryan an IPA that is not typically sold in New England (Abita).

The Meat House isn’t just a local spot–they have store locations in eight states (Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Connecticut, Texas and California). While they also sell their meat online, I think visiting the store and perusing the shelves is half the fun.  Check it out!

The Meat House is located in Coolidge Corner at:

1285 Beacon Street | Brookline, MA 02446

Hours: Open Daily in the Summer from 9am to 9pm

I had never considered buying a juicer.  Sure it sounded fun, but the endless juice and drink possibilities never crossed my mind. Nor did I consider the pure delight (and nutrients) a juicer could bring into my life.  

That is, until I actually used one.

I was recently sent The Jay Kordich PowerGrind Pro for review, and it’s turned my thoughts on juicers from “fun, but unnecessary kitchen gadget” to “must-have kitchen essential.”

We’ve been using the fresh juices to make smoothies–just fresh and pure fruit juice blended with ice.  My favorite creation to date has been a Strawberry Pineapple Orange smoothie–mmmm (recipe coming soon).  Homemade smoothies have been an incredible treat as the weather starts to warm.   

Why do you need one?

• It’s easy to use.  It’s basically a two-step process of putting in the fruit and extracting the juice. Easy peasy.
• It looks cool. The sleek black and silver design adds some flair to your kitchen counter and is sure to impress guests.
• And most importantly because it’s healthy.  

This particular model uses slow grinding coupled with extraction to create less heat and better preserve nutrients. The juicer’s new technology means users not only get more nutrients per cup of juice, but also a bigger volume of juice from the same amount of produce. 

Downsides? The only one I can think of is the clean-up time.  There are a lot of parts to hand wash, but it’s a small price to pay for the end result.

The PowerGrind Pro retails for $289.00 on JayKordich.com. While the price may seem daunting, I ensure you that you won’t be disappointed with the product.  Less than $300 will get you a lifetime of pure and fresh juice.  Not so bad when you consider the $4.00-$8.00 you would spend on one smoothie at Robeks or the like.

Oh and are you wondering “who the heck is Jay Kordich.” I was too.   Mr. Kordich is author of the #1 New York Times best seller, “The Power of Juicing,” but he may be better known as an over-the-top spokesman from the early 90s.  Kordich credits himself for bringing  “the health benefits of drinking freshly extracted juices to the masses.”

Do you have a juicer? What brands do you like?

Photo courtesy of Skaneateles Talk

Happy Memorial Day!

I just got back from a wonderful weekend in Syracuse filled with family, laughter and of course lots of food. From Dinosaur Bar-B-Que to Alto Cinco to multiple trips to Wegmans, I certainly hit up all my favorite spots.  In addition to food hopping (like the foodie version of bar hopping), I also visited one of my favorite kitchen stores in the beautiful Skaneateles, NY: Rhubarb Kitchen & Garden Shop.

One small room, probably not more than 300 square feet tops, this quaint but charming shop abounds with useful kitchen gadgets, cookware and gourmet foods.  Whether it’s something for yourself or a gift for a friend, you’re sure to find a kitchen treasure that you want to take home.

In fact, I’m not sure I’ve been able to step foot in Rhubarb without making a purchase of some sort. Among my recent favorites include: Skaneateles Raspberry Balsamic Vinegar and a “poachpod” (a silicone egg tool for the egg cooking handicapped).

If you haven’t already been to Skaneateles, NY, I highly suggest you check it out at some point in your life.  A gorgeous clean and serene lake surrounded by enchanting shops and delicious restaurants makes for a top weekend getaway spot.  And when you’re there, be sure to stop in Rhubarb to peruse the packed shelves of kitchen treats.

Rhubarb Kitchen & Garden Shop is located at 59 East Genesee Street in the village of Skaneateles, NY.  They unfortunately, do not have a website.