Sheryl Julian, the Globe's Food Editor, writes regularly for the Food section.
Devra First is the Globe's food reporter and restaurant critic. Her
reviews appear weekly in Calendar.
Ann Cortissoz is on the staff of the Globe and writes the First Draft beer column for the Food section.
Stephen Meuse writes about wine for the Globe's Food section. His column on
Plonk ($12 and under wines) appears on the last Wednesday of the month.
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« January 28, 2007 - February 3, 2007 |
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| February 11, 2007 - February 17, 2007 »
February 9, 2007
What's it like when a giant among celebrity chefs drops by to help culinary students slice and dice for the Anthony Spinazzola Gala?
This afternoon I watched Thomas Keller, chef and owner of The French Laundry, Per Se and other restaurants, guide BU culinary students in preparing pickled radishes in Champagne vinaigrette and brioche croutons for his sunchoke soup.
Keller was delayed (his driver didn't show up) and so 1 1/2 hours after he was expected, he strode in. Then seconds after arriving, he set the students to work.
They might have been awed by Keller's fame, but everyone -- from Marcos Lemus, a young Salvadoran who's on a Spinazzola scholarship, to Kevin Crawley, chef of Coriander Bistro , who teaches in the program -- were so busy they had no time. Keller himself borrowed a knife and started slicing, warning students using the mandolines: "We call them cripplers."
The chef checked the 1/8-inch dice, demonstrated how to slice brioche, announced that the students had 45 minutes to finish the preparation, and admonished them to clean up as they went. "You compost, don't you?" he asked as he put aside the radish tops. He checked on how they were transporting the soup stock and puree, how much cream was available, if the peppermills contained white peppercorns, and whether the Seaport World Trade Center had facilities to heat the soup.
Never once did he seem rushed or curt. As I left, I told him I was going off to blog about him. "Blog, what's that?" Keller asked a student as he sliced more radishes.
Posted by Alison Arnett at 05:15 PM
February 9, 2007
After three years, our fitness instructor, Janneen Alves, otherwise known as Janeen the Marine, gave her last class today at The Globe -- and of course, left us wobbly-legged in the process. She's quite simply an extraordinary teacher. It doesn't hurt that she's beautiful and lovely to watch (for those moments when you can't lift another weight).
Janneen let one of the students film the class. The idea is that we'll use the tape and continue to meet on Fridays every week. We sent her off with a big thanks in the form of a gift certificate to Caffe Bella, a Randolph restaurant that is a favorite of many in the class.
Janneen has been working part-time at Dunkin Brands. No, not eating their products! She's doing all kinds of health and fitness programs there. They finally convinced her to join them full time. They're no fools. They're getting the best in the business.
The new instructor is Denise Harrington. She's been around for a few weeks filling in. If Janneen is a Marine, then Denise seems like a Green Beret.
If you find us out shopping for spring clothes in a smaller size, you'll know why.
Posted by Sheryl Julian at 02:27 PM
February 7, 2007
I've wanted a mortar and pestle for a long time. Grinding spices, chilis and other ingredients by hand in a stone vessel just sounds more -- well -- organic than using a food processor. But spending big bucks at one of the gourmet cooking outfits seemed frivolous for something that in Mexico would be a fraction of that.
So when I spotted this beauty in Marshalls for a mere $12.99, I snapped it up. (The other customers pawing through shoes and sweaters looked at me a little oddly as I carted the heavy objects to the cash register.) It works beautifully -- though it does take some arm muscle.
No wonder those Mexican women shown in cookbooks have such developed forearms.
Posted by Alison Arnett at 03:59 PM
February 5, 2007
Dining early on Saturday night in Boston can be a lonely experience. The burbs, though, are a different matter, as I found out first-hand when trying to stop off for an early bite at Incontro in Franklin.
The hostess had told me when I called that the restaurant was booked solid last Saturday, but surely we thought if we got there before 6 p.m. we could eat at the bar. Wrong. At 6, there were lines off the highway into the parking lot -- it looked like Fenway when the Yankees are in town. People were jostling their way into the handsome stone building, a former mill, where chef Bill Bradley holds court. The wait, even at the bar, was 2 1/2 hours.
Obviously, there's pent-up demand for this restaurant in a sleepy area -- at least foodwise. And, obviously, suburban diners go early; there were reservations available after 9 or so.
So we headed back into Boston, where the streets seemed deserted and the Good Life downtown (Michael Scelfo is cooking there now) was empty. As we were finishing our meal -- excellent spaghetti carbonara and great fried oysters -- the young crowd was just coming in.
It's all in the timing.
Posted by Alison Arnett at 03:01 PM
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