I trekked to Worcester for Easter dinner with my boyfriend’s family, and as usual, everything—from the lamb kebabs to the mashed potatoes—was well worth the binge. But this time, surprisingly, it was something as simple (and healthy!) as a tossed salad that sent my culinary antennae up.
What was the insanely bright, tangy liquid adorning my greens? It tasted like Greek dressing, only much lighter. Turns out, it was as easy as this: a whirl of white balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, and Parmesan cheese. (more…)
By now, you’ve probably caught on to Chowder’s undying passion for all things sweet. Chocolate shop openings, cake batter ice cream, the ultimate vegan bakery treats—if it involves anything containing even a drop of vanilla extract, a dash of cocoa powder, or a dollop of whipped cream, we’re there faster than you can say “sugar rush.” And did we mention we’re pretty good in the kitchen, too?
But there is-for me at least-one confectionery road left untraveled until very recently: gooey homemade cinnamon buns, baked on a lazy late-winter Sunday morning. (more…)
When my colleague Donna Garlough revealed that she had a direct (and, ahem, illegal) line to some prime Okinawan potatoes from Hawaii, I jumped out of my chair. These, of course, are the best sweet potatoes in the world: bright purple, sweet like candy, dry and fluffy like Yukon Golds, and impossible to find in Boston markets (or so I thought—more on that later).
When one encounters a hard-to-find ingredient, deciding how to cook it is no small task. The wrong seasoning, the wrong method, and all the hours you’ve spent tracking down that foraged truffle, wild boar,pomelo—or in my case, purple Hawaiian sweet potato—is for naught.
If you’ve been following Chowder’s little saga, you’d know that purple Hawaiian sweet potatoes (aka Okinawan sweet potatoes) are, in my humble opinion, the greatest thing since round-trip tickets to Honolulu. Waiting for them to arrive, however, is worse than medieval torture.
After placing our order, (i.e. calling my Hawaii-based mother and pleading for a few measly taters to be sent our way) we waited. Three excruciating days later—okay, it wasn’t that long, but we were seriously hungry by this point—a FedEx box arrived at Chowder HQ containing the coveted—and perhaps illicit—spuds (Hawaiian sweet potato growers are required to quarantine their crop before shipping to the mainland, but we decided not to investigate the matter any further). (more…)
We at Chowder know firsthand the effects of climate on our appetites. All winter, I crave hearty roasts, butternut squash, and mac & cheese. (See also: my weird winter rum aversion.) That said, the “cold weather, warm food” principle only holds true to a point. Right now, it’s three degrees with wind chill. My eyelashes freeze when I walk outside. And I’m fantasizing about all things Hawaii (my parents live there, which means I get to visit on occasion): Palm fronds. Coconut suntan lotion. Purple sweet potatoes. (more…)
As the day of love draws near, local bars are playing up those clichéd “naughty” cocktails: the Sex on the Beach (boring), the Slippery Nipple (taste disgusting), the Screaming Orgasm (two words far too graphic to ever be said together in public).
And yet, cocktails and Valentine’s Day do kind of go together. So we looked around for some fire-igniting drinks that won’t make you cringe.
Now that last week’s warm weather has given way to snow-covered streets, we’re back to craving carbs. Forget eating healthier in ‘08: we want Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies.
Whenever we find ourselves in rural Ohio, as we did this past holiday weekend, we’re reminded of just how good we Bostonians have it. Much as we gripe about $8 pasta sauce at Whole Foods or the rush-hour madness at Shaw’s, our grocery stores are generally well-stocked. Want to whip up a quick cacciatore or a bowl of pho? You’re covered.
As if to remind us that most Americans live a very different food reality, we had a hell of a time finding a plain baguette at the local Giant Eagle supermarket; the closest we came was a “Parisian” loaf that looked like it came from Subway, not the boulangerie. That’s not to say we didn’t eat heartily while we were out there; it’s just that we managed to fill our 2008 quota for margarine and Jell-O consumption in a matter of days. (more…)
I trekked to Worcester for Easter dinner with my boyfriend’s family, and as usual, everything—from the lamb kebabs to the mashed potatoes—was well worth the binge. But this time, surprisingly, it was something as simple (and healthy!) as a tossed salad that sent my culinary antennae up.
By now, you’ve probably caught on to Chowder’s undying passion for all things sweet. 
When my colleague Donna Garlough revealed that she had a 
When one encounters a hard-to-find ingredient, deciding how to cook it is no small task. The wrong seasoning, the wrong method, and all the hours you’ve spent tracking down that foraged truffle, 
If you’ve been following Chowder’s 
We at Chowder know firsthand the effects of climate on our appetites. All winter, I crave hearty roasts, butternut squash, and mac & cheese. (See also: 
As the day of love draws near, local bars are playing up those clichéd “naughty” cocktails: the Sex on the Beach (boring), the Slippery Nipple (taste disgusting), the Screaming Orgasm (two words far too graphic to ever be said together in public).
Now that last week’s warm weather has given way to snow-covered streets, we’re back to craving carbs. Forget eating healthier in ‘08: we want 
Whenever we find ourselves in rural Ohio, as we did this past holiday weekend, we’re reminded of just how good we Bostonians have it. Much as we gripe about $8 pasta sauce at Whole Foods or the rush-hour madness at Shaw’s, our grocery stores are generally well-stocked. Want to whip up a quick cacciatore or a bowl of pho? You’re covered.