Hungry? This mother has you covered!

Many of you have perhps heard of 'The Hungry Mother', a southern stronghold in Cambridge.  I have been to many different restaurants in Boston and Cambridge combined and yet this is the first time I have experienced such an excellent undertaking of southern flare...which is no easy feat!

The Hungry Mother resides at 233 Cardinal Medeiros Ave and looks just like any other apartment building in the area. It has an understated sign dangling above the door and even once inside you think you have mistakenly stepped into someone's kitchen.

I immediately recognised the attention to detail when I noticed the southern style and swagger adopted by the staff. Don't get me wrong though, everything was exectued with such subtlety, nothing was over the top or pretentious feeling.  Glasses of water were served in various jam jars, all the bar tools and ingredients were set out or preserved in unique and odd shaped containers...it was really as though you were in a home of southern comfort!

Although the cocktail menu looked incredibly tantalizing and Ned, the bar tender was shaking away behind his station, my friend and I opted for white wine and went straight onto our food order. We decided to get a few dishes and share...which is generally my style of ordering food.

We started with their salad special which was smoked trout, apple, candied pecan, slaw and grapefruit mixed with greens and a buttermilk dressing...(ummm ya, it was as good as it sounds).

We also ordered their country ham biscuits which came as shown above with a generous helping of their spiced jelly.  I loved the bite-sized biscuits and the ham was really tasty although I would have preferred thicker slices. The jelly really took the limelight and I proceeded to spread the remainder onto the homemade bread they serve throughout the meal.

Out of the main dishes we opted for the pecan catfish presented on a bed of vegetable rice and arugula.  It was divine, perfectly cooked and lightly coated in a crumbled pecan mixture that was both sweet and salty.  The sauce was so delicious I had to ask for another slice of bread to sop it all up.

I could not resist a side order of their grits either, made with nothing but the best ingredients and covered with bacon and cheddar cheese - totally traditional and just the way they were meant to be served.  My friend was dually impressed...someone who had turned his nose up to grits before this experience.

We finished every last bite of food and did not have much room or time for dessert...So we got the check and I cannot tell you how pleased I was to see that the hospitality continued right until the very end with little fudgey amuse-bouches. A nice way to round out a solid, southern meal.

It is worth a trip out to Cambridge anyday, this restaurant is yet another attribute of the area.

http://www.hungrymothercambridge.com/

Earth Fest is fast approaching!

Taking a day to commemorate the earth is something that does not happen enough.  I suppose though, that while we put in for more earth related festivities, we can definately be thankful for the ones in circulation at the moment.  Most notable among earth awareness days in boston, is Radio 92.9 Earth Fest; a day full of amazing artists, amazing foods and fun, all the while promoting respect and awareness for the Earth.
Sound like something you might be interested in? I know I am! In fact, since I have come to Boston, four years ago, I have been to Earth Fest every single time. From KT Tunstall, to Gunster to Cake, Earth Fest, sponsored by Whole Foods (you know what that means...SAMPLES!!!) brings together prominent artists who advocate earth friendliness and awareness.

This year, we can look forward to appearances from national and local artists among which we have Atomic Tom, Sponge, OK go and Ed Kowalczyk. I am no music buff, but I do know that these bands are worth checking out.

Earth Fest will be on the 21st of May, so two saturdays from now. As always, it will be held at the Hatch Shell along the Charles River.

Stop by at some point during the day to sample earth friendly food products, to learn more about eco-conscious and other environmental organisations and to cheer on the artists.  It is a great and fun way to participate in something really important and meaningful.

From past experience, I would like to remind everyone to pick up their trash...after all, if we are trying to spread awareness of the care we should exercise towards our mother earth...this is really the most obvious and easiest effort everyone should start with!
For more information on the artists, sponsors and other activities, visit:
http://www.earthfest.com/

Much Deserved Desserts

There is nothing that makes me happier than an offer like the one above. These little pieces of joy were to be found in the playbills handed out on Thursday for the opening night of Bella Figura at the Boston Opera House. I snagged a couple, as is my usual style when it comes to coupons (you never know when they might come in handy!) and as it turns out, they make for  the perfect post-performance treat!

My friend and I had the show off and we decided to go and put the coupons to good use at Petit Robert Central, conveniently located a few blocks away from the Opera House.

 This restaurant, the third Petit Robert location, is in a prime spot for business crowds and theatre go-ers.  On this particular night, it was very quiet, which was nice - there was no wait and we had our pick of seats. We decided on two bar seats and proceeded to order.

We each got a drink, featuring St. Germain...who could have guessed? Mine was a delicious concoction the bartender invented with St. Germain, Orange flavoured vodka and fresh grapefuit juice.  The whole thing is topped with some champagne which floats and cuts the strongness of the other flavours.  It has become my new favorite drink. My friend ordered their tequila st. Germain drink which was complex and delightful - perfect for the coming summer weather.

For desserts, we ordered their Giant profiterole (below): 

And their Gâteau au Chocolat Petit Robert, which is a decadent chocolate cake, soaked in liqueur with layers of rich fudge frosting.  I am a tough critic when it comes to chocolate cakes, and this one did quite well. It was just moist enough and the added kick from the liqueur was a really nice touch.  The dish was accompanied by a chocolate Eiffel Tower - I mean...how could you go wrong? I will say however that had I paid the 10 dollars for it, I would have been a bit disappointed by the portion...

The service was exceptional, our bartender was very attentive and apart from a couple of glitches on the bill - all of which were taken care of immediately, the entire experience was enjoyable. I would go back even without my barricade of coupons...that is saying something!

The closest I will ever get to El Bulli...

For those of you who are familiar with the term 'molecular gastronomy', you may also have heard a thing or two about El Bulli - the stronghold of inventive and experimental cuisine located in Spain. Headed by Ferran Adrià and his team of culinary geniuses, El Bulli is one of the single most sought after foodie experiences in the world.

 

In this year's Independent Film Festival, from the 27th of April to the 4th of May, a documentary on the inner workings of this phenomenon was put on earlier this evening in Davis Square.  As per usual, it never takes much to get me to this area, I love everything about it.  The fact that a rare documentary about my fantasy restaurant was going to be presented was like a chocolate covered cherry on top!

I dragged two of my friends along with me and sincerely hoped they enjoyed it at least half as much as I did.  Luckily, we managed to skip this long wait...

The somerville theater houses many interesting spectacles, and they always do it with style.  Little details like their old school popcorn boxes are always much appreciated!

The documentary was amazing and informative and I have never been so excited about food and its limitless dimnesions.  Who would have thought you would make a ravioli with an exterior that disappears when dipped in water?  The chefs that worked at El Bulli are more than culinary specialists, they are artists and scientists all in one with creative outlets that continue to expand.  I think my favorite innovations were these little pine nut twigs drizzled with honey or this crazy dish that combined mini tangerines, ice , olive oil and green olives.  They also spent a lot of time trying to create a cocktail with peanut oil. 

Everything is trial and error for these guys and the question is always, 'Does this make sense?'.  It is not just taste that matters, it is an entire package.  Presentation, texture, colour, smell and taste all come together to create an emotion or to rescucitate a childhood memory.  Simply put, every bite is an experience.

Throughout the whole documentary I was just thinking to myself, this is what I want to experience, I need to get myself to this place.  You can thus imagine my disappointment when I realised that they just recently closed their doors...

On the bright side however, they are going to be continuing their research and experimental practices so as to continue fueling the molecular gastronomy trend of contemporary cooking.  At least I know it's out there...all I need to do is start chipping away at it!

In case you are interested in El Bulli and its history, visit:

http://www.elbulli.com/

Beware...once you have been exposed to this kind of innovation...there is no going back!