backbar

I rarely make trips to Union Square in Somerville, as I'm not a big fan of buses and there is no nearby T, so my choices are left with walking, driving, or biking. Driving it is. I headed out to backbar before a friend's album release at the new Cafe Tango down the street. I have had backbar on my go-to list for a bit now, after it's opening in late 2011. It is the slightly-younger sister of Journeyman, a tasting-menu restaurant run by foodie-friends focusing on seasonal ingredients. backbar has recently been in the news a few times, having their bartender Sam Treadway winning Boston's best bartender award and being featured at Zagat's 30under30 event. I brought T along to this newish craft cocktail utopia with a few friends for a quick drink & snack before the evening's event.

Down the alley we went...to the nondescript orange door. We headed in down a dark hallway hoping we were heading the right way. Our spirits were raised when we found the backbar sign, opened the door, and were greeted to a quiet & calm hideaway.

 

In we went, we plopped down on one of the wall-length comfy couches and admired the graffiti wall & the hand-drawn daily menus of food & drinks. (Apologies for the dark pictures, the sexy mood-lighting got me!)
 

 

I went with the union mule with Beefeater gin, apple brandy, St-Germain, citrus, ginger, and spice with a pork belly bun as a snack...but you can find more information about their menu, location, and background here.

 

 

After a tasty strong drink & a snack, we headed out to our friend's event, where I ate my weight in delicious churros (both chocolate and dolce de leche) at the newly-opened Cafe Tango. If only Union wasn't so high-maintenance and difficult to get to...**hint hint MBTA!**

 

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california closets

Lately I've been busy planning & shopping for the quickly approaching holidays, while memories of my recent birthday are starting to fade...but one of my gifts will be sticking around for a while! For a joint birthday-Christmas gift (and maybe a few more birthdays down the road) my parents bought me a California Closet makeover for my master bedroom closet! Within a two-week period, I had a consultation, an installation, and my clothes were able to settle into their new pretty, bright & clean home.

BEFORE:

 

 

AFTER:

 

 

 

Muuuuuuch better!!

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tuna pasta salad

Growing up my mother would always make tuna pasta salad as a summer side. Eventually I learned this dish would be a perfect main component of a meal, any meal...and yes I've eaten this multiple times for breakfast. With a hands-on time of maybe 10 minutes, this dish is one of my top 5 dishes of all times, and it cuts corners and cheats and I still love it and always will! If you decide to make this, please please please let it cool in the fridge for as long as you can wait, because it really tastes disgusting when warm.

Ingredients (enough for 8 as a side dish, or 4 as medium bowls for a main dish):
1 lb small pasta of choice (I used elbows)
9 tbs white vinegar
2 envelopes dry Italian dressing mixture (I used Good Seasons)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup canola oil
2 tbs dried parsley
1 tbs dried basil
2 cans tuna

Directions:
1. Cook pasta until just past al dente. Set aside.

2. Combine vinegar, salad dressing, and mayonnaise & mix until blended.

3. Gradually add oil while mixing.
 

4. Add dried parsley & basil. Mix again.

 

5. Add tuna and mix again to fully coat and flake tuna into smaller bits.
 

6. Pour 1/3 of pasta into a large tupperware, top with 1/3 of tuna mixture and mix to coat fully. Repeat this pattern two more times until all pasta is well-coated with tuna mixture.
 

7. Pop in refrigerator until cooled off (at LEAST 1.5 hours) before enjoying!
 

 

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sesame-crusted salmon

During a snow storm this week I figured it was the perfect night to hunker down, lock the doors, and play in the kitchen. I hadn't made salmon in a while, since spring or summer at least, so I figured it was time! The weeknight menu consisted of sesame-crusted salmon with rice pilaf and a light pea sprout salad with a sesame vinaigrette (in hopes of it tasting somewhere near as tasty as Blue Ginger's).
 

Ingredients:
Salmon with sauce for two (recipe): 
1/8 cup soy sauce
1 tbs sherry
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbs and 1 tsp cornstarch
1 1/2 tbs water
1 egg white
1 lb wild-caught salmon
1/8 cup sesame seeds
1/8 cup canola oil  

Sesame vinagrette:
Juice from 1 lemon
1/8 cup rice vinegar
1 tbs soy sauce
1/2 tbs toasted sesame oil
1/2 tbs honey
1/2 tsp ground ginger


Directions:
1. In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, sherry, chicken broth, sugar, ground ginger, and garlic. In a separate bowl combine 1 tsp cornstarch and the water.

2. Whisk together the egg white & 1 tbs cornstarch. Brush the skinless side of the salmon with egg-white mixture and dip into the sesame seeds to coat.

   

3. Heat oil in nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Place salmon sesame-seed side down in oil for 5 minutes, until crispy and browned. Flip and cook for another 3 minutes.
 

 

4. Transfer salmon to a plate and tent with tin foil while you make the sauce. Empty any reserve oil from pan and add soy-sauce mixture over medium heat to simmer for 2 minutes, add cornstarch and water mixture until thickened. Add 1 tsp flour if not thickening to your liking. Serve salmon on top of this sauce in order to retain crispiness of salmon.
 

5. For the vinaigrette, whisk all ingredients listed above and drizzle over salad of choice (I used pea shoots). Plate & enjoy!
 

 

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"ugly but good" cookies

Brutti ma Buoni are well-described by their translation of "ugly but good". Typically made with hazelnuts, I only had almonds on hand, and they did just the trick! Crispy on the outside with a chewy moist texture on the inside, these cookies are the easiest 4-ingredient cookies, period.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups almonds

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

1/8 tsp salt

1 egg white

2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Spread almonds in a single layer on a baking sheet. Toast almonds in oven for 10 minutes, until fragrant. Transfer almonds to a food processor. Add confectioners' sugar and pulse until finely chopped. 

  

2. Transfer mixture to bowl. In a small bowl beat egg white with vanilla extract. Add egg mixture to nut mixture and stir until fully blended and crumbly.
 

 

3. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Make small mounds of dough and put back in oven for 13 minutes.
 

4. Let cool on wire rack to crisp up before enjoying.
 

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beer can-less chicken

I didn't have any cans of beer, only bottles, but I wanted beer can chicken with all of the moisture and was too lazy to head out for a six-pack....soooo I made beer can-less chicken (using the beer T & I made for his birthday) in the rooster roaster my parents brought back from their trip to Africa, producing the same results!

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken (3-4lb)
1 tbs olive oil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tbs onion powder
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp dried herbs de provence
2 tsp salt
2 tbs black pepper
3 cloves garlic, smashed
8 oz beer of choice (a little more than half of a can)  
2 sweet potatoes
2 tsp brown sugar  

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450F. Crush cloves of garlic and place in center of roaster (or directly in half can of beer). Fill cavity with 6 oz of beer.   

2. Mix all herbs and spices & add to beer/garlic mixture.
 

 

3. Pat chicken dry, drizzle olive oil inside of chicken and sprinkle 1/3 of spice/herb mixture on the inside. Plop the chicken on the beer mixture (or directly on top of can) so the chicken is sitting up. Rub chicken with drizzle of olive oil and remainder of spice/herb mixture.
 

4. Add remaining 2 oz beer to bottom of pan/roaster. Place in oven for 10 minutes.

 

 

5. Meanwhile cut up sweet potatoes into small wedges. After 10 minutes have passed, remove chicken from oven & lower heat to 425F. Scatter sweet potatoes around chicken and top with drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of brown sugar & return to oven for another 1 hour.

6. When the time is up, check the temperature to make sure it is fully cooked, transfer & cut up to enjoy!
 

 

 

 

Note: These leftovers make great ingredients in chicken noodle soup

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