Move, Learn, Eat

Love these 3 travel videos entitled MOVE, LEARN & EAT, shot over 11 countries in 44 days.  Short, simple and beautiful.  MOVE is just plain cool, LEARN inspires me to have one local teach me something in every new country I visit and EAT reinforces my love of food and travel.


MOVE from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.



LEARN from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.



EAT from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.

the homes of Boston's most beloved chefs

A little tardy in reading my Improper Bostonian this month, only this morning was I so delighted to see I got a peak inside the abodes of some of my most beloved chefs.  Of course their kitchens looked perfect (and true, it seems, to their style of cooking).  Get your hands on one either today or tomorrow to see more pictures, or if you're out of town, you can read about them all online.

 (a restaurant quality kitchen for Chef Barbara Lynch of No. 9 Park, Sportello, the Butcher Shop, B&G Oysters, Drink and Menton)

 (L’Espalier and Sel de la Terre Chef Frank McClelland's farm house)

 (the penthouse of fellow South Ender Chef Ken Oringer of Clio, Uni, Toro, La Verdad, Coppa, KO Prime)

 (Four Seasons Executive Chef Brooke Vosika makes wine, cider and cured meats in his basement)

(pops of color for Chef Lydia Shire of Scampo & Towne)

food as art

Bright red, orange and green peppers.  Plump baskets of blueberries.  Swirling cocktails.  You know what?  Food isn't only good, it's pretty.  And while the food as art episode on Top Chef this season was the worst challenge ever, I still can't help but love that moment at a restaurant where your plate comes out and it just looks so gorgeous.

Meet Megan Elmstrom.  She's a local photographer and I simply love all her food photos.  They're perfect for marketing, sure, but they remind me how beautiful food can be. 

soup du jour

LOVE making and eating soup in the winter.  So easy, so delicious.  I am currently enjoying a batch inspired by Rachael Ray's Mean Green Tortilla Soup.  I say inspired because I don't really follow her recipe to a T.  I add more broth and instead of the spicy mumbo, jumbo, I just buy a jar of tomatillo salsa and add that and screw de-kerneling corn - I just throw in a frozen bag.

(a spicy winter delight)

This month, Real Simple has an article with recipes for 5 Quick Soups. 

 (Bean & Chicken Sausage Stew)

 (Thai Red Curry Soup)

 (Fisherman's Stew)

 (Sweet Pea & Mint Soup)

(Scallion and Potato Soup)

They're so easy you could more or less memorize them or do your own take on them.  A little soup inspiration to get you through the winter.  I'm going to take a stab at the scallion and potato...mmmm.  

boston spot: back bay social club

New to town a year ago, Back Bay Social Club has quickly warmed to me and become my go-to Boston spot.  I had my birthday here and it was fabulous - great space downstairs, fun cocktails, friendly staff.  It's great for anything - dinner when the fam comes to town, happy hour on the patio, brunch with the girls, a night out for trouble.  It's warm, welcoming, the food is ohmygosh and I can't say enough good things about it.

They also have awesome cocktail events and parties all the time.  Up next?  A Guinness beer dinner - 4 courses made from local ingredients and paired with delicious beer.  Get your tickets here. 

prethanksgiving perfection

We had SUCH a lovely party this weekend at the Berkeley Penthouse - our annual prethanksgiving party I haven't been able to shut up about!  We hosted 25 people to a sit down potluck dinner.  Everyone went all out and brought some amazing food - pumpkin pasta, candied yams, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and a pineapple surprise among other things.  Much wine was drank and there was much to be thankful for.  Our friends make all the prepping totally worth it!  There was even enough leftover for me to make turkey soup...mmmmm

 (table set!)

 (Chris, aka the fantastic oreo ball maker, wins powerball every year)

 (the fabulous hosts of the Berkeley Penthouse)

welcome weekend

I am beyond thrilled the weekend is here!  I am this much closer to my favorite holiday, thanksgiving and it's also when we open the doors of the Berkeley Penthouse for our annual prethanksgiving party, where our 25 closest friends come for a sit down potluck dinner in our apartment.  It's a lot of work and we prep right up until the end, but it's so much fun.  After that, a little r&r before heading off to Vegas for actual Thanksgiving.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend and you're thinking about what you're thankful for!  Here's my list at this very second (changes all the time and in no particular order):
-my health
-my car
-my supportive family & fabulous friends
-cake
-brunch
-the freedom to make choices
-crisp mornings
-red lipstick
-strange dogs I make love me
-cashmere socks
-champagne
-my lack of getting embarrassed
-laughing, all the time
-Taio Cruz 
-DVR
-changing of seasons
-learning to accept change
-agape

*images courtesy of shelter & bippity boppity boo

on the road: austin

This past weekend, my little brother and I had the chance to visit our cousin in Austin.  I really love it there and was happy to go back for a getaway and also so Brother could see if he might like to go to school there.  Right off the bat, my cousin took me to one of the city's famous food trucks.  I felt so Bourdain, enjoying my gourmet sandwich from a tin trailer.

Aside from playing with my cousin's super cute baby, Pilar...

 (Pili-Bean!)

And eating delicious Mexican food all weekend...

We toured the UT campus for Evan to check out.  It was quite nice and again, I thought about how great going to school there might be if someone where to offer me a free MBA.

 (future Horn fan?)

The big weekend adventure was tailgating at the Texas vs. OK State game.  My college football tailgating experience is the occasional Boston College game where there are limited spots on the field and you tailgate two hours before and two hours after.  This was that, only on steroids.  First of all, everyone sets up the night before.

Second of all, our group started at 11am - for a 7pm game.  There was a massive spread of food, a big tent for cover, tons of different kinds of drinks, a hooked up flat screen and enough burnt orange to burn your eyes.  

 (crazy fan bus!)

I couldn't but help get into the spirit to purchase my very own Texas shirt at the Co-Op.  We had a blast - thank you to my cousin Arch!

(Stuart Family love!)

boston spot: taza chocolate factory

I had no idea there was a chocolate factory in town until Yelp Boston put on an event with an exclusive tour.  Taza Chocolate is awesome.  It's made in a classic Mexican style, good for shaving off to make it into a drink or to just pop it in your mouth.  This isn't your classic milk chocolate (in fact, they don't make their's with milk).  This is chocolate in its purest form, along with some cool flavorings (I walked away with a spicy chocolate - yum!).  The tour was pretty cool, too.  It's only one of maybe four chocolate factories you can tour in the country and one of the founders himself led us through it all.  I even learned a thing or two about chocolate.  Take a tour and check out their super cute shop on your way out.

happy first day of fall.

Does that mean I can go gourd shopping yet?  Since my roommate and I decided to buy funky gourds last year, I now can't wait to pick out this year's selection.  But, can't get them too early - they must last until our annual Pre-Thanksgiving Party we host every year for our friends.  Maybe just one baby gourd to tie me over?

(Wilson Farm, our favorite farmstand for gourds and other goods)

(last year's selection)

Other fall activities I am dreaming about, include...

(apple picking.  happening next month on an amazing day trip I will report back about...)

(pumpkin food.  Like curried pumpkin soup from Picco, pumpkin beers and pumpkin pie.)

(fall sports.  Whether it's cheering for BU Hockey at the home opener, strolling to catch a glimpse of The Head of the Charles Regatta or just sitting around watching football & eating dip with friends)

(thanksgiving.  It's my favorite holiday - good food with loved ones.  What's not to love?)

(my birthday.  I mean, I think I enjoy it.  I do love birthdays...)

Note: I refuse to put Halloween on here.  While I must admit, I often have a fun evening, the anxiety of putting a costume together often overtakes me.  Also, I am not a fan of holidays that dictate I have fun.  I have fun all the time and it's too much pressure.

*Images courtesy of The Lil Bee, Cercatrova Jewels, ifood, The Daily Green, boston.com, Guide Spot, Martha Stewart & Love Shot