Last night, my kitchen went unoccupied. My friends and I took advantage of the Restaurant Week deals, and Umbria cooked for me! Boston's Restaurant Week allows diners to choose three courses - a starter, an entree, and a dessert - for a fixed price. Some restaurants offer more choices than others, and Umbria offered many more choices from the regular menu than many of the other restaurants. I chose the tomato-basil soup, pappardelle with wild boar ragu, and cannolis. Each course was sheer perfection. My friends tried the house-cured prosciutto, seared ahi tuna, jumbo lump crabmeat, and filet mignon, which apparently had the texture of butter (Butter? Yay!). Rave reviews all around.
I'd love to try and duplicate the pappardelle with wild boar ragu, but A) where the heck do I find wild boar in Boston? and B) they garnished it with shaved black truffle. I can't afford ingredients that are kept in locked cases. I guess I could substitute pork shoulder for the wild boar, and I could drizzle the plate with truffle oil, but it would not be the same. Umbria, I think I'm in love with you.
Because I have no recipes to share today, I'll share the links to several food-related websites that I visit regularly. Some are vendors, some are informative, and some simply inspire me.
I'll start with the blog that started it all - my roommate's sister, Amy, started a food blog, and my roommate thought I'd be interested. I was. Her reflections on learning authentic Asian cooking are what inspired me to start my own blog. I've always wanted to write about food, but I never knew where to start. Amy's blog showed me how fun it is to follow someone's culinary journeys, so if you like my blog, check hers out: Amy Learns to Cook and Bake.
Culinate - this website makes me want to eat. And eat. And eat some more. Whether its authors are sharing recipes, reflections and insights, information about varieties of food and agricultural practices, or profiling well-known chefs and cookbook authors, Culinate always leaves me inspired and hungry.
Mercato del Mare - they taught me how to shuck oysters, and they may have created a monster. Their website features a list of what's available in the store each day, recipes, and a super-fun, super-informative fact sheet on different varieties of seafood! If you live in or near Boston, stop in sometime and see why I rave.
Salumeria Italiana - This is where I buy my bottarga and cotechino sausages. When I need authentic Italian ingredients, I know they're only a few T stops away. The store employees are more than happy to help you find whatever you are looking for, only I must warn you - everything looks so delicious that you'll probably leave with about four times as many items as you intended to purchase. And for non-Bostonians, they ship to all 50 states!
Local Harvest - This website allows you to search your geographic area for locally grown organic produce, humanely raised meats, and other local food products such as tea, honey, jam, etc. I support sustainable agriculture and non-industrial farming methods, especially where meat is concerned - it is better for the animals, it's better for us, and it's better for the environment. Check out what's available near you!
Slashfood - A great website featuring articles about all things food. Their photography is so fabulous that I can almost taste the pictures!
iGourmet - I routinely scour this website in search of hard-to-find imported items.
Harvest Co-op - This is where I buy bulk herbs and spices, rice, beans, nuts, grains, etc. Great selection of organic bulk goods, sustainably raised meats, and vegan meat and dairy substitutes. They also have a great selection of organic wines, and the South Street location always plays good music! Many co-ops in the eastern U.S. honor Co-op Advantage coupons; check out the last page to see if your local co-op particpates.
I hope these links excite you as much as they excite me. Soon, I will fire up the stove again, but until then, arrivederci!
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