Spring on the Green at the Park Plaza Castle

We Wicked Domestics love to attend events in Boston as often as we can.  So, on Wednesday night I happily attended an event at the Park Plaza Castle in the Back Bay called Spring on the Green.  It was hosted by Starwood Hotels and Resorts to introduce local high end caterers, florists, party equipment rental companies etc. to local businesses.  I was lucky enough to get the invite  from a great caterer, Boston Cafe and Catering, whom I recently met while at work.   I mean, who could pass up swanky hors d’oeuvres and drinks at the Plaza Castle?  Not this girl!  Now, I’d never been to the Plaza Castle before and I assume they do large corporate and private functions, like weddings.  The space was absolutely beautiful!  There were four caterers in attendance, each serving the hungry crowd  hors d’oeuvres and desserts.  Everything was so delicious and very seasonable.

First up was Max’s Catering.  They served up pulled pork with mango salsa in cute little boat cups and awesome pesto crusted arancini (deep fried balls of risotto).  And how pretty is their display? Gotta love the gerbera daisies!

Next up was Gourmet Caterers.  Their dish was very different, yet delicious!  They delighted our tastebuds with a wild arugula and watercress salad topped with duck confit and spring vegetables.  Wow.  That’s all I can say…wow.  Then the Catered Affair wooed us with lemony shrimp and buttery grits.  When I tell you this was good, it would be an understatement.  I’m just gonna leave it at that.

I didn’t get a picture of Boston Cafe and Catering’s offerings, but they served a homemade ricotta and herb gnocchi with pulled chicken and arugula in a thyme scented pan sauce.  That’s a mouthful.  But ohhh brotha was it good. 

The event didn’t just serve up amazing food, they also had a working artist!  He was painting this unbelievable mural.  It was really incredible to sit there and watch him work.

The florals at the event were also pretty incredible.  The beautiful pink blossoms are cherryblossoms…so pretty!

These beautiful installations are made by Boston Cafe and Catering and are quite unique!  The display on the right had wine glasses filled with mini ice cream cones…but no ice cream. INSTEAD, it was filled with a fluffernutter custard and chocolate ganache.  The ultimate dessert.

The event was really fun to attend.  I met some great people and best of all, got to try out new caterers and their gourmet specialties!  I had to take a quick picture of these beautiful flowers, candles and wine…three of my favorite things!

-Jackie

Published in: on April 30, 2010 at 6:51 am  Comments (1)  

Just in time for summer… a beach book!

I am a total sucker for long, timeless, epic novels that span centuries and generations.  I tend to miss books once I’m done with them, so the longer the better.  I also adore series (which started back in 3rd grade when I discovered my new best friends – the girls of the Babysitter’s Club).

Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah is not exactly timeless, epic, or century- and generation-spanning.  But it is really good.   A friend passed it to me after reading it herself last summer.   It’s taken me a while to get to the book (which sat on my nightstand under 20 other books for months and months), but I’m really excited to have discovered a new author.

I’m a devotee of such popular authors as Nora Roberts, Maeve Binchy, James Patterson (not that he actually writes his own books anymore, but I digress…), and Anita Shreve, among many others.  Luanne Rice used to be my go-to gal for beachy summer books, but her past few books have been too sappy and over the top – enough with  sisterhood, Luanne!  We get it!  Blood ties, bonding, blah blah blah… So I’m kind of off Luanne.  And totally onto Kristin Hannah!  Firefly Lane meets some of my criteria for a fave – it’s medium long (500 or so pages), it spans a few decades, and while not necessarily timeless or epic, it’s so so so good.  It takes place in Washington State, mostly in Seattle and charming Bainbridge Island, and it’s the story of two best friends.

The novel is broken up into 4 parts – the 70s, 80s, 90s, and 2000s, and the author does a great job of subtley including relevant cultural details.  From shoulderpads to the death of JFK, Jr., the references to pop culture are there and are fun to read.  The story of Tully and Kate’s friendship over the years is funny, poignant, sad, and at times, turbulent.   I won’t say more – don’t want to give anything away!  But it’s a perfect beach read, with a little more substance than a typical throw-away paperback beach book.   Now that I’ve been turned on to Kristin Hannah, I can’t wait to get my hands on more of her books.  Today I started reading her True Colors… (Okay.  Confession time.  I’m not actually reading it – I’m listening to it in the car.  I know, I know – nerd alert!  But I have a long ride!  There’s only so much radio I can handle without my head exploding, so audiobooks have been a lifesaver.   I recommend to anyone with a long commute!   Audiobooks are definitely too expensive to buy frequently, but my public library has tons.  Which makes me feel better that I’m not alone in my geekiness.)  So far, True Colors is good, but I’m not yet into the heart of it.   If it’s worth it, I’ll report back.  In the meantime, J is the next one to get my copy of Firefly Lane, so the line starts with her!

- E

Published in: on April 29, 2010 at 7:05 am  Comments (4)  

Give me back that fillet of fish. Give me that fish…taco!

Fish tacos is one of those things that people either love to death or despise the thought of.  I’m one of those people who dream about fish tacos; in fact, I think I actually did the other night. For the last 3 or so years, I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect fish taco, traveling to Key West (okay so the trip wasn’t just for fish tacos), making them at home, ordering them at restaurants around Boston and I’m so embarassed to say that one of my favorite fish taco is made at…..the 99 restaurant.  What?  It’s good!  And my equally obsessed sister/co-blogger agrees!  Yet…I’m ashamed.  But after trying a few different recipes at home, I think I’ve finally nailed it. 

Fish Tacos

1 lb. tilapia

canned black beans
whole wheat tortillas
shredded lettuce or cabbage
salsa (jarred or homemade)
sour cream
avocado (I had some, but had to leave them out since they weren’t ripe yet :( )
shredded cheddar

I seasoned the fish with red pepper flakes and dried lime zest, but whatever you have is fine.

Then put a little olive oil in a pan and sautee up a quarter an onion and once that’s nice and toasty add in a can of canned black beans and a tablespoon of cumin.

Preheat a pan for a few minutes with a tablespoon of olive oil, then sautee the fish for about three minutes on either side.

Once the fish is cooked through, assemble away.  I split the tilapia fillet in half and and used half a fillet per tortilla.

I really wish the avocados I bought were ripe, but I more than made up for it with a new kind of Tobasco I found…Tobasco with Chipotle Peppers (a big thank you goes out to the gods of smoked chili peppers, they’ve got to exist)! So good. I went a little nuts with dousing my fish tacos in it, but whatever…don’t judge me.

These fish tacos were seriously some of the best I’ve ever eaten, if I do say so myself (I’m currently patting myself on the back)!  Take that 99 Restaurant!!

-J

Published in: on April 28, 2010 at 6:42 am  Comments (2)  

From pickles to candied bacon… an eating bonanza!

On Saturday my husband and I finally finally finally tried the East Coast Grill in Inman Square.  We’ve been meaning to get there for a looong time… and it was totally worth the wait.  They don’t take reservations so we got there around 7:30 and put our name in.  The hostess took our phone number and said she’d call when the table was ready, which meant we were free to go next door to Bukowski’s for drinks.  During our hour long wait we were sorely tempted by the bar food at Bukowski’s, but we were glad we stuck it out.  The atmosphere in the East Coast Grill is unique and really fun – vibrant, lively, kind of tropical… almost electric (in a good way).  Our table abutted the open kitchen, which never bothers me – I’m always impressed by restaurants with open kitchens because as I remember my waitressing days, I recall wayyyy too much swearing (both me and the line cooks) for an innocent customer to witness.  Plus, we were seated near the rotisserie, which kept me (and the chickens) nice and warm.  When the waiter greeted us he brought over a little bowl of pickled vegetables – very different, and quite good.  The menu is an interesting mix of seafood (with a tropical, Asian/fusion vibe) and straight up barbeque.  Disclaimer:  I forgot to bring my camera to dinner, so these Google images are the best I could do.    We were torn on appetizers (the best part of the meal) – we knew we wanted oysters, and were tempted by the souped up oysters that were topped with ahi tuna.  But then we also wanted to try another appetizer…oh, the dilemma.  So we settled on a half dozen Island Creek oysters…

 …and the fried green tomatoes appetizer. 

Woops!  I mean…

The oysters were awesome, as always, and the tomatoes were really good – they came with a cold crawfish salad that was delicious.  I didn’t have to debate about my entrée – when I found it on the menu, I knew it was THE ONE.  Grilled spiced mahi mahi with pineapple salsa, a grilled avocado, rice & beans, and fried plantains.  Hello dream come true!   I ate almost every bite, save for a few plantains that got a bit too mushy by the end of my marathon of deliciousness.  Matt, who was running on empty and needed a meal that would knock him out for a good night’s sleep (mission accomplished), opted for the Giant Plate of Meat.  Okay, it wasn’t actually called that.  It was something like Bud’s Trio.  But it was actually a giant plate of meat – ribs, pulled pork, and brisket.  Plus a really big, really good hunka hunka cornbread.  He thoroughly enjoyed each bite of the giant plate of meat, and the bite I had of pulled pork was really good – not too soupy like pulled pork can often be.  Believe it or not, we had a little room for dessert and ordered the Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Pie.  Super good… except for the candied bacon that the waiter wisely put on the side.  I thought I’d like it (candy, good!  bacon, good!), but the bite I had was more like chewy, sweet fat.  The waiter said it was a nod to The King:

We had a fantastic meal at the East Coast Grill and can’t wait to go back.  They also do cool stuff like a battle of the chefs (Cambridge vs. Somerville), Hell Night with Dr. Pepper (the man, not the soda), and a night in honor of Pabst Blue Ribbon.  A very fun place with awesome food and I highly recommend!    www.eastcoastgrill.net

- E

Published in: on April 27, 2010 at 7:08 am  Comments (3)  

Finding your “happy place”

I think it’s important to have an area in your house or apartment that’s just for you.  A place where you display objects and images that make you happy.  Whether it be an entire room (cough cough all those man caves out there cough cough) or a side table with framed pictures.  When I was young, my mother had a small space in a bookcase in her bedroom where she displayed pictures and figurines.  Everything that was in her little space totally described who she is.   I thought it was such a great idea, I just had to adopt it!  So, in my apartment,  I decided to take over the desk area and put up a cork board with little slots for mail and other practical items like invitations (see my pretty paisley engagement party invitation…so cute!!).  On the cork board side, I wanted to put up pictures of things that made me happy when I look at them: a photo I took of sailboats on the Charles River, old pictures of both of my grandmothers, an image of a beautiful flowering tree that I ripped out of a magazine, a champagne glass charm I got in Napa Valley,  a note card with pretty blue flowers…you get the idea.

Recently in Real Simple magazine, I saw in one of their “aha!” uses to use old earring that you’ve lost the match to as a push pin…awesome idea, right?!  Since I apparently lose a lot of earrings, I found myself with quite a few onsies earrings.  Below is a picture (sorry for the fuzziness) of earrings I’ve used a pushpins…so much cuter than regular tacks!

I really wanted to make sure that my little space is decorated nicely and really expresses who I am,  so I put a piece of pretty blue toile fabric underneath the glass of the desk, put a collection of beautiful white stones I collected from a beach in Woods Hole in a mason jar, and found a antique bird figurine.

I hope this inspires you to seek out a small section of your house and make it your own!

-J

Published in: on April 26, 2010 at 10:44 am  Comments (1)  

Rooftop Gardening & Tomato Tarts

Tomaytoes…. tomahtoes… Either way, I’ll have some of my very own in a month or two!  Last week I  started a rooftop garden – a new venture for me, but one which I hope will be successful.    I waited too long (I think) to start with seeds, and since this is a learning experience for me, I thought it might be best to try my hand at existing plants.  So the other day I headed over to Home Depot (the best I could do in the city – I’d have preferred a lovely garden center, but what are ya gonna do?).   I bought two “early girl” tomato plants (ripening in 50 days),  rosemary, basil, all the pots and potting soil I would need, and some super cute gardening gloves (see below!).   I messily but successfully repotted the herbs and tomatoes… so now the waiting begins.   I’m a little concerned that they’re getting too much sun.  The instructions (for both tomatoes and herbs) said “full sun”, but my south-facing roof deck gets sun aaaaallll day long.  Too much?  Time will tell.   For now I’ll just fantasize about the day I can make this fantastic tart with my very own tomatoes.   (No pics, since I haven’t actually made it yet this year. ) 

Tomato Tart 

 Ingredients:  

9” pie crust (store bought or homemade – see the pate brisee recipe below!) 

4 heads of garlic 

1 ½ cups shredded gruyere or fontina 

5-6 large tomatoes 

2 tbsp fresh thyme 

1 tsp pepper 

Roast the garlic and mash into a paste while still warm.  Spread evenly over the pie crust then sprinkle cheese, one tablespoon of the thyme, and the pepper  over the paste.  Cut the tomatoes into even slices and dry them out a bit on paper towel to soak up excess moisture (a very light sprinkling of salt will help too) .   Sprinkle with the remaining thyme and bake for 40 minutes at 375.  

Pate Brisee (makes two 9” pie crusts) 

Ingredients: 

2 ½ cups flour 

1 tsp salt 

1 tsp sugar 

1 cup chilled unsalted butter – cut into small pieces 

4-6 tsp ice water 

Sift together the flour, salt, and sugar.  Add butter, using as few strokes as possible – do not overmix.  The mixture should resemble a course meal.  Add 4 tbsp of ice water.  Using hands, gather dough and press into a ball.  It should come together loosely; if not, add 1 more tbsp water.   Still not coming together?  Add a tiny bit more water until it does.  Divide dough in half, placing each on plastic wrap.  Flatten into discs.  Wrap tightly and refrigerate one hour before using.  

Rooftop garden... please ignore the trashcan on the right.

 

My super cute gloves! I should have taken a picture before using them...

 

My three tomato plants... in my post I said I bought two, but when I gave more thought to the "early girl" thing, I decided I might want some tomatoes later in the season.

 

Published in: on April 23, 2010 at 5:05 pm  Comments (5)  

Savory asparagus and brie bread pudding

When the spring finally arrives here in Boston, I get so excited to start using spring vegetables, especially asparagus.  It’s one of those vegetables that you can get year round these days, but it doesn’t mean that it’s good all the time.  You know when asparagus is fresh when it’s a brilliant moss green color with a little bit of white at the stem, and the tips are tight and compact.   When I saw it popping up in the grocery store and the farmers’ stands in town, I was pumped to buy it!  Okay, so I knew I wanted to make something with asparagus…but what do I make?  Well I recently saw a recipe for asparagus and camembert bread pudding from Martha Stewart that totally caught my eye, and since I’m a major bread pudding fan,  this recipe was a must! I didn’t have everything from her recipe so I adapted it to what I had…oh and I also couldn’t find camembert at the store, so brie was going to have to suffice (ugh life is tough).

Savory asparagus and brie bread pudding

Serves 4
1 small loaf stale bread, cut into cubes
1 bunch asparagus, cut into bite size pieces
6 eggs
1/2 cup milk (I used skim)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 wedge of brie, diced
4-6 leaves basil, chopped
salt and pepper

First I whisked all the eggs together and added milk, garlic, salt and pepper.

Then I cut up the loaf of stale bread into cubes and added it to the egg mixture along with the basil, chunks of brie and the asparagus of course! I was way to tempted to reach in and taste, but knew it was so not okay, seeing as though it was all raw egg :(

Then I threw it into a greased pan and put it in at 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.


After 30 minutes, it wasn’t quite done, so I threw it back in for another ten minutes and jacked up the oven to 400 degrees.

I know I should have served the bread pudding with a protein of some sort, but it was so so good, we didn’t even need anything else! I hope you get a chance to make this delicious (and might I add very different) recipe sometime soon with fresh asparagus!

-J

Published in: on April 21, 2010 at 8:58 am  Comments (1)  

Welcome to Wicked Domestic!

Welcome to Wicked Domestic, our new Boston-based blog for all matters domestic.  We are Jackie and Elizabeth, sisters living in South Boston, who have been inspired by blogs, books, magazines, friends, and each other.  From recipes to restaurants, rooftop gardening to reading, arts & crafts to home decor and organization, we have lots of ideas to share.  Please check back often as we begin to share our passion for anything and everything that’s wicked domestic!

Published in: on April 12, 2010 at 3:30 pm  Comments (1)  
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