Tag: food

A Minute In Charlottesville with Lowland Hum

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Welcome to “A Minute In …” — a BGS feature that turns our favorite artists into hometown reporters. In our latest column, Charlottesville, Virginia’s Lowland Hum takes us on a tour of their favorite places for donuts, bagels, and scenic strolls. The husband-and-wife duo of Daniel and Lauren Goans just released their newest album, Thin.

We moved to Charlottesville a little over two years ago after experiencing small slices of its unique creative community when passing through on tour. However, we spent the bulk of our first year based in C-ville away from home, on the road. While we have travelled a little less this year, I feel the first year of our time here has influenced the way we approach engagement with what our town has to offer. You’ll hear from everyone about the unique gourmet dining experiences and the beauty of the surrounding farmlands and wine country, and while all of that is true and worth mentioning, in our little snippets of time at home between tours, we have latched on to a handful of inexpensive or free low-key treasures that we continue to prioritize when we have time at home. 

Spudnuts: We lived in the Belmont neighborhood when we first moved to town. On morning walks, we could smell the sugar-glazed glory wafting out from two blocks away. Don’t let its sleepy looking exterior fool you: This place is the real deal. When we have to leave really early in the morning for a tour, a stop at Spudnuts on the way out of town is a mighty consolation. Every visit to Spudnuts is a trip back in time to the ’50s. They’re closed Sundays and Mondays, but all other days, the owners are there, bright and early, standing behind the counter in old-fashioned white aprons, ready to serve up hot, fresh donuts and fritters of several varieties that change with the season. Spudnuts will not try to be a trendy donut shop for you. No salvaged barn wood interior, no cutesy chalkboard signs, or ridiculous toppings. What you can count on is classic confectionary goodness, in unfussy flavors: original glaze, blueberry cake, cruller, chocolate glaze, apple fritter, and a few seasonal extras like original glaze with coconut or maple glazed. As soon as they sell out, they close up shop, so remember to bring cash and get there early to get yourself a lovely white waxed bag of treats to scarf or share, depending on your mood. 


Riverview Park: Tucked back in the Woolen Mills neighborhood is Riverview Park. It has become our go-to for a quick refresh. It consists of a playground, some picnic tables, and a couple of winding paths, one of which runs alongside the Rivanna River. Our favorite features of Riverview Park are the places along the path where, with a little care, you can make your way down the embankment to small, sandy banks for a dip in the river. We were recording our album in town this Summer and a short trip to Riverview to wade up the sandy-bottommed river did wonders for our minds when we got too inside our heads during recording sessions. We have been really thankful to have such easy access to water and natural areas, and being only a four-minute drive from downtown, Riverview Park is one of our favorite nearby places to reset.


Bodo’s Bagels: Bodo’s is an original Charlottesville favorite, with three locations in town. Our favorite is the one on Preston Avenue, where the staff is genuine and kind in a way that can’t be forced or taught. There is always a line at Bodo’s and for good reason: The New York-style water bagels are made fresh all day (I have never had one that wasn’t hot off the press), and can be made into nearly any kind of sandwich with fresh, locally sourced ingredients, cream cheese varieties made in-house, solid coffee, and great vegetarian and vegan options. Their salads and soups are just as popular as their bagels and just as fresh. Service is fast and everything is so reasonably priced that we are often astounded when we hear the total of our order. The music is always on point — a mixture of obscure hits of the ’60s, timeless jazz, and top notch Stax and Motown. Bodo’s became a regular breakfast, lunch, and coffee break stop for us this Summer when we were recording our album in a friend’s attic just down the road. 


Beer Run: Beer Run is a local beer and wine shop with a full bar and restaurant attached. It is our favorite spot for a low-key celebration and a no-brainer when we don’t have energy to prepare dinner after a long day in the studio. With a rotating list of award-winning beers on draft (and every other beer imaginable for purchase in the shop), it’s the place to go for a good brew. The restaurant serves a wide range of plates, all made with organic and locally sourced ingredients, but our favorite, by far, is the “Beer Run Nachos.” One mountain-sized order of black bean nachos is enough to fill us both to maximum capacity. Whether we are marking a milestone or passing a sunny Saturday afternoon on the patio with beers and friends, Beer Run is our favorite spot. 


The Garage: The Garage is both exactly what it sounds like and so much more. It is a prime example of the magic of Charlottesville’s creative community. The Garage is a one-car garage facing the edge of a downtown park that functions as a gallery, music venue, and community hub. This is not your garden variety, cobbled-together, volunteer-run community center. It is a small-scale, well-oiled music venue and carefully curated gallery space. At least one excellent local artist’s work is artfully displayed on the exposed brick walls under clean track lighting, with a full-scale art opening the first Friday of every month, complete with price lists, hors d’ouvres, and wine. The concert series features great acts from all over the world, multiple nights a week in the warmer months. Bands perform within the mouth of the garage, facing the park, and people gather across the street on the grassy knoll with blankets, picnics, dogs, and children. A jar is passed and all donations go to the bands. After the concert, people are encouraged to chat with the performers and come inside to view the art show of the month. It is a true community gem, offering professionally led writing and craft workshops, readings, and even a bring-your-own picnic and music lunch hour in the Summer for folks working in the downtown area. Check their schedule online to see if your visit to Charlottesville coincides with any of their many magical events. There is nothing quite like wandering up to the soft glow of the garage on a balmy evening to camp out on the hill with friends and soon-to-be friends, take in the sunset, and enjoy a night of good music. Though every event is well-planned, experiencing one first-hand feels like the definition of serendipity.

Photos by Lowland Hum, Eric Kelley, and Lisa Boggs

Love’s Feast

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I just got the glass out of my finger.

What a way to start a story. What am I thinking? Am I really about to be this honest about how clumsy I can be on a daily basis?

Umm, okay then … I guess this is happening.

Glassy fingers aside for a moment, though: Just so you know, I generally have the best of intentions when it comes to acting like I’m keeping it all together. You may believe that I’ve got most of it figured out (thanks, Instagram), but to tell you the truth — the only thing in my life that’s figured out is my ability to try and try again. I’ve got that down pat.

I don’t ever give up. I’ve contemplated it before (for real … who hasn’t?) but the undeniable force for why I continue to move forward is because I am motivated by Love.

Love finds me in my broken-down state and, like a mechanic, it replaces my proverbial flat tires. It finds me in a crowded room hiding in the corner and walks up to me to tell me the perfect joke to make me laugh, making me forget the insecurities that had me backed into that corner in the first place.

Love gives me assurance that just as I am, I am worthy.

When I feel this way, all I want to do is pay Love forward. That’s why I cook. More specifically, why I cook for others.

I can be so clumsy and scattered when I cook! I have such good intentions in the midst of the process. All I want to do is create something that will be worthy of repaying Love. Yet, I’m human and I’m just figuring it out as I go. I don’t get it all right. Sometimes my gravy gets lumpy and sometimes my couscous gets gummy. Love doesn’t judge my imperfection — whether in or out of the kitchen. Love gives me the freedom to express myself in an unguarded and ungraceful way, and it does not abandon me in the very moment of my courage.

With that kind of Love by my side, the most brilliant things begin to happen in my kitchen. I find a way to fix the broken gravy. I find a way to revive the couscous. I find a way to get the glass out of my finger from the bottle I broke because I had it too close to the edge.

We need Love now more than ever. Perhaps I sound like a broken record, but I can’t deny what I believe to be true. We need Love to step in when our backs are up against the wall. We need Love to reset us when things have gone askew. We need Love to tell us it’s okay when we clumsily break the bottle and get glass in our finger. Love is patient. Love is kind. And all that other good stuff.

Let us feast on Love as much as possible right now. I’ll Keep On Keepin’ On in my corner — and you make sure you do the same on your end.

Love,

Ruby

Here’s a meal that you can make for loved ones to express your gratitude for their presence in your life this month or any month. Just don’t put anything that’s glass too close to your counter’s edge. (There ain’t no metaphor there. Just tryna keep you safer than I was tonight.)

LOVE’S FEAST: Coriander Roasted Chicken & Starfruit, Portobello Mint Lemon Couscous, Wilted Greens, and Pan Gravy

INGREDIENTS

Note: With this recipe, it is very important that you do all of your chopping and slicing before you begin to cook.

One medium whole chicken (I buy antibiotic-free and/or organic chickens)
1 stick of softened butter
2 Tbsp grapeseed or safflower oil
1 Tbsp kosher salt plus extra
1 Tbsp ground coriander
1 Tbsp brown or raw sugar plus extra
1/4 tsp ground black pepper plus extra
1/2 head of garlic, peeled
1 medium sweet onion, quartered
2 whole starfruit/carambola, cut into 1/4 inch slices

FOR COUSCOUS

1 small box of quick cooking couscous, cooked to package instructions*
1-1.5 cups of portobello mushrooms, diced
2 Tbsp fresh mint (more, if you like)
Zest of one organic lemon
2 tsp olive oil
Juice of half a lemon

*Whatever kind of couscous you choose — Israeli or small grain — will be fine. The Near East brand makes various fun flavors to choose from, or you can buy any plain variety and add your own ingredients like grated parmesan cheese, a 1/4 teaspoon of truffle oil, etc. The sky’s the limit here.

FOR WILTED GREENS

1 Tbsp water
1 bunch rainbow chard, kale, mustard, escarole, or turnip greens, chopped into bite-sized pieces (brown stems discarded)
1 small sweet onion, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

FOR PAN GRAVY

All roasting pan drippings
1 to 2 tsp corn starch
2 large shallots, thinly sliced
Roasted starfruit (reserve half of it for final plating garnish) + roasted garlic and onions from pan, puréed until smooth
1/2 cup white wine (Sauvignon Blanc preferable)
1 cup or more of chicken stock
Parsley for garnish

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 450

Combine portobello mushrooms, mint and lemon zest and set aside.

Combine softened butter and oil in a bowl and incorporate well. Grease your roasting pan with 1-2 Tbsp of it, then massage the rest of the mixture evenly and generously onto and into the chicken. If there’s extra, put it inside the cavity.

Combine well salt, coriander, sugar, and pepper. Sprinkle evenly and generously over ENTIRE chicken and inside cavity. Massage it in, if needed, and sprinkle on more. There should be very little of the spice mixture left over, so get it into every nook and cranny.

Place garlic and onions inside cavity and place chicken in preheated oven. (I don’t truss it, personally.) After 30 minutes, flip the chicken over and cook for another 30 minutes, then re-flip the chicken and lower the oven temp to 400. Use foil to cover wing tips and breasts, if needed. Distribute starfruit slices evenly onto the roasting pan and roast the chicken and starfruit for a final 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven.

Use a spatula to transfer half of the starfruit (choose the prettiest slices) to a small bowl or plate and reserve for garnish. Use a spoon to transfer the remaining roasted starfruit, garlic, and onions to a blender or food processor and purée until smooth. Place pan drippings into a small sauce pot and set aside. Tent chicken with foil.

Prepare couscous. Once cooked, immediately fold in mushrooms/mint/lemon zest mixture, olive oil, and lemon juice. Salt and pepper to taste. Keep in pot, but set aside.

Take pot with pan drippings and heat to medium heat. When pan drippings start to lightly bubble, vigorously whisk in 1 tsp cornstarch (sprinkle it as you go; don’t dump it in). Add shallots and cook until just soft. Add in fruit, garlic, and onion purée and continue to whisk. Add the wine and chicken stock. Whisk like you mean it. Lower heat, if needed. If it’s too loose, whisk in 1 more teaspoon of corn starch. Lower the gravy to the lowest heat setting. Do NOT salt the gravy. It needs to be mellow to balance out the flavors of the chicken, which is very highly seasoned.

If you can multi-task, wilt your greens at the same time. If not, make your greens now. Add 1 Tbsp water to pot or pan and turn to medium high heat. Don’t let the water evaporate! Watch for the initial water bubbles and add the onions and greens straight in. Add the cider vinegar and toss to coat. Cover for 2 minutes and toss again. Cover for final 60 seconds and toss again. You shouldn’t need salt (especially if you use rainbow chard).

Transfer wilted greens to serving dish.

Plate your chicken and garnish with parsley and roasted star fruit.

Transfer couscous to serving dish.

Put gravy in a server.

Traveler: Your Guide to Washington D.C.

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If you’re not swearing off our nation’s capital until 2020, we’re here to help you avoid the tourist traps in Washington, D.C. Full of free museums, bustling nightlife, ethnic eats, and a diverse population, Washington D.C. offers reaffirmation of the fabric of our nation in a time of division.

Getting There

The airport situation might be the hardest part about getting to Washington, D.C. since the District itself is a no-fly zone for all commercial airlines. With all of the airports on the outskirts, you’ll want to choose carefully the closest one to your accommodations. Ronald Reagan/DCA has Metro access and is the closest to the city center, Dulles is a 40-minute ride to town, and Baltimore/Washington International is close to an hour away from D.C. proper, but is accessible via city bus. Getting around with no car is doable with a Metro pass, ride sharing, or your own two feet.

Accommodations

From bed and breakfasts in Georgetown to Airbnbs in DuPont Circle to swanky hotels overlooking the White House lawn, there is no shortage of spots to crash in D.C. The Kalorama Guest House is a cozy euro-style B&B right off the metro and two blocks from the National Zoo. Airbnb has plenty of options, averaging $190 per night. And, if you’re feeling fancy (and planning way in advance), check out a room in the Hay-Adams, overlooking the White House.

Eats & Drinks

Photo: View from the W bar, Photo credit: Saahil Agrawal

D.C.’s multicultural make-up makes for comprehensive dinner plate fare. They’ve got a killer high-brow food scene, but the hidden ethnic gems are what make D.C. so tasty. If you want to eat Greek with the local Greeks, head to Mykonos for Imam Baildi and the most authentic tzatziki in town. Neapolitan pizza made by Italians in Arlington at Pupatella was voted best pizza in the state of Virginia and is right down the road. Other must-trys include Japanese donburi from Donburi in Adams Morgan and Latin eats from El Pollo Sabrosa.

The D.C. crowd is a work hard, play hard kinda crew, so there are also plenty of places to wet your whistle. The rent is too high, so dive bars are aplenty, as are the complete opposite — exclusive clubs. Bar Pilar is on 14th Street and is Hemingway-themed. ChurchKey is a beer lover’s delight, collaborating with breweries like Sun King Brewery and 3 Stars Brewing Company on exclusive brews. Head to the top of the W for drinks with a view of the Treasury and the White House, plus you can play Where’s Waldo? to find the security personnel on top of the White House.

Sight Seeing

D.C. has the obvious political sights that are popular for a reason. There’s nothing like walking the monuments that circle the Tidal Basin on the West End of the National Mall at night, taking a selfie in front of the White House, or perusing the National Archives, but there are some off-the-beaten path spots that are worth the deviation from throngs of tourists.

Music

Photo: Black Cat, photo by: Josephine Wood

D.C.’s got plenty of live music venues. Catch indie bands at Black Cat, bluegrass and Americana at Gypsy Sally’s, and a wide variety of other touring bands at the 9:30 Club, where they make their famous 9:30 cupcakes for artists and for sale to the public.

As for record stores, two Sundays of every year, collectors wrap around E Street to get first dibs on DC Record Fair’s vinyl fare at Penn Social. Grab some Emmylou from Red Onion Records or get nitro cold brew and peruse new and used records at Songbyrd Music House.

Books

Photo: Politics & Prose

Go book shopping and get a hearty breakfast at Politics & Prose. Be sure to check out their events lineup because they host notable people like Trevor Noah, Bernie Sanders, and Bob Boilen often, plus they have killer deals on used books.

Museums

Photo: National Gallery, Photo credit: Josephine Wood

The National Portrait Gallery is one of the more obscure Smithsonians, but is well worth the visit, particularly their “In the Groove” series of Herman Leonard’s jazz photography.

In the age of media skepticism, the Newseum offers a timely look back at the history of media in the U.S., including a 50th anniversary exhibit on the history of the Civil Rights movement, photography of immigrants and a history of rock ‘n’ roll and politics’ intersection. It’s not a Smithsonian Museum, so it costs $25, but is worth the cash.

The National Gallery boasts the most comprehensive art collection, which allows a wide range of visitors — art lovers or not — the chance to connect with different styles. Plan to spend a large chunk of time exploring, or target one genre or time period to meander through.

The National Museum of African-American History and Culture is the newest Smithsonian and tickets are tougher to come by, though still free. It’s worth the wait. The museum is a walk through the history of African-Americans in the United States, including Civil Rights history, slavery, music, art, and much more. You’ll learn more than you did in any history class, but plan at least half-a-day to spend wandering the museum, because there is a lot to take in at this five-story, emotionally taxing museum. Get ticket details here.

This one’s not exactly a hidden gem, but taking a stroll at the Georgetown Waterfront, along the Potomac River, is a great place to enjoy a sunny day. There are biking and walking paths, as well as plenty of stores and restaurants to pop in along the way. Plus, Georgetown is pretty much the most charming spot in D.C.

Lede photo credit: freestock.ca ♡ dare to share beauty via Foter.com / CC BY

Spaghetti Squash with Turkey Meatballs

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Happy New Year! We have survived 2016, even though, as a friend put it, we have elected 2016 as president. But never mind that for now.

The new year can be an exciting time to start fresh and focus on our goals. It can also be overwhelming, as there’s so much to change and imrove. This anxiety extends to food and health. We may feel that we had a too many sweets during Thanksgiving or too many drinks during Christmas. We often resolve to cutting back and jumping into a workout routine, and the $60 billion diet industry is all too happy to “help” with that.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with jumpstarting one’s health with green juice or a new workout class. The problem is that we often make our resolutions too extreme and unrealistic. We expect habits that have been formed over a year to break with sheer determination in the first week of January. Then, we are hard on ourselves, if we don’t succeed.

The last two years, I’ve tried to take more stock of what I’m being formed by: Do I want the habits I have acquired? Instead of swearing off all delightful foods or drinks, I have tried to focus on caring for my body, eating nourishing foods, and getting enough sleep. This year, I want to be more consistent with Morning Prayer and carving out more time to be inspired for my writing.

Learning to balance my love for food and my desire to be healthy has been difficult. I love how a wonderful meal fuels a long conversation with friends. I enjoy trying new restaurants and having a glass of wine after a busy day. I also love the way I feel eating healthy foods and working out regularly. There have been several times in my life when I felt like I had to choose between these things — I had to eat a salad for most of my meals and have an intense workout regimen, or I needed to let that go and enjoy cream and desserts on a regular basis. Today, I try to live in the middle.

I love recipes like the one I am sharing for this reason. It’s a nice blend of light and satisying, perfect for a meal any day of the week.

I recommend pairing this with Nocona by Carey Ott.

Ingredients (Serves 4-6)
For the spaghetti squash:
2 medium spaghetti squash
Olive oil
Kosher salt
black pepper

For the meatballs:
1 pound ground turkey
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
1 Tablespoon fresh Italian parsley, chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 Tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
1/4 small white or yellow onion, chopped finely
1/8 cup milk or broth
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon tomato paste

For the marinara:
3/4 medium onion, chopped (the remaining onion not used in the meatballs)
1 small bell pepper, chopped
1 cup button or baby portobello mushrooms, chopped
1 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes (I like Cento.)
1 16 oz can diced tomatoes
1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 – 1/2 cup chopped basil
Fresh grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

Directions
Begin by turning oven to 400 degrees.
Cut the Spaghetti squash in half and scoop seeds out of the middle with a spoon.
Lay on cookie sheet and lightly drizzle olive oil over the top and bottom of the squash. Use your hands to evenly coat, if necessary. Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides. Lay squash down on cut side. Set aside.

Place all meatball ingredients in a bowl. Mix with wet hands to combine. Wash hands, and heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large skillet. Shape meatball mixture into 1.5-inch balls.

Place them one by one in the skillet and brown on high medium-high heat. Turn the meatballs and brown on the other side. Take out meatballs and place on a plate.

Place spaghetti squash in oven and cook for 30 minutes, or until it is tender when poked with a fork.

Wipe out pan and place back on stove with another drizzle of olive oil. Add chopped onions, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and sauté for a few minutes on medium heat. Then add bell peppers and sauté for another few minutes. Add garlic and mushrooms and sprinkle another another pinch of salt. Cook all together for 2 minutes and add both crushed and diced tomatoes. Lower heat to low, and stir in sugar, balsamic vinegar, and chopped basil. Add meatballs and simmer for 30-40 min. Taste sauce, and add salt and pepper, if necessary.

Once the spaghetti squash is cool, use fork to scrape out squash into bowls. Spoon marinara and meatballs over squash. Top with shaved parmesan cheese.

Traveler: Your Guide to Montréal

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“Hi, bonjour, hello,” is the greeting when you walk into any spot in the faux-Euro artsy port city of Montréal. This vibrant, French-speaking city is full of open-air markets, intricate architecture, vintage shops, and every kind of art. With just a quick hop over the U.S. border, English speakers may get cold feet upon arrival, but 56 percent of the population can speak English and French. Between Mont-Royal, the walkable streets of Old Port, and the array of diverse museums, you’ll want to pack your walking shoes, then refuel with the carb-heavy signature dishes of the city.

Getting There

Montréal has an international airport named for everyone’s favorite hunk of a prime minister’s dad: Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport. It’s 12 miles from downtown and a quick city bus ride into town. Multiple railway lines service Montréal, including a daily Amtrak train to and from New York City. From Montréal, you can also hop on a train for a quick trip to Québec City or Toronto.

Accommodations

A variety of quality hostels, like Hi-Montreal in downtown or Auberge Saint-Paul in Old Port, range from $15-25 CAD for shared rooms to $85 CAD for private rooms. Most of them have free wi-fi, free breakfast, and an upscale European vibe, unlike many seedy American places that give hostels a bad rap. There are also plenty of Airbnb options and quaint hotels, if you’re looking to spend a little more. Check out Hotel Nelligan or W Montréal. Staying in or near downtown is a good idea, if you’re sans car.

Entrée Libre Attractions (Free Entry)

Just walking the streets of Montréal could take up a whole trip to the city. There’s also a lot to take in if you’re strapped for cash. Mont-Royal was designed by Frederick Law Olmstead (Central Park, the Biltmore) and is a great people-watching spot, with lots of room to hike, bike, picnic, etc. Highlights include Beaver Lake, a chalet that overlooks downtown Montréal, and an old cemetery. It’s also home to Tam-Tams, weekly drum circles held on the lawn — a uniquely Montréal tradition.

Saint-Laurent Boulevard is peppered with murals, vintage shops, a stretch of Chinatown, clubs, and the best bagels you’ll ever eat.

Nerds will agree the Montréal Main Public Library is something special. The large, modern building is centrally located and is worth stopping by for a look. Plus, there’s an art gallery downstairs.

Montréal has some of the oldest buildings in North America, located near the port in Old Montréal. Bonsecours Market, Montréal City Hall, and Notre-Dame Basilica are among the buildings not to be missed. The 17th-century architecture borders Old Port, which is exactly what the name says — an old shipping port. Both areas are major tourist attractions, but worth the crowds. Parc La Fontaine in the Plateau also has a skating pond during the winter that is free.

Paid (and Worth It) Attractions

Getting lost in the Museum of Fine Arts is a must. Artists from Edmund Alleyn to Toulouse to Robert Mapplethorpe have recently been on display in this contemporary-leaning museum. It’s half-priced on Wednesday evenings and costs a well-worth-it $10-$14 CAD.

The Jardin Botanique is the second-largest botanical garden in the world. History buffs and plant lovers will both dig this spot, opened in 1931, featuring 10 greenhouses.

Music

Montréal’s music scene is plentiful and diverse. Catch Hillbilly Night at the Wheel Club , the Montréal Orchestra, or an indie band at myriad venues across town. Get fancy at the Theatre Rialto, a neo-baroque dinner theatre hosting all types of music, or visit La Sala Rossa and Casa Del Popolo, sister venues located across the street from each other — the latter is where Arcade Fire got their start. PDB Ritz, Club Soda, and Divan Orange are hipster haunts for live alternative music.

Eats

Get ready to carb load. Poutine, bagels, thick sandwiches … Montréal’s food scene is home to some heavy-hitting dishes. Highlights include:

Patati Patata — Best burger $2.75 can buy ya, tucked in a lively neighborhood.

Chez Broussard — Because you have to have poutine.

Tommy — The coffee scene is alive and well in Montréal, boasting homemade croissants almost as good as in Paris. Almost.

Local Marches are a trademark of the city’s culture. You’re sure to run into fresh produce, if you go during the Summer or Fall. Check out Jean-Talon Marche.

Getting Around

Montréal’s public transportation is award-winning. Four lines service 68 stations across town, allowing you to get to — or within walking distance of — almost anywhere in the city via metro, or bus the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) for $3.25 CAD/trip or $18 CAD/weekend. The city is easy to navigate, and there are plenty of ridesharing services available. They also have a network of rental bikes located throughout the city, if you’re feeling active.

Lede photo credit: szeke via Foter.com / CC BY-SA. All other photos by Josephine Wood.

Fideo Seco: Comfort Food Across Time

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My grandmother was a horrible cook. She had many fine qualities, but cooking was not one of them. In her kitchen, nothing was ever cooked enough.

There was one dish, however, that I remember as always simply satisfying and consistently good — sopa seca de fideo. I remember this dish as a regular at every family gathering of four or more. Actually, everyone in my family had a version of it and, in some ways, that is the nature of it — flexible, open to interpretation, simple, and inexpensive. Basically, fideo is Mexican pasta, probably most familiar served in a soup as in sopa de fideo. Fideo seco leans toward casserole and can be made as a side or main dish, vegetarian or not. In Mexico, the sauce is most often made with chipotle, guajillo, and passilla chile. The version my New Mexico family made uses just green chile that is served and added to just about anything and everything in New Mexico. When preparing this dish for friends, I offer several bowls of garnish on the table for everybody to add as they wish — cilantro, lime, julienned chipotle chile, crumbled queso fresco or cotija cheese, and avocado. The recipe is easily cut or multiplied, depending on how many you want to serve and if you want to serve it as a main dish or a side dish.

All the fideo standard bearers in my family are gone now, so I often turn to this dish as an easy comfort-bearing memory food and continue to add my own little twists each time. In my grandmother’s time, most everything came out of a can. That is perhaps the key difference in my version. The basic ingredients are onions, tomatoes, green chile, and fideo — basically, vermicelli pasta somewhat similar to angel hair pasta. My preferred version of the pasta is coiled into little nests. The packets I buy are “La Moderna: Mexico’s #1 Pasta,” but if you don’t have a Mexican grocery accessible, it is fine to use straight vermicelli and break it into shorter pieces.

Luckily, I have gardeners in my tribe, so I am able to use tomatoes that my friend Bill grew and put up at the end of the last growing season, onions from the year-round growers' market, and green chile purchased in a fresh-roasted bushel in September and packaged in the freezer to get me through to the next growing season.

What sets fideo seco apart from other pasta dishes is that you first fry or toast the dry pasta, which gives it a bit of a nutty flavor.

Ingredients
(Serves 6 with leftovers)

Olive or Canola oil
1 large yellow onion sliced
2 packets of Fideo (La Moderna 6.3 oz each)
1 large yellow onion
Tomatoes Approximately 16 oz. (I do this to taste and it depends on whether you use fresh, canned or preserved garden tomatoes).
green chile (I chopped up 10 medium hot chiles . Heat is good but the flavor is most important to me).
vegetable or chicken stock
salt and pepper to taste
Garnishes as desired and available — avocado, cilantro, lime, cotija and/or queso fresco cheese, chipotle chile

Directions

Heat 1/3 cup oil in the pan (just enough to cover the bottom of your pan). Add slices of onion — cooking the onion beyond translucent until brown around the edges adds another layer of flavor. I put the onions in first to give them a head start toward browning and then push them to the side when adding the pasta.

Add the pasta and brown it on both sides. Once both the pasta and onion are browned, add a little of the juice from the tomatoes to stop the browning process. Add the tomatoes and chile. Some people prefer to purée the chile and tomato together, but I like them chunky. This would also be the time to add cooked shredded chicken, if you want to go in that direction. Add vegetable or chicken stock, as needed. The amount will be determined by how much juice you have from the tomatoes. You want the combined liquids to just cover the pasta. Let it all simmer together on the stove for about 10 min.

At this point, put the whole shebang in an oven-safe baking dish and bake it at 350 degrees until the liquid has been absorbed (approximately 15-20 min) and the pasta is tender. I prefer this method because I add cheese to the top for “melty” deliciousness and the dish is then transportable (remember the part about family/friend gatherings) and easily refrigerated for leftovers. Some folks prefer to just simmer it on the stove until the liquid is gone.

Making this dish always puts me in the company of my nana and the extended family gatherings at which this dish always appeared. If it was a birthday, a Mariachi band sometimes made an appearance. When sentimentality prevails, the cooking tunes shift with them. I cooked to a Nicaraguan duo, Guardabarranco (Katia and Salvador Cardenal). I knew them some years back, when the label I worked for distributed their album Si Buscabas (If You Were Looking). The title track is on my “most beautiful songs ever written” list.

Traveler: Your Guide to Santa Fe

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In Santa Fe, New Mexico, the winter holiday is a holiday like no other. The oldest U.S. capital — and the third largest art market in the country — Santa Fe sits at 7,000 feet above sea level at the most northern point of the Camino Real trading route. Settled as a Spanish Colony in 1610, the area was home to the Tewa Pueblo People for centuries before. Much has been written about Santa Fe … the art, the light, the culture, the geography — all of which go toward making a Santa Fe holiday a rare and memorable experience.

Getting There
Santa Fe is about 45 minutes north of Albuquerque, the most likely place to fly into. Rent a car and head north on I-25 or take the Sandia Shuttle which departs from the Albuquerque Sunport hourly from 8:45 am to 11:45 pm — reservations recommended. Santa Fe also has an airport with very limited commercial service from Dallas/Ft. Worth and Phoenix (American Airlines) and Denver (United Airlines). Another option for getting to and from Santa Fe is to take the Rail Runner from Albuquerque to the Santa Fe Depot. While the train departures are frequent, the shuttle bus to and from the airport is infrequent so I would consider a taxi to and from. You know you are almost there when you come up over the last hill and see the jeweled lights of the town at the base of the Sangre De Cristo mountains.

Lodging

Photo courtesy of La Fonda Hotel.

For maximum holiday impact, stay within walking distance of the Plaza, the heart of historic Santa Fe. To be car-free and on foot allows for exploration of hidden lanes and alleys. If it snows, all the better. The stars are within reach, and the air is crisp and scented with piñon and cedar wood from the kiva fireplaces warming most adobe structures.

La Fonda Hotel is an iconic and classic hotel built in 1922 sitting just off the Plaza. Another historic property slightly off the beaten path up Palace Avenue, covering six acres and comprised of a series of adobe casitas, is La Posada Hotel, while St. Francis, on the southern side of the Plaza, is the oldest historic hotel. A little farther afield and one of the best deals in Santa Fe is the El Rey — a classic southwestern motor court on the original Route 66. Of course, there are vacation rentals aplenty, if you want that “I live here” experience.

Celebrations

Photo courtesy of Melissa Howden.

The Spanish colonization of Santa Fe means celebrations have a generous Catholic imprint. However, it is the prevalence of firelight that sets this holiday experience apart from others. Buildings, homes, and streets are outlined with farolitos — lunch-sized paper bags filled with sand and lit from within by votive candles. Little do you know, as you drive north on I-25, you will cross an important border pretty much delineated by La Bajada Hill. To the north of La Bajada Hill, the little light bags are called farolitos. To the south, they are referred to as luminarias. The history of both derives from the night before Christmas, when they lit the way for Mary and Joseph as they searched for a place to stay before their baby was born, and/or to light the way for the Christ child.

For a true display of farolito (and luminaria) magic, head to Canyon Road on Christmas Eve. The community comes out to stroll, join or listen to carolers, warm hands and chat over the luminarias (in this case bonfires) and revel in the company of one another.

Las Posadas translates to lodging or accommodations, and it is a traditional celebration joining Spanish folklore and Christian tradition in which people re-enact Joseph and Mary’s search for a place to stay on Christmas Eve. Joseph and Mary are followed by the community, and they proceed from door to door and are turned away, all the while taunted by devils on rooftops. You don’t need to be a believer to join in this centuries-old tradition. This year, the community event is scheduled for December 11, though many churches in the region have their own throughout the season.

The Glow Event at the Santa Fe Botanical Gardens brings music, nature, food, and drink together in a particular kind of holiday glory.

Make sure your schedule allows for a visit to one of the nearby pueblos for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dances. As the original people of this land, the pueblos of the Rio Grande Valley generously welcome visitors to many of their dances and celebrations which are exquisitely beautiful. These are prayerful celebrations, not tourist entertainment. As a good guest, one is sure to go away changed by the majesty and an unrivaled glimpse into a living ancient culture.

Food and Drink

Photo courtesy of Café Pasqual's.

Santa Fe attracts both diverse and adventurous chefs and eaters, and it is hard to keep up with the latest and greatest in town. Breakfast at Café Pasqual’s — named after San Pasqual, the patron saint of kitchens and cooking — has been a favorite for almost 40 years. This is organic, noble food lifted up by tradition. If you like a good diner, the Plaza Café is one of Santa Fe’s oldest restaurant and fits the bill with windows on to the plaza. The chile is hot, the sopaipillas made to order, and the coffee cup always full. On the old Route 66 — and not far from the El Rey if you stay there — the Pantry is a classic café with good food, friendly people, families, and deal makers. Be prepared to wait. It’s just like that.

Lunch calls for the Shed. Perhaps one of the most known and visited restaurants in Santa Fe, it is much-beloved by visitors and locals, alike, as it has been owned by three generations of the same family. Try the Blue Corn Green Chile Chicken Enchilada. Vinaigrette is a “Salad Bistro” in a charming adobe. Owner Erin Wade grows much of the produce on her 10-acre farm in Nambe and each salad can be customized with protein or not. For those not salad-inclined, there are soups, sandwiches, and specials, as well as a revolving beer and wine list. Eat Your Peas is a favorite with its sweet green peas and lettuce with crunchy bacon, a white mushroom sauté, and Asiago cheese with a tart vinaigrette. Shake Foundation is a traditional drive-up with a modern twist, preserving the classic green chile cheese or no cheeseburger with local hormone and antibiotic-free beef and turkey, and shakes from natural, organic, and hormone-free Rasband Dairy in Albuquerque.

Dinner at La Boca guarantees a good meal with a small plate selection of seasonal goodness influenced by the Spanish Tapas tradition. If you are lucky, you might hit a night when local fave Nacha Mendez is playing. Chef Joseph Wrede began his distinguished, award-winning career in Taos, New Mexico, with the first and second incarnations of Joseph’s Table. He is an artist in all ways, combining traditional and contemporary cuisine into something uniquely memorable and Joseph. Locally sourced, divinely prepared, and lovingly presented, the fare at Radish and Rye is abright new-ish addition to the Santa Fe restaurant scene — with an extensive bourbon list, to boot!

Before or after dinner, make a point of going to the La Fonda Bar. Try to make it on a night when Bill Hearne and his trio play. It's a combo of honky-tonk, country swing, and slick guitar licks. Whatever the make-up, it is a joyous event with couples popping up to two step and swing. It doesn’t matter if you are a dancer or not, this is distinctive and evocative Santa Fe action.

Things to Do

Photo courtesy of the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum.

Must-hit museums include the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, the New Mexico History Museum, and IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts. Doubletake is one of the greatest consignment store experiences ever. Todos Santos Chocolates in Sena Plaza is a tiny chocolate shop of wonder known for chocolate confections in the shape of Milagros covered in silver and gold leaf. If you have a weakness for cowboy boots, there is no place better to oooh and aaah than Back at the Ranch.

One last thing about Christmas in New Mexico. Three particular dishes are required for the holidays: tamales, posole, and biscochitos.

Strictly speaking, tamales are not New Mexican; rather, they are a Mesoamerican dish to which New Mexicans have added their own twists. A tamale is made of a corn masa/dough then stuffed with any combination of cheese, chile, meat, and vegetables then wrapped in a corn husk and steamed. Families have their over versions of Christmas Tamales that, in some cases, include a special chile or a sweet tamale version. Posole is a hominy stew — usually made for celebrations — with pork and garnished with shredded cabbage, chile peppers, onion, garlic, radishes, avocado, salsa, and/or limes.

Finally, biscochitos — an anise and cinnamon cookie which are traditionally made with lard. Every family has their particular twist and take on the recipe, which is most often learned in the kitchen with an abuela or tia passed down by oral tradition. They are also the New Mexico State Cookie.

Photo courtesy of Melissa Howden.

Here is a basic recipe to try:

Ingredients

1 ½ cups lard, chilled*
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons anise seeds
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
About 3 tablespoons brandy, whiskey, or brandy.
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Beat lard and one cup sugar in a bowl until fluffy. Add eggs and anise seeds, and beat until very light and fluffy. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to creamed mixture, along with the brandy. Mix thoroughly to make a stiff dough.

Place dough on a long piece — about three feet — of waxed paper at one end. Bring the long end over the top, and press to about one inch or slightly less in thickness and refrigerate until chilled.

Roll out dough between waxed paper to just under ½ inch thickness. Cut with flour-dusted cutters into your preferred shape. Combine the three remaining tablespoons of sugar and the cinnamon into a bowl; Some people dip the unbaked cookies into the cinnamon sugar, some sprinkle after just baked.

Place cookies on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until tops of cookies are just beginning to brown. Cool cookies on wire racks.

*You can substitute Crisco or butter for the lard, but you will sacrifice crispness and taste. You can also substitute the whiskey or brandy with a juice or milk, but again, it’s a different cookie with changes.

Lede image photo credit: Larry1732 via Foter.com / CC BY.

A Minute in Melbourne with C.W. Stoneking

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Welcome to "A Minute In …" — a BGS feature that turns our favorite artists into hometown reporters. In our latest column, Melbourne, Australia's C.W. Stoneking takes us down under on a tour of his favorite places for Vietnamese food, homemade donuts, and old-school instruments.

Footscray, Melbourne: This is the neighborhood where I first lived with my wife, Kirsty, when our two sons were born. I name the whole suburb because there are so many great places there: the Olympic Donuts van at Footscray Railway Station where they pump strawberry jam via an enameled aluminum dolphin into delicious, homemade, sugared jam ball donuts; Amasya Kebab House where we ate grilled lamb, dips, salad, and Turkish bread the entire time my wife was pregnant with our first son; 1+1 Noodle & Dumpling House in Footscray Market with homemade noodles, dumplings, and spicy cucumber salad; Little Saigon Market, just like being in Vietnam … Footscray is my very favorite part of Melbourne.

The Old Bar: This is a bar and music venue in Fitzroy, Melbourne. I played here for a little over three years in the lead-up to my music career getting some traction with my first original album, King Hokum. I used to draw the blackboard advertisements in the bar for upcoming shows, etc. Some of my blackboard pictures are still up in there. I met my wife there. I was also barred from there for a couple years due to some shenanigans prior to me quitting alcohol. The interior is like a time capsule. It's been through two different sets of owners since my wife and her ex-boyfriend sold it in 2005, but it still looks pretty identical in its decorations and decor. But no smoking in there anymore. Damn, it used to be smoky.

Photo credit: sharngst via Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND

The Music Swop Shop: A proper old-school used musical instruments store in Fitzroy. They have lots of guitars, amps, keyboards, drums effects, microphones, etc. I've never actually bought a guitar from them, but have spent many hours over the years checking out the stuff in there.

Gelobar: An Italian gelato bar in Lygon Street, East Brunswick. My kids always like to go here when we're in town. The place has been renovated — it used to look much more old time, but the Italian ice cream in there is great. The owner, unfortunately, was also a lawyer for some gangsters around town and last year was ambushed in his car and executed.

Photo credit: Br3nda via Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA

Pellegrini's Espresso Bar: An Italian café in Bourke Street, It's a great old-school café with spaghetti, lasagna, gnocchi, minestrone soup, and more. They have this homemade juice they call a fruit cup that's a knockout. Unfortunately, you can't smoke in there anymore. It robs some of the atmosphere, but it's still a cool Melbourne joint.

Mélissa Cakes: In Smith Street, Collingwood. The spanakopita is all you need to know. They renovated the joint and it looks like shit now, but the spanakopita is good — good for walking along eating while you check out Smithy (Smith Street).

The Heat Is On

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This year is my third year gardening, but my first Fall garden. What a year to start one! With average U.S. temperatures the highest in almost 100 years, some seeds had to be replanted as the temperatures were too high for consistent germination, with some longer crops, that wouldn’t have time to mature if replanted, struggling to survive until the cooler weather. Whatever happens, the peas seem to power on through.

The big lesson from these extraordinary temperatures is that I don’t rely on first and last prospective frost dates anymore. First frost usually hits Nashville mid-to-late October. This year, we might not get it until early December, although it’s more likely late November. Instead, I’m relying on the more accurate germination rates and soil temperature. For example, carrot seeds will have the highest and shortest germination rate when the soil is in the upper 70s. They will do alright in the upper 60s and low 80s, but then the germination rate drops and the number of days for any to germinate increases. I planted my carrots in September, hoping the temperatures would come down as expected, but they didn’t, so I replanted in early October for a better chance of a healthy harvest.

This is the year I also decided to try to grow one of the most difficult groups of vegetables — the brassicas, which include, kale, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts. The difficulty with this group is mainly due to the obscene amount of pests they attract that are hell-bent on eating them in hours. If you want to grow brassicas, it’s full-on war.

I started by growing the seeds outside. No luck: The cabbage butterflies were all over them and, in a few days, their eggs had hatched and the caterpillars were munching away. Plus, it remained just too darn hot. I managed to salvage the majority and bought them back inside far away from those pesky critters. They grew, and the new leaves were not eaten.

In mid-September, they were planted back outside. Had the forecasts been better, I would have waited; but since they had already germinated into seedlings, at least they had a fighting chance.

The two main pests in my garden which could do the most damage to the brassicas are the purely evil cutworm and the cabbage butterfly caterpillar. The cutworm wraps itself around young seedlings about an inch above ground and squeezes, literally cutting the top of the plant off. Here’s a big fat adult and he’s fat for a reason, as he’s been munching on my carrots for the last few days.

The solution I tried, which worked on my bush beans this year, is putting toothpicks around the stem of the seedling, so it prevents the worm from doing its damage.

I was still losing some plants though and had no idea why until I kept seeing black crickets all over the place! I’m pretty sure they were chomping through the babies that the evil cutworms couldn’t get. I tell ya — it’s carnage out there. I lost about 60 percent of the crop, but being the first year, I’m actually quite pleased with that. I’m a big believer that, when it comes to gardening, you have to try something for three years before giving up on it. Otherwise, there are just too many variables to rule anything out before that time.

The ones that survived were still under attack from the white cabbage butterfly. The best way to deal with them — like pretty much any problem — is prevention. Row covers can overheat the plant,s if the temperatures are still high outside, but you can get fine mesh that will let the breeze in and keep the butterflies out. You can also spray/pick the eggs off daily and keep an eye out for caterpillars and remove them as soon as possible.

As of today, the remaining brassicas are still growing and, a couple of days ago, I could see baby sprouts starting to form.

These are slow growing plants, but with the frost still at least a couple of weeks away here in Tennessee, there will still be a harvest. Next Spring, I’ll try again — even more armed and even more dangerous.

A Minute In the Pioneer Valley with Parsonsfield

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Welcome to "A Minute In …" — a BGS feature that turns our favorite artists into hometown reporters. In our latest column, Parsonsfield takes us on a tour of the book mills and coffee shops of Pioneer Valley town Leverett, Massachusetts.

Usually when you tell someone you live in Leverett (unless they are in the Pioneer Valley, also known as the scenic I-91 corridor), they’ve never heard of it. The town is about 23 miles of mostly trails, ponds, and trees. Amongst these mysterious woods, we have found a few hidden gems we’d love to share with you. We’re proud to call this area our home. When you get to the Lady Killigrew, tell the staff that Parsonsfield sent you.

The Montague Book Mill: Their slogan says it all: “Books you don’t need in a place you can’t find." Once a grist mill, this unique building on the banks of the Sawmill River has been converted into a used book store, along with several other places to hang. Be careful: You may end up spending your entire day here. We certainly have. People have been known to make the 90-minute drive from the Boston area just to hang out here.

The Lady Killigrew: Step through a door in the book store and enter the absolute best spot for nitro-iced coffee and great sandwiches in a laid-back environment. Grab a table by the window and enjoy a relaxing morning overlooking the babbling stream below. If you go on a day we’re not touring, we’re probably already here. 

Turn It Up: Now that you’re all buzzed up on caffeine, walk across the courtyard to the record store. Although their other locations are a little bigger, somehow you always find something cool here.  

Lake Wyola State Park: If you’re here in the Summer, you can have a beach day without driving to the coast — our favorite spot in the area for a swim and a picnic.  

Peace Pagoda: “… A visible form of prayer for inseparable peace in the world and within the minds of all humanity.” Built in 1985, this is the first Peace Pagoda in North America and the one place you should not miss if you happen to be in Leverett. We’d rather not reveal its mystery, so take the short hike from the parking area to the top of the hill and enjoy what you see.

The Fretted Instrument Workshop: We think this may come of interest to some people who read a site that has the word bluegrass in it. Stop in for an unbelievable selection of new and vintage guitars, banjos, mandolins, and a few stranger instruments. This is where we bring our instruments for repairs, after we’ve rocked them a little too hard on tour. Tony will set you up with something real nice.

High Horse Brewery: As rock 'n' roll goes, our band is mostly filled with lightweight squares when it comes to drinking. In our first years of touring, we realized, if we take advantage of all the free booze at shows, we may sometimes wake up the next morning freezing cold, alone, and still on stage at a festival … That’s a story for a different outlet. However, when we’re at home, we like to whet our whistles here. Go upstairs to play some pool or downstairs for some great food. Either floor you choose, they’ve got great beer and cocktails.

 

After cruising through the Pioneer Valley, head down to Brooklyn and hit Victoria Reed's hot spots.

Lede photo by Shervin Lainez. All other photos by Parsonsfield, except High Horse photo by Brittany Ciullo. 

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