Il Weekend della Festa del Lavoro: Una Caccia al Tesoro e La Festa di San Antonio di Padova

           It has, amazingly enough, been about a week since I moved into my apartment, and things are finally coming together. We have nearly all our furniture sorted out (well, all except for the kitchen table that'll double as a desk), groceries bought several times over, the television finally set up and I've finally had a chance to reconnect with friends. I've thoroughly enjoyed Allston/Brighton Christmas-- even though I haven't found the right table yet, I found some awesome books and D found some really great stuff for his apartment. 

I'm adding to my apartment library! To the left are books I found on the curb during one of our hunts. They're in perfectly good condition, so I have no idea why someone would just throw them away rather than try to sell them! To the right are an assortment of textbooks for this year (it's going to be a fun time essentially taking three math classes! ;P)and books I've been enjoying in my spare time. 

I've also begun to get out of the pre-semester rut I've fallen into and gotten back to exploring Boston with D and my friends. Midway through last week, D and I went to an awesome outdoor concert at the Hatchshell. We lay on blankets looking at the sky while the Boston Landmark Orchestra played a set commemorating the end of the War of 1812. It was absolutely perfect, and I cannot recommend the Landmark Orchestra's Summer Concert Series more highly, but we unfortunately had to head back to his place early as a thunderstorm decided to cut the concert short. 

    I spent the next few days with D, S, and other friends just relaxing, cooking, and enjoying each other's company, and then yesterday, we decided to head over to the North End for Saint Anthony's Feast. Begun in 1919 by Italian immigrants, La Festa di San Antonio is the largest Italian religious festival in our area. 

    Just a few minutes' walk from the North Station T stop, on Endicott Street, you're greeted by a flower garland which tells you you're officially in the North End. As an Italian-American who grew up going to Little Italy and Brooklyn in New York quite frequently, the garlands that mark the Italian areas never fail to get me excited... And as much as I adore Brooklyn and Little Italy, I have to say I much prefer the North End! 

        As you make your way past the children's attractions, you're greeted by the intoxicating smell of grilling meats and Filippo Berio Olive Oil. Filippo Berio is the brand my parents almost always have in their house, and for me, seeing these stands was a wonderful reminder of my dad's cooking (and cooking lessons) as well as the general feeling of home. 

        
         We unfortunately weren't able to sample the olive oil until later in the day, but when they finally set out another tray of bread and oil, it was an amazing reminder of how satisfying simple things can be. 

Just a little further down the street, we saw this stand selling cannoli filled with gelato, and I. and R. couldn't resist their charms. 

         
         D and I decided to hold out for other dolci (sweets) later on, but don't these things look amazing?!?!?

         
       When we reached the area of the street dedicated to actual food, I couldn't resist the siren call of the frutti di mare for sale. While the guys grabbed polpette infilzate (skewered meatballs, which were reportedly very good), I went for vongole crude (this particular variety was Cherry-Stone) and of course calamari fritti.  The clams were unbelievably good (and cheap!), and the calamari were absolutely perfect. 

        We then made our way towards Prince Street, where I found a bancarella where a father and daughter were selling large cannoli. It certainly wasn't Mike's Pastry, but I will argue that the adorable father-daughter team, size of the pastry, price, and considerably lower traffic made this a much better decision than trying to make my way through throngs of people at Boston's most famous cannoli joint. 

Here's a beauty-shot of my gorgeous cannolo, impressively made by a six-or-so year old girl!

I., meanwhile, opted for a calzone at this amazing bakery, which he was thrilled to find is a permanent installation with an option for delivery. We all had a bite of the most enormous calzone we'd ever seen... And the consensus? Absolutely heavenly!

        D decided to get a Peanut Butter Cup bar from a stand run by two adorable kids, working for what was presumably the same bakery. It was a rich, chocolatey, peanut buttery concoction complete with a chocolate graham-cracker crust... So delicious, but so rich that we had to split the thing among the four of us!

                We then headed over to one of our favorite areas--Paul Revere Mall, a gorgeous brick courtyard near the Paul Revere House and Old North Church. While the Paul Revere Statue in the center of the Mall is definitely a tourist attraction (it's pictured on the front of a lot of Freedom Trail brochures), the Mall is usually fairly empty. Yesterday, however, throngs of people walked through the Mall, buying Lemonade, T-shirts, and looking at artwork for sale. 
       As the guys relaxed on the benches that line the mall, I popped into the Green Cross Pharmacy in search of some Chinotto. Sadly, they didn't carry it, but I ended up conversing with the proprietari, an amazingly sweet and helpful family, opting for San Pellegrino Pompelmo, and carrying out my entire transaction in Italian. The fact that I was able to keep up a conversation in Italian, despite a semester-plus hiatus from Italian courses (simply because my schedule is far too full at the moment), was really exciting, and I was maybe a little too giddy as I rejoined the guys in the Mall. 

        It was an absolutely perfect summer day, so we decided to continue exploring the North End. 

We made our way to another small neighborhood park, which had beautiful stonework, and an even more beautiful view of the Harbor. When we'd finally had our fill, we made our way back towards the festival. 

         
       I'm always floored by the beauty of the neighborhoods in the North End. It's filled with neo-classical architecture, scrolled faux-balconies, window-boxes overflowing with flowers, and just has a very home-y feel. 
        

Despite the tiny size of this house, I think it's absolutely adorable! It's just like a little hobbit hole on the corner--must be really cosy in the winter!

          All along the street, there are reminders of an older world. These window-boxes reminded me a lot of the neighborhoods I saw in Rome, especially near the Scalinata di Spagna. I'm living in the Fenway area now, but I'm already dreaming of the day I'll be able to move into the North End!

        On a whim, I decided to capture the wall of the Copp's Hill Cemetery, and I'm finding this shot rather entrancing. 

        
        After we found a great bathroom shelf (just sitting on the street!), we finally made our way to Prince and Salem Streets, where I stopped into Monica's Mercato for some Italian staples. I'd been there before, sometime last January, but it's recently re-located and expanded both the size of its store and its inventory. They have so many things I used to only be able to get at Eataly in New York, so I was in heaven!

I ended up getting a small filone, a  single-serve Panettone (which I sadly can't picture because it didn't last very long :P), some Sugo all'Arabbiata, some Prosciutto di Parma and Mortadella con Pistacchio, some Fusilli col Buco,  some Spaghetti al Nero di Seppia and some Baci di Perugina, which I ended up giving to the guys.

         Afterwards, we made our way back to our respective apartments and dorms, and I later headed out to catch up with friends and then returned home and cosied up with a cuppa to watch the latest episode of Outlander.

   This weekend isn't over yet, but it's been quite a whirlwind--both stressful and extremely fun. There's a lot of stuff to do for ΦΧθ (we've got a pre-petition meeting coming up, so I'm very excited for that, but there are a lot of pieces to put together before that can happen), and I'm honestly more than a little nervous about balancing classes and applying for jobs/working this semester, as it's going to be a really hard one. But overall, the past couple of days have been the perfect breather, and I couldn't be more excited for what's to come. 

  I hope all of you have a wonderful Labor Day Weekend, and to my fellow students, I wish you the best of luck in the semester ahead!!

Xx
Caroline

Mahrajan and Moving

          I admittedly haven't done too much besides work this summer, but now that I've given my notice and headed back up to Boston, I feel as though my summer vacation, however short it may be, is finally beginning. 

    On Friday morning, I boarded a train bound for Boston armed with two massively overpacked (and yet underpacked) suitcases, a duffle bag for the weekend, and my handbag. A few hours and a taxi ride later, I found myself in the heart of the Fenway area in front of my new apartment. I unfortunately didn't have too much time to hang out with my roommate, as I had to leave almost as soon as I'd come in order to board another train to see my gent and his family for his birthday weekend...

    So yes, things started out quite hectic, but I'm finally settling into what looks like it'll be an amazing week. 

    D's birthday was yesterday, and we all headed up to Mahrajan, a Lebanese Festival held by Our Lady of the Cedars Church in Manchester, NH. I've had some exposure to the Lebanese culture so far, but yesterday was the first time I felt truly immersed... and it was absolutely wonderful. 

   When we finally arrived, I was a little floored by the fact that there was a camel present... I'd never actually seen one in the flesh, so I may or may not have been like a kid on Christmas morning when I actually touched it. 

(Credit for this lovely shot goes to D's mom, who was probably highly amused by my slight freakout. :P)

    At what I will call the actual entrance to the festival, we saw a handful of bancarelle (IT: stands) where merchants sold religious icons, books, and jewellery, woven goods, and all forms of Arabic food and sundries. But before we got too distracted, we made a beeline for the big tent, where we met up with D's extended family and listened to some live music.

     

Arabic Instruments from L to R: Arabic-voiced Keyboard, Oud, Qanun, and Tablah.

    Before long, it was time for lunch, so we headed over to the food tent for some great Arabic food. 

The Kibbeh Platter
Kibbeh (ground beef, bulghur wheat, minced onions, pine nuts), Loubieh, and Rice.  

and a Spinach Fatayar and Majaddara


We didn't end up getting this, but I's food looked too good not to share...

He and A got Spinach and Meat Fatayar and Lamb Shawarma. 

   Alas, the Hommus and Tabbouleh we had escaped the camera, but everything was better than I can even begin to describe. 

   After lunch, L convinced me, A, M, and S to get henna tattoos with her. 

   And then, it was time for dancing.

We were total dorks on the dance floor, but we had so much fun belly dancing and doing the Dabke.

   When we were finally tuckered out, we decided to head into the hosting church for a look. 

Our Lady of the Cedars is a Melkite Church. It's a little bit Catholic, a little bit Orthodox, very cool, and absolutely beautiful. 

                There's iconography absolutely everywhere. 

It's all beautifully painted and is an amazing testament to the growth of the church.

 I'm not the most religious person out there, but there's just something awe-inspiring about being in a church like this. It was absolutely amazing listening to Fr. Thomas talk about about Our Lady of the Cedars, the Melkite Church in general, and the town, and I will contend that the entire building is a work of art.

(Also, I may or may not have fallen in love with these lanterns.)

    After we'd seen what we wanted to see and we'd thanked Fr. Thomas, we went back out to the big tent for farewells and headed back home for cake, The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, and movie night. 

   **For fashion lovers, I'm wearing an H&M dress (sold out, but similar here), Birkenstock Gizeh Sandals (don't knock 'em until you try 'em--they're really comfy), Alex and Ani Bracelets, and a golden honeybee necklace from Etsy (c/o Luxe Lovely Gifts).**

Easy Summer Meals: Loubieh Wa Hommus Bi-Ziet with Quinoa

Sorry about the long hiatus! The last bit of this year and this summer have been positively crazy, but I'm back to blogging since I'll have more time now.

I'm preparing to move, full-time, to my apartment in Boston, so I'm taking the time to enjoy a few last outings with my friends and a few last adventures in my kitchen. 

Lately, I've been on a Lebanese food kick, which has led me to make Sfeeha (Meat Pies, which G and my family so kindly tried and approved of), Hommus and Fatoush (which you'll see above in Tupperware containers, as I knew I'd be eating them for a week)...and today, Loubieh! 

For those of you who aren't familiar with Loubieh, it's a stew made with green beans, olive oil, onions, garlic, tomatoes, and spices. To tonight's pot, I added Ceci for a little extra protein. 

I've adapted the recipe from ones I found on Saveur, Rose Water & Orange Blossoms, The Moveable Feasts, The Old Ways, and a handful of other sites. 

For the Loubieh, you'll need: 

1/4 C Olive Oil (I used Organic EVOO from Costco)

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp minced garlic 

1 medium yellow onion, sliced very thinly

Sea Salt and Black Pepper, to taste

Approx. 2 Tbs. Tomato Paste (I added it to taste)

Smoked Paprika to taste (Simply because I have an insane amount of it in the house)

Lebanese 7 Spice Mix to taste...

         Or you can do what I did and mix together 1 tsp. each 

            -Ground Allspice

            -Black Pepper

            -Cinnamon

            -Nutmeg

            -Ground Ginger

            -Sumac

         And, again, add to taste.

2 lb Green Beans, Trimmed and Cleaned

1 Jar Marinara Sauce (I used Trader Joe's Traditional Marinara, simply because it's very, very plain and natural.)

1 Can Diced Tomatoes

1 15 Oz. Can Ceci (Garbanzo Beans)

1.5 Cups Water, or as much as you need. 

Here's what you do...

Get out an 8-Qt. Saucepan, and put your oil and cumin in. 

Turn on the stove and bring the mixture to medium-high heat, stirring for a minute until you can really smell the cumin. 

Add in your garlic, onion, salt and pepper, and cook until the garlic and onion are lightly browned. This should take 12 minutes or so. 

Add in your tomato paste, paprika, 7 spice mix (or my in-a-pinch modification), and stir the mixture until the tomato paste becomes slightly caramelized. 

Add in the green beans, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, ceci, and as much water as you'll need to bring the mixture to a boil. 

Reduce your heat (to medium-low) and cook until very tender (up to 1 hour). Cover the pot partially and stir every so often.

Then, let the mixture sit for a bit (15 or so minutes) so the flavors will meld together. 

Serve it over rice, quinoa (as I did), or your favorite grain, and enjoy!

This is a pretty simple recipe, and as I've been finding with the Lebanese food I've been making, is amazing even when reheated. 

Have fun!

Xx Caroline

A Good Morning

So, this will be quite short, but I just wanted to take the time to reflect upon all the things, big and small, which make this morning (and generally my life) pretty great.

I'm finding lately that it's so easy to get caught up in our daily obligations and stresses that we often forget how well things are going in general. 

So, without further ado and in no particular order, here are some things which make me really happy to be where I am:

• Despite the cold and the snow which have hit Boston almost constantly for at least the past month, we have been blessed with several beautiful, sunny mornings, and I can't help but marvel at them on my walks to my 8 AM class. This morning was one of them, and "Oh What a Beautiful Morning" (from Oklahoma) almost seems made for today. 

• Yes, I have two big exams today, had a paper due this morning, and will undoubtedly have more work to follow. But as time has gone by, I'm starting to realize that these are very small bumps in the context of my entire life. In the past, I let my work become my life, but I'm just now realizing that I've finally learned to make my work a relatively small part of my life as I think of it. 

• I feel so blessed to have met so many amazing people this year. It's taken the past week to help me realize how much I love my friends and professors--some of whom I really consider friends--, as well as how important they are to me. Again, I've found that it's so easy to get caught up in work that one tends to forget how great it is to simply chat about anything and everything--even the most mundane aspects of life-- as a respite from the stresses of life and work. 

• I also feel quite blessed to have such strong support from my family. It's strange, but while I was chomping at the bit to start my own life when I moved up to Boston, now that I have, I'm finding it even more important to call them frequently to catch up and stay involved in their lives. I also know I'm getting into the big leagues now because my parents' and grandparents' advice is starting to make sense, and as scary as that is, it's kind of exciting. 

• I can't help but marvel at the fact that I'll be going to the Museum of Fine Arts to look at the Impressionist exhibit for my writing class on Saturday morning. My professor and his wife will apparently be giving us a tour of the exhibit and explaining the works. Not only is he one of my favorite professors, but it's tremendously cool to have a professor who wants to spend time and go places with his students outside of the classroom and on weekends. The best part? We're doing these trips the last weekend of every month for the remainder of the semester. 

Anyway, that's all for now. It really is a lovely day, so wherever you are, take a moment to appreciate everything that's going right--it'll make all the difference in how you view your life. 

Xx Caroline

Valentine's Day at the Gaslight Brasserie

Hello, All!

   My SO and I were trying to figure out what to do for Valentine's Day after a hectic and stressful week. We wanted to do something special, but not too crazy, so we decided to pop into the South End's Gaslight Brasserie for dinner. 

I'll share what we did and what we ate, but you have to make me a promise... Don't judge the photography too harshly this time, okay? In my excitement to see him after a long week and our haste to leave in time to make our reservation, I left my good camera at home and was stuck with my iPhone.

But anyway, as long as you're okay with that, here's just a taste of our experience at the Gaslight Brasserie.

When the taxi dropped us off, we walked through a brick corridor lit by gaslights, and immediately we realized that Gaslight would be even nicer than we'd expected. 

Swankier than the average students' haunt, to be sure. 

The bar we saw upon entering the restaurant was so evocative of 1920s Paris that I had to fangirl a little bit. 

We were seated in the lounge, which turned out to be even nicer and more romantic than the main dining room.

And of course, my wonderful, handsome date
and I shared a table for two.

Now, onto the phenomenal food we ate...

We started with escargots with toasted garlic and parsley butter.
These were so deliciously buttery!
They were also his first escargots, so they were a great introduction.

We followed the escargots with a raw oyster for each of us. 

For mains, he ordered Saumon Roti (Scottish salmon with swiss chard, golden raisins, cumin carrot puree & harissa aioli),

and I ordered Duck Confit with Carmargue red rice, cherries, roquefort, and Banyuls vinaigrette.

To round out the night, we decided to share an enormous Crème Brûlée between the two of us. He'd never tried one before, and it had been far too long since I'd had one. The overall verdict--incredibly good; the flambéed-sugar crust was just right, and the creme within was perfectly sweet and cool. 

All things considered, dinner couldn't have been more perfect. The prices were a little steep for a college-student budget, but the food was well worth the cost--everything was absolutely delicious!

Having filled our bellies with phenomenal food, we made our way through the unfamiliar South End towards my flat, and in the process, tried and failed to catch a shuttle, lost a shoe, laughed a lot, found ourselves at the spot where we first met, collapsed as soon as we got home, and rounded out the night by watching UP. 

I think it's nights like these that remind you what's really important. Although you'll both have some crazy, stressful, or exciting experiences on your own, at the end of the day, you're just two people who have chosen to share those experiences with each other, to make time to be together, and to plan and have new adventures together. Friday night was bigger than just treating ourselves to a nice meal--it allowed us to step away from the stresses of school and work and from the loose routines we had established and helped us remember the importance of recognizing and being grateful for what we have. 

I hope you all had a lovely night, whether you spent it with friends, family, a loved one, or treating yourself to a little TLC.

'Til next time,


Xx Caroline

Seeking Peace

So, I'm back home for the holidays and just about a week before I'll be heading back to Boston, things have finally started to return to the way they were before I left home. 

Because things have been a bit hectic, I thought I'd pop out for a bit with our dog and head over to Natirar. 

Natirar is a gorgeous, 404 acre estate-turned-park filled with beautiful bridges, fields, and greenery. The Ladd mansion still stands (it now houses a restaurant, spa, and culinary school of sorts), but the real magic lies in the property. It is one of my absolute favorite places--the sort that reminds you how small you are in comparison to the rest of the world. It's also a well-kept secret (so shhh!).

So, without further ado, Welcome to Natirar!

 We got a lot of snow this past week, so we weren't the only ones taking advantage of the park. There were a lot of families out sledding (a capital idea on their parts) and quite a few people out cross-country skiing or snowshoeing.

 
I was really pleased to finally be able to bring my camera out to shoot again--it seems I'm almost always too busy in Boston. 

   Here's our adorable Portuguese Water Dog, Sofia. While I can't promise she'll be a regular fixture on the blog, she will be making some guest appearances.

      
   
And here's the Ladd Mansion. The ca. 1912 40-room Tudor Revival was, at one point, home to the King of Morocco. I haven't made it up to the mansion yet, but I imagine the interior is just as gorgeous as the exterior!

     Unfortunately the walk was a tedious one, as Sofia stopped every few feet and either laid down or sat on a bench. As I soon discovered, the poor thing had ice stuck in her paws!

Returning to Natirar made me realize how little I appreciated it when I lived at home full-time. 

It's an absolutely perfect place. As you've seen, it's lovely in the winter, and, in my experience, it's even lovelier in the summer. As much as I love the Public Garden, the Common, and the Esplanade, I'll miss this when I return to Boston.