Gastronomy Blog by Cathy Chaplin

Restaurant Review

05 Oct 2010

Flour Bakery + Cafe – Boston

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While most of my ideas on where and what to eat are culled online through blogs, Tweets, and food pages, I occasionally find inspiration on the telly too. An especially memorable episode of Bobby Flay’s Throwdown that aired sometime in 2007 brought Boston’s beloved Flour Bakery + Cafe onto my radar. After seeing Chef Joanne Chang swiftly kick Bobby Flay’s buns during a Sticky Buns Throwdown, I made a mental note to visit here on my next visit to Beantown. Considering how infrequently I tune into the Food Network, its content is surprisingly influential.

The Astronomer and I, along with The Astronomer’s sis Rosalind, visited the original South End location on our first day in the city. Chef Chang opened the bakery in 2000 after leaving a career as a management consultant and baking in some of New York (Payard Patisserie and Bistro) and Boston’s (Biba, Bentonwood Bakery, Rialto, Mistral) top kitchens.

After the success of the original Flour, Chef Chang opened a second branch in 2007 in the Fort Point Channel area and a third one in 2010 in Cambridge near MIT and Central Square.

As luck would have it, my friends the Two Hungry Pandas visited Boston a few weeks before me and tipped me off on Flour’s terrific egg sandwich ($6.50). Served with cheddar cheese, tomato, arugula, dijonaise, and a choice of ham or bacon, the sandwich was as perfect as Evelina had promised. The elements that rocked most were the silky fried egg and the perfectly ripe tomato slice. Not to mention, the sturdy yet pliable focaccia and smoky bacon strips. Truly, I could go on and on…

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Recipe

03 Oct 2010

Blackberry Cloud Cake

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Back in early July, I attempted to bake a New York cheesecake in celebration of The Astronomer’s 26th birthday. Everything was going swimmingly until I peeked into the oven and discovered that I had scorched the poor thing. Instead of a smooth and creamy surface with a golden graham crust, mine ballooned like a souffle and was caramelized in all the wrong places. Needless to say, my creation was chucked into the trash and my ego was bruised for some time. To add insult to injury, The Astronomer was left cake-less on his birthday.

It wasn’t until I encountered this Blackberry Cloud Cake recipe in last month’s Martha Stewart Living that I was finally inspired to bake a replacement. Scanning the list of ingredients and directions, I imagined a pastry similar to Jin Patiserrie’s “Spring Bouquet.” In actuality, this one was a completely different (and lighter) beast. Martha and company were right on the money when they compared its texture to that of clouds. The combination of fluffy whipped cream and soft meringue was truly lighter than air.

For birthday boys with a penchant for non-traditional cakes and a great love for berries, this recipe is just about perfect.

3 containers (6 ounces each) blackberries (about 4 1/3 cups)
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Vegetable oil cooking spray, for parchment
8 large egg whites, room temperature
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups cold heavy cream
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, plus more for dusting

Toss 2 containers blackberries (about 3 cups) with 2 tablespoons granulated sugar; let stand for at least 2 hours, tossing occasionally, until berries release juices. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a 10-by-15-inch rimmed baking sheet with parchment; coat with cooking spray. Whisk egg whites with a mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar. Raise speed to high, and whisk until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes. Whisk in cornstarch, vinegar, and vanilla. Spread meringue evenly into sheet pan.

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Restaurant Review

01 Oct 2010

Clover Food Lab – Boston (Cambridge)

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In early September, the Astronomer and I spent a week in Boston visiting friends and family. Whereas our previous travels were centered around eating and lots of it, this trip was about reconnecting with loved ones whom we don’t get to see nearly enough. While this trip wasn’t as food-centric as those in the past, we still managed to eat very well. After all, catching up with old friends is best accomplished over a long and delicious meal.

One of our most memorable dinners was eaten street side at the Clover Food Lab, a bright white vegetarian food truck parked on MIT‘s campus. The truck was founded by MIT graduate Ayr Muir. After earning an MBA from Harvard, he worked in marketing at Patagonia and as a consultant with McKinsey and Company. In 2008, he decided to leave the corporate world behind for new challenges in the culinary field.

To make his dream a reality, Muir teamed up with Chef Rolando Robledo (@RolandoRobledo), a one-time poissonnier under Thomas Keller at The French Laundry and an instructor at Johnson & Wales University. Together, they created a temporary “food lab” out of a truck to test recipes for a soon-to-be launched chain of vegetarian restaurants. The truck opened for business on MIT’s food lot in September of 2008 and closed down seven weeks later as planned. However, customer protests made the two reconsider their initial plan. The truck reopened in March 2009, and they have since expanded to two trucks.

By the way, I read in an article on MIT’s campus news site that the truck’s exterior pays homage to Muir’s MIT past. It features a dry-erase board menu, which Muir says reminds him of the problem sets he faced as a student. I ♥ nerds.

The Clover truck, which runs on biodiesel (a fuel made from used vegetable oil), serves moderately healthy, meat-less fast food fare with a focus on seasonality and locality.

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