Dinner 19: In Anticipation of Summer Barbecues
At Jim and Page’s Table
The Dinner Series is back! After a recent and uncanny streak of warm weather here in boston we threw our first dinner in a while, returning to one of our favorite venues–the beautiful Cambridge home of our friends Jim & Page. (We’ve been there before for Dinner 11: French Garden Dinner and Dinner 8.) Their beautifully decorated oak paneled dining room opens up onto their manicured garden patio, making it the perfect setting for a casual dinner party that anticipates the fairer weather of late spring and summer.
Left: Simon Pearce Madison carafe Right: Our summer setting of blue & white
Our table setting brought the blues and whites of summer to Jim & Page’s rustic farm table, with aqua Chilewich lattice placemats, navy Libeco Home Napoli Vintage napkins (used as placemats), a turquoise Sabre Natura salad serving set, Pillivuyt Sancerre plates, and sea blue iittala Kartio tumblers. The simple table was just the kind one sets for a summer barbecue, sparing frills like a tablecloth. After all, why cover up a beautiful farm table when you can complement it with a few daubs of Match Pewter and Simon Pearce glassware; tableware characterized by a robustness of their materials, as the table is by its aged hand-hewn boards.
Oysters on the Half Shell, Two Ways
Most people get their raw oyster fix during happy hour. In Cambridge, some of the best spots are the Legal Sea Foods bar at the Charles Hotel in Harvard Square or Rafiki Bistro, halfway between Harvard and Porter Square on Mass Ave. But, as we’ve been discovering recently, they’re a real treat at home too.
The tough shells of these mollusks can be intimidating, especially if you have to shuck a dozen or two for guests. But opening them only takes a kitchen towel, an oyster knife, and a little practice.
Stone Hearth Pizza
Hands down, the best pizza in Boston comes from the ovens of Stone Hearth Pizza. As something of a pizza connoisseur, I’ve yet to find a match for their delicious thin crusts and locally sourced toppings. My first meal at their Cambridge location started my partial boycott of Boston pizza standby Upper Crust, even before their labor scandal.
Stone Hearth Executive Chef Michael Ehlenfeldt
We stopped into Stone Hearth’s Belmont restaurant (57 Leonard St.) to meet their Executive Chef Michael Ehlenfeldt and watch him prepare one of Stone Hearth’s most beautiful pizzas, the Farm Fresh. Garlic oil, cherry tomatoes, charred red & yellow peppers, Yukon gold potatoes, artichoke hearts, green olives, fresh mozzarella, arugula, red onion, and a slice of prosciutto all come together in what’s a perfect example of Stone Hearth’s attention to their quality, locally-sourced ingredients. Their take-out boxes are even printed with a map of their sources.
An Education in Gnocchi
Contributed by Bryce Lambert
One of the best foodie deals in town (yes, even better than restaurant week) are the cooking classes at Season to Taste Catering. Season to Taste uses the term “cooking class” loosely (something they’re upfront about), as these events are better described as multi-course sit-down dinners with instructional introductions there to allow diners to better engage with their food.
After being late to sign up for (they fill up quick!) both a duck confit and braising class, I finally made it to a recent gnocchi class. And by “class,” I mean I munched on crostinis and cauliflower soup while Season to Taste’s Robert Harris rolled out two kinds of gnocchi and then sat down to a four-course dinner with strangers. For just $35, I left with a firm understanding of how to make gnocchi, a gourmet food induced hangover, and a list of restaurants to check out, courtesy of my well-informed dinner companions.
Robert showing us his tricks
Robert serving dessert: Taza Chocolate Mousse, Almond-Maple Filo Crisps, Dried Cherry Compote, and Ginger Whip Cream
Making gnocchi dough
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