Category: Breakfast

Soaked Oats with Grilled Peaches

I’m not good about breakfast – I know it’s supposedly the most important meal of the day, but dinner stole my heart a long time ago. I appreciate a good, heavy breakfast on the weekends but I usually prefer something light and quick. Mornings are tough enough as it is without added pressure from a breakfast routine. My weekday routine is usually me yanking my bag and flying out the door to work.

Naturally, I like to do everything at night – including breakfast preparations. For several weeks now, I have been soaking oats at night and eating them at work the next day. It’s the perfect chilled breakfast on a summer morning. This jar of soaked goodness is quickly becoming a favorite of mine. (more…)

August 10, 2015
Blueberry Lemon Pancakes

Blueberries are my everything right now.

Summer rolls around and I can’t help but throw them into drinks, ice cream, and even salads. I love all fruits equally, but the berry in blue just happens to be in my fridge at all times when they’re in season. Like a friend who knows me all too well, they’re there for me even when I didn’t realize I needed them. (more…)

July 12, 2015
Tatte Bakery & Cafe

Tatte Bakery & Cafe was founded by Tzurit Or, who started by selling her baked goods at farmers markets in 2007, and opened the first Tatte in Brookline soon thereafter. We went to the Tatte on Third Street in Kendall Square, Cambridge for Sunday brunch. With a bright open space, long wooden tables, and funky chandelier, this Tatte’s rustic yet pseudo-industrial vibe fits in perfectly in Kendall Square.

One wall is all about retail, showcasing their cookies, biscotti, and tarts in beautiful bags and boxes. There’s a window on the back wall that lets you peek into their pastry kitchen, which is always exciting for a couple of kitchen nerds like us. Along this back wall there’s a long pastry case and counter which are abundantly stocked with cheesecake, tarts, croissants, brioche, baguettes, and other goodies. Along with the brunch menu, with items such as Croque Monsieur and a mezze plate, the food is decidedly European with a Mediterranean bent.

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March 13, 2015
Raspberry Meyer Lemon Loaf

Leili and I are big tea drinkers. Unlike coffee, teatime can happen anytime for me. Tea is an underrated beverage – it has the unique qualities to awaken and soothe one’s spirits. Needless to say, tea is my main squeeze.

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March 9, 2015
Zesty Orange Pancakes & Tart Raspberry Jam

Breakfast is easily the most amazing meal of the day.

I don’t care if you disagree, it is unequivocally THE BEST. No buts about it. Pastries reign supreme, sweets are welcome (helloooo Nutella), fruit is celebrated, and savory foods hold their own so well that they’re easily eaten at any other meal of the day (egg sandwich for lunch, anyone? Steak and eggs for dinner? Have you noticed I really like eggs?).

Breakfast is also my personal favorite because I love rolling out of bed on a lazy Sunday morning and slowly piecing together a nice big breakfast between bleary-eyed yawns. Gently folding together pancake batter, setting the table with all the necessary jams, syrups, and butters, and even cutting up fresh berries and whipping up some cream if I’m feeling especially domestic (which is always) is my favorite weekend ritual. Anyone who’s still in their bed trickles down the stairs at the smell of smoky-sweet bacon frying, and when everyone is gathered around the kitchen table life suddenly just feels so right. I’m telling you, the satisfaction from serving up the perfect breakfast is highly underrated.

Or maybe I’m just a breakfast freak.

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February 20, 2015
Brown Butter Banana Nut Muffins

I’ve been in serious hibernation mode lately.

And I’m here to tell you that that’s totally okay. It’s okay if you’d rather binge watch Friends on Netflix instead of going to that dinner-thing this weekend, or you just want to take a long, glorious nap instead of going out with those friends you don’t talk to that often anyway. ’Tis the season to cozy up and stay out of the cold. Join me, won’t you?

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January 31, 2015
Green Banana Fruit Smoothie

Okay, so I know this smoothie is green, but before you run from the room screaming, just check out all the goodness I’ve put in here for you.

We’ve got bananas, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, cherries, pineapple, orange…and maybe just a bit of broccoli and kale.

Broccoli for fiber (it’s important), and kale because I love you.

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January 10, 2015
Mashed Potato Latkes

I’m drowning in mashed potatoes.

These potatoes are the only thing I still have left over from Thanksgiving. I know I’m probably alone here, because most people are smart enough to realize that ten large potatoes are impossible for five people to finish, especially when you’re already serving them six other hearty side dishes. Now every time I open the fridge, those damn mashed potatoes are staring me down, judging me for my poor planning. Without all the turkey and gravy, I just can’t bring myself to eat them…and after a week, I really need to eat them.

The answer? Latkes. Fluffy, delicious, jazzed up latkes. (more…)

December 5, 2014
Turkey Kale Hash

So after my favorite holiday comes my favorite leftovers. For Thanksgiving I make extras of everything just so I can have a ton of food to ‘snack’ on later. I am shameless about this and this is why I stay in a food coma for about a week after Turkey Day has passed.

However, I do occasionally grow tired of eating the exact same plate of food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This dish is a lighter take on brunch while utilizing what you may already have in the fridge from the big feast. I suppose this is a way to ease myself out of guilt when I go back to injecting stuffing and mashed potatoes into my veins.

Don’t feel limited to only using the ingredients I have listed below. Go scavenge for whatever is left in the refrigerator and then throw it altogether like a wiz. This is merely a suggestion.

Go wild.

– W. (more…)

November 30, 2014
Puritan & Company: Brunch

Inman Square, Massachusetts’ youthful and diverse neighborhood on the Cambridge-Somerville border, is full of great restaurants, bars, and specialty food shops. Some have been around for years, like East Coast Grill and Christina’s Ice Cream, while others come and go. Puritan & Company is a relatively new addition to the square. Upon opening its doors in late 2012, it was quickly recognized by critics for its high quality New England fare. Boston Magazine even named it Best Brunch in Boston for 2014. So of course we had to give it a try – with our fabulous friend Alison as our brunching buddy.

When we first walked in, our hunger and giddiness were quickly replaced with awe by the large cool interiors. Puritan & Co. has a generous seating space with lots of beautiful, natural lighting. The open kitchen is situated in the back of the restaurant next to the bountiful and tempting pastry counter. They have lovely bar seating as well with a generous wine list. Drink up!

As pastry lovers, we love seeing restaurants pay more attention to the sweet side of their menu. Puritan & Co. has a wide selection of pastries to please any palate, from croissants to banana bread. We ordered a basket of four: Boston cream doughnut, chocolate-hazelnut sourdough croissant, cinnamon monkey bread, and a dulce de leche and coconut danish. Although they were all very well executed, the Boston cream doughnut was the favorite: a fluffy dough generously filled with a not-too-sweet, lightened-up vanilla pastry cream. Alongside a cup of coffee, it was the perfect way to start the meal.
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October 23, 2014