Friday, December 4, 2009

The Course Series: Breakfast

Ok, so NoSh is back in business. 
WELCOME BACK!


With the massive number of photos I've compiled over the past few months, rather than throw them all at you at once, I've decided to split them into four posts: 

1) Breakfast
2) Plated
3) Handhelds
&
4) Sweets

Today will be breakfast, and keep a look out for the rest in the near future.

Alright, less talking, more looking.

Cue pictures.

~~~~~


 BREAKFAST


Mexican Mocha
(a latte with "spicy cocoa", almond and cinnamon)
[Coffee Obsession, Falmouth, MA]




[The Paramount, Boston, MA]

Summer means fresh blueberries. I went blueberry picking for the first time in my life this summer, and it just makes me want to pick all fruits myself. On my life list: apples, pumpkins, strawberries (see below), peaches. All of which would go well in pancakes, btw.



Fresh, locally-produced strawberry jam
[Pumpkin Paul's Strawberry Patch, Storrs, CT]

Though we didn't get to pick our own strawberries, I was able to pick up this jar of jam. I try to take advantage of any chance I have to buy local, especially when I get to see the farm itself! 


Red Flannel Hash with poached eggs and Hollandaise
[Henrietta's Table, Cambridge, MA]


Went here for my birthday brunch, and it was wonderful. I love hash - corned beef, browns, whatever - and this came in its own cast iron skillet. My experience tells me that anything that comes in a skillet has to be good (especially cornbread!).



Malasada
[Mary Ellen's Portugese Bakery, Falmouth, MA]

Not quite the same as Leonard's in Honolulu, but it was a welcome reminder of the classic Portugese fried dough/doughnut. No matter if you spell it with one s or two, the breakfast sweet is lightly yeasty and best eaten hot right out of the oil and rolled in sugar. 


Omelet with portabella mushrooms, spinach, and chévre; baguette toast, and homefries
[Kingston Station, Boston, MA]

I'm kind of obsessed with chévre (pronounced shev-ruh) - or goat cheese. The pure white, super creamy, tangy cheese is perfect on bread, in salads, or...on anything really. You can pair it with sweet or savory, too - it's delicious with fig spread on crackers or stuffed with rosemary in chicken.


Certified Hawai'i Organic Hayden Mango
[KCC Farmer's Market]

When summer rolls around, one of the main things I look forward to is mango season. Hawai'i has some of the best mangoes in the world, and because they can be pricey a smart move is to make friends with someone who has a tree. 


Sticky bun
[Flour Bakery, Boston, MA]

Flour's sticky buns are ridiculous! I mean just look at the thing. It's glazed in real caramel - the dark, buttery sauce, none of this artificial stuff out of a jar. It's also topped with toasted pecans for some texture. Sure, it's not the cleanest thing to eat, but I swear half the fun is licking your fingers off when you're done.


Scrambled eggs, fruit salad, toast, bacon, and homefries
[Gargoyles on the Square, Somerville, MA]

Davis Square is just chock full of great shops: coffeevintagecupcakesbreadbarbecue,consignment, smoothies & burritos being the ones I've discovered thus far. I originally wanted to go to Gargoyles to try out their poke, but since we went for brunch they weren't offering it yet. I'll just have to go back.


Indian Akoori scrambled eggs with parathas bread
[Toscanini's, Cambridge, MA]

This ice cream shop does brunch on weekends - and both are excellent. They have everything from pancakes to eggs to croissants and muffins - and to make things even better, they have a great selection of coffees and teas.


Whole Wheat French Bread
[Iggy's Bread of the World, Prudential Farmers Market, Boston, MA]

If you ask me what my favorite food is, I'll tell you carbs. Yeah, it's kind of a cop-out...but there are just way too many foods that I like. However, bread is definitely up there on the list - I love everything from pain de mie to sourdough to foccacia. There are a few bakeries in Boston, the ones I have visited including: Clear Flour Bakery (amaaazing), not to be mistaken with Flour Bakery (which is more focused on ready-to-eat food than specifically bread); When Pigs Fly - which offers free samples (at least at the Davis Square location); and Panera Bread, which is a chain that serves hearty comfort food. Clear Flour is the best place to get super fresh, artisan breads - I wish my house always smelled like this place.



Stay tuned for the next post - hopefully coming soon.
Happy December (I hope you've all gotten your advent calendars...I've yet to find one with actually good chocolate), here's hoping for snow in Boston before I leave!


'Tis the season for eggnog, gingerbread, and regifting fruitcake,
C