Embrace the detours

College buddies

Christine Dunne — Tue, 15 May 2012 09:46:29 +0000

I had the good fortune of seeing some college buddies the other night. I had no idea they’d be in town until the week before – what a pleasant surprise! We met up at the Black Lobster in Salem, MA, which is right on the Salem and Beverly Harbor. Check out the amazing view.

Jim

Here’s me with my friends. It was so nice to see them.

Hopefully I will see them again soon!!

Jim’s awesome chicken

Christine Dunne — Mon, 14 May 2012 23:32:29 +0000

Last week my husband made the best main course he’s ever made. And what’s even better is he invented the dish himself. Basically he cooked up four or five pre-cut chicken breasts, a bag of fresh spinach, and chopped mushrooms in separate pans. Once they were close to done, he combined them into a casserole dish with about a cup and a half of Lidia Bastianich’s Tuscan Arrabbiata sauce (contains tomatoes, pepperoncini, onions, olive oil, carrots, garlic, basil, honey, salt, bay leaf powder, and crushed red pepper) and fresh shredded Parmesan. He put it in the oven for about 25 minutes at 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Once it was ready, he served it with boiled potatoes.

The dish was truly of restaurant quality!!! I couldn’t believe my taste buds. We actually enjoyed the meal while watching Anthony Bourdain visit Croatia. The show had special meaning because we are traveling there soon for our honeymoon. So excited to try their cuisine! In fact, I wrote down a number of foods/drinks that Bourdain sampled:

Grappa brandy
White truffles
Fresh homemade pasta
Bonito and red mullet fish
Raw lobster
Shark liver
Spicy Croatian olive oil
Grilled tuna
Octopus
Slow-cooked lamb
Frittata
Sheep cheese
Fig and grape marmalade
Red wine
Oysters, smoked trout, and scallops
Homemade yogurt with lemon and olive oil
Ragout of veal
Sardines with lemon, capers, and olive oil

Art

Christine Dunne — Sun, 06 May 2012 14:01:00 +0000

Yesterday hubby and I attended an art show for one of his friends from high school, J.J. Long. It was awesome – not only did we get to see his fantastic art, but we got to enjoy homemade sangria and finger foods (e.g. tortellini skewers, goat cheese tartlets, mini turkey wraps with sprouts and cranberries). Here are the prints we purchased.

Random stuff

Christine Dunne — Thu, 03 May 2012 01:42:30 +0000

So, I arrived home from work yesterday to the smell of oranges. I walked into the kitchen and saw that my husband had made orange scones in our new scone maker. I was thrilled – scones are one of my favorite foods:-).

We decided to enjoy them with a spot of tea. It was lovely (and the scones were delicious).

My husband also surprised me with a yummy dinner of steak, roasted Parmesan potatoes, spinach, and homemade gravy. What a lucky gal I am (don’t worry – I didn’t eat all the meat in one sitting)!

In other news, a friend made me a knit pouch. Isn’t it adorable? I will use it for my jewelry when traveling.

And my mom framed my college diplomas (undergrad and grad). I love the gold dots around the edge.

I found some cute/funny cards in Porter Square books.

And I got to meet my friends’ new dog, Lucy.

And see my awesome Springfield friends.

And visit with my French friend Victoire, who’s studying at Brown this semester.

And party it up at my sister-in-law’s bachelorette party.

And celebrate my friend Ina’s 31st b’day.

I also acquired a scanner and was able to upload some old photos of my sister and I.

Lastly, I discovered that one of my favorite TV personalities, Lidia Bastianich, has a new line of spaghetti sauce. We bought some and I’m looking forward to trying it!

Cute card

Christine Dunne — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 01:56:24 +0000

My husband gave it to me this weekend; it depicts one of our favorite spots – Ball Square in Somerville. It was designed by Tamara Major, a graphic artist in the Boston area.

Hello, blog!

Christine Dunne — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 23:34:47 +0000

Hello, blog, it’s been awhile! I’m not sure why I haven’t been up for blogging lately – perhaps it’s been this warm weather. It sure is more enjoyable to have a picnic in the park, play tennis, or take a stroll around the neighborhood – all activities I’ve been able to partake in as of late.

Below is a picture of picturesque Powder House Park (just blocks from our Somerville apartment), where my husband and I enjoyed a delicious picnic of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, bagel chips, apples, and wine (just a little!) one recent warm evening.

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ekilby/3643232694/

When we were done we stopped at our favorite neighborhood restaurant, Sound Bites, for lattes and tiramisu.

The other day my sister and I took advantage of the spring weather by playing a sweaty game of tennis at Tufts University. I say sweaty because a) it was pretty hot and humid and b) I had to move extra fast to return her speedy hits (she’s quite good at tennis). Despite the fact that she beat me 6-1 (I was psyched about that one game), I had a good time. By the end of our game I felt like I was hitting significantly better; plus, I got a great workout. It’s always good to change up your fitness regime – over the last six months (or so) I’ve pretty much relied on jogging and using the elliptical machine; this combination certainly doesn’t work all your muscles.

Tufts campus courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/presta/143263604/

On another warm day my husband and I decided to walk to Union Square (about 45 minutes from our apartment) to have dinner at Casa B, a new tapas restaurant with a Spanish Caribbean flair. We actually chose this restaurant after learning that Sound Bites’ former bartender now works there. He is such a nice guy; we really wanted to pay him a visit. He was actually tending bar downstairs; although we ate upstairs, we got to see him after dinner.

Our delicious dinner consisted of chorizo with sherry and avocado, a wild mushroom saute with white sweet potato, crispy avocado rolls with prune and cilantro sauce, Puerto Rican pot roast with yucca gnocchi and sage brown butter sauce (this was amazing!!), and yucca stuffed shrimp wrapped in bacon with cilantro ginger dipping sauce. For dessert we shared a fantastic layer rum cake with rum macerated strawberry and whipped cream; it was served with a piña colada cream shake!

Ahhh, life is good!

I hope the nice weather continues so I’ll be able to keep up my outdoor activities. Unfortunately I heard it will be raining for much of the weekend, though I suppose the trees and flowers really need it! I know this is kinda random, but I also wanted to share that I just finished “Is Everyone Hanging Out with Me? (And Other Concerns)” by Mindy Kaling and really enjoyed it. This girl is hilarious, simply by being brutally honest about life and its awkward moments. Plus, she seems like a genuinely nice person!

And while I’m being random, I will share a song I heard while working yesterday. My high school choir class actually sang this diddy circa 1998, but I had never heard the Yo-Yo Ma/Alison Krause version until now. It’s a good reminder about the importance of being simple!

It appears this is only part of the original song – here are the full lyrics.

The best beer ever (IMHO)

Christine Dunne — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 23:19:31 +0000

Try the rabbit at Vinny’s Ristorante in Somerville

Christine Dunne — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 12:17:25 +0000

I hadn’t had rabbit in a good 10 years. So when I saw the delectable delight on the menu at Vinny’s Ristorante (a Sicilian style restaurant on Broadway in Somerville), I knew I had to get it. Actually, let me qualify that. I wouldn’t get rabbit just anywhere. I’ve been told it can taste rather meaty if cooked improperly. But because Vinny’s had strong reviews online, and a number of people had recommended this joint to my husband and I, I figured it would be a good place to “risk” ordering rabbit.

My rabbit half-eaten (sorry I forgot to take a pic at the beginning!)

I was not at all disappointed. The rabbit was nice and tender, and served with olives, capers, celery, and onions in an amazing white “agro dolce sauce” (a sweet-sour sauce from Sicily). This particular combination truly inspired my taste buds – I am still thinking about this dish several weeks later…

The rabbit was accompanied by a generous portion of succulent roasted vegetables and crispy-edged garlic mashed potatoes. Need I saw more?

Roasted veggies and garlic mashed potatoes

My husband loved his eggplant Parmigiana, while my sister just “liked” her lobster marinara (split lobster tail, shrimp and scallops in a white wine marina sauce). She was disappointed the lobster tails hadn’t been shelled before service. I can definitely understand this. However, as I’ve made clear in the blog post, the rabbit is definitely worth it!!!

Also, check out these funny pens used by waitstaff.

First St. Patrick’s Day parade in South Boston

Christine Dunne — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 15:56:17 +0000

It was a blast! First we went to our friend Candace’s house (in Southie) for some delicious frittata, potatoes, and corned beef and cabbage.

Corned beef and cabbage

Then we hung out on Candace’s back porch.

After a couple of hours we headed over to the parade.

Southie was awash in green.

I love this shirt we spotted on our way.

Scott Brown was in the parade.

And so was “St. Patrick.”

On the way back home we walked by lovely Carson Beach.

After taking the T into Chinatown, we met up with some friends for delicious bubble tea (I had an almond milk variety). It hit the spot – we were warm and thirsty from the sunny day.

Where we purchased the bubble tea

All in all it was a lovely day!

My husband and I got married six months ago…

Christine Dunne — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 19:55:50 +0000

…and we’re still getting wedding gifts! We received a really special one last weekend. Our friend Amber, who wasn’t able to attend the wedding, just gave us this neat decoration from Israel (where she was living for part of last year).

It is a good luck charm; you’re supposed to put it right outside of your home (which we did). Thank you, Amber!