The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is of the opinion I’m a menace to the road. In fact, I’m such a threat to man and beast when I get behind the wheel, the Registry of Motor Vehicles threatened to pull my license if I didn’t pony up $125 to attend a day-long, re-education seminar called “Attitudinal Dynamics […]
I don’t have a vegetable garden, but this summer I found myself with an overabundance of tomatoes — tri-color cherry tomatoes, beefy beefsteaks and hearty heirlooms. I bought a plethora of pints at local farmers’ markets. And recently, one of Colleen‘s organic farm friends off-loaded a crate of cherry tomatoes amongst other veggies at Goat […]
CHESTNUT HILL — It started with parking attendants directing cars like they do at Gillette Stadium, and then moved onto a scrum at the Asian hot take-away bar. There was incessant choo-chooing of an overhead train by the dairy case that drew screams from a overexcited tot named Adam. Maybe it was the mosh pit […]
The Second Act of my life began yesterday at 6:50 a.m. when I entered the doors at Flour Bakery + Café with a smile on my face and chef’s pants in my tote bag. I left 11 hours later with the same smile, dirty chefs pants and a sense of pride. Sadly, I could barely walk. […]
My great aunt Rose Ciampi Russo, mother of five, aunt to hundreds, will always be known for her ham and cheese pie at Easter. I have no clue how many she baked, but it had to be dozens. Thankfully, one or two always found there way up the street to my grandparents’ house where we […]
All this talk of wind chill factors and threats of snowfall and driving rain sent me into the kitchen the other night to prepare the classic Portuguese soup Caldo Verde. This hearty one-dish meal made with beef, linquica or chourico, potato and kale was a staple on every restaurant’s menu in the Azores when I […]
I treated myself tonight by pre-ordering Joanne Chang’s “Flour, Too.” It will arrive in early June. The first “Flour” is one of my go-to cookbooks for all things pastry. Her Banana Bread is the best you’ll ever eat, the New Old Fashioned Coffee Cake will be a classic and her Pain Aux Raisins are magnifique! […]
Dry those tears, Andy Dick, I got cha back. The newly sober Tinseltown trainwreck made his debut on “Dancing with the Stars” last night, and while his foxtrot didn’t score high with the judges, you’ve got to give the guy credit for showing up. “It was like watching Woody Allen doing the foxtrot,” said judge […]
Dear Diary: What a long strange trip it’s been, and as I skip out of the Track Shack after too many years of chronicling the foibles, follies, fun times and amazing Tales from this sometimes-Naked City, I feel the need to pause for a trip down memory lane. I easily have enough memories to fill […]