The Foodies at Work | 2 foodies, 2 cubicles, 2 cities, one giant appetite.

More Than Meatballs

The meatballs at this LES hot spot are great, but check the amazing ice cream sandwiches!
Gougères, again.

We’ve whipped up this recipe for gougères (fancy cheese puffs) over and over again. It never gets old.
Pumpkin Pie Bars

Like a mini slice of pumpkin pie, these bars are a delicious treat for Thanksgiving or any time.

Brunch at Puritan and Co

By Miss Niss | Published: April 2, 2014

Last weekend, Miss Niss had the pleasure of joining the Boston Brunchers for Sunday brunch at Puritan and Co in Inman Square. It’s been a long while since the last time I brunched with this wonderful group of bloggers, and I was so excited to see Renee organized another brunch at a new-to-me restaurant.

Immediately upon entering Puritan and Co, I made eye contact with the pastry table.

What other restaurant can you name that even has a pastry table? The croissants, the donuts…

I wanted a bite of everything.

And then I looked up and saw Renee waving to me from the table. I settled into my seat, chatted with old and new bloggers, and soon enough we had coffee and brunch cocktails.

The coffee was actually a big weak for my liking, but my mimosa hit the spot. Our server brought us plates full of each pastry from the pastry table to sample as we enjoyed our brunch beverages.

Based on looks, I expetect the Boston Cream Donut to be my favorite, however the Dulce De Leche and Coconut Danish blew me away by surprise. I didn’t think I liked coconut, but combined with the dulce de leche and flaky danish this was a unique and scrumptious pastry. It was clear that all of the pastries were baked fresh. The donut, lemon corn muffin, and chocolate cherry blondie were are creative twists to breakfast pastries and had me really looking forward to my main meal. I actually would’ve been happy to eat this whole plate of pastries as my meal. Anyone else?

My Spinach and Cheddar Scramble also surpassed my expectations. This seemingly simple dish was anything but. The ratio of eggs, cheddar, and broccoli was perfect and it was cooked thoroughly, just how I like it. The arugula salad was a light side dish, and the small toast was deceptively well buttered and tasted like fresh homemade bread. My whole meal was delicious!

I am so glad I had the opportunity to dine at Puritan and Co with the Boston Brunchers and discover a new restaurant to add my brunch rotation. Thanks for organizing another successful brunch, Renee!

This meal was provided complimentary to the Boston Brunchers. We only paid a tip. As always, all opinions are my own.

Posted in Blogger Event, Boston, Brunch | Tagged Boston Brunchers, brunch, cambridge, Inman Square, Puritan and Co | 2 Responses

Boston Wine Expo 2014

By Miss Niss | Published: March 31, 2014

Back in February, Miss Niss attended the Boston Wine Expo at the Seaport Wold Trade Center.

I was really excited to check out the Wine Expo for the first time, and to see how it compares to the Mogehan Sun Wine Fest. After experiencing both events, I can tell you that they are very different. The Boston Wine Expo is set up in a huge space which allows the wine to be well organized by geographic region, a whole separate section for food vendors, and it never felt crowded even though the room was buzzing with people.

I love Italian wines, and they were easy to find with the large hanging banners throughout the room.

The Mr. has a fondness for South American wines, so we split our time between the two sections. The wines available were high class wines and tasting pours were generous. We took photos of our favorite bottles, but I don’t recall not liking anything I tasted. The food at the Boston Wine Expo also set it apart from other wine events. There was a row of food vendors almost as long as the room.

The truffle popcorn was as good as it sounds

This chocolate granola could’ve used more chocolate!

Of course I tried the Blonde chocolate – and of course it was delicious with its caramel notes.

A bite of eggplant rolatini from Sebastian’s in Revere, MA had me craving more.

We each made our own spice mixes, thanks to Celebrity Cruises.

Even this wine was surprisingly good!

The most surprising wine I tasted and enjoyed was TY KU Sake. I never thought of sake as a casual wine that I could enjoy as a whole glass, but TY KU changed my mind.

The Coconut Sake reminded me of Malibu rum, and I would happily drink this one as a cocktail.

My Mr. and I had a lot of fun ~~drinking our way~~ making our way through the Expo. We even bought a vacation! It may not have been our smartest decision to buy a vacation at a Wine Expo, but I don’t think we’ll have any regrets when we’re relaxing in the Berkshires this summer.

When we were ready to leave, we wanted to grab a bite to eat before we headed home. We meandered across the street to Tamo in the Seaport Hotel.

My veggie tostada was fresh and tasty.

His Tamo Burger was juicy and satisfying.

The Boston Wine Expo is well worth the ticket price for the experience of tasting so many different wines, chatting with knowledgeable wine connoisseurs, and tasting new foods.

Have you ever been to the Boston Wine Expo? What’d you think?

My tickets for the Boston Wine Expo were complimentary. As always, all of my opinions are my own.

Posted in Booze, Boston | Tagged boston, Boston Wine Expo, Seaport, wine | 2 Responses

A-Tooch Travels: Dubai

By A-Tooch | Published: March 5, 2014

Well friends, this may just be the farthest apart TFAW have ever been. Just how far, you ask? For a month-long work assignment, A-Tooch is exploring the Middle East, based out of Dubai.

Hi, Dubai! Burj Khalifa – day and night

While I’d love to go through culinary differences here, what many Americans don’t know about Dubai is that it’s hugely modern and cosmopolitan, with all of the comforts of home. Yes, even a Shake Shack, Eataly and Rosa Mexicano. Aside from the usual traveling quirks (e.g. a turkey + tomato sandwich on a “bagel”…which they buttered…) there really aren’t many culinary differences. Cuisine options are the same, if not more, than our native NYC and Boston. The emirate is composed of about 85% expats, so true local cuisine is hard to come by.

Lesson over. Today’s highlight: beverages. Since the UAE is a strict Muslim country, it’s unlikely you will be having a glass of wine over dinner. (Exception: hotel restaurants and bars) To accommodate a largely dry population, a range of delicious delicious delicious fresh juices, smoothies and mocktails are available all over. I am so in love that I may return a sober woman. Maybe…

Behold: a ginger, pineapple and mint juice (left) and cooling mango lassi (right)

Posted in Travel | Tagged dubai, fruit, Indian, juice, travel, uae | Leave a comment

Celebrating National Pancake Day with Nutella

By Miss Niss | Published: March 4, 2014

Today, Tuesday March 4, is National Pancake Day! The Foodies love pancakes and are happy to celebrate this national holiday for a versatile breakfast indulgence. Growing up, Miss Niss had pancakes at home every Sunday, so celebrating National Pancake Day only feels natural.

While I don’t make pancakes every Sunday anymore, I do make them quite often on weekends. I’ve experimented with a few recipes and a few ingredients, incorporating Greek yogurt or almond milk, but my favorite pancake recipe is the one I used to eat every Sunday at home with my parents. (Thanks, Mom.)

The recipe is from the Joy of Cooking cookbook, and I found it here online. When Nutella offered to send us two jars in order to celebrate pancakes, I knew my go-to buttermilk pancake recipe was the one to use. The recipe is so simple, and the pancakes cook light and fluffy and taste delicious. These buttermilk pancakes are the perfect canvas to “spread the happy” with Nutella. Allow me to introduce Pancake Man.

I’d be grinning from ear to ear if I was wearing a whipped cream suit and hat too!

Pancake Man and Pancake Lady love their whipped cream hairdos.

Even Baldy is happy!

A-Tooch and Miss Niss go way back with Nutella. When we were roommates in London, we ate Nutella with everything from ice cream to cookies to, you guessed it, a spoon. We’ve always loved Nutella and are more than happy to celebrate National Pancake Day with Nutella.

As part of Nutella’s “Spread the Happy” campaign, they’d like to spread happiness to one lucky reader. One of you will also receive two jars of Nutella to enjoy with pancakes, waffles, toast, apples, your finger – or however else you’d like to eat it!

To enter this giveaway, leave a comment telling us your favorite way to enjoy pancakes. Are you a buttermilk pancake fan? What are your favorite pancake toppings?

The giveaway is open until Thursday, March 6, at 7 PM ET. One winner will be selected by random draw and notified by Friday, March 7.

Two jars of Nutella were provided complimentary. As always, all opinions are our own.

Posted in Giveaway | Tagged giveaway, National Pancake Day, nutella, pancakes | 4 Responses

Product Review: Red’s All Natural Burritos

By A-Tooch | Published: February 28, 2014

Let’s face it, sometimes we are way too lazy to cook. Work day was long, just want to sit on the couch…we’ve all been there. When the day calls for something from the frozen aisle though, TFAW look for the most flavorful and (sometimes) healthful options out there. reds_chicken_teriyaki_ We received some gratis coupons for new-to-us Red’s Natural Burritos. Not the easiest to find in-market, but worth a try if you can get your hands on some.

My favorite was the Chicken Teriyaki — a fresh taste and juicy, savoury combination of ingredients with pulled chicken, veggies and a light sauce. Perfect with some Amy’s Chunky Tomato Bisque (a personal fav for quick dinner).

A note for the Miss Niss crew out there: the brand only has a couple vegetarian options, which are even harder to find than the products themselves.

What is your go to food when there’s no time to cook?

Posted in Reviews | Tagged burritos, frozen, red's, review | Leave a comment

Candied Sweet Potato, Goat Cheese, Mozzarella and Vodka Sauce Pizza

By Miss Niss | Published: February 24, 2014

We make a lot of pizza here in Miss Niss’s home, and this pizza using up leftover ingredients is probably the best one to come out of the oven. It has so many ingredients I don’t know what to call it without listing them all, or calling it The Best Leftovers Pizza Ever.

Using some leftover ingredients from the birthday dinner my Mr. cooked me and some ingredients from our Valentine’s Day dinner we cooked together, The Best Leftovers Pizza Ever is topped with fresh sliced mozzarella, chopped candied sweet potato, caramelized onions, goat cheese, and drizzled with creamy tomato vodka sauce. It was so simple and so delicious I just had to share it with you!

What’s the best pizza to come out of your oven lately?

Posted in Pizza, Vegetarian | Tagged pizza, sweet potato | Leave a comment

The New Crab Rangoons

By A-Tooch | Published: February 20, 2014

There are few people who would admit that crab rangoons are their foodie vice. A-Tooch has never been a big fan of Chinese takeout, so this cheesy menu option always seemed to be her out.

When I saw this recipe to “classify” crab rangoons a bit I knew I had to try it. No deep frying and big pieces of crab I knew would be non-imitation crab meat? That’s a go.

The New Crab Rangoons
adapted from Frito-Lay

8 oz. low-fat cream cheese, softened
1 tsp. soy sauce
1 1/2 tbsp. low-fat sour cream
1/2 tsp. Worchester sauce
1/2 tsp. hot sauce (I used Frank’s Red Hot)
(1) 6 oz. can fancy white crab meat, rinsed and drained
1 green onion, finely diced
about 24 Tostitos Scoops tortilla chips (whole grain preferred)

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl, beat together the sour cream, cream cheese, soy sauce and Worchester. Gently fold in the crab meat and green onion and mix until combined. Arrange the tortilla chips onto a cookie sheet, discarding any broken chips, and stuff each chip with the mixture. Bake for 15 minutes or until tops just begin to brown.

The recipe was super easy and delicious, with fresh crab taste. My only advice is to heat and serve immediately as this recipe is neither good cold, nor does it reheat well. Soggy tortilla chip alert!

Posted in Recipes | Tagged appetizer, chinese, crab rangoons, cream cheese, finger food, party, snack | Leave a comment

Mohegan Sun WineFest 2014

By The Foodies at Work | Published: February 13, 2014

A-Tooch and Miss Niss were lucky enough to be invited to the Mohegan Sun WineFest again this year. We look forward to this event for a few reasons:

1) Mohegan Sun is equidistant between New York City and Boston, so it’s a perfect meeting place for us.
2) We love wine. A lot.
3) We also love to eat, and WineFest has plenty to eat!
4) We love beer, a perhaps lesser known (but almost equally important) part of the event; it keeps the men’s attention!
5) We love sampling wine, food and beer together! Not to mention, one of us got pretty lucky at a penny slots machine.

There are many things to love about a room full of wine vendors, so we will share our favorites.