Stephi's on Tremont, Boston

It was something of a hash frenzy, my Boston Summer breakfast spree. Duck hash at Mistral. Potato hash at Henrietta's. And last but not least, meatloaf hash at Stephi's on Tremont. I am, as you may have guessed, a sucker for anything hashed and brown. Especially when the brown component happens to be meatloaf, one of America's great contributions to world cuisine. The verdict? Stephi gives good hash...



Which is not surprising, when you consider that the "Queen of Patio Dining" just happens to be married to the "King of Ambulance Chasing", James Sokolove. With Jim making a motza from slip-and-trip lawsuits, Stephi clearly doesn't need the money. So the restaurant must just be for fun. A community service. Because Massachusetts deserves good meatloaf.

Mango Mania

Were you wondering how many pounds of Mangoes I ate at the just concluded Mango Festival?

ZERO!

Were you wondering if it is possible to get sick from seeing lots of mangoes but NOT eating them at a Mango Festival?

YES! …yes you can.

It was with much anticipation that I attended this year’s Mango Festival. Having missed the event last year, I was sure to pencil it on my calendar the moment I

I’ve got a date!

Dear God please don’t let it rain, don’t let the kids get sick and put a cap on domestic emergencies of any kind so that I can meet my true love.

Which is your favourite variety of mango? How many kinds of mangoes do you think there are in Trinidad? Go on make a guess and leave it in the comments. I'll let you know what I find out at the festival.

Sunny With a Chance of Delicious

Close your eyes and think of the Caribbean. What do you see? I’m betting you conjured up clichéd images of perpetual summer, white-sand, beaches and cocktails with little pink umbrellas. It’s a pleasant thought, but I’m here to tell you the islands offer so much more.

Take for example our food. West Indian food is really, REALLY great. I mean, I know it hasn’t achieved the celebratory

Save a wife with Angostura bitters!

Look at what I found! It's my mom's old Agostura® recipe book. The cover is missing so it is difficult for me to ascertain exactly when it was printed. Coming to think of it, I don’t remember it ever having had a cover but  my guess would be that it was printed in the late 60’s or mid-70’s?  The recipes contained within are for the most part  unimaginative but there are a few quaint recipes for