The Feathered Nest

The softer side of MaisonBisson

Book Review: Best Food Writing 2009 January 2, 2010

TowerGirl @ 11:59 am
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Looking over my bookshelf I notice a trend.  Since our move almost three years ago it seems that the majority of the books I purchase are food related. Some are direct meditations of the role of food in our lives, like Barbara Kingsolver’s Animal, Vegetable, Miracle or Molly Wizenberg’s A Homemade Life and some are guilty little pleasure reads where food reveals the emotions that characters cannot, like Kate Jacobs’ Comfort Food. There are also anthologies of food writing like The New Yorker’s Secret Ingredients. My favorite has become the yearly collection edited by Holly Hughes.

During the holiday break I picked up the latest Best Food Writing 2009. Like last year, Holly reveals how in sync she is with contemporary food issues by pairing writers from the established food world next to fresh voices from the blogosphere. I have been tearing through this year’s collection and enjoying every moment of it. What makes it so fun is how varied the stories are. Monica Eng’s essay “Morality Bites” chronicles her attempt to come to terms with her omnivore lifestyle by witnessing the slaughter of the animals she eats. Hugh Garvey takes us Tokyo where the preparation and consumption of classic cocktails is a near-religious experience. The essays are short which makes it a perfect book to pick up when you can only give a few moments of a busy day to reading.  I look forward to this collection each year and believe this year’s collection is one of the best.

Like many, I have made a New Year’s resolution to eat more sensibly and thoughtfully.  I feel guilty if I chow down on a big plate of chocolate chip cookies, but I don’t feel guilty if I read about the perfect chocolate chip cookie.

 

Cinematic Inspiration August 12, 2009

TowerGirl @ 5:54 pm
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Going home
I read the book Julie & Julia, and I loved it. I loved the connection between food and self. I loved that it showed the hard work that goes into marriage. I like that it showed that the hard work is worth it.  I have a passionate relationship with books I love. I become fiercely protective of them. So, when Hollywood decides to meddle with one of my books I am wary.

Today I went to see the movie. I will now confess that I enjoyed the movie too. It was more really good mac n’ cheese than coq au vin. It was comfort food. It was satisfying. It combined the things I love: food, writing, commitment, and the celebration of imperfection. It served them up with a big ol’ side of hope.

I left the theater and went the grocery store. Right now, the house is filled with the smell of garlic and roast chicken. I don’t claim to be an expert on the cinema. I don’t really claim to be an expert on anything. All I know is I watched the movie and then felt an overwhelming need to cook. I give this film two thumbs up and those thumbs are covered in garlic-y, buttery goodness.

 

Spring Dinner May 27, 2009

TowerGirl @ 10:47 am
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Dinner
I haven’t done much cooking lately.  I hate it when my life gets in the way of playing in my kitchen. Finally, I had time to cook.  It takes some time for spring to arrive to NH, but finally lilacs, asparagus, and even radishes are starting to appear and my window box herb gardens are flourishing.  With all these yummy tokens of spring, I ignored the work I “should” have been doing and dawned my apron.

I have read about roasted radishes on a few blogs lately and have been anxious to try my hand at them. I did these quite simply with quartered shallots, olive oil, and kosher salt. I stuck them in a 425 degree oven for 25 minutes. They couldn’t have been easier.

Then I heated up my beloved cast iron grill/skillet.  I cut medallions from a loin, seasoned them with smoked salt and freshly ground pepper, and grilled them for about 8 minutes on each side.  I served these and the roasted radishes on a bed of arugula.

I felt like the pork wanted a light-herby sauce.  I walked upstairs to my herb garden and grabbed a mixed handful of basil, parsley, and mint. These went into my food processor along with a couple of tablespoons of dijon mustard, olive oil, a small shallot, and champagne vinegar. The result was very tangy and a lovely compliment to the pork.  I had the leftovers the next day as a dip with cucumbers and celery.

The farmers market opens in two weeks, school is almost out for the year, and my kitchen will soon be put through daily workouts.

 

I thought it was overpriced and the music drove me nuts. October 4, 2007

the brother @ 11:40 am
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I thought it was overpriced and the music drove me nuts.

 

Restaurant Review: Cotton September 30, 2007

TowerGirl @ 12:11 pm
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Cotton sign.

First Impressions

How much is too much for an entree at a place that plays the kind of anonymous Muzak that Kenny G calls jazz and is decorated like Applebee’s? Trust me, I like renovated mill buildings, but why confuse it with faux grecian columns and too many pictures of dead celebrities? I mean, the interior was clean and pleasant, but lacked attention to detail. If you’re so afraid your customers are going to walk off with the poorly framed prints of old Hollywood darlings that you nail them to the wall through the frame, how much can you expect them to pay for dinner?

Drinks and Appetizers

Still, Cotton’s martinis have been voted the best in New Hampshire. I tried the sampler, a trio of fruity cocktails served in adorable 2.5 oz martini glasses. The flight included a lemon drop martini, a raspberry cosmopolitan, and an orange crush (the crush had me humming REM all evening, but I’m a dork like that). Casey ordered the Vesper (he’s a dork for Bond-themed drinks), a cocktail of gin, vodka and Lillet as they prepare it.

Whatever points the place lost in atmosphere they seemed to regain with the Martinis. The drinks were fresh and light with lovely flavors. My favorite was the lemon drop. So many restaurants serve a syrupy martini which I hate, these were clearly a step above.

To accompany the cocktails, we had the Lobster Artichoke Dip. The flavor of the dip was good, but the homemade corn chips they were paired with were far too salty and overpowered the more subtle flavors of the dip.

Entrees

On special was a pork tenderloin in a mushroom sauce with mashed potatoes and sauteed greens. It was plenty tender, but the sauce that covered everything was bland and cried out for some fresh herbs. Casey’s “Meat and Potatoes” suffered from a similar saucing issue. I am not sure why the chef felt it necessary to drown our food with blandness.

Conclusion

We should have moved on after our cocktails and appetizers. The music killed Casey, but I will happily return to Cotton for a pre-dinner martini at the bar, then I will continue my search for a Manchester restaurant I love.

Details

Cotton
75 Arms Street Manchester, NH 03101 — phone: 603 622 5488
Dinners priced $13-30
Lunch:Monday-Friday, 11:30AM-2:30PM
Dinner:Nightly at 5:00PM