Carmelina’s in Boston’s North End was an absolute treat after spending a sunny Saturday afternoon moving my “little Freshman” into her college dorm!

Checking out the menu in silence!

Little Italy in Boston’s North End

Ready for lunch.

Thanks Dad!

Mussels in White Wine

Wild Mushroom Rissotto.

More Rissotto

Japanese Eggplant

Warm Crusty Bread.

Table of food.

Catch of the day on Broccoli Rabe.

Rissotto with Seafood.

More “fruits of the sea”

Angel Hair Pasta

Arugula with shaved Parmesan.

Gorgeous Salad!

Tuna with Fusilli.

Yummy 1

Yummy 2

Yummy3!

Every Last….

Bite!

This meal was delicious and it was the perfect time of day to consume copious calories.

Believe it or not, not long after this meal we walked down the street to the Caffe Paradiso for the world’s best ( no hyperbole ) tiramisu and coffee.

As close to an authentic Italian experience as one could find on this side of the Atlantic.

An emotional weekend fueled by olive oil and mascarpone cheese, you can be sure that I will be visiting often for many reasons!

“Skinny Bitch” and “Skinny Bitch Book of Vegan Swaps” author, Kim Barnouin has shared this recipe for chocolate whoopi pies.

Read the book if you get the chance but definitely make these sinfully delicious desserts!

Ingredients

1 cup almond milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
1/2 cup Earth Balance vegan butter, softened
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup evaporated cane juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Method

Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together the almond milk and vinegar, and set aside. (It will curdle a little; it’s supposed to do that.)

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, arrowroot, and salt. In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugars on low speed until creamy, about 3 minutes. Increase the speed to medium and beat until fluffy and smooth, about 3 minutes. Add half of the flour mixture and half of the almond milk mixture to the batter and beat on low speed until just incorporated. Add the remaining flour mixture and almond milk mixture and beat until thoroughly combined. Drop about 1 tablespoon of batter onto a lightly greased baking sheet, spacing them about 3 inches apart. Bake for about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the cakes cool on the sheet for about 5 minutes before placing them onto a rack to cool completely.

Filling

1/2 cup non-hydrogenated shortening
1/2 cup Earth Balance, room temperature
3 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup almond milk

In a large bowl, beat the shortening and Earth Balance together until well combined. Add the sugar and beat on medium speed for about 3 minutes. Add the extract and almond milk, and beat for another 5-7 minutes until fluffy.

These will not last very long and I challenge you to miss anything.

I would like to try making these with coconut flour to make them gluten/wheat free, as well

I am a Clevelander and Michael Symon the famed Iron Chef and celebrity du jour also, hails from this mid-west town.

Along with his acolyte, Johathon Sawyer, cuisine in Cleveland continues to function as a pork delivery system, along side of french fries in duck fat and fois gras as garnish.

Food trends happen for many reasons and conspicuous consumption factors in, I’m sure.

But at what point do we question celebrating gratuitous overindulgence as a substitute for culinary genius?

I get it. If you like bacon then food cooked with or otherwise augmented with bacon is delicious.

Like ice cream? Like Bacon? Mix the two and, voila! Genius!

I think not.

It’s like putting a girl in a bikini on a car.

Is it a better car? Is the design imaginative or ground breaking?

Or is it just a car with a scantily clad girl astride?

A dish which is flavorful and healthy, appealing to the eye and created without death and suffering; now that takes some talent!

Make cauliflower sexy; without bacon! and make me lust for a fruit dessert over the chocolate molten, whatever and I’m impressed.

There is a place for everything, I will concede. However, the Malthusian mathematics will come back to haunt is all.

Technology aside, there is only so much land to fill the appetites of food porn addicts and the lowest common denominator of palates!

And while some of my favorites may be no more or less creative and unique, I would like to think that they are environmentally friendly and healthy.

Coconut milk soups, fruit purees, fried broccoli rabe with Marcona almonds, nut creams both sweet and savory and an endless array of spices and greens presented in inventive and unexpected ways will satisfy and delight time after time.

Check out the article below for a short list of tired favorites.

Read the whole article here.

I have enjoyed Itto Sushi for years.

And after a few years living outside of Chicago, I was happy to see that one of my favorite spots for great food was still around.

Located in Lincoln Park, Itto is favored by locals.

It’s not at all scene-y or flashy but far enough off the beaten path to not be bothered by hype or tourists!

All of the food is fantastic, authentic with a few twists and turns.

Check out these deep fried sushi rolls.

And one of my favorites, unagi.

But today it was all about the mochi!

Green tee, mango, strawberry and vanilla.

Not just delicious; look at how pretty these are!

I simply worked my way to dessert and enjoyed every sweet spoonful!

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

These pancakes were the star of the show.

Fragrant Lemon; light and fluffy, golden and warm with just a hint of sweetness!

Lemon Ricotta pancakes were heaven.

We shared these like dessert.

Smoked Salmon Benedict Two Poached Eggs, Smoked Salmon and English Muffin with Herb and Lemon Hollandaise

Brunch with wonderful friends in Chicago found us at Prarie Fire in the Loop.

A comfy and cozy atmosphere on a Sunday afternoon was a perfect backdrop for delicious food and yummy morning cocktails!

This is a comfort food hangout with a sophisticated twist.

Signature PGC Benedict Two Poached Eggs over Sautéed Spinach, Crumbled Bacon and English Muffin Roasted Tomato Hollandaise

Greek Omlette Feta, Tomato, Spinach and Onion

Look at how fluffy and moist this omlette is!

Fresh Raspberry Preserves and Whole Wheat Toast

The raspberry flavor was so fresh and…..raspberry-y!

This is a great brunch spot.

A must see when in Chicago!

What a gorgeous sunny day in Chicago!

What better to do than lunch and shop on a crispy cool Spring day?!

Where better to go for both than Barney’s and Fred’s?!

A seat next to the window with a glorious view of the Gold Coast was the perfect way to enjoy this beet and goat cheese salad!

Fred’s is a cool upscale spot which features organic and local food as much as possible.

The atmosphere is pure Gold Coast; Comfortable luxury!

The salmon was wild caught, tender and juicy.

The spinach was perfectly cooked and flavorful.

This is a great combination.

I can eat salmon and spinach everyday!

The avocado and tomato salsa made this the absolutely perfect meal for me!

All my favorites on one plate with green onion, too!

Very fresh. Delicious!

My honey had the linguine with clams in a very light tomato sauce.

This dish was garlicky and spicy.

Absolutely fantastic!

We were both jockying between the two plates trying to decide which was better.

It was a tie.

We were so full!

But that did not stop us from completely cleaning our plates!

Of course, we walked around Michigan Avenue for a while.

I shopped, he tried to stop me from shopping, and so it went until we stumbled on Tavern on Rush……..

The waiter warned me and I just assumed he was a wimp. A supermodel in waiter clothing.

How could he think for a moment that I could not finish a piece of cake?!

It was just lovely! and HUGE indeed!

There was no finishing this cake but it was spectacular!

Not too sweet, moist and a chocolate buttercream landscape of heaven!

It was a brisk and windy Chicago day and we spent it on the patio of Tavern on Rush, sipping coffee and nibbling on this cake!

There was people watching and the luxury of a carefree afternoon with my loved one.

A small pool of creme Anglais, fresh strawberrries and a delicate chocolate sauce created the perfect balance of flavor and texture!

Look at this! From every angle a monument to yumminess!

I can’t wait to go back and do it all over again!

Lunch at Carpaccio in Bal Harbour was the ultimate “Miami” brunch experience.

Let’s forget about the food for a moment. Carpaccio is the place to see and be seen.

Sunday afternoon brunch, after a long night of clubbing in South Beach, is the only remedy for what long nights have to offer!

The patio offers the best people watching opportunities.

This fresh mozzarella and vegetable platter was the perfect morning after meal.

Linguine with clams…

Margherita pizza….

Angel hair pasta with basil and fresh tomatoes….

The food was going fast!

Dancing until 4:30 in the morning can make a girl pretty hungry!

Fried calamari and zucchini was the fried food fix we all needed!

These were crispy, hot, salty and delicious!

A long leisurely meal, great friends, and the post-mortem of the night’s shenanagins with a cold bottle of Sauvignon Blanc is the best way to say “Good-bye” to Miami!

This wonderful dessert at Dante’s in Cleveland, Ohio was perfect after a early evening dinner on crisp Spring day.

The coffee at Dante’s is also some of the best ever.

Here’s a photo of the Double Baked Chocolate Brownie, caramelized bananas, Calicchia honey ice cream.

The polenta is amazing.

I don’t have any photos but I have to say that the polenta is creamy and perfect.

We had the wild mushroom and goat cheese polenta. So Delish!

Also, Sushi for happy hour is a must.

Dante Boccuzzi makes sushi like no one else in town!

I’ll have more on Dante soon. He is truly amazing and a true gem in Cleveland.

“Spice of Love”, fresh jalape�o, passion fruit syrup, mango essence, Svedka, Cointreau.

Sugarcane in Miami is simply beautiful!

The plantation style decor and the outdoor patio dining area are absolutely amazing.

But I have to say that the food was disappointing.

Items were undercooked, bland or simply less than interesting.

Or, even worse, the dishes were too fussy with too many ingredients.

“Hibiscus Blossom”, citrus essence, native mint, hibiscus infused cacha�a.

I do, however, have no complaints about the cocktails!

These lovely concoctions were fresh and tasty!

Mint, mango, cucumber and spices were perfectly combined to create delicious libations of heavenly proportions!

“Eden”, japanese cucumber juice, fresh cilantro, Herradura Tequila, aromatic celery bitters.

Roasted Peppers.

These peppers were actually quite good.

Duck Confit with Waffle.

Grilled Sweet potato with Maple and Soy.

Caulifower.

Grilled Octopus.

Pan Seared Squid.

Goat Cheese Croquettes.

Broccoli Rab.

This was another favorite.

Crudo with Papaya.

Ricotta Cheesecake with Nutmeg Ice Cream.

This ricotta cheese cake was, also, very good and I learned something.

This cake was smooth and creamy.

The cakes which I have made in the past were always a bit dry and lumpy.

This one was wonderful and I am going to try to make it myself!